Catch our monthly show — produced by Detroit PBS — on our network of stations in the Midwest. Get the latest news and program updates in our weekly newsletter: greatlakesnow.org/great-lakes-now-newsletter/https://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mtzfrehz5c2eAfter failed trade negotiations, President Trump threatened to rename Lake Ontario. This is not the first time in the last two years that a U.S. politician suggested changing the name of one of the Great Lakes. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/26/will-the-u-s-rename-lake-ontario-lake-america/26 Aug 2026 22:42 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtzfrehz5c2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mtujf4mmwk2nTwo years ago, a bill was introduced to redesignate the Apostle Islands as a national park. While some elected and economic development officials backed the proposal, it was met with immediate pushback from local communities and Lake Superior tribes. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/24/apostle-islands-national-park-proposal/25 Aug 2026 00:03 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtujf4mmwk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mts4vxkbps2aMore than 200,000 people canoe around North America each year. Learn more about the legendary northern canoeist and adventurer Bob O’Hara who popularized this pastime. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/20/riverman-paddling-through-the-boundary-waters/24 Aug 2026 01:15 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mts4vxkbps2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mtmbdrfgr22zWhat can Lake Huron tell us about early life on Earth? We're teaming up with @hiddenbelow.bsky.social and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on 9/16 at 11 AM ET to take you on a livestreamed journey to Middle Island Sinkhole, a remarkable underwater ecosystem: https://www.facebook.com/events/175292709572652721 Aug 2026 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtmbdrfgr22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mtezumu65k2tFor over a decade, Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 has been the center of a political and environmental battle in Michigan. But, in recent weeks, that debate has only become more complicated: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/18/line-5s-future-is-still-uncertain-heres-what-to-know/18 Aug 2026 20:16 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtezumu65k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mtameiemik2jSome lake sturgeon swimming in the Great Lakes today may have been alive for centuries, according to new research that suggests scientists have significantly underestimated the fish’s lifespan. Story by @bridgemi.com: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/13/think-youre-getting-old-new-study-says-michigan-sturgeon-may-live-to-400/17 Aug 2026 02:03 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtameiemik2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3msy4ht47h22xIn Lyon Township, Michigan, some residents waited more than five hours to speak about a proposed 1.8-million-square-foot data center. This sight is becoming increasingly common as communities balance the future of infrastructure and community concern. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/13/are-data-centers-the-roads-of-the-future-inside-the-ai-infrastructure-debate/13 Aug 2026 16:58 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msy4ht47h22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3msvmqfodmk2eIllinois is the first Great Lakes state to classify plastic pellets as a pollutant, a move advocates say helps keep millions of pellets out of the region’s waterways. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/12/illinois-governor-signs-landmark-plastic-pollution-bill-to-protect-great-lakes/12 Aug 2026 17:11 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msvmqfodmk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3msstozs5es2tA decade-long shoreline restoration project is reviving habitat along Lake St. Clair, while fulfilling landscape architect Jens Jensen’s nearly century-old vision. Read more: https://live-great-lakes-now.pantheonsite.io/2026/08/07/ford-house-shoreline-restoration-revives-designer-jens-jensens-vision/11 Aug 2026 14:37 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msstozs5es2thttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mseafrf5ns2tDive to the bottom the Great Lakes and chances are you’ll encounter a carpet of invasive quagga mussels. In All Too Clear, @hiddenbelow.bsky.social uses cutting-edge underwater camera technology to explore the lakes (and the mussels) like never before. Watch it now: https://www.pbs.org/show/all-too-clear/05 Aug 2026 19:15 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mseafrf5ns2thttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3msdz6nhzkc2qLong before green algae coats Lake Erie’s shoreline, researchers use river data, weather patterns and satellites to forecast blooms and their potential impacts. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/04/how-scientists-predict-lake-eries-harmful-algal-blooms-before-they-appear/05 Aug 2026 17:06 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdz6nhzkc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3msbvp6zank2qNorthern Ontario’s record wildfire season exposed gaps in emergency management for First Nations communities. Read more from @thenarwhal.ca: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/first-nations-had-a-wildfire-plan-ontario-ignored-it-then-came-the-flames/04 Aug 2026 20:58 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbvp6zank2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3ms7bcoutnk2wThe court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust resources. Story by @bridgemi.com: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/michigan-supreme-court-vacates-line-5-permit/03 Aug 2026 19:48 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms7bcoutnk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3ms6xloc3fs2vIn Wisconsin, @tomkertschernews.bsky.social of @wisconsinwatch.org has been reporting on how developers have been using non-disclosure agreements to keep information about proposed data centers under wraps. Check out our conversation: youtu.be/xgmXCmOdYuM https://youtu.be/xgmXCmOdYuM03 Aug 2026 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6xloc3fs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mrxkmedsp22bA Black-run boating club, Cleveland’s Inter City Yacht Club, was founded at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s — making it one of the first established anywhere in the country. Read more: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/this-black-run-lake-erie-yacht-club-is-one-of-the-first-of-its-kind-in-the-u-s/31 Jul 2026 18:13 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxkmedsp22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mrsrvw337s2qNearly half of Great Lakes beachgoers rarely or never check water quality before swimming, according to a new study by researchers at @torontomet.bsky.social. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/going-to-the-beach-check-the-water-quality/29 Jul 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrsrvw337s2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mrna4ddmb22oQuadrillions of tiny mussels are reshaping the Great Lakes. In our latest episode, we bring you an excerpt from "All Too Clear." Also, Ohioans are pushing back against data centers. Zaria Johnson from Ideastream Public Media tells us why. Watch it MONDAY, 7/27 at 7:30p ET on Detroit PBS!27 Jul 2026 15:38 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrna4ddmb22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mrfovjrduc2bThere are seven Ojibwe Nations in Minnesota and five of these communities have embraced alternative energy sources over the last decade. And now, there are six. Bois Forte has made the leap to energy sovereignty through a program called The Solar Commons. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/no-one-owns-sun/24 Jul 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfovjrduc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mrdjilef522uFor the first time, Michigan’s Fisheries Division is getting funding specifically for whitefish recovery, but officials say it's not enough to solve the ecosystem issues causing the species' decline. Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/michigan-fisheries-get-one-time-funding-for-whitefish-restoration/23 Jul 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrdjilef522uhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mr6lsfwbps2kRead our latest on how pets and animals are impacted by prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/21/how-wildfire-smoke-impacts-pets-and-wildlife/21 Jul 2026 19:58 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6lsfwbps2khttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mquazzrhmk2kDespite “adverse” impacts on ecological and tribal resources, state regulators said these updates to Line 5's permits are better than an oil spill in the Great Lakes. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/17/line-5-tunnel-in-michigan-clears-major-permitting-hurdle-in-blow-to-opposition/17 Jul 2026 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mquazzrhmk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqtwttbuus2uRural Indiana helped power America’s 20th-century coal boom. Now, many communities are living with growing piles of toxic coal ash, and the health impacts that come with them. Read more from @circleofblue.bsky.social https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/air-quality-alerts-issued-for-northern-michigan-as-wildfire-smoke-blankets-region/17 Jul 2026 14:16 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqtwttbuus2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqrwtorlgk2y“There is ash on our cars right now and it smells like burning tires,” Jenny Clasman, executive director of the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce said following Air Quality alerts being issued in northern Michigan. Read more about the effects of the wildfires: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/air-quality-alerts-issued-for-northern-michigan-as-wildfire-smoke-blankets-region/16 Jul 2026 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrwtorlgk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqpagzlib22yWhile urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, the black-crowned night heron has managed to adapt to city life. Read more about the endangered bird’s life Chicago: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/refuge-in-the-windy-city-declining-wetland-bird-makes-a-home-in-downtown-chicago/15 Jul 2026 17:24 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqpagzlib22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqp755thxk2yIndiana has the most coal ash sites in the country. Now it wants to be the first state in the Great Lakes region to oversee how the toxic waste from coal-burning power plants is disposed of and managed. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/14/indiana-wants-to-be-in-charge-of-its-own-coal-ash-dumps/15 Jul 2026 17:01 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqp755thxk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqcvwm7y5k2mFriends of the Detroit River needs $350 million in matching funds to complete a cleanup of 3.6 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment. Story by @planetdetroit.org: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/10/detroit-river-tour-highlights-restoration-successes-1-billion-cleanup-hurdle-we-all-have-a-role-to-play/10 Jul 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcvwm7y5k2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqcrgfd4xs2tInvasive mussels are stripping the Great Lakes of nutrients that baby whitefish need to survive. Could this doom the species? All Too Clear is a documentary by @hiddenbelow.bsky.social that uses cutting edge technology to explore the lakes like never before: https://video.detroitpbs.org/video/all-too-clear-beneath-the-surface-of-the-great-lakes-l5twr0/10 Jul 2026 18:24 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcrgfd4xs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqcmlkgne22tPeople filled a meeting on Wednesday to voice support for a temporary ban on data centers. The township is the latest northern Michigan municipality to consider such a move as local and regional pushback grows. Story by @iprnews.bsky.social and @grist.org: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/garfield-township-inches-closer-to-a-possible-data-center-moratorium/10 Jul 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcmlkgne22thttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mqafiflff22dA Wisconsin man is one of seven former Environmental Protection Agency staffers suing federal regulators for their firings, alleging the agency violated their First Amendment rights. https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/former-epa-staffer-from-wisconsin-sues-after-he-was-fired-for-signing-letter-of-dissent/09 Jul 2026 19:45 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqafiflff22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/greatlakesnow.bsky.social/post/3mq7vvvuiqk2fThe storied river is beloved by boaters and anglers alike — and one side no doubt will be unhappy by the resolution of Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell six hydroelectric dams. Story by @bridgemi.com: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/07/on-fabled-au-sable-river-a-fight-for-soul-of-michigans-holy-waters/09 Jul 2026 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:kfvpaeay6owujdcjcod7xnjb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7vvvuiqk2f