Donald Trump

What to make of a private meeting between Governor Whitmer and President Trump; from our friends at Interlochen Public Radio’s Points North, a microorganism that conducts electricity and what might happen if our devices were alive; and with Michigan Public’s own Beenish Ahmed, the short story collection about Muslim-American life that won her a Kresge Artist Fellowship.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer met privately with President Donald Trump last week to urge him to change course on tariffs that are having a big impact on automakers in her state.

The Democratic governor said she had no qualms about partnering with a Republican president with whom she once had a fractious relationship.

Complicating stalled budget negotiations in Lansing, new analysis shows the state will have $1.1 billion less heading into the new fiscal year because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Plus, the campaign to tax Michigan’s wealthiest residents to pay more for schools moves forward with its petition campaign.

An open U.S. Senate seat, legislative inaction and the Whitmer/Trump relationship: The It’s Just Politics team takes stock of the first six months of 2025 with a look at the top three Michigan politics stories of the year so far.

Some have criticized a slow federal response to the recent deadly flooding in Texas. Critics have linked the response to budget cuts to the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

There are plans for the U.S. to start sending letters Monday warning countries that higher tariffs could kick in Aug. 1.

Democratic Senator Gary Peters called the bill “reckless, irresponsible, and an unconscionable betrayal of American families.”

Across the state of Michigan, large crowds of protesters gathered to rally against President Donald Trump's administration. From Detroit, to Brighton, to Lansing, and beyond, those protesting named several issues — like immigration enforcement raids, cuts to federal programs, and fears of political violence as top concerns.

Organizers are accusing the president of putting on the parade as a show of dominance. The protests were peaceful, but came against the backdrop of assassinations in Minnesota.