SPECIAL REPORT: DEMOCRACY IN DECLINE WASHINGTON DC - A major international study is raising new alarms about the health of American democracy — and it’s landing at a politically volatile moment in U.S. politics. The V-Dem Institute, based at the University of Gothenburg, has downgraded the United States from a “liberal democracy” to an “electoral
DETROIT — Cannabis dispensaries across the United States are facing a growing workforce challenge: retaining employees in a rapidly expanding but still evolving industry. Many cannabis provisioning centers operate with large hourly workforces, including budtenders, retail managers and support staff. While the industry has created thousands of jobs, many smaller operators struggle to offer traditional
SPECIAL REPORT: Cannabis Policy Shift COLUMBUS - Ohio cannabis consumers are waking up today to a reality few expected when they voted to legalize marijuana just over a year ago. They lost control of the system. A last-minute petition drive aimed at stopping Senate Bill 56—the legislature’s sweeping rewrite of Ohio’s voter-approved cannabis law—failed to
DETROIT - For Michigan seniors, the Social Security warning is no longer some distant Washington problem. It’s personal. And it’s getting close. Federal projections show the Social Security trust fund is on track to run short by 2033, triggering automatic benefit cuts if Congress fails to act. At that point, the system will only be
Why China’s Dominance in Critical Materials Is a National Security Risk DETROIT — A new Pentagon-backed program anchored in Detroit is taking direct aim at a growing national security threat: U.S. dependence on China and other foreign adversaries for the advanced materials needed to build next-generation weapons systems. The four-year, $9 million Critical Materials Processing
LANSING - Michigan’s cannabis market showed a modest rebound in February, but industry leaders say the numbers hide a more troubling reality: a price war, oversupply, and mounting financial pressure that could force weaker operators out of business in 2026. According to newly released state data, Michigan cannabis sales reached $234.6 million in February, up
BIRMINGHAM - AI agents in marketing are changing how businesses structure their marketing departments, execute campaigns, and connect strategy with lead generation. Over the past two years, artificial intelligence has become one of the most discussed topics in business. Since generative AI tools became mainstream, companies across industries have started experimenting with platforms such as
DETROIT — A new federal tax break aimed at helping Americans afford new cars is now in effect—but for Michigan drivers, the fine print may come as a shock. The 2025 tax law allows buyers to deduct up to $10,000 a year in interest on auto loans, but only if the vehicle meets strict requirements—including
FARMINGTON HILLS - Modal Motors designs and manufactures electric propulsion systems using standard domestic materials. The Michigan-based company eliminates rare-earth magnets to lower costs and secure the supply chain without sacrificing quality, speed or torque. Explaining the company and its products on MITech TV is CEO Michael Van Steenburg. In this video interview he covers
The rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's Gemini represents a fundamental shift in how customers discover businesses online. But while companies invest heavily in traditional SEO, many remain completely invisible to these AI systems without realizing it. The problem isn't content quality or keywords. It's how AI bots actually read web
