Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

In today’s newsletter, a candidate for Michigan governor is arrested by the FBI, Michigan businesses are turning TikTok views into profits and how to avoid poison ivy this summer.

A cleanup effort is underway after a 5,300-gallon oil spill occurs near the Soo Locks.

The U.S. Coast Guard is working to coordinate cleanup efforts after thousands of gallons of oil spilled into the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The river connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron and serves as a border between Michigan and Ontario, Canada.

The spill, the source of which is Algoma Steel in Ontario, has activists talking about Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipelines along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. Here's our latest news from earlier this week regarding Line 5.

There was a lot of important news to share in today's newsletter, but I thought it was important to get you this information -- anyone with information or reports of oil sheens or oiled wildlife can contact the Coast Guard by calling (906) 635-3233.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker explains his decision to charge Grand Rapids police Officer Christopher Schurr with second-degree murder.

The Grand Rapids officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya is charged with second-degree murder.

Charges brought: Kent County prosecutors announced Thursday they have authorized a charge of second-degree murder against a Grand Rapids police officer who shot and killed a Black motorist, Patrick Lyoya, during a struggle. The officer, Christopher Schurr, is scheduled to be arraigned today.

'We made a decision when we had all the facts,:' Prosecutor Chris Becker said his decision to charge officer Christopher Schurr in Lyoya's killing was not intended as a message to police or the community. It’s where the facts led, he said.

Reactions to the charges: Patrick Lyoya's father said the murder charge brings "a little bit of consolation" to the victim's family. Community groups welcomed the news. And experts say the charge against Schurr sends a message.

Read more

GOP governor candidate Ryan Kelley is arrested in U.S. Capitol riot investigation.

A 17-month investigation:Just days after the insurrection in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, the FBI started looking into Ryan Kelley's possible involvement. Nearly a year and a half later, agents searched the gubernatorial candidate's Allendale home and took him into custody.

Read the FBI's criminal complaint: Kelley, who is one of five remaining Republican candidates for Michigan governor, is charged with four misdemeanors connected to the U.S. Capitol riots. You can read the FBI's full complaint here.

Other GOP candidates voice support: Several of the other Republican gubernatorial candidates voiced support for Kelley on social media after the arrest. His campaign's Facebook account posted a message calling Kelley a "political prisoner."

Read more

Michigan businesses are turning millions of TikTok views into profits.

Show me the money: Michigan entrepreneurs have leveraged TikTok to grow their businesses. The social media platform that hosts a variety of videos—from dance routines to comedy sketches and even life from war-torn Ukraine—can also be a powerful marketing tool.

Millions of views: One video from a Shelby Township Dairy Queen showing off a Jack & Jill sundae has been viewed 36 million times. Schuler Books has nearly half a million people following their book recommendation videos. And an influencer’s post about Kookys N Cream netted the Lapeer cookie shop 600 new orders last year.

Speaking of business: Four more Michigan Starbucks locations, in Flint and Lansing, have voted to unionize. The news comes after four Ann Arbor stores voted in favor of unionization earlier this week.

Read more

There are zero monkeypox cases in Michigan and state health officials want to keep it that way.

No cases: As of Wednesday, there have not been any known or reported Michigan cases of monkeypox, a viral illness reported recently in several countries that do not normally find monkeypox, including the United States. There have been 35 total cases in 15 states since mid-May.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian says the rare disease does not pose the broad risk that COVID-19 has to communities across the nation. “This is not something where I would want to panic the general public, put everyone on high alert or have everyone thinking about monkeypox."

In other health news: A Michigan doctor says a new, more traditional COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax could combat vaccine hesitancy.

Read more

What does poison ivy look like? Here's how to stay itch-free this summer.

Michigan summertime:We have probably said it more times than is reasonable in this newsletter, but Michigan summer is PERFECT. We are big fans. So, we really don't want you to ruin the fun of spending time outside this summer with an itchy, frustrating poison ivy rash.

Leaves of three, let it be: That old rhyme is all well and good. It's also technically accurate. But it isn't quite that simple identifying this leafy plant. A lot of things have leaves, and poison ivy doesn't always look exactly the same. Luckily, lover of the outdoors Emily Bingham put together this info on how to avoid the problematic plant.

How about a more desirable plant? Emily also has a look on how to harvest wild blueberries at Michigan's Hiawatha National Forest. Heading to the U.P.? That's where you'll find the delicious berries.

Read more

That's all for now.

We are going to take some time this weekend to avoid poison ivy and maybe eat a few (dozen? hundred?) blueberries.

But while we are away, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. Maybe you'll take the leap this weekend and become an MLive subscriber.

Enjoy all the blueberries you want over the next few days. You deserve it.

— Jessica Shepherd

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