Michigan
Leaders say that racial equity in businesses is key for Michigan growth • Michigan Advance
During a Wednesday panel discussion that addressed the importance of racial equity in Michigan’s population growth at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, an African-American business leader said the issue is paramount to Michigan’s success.
“If we are a state that wants to grow and develop, we have to take on the racial equity issue, and we have to take on a different lens in shoring up opportunity for Black businesses and small businesses, generally,” said Charity Dean, Michigan Black Business Alliance president and CEO.
Joining Dean on the panel were Hilary Doe, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) chief growth officer and marketing officer, and Andre Perry, Brookings Institution, senior fellow. Yazeed Moore, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Michigan Programs director, moderated the panel discussion.
Black business leaders applaud Detroit chamber’s focus on equity but say more needs to be done
Dean, a small owner and former city of Detroit Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity department director, said that strides have been made but “we have to be very honest about the disparities that exist.”
“We are looking at small businesses as a driver of economic development for our state and we are intentionally calling out all of the ways that disparity has impacted Black business, specifically, and small businesses, as well,” said Dean about the Michigan Black Business Alliance.
Doe said that this a “watershed moment” for Michigan but it has “momentum.”
Michigan has 9.9 million residents; African Americans compose about 14% of the population. The state’s largest city, Detroit, is 77% Black. Michigan’s population is expected to experience slow growth over the next decade and then decline through mid-century, according to an April report.
In June, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive creating the Growing Michigan Together Council, a bipartisan panel aimed at developing strategies to attract and retain talent, improve education, and update transportation and water infrastructure. Doe heads that effort.
Since that time, MEDC has interacted with more than 11,000 people through 80 organizations that were essentially “listening sessions.” She said the goal of the growth strategy “needs to be owned by all of us.”
“It is so critical that it is owned by Michiganders, so critical that people see themselves in the strategy,” Doe said. She has said that efforts like Black Tech Saturday will help to retain and grow Michigan’s population.
Perry said that “as conditions for Black small business go, it creates better conditions and the quality of life for the entire community.”
After the panel discussion, a poll released by MEDC “underscore that Michigan’s leadership on climate action and other policies are population and economic growth drivers as well,” said Doe. “We want to build on our value proposition to appeal to the young talent in our state and across the country.”
The poll surveyed 6,098 people from 15 cities across the United States that are popular among young talent, including Atlanta, New York City and Austin, Texas, among others.
The most mobile people are those between age 20 and 34. Understanding why these individuals choose to move is critical to reversing Michigan’s existing population trends, according to U.S. Census data.
While Michigan is in-line with neighboring states when it comes to retention, attracting new residents has been challenging. Michigan is 49th in the nation in terms of residents who live here but weren’t born in-state. The population growth effort collaborated with Generation Lab to conduct this survey that targeted this age group to better understand their relocation trends.
The poll revealed which considerations are most important to young people when choosing a place to call home. Among the top factors were:
- Diverse and safe communities, and those welcoming to immigrants.
- Future-focused communities making investments in the fight against climate change.
- Access to reproductive health care.
- Amenity-rich and walkable communities, including those with robust transit.
Overall, more than 50% of survey respondents strongly agreed that access to reproductive healthcare, diversity and welcoming immigration policies, community safety, unionization and combating climate change were important factors in where they chose to live. Fifty-two percent of respondents aged 25 to 34 said they wish their community did more to combat climate change.
“When folks think about looking for a place to call home, we want them to think of Michigan,” Doe said. “The findings from this poll will be folded into the population effort’s work, and into our thinking as we partner with Michigan communities to launch pilots and programs that support regions in retaining current residents and welcoming new faces to our great state.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two Colombian nationals are facing charges after being accused of conspiring to move large amounts of cocaine into the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey.
According to an indictment, from November 2024 through June 24, 2025, Carlos Andres Rueda Ipia, or “Indio,” and Manuel Augusto Munoz Orozco, or “Gordo,” conspired with each other and others to distribute and import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Colombia.
The pair are also accused of distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia on March 13, 2025, “having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.”
“We worked with our international law enforcement partners to extradite these two men to face justice here because we want to send this message: if you send drugs into our community, we will come for you no matter where you are,” VerHey said. “I look forward to proving the guilt of these two defendants before a West Michigan jury.”
Rueda Ipia and Munoz Orozco were extradited to the United States on Thursday, and made their first appearance in court in Grand Rapids on Friday.
If convicted, the pair face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, according to VerHey.
“Let this be a warning, if you choose to traffic cocaine into the United States, you should expect to be hunted down, arrested, and brought into an American courtroom—no matter where you try to hide,” DEA Detroit Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon added. “The DEA will relentlessly pursue transnational drug traffickers, dismantle their criminal enterprises, and ensure they face the full weight of the American justice system.”
For Kent County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Bryan Muir, working with federal and international partners is necessary to keep people accountable.
“Drug trafficking on this scale crosses jurisdictions and international borders, and working with our federal and international partners is necessary to hold those responsible accountable,” he said. “Having a KCSO detective assigned to the DEA Task Force gives us a direct role in these investigations, improves information sharing, and helps keep dangerous drugs out of West Michigan.”
The DEA is investigating this case with help from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand Rapids Police Department and Michigan State Police.
International assistance includes DEA offices in Bogota, Colombia, and Vienna, Austria, as well as the Colombian National Police, the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt and the Austrian Landeskriminalamt, according to the attorney’s office.
How to register to vote in Michigan: Step-by-step guide
Registering to vote in Michigan is simple and can be done online, by mail, or in person, depending on how close you are to Election Day.
In Michigan’s Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary, voters will set the stage for the November general election, picking the Democratic and Republican nominees who will face off in the fall in major races, including nationally watched U.S. Senate and governor’s races.
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot:
Key races on Michigan’s primary ballot
- Governor: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits. The Democratic primary includes Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. The Republican primary includes former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James, of Shelby Township and businessman Perry Johnson. (Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, is on the ballot, but he has dropped out of the race and endorsed James.)
- U.S. Senate: The Democratic primary to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate includes former Wayne County and Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, of Birmingham. (State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, dropped out of the race but still appears on the ballot.) The GOP primary is uncontested, with only former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, of White Lake, on the ballot. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, decided not to seek reelection, creating an open race to fill his seat.
- U.S. House of Representatives: Michigan has 13 congressional districts. Incumbents are seeking reelection in all but two of them. With James running for governor, there is an open race to fill his seat for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. (Republican Robert Lulgjuraj – a Macomb County prosecutor – has ended his campaign in the 10th District, but his name still appears on the ballot.) There is also an open seat for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, with Stevens running for U.S. Senate.
- Michigan Senate: All 38 seats in the Michigan Senate are up for election this year. Some metro Detroit voters will vote for the first time in newly drawn districts following court-ordered changes.
- Michigan House of Representatives: All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives are also up for election this year.
- Local races and proposals: Voters across the state will also weigh in on races for local offices and proposals.
You can’t vote in both primaries
Unlike presidential primaries in Michigan, voters in the state do not need to request a specific party’s ballot to vote in the upcoming primary. The partisan section of the August primary ballot features Democratic and Republican sections. Voters must pick one party’s primary. For instance, a voter cannot vote for a Democrat in the U.S. Senate primary and a Republican in the gubernatorial primary.
Where can I find a sample ballot?
Michigan voters can go to michigan.gov/vote and click on “What’s on the ballot?” where they will be directed to a page to enter details about their voting jurisdiction to view a sample ballot. Alternatively, they can enter their voter information on the “Am I registered page?” to view a “Ballot preview.”
When can I vote in Michigan’s election?
Michigan voters can request an absentee ballot now. Early voting will run statewide Saturday, July 25 through Sunday, Aug. 2, but communities may offer longer early voting periods. Check out the “Where do I go to Early Vote?” page on michigan.gov/vote to find early voting locations.
Voters can also vote in person on Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in line to vote by 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot. Voters voting absentee must return their ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day will still count.
Where is my polling place?
Voters can find their polling place at michigan.gov/vote and head to the “Where is my polling place?” page and enter their voter details.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was in Kalamazoo on Thursday to discuss rising energy prices in the state.
She is pointing the finger at the Trump administration, and the federal push to keep a local coal plant in operation.
J.H. Campbell Plant in West Olive was built in the 1960s, and was planned to close down. Nessel said it’s costing Michiganders every day.
“Consumers Energy cannot use long-term coal contracts to save money, and the aging facility requires extensive repairs, so the plant costs some more to operate than it could ever recoup in profits,” Nessel said.
“And that’s a whopping $615,000 loss every single day that that plant is forced to stay open,” she added.
The U.S. Department of Energy issued another emergency order in May keeping the facility online through mid-August. The plant had originally been scheduled to close in May 2025.
The Department of Energy said the decision is centered on energy reliability, though Nessel said coal-fired plants are a major cause of climate change.
“I think since we’re here to talk in part about the J. H. Campbell plant, it’s worthy to note that coal fired plants are the single single largest source of emissions that cause and create climate change, such as what’s affecting us right now,” Nessel said in regards to the hazardous pollutants that blanketed most of Michigan on Thursday.
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour ago‘Moana’ is a triumph for Pacific Islander representation on the big screen
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoFive shot during funeral at Detroit church
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSan Francisco Giants Announce Intriguing Roster Move Ahead of Mariners Series
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoDallas seafood wholesaler fined $250K for false salmon labeling
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoAbsolutely Not: Florida woman’s “suggestive” license plate goes viral
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoAriana Grande fan gets better tickets to TD Garden concert in Boston after resolving StubHub issue
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoMitchell Fraboni will be the Bronco long snapper in 2026
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle real estate owner sentenced to prison for $4.7 million tax evasion scheme – MyNorthwest.com
