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Tracy Samilton
Energy and Transportation Reporter / ProducerTracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Public as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.
She took over the auto beat in January, 2009, just a few months before Chrysler and General Motors filed for bankruptcy.
Tracy’s reports can frequently be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as on Michigan Public.
Her coverage of Michigan’s Detroit Three automakers has taken her as far as Germany, and China. Tracy graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature.
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The judges' approval of the Michigan state Senate map resolves a lawsuit alleging some of the metro Detroit districts were unfairly drawn based on race.
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An environmental group says many utilities are operating their coal-burning power plants at a loss for long periods, with increased costs to customers and the environment
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Smoke from wildfires in Canada is making its unwelcome presence known in Michigan this week, but it's hoped air quality indexes won't reach into dangerous territory.
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Michigan housing officials say the state has done better than expected at reducing a housing shortage, especially for residents earning 80% or less of the area median income.
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Across the state, more than 100 rural communities like Milan Township have passed ordinances banning large-scale solar and wind projects on agricultural land, often involving recall elections of local leaders. A new state law could force them to rethink their opposition — or submit to the state's permitting authority.
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If you see a so-called "skill-based" slot machine in a bar, restaurant, or gas station, it is very likely illegal, state authorities say.
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Large-scale battery storage helps maximize solar and wind energy, which often produce more energy than needed at the time. Jolt Energy Storage Technologies is raising $5.6 million to fund its first pilot project to prove that its flow battery technology can be a sustainable, inexpensive solution to the need for energy storage for utilities as well as other uses.
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Some insurance companies depreciate the value of labor when they settle certain property damage claims — even though labor can't depreciate like a physical thing can.
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The Biden administration has awarded $1.7 billion in EV grants to auto companies in eight states, with most of the funding going to companies based in Michigan.
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New research from IIHS finds there's no evidence that partial automation driving systems prevent collisions.