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6 Democrats to watch in the 2026 election scramble

LANSING — Since election season never truly ends anymore, the political jockeying for 2026 is well underway in Michigan. Thanks to term limits, the Mitten State will have every executive office open, as well as a U.S. Senate seat, thanks to senior U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) making a surprise retirement announcement last week. Democrats currently hold all offices, but are facing some strong headwinds after President Donald Trump won the state a second time. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan kicked off the festivities by declaring his independent gubernatorial campaign within ...

Blue states are bracing for a battle with the Trump administration over their authority to limit tailpipe emissions, a showdown that will have major repercussions on the types of cars and trucks sold to American drivers. All sides expect President-elect Donald Trump to try to revoke states’ authority to adopt California’s strict rules on the pollution spewed by vehicles. Many states’ efforts to fight climate change hinge on a federal process that allows them to adopt stringent regulations for transportation, the country’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. This ...

Nessel says she won’t charge state lawmakers who boycotted last days of the 2024 session

LANSING — As Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel discussed the accomplishments of her office in 2024 with reporters, offering status reports on large cases, her two-hour discussion Monday was bookmarked by condemnation of state lawmakers who boycotted the final days of the 2024 legislative session. All 54 state House Republicans left mid-session in December and did not return for the rest of the year, citing inaction on bills to preserve tipped wages and amend earned sick leave policies. They were joined by Democratic lawmaker Rep. Karen Whitsett of Detroit, who offered her own ...

Reviewing some of state top climate, environmental issues in 2024

From continued strides in transitioning to clean energy, threats of environmental contamination and continued efforts to address health concerns stemming from pollution, 2024 brought a bevy of environmental stories within the state. With many of the events of this year set to echo into the next, here is a look at the Michigan Advance’s top environmental stories from 2024. Great Lakes see record low ice coverage With states throughout the Great Lakes Region reporting their warmest winters on record, ice coverage on the Great Lakes marked its lowest level in 50 years, with an ...

US proposes guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administration

DETROIT (AP) — In the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration, the government’s highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles. But a rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting the plan in place won’t be approved before the end of Biden’s term in January and likely will be left to whoever runs the agency under Republican Donald Trump. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump has named to co-lead a “Department of Government Efficiency” to cut costs and regulations, has floated the idea of him helping ...