Amid frustrations from some business owners about emergency orders, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she’s weighing case counts, vaccine development and other factors in determining how long the crisis will last.

New construction remains suppressed across the state, and low- to middle-income residents are bearing the brunt of the lack of affordable new homes. Bob Filka, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Michigan, hopes to lead policy changes to make more building possible at mid-range prices.

In the 3rd Congressional District, a Peter Meijer ad links Hillary Scholten to riot sympathizers. A mix of thin facts and insinuation, it’s inflammatory and misleading.

Prices are climbing and competition is fierce as traditionally slow areas of Michigan become real-estate hotspots. No longer geographically tied to their workplaces and enjoying low interest rates, buyers are sparking a ‘feeding frenzy’ in northern Michigan.

A group of more than 30 news outlets and transparency groups wrote to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday, asking her to require schools to report COVID-19 outbreaks faster. The information comes as cases soar among some colleges and schools.

Ron French is one of eight journalists nationally to receive the fellowship at Princeton University. He will continue working at Bridge while participating in the fellowship remotely due to COVID-19.

COVID is spreading at Grand Valley through off-campus gatherings and students who become infected aren’t saying who they’ve been hanging out with, health officials said.

Republican legislators accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration of failing to adequately prepare for the pandemic. “20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing,” countered state health director Robert Gordon.

Gary Peters points to near-perfect attendance on votes and record of passing bills to rebut arguments from John James that he skips work. The claims are true but fail to mention most senators have sterling attendance records.

President Trump has cut refugees and curtailed foreign guest workers. Joe Biden wants to restore higher admissions for people seeking to escape persecution in other countries. Michigan has a stake in which candidate prevails.

So far, the wildfire smoke hovering over Michigan has not impacted regional air quality. But climate experts say it should serve as a sobering reminder that the Great Lakes State is not immune to worsening natural disasters caused by climate change.

Michigan law now allows clerks to process absentee ballots only on Election Day. Municipal clerks say that would be a “recipe for disaster” this year given an expected surge and would delay results reporting in a closely watched presidential election.