Michigan News

  Governor Rick Snyder says he is eager to get a decision from the federal government on his plan to boost immigration in Detroit.

  US Attorney General Eric Holder has been asked to declare that the federal government will recognize same-sex marriages performed in Michigan over the weekend, even if the state won’t. 

       ANN ARBOR  - Anti-Israel protesters are in the second week of a sit-in at the offices of the University of Michigan student government to protest its failure to vote on a resolution calling for a boycott over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has released a free phone app designed to promote student wellness and campus health events. 

The Ann Arbor News reports that the app also includes news alerts and inspirational messages. It has a one-touch dial button that links students with a responder if there is an emergency.

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for Michigan Democrats next month.  The Michigan Democratic Party announced Sunday that Clinton will speak at the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner, which is scheduled for April 26 at Cobo Center in Detroit.

  The Michigan governor's office says state agencies won't immediately recognize hundreds of same-sex marriages that were performed in the hours before an appeals court put on hold a judge's ruling that tossed out a state ban on gay marriage.  

  A judge has struck down Michigan's ban on gay marriage, the latest in a series of decisions overturning similar laws across the country.

Federal Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Friday, two weeks after a trial. Two Detroit-area nurses who've been partners for eight years claimed the ban violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution.

It was not clear if gay marriages could begin immediately.

Scholars testifying for Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer said there were no differences between children raised by same-sex couples and those raised by a man and a woman.

State's January unadjusted joblessness 8.1 percent   LANSING, Mich. (AP) - At five-percent, the rate of joblessness in the Ann Arbor labor market qualifies as lowest in the state. The Highest rate of unemployment is in the northeastern lower peninsula at 13.2 percent. 

The Republican-controlled Michigan House is asking Congress to convene a constitutional convention requiring that the federal budget be balanced.  

A resolution approved 77-32 Thursday would join Michigan with around 20 other states that have called for a balanced budget convention. Thirty-four states are needed to convene the convention, and 38 would have to ratify the convention's proposal to go into effect.

MONROE, Mich. (AP) - Rain, melting snow and ice jams are causing flooding along the River Raisin in Monroe. Some street flooding was reported in Monroe Thursday morning, surrounding homes and vehicles. The Monroe News reports that the Coast Guard cutter Neah Bay helped help break up the ice to let the river flow on into Lake Erie. 

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder says April 1 is when hundreds of thousands of low-income adults can begin enrolling for health insurance under Michigan's expansion of Medicaid.  The Republican governor says he's comfortable with the launch date after his administration tested computer systems and developed a plan to get the word out to the public. Coverage will be retroactive to the first day of the month in which people apply.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's planned fundraising swing through Michigan is drawing criticism from Democrats.  Christie is raising money as chairman of the Republican Governors Association and is scheduled to attend association fundraisers in Michigan Wednesday.

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 DETROIT (AP) - General Motors is recalling nearly 1.2 million SUVs for defective side air bags. 

Law enforcement boosting drunken driving patrols  Local, county and state law enforcement officials say they're stepping up patrols to catch drunken drivers during a period that includes St. Patrick's Day, the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments and spring break.

Policing will increase this spring at the Michigan Capitol, but officials say they have no plans to add metal detectors.  

 State police will bring more personnel to the Capitol area and will enhance its technology as well.     That includes making better use of video camera monitoring and introducing thermal imaging to spot intruders in parking lots and outside the Capitol after dark.

  Chrysler Group is recalling 18,092 Fiat 500L cars in the U.S. because the transmission shifter can be delayed or stop working.

  Five years after Michigan targeted copper thefts plaguing cities like Detroit and disrupting railroads and utilities, plans to better restrict sales of stolen scrap metal are caught in a legislative fight.

  University of Michigan students and staff gathered in the school's Union ballroom to celebrate retiring president Mary Sue Coleman.

  Local, county and state law enforcement officials say they're stepping up patrols to catch drunken drivers during a period that includes St. Patrick's Day, the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments and spring break.

  Wayne County Parks is promising a sweet time for those who sign up for its hands-on maple sugaring program.

  The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is awarding $357,450 in grants for scrap tire cleanup projects.