September 23, 2020 When President Donald Trump spoke to thousands of supporters gathered at a campaign rally in Saginaw County earlier this month, he trumpeted himself as a benefactor of the Great Lakes. Trump proclaimed that he saved the Soo Locks and declared a victory for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a major, bipartisan program that puts hundreds of millions of dollars toward Great Lakes cleanups and protection projects. This wasn’t the first time Trump came to Michigan and declared himself a friend of the Great Lakes. But his critics say actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to actions, Trump’s administration has been focused on weakening environmental programs that help the Great Lakes. Experts say he is causing damage that could take years to fix, if it can be fixed at all. READ MORE This week, Ann Arbor City Council voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and plants. The move came after a group of citizens championed the idea and brought it forward to their elected officials. Despite the fact that council members initially seemed skeptical about the concept, they ultimately voted in favor of instructing local police to put enforcement of laws surrounding the entheogenic plants as their lowest priority. So why did council members decide to get on board with this so-far uncommon movement? MORE ►Ann Arbor OKs move to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and plants Clerks across Michigan will mail out absentee ballots for November's general election tomorrow. And there are a lot of ballots to send, as about a third of Michigan's registered voters have requested to vote absentee for this election. That number could grow, since voters are able to request an absentee ballot until Oct. 30. Those registering or changing their address in person the day before or the day of the election can fill out an absentee ballot at their clerk's office. With clerks already referring to this election's absentee ballot numbers as "unprecedented," who knows where the final number will land. MORE ►A third of active Michigan voters have requested absentee ballots Some fans have been calling for Matt Patricia to get canned from his role as head coach of the Detroit Lions for a while now. After all, he does hold a current record for the coach with the most consecutive losses (at 11, if you're counting). Though the players have expressed unwavering support for their leader, there are only so many losses a team can take before a drastic change is made. If the Lions continue losing in the coming weeks, will Patricia be shown the door? No one can say for sure, but Lions beat writer Kyle Meinke sure likes to take an educated guess on such matters: MORE We have been highlighting the best roadways to drive in Michigan, if you are looking for fall colors. Luckily, the County Road Association of Michigan knows all about that topic and releases an annual list. Here we have a look at county roads to travel in southeast Michigan, when looking for the best views of foliage. In that area of the state, peak fall colors are expected between Oct. 7 and Oct. 14. So you have time to map out your drives and schedule a perfect fall day. If you can't wait for Oct. 7, though, you can head north for some earlier peak colors. MORE ►4 great drives for fall color around Cadillac Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive to your address book or safe sender list. |