Michigan
Leaders say that racial equity in businesses is key for Michigan growth • Michigan Advance
During a Wednesday panel discussion that addressed the importance of racial equity in Michigan’s population growth at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, an African-American business leader said the issue is paramount to Michigan’s success.
“If we are a state that wants to grow and develop, we have to take on the racial equity issue, and we have to take on a different lens in shoring up opportunity for Black businesses and small businesses, generally,” said Charity Dean, Michigan Black Business Alliance president and CEO.
Joining Dean on the panel were Hilary Doe, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) chief growth officer and marketing officer, and Andre Perry, Brookings Institution, senior fellow. Yazeed Moore, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Michigan Programs director, moderated the panel discussion.
Black business leaders applaud Detroit chamber’s focus on equity but say more needs to be done
Dean, a small owner and former city of Detroit Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity department director, said that strides have been made but “we have to be very honest about the disparities that exist.”
“We are looking at small businesses as a driver of economic development for our state and we are intentionally calling out all of the ways that disparity has impacted Black business, specifically, and small businesses, as well,” said Dean about the Michigan Black Business Alliance.
Doe said that this a “watershed moment” for Michigan but it has “momentum.”
Michigan has 9.9 million residents; African Americans compose about 14% of the population. The state’s largest city, Detroit, is 77% Black. Michigan’s population is expected to experience slow growth over the next decade and then decline through mid-century, according to an April report.
In June, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive creating the Growing Michigan Together Council, a bipartisan panel aimed at developing strategies to attract and retain talent, improve education, and update transportation and water infrastructure. Doe heads that effort.
Since that time, MEDC has interacted with more than 11,000 people through 80 organizations that were essentially “listening sessions.” She said the goal of the growth strategy “needs to be owned by all of us.”
“It is so critical that it is owned by Michiganders, so critical that people see themselves in the strategy,” Doe said. She has said that efforts like Black Tech Saturday will help to retain and grow Michigan’s population.
Perry said that “as conditions for Black small business go, it creates better conditions and the quality of life for the entire community.”
After the panel discussion, a poll released by MEDC “underscore that Michigan’s leadership on climate action and other policies are population and economic growth drivers as well,” said Doe. “We want to build on our value proposition to appeal to the young talent in our state and across the country.”
The poll surveyed 6,098 people from 15 cities across the United States that are popular among young talent, including Atlanta, New York City and Austin, Texas, among others.
The most mobile people are those between age 20 and 34. Understanding why these individuals choose to move is critical to reversing Michigan’s existing population trends, according to U.S. Census data.
While Michigan is in-line with neighboring states when it comes to retention, attracting new residents has been challenging. Michigan is 49th in the nation in terms of residents who live here but weren’t born in-state. The population growth effort collaborated with Generation Lab to conduct this survey that targeted this age group to better understand their relocation trends.
The poll revealed which considerations are most important to young people when choosing a place to call home. Among the top factors were:
- Diverse and safe communities, and those welcoming to immigrants.
- Future-focused communities making investments in the fight against climate change.
- Access to reproductive health care.
- Amenity-rich and walkable communities, including those with robust transit.
Overall, more than 50% of survey respondents strongly agreed that access to reproductive healthcare, diversity and welcoming immigration policies, community safety, unionization and combating climate change were important factors in where they chose to live. Fifty-two percent of respondents aged 25 to 34 said they wish their community did more to combat climate change.
“When folks think about looking for a place to call home, we want them to think of Michigan,” Doe said. “The findings from this poll will be folded into the population effort’s work, and into our thinking as we partner with Michigan communities to launch pilots and programs that support regions in retaining current residents and welcoming new faces to our great state.”
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Michigan
Cage-free eggs ready to roll across Michigan grocery stores as new law begins
DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan is all set to roll out its new law banning the sale and production of caged eggs across the state.
The law that was passed in 2019 will be enacted starting Dec. 31, 2024. This places Michigan among the 10 states in the country to ban the production of caged eggs.
But will this lead to an increase in egg prices? And who will it impact the most?
Egg Bar is one of the fresh new restaurants to hit the streets of Dearborn. The co-founder, Karl Makky, says they take pride in the food they serve.
Just about every item on the menu involves an egg.
“Even the bread has eggs in it,” Makky said.
To crack this wide open, Egg Bar place uses more than 800 eggs a day, spending more than $5,000 a month. For them, eggs being important is an understatement.
“One hundred percent. Life for Egg Bar depends on eggs,” Makky said.
It turns out all the eggs used at the restaurant are pasture-raised, cage-free eggs.
“Because that was our statement. We wanted to give the customer the best egg. And animal cruelty, we have a soft spot for animals,” Makky said.
“So you must be welcoming this new rule which is coming to Michigan starting December 31st, any egg sold in Michigan has to be cage-free eggs,” said Javed.
“Yes, I am. But I wish they would have done it from the very beginning. So now, the punishment is on the restaurant and on the customers,” Makky said. “Because the prices are going to go up.”
But Dr. Nancy Barr with Michigan Allied Poultry Industries has the other side.
“I don’t think so. Again, the supply and the demand is really the major factor for egg prices. And because of the impacts of the highly pathogenic avian influenza over the past year or two… that’s why you are seeing higher egg prices now,” Barr said.
Hear more from Nancy Barr in the video player below:
FULL INTERVIEW: Dr. Nancy Barr talks about cage free egg law
Even though whole egg prices are set on the commodities market, in the long run, Barr says supply should not be an issue. And that’s because the state law, which only allows the sale and production of cage-free eggs, was signed in 2019 and was given a five-year, phase-in period.
“Our farmers have been committed to moving in this direction, so they’ve been doing it over a number of years and they are ready to supply all the eggs Michigan needs,” Barr said.
The new requirement exempts eggs produced at farms with less than 3,000 egg-laying hens. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will monitor the cage-free standard.
Barr says the quality and taste of the eggs won’t change “a bit” and customers should not notice a difference.
“Only that the company that is selling the eggs has labeled the carton as such,” Barr said.
Barr also says that even if egg prices rise in the new year, they will still be an affordable source of quality protein.
Michigan
Oklahoma vs. Michigan Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, December 18th
Oklahoma will take its unbeaten record to a neutral site showdown for a matchup with upstart Michigan.
While the Wolverines have dropped two straight after an 8-0 start, they appear to be a formidable Big Ten unit this season under first-year head coach Dusty May. They are poised to take down 10-0 Oklahoma as favorites in Charlotte on Wednesday.
How do these two teams match up? Will OU maintain its sterling record, or can the Wolverines show that the two-game skid is nothing more than a blip on what should be a strong first campaign from May in Ann Arbor?
Here’s our betting preview.
Spread
Moneyline
Total: 150.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Oklahoma
Jeremiah Fears: The freshman has been stellar in starting his career in Norman, averaging nearly 17 points per game with three rebounds and nearly five assists while doing an excellent job of getting to the free-throw line.
Michigan
Danny Wolf: The Yale transfer has been an instant star for the Wolverines, playing point forward as the team’s leader in assist rate while also contributing as a top three score as a threat from both inside and out. Wolf is scoring more than 12 points per game with nearly 10 rebounds and three assists, one of the Big Ten’s unique talents.
Michigan is over-reliant on Wolf’s creation as its backcourt is way too sloppy with the ball. Overall, the Wolverines are 335th in turnover rate with its best offense being Wolf and Vladislav Goldin’s two-man game. While effective, the Sooners’ defense is elite against the pick-and-roll and is a turnover-minded defense that ranks top 20 in the country in turnover percentage.
Michigan’s inability to protect the rock and stop transition opportunities for opponents, ranking below the national average in points allowed per possession in transition against an OU offense that loves to hunt for opportunities in the open court.
This game should be open with plenty of possessions, and Michigan should find answers around the rim against a limited OU frontcourt that is 239th in points allowed near the rim, per Haslametrics. I expect a big night for Wolf and Goldin around the rim.
However, the OU offense should be able to win on the margins with transition buckets and a justified top-50 effective field goal rate.
In what should be a back-and-forth affair, I’ll side with the over in Charlotte.
PICK: OVER 150.5
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Michigan
Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast: Recapping Spartans’ Win Over Oakland
DETROIT, Mich. — No. 20 Michigan State earned its third double-digit victory on Tuesday, defeating Oakland, 77-58, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The score wasn’t a very accurate representation of the meeting, as Oakland tested the Spartans for most of the game — it wasn’t until late in the second half that the Spartans really began to pull away.
Michigan State had just a 1-point lead at halftime, having only scored 31 points through the first 20 minutes. But halftime adjustments were made, and the Spartans eventually found an offensive rhythm while locking down the Golden Grizzlies on defense, holding Oakland to just 28 points in the second half.
Michigan State had three players finish in double figures in the scoring column — sophomore forward Xavier Booker, who recorded a career-high 18 points, senior guard Jaden Akins, who posted 16 and junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who earned his third straight double-double, scoring 14 points while grabbing 10 boards.
Our Michigan State beat reporter, Aidan Champion, recaps the contest on this latest postgame edition of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast.
You can watch the episode below:
Below is a partial transcript from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s opening statement of his postgame press conference:
Izzo: “For the people down here — I mean, there’s part of me that hates this game, I’ve said it every year — but you got to give Kampe credit, man. The time he’s put in there, the job he’s done, the different lineups he’s had to play, the injuries he’s going through. I thought the kid, No. 7, who’s been out, [Isaiah] Jones, the other Jones, I mean, this team is going to be damn good, and that league, I think, is going to be really good. Now, we didn’t come with the same defensive intensity the first half, and they caused some of it. I thought Jeremy Fears, of all the people, when you talk about a guy that has one basket and really not as many assists as normal — four assists — I thought he won us the game just because of the job he did on [DQ] Cole. And he asked for him at halftime, and I said, ‘Sure.’ And that was the difference in the game. We had some other guys that played pretty well. [Xavier] Booker, of course, came in. Jaxon [Kohler] gets another double-double, which was really big on his part. … I can’t thank our crowd enough, and hopefully Oakland’s crowd too, but the number of people from Michigan State that showed up, that’s why I play it, so people that never see us can see us. And a lot of times, those people don’t get to get into Breslin, and I greatly appreciate it, the way they were.”
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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