Michigan’s defense and aerospace sector supports 160,000 jobs. A new strategy aims to capture more federal and international investment. LANSING — When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addressed global leaders at the Munich Security Conference this week, she wasn’t just participating in an international policy discussion. She was promoting one of Michigan’s most strategic economic engines: its
COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed an antitrust lawsuit against nine large multi-state cannabis operators, accusing them of coordinating purchasing agreements and shelf space allocations to keep marijuana prices artificially high in Ohio’s newly launched adult-use market. The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County under Ohio’s Valentine Act, alleges the companies entered
Commercial trucks queue on the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor. The Detroit-Windsor corridor carries roughly one-quarter of U.S.-Canada trade. DETROIT - The nearly completed Gordie Howe International Bridge was designed to reduce risk in one of North America’s most critical trade corridors. Now it is at the center of a political dispute that could
GRAND RAPIDS - Michigan’s economy entered 2026 much like it exited 2025: cautious, uneven and still searching for momentum. A new survey of West Michigan purchasing managers from Grand Valley State University shows the region’s economy slowed for the third consecutive month, underscoring broader challenges facing the state’s manufacturing-heavy base. But while parts of Michigan
LANSING — As Michigan’s economy enters 2026, employers in key sectors are increasing wages and expanding hiring due to labor shortages, competition for skilled talent, and statewide policy shifts — including a scheduled minimum wage boost to $13.73/hour on Jan. 1, 2026. Workers in several occupations — from frontline services to high-tech fields — could
CAMP GRAYLING - Michigan has been selected as a national training and testing hub for advanced military drones — a move that reflects not only the state’s growing role in defense technology, but also a fundamental shift in how wars are fought in the 21st century. The National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC), anchored by Camp
COLUMBUS - Ohio’s cannabis debate has entered a new phase — one that goes beyond marijuana policy and squarely into a fight over who governs: voters or lawmakers. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost approved the title and summary language for a citizen-led referendum seeking to overturn key provisions of Senate Bill 56 (SB 56), a
ANN ARBOR — Ohio’s intensifying fight over marijuana policy — now centered on the Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 56 and the blocking of a voter referendum to undo it — is drawing close attention in Michigan, where adult-use cannabis followed a far steadier and less politicized path. At the heart of the Ohio dispute
SALINE TOWNSHIP — A proposed hyperscale data center tied to OpenAI has reignited controversy in Washtenaw County after township officials acknowledged a documentation mistake that added to public confusion over how the project was approved. The development — part of a broader national push to build massive computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence — is planned
GRAND RAPIDS — A year-long analysis of the West Michigan economy points to a clear trend heading into 2026: growth is slowing, even as the broader state economy sends mixed signals depending on region and industry. The outlook, delivered by Paul Isely, associate dean and professor of economics at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College
