Wednesday, February 11th, 2026
Good morning! On this day in 1937, the “strike heard ‘round the world” ended with General Motors officially recognizing the United Auto Workers Union.
Tom Izzo’s 99-year-old mother Dorothy went viral on Tuesday for an AI-generated photo hanging on her wall, depicting her getting the best of Michigan State guard Ker Tang. Check out the photo here, and read more in The Goodie Bag!
Detroit 15/31° ☁️ | Grand Rapids 13/28° ☁️ | Ann Arbor 14/29° ☁️ | Lansing 13/29° ☁️ | Flint 14/29° ☁️ | Saginaw 15/30° ☁️ | Kalamazoo 14/29° ☁️ | Muskegon 14/28° ☁️ | Traverse City 13/27° ☁️ | Marquette 11/24° ☁️ | Escanaba 13/26° ☁️ | Sault Ste. Marie 11/22° ☁️ | Alpena 13/27° ☁️
Whitmer Signs K-12 Cell Phone Ban
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills on Tuesday to ban cell phones in K-12 schools starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
House Bill 4141 and Senate Bill 495 passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support, and ban students from using “wireless communication devices” during instructional time.
The bills do allow for exceptions including device use for medical purposes. You can see a full list of exceptions here.
Large Crack In Lake Erie Ice Seen From Space
A photo from space showing an 80-mile crack in the ice on Lake Erie’s surface was shared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday.
After the weekend, Lake Erie’s ice coverage sat at approximately 92-percent, a decrease from 96 percent entering this prior weekend.
The crack runs from Cleveland to the north shore of Lake Erie near Port Bruce in Canada. You can see a photo of the crack here.
Justin Verlander Returns To Tigers For 2026
Three-time Cy Young winning starting pitcher and and 2006 Tigers first round pick, Justin Verlander, will be returning to the team on a one-year deal, the team announced on Tuesday.
After spending nine years in Houston, Verlander’s deal includes $13 million for one season, with $11 million deferred for 2030.
Verlander posted a tribute video celebrating his return to the Motor City. You can check out the video here.
Around the Mitten
Macomb County: Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight, Congressman James Comer, launched an investigation into the county’s evidence of noncitizens found in the jury pool and voter rolls. (More)
South Michigan: ICE is reportedly planning to expand into two new facilities. (See Locations)
Cascade Township: Plastic injection molding and die cast company Dimoco Inc. is closing after 42 years of business. (More)
Livonia: Cooper’s Hawk announced an opening date of March 2nd for its new location on Laurel Park Drive. (More)
Ypsilanti: Forbes ranked Eastern Michigan University in the top 100 midsize employers nationwide. (See List)
Paw Paw: A new stage is being built, and new viewing platforms planned at Warner Vineyards’ music venue. (See Concept Photos)
Sports
The Goodie Bag
State police helped free a deer stuck in a wrought-iron fence in East Grand Rapids. (See Photos)
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo’s 99-year-old mother posted photos of AI-generated art hanging in her room showing her playing basketball and getting the best of Michigan State guard Kur Teng. (See Photo)
A six foot taxidermied bear that was stolen off a porch in Gaines Township was recovered by police. (See Photo)
Previous Results
Should the man who called President Trump a pedophile protector be fired by Ford?
Yes - 34%
No - 66% ✅
A resounding NO on this poll! And, many of you wrote in with passionate takes:
Answer: No, “Your work place should not control your opinions ”
Answer: No, “Freedom of speech. The truth should not be punished.”
Answer: No, “Can't fire someone for speaking the truth!”
Answer: No, “He called him that because he is a pedophile”
Thank you for reading Wednesday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.