Judge Orders White House Press Access Restored, STARS Faces Higher Fuel Costs

It’s been a busy day in the news, from Washington to right here in Mid-Michigan.

Judge Orders White House Press Access Restored

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order requiring the administration to return and restore the journalists' White House hard-pass credentials.

Kelly said the outlets were likely to succeed in their legal challenge and found that the press credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. The administration had argued that national security concerns were involved. (Investing.com)

The case stems from the administration's decision last week to bar the three news organizations from the White House.

Diesel Costs Hit Saginaw Transit

Closer to home, rising diesel prices are putting a bigger dent in the budget at the Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services, or STARS.

The agency says its fuel costs have increased 37 percent over the past year. As a result, STARS plans to increase its fuel budget for the upcoming fiscal year by 19 percent, or about $100,000.

STARS says that extra money has to come from somewhere, limiting what the agency can spend on other needs.

The good news for riders: fares and routes are not being impacted by the fuel-related budget changes. STARS also says ridership has increased in recent years. (https://www.wnem.com)

So if you've been thinking about taking the bus instead of driving because diesel is getting expensive, you're definitely not the only one doing the math.

Start Thinking About Christmas Shipping

Yes, we're saying this in September.

The U.S. Postal Service has released its recommended holiday mailing deadlines for packages that need to arrive by Christmas.

For the lower 48 states, USPS recommends:

• December 17: Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail

• December 18: Priority Mail

• December 19: Priority Mail Express

USPS says these are recommended dates for expected delivery by December 25, and actual delivery times can vary. (About USPS)

In other words, if your family member in Florida is still waiting for that Christmas present on December 24, don't say the Postal Service didn't warn you.

Tigers Fall to Washington

On the sports side, the Detroit Tigers fell to the Washington Nationals 4-2.

The Tigers return home tomorrow night to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

And the Saginaw Spirit are also back on home ice tomorrow night, taking on the Niagara IceDogs at the Dow Event Center.

That game gets underway at 7:05 p.m.

Your Mid-Michigan Forecast

We're looking at sunshine with a high around 72 today.

Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 46.

Friday brings partly sunny skies with a high near 68.

And the weekend is looking pretty nice, with mostly sunny skies and highs around 71 both Saturday and Sunday.