Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Bridge Michigan

@bridgemi.com

1.4K followers 12 following 1.2K posts

We're a nonpartisan, nonprofit Michigan news site focused on facts. Our free newsletter is more consistent and complete. Subscribe: http://bridgemi.com/signup

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 9h

Michigan’s bipartisan budget deal aims to ‘protect’ Medicaid. Here’s how

Michigan is seeking to avoid steep losses in federal funding for Medicaid by changing an insurance provider tax. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says a new state budget will ‘protect access to health care for millions.’

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 11h

Michigan sex ed overhaul plan sparks debate: Inclusivity or indoctrination?

In first update since 2007, proposed sex ed standards would encourage Michigan schools to discuss gender identity and expression with students by eighth grade.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 12h

Tiny Michigan town hopes to stop data center with ballot initiative

Officials in Augusta Township, near Ann Arbor, see millions of dollars in tax revenue, but more than 950 residents who signed ballot petitions fear endless noise, pollution and higher electric rates.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 14h

Spooky season starts early for Michigan’s Halloween diehards. It’s not cheap

Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on Halloween this year, making it the nation’s second-largest commercial holiday, behind Christmas.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 15h

Opinion | Michigan special education families need solutions, not spin

Michigan special education complaints are up because parents know the system is failing them.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 1d

Are Michigan chimps people with rights? Court to weigh question

A court hearing Tuesday will determine whether an Upper Peninsula zoo should have to justify the captivity of chimpanzees.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 1d

Road funding 101: What to know about Michigan’s $2B deal

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday celebrated the state’s new bipartisan road funding deal, which is historic in scope but still short of earlier targets. See what roads will get fixed, and which taxes will go up, as a result.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 1d

Fluoride wars spark raucous debate over water treatment in Michigan county

After decades of fluoridating drinking water to improve public health, some communities are wavering on the practice. In St. Clair County, the medical director is mirroring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts against fluoridation.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 4d

What to know about Michigan whitefish crisis, from limits to solutions

Invasive mussels that blanket the depths of lakes Huron and Michigan have pushed whitefish to the brink of extinction. What to know about possible solutions and why Lake Superior so far is spared.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 4d

Whitefish crash has Michigan fishers on the brink: ‘It makes you want to cry’

Only a few dozen commercial fishing operations remain on the Great Lakes, as invasive species have decimated the industry. It’s a collapse unlike any in the world, and solutions are few.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 4d

Bridge Michigan News Quiz: Oct. 10, 2025: Prepare to be amazed

Paying attention to the news? Prove it by answering these 10 questions and win some prizes.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 4d

Michigan budget bans financial incentives to boost attendance on Count Day

School budget also requires transparency on reading curricula, eliminates virtual instruction days and includes more money for schools to lower class sizes.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 5d

Michigan taxes on tips, overtime, Social Security to end for three years

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law an exemption on income taxes for tips, overtime and social security income this week. The tax cut will be in place from 2026 through 2028.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 5d

Michigan deer hunting season off to strong start despite disease concerns

Michigan’s deer hunting season is underway. State officials expect a strong year despite lingering effects from a March ice storm in northern Michigan and continued reports of deer disease in the southern Lower Peninsula.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 5d

New Wayne State program aims to remove college barriers for Detroit students

Warriors on the Rise, a new enrollment program announced in September, offers guaranteed enrollment to qualified high school juniors at Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Fate of health care tax credits for 484K Michiganders in limbo amid shutdown

Republicans and Democrats in Congress are divided on a government spending plan, while a decision to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits remains in limbo. Here’s what that means for Michigan.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Michigan Marijuana group sues to block new tax central to road funding deal

An industry group wants to block implementation of a 24% wholesale tax that is central to lawmaker’s $2 billion road funding plan.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Goats help Michigan farmers battle invasive species naturally

Some Michigan landowners are turning to goats to clear invasive plants instead of using pesticides or machinery. The animals naturally graze on tough vegetation, offering an eco-friendly way to manage overgrown land.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Officials: West Michigan sewer expansion to spur growth, but they’re $7M short

The need for a redesigned pump station and inflation drove up the price tag for the project that already got $60 million from the state.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Opinion | Protect Michigan families’ health care not tax breaks for the wealthy

Small business owners, self-employed workers and middle-income families across Michigan would face impossible choices. Some would be forced to drop coverage altogether.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Bridge Culture Club returns to discuss ‘The Invisible Mammal’ documentary film

Kristin Tièche joins Bridge Culture Club on Oct. 22 to answer questions about her documentary about bats, their struggle and the humans who help them.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

Labradoodle’s special mission: Helping a Michigan tribe save rare turtles

Mooz the labradoodle is helping scientists from the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians study the threatened wood turtles. The work may lead to the use of dogs to help conserve other rare species.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 6d

How one Detroit school is using free bikes to combat chronic absenteeism

Davis Aerospace students say the bikes have helped address some systemic barriers in getting to school.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 7d

Michigan budget takes IT from Jocelyn Benson after transparency portal flop

Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will lose oversight of IT systems under a budget provision championed by House Republicans. ‘Benson has failed miserably with these public websites,’ said one lawmaker.

Bridge Michigan @bridgemi.com · 7d

Michigan students lag in reading. Will mandatory teacher training help?

Michigan leaders agree student literacy scores need to improve. One idea some are pushing is to mandate a specific ‘science of reading’ training called LETRS.