Michigan refugees left in limbo under resettlement suspension
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Faith-based groups across Michigan are scrambling to assist more than 1,000 new refugees who had entered the state before President Donald Trump halted US resettlement programs and funding to feed, clothe and house new arrivals. “What this does is, it creates homelessness,” said Kelli Dobner of Samaritas, the Michigan affiliate […]
Get ready for a rare treat, Michigan: 7 planets appearing in a sky near you
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michigan astronomy buffs: Save the date. On Feb. 28, seven planets will appear in the sky simultaneously. Since January, astronomy fans have enjoyed a “parade” of six planets in the night sky. Four of them are visible to the naked eye — Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn — with […]
Why not put Michigan solar farms on parking lots instead of farmland?
by Kelly House (Bridge Magazine) EAST LANSING — Not too long ago, scores of Michigan State University students began winter weekends by digging their cars out of snowdrifts at the school’s commuter lots, while breathing soot from a coal-fired power plant across the street. Those days are over, thanks to 45 acres of solar-powered carports […]
Michigan lawmakers strike deal on wages and tips — but not sick leave, yet
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan’s Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House appear to have reached a deal to accelerate a court-ordered minimum wage increase but retain the state’s lower base pay rate for tipped workers. But the wage plan, as written and approved by the Senate late Thursday in a bipartisan 20-12 vote, […]
Michigan universities would lose millions if Trump caps research costs
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Michigan universities and hospitals stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding under a change in policy at the National Institutes of Health that a federal judge temporarily blocked Monday. The change from President Donald Trump’s administration is intended to rein in administrative costs and direct more money toward […]
Michigan public K-12 school enrollment falls again
by Mike Wilkinson and Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Enrollment in Michigan’s K-12 public schools fell again in 2024-25, though it was the smallest drop in several years, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis of state enrollment data released Thursday. Overall K-12 enrollment stood at 1,382,099 down 6,441 or 0.5% this past fall compared to 2023-24. […]
Michigan ‘red flag’ gun law, year 1: 287 confiscation orders, 84 denials
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Police and individuals requested nearly 400 extreme risk protection gun confiscation orders last year under Michigan’s new “red flag” gun law, according to new state data. Most — but not all — of the orders were approved by judges, often before a court hearing, because the owner appeared […]
Careful out there. Snow, cold equal more visits to Michigan emergency rooms
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) With yet another round of fresh snow blanketing the state, winter’s in high gear in Michigan — and, inevitably, that means steady business for emergency rooms and urgent-care centers across the state. While data on winter-related trips to the ER isn’t readily available, doctors tell Bridge they see an […]
Flu cases surging in Michigan. What to know and how to stay safe
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) If it seems like everybody around you these days is getting sick, it may not be your imagination. Flu cases have been surging in Michigan and throughout the country. As of Jan. 25 — the latest data available — nearly 8% of patients who visited emergency rooms and urgent-care […]
Whitmer’s $84B plan for Michigan schools, housing and more: What to know
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday proposed an $83.5 billion budget her administration said would help make the state more affordable for families and help students, seniors, the environment and more. The second-term Democrat’s spending proposal for next fiscal year is $1 billion larger than the $82.5 billion budget […]
