Morning Briefing

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022

In today's newsletter, a look at Proposal 1, how wastewater can be used to detect viruses and the attorney general is warning of a new scam.

Michigan's first snowman of the season? Possibly!

OK, we have no way of actually verifying who might have made the first snowman of the season here in Michigan. But the first one I've personally seen is the tiny, adorable snowman built by the forecasters at the National Weather Service in Gaylord.

They didn't have a ton of snow to work with in Gaylord, but the NWS crew certainly made good use of it. You can see their creation below.

There are probably plenty of creative snow sculptures being formed in the U.P. this week after some areas got absolutely covered in snow. Take a look at this photo from Herman, Michigan, in the western U.P.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

Here's the tiny autumn snowman created by the team at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord. (Photo provided by the NWS)

Don't expect king-sized treats. Candy prices are spooky this year.

A not-so-sweet price hike: Earlier this year, Hershey — maker of beloved Halloween treats like Reese’s, Kit Kat and Twizzlers —reportedly announced a 17% price increase for standard chocolate bars and a 13% jump for king-sized bars.

Halloween spending: About a third of U.S. consumers said they plan to spend less on candy ahead of Halloween, according to a survey from 84.51°, Kroger’s analytics firm. Roughly 41% anticipate cutting back on décor and 24% on costumes.

Something else for the kids: Perhaps the children won't get quite as much candy this year, but they can visit 14 pop-up locations of Toys R Us that are now open across Michigan for a limited time.

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Proposal 1 aims to shake up Michigan government, but for better or for worse?

What is Prop 1? Michigan has the strictest term limits in the nation. The state is also one of only two with no financial disclosure requirements for elected officials. By amending Michigan’s Constitution, Proposal 1 would change both those things.

Other proposals on the Michigan ballot: Need more info on the other two proposals you'll find on your ballot next month? Here's a detailed look at Proposal 2 and here are the details on Proposal 3.

Speaking of the election:Former President Barack Obama is heading to Michigan later this month to rally with Democrats during an event in Detroit that comes 10 days before the election.

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After COVID, wastewater could be used to detect influenza and other viruses.

Recently developed wastewater testing: Michigan’s wastewater surveillance infrastructure was built on the fly as COVID tore through the state. Now, with the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, researchers are considering other ways they can use the detection process to more quickly identify viral outbreaks.

What are they trying to detect? Researchers have already begun tracking influenza, norovirus and monkeypox in wastewater in Michigan and beyond. Elsewhere, they’ve identified polio in the sewage system in New York and overseas.

In other health news:Researchers believe they’ve found a way to detect fetal congenital heart defects earlier in a woman’s pregnancy, which could help reduce infant mortality.

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Former Gov. Rick Snyder says he did more for Flint than others have done for Benton Harbor.

Over the weekend:Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said his administration did more for Flint than others have done for Benton Harbor and other communities faced with water contamination issues since he left office.

Lingering legal issues: Attorneys for the former governor asked last week that the two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty against him be dismissed because a one-person grand jury used by prosecutors in the case lacked the authority to issue them.

The latest on Flint water: Two months after a break in the Great Lakes Water Authority pipeline that supplies Flint, the city has completed the process of reintroducing GLWA water into its distribution system.

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Beware of scams: Michigan's attorney general warns of 'pig butchering' crypto con.

Don't fall for it: Scammers have been luring in potential victims with the promise of being a long-forgotten friend, a new friend, a wrong number or lover via text messages and social media apps, according to the attorney general’s office.

Pig butchering?The new scam is rising in popularity on sites like Tinder and WhatsApp. It is called “pig butchering” and combines a romance scam with an investment spin.

More info on modern scams: In case you missed this important information from earlier this year, we have a story on the rise of cryptocurrency scams and how to avoid being targeted.

Read more

You're all caught up.

You made it through Monday and you are already trucking along through Tuesday. Good work!

You can always find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. Here's a link to become an MLive subscriber.

I'll see you back here tomorrow morning!

— Jessica Shepherd

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