Fed furlough day after cuts hampers IRS, HUD services

Washington — No one answered the tax-help hotline at the IRS on Friday. And you could forget about getting advice on avoiding foreclosures at the 80 Housing and Urban Development field offices nationwide.

MSU law professor plans AG bid

Lansing — A Michigan State University law professor is laying the groundwork to seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general next year and challenge Republican Bill Schuette.

Obama: Nation must do more for fallen heroes

Washington — President Barack Obama says the nation must do more than just remember its fallen heroes on Memorial Day.

Obama: Sexual assault threatens trust in military

With a growing sexual assault epidemic staining the military, President Barack Obama urged U.S. Naval Academy graduates Friday to remember their honor depends on what they do when nobody is looking and said the crime has “no place in the greatest military on earth.”

Rogers criticizes Justice Department’s seizure of AP phone records

Washington — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee criticized the Justice Department's decision to obtain wide ranging phone records from the Associated Press as part of a leak investigation.

Michigan Congress Dems support Schauer for governor

Lansing — The Democratic members of Michigan's congressional delegation are throwing their support behind Mark Schauer for governor.

Bill to shorten foreclosure redemption period advances

Lansing — A Senate committee approved legislation Thursday significantly shortening the redemption period for homeowners in foreclosure.

Bill would let Michigan install red-light cameras

Lansing — Michigan's local governments would have the option to put cameras at intersections to spot drivers running red lights under proposed legislation in the state House.

Larry Royster promoted to be clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court

Larry Royster is being promoted to the clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court, Chief Justice Robert Young Jr. said Friday.

Michigan Elections Director appointed to federal election commission

Lansing — Michigan Elections Director Chris Thomas has been appointed a member of President Barack Obama's 10-member national election improvement commission.

Some unions now angry about health care overhaul

Washington — When President Barack Obama pushed his health care overhaul plan through Congress, he counted labor unions among his strongest supporters.

New IRS chief cleans house in wake of tea party controversy

Washington — Moving quickly to stem a raging controversy, the new acting head of the Internal Revenue Service started cleaning house Thursday by replacing the supervisor who oversaw agents involved in targeting tea party groups.

Obama defends drone use, renews push to shut Gitmo

Washington — President Barack Obama on Thursday defended America's controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy. But he acknowledged the targeted strikes are no "cure-all" and said he is haunted by the civilians unintentionally killed.

Nonprofit: Michigan understated risks of pet coke piles on Detroit River

Detroit — New testing on samples of the petroleum coke piling up along the Detroit River show results similar to those produced by state officials.

Obama defends drone strikes but says no cure-all

President Barack Obama today defended America’s controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism ...

Levin, Stabenow support Peters for U.S. Senate seat

Michigan’s two U.S. senators today endorsed U.S. Rep. Gary Peters’ bid to replace the state’s longest-serving senator, the latest sign he has largely locked up ...

Birth control coverage up for federal appeal

Denver — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of ...

Between economy and trouble, Obama approval steady

Washington — The economy is recovering, the White House is dealing with multiple controversies, and President Barack Obama appears generally unaffected ...

Michigan Senate honors 9 fallen service members

Lansing — A Michigan soldier who lost all four limbs in Afghanistan addressed the state Senate on Thursday during a ceremony honoring the nine state ...

Michigan lawmaker seeks to make small business office

Lansing — A Michigan lawmaker wants to create a new state office with the goal of helping small businesses get started and thrive.

Group seeks to block insurance coverage of abortion in Michigan

Lansing — Political powerhouse Right to Life of Michigan is seeking a voter-initiated ban on health insurers covering elective abortion procedures in basic ...

Activists consider second Mich. wolf referendum to target game animal designation

Lansing — Animal rights activists are considering putting two questions before voters in 2014 about whether wolf hunting should be legal after the Legislature ...

Former aide sues Harper Woods lawmaker Brian Banks, claims sex harassment

Detroit — A former aide for a state lawmaker says the representative forced him to have sex and gave him a raise in an attempt to forge a romantic ...

Political insider: Gov’s staff emails have scent of ‘skunk works’

Under state law, the only time the public gets to peek inside the inner workings of the Governor’s Office is when its staffers send emails to employees of ...

Pakistan arrested American who was killed by drone

Peshawar, Pakistan — An American citizen killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan in 2011 was arrested by Pakistani authorities three years earlier but ...

IRS supervisor denies wrongdoing

Washington — At the center of a political storm, an Internal Revenue Service supervisor whose agents targeted conservative groups swore Wednesday she did ...

Concerns about pet coke piled along Detroit River remain

Detroit — New testing on samples of the petroleum coke piling up along the Detroit River show results similar to those produced by state officials.

State Senate committee moves to shorten foreclosure redemption period

Lansing — A Senate committee approved legislation Thursday significantly shortening the redemption period for homeowners in foreclosure.

Trump: Immigrants won’t vote for GOP

Donald Trump, the billionaire real-estate developer who flirted with running for president last year told Oakland County Republicans Tuesday if immigrants in ...