From Lansing to your hometown, Michigan Capitol Confidential uncovers what government leaders accomplish — or fail to accomplish — and how their decisions affect the lives and wallets of Michigan residents.
We published 260 stories in 2025, but readers told us with their choices which issues they thought were most important. Here are 10 articles that received the most views.
1. Michigan offered $6 billion; company said ‘no.’
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation gave Genesee County $259 million to prepare a site for a company, in a proposed deal that would have been among the largest corporate welfare packages ever. But the company declined.
2, 4, 6, 10. Food stamps and Medicaid subject to fraud.
CapCon’s second-, fourth-, sixth- and tenth-most-read stories revealed widespread problems in how the state administers benefit programs:
• A state worker was fired after reporting food benefits stolen from taxpayers (2nd).
• The food stamp and Medicaid programs are vulnerable to theft (4th).
• Botched handling of Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamp benefits led to a $415 million bill from the federal government (6th).
• Oversight failures caused a 387% increase in food stamp fraud from 2023 to 2024 (10th).
3. Grosse Pointe trustee threatened at school board meeting.
During the public comment time of a Grosse Pointe school board meeting, a local activist told a trustee, “It’s lucky for you, I’m no Luigi (Mangioni).” Mangioni has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in December 2024.
5. One-party control of the Legislature brought sweeping changes.
A Democratic trifecta controlled the Michigan Legislature and governor’s office in 2023 and 2024. As 2025 started, CapCon examined the consequences.
7. Law allows DNR to enter private property without a warrant.
Current law allows the Department of Natural Resources to enter private land without a warrant. CapCon reported on pending legislation to curb this practice.
8. Electric vehicle makers take nearly $1 million in subsidies, close shop.
State officials gave two EV makers $900,000 in taxpayer-provided subsidies. The companies decided, after creating only 66 jobs, to lay off employees and move to North Carolina.
9. Attorney General Dana Nessel sues the oil industry while staffers drive gas-powered vehicles.
Nessel announced plans in 2024 to sue oil and petroleum companies, citing damage to the environment when Michiganders fill up their vehicles. Her staff, meanwhile, used 77 vehicles, most of which were gas-powered, according to the 2025 state fleet plan obtained by CapCon.
