Will new infrastructure deal help Battle Creek roads?

Capital Avenue in Battle Creek is under construction. Photo by Jaiyda Tyler. A Battle Creek resident is expressing her hope for a big change for the city’s roadways following the bipartisan agreement on president Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan that was made June 23. 

Marilyn Morris, 62, said she has owned a home on the city’s Eastside for over 20 years and her main residential road for commuting had barely been touched over the past two decades. Since hearing about the bipartisan agreement she has expressed her hope for the future of the city’s highways and residential roads such as her own. “It’s been years since they actually uprooted the road…They’ve patched a few pot holes here and there but never really got around to redoing it how they should,” she said.

MSU faculty, students weigh in on Biden’s environmental plan

Carbon neutral by 2050

President-elect Joe Biden’s main goal in The Biden Plan is to stem climate change by reaching by 2050 carbon neutrality, which means emissions released are offset by being absorbed by an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. 

To help achieve this goal, the President-elect aims to have U.S. electricity production carbon-free by 2035. “It’s attainable, yes, I think it is, but there are many prohibiting factors that could prevent it from happening,” said Bruno Takahashi, a research director at MSU’s Knight Center of Environmental Journalism and associate professor in the School of Journalism. A prohibiting factor could be Congress should it become Republican-controlled. Next month, the country will find out the Georgia Senate runoff results, determining party control. Despite the prospect of future administrations reversing the advancements Biden will potentially make, Takahashi is optimistic that the carbon-free goal is still attainable by 2050.

Watch Focal Point: Spartan Football resumes, graduating seniors struggle to find jobs during pandemic, and East Lansing prepares for socially distanced Halloween

On this edition of Focal Point, a look at the recently announced changes to the Spring Semester and how MSU plans to keep students healthy while slowly reopening. Due to the pandemic, one East Lansing business is forced to close its doors, and graduating students struggle to find jobs. Big Ten football is back, but two MSU linebackers will not take the field after being arrested in September. Other varsity sports will not return at all after the Athletic Director announced swimming and diving have been cut. Those stories and more on Focal Point.

Watch Focal Point: FBI foils plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer, new businesses open in East Lansing in midst of pandemic, and students are out or work as MSU goes virtual

On this edition of Focal Point, a look at a busy week in politics. The FBI foils a plan to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the candidates for Vice President debate, the the Libertarian presidential candidate visits Detroit. On campus, over 700 student employees are out of work as COVID-19 continues to spread in Ingham County. But even as the pandemic continues, new businesses come to East Lansing. All that and more on Focal Point.

2020 presidential race on the clock

The 2020 race for president is beginning as new candidates announce their bids. Candidates who have officially announced their candidacy bids include Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, California Senator Kamala Harris, who is the only African American woman in the running so far, and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker. It’s still early, more nominations will no doubt be coming. Will Joe Biden enter the race? Will Texas Senator Beto O’Rourke put his hat in the ring?