mikebrennan

About Mike Brennan

Founder of Michigan News Network, and serves as CEO, as well as Editor & Publisher of MITECHNEWS.COM. Brennan has worked since 1980 as a technology writer at newspapers in New York, NY, San Jose, CA., Seattle, WA., Memphis, TN., Detroit, MI., and London, England. He co-founded and served as managing editor of Pacific Rim News Service (SEATTLE), which developed a network of more than 100 freelance journalists in 17 Asia-Pacific countries.

Michigan Economy Slows While Washtenaw Holds Strong—But Iran War Could Change Everything

ANN ARBOR — Washtenaw County’s economy is expected to outperform much of Michigan over the next three years, with lower unemployment and higher wages—but a slowing growth trend and rising global risks could quickly change that outlook. The biggest wildcard: escalating tensions involving Iran and their impact on global energy markets. If conflict drives sustained

By |2026-04-25T15:27:22-04:00April 25th, 2026|Featured, News|

AI, Algorithms And A $110B Megadeal: How The Warner-Paramount Merger Could Reshape News in Michigan and Beyond

DETROIT - The $110 billion merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global is being framed as a Hollywood power move. In reality, it may be something far more consequential: a shift in how news, entertainment, and information are produced, distributed—and increasingly, decided by machines. The deal brings together a massive portfolio that includes CNN,

By |2026-04-25T13:00:38-04:00April 25th, 2026|New Products, New Products / Contracts, News|

Michigan’s 24% Cannabis Tax Heads to Fast Track—Industry Bleeding Cash as Court Battle Escalates

LANSING - The Michigan Supreme Court has hit pause on a high-stakes legal battle over Michigan’s controversial 24% cannabis tax—while ordering a lower court to move fast in deciding its future. In an unusual move signaling urgency, the justices directed the Michigan Court of Appeals to take up the case on an expedited track. For

Cannabis Rescheduling Defined On Michigan Marijuana Today

ANN ARBOR - On April 23, the Department of Justice issued an order to reschedule medical marijuana in states from I to III. But that's about all we know for sure since the order didn't go into great detail on what that means. So Michigan Marijuana Today focuses on that order and what it could

By |2026-04-24T16:17:56-04:00April 24th, 2026|Marijuana Business, News|

Federal Marijuana Shift Could Reshape Ohio Market—And Pull More Michigan Dollars South

COLUMBUS - A shift in federal marijuana policy could give Ohio’s cannabis industry a financial edge—and potentially draw more customers across the border from Michigan. The U.S. Department of Justice has moved state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, easing federal restrictions for part of the industry. It’s not full legalization. But for operators,

By |2026-04-24T11:04:36-04:00April 24th, 2026|Marijuana Business, News|

Will Big Tech Lower—or Raise—Michigan Electric Bills? DTE Ties Data Centers to Rate Strategy

DETROIT - Michigan residents worried about rising electric bills are now hearing a new message from DTE Energy: Big Tech may actually help slow future rate increases. The utility says massive new data centers—like one under consideration by Google in Van Buren Township—could stabilize costs across the electric system. But that claim comes at the

By |2026-04-24T16:20:42-04:00April 24th, 2026|Clean Update, Clean, green, hybrid, Featured, News|

Federal Marijuana Shift Targets Medical Use Only—Michigan’s $3B Recreational Market Largely Unchanged

WASHINGTON DC - A major federal marijuana policy shift announced April 23 is much narrower than our earlier headlines suggested—and for Michigan’s $3 billion recreational cannabis market, the immediate impact is very limited. The U.S. Department of Justice, working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, has moved to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous

By |2026-04-23T15:37:00-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Featured, Marijuana Business, News|

Federal Marijuana Shift Targets Medical Use—But Michigan’s $3B Recreational Market Sees Limited Change

WASHINGTON DC - A major federal shift in marijuana policy is underway—but for Michigan’s booming cannabis industry, the impact is more nuanced than headlines suggest. The Trump administration announced Thursday it is moving to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III under the Drug Enforcement Administration framework—formally recognizing medical value for the

By |2026-04-23T15:34:22-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Business|

Trump Marijuana Shift Could Reshape Michigan’s Cannabis Industry Overnight—Here’s What Changes

WASHINGTON DC - Michigan’s multibillion-dollar cannabis industry—already under pressure from falling prices and tight margins—may have just been thrown a lifeline from Washington. The Trump administration is expected to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act, a long-awaited shift that could fundamentally change how cannabis businesses operate, bank,

By |2026-04-23T09:33:56-04:00April 22nd, 2026|Marijuana Business, News|

Supreme Court Hands Michigan Major Win in Line 5 Fight—But Bigger Questions Loom on Spill Risk, Economic Fallout

LANSING - Michigan just scored a significant legal victory in one of its most consequential energy battles—but the bigger story may be what happens next. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a lawsuit seeking to shut down Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipeline must be heard in Michigan state court, not federal court. That decision

By |2026-04-22T16:37:40-04:00April 22nd, 2026|News|