Sarah Cwiek

Nearly 50,000 General Motors workers are on strike. They're protesting contract issues such as wages, health care and other benefits at a time when their union is under investigation for corruption.

They're angry about everything from overcrowding and hazardous buildings to looming bankruptcy. But teacher strikes are illegal in Michigan, and opponents say the actions hurt students and parents.

David Stojcevski died last year after two weeks in the Macomb County jail. His family is suing for wrongful death, alleging that corrections officers failed to give him prescription drugs he needed.

Southeast Michigan has taken in waves of refugees from the Middle East conflicts for decades, resulting in a strong Arab-American community. Refugee advocates say they're prepared to help Syrians.

The city's plan to restructure its debt has been praised as a creative way to protect both pensioners and its art museum. But some creditors — and residents — feel like they're being railroaded.

The murder trial is underway for Theodore Wafer, the Detroit homeowner who shot Renisha McBride, an unarmed black teen, on his porch. Wafer claims self-defense; prosecutors say there was no threat.

This year, 17,000 customers have had their water shut off because of late payments. Residents are upset with how the city is going about it, and question whether some are getting special treatment.

New Year's Day has become its own holiday of sorts for some hockey fans. The Detroit Red Wings play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Wednesday in front of more than 100,000 people. The game time weather forecast: about 18 degrees, with an 80 percent chance of snow.

In Michigan, voters will decide on a ballot measure that would mandate statewide referendums for any new international border crossings. That seemingly neutral language masks a very specific — and bitter — political battle over whether to build a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The unemployment in Michigan is dropping as the auto industry rebounds, and the state has a budget surplus for the first time in many years. But many local leaders say they're not seeing a comeback. They believe state leaders are helping themselves — and the business community — at the expense of the well-being of cities.