1-in-10 people in U.S. over 65 has dementia, U-M study finds
by Robin Erb One in ten people aged 65 and older has dementia, according to a new national study that builds on long-time research at the University of Michigan. Another 22% of study subjects had a mild cognitive impairment, according to the study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Neurology publication. […]
Michigan warns absentee ballots deluge may delay Nov. 8 election results
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Michigan officials are warning the results of the Nov. 8 election may not be known for a full day because of a huge volume of absentee ballots. Jack Rollow, chief external affairs officer for the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, said Tuesday the volume will make it hard for all […]
Michigan students made slow progress last year after pandemic disruptions
Tracie Mauriello, Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan) Michigan students are making academic progress, but not fast enough to fully make up for losses over the past two years. Students who learned remotely in 2020-21 because of the pandemic continued to learn more slowly than their peers in the 2021-22 school year that ended in June, even after they […]
Democrats vs. Republicans: Who will win control of the Michigan Legislature?
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) There are a lot of political contests to keep tabs on in Michigan, but don’t sleep on state legislative races. Michigan has had a Republican trifecta over 14 of the last 30 years, controlling the executive branch and both legislative chambers. Democrats never controlled all branches over that time. Although […]
Michigan’s 1.8M Catholics called on to stop Proposal 3. Will it work?
by Yue Stella Yu & Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Gerardo Torres’s eyes were shut, his fingers running through rosary beads. Smoke from burning incense rose into the air and vanished. Rain pounded the roof. Torres knelt with dozens of other parishioners at the Chapel of Our Lady of Orchard Lake for one purpose: to pray that […]
Michigan court scuttles new election challenger rules; Benson to appeal
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan judge has invalidated new rules intended to regulate the behavior of challengers and poll watchers at the Nov. 8 election, finding that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson overstepped her authority. Court of Claims Judge Brock Swartzle this week found that the Bureau of Elections, which is overseen by […]
Frankenmuth kept to its chickens during pandemic. Now, it’s thriving.
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) FRANKENMUTH — Close to 3 million visitors will stop in this German-themed downtown this year to see dachshunds race, drink at swim-up bars in water parks, and shop in Main Street stores that sell cheese, kilts and 50,000 Christmas ornaments. Frankenmuth, known as Michigan’s “Little Bavaria,” is heading into its […]
With insulin costs rising, Michigan plots early steps to produce its own
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan lawmaker bent on finding cheaper insulin for residents with diabetes — as low as $60 a month — has turned to two U.S. drug companies poised to introduce new insulin products as early as 2024. If all goes well, Michigan residents could be getting insulin by 2024 for […]
Amid monarch butterfly crisis, will Michigan rise to the challenge?
by Irving Mejia-Hilario (Michigan Environmental Watch/Bridge Michigan) Emily Miller, a fourth-grade teacher who lives in Lambertville, so admires monarch butterflies she converted her garden into an oasis for the winged pollinators and wrote a children’s book about them. “I’ve always loved watching butterflies float through my gardens, and the thought of no longer seeing their bright orange […]
As mask battles fade, Michigan school boards face new culture-war debates
by Tracie Mauriello & Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (Bridge Michigan) Two years ago, while COVID was raging through Michigan, so were battles at local school board meetings. Across the state, volunteer board members who typically spent their time poring over budgets and contracts struggled to contend with a vocal public sharply divided over mask mandates and online learning. […]
