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Marshall’s economic development agency touts job growth, but numbers show a decline
The Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance touts an increase in jobs and revitalization since Ford’s Blue Oval plant was built in the city using taxpayer dollars, but the numbers do not align with the claim.
The area has lost jobs since it landed the big manufacturer with hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, according to James Hohman, fiscal policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Hohman cautioned against focusing on a single number.
“All industries are connected and some have wider effects than others and that’s why it’s important to look at the data and the broader trends,” Hohman said.
Employment in Calhoun County is down by 2,895 people since Ford’s announcement in July 2023, a 4.8% decline, Hohman told Michigan Capital Confidential in an email. Click here to read more.
Prediction markets win big on election night
Prediction markets emerged as big winners of the midterms. Kalshi and Polymarket correctly called the Democratic sweep of Congress by wider margins than most polling models, as well as key battleground races, though they missed surprises like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s loss and Democratic Senate victories in Iowa and South Carolina.
Trading volume on down-ballot elections grew nearly fivefold from the 2024 cycle to this year’s midterms to $1.8 billion, according to a Semafor analysis of the sites’ public data feeds. Sports and crypto bets still dwarf election contracts across both platforms, and the 2026 midterms attracted less trading interest than the presidential race. Click here to read more.
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Initiative banning boys from girls’ sports passes in Washington
.SEATTLE — Washington voters have approved Initiative 638, a measure that would require students to undergo a physical exam documenting sex assigned at birth before participating in interscholastic sports.
The Associated Press called the race Thursday morning, with 56.6% of voters (1,252,863) voting “yes” on the ban and 43.4% (961,810) voting “no.”
The initiative prohibits biological males from competing in school sports reserved for females. It requires students to provide a signed statement from a healthcare provider verifying their biological sex based on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or natural testosterone levels. Click here to read more.
Nancy Pelosi’s Hand-Picked Successor Loses To Dem Who Wanted To Protect Sex Offenders
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) attempted to hand-pick her successor on her way out of Congress, but San Francisco voters rejected her candidate in favor of a state senator who fought a blanket ban on registered sex offenders holding office.
Connie Chan, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, conceded the election to state Senator Scott Wiener (D-CA) on Wednesday with ballots still being counted.
“After reviewing the results and the ballots remaining to be counted, while we expect the margin to narrow significantly, we do not have a clear path to victory. I congratulate Scott Wiener on his election and wish him success in serving San Francisco,” Chan said in a statement. At the time of her concession, Wiener was leading by about 11 points. Click here to read more.
Exclusive: U.S. Treasury Sanctions 46 Targets in Global Scam Network Crackdown
The Treasury Department announced Thursday that it is imposing sanctions on dozens of individuals and companies connected to international criminal operations accused of defrauding Americans through online scams, as the Trump administration moves to dismantle the financial networks supporting cyber-enabled fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a total of 46 targets, including four individuals and 41 entities supporting the business network of the Prince Group, which is a transnational criminal organization the United States previously sanctioned for its involvement in cyber-enabled fraud, money laundering, and human trafficking. OFAC also designated a Malaysian individual accused of operating an Africa-based scam network that defrauded Americans. Click here to read more.
