Federal budget cuts threaten MSU nuclear research, Chrysler loan - Greg Gardner and Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu brought a double whammy of chilling news to Michigan on Wednesday -- nearly $600 million in government funding is now uncertain for a highly anticipated Michigan State University nuclear research project, and Chrysler may not get its long-sought loan to fund more fuel-efficient technology. Chu, speaking to the Detroit Economic Club, said pressure to reduce the federal budget deficit is having an impact. "We're in new ground now. The president and the previous president wanted to double the science budgets over a 10-year period," Chu said. "But that's not realistic anymore." Chu's statement that money is uncertain for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a highly coveted physics research center, set off strong reactions.