AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK

As rules ease, travelers head to US for emotional reunions

CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, France (AP) — The U.S. is lifting restrictions on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, setting the stage for emotional reunions nearly two years in the making and providing a boost for the airline and tourism industries decimated by the pandemic. COVID-19 has upended lives in many ways including through travel restrictions. That has been felt acutely by those living near U.S. borders, where traveling back and forth was a way of life. Many others who live outside of the U.S. have missed out on important family milestones because of the restrictions. New rules go into effect Monday that allow nonessential travel across America’s land borders for vaccinated visitors. They also allow air travel from a series of countries from which it has been restricted.

CHILD KILLED-DEARBORN

6-year-old girl killed by hit-and-run in suburban Detroit

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A six-year-old girl was struck and killed in suburban Detroit by a hit-and-run driver who was being sought by police. The girl was hit Sunday afternoon in a residential neighborhood of Dearborn. Police said emergency workers took the girl to a Detroit hospital, where she died from her injuries. Police described the vehicle involved as a silver or white Chevrolet Equinox and asked for the public’s help in finding the driver. WDIV-TV reported the girl’s sisters saw her being hit during a visit to their grandmother.

BENTON-HARBOR-WATER

EPA to begin testing water at 300 Benton Harbor homes

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon start testing the water in 300 homes in Benton Harbor to check the certified filters given area residents by the state to remove lead from the drinking water. The Herald-Palladium reports that EPA officials will go to homes and collect water that goes through the filter and the water without the filters. It’s expected to last several weeks. The move comes after the federal agency ordered the Michigan city to fix problems at the water plant. The order includes an analysis of whether ownership of the plant should be transferred from Benton Harbor.

FOREST FIRE-FORUM

Forest Service holding forum on April’s Michigan wildfire

EAST TAWAS, Mich. (AP) — The public is invited to a forum to discuss the cause of a wildfire last spring in Michigan’s northeastern Lower Peninsula. The event will be held Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the East Tawas Community Center in East Tawas. The April wildfire, known as the Brittle fire, affected more than 6,000 acres in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. Officials said a prescribed burn turned into a wildfire due to shifting winds. No injuries were reported. The forum will include a discussion about changes in the prescribed fire program.

AP-US-BIDEN-FACT-CHECK

AP FACT CHECK: Biden hypes $1T bill impact on electric cars

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is overstating the reach of a $1 trillion infrastructure package in speeding America’s transition to electric automobiles. That’s according to an AP Fact Check. Celebrating the congressional passage in remarks Saturday, Biden said the legislation will allow the U.S. to build out 500,000 charging stations and meet his pledge to nudge half of U.S. drivers into electric vehicles by decade’s end. But the measure actually cuts in half the money that Biden had said was needed for the charging stations. Automakers also have made clear they won’t meet White House targets that half of all new car sales be electric by 2030 based on that legislation alone.

SHORELINE RESEARCH

MSU researchers collecting data on Great Lakes shoreline

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Researchers at Michigan State University are collecting data on how the Great Lakes shoreline, how residents view coastlines and the impact of high water levels. Assistant professor Erin Bunting says the information is critical to empower local communities and future research. j,87The results will be published online and analyzed in scientific publications. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and involves collecting information in several ways including a drone program and a mobile app. Bunting says more than 1,200 images have been submitted since June.

SEVERE WEATHER-TREE TRIMMING

Utility to use $70M voluntary refund on tree trimming

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s Public Service Commission has approved an accounting measure that allows DTE Electric Co. to provide a one-time, $70 million voluntary refund to be spent on tree trimming. The commission says the tree trimming is part of the company’s efforts to boost system reliability after power outages during severe storms across southeastern Michigan. DTE Electric had requested approval of a one-time regulatory liability and accounting authority to use a portion of unexpectedly higher profits from changed electricity use patterns of its retail customers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The utility says the money would fund an additional surge in tree trimming in response to the summer’s storms.

SUGAR LOAF-DEMOLITION

Ski resort closed for decades finally being demolished

CEDAR, Mich. (AP) — Demolition has begun at a former ski resort in northern Michigan. Sugar Loaf is in Leelanau County, northwest of Traverse City. It once attracted 3,000 skiers a day in winter but has been idle for more than 20 years. Demolition crews using heavy equipment began taking big bites out of buildings last week. Tim Stein, the Cleveland Township township, says the site will no longer be a “health and safety hazard.” It’s not clear what’s next for the Sugar Loaf property. The owner hasn’t been publicly identified.

REPARATIONS-DETROIT

Detroit voters OK commission to consider reparations

DETROIT (AP) — The city of Detroit will put together a commission to consider some form of reparations for residents. More than 80% of residents who cast ballots in Tuesday’s general election voted in favor of a proposal to form the commission that will recommend housing and economic development programs for the majority Black city. Anita Belle, president of the Detroit-based Reparations Labor Union, says the destruction of historically Black neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal, and discriminatory lending and rental practices aimed to keep Blacks out of what then were mostly white neighborhoods are some reasons why reparations are needed in Detroit. Detroit now joins other U.S. cities that are mulling some form of repayment to descendants of African slaves.

DEMOCRATS-GOVERNORS

Democrats facing tough slog in 2022 governor’s races

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are increasingly optimistic about flipping governor’s offices in key battleground states next year. The GOP is buoyed by President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings, Democratic infighting in Congress and better-than-expected results in elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats were already battling historical precedent dictating that the party that captures the White House struggles in subsequent elections and a 27-23 GOP advantage in occupying governor’s offices nationwide. Democrats insist the national political landscape could shift before November 2022, and see some of their own pickup opportunities in top races.