Driverless Taxis Arrive, Election Day in Michigan, Vintage Relic Found

Tuesday, November 4th, 2025

🗳️ Happy Election Day! Welcome to The Mitten, where we provide you a 5-minute rundown of all things Michigan every morning at 5 a.m., directly in your inbox!

A classic Cook’s Drive-In sign dating back to the 1960’s was uncovered beneath paint during renovations of its old building in Grand Rapids. Check out photos of the relic here and read more in Around the Mitten.

Score big on your next night out with SeatGeek—use code AUTUMN2025 for 20% off, up to $25 in savings.

Self-Driving Fleet Coming to Detroit

The fully autonomous rideshare company Waymo announced plans to bring its driverless fleet to the Motor City starting this week.

The company will be debuting its sixth-generation Waymo vehicles in Detroit, rated for extreme conditions including snow, hail, fog, heat, and rain, and with thousands of miles of test driving logged on the model.

Waymo plans to start with human drivers in Detroit until rolling out its fully autonomous service next year. You can see photos of the sixth-generation robotaxis, and read more on how the service works here.

Voters Set to Cast Ballots Across Michigan

Michiganders are set to vote today on more than 150 measures across 43 counties, including who will be the next mayor of Detroit.

The measures at stake include $3.6 billion statewide in bonds and tax increases with a potential hike of $235 in property taxes. Several local candidates seeking office will also be voted on by Michiganders.

Michigan’s 153 measures up for voting statewide are the second-most in the country behind Texas. You can find more information on what’s at stake today here.

Thousands Without Power in Upper Peninsula

More than ten thousand Yoopers were without power on Monday afternoon following the first gale of November in the Upper Peninsula.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook due to high winds measuring up to 50 milers per hour whipping off the coast of Lake Superior.

By late Monday night, the outages were reduced to just over 1,000. You can see a live map of any remaining outages here.

Make every game, concert, and show easier to get to with SeatGeek—with simple checkout, upfront pricing, and verified tickets, you’ll always know you’re getting a great deal before you buy.

Whether it’s game day, date night, or your favorite band on tour, SeatGeek makes finding the perfect seat quick and easy. And for a limited time, use code AUTUMN2025 for 20% off—up to $25 off your tickets.

👉 Get out there and enjoy the season with SeatGeek—smart tickets for smarter fans.

Around the Mitten

Allegan County: U.S. 131 South will be closed from 100th Street to 142nd Street after a large piece of equipment struck the overpass. (More)
Ferndale: Two men were arrested in connection to the foiled terror plot that was planned for the city on Halloween. (More)
Lansing: The city celebrated the grand opening of Fire Station 2, one of the facilities funded by voter-approved levy. (See Video)
Muskegon: Three students were injured after a school bus crashed into a utility pole Monday morning. (More)
Grand Rapids: A new business planning to set up shop at the former Cook’s Drive-In building uncovered a vintage sign from the classic root beer and hamburger spot. (See Photos)
Ann Arbor: City council is set to decide on a 20-acre, $300 million development coined the “second downtown” on Thursday. (See Photos)
Mid-Michigan: Freudenberg e-Power Systems, a vehicle battery manufacturer, is preparing to close its Midland and Oakland plants that employ more than 300 people. (More)

Your gear should work as hard as you do.

If you’re still tossing drinks in a cheap cooler or sipping from a cup that leaks, it’s time to step up to YETI. Built tough enough for the job site and clean enough for the weekend, YETI coolers and drinkware are made to last a lifetime.

And for the holiday season, you can get free shipping and free customization on select items—so you can slap your name, crew, or company logo on something that’ll actually hold up.

👉 Check out YETI today—built for the grind, ready for wherever you take it.

Sports

Former Detroit Tigers five-time All Star Lou Whitaker was left off this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. (More)
Pistons guard Isaiah Stewart led the way with a double-double in the team’s 114-106 defeat of the Memphis Grizzlies. (See Box Score)
Michigan Hockey’s Freshman standout defenseman Henry Mews suffered a season-ending injury in the Wolverines’ 2-1 defeat of Notre Dame Saturday. (More)
No. 22 Michigan State basketball overcame a slow start to beat Colgate 80-69 in its season opener. (See Box Score)
No. 7 Michigan basketball looked dominant in a 43-point victory over Oakland University. (See Box Score)

Do you plan to vote today? 🗳️

Previous Results

Do you plan to travel this winter? ❄️

Yes - 100%
No - 0%

❝

Thank you for reading Tuesday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.

Founder of The Mitten — Joe S.