LANSING, Mich. — Michigan is restarting efforts to collect more than $2.7 billion in unemployment benefit overpayments from roughly 350,000 workers, following settlement of a class‐action lawsuit that had paused collection activity.

What’s Happening & Key Dates

Under a court‐approved settlement in Saunders v. UIA, the UIA will lift the pause on collecting overpaid unemployment benefits effective September 12, 2025.

First payments from affected claimants are due September 29, 2025.

Claimants will begin seeing notices in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts starting September 9, with a follow‐up formal collection notice (Form 1088) on or after September 12 that spells out the amount owed and options for repayment.

Want to get news emailed to you the media isn’t covering. Make sure you are signed up to my free newsletter? You can also become a paid subscriber, if you are not already to support my independent journalism.

 

Become a Supporter

 

Who’s Affected

The resumption applies to people whose overpayment claims date back to March 2020, the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Many of those affected filed claims in 2020 or 2021.

Relief / Waiver Options

For those who cannot pay, the UIA is offering financial hardship waivers.

Claims with findings of fraud will not be eligible for waivers.

Payments may be made through MiWAM or by mail using the provided Form 1088 Payment Voucher.

Legal & Policy Background

The pause in collections had been imposed due to Saunders v. UIA, a class‐action suit challenging the UIA’s overpayment collections practices. As part of that litigation, some collections were halted while issues such as timely protest or appeal, and fairness of notice, were considered.

In May 2025, a settlement in the lawsuit was reached, requiring UIA to resume collections under updated terms.

Wider Context & Issues

The $2.7 billion figure reflects overpayments that occurred due largely to pandemic-era disruptions: overwhelmed systems, rapidly changing eligibility rules, worker mistakes, and possibly agency administrative errors.

Advocates note that many affected individuals are likely already under financial strain, and the sudden demand for repayment could exacerbate hardships. Some have raised concerns about whether proper notice was given at the time of the overpayments, and whether claimants had sufficient opportunity to protest or appeal.

There’s uncertainty about how much of the $2.7 billion will actually be recovered, given waivers, financial hardships, and in some cases, inability to locate claimants.

What Claimants Should Know

Check your MiWAM account for messages about overpayments and upcoming collection notices.

If you owe money and cannot pay, apply for a waiver promptly. The UIA provides a process for requesting a hardship waiver.

Even if collection is resuming, there may be legal protections if your protest or appeal was in process or if you were improperly denied appeal rights.

Reaction and Implications

Some claimants say they were surprised by the timing, citing that in many cases they were notified years ago of overpayments but did not face collection until now.

The UIA says securing these repayments is necessary to protect the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and ensure benefits remain available for future claimants.

Legal experts observe that the UIA’s policies during the pandemic—including the way appeals and protests were handled, and how overpayments were determined—are under increased scrutiny, as are the procedural protections for claimants.

Bottom line: If you received unemployment benefits in Michigan during the pandemic and were later told you were overpaid, there’s a strong chance now that the state will demand repayment starting September 29, 2025, unless you qualify for a waiver or there are legal protections in your case. Keeping tabs on notices, understanding your rights, and acting early will be crucial.

WALLED LAKE, Mich. — Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is addressing questions from parents after its new middle school math curriculum, Inspiring Connections CPM Mathematicians Notebook, was found to include a gender-neutral title in a handful of workbook questions.

In a letter sent to families of sixth- and seventh-grade students on Sept. 12, Superintendent Dr. Michael A. Lonze said the district became aware that the title “Mx.” appeared in some of the materials. He stressed that the district is not teaching about gender neutrality and that the presence of the title does not change the focus of instruction.

The media won’t touch this story. I left the mainstream so you could know the truth. I give it to you free, but I can’t keep going without support. For less than $1 a week, become a paid subscriber and help me keep doing this work.

 

Become a Supporter

 

“Let me be clear, with this curriculum the District is not placing a value (good or bad) on the presence of this title. We are not teaching about gender-neutrality. The teacher’s focus will be on the math content,” Lonze wrote.

School Board member Lisa West said that during the book renewal process, she asked whether the publisher could edit the workbooks to remove the gender-neutral title. West noted that according to Lonze, the publisher was unwilling to make changes.

West said she believed the district would provide parents with the exact page and problem numbers so they could decide whether their child should complete them. She said that information was never shared and plans to ask why.

The curriculum update has been in progress for three years. Teachers and staff evaluated instructional resources with the goal of strengthening math instruction, aligning with state standards, and improving student achievement. The Walled Lake Board of Education approved the updated program in spring 2024. Implementation began this school year in sixth grade, will expand to seventh grade in 2025-2026, and will reach eighth grade in 2026-2027.

What “Mx.” Means

The title “Mx.” (pronounced “mix”) is a gender-neutral alternative to Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. It is used by people who do not identify with gendered titles or who prefer not to disclose gender.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the title has been in use since the late 1970s. Merriam-Webster added “Mx.” to its dictionary in 2016, describing it as “used as a gender-neutral title of courtesy.”

District Response

In his letter, Lonze acknowledged that families may respond differently to the presence of the title in school materials but reiterated the district’s position that the goal of the program is to strengthen math education.

“We respect every family’s voice in their child’s education and deeply appreciate our partnership,” he wrote. “Our goal is to help your child succeed at math and to implement the absolute best math curriculum for our students.”

Parents with additional questions are being encouraged to contact their child’s principal.

The loss of Charlie Kirk reminds me why I do this. I walked away from 25 years in mainstream media to deliver the news others won’t, and I need your help to keep going. For less than a dollar a week, becoming a paid subscriber allows me to stay independent and focused on this mission. Click red button below.

Become a Supporter

 

 

Disguising DEI: Schools Keep Trying to Push a Discredited Ideology

It’s back-to-school season, and some teachers have promised that the racist ideas from diversity, equity, and inclusion would not be in their classrooms this year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that many of these teachers and administrators are clearly telling whoppers.

In fact, K-12 schools and colleges around the country are disguiding their DEO offices and their racial preferences.

Take Maryland, across the border from the nation’s capital and where many federal bureaucrats sleep and send their children to school.

State education officials said schools would comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders calling on schools to reject DEI, citing the ways in which DEI programs violate civil rights laws. Click here to read more.

 

Lawmaker Backs Plan to Let Michigan Bow Hunters Pack Pistols for Protection

LANSING, Mich. – One Michigan lawmaker wants to move forward with a plan to allow Michigan bow hunters to carry a pistol with them for personal protection.

“Hunters can face many dangers in the woods, especially from close encounters with predator species like bears, wolves, and cougar,” said Rep. Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River), who is backing the legislation. “Bow hunters are very limited in their ability to respond if one of these animals becomes aggressive and decides to attack them.”

Currently, Michigan law only allows bow hunters to carry a pistol if they possess a valid Concealed Pistol License (CPL). Prestin explained that “Gun owners who are otherwise legally able to open-carry their handguns are prohibited from doing so once they walk into the woods with a bow.”

Prestin explained that a black bear with three cubs attacked a young bow hunter last year. The hunter held the bear off but required 40 stitches in his leg from an injury sustained during the attack. He said Michigan hunters deserve safety in the woods. Click here to read more.

 

Another Year of Education Failure for Our Nation’s Children

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has released national scores for 2024. Those scores continue to be on the decline. In fact, they are at record lows.

The majority of students who took the NAEP were not proficient in reading or math. Only 35% of seniors were proficient in reading, and just 22% were proficient in math. These new graduates are educationally handicapped as they take off on their postsecondary paths. How are they supposed to be successful in college? Clearly, something has got to change because our kids aren’t being educated.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon had plenty to say about these abysmal numbers. In a post on X, she wrote, “Today’s [NAEP] 12th grade math and reading and 8th grade science scores confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows. Nearly HALF of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. The status quo is failing our students.”

McMahon went on to explain that billions of taxpayer dollars have been thrown at public education, yet there is no improvement in student achievement. Her pitch, as well as President Donald Trump’s, is to send that money to the states and allow them to be responsible for their own students’ success. Click here to read more.

 

Student, teacher get into physical altercation over cell phone

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WHBQ) - A teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, is facing an assault allegation.

It stemmed from an altercation with a student over a cell phone.

Police described what is seen in the video as a “tussle.”

The video shows a teacher and a student entangled over a cell phone.

“When I seen the teacher on my daughter, my heart dropped. I was worried. I was concerned. I was too busy, worried about my child’s safety,” said mother Gwendolyn Williams.

This year, Tennessee banned cell phones in classrooms statewide.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools recently updated its policy to follow the law.

It says phone can be confiscated, but “teachers are not encouraged to physically retrieve them, only request a surrender or call an administrator.” Click here to read more.

 

Parents outraged after youth football coach revealed as registered sex offender

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — Parents with kids on the Clark County Youth Football (CCYF) are outraged after officials on the team say they were informed one of the coaches was a registered sex offender.

According to the Facebook post, the league was notified on Friday about the coach and verified those claims through both the Washington Association of Sheriff's and law enforcement.

"Within 2 hours of learning the information, the coach was removed from the league. We had no prior knowledge of his record based off of information provided for a background check," Clark County Youth Football said in a post on Facebook.

The post also went on to say that following this weekend's game the board met to draft up new protocols to prevent this from happening again. Click here to read more.