In a report detailing 86 recommendations designed to improve dam safety in Michigan, members of a state task force focused on changes to state law and policy, along with funding fixes to prevent future dam failures like the Edenville break in May.

The racial groups who have been hit hardest by this pandemic are underrepresented among those who have received the vaccine. Even worse, we do not have race data on more than a million people who’ve gotten a shot.

One day after Michigan released data showing white residents are far more likely to receive the vaccine, a Senate committee voted to dump a distribution formula that gave more doses to minority and impoverished communities.

A growing percentage of Michigan students have the option of learning in classrooms at least part of the week, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decline and vaccinations rise.

Masks, plexiglass and canceled vacations during the pandemic all likely contributed to a dramatic drop in influenza cases in Michigan. The safety measures may also explain drops in other respiratory ailments.

The pandemic has exacerbated Michigan’s digital divide, as some students complete homework in parking lots and schools hand-deliver assignments. It’s an issue with educational, equity and economic implications as 1.2 million households lack broadband access.

Republicans hope to find common ground with Democrats on a suite of bills to lower costs by restricting some laws around pharmacies, expanding telehealth options and more reporting on price increases.

State Rep. Greg Van Woerkom suggests workers, companies and the state share the cost of child care. Pilot programs will begin soon.

Michigan’s electricity sector is more prepared for extreme cold and is connected to a regional grid that increases its resilience. But experts say it remains vulnerable to extreme weather events that will become more common as the climate changes.