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Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

In today's newsletter, tax cuts for Michiganders are unlikely before the midterms, a look at where Michigan residents can get omicron-specific booster shots and an 'illegal' diversion at the Platte River dredges up public safety concerns.

The Michigan Supreme Court rules abortion rights and voting rights will make the ballot.

Thursday came with two big ballot-related rulings from the Michigan Supreme Court. Constitutional amendments for both abortion rights and voting rights will face voters in the Nov. 8 election.

Last week, the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 when deciding on approval for both the Reproductive Freedom for all initiative and the Promote the Vote measure. But text size and language issues argued by the board were put to rest in the two 5-2 decisions by the court.

Don't forget to keep an eye on what's on your ballot by visiting the Vote 411 website. Through a collaboration with the League of Women voters, we have the info you need to make decisions in the November election.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

The world said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II yesterday as the monarch died at age 96. Here are 10 things you should know about her. (Photo by Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)

The Lions start gameplay this weekend. And one of our writers thinks they could have a 10-win season.

Season predictions: Our Lions beat writers have made their predictions ahead of the season opener Sunday. While they both predict the Lions will lose their first game, one of them predicts a 10-win season. See their detailed thoughts on each game.

More Lions news: As you Lions fans get your Honolulu blue apparel ready for Sunday, make sure to keep up with the latest news about the team. Are you heading to Ford Field to support the home team? If so, you'll be part of a sold-out crowd.

Other football fun: We have Big Ten predictions for this weekend, along with this awesome guide to must-do items for any Maize and Blue fan. Oh, and did you listen to our latest Spartan Confidential and Wolverine Confidential podcasts?

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Tax cuts for Michiganders are unlikely until after the midterm elections.

Waiting for tax cuts: Michiganders holding their breath at the prospect of tax cuts this year may need to hold it a little while longer, with sources saying the legislature isn’t expected to take up any sort of relief until after the midterms. That’s because the lawmakers, save for two or three known days in September, aren’t expected to reconvene at all prior to then.

Dems release tax agenda: Michigan’s House Democratic Caucus has thrown another contender in the ring for tax cut talks, this time in the form of a six-bill package that could issue most Michigan families a $500 tax rebate while more than tripling the current Earned Income Tax Credit rate.

Possible relief for lower income families: A pair of bipartisan bills announced out of the Michigan Senate on Monday are aimed towards helping more low-income Michiganders obtain, and keep, affordable housing.

 Read more

Where can Michiganders get the omicron-specific COVID booster shot?

New vaccine: Bivalent booster shots developed by Pfizer and Moderna to target the omicron variant of coronavirus are now available in Michigan. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that Michiganders could begin getting the bivalent vaccines "as they become available."

Where to get it: Among the pharmacies reporting bivalent boosters in stock are Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS and Costco. To see which pharmacies near you have the new shots, enter your ZIP code into the online vaccine finder tool and select one or both of the bivalent booster options.

In other health news:A drone flown by the state of Michigan detected toxins in the air over Kalamazoo’s wastewater treatment plant at levels potentially dangerous to anyone exposed, and further investigation is planned.

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An 'illegal diversion' at the Platte River dredges up big public safety concerns.

Problem at Platte River: Ecosystem protections are colliding with public access and safety concerns at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where an investigation into the “illegal diversion” of a river outlet has dredged up a thorny debate about balancing uses of public land.

The backstory: In mid-August, the National Park Service began investigating a surprise reconfiguration of the Platte River mouth; a manmade effort which federal officials say was illegal, and, depending on how the investigation unfolds, could result in criminal charges.

Speaking of Sleeping Bear: Three star parties are being held this fall at the lovely national lakeshore.

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ICYMI — New information on three popular stories.

Animal identified: A few weeks ago, everyone was sharing that story about a photographer in the northern Lower Peninsula capturing an image of what he thought was some type of large wildcat. Well, the DNR has now identified the creature in the photo.

Brawls at 3 Michigan movie theaters:The $3 movie day last weekend brought out record-breaking crowds to participating theaters. It also saw at least three parking lot brawls at separate theaters throughout the state.

Michigan official found on Oath Keepers list: A city council member in rural northern Michigan is the only elected official among hundreds of Michiganders found to be members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group that played a central role in last year’s U.S. Capitol attack.

Read more

That's it for the week.

Thanks for joining us here for the Morning Briefing.

All weekend long, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. And maybe you are feeling that pull to become an MLive subscriber.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. And if you are looking for some listening material, don't forget about our new season of Michigan Crime Stories.

— Jessica Shepherd

OTHER TOP STORIES

• Michigan basketball snags highest-ranked recruit in program history
  
  
• Tudor Dixon agrees to Oct. 13 debate with Gretchen Whitmer
  
  
• Muskegon's homicide cases are up 60%. Here's where investigations stand.
  
  
• Defendants in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot allege bias by judge, jury in bid for new trial
  
  
• Michigan Tech approaches an enrollment milestone: 30 percent women

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