Dave Bondy
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Monday February 17, 2025
February 17, 2025
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Trinity J Shockley, a transgender male who prefers to go by Jamie or Dex, allegedly planned to carry out a Parkland-style shooting Friday at Indiana’s Mooresville High School.

Police were alerted to Shockley’s alleged plans and arrested him 48-hours before the planned attack.

FOX News noted “the FBI in Indianapolis received a tip and contacted the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department (MMPD) to assess the credibility.” The “tip” indicated that Shockley allegedly planned to carry out a school shooting with an AR-15 and that he “had ordered a bullet proof vest.”

The information given to the FBI also indicated Shockley was “infatuated” with the man who killed 17 people in the February 14, 2018, Parkland shooting.

KBTX reported Shockley wanted the Parkland shooter to recognize him as his “number one fan.”

Shockley’s home was searched on Wednesday and law enforcement uncovered a “shrine” to mass shooters, with photos of such shooters on the wall, “as well as buttons with their faces on it.” Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Detroit businesswoman Fay Beydoun is collecting a $550,000 annual salary from taxpayers as she continues to defy the state’s efforts to recoup a shady $20 million legislative grant.

Beydoun, a former Michigan Economic Development Corporation appointee of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic donor, disclosed her annual salary in draft memo included with a package of documents she sent the state last month detailing grant spending for the last quarter of 2024, The Detroit News reports.

“Her salary of $550,000 is in line with compensation to executives of other international organizations with similar missions and budgets,” Beydoun wrote in the document obtained by The News.

The news site notes Beydoun’s paycheck is roughly three times larger than Whitmer’s.

The news site notes Beydoun’s paycheck is roughly three times larger than Whitmer’s.

The recent report details how Beydoun is spending a $20 million grant she received from the Michigan Legislature in 2022 for Global Link International, a nonprofit business accelerator she founded 11 days after lawmakers approved the funding. Click here to read more.

 

KALAMAZOO, Mich - The start of the new year is typically a time when people make big changes around health—and drug companies are no exception.

As of Jan. 1, more than 250 branded drugs from pharmaceutical giants including Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi-Pasteur, Merck, Pfizer, and more will see price hikes in the U.S., according to data analysis conducted by health care research firm 3 Axis Advisors.

Pfizer alone is raising prices on over 60 drugs, the most on the list. (Pfizer has nearly 500 products in its portfolio.) In addition to a 3% increase on Paxlovid, its COVID treatment, Pfizer’s cancer drugs Adcetris and Ibrance, as well as arthritis treatment Xeljanz, will now cost between 3% and 5% more, according to Reuters.

The median increase—which is only to the list price and does not include rebates or other discounts—is similar year over year at 4.5%. Still, more drugs are getting higher price tags in 2025 compared with last year.

Pfizer told Fortune in a statement: “Pfizer has adjusted the average list prices of our medicines and vaccines for 2025 below the overall rate of inflation—approximately 2.4%—across many products in our diverse product portfolio. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich. – Wednesday marks one of the two most important days for a school district when it comes to their funding: Count Day.

This year, Feb. 12 is Count Day, when attendance in class is used to determine how much funding a school district receives. In Michigan, the vast majority of funding is given on a per-pupil basis. Currently, the state pays an across-the-board $9,608 per pupil to public school districts for the “foundation allowance.” But there are many other forms of revenue that are calculated on a per-pupil basis, such a federal money and other state revenue streams such as money for at-risk students.

If a student doesn’t show up today, the state still allows for that missing student to be counted. For instance, if it is an unexcused absence, that missing student can still be counted if they attend school within 10 days of the count day. Click here to read more.

 

EATON, Ohio (WRKC) - Ken Long, a 54-year-old veteran from Eaton, has been denied a heart transplant at Christ Hospital due to his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Long, who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure nearly a year ago, believes the decision is based on his vaccination status.

"When I decide something, I mean it, and if it takes dying, it's what it is," Long said. "They don't know enough about it, and plus it's already done a lot of damage. People have said blood clots. There are no cardiac issues and our personal religious rights."

Initially, Long's wife, Christina, disagreed with his decision.

"It's my husband. I don't want to lose my husband," Christina said. "In the moment, you're just overwhelmed, and you want to do anything you can to save somebody's life, and then I had to regroup myself. It's his right."

Long now relies on a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to pump blood to his heart.

"I can hardly do anything. If the power goes out, I have to worry about my batteries and my charger," Long said. "You can't get wet, so showering is an issue." Click here to read more.

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200,000 Michiganders wait for tax returns

LANSING, Mich. — Thousands of Michigan taxpayers are still waiting for state income tax refunds months after filing, and state officials say a new tax processing system is a major reason why.

The Michigan Department of Treasury recently acknowledged that roughly 5% of tax returns remain unresolved, affecting an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 taxpayers. Officials told lawmakers that the delays stem from the state’s transition from a 40-year-old mainframe system to a new platform known as GenTax.

State Rep. Brad Paquette criticized Treasury officials following recent legislative testimony, arguing that taxpayers deserve better accountability and communication.

“The Michigan Department of Treasury says approximately 200,000 Michiganders still have problems with their tax returns,” Paquette wrote on social media. He questioned whether Treasury leadership has been adequately prepared to manage the new technology while implementing what officials have described as a culture of tax compliance.

Treasury ...

00:02:46
Michigan Attorney Philip Ellison Breaks Down Your Fourth Amendment Rights

A Michigan attorney says many homeowners misunderstand when government officials can legally enter private property and what protections are guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment.

Attorney Philip Ellison of Outside Legal Counsel discussed property rights, government inspections and constitutional protections during a recent interview with independent journalist Dave Bondy.

Ellison said government officials generally may approach a home’s front door to initiate contact, a practice commonly referred to as a “knock and talk.”

You can also learn more about the 4th ammendment and your rights from Ellison by clicking here.

“The law recognizes this national implied license that we permit Girl Scouts, law enforcement and trick-or-treaters all to come to our front door and knock,” Ellison said.

According to Ellison, that authority extends to police officers and other government officials, including zoning inspectors, health inspectors and federal agents. However, he said officials typically cannot move beyond ...

00:13:50
Biased college professors?

"Imagine going to class and only hearing one side of an issue." MSU College Republicans Chairman Anton Gegaj says some students feel their viewpoints are dismissed rather than debated. Do colleges do enough to encourage open discussion?

00:00:24
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U.S. Dept of Education opens Title IX investigations into 3 Michigan school districts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into three Michigan school districts over allegations they violated federal Title IX protections by allowing students to participate in athletics and use locker rooms based on their gender identity.

The department's Office for Civil Rights announced Thursday it is investigating Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools.

Federal officials said the investigations will examine whether the districts violated Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding.

According to the Education Department, Ann Arbor Public Schools allegedly maintained policies that allowed a biological male student to compete on a girls' volleyball team and use female locker room facilities.

In Monroe Public Schools, officials said complaints alleged female volleyball players were required to compete against a team that included a biological male athlete ...

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Neighbors Say Flint Woman’s Home Is Looted While She Recovers In Hospital, Police Don't Show Up

Neighbors Say Flint Woman’s Home Is Looted While She Recovers In Hospital, Police Don't Show Up.

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Tuesday June 30, 2026

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Michigan spends $37.5M to lower SNAP payment error rate

The state of Michigan is spending $37.5 million in an effort to reduce its payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Michigan’s payment error rate for fiscal year 2024 is about 9.53%, which could trigger a $300 million fine from the federal government in fiscal year 2028. That error rate increased to 9.89% in fiscal year 2025, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on June 24.

The federal government wants states to target a six percent payment error rate to avoid absorbing a larger share of the costs. The Department of Agriculture wants the state to pay the mistake costs because the state administers the program. Click here to read more.


 

Mars to introduce M&M’s with natural dyes in August, minus blue and brown until 2028

WASHINGTON — Mars will introduce M&M’s with natural dyes in August, but without the blue and brown colors until 2028.

The company will mark M&M’s 85th anniversary this summer by introducing a version of the candies without artificial dyes, according to reports.

Mars told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that the blue and brown colors could not be recreated with natural ingredients at a reasonable cost.

A company spokesperson told news outlets that blue and brown M&M’s are expected to be available in the natural dye option by 2028.

“It was a daunting situation,” Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking, North America and Global Ice Cream, told the Journal. “You’re messing with an 85-year-old icon.” Click here to read more.


Do you need work on your A/C, need a generator, duct cleaning or more? Click here to learn more about how Bigfoot Pro Services can help you. Mention Dave Bondy if you talk to them.

 
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July 4: Illinois 1 of only 3 states that bans fireworks

Passed in 1942, the Illinois Pyrotechnic Act bans the use, transportation and sale of fireworks, allowing only small novelties such as sparklers. Violating the Illinois law is a Class A misdemeanor, with possible fines up to $2,500 and jail time.

The Illinois sales ban directly benefits neighboring states. Indiana brings in an estimated $2.5 million a year in tax revenue from fireworks.

The Illinois ban seeks to protect people from injury, but as firework sales have increased, the injury rate has significantly decreased.

In 2000, when 152.6 million pounds of fireworks were sold, there were 7.2 injuries for every 100,000 pounds sold, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. In 2025, sales were more than double, at 322.4 million pounds, while the injury rate was sharply lower, at 3.8 per 100,000 pounds. Click here to read more.

 

GLP-1 drugs linked to low blood pressure risk, Northwestern study finds

A study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting links GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, to an increased risk of low blood pressure events.

The Northwestern University study analyzed data from 42,000 adults already taking at least two types of blood pressure medication, according to a release from the school. Researchers tracked patients for six, 12 and 24 months after they began taking GLP-1s and found the drugs were associated with higher rates of low blood pressure events, including dizziness and fainting.

The rate of such events increased from 8.7% to 10.2% within six months and remained elevated after 12, according to the release. Adults aged 65 and over and people with diabetes were the most at risk.

A secondary analysis found that “weight loss alone did not explain the increased risk,” the release said, “suggesting other mechanisms of action may be at play.” Click here to read more.

 

Springfield, Ohio, Citizens Celebrate Trump’s Haitian Policy: ‘America Is a Nation of Laws’

Fairness and the law won once the federal government decided to end Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitian migrants, says the citizens’ group that led the opposition to the Haitian influx into Springfield, Ohio.

The message was posted at the group’s Facebook site, “Stop the influx into Springfield, Ohio” by one of the group’s leaders, Tammie Poe:

Nearly 5,000 members share one common belief: America is a nation of laws, and those laws matter.

We welcome the DHS [Department of Homeland Security] decision to end Temporary Protected Status because we believe it is a step toward restoring respect for our immigration laws after years of policies that many felt ignored or bypassed them. Click here to read more.

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Friday June 26, 2026

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Whitmer’s Subsidy Deals Deliver Just 3% of Promised Jobs

MIDLAND, Mich. — A new report from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy finds that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s most prominent business subsidy deals have fallen far short of expectations, producing only a small share of the jobs promised while costing taxpayers billions.

In total, Whitmer has authorized approximately $6.9 billion in subsidies to select businesses since 2019. Of that, $2.7 billion was committed to eight major projects that received widespread media attention and were promoted as “generational” investments capable of transforming Michigan’s economy. To date, the state has actually transferred to companies or local economic development agencies $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds. Click here to read more.


 

Record 25 million adults under 35 live with parents amid housing crisis: 2025 analysis

WASHINGTON — A record 25.2 million adults under age 35 are living with their parents amid the ongoing housing crisis, according to a 2025 analysis.

Nearly 1 in 3 young adults were living at home last year, which is higher than the pandemic-era count, Realtor.com research found last Thursday.

“Roughly 70% of 25- to 34-year-olds living with parents are employed,” said Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com and author of the report. “That share held steady even as the overall co-residence rate has climbed—meaning the growth is coming from working adults, not people waiting to find jobs.”

According to the data, 52% of 18- to 24-year-olds living at home are employed, as well as 68% of 30- to 34-year-olds, according to the report.

“Something about their income level, debt load, or the cost of housing in their market is keeping them home despite steady employment,” Jones said. Click here to read more.


Do you need work on your A/C, need a generator, duct cleaning or more? Click here to learn more about how Bigfoot Pro Services can help you. Mention Dave Bondy if you talk to them.

 
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Nearly 30% of federal employees owe $6.3 billion in unpaid taxes, investigation finds

A tax fraud investigation headed by the House Oversight Committee has found that 571,000 federal employees — out of the approximately two million currently working for the government — are not paying their share of income taxes.

The half a million number is continuing to surge, and tax debt among federal workers has grown 32% since 2021. The number of government employees who aren’t paying taxes has increased by 43% in three years, according to House Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who serves as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee announced its investigation launch on Wednesday. Click here to read more.

 

FBI adds 2 new suspects to ‘Most Wanted Health Care Fraud’ list

Michigan is seeing a spike in the popularity of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that allows some people on food stamps to use their Bridge cards at fast food restaurants.

The state’s reimbursements from the federal government for the Restaurant Meals Program increased geometrically between 2022 and 2025. Payments from Washington rose from $26,656 in 2022 to $37,255 in 2023. The figure jumped to $580,568 in 2024 and last year spiked to $2.4 million.

From 2024 to 2025, the increase in reimbursement increased by 313%, according to the data from a Freedom of Information Act request that was filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The number of restaurants participating in the program rose from 50 in 2022 to 292 in 2025. Click here to read more.

 

5 takeaways from Supreme Court’s big rulings on immigration, guns

The Supreme Court left President Trump and gun rights advocates celebrating Thursday.

In a series of 6-3 decisions, the high court ticked off some of its anticipated remaining cases as the justices move closer to their summer recess.

But their rulings didn’t come without friction on the bench.

Here are five takeaways.

Leading the day were a pair of big immigration decisions that both favored Trump.

Each came down along the court’s familiar ideological lines, with the president’s own appointees providing some of the crucial votes.

The first allows Trump to proceed with a key plank of his second-term deportation crackdown by cutting off legal protections for Haitians and Syrians.

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News they don't want you to see
Wednesday June 24, 2026

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Michigan charges dentist with 43 counts of Medicaid fraud

A Northville dentist has been charged with 43 felony counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly billing the state for dental procedures she never performed, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Demetra C. Kazanis, 55, was arraigned May 27 before Judge Molly E. Hennessey Greenwalt of the 54B District Court in East Lansing. The 43 felony counts relate to an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme.

Kazanis has been charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. She is charged with 42 counts of Medicaid fraud, each punishable by up to four years of incarceration and/or a fine of up to $50,000. Click here to read more.


 

Eight immigration protesters with alleged ties to Antifa sentenced to decades in federal prison

Eight protesters whom the Justice Department accuses of having ties to Antifa were sentenced Tuesday to decades in federal prison in connection to a shooting last year outside a federal immigration detention center in Texas.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who was one of two judges overseeing the trial, said the demonstration wasn’t a protest but “an assault on democracy.” He said the need to deter the type of behavior seen at the protest is high.

One of the eight protesters, Benjamin Song, who was a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was convicted of firing a gun during the July 4, 2025, demonstration and wounding a police officer. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Click here to read more.


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Florida hits CVS with antitrust subpoenas over predatory drug pricing allegations

MIAMI — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state has launched an antitrust investigation into healthcare giant CVS Corporation, issuing civil investigative subpoenas to probe allegations of unfair drug pricing and predatory practices against independent pharmacies.

The investigation targets CVS Caremark, the company’s pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, which Uthmeier described as a vertically integrated “monopoly” that controls market power to manipulate prescription costs at the expense of Florida patients and retirees. Click here to read more.

 

FBI adds 2 new suspects to ‘Most Wanted Health Care Fraud’ list

WASHINGTON — Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel said the agency added two new suspects to its "Most Wanted Health Care Fraud" list after the recent arrests of two fugitives who had previously appeared on the roster.

“This should be a message to the world that the FBI, along with our interagency partners, are not tolerating fraud anymore,” Patel said during a news conference on Tuesday.

“And we will chase them down -- just like we will chase terrorists, narcotrafficers, gang bangers, and those that wish to do harm to our communities,” he added.”

Patel identified the suspects as Khalid Ahmed Satary and Emylee Thai. He said both have been on the run since 2022. Click here to read more.

 

U.S. Manufacturing Production Rises At Fastest Pace in Nearly 5 Years

Growth in business activity in the U.S. accelerated for the third consecutive month in June, boosted by strong growth in demand and output in the manufacturing sector.

S&P Global said its flash composite purchasing managers index rose to a five-month high of 52.2 from 51.5 in May. That was a larger increase than economists had anticipated.

The PMIs are derived from surveys of supply chain managers and corporate executives. The preliminary readings are labeled “flash” because they include only a portion of the responses. The composite PMI includes responses from executives in both the services and manufacturing sectors. Click here to read more.

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