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Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accused of not complying with subpoena

LANSING, MIch - The Michigan House Oversight Committee’s rare decision to issue two subpoenas against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has intensified, with House Speaker Matt Hall claiming today that Benson has explicitly refused to comply. The subpoenas, authorized on April 15 in a 9-6 party-line vote, demand election training materials that Republicans say Benson has withheld, escalating a months-long clash over transparency and election security.

The dispute began in November 2024, when Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), then minority vice chair of the House Elections Committee, requested training materials provided to local election clerks to ensure compliance with new laws, including a 2022 constitutional amendment expanding early voting. Benson’s office provided hundreds of documents but withheld others, citing sensitive election security information that required redaction. The standoff prompted Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township), chair of the Oversight Committee, to issue subpoenas—one targeting Benson personally and another the Michigan Department of State—demanding unredacted materials by May 14 at the House Office Building.

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On April 24, Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, told reporters that Benson had informed the committee she would not comply, a claim echoed in posts on X. “The days of the Secretary of State doing whatever they want without oversight are over,” Hall said, warning that non-compliance could lead to court action. “If she won’t comply, she’ll be dragged into court.”

Benson’s office, through spokesperson Angela Benander, disputed Hall’s characterization, calling the subpoenas “unnecessary.” Benander told Michigan Public Radio that the withheld materials, including “active screens” of the qualified voter file and secure communication protocols, could jeopardize election security if released unredacted. “We’ve provided hundreds of documents and offered to brief the committee privately, but they refused,” she said, adding that the office is prepared to challenge the subpoenas in court to protect election integrity.

Democrats slammed the subpoenas as partisan overreach. House Minority Leader Joe Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) called them a “gross overstep,” accusing Hall of using the committee’s new subpoena powers—granted under rules adopted in January—to target political opponents like Benson, who is running for governor in 2026. “This is about political persecution, not transparency,” Hertel told CBS Detroit.

Republicans, however, insisted the materials are essential for legislative oversight. Smit told MLive the documents are “basic training materials” routinely shared with clerks, not sensitive secrets. DeBoyer, speaking on the It’s Just Politics podcast, said, “Only the guilty need to feel guilty,” implying Benson’s resistance raises suspicions.

The subpoenas follow a history of tension between Benson and Hall, who, as Oversight Committee chair in 2020, invited her to testify on election integrity, only for Benson to decline, citing concerns over amplifying disinformation. Legal experts suggest Benson’s potential court challenge could hinge on proving the materials’ release risks election security, a stance courts may uphold, according to the Detroit News.

As the May 14 deadline nears, the dispute has polarized Lansing. On X, some users accused Benson of hiding misconduct, while others praised her for safeguarding elections. With Hall’s latest remarks signaling no retreat, Michigan’s political divide deepens, and the courts may soon decide the fate of this high-stakes showdown.

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Michigan House Bill 5711, which would roll back the state’s clean energy mandates for utilities, has cleared the House Energy Committee and is headed to the full House for a vote. If approved there, it would move to the Senate for consideration.

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🚨 BREAKING: President Trump says a major peace agreement involving Iran and several Middle Eastern nations is nearing completion after calls with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye and others. Trump also says the Strait of Hormuz wil

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Michigan parents still waiting for daughter’s autopsy report 19 months after death as questions grow around former forensic company

Michigan parents still waiting for daughter’s autopsy report 19 months after death as questions grow around former forensic company
https://open.substack.com/pub/davebondy/p/michigan-parents-still-waiting-for?r=m9vqj&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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Wednesday May 27, 2026

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Michigan refuses to share food stamp data with feds — and it could cost taxpayers $300 million

If the state of Michigan shared data from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with the federal government, it could save state taxpayers around $300 million come fiscal year 2028.

But it won’t share data or explain why.

Twenty-eight states and the territory of Guam are sharing SNAP data with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the federal agency says it has already found about $3 billion worth of fraud and abuse across the states that submitted data.

The Department of Agriculture’s SNAP integrity team analyzes data provided by states and scrubs all available information to end indiscriminate welfare fraud. Click here to read more.


 

Teen faces attempted murder charges for allegedly driving into 5 police during ‘teen takeover’

An 18-year-old driver is facing five counts of attempted murder for allegedly driving into five Chicago police officers over the Memorial Day weekend.

The incident occurred during a chaotic “teen takeover” event. Police say Rashad Johnson of Plainfield struck a group of officers who were trying to control hundreds of teens who gathered in an area of Chicago’s West Side.

After hitting the officers, according to police, the driver jumped the curb and crashed into a police car, fence and pole. Police arrested Johnson early Sunday morning, the New York Post reported.

All five officers were treated at local hospitals and are in good condition. Click here to read more.


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Illegal immigrant indicted in rollover crash that killed her 9-year-old child: prosecutors

An illegal immigrant from Mexico was indicated in connection with a rollover crash that killed her 9-year-old daughter and hurt three other children in Arizona, according to prosecutors.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said toxicology results revealed 30-year-old Brenda Rivera Estrada screened positive for both marijuana and methamphetamine at the time of the crash.

The charges include one count of manslaughter, three counts of endangerment, one count of possession or use of dangerous drugs, and one count of possession or use of drug paraphernalia, per the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Click here to read more.

 

Michigan Democrats Want Three Muslim Holidays Added to State Calendar

As Americans honor fallen service members this Memorial Day and prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on the Fourth of July, Michigan Democrats are turning their attention to something else entirely: a slate of new state holidays highlighting the traditions of other cultures.

Democrats have renewed a four-bill package (HB 5838–5841) that would create six new official state holidays tied largely to Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Asian traditions. The proposal includes Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Eid Al-Ghadeer – three holidays associated with Islam, with Eid Al-Ghadeer primarily observed by Shia Muslims. The package would also add Diwali, Vaisakhi and Lunar New Year as recognized state holidays. Click here to read more.

 

How US Helps Foreign Workers Take American Jobs

Mary, a veteran Silicon Valley marketer who can’t find a job, considers herself a victim of an H-1B visa program run amok.

Her story, a U.S. native replaced by a foreign-born employee who is willing to work at a significantly lower wage, has become commonplace, particularly in the tech industry. Adding insult to injury, she says, her CEO, who hails from India, told her to train the man he selected to replace her before laying her off.

Despite stints at Google and Cisco and two years of job hunting, Mary can no longer compete in a job market saturated with foreign-born H-1B visa holders. “I had experience. I should have walked right into these corporate jobs, but I didn’t. Why? Because Silicon Valley is flooded with people who work for two-thirds of the price, or even half price,” said Mary, who asked to be identified only by her first name. Click here to read more.

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Wednesday May 20, 2026

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Six criminal illegal aliens deported last year found on Jocelyn Benson’s voter rolls

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson won’t discuss how many illegal voters remain on the state’s voter rolls, but recent reports suggest the issue may be larger than previously acknowledged.

The same day Anthony Forlini flagged nearly a dozen additional noncitizens on Michigan’s voter rolls, online researchers highlighted several criminal illegal immigrants with active voter registrations, including some with voting histories spanning multiple elections.

The claims were first reported by The Gateway Pundit. The Midwesterner reported it confirmed details using public address databases, a Department of Homeland Security database, and CheckMyVote.org, a site operated by conservative activist Phani Mantravadi, who recently won a lawsuit against Benson regarding access to portions of Michigan’s Qualified Voter File. Click here to read more.


 

Pritzker board eliminates poor attendance from Illinois school ratings

Illinois plans to eliminate poor attendance from school ratings at a time when a fourth of the state’s students miss a significant chunk of the academic year.

In an overhaul the State Board of Education approved in April, “chronic absenteeism,” or missing 10% or more of the school year with or without a valid excuse, will no longer ding a school’s rating. All nine current board members were appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The new system will use the term “consistent attendance,” the percentage of students present 90% or more of the school year.

That semantic switch may confuse parents about what’s really being measured, though it’s just a different way of saying the same thing. But the revised system also changes attendance from a “core indicator” in the rankings to merely an “elevating indicator.” Click here to read more.


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Major Transportation Union Poured Millions Into Dem Politics, Casinos As Workers Got Sold Out, Report Finds

A major transportation union invested millions into Democratic-aligned political activity while also pouring member funds into leisure and recreational events, according to a report first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The American Accountability Foundation report alleges SMART-TD poured money into Democratic candidates and liberal groups while spending heavily on entertainment, travel, casinos and resorts. The report also argues the spending shows union leadership is out of step with the purportedly “MAGA” blue-collar workers it represents. Click here to read more.

 

Florida Politicians Battle Professors in High-Stakes Match

Universities across the country are facing unprecedented government scrutiny of everything from the rise of antisemitism to the lack of viewpoint diversity in the left-leaning social sciences. Nowhere is the ideological battle over higher education more contentious and consequential than in Florida, home to the second-largest university system in the country.

Florida’s crusade against progressivism has been more methodical and aggressive than anywhere else. Beyond setting up a civics program focusing on Western traditions, a trend in many other Republican-dominated states, Florida has launched what critics consider a frontal assault on another tradition – academic freedom – the idea that professors are the experts who determine course content. Click here to read more.

 

Trump expands TrumpRx with 600+ generics to boost drug price competition

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Monday the expansion of TrumpRx.gov to include more than 600 generic medications, aiming to provide Americans with greater price transparency and choices for everyday prescriptions without insurance middlemen.

The move builds on the site’s February launch and integrates discounts from providers including Amazon Pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs and GoodRx. Officials positioned it as a key step in Trump’s broader efforts to lower drug prices through competition and Most-Favored-Nation policies.

“TrumpRx.gov has already been visited more than 10 million times, and has saved American consumers over $400M already,” Trump said in the announcement. Click here to read more.

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Tuesday May 19, 2026

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Alleged GPS trickery leads to Medicaid fraud charges

Two Clare County siblings have been charged with conspiracy and Medicaid fraud over a travel-reimbursement swindle that takes money from state and federal governments.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said April 29 that Steven John Caplan, 31, and Kayla Marie Earls, 35, both of Harrison, had been arraigned before Judge Lisa Babcock of 54B District Court in East Lansing for allegedly committing transportation fraud in the Medicaid program.

Caplan has been charged with one count of conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony; one count of Medicaid fraud — conspiracy, a 10-year felony; and ten counts of Medicaid fraud — false claim, each a 4-year felony. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.


 

Oakley Village Council rescinds ICE cooperation agreement after pro-illegal immigration activists complain

The Oakley Village Council on Tuesday voted to rescind the village police department’s cooperation agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appease activists.

Despite apparent support from some members, the Oakley Village Council opted to end the Oakley Police Department’s 287(g) program agreement with ICE inked by Police Chief Marc Ferguson, the department’s only officer, on March 24, Mlive.

Ferguson did not inform the council of the agreement until days after it was signed, Oakley Village President Richard Fish told WJRT. Click here to read more.


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Appeals Court Puts Stake Through Heart Of New York’s Anti-2nd Amendment ‘Vampire Rule’

A federal appellate court ruled that New York’s law banning firearms carrying under a so-called “vampire rule” violated the Second Amendment.

Shortly after the Supreme Court struck down New York’s discretionary system for issuing concealed carry permits, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation enacting numerous restrictions on carrying firearms after convening a special session of the state Legislature. A majority of the three-judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that a provision requiring private property owners to post signs allowing concealed carry was unconstitutional. Click here to read more.

 

Pa. officer who shot attempted Trump assassin named NRA’s Officer of the Year 2025

BUTLER, Pa. — A Pennsylvania police sergeant who fired at the gunman during the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump has been named the National Rifle Association’s 2025 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, the organization stated.

Sgt. Aaron Zaliponi of the Adams Township Police Department was serving as the counter assault team leader for the Butler County Emergency Service Unit during Trump’s campaign rally at the Butler County Farm Show grounds.

According to the NRA, officers were alerted around 6:09 p.m. to a suspicious man on top of one of the agricultural buildings near the rally site. Minutes later, gunfire erupted.

Zaliponi said he heard several shots before locating the suspect lying prone on a rooftop. As the gunman continued firing, Zaliponi engaged him with a rifle shot from approximately 115 yards away. Click here to read more.

 

Billions for Medicaid Expansion Congress Never Approved

The Biden administration may have failed to convince Congress to double Medicaid spending on home healthcare in 2021, but the funding increase occurred anyway.

An RCI analysis of federal data has found that spending on the program, which pays health aides and family members to act as caregivers for elderly and disabled adults, nearly doubled between 2019 and 2024, to $46.4 billion a year – an amount nearly identical to the $50 billion per year Biden wanted. As a result, American taxpayers paid more than $217 billion for home-based care under the program during that five-year span.

Lacking congressional approval, policymakers simply moved the initiative out of Washington and down to the state Medicaid agencies. Click here to read more.

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