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U.S. gender wage gap grows for the first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Experts: Clean Power Plan Will Help MI Breathe Easier

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Monday, August 10, 2015   

LANSING, Mich. – This year's State of the Air report from the American Lung Association finds nearly 138 million Americans, including tens of thousands in Michigan, live where air pollution can make it too dangerous to breathe.

But advocates of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan say it will bring much-needed relief, especially to low-income neighborhoods.

Rory Neuner, director of the MI Air MI Health Coalition, calls the plan to cut carbon emissions from existing power plants “one of the most significant public health initiatives in decades.”

She says the state's economically disadvantaged residents often suffer the most from poor air quality, as they tend to live closest to the sources of pollution.

"We spend in Michigan, just in our state budget alone, between $80-and- $90 million a year on asthma-related claims to the Medicaid program, and so, better air means fewer people going to the emergency room for a very preventable chronic disease like asthma," she points out

Neuner adds that the health benefits to Michigan could be significant for diseases linked to outdoor air quality, as the state's adult asthma rate is 25 percent higher than the national average, and the lung cancer rate is higher than in 33 other states.

The EPA's Clean Power Plan has drawn criticism from the National Black Chamber of Commerce, which maintains the plan will destroy jobs and drive up utility costs, placing an "especially severe" burden on minorities.

But Janice Nolen, the American Lung Association’s assistant vice-president for national policy, disagrees.

"Under the plan as it's in place now, the requirements would be that we have to make sure that we're not harming people, which means that for the first time, they may actually get more cleanup than they would otherwise," she states.

The goals of the Clean Power Plan are to improve air quality and public health by reducing power plant carbon emissions by roughly one-third over the next 15 years.



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