The Detroit Lions will be without tight end Sam LaPorta for at least the next four games after placing him on injured reserve with a back injury on Saturday afternoon.
LaPorta was not spotted at practice or in the locker room all week. Lions coach Dan Campbell was not specific when asked about his injury on Friday, other than noting that he probably wouldn’t practice. The earliest LaPorta can return is Week 15 against the Rams.
The loss is a big one for Detroit, as LaPorta is a major contributor in both the run and passing game. Through nine games this season, he caught 40 passes for 489 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions also chose not to activate several players who were eligible to come off of injured reserve lists for Sunday’s primetime game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Detroit on Saturday announced that defensive end Marcus Davenport, cornerback D.J. Reed (hamstring), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee), and offensive lineman Miles Frazier (knee) were not activated and were downgraded to out for the contest. All players were previously listed as questionable.
None of those moves comes as a surprise, except perhaps Rodriguez, who’s beginning to push up against the end of his 21-day acclimation window. Rodriguez must be added to the roster by Tuesday, Nov. 18, or be shut down for the rest of the year.
The Lions also added wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa to the game status report with an oblique injury; he is now questionable for Sunday’s game. The Lions will be shorthanded in the secondary, with Reed joining cornerback Terrion Arnold and All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph in their absence.
Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor, who was placed on injured reserve this week with a knee injury, was waived with an injury settlement.
To round out the roster for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, the Lions signed offensive lineman Michael Niese from the practice squad to the active roster and temporarily elevated wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks from the practice squad.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) is stopped by Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
EAST LANSING (AP) — Ethan Grunkemeyer threw two touchdown passes to Devonte Ross, Kaytron Allen ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns and Penn State defeated Michigan State 28-10 on Saturday to snap a six-game losing streak.
Grunkemeyer completed 8 of 13 passes for 127 yards for the Nittany Lions (4-6 overall, 1-6 Big Ten).
Grunkemeyer sealed the win with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ross with 4:32 left and Allen added his second touchdown on a 26-yard run with 2:07 remaining.
Alessio Milivojevic completed 17 of 27 passes for 128 yards for the Spartans (3-7, 0-7) who lost their seventh straight game.
Elijah Tau-Tolliver ran 57 yards for a touchdown on Michigan State’s first play of the game. Allen tied it on the ensuing Penn State possession with an 8-yard scoring run.
Following a Michigan State field goal, the Nittany Lions went in front 14-10 on Grunkemeyer’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Ross.
Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles did not play as he was on the pregame sidelines wearing a walking boot on his left foot. He started the first eight games of the season but saw his streak of 20 consecutive starts come to an end on Nov. 1 against Minnesota when he was replaced by Milivojevic.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions avoided their first seven-game losing streak in the same season since 1931. With a home game against Nebraska and traveling to Rutgers to close the regular season, Penn State’s hopes to go to a bowl remain alive.
Michigan State: Porous pass protection and the inability of wide receivers hampered the Spartans’ passing game. Michigan State gave up five sacks to Penn State, raising their total sacks given up this season to 35.
Up next
Penn State hosts Nebraska on Saturday.
Michigan State visits Iowa on Saturday.
— By BOB TRIPI, Associated Press
Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, left, runs away from Michigan State linebacker David Santiago (41) and defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan (99) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
DETROIT (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 30 points and No. 14 Michigan blasted Hannah Hidalgo and No. 18 Notre Dame 93-54 in the Shamrock Classic on Saturday, the worst loss for the Fighting Irish in more than two decades.
Three days after Hidalgo scored a school record 44 points with an NCAA record 16 steals, the Wolverines led wire-to-wire on the Wayne State campus and limited Hidalgo to 12 points on 4-of-21 shooting with seven turnovers. Hidalgo, who has scored in double figures in each game of her career that spans 71 games, converted a a three-point play with 2:21 to go.
Mila Holloway had 12 points, Syla Swords 11 and Ashley Sofilkanich 10 for Michigan (3-0). Swords had nine rebounds and Brooke Quarles Daniels grabbed 10 as the Wolverines had a 50-28 advantage on the boards, dominating second-chance points 19-5 and points in the paint 50-26.
Cassandre Prosper had 17 points and KK Bransford added 15 for the Fighting Irish (3-1).
Swords knocked down consecutive 3-pointers late in the first quarter to give Michigan a 17-10 lead.
Olson made two layups and Swords and Holloway had three-point plays a half-minute apart to give the Wolverines a 28-15 lead four minutes into the second quarter. They pushed the lead to 19 before going into the break on top 46-29.
Michigan finished it off with a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines shot 50% and Notre Dame 28%, going 2 of 22 behind the arc.
Up next
Michigan is home on Tuesday against Binghamton and plays No. 1 UConn at the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville on Friday.
Notre Dame returns to campus to play No. 8 Southern Cal on Friday.
Michigan guard Olivia Olson (1) shoots over Minnesota guard Tori McKinney (14) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Minneapolis. (ABBIE PARR — AP Photo, file)
CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, Jordan Marshall ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns before exiting with an injury and No. 18 Michigan stayed in the playoff chase by beating Northwestern 24-22 at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
The Wolverines (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 18 CFP) overcame three late turnovers, including two interceptions by Bryce Underwood, and remained in the running for the College Football Playoff with their fourth straight win. Northwestern (5-5, 3-4) lost its third in a row.
Zvada’s boot capped a 50-yard drive and set off a celebration on the field and in the stands, where a large part of the crowd wore maize and blue.
Michigan was up 21-9 when the Wildcats’ Preston Stone plowed in from the 1 two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Michigan then had a third down at its 26 when Braden Turner picked off a pass intended for Deakon Tonielli and returned it to the 6. Caleb Komolafe ran it in on the next play, giving Northwestern at 22-21 lead with 12:05 remaining in the game. The 2-point conversion pass failed.
Michigan then drove to the 30 before Underwood got picked off again, this time by Robert Fitzgerald at the 20. The Wolverines had another opportunity after Northwestern punted, only to give it away again after opting not to go for the field goal. They had a fourth-and-1 at the Wildcats’ 24 when Bryson Kuzdzal fumbled the handoff and Northwestern recovered.
Marshall had another big outing with Justice Haynes missing his second consecutive game because of a right foot injury. After setting career highs with 185 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a narrow win against Purdue two weeks ago, he scored from the 1 early in the second quarter to give Michigan a 7-0 lead.
Underwood, coming off shaky performances in wins over Michigan State and Purdue, completed 21 of 32 passes for 280 yards against a defense that began the day ranked 22nd in the nation against the pass. He also ran for a touchdown.
Freshman Andrew Marsh set career highs with 12 receptions for 189 yards, and the Wolverines beat Northwestern for the 14th time in the past 15 meetings.
Stone was 13 of 27 for 184 yards.
Hunter Welcing had 81 yards receiving, and the Wildcats dropped their 14th straight against Top 25 teams.
Northwestern also fell to 0-7 all-time at Wrigley Field. Six of those losses have come since 2010, when college football returned to the famed ballpark after more than a seven-decade absence.
Takeaways
Michigan: The Wildcats remained on course to make the College Football Playoff, no easy task with No. 1 Ohio State visiting on Nov. 29.
Northwestern: The Wildcats have two more opportunities to become bowl-eligible for the second time in coach David Braun’s three seasons. They host Minnesota at Wrigley next week before visiting Illinois in the finale.
Up next
Michigan: Visits Maryland on Nov. 22.
Northwestern: Hosts Minnesota at Wrigley Field on Nov. 22.
— By ANDREW SELIGMAN, Associated Press
Michigan running back Jordan Marshall (23) celebrates with quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) after rushing for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
ALLEN PARK — Listen to Dan Campbell talk about Saquon Barkley, and you’ll hear the Detroit Lions head coach describing an oxymoron.
Barkley couples elite size (233 pounds) and strength at his position with rare talent and athleticism. The combination makes him one of the NFL’s best running backs, even if his production in 2025 isn’t quite as historic as it was in 2024, when Barkley ran for a league-best 2,005 yards, helping power the Eagles to their second Super Bowl win in eight years.
“He’s big, but he’s got the agility and the speed of a scat back,” Campbell said of Barkley this week. “He’s powerful, he’s strong, explosive. He can hit the hole. And if he’s got a step and there’s a hole, he can take it the distance. And so you can’t just stick an arm out and pull this guy down. That’s what it is. You’re talking about a power back that’s got very good feet, lateral quicks, and explosiveness and speed to go the distance. That’s what it is.”
Barkley has rushed for 579 yards and four touchdowns on 149 attempts this season, numbers that rank 16th, 17th and eighth, respectively, among all running backs. The Eagles and new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo haven’t quite found a way to unlock Barkley to his fullest potential, like last season. Barkley is averaging 3.9 yards per carry (31st) and has a rushing success rate of 42.3% (39th).
Perhaps the biggest difference in Barkley’s production is a downtrend in explosive plays. Barkley paced the NFL in designed rushing attempts of 15 or more yards last season (32), according to Pro Football Focus. He’s at seven this season, which currently is tied with Baltimore’s Derrick Henry and Chicago’s D’Andre Swift for 11th.
Those numbers, however, don’t change the Lions’ respect of Barkley. The running back flashed his explosive capabilities in the fourth quarter of a win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, when he caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage and spun away from cornerback Carrington Valentine on the way to picking up 41 yards. The play set the Eagles up to score their only touchdown of the game on their next snap.
“I think he is an explosive player, that every time his hands are on the ball, he’s a threat to score a touchdown,” outside linebackers coach David Corrao said. “You can’t give him a crease. He outruns angles. You see DBs come out of the secondary (and) they think they’ve got the angle on him, and he just runs by them. Then he runs you over. He’s physical, he’s fast, and he’s a complete back that, every time he touches the ball, you better find a way to get multiple guys there to get him on the ground.”
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard called Barkley a “generational talent.”
“If you give 26 a lane, he’s going to find it, and he has home run ability,” Sheppard said. “He’s one of the most elite backs in this league.”
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) carries the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (MATT ROURKE — AP Photo, file)
ALLEN PARK — Kelvin Sheppard had never heard Roy Lopez’s name before the Detroit Lions visited the Arizona Cardinals last season.
But the former linebackers coach and now first-year defensive coordinator quickly became aware of what Lopez, who signed with the Lions in March after spending two seasons with the Cardinals, was capable of. Former All-Pro center Frank Ragnow and offensive line coach Hank Fraley raved about the defensive tackle, with Ragnow saying, as Sheppard recalled, “That dude’s real, and that’s one of the best noses I’ve gone against this year.”
Lopez has developed a reputation as a stingy run defender, someone who makes his money doing the dirty work, taking on double teams and filling gaps. He’s continued that type of approach with the Lions this season, so far posting a grade against the run from Pro Football Focus (70.6) that ranks 11th among the 112 defensive linemen who’ve received at least 80 run-defense reps.
The Lions’ win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday may have featured Lopez’s best performance through the season’s first 10 weeks. He saw 12 defensive snaps, but he was a force, notching three runs stops (tackles that result in a failed play for the offense) and two pressures. Lopez has eight run stops on the season, leading all defensive linemen on the Lions. The only players on the roster with more are starting linebackers Jack Campbell (18), Alex Anzalone (13) and Derrick Barnes (11).
“He’s playing at a high level, man,” head coach Dan Campbell said of Lopez during his weekly interview with 97.1 The Ticket’s “Costa & Jansen with Heather” show. “It’s one of the reasons we wanted him here. He’s an outstanding role player for us. When he comes in, we don’t miss a beat, man. … He plays with leverage, he’s stout, he’s strong, he’s explosive. But then he can run the line of scrimmage, too, now, so you wanna run wide zone on him, he can get knock-back and run. That was evident the other day. … He plays hard, man. He plays snap to whistle.”
Campbell went on to say Monday that Lopez “showed up big time” against the Commanders, and they he’s been a “quietly productive guy for us the whole season.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Sheppard on Thursday: “You talk about a guy popping off the tape and making the most of your opportunities. That’s why I say, ‘Don’t sulk and feel sorry for yourself. No matter if you get five or 50 plays, what are you going to do with those?’ He got 12, and I felt him on all 12.”
Defending the run starts with proper technique, of course, from pad level to keeping your feet active. But Lopez tabbed want-to as a run defender’s most underrated quality. Sometimes, a defensive lineman’s duty on a rep (especially a nose tackle) isn’t to make the play, per se, but to change the ball-carrier’s path and redirect him toward a teammate. High-level run defenders have to be OK with not stuffing the stat sheet.
“You’ve got to take in pride in walking out of a game with one tackle, no tackles, and know that you did a great job that day. … I think that’s the biggest thing, too, is find the little joys in sending the ball back, cutting the play off, anchoring a double team, a fourth-down stop,” Lopez said. “Those little things, man … you’ve got to live on those. Everybody’s got their thing that they search for. … Don’t get me wrong, I want sacks and TFLs. But sometimes sending the ball back to your team, cutting off a play is your job on that play, so you’ve got to find love in the little things.”
Hearing compliments from his coaches this week was encouraging for Lopez, but what he really takes pride in is the respect he gained from his now-teammates after last year’s game in Arizona. When the Lions signed him, members of the offensive line first introduced themselves before letting him know how much of a pill he was to deal with.
“Those are always cool to hear, especially when you’re not this big name guy in the league and you feel like you’ve played enough ball,” Lopez said. “I wonder if people know my game. And then you go out there and someone’s like, ‘Hey, bro, you’re nice.’ (Then I think to myself), ‘OK, maybe I am.’”
Campbell and Sheppard certainly seem to think so.
Defensive tackle Roy Lopez is in his first season with the Detroit Lions. (ROBIN BUCKSON — The Detroit News)
DETROIT — While Jaden Ivey still might be a long way from returning to the Detroit Pistons‘ lineup, he is making positive strides. Ivey has begun on-court work as part of his rehabilitation process following an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in the preseason. There is no specific timeframe for his return to game action, however.
Ivey was at the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center on Friday for shootaround. He did not participate in any activities as the team prepared for their Emirates NBA Cup game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but did partake in a brief on-court workout that involved stationary shooting.
Ivey underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee on Oct. 16. His recent progression to on-court work corresponds with the team’s four-week re-evaluation.
“It sucks, we all hated to see that,” Cade Cunningham said in October. “But his spirit never dropped. He just put his head down and worked, and that is who he is. He doesn’t get ahead of himself. He just keeps his head down and works. I know he will be fine and come back better than ever, but he has to get all of that stuff cleaned up.”
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed that Ivey suffered the knee injury during training camp. It came while the 23-year-old guard was working his way back from the broken left fibula he sustained on Jan. 1. The Pistons’ medical team, after completing its assessment, decided Ivey should undergo the arthroscopic procedure.
Ivey’s latest injury has delayed his long-awaited return from the broken left fibula that prematurely ended his career-best 2024-25 season. Last season, Ivey appeared in 30 games, averaging a career-best 17.6 points on 40.9% shooting from behind the arc, along with 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Before the arthroscopic surgery, Ivey appeared in one preseason game, a 128-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 6. He played 13 minutes, notching seven points and one assist at FedEx Forum.
“It is tough for him; that is what you feel more than anything,” Bickerstaff said. “Going through what he went through last year, working his way back, and then having this happen to him, it was frustrating for him.”
Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey dribbles against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Detroit. (JOSE JUAREZ — AP Photo)
ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions will try to beat the Philadelphia Eagles without at least three starters.
Tight end Sam LaPorta (back), safety Kerby Joseph (knee) and cornerback Terrion Arnold (concussion) have all be ruled out for Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field, along with defensive lineman Josh Paschal (back). The situation is particularly murky at cornerback, as both D.J. Reed (hamstring) and Amik Robertson (hamstring) were tabbed as questionable.
Head coach Dan Campbell said Friday he doesn’t see Reed playing against the Eagles. Robertson, meanwhile, told The Detroit News he was feeling “great,” and that he was dealing with some hamstring tightness. “It wasn’t nothing major,” Robertson said.
Down at least two starting defensive backs (Arnold and Joseph) and another (Reed) unlikely to play, the Lions will likely lean on some combination of Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside and Arthur Maulet at cornerback. Thomas Harper figures to continue starting in place of Joseph. Avonte Maddox, who can play nickel and safety, may see some opportunity, as well.
Also questionable for Sunday’s game are offensive linemen Taylor Decker (shoulder), Penei Sewell (ankle) and Miles Frazier (knee), defensive end Marcus Davenport (shoulder), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee), running backs Sione Vaki (ankle) and Jacob Saylors (back), and tight end Brock Wright (ankle).
Wright, who is expected to fill in for LaPorta, said his ankle is “good.”
“It might change a little bit. Of course, maybe a different snap count, stuff like that,” Wright said, when asked how much his role changes if he’s the team’s first option at tight end. “But overall, the job is always the same.”
Campbell said his trust in Wright is “sky high.”
“Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack of all trades, man, he does everything for us, pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams, like, he’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team,” Campbell said.
“And at the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts, and he’s got both of those, and he’s tough. He checks a lot of boxes of a well-rounded tight end, so that is always going to make me feel a lot better — make us, offensively, feel a lot better.”
So far this season, Wright has nine catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns.
Sewell and Decker did not practice Friday. It’s possible that the players were just resting their preexisting injuries. Decker was limited by his shoulder injury on Wednesday and Thursday, while Sewell missed Wednesday’s practice and was limited on Thursday.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta runs with the ball after making a catch as Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (39) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Dorie Greenspan is a James Beard Award-winning author of more than a dozen cookbooks whose latest production, 2025’s “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes,” is a homage to simple but show-stopping baked treats.
Greenspan’s recipe for a citrus loaf cake – which is lovingly illustrated by Nancy Pappas, like other recipes in the book – relies on winter’s bounty of fresh lemons, grapefruits, clementines and other fruits. In other words, it’s timed perfectly for the holiday season. A feature is that it can be made completely dairy-free, thanks to the use of olive oil, which bakes it to a deep golden-brown color.
What citrus should you use? Greenspan adds these notes: “The most play-aroundable ingredient in this recipe is the citrus, of course. See what you like most — maybe it’ll be the sharpness of lemons and limes or the sweetness of oranges, or a mix of both. I like a mild olive oil in this cake, but you might want to play up the olive flavor by using a stronger oil. And you might want to add a little vanilla or maybe a shot of dark rum or an aromatic orange liqueur.”
Mix-It-Up Citrus Loaf Cake
Makes 8 to 10 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
About 3 citrus fruits (see above note on what to use)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil OR – to make a version with dairy – 1/2 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Citrus marmalade for glazing, such as Korean honey-citron marmalade (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan or coat the interior with baker’s spray and place it on a baking sheet.
Put the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
Put the sugar in another bowl. Finely grate the zest from the citrus over the sugar – you want about 3 tablespoons of zest – and then reach in and use your fingers to smush and press the ingredients together until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
Halve the fruits and squeeze to get 1/3 cup juice.
Add the eggs and honey to the sugar and whisk until smooth, then blend in the juice. Add the egg-sugar mixture to the dry ingredients in three additions, using a flexible spatula to gently mix the batter. Then slowly incorporate the olive oil (or the blend of oil and melted butter). You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a light sheen. Pour it into the pan and gently jiggle the pan to even the batter.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake is tall, dark and handsome and a tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean; check the cake after 30 minutes, and if it’s getting too dark too quickly, tent it lightly with foil or parchment. Transfer the cake to a rack and let sit for 5 minutes, then unmold it and turn it right side up onto the rack. If you want to glaze the cake, do it now; otherwise, just allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
To make the (optional) glaze: Bring a few spoonfuls of marmalade with a splash of water just to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to melt the jam, or do this in a microwave. Brush the glaze over the warm cake.
Storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep for about three days at room temperature. If you have the patience, wrap it and wait a day before slicing and serving. You can freeze it for up to 1 month, but if it’s been glazed, the jam might get a bit watery – not fatal. Thaw the cake in the wrapper.
A Mix-It-Up Citrus Loaf Cake is one of the recipes in Dorie Greenspan’s 2025 cookbook, “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes,” published by HarperCollins Harvest. (Illustration by Nancy Pappas)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in a G7 session on Ukraine and defense cooperation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is hosting the meeting in southern Ontario as tensions rise between the U.S. and traditional allies like Canada over defense spending, trade and uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan in Gaza and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he wants to order 25 Patriot air defense systems from the United States. Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s frantic efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk.
Canada announced additional sanctions on 13 people and 11 entities, including several involved in the development and deployment of Russia’s drone program.
Britain says it will send $17 million to help patch up Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches and Russian attacks intensify. The money will go toward repairs to power, heating and water supplies and humanitarian support for Ukrainians.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who made the announcement before the meeting, said Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to plunge Ukraine into darkness and the cold as winter approaches” but the British support will help keep the lights and heating on.
Canada recently made a similar announcement.
The two-day meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, near the U.S. border, comes after Trump ended trade talks with Canada because the Ontario provincial government ran an anti-tariff advertisement in the U.S. that upset him. That followed a spring of acrimony, since abated, over the Republican president’s insistence that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
Anand will have a meeting with Rubio, but she noted that a different minister leads the U.S. trade file. The U.S. president has placed greater priority on addressing his grievances with other nations’ trade policies than on collaboration with G7 allies.
The G7 comprises Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Anand also invited the foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine to the meeting, which began Tuesday.
Putin has tried to justify Russia’s attack on Ukraine by saying it was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a false claim the U.S. had predicted he would make as a pretext for his invasion.
Foreign Ministers, from left, European Union’s Kaja Kallas, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi, Britain’s Yvette Cooper, France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, Canada’s Anita Anand, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Germany’s Johann Wadephul and Italy’s Antonio Tajani pose for the family photo during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP)
DETROIT — Daniss Jenkins’ cool-down Monday night was different from anything he had experienced with the Detroit Pistons. With an ice pack wrapped around his right knee inside Little Caesars Arena, Jenkins sat at his locker after a career-best performance.
He had recorded 24 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists to lift the Pistons to a 137-135 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards. The pinnacle of his night came during the final seconds of regulation when Jenkins nailed the game-tying 3-point field goal after coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s original plan faltered.
“You dream of stuff like this,” Jenkins said. “To come out and hit that type of shot, I was just filled with a lot of joy and excitement. … Humbly and respectfully, I’ve always known what I was capable of, and I always believed in my preparation for this moment.”
But sitting on the right side of Jenkins’ locker was a red, white and blue WWE championship-style belt he received from Caris LeVert during the team’s postgame celebration. The WWE belt — also known as the “Belt to Ass” — is awarded to the player who provides the Pistons with the most significant lift, putting the team in the best position to win the game.
While Jenkins’ heroics were the reason he held possession of the belt, the honor marked the second time in three games that the Pistons’ depth was recognized. That depth has played a central role in Detroit’s 9-2 start, going into Wednesday’s game.
“The depth we keep talking about is important. We believe that the guys that we have here from top to bottom can help contribute to winning, and we’re lucky,” Bickerstaff said. “Give Trajan (Langdon) and the front-office group a ton of credit for the way that they constructed the team.”
The Pistons have faced several injuries in the first 11 games. Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser have not played at all, while minor injuries have caused LeVert, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, and Ausar Thompson to miss time.
Each absence has created a void for Bickerstaff to fill. However, the injuries have also given the Pistons an opportunity to delve deeper into their roster, helping the franchise maintain its early-season success, including a seven-game winning streak.
“When you hear your name called, you have to be ready,” Klintman told The Detroit News. “I’m in the gym every day. Going out there, I always have a belief in myself, and the coaches believe in me too, which has been big time.”
It marked the first time in Klintman’s career that he received meaningful minutes in a regular-season game, an achievement that came as a surprise. He played 14 minutes and scored eight points, but his most significant impact came due to the hustle and effort he displayed inside Barclays Center.
Klintman nabbed five rebounds and secured a handful of 50-50 balls that created scoring opportunities for the Pistons. His efforts helped Detroit overcome an early 10-point deficit. By the end of the night, Klintman walked on the team bus with the championship belt lying across his shoulder.
“I wasn’t expecting to get the belt. We had two monster performances by J.D. (Jalen Duren) and Cade; one of them should have gotten it. But I am happy they gave it to me,” Klintman said. “It just shows that the team is with me in my journey. They have watched me put in the work, and to get that opportunity was big time.”
At the start of the season, there was uncertainty surrounding the roles of Jenkins and Klintman. Both players came into their second seasons sitting at the end of the Pistons’ bench and were prime candidates to spend much of the year developing with the Motor City Cruise.
But through workouts and five-on-five scrimmages at the Henry Ford Health Pistons Performance Center during training camp, Jenkins and Klintman made Bickerstaff reconsider how to distribute minutes among his players.
Nearly a month into the 2025-26 season, Jenkins and Klintman have become unsung heroes. While their contributions have led to early success for the Pistons, it’s evident that the franchise is well on its way to establishing itself as a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
“I always try to make my presence felt, whatever that looks like,” Jenkins said. “Wherever I am, you are going to know that Daniss Jenkins was there.”
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, right, shoots against Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George, left, and forward Cam Whitmore during overtime in an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (RYAN SUN — AP Photo)
DETROIT – There aren’t many chances in an NHL regular season to have a full-scale, physical practice like the Red Wings had Tuesday.
This season’s schedule, in particular, is so condensed because of the Olympics, that it’s rare a team is off three days like the Wings currently are.
But after two consecutive losses – and three in four games – and needing to shake up the look of the team a bit, coach Todd McLellan made it feel almost like training camp Tuesday with a competitive practice.
“We don’t get a lot of time during the season to practice the way we did today,” McLellan said. “We just can’t because you have so many games in a short time frame. They expended a lot of energy (Tuesday). It was physical, a lot of battling, and so it gave us a chance to have a practice like that.
“But also to remind them that’s an important part of the game.”
After reviewing the losses to the New York Rangers and Chicago (by a 9-2 combined score), McLellan felt the Wings had offensive opportunities score on several odd-man rushes.
“That part of the game is OK,” McLellan said. “It’s what happens when we settled into the offensive zone and feeder shots getting to the net, and are we near the net or through the goalie’s eyes or are we around rebounds? Conversely, on the other end, are we doing a good job (in those areas)?
“That type of practice was designed because of time and a need for the group.”
Getting to the net and disrupting the opposing goaltender are things the Wings need to do during this recent offensive power outage.
“Being stronger in front of the goalie’s eyes,” forward Alex DeBrincat said. “We’re getting a lot of shots but a lot of them are from the point and no one is in front and going through the goalie’s eyes. It’s pretty hard in this league if you don’t do that. That was an emphasis today (in practice), and playing in front of the net at both ends of the ice.”
McLellan also changed the look of the lineup, keeping the lines the Wings’ finished with in Sunday’s game.
That meant DeBrincat with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and Emmitt Finnie with J.T. Compher and Patrick Kane.
“Sometimes lines get a little stale, and it’s no reflection on Cat or Emmitt or anybody else,” McLellan said. “We’re just trying to do different things. Both lines played better after the change in the third period (Sunday). Are we going to do that against Anaheim (Thursday)? We’ll see.”
DeBrincat was excited about potentially skating with Larkin and Raymond.
“Two great players, and obviously fun to play with them,” DeBrincat said. “They have a lot of speed. They can make a lot of plays and hopefully we can have the puck a lot during the game. Those two guys are good defensively and we can create chances off their turnovers and go down and play with the puck, where we’re more comfortable.”
Both DeBrincat and Kane, who are known for their on-ice chemistry, said occasional line changes like these don’t change the way they play with new linemates.
“I try to stick to the same stuff with them,” DeBrincat said. “We can all rotate on who is getting on pucks and all of us just try to hunt pucks quick and create turnovers in the offensive zone. That’s kind of how we feed off each other, with us three, and create offense that way.
“If we can play a simple game and play in their end and get pucks back, we’ll be fine.”
Said Kane: “Maybe without Cat on that side you look for your shot a little more, or maybe try to get to the net a little more. But it’s still being who you are as a player, and it’s the same thing with Finnie or J.T.; it’s the player that you are.”
McLellan said Sunday the recall of Nate Danielson was a chance to potentially ignite the Wings’ offense and take a look at different combinations. It wasn’t, as social media suggested, to necessarily ignite trade discussions.
“My son called me (Sunday) and said, ‘Oh, you guys are trading some players,’” McLellan said. “No, we’re not. That doesn’t mean we won’t or ever will, but that’s not the reason. Danny (Danielson) is here because he’s played well in training camp and we have players who are struggling, and we feel he can inject some life and enthusiasm into the team and maybe provide us with some offense.
“He’s earned the right to do that after training camp. We can put him in and see how he looks with other players and maybe we can find combinations and evaluate. But it’s not about (general manager) Steve (Yzerman) buying airline tickets and sending people all over the place.”
New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick, right, blocks a shot as defenseman Braden Schneider, center, defends Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Detroit. (RYAN SUN — AP Photo)
By Ben Strauss and María Luisa PaúlThe Washington Post
CHICAGO – As the Trump administration intensifies a nationwide mass deportation campaign, immigrant parents are scrambling to secure emergency caretakers for their children – flooding legal clinics and naming friends, acquaintances or teachers as temporary guardians.
A Chicago volunteer worker agreed to become a guardian for nine children, using an obscure state law that dates to the AIDS epidemic.
A teacher in Maine recently agreed to be an emergency guardian for one of her students if his parents, both of whom are undocumented, are deported.
And a business owner in Oregon ended up with temporary custody of her friend’s children for four months when the parents were both detained.
Fear of being separated from her son recently led Rosa, an Ecuadorian asylum seeker and single mom in Chicago, to search online for help with a question she never thought she’d face: What happens to my child if I get deported?
The search led her to information about short-term guardianship, or tutela temporal in Spanish, which allows parents to designate a trusted adult to temporarily care for their children under certain conditions without giving up parental rights. In Illinois, the four-page legal document is free and requires no lawyer or notary.
It gives people the authority to make decisions about education and medical needs if parents are unable to care for their children.
“I don’t know if I will come home from work any day; this is my plan,” Rosa said of the short-term guardianship agreement. (Like several others interviewed for this article, she spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation from the federal government.)
Across the country, the effects of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign have had a chilling effect on immigrant communities – both the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and those here legally.
Perhaps nowhere has it been more pronounced than in Chicago, where law firms advertise services on Spanish language radio for parents in need of a plan for their kids if they get detained.
Sometimes parents are seeking help from U.S. citizens they’ve only recently met. Aleah Arundale, who helps a network of immigrants with necessities like food and rent money in Chicago, has made short-term guardianship arrangements for nine children from four families. “The greatest fear for them is: ‘What happens if I get taken?’” Arundale said. “They think I’m the best chance to get their kids back.”
There’s no data to quantify short-term guardianship arrangements since the requirements vary by state. But lawyers report they are being inundated. Clinics are popping up across the country, and one specialist said they usually see two or three cases per year but now receive hundreds of requests each week for information.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about the surge of interest in guardianship agreements. The Trump administration has deported more than 400,000 people this year, DHS has said. It has also doubled the number of people detained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. As of late September, ICE is holding nearly 60,000 people in custody. It’s unclear how many of those are parents.
The White House has said it is targeting criminals, but some of those who have been detained are asylum seekers, longtime residents, people with pending immigration cases or even U.S. citizens. A Syracuse University research group has found that more than 70 percent of those detained by ICE do not have criminal records.
At a time of heightened anxiety, some immigrants said guardianship planning has become one of the few things they can control. “It helps me breathe,” said one mother, an asylum seeker from Venezuela, who completed the Illinois form with Arundale. “And it took 10 minutes.”
– – –
Hundreds every week
Rosa arrived in Chicago four years ago. She cleans an office with a work permit, but a highly publicized federal immigration raid in her neighborhood sent her into a panic.
After Rosa learned about temporary guardianship, her church connected her with Rebekah Rashidfarokhi, an attorney and director of guardianship and immigration programs for children at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, which offers pro bono representation.
The two met virtually this month to discuss the process.
Unlike adoption or more complicated guardianship procedures that require court approval, short-term guardianship in Illinois needs just the signatures of two consenting parties and two witnesses. Parents can revoke the arrangement at any time. It can last up to a year.
The form is helpful for enrolling a child in school or going to the doctor, Rashidfarokhi said, because it is recognized by state law. It has no federal authority, so it cannot be used to get a passport. (Several parents said that if they are deported they hoped it could also help make international travel and reuniting with their children easier.)
The guardianship does not kick in immediately but takes effect with a specified event. Rashidfarokhi instructed Rosa to be specific about the conditions: “In case I am detained by immigration.”
Rosa said she left Ecuador after her husband was abusing her and threatening her children. She has lived in fear in recent weeks, she said, but also knowing she must make logistical plans. She has been preparing documents, including proof of custody of her son after her divorce. She spoke to a woman, a dual American and Ecuadorian citizen, she met taking English classes at a community college to be her designated guardian. The woman agreed.
She has avoided talking too much about any of it with her 13-year-old son.
“He is confused about what is happening,” Rosa said. “But I am his mother, and I have to do it.”
Rashidfarokhi has been a family law attorney for two decades. Most years, she handles two or three short-term guardianship cases. Now, hundreds of people are requesting information every week, with families and community groups flooding her with requests for clinics and presentations. At one clinic earlier this year, 100 families showed up. (Rashidfarokhi said it’s difficult to quantify how many people fill out the form because many of the consultations she does now are virtual since so many people are afraid to leave their homes.)
Mayra Lira, an attorney with Public Counsel in Los Angeles, said she has seen similar demand for guardianship clinics in her city, where the Trump administration has also carried out immigration raids.
Lira described seeing parents make short-term guardianship plans as “dystopian,” adding that allegations of unlawful arrests and racial profiling have also brought green-card holders and U.S. citizens to the clinics.
“Everyone is afraid of being targeted,” she said.
– – –
‘We want people to know what to do’
The legal framework for Illinois’ short-term guardianship didn’t exist until the late 1980s. It was conceived of primarily to assist HIV-positive parents, many of them low-income, who were worried the state would assume custody of their kids if they died. It took several years of lobbying before Illinois amended its probate law.
“It was revolutionary at the time,” said Linda Coon, a lawyer who spearheaded the effort. “I knew it would help our clients but could never imagine it would be used by thousands of people today.”
Its uses have expanded over the years. During the early days of the pandemic, an executive order in New York state allowed medical workers to designate a temporary guardian. Several states – including Maryland and New York, as well as the District of Columbia – amended statutes during the first Trump administration to recognize immigration detention or deportation as an event that could give designated caregivers temporary parental rights. California passed a law last month that created a new short-term guardianship process for parents who could be detained or deported.
Today, guardianship conversations are happening in all types of settings, some not even planned by parents.
A teacher in Maine said she agreed to be a temporary guardian for one of her students after the parents broke down crying in a meeting over what might happen to their child if they were deported.
“I will do that every single time,” the teacher said. “I shouldn’t have to. I should just be able to teach my kids.”
Mimi Lettunich, an Oregon resident, took care of a friend’s four children after the family was detained by federal agents. (She has a pending U.S. visa and her children are U.S. citizens.) When Lettunich picked up the children, she was handed a coloring book with a note from their mother that said: “I will miss my babies. … I talked to them that they need to obey you.” The note also included a reminder for one of her kids’ upcoming orthodontist appointments.
Temporary guardianship allowed Lettunich to take the kids to doctor’s appointments and enroll them in a new school.
Lettunich’s friend was eventually released, and the two are now working on a handbook to help families facing the same circumstances. One of its strongest recommendations: arrange for short-term guardianship.
“We want people to know what to do,” Lettunich said. “Because you never think it’ll happen – until it does.”
Northwest Center organizer Esther Martinez speaks during a Chicago event about immigrant parents making guardianship arrangements for their children. MUST CREDIT: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post
By SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Associated Press/Report for America
A federal appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday about whether a spending law passed in July that ended Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood can remain in effect while legal challenges continue.
President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cut bill targets organizations that both provide abortions and receive more than $800,000 a year in Medicaid reimbursements. Planned Parenthood has argued the law violates the Constitution, while anti-abortion activists applauded the legislation.
The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled that the law could go into effect in September while a lower court considered Planned Parenthood’s claims. A three-judge panel of the appeals court was scheduled to preside over the hearing Wednesday.
In a report released ahead of the hearing, Planned Parenthood said the legislation cost $45 million in September alone as clinics across the country paid for treatment for Medicaid patients out of pocket — a rate that the organization says is unsustainable.
Nearly half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid for health care aside from abortions, which was already not covered by the federal insurance program that serves millions of low-income and disabled Americans.
Legal fight
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its member organizations in Massachusetts and Utah, as well as a major medical provider in Maine, filed lawsuits against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in July. The Maine provider has been forced to stop it’s primary care services while its lawsuit works its way through the courts.
In the meantime, seven states — California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Washington — have directed state funds to compensate for lost federal Medicaid reimbursements.
That has covered roughly $200 million of the $700 million that the organization spends annually on Medicaid patients, according to Planned Parenthood.
In light of the shortfall, some clinics will force Medicaid patients to pay out of pocket while others will close altogether, adding to the 20 Planned Parenthood affiliated clinics that have closed since July and the 50 total that have closed since the start of Trump’s second term.
“The consequence is for patients who are going to be forced to make impossible choices between essential services,” Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Abortion at the heart of the debate
Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said Trump’s legislation is a step in the right direction. Even though federal tax dollars aren’t used for abortions directly, she said taxpayers are contributing to abortion services even if they are morally or religiously opposed since Medicaid reimbursements help organizations that provide them stay afloat.
“To be forced to pay for that is just very objectionable,” Tobias said.
FILE – Grand Rapids anti-abortion activist Jim Albright, center, leads fellow activists Robert “Doc” Kovaly, left, and Miguel Jomarron Fernandez, right, to pray the Rosary at Planned Parenthood, April 2, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/MLive.com/The Grand Rapids Press via AP, File)
She suggested Planned Parenthood could stop offering abortions if it wanted to keep providing medical care to vulnerable populations.
Planned Parenthood’s president has doubled down on the organization’s commitment to providing abortions.
“The government should not play a role in determining any pregnancy outcomes,” Johnson said.
A range of services hit
Planned Parenthood is the country’s largest abortion provider, but abortions only constituted 4% of all medical services in 2024, according to the organization’s annual report. Testing for sexually transmitted infections and contraception services make up about 80%. The remaining 15% of services are cancer screenings, primary care services and behavioral health services.
Jenna Tosh, CEO of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, said in an interview that the Medicaid cuts threaten abortion and non-abortion medical care in equal measure. Roughly 70% of patients who use Planned Parenthood California Central Coast rely on Medicaid, she said.
“Many of our patients, we are their primary provider of health care,” Tosh said. “You really start pulling at the thread of the entire health care safety net for the most vulnerable people.”
The story has been corrected to show that the hearing Wednesday is before a judicial panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, not before a federal judge.
FILE – A protester stands outside of the Supreme Court, June 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The longest government shutdown in history could conclude as soon as Wednesday, Day 43, with almost no one happy with the final result.
Democrats didn’t get the heath insurance provisions they demanded added to the spending deal. And Republicans, who control the levers of power in Washington, didn’t escape blame, according to polls and some state and local elections that went poorly for them.
The fallout of the shutdown landed on millions of Americans, including federal workers who went without paychecks and airline passengers who had their trips delayed or canceled. An interruption in nutrition assistance programs contributed to long lines at food banks and added emotional distress going into the holiday season.
People wait in security lines at O’Hare International Airport, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.
Here’s a look at how the shutdown started and is likely to end:
What led to the shutdown
Democrats made several demands to win their support for a short-term funding bill, but the central one was an extension of an enhanced tax credit that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
The tax credit was boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic response, again through President Joe Biden’s big energy and health care bill, and it’s set to expire at the end of December. Without it, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans. More than 2 million people would lose health insurance coverage altogether next year, the Congressional Budget Office projected.
“Never have American families faced a situation where their health care costs are set to double — double in the blink of an eye,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
While Democrats called for negotiations on the matter, Republicans said a funding bill would need to be passed first.
“Republicans are ready to sit down with Democrats just as soon as they stop holding the government hostage to their partisan demands,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters as he arrives at his office following a weekend vote to move forward with a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government through Jan. 30, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Thune eventually promised Democrats a December vote on the tax credit extension to help resolve the standoff, but many Democrats demanded a guaranteed fix, not just a vote that is likely to fail.
Thune’s position was much the same as the one Schumer took back in October 2013, when Republicans unsuccessfully sought to roll back parts of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for funding the government. “Open up all of the government, and then we can have a fruitful discussion,” Schumer said then.
Democratic leaders under pressure
The first year of President Donald Trump’s second term has seen more than 200,000 federal workers leave their job through firings, forced relocations or the Republican administration’s deferred resignation program, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Whole agencies that don’t align with the administration’s priorities have been dismantled. And billions of dollars previously approved by Congress have been frozen or canceled.
Democrats have had to rely on the courts to block some of Trump’s efforts, but they have been unable to do it through legislation. They were also powerless to stop Trump’s big tax cut and immigration crackdown bill that Republicans helped pay for by cutting future spending on safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
The Democrats’ struggles to blunt the Trump administration’s priorities has prompted calls for the party’s congressional leadership to take a more forceful response.
Schumer experienced that firsthand after announcing in March that he would support moving ahead with a funding bill for the 2025 budget year. There was a protest at his office, calls from progressives that he be primaried in 2028 and suggestions that the Democratic Party would soon be looking for new leaders.
Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks with reporters at the Capitol Subway on day 36th of the government shutdown, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
This time around, Schumer demanded that Republicans negotiate with Democrats to get their votes on a spending bill. The Senate rules, he noted, requires bipartisan support to meet the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance a spending bill.
But those negotiations did not occur, at least not with Schumer. Republicans instead worked with a small group of eight Democrats to tee up a short-term bill to fund the government generally at current levels and accused Schumer of catering to the party’s left flank when he refused to go along.
“The Senate Democrats are afraid that the radicals in their party will say that they caved,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at one of his many daily press conferences.
The blame game
The political stakes in the shutdown are huge, which is why leaders in both parties have held nearly daily press briefings to shape public opinion.
Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
At least three-quarters of Americans believe each deserves at least a “moderate” share of blame, underscoring that no one was successfully evading responsibility.
Both parties looked to the Nov. 4 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere for signs of how the shutdown was influencing public opinion. Democrats took comfort in their overwhelming successes. Trump called it a “big factor, negative” for Republicans. But it did not change the GOP’s stance on negotiating. Instead, Trump ramped up calls for Republicans to end the filibuster in the Senate, which would pretty much eliminate the need for the majority party to ever negotiate with the minority.
Damage of the shutdown
The Congressional Budget Office says that the negative impact on the economy will be mostly recovered once the shutdown ends, but not entirely. It estimated the permanent economic loss at about $11 billion for a six-week shutdown.
Beyond the numbers, though, the shutdown created a cascade of troubles for many Americans. Federal workers missed paychecks, causing financial and emotional stress. Travelers had their flights delayed and at times canceled. People who rely on safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program saw their benefits stopped, and Americans throughout the country lined up for meals at food banks.
“This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous message to the watching world,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. “It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can’t work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress.”
FILE – House Democrats prepare to speak on the steps of the Capitol to insist that Republicans include an extension of expiring health care benefits as part of a government funding compromise, in Washington, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
President Donald Trump over the weekend floated an idea that took real estate agents, mortgage brokers and housing experts by surprise: the 50-year mortgage.
On Saturday, Trump posted an image on Truth Social titled “Great American Presidents.” It included a photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt under the words “30-year mortgage” and a photo of Trump beneath the words “50-year mortgage.” (Mortgages were extended to 30 years in the 1940s as part of Roosevelt’s push to make home buying more affordable.)
Housing economists say the longer time frame could save buyers a couple hundred dollars a month, depending on the size of the mortgage and other details. But it would be costlier in other ways, including with more interest paid over a longer period of time. Implementing such a policy would also require tedious changes from regulators, plus buy-in from lenders and the broader housing finance industry.
So far, there’s little sense of how popular a 50-year mortgage would be. Here’s what we know so far.
– – –
What has the Trump administration said?
After Trump’s Truth Social post on Saturday, Bill Pulte, the administration’s top housing finance official, posted on X that “we are indeed working on The 50 year Mortgage – a complete game changer.” Pulte is the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency who also made himself chair of mortgage behemoths Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, companies that have been under government control since the 2008 housing crisis. Fannie and Freddie are essential to the smooth functioning of the U.S. mortgage market and together guarantee about half of existing home loans.
In a statement, a White House official who declined to be named said Trump “is always exploring new ways to improve housing affordability for everyday Americans. Any official policy changes will be announced by the White House.”
An FHFA spokesperson who also declined to be named said, “We are studying, and have not finalized, a wide variety of options related to multi year loans, including the ability to make mortgages transferable or portable. If banks can sell someone’s mortgage, we should at least explore if there are opportunities for regular Americans to have flexibility.”
One person close to the White House said the announcement came after Democrats swept in last week’s elections, in part on pledges to boost affordability for housing and more. But that person, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly, said Trump’s social media post had no substantial policy behind it yet.
– – –
Would 50-year mortgages save buyers money?
With a longer timeline, home buyers have much more time to pay back a loan. And they would have lower monthly payments along the way. For example, let’s assume a home sells for $400,000. A buyer puts up 10 percent – or $40,000 – for a down payment. The buyer gets a 6.25 percent interest rate, slightly above last week’s 30-year fixed rate average of 6.22 percent.
That buyer would owe about $2,300 each month on a 30-year mortgage. On a 50-year loan, they would owe about $2,000. They might pay more than that, though – that math assumes a buyer gets the same rate for both mortgages, which is unlikely, since shorter loans typically have lower rates. So rates on 50-year loans could be higher than on 30-year ones.
A lower monthly payment could be beneficial for new buyers looking to get a foothold in the market. But it might also work against them if they are only planning on living in the house for a few years, or if they don’t know how their needs will shake out across decades.
– – –
What about potential drawbacks?
Buyers’ monthly payments may be lower, but they’ll end up paying much more interest over two more decades. With a 50-year loan, total interest on that $400,000 home would amount to $816,396, compared with $438,156 on a 30-year loan. That’s 86 percent more interest over the life of the loans, said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.
And it will take much longer for owners to build equity. Ten years into paying off a 30-year mortgage on that $400,000 home, an owner would have a 24 percent stake in a house, setting aside rising home values. With a 50-year mortgage, that would be 14 percent.
Berner said addressing the nation’s affordability problems will take lots of ideas, including how to generate more construction so there are enough homes to meet Americans’ needs. But a new mortgage offering could juice demand before supply can catch up – which would push prices even higher.
“This is a creative way to solve this problem,” Berner said, “but I don’t think it addresses the fundamental issues that we have.”
– – –
What would it take to offer a 50-year mortgage?
Establishing a new kind of mortgage could be possible, albeit complex, wrote Jaret Seiberg, managing director at TD Cowen, in a Monday analyst note. The Dodd-Frank Act – the landmark legislation that reformed the financial system after the 2008 financial crisis – says mortgages that exceed 30 years do not meet the definition of a qualified mortgage, which also means Fannie and Freddie can’t buy them.
But regulators have the ability to alter those qualifications to keep mortgages affordable. All told, the process could take at least a year to implement, Seiberg wrote, and it’s unlikely that lenders would originate 50-year mortgages without clear policy changes first.
Without changing the qualifications, the new loans could be hard to find – and more expensive. Lenders may be less willing to offer 50-year mortgages if they know Fannie and Freddie can’t buy them, a spokesperson for the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a statement. Limited interest from investors could also push interest rates up.
– – –
What’s next?
Any details from the White House or FHFA would be needed for the market to prepare for such a change. Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said that for now, the administration’s posts appear to be more about messaging than substantial policy. But, Brusuelas said, younger generations “may look at this differently.”
“If they think they’re saving $300 or $400 a month, then that’s a big deal,” he said. “That covers the car payment, maybe.”
Home under construction in a new neighborhood in Washington Township. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)
Q: We have a question for you regarding our bathroom. We want to convert our bathtub to a shower stall so we do not have to lift our legs so high to get in and out. Will it be harder to sell our house in the future without a bathtub?
A: I wouldn’t worry about it. If making this change allows you to stay and enjoy your home for years to come, then do it for your needs. When you sell, you could change it back to a tub or give an allowance to the buyer if it becomes an issue.
Home maintenance tip
I would like to vent a little here — about clothes dryer venting. I go into many homes, and whether it’s as a buyer’s agent or as a seller’s agent listing a home, I always look at the appliances, including the washer and dryer. When I look at the dryers, I observe what kind of ducting it has. There is flexible (looks like a flimsy accordion style, which is usually white vinyl or foil), semi-rigid (looks like a flexible aluminum tube) and then there is rigid (looks like the sheet metal ductwork you would see on your furnace). According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2014-2018, local fire departments responded to an average of 13,820 home structure fires per year in which dryers were involved in the ignition. These fires caused an average of seven civilian deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in direct property damage annually. The main issue for dryer ducts is that lint goes through them while still containing some moisture, and it sticks to the walls of the ducting.
You might think that the lint trap stops all lint, but it does not. The flexible and semi-rigid ducting, because of the ribs, are more prone to catching lint than the smooth rigid metal ducts. The danger is when the interior of the ducting gets coated with lint and the dryer gives off a spark or high heat that can ignite the lint, causing a fire in the ductwork. If you have a flexible duct, it’s going to quickly melt and possibly allow the fire to spread in your home. A semi-rigid is a little more fire resistant, but it is not as good as the rigid sheet metal type. Not only is it important to have the best ductwork, but it’s also important to have the ductwork cleaned and to have the inside of the dryer cleaned, as well. According to NFPA, one-third of dryer fires were caused by a failure to clean.
Market update
September’s market update for Macomb County and Oakland County’s housing market (house and condo sales) is as follows: In Macomb County, the average sales price was up by almost 5% and in Oakland County, it was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s on-market inventory was unchanged at 0% and Oakland County’s on-market inventory was up by more than 5%. Macomb County’s average days on market was 29 days and Oakland County’s average days on market was 25 days. Closed sales in Macomb County were up by more than 2% and closed sales in Oakland County were up by more than 4%. (All comparisons are month to month, year to year.)
By the long-standing historical definition from the National Association of Realtors, which has been in existence since 1908, a buyer’s market is when there is a seven-month supply or more of inventory on the market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers is when there is a six-month supply of inventory. A seller’s market is when there is a five-month or less supply of inventory. Inventory has continued to stay low. In September, the state of Michigan’s inventory was at 2.8 months of supply. Macomb County’s inventory was at 2.4 months of supply and Oakland County’s inventory was at 2.5 months of supply. By definition, it’s still not close to a buyer’s market.
Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at Realty Executives Home Towne in Shelby Township. He can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or emailed at Steve@MeyersRealtor.com. You can also visit his website at AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.
A legion of rock fans is still mourning the death of Kiss’ Ace Frehley last month, but few more so than John 5.
The Grosse Pointe-born guitarist considered Frehley both a friend and colleague. 5 (nee Lowery) is a Kiss fan first and foremost. He maintains an extensive (understatement) collection of Kiss memorabilia dubbed the Knights in Satan’s Service Museum, which he displayed publicly in the spring. He also took what’s acknowledged to be Gene Simmons’ final photo in makeup, shortly after Kiss’ farewell concert on Dec. 2, 2023, in New York, and co-wrote a song for Paul Stanley’s “Live to Win” solo album in 2006.
5 played on Frehley’s two “Origins” albums in 2016 and 2020, as well, but says there was much more to the relationship than guitars.
John 5 performs Nov. 19 at District 142 in Wyandotte. (Photo courtesy of Jen Rosentstein)
“He was my great friend for, like, 40 years. Very friendly,” 5, 55, says during a tour bus ride through Florida on his way to Georgia. “We would go to movies, go to pawn shops, just run around and things like that — what friends do. I didn’t really talk to him a lot about Kiss or memorabilia or the ’70s or anything like that. We were just good friends. We had a lot of laughs, a lot of fun. He really was my hero — still is, of course. I miss him every single day.
“I mean, he changed the world, he really did,” 5 continues. “Everybody loved Ace. Gene is the face of Kiss, then it was Ace … because he was just cool. He was like Fonzie cool, or James Dean cool or anything like that. Just naturally cool. That’s something you can’t learn or teach, and people just gravitate towards that energy. He’s immortal like that.”
And, 5 adds, Frehley’s playing was equally iconic. “Omigod, he influenced everyone. Everyone that’s playing today pretty much has been influenced in some way from Ace. I could just rattle off a list, but it would take way too long.
“And it’s not just the guitar playing; it goes beyond that. You just see a picture of him and — especially as a kid — you’re like, “Omigod, that is cool!” And then you hear him, and you’re sold. He was one of a kind.”
Not surprisingly, 5 is not playing any of Frehley’s material, even in tribute, during his co-headlining tour with fellow guitarist and bandleader Richie Kotzen. “A lot of people at the shows are like: ‘Play Kiss! Play some Ace songs!,’ he acknowledges. “But to be honest with you, I can’t do it. It’s too emotional for me right now.”
5 has no shortage of other music to play, of course.
Honing his musical chops while growing up on Wellington Street — starting with “Hee Haw” and continuing with his local guitar teacher, Robert Gillespie — 5 moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 and established a reputation as both a player and a writer. Producer Bob Marlette became a supporter, and 5 logged credits on albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Lynyrd Skynyrd, former Journey frontman Steve Perry and many others — even, surprisingly, the likes of Dolly Parton, Salt-N-Pepa and Ricky Martin. 5 also toured with Rob Zombie (as well as playing on some of his film scores), Marilyn Manson and David Lee Roth, and since 2022, he’s been part of Motley Crue — and does include a medley of that group’s songs in his sets.
“All these people come to the show and have Motley Crue shirts on and things like that,” explains 5, who first wrote with Motley bassist Nikki Sixx for his Sixx A.M. band with fellow Michigander James Michael. “They know I’m in the band now, so I thought it would be fun to end the show with a bunch of the songs that are the soundtrack of our lives … ’cause I was a fan first, before I played with them.
“People go crazy for it; they really, really enjoy it. I make ’em sing ‘Home Sweet Home,’ and everybody knows it. It’s like singing ‘Happy Birthday’ or something. It’s really fun.”
And after Motley’s Las Vegas residency in September — which marked frontman Vince Neil’s return after suffering multiple strokes — 5 is ready for more Crue work.
John 5 has been with Motley Crue since 2022 and does a medley of the group's songs when he performs solo. (Photo courtesy of Ross Halfin)
“I’m just waiting, waiting, waiting,” says 5, who was part of recent Motley songs “Dogs of War” and “Cancelled.” “I was so proud of Vince. He was so good. It was like a movie. This terrible thing happened to him. He had to learn to walk again, learn to sing again, and then he comes out like a champion. He just killed it every night. Every show was great. I was so proud of what we did.
“I’ve had just a blast. It’s been three years already. I feel like there will be more, but like I said, I’m just waiting to hear.”
In the meantime, 5 is continuing his own, mostly instrumental, music alongside all the other concerns. His latest, “Ghost,” came out last month, featuring 10 tracks with contributions from Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Kenny Aronoff and brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonnette from Warren, who worked with 5 in Roth’s band.
“I took my sweet, sweet time with this record,” says 5, who includes a cover of the jazz standard “Moonglow” on the set as a tribute to his parents. “When I went into the studio, I wanted to record all the songs as performances. If I messed up, I would start at the beginning again. I think that’s a lost art today. The technology is so incredible, but I really wanted to capture the energy of a single performance, from start to finish.”
5 will be on the road until just before Thanksgiving, and he has an eye towards 2016 already — both with the band and on his own.
“It really is such an incredible pleasure. I love just having a guitar in my hands and being out on stage pickin’ and playing — anywhere,” he says. “I just wanted to be a session musician — go to work and come home. That’s when I was a kid. I never imagined my life would turn out like this.
“I love music. I love it all. I love everybody I’ve played with, and I’m just thankful every day that this is what I get to do. It’s wonderful. It’s just a dream come true.”
John 5 and Richie Kotzen perform Wednesday, Nov. 19 at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. district142live.com. The two also play Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Machine Shop, 3539 Dort Highway, Flint. 810-715-2650 or themachineshop.info. Doors at 7 p.m. for both.
Grosse Pointe-born guitarist John 5 moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 and established a reputation as both a player and a writer, logging credits on albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Perry, Dolly Parton, Salt-N-Pepa and Ricky Martin. 5 also toured with Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and David Lee Roth, and since 2022, has been with Motley Crue. (Photo courtesy of Ross Halfin)
Login
