This week on Beyond Both Sides, a global conflict is getting closer to home.

As the war with Iran enters its third week, the headlines focus on missiles, oil markets, and military strategy. But beneath the surface, the effects are already moving through Michigan’s economy — shaping everything from gas prices and auto demand to defense contracts, agriculture, and even cyberattacks on Michigan-based companies.

So is this moment an economic opportunity for the state… or a growing risk?

Chris and Allie break down the competing forces at play — from billions in potential defense investment in Macomb County to rising costs squeezing consumers and farmers across the state. Plus, what a cyberattack on Portage-based Stryker reveals about how modern conflict reaches far beyond the battlefield.

Also in this episode:

• Historic snowfall shuts down parts of Northern Michigan

• Investigation continues after an attack at a West Bloomfield synagogue

• A March Madness check-in with TR’s Elliot Talen (brackets included)

• A reminder from the University of Michigan on what it actually looks like to “disagree better”

Because the biggest story this week isn’t just what’s happening overseas — it’s how global instability and local reality are more connected than we think.

🎧 Beyond Both Sides explores the intersection of politics, policy, and people — without the noise.

Michigan’s tax system was built for a manufacturing economy. But today’s economy looks very different.

In Episode 19 of Beyond Both Sides, Chris Moyer and Allie Walker break down one of the biggest policy debates unfolding in Lansing: Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall’s proposal to restructure the state’s tax system by reducing property-related taxes while expanding the sales tax to include more services.

Supporters say the plan modernizes a tax code designed for a mid-20th century economy. Critics warn it could shift costs onto businesses and create new risks for school and local government funding. At the center of the debate is a bigger question: what should Michigan tax in a service-driven economy?

The episode also covers several major Michigan news stories, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer securing federal disaster aid after severe storms, key takeaways from the Grand Rapids Policy Conference on regional vibrancy and talent attraction, and Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield’s proposal to raise wages for city employees.

Plus, Haley Bennett, Director of Public Affairs at Truscott Rossman, joins the show to discuss her career in government, lessons from working for Governor Whitmer, and why policy challenges in northern Michigan increasingly affect the entire state.

The episode closes with a Disagree Better moment from Grosse Pointe Public Schools, where the district recently appointed its first Black superintendent—highlighting how communities can move forward through thoughtful debate and civic engagement.

Beyond Both Sides is a weekly conversation about Michigan politics, policy, and the issues shaping the state’s future—without the partisan spin.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the final State of the State address of her tenure — outlining unfinished priorities and framing the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

This week on Beyond Both Sides, Chris and Allie break down the biggest themes from Whitmer’s speech, including Michigan’s struggling literacy rankings, the push for housing reform, medical debt protections, and the growing debate over how the state should compete for economic investment.

They also look at major headlines shaping Michigan right now: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s $246 million loss, the expansion of the Rx Kids program across the Upper Peninsula, and why national chains like Sheetz are betting on Michigan’s economy.

If the 2026 governor’s race is already beginning, this episode explores the big policy questions that will define it — and what they mean for Michigan’s future.

Two new polls paint two very different pictures of Michigan’s 2026 governor’s race. One shows a tight three-way contest. Another shows a candidate pulling ahead. In a volatile electorate, perception can shift fast.

But the bigger disconnect may not be in the horse race — it’s in how Michigan sees itself.

Voters rank the state squarely in the middle nationally on income, education, and competitiveness. The data tells a different story. Reading scores rank near the bottom. Per capita income has fallen from 18th nationally in 2000 to 40th today. High-tech job growth and unemployment rankings trail most of the country.

So why do Michiganders believe we’re average when the numbers say otherwise? And what happens to public urgency when voters don’t see a crisis?

Chris and Allie dig into dueling polls, the education-to-income pipeline, the debate over data centers, tensions between local and federal authority, and whether Michigan is planning for the future — or reacting to it.

Because reform only happens when reality is acknowledged.

This week on Beyond Both Sides, big ambitions collide with political reality.

Michigan’s latest literacy scores show just how far the state has to go to get more students reading at grade level — even as Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposes a $625 million investment in early reading. At the same time, GOP gubernatorial candidate John James offers a sharply different approach centered on parental rights and school choice. Same challenge. Very different philosophies.

Then we dive into the escalating controversy surrounding the nearly completed Gordie Howe International Bridge. What was meant to symbolize cross-border cooperation has become a flashpoint in national politics after President Trump threatened to block its opening. What would that mean for Michigan’s economy, trade, and leadership?

Plus, a heartfelt tribute to Mike Bernard in our “Disagree Better” segment — and a reminder that how we engage each other matters just as much as the policies we debate.

A race that usually flies under the radar is suddenly front and center in Michigan politics.

This week on Beyond Both Sides, we unpack why Michigan’s Secretary of State race has become one of the most consequential contests of the 2026 cycle. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist’s entry has dramatically raised the stakes, putting new attention on an office that oversees elections, voting access, campaign finance, and public trust in outcomes.

But that shift isn’t happening in isolation. We also break down:

• Why Michigan congressional candidates are raising serious money earlier than ever

• How questions about transparency and cryptocurrency investments are shaping a key Detroit primary

• What rising home values in Detroit mean for trust in property assessments, affordability, and local government credibility

Different stories, one shared theme: who do people trust to run the institutions they depend on—and what happens when that trust is tested?

In our deep dive, we explain why the Secretary of State role carries so much power in a swing state like Michigan, how the nominating convention process works, and what Gilchrist’s move means for both parties heading into a high-stakes election year.

We close with a reminder that trust isn’t built only through politics, but through consistency and service—highlighted by a Detroit educator whose decades in the classroom earned a world record.

Hosted by Chris Moyer and Allie Walker.
From Truscott Rossman, this is Beyond Both Sides.

Michigan’s political future is already taking shape as the 2026 election cycle begins to stir. While most voters remain tuned out, campaigns are ramping up early — testing messages around the economy, education, energy, and public trust.

We also look at policy decisions landing closer to home, from proposed classroom cell phone limits to the growing tension between clean energy goals and the rising power demands of data centers.

In our deep dive, we examine how federal immigration enforcement is affecting Michigan one year into the current administration, as ICE arrests surge and debates over due process and accountability intensify. We close with a rare bipartisan moment focused on one simple idea: how we disagree still matters.

Big promises are easy. Delivering on them is harder.

This week, Michigan finds itself caught between rising expectations and tightening constraints. State lawmakers are facing a billion-dollar revenue shortfall just as communities are asking for more investment, not less. Detroit is exploring new ways to fund essential services, only to run into constitutional limits and political reality. And long-running efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp are facing fresh uncertainty as federal decision-making slows.

We also take a one-year look at how current federal policies are landing across Michigan. Some industries and households are seeing real gains, while others feel squeezed by higher costs, delayed projects, and uneven outcomes.

This episode isn’t about whether leaders have ambition. It’s about whether the systems we rely on are built to turn that ambition into results — and who pays the price when they can’t.

Michigan takes center stage as power, politics, and industry collide. Chris Moyer and Allie Walker break down Lansing’s budget showdown, the Detroit Auto Show’s shift from spectacle to experience, and Microsoft’s controversial data center proposal. Plus, a deep dive into President Trump’s Detroit visit—and whether political theater helps or hurts Michigan’s economic story.

Chris Moyer, Allie Walker, and Ryan Gajewski share predictions on Michigan’s high-stakes 2026 elections, examining the open races for governor and U.S. Senate, the major candidates, and the policy questions that will shape the state’s future. 

New episodes each week from the team at Truscott Rossman.