Dave Bondy
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Monday February 10, 2025
February 10, 2025

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WASHINGTON D.C. - President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered all federal departments and agencies to provide lists of employees who are underperforming, as it seeks to shrink the workforce and awaits a court ruling related to its deferred resignation offers.

A memo sent by the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday directs the agencies to submit names of every employee who has received less than a “fully successful” performance rating in the past three years and to note whether the workers have been on performance plans.

The memo, which was viewed by The Associated Press, also emphasized that the agencies report any obstacles to making sure they have “the ability to swiftly terminate poor performing employees who cannot or will not improve.”

The memo seeks the employee’s name, job title, pay plan and other details, as well as whether that employee is “under or successfully completed a performance improvement plan within the last 12 months.”

The office also is asking if an agency has proposed or issued a decision in such cases, and whether any action is being appealed or challenged, as well as any outcome.

The data is due by March 7. Click here to read more.

 

The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on December 18, 2019, after a White House whistleblower went public with evidence that Trump abused his powers by withholding military aid to Ukraine in order to dig up dirt on his rival, Joe Biden. In the complaint, the whistleblower claimed to have heard from White House staff that Trump had, on a phone call, directed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. The whistleblower who triggered the impeachment was a CIA analyst who was first brought into the White House by the Obama administration.

Reporting by Drop Site News last year revealed that the CIA analyst relied on reporting by a supposedly independent investigative news organization called the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which appears to have effectively operated as an arm of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which President Trump has just shut down. Click here to read more.

 

CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago Teachers Union rejected recommendations from a neutral factfinder. The union will be free to strike after the report is public for 30 days and the union gives 10 days’ notice of striking.

The Chicago Teachers Union may soon be going on strike against the mayor it bankrolled into office.

The union announced it rejected recommendations from a neutral third-party “fact finder” in its latest phase of negotiations with Chicago Public Schools. That moves the teachers union one step closer to going on strike against CPS and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who gained control of City Hall after CTU funneled $2.3 million into his campaign coffers.

The union thought having Johnson in office would facilitate negotiations this time around. “This year’s CTU contract negotiations will be different than any other,” CTU wrote in an April 2024 bulletin. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall is cutting off taxpayer funds for municipalities that provide sanctuary to illegal immigrants.

The Richland Township Republican on Thursday introduced House Resolution 19 to block state appropriations for local governments that shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement.

“I would like to see us use funding as a way to punish these sanctuary jurisdictions,” Hall told reporters Thursday. “Let me say it differently: I think it should be an incentive – increased funding beyond what’s constitutionally required is an incentive for things like working to have safer communities through complying with ICE and working and partnering with ICE.” Click here to read more.

 

SAULT ST. MARIE, Mich- U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week arrested a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Sault Ste. Marie as he tried to cross into the U.S. from Canada.

“Violent criminal organizations and transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua are a plague upon our communities that rely on fear and violence to reign terror on hardworking and law-abiding residents,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Travis Pickard said in a statement cited by MLive.

“By coming together as a law enforcement community to successfully locate and arrest these fugitives across state lines, we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our efforts to dismantle these violent criminal networks and put an end to the lawlessness they spread.” Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

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December 26, 2025
Snoopy day 3

Snoopy day 3

00:00:36
October 24, 2025
BREAKING: Charges Dropped Against Michigan Duck Rescue Founders After DNR Case Collapses

The legal battle between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary has come to an end. with all charges dismissed against the couple who run the operation.

Matthew and Teresa Lyson, founders of the Salem Township sanctuary, had faced six criminal charges each after state officials accused them of keeping and caring for waterfowl without proper permits. This week, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the cases in their entirety, following months of public scrutiny and growing political pressure.

“This is great news,” Lyson told Keeping It Real. “All charges against me and Teresa are 100 percent gone. It’s a done deal, and we get to start new.”

Background of the Case

The Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary has operated for nearly two decades, caring for injured or abandoned ducks, geese, and other waterfowl — many of which suffer from “angel wing,” a deformity often caused by people feeding them improper food. The Lysons say their work ...

00:12:25
October 24, 2025
Grocery stores urging people to stop using pennies.

Grocery stores urging people to stop using pennies.

00:01:15
2026 is THE YEAR

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December 25, 2025
Merry Christmas to all of you!!!!

Merry Christmas to all of my good friends here on Locals. Meet our new friend Snoopy

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December 18, 2025
Michigan Association of School Librarians met to discuss a variety of things. This was one of their slides.

Michigan Association of School Librarians met to discuss a variety of things. This was one of their slides.

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News they don't want you to see
Wednesday December 31, 2025
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December 30, 2025
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News they don't want you to see
Tuesday December 30, 2025

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Feds Conduct Door-To-Door Checks At Suspected Minneapolis Fraud Sites

Homeland Security Investigations agents were on the ground in Minneapolis on Monday, conducting door-to-door checks at suspected fraud sites, as authorities examined the alleged involvement of Somali immigrants in a broader criminal scheme.

The Department of Homeland Security posted a video showing two agents entering a convenience store, where they ask the clerk about a suspicious business next door. Last week, independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a 42-minute video allegingthat numerous daycare and learning centers in the Twin Cities area had no children on-site, despite receiving millions of dollars in government funding.

“The American people deserve answers on how their taxpayer money is being used and ARRESTS when abuse is found. Under the leadership of [Secretary Kristi Noem], DHS is working to deliver results,” Homeland Security posted on social media. Click here to read more.

 

Michigan Election Rocked by AI Deepfakes Targeting GOP Candidate

SAGINAW, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan’s latest political controversy isn’t about tax policy or crumbling roads – it’s about digital deception. A series of AI-generated deepfake videos recently circulated online falsely portraying a Republican candidate as gay and aligned with a transgender advocacy group, fueling voter confusion and renewed scrutiny in an era increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence. A deepfake is AI-generated media that makes it look or sound like someone said or did something they never actually did.

A now-deleted website and Facebook page were uncovered portraying Saginaw attorney Jason Tunney, a candidate in the 35th Senate District’s February 3 special primary, as gay and backed by a transgender group calling itself “Tranneys for Tunney.” Included were videos showing Tunney kissing another man and speaking in front of pro-LGBTQ+ messaging. Tunney, who is not gay, is married to a woman named Pamela and is a conservative Republican. Click here to read more.


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‘Just Snapped’: Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Jr.’s Confession Revealed in Court Docs

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Federal prosecutors told a judge that the man suspected of planting pipebombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in January 2021 confessed to the crime in an affidavit filed Sunday.

The Department of Justice announced Dec. 4 the arrest of Brian Cole Jr. on charges of transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.

In the filing, prosecutors note Cole said he “just snapped” and wanted to punish both political parties, adding he was inspired by The Troubles, a roughly 30-year ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland.

“The defendant explained that after the 2020 election, ‘when it first seemed like something was wrong’ and ‘stuff started happening,’ he began following the issue closely on YouTube and Reddit and felt ‘bewildered,’” the filing said. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

 

The miracle cure for sickle cell is now 2 years old. Most are still waiting.

The Trump administration has a plan to provide access to new treatments for sickle cell disease, the hereditary condition that has meant a lifetime of excruciating pain and debilitating health issues for tens of thousands of mostly Black Americans.

It’s one of few initiatives on which President Donald Trump and the public health establishment are aligned. But for parents desperate for a cure for children with a disease that, besides pain, causes infections, vision problems, delayed puberty and regular visits to the hospital, it doesn’t mean they’ll get the gene therapy treatments anytime soon. Click here to read more.

 

Trump administration rolls out $50 billion rural health fund

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday that it was launching its $50 billion initiative to help rural communities nationwide, which was created through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July.

All 50 states will receive monetary assistance that will go to rural areas starting next year, with the first wave of awards ranging from $147 million to $281 million.

The awards are expected to be used to bring more resources to Americans in rural areas, including by expanding preventive, primary, maternal, and behavioral health services; strengthen and sustain the rural clinical workforce; and modernize medical technology in rural areas. Click here to read more.

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December 29, 2025
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Michigan's minimum wage is going up
What you need to know
Michigan’s minimum wage is going up on January 1, 2026, under the state’s Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act. The hourly minimum wage for most workers will increase from $12.48 to $13.73. That’s a $1.25 bump that affects tens of thousands of Michigan workers.
The increases are part of a schedule written into law that will take Michigan’s minimum wage to $15 per hour on January 1, 2027, and then tie it to inflation after that.
What Changes on January 1, 2026
  • Standard minimum wage: increases to $13.73 per hour from $12.48.
  • Tipped workers: will see the tipped minimum wage go up to $5.49 per hour (40 percent of the full minimum wage) as long as tips bring them up to at least the full rate.
  • Minors (ages 16 and 17): can be paid 85 percent of the minimum wage, rising to $11.67 per hour.
  • Training wage: for employees under age 20 in their first 90 calendar days of employment remains unchanged.
These changes come from Michigan’s labor department and the wage rules posted by the state. They reflect a planned schedule of increases that lawmakers set into motion after legal and legislative actions over the last few years.
Why It’s Happening
Under current Michigan law, set by the state legislature and state wage rules, annual increases are scheduled until the $15 minimum wage is reached in 2027. After that, annual adjustments are tied to inflation. This means the minimum wage won’t just sit still after 2027; it will move with changes in the cost of living.
For the official wage schedule and full details straight from the state, see the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s minimum wage page:
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