| February 10, 2022 
 Yesterday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her proposed budget for the 2023 fiscal year. At $74.1 billion, it's a record-breaking budget, marking a 10% increase from last year’s $67.1 billion budget. State Budget Director Christopher Harkins said the budget takes advantage of a massive amount of federal funding and surplus revenue, sending dollars to schools, infrastructure projects and front-line workers while securing tax cuts for seniors and low-income workers. Whitmer’s budget proposal is a reflection of her priorities, but the final product will need to go through and be approved by the Legislature. The fiscal year 2023 document explicitly makes a commitment “to address kitchen table issues and put money back in the pockets of families.” READ MORE ►Needed investment or 'spending spree'? Lansing reacts to proposed budget  Work from home (or WFH, if you're into abbreviations) has been the norm for many employees since the start of the pandemic. Will the return of the traditional office ever arrive? Well, maybe not. For some, at least, a company-owned and maintained office space may never reappear. Does that mean we all have to keep using our dining room tables as desks until we retire? Not necessarily. Have you heard of coworking spaces? They could be the hot, new thing in the world of the workplace. No assigned seating, no corner office competitions and no maintenance for your employer. Is your workplace trying it? READ MORE  Natural immunity has been a much-discussed concept during the coronavirus pandemic. As many found out, having a previous strain of COVID-19 didn't provide protection from the current dominant strain -- omicron. Some people came down with a second case of COVID recently. But here's a new question to ponder -- if someone gets the virus during omicron's reign, how long does that natural immunity last? Since so many people have caught this strain, the answer here will be of interest to many Michiganders. So, we looked into it and got some useful info: READ MORE ►They've served abroad. Now, a military medical team is lending a hand in Michigan  How are you feeling, Spartan fans? Michigan State men's basketball has hit a rough patch, so you might be feeling worried. Or maybe you are the eternal optimistic, telling yourself this is just a hiccup. Tom Izzo’s bunch dropped their second straight game on Tuesday night, a 70-62 setback to Wisconsin. It was a mostly ugly performance in which the Spartans scored just 23 points in the first half. That, combined with a beatdown at Rutgers over the weekend has the Spartan faithful on edge. Brandon, Matt and Kyle discuss the current situation and what the team would need to do to turn it around on the latest episode of the Spartan Confidential podcast: LISTEN HERE ►Michigan State's toughness questioned after back-to-back losses  Bacon, bread and gas all cost more these days amid swelling inflation. But at one Michigan movie theater, the ticket price hasn’t budged. The Crystal Box Office Theatre charges $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends for some of the biggest blockbusters. Weekend prices only inched up $2 over the past two decades with a 1998 playbill showing tickets cost $3. Concessions are also affordable at $5.50 for a large popcorn and pop combo. Ask for extra butter on ours, please! Check out this small town theater and their consistently low prices: READ MORE ►Gas, used cars, pork chops: Household items push inflation to highest levels since 1982 Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive
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