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2024 Michigan elections: McClain hospitalized; GOP group to spend $9.4M on Senate race
Last updated: Tuesday, May 14, at 5:41 p.m. This post will be continuously updated with political and campaign news through the Nov. 5 general election. U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy Monday night, her office wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This...
Michigan senator, state at odds over financial disclosure law he helped write
LANSING — State Sen. Ed McBroom has spent years fighting for government transparency and helped craft a law requiring lawmakers and candidates to file reports detailing their incomes, outside interests and dealings with lobbyists. But one month after a deadline for public officials to file their first reports, the...
Gretchen Whitmer to moms: Paid leave, daycare would help the Michigan economy
Policies important to moms are serious economic issues, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told a New York conference. Whitmer reiterated support for paid family leave, greater access to childcare and full reproductive rights. Plans like 15 weeks of paid family leave haven’t gained traction in Michigan and are opposed by business groups...
Rain and early flowers: A bad combination for Michigan allergy sufferers
Warmer temperatures and increased rainfall may cause pollen to become more common. The mild winter and warmer springtime temperatures cause plants to bloom earlier, extending the allergy season. Over-the-counter nasal sprays and eye drops can help alleviate common allergy symptoms, like itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. After an unseasonably warm...
Michigan lawmakers may require high schools to teach computer science
A bill sponsored by Democrats would require public high schools to offer a computer science course to students. Proponents of the bill say offering the course will help schools prepare students for high-demand jobs. Michigan public high schools would be required to offer a computer science course, under a bill...
Flint water crisis: Did ‘myth’ of lead harm become self-fulfilling prophecy?
FLINT — Laurie Frost’s 11-year-old grandson was slow to walk and slower to speak. He struggles academically and has been held back a grade. He and his sister frequently say “that they can’t achieve nothing, you know, because they aren’t good enough,” said their grandmother, Laurie Frost, who is their caretaker.
For children of Flint water crisis, stigma lives on: ‘I feel like a lab rat’
FLINT — For the children of Flint, the water crisis never ended. Most still do not drink tap water, even when they travel outside the city. On average, they do worse in school, are more depressed and have a profound distrust of government. And they are very, very tired...
Flint water crisis still crippling kids’ futures. But not because of lead
On average, Flint students are learning less than before the city’s water crisis. A growing body of research, though, suggests lead is not the cause for learning troubles. That’s good news for children, suggesting the problems can be reversed with more support and better services. “I could usually...
Steep tariffs may block Chinese threats to Michigan's growing EV industry
Chinese electric vehicle company BYD displays its models in Shanghai in January. The brand sells most of its vehicles in China, where the style and lower price point appeal to customers. However, it said early this year that it plans to open a factory in Mexico to sell lower-cost vehicles there. (Robert Way / Shutterstock.com)
Opinion | Reconnecting adults to college is right move for Michigan’s workforce
Adult learners who attend college as nontraditional students are seeking one thing: a better job that equips them to provide a brighter future for their family. Reconnecting adults to education and training is a vital step for strengthening Michigan’s workforce and attracting potential employers to relocate to the state, rather than focusing on tax incentives. The advancement in robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing requires new skills.
Ascension, owner of 15 Michigan hospitals, confirms cyberattack was ransomware
A cyberattack at one of the nation’s largest hospital chains began last week. On Monday, Ascension alerted patients it can no longer take credit cards at its own pharmacies. Patients are asked to write down health information, including symptoms and medications, for their appointments. Ascension hospitals, doctors offices, and...
Marijuana hospitalizing Michigan kids at ‘worrisome’ rate after legalization
In the five years since Michigan voters approved recreational pot, cannabis culture has engulfed everyday life, especially in Detroit. Billboards promising speedy weed delivery are everywhere. So too is a distinct skunky smell that lingers on streets, alleyways, and in apartment buildings. The increased access to weed is contributing to...
Opinion | Campus protests, young people and importance of the First Amendment
It is no secret that students at college campuses and young people across the globe are outraged about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Further, millennials and Gen Z are grappling with issues like cost of living, job security, mental health, and the stakes of the 2024 presidential election. The pile-on of these...
Amid homeschool boom, Michigan registry fight looms
Danielle Bellgowan, a homeschool mother in Michigan, organizes the used curriculum sale at the annual homeschool conference hosted by the Michigan Christian Homeschool Network. Bellgowan told Bridge Michigan that it’s important for parents to be able to find good educational materials at an affordable price. (Bridge photo: Isabel Lohman)
Michigan sheriff fought new ‘red flag’ gun law. Now he’s using it
A Livingston County sheriff who initially decried Michigan’s ‘red flag’ law as unconstitutional used it to confiscate a gun from a man last month. Despite initial concerns law enforcement agencies wouldn’t execute extreme risk protection orders, none have defied an order to date. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer...
Michigan State Police releases video of a man getting hit by an unmarked car
Samuel Sterling, 25, of Grand Rapids was struck by a Michigan State Police SUV on April 17. MSP released the video footage of the incident on YouTube ‘in the interest of transparency’. Sterling is heard crying in pain during the video. He died hours later from his injuries. Michigan...
Cyberattack forces Ascension hospitals in Michigan to reroute patients
Hackers on Wednesday broke into the patient health records and other systems at the Ascension hospital chain. That put at risk medical information at the health-care giant’s 15 Michigan hospitals and caused at least one to send arriving patients elsewhere. Patients should write down medications and symptoms, an Ascension...
Pro-Palenstinian camp continues at U-M amid national arrests, negotiations
ANN ARBOR — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus are showing little sign of letting up even after other students cleared out campus following graduation. While national news outlets had largely left, more than 50 tents remained as of Friday morning, and demonstrators again vowed...
Severe solar storm will make northern lights visible in Michigan
Michigan residents may be able to catch the northern lights Friday night. The light show, when it appears, is typically limited to northern regions of the state. A geomagnetic storm caused by coronal mass ejection from the sun can make the show visible in lower parts of the country. Earth...
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