A tiny, rare butterfly gets a chance to thrive again in Michigan
by Ruth Thornton, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) GRAND RAPIDS – Standing next to a converted hoop house in one of the back areas of John Ball Zoo, David Pavlik points to a line of small cloth-covered cages filled with yellow black-eyed Susans and small orange butterflies. “These cages out here are females that have […]
Michigan Democratic convention marked by Israel protest
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan Democrats voted to finalize their general election ticket Saturday, stressing party unity and support for Vice President Kamala Harris heading into November to delegates at their annual state party convention. But the messages of unity were at least partially undercut by protesters who interrupted the National Anthem […]
A vexing to-do list for Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer
by Anna Clark, ProPublica (Bridge Michigan) With a conspicuous presence this week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and a bestselling new memoir, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is celebrated as an ascending leader — someone who won over a decidedly purple state in 2018 by promoting commonsense solutions to issues affecting millions of people. Former House […]
Karamo tossed out, DePerno bows out of chaotic Michigan GOP convention
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) FLINT — Michigan Republicans on Saturday nominated Bill O’Grady and state Rep. Andrew Fink for the state Supreme Court after prominent election denier Matthew DePerno dropped his bid on the eve of the party’s state convention. The delegate votes capped a convention that couldn’t fully shake off the turmoil and infighting […]
The latest COVID-19 vaccine is rolling out. Here’s what you need to know
by Daniel Schoenherr (Bridge Michigan) Michigan residents will have access to a new COVID-19 vaccine soon. The new vaccine more effectively fights the newest variants of the virus, said Lori Schrader, Washtenaw County’s immunization coordinator. The newest jabs will be available ahead of the relaunch of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services free […]
Amid ‘green burial’ dispute, judge rejects Michigan township’s cemetery ban
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A west Michigan couple seeking to perform “green burials” near Newaygo declared victory on Thursday, after a judge rejected a township’s attempt to ban all cemeteries in hopes of keeping the green cemetery out. “Michigan law does not allow a municipality to completely ban a land use, especially a land use that […]
What a peek into 150 Michigan bank accounts reveals about memory loss
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan study may offer a new understanding of the earliest stages of memory loss — revealed by the most mundane of everyday spending decisions over things like groceries and grandkids’ gifts. It’s the culmination of a lifetime of work by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Peter Lichtenberg, who doesn’t mind […]
Cheaper Medicare drugs bound for Michigan. But it’s complicated
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Federal negotiations with drugmakers on 10 life-saving medications will save the nation’s Medicare program about $6 billion a year, with one drug being slashed to about one-fifth of its list price and another to a quarter of the list price. The White House this week announced the new prices on medications taken by […]
Feds: Michigan trying to ‘brush aside’ school discrimination complaint
by Hannah Dellinger, Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan) Federal officials accused the Michigan Department of Education of seeking to “shield itself from any scrutiny” in its violation of the rights of students with disabilities during COVID-era school closures, according to a recent court filing. In the court filing last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil […]
Whitmer touts free community college. It’s not true for all Michigan kids
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and fellow Democrats are touting a new state-funded Michigan “guarantee” she says will grant “tuition-free community college for every high school graduate,” beginning this fall. But there’s a catch: Roughly one in five Michigan students won’t get the full benefit — they’ll only get a discount — because they don’t […]
