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. […]
Medicare open enrollment begins in Michigan: What to know
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) As Medicare’s open enrollment period began last Saturday, there are a number of upfront savings for beneficiaries reviewing plans for 2023. The changes are owing to a variety of unlikely factors, from the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act to the flop of a once-promising Alzheimer’s drug. Michigan’s 2.1 million […]
Michigan Proposal 2: What’s true, false, unknown about the voting ballot question
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Michigan voters will determine whether to allow early in-person voting, private donations for public elections and a slew of other voting changes when considering Proposal 2 on Nov. 8. Voting “yes” would amend Michigan’s constitution to allow nine days of early in-person voting, add an absentee-ballot box in every city and township and […]
Social Security increase: 2.2 million in Michigan to get $140 more per month
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Social Security payments will increase an average of $140 per month starting in January for 2.2 million Michigan residents receiving the benefit. On Thursday, the U.S. Social Security Administration announced an 8.7% cost of living increase, the biggest increase in more than four decades. In Michigan, more than a third […]
Michigan gas prices are up again. Here is why.
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s gas prices, up about 17 cents a gallon over last week alone, continue to rise. Regular gas was $4.34 in Michigan on Thursday, a 10-cent increase compared to Wednesday and 48 cents higher than the national average of $3.86. According to AAA reports, drivers are paying 51 cents more today than […]
