News@noon: Bernie's back; the show won't go on
Today is Monday, Jan. 16, 2017, and civil rights leaders and activists are gathering today at sites across the country to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
On the same day that Americans celebrate King’s legacy, his son is scheduled to meet President-elect Donald Trump. Martin Luther King III will meet with Trump at Trump Tower in New York.
The meeting comes amid lingering tensions between the president-elect and Congressman John Lewis. Lewis is the civil rights leader who called Trump an “illegitimate president” and said he will not attend the inauguration.Trump has fought back on Twitter.
We'll bring you updates as more unfolds today. Here's what else is making news:
Naked and speeding
- A 48-year-old woman who was driving naked was headed to a hospital for observation after leading police on a high-speed chase through two mid-Michigan counties. Police say the 25-mile chase reached speeds topping 100 mph Saturday morning on southbound Interstate 75 before the woman’s vehicle was forced by officers into a utility pole and a ditch.
Conflicts of interest?
U.S. Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos of Grand Rapids plans to resubmit a required Senate committee disclosure form after omitting a $125,000 political contribution she made to a Michigan anti-union group in 2012. The billionaire businesswoman and school choice advocate did not list the contribution in the form she submitted ahead of her Tuesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
The new development comes amid continued Democratic calls for Republican leaders to slow down hearings on various Trump nominees until the Office of Government Ethics completes its review of their financial holdings and potential conflicts of interest. As of last week, DeVos’ paperwork was still under review.
Auto show changes
Organizers of CES moved the date of next year’s show to Jan. 9-12 — the same period of time that press preview days for the Detroit show typically have been held. That would have caused many auto execs and those covering them to decide which show to attend. Instead, the 2018 Detroit auto show will move a week later on the calendar, with press days Jan. 14-16. That coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, traditionally a holiday for the United Auto Workers and Detroit automakers.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act
- Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would affect hundreds of thousands of Michiganians and must not be allowed to proceed, former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a Democratic congressional leader and many of Michigan’s Democratic congressional delegation told thousands gathered for a healthcare rally Sunday.
- The thousands converged on the campus of Macomb Community College in Warren to oppose the agenda of President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to overturn and replace the Affordable Care Act, and the Republican-controlled Congress which, in its first week back in session, has started the process to repeal the 6-year-old health care law known as Obamacare.
The show won't go on
- After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The Associated Press that the show will close forever in May. The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.
Making the Switch
Nintendo is trying to Switch it up. The Japanese video-game company revealed details Friday about its hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch, a video game console that also serves as a hand-held gaming device, during a global rollout. Here's what we learned.
Honoring the past
- WGPR-TV launched in 1975 as America’s first black-owned and operated station. A museum opening on MLK Day honors its legacy. Visitors of the William V. Banks Broadcast Museum & Media Center will learn how this television station jump-started the careers of hundreds of African-Americans in broadcasting.
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