Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
Good morning! On this day in 1831, the territory of Michigan repealed a law that allowed drunk and disorderly persons to be whipped at a post.
Residents in West Michigan uploaded photos showing their view of the “blood red” moon during yesterday’s total lunar eclipse. Check out photos of the phenomenon here and read more in Around the Mitten!
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Detroit 28/39° ⛅ | Grand Rapids 27/40° ⛅ | Ann Arbor 27/40° ⛅ | Lansing 28/40° ⛅ | Flint 28/40° ⛅ | Saginaw 28/40° ⛅ | Kalamazoo 27/40° ⛅ | Muskegon 27/40° ⛅ | Traverse City 25/37° ⛅ | Marquette 23/33° ⛅ | Escanaba 24/35° ⛅ | Sault Ste. Marie 22/32° ⛅ | Alpena 24/34° ⛅
House Passes $152 Million Airbase Funding
House Speaker Matt Hall introduced and quickly passed a measure Tuesday that allocates $152 million of state funds for new runways at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.
Hall’s move comes following a lobbying effort that included Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the White House, where President Trump agreed to station new F-15EX fighter jets at the airbase.
Hall claims without the funding, the project would take until 2030 to complete. With the state funds, Hall expects the runways to be complete by 2028.
The measure passed 65-41 with two Republican dissenters joining Democrats in voting no, and now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate. You can read more on the measure here.
Michigan Holding “I Voted” Sticker Design Contest
Your design could be on this November’s “I Voted” sticker if chosen by your fellow Michiganders.
The state’s famous contest for its next voting sticker launched yesterday, with residents set to vote on finalists in June.
According to the rules, the designs cannot contain any AI-generated artwork, must contain the phrase "I voted," and must be nonpartisan. Various kinds of artwork are permitted for submission, including digital, paint, crayon, and mixed media.
Designs must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1st. You can submit a design for the contest here.
Fuel Costs Rise In Response To Iran Conflict
Gas prices in Michigan are rising as part of a nationwide uptrend following President Trump’s move to strike Iran in Operation Epic Fury.
The president commented on the increased gas prices on Tuesday, acnkowledging oil prices may rise “for a little while.”
The increased prices are largely due to a higher level of risk for oil tankers traveling through the Straits of Hormuz, which handles 20% of the world’s crude oil trade.
According to AAA, gas prices are up 28 cents in the past week in Michigan. You can see a nationwide map showing gas prices here.
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Around the Mitten
Statewide: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case alleging Michigan improperly keeps thousands of deceased persons on its voter rolls. (More)
Lansing: Republican lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate the need to obtain a concealed carry license in the state. (More)
West Michigan: Users uploaded photos showing their view of the “blood red” moon during yesterday’s total lunar eclipse. (See Photos)
Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan was named as a potential new partner for Department of War (DOW) fellowships following the termination of multiple ivy league schools by the DOW. (More)
Frankenmuth: An employee at the Biggby Coffee on North Main Street was nominated for the company’s barista of the year award. (More)
Sault Ste. Marie: The Sugar Island Ferry has halted operations until further notice due to thick ice in the St. Mary’s River. (More)
Sports
Tigers rising star and No. 2 MLB prospect Kevin McGonigle homered on the first pitch in the team’s exhibition match against the Dominican Republic. (See Video)
The Red Wings are debuting mini zamboni chicken tender baskets that will be available at Coop locations in Little Caesars Arena. (See Video)
A late-game rally from the Pistons fell short in a 109-113 loss to the Cavaliers. (See Box Score)
Michigan Enterprise
Ann Arbor-based drugmaker Esperion announced the $75 million acquisition of Nevada-based Corstasis Therapeutics Inc. (See Release)
O2 Investment Partners, a private equity firm based in Bloomfield Hills, raised $670 million in capital commitments for investment in lower middle-market companies. (More)
The Faster Horses country music festival announced it would not be returning to the Michigan International Speedway this year. (More)
Previous Results
Do you agree with the U.S. strike on Iran?
Yes - 59% ✅
No - 41%
We received a ton of write-ins on Monday’s poll! A few we received:
Answer: Yes, “Iran chants Death to America. Those nukes will be aimed at the US. I'm not always pro war but feel this was necessary. I have kids and grandkids I love and want safe ”
Answer: No, “I am unsure of the justification for it. The lack of transparency with congress is concerning. Is it a distraction from the Epstein files?”
Answer: Yes, “He is liberating the people of Iran, who are now dancing in the streets.”
Answer: No, “War is declared by congress not by the president”
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.