U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin is not giving up on working across the aisle, but she has also drawn some lines in the sand — including voting for any increases to funding for federal law enforcement, specifically ICE, without significant reforms to their behavior. Story from @kdailey.bsky.social

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who ended his campaign for governor to run for secretary of state, started a forum hosted by the MDP’s Jewish Caucus by apologizing for saying last year that Israel was committing a genocide of Palestinian people. He says he met with the ADL. More in @michiganadvance.com:

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Federal and state officials are seeking a broad swath of health policy changes, including rolling back routine vaccinations and expanding the use of drugs such as ivermectin for treatments beyond their approved use. Story from @stateline.org

Democratic candidates for Michigan secretary of state clashed at a Sunday forum that included Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist apologizing for past comments on the war in Gaza, as rivals questioned his focus after ending his gubernatorial campaign to enter the race. Story from @roththereporter.bsky.social

Henry Ford’s intent to eliminate recognition of MLK Day will hurt staff, patients, and the community michiganadvance.com/2026/01/19/h... Commentary from Alison Taplin, a certified nursing assistant at Henry Ford Rochester Hospital and a member of her union's bargaining committee.

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his immense contributions to the struggle for racial equality. What is less often remembered but equally important is that King saw the fight for racial equality as deeply intertwined with economic justice. Analysis from @theconversation.com

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens is continuing to raise concerns about private equity deals in college sports, reaching out to the President of the National College Athletics Association ahead of Monday’s college football playoff national championship game.

Michigan Advance Trivia: What is the English translation of Michigan's official motto: 'Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice'? Check back later for the answer.

Students at Traverse City West Senior High School aim to raise more than $11,000 by the end of this school year to install solar panels on their campus so they can learn about renewable energy. From @iprnews.bsky.social and @grist.org

While both Democrats and Republicans in Michigan have long advocated expanding FOIA to include the executive and legislative branches, Michigan Speaker of the House Matt Hall had said he isn’t interested in putting the bills on the agenda. Story from Blace Carpenter for @michiganpress.bsky.social

The first year of President Trump’s return to the White House was defined by clashes with the judiciary, as he pushed forward with an aggressive immigration agenda. Out of the dozens of lawsuits against the administration, @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social details the five most significant.

States are passing laws to prevent artificially intelligent chatbots, such as ChatGPT, from being able to offer mental health advice to young users, following a trend of people harming themselves after seeking therapy from the AI programs. From @stateline.org

DETROIT – U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens said Friday that a key portion of her time in the U.S. Senate, if she becomes the Democratic nominee in August and is elected in November, would focus on helping Black, brown and other minority communities thrive across Michigan. Story from @bensolis1.bsky.social

The poverty rate of senior-headed households in Detroit is nearly twice as high as the rate statewide. Detroit seniors are more likely to be cost-burdened on housing than Michigan seniors overall, with 45% paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Analysis by @theconversation.com

A year since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has acted on some of his most extreme campaign hyperbole, and then some. @ashleymurray.bsky.social and @fischler.bsky.social look at a history of Trump’s expansion of presidential powers.

Although high and rising rents often are associated with big coastal states such as New York or California, new data shows that states once considered more affordable are seeing major rent hikes. In Michigan, the average monthly rent increased almost 4.5% between 2024 and 2025. From @stateline.org

Immigrants, activists & local politicians implored members of Congress, including Detroit’s Rashida Tlaib, to use their influence to stop the violent arrests conducted by federal immigration officers who have flooded Minnesota under President Trump’s immigration agenda. From @minnesotareformer.com

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education, for now, is backtracking on plans to garnish wages and seize tax refunds of student loan borrowers in default, the department announced Friday.

The state must not spend any of the disputed $645 million in work project funds slashed by the Michigan House Appropriations Committee late last year despite the State Budget Office authorizing departments to do so, a Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled Friday. From @bensolis1.bsky.social

State budget pressures rise as Michigan projects slower revenue growth through FY28 Story from @kdailey.bsky.social michiganadvance.com/2026/01/16/s...

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened Friday to place tariffs on Greenland and any country that opposes his efforts to take over the Arctic island, as members of Congress from both political parties were in Europe to assure allied nations that lawmakers won’t go along with his plans.

DETROIT – U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens said Friday that the federal government’s controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments have happened in cities without input from local officials who don’t want or need their assistance with law enforcement activities. By @bensolis1.bsky.social

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy on Friday announced $9 million in grants would be awarded to 19 municipal airports across the state to help monitor and remediate PFAS contamination caused by firefighting foam. From @kdavidsonjrn.bsky.social

In an attempt to ensure tighter safety controls on Michigan’s cannabis industry, Rep. Mike Mueller (R-Linden) presented a bill to the Michigan House Rules Committee Thursday to establish a statewide cannabis reference laboratory to standardize testing facilities. By @kdailey.bsky.social

Michigan Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie on Friday announced he was dropping his bid for the Democratic nomination for the top post at MDOS, and endorsing Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who jumped into the race on Monday after dropping his gubernatorial bid.

Michigan AG Dana Nessel has launched an investigation to seek accountability for harms inflicted on Native American children at boarding schools in Michigan. As @kdavidsonjrn.bsky.social reports, it aims to document abuse, elevate survivor voices, and confront a shameful chapter in our history.

The transition team of Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is asking residents, from every neighborhood, about their thoughts on long-term priorities that might shape her administration. From @bensolis1.bsky.social

Many states are reporting fewer new enrollees, more people dropping their coverage, and more people choosing cheaper and less generous health insurance plans with higher deductibles. From @stateline.org

Federal courts deny Trump request for private voter data in 2 states michiganadvance.com/2026/01/16/r...

Michigan Advance Trivia: First named Hickory in 1837, what Detroit suburb is believed to have taken its eventual name from the fact it sat in the middle of three Potawatomi trails? Check back later for the answer.

Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain is facing tough questions over a newly disclosed private investment her husband made in Elon Musk’s xAI company, right as the U.S. government planned to expand xAI for integration with military systems. Story from @bensolis1.bsky.social

Cuts to programs like SNAP, funding uncertainty for schools and the threat of immigration enforcement actions were among the most pressing issues that superintendents from around the state presented to Michigan AG Dana Nessel at a roundtable Wednesday night. From @kdailey.bsky.social

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Democratic Governors Association, released a joint statement Thursday saying the Trump administration had “unleashed chaos and division in Minnesota.” From @mckennahorsley.bsky.social

Under the current law, Michigan farmers are barred from selling unpasteurized milk, however a set of bills from Republican Rep. Matt Maddock would permit farmers to sell raw milk directly to consumers. @michiganadvance.com michiganadvance.com/2026/01/15/s...

Michigan House Majority Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection, bringing his legislative career to a close after three terms. From @jonkingnews.bsky.social

Members of the Michigan House Government Operations Committee on Thursday heard testimony from small farmers in support of a trio of bills put forth by state Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford), allowing farmers to sell raw milk directly to consumers. Story from @kdavidsonjrn.bsky.social

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats began detailing their affordability agenda Thursday ahead of the November midterm elections, starting with a focus on housing. From @jennifershutt.bsky.social

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday morning to send the military into Minnesota to stop protests, following another shooting by immigration agents that injured one person, seven days after an agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis. From @ashleymurray.bsky.social

In her keynote remarks at the Detroit Auto Show Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for increased trade collaboration between the U.S. and Canada, criticizing the impact of tariffs put in place by President Donald Trump as having “taken a terrible toll.” Story from @kdailey.bsky.social

At his speech in Detroit on Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that he would cut federal funding to any state or city with sanctuary policies. Beyond the legality of such a move, the impact on Michigan communities is unclear as Trump offered no specifics. From @kdailey.bsky.social

Michigan Advance Trivia: What world famous rock band played in Southfield High School’s gym on November 22, 1967? Check back later for the answer.

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance broke a tied Senate vote to block advancement of a war powers resolution that would have stopped President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

Visa processing for immigrants from 75 nations frozen by Trump administration michiganadvance.com/2026/01/14/r...

In a push to start the year off with a potential bipartisan win, the Republican-led Michigan House has revived a piece of legislation aimed at banning cell phones in schools after a failed vote on the bill last July. Story from @kdavidsonjrn.bsky.social

For three seconds on the floor of a Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn, a solitary autoworker did what the political establishment has largely failed to do for three months: remind the country exactly who its president is. Commentary from Michigan Advance Editor-in-Chief @jonkingnews.bsky.social

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats, including Detroit’s Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar, on Wednesday introduced three articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after a deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer.

A U.S. District Court judge Wednesday probed whether the Trump administration has violated her court order, after Minnesota lawmakers said they were denied an oversight visit to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility following a deadly shooting by an immigration officer in Minneapolis.

Every speaker at a public Michigan Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday — including lawyers and representatives from advocacy groups from around Michigan — spoke in favor of a proposed rule that would bar civil arrests, including ICE arrests, at Michigan courthouses. Story from @kds2007.bsky.social

UPDATE: UAW says it will ensure their member receives the “full protection of all negotiated contract language safeguarding his job and his rights as a union member.” michiganadvance.com/2026/01/13/a...