Michigan logs 1st RSV child death as virus fills ERs and doctors’ offices
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) A 6-year-old Michigan child has died of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a virus that has been filling doctors’ offices and emergency rooms in recent weeks, along with other respiratory viruses. It is the first publicly confirmed RSV child death in the state this season. The mounting cases have pushed pediatric […]
DTE wants to quit coal by 2035. Some in Michigan say that’s not fast enough
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) DTE Energy wants to shut down its coal plants by 2035 and triple its renewable energy output over the next two decades, making it the latest major Michigan utility to plan a major shift from fossil fuels. Shutting its Belle River and Monroe coal plants, which provide a combined 40% […]
Amazon cost-cutting hits Detroit. New facility hiring delayed until 2023.
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The massive Amazon fulfillment center built on the former state fairgrounds in Detroit will fully open at least a half-year later than originally planned, company officials say, a move that puts an estimated 1,100 warehouse jobs in the city on hold until 2023. The delay from the planned opening this […]
Michigan colleges tout nonpartisan efforts to get more students to vote
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) ANN ARBOR — On a Wednesday evening on the University of Michigan’s North Campus, students pass a colorful exhibit filled with information on how to vote. Staffers from the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office sit in front of green banners ready to help students register to vote. It’s part of […]
Michigan braces for higher interest rates after latest Fed hike
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The Federal Reserve approved its fourth consecutive 0.75% point interest rate hike on Wednesday, a sign that inflation continues well above levels the U.S. central bank considers healthy. The move means the short-term borrowing rate between banks will go to 4%, its highest level since January 2008. Longer-term interest rates […]
As Michigan election nears, some apprehension over strife at polls
by Ron French & Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) No one knows what to expect on Election Day in Michigan. Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently warned of possible “violence and disruption” on Nov. 8 and beyond. Her Republican opponent, Kristina Karamo, claimed Benson and Democrats will spend Election Day trying to “suppress” Republican poll […]
Nonprofit buys 31,000 forested acres by Copper Harbor to keep land public
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Tens of thousands of acres of beloved Upper Peninsula forest will remain undeveloped and open to the public, after an environmental nonprofit bought the property from its hedge-fund owners. The Nature Conservancy announced Thursday it had struck a deal to purchase more than 31,000 acres in the forests of Michigan’s […]
More Michigan parents opt to skip school vaccines for their children
by Robin Erb & Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) The number of Michigan parents seeking school vaccination waivers for their children continues to grow — with rates nearly as high by the end of 2021 as they were in 2014, the year before the state began mandating “education” sessions with vaccine-reluctant parents. In four Michigan counties […]
Tudor Dixon and Gretchen Whitmer polar opposites on Michigan environment
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Year after year, water quality ranks high among Michigan voters’ concerns. And research shows most Americans are concerned about climate change. But you wouldn’t know it by watching Michigan’s first gubernatorial debate or studying the campaign websites of incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon. With the exception of a […]
Michigan to require schools to post parents’ rights in buildings, offices
by Tracie Mauriello, Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan) It’s been 45 years since Michigan lawmakers passed a law guaranteeing parents the right to direct the education of their children. Now lawmakers want to make sure parents know about it. A new law enacted last week requires school districts and the Michigan Department of Education to prominently post excerpts […]
