Author: Bridge Michigan
Stateside: Monday, May 4, 2026
As gas prices rise, electric vehicles are becoming more affordable for many drivers. Plus, Michigan is piloting a new program that brings free pre‑K for 4‑year‑olds into licensed home‑based child care settings. Then, an episode of On Hand gets to the bottom of Michigan’s bottle deposit—and whether it still delivers on its promise.
Trump administration falls behind on wildfire prevention with risky fire season ahead
Many of the nation’s overgrown forests are at high risk of burning. Under the Trump administration, work to reduce flammable vegetation fell by more than a million acres compared to previous years.
Stateside: Friday, May 1, 2026
Why are Michigan’s gas prices so high? Plus, how MSU is developing new potato varieties for potato chips. And, diving into Lake Huron with the first episode of Beyond the Shore.
Is Michigan’s 10-cent bottle deposit worth it?
Is it really worth our time to haul returnables to the store for just 10 cents each? And is it worth it for Michigan’s recycling industry to maintain a bottle deposit system when we already have curbside recycling?
Beyond the Shore: The hidden shipwrecks of Lake Huron
This is the first of five stories about the Great Lakes: one story per lake, a snapshot that tells a story about each of the lakes, a little microcosm of what makes each lake unique. In this episode, we discover why Lake Huron is so good at preserving history in the form of shipwrecks.