AFL-CIO backs Bernero in governor race

Lansing -- The Michigan AFL-CIO's endorsement Friday of Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero for governor may give him the edge for the Democratic nomination and force his chief rival to tap non-traditional sources for support, experts say. - 03/13/2010

• Efforts to lengthen state's term limits seem stalled

Rep. Stupak's clash with fellow Democrats nothing new

West Branch -- Shortly after entering Congress in 1993, Rep. Bart Stupak of Menominee withstood President Bill Clinton's charm offensive and voted against free-trade legislation -- an early display of the independent streak that has put him at odds with fellow Democrats many times since. - 03/12/2010

Campaign roundup: Building trades council backs Dillon for governor

Lansing -- The first major organized labor endorsement in the race for governor has gone to Democrat Andy Dillon. - 03/11/2010

'08 primary voting rolls are public record, appeals court rules

Lansing -- The Michigan Secretary of State's Office can't refuse to show individual voting records from the state's 2008 presidential primary to an East Lansing political consultant or anyone else, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled. - 03/11/2010

Michigan public funds shortfall may hamper governor candidates

Lansing -- Michigan gubernatorial candidates counting on public matching funds to boost their campaign spending are in for a bit of a shock. - 03/11/2010

Political insider

Hundreds welcome Mitt Romney to Birmingham Borders

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney returned to Michigan for the first of two book signings Wednesday and gave the cheering crown a dire warning. - 03/11/2010

Mich. Republicans push stem cell reporting measure

Lansing -- Michigan's public universities doing embryonic stem cell research would face reporting requirements under a bill that's advancing in the state Senate. - 03/11/2010

State bills offer new retirement incentives

Lansing -- Bills calling for incentives to coax 7,900 state employees and 39,000 public school teachers to retire were introduced in the Legislature today, drawing praise from Gov. Jennifer Granholm - 03/11/2010

Plan would cut Mich. university funding

Lansing -- Michigan's public universities would face 3 percent cuts in state aid based on a bill moving through the state Senate. - 03/11/2010

Democratic activist to challenge Stupak for seat

A Democratic activist announced today she's challenging Rep. Bart Stupak out of her frustration that his hard line on abortion funding threatens to derail health care legislation pending in Congress. - 03/10/2010

Lawmakers may take school spending reforms to voters

East Lansing -- Lawmakers are working on a plan to ask voters in August whether they are on board with school reforms and are willing to spend more money to keep from having to make deeper cuts in school aid, a legislative leader on education issues said today. - 03/10/2010

Bernero pitches state-run bank for Michigan

Lansing -- Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero Tuesday proposed having Michigan follow the lead of North Dakota and open a state-owned bank that could make low-interest loans to businesses and college students. - 03/10/2010

Stupak 'optimistic' on health bill

Prospects are good for resolving a dispute over abortion that has led some House Democrats to threaten to withhold support of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a key congressman said Monday. - 03/09/2010

• Obama urges crowd at college to 'seize reform'

Bouchard: Toughen tax, spending hike rules

Lansing -- Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard says Michigan should require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to raise taxes. The Republican gubernatorial candidate also said Monday that he thinks a two-thirds vote should be needed in the House and Senate to raise total state spending each year by more than private-sector spending. - 03/09/2010

Sen. Brown criticizes Obama's 'destructive' health push

Washington -- Newly arrived Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts accused President Barack Obama and Democrats on Saturday of a "bitter, destructive and endless" drive to pass health overhaul legislation that Brown warned would be disastrous. - 03/13/2010

Utah GOP leader resigns after hot tub confession

Salt Lake City -- Utah's House majority leader resigned from the Legislature on Saturday, two days after his confession about sitting nude in a hot tub with a teenage girl 25 years ago stunned this conservative state. - 03/13/2010

Kissinger released from Seoul hospital

Seoul, South Korea -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was released from a Seoul hospital Sunday after recovering from stomach pains, a hospital spokesman said. - 03/13/2010

Dems suffer fractures within party

Washington -- For all the evidence of a divided GOP, the Democratic Party has its own widening cracks that could make a potentially bleak election year even more dour. - 03/13/2010

Dems close to health deal

Washington -- Under White House pressure to act swiftly, House and Senate Democratic leaders reached for agreement Friday on President Barack Obama's health care bill, sweetened suddenly by fresh billions for student aid and a sense that breakthroughs are at hand. - 03/13/2010

Official: Obama wants Yellen as Fed vice chair

Washington -- President Barack Obama wants to nominate Janet Yellen, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, to take over as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, an administration official said Friday. - 03/12/2010

Dems near health vote without abortion deal

Washington -- House leaders have concluded they cannot change a divisive abortion provision in President Barack Obama's health care bill and will try to pass the sweeping legislation without the support of ardent anti-abortion Democrats. - 03/12/2010

Toyota tells Congress it never disclosed internal records

Toyota Motor Corp. has never produced a confidential set of documents in any court case or to government regulators, the company told Congress today. - 03/12/2010

Gov't mortgage plan aids 16 percent of borrowers

Washington -- The Obama administration's mortgage relief plan has helped only about 16 percent of borrowers who signed up since its launch last year, and hundreds of thousands of homeowners are in limbo without an answer. - 03/12/2010

U.S. Rep. Conyers avoids sentencing for embattled wife

Washington -- On a day his wife was front and center, Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, stayed in the shadows. - 03/11/2010

• Monica Conyers gets 37 months for bribes, vows appeal
• Federal judge had planned stiffer sentence for Conyers

Senate passes aid for jobless

Washington -- The Senate voted Wednesday to extend key pieces of last year's economic stimulus measure, including help for the jobless and money to help financially strapped states pay for health care for the poor. - 03/11/2010

House leaders ban private earmarks

Washington -- House Democratic leaders on Wednesday banned budget earmarks to private industry, ending a practice that has steered billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to companies and set off corruption scandals. - 03/11/2010

Obama promotes health care reform in Mo.

St. Charles, Mo. -- Democrats claimed momentum Wednesday in their drive to enact the sweeping health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama, citing near agreement on crucial issues. - 03/11/2010

Rep. Cheeks Kilpatrick subpoenaed to grand jury

Washington-- Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and a top aide have been served with grand jury subpoenas requesting testimony in U.S. District Court in Detroit. - 03/11/2010

• Kilpatrick bid to disqualify Judge Groner fails; next court date March 24