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Michigan cities fight residents over free speech

A First Amendment watchdog group says 20 local governments in the state of Michigan violated the Constitution through public comment rules that limit critical comments.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonprofit that advocates free speech rights, pointed to multiple cases of municipalities ruling out critical commentary. In some cases around the state, cities have taken action against critics. The city of Taylor fought a resident who wanted to read critical emails out loud, and the mayor of Jackson prevented a man from criticizing a city council member during public commentary.

In municipalities all across the state, restrictions are baked into public commentary rules.

Some of the attempts to limit speech take the form of requests, such as the city of Grand Rapids’ guidelines against criticism and profanity. Click here to read more.

 

How Sports Journalism Lurched Leftward

The U.S. attorney tasked in 2020 by Attorney General William Barr with vetting evidence related to the Biden family and Ukrainian corruption knew nothing about the recently revealed “Round River” FBI operation launched to neutralize all negative information and allegations of Biden family corruption.

That secret operation not only left the Pittsburgh-based U.S. attorney unaware of potentially relevant information, it also buried scores of derogatory allegations about the Biden family in the FBI’s prohibited access files, preventing them from being accessed by any other FBI officials.

Early this week, news broke that FBI agents had recently discovered “the opening memo and files” for an investigation branded Round River, which targeted individuals who shared or distributed allegations against the Biden family, and was also run out of the Pittsburgh office. Click here to read more.

 

Chicago Teachers Union demands ‘no work, no school’ May 1 shutdown

The Chicago Teachers Union is demanding a day of “no work” and “no school” on May 1. It’s launching “what amounts to a one-day strike,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The union’s House of Delegates passed a resolution March 11 pushing the mayor and the Chicago Public Schools board to go along with a scheme to take kids and teachers out of school for a paid day off and excused absence.

Activities CTU has listed for the day include “mass resistance training,” “marches and rallies,” “Peace Concerts” and voter registration drives.

With chronic absenteeism already high — and reading and math proficiency embarrassingly low — scrapping classes for a day of political activism isn’t in the educational best interest of students. Click here to read more.

 

Michigan synagogue attacker’s brother was Hezbollah terrorist: IDF

The man behind Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in Michigan is the brother of a recently killed Hezbollah commander, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

On Sunday, the IDF announced the connection between Ayman Mohamad Ghazali and his brother, Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, in a post on X. According to the post, Ibrahim Ghazali was responsible for managing weapons operations within a special branch of the Badr Unit.

Ibrahim Ghazali was killed in Lebanon, along with three other relatives, on March 5 — a week before authorities allege Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove his car into a major synagogue outside Detroit and killed himself after security fired at him. Click here to read more.

 

Fire damages four electric school buses in Vermont

WILLISTON, Vt. - Firefighters extinguished a late-night fire involving four electric school buses Wednesday, which had damages totaling at over $2 million in losses, says the Williston Fire Department.

Fire crews were dispatched to the scene, at Allen Brook School on Talcott Road after hearing about several buses on fire there. Firefighters say they arrived within three minutes of dispatch, which was at about 10:20 p.m.

There, they found four electric school buses ‘actively burning’, and immediately began suppression efforts. Fire officials note that the buses and their charging stations sustained signifigant damage, with a loss reportedly totaling at over $2 million.

The fire itself was quickly extinguished within five minutes of the department’s arrival. No injuries were reported. Click here to read more.

Thank you for being here. You will be getting this email M to F at 7 a.m. of the stories the media doesn’t want you to see. Help me to keep my work going by becoming a paid subscriber. I can’t continue this work without some paid subscribers.

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MEDC spent $31k to send 5 employees to Middle East in December

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation spent $31,862 to send five employees to the Middle East in December.

The embattled public-private organization spent $16,241 on hotels, $10,634 on airfare, $3,434 on ground transportation, and $1,555 on meals, according to a document that Michigan Capitol Confidential obtained through a records request.

“Last week, five Michigan businesses traveled to the Middle East to explore new opportunities and build global partnerships that drive growth back home,” the MEDC posted on LinkedIn in January. “Coordinated by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers and the MEDC International Trade team, these companies participated in strategic B2B and B2G meetings tailored to their goals. We’re proud to provide the access and expertise Michigan businesses need to compete and win globally.” Click here to read more.

 

How Sports Journalism Lurched Leftward

The furor over the USA men’s hockey team visiting the Trump White House has faded, but the gap between sports media and the average fan lingers. Hockey enthusiasts celebrated the American players’ return to their local NHL teams, but journalists showered the squad with criticism for doing what dozens of teams from numerous sports had done before: visit Washington to be cheered by the president and the nation. What was acceptable in Barack Obama’s presidency, when more than 80 teams visited the White House, was denigrated under Trump as “a lustrous display of sportswashing.”

Sports media’s reaction to Trump’s congratualory phone call and White House meeting with the men’s hockey team is the latest example of the field’s leftward lurch. Sportswriters were once local reporters who recapped games and delivered hard-won insights to fans. Today, they often work for national publications and hold degrees from left-wing journalism schools, alienating them from average sports fans. Click here to read more.

 

Florida Democrat lawmakers accused of destroying socks designed by child with Down syndrome

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democratic lawmakers have been accused of destroying knitted socks designed by a child with Down syndrome that were gifted to members of the state House of Representatives by Republican State Rep. Meg Weinberger.

The incident stems from a gesture meant to promote inclusion and creativity during the legislative session. Weinberger distributed the “MAGA Meg” socks, which feature a design hand-drawn by Sammy Loudon, a young entrepreneur with Down syndrome. Loudon, the son of conservative media personality Dr. Gina Loudon, spent eight drafts perfecting the artwork depicting Weinberger as a cowboy on horseback, according to a handout accompanying the gifts. Click here to read more.

 

HHS assistant secretary Brian Christine says detransition care will be top priority

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary for Health Brian Christine vowed that the Trump administration will make resources and care for detrainsitioners a top priority.

Christine spoke with Washington Examiner’s Gabrielle Etzel before the Detransitioner Awareness Day conference held in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

“They need mental health support, they need emotional support, they need love, and they need to understand that this government, this administration, this secretary of HHS, and this assistant secretary for health stand with them to protect them and get them through these things,” Christine told the Washington Examiner. Click here to read more.

 

Gretchen Whitmer tells BlackRock audience: ‘We have started to look at the possibility of some toll roads in Michigan’

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a pit stop during her recent trek to Washington to lobby President Donald Trump, offering her expertise on the “politics of infrastructure” at a BlackRock Infrastructure Summit on Wednesday.

During a 20-minute “state spotlight” with Semafor Editor Ben Smith, the term-limited Democrat reflected on what inspired her 2018 campaign promise to “fix the damn roads,” and how her government is “getting the job done” on infrastructure.

“When infrastructure doesn’t work for people, it hurts family, it hurts her whole budget, money out of her rent or childcare,” Whitmer said, recalling a visit at a children’s hospital with a mother who urged her to “fix the damn roads” after hitting a pothole that sidelined her vehicle.

“When the fundamentals aren’t working, people on the margins pay the dearest price for it,” Whitmer said. “And that’s why ‘fix the damn roads’ became our mantra.” Click here to read more.

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WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – According to federal law enforcement sources cited by FOX News, a person drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

FOX News reports the individual then exited the vehicle and was shot and killed by security at the synagogue.

Nearby places of worship and schools have been placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement:

If you want, I can also help you write a strong headline and a one sentence social media caption for this story.

 

Chad Livengood at the Detroit News reports, Text message to members of the Temple Israel synagogue:

"Lockdown is still in place, but the active shooter has been taken down. Lockdown will be in place until they know that the shooter was working alone. All kids and all staff accounted for and fine. Truck rammed into front door and opened fire."