Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging state utility regulators to reconsider their approval of special power contracts for a massive data center planned in Washtenaw County, warning the fast-tracked decision could leave electric customers exposed to higher costs.
The project, tied to Oracle, OpenAI, and developer Related Digital, would be among the largest data centers in the country and is expected to consume as much electricity as nearly one million homes. Its scale has caused concerns among residents, environmental advocates, and consumer watchdogs about long-term impacts on electric rates, grid reliability, and the environment.
Nessel’s move also pits her against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow Democrat who has publicly backed the data center as “the largest economic project in Michigan history.” Whitmer celebrated the project when it was announced last fall, citing thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions.
On Thursday, U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat, released what he called “terms of engagement” aimed at protecting communities from higher utility bills, grid strain, and environmental harm tied to data centers.
At least 15 data center projects have been proposed across the state in the past year.
The split among Democrats is part of a broader debate over whether Michigan should keep fast-tracking energy-hungry data center projects tied to the AI boom.
In her petition, Nessel challenges the commission’s authority to approve the contracts behind closed doors without holding a contested case hearing that would allow discovery, sworn testimony, and full public review. She also questions whether the conditions imposed by the commission are meaningful or enforceable.
In a statement Friday, the Michigan Public Service Commission said it “looks forward to considering Nessel’s petition for rehearing,” but the commission “unequivocally rejects any claim that these contracts were inadequately reviewed.”
The commission said its professional staff, advisory staff, and commissioners were provided with unredacted versions of the special contracts and reviewed them thoroughly to ensure existing customers are protected. The commission said its order recognizes DTE’s legal obligation to serve the data center while imposing what it described as the strongest consumer protections for a data center power contract in the country.
The attorney general is seeking clarification on how those conditions would protect ratepayers, noting that many appear to rely on repeated assurances from DTE, rather than concrete commitments backed by evidence. Nessel also objected to the commission allowing DTE to serve as the project’s financial backstop, rather than requiring the data center operator to provide sufficient collateral to cover potential risks.
“I remain extremely disappointed with the Commission’s decision to fast-track DTE’s secret data center contracts without holding a contested case hearing,” Nessel said in a statement. “This was an irresponsible approach that cut corners and shut out the public and their advocates. Granting approval of these contracts ex parte serves only the interests of DTE and the billion-dollar businesses involved, like Oracle, OpenAI, and Related Companies, not the Michigan public the Commission is meant to protect. ”
She said the commission’s approval process served the interests of DTE and the companies behind the project rather than Michigan residents.
“The Commission imposed some conditions on DTE to supposedly hold ratepayers harmless, but these conditions and how they’ll be enforced remain unclear,” Nessel said. “As Michigan’s chief consumer advocate, it is my responsibility to ensure utility customers in this state are adequately protected, especially on a project so massive, so expensive, and so unprecedented.”
Large portions of the contracts remain heavily redacted, preventing outside parties from verifying DTE’s claims that serving the data center will not raise rates for existing customers. Nessel said a contested case is necessary to review the full contracts, assess affordability claims, and confirm that protections, such as collateral requirements and exit fees are in place.
The commission ordered DTE to formally accept its conditions within 30 days of its Dec. 18 order. Nessel said that timeline complicates decisions about whether further legal challenges are necessary, prompting her office to file the rehearing petition in part to preserve its arguments.
More than 5,000 public comments opposing the data center power deal were submitted to the commission ahead of its December vote. Critics argue the rush to approve the contracts is part of a broader pattern as deep-pocketed utilities and developers seek to capitalize on the AI boom, which is driving a nationwide surge in electricity demand from large-scale data centers.
“As my office continues to review all potential options to defend energy customers in our state, we must demand further clarity on what protections the Commission has put in place and continue to demand a full contested case concerning these still-secret contracts,” Nessel said.
With proposals of large-scale data centers spreading across Michigan, U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Thursday released what he called “terms of engagement” aimed at protecting communities from higher utility bills, grid strain, and environmental harm.
El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat running in the 2026 Senate primary, said at least 15 data center projects have been proposed across the state in the past year, including a planned 1.4-gigawatt facility tied to Oracle and OpenAI. His campaign said a project of that size would consume more electricity than the entire city of Detroit.
“We’ve watched as data center projects have proliferated up and down our state, raising alarm and concern about the impacts on water resources, electric bills, and safety,” Abdul said in a statement. “That’s because our local utilities have bought off the politicians who are supposed to regulate them–and because there simply hasn’t been the leadership to take on powerful corporations. These terms of engagement represent the bare minimum that data center projects should be able to guarantee if they want to move into our communities.”
He argued that utility companies are pushing to fast-track approvals without adequate oversight, even as residents face rising rates and persistent reliability problems.
The plan targets investor-owned utilities such as DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, which El-Sayed said have a history of rate hikes without improvements in service. His campaign accused utilities and developers of “steamrolling” local governments and regulators as communities scramble to understand the long-term impacts of energy-hungry data centers.
Under El-Sayed’s “Our Communities, Our Terms” framework, data center projects would be required to meet a series of conditions before receiving approval:
No rate hikes: Data centers would be required to pay for their own energy demand, preventing costs from being passed on to residential ratepayers.
Community transparency: Local residents would have a meaningful role in approvals and in negotiating community benefits.
Energy reliability guarantees: Projects would need enforceable commitments to improve, not weaken, grid reliability, funded by data center revenues.
Jobs guarantees: Developers would face penalties if promised local jobs fail to materialize.
Water protection: Data centers would be required to use closed-loop cooling systems to limit water use and pollution.
Community benefits agreements: Binding agreements would be required to deliver tangible benefits, such as grid upgrades, buried power lines, and improvements to water infrastructure.
No clean-energy loopholes: Utilities would be barred from using data center demand as a justification to weaken Michigan’s clean-energy laws.
Enforceability: All commitments would have to include clear penalties for noncompliance.
El-Sayed is competing in the Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak. His campaign said his opponents have supported tax exemptions for data center development without enforceable protections for ratepayers or the environment.
The campaign also emphasized that El-Sayed has never taken campaign contributions from utility companies that could benefit from rapid data center expansion.
A former Detroit health director and Wayne County health executive, El-Sayed has built his Senate run around challenging corporate power and prioritizing public health, affordability, and environmental protection. His campaign said the data center policy is part of a broader push to ensure that large infrastructure projects deliver measurable benefits to the communities that host them, rather than shifting costs onto residents.
Pretty much everyone has been there. Making a New Year’s resolution sounds like a great idea at the time. Why not make a promise to yourself to do something in the coming year that you’ve never quite accomplished? But, then reality sets in. There’s perhaps a reason you’ve never done this before. It’s just too time-consuming or too difficult. But, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your New Year’s resolution just yet. Let’s get into some advice from experts and researchers to keep that New Year’s resolution and succeed at it.
Besides, Michiganders are tough people. We deal with harsh winters and know how to success. So, why not succeed at your New Year’s resolution?
Michiganders: Advice to Keep Your New Year’s Resolution
So, how many people even make New Year’s resolutions? A YouGov survey going into 2026 looked at Americans’ New Year’s resolutions. According to the research, “Compared with last year, Americans are more likely to say 2025 was a good or great year for the country, and about three in 10 think 2026 will be a good or great year for the country.” Also, “31% of Americans say they will make a New Year’s resolution or set a goal for 2026,” with adults under 45 being “about twice as likely as older Americans to say they will make a New Year’s resolution, at 43% vs. 21%.
Now, let’s get into some advice. According to researchers at Harvard, you’ll want to “break big dreams into small-enough steps” to make that big dream not so daunting. “Small steps move you forward to your ultimate goal,” they state, adding that “just getting to first base can build your confidence to tackle — and succeed at — more difficult tasks.”
Harvard also urges you to commit yourself by getting others involved in your goal. This works beyond resolutions, too. “Make yourself accountable through a written or verbal promise to people you don’t want to let down,” they state.
Very Well Mind adds to take the time to do planning to reach your goal. “Picking wisely and putting in extensive planning are essential parts of achieving any goal,” they state. “Experts suggest that you brainstorm how you will tackle a major behavior change, including the steps you will take, why you want to do it, and ways you can keep yourself on track.”
Finally, Octave says to keep resolutions simple. “Your resolutions don’t need to be inventive and grand; they can be as simple as continuing a habit you’ve already developed,” they note. “Perhaps you’ve discovered a love for pottery, and you’ve stuck to a schedule of going to the studio weekly.”
So, don’t give up on that New Year’s resolution just yet. Use this advice to keep it going.
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.
An internal assessment by the Michigan Department of Corrections contradicts the state’s public claims that conditions at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility pose little cause for concern, documenting widespread infrastructure failures that create ideal conditions for mold to grow and spread.
The findings bolster long-standing complaints from inmates at the state’s only women’s prison, including Kyrstal Clark, who for years have warned that conditions inside the facility are making them sick and described persistent mold, poor air circulation, chronic dampness, and respiratory and skin problems. Despite the report, which was obtained by Metro Times on Tuesday, the state has often dismissed or minimized the women’s claims.
The FY2025 Five-Year Physical Assessment Plan, prepared by the department’s Physical Plant Division, describes chronic problems across the prison involving aging HVAC systems, moisture intrusion, failing ventilation, deteriorating building materials, and long-neglected mechanical systems. All of these are conditions that can allow mold to thrive even when surfaces are repeatedly cleaned or painted.
Neither Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office nor the MDOC responded to requests for comment, an all-too-familiar pattern.
Krystal Clark, an inmate at Huron Valley Correctional Facility, has mold poison from the prison, which has made her face swollen and contorted. Credit: Michigan Department of Corrections
The report outlines dozens of unresolved issues across housing units, food service areas, tunnels, and mechanical spaces, many of them linked to humidity control, airflow, and water management
The assessment repeatedly notes that air-handling systems at Huron Valley are outdated, difficult to regulate, or no longer functioning as designed. In some areas, air handlers rely on obsolete pneumatic controls, while others operate without adequate return air or exhaust capacity, making humidity control difficult or impossible.
Multiple rooftop air-conditioning units are listed as being at or beyond the end of their service life, with some units no longer operational at all. In some buildings, failed central air systems have been replaced with temporary window units, which is an approach that does not address ventilation or moisture removal and can worsen indoor air quality.
The report also calls for the replacement of all rooftop exhaust fan units on the east side of the facility, a sign that existing ventilation systems are no longer adequate to remove moisture from occupied spaces.
The assessment documents multiple sources of moisture entering or persisting within buildings. These include compromised roof drains that cause standing water during heavy rain, leaking roofs, deteriorated steam and condensate lines running through underground tunnels, and failing plumbing components that have required repeated emergency repairs.
Ceiling tiles in several areas are described as rusted, sagging, perforated, or falling apart, which are conditions typically associated with prolonged moisture exposure. In food service and warehouse areas, tiles are noted as being in “poor condition,” with visible deterioration linked to humidity and condensation.
The report also identifies widespread rusting of metal door frames, transoms, and steel structural components, particularly at ground level, which is another indicator of chronic moisture problems inside the building.
One of the most significant mold-related risks identified in the report involves the prison’s underground tunnel system. The facility’s aging steam and condensate lines run through the tunnels and are described as being lined with mineral buildup and in need of full replacement across nearly 300,000 square feet.
Deteriorating steam and condensate systems are a common source of hidden moisture, allowing warm, damp air to circulate into walls, ceilings, and mechanical chases. These are areas that are rarely accessible for cleaning but can spread mold spores throughout occupied spaces.
While the state has pointed to painting, cleaning, and limited repairs as evidence that conditions are under control, the assessment acknowledges that many problems are structural and systemic, requiring multimillion-dollar capital projects to correct.
The five-year plan for Huron Valley includes more than $12 million in proposed repairs, including replacement of steam and condensate lines, electrical panels, doors and windows, HVAC components, and water-damaged flooring.
Health and environmental experts warn that surface-level fixes, such as painting over walls or replacing isolated ceiling tiles, does not resolve mold problems when moisture sources, ventilation failures, and building envelope defects remain.
Despite these documented issues, the Department of Corrections has repeatedly downplayed concerns about environmental health conditions at Huron Valley, including complaints from incarcerated women who report respiratory problems, skin reactions, and other symptoms consistent with mold exposure.
The assessment shows that many of the facility’s most serious infrastructure problems were known internally before MDOC officials downplayed the problems.
In July 2025, Metro Times reported that a federal judge found conditions at the prison so severe they may violate the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III wrote that the facility is “infested with mold” that eats through brick and metal, drips from ceilings, and falls from air vents. The judge cited allegations that the mold has caused “respiratory infections, coughing, wheezing, rashes, dizziness, and fatigue,” and said the symptoms were severe enough to meet the legal threshold for cruel and unusual punishment.
Murphy highlighted claims that the prison has excessive moisture and lacks proper ventilation, becoming a breeding ground for mold.
Murphy’s ruling stems from a 2019 lawsuit filed against the MDOC by Clark and inmates Paula Bailey and Hope Zentz, who allege the prison is “operating under a state of degradation, filth, and inhumanity, endangering the health and safety of incarcerated women.”
Here’s a question that sounds hypothetical until it suddenly isn’t: If your brother buys you a lottery ticket, and that ticket hits for one million dollars, do you split it with him?
Because that’s not a barroom debate or a Facebook poll. That’s a real thing that just happened in Sterling Heights, and it might be the most quietly Midwestern lottery story of all time.
The Setup: A Brother, a Favor, a Liquor Store
This story comes out of Oakland County, where an unnamed man did something we’ve all done before—he asked his brother to grab something while he was already out. In this case, it wasn’t milk or gas. It was a **Michigan Lottery Super Raffle ticket.
The brother stopped at a liquor store on Dequindre Road, picked up the ticket, handed it over, and went on with his day. No ceremony. No handshake deal. No “Hey, if this hits, we’re 50/50, right?”
Just a brother doing a brother a favor.
Which is exactly where the moral complexity begins.
The Moment: “That Can’t Be Right”
When the man checked the numbers, he didn’t celebrate. He didn’t scream. He didn’t text the family group chat with a string of dollar-sign emojis.
He checked the ticket. Then checked it again. Then again. And again.
Because when something that big happens through something that casual, your brain refuses to accept it. This wasn’t a scratch-off bought on a whim. This wasn’t a long-planned ritual. This was an errand outsourced to your brother that accidentally changed your financial life.
Eventually, reality set in. The ticket was real. The number matched. The prize was real.
The Decision: Lump Sum, No Flash
Like many lottery winners in Michigan, he chose the lump sum payout—about $693,000 after taxes. And then came the most telling detail in the entire story.
He said he plans to save it.
Not flip houses. Not quit his job immediately. Not buy a lake house “up north.”
That single line tells you everything you need to know about this guy, and honestly, about this state.
But Here’s the Real Question Everyone’s Asking
Do you share it with your brother?
Because legally, the answer is simple: the ticket holder owns the prize. End of discussion. There was no written agreement. No co-sign. No verbal contract witnessed by the cashier.
That’s where things get interesting.
Your brother didn’t pay for the ticket—but he did everything else. He made the stop. He picked the ticket. He handed you the exact piece of paper that changed your life.
If he forgets? You’re a millionaire. If he doesn’t? You’re still clocking in tomorrow.
So what’s the move? Do you go full “Family Guy” on him?
The Unwritten Rules of “Brother Money”
In Michigan families, there’s a whole codebook that never gets written down. It’s not about percentages. It’s about gestures.
You don’t necessarily cut a check for half a million dollars. But you don’t pretend this happened in a vacuum either.
Maybe it’s paying off his truck. Maybe it’s clearing a mortgage chunk. Maybe it’s setting up a college fund for his kids. Maybe it’s just sliding him something meaningful and saying, “This doesn’t happen without you.”
Because while the lottery ticket belongs to you, the story belongs to both of you.
Why This Story Hits So Hard
This isn’t a Vegas jackpot story. There’s no neon. No press conference grin. No “I’m buying an island” energy.
It’s a quiet, accidental win that came from trust, routine, and family. From saying, “Hey, can you grab that for me?” and knowing it’ll get done.
That’s why people are debating it. Not because of greed—but because most of us can imagine ourselves in both roles.
The guy holding the ticket. And the brother who bought it.
The Michigan Ending
At the end of the day, this story doesn’t scream excess. It whispers responsibility.
A man asked for a favor. A brother delivered. Luck showed up uninvited.
And instead of fireworks, the response was: I’ll save it.
Which might be the most Michigan lottery win imaginable.
So… do you share it with your brother?
There’s no official rule. But if you have to ask, you probably already know the answer.
Ask any history teacher in Michigan how their lessons could be better and they will tell you that they need to incorporate more current events into the curriculum, East Kentwood High School history teacher Matt Vreisman insists.
State standards require social studies teachers to cover pre-Columbian history to the present, and incorporating modern historical events — such as the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection — is a challenge, adds Whitehall High School history teacher Brian Milliron.
Though Tuesday is the five-year anniversary of the event, Vriesman, Milliron and other teachers found a way to weave the insurrection into their advanced placement history classes months ago when they taught about the American Revolution, the establishment of the Constitution and the contentious presidential election in 1800.
John Adams, the nation’s second president and a Federalist, was the incumbent candidate but lost to Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s third president and the Democratic-Republican Party candidate. It was the nation’s first exchange of presidential power between rival political parties, and it was peaceful, and that established a precedent for a peaceful change of power every election since.
It’s during that lesson that Vreisman and Milliron teach their students about the anomaly after the 2020 election, when then-incumbent Republican President Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden and violence erupted at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, as members of Congress met to certify the election results.
Milliron asks junior and senior students in his class what they remember and then fills in the blanks about what they don’t know.
“By connecting the present day event that kids literally saw to the stuff in their curriculum it helps them understand why we have a peaceful transfer of power and the negative effects when we don’t,” said Milliron.
Vriesman, who was the 2023 National History Teacher of the Year, also asks his students what they know about Jan. 6, shows them a PBS documentary about the day, talks about democracies that have failed throughout history and asks them to write a reflection about why a peaceful transition is important to a democracy.
“Connecting historical content to current events gives students authentic practice evaluating evidence, recognizing different viewpoints, and disagreeing respectfully about the most relevant issues of today,” said Vriesman.
He regularly weaves in major events that occurred during his students’ lifetimes that connect to different parts of American history.
“Our goal as social studies is to create informed citizens who are ready to engage in matters of substance. And current events hook students so much more.”
Michigan’s most recent curriculum standards, issued in 2019-20, became less prescriptive on the topics teachers are expected to teach so it’s likely many history and government teachers are weaving Jan. 6 into their lessons, said Nick Orlowski, executive director of the Michigan Council for History Education. At the same time, standards require teachers to cover wide time frames of history, so there is a lot to cover.
The American History Association recently issued a report that touched on how politics affects history instruction, Orlowski said.
“It showed that teachers are teaching from a neutral stance,” said Orlowski, adding that many teachers build inquiry into lessons — where students are presented with a historical question and do the work of historians. “They gather sources on the topic to reach their own conclusion. That seems to be how teachers are teaching. They are not bringing their own politics into the classroom.”
Vriesman is working to help other teachers have tools to incorporate contemporary history into their lesson plans. In November, he launched a nonprofit, Empowering Histories, which provides free, inquiry-based history lessons to teachers across the country.
This is important, Vriesman said, because scholarship settled long ago about how race, racism and slavery shaped American institutions is now being framed as “opinions” or “one side of the story.” He noted that 20 states have recently passed laws restricting classroom discussions of race or history and most teachers said in a poll that political pressures lead them to modify lessons.
“Historians and the public are not having the same conversation,” said Vriesman. “Within the academic field, certain truths about the past are not up for debate. But in many communities, those same truths are framed as controversial. That disconnect has real consequences in classrooms. It leaves teachers without support, and students without the tools they need to analyze evidence, evaluate claims, and make informed contributions to our democracy.”
This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Hours after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
What You Need To Know
President Donald Trump says the United States will run Venezuela at least temporarily after an audacious military operation plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country
Trump on Saturday also described plans to tap Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to sell to other nations
The dramatic action capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on the South American nation and its autocratic leader and months of secret planning
It resulted in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq
Legal experts immediately raised questions about whether the operation was lawful
The dramatic action capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on the South American nation and its autocratic leader and months of secret planning resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Legal experts immediately raised questions about whether the operation was lawful. Venezuela’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez demanded in a speech that the U.S. free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader, before Venezuela’s high court ordered her to assume the role of interim president.
Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries.
Maduro and his wife, seized overnight from their home on a military base, were first taken aboard a U.S. warship on their way to face prosecution for a Justice Department indictment accusing them of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
A plane carrying the deposed leader landed around 4:30 p.m. Saturday at an airport in New York City’s northern suburbs. Maduro was escorted off the jet, gingerly making his way down a stairway before being led across the tarmac surrounded by federal agents. Several agents filmed him on their phones as he walked.
He was then flown by helicopter to Manhattan, where a convoy of law enforcement vehicles, including an armored car, was waiting to whisk him to a nearby U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office.
A video posted on social media by a White House account showed Maduro, smiling, as he was escorted through that office by two DEA agents grasping his arms.
He was expected to be detained while awaiting trial at a federal jail in Brooklyn.
Move lacks congressional approval
The legal authority for the incursion, done without congressional approval, was not immediately clear, but the Trump administration promoted the ouster as a step toward reducing the flow of dangerous drugs into the U.S. The president touted what he saw as other potential benefits, including a leadership stake in the country and greater control of oil.
Trump claimed the U.S. government would help run the country and was already doing so, though there were no immediate signs of that. Venezuelan state TV continued to air pro-Maduro propaganda, broadcasting live images of supporters taking to the streets in Caracas in protest.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago news conference where he boasted that this “extremely successful operation should serve as warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives.”
Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges, but the Justice Department released a new indictment Saturday of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, that painted the regime as a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fueled by a drug trafficking operation that flooded the U.S with cocaine. The U.S. government does not recognize Maduro as the country’s leader.
Trump posted a photo on social media showing Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold on board the USS Iwo Jima.
Early morning attack
The operation followed a monthslong Trump administration effort to push the Venezuelan leader, including a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America and attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean accused of carrying drugs. Last week, the CIA was behind a drone strike at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels — the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September.
Maduro had decried prior military operations as a thinly veiled effort to topple him from power.
Taking place 36 years to the day after the 1990 surrender and seizure of Panama leader Manuel Antonio Noriega following a U.S. invasion, the Venezuela operation unfolded under the cover of darkness early Saturday as Trump said the U.S. turned off “almost all of the lights” in the capital city of Caracas while forces moved in to extract Maduro and his wife.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces had rehearsed their maneuvers for months, learning everything about Maduro — where he was and what he ate, as well as details of his pets and his clothes.
“We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again and again,” Caine said. “Not to get it right, but to ensure we cannot get it wrong.”
Early Saturday, multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas. Maduro’s government accused the U.S. of hitting civilian and military installations, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging citizens to take to the streets.
The assault lasted less than 30 minutes, and the explosions — at least seven blasts — sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report what they saw and heard. Some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed, said Rodríguez, the country’s vice president, without giving a number. Trump said some U.S. forces were injured but none were killed.
Video obtained from Caracas and an unidentified coastal city showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape as repeated muted explosions illuminated the night sky. Other footage showed cars passing on a highway as blasts illuminated the hills behind them. The videos were verified by The Associated Press.
Smoke was seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital was without electricity.
Under Venezuelan law, Rodríguez would take over from Maduro. Rodriguez, however, stressed during a Saturday appearance on state television that she did not plan to assume power, before Venezuela’s high court ordered that she assume the interim role.
“There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Rodriguez said.
Government supporters burn a U.S. flag in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Some streets in Caracas fill up
Venezuela’s ruling party has held power since 1999, when Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, took office, promising to uplift poor people and later to implement a self-described socialist revolution.
Maduro took over when Chávez died in 2013. His 2018 reelection was widely considered a sham because the main opposition parties were banned from participating. During the 2024 election, electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared him the winner hours after polls closed, but the opposition gathered overwhelming evidence that he lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
In a demonstration of how polarizing a figure Maduro is, people variously took to the streets to protest his capture and celebrate it.
At a protest in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez joined a crowd demanding Maduro’s return.
“Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up!” the crowd chanted. “We are here, Nicolás Maduro. If you can hear us, we are here!”
Earlier, armed people and uniformed members of a civilian militia took to the streets of a Caracas neighborhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party.
In other parts of the city, the streets remained empty hours after the attack. Some areas remained without power, but vehicles moved freely.
“How do I feel? Scared, like everyone,” said Caracas resident Noris Prada, who sat on an empty avenue looking down at his phone. “Venezuelans woke up scared, many families couldn’t sleep.”
In Doral, Florida, home to the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S, people wrapped themselves in Venezuelan flags, ate fried snacks and cheered as music played. At one point, the crowd chanted “Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!”
In this photo released by the White House, President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, center, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Molly Riley/The White House via AP)
Questions of legality
Some legal experts raised immediate concerns about the operation’s legality.
The U.N. Security Council, acting on an emergency request from Colombia, planned to hold a meeting on U.S. operations in Venezuela on Monday morning, according to a council diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a meeting not yet made public.
Lawmakers from both political parties in Congress have raised reservations and flat-out objections to the U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling near the Venezuelan coast. Congress has not specifically approved an authorization for the use of military force for such operations in the region.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had seen no evidence that would justify Trump striking Venezuela without approval from Congress and demanded an immediate briefing by the administration on “its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision.”
As Michigan’s recreational cannabis industry begins its seventh year this year, cannabis customers have more choices than ever.
More than 1,000 growers and processors are producing flower, concentrates, and other cannabis products across the state. With new cultivators, genetics, and extraction techniques, the market continues to evolve and set higher standards.
But abundance has its downsides. With so many choices, finding the right cannabis can be exhausting and expensive. Some flower and concentrates are exceptional, grown and processed by brands that care about the craft and prioritize quality. But much of the market is dominated by companies that churn out cheap, poorly grown weed.
If you’re looking for something better than the McDonald’s version of cannabis, Metro Times can help point the way. Over the past few months, I set out in search of the best flower and live rosin (a solventless concentrate known for its flavor and potency) that will be available in 2026.
Great cannabis is about more than THC percentages or flashy packaging. It’s craftsmanship and passion for the plant. It’s taking the time to hunt for the right genetics, growing for quality over yield, and properly cure the harvest.
After months of smoking, dabbing, and taking notes, these are the flower and live rosin strains that stood out from the rest. They are flavorful, visually striking, smooth, consistent, and deliver a memorable high.
Ten best flower strains:
Lantz by Hytek. Credit: Steve Neavling
Lantz by Hytek is one of the most unique strains I tried in 2025, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The Detroit-based cultivator won best tasting and best overall flower at the Zalympix last year for Lantz, a hard-hitting and flavorful hybrid cross of Ridgeline Runtz and Green Lantern. The flavor profile features cream and tart lime followed by a floral sweetness and forest pine. It’s hard to go wrong with Hytek, which grows some of the best flower in Michigan.
Honey Banana by Growing Pains. Credit: Steve Neavling
Honey Banana by Growing Pains is the most flavorful flower I’ve had in 2025, and the Paw Paw brand is continuing to grow it this year. A cross between Strawnana and Honey Boo Boo, the flower smells and tastes like banana bread stuffed with strawberries and honey and a dash of tea. While the buds are lighter and wispy, they are coated in sticky trichomes and deliver a relaxing, happy high. Not surprisingly, Honey Banana won three Zalympix awards in 2025. Can’t find Honey Banana? Growing Pains has plenty of other high-quality strains.
Mandarin Z by Information Entropy. Credit: Steve Neavling
Mandarin Z by Information Entropy is an energizing strain made by crossing Mandarin Sunset and California Black Rose. The Ann Arbor-based cultivator produces big, plump, trichome-heavy buds, and this is my favorite strain from them. It has a sweet orange flavor, with delicious notes of spice and herbs. Other great strains from Information Entropy are Project Z, Sherb Cream Pie, Motorbreath #15, Apple & Bananas, and Limon Mandarina. If you can’t make it to Information Entropy’s dispensaries in Ann Arbor or New Buffalo, Bowdega in Utica also carries their flower.
Headstash #1 by the Hive. Credit: Steve Neavling
Headstash #1 by the Hive in Hazel Park is an energizing strain with a citrus and funky aroma. A cross between Lime #1 and Headband, this strain is potent and uplifting, making it a perfect daytime choice. The Hive, a woman-owned dispensary and small-batch cultivator, brings the heat with all of its flower, making this a tough choice. Other great hybrid and sativa-leaning strains by the Hive are Superboof, Candy Sherb, Dolce de Fresa, Permanent Marker, and Party Runtz.
Ice Cream Mints by the Hive. Credit: Steve Neavling
Ice Cream Mintz is another incredible new strain by the Hive. Unlike Headstash #1, this strain is calming and perfect for a late evening at home. A combination of Ice Cream Cake and Kush Mints, this strain tastes like sweet, creamy vanilla and crisp mint. Other good indica-dominant strains from the Hive are Rainbow Beltz, Motorbreath #15, Ice Creature, Pink Zoap, Hash Bee OG, and Sherb Cream Pie.
Sunset Animal by Mi Loud. Credit: Steve Neavling
Sunset Animal is one of Mi Loud’s newest strains, and the Jackson brand has proven it’s still one of the most premium cultivators in Michigan. Known for its funky, fuel-soaked strains, Mi Loud is beginning to mix it up with sweeter and fruity flavors. Sunset Animal is a sweet, creamy strain that smells like tropical fruit, with subtle notes of nuts and floral spice. A cross between Sunset Sherbet and Animal Cookies, this strain is euphoric, uplifting, and relaxing. One of my favorite cultivators in Michigan, you can’t go wrong with any of Mi Loud’s strains.
Speaker Knockerz by Mi Loud. Credit: Steve Neavling
Another standout by Mi Loud, Speaker Knockerz is a bold, flavorful strain with a sweet, fruity aroma with notes of earth, herbs, and citrus. The buds are covered in thick trichomes and produce a well-balanced high. Speaker Knockerz is a cross between Runtz and Animal Mintz. Other top-tier Mi Loud strains are OGKB2.1, Dunestar, Jar Jar Stinks #21, Guava Juice, Garlic Cocktail, and Pierene.
Maize & Blue by Premier Cannabis Farms. Credit: Steve Neavling
Maize & Blue Belts by Premier Cannabis Farms is one of the most relaxing and flavorful strains on the market. A fruity cross of Oregon Blueberry and Rainbow Belts, this strain is a tribute to the University of Michigan’s football team. The flavor profile is gassy and doughy with ripe berries. It’s a perfect choice for chilling out and letting go of stress.
Cherry Zest #4 by 710 Labs.
Cherry Zest by 710 Labs may be expensive — up to $50 for an eighth — but it’s delicious and produces a tranquil high. A cross of Z and Animal West, Cherry Zest is a refreshing mix of fresh cherries and ginger ale, with a sweetness that lingers in the mouth. The high is calm and body-heavy, making it perfect for listening to music or winding down at the end of the night. It’s easily one of the most flavorful strains I’ve tried. For a closer look at other 710 Labs flower, check out my column from November.
Tazmanian Tantrum by Michigrown.
Tazmanian Tantrum by Michigrown is a unique, relaxing, and potent strain with a menthol, earthy, and spicy aroma. A cross between Dizco Fever and Diablo OG x TK Stardawg, this strain produces large, sticky buds sold in jars and prerolls. The Muskegon cultivator has an enormous library of strains, so if you can’t find Tazmanian Tantrum, there are still plenty of choices.
The 10 best live rosin strains:
HY-Z by Hytek. Credit: Steve Neavling
HY-Z by Hytek is my favorite z-terp (think sweet candy) strain on the market. A cross between Zkittlez and Gelato 41, the bold flavor of tropical fruit and candy sticks to the tongue and throat long after the exhale. The effects are balanced and uplifting, making it a good choice for anytime of day. With a smooth, creamy texture and a pearl-like color, this is the sexiest rosin I’ve come across in Michigan. Hytek raised the bar for rosin after snagging a real pro to make the solventless extract in late 2025. This is going to be an exciting year for Hytek.
Hardcore OG by Hytek. Credit: Steve Neavling
Hardcore OG is another gem by Hytek. With an unknown OG lineage, this strain has the classic OG flavor, but with a sweet herbal taste. Great for relaxing, the strain has sedate and euphoric effects that are ideal for winding down. Like HY-Z, the rosin is smooth and creamy with a pearl color. Other good Hytek rosin strains are Strawguava, Lantz, Los Muertos, and Dolato.
Orange Yuzu by Exotic Matter. Credit: Steve Neavling
Orange Yuzu by Exotic Matter is my go-to daytime strain. A cross of Superboof and Gelonade, this one boasts a bold citrus aroma with some funk on the backend. The rosin has a smooth, creamy texture that is incredibly easy to work with. The high is energizing and euphoric, making it a great choice for any time you need a lift up. Another bonus is that Exotic Matter is nearly half the price of many top rosin makers, despite its high quality. Other Exotic Matter recommendations are Papaya (one of the best in the state), Purple Drank, Pineapple Whips, Banana Candy, Tropical Strawberry, Tropical Zlushee, and Galactic Warheads.
D-Lish by Eastside Alchemy. Credit: Steve Neavling
D-Lish is one of the newest strains by Eastside Alchemy, a small, tight-knit operation based in Lansing that focuses solely on live rosin. A combination of Zkittlez and Sweet Retreat, D-Lish lives up to its name with a flavor profile of grapes, sweet candy, and tropical fruit. What really makes this strain special is its effects — it’s soothing, euphoric, and heightens the senses. Other top-tier Eastside Alchemy strains on the shelves this year are Rainbow Guava, the Hive, Swamp Water Fumez, Papaya Juice, Maple Bacon, Z-Hive, Too Much Grape #5, and Rose Fuzz #11.
Pomelo Punch by Eastside Alchemy. Credit: Steve Neavling
Pomelo Punch #5 by Eastside Alchemy is a delicious and potent hybrid made by crossing Orange Mints and Papaya. The rosin smells tangy and citrusy and tastes like tart grapefruit on the frontend and a sweet fruit punch on the backend. The dynamic, complementary flavors are what I love most about rosin, and this strain nails it.
Rainbow Push Pop by Local Grove. Credit: Steve Neavling
Rainbow Push Pop by Local Grove is truly a special treat. An indica-leaning cross of Orange Mintz and TMZ, this strain smells like a lemon lime push pop with orange and notes of sherbet that linger in the mouth. The rosin is moist and soft with a light-yellow color. Local Grove has been releasing some of the best rosin in the state. Other great strains are Gogurtz, Brain Stew, Garlic Drip, Spritzer, Swamp Water Fumez, and Spritzer.
Tallymon by Local Grove. Credit: Steve Neavling
Tallymon is another flavor bomb by Local Grove, which has become one of the best rosin producers in Michigan. A cross between Banana OG x Dosidos and Papaya, Tallymon is an evenly balanced hybrid that produces one of my favorite uplifting, euphoric highs. The flavor is delicious, with a mouthwatering taste of tropical fruit and creamy banana, and the badder is moist and soft like warm butter.
Banana Boat by Wojo. Credit: Steve Neavling
Banana Boat by Wojo recently hit the shelves, and it’s impressive. A cross of Dubble Motorboat/ICC and Honey Banana, this energizing strain tastes like a banana soaked in fuel. The rosin is creamy and light yellow. One of the most reputable producers of rosin, Wojo has an impressive library of strains, and many of them are back in 2026. My favorites on the shelves now are Honey Combz, Malibu Marsha, Berry Blackout, Strawberry Candy, DOW, Oishii, Sundae Driver, and Tangerine Limousine.
Rambutan by 710 Labs. Credit: Steve Neavling
Rambutan #11 by 710 Labs is an upbeat strain that bursts with flavor. A combination of Papaya and Guavaz #74, this strain is sweet and fruity with a funky backend. The first-pressPersy rosin is glassy and translucent, but it’s not easy to work with if you’re new to rosin. A longtime leader in top-tier rosin, 710 Labs has an impressive array of strains. My favorites available this year are Mango Banana #9, Sundae Driver, Cereal Star #5, Strawberry Guava #9, Gak Smoovie #5, and Lemon Heads #4.
Triple Burger by Ice Kream Hash Co. Credit: Steve Neavling
Triple Burger by Ice Kream Hash Co. is a sedate, pungent strain that brings on the funk. A cross between GMO and Double Burger, this strain has an aroma of garlic, butter, and diesel, in the best possible way. Like many funky strains, this one is tranquil, so it’s best suited for the evening. I also found this is good for pain relief. The rosin has a golden tone and a wet shine.
The best way to find these strains near you is to use High Spy, a nifty site that keeps track of products available at each dispensary.
Don’t let this list limit you. The recreational market has a lot of incredible flower and live rosin, and the easiest way to find it is to search for reputable cultivators. Some of the top cultivators for flower are Exotic Matter, Freshy Fine, Ghostbudsters, Growing Pains, the Hive, Hytek, Information Entropy, Mi Loud, Michigrown, Peninsula Gardens, Premier Cannabis Farms, Ripe Herb, and Tip Top Crop. All of them have high-quality strains that are usually fresh, flavorful, and potent.
For live rosin, my favorites are 710 Labs, Eastside Alchemy, Exotic Matter, Growing Pains, Hytek, Ice Kream Hash Co., Local Grove, Mi Loud, Superior Solventless, and Wojo. And if you like prerolls, check out our list of the best joints in the Michigan market.
The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
It will one of only three supermoons this year
Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.
January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening.
The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.
Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.
Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.
Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).
The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.
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.
The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
It will one of only three supermoons this year
Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.
January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening.
The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.
Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.
Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.
Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).
The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.
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.
The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
It will one of only three supermoons this year
Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.
January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening.
The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.
Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.
Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.
Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).
The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.
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.
The first full moon of 2026 rises this weekend and it just so happens to be one of only three supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises this weekend
It will one of only three supermoons this year
Saturday evening will be the best time to see it across the U.S.
January’s full moon, called the ‘Wolf Moon’, will brighten the night sky throughout this weekend. It technically will peak at 5:03 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but the best time to see it will be after it rises above the horizon that evening.
The ‘Wolf Moon’ also happens to be a supermoon this year. This occurs when the moon is closer to earth (parigee) so it appears larger and brighter than normal. You’ll have to wait until November to see the next supermoon.
Visibility looks good across the Central U.S. Saturday evening, but clouds could be an issue on the opposite coasts.
Potential cloud coverage Saturday evening across the U.S. (weathermodels.com)
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon gets its name due to it being a time you can hear the call of wolves. Though we know that happens year-round, the vocal calls of wolves can be haunting during the winter months.
Other names given by various Native American tribes include Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboin), and Freeze Up Moon (Algonquin).
The next full moon will be the Full Snow Moon which will occur on Sunday, February 1st.
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.
Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words and phrases say ” 6-7 ” is “cooked” and should come to a massive full-stop heading into the new year.
Those are among the top 10 words on the 50th annual “Banished Words List,” released Thursday by Lake Superior State University. The tongue-in-cheek roundup of overused slang started in 1976 as a New Year’s Eve party idea, and is affectionately called the list of “Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.”
Around 1,400 submissions came from all 50 states and a number of countries outside the U.S., including Uzbekistan, Brazil and Japan, according to Lake Superior State.
Also in the top 10 are “demure,” “incentivize,” “perfect,” “gift/gifted,” “my bad” and “reach out.” “My bad” and “reach out” also made the list decades ago — in 1998 and 1994, respectively.
“The list definitely represents the fad and vernacular trends of the younger generation,” said David Travis, Lake Superior State University president. “Social media allows a greater opportunity to misunderstand or misuse words. We’re using terms that are shared through texting, primarily, or through posting with no body language or tone context. It’s very easy to misunderstand these words.”
But what does “6-7” actually mean? It exploded over the summer, especially among Gen Z, and is considered by many to be nonsensical in meaning — an inside joke driven by social media.
“Don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means,” the dictionary’s editors wrote.
Each number can be spoken aloud as “six, seven.” They even can be combined as the number 67; at college basketball games, some fans explode when a team reaches that point total.
The placement of “6-7” at the top of the banished list puts it in good company. In 2019, the centuries-old Latin phrase “quid pro quo” was the top requested phrase to ban from popular use. In 2017, ” fake news ” got the most votes.
Alana Bobbitt, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is unapologetic about using “6-7.”
“I find joy in it,” Bobbitt said. “It’s a little bit silly, and even though I don’t understand what it means, it’s fun to use.”
Jalen Brezzell says a small group of his friends use “6-7” and that it comes up a couple of times each week. But he won’t utter it.
“Never. I don’t really get the joke,” said Brezzell, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. “I don’t see what’s funny about it.”
But banning it, even in jest, might be a bit of a stretch, he said, adding that he does use other words and phrases on the list.
“I’ve always used the word ‘cooked,’” Brezzell said. “I just think it got popular on the internet over this past year. It’s saying, like, ‘give it up, it’s over.’”
Some of the phrases do have longevity, Travis said.
“I don’t think they’ll ever go away, like ‘at the end of the day,’” he said. “I used ‘my bad’ today. I feel comfortable using it. I started using it when I was young. A lot of us older people are still using it.”
Travis said that while some terms on the list “will stick around in perpetuity,” others will be fleeting.
“I think ‘6-7,’ next year, will be gone,” he said.
Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words and phrases say “6-7” is “cooked” and should come to a massive full-stop heading into the new year.
Those are among the top 10 words on the 50th annual “Banished Words List,” released Thursday by Lake Superior State University. The tongue-in-cheek roundup of overused slang started in 1976 as a New Year’s Eve party idea, and is affectionately called the list of “Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.”
Around 1,400 submissions came from all 50 states and a number of countries outside the U.S., including Uzbekistan, Brazil and Japan, according to Lake Superior State.
Also in the top 10 are “demure,” “incentivize,” “perfect,” “gift/gifted,” “my bad” and “reach out.” “My bad” and “reach out” also made the list decades ago — in 1998 and 1994, respectively.
“The list definitely represents the fad and vernacular trends of the younger generation,” said David Travis, Lake Superior State University president. “Social media allows a greater opportunity to misunderstand or misuse words. We’re using terms that are shared through texting, primarily, or through posting with no body language or tone context. It’s very easy to misunderstand these words.”
Few phrases in 2025 befuddled parents, teachers and others over the age of, say 40, more than “6-7.” Dictionary.com even picked it as their 2025 word of the year, while other dictionaries chose words like “slop” and “rage bait.”
Kids do the hand motions associated with the viral “6-7” trend.
But what does “6-7” actually mean? It exploded over the summer, especially among Gen Z, and is considered by many to be nonsensical in meaning — an inside joke driven by social media.
“Don’t worry, because we’re all still trying to figure out exactly what it means,” the dictionary’s editors wrote.
Each number can be spoken aloud as “six, seven.” They even can be combined as the number 67; at college basketball games, some fans explode when a team reaches that point total.
The placement of “6-7” at the top of the banished list puts it in good company. In 2019, the centuries-old Latin phrase “quid pro quo” was the top requested phrase to ban from popular use. In 2017, “fake news” got the most votes.
Alana Bobbitt, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is unapologetic about using “6-7.”
“I find joy in it,” Bobbitt said. “It’s a little bit silly, and even though I don’t understand what it means, it’s fun to use.”
Jalen Brezzell says a small group of his friends use “6-7” and that it comes up a couple of times each week. But he won’t utter it.
“Never. I don’t really get the joke,” said Brezzell, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. “I don’t see what’s funny about it.”
But banning it, even in jest, might be a bit of a stretch, he said, adding that he does use other words and phrases on the list.
“I’ve always used the word ‘cooked,’” Brezzell said. “I just think it got popular on the internet over this past year. It’s saying, like, ‘give it up, it’s over.’”
Some of the phrases do have longevity, Travis said.
“I don’t think they’ll ever go away, like ‘at the end of the day,’” he said. “I used ‘my bad’ today. I feel comfortable using it. I started using it when I was young. A lot of us older people are still using it.”
Travis said that while some terms on the list “will stick around in perpetuity,” others will be fleeting.
“I think ‘6-7,’ next year, will be gone,” he said.
A wild winter storm brought strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast on Tuesday, a day after a bomb cyclone barreled across the Midwest and left tens of thousands of customers without power.
What You Need To Know
A wild winter storm is bringing strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast
The storm forecast for Tuesday follows a bomb cyclone that hit the northern U.S. and left tens of thousands without power
Tens of thousands of customers were without power early Tuesday, with Michigan hardest hit
The National Weather Service predicts snow squalls and gusty winds for the Eastern U.S. New York’s governor warned of whiteout conditions in parts of the state
The storm hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday with sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain, leading to treacherous travel. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.
Nationwide, more than 120,000 customers were without power Tuesday morning, nearly a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us.
As the storm moved into Canada, the National Weather Service predicted more inclement weather conditions for the Eastern U.S., including quick bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds known as snow squalls. Blustery winds were expected to add to the arctic chill, with low temperatures dipping below freezing as far south as the Florida panhandle, the agency said.
Some areas in western and upstate New York saw a foot or more of snow Monday and their totals could reach up to 3 feet this week, forecasters said. Strong winds on Monday, including an 81 mph gust in Buffalo, New York, knocked down trees and wires across the region, the National Weather Service said.
“At this point, the worst does seem to be over, and we are expecting conditions to improve especially by later today,” said Andrew Orrison, a Weather Service meteorologist in College Park, Maryland.
Videos on social media show people struggling to walk in the windy conditions and a waterway in downtown Buffalo clogged with tree branches and other debris stemming from a windblown surge from Lake Erie.
Just south of Buffalo in Lackawanna, Diane Miller was caught on video being blown off the front steps of her daughter’s house and landing in some bushes. She wasn’t seriously hurt.
“I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying,” Miller told WKBW-TV.
Winds were expected to decrease in speed Tuesday, but there could still be whiteout conditions in some areas, forecasters said.
“If you’re in an impacted area, please avoid all unnecessary travel,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned said in a post on the social platform X.
The fierce winds on Lake Erie sent water surging toward the basin’s eastern end near Buffalo while lowering water on the western side in Michigan to expose normally submerged lakebed — even the wreck of a car and a snowmobile.
Kevin Aldrich, 33, a maintenance worker from Monroe, Michigan, said he has never seen the lake recede so much and was surprised Monday to spot remnants of piers dating back to the 1830s. He posted photos on social media of wooden pilings sticking up several feet from the muck.
“Where those are at would typically be probably 12 feet deep,” or 3.6 meters, he said. “We can usually drive our boat over them.”
Waves on Lake Superior had been expected to reach 20 feet on Monday, sending all but one cargo ship into harbors for shelter, according to MarineTraffic.com.
Dangerous wind chills across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota plunged as low as minus 30 F, or minus 34 C, on Monday. And in northeast West Virginia, rare nearly hurricane-force winds were recorded on a mountain near Dolly Sods, according to the National Weather Service.
On the West Coast, strong Santa Ana winds with isolated gusts topping 70 mph brought down trees in parts of Southern California where recent storms had saturated the soil. Downed powerlines forced the shutdown of a freeway north of Los Angeles for several hours on Monday. Wind advisories had expired by evening, but blustery conditions were expected through Saturday, along with thunderstorms.
Rain on New Year’s Day could potentially soak the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.
A wild winter storm was expected to bring strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast on Tuesday, a day after a bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. and left tens thousands of customers without power.
The storm that hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday brought sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain that led to treacherous travel. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.
Nationwide, more than 153,000 customers were without power early Tuesday, more than a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us.
As Monday’s storm moved into Canada, the National Weather Service predicted more inclement weather conditions for the Eastern U.S, including quick bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds known as snow squalls.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that whiteout conditions were expected Tuesday in parts of the state, including the Syracuse-metro area.
“If you’re in an impacted area, please avoid all unnecessary travel,” she said in a post on the social media platform X,
Snow piled up quickly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Monday, where as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters) fell in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Ryan Metzger said additional snow was expected in the coming days, although totals would be far lighter.
Waves on Lake Superior that were expected to reach 20 feet (6 meters) Monday sent all but one cargo ship into harbors for shelter, according to MarineTraffic.com. Weather forecasting on the lakes has improved greatly since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975 after waves were predicted at up to 16 feet (4.8 meters).
The fierce winds on Lake Erie sent water surging toward the basin’s eastern end near Buffalo, New York, while lowering water on the western side in Michigan to expose normally submerged lakebed — even the wreck of a car and a snowmobile.
Kevin Aldrich, 33, a maintenance worker from Monroe, Michigan, said he has never seen the lake recede so much and was surprised on Monday to spot the remnants of old piers dating back to the 1830s. He posted photos on social media of wooden pilings sticking up several feet from the muck.
“Where those are at would typically be probably 12 feet deep,” he said. “We can usually drive our boat over them.”
Dangerous wind chills plunged as low as minus 30 F (minus 34 C) across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota on Monday. And in northeast West Virginia, rare, nearly hurricane-force winds were recorded on a mountain near Dolly Sods, according to the National Weather Service.
In Iowa, after blizzard conditions eased by Monday morning, high winds continued blowing fallen snow across roadways, keeping more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) of Interstate 35 closed. State troopers reported dozens of crashes during the storm, including one that killed a person.
On the West Coast, the National Weather Service warned that moderate to strong Santa Ana winds were expected in parts of Southern California through Tuesday, raising concerns about downed trees in areas where soils have been saturated by recent storms. Two more storms were forecast later this week, with rain on New Year’s Day potentially soaking the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.
Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York; Corey Williams in Detroit; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut; and Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The University of Michigan hired a new head football coach after firing ex-coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10 for having an “inappropriate relationship” with a female staffer. Moore was arrested hours after his firing and later charged with home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering.
U of M announced Friday night that Kyle Whittingham, 66, who served as the Utes’ head coach at the University of Utah for 21 seasons, had agreed to a five-year contract that runs through 2030 to lead the Wolverines.
Details of the contact have not been disclosed.
“Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership,” said Michigan Director of Athletics Warde Manuel.
Whittingham said: “My family and I are thrilled to join the University of Michigan community, and we look forward to helping our players grow, develop, and reach their highest potential — on the gridiron, in the classroom, and as leaders. It’s a privilege to be part of something that inspires pride in every Wolverine fan.”
Michigan is hoping to turn things around after the Moore‘s firing. Moore served as coach for the 2024 and 2025 seasons after working under former coach Jim Harbaugh since 2018. Michigan later announced that its athletic department was under review amid the investigation against Moore.
Whittingham joined the Utes staff in 1994, first as a defensive line coach. He worked through the ranks, also serving as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and safeties coach, before he was named head coach in 2005.
In Whittingham’s first seven seasons as head coach, he led the Utes to seven bowl games, winning six of them. Whittingham ended with a 177-88 career record with the Utes and an 11-6 bowl record. His best season was in 2008 when he led the Utes to an undefeated record and a victory in the Sugar Bowl.
Whittingham is Utah’s all-time wins leader, and his 177 wins rank third among active FBS coaches. He led the Utes to 10-plus wins on eight occasions and posted 18 winning seasons.
On Dec. 12, Whittingham announced that he was stepping down. The Utes finished the 2025 season with a 10-2 record and are now preparing for the Las Vegas Bowl against Nebraska. Whittingham will not coach Utah in its bowl game and instead will join Michigan at the Citrus Bowl.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines (9-3) are gearing up for the Citrus Bowl against Texas, with interim coach Biff Poggi leading the team. Poggi told reporters earlier this week that he interviewed for the job, and the university was hoping to hire its next coach before the bowl game.
Michigan’s leading cannabis trade group is urging the Michigan Court of Appeals to immediately take up its legal challenge to a new 24% wholesale tax on marijuana, arguing the tax is unconstitutional and should be blocked before it takes effect on Jan. 1.
The Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCIA) filed an application for leave to appeal this week, seeking to overturn a Dec. 8 ruling by the Michigan Court of Claims that declined to stop the Legislature’s wholesale tax from going into effect while the case continues.
“We stand by our belief that the Court of Claims did not make the right call when it issued an opinion that declined to block the Michigan Legislature’s unconstitutional 24% wholesale tax on cannabis from going into effect on New Year’s Day,” MiCIA spokesperson Rose Tantraphol said. “Our filing requests that the Court of Appeals take up our lawsuit, which we continue to believe is an exceptionally strong case on the merits.”
The lawsuit argues lawmakers need a three-quarters supermajority to change voter-approved cannabis laws under the Michigan Constitution. When voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, they approved a 10% excise tax and 6% sales tax on retail cannabis sales. Any new or higher tax amounts to an amendment of that ballot measure and therefore needs a supermajority vote, MiCIA contends.
The association sued in early October, seeking to eradicate the tax entirely and alleging lawmakers pushed it through using a “shell bill,” changing the measure’s purpose late in the legislative process in violation of the Michigan Constitution.
MiCIA is represented by attorneys from Honigman LLP and Dykema.
In its Dec. 8 ruling, the Court of Claims rejected two of MiCIA’s constitutional arguments related to change of purpose and amendment by reference, but left a third issue unresolved. A hearing on that remaining issue is scheduled for Jan. 13.
Because the case has not been fully resolved at the trial court level, MiCIA filed an application for leave to appeal, asking the Court of Appeals to intervene now.
MiCIA argues the trial court erred by ruling against two of its claims and by declining to rule on the third, noting that all parties had agreed there were no factual disputes requiring further proceedings.
The legislation, approved by a slim majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who supports the tax to pay for long-promised road repairs.
The state’s cannabis market has already been struggling from oversupply, falling prices, and shrinking profit margins. In November, the average retail price of recreational flower dropped to a record low of $59.79 an ounce, which is down from $512 when legal sales began in 2020. Total sales also began falling for the first time this year.
Industry leaders warn that adding a 24% wholesale tax will push Michigan’s legal cannabis prices close to those in California, where high taxes eroded parts of the legal market and drove consumers back underground.
Tantraphol said delaying an appellate review would cause unnecessary harm to an industry already under financial strain.
“The stakes are incredibly high,” she said. “The Michigan cannabis industry has been an economic engine for our state since voters legalized marijuana in 2018. Our industry has created 47,000 new jobs, pumped $331 million annually to schools, roads, and other public priorities through the 10% excise tax we collect, and generated $188 million in annual sales taxes. This unconstitutional move by the Legislature jeopardizes all of that.”
Although the wholesale tax has not yet taken effect, Tantraphol said its impact is already being felt. One cannabis operation in Webberville has announced it will close, another business has told MiCIA it plans to shut down soon, and a company in the Upper Peninsula permanently laid off 61 workers last week.
“Businesses will close and neighbors will lose jobs,” she said. “Cannabis businesses operate on thin margins, so allowing the 24% wholesale tax to go into effect will mean a lower volume of sales. The state’s own Senate Fiscal Agency predicts that due to market elasticity, total sales will decrease by about 14%.”
MiCIA also warned the tax could drive consumers back to the illicit market.
“The last thing the state should be doing is pushing Michiganders who are already feeling stretched financially into the illicit market,” Tantraphol said. “Let’s get this case to the Court of Appeals so that we can start to right this wrong.”
In the same week the Michigan House approved the wholesale tax, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to roll back a 25% tax increase on recreational cannabis. He approved the measure because the state’s high tax rates have forced thousands of legal businesses to shut down and drove residents to the unregulated market.
We all know that Santa travels the world on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by eight… no, nine, reindeer! But are you aware of the weather tie-ins with Santa and his reindeer?
What You Need To Know
Two reindeer are named after weather phenomena
Rudolph saved the day one Christmas Eve when fog covered most of the Earth
Santa uses forecasts from local meteorologists to plan his Christmas Eve flight
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
We’ve all heard the tale of Rudolph, and we’ll cover that part of the story in a moment, but first, let’s start with two of Santa’s original reindeer.
The original eight
You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen, but did you know that two of the reindeer are named after weather phenomena?
But which ones?
If you guessed Donner and Blitzen, you are correct!
Donner, also sometimes called Donder or Dunder, is named after thunder. The name comes from the Dutch word for thunder.
Blitzen, also spelled Blixen and Blixem, is named after lightning. The name also comes from a Dutch word meaning lightning.
Santa’s reindeer were never officially named until the 1823 release of the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” by Clement C. Moore.
(AP Photo/Malin Moberg)
Here’s an interesting reindeer fact.
In the story “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum, the author listed ten reindeer. Flossie and Glossie are Santa’s lead reindeer, while Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, and Feckless and Speckless are the rest of the team.
None of these names are weather-related terms.
No offense to L. Frank Baum, but I’m glad we stuck with Clement C. Moore’s names for Santa’s reindeer.
Rudolph leads the way
I think we all know the story of Rudolph.
This iconic reindeer showed up in 1939. Looked upon as a misfit (aren’t we all in some way), the other reindeer rejected Rudolph and made fun of him because of his red, glowing nose. Though that “little” abnormality came in handy “one foggy Christmas Eve.”
In an unprecedented weather event, one never seen before or seen since, an “outbreak” of fog blanketed most of the planet, and it became impossible for Santa to make his flight on Christmas Eve around the world.
All was lost until Santa realized that Rudolph and his incredible nose could lead the way.
This was Rudolph’s time to shine. (Pun intended.)
(File Photo)
And the rest is history. From that time on, Rudolph has been Santa’s lead reindeer.
Santa’s Christmas Eve forecast
Something you may not know is Santa Claus has a weather forecasting team at the North Pole.
Some elves specialize in forecasting the weather around the world. These meteorologists give Santa an overview of the weather around the globe on Christmas Eve, but Santa depends on local National Weather Service and TV meteorologists to provide him forecasts for cities along his flight path.
My daughter found out about this during a visit with Santa when she was about six years old.
I had taken her and her younger brother to see Santa a few days before Christmas. As we were next in line, Santa saw us, stood up, walked over to me and asked, “Gary, what kind of weather am I looking at on Christmas Eve?”
I gave him a quick forecast, he thanked me, walked back over to his chair and sat down as the next child climbed on his lap.
The expression on my daughter’s face was priceless.
“Santa knows you?” she asked as she looked up at me with a look of shock, confusion and pride. “Well, of course he does. Who do you think he gets his forecast from for this area? I’m a pilot, and he’s a pilot. I’m the perfect person to give him a ‘flight weather briefing.’”
Talk about a priceless memory that I will always remember.
(Gary Stephenson)
In the Christmas Eve sky
So on Christmas Eve night, if your skies are clear, look to the sky. You might see a red light moving across the sky. More than likely, it’s the beacon on an airplane, but it might, just might, be the glow of Rudolph’s red nose.
And if the weather is not so clear, rest well knowing that Santa’s got a well-trained team of reindeer pulling the sleigh and an accurate forecast so he can safely complete his Christmas Eve journey around the Earth.
I’ll finish my story with these final words.
My wish for all of you is to have a safe and Merry Christmas. And to Santa and the reindeer, have a good flight!
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.
We all know that Santa travels the world on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by eight… no, nine, reindeer! But are you aware of the weather tie-ins with Santa and his reindeer?
What You Need To Know
Two reindeer are named after weather phenomena
Rudolph saved the day one Christmas Eve when fog covered most of the Earth
Santa uses forecasts from local meteorologists to plan his Christmas Eve flight
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
We’ve all heard the tale of Rudolph, and we’ll cover that part of the story in a moment, but first, let’s start with two of Santa’s original reindeer.
The original eight
You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen, but did you know that two of the reindeer are named after weather phenomena?
But which ones?
If you guessed Donner and Blitzen, you are correct!
Donner, also sometimes called Donder or Dunder, is named after thunder. The name comes from the Dutch word for thunder.
Blitzen, also spelled Blixen and Blixem, is named after lightning. The name also comes from a Dutch word meaning lightning.
Santa’s reindeer were never officially named until the 1823 release of the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” by Clement C. Moore.
(AP Photo/Malin Moberg)
Here’s an interesting reindeer fact.
In the story “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum, the author listed ten reindeer. Flossie and Glossie are Santa’s lead reindeer, while Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, and Feckless and Speckless are the rest of the team.
None of these names are weather-related terms.
No offense to L. Frank Baum, but I’m glad we stuck with Clement C. Moore’s names for Santa’s reindeer.
Rudolph leads the way
I think we all know the story of Rudolph.
This iconic reindeer showed up in 1939. Looked upon as a misfit (aren’t we all in some way), the other reindeer rejected Rudolph and made fun of him because of his red, glowing nose. Though that “little” abnormality came in handy “one foggy Christmas Eve.”
In an unprecedented weather event, one never seen before or seen since, an “outbreak” of fog blanketed most of the planet, and it became impossible for Santa to make his flight on Christmas Eve around the world.
All was lost until Santa realized that Rudolph and his incredible nose could lead the way.
This was Rudolph’s time to shine. (Pun intended.)
(File Photo)
And the rest is history. From that time on, Rudolph has been Santa’s lead reindeer.
Santa’s Christmas Eve forecast
Something you may not know is Santa Claus has a weather forecasting team at the North Pole.
Some elves specialize in forecasting the weather around the world. These meteorologists give Santa an overview of the weather around the globe on Christmas Eve, but Santa depends on local National Weather Service and TV meteorologists to provide him forecasts for cities along his flight path.
My daughter found out about this during a visit with Santa when she was about six years old.
I had taken her and her younger brother to see Santa a few days before Christmas. As we were next in line, Santa saw us, stood up, walked over to me and asked, “Gary, what kind of weather am I looking at on Christmas Eve?”
I gave him a quick forecast, he thanked me, walked back over to his chair and sat down as the next child climbed on his lap.
The expression on my daughter’s face was priceless.
“Santa knows you?” she asked as she looked up at me with a look of shock, confusion and pride. “Well, of course he does. Who do you think he gets his forecast from for this area? I’m a pilot, and he’s a pilot. I’m the perfect person to give him a ‘flight weather briefing.’”
Talk about a priceless memory that I will always remember.
(Gary Stephenson)
In the Christmas Eve sky
So on Christmas Eve night, if your skies are clear, look to the sky. You might see a red light moving across the sky. More than likely, it’s the beacon on an airplane, but it might, just might, be the glow of Rudolph’s red nose.
And if the weather is not so clear, rest well knowing that Santa’s got a well-trained team of reindeer pulling the sleigh and an accurate forecast so he can safely complete his Christmas Eve journey around the Earth.
I’ll finish my story with these final words.
My wish for all of you is to have a safe and Merry Christmas. And to Santa and the reindeer, have a good flight!
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.
