In today's newsletter, Whitmer’s potential connection to $20M grant under investigation, swimmers to honor the Edmund Fitzgerald and the weather forecast. |
Looking back on the past 25 years |
The Detroit Tigers concluded the first half of the 2025 season with a 25th anniversary celebration of the opening of Comerica Park. Sports reporter Jacob Richman rounded up the best Tigers moments at the stadium from over the years. While covering the game, photographer Devin Anderson-Torrez collected favorite Comerica Park memories from Tigers fans spanning across three different generations. Manager A.J. Hinch’s first memories of the ballpark go all the way back to July 5, 2001, when he was playing with the Kansas City Royals. “I had two different opinions of Comerica. When I first saw it, when I was catching, I thought it was heaven. When I was hitting, I thought it was miserable, just given how big it was,” Hinch said. |
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A sword fighting show is performed during the annual Michigan Celtic Festival at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (Jackson Ranger | MLive.com) |
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3 Michigan hospitals ‘at risk’ of closing due to Trump Medicaid cuts |
Three rural Michigan hospitals are at a “disproportionate risk of closing” due to the effects of the recently signed “Big Beautiful Bill.” At the request of federal lawmakers, researchers in North Carolina identified more than 300 U.S. hospitals at risk of closing their doors if they lose significant federal funding from Medicaid cuts. The Michigan hospitals include McLaren Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Carson City Hospital, and Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital in Dowagiac. Map: More than 40% of residents in Wayne County were enrolled in Medicaid this spring. The state’s most populous county had the largest dependence on the government health care program as of May 2025. Six other Michigan counties had at least one-third of residents enrolled in the insurance program. Those counties included Genesee and Saginaw to the east, and Oscoda, Clare, Lake, and Ogemaw to the north. In education: A Michigan private college is closing. Why experts say others may not be far behind. |
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Wildfire smoke, Air Quality Alert blanket Michigan, more rain coming midweek |
The forecast: Wildfire smoke from Canada spread over much of Michigan yesterday. It created hazy skies, and prompted an Air Quality Alert for much of the state. The alert stretches into today. Looking ahead, Michigan can expect a gradual warming trend through midweek, with temperatures potentially climbing into the high 80s and low 90s by Tuesday. The most significant weather change will come Wednesday and Thursday, when rain chances increase and a cold front is expected to move through the state, bringing potential thunderstorms. On the water: The monthly water levels report for the Great Lakes is out. It’s good news for anyone or any industry worried about lake levels. All of the Great Lakes water levels are hovering around the long-term average, differing from average only by a few inches. |
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Questions mount about Whitmer’s potential connection to $20M grant under investigation |
The latest: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer remains silent as questions grow about her potential involvement in the $20 million state grant that her appointee is under investigation for misusing. Last week, MLive reported court documents showed that appointee, businesswoman Fay Beydoun, was updating the governor’s chief operating officer about her grant project being included in the state budget. According to Beydoun, Whitmer had requested the state’s economic development agency give its “nod of approval” to the project. Beydoun is under investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office for allegedly misusing the taxpayer dollars she received for her nonprofit business incubator, Global Link International. New questions are being raised about the governor’s involvement after the Detroit News reported Beydoun’s $20 million grant in the state budget stemmed from a recommendation by the governor. |
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Swimmers to honor the Edmund Fitzgerald by covering ship’s remaining 411 miles |
Fifty years after the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank into Lake Superior, 68 open water swimmers will symbolically complete the ship’s failed voyage. The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim is scheduled to begin on July 26. The 411-mile relay swim will start from above the shipwreck site in Lake Superior and finish Aug. 27 in Detroit, the ship’s intended destination. Over the weekend: The Beer City Open Pickleball Championships returned to Grand Rapids for its eighth year at Belknap Park. Presented by title sponsor and official hotel partner AHC Hospitality, the tournament has grown into one of the most prestigious pickleball events in the world. Not that long ago, Jeremy Fears was confined to a hospital bed following a gunshot wound to his left leg. Emergency surgery meant a promising future in limbo for the Michigan State point guard. In the 18 months since, Fears defied odds while recovering to become a starter who helped lead the Spartans to 30 wins and a Big Ten title last season. |
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Instagram-worthy spots in the wild and wonderful U.P. |
Grab your camera: From lakeside to cliffside, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula brings visitors new vantage points for their summer vacation photos. Visit Munising, the visitor’s bureau for the U.P.’s picturesque playscape, made a photo-op list they describe as “jaw-dropping landscapes that demanda spot on your feed." Here’s where to get started. This 1915 locomotive sat silently for years. Now, it’s chugging back to life. The Houghton County Historical Society has restored and recertified the Calumet & Hecla Mine #3 Steam Locomotive. Visitors can hop aboard for a short but memorable ride through the heart of Michigan’s Copper Country. The half-mile ride tours the scenic museum grounds in Lake Linden. In Holland: Amenities can really make or break a rental experience. One Lakeshore cabin has no linens, cookware or bathrooms − but they’re offering something far more coveted: Lake Michigan beach access. |
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Thank you for joining me on today's edition of the Morning Briefing. As always, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. If you value the work of our journalists, consider becoming a subscriber. Have a good day! - Jamie Rewerts |
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