‘Border bloodbath’ in Michigan? Here are the facts.
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) GRAND RAPIDS — Former President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats on immigration issues Tuesday in Michigan, calling the situation a “bloodbath” that could get worse without a border crackdown. Trump’s latest campaign visit followed the March 22 murder of Ruby Garcia, 25, a Grand Rapids resident […]
Whitmer book spurs president talk, joins list of Michigan political reads
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will detail her rise in Democratic politics in a memoir set for release later this summer, publisher Simon & Schuster announced Friday. The company is calling the book — titled “True Gretch: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between,” — an “unconventionally honest” […]
Michigan schools have more teachers, fewer students. Are layoffs coming?
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Michigan school districts may need to lay off or otherwise cut more than 5,000 teacher jobs in coming years to balance budgets as pandemic relief funding runs out, according to a new analysis of state public school trends. The report from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council (CRC) of Michigan points to the […]
For Michigan farmers, danger is another part of the job
by Theo Scheer, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – A tractor falls on you. A horse kicks you. A cow pins you against the side of a barn. Your hand gets caught in a corn shucker. These are just some of the accidents Michigan State University researcher Laurel Morano documented in her recent study […]
Police are using Michigan’s ‘red flag’ law to confiscate guns. Here’s how
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — A Battle Creek man diagnosed with bipolar disorder, off medication and threatening his wife in a murder-suicide. A 27-year-old voicing suicidal ideas in the midst of divorce proceedings, his wife concerned he’d actually follow through. An elementary school student who had access to his parents’ guns and threatened […]
Michigan approves $50M for Upper Peninsula copper mine — but with conditions
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The state of Michigan has agreed to spend $50 million to support a plan for a new copper mine near the shore of Lake Superior — despite disagreements on whether the economic benefits are worth the environmental risks. After hearing dozens of speakers and two committee reports during the Michigan Strategic Fund meeting in […]
Granholm, Whitmer tout pilot training program for electric auto jobs
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan and federal officials unveiled a pilot program to train workers for battery manufacturing jobs Tuesday, touting the potential to “define the future” as the auto industry shifts to electric vehicle manufacturing. At the United Auto Workers Local 652 union hall in Lansing, U.S. Secretary of Energy and […]
U-M eyes ‘disruptive activity’ crackdown amid Israel-Hamas war protests
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) ANN ARBOR — Amid growing campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, the University of Michigan is considering a new policy to punish students, employees and visitors who disrupt school operations. U-M announced the draft policy Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupted a weekend honors convocation, forcing President Santa Ono to cut short a speech amid shouting. […]
Michigan’s first early in-person vote a hit with some Republicans
Tom Perkins for Votebeat (Bridge Michigan) In Michigan’s first statewide test of early in-person voting, and the first presidential primary since Donald Trump and his allies spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, trust appeared to be a big factor in how voters decided to cast their ballots, a Votebeat analysis shows. The results show […]
Michigan targets prosperity in plan to boost training and wages for workers
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Michigan is rolling out a plan to boost prosperity in the state by aligning initiatives, currently scattered among various state departments, that seek new and higher-paying jobs and better-trained workers. The new Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan is the first time the state has laid out a formal vision to increase its […]
