Feds authorize ‘game-changer’ anti-COVID pill as omicron hits Michigan
By Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) With the nation scrambling to blunt the spread of COVID, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization Wednesday to the first pill to fight the virus. The prescription-only treatment, Paxlovid, is a combination of two tablets, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, which work together to gum up and ultimately stop the virus’ ability […]
Michigan has an obesity problem. That could make COVID even worse
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge Michigan) Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are learning more about why so many obese people are hospitalized and dying from the coronavirus — and that could have big implications for Michigan. Conventional medical thinking has linked higher COVID-19 deaths among the obese to underlying health conditions like diabetes and […]
10 years of strict teacher evaluations haven’t boosted learning in Michigan
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) In 2011, Michigan implemented a tough new teacher evaluation system in which educators’ annual job reviews were based partly on the standardized test scores of their students. The plan seemed straight-forward: Reward good teachers, weed out bad ones and Michigan’s moribund learning would improve. A decade later, that experiment is […]
Walleye love perch too much. So Michigan is expanding walleye fishing.
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) The state’s Natural Resource Commission is making walleye season year-round on the Saginaw River in hopes that anglers will help reduce the population of the fish, which has been gorging on yellow perch in Saginaw Bay. The order, which passed last week, opens the Saginaw River for an additional 45 […]
National Popular Vote compact won’t make Michigan 2022 ballot
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — A bipartisan group pushing to elect presidents based on the national popular vote is pulling the plug on plans for a 2022 ballot proposal in Michigan, organizers confirmed Thursday. The “Yes on National Popular Vote” committee is halting immediate plans for a petition drive but isn’t giving up on the […]
Michigan State University, U-M will require COVID booster shots
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Students, staff and faculty at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will be required to get COVID-19 booster shots, beginning in January. Several universities and colleges already require COVID vaccinations for those without approved religious or health-related exemptions. MSU was the first public university in the state to […]
Michigan House unanimously approves changes to system that tracks child abuse
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge Michigan) The Michigan House unanimously approved legislation Tuesday intended to make it more difficult for innocent people to be added to a state registry of adults deemed a serious risk to children. The Central Registry, maintained by the Children’s Protective Services program within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, now […]
Michigan passes 25,000 COVID-19 deaths; hospitals are so full patients are dying at home
by Robin Erb and Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s hospitals are so overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients now that others who are sick are now dying at home rather than seeking care in packed emergency rooms, University of Michigan doctors said Wednesday. They added their voices to warnings from Michigan’s healthcare systems that are experiencing the […]
Omicron variant arrives in Michigan. What you need to know
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Michigan has become at least the 24th state with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, after it was detected in a fully vaccinated Kent County resident, state officials reported Thursday. The adult had a confirmed COVID-19 case on Dec. 3 but the genomic sequencing of the virus was confirmed Thursday. […]
Michigan drivers to get insurance refunds of $400 per car from trust fund
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) An insurance agency trust fund will return about $3 billion in surplus fees to Michigan drivers by issuing refunds of $400 per vehicle next year. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who in November urged refunds from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, said Tuesday that drivers should expect to receive checks in the second quarter […]
