ANN ARBOR — As U.S. auto prices and monthly payments hit historic highs, new data reveals generational differences not only in borrowing but in how these costs are squeezing household finances. A LendingTree analysis of ~66,000 anonymized credit profiles from mid-2025 highlights stark contrasts in debt loads, payment burdens, and now leasing vs financing payment
LANSING -Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a high-stakes federal antitrust lawsuit this week targeting major oil companies—including BP, Chevron, Exxon and Shell—and the American Petroleum Institute, alleging a decades-long conspiracy to stifle competition from renewable energy and electric vehicles. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in western Michigan, frames the case as not
DETROIT - Michigan’s auto industry is navigating one of its most complex transitions in decades — and recent policy shifts on both sides of the border are accelerating the pressure. As Canada moves to sharply reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Detroit’s legacy automakers are slowing EV expansion, pivoting toward hybrids, and reassessing long-term capital
DETROIT - In a decision that could reshape Michigan’s energy and economic landscape, DTE Energy has agreed to stringent conditions attached to long-term power supply contracts for a planned 1.4-gigawatt hyperscale data center being developed by OpenAI and Oracle on roughly 575 acres of farmland south of Ann Arbor in Saline Township. The approval by
ANN ARBOR - Meta Platforms’ newly announced 6-gigawatt nuclear power agreements highlight an unmistakable reality: the accelerated deployment of artificial-intelligence data centers is stretching electric grids and reigniting debates over how America produces electricity for the digital economy. In Michigan — one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the U.S. — the conversation has
ANN ARBOR - As transportation electrification accelerates, batteries have become the central technology reshaping everything from electric vehicles rolling off Michigan assembly lines to experimental aircraft preparing for first flight. While the automotive electric vehicle battery market continues to explode in size, a quieter — but strategically important — opportunity is emerging in aircraft batteries.
LANSING - Michigan regulators have approved custom electric rate agreements for a massive new data center proposed in Washtenaw County, a move supporters say will attract investment without raising rates — and critics say risks overloading an already stressed electric grid and pushing costs onto residents and businesses. In a December order, the Michigan Public
DETROIT - In arenas from Beijing to Tokyo, humanoid robots are no longer just lab curiosities—they’re competing in soccer matches, running races and boxing bouts, testing balance, vision and real-time decision-making in front of spectators. At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing this past year, more than 500 bipedal robots from across the globe—including
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 - Michigan is stepping into the fast-moving world of hyperscale data centers just as the industry’s biggest constraint becomes impossible to ignore: power. Across the United States, the explosive growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital services is driving a surge in demand for data centers—massive facilities that can consume as much
