President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on Tuesday by visiting the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, where he announced a new fighter jet mission at the base. This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow spoke about the base’s history and significance to the region.

Also, Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) stopped by to talk about his run for governor and his vision for the state.

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• President Trump rallies in Michigan for 100th day
• Historical and political significance of Selfridge
• Sen. Nesbitt’s vision for Michigan

Nesbitt is joined by U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson in seeking the GOP nomination in Michigan’s gubernatorial race. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have both launched campaigns, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an Independent candidate.

Nesbitt spoke with Kasben and Gorchow about what his “common sense” priorities would be if he were chosen as the state’s next governor.

“I’m working around the state, I’m going to put together a campaign that’s  going to put Michigan first, and a campaign that’s going to offer positive conservative solutions to fix some of the deepest problems in Michigan,” Nesbitt said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been both lauded and criticized in recent weeks for her attempts to bend Trump’s ear about her state’s priorities. But the Democratic governor has responded to her critics by pointing to the results her meetings with Trump have yielded — including the 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets replacing the aging A-10 squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. 

Nesbitt says Whitmer’s collaboration with Trump has been good to see.

“I think people expect leaders to be able to work to get things done,” he said. “And believe me, I’m not going to agree with the governor and neither is President Trump going to agree with the governor on things like men competing in women’s sports — she seems to support that and we’re opposed to that — or having all this money spent on DEI initiatives — I’m going to actively oppose any of that and so is President Trump…but as I look at it, having President Trump come to Michigan to celebrate his first 100 days shows the importance of Michigan; how much he cares about Michigan.”

More from WDET:

• Whitmer on dealmaking with Trump: ‘I will fight back when I need to’
• President Trump marks 100 days in office with Macomb County trip
• MichMash: Sen. Nesbitt on trying to find ‘common ground’ with Michigan Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.

Paula Kerger, PBS’ CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration’s effort to rescind funding for public media would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” she said. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.

Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.

The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

—Reporting by AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro.

Communities across Michigan — including several in metro Detroit — will be holding special elections on Tuesday, May 6, for a range of local ballot measures and races.

Check if you’re registered, find your polling place, or view a sample ballot here.

Macomb County

Mount Clemens

Voters in the Mount Clemens Community School District will have a $91.8 million bond proposal and millage reduction on their ballots.

The district says the funding would be used to renovate and revitalize its historic buildings, make critical infrastructure improvements, create modern learning spaces, and address safety and security needs.

Find more information about the bond proposal at mtcps.org.

Oakland County

Ferndale

In Oakland County, voters in Ferndale will see another Headlee override operating millage proposal on their ballot.

Ferndale voters rejected a previous iteration of the Headlee override in November, with roughly 54% of residents voting against it. City council members voted in January to include an adapted proposal on the May 6 ballot that aims to address some of the concerns cited by residents during town halls and listening sessions. If passed, the millage would take effect on residents’ Summer 2026 tax bills.

More information about the proposal, including the changes that were made and its potential cost impact on residents, can be viewed at ferndalemi.gov.

Additionally, voters in the Ferndale School District — which includes portions of Pleasant Ridge, Oak Park and Royal Oak Township — will have a school improvement bond on their ballot.

The $114.8 million bond proposal would not increase voters’ tax rates, according to the district, and would enable “transformational improvements” at its middle and high school buildings. Among the updates would be a new academic wing, modernized classrooms, updated fine arts spaces, safer school entry points, and improved student services.

For more information about the school bond proposal, visit ferndaleschools.org.

Clawson

Voters in Clawson will have two charter amendment proposals on the ballot.

The first is asking voters to determine the size of city council. A “yes” vote would maintain the city’s four-member council — excluding the mayor — rather than expand the council by two additional members, as adopted by council in 2023.

The second charter amendment relates to the council members’ term limits, and can only be passed in conjunction with the first amendment.

The full proposals can be viewed at cityofclawson.com.

Madison Heights

Residents in the Lamphere School District will see an $85 million, 30-year school improvement bond proposal on the ballot.

The district says the funding is needed to enhance school safety and security, expand learning opportunities, and update school infrastructure. If passed, the cost to homeowners would be 4.15 mills ($4.15 per $1,000 of taxable property value).

For more specifics on what the bond funding would be used for, visit lamphereschools.com/bond2025.

Proposals 2 and 3 — a non-homestead operating millage renewal and 2-mill hedge — would maintain the current millage rate if passed, allowing the district to retain $5 million for staffing, instructional and extracurricular programming, maintenance and operations.

Residential tax rates on primary residences would not increase if any of these initiatives pass, according to the district. However, the millage rate would decline over the next few years if the bond proposal is rejected.

Know your rights

Michigan’s primary election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Check back for updates to WDET’s Voter Guide as the election gets closer.

Editor’s note: This episode of The Metro aired prior to the president signing an executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR.

Public trust in the free press has been steadily declining for decades and President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the news media has further eroded that trust. He frequently refers to the free press as “the enemy of the people” and “fake news.” 

Those words have had an impact. 

In 2020, American journalists faced a sharp rise in attacks, especially during the Black Lives Matter protests. 

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, “at least 400 press freedom violations were reported, including physical assaults, arrests, and damage to equipment.”  

The committee found that many of these incidents, including roughly 300 assaults, were attributed to law enforcement.

On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump continued his rhetoric against the press.

“To get to me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. I don’t mind that so much,” he told a crowd in Pennsylvania.

Now, after Trump’s first 100 days in office, the Committee to Protect Journalists is sounding a louder alarm. 

It says the beginning of Trump’s term has “been marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms. These measures threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population.”

Trump has banned reporters from his press conferences. He is selective of which media outlets he speaks to, and he has filed multiple lawsuits accusing media companies of misconduct against him. 

The president is also taking aim at NPR and PBS.

NPR reported last month that the administration plans to request Congress cut funding from NPR and PBS — news and information that is not profit-based and relies on funding from listeners, sponsorships, and the government. WDET is an NPR affiliate station that also would feel strong impacts from these cuts.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joined The Metro on Thursday to talk more about this.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is responding to critics of her meetings with President Donald Trump by answering that they’ve yielded results. Whitmer, a Democrat serving her final term as governor, and widely considered a possible future presidential contender, says she still has fundamental disagreements with President Donald Trump. She also says face time with Trump, including a now-famously awkward Oval Office encounter, was worth it to win 21 new fighter jets heading to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

The Michigan Public Radio Network spoke with the governor Wednesday about cutting a deal with a president with whom she’s had an adversarial relationship.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Rick Pluta: Why does this Selfridge deal matter, not just to Macomb County, not just to metro Detroit, but to the entire state of Michigan?

GW: Yeah, you know, this is a big deal. So the A-10, which is our fighter mission at Selfridge, is being retired. And the fighter mission matters because we think about Selfridge, it has an economic impact on the state of $850 million a year. There are 30,000 jobs in Michigan that are related to Selfridge directly. And so not having a fighter mission would be a huge problem, not just for Selfridge but for a defense economy that we’ve been building out, advanced manufacturing. We think about aerospace as well as bases in Grayling, Alpena, and in Battle Creek. This has a massive impact on the state of Michigan. So I’ve been working to try to get a new fighter mission at Selfridge every year since I’ve been elected governor, and my predecessors did, as well, and we got it done, 21 F-15 EXs. This is the cutting edge, state-of-the-art planes and it’s gonna have a generational impact on our economy.

RP: How did this come to be? Why now?

GW: Well, you know, after the election — I had been trying to get the Biden administration to do this — after the elections, I said, well, let’s keep going. I’m going to keep trying to work with the Trump administration to get it done. And I was at the National Governors Association dinner at the White House. I raised it at that first opportunity with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that night, as well as when I sat next to Donald Trump at the dinner, you know, and I’ve had many conversations and meetings with the president on this issue. I’ve been relentless on this and they were receptive. And despite the fact that we’ve got a lot of differences and we don’t agree on a lot of things, I take every opportunity to make the case for Michigan, whether it’s about tariffs, Asian carp, or ice storms. Selfridge has been a part of all those conversations every time, too.

RP: As you mentioned, you’ve said you will work with everyone, anyone, but you have gotten a lot of pushback from folks within the Democratic Party about your work with this president. Now that this Selfridge deal is done, what’s next? What are your plans for continuing to work with this administration?

GW: I oppose this administration and a lot of things that they’re doing, whether it’s around their — what they’ve done on — you know, I mean, it’s voluminous, the ways that we disagree, the things that we disagree on — from their tariff policy, the chaos that’s been leaked, to the violation of people’s civil rights, to the potential Medicaid cuts that are coming that are going to impact Michigan hospitals and Michiganders everywhere. That being said, I’ve got a duty to continue to try to get as much done for our state as I can. I’ve got to work with people that I don’t always agree with. I always have, and I always will, try to do what’s right for Michigan and that means continuing the conversation on preventing Asian carp from infiltrating the Great Lakes, getting relief for victims of the ice storm. It means continuing to work to try to get more economic development done in Michigan. So I will both fight back when I need to, and try to get Michigan’s priorities done wherever I can.

RP: Finally, Governor, do you think Democratic voters, that is voters in your party, know that you still fundamentally disagree with President Trump?

GW: Yeah, of course they do. My values haven’t changed. My oath is to serve the people of Michigan. It means standing up for our rights, it means fighting back when they’ve got tariff policies that are making Michiganders lose jobs or their costs go up. It also means getting at the table and being there to get a huge investment like Selfridge over the finish line. I can do both. I will do both, that’s the ethos I’ve always led with.

The state treasurer on Wednesday announced $2.5 million in grants for Michigan cities, villages or townships with severe economic problems.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Those municipalities are defined as ones that are experiencing one or more conditions that qualify as “probable economic distress.”

The funds will be split among 13 cities across the state to support projects, services or strategies aimed at improving their financial stability.

Among the local communities selected to receive funding are Ecorse, receiving $183,000 for water main replacements; Harper Woods, receiving more than $134,000 to fix sanitary sewer outlets; Highland Park, getting $150,000 for two plow trucks; Inkster, receiving $300,000 to replace water system infrastructure; and River Rouge, which will get just over $86,000 to replace infrastructure at the municipal library. 

Visit michigan.gov to view the full list of municipalities receiving funding.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 30, 2025: 

• A project to end extreme poverty is coming to Detroit this summer.  The organizers of “Global Citizen NOW” announced Wednesday that their international summit will be held in the Hudson’s Detroit building downtown, July 8-11.
• The trial of a Grand Rapids police officer in connection with the death of a Black motorists continues. Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed motorist Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in April 2022. Lyoya was shot after a brief struggle and the incident was captured on video.  Schurr was later charged with second degree murder. His attorney says the shooting was in self-defense.
• The only Black, all-female unit to serve in Europe during World War II was honored on Tuesday with the Congressional Gold Medal. Known as the “Six Triple Eight,” the unit received the award following a long-running campaign to recognize its efforts.
• The Detroit Pistons are looking forward to Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks. The Pistons won Game 5, 106-103, at Madison Square Garden in New York Tuesday night.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

President Donald Trump was in Michigan on Tuesday, visiting Selfridge Air National Guard Base before speaking at Macomb Community College. The White House says the trip was in celebration of his first 100 days in office.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base

Selfridge has operated a fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs since 2009. But with that plane retiring, questions over whether the base would get a replacement have muddied its future. Those concerns are now eased. During his visit, President Trump announced Selfridge will receive 21 new F-15s. “This is the best there is anywhere in the world — the F-15EX Eagle II,” Trump said. “This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power.” Trump added there are also plans to update the refueling planes at Selfridge. The president was joined at the announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who he credited with bringing the bases need for a new plane to his attention.

Macomb Community College

After Selfridge, the president headed to Macomb Community College, where he gave a campaign-style speech to a crowd of supporters. Trump used his time at the podium to tell the crowd he’s making good on promises, including on tariffs and immigration. He also told the crowd he’s making good on promises on topics like immigration, and took aim at ongoing court battles against his administration. “We cannot allow a handful of communists and radical left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws and assume the duties that belong solely to the President of the United States,” Trump said. The administration is facing a number of legal challenges over its handling of deportations and funding cuts. A federal judge ordered the White House to restore $12 million in funding to Radio Free Europe. Despite stock market volatility in his first 100 days, Trump told supporters he feels his economic plan is working. The president also repeated criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, telling the crowd that Powell is doing a bad job. “You’re not supposed to criticize the Fed,” Trump said. “You’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more about interest rates than he does about interest rates — believe me.” The Federal Reserve has said it’s holding off on cutting interest rates for now in order to fight inflation. Some economists say tariff uncertainty isn’t making the Fed’s life easier.

In Detroit, it’s not entirely uncommon to make a wrong turn that leads you toward another country. Some of us have made this mistake… and found ourselves on the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. It’s annoying — and more than a headache. But recently, this wrong turn has been much more impactful for immigrants. 

After making that wrong turn, more than 200 people have recently been detained at the border this year in a facility that is not equipped for detention. Migrants seeking asylum in Canada who’ve been turned back have also been detained, according to an NPR investigation. 

That investigation led to an inquiry by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who held a press conference on the matter last week with staff attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.

Tlaib says the 213 people detained at the bridge since January included families with children. At least 90% of the individuals detained were people who made a wrong turn, she said.

Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center, joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk more about the detainments.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Congressman Shri Thanedar announced Monday that he has drafted articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, accusing him of violating the U.S. Constitution.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Detroit Democrat cited Trump’s defiance of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of a man who was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador and trying to abolish government agencies without Congressional approval.

“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as President and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy,” said Rep. Thanedar in a news release. “His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service. We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act.”

The resolution is not expected to go anywhere in the Republican-led House.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 29, 2025:

• Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney is challenging incumbent Shri Thanedar for the 13th Congressional seat.
• The Arab American nonprofit organization ACCESS and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) are teaming up with several community groups to host the 19th Annual National Arab American Service Day at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, mobilizing over 400 volunteers for hands-on environmental projects across metro Detroit.
• The Detroit Pistons will take on the New York Knicks in Game 5 of Round 1 of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday. If the Knicks win, they’ll face the winner of No. 2 seed Boston or No. 7 Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals. If the Pistons win, they will stay alive and force a Game 6 at Little Caesars Arena.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Democratic state lawmaker Donavan McKinney announced this week his intentions to run against Congressman Shri Thanedar in the 13th District primary election next year.

McKinney, 32, grew up in the district on Detroit’s east side and is the second person to join the race, alongside former state Rep. Adam Hollier. 

He was first elected to the Michigan House in 2022 as a representative for the state’s 14th district. He was reelected in the 11th House District last year, after district lines were redrawn. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with McKinney on the heels of his Congressional bid announcement to discuss his campaign priorities, which include advocating for clean air, clean water, and economic security.

Fact check: During the conversation, McKinney said the 13th District is the second poorest in the country. WDET couldn’t confirm that, but it is among the poorest districts in the nation. The Commercial Driver License law McKinney helped pass will also likely impact about one million Michiganders, not two million as he mentioned. 

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is one of 50 U.S. House Democrats demanding a full explanation of an alleged National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data breach. 

Whistleblower Daniel Berulis, who did IT work for the NLRB, says a representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did more than search for fraud and waste when it visited the agency last month. 

Berulis says DOGE appears to have uploaded a huge amount of data from NLRB’s computers, erased traces of what it did and then left all of the system’s security features turned off. Then someone with an internet address based in Russia repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to access the NLRB computers. 

DOGE never requested access to their systems and the agency’s own internal investigation found no sign of a computer breach,  a spokesperson for the NLRB said. 

Dingell spoke to WDET Senior News Editor Quinn Klinefelter about her concerns and what DOGE could have done with the data. Klinefelter also joined The Metro on Tuesday to recap their conversation.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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President Donald Trump will be celebrating 100 days in office Tuesday with a trip to Macomb County.

Trump’s visit comes as Americans remain divided over policies like his mass deportation strategy, cuts to the federal workforce, and tariffs.

Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad praised the president for trying to make good on campaign promises and supported the pace it’s happening at.

“What he’s doing is making real change that is going to strategically make a huge difference in cutting the waste, fraud, and abuse here in the United States, and also making sure that we have an incredible economic policy going forward,” Runestad said.

Runestad said he expects the nearby Selfridge Air National Guard base and new investments from Stellantis in Detroit to come up during Trump’s speech.

Earlier in the month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) discussed brining a new mission to Selfridge during a White House visit with Trump.

While Republicans celebrate Trump’s return to the White House, Democrats say the country is now worse off. Tuesday morning, the DNC released its own rundown of Trump’s time in office.

The Democrats’ “snapshot” cites federal numbers that show Michigan was among the leaders in new unemployment claims for the most recent period, with more than 80,000 unemployment claims filed in the state since Trump took office. (There were more than 230,000 new claims in the state during the first 100 days of the Biden administration, though that time coincided with emergency orders and a surge in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.) 

Democrats also say Trump’s actions could put heavily-relied-on government services and social safety net programs like Head Start at risk.

While supporters of Trump’s vision see his moves as steps to get rid of wasteful spending in the name of efficiency, DNC Deputy Executive Director Libby Schneider said the moves are destabilizing. Schneider was dismissive of Trump’s choice to spend his 100-day mark in Michigan.

“He’s going to Michigan to lie to people, but we found out you can’t lie to people when they’re suffering and paying more than they were 100 days ago, and when they are looking at their retirement and figuring out how many years now they have to add to their career in order to be able to afford to retire,” Schneider said.

Financial markets have been volatile in recent months, alternating between dips and gains depending on what policies are announced or rescinded. Democratic Party leaders say the country is sliding toward a recession. Trump administration officials have said the risk is worth it to reset America’s economy and protect domestic industries.

Runestad said it’s misleading to look at the day-to-day effects of Trump’s policies.

“All of these things change many parameters over time, not in a day. I mean, if he announces a tariff one day, the media is screaming bloody murder. And then he makes strategic pullbacks. That’s why it’s not a canoe. It is a battleship in terms of how the thing maneuvers. It takes time for these things to be ironed out,” Runestad said.

Many Democrats and political scholars also take a wider view of Trump’s first 100 days, saying he’s put the country on a path toward authoritarianism by taking steps to consolidate power in the executive branch, sidelining courts and Congress, and intimidating political rivals.

This will be Trump’s first visit to Michigan since he made several campaign stops in the state on the way to winning back the White House last year. When asked why Michigan was picked for the milestone, Runestad said the 2026 elections may have been in mind.

The state will have many offices up for grabs next year, including governor and U.S. Senate.

“There’s going to be a lot of attention on those, plus we have three congressional seats that are going to in play,” Runestad said. “Really all of these things lead through Michigan in terms of holding that majority for the Trump administration,” Runestad said.

Several high profile candidates on all sides of the political aisle have already entered or teased entering some of those races. Trump’s Macomb County rally will likely draw some of those hopefuls.

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party won Canada’s federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war.

The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives, though it wasn’t clear yet if they would win an outright majority, which would allow them to pass legislation without needing help.

The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Trump’s actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power.

The opposition Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose.

But Trump attacked, Trudeau resigned and Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister.

Trump was even trolling Canada on election day, suggesting on social media that he was in fact on the ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state — an assertion that Canadians find deeply insulting. He also erroneously claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada, writing, “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!”

Poilievre, who has been criticized for not taking a firmer stance against Trump, responded with a post of his own.

“President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box,” he posted hours before polls closed. “Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.”

Until Trump won a second term and began threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty, the Liberals looked headed for defeat. But Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel U.S. vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.

Trump’s attacks also put Poilievre and the opposition Conservative Party on the defensive and led to a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative.

“The Americans want to break us so they can own us,” Carney said recently, laying out what he saw as the election’s stakes. “Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.”

Election day came as the country grappled with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street fair that led to the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.

Trump became the main issue

Poilievre and his wife walked hand-in-hand to vote in their district in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. “Get out to vote for a change,” he implored voters.

Sisters Laiqa and Mahira Shoaib said they did just that, with Laiqa, a 27-year-old health care worker, voting for the progressive New Democratic Party, and Mahira, a 25-year-old bank worker, backing the Conservatives.

The sisters, who immigrated from Pakistan a decade ago, said the economy has worsened and job opportunities have dried up under Liberal rule.

After the sisters voted at a community center in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Mahira Shoaib said she thinks Poilievre is best equipped to improve Canada’s finances.

“He is business-minded, and that’s what we need right now,” she said.

After Trump became the election’s central issue, Poilievre’s similarities to the bombastic American president might have cost him.

Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre “sounds like mini-Trump to me.” And he said Trump’s tariffs are a worry.

“Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it’s definitely created some turmoil, that’s for sure,” he said.

“He appeals to the same sense of grievance,” Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said of the Conservative leader. “It’s like Trump standing there saying, ‘I am your retribution.’”

“The Liberals ought to pay him,” Bothwell added, referring to the American president. “Trump talking is not good for the Conservatives.”

Foreign policy hadn’t dominated a Canadian election as much since 1988 when, ironically, free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue.

Big challenges await the Liberals

Carney and the Liberals cleared a big hurdle in winning a fourth-straight term, but they have daunting tasks ahead.

In addition to the sweeping U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75% of its exports go to the U.S., so Trump’s tariffs threat and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada’s production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.

–Reporting by Rob Gillies, Associated Press. AP’s Mike Householder contributed.

We’re four months away from the primary and already, there’s drama with Detroit’s city council race.

Unofficially, there are 45 people vying for nine seats on the council in the Aug. 5 primary election. District 6 Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero was supposed to be among them, but didn’t make it on the ballot after being disqualified for failing to pay a campaign finance fee, according to the City Election Department. 

Santiago-Romero called her removal erroneous and “undemocratic,” and is now suing the Detroit City Clerk’s Office and Clerk Janice Winfrey to get her name restored on the ballot.

Detroit reporter Sam Robinson has been covering the story for his Substack, Detroit One Million. He joined the show to share the latest on the race.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Monday, April 28, 2025:

• Political analysts say Canada’s federal election is the most important in decades
• New MOCAD exhibit to highlight contributions of Black tech innovators
• Detroit public schools have higher than average teacher retention rates, report finds

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

A case involving a frozen embryo that’s at the center of a divorce dispute will not be heard by the Michigan Supreme Court. The court declined the case in an order released Friday.

The Supreme Court order leaves in place an appeals court decision that awarded the embryo to ex-husband David Markiewicz. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in December of 2023 that he would get custody because he has the closest biological connection to the embryo and should not be forced to have another child with his ex-wife, Sarah Markiewicz. The appeals court panel divided on the question, with one judge ruling the embryo should go to the ex-wife.

Sarah Markiewicz became pregnant three times through in vitro fertilization. The embryo at issue in the court case, as in Sarah’s other IVF pregnancies, was made with the ex-husband’s sperm, while the egg was donated by the ex-wife’s sister. The couple also has one child conceived naturally.

Sarah Markiewicz argued for possession of the frozen embryo because it could be her final opportunity to have another child. She also argued she was entitled to the embryo under the Michigan Reproductive Freedom for All amendment to the state constitution.

David Markiewicz said earlier he would either have the embryo destroyed or donated for scientific use if he won the case.

“My client is very happy and relieved that he can now put this chapter behind him,” said his attorney, Trish Haas, in an email to Michigan Public Radio. “His disposition of the pre-embryo will now be his personal choice.”

The Supreme Court order was unsigned, but Justice Brian Zahra wrote a concurring statement calling on the Legislature to enact standards to avoid future conflicts as IVF becomes more common.

“Broadly speaking, the primary issue is how the law should classify and treat human embryos, frozen or otherwise, which, at a minimum, have the potential to develop into autonomous human beings,” he wrote. “This question implicates some of the most perplexing debates in society, invoking deep-seated and conflicting beliefs about morality, ethics, religion, human life, and personal autonomy.” 

A bill package from last year’s legislative session aimed at improving water affordability has been reintroduced in the Michigan Senate.

Senate Bills 248-256 would cap water rates for some residents living below the federal poverty line and protect them from shutoffs. The legislation also includes a funding mechanism to support water infrastructure.

First-term state Rep. Tonya Meyers Phillips, who represents Hamtramck, Highland Park and parts of Detroit, says water affordability is a moral issue.

“Water shutoffs disproportionately effect low-income families, seniors and communities of color,” Meyers Phillips said. “These are the same communities that already bear the brunt of environmental injustices.”

State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) is a co-sponsor of the bill package. She says around 300,000 Michigan households could benefit from a statewide water affordability program.

“Water is not just a resource,” Chang said. “It’s something that every human being needs in order to live, yet too many families in our state are struggling to afford their water bills or have in the past faced the threat of shutoffs.”

Chang says she expects the bills will receive bipartisan support and make their way to the House in the coming weeks.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed a new justice to the state Supreme Court.

Noah Hood will serve a partial term until 2026. He’s filling a seat vacated by former Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement.

Clement was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, in 2017. She left the court earlier this year to serve as president of the National Center for State Courts. Justice Megan Cavanagh replaced Clement as the chief justice.

Hood has served on the state Court of Appeals in Detroit since 2022. Before that, he sat on the Wayne County Third Circuit Court for three years. He has also served as a federal prosecutor in Michigan and Ohio.

If Hood chooses to run, he and Cavanaugh will be up for election in 2026.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump will mark his first 100 days in office next week with a rally in Michigan, his first since returning to the White House earlier this year.

Trump will visit Macomb County on Tuesday, the White House press secretary said. 

“President Trump is excited to return to the great state of Michigan next Tuesday, where he will rally in Macomb County to celebrate the FIRST 100 DAYS!” Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday on social media.

The rally will take place on Trump’s 100th day in office — a traditional early milestone in which a president’s progress is measured against campaign promises. Michigan was one of the key battleground states Trump flipped last year from Democrats on his path back to the White House.

Trump has not traveled much since taking office outside of personal weekend trips. The Republican president’s only other official trip in his second term was during the first week, when he visited disaster zones in North Carolina and California and held an event in Las Vegas to promote his plan to eliminate taxes on tips.

But later this week, Trump will travel to Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, the first foreign trip in his second term.

Trump’s upcoming trip to Michigan follows a series of meetings and phone calls with the state’s high-profile Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Once a sharp critic of Trump, Whitmer has said that she hopes to find common ground with the president in his second term.

A key area of potential cooperation that Whitmer has pointed to is Selfridge Air National Guard Base, long a concern for Whitmer and Michigan lawmakers amid uncertainty over its future as the A-10 aircraft stationed there are phased out. The base is located in Macomb County, where he is set to appear Tuesday.

Trump mentioned Selfridge during an April 9 executive order signing in the Oval Office, an event that Whitmer was present for, saying he hoped to keep the base “open, strong, thriving.”

“I think we’re going to be successful, Governor. I think we’ll be very successful there,” Trump said about Selfridge.

Whitmer — whom Trump praised during his remarks — later said she was unexpectedly brought into the Oval Office during her visit. A photo captured her trying to shield her face from cameras with a folder.

Asked Wednesday if Whitmer would appear with the president in Michigan, a spokesperson for the governor said they “don’t have anything to share at this time.”

Whitmer and other Michigan officials have long advocated for a new fighter mission to replace the outgoing A-10 squadron at Selfridge.

In a 2023 letter sent during President Joe Biden’s administration, Whitmer urged the secretary of the Air Force to act, writing, “I repeat and reiterate what I stated in November and many times before over the past year: a fighter mission at Selfridge to recapitalize the A10s is the right path forward for the State of Michigan, the Air Force, and the nation.”

–Reporting by Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press

Making or selling a drug derived from opium, like heroin or fentanyl, would carry a tougher penalty in Michigan under bills that passed in the state House of Representatives Wednesday.

Current laws treat opiates and their synthetic counterparts, opioids, similar to cocaine and other narcotics considered highly dangerous and addictive.

That means, depending on the amount, possession with the intent to deliver could carry maximum prison sentences from 20 years to life. Some optional fines could also come into play.

The bills passed Wednesday would raise some of those maximum sentences, require fines in some cases, and set new mandatory minimum sentences.

Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) co-sponsors the bills. She said this is one of the issues where she believes mandatory minimums are necessary to interrupt the work of producers and dealers.

“They need to be off the street for a certain amount of time. So anywhere from, you know, five to 15 years is a lot of time that will disrupt the chain, and hopefully we see that impact in our communities,” Lightner told reporters after the vote.

The bills got some bipartisan support, passing by margins of 66-40 and 65-41 in a chamber where Republicans only have a six-vote majority.

Still, many Democratic opponents to the bills said the legislation would amount to another step in a failed war on drugs.

Representative John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) said stronger sentences wouldn’t address root causes of drug abuse and its impact on communities.

“The emotion that comes into an issue like this does not mean that we just drop the hammer and leave everyone else in the dust in the wake of what is going on,” Fitzgerald said to reporters.

Fitzgerald and his colleagues agreed the state needs to instead continue investing in programs aimed at reducing addiction and crime while providing more community resources.

Representative Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) said those programs are working, comparing their progress to trying to turn a big ship that moves slowly.

“The evidence that we’ve seen here in Michigan, the rudder and the turn is happening. Right here in Michigan, such as education and skill-building opportunities, substance abuse treatment programs, and objective decision-making, and effective support for reentry. It’s working. Evidence-based programs have safely reduced, here in Michigan, the prison population,” O’Neal said during a floor speech.

He said stronger penalties would just worsen high incarceration rates that already disproportionately affect Black and Brown residents.

Supporters of the legislation, however, argued back that overdose deaths happen regardless of a person’s background.

Representative Ann Bollin (R-Brighton), another package co-sponsor, said the stronger sentences need to happen in addition to the other work the state is doing. She argued the bills go after drug traffickers, not users.

“We must do something to stop the penetration of the fatal drugs throughout our society. The real perpetrators, the dealers, the manufacturers, walk away with money in their pockets and no awareness at all the depth of grief realized by these families and neighbors, the victims’ families,” Bollin said from the House floor.

Package opponents say there are not enough guardrails to ensure that non-dealers don’t get caught up in the punishment system.

The legislation next goes to the state Senate for more consideration.