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A coastal technologist with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation in Ontario says the proposal by Britain to ban plastic straws is a great idea and hopes more countries will follow suit. Read the full story by Blackburn News. View the full article

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) surprised a roomful of Great Lakes scientists and policy experts at the University of Michigan on Tuesday night by saying she made a personal appeal to Ohio Gov. John Kasich to designate western Lake Erie as impaired back when his administration had dug in its heels and refused to do so. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade. View the full article

Despite being more than 70 miles away, Milwaukee appeared to be just a short swim away from the Lake Michigan shoreline in Muskegon, Michigan, due to a phenomenon called fata morgana. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limited areas of Wisconsin that will face tougher smog regulations to small strips of land along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Gazette. View the full article

Coming off a long Michigan winter that clearly wore out its welcome, it’s no surprise that people this week were having fun sharing a summer beach picture dotted with floating icebergs. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

Muskegon’s foray into cruise ship docking began during summer 2015 when the Pearl Mist of Pearl Seas Cruises was diverted from Holland to Muskegon due to a docking conflict. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

A dozen U.S. senators from both parties signed a letter of support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that was sent Tuesday to leaders of a subcommittee that recommends spending on environmental programs. Read the full story by WISV-TV – Madison, WI. View the full article

American and Canadian governments have been slow to address chemical pollution in the Great Lakes, according to the International Joint Commission. The commission wants both governments to follow the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and speed up the process of identifying chemicals of mutual concern. Read the full story by CBC News. View the full article

A new study from a Michigan State University researcher estimates an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac could have an economic impact of more than $6 billion. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

As toxin-producing algal blooms similar to those that foul western Lake Erie each summer continue to rise exponentially throughout the world, a growing body of scientific data is emerging that shows they are getting harder to control because of climate change, invasive species, and global trade. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade. View the full article

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday an $800,000 emergency Harbor Assistance Program grant for facility repairs that will keep the S.S. Badger Lake Michigan ferry on schedule. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter. View the full article

The Great Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater system and provide drinking water for 35 million people. That’s why alarm bells went off when an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac was reported in April. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago, IL. View the full article

Yorkville, located west of Chicago, Illinois, wants further study on a proposal that could use Lake Michigan for drinking water in the city, although some aldermen had questions about how much control local officials would have over water availability and rates. Read the full story by The Beacon-News. View the full article

The Ontario Liberals say they will expand the Greenbelt, 7,200 square kilometres of environmentally-sensitive land spanning the Golden Horseshoe area around Lake Ontario protected through legislation in 2005, if they form government in June. Read the full story by CBC News. View the full article

The executive director of the National Museum of the Great Lakes talks about the recent discovery of a shipwreck in Lake Erie and the 10-day excavation planned for this summer to determine if it is, in fact, the Lake Serpent. Read the full story by Michigan Radio. View the full article

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Detroit District recently awarded a contract for the dredging of Holland Harbor in Michigan, to take place this spring. Read the full story by the Holland Sentinel. View the full article

Storms over Lake Erie have ravaged Pelee Island in Ontario, leading to eroded shorelines and damaged water wells. Now, residents on the island are feeling the effects of the failing infrastructure. Read the full story by Blackburn News. View the full article

Minnesotans have officially crowned Lake Superior as their favorite lake over 271 other lakes nominated in the month-long contest. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio. View the full article

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is putting $6.25 million toward the repair of a channel linking a lake in Manistee County, Michigan to Lake Michigan. The channel was declared at risk of collapsing last year. Read the full story by WWTV – Cadillac, MI. View the full article

Scientists from the University of Minnesota – Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory are launching a research mission to study the waters of Lake Superior following a recent explosion at a refinery in Superior, Wisconsin. Read the full story by KQDS – Duluth, MN. View the full article

Last week, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced that efforts to decrease those potentially toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie aren’t working. Michigan Radio’s Political Commentator Jack Lessenberry reflects on this revelation. Read the full story by Michigan Radio. View the full article

In Ontario, a recent announcement for a new sewage treatment plant could have wider implications on efforts to remove Nipigon Bay from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Read the full story by CBC. View the full article

President Trump recently endorsed an upgrade of the Soo Locks at a speech in Macomb County, Michigan, exciting Michigan lawmakers who have pushed for spending on the project for decades. Read the full story by Michigan Radio. View the full article

Officials say crews have finished capping and sealing two electric cables that were severed by a suspected boat anchor strike in the Straits of Mackinac. A team of investigators led by the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday the cables were returned to the bottom of the strait. Read the full story by the Associated Press. View the full article

A recently published study suggests beer-drinking Great Lakes residents may be consuming more plastic particles than they realize. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI. View the full article