Blues on the Bay, Housing for Teachers, Federal Cuts to Radio and TV, Possible Hole in Michigan Budget, and Stats from Beyond the UP. Read this week’s Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Charging Into the Future: Can EVs Thrive in the UP?

Electric vehicles remain a rare sight in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula due to limited charging infrastructure, cold climate challenges, high vehicle costs, and slow-moving local policy. But with the right investments and political will, EV adoption in the UP could unlock new economic and environmental opportunities for the region.

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Calling All Veterans, Public TV and Radio Cuts Felt in UP, School Libraries Facing Loss of Librarians, and Child Care Crisis

Calling All Veterans, Public TV and Radio Cuts Felt in UP, School Libraries Facing Loss of Librarians, and Child Care Crisis. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Rural Voices

Global Service from Upper Peninsula Roots: Talking to Karen Ogle About Her Foreign Service Career

In the latest episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, David Haynes sits down with Karen Ogle, a Marquette native who has carved out a distinguished career in the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service.

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Diplomatic Paths: From Marquette to the World with Robert Hilton

In the latest episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, David Haynes sits down with Robert Hilton, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army and a Marquette native with a storied international career.

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We are the primary source for economic and policy research and information in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond, working to ensure that our citizens and policymakers alike have the information they need to make informed decisions.

 

We believe that Truth + Knowledge equals Power, and that the people in rural areas deserve access to these tools just as much as anyone else.

The Issues

More From Our Articles

President Trump, Canada and the Upper Peninsula

Canadian travel to the U.S. is down sharply in 2025, and border towns like Sault Ste Marie are feeling the impact. Michael Broadway and Joslin Brown’s latest article explores how Trump-era policies are straining one of North America’s closest relationships.

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Singapore U.P. Land Purchases, Michigan Population Growth from Immigrants, Government Officials Being Threatened

Singapore U.P. Land Purchases, Michigan Population Growth from Immigrants, and Government Officials Being Threatened. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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NMU Search Process Adds to President Search, K-12 Funding Advocacy Group Formed, New Marquette Campground, and Mackinac Island Ferry Prices Increase

NMU Search Process Adds to President Search, K-12 Funding Advocacy Group Formed, New Marquette Campground, and Mackinac Island Ferry Prices Increase. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Research

Assessing Socioeconomic Trends and Disparities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: A County-by-County Analysis

We occasionally publish research by NMU students, and this article is an…

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Earned Income Tax Credit: Max Steele’s Analysis

Rural areas have several demographic components that lend themselves to having a…

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Recent Population Changes in the U.P. Amidst the Pandemic

The population dynamics of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are well documented. Its population,…

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Boom and Bust: Calumet and Keweenaw National Historical Park 30 Years On

Many communities throughout the Upper Peninsula have developed their sense of place…

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Survey Shows Diversity of NMU’s Student Veterans

Diversity is something that members of America’s armed forces inadvertently come to…

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