As Michigan scores fall, state superintendent blames local control ‘run amok’
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) As Michigan students continue to struggle with early literacy, State Superintendent Michael Rice was in the hot seat in Lansing on Tuesday and blamed “local control” for lower scores. Michigan third and fourth grade reading scores continue to be lower than before the pandemic. Just 39.6% of third grade readers are […]
Michigan wants to grow its population, but more adults say no thanks to kids
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) Like many women growing up in Allendale, Kim Bode was raised with a set life plan: go to college, find a husband and have kids. The west Michigan native recalls feeling like her sole purpose in life was to become a mother. “That’s just what everybody did, you know? You […]
Michigan school districts are shrinking. None want to consolidate. Why not?
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Back in 2022, lawmakers allocated $5 million for school districts to explore consolidation. No one took the lawmakers up on it in the first year. But the following year, 16 districts got money to study consolidation. Still, no local district has actually consolidated. K-12 enrollment in public schools is declining amid […]
Gretchen Whitmer urged bipartisan cooperation. Michigan lawmakers quickly clashed
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a plea for political civility on Thursday in a roughly 20-minute keynote speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference, pointing to President Donald Trump’s recent commitment to Selfridge Air National Guard Base as an example of bipartisan cooperation. “We cannot give in to the instant gratification that comes […]
Will the DNR budge on baiting to get higher license fees? Some think so
by Ellie Katz, IPR (Bridge Michigan) This time of year, Jim Sweeney’s food plot in Leelanau County doesn’t look like much. It’s a small field with some sparse grasses and a deer blind off to the side. But, come fall, it’s “like a lush lawn,” Sweeney said. Sweeney mostly plants clover, beets and turnips these […]
Survey: Health care costs stymying small business growth in Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Rising health care costs could stall job growth in Michigan, as 76% of small business owners say they can’t afford to expand their workforce and insure employees. The poll released last week from the Small Business Association of Michigan also found that 83% of respondents said escalating health costs prevent other […]
HIV prevention treatment rising among young adults, U-M study finds
by Eli Newman (Bridge Michigan) As the US Supreme Court weighs a decision that could upend how insurers cover preventive-care treatments, researchers at the University of Michigan have found a dramatic rise in young adults taking one of the world’s leading HIV prevention medications. A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine this month found […]
Trump to Michigan: Comply with immigration, DEI orders or lose road funding
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) President Donald Trump’s administration is threatening to withhold transportation funding allocated for Michigan and other states if they fail to assist with immigration deportation efforts or comply with orders to disband diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Experts say widespread infrastructure cuts in Michigan are unlikely. But the threat should be […]
Michigan’s fight against Lake Erie pollution didn’t work. What happens next?
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (Bridge Michigan) Michigan and its neighbors have missed a 2025 deadline to curb the farm pollution that feeds toxic algal blooms in western Lake Erie, despite 10 years of work and millions of dollars spent on the effort. Now, state officials in Michigan are revamping their strategy. But they’re not setting […]
A hard-fought milestone for Flint’s water, but uncertainty ahead
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (bridge Michigan) FLINT — Eleven years after the disastrous water supply switch that contaminated Flint’s water with lead, activists, residents and lawyers gathered in a church gym to celebrate a big step in the city’s recovery. After years of delays and legal battles, the city has replaced the lead service lines of every […]
