Affordability Pressure: A new Brookings series finds 45.5% of U.S. households in 2024 couldn’t “make ends meet,” with costs squeezing families and especially households of color. Defense Contract Scrutiny: A $9.7B Pentagon deal tied to Dell has reignited conflict-of-interest concerns after reporting highlighted Trump’s well-timed Dell stock purchases and public praise. Climate Risk: UN projections say there’s a 75% chance global temperatures will again exceed the Paris 1.5°C threshold in 2026-2030, with major heat and drought risks. Auto Labor Tension: At Nexteer in Saginaw, rank-and-file workers are pushing back on a third UAW-backed contract, arguing wages lag inflation and calling for a no vote and possible strike. Health Care Legal Fight: CVS and PBM affiliates face new lawsuits over alleged 340B reimbursement concealment, with cases filed in New York, Michigan and Kansas. Power Reliability: Consumers Energy is removing trees and limbs from thousands of miles of lines statewide, including 3,000+ miles in Northern Michigan, to cut outage risk. Michigan Politics Ballot: The Board of State Canvassers cleared GOP candidates John James and Perry Johnson for the August governor primary ballot, while others fell short. Local Business/Community: A Muskegon retro video store says VHS is back—after COVID-era demand, it now stocks 10,000+ tapes, reflecting a broader shift toward tangible media.