Keeping it Real With Dave Bondy: MOM CLAIMS SCHOOL GAVE CHILD HEALTH CARE WITHOUT APPROVAL
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 ...
Grocery stores urging people to stop using pennies.
ALPENA, Mich. — A new rule banning applause and other displays of emotion at Alpena Public Schools board meetings has sparked pushback from community members who say the policy infringes on their free speech rights.
The board recently adopted a policy prohibiting clapping, cheering, booing, or any demonstrations from audience members during meetings. Board President Eric Lawson said the restriction is meant to prevent disruptions and maintain order.
“We’re doing our best to show respect to you all and make sure you have adequate time for your comments,” Lawson said during a recent meeting. “Please show the board a little respect as well.”
Not everyone in attendance agreed. Several residents voiced frustration, including one woman who argued that clapping constitutes symbolic speech protected under the First Amendment.
“Clapping is a universal symbolic action that typically expresses approval,” she said. “Up until one week ago, clapping was a regular occurrence at these ...
🚨BREAKING🚨 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the FAA will start reducing flight capacity across U.S. airspace Friday morning if air traffic controllers remain unpaid.
The agency plans to cut air traffic by 10% at 40 undisclosed airports if a government shutdown deal isn’t reached.
Some are warning that new government investigations into nonprofits could backfire, putting free speech and charity work at risk for everyone. https://bit.ly/492MSo4
“The DNR insists that they only enter with probable cause, but that is just a flat-out lie,” Prestin said. “They never bother to explain to anyone what their probable cause was, because in most instances, it came from an anonymous 1-800 tip line that serves as a convenient method for conservation officers to weaponize neighbor and land disputes.”
Michigan lawmakers, education officials clash over new sex ed draft
Members of the Michigan House Oversight Committee pressed state education officials in October over proposed health and sex education standards on Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer topics and sex identity.
Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction Sue Carnell testified before the committee about the Michigan Department of Education’s draft Health Education Standards Framework, which offers curriculum recommendations for local districts.
Committee members disagreed with the Michigan Department of Education’ interim leader over the new draft of curriculum recommendations. Click here to read more.
Trump: Don’t Attack Liberal Nonprofits
The leader of one of the country’s most influential right-leaning nonprofits said that he has cautioned White House officials against pursuing investigations of liberal philanthropic groups without clear evidence of legal wrongdoing.
Lawson Bader, the president and CEO of DonorsTrust, told The Free Press that the stream of retaliatory rhetoric since Charlie Kirk’s assassination “has the potential to weaponize philanthropy in a way that is antithetical to philanthropic freedom.” Anyone who threatens the nonprofit status of law-abiding organizations “narrows the important boundary between citizen and state,” Bader said. Click here to read more.
WASHINGTON (TNND) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there might be “mass chaos” in the skies if air traffic controllers miss a second round of paychecks next week amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Many of the controllers said, ‘A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody, but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks,’” Duffy said on Tuesday.
So, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have air traffic controllers,” he added.
On Sunday alone, Duffy said 46% of flights were delayed due to staffing issues in air traffic control towers. Click here to read more.
Gretchen Whitmer admin considers skipping public hearings, rushing approval of 575-acre rural data center opposed by community
Just weeks after forcing its way into Saline Township against local objections, a massive data center promoted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking to bypass public meetings to expedite regulatory approvals.
The project, which the governor described as “ the largest one-time investment in state history,” involves Related Digital, tied to billionaire megadonor Stephen Ross, DTE Energy, tech companies Oracle and OpenAI, and approximately 575 acres of prime farmland in the agricultural community of 2,200 residents. Click here to read more.
Nebraska’s cruel crackdown threatens vital care for adults with developmental disabilities
Injustice is lurking around the quiet corners of Lincoln, Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is threatening to strip away the proven and personalized care of adults with developmental disabilities, by dismantling the programs that gave them independence and hope.
For nearly two decades, Integrated Life Choices (ILC) has been a lifeline for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 2006 by Joshua Midgett and William Arrants, the organization was built upon one mission: To empower their clients to live independently and make a difference in their respective communities. Click here to read more.
