| August 19, 2021 
 The highly contagious delta variant? Most certainly. Pockets of unvaccinated people? Yes. People trekking into to the United States across the southern border? Not so much. Contrary to what some suggest, health officials and academics say immigration, specifically illegal immigration, is not responsible for the widespread circulation of the coronavirus. “Popular fear mongering tactics related to immigration have always included casting immigrants as disease vectors, specifically it’s immigrants when we want to cast this fear about them being poor and it’s often tied to race,” said William Lopez, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and faculty director of public scholarship at the National Center For Institutional Diversity. ►The great mask debate: Michigan schools stuck between changing guidance, safety and parent opinions  Leaders from federal, state and local chambers of commerce are collectively calling on Michigan’s U.S. House representatives to support a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The massive bill passed the U.S. Senate across party lines and now awaits approval in the House. Democrats and Republicans alike should “stop playing politics,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “There’s extremes on both sides who are less interested in what’s best for Michigan and more interested in scoring political points.” READ MORE ►Massive infrastructure bill ‘great for Michigan,’ says senators celebrating likely passage  Years of new housing developments have reaped expected rewards for Ann Arbor’s population growth. Ann Arbor grew by 8.7%, or nearly 10,000 people, to reach a population of 123,851 residents, according to new Michigan population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, launching it into the state’s top-five most populous cities. Ann Arbor passed Lansing, its neighbor an hour-drive north on I-96, for the No. 5 spot. The state capital shrunk by 5.8% to 107,637 residents. ►Downtown Ann Arbor on the rise: Latest look at development projects taking shape
 High school football season is almost here folks. And that means it's time for us to unveil our Top 50 football recruits in the state of Michigan for the class of 2022. And spoiler alert, despite the fact that he just got here, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker has already snagged the three of the Top 10 guys in the state. The Spartans have commitments from Essexville-Garber defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren, Dearborn Fordson wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. and Birmingham Groves standout athlete Jaden Mangham. SEE THE TOP 50  The entire 31-acre Butterfield Island is on the market for - stop reading if you've just bought a house in Ann Arbor - $475,000. Also known as Island No. 7, Butterfield Island is only accessible by boat and is located northwest of Drummond Island. ►Entire Michigan island hits market with cabin home accessible by man-made land bridge Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive
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