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Physicians in Flint, Mich., sounded the alarms early last fall about possible lead poisoning. Now, local healthcare providers and insurers are helping the city respond to the crisis. When the city switched to the Flint River in April 2014, residents immediately complained about the water's smell, taste and color, said Kirk Smith, CEO of the Flint Area Health Coalition, which is coordinating the local health effort. (Greene, 1/25)

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan – in which the city’s drinking water became contaminated with lead, bacteria and other pollutants – has come to national attention in recent weeks. President Obama declared a federal emergency in Flint, freeing up $5 million in federal aid, but Flint’s water problems have been unfolding for almost two years. (Gordy, 1/25)

Michigan’s attorney general named a former prosecutor on Monday to spearhead an investigation into the process that left Flint’s drinking water tainted with lead, though Democrats questioned whether the special counsel would be impartial. Republican Bill Schuette said Todd Flood, a former assistant prosecutor for Wayne County, which includes Detroit, will lead the probe and be joined by Andy Arena, a retired head of Detroit’s FBI office. (Eggert and Householder, 1/24)