Memo: Whitmer staff reviews FOIA requests, even though she’s exempt from law
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is not subject to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, but an internal memo shows her legal team is asking to review any communications from her office before they are released to the public by state departments that must follow the law. Whitmer’s spokesperson called the policy […]
Majority of Michigan students must now mask up, as Ingham, Washtenaw add rules
By Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Two more Michigan counties have issued school mask mandates, with about six in 10 K-12 students now required to wear face coverings in classrooms because of the coronavirus pandemic. Health officials in Ingham and Washtenaw counties issued school mask requirements Thursday morning, joining at least 14 other Michigan counties with […]
Michigan appliance customers find delay and frustration. It won’t end soon.
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) One day in early August, 20 customers of Big George’s Home Appliance Mart in Ann Arbor received the call they’d been waiting for, in some cases since spring: Updates on their purchases. But instead of setting up a delivery date, they were told to brace for another delay. Maybe one […]
500,000-plus jobless Michigan workers brace to lose unemployment benefits
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) More than a half-million unemployed Michigan residents are preparing to lose all or part of their jobless benefits at the end of next week when federal pandemic-related unemployment programs expire. The transition will leave fewer than 100,000 state residents receiving jobless benefits in September, down from a record 2.1 million […]
Michigan COVID cases up among vaccinated but less likely to be hospitalized or die
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) As the delta variant spreads, Michigan continues to see a rising number of “breakthrough” cases, with a quarter of the most recent new infections hitting those who were fully vaccinated. In the latest state report, nearly 2,500 breakthrough cases were reported in Michigan for the week ending Aug. 17, up from […]
COVID still isolates some in Michigan nursing homes. It may get worse.
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) The state lifted COVID-related visitation restrictions in nursing homes in March. The feds have allowed it, too. But in some facilities around Michigan, families say they still struggle to see loved ones inside long-term care facilities. Even those who saw restrictions relax during the summer months when COVID case counts were […]
Michigan redistricting commission’s latest challenge: attendance
by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) As the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission races to draw the state’s new political boundaries, the panel is also faced with an internal issue: absences. The biggest recent offender is the commission chair, Brittni Kellom, a Democrat from Detroit. She has missed 14 of 33 (42 percent) of the commission […]
Michigan is burning through EMTs and paramedics, leaving shortages
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge Michigan) In a remote pocket of the Upper Peninsula west of Marquette, Bay Ambulance Inc. normally counts on a staff of six paramedics to handle emergencies across 1,500 square miles of territory. That’s now down to four paramedics ─ a loss that can add critical minutes to emergency response times, while […]
Michigan renters may face eviction after high court nixes COVID moratorium
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Thousands of Michigan residents struggling to pay rent during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could face eviction in coming weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with landlords and struck down a federal moratorium. Housing advocates on Friday said it is difficult to predict exactly how many residents will be evicted next […]
COVID boosters likely coming to Michigan in September. What to know.
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) COVID booster shots will be widely available starting Sept. 20, the White House announced Wednesday, as the Delta variant continues to tighten its hold across the nation and in Michigan. At least for now, boosters are recommended for anyone who received the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna shots, and will be available […]
