There is no shortage of transportation issues to discuss here in Michigan.
After 40 years and 23 attempts, metro Detroit finally has a Regional Transportation Authority.
At the top of Governor Snyder’s agenda is a new road funding bill, but will the legislature provide the funds he says he needs to make the necessary improvements?
Detroit is not the only large American city in trouble. Cleveland, Buffalo and St. Louis are all facing similar financial situations as the Motor City.
Detroit’s in an immediate crisis. Emergency Manager Orr will be deciding in a couple of weeks whether bankruptcy is an option. If it should move in that direction, what’s the way forward? There has been a lot of talk about the Detroit Institute of Arts' assets, as well as other museums. What kinds of discussions need to be had?
The last few years have brought significant changes to the city of Detroit. A financial emergency was declared, and despite opposition from residents and the city council, a financial manager was appointed. And just this month, Mayor Dave Bing announced he would step down from office at the end of his term—and a crowded field of new candidates announced their intentions.
Today on Current State: MSU plant biologist's expertise plays major role in criminal investigation; lead poisoning down in Detroit, but so is funding for lead cleanup; and iPad periodical developed by MSU journalism students.
A story from Environmental Health News reports that lead poisoning in children in Detroit has decreased 70 percent since 2004. However, the number of children with exposure to excessive lead levels in Detroit still exceeds the national average, and funding for cleanup is dwindling.
Brian Bienkowski is a senior editor and staff writer at Environmental Health News. He discusses the decrease of lead poisoning and the motor city's environmental future.
Thursday afternoon in Detroit, Governor Rick Snyder is expected to name Kevyn Orr, a Washington D.C.-based bankruptcy attorney, as Detroit's incoming financial manager. The Michigan Public Radio Network's Rick Pluta explains the importance of this historic announcement.
