More than 120,000 essential workers signed up for free community college tuition through the Futures for Frontliners program. The state expects to launch a similar program soon for the roughly 3 million Michigan adults over age 25 who lack a college degree.

The Great Lakes Ice cover is near record lows and expected to remain low through winter. Climatologists say unless society acts now, the warming trend will leave some bays ice-free by midcentury, threatening key ecosystems and the state’s $2.3 billion recreational fishing industry.

Ice cover can change dramatically from one year to the next, but the historical record is clear on warming trends in the Great Lakes. Professor Sapna Sharma of York University in Toronto explains the scientific basis for the dire predictions.

COVID-19 cases are dropping statewide, but at Michigan’s two biggest universities, new coronavirus concerns have led to campus clampdowns on gatherings.

State environmental officials acknowledge public concerns about the proposed tunnel, but said state law limited their nine-month review to a narrow question: Would tunnel construction activities comply with Michigan’s environmental laws? Substantial legal obstacles remain for the company.

There are signs of an uneven recovery as Detroit’s home values grow by $1 billion since ’19.

Michiganders filled northern Ohio restaurants over the past two months while Michigan was one of the last states to allow restaurants to reopen with some indoor dining. But other states that opened sooner still saw businesses struggle under capacity restrictions and continued fears of virus transmission.

How can you govern if half the party believes a lie? That’s a question former U.S. Rep. Mitchell and others have asked, but others who pushed fraud claims say they had a responsibility to investigate.

Michigan governor keeps it brief in her third State of State speech, while Republicans block appointments and threaten to withhold federal COVID funding unless Whitmer relaxes business and school restrictions.

After a rocky launch, Michigan now ranks 20th among states in vaccine distribution. But frustration remains because some counties appear to do better than others and demand far outpaces supply.

The variant, known as B.1.1.7., spreads faster and takes longer to detect, worrying health officials already racing to distribute a short supply of vaccines.

If you missed Tuesday’s talk on what’s in store for Bridge Michigan’s coverage this year, watch our chat with the editorial leadership.