• Michigan lawmakers approved $1 billion in spending Wednesday, mostly to fund business incentives
• The deal was reached between Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, with some critics
• The SOAR fund was launched last December with $1 billion, with most of it spent on three deals, requiring its replenishment

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LANSING — Michigan is intensifying efforts to bring more large-scale development to the state, voting Wednesday to add hundreds of millions of dollars to a fund that would sweeten how much it can offer “transformative” businesses in incentives.

A bipartisan vote in the Michigan Legislature boosted the state’s business attraction budget by $640 million and reauthorized more than $200 million left over from a previous investment in the fund.

The Legislature approved the increase to the Strategic Outreach And Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund late Wednesday, bringing the available balance to $846.1 million — which supporters said will keep Michigan competitive

The rumors are true: American Airlines will be phasing out long-haul first class in the coming years.

But well-heeled travelers don’t need to fret too much. The airline is planning to consolidate its Flagship First and Flagship Business classes into a new Flagship Suites configuration on its most premium-heavy planes, promising direct aisle access and a privacy door for everyone up front on many of its high-value routes.

American will also update and expand the premium economy cabins on those aircraft as part of the overhaul, installing new seats with headrest wings for greater privacy.

“What’s core to all of this is American Airlines continuing to listen to our customers and continuing to get feedback from our customers,” Julie Rath, American’s vice president of customer experience told USA TODAY. “Our Flagship Suites that we’re delivering are really aligned with what the customer expectation is in the premium cabin.”

Summer air