Over 2,300 Michigan ACA enrollees caught up in federal fraud sweep
by Eli Newman, Bridge Michigan Nearly 1,000 enrollees in Michigan’s Affordable Care Act plans had their policies canceled as a result of a federal crackdown on alleged fraud, according to state insurance officials, while at least another 1,372 remain under review. The purge, announced last month by Vice President JD Vance and other Trump administration […]
Mike Rogers, Abdul El-Sayed pitch competing economic visions
by Lauren Gibbons, Bridge Michigan DETROIT — Speaking to a crowd of Michigan business leaders, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers on Tuesday both advocated for a shift in approach to Canadian tariffs, though they diverged in their overall assessments of the Trump administration’s trade policy. Rogers made waves earlier this month when he […]
Toledo chemical tank rupture forces Michigan school closures near border
by Associated Press and Bridge Staff, Bridge Michigan Two Michigan school districts were closed Wednesday amid a shelter-in-place order in Toledo, Ohio, where a ruptured chemical tank billowed a white plume into the air and forced evacuations due to the potentially toxic leak and the possibility of an explosion. More than 50,000 people were advised […]
AI is reshaping caregiving. Some see companionship, others warning signs
by Zerline Hughes Spruill, Bridge Michigan Within 90 minutes of walking into the emergency room last year, Heather Ruby learned her husband, Eric, had cancer. It was a devastating shock that immediately led to surgery, chemotherapy, surgery and a host of unanswered questions and new emotions. Ruby, who quickly stepped into caregiving mode, decided […]
Michigan species at risk after Trump rolls back protections, advocates say
by Vivian La, Interlochen Public Radio, Bridge Michigan Changes to how federal officials interpret just two words in the landmark Endangered Species Act could imperil numerous Michigan animals, plants and insects at risk of extinction, according to wildlife advocates. Under the Nixon-era law, developers are required to consult with or obtain a permit from the […]
Family’s roadside assistance saves 16 snapping turtles
by SAMANTHA PLUNKETT, Capital News Service LANSING — With her shell cracked into numerous pieces, the mother turtle lay motionless in the road with her eggs scattered around her. That’s when Erin Hug and her daughter drove by. After spotting the injured turtle lying in the road near Battle Creek last summer, Hug stepped in […]
Michigan communities invest millions in their rivers. Will it bring returns?
by Laura Herberg, Bridge Michigan On a recent sunny fall morning, a couple dozen people paddled in bright-colored kayaks past factories, a docked freighter and miniature mountains of industrial materials on southeast Michigan’s Lower Rouge River. “This is really exciting to have this many people out here kayaking the Rouge because, when I was a […]
Great Lakes ice cover is shrinking fast. A century of data reveals why
by Kyrmyzy Turebayeva, Capital News Service LANSING — The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has declined rapidly over the past four decades, but a warming climate might not be the only explanation for freezing fluctuations during the last century. Those are the findings of a new study that reported, for the first time, […]
167K Michiganders fell off SNAP since last summer
by Nushrat Rahman, Bridge Detroit, Bridge Michigan More than 167,000 Michiganders — including over 53,000 children — fell off of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since last summer, in large part, policy experts say, because of new work rules and more red tape. In June 2025, before President Donald Trump signed his sweeping “One […]
Fact check: What’s true and what’s not in Michigan’s data center debate
by Eli Newman, Bridge Michigan Few issues are as controversial today as data centers, which polls show are overwhelmingly opposed by Michigan residents. Amid the debates, there are plenty of exaggerated claims from both opponents and supporters. Bridge spoke with some of the leading experts in the field to separate fact from fiction. Despite assurances […]
