Being down with “The Sickness” has been a healthy endeavor for Disturbed during the past 25 years.
The Chicago-formed heavy rock quartet is on the road celebrate its five-times platinum debut’s anniversary, a rare feat that few 21st century albums are likely to achieve in a world of song-oriented streaming. But, as Disturbed proved on Monday night, March 10 at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, “The Sickness” — played in its entirety during the first part of the show — sounds every bit as potent now as it did during 2000, an entirely individualistic display of nu rock established by frontman David Draiman’s jungle creature scats and the instrumentalists’ textured whomp.
The band celebrated in theatrical fashion, too, on Monday. Following tight opening sets by Sevendust and Three Days Grace (reunited with original frontman Adam Gontier after an 11-year break), Disturbed played in front of a tiered metallic backdrop laden with pyrotechnics. Its portion of the evening began with a historical video shown on a white curtain, which rose to reveal a straightjacketed Draiman being wheeled on, Hannibal Lechter-style (a throwback to early Disturbed concerts), and deposited at the end of a ramp that jutted into the arena floor.
After he took of the jacket and mask the group then exploded into “The Sickness'” opening track “Voices” and didn’t take its foot off the pedal as it ran through the album’s hits — “Stupify” and “Down With the Sickness,” usually saved for the end of the night — and brought deep cuts such as “Numb,” “Violence Festish,” “Conflict” and a lumbering cover of Tears For Fears’ “Shout” back into the set for the first time in more than two decades in some cases. For the closing “Meaning of Life,” meanwhile, Draiman and company — guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist John Moyer (who joined in 2004) — changed into orange prison inmate outfits and staged a mock electrocution of the frontman, who sang with faux blood dripping from his forehead.
Disturbed frontman David Draiman is wheeled on stage, Hannibal Lechter-style, at the start of Disturbed’s concert Monday night, March 10, at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Mike Ferdinande)
A 20-minute break — accompanied by more historic, though largely inaudible, video footage — allowed the crew to set up a new drum kit for Wengren. The eight-song “greatest hits” set that followed included Disturbed’s new single, “I Will Not Break,” while a giant inflatable figure of the band’s mascot, The Guy, hovered at the back of the stage during “Bad Man,” Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” and “Indestructible.” But Disturbed’s massive hit rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” — accompanied by two guest string players — was hampered by technical problems that rendered all but Draiman and one of the acoustic guitars inaudible.
Disturbed’s David Draiman, left, and Dan Donegan perform Monday night, March 10, at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Mike Ferdinande)
“That was interesting,” Draiman quipped afterwards, acknowledging in comically graphic terms how unsettled he became during the mishap. He filled some time by speaking (correctly) about how rock concerts now provide an antidote to the bitter divisions sweeping the country, and he brought up two young fans — 11-year-old Chase and seven-year-old Hunter, with a parent each — to sit on stage during “The Light.”
“Into the Fire” finished the night with more — duh — fire, a solid close to a show that showed Disturbed is still in top form 25 years later, even when it wasn’t entirely indestructible.
Disturbed performs Monday night, March 10, at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Mike Ferdinande)
A 24-year-old Pontiac man is in police custody, accused of stabbing a woman multiple times Monday night allegedly because she had worn his clothing.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spoke to the woman at an area hospital’s emergency department where she had gone for treatment of multiple stab wounds. The woman, a 25-year-old Pontiac resident, reportedly told deputies she had been stabbed during a fight over her wearing the suspect’s clothes.
Based on further information from the woman and a witness who reportedly had driven the woman to the hospital, deputies went to a residence in the 100 block of Cherry Hill Drive in North Hills Farms housing complex to confront the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.
As stated in the deputies’ report: “Initially, the suspect refused to answer the door, but after continued announcements of law enforcement presence and a secure perimeter being set, the individual ultimately surrendered to deputies without further incident. Another male was located inside of the home and taken into custody as well for investigative follow up.”
Charges are pending for the suspect, who’s held in the Oakland County Jail.
Washington Avenue will be renamed O’Washington Avenue and flowing green with all things Irish for the second-year revival of the Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade this coming Saturday. Al Carter, retired Royal Oak policeman and chairman of the parade, and his team have been working off the momentum from the revitalization of the parade last year.
“The Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Oakland County’s largest parade,” Carter said. “This is the second year after a four-year hiatus after COVID happened.”
Carter got the job when he inquired about the parade and learned the previous chairman had moved to Bay City.
A group from the Most Holy Trinity Church in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood took part in last year’s procession along Washington Street. (TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)
“At that point, nobody brought it back or anything. And my wife and I raised our kids here and we’d always go to the parade and we enjoyed it,” Carter said. “I was coming upon retirement and I kept asking, ‘when are you bringing the parade back?’”
Carter got together with the remaining committee members, revamped the non-profit organization and got the Irish spirit marching back down Washington Avenue last March. Now with a larger cadre of sponsors including last year’s name sponsor, the Royal Oak Leprechauns summer collegiate baseball team. This year, Henry Ford Health is the named sponsor. Sullivan & Son Funeral Directors, Gus’s Snug, Abraham & Associates, the Royal Oak DDA, Green Wire Systems, John Cowley & Sons, North Oaks Dental & Orthodontics, Lilly’s Seafood, Fifth Avenue, Gilda’s Club, O’Sullivan’s Moving, AOH and Holiday Market have also signed on.
“Royal Oak has tons of events, but it was the first one that starts spring, you know, springs around the corner when we did the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Carter said.
It takes a year to plan and develop the parade and he is thankful for the generous sponsors
“It’s like a full-time job takes and it’s a non-profit. So we had zero budget. Last year we did it by the skin of our teeth. This year, we learned a lot with our committee that I formed from last year and we hit it hard. And we really were very fortunate with Henry Ford Health. They did a big sponsorship for us. So that gave us a little bit of funding to start,” Carter said.
He noted some of the parade entertainers are professionals such as the dancers and bagpipers who are paid to appear.
A bagpiper helped set the scene at last March’s parade. (TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)
“I went and cheered on parades many times and led the parade with the Royal Oak Police Honor Guard many times, never put two thoughts together of what went into it,” Carter said. “We have to shut parking meters off and that has to be paid for. Our Downtown Development Authority are very generous. We want to bring with that partnership, bring some business to all the businesses in downtown Royal Oak as well.”
He noted that several downtown restaurants will feature Irish food menus an opening up earlier to take advantage of the parade crowd. In addition to downtown businesses, Carter has pubs in Clawson and Rochester supporting the event.
“It’s not just the local community of Royal Oak. It’s spread to a little bit. And they’re going to have banners and signs in the parade in addition to it. Both Gus’ Snug and O’Connor’s are good Irish businesses,” he said.
This year’s Grand Marshall is Shirley O’Brien from the O’Brien Clan who are descendants of the late and former Judge Francis X. O’Brien.
“The whole family comes down. They build a float. They have buses and all this fun stuff,” Carter said. “And then our Honorary Grand Marshal is Father John from Shrine of the Little Flower. They’re actually participating and bringing a float and a trailer in honor of him.”
The parade will feature groups from Royal Oak schools, the St. Bridget Scholarship winners and Queen of the Court, an Irish Setter Group, The Ennis Center for Children in Detroit, bagpipes, dancers and many more. Floats and trailers will be judged and awarded prizes as well.
“We have another different band that’s coming, the Detroit Celtic Revival Band. They’re going to play live on a trailer. The Oakland County Sheriff and Michigan State Police are sending cars,” Carter said.
The parade begins at Royal Oak Middle School on North Washington and heads south beginning at noon. Parade announcers are former Royal Oak City Commissioner Carlo Ginotti and Fox 2’s Charlie Langton. The parade float Judges are Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan, and 44th District Court Judges Derek Meinecke and Andrew Kowalkowski.
“We’re praying for that wonderful weather and no rain showers. But they say a little bit of rain is a sign of good luck, so we’re going to go with that if it happens. We have our stage set up at 5th and Washington,” Carter said.
Participants catch a ride on a decorated tow truck last year. (TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)
This leprechaun was part of the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day parade. (TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO)
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to town with special intent this weekend.
The troupe will, for starters, celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace,” which depicts a journey to the promised land accompanied by Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday.” Also on the docket are three world premiere pieces: “Sacred Songs” by Matthew Rushing, “Finding Free” by Hope Boykin” and “Many Angels” by Lar Lubovitch.
Rounding out the program will be a new production of Elisa Monte’s “Treading” and the company’s signature piece, “Revelations.”
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St. 313-237-7464 or detroitopera.org.
Ronald K. Brown's "Grace" is one of several pieces the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform this weekend at the Detroit Opera House. (Photo courtesy of Danica Paulos)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States’ northern neighbor.
Trump said on social media that the increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States.
“I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,” Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social.
The U.S. president has given a variety of explanations for his antagonism of Canada, saying that his separate 25% tariffs are about fentanyl smuggling and voicing objections to Canada putting high taxes on dairy imports that penalize U.S. farmers. But he continued to call for Canada to become part of the United States as a solution, a form of taunting that has infuriated Canadian leaders.
“The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State,” Trump posted on Tuesday. “This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear.”
The U.S. stock market promptly fell following his social media post, triggering more concerns after a brutal selloff on Monday that puts Trump under pressure to show he has a legitimate plan to grow the economy instead of perhaps pushing it into a recession.
Trump was set to deliver a Tuesday afternoon address to the Business Roundtable, a trade association of CEOs that during the 2024 campaign he wooed with the promise of lower corporate tax rates for domestic manufacturers. But his tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, steel, aluminum — with plans for more to possibly come on Europe, Brazil, South Korea, pharmaceutical drugs, copper, lumber and computer chips — would amount to a massive tax hike.
The stock market’s vote of no confidence over the past two weeks puts the president in a bind between his enthusiasm for taxing imports and his brand as a politician who understands business based on his own experiences in real estate, media and marketing.
Harvard University economist Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary for the Clinton administration, on Monday put the odds of a recession at 50-50.
“All the emphasis on tariffs and all the ambiguity and uncertainty has both chilled demand and caused prices to go up,” Summers posted on X. “We are getting the worst of both worlds – concerns about inflation and an economic downturn and more uncertainty about the future and that slows everything.”
The investment bank Goldman Sachs revised down its growth forecast for this year to 1.7% from 2.2% previously. It modestly increased its recession probability to 20% “because the White House has the option to pull back policy changes if downside risks begin to look more serious.”
Trump has tried to assure the public that his tariffs would cause a bit of a “transition” to the economy, with the taxes prodding more companies to begin the years-long process of relocating factories to the United States to avoid the tariffs. But he set off alarms in an interview broadcast on Sunday in which he didn’t rule out a possible recession.
“I hate to predict things like that,” Trump said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” ”There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing. And there are always periods of — it takes a little time. It takes a little time. But I don’t — I think it should be great for us. I mean, I think it should be great.”
The promise of great things ahead did not eliminate anxiety, with the S&P 500 stock index tumbling 2.7% on Monday in an unmistakable Trump slump that has erased the market gains that greeted his victory in November 2024. The S&P 500 index fell roughly 0.4% in Tuesday morning trading.
The White House after the markets closed on Monday highlighted that the tariffs were prompting companies such as Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo to consider new investments in U.S. factories.
It issued a statement that Trump’s combination of tariffs, deregulations and increased energy production had led industry leaders to promise to “create thousands of new jobs.”
The significance of thousands of additional jobs was unclear, as the U.S. economy added 2.2 million jobs last year alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Pool via AP)
Detroit-based mortgage lender Rocket Cos. has agreed to acquire online real estate brokerage Redfin in an all-stock deal valued at $1.75 billion.
The transaction, announced Monday, gives one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders an in-house network of more than 2,000 real estate agents across 42 states and Redfin’s popular home and rental housing listings platform, which draws nearly 50 million monthly visitors.
The deal values Redfin at $12.50 per share. Shares in Seattle-based Redfin soared 68.5% in morning trading to $9.81 per share, while shares in Detroit-based Rocket Cos. slumped 15%.
Rocket expects the acquisition will save the company $140 million in costs by eliminating duplicative operations and other expenses. Rocket also anticipates the move will boost revenue by more than $60 million by enabling the company to connect its clients with Redfin’s agents and, ultimately, offering those customers other real estate services that Rocket provides, including title insurance and loan servicing.
Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman is expected to remain at the helm of the real estate brokerage, reporting to Rocket’s CEO, the companies said.
Under the terms of the deal, each share of Redfin common stock will be exchanged for a fixed ratio of 0.7926 shares of Rocket Cos. Class A common stock, which represents a premium of 63% over the volume weighted average price of Redfin’s common stock for the 30 days ended March 7.
Once finalized, current Rocket Cos. shareholders will own roughly 95% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis, while Redfin shareholders will own about 5%, the companies said.
The companies’ board of directors have already approved the transaction, though Redfin shareholders still have to sign off on the sale. The companies expect the transaction to close in the second or third quarter this year.
Rocket Cos. is buying online real esate brokerage Redfin for $1.75 billion.
The Pontiac woman facing felonies for allegedly abandoning her three children to live in a filth-ridden home for years has been charged with additional crimes.
As announced Tuesday by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, three counts of welfare fraud are filed against Kelli Bryant, in addition to the three charges of first-degree child abuse filed against her last month.
Bryant, 34, is accused of collecting $29,397 from January 2022 through February 2025 in support payments by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services while the children were living alone. It’s alleged Bryant abandoned the children in 2020 or 2021.
The prosecutor’s office said a review of Bryant’s MDHHS payments showed the overpayment, leading to the charges.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the alleged fraud indicates Bryant stole from her children.
“The defendant appears to have effectively abandoned her children while collecting their public assistance,” McDonald stated in a news release. “This crime is, first and foremost, a theft from Kelli Bryant’s children. These resources were intended to ensure they had the basic necessities denied to them. The children deserved better.”
Welfare fraud more than $500 is punishable by up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. For the first-degree child abuse charges, Bryant faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The case against Bryant unfolded in February after deputies were called to a residence on Lydia Lane in the Stonegate Pointe townhomes for a welfare check and found Bryant’s children, a 15-year-old boy and his sisters, ages 13 and 12, hiding inside. The townhome was filled with large piles of garbage, mold and human waste throughout, had an overflowing toilet and a feces-filled bathtub, officials said. It was described as “uninhabitable.”
A view from inside the townhome, showing large amounts of debris with garbage piled as high as 4 feet in some rooms, and mold and human waste found throughout (photo provided by Oakland Couny Sheriff’s Office)
When rescued, the girls were covered in feces, and all three children had matted hair and toenails several inches long making it difficult to walk, officials said.
Bryant had reportedly been arranging for food to be dropped off at the home each week, but toilet paper, soap and hygiene products were never provided, officials said. The children, who’ve since been placed with relatives, hadn’t gone to school for years.
Bryant is held in the Oakland County Jail, with bond set at $50,000 — recently reduced from the $250 million bond set at her Feb. 20 arraignment for the child abuse charges.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security skipped a fully competitive bidding process to give two Republican-linked firms the first part of a $200 million television ad campaign that lauds President Donald Trump for his crackdown on illegal immigration.
DHS told news outlets last month that it had undergone a “competitive procurement process” for the campaign. But in a document posted Friday on a federal database, the department said Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes “an unusual and compelling urgency,” a circumstance that allows federal agencies to bypass the usual competitive process.
The ads feature Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a blue suit standing with a backdrop of American flags thanking Trump. The ads have caught some attention as they mix campaign-style images of Trump signing executive orders and flying on Air Force One with clips of large groups of migrants crossing the Rio Grande and police cars with sirens blaring.
Noem warns immigrants to leave the U.S. or not to come. “If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return,” she says in one of the videos.
One of the winning firms is People Who Think, LLC, which is owned by Jay Connaughton, a Louisiana-based political consultant who served as media adviser for Trump’s 2016 campaign. Connaughton appeared to have worked as recently as October 2023 with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in the campaign of Jeff Landry, for governor of Louisiana. Lewandowski, a longtime Noem adviser going back to her tenure as South Dakota governor, mentioned him in a post on X as part of the team that helped elect Landry.
The other firm selected for the contract was Safe America Media, LLC, which was incorporated in Delaware a few days before the solicitation with an address to a property owned by Republican consultant Mike McElwain. Safe America Media has already been awarded $16 million for the ad buy.
Connaughton and McElwain did not respond to messages and calls seeking comment. DHS still called it a “competitive process” in a statement provided to The Associated Press.
“Following a competitive process with multiple companies competing to deliver the best service, product, and price for American taxpayers, Safe America Media and People Who Think both earned a shared contract for this targeted national and international campaign,” it said. “Multiple career government officials oversaw this competitive procurement process.”
The document posted on a federal contracting database reads in part: “DHS requires an immediate domestic and international campaign to direct illegal aliens within the U.S. and its territories to leave immediately, and to discourage illegal immigration into the country.”
DHS reviewed industry publications and vendors specializing on hyper-targeted media and advertising services and narrowed its search down to four companies that were able to work immediately.
“Any delay in providing these critical communications to the public will increase the spread of misinformation,” the document says.
President Donald Trump, from left, holds the new FIFA Club World Cup official ball as FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem watch in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 7, 2025. (Pool via AP)
Noem shared the story behind the ad campaign at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month. She said she had suggested conducting more news conferences to keep the public posted on its immigration actions, but Trump asked for those ads “to make sure the American people know the truth of what you’re doing.”
“But he said, ‘I want the first ad, I want you to thank me. I want you to thank me for closing the border.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I will thank you for closing the border.’”
Most of the money spent so far in airing the ads has been on English-language TV stations with more than $2 million, compared to the $360,000 spent to air them in Spanish-language stations around the country, data from ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows.
The data shows it has aired the most in TV stations in Phoenix, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. It has also been tracked running on Fox News in larger markets, with most airings captured in the Washington and Philadelphia areas.
Associated Press writer Byron Tau in Washington contributed to this report.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem walks past journalists at the White House, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Long Island brush fires that startled communities across Suffolk County over the weekend were likely caused by a person attempting to cook s’mores in their backyard, officials said Monday.
One person was using cardboard while attempting to make s’mores in the backyard of a Center Moriches home, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said Monday.
The person struggled to create a flame for the toasted marshmallow dessert due to the winds but accidentally set their backyard on fire, Catalina said at a press conference. Firefighters doused the flames at the home by around 10:30 a.m.
However, embers from the initial blaze were blown southeast by strong winds out of the northwest, sparking the fires that eventually sent smoke soaring into the sky, Catalina said. The first 911 calls about the larger brush fires came in just before 1 p.m.
Firefighters respond to a brush fire in Suffolk County in New York’s Long Island on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Steve Pfost/Newsday via AP)
“All of those fires are in a direct line with the strong northwest wind that was blowing that day,” Catalina said. “We feel very, very strongly that this is an accidental fire.”
By Monday morning, all visible flames had been extinguished and smoke-eaters were taking preventative measures to stop new fires from sparking. Conditions on Long Island are expected to remain dry throughout the week.
This image from video provided by Andrew Tallon shows smoke from fires on Long Island Saturday seen from Southampton, N.Y. (Andrew Tallon via AP)
Two firefighters were injured battling the flames but released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon. Two commercial buildings were damaged, but no residential structures were harmed.
When Illinois coach Brad Underwood met with reporters Friday night at the State Farm Center, he was asked where his confidence level stood after the Illini closed the regular season with an 88-80 victory over then-No. 18 Purdue.
“It grew a lot tonight,” Underwood said at his postgame news conference. “Just simply the confidence to win a close game when things are really, really hard against an unbelievably good opponent and a team that has the best offense in the league, to get stops when you need them. To find enough moxie when you’re down four or five and to make plays, man, my confidence is really high.”
After a bumpy patch in mid-February, the Illini finished the regular season with three straight convincing victories: against Iowa, at then-No. 15 Michigan and the finale at home against the Boilermakers, who had won five straight in the rivalry.
The Illini — who reentered the AP rankings at No. 24 on Monday — hope that confidence and momentum will carry over this week to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, where they are the No. 7 seed and will take on the Iowa-Ohio State winner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Underwood credited the leadership of junior guards Kylan Boswell and Tre White with helping pull the Illini out of their funk following a 110-67 loss to then-No. 3 Duke on Feb. 22 at Madison Square Garden.
White had 20 points and nine rebounds against Purdue, and Boswell added 15 points and five assists. Their improved play has helped supplement the Illini’s best player, freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis, who’s averaging 15.2 points.
“It’s just a matter of some guys stepping up,” Underwood said. “After the New York game (against Duke), they didn’t want to pitch a tent and say we’re done. They decided to fight, and that’s who we are. That’s what we’re about, being an everyday guy.”
Here’s a look at what else to watch in the new-look Big Ten Tournament field, which consists of the top 15 of the conference’s 18 teams.
The favorite
Michigan State guard Jase Richardson, left, congratulates coach Tom Izzo after a victory over Oregon on Feb. 8, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Michigan State already had clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship when it took the floor against Michigan on Sunday at the Breslin Center. But that didn’t stop the Spartans from putting on a show on senior day, cruising to a 79-62 victory to punctuate coach Tom Izzo’s 11th Big Ten title.
At 26-5 overall and 17-3 in the conference, Michigan State is the No. 1 seed this week and the Big Ten’s clear favorite to make noise in March. The Spartans have a double bye and don’t begin tournament play until Friday’s quarterfinals.
They went through a rough patch of three losses in four games to USC, UCLA and Indiana earlier in conference play. But starting with a Feb. 15 victory over Illinois in Champaign, the Spartans won seven straight to end the regular season.
Freshman guard Jase Richardson has scored 15 or more points in four of the last five games to lead Michigan State’s surge. Izzo made a case to reporters before the Michigan game that Richardson should be considered for Big Ten freshman of the year, especially given his play over nine starts to end the season.
“There can’t be many guys that I’ve coached that are as efficient and confident — not cocky, not arrogant, but believing in himself,” Izzo said. “It’s hard to find that happy medium.”
Next in line
Maryland’s Derik Queen dunks against Illinois on Jan. 23, 2025, in Champaign. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
No. 2 seed Maryland, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 UCLA also earned double byes into the quarterfinals.
Maryland would await the Illini should they win their second-round game. The teams’ lone meeting this season didn’t go well for Illinois, which lost 91-70 in Champaign.
Like Michigan State, Maryland has been on a hot streak, finishing the regular season with seven wins in eight games — the only loss coming to the Spartans — and 11 wins in 13 games.
Maryland’s starting lineup of Derik Queen, Julian Reese, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel — each averaging more than 12 points — has earned the moniker “The Crab Five.” The group’s scoring average of 69.5 points is the highest among major-conference programs. Queen leads the way with 15.7 points per game.
Northwestern squeaks in
Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli drives against Nebraska on Feb. 16, 2025, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Northwestern lost its final two regular-season games to UCLA and Maryland but did enough during a three-game winning streak before that to nab the No. 13 seed.
The Wildcats will face 12th-seeded Minnesota in the first round at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Northwestern beat the Gophers 75-63 on Feb. 25 in Minneapolis.
Junior forward Nick Martinelli scored 28 points in the loss to Maryland, shooting 8-for-19 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. That helped him finish the regular season as the Big Ten scoring leader with 20.2 points per game.
He has scored 15 or more points in 16 straight games to help keep Northwestern competitive despite season-ending injuries to veteran leaders Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach.
“If you don’t see that Nick Martinelli is one of the very best players in this league, then I don’t know what you’re watching,” coach Chris Collins told reporters after the Maryland game. “What’s happened to him this year with his two running mates going down — Brooks Barnhizer, 18 (points) a game; Jalen Leach, 15 a game — for him to come out and lead us to four wins in the last 10 with a bunch of young guys that really weren’t even in our rotation, to me that’s a sign of a heck of a player.
“He’s a warrior, man. I love that he’s on my team.”
Other player to watch
Purdue guard Braden Smith brings the ball upcourt in front of Northwestern guard Angelo Ciaravino on Jan. 5, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Purdue’s Braden Smith was the Big Ten preseason player of the year in October, and he has lived up to the billing. The 6-foot guard, who will be playing in the tournament not far from his hometown of Westfield, Ind., is averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
Smith was one rebound shy of a triple-double against Illinois with 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, and Purdue coach Matt Painter sang his praises after the game.
“In my opinion, he’s the best player in this league,” Painter said. “They call it the most valuable player, right? He’s pretty valuable. Like, who rebounds like him? Who gets assists like him? Who scores like him? You know, he leads the league in steals.
“Like, he’s pretty good. For a guy that had one high-major offer, he’s damn good.”
Big Ten Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Wednesday’s games
(12) Minnesota vs. (13) Northwestern, 2:30 p.m., Peacock
(10) Ohio State vs. (15) Iowa, 5 p.m., Peacock
(11) Rutgers vs. (14) USC, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
Thursday’s games
(8) Oregon vs. (9) Indiana, 11 a.m., BTN
(5) Wisconsin vs. Minnesota/Northwestern, 1:30 p.m., BTN
(7) Illinois vs. Ohio State/Iowa, 5:30 p.m., BTN
(6) Purdue vs. Rutgers/USC, 8 p.m. BTN
Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) Michigan State vs. Oregon/Indiana, 11 a.m., BTN
(4) UCLA vs. Wisconsin/Minnesota/Northwestern, 1:30 p.m., BTN
(2) Maryland vs. Illinois/Ohio State/Iowa, 5:30 p.m., BTN
(3) Michigan vs. Purdue/Rutgers/USC, 8 p.m., BTN
Saturday’s semifinals
Noon and 2:30 p.m., CBS-2
Sunday’s final
2:30 p.m., CBS-2
Illinois’ Tre White celebrates during a game against Purdue on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Champaign. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
Officers had been sent to the Holiday Inn Express on Baldwin Road at 10:45 p.m. Friday, March 7, after a report of a possible domestic violence.
“Officers arrived on the scene and heard two gunshots while in the hallway approaching the room,” Auburn Hills police posted on Facebook. “Officers immediately entered the room and found a 34-year-old white female deceased, a 33-year-old white male deceased, and a 3-year-old white female unharmed.”
Early investigation leads police to believe the man, a Vassar resident, shot the woman, a Saginaw resident, and then shot himself, officials said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the (girl) was taken to an area hospital and later released to a family member,” police said.
If anyone witnessed the pair or has information about them or what happened, they are asked to call police at 248-370-9460.
Police described the situation as “an isolated incident between the two deceased individuals; no one else was injured or involved in the altercation.”
Police said they would not immediately release their named.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office crime lab assisted, and the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct autopsies.
Longtime Macomb County resident John Bingham Jr. said police officers have always been near and dear to him.
Bingham served as a Detroit reserve police officer for 10 years, mostly out of the 5th Precinct, and as a police constable in Clinton Township for eight years. He remembers his early years from 1970-1980 in Detroit with great fondness.
“At the time I was an insurance claims investigator and I normally worked as a Detroit Police Reserve Officer on weekends,” said Bingham. “You really learned a lot about making split second decisions that your life depended on.”
Bingham, who recently moved from Sterling Heights to a long term care facility in Troy because he has stage 4 liver cancer, donated a 32-caliber Ward & Sons pistol, made in England in 1895 and a 1930s claw handcuff to the Sterling Heights Police Department.
The items are displayed in a handmade case that can be hung on the wall.
“The revolver is the same type of pocket pistol the Scotland Yard detectives would have carried in their back pocket at that time,” said Bingham. “The claw handcuff was used for detectives to march a prisoner from the jail to the court and if the prisoner got too rambunctious and tried to escape, a twist of the ratchet could break his wrist or at least cause a great deal of pain.”
When Bingham found out he needed to move to a long term care facility, he began selling off his collection of classic weapons. But the two items he presented to the Sterling Heights Police Department on March 1 are special — the pistol was a gift from his father and the handcuff was used by his great uncle who was a detective.
“As a resident, I just wanted to do something to show my appreciation for the police,” Bingham said. “I’m stuck here so I wanted to do this.”
The presentation was facilitated by the Sterling Heights and Royal Oak Lions clubs. Bingham has been a Lions Club member for 25 years, starting in Metamora and moving to Pontiac, then Sterling Heights, and finally Royal Oak.
Bingham said he was attracted to the Lions Club because of his brother, who lost an eye when he was 8-years-old due to a medical condition.
Sterling Heights Police Sgt. Micheal Zawojski and Detective Maureen Merpi, along with police comfort dog Toby, received the special items March 1 at Regency at Troy care center with members of both the Royal Oak and Sterling Heights Lions clubs in attendance.
“The donation of the antique firearm and handcuffs by Mr. Bingham is greatly appreciated,” said Zawojski. “It’s not every day we receive pieces of history like this, and it’s amazing to see how law enforcement tools have evolved over time.
“John’s dedication to both policing and the community is truly appreciated, and we’re proud to showcase these artifacts at the department.”
John Bingham Jr. with Sterling Heights Police Sgt. Micheal Zawojsky, Officer Larry Reynolds, and Detective Maureen Merpi with comfort dog Toby.
(PHOTO Dawn DeClark)
OMAHA, Neb. — Looking forward to more evening sunlight thanks to daylight saving time this weekend?
Many in the golf industry like the time change, too, and they are pushing to make that annual switch permanent.
The move is intended to encourage more evening golf and to stave off efforts to establish permanent standard time, which would leave less time for an evening on the links. And it is those late afternoon players who tend to buy food and drinks in the clubhouse.
“We would lose 100 tee times a day if daylight saving time goes away,” said Connor Farrell, general manager of Stone Creek Golf Course in Omaha, Nebraska. “Switching to permanent standard time would cost us $500,000 a year.”
Golf played a big role in daylight savings time
Golf has deep roots in the history of daylight saving time, which begins for most states at 2 a.m. Sunday when clocks “spring forward” by one hour. Some credit goes to William Willett, a British builder and avid golfer who in 1905 published a pamphlet advocating for moving clocks ahead in April and returning them back to their regular settings in September. The U.S. adopted a version of that during World War I and again in World War II.
Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966 that set up the biannual time change, and lobbying efforts by the golf industry are largely credited for Congress expanding daylight saving time by a month in the mid-1980s.
Lawmakers try to make standard time permanent
But for as long as it has been around, the constant clock adjusting has drawn the ire of Americans weary of losing an hour of sleep in the spring only to be faced with the early onset of darkness in the fall. That exhaustion has led to hundreds of bills introduced in nearly every state over the years to halt the practice.
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that in the last six years, 20 states have passed measures calling for a switch to year-round daylight saving time, many at the cajoling of golf industry lobbyists. But while states could switch to permanent standard time — as Arizona and Hawaii have done — Congress would need to change the law to allow permanent daylight saving time.
That hindrance — along with arguments that permanent standard time would improve sleep quality and foster safer morning commutes — has seen more states consider opting out of daylight saving time. Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have introduced bills this year to make standard time permanent.
Nebraska is among several states considering competing bills to make either standard time or daylight saving time permanent. That drew Joe Kohout, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Golf Alliance, to testify in favor of year-round daylight saving time.
Late afternoon golf leagues account for up to 40% of the annual revenue of some Nebraska courses, Kohout said, while a majority of golf instructors reported that nearly 50% of their lessons are taught after 4 p.m.
Under permanent standard time, “Nebraska’s golf courses will lose revenue, be forced to raise prices, and in some cases could be driven out of business,” he said.
The Utah Golf Association is also fighting a bill to make standard time permanent.
“The argument that changing clocks twice a year is an inconvenience does not outweigh the year-round benefits of having more usable daylight hours in the evenings,” it posted on social media.
In Indiana, golf course owner Linda Rogers succeeded in lobbying the Legislature to institute daylight saving time in 2006. Now a state senator, Rogers is fighting an effort to return to permanent standard time.
“Daylight savings time allows someone that, you know, worked until 5 o’clock to come out and still play at least nine holes,” she said. “And it’s not just golf. There are so many outdoor activities that people want to be outside for and enjoy later in the summertime.”
Golf course owners like the status quo
The National Golf Course Owners Association, which has about 4,000 members, recently polled stakeholders on the matter. The vast majority favored either permanent daylight saving time or the status quo of changing the clocks, said CEO Jay Karen. Only about 6% backed a change to permanent standard time.
“If standard time was to be made permanent, thousands of courses would be harmed by that,” Karen said.
Even so, Karen’s group is not advocating for a change to permanent daylight saving because it could hurt hundreds of courses that cater to early morning golfers, he said. Those include courses in retirement communities, vacation resorts where late tee times interfere with dinner plans and Sun Belt courses where extreme late-day heat sees golfers favoring early tee times.
“We feel like status quo is no harm, no foul,” Karen said.
Republican Iowa state Rep. John Wills introduced a bill this year to make the change to permanent daylight savings. But he has been under pressure to amend the bill to permanent standard time.
Wills was considering it until he heard arguments on how that change could affect golf.
’“I think I might push back in the future and say, you know, the golf industry needs this,” he said.
A golfer shields away the sun after hitting a drive at the Columbus Park golf course in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on Aug. 17, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
A history of aerobiology would normally be a book that would have little interest beyond the science community. But in “Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breath,” Carl Zimmer transforms the topic into something that reads like a combination of detective and horror stories.
Zimmer creates a highly relevant and gripping history of the study of the air that spans from Louis Pasteur holding a glass globe on a glacier to scientists racing to fight COVID-19 during the pandemic.
The book shows what a vital role the science of airborne life has played in the fight against COVID, influenza and other diseases. Zimmer also introduces readers to figures little known to the mass public who have played a role in the field’s evolution.
They include William Firth Wells, a pioneer in aerobiology whose work was crucial in understanding how airborne diseases spread, especially during the pandemic.
Zimmer’s book also shows how the work of Wells and other scientists was distorted into something that was used as the basis of biological weapons.
Using the outbreak among a Washington state choir, Zimmer chillingly describes how COVID-19 spread through the air and the frustrating rifts among health officials during the pandemic about addressing to the public that the virus was airborne.
As Zimmer puts it, the pandemic “made the ocean of gases surrounding us visible.” His book is a key guide for understanding that ocean.
While deployed in Kosovo in May 2024, U.S. Army Reserve physical therapy assistant Elvia Azuara saw many stray cats running around one of the bases — including a sweet little black and white female kitty, known mostly as Fent.
Azuara noticed her one day during lunch and she fed fries to Fent. Soon, this became a regular bonding activity for them. “I guess she knew my routine,” Azuara said in an interview with Stacker. “Whenever I was there, she would just pop up out of nowhere and she would wait for her fries.”
But four months later, in October, Azuara got word that her deployment was ending — and she was devastated to leave the kitty, especially as winter approached. And that’s where Paws of War’s “War Torn Pups & Cats” program stepped in.
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
Ollie profiled the work of the U.S. nonprofit, which reunites military personnel with the animals they bonded with while serving overseas. Founded by Robert Misseri in 2014, Paws of War has helped rescue over 5,000 dogs and cats for nearly 1,000 veterans. The organization filled an increasing need for officers in the Air Force, Marines, Army, Coast Guard, and Army Reserves who served overseas, bonded with a dog or a cat, and didn’t want to leave them behind in an uncertain situation.
The organization serves a dual purpose by reuniting service members grappling with the aftermath of war with animals needing care. And for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, their furry companions not only bring joy but also help them heal.
“We have troops all over the world and the sacrifices that those people make is pretty great,” said Paws of War volunteer Gary Baumann, who volunteers with the “War Torn Pups & Cats” program. “We feel like asking them to leave these animals behind is a sacrifice they shouldn’t have to make,” he told Stacker.
Jaromir Chalabala // Shutterstock
High costs but high rewards
Azuara heard about the program from service members who had previously been deployed at the base. After she bonded with Fent, she submitted her application to bring the kitty home to the U.S.
“I was a little skeptical at the beginning, to be honest, because I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know why would they do it for free,’” she said, “but I don’t lose anything by just checking it out.”
The “War Torn Pups & Cats” program costs nothing for service members—donors primarily fund it. In 2023, Paws of War raised over $4 million from contributions and grants.
After a soldier like Azuara applies, Paws of War volunteers and staff members all around the world team up to work on the logistics, exploring how possible it is to bring the pet to the United States. Dogs and cats need to see a qualified veterinarian for documentation and rabies vaccines before traveling internationally, but sometimes that vet is located hours away. The care can also vary in cost, depending on local currency and pricing.
“Recently we had a dog in Africa and we’ve done a few from bases there,” Baumann said. “It literally takes a donkey cart, a boat, couple cars and then, usually a motorcycle, something that can go through a little bit of brush to get these the dogs or cats to the city where we can get them to a vet and start processing them.”
The most expensive part of the process is transporting animals to the U.S. It often involves flying them in a plane as cargo, which can cost around $4,000 or more. The pet also must enter the country at a government-authorized airport.
For instance, cats from other countries can enter the U.S. through several airports, but the CDC only allows dogs from high-risk rabies countries to enter through six, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Los Angeles International Airport.
For the “War Torn” program, the expense is worth it for the organization, its soldiers, and the animals. Dogs and cats are believed to be capable of more complex emotions than most people realize and their reunions with the officers they bonded with may mean just as much to them as it does to the human.
For Azuara, the bond was as strong as ever. Three weeks after she put in her application, the program contacted her in November 2024 with good news: Fent was ready to travel to the U.S. and live with her.
The cat flew from Kosovo and entered the U.S. through JFK airport, eventually making it to Azuara’s home in Austin, Texas. Their reunion at the airport meant a lot to Azuara, who worried the kitty might forget her or not get along with her two dogs. But Fent — who Azuara renamed Frenzy — adjusted to her new home right away. Frenzy doesn’t get to eat fries anymore, but enjoys her proper cat food.
Now, Azuara is training to join the Travis County EMS. Having Frenzy, a major part of her overseas experience, in Texas has helped her readjust to the U.S.
“She’s definitely one of my huge grounding tools, when I was over there,” Azuara said. “When the situations were really stressful, she was something that would brighten up my day. And when I came back it’s really hard to transition and acclimate back into civilian life, but having her, it was kind of like having a little piece of where I was and a little reminder that, hey, it’s going to be okay.”
Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
The cost of child care now exceeds the price of college tuition in 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to a new analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute.
The left-leaning think tank, based in Washington, D.C., used 2023 federal and nonprofit data to compare the monthly cost of infant child care to that of tuition at public colleges.
The tally increased five states since the pandemic began. EPI’s last analysis relied on 2020 data, which showed child care costs outstripped college costs in 33 states and Washington, D.C., said EPI spokesperson Nick Kauzlarich.
The organization released a state-by-state guide on Wednesday showing the escalating cost of child care. Average costs range from $521 per month in Mississippi to as much as $1,893 per month in Washington, D.C., for households with one 4-year-old child, EPI found.
The analysis also found child care costs have exceeded rent prices in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
EPI leaders said child care is unaffordable for working families across the country, but especially for low-wage workers, including those who provide child care.
“This isn’t inevitable — it is a policy choice,” Katherine deCourcy, EPI research assistant, said in a news release. “Federal and state policymakers can and should act to make child care more affordable, and ensure that child care workers can afford the same quality of care for their own children.”
The organization highlighted New Mexico as a case study on the growing challenge facing families.
There, the average annual cost of infant care exceeds $14,000 — or nearly $1,200 a month, the group said. Care for a four-year-old costs nearly $10,000 per year — or over $800 a month.
While experts often consider housing as a family’s single largest expense, EPI found New Mexico’s annual infant care costs outpace rent by over 10%. Child care is out of reach for about 90% of New Mexico residents, according to the federal government’s definition of affordability, which is no more than 7% of a family’s income.
Advocates often call for universal preschool programs as a way to provide quality, free child care. EPI noted a 2022 constitutional amendment approved by New Mexico voters guaranteeing a right to early childhood education. That created an annual fund of about $150 million to help subsidize early childhood programs.
“New Mexico’s investments mark an important step toward affordable child care, but investments like this are needed across the country,” EPI argued in a Wednesday blog post.
Child care worker Marci Then helps her daughter, Mila, 4, put away toys to get ready for circle time at the Little Learners Academy in Smithfield, R.I. A new study highlights the high cost of child care. (TNS)
When you start a small business, there’s one thing you need more than anything else: money. However, getting money to fund a business has been challenging for women, particularly women of color.
While women continue to make strides in raising more venture capital, they still only garnered just 2% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the U.S.
To source money for their new businesses, women need to look at multiple funding avenues. As NEXT points out, one opportunity is small business grants for women, which can get overlooked by traditional loans and lines of credit.
insta_photos // Shutterstock
What are business grants for women?
Business grants provide money to set up or grow your business, and you don’t have to pay it back. Free money — sounds good, right?
Grant opportunities are different from business loans because you don’t need to repay them — no lenders or dealing with payback schedules.
The downside is that it can be harder to qualify for a business grant than for a small business loan. You have to be prepared to put some work into the grant application.
However, if you’re a woman starting a new business, it can be much easier to qualify for dedicated grants for women.
Federal government grants for women
The federal government offers several grant programs for small business owners. Most of them are for all small business owners, not just for women, but they are still worth checking out.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a huge database of government grants spanning over 20 federal agencies. While it’s not exclusive to small businesses or women-owned businesses, you can search for federal grants that are suitable for your business using keywords and filters.
To apply for any grants, you need to have a Unique Entity Identity Identifier (UEI) — a unique 12-character business identification number (previously, you had to provide a DUNs number). You also need to register your business with the federal government and create an account at the Grants.gov site.
Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs
Typically, the Small Business Administration (SBA) does not provide grants for starting or expanding a business. However, they offer a few grants to businesses involved in medical or scientific research via the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) programs.
The Empower to Grow program
This is more of a training program than a straight grant award. However, this program is unique because it’s designed to help small business owners get on the fast track to lucrative government contracting opportunities. Even better: The federal government’s goal is to award at least 5% of all its contracting dollars to women-owned businesses annually.
State government and local grants
Small business grants can be tough to come by on a federal level. There are often more funding opportunities on a state or local government level—specifically designed for women entrepreneurs.
Small business development centers (SBDC) offer free business consulting, training and help in getting funding for your business. Sponsored by the SBA, these centers help entrepreneurs find assistance and counseling in their area.
Women’s Business Centers (WBC)
Run by the SBA, there are 168 women’s business centers nationally to help you learn how to manage your business and find more funds. Resources are often free or low-cost. Some WBCs lend money to women entrepreneurs, while others help owners find qualifying grants and loans.
Private business grants for women
These are business grants for women that private organizations and companies fund. Some of the best private grants for women starting a business are:
The Amber Grant for Women
Named in honor of Amber Wigdahl, who passed away at a young age before realizing her business dreams, the Amber Grant provides three amazing grants every month.
$10,000 grant to a woman entrepreneur. (Amber Grant)
$10,000 grant to businesses in the “idea” phase. (Startup Grant)
$10,000 grant to a set monthly business-specific category. (Business-Specific Grant)
NEXT
Business categories for Business-Specific Grants
For the Business-Specific Grant, there are 12 business categories you could be eligible for. If your business falls under these specific business categories, you automatically become eligible (once per year). Each year, one of these 12 winning business categories is given an additional grant of $25,000.
All businesses selected for one of the three monthly $10,000 grants are automatically eligible for three year-end Amber Grants ($25,000).
IFundWomen is a funding platform for women entrepreneurs that provides access to capital via crowdfunding and business grants. They offer a variety of grants, including business partnerships and crowdfunded grants. You can check for active grants and eligibility requirements.
Their universal grant application database is unique and delivers grant opportunities directly to you. When you submit your application, you get added to their database. Then, when IFundWomen brokers a grant, they match the grant criteria to their database.
If you match the program criteria, they notify you and invite you to apply. No more spending time on your application to find out you didn’t read the fine print and are ineligible.
Tory Burch Foundation
American fashion label Tory Burch has a philanthropic arm called The Tory Burch Foundation that gives out grants to women entrepreneurs. There are two grant pathways: their fellowship program and a woman of color grant program.
Fellowship program: Fellows participate in a year-long program complete with virtual education programming, options to attend in-person events and a trip to New York for a five-day workshop. Recipients also receive a $5,000 grant for business education.
The Tory Burch Foundation also partners with the Bank of America capital program to help provide more access to capital through affordable loans.
Cartier Women’s Initiative
The Cartier Women’s Initiative offers a women’s fellowship program with grants ranging from $100,000 or $30,000 to 30 regional laureates and finalists each year. It also provides executive coaching, peer-learning sessions, collective workshops, networking opportunities and other educational resources to help develop and support business needs.
Additionally, the Cartier Women’s Initiative awards several thematic grants:
Science and technology pioneer award. The award amounts are the same as the regional awards—$100,000-$30,000.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion award. This award is not disclosed and is also open to men.
Women Founders Network (WFN)
The Women Founders Network (WFN) is a nonprofit organization that provides education on entrepreneurship and investing to women and girls. Their Fast Pitch competition offers mentoring, coaching and sponsorships as part of the overall program. Aside from the $55,000+ in cash grants available for distribution, there is a cash investment potential from investors who attend the event, so it pays to sharpen your pitch skills.
digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH program
digitalundivided is a nonprofit focused on economic growth for Black and Latinx communities through women entrepreneurs. In partnering with JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways, they launched the BREAKTHROUGH program. Upon completing the program, each company accepted to the program will receive a $5,000 grant to invest in their business.
This program is regionally based, accepting cohorts in different cities. Check their website and social pages for information about what city they’re coming to next.
The BGV Pitch program
Got a business idea? Black Girl Ventures holds a hybrid pitch program where they coach entrepreneurs, host a pitch competition and connect founders to their network of professionals for additional support. They have several different pitch programs where applicants can win grants and stipends.
The Mama Ladder
The Mama Ladder’s High Five grant program has helped mom business owners grow since 2018. They’ve granted over $70,000 to women business owners and aim to give $1 million in grants by 2033.
EmpowerHer fund
This grant is for women-led organizations that benefit women and girls in New York City. Every quarter, they grant a business $1,000.
Microgrants for woman-owned businesses
Galaxy Grants
Hidden Star, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping minority and women entrepreneurs nationwide offers the Galaxy Grant. Entrants have the chance to win a grant of $2,450.
Kitty Fund Mompreneur business grant
Created in honor of Mother’s Day and Founder’s First CEO Kim Folsom’s mother, the Kitty Fund makes microinvestments in mothers running employer-based small businesses. Totaling $25,000, this program grants ‘mompreneurs’ in the form of $1,000 microgrants.
HerRise MicroGrants
HerRise microgrants are worth $1,000 each and are open to women of color entrepreneurs. Winners are selected monthly.
The Enthuse Foundation
The Enthuse Foundation provides a variety of financial awards to help entrepreneurs with crucial business needs. They offer 10 microgrants worth $2,500 each.
Giving Joy Grants
Giving Joy grants are one-time microgrants (up to $500) for entrepreneurs. Women 18 or older from any country in the world are eligible to apply.
Additional grants and resources
While these grants are not exclusive to women, they may be useful to small business owners.
The Halstead Grant
The Halstead Grant is only for those in the jewelry industry—both women and men.
Designed to help jewelry entrepreneurs kick-start their careers, the winner gets $7,500 in grant money plus $1,000 for Halstead jewelry supplies. It’s available for early-stage businesses that have been open for three to five years.
National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants
The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) awards Growth Grants to members of their organization. It’s open to both women and men small business owners. Awardees will receive $4,000, which can be used for marketing, advertising, hiring employees, expanding facilities and other specific business needs.
FedEx Small Business Grant Contest
Global shipping company FedEx has a small business grant program. It awards ten U.S.-based businesses with grants of up to $50,000 and up to $4,000 in FedEx Office print and business services. One business receives the grand prize of $50,000, and several second prize recipients get $20,000 for a prize pool totaling over $300,000.
How can I get business grants for women?
You can take steps to boost your chances of success when you apply for business grants for women.
Read the application requirements carefully. Make sure you choose a grant that really fits your business, so you don’t waste time applying for a grant you are unlikely to receive.
Don’t skip any documents that the application asks you for, and don’t be late for the application deadline.
Prepare a clear business plan. Describe what your business does and exactly how the grant will help. Be as detailed as you can.
Bring in outside experts, like an accountant or a business advisor. It looks good to have an expert on your team.
Check that your business has all the necessary licenses. Make sure you have valid business insurance. It shows that you are responsible and reliable.
This story was produced by NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
Getting money to fund a business has been challenging for women, particularly women of color. (Getty Images)
It was just about 25 years ago (March 7, in fact), that Disturbed released its first album, “The Sickness.” And the rest was a kind of hard rock history.
“The Sickness” was a breakthrough success thanks to Top 10 rock hits such as “Stupify” and “Down With the Sickness” which, along with touring that included a slot on OZZFest in 2000, drove the album to five-times platinum sales. It also launched a career of more than 17 million records sold worldwide and 27 Top 10 Mainstream Rock chart tracks — a dozen of which hit No. 1, including remakes of Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” and Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.”
Disturbed is celebrating “The Sickness'” 25th with a tour this year, playing all 12 tracks, including a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Shout,” in its entirety, then visiting a selection of favorites from the rest of the Chicago-formed quartet’s catalog during the rest of the show. The band is also releasing anniversary edition of the album on March 7, with 11 demos and rarities live recordings from 2000 and 2001.
And it’s not all past tense for Disturbed, either; the just before the tour began the group released a new single, “I Will Not Break,” the first taste of its follow-up to 2022’s “Divisive.”
* Frontman David Draiman says via phone that “none of us” in the band expected Disturbed to last as long or be as successful as it’s been. “We used to say, ‘I hope we get to the point where we can fill the Riviera Theaters of the world, maybe 2,000 seats. Now we’re playing arenas and packing them with 10, 15, 20,000 at a time. It’s very surreal. It never looses its luster. And it’s still amazing to experience the gradual ascent that we’ve been able to have over the course of our career. I think all of us are better at doing what we do now. We’re all better musicians at this point, all better at our individual crafts.”
* Draiman, 51, adds that “The Sickness” can be “a little cringey, parts of it, when you listen to it now. We were so raw and so green.” But guitarist Dan Donegan, 56, feels “The Sickness” clicked with audiences because it offered an original sound within the hard rock and heavy metal world at the time. “It’s all those years of playing in local bands with different musicians and trying to find the right pieces of the puzzle and finally finding the right group of guys, and writing and trying to get our own identity. We weren’t reinventing the wheel, but we weren’t trying to emulate a certain band, either. We took all of our influences and improvised and wrote the songs. We weren’t chasing anything. We weren’t writing for radio. We were just writing the music we wanted to write, and it started becoming something that was unique.”
* Draiman unwittingly gave Disturbed a sonic calling card with the animalistic scat he performed at the beginning of “Down With the Sickness.” “We were working up the music for it,” Donegan recalls, “and it had a little bit of this tribal beat and David’s listening to what we’re doing. There’s a little pause in the music after the initial drum beat and guitar and out of nowhere he goes, “wa-ka-ka-ka!” And we’re all taken aback, like ‘What the hell?’ It was just an instinct, just a reaction to this tribal beat and the riff. I remember at the time thinking it was like a Steven Tyler meets Jonathan Davis of Korn, this whole Korn twist to it. We thought it was just a scat and he’d go in and turn it into words, but it just stuck and we got used to it, and then everyone loved it.”
* Playing “The Sickness” in its entirety is also giving Disturbed a chance to dig back into some of the album’s less-celebrated tracks, playing “Conflict” for the first time since 2003, for example, or “Numb” for the first time since 2005. “We’ve played them all, but some obviously not for a long time so we really looked forward to that,” Donegan notes. “When I was rehearsing at my home and re-learning some of the one we haven’t played in years, some of the deeper tracks, it was really fun. It brought me back in time to when we were writing and recording them.”
* Draiman calls the defiant “I Will Not Break” “definitely a song I think is very needed right now. Definitely I needed it.” More, meanwhile, is coming; in fact, Disturbed plans to release a series of songs it’s working on for the next album during the rest of the year before releasing the full package most likely during 2026. “We have so many strong songs in this collection of material, so many singles contenders, we’re just gonna push ’em out bit by bit,” the frontman explains. “This body of work was so inspiring it made us want to change our strategy. We have some incredible surprises, too — not all meat and potatoes, stereotypical Disturbed, either, definitely a lot of different, left turns for us. We’ll see when those actually get to see the light of day. We can’t wait for all of it to be out.”
Disturbed, Three Days Grace and Sevendust perform at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 10 at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.
Disturbed performs Monday, March 10 at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Travis Shinn)
A Delta Air Lines landing at Wayne County Detroit Metropolitan Airport was more problematic than anticipated after the pilot was forced to abort an attempt to land.
The plane did have a safe landing on the second attempt.
According to a statement from the airline, Delta flight 1648 arrived at Metro Airport Thursday evening from Denver.
A spokeswoman did not include the number of passengers on the flight in the statement.
The statement said the pilot was instructed by air traffic control to execute a “go-around procedure.”
It did not, however, explain what a go-around procedure is and why it was necessary.
A request for a more detailed explanation for the abrupt procedure was made, but one has not yet been provided.
It appears the plane looped around, made another approach and was able to land without interference.
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