New COVID shot approved, could be in Michigan this week. What to know
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Updated COVID shots will be available to Michiganders in the coming days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday approved their use for nearly all adults and children. Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s new director, signed off on the recommendation Tuesday by the CDC’s Advisory Committee […]
Michigan braces for UAW strike as contract negotiations head to final week
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Thursday, September 14 looms as a pivotal day for Michigan and its auto industry, as the national contracts with the United Auto Workers are set to expire that day amid escalating speculation that a strike may be unavoidable. No significant public progress has been reported in the negotiations with the so-called […]
COVID hospitalizations surge in Michigan. Doctors remain cautiously optimistic
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) A new wave of COVID-19 infections is sending an increasing number of Michigan residents to the doctor office — and the hospital. COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped by more than a third Wednesday, with the state reporting 388 COVID-19-positive patients statewide, up from 289 last Friday. The number in intensive care units […]
Michigan denies almost all pothole repair claims, despite billions in damages
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) When Rob Conat saw a police car and a few other vehicles on the shoulder of Interstate 96 while driving to work last September, he started what became an expensive lane switch. Thunk. The Walker resident’s Ford C-Max hybrid lurched as it hit a long, thin, hard-to-spot pothole along the centerline […]
More over-the-counter Narcan to hit Michigan shelves amid opioid epidemic
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) More Michigan pharmacies may soon carry Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, following federal action to increase access to the drug earlier this year. Addressing an opioid epidemic that killed 83,000 people nationwide in 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March approved Narcan, made with the drug naloxone, for over-the-counter […]
It’s peak yellowjacket season in Michigan, and they’re as mean as ever
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) It’s September, and that means yellowjackets are at their peak in Michigan. They may look like bees, but the vicious insect has no qualms about attacking. “This is the time of year when the colonies are at their maximum size,” said Howard Russell, entomologist at Michigan State University. “It’s […]
Michigan rents are rising, prompting debate about tenant protections
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Ty Lancaster says he slept in his pickup truck when he first moved from Florida to Michigan this summer. Then the pickup truck broke down, Lancaster said, and he was truly without shelter. He said he had to sleep in a park near the Lansing Capitol lawn […]
After local pushback, Michigan Dems seek state oversight of green energy
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) State Democratic leaders hope to muzzle the battles at local township boards that have often throttled Michigan’s green energy efforts by moving control of the siting of energy projects to the state’s Public Service Commission. House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Abraham Aiyash, D-Hamtramck, told Bridge Michigan Monday he plans to […]
5 things to know as Michigan COVID cases rise into the fall
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) As summer winds down, it seems increasingly clear that another kind of season is just ahead: COVID. Heading toward its fourth autumn in Michigan, the virus behind COVID-19 which is now linked to nearly 39,000 deaths in Michigan seemingly has snapped into seasonal rhythms, with cases and hospitalizations on the […]
Over 80,000 Michigan residents lost Medicaid benefits in first month
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) More than 80,500 Michigan residents lost Medicaid coverage in the first full monthly accounting of Medicaid re-enrollment efforts in the state, which amounts to 37 percent of those scheduled to re-enroll in June, according to the latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The vast […]
