Indigenous water protectors and allies met at Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac last week, to spotlight the dangers of the 71-year-old Line 5, deemed North America’s riskiest crude oil pipeline. Headlined by the nonprofit Oil and Water Don’t Mix, the protests featured two main events: The “Pipe Out Paddle Up” in St. Ignace which showcased a flotilla against Enbridge’s Line 5 oil spill risk, followed by the “Water is Life Festival” in Petoskey, celebrating local music and advocacy for ending Line 5’s threat.

Michigan environmental justice group Citizens’ Resistance at Fermi Two did not get everything on its wish list. Still, the group is celebrating long-awaited changes to the permit for DTE Energy’s Fermi 2 nuclear plant. The facility's new permit now includes what environmental groups called important safeguards.

Michigan women are making gains in state politics, ranking 14th nationally for the number serving in the legislature. However, the latest analysis reveals funding disparities are a concern.

Two labor unions are fighting for their first collective bargaining agreements with the University of Michigan’s Michigan Medicine. Workers held an informational picket outside University Hospital last week, to protest what they say is U of M’s ongoing refusal to agree to what they call fair contracts that would address issues of understaffing and low pay.

A new $23 billion education budget plan in Michigan is opening the door for recent high school graduates to attend a community or tribal college, tuition-free. The “Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Community College Guarantee” was signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July — and is expected to save over 18,000 students almost $5,000 each year.

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating underreported methane emissions from landfills nationwide, and a recent report names Michigan as a major offender. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a key focus in combating climate change. Experts warn methane emissions are spiraling out of control as they leak from landfills.

It has been less than four months since Michigan’s Gun Lake Tribe received grants totaling $4 million for its plans to fight climate change. Its electric infrastructure implementation project ramped up this spring. Phyllis Davis, a tribal council member, said they are looking at ways to could increase efficiency and reduce negative environmental impacts on their area.

A Michigan environmental group is addressing an appeal challenging the state’s decision to approve the enclosure of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline. Built in 1953, this pipeline transports up to 540,000 barrels of petroleum daily through the Great Lakes. Enbridge aims to build a protective tunnel around a four-mile segment at the Straits of Mackinac, which connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.