U.S. District Judge Judith Levy approved on Wednesday a $626 million settlement to the residents of Flint, Michigan in a settlement Levy wrote was “a remarkable achievement.” “It sets forth a comprehensive compensation program and timeline that is consistent for every qualifying participant, regardless of whether they are members of a class or are non-class individuals represented by their own counsel,” Levy noted. Of the hefty settlement, $600 million will be coming from the state of Michigan for shifting the city of Flint’s water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River to save money. Officials prioritized profit over people and blatantly ignored residents’ concerns in a clear case of systemic racism, as noted by the state’s Civil Rights Commission. It took until 2015 for Flint to switch its water supply back to Detroit’s system after Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha’s research revealed that children’s blood lead levels doubled when drinking from water provided by the Flint River. Read more