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LANSING - On January 1, 2026, Michigan drivers began the new year at the pump with a noticeably different tax structure on gasoline and diesel as part of a sweeping overhaul of how the state funds transportation. Under the new system, the longstanding 6 percent sales tax on fuel has been eliminated and replaced by
LANSING - Michigan’s minimum wage rose on Jan. 1, 2026, increasing from $12.48 to $13.73 per hour, the first step in a state-mandated path toward $15 an hour in 2027, followed by annual inflation-based adjustments. The increase also raises wages for tipped workers and minors. Supporters say the change will help workers keep pace with
ANN ARBOR — The U.S. dollar’s steep decline in 2025—its worst annual performance in nearly a decade—is quietly reshaping the outlook for Michigan businesses as they head into 2026. While the softer dollar is improving global competitiveness for some industries, it is also raising costs and complicating planning for others in a state deeply tied
ANN ARBOR - Artificial intelligence wasn’t just the biggest tech story of the year — it reshaped infrastructure, energy demand, labor markets, and regulation, making it the dominant force behind nearly every other major trend. 1. Artificial Intelligence Dominated the Narrative Across virtually all major year-end recaps, AI was the #1 theme of 2025: Key
ANN ARBOR - For decades, solar power has followed a familiar formula: rigid, flat panels mounted on rooftops or spread across open fields. Those panels have helped Michigan steadily expand its solar footprint — even in a state better known for cloud cover than desert sun. Now, researchers are developing a new class of photovoltaic
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a health care deal this week, leaving the fate of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits in limbo. Without a compromise, those subsidies are set to expire Dec. 31, 2025 — a move that health policy experts warn could send health insurance costs sharply
ANN ARBOR - Michigan’s fast-growing data-center market is colliding with a hard physical limit: electricity that never blinks. Developers chasing hyperscale campuses—built to train and run artificial intelligence models—are demanding round-the-clock power at levels that can rival a mid-size city. Utilities and regulators, meanwhile, are trying to keep rates stable for households while meeting Michigan’s
ANN ARBOR - President Donald Trump’s decision to move marijuana out of the most restrictive federal drug category marks real progress in U.S. cannabis policy — progress that’s been a long time coming. By directing federal agencies to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, the administration is finally acknowledging what science, voters, and
WASHINGTON DC - As politicians in both parties raise concerns about the impacts of AI, political groups backed by tech investors and Meta plan to intervene in 2026 races. “Alex Bores. Wrong on AI. Wrong for Congress,” warned an attack ad launched last week in New York. The Democratic contender for a Manhattan House seat
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to move forward with the rescheduling of marijuana under federal law, a step that could ease financial pressure on the legal cannabis industry while stopping short of nationwide legalization. The order instructs the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration to advance
