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Stay informed, stay safe: 
Whitmer Tours Vaccine Facilities in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2021 Contact: Press@Michigan.gov
PHOTOS: Gov. Whitmer Tours Vaccine Facilities in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Whitmer toured vaccine facilities in Battle Creek and Benton Harbor to observe ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts and ensure that vaccines are being distributed efficiently and equitably.
“Just one year ago, we were all grappling with a novel virus, but now we have three safe, effective vaccines that can protect us and our families, and help us get back to normal,” said Governor Whitmer. “Sites like the YMCA in Battle Creek and the health department in Benton Harbor will help us reach our goal of equitably vaccinating 70 percent of Michiganders who are 16 years or older more quickly. I encourage all Michiganders to get the vaccine once it becomes available to you. Let’s beat COVID-19 together.”
In Battle Creek, Governor Whitmer visited the Battle Creek Family YMCA alongside Rep. Jim Haadsma, Calhoun County Medical Director Dr. William Nettleton, Calhoun County Health Officer Eric Bessell, and Battle Creek YMCA CEO Jill Hinde. The YMCA vaccination site is staffed by members of the Michigan National Guard.
In Benton Harbor, Governor Whitmer visited the Berrien County Health Department with Congressman Fred Upton and Berrien County Health Department Director Nicole Bri
To date, Michigan has administered 3,919,796 vaccine
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Bill Expands Access to Federal Funding for Foster Youth
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2021 Contact: Press@michigan.gov
Governor Whitmer Signs Bill Expanding Access to Federal Funding for Foster Youth Placed in Qualified Residential Treatment Programs
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 100 into law. By making a technical change to the Child Care Licensing Act, SB 100 will expand availability of federal funding for qualified residential treatment programs – specialized programs for foster youth who require additional, higher levels of social and emotional support.
“I am proud to sign this legislation that will allow for investment in Michigan’s foster youth, expanding access to additional support through critical treatment programs,” said Governor Whitmer. “As we build back better from the pandemic and work to provide families and communities relief, we have to make sure everyone has the resources they need to succeed.”
Specifically, Senate Bill 100 adds a definition of “foster care” to a section of the Child Care Licensing Act, 1973 PA 115, concerning children in foster care who are placed in qualified residential treatment programs.
The new definition will allow for the development of court rules required by the federal Family First Prevention Services Act for placement of foster youth within qualified residential treatment programs. Development of appropriate court rules is a prerequisite for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to access certain federal funding related to foster care.
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AG Calls on Facebook, Twitter to Stop Anti-Vaxxer Disinformation
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Media Contact: Kelly Rossman-McKinney FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Attorney General Nessel Calls on Facebook, Twitter to Stop Spread of Anti-Vaxxer Coronavirus DisinformationLANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today joined a coalition of 11 other attorneys general calling on Facebook and Twitter to take stronger measures to stop the spread of anti-vaxxer coronavirus disinformation on their social media platforms. In letters to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, the attorneys general urge both leaders to immediately and fully enforce company guidelines against vaccine misinformation to prevent needless infection and death and to hasten the road to recovery. False information regarding the safety of coronavirus vaccines by a small number of individuals lacking medical expertise and often motivated by their own financial interests has reached more than 59 million followers on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, threatening to undermine vaccine acceptance and harm the nation’s recovery. Anti-vaxxers have used these platforms to disproportionately target people of color and Black Americans specifically—communities who have already suffered the worst health impacts of the virus and whose vaccination rates are already lagging. “The availability of safe and effective vaccines means the end of this pandemic is finally in sight. However, disinformation threatens that,” Nessel said. “The rampant disinformation being disseminated across social media platforms directly undermines all efforts to safely and quickly distribute vaccines and limit further loss of life.” The letter cites specific examples where Facebook and Twitter have failed to enforce their existing guidelines, including: Twitter and Facebook have yet to remove from all their platforms the accounts of prominent anti-vaxxers who have repeatedly violated the companies’ terms of service. Digital media research groups estimate that as of March 10, 12 anti-vaxxers’ personal accounts and their associated organizations, groups and websites are responsible for 65% of public anti-vaccine content on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Facebook has failed to consistently apply misinformation labels and popups on Facebook pages and groups that discuss vaccines or COVID-19. For example, the company neglected to apply warning labels on dozens of Facebook groups that anti-vaxxer Larry Cook created for his followers. At the same time, the company has mistakenly flagged pro-vaccine pages and content in ways that have undermined pro-vaccine public education efforts. Facebook has allowed anti-vaxxers to skirt its policy of removing misinformation that health experts have debunked, by failing to prevent them from using video and streaming tools like Facebook Live and sites like Bitchute, Rumble, and Brighteon to evade detection. The letter comes as Zuckerberg, Dorsey and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are set to testify today at a joint hearing of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee and the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding social media’s role in promoting extremism and misinformation. Joining Attorney General Nessel in sending this letter are the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. |
New Dashboard launched to Track Rebuilding Michigan Progress
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2021 Contact: Jeff Cranson, MDOT Director of Communications, MDOT@michigan.
Gov. Whitmer Launches New Dashboard to Track Rebuilding Michigan Progress
LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today launched a new dashboard in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to track road projects and make information easily accessible to the public as construction continues under the governor’s Rebuilding Michigan program. The program will finance new projects throughout the state and free up funding to expand the scope of other projects or reduce construction times. The new dashboard will be available at Michigan.gov/RebuildingMichiga
“As we continue to invest in better roads and bridges under the Rebuilding Michigan program, this new dashboard will be important to ensure our efforts to fix the damn roads remain on time and on budget,” said Governor Whitmer. “The Rebuilding Michigan plan is financed without an increase at the gas pump, and it’ll help jumpstart our economy by creating thousands of good-paying construction jobs. We have a lot of work to do during this upcoming construction season. Let’s get to work and get the job done.”
The Rebuilding Michigan Program (2020-2024) objective is to rebuild state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic. The program, unanimously approved by the State Transportation Commission, allows MDOT to sell a total of $3.5 billion in bonds to finance dozens of new and modified road construction projects, while accelerating many others. The investment strategy is aimed at fixes that result in longer road life and improves the condition of the state’s infrastructure.
“The Rebuilding Michigan Program allows MDOT to completely rebuild some important freeways that we otherwise could only afford to resurface,” MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba said. “And the bond funding allows us to accelerate the rebuilding of many other non-freeway projects. In keeping with the governor’s objectives, this dashboard gives people a clear view of the program’s impact across the state in an open and transparent fashion.”
The site leads off with MDOT’s Five-Year Plan information and then provides an in-depth look at the Rebuild Michigan Program. An interactive map shows the location, scope, and progress for each Rebuilding Michigan road and bridge project, along with a running statewide tally of the hours of construction work spent on projects and the jobs supported by the work.
Color-coded icons locate projects on the state map and show the percentage of bond funds allocated for each project spent so far, so the public can see its tax dollars at work. Clicking on each project icon shows more details. The map data is updated every month.
A screen capture from the new Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) online dashboard shows the wealth of information available about ongoing and future Rebuilding Michigan road and bridge projects around the state. (MDOT image)
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