Are Michigan schools safe to reopen? Here’s what science and doctors say
by Ron French (Bridge) School leaders in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Lansing have decided it’s unsafe to bring students back to classrooms. But Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey says kids generally don’t get sick from the coronavirus and should return to school. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order capping attendance at in-door social […]
Postal delays could cause trouble for Michigan’s primary election
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Michigan is one of 13 states with an absentee ballot request deadline close enough to the election that there’s a “high risk” ballots won’t be delivered to voters before the election, according to an audit by the U.S. Postal Service’s internal watchdog. The findings came shortly before a national policy change […]
Michigan gym owners: Keeping us closed amid COVID harms public health
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan gym owners fighting for their livelihood amid a continued closure order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer argue they could reopen safely – and help fight COVID-19 at the same time. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent underlying medical conditions such as obesity and high blood […]
Supreme Court: Flint residents can seek damages from state in lead crisis
by Kelly House, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) A class-action lawsuit targeting state officials for their role in the Flint water crisis can move forward, and residents may ultimately deserve monetary compensation for their alleged injuries, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. A majority of the six-justice panel (a seventh justice recused herself) agreed that the named […]
Michigan hospitals test if plasma from recovering patients can curb COVID-19
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Some Michigan patients mildly sick with COVID-19 may soon help determine whether plasma from recovered patients can curb the infection before it becomes life-threatening. “If you can neutralize the virus in your system early, before the damage to organs, that will give you the best chance of early recovery,” said Dr. […]
10 years later, Kalamazoo River spill still colors Enbridge pipeline debate
By Kelly House (Bridge) MARSHALL—Dr. Kenneth Kornheiser, a retired Plainwell veterinarian, avid canoeist and longtime river advocate, marks the passing of time since the disastrous Kalamazoo River oil spill by the summers he couldn’t paddle his home river. There were the months following the July 25, 2010 spill, when the river ran black after Enbridge’s Line […]
Battle in Michigan schools over need for standardized tests this year
by Eve Washington, Sophia Yoon (Bridge) Republicans and Democrats are fighting over whether Michigan students should take standardized tests during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A series of school reopening bills passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in Lansing Wednesday includes a requirement for at least some standardized tests. Those bills now move to the Senate. Bills introduced […]
Michigan closing budget gap with layoffs and cuts to roads, PFAS cleanups
by Riley Beggin, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) State leaders passed a deal Wednesday and Thursday to cut $2.2 billion from the state’s nearly $60 billion budget to make up for a dramatic loss in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. The winners: Schools and local governments, who received a boost through federal money including a one-time payment of $500 […]
Anatomy of a super spreader: Harper’s outbreak a caution for college bars
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) As Michigan State University students return to campus this fall, a popular East Lansing restaurant, bar and club hopes to reopen after closing them last month following a COVID-19 outbreak linked to 188 infections. But Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub owners promise things will look very different: No more dancing, loud music or bar […]
Fact Squad: No, Michigan Gov. Whitmer did not ‘defund the police’
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Conservative “news” outlets, Republican activists and a GOP super PAC this week falsely accused Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of attempting to “defund the police” by executive order. The misinformation began spreading Wednesday as Whitmer and GOP legislative leaders rolled out details of a deal to close a $2.2 […]
