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Morning Briefing

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023

In today's newsletter, Gov. Whitmer pushes cut taxes while expanding social programs in State of the State, what Michigan seniors have faced since being evacuated from hazardous building and why snowy owls are becoming scarce in the Midwest.

Old Man Winter is back.  For now. 

Winter weather made a comeback for some parts of Michigan this week, and keeping up with the news coverage stirred nostalgic feelings of making snow angels in the backyard or the first warming sip from a steaming mug of hot chocolate. 

Over in Ann Arbor, hundreds of  University of Michigan students and community members braved the cold to participate in a giant snowball fight yesterday, as Ann Arbor ushered in its first major snow of the year. 

While we're on the topic of winter, snowy owl sightings are "remarkably slow" across the Midwest this season, according to Project SNOWStorm, a crowd-funded snowy owl research project. Experts have a few explanations for why that is (there's more on this below).

Curated by Cara Hackett

A female snowy owl sits on a picnic table in Muskegon in January 2023. Fewer snowy owls are being reported in Michigan this winter than in previous winters. This photo was shot with a telephoto lens from a long distance; experts say approaching snowy owls can disrupt their behavior and even put them in danger. (Photo by Brian Barnabo)

Gov. Whitmer pushes for tax cuts and funding for early education in her State of the State address.

Whitmer's priorities: With her party in control of the legislature and billions of dollars in the bank, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laid out a plan to cut taxes while expanding social programs in the first State of the State address of her second term. She also called for Michigan to establish universal free preschool for all four-year-olds in the state.

Republicans question plans: GOP leadership spoke to media afterwards, saying they believed Whitmer’s speech was absent of details on how she would roll out her new plans, which include K-12 tutoring investments, building the workforce and social justice issues like abortion and civil rights.

Speaking of tax cuts: Many Michiganders could see a tax cut next year. How and when is up in the air.

Read more

Snowstorm remnants: What we can expect Thursday morning and afternoon.

The snowstorm for southern Michigan is winding down. Now a burst of Lake-effect snow is developing for Thursday afternoon. MLive's meteorologist Mark Torregrossa has a quick look at today’s weather.

Several Mid-Michigan schools have announced they are closed Thursday, some for the second day in a row, after a winter storm left several inches of snow across the region. Lapeer Community Schools, Imlay City Schools, Dryden Schools, all in Lapeer County, have already announced closings for Thursday, Jan. 26. 

School is out, fun is in: A snow day for Ann Arbor Public Schools meant kids flocked to Veterans Park on Jan. 25 to hit Ann Arbor’s most popular sledding hill. 

Read more

How should Michigan’s new early voting work? Ask those who will run it.

Early voting is coming soon: Michigan will join nearly half of states in 2024 and allow in-person early voting thanks to Proposal 2 passing last November. For at least nine days until the Sunday before an election, voters will be able to walk into booths early and cast ballots.

Other political news: Newly empowered Democrats in the Michigan Legislature say they plan to repeal a four-year-old law, commonly known as no-stricter-than-federal, which bars the state from developing administrative rules which are more stringent than most federal counterparts. 

Bundle of joy: House Democrats' slim seat majority was tested for the first time Jan. 24 on a vote over a book-closing supplemental bill. The reason? A baby. Rep. Joey Andrews IV, D-Saint Joseph, hours after the birth of his daughter, was on the road from Saint Joseph to Lansing to ensure House Democrats could move the legislation they wanted. 

Read more

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Why snowy owls are scarce in Michigan this winter

Birds of a feather: There are fewer snowy owl sightings across the Midwest and Northeast this winter when compared to previous seasons.  Regional data from the website eBird shows that there have been about 50 snowy owls reported in Michigan this winter compared to last winter’s nearly 200.

Researchers have noted that snowy owls had a tough breeding season in the tundra. Their favorite food source lemmings, a small Arctic rodent that accounts for up to 90% of the owls’ summer diet food source, also dropped in population. In addition, experts believe the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, that tore through North American bird populations last year could have impacted the owls. 

Taking flight: Although the birds typically favor the eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, they can potentially appear anywhere in the state, hunting open spaces like fields and shorelines until the season wanes, sending them back north. 

Read more

Here’s what Michigan seniors evacuated from condemned building have faced for 6 months.

Six months ago officials alerted more than 60 senior residents at Riverview Terrace Apartments that they needed to immediately evacuate the condemned property after the discovery of large cracks in the building’s foundation. Here’s what the Michigan seniors have faced since being forced from the condemned building.

More than three dozen of the former Riverview Terrace residents are living at a former Travelodge, now called The Adrian Inn. With no timeline to return to Riverview Terrace in sight, residents say they struggle daily with medical needs, and getting healthy food, while trying to fight the feeling that officials “just don’t care” anymore since a half year has passed.

More housing news: Holland Public Schools is offering to pay up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to teachers who buy a home in the district as part of a new effort to attract and retain long-term educators.

Read more

You're all caught up.

Thanks for joining us this Thursday for today's Morning Briefing.

Stay up to date on all the latest Michigan news by heading over to MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming an MLive subscriber.

Stay warm and stay kind today. 

— Cara Hackett

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