Whitmer signs energy bills to make Michigan use clean energy by 2040
by Janelle D James (Bridge Michigan) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed climate bills last Tuesday afternoon that will require Michigan utility companies to get 100% of their energy from clean energy sources by 2040. “Today’s package will help us make more clean energy right here in Michigan, reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” Whitmer said before […]
Whitmer signs Michigan election law overhaul that aims to prevent ‘chaos’
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed into law a sweeping series of election bills that supporters contend will boost democratic participation and prevent “chaos” in the event of disputed elections. Among other things, the new laws expand voter registration, criminalize poll worker intimidation, regulate political ads that use artificial intelligence […]
The Flint effect: Feds propose eliminating U.S. lead pipes within 10 years
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Nine years after the Flint water crisis exposed the hidden peril of lead in U.S. water systems, a new federal proposal would give utilities across the country 10 years to remove pipes containing the neurotoxic metal. Announcing the proposal Thursday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Admistrator Michael S. Regan said it will help […]
Should Netflix, Hulu pay local governments to stream? Michigan House says no
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) As more Michigan residents switch from cable to streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, lawmakers are exploring whether those providers should have to pay the fees cable companies currently pay to local governments. A bill pending in the Michigan Legislature would let them off the hook, but some fear the […]
Michigan workforce quietly passes pre-pandemic levels, shows resilience
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Quietly, Michigan has passed an important milestone in its long climb from pandemic job losses. There are now more people working in Michigan than there were in late 2019 — in the months before COVID-19 prompted waves of job losses and workers began to flee the labor force. In October, 61.8 percent […]
In Michigan, 1 in 3 seniors victimized by scams, more than nation, poll finds
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) The holiday season is often open season for scammers, and a poll conducted by the University of Michigan suggests that older Michiganders are more vulnerable to ripoffs than peers nationwide. A recent poll found that more than two-thirds of older Michigan residents report someone tried to scam them in the […]
Loneliness on rise, as pandemic fades, U-M study finds. Programs offer help
by Kenzie Terpstra, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – People across the nation grew familiar with social isolation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, but social disconnection had been building since before the pandemic, according to a recent advisory. In Michigan, efforts to combat social disconnection are underway. The advisory from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek […]
New Michigan laws ban domestic abusers from owning guns for eight years
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) People with domestic violence convictions of any kind won’t be allowed access to guns for eight years under legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Monday. The legislation, Senate Bills 471 and 528 and House Bill 4945, suspends access to guns for those convicted of a misdemeanor involving domestic violence. Those subject to the ban would be […]
U-M’s mastodon man calls it a career after decades of solving Ice Age mysteries
by Aaron Martin & Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) ANN ARBOR — Dan Fisher came to the University of Michigan to study fossilized horseshoe crabs. When he retires at the end of 2023, Fisher will leave U-M as one of the world’s foremost experts in mammoths and mastodons, the elephant-like giants of the Ice Age. His retirement marks the […]
Is Michigan ripe for a women-majority Legislature? Advocates eye one in ‘24
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Tracy-Ann Jennings never imagined herself managing political campaigns, let alone running her own. But after a friend expressed interest in running for mayor, the Benton Harbor resident — a consultant and mom of four with a background in municipal government and economic development — wondered what it would take to […]
