LANSING - Budget discussions between Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) have seen significant progress, sources indicated, and a final agreement between the two on appropriations target levels could be completed by next week. "They are leaps and bounds beyond what most people think," one source familiar
ANN ARBOR - Although economic growth will remain weak for the rest of the year, the housing and car markets will slowly bounce back next year, providing momentum for a turnaround, University of Michigan economists said Wednesday. In their annual summer forecast of the U.S. economy, Saul Hymans and colleagues Joan Crary and Janet Wolfe
ANN ARBOR - Customer satisfaction with the PC industry isn't necessarily bad, but it could be much better. Overall, consumers rated their satisfaction with the maker of their PC 3 percent worse than last year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the annual quality study conducted by The University of Michigan released Tuesday. Apple
ANN ARBOR ? Yahoo! has taken over the top spot from Google for the first time in the University of Michigan?s American Customer Satisfaction Index report on e-business websites, released Tuesday. The report also showed for the first time customer satisfaction with the e-Business category declined lower than the ASCI national average across all industries.
DETROIT ? With the recent shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech in mind, Wayne State University has launched a broadcast messaging service that lets cell phone users registered for the service to receive text messages in case of a campus wide emergency. The emergency messaging capability will be tested Aug. 24 during a simulated gunman-in-a-building exercise
LANSING - Companies seeking Michigan tax abatements and economic development tools would be more likely to get those if they will hire all Michigan workers under a legislative package House Democrats announced Monday. The legislation, which has yet to be introduced, will be reviewed through a joint meeting of the House committees on Labor and
LANSING ? Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm can support embryonic stem cell research, but not using her official gubernatorial website, the Thomas More Law Center said in a federal lawsuit announced Friday. While the governor has not said she agrees, she has taken down the link that spawned the lawsuit, officials said Friday. The suit asks
TRAVERSE CITY - David Cole, the host of the Management Briefing Seminars, kicked off Friday?s Powertrain program by praising bio-diesel, ethanol and other cellulose-based gasoline brews. Such new fuels ?don?t need invention,? Cole says, ?they need aggressive investment and development.? He criticizes CAF� standards as misconceptions of ?politicians in fantasyland.? Cole?s recommendation? The U.S. government
TRAVERSE CITY - Former Marine Corps combat pilot Robert A. Lutz became a star executive at GM, Ford, Chrysler and Exide, then returned to GM as vice chairman for Global Product Development. For 40 years he has been a visionary, advocate of innovation and butt-kicker of the lazy-minded. He may also be the greatest promoter
LANSING - Business leaders on Wednesday implored members of the House Tax Committee to pass what they called a technical fix to the Michigan Business Tax that, if left unchecked, could cost state corporations millions. Meanwhile, Ann Marsden, CEO of the Michigan League for Human Services, said that the proposed change businesses ask for is