It’s pothole season, and Michigan’s are among the nation’s worst, study finds
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Some Michigan counties are amid one of the worst pothole seasons in years, pushing road crews to work overtime to make repairs. Substantial rains in February followed by freezing temperatures created a mess on roads. Melting snow and ice seep into pavement, freeze, expand and thaw, then open holes in […]
Angry Up North: scars linger after Michigan school mask mandates end
By Ron French (Bridge Michigan) CHARLEVOIX—Tuesday’s meeting of the Health District of Northwest Michigan board of directors hadn’t started yet, and it was already crowded and overheated. Someone opened a window and a 25-degree breeze swept past about 30 people sitting together wearing facemasks, and wafted toward another group of 30 — mostly on the […]
Michigan Supreme Court weighs whether law bans LGBT discrimination
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — The Michigan Supreme Court could soon decide whether the state’s civil-rights law guarantees broad anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender residents. In a rare move, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel personally appeared before the court Wednesday to defend the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, which in 2018 issued an […]
Ypsilanti’s Haab’s Restaurant ends 87-year run, another institution gone
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan YPSILANTI—The songs of Frank Sinatra still came through the speaker in the lobby of Haab’s Restaurant on Friday afternoon, but this time his crooning about good-byes hit closer to home. Unlike a regular weekday, the inner door was locked. Behind the glass, the counter was empty. And the phone lines kept […]
What Michigan can do as global report details ‘closing window’ on climate
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Climate change is irreversibly damaging global ecosystems, economies and human health and wellbeing, according to a landmark report published Monday, and experts say Michigan won’t emerge unscathed. Monday’s report, authored by a team of scientists from around the globe, outlines the risks of continued dependence on fossil fuels, and warns […]
Michigan Republicans to Whitmer: We dare you to veto income tax cuts
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – Michigan’s Republican-led Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a $2.5 billion plan that would cut individual income tax, expand senior relief and create a child tax credit but force unspecified spending cuts in future years. The election-year proposal now heads to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, putting pressure on the […]
Ann Arbor wants more housing and fewer cars. Is ‘unzoning’ the answer?
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) ANN ARBOR—More than 80,000 commuters enter this college town daily for work, just one sign of the vitality found in Michigan’s fifth largest city. The influx represents two-thirds of the number of people already living in Ann Arbor, a situation that leaves traffic abundant and underscores what city leaders see as […]
A Michigan abortion ban could ‘shock’ state politics ahead of 2022 election
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING—Michigan women could lose legal access to abortion this summer, an increasingly realistic possibility that could dramatically redefine the contours of state and national politics just months ahead of pivotal midterm elections. Candidates, political parties, advocacy organizations and ballot groups across the state are drawing battle lines as a conservative-tilted […]
Marijuana prices plummet in Michigan. Customers are happy, farmers worried
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s marijuana prices hit all-time lows in January, which is great for retailers and customers but has smaller growers sounding alarms. Record marijuana supply is driving down prices so much customers are buying it at record rates. There’s 55 times more pot on the market and people are purchasing it at […]
Michigan ballot measure seeks to cap payday loan rates
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING—A coalition of consumer and civil rights groups hoping to tighten regulations for the payday loan industry in Michigan launched signature gathering efforts Wednesday to bring the issue before voters in November. Michiganders for Fair Lending, a Grand Rapids-based organization, is spearheading a ballot initiative that would cap the maximum […]
