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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and ten others spent $69,203 on a five-day trip to Spain in November.

The Michigan Enjoyer first reported the details, which it obtained through a records request.

Here’s the breakdown: airfare, $36,562.75; hotel, $14,901.61; miscellaneous, $14,179.36; food, $2,984.99; and entertainment, $574.32.

The trip itinerary lists 11 names: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Lluisa Oliveras, director of the Trade Commission of Spain in that country’s consulate in Chicago; Quentin Messer Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Zack Pohl, the governor’s principal deputy chief of staff; Christina Grossi, the governor’s chief legal counsel; Vlatko Tomic-Bobas, MEDC investment director; and Maci Gilmore, the MEDC assistant chief of protocol. Click here to read more.

 

NASHVILLE, TN - During a legislative special session on Thursday, the Tennessee Senate passed the Education Freedom Act of 2025 by a vote of 20 to 13. The bill had passed the House 54 to 44 earlier in the day. It now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. With the stroke of Gov. Bill Lee’s pen, Tennessee will become the 13th state in the nation to enact universal (or near-universal) school choice.

While it’s not official yet, there is no question regarding whether Gov. Lee will sign the bill into law. He has been an enthusiastic education freedom champion and called the Tennessee General Assembly for a special session with the purpose of passing the Education Freedom Act. Last month, Gov. Lee said, “When it comes to education, more freedom is what our children need to succeed. That means empowering parents with school choice…. that’s why we need to pass the Education Freedom Act in Tennessee.” Click here to read more.

 

ASTFORD, CT. - A woman in Connecticut is accused of attaching GPS trackers on a teddy bear and the victim’s vehicle.

Police said they started their investigation on July 29, 2024 after they received a report from a victim that a tracking device was found on a vehicle.

In August 2024, they said they responded to another call from the victim. This time, a tracker was found on a stuffed teddy bear.

The victim told troopers that he believed 36-year-old Jessica Benoit was responsible for the trackers.

Troopers learned that Benoit had been previously in a relationship with the victim.

According to the arrest warrant, she used the name of another person when she went online to register the tracking devices.

By Oct. 16, search warrant was obtained to gain account information about the tracker in the bear, state police said. Click here to read more.

 

SPRINGFIELD, VA - A Virginia school district has reinstated a substitute teacher after initially removing her upon discovering her Christian views on gender ideology.

The teacher, identified by The Daily Signal as Lindsay Rich, was restored this week after an intervention by the Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit Christian legal group.

School officials escorted the teacher from an assignment in September 2024 only two hours after she arrived, and the school board met in a closed session that day to take her off the list, the Liberty Counsel said.

The substitute teacher said her religious views informed her belief that God created humans as male and female, and opposed male students being allowed to enter facilities reserved for female students. Click here to read more.

 

NEW YORK, NY - CBS says it will turn over an unedited transcript of its October interview with Kamala Harris to the Federal Communications Commission, part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing fight with the network over how it handled a story about his opponent.

Trump sued CBS for $10 million over the “60 Minutes” interview, claiming it was deceptively edited to make Harris look good. Published reports said that CBS’ parent company, Paramount, has been talking to Trump’s lawyers about a settlement.

The network said Friday that it was compelled by Brendan Carr, Trump’s appointee as FCC chairman, to turn over the transcripts and camera feeds of the interview for a parallel investigation by the commission. “60 Minutes” has resisted releasing transcripts for this and all of its interviews, to avoid second-guessing of its editing process. Click here to read more.

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Michigan schools have lost more than 100,000 students in just nine years, but somehow, they’ve added more than 35,000 full-time employees.

Michigan schools have lost more than 100,000 students in just nine years, but somehow, they’ve added more than 35,000 full-time employees.

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September 09, 2026
E-bike crashes involving kids are getting attention in Michigan — and now a state lawmaker wants tougher rules. Would new age restrictions go too far? Michigan EBikes news

E-bike crashes involving kids are getting attention in Michigan — and now a state lawmaker wants tougher rules. Would new age restrictions go too far? #Michigan #EBikes #news

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Gladwin mayor challenges city administrator contract clause, calls it a ‘gag order’

Gladwin mayor challenges city administrator contract clause, calls it a ‘gag order’

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September 11, 2026
Michigan High School Students depicts Charlie Kirk murder during school
School district is investigating

LIVONIA, Mich. — Livonia Public Schools says administrators at Churchill High School took action after becoming aware of a student’s reported depiction of the killing of Charlie Kirk.

According to information provided to Keeping it Real, a student reportedly arrived at Churchill High School dressed to depict Kirk being killed, including what appeared to be fake blood running down the student’s neck.

The incident raised questions about how the school responded and whether the depiction violated district policies.

A photograph of the student in the costume was subsequently posted to a non- affiliated

Churchill Instagram account, with the song “We Are Charlie Kirk.”

I have obtained a copy of the photo, but due to its disturbing nature, I have chosen not to publish it.

Keeping it Real contacted school officials seeking an explanation of what happened and how administrators handled the situation.

Stacy Jenkins, administrator of district communications, said Churchill High School officials learned about the situation at the beginning of the school day and acted quickly.

 

“Churchill High School administration was made aware of the situation at the start of the school day and swiftly addressed it with the student involved,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins acknowledged that the depiction was inappropriate.

“While we cannot prevent every poor choice a student may make, we can ensure that inappropriate behavior is addressed when our administration becomes aware — that is exactly what occurred in this situation,” Jenkins said. “The depiction was inappropriate and did not align with our expectations for student behavior.”

The district’s response does not specify what action was taken involving the student or whether disciplinary measures were imposed.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns about how schools handle depictions or references to real-world political violence, particularly when they involve students.

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September 10, 2026
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Michigan pays out smaller portion of pothole damage claims

Michigan drivers who traverse state highways often incur vehicle damage from potholes. Many of Michigan’s roads tend to be riddled with potholes that blow out tires, crack windshields and break suspensions.

Some drivers seek state compensation, but only about 12% of those people received it last year, according to a document that Michigan Capitol Confidential obtained via a records request.

Michigan paid 10 out of 86 claims for pothole-related damages in 2025, totaling $4,844, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Those 10 people who received compensation from the state claimed damages caused by potholes on I-75, I-96, US-12, M-77, M-89, Saginaw Street, Plymouth Road, and Fort Street. Click here to read more.


 

Trump Asks SCOTUS to Permit Voter Verification System Ahead of Midterms

On Tuesday, Solicitor General John Sauer wrote to SCOTUS asking the justices to stay an order from Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by former President Joe Biden.

In June, Sooknanan issued an order preventing the government from using an updated Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The updates greatly streamlined the process for states to purge voter rolls of ineligible voters.

According to Sauer, Sooknanan’s order is “indefensible” and “threatens the integrity of upcoming elections by vacating the federal government’s authority to internally use Social Security data when fulfilling its duty to respond to requests by States to verify the citizenship of individuals for voting and other purposes.”

“The order will irreparably harm the federal government, the States, and the public by depriving the government of an effective tool to verify the eligibility of registered voters and benefits applicants under various state and federal programs,” Sauer writes to SCOTUS. Click here to read more.


Stay in contact with family with push to talk nationwide waterproof walkie talkies. Click here to learn more and get an extra 10% off.

 

Click here to learn more and get an extra 10% off.

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Illinois woman accused of killing son represented by Casey Anthony attorney

A mother accused of killing her young son before trying to harm herself will be represented by an attorney who helped defend Casey Anthony.

Corie Walsh, 40, is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son, Barrett, who was found dead in her suburban Chicago home. Walsh also had what was described as self-inflicted injuries.

Walsh’s first court appearance was set for Tuesday morning and she is being represented by Andrea Lyon, an attorney who has dubbed herself the “Angel of Death Row.”

Lyon helped defend Casey Anthony, who was found not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a highly publicized and controversial case. Lyon is arguing Walsh was suffering from a psychotic episode. Click here to read more.

 

NYC releases 170,000 pages of long-sought 9/11 health, air quality records

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the release of more than 170,000 pages of records detailing the government’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the aftermath, including documents related to air quality and health concerns.

In a press release, the city said it also settled two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a years-long legal dispute over access to post-9/11 health and air-quality records.

First responders, elected officials and families have sought the records for years. Mamdani’s FY27 budget includes $34 million to create and maintain the public portal.

The portal includes about 170,000 pages covering post-9/11 health concerns, air quality and the city’s response. Among the records are the Harding Memo, 68 boxes of documents discovered in 2025 and records related to World Trade Center 7. Click here to read more.

 

Florida blocks 10 CDL training schools after federal regulators remove them from registry

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida education officials are blocking 10 commercial driver training schools from recruiting new students or collecting tuition after federal regulators removed the providers from a national registry as part of a crackdown on commercial driver training.

The Florida Department of Education announced Tuesday that it is taking action against the 10 schools following their removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry.

Through the Commission for Independent Education, the state ordered affected licensed programs to immediately stop advertising, recruiting, enrolling new students and collecting tuition while their federal removal remains in effect.

The schools must also identify students who have been affected, provide refunds where required and report to the state on corrective actions and communications with federal regulators. Click here to read more.

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