Michigan softens restaurant rules requiring customer info during COVID
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) One day after new contact tracing regulations were imposed on Michigan restaurants and bars, the state health department softened requirements for collecting customers’ names and phone numbers. Under the new guidelines released Tuesday, the state recommends — but does not require — dining establishments deny entry to customers who won’t provide contact information. […]
Gray wolves, now off endangered list, may be targeted by Michigan farmers
By Kelly House (Bridge–Michigan Environmental Watch) The Trump administration has announced plans to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list, stripping the animals of federal protections and handing control over to states including Michigan, where nearly 700 wolves roam the Upper Peninsula. In a decision likely to prompt lawsuits, and which may well lead […]
Republicans largely quiet as Trump claims fraud, falsely says he won Michigan
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) President Donald Trump’s unproven claims of corruption and voter fraud in Detroit were condemned by Michigan Democrats but prompted little response from Republican leaders, who have generally stayed quiet as the president questions the legitimacy of the nation’s election system. Trump, in a Thursday evening address from the White House, called […]
Trump got more votes in Detroit than most Republicans
by Mike Wilkinson, Mansur Shaheen, Paula Gardner (Bridge) Donald Trump may have alleged election fraud in Detroit, but he received more votes for president than any other Republican in years in the city. In a speech Thursday from the White House that claimed wholesale fraud nationwide in his election against Democrat Joe Biden, Trump blasted […]
Reformer hired to fix Michigan’s unemployment system quits as problems mount
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) Michigan’s office charged with getting unemployment benefits to jobless workers is now under temporary leadership after its director resigned, following months of pressure over a system taxed by the wave of claims during coronavirus. Steve Gray – the former legal aid attorney who once exposed a false fraud scandal in the state’s unemployment […]
Michigan restaurants must track customers under new COVID rules
By Jonathan Oosting, Mike Wilkinson, Paula Gardner (Bridge) LANSING — With coronavirus cases surging and colder weather beginning to curb outdoor options, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced aggressive new rules to try to slow the spread of the virus at indoor social gatherings. Calling it a “very dangerous time” […]
Michigan retailers worry COVID spike will keep customers away. Again.
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) Bright-red cardinals herald the holiday season at Sass in downtown Adrian, where a new line of pottery, tableware and wall art soon will fill displays in the gift shop. Owner Diane Rauser said she invested in the boxes of inventory because cardinals were her mother’s favorite bird, and they “brighten my […]
Appeals court sides with gun advocates in ban on firearms at Michigan polls
By Riley Beggin, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Michigan still can’t ban guns at polling places on Election Day, the state Court of Appeals effectively ruled Thursday. The court denied an appeal from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel asking them to reconsider a Court of Claims ruling in favor of a guns rights group […]
Michigan revamps K-12 schools website to make comparisons easier
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Michigan parents and educators wanting to learn more about the state’s K-12 schools, from test scores to enrollment trends, have a revamped online data tool. Michigan’s Center for Educational Performance and Information has updated its web portal for the first time since 2011. The site allows for easier comparison of schools — both […]
Michigan hospitals turn to $15 minimum wage to fill job openings
By Paula Gardner, Robin Erb (Bridge) Thousands of Michigan’s lowest-paid hospital workers received pay increases this month when two of the state’s largest hospital systems set a new $15 per hour minimum wage, a nod to increased competition for entry-level workers as the state faces a resurgence in COVID-19 and hospitalizations. The move “is a […]
