Communities with higher percentages of African Americans so far have been hit harder by the coronavirus in Michigan. Lawmakers want more data about victims to allocate resources, but some fear a backlash from publicizing the information.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature to extend her emergency authority by 70 days amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The House is developing a plan to hold a session next week without violating social distancing guidelines.

Kelly House will lead Bridge Magazine coverage of Great Lakes and water issues, conservation efforts and policy challenges surrounding the state’s natural resources.

In heavily industrialized southwest Detroit, the governor’s stay-at-home order has not yet meant measurable improvement in air quality.

As coronavirus spreads across Michigan and the nation, experts are rethinking the message that only those with symptoms of the illness need to wear a mask in public.

You don’t need to be wealthy or even particularly active to thank the nurses, doctors and other medical workers risking their lives during this coronavirus pandemic. Here are some ways to help.

Coronavirus came to Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois at about the same time. All states adopted similar distancing measures, but Michigan by that time had far more coronavirus cases than its neighbors. Bridge explains in charts.

Prisons are limiting class sizes, but teachers and corrections officers worry about the spread of COVID-19, which has hit scores of inmates and staff. Officials say they are balancing health risks against the need for daily routine.

The same government orders that closed restaurants also forced soup kitchens to take their missions outside. In Detroit, volunteers pack paper bag lunches and feed the needy from parking lots.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration is “pursuing a request” for hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine from the federal government’s Strategic National Stockpile

In metro Detroit, the epicenter of Michigan’s outbreak, the pandemic is spreading rapidly as hospitals, government leaders and residents deal with medical shortages and some painful goodbyes.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to close schools for the year, graduate seniors, move other students up a grade, waive the third-grade reading law and ensure teachers and other staff are paid.