A new polar vortex is bearing down on Michigan and the upper Midwest, forcing widespread school closures, forcing Wayne State University and Michigan State University to cancel classes and the Detroit Zoo to close.

On today’s episode, we run down some of the knock-on effects of the dangerously cold weather, which is expected to produce subzero temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills. Jer speaks with Gary Brown, director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, about the risks to the city’s aging infrastructure.

DTE Energy also has a list of warming centers that will be open around the Detroit region.

In other news, we discuss a report that the Trump administration will not set drinking water limits for PFAS, a dangerous group of chemicals that have turned up in public water systems across the country and Michigan. This as the U.S. Air Force force-refuses-to-follow-michigan-pfas-law.html">thumbs its nose at the state of Michigan’s request to expand cleanup of PFAS contamination at a former air base near Oscoda.

Other news:

• GM’s vice president of urban mobility and Maven, its car-sharing program, is out.
• Two DMC hospitals face the threat of losing federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid after failing inspections.
• And Third Man Records has opened an analog and digital mastering studio to its Cass Corridor retail empire

Also, it’s our 200th episode!!! We couldn’t have gotten this far without the support of readers and listeners like you. Please consider becoming a supporter through our new Patreon campaign.