GOP wants audit before certifying Michigan election. Law won’t allow it.
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — A key Republican on the Board of State Canvassers is threatening to refuse certification of Michigan election results until after an audit, but legal experts say he has no authority to demand a process that is not even allowed under Michigan law. Norm Shinkle, one of two Republicans on […]
Report: Michigan’s most vulnerable students have limited learning options during the pandemic
By Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (for Bridge) The students who need in-person instruction the most are among the least likely to get it, new Michigan data shows. Education leaders in the state have insisted since the beginning of the pandemic that virtual instruction simply can’t meet the needs of thousands of students — notably young readers, […]
Want a COVID test for your Michigan Thanksgiving? Expect … to … wait.
By Mike Wilkinson & Robin Erb (Bridge) Michiganders trying to get tested for COVID before seeing loved ones at Thanksgiving might find that a collective rush on testing labs will make that impossible. And if you are lucky enough to get tested, well, expect … to … wait for your results. Though Michigan doesn’t track […]
Whitmer orders Enbridge Line 5 shutdown, citing easement violations
by Kelly House, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Following a state review that found the Line 5 petroleum pipeline is putting the Great Lakes at risk, Michigan has ordered Canadian petroleum company Enbridge Energy to shut down the pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac by May. The Friday announcement followed a long-awaited review of Enbridge’s […]
Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is being made in Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge) Two square miles in Portage, near Kalamazoo, on Monday became the epicenter of hopes that the United States will be distributing coronavirus vaccines by year-end. That property in southwest Michigan is home to the largest manufacturing site in the world for drug giant Pfizer Inc. On Monday, Pfizer [NYSE: PFE] and […]
Human error, Dominion voting equipment fuel false fraud claims in Michigan
by Jonathan Oosting, Madeline Halpert (Bridge) When Antrim County’s Republican clerk reported last week that Democrat Joe Biden had trounced President Donald Trump in the fiercely GOP region of northern Michigan, officials and experts correctly questioned what turned out to be a clerical mistake. But Trump and his supporters cried foul, and days after the […]
With COVID rising, Detroit closes classrooms; other districts may follow
By Ron French (Bridge) Detroit Public Schools Community District will switch to fully remote learning on Monday, in the wake of quickly rising COVID-19 cases and positivity rates in the city. The announcement early Thursday is significant statewide because Detroit’s school system, with 51,000 students, is the largest in Michigan, and because DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has […]
Loved to death: Iconic Michigan lakeshores battered by crowds, waste
By Kelly House (Bridge) MUNISING — Kristine Kolbus understands why people flock to the popular trailhead near her property in the heart of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. “I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” she said, “and I am truly blessed and I want other people to enjoy that.” […]
Enbridge sues Michigan over Line 5 shutdown order
by Kelly House (Bridge) Enbridge Energy is suing the State of Michigan in federal court in hopes of thwarting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s quest to shut down the Line 5 petroleum pipeline. The Canadian company’s filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan seeks an injunction against Whitmer’s shutdown orders. The […]
How Biden won, even as much of Michigan went for Trump: 5 election takeaways
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Over two days, TV and social media offered breathless takes of the race in Michigan between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump was up big early. Then Biden came back to win by a whisker. Except elections don’t work that way. Results are geographic, all cast on […]
