An elderly Isabella County resident struck gold with a $500,000 prize on the Michigan Lottery’s Detroit Lions scratch-off game. His wife’s suggestion to buy tickets turned into an amazing windfall.
At GCK Oil Inc. in Blanchard, just 20 miles from Mount Pleasant, the 74-year-old winner bought the ticket during a quick stop for Powerball entries. He chose to keep his name private.
“I went to the store to buy a Powerball ticket, and my wife told me to get a few Detroit Lions tickets while I was there,” said the winner, according to CBS Detroit. “I scratched the tickets the next morning and when I saw the $500,000 prize, I said to my wife, ‘Looks like we’re going to Lansing.'”
The news stunned them both. “When I told her how much we’d won, she thought she was going to pass out! We were both dumbfounded. The shock hasn’t worn off yet, so we still can’t think straight, but what we do know is that this prize is going to be life-changing for us,” the winner said.
With his newfound wealth, the winner plans to split it three ways: donations to charity, funds for his grandchildren’s future, and savings for his own needs.
Since its August 2025 launch, the Detroit Lions scratch-off game has paid out more than $7 million. Each $5 ticket offers chances to win between $5 and $500,000.
Two more top prizes worth $500,000 remain unclaimed. Players still have chances to grab a share of the $21 million prize pool.
State lottery data shows players have a 1 in 3.63 chance to win something in the Detroit Lions scratch-off game.
Each fall, trick-or-treating is a celebrated holiday tradition around the country. Whether the little ones are trick-or-treating by going door-to-door like in the “old days” or doing a trunk-or-treat, it’s a fun reason to get all dressed up and enjoy some sweet candy. One of the wonders of being a kid is being able to do things like go trick-or-treating and open presents on Christmas day. Each state has different positives when it comes to trick-or-treating, with Southern states being able to do so in what’s usually better weather. So, where does this state rank as far as being a great spot to trick-or-treat?
Where the State Ranks for Trick-or-Treating
“Between the thrill of trick-or-treating and seeing the best-decorated houses on the block, families are in for a night of fun and lots of walking,” they note, since they obviously are a footwear company. They add that on Halloween, “kids are suiting up in their costumes, ready to collect all the candy they can carry.”
So, where does our state land? According to the study, it’s the No. 17 best state for trick-or-treating with a score of 57 out of 100. The top state for the fun is Utah, with the outlet stating, “Known for its incredible skiing and stunning scenery, it also has a low pedestrian fatality rate of 1.33 per 100,000 people and almost 28% of its population is under 18.” They add that “with a 60-degree Halloween evening on the horizon, you’ve got the perfect setting for some safe, spooky fun.”
Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.
At Dearborn, Michigan’s first city council meeting since his clash with a local Christian minister went viral after a heated exchange over a controversial honorary street sign naming, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud declined to apologize for his saying the minister was “not welcome here” and that he would “launch a parade” when he left town.
Ted Barham, the same Christian minister, opened his remarks at Tuesday’s meeting by repeating the words that went viral at the previous one on Sept. 9.
“The mayor, in a way, cursed me, as was seen around the world. And I would like to repeat what I said that day to you, Mr. Mayor: ‘God bless you,’” Barham said.
Barham said he had no plans to file a lawsuit despite pressure from supporters.
Ted Barham, a Christian minister, speaks during the Dearborn City Council meeting Tuesday, weeks after his clash with Mayor Abdullah Hammoud drew national attention.(City of Dearborn)
“People have been saying I should do that all over the world. I have no intention of doing that,” Barham said.
Instead, he urged the council to consider his larger message: “Bless those who curse you… love your haters. And I would say that in regard to Hezbollah as well. I would [say] that in regard to Mr. Siblani and I would [say] to Israel, too. ‘Love your haters.’”
He then made a new appeal.
“Would it be possible for you, Mayor Hammoud, in front of the world and council members to join me in saying we would like to put out a Christian call to prayer and a Christian call to faith in all the countries around the world where an Islamic call to prayer goes out?”
Others took the microphone to press the council more directly.
Ted Barham, a Christian minister, makes a point while addressing the Dearborn City Council in Michigan on Tuesday.(City of Dearborn)
Anthony Deegan told the chamber, “We love you with the love of Christ. We want the blessings of God to be in your life… it’s not a matter of us versus them.” But he then asked pointedly: “Do you definitively, unequivocally, by name, denounce Hamas and Hezbollah? Or do you support them?”
Shane Rife of Garden City said he was “shocked” to learn that Hammoud had appeared at a rally where Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “hero.”
“We have a mayor in the United States who is sharing a platform with somebody, with [a] terrorist!?” Rife asked. “Where is your allegiance? Is your allegiance to the United States or is your allegiance to Hezbollah?”
Pastor Jeff Davis of Dearborn Evangelical Covenant Church also voiced support for Barham, stressing his long service in the city.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud listens during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, where he declined to apologize for remarks that drew national scrutiny.(City of Dearborn)
Nagi Almudhegi, a Yemeni-American engineer and candidate for mayor, also weighed in during an interview with Fox News Digital.
“The United States of America is built on the principles of freedom of speech and freedom of religion. These two principles are sacrosanct,” Almudhegi said. “If I were in Mayor Abdullah Hamoud’s spot at that time, I would have not said anything. The gentleman has a right, as an American citizen, to speak his mind. And he did it in a respectful, calm way. The mayor should have afforded him that opportunity instead of launching into that tirade.”
He warned that Hammoud’s “not welcome here” remark risked fueling a false impression that Christians are not accepted in Dearborn.
“People would get the impression, or it would feed into the paranoia that is very, very wrong, that Dearborn is a racist place, or there’s no place for Christians. And that is what I’m 100% against,” Almudhegi said.
Almudhegi had previously released an official statement condemning Hammoud’s remarks as “uncalled for, classless, unprofessional and just plain wrong,” and voiced support for Barham.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud speaks during a City Council meeting in Dearborn, Mich., on Sept. 9.(City of Dearborn)
When Hammoud spoke later in the evening at the meeting, he did not answer the many calls for an apology or the demand for a specific denunciation. Instead, he said, Dearborn “represents the best of America” where “people of all backgrounds, of all faiths, and of all beliefs can live peacefully and respectfully as neighbors.”
“For decades, people have been intent on dividing and disparaging our city,” Hammoud said. “Dearborn has never fallen for these divisive attempts. Back then and still now, Dearborn residents from every corner of this city have come together to shun hatred and to root it out of the place that we’re all proud to call home.”
The controversy continues to loom over Dearborn’s November mayoral election, where Hammoud faces Almudhegi.
With only two names on the ballot, the clash over religious freedom and free speech sparked by Barham’s remarks and the mayor’s response may become the defining issue for voters.
Hammoud’s office did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
Ohio dispensaries are seeing sharp demand for pre-rolled joints in the weeks since the state officially approved them. Licensed shops across the state say customers had been asking daily for pre-rolls — now that the rules have changed, the floodgates have opened. Some locations sold out immediately, underscoring how pent-up demand had built.
Legal cannabis in Ohio is still relatively new. Voters passed Issue 2 in November 2023, and the first adult-use retail sales began in August 2024. Until now, stricter rules had limited dispensaries from selling pre-rolled units. On August 1, 2025, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control released guidance allowing processors and dispensaries to sell single-serving “pre-rolls,” but each operation needs separate approval to stock them.
Nearby states with more mature cannabis markets, such as Michigan and Illinois, have long offered pre-rolls as a staple product. Ohio customers often asked, “Why can’t we get what they have across state lines?” Now, the state is catching up.
Brands and processors are preparing for volume. Some have already delivered limited pre-roll batches, others await regulatory clearances. Analysts expect pre-rolls to become one of the fastest-selling formats, as seen in other adult-use states.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s lawmakers are navigating regulations. House Bill 160, introduced in 2025, aims to update cannabis law, protect children, and refine potency limits and product formats. As dispensaries roll out pre-rolls, regulators, legislators, and the public all watch how the market evolves.
Fall has officially arrived. Summer has come to an end, meaning cooler and shorter days are on the horizon.
What You Need To Know
Fall begins Monday, Sept. 22
The 2025 autumnal equinox happens at 2:19 p.m. ET
The largest daily loss of daylight occurs in September
The change in seasons occurs with the solstice or the equinox determined by the Earth’s tilt and orbit around the sun.
What is the equinox?
The Earth is tilted at a 23.5-degree angle, and as it travels around the sun, the Earth’s axis is tilted toward or away from the sun.
During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up, allowing the sun’s rays to shine directly on the equator. This means that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
Meteorological Fall vs. Astronomical Fall
The meteorological seasons are calendar-based, whereas the astronomical seasons rely on the Earh’s position to the sun.
Meteorological fall occurs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The meteorological seasons are broken down evenly into 3-month periods based on temperature and weather cycles.
Astronomical fall typically starts between Sept. 21 and Sept. 23. This varies because of leap years, which can shift the start date by a day or two.
Why do we lose so much daylight?
We have been slowly losing more and more daylight since the summer solstice in June, and will continue to lose more daylight until the winter solstice in December. The largest daily loss of daylight occurs in September, especially as the autumnal equinox approaches.
The Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt is the main reason we see daylight changes throughout the year. Your latitude also plays a role as well.
This time of year, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, leading to a decrease in daylight. Areas located closer to the equator will see less variation in daylight hours as opposed to areas located closer to the North Pole.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Leaves are changing, and the first day of astronomical fall is next Monday, Sept. 22. Most of the country will begin to see cooler temperatures in the coming weeks, and some won’t have to wait long.
Even though winter doesn’t begin until December, cold air and freezing temperatures arrive well before then for most of the U.S.
What You Need To Know
The Northern Plains and Intermountain West usually dip down below freezing before September is over
Interior New England and the Great Lakes also see freezing temperatures before most of the country
Cold air arrives in Florida, the Gulf Coast and the Desert Southwest last
Winter arrives at the time time every year on the calendar, but not on your thermometer. Every year is different. The maps below give a good idea of when you can expect the first freeze where you live based on the 1991-2020 U.S. climate normals.
The maps below show the ‘median,’ or average date of the first freeze. This is when you could expect the first freeze to arrive during a ‘normal’ year. The next one shows the ‘earliest 10%’ which shows a scenario of when colder air arrives early, about once every 10 years. And the last map shows the ‘latest 10%,’ so during a warm year when cold air arrives late.
Northeast
Most of the Northeast and New England see the first freeze before or during early fall, in September or early October. The mountains and high elevations across interior New England and the Adirondacks average freezing temperatures sometime in September, with the rest of the Northeast getting freezing cold sometime during October or early November.
Midwest
The Upper Midwest and Northern Plains also get in on the cold early. Around the Great Lakes and Dakotas, the first freeze typically arrives during September or early October. Further south the wait isn’t much longer. Freezing air usually arrives to the rest of the Midwest sometime before Halloween.
Northwest
There are many microclimates across the Northwest, so the arrival of cold air varies. Across the Rockies and Intermountain West, some areas experience cold year-round and as early as August and early September. The Pacific Northwest might not see freezing temperatures arrive until late October or November thanks to the maritime influence.
Southwest
The Southwest has a variety of climates as well, so the temperatures differ greatly during the fall and winter. The Desert Southwest and coastal California don’t see the arrival of cold air until late in the season, sometimes not until December. Once you get into the high desert and Southern Plains, it arrives much earlier, around October or early November.
Southeast
If you live in the Southeast, it still gets cold, especially away from the large bodies of water. In the Appalachians and areas away from the Gulf and Atlantic coast, freezing temperatures usually begin before Thanksgiving in late October or early November. The Gulf Coast and Florida, however, wait much longer, with freezing temperatures not arriving until late November or December. In South and Central Florida and southern Texas, freezing temperatures may never even arrive.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Michigan Republicans have branded themselves as defenders of free expression, but a recent spate of bills threatens to erode the very First Amendment rights they claim to defend.
A group of GOP lawmakers recently introduced a House bill, called the “Anticorruption of Public Morals Act,” that would ban all online pornography, including depictions or descriptions of transgender people. The bill makes it a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison to “distribute or make available” prohibited content, including what it describes as “a disconnection between biology and gender.”
“Don’t make it, don’t share it, don’t view it,” lead sponsor Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, wrote on social media, alongside a call to add porn distributors to the sex offender registry. He said the measure was a tool to “defend children” and “safeguard our communities.”
Schriver is also among the Republicans who condemned negative remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk after he was fatally shot in Utah on Sept. 10. But many of those remarks just pointed out that Kirk stoked divisions and inflamed tensions across the country with racist, misogynistic, and homophobic rhetoric.
“The celebration of this assassination is an encouragement for more,” Schriver said in a newsletter Monday, urging the government to “raid online networks to end pipelines of violence.”
That rhetoric is at odds with his own remarks a year ago, when he declared in a newsletter, “No Michigan resident should fear jail time or criminal charges for exercising their 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech.”
By contrast, when Michigan Republicans claimed President Donald Trump was in danger of political violence, they introduced a bill in May that would criminalize the phrase “8647,” which they claim is a coded call for Trump’s assassination.
In reality, the number “86” is commonly meant to expel or discard, like removing a drunk person from a bar, while “47” is a reference to Trump’s role as the 47th president.
In the case of Rep. Matt Maddock, who co-sponsored both the porn ban and the “8647” bill, the contradictions are even more glaring. He has repeatedly cast himself as a free speech defender and filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Democratic leaders earlier this year for rejecting the use of tax dollars for political mailers.
“Suppression of conservative free speech is under constant attack and ridicule by the left in schools,” he wrote on X. “This protects free speech and allows students to bring civil action against the suppressor.”
But the Milford Republican has also sponsored proposals that would muzzle others. In 2021, he introduced the “Fact Checker Registration Act,” which would have forced fact-checkers to register with the state and post $1 million bonds. Democrats and others called it an affront to free speech.
“Someone’s going to get so pissed off, they’re going to shoot someone,” he said after claiming Democrats were communists. “That’s what’s going to happen. Or we’re going to have a civil war or some sort of revolution. That’s where this is going. And when that happens, we’re going to get squashed. The people here are going to be the first ones to go.”
The extent of Republicans’ concerns for speech and violence shift based on the situation. After Kirk’s death, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Sen. Jeremy Moss, both Democrats, faced death threats and bomb scares. GOP voices were largely silent.
But when people said Kirk’s hateful rhetoric helped fuel the violence that claimed his life, Republicans sought to silence their free speech, either through legislation or calling for their firings.
Their self-described loyalty to the U.S. Constitution also oscillates. Rep. Joseph Fox, another Republican sponsor of the porn ban, pushed a bill in 2023 requiring schools to teach that America was founded on “Christian ethics,” a measure Democrats said clearly violates the separation of church and state.
Rep. Jennifer Wortz, also a co-sponsor of the anti-porn bill, was called “a staunch free speech advocate” when she was endorsed last year by Americans for Prosperity, a group founded by political activist David Koch.
Republicans also have a pattern of dismissing gun violence until one of their own is killed. It’s usually “thoughts and prayers” when children are gunned down in schools. But after Kirk was killed, Republicans demanded new laws to crack down on speech they dislike and turned their ire on liberals, instead of the man who pulled the trigger.
The national party is no different. Seizing on the fear, anger, and division, Trump said Wednesday he plans to designate the anti-facism group Antifa “a terrorist organization,” even though he pardoned about 1,500 people convicted for their role in the violent Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Two of the most violent groups that day were the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, far-right extremist organizations that have long histories of violence and intimidation. Their leaders were convicted of trying to overthrow the government through force.
Trump’s attorney general Pam Bondi recently said the administration would “go after” so-called hate speech, only to backtrack when pressed about First Amendment limits. Outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked by ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl about Bondi’s plan to “go after hate speech.”
Trump responded, “We’ll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they’ll come after ABC.”
Speaking of ABC, the network on Wednesday indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show following comments he made about Kirk’s killing, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Former Michigan leaders Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) shared the stage on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi to accept the Eugene A. Gargaro Public Service Award and to stress the importance of civil dialogue and bipartisan collaboration.
With more than 300 people in attendance, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan brought together elected officials, corporate leaders and community members for its annual public policy dinner — a night dedicated to public service, civic engagement and recognition of leaders who have made impactful contributions.
“It means a lot to be here with Gov. Snyder and to be recognized for working across the aisle all these years. I’ve had decades of getting things done, and you don’t do that unless you do it in a bipartisan way. … We don’t move forward unless we do it together,” Stabenow said, reflecting on her long tenure in Congress, where she served as Michigan’s first female U.S. senator from 2001 until January 2025 and previously represented the state’s 8th Congressional District.
Former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow holds the Eugene A. Gargaro Public Service Award she received, alongside Eugene Gargaro Jr., at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s annual public policy dinner in Novi on Sept. 17, 2025.
Snyder, Michigan’s 48th governor from 2011 to 2019, said he was honored to receive the award and applauded the council’s history of providing unbiased research to support sound public policy.
“For them to honor me, I take that as a wonderful recognition of hopefully some good work I did. I appreciate that it’s also taking place with Sen. Stabenow,” he said.
Former Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder holds the Eugene A. Gargaro Public Service Award he received at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s annual public policy dinner, alongside Eugene Gargaro Jr., in Novi on Sept. 17, 2025.
The award, named for longtime Research Council leader Eugene A. Gargaro Jr., honors individuals who put Michigan’s well-being above partisan divides. Gargaro, a former chairman of the board at the Detroit Institute of Arts, is known for helping lead the “Grand Bargain” that preserved the museum’s collection and protected retiree pensions during Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy.
“I’m honored to represent so many wonderful people who’ve contributed over the years to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan — 109 years to be exact. (The award) has my name, but it’s reflective of a much larger group, and we’re very fortunate to recognize and thank former Sen. Debbie Stabenow and former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder this year,” Gargaro told the Free Press.
Panel discussion: Bridging the divide
After dinner, attendees heard directly from the honorees during a panel discussion moderated by Pulitzer award-winning journalist and former Detroit Free Press editorial page editor Stephen Henderson. The conversation touched on the challenges of political polarization and the importance of civil dialogue and bipartisan collaboration.
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and moderator and journalist Stephen Henderson during a panel discussion at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s annual public policy dinner in Novi on Sept. 17, 2025.
Stabenow and Snyder described a dramatic shift in political discourse over their careers.
To illustrate political tensions, Stabenow recalled a time when she attempted to greet Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on his first day in the Senate in 2013, when they both happened to take the same elevator.
“I reached out and said, ‘Hi, Ted, welcome to the Senate. I’m Debbie Stabenow from Michigan,'” she said. “He would not shake my hand in an elevator with just the two of us.”
Stabenow contrasted this experience with her initial Senate arrival in 2001, when both Republican and Democratic colleagues were welcoming. The Cruz incident, she said, was “a stark moment for me about how things were changing.”
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow shake hands on stage after accepting the Eugene A. Gargaro Public Service Award and participating in a panel discussion together at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan’s annual public policy dinner in Novi on Sept. 17, 2025.
Snyder reminded the crowd of his governing philosophy, “relentless positive action,” which focused on solving problems without assigning blame. He also cautioned that the current political climate can cause good, thoughtful people in the middle to become disillusioned and “check out” of politics.
“As you hear these dialogs, don’t let it disillusion you and say, ‘I’m going to remove myself from this,’ because that actually accelerates the decline,” Snyder said. “And if anything, when you hear about this polarization, we need you to step up and stand up and be louder and prouder to say, ‘I’m looking for common sense answers … what’s good for everybody.'”
One successful cross-party collaboration that was highlighted during the conversation was Snyder’s push for Medicaid expansion. The former governor described Michigan’s Medicaid expansion, known as Healthy Michigan, as a bipartisan success that saved lives.
“I had more support from the Democratic Party than the Republican Party, but Republicans got on board too, and we did it together,” he said. “There are a lot of people alive today in the state because we did that. That’s one of my proudest accomplishments.”
Stabenow echoed the significance of the expansion program, noting it still provides healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents.
‘The public policy prom’
Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council, described the annual dinner, which doubles as a fundraiser, as “the public policy prom,” a chance for open-minded people to converse and celebrate the council’s work.
“Despite everything going on — the lack of a state budget, everything going on in Washington, DC — there are still a number of people in Michigan who care about good public policy and want to make the state a better place without the extreme agendas,” Lupher said. “There is a path in the middle, and people recognize that and want to support that.”
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
Glenn Maleyko, superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools, selected by the Michigan State Board of Education to be the next state superintendent. Aug. 19, 2025 | Screenshot
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters
In August, Maleyko was chosen by the board in a 5-3 vote from among three finalists. The other two were Lisa Coons, former state superintendent in Virginia and a former Tennessee education official, and Judy Walton, superintendent of Harrison Community Schools.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support children and families, educators, and other school staff at all of Michigan’s public schools,” Maleyko said in a Michigan Department of Education statement Tuesday.
“From my experience in Dearborn Public Schools and the relationships I have with educators across the state, I know that local districts, the Michigan Department of Education, and the State Board of Education are all strongly committed to doing whatever we can to improve student achievement.”
He will be taking on the job at a critical time. State test results released a day after he was selected showed slight gains for students in many areas, but third grade English language arts results reached an 11-year low. There has long been criticism and concern about school performance in Michigan, especially in literacy, with the most vocal critics being many Republican lawmakers and even Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who said earlier this year that the state must “face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.”
The contract was signed Tuesday by Pamela Pugh, the president of the State Board of Education, and Judy Pritchett, the board secretary. On Sept. 9, the board voted to allow Pugh to negotiate on its behalf with Maleyko.
Here is a breakdown of the contract’s benefits:
He’ll be eligible for the same retirement, insurance benefits, and deferred compensation plans as other state of Michigan cabinet level officials.
He’ll receive 104 hours or 13 days of sick leave each year.
He’ll receive 240 hours or 30 days of annual leave.
He’ll be provided with a state vehicle for work within the scope of his official duties. The vehicle can be used for personal use, but Maleyko will have to reimburse the state each year.
The board will evaluate Maleyko’s work each year. If his work is deemed satisfactory, his salary will be increased by “at least the average percentage increases granted to other department directors in state government,” according to the contract.
Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
In recent years, legislation aimed at restricting access to online porn sites has become more and more popular in conservative states, but in Michigan, lawmakers have just introduced a bill that would ban all online pornography, full stop.
The legislation, which offers a deeply draconian perspective on human sexuality, was introduced on Sept. 11th, and its primary sponsor is Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford). The “Anticorruption of Public Morals Act,” which sounds like a bill whose name (and contents) were sourced from the 1930s, would ban all “pornographic material.” What does that mean? According to the bill text, it means “content, digital, streamed, or otherwise distributed on the internet, the primary purpose of which is to sexually arouse or gratify, including videos, erotica, magazines, stories, manga, material generated by artificial intelligence, live feeds, or sound clips.”
That, uh, sure sounds like a lot. Additionally, the bill would also define “any depiction or description of trans people as pornographic,” which means that such depictions would also be banned, 404 Media writes. Indeed, while the bill text does not include any specific mentions of trans people as a group, it does include a stipulation that would ban the following category of media: “a depiction, description, or simulation, whether real, animated, digitally generated, written, or auditory, that includes a disconnection between biology and gender by an individual of biological sex imitating, depicting, or representing himself or herself to be of the other biological sex by means of a combination of attire, cosmetology, or prosthetics, or as having a reproductive nature contrary to the individual’s biological sex.”
The bill’s top sponsor, Schriver, claims this is all about defending children. “These measures defend children, safeguard our communities, and put families first,” Schriver recently wrote on X. “Obscene and harmful content online threatens Michigan families, especially children.”
Pornography is obviously a complicated subject with a twisty, not altogether politically neat history, and there are plenty of nuanced conversations to be had about it. One thing’s for sure: an outright ban on it isn’t nuanced, nor does it allow for any conversation at all.
Gizmodo reached out to Schriver’s office for comment and will update this story if he responds.
While, in earlier times, third-wave feminists were the ones advocating for an abolition of the porn industry, in recent times, conservatives have led the charge, albeit for an entirely different set of reasons. Earlier this year, rightwing Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), which would have effectively criminalized all pornography nationwide. Not much has happened with the bill since it was introduced and referred to a Senate committee. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which many believe has acted as a kind of rightwing policy bible for the Trump administration, has also advocated for criminalizing all pornography.
An Office Depot employee was fired after refusing to print a poster of conservative activist Charlie Kirk for a prayer vigil in a now-viral video, the company stated.
Footage posted on social media captured the encounter between a customer and manager at the Office Depot location in Portage, Michigan, just south of Kalamazoo. In the video, a person asks two employees about an order to print a poster for a vigil.
A person who identified herself as a manager said, “Yeah, so we don’t print propaganda.”
The individual further questioned the manager’s claim, at which point she reiterated, “It’s propaganda, I’m sorry, we don’t print that here.” Another worker said the issue could be discussed with the general manager on Monday.
Office Depot posted a statement on social media following the encounter, saying it’s “deeply concerned by the incident” — and the employee involved no longer works for the company.
“…The behavior displayed by our associate is completely unacceptable and insensitive, violates our company policies, and does not reflect the values we uphold at Office Depot,” the statement read, in part. “We sincerely apologize to the customer affected and to our community for this regrettable situation.”
Office Depot said it reached out to the customer and seeks to fulfill the order.
The Republican Party of Kalamazoo County, which planned the vigil in question, said the order was refused by the employees even though it was prepaid.
“The KGOP does not encourage boycotts, but there are many other print shops in our area which would love your business,” the party posted on Facebook, in part.
Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, whose district includes the community, criticized the employees’ refusal to print the poster in a Facebook post.
“It was absolutely shameful that Office Depot in Portage refused to print this poster for the vigil last night at Bronson Park in Kalamazoo,” he said. “These individuals paid for the work to be done and the employees appear to have refused to do it because it was in memory of Charlie Kirk.”
Every fall, people travel far and wide to go ‘leaf-peeping.’ The goal is to catch the leaves at peak color to see all the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that Mother Nature has to offer.
Weather plays a primary role in knowing when and where to go.
What You Need To Know
Weather plays a significant role in fall foliage
Heat and soil moisture determine foliage timing and intensity
Stressed trees will lose leaves earlier or later than normal
Right place at the right time
The first step of successful leaf-peeping is being at the right place at the right time. All other factors aside, this is the average time of the year around the U.S. that you can see peak fall colors according to Explore Fall.
(Explore Fall)
Aside from the Florida peninsula, the Gulf Coast and parts of the desert Southwest, most of the continental U.S. sees color change during fall.
Weather’s role
The weather determines whether the fall foliage comes out early, on time or late every year, but what role does it play?
Heat and moisture are the biggest factors that influence fall foliage. The summer weather helps give an idea of when colors will pop, but the weather during September and October are the biggest influencers.
Here is how soil moisture and air temperature affect fall foliage.
(Explore Fall)
A prolonged late-spring or severe summer drought that leads to dry soils in the fall not only affects the timing, but the quality of the colors. Drought and drier soil puts a higher stress on the trees, dulling down the colors and forcing them to lose their leaves sooner.
Heavy rainfall and wet soils in the summer and fall can delay the colors’ arrival by a few days, or even weeks. The later arrival time can produce better fall colors.
Colder and below-normal temperatures bring out fall colors early, while prolonged summer heat and above normal temperatures delay the colors.
According to the USDA Forest Service, “a succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays.” In other words… typical fall weather.
Current fall foliage
Here is a map of the current fall foliage around the U.S.
In some parts of the country, leaves have already started turning. The first areas to see color are typically further north and at higher elevations, including parts of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, the Mountain West and interior Northeast.
Parts of New England are in a severe drought, with much of the mountain west under an extreme or exceptional drought, which could cause the trees to lose leaves early and mute the colors.
7-Day foliage outlook
Here is a look at Explore Fall’s 7-day foliage forecast and what the foliage is expected to look like in a week from now.
Our team of meteorologists dive deep into the science of weather and break down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Dionna Brown was two weeks shy of her 15th birthday when her world turned upside-down. An outstanding public high school student in Flint, Michigan, with a report card most of her peers would envy, she suddenly began to struggle in the classroom for no obvious reason.
“I was in AP and honors classes — straight-A student,” she recalls. “Then all of a sudden, I couldn’t remember things. I couldn’t concentrate.”
Rushed to the hospital, doctors pinpointed the problem: tests revealed elevated levels of lead, a potent neurotoxin, in Brown’s blood. In high enough concentrations, lead can cause permanent brain damage, lower IQ, learning disabilities — and even death.
Without knowing it, Brown became one of the many young victims of the Flint water crisis. But her story is being repeated in cities across the country.
For generations, America’s crumbling infrastructure has quietly poisoned its most vulnerable populations. From peeling paint in public housing to unsafe water pipes beneath city streets, lead has lingered long before and after its federal ban in 1978.
But while the government has taken action against lead exposure in homes, experts say its impact in our schools remains overlooked.
In January, the issue made headlines again when a child attending a Milwaukee public school tested positive for elevated lead blood levels. The discovery triggered emergency inspections and forced at least four other schools in the district to close temporarily.
Subsequent data found that children in cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago also face disproportionately high levels of lead exposure in schools. Cleveland topped the list, with nearly 9% of children under the age of six showing signs of elevated lead levels in their blood.
“Once a child is exposed to lead, the impacts are irreversible,” says Dr. Denae King, Associate Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University. “There’s not a lot you can do to undo that damage — and it’s still happening.”
These cities share more than aging infrastructure: they also serve large Black K-12 student populations, often in racially segregated neighborhoods. And even Flint, whose water crisis made national news, still hasn’t fully established safe drinking water for its children.
While Milwaukee’s crisis may feel like the beginning for some, the poisoning of Black communities by lead — especially in schools — began long before 2025.
Today, Brown, now the National Youth Director of Young, Gifted, & Green, a non-profit organization, has spent years fighting for environmental justice. But what still haunts her the most is how little has changed.
“That was over a decade ago,” she says. “And we’re still here. Kids are still being poisoned in our schools and communities.”
Schools Built to Fail?
Nationwide, more than 38% of public K-12 schools were built before 1970, well before the government banned the use of lead-based paint. Many of the schools were built to serve Black students in underfunded, segregated neighborhoods, and these aging buildings often contain lead service lines, contaminating the water that flows into cafeteria faucets and hallway water fountains.
According to a 2022 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Black children face higher levels of early lead exposure. The report found that exposure was linked to significantly lower standardized test scores in fourth-grade reading and math compared to their white peers.
“Most of the Black kids we’re talking about attend schools built before the ban,” King says. “That means many of them are still walking into buildings that are not only failing structurally, but failing them academically, too.”
The Educational Cost
King explains that the root of the lead crisis in schools often begins underground, with lead service lines — city-owned pipes that deliver water from municipal systems to homes, businesses, and schools.
“Most cities still have lead service lines,” she says. “So it’s no surprise students are being exposed. She adds that even if a school updates its internal plumbing, “students remain at risk” if city pipes aren’t upgraded.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even low levels of lead exposure in children can cause irreversible damage, including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral problems.
“The data is very consistent when we think about learning and cognitive ability with lead exposure in children ages zero to six,” King adds. “By the time you get to first or third grade, you start to see the results of that early exposure.”
Just as striking as the exposure itself is the uneven response.
In wealthier districts, King says, active parent-teacher organizations (PTOs), can quickly raise money for water filtration systems. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in predominantly Black or low-income communities, where PTOs and other resources are underfunded or absent altogether.
When asked about lead in students’ blood, CMSD told Word In Black they’re “concerned” about the health hazard and will “continue to strongly support the work done by the City of Cleveland and the Lead Safe Coalition to identify and remediate lead in our neighborhoods.”
While the school district did not directly address the problem, Dr. David Margolius, the city’s director of public health, says school systems aren’t entirely to blame.
“This is the fault of the generations of disinvestment in housing and public infrastructure in poor communities — which leads to exposure in the first place,” he says.
However, both King and Brown say the problem is nuanced.
“There are different levels of accountability that include the municipality and homeowners,” King says. “But on the school side, they are responsible for ensuring their campuses are safe. You send your child to school expecting they’ll be protected, not poisoned.”
She also adds that parents are often left in the dark.
“Many parents have shared that they are concerned that their children are not learning at the same level as other students in their classes,” she says. “And I am surprised that schools don’t do a better job of educating parents about the risk of lead exposure and that they don’t provide wraparound services once a child has been exposed.”
Brown agrees: “Schools still have a responsibility. Kids spend 8-plus hours in school buildings every day.”
Moreover, federal programs intended to address the crisis have faltered. While the Biden administration’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act was designed to fund the replacement of lead service lines, access to the resources remains inconsistent across cities, often leaving underfunded and de facto segregated school districts behind.
“There’s no agency that owns the problem,” Margolius adds. “There’s no one taking ownership for how to fix this at the federal level. That’s the real issue.”
Making matters worse, the CDC recently laid off its entire childhood lead poisoning prevention staff, shifting responsibility to the newly formed Administration for a Healthy America under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Experts are concerned about whether the federal government is prepared to meet a crisis of this scale.
Communities as First Responders
Houston offers a glimpse of what’s possible. There, the Bullard Center and community groups are training parents and neighborhood leaders to identify lead hazards and demand answers from school officials.
King also encouraged students to write letters to the district. She said systems have begun to respond.
Community groups “did all the education themselves,” she says. “We trained them on what lead looks like, how it’s affecting their children, and then they got out there and educated others. The community stepped up where the system failed.”
Back in Cleveland, Margolius hopes to see a similar momentum, but on a national level.
“Keeping these stories alive in the media and community discussions is essential. Without sustained attention, the crisis will quietly continue.”
District Court Judge Kristen D. Simmons said in a court hearing that the 15 Republicans accused will not face trial. The case has dragged through the courts since Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced the charges over two years ago.
Each member of the group, which included a few high-profile members of the Republican Party in Michigan, faced eight charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The top felony charges carried a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Investigators said the group met at the Michigan GOP headquarters in December of 2020 and signed a document falsely stating they were the state’s “duly elected and qualified electors.” President Joe Biden won Michigan by nearly 155,000 votes, a result confirmed by a GOP-led state Senate investigation in 2021.
Electors are part of the 538-member Electoral College that officially elects the president of the United States. In 48 states, electors vote for the candidate who won the popular vote. In Nebraska and Maine, elector votes are awarded based on congressional district and statewide results.
One man accused in the Michigan case had the charges against him dropped after he agreed to cooperate with the state attorney general’s office in October 2023. The other 15 defendants pleaded not guilty and have maintained that their actions were not illegal.
Judge Simmons took nearly a year to say whether there was sufficient evidence to bring the cases to trial following a series of lengthy preliminary hearings.
Prosecutors in Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme. None of the cases have neared the trial stage and many have been bogged down by procedural and appellate delays.
In Nevada, the state attorney general revived a case against a group of allegedly fake electors last year, while a judge in Arizona ordered a similar case back to a grand jury in May. In Wisconsin last month, a judge declined to dismiss felony charges against three Trump allies connected to a plan to falsely cast electoral ballots for Trump even though Biden won the state in 2020.
The Georgia prosecution is essentially on hold while Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Atlanta, who brought the charges against President Trump and others appeals her removal from the case. Technically, Trump is still a defendant in the case, but as the sitting president, it is highly unlikely that any prosecution against him could proceed while he’s in office.
The effort to secure fake electors was central to the federal indictment against Trump that was abandoned earlier this year shortly before Trump took office for his second term.
Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) speaks at a news conference detailing a Democrat-led effort to create a utility ratepayer’s bill of rights. Sept. 9, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance
Skyrocketing energy prices, poor service, unfair outage compensation, out-of-control pay for utility executives and their perceived outsized influence on Michigan politics would be addressed in a legislative package to be introduced soon by Democrats in the House and Senate.
A coalition of advocates and lawmakers behind the bills held a news conference on Tuesday to discuss the legislation, and the need for a Michigan ratepayers’ “bill of rights.”
The legislation would protect utility customers in Michigan from policies that allow the state’s utilities – DTE Energy Company and Consumers Energy – to prioritize people over profits. It also stands to face a tough road ahead, as it’s unclear how the Republican-controlled House of Representatives might view the policies.
Even if the package is produced in the Senate and passes muster with the Democrats in control of the chamber, the package could meet a tough landing in the House before it reaches Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk.
A message seeking comment from the House Republican caucus on the legislation was not returned at the time of publication.
State Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) said the bill of rights being crafted by Democrats in the House and Senate is long overdue. First and foremost, McKinney said the legislation would guarantee Michiganders have the right to fair compensation when power goes out for long periods of time, including renters.
“Other states have done this. So can Michigan,” McKinney said. “We’re going to start tying any rate increases to the performance of the utility companies. You know, that novel concept in this country that you have to do a good job to get paid. It’s called performance-based rate making, and it’s being done in other places. This rate payer Bill of Rights also cracks down on utility companies that make everyday households pay for the perks of millionaire utility executives with auto control salaries.”
The proposed bill of rights would also ensure residents no longer pay the highest energy costs in the Midwest; protect residents from paying for CEO bonuses and other luxuries; ban political contributions to state lawmakers from the utilities; and ensure residents can generate their own reliable energy through solar arrays on their homes or with their neighbors.
Katie Carey, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy, told Michigan Advance in a statement that the company’s rates are used to invest in the natural gas or electric system, and that delivers reliable and affordable energy to their customers.
“Specifically for the electric side of the business, our Reliability Roadmap has delivered meaningful results in 2024 to customers, including a 12% reduction in the amount of time an average customer went without power,” Carey said. “We have mapped out the strategy and tactics that should continue leading to fewer and shorter power outages and hope other stakeholders will work with us to help us serve Michigan.”
A message seeking comment from DTE was not returned at the time of publication.
Still, Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township), said Michigan residents are faced with prices going up on all manner of goods and services, and that’s forced some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens to make choices on whether to pay for other things instead of their utility bills. If they can’t pay, Shink said those services would be cut off by the provider, which could be detrimental during days of high heat in the summer or trembling cold in the winter months.
The biggest hurdle is out of control energy costs, Shink added.
“Michiganders are watching with dismay as the two utilities file for another $1 billion rate hike. The outrageous thing is that DTE submitted this latest rate hike just a couple months after receiving a $217 million increase on all of us, and not even two years before that, they fought for a $368 million rate hike,” Shink said. “Now they’re asking to increase our rate by another 11%.”
Shink said that DTE shareholders were paid $835 million in 2024 and maintained some of the worst utility service in the nation.
“Meanwhile, DTE’s CEO last year made $12.8 million. That’s a 23% increase over his salary the year before,” Shinki said. “I want to break that down just a little bit. At $12.8 million a year, that’s $213,000 a month. That’s $46,900 a day. That’s almost two times the salary of a minimum wage earner per year in a day. … That’s just wrong.”
Shink and other legislators attending the news conference said their response to a broken system was a new bill of rights to balance the scales.
“It’s the antidote to how we address energy affordability issues and bring prices down in Michigan. It’s how we restore trust with our constituents who want to know that policy makers are setting energy policy, not utility CEOs and their lobbyists,” Shink said. “Things have gotten so bad that residents in my district, in Ann Arbor, announced recently that they are launching a local ballot initiative to establish our own municipal power system in order to cut ties with DTE altogether.”
Michigan State Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township) speaks at a news conference detailing a Democrat-led effort to create a utility ratepayer’s bill of rights. Sept. 9, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance
Michigan remains at the bottom in the nation for electric reliability and has some of the highest rates.
McKinney said that was because the utilities have not invested enough into bolstering the state’s grid despite the large sums of money those companies rake in.
“The neglect over years has been so detrimental that in testimony, DTE, I believe, had said that they have power lines in operation from the early 1900s still in operation today,” McKinney said. “No wonder the power keeps going out when there’s just a little bit of wind and the sun is out like today. People are fed up.”
Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) added that the grid was in such dire shape because utilities have “pocketed the profits rather than investing in people.”
“Now they’re asking us to pay for them to actually do their job and provide reliable power,” Morgan said. “I think the ultimate cause of that is the money that they have contributed in our political system. That has had a significant role in legislators over the last several decades, now holding them accountable to the people.”
As to whether Republicans in the House will support the measures, McKinney told reporters at the news conference that issue of high utility rates with lackluster service affects every Michigander, regardless of the political affiliation.
“Every single Michigan out there, we’re hearing your voice, no matter if you’re Democrat, Republican, independent, it doesn’t matter,” McKinney said. “I’m getting calls every single day about this issue. I got Republicans who hate my guts, but they’re like, ‘Hey, we’re with you on this issue.’”
A separate ballot proposal being shopped by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics also seeks to address the influence utilities have in state politics. The proposal would ban political contributions from the companies, which are considered regulated monopolies.
A North Dakota State University football player has been kicked off the team after authorities say he allegedly swiped a duffel bag containing more than $270,000 worth of luxury items on Fourth of July weekend in Minnesota.
William Frattalone, 20, is charged with one count of felony theft of property valued over $35,000, according to jail records.
According to a criminal complaint, Frattalone is accused of stealing a designer duffel bag from a boat as it was docked at Maynard’s Restaurant on Lake Minnetonka, located approximately 25 miles from Minneapolis, FOX 9 reported.
William Frattalone is facing felony theft charges after allegedly stealing $270,000 worth of luxury items on Fourth of July weekend in Minnesota.(Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
The bag, valued at $2,400, contained a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Platinum Ice Blue Index Dial watch valued at $228,000, approximately $25,000 worth of limited-edition clothing, a $400 bottle of cologne, between $5,000 to $10,000 in cash and other personal items, according to court documents.
An individual, identified in the complaint as I.B., told authorities he was on the same boat as Frattalone and stored the bag in a sealed cabin before entering the restaurant, the outlet reported. When the group returned, the bag was reportedly gone.
The complaint alleges an employee witnessed Frattalone attempting to carry a large bag through the dining room, which was against their policy, and escorted him from the restaurant.
According to a criminal complaint filed last month, Frattalone is accused of stealing a designer duffle bag from a boat as it was docked at Maynard’s Restaurant on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota.(iStock)
When the group noticed the bag was missing, another passenger contacted Frattalone, who allegedly replied that his “parents were wealthy and would write a check for whatever was inside the bag,” according to FOX 9.
Authorities subsequently executed a search warrant at Frattalone’s nearby home in Wayzata and allegedly located the bag in his bedroom, but were unable to recover the Rolex watch. Video footage from Frattalone’s cell phone also allegedly places him on the boat the night of the theft, the complaint said.
Frattalone was arrested on Aug. 1 and released from the Hennepin County Jail on Aug. 4, according to court records. Following his arrest, he was dismissed from the North Dakota State University football team in early August, according to FOX 9.
Empty boat docks are seen in Minnetonka Lake in Minnesota. (iStock)
“William Frattalone has been dismissed from the NDSU football team for a violation of team rules,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said in a statement to FOX 9. “He was not part of the 123 players for fall camp and will not be considered to re-join the team in any fashion.”
Frattalone is set to make his first appearance in court on Sept. 11. His attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
A Michigan State Police helicopter crew found a woman who got lost in a state forest during a YouTube challenge on Saturday morning, officials said.
Troopers with the state agency were at the Pigeon River State Forest in northern Michigan to help the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office find a missing 36-year-old California woman. Police said she was a contestant in a YouTube survival challenge, had become lost on Friday evening and was reported missing at 5 a.m. Saturday.
State police canines searched the dense forest before the helicopter, coined Trooper 6, was called to the area.
The crew operating Trooper 6 spotted the woman using the aircraft’s camera around 10:40 a.m., officials said.
Footage from Trooper 6, a Michigan State Police helicopter, shows a 36-year-old California woman who was lost in the Pigeon River State Forest on Sept. 6, 2025.
Michigan State Police
Law enforcement and firefighters were able to walk the woman out of the woods.
The Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan is facing controversy over an “optional patch” displaying text in both Arabic and English.
“The Dearborn Heights Police Department is proud to share a new optional patch that our officers may wear as part of their uniform,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
“This patch was created by Officer Emily Murdoch, who designed it to reflect and honor the diversity of our community — especially the many residents of Arabic descent who call Dearborn Heights home. By incorporating Arabic script alongside English, this patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service. We are proud of Officer Murdoch’s creativity and dedication in helping our department better represent the people we serve,” the now-deleted post stated, according to Fox News.
The announcement drew online backlash from commentators and lawmakers, prompting Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi to issue a statement.
“At this time, this patch addition remains an idea and should NOT have been presented as an official prototype. With regard to the outstanding efforts that have been implemented, I am very proud of our Chief and officers who have spearheaded countless community-wide initiatives to engage all members of our community, including the first Dearborn Heights Youth Explorers Program and the largest DHPD Night Out event,” Bazzi said, according to Newsweek.
Critics quickly denounced the proposal, including activist Brigitte Gabriel and Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.).
“This is how it starts. Dearborn Heights Police Dept. now has the nation’s first-ever uniform patch in Arabic. The civilization takeover has begun,” Brigitte Gabriel wrote on X, according to Newsweek.
“They said their goal was to bring sharia law to America. You should’ve believed them. Pray for Michigan,” Florida Republican Rep. Randy Fine wrote on X.
Dearborn Heights is part of metro Detroit’s large Arab-American community, one of the largest concentrations in the United States.
