Michigan ex-governor loses challenge to Flint water charges
Rick Snyder speaks with reporters after an unsuccessful meeting with road contractors and a union at his office in Lansing, Mich. A judge has rejected a request to dismiss misdemeanor charges against Snyder in the Flint water scandal. Lawyers for Snyder said he worked in Ingham County, not Genesee County, so the indictment was returned in the wrong place. But Judge William Crawford II says prosecutors have flexibility about where to pursue a case. (AP Photo/David Eggert, File)DETROIT โ A judge on Thursday rejected a request to dismiss misdemeanor charges against a former Michigan governor in the Flint water scandal. Eight other people face charges in Flint, including two former state health officials who are accused of involuntary manslaughter in nine deaths linked to Legionnairesโ disease.
Lawyers seeking 32% of $641M Flint tainted water settlement
FILE - This Jan. 13, 2021 file photo shows the Flint Water Plant tower in Flint, Mich. Lawyers who negotiated a $641 million settlement for victims of Flint lead-contaminated water are asking a judge to set aside up to 32% for fees and expenses. Rick Snyderโs administration allowed Flint to use the Flint River in 2014-15 without treating the water to reduce corrosion. The Flint water litigation has involved thousands of victims, a raft of state defendants and complex legal issues. Flint switched back to a Detroit regional water agency in fall 2015, when a doctor publicly reported elevated lead levels in children. AdSeparately, Snyder and eight other people are charged with crimes in the Flint water scandal.
Judge needs more time for thorny issues in Flint water case
(AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)FLINT, Mich. โ A judge overseeing misdemeanor charges against a former Michigan governor in the Flint water scandal said Tuesday that he's struggling with how to handle an aggressive effort to have the case dismissed. District Judge William Crawford II said he needs more time to research whether prosecutors filed the case in the wrong county as well as other issues. Emergency managers who were appointed by Snyder to run Flint switched the cityโs water source to the Flint River in 2014-15 while a new pipeline was being built from Lake Huron. They argue that Snyder worked in Ingham County, not Genesee County, so the indictment returned in Flint should not stand. But if Genesee is not the right county, prosecutors said, then the case should be transferred to Ingham and not be dismissed.
Judge gives preliminary OK to $641M Flint water deal
FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2021 file photo, vehicles drive through downtown Flint, Mich. A judge granted preliminary approval Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, to a $641 million deal that would benefit Flint residents who were harmed by lead-contaminated water. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya File)DETROIT โ A judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to a $641 million deal that would benefit thousands of Flint residents who were harmed by lead-contaminated water. Rick Snyder and regulators in his administration allowed the city to use the Flint River in 2014-15 without treating the water to reduce corrosion. Attorneys representing Flint residents have said 80% of payments will go to people who were under 18 when the river water was used. โAt last, the victims of the Flint water crisis no longer have to hope for a day of reckoning," said attorney Corey Stern, who represents 4,000 people.
Flint water charges escalate debate over officials' failures
The Flint Water Plant tower is shown in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Some Flint residents impacted by months of lead-tainted water are looking past expected charges against former Gov. But the charges have escalated a debate over whether state and local officials crossed a line between incompetence and illegality. Ezra L. Tillman Jr., pastor at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, said it's disappointing that Snyder was charged only with misdemeanors. Publicly available documents show Snyder administration officials appeared more concerned with โmedia responses and public relations" than โpublic health and carrying out their statutory duties," he said.
Flint water probe brings charges against ex-governor, others
This Jan. 14, 2021 photo provided by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office in Flint, Mich., shows former Michigan Gov. Snyder was charged with two misdemeanor counts willful neglect of duty Jan. 14, 2021 in connection with the Flint water crisis in Flint, Mich. (Genesee County Sheriff's Office via AP)LANSING, Mich. โ A new investigation of the Flint water disaster led to charges against nine people, including former Michigan Gov. Authorities said they failed to alert the public about a regional spike in Legionnairesโ when the water system might have lacked enough chlorine to combat bacteria in the river water. โThe Flint water crisis is not some relic of the past,โ Fadwa Hammoud of the state attorney generalโs office told reporters. Heโs also accused of lying during an interview with Flint water investigators in 2017.
Ex.-Michigan Gov. Snyder charged in Flint water crisis
Rick Snyder speaks with reporters during a news conference at his office in Lansing, Mich. Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty in the Flint water crisis. Rick Snyder was charged Wednesday with willful neglect of duty stemming from an investigation of ruinous decisions that left Flint with lead-contaminated water and a regional outbreak of Legionnairesโ disease. Flint's water, which now comes from a Detroit regional agency, gets good marks, although many distrustful residents still use filters. Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering firm have agreed to a $641 million settlement with residents over the water crisis, with $600 million coming from Michigan.
Flint families welcome water crisis charges, seek healing
Ariana Hawk is shown at the Flint River in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The water also was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnairesโ disease in the Flint area. Sincere would become the face of the Flint water crisis when a photo of him was selected in 2016 for the cover of Time magazine. While visiting their grandmotherโs home in Florida, Sincere was hesitant about the water, Hawk told The Associated Press. โHealing wounds and restoring trust will take decades and long-term resources.โLeon Abdullah El-Alamin said he would like to see Snyder charged with a felony.
Michigan plans to charge ex-Gov. Snyder in Flint water probe
FILE - In this March 21, 2016, file photo, the Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Mich. Former Michigan Gov. Snyder apologized for the catastrophe during his 2016 State of the State speech and said government at all levels had failed Flint. By June 2019, the entire Flint water investigation was turned upside down after more than three years and millions of dollars. "When the Flint water crisis hit, he wasnโt assigned by Gov. Separately, the state, Flint, a hospital and an engineering firm have agreed to a $641 million settlement with residents over the water crisis, with $600 million coming from Michigan.
Critics say EPA allowing more time to fix lead-tainted water
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Tuesday the new regulation, proposed by the agency in 2019, โrequires more replacements than ever beforeโ for aging water systems leaching lead. โIt will help ensure that all Americans have access to safe drinking water, regardless of what zip code they live in,โ Wheeler said. Changes in the rule include newly requiring utilities to test their water at schools and day-care centers nationwide and requiring water systems to tell the public the location of lead service lines. Wheeler, the EPA administrator, defended the new rules, saying loopholes in the old rule were allowing replacement to drag on much longer than was stipulated. The outgoing Trump administration has said that dealing with lead pipes and improving access to safe drinking water were priorities.
Flint joins $641M deal to settle lawsuits over lead in water
FIL - In this March 21, 2016, file photo the Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Mich. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says a proposed $600 million deal between the state of Michigan and Flint residents harmed by lead-tainted water is a step toward making amends. FLINT, Mich. โ The Flint City Council on Tuesday signed off on its portion of a $641 million settlement with residents of the poor, majority-Black city who were exposed to lead-tainted water. The city's insurer would kick in $20 million as part of a sweeping deal to settle lawsuits against Flint, the state of Michigan and other parties. Rick Snyderโs administration allowed Flint to use water from the Flint River in 2014-15 without treating it to reduce corrosion.
FBI investigates robocalls warning voters to 'stay home'
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. โ Voters across the U.S. received anonymous robocalls in the days and weeks before Election Day urging them to โstay safe and stay homeโ โ an ominous warning that election experts said could be an effort to scare voters into sitting out the election. The FBI is investigating calls that seek to discourage people from voting, a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security told reporters Tuesday. The brief calls, which featured a computerized female voice, made no mention of the election. Stay safe and stay home.โWhoever created the robocalls used sophisticated tactics, routing the calls in a way that masked their identity and location, Quilici said. Nessel filed charges Oct. 1 against two political operatives accused of orchestrating a series of robocalls โaimed at suppressing the voteโ in the general election.
EXPLAINER: What's happening with Election Day 'robocalls'?
WASHINGTON โ Election officials in a handful of states are warning voters to disregard โrobocallsโ urging them to stay home rather than go to the polls. One series of them appears to have gone out around the country and doesn't reference the election. Our voters and our poll workers will be kept safe,โ Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen tweeted. If you have not already voted, today is the day!โ said a tweet from the Kansas secretary of stateโs office, which is overseen by Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican. Gretchen Whitmer says her office has received reports of an โunknown partyโ purposely spreading misinformation in Flint in an attempt to confuse voters.
The Latest: Biden unleashes scathing attacks on Trump
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):8 p.m.Joe Biden is letting loose against President Donald Trump in the final days of the presidential campaign. Noting Trump has called himself a โperfect physical specimen,โ Biden, a devout Catholic, jokingly made the sign of the cross. The former president spoke Saturday at a drive-in rally at his first joint campaign event with Joe Biden. ___12:20 p.m.President Donald Trump says the nation is at a crossroads as Election Day approaches. But the Biden campaign is looking to capitalize on the favorable political environment in the state as the coronavirus pandemic drags down President Donald Trump in typically GOP-leaning states.
Obama: Trump failed to take pandemic, presidency seriously
Throughout the day, Trump and Biden, both septuagenarians, threw stinging barbs at one another that at moments verged into schoolyard taunt territory. โIn other words, if one of these maniacs come along and they say weโre gonna end fracking, weโre gonna destroy the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Trump said in announcing his memorandum. I love Joe Biden, and he will be a great president," Obama said Saturday. Trump told Pennsylvania voters that his administration has done โan incredible jobโ dealing with the pandemic. โWeโre gonna beat this virus and get it under control and the first step to doing that is beating Donald Trump," Biden said.
Reports: Michigan reaches $600M deal in Flint water crisis
State environmental regulators advised Flint not to apply corrosion controls to the water, which was contaminated by lead from aging pipes. Researchers with Virginia Tech University reported in summer 2015 that samples of Flint water had abnormally high lead levels. Rick Snyder eventually acknowledged the problem, accepted the resignation of his environmental chief and pledged to aid the city, which resumed using Detroit water. Under the deal, the state would establish a $600 million fund and Flint residents could file claims for compensation. The amount awarded per applicant would be based on how badly they were harmed, the attorney told AP.
Whitmer: $600M Flint water deal a step toward making amends
LANSING, Mich. A proposed $600 million deal between the state of Michigan and residents of the impoverished, majority-Black city of Flint who were harmed by lead-tainted water is a step toward making amends for a disaster that upended life in the city, Gov. More than two years of negotiations between the state and attorneys representing thousands of Flint residents produced an agreement to create a fund from which victims will be able to seek payments. The proposed deal announced Thursday would need to be approved by U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, who is overseeing lawsuits against the state. Residents of the city with a population of nearly 100,000 people used bottled water quickly began complaining that the water was discolored and had a bad taste and smell. They blamed it for rashes, hair loss and other health concerns, but local and state officials insisted it was safe.
Poll: Pandemic hurting Americans' finances in disparate ways
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, a new poll finds it is having different effects on Americans economic well-being. For some, the virus has meant lost income or struggles to pay bills on time particularly among Hispanic, Black and younger Americans. Meanwhile, the survey also finds about a third of Americans say their investments were negatively impacted during the pandemic. By contrast, Americans without a degree were more likely to have delayed paying bills 26%, compared with 10% of college graduates. Younger Americans were more likely to have lost a job, put themselves at risk of exposure or delayed paying bills, while more older Americans lost investments.
Woman arraigned in killing of security guard over virus mask
Sharmel L. Teague, 45, of Flint, was arraigned Tuesday, May 5, 2020 in 67th Distirct Court on first-degree murder and felony firearm charges. Sharmel Teague, 45, was arraigned via video Tuesday in district court, according to the Genesee County prosecutor's office. Larry Teague and Bishop have yet to be arrested and were believed to be on the run, prosecutor David Leyton said. Two men later came to the store, and one of them shot Munerlyn in the back of the head. Witnesses identified Bishop as the man who shot Munerlyn, according to Leyton.