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Happy Friday Shaun,
Today's talker: More than a million Michiganders are poised to lose access to food assistance in November if the federal government shutdown continues. The state's health director confirmed but bemoaned the pending pause: "We will do what we can to help blunt this impact."
📣The shutdown is weighing heavily on readers’ minds. On Thursday, we asked about your feelings. The vast majority of 500-plus reader respondents said they are worried.
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Gotion goes down; Mundy setback
Three years ago, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer celebrated the "biggest ever" economic development project in northern Michigan: a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant expected to create 2,350 "good-paying" jobs.
Those jobs have not materialized, and now, the project is effectively dead.
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Officials said Thursday that Gotion Inc. defaulted on its agreement with the state, which had pledged $175 million in taxpayer money for the project and is now seeking to recoup $23.6 million it already spent on land.
The battery plant was mired in controversy because of Gotion's ties to China and is the latest flop associated with a corporate incentive program lawmakers recently voted to defund. “This is not the outcome we hoped for,” the Michigan Economic Development Corporation acknowledged.
🎯In another blow to economic developers, Swartz Creek school officials on Wednesday rejected a $40 million offer to sell an elementary school in the footprint of a 2-square-mile megasite the state is trying to assemble in Mundy Township.
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We’ve been listening to communities across Michigan this fall — from small towns to big cities, through conversations, screenings and follow-ups with readers who want their voices reflected in our reporting.
We're raising $30,000 by Nov. 1 to keep this work going. Your contribution supports journalism that amplifies the community voices that shape our coverage. |
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In other news
Plea deal: A longtime associate of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield has agreed to testify against him in a high-profile corruption case. As part of a deal with state prosecutors, Anne Minard pleaded guilty to two lesser charges. She worked as an aide to Chatfield in the Legislature and helped run political accounts at the center of his embezzlement case.
Robocall response: Sick of robocalls and spam texts? You’re not alone: The state says Michiganders got more than a billion of them last year. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers and Attorney General Dana Nessel are backing a new robocall crackdown plan that proposes fines of up to $100,000 for illegal calls, an easier path for scam victims to sue and more.
Detainee pardon: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pardoned a Hmong refugee facing deportation because of a decades-old criminal conviction the state had already expunged. As of Thursday, Lue Yang remained in ICE custody. Advocates weren’t sure where he was and feared he was already on a plane out of the country. “We are in a race against time,” said one.
Love for bats: Bridge’s Culture Club gathered virtually on Wednesday to discuss the documentary “The Invisible Mammal,” about the fight to save bats in the Upper Peninsula. If you missed the chat with director Kristin Tièche, we have you covered.
Other headlines worth checking out
Photo puzzle: What’s this in Michigan?
The wait is over. Without further ado, we present the final clue in this week’s Bridge Michigan photo puzzle.
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Know that Michigan landmark, or have a wild guess? If so, fill out this form for a chance at some sweet Bridge swag. We’ll reveal the full picture — and the correct answer — in our Sunday newsletter.
Thanks for reading Bridge. If you value the work of our nonpartisan and nonprofit newsroom, please consider a donation. Your support matters.
— Jonathan Oosting and Joel Kurth
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A proposed $2.4 electric vehicle battery plant near Big Rapids has been beset over by lawsuit and questions about its ties to Communist China. It’s the second big-ticket project to die in the past few months.
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Michigan health officials: SNAP food assistance benefits for 1.4 million will “temporarily pause” in November if federal government shutdown continues. Program for mothers with infant children also at risk.
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In another setback for economic development officials, Genesee County officials reject a deal to sell a school to assemble land for a huge project. Sandisk had eyed a multibillion-dollar semiconductor plant on the land.
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A top aide to former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield has agreed to testify against him in a corruption trial next year.
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With robocalls and spam texts on the rise, a new Michigan plan proposes fines of up to $100,000 and disclosure requirements.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pardons Lue Yang, a Hmong refugee detained by immigration officials based on a decades-old criminal record already expunged by the state. Advocates are not sure where he is.
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