Michigan Dems are getting thing done

Plus, two NATO allies send warplanes to Ukraine.   Michigan Democrats rapidly pass priority legislation; Slovakia and Poland send warplanes to aid Ukraine. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS Michigan Democrats score legislative victories Bill Pugliano/Getty Images - Michigan Democrats are working to rapidly pass major legislation after winning control of the state legislature for the first time in almost 40 years. [[NPR / Colin Jackson](] - This week, Democrats ended Michigan’s right-to-work law that allowed workers union benefits without paying union dues, and repealed the state’s archaic abortion ban. [[Jacobin / Luke Savage](] - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also signed an expansion to the state’s civil rights laws, banning discrimination against gender identity and sexual orientation. [[Detroit Free Press / Clara Hendrickson](] - Meanwhile, state Senate Democrats passed sweeping gun safety legislation following the mass shooting at Michigan State University in February. The House could bring up the bill next week; Whitmer is expected to sign it. [[Associated Press / Joey Cappelletti](] - Michigan is one of 17 states held completely by Democrats. Republicans, however, control more legislatures and hold more state government trifectas than Democrats nationwide. [[MSNBC / Michael A. Cohen](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Nicole Narea explains Michigan Democrats’ legislative agenda after winning all three branches of state government. [[Vox / Nicole Narea](]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( NATO allies send jets to Ukraine - Slovakia and Poland will send Ukraine Soviet-era MIG-29 warplanes to help fend off Russia’s invasion. [[AP / Karel Janciek](] - Slovakia will receive $213 million from the European Union for its fleet of 13 planes and $745 million in weapons from the US. Poland will send up to 12 planes and will monitor Slovakian airspace with the Czech Republic. [[Guardian / Isobel Koshiw](] - Slovakia and Poland are the first NATO allies to send jets to Ukraine. It’s unclear if other countries would make similar moves over fears of escalating the conflict. [[Deutsche Welles](] - Russia said the plans would not affect the war outcome and threatened to destroy the warplanes during military operations. [[BBC / Jonathan Beale and Robert Greenall](]   MISCELLANEOUS In January, the only supplier of the widely used abortion pill Mifeprex sent corporate clients a list of 31 states where it wouldn’t distribute the drug, placing pressure on pharmacies. [[Vox / Rachel Cohen](] - Minnesota officials say the November leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water from Xcel Energy’s Monticello nuclear power plant poses no risk to the public. [[AP / Steve Karnowski](] - Friday, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest, alleging Ukraine war crimes. He’s unlikely to comply. [[NBC News / Henry Austin and Phil McCausland](] - The WHO found four key factors help explain why 70 percent of the world’s maternal deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. [[Vox / Rachel DuRose](]   CROSSWORD OF THE DAY What's a three-letter word for "hit the slopes"? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle]([,]( and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. Want more crosswords? [Sign up for our crossword newsletter here]( and get a dedicated crossword reminder each weekend.   Support our work Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today. [Give](   VERBATIM “Voters exercised their power in terms of what they wanted us to do. They want us to be effective and I think we’ve shown that.” [[Michigan Democratic House Speaker Joe Tate on his party’s legislative agenda / NPR](]   LISTEN TO THIS City Limits: Beware the Doom Loop Pandemic restrictions are mostly over, but cities are still struggling to recover. Empty offices threaten to set off a downward spiral of falling tax revenue and declining services. Today, Explained’s Miles Bryan tries to stop the doom loop before it starts. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [Your brain may not be private much longer]( [Inflation is the best thing that ever happened to food companies]( [Why well-qualified medical school graduates can’t get jobs — despite doctor shortages]( [Medicare is being privatized right before our eyes]( [Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ credits scene teases a future that might never come](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.