Abigail Censky

One day after Michigan State University was slapped with a historic $4.5 million dollar fine by the US Department of Education, the MSU trustees announced they would put an external investigation on hold.

On Thursday, Michigan State University was fined $4.5 million by the US Department of Education for failing to protect students from sexual harassment and abuse. It’s the largest fine ever issued by the Department for not complying with a federal law that requires clear and prompt reporting of crimes that endanger students. WKAR’s Abigail Censky and Mary Ellen Pitney talked about the report's findings on Friday's Morning Edition. 

Over the August recess the number of Democrats in the House of Representatives in favor of impeachment or an impeachment inquiry has increased to more than half of the chamber’s Democrats. But most of the Democrats who have signed on to support an inquiry are from solidly blue districts. WKAR’s politics reporter Abigail Censky talked with WKAR Host Karel Vega about what Democrats from republican leaning districts in Michigan are thinking.

A small group of Capital Area Transit Authority workers are feuding with the international private contractor that CATA uses for some of their serivces. They rallied outside of the Lansing City Council meeting Monday night. WKAR’s politics reporter Abigail Censky talked to Lansing State Journal reporter Megan Banta about the latest in the dispute between the workers and TransDev.

After every mass shooting America picks up the conversation on gun reform.  President Donald Trump, top congressional Republicans and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have all raised so-called, red flag laws as potentially passable legislation after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. But, the legislation that has been introduced in Michigan is stalled. 

Tuesday is the primary election for the Lansing City Council. Eight challengers will face four incumbents for four seats. Lansing State Journal reporter Sarah Lehr covers the council and she joined WKAR’s politics reporter Abigail Censky to preview the election. 

The second round of Democratic presidential hopefuls debated in Detroit Wednesday. WKAR’s Abigail Censky, was there and she joined Morning Edition Host Mary Ellen Pitney for a conversation about major themes of the final night of debates in Detroit.

Ten Democrats took the stage at the Fox Theatre in Detroit Tuesday for the first night of the July debates. WKAR’s Abigail Censky was watching in Detroit and she joined WKAR Morning Edition Host Mary Ellen Pitney to recap the big takeaways from the first night in the set of debates. 

New York Senator and Democratic 2020 hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand returned to Michigan Friday. She talked to activists in Bloomfield Hills, toured Flint with Mayor Karen Weaver, and ended the day with supporters in Lansing. WKAR’s Abigail Censky was with the Senator all day Friday and joined WKAR’s Morning Edition Host Mary Ellen Pitney to talk about Senator Gillibrand’s “Broken Promises” bus tour.

2020 Presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand visited Michigan for the second time since she officially started running for president. Gillibrand stopped in Oakland County, Flint and Lansing.

The former dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine was convicted in an Ingham County trial Wednesday. William Strampel was found guilty of one felony and two misdemeanors. Strampel was Larry Nassar’s former boss—the former MSU sports doctor who was convicted in 2018 for sexually abusing his patients for decades. Strampel was found not guilty of the more serious charge of second degree criminal sexual conduct. Capital correspondent Cheyna Roth was at Strampel’s trial, she joined WKAR’s Karel Vega to talk about the convictions.

U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin held her second town hall in Lansing Thursday where she addressed growing will in the House of Representatives to move forward with impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Massachusetts Senator and Democratic 2020 hopeful Elizabeth Warren stopped in Michigan Tuesday for the first time. She held a town hall at Lansing Community College where she unveiled a new plan to increase American jobs and fight climate change with what she calls ‘economic patriotism.’ WKAR’s Abigail Censky was at the town hall, she gives WKAR’s Karel Vega the dispatch from Sen. Warren’s first stop in Michigan.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor has issued his first veto, for a modification the city council made to his proposed budget. 

Every year in Statehouses across the country there are bills that lawmakers call zombies—different versions of a bill they reintroduce year after year that just won’t pass.

This year, one of Michigan’s returning zombies, is a bill to end the so-called ‘Tampon Tax.’