Michigan

Federal appeals court rules Michigan’s newborn blood screening program constitutional

Published

7 months ago

June 26, 2025

Federal appeals court rules Michigan’s newborn blood screening program constitutional

A federal appeals court has reversed a 2022 ruling that found parts of the state’s newborn blood screening program unconstitutional.

The program collects blood samples from newborn babies and screens them for diseases. Three years ago, a district court judge ruled in favor of four parents who raised concerns regarding the leftover dried blood spots, which are kept at the Michigan Neonatal Biobank in Detroit. Scientists can pay a fee to use the spots for research.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that those practices do not violate constitutional protections regarding privacy and illegal searches and seizures.

“The Newborn Screening Program saves lives,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “I want to thank the Court for its decision and the dedicated attorneys in my office who litigated this case for years to ensure Michigan can continue early detection of serious diseases while also advancing medical research through privacy-protected de-identified data.”

Attorney Philip L. Ellison, who represented the parents, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The parents who sued argued that the taking and keeping of their babies’ blood for state profit violated the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments.

The 2022 ruling in their favor included an injunction that required the state to mail each plaintiff parent a notice allowing them to request their child’s samples to be returned to them or destroyed.

Both parties agreed to a partial stay of the injunction pending appeal, in which the state agreed to return or destroy all the blood spots but not to destroy the associated data. According to Wednesday’s ruling, the state complied with the injunction.

The state requires parental permission for the leftover spots to be used for outside research. But the plaintiffs argued the program still violated the Constitution. They said the consent form and a related brochure were vague and made no reference to the state collecting fees from scientists for research, the Associated Press reported at the time.

In a press release, Nessel said the Sixth Circuit ruling reaffirmed that the program’s post-screening practices, including analyzing blood spots and making them available to “vetted health researchers,” does not violate constitutional protections.

The ruling also vacated the lower court’s injunction.

“With this ruling, MDHHS can continue to fulfill its commitment to protect the health and well-being of Michigan families, particularly its youngest and most vulnerable residents,” said Elizabeth Hertel, director of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the screening program.

“Michigan’s newborn screening program is designed to quickly diagnose babies who may look healthy but have rare and often serious disorders that require early treatment,” Hertel said. “Since 1965, this program has ensured thousands of families were quickly provided information about their baby’s condition, allowing for early interventions and healthier outcomes.”

State officials said newborn screening looks for more than 50 disorders that can affect blood cells, brain development, how the body breaks down nutrients from food, lungs and breathing, hormones and how the body fights infection.

The samples are stored using a randomized numeric code — not the patient or their parent’s name — minimizing any risk to privacy, the state said.

In its ruling, the appeals court wrote that the newborn screening program diagnoses more than 250 Michigan babies each year with a rare disorder. Every U.S. state, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, has a similar program in place, according to MDHHS.

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

@max_detroitnews

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Michigan

What time is Michigan basketball’s game vs Wisconsin today? TV, stream

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

What time is Michigan basketball’s game vs Wisconsin today? TV, stream

Michigan basketball finally got tested last game for this first time in almost two months.

Ever since a tough win on the road at TCU on Nov. 14, the Wolverines have been absolutely steamrolling everyone on their schedule. But Penn State finally offered some resistance that Michigan just hasn’t been seeing.

In Michigan’s third true road game of the season, the Wolverines were pushed to the brink in University Park, Pennsylvania, as the Nittany Lions found a way to keep it close without their leading scorer, freshman Kayden Mingo, who was scratched just before the game.

Michigan led by as much as 15 in the second half against the Nittany Lions, but Penn State just kept chipping away. Ultimately it came down to a final shot for Penn State’s Freddie Dilione V, who seemingly lost track of the clock and was forced to jack up a prayer that didn’t go in. As they say, an ugly win is better than an ugly loss, especially for a Michigan team who has been nearly flawless in every other game.

On Saturday, the Wolverines will return to the friendly confines of the Crisler Center for an early afternoon tipoff against the Wisconsin Badgers (CBS, 1 p.m.) for a chance to get back to the dominant style they were playing before.

Here’s what you need to know for Michigan’s game against Wisconsin on Saturday:

What channel is Michigan basketball vs Wisconsin

Michigan basketball will face Wisconsin in a nationally televised game on CBS.

How to stream Michigan vs Wisconsin basketball

Michigan basketball vs Wisconsin start time today

Date: Saturday, Jan. 10.
Time: 1 p.m. ET.
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor.

Michigan basketball schedule 2025-26 next 5 games

Find the Wolverines’ full 2025-26 schedule.

Saturday, Jan. 10: Wisconsin, 1 p.m. ET, CBS.
Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Washington, 10:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Oregon, 4 p.m. ET, NBC.
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Indiana, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock.
Friday, Jan. 23: Ohio State, 8 p.m., Fox.

Michigan vs Wisconsin prediction

Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Morez Johnson Jr.’s early foul trouble against Penn State was a big factor in that close finish; as deep as U-M is, it does not have a replacement for his motor and ability to switch on defense. Presumably, that narrow win was a wakeup call for Michigan, and while it’s hard to expect the Wolverines to beat teams by 30 or 40 a night, this one could be lopsided by the end. The pick: U-M 92, Wisconsin 73.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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Butler WR transfer Braydon Alford commits to Michigan football

Published

24 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Butler WR transfer Braydon Alford commits to Michigan football

Butler wide receiver transfer Braydon Alford, the son of Michigan offensive run game coordinator and running backs coach Tony Alford, has committed to U-M under new head coach Kyle Whittingham, he announced on social media Friday evening.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Dublin, Ohio, native didn’t appear in any games in his two seasons at Butler and has three years of eligibility remaining.

From Alford’s bio while at Butler: “Set his school’s single-season receptions record with 90 catches during his senior year… Had 1,487 all-purpose yards that year and scored 10 touchdowns… Named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-District and Third-Team All-State as a senior… Team captain… Had an outstanding game against Hilliard Bradley in Week 5 which included 14 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns.”
Alford entered the transfer portal earlier this week and quickly became a Michigan commit.
Whittingham took the Michigan job Dec. 26 and quickly built his staff. One of three holdovers on the group of assistant coaches was Tony Alford, who’s entering his third season in Ann Arbor. Whittingham had a previous connection with Tony Alford’s family.
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“Tremendous football coach. I was blessed to have at Utah, his brother, Aaron Alford, before he passed away, worked for us for several years,” Whittingham said at his introductory press conference. “So I know the Alford family. Great family. Tony, I got a ton of respect for him and we’ll see how things work out in that direction.”
Alford was an unranked recruit out of Dublin (Ohio) Jerome.

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Applications for spring turkey season in Michigan is open through Feb. 1. What to know

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

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Applications for spring turkey season in Michigan is open through Feb. 1. What to know

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources opened applications through Feb. 1 for Michigan’s spring turkey season.

Officials say there are some changes to the 2026 season, such as the number of turkey management units, which are designated areas open to hunters.

“These regulation changes uphold the goals for the spring turkey hunting season: maximizing hunter opportunity while also maintaining satisfactory hunting experiences across the state,” said Adam Bump, DNR upland game bird specialist.

Here’s what to know about licenses for the upcoming turkey season. For more information on other regulations, visit the DNR’s website.

How much do the applications cost?

Turkey season applications cost $5 each and are available online on the DNR’s website, at any license agent or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

A map of license agents is available online.

Who is eligible to apply?

Hunters aged 17 and older during the hunting period are eligible to apply for a license as long as they have a hunter education certificate or an apprentice license.

Anyone between the ages of 10 and 16 can purchase a turkey youth license. Anyone age 9 and under can participate through a mentored hunting program to receive a license. Youth turkey licenses are valid for all three management units and season dates.

Where and when can I hunt?

In 2026, the DNR announced that it had reduced the turkey management unit from 14 to three — Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Peninsula and southern Lower Peninsula. The units also determine the type of license hunters can obtain and when they can hunt.

View a map of the turkey management units below:

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

A Hunt 0110 license is for the Upper Peninsula, with an April 18-May 31 hunting season. Hunt 0134 license is valid for the northern Lower Peninsula and is available from April 18 to May 1. The Hunt 0302 license is available for the southern Lower Peninsula from April 18 to May 1. A Hunt 0303 license is also available for the Southern Lower Peninsula (May 2-31).

These licenses have a limited number available.

Other licenses include Hunt 0234, which is for statewide (April 25-May 31), and Hunt 0301, which is for private land (April 18-May 31). Hunt 0234 is valid on private and public lands in the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, but private only in the southern Lower Peninsula, as well as Fort Custer military lands, with permission.

How can I get a license?

Hunters who apply for a license are entered into a random drawing system. The drawing results are available on March 2.

The Hunt 0234 license (statewide) and Hunt 0301 license (private land) do not require people to enter a drawing. These licenses can be purchased beginning at 10 a.m. on March 16. Hunters can check their drawing results online or on the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

“These changes will give hunters longer seasons and bigger units to hunt in,” said Bump.

Anyone who is not selected in the drawing can purchase a leftover license beginning at 10 a.m. on March 9. Anyone who did not enter the drawing can purchase a leftover license on March 16.

How many licenses are available?

There is a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0110 (Upper Peninsula), an 18,000-license quota for Hunt 0134 (northern Lower Peninsula), a 6,000-license quota for Hunt 0302 (southern Lower Peninsula April season) and an 8,000-license quota for Hunt 0303 (southern Lower Peninsula May season).

Hunt 0234 (statewide) and Hunt 0301 (private land) licenses are unlimited.