Michigan Democrats are launching their first digital ad of the 2026 U.S. Senate race, targeting Republican candidate Mike Rogers for supporting efforts to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge
The post Michigan Democrats launch ad tying Mike Rogers to Moroun family, opposition to Gordie Howe Bridge appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority says there will be a $5.75 toll for cars crossing the Gordie Howe International Bridge. That’s $4.25 cheaper than the Ambassador Bridge.
Commercial trucks, oversized and larger passenger vehicles will be charged $8.90 cents per-axle. There will also be discount passes available for frequent crossers. The so-called “Breakaway” program will offer 25% cheaper tolls for passenger vehicles, while trucks receive more than 20% off.
The Gordie Howe Bridge still has no opening date, but officials say plans to open it early this year remain on-track, despite President Trump threatening to block the span from opening last month.
Health officials are reporting Michigan’s first measles case of 2026. The Detroit Free Press says an adult who had traveled to Florida exposed people in various locations in Wayne and Washtenaw counties between March 4 and 8.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. Officials say anyone who is not vaccinated is likely to get ill if exposed.
Measles rates are on the rise across the country as vaccination rates are declining.
The Archdiocese of Detroit announced a plan to prevent sexual abuse in church. The Detroit News reports new policies include fingerprinting clergy and volunteers who work with children and appointing a monitor for those removed from ministry who will coordinate with law enforcement.
Archbishop Edward Weisenburger announced the initiative in a pastoral letter posted to the archdiocese website Wednesday.
Belle Isle Conservancy is hosting a full day of free activities for 313 Day, including the reopening of the Belle Isle Casino. The casino has been closed since 2023 for infrastructure upgrades thanks to $4.75 million in relief funding.
The 313 Day events are also part of the Conservancy’s rebrand for the island. The Belle Isle Aquarium, Nature Center, and Dossin Great Lakes Museum will have extended hours. The Music On Belle Isle Group is also hosting activities under the Flynn Pavilion form 3-7 p.m.
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For years, the billionaire Moroun family fought to stop the publicly owned Gordie Howe International Bridge from breaking their monopoly at the Detroit-Windsor border.
The post Moroun family backed Mike Rogers as he defends blocking Gordie Howe bridge appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.
Last week President Trump threatened to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge from opening. In a rambling post on social media, Trump argued that Canada is treating the U.S. unfairly without making any specific demands.
That’s left politicians on the Michigan and Ontario sides of the new span scrambling. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says he is unaware of any attempts by the Trump Administration to contact Canadian officials over the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Listen: Mayor Dilkens discusses U.S. threat to block Gordie Howe Bridge
Dilkens says that while Canada paid to build the span, ownership of the bridge is shared.
“Canada as a federal government and the state of Michigan as a state government jointly own the Gordie Howe Bridge,” says Dilkens. “We’re 50-50 owners and we will repay the cost of construction through the collection of tolls over a period of many years, after which we will split the proceeds of toll revenue moving forward.”
The Windsor mayor blames the Moroun family for the President’s sudden desire to halt the bridge opening. There are reports of a meeting between the wealthy Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hours before Trump threatened the Gordie Howe Bridge.
“You know I’m not sure what the billionaires are doing behind the scenes,” says Dilkens, “but we’re really interested in the families that are affected by this on both sides of the border.”
The U.S. House Oversight Committee has sent a letter to Lutnick requesting all documents related to his alleged meeting with Matthew Moroun.
Dilkens says retaliating by blocking the Ontario side of the Ambassador Bridge is not something Canada would consider, regardless of the White House’s stance on the Gordie Howe span. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority says the international span remains on track to open early this year.
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In this episode:
As the Gordie Howe International Bridge sets to open this year, President Trump signaled he may stop the opening in a Truth Social post. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss how lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are reacting to this surprising development.
This announcement from Trump blindsided many as the bridge is set to open later this year. Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who helped broker the deal for the bridge during his tenure as governor, wrote an op-ed in the Detroit News asking Trump to reconsider including a point by point demonstration as to why the President was wrong.
Trump said the bridge is a bad deal but Synder disagreed saying American consumers will be hurt the most if the bridge remained closed.
Later in the episode, Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press Reporter, discusses the Whitmer administration’s final budget.
Whitmer’s 88-billion-dollar budget is an increase from the budget signed into law last year. Egan describes the economic picture leading up to this release as uncertain. “The economy is showing many signs of weakness amid tariffs… you also have the federal government, making significant cuts… on top of that, you also have, soaring health care costs, which is another major, major problem that they had to tackle and putting together this budget.”
The budget addresses other things such as colleges and universities, a rainy day fund, and transportation. Of the new funding for 2027, 69% will support local road projects and 10% will support transit and rail programs, according to budget documents.
Michigan Democrats push back on Trump’s Gordie Howe Bridge threat
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The post MichMash: Trump causes chaos for bridge opening to Canada; Whitmer presents last budget appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.
In a rambling post on Truth Social this week, President Trump threatened the Gordie Howe International Bridge — saying he won’t allow the bridge over the Detroit River to open until Canada compensates the U.S. for all it has given them. His exact demands are unclear.
The bridge has been expected to open sometime early this year. It’s meant to support a trade network that sees around $150 billion USD worth of goods cross between Detroit and Windsor annually.
Listen: Politicians react to Gordie Howe Bridge threats
In a statement, the Michigan Democratic Party called out the president, saying blocking the span from opening would amount to economic sabotage.
State Rep. Helena Scott represents the state’s 8th house district — including northwest Detroit, Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge. She argues the US isn’t owed anything for the new bridge.
“Michigan did not fund the construction,” says Scott, “Canada did. Canada financed nearly all of the projects after the US declined to put federal dollars into it. There is nothing owed back to the US.”
Trump’s criticism of the bridge comes despite issuing a joint statement in 2017 with then-Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, endorsing the Gordie Howe project. Construction of the span began during Trump’s first term in office in 2018.
Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is shocked the president is now criticizing a project he once celebrated, in a state that voted for him.
“President Trump won Michigan,” says Dingell, “so why is he now turning around and screwing the workers who voted for him?”
Dingell says the owner of the Ambassador Bridge, the Moroun family, met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick before Trump’s threat. The Moroun’s fought to stop construction of the new bridge for years.
In a statement to WDET, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority says the new span remains on track to open in early 2026. They say the Gordie Howe International Bridge benefits both countries, by encouraging investment, helping to maintain and create thousands of jobs, and generating new business and tourism opportunities.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
The post Michigan Democrats push back on Trump’s Gordie Howe Bridge threat appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor is nearly open, and its community benefits process is winding down.
The bridge will create a second international crossing between Detroit and Windsor-Essex and has been in the works for years. It was first proposed in the early 2000s and the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority was created in 2012. In 2019, a Community Benefits Plan was published by the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority.
Residents on both sides of the border, including Delray in Detroit and Sandwich in Windsor, were engaged through a number of meetings and an advisory council was assembled. The report highlights key issues raised by community members:
Heather Grondin is the Chief Relations Officer for the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority. She joined The Metro to look at what community benefits were delivered for residents of Delray on the Detroit side, and Sandwich on the Windsor side.
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The post The Metro: What was in the Gordie Howe International Bridge community benefits plan? appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.
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