Morning Briefing: Divorces in Michigan at lowest rate since 1963

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Morning Briefing

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

In today's newsletter, Flint water criminal charges dismissed against former Gov. Snyder, Michigan hospitals want help overcoming ‘funding crisis’ amid staff shortages, and the Lions' playoff hopes heat up with huge win against Vikings.

A bit of background...

I started my journey into the writing and social media world with a position responsible for promoting scholarship opportunities and financial literacy. As a college student myself, I took everything I learned, applied it, and ending up graduating with a bachelor's degree debt-free.
So here's some news that peaked my interest: With new scholarships, Olivet College will be tuition-free for about half of students. This is with the help of a new state scholarship in which most Michigan college students could receive up to $5,500.
And while we're on the topic of education, check out these 5 Michigan schools recognized for pre-pandemic academic progress and growth.

Curated by Jamie Rewerts

A line of vintage sleds as riders cross the Mackinac Bridge for Snowmobile the Mac. Read more about their journey here. (Photo courtesy of Beau Vallier)

Divorces in Michigan at lowest rate since 1963, marriages at lowest rate ever

On the decline: Marriages and divorces predictably shrunk in Michigan 2020 – as both were more challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While marriages rebounded in 2021 to pre-pandemic levels, divorces have not.

What impacted divorce rates: William Chopik, a professor of psychology at Michigan State University, points to a University of Texas study that suggests the times of high stress during the pandemic didn’t impact intimate relationships and actually brought some couples even closer together.

Visualize it: Marriage and divorce rates have been on the decline in Michigan since the 1980s. See a graph of Michigan’s marriage and divorce rates from 1900 to 2021 here.

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Flint water criminal charges dismissed against former Gov. Snyder

Genesee Circuit Judge F. Kay Behm signed an opinion and order dismissing two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty against former Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday, Dec. 7, finding that Circuit Judge David Newblatt, who prosecutors used as a one-man grand jury in the case, did not have the authority to issue an indictment.

Community reaction: Flint residents who have crusaded for accountability in the Flint water crisis for years say they’ve been dealt another blow by the dismissal of criminal charges against Snyder.

Also in Flint: General Motors officials went to Flint elementary schools and donated more than 900 STEM-themed books to students in the community in an effort to increase student interest in STEM programs.

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Michigan hospitals want help overcoming ‘funding crisis’ amid staff shortages

The state has lost as many as1,700 staffed hospital beds since 2020 due to a lack of staffing, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. Fewer beds can result in longer wait times in the emergency department, reduced services, and more difficulty transferring patients to the appropriate care settings.

An ongoing problem: Hospitals have for years been reporting staffing shortages. Making matters worse is an aging workforce and an extended public health emergency that has exhausted caregivers.

More in health news: Michigan is one of 3 remaining states with low flu activity. Influenza rates are taking off throughout the country and while Michigan is one of the few outliers, that could change in the near future.

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Lions’ playoff hopes heat up with huge win against Vikings

Playoffs? We’re talking playoffs? The white-hot Lions welcomed the division-leading Minnesota Vikings to Ford Field for the biggest December game in this town in a half-decade, then rolled to a convincing 34-23 win that has turned up the temperature on their playoff fortunes.

Some highlights: Jameson Williams is feeling the love in Detroit after securing a 41-yard touchdown with the first catch of his career. Be sure to watch 330-pound offensive tackle Penei Sewell pick up Detroit's last third-down conversion of the day for a first down. Jared Goff had another strong game, throwing for 330 yards and three touchdowns.

Keeping away the crown: The Vikings have had the chance to put the NFC North title on ice for two weeks running, but they’ll have to wait at least another week after Sunday's defeat.

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Lake Superior gains astounding 6 trillion gallons in same time Lakes Michigan, Huron lose 7 trillion

The latest in the Great Lakes: Most of the Great Lakes had receding water levels in the past year. This is not the case for Lake Superior. Lake Superior is now 11 inches higher than this time last year. With the rule of thumb for gallons per inch, Lake Superior now holds around 6 trillion gallons more water than December 2022.

In case you missed it: Last week we shared on how Lake Michigan and Lake Huron lost over 3 trillion gallons of water in November, bringing them close to their long-term average water levels.

Moving to natural gas: More than three-quarters of Michiganders stay warm in their homes through winter with natural gas, and that is going to hit their household budgets hard in coming months.

Read more

You're all caught up.

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— Jamie Rewerts

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