Michigan’s abortion rate among nation’s highest. What you need to know.
Robin Erb (Bridge) The number of abortions in Michigan and nationwide has fallen dramatically in the past 25 years, but the state still has one of the highest abortion rates in the United States. Nearly 1 in 5 pregnancies, excluding miscarriages, in Michigan ended in abortion in 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease […]
U.S. Supreme Court halts order requiring Michigan to redraw political lines
by Jim Malewitz, Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) The U.S. Supreme Court put on hold Friday a lower court’s order that Michigan lawmakers redraw state and congressional political districts — and hold special 2020 elections — to fix illegal gerrymandering by Republicans. In a one-paragraph order, the high court delayed the Michigan ruling until it can decide high-profile redistricting cases out of […]
Michigan is investing heavily in early reading. So far, it’s not working.
Ron French (Bridge) Despite at least $80 million spent on improving early literacy and one of the largest expansions of state-funded pre-K in the nation, reading skills remain stagnant or declining across most of Michigan. Half of Michigan third-graders were proficient in English Language Arts on the state’s standardized assessment, the M-STEP, in 2014-15. Three years later, […]
She often arrived drunk at Ann Arbor ERs. Today, she serves others.
Ted Roelofs (Bridge) Lynne Ponder had just about nowhere to go but up. Living alone in Washtenaw County, she was virtually homeless as she bounced from motel to motel, haunted by severe anxiety, depression and bouts of heavy drinking she undertook to quiet her terror. Panic attacks were all but paralyzing. “It was the worst […]
Consumers Energy chief sees solar future in Michigan
JACKSON — Patti Poppe likes to joke about the bumper sticker she once stuck on her Chevy Volt electric hybrid car: “I ♥ coal.” These days, the sticker sits in Poppe’s office at Consumers Energy’s headquarters in her hometown of Jackson. It’s a symbol of her personal evolution on climate change — and the transformation […]
Michigan shrinks credits for rooftop solar, clouding industry’s future
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) BRIGHTON — Most people view a utility bill as a hassle. Al Warner sees opportunity. Each bill offers the retired engineer fresh data to plug into a spreadsheet charting his progress towards dual goals: slashing his fossil fuel consumption and saving on monthly energy costs. “I’m trying to do everything I […]
Michigan environment roundup: Great Lakes water levels could break records
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Bridge Magazine is committed to sharing the best environmental journalism in and around Michigan, an effort called #EnviroReads. In Bridge’s Michigan Environment Watch, we share a roundup of recent stories on the Great Lakes or other issues. If you see a story we should include next time, use the hashtag #EnviroReads […]
Roads get spotlight, but 447 Michigan bridges in serious condition or worse
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) A year ago, Genesee County bridge inspectors discovered holes in the steel beams holding up a bridge over the Swartz Creek. The two-lane bridge, on Grand Blanc Road near U.S. 23, is now being held together by temporary steel supports until it can be replaced in 2020 — a roughly $2 million […]
Michigan Republicans and Whitmer move closer to no-fault auto insurance deal
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Republican legislative leaders say they have made progress with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration toward a deal to reform Michigan’s unique-in-the-nation no-fault auto insurance system. Talks are expected to continue over the weekend as Republicans seek to bring Whitmer, a Democrat, on board to sign GOP-sponsored bills that would, among other changes, allow drivers […]
Abortion limits pass Michigan House and Senate. What you need to know.
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING—In a day rife with personal, emotional testimony from state legislators, the Republican-led House and Senate passed bills Tuesday along party lines that would make it a felony for health care providers to perform a common second-trimester abortion procedure. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already vowed to veto the bills, as Michigan joins a sea […]
