Amid a surge in teen vaping, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer orders a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. Here’s a look at the legal, political and health implications of the nation’s first ban.
Joel Kurth
As Executive Editor of Impact, Joel oversees newsgathering, investigations, partnerships and coverage strategy at Bridge Michigan. He joined Bridge in 2017 after 17 years as an investigative reporter and editor at The Detroit News. Over his career, he has led or produced investigations that led to numerous reforms in government and health care, including policy changes about water shutoffs and surgical instrument sterilization, as well as criminal charges of government officials. In addition to authoring Bridge’s popular weekly News Quiz, he and his teams have won more than 60 state and national awards. During his 30-year career in Michigan, he also has worked at newspapers in the Upper Peninsula and Saginaw. He lives in West Bloomfield with his wife and two children. You can reach him at jkurth@bridgemi.com
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit shut off water to 11,800 homes this year. Most are still off.
Records show 62 percent of Detroit residential shutoffs were without service as of Aug. 1. The vast majority had gone a week or more, contradicting claims that the city restores nearly all water within 48 hours.
Posted inUrban Affairs
How to get help with Detroit water payments and avoid shutoffs
Every year, thousands of Detroit customers are disconnected for nonpayment. Many resources exist for help. Here is what is available.
Posted inMichigan Government
Hey, CNN: Ask Democratic candidates these 6 Michigan policy questions
From stagnant population to Great Lakes threats and lousy sewers, Michigan has extraordinary problems that require specific solutions. This is what we want the Democratic presidential hopefuls to address.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Thanks for making Detroit cool, artists. Here’s your eviction.
As rising rents displace artists in Detroit, an ownership change and evictions at the onetime headquarters of the Grand River Creative Corridor sparks a debate about gentrification.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Down for so long, can Detroit remember how to include neighbors in growth?
Detroit’s decline stripped neighborhood groups of power. As the city ascends, city hall manages most growth, fueling debate from Corktown to the city’s impoverished east side on the value of neighborhood voices.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Sheila Cockrel on Corktown’s transformation: ‘This is capitalism, baby’
Former City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel says she can’t disparage those in her neighborhood who are cashing in on peaking property values in the rising Detroit neighborhood.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit serious about boosting census participation, Mayor Mike Duggan says
Detroit is raising $3 million and plans to hire hundreds of workers to boost participation in the census, which provides $1,800 per person annually in federal funds.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan leads nation in PFAS. It will lead cleanups, too, U.S. reps say
A bipartisan group from Michigan’s congressional delegation vows to protect waterways in Michigan, push for PFAS standards and explore ways to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan.
Posted inUrban Affairs
She was born to fight – and did for 3 years without water in Detroit
Fayette Coleman was tough as nails and endured an epic water shutoff. Now, activists wonder if that led to her death. Despite 100,000 shutoffs, no one knows because the issue is scarcely researched.