Thursday, February 5th, 2026
Good morning! On this day in 1988, the state legislature officially recognized the native Brook Trout as the official fish of the state of Michigan.
Rochester’s downtown Royal Park Hotel completed a multi-million dollar renovation including captivating updates to its conservatory. Check out photos of the renovated space here and read more in Around the Mitten.
The Mitten State is a Michigan-based apparel company that makes soft T-shirts and hoodies with unique Michigan designs! Shop their collection now to get 20% off and free shipping on orders of over $99!
Detroit 12/24° ☁️ | Grand Rapids 10/30° ☁️ | Ann Arbor 11/23° ☁️ | Lansing 9/26° ☁️ | Flint 10/24° ☁️ | Saginaw 11/27° ☁️ | Kalamazoo 11/27° ☁️ | Muskegon 11/32° ☁️ | Traverse City 8/31° ☁️ | Marquette 6/31° ☁️ | Escanaba 10/30° ☁️ | Sault Ste. Marie 5/25° ☁️ | Alpena 8/26° ☁️
Michigan Has Fourth-Highest Car Insurance Premiums In U.S.
A new study from Insurify showed Michigan to be one of only eleven states nationally that saw an increase in auto insurance premiums in 2025.
In 2025, the average Michigander’s annual car insurance premium rose to $3,073, or an increase of 0.2%, while the average American’s premium fell to $2,144, a 6% decrease.
The study also revealed Michigan to have the fourth-highest average premium in the country.
You can see the map of states showing changes in premiums here.
Whitmer Responds to Trump’s Calls to Nationalize Michigan Elections
Governor Gretchen Whitmer responded on Wednesday to calls by President Trump to nationalize federal elections nationwide, including in the state of Michigan.
In an interview this week with former FBI Director Dan Bongino, Trump suggested Republicans should nationalize elections, pointing to Detroit as a city that would benefit from such a move. Trump then reaffirmed his support for the initiative Wednesday in the Oval Office.
Whitmer responded to the president on Wednesday, stating, it “won’t happen” on her watch.
You can see Trump’s full comments on nationalizing elections here.
Attorney General Nessel Launches ICE Tracker
Attorney General Dana Nessel launched a new tracker designed to log incidents of alleged misconduct by federal agents in the state of Michigan.
The tracker, according to Nessel, does not generate a complaint or start a lawsuit on a user’s behalf, but is designed to record each case of misconduct.
The form follows news that Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly looking to set up a detention facility in Romulus.
You can see Nessel’s full release here.
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Around the Mitten
Statewide: Most of Michigan will see two to four inches of snow through this evening. (See Map)
Rochester: The Royal Park Hotel completed its multi-million dollar renovation, including guest rooms, redesigned event spaces, and updated public areas. (See Photos)
Southeast Michigan: 14 new Sheetz locations that will employ 400 Michiganders are opening this year. (See Locations)
Traverse City: The Grand Traverse Bay froze over for the first time in years. (See Photo)
Also Statewide: Several Michigan Pizza Hut locations are at risk of closing, with the company announcing the closure of 250 locations nationwide. (More)
Muskegon: Bowling ball manufacturer Wilbur Products is investing $9 million in their production facility in Roosevelt Park, bringing 90 new jobs. (More)
Lower Peninsula: The Michigan House passed a bill to remove a ban on deer baiting. (More)
West Michigan: Two Denny’s locations are closing in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. (More)
Sports
The Tigers signed two-time All Star and Astros ace Framber Valdez to a three-year, $118 million deal. (See Deal)
Michigan State football picked up the commitment of four-star Detroit Catholic Central Wide Receiver Samson Gash. (More)
Tigers legend and 1968 World Series MVP Mickey Lolich passed away Wednesday at age 85. (More)
The Red Wings were stifled in a 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth. (See Box Score)
Michigan Enterprise
The Nvidia-backed smart meter company, Utilidata, announced the opening of its new headquarters in Ann Arbor. (See Release)
Southfield-based Lear Corporation confirmed the winning of a contract for General Motors’ new plant in Orion Township, sending the stock price up 10%. (More)
Dauch Corporation, formerly American Axle & Manufacturing, completed its acquisition of British engineering company Dowlais Group and its subsidiaries. (More)
What's your favorite Pizza chain? 🍕
Previous Results
Should Michiganders be required to show I.D. before voting?
Yes - 94%
No - 6%
It seems most of you would vote yes for “Proposal 2” if it makes the ballot this fall:
Answer: Yes, “100% I can’t got to another country and vote without being a citizen. Also, we use id for everything besides voting! ”
Answer: No, “It will be used to disqualify eligible people, which is really the reason for pursuing this”
Answer: Yes, “They already do. If they don't have their ID with them sign an affidavit and their ballot is put into an envelope and sent to the township/city clerk for follow-up. ”
Answer: Yes, “A state ID would be sufficient”
Thank you for reading Thursday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.