Unemployed in Michigan taking longer to find work

A new report by the Michigan League for Human Services finds that it takes longer than six months for a majority of those aged 25-54 who are unemployed in Michigan to find work. The number of the state's workers employed in low-paying jobs grew to 26.6% in 2010, up from 20.8% in 2006. 4 of the top 6 jobs in the state have median wages that will not bring a family of four out of poverty.

Mandatory Schools of Choice bill coming up for consideration in MI state legislature

An article published in the Detroit Free Press today takes a look at the Mandatory Schools of Choice bill that could be introduced into the Michigan legislature as early as this week. The bill may include "universal choice K-12 up to capacity".

Nearly 30% of Michigan teachers report pressure to cheat

A recent article in the Detroit Free Press discusses statistics taken from a volunteer survey that focused on the pressure on school educators to cheat on standardized tests. At schools that don't already meet the federal standards, the survey showed a 50% to change grades and 46% pressure to cheat on standardized tests.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Drug halts patient progress to Type II diabetes, March 23, 2011, Medpagetoday.com
Brief Intro:"Treatment with pioglitazone (Actos) was able to halt the progression of impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes in a majority of patients, a randomized trial found."

2. A panel decides Washington state's health care costs, March 21, 2011, NYT.com
Brief Intro:"While all states, private insurers and the federal Medicare program decide what to cover, this state’s program is attracting nationwide attention, in part because its process is public and open. That provides a living laboratory of the complexities of applying evidence-based medicine, something that is becoming more common as a way to rein in health care costs.

The program is also drawing attention because it explicitly considers the cost of treatments in making its decisions, akin to Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. "

3. Nearly 50 million Americans uninsured, CDC says, March 23, 2011. CNN.com
Brief Intro: "Almost 50 million Americans are without health insurance– 3 million more than a year ago, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report finds one in five people were uninsured during some portion of the last 12 months."

Vulnerable Populations
1. Census shows Michigan needs immigrants, Snyder says, March 23, 2011, DetroitNews.com
Brief Intro:"Gov. Rick Snyder today restated his call for increased immigration in the state in the wake of U.S. Census figures released Tuesday showing a steep decline in Michigan's population."