Morning Briefing

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023

In today's newsletter, Michigan bans discrimination against employees who undergo abortions, homeless youth need increased access to housing and medical care, Michigan reps say and Michigan’s next winter may be dominated by El Niño coming on strong.

No, aliens didn’t launch an invasion at a Michigan school’s football field, but...

Michigan is having its fair share of unusual stories this week. This article about extraterrestrial life "visiting" a Saginaw area high school certainly falls into that category. Don't worry, E.T. and his friends haven't landed in the Great Lakes State.

In part to raise awareness about the dangers of spreading misinformation, Hemlock Public School District officials issued a satirical news release about an alien invasion at the 1,100-student school located in rural, northwest Saginaw County.

Don Killingbeck, the district superintendent, said the counterfeit close encounter of the turf kind was meant as a humorous way to both draw attention to real-life school plans and combat the public’s tendency sometimes to spread false rumors.

Curated by Cara Hackett

Solar flare edge shows up as bright orange at lower left edge of sun on May 16, 2023 (NASA/NOAA image)

Michigan bans discrimination against employees who undergo abortions

More protections on the way: The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act has been broadened to include discrimination protections for Michigan workers who receive abortions, under legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Wednesday.

One step closer: Legislation to make Juneteenth – a holiday widely celebrated for years by Black Americans – official in Michigan passed the state Senate Wednesday, May 17.

Over in Grand Rapids: A woman purchased a stolen handgun from “someone on the streets” that was later confiscated from a second-grader’s backpack at a Grand Rapids elementary school, court records show.

Read more

Homeless youth need increased access to housing, medical care, Michigan reps say

Challenging circumstances: In Michigan, homeless or runaway youth with difficult home lives often face challenges with finding housing or medical care without parental consent. To find solutions, legislation introduced in the state House would extend the window a youth shelter or transitional living facility can provide services for homeless youth or runaways for up to 72 hours with or without parental consent.

Because youth shelters are obligated to turn minors over to Children’s Protective Services if a parent or guardian cannot be reached within 24-hours, HB 4085 sponsor Rep. Lori Stone, D-Warren, said many homeless youths are opting to couch surf or live on the streets.

There's more: Another bill in the package, HB 4086, would amend the definition of “homeless youth” to allow a young person up to 22-years-old to enter into a transitional home for licensing purposes. HB 4087 would allow them to access health care without parental consent.

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Michigan’s next winter may be dominated by El Niño coming on strong

Slightly warmer, slightly drier: A El Niño is now given a very likely chance of developing this summer and lasting through next winter, with a 55% change of it being strong, according to NOAA. El Niño winters are usually warmer than normal and can be slightly drier than normal in Michigan.

What's that?: El Niño is when a large area of the Pacific Ocean from near South America to Indonesia becomes much warmer than normal. The large area of warm water then alters some of the weather patterns around the world.

A strong solar flare occurred on the side of the sun on May 16. If there is another solar flare that erupts from the active area of the sun this weekend or early next week, the energy would shoot more directly at Earth. A direct shot of the sun’s exploding energy can create northern lights.

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Caleb Love won’t transfer to Michigan basketball after all

Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love won’t be transferring to Michigan after all. Love has decommitted from Michigan, according to multiple reports on Wednesday evening.

Over in Flint:For the first time in 40 years,Hamady High School's track and field athletes hosted their track meet on home turf. Although a state-of-the-art athletic facility was christened in 2018 by the football team, they weren't able to hold a track meet until Tuesday. The Hawks won both ends of a quad meet with International Academy, Madison Academy and Genesee.

Tennis time: Michigan’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are enjoying shared success during NCAA Tournament runs in Florida this week. Both have reached the quarterfinal (Elite Eight) round.

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‘Friends’ TV show immersive experience coming to Michigan for first time

“The Friends Experience” is about to pivot to Michigan for the first time. This interactive exhibit, which features numerous set recreations and show props from the hit TV sitcom, is coming to Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills beginning on Friday, June 30th.

A sweet treat: Help some local organizations and enjoy strawberry shortcake at an annual Jackson event that’s been around for more than six decades. South Jackson Community Church is hosting its annual Strawberry Festival on Sunday, June 11.

Dig in: You’ll find Fuji Buffet filled with lobster, oysters and sushi, among other choices. It’s one of the more popular buffets around and it has just been named the top buffet in all of Michigan by national food publication Mashed.

Read more

Thanks for starting your day with Morning Briefing.

Now that we've crossed catching up on the latest Michigan headlines off this morning's to-do list, let's get Thursday started.

Throughout the rest of the day, you can read the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you are there, consider becoming a MLive subscriber.

Hang in there, the weekend is almost here.

— Cara Hackett

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