Part 2 or a 2 part series on the national debt crisis. WASHINGTON DC - America’s national debt is approaching $39 trillion, and the federal government is now borrowing at a pace once associated only with wars, recessions and economic emergencies. But unlike previous crises, today’s trillion-dollar deficits are becoming permanent. The Congressional Budget Office
Part 1 or a two-part series on the Chinese auto threat to Michigan. DETROIT - For generations, Detroit was the beating heart of American industrial power. In the decades following World War II, Michigan’s auto industry dominated not only the United States, but much of the global automobile market as well. During the 1950s and
LANSING - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration, which is using a new tax on marijuana to fund road projects, has refused to fully release an internal analysis of how additional taxes on pot would impact the cannabis industry and whether they would shift more purchases to the illegal market, reports the Detroit News. In November 2023 —
LANSING — Michigan’s child care system employs an estimated 45,000 to 60,000 workers across more than 8,000 licensed providers statewide. Yet despite increased public investment and growing demand, many of those workers remain among the lowest-paid in the state’s economy—earning roughly $13.41 an hour on average, or about 61 percent of the typical Michigan wage,
WASHINGTON DC - More than 60 million Americans depend on Social Security. For many, it’s not just part of retirement income—it is their financial lifeline. For years, warnings about the program’s future felt distant. Now, they’re getting real. The trust fund that helps pay benefits is projected to fall short of full funding within the next
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
Labor shortages in early education are now hitting Michigan’s workforce and economy. State officials say a new career tool could help—but questions remain about whether it’s enough. Photo credit: Stock Image. LANSING - Michigan is facing a growing shortage of childcare and early education workers—and state officials are now rolling out a new tool they
The 2020 Midland dam failures exposed the financial reality of Michigan’s aging infrastructure: when dams fail, the cost doesn’t disappear — it multiplies. MIDLAND - If Michigan has entered a new era of dam risk, it has also entered a new era of dam math. And right now, the numbers do not work. In Part
LANSING - The Michigan Department of Treasury has issued updated guidance on the state’s new 24% wholesale marijuana tax, giving cannabis operators long-awaited clarity—but also intensifying pressure as the first tax payments come due April 20. The deadline arrives as the tax faces a fast-tracked legal challenge now headed directly to the Michigan Supreme Court,
ANN ARBOR - For decades, America’s retirement system has depended on a simple equation: workers pay in, retirees draw out. But new data suggests that equation may be more fragile—and more politically charged—than most Americans realize. In 2022 alone, undocumented immigrants contributed an estimated $22.6 billion to Social Security and $5.7 billion to Medicare, according
