State News

 Sara Swanson

Jocelyn Benson picks Winnie Brinks as running mate in Michigan governor race

by Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan GRAND RAPIDS — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson has selected Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids as her running mate and potential lieutenant governor, she announced Wednesday. To enact her agenda, “I need a governing partner who has a track record for getting things done,” Benson said […]

 Sara Swanson

U-M picks Vanderbilt’s C. Cybele Raver as next president: What to know

by Isabel Lohman, Bridge Michigan The University of Michigan has selected C. Cybele Raver, the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University, as its next president. She will be the second female president of the university. Raver, who holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology, is also a professor of psychology and human […]

 Sara Swanson

Where things stand in Michigan’s Line 5 saga

by Kelly House, Bridge Michigan More than a decade into Michigan’s debate about Line 5, the question of how to keep oil from spilling out of the aging pipeline and into the Great Lakes is as unsettled as ever. For years, opponents of the 73-year-old lakebottom pipeline have pushed for its closure, while supporters have […]

 Sara Swanson

Ypsilanti Township eyes moratorium on power transmission to slow U-M data center

by Paula Gardner, Bridge Michigan Ypsilanti Township has a new tactic to fight the University of Michigan’s proposed $1.2 billion private data center — a six-month delay to evaluate whether local infrastructure can handle the facility’s power needs. One week after U-M announced it finalized the site of the collaborative project with Los Alamos National Laboratory, […]

 Sara Swanson

Online pharmacies aid rural health care but threaten Michigan drugstores

by Blace Carpenter, Bridge Michigan For the past five years, Alpena resident Selena Kenny has received a bulk supply of medication every three months from Express Scripts. Her Medicare Advantage plan labels mail-in services as its preferred pharmacy because it offers the lowest price for her blood pressure and cholesterol medication. “For most of the […]

 Sara Swanson

U-M affirms Ypsilanti $1.2B computing center site; township officials vow fight

by Paula Gardner, Bridge Michigan The University of Michigan affirmed Tuesday it plans to build a $1.2 billion data center on 144 acres it purchased last year next to the Huron River in far eastern Washtenaw County, over local objections. The location on Textile Road allows a “world-class research facility” to serve the university and […]

 Sara Swanson

As Michigan rolls out automated traffic tickets, new law blocks driver points

by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan  Getting caught on camera speeding through a construction zone or blowing past a school bus stop sign could cost Michigan motorists hundreds of dollars, but it won’t cost them points on their driver’s license. A new law signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ensures automated traffic tickets can only result […]

 Sara Swanson

Frog songs tell nonprofit some species may be declining in southeast Michigan

by Laura Herberg, Bridge Michigan At least two times a month in most of the spring and summer, Plymouth resident Larry Martin heads out into the woods to listen. He takes his border collie and walks without a flashlight. Once he’s within earshot of a body of water, he looks at a list of seven […]

 Sara Swanson

Dem AG candidate Eli Savit: ‘Common sense’ to ban bump stocks, ghost guns

by Jordyn Hermani, Bridge Michigan DETROIT — Statewide bans on bump stocks and ghost guns would be “common sense laws I think that we can pass” in the Michigan Legislature next term, Democratic attorney general candidate Eli Savit said Friday. “From a legislative priority, I would like to see both of those considered once again […]

 Sara Swanson

John James taps Rep. Jay DeBoyer as running mate in Michigan governor’s race

by Jordyn Hermani and Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan LANSING — Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate John James has selected state Rep. Jay DeBoyer as his running mate and choice for lieutenant governor. DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, was first elected to the state House in 2022 and previously served as the St. Clair County elections clerk. He […]