Economy

The wave of COVID-related layoffs led to the increase in claims. The increase in claims led to an increase in suspected fraud.  Unemployment agency director Steve Gray told a joint House and Senate committee that created opportunities for people who’ve been collecting stolen identity information.

Gotcha E-scooters are coming back to the Lansing area.

A survey finds that Michigan restaurants anticipate losses of $1.2-billion dollars in April.

Capital Region International Airport in Lansing will get more than $10-million dollars in federal funding in response to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city of Lansing is launching a COVID-19 “rescue fund” on Monday, designed to help small businesses stay afloat.

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have reached a settlement with the electric carmaker Tesla that will make it easier for Michigan customers to buy their vehicles.

WKAR’s Scott Pohl discusses the deal with Matt DeLorenzo, senior managing editor at Kelley Blue Book. He says Tesla had essentially been banned from doing direct sales in Michigan before this agreement.

Last week, General Motors announced plans to close three production plants and phase out models like the Impala and the electric Volt.

The Lansing area’s two GM plants were spared, but what might the future hold for local production?

Micheline Maynard is a veteran journalist and author who has written extensively about the Detroit carmakers.