Trump plans 35% tariffs on Canada, Michigan’s biggest trade partner
by The Associated Press & Bridge Staff (Bridge Michigan) WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said in a letter that he will raise taxes on many imported goods from Canada to 35%, deepening a rift between two North American countries that have suffered a debilitating blow to their decades-old alliance. The Thursday letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is […]
Michigan doctors urge vaccination as measles cases hit national record
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) The nation just hit a grim record for measles — the highest number of cases in 33 years. Michigan doctors are urging parents to vaccinate their kids to prevent more outbreaks. The US declared the vaccine-preventable disease eliminated in 2000, but 1,288 measles cases have been reported this year. Michigan has 18 confirmed […]
Future of climate ‘resilience hubs’ uncertain after cuts
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (Bridge Michigan) Plans to provide supportive services to residents during and after disasters in Benton Harbor, develop four local emergency shelters in Kalamazoo and equip 15 soup kitchens, churches and mosques in Detroit with electric vehicle chargers and battery storage have all been at a standstill since early May. That’s when […]
Marshall breathes sigh of relief as Ford battery plant spared from Trump EV cuts
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Ford Motor Co.’s massive electric vehicle battery factory under construction in Marshall will be eligible for federal tax credits after revisions to President Donald Trump’s so-called $3.4 trillion “big, beautiful bill.” The change follows a warning from the automaker’s executive chair Bill Ford Jr. in May, when he told Michigan […]
Fe, a record-setting Michigan loon, births ‘downy fluffballs’ No. 43 and 44
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan loon that experts say was already “the world’s most productive” has done it again. Fe, the record-breaking loon in the Upper Peninsula, just added two more chicks to a brood that’s spanned more than three decades. She recently hatched number 43 and 44 at Seney National Wildlife […]
Most Michiganders voted early or absentee in 2024
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) Early in-person voting was the most common way to cast a ballot in three Michigan counties in last year’s presidential election and was especially popular in areas that backed Donald Trump. More than 1.2 million voters used the new option, which gives residents at least nine days of early, in-person […]
Trump gets his ‘big, beautiful bill.’ What it means for Michigan
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) The US House on Thursday gave final approval to a sweeping legislation that promises more tax breaks and border security but less spending on Medicaid and food assistance. Michigan’s Congressional delegation voted along party lines for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which passed the House 218-214 and is heading […]
No deal: In blow to schools, Michigan’s divided Legislature misses budget deadline
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) Democrats and Republicans in Michigan’s newly divided Legislature failed to pass a budget by a Tuesday deadline written into state law — a blow for schools that sought funding certainty as they finalize their own spending plans. It’s been “extremely frustrating” said Robert McCann, executive director of the K-12 Alliance of […]
Can Michigan’s forests survive climate change? One researcher is finding out
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (Bridge Michigan) As Michigan’s climate warms, tree species like red pine and eastern white pine may no longer thrive here. Their native regions are moving north faster than forests can keep up with. That could have devastating consequences for Michigan’s $26.5 billion timber industry and rob the state of the ecological services the […]
Opioid crisis cost Michigan $38 billion in 2024, new analysis finds
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Opioid use cost Michigan $38 billion last year in lost productivity and wages, along with the cost of criminal proceedings and treatment, according to a new comprehensive analysis. And if lost quality and years of life were factored into the equation, the cost for Michigan would balloon to nearly $162 […]
