By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump tried again Tuesday to delay this week’s sentencing in his hush money case, asking a New York appeals court to intervene as he fights to avoid the finality of his conviction before he returns to the White House.

Trump turned to the Appellate Division of the state’s trial court a day after the trial judge, Judge Juan M. Merchan, rebuffed his bid to indefinitely postpone sentencing and ordered it to go ahead as scheduled on Friday.

Trump is seeking an immediate stay that would spare him from being sentenced while he appeals Merchan’s decision last week to uphold the historic verdict. Oral arguments were expected before a single judge later Tuesday, with a decision likely soon thereafter.

The scheduling drama is playing out less than two weeks before his inauguration. Trump is poised to be the first president to take office convicted of crimes. If Trump’s sentencing doesn’t happen before his second term starts Jan. 20, it may have to wait until he leaves office in 2029 because of the widely held belief, endorsed by Merchan, that a sitting president is immune from criminal proceedings.

Merchan has signaled that he is not likely to punish Trump for his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and will accommodate his transition by allowing him to appear at sentencing by video, rather than in person at a Manhattan courthouse.

Still, the Republican and his lawyers contend that his sentencing should not go forward because the conviction and indictment should be dismissed. They have previously suggested taking the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Merchan “is without authority under the law to proceed to sentencing while President Trump exercises his federal constitutional right to challenge these rulings,” Trump’s lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in a filing with the Appellate Division.

Last Friday, Merchan denied Trump’s bid to throw out his conviction and dismiss the case because of his impending return to the White House. He previously refused to toss the case on presidential immunity grounds. Trump’s lawyers are challenging both rulings.

Merchan wrote that the interests of justice would only be served by “bringing finality to this matter” through sentencing. He said giving Trump what’s known as an unconditional discharge — closing the case without jail time, a fine or probation — “appears to be the most viable solution.”

Manhattan prosecutors have pushed for sentencing to proceed as scheduled, “given the strong public interest in prompt prosecution and the finality of criminal proceedings.”

The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s 2016 campaign to keep her from publicizing claims she’d had sex with him years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.

The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his then-personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had made the payment to Daniels. The conviction carried the possibility of punishment ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.

Trump’s sentencing initially was set for last July 11, then postponed twice at the defense’s request. After Trump’s Nov. 5 election, Merchan delayed the sentencing again so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.

Donald Trump Jr. flew to the icy Danish territory of Greenland on Tuesday as his father continued to insist that the U.S. should take control of the island.

Justin Wells, the producer of "Art of the Surge," a documentary series documenting Trump's return to power, accompanied Trump Jr. to Greenland. He posted a video on X that showed Trump calling in to speak with locals in Nuuk.

"It's a very special place. It needs security for itself and it also needs security very much for the world," Trump told the group.

RELATED STORY | With no disruptions, Congress certifies Trump's 2024 electoral victory

Before his son's trip, during which no official government business is taking place, Trump reiterated his desire to take control of Greenland.

"I am hearing that the people of Greenland are 'MAGA,'" Trump said on Truth Social, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

"Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" Trump added.

RELATED STORY | Donald Trump named Time's Person of the Year for a second time

Greenland holds strategic military importance due to its location. The U.S. operates a military base in northwest Greenland, which is vital for missile defense and space surveillance.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Its prime minister has said the island is not for sale.

Three vehicles caught fire Tuesday morning following a multi-car collision in Farmington Hills.

No injuries were reported.

Officials say Farmington Hills Fire Department personnel responded to the scene along eastbound I-696 at around 7:30 a.m. to find a three-vehicle crash. All the cars were on fire.

MSP troopers also responded to the scene.

The Oakland Press is working to obtain more information on the cause of the crash and drivers involved.

The roadway was shut down while fire department personnel extinguished the flames.

Cleanup continued as of 8:45 a.m., with one lane open. The freeway is expected to reopen fully as soon as possible.

 

Officials remind drivers to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles working on the roadway.

The Oakland Press will update this story if more information becomes available.

‘Flex lanes’ expected to open in the coming months on I-96 in Oakland County

Brother Rice off to hot start after offseason of uncertainties

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Multi-vehicle crash on Dutton Road leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

Opponents set: Here’s who the Detroit Lions will play in 2025

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith said Tuesday that his team was finalizing a two-volume report on its investigations into President-elect Donald Trump and that at least one volume of it could be released by the Justice Department as early as Friday.

The disclosure came in response to a request by defense lawyers, filed in court and in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, to preemptively block the report from being made public.

The report is expected to describe charging decisions made in separate investigations by Smith into Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump was charged alongside two codefendants in the classified documents case, which was dismissed in July by a Trump-appointed judge who concluded that Smith’s appointment was illegal. Trump was also charged in an election interference case that was significantly narrowed by a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Smith’s team abandoned both cases in November after Trump’s presidential victory, citing Justice Department policy that prohibits the federal prosecutions of sitting presidents.

Lawyers for Trump, including Todd Blanche, who was picked by Trump to serve as his deputy attorney general, urged Garland in a letter made public late Monday to block the release of the report and to remove Smith from his position “promptly” — or else defer the release of the report to the incoming attorney general.

Using language that mimicked Trump’s own attacks on Smith and his work, Blanche told Garland that the “release of any confidential report prepared by this out-of-control private citizen unconstitutionally posing as a prosecutor would be nothing more than a lawless political stunt, designed to politically harm President Trump and justify the huge sums of taxpayer money Smith unconstitutionally spent on his failed and dismissed cases.”

The letter was attached in an exhibit to an emergency request filed late Monday in federal court by lawyers for Trump’s codefendants in the documents case, Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. They asked U.S District Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report’s release, noting that Smith’s appeal of her dismissal of charges against the men is still pending and that the disclosure of pejorative information about them will be prejudicial.

In response to that request, Smith’s team said in a two-page filing early Tuesday that it intended to submit its report to Garland by the afternoon and that the volume pertaining to the classified documents investigation would not be made public before 10 a.m. Friday. It is presumed that both volumes of Smith’s report would be released simultaneously.

Justice Department regulations call for special counsels appointed by the attorney general to submit a confidential report at the conclusion of their investigations.

Garland has so far made public in their entirety the reports produced by special counsels who operated under his watch, including Robert Hur’s report on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified information and John Durham’s report on the FBI’s Russian election interference investigation.

The largest snowstorm to strike the Midwest and mid-Atlantic this winter has exited the East Coast, but cold weather has been left in its wake.

The storm moved from the Rockies through the Central Plains, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic before exiting the U.S. Data from the National Weather Service shows a swath of locales got 8-12 inches of snow from Saturday through Monday, and some localized areas around Kansas City, Cincinnati and Washington got 12-18 inches.

Kansas City, Missouri, had about 12 inches of snow, while Cincinnati had nearly 10 inches. Washington, D.C. had about 8 inches.

RELATED STORY | Polar vortex keeps much of the US in its icy grip

Now, these regions are experiencing colder-than-average temperatures, meaning the snow will not melt anytime soon. Kansas City and Cincinnati are not expected to climb above freezing for the next week, while Washington may barely hit the mid-30s by the weekend.

With cold weather enveloping the U.S., another storm system is expected to bring winter weather, this time further south.

Winter storm watches are in place for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. At least 4 inches of snow is expected in southeast Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

The Dallas region could also see a wintry mix as it prepares to welcome thousands of football fans for Friday's Cotton Bowl.

The National Weather Service also said that freezing rain remains a concern, which could disrupt power and travel in the region.

RELATED STORY | Yes, you actually can be allergic to the cold

It’s not exactly inviting travel weather here in the Midwest, but that’s not stopping a hearty group of top-name comedians from braving the elements to travel to bring some laughs to the metro area this weekend.

Among those on the docket are …

• Kevin Hart brings his latest stand-up show, “Acting My Age,” to town for three shows at the Fox Theatre — 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12. 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.

• Veteran comic Geoff Tate is on the mic through Saturday, Jan. 11 at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, 310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak. 248-542-9900 or comedycastle.com.

• Cam Rowe, who stands an imposing 6 feet 9 inches, headlines at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10 at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Charlie Berens, a veteran of MTV’s “Choose or Lose” and creator of the “Manitowoc Minute,” performs twice on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St. Doors at 5 and 8 p.m. 248-399-2980 or royaloakmusictheatre.com.

• Cedric The Entertainer makes one of his regular metro area appearances at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• Not for the faint of heart, Quinn Dale brings his unapologetically coarse and politically incorrect act to the Crofoot ballroom at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.

The Detroit Auto Show is roaring back and returning to its January dates, and it all kicks off Friday with the annual Charity Preview.

WXYZ is proud to be the official television partner of the Charity Preview, and we'll be live from the show floor starting at 7 p.m. Friday for the Red Carpet Charity Preview Special.

Join our Carolyn Clifford, Mike Duffy, Glenda Lewis, Simon Shaykhet and more WXYZ talent as we highlight the best of the Detroit Auto Show and speak to some of the biggest names in the automotive industry.

Get everything you need to know about the 2025 Detroit Auto Show here.

CES kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday with hundreds of vendors showcasing their high-tech products.

This year, products that help people get into shape are a big draw. One of those products is Fight Camp.

Users wear wraps that are equipped with sensors around their hands. Once they put the boxing gloves on, they can hit the punching bag to measure the strength and frequency of their hits throughout the workout.

RELATED STORY | From robots to virtual makeup, here's what to expect at CES

"The cool thing about Fight Camp is that we actually work with mostly beginners, a lot of stay-at-home moms or people that just maybe are intimidated to go to the gym," said Jessica Evans, lead trainer for Fight Camp.

Scripps News' Jason Bellini went head-to-head with Evans in a short workout. Watch the video to see how he fared.

The City of Windsor and the Detroit Lions are partnering for a drone show on Friday night over the Windsor Riverfront.

According to the City of Windsor, the drone show will take place on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. to celebrate the start of the playoffs.

Hundreds of drones will take off from the Riverfront Festival Plaza site, which will be closed for the launch.

People will be able to see the drone show from various locations across the City of Windsor and people will also be able to see it from the Detroit Riverfront.

The Lions will also bring the "We Want More Tour" to Windsor on Friday afternoon, and the city wil lraise a Lions flag at Charles Clark Square at 10:30 a.m.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and other social media apps, announced Tuesday that it is eliminating its fact-check team. Instead, Meta said it will move toward a "Community Notes" model similar to what has been established on X.

Meta said its goal is to uphold its "fundamental commitment to free expression."

Meta says by using community notes, it will empower users to "decide when posts are potentially misleading and need more context." Meta says it intends to eliminate bias in its fact-checking methods.

"Experts, like everyone else, have their own biases and perspectives. This showed up in the choices some made about what to fact-check and how. Over time we ended up with too much content being fact-checked that people would understand to be legitimate political speech and debate," wrote Joel Kaplan, Facebook's chief global affairs officer. "Our system then attached real consequences in the form of intrusive labels and reduced distribution. A program intended to inform too often became a tool to censor."

RELATED STORY | This program is helping preserve the digital lives of lost loved ones

The company added that "too much harmless content" is censored and wrongly places users in "Facebook jail."

The announcement comes a day after Meta announced that it added three people to its board of directors, most notably UFC President Dana White. White has held a close allyship with President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Jan. 20.

Meta talked about the role of politics in the decision.

"Were getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate. Its not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms. These policy changes may take a few weeks to be fully implemented," Kaplan said.

RELATED STORY | Why companies may sell your data to third parties

Social media outlets have come under criticism for allowing misinformation to fester, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies also show that habitual users of social media are more likely to spread false information.

More than 1 in 5 Michigan voters cast their ballots early and in-person in November. State data shows the new option was especially popular with older voters, but they weren't alone.

Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.

What's the weather for today? Metro Detroit Weather: The cold continues with A.M. snow showers

Temps stay cold throughout metro Detroit with highs in the upper 20s but winds between 10-15 mph. Clouds decrease tonight with lows in the teens, and flurries hang around.

Wednesday: Clouds increase with some snow possible toward evening. Highs will be in the low to mid 20s. Winds: NW 5-15 mph.

Thursday: Brighter skies with a cold start. Highs will reach the mid to low 20s.

Any traffic issues?

There's one major freeway closure to know about eastbound I-696 is closed at I-275 due to a crash. Other major crashes have been cleared this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map before heading out.

The top stories to know about Lions home playoff games to bring in $20M - $40M for the city, here's where those dollars will go Lions home playoff games to bring in up to $40M for city, here's where it goes

The Detroit Lions' success, is all of Detroit's success.

"The Lions win last night was so enormous," said Claude Molinari, Visit Detroit's President & CEO.

As the number one seed in the NFC Playoffs, the Detroit Lions have now secured at least one, maybe two home playoff games.

According to Molinari, that means millions for the city.

"A Lions normal home game is worth about $10 million to the region, a playoff game on primetime would be worth $20 million, and the idea that we could host two playoff games would be enormous for our region," said Molinari.

He said that the 2024 Lions home playoff games brought in $40 million for the city, they now hope to see the same this January.

As far as where all those dollars go? Hotels, restaurants, Lyft drivers, local stagehands, and merchandise shops.

According to Molinari, all of this excitement has already led to future Detroit event bookings from companies across the world.

'The show floor is packed.' Detroit Auto Show co-executive director shares what's new this year 'The show floor is packed.' Detroit Auto Show co-exec director previews event

The Detroit Auto Show is back that's the message from its new co-executive director, who tells me he plans to make this years event more hands-on than ever.

"The show's been around for more than a century in some capacity," said Sam Klemet, the new co-executive director of the Detroit Auto Show.

Over the decades, the show itself has evolved. Rod Alberts began running it in 1990 when it became the North American International Auto Show, and now, after 34 years, a new co-executive director is stepping up.

"I hope there is an energy felt when you walk into the building; Detroit right now is on fire, we are one of the hottest cities, I would say in the world, and we want to build on that momentum," said Klemet.

As the floor of the 2025 Detroit Auto Show is being built around us, Klemet tells me the show is back to its winter roots with the original name Detroit Auto Show." But that's not all.

"Well have more than 40 different brands represented, you can actually get into these vehicles and ride them and that is something you can't learn and look at all the specs online, it doesnt replicate that experience of actually being in the vehicle," he said.

Chesterfield Township neighbors start petition to stop proposed auto auction site Neighbors push back against auction yard proposal in Chesterfield Township

A group of neighbors in Chesterfield Township started circulating a petition against a proposed auto auction site to try to get the attention of elected officials.

Bates Road Development Company, LLC. applied for a zone change to the land at 25 Mile and Bates. Their request is for special use zoning for a portion of the 153 acres to be developed and used as an online auto action center, according to documents filed with the township.

Concerned Citizens of Chesterfield Township started researching when the application for approval first came up a year ago.

Organizer Walter Heinz says their research prompted concerns about environmental impact, property value, noise pollution, air quality, and traffic and safety.

"Came in with a presentation, and it just sounded too good to be true, what they were proposing, said Heinz.

He and his wife are also concerned about preserving wildlife habitat. Many animals live in the woods on their property.

"Over the years, we've worked hard, Jackie and I, to keep the property up," said Heinz.

It's why he put one of the "Stop IAA Auto Auction" yard signs on his lawn and signed the petition against it.

His granddaughter Meg Schoeninger says they are hoping the message is heard and spread.

This is 150 acres of land, the last little bit of Chesterfield that's kind of farmland thats left, said Heinz.

7 News Detroit reached out to the landowner and IAA Auto Auction Yard for a response and have not heard back.

Supervisor Bradley Kersten says the project will go through the approval process like every other request.

It is not currently on the agenda for the next planning meeting. However, several community members say they plan to attend just in case there is an opportunity to voice concerns.

The body of former President Jimmy Carter is headed to Washington for the final time on Tuesday as mourners are expected to pay tribute to him.

Carter died at the age of 100 on Dec. 29, 2024, after spending almost two years in hospice care.

Carter's remains are being moved from Atlanta to Washington after his body laid in repose from Saturday evening through Tuesday morning at the Carter Center. Carter's body will be moved from the Carter Center on Tuesday morning to be flown to Andrews Air Force Base.

WATCH LIVE COVERAGE

At 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, his family and remains will travel by motorcade to the U.S. Navy Memorial. At 2 p.m., a horse-drawn caisson will lead a procession to the U.S. Capitol where military body bearers will carry the casket into the Capitol Rotunda.

RELATED STORY | Scripps News Special: A full look at Jimmy Carter's life and legacy

Members of Congress are expected to pay tribute to Carter at a ceremony at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Members of the public will then be allowed to pay their respects to Carter as his remains will lie in repose at the Capitol from 7 p.m. until midnight on Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.

A national funeral service will be held for Carter Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. at the Washington National Cathedral. Following the ceremony, Carter's body will be flown back to Georgia, where a private funeral will be held at the Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter was a Sunday school teacher.

RELATED STORY | How Jimmy Carter became known as the 'Rock & Roll President'

He will then be interned at a private ceremony where he will be buried next to his wife Rosalynn.

By LINLEY SANDERS, HUMERA LODHI and JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans say immigration should be a top focus for the U.S. government in 2025, as the country heads toward a new Republican administration in which President-elect Donald Trump has promised the mass deportations of migrants and an end to birthright citizenship.

About half of U.S. adults named immigration and border topics in an open-ended question that asked respondents to share up to five issues they want the government to work on this year, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s up from about one-third who mentioned the topic as a government priority in an AP-NORC poll conducted the previous year.

The issue of immigration has risen in salience across the board — among Democrats and Republicans, men and women, and adults both young and old. But Republicans, in particular, have converged around this issue in recent years. About 7 in 10 Republicans say immigration or a U.S.-Mexico border wall should be a top focus, up from 45% just two years ago.

This means that Trump will return to the White House with his base, and much of the country, interested in his signature issue. That’s a marked contrast to when he left Washington four years ago with his successor, Democrat Joe Biden, offering a more welcoming posture toward migrants.

But even with the widespread uptick in concern about immigration, that issue is still overshadowed by economic worries. About three-quarters of Americans want the government to focus on addressing broad economic concerns, similar to the past few years. There’s a range of economic issues Americans want addressed — about 3 in 10 referenced general economic issues, a similar share pointed to inflation, and roughly 1 in 10 mentioned either unemployment or taxes.

About one-third of Americans identify foreign policy as an important issue, with health care issues and politics — both identified broadly — close behind.

Republicans are especially likely to want government action on immigration

Trump won back the White House with immigration playing a key role in his campaign, often disparaging migrants to the U.S. and claiming that they commit violent crimes, though studies have shown no link between immigration and crime.

Some of his immigration reforms are likely to face legal challenges as Trump seeks to sharply limit the number of immigrants welcome in the U.S. But addressing those issues remains paramount for Americans as he prepares to take office.

About 8 in 10 Republicans want the government to prioritize economic issues, while about 7 in 10 Republicans say immigration or the border wall should be a top priority.

Most Democrats, meanwhile, are focused on the economy, but they don’t have a clear second priority. Instead, about 4 in 10 name health care and health issues, a small uptick from a year earlier. About one-third of Democrats mention political issues, the environment or climate change, or immigration.

But even Democrats are more likely to want the government to make progress on immigration than they were the year before, when only about 2 in 10 Democrats considered it something that should be a primary focus for the federal government.

That doesn’t mean, though, that they align with Trump’s hard-line approach. One Democrat said the government should focus on “border control, not mass deportation,” while another said “better pathways to citizenship” should be the goal. In their responses to the poll, Republicans tended to mention “illegal immigration” and “a stronger border” as an important focus. One Republican supported “closing the border, deporting illegal immigrants, starting with criminals first.”

The focus among Republicans on immigration and the economy dovetails with two of the biggest challenges Biden confronted during his tenure, which saw both high inflation and sharp growth in migration.

Illegal border crossings reached a record level in 2023, adding fuel to Trump’s relentless focus on border security and his promise to deport migrants en masse. The numbers fell during 2024 after Biden announced a crackdown on asylum claims, but Trump argued those moves were too little, too late.

Americans under 30 really want the government to prioritize inflation

The youngest adults are particularly likely to want the government to work on economic issues.

Americans under 30 are significantly more likely than older adults to mention economic issues, inflation and personal financial topics as a vital focus for government in 2025. About 4 in 10 young adults name inflation, compared with roughly one-quarter of older adults. And about one-quarter of young adults say they want the government focused on housing costs, whereas only about 1 in 10 adults ages 60 or older say the same.

Trump made gains among young adults in 2024 compared with his performance four years earlier, but his youngest voters were much more motivated by the economy than by immigration, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters.

The same sentiment prevails as Trump prepares to take office. Compared with 2023, the December poll found, Americans under 30 are more likely to highlight general economic issues and immigration as things they want government to focus on — but they are much less focused on immigration than older adults. Only about one-third of adults under 30 said immigration should be a focus, compared with about 6 in 10 adults 60 or older.

Older Americans are also broadly focused on the economy, but their priorities are a little different — for instance, about 1 in 10 Americans over 60 want the government focused on Social Security in the coming year. Very few Americans under 30 mentioned Social Security as a concern.

Lodhi reported from New York, and Cooper reported from Phoenix.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

The market value of material disposed of in Michigan is between $500 million and $676 million, according to a report by the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.

Michigan has a new Legislature, but some things remain the same, including underrepresentation for women, minority groups and young adults.

Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump are attempting to block special counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report about Smith's investigations into Trump. They filed the motion in a case involving codefendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Olivera.

Smith was appointed by the Department of Justice to handle investigations involving Trump. Smith ultimately filed charges in two federal cases against Trump.

The attorneys said they have reviewed a draft of the report and said the report contained a "one-sided narrative."

"These Defendants will irreparably suffer harm as civilian casualties of the Government's impermissible and contumacious utilization of political lawfare to include release of the unauthorized Report. The Final Report relies on materials to which Smith, as disqualified special counsel, is no longer entitled access making his attempt to share such materials with the public highly improper," the attorneys claim.

In response, Smith said his office is working to finalize a two-volume confidential report that will be given to Attorney General Merrick Garland. The filing says one of the volumes pertains to the case involving Nauta and De Olivera, and Garland has not determined whether to release this volume.

RELATED STORY | Special counsel Jack Smith reportedly will resign prior to Trump taking office

Smith said that the volume would not be released to the public to the public before Friday at 10 a.m., if at all.

The case involves allegations that Trump, Nauta and De Olivera mishandled classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida. Although Trump formally had his charges dropped in July by Judge Eileen Cannon, Smith filed an appeal to reinstate the charges.

However, given Trump's victory in the November election, Smith said he would no longer try to reinstate the charges against Trump. The prosecution against Nauta and De Olivera has remained.

Smith is reportedly expected to resign as special counsel as Trump takes office. Trump has also stated he would fire Smith once in office.

RELATED STORY | Judge sets Trump's sentencing in hush money case, but signals no jail time

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced on Tuesday that it has finalized a rule that will remove medical debt from consumer credit reports.

The CFPB said debt reporting agencies will no longer be allowed to include medical debt on consumer reports that are used on credit checks. Debt collectors will also be prohibited from using the credit reporting system as leverage to pressure consumers into paying questionable debts.

The White House touted the announcement by saying medical debt won't be an extra burden on Americans needing credit for home mortgages, car loans and small business loans.

RELATED STORY | Report: More than 100 million adults are paying off medical bills

"Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score," Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday. "This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.

Officials estimate that as of 2020, 46 million Americans had medical debt listed on their credit reports. The White House also said that the amount of medical debt a person has is a "poor predictor" of a person's ability to repay a loan.

In April 2023, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax announced that they would remove medical debts lower than $500 from credit reports. With the decision, about 70% of those with medical debt had it removed from their credit reports, the companies said.

RELATED STORY | New report finds Americans owe more than a trillion dollars on credit cards

Even after these changes, there remained an estimated 15 million Americans with medical debt showing up on credit reports. Combined, those Americans owed an estimated $49 billion in outstanding medical bills.

The rule does not eliminate the debt itself.

The rule could also be undone by the Trump administration, which has promised to slash government regulations.

Q: We’re getting our house ready to sell. One concern we have is the furnace. It’s about 17 years old, but still working fine. Is its age going to be an issue when selling? We don’t want to spend $8,000 to $10,000 for a new furnace just to sell our house. What should we do?

A: What I recommend to my sellers when I am listing their homes that have older furnaces is to have a licensed heating contractor come in to clean and check the furnace before listing it for sale. If the furnace passes inspection, you will receive an invoice with inspection results that include showing that the CO2 level (carbon monoxide) was good. I then get a copy of that report. After an offer has been accepted but before the home inspection is done by the buyer, I provide a copy of the inspection report to the buyer’s agent so the furnace does not become an inspection issue. If your furnace does not pass inspection, then it should be repaired or replaced prior to listing it for sale. Like any other home appliance, your furnace could last a week or another 10 years. Even if you are reading this column and not thinking about selling your home, it’s still a good idea to have your furnace checked out for your own safety and health.

Q: Can you tell me how to calculate the acreage of my lot? I cannot remember how to do it.

A: This is a question that comes up occasionally. One acre equals 43,560 square feet. To find out the square footage of your lot, multiply width by depth. Let’s say your lot is a rectangle and is 70 feet wide by 130 feet deep. Multiply 70 X 130 = 9,100. Next, divide 9,100 square feet by 43,560 square feet and you get 0.2089072 or approximately 0.21 acres. Your lot is relatively easy to figure out because the front and back and both sides are equal lengths. If you have an irregularly shaped lot, then the calculation gets a little more difficult. I hope this helps you and anyone else who was wondering how to calculate acreage.

Market update

November’s market update for Macomb County and Oakland County’s housing market (house and condo sales) is as follows: In Macomb County, the average sales price was up by almost 8% and Oakland County’s average sales price was up by more than 7%. Macomb County’s on-market inventory was down by 3% and Oakland County’s on-market inventory was down by almost 14%. Macomb County’s average days on market was 34 days and Oakland County’s average days on market was 30 days. Closed sales in Macomb County were down by more than 11% and closed sales in Oakland County were down by almost 1%. The closed sales continue to be down as a direct result of the continued low inventory. Demand remains high. (All comparisons are month to month, year to year.)

By the long-standing historical definition from the National Association of Realtors, which has been in existence since 1908, a buyer’s market is when there is a seven-month supply or more of inventory on the market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers is when there is a six-month supply of inventory. A seller’s market is when there is a five-month or less supply of inventory. Inventory has continued to stay low. In November, the state of Michigan’s inventory was at 2.4 months of supply. Macomb County’s inventory was at 2.1 months of supply and Oakland County’s inventory was at 2 months of supply. By definition, it’s still not close to a buyer’s market.

Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at RE/MAX First with seven offices serving Southeast Michigan and is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or Steve@MeyersRealtor.com You also can visit his website at AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.