Today is Saturday, April 26, the 116th day of 2025. There are 249 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 26, 1986, in the worst nuclear disaster in history, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.

Also on this date:

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.

In 1913, Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old worker at a Georgia pencil factory, was strangled; Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’s death sentence was commuted, but he was lynched by an antisemitic mob in 1915.)

In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form what is now known as Tanzania.

In 1977, the legendary nightclub Studio 54 had its opening night in New York.

In 1994, voting began in South Africa’s first all-race elections, which resulted in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.

In 2000, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation’s first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

In 2012, former Liberian President Charles Taylor became the first head of state since World War II to be convicted by an international war crimes court as he was found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and the use of child soldiers. (Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison.)

In 2018, comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at Cosby’s suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. (Cosby was later sentenced to three to 10 years in prison, but Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out the conviction and released him from prison in June 2021, ruling that the prosecutor in the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor-comedian Carol Burnett is 92.
• Composer-producer Giorgio Moroder is 85.
• Olympic swimming gold medalist Donna de Varona is 78.
• Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 67.
• Actor Joan Chen is 64.
• Actor Jet Li is 62.
• Actor-comedian Kevin James is 60.
• Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is 59.
• Actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 58.
• First lady Melania Trump is 55.
• Singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (TLC) is 55.
• Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 54.
• Actor Tom Welling is 48.
• Actor Pablo Schreiber is 47.
• Actor Jordana Brewster is 45.
• Actor Channing Tatum is 45.
• New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is 33.

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. His death set off mourning across the Catholic world and days of ritual at the Vatican. Here are the key things to know about the funeral of the first Latin American pontiff in the church’s history:

When and where is his funeral being held?

His funeral is being held on Saturday in St. Peter’s Square. Francis will then be buried, according to his will: in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica. The church is home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.

The sealing of the coffin

The night before the funeral, the camerlengo presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin, in the presence of other senior cardinals. A white cloth was placed over Francis’ face.

A bag containing coins minted during his papacy was placed in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy — known in Italian as a “rogito,” a word indicating an official deed. It was read aloud by the master of liturgical ceremonies and then rolled up and slipped inside a cylindrical tube that was placed inside the coffin. Another copy is kept in the Vatican archives. The covers of both the zinc coffin and the wooden one bear a cross and Francis’ papal coat of arms.

Why not at the Vatican?

Francis had said he wanted to be buried not in St. Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St. Mary Major Basilica across town. His choice reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome).

Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn holds a jeweled golden book.

Which dignitaries are expected to attend?

Heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, are among those expected for the funeral. Others dignitaries include: Prince William, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and European Council President António Costa.

How long did the pope serve?

Pope Francis had a 12-year papacy during which he charmed the world with his humility and concern for the poor. But the Argentina-born pope also alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.

So, how do they choose a new pope?

The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual to elect a new one, involving sacred oaths by the cardinals, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread after they’re counted, and then burning them to produce either the white or black smoke to signal if there’s a new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

With the burial, the Catholic Church begins nine days of official mourning, known as the “novemdiales”. The date of the conclave to elect a new pope has not yet been announced.

In the conclave, the cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in a special stove after each session. Black smoke indicates no pope has been elected; white smoke says the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.

Any baptized Catholic male is eligible, though only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 who are eligible to participate.

Francis appointed the vast majority of electors, often tapping men who share his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity rather than rupture.

While it’s impossible to predict who the next pope will be, some cardinals are considered to have better chances than others.

Is it like the movie?

Yes and no. “Conclave” the 2024 film, introduced many laypeople to the ancient selection process with its arcane rules and grand ceremony, albeit with a silver screen twist packed full of palace intrigue and surprise.

Vatican experts say the movie excels at re-creating the look and feel of a conclave. But there are discrepancies, errors and some outlandish storylines in the Hollywood version. And while the voting process was depicted accurately, the ballots are burned not after each vote, but after each session.

The legacy of Francis

Francis was known for his personal simplicity, from the choice of his name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced wealth to help the poor, to the outward symbols and priorities of his papacy.

He chose to live in the Vatican’s Domus Santa Marta hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace and wore his old orthotic shoes and not the red loafers of the papacy.

In his teachings, he focused on concern for refugees and other marginalized people. His first trip outside Rome as pope in 2013 was to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to meet with newly arrived migrants. His plea for welcome put him at odds with U.S. and European policies.

He also also signaled a more welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people, while also making the fight against climate change a priority. Francis became the first pope to use scientific data in a major teaching document and made care for God’s creation a hallmark of his papacy.

He eschewed the grandiose even in his departure, lying in state in a simple coffin made of wood.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — From some of the world’s most powerful leaders to those on society’s margins whom Pope Francis always made a point to minister to, hundreds of thousands of people were expected at the Vatican Saturday for the funeral rites for the late pontiff.

U.S. President Donald Trump and some 60 other heads of state and reigning sovereigns announced their plans to travel to Rome from around the globe. The Vatican said that “a group of the poor and the needy” would be on the steps of St. Mary Major Basilica to pay homage to the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope before his burial in the church.

The Holy See press office added that the poor had a special place in Francis’ heart. He had chosen for his papacy the name of the medieval Italian saint who famously renounced his family’s wealth when he joined the church.

Already, long lines of the faithful have paid their homage to Francis, who died Monday at age 88, over the three days that his body was lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

From the beginning of his papacy in 2013, Francis won over many around the world, Catholic or not, with his advocacy for migrants and the environment. His legacy was more mixed on the topics of clergy sexual abuse and LGBTQ+ outreach, which made waves for increasing inclusion but some criticized for not going far enough.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

ROME (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday was among more than 50 heads of state and other dignitaries attending the funeral of Pope Francis, where he’ll personally pay his respects to the Roman Catholic leader who pointedly disagreed with him on a variety of issues.

Trump arrived at the Vatican with his wife, first lady Melania Trump.

Trump told reporters on Friday as he flew to Rome that he was going to the funeral “out of respect” for the pontiff, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88.

Francis sharply disagreed with Trump’s approach on issues including immigration, the treatment of migrants and climate change. The Argentine pontiff and the American president sparred early in their relationship over immigration. In 2016, Francis, alluding to then-candidate Trump and his campaign slogan of “Build the wall,” called anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants “ not Christian.” Trump said the comment was “disgraceful.”

But after Francis’ death, the Republican president praised him as a “good man” who “worked hard” and “loved the world.” Trump also directed that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in Francis’ honor.

Trump had said on a couple of occasions before leaving Washington that he would have “a lot” of meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the funeral. But he seemed to back away from that as he flew to Rome.

“Frankly, it’s a little disrespectful to have meetings when you’re at the funeral of a pope,” the president told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One. Nonetheless, Trump said: “I’ll be talking to people. I’ll be seeing a lot of people.”

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and Argentina are among those expected to attend.

One person Trump didn’t expect to interact with is former President Joe Biden, who planned to attend the funeral with his wife, Jill. Trump said he wasn’t aware his Democratic predecessor would be at the funeral. Asked if they’d meet, Trump said: “It’s not high on my list. It’s really not.”

The pope’s funeral will not be one of those occasions that bring together the current and former U.S. presidents. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush are not attending, their offices said. A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton did not respond to an inquiry about his plans.

Trump didn’t elaborate when asked if he’d just be meeting leaders in passing or holding more in-depth talks. He suggested he might have meetings at Villa Taverna, the U.S. ambassador’s residence, where he spent the night.

“It’s a little tough because we don’t have much time,” Trump said, noting his late arrival in Rome. He was scheduled to head back to the United States immediately after the funeral.

“I think that we’re going to try and see a couple of people that are important in what we’re doing,” said Trump, who is trying to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and negotiate trade agreements with multiple countries.

He posted on Truth Social shortly after arriving in Rome that Ukraine and Russia should meet for “very high level talks” on ending the bloody three-year war sparked by Russia’s invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Friday, and Trump said both sides were “very close to a deal.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome on Saturday to attend the funeral, his press office confirmed, joining first lady Olena Zelenska. Putin is not attending.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in St. Peter’s Square as he is being laid to rest Saturday.

While dignitaries are to attend, prisoners and migrants will usher him into the basilica where he will be buried, reflecting his priorities as pope.

U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, the U.N. chief and European Union leaders are joining Prince William and the Spanish royal family will be in attendance.

Francis is breaking with recent tradition and will be buried in the St. Mary Major Basilica, where a simple underground tomb awaits him with just his name: Franciscus.

The funeral is set to start at 10 a.m. local time.

Here is the latest:

Giant photographs of Carlo Acutis seen in St. Peter’s Square

Acutis was supposed to have been canonized on Sunday as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.

The Vatican suspended the ceremony after Pope Francis died, but many people who had made plans to be in Rome for the canonization came anyway to attend the funeral. Announcers asked all flags and banners be lowered as the funeral was getting underway.

Bells toll to signal the start of the procession

Francis’ coffin will be brought from St. Peter’s Basilica to the front of the altar in the square.

Mourners were instructed to refrain from waving flags or banners during the procession.

Mourners led in rosary prayer as dignitaries take their seats at Pope Francis’ funeral

World leaders and royalty were sitting to the right of the main altar.

EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Javier Milei have all made their way to their seating.

The Argentine and Italian leaders have place of pride in the seating order.

Trump arrives at funeral to pay respects to Pope Francis

The U.S. president clashed with the pope on immigration, climate and other issues.

Mourners remember Pope Francis

They spoke of the pontiff in emotional terms while lining up along Via della Conciliazione for Pope Francis’ funeral in St. Peter’s Square.

Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru, lined up at 7 a.m.

“He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind, above all very human,’’ Vaca said. “It’s a very great emotion to say goodbye to him.

Italian pilgrim Pasquale Vezza made his way to the square with his family. He said the pope “was a bit like everyone’s grandfather.”

“He will be greatly missed as a person, as a pope. … Now we hope that there will be a continuation, especially of his message of peace,” Vezza said.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrives in Rome for papal funeral

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

His press office confirmed his arrival, joining the first lady Olena Zelenska, who preceded him.

Zelenskyy’s presence was put in doubt after a recent missile attack.

Pope’s coffin will be placed on the back of a popemobile used on a Philippines trip

The pope will get one more ride past the faithful on one of his beloved popemobiles.

The Vatican says for Saturday’s burial procession, his coffin will be placed on the back of a popemobile used during his 2015 trip to the Philippines.

The vehicle has been modified so the coffin will be visible to mourners along the nearly 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) route from St. Peter’s Basilica to his place of burial.

The pope reveled in being driven through crowds of faithful whether in St. Peter’s Square or on one of his many foreign trips. His last was on Easter Sunday, when he looped around St. Peter’s Square to the delight of the faithful who had followed his 5-week hospitalization for pneumonia and his recovery at the Vatican.

A Calabria parish group camped out all night to get a good spot

The 13 spent the night in a nearby square. They were already coming to Rome for the planned canonization of the first millennial saint on Sunday, which was suspended by Francis’ death. Instead, they drove up a day early for his funeral.

“The Lord wanted it this way, so we came all the same,’’ said Sandra De Felice of Anoia in the Calabria region. “For me, this is a sign that we need to be truly humble and charitable. Otherwise, we are nothing.”

Mourners race to find a spot in St Peter’s Square

Ordinary mourners streamed Saturday to get a spot in standing room near the rear of the square surrounding the ancient obelisk, behind VIP seating. The area to the left of the main altar, up the basilica steps, is reserved for celebrants and Catholic hierarchy, while world leaders and royalty will be seated on the right.

Many ran toward the square as barricades opened. Some carried banners for the Jubilee Holy Year that Francis opened in December and will continue despite his death Monday following a stroke.

By NICOLE WINFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Tens of thousands of people poured into St. Peter’s Square starting at dawn Saturday to honor Pope Francis with a farewell ceremony reflecting his priorities as pope and wishes as pastor: Presidents and princes will attend his funeral Mass at the Vatican, but prisoners and migrants will welcome him into the basilica across town where he will be laid to rest.

As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral, which Francis choreographed himself when he revised and simplified the Vatican’s rites and rituals last year. His aim was to emphasize the pope’s role as a mere pastor and not “a powerful man of this world.”

It was a reflection of Francis’ 12-year project to radically reform the papacy, to stress priests as servants and to construct “a poor church for the poor.” He articulated the mission just days after his 2013 election and it explained the name he chose as pope, honoring St. Francis of Assisi “who had the heart of the poor of the world,” according to the official decree of the pope’s life that was placed in his simple wooden coffin before it was sealed Friday night.

Despite Francis’ focus on the powerless, the powerful will be at his funeral. U.S. President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and European Union leaders are joining Prince William and European royals leading more than 160 official delegations. Argentine President Javier Milei had the pride of place given Francis’ nationality, even if the two didn’t particularly get along and the pope alienated many Argentines by never returning home.

The white facade of St. Peter’s Basilica glowed pink as the sun rose Saturday and hordes of mourners rushed into the square hours before the funeral. Giant television screens were set up along the surrounding streets for those who couldn’t get close. The Mass and funeral procession — with Francis’ coffin carried on the open-topped popemobile he used during his 2015 trip to the Philippines — is also being broadcast live around the world.

Some mourners spent the night camped out in surrounding piazzas, and the mood was almost festive as helicopters whirled overhead. Italy has deployed more than 2,500 police and 1,500 soldiers to provide security, which also includes stationing a torpedo ship off the coast, Italian media reported.

Many mourners had planned to be in Rome anyway this weekend for the now-postponed Holy Year canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, and groups of scouts and youth church groups nearly outnumbered the gaggles of nuns and seminarians.

“He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind, above all very human,” said Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru who said he had camped out near the piazza. “It is a very great emotion to say goodbye to him.”

The poor and marginalized welcome him

Francis, the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope, died Easter Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke while recovering at home from pneumonia.

Following his funeral, preparations will begin in earnest to launch the centuries-old process of electing a new pope, a conclave that will likely begin in the first week of May. In the interim, the Vatican is being run by a handful of cardinals, key among them Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals who is presiding at the funeral and organizing the secret voting in the Sistine Chapel.

Francis is breaking with recent tradition and will be laid to rest in St. Mary Major Basilica, near Rome’s main train station, where a simple tomb awaits him with just his name: Franciscus. As many as 300,000 people are expected to line the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) motorcade route that will bring Francis’ coffin from the Vatican through the center of Rome to the basilica after the funeral.

Forty special guests, organized by the Vatican’s Caritas charity and the Sant’Egidio community, will greet his coffin at the basilica, honoring the marginalized groups Francis prioritized as pope: homeless people and migrants, prisoners and transgender people.

“The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” the Vatican quoted Francis as saying in explaining the choice.

A special relationship with the basilica

Even before he became pope, Francis had a particular affection for St. Mary Major, home to a Byzantine-style icon of the Madonna, the Salus Populi Romani, to which Francis was particularly devoted. He would pray before it before and after each of his foreign trips as pope.

The choice of the basilica is also symbolically significant given its ties to Francis’ Jesuit religious order. St. Ignatius Loyola, who founded the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass in the basilica on Christmas Day in 1538.

Crowds waited hours to bid farewell to Francis

Over three days this week, more than 250,000 people stood for hours in line to pay their final respects while Francis’ body lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican kept the basilica open through the night to accommodate them, but it wasn’t enough. When the doors closed to the general public at 7 p.m. on Friday, mourners were turned away in droves.

By dawn Saturday, they were back and ready to say a final farwell, some recalling the words he uttered the very first night of his election and throughout his papacy.

“We are here to honor him because he always said ‘don’t forget to pray for me,’” said Sister Christiana Neenwata from Biafrana, Nigeria. “So we are also here to give to him this love that he gave to us.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

TROY – Rivals Troy and visiting Athens got in just enough softball Friday evening for the Red Hawks’ 9-3 victory to go into the books.

The first game of the planned doubleheader may not have even counted, but the pitching settled in and allowed both teams to roll through the fourth and fifth innings before lightning was registered, and the monsoon followed soon thereafter.

A less experienced Colts team did well to hold their rivals off the board in four trips to the plate, but the Red Hawks feasted for all of their runs in the third inning after Delilah Warlick doubled, then scored off an error to initially put Troy ahead in the bottom of the first.

Addison Pokley legged out a triple to get the big third started for Athens, then Angie Leonard singled in Pokley prior to an inside-the-park home run by Leah Dahlerup, giving the Red Hawks a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, Dahlerup hit a two-out, bases-clearing double that scored Pokley, Casey McCoy and Addison Cosgrove. Between the pair of extra-base hits by Dahlerup, Cosgrove also had a single to left-center that drove in Sommer Swanson and Molly LaBay.

Following nearly three full frames thrown by Kylie Zoll, Athens turned in relief to Angie Leonard, its ace who the Red Hawks relied on in their run to a district title last season, and she struck out four in her 2 2/3 innings of scoreless work.

“Angie’s just a really consistent pitcher, and Kylie started off the game game really well,” Athens head coach Alina Kirtland said. “(Kylie) put us in a good position where Angie could come in and finish strong for us, so both of our pitchers did a great job of taking care of business.”

Dahlerup, just a freshman, finished just a triple short of the cycle, while Swanson drew three walks and LaBay ended 2-3 at the plate for the Red Hawks, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

“It’s just being aggressive and looking for specific strikes that we like, making sure that we’re swinging at our ideal pitches,” Kirtland said. “The girls have been working on discipline at the plate, as well as throwing their hands at the ball, and I think that they’re progressing with that real nicely.”

Warlick finished with two of the Colts’ three hits, improving her team-best average to .600 on the season.

“Delilah’s a tremendous athlete, one of our best players,” Colts head coach Laura Guzman said. “She’s a captain, same thing with Emily Bultynck, she’s starting to come alive, too, and we kind of go as they go.

“This year has definitely been a rebuilding year. We have girls, you know, our skill levels are all over the place. It’s pretty much half my basketball team playing softball. I think they came out with a lot of energy. We were able to score first, we were chipping away at it. The effort was good. But Athens is good. Their pitching is decent, Pokley’s fantastic, (Cosgrove) is good. But I thought we did OK.”

The Red Hawks are now 4-7 in their first year under Kirtland, herself a standout first baseman less than a decade ago for Athens. “It’s amazing, super humbling, and I’m glad they trust me with the program,” she said.

Kirtland confirmed that she and Guzman had plans to reschedule the second game between the teams somewhere down the road.

Until then, the Colts have a pair of games Monday in Pontiac against Notre Dame Prep, while the Red Hawks travel for a doubleheader with Farmington the day after.

The Detroit Lions have been able to target players who have the potential to contribute quickly to a roster that is seeking to win a division title for the third consecutive season.

General manager Brad Holmes made the decision to move up again, this time dealing with the Jaguars. The Lions acquired the 70th pick, the 182nd pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for the 102nd overall pick and two 2026 third-round picks.

In the third-round, Detroit selected Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa with their third selection in the 2025 NFL draft.

TeSlaa grew up in Hudsonville, Mich., and began his collegiate career at Hillsdale, a Division II in Michigan. He transferred to Arkansas prior to the 2023 season and totaled 62 catches for 896 yards and five touchdowns. Last season, he hauled in 28 passes for 545 yards and three scores.

TeSlaa was the quarterback for the Unity Christian squad that beat Portland, 42-7, for the 2018 Division 5 football state championship, running for 111 yards and two scores, throwing for 70 and a score, and picking off two passes.

According to NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein,”TeSlaa is a big slot receiver whose stock might be on the rise after his performances during Senior Bowl week. He can mismatch smaller cornerbacks with his frame and play strength and is a reliable pass catcher when contested. He builds up speed as a vertical slot but isn’t sudden enough to simply uncover as a possession slot against tight man. TeSlaa’s ball skills and ability to work down the field from the slot should carry backup value for teams in the market for help at receiver.”

Detroit fortified its defensive line with the selection of Tyleik Williams out of Ohio State with its first selection, as Holmes drafted him 28th overall. Williams could be an instant contributor with Alim McNeill expected to miss the start of the regular season.

In the second round, the Lions added offensive line help by selecting Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. With Kevin Zeitler departing, the Lions have an opening at right guard and Ratledge could compete for a starting job immediately.

The Lions traded up to acquire Ratledge, sending picks 60 and 130 to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the 57th and 230th (seventh-round) overall selections.

Barring any trades, the Lions will make their next selection in the sixth-round (No. 182).

 

Lions 2025 Draft Selections

Round 1, pick 28: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State

Round 2, pick 57: Tate Ratledge, OL, Georgia

Round 3, pick 70: Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas

Remaining Picks

Round 6, pick 182

Round 6, pick 196

Round 7, pick 228

Round 7, pick 230

Round 7, pick 244

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

The Detroit Lions entered the second evening of the 2025 NFL Draft having clear needs at defensive end and along the offensive line.

In the second round, Detroit made the decision to trade up to the No. 57 position. In a deal with the Broncos, the Lions traded pick No. 60 and No. 130 in exchange for pick No. 57 and 230.

With their second selection, general manager Brad Holmes targeted offensive lineman Tate Ratledge.

Last season for the Georgia Bulldogs, the talented offensive lineman had a 74.4 overall offensive grade and a 74.7 run-blocking grade via Pro Football Focus.

According to NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler, “Overall, Ratledge is a self-described ‘dirtbag’ with the contact power, competitive edge and functional movement skills to match up against NFL defensive linemen. He should compete for a starting role as a rookie and has the necessary tools for a decade-long pro career, if he stays healthy.”

The Lions return four of their five starters, with the exception being Kevin Zeitler. The veteran guard departed Detroit to sign a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Ratledge could compete for a starting job immediately along with Christian Mahogany, who started two games last season as a rookie.

Detroit took the opportunity on the first day to address the need along the interior of the defensive line. The expectation is Alim McNeill will miss the start of the regular season and will not be rushed back to action.

On the first night of the draft, Holmes claimed the class of edge rushers was solid and there could be a player available near where the team was selecting in the second-round.

Detroit added defensive line help with its first selection of the 2025 NFL draft, adding Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the 28th overall selection. Williams profiles as an early down run-stuffer with the potential to develop as a serious pass-rush threat.

Barring any trades, Detroit will make their next selection later in the evening in the third-round (No. 102).

 

Lions 2025 Draft Selections

Round 1, pick 28: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State

Round 2, pick 57: Tate Ratledge, OL, Georgia

Remaining Picks

Round 3, pick 102

Round 6, pick 196

Round 7, pick 228

Round 7, pick 230

Round 7, pick 244

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

ALLEN PARK — Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson doesn’t want to set the bar too high for the Detroit Lions’ newest draft pick.

But he kind of did anyway.

After Lions general manager Brad Holmes compared Tyleik Williams, the 28th pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, to Alim McNeill, Johnson said Williams’ traits remind him of someone else: Future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s Aaron Donald, but his movements skills, like to be able to change directions — Aaron Donald’s really good at doing what we call a jab-olé, inside-outside, and then he can go power,” Johnson said Friday on a conference call with local reporters. “I think Tyleik’s got the same kind of movement because he can go power, he can go finesse if given the opportunity.

“Aaron Donald’s in a league by himself. I don’t want to put that pressure on Tyleik going into the league. But there are some things that he does — Aaron Donald does real easy, and Tyleik has that same kind of movement skills. But Aaron Donald’s a really special player. I don’t think there’s many guys like him.”

Put another way: You can go a long time without seeing a 6-foot-3, 334-pound tackle who moves quite like Williams does. Which is why, even though Williams was more of a run-stuffer in college, there seems to be a high level of confidence from all parties that he’ll be able to become a legitimate pass rusher in the NFL.

“Two things that jump right off the bat is his initial quickness off the ball, and for a big guy to be able to bend and turn corners like he does, it’s just unprecedented. You just don’t do that very easily,” Johnson said, adding that his first impression of Williams was watching him run a 4.9-second 40-yard dash at 340 pounds.

“His get-off is real wicked, and he’s got strong, violent hands, and he understands the pass sets and the run sets. I think that’s really important recognition of what he sees, and Tyleik is really one of the best players I’ve seen to be able to do that. … But his twitch, man, it’s God-given. He had it and he used it to his advantage.”

Amidst yet another round of discussions about whether Holmes could have gotten his first-round pick (in this case, Williams) later in the draft, Williams said the Buffalo Bills’ front office told him they were going to take him with the 30th pick if he was still on the board.

“They kind of told me if I was there, they wanted me,” Williams said.

Besides his athleticism being off the charts for a man of his size, Johnson called him a “very high-character guy” who will endear himself to teammates through his personality and the way he studies the game.

“He has a way of picking up (the offense’s) signals. Zoro could be left, or Cowboy could be right. He would understand exactly where the ball is going. He’d start telling the guys, ‘It’s going right, it’s going right. It’s going left, it’s going left,’” Johnson recalled. “He would come to the sideline and say, ‘Coach, here’s their signals. Here’s their calls. Here’s their run-game calls.’ … He wants to know where the ball is going.”

In an era where college players transfer schools like they’re changing lanes on the freeway, Williams played all four seasons for the Buckeyes, finally achieving the ultimate goal of winning the national title this past January.

While there couldn’t have been many Lions fans who were happy to see Williams’ Buckeyes win the national title, his championship pedigree is undoubtedly a bonus for his next team, which is also on the cusp of greatness. Williams brought it in the postseason, recording 13 pressures over four College Football Playoff games with 14 tackles (three for loss).

“I’ve been through hard games — of course, it’s not the same as the NFL,” Williams acknowledged during his visit to Allen Park on Friday. “I’ve played Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon — I’ve played all those top teams who have these top players. I’ve gone against these guys my whole college career and I’ve had great games against all of them.”

Johnson said Williams got better as the lights got brighter.

“That’s the thing about Tyleik I love about him. He’ll come to the sideline and he’ll have a moment when I see it, and say, ‘It’s time to go, man, it’s time to open the game,’” Johnson said. “He’s done it in so many different big games.”

Williams must admit that feeling welcome in the state of Michigan will take some getting used to. After spending four seasons at Ohio State, Williams is ready to leave behind his disdain for that state up north.

“I’ve learned to hate this state for the last four years, but getting drafted here, I’m just happy. I can put all that behind me. Of course, it’s still the team up north — I’m still not going to say it,” Williams said.

“But I’m just happy I’m here.”

By all accounts, the Lions should be extremely happy he’s here, too.

10 Mile Road

10 Mile Road between Ryan Road and Lorraine Avenue in Warren and Center Line. One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction. Turning movements from 10 Mile Road onto intersecting roads will be restricted at times with flagging operations in place. Starting April 28, 10 Mile Road will be closed at the railroad crossing between Garden Court and Liberal Street. Sherwood Avenue will be closed at 10 Mile Road.  Access to residential and business properties will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.  Project consists of road rehabilitation between Ryan Road and Sherwood Avenue and road reconstruction between Sherwood Avenue and Lorraine Avenue. Drivers are encouraged to follow posted detours and seek alternate routes when possible. Project duration through November.

18 Mile Road Bridge

18 Mile Road Bridge over the Plumbrook Drain in Sterling Heights. 18 Mile Road between Van Dyke Avenue and Mound Road will be closed to through traffic. Access to all residential and business properties will be maintained throughout the duration of the project. Drivers are encouraged to follow the posted detour and seek alternate routes. Project consists of removal and replacement of the existing bridge deck with a new concrete deck, steel painting, full depth road construction, guardrail and restoration work. Project duration is anticipated to be through June.

34 Mile Road Bridge

34 Mile Road Bridge over Highbank Creek between Armada Ridge Road and Russ Road. 34 Mile Road will be closed to thru traffic between Armada Ridge Road and Russ Road due to bridge replacement. Drivers are encouraged to follow posted detours and seek alternate routes when possible. Project duration is through August.

Clinton River Trail

Due to a washout on the Clinton River Trail in Rochester, the trail has been closed west of the Macomb Orchard Trail and Dequindre Road. Follow the posted detour route.

Dequindre Road, Shelby Twp.

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) is continuing to work on the second phase of infrastructure improvements in the area of Dequindre Road between Hamlin Road and Avon Road and Dequindre Road between 23 Mile Road and 24 Mile Road is expected to be closed through fall. The Clinton River Trail and Macomb Orchard Trail between Letica Drive and 24 Mile Road will be closed. Drivers are encouraged to follow the posted detours and seek alternate routes when possible. Project consists of installation of new 96-inch water transmission main and is part of GLWA project. Project duration through Dec. 31. 

Garfield Road

Garfield Road between 14 Mile and 15 Mile roads in Fraser. Northbound traffic will be maintained on the southbound lanes of Garfield Road. Southbound traffic on Garfield Road will be detoured to Utica Road.  The eastbound right turn lane and westbound left turn lane of 15 Mile Road will be closed at Garfield Road. The westbound left turn lane from Klein Road to Garfield Road will be closed. Drivers are encouraged to follow the posted detours and seek alternate routes when possible. Project consists of road reconstruction and duration is through August.

South River Road Bridge

South River Road Bridge over the channel to Lake St. Clair east of Lakeshore Drive in Harrison Township. South River Road will remain open to traffic, but there are alternative boat launch locations available in Macomb County.  A temporary bridge structure will be in place. Project consists of bridge replacement. Project duration will be through August.

M-3 (Gratiot)

In Macomb County, northbound and southbound M-3 will be closed at Cotton Road from 9-10 a.m. Saturday i 15 minute increments for utility work.

In Wayne County, northbound M-3 from Burns Street to I-94 will have one lane open until May 3 for concrete repair.

I-275

In Wayne County, northbound I-275 ramp to eastbound I-96 will be closed from 6 a.m. Monday until late June for reconstruction.

In Wayne County, southbound I-275 ramp to eastbound I-96 will be closed from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday for pavement markings.

In Wayne County, northbound I-275 ramp to westbound M-14 will be closed for construction through Nov. 15.

I-696

In Oakland County, westbound I-696 from Southfield Road to Lahser Road will have two lanes open until late July for bridge repair.

In Oakland County, eastbound I-696 from I-275 to Orchard Lake will have three lanes open until early May for joint sealing, barrier wall work.

Eastbound I-696 will be closed from M-10 to I-75 for road reconstruction through Nov. 15, 2026.

I-75

In Oakland County, southbound I-75  from Saginaw/Dixie/Exit 106 to Belford Road will have one lane open until 5 a.m. Monday for culvert.

In Oakland County, southbound Saginaw/Dixie Highway ramp to southbound I-75 will abe closed until 5 a.m. Monday for culvert.

In Oakland County, northbound and southbound I-75/M-24 connector to northbound M-24 will have one ramp lane open from Monday until May 5 for culvert repair.

In Oakland County, eastbound and westbound I-75 BL/Square Lake will be closed from M-1/Woodward to Opdyke will be closed intermittently from 7-9 a.m. Saturday for cable crossing.

In Oakland County, southbound I-75 from I-696 to John R. will have two lanes open  from 7 a.m.-noon Saturday for pavement work.

In Wayne County, southbound I-75 ramp to Springwells will be closed from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday for fencing/finishing work.

In Wayne County, northbound and southbound I-75, Rouge River Bridge, Fort/Schaefer to Dearborn Street will have one lane open intermittently  from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday for bridge work.

In Wayne County, southbound Schaefer ramp to northbound I-75 will be closed from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday for bridge work.

In Oakland and Genesee counties, southbound I-75 will have two lanes open from Holly to M-15/Ortonville for pavement marking/barrier wall placement for traffic shift until early November.

In Oakland County, southbound I-75 ramps to and from northbound and southbound US-24/Dixie Highway will be closed until early November for for pavement marking/barrier wall placement for traffic shift.

In Oakland County, eastbound and westbound Grange Hall ramp to southbound I-75 will be closed for pavement marking/barrier wall placement for traffic shift until early November.

In Oakland County, southbound I-75 ramps to and from Holly Road will be closed for  pavement marking/barrier wall placement for traffic shift until early November.

In Wayne County, northbound I-75 service drive from Wilde Street to Waterman Street will have one lane open until mid-May for watermain work.

In Oakland County, northbound Dixie Highway/Saginaw Road ramp to I-75 will be closed until early November for construction.

In Oakland County, eastbound and westbound East Holly ramp to northbound I-75 will be closed  until early November for construction.

I-75 from M-15 to Genesee county line will have two lanes open until 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

I-94

In Wayne County, westbound I-94 will be closed from Ecorse Road to Middlebelt from 2-10 a.m. Sunday for utility crossing.

In Wayne County, eastbound I-94 from Middlebelt to Ecorse Road will have two lanes open from 1 a.m. noon Sunday for utility work.

In Wayne County, the Ecorse ramp to westbound I-94 will be closed from 2-10 a.m. Sunday for utility work.

In Wayne County, eastbound I-94 from Moross to Allard will have one lane open from 8-11 a.m. Saturday for bridge work.

In Wayne County, westbound I-94 from Allard to Moross will have one lane open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday for bridge work.

In Wayne County, eastbound I-94 ramp to US-24/Telegraph will have one ramp lane open  through late April for maintenance.

In Wayne County, eastbound I-94 will have two lanes open from Middlebelt to Ecorse from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily through May 4 for median utility work.

I-96

In Wayne County, eastbound I-96 ramp to Newburgh will be closed from 6 a.m. Monday until late June for reconstruction.

In Wayne County, eastbound Schoolcraft Road at Newburgh will have one lane open  from 6 a.m. Monday through late June for reconstruction.

M-10 (Lodge)

In Wayne County, northbound M-10 from I-75 to I-94 will have one lane open until 8 p.m. Sunday for bridge work.

In Wayne County, southbound M-10 from I-94 to I-75 will have one lane open until 8 p.m. Saturday for bridge work.

In Wayne County, southbound M-10 ramp to Larned will be closed until late May for bridge work.

M-14

In Wayne County, northbound and southbound Edward N Hines Drive will be closed at M-14 from 4 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Wednesday for bridge work.

M-14/I-96

In Wayne County, eastbound M-14/I-96 will have one lane open from Sheldon to Newburgh until September for bridge rehabilitation and road and ramp reconstruction.

M-15 (Ortonville)

In Oakland County, southbound M-15 ramp to southbound I-75 will be closed  until early November for temporary markings/barrier wall.

M-59

In Oakland County, westbound M-59/Highland, Teggerdine to Pontiac Lake  Road will have one lane open from until late April for curb/gutter work.

M-85 (Fort Street)

In Wayne County, northbound Schaefer/M-85 ramp to northbound I-75 will be closed from 9 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday for bridge work.

M-97 (Groesbeck)

In Wayne County, southbound M-97 will have one lane open from State Fair Street to Seven Mile Road from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday through May 9 for gas main work.

M-102 (8 Mile Road)

In Oakland and Wayne counties, westbound M-102 will have two lanes open from Southfield Road to Lahser Road until June.

M-153 (Ford Road)

In Wayne County, westbound M-153/Ford Road from M-39/Southfield to Evergreen will have three lanes open until 5 p.m. Saturday for drainage work.

In Wayne County, westbound M-153/Ford ramp closed to northbound M-39/Southfield until 4 p.m. Saturday for drainage work.

US-12 (Michigan)

In Wayne County, westbound US-12 BR will be closed west of Denton from 6 a.m. Monday until mid-May for road repair.

In Wayne County, eastbound and westbound US-12 BR will have one lane open from Denton to Rawsonville until mid-May for road repair.

US-24 (Telegraph)

In Oakland County, southbound US-24 from M-59/Huron to Voorheis will have two lanes open  from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through May 1 for gas main work.

— MediaNews Group staff

A developer of the proposed mixed-use project on the former Kmart headquarters in Troy hinted this week that the project may be dead.

“I’m a little bit fit to be tied. Maybe we’ll see you again and maybe we won’t,” said Nate Forbes, managing partner of The Forbes Co., after the city’s Planning Commission postponed a decision Tuesday, April 22, that would have moved the project forward.

Through a spokesperson, the company declined further comment.

The commission voted 7-1 to postpone a decision on a concept development plan for the site.

Commission member Toby Buechner cast the dissenting vote.

“I want it to go through, so I’m saying, ‘No,’ ” he said.

The Forbes Co. is partnering with Stuart Frankel Development Co. on the project at the former Kmart Corp. headquarters on Big Beaver Road at Coolidge Highway. The sprawling building was demolished in late 2023 and early 2024 after sitting vacant for 17 years.

Several commission members said the plans as submitted by the partnership, Forbes Frankel Troy Ventures, were not specific enough.

The partnership proposed up to 750 residential units, 500,000 square feet of office and 300,000 square feet of retail space, as well as a 250-room hotel.

“There has to be a little bit more specificity on the uses for us,” said commission Chairwoman Marianna Perakis. “For me, it’s a total free-for-all,” she said of the submitted plans.

She said she wanted to know, at the least, the minimum amount of the development to be dedicated to residential use.

“We don’t have a clear picture” of the entire development, said commission member Jayalakshmi Malalahalli. She said she wanted more assurance that the retail portion would not include uses such as drive-through establishments.

“We’re going to have to have a little bit of faith in each other,” Forbes said, adding that his company owns the Somerset Collection shopping center next to the site, and the new development would follow the same standards on aesthetics and type of uses allowed.

He said the new development would be “very Cranbrook-esque,” with high-quality brick, stone and metal used.

The Forbes Frankel partnership first appeared before the Planning Commission about eight months ago, and made several changes, such as increasing the size of a park on the site, he said.

The Forbes Co. bought the vacant Kmart site in 2009 for $17.5 million. The company has been paying taxes, cutting the grass and providing security on the site since then, and wanted to move forward on the new development, Nate Forbes said at the meeting.

The Forbes Frankel partnership paid for the demolition, according to a release from the city.

The headquarters opened in the early 1970s. It closed in 2006, when Kmart merged with Sears Holdings Corp. and moved most operations in Troy to the Sears headquarters in a Chicago suburb.

The University of Michigan bought about 11 acres of the roughly 40-acre site for a multi-speciality health facility that would provide diagnostic and therapeutic services and ambulatory surgery.

Michigan Medicine, the health arm of UM, said in a release last year that it plans to expand clinical services and increase patient access in Oakland County.

Under the Michigan Constitution, UM is exempt from local zoning ordinances. Its portion of the development can not be reviewed by the  city, but plans do have to abide by state laws governing fire codes and other safety regulations.

University regents recently approved the schematic design. The 224,000-square-foot, four-story building is expected to open in spring 2027, according to a release from Michigan Medicine.

No trial in child pornography case for Troy man

Oakland County development project receives $131 million brownfield incentive from state

The Aug. 5 primary ballot in some communities reflects an increase in interest in running for local office.

In Pontiac, for example, six candidates have filed to run for mayor, up from five in 2021. In Southfield, three candidates are running for mayor.

Pontiac

Six filed for the Pontiac mayor’s seat being vacated by Mayor Tim Greimel, who is running for the District 10 Congressional House seat.

Pontiac’s mayoral candidates:

•  Gill Garrett, Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy and former school board president.

•  Mark E. Holland, Sr., a former city councilman and former deputy mayor who ran for the District 9 commission seat in 2017 and for Pontiac’s school board in 2012.

•  Mike McGuinness. Current city councilman and board president.

•  Deirdre Waterman, former two-term Pontiac mayor.

•  Kermit Williams, Oakland Forward’s executive director and former city councilman and board president.

•  Wendell Woods, former teacher

Three are running for Pontiac’s new at-large council seat: Adrian Austin, Marcus Bowman; Rev. William Parker, Jr., an incumbent councilman; and Sennel K. Threlkeld, an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy who works in Pontiac.

Sixth District candidates are Cassandra Bradford, Regina K. Campbell and Troy F. Craft. Craft is currently a Pontiac school board trustee.

Southfield

Long-time Mayor Ken Siver has two opponents for the next 4-year term: Sylvia Jordan who has served 17 years on the council and has previously run for the mayor’s seat, Ryan Foster, who has run for council twice, state senator once and last year campaigned for Congress.

By ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is poised to crack down on leaks of information to the news media, authorizing prosecutors to issue subpoenas to news organizations as part of leak investigations, serve search warrants when appropriate and force journalists to testify about their sources.

New regulations, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a memo to the workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, rescind a Biden administration policy that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations — a practice long decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.

The new regulations assert that news organizations must respond to subpoenas “when authorized at the appropriate level of the Department of Justice” and also allow for prosecutors to use court orders and search warrants to “compel production of information and testimony by and relating to the news media.”

The memo says members of the press are “presumptively entitled to advance notice of such investigative activities,” and subpoenas are to be “narrowly drawn.” Warrants must also include “protocols designed to limit the scope of intrusion into potentially protected materials or newsgathering activities,” the memo states.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies, victimize government agencies, and cause harm to the American people,” Bondi wrote.

The regulations come as the Trump administration has complained about a series of news stories that have pulled back the curtain on internal decision-making, intelligence assessments and the activities of prominent officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said Wednesday that she was making a trio of referrals to the Justice Department over disclosures to the media.

The policy that Bondi is rescinding was created in 2021 by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in the wake of revelations that the Justice Department officials ls alerted reporters at three news organizations — The Washington Post, CNN and The New York Times — that their phone records had been obtained in the final year of the Trump administration.

The new regulations from Garland marked a startling reversal concerning a practice that has persisted across multiple presidential administrations. The Obama Justice Department, under then-Attorney General Eric Holder, alerted The Associated Press in 2013 that it had secretly obtained two months of phone records of reporters and editors in what the news cooperative’s top executive called a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into newsgathering activities.

After blowback, Holder announced a revised set of guidelines for leak investigations, including requiring the authorization of the highest levels of the department before subpoenas for news media records could be issued.

But the department preserved its prerogative to seize journalists’ records, and the recent disclosures to the news media organizations show that the practice continued in the Trump Justice Department as part of multiple investigations.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing an executive order that a labor union says would cancel collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled that a key part of President Donald Trump’s March 27 order can’t be enforced at roughly three dozen agencies and departments where employees are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union.

The union, which represents nearly 160,000 federal government employees workers, sued to challenge Trump’s order. The union said it would lose more than half of its revenue and over two-thirds of its membership if the judge denied its request for a preliminary injunction.

Friedman said he would issue an opinion in several days to explain his two-page order. The ruling isn’t the final word in the lawsuit. He gave the attorneys until May 2 to submit a proposal for how the case should proceed.

Some agencies, including the FBI, are exempt from a law requiring federal agencies to bargain with labor organizations over employment matters. Presidents can apply the exemption to agencies that have a “primary function” of performing intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work.

But no president before Trump tried to use the national security exemption to exclude an entire cabinet-level agency from the law’s requirements, according to the employees’ union. It said Trump’s order is designed to facilitate mass firings and exact “political vengeance” against federal unions opposed to his agenda.

“The President’s use of the Statute’s narrow national security exemption to undo the bulk of the Statute’s coverage is plainly at odds with Congress’s expressed intent,” union attorneys wrote.

Government lawyers argued that the court order requested by the union would interfere with the president’s duty to ensure federal workers are prepared to help protect national security.

“It is vital that agencies with a primary purpose of national security are responsive and accountable to the American people.” Justice Department attorneys wrote.

The IRS is the largest bargaining unit represented by the National Treasury Employees Union. A day after Trump signed his order, the administration sued a union chapter in Kentucky to seek a ruling that it can terminate the collective bargaining agreement for the IRS.

The union says the administration has “effectively conceded” that its members don’t do national security work. The union members affected by the executive order also include employees of the Health and Human Services Department, the Energy Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Communications Commission.

The union said it will lose approximately $25 million in dues revenue over the next year. Some agencies, it says, already have stopped deducting union dues from employees’ pay.

“In the absence of preliminary injunctive relief, NTEU may no longer be able to exist in a manner that is meaningful to the federal workers for whom it fights,” union lawyers wrote.

Government attorneys argued that the courts typically defer to the president’s judgment on national security matters.

“Executive actions that are facially valid — that is, within the lawful authority of the executive — are entitled to a presumption of regularity,” they wrote.

Early voting starts Saturday for a handful of Oakland County communities with measures on the Tuesday, May 6, ballot.

Voters can cast ballots in person on Election Day, early at municipal sites or by absentee ballot.

There will be no county-run central voting site for this election at Waterford Oaks County Park.

Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 4. Thursday’s early voting hours are noon to 8 p.m.

Election day hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.

Clawson

Voters will decide two city charter amendments.

Proposal 1, if approved, would maintain the city council at four members plus the mayor. If the proposal is defeated, the council will expand to six seats plus the mayor, as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.

Proposal 2, if approved, would set terms of office for the city council members to four years, with elections every two years. If defeated, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Troy Community Center, (use the east entrance), 3179 Livernois Road in Troy.

Ferndale

City voters will be asked to approve a 10-year, 5.4 millage to replace money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. If approved, the city would receive nearly $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Taxes on a property with a state-equalized value of $150,000 would increase by $174 a year, or $14.52 each month.

Voters in the Ferndale public school district will decide a 30-year, $114.8 million bond question. The money would be used to pay for additions and renovations to Ferndale’s middle/high school buildings as well as for new equipment, furniture and upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and improved technology.

The district serves Ferndale, Oak Park Precinct 9 and Precinct 10, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township Precinct 1.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. in Hazel Park or Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park.

Madison Heights

Voters in Madison Heights’ Lamphere school district – those living in Precincts 5 through 9 – will decide a 30-year, $85 million bond proposal.

If approved, the bond will increase property taxes on a home with a state-equalized value of $200,000 by $415.00 a year or $34.58 each month.

The district will use the money for remodeling facilities, buying new equipment and furniture, upgrading playgrounds, athletic fields and adding secure entrances at school buildings. A gym will be added to the high school and district technology will be upgraded, including equipment for the middle-school robotics program.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Leo Mahany/Harold Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting/voter-information or contact your municipal clerk’s office.

By HOLLY RAMER

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Nineteen states that refused to comply with a Trump administration directive aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools went a step further Friday, filing a federal lawsuit challenging what they consider an illegal threat to cut federal funding.

The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts by Democratic attorneys general seeks to block the Department of Education from withholding money based on its April 3 directive ordering states to certify their compliance with civil rights laws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.” States also were told to gather signatures from local school systems certifying their compliance by April 24.

Instead, the plaintiffs informed the government that they stand by their prior certifications of compliance with the law but refuse to abandon policies that promote equal access to education.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are legal efforts that help students feel safe, supported and respected. The Trump administration’s threats to withhold critical education funding due to the use of these initiatives are not only unlawful, but harmful to our children, families, and schools,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.

The new lawsuit comes a day after judges in three states ruled against the Trump administration in separate but related cases.

A Maryland judge postponed the effective date of a Feb. 14 memo in which the education department told schools and colleges they needed to end any practice that differentiates people based on their race. A judge in Washington, D.C., granted a preliminary injunction against the April certification letter. And in New Hampshire, a judge ruled that the department can not enforce either document against the plaintiffs in that case, which includes one of the nation’s largest teachers’ unions.

All three lawsuits argue that the guidance limits academic freedom and is so vague that it leaves schools and educators in limbo about what they may do, such as whether voluntary student groups for minority students are still allowed.

The new lawsuit accuses the administration of imperiling more than $13.8 billion, including money used to serve students with disabilities.

“Plaintiffs are left with an impossible choice: either certify compliance with an ambiguous and unconstitutional federal directive — threatening to chill polices, programs and speech – or risk losing indispensable funds that serve their most vulnerable student populations,” the lawsuit states.

In addition to Campbell, the plaintiffs are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The education department did not respond to a request for comment Friday. President Donald Trump’s education secretary, Linda McMahon, has warned of potential funding cuts if states do not return the certification forms.

In a Tuesday interview on the Fox Business Network, McMahon said that states that refuse to sign could “risk some defunding in their districts.” The purpose of the form is “to make sure there’s no discrimination that’s happening in any of the schools,” she said.

ALLEN PARK — As the first round of the NFL Draft rolled on, Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph was busy making his own dreams come true on the second floor of the team’s facility in Allen Park.

He officially put pen to paper on a contract that made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history. Naturally, he couldn’t stop smiling.

“It’s a great day,” Joseph said while strolling to the podium in Detroit’s media room, donning a custom suit with his nickname, “Zuper,” on the lining.

Three years ago this weekend, Joseph heard his name called as a third-round pick out of Illinois. All he’s done since then is lead the NFL with 17 interceptions, the most in the league during that span. The lucrative four-year, $86 million deal, which keeps Joseph in Detroit through 2029, is well deserved.

But while he tends to make those interceptions look easy, getting here was anything but.

“It didn’t happen quick. It wasn’t quick. I would say it took its time, but it was perfect timing, honestly. I knew it was going to take a minute, but I knew I just had to stay the course like how I’ve been doing all my life,” Joseph said. “Just staying down, being humble, keeping my faith. As I always said, God got me. So whenever I have hard times, I just pray, man. And I just keep my faith. Me doing that got me to this opportunity right here.”

Joseph was drafted when the Lions were coming off a 3-13-1 season. Over the last three years, he’s been a pivotal piece of two division titles and an NFC Championship appearance. His timely turnovers have swung many games over his career, particularly last season, when he led the league with nine picks and earned First Team All-Pro honors.

As he fielded questions Thursday night, he proved once again that he is a Lion through and through.

“Honestly, the money never motivated me. I do this because I love it,” Joseph said. “Of course, it’s a bonus. Don’t get me wrong. It comes with it, but I really play this game because I love it, man. I just have a certain passion for this game. I feel like I could never let go.”

Dating back to last offseason, the Lions have inked several homegrown talents to top-of-market deals (or close to it): Offensive tackle Penei Sewell (four years, $112 million), wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (four years, $120 million) and defensive tackle Alim McNeill (four years, $97 million).

Now, Joseph turns his attention to bigger goals, both personal and team-oriented. If the Lions do achieve the ultimate prize during Joseph’s tenure, he’s going to be a big reason why.

“I want to be the best. I need to be the best. I need to put on that gold (Hall of Fame) jacket. I feel like it’s just everything I’ve worked for all my life,” Joseph said. “I just feel like that gold jacket, you mix that with a Super Bowl … that’s just a great little mix right there. You can never take that away from me. So that’s just two things that I really want to go for.

“The Super Bowl for my team, as a teammate, and as a player for the Lions, and just to put on that gold jacket one day and be recognized for all my talent.”

He’s certainly off to a good start.

Today is Monday, April 21, the 111th day of 2025. There are 254 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 21, 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis from an accidental fentanyl overdose; he was 57.

Also on this date:

In 1836, an army of Texans, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican Army, led by Antonio López de Santa Anna, in the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution.

In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74.

In 1918, German Air Force pilot Manfred von Richthofen, nicknamed “The Red Baron,” was killed at age 25 after being shot during a World War I air battle over Vaux-sur-Somme, France.

In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 322 inmates in the deadliest prison disaster in U.S. history.

In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned after nearly 10 years in office, fleeing the country five days later.

In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but was later exposed as having cheated by entering the racecourse less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) before the finish line. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women’s race.)

In 2015, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. (Morsi collapsed and died during trial on espionage charges in June 2019.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor-comedian-filmmaker Elaine May is 93.
• Author-activist Sister Helen Prejean is 86.
• Singer Iggy Pop is 78.
• Actor Patti LuPone is 76.
• Actor Tony Danza is 74.
• Actor Andie MacDowell is 67.
• Musician Robert Smith (The Cure) is 66.
• Actor Rob Riggle is 55.
• Actor James McAvoy is 46.
• Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 45.
• Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 42.