Skubal Wins Cy Young, Hospital Grades Drop, and Government Re-Opens

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

Good morning! 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!

Federal government employees across the state can expect to see their paychecks—including backpay—in as soon as two days. Read more on the bill signed by the president last night in Top Stories.

Watch live TV without the cable hassle—YouTube TV is offering $30 off your first three months plus a 10-day free trial. Read more on today’s featured brand below.

🏛️ Government Workers Across Michigan to Receive Pay

Government employees across Michigan will start seeing paychecks after President Trump signed a bill Wednesday night that will fund the government through January 30.

The bill, passed with unanimous Republican support and a handful of Democrats, ended the 41-day shutdown, the longest ever in American history. Notably, the bill didn’t include any provisions on extending Obamacare subsidies, a significant compromise for Democrats.

Government employees can expect to see a large portion of backpay within 1-2 business days, with the rest expected to be processed within a week.

You can read more on the bill signed into law last night here.

⚾ Skubal Wins Second Consecutive AL Cy Young

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was voted the American League Cy Young winner for the second consecutive year, receiving 26 of the 30 first-place votes cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Skubal is the first pitcher to win back-to-back honors since Jacob DeGrom in 2018 & 2019, and the first AL pitcher to do so since Pedro Martinez in 1999 & 2000.

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes won the National League Cy Young, marking the first time both All Star starters won the award in the same year since Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens did so in 2001.

You can see Skubal’s reaction to winning the award while surrounded by his family and friends here.

🏥 Michigan Hospitals Receive Poor Grades for Safety

Several Michigan hospitals were given D or F grades in a new hospital safety survey from The Leapfrog Group.

Three DMC hospitals were given failing grades by the report for multiple criteria including high blood and MRSA infection risks.

Other hospitals including Flint’s Hurley Medical Center, Monroe’s ProMedica Regional Hospital, and Iron Mountain’s Dickinson Hospital were given a D grade for similar criteria.

You can see the full list of hospital grades in Michigan including more detailed breakdowns of each grade here.

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🗺️ Around the Mitten

Statewide: A new cash aid program from the state offering $1,500 to pregnant women and $500 a month for babies went live in six counties. (More)
Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan spent a record-breaking $2.16 billion on interdisciplinary research in Fiscal Year 2025 despite cuts in federal funding. (More)
Detroit: The city approved $75 million as part of a $1.6 billion redevelopment of the Renaissance Center. (More)
Statewide: Former state GOP co-chair Bernadette Smith filed paperwork to take on Congressman Mike Rogers in the U.S. Senate primary. (More)
Grand Haven: Temporary gear restrictions were placed by the state to protect whitefish in three towns. (See Restrictions)
Grand Rapids: A new restaurant serving up Burmese and Cantonese cuisine opened in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. (More)
Oakland County: A 39-year-old man was charged for allegedly attempting to rob a Shell station using an AK-47. (More)

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🏈 Sports

The Pistons extended their winning streak to eight games with a 124-113 victory over the Bulls. (See Box Score)
The NCAA placed Michigan State on three years probation and forced the school to vacate all fourteen wins from the previous three seasons as part of a punishment related to ineligible players. (More)
The Tigers designated reliever Alex Lange for assignment to make room for the signing of Dugan Darnell off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. (More)

Was your family impacted by the government shutdown? 🏛️

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