Reading view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.

The secret to making the best sandwiches at home

By Beth Dooley, The Minnesota Star Tribune

Like a good summer movie, a great sandwich should be full of delightful familiar ingredients sparked with a few good surprises. And like a good plot, the sandwich should be built on a sturdy foundation.

But first, let’s agree on the definition of a sandwich as opposed to a hamburger, hot dog, taco, wrap, empanada or burrito. To quote the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “a sandwich consists of two or more slices of bread or split roll having a filling in between.” (Open-faced sandwiches are a whole different category, and they deserve a story of their own.)

There are few rules to govern sandwich fillings, but it’s clear that the foundation must be very good bread. Thanks to our local artisan bakeries, there are now plenty of great options. As with all local foods, the best tasting bread is created with local flour milled fresh. Here are a few classic combos built on our bakeries’ best.

The bread

Rye bread: The dark, dense malty Hundred Rye Bread from Baker’s Field Flour & Bread is the perfect platform for my hometown hero: the New Jersey Joe. The triple-decker beauty layers turkey, Swiss cheese, roast beef and coleslaw, slathered with Russian dressing on three layers of thinly sliced rye. It’s the sandwich of birthday parties and reunions, a specialty of the Millburn Deli, and the first thing I eat when back home. Rye bread is a great match for smoked meats.

Multigrain bread: Toasty, nutty, whole-grain slices match the flavorful plant-based filling of a classic California Avocado and begs the question: How can something that tastes so good be good for you? Fat wedges of avocado, fistfuls of sprouts and thick slices of tomato are all married with rough, garlicky lemon hummus. Hearty and healthy, this is the bread for veggie-based creations.

Baguette: Filling the traditionally light, crusty French baguette with bold Vietnamese flavors is an elegant and innovative pairing. While the version in today’s recipe doesn’t pretend to be an authentic bánh mì — pickled vegetables, daikon-carrot slaw, cucumbers and seasoned meat (i.e. rotisserie chicken), hot peppers and fish sauce — it is a mouth-tingling and faster version of the classic with ingredients that are easy to find. Baguette and crusty rolls work beautifully with drippy, bountiful fillings.

White bread: Soft, slightly sweet white bread griddled to golden perfection is the key to a great Cubano. The iconic sandwich of Florida is a hefty variation of the ham and grilled cheese with a layer of pulled pork and lots of personality. Pickles add a punchy counterpoint to the melty Swiss cheese and mustardy-mayo. Of course the definition of a Cubano lies in the hands of its maker — some add salami to the equation, too.

Key ingredients

Often the best sandwiches are last-minute inventions sparked by hunger and whatever is at hand — crisp chips, tangy-salty kimchi, hot sauce, a lick of bright berry jam. But with a little planning, you can have the key ingredients on hand to create the iconic sandwiches: Coleslaw and Russian dressing for New Jersey Joes, Garlicky-Lemon Hummus for California Avocado sandwiches, Quick Daikon-Carrot Pickle for bánh mì and Tangy Mustardy Mayo for the Cubano.

None of these examples is meant to dissuade you from creating the sandwich of your summer dreams. Be bold and savor the flavor and the joy of eating a meal with your hands.

Coleslaw

Serves about 4.

Make this just a few hours ahead of time so that the flavors marry. Don’t hesitate to toss in your favorite chopped herbs — basil, parsley, thyme, etc. From Beth Dooley.

  • ½ c. mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch sugar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 small head green cabbage (about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb.), cored and shredded
  • 1 carrot, shredded

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cabbage and carrot and toss until the ingredients are well coated (use your hands for best results).

Russian Dressing

Makes about ¾ cup.

Though similar to Thousand Island dressing, this is spicier and not as sweet. From Beth Dooley.

  • 3 tbsp. ketchup or chili sauce
  • 1 tbsp. chopped shallot
  • 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, to taste
  • ½ c. mayonnaise
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Put all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Make it a New Jersey Joe: The order of the popular triple-decker sandwich is: bottom slice of thinly sliced rye, turkey or roast beef, coleslaw, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, middle slice of rye, turkey or roast beef, coleslaw, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and top slice of rye.

Garlicky-Lemon Hummus

Makes 2 cups.

You’ll end up with more than you’ll need for a sandwich, so save the extra for dipping chips and veggies. This speedy version comes together in minutes. From Beth Dooley.

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 to 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 c. tahini
  • Generous pinch coarse salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ c. ice water, plus more as needed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, salt, cumin and water. Add the chickpeas and process until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings and add more water if needed to reach desired consistency.

Make it a California Avocado: Between thick slices of multigrain bread, layer wedges of avocado, sprouts and the garlicky-lemon hummus.

Quick Daikon-Carrot Pickle

Makes about 3 cups.

A quick, simple pickle brightens a range of sandwiches from bánh mì to the all-American BLT. It will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.

  • 1 large carrot, cut into matchstick-size pieces
  • 1 lb. daikon radish, cut into matchstick-size pieces
  • ¼ c. sugar
  • ½ c. water
  • 1 c. rice wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Put the carrot and daikon slices into a glass container. In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, water, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper and set over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly and pour over the vegetables. Allow the vegetables to marinate at least 1 hour before using or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Drain the vegetables from the pickling juices before using in a bánh mì or other sandwich.

Make it a bánh mì: While not authentic by any means, get the idea of the traditional sandwich by filling a crusty baguette with pickled daikon-carrot slaw, cucumbers, rotisserie chicken, hot peppers with a drizzle of fish sauce.

Tangy Mustardy Mayo

Makes about ⅔ cup.

Sandwich pairing: The Cubano, that delicious, drippy variation on a grilled ham and cheese with a bump of pulled pork, relies on a tangy mustardy-mayo sauce to pull together the honey-kissed ham, mild creamy Swiss cheese and punchy pickles. You may end up with more sauce than needed, but it keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

  • ½ c. good mayonnaise, such as Duke’s or Hellman’s
  • 2 tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp. dill pickle juice
  • 1 tsp. honey, optional

Directions

Put all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.

Make it a Cubano: Slather the tangy mustardy mayo on the inside of sliced white bread before adding ham, Swiss cheese, pulled pork and pickles.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Good bread is the foundation to a great sandwich. (DREAMSTIME/TNS)

DOJ to reportedly meet with Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida

Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is reportedly scheduled to meet with a Justice Department official in Florida on Thursday.

According to The New York Times, the meeting will involve Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who announced Tuesday that the DOJ had reached out to Maxwell.

Maxwell was convicted in 2022 on federal sex trafficking charges and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The reported meeting comes as the Trump administration faces increased scrutiny over transparency related to the so-called Epstein files.

RELATED STORY | Florida judge denies request to unseal Epstein grand jury records

While President Donald Trump and many of his allies have said the administration would release files connected to Epstein, a joint memo from the DOJ and FBI earlier this month stated that a review of the case found no incriminating client list, no evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals, and no grounds to charge any third parties.

The memo disappointed many of the presidents supporters, who had believed more information would be released under his administration.

RELATED STORY | White House calls WSJ report about Trump being named in Epstein files 'fake news'

Since then, the White House has appeared on the defensive as media outlets continue reporting on President Trumps past relationship with Epstein, prior to their falling out in the early 2000s. President Trump and White House officials have criticized the reports and attempted to shift focus to other issues.

Meanwhile, President Trump asked the attorney general to petition the courts to release grand jury testimony related to Epsteins cases. However, on Wednesday, a federal judge denied the request, ruling that the DOJ had not demonstrated sufficient legal grounds to unseal the typically secret grand jury materials.

Police: Man loses nearly $50K to scammer, gave cash to courier sent to his home

A 78-year-old Troy man was recently scammed out of nearly $50,000 — and the fraudster then attempted to get another $42,000 from him, police said.

According to the Troy Police Department, the man reported he received an email from someone he thought was Norton — an anti-virus/identity protection service — telling him he owed a $400 renewal payment. The man gave remote access to his computer and cell phone, then was told $40,000 had been deposited into his account instead of $400, and he had to repay $49,500 in cash. A courier came to his home and the man turned the cash over to him, police said.

The next day, the victim was again contacted and told an additional $42,300 had been placed in his account in error, and he had to send back $42,000. At that point, police said, the man realized he’d been scammed and contacted authorities.

Police have repeatedly warned residents to be aware of scams and to check with their financial institutions when unconfirmed sources ask them to transfer funds. As previously reported, police say it’s unlikely such scammers will be caught and prosecuted.

file photo (Troy Police Dept.)

Live Casino 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Playing with Real Dealers Online

Content oversight and quality assurance provided by MNG Michigan advertising team.
MNG Michigan advertising team advertising leadership oversees sponsored, native, and paid content on this platform, ensuring its quality, relevance, and helpfulness for our audience.
Articles attributed to this byline are authored by paying advertisers. The editorial team did not contribute to these pieces, and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editorial staff. Refer to our partner statement to better understand the nature of the relationship.
The sponsor retains responsibility for the content and holds the copyright to their material.

 

A live casino is an online platform that allows you to play casino games with a real human dealer. The dealer is broadcasted to via a high-definition video stream from a professional studio or an actual casino. You can see the dealer shuffle cards, spin the roulette wheel, or deal hands in real time. This creates a realistic experience that closely matches what you would get in a physical casino.

If you are new to live casinos, this guide will help you get started.

How Does a Live Casino Work?

Live casinos operate from professional studios equipped with multiple cameras and microphones, providing a seamless gaming experience. These studios recreate the layout and feel of a traditional casino table.

Each game table is monitored by a dealer, just like in a real casino. Behind the scenes, technicians and support staff manage the stream and game logic. When the dealer draws a card or spins a wheel, a special system called OCR (Optical Character Recognition) captures the information and instantly updates your screen.

You interact with the game using an interface on your screen. For example, you can click on chips to place bets, press buttons to make decisions, and use the chat function to communicate.

Live casino games are available 24/7 on most major platforms. Some games have multiple dealers or language options. This allows players from different regions to have a more comfortable experience.

Popular Types of Live Casino Games

Live casinos offer a variety of games that are easy to learn and play. Some focus on strategy while others rely primarily on luck. If you’re just starting, it’s helpful to know which games are beginner-friendly. Below are some of the most popular live dealer games that are simple to understand and widely available across online platforms.

Live Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular live dealer games. The objective is simple: get a hand closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. The rules are easy to learn, and you can use basic strategy charts to make better decisions.

Live blackjack tables usually seat seven players. However, many platforms offer “infinite blackjack,” where an unlimited number of players can join and make independent decisions. You can try this game at a trusted live dealer online casino that offers a variety of live blackjack tables for different skill levels and budgets.

Live Roulette

In roulette, a real wheel is spun, and you place bets on where the ball will land. You can bet on a single number, a range of numbers, red or black, or odd or even. European roulette is the most recommended version for beginners because it has a lower house edge than the American version.

Live roulette games often feature statistics, hot and cold numbers, and repeat bets to enhance gameplay.

Live Baccarat

Baccarat is a game of chance that is easy to understand and play. You bet on whether the Player or the Banker will have a hand closest to 9. There is also a tie bet option. The dealer handles all the drawing, so your only job is to place a bet. This makes it a stress-free game for new players.

Game Show–Style Games

Some platforms also offer live games that are similar to TV game shows. These include games like Dream Catcher, Crazy Time, or Monopoly Live. These games are easy to follow and often feature bonus rounds, multipliers, and lively hosts. They are a great way to enjoy live casino action without requiring any prior gambling experience.

How to Start Playing

Getting started with live casino games is straightforward, but it’s essential to follow a few key steps to ensure a seamless and secure experience. Here’s a clear breakdown of what to do before you play your first live dealer game.

  • Choose a Licensed Online Casino: Ensure the platform you select is licensed by a reputable authority, such as the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, or a state regulator in your country.
  • Create an Account – You will need to register by entering your details, confirming your age, and setting up secure login credentials.
  • Make a Deposit – Select a Payment Method. Popular options include credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal or Skrill, and bank transfers. Some platforms also accept cryptocurrencies.
  • Claim a Bonus if Available – Some casinos offer bonuses specifically for live casino games. Read the terms and conditions carefully, especially the wagering requirements.
  • Enter the Live Casino Lobby and browse the available games. Consider the minimum and maximum bets, the dealer’s language, and whether seats are available. Click on a game to join.
  • Start Playing – Place your bets using the on-screen interface. Follow the dealer’s prompts. Use the chat feature if you have any questions.

Conclusion

Live casinos offer a more realistic and social way to play online. You interact with real dealers, watch every move live, and enjoy games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat from home. For beginners, it’s a straightforward way to learn casino games in a safe and controlled environment. Use this guide to get started, and enjoy the live casino experience responsibly.

 

The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Online gambling comes with risks. There’s no guarantee of financial gain, so you should only gamble with what you can afford to lose.
While gambling can be fun, it can also be addictive. If you or anyone you know suffers from a gambling addiction problem, we recommend that you call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 to speak with an advisor. Please remember that our guides and all gambling sites are only for people who are 21+. Also, check with local laws to find out if online gambling is legal in your area.
For free online gambling addiction resources, visit these organizations:
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/
https://www.ncpgambling.org/
https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/

 

The news and editorial staff of the Oakland Press had no role in this post’s preparation. This is a paid advertisement and does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Oakland Press, its employees or subsidiaries. Refer to our partner statement to better understand the nature of the relationship with our sponsored content advertisers.

Vietnam veteran from Lapeer who provides free housing honored with Scripps Howard Fund community award

A Vietnam veteran from Lapeer who opened his home and his heart to hundreds of people in need is being honored in a big way by the Scripps Howard Fund.

The work of Patrick Bell, the founder of Caroline House, beat out nominations of community activists from across the country.

We returned to Caroline House to deliver the surpriseand witness the quiet joy of a man who stands in the shadows while transforming lives.

After 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mark Linke found himself at Patrick Bell's doorstep.

"He takes in all sorts. We've had vets come through here who literally were fresh out of county jail with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a small bag," Linke said.

Bell has never asked for recognition. For 12 years, he has quietly run Caroline House  a 10-bedroom, four-bathroom farmhouse that's become a safe haven for nearly 400 people, the majority of them veterans.

Watch below: Our 2024 report on Caroline House and the work Patrick Bell is doing Lapeer veteran provides free housing for hundreds of community members

"So you are giving veterans a do-over when they lose their way?" I asked.

"Yep. They're depressed, and they don't know where they are going to get their next meal from. Sometimes, some of them haven't showered in days," Bell said.

Rick Perillo was a cook in the U.S. Army, served nearly seven years and had three tours of duty.

"How did you make your way to Caroline House?" I asked.

"Actually, to be honest, I got in a little bit of trouble, and I just got out of jail for drinking and driving. I was living in my car for a year and a half," Perillo said.

With strict rules like no drinking or drugs, Bell, who is a Vietnam veteran who also cares for his brother Mark with special needs, welcomes vets down on their luck with open arms.

"How in the world do you run Caroline House without help from other people with money?" I asked.

"They are grown-up people. We live here like a family. I think that's what makes it work," Bell said.

There are a few women. One veteran, Sharon, helps keep the house in order, and a mom of two who came here pregnant and delivered the first baby of Caroline House.

This is not a non-profit, and Bell seeks no outside help. In fact, he uses his pension and veteran's benefits to help fund Caroline House.

He named the home after his daughter, Caroline, who passed away after being killed by a downed wire when she was 6 years old, 44 years ago. Her memory fuels his mission to give others a second chance she never had.

He used to feed the homeless in the Cass Corridor of Detroit when a surprise encounter with a vet gave him the idea for Caroline House.

"A guy came up to me and says, 'I'll live in your basement, I'll work on your farm for free if I can stay in your barn.' A light went off," Bell said.

Twenty-two people can live at the house, with chickens, a duck and farm tranquility you can't put a price tag on. Since 2014, Bell has been a one-man army of compassion.

"You can see the change in their demeanor literally from the time they walk through the door," Linke said.

Watch below: Full interview with Mark Linke talking about the importance of Caroline House Web extra: Mark Linke on Caroline House

They all divide the chores, eat eggs from the chicken coop, and share rare war stories in the kitchen or on the porch.

Now, Bell's service is being honored with the S.J. Dilenschneider Community Award, given annually to recognize someone who has a positive impact on the community.

The mission of this Marine, father and quiet hero continues, and with this award, so does Carolines legacy.

"When you think about your baby girl who's in heaven and looking down at papa changing lives, what do you think she would say to you?" I asked.

"I hope she's proud of me," he said.

"What would you say to him?" I asked Linke.

"I'd say thank you for everything you've done, and don't ever quit. Make sure that this place will be here for the next generation of vets that need it," Linke said.

Where Your Voice Matters

UnitedHealth says it is under a federal investigation and cooperating

Shares of UnitedHealth Group slipped Thursday after the health care giant said it was under a Department of Justice investigation.

The company said it has started complying with both criminal and civil requests from federal investigators and it was cooperating with them.

(UnitedHealth) has a long record of responsible conduct and effective compliance, the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal said federal officials had launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage, or MA, plans. Those are privately run versions of the governments Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over.

RELATED STORY | AG seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

The companys UnitedHealthcare business covers more than 8 million people as the nations largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The business has been under pressure in recent quarters due to rising care use and rate cuts.

The Journal said in February, citing anonymous sources, that the probe focused on billing practices in recent months.

The paper then said earlier this month that a federal criminal health care-fraud unit was investigating how the company used doctors and nurses to gather diagnoses that bolster payments.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said that it reached out to the Justice Department after reviewing media reports about investigations into certain aspects of the companys participation in the Medicare program.

UnitedHealth runs one of the nation's largest health insurance and pharmacy benefits management businesses. It also operates a growing Optum business that provides care and technology support.

RELATED STORY | Former classmate of man arrested for murder of health care CEO says he's shocked

UnitedHealth raked in more than $400 billion in revenue last year as the third-largest company in the Fortune 500. Last year, its share price topped $630 to reach a new all-time high.

But company shares have mostly shed value since December, when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan on his way to the companys annual investor meeting. A 26-year-old suspect, Luigi Mangione, has been charged in connection with the shooting.

In April, shares plunged after the company cut its forecast due to a spike in health care use. A month later, former CEO Andrew Witty resigned and the company withdrew its forecast.

The stock price slipped another 2%, or $5.12, to $287.39 Thursday morning. That represents a 54% drop from its all-time high.

UnitedHealth will report its second-quarter results next Tuesday.

Capitol Park in Downtown Detroit reopens after 6 months of renovations

Capitol Park in Downtown Detroit is back open after six months of construction and renovations.

Watch below: Our report on the reopening of Capitol Park

Detroit's Capitol Park reopens after renovations

The Downtown Detroit Partnership officially cut the ribbon on the reopening on Wednesday.

After the construction, the park offers an expanded lawn, vibrant gardens, a canopy of trees, green infrastructure, a renovated dog park and new lighting.

The park is located near on Griswold between State St. and Grand River.

Since its inception, Capitol Park has continually evolved to meet the needs of its surrounding community, DDP CEO Eric Larson said in a statement. This revitalization adds variety to the public spaces being offered throughout downtown and enhances both aesthetics and walkability of the area. The DDP is grateful for our generous funders, supportive partners and stakeholders who helped make it all possible.

Detroit's Willis Show Bar to close for the summer

Willis Show Bar in Midtown Detroit will close for the summer with hopes to "return with a sustainable future."

Watch below: Our report on the Willis Show Bar closing for the summer

Willis Show Bar closing for the summer

"This wasnt a choice we made lightly. However, given rising operational costs and the seasonal lull in business that hits Detroit each summer, it's clear now is the time to pause, reset, and focus on much-needed improvements for this historic music venue and cocktail bar," the bar posted on its Facebook page. "Our hope is that we can return with a sustainable future one that supports both the music and the community that have always been at the heart of this space."

Located in the Cass Corridor, the live entertainment venue and cocktail bar originally opened in 1949 until closing its doors in 1978.

In 2018, the bar reopened after sitting vacant for four decades.

The bar is the latest to take a break in the summer. Earlier this year, popular Detroit bakery Sister Pie announced it was taking a summer interlude for "rest and radical reconfiguration."

The bakery is doing pop-ups in Eastern Market and hosting small breakfasts and lunches at its bakery.

Watch below: Sister Pie making 'temporary, necessary' changes in June amid challenging times

Sister Pie making 'temporary, necessary' changes in June amid challenging times

Australia to reduce US beef import restrictions denounced by Trump as a ban

By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia announced it will reduce restrictions on U.S. beef imports in a move U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration claimed as a major victory over “non-scientific trade barriers.”

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said Thursday that relaxing the restrictions designed to keep Australia free of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, would not compromise biosecurity.

“Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this,” Collins said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins responded to Australia’s annoucement by congratulating Trump on a “major trade breakthrough that gives greater access to U.S. beef producers selling to Australia.”

She issued a statemeant under the leadline: Make Agriculture Great Again Trade Wins.

“American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, healthiest beef in the world. It’s absurd that non-scientific trade barriers prevented our beef from being sold to consumers in Australia for the last 20 years,” Rollins said.

“Gone are the days of putting American farmers on the sidelines. This is yet another example of the kind of market access the President negotiates to bring America into a new golden age of prosperity, with American agriculture leading the way,” she added.

Australia has allowed imports of beef grown in the United States since 2019. But Australia has not allowed imports from the U.S. of beef sourced from Canada or Mexico because of the disease risk.

But the U.S. has recently introduced additional movement controls that identify and trace all cattle from Mexico and Canada to their farms of origin.

US cattle import controls satisfy Australian authorities

Australian authorities were “satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the U.S. effectively manage biosecurity risks,” Collins said.

The timing of the new, reduced restrictions has not been finalized.

Trump attacked Australian import restrictions on U.S. beef when he announced in April that tariffs of at least 10% would be placed on Australian imports, with steel and aluminum facing a 50% tariff.

“Australia bans — and they’re wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef,” Trump told reporters then.

“Yet we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don’t blame them, but we’re doing the same thing right now,” Trump added.

Lawmaker fears appeasing Trump endangers Australian cattle industry

Opposition lawmaker David Littleproud suspected the government was endangering Australia’s cattle industry to appease Trump.

“I want to see the science and it should be predicated on science. I’m suspicious of the speed at which this has been done,” Littleproud told reporters.

“We need to give confidence to the industry, but also to you (the public): this is not just about animal welfare, this is about human welfare, this is about BSE potentially coming into this country and having a human impact, so I think it’s important the government’s very transparent about the science and I don’t think it’s even beyond the question to have an independent panel review that science to give confidence to everybody,” he added.

Around 70% of Australian beef is exported. Producers fear that export market would vanish overnight if diseases including mad cow or foot-and-mouth disease infected Australian cattle.

Will Evans, chief executive of Cattle Australia who represents more than 52,000 grass-fed beef producers across the nation, said he was confident the agriculture department had taken a cautious approach toward U.S. imports.

“The department’s undertaken a technical scientific assessment and we have to put faith in them. They’ve made this assessment themselves. They’ve said: ‘We’ve looked at this, we’ve looked at the best science, this is a decision that we feel comfortable with,’” Evans said.

“When you have a $75 billion (Australian $50 billion) industry relying on them not making this mistake, I’m sure they’ve been very cautious in their decision-making,” he added.

US beef prices rise because of drought and a domestic cattle shortage

Beef prices have been rising in the U.S. due to factors that include drought and shrinking domestic herd numbers.

The average price of a pound of ground beef in the U.S. rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to U.S. government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8% to $11.49 per pound.

Australian demand for U.S. beef is likely to remain low for reasons including a relatively weak Australian dollar.

Australia’s opposition to any U.S. tariffs will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secures his first face-to-face meeting with Trump.

Albanese and Trump were to hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada last month, but the U.S. president left early.

Albanese expects the pair will meet this year, although no date has been announced.

The two countries have had a bilateral free trade deal for 20 years and the U.S. has maintained a trade surplus with Australia for decades.

FILE – A price for beef is displayed on a shelf at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

GOP group wants Bouchard’s son to run for Congress

By Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News

A new group of Michigan Republicans launched Thursday with the aim of recruiting and encouraging Michael Bouchard, son of the Oakland County sheriff, to run for Congress to succeed GOP U.S. Rep. John James in one of the state’s most competitive U.S. House districts.

Twenty elected leaders and business people signed on to serve as advisers to the Draft Captain Mike Bouchard committee, a super political action committee, in a show of support for Bouchard, who is currently deployed with the U.S. Army overseas and due back this fall.

They’re focused on Michigan’s 10th District that covers southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County, where James is serving his second term but running for governor.

Bouchard’s supporters include Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido; former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak; former ambassador David Fischer; Martin Manna of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean Community Foundation; Macomb County Treasurer Larry Rocca; and Sheriff Bouchard, as well as business leaders from the construction and automotive industries.

“We need a proven America First fighter representing Michigan’s 10th Congressional District in Washington ― and Captain Michael Bouchard is the right candidate to get the job done,” Lucido said in a statement.

“I’m excited to see so many prominent Michigan Republicans and business leaders join us in this effort.”

Bouchard, 31, of Rochester Hills has served in the U.S. Army since 2017 following his graduation from Michigan State University.

He is the operations officer for a Michigan Army National Guard battalion currently deployed on a joint task force in the Middle East. He has previously served as a military intelligence officer in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, according to a biography.

No well-known Republicans have jumped into the race to succeed James yet, while a crowd of Democrats are vying for the primary nomination in the district.

Several Republicans have expressed interest in the contest, including state Rep. Joe Aragona, assistant prosecutor Robert Lulgjuraj of Sterling Heights and former Oakland County GOP Chairman Rocky Raczkowski of Troy.

Lulgjuraj, 32, of Sterling Heights works for the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office and told The Detroit News this month that he plans to launch his campaign in early August.

Both parties are targeting the 10th District, and the eventual GOP nominee will potentially face of mountain of outside money in the midterm election, with $17 million spent on last year’s race, excluding party committees, according to OpenSecrets.

Bouchard as a candidate could benefit from his father’s name identification, and his military service could be attractive to the Republican base.

James, also an Army veteran, defeated Democrat Carl Marlinga of Sterling Heights last fall by about 26,000 votes, or 6 percentage points.

His margin over Marlinga the previous cycle was much tighter when the contest was the third-closest U.S. House contest in the country. James won by about 1,600 votes, or 0.5 percentage points.

Maddock: John James should run for the House, not governor

Bouchard: Recent drownings should raise an alarm

Michael Bouchard, an operations officer for a Michigan Army National Guard battalion deployed overseas, is being recruited to run for Congress to succeed GOP U.S. Rep. John James. (Draft Captain Michael Bouchard Committee)

Police documents released after Bryan Kohberger's sentencing detail strange happenings weeks before

In the weeks before Bryan Kohberger killed four University of Idaho students, there were strange happenings at their rental home near campus.

One of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, told her roommates she saw a man she didn't recognize staring at her when she took her dog outside. Another time, the residents came home to find the door open, loose on its hinges. They grabbed golf clubs to arm themselves against a possible intruder.

Those details were included in hundreds of documents released by police within hours of Kohberger being sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the brutal stabbing murders of Gonclaves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin early Nov. 13, 2022.

It remains unclear whether the strange happenings had anything to do with the killings. But the documents do illustrate the frenzied efforts by law enforcement to follow every possible lead to find and convict Kohberger.

RELATED STORY | Idaho survivors speak out at Kohberger sentencing

Here's a look at some information from the documents:

Curious happenings at 1122 King Rd.

Bethany Funke was one of two roommates to survive the night of the stabbings. In interviews after the murders, she told police that about a month earlier, Goncalves had taken her dog, Murphy, outside when she saw an unknown man "up above their house to the south," staring at her.

It was concerning enough that Goncalves "told everyone" about it and called her roommates to ask if they'd be home soon, Funke said.

Then, on Nov. 4, nine days before the attack, the roommates came home at 11 a.m. to find the door open, loose on its hinges, as the wind blew. Goncalves was away at the time. Kernodle's father fixed the door, Funke reported.

On Nov. 13, police found a gruesome scene. Blood pooled on bed comforters, covered floors and was splattered on walls. One the victims, Kernodle, had extensive defensive wounds; in her room "it was obvious an intense struggle had occurred," one office wrote.

Detailing the investigation's steps

Tips poured in. A staff member at Walmart told police that two to three weeks earlier, a white, college-age male had come in looking for a black ski mask that would cover his face. People who saw online feeds of some of the victims at a food truck offered their thoughts about a possible perpetrator, and investigators also looked into leads about bar-goers they had seen earlier in the night or an Uber driver they frequently used, the documents show.

A woman who lived nearby told police that in either August or September 2022, she and her daughter saw a man in their yard who "looked nervous." She said she was almost certain it was Kohberger.

Officers eventually identified Kohberger a doctoral student in criminology at nearby Washington State University using a DNA sample found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. They tracked his movements that night with cellphone data, obtained online shopping records showing he had purchased a military-style knife, and linked him to a car that repeatedly drove by the students' house.

The documents include memos memorializing the subpoenas or warrants they served seeking records and the responses to those requests. Investigators served a warrant on the dating app Tinder, looking for accounts Kohberger might have created with certain emails and which might link him to his victims.

No such evidence emerged, and the motive for the killings remains a mystery.

RELATED STORY | Bryan Kohberger sentenced to life in prison for killing 4 University of Idaho students

Kohberger spoke with police briefly

Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, about six weeks after the killings. He was taken to a state police barracks to be interviewed by officers from the Moscow police department, Idaho State Police and the FBI.

They chatted about the Washington State football team, Kohberger's doctorate studies in criminal justice, his required duties to be a teaching assistant while in college, and why he wanted to become a professor.

Kohberger eventually said he understood they were engaging in small talk, but he would appreciate if the officers explained what they wanted. One detective told him it was because of what had happened in Moscow. Asked if he knew what had transpired, he replied, "Of course."

Did he want to talk about it? "Well, I think I would need a lawyer," Kohberger replied.

He continued speaking, though asking what specific questions they had and asking if his parents and dog were OK following his arrest.

Kohberger finally said he would like to speak to an attorney, and police ended the interview because he had invoked his Fifth Amendment right.

Behind bars with Kohberger

A man incarcerated at the Latah County Jail who was once housed next to Kohberger's cell told a detective Sept. 16, 2024, that Kohberger would often question him about his past criminal offenses and why he was in the maximum security wing of the facility.

The man said Kohberger's habits annoyed him, including how he washed his hands dozens of times each day and spent 45 minutes to an hour in the shower. He said Kohberger stayed awake almost all night and would only take a nap during the day.

Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself

By DAVID FISCHER, Associated Press

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself.

Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She did not rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case.

Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn’t intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready.

In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were “a million miles apart” and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia.

“I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,” Routh wrote.

On Wednesday, the federal public defender’s office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, claiming that “the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.” Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team.

“It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,” the motion said.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.

Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.

Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon’s courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial.

In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

FILE – In this image released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers arrest Ryan Wesley Routh, a man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)

NWS issues heat advisory today for Metro Detroit

By Owen McCarthy, The Detroit News

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat advisory throughout Metro Detroit for Thursday as persistent high temperatures and humidity in the southeastern United States are expected to briefly creep into Michigan.

The advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. for the entire southeast Michigan region, the weather service said.

It covers the following counties in Metro Detroit: Midland, Bay, Huron, Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee and Monroe.

Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s, said NWS Detroit meteorologist Bryan Tilley, and high humidity is expected to push the heat index to 101 — crossing the threshold for a heat advisory.

The mercury is expected to drop in the evening, he added, with “pretty good chances of thunderstorms” additionally cooling things off.

Then, late tonight and into early Friday, “there’s a front coming through that pushes all that humidity down south of the Michigan border,” Tilley said. “Generally speaking, the heat will be more persistent in the south central and southeast U.S., but it only is pushing into lower Michigan for about 24 hours.”

The temperatures in the 90s are especially high for July in southeast Michigan. They outpace the average 83.7 degrees for the middle summer month in southeast Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service advises people to limit time outdoors and keep the air conditioning on. If you must be outside, NWS recommends wearing light clothes and staying hydrated.

Pontiac is offering the Robert Bowens Senior Center at 52 Bagley Street as a cooling center from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Farmington Hills

The extreme heat could strain the state’s utilities, with many likely to crank up the A.C.

DTE Energy says it’s prepared, though.

“When we experience extreme, sustained temperatures in the 90s or more like what we’re seeing this week, our electric system feels the pressure, too,” said DTE Senior Communications Strategist Cindy Hecht. “Periods of extreme heat can also be followed by stormy weather including high winds, which can lead to power outages.

“DTE works hard year-round to prepare the system to withstand severe weather events and has teams ready to respond quickly and safely should customers be affected by this week’s weather.”

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Thursday. (Peg McNichol / MediaNews Group)

Trump will visit Federal Reserve in escalation of campaign to pressure Powell to cut interest rates

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to step foot in the Federal Reserve on Thursday as his allies scrutinize its expensive building renovations, a highly personal and confrontational escalation of his campaign to pressure the central bank to slash interest rates.

Trump administration officials have used concerns about the building overhaul to cast doubt on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s decision-making. They were scheduled to inspect the site on Thursday, and the White House announced late Wednesday that the president would also be visiting.

The sculpture of an eagle looks out from behind protective construction wrapping on the facade as the Federal Reserve Board Building
FILE – The sculpture of an eagle looks out from behind protective construction wrapping on the facade as the Federal Reserve Board Building undergoes both interior and exterior renovations, in Washington, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The visit reflects Trump’s disregard for the traditional independence of the Fed, which plays a foundational role in the American economy by setting monetary policy that is supposed to be free of political influence.

While previous presidents have criticized the Fed’s decisions, Trump’s sustained campaign is an unusual and, his critics say, dangerous departure from the norm. He has called on Powell to resign, insulted him repeatedly and suggested he could be fired.

More recently, Trump has said he has no plans to oust Powell, which could be illegal. Pushing Powell out also would send shockwaves through global markets, potentially having the opposite effect that Trump wants as he pushes for lower borrowing costs.

Trump, a Republican, appointed Powell during his first term, and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, extended his tenure. Powell’s term doesn’t end until next May, and he’s previously insisted that he will serve until then.

Not everyone in Trump’s administration agrees with the president’s contention that Powell needs to resign.

“There’s nothing that tells me that he should step down right now,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whom Trump has floated as a potential replacement for Powell, in a recent interview with Fox Business. “He’s been a good public servant.”

Trump has criticized Powell for months because the chair has kept the short-term interest rate the Fed controls at 4.3% this year, after cutting it three times last year. Powell says the Fed wants to see how the economy responds to Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports, which Powell says could push up inflation.

Powell’s caution has infuriated Trump, who has demanded the Fed cut borrowing costs to spur the economy and reduce the interest rates the federal government pays on its debt.

Trump will likely be disappointed again soon. A key Fed committee is expected to keep rates where they are when it meets next week.

The Fed has been renovating its Washington headquarters and a neighboring building. With some of the construction occurring underground and as building materials have soared in price after inflation spiked in 2021 and 2022, the estimated cost has ballooned from $1.9 billion to about $2.5 billion.

When asked last week if the costly rebuilding could be grounds to fire Powell, Trump said, “I think it sort of is.”

“When you spend $2.5 billion on, really, a renovation,” Trump said, “I think it’s really disgraceful.”

President Donald Trump speaks during an AI summit at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

7 Morning Digest: Heat advisory, road worker killed in crash & more stories

Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.

What's the weather for today? Metro Detroit Weather: Heat Advisory 11 am - 8 PM today

Big summer heat & humidity arrive today with highs in the mid 90s and a heat index from 95 - 102. There is a storm chance this evening, a few could be strong/severe.

Today: Heat Advisory for all of us starting at 11 AM to 8 PM. Lots of hot sun with a slight storm chance late in the day. Highs will be in the low to mid 90s with 94 in Detroit. It will feel like

Tonight: Warm & muggy with scattered rain and storm chance. Lows in the 70s. Winds: W 5-15 mph.

Friday: Partial sun, humid, with storm chances, especially in the afternoon and evening. The best chance for heavy rain will be around Detroit and south. Highs in the mid 80s. Winds: W 5-10 mph.

The top stories to know about 'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash 'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash

A 43-year-old road commission worker was killed Wednesday when a driver crossed a median and struck him along with two colleagues who were making repairs on Orchard Lake Road.

Cedric Jones, a married father of six children, died at the scene of the crash near 10 Mile Road in Farmington Hills. Jones had been working with the Road Commission for Oakland County for just over a year.

Two other road commission workers were seriously injured in the collision and remain hospitalized, according to officials.

According to police, a silver Ford Escape traveling southbound crossed the median and hit the workers head-on. The crew was outside their truck on the northbound side repairing a drainage basin when the collision occurred shortly after 11 a.m.

"He was a hardworking young man. He loved his wife, he loved his children one is about to go to college now. He would work hard to provide and make a living for his children," Pastor Alvin Jackson, Jones' uncle, said.

City sounds alarm on hundreds of Detroit rental properties, saying many are unsafe City sounds alarm on hundreds of Detroit rental properties, saying many are unsafe

The City of Detroit is once again sounding the alarm involving roughly 400 properties, saying many of them have unsafe conditions for tenants.

As a proud Detroiter who owns rental properties, Cheryl Cureton says shes excited about homes being renovated across the city, and yet troubled to see others neglected.

Ive been here all my life. Id like to see the city come together. Have better rental properties," said Cureton.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Conrad Mallett with the Detroit Law Department responded to a Wayne County Circuit Court judge issuing a temporary restraining order barring the company Real Token LLC & affiliated companies from collecting rent until their properties are improved and issued a certificate of compliance.

"Houses that really cant be lived in, we are moving the people out," said Mallett.

The city says as many as 1,600 tenants could be impacted, and theyll be notified within seven days.

Mallett says escrow accounts will be set up to hold rent deposits accessible to the landlord only to make repairs.

According to the city, Real Token LLC, a blockchain-based property investment company, is also prohibited from pursuing eviction against some tenants living in distressed rentals.

The company has previously said unscrupulous property management firms have victimized them. They released the following updated statement:

"My client has been committed to providing safe, quality and affordable housing in Detroit. What the city is attempting to accomplish through the courts is to prevent my client from performing what they agree are critical renovations. By effectively halting the revenue used to fund those renovations, and preventing my client from removing squatters who have no rights to occupy the properties, there are no renovations that can be performed.  With respect to the courts, we believe that it acted prematurely to grant the TRO. In fact, we can show that more than $220k of those infractions have nothing to do with safety whatsoever, with some administrative issues that were written as far back as 2005, 15 years prior to my client ever purchasing the property. The question for the city should be how did the citys few inspectors conduct enough inspections to amass $600k in infractions on one property owner in a city where blight is a citywide challenge?" Sterlingfest Arts & Music Fair kicks off today; here's everything you need to know Sterlingfest Arts & Music Fair kicks off today; here's everything you need to know

One of the biggest festivals in Macomb County kicks off this weekend starts today: the Sterlingfest Arts and Music Fair.

The three-day extravaganza has something fun for the whole family, with everything from carnival rides to an art fair, and big names on the big stage.

Kyle Langlois heads up Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation. He said the 43rd annual Sterlingfest is sure to one for the books with big names headlining each night, like country music star Colin and 80s hair band Warrant, along with plenty of carnival games and rides.

"Nothing is more magnificent in the city than the three says of Sterlingfest and every year it gets bigger, it gets better," Kyle said.

"Just for everybody to come out and support us, we show our support, it's pretty great," said Tony Boschian, the owner and operator of a Jet's Pizza franchise (right).

Vendros setting up for the festival tell me attending Sterlingfest supports your neighborhood Jet's pizza franchises and other local businesses.

"We both grew up in Sterling Heights and both our stores are in Sterling Heights," said Mark Brooks (left).

Then there's Detroit Wing Company.

City of Detroit celebrates 324th birthday on Thursday; here's the city's timeline

The City of Detroit turns 324 on Thursday! It was founded on July 24, 1701 by Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac.

According to the Detroit Historical Society, Cadillac was a French military leader and trader and had traveled throughout what was then New France and the Western Great Lakes region.

He and his soldiers left Montreal on June 5, 1701 and traveled through Lake Nipissing, into the Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and finally on the Detroit River, stopping on Grosse Ile on July 23. The next day, they traveled up the river and landed at Fort Pontchartrain.

The fort's full name was Fort Pontchartrain du dtroit, which gave Detroit its name. Le dtroit is "the strait" in French.

You can view a full timeline of Detroit's history on the Detroit Historical Society website.

48 people die in passenger plane crash in Russia's far east, officials say

Forty-eight people have died in a plane crash in Russias Far East, the head of the countrys Amur region said in a statement Thursday.

The An-24 passenger plane disappeared from radar as it travelled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda. Rescuers later found the aircrafts burning wreckage amid dense forests on a hillside south of its planned destination.

Regional Gov. Vasily Orlov said that all passengers and crew on board the aircraft were killed in the crash. He also announced three days of mourning.

Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke.

Russia's Interfax news agency said there were adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Several Russian news outlets also reported that the aircraft was almost 50 years old, citing data taken from the plane's tail number.

The transport prosecutors office in the Far East reported that the site of the crash was 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Tynda. The office said in an online statement that the plane attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was lost.

Aviation incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the countrys aviation sector.

Trump to visit Federal Reserve amid criticism of Powell, renovation costs

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday, a trip that will be closely watched amid ongoing tensions between the White House and Fed leadership.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell for resisting calls to lower interest rates. Earlier this month, the president met with House Republicans and asked lawmakers for their thoughts on potentially removing Powell, according to a source familiar with the conversation.

Some attendees left the meeting with the impression that Powells job could be in jeopardy.

RELATED STORY | Trump rips Fed Chair Powell during White House meeting with Bahrains crown prince

When asked whether he intended to fire Powell, whom he first appointed during his previous term, President Trump said it was highly unlikely, though he did not withhold criticism.

"He's costing us a lot of money, and we fight through it," President Trump said. "It's almost [as if] the country has become so successful that it doesn't have a big impact, but it does hurt people wanting to get a mortgage, and people want to buy a house. He's a terrible Fed chair."

There is legal debate over whether the president has the authority to remove the Fed chair solely over disagreements on monetary policy. Meanwhile, President Trump and his allies have begun scrutinizing ongoing renovations at the Federal Reserve, noting that the project's costs have ballooned by more than half a billion dollars.

Michigan basketball enters 2025-26 season with ‘high hopes’ for loaded frontcourt

ANN ARBOR — When the dust settled on Michigan’s roster a year ago, coach Dusty May thought he and his staff assembled one of the premier frontcourts in college basketball.

Danny Wolf, a first-round draft pick, and Vlad Goldin, an All-Big Ten first-team selection, ended up proving May right.

As the Wolverines prepare for a new campaign with a different cast, May feels this season’s revamped frontcourt can be just as good, if not better, than any in the country.

“I do,” May said this month at the midway point of summer workouts. “I felt like that last year when we signed Danny and Vlad.”

That’s saying something, considering Wolf and Goldin played starring roles as they led Michigan to a 27-10 record, Big Ten tournament title and Sweet 16 appearance. On top of that, the two were finalists for awards that recognize the nation’s top power forward and center.

But May and the Wolverines put together a frontcourt mix that’s arguably more talented and deeper than a year ago, bringing in transfers Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara and returning Will Tschetter and Oscar Goodman. There’s also incoming freshman Malick Kordel, a 7-foot center from Germany.

“When you look at their skill sets, when you look at what they do well, their physical attributes, I do think all of them complement each other,” said May, noting Kordel wasn’t on campus for the first half of summer practice but is expected to join the team soon.

“We do think we have a lot of options. As the teams in the Final Four proved last year, you need great depth if you want to play late into March and, hopefully, April.”

Each of the frontcourt pieces has different strengths and can impact the game in different ways. As Lendeborg explained, Johnson is a “brute force inside who can do whatever you need” at the power forward and center positions, while the 7-foot-3 Mara is a “surprisingly good passer” and someone you can throw the ball up to anywhere.

Both Johnson and Mara are lob threats whereas Lendeborg described himself as more of an “under-the-rim player.” Johnson takes pride in his defense and being physical, something Lendeborg has noticed as he’s had a tough time bumping Johnson off his spots. Mara, whom Lendeborg called the “tallest person I’ve ever met in my life,” has ridiculous length that can frustrate and baffle others.

“We do layup drills, and I’m trying to take a layup. I’m thinking it’s a good layup. (Mara) comes out of nowhere, blocks it, and I’m like, ‘OK. How do I score on him?’” Lendeborg said. “Morez as well. He’s a super athlete. He’s my height (6-foot-9) jumping like 40 inches off the ground. It’s been crazy.”

Tschetter, who has worn different hats throughout his Michigan career, is a 3-point threat who can space the floor and slide up and down the lineup. He’s the glue guy that every team needs and does the little things — like boxing out, setting screens and constantly communicating — that make a big difference. Goodman, who joined the team midseason last year and redshirted, is another versatile piece that allows Michigan to play big or small. Kordel is a project who has long-term potential and upside.

Then there’s Lendeborg, the do-it-all forward who can play out on the perimeter, handle the ball under pressure and operate with bigger or smaller defenders on him. He can knock down outside shots and be a playmaker in ball screens like Wolf.

“We’ve got so many guys that are versatile and can do everything, and that’s going to help us out a lot,” Johnson said. “We’re very interchangeable.”

Added Lendeborg: “We’re diverse. We have a lot of assets.”

One key to making it work is the team’s unselfishness, something that Lendeborg, Mara and May all pointed to. Everyone in the frontcourt is a willing passer and shares the game.

Lendeborg, for example, hasn’t been shooting as much in summer workouts. He’s been more focused on figuring out how to get the ball to his teammates in their spots rather than figuring out his scoring spots.

“He (Lendeborg) enjoys passing the ball. When you have a guy that’s been as publicized as Yax, if they’re selfish, they’re about numbers, if they’re about themselves, it can present a number of challenges,” May said. “With Yaxel, he’s so team-oriented that it’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

Much like Goldin and Wolf, opportunity is what drew Johnson, Lendeborg and Mara to Michigan. And seeing how Goldin and Wolf were utilized in May’s system last season also caught the trio’s attention.

Mara decided to leave UCLA after two seasons. May noted like most big men, Mara likely wasn’t physically ready as a freshman. It wasn’t until the second half of his second year with the Bruins that Mara began to emerge and come into his own.

Seven of the nine times he scored in double figures last season came in the final 16 games, including a three-game stretch in late January where he scored 22 points in 21 minutes against Wisconsin followed by back-to-back 12-point, five-block outings against Washington and USC.

“After two years, I felt like they didn’t give me an opportunity to help the team,” said Mara, who averaged 6.4 points and four rebounds in 13.1 minutes off the bench as a sophomore.

“When I went into the transfer portal, I spoke with Coach (May) a couple of times. I really liked the way (Michigan was) playing. They were a good team and won the conference (tournament). Coach told me the way that they’re playing — a lot of ball screens, ball movement — and he knows how to use the bigs, so I was really excited to come here.”

Mara added he’s comfortable playing in the high and low post and at whatever pace May wants. Given his background as a European big, he’s used to running in transition and playing in pick-and-rolls.

Despite cracking the rotation as a freshman at Illinois, Johnson felt transferring “would be better for my game overall and its longevity.” As a rim runner and bruiser in the paint, Johnson did much of his damage around the rim and was one of the best in the Big Ten at cleaning up on the offensive glass.

Johnson believes he’ll get a chance to do more and show more at Michigan, whether that’s being in more dribble handoffs, driving if a defender closes out too hard or taking catch-and-shoot 3s (he didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer in 30 games at Illinois).

“Just adding more reads to my game, instead of having just one read,” said Johnson, who averaged seven points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game and set a freshman record at Illinois by shooting 64.2% from the field.

“I connected with May and (assistant coach) Akeem (Miskdeen). They’re both player coaches. They’re hands-on. I love how they focus on player development, and I love how they let their bigs play.”

For Lendeborg, Michigan and the Big Ten offer a bigger stage. After shining in the American Athletic Conference with UAB the past two seasons, he’ll look to follow Wolf’s and Goldin’s footsteps, make the high-major jump and produce at a high level.

Lendeborg was projected to be a late first-round draft pick following a stellar season where he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists, earned All-AAC first-team honors and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He opted to withdraw from the draft and head to Michigan, where he’ll put the feedback he received from NBA teams into action — like showing more “aggressiveness” and getting better at initiating and playing through contact, he said — and be determined to prove himself against Power Four competition.

“Seeing what Danny Wolf and Vlad were doing, coming from basically the same level as me, was great,” Lendeborg said. “The role that Wolf played, too, was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

It’s all led to this for May and the Wolverines: A new season with some new faces, but a similar feeling.

“We’re going to be the best frontcourt in the game — Big Ten, NCAA, whatever it needs to be,” Lendeborg said. “I have high hopes for us, and I feel like we’re going to do the best we can to deliver.”

Freshman guard Trey McKenney (1) looks for an open man during a Michigan basketball summer practice. (ROBIN BUCKSON — The Detroit News)

MSP: Driver dies after crashing into another car on I-94, striking a tree

A driver was killed on I-94 on Wednesday night after police say he crashed his car into the back of another car and hit a tree in the embankment before his vehicle rolled over and caught fire.

Michigan State Police says the crash happened just before 10 p.m. last night, on Eastbound I-94 near Junction.

Authorities say the driver, a 20-year-old from Dearborn, hit the back of another car at another speed before losing control of the vehicle and ultimately ending up on the service drive.

Detroit Fire was able to extricate the driver, who was transported to the hospital, where police say he later died. No one else involved in the incident was injured.

One of the hardest responsibilities we have is to notify family members that their loved one died in a preventable crash, said F/Lt. Mike Shaw in a statement. We continue to see these preventable crashes due to drivers driving way too fast. Please slow down!

Trump’s trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother’s homeland

By JILL LAWLESS and KWIYEON HA, Associated Press

TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump ’s trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he’s likely to get a mixed reception.

Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle.

He will be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the U.K.

“I’m not proud that he (has) Scottish heritage,” said Patricia Sloan, who says she stopped visiting the Turnberry resort on Scotland’s west coast after Trump bought it in 2014. “All countries have good and bad that come out of them, and if he’s going to kind of wave the flag of having Scottish heritage, that’s the bad part, I think.”

A daughter of Scotland

Trump’s mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland’s northwest coast.

“My mother was born in Scotland — Stornoway, which is serious Scotland,” Trump said in 2017.

She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the hardscrabble years after World War I.

MacLeod married the president’s father, Fred C. Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88.

Trump still has relatives on Lewis and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain gray house where his mother grew up.

A long golf course battle

Trump’s ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf.

He first proposed building a course on a wild and beautiful stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006.

The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government. But it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists, who said the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country’s rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters.

Local fisherman Michael Forbes became an international cause celebre after he refused the Trump Organization’s offer of $690,000 at the time to sell his family’s rundown farm in the center of the estate. Forbes still lives on his property, which Trump once called “a slum and a pigsty.”

“If it weren’t for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have, yes,” Trump said in 2008 during the planning battle over the course. “Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn’t have started it.”

The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realized, and the site has never made a profit.

A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It’s named the MacLeod Course in honor of Trump’s mother.

There has been less controversy about Turnberry on the other side of Scotland, a long-established course that Trump bought in 2014.

Golfers on the putting green at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland
Golfers on the putting green at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, President Trump is expected to visit Scotland in the next few day. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

“He did bring employment to the area,” said local resident Louise Robertson. “I know that in terms of the hotel and the lighthouse, he spent a lot of money restoring it, so again, that was welcomed by the local people. But other than that, I can’t really say positive things about it.”

Trump has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009.

Turnberry is one of 10 courses on the rotation to host the Open. But organizers say there are logistical issues about “road, rail and accommodation infrastructure” that must be resolved before it can return.

Protests and politicians

Trump has had a rollercoaster relationship with Scottish and U.K. politicians.

More than a decade ago, the Scottish government enlisted Trump as an unpaid business adviser with the GlobalScot network, a group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland. It dumped him in 2015 after he called for Muslims to be banned from the U.S. The remarks also prompted Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to revoke an honorary doctorate in business administration it had awarded Trump in 2010.

This week Trump will meet left-leaning Scottish First Minister John Swinney, an erstwhile Trump critic who endorsed Kamala Harris before last year’s election — a move branded an “insult” by a spokesperson for Trump’s Scottish businesses.

Swinney said it’s “in Scotland’s interest” for him to meet the president.

Some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and “show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to travel to Scotland for talks with Trump. The British leader has forged a warm relationship with Trump, who said this month “I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he’s a liberal.” They are likely to talk trade, as Starmer seeks to nail down an exemption for U.K. steel from Trump’s tariffs.

There is no word on whether Trump and Starmer — not a golfer — will play a round at one of the courses.

Lawless reported from London

A general view of Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, President Trump is expected to visit Scotland in the next few day.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

New lawn mower technology helps crews trim Detroit’s freeway slopes

In 2023, the city of Detroit took over the duty of maintaining the land alongside its freeways from the State of Michigan. That includes cutting the grass on embankments.

With more than 240 miles of freeways in Detroit to take care of, director of the city’s General Services Department, Crystal Perkins, says maintaining the land along the road is a full-time job.

Listen: How new lawn mowers are making life easier on freeway slopes

“We have been doing five-cuts on the freeways a year,” said Perkins, “Along with litter pickup, we’re out here seven days a week.”

Complicating the task, Perkins says more than 80% of that land is a steep slope.  Those embankments are traditionally cut with heavy duty riding mowers, which do run the risk of tipping over, creating a potentially dangerous situation for operators working just inches from where cars are doing 70 miles-per-hour.

But the days of worrying so-much about rider safety could become a thing of the past. Payne Landscaping, one of two companies the city contracts with, has started to use remote-controlled lawnmowers.

The new technology moves the operator off the frame and up the slope, where they control the machine with a handheld device. Perkins says that set-up is attractive to a new generation of lawncare professionals.

“The operators are more of technical,” said Perkins, “So your young adults, your people who maybe like to spend a lot of time on videogames.”

There are a number of benefits to working with the remote-controlled mowers, which are more lightweight than ride-along equipment. Payne Landscaping director, Terry Payne, says it allows his employees to cut grass, even when it’s wet.

“You can cut in the rain with these,” Payne said. “The other mowers, you cannot cut. You’re going to leave tracks.”

That makes it easier for the city to maintain its five-cut-a-year freeway upkeep schedule. City officials say keeping the slopes well-manicured helps discourage illegal dumping.

Beyond the convenience, Payne says the user experience with remote mowers is better than it is with ride-along gear.

You bounce a lot,” Payne said of old mowers. “It’s bad on your knees and different things. So this is more comfortable. You’re just walking behind it.”

Detroit officials would like to see more remote-controlled lawn mowers buzzing alongside major thoroughfares, but the technology isn’t cheap — costing more than $60,000 per mower. That said, Payne says it’s about the same price as the traditional riding equipment his company would be using otherwise.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

The post New lawn mower technology helps crews trim Detroit’s freeway slopes appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Sterlingfest Arts & Music Fair kicks off today; here's everything you need to know

One of the biggest festivals in Macomb County kicks off this weekend starts today: the Sterlingfest Arts and Music Fair.

Watch the full report from Meghan Daniels in the video player below Sterlingfest Arts & Music Fair kicks off today; here's everything you need to know

The three-day extravaganza has something fun for the whole family, with everything from carnival rides to an art fair, and big names on the big stage.

Kyle Langlois heads up Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation. He said the 43rd annual Sterlingfest is sure to one for the books with big names headlining each night, like country music star Colin and 80s hair band Warrant, along with plenty of carnival games and rides.

"Nothing is more magnificed in the city than the three says of Sterlingfest and every year it gets bigger, it gets better," Kyle said.

It's not just expanding for visitors, it's boosting local businesses as well.

"Just for everybody to come out and support us, we show our support, it's pretty great," said Tony Boschian, the owner and operator of a Jet's Pizza franchise (right).

Vendros setting up for the festival tell me attending Sterlingfest supports your neighborhood Jet's pizza franchises and other local businesses.

"We both grew up in Sterling Heights and both our stores are in Sterling Heights," said Mark Brooks (left).

Then there's Detroit Wing Company.

"They have great music, great food, and the crafts and the vendors here are awesome," said Jon Garcia, Detroit Wing Company's business development manager. "A lot of different things that you can't find other places.

And some local vendors, like John Tompkins of the Woodcrafter.

"This is one of my better shows, you know, I've been doing this for maybe 6-7 years and it's always been good," Tompkins said.

"The people, mostly, they're really friendly when they come into everybody's booth," said James Stubbs with Oma and Opa's Laser Cut Designs.

Vendors like Stubbs, whose wife is the artist behind Oma and Opa's Laser Cut Designs, says Sterlingfest is their opportunity to get their art in front of the publicm and the great entertainment is a bonus for them.

"We get a lot of good feedback from people that buy stuff, and they keep coming back year after year, and the entertainment that's sitting out here is wonderful," James said.

"Getting our brand out there and getting people to know we are and that we are local, we try to do a lot of local events like this one," Garcia said. "My first time was last year and it was a blast.

"We got great food vendors, great musical entertainment on tap, and certainly the hospitality is second to none," Langlois said.

Sterlingfest will be open Thursday-Saturday this week, from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. at Dodge Park.

Where Your Voice Matters

Henry Ford Health Neurologist speaks on link between the heat and migraines

As the mercury climbs into the 90s, the heat isnt just uncomfortable it could be a serious trigger for those living with migraines.

Watch Keenan's full report in the video player below Henry Ford Health Neurologist speaks on link between the heat and migraines

High heat and humidity can push the brain into stress mode activating pain pathways and inflammation in those prone to migraines. Thats according to Dr. Ashhar Ali, a neurologist and headache specialist with Henry Ford Health.

"The trigger seems to be excess stress on the brain in general as a whole, and we know that heat and humidity and even low barometric pressure are actually added stressors to the nervous system, and in patients that are predisposed to having migraine attacks, they are more likely to have them because of this additional stress on their brain," Dr. Ali said.

So what should you do if you suffer from Migraines? Dr Ali said for occasional migraine, over-the-counter medications are generally effective. He said if you know there is a big change in the weather or you know there are going to be hot & humid like today, you may want to take preventative medication.

Other steps include drinking water even if you're not thirsty, limiting time outside, staying cool, and wearing sunglasses to block bright light another common migraine trigger.

Migraine is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide especially in young women. Dr. Ali encourages anyone struggling with frequent or severe migraines to talk with their doctor. Treatments today are more effective than ever.

Tips from a local ER doctor on how to deal with humid heat health risks

Not only can the heat be annoying, it can also be dangerous, especially with the added humidity.

When it's as hot as it's going to be today, staying hydrated will be key. The ER Doctor I talked with said if you're thirsty, you're already behind on your water intake, especially in this humid heat, where your body is working overtime to try and cool itself off.

Watch the full report from Brittany Toolis in the video player below Tips from a local doctor on how to deal with humid heat health risks

"The heat and humidity together puts more stress on your body. Makes you sweat more," said Dr. Stuart Bradin, a Pediatrics ER physician. "You have increased metabolic demands. Your heart rate maybe a little bit fast or your respiratory rate may be a little bit faster so you have an increased insensible losses that its hard to keep up with."

Humidity also makes it harder for your sweat to dry, so it's harder to cool off naturally. If you are outside in the heat, Dr. Bradin says to listen to your body and watch for these signs in yourself and others:

Feeling lightheaded or dizzy Nausea Feeling weak or lethargic

If there's heavy sweating, get the overheated person to a cool area, give them water to sip, loosen clothes, and make sure symptoms improve. If they've stopped sweating, their skin is hot to the touch or they've passed out, call 911; that's someone experiencing heat stroke. It can happen to anyone, but the elderly and kids are groups to keep an eye on.

And parents: if kids are out playing, make sure they take frequent water breaks. And per doctor's orders, get kids water in any way you can.

"Make It fun. Mandarin oranges, popsicles, watermelon, slushies, slurpies. Something that has a little bit of sugar in there but has a lot of water content in it. Frozen fruit. You can put pieces of frozen fruit in your water," Dr. Bradin.

Other ways to stay cool: wear light clothing, and limit anything like working out or taking your dogs on walks to mornings and evenings when it's cooler, and don't forget, the heat is just as dangerous for your pets as it is for people.

Law enforcement leaders host forum warning metro Detroit families about deadly synthetic drugs

Law enforcement leaders from across metro Detroit are uniting to warn families about the deadly crisis of synthetic drugs that continues to cross community lines.

At a community forum in Southfield, police chiefs and public safety officials from Oak Park, Farmington Hills and Oakland County gathered to address the dangers of synthetic drugs like fentanyl that are claiming lives and targeting young people.

Watch the video report below: Law enforcement leaders host forum warning families about deadly synthetic drugs

"If we can educate a handful of people, one or two or however many about the dangers and steer them away from actually taking synthetic drugs, that's definitely a step in the right direction," said Steve Cooper, director of Public Safety for Southfield.

Nearly 70% of all drug poisonings and overdose deaths in 2023 involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren organized the multi-agency meeting to address the growing threat of synthetic drugs in the region and how it impacts human trafficking.

"You see it at the gas stations, you see it online, readily available synthetic drugs that the community has direct access to and so that's why we're here to bring awareness to make sure that we plea to the legislators to ensure that the penalties associated with giving these drugs to our community are enforced and are taken very seriously through the judicial process," Barren said.

Michigan health officials reported this summer that the state is seeing a reemergence of the potentially deadly opioid carfentanil, with 11 deaths linked to the drug since January.

Barren noted that authorities are not only seeing carfentanil but also synthetic marijuana and what's being referred to as "gas station heroin" impacting young people.

"They are drugs that are manufactured in these plants. They're unregulated, thereby having a lot of toxins, which when they impact the human body, you're talking about paranoia, you're talking about schizophrenia, you're talking about depression and, more importantly, overdoses resulting in death," Barren said.

Gregory Swan knows the devastating reality of losing a child to the dangerous substances.

"This stuff kills, kills you dead like raid kills bugs. It debilitates the bereaved parent," Swan said.

His son Drew was 24 years old when he died from fentanyl poisoning. He took a prescribed pill from a roommate that spiraled into opioid addiction.

"He just, he was wonderful. He was funny and he was stunning and he made every person feel important. I mean, the last week of his life, he was getting dry cleaning for homeless people," Swan said.

Swan believes Naloxone would have saved his life.

Swan has dedicated his life to raising awareness about the dangers of synthetic drugs, traveling the county to speak at classrooms and events with nonprofit Fentanyl Fathers, which is on a mission to prevent other families from experiencing their pain.

The parents, who have personally experienced the loss of their own children to opioid-related tragedies, go into high schools, share their story and educate them on Naloxone and other trainings.

"What we found is getting out and advocating is really helpful to us," Swan said.

The forum attracted many community members who came to learn and share stories.

"That's where the community comes from. We get information from them. What do you see? What recommendations do you have for law enforcement and things that maybe we can do better? Also important for us to educate our community," Barren said.

Officials emphasized that no single agency can tackle this crisis alone, highlighting the importance of community involvement and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.

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

'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash

A 43-year-old road commission worker was killed Wednesday when a driver crossed a median and struck him along with two colleagues who were making repairs on Orchard Lake Road.

Cedric Jones, a married father of six children, died at the scene of the crash near 10 Mile Road in Farmington Hills. Jones had been working with the Road Commission for Oakland County for just over a year.

Watch the video reports below: 'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash 'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash

Two other road commission workers were seriously injured in the collision and remain hospitalized, according to officials.

"It was just so tragic the way it happened. We couldn't prepare for it," said Pastor Alvin Jackson, Jones' uncle.

Jackson, who serves as pastor at Wings of Love Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit where Jones was a minister, rushed to the scene after learning about the crash.

Hear more from Pastor Alvin Jackson in the video player below: Web extra: Uncle of man killed in Oakland County roadwork crash talks about his nephew

According to police, a silver Ford Escape traveling southbound crossed the median and hit the workers head-on. The crew was outside their truck on the northbound side repairing a drainage basin when the collision occurred shortly after 11 a.m.

"He was a hardworking young man. He loved his wife, he loved his children one is about to go to college now. He would work hard to provide and make a living for his children," Jackson said.

Watch our initial report about the incident below: Oakland County road commission worker killed, 2 more injured in crash

Jones and his wife were both ministers at Wings of Love Missionary Baptist Church. He was also known for his powerful singing voice as part of the church's praise team.

"It was anointed, it was strong, it was powerful. He did that with a passion," Jackson said.

The Road Commission for Oakland County released a statement following the incident.

We are extremely saddened by the loss of one on our family members, and the injury of two others, RCOC managing director Dennis Kolar said in a statement. Right now, our top priority is supporting these employees families. We also are seeking to help our other staff, and we will have professionals on site tomorrow to assist anyone struggling with this situation."

This devastating event is a stark reminder of the importance of work zone safety, Kolar added. Despite our crew taking every precaution to secure the area, there are still risks every single day on the job. Today is a heartbreaking day for the families of our co-workers and for the entire RCOC family.

As the investigation into the crash continues, Farmington Hills police are asking anyone with information to contact them.

For Jones' family, faith is providing comfort during this difficult time.

"Death is not a period; death is just a comma because there is something, there is a continuation after this," Jackson said. "Right now, we just need the prayers to go up for him and his family."

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

The Metro: Voter turnout is low in Detroit, but could that change?

Registered voters not casting a vote is a problem in the city, one that seems to be bigger here than in other Midwest cities. 

In Central Ohio’s Franklin County, the 2024 presidential election turnout was 66%. In Milwaukee, it was 85%. In Chicago, it was about 68% — and that’s the lowest it’s been in 80 years. But in Detroit, during the same election year, it was just 47%. 

Mara Ostfeld is the research director at the Center for Racial Justice and a professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She joined The Metro on Wednesday to share insights into why some Detroit residents don’t vote, and how to increase voter turnout. 

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.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Voter turnout is low in Detroit, but could that change? appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Jason Benetti, T.J. Lang to call Lions preseason games

Jason Benetti and T.J. Lang will be on the call for three of the Detroit Lions’ four preseason games this season, the team announced Wednesday.

Benetti, the play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tigers, and Lang, a former offensive lineman who now serves as an analyst on Detroit Lions Radio, alongside Dannie Rogers, will be the broadcast team for Detroit’s exhibition matchups at the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 8, versus the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 16 and versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 23. The broadcast will be shown locally on Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK) and on the Detroit Lions Television Network.

“Jason Benetti and T.J. Lang are extremely exciting additions to our preseason TV broadcast,” team president and CEO Rod Wood said in a release. “Combining Jason’s unique and exciting style on the mic with T.J.’s experience as both a former Lions player and our current radio analyst will bring a new dimension to our broadcast this year. We are grateful to the Tigers organization for graciously lending us Jason for our preseason.”

Benetti, who is in his second year calling Tigers games, will be the play-by-play announcer during the preseason. Lang will be an analyst, and Rogers will continue in her role as sideline reporter.

“Detroit’s sports tide is rising and lifting all boats,” Benetti said. “I saw first-hand for Westwood One radio last year on Thanksgiving the magic of a Lions home game. We’ve seen the power of the city’s fandom at Comerica Park all summer. I’m grateful to the Lions and (Detroit Lions Director of Broadcasting) Carl Moll for the opportunity to begin their season and join their wonderful crew. I’m also grateful to the Tigers for their willingness to have me cross the street for a few games in August.”

Added Lang: “As someone who was able to spend the end of my playing career with my hometown team and continue my career as a Lion on the radio, it’s an honor to expand my role as an analyst to now include the preseason TV broadcast as well. I am excited to work with Jason and the rest of the crew and combine all our backgrounds to create the best possible show for all our viewers.”

The Lions, who are nearly a week into training camp, will open the preseason in the Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers on July 31. They’ll begin the regular season with a trip to Lambeau Field for a bout with the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 7.

Former Detroit Lions offensive lineman T.J. Lang works as a sideline radio reporter during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. Lang will call 2025 preseason games with Tigers TV play-by-play voice Jason Benetti. (PAUL SANCYA — AP Photo, file)

Lions notes: C Kingsley Eguakun impressing; S Kerby Joseph has ‘a lot on my plate’

ALLEN PARK— Kingsley Eguakun, one of the dark-horse candidates to win the Detroit Lions’ starting center job in training camp, underwent an NFL rite of passage this summer.

He lost “20, 30 pounds from the season” in hopes of improving his strength, speed and endurance.

Eguakun gained “15 or 20 of those pounds” back — pure muscle, he said — and after merely holding on for dear life as a UDFA rookie last year, is hoping to earn himself a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster.

“I did it slowly, the right way,” Eguakun told The Detroit News. “Really, it was just me, something I wanted to just do to feel better. … I don’t know if I’ve had fast food in the last eight months, I would say. I’ve been really focused on eating whole foods and stuff, just trying to keep it real clean, not only for my weight and stuff, but just for my own health.”

Eguakun, who played his entire college career at Florida, was signed by the Lions as a UDFA last offseason. He hung around on the practice squad throughout the 2024 season. Back in the spring, Lions coach Dan Campbell mentioned him as a player who has a major opportunity in the wake of Frank Ragnow’s retirement. Monday, he explained why.

“(He’s had) a lot of scout-team reps,” Campbell said. “Man, him on Sunday, just watching him get better and better and better. The way he competes, man, he’s tough, he’s physical. He is a smart, really good athlete, man, he can move.

“And he knows this, so much about him is going to be the anchor. We put pads on, the size, and those things. Just being able to sit some guys down, anchor, things of that nature. I like Kingsley; he’s improved. He’s improved a lot.”

The new physique, combined with a full year of experience under his belt, has Eguakun playing faster than ever.

“(I’m) just playing faster. Just (identifying the middle linebacker) faster, getting on the ball quicker, being able to help guys who might be confused, not having to think as much,” Eguakun said.

“The game slowed down a lot for me.”

‘Be quiet, be a sponge’

Rookie receiver and seventh-round pick Dominic Lovett faces an uphill battle in the Lions’ wide receiver room. With at least five receivers in front of him on the depth chart — and no guarantees that Detroit will keep a sixth on the 53-man roster — training camp is more critical for Lovett than it is for, say, third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa.

But he appears to be developing good chemistry with both reserve quarterbacks, Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen, and has popped on a few occasions during 11-on-11 periods in practice. Lovett said developing a connection with his throwers has been a point of emphasis as he begins to navigate life in the NFL, and it’s apparent.

“(I’ve been) just asking the QBs, like, do they want to get catches after practice, whether it be any of them, you know?” Lovett said. “Anybody I can get chemistry with, I want to, because you never know who you may end up in the game with,” Lovett said. “So I feel like whenever a quarterback pulls you to the side and asks if you want to get catches, the answer should be ‘yes’ automatically.”

While the number of quality receivers in Detroit’s receiving room might make it tougher for him to secure a spot on the roster, it should also aid his development.

“Honestly, just be quiet, be a sponge. I don’t know everything and that’s totally OK,” Lovett said of how he’s approaching the opportunity to learn from guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond. “From them, I might learn different things. I might steal a release from him, I might steal a second release lever from him, I might steal a piece of his IQ. Just always picking.”

Raising the standard

Lions safety Kerby Joseph is now a veteran on Detroit’s defense, part of a budding core that has grown together over the last few seasons. On the field, he’s known for his mastery of taking the football away. Off it, he’s helping raise the standard for the entire unit following the installation of Kelvin Sheppard as the team’s new defensive coordinator this offseason.

“It’s a lot more expectations. When (former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) was here, we were still … in that stage of getting guys right,” Joseph said. “But now I feel like there’s a lot of things that we know what to expect, and not even with the coaches, but Shep is putting a lot on the players to make calls and understand certain situations.”

Joseph’s position is unique in that all 21 other players on the field are generally in front of his line of sight, which gives him a duty to correctly position his teammates and ensure the defense is prepared for the ball to be snapped.

“A lot of young guys grew up (in this defense) — like myself, I’m going into my fourth year — so there’s a lot on my plate to understand what’s going on and get guys right,” Joseph said.

Kingsley Eguakun is a dark-horse candidates to win the Lions’ starting center job in training camp. (DANIEL MEARS — The Detroit News)

Big Ten prepared for rivalry flames between Michigan, Michigan State

LAS VEGAS— Adding four new teams to the Big Ten brought plenty of rivalry games along with them last season, but one of the most heated may be that of Michigan and Michigan State.

In two of the past three seasons, the teams have come to blows with 2022’s tunnel fight and 2024’s postgame melee, and the animosity between the teams continues to take a year-round tone. There was March’s basketball dustup at Breslin Center. And just this week, a group of Michigan players at a golf outing were already mocking their peers in East Lansing, with the usual chirps of “little brother” accompanied by pretend belting.

It will be a charged environment when Michigan comes to Spartan Stadium on Oct. 25, one that may end in dustups that have become all the more common between the schools. But the Big Ten conference is prepared for the animosity that may show up, whether it’s with this rivalry or any others in the 18-team league.

“If you take a look at what’s going on in the Big Ten, there’s so many good teams, so many good rivalries,” said Bill Carollo, the Big Ten’s coordinator of football officials. “Our antennas are up on every single game.”

The preparation for any big conference rivalry game starts with Zoom calls between the conference, officials, coaches and athletic directors. They get all parties of influence on the same page.

“Because we think there was trouble last year, there’s a good chance there’s payback this year, right?” Carollo explained. “And these are kids, and I look at a lot of seniors and they don’t care, you know, whatever their next game might be. And they’re kids. They’re 18- to 20-year-old people that make mistakes.”

After meeting with the administrators and coaches, a 100-minute meeting prepares officials to deal with the extremes. Clearing the field, dealing with threats to the stadium and, of course, if teams start fighting.

“The reality is, I really focus on how we’re going to handle a situation where there’s bad blood between the teams or the coaches,” Carollo said. “And someone says something, you know, poster board information — ‘we’re going to kick their butts.’ Well, there might be a fight later that game, and the game’s over, and if it’s lopsided, we have problems. So we prepare for the worst and hope that things are under control.”

The Paul Bunyan Trophy has set up a long-term home at Schembechler Hall as of late, with the Wolverines winning the past three games, including last year’s 24-17 nailbiter at home. Michigan State’s last win in the rivalry came in 2021, when the Spartans won a bout between two undefeated, top-10 teams.

Lost locker room doomed Maryland

There’s a sign hanging outside of the Maryland football team’s locker room, coach Mike Locksley says, that sets the ground rules for what goes on behind its closed doors.

“You can leave your Louis belts, your car keys and your financial statements outside of this locker room, because when you enter those doors, we all pay the same price for success or failure.”

Locksley didn’t hold back Tuesday, admitting that, hand-up, he lost control of his locker room last season. As NIL money and the finances of college football create a divide between “haves and have nots,” as Locksley described, the rift between his players sabotaged his team from the inside.

Locksley learned a lesson.

“That valuable lesson is important for me even in the midst of this change, to continue to educate our players on the importance of what playing for something bigger than yourself is all about,” Locksley said.

Maryland finished last season at a paltry 4-8, 1-8 in Big Ten play. It was the worst record since his 2019 debut at 3-9, 1-8, coming on the heels of massive steps forward that landed the Terrapins three straight bowl games for the first time since 2006 to 2008.

Most preseason polls rank Maryland in the bottom couple of spots in the 18-team conference, not the echelon that Locksley wants to occupy. There’s pressure on his team to win, especially with new athletic director Jim Smith at the helm after a messy split with Damon Evans.

Locksley feels it is imperative to keep his locker room this season, but that falls on his entire team to keep faith in him, too.

“With the new day and age of how everything’s going, you gotta have a brotherhood in order to be one of the best teams in college football,” linebacker Daniel Wingate said. “So being able to keep it all together, and him emphasizing the message, it really is something that helps us to continue to work together.”

Maryland starts its season against Florida Atlantic. Its toughest games are Week 10 versus Indiana and Week 12 at Illinois.

Raiola applies dad’s lessons

Dylan Raiola could’ve played anywhere when he was rated one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2024 class. At one point, he committed to Ohio State. Then he decommited for Georgia. Before signing day, Raiola flipped again this time for … Nebraska?

Yeah, that decision stumped some people, though his dad, Dominic Raiola, was a Rimington winner there at the turn of the century before a 14-year NFL career with the Lions. His uncle Donovan Raiola is an offensive line coach on Matt Rhule’s staff. The Nebraska coach wooed Dylan with a pitch that might’ve seemed counterintuitive:

“When I recruited Dylan, I said, ‘Hey, come help me turn around Nebraska football, man; it’s going to be hard,’” coach Matt Rhule said. “And doing something hard is how we can become great.”

It worked, but everything Rhule told Dylan about the difficulty of the path ahead came true his freshman season. The Cornhuskers finished 7-6, 3-6 Big Ten, with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl capping an up-and-down season. At one point, the group was 5-1 with only an overtime loss to ranked Illinois. The college football world’s eyes were wide open. And then a four-game losing streak to Rutgers, Ohio State, UCLA and USC left Nebraska listless.

“I mean, that’s about as much adversity as it comes down to,” Dylan Raiola said. “You train, you prepare so hard in the offseason and in the week to get ready for a game and you lose. You know, that sucks to happen multiple times. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a growing opportunity.”

Dylan knew what he was getting into, and so did his family. After all, his dad was the starting center on 2008’s 0-16 Lions. He gave Dylan some advice.

“He just said stay true to yourself,” Dylan said. “There’s gonna be a lot of people saying different things, but all you have is your teammates, your family, and at the end of the day, my faith is what carries me through everything. So I’m gonna stand on that. And that’s kind of just my foundation.”

Raiola and Nebraska are one of the Big Ten’s more intriguing teams this season, with the growth of Raiola and other young contributors central to fielding a more competitive group. Nebraska is fresh off its first bowl game in eight years, its first win in nine. The Cornhuskers open with a game at Cincinnati, and the regular-season slate includes games against Michigan and Penn State.

“As much as I didn’t want hard things to happen at our program, the things that coach Rhule was telling me — they happened, and I’m still here now, right?” Dylan said. “And so our team’s ready. I’m excited. We have a bunch of great dudes ready to go play this year.”

Michigan and Michigan State go at it again on Oct. 25 in Spartan Stadium. (DAVID GURALNICK — The Detroit News)

Columbia University agrees to pay more than $220M in deal with Trump to restore federal funding

Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus, the university announced Wednesday.

Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," acting University President Claire Shipman said.

The Trump administration pulled the funding, because of what it described as the universitys failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023.

Columbia then agreed to a series of demands laid out by the Republican administration, including overhauling the universitys student disciplinary process and adopting a new definition of antisemitism.

Wednesdays agreement which does not include an admission of wrongdoing codifies those reforms while preserving the universitys autonomy, Shipman said.

RELATED STORY | Under threat from Trump, Columbia University agrees to policy changes

The school had been threatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in government support, including more than $400 million in grants cancelled earlier this year.

The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track," Shipman said. "Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.

As part of the deal, Columbia agreed to a series of changes previously announced in March, including reviewing its Middle East curriculum to make sure it was comprehensive and balanced and appointing new faculty to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. It also promised to end programs that promote unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotes, diversity targets or similar efforts.

The university will also have to issue a report to a monitor assuring that its programs do not promote unlawful DEI goals.

The pact comes after months of uncertainty and fraught negotiations at the more than 270-year-old university. It was among the first targets of President Donald Trumps crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus protests and on colleges that he asserts have allowed Jewish students be threatened and harassed.

Columbias own antisemitism task force found last summer that Jewish students had faced verbal abuse, ostracism and classroom humiliation during the spring 2024 demonstrations.

Other Jewish students took part in the protests, however, and protest leaders maintain they arent targeting Jews but rather criticizing the Israeli government and its war in Gaza.

Columbias leadership a revolving door of three interim presidents in the last year has declared that the campus climate needs to change.

Also in the settlement is an agreement to ask prospective international students questions designed to elicit their reasons for wishing to study in the United States, and establishes processes to make sure all students are committed to civil discourse.

Who can step up with McNeill, Onwuzurike out? Lions’ options range from vets to rookies

ALLEN PARK — The interior of the Detroit Lions‘ defensive line was supposed to be a bona fide strength in 2025.

Maybe it will be, but the definitive nature in which people spoke about the unit has seemed to dissipate. We already knew Alim McNeill would be on the shelf for the start of the season, but the news of Levi Onwuzurike’s season-ending ACL injury is a notable hit. He’s never been able to stuff the conventional stat sheet with tackles for loss and sacks, but he was Detroit’s best pass rusher from the interior, sans McNeill. Onwuzurike’s pass-rush win rate of 11.9% ranked fifth among all Lions last season, and it was second (to McNeill) among players on the interior. He also finished, including the playoffs, with a team-high 47 pressures in 2024.

Onwuzurike kicking out and playing some on the edge led to a mild inflation of his pass-rush numbers. Regardless, his ability to get after the quarterback was expected to keep the Lions’ interior afloat until McNeill was healthy. There isn’t a firm date established for McNeill’s return, but general manager Brad Holmes, in an interview Tuesday with Sirius XM NFL Radio, said the Lions may be getting McNeill back “a little bit earlier than expected.”

Until then, the coaching staff will have to look elsewhere, and options range from multi-year veterans like Pat O’Connor and Raequan Williams to rookies like first-round pick Tyleik Williams and undrafted free agent Keith Cooper Jr.

“It’s kind of an open competition to see who can give us the most in there,” head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday. “We talked about Tyleik, we know (DJ) Reader. … Look, we kind of like Cooper, now. He’s a young guy. Let’s see what he can do. We’ve got Raequan, a veteran guy. We’ve got some guys here.”

Tyleik Williams has been getting much of the first-team action next to Reader, a nose tackle, through the early portion of training camp. He was known more as a run-stopper during his four-year career at Ohio State, but the Lions, similar to how they viewed McNeill coming out N.C. State in 2021, think there are some abilities to be unlocked as a pass rusher.

Football players
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, middle, runs against Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) and defensive end Pat O’Connor (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

The Buckeyes, who won the national championship last season, ran a “bull-rush, cage scheme,” Williams explained in a Zoom interview with reporters after he was drafted. That led to modest production: 42 pressures and 5½ sacks over 654 pass-rush opportunities in the last two seasons.

“He’s a lot like (McNeill) in terms of being able to catch an edge, rush with power, have instincts, he’s got quickness, he can counter,” Holmes has previously said of Williams. “I know his pass-rushing stats aren’t off the charts, but when you watch the tape, you see he’s a three-down player.”

Another first-year option who earned a shoutout from Campbell was Cooper, an undrafted free agent out of Houston who signed with the Lions following a tryout with the team during rookie minicamp. Cooper played off the edge with the Cougars, but the Lions value him on the inside: “They want the pass rush, especially in the interior,” Cooper said Tuesday. “That’s what I gave (during the tryout), and that’s what I hope to build on.”

Raequan Williams was also signed following a minicamp tryout, though he’s been in the league since going undrafted in 2020, making stops with the Philadelphia Eagles (2020-21), Jacksonville Jaguars (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2022-23). Williams has only one sack in the NFL (seven games), but he showed some of what he’s capable of as a senior at Michigan State, posting 34 pressures and five sacks from the interior.

O’Connor, meanwhile, has the most experience between himself, Cooper, Raequan Williams and Tyleik Williams. A seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2017, O’Connor was waived less than six months after he was drafted, and he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he spent seven seasons. He was brought back to Detroit last August, and he proved integral on a defense that lost player after player to injury.

Perhaps what makes O’Connor most valuable is his versatility. He can play all over the line and contribute in multiple ways, including as a pass rusher. He finished last season with 10 pressures, including four against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.

“He’s a jack of all trades. … Played the nose, played the three(-technique), played the big end,” Campbell said of O’Connor. “He’s versatile, and that’s why he just keeps competing to stay on rosters because it’s hard to ignore a guy like him. He just — he does so many different jobs. You know if you get him into the game, you’re going to be able to use him.”

There’s also someone like Mekhi Wingo, who is recovering from a torn meniscus and should be back in September. Josh Paschal is an option, as well, though he’s also expected to be unavailable until after training camp. Paschal was drafted as an edge rusher, but Holmes said at owners meetings earlier this year he could see the former second-round pick getting more reps on the inside this season.

“We’ll be alright, we’ll find it,” Campbell said, discussing how the Lions can replace the pass-rush abilities of McNeill and Onwuzurike. “And if we need to fabricate it, we’ll fabricate it.”

Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams walks off the field after an NFL football practice in Allen Park on Monday, July 21, 2025. (PAUL SANCYA — AP Photo)

Appeals court finds Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship unconstitutional, upholds block

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and HALLIE GOLDEN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, affirming a lower-court decision that blocked its enforcement nationwide.

The ruling from a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes after Trump’s plan was also blocked by a federal judge in New Hampshire. It marks the first time an appeals court has weighed in and brings the issue one step closer to coming back quickly before the Supreme Court.

The 9th Circuit decision keeps a block on the Trump administration enforcing the order that would deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily.

“The district court correctly concluded that the Executive Order’s proposed interpretation, denying citizenship to many persons born in the United States, is unconstitutional. We fully agree,” the majority wrote.

The 2-1 ruling keeps in place a decision from U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour in Seattle, who blocked Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship and decried what he described as the administration’s attempt to ignore the Constitution for political gain. Coughenour was the first to block the order.

The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The Supreme Court has since restricted the power of lower court judges to issue orders that affect the whole country, known as nationwide injunctions.

But the 9th Circuit majority found that the case fell under one of the exceptions left open by the justices. The case was filed by a group of states who argued that they need a nationwide order to prevent the problems that would be caused by birthright citizenship only being the law in half of the country.

“We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction in order to give the States complete relief,” Judge Michael Hawkins and Ronald Gould, both appointed by President Bill Clinton, wrote.

Judge Patrick Bumatay, who was appointed by Trump, dissented. He found that the states don’t have the legal right, or standing, to sue. “We should approach any request for universal relief with good faith skepticism, mindful that the invocation of ‘complete relief’ isn’t a backdoor to universal injunctions,” he wrote.

Bumatay did not weigh in on whether ending birthright citizenship would be constitutional.

The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment says that all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are citizens.

Justice Department attorneys argue that the phrase “subject to United States jurisdiction” in the amendment means that citizenship isn’t automatically conferred to children based on their birth location alone.

The states — Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon — argue that ignores the plain language of the Citizenship Clause as well as a landmark birthright citizenship case in 1898 where the Supreme Court found a child born in San Francisco to Chinese parents was a citizen by virtue of his birth on American soil.

Trump’s order asserts that a child born in the U.S. is not a citizen if the mother does not have legal immigration status or is in the country legally but temporarily, and the father is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. At least nine lawsuits challenging the order have been filed around the U.S.

Associated Press writer Rebecca Boone contributed to this story.

President Donald Trump speaks during an AI summit at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Independence Lake beach closed due to high E. coli levels, health department says

The Washtenaw County Health Department closed Independence Lake beach in Whitmore Lake on Wednesday due to high levels of E. coli.

The high levels were found during routine testing that's done at public beaches during the summer months, the health department said.

The closure will be in effect until follow-up testing shows the water is safe for swimming.

Although getting in the water is not allowed, other activities that dont involve body contact with the lake, like fishing, are permitted.

For more information and updates on water sample results, visit the Michigan BeachGuard website.

State Department approves $322 million in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine

The State Department said Wednesday that it has approved $322 million in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defense capabilities and provide armored combat vehicles, coming as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.

The potential sales, which the department said were notified to Congress, include $150 million for the supply, maintenance, repair and overhaul of U.S. armored vehicles, and $172 million for surface-to-air missile systems.

The approvals come weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise. President Donald Trump then made an abrupt change in posture, pledging publicly earlier this month to continue to send weapons to Ukraine.

“We have to,” Trump said. “They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. We’re going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily.”

  • Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade recruits train at the polygon in...
    Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade recruits train at the polygon in Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
1 of 4
Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade recruits train at the polygon in Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Expand

Trump recently endorsed a plan to have European allies buy U.S. military equipment that can then be transferred to Ukraine. It was not immediately clear how the latest proposed sales related to that arrangement.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $67 billion in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv.

Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop U.S. funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill.

Over the course of the war, the U.S. has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.

Ukrainian military recruits train at the polygon in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Columbia University reaches a deal with Trump to restore federal research funds

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus, the university announced Wednesday.

Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay the $200 million settlement over three years to the federal government, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty, acting University President Claire Shipman said.

The administration pulled the funding, because of what it described as the university’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023.

Columbia then agreed to a series of demands laid out by the Republican administration, including overhauling the university’s student disciplinary process and adopting a new definition of antisemitism. Wednesday’s agreement codifies those reforms, Shipman said.

FILE – A New York City police officer keeps watch on the campus of Columbia University in New York, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Federal appeals court rules Trump's birthright citizenship executive order is unconstitutional

A federal appeals court has ruled that an executive order that narrowed birthright citizenship in the U.S. is unconstitutional.

The order, which President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office on January 20, 2025, placed sharp limits on eligibility for birthright citizenship. It would no longer automatically grant citizenship at birth to children of immigrants in the U.S. without legal status.

But on Wednesday, judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the order was unconstitutional.

"We conclude that the Executive Order is invalid because it contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendments grant of citizenship to all persons born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. 1292(a)(1)," the panel wrote.

The Trump administration said the phrase subject to the jurisdiction thereof meant the U.S. could deny citizenship to children born from women in the country illegally.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court limits universal injunctions in birthright citizenship fight

A federal judge in New Hampshire ruled earlier in July that the executive order in question could not take effect anywhere in the U.S.

And in June, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the scope of nationwide injunctions by lower courts in connection with a legal case involving the birthright citizenship order.

That ruling could have implications far beyond the birthright citizenship case.

"Thanks to this decision, we can now properly file to proceed with these numerous policies and those that have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide basis, including birthright citizenship, ending sanctuary city funding, suspending refugee resettlement, freezing unnecessary funding, stopping federal taxpayers from paying for transgender surgeries and numerous other priorities of the American people," President Trump said at the time.

❌