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 […]
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” […]
