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EV battery startup Gretchen Whitmer gave $70 MILLION from Michigan taxpayers cuts production plans

An EV battery startup that’s already soaked up more than $70 million in taxpayer subsidies is scaling back its factory space as the government-forced transition to electric vehicles continues to implode.

Our Next Energy, which was awarded $236.6 million in Michigan taxpayer-funded incentives just three years ago, confirmed to Crain’s Detroit Business this week that it’s working to vacate a lease for more than two-thirds of its Van Buren Township plant as demand for EVs remains flat.

“Our contracting effort on automotive looks to be delayed by several years based on the current macro condition, and we’ve just adjusted our business to manage that,” founder Mujeeb Ijaz told the news site. Click here to read more.

 

Remember the Obama IRS Tea Party Scandal? Conservatives Fear It Could Happen Again.

Many religious conservatives breathed a sigh of relief after the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in July. House Republicans caught, and wisely removed, a stealthy policy rider that could have handed the federal government sweeping powers to penalize so-called “political activity” in houses of worship and community nonprofits.

But with Congress returning from August recess, watchdogs warn that similar language could soon reappear. This time, it may be tucked into one of the many looming appropriations or rescissions packages scheduled for debate in September.

Earlier this summer, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee successfully struck provisions that would have authorized federal bureaucrats to unilaterally revoke the tax-exempt status of any religious organization that is found to be “politically subversive” – a vague accusation that would almost certainly have chilled free speech at churches, pro-life ministries, and community-based charities. Click here to read more.

 

Senator, Fired CDC Director Clash Over Vaccine Efficac

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., criticized former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Suzan Monarez on Wednesday, calling parts of her testimony on vaccines ridiculous.

“Does the COVID vaccine reduce the rate of death for children under 18?” the Kentucky senator asked at a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“It can,” the former CDC director replied.

“That’s ridiculous. Answer: No, it doesn’t. And there is no statistical evidence, but it does reduce the death rate. These are statistics. We’ve looked at it. When they approved it, they had this discussion at the vaccine committee that we’ve been talking about. During the discussion, they acknowledged that there was no proof of reduction in hospitalization or in death,” Paul said. Click here to read more.

 

Massive drug bust yields $37 Million in methamphetamine at southern U.S. border

LAREDO, Texas - A massive drug bust at a southern border crossing has led to millions of dollars in seized narcotics.

On Saturday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations posted about a massive drug bust, which yielded $37 million worth of alleged methamphetamine.

According to a press release, CBP Officers assigned to the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge cargo facility encountered a commercial truck attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico. Click here to read more.

 

Days After Charlie Kirk Assassination, Randi Weingarten Calls Conservatives ‘Fascists,’ Compares to ‘Nazis’

The head of one of the nation’s largest teachers unions is back to calling conservatives “fascists” and “authoritarians” and making comparisons to “nazis” just days after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated.

President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Randi Weingarten ran an excerpt of her new book “WHY FASCISTS FEAR TEACHERS: Public Education and the Future of Democracy” in Rolling Stone on Tuesday. The article airs her often trot-out claims painting concerned parents and conservatives as fascists for cracking down on DEI, gender ideology and more.

Here are a few lines from her book, per Rolling Stone:

“Democracy is people power. But fascists want one leader or a small group of elites to have all the power. And that is what’s happening in the United States right now — with billionaire Trump having enabled his shadow governing partner Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, to act as his co-president.”

Click here to read more.

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Gov. Whitmer blames DC Republicans for state’s economic woes

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, now in her seventh year in office, is blaming Republican leaders in the nation’s capital for her state’s economic troubles.

“With Republicans in Washington creating more economic uncertainty, good-paying jobs are on the chopping block,” Whitmer tweeted Aug. 6. “That’s why we need to keep fixing the damn roads and supporting tens of thousands of good-paying jobs here in Michigan. Let’s get it done.”

When Whitmer took office in January 2019, Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, slightly above the national average of 4.0%, as measured by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As July 2025, those number were 5.3% and 4.2.%, respectively.

Click here to read more.

 

ABC reporter calls Charlie Kirk assassin's text messages with transgender partner 'very touching'

ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman is under fire for putting a spotlight on what he called the "very touching" text messages Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin sent to his transgender partner.

After the press conference announcing the murder charges against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, Gutman marveled at "such specific text messages" that were unearthed about the murder weapon.

"But, also, it was very touching in a way that many of us didn't expect," Gutman said. "A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love.' Click here to read more.

 

Pandemic Emergency? Detroit to Spend Millions of COVID Money On ‘Improvements’ to Recreation Center.

DETROIT – Officially, when the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed in March 2021, the Joe Biden White House cited the necessity of the $1.9 trillion spending bill.

The act “provides funding for critical resources to strengthen the backbone of our country, while also responding to the public health and economic crisis the Nation faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Instead, municipalities across the state have used ARPA money to fund projects that are unrelated to the pandemic.

Five years later, COVID-19 is an afterthought. However, the city of Detroit authorized $2.19 million of ARPA money to spend on the Adams Butzel Complex recreational building. The project is expected to be completed by March 2026, according to documents the city released this week. Click here to read more.

 

Train stabbing suspect's family linked to prior crimes, including murder, records reveal

The man accused of stabbing a Ukrainian refugee to death aboard a North Carolina train has a lengthy criminal history — and so do several members of his family, according to law enforcement records.

Decarlos Brown, Jr., 34, was identified as the suspect who killed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska. He was initially charged with first-degree murder in connection to the deadly attack, which occurred on a train in August.

Brown also has a total of 14 prior arrests. Click here to read more.

 

2 Alabama girls suing Roblox claim sexual predators found, groomed them on gaming platform

DALE COUNTY, Ala. - Two girls from Dale County, Alabama and their families are suing online gaming company Roblox and messaging platform Discord, alleging the girls met and were groomed by sexual predators on the platforms.

The family of a now 14-year-old girl claim she met a user on Roblox when she was 11-years-old who claimed to be 15, but was actually a man targeting the young girl for exploitation.

The lawsuit claims Roblox’s age verification and safety protocols were ineffective in stopping the alleged predator from grooming the young girl, and eventually attempting to meet up with her even after he was arrested and warned not to have any contact with her after manipulating her into sending him sexually explicit images through Discord. Click here to read more.

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan is restarting efforts to collect more than $2.7 billion in unemployment benefit overpayments from roughly 350,000 workers, following settlement of a class‐action lawsuit that had paused collection activity.

What’s Happening & Key Dates

Under a court‐approved settlement in Saunders v. UIA, the UIA will lift the pause on collecting overpaid unemployment benefits effective September 12, 2025.

First payments from affected claimants are due September 29, 2025.

Claimants will begin seeing notices in their Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) accounts starting September 9, with a follow‐up formal collection notice (Form 1088) on or after September 12 that spells out the amount owed and options for repayment.

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Who’s Affected

The resumption applies to people whose overpayment claims date back to March 2020, the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Many of those affected filed claims in 2020 or 2021.

Relief / Waiver Options

For those who cannot pay, the UIA is offering financial hardship waivers.

Claims with findings of fraud will not be eligible for waivers.

Payments may be made through MiWAM or by mail using the provided Form 1088 Payment Voucher.

Legal & Policy Background

The pause in collections had been imposed due to Saunders v. UIA, a class‐action suit challenging the UIA’s overpayment collections practices. As part of that litigation, some collections were halted while issues such as timely protest or appeal, and fairness of notice, were considered.

In May 2025, a settlement in the lawsuit was reached, requiring UIA to resume collections under updated terms.

Wider Context & Issues

The $2.7 billion figure reflects overpayments that occurred due largely to pandemic-era disruptions: overwhelmed systems, rapidly changing eligibility rules, worker mistakes, and possibly agency administrative errors.

Advocates note that many affected individuals are likely already under financial strain, and the sudden demand for repayment could exacerbate hardships. Some have raised concerns about whether proper notice was given at the time of the overpayments, and whether claimants had sufficient opportunity to protest or appeal.

There’s uncertainty about how much of the $2.7 billion will actually be recovered, given waivers, financial hardships, and in some cases, inability to locate claimants.

What Claimants Should Know

Check your MiWAM account for messages about overpayments and upcoming collection notices.

If you owe money and cannot pay, apply for a waiver promptly. The UIA provides a process for requesting a hardship waiver.

Even if collection is resuming, there may be legal protections if your protest or appeal was in process or if you were improperly denied appeal rights.

Reaction and Implications

Some claimants say they were surprised by the timing, citing that in many cases they were notified years ago of overpayments but did not face collection until now.

The UIA says securing these repayments is necessary to protect the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and ensure benefits remain available for future claimants.

Legal experts observe that the UIA’s policies during the pandemic—including the way appeals and protests were handled, and how overpayments were determined—are under increased scrutiny, as are the procedural protections for claimants.

Bottom line: If you received unemployment benefits in Michigan during the pandemic and were later told you were overpaid, there’s a strong chance now that the state will demand repayment starting September 29, 2025, unless you qualify for a waiver or there are legal protections in your case. Keeping tabs on notices, understanding your rights, and acting early will be crucial.