There are a lot of reasons why so many people fall in love with northern Michigan. Between the sand dunes and gorgeous freshwater views, the region has a way of making visitors flock there and locals want to stay.

But a new book examines what could happen as Up North becomes a refuge for people looking to escape the effects of climate change.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at Tim Mulherin’s new book, “This Magnetic North,” and the stories he heard while examining northern Michigan’s potential future.

Plus: As we discuss climate change, I’ll show you a website that could predict our planet’s future as waters rise.

Donors who gave millions to Rogers campaign named in Epstein files (Detroit Metro Times): As Republican US Senate candidate Mike Rogers has argued that people named in the Epstein files should be protected from public exposure if there’s no evidence they committed a crime, a Metro Times review found several major donors to his campaign and affiliated groups appear in the files. At least seven such donors have given nearly $4.7 million to Rogers’ campaign, fundraising committees, leadership PAC, or a supporting super PAC since 2023.

Michigan organizations feel effects of SNAP cuts (Michigan Advance): Michigan schools and food pantries are preparing for another round of SNAP changes as the state takes on more of the program’s administrative costs and thousands of residents have already lost benefits. Local leaders say increasing demand at food pantries could eventually put more pressure on schools and the state budget.

Toddler brings gun to daycare center (ClickOnDetroit): Workers at a Metro Detroit daycare took a firearm from a toddler who brought it in a backpack Monday. Investigators later found out that the child’s father is a police officer. The family has been disenrolled from the daycare, and one parent has been arrested, as the investigation continues.

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A view from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Marquette. (Michaela Zuzula/Unsplash)

By Julia Belden, Capital News Service

With its magnificent sand dunes, sparkling blue-green water, and bucolic cherry orchards, northern Michigan is a paradise for residents and visitors.

The region’s temperate climate, buffered by the Great Lakes, also makes it a hotspot for climate migration, a theme explored in “This Magnetic North,” a new book by Tim Mulherin.

Mulherin lives in Indianapolis but frequently visits the Traverse City area, where his family owns a cottage. A writer and former school administrator, he fell in love with northern Michigan in the mid-1980s after driving there to visit a friend.

“I was on M-72 coming from Kalkaska – there’s a ridge you go over and suddenly you can see Grand Traverse Bay,” said Mulherin.

“I was floored. I pulled the car over and got out. I didn’t realize the Midwest had something that beautiful because I’d always been in Indianapolis since I was 10 years old.”

Mulherin said the idea for the book came from a conversation with his friend Dave Dempsey, a senior policy advisor at Traverse City-based nonprofit FLOW (For Love of Water) and a fellow author.

“We started talking about book ideas and [Dempsey] threw out the term ‘climate migrants,’” Mulherin said. 

Climate migration, according to the Migration Policy Institute, occurs when people are displaced by climate change-related drivers. 

Random tidbits worth clicking on…

Visualize the world at any sea level with Sliding Shores. (Sliding Shores/Screenshot)

🌎 As we talk about climate migration and how rising waters could displace populations around the world, Sliding Shores is an awesome tool to visualize it.

You can change the slider to whatever you want and see how the humans displaced counter reacts to your changes, or even set it to predetermined scenarios.

The author does add a disclaimer that it’s not a completely accurate scientific model, since it can’t fully account for how the water would actually flow, but it’s still very neat to see how resilient Michigan is when you crank that slider up.

Do you have a cool picture, observation, or comment you’d like to share? Send it here.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with a feature story from Capital News Service. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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