Trump cuts Michigan

The State of Michigan is starting to prepare unemployment resources for federal workers who may be losing their jobs.The Trump administration has been trying to downsize the federal government through layoffs, firings, and offering benefits to employees who choose to resign.

An overflow, standing room only crowd packed a town hall meeting hosted by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Washtenaw County’s legislative Democrats.

Michigan groups that help provide public assistance with federal grant money testified before the state Senate Oversight Committee Wednesday. The committee focused on how groups that work in areas like public health and childcare handled a pause in their federal grant funding in late January, and are preparing for possible future cuts to that money.

Michigan was among 23 states that successfully sued to temporarily halt an effort by the Trump administration to make significant cuts to biomedical research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health that advocates say could have closed labs, caused thousands of layoffs, and damaged crucial biomedical research across the country.

Canada and China announced tariffs in response to the United States imposing 25% tariffs on good from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. Michigan industries are figuring out how to adapt to the tariffs.

The stated goal of the Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico is to get more cooperation on immigration and illegal drug trafficking across the U.S. border.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been targeted in the most recent round of federal firings.Of the hundreds of NOAA staff who were fired on Thursday, eight were from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor.

The University of Michigan will re-examine capital projects, ask departments to voluntarily rein in spending on travel, conferences, and consultants, and require new staff and faculty hires to be approved by the U of M President or his executive vice presidents to "buffer against negative, long-term impacts" of what are likely many orders for federal funding cuts ahead.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently laid off nearly 400 employees. Environmental workers and union leaders say fewer EPA staff and attorneys mean less support in holding polluters accountable and responding to environmental emergencies.