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BREAKING: Charges Dropped Against Michigan Duck Rescue Founders After DNR Case Collapses
The legal battle between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary has come to an end. with all charges dismissed against the couple who run the operation.
Matthew and Teresa Lyson, founders of the Salem Township sanctuary, had faced six criminal charges each after state officials accused them of keeping and caring for waterfowl without proper permits. This week, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the cases in their entirety, following months of public scrutiny and growing political pressure.
“This is great news,” Lyson told Keeping It Real. “All charges against me and Teresa are 100 percent gone. It’s a done deal, and we get to start new.”
Background of the Case
The Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary has operated for nearly two decades, caring for injured or abandoned ducks, geese, and other waterfowl — many of which suffer from “angel wing,” a deformity often caused by people feeding them improper food. The Lysons say their work ...
ALPENA, Mich. — A new rule banning applause and other displays of emotion at Alpena Public Schools board meetings has sparked pushback from community members who say the policy infringes on their free speech rights.
The board recently adopted a policy prohibiting clapping, cheering, booing, or any demonstrations from audience members during meetings. Board President Eric Lawson said the restriction is meant to prevent disruptions and maintain order.
“We’re doing our best to show respect to you all and make sure you have adequate time for your comments,” Lawson said during a recent meeting. “Please show the board a little respect as well.”
Not everyone in attendance agreed. Several residents voiced frustration, including one woman who argued that clapping constitutes symbolic speech protected under the First Amendment.
“Clapping is a universal symbolic action that typically expresses approval,” she said. “Up until one week ago, clapping was a regular occurrence at these ...
FAA plans to cut air traffic by 10% at 40 undisclosed airports if a government shutdown deal isn’t reached.
🚨BREAKING🚨 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the FAA will start reducing flight capacity across U.S. airspace Friday morning if air traffic controllers remain unpaid.
The agency plans to cut air traffic by 10% at 40 undisclosed airports if a government shutdown deal isn’t reached.
Some are warning that new government investigations into nonprofits could backfire, putting free speech and charity work at risk for everyone.
Some are warning that new government investigations into nonprofits could backfire, putting free speech and charity work at risk for everyone. https://bit.ly/492MSo4
Bill to Stop DNR From Trespassing on Private Property Passes Michigan House
New proposal targets reports of DNR officers trespassing on private property.
LANSING — State Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, announced Tuesday that his legislation to stop the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from trespassing on private property without a warrant has passed the House with bipartisan support.
The plan would require DNR conservation officers to obtain a search warrant before entering private land, except in cases where they have permission, see evidence of a crime in plain view, or face exigent circumstances — the same standard followed by most other law enforcement agencies in the state.
Prestin said the change is needed to protect landowners from what he described as years of DNR overreach.
“The DNR insists that they only enter with probable cause, but that is just a flat-out lie,” Prestin said. “They never bother to explain to anyone what their probable cause was, because in most instances, it came from an anonymous 1-800 tip line that serves as a convenient method for conservation officers to weaponize neighbor and land disputes.”
The Cedar River lawmaker said he’s heard numerous complaints from residents about conservation officers “hopping fences, cutting locks, placing surveillance cameras, and walking 60 to 80 acres onto land” despite posted “no trespassing” signs.
Prestin shared examples of alleged incidents, including officers entering property after hearing gunshots, harassing hunters over bait containers, and cutting locks to gain access without notifying landowners or paying for damages.
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“When people get the courage to stand up to the department and speak out against them, the department issues a warrant for their arrest,” Prestin added. “Too many hunters and property owners are being harassed on their own land.”
The DNR has long cited the “Open Fields Doctrine” — a legal precedent allowing limited entry onto private land without a warrant — as justification for its actions. Prestin’s plan would effectively close that loophole in Michigan, aligning DNR procedures with other state law enforcement agencies.
“This bill simply requires the department to put it on paper: Knock on the door or get a warrant,” Prestin said. “The DNR will still be able to protect our public resources without infringing on the rights of the public.”
The legislation now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
Michigan lawmakers, education officials clash over new sex ed draft
Members of the Michigan House Oversight Committee pressed state education officials in October over proposed health and sex education standards on Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer topics and sex identity.
Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Sue Carnell testified before the committee about the Michigan Department of Education’s draft Health Education Standards Framework, which offers curriculum recommendations for local districts.
Committee members disagreed with the Michigan Department of Education’ interim leader over the new draft of curriculum recommendations. Click here to read more.
Trump: Don’t Attack Liberal Nonprofits
The leader of one of the country’s most influential right-leaning nonprofits said that he has cautioned White House officials against pursuing investigations of liberal philanthropic groups without clear evidence of legal wrongdoing.
Lawson Bader, the president and CEO of DonorsTrust, told The Free Press that the stream of retaliatory rhetoric since Charlie Kirk’s assassination “has the potential to weaponize philanthropy in a way that is antithetical to philanthropic freedom.” Anyone who threatens the nonprofit status of law-abiding organizations “narrows the important boundary between citizen and state,” Bader said. Click here to read more.
‘Mass chaos’: Duffy warns Transportation Department might be forced to close some airspace
WASHINGTON (TNND) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there might be “mass chaos” in the skies if air traffic controllers miss a second round of paychecks next week amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Many of the controllers said, ‘A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody, but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks,’” Duffy said on Tuesday.
So, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have air traffic controllers,” he added.
On Sunday alone, Duffy said 46% of flights were delayed due to staffing issues in air traffic control towers. Click here to read more.
Gretchen Whitmer admin considers skipping public hearings, rushing approval of 575-acre rural data center opposed by community
Just weeks after forcing its way into Saline Township against local objections, a massive data center promoted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking to bypass public meetings to expedite regulatory approvals.
The project, which the governor described as “ the largest one-time investment in state history,” involves Related Digital, tied to billionaire megadonor Stephen Ross, DTE Energy, tech companies Oracle and OpenAI, and approximately 575 acres of prime farmland in the agricultural community of 2,200 residents. Click here to read more.
Nebraska’s cruel crackdown threatens vital care for adults with developmental disabilities
Injustice is lurking around the quiet corners of Lincoln, Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is threatening to strip away the proven and personalized care of adults with developmental disabilities, by dismantling the programs that gave them independence and hope.
For nearly two decades, Integrated Life Choices (ILC) has been a lifeline for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 2006 by Joshua Midgett and William Arrants, the organization was built upon one mission: To empower their clients to live independently and make a difference in their respective communities. Click here to read more.
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Despite age of consent being 16, Michigan Board of Education wants to teach ‘safe and healthy’ sex to 8-year-olds
Michigan’s Department of Education has proposed major updates to the state’s health education standards, reshaping how schools teach about sex, relationships, and identity. The draft guidelines, still under review, emphasize inclusivity, consent, and respect, and have sparked debate among educators, parents, and lawmakers across the state.
The proposal moves away from the state’s longstanding abstinence-focused framework toward a more comprehensive model. It calls for lessons that explicitly address sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, encouraging respect for all individuals regardless of their background.
Students in middle and high school would learn to define and distinguish between biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, treating each as a distinct part of personal identity. The framework also asks students to practice empathy and show courtesy toward those whose sexuality or gender differs from their own. Click here to read more.
Foreign Journalists Asked Kamala the Questions Americans Wouldn’t
Last month, former Vice President Kamala Harris made the rounds of supportive liberal networks to promote her campaign book “107 Days.” The title implied it was impossible for her to beat that allegedly despised dictator Donald Trump with so little time.
No one expected much of the interviewers, starting with ABC’s “The View",” which could have titled the interview “You Had Me at Hello.” They put a six-pack of suck-ups on the set. The “conservative” Alyssa Farah Griffin could only ask if Harris missed any warning signs.
The biggest event in that interview was co-host Sunny Hostin confessing to the Mom-ala that she felt she’d hurt her chances by asking an obvious question: Where do you differ from Joe Biden? Harris said she couldn’t think of anything. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.
Movement Barrels Forward To Euthanize 12 Year Old Children In Canada
Advocates for assisted suicide in Canada, where it’s been legal for just under a decade, are pushing to expand the practice to children.
Canada’s euthanasia program, known as MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying), started back in 2016 for people whose natural death was “reasonably foreseeable” and wanted to end their lives. It’s already been expanded — both expanding the pool of adults who are eligible and how it can be administered, leading to an explosion of suicides in recent years.
Now, groups are calling for minors as young as 12 years old to be included in the government-funded suicide program. One advocacy group, called “Dying With Dignity Canada,” recommends minors as young as 12 be included in the program, and goes as far as to suggest 16 and 17-year-olds shouldn’t even need parental consent to be killed by a doctor if they fit broad criteria.
The group calls for assessing age eligibility based on “maturity” rather than “chronological age.” Click here to read more.
Ranchers decry beef imports from Argentina, expert says good start
Consumers feeling the pang of high beef prices at the grocery store may see some relief from a plan to import beef from Argentina but it’s not likely to be much, according to an expert.
Marc Busch is an expert on international trade policy and law. He’s also the Karl F. Landegger Professor of International Business Diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Busch said the increase in beef prices is the result of a combination of factors, including the lowest U.S. beef cattle headcount since 1951.
“We have a shortage of domestic beef. We have higher input prices, not least because of the tariffs, on what it takes to grow a herd, and we have a Byzantine system of import quotas that don’t make a lot of sense and that keep trade from filling in where domestic production falls short,” he told The Center Square. Click here to read more.
Clerk’s mistake leads woman to $500K win, lottery says
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A woman in South Carolina won $500,000 off a scratch-off ticket because of a clerk’s mistake.
The South Carolina Education Lottery said the woman had bought a $10 scratch-off ticket at a Piggly Wiggly in Columbia.
She told officials she had pointed to a different one than the “Feeling Lucky?” game ticket the clerk accidentally handed her.
“I just kept it,” the woman, whose name was not released, said in a statement. Thanks to the mistake, she won a $500,000 prize.
“It was a blessing that changed my life,” she said.
The lottery said the odds of winning $500,000 in the “Feeling Lucky?” game are 1 in 1.5 million. Two top prizes still remain for the game.
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