News

By AP

DETROIT, MI – Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says she would rather take in prisoners from California than those from Guantanamo Bay.

Granholm told reporters Wednesday she needs to hear from the Department of Homeland Security before making decisions about accepting Guantanamo detainees. Federal officials say a maximum security prison in Standish and the military penitentiary in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., are among possible locations to hold 229 foreign fighters now detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – State Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop says Governor Granholm should make her revenue proposals public.

Bishop says the governor gave legislative leaders in closed-door budget negotiations a list of ways she thinks the state could collect more money through taxes. Bishop says if the Senate's proposals for program cuts are public knowledge, the governor's revenue list should be as well.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – Hundreds of people concerned about the future of the Library of Michigan rallied at the state capitol and the Michigan Historical Center Wednesday. They fear state budget cuts could shut down all or part of the state library.

AUDIO:

Last month, Governor Granholm transferred responsibility for the library to the Department of Education. Under her executive order, much of the library's vast collection would be scattered over many physical locations.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm will resume meeting Thursday with the legislature's Republican and Democratic leaders to try and resolve the state's $1.8 billion budget crisis. Little has changed since last week's exchange between the leaders - except that more people are going public with their complaints of the proposed budget cuts. There were two protests Wednesday at the state Capitol.

AUDIO:

"Preserve our Michigan treasures. Save our libraries."

By AP

DETROIT – The emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools says the removal of 411 ineligible dependents from its health insurance coverage will save the district about $2.1 million a year.

Robert Bobb told reporters Wednesday the audit begins a broader review of dependent health insurance coverage in the state's largest school district.

He says the names surfaced during a two-week amnesty for employees to report those no longer entitled to coverage.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – LANSING, MI (WKAR) - Virg Bernero and Carol Wood will face off in November for the mayor's office in Lansing. Only six points separated the two candidates after Tuesday's primary. WKAR's Rob South reports.

AUDIO:

Turnout for yesterday's primary was low. Of the 9,600 votes cast, Virg Bernero got fewer than 44 percent. Carol Wood was only six points lower with 38 percent. Wood says she's still excited about the results.

By WKAR

FORT WAYNE, IN – The Lansing Lugnuts defeated the Fort Wayne TinCaps 9-4 last night at Parkview Field. The Nuts and Caps play the third game of their four-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m.

By AP

UNDATED – Buick has ended its sponsorship agreements with the PGA Tour, including the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines where Tiger Woods has won a record six times.

Buick is one of the oldest sponsors in golf and once had its name on five PGA Tour events, including four tournaments in one year. It also signed Woods to a personal endorsement contract, which the world's No. 1 player ended last season, one year ahead of schedule.

By AP

AUBURN HILLS, MI – Deanna Nolan had 26 points and a career-high 14 rebounds as the Detroit Shock beat the New York Liberty 76-64 Tuesday night.

Katie Smith added 16 points for the Shock (7-10), who won for the fifth time in eight games.

Shameka Christon scored 14 points and Janel McCarville and Tiffany Jackson added 12 each as the Liberty (6-13) lost their season-high fifth straight. New York has lost twice since Anne Donovan replaced Pat Coyle as head coach on Friday.

By AP

DETROIT – Brian Matusz and the Baltimore Orioles spoiled Jarrod Washburn's debut with the Detroit Tigers with an 8-2 win Tuesday night.

Cesar Izturis and Nick Markakis each homered, drove in three runs and had three hits for Baltimore. Izturis also made two outstanding defensive plays.

Matusz (1-0), the fourth pick overall in the 2008 draft, allowed a run and six hits in five innings in his debut. He walked three and striking out five.

He was 7-0 with a 1.55 ERA for Double-A Bowie before being recalled on Tuesday.

By AP

DETROIT – Incumbent Dave Bing will move on to the Nov. 3 general election in his pursuit of a four-year term as Detroit mayor.

The professional basketball Hall-of-Famer and former businessman had more than 71 percent of the vote with 69 percent of Detroit's 629 precincts reporting in Tuesday's nonpartisan primary.

Jerroll Sanders had 12 percent of the vote, followed by Tom Barrow with 11.7 percent. The top two vote-getters will compete in November.

By AP

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas says he'll use every parliamentary maneuver at his disposal to prevent terrorism suspects from being sent to his state.

Roberts issued the warning Tuesday in a telephone news conference with fellow Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan.

Federal officials say a maximum security prison in Standish, Mich., and the military penitentiary in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., are among possible locations for a site to hold 229 foreign fighters now detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – The state's legislative leaders are expected to meet again later this week with Governor Granholm for private budget negotiations.

AUDIO:
State Representative George Cushingberry chairs the House Appropriations Committee. He says closed-door meetings with the administration are going so well they are close to making some agreements on the budget.

By Nick Lien, Michigan Public Radio Network

MT. PLEASANT, MI – The Michigan Education Association is speaking out against a proposal that would lessen the requirements needed to become a teacher.

The lower requirements call for a "fast track" certification process that would take 15 months to complete. That compares to the four or five years it takes teachers now.

The proposal was introduced as a way to increase the number of teachers in schools across the state.

But Ed Sarpolus of the MEA says Michigan already has too many teachers.

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, MI – HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Federal authorities say they'll build a northern border data collection center in Michigan to fight cross-border crime.

Authorities said Tuesday the $30,000,000 Operational Integration Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base is the first on the U.S.-Canada border and opens next May. The Department of Homeland Security has several centers on the U.S.-Mexico border.

It will analyze and act on aircraft video, border camera images and other data from federal, state and local agencies.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon has triggered an intense debate with his idea to pool the benefits of all the state's current and former public employees. He says the plan could reduce the state budget up to $900 million. The Michigan Education Association and other critics say savings are exaggerated and the proposal lacks important detail. WKAR's Mark Bashore interviewed MEA spokesman Doug Pratt.

By Scott Pohl, WKAR News

LANSING (MI) – LANSING, MI (WKAR) - Voters in Lansing go to the polls today to vote in a city-wide primary election. WKAR's Scott Pohl reports.

AUDIO: Mayor Virg Bernero is being challenged by three candidates, including city council member Carol Wood, Lansing Board of Education member and former Lansing city councilman Charles Ford, and musician Ben Hassenger. The top two vote-getters move on to the November general election.

By AP

DETROIT – Clete Thomas homered with two outs in the ninth to give the Detroit Tigers a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Baltimore led 5-0 with one out in the top of the first, but never scored again. The game was tied at 5 going into the ninth, and Danys Baez (4-5) retired the first two batters, but Thomas hit a 1-2 pitch into the shrubs above the fence in center.

Fernando Rodney (2-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

By WKAR

FORT WAYNE, IN – The Fort Wayne TinCaps defeated the Lansing Lugnuts last night at Parkview Field, 8-7.

The Lugnuts grabbed a 7-0 lead three innings into the game, thanks to a four-run first and thre-run third inning, only to watch their lead vanish three innings latter as the TinCaps tallied once in the fourth, five times in the fifth, and once more in the sixth inning.

The two teams play the second game of their four-game series tonight.

By Jerome Vaughn, Michigan Public Radio Network

DETROIT, MI – General Motors announced more than 6,000 hourly workers have taken early retirement or buyout offers.

AUDIO:
The Detroit automaker says the workforce reductions are needed to position the company for long-term viability and success.

GM officials say about two-thirds of the employees responding to the special attrition plan took early retirement. The others took buyouts.