Ann Arbor News - Thursday, March 9

Morning Ann Arbor! Hope you've enjoyed the last few days of sunshine because the forecast is looking bleak. Expect 4"-6" of snow tomorrow morning and be prepared to lose an hour of sleep Saturday night. Woof.

Estimated read time: 3.5 minutes

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🏓 Wolverine Pickleball: Last month, Wolverine Pickleball broke ground on a new, west side facility. Since launching in 2018, Wolverine Pickleball has outgrown their current 8-court location. The new $7.1 million facility will feature 12 courts, a lounge area, and a gear shop and is targeting a September completion date.

⚕️ Student Mental Health: U of M students now have access to six free counseling sessions per year. Announced in a partnership with teletherapy provider Uwill, students can reach licensed mental health counselors via phone, video, or chat through an easy online scheduling tool.

〽️ 15th President of U of M: Despite being hired in July and handed the reins in October, Santa Ono was officially installed as president of U of M on Tuesday. In his speech, Ono thanked those who had helped him in his career and reinforced the university's global importance. In a time marked by climate change, political extremism, and violence, Ono stated, "The world needs the University of Michigan more than ever before."

🛠 Home Improvements: Designed to connect homeowners with local designers and craftspeople, the 31st annual Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show is returning this weekend. Located at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, the show will be free for kids and $5 for adults.

🥩 Texas de Brazil: A Brazilian steakhouse is coming to Briarwood. With a location next to Chipotle, Texas de Brazil is set to open in August.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

🚗 Remotely Repossess: Ford has filed a patent that would allow cars late on payments to drive themselves to the repo lot. The pending patent lays out a series of escalating steps to "cause discomfort" for owners until they contact their lender. A few of the steps: reminder messages on the car's display screen, "unpleasant" sounds, disabled windows or seats, locking the car on weekends, geofencing the vehicle's range, and ultimately, the car driving itself to a repo lot.

🍕 Free School Breakfast and Lunch: In a mostly symbolic move, Governor Whitmer proclaimed this week "School Breakfast Week". Earlier this year, Gov. Whitmer proposed a $160 million budget initiative that would offer free breakfast and lunch to all 1.4 million public school students in the state. If approved, Michigan would become just the 4th state to provide free meals (Vermont, Nevada, and Massachusetts).

📋 Right-to-Work: Yesterday, the Democrat-controlled House voted to repeal the 2012 law that made Michigan a Right-to-Work state. The 2012 law, passed under a Republican-controlled House and Senate, prohibited mandatory union dues. Seen as a pro-business move, this law limited the power of unions in the state. With Democrats now controlling the House, Senate, and Governorship, repealing this law is a win for their pro-worker base. The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ Rights: After passing in the House, a bill is headed to Gov. Whitmer's desk to cement legal protections for Michiganders in the LGBTQ community. In building off a series of recent court orders, the bill prohibits discrimination in the workplace, the housing market, or any places of public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Practically, here's what that means:

• Workplace: Protection against discriminatory firings or refusing to hire members of the community

• Housing: Agents and brokers are prohibited from discriminating against the community as in comes to buying, selling or renting real estate

• Business: Places of "public accommodation" are prohibited from denying goods or services to members of the community

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