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Gretchen Whitmer warns state hospitals to provide abortions for ‘pregnant patients’

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is taking action to protect “pregnant patients” from a change in federal guidance she alleges “will put thousands of lives at risk.”

Whitmer’s Bureau of Community and Health Systems issued a notice to all of the state’s hospitals on Tuesday “reiterating their responsibility to continue providing adequate and appropriate reproductive care to patients.”

“This letter comes after the recent revocation of guidance on how (the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) applies to pregnant patients, meaning that hospitals may be deterred or discouraged from providing life- or health-saving care, including abortions,” according to a release from the governor’s office. Click here to read more.

 

Massachusetts Schools May Risk Top Ranking to Lift Struggling Students

A high-stakes battle over the future of education is playing out in the state that has long had the best public schools in the nation – Massachusetts.

The likely overhaul of high school education and graduation requirements in Massachusetts is mostly aimed at lifting the academic performance of low-income black and Latino students who have been left behind in the state’s rise to the top. Leading the charge are progressive teachers’ unions and school administrations that want to broaden the scope of high school to include soft skills like teamwork and cultural awareness, as well as career training. The goal is to motivate students by aligning instruction with the workplace needs of a high-tech global economy.

But the architects of the sweeping 1990s reforms in Massachusetts that introduced high academic standards and accountability through testing are trying to hold the line. They fear that the focus on the fundamental subjects of English, math, and science – as well as the state’s top ranking – will be sacrificed along the way, hurting disadvantaged students most of all. Click here to read more.

 

After Raking In $800M In Taxpayer Dollars, Planned Parenthood Now Offers Trans Service

WASHINGTON D.C. - Planned Parenthood has long been synonymous with abortion, profiting from the violent destruction of preborn children. But now, the nation’s largest abortion chain has added another sinister revenue stream — mutilating young people in the name of “gender-affirming care.” It is past time for Congress to cut off the more than half a billion dollars in taxpayer funding that Planned Parenthood receives annually. Americans should not be forced to subsidize an organization that ends the life of preborn babies and irreversibly harms confused young people.

Planned Parenthood’s total revenue for 2023-24 was $2.03B, nearly the same as the previous fiscal year of 2022-23 at $2.05B. They took in a staggering $498 million just in donations in 2022 — and instead of improving the horrific conditions inside its clinics, it funneled much of it into advancing its radical political and legal agenda. In 2024 alone, the abortion giant spent $69.5 million to defeat pro-life Republican candidates and policies. Click here to read more.

 

Woman facing homelessness after refusing to give up beloved dog: ‘She’s my everything’

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – A woman in North Carolina found herself facing homelessness, but she said she’d rather sleep on the street than go to a homeless shelter.

Why? Because she refuses to abandon her 15-year-old dog, Sissy.

“I can’t get rid of her,” Velvet Berlin said. “She’ll die of a broken heart and abandonment.”

Berlin moved to the Kannapolis area several months ago after a family member’s death. That trauma led to her losing the place she was living at.

The only thing she has left is a shopping cart full of her last worldly possessions, and her 15-year-old dog Sissy, who she raised since she was a puppy.

Berlin has been outdoors for four months, and the blazing summer heat is taking its toll on her and her beloved dog.

“It’s hard on her, and it’s hard on me as well,” she said. Click here to read more.

 

NC Board of Elections approves three-part plan to collect missing ID numbers

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously approved a plan to collect missing identification numbers for local voter rolls on June 24.

Driver’s license numbers and the last four numbers of Social Security numbers for state voters will be obtained for voters who lack either identification number in their records.

The plan was drafted after an NC Court of Appeals order to resolve outstanding lawsuits around voter registrations.

“I’ve said from day one that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with the law. I believe this three-part plan is the best way to ensure this happens,” said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We are making this process as simple and straightforward as possible for the affected voters.” Click here to read more.

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Consumers Energy makes 6th rate hike request in 6 years

LANSING, Mich - Consumers Energy’s request for a $436 million rate increase is one of the largest requests on record and comes just three months after a $154 million rate hike took effect.

The regional monopoly provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million residents. Michigan Capitol Confidential reported in April on Consumers’ plan to request another rate increase from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The company’s 2024 request started out at $325 million but ended up at $154 million, resulting in a 2.8% increase for residential customers.

“Consumers Energy is committed to delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to nearly 2 million homes and businesses,” said Katie Carey, director of media relations for CMS Energy & Consumers Energy, in an email to CapCon.

She added that the company understands many of their customers struggle to pay bills. Click here to read more.

 

Waste of the Day: City Attorney Gets Paid During 4-Month Cruise

SAN DIEGO, Calif - Most Americans would likely be happy with any job that pays $283,000 per year, let alone one that allows them to take a months-long international cruise while on the clock.

San Diego residents have been paying Assistant City Attorney Jean Jordan to do exactly that. Jordan was on a cruise to Africa and Europe from Jan. 20 to May 16 of this year while bragging to colleagues that she was “having a grand time,” according to emails obtained by the Daily Mail.

Key facts: Jordan visited Italy, Gibraltar and more while getting paid for four months of work — $94,333 — and accruing vacation time and benefits during her 117-day trip. Jordan worked during the trip and her boss told the Daily Mail she was in “constant communication” with Jordan, but emails showed several hurdles that could have prevented Jordan from doing her job efficiently. Click here to read more.

 

Illegal Alien Gang Member, Freed into U.S. by Biden Administration, Charged with Attempted Murder of ICE Agent

OMAHA, NE - An illegal alien Tren de Aragua gang member who was released into the United States by the Biden administration is now charged with attempted murder of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, an illegal alien and known member of Tren de Aragua, which has been designated as a terrorist organization, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder of a federal officer and assault of a federal officer with infliction of bodily injury.

On June 18, ICE agents sought to take Hurtado-Cariaco into custody in Bellevue, Nebraska.

During the operation, Hurtado-Cariaco allegedly threw an ICE agent to the ground, bashed her head into the pavement, and ripped off her protective armor while repeatedly making violent contact with the agent. Click here to read more.

 

Father rescued from river after 10-year-old daughter paddles for help

NEW ORLEANS - A father was rescued after being injured while kayaking after his 10-year-old daughter paddled for help.

Deputies said the child called 911 after her father was seriously injured while kayaking in the Bogue Chitto River in Louisiana.

The man hit his head and was bleeding badly when his daughter pulled him into a sandbar before paddling downstream to find help.

She eventually reached the Warnerton Bridge and called for emergency assistance.

Firefighters attempted to wade upriver with the girl to reach her father, but were forced to stop due to strong currents and deep water, so they called in additional help from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. Click here to read more.

 

Illinois law allows brazen squatters to extort Chicago property owner

It should go without saying: Squatters are not the same as overstaying tenants. Tenants that overstay had a legal contract with the property owner that allowed them to be in the home. Squatters never did. A property owner may not even know of squatters’ presence. Squatting, simply put, is criminal trespassing.

Yet several states have treated trespassers like overstaying tenants, resulting in a lack of protection for property rights and forcing some property owners to take matters into their own hands. For example, a Chicago homeowner recently paid a ransom to get trespassers to stop squatting and leave because buying them off was cheaper and faster than the eviction process under current Illinois law.

South Side property owner Marco Velazquez called police when he discovered squatters, Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend Codarro, in his family home. But when officers responded, Shermaine and Codarro showed them an allegedly fake mortgage document. The officers told Marco that, even though they could not find the document in their records, he would have to file an eviction case in civil court to prove Shermaine and Codarro were squatters. Only then might Marco be able to remove them from his property.

Marco, afraid he would have to wait for six months to a year for a civil case to be heard, paid the squatters a $4,300 ransom to leave. Click here to read more.

TROY, MI — The Troy School District Board of Education is grappling with rising concerns over its elementary reading and writing curriculum as student proficiency scores continue to decline — part of a broader trend linked to the use of now-disputed teaching methods across Michigan.

At its latest meeting, the board considered whether to continue using the "Units of Study" curriculum, developed by education professor Lucy Calkins. While the curriculum has been widely used in districts across the country, it has come under fire in recent years for lacking alignment with the “science of reading,” a research-based approach emphasizing phonics and explicit instruction.

A resolution was brought forward to approve the continued use of the writing component of the Calkins curriculum for grades K–5 starting in the 2025–2026 school year. After lengthy discussion, the board voted 5–2 in favor of the plan, though the vote revealed a deep divide over the curriculum’s effectiveness.

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One board member, who voted against the adoption, expressed strong concern that the curriculum does not reflect the latest evidence-based practices. “Our district must begin to align all literacy instruction with the science of reading,” the member said. “The curriculum you’re asking us to approve has been widely criticized for lacking a strong evidence base and not adequately addressing foundational skills. Adopting this would be a step backward.”

Another board member echoed those concerns, sharing that after speaking with administrators in other districts that had transitioned away from Calkins' "Units of Study," she was left questioning why Troy hadn’t explored more alternatives. “I think we lost out on an opportunity to do a deeper dive into other curriculums. That was disappointing to me,” she said.’

These concerns are not unique to Troy. As Michigan Capitol Confidential recently reported, numerous Michigan school districts saw reading scores decline after adopting the Calkins-style curriculum. Troy’s own third-grade English Language Arts proficiency fell from 84.6% in 2014–15 to 63.2% in 2023–24, even as the district spent over $170,000 on reading consultants. The report cited experts who say the decline coincides with the implementation of balanced literacy methods and a move away from phonics-based teaching.

However, supporters of the Calkins curriculum on the board pointed to important strengths. One member who voted in favor of the adoption said the curriculum has been in place for nearly a decade and has evolved over time with improvements in areas such as grammar and spelling. “This is not a brand new curriculum. It’s something our teachers are already familiar with and support,” the member said. “Even those who don’t fully endorse it are mostly concerned with timing, given expected changes in the state’s reading curriculum.”

Another board member added, “The writing that was talked about is motivating for students. It’s not just workbook-based — it’s rich, student-driven, and encourages creativity. That’s important.”

The board emphasized that while the writing curriculum was approved, it does not mean the conversation is over. Several members suggested a reassessment of the reading program may be on the horizon.

“We may reassess our writing and reading curriculum together and make adjustments as needed,” said one board member, acknowledging the growing momentum toward science-of-reading approaches.

The vote reflects the tension between honoring teacher familiarity with an existing program and responding to data and research that call for change.

What’s next:

• The board plans to closely monitor writing outcomes over the next two years.

• Possible changes to the district’s reading curriculum are expected as the state finalizes new literacy mandates.

• Ongoing discussions with teachers, administrators, and parents will help shape future decisions.

While some board members argue that change is needed now, others believe that building on the current curriculum — with continuous improvement and teacher support — can still benefit students.

“We all want what’s best for kids,” said one board member. “This decision was difficult, but it reflects our desire to keep moving forward, even as we keep learning.”