copper mine

Michigan's Upper Peninsula might not be the first spot you think of when someone says "volcano," but maybe it should be! Around 1.1 billion years ago, a rift volcano started producing massive amounts of lava in the region. That volcano (with the help of some glaciers around 10,000 years ago) formed some of the Upper Peninsula's most iconic landscapes — including Lake Superior!

Opponents are challenging a $50 million grant that Michigan awarded to a Canadian company for a copper mine in the Upper Peninsula.

Michigan taxpayers will spend up to $50 million on the Copperwood copper mine in the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Strategic Fund approved the funding on Tuesday. Highland Copper Inc. from Toronto pitched the $425 million project in 2023, promising 380 jobs over 11 years. The state grant covers nearly 10% of the project cost. The funding comes from the now-defunded SOAR Fund, so lawmakers won't need to approve it.

The price of a historic Michigan resource rides a roller coaster. Could it lead to a copper mining revival? Plus, how Detroit helped build the comics culture of today.

The previous House budget would have cut Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy by 19%, while the adopted budget reduces the agency’s funding by 7%.

$50 million dollars of funding to support a copper mine project has been cut from the new Michigan state budget. The mine has been incredibly controversial. It received support from economic developers and some local lawmakers, while other lawmakers as well as some environmental groups voiced concerns.

A state House panel approved funding Wednesday to help a Canadian company build a copper mine near Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the Upper Peninsula.

A conversation about the conflicting emotions Michiganders are having about the revival of mining in the Upper Peninsula. Then, a Detroit based poet explores family and place in her latest collection. And we talked to a Republican strategist who doesn't feel like she has a place in either of the major political parties anymore.

Although there are no state senate elections this year, a new map of the Metro Detroit area has been submitted for review. Additionally, we hear about the competing reactions to the building of a new copper mine in the Western Upper Peninsula. Plus, a conversation with two professors about their recent book on Black women and how higher educational spaces have treated them.

What the electric vehicle revolution means for Michigan’s copper mining industry. Also, the debate over the future of the Palisades nuclear plant, and a broader nuclear future in Michigan. And, we meet one Detroit creative dedicated to sharing the stories of other Black women artists and makers.