Jocelyn Benson loses in court again! Judge rules SOS can’t hide records on method voters cast ballots

It’s another courtroom loss for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates issued a 7-page ruling on Monday that found Benson, who is overseeing her own election for governor as the Democratic frontrunner, can not deny access to records detailing the method voters cast their ballots.

The case stems from a lawsuit from conservative activist Phani Mantravadi, who sued Benson’s Bureau of Elections in 2024 after the bureau eliminated voting type identifiers for absentee, Election Day, and early voting from his subscription to the state’s Qualified Voter File.

In a notice, the bureau cited “the constitutional right to a secret ballot” as the impetus behind the “big change to the reporting process,” according to the ruling. Click here to read more.

 

Playing Cops: Criminals Pretending To Be Police Is a National Problem

Working at a 24/7 bodega in the heart of Brooklyn, Tajuken Deli employees are prepared for almost anything – except having guns pointed at their heads by cops.

That’s what seemed to be happening one early April morning last year, when four armed men dressed in police uniforms flashed their badges, yelling “NYPD” as they stormed the neighborhood shop. Surveillance video shows one worker being quickly knocked to the ground and zip-tied into submission before being dragged to the back of the store. Another worker and customer were also subdued as the masked thieves dressed as cops made off with cash and a bag of lottery ticket receipts before fleeing in a dark van.

“You don’t know who to trust nowadays,” local resident Danny Taylor told a TV reporter. Click here to read more.

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Unfair policies shut kids out of extracurriculars

More than 160 school districts in Illinois lock kids out of participating in school activities simply because they aren’t full-time public school students.

It’s not the law. The Illinois School Code allows school boards to make district activities inclusive for all resident students.

But those 165 districts completely exclude part-time students. A student could attend school five or more hours a day and still not get to compete with the marching band on Saturdays.

Some districts’ policies would be comical if they weren’t so unfair. Delavan CUSD 703 in Central Illinois prohibits part-time students from participating in district activities. Click here to read more.

 

The significance of DOJ indictment of former Fauci Advisor Dr. David Morens

In a major development tied to long-running congressional probes into the origins of Covid-19, the Justice Department has announced the indictment of Dr. David Morens. Charges include conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; concealment, removal, or mutilation of records; and aiding and abetting.

There are also reports as of this publication that former FBI Director James Comey has also been indicted.

Morens, age 78, is a former senior advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He also served as a top aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci from 2006 to 2022.

According to prosecutors, Morens and as-yet unnamed co-conspirators allegedly orchestrated a plan to dodge Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and federal records laws during the pandemic. Click here to read more.

 

How the nonprofit left turned helping the homeless into a demand for obedience.

This week, I was physically assaulted by a homeless nonprofit worker while spending time with people I know on the street. What happened next revealed something I have been watching for years: parts of the homeless service system have confused compassion with control.

I was having a good day. I had just finished an interview and was talking with people I know when two nonprofit workers rode up hostile and began yelling that I was “exploiting” homeless people by interviewing them and offering five dollars for their time. Then a woman who calls herself Squire struck me in the head. Click here to read more.

Thanks for being here. I send this email out Monday - Friday showing you the stories you won’t see in the mainstream media.

 

 

Michigan sees steep decline in 2026 national economic ranking

Michigan fell 13 spots in an annual ranking of economic competitiveness — the third worst fall for any state since reporting began in 2008.

The Great Lakes State dropped from 19th place nationally to 32nd in just one year, according to the 2026 edition of “Rich States Poor States,” an annual report published by the American Legislative Exchange Council. “Rich States Poor States” ranks the economic competitiveness of states based on differences in tax rates, minimum wage laws, liability costs and other state policies. The ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index considers a total of 15 variables to establish a state’s standing.

Michigan’s highest ranking came during the years of former Gov. Rick Snyder, when it reached 12th place in 2019. Click here to read more.

 

UM sorry for graduation speaker’s praise for pro-Hamas student protestors — 1,000 students, staff demand apology withdrawal

University of Michigan officials are apologizing for commencement remarks by faculty senate chair Derek Peterson on Saturday to honor of pro-Hamas protestors.

“A today’s U-M spring commencement ceremony, our outgoing Faculty Senate Chair made remarks regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict that were hurtful and insensitive to many members of our community,” UM President Domenico Grasso wrote in a statement posted to the university’s website. “We regret the pain this has caused on a day devoted to celebration and accomplishment. For this, the university apologizes.”

More than 1,000 faculty and students have since signed onto a letter urging Grasso to withdraw the apology. Click here to read more.

I don’t let my kids have phones. I use Rapid Radios to stay in touch. Click here to learn more about these push to talk nationwide walkie talkies.

 

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How the Sunrise Movement Became a Vehicle for Disruptive Protests

At its inception, the Sunrise Movement was a youth-led climate advocacy organization. The group made a major splash during the first Trump administration, with high-visibility protests, including a 2018 sit-in at Nancy Pelosi’s office featuring New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a clear focus on climate change.

But like many peer organizations, Sunrise underwent what some have described as an “identity crisis” during the Biden administration. Its focus grew broader and more radical, especially after it broke decisively with mainstream Democrats following Biden’s support for Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Last September, after years of mission drift, Sunrise shifted its purpose to “getting rid of the authoritarian government we’re in.” Click here to read more.

 

Teen fulfills lifelong promise of taking his grandmother to prom: ‘It’s her dream’

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A teen in Wisconsin fulfilled his lifelong promise of taking his grandmother to prom.

Avant Williams is a junior at La Crosse Central High School. While most students take a date their own age, Williams made a promise to his grandmother when he was a toddler.

“Since I was like a little kid, my grandma’s been telling me she wanted to go to prom. It’s her dream, and then today I just feel like I should make that come true,” Williams said.

His grandmother, Svala Heller, is from Iceland, where proms are not common.

“She didn’t have a prom, so then my junior year of prom she told me I have to take her, so that’s why we’re here,” Williams said.

For Heller, her dream has been shaped by years of watching American culture from afar.

 

DOJ sues Denver over assault weapons ordinance, alleging Second Amendment violation

DENVER — The Trump administration sued Denver and its police department on Tuesday seeking to strike down an assault weapons ban that has been in place for Colorado’s largest city since 1989.

The lawsuit came a day after Denver officials publicly rejected calls by the Department of Justice to repeal the longstanding city ordinance that makes it a crime to possess assault weapons.

Trump administration officials allege the ban violates the Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“The Constitution is not a suggestion and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Denver’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles directly violates the right to bear arms.” Click here to read more.

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Whitmer seeks $150M for megasite prep after market rejects $261M Mundy site

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes $150 million to spend on new public infrastructure for megasites.

The proposal comes after the state spent $261 million on site preparation at the Mundy megasite that spans about 1,300 acres in Genesee County. That money was spent, in part, on buying residents out of their homes and then demolishing 43 buildings for a project that never came.

Michigan Capitol Confidential obtained a copy of the demolition map through a records request.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel should sue to stop more houses from being demolished, according to Rep. Steve Carra R-Three Rivers. Click here to read more.

 

DC judge apologizes to alleged White House correspondents’ dinner shooter for jail treatment

Washington, D.C., judge on Monday apologized to the suspect who allegedly opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ dinner last month for how he has been treated by authorities in jail.

Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, was placed under suicide watch at the D.C. jail because he allegedly told the FBI that he expected to die during the shooting. Suicide watch protocols mandated Allen remain on a 24-hour lockdown in a “safe cell,” with no phone access to call or receive visits from anyone other than his legal team.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine claimed that since Allen told investigators he did not expect to survive the alleged attack, he could pose a danger to himself. Click here to read more.

 

Michigan Supreme Court bans ICE from courthouses — and during ‘reasonable and direct travel’ to and from

Starting Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is banned from arresting illegal immigrants at courthouses, or during “reasonable and direct travel” to and from, the Michigan Supreme Court decreed Wednesday.

“Parties, attorneys, and subpoenaed witnesses are not subject to civil arrest while going to, attending, and returning from the places they are required to attend,” the rule issued Wednesday reads. “No officer of any of the several courts of record, including jurors, shall be subject to civil arrest while going to, attending, or returning from any actual sitting of the court of which he is an officer.”

The rule, proposed in November, came at the urging of the American Civil Liberties Union, immigrant rights activists, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Democratic lawmakers, garnering about 2,500 comments during a monthlong public comment period. Click here to read more.

 

New Jersey expands nurse freedom, improving patient access to care

Trenton, New Jersey; March 31, 2026: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a law yesterday increasing experienced nurses’ freedom to treat patients without mandatory physician oversight agreements. The law exempts advanced practice nurses with more than 5,000 hours of experience from joint protocol requirements when providing primary or behavioral health care, expanding access to care for patients across the state.

“When you trust qualified nurses to do their jobs, patients win,” said Jaimie Cavanaugh, Senior State Policy Counsel with Pacific Legal Foundation. “Nurses shouldn’t have to pay a physician to serve patients they are also qualified to provide care for. Today, New Jersey joins a growing number of states recognizing that nurse freedom and patient access go hand in hand.” Click here to read more.

 

Self-Checkout Is Under Fire Across the Country. Is Theft Really the Reason?

Self-checkout machines are in the crosshairs. In recent months, numerous states and localities have considered legislation to curtail the use of automated checkout in grocery stores. These bills are often positioned as part of an effort to cut down on retail theft, but it appears the driving force behind them is to create more unionized jobs.

According to USA Today, at least six states have considered rules that would restrict self-checkout machines. The states range from blue Connecticut to red Ohio, but it doesn’t stop there. Two cities in California already have self-checkout limits in place, while New York City is currently considering restrictions as well.

Self-checkout restrictions are often framed as a commonsense crime prevention measure that projects grocery store workers and cuts back against the recent uptick in retail theft nationwide. But when it comes to these bills, the fine print points toward a different motivation. Click here to read more.

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