Morning Briefing

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023

In today's newsletter, Democrats are calling for bipartisan collaboration in Lansing, switching to EVs will save everyone money and the Tigers are moving in the fences at Comerica Park.

From the fun to the heartbreaking, these stories all felt necessary to share.

There are so many stories I wanted to share with you today, but there is only so much space in a newsletter. So I've decided to use this intro as a story speed round of sorts, packing in a bunch of headlines. LET'S GO!

Saginaw's Paul Walter Hauser made his hometown proud by taking home a Golden Globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is re-entering the pollution cleanup picture at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Days before a Michigan woman died of ALS, she was able to meet her granddaughter. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown again. A retired college professor has vowed to speak at every Ottawa County board meeting for the next 2 years. And could Cedar Point construct a reimagined Top Thrill Dragster in the future?

PHEW! That was a lot, but there is even more to read below in today's Morning Briefing. I hope you find the perfect reading material for your Thursday.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

This unique historic home on a spacious corner lot in Ann Arbor’s enviable Burns Park neighborhood is on the market. Read more on our House of the Week here. (Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com)

A bizarre January warm-up is coming to Michigan.

The scoop from Mark Torregrossa: "The much-warmer-than-normal air blowing in here Sunday and lasting to at least Tuesday will bring afternoon temperatures into the mid-to-upper 40s, and even some 50-degree readings. Again, this isn’t super strange for one day in January in Michigan. It is quite bizarre for a solid three or four days in a row."

An update on the possibility of snow:It originally looked like we would be getting some snow here in Michigan tonight and tomorrow. But Mark has kept his eye on the ever-changing forecast and he says it now looks like the storm will fall south of us.

Why do those trees still have leaves?You know you’ve seen them this time of year: Those lone trees still clinging to their fall-hued leaves, shamelessly sticking out from their naked neighbors in a winter-white forest or in the middle of a snow-blanketed field. But why does that happen?

Read more

Dems, now in charge at the Michigan Capitol, are stressing Republican collaboration.

A new leader: The House session on Wednesday began with Rep. Joe Tate confirmed as speaker in a 102-8 vote. Only Republicans, many of who were part of the House’s far-right Freedom Caucus, voted against the move. In a speech following the vote, Tate pressed working for the betterment of Michigan and its people. He stressed bipartisanship as the only way to make that possible.

Republican leader Matt Hall agreed: "Our bipartisan record should set the tone for the next two years in the House of Representatives. To move our state forward we must work together. We must continue to find common ground, a shared foundation upon which we can build a better future for the people of Michigan."

Speaking of politics: Among the constitutional changes brought by Proposal 2′s passage in November is single-signup absentee voting, which allows voters to fill out one form and permanently vote absentee.

Read more

Switching to EVs will save everyone money and reduce carbon emissions, a new study says.

Saving money: Most U.S. households that own a vehicle would save money on their transportation energy costs if they switched to electric vehicles. New research from the University of Michigan shows more than 90% of households with a vehicle would see a drop in the percentage of their income spent on fueling an EV vehicle.

Reducing emissions: Researchers found that if cars, SUVs, and pickups across the country were replaced with new EVs, transportation energy burdens and greenhouse gas emissions would vary widely from place to place.

Wallet watch: Looking to buy an electric vehicle? We have a look at how you can get a tax credit for that. Plus, a roundup of other economy headlines from the week.

Read more

The Tigers are moving in the fences at Comerica Park for 2023.

Moving in and moving down: The Tigers are moving in the center field fence at Comerica Park by 10 feet, but it will still be the second-deepest center field in the league after Coors Field in Denver. Additionally the height of the outfield wall will be lowered to seven feet in center field, right field and right-center field.

Why? Comerica Park has long been loathed by hitters and loved by pitchers for its deep center-field dimensions that turn no-doubt home runs into long flyouts. Comerica Park routinely had more outs recorded on “barrels” -- a term used to measure well-struck balls -- than any other stadium in baseball.

Elsewhere in sports: This veteran Michigan State men's basketball team knows how to finish tough games. And they keep proving it.

Read more

Let's look at the top-selling car brands and models in 2022.

Vroom vroom: This list was published earlier this week, and somehow I missed it. When I realized I hadn't shared this with the Morning Briefing audience, I knew I had to get it in today's newsletter. Here's a look at the cars that people most frequently purchased last year.

Sales down:In total, about 13.9 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. in 2022 – the lowest level in a decade, largely thanks to inventory shortages. In 2021, U.S. auto sales hit nearly 15.1 million. Here's a chart that shows which carmakers sold the most vehicles in 2022.

While we are talking about popularity: Need a new book to read? Well, maybe you will find an intriguing title in this list of the most frequently checked out books by patrons of the Kent County library system in 2022.

Read more

That's all for now.

Wow! That was a lot of stories in one newsletter!

But you can always find more of the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. And you can always make the decision to become an MLive subscriber.

Have a terrific Thursday.

— Jessica Shepherd

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