Michigan Radio Newsroom

A new report on Asian Americans points to a variety of barriers they’re experiencing in Michigan.

Theresa Tran is President of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Michigan, which commissioned the report.

She says, “we are the fastest growing racial group in the state of Michigan, according to the 2010 census.  And because of that, this is a prime opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to legislators to let them know we’re a growing voting BLOC and that they have to listen to us.”

One of the issues they hope to address is stereotypes.  For example, Tran says many people assume all Asian Americans are highly educated...” If you look at other communities like the HMong community, the Vietnamese community, the Bangladeshi community…communities that came here more recently, or came here as refugees.  They don’t necessarily come from well-educated, wealthy backgrounds.”

Trans says unemployment, racial profiling and bullying are three areas they’re hoping to address with public officials and school leaders.

A link to their report is available here.

- Chris Zollars, Michigan Radio Newsroom

Michigan State University researchers are celebrating the marriage of a weed and an algae gene -- and its value as a potential biofuel. 

The team found that adding an algae gene to mustard weed caused the plant to store oil in its leaves, and the technique could be used to get more energy out of plants grown for bio-fuel.

The “road trip” has forever been romanticized as the epitome of carefree, coming-of-age adventures. But what if instead of hopping into your car, you could jump on a train and arrive at the other side of the country in the same day?

Berkeley graphic artist Alfred Twu created a map of a potential high speed rail system for the United States.

The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above.

The term "sequester" is being tossed around all over the news and in Washington D.C. this week, but what does that mean for Michigan?

A study by researchers at the University of Michigan links lead exposure in children to lower achievement on standardized tests.

It's published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.  Click here to read the study. 

From the study:

Detroit has an extensive lead poisoning problem. Although only 20% of Michigan’s children younger than 5 years lived in Detroit in 2010, childhood lead poisoning in Detroit has consistently accounted for more than 50 percent of the state’s total lead burden.

Detroit Free Press reporter Keith Matheny's article explores the research further and the schools affected.

The greater the lead poisoning in a Detroit Public Schools student's blood, the higher the likelihood he or she will do poorly on achievement tests -- even after accounting for contributing factors such as poverty. That's the finding of a collaborative study that provides one of the most detailed assessments yet of the impact of lead poisoning on students' learning ability.

In between Ben Affleck’s awkward statement about his marriage and Jennifer Lawrence tripping on the stairs, you may not have heard about the winner for best documentary “Searching for Sugar Man." 

It’s a film about a Detroit-area musician named Rodriguez who was virtually unheard of in the U.S., but a music giant in South Africa.

U.S. safety regulators will investigate problems with stalling or surging engines, in about 725,000 Ford cars and SUVs.

The probe includes affects Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs from the 2009 through 2011 model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford have received almost 1,500 complaints about the problem.

Meanwhile, regulators are considering whether to investigate a complaint from an auto lab in Virginia, that the steering can fail on the Toyota Prius.

A probe would affect the Prius gas-electric hybrids from the 2004 through 2009 model years.

In a press release today, Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources says Joseph Seeberger has both a state record and now a world record-sized Great Lakes muskellunge.

The International Committee of the Modern Day Muskellunge World Record Program (MDMWRP) recognized Seeberger’s catch as the biggest ever.  MDMWRP is a committee of muskellunge scientists, industry leaders, anglers and outdoor media personalities that formed in 2006.

Prior to Seeberger's submission, there had not been a MDMWRP world-record entry verified.

Michigan State University researchers may have developed a model to help advertisers figure out where to put their dollars. They say that's critical in an environment where people now view TV while using smart phones, laptops or tablets.

Chen Lin is a marketing professor at MSU who helped develop the model. She says with a little information, it can predict consumer behavior with up to 97% accuracy.  “If you give me the demographics and the media consumption habits for your consumers, I can predict exactly where you should allocate your firm resources.”

Bridge Magazine published an article this week that shows the scale and value of Michigan's tourism sector.

Contributor Jeff Alexander writes the sector accounts for $17.7 billion of Michigan's $300 billion-plus economy.

Citing state tourism data, Alexander writes since it's launch in 2006,  the Pure Michigan campaign has helped attract out of state visitors by focusing on the states natural beauty and historic attractions.

Ursula Zerilli at MLive.com is reporting that a second Kalamazoo Library site has been closed due to bedbugs.

This time they were found in the Children's Room of the Kalamazoo Public Library's Central Library.

Earlier this week, MLive.com reported they were also found at the Washington Square Branch.

"We received a couple of books in the drop box and during a routine inspection, bed bugs were found," said Farrell Howe, a library spokesperson. "They were quarantined in plastic bags and destroyed and we are having an inspection take place."

Because they can become a big problem, the library staff is now trained to check every returned book binding for bed bugs.

The Children's Room is closed until Wednesday.  The Washington Square Branch got the OK to reopen last week after "bug sniffing" dogs inspected the site.

The Kalamazoo Public Library's Central, Oshtemo, Eastwood and Alma Powell branches have also been tested.

- Chris Zollars, Michigan Radio Newsroom

Detroit native, Charlie LeDuff is an author, journalist, and filmmaker, as well as a reporter for Fox News Detroit and The Detroit News .

He is also a former journalist for the New York Times and a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for his work on the New York Times piece "How Race is Lived in America."

Currently LeDuff has been gaining press for his newly published autobiography titled Detroit: an American Autopsy.

Snow blankets most of the state

Most of the Lower Peninsula is blanketed in snow as an overnight storm brought up to 9 inches in some areas, creating a potentially treacherous morning commute and causing many school districts to cancel classes. 

Three to 7 inches of snow are expected in parts of mid and West Michigan, according to the Detroit Free Press. Areas of Southeast Michigan received up to 5 inches of snow. Parts of the northern Lower Peninsula could get up to 9 inches. 

Snow is expected to continue throughout the morning, and it should taper off by around noon, the paper reported. 

Gov. Snyder releases budget proposal

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder released his annual budget proposal Thursday morning. 

"Sixty-one percent of the total investments we’re recommending are either for savings or education. This is a responsible budget. This is a budget to look to that long term, and learn from our past mistakes," Snyder said in his announcement. 

Among his priorities were increasing taxes to help pay for upkeep of the state's roads. Snyder proposed raising the gas tax to 33 cents a gallon for all types of fuel. He also wants to raise vehicle registration fees. 

Michigan Radio's Mark Brush has a run down of Snyder's other budget priorities, which include increasing funding for all levels of education and expanding medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. 

Detroit charter school teachers vote to unionize

Teachers at Detroit's largest charter school voted overwhelmingly last night to be represented by a union. 

The teachers and staff at Cesar Chavez academy voted by a 2-1 margin to have the American Federation of Teachers represent them, Michigan Radio's Steve Carmody reports. 

Only a small number of Michigan’s charter schools have unionized employees.

Nate Walker is with the AFT. He expects teachers in some other Michigan charter schools will also unionize this year.

“I think in the future we can certainly expect more collective bargaining campaigns,” says Walker,  “But we can also expect charter school teachers to engage in the policy discussions that impact them.”

- Joseph Lichterman, Michigan Radio Newsroom

In this interview, Michigan Radio's Jenn White speaks with freshman Republican Rep. Dan Lauwers about being the "newbie" in Lansing.

White spoke with freshman Democratic Rep. Theresa Abed last week.