News

By AP

DETROIT, MI – Vice President Joe Biden will discuss the economy and steps taken by the White House to turn things around on a visit to Detroit.

Biden will speak Wednesday afternoon at NextEnergy.

His office says in a release that Biden's speech will focus on building a new economic foundation to support lasting prosperity and recapturing America's spirit of innovation.

Tickets are limited and available on a first-come basis from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at NextEnergy.

By AP

DETROIT – Detroit's mayoral and city council candidates are making their final campaign pushes as Tuesday's primary election nears.

Incumbent Mayor Dave Bing faces a field of six competitors. The 65-year-old Bing is finishing out the term of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September as part of plea deals in two criminal cases.

Bing faces five other candidates on Tuesday, but only Tom Barrow has real name recognition with voters. Barrow lost to then-Mayor Coleman A. Young in 1985 and 1989.

By AP

ROCHESTER, NY – A flight carrying about 50 people from Detroit to Rochester, N.Y., has landed safely after a sensor indicated that a fire extinguisher in the plane's cargo bay went
off.

Authorities say Northwest Airlines Flight 2903 was about 30 miles outside of Rochester on approach Sunday night when an indicator alerted the crew of a possible problem in the cargo hold.

The flight was being operated by Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines Inc.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Lugnuts beat the Kane County Cougars 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. The Lugnuts finished their six-game homestand with at 3-and-3 record. At 7:05 p.m. tonight, Lansing takes to the road to begin a four-game series in Fort Wayne.

By AP

AUBURN HILLS, MI – Lindsay Whalen scored 22 points, Asjha Jones had 20 and the Connecticut Sun snapped a three-game losing streak with a 83-65 win over the Detroit Shock on Sunday.

Sandrine Gruda added 11 points for Connecticut (10-9), which moved into tie with Washington for second place in the Eastern Conference - five games behind Indiana.

Deanna Nolan scored 20 points and Cheryl Ford had nine points and 10 rebounds for sixth-place Detroit (6-10).

By AP

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI – Tiger Woods has another trophy for his overflowing collection.

Woods shot a 69 Sunday and coasted to a three-shot victory with a 20-under 268 at the Buick Open for the 69th PGA Tour title of his career.

He improved to 36-1 when he has the outright lead after 54 holes. Woods has four wins this season - doubling the total of his nearest competitors - in just 11 starts since returning from knee surgery.

By AP

CLEVELAND – Carl Pavano tossed eight sharp innings and the Cleveland Indians routed the Detroit Tigers 11-1 on Sunday to win their weekend series against the AL Central leaders.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore each hit a two-run homer off Armando Galarraga (5-10) as Cleveland totaled 13 hits and won for the seventh time in 10 games.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – The Michigan Supreme Court says an uncle and his wife can't get permanent custody of his brother's children without proving the mother is not fit to raise them.

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The Oakland County couple sued for permanent custody of the four children after raising them for several years while the biological parents struggled with cocaine addiction and scrapes with the law.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – As the state struggles to balance its budget with declining revenues, old arguments are revisited - such as whether to extend the state's sales tax to soda pop.

Bill Lobenherz is with the Michigan Soft Drink Association. He says the Michigan Constitution does not allow the state to tax soda because soft drinks are food.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

Washington, D.C. – (WKAR) - Michigan's congressional delegation is praising House passage of a bill that extends funding to the popular "Cash for Clunkers" program. Now, they say they're gearing up for some resistance in the Senate.

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The Cash for Clunkers trade-in program proved so popular it ran out of federal funding after just one week. The House today approved an additional $2 billion to keep it afloat.

By AP

LANSING, MI – The Michigan secretary of state's office is offering consumers buying a new vehicle through the "Cash for Clunkers" program help with their vehicle history.

To qualify for a trade-in discount, consumers must provide car dealers with documentation that a vehicle has been continuously insured and registered to the same owner for at least one year before trade-in. But many drivers don't keep their previous year's registration.

By AP

WASHINGTON – The House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program.

The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money.

Detroit, MI – The Seattle Mariners have traded starting pitcher
Jarrod Washburn to the Detroit Tigers for left-hander Luke French
and a minor-league pitcher.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

Washington, D.C. – WASHINGTON (WKAR) - The Michigan congressional delegation met with the Obama administration today to talk about keeping the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program alive. The meeting came as the U.S. House prepared to approve more funding to keep it going. WKAR's Kevin Lavery reports.

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By Rob South, WKAR News

Lansing, MI – Next Tuesday is Lansing's primary election. It's a crowded field this year, with all but one of the open seats on the ballot. Changes could be in store for the city council. WKAR's Rob South and Scott Pohl talk about the city's second ward race.

By AP

LANSING, MI – The state unemployment agency has notified thousands of Chrysler Group LLC hourly workers they are eligible for unemployment benefits during the automaker's summer 2-week shutdown, despite a contract provision that states otherwise.

The Detroit Free Press reports Thursday the workers were notified last week they were entitled for benefits during the July 13-24 shutdown.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm had another meeting Thursday with the Legislature's Republican and Democratic leaders. But it appears little progress was made toward a deal to retire a $1.8 billion shortfall in the budget for the coming fiscal year.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

Grand Ledge, MI – GRAND LEDGE, MI (WKAR) - A regional environmental group is getting more than one million dollars from the federal government to reduce school bus emissions.

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By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – The state Senate Fiscal Agency says Michigan's budget deficit would be a billion dollars bigger without federal stimulus dollars. And that presents a problem for the state when that money is no longer available.

Gary Olson is director of the Senate Fiscal Agency. He says some stimulus money should be used to balance the budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, which begins October 1. But he says it might also be a good idea to bank some of that money for later.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

East Lansing, MI – EAST LANSING, MI (WKAR) - A national student group is criticizing Michigan State University for continuing to do business with a clothing company the students claim is running a sweatshop operation in Honduras.

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