Latest news with #Michiganders
3 days ago
- Politics
'Narrow-minded': Experts knock Republicans' criticisms of Canada over wildfires
Republican lawmakers in Michigan are blaming the Canadian government (new window) for the state's poor air quality, claiming that authorities north of the border have failed to control the wildfires pouring smoke into skies across the continent. Instead of enjoying family vacations at Michigan's beautiful lakes and campgrounds, for the third summer in a row, Michiganders are forced to breathe hazardous air as a result of Canada's failure to prevent and control wildfires, the seven members of Congress said in a joint statement (new window) Wednesday. This recurring crisis is putting public health at risk, the U.S. House members said. We are calling on the Canadian government to take immediate and decisive action to contain these fires and prevent future wildfires. But environmental experts say criticism of Canada leaves out any mention of the key driver behind the surge in wildfires in recent years (new window) : climate change. That is literally the 10,000-pound elephant in the room, said Jed Kaplan, a University of Calgary professor who specializes in climate change, wildfires and air quality. The lawmakers' statement is the latest in a series of condemnations (new window) from Republicans in northern states (new window) targeting top Canadian officials over the prairies wildfire smoke, which has billowed across the border and prompted air quality warnings in both countries. Detroit, Mich., was among the most polluted cities (new window) in the world earlier this week, according to a ranking (new window) by Swiss company IQAir, as was Toronto. Canada's laissez-faire approach to public health, security and environmental responsibility is unravelling decades of goodwill and cross-border co-operation, Rep. John James, a Michigan Republican, wrote in a letter (new window) to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week. It is unacceptable for American firefighting teams to be deployed to combat fires driven by Canadian mismanagement while our own citizens choke on toxic smoke, said James. Enlarge image (new window) Rep. John James of Michigan is shown speaking during the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. James recently took aim at Canada, claiming it takes a 'laissez-faire approach to public health, security and environmental responsibility.' Photo: AP In a statement Thursday, the federal government pointed out that Canadian communities are currently facing devastating wildfire conditions and that people have died (new window) this year. Canada is grateful for the assistance the U.S. has offered this year, Natural Resources Canada said. Similarly, in January 2025, Canadian fire agencies deployed over 60 personnel, in addition to several aircraft resources to support battling wildfires in Los Angeles. The Republicans' scoldings of Canada come as the Trump administration slashes environmental regulations, cuts funding and staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and rolls back climate initiatives. It's very ironic that the same Republicans penning messages to Canada about air quality are those who support the administration's efforts, says Jeffrey Brook, an air quality and environmental health expert at the University of Toronto. On top of that, it is sort of really narrow-minded to be not thinking about how climate change and other environmental regulations are being weakened, and those are the very things that we need to try to avoid this becoming even more common and even worse in the future, he said. Both Brook and Kaplan say the Earth's rising temperatures have made winters shorter and summers hotter and longer, helping to turn Canada's vast northern forests into timber boxes at times. Enlarge image (new window) CBC Climate Dashboard, OpenStreetMap Photo: CBC / Graeme Bruce Wildfire is a global problem, directly attributed to the impacts of climate change including prolonged drought, Natural Resources Canada said in its statement. "This is why the government of Canada, during its G7 Presidency this year, led the development of the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter (new window) — the first leader-level wildfire initiative aimed at preventing, responding to, and recovering from, wildland fire." Republican lawmakers 'literally missing the forest for the trees' James, in his letter to Carney, claimed that Canada has failed to act on the clear causes of these wildfires — arson and antiquated forest management practices. But Republican lawmakers like James are literally missing the forest for the trees, Kaplan said. I guess that most of those Michigan lawmakers have not spent much time in Canada's north, and don't really have an appreciation for the size and the scale of the landscape, said Kaplan, Canada Research Chair in global system modeling. He said many U.S. wildfires — such as those in Los Angeles (new window) — happen relatively close to airports, infrastructure and resources. But Canada's northern boreal forests, where most of the wildfires are currently raging, are incredibly remote and absolutely enormous, Kaplan said. It's simply not logistically possible to control or put out wildfires in the landscape of that scale. Brook pointed out that Canada's boreal forest stretches across hundreds of millions of hectares. It's impossible to be up there trying to preemptively prevent fires from happening. And when we put them out, we know we need to prioritize fires that are putting people at risk or property at risk. Is Canada doing enough? Brook said he's happy elected officials south of the border are raising the alarm about air quality. They're certainly justified to be concerned about the health of their constituents and wanting to do something about it, he said. But it's not really reflecting what's happening in Canada and the great efforts that are being made in Canada to help save people and places. Enlarge image (new window) Firefighting crews are seen recently in Yukon. Photo: Submitted by Yukon Wildland Fire Management All Canadian wildland fire agencies are fully engaged, including volunteers who continue to tirelessly work to protect lives and property, Natural Resources Canada said. The Canadian Armed Forces are also supporting in fire suppression efforts. The federal department also warned that [elevated] levels of wildland fire activity are likely for the next two months in Western and Central Canada, due to ongoing drought and forecasted warmer than normal temperatures. Kaplan said that in southern areas of Canada that are closer to populated areas, there is more that could be done, such as regular low-intensity prescribed burns. There are several activities currently ongoing where especially First Nations are stepping up in southern British Columbia, for example, to bring good fire back onto the landscape, he said. "That helps clear out underbrush, that helps reduce the amount of wildfire fuels that are on the landscape. Those kind of good fires can really help us avoid some of these catastrophic, intense wildfires that we have in the summer. As for the rest of the country's immense forests, perhaps it's time for the Canadian government to invite the Michigan lawmakers on a little tour of Canada's north, Kaplan said. See how they feel after flying for six or seven or eight hours in a little propeller plane over vast areas of boreal forest, and then they might finally start to understand the scale of the problem. Emma Loop (new window) · CBC News · Digital Reporter/Editor Emma Loop is a digital reporter/editor for CBC Windsor. She previously spent eight years covering politics, national security, and business in Washington, D.C. Before that, she covered Canadian politics in Ottawa. She has worked at the Windsor Star, Ottawa Citizen, Axios, and BuzzFeed News, where she was a member of the FinCEN Files investigative reporting team that was named a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. She was born and raised in Essex County, Ont. You can reach her at
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
Does Michigan Really Make Wine? Yes, Better And Better
Michigan homeboy Ernest Hemingway wrote that 'wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection.' If he could return to the state today, he'd find a flourishing wine industry. Ten years ago the state had 56 vineyards spread over 1,800 acres, producing 425,000 cases, 13th in the nation for wine production. Today the number of wineries in Michigan is 258 wineries spread over 3,300 acres of vineyards, bringing in more than $5.5 billion in wine sales and ecotourism; the state ranks seventh in the US for wine production. Most of the quality bottled wine of Michigan is produced in the five American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula and the Tip of Mitt. The Upper Peninsular is also gaining in interest and number of wineries. I was surprised to find that while some wineries still use foxy native grapes like Concordice wines do well in the cold north––overwhelmingly sweet wines up through the 1970s, but these days more are using French-American hybrids like Vignoles and Chambourcin and European varietals like Riesling, which does well in cold climates. Northern Michigan areas like Traverse City, the Leelanau Peninsular, and the Old Mission Peninsular with more temperate microclimates do well with chardonnay and merlot. The warming of the climate should be a boon to the industry in the future. Michiganders are very proud of their wines, ubiquitous in wine stores, groceries, and restaurants, and the vintners seem to delight in giving theirwines catchy, even wacky names, like Left Foot Charley, Karma Vista, Fishtown White, Sex, Detention, and Hotrod Cherry, along with Madonna, made by Silvio and Joan Ciccone, who happen to be the pop star's mother and father. What to look for? My favorites after a week of drinking only Michigan wines included the bright, refreshing Bowers Harbor Vineyard Riesling ($15) from the Old Mission Peninsula (above). Also fine was Chateau Grand Traverse Dry Riesling($13), with a fresh, clean, briskness. The best red wine I tried was also from Bowers Harbor, a pinot noir with true varietal flavor reminiscent of some of the best out of Oregon, if not quite up to French Burgundy. By the way, Michigan law permits shipping to 'reciprocal states' only, so best check with Fed-Ex if you can get receive them where you live. If so, try Folgarelli's Wine Shop in Traverse City (231-941-7651).
3 days ago
- Politics
Democratic Detroit lawmaker Joe Tate drops out of US Senate race
LANSING, Mich. -- A Detroit lawmaker is dropping out of the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, he announced Friday, leaving three Democratic front-runners to compete in the primary. State Rep. Joe Tate, who was the first Black speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is suspending his campaign to move 'in a different direction of service.' He struggled to compete with the fundraising numbers put up by the three other Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and public health official Abdul El-Sayed. The race is likely to be one of the most watched in 2026, as Republicans seek to defend their majority in the U.S. Senate. 'The past three months have been wonderful, just to touch base with Michiganders,' Tate said of his campaign. Tate was the fourth Democrat to jump into the race after Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced his intention to retire at the end of his term. The other three candidates far outpaced Tate in fundraising, according to recent campaign finance reports. Stevens reported a haul of $2.8 million, McMorrow brought it $2.1 million, and El-Sayed banked about $1.8 million. Stevens' amount includes $1.5 million she transferred from her previous U.S. House campaign. Meanwhile, Tate raised around $193,000 and reported having about $70,000 on hand as of June 30. Tate said he is looking into seeking reelection for his House seat. Tate stepped down as speaker after Republicans gained a majority in the November election. On the Republican side of the ballot, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is running again after losing to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state's 2024 U.S. Senate race by just 19,000 votes. The way was all but cleared for him after GOP U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, who was exploring a run, announced in July that he would not seek the seat. Rogers' main campaign account reported bringing in about $1.2 million as of June 30, according to his Federal Election Commission filing.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Democratic Detroit lawmaker Joe Tate drops out of US Senate race
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit lawmaker is dropping out of the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, he announced Friday, leaving three Democratic front-runners to compete in the primary. State Rep. Joe Tate, who was the first Black speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is suspending his campaign to move 'in a different direction of service.' He struggled to compete with the fundraising numbers put up by the three other Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and public health official Abdul El-Sayed. The race is likely to be one of the most watched in 2026, as Republicans seek to defend their majority in the U.S. Senate. 'The past three months have been wonderful, just to touch base with Michiganders,' Tate said of his campaign. Tate was the fourth Democrat to jump into the race after Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced his intention to retire at the end of his term. The other three candidates far outpaced Tate in fundraising, according to recent campaign finance reports. Stevens reported a haul of $2.8 million, McMorrow brought it $2.1 million, and El-Sayed banked about $1.8 million. Stevens' amount includes $1.5 million she transferred from her previous U.S. House campaign. Meanwhile, Tate raised around $193,000 and reported having about $70,000 on hand as of June 30. Tate said he is looking into seeking reelection for his House seat. Tate stepped down as speaker after Republicans gained a majority in the November election. On the Republican side of the ballot, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is running again after losing to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state's 2024 U.S. Senate race by just 19,000 votes. The way was all but cleared for him after GOP U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, who was exploring a run, announced in July that he would not seek the seat. Rogers' main campaign account reported bringing in about $1.2 million as of June 30, according to his Federal Election Commission filing.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Democratic Detroit lawmaker Joe Tate drops out of US Senate race
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit lawmaker is dropping out of the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, he announced Friday, leaving three Democratic front-runners to compete in the primary. State Rep. Joe Tate, who was the first Black speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is suspending his campaign to move 'in a different direction of service.' He struggled to compete with the fundraising numbers put up by the three other Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and public health official Abdul El-Sayed. The race is likely to be one of the most watched in 2026, as Republicans seek to defend their majority in the U.S. Senate. 'The past three months have been wonderful, just to touch base with Michiganders,' Tate said of his campaign. Tate was the fourth Democrat to jump into the race after Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced his intention to retire at the end of his term. The other three candidates far outpaced Tate in fundraising, according to recent campaign finance reports. Stevens reported a haul of $2.8 million, McMorrow brought it $2.1 million, and El-Sayed banked about $1.8 million. Stevens' amount includes $1.5 million she transferred from her previous U.S. House campaign. Meanwhile, Tate raised around $193,000 and reported having about $70,000 on hand as of June 30. Tate said he is looking into seeking reelection for his House seat. Tate stepped down as speaker after Republicans gained a majority in the November election. On the Republican side of the ballot, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is running again after losing to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the state's 2024 U.S. Senate race by just 19,000 votes. The way was all but cleared for him after GOP U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, who was exploring a run, announced in July that he would not seek the seat. Rogers' main campaign account reported bringing in about $1.2 million as of June 30, according to his Federal Election Commission filing.
