Michigan's longest serving first lady, Helen Milliken, dies at 89
Helen Milliken was Michigan’s first lady for 14 years, from 1969 to 1983.
The Detroit Free Press writes of a Republican who fought for causes that sometimes were at odds with the party:
Helen Milliken is perhaps best remembered as Michigan’s leading proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ERA, which would have banned discrimination based on sex and authorized Congress to adopt laws enforcing it, came close to passage (it was approved by Congress and 35 of the needed 38 states, including Michigan). But she was also a leading advocate for the arts and environment, becoming a political force in her own right.
Missing today's due date, Michigan gets a health care exchange extension
Michigan Republicans don't care for it.
And they've been hoping that provisions of the Affordable Care Act would get struck down. That hasn't happened, and one deadline for action is today.
But as MLive's David Eggert reports, they've been given an extension to decide on whether to set up a state run health care exchange:
The Obama administration late Thursday gave Michigan another month to decide if it wants to build its own online marketplace where individuals and businesses can shop for health insurance. The deadline had been set for today. But in a bow to a request from the Republican Governors Association, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius extended the deadline until Dec. 14.
Detroit Mayor reaches deal to keep city afloat
The dire financial projections for Detroit continue, with some predicting the city could run out of cash in December.
But Michigan Radio's Sarah Hulett reports, Mayor Bing has reached a deal with the state worth $137 million:
Mayor Bing says the agreement will help the city make changes it needs, and avoid running out of cash as early as next month. "We're asking for $10 million in the month of November. We meet the milestones we've agreed upon, we're asking for $20 million in December, and then we've got another $50 million that will be held in escrow at a later date," Bing said.
