Crises collide: Flood recovery workers carried COVID-19 to Michigan
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Contract workers who came to Michigan to help the state recover from a major flood brought COVID-19 with them and may have inadvertently contributed to the ongoing public health crisis, according to state and local officials. Nineteen employees of a contract renovation company who stayed at a hotel in Bay […]
Ann Arbor restaurant pioneer takes time reopening: ‘Everyone is anxious’
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) ANN ARBOR—When Adam Baru first opened Mani Osteria restaurant in Ann Arbor nine years ago, he invigorated the city’s dining scene. Now he’s reopening the same restaurant in the same location, hoping that by next week servers will once again be delivering wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas and craft cocktails to diners […]
Reaching out to black people to discuss race? There’s a good and bad way.
by Louis Aguilar (Bridge) There is a global, vocal recognition of black life happening right now, sparked by George Floyd’s death two weeks ago. Now, black Americans say they are seeing a surge in support from white peers who previously may have been silent on issues of racism and white supremacy. That’s a positive move, […]
Appeals court sides with Enbridge over Dana Nessel in Line 5 tunnel dispute
By Kelly House (Bridge) The legal battle between Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Canadian energy giant Enbridge over the Line 5 tunnel agreement may be headed to the Michigan Supreme Court, after Enbridge won the latest round in a dispute over the 2018 law that made way for the tunnel. In an opinion issued […]
What police have learned, or not, about how to defuse mass protests
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) At protests this week from Grand Rapids to Lansing to Detroit, and across much of the nation, unrest has often followed a pattern. Marches begin peacefully, spurred by a quest for justice for the May 25 death of George Floyd, an African American who died while a white officer applied a knee to Floyd’s […]
No band, buses or sports? Budget cuts could cripple Michigan schools
by Ron French (Bridge) Michigan schools will face devastating budget cuts in the coming school year unless the federal government pitches in to help offset revenue losses from the coronavirus pandemic, State Superintendent Michael Rice said Thursday. Michigan schools face a $2.39 billion decline in the school aid fund over the next year and a […]
Coronavirus pandemic slams Detroit economy, protesters want change
by Louis Aguilar (Bridge) Here’s another underlying reason why thousands of Millennials and Gen Z young people are protesting: rampant unemployment. In April, one out of every four Detroit workers was out of a job either temporarily or permanently, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Wednesday. April was the first full […]
Nearly a third of Michigan educators mull quitting because of coronavirus
by Ron French (Bridge) About 7 percent of Michigan educators are leaving the profession because of concerns over coronavirus and another 24 percent are considering walking out the door, according to a survey of more than 15,000 Michigan K-12 educators released Thursday. The survey, conducted May 15-22 by the Michigan Education Association, the state’s largest teacher […]
Michigan Senate passes training bill aimed at reducing police brutality
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) The Michigan Senate unanimously passed legislation that would mandate anti-bias training, de-escalation training and ongoing mental health services for police officers Thursday, as nationwide protests against police brutality continue nationwide. “This is only one step towards the greater justice and freedom that our residents are calling for,” said bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Irwin, […]
Michigan freezes 340k unemployment accounts amid fraud probe and pandemic
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — The state of Michigan has frozen 340,000 unemployment accounts, blocking cash assistance for jobless residents while it investigates suspected fraud by imposters seeking to take advantage of enhanced benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Friday. The state has already identified a “significant amount of fraud” in new applications, […]
