Tag: michigan

Landmark Case Means Americans Can Now Sue Big Pharma for Vaccine Injuries

Up until now, the drug companies have been shielded from liability for all the COVID vaccine injuries and deaths that they have caused. They’re protected by something called the PREP Act, which stands for Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness. A judge in a landmark Michigan case, however, has now ruled that the PREP Act does not shield the Big Pharma companies from liability if their medicines are contaminated.

That’s it. The floodgates are finally open. If you were hurt by a COVID shot or if one of your loved ones died from it, you can now sue the Big Pharma companies.

The Michigan case was brought by Dan Nowacki, an elderly man who was hospitalized with COVID. Mr. Nowacki was treated with Remdesivir, which is a COVID treatment drug made by pharmaceutical company Gilead. Remdesivir is a relatively new treatment, so it’s shielded under the PREP Act.

Mr. Nowacki was treated with Remdesivir intravenously. His attorneys just proved in court that at least two of the vials that Mr. Nowacki was administered were contaminated with shards of glass. It caused him to have two catastrophic strokes in the hospital. He’s now permanently bedridden. About 55,000 vials of Remdesivir were recalled in November of 2021 due to glass contamination.

The judge ruled that the pharmaceutical companies’ liability shielding does not protect them in the case of contamination. If the Big Pharma companies are being protected from being sued, then they still have to meet basic safety standards. They can’t just inject their medicines into people if they know that those medicines are contaminated with shards of glass, arsenic, or… just to name one possible contaminant off the top of our head… cancer-causing monkey viruses.

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Ford E.V. Battery Plant in Michigan Named Worst Economic Development Deal of 2023

Each year since 2018, the Center for Economic Accountability (CEA)—a nonpartisan think tank opposed to corporate welfare—has named its Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year, a dishonor awarded to the most egregious misuse of taxpayer funds nominally intended to spur economic growth.

This year, the ignoble honor goes to Michigan, which has awarded over $1.75 billion to Ford Motor Co. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL), a Chinese battery manufacturer. The two companies are jointly developing a factory in Marshall, Michigan, that would build lithium iron phosphate batteries for the automaker’s electric vehicle (E.V.) lineup.

In its announcement, the CEA breaks down what the state has pledged so far, which includes $630 million worth of road paving and site development; grants from various state funds of $210 million, $120 million, and $36 million; and a 15-year tax abatement valued at $772 million. Other estimates have put the total amount at $2.2 billion.

Last month, facing strong economic headwinds, Ford announced it was “re-timing and resizing some investments.” While the Michigan plant was originally intended to create 2,500 jobs, Ford changed its pledge to 1,700 jobs and lowered its potential output by 40 percent, estimated to shrink the company’s financial investment by $1 billion or more.

Since Ford originally pledged $3.5 billion, Michigan’s contribution to the project could be nearly as much as what Ford plans to spend on its own factory. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, told reporters that Michigan’s investment may be “resized” as well, and “as Ford has had to make some changes…the state’s role will change as well.”

Of course, the deal’s merits were questionable from the start. When the project was first announced, Whitmer’s office claimed it would have “an employment multiplier of 4.38, which means that an additional 4.38 jobs in Michigan’s economy are anticipated to be created for every new direct job.”

This is a fanciful notion. Tim Bartik of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research has estimated that a more typical multiplier on a local or state level is between 1.5 and 2. Last month, Bartik calculated the estimated benefits of Michigan’s proposed investment; while he was broadly positive, he noted that a 4.38 multiplier was “very high,” and “if the Ford project had a more typical multiplier—2.5 rather than 4.38—the project’s gross benefits would be less than the incentive costs.”

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Furious parents, Dan and Jennifer Mead, sue Rockford Public schools in Michigan for using male pronouns for their 8th-grade autistic daughter without their knowledge

Two furious parents are suing a Michigan public school district for using male pronouns for their eighth-grade autistic daughter without their knowledge. 

Dan and Jennifer Mead filed a lawsuit against the Rockford Public School District on Monday after discovering the school had been referring to their child using ‘he/him’ pronouns last year.

The lawsuit alleges the school violated the parents’ First and 14th Amendment rights by using a masculine name and pronouns for their child, as reported by NewsNation. 

According to court documents, the school complied with its policy by using the student’s chosen name and pronouns.

The Meads withdrew their child from the Rockford Public School District, where the child had been attending since kindergarten, and now homeschool their daughter. 

‘No one with the school district told them that the school district had begun to treat her as a boy by calling her a masculine name and by male pronouns,’ Vincent Wagner, who represents the parents, told WOOD-TV.

The lawsuit, filed Monday by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the parents, alleges East Rockford Middle School staff referred to their daughter by a male name and pronouns for at least two months. 

The parents found out in October 2022 when a school psychologist inadvertently included the child’s masculine name in one section of a report that was sent home.

The eight-grader’s name had been changed back to the birth name in the rest of the document, according to the lawsuit. 

‘At first, the Meads thought this was a mistake — that another child’s information had been included in their daughter’s documents,’ said the Alliance Defending Freedom in a statement. 

‘When the Meads asked district employees to refrain from using the masculine name and male pronouns, the district refused to comply with their wishes,’ the lawsuit claims. 

‘They weren’t able to help her in a difficult time in her life,’ Wagner said. ‘So it prevented them from helping her and that denied them their constitutional rights. Schools shouldn’t keep information like that from parents.’ 

The lawsuit alleges the school’s policy violated the parents’ First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and their 14th Amendment rights to parental rights. 

The Meads are also seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory damages, saying that homeschooling has caused the couple to lose income, as reported by the Washington Times. 

‘Homeschooling has required Mr. Mead to remain out of the workforce, which has caused the Meads to lose his income,’ said the complaint. 

‘These and other damages were caused by the District’s actions treating G.M. as a boy named F.M. while concealing those actions from the Meads.’

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Former Michigan GOP House speaker surrenders to serve marijuana bribery sentence

Former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson has surrendered at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Minnesota to serve a 55-month sentence for pocketing bribes and corrupting the state’s marijuana industry, according to an inmate database updated Saturday.

The database shows Johnson, 70, among the 433 inmates at FPC Duluth near the western edge of Lake Superior. The prison is about 700 miles northwest of Lansing where Johnson was one of the most powerful Republican lawmakers in the state before becoming a lobbyist and chief regulator of Michigan’s marijuana industry.

That career ended in scandal after the politician from LeRoy received more than $110,000 in bribes from marijuana lobbyists and a businessman while serving as chairman of the medical marijuana licensing board from May 2017-April 2019. The illegal payoffs included repeated trysts with a sex worker who called him “Batman.”

Johnson had been ordered to surrender by Saturday after losing a last-ditch attempt to shorten his time behind bars and serve part of the sentence under house arrest as he recuperates from heart bypass surgery.

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Mystery as body is found in ventilation system of Michigan community college’s performing arts center after students complained of a ‘foul odor’

A month-long search for a missing father of two is over after his decomposing body was found inside the ventilation system of a Michigan community college theatre.

Police were called to Macomb Community College in Detroit after staff realized the odor permeating the school’s performing arts center might have a sinister cause.

They traced the smell to a vent where they found the body of Jason Thompson, 36, who had vanished from his sister Shelby’s apartment less than a mile away on October 25.

His family had plastered the city’s Clinton Township district with fliers appealing for information before the grisly discovery on Sunday night.

‘Jason was loved by many people and his family have been through a lot over the past month while he has been missing,’ wrote his cousin Carissa Thompson on a Gofundme page.

‘Jason was a father to two beautiful children, Killian and Kiara. He was a son, uncle, brother, cousin but most important he was loved by his family and friends and will be missed.’

A security camera in Shelby’s apartment caught the moment he disappeared, stepping out in Sterling Heights wearing black pants, adidas shoes and a hoodie.

His family reported him missing on November 1 and began a series of daily calls to hospitals, the medical examiner’s office, jails and police departments in a bid to find him.

‘Never in his life has he ever gone without contact with our family for more than 24 hours, not once,’ wrote Shelby on Facebook.

‘This is completely unusual for my brother, someone knows something- what will it take for you to speak?’

College police are awaiting a cause of death from the Macomb County medical examiner, but Macomb College Police Chief William Leavens said there was ‘no reason to suspect foul play’.

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Michigan Takes Step To Punish Salon Owner Who Said She’ll Only Serve Men And Women

Michigan officials have charged a salon owner with discrimination after she said she would not serve people who identify as anything other than a man or woman.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights on Nov. 15 charged Christine Geiger and her salon, Studio 8 Hair Lab, with discrimination after investigating complaints that were filed over Ms. Geiger’s comments.

“The truth is, based on a thorough investigation, that Studio 8 and its owner Christine Geiger, openly and repeatedly violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act,” John Johnson Jr., the department’s executive director, told reporters in a briefing.

The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of certain characteristics, including religion. Implemented in 1977, it was expanded in 2023 by the state legislature and Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to cover gender identity, enshrining a 2022 Michigan Supreme Court interpretation.

Ms. Geiger posted in July on Facebook: “If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman please seek services at a local pet groomer. You are not welcome at this salon. Period.”

She also said that salon workers might refer to people as “hey you” if they requested a particular pronoun.

In another post, Ms. Geiger said that “LGB are more than welcome” but transgender people were not.

“This stance was taken to insure that clients have the best experience and I am admitting that since I am not willing to play the pronoun game or cater to requests outside of what I perceive as normal this probably isn’t the best option for that type of client,” she said.

In a third post, Ms. Geiger said there were only two genders and said “anything else is a mental health issue.”

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Holton Township, Michigan establishes its own MILITIA to protect second amendment and declares it will not enforce new red-flag laws restricting gun ownership

A Michigan township has established its own militia to protect the Second Amendment rights of its 2,500 citizens.

Holton Township, in Muskegon County, passed a Second Amendment Resolution on Tuesday night establishing itself as a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’. 

The resolution included an addendum establishing their very own militia. 

Under the changes, all legal residents with primary residence within Holton now have the opportunity to join the militia but must adhere to federal firearm checks. 

The town said they are adopting policies ‘necessary for the security and rights of Holton Township residents.’

‘The people of Holton Township, through their duly elected members of the Holton Township Board, hereby designate Holton Township as a Second Amendment Sanctuary in order to preserve for the people of, on and in Holton Township, the inalienable rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America,’ the resolution reads. 

‘The Holton Township Board hereby declares its intent to oppose any infringement on the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. 

‘We, the people of Holton Township, hereby declare our inalienable rights, our freedom and our Liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.’ 

The addendum laid out conditions for residents wishing to join the militia. 

Residents must be over the age of 18, have passed a federal firearms background check and state on open social media or by letter that they wish to join the militia. 

The addendum also says that the township will not acknowledge any new laws that are associated with red flag laws. 

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Michigan Lawmakers Signed Nondisclosure Agreements, Can’t Discuss Corporate Welfare Scheme

When a state gives away tax money to a private company in an attempt to sway its business decisions, the least that a taxpayer can hope for is some openness in the process.

Unfortunately, the state of Michigan’s economic development agency is actively preventing transparency, leaving questions on how the state plans to spend billions of taxpayer dollars unanswered.

In December 2021, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, signed legislation establishing the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) program, intended “to ensure the state can compete for billions of dollars in investment and attract tens of thousands of jobs to bolster our economy.” SOAR funds would be disbursed with approval from the state Senate Appropriations Committee and would benefit companies that chose to do business in the Great Lake State.

As Reason reported in May, SOAR disbursed $1.4 billion in its first 18 months, all to benefit companies making electric vehicles, batteries, or battery components.

This week, Beth LeBlanc of The Detroit News reported that since its founding, “at least 163 individuals or entities have signed non-disclosure agreements” (NDAs) related to SOAR projects. The agreements were required by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which manages the SOAR program.

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Suspect arrested in murder of Jewish synagogue leader Samantha Woll in Detroit was released because cops FAILED to file paperwork – including warrant for arrest

A suspect arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a prominent Jewish community leader was released after cops did not file the necessary paperwork, prosecutors have confirmed.

The revelation, offered this week by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, comes almost a month after 40-year-old Samantha Woll was found stabbed to death outside her Detroit home, spurring an investigation that led to the suspect’s arrest.

On Friday, after being held for 72 hours, the suspect was released – days after the city’s police chief announced to reporters they had taken in a person of interest, without specifying what led to their arrest.

A dayslong interrogation ensued, culminating with the suspect being cut loose. The decision was reportedly made after the suspect made an ‘ambiguous’ statement to cops – one that sources told The Detroit News was not enough to warrant charges.

A warrant was never filed, and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office’s hands were tied. A spokesperson for the office confirmed the situation in a brief statement.

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Michigan Marijuana Tax Revenue Grew By 49% Over The Past Year, Surpassing Alcohol Earnings

Sales of legal marijuana in Michigan contributed $266.2 million in tax revenue to the government during the most recent fiscal year, according to a new report from the legislature’s nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. That’s more than the state made from the sale of beer, wine and liquor combined.

Tax from sales of adult-use cannabis were up 49.1 percent in fiscal year 2022–23, which ended in October, compared to $178.6 million collected the year before. That amounted to an additional $87.6 million in state revenue from cannabis sales compared to the prior 12 months.

Of all the major tax revenues itemized in the House Fiscal Agency report published last week, none grew at a faster rate than cannabis revenue.

Adult-use marijuana products are subject to a 10 percent state excise tax, which accounts for the $266.2 million. Products also incur the state’s standard 6 percent sales tax, which works out to an additional $159.7 million in revenue from legal marijuana transactions.

Looking at the cannabis excise tax alone, marijuana was responsible for nearly 0.8 percent of total state revenue recorded in the annual report. Including sales tax, the share works out to about 1.3 percent of total revenue.

The marijuana excise tax brought in more money for the state last fiscal year than alcohol taxes, which contributed about $192.6 million total—$46.6 million from beer and wine and $146 million from liquor That’s a shift from fiscal 2021–22, when combined alcohol taxes brought in roughly $12.9 million more revenue than cannabis.

By contrast, marijuana revenue amounted to less than half of the $722.2 million Michigan made from tobacco taxes in the most recent fiscal year.

In October 2023 alone, the marijuana excise tax produced $52.4 million in tax revenue—more than any other single source aside from sales and use taxes, income taxes, insurance taxes and tobacco taxes.

Michigan voters approved adult-use marijuana legalization in 2018, with legal sales beginning the next year.

The state has set sales records even as the average cost of marijuana has remained at record lows, with the price of an ounce for adult-use cannabis now hovering around $98 just a few months ago. In December 2021, by contrast, the cost of an ounce was about $180.

Last month, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a pair of bills into law to allow state-licensed marijuana businesses to conduct trade with tribal cannabis entities. Both took effect immediately.

“The bills are intended to allow for the sale of product between the two types of businesses while maintaining a level playing field by requiring tribal businesses to pay the same tax rate as other businesses,” according to an analysis prepared by House staff.

Michigan is one of several states where cannabis tax has earned more revenue than taxes on alcohol.

During the most recent fiscal year in Illinois, for example, legal cannabis brought in $451.9 million—about $135.6 million more than alcohol.

Colorado last year state generated more income from marijuana than alcohol or cigarettes—and nearly as much as alcohol and tobacco combined.

Similar milestones have been seen in Arizona and Washington State.

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