DETROIT, Michigan, June 10 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan issued the following news release: The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) sent a letter to law enforcement officials in Michigan urging them not to pursue prosecutions, or dismiss charges, against people protesting against police brutality during the last two weeks. People across Michigan, and across the country, are mourning the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the seemingly en  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 12 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Ambassador Susan D. Page, who has served the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations in senior roles for decades - across East, Central and Southern Africa, and in Haiti and Nepal - is joining the Ford School as a Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy and will be helping to build the Weiser Diplom  more

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri, June 9 -- The American Angus Association issued the following news release: Underwood Angus Farms was established in 1965 in North Manchester, Indiana, after Harvey Underwood purchased two purebred Angus and fell in love with them. Harvey's goal was to raise the best cattle he could. After starting with just a few Angus cows, he and his four sons increased the herd to nearly 100 producing females. In the beginning, Harvey purchased cattle from various farms and auctions,   more

EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 10 -- The American Board of Emergency Medicine issued the following news: The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM) will now provide letters of support that may be submitted to hospital credentialers to forego the need for additional short courses or certifications in the use of Emergency Ultrasound by emergency physicians. Physicians must be participating in the ABEM continuing certification p  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 11 -- The American Human Rights Council issued the following news release on June 10: Racism is a universal challenge. There is no society on earth that is free from racism. While the US and other countries have made progress to be less racist, racism still exists. The death of George Floyd has resulted in avalanche of condemnation and massive protests. This reaction to Mr. Floyd's death is a clear indication that there is a critical mass in society that is against all   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, June 10 -- The Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital issued the following news release: In a new commentary piece, published in JAMA Health Forum, two health researchers describe the decrease in emergency department use during the COVID-19 pandemic. "While data are still being collected and reviewed, we know there was a dramatic drop in patients seeking care in emergency departments during March and April 2020," says Keith Kocher, M.D., MPH, an associate professor of e  more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 9 -- The Detroit Medical Center issued the following news release: The Detroit Medical Center has loosened visitor restrictions at all locations. For hospitalized patients, we are now allowing each patient one visitor at a time. Visitors for procedural care, emergency department, and clinic patients will wait in a designated a COVID SAFE area. All visitors must be 18 or older. Visitors will be asked screening questions and have their temperature taken, required to wea  more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 10 -- The Detroit Regional Chamber issued the following news release: The Detroit Regional Chamber announces it will not convene groups of 50 people or more for the rest of 2020. This decision was made in accordance with the current recommendations published by the Centers for Disease Control and by consulting with many of its member businesses to understand their anticipated policies for meetings and events for the rest of the year. "First and foremost, our priority in  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 10 -- The Altarum Institute issued the following news on June 9: Anne Montgomery and Sarah Slocum, co-directors of Altarum's Program to Improve Eldercare (https://altarum.org/special-initiative/improving-eldercare), share five federal policies that should be enacted to ensure nursing home residents receive adequate protection from the novel coronavirus and future pandemics. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced plans to enhance enforcement fo  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 13 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Alex Ralph, lecturer at the Ford School, reports for the Cincinnati Enquirer (https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/06/08/hamilton-countys-mental-health-court-graduates-another-group-overcomers/5228820002/) about the Hamilton County Felony Mental Health Court, established in 2010 and guided by the principle of "treatment in lieu of conviction." The program looks after some 75 defendants an  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 12 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Chris LeFlore, a dual-degree student pursuing master's degrees in public policy at the Ford School and urban and regional planning at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, recently won a first-place award in a university-wide essay contest on the future of work in the Midwest. LeFlore's paper, "Employer-Provided Transportation," outlines his ideas on connecting workers to job  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 12 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy has partnered with public finance experts from universities, consulting firms, and research institutions from around the state to produce fiscal strategy memos and guides to assist local governments in navigating the unprecedented financial environment. The COVID-19 Fiscal Strateg  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 13 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: An article written by Agence France Press June 12 and distributed to publications around the world states that "lockdowns undoubtedly prevented large numbers of deaths from the new coronavirus, [yet] the repercussions of the pandemic response are expected to blight economies and health systems long after restrictions are lifted. So how can we quantify the costs and benefits of one of the larges  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 13 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Children placed in foster care in Michigan are less likely to be abused or neglected in the future, have higher school attendance rates and perform better on standardized math tests than other vulnerable children who are not placed, a recent study found. While encouraging in some respects, these findings suggest that current in-home prevention-focused efforts to protect children are falling sh  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 13 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Last week's surprising employment report, stock market recovery and loss, and a search for context marked the week ending June 12. Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers were called upon by the press throughout the week to try to explain the fluctuations. Here is a sampling of their commentary: Betsey Stevenson: Second Stimulus Check And Extra $600 Unemployment Benefit On  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 9 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: An article in Vox.com (https://www.vox.com/2020/6/5/21281388/us-economy-jobs-added-may) on June 5, reacting to the surprising drop in the unemplyment rate, quoted Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers: "Betsey Stevenson, the former chief economist at the US Department of Labor and a member of the Obama administration's Council of Economic Advisers, did see the possibility o  more

WASHINGTON, June 12 -- Grow America's Infrastructure Now Coalition issued the following statement by spokesman Craig Stevens: The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled legislation to allow construction of a tunnel around the Line 5 crude oil and natural gas liquids pipeline is constitutional - upholding a Michigan Court of Claims judge's ruling from October. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have fought to shut down Line 5, which has operated for decades, and over  more

SOUTH GATE, Michigan, June 9 -- The Infant Mental Health Journal, a peer-reviewed journal that says it focuses on infant social-emotional development, caregiver-infant interactions, contextual and cultural influences on infant and family development from the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and the World Association for Infant Mental Health, published research articles on the following topics in its May/June 2020 edition: * Does knowing translate to doing? Practitioners' experience  more

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, June 10 -- The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, a journal from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, published research articles on the following topics in its June 2020 edition: * Culturalized Religion: A Synthetic Review and Agenda for Research Research Articles: * Sacred Canopies or Religious Markets? The Effect of County-Level Religious Diversity on Later Changes in Religious Involvement * Religiosity, Secular Participation, and Cultural   more

MIDLAND, Michigan, June 9 -- The Mackinac Center for Public Policy issued the following news release: The Court of Claims has ruled that the heightened penalties found in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive orders violate state law. It is the first time a court has found that any of Gov. Whitmer's executive orders violated the law. The ruling is in response to a lawsuit filed by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, in conjunction with the Miller Johnson law firm. The lawsuit was filed on behalf   more

MIDLAND, Michigan, June 12 -- The Mackinac Center for Public Policy issued the following news release: The Mackinac for Public Policy released its annual update on cigarette tax evasion and avoidance among U.S. states. The report estimates the percentage of cigarette consumption that can be attributed to smuggling. Using data from 2018, the most recent year available, New York continues to have the top in-bound smuggling rate in the nation, with over 53% of all cigarettes consumed smuggled in   more

MIDLAND, Michigan, June 10 -- The Mackinac Center for Public Policy issued the following news release: A recently proposed rule change from the Michigan Civil Service Commission could require the state to obtain authorization directly from public employees before deducting union dues from their paychecks. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy's national Workers for Opportunity initiative has been educating policymakers across the country on the necessity of protecting workers' First Amendment r  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 9 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: In many countries, longstanding government practices came to a halt amid COVID-19 restrictions. Ford School alum Meghan Rowley (BA '18), Latin America program associate at the International Republican Institute (IRI), has been helping to implement strategies to ensure legislative processes remain fair and democratic and meet the needs of their citizens. Rowley implements democracy development a  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release on June 11: Working in partnership with nine local economic development organizations, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has awarded $4.35 million to 74 small businesses in 40 counties across Michigan in the first round of low-interest loans awarded through the Michigan Small Business Relief Program (https://www.michiganbusiness.org/about-medc/covid19/small-business-relief-program  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 11 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: For their efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the City of Grand Blanc has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities(RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced. Grand Blanc is the second community in Genesee County to achieve certification. Grand Blanc joins 44 other   more

LANSING, Michigan, June 9 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: For their efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the City of Hart has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities(RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced. The MEDC formally recognizes the City of Hart as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community. Hart joins 44 other Mic  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 10 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: For their efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Plainwell has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced. Plainwell joins 44 other Michigan communities in all corners of the state which have qualified as "thorough  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 13 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: The Lansing River Trail will again be brought to life in a new series of public art through a crowdfunding campaign (https://www.patronicity.com/project/artpath__public_art_on_the_lansing_river_trail__2020#!/), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center announced. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platfor  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: The communities of Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Bay Harbor will soon be connected by a water ferry thanks to a new crowdfunding campaign (https://www.patronicity.com/project/the_little_traverse_bay_ferry#!/) , the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Little Traverse bay Foundation announced. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronic  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: Building on a record 19-point jump in Chief Executive magazines Best and Worst States to Do Business ranking, Michigan has been awarded a Silver Shovel Award for excellence in economic development and job creating projects by Area Development's 15th Annual Gold & Silver Shovel Awards, announced. Each year, the Shovel Awards recognize states that attract high-value investment projects that cr  more

EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 11 -- The Michigan Education Association issued the following news: A new EPIC-MRA statewide poll shows less than half of likely Michigan voters say school buildings should reopen before October. Most of those participating in the poll were either unsure, think schools should open later or only after a vaccine or effective treatment is available. The poll echoes safety concerns expressed in a landmark statewide survey of Michigan's front-line educators about safely  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The Michigan Municipal League issued the following news release: The communities of Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Bay Harbor will soon be connected by a water ferry thanks to a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Little Traverse bay Foundation announced. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity. If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by July 15, the pro  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 9 -- The Michigan Municipal League issued the following statement by President Brenda F. Moore and Vice President William Wild: We must listen. We must act. The tragic and brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis and the resulting protests have put the issues of police brutality and racial injustice at the forefront of the American psyche. Citizens throughout the country are demanding that their governments combat brutality, inequity and raci  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 9 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: Coming off a year of record-breaking investments in Michigan, including Fiat Chrysler Automobile's (FCA) historic $4.5 billion investment in Detroit and nearby Macomb County, Chief Executive magazine (https://chiefexecutive.net/the-best-worst-states-for-business2020/) has ranked Michigan the 13th best state in the country for business - up 19 spots from last year in the biggest single-year mo  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 13 -- NSF International issued the following statement by President and CEO Kevan P. Lawlor: I want to add my voice to the chorus of leaders making a public commitment to end racism and injustice toward Black people. I am outraged by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others. Their lives mattered. Black lives matter. NSF respects, honors, acknowledges and stands with its team members - regardless of race, color or creed. We do not accep  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 9 -- NSF International issued the following news release: Global public health organization NSF International launched a new program to help businesses, schools and cultural institutions take the necessary steps to reopen and stay open while minimizing coronavirus risk for customers, guests and employees. NSF's new Checked by NSF(TM) program includes a wide variety of services - from a smart phone app that details COVID-19 prevention requirements for specific types of   more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 11 -- NSF International issued the following news release: When considering exposures to chemicals listed for Proposition 65, all routes (dermal, oral and inhalation) are included in the scope of an assessment as would be expected to occur within typical handling and use of a product, unless otherwise specified in the Proposition 65 chemical listing. For example, formaldehyde is listed as "formaldehyde (gas)" and is thus relevant to cancer risk after inhaled exposure o  more

PEORIA, Illinois, June 8 -- OSF HealthCare issued the following news: As of June 2, 92% of the nearly 123,000 COVID-19 cases in Illinois, and nearly 67% of the almost 58,000 cases in Michigan are considered recovered. A patient is considered recovered when they are clear of the disease 30 days after initial onset. As the COVID pandemic grew, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began allowing providers to treat patients battling the virus with convalescent plasma donated by those who have rec  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents issued the following news release: The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) announced the formation of a partnership with IdealTraits of Lake Orion, Michigan. Through PIA's partnership with IdealTraits, PIA members and agents appointed by carriers belonging to The PIA Partnership can access IdealTraits' hiring platform to hire top performing sales and service staff for their agencies. Using   more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 11 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: HP Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., last week announced an expansion of its 3D printing business. Steps included expanding a partnership with BASF to bring out polypropylene (PP) as a material for additive manufacturing and boosting professional services to consult with customers about 3D printing. Jon Wayne, head of Global Commercial Business, HP 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, talked to SME Media   more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 10 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: IMTS 2020, which had been scheduled to be held in Chicago in September, has been canceled because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The state of Illinois has imposed health and safety requirements for holding conventions, including the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19 or an effective treatment protocol. The state has said it has a five-phase plan for reopening its economy. The operation o  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 9 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: Machine tool orders in April plunged to their lowest level in almost a decade as global economic activity shut down because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), AMT - The Association for Manufacturing Technology said. Orders totaled $225.8 million for the month, the lowest since May 2010, according to AMT. That was down 26 percent from an adjusted $306.2 million in March and down 38 percent from $3  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 12 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: COVID-19 vividly underscores the vulnerability of global manufacturing operations and supply chains. The disruption in our supply chains will hamper manufacturing for months and perhaps years. As we reopen and rebuild our economy, we must focus on sustainable manufacturing operations that are pandemic adaptive, resilient, and secure. Strengthening and securing manufacturing must be a top priority f  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 11 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: One of the highlights of the 3DHEALS 2020 virtual conference on June 6 and 7, 2020 was a keynote from Sam Onukuri, senior fellow at Johnson & Johnson 3D Printing. He explained how Johnson & Johnson is leveraging 3D printing technology to transform design, manufacturing and delivery across its medical device, consumer and pharmaceutical businesses. He also made a few predictions about the future of t  more

DEARBORN, Michigan, June 12 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers issued the following news: We're very excited to announce a major enhancement to ToolConnect loT! On top of its existing capability of capturing torque values in real-time, ToolConnect loT now supports the ability to push the required Pset (Parameter Set or required torque value) from a VKS work instruction directly to smart assembly tools. This new feature represents a major milestone in the future of connected workers. By   more

FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan, June 8 -- The American Concrete Institute issued the following news release: Engineers, students, contractors, educators, manufacturers, and material representatives from around the world attend the ACI Concrete Convention (https://www.concrete.org/events/conventions/currentconvention.aspx). This year's convention will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh Marriott, and Raleigh Sheraton, Raleigh, NC, USA, October 25-29, 2020, where attendees will collabor  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, June 9 -- The United Steelworkers issued the following news release: The United Steelworkers (USW) union said that it supported the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus plan for safely reopening the state's economy, called the "Workers First Reopening Plan," as the state continues to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. "This plan ensures that the reopening of our economy prioritizes the safety of workers, families and communities over the profits of corporations," said Micha  more