| October 19, 2021 
 Coronavirus vaccines have been a popular topic of conversation for more than a year now, but mandatory vaccines aren’t a new concept. Michigan requires children to be vaccinated against 14 communicable diseases, or obtain a waiver based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons, before enrolling in a K-12 school or childcare program. Children need to be fully vaccinated, or have received at least one dose of each required immunization and be awaiting receipt of the subsequent doses. High waiver rates and low vaccination coverage can leave children vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases. For example, health officials say communities need vaccination rates between 93 and 95% to stop the spread of measles. See rates for schools in your community: READ MORE  Starting this week, Michigan’s independent redistricting commission will be considering input from the public on their efforts to map out new congressional and legislative districts. A five-stop statewide public hearing tour kicks off Oct. 20 and will take commissioners to Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint and Gaylord before the end of the month. While commissioners previously went on the road in a similar fashion this summer to solicit public comment ahead of their deliberations, the stakes are higher now — the 13-member panel has put out 10 statewide draft maps up for consideration, and individual commissioners have also submitted their own map ideas for review. READ MORE  Wow! Look at that side-by-side comparison! MLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa asked readers to send some photos comparing trees in fall 2020 to their current colors. As you can see here, the view is much different. One reason for that is a warm start to the autumn season. A lot of Michiganders are still waiting on that picture perfect foliage. check out more comparison photos and info from Mark here: READ MORE  Michigan athletics is rolling right now. On Sunday, the football team moved up one spot in the AP top-25 poll, to No. 6. The next day, the preseason AP men’s basketball rankings also had the Wolverines at 6 and the college hockey poll listed Michigan at No. 1. What a time to be a Wolverine. Our Michigan sports experts -- Aaron McMann, Andrew Kahn and Ryan Zuke have plenty to discuss on the latest installment of the Wolverine Confidential podcast. LISTEN HERE ►Spartan Confidential podcast: Would Mel Tucker really leave Michigan State for LSU?  Awarding Michigan’s 15 electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote in presidential elections would be “disastrous,” dozens of Republican lawmakers argue in a letter opposing a potential ballot initiative. Fifty-seven members of the Michigan House and Senate, including Republican leadership in each chamber, signed a joint letter last week to express opposition to the National Popular Vote initiative. While backers of the initiative argue the change would empower every voter in every state, Republicans said in the letter that Michigan’s choice for president “must only be determined by Michiganders.” READ MORE
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