Jobless claims during the pandemic cost the state billions and put pressure on business to keep the fund solvent. But there’s hope that federal aid will fund the relief instead of business owners.

Detroit and Michigan officials understand the importance of racial equity in distribution of the COVID vaccine, but the state currently lacks the infrastructure to achieve it. Detroit, however, is one of the few places in the state to track vaccinations by race.

After years of decline, the sale of state hunting and fishing licenses soared in 2020, particularly among young people. But some question if this marks a trend or a blip, and whether Michigan needs a new, more reliable model for funding conservation.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed to combat racial disparities as the pandemic tore through Michigan last year. A member of her COVID task force calls the state’s failure to collect racial data “almost criminal.” State officials say they’re working on it.

A $370 million infusion could make child care more affordable for 150,000 families and keep struggling child care centers afloat.

From Albion and Detroit to Saginaw, Flint and Pontiac, cities that relief on local income taxes suffered big budget shortfalls due to increased unemployment from the pandemic.

Spend the way out of the pandemic or be prudent? That could be the debate, as the Democratic governor seeks big boosts in pandemic pay, free college and a major infrastructure investment.

From psychiatrists to counselors to direct care workers, health agencies are unable to fill jobs as depression and substance abuse cases increase. Some state and federal programs could help nudge more doctors and therapists to underserved regions of the state.

The Michigan Senate majority leader on Tuesday apologized for conspiratorial comments. The next day he was caught on camera again, this time saying ‘I don’t take back any of the points I was trying to make.'

Nearly two-thirds of Michigan teachers have received at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine or are set to get it, according to a survey by the state’s largest teachers union, spurring more districts to make plans to reopen.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is in hot water again after he went off-script in a video secretly filmed by a Hillsdale County activist who says the top Republican candidate isn’t conservative enough.

We agonized over this choice for months as we tried to reconcile competing goals of providing a virtual town hall for diverse opinions and restoring civility in a hyper-charged political environment.