Current State

Current State #90 | May 17, 2013

Current State — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:12:50 +0000

Today on Current State: Rep. Andy Schor; the renowned Stradivarius violins; Michigan mental health courts; and a preview of summer constellations.

Rep. Andy Schor discusses budget and reforms

Current State — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:12:14 +0000

Michigan’s fiscal year 2014 budget is due in six weeks. In the midst of the always intriguing process, Rep. Andy Schor, D-Lansing, joins Current State. Schor has also been active in May launching and announcing support for measures involving voting reform, gun control and women’s health.

Today, he talks with Current State host Mark Bashore about the ongoing budget proposals, Medicaid expansion, the possible use of an unanticipated revenue increase, his voting reform bills, and more.

Michigan looks to expand mental health courts

Current State — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:11:37 +0000

Earlier this month, a group of House Republican lawmakers introduced a four-bill package that would create a permanent system of mental health treatment courts in Michigan.

Uncovering the secrets of the Stradivarius with technology

Current State — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:10:58 +0000

For centuries, the Stradivarius Violins have been acknowledged as fine instruments, whose work is set as a standard by all violin makers. The instrument was made by Antonio Stradivarius at Cremona, Italy, in 1690s.

Look up to the night sky! Michigan's summer constellations

Current State — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:09:30 +0000

Summer nights mean summer constellations, but if you slept through your astronomy class, it might be hard to figure out what exactly you are looking for. Current State’s Emanuele Berry joined John French, interim Director of the Abrams Planetarium for a tour of the summer sky.

Current State at East Lansing Art Festival

Peter Whorf — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:32:33 +0000

Join us at the East Lansing Art Festival tomorrow as Current State broadcasts live from in front of City Hall from 11a-1p. 90.5FM will be there live with music, interviews and arts coverage all day...

Current State #89 | May 16, 2013

Current State — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:08:21 +0000

Insurance co-op responds to impending health care changes

Current State — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:07:24 +0000

The Affordable Care Act has yet to materialize in concrete changes that most Americans can actually notice, but that is about to change very soon. Here in Michigan, one of the first major signs of the new world order in American healthcare is the new East Lansing-based Consumers Mutual.

The 50th anniversary of the East Lansing Art Festival

Current State — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:04:46 +0000

All along the Pere Marquette: Book explores canoeing/kayaking hot spots

Current State — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:02:30 +0000

Since his college years, Doc Fletcher has been canoeing and kayaking the countless waterways in Michigan. One of his favorite places to paddle is on the Pere Marquette River, while exchanging stories with his wife Maggie underneath the blue herons and bald eagles up above.

Show counts down the "10 Buildings That Changed America"

Current State — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:59:27 +0000

“10 Buildings That Changed America” takes viewers on a journey across America to examine ten influential American buildings that changed the way we live, work, and play.

Current State’s Peter Whorf talks with the show’s creators Geoffrey Baer and Dan Protess about their show and how they picked those ten buildings. The show airs Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on WKAR World.

Current State #88 | May 15, 2013

Current State — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:09:40 +0000

Entrepreneurship efforts expanding in Michigan

Current State — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:04:48 +0000

Economic developers in Michigan suggest there may be a silver lining to the Great Recession and the state’s well-documented decline in manufacturing. Some point to a greater awareness of entrepreneurialism and to more interest in small business start-ups around the state.

Scientists look to meteorites for clues about life on Mars

Current State — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:59:12 +0000

In order to find out more about the potential for life on Mars, some scientists aren’t looking up, but down. A team of researchers are examining meteorites to help determine if conditions on Mars were ever able to sustain life.

Neighbors in Action: Lansing Community College Foundation

Current State — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:54:32 +0000

This week, Neighbors In Action features the Lansing Community College Foundation, which offers more than 300 scholarships to students in need.

Author Edward McClelland discusses new book, Lansing roots

Current State — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:46:27 +0000

Current State #87 | May 14, 2013

Current State — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:48:19 +0000

Today on Current State: Rally urges more state dollars for early childhood education; a new documentary about ice and the Great Lakes region; MSU student film looks at hard-hit Marine battalion; and residents and businesses collaborate in Lansing's Genesee neighborhood.

Rally urges lawmakers to increase funding for early childhood education

Current State — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:39:01 +0000

A few thousand supporters of early childhood education are gathering at the State Capitol today.

Participants in the annual "Star Power" rally will encourage state lawmakers to approve a proposed $130 million increase to the state budget for families-in-need who want to participate in Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program. Currently, the program can afford assistance for only about half of those eligible statewide.

New documentary explains how ice continues to shape Great Lakes region

Current State — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:26:37 +0000

The Great Lakes formed thousands of years ago when a glacier moved across the region and melted. The film "Project:Ice" depicts the important role ice continues to play in the Great Lakes Basin.

Bill Kleinert, the documentary’s executive producer and director, discusses the importance of ice to the Great Lakes region.

Student film documents Marine battalion hard hit in Afghanistan

Current State — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:09:24 +0000

In 2010, the Third Battalion, Fifth Marine regiment deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan. Nicknamed the “Darkhorse Battalion,” the Three-Five was sent to patrol a region of the country known as a Taliban refuge and a center for the opium trade. During the deployment, the battalion achieved a somber record. That single unit suffered the highest casualty rate of any in the Marine Corps.