President Donald Trump announced late on Thursday he would rename Veterans Day to Victory Day for World War I, to commemorate the Nov. 11 date that officially ended the conflict in 1918.

May 8, he said, would also be recognized in the U.S. as Victory Day for World War II. The date is already frequently observed in European countries as Victory in Europe Day, marking the official end of World War II against Nazi Germany, but it is not a U.S. federal holiday.

In a late-night social media post, President Trump suggested the dates were not sufficiently recognized in the U.S.

"I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I. We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything Thats because we dont have leaders anymore, that know how to do so!" the president wrote.

RELATED STORY | Army plans for a potential parade on Trump's birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns

Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day when it was established in 1919. The U.S. changed the holiday's local name to All Veterans Day in 1954 and later shortened it to Veterans Day. In 1968 it was recognized as a federal holiday honoring all American veterans.

Maritsa Georgiou, who hosts the podcast "Grounded" with former Sen. Jon Tester, beaks down the week's top political headlines with Scripps News.

This week, President Donald Trump announced that Mike Waltz will leave his job as national security adviser and be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Only months into the job, Waltz sparked controversy by creating a Signal group chat to discuss sensitive plans for strikes on the Houthis in Yemen and mistakenly adding The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the conversation.

Georgiou says the controversy has brought new scrutiny on Walz from those within Trump's circle.

"I really think the question around this won't really be about Mike Waltz or Pete Hegseth," Georgiou said. "I think the name that we should be talking about is Laura Loomer, because she called for this last week in a conversation with Tara Palmeri on her podcast and Substack. And she basically was asked directly, 'Who would you fire or advise the president fire next?' She was a little bit coy at first and then said, 'Well, I think that [Waltz] is not loyal to President Trump.' And she brought up a video that he recorded in 2016. Mike Waltz going after President Trump, then candidate Trump, over his comments about John McCain and other veterans. So I think this goes deeper than just Signal-gate."

RELATED STORY | White House orders halt on federal funding for NPR and PBS

The White House announced late Thursday that it is instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, claiming the CPB subsidizes "biased media."

President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing CPB from funding NPR and PBS, as well as organizations that utilize NPR and PBS programming.

"I think in short we're going to see this end up in court," Georgiou said. "The PBS president has already called this blatantly unlawful. NPR said that they vowed to fight this. You're really seeing a lot of PBS and NPR stations saying, 'well, what does this mean for us, exactly?' I have a lot of friends who work in public broadcasting and they're very concerned specifically about the smaller more rural stations across the country where they might not have any other source for news. And let's not forget emergency information like storm warnings, tornado warnings, that kind of thing. NPR and PBS hit, they estimate, about 99% of the country. So I think that we are not going to see the end of this fight just yet."

Watch the full interview with Georgiou in the video above.

Dakota’s Angelo Plouffe and Brother Rice’s Bob Riker love to see the other man on the opposing dugout.

Because they know that, when their East Lansing-hopeful team is going against the other man’s, they’re going to be better off for it – and they know that neither of them is going to back down from the fight, either.

“We play everybody that we play every year, you know, whether we’re old or young, and they do the same thing to us too,” Riker said. “They come in and, you know, I think he’s (Dakota’s) got 14 or 15 seniors, but next year, he’ll be young like I am this year, and he’ll still come out and play us. And that’s why I love playing Angelo and those guys.”

Plouffe’s Cougars, ranked No. 4 in Division 1 by the MHSBCA, took down Riker’s No. 9 Warriors, 8-4, on Friday, May 2 at Warrior Park in Troy.

“We try to schedule the best teams around, so when a tournament comes, (we’re) ready to play,” Plouffe said. “So that’s why we’re here. That’s why we play these guys. That’s why, every year, we come here. Coach Riker does a great job with this program. (We) love coming here, and there’s a reason why.”

Brother Rice got on the board first when Tristan Turner doubled in Maks Neshov, but Dakota starting pitcher James Nuechterlein – traditionally a reliever – didn’t allow another runner to reach scoring position until the fifth inning.

Plouffe didn’t have to go to his bullpen a single time in the Cougars’ midweek series in which they run-ruled 10th-ranked Stevenson thrice, allowing him to reward Nuechterlein, who has been one of his best relief arms, with a start.

“Hey, go out there and throw 70 pitches because you’re in the right to, because you’ve been great all year,” Plouffe said of Nuechterlein. “You get to see him throw, and you get to see (Jacob) Gjonaj and (Jadon) Ford and guys who don’t get to throw much at all for us. They’re great arms. But we have a bunch of great arms, so that’s fun.”

Dakota got the one run back immediately in the top of the second inning when Gjonaj singled in Ford, but their best inning was the third: with one out, Evan Morrison was hit by a pitch. Singles by Evan Kavalick and Luke DeMasse eventually brought him in, then a walk to Ford loaded the bases for Gjonaj (1-run single) and Peyton Leon (2-run double) to clear them. Luke Kavalick’s RBI single capped the six-run frame.

And though they only added one more insurance run, it didn’t mean they were making good contact – Brother Rice’s defense made plays.

It continued a trend that the Cougars started in their first win over Stevenson and poured over into Friday: the bats are hot, with run totals of 10, 14, 14 and eight this week in their four top-10 victories in a five-day span.

“We swung it all week,” Plouffe said. “We even swung it today, I thought. It was right at people. It’s fun when you’re swinging it. It helps your arms, helps your pitching staff, helps your defense. Everybody can calm down for a second, but we were swinging it really well.”

Most Cougars saw a different pitcher each time up – Brother Rice deployed six arms, starting with Manny Simms into Grady Preston, then Ben Junga, Gavin McClelland, Freddie Beyer and finally Michael Stanton.

Stanton punched out all three batters he saw and McClelland had two scoreless frames.

Riker said that he had to be careful with how he used his pitchers on Friday due to a looming Saturday Catholic League doubleheader against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.

The Warriors return just seven players from last year’s team that lost by one run in the state championship game. It’s why games like Friday’s against Dakota are so valuable.

“I just want our guys to compete, and they’ve done that,” Riker said. “They have a chemistry with the older guys, and the team’s kind of really coming together. I know the record doesn’t necessarily indicate that, but I’m very happy with where we’re at right now.

“The unique thing about our sport is everybody makes the playoffs, so it’s getting hot at the right time. It’s gelling at the right time, having health at the right time.”

Dakota’s Gjonaj threw 1.2 scoreless innings with four hits allowed. Ford allowed two runs in the seventh inning, including a two-run double by Neshov, but finished the win.

Photos from No. 4 Dakota’s 8-4 win over No. 9 Brother Rice on Friday

Neshov, a freshman, went 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Dakota’s Gjonaj went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three stolen bases. Evan Kavalick had three hits and drove in one.

Dakota will be busy in the coming weeks as they continue to prepare for a potential East Lansing trip – they’ll play 18 games between May 3 and May 27.

“I told our guys (to) be ready to go, because when it’s nice out, we’re playing usually,” Plouffe said. “You have 38 games … we’re going to try to play them all here so we can be ready for the tournament.”

Northville's Social District has returned for the season, partially closing off two downtown streets to drivers and opening the space for pedestrians.

The closure, which began as a pandemic measure, has evolved into a seasonal tradition that divides the community.

Watch Christiana Ford's report below: Northville's social district returns for the season as businesses and residents remain divided

Retractable bollards now block portions of Center and Main streets in downtown Northville and will remain in place until Nov. 1.

As spring arrives, downtown Northville is transforming its streets into pedestrian spaces.

"This is a pergola. It's going to be part of our bar that we are doing outside in the summer time," said Phil Zacharias, co-owner of Center Street Grill.

For Zacharias, the social district's street closures coincide with their busiest season.

"People in the summer time, they want to do whatever they can to be outside. So for us, this is like a game changer," Zacharias said.

The six-month closure was initially created to keep downtown Northville vibrant during the pandemic but has evolved into an annual seasonal closure the community has grown to expect.

"Being able to listen to live music, walk around with drinks, you just always run into people that you know. It's awesome," Northville resident Craig Conrad said.

"I enjoy it. It can be an inconvenience when you want to go to Plymouth or something, but it's only for a short time, so it's not bad," said Jenny Mortenson, Northville resident.

But not everyone supports the street closures.

Prudence Kauffman, owner of Dear Prudence and Blackbird, says the lack of traffic is diminishing sales.

"When we signed our leases, we pay rates based on 36,000 cars a week passing by our doors and when the streets are closed, we have zero," Kauffman said. "When you take volume down by that amount, it really does hurt your bottom line."

Watch our extended interview with Prudence Kauffman below: Extended interview: 'People kind of forget that we're here.' Prudence Kauffman talks more about street closures

Kauffman is considering relocating to another city because of the impact.

"I mean, we don't get a discount from our landlord. We're paying the same high rent," she said.

Frustrations over the closure and questions about its legality sparked a lawsuit against the city in 2023 by group Let's Open Northville.

While the city won't comment on ongoing legal matters, Mayor Brian Turnbull says he's listening to concerns.

"The opportunity is traffic. We're looking at that. We're trying to be flexible. We put bollards in last year so maybe sometime, we'll open up one street or we'll go on weekends," Turnbull said.

Hear more from Turnbull in the video below: Full interview: Northville mayor talks about activities in city as social district reopens

He says the bollards allows them to be more flexible.

"We're looking at what it is, monitoring what the businesses want, what our citizens and the whole community. It's pretty important. If you don't have a strong downtown business sector, you won't have a strong community. So we're looking at all the data. We do a lot of surveys. We're doing that right now," Turnbull said.

Kauffman is hoping for compromise.

"We're looking forward to just some resolution because I feel like it's just been really unhealthy for the town as a whole to have so many people on one side or the other, and it's just caused a lot of animosity. So I think I'll just be glad to have some kind of a decision," she said.

Frank Gonda, who lives at the intersection, has seen how heated the topic has become in the community.

"The way things are right now, problems are being made problems when they aren't really. It's just a simple matter of perspective. If you're looking at it a certain way and you're not open to anything else, that's going to be a problem for ya," Gonda said.

A trial on the future of the bollards is set for June.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project, created by popular New York-based conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, officially opens Friday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and will remain on display through Aug. 10.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report: Gun violence memorial project opens at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

The traveling memorial features four houses made of glass bricks, with each house containing 700 bricks, representing the number of people lost to gun violence weekly in the United States when the project began in 2019.

"If it began today, it would be 820," said Jova Lynne, co-director and artistic director of MOCAD.

Community members have contributed personal items representing friends and family members killed by gun violence, which are displayed inside the glass bricks alongside names, ages, and photos of the victims.

VIDEO: Take a tour of 'House 1' in the Gun Violence Memorial Project Take a tour of 'House 1' in the Gun Violence Memorial Project

Lakela Brown, who lost her brother Nate in 2017 when he was 39 years old, contributed his military dog tags to the memorial.

"I think it's really nice for all the families who have experienced this traumatic thing to have a place to honor and remember their loved ones," Brown said. "It's making something beautiful out of something really tragic."

The items displayed range from baby shoes to hats, each representing someone's personal story and memory of a life cut short.

Lynne hopes the memorial can eventually become a permanent monument that helps people heal and inspires change.

"I do want to thank every family member that has contributed to this project so far. The trust and care folks have for their loved ones is palpable, and so we're just so honored to have this project here," Lynne said.

The museum is collecting objects on Saturday, June 21, for those who wish to honor loved ones affected by gun violence.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Sean Combs will enter a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday as jury selection begins in his criminal trial.

The five count indictment overlaps with some of the dozens of accusations and lawsuits alleging Combs raped, abused, drugged and violently assaulted both men and women, as well as children as young as 10 years old, over the course of decades. Those civil lawsuits have not been litigated yet.

There very well may be spillover, and a lot of it, but there'll be separate proceedings, explained New York Criminal Defense attorney Jeremy Saland. What you say in one is going to be admissible in another, and that story is going to be out.

The Combs indictment was unsealed September 17th of last year on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Its being heard in a federal court rather than a state court at least in part because some of the allegations take place across state lines.

The original 14-page indictment paints a dramatic picture of Combs "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking" women. Prosecutors allege he drugged women, kept explicit videos of them, and threatened them. The government says he even monitored victims' medical records, controlled what they wore and where they lived. They allege his "abuse was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual," including manipulating women to participate in highly orchestrated sex performances with male sex workers.

Prosecutors have amended the case multiple times, first in January without adding new charges but included new details alleging he transported two more female victims across state and international lines and that he dangled someone over an apartment balcony.

Then on March 6th, prosecutors filed a second superseding indictment without new charges to include allegations of forced labor. Prosecutors say Combs forced his employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who didn't help him.

You're allowing potentially for new people in a new time frame, so that's bringing in more evidence that could be used, and it what it'll do for the prosecution, potentially, is bolster or lift up that the charges, Saland explained.

Finally, prosecutors added charges in early April alleging more sex trafficking and transportation across state lines to engage in prostitution.

RELATED STORY | Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty ahead of May sex trafficking trial

At an April pre-trial hearing, Combs lead attorney Marc Agnifilo suggested he may argue Combs was engaged in a swinger sexual siutation with the women. Agnifilo suggested the common sexual behavior was consenual.

The severity of these allegations will undoubtedly make jury selection complex.

"One of the issues they're going to deal with is not just his celebrity and not just everything that's surrounding it, but here, the other component is going to be that sexual abuse and people's personal experiences with that, that's something that is going to be very important, said Saland.

Judge Arun Subramanian said Thursday counsel will be working privately in some capacity with potential jurors because of the highly personal nature of this case. Potential jurors will be questioned both privately about whether they have a specific connection to sexual abuse and publicly as selection typically goes.

While the witness list is still not public, the now infamous hotel footage with Cassie Ventura may be used in the trial, and Ventura could be called to the stand. here are also a handful of celebrities who could be called as well.

Combs rejected a plea deal in the same hearing and has pled not guilty to all five criminal charges. He has been denied bail on multiple occasions.

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army on Friday confirmed there will be a military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June, as part of the celebration around the service’s 250th birthday.

Plans for the parade, as first detailed by The Associated Press on Thursday, call for about 6,600 soldiers to march from Arlington, Virginia, to the National Mall along with 150 vehicles and 50 helicopters. Until recently, the Army’s birthday festival plans did not include a massive parade, which officials say will cost tens of millions of dollars.

But Trump has long wanted a military parade, and discussions with the Pentagon about having one in conjunction with the birthday festival began less than two months ago.

The Army’s 250th birthday happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14.

In a statement Friday, Army spokesman Steve Warren said the Army’s birthday celebration will include “a spectacular fireworks display, a parade, and a daylong festival on the National Mall.”

The case of Christopher Schurr entered day five of testimony with the former Grand Rapids police officer taking the stand in his own defense.

Schurr is on trial for shooting and killing Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop. A jury must decide if the shooting was justified.

This is the first time Schurr has spoken publicly about the April 2022 incident.

Schurr's defense attorney asked him, "Do you understand you have a right not to testify?"

"I do," Schurr replied.

His attorney then asked, "Why are you testifying?"

Schurr explained, "I feel like it's important to get my side of the story out."

The former officer relived April 4, 2022. He said he stopped Lyoya because Lyoya's license plate didn't match the vehicle.

Officer-worn body camera and other video from that day played in court.

Schurr said after commanding Lyoya to get back in his vehicle four or five times, Lyoya tried to get away and then a three-minute scuffle ensued.

The former officer said he pulled out his taser because kneeing Lyoya several times wasn't doing anything. When Lyoya grabbed his taser, Schurr said he feared for his life. Schurr's defense attorney referenced Schurr's formal training in which he said he was taught that "action beats reaction."

The defense asked, "What does that mean here in that scenario for you?"

Schurr replied, "If I had waited for him to point it at me, it would have been too late."

His attorney then asked, "What were you fearful of?"

Schurr said, "That he was going to use it on me, and I was going to die."

His attorney said, "Under your training, Chris, are you required to wait to be seriously injured or killed before you can resort to deadly force?

"No," Schurr replied.

His attorney followed up with, "So what did you do next?"

"I shot him," Schurr recalled.

The defense asked, "Why?"

Schurr explained, "I believe that if I had not done it at that time, I wasn't going to go home."

However, during cross-examination, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker suggested Lyoya was simply trying to get away and that nothing indicated Lyoya wanted to hurt Schurr.

Prosecutor Becker said, "He never said he was going to kill you, right?"

Schurr replied, "No."

Becker said, "Never said he was going to hit you."

Schurr replied, "No."

Becker said, "Never said he was going to kick your butt or do anything bad to you."

Schurr said, "Not that I recall. No."

The prosecutor then said, "This entire incident he was trying to get away from you."

Schurr said, "Up until the end."

Becker replied, "When you were on top of him, right?"

Schurr said, "I was on top of him. Yeah."

Becker said, "And he was trying to push himself up."

Schurr replied, "Yes."

The prosecutor said, "And you thought he was going to turn the taser on you."

Schurr said, "That's what I believed. Yes."

Becker asked, "That's what you believed?"

"Yes," Schurr replied.

The defense then called two law enforcement experts to the stand to testify on decision-making and reaction time. Both suggested a lot is at play in the heat of the moment. Testimony resumes Monday.

Also on Friday, Attorney Benjamin Crump held a press conference with the Lyoya family. He said a traffic stop doesn't warrant a death sentence.

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked a White House executive order targeting an elite law firm, dealing a setback to President Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution against the legal profession.

U.S. District Beryl Howell said the executive order against the firm of Perkins Coie amounted to “unconstitutional retaliation” as she ordered that it be immediately nullified and that the Trump administration halt any enforcement of it.

“No American President,” Howell wrote in her 102-page order, “has ever before issued executive orders like the one at issue in this lawsuit targeting a prominent law firm with adverse actions to be executed by all Executive branch agencies but, in purpose and effect, this action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.’”

The ruling was most definitive rejection to date of Trump’s spate of similarly worded executive orders against some of the country’s most elite law firms, part of a broader effort by the president to reshape American civil society by targeting perceived adversaries in hopes of extracting concessions from them and bending them to his will. Several of the firms singled out for sanction have either done legal work that Trump has opposed, or currently have or previously had associations with prosecutors who at one point investigated the president.

The edicts have ordered that the security clearances of attorneys at the targeted firms be suspended, that federal contracts be terminated and that their employees be barred from federal buildings. The punished law firms have called the executive orders an affront to the legal system at odds with the foundational principle that lawyers should be free to represent whomever they’d like.

In the case of Perkins Coie, the White House cited its representation of Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 presidential race. Trump has also railed against one of the firm’s former lawyers, Marc Elias, who engaged the services of an opposition research firm that in turn hired a former British spy who produced files of research examining potential ties between Trump and Russia. Elias left the firm 2021.

In her opinion, Howell wrote that Perkins Coie was targeted because the firm “expressed support for employment policies the President does not like, represented clients the President does not like, represented clients seeking litigation results the President does not like, and represented clients challenging some of the President’s actions, which he also does not like.”

“That,” she wrote, “is unconstitutional retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, plain and simple.”

The decision was not surprising given that Howell had earlier temporarily blocked multiple provisions of the order and had expressed deep misgivings about the edict at a more recent hearing, when she grilled a Justice Department lawyer who was tasked with justifying it.

The other law firms that have challenged orders against them —WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey — have succeeded in at least temporarily blocking the orders. But other major firms have sought to avert orders by preemptively reaching settlements that require them, among other things, to dedicate tens of millions of dollars in free legal services in support of causes the Trump administration says it supports.

The Berkley Days festival will not return this summer, and the future of the long-running community event remains uncertain.

Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report: Resident, business owner react to cancellation of Berkley Days

The Berkley Days Association announced Thursday they "made the decision not to hold Berkley Days this year, but is planning for an exciting centennial celebration in 2026! Berkley Days has been run by a dedicated group of volunteers for nearly 100 years."

"I'm kind of disappointed, I thought that was a great tradition for kids," said Jim Sinclair.

Sinclair, who grew up attending Berkley Days, hopes to see the festival return.

"There's a lot of youngsters that are missing out, that was a great memory for me from elementary all the way up to junior high and high school, too," said Sinclair.

I reached out to the association for more information about why this year's festival was canceled, but did not receive a response.

Over the past few years, fights between minors have broken out at the festival, causing it to close early.

2024 Report: Fighting teens causing chaos have Berkley Days organizers evaluating its future Fighting teens causing chaos have Berkley Days organizers evaluating its future

Local business owners expressed concern about the cancellation's impact on downtown foot traffic.

"We're sad to see how everything has transpired over the last couple of years," said Janine Braun, owner of the Artsy Umbrella in downtown Berkley.

She remains optimistic about collaboration between local organizations.

"We're confident too that the chamber of commerce and our DDA, along with our city planners and stuff... they involved the businesses, the businesses here are a very tight-knit kind of community," said Braun.

While Berkley Days won't happen this summer, Sterling Fest, an art and music fair in Sterling Heights, will take place during the last week of July with enhanced security measures.

David Allen, Acting Deputy Chief with the Sterling Heights Police Department, explained their approach to event safety.

"Last year was very, very successful. We implemented fencing around the carnival area, then we did a few other things with curfews for minors," said Allen.

The Sterling Heights event will also utilize AI-equipped cameras throughout the fairgrounds.

"Which is very beneficial not only if someone is causing a problem to identify that person in the crowd, but also for children who may get lost," said Allen.

Berkley residents are now looking ahead to what might replace their traditional community celebration.

"It should be I feel more focused on family and community," said Braun.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Where Your Voice Matters

A Michigan man has been waiting almost three years for the headstone he ordered for his late wife's grave after the business owner was jailed on drunk driving charges.

Watch Carly Petrus's video report: Husband fights for late wife's headstone after business owner jailed for drunk driving

John Schaldenbrand ordered a custom headstone from Clinton Grove Granite Works in Clinton Township shortly after his wife, Marlene, died in a snowmobile crash in December 2022.

"It's life-shattering," Schaldenbrand said.

After 30 years of marriage, Schaldenbrand is still trying to properly honor his wife with the headstone he paid for but never received.

"We're going on three years since she has passed, and I got nothing but a foundation sitting in a cemetery, it hurts," Schaldenbrand said.

According to the company's website, Jacob Katsock is the sole operator of Clinton Grove Granite Works. After Schaldenbrand placed his order and sent the final payment, communication stopped.

"He had to put in the names, the dates, do his side of finishing the headstone, carving it and then after that I mailed in the final payment and everything went dark," Schaldenbrand said.

The reason for the silence became clear when I discovered Katsock was arrested on January 29, 2025, and convicted of his third OWI (operating while intoxicated) offense, according to the Macomb County Jail website.

"Extremely scary and did not know what to do and when I say scared, again, just because I'm lost, I've never been down this road, I've never worn these shoes, I don't know how to do that and it was angry and it was frustrating," Schaldenbrand said.

Web extra: Man speaks about problems getting his wife's headstone Web extra: Man speaks about problems getting his wife's headstone

When I visited Clinton Grove Granite Works, a sign hung on the door, and no one answered the doorbell. I reached out to Katsock's grandfather, who may be managing the business during Katsock's incarceration, but have not yet received a response.

Katsock's attorney confirmed by phone that several customers have contacted her office with similar situations to Schaldenbrand's.

Katie Grevious with the Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers in similar situations report their experiences to both the BBB and the attorney general's office.

"You know, unfortunately, things like this do happen, and there's really no way to know until it happens. It's very unfortunate, but it's real," Grevious said. "So that we're alerted to these types of issues and we can try to help navigate them and take care of the situation so that not only no other people lose money but if other people are in that same boat, they know to come forward faster and we can try to resolve these issues as best as we can."

Meanwhile, Schaldenbrand remains determined to fulfill his promise to his late wife.

"It is real simple, I want my wife's headstone on her grave, which would mean I need access to that building. I need to get it done or undone. I just want the stone back," Schaldenbrand said. "I owe it to her, I owe it to my boys, I owe it to her mother, to her brothers, to her sisters, I owe it to everybody that loved her in order to be able to have this headstone."

I have also contacted Katsock at the Macomb County Jail and will provide updates as this story develops.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Early voting ends Sunday in Oakland County for three communities — Clawson, Ferndale and Madison Heights — with special elections on Tuesday.

Early voting hours on Saturday and Sunday are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be no county-run central voting site for this election at Waterford Oaks County Park.

Voters can cast ballots early at municipal sites, by absentee ballot at their city clerk’s office or in person on Election Day, Tuesday, May 6, when polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.

Clawson

Voters will decide two city charter amendments.

Proposal 1, if approved, would maintain the city council at four members plus the mayor. If the proposal is defeated, the council will expand to six seats plus the mayor, as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.

Proposal 2, if approved, would set terms of office for the city council members to four years, with elections every two years. If defeated, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Troy Community Center, (use the east entrance), 3179 Livernois Road in Troy.

On Tuesday, voters will find an information booth outside City Hall, 425 N. Main St. hosted by a group called Clawson Votes Matter. Sam Paulus of the Paulus Group said the main effort of Clawson Votes Matter is to get the city council to pass a cannabis ordinance and create a process for retailers to set up shop.

Voters approved legalizing marijuana sales with 3,826 yes votes and 3,270 no votes. The yes votes represent just under 54% of those who cast ballots.

Paulus said the council’s delay is a form of ignoring the voters’ wishes. He said the same was true for Tuesday’s ballot proposals aimed at reversing a charter amendment approved by voters in 2023.

City officials did not respond to questions from The Oakland Press.

Ferndale

City voters will be asked to approve a 10-year, 5.4 millage to replace money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. If approved, the city would receive nearly $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Taxes on a property with a state-equalized value of $150,000 would increase by $174 a year, or $14.52 each month.

Voters in the Ferndale public school district will decide a 30-year, $114.8 million bond question. The money would be used to pay for additions and renovations to Ferndale’s middle/high school buildings as well as for new equipment, furniture and upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and improved technology.

The district serves Ferndale, Oak Park Precinct 9 and Precinct 10, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township Precinct 1.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. in Hazel Park or Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park.

Madison Heights

Voters in Madison Heights’ Lamphere school district – those living in Precincts 5 through 9 – will decide a 30-year, $85 million bond proposal.

If approved, the bond will increase property taxes on a home with a state-equalized value of $200,000 by $415 a year or $34.58 each month.

The district will use the money for remodeling facilities, buying new equipment and furniture, upgrading playgrounds, athletic fields and adding secure entrances at school buildings. A gym will be added to the high school and district technology will be upgraded, including equipment for the middle-school robotics program.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Leo Mahany/Harold Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting/voter-information or contact your municipal clerk’s office.

Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who is seeking reelection, will be placed on the ballot after her disqualification was rescinded, she announced on Friday.

The decision was made pending a mutually agreed upon court order with her campaign and the Detroit City Clerks Office. The order is expected to be signed on Tuesday, the councilwoman said.

Watch our previous report when Gabriela Santiago-Romero was suing the city below: Santiago-Romero suing Detroit city clerk after filing discrepancy keeps her off ballot

Santiago-Romero, who represents District 6, and her team filed a lawsuit after Detroit's city clerk said she was disqualified due to a campaign filing discrepancy with the Wayne County Clerks Office. That discrepancy, which stemmed from a supposed late fee, caused Detroits city clerk to disqualify Santiago-Romero from the primary.

The election is on Aug. 5.

Santiago-Romero addressed a crowd of supporters last week in southwest Detroit after the lawsuit was filed.

The reason being a fee that was owed stemming back to last October. Were contending the fee should have never been owed," Widmaier told 7 News Detroit last week.

We submitted a report on October 25th. We have confirmation right here if anyone would like to see it. This is from Wayne County confirming they got the report. Theyre now contending the first time we filed the report was on November 8th, which is incorrect."

Widmaier said Santiago-Romero had called, emailed and went to the county clerks office with no resolve. So, her team filed a lawsuit against the city clerk to get back on the ballot.

We have our receipts. We have documentation thankfully, but thats what happened. Theres missing information from the county side, and were just hoping that they except our receipts, Santiago-Romero told 7 News Detroit last week.

If Santiago-Romero had lost the lawsuit, she would have had to run as a write-in candidate, which she said she was prepared to do.

Before the decision to keep Santiago-Romero on the ballot, the Wayne County Clerks Office waived her $250 fee for good cause.

Im relieved that the facts have been cleared up, and Im qualified to be on the ballot, Santiago-Romero said in a statement. Last week was truly a nightmare, and the hardest week Ive ever had as a candidate. What kept me hopeful was the outpouring of support I received daily from our community this fight was never about me, it was about

us

. I look forward to continuing to campaign to represent our district, and Im grateful to both the Detroit City Clerk and the Wayne County Clerk for working with me to rectify this error.

Santiago-Romeros campaign said she turned in over 600 petition signatures and was certified.

Santiago-Romero and her campaign said the court decision is a significant victory.

I knew how strong this community was already, and last week only reinforced to me that when we stand together, theres nothing we cannot overcome, Santiago-Romero said.

She is running for her second term in District 6. Her campaign said she won the seat with 74% of the vote in 2021.

To learn more about Santiago-Romero, visit her campaign website.

By Julia Cardi, The Detroit News

The first of three men charged in connection with the killing of an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy in 2024 will spend between five and 20 years in prison after his sentencing in a Detroit courtroom Friday.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Charise Anderson ordered Karim Moore, 19, to spend at least five years in prison after he pleaded guilty in March to conducting a criminal enterprise, receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle, and felony firearm in connection with Deputy Brad Reckling’s death.

Recking, 30, was killed June 22, 2024 while he and other members of a cross-jurisdictional task force investigated a Chevrolet Equinox stolen from an Oakland County waterpark. Reckling allegedly was shot three times while tailing the car in Detroit, working undercover.

The Wayne County prosecutor’s office charged three people, including Moore, in connection with Reckling’s death. Anderson sentenced Moore to two years for the felony firearm count and between three and 20 years for the criminal enterprise count. Those two sentences will run consecutively, which brings the minimum time Moore will spend in prison to five years. Anderson sentenced Moore to one to five years for the stolen motor vehicle charge.

Prosecutor Matthew Penney said in court he hoped Friday’s sentencing would be the first step in allowing Reckling’s family to “turn the page” in their lives after his killing. He acknowledged they still have a long road ahead of them, with the cases of two other people charged in connection with Reckling’s death still yet to reach resolutions.

“This is just the first step in a much longer process that this poor family has been enduring for the last 11 months,” Penney said.

More than a dozen supporters of Reckling sat on one side of the courtroom, including his widow, Jacqueline. The couple had three small children and a fourth on the way when Reckling died.

Wearing a white dress shirt, bow tie, sneakers and ankle monitor, Moore did not make a statement to the court. He appeared with his defense attorney, Adam Clements, who characterized Moore as someone who has accepted accountability for what he did and has been cooperative in showing up to court. He has not posed an ongoing danger to his community and even found a job, Clements told the court.

“This young man will have an opportunity, when he gets out, to try to turn his life around.”

Clements had requested Moore be sentenced under a law targeted at young defendants that would have made him eligible for release after three years.

“He’s accepted accountability for his actions. He was wrong, and he embraced that,” Clements told The News in an interview after the sentencing.

Reckling’s family did not speak at the sentencing or to reporters afterward.

A separate case against Moore accusing him of resisting arrest has been dismissed.

Deputies escorted him out of the courtroom to begin his sentence. He was not handcuffed.

Ramon DeBose, 18, of Clinton Township is accused of killing Reckling. Marquis Goins, 18, of Detroit, also faces charges as an accessory. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said DeBose drove the SUV, and Goins and Moore rode as passengers at the time of the shooting.

Judge Shawn Jacque in Detroit’s 36th District Court ordered DeBose in March to stand trial. DeBose faces life in prison if convicted.

jcardi@detroitnews.com

©2025 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A day after Michigan State announced its plan to move on from Alan Haller, the outgoing athletic director released a statement on his impending departure Friday.

In the statement, Haller alluded to a rift between himself and people in “positions of significant influence” that caused his firing.

“Throughout my career, I have consistently spoken up when I believed something was not right—always guided by a commitment to protect students and uphold the best interests of the University. At times, those decisions have not aligned with individuals in positions of significant influence,” Haller wrote.

Haller’s statement was released through Blanchard & Walker, PLLC, based in Ann Arbor.

Haller, 54, has been Michigan State’s athletic director since September 2021. On Thursday, Michigan State announced his last day will be May 11.

Haller says he is “proud” of his record as an athletic director. That includes bringing on a number of the school’s current coaches, including football coach Jonathan Smith, women’s basketball coach Robyn Fralick and hockey coach Adam Nightingale.

“Although I am deeply saddened to be leaving the University, I am proud of my record and the lasting impact of my work,” Haller’s statement continued. “As I continue to process this decision, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Spartan community for their unwavering support.”

Haller, a Lansing native and J.W. Sexton High School graduate, ran track at Michigan State and played football for coach George Perles from 1988 to 1991 before a brief NFL career spent mostly playing special teams. He returned to East Lansing after his football career, joining Michigan State’s Department of Police and Public Safety for 13 years.

In 2010, Haller stepped into an associate athletic director role with the athletic department. Before that, he had served on the committee that hired Mark Dantonio to coach football in 2006. In 2015, he earned a promotion to senior associate athletic director and became chief of staff in 2017. In 2021, Haller succeeded Bill Beekman as athletic director as his predecessor stepped into a role in the MSU president’s office.

“Serving as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Michigan State University has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Haller said. “For 32 years, I have been a Spartan — first as a student-athlete in track and football, then as a Police Officer, and later in various leadership roles within Spartan Athletics.

“To the student-athletes: THANK YOU for allowing me the privilege of serving as your athletic director. It has been an incredible journey — and yes, it has been FUN! Supporting your success has never been just a job; it was my responsibility and my joy to help create an environment where you could thrive and become the best version of yourselves.”

Haller navigated multiple scandals with Michigan State, including the fallout of the 2022 Michigan-Michigan State tunnel fight that saw seven Spartan football players face criminal charges. In his first year as athletic director, Haller signed former football coach Mel Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million extension that made him the highest paid Black coach in college football history. Michigan State did not have to pay the full contract after firing Tucker for cause amid a sexual misconduct scandal after rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy accused him of sexual harassing her over the phone in April 2022.

Haller was also associate athletic director in 2014, when the first of more than 300 claims of sexual abuse against former gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar came to light. Michigan State paid a $500 million settlement, while Nasser was sentenced to life in prison.

Michigan State is currently under an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations during the Tucker era, The Detroit News reported April 2.

“I am deeply grateful to my colleagues who stood alongside me,” Haller continued. “Together, we navigated some of the most difficult challenges in our history and celebrated some of our most meaningful victories. Leading Spartan Athletics through both has been a highlight of my professional life. My parents taught me that our actions should always be motivated by love. Serving this University and this community has been, for me, an act of love. I remain a proud Spartan.”

Haller’s departure comes at a pivotal time in college athletics. A number of changes shaped Haller’s time at Michigan State, including the advent of the transfer portal, as well as name, image and likeness (NIL) rights for athletes.

With the ongoing House v. NCAA settlement putting into effect roster limits and the distribution of $20.5 million in revenue sharing, President Kevin Guskiewicz says the university is seeking a successor who “can best navigate the changing landscape of collegiate athletics while working closely with both internal and external stakeholders to move Michigan State forward as a leader among the Power Four institutions.”

The past three seasons have seen a downturn for Michigan State football with a combined 14-22 record, including a 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) finish in Smith’s first season leading the Spartans. As the athletic department’s biggest sport, national competitiveness in that sport is a major priority.

One of the criticisms of Haller as an athletic director was Michigan State’s ineffectiveness in raising funds for NIL, an area that has affected recruiting in the school’s biggest sports of football and men’s basketball.

Tom Izzo, who will serve as co-interim athletic director alongside deputy athletic director Jennifer Smith, led the men’s basketball team to a 30-7 record, 17-3 conference record and a Big Ten championship before marching to the Elite Eight with a team driven by depth over star power.

Friday, Michigan State donor Jim Heos told WILX Channel 10 that while he liked Haller as an athletic director, he saw weakness in how Michigan State approached the modern college sports landscape under Haller’s guidance.

“I’m not surprised given the trajectory of the level of giving to the athletic department, Heos said. “All you gotta do is look at what’s going on with players that are coming via the transfer portal. It just seems like we can’t compete because we don’t have enough money.”

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for Elon Musk s Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans.

The emergency appeal comes after a judge in Maryland restricted the teams access under federal privacy laws.

Social Security holds personal records on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.

The government says the DOGE team needs access to target waste in the federal government, and asked the justices to put the lower court order on hold as the lawsuit over the issue plays out.

Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the judges restrictions disrupt DOGEs urgent work and inappropriately interfere with executive-branch functions. Left undisturbed, this preliminary injunction will only invite further judicial incursions into internal agency decision-making, he wrote.

Musk has been focused on Social Security as an alleged hotbed of fraud, describing it as a Ponzi scheme and insisting that reducing waste in the program is an important way to cut government spending.

RELATED STORY | Lawmakers want to know why DOGE is building a database of sensitive Social Security info

An appeals court refused to immediately to lift the block on DOGE access, though it split along ideological lines. Conservative judges in the minority said theres no evidence that the team has done any targeted snooping or exposed personal information.

The lawsuit was originally filed by a group of labor unions and retirees represented by the group Democracy Forward.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland that blocked DOGE from Social Security systems did allow staffers to access data that has been redacted or stripped of anything personally identifiable.

The appeal is the latest in a string of emergency applications to the nation's highest court as the Trump administration faces about 200 lawsuits challenging various aspects of President Donald Trump's sweeping conservative agenda.

Teachers don’t choose this profession for the paycheck. But if we keep treating them like they don’t need one, we’ll keep losing them. Policymakers have an opportunity to change that.

The post Detroit Evening Report: Belle Isle gathering aims to combat violence against Black women appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans.

The emergency appeal comes after a judge in Maryland restricted the team’s access under federal privacy laws.

Social Security holds personal records on nearly everyone in the country, including school records, bank details, salary information and medical and mental health records for disability recipients, according to court documents.

The government says the DOGE team needs access to target waste in the federal government, and asked the justices to put the lower court order on hold as the lawsuit over the issue plays out.

Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the judge’s restrictions disrupt DOGE’s urgent work and inappropriately interfere with executive-branch functions. “Left undisturbed, this preliminary injunction will only invite further judicial incursions into internal agency decision-making,” he wrote.

Musk has been focused on Social Security as an alleged hotbed of fraud, describing it as a “ Ponzi scheme ” and insisting that reducing waste in the program is an important way to cut government spending.

An appeals court refused to immediately to lift the block on DOGE access, though it split along ideological lines. Conservative judges in the minority said there’s no evidence that the team has done any “targeted snooping” or exposed personal information.

The lawsuit was originally filed by a group of labor unions and retirees represented by the group Democracy Forward.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland that blocked DOGE from Social Security systems did allow staffers to access data that has been redacted or stripped of anything personally identifiable.

The appeal is the latest in a string of emergency applications to the nation’s highest court as the Trump administration faces about 200 lawsuits challenging various aspects of President Donald Trump’s sweeping conservative agenda.