Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2025

In today's newsletter, get ready for a chilly weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the U.S. Department of Education, and Saugatuck Brewing Co. and Michigan DNR partner up to protect lake sturgeon.

Michigan zoos welcome their newest residents

Grand Rapids' John Ball Zoo kicks off its new season for visitors today. The zoo is also introducing several new animals in its 134th year, including a warthog and two new lions, Amara, a 6-year-old female, and her 9-year-old male companion, Upepo.

The Detroit Zoo is also welcoming a furry face. Haley, the 22-year-old female polar bear, was recently relocated from the Memphis Zoo. Haley joins two other polar bears at the zoo: Nuke, a 20-year-old male, and Suka, a 12-year-old female.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has added a second mob of meerkats to its animal lineup. Young sisters Clover, Violet, and Dahlia make up the new “flower power” meerkat mob at the zoo, officials announced.

Curated by Cara Hackett

Three meerkats sit on rocks at a zoo exhibit

The "flower power" meerkat mob can now be seen at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. (Photo: Lincoln Park Zoo)

Michigan’s weekend weather will be a throwback to winter

Wintery weekend: Michigan's weekend will feel more like winter instead of spring. We have a strong cold front coming through early Saturday, keeping temperatures about 10 degrees colder than normal and wintry. Southern Michigan could have a few snow showers Saturday and then back into spurts of snow Sunday night and Monday.

Summer will be here before we know it. If you’re looking forward to the warmest months of the year – perhaps planning a Fourth of July party, family camping trips or beach days – the Farmer’s Almanac has an extended forecast to help you plan. Predictions include record-breaking warm temperatures and near-average precipitation for most of the country.

Closed for the season: Despite possible snow accumulation this week, the Portage Lake Lift Bridge is now closed to sleds for the remainder of the snowmobiling season, state officials announced. This is a sure sign of spring weather on the way in the Keweenaw Peninsula, which has had 267.75 inches of snowfall during winter 2024-25, according to county data.

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Michigan educators brace for impact after Trump orders federal education cuts

Making cuts: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to shut down the U.S. Department of Education after weeks of speculation about the agency’s future and how shifts in federal spending could impact local schools. In Michigan, Democratic lawmakers and some education officials decried the move.

In a half-hour interview with MLive last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a twice-elected Democrat, expressed deep reservation over attempts to find “common ground” with Trump — diverging from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who recently visited the White House for a “productive meeting” on March 13 and has publicly stated her goal to find areas of mutual agreement and interest with the Republican president.

Identity checks: Security measures being updated with the Social Security Administration will soon require certain beneficiaries to verify their identity in person at an SSA office. The change will impact new and existing recipients who need to make a change to their direct deposit information.

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Michigan will face Texas A&M in second round of NCAA Tournament

March Madness: Playing in the Mile High City to open the NCAA men’s basketball Tournament, the Wolverines elevated their play just enough for a 68-65 win over UC San Diego. It will now be the Big Ten vs. the SEC in a second-round matchup in Denver. Michigan moves on to face Texas A&M on Saturday.

The Spartans: No. 2-seed Michigan State will take on No. 15-seed Bryant University Friday night at 10 p.m. A win on Friday would pit them against the winner of No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico in a second-round game on Sunday.

Indicted former Michigan football coach Matt Weiss targeted female college athletes, researching them based on their school affiliation, athletic history and physical characteristics before hacking their email, social media and cloud accounts to steal private photographs and videos, federal officials say.

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Idled Northern Michigan private prison to reopen as ICE detention facility

A private prison company plans to reopen an idled Northern Michigan prison as a federal immigration processing center. GEO Group announced Thursday, March 20 that it entered into a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the “immediate activation” of the North Lake Correctional Facility in Baldwin. The 1,800-bed facility, the only private, for-profit prison in the state, has been closed since 2022.

Seizing drugs: Canadian officials seized more than 923 pounds of cocaine worth $11 million at the Michigan border. The Canada Border Services Agency and Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced Wednesday that the drugs were found at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario.

No active threat: Police say there is no active threat to the community following a shooting that took place Thursday morning at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital. Initial reports suggested an active shooter situation was unfolding at the hospital, but police now say the alleged attack was a “targeted incident.”

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Saugatuck Brewing Co., Michigan DNR partner up to protect lake sturgeon

After a successful campaign netted $10,000 to help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources protect and rehabilitate some of the state’s most popular fishing spots, Saugatuck Brewing Co. is at it again. The brewery, which just donated proceeds of sales of its Rainbow Rodeo IPA to the Michigan DNR, is launching a new conservation campaign with the state agency. This time Saugatuck’s Lake Street Light is at the heart of it.

Speaking of spirits: Iron Fish Distillery, known for its award-winning pours and as a scenic farm-to-bottle destination, is hosting a special release party this weekend. A limited number of bottles of its Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey - aged more than six years - are being released in a tasting room event on Saturday, March 22. Reintroducing the Arctic Grayling to Michigan waters is an environmental cause that Iron Fish owners have put their funding, and their whiskey, into supporting.

🍒: In its pursuit to make every cherry skeptic a cherry lover, Cherry Republic will be buying an additional one million pounds of Michigan cherries annually. The Up North cherry empire is expanding its fulfillment and distribution center in Empire by 16,000 square feet, including a new freezer storage space.

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That's a wrap for this week

We will be back on Monday with more top stories from around Michigan.

In the meantime, stay in the loop with the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

See you next week!

- Cara Hackett

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