Friday Short: Shutting Down Line 5 Is A States’ Rights Issue

Here’s this week’s Left of Lansing “Friday Short.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office argued in a federal appellate court that the fight to shut down the Line 5 oil pipeline belongs in a state court, and not in federal court. Enbridge, which owns the pipeline, argues that due to U.S.-Canadian treaty from 1977 means…

Episode 66: Pushing The Overton Window w/ Democratic State Rep. Emily Dievendorf

It’s Episode 66 of Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast! This week, I can’t hold back my disdain for the Michigan Public Service Commission’s decision to green-light an expensive, and short-sighted, tunnel project for the stretch of the 70-year old Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Despite studies showing why the pipeline must stop…

Episode 49: Fighting To Close Line 5 w/ Sean McBrearty of Oil & Water Don’t Mix

It’s the 49th episode of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! I celebrate Ohio’s decision to hand the state Republican party a humiliating defeat at the polls this week, when voters rejected the GOP’s efforts to raise the threshold to pass a state referendum from 50-to-60%. Ohio Republicans were hoping to hurt the chances of enshrining abortion…

Episode 48: Progress Michigan’s Jade Gray on Connecting With Gen Z Voters

Here’s Episode 48 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! Happy Indictment Week III! I had so many words and thoughts to share as Donald Trump faces his third indictment this week. He’s finally been charged for the role he played for the January 6th insurrection in an effort to steal the 2020 election. Despite getting indicted…

Judge Orders Line 5 Shut Down In Three Years

This is clearly not the end, but it’s a bit of good news. From Michigan Advance: Enbridge Inc. must shut down its Line 5 pipeline within three years and pay more than $5 million in profits to the Chippewa Indians Bad River Band, a federal judge in Madison ruled Friday. Judge William Conley reaffirmed his September…

Closing Line 5 Won’t Lead To Higher Gas Prices

One of the major planks of Enbridge’s misinformation campaign is that closing the old pipeline will lead to skyrocketing gas prices. Chemical Engineer and researcher Gary Street says the evidence proves otherwise. Street, who worked at Dow for 30 years but now works pro bono for environmental groups, took note of when Enbridge closed both…

Shut It Down!

Enbridge: Unsupported segment of Line 5 grows beyond 75-foot limit https://t.co/rjiILU05OD via @detroitnews — Dana Nessel (@dananessel) August 7, 2019 While Embridge keeps enacting a full-press to pressure our state government to keep its Line 5 oil pipeline operating in the Straits of Mackinac, we learn this nugget courtesy of The Detroit News‘ Beth LeBlanc:…