Travel numbers climb as Americans hit the road for holiday ✈️
Americans hit the road in near-record numbers at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, as their eagerness to break free from coronavirus confinement overcame higher prices for flights, gasoline and hotels.
More than 1.8 million people went through U.S. airports Thursday, and the daily number was widely expected to cross 2 million at least once over the long holiday weekend, which would be the highest mark since early March 2020.
Read: How to safely celebrate this Memorial Day weekend 😎
Read even more: Practicing sun safety this holiday weekend ☀️
Effort to free Metro Detroit journalist detained in Myanmar
With each passing day, there’s growing concern about the well-being of Danny Fenster, a Huntington Woods man who was detained in Myanmar where he has been working as a journalist.
A group of people, including U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, are working to find a way to bring Fenster home.
“I think we’re all kind of anxious,” said Allan Lengel, editor of Deadline Detroit. Lengel has been a longtime friend of the Fenster family.
“We’re hopeful that he gets out soon because nobody likes to be in a prison.”
Biden budget highlights: Lots of spending, taxing the rich
President Joe Biden’s $6 trillion budget proposal offers major new initiatives like child and elder care subsidies, generous tax credits for families and the working poor, and free community college. It also promises politically freighted tax increases on the wealthy and corporations and would give domestic Cabinet departments significantly bigger budget increases than the Pentagon.
Weather: Memorial Day weekend starts off sunny and cool
Memorial Day weekend will start off sunny and cool with highs in the 60s Saturday. Sunday is going to be milder before conditions warm up more Monday.
COVID in Michigan 💉
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 887,274 as of Friday, including 19,114 deaths, state officials report.
Friday’s update includes a total of 614 new cases and 24 additional deaths.
Testing has been steady around 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate below 5% as of Thursday, the lowest in several weeks. Hospitalizations have declined over the last several weeks.
Overall, new cases have slowed over the last 28 days. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 800 on Thursday -- the lowest in several weeks. The 7-day death average was 44 on Thursday. The state’s fatality rate is 2.1%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 76,000 on Thursday. More than 791,000 have recovered in Michigan.
More than 791,000 have recovered from the virus in Michigan.
Here’s a look at more of the data: