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Skydiver crashes into scoreboard at Virginia Tech spring game
Virginia Tech officials said on X that the skydiver was safely secured and is currently stable following rescue efforts. The incident caused a delay in the start of the spring game.
After a tense few minutes, firefighters rescued him and he appears to be OK. The Hokie crowd cheered as firefighters lowered him to safety.

WTVR CBS 6 Digital Director Scott Wise said he saw the skydiver walking away from Lane Stadium wearing a sling on his arm.
The name of the skydiver wasnt released.
Our primary focus remains on their well-being, Virginia Tech officials said in a statement. We extend our sincere appreciation to the first responders, event staff, and medical personnel for their swift, coordinated and professional response.
Virginia Tech later put out a statement saying that the quick actions of first responders had safely returned todays parachuter to the ground without injury.
Video shows skydiver crash into scoreboard before Virginia Tech spring game: 'Dude!'Video footage showed the skydivers parachute landing between the C and the H on the Virginia Tech lettering on top of the scoreboard before first responders rescued him.
The Blacksburg Fire Department didn't immediately respond to a voicemail seeking details on the incident.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.Homers from Dingler, McGonigle & Carpenter power Tigers past Marlins; Detroit completes 3-game sweep
Tarik Skubal outpitched Sandy Alcntara in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners, Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter homered and the Detroit Tigers earned a three-game sweep with an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Detroit has bounced back from a stretch of losing nine of 11 with its three-game winning streak.
Skubal retired the first nine batters he faced and the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner had a no-hit bid broken up by Austin Slater's bloop single with two outs in the sixth.
Skubal (2-2) allowed a run and a season-low two hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Alcntara (2-1) allowed seven runs and 10 hits after allowing a total of two earned runs and 10 hits over his first three starts of the year.
The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner allowed Dingler's three-run homer in the first inning.
McGonigle hit his first career homer in the fifth inning to make it 4-0 and Carpenter added a two-run homer run in a three-run sixth inning.
Miami's Otto Lopez had a sacrifice fly in the seventh to drive in Jakob Marsee and added a solo homer in the ninth.
The Marlins dropped to .500 with their seventh loss in 10 games.
Up nextMiami RHP Eury Perez (1-1, 5.06 ERA) opens a series at Atlanta on Monday night when the Braves' Grant Holmes (1-1, 2.55) makes a scheduled start.
Detroit is off Monday before hosting Kansas City on Tuesday. LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.76) and Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (0-3, 5.93) are the scheduled starters.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Red Wings extend NHL's longest current playoff drought that has dragged on for a decade
The Detroit Red Wings sat on the bench, stewing in stunned silence, after their latest loss sealed their fate as a franchise relegated to watching the NHL playoffs on TV.
Again.
Detroit lost three leads in its last home game, falling 5-3 to the out-of-contention New Jersey Devils on Saturday, in what coach Todd McLellan called a microcosm of a disappointing season that extended the NHL's longest postseason drought that has dragged on for a decade.
Red Wings fans, the relative few who stayed in their seats until the bitter end, let their voices be heard with a chorus of boos.
To hear that is very difficult, captain Dylan Larkin said. We're down. I'm as down as I could be right now.
McLellan said the team deserved it.
That's what we earned, he said.
Detroit was expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs this season and it did, holding a playoff position for nearly 80% of the season. The Red Wings became the second team in NHL history to have at least 69 points in the first 53 games and miss the playoffs. The Canadiens, who also had 69 points, did it in 1969-70.
The Red Wings were in a playoff position for 148 days of the season, according to Sportradar, to raise expectations higher than theyve been since the hockey-crazed state experienced a 25th consecutive postseason in 2016.
In late January, the Red Wings led the Atlantic Division and were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Even though Detroit slipped in the standings, it was still clinging to a wild card as late as March 21.
We put ourselves in a really good position coming out of the Olympic break, and we let it slip away from us, winger Lucas Raymond said. You look back in a lot of games where you lost late leads or came up flat, and you just cant afford that at this time of the year.
In the loss that allowed the Red Wings to make tee times for next weekend, they went ahead against New Jersey in the first, second and third periods and lost every lead.
On an odd-man rush, New Jersey's Jesper Bratt scored the go-ahead goal for his second score of the game from the left circle off a perfect pass from Jack Hughes as John Gibson flailed around in an attempt to stop the puck.
The fourth (goal) is on me, Larkin said softly in the team's dressing room, which is adorned with photos of the team's all-time greats above each locker stall. It's my responsibility to stay back and cover for the D.
McLellan entered his first full season on the bench this year, trying to get the team to be physically harder to play against, mentally resilient and to manage games better.
I thought we were making gains in those areas, but since the Olympic break, we didn't have much of that and that cost us, he said. That starts with me.
Detroit dashed hopes with a late-season slide, raising more questions about general manager Steve Yzermans plan to turn around the team he led as a Stanley Cup-winning captain. The franchise brought Yzerman back seven years ago to turn things around and it simply has not happened.
It's been too many years in a row, we've been right there just havent been able to get it done, Raymond said. We got to figure it out and we got to figure it out fast, and take the next step.
"We got to look ourselves in the mirror, everyone here in this building, and we got to be better than this.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Police in the Bahamas arrest husband of Lenawee County woman who was aboard boat and vanished
Police in the Bahamas said late Wednesday they have arrested the husband of a U.S. woman who was aboard a boat near the archipelago and vanished.
Authorities said the 59-year-old man whom they did not identify was arrested in Abaco and is being questioned.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Associated Press late Wednesday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case.
Previous report: Daughter of Lenawee County woman missing in the Bahamas speaks out Daughter of Lenawee County woman missing in the Bahamas speaks outPolice did not provide further details, including whether or not he was charged. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.
Officials have said Lynette Hooker, 55, of Lenawee County was traveling in an 8-foot motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday night, and that her husband, 58-year-old Brian Hooker, told authorities she fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the engine to turn off.
Authorities said Brian Hooker then paddled to shore and alerted someone about the incident early Sunday.
Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her, police said in a statement issued Saturday.
Previous report: Lenawee County woman missing in Bahamas after going overboard Lenawee County woman missing in Bahamas after going overboardBrian Hooker then paddled to shore and alerted someone about the incident early Sunday, authorities said.
Lynette Hooker's mother, Darlene Hamlett, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that she was glad to hear about the arrest, but declined further comment, saying she was seeking more information.
Earlier on Wednesday, she said she wants to hear more from her son-in-law about how her daughter disappeared. The couple had been married for more than two decades and lived in Onsted, Michigan.
Im going to be interested in what he says, because I havent heard from him in almost two days," Hamlett said while on a six-hour drive back home from the Bahamian Consulate in Miami, where she secured a passport so she can fly to the Caribbean nation soon.
Our family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming, Hamlett said. It would be a miracle if (shes rescued), but Im still counting on one.
Lynette Hookers daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told 7 News Detroit on Tuesday boating was a lifelong dream for her mother and stepfather, who have been sailing for the last decade. The couple documented their travels on Instagram as recently as April 3.
"The story is that she fell off with the key and he threw her a life jacket or something and she was swimming towards shore, but I dont understand why she was swimming away from the boat with the key," Aylesworth said.
Aylesworth said she doubted her mother survived and was able to tread water that long, but hoped to find her to get closure.
"They did find the flotation device. I dont know what that means now," Aylesworth said. "The longer it goes, the more doubt I have that theyll find her. I think that theyll find her at the bottom of the ocean cause I dont think you can tread water for that long. But Im just hoping they find her so I can know what happened and get some closure."
Aylesworth says the last few days have been incredibly challenging. She says she's speaking to as many media outlets as possible in hopes of putting pressure on police and other officials to do all they can to locate Lynette Hooker.
"I feel pretty numb right now. The shock is starting to wear off, and the sadness hits me in waves right now, but Im surviving," Aylesworth said. "I hope they dont stop looking until they find her."
Aylesworth told NBC that the couples relationship was volatile, and that they have a history of not getting along, especially when they drink.
On Wednesday morning, Brian Hooker wrote on Facebook that he is heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.
Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart, he wrote. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.
The U.S. Coast Guard has also joined the investigation and interviewed Aylesworth on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Ron Marienfeld.
We are pleased to see it is being investigated, and hopefully more answers will come to give the family some closure, Marienfeld said via email.
Terrel A. Butler, Principal of Terrel A. Butler & Associates, issued the following statement Thursday on behalf of her client, Mr. Brian Hooker:
"I wish to formally confirm that Mr. Brian Hooker has retained me to represent his legal interests. Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and in particular the allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth. He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.Mr. Hooker cannot provide further comments to the media or the public at this time while the investigations are ongoing. It is crucial to mention the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legal process.Under the fundamental principles of our justice system, every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Public commentary that assumes a specific outcome can be detrimental to the fairness of the proceedings."Bahamian police said search operations and investigative efforts remain active.
Banchero scores 31, Bane adds 25 to help the Magic turn back the Pistons
Paolo Banchero scored 31 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and the Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
Jalen Suggs had 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in five games.
Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points apiece for Detroit. Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green added 17 each for the Pistons, who had 21 turnovers.
Having clinched the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, the Pistons were without eight players, including Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and All-Star Cade Cunningham, who missed his 11th straight game with a collapsed lung.
The Magic, playing for position in the packed middle of the Eastern Conference standings, kept alive their chances of finishing as high as sixth. With three games remaining in the regular season, Orlando could also finish as low as 10th.
Orlando played without forward Franz Wagner, whose high ankle sprain was subject to injury management after his three-game return from a long absence. Anthony Black, who had missed 15 games with an abdominal strain, returned and scored 14 points in 15 minutes for the Magic.
The first of two Bane 3-pointers in a span of 16 seconds put the Magic up 33-31 early in the second quarter, and they led the rest of the game.
Banchero scored twice during a 12-0 run that stretched Orlando's lead to 26 points late in the third quarter.
Green and Huerter led a late rally by the Pistons, and a 3-pointer by Jenkins cut the margin to three points with 4:07 left before the Magic pulled away.
Up nextPistons: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Magic: Host Minnesota on Wednesday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Framber Valdez, Dillon Dingler help Tigers snap four-game losing streak with 4-0 win over Cardinals
Dillon Dingler homered, Framber Valdez pitched six shutout innings and the Detroit Tigers ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener on Friday.
Watch Brad Galli and Alex Crescenti report from Comerica Park: Valdez, Dingler help Tigers snap 4-game losing streak with win over Cardinals Valdez, Dingler help Tigers snap 4-game losing streak with win over CardinalsDetroit has a .667 regular-season winning percentage (34-17) against the Cardinals their highest mark against any team but the Cardinals have a 2-1 advantage in World Series matchups. St. Louis beat the Tigers in 1934 and 2006, with Detroit winning in 1968.
Valdez (1-0) allowed three hits and two walks in his home debut for Detroit. Three relievers finished the game.
Michael McGreevy (0-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Riley Greene hit a one-out double in the fourth and Dingler broke the scoreless tie with a 433-foot homer over the Cardinals bullpen in left-center.
Greene then hit an RBI single with two out in the fifth to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead, and Javier Bez drove in Parker Meadows to add a fourth run in the sixth.
The Tigers nearly took the lead in the third inning. Bez singled and stole second before trying to score on a single from Gleyber Torres to right. However, Jordan Walker's throw reached the plate on the fly, allowing Ivn Herrera to apply the tag.
The Cardinals loaded the bases with two out in the fourth, but Jos Fermn flew out to left.
The game-time temperature was 71 degrees, making it the warmest home opener since the Tigers moved to Comerica Park in 2000.
Up nextThe teams play the second game of their weekend series on Saturday afternoon, with Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.15) facing RHP Dustin May (0-1, 13.50).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
Counterprotester threw improvised explosive at anti-Islam event in NYC, police say
Detroit man whose confession to 1999 murder was coerced by rogue cop released from prison
DETROIT (AP) A man in prison for more than 25 years was freed Tuesday after prosecutors acknowledged that his confession to a Detroit murder in 1999 was coerced by a rogue police officer.
Wearing a big smile and a Detroit Lions hoodie, George Calicut Jr. hugged his legal team as he emerged from a prison in Coldwater, Michigan, where he was serving a life sentence.
Calicut, 56, has long professed his innocence in the murder of Virgie Perkins there were no witnesses or physical evidence against him and said he never saw his purported confession until confronted with it at trial.
In addition, recent DNA testing further supports the lack of any evidence connecting him to the killing at Perkins' home, the Wayne County prosecutor's office and his lawyers said.
Clearing Calicut reflects this offices unwavering commitment to the integrity of convictions and the credibility of the system, said Valerie Newman, head of the conviction integrity unit.
Calicut was released from prison soon after a judge dismissed the case at the request of lawyers on both sides.
He was represented by the Innocence Clinic at University of Michigan Law School. Cooley Innocence Project at Cooley Law School also had a role.
Calicut was accused of choking Perkins and cutting her neck while stealing money and a phone from her home in 1999. He admitted that he took a phone the next day from Perkins' son but said he grabbed it from a vehicle.
At trial, a Detroit homicide investigator, Barbara Simon, acknowledged that she wrote Calicut's alleged confession before he signed it. Calicut testified in his own defense and denied the statements but was nonetheless convicted of murder and automatically given a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Simon told Mr. Calicut, who had no prior interactions with police, that she could help him by creating a statement that would reduce the charge to manslaughter, which would allow him to get a bond and go home, prosecutors and Calicut's attorneys said in a four-page agreement to have the conviction dismissed.
Simon, who's retired from Detroit police, could not be immediately reached for comment. A phone number was unanswered.
Detroit has spent millions of dollars settling lawsuits related to Simon's work as a homicide investigator.
Records show Calicut's trial prosecutor was Mike Cox, who later served as Michigan attorney general and is now a Republican candidate for governor. An email seeking comment about the exoneration was not immediately answered.
Michigan guard L.J. Cason out for season after tearing ACL in Illinois win
No. 3 Michigan sophomore guard L.J. Cason will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced Saturday.
Cason came up limping a day earlier in an 84-70 win at Illinois in which the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1) clinched the Big Ten regular-season title.
He appeared to be initially hurt when falling to the court after chasing down a defensive rebound late in the first half. Cason returned to play for two-plus minutes in the second half before leaving the game with about 13 minutes left, and finished with nine points.
First and foremost, our hearts hurt for L.J., coach Dusty May said in a statement.
You never want to see a young man who has poured so much into this program have something like this happen, he added. However, if theres anyone equipped to handle this and the rehab process, its LJ.
Cason is a primary backup, who was sixth on the team in averaging 8.4 points per outing, while going 33 of 82 in 3-point attempts in 28 games this season.
This isnt how I wanted my season to end, but I trust Gods plan, and Ill attack rehab the same way I approach everything -- with focus and determination, Cason said. Weve got many goals as a team, and Ill be locked in supporting my brothers every step of the way.
Michigan plays at Iowa on Thursday before closing its season hosting Michigan State on March 8. The team has earned a bye through the opening rounds of the Big Ten tournament, which it will open in the quarterfinals on March 13.
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Lindsey Vonn clips gate and crashes in Winter Olympic downhill, taken away by helicopter
Lindsey Vonn 's defiant bid to win the Winter Olympic downhill at the age of 41, on a rebuilt right knee and a badly injured left knee, ended Sunday in a frightening crash that saw her taken to safety by a rescue helicopter for the second time in nine days.
Vonn lost control within moments of leaving the start house, clipping a gate with her right shoulder and pinwheeling down the slope before ending up awkwardly on her back, her skis crisscrossed below her and her screams ringing out soon after medical personnel arrived. She was treated for long, anguished minutes as a hush fell over the crowd waiting far below at the finish line.
She was strapped to a gurney and flown away, possibly ending the skier's storied career. The U.S. Ski Team did not disclose details of her injury but said Vonn "is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians.
Shell be OK, but its going to be a bit of a process, said Anouk Patty, chief of sport for U.S. Ski and Snowboard. This sports brutal and people need to remember when theyre watching (that) these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast.
Breezy Johnson, Vonn's teammate, became only the second American woman to win the Olympic downhill after Vonn did it 16 years ago. The 30-year-old Johnson held off Emma Aicher of Germany and Italys Sofia Goggia on a bittersweet day for the team.
I dont claim to know what shes going through, but I do know what it is to be here, to be fighting for the Olympics, and to have this course burn you and to watch those dreams die," said Johnson, whose injury in Cortina in 2022 ruined her hopes of sking in the Beijing Olympics. I cant imagine the pain that shes going through and its not the physical pain we can deal with physical pain but the emotional pain is something else.
Vonn had family in the stands, including her father, Alan Kildow, who stared down at the ground while his daughter was being treated after just 13 seconds on the course where she holds a record 12 World Cup titles. Others in the crowd, including rapper Snoop Dogg, watched quietly as the star skier was finally taken off the course. Fellow American star Mikaela Shiffrin posted a broken heart emoji on social media.
Vonns crash was tragic, but its ski racing," said Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.
I can only say thank you for what she has done for our sport, he said, because this race has been the talk of the games and its put our sport in the best possible light.
All eyes had been on Vonn, the feel-good story heading into the Olympics. She returned to elite ski racing last season after nearly six years, a remarkable decision given her age but she also had a partial titanium knee replacement in her right knee, too. Many wondered how she would fare as she sought a gold medal to join the one she won in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The four-time overall World Cup champion stunned everyone by being a contender almost immediately. She came to the Olympics as the leader in the World Cup downhill standings and was a gold-medal favorite before her crash in Switzerland nine days ago, when she suffered her latest knee injury. In addition to a ruptured ACL, she also had a bone bruise and meniscus damage.
Still, no one counted her out even then. In truth, she has skied through injuries for three decades at the top of the sport. In 2006, ahead of the Turin Olympics, Vonn took a bad fall during downhill training and went to the hospital. She competed less than 48 hours later, racing in all four events shed planned, with a top result of seventh in the super-G.
Cortina has had many treasured memories for Vonn beyond the record wins. She is called the queen of Cortina, and the Olympia delle Tofana is a course that had always suited Vonn. She tested out the knee twice in downill training runs over the past three days before the awful crash on Sunday in clear, sunny conditions.
This would be the best comeback Ive done so far, Vonn said before the race. Definitely the most dramatic.
The drama was of a different sort this time. Not since perhaps Hermann Maiers cartwheeling crash at the 1998 Nagano Games had there been such a high-profile and spectacular fall in Alpine skiing at the Olympics.
Dear Lindsey, were all thinking of you. You are an incredible inspiration, and will always be an Olympic champion, International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said.
News of the crash spread quickly, including to the fan zone down the mountain in Cortina.
Its such a huge loss and bummer," American Megan Gunyou said. I feel like hearing her story and just like the redemption of her first fall and like fighting to come back to the Olympics this year, I mean, I feel so sad for her.
Dan Wilton of Vancouver, Canada, watched the race from the stands.
It was frightening, he said. Really, your heart goes out for such a champion who is coming to the end of her career. Everyone wanted a successful finish.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Fears stars for No. 10 Michigan State in OT win over No. 5 Illinois after Izzo debated benching him
Jeremy Fears played one of his best games to help No. 10 Michigan State earn a much-needed win after his coach thought about benching him.
Fears started the game and finished with 26 points 11 in OT and 15 assists in 42 minutes, lifting the Spartans to an 85-82 win over No. 5 Illinois on Saturday night, after coach Tom Izzo debated whether to discipline the standout point guard after his sportsmanship was called into question in two straight games.
Late in the first half, Fears was scrutinized again.
If he breathes on somebody now, theres going to be a call," Izzo said after the game.
Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood asked officials to review whether Fears intentionally tripped David Mirkovic after stopping in front of him.
I didnt have any worry that it wasnt a basketball play, Fears said.
Underwood lost the appeal.
They looked at it, Underwood said. It's always going to be a judgment. He stopped. It's what he does.
He was terrific. We didn't do a very good job of squaring him up.
Izzo said on the pregame radio show that he doesn't condone what Fears has done in recent games, adding he hasn't done anything to merit a suspension.
He's remorseful, Izzo said.
In a 76-73 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night, Fears swung his leg backward into Langston Reynolds groin area after the whistle when Reynolds was called for a foul on Fears. Officials gave Fears a technical on review.
I had some mistakes that I made in past game that I dont want to let happen, Fears said. "I hurt my team.
In last weeks 83-71 loss to rival and second-ranked Michigan, Fears appeared to intentionally trip preseason All-America forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
The day before facing the Fighting Illini, Izzo said he still was considering benching Fears for at least a portion of the game. Izzo said the redshirt sophomore needed to grow up a little bit."
Entering the game against Illinois, Fears led the nation with 204 assists and was averaging nearly 15 points a game as Michigan State's leading scorer.
While Izzo was considering disciplining Fears, Izzo has made clear he remains upset about Michigan coach Dusty Mays public criticism of Fears. May accused the Spartans of several plays that are very dangerous," during a news conference.
Things got blown up," Izzo said.
Fears has had a breakout season in his third year at Michigan State, following up a bounce-back season.
His freshman year was cut short because he needed a 3-hour surgery to remove a bullet from his left thigh. While hanging out with friends on Dec. 23, 2023 during a holiday break from the team, Fears and a 19-year-old woman were shot by a male with a handgun after the man entered a residence and opened fire before fleeing.
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Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1), right, goes up to shoot against Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic, left, and guard Andrej Stojakovic, third from left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
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Slotkin rejects Justice Department request for interview on Democrats' video about 'illegal orders'
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is refusing to voluntarily comply with a Justice Department investigation into a video she organized urging U.S. military members to resist illegal orders escalating a dispute that President Donald Trump has publicly pushed.
In letters first obtained by The Associated Press, Slotkins lawyer informed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro that the senator would not agree to a voluntary interview about the video. Slotkin's legal team also requested that Pirro preserve all documents related to the matter for anticipated litigation.
Slotkins lawyer separately wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, declining to sit for an FBI interview about the video and urging her to immediately terminate any inquiry.
The refusal marks a potential turning point in the standoff, shifting the burden onto the Justice Department to decide whether it will escalate an investigation into sitting members of Congress or retreat from an inquiry now being openly challenged.
I did this to go on offense, Slotkin said in an interview Wednesday. And to put them in a position where theyre tap dancing. To put them in a position where they have to own their choices of using a U.S. attorneys office to come after a senator.
Its not gonna stop unless I fight back'Last November, Slotkin joined five other Democratic lawmakers all of whom previously served in the military or at intelligence agencies in posting a 90-second video urging U.S. service members to follow established military protocols and reject orders they believe to be unlawful.
The lawmakers said Trump's Republican administration was pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens and called on troops to stand up for our laws.
The video sparked a firestorm in Republican circles and soon drew the attention of Trump, who accused the lawmakers of sedition and said their actions were punishable by death.
The Pentagon later announced it had opened an investigation into Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot who appeared in the video. The FBI then contacted the lawmakers seeking interviews, signaling a broader Justice Department inquiry.
Slotkin said multiple legal advisers initially urged caution.
Maybe if you keep quiet, this will all go away over Christmas, Slotkin said she was told.
But in January, the matter flared again, with the lawmakers saying they were contacted by the U.S. attorneys office for the District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, security threats mounted. Slotkin said her farm in Michigan received a bomb threat, her brother was assigned a police detail due to threats and her parents were swatted in the middle of the night.
Her father, who died in January after a long battle with cancer, could barely walk and hes dealing with the cops in his home, she said.
Slotkin said a switch went off in her and she became angry: And I said, Its not gonna stop unless I fight back.
Democratic senators draw a lineThe requests from the FBI and the Justice Department have been voluntary. Slotkin said that her legal team had communicated with prosecutors but that officials keep asking for a personal interview.
Slotkins lawyer, Preet Bharara, in the letter to Pirro declined the interview request and asked that she immediately terminate any open investigation and cease any further inquiry concerning the video. In the other letter, Bharara urged Bondi to use her authority to direct Pirro to close the inquiry.
Bharara wrote that Slotkins constitutional rights had been infringed and said litigation is being considered.
All options are most definitely on the table, Slotkin said. Asked whether she would comply with a subpoena, she paused before responding: Id take a hard look at it.
Bharara, who's representing Slotkin in the case, is a former U.S. attorney in New York who was fired by Trump in 2017 during his first administration. He's also representing Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California in a separate case involving the Justice Department.
Kelly has similarly pushed back, suing the Pentagon last month over attempts to punish him for the video. On Tuesday, a federal judge said that he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagons censuring of Kelly as he weighed whether to intervene.
Slotkin said she's in contact with the other lawmakers who appeared in the video, but she wouldn't say what their plans were in the investigations.
A rising profileTrump has frequently and consistently targeted his political opponents. In some cases, those attacks have had the unintended consequence of elevating their national standing.
In Kellys case, he raised more than $12.5 million in the final months of 2025 following the illegal orders video controversy, according to campaign finance filings.
Slotkin, like Kelly, has been mentioned among Democrats who could emerge as presidential contenders in 2028.
She previously represented one of the nations most competitive House districts before winning a Senate seat in Michigan in 2024, even as Trump carried the state.
Slotkin delivered the Democratic response to Trumps address to Congress last year and has since urged her party to confront him more aggressively, saying Democrats had lost their alpha energy and calling on them to go nuclear against Trumps redistricting push.
If Im encouraging other people to take risk, how can I not then accept risk myself?" Slotkin said. I think youve got to show people that were not going to lay down and take it.