TODDLER DEAD-MOTEL ROOM

Parents charged in death of toddler found in Michigan motel

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The parents of a 1-year-old boy have been charged after the child was found dead inside a suburban Detroit motel room. The boy was identified as Isaiah Daniel Porras-Jajou. Farmington Hills police say officers responded to a call from the family’s relatives to check on the boy when they found his body. Thirty-one-year-old Isaisas Porras faces felony murder and child abuse charges while 30-year-old Amanda Jajou faces second-degree child abuse and accessory after the crime. They did not speak during a Wednesday court. An attorney entered pleas of not guilty for both whose last known addresses were in Colorado and California.

BENTON HARBOR-WATER

City in Michigan urged to use bottled water due to lead risk

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan is urging residents of Benton Harbor to use bottled water for cooking and drinking, a major shift in response to elevated levels of lead. The state has been making free bottled water and filters available in Benton Harbor for a few weeks. But the announcement Wednesday is the first time that authorities have recommended that residents reduce their use of tap water. The state last month said it would go door-to-door to distribute filters. In its latest statement, the state says the federal government is conducting a study to determine how effective the filters are in reducing lead in drinking water.

STATE WHISTLEBLOWERS

House short votes to put whistleblower proposal on ballot

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Voters will not decide if whistleblower protections for state employees should be added to the Michigan Constitution. The Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted 65-38 for a resolution to place the amendment on the 2022 ballot. It was eight votes short, after many Democrats voted no. The proposal would prohibit a state department or agency from taking disciplinary action against workers in the classified civil service for communicating with a legislator or the lawmaker’s staff. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year vetoed similar legislation, saying it would have unconstitutionally encroached on the separation of powers and the Michigan Civil Service Commission’s authority.

VOTING RESTRICTIONS-MICHIGAN

Michigan Senate approves bill with voting restrictions

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Republicans in the Michigan Senate have again passed legislation that would make it harder to vote, advancing photo ID, absentee ballot and other changes that face a veto from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The main bill was revised and sent to the House over Democratic opposition. It’s now similar to a separate Republican-backed ballot initiative that could be enacted by GOP lawmakers without the governor’s veto. The regular legislation would require prospective absentee voters to include their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. The bills also would toughen photo ID requirements.

UNEMPLOYMENT-FRAUD ERRORS

Court hears case about wrong fraud decisions by state agency

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has heard arguments in a case that could lead to financial penalties against the state for wrongly accusing thousands of people of fraud when they collected unemployment benefits. No one disputes that a computer system automatically spitting out fraud verdicts was a disaster during Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration. Tax refunds were seized and other steps were taken before more than $20 million was returned by the state. The issue now is whether people alleging due process violations of the Michigan Constitution can try to wring money out of the state for the misery it caused. A decision in the months ahead could break new legal ground.

MICHIGAN FLOODING

Soil hauled from Detroit park as part of storm water project

DETROIT (AP) — Tons of soil is being removed from a westside Detroit park as part of a storm water retention project to reduce flooding in streets and basements during periods of heavy rainfall. Detroit Water and Sewerage Deputy Director and Chief Engineer Palencia Mobley says Wednesday that the project at Rouge Park is expected to capture nearly 100 million gallons of storm water each year, alleviating pressure on the city’s combined sewer system. The system will be designed to capture rain runoff from streets around 1,200 homes. Storm water will be stored in two basins and will filter naturally before being discharged into the nearby Rouge River. Some neighborhoods around the park have suffered chronic flooding for years.

AP-US-KELLOGG-STRIKE

Fed up by pandemic, US food workers launch rare strikes

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A summer of labor unrest at U.S. food manufacturers has stretched into fall. Around 1,400 workers at Kellogg Co.’s U.S. cereal plants walked off the job this week. In Kentucky, a strike by 420 workers against Heaven Hill Distillery is in its fourth week. The actions come on top of strikes this summer by Frito-Lay and Nabisco workers. Labor experts say pandemic gave food workers a rare upper hand. Labor shortages make it difficult to replace them, and the pandemic put a spotlight on their essential __ and sometimes dangerous __ work.

POLICE HELICOPTER-SHOOTING

Police: 2 Michigan men fired at state police helicopter

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Two Flint men face terrorism charges for allegedly firing gunshots at a Michigan State Police helicopter as it hovered over a nature area while troopers were investigating reported gunfire. David Cox and Jeremy Engelman, both 26, were arraigned Tuesday in Genesee District Court on charges that include assault with intent to murder and terrorism, and ordered held at the county jail on a $50,000 bond. Cox and Engelman were arrested early Saturday after police say they both fired several shots at a state police helicopter helping local police investigate a report of shots fired. Neither trooper in the aircraft was injured and the helicopter was not damaged by gunfire.

GENERAL MOTORS-FUTURE

GM sets to double revenue, lead US in electric vehicle sales

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — General Motors plans to cash in as the world switches from combustion engines to battery power, promising to double its annual revenue by 2030. To get there it plans an array of new electric vehicles, profitable gas-powered cars and trucks, and services such as an electronic driving system that can handle most tasks on the road. In announcements Wednesday ahead of a two-day investor event in suburban Detroit, the company also pledged to unseat Tesla and become the electric vehicle market share leader in U.S., although no time frame was given. GM teased upcoming new electric vehicles including a Chevrolet small SUV that will cost around $30,000, as well as electric trucks from Chevrolet and GMC.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-PRESIDENT

U-Michigan president leaving in 2023 before contract ends

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan’s president says he will step down in June 2023, a year before his contract expires. Sixty-three-year-old Mark Schlissel has been president since 2014. He said in an email to the university community Tuesday that it’s an important time to consider the university’s next priorities and determine the leadership that will be needed into the next decade. The announcement came two weeks after the Detroit Free Press reported that Schlissel’s relationship with the university’s governing board had eroded, especially over communications about big projects. Schlissel was praised by regents for the Go Blue Guarantee, which offers free tuition for students from families with income under $65,000. Regent Mark Bernstein says the university “has never been stronger.”