A push by fans to rename Nashville's airport for Dolly Parton appears to be taking flight just days after the country music icon's death.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favor of the name change Friday. It's expected to come up at the authority's meeting next month.

Long before 80-year-old Parton died Tuesday, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor. It got renewed attention following Parton's death, jumping to more than 155,000 signatures Friday.

The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America's 50 busiest airports.

The governor said hes already discussed the idea with representatives for Parton.

At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our states favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dollys music, generosity, faith, and kindness, Lee said in a statement.

Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as Jolene and I Will Always Love You, she starred in Hollywood films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.

A number of American airports bear the names of beloved celebrities, from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. New Orleans' airport was renamed for jazz icon Louis Armstrong in 2001.

The vast majority of U.S. airports named for a person honor men. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one exception. Another is Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas.

Putting Parton's name on the Nashville airport could require its governing authority to revisit its policy for such honors, which states that airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.

The governors office said his proposal and the naming policy will be discussed by the airport authority at its meeting Sept. 17.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he exacerbates his trade war with Canada.

The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake's name in the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however.

Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Trump has been needling America’s northern neighbor since he returned to the White House last year, suggesting the ally with whom the U.S. once had warm relations should instead be absorbed as the 51st state.

Canada responded to Trump’s import taxes this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment.

Trump, who signed the order as he was sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, had a large sign behind him propped on a stand with a map of the Great Lakes. Over Lake Ontario, in big red letters, the map read “Lake America.”

On the other wide of the president was another map with the words, “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER.”

The lake is one of multiple Great Lakes that the U.S. and Canada share borders along.

The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There is no single international body that determines names of international bodies of water and Trump has wide latitude over how the U.S. government recognizes geographic places and landmarks.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has traded insults with Trump, this week brushed aside the prospect of Trump changing the lake's name as “a lot of rhetoric."

The name Lake Ontario comes from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” that means “lake of shining waters.” The province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake.

Trump said that while his action was not meant to send any particular geopolitical message, “Canada’s been ripping us off for a long time” on trade and military issues.

“They wanted to be treated like a state and they’re not a state,” the president said. “We just can’t do that anymore.”

“We love the people of Canada,” Trump added. “I don’t think their representatives do, an appropriate job. Maybe they’ll change. I really don’t know. It doesn’t make much difference.”

The move is reminiscent of his move last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America."

Trump scribbled his name with a Sharpie pen on the executive order then held it up for the cameras, offering, “And we filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else.”

“We’ve notified all of the various people that we have to notify. So, we’ve done everything that you have to do,” he said. “And this is official, effective immediately.”

He also suggested his push to rename bodies of water may not be finished.

“So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean,” Trump said. “So maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them.”

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Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

State taxpayers will spend up to $50 million on the polarizing Copperwood copper mine in the far western Upper Peninsula following a vote Tuesday by the Michigan Strategic Fund.

Toronto-based Highland Copper Inc. pitched the project in 2023 as a $425 million mine that will create 380 jobs during its 11-year lifecycle — and one that needed state dollars to be viable.

After several attempts to obtain a state subsidy, the company succeeded on Tuesday when the Strategic Fund awarded the company $45 million toward an estimated $129 million in site readiness costs. It awarded another $5 million to the Gogebic County Road Commission to make road updates in Wakefield Township.

The funding comes from the controversial — and now-defunded — SOAR (Strategic Operating and Attraction Reserve) Fund. The money had been allocated to the Strategic Fund board in October 2022 and ended up unused. As a result, lawmakers will not have to approve Tuesday’s grant.

The mine project — which would be the first in the Upper Peninsula since 1955 — has been pushed by lawmakers and economic developers, who said recent polling showed that 70% of state residents supported it.

The mine is “the most important economic opportunity” for the entire Upper Peninsula, said Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP, an economic development group.

“This grant delivers infrastructure the Western UP desperately needs but cannot afford: infrastructure to attract good-paying jobs like those that Copperwood brings.”

The state’s grant will cover nearly 10% of the $425 million project cost estimate as originally proposed in 2023.

However, Highland Copper said it will be revising project costs by March — along with considering a smaller facility that would use less power and supplies. Unclear is whether hiring will remain at 380 expected new jobs.

Public opposition

During at least two hours of public comments before the vote, many people raised questions about whether the economic value of the mine offset the costs to the region’s ecology and to taxpayers.

Most of the speakers opposed the project, warning of risks to nearby Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains from mining and its byproducts.

“We must protect Lake Superior at all costs from this mine,” Brian Mitchell, a Novi-based nature photographer, said. “If we do not protect our fresh water, no other business, economy or investment really matters in this state.”

Many noted that the mine deal first came up for a vote in early 2024, and proponents tried several times to get lawmakers to either approve it as a SOAR appropriation or annual budget earmark. Tuesday’s vote on the company grant was 7-2.

The company is trying to attract additional funding for the Copperwood project. The $45 million state grant is worth more than half of Highland Copper’s (OTC: HDRSF) market value, which stood at $80 million Tuesday based on the company’s stock price of 12 cents a share.

Without the state funding, financing the full project would be “incredibly more challenging,” said company CEO Barry O’Shea told the board.

That alone is a concern, Cindy Warner, a former member of the Strategic Fund board, wrote in a letter sent this week to oppose the property.

“This is a proposal to backstop, with public money, a project that private capital markets have not fully backed on their own merits,” she wrote. “This is not a proper use of Michigan taxpayer dollars.”

The Export-Import Bank of the United States last fall indicated interest in loaning Highland $250 million through its Make More in America Initiative, but no financing has been finalized.

Several tries over years: A timeline

Tuesday’s vote comes three years after the Michigan Economic Development Corp. initially offered Highland Copper Inc. a $50 million subsidy plus additional funding for recruitment and other hiring needs, documents obtained by Bridge through the Freedom of Information Act show.

Several failed attempts to seed the project with public money followed:

• 1. The Strategic Fund board, after asking rare questions during a public meeting in January 2024, postponed a vote to give Highland Copper $50 million. Upon prodding from the board, the company CEO acknowledged it had no investors and a fraction of the capital it needed to build the mine after the subsidy.

  2. The proposal returned in March 2024, and the board passed it without discussion. In committee before the meeting, they’d set up conditions: Highland Copper could only get the money if it had $150 million in capital.

  3. After the proposal stalled in gaining legislative support for the money to be appropriated, Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, switched gears: He sought $50 million in summer 2024 for Wakefield Township to fund mine-related infrastructure like roads and internet. His earmark request did not make it into the budget.
  

The proposal “appears in every way identical to what has already been denied three times,” said Tom Grotewohl, founder of Protect the Porkies, a nonprofit organization opposing proposed mines in the UP.

“To propose it a fourth time is a grotesque attempt to steamroll over the clear will of the people,” he told Bridge.

Yet several lawmakers touted the project during Tuesday’s hearing, noting the region’s mine history and saying that state oversight would protect the environment.

Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, also spoke of economic revitalization.

“For too long, the state of Michigan and its policies ignored this once prosperous region. The people have been abandoned, employers have left, hospitals have closed, the tax base has been devastated,” he said.

The grant, he said, is a responsible use of state funding.

“The roads, power systems, and telecommunications improvements supported by this grant will remain in place and continue serving the region for decades after the project operations conclude,” he said.

Looking ahead

The mine will add U.S.-based copper production at a time when electronics and data centers rely on the mineral, and the Trump administration seeks to boost domestic production. U.S. copper is about 4% of the world’s supply.

O’Shea, the CEO, said Highland Copper is preparing to start construction in 2028, a year after it releases its updated feasibility study that will refine its Copperwood plans.

So far, the company has spent about $15 million on the project.

Meanwhile, the state said it would reduce the grant award if the overall investment and job creation target declines.

The deal also set a few conditions on the grant award: Highland Copper needs to show $150 million of additional financing by spring 2028, along with a spreadsheet of anticipated spending. Developers also will have to prove they created 380 jobs and finish the infrastructure spending by March 31, 2033.

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This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Nick Loftin and John Rave homered, Kyle Isbel drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to eight games with an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

The Royals' winning streak is their longest since May 2024. Kansas City has won seven straight at home, only the fourth time in franchise history the team has completed an undefeated homestand of seven or more games.

Isbel drove in the first runs of the game with a two-run single, and Loftin added a three-run shot over the left-center field wall, putting Kansas City up 5-1.

Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez added RBI doubles in the fifth before Rave extended the Royals' lead to 9-5 with a two-run shot to right field.

Isbel and Loftin added RBI singles in the eighth to cap the scoring as the Royals completed the three-game sweep.

John Schreiber (1-3) worked two-thirds of an inning in the fifth and earned his first win of the season. Daniel Lynch IV pitched 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out two. Steven Cruz worked a hitless ninth.

Kevin McGonigle had an RBI double and a game-tying home run for the Tigers. Gleyber Torres and Max Clark had run-scoring groundouts, Hao-Yu Lee added an RBI single and Ben Malgeri walked with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Andrew Sears (0-1) made his MLB debut for Detroit and allowed five runs on six hits in four innings.

Kansas City right fielder Jac Caglianone was scratched from the lineup due to ankle soreness

The Royals have not announced a starter for their series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday.

The Tigers have not announced a starter for their home series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

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Shijin Jiang pulled the precision binocular headband magnifier over her eyes and hunched down within a few inches of the ancient text resting on a light board.

Using a pair of hand tools, Shijin carefully inspected the sheet made from the papyrus plant, proceeding with the utmost care. After all, it most likely hadn’t been handled in a century — nor read for thousands of years.

The Papyrus Conservation Summer Seminar at the University of Michigan is the only one of its kind in the Americas, according to the university. And it's one of the few in the world designed to convey the best practices for conserving papyrus manuscripts, ancient texts written on rolls or sheets made from the papyrus plant.

“If you touch this papyrus, you can feel the history,” said Shijin, a native of China who was among nine scholars from across the globe, including Ireland, Italy and the U.S., who took the 10-day course.

Michigan’s Papyrology Collection covers texts and documents from 1000 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E. No institution on this side of the world has more of them, the Ann Arbor school said, giving the researchers access to a vast collection of ancient papyri. There are portions of the Homer epics, “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad,” writings by the philosopher Epicurus and the oldest-known copy of the Epistles of Paul.

“Carrying on this tradition is an incredible responsibility, but it also is incredibly fun and rewarding, because there’s nothing I love more than getting people together from all over the world, sharing ideas, learning from each other,” said Marieka Kaye, who manages library preservation services for physical collections at the University of Michigan Library.

Kaye said she tried to make “things comfortable and not scary, because a lot of people just feel terrified working on these ancient things.”

The seminar introduced the papyrologists and conservators to techniques in the treatment, storage and care of the ancient texts, as well as documentation practices. Papyrus and its ink can crumble, smear or break, so Kaye encouraged the students to carefully remove dirt, sand, salt and debris; use controlled moisture to soften folds and realign fibers; and dry the papyrus slowly under light weight to prevent curling.

The first seminar was held in 2012, and they have been held every two years since, except for the 2020 pandemic year. About 50 students total have taken part.

“If we don’t train the next generations of conservators, this is a craft that is going to be lost,” said Giuliano Sidro, curator of Michigan's Papyrology Collection.

Michigan has so many papyrus manuscripts on hand that its researchers haven’t gone through them all. Some of the items were acquired, while others were excavated, during university expeditions to the ancient site of Karanis, Egypt, from 1924-35. Francis Willey Kelsey, a Latin professor who died in 1927, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Papyrology Collection. He believed Michigan students studying the ancient world needed access not only to books, but to the tangible remains of antiquity. Today, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is a fixture on the Michigan campus. Its collection represents one of the finest compilations of daily-life objects from Greco-Roman Egypt located outside of Cairo.

“This is a place where you make discoveries, potentially every day, if you just go into the vault, pick out a box and open something up, and you start reading,” Sidro said.

Of course, to make sense of it, one needs to be able to decipher Arabic, ancient Greek or Latin, and even Egyptian, one of the earliest known written languages that is now extinct. A few of the seminar participants were able to read the papyri, including Arzak Mohamed, who reads Arabic, and Mauro Castiello, a papyrology doctoral student in Milan, who can translate ancient Greek and Latin.

Kaye said she always tries to include a student from Egypt among the seminar participants.

Mohamed, a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie University in Sydney, had heard about the papyrus seminar for years and always wanted to attend. The 42-year-old mother of three is from Fayoum, Egypt, not far from Karanis.

“Now, I can transfer this information from Michigan to Egypt and even in Australia,” she said. “I will be like the chain, connecting between the three countries.”

“By saving this information, we can transfer the knowledge to the next generation,” she added.

Keider Montero pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers blanked the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Thursday despite failing to record a strikeout.

The Tigers became the first team to blank an opponent without a strikeout since Rick Porcello did it to the Athletics on July 1, 2014. The feat has only been accomplished seven times since 2000.

Montero (9-7) allowed one walk over 6 1/3 innings, holding the Guardians scoreless despite not recording a strikeout. Tyler Holton worked 1 2/3 strong innings, and Kenley Jansen earned his 15th save in a perfect ninth.

Dillon Dingler drove in the game's first run with an RBI groundout in the third before Eduardo Valencia added his fifth homer of the season on a ball that sailed into the left-field seats.

Spencer Torkelson capped the scoring with a one-run single in the eighth.

Parker Messick (9-7) worked 5 2/3 innings for the Guardians, allowing two runs and three hits while fanning six.

Cleveland's Steven Kwan had his career-high on-base streak of 27 games snapped, finishing 0 for 4.

Tigers: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts the series opener against the White Sox on Friday.

Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (11-6, 3.55 ERA) starts the series opener versus the Padres this Friday.

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Abdul El-Sayed made history this month in Michigan by becoming the first Muslim nominated by the Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate. But elation among many of his fellow Muslim Americans was tempered by awareness of persisting and widespread anti-Muslim sentiment across much of the nation.

Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, swiftly began referring to the nominee by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, while depicting him as a danger to America. “Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a Trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic,'' said U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in a post on X.

El-Sayed says such attacks betray a weakness in those who launch them.

“We all pray for the same things. ... We want what’s good for our kids and our families,” he told MS NOW after his primary victory. “They're going to use Islamophobia, because their ideas are tired.”

The vitriol extends far beyond the political class. Tensions related to anti-Muslim sentiment have heightened in several communities around the country, where some residents have bitterly opposed proposals to build new mosques.

“American Muslims have made incredible political and societal progress in recent years,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. He cited increased visibility in entertainment and sports and the election of Democrat Zohran Mamdani as New York City's first Muslim mayor.

“But there also is a very concerted backlash to this progress,” Mitchell said. “You've seen this in the resurgence of anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric, the targeting of mosques.”

A Dallas suburb is a flashpoint

McKinney, Texas, a large suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is one of the flashpoints. Despite angry anti-Islam remarks at a heated city council meeting on Aug. 4, the council voted unanimously to approve a site plan for the McKinney Islamic Association’s proposed new mosque, classroom building and gym.

Among those urging the council to give the plan fair treatment was George Fuller, a former mayor of McKinney, a nonpartisan position. Opponents of the mosque project booed him, and some shouted “traitor” as he left the council chamber. One woman could be seen on video physically accosting him.

“I have never witnessed so much hate, anger and lack of humanity in our beautiful community gathered in one place as I did today at City Hall,” Fuller later wrote on Facebook.

During the hearing, which lasted more than four hours, the speakers included U.S. Rep. Keith Self, a Republican whose district includes McKinney. To loud applause, he urged the council to reject the mosque proposal.

“I know you’re in the accommodation phase, but the intimidation phase follows quickly,” Self said. “Child marriage. Honor killings. Don’t tell me it can’t happen here.”

Fuller also went to the microphone, evoking the broader phenomenon of divisive political rhetoric.

“Sadly, we live in a time when some have discovered that the easiest way to gain attention or win elections is not by offering solutions but by manufacturing fear, dividing communities, demonizing neighbors and turning misinformation into a political strategy,” he said.

In North Carolina, anger flares over approval for a new mosque

The scenario was similar in Mooresville, North Carolina, when town commissioners held a public comment session on Aug. 3 about a proposed mosque that had already been approved, with early phases of construction underway.

Angry residents at the meeting voiced hostility to Islam and assailed the commissioners for not being more forthcoming about the project as it took shape over previous months. One speaker cited violence in Nigeria by Islamist extremists as a reason for concern in Mooresville. Another depicted Islam as “a political regime with the ultimate goal of takeover in regions and nations.”

CAIR’s regional manager, Al Rieder, issued a statement denouncing “the hateful and conspiratorial anti-Muslim rhetoric” that surfaced at the meeting and expressed concern about the safety of Muslims in the area about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Charlotte.

“Muslims are your neighbors, your doctors, your teachers, your local politicians, your police,” he said.

A few hours after the public meeting, the town commissioners released a summary of the mosque project, which calls for a two-building Islamic center on a parcel acquired in 2019 by a local Muslim organization.

The commissioners said that the parcel is in an area zoned to allow religious assembly and that the mosque proposal was handled the same way as a proposal for a new church.

“All decisions must be based on adopted ordinances, objective standards and legal requirements, which do not allow for different rules for different religious groups,” the commissioners said. “We encourage all members of our community to remain respectful in their discussions and interactions as this project moves through the appropriate processes.”

In Oklahoma, Muslim leaders fight against the rebuff of a new mosque

A mosque controversy has been raging for many months in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Tulsa's largest suburb.

Back in January, at a stormy meeting attended by hundreds of people, the city council voted 4-1 to reject a rezoning proposal by the region's Islamic Society to build Broken Arrow's first mosque. Before the vote, dozens of residents voiced anti-Muslim views while opposing the project.

Council members who rejected the mosque had raised concerns about its potential impact on infrastructure such as roads, sewers and flood plain management.

But the Islamic Society is persisting with its quest. On Aug. 3, it filed a lawsuit against the mayor and four councilors, alleging that the vote reflected “a wave of bigoted opposition from members of the community and local politicians.” The lawsuit contends that the council violated state and federal laws governing religious land use, treating the mosque proposal differently from other comparable rezoning requests.

“They did not want a mosque in their city. They did not want Muslims here,” said Meghan Murphy, an attorney with CAIR’s Legal Defense Fund, at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. ”So they made up a reason, and in doing so they violated the law.”

Some see a terrorism threat while others see baseless scaremongering

Opposition to mosque construction isn't a new phenomenon: In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, an effort launched in 2010 to block a mosque project dragged on for more than three years. The mosque was built anyway as the case moved through the courts, but members of the Muslim community faced public protests, vandalism, arson and a bomb threat during that span.

The latest anti-mosque campaigns coincide with a broad wave of anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republican officeholders over the past year. In Congress, several bills were introduced targeting sharia, the moral and spiritual framework that guides Muslims in prayer and ethical conduct. Some Republicans say they’re concerned about growing Muslim populations in major cities and potential ties to terrorism — fears that CAIR and other civil rights groups say are unfounded and being exploited for political purposes.

Republican governors in Texas and Florida have endorsed efforts to shut down CAIR, saying it has ties to terrorism. CAIR has denied the allegations and filed lawsuits calling the governors' efforts unconstitutional.

Muslim American leaders view the vitriol as political scaremongering.

“Every election year, we expect a rise in anti-Muslim hate,” said CAIR's Mitchell. “It's been worse this year than it has been in years.”

Kevin McGonigle drove in three runs, Drew Anderson tossed four innings of one-run ball in his fourth start of the year, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 on Tuesday night.

Detroit won their first game against Cleveland after an 0-6 start, suffering a four-game sweep in May and losing both games of a June series. Yet the Tigers are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Guardians in the AL Central.

Anderson allowed four hits as the opener, fanning four and walking two. Jacob Waguespack (1-1) threw two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win.

Spencer Torkelson drove in the first run of the game with a second-inning double, but Chase DeLauter's 13th homer of the year tied the game in the third. He sent a low-inside curveball from Anderson 424 feet over the right-center field wall.

McGonigle tagged a two-run double in the fifth inning that put the Tigers ahead for good, and Gleyber Torres added one more with an RBI single.

Jos Ramrez hit into a groundout that brought Steven Kwan across in the seventh to draw the Guardians within 4-2, but the Tigers got two across in the bottom half to extend their lead.

Javier Bez scored after he stole third and the throw got away from Ramrez, allowing Baz to cross without a play at the plate. McGonigle hit an RBI single on the next pitch to extend the lead to four.

Jo Adell hit a 428-foot shot in the eighth wasn't enough the complete a Cleveland comeback. Kenley Jansen earned his 14th save, but allowed one run in the ninth.

Tanner Bibee (4-12) worked 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland and gave up four runs on five hits while striking out four. DeLauter finished 3 for 5.

Guardians LHP Foster Griffin (12-4, 3.31 ERA) starts opposite Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (7-7, 4.17) on Wednesday.

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The post Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in major victory for Democrats’ progressive wing appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Updated at 10:05 a.m.:

Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a massive victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state.

The real test of El-Sayed’s and progressives’ strength will now come in a November matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed will face the challenge of uniting a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary.

The race remained tight throughout Tuesday night, with a winner not declared until early Wednesday. In his final remarks at a primary night party before the race was called, El-Sayed said “tomorrow we begin to mend fences.”

El-Sayed's campaign said Stevens called to concede Wednesday.

El-Sayed’s win represents a significant shift for the Democratic Party; in 2018 he lost the gubernatorial primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 21 percentage points.

El-Sayed, a former health official, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” halting military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform. He had support from progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who framed the race as a grassroots-focused movement and a broader fight against the establishment and big-money spending.

Stevens, a more moderate candidate, was backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and tens of millions in outside spending, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s largest outlay ever in a single race.

Now comes the more difficult challenge for Democrats: uniting the party to defeat Rogers, for whom Republicans have already reserved large sums of money ahead of the general election. Democrats consider the seat a must-win if they are to flip control of the Senate this year.

El-Sayed called for unity to defeat Rogers

Early Tuesday evening, El-Sayed’s supporters in Detroit’s Majestic Theatre cheered at the first batches of votes, before mellowing. Hours later Stevens’ previously subdued partygoers roared as she narrowed the margin.

“Whatever happens tonight,” El-Sayed told a thinned but still energetic crowd, “we have a responsibility to ensure that we unite, unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate.”

El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” campaign finance reform and ending military aid to Israel.

Stevens, a four-term congresswoman, focused on manufacturing and the economy. She stressed her past victories in tough races, saying she would be best positioned to beat Rogers.

Stevens benefited from tens of millions of dollars in outside spending, including the largest investment in a race ever from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which supports pro-Israel candidates.

Michigan is a must-win Senate race for Democrats

The race will help decide which party controls the chamber in the last two years of President Donald Trump’s term. Those stakes have added heat to the rivalry, with moderates arguing that El-Sayed would have a harder time than Stevens against a Republican in the general election.

Stevens won election to Congress in 2018 after serving as chief of staff to President Barack Obama’s auto task force, which helped oversee the federal rescue of General Motors and Chrysler. Her campaign and allied groups have repeatedly highlighted that experience.

El-Sayed cast himself as the anti-establishment candidate and argued that Democrats need to reject corporate influence and embrace a more progressive agenda.

While the candidate has said he is not a democratic socialist, he found support from some of the group’s members. That included Melat Kiros, who recently beat a longtime incumbent in a Democratic primary for a Denver-based House seat and was at El-Sayed’s watch party. Also there was Hasan Piker, a progressive and controversial influencer online.

The candidates’ differences were clear to some voters.

Kenneth Woodside, 87, of West Bloomfield, said he voted for El-Sayed over Stevens because “the nation is ready for someone who wants to take some more action rather than on the road we are now, which is on the road to an oligarchy and authoritarianism.”

Nessa Fuller, 51, of Birmingham, said she voted for Stevens because she will “fight to get the right things done, and she’ll work with other people, which is really important to me.”

Outside influences spent millions on the Senate race

National groups poured unprecedented sums into the race, making it one of the country’s biggest tests of outside spending.

Groups backing Stevens spent more than $50 million, led by more than $30 million from AIPAC and its affiliates.

The spending thrust Israel policy into the center of the race even though the ads never mentioned it. While El-Sayed called for ending military aid to Israel, Stevens maintained strong support for the relationship.

Israel became a contentious issue within the Democratic Party amid a war in Gaza that killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in its retaliatory offensive after about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken in attacks by the militant group Hamas.

McKinney wins Detroit US House primary

In a heavily Democratic district representing Detroit, the 13th, state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated Rep. Shri Thanedar. McKinney argued that the city should once again have a Black representative in Congress.

After Thanedar won election in 2022, Detroit had no Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.

Originally posted: Aug. 5, 2026, 5:45 a.m.

Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D, MI-11) ended her primary night in the race for Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate nomination too close to call. Stevens is running against former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.

Addressing her supporters, Stevens encouraged her supporters to stay focused on beating Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the general election.

“Republicans are going to do everything they can to throw all the dirt, all the mud, the kitchen sink at us because they want to keep the U.S. Senate red,” Stevens said.

“We have a responsibility to assure that we unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate," El-Sayed told supporters in Detroit this morning.

Former U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers did not have an opponent in the Republican primary.

"And so, Mike, and I know you're listening, Mike. We are coming for you," El-Sayed said.

The night ended with votes still being counted in Detroit, Flint, and Muskegon. All three were cities with sizeable Black populations core to Stevens’ base.

Many tried to paint the race as a test for whether her brand of moderate politics could counter El-Sayed’s progressive message amid a surge in populism.

At her election night party, many of her supporters framed her as a practical candidate best suited for a general election. That’s as Democrats see holding Michigan as a key piece of the party’s journey back to a U.S. Senate majority.

Detroiter Carl Ramsey is a former community organizer. He said Stevens got his support by showing up to events and winning past elections.

“[El-Sayed] was never elected to anything. He was appointed. Her experience elevates her to a position we need in D.C. It’s vicious in D.C. right now,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey said he hoped all Democrats unite around the party’s nominee once results are final.

Several current and former high-ranking Democrats endorsed Stevens during her campaign. The list includes Governor Gretchen Whitmer, retiring U.S. Senator Gary Peters, and former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

El-Sayed, on the other hand, got support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York Congresswoman Alessandria Ocassio-Cortez, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12).

At the watch party, Stabenow said she felt like Stevens’ supporters were more centered on winning in November than proving a point about national politics.

“It’s people in Michigan who have served Michigan, who have won in Michigan, who know what it takes to win in Michigan and do the job, and everybody who knows that has been supporting Haley,” Stabenow said in an interview.

Outside spending was also a considerable factor in the race, with research firm AdImpact ranking Michigan’s as one of the most expensive races in the country when it comes to advertising.

Stevens also saw outside groups, including ones funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spend upwards of $60 million dollars on ads on her behalf. El-Sayed, on the other hand, had around $7 million from outside groups spent on him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — William Lawrence wins the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Michigan's 7th Congressional District.

LIMA, Peru — Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president on Tuesday after winning the June presidential runoff by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes, a victory that confirmed a regional shift in South America toward the conservative wing.

With the ceremony, Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and leader of Peru's largest political party, officially takes office as the country's ninth president in a decade. The 51-year-old is hoping to stabilize Peru's turbulent politics, reduce crime and boost economic growth.

Over the past decade, only three of Peru's presidents have been elected by popular vote. The rest have come into office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by congress amid corruption scandals.

Fujimori's Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, will hold half the senate seats once the new legislature is installed, making it harder for opposing legislators to attempt to remove her as president.

An incoming president with a political past and promises for the future

Fujimori centered her campaign around promises to improve security in a nation where extortion rackets have become a significant problem. She has also promised to develop infrastructure by making it easier for government agencies to form partnerships with private investors.

She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s and stabilized its economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military as his government took an authoritarian turn. He was pardoned in December 2023 and died in September the following year.

During her campaign, Keiko Fujimori pledged to fight crime with an "iron fist," implementing some policies adopted by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, and also build a megaprison modeled after the notorious Cecot penitentiary in El Salvador.

To guarantee judges their safety, she has said she will implement reforms to enable them to hide their identities as they oversee criminal trials.

She also said on Tuesday she would reorganize social services to fight malnutrition in rural communities and announced a 15% increase in the nation's minimum wage.

Fujimori said that the nation's military will "temporarily" lead security operations in crime afflicted areas. And said she will focus on preparing the South American nation for the latest onset of El Niño, a weather pattern that warms ocean temperatures and often leads to flooding along Peru's coast.

"My goal is not only to administer the state" Fujimori said. "My main objective is to narrow the enormous social deficit that affects millions of Peruvians."

Opposition leaders remember those killed in protests

Opposition leaders have asked Fujimori's incoming government to reverse a series of laws approved by Peru's last legislature, which critics say weaken efforts to fight organized crime.

The laws eliminate preventive arrests and stop prosecutors from processing political parties involved in corruption under the same statutes as criminal groups. The laws also make it harder for police to confiscate the goods of criminal groups.

Opposition leaders are also asking the incoming government to create a commission to investigate the deaths of 50 civilians during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023 following the removal of former President Pedro Castillo.

During Fujimori's swearing-ceremony, some opposition lawmakers protested outside the parliament, holding photos of people killed during the protests. Relatives of the dead have said they do not recognize Fujimori as president and that they are protesting her inauguration.

Fujimori will lead a deeply polarized country

Fujimori was widely backed by voters in Peru's capital and along the Pacific coast, but voters in the highlands, where there is a larger Indigenous population, overwhelmingly supported left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez, an ally of Castillo.

Sanchez challenged the election results, arguing there were irregularities in how votes were counted at Peruvian consulates abroad, but electoral authorities dismissed his complaints.

Despite the political friction, Peru continues to be one of the most stable economies in Latin America. Its central bank has long kept the benchmark interest rate below 5%, and the government is known for a conservative approach toward public spending.

But critics point out a growing gap in living standards between coastal areas and communities in the Andean highlands.

Fujimori's June election victory, along with those of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and José Antonio Kast in Chile, underscored South America's shift toward the conservative wing, a stark contrast from the panorama of a few decades ago when left-wing leaders such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela or the current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerged.

Conservatives have won seven major presidential elections in Latin American in the past few years, most of the them since the January 2025 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a winning streak propelled by concerns over crime, immigration and slow economic growth

Copyright 2026 NPR

Updated July 28, 2026 at 11:11 AM EDT

TOKYO — An earthquake registering a magnitude of 7.1 shook Japan's southern main island of Kyushu and caused part of a shopping center to collapse on Tuesday, leaving dozens of people missing or injured, officials and reports said. A tsunami advisory was issued but quickly lifted.

The second floor of the Aeon Mall shopping center in Kashima Town collapsed, trapping an unknown number of people. Around 20 to 30 employees were missing while several other people were dug out and taken to a hospital, Kyodo News agency reported, quoting local police.

The affected area is about 900 kilometers (540 miles) southwest of Tokyo. A tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto prefecture and three neighboring prefectures was lifted within two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters there were reports of damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fires, though details were unclear.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities or infrastructure. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants.

Kyodo said a hospital in Yatsushiro city took in about 40 people with injuries and about 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city.

Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu were suspended for safety checks, and the runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with "no prospect of resuming operations," according to a notice on the airport's website. There were no details.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it dispatched aircraft to the area to assess the situation.

A train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at Kumamoto castle, Kyodo said.

"The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened," said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune town hall, who saw roof tiles of nearby homes crash to the ground. Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that left more than 50 people dead.

Shinji Kiyomoto with the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to be cautious over the next two to three days.

Copyright 2026 NPR

In a visit to Michigan on Monday, President Donald Trump argued that his economic policies have revived the auto industry and American manufacturing even as many businesses contend that the sweeping tariffs he’s imposed against Canada and the rest of the world have hurt the state.

Trump defended his policies while visiting a General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching Corvette, Cadillac and Hummer vehicles compete in a series of drag races.

In a speech, Trump cheered GM's plans to expand production

domestically in coming years and declared himself a president who was standing up for auto workers “at long last.”

“I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?" he joked.

After being led on a tour of vehicles from different eras of GM, some of which he sat in, Trump claimed the tariffs have helped the automaker.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.” Trump said he’s been good to the company but he declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

Trump's visit is close to Michigan primary on August 4

Trump called out several Republican candidates and invited them onstage during his remarks Monday.

Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Representative John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Johnson is now trying to style himself in the president's mold — despite missing out on his endorsement. The Democratic Senate primary between Representative Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed has drawn national attention for the right to face Rogers, who was narrowly defeated by Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

Early voting is underway.

Trump's new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has seen parts of its economy affected by the president's tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts.

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The GM facility is in Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit's northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

GM says its facility is the oldest dedicated vehicle testing operation in the United States, where 4,200 employees work to refine nearly every vehicle the company makes before they reach consumers.

Michigan's economy relies heavily on Canada, however, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide.

Those come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump's handling of the economy.

Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump's visit is a function of Michigan's relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination.

But Roe also said it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans before the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.”

Trump, who won the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress in the November 3 elections.

“We’re happy to have the president here, campaigning with Republicans. We think it highlights the fact that the only thing they care about is Donald Trump and refuse to stand up to him," said Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. "It’s good for us every time the president is here because he’s incredibly unpopular.”

The U.S. and Canada have squabbled over a new border bridge

The Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but his administration has tried to find ways around that, including by arguing that he can impose them on Canada because that country is discriminating against American exports of products including automobiles.

But Trump’s latest round of tariffs came after he voiced frustration with Canada for having retaliated and imposed its own levies on U.S. imports in response to Trump’s initial tariffs last year. Trump launched the first round after alleging Canada should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.

It is Trump's third trip to Michigan in his second term.

In January, he visited a Ford plant in Dearborn and addressed the Detroit Economic Club, offering a defense of tariffs even as auto industry leaders blamed them for increasing the cost of doing business.

The president marked his second term's first 100 days with a rally in Warren, where he mostly mentioned grievances left over from the 2024 campaign.

His latest visit coincides with tensions between his administration and Canada that have marred the opening of a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

Canada on Friday held its own event hailing the opening of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge instead of a planned celebration with officials in the U.S. after Trump announced the new Canadian tariffs.

The post The Latest: Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s restrictions appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan fired their basketball coaches on the same day, parting ways with former assistants under Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

The Eagles and Broncos were both 10-21 overall and 4-14 in the Mid-American Conference this season, tying Northern Illinois for last place.

Heath and Stephens were previously assistants for the Spartans. Stephens also played for the program.

Heath, a former Eastern Michigan player, had a 57-99 record over four seasons with the Eagles. Stephens was 42-84 over four seasons.

Heath was previously the coach at Kent State, leading that MAC program to the Elite Eight in 2002. He also guided Arkansas to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007 and did the same at South Florida in 2012.

Stephens was on Izzo’s staff for 19 seasons, including the last decade as an associate head coach. He has coached in six Final Fours, including 2003 when he was an assistant for Tom Crean at Marquette. Stephens also was an assistant at Oakland University.

By ANITA SNOW

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Wearing an oxygen pack on her back for her COPD, Marcia OBara is leading a group of nature enthusiasts on a mission to see birds. They carry walking sticks on the flat trails, moving at their own pace, without pressure or competition and enjoying a sense of community.

This is Birding for Every BODY, one of numerous such excursions offered each month by the nonprofit Tucson Bird Alliance with Arizona’s Pima County.

It’s part of a growing national movement to help people with physical and other limitations experience birding and nature in general.

“It’s an opportunity for people to get out and see birds without pressure, no matter how long it takes or how many birds we see,” said OBara, a retired nurse who has been leading the accessible outings for three years. She said disabled people often cannot keep up on traditional outings, especially when competitive birders are focused on checking off a list of the greatest possible number of species.

For her accessible walks, OBara ensures that all trails are easily traversable, and bathrooms are open and large enough to accommodate mobility scooters and wheelchairs. She checks on the availability of drinking water, shade and benches. Once a walk gets underway, OBara checks to ensure everyone is keeping up, then modulates the pace as needed.

“I used to work in rehab, so I usually know what people need,” OBara said.

While the outings are open to those with wheelchairs and mobility scooters, people who use those devices rarely attend the walks, OBara said, perhaps because they don’t think they’ll be able to keep up.

“But we’d encourage them to come,” OBara said.

Enjoying nature and community

On one of several walks she led in February at Tucson-area parks, OBara pointed out a phainopepla, a slender, crested bird perched on a mesquite tree that adores the bright red berries of desert mistletoe clumped on the branches. Quacking mallards and other ducks swam in ponds or pecked the ground.

“It’s nice to just be outside and not think of anything else,” said Rhea Guertin, a retired Rhode Island snowbird who spends four months in Tucson each winter. She used a walking pole for stability.

“I’m just slow,” she explained.

Evelyn Spitzer, a retired Tucson-area teacher, used a walking pole for her heart condition and the lingering effects of a recent surgery.

The organized effort to share birding with people with limitations goes back at least to 2018, when retired Texas teacher Virginia Rose founded the nonprofit Birdability. Rose has used a wheelchair since suffering a spinal injury at age 14.

On smooth trails or from the back deck

“Our vision is that birding be truly for everybody and every BODY, regardless of disability,” said Cat Fribley, Birdability’s executive director. She said participants’ limitations include mobility issues, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness. Some are neurodivergent, deaf, hard of hearing or have other health concerns.

Fribley, who has a mobility scooter for multiple disabilities, said she can go five or six miles while birding on the accessible paths in her residential community in Iowa City, Iowa.

“In the winter, I bird on my back deck with my coffee,” she said.

Other examples of accessible birding include watching from a car, from a canoe on a river, or simply through a kitchen window, advocates said.

Maps and apps

Birdability has helped compile a crowdsourced map of accessible birding locations nationwide in partnership with the National Audubon Society, and offers advice to able-bodied birders on how to be more welcoming and inclusive.

The group’s website has many other resources and adaptive devices, such as car-window mounts for cameras, and apps that blind people and others can use to identify and record birdsong.

Occupational therapist Freya McGregor recommends binocular harnesses, which are strapped around the back and chest, saying they’re easier on the shoulders and neck than binoculars that hang around the neck.

McGregor — who has a permanent knee injury — runs Access Birding, which trains nature organizations such as state parks and local Audubon chapters on making trails accessible.

Birding by ear

Birding “really brings you joy,” said Jerry Berrier, a 73-year-old Massachusetts birder who has been blind since birth. “There is happiness from being out in nature.”

Berrier got hooked as a college student when he learned to identify a huge number of bird calls and songs to satisfy the lab requirement for a biology class. He later taught blind and blind-deaf people how to negotiate the use of laptops and cellphones at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.

He captures avian songs and calls for his website, www.birdblind.org, to help blind bird enthusiasts record and share their own. Last year, he launched the “Any Bird, Any Body” podcast with his friend, Gary Haritz.

Berrier also helped organize the first national bird-a-thon for blind enthusiasts in the U.S. It drew several hundred participants last year, who reported the birdcalls they heard over 24 hours. The event goes international this year on May 3-4.

“We encourage people to reach out to local organizations to help blind people with the bird-a-thon, he said. “A disability can be very isolating.”

Anita Snow wrote for The Associated Press for more than 35 years before retiring a year ago. When she’s not birding, she writes freelance articles from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

By ROBIN ARZON

This recipe is from the “I Love Sandwiches” chapter in my cookbook “Eat to Hustle.” The chapter is basically my love letter to road-trip food made healthier — inspired by fast-food classics, gas-station gems, and deli-counter staples that I thought I’d never get to eat again after going vegan.

My versions hit just as hard, especially because they’re loaded with plant-based protein, so your body enjoys them just as much as you do.

Traditional sloppy joes are way too sweet and ketchup-y for my taste. I like to think my version is a little more refined — still hearty and meaty from the lentils, with a smoky, savory sauce that’s just the right amount of tangy. Serve the hearty filling on high-protein buns and watch them disappear.

Napkins definitely required.

Lentil Sloppy Joes

Servings: 4 sandwiches

2 tablespoons avocado oil

Ingredients

½ medium white onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked lentils

4 high-protein burger buns, such as Hero

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°F. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper is soft, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, paprika, red pepper and black pepper. Let the mixture come to a simmer, then stir in the lentils to coat. Simmer until the lentils are warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

While the lentils are simmering, split the burger buns and arrange on the oven rack to toast. Divide the sloppy joes mixture among the toasted buns and serve immediately.

Robin Arzón is head instructor and vice president of fitness and programming at Peloton. She’s also a bestselling author. She lives in New York City with her husband, Drew, and their children Athena Amelia and Atlas Sage.

Excerpted from “Eat to Hustle” by Robin Arzón. Copyright (copyright) 2026 by Robin Arzón. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

By TERRY TANG and OBED LAMY

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cradling his newborn daughter in his lap in their Indianapolis home, JaKobi Burton’s love for the new lady in his life is evident with each caress.

The first-time dad’s commitment started months earlier. Burton attended every medical appointment and took classes with Dads to Doulas, a program created by the organization Dear Fathers that teaches Black fathers-to-be how to provide physical, mental and spiritual support up to and after childbirth.

He and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, understood that the pregnancy came with immense risk, not just because they were in their 40s but also because they are Black. Federal health data shows Black women are almost 3.5 times more likely than white women to die around the time of childbirth.

Health professionals and advocates hope that by giving Black fathers-to-be the tools to be more hands-on — through government-funded programs and nonprofit center resources — they can cut into those odds. Organizers say there has been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of some Black men who now openly discuss their pregnancy fears and insecurities.

“I want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning, and I’m always going to be your biggest protector,” Burton tells his 1-month-old daughter. “That’s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.”

Paternal involvement is ‘directly correlated with better outcomes’

Health disparities, racism and equal access to prenatal care are among the contributing factors for the disparities in mortality rates among women of different races, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Two recent viral cellphone videos — including one in Indiana — show hospital staff dismissing the concerns of Black women in labor.

The maternal mortality rate for Black women soars above that of other racial groups. They suffered 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. White women experienced 14.5. Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7, respectively.

The National Healthy Start Association, which was created in 1998 to help improve infant and maternal mortality rates, has “fatherhood practitioners” at its 116 project sites. They, along with case managers, offer men assistance including webinars, a texting service and even cooking lessons.

Kenneth Scarborough, who has been the NHSA’s fatherhood and men’s health consultant for 10 years, has noticed a shift toward including male partners in the efforts to preserve the health of pregnant women.

“There’s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,” Scarborough said. “The challenge with that is still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.”

Doctors still leave Black fathers “on the fringes of the conversation” while society often codifies them as “scary and rough,” said Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder and director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University.

She said she has heard countless anecdotes of fathers being ignored in the exam room, even though paternal involvement is “directly correlated with better outcomes.”

Mothers- and fathers-to-be face racism in medical institutions

Black patients are frequently advised to seek out an OB-GYN who looks like them, and Wilmot-Burton did just that.

“I thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,” she said.

But Black doctors make up a tiny share of OB-GYNs nationwide. Of the estimated 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, 7.5% are Black women, according to 2023 data from the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Even fewer — 2.3% — are Black men.

Deborah Frazier, the CEO of National Healthy Start, said medical organizations must let go of any stigma about paternal involvement. Black and brown fathers still face stereotypes of absenteeism.

“We have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,” Frazier said.

Charles Johnson IV founded 4Kira4Moms in 2017 after his wife, Kira, bled to death during a cesarean section at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. Johnson sued the hospital in 2022, saying she died because of a culture of racism.

Fathers should be able to walk the line between assertive and aggressive while still being a “force in the room,” the group’s executive director Gabrielle Albert said.

“What if you happen to be 6-foot-5 and 200-something pounds? If you speak up, what’s gonna happen?” Albert said. “Let’s role-play conversations. How do you push back against the doctor?”

From dad to doula

In August — two months before Wilmot-Burton gave birth — Burton was one of a dozen prospective dads holding a Black baby doll at a Dads to Doulas workshop. Facilitator Kyra Betts Patton tells them studies show present fathers-to-be can lower the chances of premature births.

“The largest time frame for maternal mortality, you’re looking at 43 to 100 days after you’ve had a baby. No one’s there but the partner,” Patton said.

Burton said the classes gave him the courage to advocate throughout the pregnancy, and that he took a checklist of questions from the class to every appointment.

“I pushed hard prior to the delivery to make sure that our birth plan was followed, even though it wasn’t completely. But she (Phoenix) still turned out great and was delivered successfully,” said Burton. He also took classes with the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition.

Wilmot-Burton gives her husband credit for taking these workshops while also working and attending grad school. His presence was vital, especially when she felt unwell or was nervous.

“I would encourage other Black women to make sure their partners are on board to attend some classes or read books,” she said, “and definitely go to as many appointments as they can.”

Tang reported from Phoenix.