Michigan
Experts say Michigan law 'has the back' of election workers and voters – WDET 101.9 FM
![Experts say Michigan law 'has the back' of election workers and voters – WDET 101.9 FM](https://wdet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/KB6_2980-scaled-e1704921792617.jpg)
Experts say election workers and even voters face an almost unprecedented amount of tactics designed to intimidate them.
A recent poll from Bloomberg/Morning Consult found that roughly 50% of registered voters across a group of swing-states — including Michigan — aren’t confident the election and its aftermath will be free from violence.
But a new analysis finds both federal and Michigan law offer ample protections against bullying at the polls.
The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law studied voters’ rights in political battleground states including Michigan.
Senior Counsel Eliza Sweren-Becker says anyone encountering trouble at the ballot box has many options available to defend themselves.
Listen: Experts say Michigan law ‘has the back’ of election workers and voters
The following interview was edited for clarity.
Eliza Sweren-Becker, Brennan Center for Justice: Federal law sets a floor preventing and prohibiting intimidation of voters and election officials. And those laws are quite strong. They’ve been on the books for a long time and they’ve been enforced for many, many years. The states can go above and beyond that floor to protect voters against intimidation. And they do, in fact, do that. The laws that are specific to Michigan are really complimentary and consistent with the existing federal laws. They’re enforced by different prosecutors as opposed to U.S. attorneys and employees of the U.S. Department of Justice. The laws in Michigan also go to some of the more specific election-related issues that may be occurring in Michigan. For example, Michigan law places a number of guardrails around voter challenges. And that’s something that federal law doesn’t get deeply in the weeds of. But Michigan law constrains them in a number of different ways.
Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: There was a controversy at the central Detroit location where they counted votes in the last presidential election. Officials moved some observers out, they complained that they were getting in the way of counting votes, more or less. And those poll watchers claimed that they were being sent out of the area so that they would not see any fraud being committed. What do you suggest either the poll watchers or the workers do in such a situation?
ES: Not knowing the specifics, if those who were present at the vote-counting site were intimidating the election workers or disrupting the election processes, then the election officials and workers were appropriately removing folks. Election observers remained at that vote-counting site and nothing inappropriate happened as a result of those removals. The thing that was inappropriate was the disruptive and intimidating conduct.
QK: Are there any differences in Michigan’s voter intimidation laws as opposed to other states that surprise you in any way?
ES: The protections against intimidating election officials in Michigan, for example, are quite specific. And that’s an issue that we’ve seen come up in Michigan in recent years. And so, the law affords particular protections for election workers and officials explicitly in the Michigan code. And while it’s true that every election worker and poll worker is protected against intimidation, the level of specificity may differ in certain states. It’s a clear and strong protection for election officials and election workers in Michigan.
QK: That’s certainly become an issue in Michigan, as many election workers have talked about fear over their safety, not just during election day or when they are counting votes, but they oftentimes get threatening voicemails or other things directed at them even after a certain candidate has lost. Are there steps that can be taken either during the actual vote counting if intimidation occurs, or something else that election workers can do nowadays, compared to the past, if it happens before or after election day?
ES: If there are issues that are occurring at a polling place, for example, intimidation by a poll watcher or a challenger, poll workers in Michigan have the authority to remove that disruptive or intimidating poll watcher or challenger from the voting premises. So it’s not just a remedy after the fact. But if there’s instances of misconduct, as they’re occurring poll workers have the power to stop that in its tracks.
QK: If something develops that’s of concern on election day itself, a lot of times you’ll hear major political parties say, “We have attorneys at the ready.” And they say they’ll go to court to make sure that this or that is addressed in some way. For the various workers or voters, for that matter, who might be waiting to cast their vote or in the midst of doing so, what would you suggest they try to do? Especially if they don’t seem to have a group of attorneys at the ready. Are there particular ways that they should protest that they feel like they are being intimidated, or particular officials they should protest that to?
ES: Yes. If somebody is going to the courthouse to vindicate voting access and voting rights, typically the remedy they might get is, for example, an extension of polling place hours to ensure that voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and any disruption that may have taken place doesn’t infringe on the number of hours that voters are entitled to be able to vote on election day. But in the moment of intimidating or disruptive conduct, the first thing I’d recommend is that a voter alert an election worker to that conduct. Those workers, again, have the authority to maintain order within the polling place. And voters can also call a nonpartisan election protection hotline if they are observing anything that they think is out of the ordinary, that is disruptive, that is intimidating. That is a way to pass along those concerns and complaints. And it could enable that person or set of voters to actually get representation if needed, because nonpartisan lawyers participate in that election protection hotline to make sure that every vote cast counts on election day. That number for election protection is (866) “OUR-VOTE.” There are strong existing state laws and federal laws — including state laws in Michigan — that protect voters from intimidation, election interference and disruption. And laws that likewise protect election officials and election workers. So while it’s something that we are watching very closely, voters and election officials should know that the law has their back.
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Michigan
Michigan Sets Record Recycling Rate in 2023, Recycles Nearly 70,000 Tons of Materials
![Michigan Sets Record Recycling Rate in 2023, Recycles Nearly 70,000 Tons of Materials](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt4a147f9e36f0754a/blt97a1c9fbbcc99c74/667af76884b2ebbb801c6f6b/recycling_in_bag_MR1540.jpg?disable=upscale&width=1200&height=630&fit=crop)
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), residents of the state set a new recycling rate for 2023.
Michigan residents recycled almost 70,000 tons of materials in 2023, which sets a new record for the state. The number of materials increases the state’s recycling rate to 23%, up from 21%, recycling 82,000 tons more than the previous year.
“Recycling is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos.
“We know Michiganders want to recycle the right way, and through our ‘Know It Before You Throw It’ campaign and recycling infrastructure investments, we are providing them with the tools to do just that.”
According to EGLE, Michigan is on pace to achieve its goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.
Read the full article here.
Michigan
Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest
![Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest](https://www.domino.com/uploads/2024/06/25/WYWH-Wickwood-FEATURE.jpg?width=1200&crop=1.9:1,smart)
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From dreamy decor to top-notch amenities, Domino’s “Wish You Were Here” series is your first-class ticket to the most design-driven getaways around the world. Whether you’re looking to steal away for a few days or just steal a few ideas for back home (we encourage both, for the record), check out where we’re checking in.
I was born and raised in the Midwest (specifically outside of Chicago), which means I spent summers exploring Lake Michigan’s shores for family vacations. So when I pulled up to the newly renovated Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, why did I feel like I was suddenly starring as an extra in an episode of Gilmore Girls?
That magic is partly due to the charming town but also thanks to Martin Horner and Shea Soucie of Soucie Horner, their Chicago-based design firm, who bought the 1937 home two years ago and turned it into a modern inn befitting of Stars Hollow.
Before the pair could make any cosmetic changes, they first had to consider the building’s history: Since the ’90s, the colonial structure was already a beloved inn run by adored cook Julee Rosso, author of The Silver Palate Cookbook. “When we bought the inn, we were very conscious of [Rosso’s popularity and returning guests], but we also had to make it our own,” Horner says. So instead of taking down walls and turning the 11-room property into a sleek Scandi hotel, they paid homage to the legendary former owner by working in details that were already there, like the art and furniture, which they reupholstered or repurposed. (The bathrooms however? Those were gutted and replaced with new tile and marble.)
![View into bathroom with blue vanity](https://www.domino.com/uploads/2024/06/25/WYWH-Wickwood-Inn-Domino-06.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
![Wood paneled guest room with clawfoot tub in room](https://www.domino.com/uploads/2024/06/25/WYWH-Wickwood-Inn-Domino-09.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
The rest of the inn’s “jewelry,” as Horner calls it—like the bamboo bed frame in the room I stayed in—came from epic vintage shopping trips, Facebook Marketplace hauls, and even Horner and Soucie’s own homes. In fact, no two guest rooms are exactly the same other than the lighting, bedding, and Waterworks faucets. To further keep consistency, they went with a soothing, neutral Benjamin Moore paint palette. (Fan favorite White Dove was their go-to in most areas.) New Vispring mattresses appear in each guest room, too.
In the lobby and dining room, a fireplace and wood-paneled walls adorned with one of Rosso’s original tapestries, create cozy spaces in which to convene before a day spent exploring the area’s wineries and art galleries (prioritize Ox-Bow, trust me). Plus the backyard and screened-in gazebo are the perfect places to sip cocktails or indulge in the lobby’s complimentary chocolate chip cookies.
![Traditional-style room with lamp and chair](https://www.domino.com/uploads/2024/06/25/WYWH-Wickwood-Inn-Domino-04.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
![Open shelving with bowls and fresh fruit and vegetables on counter](https://www.domino.com/uploads/2024/06/25/WYWH-Wickwood-Inn-Domino-14.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&width=100)
The result almost feels delightfully non-Midwest, and certainly not beachy, even though the inn is just steps from the Kalamazoo River, where you can rent a candy-colored retro boat for an afternoon (highly recommend). Instead, the quiet luxury vibe paired with former Oprah Winfrey chef Rose Duong’s refined menu and the warm welcome from general manager Susan Michele make the whole experience decidedly Midwest. The only thing missing is Luke’s Diner.
Michigan
Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan
![Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox2detroit.com/www.fox2detroit.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1280/720/snapshot-2024-06-25T181705.215.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Henry Ford Health surgeons perform 1st beating-heart transplants in Michigan
With the beating-heart transplant technique, the donor heart does not have to be stopped a second time; it keeps beating as it is placed inside the patient.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – Michigan’s first two beating-heart transplants took place at Henry Ford Health in Detroit recently.
On his 58th birthday, Ken Miller of Ferndale was given the news that he would be undergoing the first-ever beating-heart transplant in the state.
Now, he is in the process of recovering.
“I didn’t expect to be feeling this well,” Miller said. “I’m feeling great and blessed.”
Miller had been in heart failure for more than a decade. He spent 25 days in a hospital bed, on a machine, prior to receiving his new heart –and a kidney– on May 31.
“I’m really excited about this outcome and excited about how well this heart worked,” said cardiac transplant surgeon at Henry Ford Health, Dr. Kyle Miletic.
Ken Miller of Ferndale underwent Michigan’s first ever beating-heart transplant on May 31, 2024. (Provided by Henry Ford Health)
Heart transplantation has come a long way.
Generally, a donor heart is good for about four hours, which limits how far away a donor heart can come from. However, the “heart in a box” technology has been a breakthrough – which is a mini heart lung machine that keeps the heart beating.
But still, the heart has to be stopped, twice, before being transplanted.
“We are always very concerned every time we have to stop the heart. Now, it’s inevitable. It’s going to have to be stopped once at the donor hospital to put it on this box, but the problem is we have to stop it a second time,” Miletic said.
That can be problematic. But with the beating heart transplant technique, the donor heart does not have to be stopped a second time; it keeps beating.
“We hooked the donor heart up to his own blood stream. Once it came from the box, his blood was providing that blood and the nutrients to his new heart, and we sewed it in again as it was beating,” Miletic said.
Henry Ford surgeons performed a second beating-heart transplant just last week. That heart came from about 2,000 miles away.
“Despite being the furthest distance we’ve ever traveled – really woke up right away with no issues, and that patient is doing extremely well and has excellent cardiac function,” the doctor said.
The new technique is not only revolutionary for heart transplant patients, but liver and lung patients as well.
As for Miller, he’s ready to get back on his feet and back to his family.
“I look forward to just being able to move, walk, go upstairs,” he said. “All the things we take for granted.”
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