The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to extend expired health care subsidies for Americans enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans by three years. The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.  Michigan’s 7th District Congressman Tom Barrett voted against the measure. In a video posted to social media, Barrett said he opposed what he described as “blank checks” for insurance companies, arguing the legislation would benefit insurers and high-income earners at the expense of working-class Americans. He pointed to rising insurance company profits and increased claim denials as part of his reasoning.

 

Ingham County prosecutors have charged two Lansing teenagers as adults in connection with a shooting that injured a rideshare driver last Friday. Fifteen-year-olds Jordan Mallett and Leighton Davis are accused of assault with intent to murder following the shooting on the city’s north side near West Willow Street and Cross and Knollwood. Both teens have pleaded not guilty and face potential life sentences if convicted. The 34-year-old victim remains under medical care.

 

In Clinton County, the St. John City Commission voted during a special meeting Thursday to terminate City Manager Chad Gamble. In a statement posted on social media, the city cited an extended period of challenges but did not provide further details. Deputy City Manager Kristina Kinde has been appointed interim city manager.

 

A celebration of life ceremony has been scheduled for longtime Meridian Township official Dr. Patricia Herring Jackson, who died last month. The ceremony will be held January 26 at Meridian Township Hall. Dr. Jackson served the township for 25 years as supervisor, trustee, and planning commissioner.

 

January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the Michigan State Police are preparing for expanded outreach efforts. MSP has partnered with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance for an awareness campaign running January 12 through 16. During that time, motor carrier officers will conduct presentations and educational outreach at truck stops, trucking companies, advocacy groups, and civic and religious organizations to help identify signs of human trafficking.

 

Several Michigan cities are also participating in national protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minnesota earlier this week. Demonstrations have been reported in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon. While the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security said the agent acted in self-defense, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized that claim, citing video evidence from the incident.

 

Finally, emergency crews successfully rescued a man trapped inside a grain silo Thursday in Ingham County. The Northeast Ingham Emergency Service Authority led the rescue effort at Wilcox Farms in Dansville, which lasted more than an hour. Authorities said the man was taken to the hospital but was able to walk down a ladder on his own once outside the silo.