1. Arctic “Greening” May Accelerate Warming — With Economic Impacts Far Beyond the Tundra DETROIT - Arctic climate feedback is emerging as a growing risk to Michigan’s tourism, manufacturing, and Great Lakes economy. As Arctic warming accelerates, these feedback loops are disrupting weather patterns and increasing economic uncertainty. Therefore, businesses across Michigan are beginning to
DETROIT - As U.S.–Iran tensions escalate following weekend military strikes, energy markets are zeroing in on one strategic chokepoint: the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil supply passes through that narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. If Iran were to disrupt or temporarily shut down shipping lanes, even briefly, the impact
LANSING - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s final State of the State address was framed around literacy, housing and health care. On its surface, it sounded like social policy. For Michigan’s business community, it was something else entirely: an economic competitiveness blueprint. Whitmer did not roll out sweeping business tax cuts or headline-grabbing megaprojects. Instead, she zeroed
COLUMBUS - Ohio’s cannabis market is facing another political test. A coalition of hemp shop owners, cannabis retailers and advocates is attempting to block changes contained in Ohio Senate Bill 56, arguing the law rewrites what voters approved when they legalized adult-use marijuana. At the center of the fight is Bellaire shop owner and village
On MITechTV Feb. 16 Kathleen Norton-Schock talked about all things MCWT. Gary Erickson from Executive Search Partners talked about how AI performs jobs that suck. Lorne Plant from Yellow Flag Productions provided details on high school sports coverage on Channel 4 in Detroit. View all past video interviews at MITechTV
DETROIT - Michigan’s auto economy took a direct hit in 2025 as tariffs piled billions of dollars of costs onto Detroit automakers and their supply chains — pressure that can ripple into hiring, profit-sharing and investment decisions across a state packed with auto workers. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the legal authority
ANN ARBOR - The premium smartphone market has settled into a three-way heavyweight fight. With the debut of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung is again squaring off against the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Google Pixel 10 Pro — three devices that now define the high-end mobile experience in 2026. Prices hover
LANSING - Michigan lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would outlaw kratom statewide — a move that would place the state alongside a small but growing list of states banning the controversial herbal product. The legislation, introduced in Lansing this week, would prohibit the sale and cultivation of kratom in Michigan and impose penalties on
SOUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University will again this summer offer high school students the chance to earn college credit through three different dual enrollment courses for students in Michigan. The courses will be offered during LTU’s Summer 2026 semester both online and in-person at LTU’s Southfield campus. The cost of each course is $300. The courses begin
Updated: February 2026 LANSING - Michigan cannabis prices in 2026 remain among the lowest in the Midwest, but new structural pressures are beginning to test the sustainability of that model. For three consecutive years, expanding cultivation capacity and dense retail competition drove steady price compression across the state. Consumers benefited from aggressive discounting and high-volume
