By Kara Berg The Detroit News

A 57-year-old Fenton woman died and five others were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash that occurred on Interstate 96 in Lyon Township early on New Year’s Day.

The Fenton woman was a backseat passenger in a Ford Explorer that rear ended a Chevrolet Trax driven by a 30-year-old Ypsilanti man that was stopped in the second lane of westbound I-96, east of the South Hill Road overpass, with only its hazard lights on at 3:09 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

The Explorer ended up facing east in the westbound lanes and was struck head-on by a 75-year-old Leslie woman driving a Jeep Compass. The Explorer caught fire after the second crash, but all occupants got out before flames broke out.

The living occupants of the Explorer are in serious or critical conditions, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver and his wife, who was in the front passenger seat, are in serious condition and the second rear passenger, the husband of the Fenton woman who died at the scene, is in critical condition.

The 30-year-old Trax driver is in stable condition and the 75-year-old Compass driver is in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.

kberg@detroitnews.com

©2025 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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ANN ARBOR — The first game after Christmas break has been a pitfall for the Wolverines in recent seasons.

Not this year. Not this time.

Michigan broke that trend and nearly broke a single-game program record for made 3-pointers in a 112-64 blowout win over Western Kentucky in Sunday’s nonconference finale at Crisler Center.

Nimari Burnett had 17 points and led the 3-point barrage with a career-high five made 3s for Michigan (10-3), which tied the single-game record with 19 made 3-pointers.

Vlad Goldin (17 points), Sam Walters (13 points), Tre Donaldson (12 points), Danny Wolf (12 points), Roddy Gayle Jr. (11 points) and Justin Pippen all made two deep balls, as Michigan finished 19-for-40 from beyond the arc.

The Wolverines were without guard Rubin Jones, who exited last weekend’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne with a left knee injury, but plenty of others picked up the slack. Nine Michigan players scored at least seven points and made at least one 3-pointer.

In fact, all Michigan did was score its most points (59) and make its most 3-pointers (11) in a half this season to bury Western Kentucky in a 28-point hole by halftime. And the Wolverines didn’t let up.

Burnett kicked off the second half with his third 3-pointer. Goldin connected on his second deep ball, marking the first time in his career he’s made multiple 3s in a game and pushed his career total to three.

Wolf tied Michigan’s season high for made 3-pointers with 14 — matching its output in the Nov. 18 win over Miami (Ohio) — at the 16:11 mark. Walters set a new season high a minute later, as Michigan’s lead swelled to 75-39.

The Wolverines continued to close in on the single-game record of 19 that was set on Dec. 13, 2016, in a win over Central Arkansas. Burnett splashed two more 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to make it 17, tying the program’s second-highest total and marking the third time it’s happened.

Walters broke that tie midway through the second half. Wolf delivered Michigan’s 19th 3-pointer and tied the program record with 6:05 to go, capping a 9-0 burst that gave the Wolverines a 50-point lead.

Michigan, though, couldn’t break the record as it emptied its bench in the final minutes and the Wolverines missed its final three 3-point attempts.

Don McHenry scored 18 for Western Kentucky (9-4), which shot. 36.4% from the field and trailed by double digits over the final 32 minutes.

After embarrassing losses to McNeese State, Central Michigan and UCF in the nonconference finale the past three seasons, the Wolverines never came close to letting that happen again.

Michigan got off to a hot start and dialed it in from deep, with four starters hitting a 3-pointer in the opening minutes. That proved to be a sign of things to come.

Gayle made a defender fall and swished a 3-pointer. Goldin pinned a layup attempt on one end and drained his second career 3-pointer on the other end. Michigan raced out to a double-digit lead less than three minutes into the game and extended it to 16-4 at the 16:17 mark when Donaldson drained a 3-pointer.

The Hilltoppers cut the deficit to four before Wolf found Burnett open in the corner for his second deep ball. That sparked a 10-2 spurt where Will Tschetter canned a long-range shot, as the Wolverines regained a double-digit advantage for good at 28-16.

As more and more Wolverines joined the 3-point party, the lead continued to grow. Freshman L.J. Cason drained a step-back 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 burst. Pippen followed with two deep balls in a 31-second span. Gayle connected on another deep ball during a string of 10 unanswered points.

By the time halftime arrived, seven Wolverines combined to make 11 3-pointers — tied for the team’s second-most in a game all season — as Michigan took a commanding 59-31 lead into the break.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Michigan State hockey team will be playing for a championship Monday night.

Inside a sold-out Van Andel Arena in the semifinal of the Great Lakes Invitational, the top-ranked Spartans overwhelmed Northern Michigan in a 2-0 win. Michigan State (14-2-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten) will play No. 6 Western Michigan in the GLI championship game, beginning at 7 p.m.

Michigan State led all the way, but it survived a brief scare early in the first period when Northern Michigan (1-17-1, 0-11-1 CCHA) forward Aidyn Hutchinson appeared to score on a scramble in the crease. A coach’s challenge showed that he kicked the puck in, wiping it off the board and giving the Spartans a fresh start. It wouldn’t be the last time a goal came off the board. Forward Griffin Jurecki scored for Michigan State, only for his goal to be wiped away by a coach’s challenge, too.

Midway through the first period forward Karsen Dorwart scored — for real, this time — to make it 1-0 Michigan State. Two minutes later, forward Isaac Howard scored his 10th goal of the season after stickhandling through the defense, giving his Spartans a 2-0 lead.

Michigan State put together a strong opening frame, stringing together long possessions and turning this into quality scoring chances. A 14-3 edge in shots reflected its control.

In the second period, the Spartans kept up the pressure with a high volume of shots. Though no goals came, this riled up the Michigan State contingent of a sellout crowd. The Spartans’ abundance of pressure reflected the difference in talent, as it controlled.

This constant attack also came with its thorns. Michigan State conceded a pair of breakaways to Northern Michigan forwards Grayden Daul and Hutchinson, but goaltender Luca Di Pasquo stopped both as part of a 15-save shutout. He hasn’t allowed a goal in two straight games, following his last shutout appearance Dec. 1 against Lindenwood.

Michigan State continued the onslaught in the third period, breaking the 40-shot threshold with seven minutes left to play. Its best chance of the period came on its 41st shot, a Dorwart shot that skittered up and over Northern Michigan goaltender Ryan Ouellette but fell on top of the net. Ouellette left the game with around five minutes left, with backup Ethan Barwick taking the reins the rest of the way.

Through the game’s entirety, the Spartans particularly shined through the neutral zone, leaning on quick skating to overwhelm its opponent. Always ahead — both on the scoreboard and in these races — Michigan State cruised to a 2-0 win. The Spartans ended with a 48-15 advantage in shots.

Michigan State will play in its 28th GLI championship game, having won 12 of these appearances. A win in Monday’s title game would give the Spartans sole possession of the second-most GLI championships in tournament history.

Western Michigan outlasts late Michigan Tech push

A raucous crowd erupted when Western Michigan captain Tim Washe scored the overtime winner in his team’s 4-3 defeat of Michigan Tech. After a strong comeback from the Huskies, Washe’s heroics punched the Broncos’ ticket to their sixth GLI championship game in program history.

Early on, No. 6 Western Michigan (11-3-1) appeared ready to run away with the game. A first-period goal from defenseman Robby Drazner and a second-period power-play tally from forward Liam Valente put Western Michigan up 2-0. And even if Michigan Tech’s Ryder Matter scored his first career goal to cut the deficit in half in heading to the second intermission, Owen Michaels put his Broncos up 3-1 7:18 into the third.

Cue the comeback. A goal from forward Trevor Kukkonen brought life into Michigan Tech (9-6-2), and another from defenseman Matthew Campbell brought it even. In the end, that comeback fell short with Washe’s overtime winner.

By Myesha Johnson

The Detroit News

The Madison Heights Police Department is investigating the death of a 60-year-old man found unresponsive on Christmas Eve.

Officers found Robert Cavanaugh on the ground near the 26000 block of Dequindre Road around 7:39 pm Tuesday, the department said in a release.

Police said the city resident appeared to have suffered from blunt force trauma and was transported to Henry Ford Hospital in Madison Heights, where he was pronounced dead.

“Because of the suspicious circumstances, responding officers began an on-scene investigation,” officials wrote.

Officers located and arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for Cavanaugh’s death, according to the release.

The investigation is pending the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office determining the cause and manner of death. The case will be presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family during this tragic time,” police said.

Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News

Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact.

But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request.

The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation.

Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9.

To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison.

Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds.

But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational.

Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered.

Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.”

Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12.

Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility.

Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon.

Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years.

“Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.”

The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool.

It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten.

“Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.”

Political Moves

Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded.

While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show.

The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights.

“Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform.

Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000.

Tuition Costs

Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.”

“I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.”

Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.”

“I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.”

With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson.

©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Stephanie Armour, Julie Rovner | (TNS) KFF Health News

Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump’s choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives.

The picks hold different views on matters such as limits on abortion, the safety of childhood vaccines, the COVID-19 response, and the use of weight-loss medications. The divide pits Trump picks who adhere to more traditional and orthodox science, such as the long-held, scientifically supported findings that vaccines are safe, against often unsubstantiated views advanced by Kennedy and other selections who have claimed vaccines are linked with autism.

The Trump transition team and the designated nominees mentioned in this article did not respond to requests for comment.

It’s a potential “team of opponents” at the government’s health agencies, said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy organization.

Kennedy, he said, is known for rejecting opposing views when confronted with science.

“The heads of the FDA and NIH will be spending all their time explaining to their boss what a confidence interval is,” Cannon said, referring to a statistical term used in medical studies.

Those whose views prevail will have significant power in shaping policy, from who is appointed to sit on federal vaccine advisory committees to federal authorization for COVID vaccines to restrictions on abortion medications. If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy is expected to set much of the agenda.

“If President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to be secretary is confirmed, if you don’t subscribe to his views, it will be very hard to rise in that department,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They will need to suppress their views to fit with RFK Jr’s. In this administration, and any administration, independent public disagreement isn’t welcome.”

Kennedy is chair of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He has vowed to curb the country’s appetite for ultra-processed food and its incidence of chronic disease. He helped select Trump’s choices to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. If confirmed, he would lead them from the helm of HHS, with its more than $1.7 trillion budget.

Clashes are likely. Kennedy has supported access to abortion until a fetus is viable. That puts him at odds with Dave Weldon, the former Florida congressman whom Trump has chosen to run the CDC. Weldon, a physician, is an abortion opponent who wrote one of the major laws allowing health professionals to opt out of participating in the procedure.

Weldon would head an agency that’s been in the crosshairs of conservatives since the COVID pandemic began. He has touted his “100% pro-life voting record” on his campaign website. (He unsuccessfully ran earlier this year for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives.)

Trump has said he would leave decisions about abortion to the states, but the CDC under Weldon could, for example, fund studies on abortion risks. The agency could require states to provide information about abortions performed within their borders to the federal government or risk the loss of federal funds.

Weldon, like Kennedy, has questioned the safety of vaccines and has said he believes they can cause autism. That’s at odds with the views of Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon whom Trump plans to nominate for FDA commissioner. The British American said on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio that vaccines “save lives,” although he added that it’s good to question the U.S. vaccine schedule for children.

The American Academy of Pediatricians encourages parents and their children’s doctors to stick to the recommended schedule of childhood vaccines. “Nonstandard schedules that spread out vaccines or start when a child is older put entire communities at risk of serious illnesses, including infants and young children,” the group says in guidance for its members.

Jay Bhattacharya, a doctor and economist who is Trump’s selection to lead NIH, has also supported vaccines.

Kennedy has said on NPR that federal authorities under his leadership wouldn’t “take vaccines away from anybody.” But the FDA oversees approval of vaccines, and, under his leadership, the agency could put vaccine skeptics on advisory panels or could make changes to a program that largely protects vaccine makers from consumer injury lawsuits.

“I do believe that autism does come from vaccines,” Kennedy said in 2023 on Fox News. Many scientific studies have discredited the claim that vaccines cause autism.

Ashish Jha, a doctor who served as the White House COVID response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, noted that Bhattacharya and Makary have had long and distinguished careers in medicine and research and would bring decades of experience to these top jobs. But, he said, it “is going to be a lot more difficult than they think” to stand up for their views in the new administration.

It’s hard “to do things that displease your boss, and if [Kennedy] gets confirmed, he will be their boss,” Jha said. “They have their work cut out for them if they’re going to stand up for their opinions on science. If they don’t, it will just demoralize the staff.”

Most of Trump’s picks share the view that federal health agencies bungled the pandemic response, a stance that resonated with many of the president-elect’s voters and supporters — even though Trump led that response until Joe Biden took office in 2021.

Kennedy said in a 2021 Louisiana House oversight meeting that the COVID vaccine was the “deadliest” ever made. He has cited no evidence to back the claim.

Federal health officials say the vaccines have saved millions of lives around the globe and offer important protection against COVID. Protection lasts even though their effectiveness wanes over time.

The vaccines’ effectiveness against infection stood at 52% after four weeks, according to a May study in The New England Journal of Medicine, and their effectiveness against hospitalization was about 67% after four weeks. The vaccines were produced through Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership Trump launched in his first term to fast-track the shots as well as other treatments.

Makary criticized COVID vaccine guidance that called for giving young children the shots. He argued that, for many people, natural immunity from infections could substitute for the vaccine. Bhattacharya opposed measures used to curb the spread of COVID in 2020 and advised that everyone except the most vulnerable go about their lives as usual. The World Health Organization warned that such an approach would overwhelm hospitals.

Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency within HHS, has said the vaccines were oversold. He promoted the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. The FDA in 2020 revoked emergency authorization of hydroxychloroquine for COVID, saying that it was unlikely to be effective against the virus and that the risk of dangerous side effects was too high.

Janette Nesheiwat, meanwhile, a former Fox News contributor and Trump’s pick for surgeon general, has taken a different stance. The doctor described COVID vaccines as a gift from God in a Fox News opinion piece.

Kennedy’s qualms about vaccines are likely to be a central issue early in the administration. He has said he wants federal health agencies to shift their focus from preparing for and combating infectious disease to addressing chronic disease.

The shifting focus and questioning of vaccines concern some public health leaders amid the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus among dairy cattle. There have been 60 human infections reported in the U.S. this year, all but two of them linked to exposure to cattle or poultry.

“Early on, they’re going to have to have a discussion about vaccinating people and animals” against bird flu, said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We all bring opinions to the table. A department’s cohesive policy is driven by the secretary.”

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CHICAGO — How’s that for a response?

After having their 11-game win streak snapped against the Buffalo Bills last week, the Detroit Lions showed no mercy against a desperate Chicago Bears squad at Soldier Field on Sunday, racing out to a 20-point lead before pulling away in the second half of a 34-17 victory.

For the Lions, it was a franchise-record 13th win on the season.

Detroit scored on its first six possessions (excluding a last-chance field-goal attempt before halftime) and set a new single-season franchise record for points scored (493), as Detroit (13-2) maintained control of the NFC North and the conference’s No. 1 seed, with two games remaining in the regular season.

“It takes a special group of guys to emotionally and physically, psychologically bounce back after a tough loss, especially after you haven’t lost in a while,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “I told the guys I did know that was a … franchise-record 13 wins, has never been done. And I told them one day we’ll be able to look back and enjoy that. But not yet.”

With the Philadelphia Eagles falling to the Washington Commanders, 36-33, the Lions have regained a commanding lead for the No. 1 seed. As Washington’s Jamison Crowder scored the go-ahead touchdown with six seconds left, the Lions’ locker room erupted into cheers. If the Seattle Seahawks can knock off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday evening, the Lions will be in a position to clinch both the North and a first-round bye in a Week 17 game at San Francisco.

“It means a lot, because when I got here, we went 3-13-1,” said safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who made his season debut on Sunday. “S—, to see we’ve got 13 wins, it means a lot that I got to experience this and I was part of the change.”

The mood in the Lions’ locker room was quite a turn of events from the situation Detroit found itself in after losing to the Bills a week ago.

“Last week was tough, but I think the outside was more worried than actually us as a team was,” receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “Because we know the type of players that we have in this locker room, the coaches. This is what we’ve built. One game is not going to deter us for end goal and what we’re striving to do.

Campbell said fending off teams to close in on the No. 1 seed and a second straight NFC North title is “why you want to coach and play in this league.

“This is when your eyes get open, when competition is at its highest, people are breathing down your neck or you’re chasing somebody and you’re at the top,” Campbell said. “It just doesn’t get any better than this. This is what it’s all about. Can it get frustrating? Can it get stressful? Yeah, it gets all of those (things). But it’s also the drug. It’s the drug. It’s what you live for.”

The Lions’ most dastardly deed of the day came on their opening drive of the second half. Quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jahmyr Gibbs pretended to trip on a play-action fake, which opened up tight end Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown pass to put the Lions up 20 points. After the game, Lions players said the play was called “Stumble bum.”

“As soon as the ball was snapped I just heard the crowd go, ‘Oh!’ I’m like, ‘Perfect, everyone is thinking he probably fumbled it,’” St. Brown said. “I looked back and it’s a touchdown.”

Asked if he’s ever surprised by the wild things Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson can come up with on a weekly basis, Gibbs said, “I used to be. Now it’s just like I expect something every week.”

In the Lions’ first game without running back David Montgomery, Gibbs shined as the lead back. Though the Lions said he would split his workload with running backs Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson, Gibbs had 23 carries for 109 yards and totaled 154 yards from scrimmage, including 45 receiving, torching the Bears to complete the Lions’ season sweep of Chicago and improve to a 5-0 record in the NFC North. Detroit accumulated 475 yards of offense as a team.

“I didn’t think we missed a beat with him taking on a little bit more of those,” Campbell said.

Goff totaled 336 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions on 23-of-32 passing. His best throw of the afternoon went to wide receiver Jameson Williams to put the Lions ahead, 20-0, with 12:49 left in the second quarter.

Williams went streaking down the middle of the field and Goff put it on him in stride for an 82-yard touchdown, the longest receiving touchdown of Williams’ career and the second-longest touchdown pass of Goff’s career. Goff was asked after the game what allowed Williams to get so open on the play: “Genetics,” Goff said.

Williams finished with a career-high 143 receiving yards on five catches. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

“It was a hell of a throw, excellent protection, and man, just a great job on his landmark, hitting it with speed, trusting it, great catch,” Campbell said. “It was big time.”

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was impressive but Chicago’s non-existent run game made the unit one-dimensional and often killed the momentum Williams and his receivers created. He finished 26-of-40 passing for 334 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Bears were a disaster offensively to begin the game. Rome Odunze fumbled twice on the Bears’ first three drives, leading to 10 first-quarter points for Detroit.

The first was an unforced error, as Odunze dropped the exchange on a jet sweep; Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal pounced on it to give the Lions a short field for a seven-play touchdown drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by Gibbs.

The second was forced by Lions defensive backs Amik Robertson and Brian Branch and recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell. Detroit capitalized with another seven-play drive, this time ending with a 34-yard field goal from kicker Jake Bates to make it a 13-0 Lions lead.

The Lions’ defense bent but didn’t break often, stopping the Bears on eight of their 10 third-down attempts and holding them to one touchdown on two red-zone trips. Detroit accumulated six tackles for loss in the game. The Lions allowed 48 points the week prior.

“It was always a challenge, but we know who we are,” Robertson said. “Don’t let no one set a narrative on us and tell us who we are. You have to know who you are. I know this secondary, we know who we are. We just want to go out there and play Lions football.”

After Chicago got on the board with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Kmet, the Lions and Bears exchanged touchdowns in the final minute of the half.

Takeaways from 34-17 win, as Lions’ offensive stars shine in win over Bears

St. Brown caught a third-down screen pass and rumbled his way into the end zone for an 8-yard score to put Detroit up 27-7, but the Bears answered with a three-play touchdown drive.

Bears receiver Keenan Allen, who scored twice in the first meeting with Detroit, beat cornerback Terrion Arnold with a double move and went streaking down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in the half to make it a 27-14 game.

Detroit had a chance to add a field goal before halftime, but long snapper Hogan Hatten was flagged for a false start before a 60-yard field-goal attempt from Jake Bates, and the Lions kicker couldn’t drive home the 65-yard attempt.

Photo gallery from the Lions’ 34-17 road win over the Bears

Chicago waved the white flag with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter of a 34-17 game. Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad crushed Caleb Williams on third down to bring up fourth-and-20, and after a delay-of-game penalty, the Bears punted as their fans headed for the exits.

Chicago threatened to cut its deficit with 2:30 left in the game but Lions defensive backs Ifeatu Melifonwu and Terrion Arnold broke up a fourth-down throw to D.J. Moore in the end zone to end the threat.

Editor’s note: This version has been updated with corrections to a name and comments made by Jennifer Nicholas of Eastpointe.

By Myesha Johnson and Hannah Mackay

Tribune News Service

A steady stream of excited customers welcomed Michigan’s first Sheetz when the convenience chain opened its first site in Romulus this summer.

While many craved the Pennsylvania-based company’s stores, known for 24-hour service and made-to-order food, a growing number of Metro Detroiters now are speaking out and standing up against its 60-store expansion in the state. Their concerns include oversaturation of gas stations, added traffic, potential for more crime and environmental pollution.

Jennifer Nicholas, 59, of Eastpointe is among opponents of the chain’s push into Metro Detroit. After seeing a news report that Sheetz wanted to move into an Office Depot site in her city, she passed out flyers to rally a dozen neighbors to attend a public hearing on the proposed development.

“It seems like they are just forcing their way into whatever city, whatever community they think is going to be beneficial to them, and residents do not have any recourse,” Nicholas said. “They can come out and speak to city council or their planning commission, but they have no voice. It doesn’t matter who was crying or talking.”

Eastpointe city officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Sheetz has announced plans to open stores at numerous Metro Detroit sites, including in Warren at 31925 Van Dyke, Ypsilanti at 2103 W. Michigan Ave., Eastpointe at 19001 E. Nine Mile, Taylor at 8200 Telegraph Road and 20623 Eureka Road; an additional station in Warren and others in Macomb Township at 45011 Garfield Road and in Chesterfield on 23 Mile east of I-94.

Most recently, the company received a site approval in Fraser for a store that is in the engineering process, with construction expected in 2025 at the southwest corner of 14 Mile and Utica Road.

Edie Pearson, 62, a 25-year Fraser resident, says Sheetz is moving into her backyard, with a brick wall being the only thing separating her from the planned convenience mart.

“There’s no positives to putting them in the neighborhood,” she said. “They’re putting a dumpster right on the other side of my fence.”

Pearson says the planned Sheetz contrasts with improvements being made in other Macomb County communities.

“New Baltimore is rehabbing an old building they have, Mt. Clemens is rehabbing their downtown, and we get a gas station,” she said. “We’ve got two gas stations on the corner.

“The city council seemed to have wanted the money more than helping us out,” Pearson said. “I feel city council has no integrity whatsoever. … They all make money, the developer, the multimillion-dollar corporation has money, and us that have the least to lose, we lose.”

Lauren Sayre, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, declined to comment. Other Fraser officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Sheetz defends its expansion plans as positive for the communities where it locates.

“Sheetz strives to be the best neighbor we can be in every community we serve,” Nick Ruffner, the company’s public affairs manager, said in an email. “As a family-owned-and-operated company, we listen closely to local feedback and work with officials to ensure our project aligns with community values. Sheetz will continue to meet with local officials throughout the duration of this project to ensure it represents the Fraser community well.

“Sheetz is a brand new offering in southeast Michigan. When new businesses come to a market, the competition benefits the community at large by driving innovation, enhancing consumer choice, lowering prices and fostering economic growth to deliver better value as well as attract and retain customers.”

Each Sheetz store will employ 30 to 35 workers, the majority of them full-time, the company said. It touted competitive pay, benefits packages to all employees, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 12 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave, a 401(k) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, quarterly bonuses, paid time off and more. Sheetz ranked second in the latest Best Workplaces in Retail in America by Fortune and in the Top 10 of the “Companies that Care” list from People magazine.

Beyond its push to open dozens of stores in Michigan, mostly in Metro Detroit, the company is raising its local profile as the lead sponsor of next month’s Detroit Policy Conference, a gathering of political and business movers and shakers sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Still, the chain’s planned entry into some southeast Michigan communities is meeting stiff resistance.

In Farmington Hills, residents and business owners have been vocal in their opposition to a proposed Sheetz gas station at the intersection of Middlebelt and W. 12 Mile. The city’s planning commission approved the planned unit development at a meeting last month, despite several residents showing up to voice their concerns. Farmington Hills City Council has the final say and will consider the plan and hear from community members at a public hearing that will likely be scheduled for January.

The proposed Sheetz would be at the former site of Ginopolis Bar-B-Q Smokehouse, which closed in 2019 and sits across from two gas stations. It would contain 44 parking spots, 12 gasoline pumps, a restaurant area and a drive-thru.

Four planning commissioners, including former mayor and city council member Barry Brickner, voted in favor of the proposed planned urban development, while one, John Trafelet, opposed it.

“We don’t look at the applicant based upon their name. We look at the applicant, the application based upon what they’re asking to do and whether or not it fits within current zoning or based upon the recent changes we did to the master plan,” Brickner said. “We look at the use and we look at whether or not it fits within zoning or under the new master plan. So four of us decided that it, as far as the use was concerned, was OK.”

Other factors at play in signing off on the development was that the Sheetz would replace an abandoned restaurant and be near other 24-hour businesses.

As a condition of recommending the planned unit development, Sheetz has to maintain lighting standards for commercial use to avoid spill-over illumination into the adjacent neighborhood, Brickner said. The company also will be required to have buffers separating the business from residential areas, Brickner said.

“There were some restrictions put on there based upon the complaints from the residents within … our abilities,” he said.

Ozzie Butt, 47, of White Lake owns the Sunoco gas station across the street and worries the chain would put him out of business. Butt owns another Sunoco gas station at Nine Mile and Farmington Road in Farmington.

“It just doesn’t make sense because … it’s not on the highway, you’re putting a mega-station right in the middle of a subdivision, it just doesn’t add up,” Butt said. “You’re putting a mega-store right in front of a mom-and-pop shop. Of course, we’ll have no choice — shutting the door and moving on.”

Tim Parvin lives less than a mile from the proposed Sheetz location and said the surrounding neighborhood is largely composed of single-family homes and condominiums. He notes the two existing gas stations and says he’s concerned that a 24-hour Sheetz would cause noise and light pollution.

“I just don’t see the fit here for these single-family homes. … Property values would decrease, traffic will increase,” Parvin said. “There are better locations for Sheetz. … Do we need more gas stations? I don’t think so.”

Another resident, Lloyd Banks, started a group to oppose the development, Concerned Citizens Against Sheetz. He said he’s worried the proposed 24-hour gas station would lead to an increase in crime.

“As it relates to crime, we feel, because of its 24 hours in nature, that it causes crime itself,” Banks said. “We know crime happens at many businesses, but in particular for Sheetz, they’ve had some really horrendous crimes that have taken place after 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock at those gas stations around the country.”

Incidents at Sheetz locations have included the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man in Columbus, Ohio, in October 2022, the shooting of two people outside a Sheetz in Prince George County, Maryland, in March 2024, and a stabbing that injured an 18-year-old man at a Sheetz in Larkville, Pennsylvania, in October 2024.

Banks also expressed concerns about diversity at Sheetz, referencing a lawsuit filed in April by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit accuses Sheetz of racial discrimination in hiring.

In a statement reported by CNN, Sheetz said it “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Nasir Siddiqui, vice president of sales at Bazco Oil, co-founded the Metro Detroit Petroleum Alliance, a group of around 350 local business owners in the gas industry who oppose several proposed Sheetz locations across Metro Detroit. Siddiqui co-owns the Chillbox BP gas station across the street from the proposed Sheetz in Farmington Hills.

“There’s a lot of gas stations already in southeast Michigan, it’s one of the most densely populated areas obviously in the state and makes Michigan one of the most densely populated areas for gas stations,” Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui said the alliance’s members aren’t worried about competition, but large, out-of-state organizations compete on a different playing field and can disrupt local mom-and-pop gas stations in communities like Farmington Hills, Warren and Taylor.

“We’ve been local for all these years supporting local businesses,” Siddiqui said. “And Sheetz … It’s a big conglomerate, which doesn’t make for fair competition for the local mom-and-pop.”

Sheetz has not found success everywhere in Michigan with its expansion plans. In May, Madison Heights City Council voted against approving a Sheetz gas station on Dequindre Road. Officials cited concerns that it was incompatible with adjacent residential land uses, would have adverse effects on the environment, and that Sheetz failed to demonstrate the need for its business in the area.

Sheetz had proposed a location in Rochester Hills but withdrew its application from the Zoning Board of Appeals in January before it could be voted on.

Nicholas, the Easpointe resident who campaigned against Sheetz locating in her Macomb County city, spoke at a planning commission meeting in September and believes the city was “facilitating Sheetz entering the market.”

Nicholas said of the newly approved Fraser site: “It’s a horrible place for the gas station. It will be replacing a 100 year old bank in a small town that already has 2 gas stations at that intersection.”

“They are setting up next to gas stations that are already there. They are setting up in residential neighborhoods,” Nicholas said. “If they were taking over existing gas stations or they’re building in an area where there is not a gas station … that would be all right, but that’s not what they’re doing.

“Why would you want to come into a community that is opposed to you? Why would you want to set up a business when you see people angry and almost in tears saying that they don’t want you?” she said.

The MENA American Chamber of Commerce, representing hundreds of local business owners, is also calling for an end to Sheetz’s expansion. The group cites concerns regarding anti-competitive practices, environmental risks, and impacts on local supply chains, a release said.

Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of the chamber, said Sheetz is using the largest planning and zoning firms in the state as well as political lobbying firms to pursue its expansion.

“The introduction to Sheetz into the Michigan market has been very aggressive in nature,” Nemer said. “Their entering into the market is not what we’re concerned about, we’re not opposed to fair competition … neither are the independent operators, however it’s the unfair business practices that we are challenging and taking issue with.”

MENA will take legal action against municipalities that are approving Sheetz stores versus gas stations from independent operators, Nemer said.

“We’re hoping municipalities will start treating independent operators more equitably compared to corporate-backed entities, whether it’s Sheetz or others, to level the playing field … and make sure … they have the same opportunity as a $7.5 billion operation.”

ALLEN PARK — David Montgomery received positive news regarding his injured knee, with NFL Network reporting the Detroit Lions running back could return for the postseason.

It’s been quite the week for Montgomery updates. To open the week, Dan Campbell said the running back needed season-ending surgery. Then, the Lions head coach said on Wednesday they were exploring a third opinion regarding Montgomery’s injured MCL and that they weren’t ready to close the door just yet.

“… David Montgomery spent the last few days consulting with medical experts, sources are now optimistic that the star avoided the season-ending surgery that was initially feared,” NFL Network reports. “Montgomery will rehab with the hope that he can return at some point this postseason.

“It has taken several days and several experts, but Lions RB David Montgomery now has a path forward. And it’s one that — if all goes well — could put him on the field for the playoffs.”

Campbell said it’s all about trusting the doctors and Montgomery’s recovery. They need to know the knee is stable, for now and in the future, and that he needs to be able to protect himself and play at a high level.

The head coach said these extra opinions and glimmer of hope were why Montgomery hadn’t been placed on injured reserve, with the Lions in wait-and-see mode.

Related: Detroit Lions have a ton of confidence in Jahmyr Gibbs to handle bigger role

Related: Lions waiting on another opinion before deciding David Montgomery’s fate

Montgomery tried to play through the injury in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. But he was limited to 4 yards on only five rush attempts in the team’s first defeat since September. The Lions were stifled on the ground that day, even with their 42 points and 500-plus yards, with only 13 designed runs in the shootout.

Getting Montgomery back in any capacity would be a massive win for this team, no doubt. The hard-charging running back is so much of who the Lions are and what they want to be about. He’s also developed a special bond with fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs, on and off the field, as the popular “Sonic and Knuckles” duo.

Montgomery has been such a hit since joining the Lions from the Chicago Bears in free agency that he’s already been extended in Detroit. Earlier this season, Montgomery inked a two-year extension worth up to $18.25 million to keep him around for even longer.

Montgomery has 1,790 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 28 games with the Lions, including 775 yards and 12 scores this year.

Moving forward, the Lions will lean on Gibbs in the coming weeks, while Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki and Jermar Jefferson could get more chances. Gibbs has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the year, and the Lions have a ton of confidence in their home-run hitting second-year running back.

“Gibby’s really — he’s ready for this,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth from him over the last year and a half, and I think that he’ll take the bull by the horns and run with it. The guys that are depth players beneath him, Craig Reynolds, Jefferson and Vaki, those guys will have a great opportunity here to contribute as well.

“So, hopefully, we don’t miss a beat, and I really do believe that Gibby is ready for this.”

• BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.

©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The operators of Carnival Market in Pontiac have agreed for the second time in four years to pay overtime wages to employees that the U.S. Department of Labor says remained unpaid between 2021 and 2023, federal officials announced earlier this week.

It follows another settlement for unpaid overtime in 2020 that the labor department claims led to retaliation against employees.

Carnival Market, a specialty Mexican supermarket and restaurant, has settled with the department for $192,500, which includes paying $91,250 in back wages to 12 employees, the same amount in liquidated damages and $10,000 in other damages and penalties, according to a news release.

The settlement was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The Labor Department claims the operators of Carnival Market interfered with the investigation by instructing workers not to talk to investigators or tell them there were no labor violations.

“Employers who shortchange their workers also harm local economies by reducing the amounts workers can spend day-to-day,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Timolin Mitchell in a statement. “Wage theft is a common problem, especially for low-wage workers who may be afraid to question their employers’ pay practices or to share their concerns with authorities.”

Attorneys representing Carnival Market did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The settlement says the operators have agreed to the terms “for the purpose of resolving this matter in an amicable manner.”

The market originally agreed in 2020 to pay back wages to 14 employees for overtime violations between October 2018 and September 2020. But after the settlement, the Department of Labor claims the operators retaliated against employees by demanding they kick back those back wages and threatened them if they did not.

Carnival Market also continued to violate overtime law between January 2021 and January 2023, the labor department alleges, which was the subject of the new settlement.

Carnival Market also has to audit and verify its current compliance with federal wage regulations, provide records to the Wage and Hour Division upon request for at least two years, provide Fair Labor Standards Act training to managers and post fact sheets about employees’ federal rights, according to the settlement.

The Department of Labor’s agreement with the market is among several recent investigations into overtime practices in Michigan.

In July, a federal judge ordered an operator of several Leo’s Coney Island franchise restaurants to pay overtime and keep accurate timecards, after labor officials alleged he had a pattern of breaking overtime regulations.

The department sued three Barrio Tacos restaurants in September 2023 for overtime and tipped labor violations, claiming the company failed to keep accurate records of employee pay and and did not pay tipped employees the federal minimum wage.

By Morayo Ogunbayo, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

One of the things new retirees look forward to is having the time to travel. Without PTO limits, vacations after retirement can be something new and different.

It can be so new and different, however, that it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few golden rules you can follow to make each trip as smooth and worthwhile as possible.

Don’t overschedule

Family trips and vacations in your youth were likely packed with activities and excursions that could sometimes make them exhausting instead of refreshing. During retirement, however, there is no rush.

“Before, my travel was based on what I was going to achieve and bring home,” J. Patrice Marandel, a retired art curator, told Condé Nast Traveler. “Now, it’s about my pleasure.”

Go your own way

With time constraints on travel while employed, you may have had to follow a strict itinerary to visit every hot spot in your destination. After retiring, take things easy and see everything you want.

“We know where we’re going to stay along the way, but we hold that really loosely and give ourselves the opportunity to make something else happen,” retiree Kim Kelly Stamp told Condé Nast Traveler.

Start the day early

During previous trips, you may have had to plan things later in order to accommodate the whole family. Without the kids, however, you can start the day earlier and beat the lines of tourists.

Travel slower

Once there is no is no reason to rush back to work, you should make an effort to travel slowly and truly take in your surroundings.

When you cram too much into a single trip, two retirees told Condé Nast, “the whole experience just kind of becomes a blur.”

Explore

This is the best time to book your holiday travel this year

Don’t wait for tomorrow

If there is something you truly want to do, do it. Trips like these should be treasured and not taken for granted.

Ruthie Maldonado-Delwiche, a retiree who spoke to Condé Nast, said she cherishes this advice, because she believes “tomorrow isn’t promised.”

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ALLEN PARK— The Detroit Lions are not yet ready to say David Montgomery’s season is over.

Despite head coach Dan Campbell previously labeling Montgomery’s knee issue (an MCL injury) one that would “require surgery that’ll put him out through the rest of the year,” the Lions did not place him on injured reserve Tuesday along with defensive lineman Alim McNeill (knee) and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (jaw) and Khalil Dorsey (leg).

Campbell described why Wednesday, explaining that Detroit is in “waiting mode” regarding Montgomery because the running back is seeking a third opinion from a doctor. Montgomery suffered his injury against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, though it’s unclear exactly when because he finished the game.

“It’s a combination, certainly, of the doctors, but him as well, where he thinks he can go with it,” Campbell said of how the Lions will come to their final decision. “And can he protect himself and play at a high level? We’re in a holding pattern, which, as of right now, is a positive.”

Campbell said the focus will be about the stability of Montgomery’s knee — both now and in the future. Montgomery has been a key piece in Detroit’s offense since signing with the Lions in March 2023. He’s rushed for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns this season to go along with 341 receiving yards.

Melifonwu’s 21-day window open; Cominsky return ‘unlikely’

Campbell delivered two other injury notes Wednesday, one positive and one negative.

Starting with the good news: Ifeatu Melifonwu’s 21-day practice window has been opened, meaning he’s eligible to be activated off of injured reserve at any moment. Campbell said Monday the team would think about getting Melifonwu on the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, but he’d have to see how he looks at practice this week.

Moving to the not-so-good news: It looks like defensive lineman John Cominsky may not be able to get back on the field this season. Cominsky went down with a knee injury in training camp, and the Lions hoped he’d be able to return either late in the regular season or in the playoffs.

“I think it’s unlikely,” Campbell said Wednesday. “Man, he’s tried. He’s rehabbed, he’s doing it. It’s just trying to get over the last little hump here, it’s been tough. He’s doing everything he can, and those guys are doing a heck of a job rehabbing him trying to get him back. But I think it’s unlikely.”

By Luaine Lee, Tribune News Service (TNS)

As holiday deadlines approach, folks are frantically checking off their gift list, replacing burned-out Christmas bulbs and trying to keep the cat out of the tree. But not to worry. Television has plans to ease those last-minute panic attacks.

With everything from kiddie delights to grown-up romances, they are unremittingly on the job.

TBS again offers its 24-hour “A Christmas Story” marathon starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on Christmas Eve. Fans are hotly waiting to see if Ralphie finally gets his Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and a sundial.

Hulu’s on the job with the inspiring five-parter “Dear Santa, the Series,” about the U.S. Postal Service’s program in which young letter writers pen their Christmas wishes to Santa, and volunteer “elves” do their best to fulfill them. The USPS program has been going on for 112 years and shows no sign of stopping. And, once again, Will Farrell’s enormous “Elf,” who traipses to New York where he finds things he did not expect, is streaming on Hulu.

The Grinch will prove insufferable all over the place including Peacock+, Sling and Prime Video (to rent). He’ll land on NBC Christmas Day. This is the original animated version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” — by far the best incarnation of the Dr. Seuss classic.

Adults are not forgotten: Barry Manilow brings his evergreens to NBC with “Barry Manilow’s a Very Barry Christmas” on Thursday at 10 p.m. And PBS will offer “Joy — Christmas with the (Mormon) Tabernacle Choir” at 8 p.m. What’s more, viewers can get in the groove with a new iteration of Handel’s “Messiah” with “Too Hot to Handel: the Gospel Messiah” at 9:30, both on Tuesday.

Jeff Dunham and his eternally grumpy puppet, Walter, are discoursing on Prime Video with “Jeff Dunham’s Scrooged-Up Holiday Special,” and Prime indulges British comedian Jack Whitehall, who’s trying to get out of Dodge and make it back to the U.K.

“Jack in Time for Christmas” — now on Prime — is a partially scripted show and pretty funny. All his efforts are aided by the likes of Michael Bublé, Dave Bautista, Rebel Wilson and Jimmy Fallon.

And on Christmas Day the fashionable new Dr. Who, played Ncuti Gatwa, arrives with his special “Joy to the World” on Disney+ at 12:10 p.m.

Lifetime adds a little hot spice to the Christmas rom-com with “A Carpenter Christmas Romance” premiering Saturday at 8 p.m. Mitchell Slagger (sexy and shirtless) and Sasha Pieterse costar in this saucy flick.

On Friday, “Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays” celebrates adoptions and the season in one grand display via CBS. Aiding Groban are luminaries like Jennifer Hudson, James Bay, Tori Kelly and The War and Treaty. It’s a unique mix of music, stories and comedy and features a live adoption on stage.

“Klaus” is a worthy animated feature about a shy toymaker who teams up with a self-centered postman to deliver toys to children in the middle of the night. It’s a new take on the “Father Christmas” theme and stars J.K. Simmons as the voice of the toymaker. The movie, which earned an Oscar nomination, streams on Netflix.

On Sunday everybody’s favorite towering matriarch, Madea, arrives on the CW with “Tyler Perry’s a Medea Christmas.” Here Madea (Perry) and a friend trek to a rural town for a Yuletide visit only to be shocked by the goings-on in this little burgh. Costarring are the impressive Anna Maria Horsford, Kathy Najimy and Lisa Whelchel.

Hulu is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Fox cartoon series “Family Guy” with “Family Guy: Holiday Special,” starring the usual suspects: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein and Mila Kunis.

For those nostalgic for the old days, MeTV presents a week of vintage sitcoms. On Sunday you’ll find an episode of “Happy Days,” titled “All I Want for Christmas,” followed by “Snoopy Come Home,” “The Love Boat’s,” “Santa. Santa, Santa/Another Dog Gone,” and four “All in the Family” chapters devoted to the holidays.

Peacock+ sparkles with the special “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry,” showcasing guests like Sheryl Crow, Kirk Franklin, Kelsea Ballerini and Kate Hudson on tap, streaming now.

Husband-wife team Alexa and Carlos PenaVega costar in Great American Family’s original movie “Get Him Back for Christmas,” running all this week.

Sabrina Carpenter makes a holiday splash with “A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter,” streaming on Netflix. Special guests on this entry include Shania Twain, Quinta Brunson, Cara Delevingne, Sean Astin and Jillian Bells.

It looks like they’re still having babies over at PBS’ “Call the Midwife,” and the series will honor the yuletide season with a “Holiday Special” on Christmas Day at 8 p.m.

Clint Eastwood at it again

Clint Eastwood is still hot on the job again with a new film, “Juror #2,” streaming on Max Friday. The show stars Nicholas Hoult as one of the jurors on a murder trial who struggles with a moral dilemma.

Costarring is Toni Collette, who seems to be in everything lately. We’ve seen the Australian actress in projects like “Knives Out,” “Stowaway,” “Nightmare Alley,” “Pieces of Her” and “The Staircase.”

She tells me, “I was a loud little girl – all singing, all dancing, all annoying. I come from a very blue-collar working class, grounded, no-BS kind of a family, which I’m very thankful for because I don’t buy into what I possibly could buy into. I was a little bit of a clown — always performing, putting on shows in the neighborhood; also going through the bookworm phases,” she says.

“Acting started with dancing. I used to do dance lessons and got into singing, musicals, and that led to straight acting. That was it. I’d been doing musicals with a youth theater group while I was in school, and then I started doing some plays with them, and I realized that was what I wanted to do. And I left school at the age of 16, which is something that in retrospect I would never make that decision now. But I think I was so in love with what I had discovered and just felt like it was a rush and I just kind of fell into it.”

Samantha Morton stars in sci-fi flick

Sweet little Samantha Morton is starring in yet another dystopian sci-fi movie depicting our soon-to-be horrible future. Called “1973,” opening in theaters on Dec. 27, it’s reckoning not too far in advance, and has some axes to grind.

Morton, who’s starred in projects like “Sweet and Lowdown” with Woody Allen and “The Serpent Queen,” tells me, “Other than being a mother and a friend and partner, acting is what I’m good at. It’s what I know how to do. It’s what I’m passionate about. It’s my life, it’s my breath. If I didn’t do it, I’d go slightly bonkers, I think.”

It was a teacher who first spotted Morton’s talent. “The teacher said to me I should consider doing drama, and so I went to some actors school that was very advanced in its training — very, very heavy on method and improvisation and comedy improvisation. And I ended up getting a job at the World Court Theatre when I was 16 and I’ve not stopped. I’m very lucky.”

‘Friends’ spawns game show

Super fans just won’t let “Friends” die. So Max has created a new quiz show to exploit those lovers of the long-running sitcom. Called “Fast Friends,” the series features teams that compete to see who knows the most about the long running comedy.

“Fast Friends’” debuts on Thursday. New episodes of the four-part game show will debut subsequent Thursdays. Filmed on the real sets that once were populated by Joey and Chandler and Rachel and Monica, the quizzer’s host is comic Whitney Cummings.

Cummings, who started as a standup, has exploited various facets of her talent on TV including two sitcoms (one in which she starred), writing, producing, and TV comedy specials.

Recalling her days on the road, Cummings says, “I think the traveling is the hardest part. The being on stage is the reward. It’s just what you have to go through to get there. One year I did more than 80 cities. And so it’s like traveling and airport security, and hotel, and you spend all day getting there. And then you get there at 8 o’clock and you get to sort of be onstage for an hour, and that’s the reward. But it’s to get a lot of stage time and to have to tour, I think that’s the most exhausting.”

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By Meredith Deeds, The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

Creamy and comforting, a good risotto doesn’t have to be complicated. It only takes a few ingredients — rice, broth, cheese and butter — to make one of Italy’s most iconic dishes.

In its most basic form, risotto can be an elegant backdrop for more complex dishes, like the famous osso buco, veal shanks braised in a rich sauce until tender, which is typically served with a saffron-flavored risotto.

For this week’s recipe, though, we’re adding a few more ingredients that transform a dish often relegated to the side of the plate into a showstopping star.

Along with onions and garlic, leeks are a member of the allium family. Although leeks will never make you cry, when cooked, like onions, they become sweet and meltingly tender. In this risotto, we sauté them just until softened, which keeps the flavor subtle and leaves room for its co-star in this production, butternut squash.

Winter squash, in this case butternut, gives this dish a heartiness that would satisfy anyone at the dinner table, which is why it’s the perfect choice when feeding a group that includes vegetarians.

Like soup, risottos love a garnish, and for this recipe the choice was obvious. Most recipes call for the white and light green parts of the leeks, but we use the tops, too. They are fried in oil in the microwave, a much easier and cleaner way to frizzle the leek tops than deep-frying them on the stove. The leftover flavored oil can be saved and used in dressings or to cook other foods.

While it isn’t absolutely necessary to take the extra step to make the garnish, it does elevate the dish, which is a particularly nice touch if you’re serving it as the main attraction.

If you want to provide a protein, just make sure to keep it simple, like roast chicken or pork.

Leek and Butternut Squash Risotto

Serves 6.

Creamy and tender, this hearty risotto is slightly sweet from the leeks and butternut squash with a salty savoriness from a generous showering of Parmesan cheese. From Meredith Deeds.

• 3 c. homemade or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 medium leeks, thoroughly cleaned
• ⅔ c. vegetable oil
• 1 ¼ tsp. salt, divided
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lb.), peeled, seeded and cut into ½-in. cubes
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 2 c. Arborio rice
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ c. dry white wine
• ½ c. grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

In a large measuring cup, combine the stock and enough water to make 5 cups of liquid. Set aside.

Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the leeks. Separately, cut the 4 inches above the light green part of the leeks into thin strips.

Combine leek tops and ⅔ cup vegetable oil in medium bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir and continue to microwave 2 minutes longer. Repeat, stirring and microwaving in 30-second increments, until lightly browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer leeks to paper-towel-lined plate; season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften and brown around the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer squash to medium bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter into the same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges.

Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Continue to add liquid, ½ cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed. Cook, stirring, about 8 to 10 minutes more, until rice is creamy and slightly al dente (use more water if you run out of liquid).

Remove from heat and vigorously stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sautéed butternut squash. (The vigorous stirring helps give the risotto its creaminess.) Season with more salt if necessary. Divide among serving bowls. Top with fried leek tops and serve with more Parmesan cheese on the side.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram ­at @meredithdeeds.

©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Shelia Poole | (TNS) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA — Holidays are a time for families and friends to gather, but for older people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, it can cause so much stress and confusion that they could be in danger of what experts calls wandering.

“I would say around the holiday time is the biggest challenge for people with dementia,” said Kim Franklin, senior manager of programs and services at the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Schedules are changing, people are traveling, families are coming together and friends are coming over. There’s a lot of chaos going on and that can cause a person to wander. They want to get away. It’s hard for them to process what’s happening.”

The Alzheimer’s Association reports 72% of dementia patients who wander are found alive by the next day. Alerting 911 as soon as the person goes missing is critical. The odds of survival decrease as more time passes.

Angel Alonso, president of Georgia Emergency Search and Recovery based in Gwinnett County, said the vast majority — between 60% and 70% — of the 30 to 40 calls the nonprofit received last year involved people with the disease.

The GESAR is a volunteer-driven organization that works with law enforcement to find people who have gone missing, including children, people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and people lost during major disasters.

“We get so many Alzheimer’s calls,” said Vice President John Clark, who is also volunteer instructor with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. For caregivers and loved ones, a relative who goes missing is devastating.

Two of Clark’s grandparents had dementia, so he gravitated to search and rescue to help other families and caregivers keep their loved ones safe. He’s consulted with police departments across metro Atlanta on the best ways to find people with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can cause people to lose their ability to recognize people and places that are familiar.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association there are often warning signs that a person might wander. Six in 10 people with dementia will wander during the course of the disease.

That includes people returning from a regular walk or drive later than usual. Or they may talk about fulfilling former obligations, such as going to work or talk about going home even when they’re at home. Sometimes they become restless and pace or make repetitive movements.

Clark recounted one call for help when a family reported a missing relative, but they insisted she couldn’t have gone far because of a bad knee that limited her to walking no further than the mailbox. Searchers found the missing woman 7 miles from home.

Even those who have never shown an interest in wandering might start without warning.

Dan Goerke is fortunate. His late wife, Diane, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012, once went missing from the car of a caregiver.

The caregiver had stopped for an errand. Diane had waited alone in cars as people ran errands before. But this time, when the caregiver returned, Diane was gone but her seat belt was still fastened.

“It was like she disappeared into thin air,” said Goerke, who said he doesn’t blame the caregiver. Fortunately, she was found uninjured and nearby a short time later that same day.

Goerke said it’s hard for caregivers to always be on guard for wandering. “We have so many things to juggle that’s not necessarily at the top of our minds. We have to manage medications, take them to doctor’s appointments, cook meals and taking care of things day to day,” he said.

Clark said when searching for someone with dementia, one of the keys is to know what the person was like before their diagnosis. Often their long-term memories are still strong. They once found a woman who walked out of her home and went to where she used to shop and to her old job, although it had closed.

Recently, GESAR unveiled a new tool to search for missing people: Maverick.

An 8-month-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Maverick is in training to be part of the GESAR search and research team that will track missing people, including wandering dementia patients in metro Atlanta.

In cases involving children and people with dementia, a dog’s personality can also be an asset. Labs like Maverick are friendly and affectionate, not imposing or threatening like some other breeds — and less likely to scare the person who is lost.

Canines can be used in searches in both rural and urban areas.

“He’s an asset,” said Maverick’s handler, Carmen Alonso. “His nose can pick up odors and track where a person has been that we might not think to go that direction.”

At the Cobb County Police Department, Public Information Officer Sgt. Eric Smith said if dogs are needed to search for a wanderer they call the sheriff’s department, which has bloodhounds. “They’re not apprehension dogs so there’s little or no likelihood of a bite,” he said.

Technology can also help, Smith said. Searchers can use drones and families can install technology on a person’s car to help locate it or use other kinds of trackable devices including on their phone.

“We get so many Alzheimer’s calls,” said Clark, who is also a volunteer instructor with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Most cases they’ve worked on have had favorable results, according to the Georgia Emergency Search and Recovery organization.

No two searches are the same, said Sgt. Jeremy Blake of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

“When responding to calls for a missing person, the response is different than that of a fleeing suspect,” he wrote in an email. “The K-9s that are used to track missing persons are not trained in the apprehension of suspects. … Often times, if the K-9 cannot locate the missing person, they can provide officers with a more accurate direction of travel than they may previously had.”

Nearly 7 million U.S. residents age 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s according to the most recent Facts & Figures report. Of those, more than 188,000 Georgians ages 65 and older also have been diagnosed with the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association Georgia Chapter.

Facts on wandering:

There is a better chance of being found in urban environments because of a higher probability of a “good Samaritan” stepping in.

Wanderers may give no forewarning. Often those with memory issues wander away during activities they’ve done safely in the past, such as shopping or sitting on a front porch.

Some people who still drive can become disoriented and drive for miles away from home.

According to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, on average, half the calls for missing persons involve the elderly or someone with disabilities.

If a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia disappears:

Call 911 as soon as possible.

Have a photograph available for first responders and an article of clothing to provide a scent for search dogs.

Sharing what the missing person liked to do in prior years can be a key: Did they have a job they went to every day? Did they like to fish or go to a certain spot?

Searchers will need to know the last time the person was seen to help determine how far a person might have wandered.

(Source: Alzheimer’s Association and Cobb County Police Department.)

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Sono Motoyama, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

If you’re a traditional carnivore, you may treat vegetables as an afterthought, throwing some steamed green beans or broccoli on your plate just to add color. But if you have kids, they can turn up their noses at this fare fast enough to give them whiplash.

Even Aeros Lillstrom, who runs Who Cooks for You Farm in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Chris Brittenburg, is familiar with the scenario. The couple has two kids, and even though they’re exposed to the finest organic vegetables, their children are less than enthusiastic about steamed carrots.

But Lillstrom knows the solution to this common problem: sugar, or more specifically, caramelization. No marshmallow topping necessary.

“For kids, and even adults, the roasting of many roots brings out their sweetness, so it’s really a nice way to introduce people to roots,” she said. “Beets blow people out of the water. It’s just a wonderful flavor.”

You can prepare many kinds of vegetables this way, but fall root vegetables are especially good for roasting, and for roasting together. They have similar densities and therefore similar cooking times. Many contain sugar that comes to the fore after cooking and caramelize beautifully.

They make a flavorful side dish or even a whole meal when scooped over a bowl of fresh greens for a dinner salad — or topped with a dollop of yogurt.

Lillstrom recommends turnips, carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips and beets for roasting. (Check out the Who Cooks for You stands at the Bloomfield and Squirrel Hill farmers markets for most of these items.)

You can roast these individually or — as I do — diced and mixed together. I like to do potatoes and sweet potatoes together (with onions, carrots, garlic and herbes de Provence).

I find that regular potatoes have a longer cooking time, so I nuke those in the microwave for a couple minutes to give them a head start. Lillstrom points out that you can blanch vegetables to speed things up before putting them in the oven to caramelize.

Another factor in cooking time is how large you cut the veggies. So if you’re in a rush, cut them smaller.

Make sure to space out the vegetables. Otherwise they will steam in their own vapor and won’t get browned.

I’m sometimes — OK, often — impatient. So if the vegetables are cooked but not browned, I’ll put them under the broiler. But be sure to keep an eye on them if you do this, or they’ll burn.

If you want to throw in, say, some mushrooms or cherry tomatoes, wait until mid-cooking cycle or longer, as these will cook much faster.

For her kids, Lillstrom cuts sweet potatoes into fries, puts them on a lard-covered sheet pan (she says you can also use vegetable shortening) and drizzles them with olive oil. She then sprinkles the fries with salt and pepper, and mixes to make sure the fries are coated before roasting them.

Roasting vegetables is simple — simple enough that you don’t need a recipe. But if you’re like me, you’ll want one anyway, so guidelines are below.

“Good, roasty caramelizing is my favorite,” Lillstrom said. “That’s always a sure win for the kids or really anyone who is like, ‘I don’t like beets.’ And you’re like, ‘Well, have you roasted them yet?’”

Roasted vegetables

• 2-3 pounds root or dense vegetables, peeled if you like and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges (carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, winter squash)
• Oil (olive, coconut or grapeseed)
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh herbs, torn or chopped (rosemary, thyme or parsley)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel vegetables (optional) and cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks.

Lay them on a baking pan and toss with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Put the vegetables in the oven and roast without stirring for 20 minutes, then check. If they look dry and are sticking to the pan, drizzle with more oil.

Continue roasting, stirring or turning them once, for another 20 minutes or so.

Stir in herbs, then return the pan to the oven for another 20-40 minutes, until crisp.

Remove from the oven and garnish with rosemary or thyme.

Serves 4-6.

— adapted from The New York Times

Other options

Instead of root vegetables, you can use 2 pounds of high-moisture vegetables (eggplant, peppers, zucchini, fennel, onions, Brussels sprouts). Slice and cut into chunks or wedges. Roast at 450 degrees until golden brown all over, 10-40 minutes depending on variety and the size of the pieces.

Or use 1 or 2 pounds of hardy green vegetables (broccoli rabe, snow peas, green beans, kale, collard greens, chard) or cherry tomatoes, trimmed.

Roast at 450 degrees for 7-15 minutes. If you are using vegetables of different densities, you will have to stagger their cooking times.

Roasted Vegetable Tostadas

PG tested

The joy of this recipe is that you can pick whatever ingredients make you happy. I stacked the tostadas in two layers for a heartier meal, but it can be made with just one layer.

For roasted veggies

• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

For bean layer

• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup minced white onion
• Generous pinch of salt

For pico de gallo

• 1 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1/4 small red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Chopped cilantro, to taste
• Salt, to taste

For tostadas

• 8 packaged tostadas
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, or finely shredded Monterey jack cheese
• Diced avocado, optional
• Chopped cilantro, optional
• Lime crema, optional

Prepare vegetables: Place sweet potatoes, peppers and red onion in a large bowl. Season with chili powder and a generous pinch of salt, then toss with oil.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven until tender, tossing halfway through, about 25-30 minutes.

While veggies are roasting, prepare beans. Combine drained pinto beans, cumin, chili powder and onion in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until beans and onions soften. Mash with a fork and keep warm.

Prepare pico de gallo: In a medium bowl, combine diced tomato, jalapeño, onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine, adding more salt if necessary.

Let rest for 15 minutes before serving so flavors can mingle.

Assemble tostadas: Spread a tostada shell with mashed beans. Top with shredded lettuce, roasted vegetables, pico de gallo, crumbled or shredded cheese, diced avocado and chopped cilantro if using. Drizzle lime crema on top, and repeat with a second layer. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Shalina Chatlani | (TNS) Stateline.org

Andrea Deutsch, the mayor of Narberth, Pennsylvania, and the owner of a pet store in town, doesn’t get health care coverage through either of her jobs. Instead, she is enrolled in a plan she purchased on Pennie, Pennsylvania’s health insurance exchange.

Deutsch, who has been mayor since 2018, is paid $1 per year for the job. Her annual income, from Spot’s – The Place for Paws and her investments, is about $50,000. The 57-year-old, who is diabetic, pays $638.38 per month for health care coverage — about half of the $1,272.38 she’d owe without the enhanced federal subsidies Congress and the Biden administration put in place in 2021.

But that extra help is set to expire at the end of 2025. It would cost an estimated $335 billion over the next decade to extend it — a step the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration are unlikely to take as they seek budget savings to offset potential tax cuts.

States say they don’t have the money to replace the federal aid. In Pennsylvania, for example, doing so would take about $500 million per year, according to Devon Trolley, the executive director of the state’s exchange.

“That is a significant amount of money, an insurmountable amount of money,” Trolley said.

The disappearance of the federal help would make coverage unaffordable for millions of Americans, including Deutsch. She said it would be a struggle to pay double what she is paying now.

“You try not to go bankrupt by the end of your life,” Deutsch told Stateline. “You need assets to take care of yourself as you get older and to have a little bit of security.”

Enhanced subsidies

The 2010 Affordable Care Act included some subsidies to help people purchase health insurance on the exchanges created under that law. Under the enhanced subsidies that started in 2021, some people with lower incomes who qualified for the original subsidies have been getting bigger ones. And those with higher incomes, who wouldn’t have been eligible for any help under the original rules, are now receiving assistance.

Thanks to the enhanced subsidies, people making up to 150% of the federal poverty level, or $22,590 for an individual, are now getting free or nearly free coverage. And households earning more than four times the federal poverty level, who didn’t qualify for subsidies before, are getting some help.

The enhanced aid also has helped push ACA marketplace enrollment to record levels, reaching more than 21 million this year. Southern states that have not expanded Medicaid as allowed under the ACA have seen the most dramatic growth in marketplace enrollment since 2020, according to KFF, a health policy research organization. The top five states with the fastest growth are Texas (212%), Mississippi (190%), Georgia (181%), Tennessee (177%) and South Carolina (167%).

If the enhanced subsidies go away, premium payments will increase by an average of more than 75%, according to KFF. Some people, like Deutsch, would see their payments double.

Given those premium hikes, millions of Americans would no longer be able to afford the coverage they’re getting on the exchanges, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. CBO estimates that enrollment would drop from 22.8 million in 2025 to 18.9 million in 2026 to 15.4 million in 2030. Some of those people would find coverage elsewhere, but others would not.

Edmund Haislmaier, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said Republicans view the expiration of the enhanced subsidies as “an opportunity to rework and address some of the basic flaws in the ACA.”

Before the ACA, Haislmaier said, many self-employed people, such as small-business owners and freelancers, were able to find their own private insurance at competitive prices. But the health care law destroyed that market, he said, leaving such people with a selection of expensive and subpar plans.

Haislmaier said it would take time for the Trump administration to determine how it wants to change the ACA — which President-elect Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to repeal during his first term — but that “you can do that in a way that preserves access and preserves subsidies for the lower-income people who were the primary focus of the ACA.”

States’ limitations

But Jared Ortaliza, a research associate at KFF, said letting the enhanced subsidies expire could result in higher premiums for everyone. That’s because higher prices likely would prompt many healthier people to forgo insurance, he said. Their departure would leave only chronically ill people on the exchanges, and the cost of their care is higher.

“If sicker enrollees need coverage because they need care, they’ll still choose to buy it, potentially. And if the market were sicker as a whole, that could drive premiums upward as well,” Ortaliza told Stateline.

Ortaliza said states might consider keeping premiums down through so-called reinsurance, or reimbursing insurers for their most expensive enrollees. Theoretically, they also could try to replace the expiring federal aid with their own money.

But few if any states have the financial flexibility to do that, said Hemi Tewarson, executive director of the nonpartisan National Academy for State Health Policy.

“There might be a couple states who don’t have current state subsidies that might add that, but that will be very nominal,” Tewarson told Stateline, adding that officials from different states have been discussing potential solutions. “They are all assuming that they would just have to absorb the loss of coverage across the population.”

Trolley, the head of the Pennsylvania exchange, said her state is working to provide its own subsidy to make the marketplace plans even more affordable. But even when fully implemented, it would spend only $50 million on that help, a tenth of what it would need to replace the federal aid.

Two-thirds of the 435,000 Pennsylvanians who purchase insurance on the marketplace joined after the enhanced federal subsidies were put in place in 2021. If they expire, Trolley said, she worries that 100,000 or more exchange participants will leave.

Jessica Altman, executive director of California’s exchange, said her state is in a similar situation. California currently receives $1.7 billion annually in enhanced subsidies from the federal government and spends an additional $165 million of its own money to keep costs down.

California estimates that if the subsidies expire, monthly premiums for the state’s enrollees would increase by an average of 63%. More than 150,000 people would no longer be eligible for federal help, and between 138,000 and 183,000 would disenroll, the state estimates.

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

After significant injuries to defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerback Carlton Davis, it was hard to imagine the Detroit Lions‘ injury outlook could get much worse.

But it has.

According to a league source, Lions running back David Montgomery suffered an MCL injury in Sunday’s 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills and will be out indefinitely. The initial fear is that Montgomery’s injury is season-ending, pending further testing.

The Lions (12-2) are amid one of the worst runs of injury luck in recent memory, and it comes in a season in which the team was, at one point, drawing comparisons to the 2007 New England Patriots.

Montgomery is a critical part of the Lions’ dynamic rushing attack alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. He has rushed for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns with 341 receiving yards this season.

Like McNeill, Montgomery signed a contract extension with the Lions earlier this season. He tacked two years onto his existing deal, adding more than $10 million in guaranteed money, which will keep him in Detroit through 2027.

Nada Hassanein | (TNS) Stateline.org

If President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to deport millions of immigrants, it could upend the economies of states where farming and other food-related industries are crucial — and where labor shortages abound.

Immigrants make up about two-thirds of the nation’s crop farmworkers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and roughly 2 in 5 of them are not legally authorized to work in the United States.

Agricultural industries such as meatpacking, dairy farms and poultry and livestock farms also rely heavily on immigrants.

“We have five to six employees that do the work that nobody else will do. We wouldn’t survive without them,” said Bruce Lampman, who owns Lampman Dairy Farm, in Bruneau, Idaho. His farm, which has been in the family three decades, has 350 cows producing some 26,000 pounds of milk a day.

“My business and every agriculture business in the U.S. will be crippled if they want to get rid of everybody who does the work,” said Lampman, adding that his workers are worried about what’s to come.

Anita Alves Pena, a Colorado State University professor of economics who studies immigration, noted that many agricultural employers already can’t find enough laborers. Without farm subsidies or other protections to make up for the loss of immigrant workers, she said, the harm to state economies could be significant.

“Farmers across the country, producers in a lot of different parts, are often talking about labor shortages — and that’s even with the current status quo of having a fairly high percentage of unauthorized individuals in the workforce,” Pena said. “A policy like this, if it was not coupled with something else, would exacerbate that.”

Employers have a hard time hiring enough farm laborers because such workers generally are paid low wages for arduous work.

In addition to hiring immigrant laborers who are in the country illegally, agricultural employers rely on the federal H-2A visa program. H-2A visas usually are for seasonal work, often for about six to 10 months. However, they can be extended for up to three years before a worker must return to their home country.

Employers must pay H-2A workers a state-specific minimum wage and provide no-cost transportation and housing. Still, employers’ applications for H-2A visas have soared in the past 18 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a trend reflecting the shortage of U.S.-born laborers willing to do the work. The number of H-2A positions has surged from just over 48,000 in 2005 to more than 378,000 in 2023.

But agricultural employers that operate year-round, such as poultry, dairy and livestock producers, can’t use the seasonal visa to fill gaps, according to the USDA.

Farmers also employ foreign nationals who have “temporary protected status” under a 1990 law that allows immigrants to remain if the U.S. has determined their home countries are unsafe because of violence or other reasons. There are about 1.2 million people in the U.S. under the program or eligible for it, from countries including El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon and Ukraine. Many have been here for decades, and Trump has threatened to end the program.

Support for the program

Immigration advocates want a pathway for H-2A workers to gain permanent legal status, and agricultural trade organizations are pushing for an expansion of the H-2A program to include year-round operations.

The National Milk Producers Federation says it’s too early to say how it would cope with mass deportations under the Trump administration. But the group states it “strongly supports efforts to pass agriculture labor reform that provides permanent legal status to current workers and their families and gives dairy farmers access to a workable guestworker program.”

Immigrants make up 51% of labor at dairy farms across states, and farms that employ immigrants produce nearly 80% of the nation’s milk supply, according to the organization.

“Foreign workers are important to the success of U.S. dairy, and we will work closely with members of Congress and federal officials to show the importance of foreign workers to the dairy industry and farm communities,” Jaime Castaneda, the group’s executive vice president for policy development and strategy, wrote in an email.

Adam Croissant, the former vice president of research and development at yogurt company Chobani, which has manufacturing plants in Idaho and New York, said he’s seen a lot of misinformation around immigrants’ workforce contributions.

“The dairy industry as a whole understands that without immigrant labor, the dairy industry doesn’t exist. It’s as simple as that,” said Croissant.

Tom Super, a spokesperson for the National Chicken Council, lambasted U.S. immigration policy and said the poultry industry “wants a stable, legal, and permanent workforce.”

“The chicken industry is heavily affected by our nation’s immigration policy or, more pointedly, lack thereof. … The system is broken, and Washington has done nothing to fix it,” Super wrote in an email.

Changes ahead?

But major changes to the H-2A visa program are unlikely to happen before deportations begin. In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” last weekend, Trump repeated his promise to start deporting some immigrants almost immediately.

He said he plans to begin with convicted criminals, but would then move to other immigrants. “We’re starting with the criminals, and we’ve got to do it. And then we’re starting with the others, and we’re going to see how it goes.”

Some farmers still hope that Trump’s actions won’t match his rhetoric. But “hoping isn’t a great business plan,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “Our ability to feed ourselves as a country is completely jeopardized if you do see the mass deportations.”

If the deportations do happen, agricultural workers will disappear faster than they can be replaced, experts say.

“The H-2A program will not expand instantly to fill the gap. So, that’s going to be a problem,” said Jeffrey Dorfman, a professor of agricultural economics at North Carolina State University who was Georgia’s state economist from 2019 to 2023.

In Georgia, agriculture is an $83.6 billion industry that supports more than 323,000 jobs. It is one of the five states most reliant on the federal H-2A visa program, depending on those workers to fill about 60% of agricultural jobs.

Dorfman argued that even the fear of deportation will have an impact on the workforce.

“When farmworkers hear about ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids on a nearby farm, lots of them disappear. Even the legal ones often disappear for a few days. So, if everybody just gets scared and self-deports, just goes back home, I think that would be the worst disruption,” said Dorfman, adding that even more jobs would need to be filled if the administration revokes temporary protected status.

Antonio De Loera-Brust, communications director for the farmworker labor union United Farm Workers, said the nation’s focus should be on protecting workers, no matter their legal status.

“They deserve a lot better than just not getting deported,” he said. “They deserve better wages, they deserve labor rights, they deserve citizenship.”

And though economists and the agriculture industry have said that mass deportations could raise grocery store prices, De Loera-Brust called that particular argument a sign of “moral weakness.”

“As if the worst thing about hundreds of thousands of people getting separated from their families was going to be that consumers would have to pay more for a bag of strawberries or a bag of baby carrots,” De Loera-Brust said. “There’s a moral gap there.”

©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.