Hidden fees cost Michigan patients millions. Lawmakers push reforms
‘Facility fees’ are buried deep in bills and often include little explanation. Health officials say they need the money to stay afloat, but won’t divulge much about the charges. One expert calls them a ‘black box.’
Michigan under pressure to end ‘orphan tax’ on benefits for foster youth
A new Michigan law conserves a portion of federal benefits for former foster youth when they age out. But advocates, and the federal government, say that more should be done.
GOP faces backlash from factory workers squeezed out of jobs by Trump’s tariffs
Nelson Vandermeer voted Republican for decades. Then lost his job as a product designer at Howard Miller, a Michigan clockmaker that relied on parts produced overseas.
Can John James close the gap on Jocelyn Benson in the Michigan governor’s race?
As a national group withdraws financial support for John James, some see ‘echoes of 2022’ for the Republican gubernatorial nominee.
167K Michiganders fell off SNAP since last summer
New work requirements and paperwork are making it harder for people to keep their food assistance benefits.
Michigan communities invest millions in their rivers. Will it bring returns?
Michigan communities are investing hundreds of millions to restore rivers, remove dams and transform waterfronts into places people want to visit. One study suggests such projects can deliver big economic benefits, but many communities only know the environmental and quality-of-life returns.
Michigan’s biggest hospitals won’t say how much they collect in facility fees
Hospitals say they need the fees to stay solvent. Bridge asked the top largest how much they collect. None disclosed the amounts, but some offered partial answers.
Republicans put spotlight on Abdul El-Sayed. He welcomes the fight
Michigan’s Senate race has become a battle over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars to portray him as a dangerous radical, as El-Sayed focuses on health care and the cost of living
What’s all the buzz about yellowjackets this fall in Michigan?
Yellowjacket populations are unusually large this year in Michigan. Experts say they’re bothering people more because they’re hungry.
Fact check: What Jocelyn Benson really said about Trump’s tax bill
GOP attack ads claim Jocelyn Benson supported a ‘massive’ tax hike on working families. She said she opposed Medicaid and food stamp cuts. Here are the facts.
Bridge Michigan News Quiz, Oct. 9: Pumpkin-spiced trivia
It’s been another busy week in Michigan. Can you answer these 10 questions about the week in politics, sports and life?
Fact check: Gilchrist, Forlini spar over election denialism in SOS debate
Secretary of state nominees Garlin Gilchrist and Anthony Forlini argued whether a software engineer or county clerk would be best positioned to run the Michigan Department of State.
Fact check: Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers debate Trump, tariffs, war, more
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers traded blows in a bruising US Senate debate. Here are the facts.
Despair over future fuels political anxiety for Michigan college students
Many young people feel uncertain about their paths and pessimistic about American government. Their anxiety is fueling restlessness in national politics that has contributed to the rise of outsider candidates.
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