DETROIT, Michigan, July 30 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan issued the following news release: The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan applauds the Flint City Clerk for taking new steps that will help voters cast absentee ballots less than one week out from the August 4 primary election. Flint City Clerk Inez Brown's initiatives follow Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's recommendations to voters statewide: drop your absentee ballots off in person at your local   more

NEW YORK, July 30 -- The American Civil Liberties Union, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., issued the following news release: The American Civil Liberties Union sent letters to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate demanding universal access to COVID-19 testing and treatment to ensure the nation's collective health. ACLU affiliates -- including in Alabama, Northern California  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Javed Ali, Ford School Towsley Foundation policymaker in residence has launched a podcast about national security issues, called "The Burn Bag", in partnership with two Michigan alumni - A'ndre Gonawela (Ford BA '19) and Ryan Rosenthal (LSA BA '19). Ali, an LSA 1990 political science graduate himself, says he launched the podcast to discuss important national security topics "in an easily diges  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- The Altarum Institute issued the following news on July 31: With yesterday's release of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) data for the second quarter of 2020, dire economic anxieties were confirmed as we saw the worst reading in the series' history (which goes back to 1947): a drop of 32.9% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. For the quarter, covering April thru June, health care services accounted for 9.5 percentage points of this total decline, or about 29%. T  more

FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan, July 28 -- The American Concrete Institute issued the following news release: In direct response to expressed industry need for building code requirements that address the unique aspects of post-tensioned concrete design, the American Concrete Institute and the Post-Tensioning Institute are pleased to announce a new, expanded partnership to increase efficiency for design of structural post-tensioned concrete structures. While the two organizations and their members   more

FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan, July 29 -- The American Concrete Institute issued the following news release: The American Concrete Institute (ACI) is now offering a Shotcrete Inspector certification program to certify individuals who demonstrate the knowledge and experience required to properly inspect the placement of shotcrete. Comprehension of the responsibilities and qualification requirements of a Shotcrete Nozzleman are necessary. The Shotcrete Inspector program joins several others in a se  more

ROYAL OAK, Michigan, July 31 -- Beaumont Health issued the following news release: The COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan continued to put a strain on Beaumont Health's patient volumes, operating income and non-operating income throughout the second quarter of 2020. The effects of the pandemic are expected to continue to be felt throughout the remainder of the year as Beaumont has cared for more COVID-19 patients than any other health care system in Michigan. As of June 30, Beaumont's net loss was   more

DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 -- The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan issued the following news release: The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) Charitable Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced that eight nonprofits providing services to children and youth in southeast Michigan will receive grants totaling $300,000. While this year's Charity Preview was not held due to the cancellation of the North American International Auto Show, the DADA felt it  more

ROYAL OAK, Michigan, July 29 -- Education Trust-Midwest issued the following news release on July 28: At a time of great inequality of opportunity deepened by the COVID-19 crisis, The Education Trust-Midwest and a broad cross-section of business, civil rights and civic leaders today launched a new campaign - Opportunity for All - to call on state leaders to invest in Michigan's students and adopt a system of fairer education funding - including in immediate state budget decisions - as leaders g  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 29 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: The Ford School welcomes a number of outstanding new faculty members who will provide additional depth in areas such as political attitudes and the media, diplomacy and international relations, race and social policy, international political conflict, education, and policy impacts of data science. Political scientist Jenna Bednar joins the Ford School faculty this fall. She is also a professor  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 31 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Ford School faculty by courtesy Christian Davenport writes in Business Insider that curbing police violence will require a sentiment more radical than what occurred at the end of the Civil Rights movement in the '60's. At that time, he says, "there was a sentiment that Black Americans had won, and it was then time for policymakers to take the baton put into action what protesters were fighting   more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 29 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news on July 28: Amid the national debate over the safety and efficacy of absentee voting, Michigan can offer an example of how election reforms will play out in the 2020 election. And the battleground state's local officials have an overall positive outlook about it and other election reforms that were included in a 2018 constitutional amendment, according to a new University of Michigan survey. I  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: Poverty Solutions and the Center for Social Solutions announce the inaugural faculty grants competition to pursue action-based research aimed at ending systemic and institutional racism. The awards, which range from $10,000 to $50,000, are open to faculty at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. Successful action-based research projects will cut across disciplines, and  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 31 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: In an article in E&E News, Ford School professor Barry Rabe is quoted as saying that the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), among other environmental organizations, can have a real impact on the elections in 2020. The article states, "The LCV scorecard, which rates lawmakers based on how their votes align with environmental priorities, only becomes more influential as the group's super PAC s  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 31 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news: An article in the Los Angeles Times on July 30, states that "the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a coin shortage, and it's hitting small-business owners, big retailers and everyday shoppers -- especially those who don't have credit or debit cards -- in ways big and small." Ford School professor of practice Adrienne Harris comments about the effects of the coins being stuck in people's houses. "L  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 29 -- The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy issued the following news on July 27: By Marianne Udow-Phillips, Founding Executive Director, Center for Health and Research Transformation This article was originally published by Findings Magazine on July 16, 2020 The framers of the Affordable Care Act--or the ACA--can be proud of many things the act has accomplished. From reducing the number of uninsured to assuring those with preexisting conditions are not excluded  more

MIDLAND, Michigan, July 30 -- The Mackinac Center for Public Policy issued the following news release: The Mackinac Center for Public Policy joined an amicus brief in support of private school students who would be negatively affected by a Michigan lawsuit against U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. That lawsuit, Michigan v. DeVos, seeks to restrict federal coronavirus relief funds for use only by public schools. The amicus brief was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty in   more

LANSING, Michigan, July 29 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release: Hamtramck will gain a new greenspace and playspace through a crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, city of Hamtramck, and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency announced. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity. If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $22,000 by September 26, the project will wi  more

LANSING, Michigan, July 29 -- The Michigan Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release on July 28: The Michigan Strategic Fund approved a business expansion by a Tier 1 auto supplier and two community revitalization projects, actions that signal continued economic recovery in Michigan, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced. The MSF Board also approved amendments to the Michigan Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program guidelines to be able to utilize $  more

LANSING, Michigan, July 29 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on July 28 by President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs on the Senate Republicans' COVID-19 relief plan: "Since COVID-19 first hit Michigan and in the trying months since, the League has been working hard to limit the havoc and hardship it is causing in Michigan residents' daily lives. We have said all along that we need significant federal help to counter this health crisis and the subsequent fiscal cri  more

LANSING, Michigan, July 30 -- The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on July 29 by President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs: The Michigan League for Public Policy issued the following statement on the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee's passage of legislation of Senate Bills 681 and 682 regarding juvenile record expungement and confidentiality. * * * "The Michigan League for Public Policy continues to advocate for youth justice reforms both as a Kids Count   more

LANSING, Michigan, July 28 -- The Michigan Municipal League issued the following news release: Hamtramck will gain a new greenspace and playspace through a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, city of Hamtramck, and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency announced. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity. If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $22,000 by September 26, the project will win a ma  more

MT. PLEASANT, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- The Michigan Nurses Association issued the following news release: Nurses at McLaren Central Michigan Hospital last night ratified a strong, three-year contract that included fair wages that will allow nurses to recruit and retain quality RNs. The contract ratification vote comes after a long campaign by nurses that included a socially distant informational picket, a petition signed by the vast majority of nurses at the hospital asking for McLaren to treat the  more

LAPEER, Michigan, July 28 -- The Michigan Nurses Association issued the following news release on July 27: Nurses at McLaren Lapeer lined up on Main Street in front of the hospital on Monday, July 27 with signs demanding safe patient care and to put patients ahead of profits. "We have been telling the administration at McLaren Lapeer that the staffing situation is not appropriate for the number of patients coming to the hospital," said Tom Hall, Emergency Department Nurse and president of the   more

WESTERVILLE, Ohio, July 28 -- The National Ground Water Association issued the following news release: Representative Dan Kildee (D-Michigan), chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus, has been named the 2020 Groundwater Protector of the Year by the National Ground Water Association. The award, selected each year by the NGWA Government Affairs Committee, recognizes people in government, industry, and the private sector for their public service efforts in conjunction with groundwater co  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund issued the following news release: The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum will host a free virtual panel discussion examining anti-bias training programs in law enforcement communities across the country on Monday, August 10 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm (EDT). In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis (MN) Police Department and the subsequent calls for immediate police reform, many   more

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, July 29 -- The Progressive Democrats of America issued the following statement by Executive Director Alan Minsky: Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) supports the DNC Delegates who are planning to vote against the proposed 2020 Democratic Party platform because it does not include a universal single-payer Medicare for All program. There are two very simple reasons for this. 1. America's private health insurance system is a national disgrace that prioritizes profits  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: Protect Our Care is launching a new digital ad as part of our $2 million ad campaign criticizing the Trump administration's failed coronavirus response that put millions of Americans at grave risk. "Failed Us" features Dr. Farhan Bhatti, a family physician from Lansing, Michigan, speaking about how most of his patients are uninsured or underinsured and how President Trump's war to terminate the Affordable Care Act and rip covera  more

SANTA MONICA, California, Aug. 1 -- RAND issued the following commentary: The commentary was co-authored by Sydney Fouche, policy analyst at the Acute Care Research Unit at the University of Michigan, Kaitlyn Entel, research associate in the Acute Care Research Unit at the University of Michigan, Christopher Nelson, senior political scientist and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, Chloe E. Bird, senior sociologist and chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Forum, and  more

RESTON, Virginia, July 27 -- The American Society of Civil Engineers issued the following news: Andrew Thomas Rener, P.E., F.ASCE, president of Bouma, a national commercial interior finishing contractor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been named a Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction. Rener joined Bouma as vice president of operations in 2013 and was promoted to COO and, subsequently, president. He leads the business providing self-perform, prime contracting and off-site manufactured prefabric  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 31 -- The Buckeye Institute issued the following news release: The Buckeye Institute joined a coalition of 38 nationally recognized policy and education groups in filing an amicus brief in Michigan v. DeVos. The brief called on the court to allow money from the CARES Act to be distributed fairly and equitably to serve all students and help all schools safely reopen as outlined in the U.S. Department of Education's rule issued on June 25, 2020. "Every student in every schoo  more

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 30 -- NSF International issued the following news release: United Poly Systems, LLC is the first manufacturer to achieve NSF International certification to UL Standard 651A for polyethylene electrical conduit pipe. The standard requires testing for performance characteristics (including dimensions, crush and impact resistance, and moisture penetration) and evaluation of conduit materials. NSF International offers certification to UL 651A to meet the increased demand f  more