By Jon King | Editor-in-Chief
Quoted and Noted
“This suggests that families aren’t losing SNAP because they’re doing better or the economy is improving.” - Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy, saying the largest drop in SNAP enrollment in nearly 30 years comes despite Michigan’s unemployment rate remaining virtually unchanged from July 2025.
A “SNAP welcomed here” sign is seen at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. (Getty Images)
By Katherine Dailey
Across Michigan, school districts, food pantries, legal aid groups and nonprofits are preparing for another change in the distribution of SNAP benefits. Starting Oct. 1, states are required to pick up an increased share of the program’s administrative costs, a shift that analysts at the Michigan League for Public Policy estimate will cost the state about $95 million just for the first year.
The candidates, the ballot measures, and the tools you need to cast your vote, brought to you by the reporting of Michigan Advance.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (left) and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.). Photos by Ken Coleman and Kyle Davidson
COMMENTARY
By Rick Haglund
On the eve of his group’s posh Mackinac Policy Conference earlier this year, Detroit Regional Chamber President Sandy Baruah sounded an economic alarm.
“Michigan’s house is on fire,” he said, reeling off statistics showing Michigan mostly is in the bottom 10 states in per capita income, educational attainment and fourth-grade reading scores.
States Newsroom graphic illustration
By Kyle Davidson
A newly released survey from the University of Michigan Center for Local, State and Urban policy found that 46% of local government officials disagree that the benefits of data centers are worth the cost, compared to 18% who say the positives outweigh the negatives. Additionally, 55% of local leaders say their residents would strongly oppose a data center development near their community.
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
How many governors has Michigan had?
Let us know @michiganadvance on Bluesky and check back in later today for the answer.
Monday's answer: Legendary Detroit news anchors Bill Bonds and Diana Lewis were both featured in Hollywood films: Bonds in 1971’s “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” and Lewis in 1976’s “Rocky”.
Source(s): https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Bill_Bonds
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/characters/nm0507115/
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