Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used her line-item veto power to cut several GOP budget priorities in hopes of restarting negotiations. Rural Michigan is among the hardest hit.

No money for Pure Michigan and less for rural hospitals. More money for Medicaid work rules and water testing. How Gretchen Whitmer’s nearly $1 billion in changes could have a big impact on everyday residents.

Cyberattacks on public bodies and hospitals in Michigan can cost millions if they don’t take steps to train workers and protect computer systems. “It’s just going to get worse,” one expert told Bridge Magazine.

The Canadian energy company halted the advertisements after MCFN and Bridge Magazine revealed the company did not have permission to run the photo and critics called the ads misleading.

Government shutdown avoided, as Whitmer cuts nearly $1 billion in the $59.9 billion budget through line-item vetoes. But a bigger battle could be looming, as she plans to invoke a rarely used power to change the Republican-approved budget.

An unprecedented budget fight will continue Tuesday morning at a meeting that could see Gov. Gretchen Whitmer exercise a rare power reserved for governors. Whitmer also trimmed nearly $1 billion from the Republican-led Legislature’s $59.9 billion budget.

Bridge is expanding yet again, seeking an enterprising reporter to help launch the Michigan Business Watch to cover the state’s vibrant business community.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it didn’t give Enbridge Energy permission to feature an agency researcher in a statewide advertising campaign to protect the Line 5 oil pipeline. One person who worked with the researcher called the ads “dishonest.”

Small rural hospitals are getting squeezed by competition and market forces, forcing painful consolidations, sales and closures. Nationwide, 113 rural hospitals have closed in less than a decade.

For Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, in a sparsely populated former mining region in remote Michigan, merger points to a brighter future.

Rising fiscal challenges force independent Michigan hospitals to seek alliances. They can save the hospitals, but some critics ask at what cost.

At a cost of $1.5 million or more, low-flying aircraft will spray 2.5 miles around each confirmed EEE case across southwest Michigan and beyond.