MITechNews Special ReportThe Price of AI — Part 1 As lawmakers propose new restrictions, communities across Michigan are weighing billions in AI investment against concerns over electricity, water use, noise and local control. LANSING - Michigan's effort to become a national leader in artificial intelligence has entered a new phase—not over AI itself, but over
ANN ARBOR – Michigan drivers are finally getting some relief at the gas pump, with the average price of regular gasoline falling about 45 cents over the past month to roughly $4.18 a gallon. But just as consumers are starting to save money every time they fill up, a new federal inflation report delivered the
DETROIT – Spirit Airlines carried more than 1.7 million passengers through Detroit Metropolitan Airport last year, making it the airport's second-largest carrier behind Delta Air Lines. Now the discount carrier is gone. The airline's collapse leaves a major hole in Detroit's air travel market and raises questions about whether Michigan travelers will ultimately pay more
ANN ARBOR - Michigan consumers could be facing another round of economic pain as major oil companies and commodity traders warn that global petroleum inventories are falling to unusually low levels, raising concerns that crude oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel or higher if another major supply disruption occurs. For Michigan residents, the
WASHINGTON DC - New federal economic data released Thursday delivered a troubling combination for the U.S. economy — and potentially for Michigan as well. Key Economic Numbers Released Thursday Inflation rose to 3.8% in April, up from 3.3% in March Consumer spending growth slowed sharply to 0.2% First-quarter U.S. GDP was revised down to 1.6%
LANSING - Michigan’s innovation economy faces a growing competitiveness problem: Michigan ranks 32nd nationally in early- and growth-stage startup funding, according to a 2025 innovation scorecard from Business Leaders for Michigan. Leading innovation states including California, Washington and Colorado have grown their innovation economies at “twice the rate or more of Michigan” over the past
WASHINGTON DC - The political warning signs for Republicans are growing more complicated heading into the 2026 midterm elections. President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have weakened nationally amid concerns over inflation, energy prices, tariffs, and rising tensions with Iran. Yet at the same time, Trump continues demonstrating enormous influence inside Republican primaries — a dynamic
ANN ARBOR - For decades, white collar workers believed college degrees and office careers offered protection from the economic disruption that devastated factory towns across the Midwest. Automation was supposed to threaten assembly lines — not office cubicles. But economists, labor researchers and major national publications are increasingly warning that artificial intelligence could reshape professional
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,
