Michigan advocates and health experts say the ban could have a significant impact on improving public health, but particularly for African American smokers, who overwhelmingly favor menthol cigarettes. But some Black advocates warn of unintended consequences.
Ted Roelofs
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Lansing and other police agencies rethink value of ‘minor’ traffic stops
The fatal police shooting of Black motorist Patrick Lyoya is renewing debate over whether police should be stopping drivers for low-level infractions; encounters that sometimes turn violent.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Patrick Lyoya’s parents: Our hearts are broken. Grand Rapids mourns as well.
A family that fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they found ‘genocide’ against Black men in America. In Grand Rapids, frustration, sadness mount after years of demands for police change fail to prevent tragedy.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Grand Rapids Police release video on deadly shooting of Patrick Lyoya
African immigrant Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of the head by an officer during a scuffle on April 4 following a traffic stop over a license plate.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Michigan has dramatically lowered the rate of inmates returning to prison
The state prison recidivism rate has fallen sharply over two decades, attributed to policy reforms, falling crime and more intensive job training. But many former inmates still struggle for jobs and housing and wind up back behind bars.
Posted inHealth and Welfare
Overstressed and unpaid, 1.3M in Michigan care for relatives amid aging crisis
The total economic value of uncompensated elder care could be as high as $14.5 billion. And it’s getting worse. “We are in big trouble,” one says.
Posted inHealth and Welfare
As Michigan ages, one woman has made it her mission to train family caregivers
More than 1 million state residents care for their relatives, but most are never trained. After losing two parents, a Farmington Hills woman has begun boot camps to teach others.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Some police traffic stops end violently. Is there a better way?
Black drivers are pulled over for traffic stops at greater rates than whites and, as we’ve seen in Minnesota and elsewhere, these incidents have sometimes ended in tragedy. Can we reduce violence by getting police out of the business of issuing minor violations?
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Detroit police working to de-escalate confrontations with the mentally ill
Years after other Michigan departments, the state’s largest city police force turns to specialized mental health training for officers.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
After Breonna Taylor decision, protests still outpace legislation in Michigan
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.