Posts

“Dear members of the public: Please stop making harassing and threatening calls to my staff, tweeted Nessel on Thursday. “They are kind, hardworking public servants just doing their job.” Nessel continued: “Asking them to shove Sharpies in uncomfortable places is never appropriate and is a sad commentary on the state of our nation.” Republican voters in Arizona first claimed that poll workers instructed them to use Sharpies to fill in their ballots, causing them to not be read by voting machines....

Grand Rapids First Church in Wyoming, Michigan, purchased more than $1.8 million worth of medical debt for “less than a penny on the dollar.” “There are people whose medical debt, they cannot pay. There is no way. It’s looming over their head,” pastor Sam Rijfkogel said in Sunday’s sermon. “Most of these folks are at poverty level or below poverty level and there’s no way that it can be repaid, but they feel the creditor banging on their doors....

“Once people get intubated, their course tends to be long and protracted,” Dr. Barbara Ducatman, the chief medical officer at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, told Newsweek. “People die once they get to that point.” “Those are where we see most of our deaths—from patients who have been intubated in the ICU,” she said. Across Beaumont’s eight hospitals, which are a part of Michigan’s largest healthcare system, there are currently 563 COVID patients....

The Detroit Free Press conducted a thorough evaluation of Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions—particularly focusing on those implemented since the sharp outbreak resurgence recorded last fall—and highlighted a correlation between ongoing mitigation measures and lower infection rates per capita, compared with neighboring states where regulations were more lenient. The newspaper summarized its findings in a report published Friday, less than one week after Michigan’s metric-conscious reopening strategy permitted restaurants to reinstate indoor dining, and several days before youth athletes were due to resume high-contact sports activities....

In a renewed effort to reverse Whitmer’s stringent policies aimed at protecting Michiganders amid the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers voted against extending Whitmer’s emergency powers declaration allowing her to enforce a statewide lockdown. They further voted in favor of giving House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, the authority to file a lawsuit against the Democratic governor over her handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. Chatfield said the decision should send a clear message to Whitmer that lawmakers are ready to “take the next steps” if the governor refuses to make concessions on the state’s stringent lockdown policies....

The Detroit News reported Tuesday that the probe by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights began after federal officials received complaints related to the expulsion of kicker Brendan Gibbons, who is no longer enrolled. MORE: Top 10 for 2014 | Top 25 players | Best running backs One of the complaints was filed last year and says the university didn't investigate the 2009 incident. It also says the school's grievance policy doesn't fully comply with a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on gender....

After so many years outside the spotlight, the Spartans are in nobody's shadow anymore. And for the first time in 26 years, they're Rose Bowl champions. Connor Cook passed for a career-high 332 yards and hit Tony Lippett with a tiebreaking 25-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, leading No. 4 Michigan State to a 24-20 victory over No. 5 Stanford on Wednesday night in the 100th Rose Bowl....

That number just got better. A lot better. The Spartans held the Wolverines to minus-48 yards rushing on the strength of seven sacks — the lowest output in Michigan history. Now, Michigan State is allowing 43.4 rushing yards per game and 1.6 yards per carry. “I thought, obviously defensively, we played an outstanding football game,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said after the game. “They made a couple of plays but weren’t able to run the ball....

This makes Michigan’s infection rates the highest in the country as 4,698 new cases were reported on Saturday, adding to the state’s total of more than 800,000 COVID-19 cases to date. “The numbers are going up. We know wearing a mask is our best strategy for keeping infection rates down for COVID-19. So help end this pandemic and mask up until more people are vaccinated,” Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services tweeted Monday morning....

While a cause of death has yet to be revealed, Unger, real name Shannon Spruill, sparked widespread concern on Wednesday night, when she spoke of harming herself during an Instagram Live session. In an unsettling video shared on Twitter, Unger—affectionately known to fans as the “Scream Queen”—was seen hysterically crying as she said: “Do you guys not understand that I am all alone? Do you not understand that?” Several hours after Unger’s death was confirmed on Thursday by her “absolutely heartbroken” mother, Jean Tookey Spruill, former WWE star Foley took to Facebook to share a poignant tribute dedicated to the star, entitled “REMEMBERING DAFFNEY....

People with chronic pain diseases such as fibromyalgia, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis may, according to researchers, benefit from extremely low doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or “acid”). It may also help treat other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and several mental illnesses including depression and anxiety. The psychedelic drug attracted plenty of research interest back in the 1960s, with some promising results, but those lines of inquiry were largely abandoned when LSD became a controlled substance....

In an effort to foster religious tolerance among Muslims and Jews, Danielle Josephs did just that. The Rutgers University senior founded the nation’s first Middle East Coexistence House this year. Josephs pitched the idea her sophomore year with the aim of making Jewish and Muslim students “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” The house has not only debuted successfully, but its model is also spreading to other campuses, including Michigan, Syracuse, Yale and Tennessee....

NEWSWEEK: When’s the last time you heard from Gilad? NOAM SCHALIT: Back in September, before the New Year’s holiday, we received a letter from Gilad. It was sent to the Egyptian mediators. Basically, it said that he’d like the [Israeli] prime minister and the secretary of defense to release [Palestinian] prisoners in order that he would be able to come home soon. It was in his handwriting, but it was obvious that it was dictated to him....

Emotional Having migraines means you are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression than people who don’t have migraines. The relationship works in two ways. In some cases, anxiety and depression are symptoms and develop as a result of shouldering the burden of constant migraine attacks. In other cases, these mental health issues are present before the migraines start. Anxiety and depression can worsen migraine attacks and vice versa, acting as a vicious cycle....

Photos taken near California’s San Ysidro Port of Entry throughout March showed migrants gathering with pleas written on signs and spelled out in messages printed on T-shirts. In some of the photos taken this week, migrants can be seen wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign logo at the top, with the message, “Please let us in!” printed beneath. Other recent photos show migrants carrying signs with a wide array of messages, ranging from “ayúdenos” (“help us”) to “sí al asilo” (“yes to asylum”)....

A narrative is being pushed by critics on the right who blame President Joe Biden’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border which allow some migrants to enter the country to apply for asylum. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has tried to prohibit mask mandates, has said that migrants are spreading COVID “across the entire country.” Fox News anchor Sean Hannity had claimed those migrating across the border are not being tested for COVID and called the border a “super spreader” of the pandemic....

On Sunday, the 21-year-old came back to the Manhattan hotel he’s been staying at for the past month and a half to find that he’d been locked out. The city has begun transferring single migrant men to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal so the Watson can be repurposed for migrant families with children. Castellano boarded the bus for the Brooklyn facility on Sunday, but after one look around the cruise terminal, he decided to make his way back to Manhattan and to alert his fellow migrants of the conditions at their proposed new home....

Fresh off calling the Lightning’s Stanley Cup Final victory, Emrick announced his retirement via the New York Post after a 47-year broadcasting career. Very few broadcasters in sports history are as synonymous with their sport as Emrick has been with hockey: The 74-year-old has been calling puck since 1973, starting his broadcasting career with the Port Huron Flags, eventually landing with the Devils and Flyers, going national in the ’80s with ESPN....

Babcock spent the better part of five seasons manning the ship in Toronto, compiling a 173-133-45 record; he finished fifth on the Leafs’ all-time coaching wins list behind Punch Imlach (370), Pat Quinn (300), Hap Day (259) and Dick Irvin (216). MORE: How Twitter reacted to the firing After the firing, TSN and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun spoke with Babcock, who released a statement that included this: “I thought we did an amazing job taking a franchise from where it was to where we had 100-point seasons, we set franchise records if I’m not mistaken, got into the playoffs....

The news doesn't come as a complete surprise, as D'Antoni maintained icy relationships with several Lakers veterans, including star Kobe Bryant. Previous, Sporting News NBA writer Sean Deveney reported that Bryant wanted to play for a different coach next season. Now he will get his wish. MORE: SN Source: Kobe Bryant wants new coach | This offseason’s coaching candidates | Magic responds D'Antoni did have one season remaining on his deal and wanted to exercise for 2015-16 to gain more job security....