In the News
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November 3, 2025
There is a strong case to be made that the powers given to Congress in Article I of the Constitution represent the floor — not the ceiling — of congressional authority, contends Richard Primus, professor of law. “The point of enumeration, understood this way, was not to rule out powers not mentioned. It was to rule in powers that were important to specify, lest Congress’ authority to exercise those powers be doubted — either on the theory that the relevant powers were held exclusively by the states or on the theory that they belonged to the president,” he wrote.
The New York Times -
October 31, 2025
The rate of children and adolescents getting routine vaccinations for polio, measles, mumps, rubella and meningitis is declining across Michigan, according to research by Kao-Ping Chua, associate professor of pediatrics and public health, who blames economic and transportation barriers, as well as the “increasing exposure to misinformation about vaccines recently … through social media channels.”
WKAR/East Lansing -
October 31, 2025
“It’s the spooky season, but the scariest thing in Michigan right now is AI data centers’ threat to the Great Lakes state,” said Michelle Martinez, director of the Tishman Center for Social Justice and the Environment, who warned that failing to provide protections for residents and the environment from the energy demands of new data centers will sacrifice water resources, balloon electricity costs and risk accelerating climate change.
Michigan Advance -
October 31, 2025
Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson set the stage for today’s political landscape, wrote Daniel Fryer, assistant professor of law: “Jackson’s (presidential) campaigns altered … public perceptions about the possibility of a Black president. His challenge to the Democratic establishment, coalition-building and focus on young voters set the trend for progressive lawmakers … (and his) status as a political outsider and cultural celebrity … foreshadowed the political currents that would help Donald Trump win the presidency.”
The Washington Post -
October 30, 2025
The lack of standardization around the impact of new AI data centers on rural communities is why it’s helpful to take a proactive approach, reevaluating land uses and deciding what the community can handle before large projects come to town, said Sarah Mills, director of the Center for EmPowering Communities: “I think this (shift) is an invitation, an opportunity for rural communities to really assess what it is that they care about and want to be in the future.”
Inside Climate News -
October 30, 2025
“Light is the most important cue to your internal biological clock, and with standard time, you get light exposure in the morning, and that cues your body up for wakefulness, and then you get less light in the evening, which signals to your body to prepare for rest by producing melatonin. Standard Time, also for the sleep deprived individual, is better because it allows for an opportunity for one extra hour of sleep,” said Mehwish Sajid, clinical instructor in neurology and family medicine.
WDIV/Detroit -
October 30, 2025
“There is simply no legal requirement to turn the stress test into an open-book exam where banks get to help pick the questions. This is a policy choice, and a bad one at that,” said Jeremy Kress, associate professor of business law, on the Federal Reserve’s plan to overhaul its stress test — designed to gauge how lenders would hold up during a hypothetical recession — and give Wall Street lenders an early look at the criteria for upcoming tests.
Bloomberg -
October 29, 2025
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is “the most effective strategy we have to reduce poverty for children and families,” and a pause in benefits will have far-reaching effects, said Kate Bauer, associate professor of nutritional sciences. “SNAP is really an economic infusion for communities, because where do those SNAP dollars get spent? They get spent, mostly, at local retailers, local food stores, local grocers,” said Jennifer Garner, assistant professor of nutritional sciences.
Detroit Free Press -
October 29, 2025
“Maybe they’re going to shift some of the money they spend on rent to food. So for some families, it’s going to show up as them falling behind on their rent. If it goes for a long time, I think we might see an increase in evictions. It’s going to ripple through whole communities,” said Luke Shaefer, faculty director of Poverty Solutions and professor of public policy and social work, about a prolonged shutdown of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
CBS News Detroit -
October 29, 2025
“It takes away an important right from women of reproductive age that other adults with capacity in the state of Michigan have,” said Kayte Spector-Bagdady, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, about a Michigan law that nullifies advance directives for pregnant patients or otherwise restricts their ability to refuse life-sustaining treatment.
The Washington Post
