President Donald Trump is set to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House on Friday as Ukraine attempts to maintain United States support against Russia.
President Trump has made some of America's European allies anxious by opening lines of communication with Russia for the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He has stated that he has talked directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this month, President Trump referred to Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections" and added that "Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left."
The Trump administration has insisted that Russia must be involved in peace talks to bring an end to the war.
In exchange for America's continued military backing of Ukraine, the White House expects Zelenskyy to sign an agreement allowing the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare minerals and energy sources. While the exact details of the agreement have not been published, White House officials have indicated that the deal does not come with security assurances.
The Trump administration has also discussed implementing a peacekeeping agreement, which could potentially see U.S. and European troops deployed to prevent Ukraine and Russia from fighting each other.
As President Trump prepares to welcome Zelenskyy, he seemingly walked back his earlier comments calling the Ukrainian leader a dictator.
On Thursday, when asked if he regretted calling Zelenskyy a dictator, he responded, "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question."
Later in the day, President Trump was asked if he would apologize to Zelenskyy for the comment.
"I think we're gonna have a very good meeting tomorrow morning," he said. "We're gonna get along really well, OK? We have a lot of respect. I have a lot of respect for him. We've given them a lot of equipment and a lot of money, but they have fought very bravely, no matter how you figure it."
By JUSTIN SPIKE and AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s leader will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday at a pivotal moment for his country, one that hinges on whether he can persuade Trump to provide some form of U.S. backing for Ukraine’s security against any future Russian aggression.
During his trip to Washington, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s delegation is expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the U.S. aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine, a deal that would closely tie the two countries together for years to come.
Though the deal, which is seen as a step toward ending the three-year war, references the importance of Ukraine’s security, it leaves that to a separate agreement to be discussed between the two leaders — talks that are likely to commence Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens during a news conference at a security summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia’s larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have pushed to ensure a potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country’s future security.
Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace — especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands — would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease.
According to the preliminary economic agreement, seen by The Associated Press, the U.S. and Ukraine will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.
A more detailed agreement on establishing the fund will be drawn up once the preliminary one is signed.
Trump, a Republican, has framed the emerging deal as a chance for Kyiv to compensate the U.S. for wartime aid sent under his predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
But Zelenskyy has remained firm that specific assurances for Ukraine’s security must accompany any agreement giving U.S. access to Ukraine’s resources. On Wednesday, he said the agreement “may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine?”
Trump remains noncommittal about any American security guarantees.
“I’m not going to make security guarantees … very much,” Trump told reporters this week. “We’re going to have Europe do that.”
If a truce can be reached, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to send troops for a potential peacekeeping mission to Ukraine to ensure that fighting between Ukraine and Russia doesn’t flare up again. Both leaders traveled to Washington this week before the Zelenskyy visit to discuss with Trump the potential peacekeeping mission and other concerns about the war.
White House officials are skeptical that Britain and France can assemble enough troops from across Europe, at least at this moment, to deploy a credible peacekeeping mission to Kyiv.
It will likely take a “consensual peace settlement” between Russia and Ukraine before many nations would be willing to provide such forces, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Zelenskyy and European officials have no illusions about U.S. troops taking part in such a mission. But Starmer and others are trying to make the case that the plan can only work with a U.S. backstop for European forces on the ground — through U.S. aerial intelligence, surveillance and support, as well as rapid-response cover in case the truce is breached.
“You’ve created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal — a deal that I think would be celebrated in Ukraine and around the world,” Starmer told Trump. “That is the prize. But we have to get it right.”
Zelenskyy has been vague on exactly what kinds of security guarantees would be suitable for his country, and while he continues to advocate for Ukraine’s eventual membership in NATO, he has also suggested a similar security arrangement would suffice.
But Trump on Wednesday said Ukraine “could forget about” joining the Western military alliance.
Still, Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump, their first since the U.S. leader’s inauguration in January, is seen in Kyiv as a diplomatic win for Ukraine. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said being able to meet personally with Trump before Russian President Vladimir Putin does “is a good signal.”
Zelenskyy said he hopes to discuss whether the U.S. plans to halt its military aid to Ukraine and, if so, whether Kyiv would be able to purchase weapons directly from the U.S.
He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for the purchase of weapons and whether Washington plans to lift sanctions on Moscow.
Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration. Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders — both dramatic breaks with previous U.S. policy to isolate Putin over his invasion.
Trump later seemed to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war, and called Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding elections after the end of his regular term last year, though Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in place.
As Zelenskyy seeks to lower the temperature with the U.S. while in Washington, American officials are saying the economic deal, if implemented, would itself provide a measure of security to Ukraine through the presence of U.S. investments on its territory.
On Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. working on mineral extraction in Ukraine would amount to “automatic security because nobody’s going to be messing around with our people when we’re there.”
“It’s a great deal for Ukraine too, because they get us over there and we’re going to be working over there,” Trump said. “We will be on the land.”
That perspective is echoed by the text of the economic agreement, which says the U.S. “supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”
Washington, it continues, has “a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.”
Spike reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
FILE – Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, right, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands during their meeting at Trump Tower, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
Programs like West Bloomfield, Detroit Country Day and Bishop Foley have ensured Oakland County has been well-represented at the Breslin Center in recent history. Going back the past 10 tournaments (2020 not included), those teams have been among the area programs who have reached the Final Four a collective 20 times.
So which one or two might take the torch and run with it to East Lansing? Well, that’s a bit of a headscratcher.
Normally, there’s at least one frontrunner throughout the divisions, but not this year. On the other hand, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest wasn’t any sort of favorite to get to the state semifinals last season, and yet it happened.
But getting there requires navigating districts, so here’s the field of contenders broken down, along with a swing at who might move on and have a chance at shot-blocking conventional wisdom and rankings to get to the promised land.
Breakdown: The Mavericks finished the league .500 and proved they could hang with some of the best teams in the LVC this season. Good thing Fenton, their opening round opponent, is a level below that. Sure, it was all the way back on Dec. 10, but Milford beat Fenton by nearly 40 points. Howell and Hartland finished 2-3 in the KLAA-West, but the Highlanders took both encounters, albeit one in overtime.
Pick: Howell
District 14
Host: Northville
Teams: Novi (1-21), Walled Lake Western (3-20), Northville (14-8), South Lyon (18-2), South Lyon East (12-10)
Breakdown: The co-champions of the LVC, South Lyon’s grouping pales in comparison to District 13, which is notable since the winners of 13 and 14 will meet in regionals. Despite beating the Cougars by just four on Feb. 7, the Lions won the matchup by 30 back in January, which bodes well for the third meeting Wednesday in the semifinals. South Lyon also holds a five-point away win over Northville, who the Lions would almost assuredly meet in the finals.
Pick: South Lyon
South Lyon’s Isabella Nooe shoots over Lakeland’s Brynn Taliercio (10) during the Lakes Valley Conference game played on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 at Lakeland. (KEN SWART – For MediaNews Group)
Breakdown: The OAA Gold league champions, Farmington comes in playing some of its best basketball with just two losses in the month of February. The Falcons will play Franklin in the quarterfinals, and the Patriots have a lesser record, but have played the tougher schedule. Truthfully, the Marlins should be in a class of their own here. The last time they lost to a Michigan team was against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 48-46, on Jan. 14.
Pick: Farmington Hills Mercy
District 23
Host: Detroit Renaissance
Teams: Hamtramck (11-10), Oak Park (0-13), Detroit Renaissance (18-2), Detroit Mumford (9-5), Warren Fitzgerald (10-8)
Breakdown: The Knights won’t be a factor here, and neither should anyone but the Phoenix, one of the favorites to win D1.
Pick: Detroit Renaissance
District 24
Host: Bloomfield Hills Marian
Teams: Bloomfield Hills (8-11), Birmingham Groves (6-14), Bloomfield Hills Marian (6-15), North Farmington (5-17), Southfield A&T (15-6), Birmingham Seaholm (12-10)
Breakdown: Can the hosts run the OAA gauntlet? That might be ambitious, but the Mustangs — and Groves, for that matter — are probably the best six-win side in D1. Seaholm has dealt with injuries this season, though the Maples have wins over Bloomfield Hills and Groves. Unfortunately for them, Southfield A&T should take care of whoever comes out of that quarterfinal on the opposite side of the bracket, and while they’re not unbeatable, the Warriors will be tough to beat if they bring their A-game twice in a row.
Pick: Southfield A&T
District 25
Host: West Bloomfield
Teams: Walled Lake Northern (14-8), Walled Lake Central (1-21), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (17-4), West Bloomfield (13-8), Lakeland (16-6)
Breakdown: This is one heckuva district. The Eaglets will get the winner of the two Walled Lake Schools in one semifinal, assuming it’s the Knights, they’ve not been an easy out only having lost two games by more than 10 points all year. Lakeland split the LVC title with South Lyon, but while the defending state champs aren’t what they were the past few years, West Bloomfield can still get up and down, has some size and can shoot the rock. Easily one of the best district finals in D1 if it’s the Lakers and Eaglets playing Friday night.
Pick: West Bloomfield
District 26
Host: Swartz Creek
Teams: Lapeer (4-15), Swartz Creek (6-16), Grand Blanc (10-10), Davison (9-13), Holly (1-21), Oxford (8-14)
Breakdown: Here’s a pretty open one. The Wildcats, who finished 2-8 in the OAA Red, get the bye and should see Davison in the semifinals. Davison should be plenty tested, however the Cardinals have won just one of their last 11. Grand Blanc’s Saginaw Valley Conference record was 7-4, the inverse of Davison’s.
Breakdown: Four teams here, but no pushovers. The Wolves won the OAA Red and nearly went unbeaten in the league until West Bloomfield beat them by one on Feb. 25. Barring a surprise, they’ll advance and take on the winner of the other semifinal. Lake Orion is a live dog, but this should go to Avondale. That would set up a rematch of a Clarkston 62-48 victory over the Yellow Jackets on neutral ground back on Jan. 18.
Breakdown: Are the top teams upset proof? Maybe, maybe not. But Adams has had some injury troubles this season, and Stoney Creek isn’t what it was last winter. The Cougars beat Rochester by four, although that was the second week of December. Stoney does have the size to try and neutralize the Falcons’ talented bigs, to its credit. The Eagles won a share of the MAC Red with Utica Ford despite Ford forcing that split with a win on Feb. 21. But if Eisenhower can match up with Ford’s frontcourt, it should be able to hold its own against Rochester.
Pick: Utica Eisenhower
District 29
Host: Royal Oak
District 29 Teams: Troy Athens (7-14), Troy (7-14), Berkley (14-7), Warren Mott (13-8), Royal Oak (11-11)
Breakdown: The battle of Troy teams will decide who faces Berkley, who gets a bye into the semifinals. Royal Oak should get past Mott and into the final, and the Ravens beat Berkley 37-25 at the beginning of February. This is probably bound to be a similarly low-scoring rematch if those teams face each other once again. It could really go either way.
Breakdown: The Blackhawks got their second win of the year on Feb. 20 by beating Holly. They probably won’t get a third as Linden is pretty solid. This district will come down to Powers vs. Goodrich.
Breakdown: One of these two three-loss teams will have to go home before regionals (it’s not quite as daunting as last year when St. Catherine had to face state finalist Gabriel Richard in districts, to be fair). Haslett, who went unbeaten in the CAAC-Red, has three losses this year, and those teams have a combined four losses. The Vikings have arguably the best win among themselves and the Stars with a result over Country Day.
Pick: Haslett
District 60
Host: Hazel Park
Teams: Ferndale (7-15), Center Line (2-16), Madison Heights Lamphere (8-13), Ferndale University (10-6)
Breakdown: Center Line won just one game in the MAC Silver and finished below Lamphere. Ferndale University has finished the season relatively strong, but didn’t play the toughest schedule. Center Line aside, anyone could win this.
Pick: Lamphere
Country Day sophomore Maya Hammoud attempts a 3-pointer in a 66-33 win over Bloomfield Hills Marian Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON – MediaNews Group)
District 62
Host: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Teams: Detroit Country Day (15-5), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood (5-17), Pontiac (9-7), Macomb Lutheran North (8-9), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (13-7)
Breakdown: The Cranes should get past Pontiac and onto DCD for the semifinals. Lutheran North has played a really tough slate, so don’t pay too much mind to the record. In the end, it shouldn’t matter. The Yellowjackets, as they have been several other times in the past decade, are one of the county’s best Final Four bets. Whether they get past teams like Regina or Yale in regionals, we’ll see, Country Day is the cream of this crop.
DIVISION 3
District 91
Host: Warren Michigan Collegiate
Teams: Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (15-6), Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (5-8), Warren Michigan Collegiate (11-7), Mount Clemens (8-10)
Breakdown: The Crusaders may lack an S-tier victory this season, but did they have it when they knocked off Sandusky last year? What they have is a bunch of real good wins, and they’ve been tested against teams like Everest Collegiate, Avondale, Eisenhower and Armada.
Pick: Lutheran Northwest
District 89
Host: Detroit Central
Teams: Madison Heights Madison (1-11), Detroit Central (1-12), Detroit Pershing (14-1), Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (10-7), Detroit Northwestern (4-10)
Breakdown: This is a two-horse race. Will it go Catholic League or PSL?
Pick: Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
District 90
Host: Royal Oak Shrine
Teams: Madison Heights Bishop Foley (1-17), Detroit Community (3-12), Clawson (17-2), Detroit CMA (8-13), Westland Universal Learning Academy (0-10), Royal Oak Shrine (10-9)
Breakdown: Barring the unforeseen, Clawson and Shrine will meet in this district championship game in Royal Oak. The Trojans had a fantastic turnaround and shared the MAC Silver title. The Knights, though, have played a tougher schedule and will have the home crowd to root them on.
Pick: Royal Oak Shrine
DIVISION 4
District 122
Host: Whitmore Lake
Teams: Novi Christian Academy (4-16), Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner (6-4), Whitmore Lake (16-4), Brighton Livingston Christian (12-9), Ann Arbor Central Academy (1-11)
Breakdown: The hosts went 9-2 in the MIAC Red, and while they may not go deep into the playoffs, they should be able to get out of their own district.
Pick: Whitmore Lake
District 124
Host: Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart
Teams: Bloomfield Hills Roeper (5-15), Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart (3-11), Southfield Christian (10-8), Sterling Heights Parkway Christian (9-11), West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy (10-5)
Breakdown: Parkway Christian and Frankel could be a close semifinal on one side of the bracket. On the other, the Eagles, who finished behind Lutheran Westland and Whitmore Lake in the MIAC Red, should advance. Southfield Christian split its two regular season games with Parkway Christian.
Pick: Sterling Heights Parkway Christian
District 126
Host: Dryden
Teams: Clarkston Everest Collegiate (14-2), Burton St. Thomas More Academy (9-7), Genesee Christian (17-2), Dryden (11-9)
Breakdown: Everest (No. 10) might be the only ranked team here, but Genesee Christian could pose a challenge in this final. Among the Soldiers’ best wins this year are Ovid-Elsie, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian and Plymouth Christian Academy. The CHSL St. Anne Tournament winners beat Genesee twice last year, and were slated to place the Soldiers in early February, but that game with the Mountaineers was canceled.
Pick: Clarkston Everest Collegiate
West Bloomfield senior Breanna Gamble-Jones (5) skies to haul in a rebound in a 37-30 win at Stoney Creek on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The defending D1 champs open up districts against Lakeland on March 5. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)
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: Wind Advisory on Friday, cooling down this weekend
It's going to be windy today with a wind advisory in effect for all of Southeast Michigan from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Temps will feel like they're in the 50s but they won't actually get there because of the wind.
Gusts could climb to 45 mph or higher this afternoon, but even after the wind advisory expires, it will still be breezy with gusts in the upper 20s and low30s through Saturday.
Temperatures are going down into the weekend, so there will be a wind chill to deal with this weekend.
Highs on Saturday will only be in the upper 20s and then into the low 30s on Tuesday, with lows in the teens overnight on Saturday. Because of the wind, it will feel colder.
Next week, expect it to feel like spring with temps in the 40s on Monday and Tuesday and then into the 50s on Wednesday, with chances for rain.
Any traffic issues?
While the start of the massive two-year I-696 project was delayed until Monday, the construction project along I-96/M-14 will kick off today. Here's everything you need to know about it.
The top stories to know aboutLions revoke decades-long season ticket holders' memberships Lions revoke decades-long season ticket holders memberships
Some Lions season ticket holders arent too pleased with the Lions organization. They received an email saying their 2025 ticket membership had been revoked.
Pawel Jan is one of those ticket holders. He told me he has been a Lions season ticket holder for over 23 years. But now, he said hes rethinking his dedication to the team.
I'm like, hurt for these 2 weeks. I, like, couldnt put on a Lions thing on for a couple days because I'm like, they dont want me. It sucks, said Pawel
Pawel isn't alone. He and Tony Stevenson both told me they sold more tickets than allowed, and they both received an email from the Lions organization saying:
"Our internal review of your account activity indicates a level of resales and/or transfer activity inconsistent with personal use of your Detroit Lions game tickets, and we have made the decision to not renew your season ticket membership for the 2025 season."
Both of the men told me they live out of state, but they maintain their season ticket membership in order to enjoy the tickets when they have the opportunity to make it back to town. They also gift tickets to friends and family who are local.
I thought the message was a bit curt and thought maybe, based on my tenure, they might take a look at my case and say, Well, he really bombed out 2024, but well give him another season, said Tony.
We have reached out to the Lions organization for comment, but they have not yet responded.
'Its got to be passed on.' Auto dealer, economist say buyers will feel effect of 25% tariff 'Its got to be passed on.' Auto dealer, economist say buyers will feel effect of tariff
The prospect of a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada is leading some to say there could be a huge impact on the auto industry.
When it comes to selling vehicles in metro Detroit, Jeff Tamaroff is proud to be part of a legacy spanning nearly 60 years. He says a lifetime of changes has impacted the industry during that time. Now, new concerns involving tariffs are top of mind.
Its going to affect us. Its got to. Its got to be passed on, Tamaroff says. Itll be passed onto us, and well have to pass it down to the customer.
Oakland University economics professor Michael Greiner says one sure way to save money is to buy whats already on the lot.
Theres a lot of evidence people are making large purchases now, out of concern for tariffs going up later, he says.
Professor Greiner says a 25% tariff isnt the same as a 25% bump in sticker price; rather, vehicles like these could only see that 25% more on whatever portion of the car is made in Canada or Mexico. In this case, 15% comes from Mexico, meaning in the future, the sticker price of $34,690 would increase by about $1,300.
As for the long-term outlook, both Greiner and Tamaroff are hopeful these plans wont cause significant harm to the economy.
Woman featured in Prison Brides TV show arrested for stealing packages Woman featured in Prison Brides TV show arrested for stealing packages
A woman featured in a reality TV show documenting the lives of women in love with prison inmates is now facing prison time.
Canton Police arrested Emma Barker, a foreign national from England, on Monday. She is accused of stealing packages from neighbors at the Ridgeline Apartment Complex.
Those were either packages that were either at the office or at the doorstep of other apartments, Captain Edward Johnson said.
Police say the investigation started about a month ago with reports of a few stolen packages. They found more inside Barkers apartment while executing a search warrant.
I would say roughly 10 packages all the way up to 15 packages. We found Amazon packages that were addressed to other people that werent her, Captain Johnson said.
Police say the reality TV star would receive gifts from fans that she would show off on social media. Once those gifts stopped coming in, police say she began stealing packages to keep up appearances.
To call her new album, “Space,” a debut is a bit of a misnomer for Kendall Jane Meade.
The Grosse Pointe native, who’s been in Los Angeles the past seven or so years after a long tenure in New York, has been making music for most of her life — while growing up in the metro area, during her time at Boston University, in the band Juicy and under the moniker Mascott, whose three albums during the 2000s garnered critical acclaim.
Meade had “taken a pause” from active music-making after moving west, but the aftermath of a divorce led to “Space,” and to finally billing under her own name.
“I came back to it really out of necessity in a way,” Meade, 53, explains via Zoom from Culver City, where she also works in advertising brand management. “I didn’t realize it until (the divorce) that music was truly a tool for me to process my emotions. When something like that happens to you, you go through your toolbox of how you’re going to get through it — therapy, life coaches, psychics, walking … everything.
“I realized during that time I was feeling the best when I was making music. So music brought me back to me. It brought me back to the center of who I was. It was important for me to really reclaim myself, and (music) was the best and most honest way I had.”
That was something Meade got a sense of early on, actually. As the youngest of four — “The mascot of the family,” she notes — Meade “was kind of shy because my brother and older sisters were all boisterous and running around.” Her mother, noticing Meade “was kind of retreating a little bit,” enrolled her in a children’s theater program at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial around the time she was in second grade. “I had a comfort on stage from an early age,” Meade recalls, which led to school choirs and a cappella groups and an obsession with music that included publishing a fanzine, Buzz Magazine Boston, while she was in college.
It was there she also formed Juicy, which subsequently moved to New York. “I just always loved being around musicians, and it was also such an exciting time, ’cause there were so many female musicians,” says Meade, who also worked with Sparklehorse, Lloyd Cole, the Spinanes and others. “I had an amazing musical community. … Especially in New York, there was just an embarrassment of riches all around me. If I wasn’t promoting an album, I was collaborating, popping over to a club, jumping up and singing backup.
“I was continually fed by music. It was a really inspiring, really fun time in my life.”
Meade didn’t abandon music entirely when she and her then-husband moved to Los Angeles. “I was doing covers and things,” she notes, “but I had really taken a pause from writing and recording full bodies of work for almost 12, 13 years.” It was her longtime collaborator Charles Newman, who had also moved to Los Angeles, who encouraged her to get back to music by bringing her into the studio to sing backup on projects he was working on. That, in turn, prodded her back into her own creativity.
“(Newman) didn’t realize he was actually helping me heal,” Meade remembers. “I started using my voice memo and then I started writing notes down, melodies and things. My friend, Anders Parker, would be like: ‘Hey, I wrote this piano part. Write melody over it. I was sort of quietly making music.”
Grosse Pointe native Kendall Jane Meade recently released a new album, “Space.” (Photo courtesy of Mother West Records)
The track with Parker became “How to Do Nothing” on “Space,” while Kris Gruen, who co-wrote the album’s cathartic closing track “Heaven On a Car Ride,” took Meade on tour with him in Europe, which helped clear the creative pipes as well. “Getting back to that version of me felt amazing,” says Meade, who played a weekly residency at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles in October. “When I got off the tour, I was inspired and kept writing. I made a promise to myself I would play as many shows as possible to get comfortable again.”
Also impactful was a holiday trip back to Detroit to visit her father. Meade reached out to local musician and longtime friend Matt Van, who lined up and accompanied Meade for a show at the Polka Dot in Hamtramck. Hearing her new songs, Van suggested doing some recording at Electric Six veteran Zack Shipps’ studio, where they recorded demos that laid the foundation for “Space’s” title track and “The Garden.” Van co-wrote the latter, as well as the song “Temporary.”
The result is an album different from anything Meade has done before. Its organic, often spacious arrangements informed by 90s indie rock and a confessed new “obsession” with classic singer-songwriter motifs. “I’d Like to Know Myself,” meanwhile, starts with a classic Rolling Stones-style riff played by another expatriate Detroiter, Eli Wulfmeier (aka Leroy From The North), who’s on five other tracks. “It’s sort of a theme for the album — friends helping,” Meade acknowledges. “Everything felt like a hug, total support and elevation for what I was trying to do with the album, which was to express myself and encourage others to do the same.”
Part of that expression, of course, dealt with her divorce, but “Space” — inspired by her ex’s declaration that he needed more of it — is significantly more gentle and affirming than more vitriolic breakup albums such as Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” or Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill.”
“I wasn’t doing this to trash my ex or have an anger release,” Meade explains. “To me it’s honoring the marriage, every part of it. I just didn’t want to close that chapter without having closure. It’s very much my personality to do it in this way.”
Now, Meade has opened, or re-opened and certainly re-embraced, her muse. She filmed a video for the Madonna-referencing “Stereo” in Detroit with director Mitch McCabe and another clip for “The Garden.” She’s looking forward to playing live in support of the album and especially to making more music in the near future.
“Mascott was my band, essentially, but I had that moniker because I wasn’t ready to fully step into putting my name out there,” Meade says. “But now’s the right time, and I’m just excited to keep writing and keep writing and living the life of a musician.”
Grosse Pointe native Kendall Jane Meade has been making music for most of her life, but not until recently did she do so under her own name. Now she's out with a new album, "Space." (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Pham)
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) hosted the second annual Veteran Service Officer (VSO) conference, Feb. 11-13, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme.
The goal of the annual event is to bring together VSOs from around the state to learn how to best impact the lives of veterans and their families in their communities. More than 100 attendees from across the state joined speakers, fellow support organizations and the MVAA to learn how best to serve those who served our country.
A VSO is a subject matter expert trained and accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that guides veterans and their families through the process of applying for VA benefits.
“It is critical to the well-being of Michigan’s more than 516,000 veterans that we bring the VSOs together,” says Stefanie MacDonald, MVAA VSO manager. “Whether the VSO works for the state, the county, or a veteran service organization, it is important that they all have the latest information and training to best support the veterans they come in contact with on a daily basis. VSOs are the lifeline for many veterans and their families to get them connected to the benefits they earned.”
Veterans often face mountains of paperwork and VSOs are knowledgeable about veterans’ benefits and services and can navigate the sometimes complicated systems.
Service members and veterans or their family members may contact the Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) to learn more about veteran benefits and resources.
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency staff available to attend veterans events
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) staff members are available to attend and/or speak at events for veterans or events that involve veteran issues. To request MVAA staff to speak at an event, participate on a panel or present a session, staff a booth or table, provide brochures and information on health care, education, employment and other topics concerning veterans, or to have a veteran-focused event added to the MVAA website, fill out the event invitation form at: www.michigan.gov/mvaa/forms/event-invitation. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mvaa/about-us/request-event.
Upcoming events
• Oxford American Legion Post 108 to host Euchre from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 3 and from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 6 and Fish dinners from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7, at 130 Drahner Road, Oxford. For more information, call 248-628-9081.
• Royal Oak American Legion Post 253 to host Taco Tuesday at 11 a.m. March 4, and Friday Night-Perch at 5 p.m. March 7, at 1505 N. Main St. For more information, call 248-546-0490.
• Oxford American Legion Post 108 to host Broasted Chicken Buffet from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at 130 Drahner Road, Oxford. For more information, call 248-628-9081.
• Clarkston American Legion Post 377 to host Bingo from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 and a Fish Fry from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7, at 4819 Mary Sue Ave. For more information, call 248-673-9301.
• Milford American Legion Post 216 to host Burger Nite from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at 510 W. Commerce Road, Milford. For more information, call 248-684-9919.
• Berkley American Legion Post 374 to host Pancake Platter Feast from 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday, March 2, and Music Trivia at 7 p.m. Thursday March 6, at 2079 W. Twelve Mile Road, Berkley. Breakfast cost Adults-from $10, Under age 12-from $5. Beverages available to purchase. For more information, call 248-542-7668.
• The Holly Area Veterans Resource Center Vet-To-Vet Dinner is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 17, at VFW Post 5587, 201 Airport Drive, Holly. The dinner is open to veterans and their families, option to bring a dish to pass. There is usually a guest speaker at the monthly dinners, followed by Q&A. For more information, call 810-348-9960.
The Oakland Press is interested in all veterans events in Oakland County. Please send info in the body of an email with subject line “Veterans Affairs” to Sharon Longman at sslstart@aol.com. Allow two weeks’ notice for scheduled events and include a phone number for readers to call for more information.
The economy is a topic that's still on everyone's mind as we head into March. A new report shows consumer confidence dropped sharply in February and Americans are becoming more pessimistic about the economy with fears over tariffs and inflation.
The Consumer Confidence Index is now at its lowest mark since August 2021, and we wanted to know why. I spoke with a local economist and metro Detroiters to see how they're feeling.
"I do not have any confidence right now. I am one of those pulling back," Desha Johnson of Detroit said.
"Just a little worried. You got to protect yourself and look out for yourself," Gilbert Lee said.
"It is what it is. Hopefully, things will get better in the near future," Ronnie Elzie said.
Economic uncertainty and rising inflation are weighing heavily on the minds of Detroiters.
Johnson is just one person I spoke with who is feeling the financial strain and trying to save money.
"You can't go out shopping, you can't go out to restaurants, you have to eat at home. You even have to be careful of the price of groceries because of the cost of groceries right now," Johnson said.
While many are feeling the pinch in their wallets with the rising costs, Lee is another person who is cutting back to save money.
The report shows that overall consumer confidence is down across all age categories, caused by uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's tariffs, immigration and other policies.
"When tariffs were put into place back in 2018-2019, the economy was in a much stronger position and certainty the consumer was in a much stronger position," Michigan State University Supply Chain Management Professor Jason Miller said.
Miller said consumers won't see relief right now.
"Prices are very unlikely to decline unless we go into a steep recession, at which point the prices and the potential minor deflation is a moot point," Miller added.
Sterling Harrison said he is optimistic but is still pulling back.
"We just got to get through the hard times and we'll get through this," Harrison said. "Budgeting more, cutting back on lunches downtown, unfortunately just trying to survive."
The 1972 AMC Gremlin that Nolan McCann will show in the Autorama is a melding of two cars.
The 17-year-old from Madison Heights is one of the youngest exhibitors in the annual hot rod and customized car show at Huntington Place in Detroit, which starts Friday, Feb. 28.
McCann, a senior at Lamphere High School, learned car restoration from his grandfather. He started looking for a Gremlin to rebuild because he “just thought it was funky and cool.”
He bought a 1974 model and had it shipped from Connecticut for a total of about $5,200. It had more rust than he anticipated.
“That was a bit of a costly mistake,” he said.
Then he found the 1972 model that was “just a shell” and bought it for $1,500. With some parts borrowed from the 1974 Gremlin and help from friends, the reconstruction began last June.
“It’s been a lot of work and a lot of patience,” he said. “I’m super excited about Autorama. A lot of family and friends are coming to the show.”
McCann financed the work by buying, restoring and reselling 1990s-era Jeeps.
He entered vintage mopeds in the Autorama for the last two years.
Maintaining a grade point average over 4.0, he has scholarship offers from several colleges, and is particularly interested in Michigan State University and Wayne State University. While undecided on a course of study, he considers himself an entrepreneur and is leaning toward business.
McCann is one of about two dozen Oakland County residents entering cars in the show.
Murray Pfaff of Royal Oak is a car designer who has had his own exhibit, the D Lot, at Autorama for the past decade.
This year, the D Lot will exhibit 10 cars, eight of which he designed and drew himself.
Pfaff has raised $250,000 for charities over the past decade by holding a raffle of donated auto-related prizes, which have a combined value of about $50,000. This year, his efforts will benefit Make-A-Wish Michigan, which provides trips and other experiences for terminally ill and seriously ill children. Raffle tickets cost $5 each and there is also an online auction. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/thedlot.
“I feel very fortunate being in this industry,” Pfaff said. “It started out as a hobby and now I have clients who invest more than $1 million in these cars.”
Over the years, Pfaff has also entered his own vehicles after spending hours fixing them up.
How much time? “If you ask my wife, way too much,” he said.
Gary Hicks of Southfield is entering his 2023 Corvette Stingray, which has been outfitted with all manner of add-ons, he said.
He did some of the work himself and paid professionals for other amenities.
The “Lamborghini” doors, which open up instead of out, are his favorite customization.
“They make it easier to get in and out,” he said.
He also paid extra for the customized rapid blue exterior color. But that meant he got the two-tone interior thrown in for free.
Crowds mill around cars on display at a previous Autorama. Photo courtesy of Autorama.
Other Oakland County residents with cars in the show:
– Charlotte Davidson of Southfield 2017 Chevrolet Corvette
– John Leonard of Farmington Hills, 2005 Ford Mustang.
– Alex Della Torre of Farmington Hills, 1992 Mazda Miata
– Larry Harvey of Southfield, 2022 Chevrolet Corvette
– Mike Marmorstein of Southfield, 1932 Ford 5 window coupe
– Ernest Morrison Jr. of Lathrup Village, 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle
– Harold Sullivan of Bloomfield Hills, 1967 Plymouth GTX
– Everett Stephenson, 1971 Dodge Challenger
– Don Swartz of Rochester Hills, 1946 Ford Coupe
– Ron Kline of Rochester Hills, 1946 Plymouth convertible
– Matt and Dave Chojnacki/Gulda of Oxford, 1965 Ford Galaxie
– Justin Kowalski of Oxford, 1969 Buick
– Justin Shinouski of Auburn Hills, 1964 Mercury Marauder
– Frank Polito of Hazel Park, 1981 AMC Concorde station wagon
– Pontiac Transportation Museum, 1974 Pontiac GTO
– Everett Mero of Madison Heights, 1971 Ford pickup truck
– Vince Blaszcyzyk of Commerce Township, 1937 Chevrolet Custom Coupe
– Gerald Camico of Commerce Township, 1965 Plymouth Barracuda
– Bob Dewitt of Walled Lake, 1970 Oldsmobile Coupe
– Edward Frank of Waterford Township,1991 Ford Mustang
– Sean Gennari of Waterford Township, 2000 Van Dieman
– Joe Giummo of Waterford Township, 1980 AMC Spirit
– Phil Hargrate of Waterford Township, blue 1957 Hans Coupe 300 and 1969 Honda CT70 and his trailer home
– Ryan Lightfoot of Commerce Township, 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
– Tony Nacewicz of Commerce Township, 1971 Dodge Demon
– Tommy Shea of Waterford Township, 1977 Penton MC 5
– William Duren of Bloomfield Hills, 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
– Thomas Dorr of Clawson, 1935 Chevrolet pickup truck
– Phil Hatzos of Berkley, 1978 Chevrolet Chevette
– Mike Radonovich of Royal Oak, 1965 Ford Fastback
Autorama runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday and will feature about 800 vehicles.
Attractions include a pink Barbie convertible, as seen at Disney’s Epcot Center; a giant mega transformer car; WWE wrestlers and Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzelone.
HOURS
Friday, February 28, noon-10 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday, March 2, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
ADMISSION
At Gate:
Adults, $28
Children 6 to 12 years, $10
Children 5 and under, free
Discount tickets are available at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts locations. Discounted general admission is $26 and children 6 to 12 years, $9
For more information, visit www.autorama.com or call 248-373-1700.
Multiple planets will appear close together in the sky, beginning on Friday, Feb. 28, and the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills is planning a celebration.
Experts call it a planetary alignment. Some fans of astronomy are calling it a “planet parade.” It won’t happen again until September 2040.
The Cranbrook science museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., is preparing its observatory telescopes and holding its celebration on Saturday evening, March 1, but experts say Friday evening at about 6:10 p.m. will be the best time to see some planets, especially if unaided by a microscope or binoculars.
A cloudy forecast on Friday evening could make it difficult to see them, said Michael Narlock, Cranbrook’s head of astronomy.
“A number of the planets are near to the sun, so they will disappear with the sun,” he said, which will make timing important on Friday.
“Fingers crossed, it’s supposed to clear up on Saturday,” he said. “But it’s Michigan.
Through the telescopes, visitors will be able to see the planets as well as the Andromeda Galaxy, the Orion Nebula and more.
“It’s going to be a great jolt to the senses to see all of these things in the sky,” he said.
The museum will be closed during the day Saturday and will be open from 5-11 p.m. for the planetary celebration.
From 5-8 p.m., pre-registration is required. Walk-ups will be allowed after that, but due to capacity limits, admittance isn’t guaranteed. Pre-registration will close at 3 p.m. Friday and is available at https://bit.ly/4i12CJf.
Tickets are $21 for members and $25 for non-members. In addition to telescope viewings, there will be planet-related activities throughout the museum and planetarium shows available for an extra charge.
Tickets for the museum-wide event are non-refundable. Free passes and reciprocal membership privileges are not valid for this event.
This Jan. 2, 2010 image made available by NASA shows the planet Saturn, as seen from the Cassini spacecraft. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP)
Today is Friday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2025. There are 306 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Feb. 28, 1993, a gun battle erupted at a religious compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh on weapons charges; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.
Also on this date:
In 1844, a 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded as the ship was sailing on the Potomac River, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others; President John Tyler, who also was aboard the ship, was uninjured.
In 1953, Francis H.C. Crick announced that he and fellow scientist James D. Watson had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.
In 1975, 43 people were killed in London’s Underground when a train failed to stop at Moorgate station, smashing into the end of a tunnel.
In 1983, the final episode of the television series “M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H” aired; nearly 106 million viewers saw the finale, which remains the most-watched episode of any U.S. television series to date.
In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated while walking on a Stockholm street with his wife; his assailant was never captured and remains unidentified.
In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pope in 600 years to resign, ending an eight-year pontificate. (Benedict was succeeded the following month by Pope Francis.)
In 2014, delivering a blunt warning to Moscow, President Barack Obama expressed deep concern over reported military activity inside Ukraine by Russia and warned “there will be costs” for any intervention.
Today’s birthdays:
Architect Frank Gehry is 96.
Rock singer Sam the Sham (aka Domingo Samudio) is 88.
Actor-director-choreographer Tommy Tune is 86.
Hall of Fame auto racer Mario Andretti is 85.
Actor Mercedes Ruehl is 77.
Actor-singer Bernadette Peters is 77.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is 72.
Basketball Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley is 70.
Actor John Turturro is 68.
Actor Maxine Bahns is 55.
Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 56.
Musician Pat Monahan (Train) is 56.
Actor Tasha Smith is 54.
Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros is 52.
Actor Ali Larter is 49.
Country musician Jason Aldean is 48.
NBA guard Luka Dončić is 26.
A cult flag flies over the Branch Davidian compound in Waco on March 08, 1993 . After a shootout in Waco in 1993 that killed four federal agents and six members of the Branch Davidian religious sect, authorities negotiated with cult leader David Koresh for 51 days. On the final day, 19 April 1993, a few hours after a government tank rammed the cult’s wooden fortress, the siege ended in a fiery blaze, killing Koresh and 80 of his followers. (Photo by BOB STRONG / AFP) (Photo by BOB STRONG/AFP via Getty Images)
Runners are strips of carpet that have finished edges on all four sides. They are one of the best and easiest ways to protect your home’s flooring from scrapes, dirt and moisture. Rug runners brighten narrow spaces in your home and make them look bigger, too.
Rug runners have another practical purpose: a runner made with a sure-grip backing protects your family and guests from slip-and-fall injuries. If you are looking for a runner that never skids, take a look at House, Home And More Skid-Resistant Carpet Runner. Its soft loop-pile surface and neutral tan color complement a wide range of home decors.
What to know before you buy a rug runner
Where you will put it
Entrance areas: When you place a rug runner just inside your front door, you are showing visitors your sense of style. You are also being practical, because people’s shoes naturally collect dirt, dust and other debris from outside, and a runner protects the floor in your entryway.
Hallways: Long, narrow runners in hallways help narrow corridors seem wider, brighter and more inviting to the eye. Hallways typically get a lot of traffic, so durability is a primary consideration.
Staircases: If you have hardwood stairs, runners help prevent dangerous slips and falls, reduce the sound of feet tromping up and down and protect your beautiful hardwood, all while making a fashion statement.
Kitchens: In kitchens, runners repel the inevitable greases and liquids that come with cooking. Kitchens are good places for synthetic runners that shrug off stains and are easy to clean. Runners also provide a bit of springiness that makes standing easier on the cook.
Bedrooms: Bedrooms don’t get as much traffic as hallways, living areas and kitchens. Bedroom rug runners provide traction and warmth for wooden and tile floors. Runners placed on carpet keep the nap of your wall-to-wall carpet from getting trampled down in the same places over and over.
Material
High-traffic areas need durable runners that handle traffic and dirt. Wool resists both dirt and liquids, so it’s easy to clean. In kitchens, look for runners that repel the greases and liquids spilled by even the finest chefs. Check out runners that have enough padding to add comfort for cooks who are on their feet for hours. All runners help reduce sound by cushioning footsteps and absorbing sound waves.
Pile height
For that luxurious, cushiony feeling, deeper piles are better. But deep piles also trap more dirt and debris and are harder to clean, so choose high piles for low-traffic areas and low piles for areas that get lots of foot traffic.
Step up
For added safety that looks good, too, look for runners that taper at the edges so they don’t stick up and trip you.
Bounce back
Runners should rebound immediately from impressions made by people’s feet and shoes. Check the bounce-back factor before choosing a runner.
How much you can expect to spend on a rug runner
The cost of a runner depends on its size and materials. Smaller runners made of synthetic fibers can be found for as little as $20 while plush rug runners made of high-quality fabrics cost almost as much as fine carpets.
Rug runner FAQ
Do all rug runners have the same backing materials?
A. No. Rugs used on slippery surfaces such as wood and tile need to have sturdy backing made to hug the floor and grip it tightly. When you put a runner on top of a carpet, it has much less chance of skidding, but may bunch up, so make sure you match your runner’s backing material and design to the surface where you put it.
Can I install a staircase runner by myself?
A. Yes, if you know exactly how to attach it to your staircase. Stairs are the site of slips and falls and you want to know that without a doubt, your runner will never cause an injury. When in doubt, call a pro.
What you need to know: Walk safely and comfortably on this soft loop-pile beige runner that complements a wide range of home decor.
What you’ll love: The neutral color and solid design of this 27-inch-wide, 6-foot-long runner provide protection for your floors while not drawing attention from your furnishings. This runner is finished and bound around all four edges and at the corners to provide a finished look and prevent fraying. The rubber backing resists skidding and prevents bunching while vacuuming.
What you should consider: The quarter-inch pile is functional, not luxurious.
What you need to know: This 2-foot-wide, 7-foot-long red runner is a great addition to any hallway or entrance.
What you’ll love: It also comes in light blue, green, black and ivory. Made of stain- and fade-resistant polypropylene that is very durable and easy to clean, it has a jute backing safe for wood floors and is serged on all sides for added durability.
What you should consider: This inexpensive artificial runner needs to be periodically replaced if used in a high-traffic area.
What you need to know: This 22-inch-wide stair runner comes in any length you want, all the way up to 50 feet.
What you’ll love: Get the length you want in either a standard 22-inch or 31-inch width for larger staircases, and avoid the gaps and overlaps of trying to use a rug runner that is too long or too short. Choose from seven colors with this solid design that goes with any decor.
What you should consider: You can vacuum it regularly but will have to hand wash only.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Nimari Burnett made a long 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting No. 15 Michigan to an 84-82 win over Rutgers on Thursday night and into a first-place tie in the Big Ten with rival Michigan State.
The Wolverines (22-6, 14-3 Big Ten) rallied after trailing by 12 in the second half.
The Scarlet Knights (14-15, 7-11) went ahead with 12.2 seconds left when Tyson Acuff made two free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer, but they couldn’t make one last stop.
Rutgers, which led by 13 in a 106-point first half, was ahead 74-62 midway through the second.
Michigan went on a 14-2 run to tie it with 4:33 left and made enough shots and stops to win.
Vladislav Goldin had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Burnett finished with 20 points, Will Tschetter scored 16 and Danny Wolf added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Wolverines.
Rutgers freshman Lathan Sommerville scored 10 of his season-high 17 points in the second half when the highly touted players in his class, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, cooled off. Harper finished with 17 points and Bailey had 13 after both scored 11 in the first half, helping their team score 57 points in 20 minutes.
Takeaways
Rutgers: Steve Pikiell has his highest-scoring team in nine seasons at the school, but the Scarlet Knights are not playing the type of defense they usually have under their coach.
Michigan: The Wolverines made just five shots beyond the arc for the third straight game, attempting 20-plus each time.
Key moment
Burnett’s 3-pointer from deep on the left wing won the game just before time expired.
Key stat
Rutgers shot 68% in the first half.
Up next
Michigan hosts Illinois on Sunday, and Rutgers visits No. 20 Purdue on Tuesday night.
Michigan forward Danny Wolf, left, tries to get past Rutgers center Emmanuel Ogbole during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
DETROIT — This wasn’t the way the Red Wings had this weekend beginning.
Thursday’s opener to the two-game set with Columbus, capped by Saturday’s outdoor game at Ohio Stadium, means plenty for playoff positioning and the standings for both teams. To this point in the schedule, it’s the two most important games of the season.
Round one went to the Blue Jackets, who turned a big second period into a 5-2 victory.
The win moved the Jackets (29-22-8) into a tie with the Wings (30-23-6) with 66 points, occupying the two wild-card spots. The teams play again Saturday at Ohio Stadium (6 p.m./ESPN/97.1).
Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher (power play) had the Wings’ goals.
James van Riemsdyk had two Blue Jackets goals, Sean Kuraly and Kent Johnson had goals, with Kirill Marchenko adding an empty-net goal with just under a minute left to clinch the victory.
Marchenko dove to nudge the puck past defenseman Moritz Seider, Marchenko’s 24th goal, giving the Jackets a 5-2 lead.
Nobody was downplaying the significance of these two games after Thursday’s morning skate.
“Sometimes you don’t want to hype yourself up too much, but these are big games for us,” forward Patrick Kane said. “We’re in a situation where Columbus is below us in the standings, and we’re trying to create some separation.”
After a scoreless first period, Columbus scored four second-period goals taking a 4-2 lead into the final period.
DeBrincat opened the scoring with his 27th goal, just 27 seconds into the second period. Compher found DeBrincat open near the low circle and DeBrincat one-timed a shot past goalie Danil Tarasov.
But Columbus roared back with four consecutive goals.
van Riemsdyk scored the first of his two, deflecting Jake Christiansen’s shot from the point past Talbot at 4:16.
Kuraly broke the tie with his fifth goal, at 9:43. Kuraly drove to the net and batted down a puck to the side of the net, before knocking the puck past Talbot, giving Columbus a 3-1 lead.
Johnson, the former Michigan star, extended the lead to 3-1. Johnson got his stick on Dante Fabbro’s shot and redirected the shot past Talbot for his 20th goal at 12:08.
The Jackets weren’t done. van Riemsdyk scored his second, and 14th of the season, snapping Boone Jenner’s pass from in front of the net at 15:01.
Compher stopped the onslaught with his seventh goal, on the power play. Jonatan Berggren found Compher alone between the hashmarks and Compher cut the lead to 4-2 at 16:32.
The Wings stressed the importance of these two games after Thursday’s morning skate. The hoopla of Saturday’s outdoor game and the attention focused on these two teams who weren’t considered playoff contenders heading into even January, made it doubly vital to focus on the task of concentrating on the hockey.
“You can either take a big step in the standings here in these next two games or lose one,” DeBrincat said after the morning skate. “We have to come out hard. Obviously, first one at home is important and we can move on from there.”
Coach Todd McLellan added Saturday’s event makes it doubly interesting, but the games and points available are of the most importance.
“The games are very meaningful,” McLellan said. “Outdoor just adds a lot more drama to it. But on Sunday when we all wake up, the actual hockey part of it – the points and what comes out of it – will be the most important.”
The Detroit Red Wings’ Jonatan Berggren tries to split the defense of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski and Kent Johnson during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Detroit. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/TNS)
It's been roughly 10 days since a massive water main break flooded a southwest Detroit neighborhood, and recovery is still an uphill battle. However, progress is being made.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Local plumber plays significant role helping Detroiters impacted by water main break Local plumber plays significant role helping Detroiters impacted by water main break
Roughly 450 people are still being housed in hotels. The city is providing them 3 meals a day, but some say recently the meals they get from the hotels have been inadequate.
Giving us hot dogs for dinner, macaroni and cheese," said displaced resident Doran Smith, who is staying in a Southfield hotel. "My kids won't eat it.
Smith says he's either relied on food from volunteers or paid for other meals.
"I can't eat it. My kids won't eat it. I've been spending a lot of money on DoorDash, Uber all that, said Smith. "There's good people helping out bringing tamales and tacos, but without our neighborhood, its terrible.
Some photos of the meals were making the rounds on social media, showing hot dogs, minimal sandwiches, or plates of potato chips with chicken and shredded cheese on top.
I did see some of the photos, and my reaction was we need to change," said Julie Schneider, Director of the City of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department.
About a week ago, she says they went from using food trucks to using the hotels themselves to provide 3 meals to the residents. However, she says that will now change.
We want to make sure the hotel experience is good, and we recognize clearly, seeing those photos, that it was appropriate for us to change quickly and today, said Schneider.
Schneider says they were just made aware of the food quality concerns.
"Most of the concerns from the residents of the actual hotel had been about timing of when the meal service was available and accounting for people's different work hours and such, said Schneider.
Schneider says after the complaints, the city will now contract with local food trucks to cater in lunch and dinner, as they did in the first few days.
The city is doing what they can. I don't think they was ever prepared for this, said Jessica Ramirez, Founder of Detroiters Helping Each Other.
Ramirez and many in the community have been on the ground assisting since day one.
Every person on the ground is absolutely amazing doing the footwork," said Ramirez. "The community is coming together, but there is a lack of communication.
So far, the city says 64 basements have been cleaned out of the roughly 200 in total they plan to get to. Ramirez says there have been many issues, but much of it is being addressed.
Every address that I seen a complaint about I was able to call our District 6 manager Torres and tell her and within 5-10 minutes that homeowner called me like hey, they called me, theyre on their way. They came,' said Ramirez.
As for those relying on the hotel meals, they're happy change is coming.
A little bit late, but better late than never," said Smith. "I'm glad theyre doing it."
Ramirez says when this work is all over with, she hopes the City will sit down with the Southwest community to get feedback on this response to be better prepared in the future.
Hundreds of weather forecasters and other employees are expected to lose their jobs as the Trump administration makes cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Multiple sources report dozens of people were fired Thursday, including forecasters working for the National Weather Service, which provides weather tracking and forecasting. The firings appear to have also heavily affected probationary employees, or those on the first months of their jobs.
Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist, told The Associated Press Thursday as many as 1,300 employees may ultimately be cut, or roughly 10 percent of the NOAA workforce. He cited someone familiar with the firing plans.
U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman, a Democrat, warned in a statement Thursday the cuts would affect vital programs and put lives at risk.
"People nationwide depend on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts, and emergency information," Rep. Huffman wrote. "Purging the government of scientists, experts, and career civil servants and slashing fundamental programs will cost lives."
Weather experts echoed the warnings on social media.
"Even a temporary or partial interruption in NOAA/NWS 24/7/365 lifesaving services which are often used in an hour-by-hour (even minute-by-minute) context during extreme weather events and other emergencies would be devastating," climate scientists Daniel Swain wrote. "To be clear: If there were to be large staffing reductions at NOAA and NWS at appears is now indeed underway, with credible reports of larger further cuts on horizon there will be people who die in extreme weather events & related disasters who would not have otherwise."
Meanwhile on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that mass firings of federal probationary employees was likely illegal.
OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire or fire any employees but its own, he said.
The exact effect this ruling may have on firings at NOAA is not yet clear, but lawmakers have indicated legal challenges are likely.
"My Democratic colleagues and I will keep fighting back in state and federal courts, in the halls of Congress, and the court of public opinion. This is a betrayal of the American people, and it will not stand," Rep. Huffman wrote.
Friday, a federal judge granted a request from several organizations that will allow attorneys to question Department of Government Efficiency and Department of Labor officials under oath.
Plaintiffs plan to file a preliminary injunction motion request with the court to stop the Department of Labor from giving DOGE access to what plaintiffs have described as personal and sensitive information of federal workers and other individuals. Plaintiffs argued that in order to gather enough information to file a pending preliminary injunction motion, they will need permission to question certain government employees under oath.
U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates, who granted the request, said the questions will be limited in scope. Under this granted motion of expedited discovery, attorneys for the plaintiffs will able to submit written questions to defendants. Plaintiffs will also be allowed to submit requests for documents from the defendants and will be permitted to conduct depositions of the defendants. Depositions are recorded sworn oral testimonies.
Plaintiffs convinced the judge that sworn testimonies were necessary in this case because DOGEs current structure and the extent of its authority is still unknown. There is an open question of whether these employees are allowed to view the personal information of Americans under the privacy act.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, along with other organizations, initially filed the lawsuit in early February, alleging that DOGE staffers are gaining access to sensitive for federal workers and other individuals and the Department of Labors leadership has not fought back. The lawsuit alleges some of that sensitive data includes ... medical and benefits information about all federal workers with worker compensation or Black Lung claims.
Contrary to its statutory and regulatory obligations, the Department of Labor and its current leadership are acceding to this takeover, ordering Department employees to give DOGE access to whatever they ask for regardless of security protocols or risk termination, plaintiffs wrote in their lawsuit.
Defendants argue against allowing sworn testimony of DOGE employees, saying ...the interrogatories and document requests are unduly burdensome because of the number of subparts and the focus on agency structure, training, and systems usage.
But Judge Bates said four of five factors "... weigh in favor of granting plaintiffs motion..." He also wrote providing certain requested information would not be burdensome, especially since it does not require DOGE employees look beyond the start of President Donald Trumps second term which started on January 20, 2025.
A federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting some temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administrations massive trimming of the federal workforce.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including the Department of Defense.
OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire or fire any employees but its own, he said.
Alsup handed down the order on a temporary restraining order sought by labor unions and nonprofits in a lawsuit filed by the coalition filed last week.
The complaint filed by five labor unions and five nonprofit organizations is among multiple lawsuits pushing back on the administrations efforts to vastly shrink the federal workforce, which Trump has called bloated and sloppy. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired and his administration is now aiming at career officials with civil service protection.
The plaintiffs say the Office of Personnel Management had no authority to terminate the jobs of probationary workers who generally have less than a year on the job. They also say the firings were predicated on a lie of poor performance by the workers.
Lawyers for the government say the Office of Personnel Management did not direct the firings, but asked agencies to review and determine whether employees on probation were fit for continued employment. They also say that probationary employees are not guaranteed employment and that only the highest performing and mission-critical employees should be hired.
There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers generally employees who have less than a year on the job across federal agencies. About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans care, the complaint says.
Unions have recently struck out with two other federal judges in similar lawsuits attempting to stop the Trump administrations goal of vastly reducing the federal workforce.
Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has presided over many high-profile cases and is known for his blunt talk. He oversaw the criminal probation of Pacific Gas & Electric and has called the nations largest utility a continuing menace to California.
Attorney General Pam Bondi teased the public release of government documents related to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein during a Fox News appearance Wednesday, declaring, Breaking news right now, you're going to see some Epstein information released."
The Justice Department later acknowledged the files expected to be released Thursday have largely already been circulating in the public domain and are unlikely to include any new bombshells about the sex trafficking case that has been a favorite subject of conspiracy theorists.
The Justice Department said it was making the documents public to show its commitment to transparency. But the rollout of the files which were given to political commentators in binders that read The Epstein Files: Phase I at the White House Thursday afternoon showed the administration's preference for conservative influencers with large social media followings.
By Thursday evening, the files had not been provided to Justice Department reporters or posted publicly online.
The documents are unlikely to satisfy online sleuths eager for fresh details about Epsteins crimes and connections to famous people that have long been the subject of intense media scrutiny. The lack of new information drew criticism even from some conservatives. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR! Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote on social media, calling the rollout a complete disappointment.
Bondi suggested in a Thursday letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that more records were recently discovered. She ordered the FBI to hand over the full and complete Epstein files to her by Friday morning, and directed Patel to conduct an immediate investigation into why her order to the FBI to turn over all documents was not followed.
President Donald Trump, who was in office when Epstein was arrested, suggested while campaigning last year that he'd seek to open up the government's files.
Epstein was accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls in the early 2000s, but wound up serving just 13 months in jail. He was indicted on federal charges in New York in 2019, more than a decade after he secretly struck a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of similar charges of sex trafficking.
The case has drawn widespread attention because of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwells links to royals, presidents and billionaires. Maxwell herself is the daughter of the late British media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who once owned the New York Daily News.
Over the years, thousands of pages of records have been released through lawsuits, Epsteins criminal dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests. In January 2024, a court unsealed a trove of documents that had been collected as evidence in a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.
Much of the material, including transcripts of victim interviews and old police reports, had already been publicly known. They included mentions of Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew and magician David Copperfield, as well as testimony from one victim who said she met Michael Jackson at Epsteins Florida home but nothing untoward happened with him.
The previously released files included a 2016 deposition in which an accuser recounted spending several hours with Epstein at Trumps Atlantic City casino but didnt say if she actually met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing. Trump has also said that he once thought Epstein was a terrific guy, but that they later had a falling out.
In 2023, The Associated Press obtained thousands of pages of records shedding light on the final days of Epsteins life at a now-shuttered federal jail in Manhattan. They included emails between jail officials, psychological evaluations, internal agency reports, memos and other records.
The Justice Departments Inspector General later issued a report finding that a combination of negligence, misconduct and outright job performance failures by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and jail workers enabled Epstein to take his own life in August 2019. The watchdog report found no evidence of foul play.
Next to President Donald Trump himself, no one has occupied the recent political spotlight as much as Elon Musk. Musk, the world's richest man, was not elected or confirmed by the Senate but he is still present in administration cabinet meetings and in the Oval Office.
In just 30 days, Musk and his special government employees have ripped up federal contracts, tossed DEI programs, put federal grants on ice, and fired or laid off tens of thousands of government employees all with a passionate energy that has delighted the MAGA base and horrified his many detractors.
Scripps News takes a hard look at Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, including Musk's claim to want to save the American taxpayer as much as a trillion dollars in federal spending. So far, the Department of Government Efficiency claims it has saved more than $60 billion but questionable accounting and retracted claims means the total may be somewhat less than that.
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