Morning Briefing

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2023

In today's newsletter, a food processor is exposed for illegally employing minors in Grand Rapids, a study says Michigan outperformed the U.S. in addressing COVID racial disparities and U-M students will run an Ann Arbor water plant.

After the great outdoors have made us mad for the past week, accept this visual gift.

Woooooo, it has been a week. Well, it's only Tuesday. But in the last seven days, Michigan has seen snow, ice, sleet, prolonged power outages, school closures, weather-related traffic crashes, fallen trees and damaged property.

It makes sense if you have been looking up at the sky and using some choice words, my Michigan brethren. But now it is time for the sky to deliver a little visual treat to say "sorry" for all the harm it has done. Check out how to feast your eyes on a dazzling "kiss" between Venus and Jupiter this week.

And, it's possible you are rolling your eyes at me. That's OK! I don't actually have proof that the sky is trying to apologize. Here's a link to some pretty pictures to make up for it.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

Post-it notes with positive messages are stuck to a wall at Michigan State University

UGH! Two weeks in a row! More ice and snow showed up Monday to start the week with poor road conditions and power outages for Michiganders. See more photos of our latest winter weather event here. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)

Michigan may soon enact red flag laws. Implementation could make all the difference.

Bills introduced after MSU shooting: Democratic lawmakers have set their sights on altering gun ownership practices in Michigan, including introducing red flag laws, which would create a process to implement extreme risk protection orders. But opponents say the focus should be on mental health care.

Experts say it's not either/or:To researchers like Shannon Frattaroli, a professor and course faculty member with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, it’s not a question of which is better – mental health or gun safety supports – but how best to combine the two with preventing community violence.

Speaking of Democratic lawmakers: U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, announced she’s running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime senator Debbie Stabenow.

Read more

A food processor is exposed for illegally employing minors in Grand Rapids.

Heartside Food Solutions: After a New York Times article exposed a number of American companies using illegal child labor, a food processor with a presence in West Michigan says it is reviewing practices. The story, published Saturday, begins with the story of a 15-year-old girl who stuffs plastic bags of Cheerios into yellow boxes at a Grand Rapids plant.

'They've really gotta feel the pain': U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten says state and federal regulators must hold accountable Hearthside Food Solutions and other companies accused in the report of hiring migrant children as young as 13 for jobs that violate federal child labor law.

Also in Grand Rapids: Silent Observer enhanced a reward for tips leading to those responsible for the death of a 46-year-old man killed in Grand Rapids last year.

Read more

A study says Michigan outperformed the U.S. in addressing COVID racial disparities.

COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force: Highly pronounced differences in COVID-19 case and death rates between Black and white populations in the early months of the pandemic were reduced significantly in the years to follow. Those improvements were greater in Michigan compared to nationwide, the task force noted in its 71-page report.

Task force formed at the start of the pandemic: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer established the task force via executive order in April 2020, as African Americans represented 40% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths despite accounting for less than 14% of the population.

In other health news: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is offering to pay medical providers’ student loans if they provide opioid addiction programs.

Read more

It's NFL Combine week! Let's talk mock drafts and what to expect in Indy.

Let's chat with Kyle and Ben: The Dungeon of Doom podcast is heading to the NFL’s scouting combine for the week. But first, it’s time for the guys to debate their first mock drafts for the Detroit Lions, and what they are looking forward to seeing from the top college prospects in Indianapolis.

Lions and the Combine: What are the Lions hoping for during this year's draft? Well, a cornerback would be a lovely addition. Could they target an early linebacker? Perhaps they'll re-invest in that stellar offensive line.

More sports talk: Are you trying to make sense of what happened to the Spartans in Iowa City? Our MSU experts discuss it on the latest episode of Spartan Confidential. Where does it all stand as the calendar flips to March?

Read more

University of Michigan students will run a water plant under a $450K agreement.

On-site training: University of Michigan students are going to get hands-on experience helping run Ann Arbor’s temporary water treatment plant being built off Sunset Road.

The agreement: City Council last week approved a $450,000 agreement with UM for operational assistance and research support for the pilot plant where the city wants to test new treatment technologies before undertaking a major overhaul of the city’s water plant.

Elsewhere in higher ed news: Sanjay Gupta, the former dean of MSU’s Broad College of Business, has filed a federal lawsuit against interim President Teresa Woodruff and six other officials, alleging that Woodruff dismissed him as part of "a power scheme to ensure that Gupta would not be named successor to outgoing former President Samuel Stanley, Jr., and to enhance Woodruff’s personal ambition to become President."

Read more

That's all for February.

The next time we meet up here in the Morning Briefing, it will be March.

No matter the month, you can always find the latest Michigan news by visiting MLive.com. And if you appreciate the hard work of our journalists, consider becoming an MLive subscriber.

Here's to warmer months ahead!

— Jessica Shepherd

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