How scores, staff, enrollment changed across Michigan Schools over the last decade
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) In the past decade, Michigan increased spending to K-12 public education by $2.1 billion but the results have been poor to mixed, with students statewide scoring worse than they had prior to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s led to consternation among statewide leaders looking to boost the state’s fortunes by improving […]
Dead eagles get new life with Michigan tribes, but bird flu extends wait
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) For Native American tribes in Michigan, eagle feathers and other parts hold a deep spiritual meaning. But getting them to use in sacred ceremonies can take years — and a bird flu outbreak is making the wait even longer. Officials say new procedures to limit the spread of Highly […]
MEDC chief: ‘I was not aware’ of $20M state business grant caught in probe
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is defending the agency’s handling of a $20 million state grant at the heart of an embezzlement investigation. Quentin Messer Jr. said Tuesday that the MEDC followed legislative direction in monitoring the grant, which lawmakers awarded to former MEDC board member Fay Beydoun in 2022. […]
Children & Families Michigan program aims to expand benefits for child care workers
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) Emma Knode is exactly the kind of worker Michigan needs more of. She works at a child care center in Lansing and has a psychology degree with a focus in child development. At 26 years old, she’s passionate and wants to make this a lifelong career — but she’s not […]
Crypto mining comes to Michigan. How does it work?
by Justin A. Hinkley (Bridge Michigan) At least a handful of crypto mines — essentially large computers that try to solve complex equations to earn crypto coins as a reward — have popped up in Michigan in recent years, sometimes to the chagrin of their neighbors. It’s difficult to say how many mines exist in […]
Michigan public health agencies ax programs amid federal cuts
by Ricardo Martin, Cadillac News (Bridge Michigan) A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Michigan’s local public health departments as they prepare their fiscal year 2026 budgets. That’s because the health departments have been hit in recent months by a triple whammy of budgetary setbacks: In March, President Donald Trump abruptly cut federal COVID-19 relief funding that health […]
Michigan loses massive semiconductor plant. Whitmer blames ‘national economic turmoil’
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Magazine) The company planning a massive semiconductor manufacturing center that promised 10,000 jobs near Flint pulled the plug on the deal this week, according to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who blamed the move on “national economic turmoil.” The Sandisk Corporation had been eying the Genesee County megasite — about 1,300 acres so far, […]
Michigan marijuana market cratering, amid oversupply, ‘difficult market’
by Justin A. Hinkley (Bridge Michigan) After years of growth, marijuana sales are slowing and prices are dropping in Michigan, choked by increasing competition and oversupply. Last month, Toronto-based cannabis company TerrAscend announced it would completely exit the Michigan market, closing 20 retail stores and four cultivation facilities. The company’s executive chairperson in a statement called […]
Whitmer breaks silence on $20M earmark probe, says she’s ‘very troubled’ by allegations
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she’s “very troubled” by embezzlement allegations that followed a $20 million budget earmark, telling reporters Thursday that any grantee misusing state funds “should expect to be held accountable.” The investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office is focused on Fay Beydoun, a Whitmer donor who […]
Sugar Loaf ski resort may get new life as public recreational area
by Astrid Code (Bridge Magazine) For over two decades, the abandoned Sugar Loaf ski resort sat as a blight on Leelanau County’s picturesque landscape. After a string of owners that let the property fall into disrepair, Leelanau Conservancy announced plans Thursday to restore the site as an all-year public recreation area. The current landowner is handing […]
