Michigan State University President Stanley provided the community with an update on the school’s COVID-19 financial situation.

The fiscal year began on July 1, and Stanley noted that student enrollment, which was finalized last week, is a big contribution to this year’s finances.

This fall there are a little under 50,000 students enrolled at MSU, down 866 students from last fall, with 335 of that loss being first year students. That’s 39% of all student loss.

MSU is also implementing previously negotiated raises for unionized employees to honor previous commitments, as well covering inflationary increases in spending on essential items such as health care, utilities and maintaining a safe physical infrastructure.

In a joint effort between the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, and Michigan State University launched a COVID-19 exposure notification app to pilot on campus and in the surrounding community in East Lansing. The app, MI COVID Alert, is free, voluntary and anonymous.

The app works by assigning those who have tested positive for COVID-19 a code that allows them to anonymously share that they have tested positive. The app then uses Bluetooth to detect nearby phones that also have the app, and if for 15 minutes, a user is within six feet of someone that has tested positive, the user will get a notification.

Attorney General Dana Nessel charged an eighth man Thursday for his alleged participation in a plan of domestic terrorism against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Brian Higgins of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was charged with material support of an act of terrorism, which is a 20-year felony. It is alleged that Higgins provided assistance in the plan to kidnap Whitmer from her vacation home.

The latest charge against Higgins totals out to 20 state felonies, all filed by Nessel against the militia group Wolverine Watchmen and its associates.