Morning Briefing

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023

In today's newsletter, the fate of Gov. Whitmer's $180 rebate checks could be in limbo, a Michigan college is getting involved in making sure chefs are skilled at working on ships and Ford is building a $3.5 billion battery plant in Marshall.

Did you spot Aidan Hutchinson in that Super Bowl commercial?

Aidan Hutchinson made a big splash during his rookie season with the Detroit Lions. Now, the former Wolverine is even showing up during the commercial breaks for the sport's biggest game. That's just one step away from actually playing in the Super Bowl, right?

And speaking of Aidan, he chatted with our very own Kyle Meinke late last week for the latest episode of Dungeon of Doom, our Detroit Lions podcast. Check out what Aidan had to say, plus you can hear Kyle and co-host Ben Raven give their selections for some post-season Lions superlatives.

Oh, and if Super Bowl ads are still rattling around in your brain, read the most recent installment of our Wallet Watch series for some info on the group behind the ad for Jesus.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

Assorted chocolates in a glass display case

It's Valentine's Day! Do you need to grab a last-minute gift? Here are five spots in Ann Arbor to snag some swag for your valentine. Or, you could just treat yourself! (Photo of Bohmey Beauty by J. Scott Park | MLive.com)

Suspect dead after killing 3, wounding 5 others in Michigan State University shooting.

Suspect dead: Michigan State University police say the suspect in a mass shooting on campus Monday night died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing three people and wounding five others. The 43-year-old suspect was not connected to the university, according to police.

Shooting 'surreal' for students: Students at Michigan State University were stunned, upset and fearful Monday, freshmen Bergen Loeprich told MLive. "Everyone is freaking out. Yes, it is all hell here. ... I really can’t believe it. It just feels surreal it’s happening to me right now."

All campus activities canceled: MSU officials announced the cancellation of all university activities for the next 48 hours following the shooting.

Read more

The fate of Gov. Whitmer's $180 rebate checks could be in limbo.

Will the checks go out?The bill the checks originate from, House Bill 4001, needs immediate effect to be granted in order for the rebates to be issued. This can only occur if two-thirds of the members elected and serving in the Senate vote in favor of the move, meaning Democrats would need some Republicans to vote for it.

Not likely, says one GOP member: Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Cannon Township, told reporters he couldn’t speak for his Senate counterparts, but given what occurred Feb. 9, "I fully expect the Senate to refrain from giving immediate effect." What happened? Watch here.

More in politics: Michigan Senate Democrats could strip a Republican of a leadership post.

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A Michigan college teaches students to be chefs —on ships.

That sounds like fun! Starting this fall, Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City will offer a new culinary arts certificate with a maritime emphasis. In other words, the college will train students to be chefs on ships.

The college is adding the program to stand out: The certificate requires one extra class culinary students don’t already take – a new course called galley cooking. Galley is the name of a kitchen on a ship. The course will train students for the many realities of cooking on ships.

Speaking of ships: American Queen Voyages has announced it is adding a port for the first time to the Upper Peninsula for lakes and oceans vessels. The Escanaba port will begin being used in May for select voyages that tour the Great Lakes.

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Ford plans to build A $3.5 billion battery plant at a mega site in Marshall.

'A new kind of factory:' Ford Motor Co. plans to build a $3.5 billion electric vehicle lithium-ion battery plant and create 2,500 jobs in southwest Michigan. Supported by $246 million in state incentives, the Dearborn automaker will construct a sprawling 2.5 million-square-foot battery facility on 1,900 acres of farmland in Marshall.

BlueOval Battery Park Michigan: The plant will help Ford reach its goal of producing two million electric vehicles a year by the end of 2026. It will add another 35 gigawatt hours per year of battery capacity to Michigan, which is already among the states predicted to see the highest growth in battery manufacturing capacity by 2030.

ICYMI: Our economy team recently took a look at how vacation homes are eating up inventory and deepening the income divide in one Michigan county.

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It's been so beautiful out. Could we really get snow this week?

Snow? Really? The weather over the weekend was just perfect. It was yard work weather (or something more fun, if you prefer). And yesterday saw more beautiful weather. Here in Kalamazoo, it is supposed to top 50 degrees today and record warmth is expected in some Michigan locations this afternoon. SO WHAT IS THIS ABOUT SNOW?!?

Tell us, Mark: "Everything I look at shows a classic solid snow track emerging in the southern Plains and curving northeast into the Great Lakes late this week. The current timing for a snow in Michigan is Thursday afternoon to Friday morning."

Think twice about the ice: Those warm temps I mentioned above could lead to an early end of the ice fishing season throughout Michigan.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's Day, I hope you find all the love to fill you up, whether it's romantic love, platonic love, familial love or love for yourself.

If you love keeping up with the latest Michigan news, you can find it anytime at MLive.com. While you're there, consider being our valentine by becoming an MLive subscriber.

Enjoy your day!

— Jessica Shepherd

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