Local and Michigan Headlines: Local Abstinence-only Programs Face Cuts; GRCC Raises Tuition

Here is a round-up of some important stories published in the last 24 hours that cover Grand Rapids and Michigan:

• Granholm to meet at the White House on Tuesday – Governor Granholm will be in Washington, DC today to meet with the White House. No topic for the meeting has been specified, but the speculation in the press is that it’s pertaining to a possible appointment to the Supreme Court.
• Mackinac Center Has No Credibilty on Right-to-Work Claims – Blogging for Michigan reports that the Mackinac Center has recently been cited in the media saying that the solution to unemployment in Michigan is to reduce the number of unionized workers in the state by becoming a “right-to-work” state. Sounds convincing, right? Blogging for Michigan points out that the Mackinac Center’s claims to align with statistics on the subject.
• Conyers on Obama: ‘Why is he becoming so conservative now that he’s got the job?’ – Representative John Conyers of Detroit is asking why President Obama is becoming “conservative” now that he has been elected. Conyers is particularly frustrated by Obama’s apparent backpedaling on repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
• Fighting off shareholders’ environmental resolution, Dow cites inaccurate information in its SEC filing – In an effort to ward off a shareholder resolution that sought greater transparency in the company’s handling of dioxin contamination in the Saginaw River watershed, Dow Chemical gave the Securities and Exchange Commission inaccurate information about the state of Michigan’s consumption advisory for walleye downstream from the company’s Midland plant.
• Media Bites: Burger King – The Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID) looks at a recent ad from Burger King that promotes the new Star Trek movie. Moving beyond the ad, GRIID goes on to look at cross-promotion between the film and the restaurant.
• Amway’s second generation of chief executives — Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos — not resting on their laurels – This article is pretty much fluff, it looks at how much the current Amway executives resemble their parents (for real), their corporate jets, and the family’s philanthropy. They only talk about their contributions to societal benefit projects–i.e. DeVos Hall and the Van Andel Arena–not their contributions to the religious right. You can read more about the their contributions to the religious right in our Far Right in West Michigan database.
• At 83, Amway co-founder Richard DeVos prepares company’s third generation, addresses church, gay-marriage concerns – So, we criticized yesterday’s article on Amway for ignoring the philanthropy and activism of the DeVos and Van Andel families, especially when it comes to their contributions to anti-gay causes. Well, here’s Richard DeVos sharing some pretty disturbing comments on gay people. All there really is to say in reaction is “wow.”
• Possible change in federal funding could put abstinence-only sex-education programs at risk – This is good news–the Obama administration is shifting funding away from so-called “abstinence-only” sex education programs and towards a more comprehensive approach.
• Impending budget plunge could force deeper cuts in staff, hours at Grand Rapids schools – The Grand Rapids Press has a worthwhile look at how the Grand Rapids Public Schools are planning to cope with budget cuts.
• GRCC president announces salary cuts for himself, administrators as board votes to raise tuition – Grand Rapids Community College is raising tuition 2.4% and assessing a new technology fee. Combined, they amount to a 6% increase.
• Coaster brook trout fails to make endangered list – The Coaster Brook Trout has failed to make the federal endangered species list. The government concluded that it was not distinct enough from other species of brook trout to warrant special protection.

If we missed anything, let us know in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Michigan DEQ Cleanup Programs Face Funding Shortage
2. Local/Michigan Headlines: Charter Schools Not Meeting Expectations; West Michigan School Districts Making Cuts
3. Local and Michigan Headlines: Hoesktra Says His Use of Twitter Is Just Like Iranian Protestors; Granholm Opposes Republican Plan To Cut College Tuition Assistance
4. Local and Michigan Headlines: GRPS Cuts Approved; PETA Opposes Horse-drawn Carriages in Holland
5. Local and Michigan Headlines: Grand Rapids Considering Layoffs because of Budget Cuts; Senate Passes Foreclosure Bill