GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — WHITMER PLOT TRIAL TODAY: Jury selection begins Tuesday in the trial of four men who are accused of conspiring to snatch Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a stunning scheme to retaliate against her stay-home policies and other COVID-19 restrictions during the early months of the pandemic.
The trial is expected to take longer than a month.
GAS PRICES SPIKE: Gasoline prices are pushing even farther above $4 a gallon, the highest price that American motorists have faced since July 2008, as calls grow to ban imports of Russian oil.
The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline has soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA.
JUDGE NOT REINSTATING FERRIS PROF: A judge declined Monday to reinstate a Michigan professor who was suspended with pay in January for making a profanity-filled video to welcome students to a new term.
Barry Mehler said his free speech rights were violated when he was barred from teaching history at Ferris State University while the school investigates his actions. But U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering turned down a request for a preliminary injunction, according to the online case file.
MERCY HEALTH RESTRICTIONS: Mercy Health has updated its visitor restrictions at their Muskegon location.
All hospital patients, including non-COVID patients in the emergency department, are now allowed two visitors a day. Masks are still required on hospital grounds.
FORECAST: A quiet 48-hour stretch with sunshine and nearly seasonable temperatures. Get the full forecast here.
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