Federal Government

Local officials will be watching closely as Congress expects to vote to raise the debt ceiling this week. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy finalized details of a measure Sunday night that, if passed, will raise the debt ceiling and avoid default. If the federal government defaults, it could impact Washtenaw County. WEMU's Josh Hakala has more.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Michigan has a new summertime gun violence prevention campaign. Colin Jackson has more.

After some nine days under siege and another 36 hours on the run, a Washtenaw County woman is now safe from the violent conflict in Sudan. The country’s conflict has left millions of civilians under constant attack. 32-year-old Katie Okonski was one of them. But now safe in Cairo, Egypt with her two-and-a-half-year-old son, this international teacher from Milan is sharing her harrowing experience with WEMU’s Cathy Shafran.

Energy grid reliability is again at the fore following an ice storm that crippled much of Michigan. Additionally, environmental concerns about transporting toxic chemicals and how and where they are stored is, once again, a priority following a train derailment in Ohio. 6th District Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) joined WEMU's David Fair and Lisa Wozniak from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters with new and updated information on the path forward.

Fat Tuesday is the day of the Paczki! Michigan Congressional Representative Debbie Dingell has long made it a tradition to send the delicious pastries out to members of the media in appreciation of keeping the public informed. This year will is no exception. But, as you'll learn, the Ann Arbor Democrat's relationship to the tasty treats extends back well before she was elected to Congress. Representative Dingell joined WEMU's David Fair on a Mardi Gras celebration day on WEMU to tell her story.

The need to help refugees around the world has never been higher. There are plenty of ways to help locally in Washtenaw County, but the federal government has created a new program to help resettle those in need. WEMU’s Josh Hakala reports.

Reacting to President Biden’s State of the Union address last night, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor was encouraged by the tone of the speech. Dingell says she was pleased to hear the president outline issues of common ground between parties.

A $2.5 billion federal loan sealed the deal to bring new automotive battery production to the US. We have more from Rick Pluta.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is in Washington DC, where she has meetings to advocate for the state’s manufacturing sector. We have more from Rick Pluta.

The nature of transportation in America is changing. There is a strong move toward electric vehicles with the major automakers committing to the change. Most of that is about personal transportation. But the public transportation sector is adapting and evolving, too. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority recently conducted a study looking into how best to create a fleet of zero emission buses. There are choices to be made and challenges to overcome. WEMU's David Fair explores those issues with AAATA CEO, Matt Carpenter.