Ted Roelofs

Washtenaw County prosecutor Eli Savit said the policy was not fair to low-income criminal suspects forced to sit in jails while awaiting trial while more affluent defendants were set free. Jurisdictions that jettisoned cash bail in other states report promising results, though not everyone is on board.

Despite recent reforms that shield patients from unexpected bills they thought were covered by insurance, ground ambulance services can still charge high fees if they are outside a patient’s insurance network. A lawmaker promises to look into the matter.

With vaccines still scarce, hospital and emergency workers are first in line. But as more get vaccinated, local health officials must make tough choices among essential workers and other, more vulnerable groups.

Grand Valley State University medical ethicist Jeffrey Byrnes addresses some of the moral questions involved in dispensing scarce supplies of vaccines.

Years after other Michigan departments, the state’s largest city police force turns to specialized mental health training for officers.

Vaccines may be shipped soon from Pfizer’s Kalamazoo plant, as the vaccine nears final approval. Michigan is receiving more than 250,000 doses, and first priority goes to health care workers.

State officials are reaching out to Black residents, who have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic. While there is significant public skepticism toward a COVID vaccine, mistrust runs even deeper in the African-American community due to a legacy of mistreatment in government public health efforts.

Child protection advocates warn that declining numbers of reported child abuse cases are in fact a red flag for widespread undetected abuse. With fewer children in schools or visiting their doctors, there are fewer opportunities for trusted adults outside the family to detect potential abuse.

The Grand Rapids area helped fuel Kent’s economic resurgence by attracting young, well-educated professionals. Younger workers and an influx of Hispanic reEsidents are making the county more politically diverse.

As Michigan cases spike, health officials in Kent, Calhoun and Ottawa counties say they need more personnel to quickly contact infected individuals to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. And too often, the people they do reach won’t cooperate.

Amish opposition to government regulation and abortion aligns with the political positions and rhetoric of the current president. But this small but growing conservative population in Michigan will likely stay home on Election Day.

The guidance clarifies rules for the November general election, barring openly carrying guns and allowing concealed carry, except in certain locations. Gun rights advocates call the ban a partisan Democratic effort to discourage conservative voters and vow to sue.

The ‘constitutional sheriffs’ movement is suspicious of government overreach and believes sheriffs are the final legal authority in their counties. But Michigan members of the group say they will keep voters safe if antigovernment groups try to intimidate them on Election Day.

By one estimate, more than 300,000 Michigan households may be vulnerable to eviction due to economic hardship amid the coronavirus pandemic. In places like Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo County, high rental rates and a dearth of affordable housing fuel millage proposals intended to ease the strain.

Lagging statewide polls and concerns over the future of health care may boost a Democratic upstart in her battle against Meijer scion Peter Meijer.

Key police reform bills were urgently drafted in June, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. But they are still awaiting approval in Lansing, which one lawmaker predicted would come in this year’s lame-duck session.

President Trump has cut refugees and curtailed foreign guest workers. Joe Biden wants to restore higher admissions for people seeking to escape persecution in other countries. Michigan has a stake in which candidate prevails.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announces simplified renewal forms for millions of residents who may need food or cash assistance or other state benefits.

An Ann Arbor citizens group’s analysis of court records indicates that African Americans are far more likely to be charged with high-level felonies and, at least in one judge’s courtroom, more likely to face harsher punishment.

With hundreds of senior centers largely closed during the pandemic, virtual bingo has its limits. Some seniors indicate they’d rather chance contracting the virus than face an uncertain future filled with loneliness.