BC-US-WINTER-WEATHER

Flights canceled as wide swath of US braces for winter storm

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A major winter storm was expected to affect a huge swath of the United States, with heavy snow starting in the Rockies and freezing rain as far south as Texas before it drops snow and ice on the Midwest. The forecast comes nearly a year after a catastrophic winter storm devastated Texas’ power grid, causing hundreds of deaths. Winter storm watches and warnings covered a wide swath of the country from El Paso, Texas, through the Midwest and parts of the Northeast to Burlington, Vermont. During the multiday storm, some areas may see a mix of rain and freezing rain before it changes to snow. More than a foot of snow is forecast in places. Airlines had canceled more than 1,000 flights in the U.S. scheduled for Wednesday.

ELECTION 2022-CONGRESS-MICHIGAN

Hillary Scholten running for Congress in western Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrat Hillary Scholten says she will run for a newly drawn House seat in western Michigan, looking to seize the party’s best shot at representing Grand Rapids in Congress in decades. Her announcement Tuesday sets the stage for a potential rematch with first-term Republican Rep. Peter Meijer, but on bluer turf after redistricting. Then-President Donald Trump won Meijer’s area in 2020. Democrat Joe Biden carried the terrain that encompasses the new district. It's considered a tossup in 2022. Scholten, an attorney who focuses on immigration law, says she wants to fix problems intensified by the coronavirus pandemic, including health care.

UAW-LEADERSHIP VOTE

Federal judge signs off on historic change in UAW elections

DETROIT (AP) — Members of the United Auto Workers will vote in national leadership elections after a judge approved the results of a referendum that rose from a corruption scandal. The change must be added to the UAW’s constitution by June, in time for the next election of officers at the Detroit-based union. Federal Judge David Lawson signed off on the changes Monday, a few months after UAW members by a landslide chose a direct election system. The referendum was part of a broader agreement between the UAW and federal authorities to clean up the union. A dozen convictions exposed corruption at the highest levels of the union and led to prison terms for two presidents.

WINTER WEATHER-DETROIT

Plow crews in Detroit preparing for heavy snowfall

DETROIT (AP) — Public works crews and contractors in Detroit are preparing to spend several days making sure city streets and roads are clear of more than a foot of snow that’s expected. Mayor Mike Duggan has activated snow emergency routes Tuesday. That means people must remove their parked vehicles from those streets to allow unhindered access for police, firefighters and emergency medical service vehicles. City crews in 50 trucks are expected to work 12-hour shifts salting and plowing major roads. Contractors will take care of residential streets. The National Weather Service projects 11 to 15 inches of snow for Detroit between Wednesday morning and Thursday night.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES-ROAD CHARGE

Michigan plans 1st US electric vehicle charging road by 2023

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office says the first electric vehicle charging road in the U.S. will be built in Detroit by 2023. A news release from her office Tuesday says the state's department of transportation awarded the contract to ElectReon, an Israel-based company that develops wireless charging infrastructure. The roadway would wirelessly charge electric vehicles while they are in motion or stationary. ElectReon has contracts for similar roadways in Israel, Sweden, Italy and Germany. The roadway will be located in the Michigan Central district where Ford Motor Co. is restoring the old Michigan Central train station to develop self-driving vehicles.

GRAND RAPIDS-POLICE

Grand Rapids picks Chicago cop as next police chief

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The next police chief in Michigan’s second-largest city is coming from Chicago. Eric Winstrom, a commander in the Chicago Police Department, has been hired in Grand Rapids. City Manager Mark Washington announced the hire Tuesday. Winstrom, who has a law degree, follows Eric Payne, who is retiring Friday. Washington says he considered input from community interview panels and more than 600 comments from people who completed a survey. Grand Rapids says Winstrom has been with Chicago police for more than 20 years and is considered to be an expert on the use of force and the Fourth Amendment, which bans unreasonable searches.

SWM-MSU WOMEN

Women win an appeal in dispute over ending MSU swim team

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Swimmers who are trying to revive the women’s team at Michigan State University have been thrown a partial life ring by a federal appeals court. The court told a federal judge in Lansing to take another look at a request for a preliminary injunction against the school. MSU killed the swimming-and-diving program for men and women after the 2021 season, citing cost. The appeals court says Judge Hala Jarbou miscalculated the “participation gap,” a key issue when determining if federal anti-discrimination law, commonly known as Title IX, is being violated. Nearly a year ago, Jarbou had rejected a request to keep the women’s team alive with an injunction, saying she doubted the female swimmers would prevail at the end of the litigation.

GENERAL MOTORS-RESULTS

Record sales prices drive GM profit up 56% to $10B last year

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors increased its net income 56% last year, helped by higher prices for its vehicles that were made scarce by a global shortage of computer chips. The Detroit automaker said Tuesday that it made $10.02 billion for the full year. And it predicted record pretax earnings in 2022 of $13 billion to $15 billion and net income of $9.4 billion to $10.8 billion. Excluding one-time items, GM made $7.07 per share for the year, beating analyst estimates of $6.83. Full year revenue of $127 billion fell short of estimates of $128.7 billion. In the fourth quarter, GM made a $1.7 billion net profit.

ROUGH TRIAL

Conviction, 72-year sentence thrown out in federal court

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — An appeals court has thrown out a domestic assault conviction and extraordinary 72-year prison sentence that followed a stormy trial in federal court in Bay City. And if prosecutors take Michael Lee Johnson to another trial, it will require a different judge. The appeals court found procedural errors with how Johnson was allowed to represent himself; the denial of defense witnesses; and the reasonableness of the long sentence. Johnson was accused of assaulting his girlfriend at their apartment in Mount Pleasant in 2018. The location and the woman’s status as member of a Native American tribe triggered federal jurisdiction. Johnson was convicted of assault and other crimes. After the severe sentence, he told everyone in the courtroom they would “burn in hell.”

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ASSAULT LAWSUIT

Ex-Michigan students accuse professor of sexual misconduct

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of eight women alleges years of sexual harassment and assault by a former University of Michigan lecturer. Two former students recounted the alleged abuse on a Zoom call Monday. They described Bruce Conforth, who taught in the American Culture department, as the “cool professor,” who told stories of playing music with various rock stars, and said he would meet up with students at bars, advising them to follow their dreams. They said students felt lucky to get a spot in his class. Conforth did not respond to a message left by The Associated Press on his website.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022