LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder formally announced the creation of the Automotive Industry Office with Nigel Francis, a longtime executive in the automotive and technology structures, serving as the administration's adviser on the industry. The position and the office are housed in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. "Nigel's expertise and leadership will be instrumental in
REDMOND, Wa. - Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Tuesday that Nokia's Stephen Elop is a candidate to replace him. "Stephen will go from external [candidate] to internal," Ballmer told the Seattle Times, though he also said the Microsoft board will evaluate all candidates. Elop led Microsoft's Microsoft Office division until he left to become
LANSING - Rail passengers in Michigan will be the first in the Midwest to have access to a new cellular-connect WiFi service on Amtrak trains beginning in early 2014. The service is part of a contract approved by the Transportation Commission, and which will invest $1 million in the trains. An expected increase in ridership
LANSING - The Michigan Film Office could spend up to 70 percent of its 2014 fiscal year budget on a film incentive for the latest Superman-Batman combination film starring Ben Affleck, but it also expects to have some $10 million from the current fiscal year budget to put toward the mega project, Director Margaret O'Brien
DETROIT ? A strengthening auto sector helped propel the Comerica Bank's Michigan Economic Activity Index up 2.6 percent in June. The June index was 127.4., 55 points, or 77 percent, above the index cyclical low of 72.1 during the 2009 recession. The index averaged 114 for all of 2012, 11 points above the index average
DETROIT - Unitrends, which provides backup, archiving, instant recovery and disaster recovery solutions in Michigan, on Tuesday announced it is giving away a free version of its software-only backup and recovery virtual appliance. The Unitrends Enterprise Backup is offered for the unlicensed version of VMWare vSphere Hypervisor. This solution also enables VMware to compete with
LANSING - The bill to expand and reform Michigan Medicaid finally passed the Senate by a vote of 20-18 in a dramatic vote Tuesday night after supporters fell a vote short in a vote earlier in the day. All 12 Senate Democrats voted to support HB 4714 along with eight Republicans ? Sen. Tom Casperson
SOUTHFIELD ? Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) have always been part of the Lawrence Technology University's curriculum, and now through a $20 million donation ? the largest ever received - LTU will create the Marburger STEM Center to expand those efforts. Earlier this week, LTU announced the $20 million anonymous donation and said the
LANSING - Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville on Thursday confirmed that a majority of the caucus desires to vote, whether that's yes or no, on the main Medicaid reform and expansion bill that has loomed over senators all summer. "I don't think we were ready last time," Richardville (R-Monroe) said in a phone interview, referring
REDMOND, Wa. - Microsoft co-founder Steve Ballmer will retire from his role as CEO within the next 12 months, the software giant announced Friday. Ballmer will remain as chief executive until the board chooses someone to succeed him. "There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,"