Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would lift pandemic office restrictions two weeks after 55 percent of residents got their first dose. Michigan reached that milestone Monday. Even so, offices aren’t likely to look the same as they were pre-pandemic.
In just under a month, the number of COVID-19 patients in Michigan receiving monoclonal antibody treatments soared by more than 300 percent, from about 500 patients the week for March 24, to about 1,700 the week of April 21.
The days of politicians drawing their own district maps end Tuesday, when the citizen-powered, nonpartisan redistricting commission begins a series of public meetings.
Michigan school superintendents are 95 percent white and less than 4 percent Black. And while teachers are 77 percent female, superintendents are 77 percent male. State leaders say it’s hard to find diverse candidates. Minority leaders see other factors at work.
Her refusal to answer questions about who funded a private trip to Florida follow flaps about confidential severances and reluctance to release COVID-19 records.
The state’s battered restaurant industry hasn’t had a lot to offer workers during the pandemic. Now the industry is raising wages to compete with higher-paying careers, but owners say there still aren’t enough workers to fill jobs as summer approaches.
In Charlevoix, summer homes for wealthy visitors and the need for year-round housing will clash again this summer. Some housing advocates are trying new strategies to get around the problem that’s affecting the regional workforce.
Among other things, activists testifying on behalf of Republicans raise unproven claims that smartphone apps could use artificial intelligence to spy on their social media commentary about COVID.
A Republican reform would lock boxes at 5 p.m. on Election Day, rather than the day before. Clerks say that could make it hard to vote and create long lines.
