Ann Arbor likely will be ground zero for Michigan cicada invasion
by Arjun Thakkar, Sophia Kalakailo (Bridge Michigan) Most of Michigan will miss out on the great Brood X cicada invasion of 2021. The one- to two-inch bugs, which emerge from the ground once every 17 years to sing, have sex and die, mainly hang out in a Bug Belt just south of Michigan, from Washington, […]
How a secret group of lawyers influences who sits on Michigan’s federal courts
by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) A secret group of lawyers and political donors has an outsized influence in determining appointments to federal courts in Michigan — and some say that’s hurt the diversity of the bench. Michigan has two vacancies in the federal courts, and a judicial advisory committee is tasked with screening applications for […]
Michigan GOP eases absentee voter ID plan. Critics call proposal ‘pointless’
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Republicans on Wednesday eased proposed identification requirements for absentee ballot applications, addressing some criticisms but doing little to placate Democrats and voting rights advocates concerned about disenfranchising voters. As introduced in March, legislation sponsored by Sen. Lana Theis, R-Brighton, would have required applicants to mail a photocopy of their driver […]
One year after George Floyd murder, lawmakers propose Michigan police reforms
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Michigan would set standards for the use of deadly force by police, create a uniform system for independent investigations of officer-involved shootings and limit no-knock warrants under a reform proposal introduced Tuesday in the state Senate. Michigan has not enacted any legislative reforms in the year since a Minneapolis police […]
An end in sight? Michigan experts say COVID finally ‘winding down’
Maybe — probably, but not definitely — the COVID-19 pandemic is finally coming to a close, according to those on the front lines of Michigan’s greatest public health battle in more than a century. In Ingham County health officer Linda Vail’s view, the virus linked to 18,815 deaths in Michigan and more than 3.4 million […]
Questions, answers about Michigan’s changing COVID restrictions
by Mike Wilkinson, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced plans to end restrictions on masks, curfews and businesses Thursday, more than 14 months after the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined Michigan and the nation. Her announcement — made as she spoke, maskless, from a minor league ballpark in Midland — calls for almost immediate changes: […]
University of Michigan: We’ll spend billions to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2040
by Arjun Thakkar (Bridge Michigan) The University of Michigan is set to announce a multi-billion dollar commitment to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040 at a Board of Regents meeting today. In doing so, U-M is joining several Michigan-based companies and the state itself in working to lessen dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas […]
Gov. Whitmer pitches financial incentives to recruit more Michigan teachers
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Facing a statewide teacher shortage that threatens to hobble schools during a crucial post-pandemic year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing financial incentives to recruit and retain educators, and alternative routes to lead classrooms. The Democratic governor and an executive branch-appointed, 29-person committee of educators and health officials released a 40-page […]
Whitmer, Michigan GOP make peace, will negotiate billions in federal stimulus
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Hours after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced plans to end COVID-19 restrictions by July 1, she and Republican lawmakers on Thursday agreed to end a stalemate and begin negotiating billions of dollars in federal aid. As part of the deal, Whitmer will withdraw proposed rules from April that would have […]
More than 20,000 Michiganders have applied for federal rent aid since March
by Nushrat Rahman (Bridge Michigan) More than 20,000 Michiganders have applied for help to pay their rent through a federally-funded rent aid program that launched two months ago, reflecting an ongoing need for housing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rent remains one of the top pandemic-related reasons people call the United Way’s 211 service, right […]
