Unemployed workers in Michigan will now receive a payment increase in their benefits.

This increase comes days after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics named Michigan as the state with the highest increase in unemployment rates in the last year. Its the first increase in over 20 years and some workers say the hike is long overdue.

"So this year, benefits go from a maximum of $362 a week to a maximum of $446, said Nick Assendelft, a spokesperson for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.

Hear more about the changes from Assendelft in the video below: Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency spokesperson speaks on changes

Detroiter Alex Robinson said he has been laid off since December as a contractor for one of the automakers. While he said the increase is appreciated, he thinks it should be more.

Eighty-two dollars for over 20-plus years what was the increase per year, Robinson said.

Robinson said he currently receives the maximum benefit of $362 a week in unemployment benefits, but that is not what he brings home.

They also take child support out of mine, he said. So, mine is $207.

Robinson said he brings home a little over $400 every two weeks from unemployment.

Four hundred and 14 dollars two times a month doesnt even pay my rent, Robinson said.

But he is looking forward to the bump.

Currently, the unemployment rate in Michigan is at 5.4%.

Wayne State University economics professor Kevin Cotter said one reason we are seeing an increase in the unemployment rate is because of the slowdown in hiring.

Especially in the last few months with the uncertainty about the future trade policy, Cotter said. We're (Michiganders) still very dependent on the automobile industry and Michigan is especially vulnerable to the effects of tariffs."

Cotter said the inconsistency in the imposing of tariffs has been making companies especially automakers think twice before hiring.

 

But, there has been employment growth in other industries.

Our biggest growth industry has been health care, Cotter said. We have an increasing number of elderly people needing more care. So thats been a continued growth industry.

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency said unemployed workers will also qualify for up to 26 weeks of unemployment with the new changes instead of the current 14 to 20 weeks.

But for Robinson, while he says the increase in benefits across the board will be helpful, hes hoping his days of being out of work come to an end very soon.

Man, Im begging. I swear Im begging to go back to work, Robinson said.

The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night that would thwart President Donald Trumps ability to impose tariffs on Canada, delivering a rare rebuke to the president just hours after he unveiled sweeping plans to clamp down on international trade.

The Senate resolution, passed by a 51-48 vote tally with four Republicans and all Democrats in support, would end Trumps emergency declaration on fentanyl trafficking that underpins tariffs on Canada. Trump earlier Wednesday announced orders his so-called Liberation Day to impose import taxes on a slew of international trading partners, though Canadian imports for now were spared from new taxes.

The Senates legislation has practically no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House and being signed by Trump, but it showed the limits of Republican support for Trumps vision of remaking the U.S. economy by restricting free trade. Many economists are warning that the plan could cause an economic contraction, and GOP senators are already watching with unease as Trump upends the United States relationship with the rest of the world.

Trump earlier Wednesday singled out the four Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rand Paul of Kentucky who voted in favor of the resolution.

In a statement following the vote, McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, said, As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most.

To justify the tariffs, Trump has argued that Canada is not doing enough to stop illegal drugs from entering the northern border. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl in its northern border sector during the 2024 fiscal year, and since January, authorities have seized less than 1.5 pounds, according to federal data. Meanwhile, at the southern border, authorities seized over 21,000 pounds last year.

This is not about fentanyl. Its about tariffs. Its about a national sales tax on American families, said Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat who initiated the resolution, at a news conference Wednesday.

RELATED STORY | Trump announces baseline 10% tariff on imports for all US trade partners

Democrats argued that Trump is using the tariffs to pay for proposed tax cuts that would benefit the wealthy, but will also make it more expensive to build homes, buy cars and pay for imported grocery products. Kaine pointed to aluminum imported from Canada that is used by businesses ranging from pie makers to shipbuilders.

Today, Donald Trump takes a sledgehammer to the American economy and even to the American dream, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech.

On the heels of election results in Wisconsin and Florida that delivered early warning signs to Republicans about the popularity of Trump's agenda, Schumer said that the president is particularly vulnerable when it comes to the economy.

Once the American people say, I dont want to embrace somebody, I dont want to vote for somebody, I dont want to support somebody who embraces Trumps policies, things are going to change," he told reporters. Public sentiment is everything."

At the White House on Wednesday, Trump singled out Canada as a beneficiary of unfair trading practices with the U.S., though his latest order did not add to tariffs already in place on Canada and Mexico.

Why are we doing this? I mean, at what point do we say, Youve got to work for yourselves and youve got to? This is why we have the big deficits," Trump said.

For their part, Republican leaders tried to hold their members in line not by talking about the impacts of tariffs, but by emphasizing that Trump was acting to address fentanyl trafficking and border security.

Majority Whip Sen. John Barrasso argued in a floor speech that former President Joe Biden had also thrown open the northern border. The criminal cartels noticed and they took advantage.

"There are unique threats to the United States at our northern border," the Wyoming senator said. President Trump is taking the bold, decisive, swift action that is necessary to secure that border as well.

Republicans lined up on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to underscore the need to act to halt fentanyl trafficking, including at the northern border. However, it was not enough to persuade a key group of Senate Republicans who objected to the tax on Canadian imports.

In a floor speech Wednesday, Collins said she would support the resolution and noted, The fact is the vast majority of fentanyl in America comes from the southern border.

Collins said that Canada is already beefing up border security to address drug trafficking, yet she was concerned about what tariffs would do to businesses and households in Maine. She pointed to a paper mill in her home state that pumps paper pulp from Canada.

A tariff placed on this pulp would jeopardize the financial wellbeing of this vital paper mill, which employs more than 500 people in rural, northern Maine. There is not another big employer in that area that can possibly compensate for the loss of those 510 direct jobs, Collins said.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican who often supports libertarian economic views, also delivered an impassioned floor speech, arguing that the president should not be given unilateral authority to impose taxes on imports.

Every dollar collected in tariff revenue comes straight out of the pockets of American consumers, he said. Conservatives used to understand that tariffs are taxes on the American people. Conservatives used to be uniformly opposed to raising taxes because we wanted the private marketplace, the private individuals to keep more of their income.

While a younger group of Republicans closely aligned with Trump has spoken out in favor of the president's plans to aggressively reshape the economy, a sizable portion of the Republican Conference voiced concerns about the tariff impacts on farmers and other industries. Still, most wanted to give Trump room in hopes that he would negotiate better trade deals.

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said that he has been in constant talks with both Canadian officials and businesses in his state, like Bobcat, which does a significant amount of its sales in Canada. He voted against the resolution. Instead, he hoped that Trump's order would just be a starting point for negotiations to mutually drop tariffs.

The Republican added: Im not overly concerned about it, but obviously it occupies a lot of attention and time and a lot of political anxiety."

Democrats planned to keep pressing into that anxiety. After Trumps announcement, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on social media he would also force a similar vote in the House on the tariffs.

Republicans cant keep ducking this its time they show whether they support the economic pain Trump is inflicting on their constituents, he said.

In a Rose Garden speech Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on nearly all goods imported into the U.S.

The tariffs will begin at a baseline of 10%, but many countries with relatively large trade deficits will see higher rates due to reciprocal tariffs, which will tax their imports to the U.S. at roughly half the rate of their own tariffs on U.S. goods.

The orders also begin a 25% tariff on foreign-made automobiles imported to the U.S.

"This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history," President Trump said. "For years, hardworking American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense. But now it's our turn to prosper, and in so doing use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce taxes and pay down our national debt."

During his comments, President Trump said a tax deduction may be enacted for Americans who buy a car built in the U.S.

But the president said he "couldn't care less" if foreign automakers increase their prices in response to the new tariffs.

RELATED STORY | Trump announces baseline 10% tariff on imports for all US trade partners

The White House says the tariffs will raise hundreds of billions of dollars and spark more companies to produce their goods domestically.

But many economists say consumers will pay the price including economics professor Keith Maskus.

"In the end, it is pretty much always the domestic consumers that pay almost the full share these tariffs. And again, it's just the way tariffs work," Maskus said.

That could mean higher prices for cars, groceries, housing and other goods impacted by the tariffs.

And those who can afford them the least may feel the pinch the most.

"The share of consumption that low-income households pay for tariffs is much, much higher than it is for middle-income or higher wealthier consumers," Maskus said.

Farmers are expected to bear the brunt of these trade tensions. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Canada and China were the second and third-largest destinations for U.S. agricultural products in 2024.

Retaliatory tariffs could decrease demand for U.S. goods, impacting production and farmers' bottom lines and increasing prices in stores.

RELATED STORY | Lawmakers weigh in on Trump's sweeping new tariffs

Small business owners shared many of those concerns on Wednesday in interviews with Scripps News.

"The only way we can really respond is take an even bigger hit on our margins, which have already been decimated due to inflation and COVID; B, lower the quality of our products, which is not something we want to do; or C, have to increase prices," said Alfred Mai, founder of ASM Games, a card game manufacturer. "None of these are things we want or want to do. But at some point, these tariffs have to go somewhere."

"I think looking at trade imbalance is a really important issue, but not on the backs of small businesses," said Sarah Wells, the founder and CEO of Sarah Wells Bags, a Virginia-based small businesses that makes handbags and apparel. "In fact I think we really need to think of businesses as not a monolith. Small businesses just don't have the cash and resources for unpredictable international tariffs."

Markets sank in after-hours trading following President Trump's announcements, which came after trading had closed for the day.

An ETF that tracks the S&P 500 dropped more than 2.3% and the ETF that tracks the NASDAQ 100 also dropped about 3.1%.

Loyola High School in Detroit, a private Catholic school for boys, is seeing some major improvements including a new chapel.

Its big news for the city as it marks the first new Catholic place of worship in Detroit in more than 60 years.

On Wednesday, students, school leaders and community members gathered together to celebrate the grand opening of the new St. Peter Claver Chapel and the new Wayne and Joan Webber Welcome Center.

Both spaces are extensions of Loyola High School.

VIDEO: Take a walk-through tour of the new chapel VIDEO: Walk-through tour of the new chapel

It feels wonderful for me to still be in my initial weeks here and to be able to do something this joyful," said Detroit's new Archbishop Edward Weisenburger, who led Wednesday's service in the new chapel.

Related video: Detroit's next Archbishop talks about the future and the challenges he faces Detroit's next Archbishop talks about the future and the challenges he faces

Students now not only have a new entrance to the school, they also have a new facility for daily prayer and reflection whereas before, services were held in the gym.

What this chapel means to me is I get to grow in my faith and my beliefs in God more," Rommell Murry said.

The Archdiocese of Detroit told 7 News Detroit like many other dioceses around the country, they too have experienced a decrease in the number of parishes and church buildings.

This is going to be a blessing not just for a 100 or 150 young men at a time; this will be a blessing for the whole community," Weisenburger said.

Deborale Richardson-Phillips, Ph.D., Loyola High School's first female school president, agrees.

Loyola High School is part of the revitalization of the Detroit area," she said. "This chapel, and certainly our welcome center, will give people the opportunity to welcome people into our home in ways that we havent before.

Everything in the chapel the chairs, piano and pieces on the chancel was donated, and school leaders say its the communitys support that made it happen.

This remarkable addition to our campus would not have been possible without the generosity and vision of those of who supported Empower Loyola," Richardson-Phillips said.

A campaign generated more than $9 million in donations. Cynthia Webber Helisek was one of those donors.

It took no thoughts whatsoever to say yes to the projects, she said.

The welcome center is named after her uncle Wayne and aunt Joan Webber, who were big supporters of school and so is she.

Most importantly, I want the boys to know they are very valued in this space, and they deserve a beautiful space to learn," Helisek said.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — After weeks of anticipation and speculation, President Donald Trump followed through on his reciprocal tariff threats by declaring on Wednesday a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States.

In announcing the reciprocal tariffs, Trump was fulfilling a key campaign promise by raising U.S. taxes on foreign goods to narrow the gap with the tariffs the White House says other countries unfairly impose on U.S. products.

“Reciprocal means ‘they do it to us and we do it to them,’” the president said from the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday.

Trump’s higher rates would hit foreign entities that sell more goods to the United States than they buy. But economists don’t share Trump’s enthusiasm for tariffs since they’re a tax on importers that usually get passed on to consumers. It’s possible, however, that the reciprocal tariffs could bring other countries to the table and get them to lower their own import taxes.

The Associated Press asked for your questions about reciprocal tariffs. Here are a few of them, along with our answers:

Do U.S.-collected tariffs go into the General Revenue Fund? Can Trump withdraw money from that fund without oversight?

Tariffs are taxes on imports, collected when foreign goods cross the U.S. border by the Customs and Border Protection agency. The money — about $80 billion last year — goes to the U.S. Treasury to help pay the federal government’s expenses. Congress has authority to say how the money will be spent.

Trump — largely supported by Republican lawmakers who control the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives — wants to use increased tariff revenue to finance tax cuts that analysts say would disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Specifically, they want to extend tax cuts passed in Trump’s first term and largely set to expire at the end of 2025. The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, has found that extending Trump’s tax cuts would reduce federal revenue by $4.5 trillion from 2025 to 2034.

Trump wants higher tariffs to help offset the lower tax collections. Another think tank, the Tax Policy Center, has said that extending the 2017 tax cuts would deliver continued tax relief to Americans at all income levels, “but higher-income households would receive a larger benefit.’’

How soon will prices rise as a result of the tariff policy?

It depends on how businesses both in the United States and overseas respond, but consumers could see overall prices rising within a month or two of tariffs being imposed. For some products, such as produce from Mexico, prices could rise much more quickly after the tariffs take effect.

Some U.S. retailers and other importers may eat part of the cost of the tariff, and overseas exporters may reduce their prices to offset the extra duties. But for many businesses, the tariffs Trump announced Wednesday — such as 20% on imports from Europe — will be too large to swallow on their own.

Companies may also use the tariffs as an excuse to raise prices. When Trump slapped duties on washing machines in 2018, studies later showed that retailers raised prices on both washers and dryers, even though there were no new duties on dryers.

A key question in the coming months is whether something similar will happen again. Economists worry that consumers, having just lived through the biggest inflationary spike in four decades, are more accustomed to rising prices than they were before the pandemic.

Yet there are also signs that Americans, put off by the rise in the cost of living, are less willing to accept price increases and will simply cut back on their purchases. That could discourage businesses from raising prices by much.

What is the limit of the executive branch’s power to implement tariffs? Does Congress not play any role?

The U.S. Constitution grants the power to set tariffs to Congress. But over the years, Congress has delegated those powers to the president through several different laws. Those laws specify the circumstances under which the White House can impose tariffs, which are typically limited to cases where imports threaten national security or are severely harming a specific industry.

In the past, presidents generally imposed tariffs only after carrying out public hearings to determine if certain imports met those criteria. Trump followed those steps when imposing tariffs in his first term.

In his second term, however, Trump has sought to use emergency powers set out in a 1977 law to impose tariffs in a more ad hoc fashion. Trump has said, for example, that fentanyl flowing in from Canada and Mexico constitute a national emergency and has used that pretext to impose 25% duties on goods from both countries.

Congress can seek to cancel an emergency that a president declares, and Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, has proposed to do just that regarding Canada. That legislation could pass the Senate but would likely die in the House. Other bills in Congress that would also limit the president’s authority to set tariffs face tough odds for passage as well.

What tariffs are other countries charging on US goods?

U.S. tariffs are generally lower than those charged by other countries. The average U.S. tariff, weighted to reflect goods that are actually traded, is just 2.2% for the United States, versus the European Union’s 2.7%, China’s 3% and India’s 12%, according to the World Trade Organization.

Other countries also tend to do more than the United States to protect their farmers with high tariffs. The U.S. trade-weighted tariff on farm goods, for example, is 4%, compared to the EU’s 8.4%, Japan’s 12.6%, China’s 13.1% and India’s 65%. (The WTO numbers don’t count Trump’s recent flurry of import taxes or tariffs between countries that have entered into their own free trade agreements, such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that allows many goods to cross North American borders duty free.)

Previous U.S. administrations agreed to the tariffs that Trump now calls unjust. They were the result of a long negotiation between 1986 to 1994 — the so-called Uruguay Round — that ended in a trade pact signed by 123 countries and has formed the basis of the global trading system for nearly four decades.

All eyes were on President Donald Trump today as he announced a 10% tariff on all imports. It's been branded as 'Liberation Day" by the White House.

In the Rose Garden, Trump invited Brian Pannebecker, a Macomb County man and the founder of Autoworkers for Trump 2024, to the stage.

"My entire life I have watched plant after plant after plant in Detroit sitting idle, under-utilized," Pannebecker said, just moments after Trump made this announcement.

"Effective at midnight, we will impose a 25-percent tariff on all foreign-made automobiles," Trump said.

Local auto manufacturers have already been navigating the new tariffs, and I went to talk to one in Sterling Heights. We're also getting new analysis about what consumers can expect to pay if they're in the market for a new car.

FULL INTERVIEW: John McElroy of Autoline discusses the possible impacts of tariffs FULL INTERVIEW: John McElroy of Autoline discusses the possible impacts of tariffs

Citic Dicastal is the largest manufacturer of aluminum wheels in the entire world, and because their products are made of aluminum, they're already feeling the effects of those tariffs.

For Dale Hadel, the Director of Sales, the tariffs have already been a reality.

"We're paying it on aluminum wheels. We'll be paying it on imports from Mexico. We'll be paying it on imported material from Canada. We'll be paying it on the final product coming in from China," he says.

Hadel tells me Citic Dicastal is headquartered in China.

"When you think about a 25% tariff, and let's say aluminum, just is $1 a pound, now it's $1.25 a pound, and that's a 30-pound wheel, you can do the math," he says.

I asked him what his biggest concern is right now.

"My fear is that this will slow down vehicle sales if there's a big bump in pricing that the automakers need to pass on to the consumer," Hadel says.

So, let's talk about that. Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group published a new report showing major increases per car.

"For American cars, and I'm talking about cars assembled in North America, $2500 the low end, $10,000 at the high end," says Patrick Anderson, CEO of the Anderson Economic Group.

And he says these are conservative estimates. For imports, it could reach $20,000 per car. And how does Michigan fare compared to the rest of the states in the US when it comes to these tariffs?

"There's no state that's more exposed than Michigan to tariffs on automobiles," says Anderson. "Now we're, we are - literally the epicenter of tariff effects is probably in the middle of the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor."

"The auto industry spent the last 20 years trying to find low-cost countries or low-cost content locations where they can have a competitive advantage by manufacturing, which has been enhanced by USMCA and all the incentives to locate there," says Hadel.

One of the theories right now is that there will be pain in the short term, but in the long term, there will be benefits. I asked Hadel if he agreed with that.

"I don't see that. I see there'll be, at least for the 5 to 7 year duration in front of us, I think you'll see some very significant pain," he says.

There's a new microbusiness in Berkley this one was started by students.

Hoppy Puppy has brought in hundreds of dollars the past couple of months. Berkley's adult transition programs for students is behind it all.

Spent grains from the bottom of the tank at Dog and Pony Brewing to the kitchen at Berkley's Adult Transition Program (BAT) are the main ingredient in their dog treats.

BAT is currently housed at Berkley First United Methodist Church while construction happens at their permanent home.

"We usually make the dough from scratch, and we do a very good job with that," Derek Van Wormer said.

They mix the ingredients, roll the dough and cut it into shapes for baking.

Watch the process of students making dog treats in the video player below: VIDEO: Inside the process: How the students make the dog treats

The treats then go to their other partner Our Neighborhood Academy for packaging. Some students also work there.

All 17 students ages 18 to 26 in the BAT program are business partners and owners in the Hoppy Puppy microbusiness.

"This truly is a student-developed startup, and the students have their hand in every single part of the company and including the development of the company, from choosing the name, choosing our logo, creating and designing our logo, interim Administrator Sharon Berke said. They researched packaging and chose our packaging, everything from the bag that we used to the labels, all of it, every single piece of it. They research and we meet together and as a complete company team, we make decisions and move forward.

Some students have never baked dog treats before.

"It's not always easy, but it's not too bad once you get the hang of it," Van Wormer said.

Its a business theyre proud to play a big role in.

"I feel proud and an accomplishment to do my own business, Isabelle Moss said.

Student Elisheva Tobi balances the books.

"It started as a microbusiness, but I feel like it's more than a microbusiness. I feel like it's a major business to me, Tobi said. "It's an amazing opportunity to grow and learn about different things."

She hopes to learn more about finance and sell her own products one day.

That's what Berke says BAT and this program is all about. A key part of the program is work-based learning and job readiness, helping students develop independence in the community.

"It's a wonderful community collaboration but even more importantly, it's been just such a valuable entrepreneurial experience and pre-vocational experience for our students," Berke said.

The last two months racked in sales over $500. Because of the growth, they're now using the profits to branch out into dog shirts.

"We are in this for the long haul," Berke said.

They're grateful for their community and are hopeful for their continued support.

You can purchase Hoppy Puppy at these locations:

Monarch Market Cafe in Huntington Woods Coffee & Bark in Downtown Berkley Dog & Pony Show Brewery in Oak Park Our Neighborhood Academy in Downtown Berkley

A devastating car crash involving an elderly driver left a Canton man with life-altering injuries.

The road to recovery is marked by many steps, and for Garrett Biesiadecki, each step feels like a mile.

I dont want to do this, but they make me fight, Biesiadecki said through tears while pointing to his trainers at Team Rehab in Livonia. I want to keep going.

The 52-year-old concrete worker lost his leg and nearly his life and livelihood when an SUV barreled into him while he was on a job in Canton last September.

Biesiadecki spent the past several months in grueling physical therapy as he adjusts to life as an amputee.

This is the beginner, Biesieadecki said, pointing to his prosthetic leg. Supposedly tomorrow Im going to get my updated one, because this hurts real bad.

Extended interview: 'I'm going to fight.' Man hit by elderly driver talks about recovery journey Extended interview: 'I'm going to fight.' Man hit by elderly driver talks about recovery journey

The woman behind the wheel, 81-year-old Judy Kamm, first struck that garage before coming through a backyard, hitting Garrett, and then striking a house.

I remember laying on the ground, looking at my leg, Biesieadecki said.

Biesieadecki was losing blood and fast. He believes he wouldve died had a nurse who lives nearby not come to his aid, using a shoelace as a tourniquet.

She said, Im sorry about this, but this is gonna, whoosh to the tourniquet. And then she said, Im really sorry about this, but youre not gonna die on my watch. Went to my artery and grabbed it, and I screamed so loud, and I passed out, Biesieadecki said.

Biesieadecki spent a month in the hospitalhis left leg amputated. His body broken.

Kamm was charged with reckless driving and a moving violation causing serious impairment of a body functionboth misdemeanors. Her lawyer declined to comment, saying he still needed to review the case.

Michigan has no restrictions on elderly drivers, but State Senator Rosemary Bayer is considering legislation to change that, in hopes of protecting both elderly drivers and other motorists.

Democratic leader Ranjeev Puri from Canton released a statement saying:

It goes without saying that it is incredibly unfortunate for anyone injured in these car accidents or anyone hurt in a car accident, for that matter. As state representatives, we are here to uplift the will of the people and keep people safe, and I take that responsibility seriously. There are always important factors to consider when placing age qualifiers and other such limitations in the law; however, it is essential to consider that older folks need to get around just like anyone else. It is important to support all sorts of transportation forms and options, so when elderly individuals and their families decide that it is time to stop driving.

Everyone is running, running over people, and its gotta stop. This has gotta stop somehow, and its terrible what people are going through, Biesiadecki said.

Meanwhile, Biesiadecki is hoping his rehab will allow him to get back to work and help run Action Concrete, the family business.

My dad was born and raised a Marine; he brought me up as a Marine, so you fight, and Im going to fight. Fight like he fought, and Im not going to give up, Biesiadecki said.

The Detroit Lions have clear expectations for defensive tackle Brodric Martin heading into the upcoming 2025 NFL season.

In 2024, injuries slowed the progress of a developmental player who was expected to build upon his rookie campaign. After suffering a knee injury in the preseason finale, Martin was sidelined until late-November.

Upon returning, Martin appeared in just two games and played only 28 defensive snaps. In his two NFL seasons, the Western Kentucky product has played in five games and totaled four tackles.

Heading into his third season, general manager Brad Holmes expects the 25-year-old to be more consistent.

“Look, he’s got to be consistent,” Holmes said. “Obviously, you guys all know I was very clear and transparent that he was more in the developmental project bucket when we took him. But, now it’s time for him not to just — because he brought flashes in the preseason. When he came from his injury, he brought flashes, but, you know, he had some low points as well.

“So, we need to see more of the consistency of the flashes, and he just needs to be a consistent player,” Holmes explained further. “And he knows that. We’ve had transparent conversations, and so he knows that he needs to be a consistent player. He’s got all the ability, he’s got all the physical tools to be a consistent player.”

Alim McNeill will not be available for Detroit to start the 2025 season, as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in December.

In free agency, the team added Roy Lopez and could add more defensive tackles in the NFL draft.

Derrick Harmon and Kenneth Grant have recently been mocked to the Lions in many of the latest projections.

For Martin, taking strides forward will be paramount for a defensive line in need of depth and productivity on a team playing a first-place schedule.

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

By STEVE PEOPLES, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — For a day, at least, Democrats across the country have a sense that their comeback against President Donald Trump may have begun.

It wasn’t just about the election results in Wisconsin, where Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford won a 10-point victory against Trump and Elon Musk’s favored candidate for the state Supreme Court.

Some Democrats highlighted New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s marathon, record-setting 25-hour Senate speech as a rallying point for frustrated voters. Others pointed to congressional Democrats lining up with a handful of House Republican lawmakers to oppose a procedural rule that would have stopped a proposal for new parents in Congress to able to vote by proxy.

The series of victories gave Democratic leaders moments of relief and vindication of their strategy to focus on Trump’s alliances with Musk and other billionaires. That’s even as some party officials warned that it was far too early to draw sweeping conclusions from a series of lower-turnout off-year elections with polls still showing that the party’s brand is deeply unpopular among key groups of voters.

“Elon Musk and Donald Trump are on the ropes,” charged Ken Martin, the newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee. “We’re just getting started.”

Wisconsin gave Democrats a much-needed win

Democrats have had little to cheer about in the five months since Trump won a decisive victory in November’s presidential election in which he peeled away a significant portion of working-class voters and people of color. And in more recent weeks, the party’s activist base has become increasingly frustrated that Democratic leaders have not done more to stop Trump’s unprecedented push to slash the federal government and the reshape the economy.

Democrats in Washington and in state capitals across the country privately conceded that a bad night, especially in Wisconsin, would have been devastating.

Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, lost to liberal-backed Crawford in a relative blowout, five months after Trump carried Wisconsin by less than 1 point.

And in Florida, Republicans won special elections in two of the most pro-Trump House districts in the country, but both candidates significantly underperformed Trump’s November margins.

“I went to bed last night feeling uplifted and relieved,” Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass said Wednesday.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., predicted further political consequences for Republicans if they don’t resist the sweeping cuts to government services enacted by Musk and Trump.

“In swing districts, if I was a Republican, I would either decide how to stand up for your constituents or find out how to get a discount on adult depends, because one or the other is what you’re going to be needing to do,” Pocan said.

Rebecca Cooke, a Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district, said the election was a clear indication that voters are upset with how Trump and Musk “are messing with their lives.” But she stopped short of projecting confidence in future elections.

“We have work to do to build long term infrastructure in this party and to really build trust back with voters that I think have felt left behind by the Democratic Party,” said Cooke, a 37-year-old waitress who is running against GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden. “I think it takes time to build trust with voters, and it can’t happen overnight, and it can’t happen in just one election.”

Expect more Democratic talking points about Musk

In this week’s successes, Democratic officials believe they have confirmed the effectiveness of their core message heading into the 2026 midterms that Trump and his billionaire allies are working for the rich at the expense of the working class.

Indeed, talking points distributed by the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday reinforced that notion while pointing to what the committee described as “an undeniable trend” after recent lower-profile Democratic victories in Virginia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Minnesota.

“In 2025, Democrats continue to overperform in special elections as voters send a resounding message: They want Democrats to fight for them, and they want the Trump-Musk agenda out of their communities,” the talking points read.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., told the AP Wednesday that the election results showed that the public is “outraged” by chaos and dysfunction coming from the Trump administration. The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Trump and Republicans in Congress are failing to fix high prices and seeking Medicaid cuts, in addition to supporting tariffs that could worsen inflation for families.

“What we saw yesterday in Florida and Wisconsin was Republicans running scared because the American people are angry and scared about the direction the Trump-Musk agenda is taking us,” she said. “They’re seeing prices go up. They’re seeing more and more the focus is not on them, but on Trump and his wealthy donors.”

More protests are to come

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of voters are expected to attend more than 1,000 so-called “Hands Off!” related protests nationwide focused on Trump and Musk. More than 150 political groups worked together to organize what will almost certainly represent the single biggest day of protest of the second Trump administration.

The Washington event, which will feature Reps. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., already has more than 12,000 RSVPs, according to organizers.

Meanwhile, Booker is planning to attend a series of unrelated public events, including a town hall in New Jersey this weekend.

His office reports receiving 28,000 voicemails since he finished his speech shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday. At its peak, the 25-hour address was being streamed by more than 300,000 people across Booker’s social media channels. It earned more than 350 million likes on his newly formed TikTok account.

A spokesperson said that the Democratic senator spent much of Wednesday sleeping.

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Leah Askarinam in Washington and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin contributed reporting.

The founder of Auto Workers for Trump 2024 in Macomb County thanked President Trump and predicted auto plants will reopen over the next few years during a brief speech at the president’s “Liberation Day” at the White House.

Brian Pannebecker attended the event Wednesday in the Rose Garden along with many top federal officials and 20 Michigan UAW members. Pannebecker cited the group of auto workers, who responded with cheers, during his remarks after Trump invited him to the podium on stage.

“We support Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs 100%,” Pannebecker said, pointing to the group, which included Chris Vitale of St. Clair Shores. “In six months or a year, we’re going to begin seeing the benefits. I can’t wait to see what’s happening three-four years down the road.”

In asking him to come on stage, Trump said, “He’s been a fan of ours and he understands this business a lot better than the economists, a lot better than anybody.”

Pannebecker started his comments by noting he is from “north of Detroit, Macomb County, the home of the Reagan Democrats.”

“My first vote for president was for Ronald Reagan,” he said. “I thought that was going to be the best president ever in my lifetime. That was until Donald J. Trump came along.”

He described metro Detroit as a region of closed and idle auto plants.

“My entire life I have watched plant after plant after plant in Detroit and the Metro Detroit area close,” Pannebecke said. “There are now plants sitting idle, there are now plants under-utilized. Donald Trump’s policies are going to bring product back into these under-utilized plants. There’s going to be new investment, new plants built.”

After he left the stage, Trump said of Pannebecker, “He got it right from the beginning; he got it before almost anyone else, and they (referencing the auto union members in the audience) did, too.”

“You’re going to be happy very soon,” the president assured.

Pannebecker, a New Baltimore resident and Sterling Heights native, is a retired auto worker who spoke at a Trump rally last November and has organized many pro-Trump events in recent years.

Vitale is a St. Clair Shores city councilman and recently recent Stellantis employee who was one of the 20 UAW members invited to attend the ceremony

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Vitale said before the event Wednesday morning from Washington D.C.. “They were looking for some autoworkers to show support, and I was picked to be one of them.”

Vitale said he is a strong supporter of Trump’s plans to heighten tariffs and has campaigned for them in the past. Like Pannebecker, he said he believes in the long run they will benefit the United States.

“My feeling is that the rest of the world is in a panic over these because they’ve been doing them to us for the past 60 years,” he said. “I would say in a year from now a lot of them probably won’t even be in place because the idea is to get those foreign governments to take down their tariffs on American products, level the playing field, so to speak, which is something I’ve been advocating for since 2008. Not looking for special treatment, just looking for equal treatment.”

He called the part of the negative reaction to tariffs “hair lighting on fire … nothing more than drama” because most products from Canada and Mexico initially will be exempt as part of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement. He called those reactions “scare stories.”

He said the explanation to support the tariffs is complex.

“What Trump is doing is fundamentally the right move,” he said.

Vitale paid for his trip, he said.

Vitale, who said he remains a member of the UAW, said he tested prototype drivetrains the last 10 years of his career at the Tech Center in Auburn Hills, and prior to that worked at other facilities for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Chrysler.

He was elected to City Council in November 2011 and was last re-elected in November 2023.

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The Trump administration abruptly cut just over $3 million in healthcare funding for Oakland County Tuesday.

The money was COVID-related public health grants to Oakland County through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

County Executive Dave Coulter said five nurses were told Tuesday night not to report to work Wednesday. They had been hired last year to assist the county’s 146 long-term care facilities with coordinated outbreak response efforts. Since the program started on Sept. 25, 2024, the nurses responded to 123 COVID, 25 norovirus and 126 influenza outbreaks. This program was funded by a $2.5 million federal grant, with $2.1 million unspent.

At least $1 million from the county’s $1.24 million federally funded wastewater disease surveillance program must be returned. Wastewater was initially tested to track outbreaks of COVID-19 but expanded to include norovirus, influenza, and RSV in nursing homes and other facilities for seniors and people with disabilities. This year, county officials planned to expand testing to include mpox, polio and measles.

Coulter said the orders by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are reckless and not based in science.

“He’s not explaining why he’s picking infectious diseases and wastewater detection,” Coulter said. “Viruses don’t stop when these kinds of sweeping decisions get made.”

Statewide, the cuts amount to $379.3 million that pay for mental health and substance abuse services, infectious disease control and vaccinations for children and vulnerable adults.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 23 states and the District of Columbia Tuesday to sue the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for the cuts, which total nearly $11 billion nationally.

Coulter said he supports the state’s lawsuit. It’s unclear what other cuts will be made because the Trump administration’s decisions have been so unpredictable, he said.

The two county programs canceled this week had been funded through Sept. 30, 2025.

“It’s beyond reckless and shortsighted move by the Trump administration that puts Oakland County residents at risk, especially our seniors,” Coulter said. “Wastewater surveillance and infection prevention efforts are not relics of the pandemic, but critical tools to continue protecting public health today and in the future.”

Oakland County Health and Human Services Director Leigh-Anne Stafford said the cuts undermine the county’s ability to prevent outbreaks, care for vulnerable people and respond to emerging health threats.

“These programs have been instrumental in preventing outbreaks and protecting our community,” she said.

The five nurses who signed contracts last year to help with outbreaks also helped investigate 382 cases of reportable infectious diseases. They made hundreds of phone calls to residents exposed to such diseases as ebola, bird flu, measles and rabies.

The first COVID-19 death in Michigan happened in Oakland County in 2020. In 2022, the state’s first mpox illness was diagnosed in Oakland County. This year, Oakland County identified the first measles case in the state in March. Michigan health officials have reported two cases of humans infected with the bird flu, but the county wasn’t identified.

Coulter said eliminating the wastewater surveillance program and the five nurses dedicated to infectious disease prevention does nothing more than increase the risk of illnesses in county residents.

Part of the reason the money was unspent, he said, is that the programs had to be put in place before people could be hired to support them. The money was initially granted as part of the COVID response but as the virus abated, Congress and the Biden administration agreed that the money could be used for other health programs.

“People can disagree about the need for these federal funds, but it’s the chaos – it’s hard to think ahead,” he said. “We don’t have a Plan B for grant-funded programs. When the money ends, the program ends. That’s our policy.”

President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on nearly all goods imported into the U.S. Wednesday.

The tariffs will begin at a baseline of 10%, but many countries with relatively large trade deficits will see higher rates due to reciprocal tariffs, which will tax their imports to the U.S. at roughly half the rate of their own tariffs on U.S. goods.

The orders also begin a 25% tariff on foreign-made automobiles imported to the U.S.

Reaction on Capitol Hill has been mixed. Republicans have largely backed President Trump's plans, or are willing to allow him the chance to to see how the measures play out.

"The experts think they're always right," Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy told reporters earlier on Wednesday. "They're almost always wrong. Some of these guys I've listened to for the last two weeks, and gals, talking about what the impact on the economy is. I know them. I've read their materials. I've looked at their past predictions. They make those late-night psychic hotlines look respectable."

"Nobody knows. Nobody knows. But we'll find out pretty soon," he said.

RELATED STORY | Trump announces baseline 10% tariff on imports for all US trade partners

But there is some pushback. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul spoke on the Senate Floor Wednesday shortly before President Trump's tariffs announcement, warning that the emergency declaration used to implement the tariffs represented executive overreach.

"You can't have a country ruled by emergency. You can't have a country without a separation of powers, without checks and balances," he said.

"Tariffs are a terrible mistake. They don't work, they will lead to higher prices, they are a tax and they have historically been bad for our economy."

A number of Senate Republicans voted along with all Democrats in the chamber Wednesday night to pass a measure intended to stop the emergency declaration President Trump declared concerning fentanyl trafficking from Canada, which formed the basis of new tariffs on the country.

The vote passed 51-48, but it has little chance of making it to the House floor for a vote.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer on Trump's tariffs

Scripps News spoke with Delaware's Democratic Governor Matt Meyer after the president's announcement.

"A tariff is a tax," Gov. Meyer said. "The first sentence defining tariff in any dictionary. This is a 10% tax on every American. It makes no sense. It's an economic theory that was disproven 95 years ago when Smoot-Hawley was passed. Look back in 1930. Herbert Hoover, it was his great policy. What did it lead to? The Great Depression."

"It's not a matter of which sector is going to see it and which sector is not going to see it. The president was clear. This is a tax on everyone."

This is a developing story and will be updated.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and PATRICK WHITTLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner is facing calls to resign after he issued an order — which was quickly rescinded — that would have required Maine parents to register their newborns for Social Security numbers at a federal office rather than the hospital.

Newly unearthed emails show that the March 5 decision was made as political payback to Maine’s Governor Janet Mills, who has defied the Trump administration’s push to deny federal funding to the state over transgender athletes.

In the email addressed to the agency’s staff, acting commissioner Leland Dudek, said, “no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.” Staff members warned that terminating the contracts would result in improper payments and the potential for identity theft.

Dudek’s order initially drew widespread condemnation from medical organizations and public officials, who described it as unnecessary and punitive. The practice of allowing parents to register a newborn for a Social Security number at a hospital or other birthing site, called the Enumeration at Birth program, has been common for decades.

Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, one of two House members from Maine, said Dudek should resign immediately. She characterized Dudek’s actions as retaliation for Mills publicly opposing President Donald Trump.

“If a federal agency can be turned into a political hit squad at the whim of an acting appointee, what checks remain on executive power? Commissioner Dudek’s vindictive actions against Maine represent a fundamental betrayal of public trust that disqualifies him from public service,” Pingree said.

Mills said Wednesday that Social Security is being subjected to “rushed and reckless cuts” and needs leadership that treats it like a public trust. She said that is especially important in Maine, which has a high number of recipients.

“Social Security is not a scheme, as some have said, it’s a covenant between our government and its people. The Social Security Administration’s leadership must act in a manner that reflects this solemn obligation,” Mills said.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to Dudek on Tuesday, calling for his immediate resignation and a request that he sit for an interview with the committee.

“The American people deserve answers about your activities and communications in the time between President Trump’s February 21, 2025, public threat to Governor Mills and your February 27, 2025, order to cancel the enumeration at birth and electronic death registration contracts with the state of Maine, and about your knowledge that cancelling these contracts would lead to increased waste, fraud, and abuse,” Connolly said in his letter.

Connolly, in a letter on Tuesday, said Democrats on the House oversight committee obtained internal emails from the Social Security Administration that he says shows Dudek cancelled the contracts to retaliate politically against Maine.

A representative from the Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

Dudek on a March 18th call with reporters to preview the agency’s tighter identity-proofing measures, initially said the cancellation of the Maine contract happened “because I screwed up,” adding that he believed that the contract looked strange. “I made the wrong move there. I should always ask my staff for guidance first, before I cancel something. I’m new at this job.”

He added, “Well, I was upset at the governor’s treatment, and I indicated in email as such, but the actual fact of the matter was it looked like a strange contract.”

“I’m not interested in political retaliation. I’m interested in serving the public.”

Maine has been the subject of federal investigations since Gov. Mills sparked the ire of Trump at a meeting of governors at the White House in February. During the meeting, Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state does not comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports.

Mills responded: “We’ll see you in court.”

The Trump administration then opened investigations into whether Maine violated the Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports. The Education Department issued a final warning on Monday that the state could face Justice Department enforcement soon if it doesn’t come into compliance soon.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins also said Wednesday that the department is pausing federal funds for some Maine educational programs because of Title IX noncompliance.

Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.

By MEGAN JANETSKY, Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. State Department revoked the visas of members of a Mexican band after they projected the face of a drug cartel boss onto a large screen during a performance in the western state of Jalisco over the weekend.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, said late Tuesday on X that the work and tourism visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco were revoked.

The visa revocations follow widespread outrage in Mexico over the concert as prosecutors in two states have launched investigations into the projected images, and a larger national reckoning over how to address the rise of a popular musical genre criticized for romanticizing drug cartels.

“I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences,” Landau wrote on X. “The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.”

The controversy broke out over the weekend when the face of Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera layered over flames was projected behind the band, originally hailing from Sinaloa, during the concert. Finger pointing ensued among the band, concert producers and the venue.

Oseguera is the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which has been connected to a ranch authorities say was used to train cartel recruits and possibly dispose of bodies in Jalisco, where searchers found human bone fragments, heaps of clothing and shoes.

The Jalisco cartel is among other criminal groups in Mexico that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration.

While the image was met by applause during the concert, Jalisco prosecutors quickly announced they were summoning the band to testify in an investigation into whether they were promoting violence, a crime which could result in a penalty of up to six months in prison. The state of Michoacan also announced an investigation into the Los Alegres del Barranco for projecting the same images during a concert in the city of Uruapan.

Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus said that the state would ban musical performances that glorify violence, adding that violators would “face monetary and criminal sanctions.”

“We know that outrage is not enough,” Lemus said. “Of course it’s possible to ban (the music).”

Since, a number of the band’s future shows have been cancelled, one town’s government saying that the show “didn’t have the municipal permissions needed” to carry out the performance.

Pavel Moreno, the band’s accordion player and back-up singer, didn’t respond to questions by fans asking if his visa had been revoked, simply thanking them for support and saying that “everything is fine.”

The band was scheduled to play in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 4. While the event hasn’t been publicly cancelled, ticket sales websites read: “No tickets available for now on our site” for that date.

The dispute coincides with a larger cultural debate in Mexico as artists like Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Natanael Cano usher in a global renaissance of Mexican regional music, by mixing classic ballads with trap music. In 2023, Peso Pluma beat Taylor Swift out as the most streamed artist on YouTube.

Many of the artists now topping the charts have come under fierce criticism because their lyrics often paint cartel leaders as Robin Hood-esque figures. Others say that the genre, known as “narco corridos”, expresses the harsh realities of many youths across Mexico.

A number of Mexican states have banned public performances of the music in recent years, the most recent being the state of Nayarit in February. Some of the bans have come as famed artists have received death threats from cartels, forcing a number of them to cancel their performances.

Others, including Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, have sought a less aggressive approach to addressing the genre. Sheinbaum, who has come out against censoring the music, has suggested instead that the Mexican government push forward initiatives that promote Mexican regional music with more socially acceptable lyrics.

The Mexican leader did harden her language on the topic following the Los Alegres del Barranco concert. In her morning news briefing this week, Sheinbaum demanded an investigation into the concert, saying: “You can’t justify violence or criminal groups.”

As the rain pours in Southeast Michigan, Southfield resident Ed Fournier invited us inside his "man cave," built for exactly this.

"We built this because we knew we wanted to stay here, we love the area, but we didnt know how much we were going to lose power," said Fournier.

According to him, their Southfield home loses power "a couple times a year, maybe four, maybe five times for sure."

Inside his man cave, Fournier has a wood burner, a generator, extension cables, and more supplies to stay safe during a power outage.

He told us that Wednesday's storm has created a double whammy for his family.

While they wait to see if they'll lose power in Southfield, their home in Mancelona, up north, has already been hit by Sunday's ice storms.

Related Story: Governor Whitmer deploys National Guard as northern Michigan recovers from devastating ice storm Gov Whitmer deploys National Guard as northern Michigan recovers from devastating ice storm

In fact, Fournier spent the beginning of his week in Mancelona, securing their home there, before coming back to Southfield for this storm.

"I dont think people really realize how bad it is up there," said Fournier. "And that people really need a lot of help up there."

Amid the severe weather DTE told 7 News Detroit that they are preparing.

On Wednesday afternoon, our team was invited inside their Systems Operation Center.

There, DTE Vice President of Distribution Operation Brian Calka said, "This is an overlay of the electric grid, it shows all of our substations."

Calka said that inside the center, DTE teams can operate 24 hours a day, remotely addressing homes and businesses that may lose power.

He also said that they have additional crews traveling to Michigan to help: "We have 2,000 line workers that are here on our property right now, we are augmenting them with over 600 line workers that are coming from out of state."

According to Calka, this storm is especially worrisome to them because rain preceding high winds increases the likelihood of trees falling.

He asks all concerned residents to contact them at outage.dteenergy.com.

As we wait to see how many will be affected, residents like Fournier continue to prepare.

"You get your generator, you get your firewood, you get your supplies, you have everything ready," said Fournier. "That way when that time comes, you dont have to worry about yourself, you can help your neighbor out, and thats most important."

On what the White House has dubbed as "Liberation Day," President Donald Trump announced a spate of new tariffs on all U.S. trade partners, as well as additional tariffs on dozens of countries that his administration has described as the "worst offenders."

Speaking Wednesday afternoon during a "Make America Wealthy Again" ceremony from the Rose Garden, President Trump said baseline tariffs of 10% will go into effect April 5th, while the higher reciprocal rates will take effect April 9th amounting to about 50% of what other countries tax U.S. exports.

WATCH | President Trump's full speech on reciprocal tariffs

President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on US trade partners

In addition, President Trump said that beginning at midnight Thursday, the U.S. will place a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles.

RELATED STORY | 'Couldn't care less': Trump not concerned if car prices rise due to tariffs

"This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American History," he said. "It's our declaration of economic independence. For years, hardworking American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful much of it at our expense. But now it's our turn to prosper."

President Trump said his sweeping tariffs are in response to what he called a U.S. "national emergency" arising from economic security concerns and trade deficits. Other countries, however, have indicated they are preparing for retaliatory responses or reserve the right to respond, including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the European Union, China and Japan.

RELATED STORY | US farmers expected to bear the brunt of retaliatory tariffs

Trump administration officials said if any countries announced retaliatory measures in response to President Trump's tariffs, it would be seen as undermining the protections of the president's executive order and the White House would respond.

President Trumps trade policy has sought to address what his administration views as unfair trade with other nations, boost manufacturing, raise revenue, and pay down the national debt.

WATCH | Peter Navarro on Trump's tariffs addressing 'chronic trade deficit'

Peter Navarro on Trump's tariffs addressing 'chronic trade deficit'

"Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already," President Trump said. "We will supercharge our domestic industrial base. We will pry open foreign markets and break down foreign trade barriers, and ultimately more production at home will mean stronger competition and lower prices for consumers."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | More swerves hit Wall Street as Trump's "Liberation Day" nears

Despite recent swings in the stock market in anticipation of the president's tariffs, the White House has maintained that the market is a snapshot in time." Earlier this year, President Trump said there could be a "little disturbance" from his proposed tariffs, but added that his administration will "be okay with that," citing long-term benefits.

Some economic experts, however, have warned that the new tariffs could place a larger burden on low and middle-income families.

I think fundamentally families are going to face higher costs," said Brendan Duke, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Businesses have made clear they plan on raising prices in reaction to these enormous tariffs hes talking about."

The Biden Administration faced a lot of political heat because of rising prices and this is just pouring gasoline on that fire of too high a prices, Duke added.

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries and higher tariff rates on dozens of nations that run trade surpluses with the United States, threatening to upend much of the architecture of the global economy and trigger broader trade wars.

Trump held up a chart while speaking at the White House, showing the United States would charge a 34% tax on imports from China, a 20% tax on imports from the European Union, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan and 32% on Taiwan.

The president used aggressive rhetoric to describe a global trade system that the United States helped to build after World War II, saying “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, plundered” by other nations.

Trump declared a national economic emergency to launch the tariffs, expected to produce hundreds of billions in annual revenues. He has promised that factory jobs will return back to the United States as a result of the taxes, but his policies risk a sudden economic slowdown as consumers and businesses could face sharp price hikes on autos, clothes and other goods.

“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. “But it is not going to happen anymore.”

Trump was fulfilling a key campaign promise as he imposed what he called “reciprocal” tariffs on trade partners, acting without Congress through the 1977 International Emergency Powers Act in an extraordinary attempt to both break and ultimately reshape America’s trading relationship with the world.

The president’s higher rates would hit foreign entities that sell more goods to the United States than they buy, meaning the tariffs could stay in place for some time as the administration expects other nations to lower their tariffs and other barriers to trade that it says have led to a $1.2 trillion trade imbalance last year.

The tariffs follow similar recent announcements of 25% taxes on auto imports; levies against China, Canada and Mexico; and expanded trade penalties on steel and aluminum. Trump has also imposed tariffs on countries that import oil from Venezuela and he plans separate import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.

None of the warning signs about a falling stock market or consumer sentiment turning morose have caused the administration to publicly second-guess its strategy, despite the risk of political backlash as voters in last year’s election said they wanted Trump to combat inflation.

Senior administration officials, who insisted on anonymity to preview the new tariffs with reporters ahead of Trump’s speech, said the taxes would raise hundreds of billions of dollars annually in revenues. They said the 10% baseline rate existed to help ensure compliance, while the higher rates were based on the trade deficits run with other nations and then halved to reach the numbers that Trump presented in the Rose Garden.

In a follow-up series of questions by The Associated Press, the White House could not say whether the tariff exemptions on imports worth $800 or less would remain in place, possibly shielding some imports from the new taxes.

Based on the possibility of broad tariffs that have been floated by some White House aides, most outside analyses by banks and think tanks see an economy tarnished by higher prices and stagnating growth.

Trump would be applying these tariffs on his own; he has ways of doing so without congressional approval. That makes it easy for Democratic lawmakers and policymakers to criticize the administration if the uncertainty expressed by businesses and declining consumer sentiment are signs of trouble to come.

Heather Boushey, a member of the Biden White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, noted that the less aggressive tariffs Trump imposed during his first term failed to stir the manufacturing renaissance he promised voters.

“We are not seeing indications of the boom that the president promised,” Boushey said. “It’s a failed strategy.”

Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said the tariffs are “part of the chaos and dysfunction” being generated across the Trump administration. The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee stressed that Trump should not have the sole authority to raise taxes as he intends without getting lawmakers’ approval, saying that Republicans so far have been “blindly loyal.”

“The president shouldn’t be able to do that,” DelBene said. “This is a massive tax increase on American families, and it’s without a vote in Congress … President Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would lower costs on day one. Now he says he doesn’t care if prices go up — he’s broken his promise.”

Even Republicans who trust Trump’s instincts have acknowledged that the tariffs could disrupt an economy with an otherwise healthy 4.1 % unemployment rate.

“We’ll see how it all develops,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “It may be rocky in the beginning. But I think that this will make sense for Americans and help all Americans.”

Longtime trading partners are preparing their own countermeasures. Canada has imposed some in response to the 25% tariffs that Trump tied to the trafficking of fentanyl. The European Union, in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs, put taxes on 26 billion euros’ worth ($28 billion) of U.S. goods, including on bourbon, which prompted Trump to threaten a 200% tariff on European alcohol.

Many allies feel they have been reluctantly drawn into a confrontation by Trump, who routinely says America’s friends and foes have essentially ripped off the United States with a mix of tariffs and other trade barriers.

The flip side is that Americans also have the incomes to choose to buy designer gowns by French fashion houses and autos from German manufacturers, whereas World Bank data show the EU has lower incomes per capita than the U.S.

“Europe has not started this confrontation,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”

Italy’s premier, Giorgia Meloni, on Wednesday reiterated her call to avoid an EU-US trade war, saying it would harm both sides and would have “heavy” consequences for her country’s economy.

Because Trump had hyped his tariffs without providing specifics until Wednesday, he provided a deeper sense of uncertainty for the world, a sign that the economic slowdown could possibly extend beyond U.S. borders to other nations that would see one person to blame.

Ray Sparnaay, general manager of JE Fixture & Tool, a Canadian tool and die business that sits across the Detroit River, said the uncertainty has crushed his company’s ability to make plans.

“There’s going to be tariffs implemented. We just don’t know at this point,” he said Monday. “That’s one of the biggest problems we’ve had probably the last — well, since November — is the uncertainty. It’s basically slowed all of our quoting processes, business that we hope to secure has been stalled.”

Flooding has been an issue in Detroits Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood since the 1950s.

When theres severe weather, residents know theres always a chance of flooding.

We got to stay in a mode of potential flood or sewage backup in our basements, said Jocelyn Fitzpatrick Harris.

Fitzpatrick Harris knows all too well about the risk of flooding in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. Shes lived there her whole life.

She says she learned to stay prepared after the major flood that happened in the area back in 2021.

I dont put anything valuable in the basement, said Fitzpatrick Harris. Im thankful for having a boiler, a washer, a dryer and those kinds of things are necessities, but other than that, I put nothing valuable in the basement.

Fitzpatrick Harris also has a sump pump and shes not the only person in the neighborhood with one.

We were burned a few years ago, we had like over a foot of water in our basements, ruined everything, so we decided to get us a sump pump, said Detroit resident Carleton Smith.

Smith says now that he has a sump pump, he isnt as worried about heavy rain.

Im ready, let it come and it probably will with this rain theyre anticipating, said Smith.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is also on high alert when it comes to the heavy rain expected in the area.

The department sent this message to residents on Tuesday:

We urge all customers to reduce water usage during the rain event to provide more capacity in the sewer system, and take safety precautions by not driving or walking into standing water. DWSD crews are ready to respond to potential flooding.

The Great Lakes Water Authority is also keeping an eye on the area.

A spokesperson from GLWA says they are: 

Maintaining and optimizing existing infrastructure to ensure current drainage systems operate at peak efficiency. Coordinating with local agencies to enhance stormwater management and emergency response during heavy rainfall. Implementing operational strategies to manage Dry Weather Flow at the existing Freud Storm Pump Station, ensuring it remains functional and reliable until the new station is completed.

When its rainy weather, we just accept it, said Jocelyn Fitzpatrick Harris.

The city is also encouraging residents to report flooded streets and basements.

 

You can do so by using the Improve Detroit app or contacting the water and sewerage department at 313-267-8000.

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By AMANDA SEITZ

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered no new details Wednesday about his massive restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the day after thousands of layoffs ricocheted through its agencies, hollowing out entire offices around the country in some cases.

Kennedy’s silence is prompting questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike, with a bipartisan request for President Donald Trump’s health secretary to appear before a Senate committee next week to explain the cuts.

As many as 10,000 notices were sent to scientists, senior leaders, doctors, inspectors and others across the department in an effort to cut a quarter of its workforce. The agency itself has offered no specifics on which jobs have been eliminated, with the information instead coming largely from employees who have been dismissed.

“This overhaul is about realigning HHS with its core mission: to stop the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy said on social media, in his only comments addressing the layoffs so far. “It’s a win-win for taxpayers, and for every American we serve.”

The move, the department has said, is expected to save $1.8 billion from the agency’s $1.7 trillion annual budget — about one-tenth of 1%.

The department has not released final numbers but last week said it planned to eliminate 3,500 jobs from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 jobs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1,200 from the National Institutes of Health. Public health experts and top Democrats have raised alarms about how the deep cuts — about 25% of the department — will affect food and prescription drug safety, medical research and infectious disease prevention.

Still unclear is why certain jobs were eliminated and others were spared.

As the cuts were underway on Tuesday, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, sent a letter to Kennedy calling him before the Senate’s health committee. In a statement, Cassidy said Kennedy’s appearance is part of his promise to appear quarterly before the committee.

“This will be a good opportunity for him to set the record straight and speak to the goals, structure and benefits of the proposed reorganization,” Cassidy’s statement said.

Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Republican from Tennessee, said the House’s health subcommittee also has questions about job cuts.

“We’re going to find out what the layoffs were all about — 10,000 — we didn’t know it,” Harshbarger said Wednesday at a health care forum hosted by Politico. “We’re going to find out what the premise was for those layoffs.”

At the same event, special government employee Calley Means, a close adviser to Kennedy who is working at the White House, defended the cuts. He struggled, however, to offer an explanation on how the overhaul will improve Americans’ health. Some of his claims were met with shouts and hisses.

“The system is really on the wrong track,” Means said, later adding that he wants to see more research from the NIH.

Politico’s Dasha Burns pressed Means on how the NIH would conduct more research with fewer employees at the agency, which had fired more than 1,000 NIH scientists and other staff before this week’s layoffs. Trump’s Republican administration has yanked hundreds of NIH grants and delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in continuing or new research funds including for studies of cancer and to keep Alzheimer’s centers around the country running.

Means responded by asking: “Has NIH funding been slashed?”

This story has been corrected to show the savings is about one-tenth of 1%, not about 1%.

Associated Press writer Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed.

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says executive orders targeting law firms are being issued in the name of national security, with the White House asserting that the firms don’t deserve access to sensitive U.S. government information.

But the firms fear the orders are being written so broadly as to potentially weaken national security by calling into question the status of security clearances of lawyers who, in addition to their legal practice, serve as military reservists and require their clearances to report to duty.

It’s an example of the sweeping and sometimes unintended consequences of White House efforts to reshape civil society, with those affected in some instances not necessarily being the ones who were top of mind when the Trump administration announced the actions in the first place. Military veterans, for instance, have not been spared from Trump’s ongoing slashing of the federal government.

Trump’s law firm executive orders have generally targeted firms that have associations with prosecutors who previously investigated him or employ, or have employed, attorneys he perceives as political adversaries. The orders have consistently imposed the same consequences, including threatening the suspension of all active security clearances held by employees at the singled-out firms.

Security clearances are issued for government workers and contractors who require access to classified national security information as part of their job. The executive branch and its agencies have wide discretion over who does and who does not obtain a clearance.

It’s unclear how many lawyers at the four firms still subject to executive orders — several others have averted them through settlements with the White House — hold security clearances either through their jobs or other work, or whether the Trump administration would move forward with plans to revoke the clearances of military reservists.

A White House spokesman, asked for comment, pointed to the provision of the order that says the clearances are to be suspended “pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.” The response seemed to suggest that clearances of reservists could potentially be spared.

In the meantime, though, the issue was raised during a court hearing Friday in which a lawyer representing WilmerHale, one of the targeted firms, noted that the firm has within its ranks military reservists who have security clearances. Another firm that’s been subject to an executive order, Perkins Coie, also has said that it employs military reservists.

“I don’t think for a minute the government lawyer is going to come up here and tell you that they actually intended to suspend the reservists’ security clearances,” Paul Clement, a prominent Washington appellate lawyer who is representing WilmerHale, told the judge. “But they’re painting with such a broad brush with this thing, they aren’t distinguishing sheep from goats at all.”

He said Friday that “two of those lawyers have to report for their reserve duty next week. Now, I can’t tell you for sure that they’re going to show up and they’re not going to be able to do their job because their security clearance has been suspended.”

Several firms, including WilmerHale and Perkins Coie, have succeeded in winning court orders temporarily blocking enforcement of certain sections of the executive orders. The security clearance provisions, though, have remained in effect, a reflection of a president’s expansive powers when ordering the suspension or revocation of clearances.

Dan Meyer, a lawyer who specializes in security clearances at the Tully Rinckey law firm — which is not among those targeted in the executive orders — said he assumed the number of attorneys at major law firms is small and that it was possible military reservists might be able to keep their clearances, but it could conceivably require a lengthy adjudication.

“It may be that word will go quietly from the White House, ‘Don’t screw with any of these reservists at these law firms,’” Meyer said.

But, he added, “If the cat wants to claw the mouse, there’s an opportunity to do it.”

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A relative newcomer to politics is running in Michigan's 2026 gubernatorial election.

Republican Anthony Hudson tells me he believes he has the right formula to lead Michigan forward. His top priority, he said, is shrinking the size of the state's government.

"Tell more about your background and why youre in this race," I told Hudson.

Originally from Texas, I moved to Michigan 13 years ago. Average people talk about whats bothering them and their concerns. Here we are. Weve gained momentum. Over 2 million hits on social media. Ive lived and seen what happens based on our representation out of Lansing," Hudson said.

As a proud father and Michigander, Hudson worked as a truck driver and said he believes making our state government smaller is a must.

Watch our full interview with Hudson in the video below

One-on-one with Republican Anthony Hudson, who is running for Michigan governor

What is your platform? Jobs, economy?" I asked.

"Our government in Lansing for our state is too big. Its huge and you and I have to pay for that," he said.

What would you do to bring jobs and business here?" I asked.

"Give people full ownership of jobs and businesses. When you bring jobs people come back. Eliminate property and state income tax. We want people to keep their money," he said.

He said he is anti-abortion, pro-Second Amendment and also fixing our roads, but not in the way we've seen before.

Youve seen roads up close. What do you want to do differently?" I asked.

"Take money and allocate it for our roads. Driving a truck I feel every bump. Take $8.1 billion from MDOT, disperse to counties. Let road commissions do their jobs and have funding," Hudson said.

Hudson said he also supports President Donald Trump on public safety and education and believes we need to be safer and do more to help young people learn.

I grew up with two uncles that were cops 31 years. My father was a police chief. Theres a lot of passion for law enforcement," Hudson said.

President Trump has talked about restructuring the Department of Education. Where do you fall and how do you agree with his position?" I asked.

" I believe states should have control. What were doing in Michigan isnt working," he said.

Names like Duggan. Sheriff Swanson. Benson. How do you compete when theyve had a lot of time to get the message out?" I asked.

"Im not here to target and attack them. I need to focus on me. How do you work with both sides? We have to have a level of aggression, to go in. Someone who can go to bat on other side of the aisle, the policies dont just help Republicans or Democrats. They help all of us as a society," Hudson said.

He also said he wants to see safety courses for people who own guns but doesn't agree with laws telling people how to store them.

Watch more of our interviews with gubernatorial candidates in the videos below

Republican Aric Nesbitt

FULL INTERVIEW: Aric Nesbitt talks about running for Governor

Democrat Jocelyn Benson

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson talks with 7 News Detroit after announcing gubernatorial run

Democrat Chris Swanson

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson talks about gubernatorial run

Independent Mike Duggan

Interview: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talks about running for Michigan Governor

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist has also announced a run for governor as a Democrat. We hope to interview him in the future.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel is establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas, suggesting it would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered evacuated, from the rest of the Palestinian territory.

The announcement came after Netanyahu's defense minister said that Israel would seize large areas of Gaza and add them to its so-called security zones. A wave of Israeli strikes, meanwhile, killed more than 40 Palestinians, including several women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Palestinians protest Hamas in a rare public show of dissent in Gaza

Israel has vowed to escalate the nearly 18-month war with Hamas until the militant group returns dozens of remaining hostages, disarms and leaves the territory. Israel ended a ceasefire in March and has imposed a monthlong halt on all imports of food, fuel and humanitarian aid.

Netanyahu described the new axis as the Morag corridor, using the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it would run between the two southern cities. He said it would be "a second Philadelphi corridor " referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt further south, which has been under Israeli control since last May.

Israel has reasserted control over the Netzarim corridor, also named for a former settlement, that cuts off the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the narrow coastal strip. Both of the existing corridors run from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea.

We are cutting up the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages, Netanyahu said.

RELATED STORY | Oscar-winning Palestinian director is attacked by Jewish settlers and detained, activists say

In northern Gaza, an Israeli airstrike hit a U.N. building in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, killing 15 people, including nine children and two women, according to the Indonesian Hospital. The Israeli military said it struck Hamas militants in a command and control center.

The building, previously a clinic, had been converted into a shelter for displaced people, with more than 700 residing there, according to Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza. No U.N. staff were wounded in the strike.

She said U.N. staff warned people about the dangers of remaining there after Wednesday's strike but that many chose to stay, simply because they have absolutely nowhere else to go.

Two Michigan chefs from Traverse City have been named a finalist for a James Beard Award, the James Beard Foundation announced on Wednesday.

Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson from The Cooks' House in Traverse City are finalists for Best Chef: Great Lakes, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

The category is for "chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions."

The finalists for the awards were announced on Wednesday.

In January, 10 Michigan restaurants and chefs were named semifinalists for the awards, but only Blakeslee and Patterson moved into the finalists. The winners will be announced in June in Chicago.

The Cooks' House is located near Downtown Traverse City and was started by Patterson and Blakeslee.

According to the website, both worked in Las Vegas before returning to Traverse City, where Blakeslee is from.

"We take most of our focus from the actual ingredients themselves, Patterson said, according to the website. My food is a bit simpler, whereas Jen likes to work with more complex flavors from her travels in India, Mexico and Southeast Asia.

Americans are racing to buy cars in an apparent effort to act before tariffs cause prices to go up.

Major car companies saw sales spike sharply in March with nearly 1.6 million vehicles sold, according to Motorintelligence.com.

General Motors reported a 17% increase in its first-quarter sales.

Kia and Hyundai also reported double-digit first-quarter sales gains, at 11% and 10%, respectively.

Last week, President Trump announced 25% tariffs on all foreign-made vehicles and some car parts set to begin April 3.

The White House hopes the tariffs will spur auto companies to produce more cars domestically.

RELATED STORY | Trump announces US automakers will get a month's reprieve from tariffs on imports

But consumers worry it will cause prices to go up, and many want to buy before that happens.

Karen Pettke told Scripps News Group Detroit that she was originally planning to buy a car in June but pivoted upon news of the tariffs.

"I had to hustle and get a car before the Trump tariffs come into being," Pettke said. "I didn't want to take a chance that this car could go up thousands of dollars."

Pettke is not alone.

John Giasullo owns a car dealership in Florida and Told Scripps News Group West Palm Beach that he's seen more buyers coming in who ready to buy fast.

"Just this past weekend we were slammed on Saturday, no time for the guys to eat lunch, just constantly busy," Giasullo said. "I popped in Sunday to help one customer; we ended up selling four cars in a three-hour period. So, they're nervous."

As sales jump ahead of the tariffs, it's unclear the exact impact they'll have once they're imposed. Last week, Cox Automotive revised its 2025 forecast to predict 700,000 fewer cars will be sold in the U.S. this year.

The National Football League is replacing its on-field "chain gang" crew with a new innovative technology to decide ball placement and first downs during games next season.

During the league's annual winter meetings, the NFL announced that beginning with the 2025 season, it will do away with its traditional human-operated chain measurement system, opting instead for Sony's Hawk-Eye technology to measure the line to gain. The NFL said the new method was "tested extensively last season" and has proven more accurate and efficient.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | This NFL team is pushing for an end to the infamous 'tush push' play

"The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence," said Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations at the NFL. "Combining the art of officiating with Sony's trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency. Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football."

The NFL said the new Sony Hawk-Eye technology will be deployed across all 30 NFL stadiums and international venues that also host games. The new system consists six 8K, high resolution cameras and will be monitored by the NFL's Central Officiating Center in New York where the league's existing replay system is located.

However, the league's "chain gang" operators aren't gone for good. The NFL said a human chain crew will still remain on the field as a secondary option to the new Sony Hawk-Eye system.

LOOKING AHEAD | NFL will play regular season games in Australia for the first time in 2026

The NFL's shift toward technology, however, is in line with many other major sports leagues, which increasingly rely on computer and camera analysis to reduce the chance for human error.

"We have always been passionate about working with the leading global sports to pioneer change. Our ultimate ambition is to make sports fairer, safer and more engaging," said Rufus Hack, CEO of Hawk-Eye, Pulselive at Beyond Sports. "We're incredibly excited to extend our partnership with the NFL on the important virtual measurement initiative, to continue to enhance the game for players, officials and most importantly fans."

Though construction began a couple of weeks ago, community leaders, business owners and more gathered for a groundbreaking of the Monroe Streetscape project in Greektown.

The project aims to reimagine four blocks of Monroe Street through Greektown, one of the most popular streets in Downtown Detroit, into a safer and more walkable public space.

See the latest renderings in the video below

Monroe Streetscape renderings for web

It's being branded as "A New Greektown: Honoring History, Embracing the Future" and will include wider sidewalks, greenery, flexible curbless lanes and more. The hope is to increase public safety, boost events and celebrate its history.

This is a transformational project for Greektown that will help it remain a premier Detroit destination for another 100 years, Greektown Neighborhood Partnership Board Chair and President Athina Papas said in a statement. After extensive community engagement and overwhelming support, were proud to move forward with a vision that truly honors the history and Greek heritage of the neighborhood while reflecting what residents, businesses, and visitors want for the future of Monroe Street.

Officials are reminding visitors that all businesses in Greektown remain open and pedestrian access is available to Monroe Street while the road is closed to traffic. Nearby parking in surface lots and garages are open, as is the Greektown People Mover stop.

Construction is set to be complete by the summer of 2026.

A federal judge ruled late on Tuesday that the Trump administration must temporarily restore funds to a nonprofit group that provides legal and other services for tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children.

Judge Araceli Martnez-Olguns order runs through April 16 and requires the Trump administration to resume funding for the Acacia Center for Justice and other nonprofit groups.

Martnez-Olgun determined that nonprofit groups have legal standing to sue the government to preserve funding. Plaintiffs are arguing that theyre entitled to funds through the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.

Martnez-Olguns order prevents the termination of funding for legal representation for these children, allowing the Acacia Center for Justice to continue its services while legal proceedings continue.

RELATED STORY | Here's how migrants are contributing to the US economy

On March 21, the Trump administration announced it would stop funding the Unaccompanied Children Program. The program provides services and legal representation for thousands of children who are in the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian.

Acacias Unaccompanied Children Program provides legal representation to more than 26,000 children in and released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody, Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, said. These independent childrens rights attorneys protect children from trafficking, abuse, and exploitation, helping vulnerable kids engage in a confusing and often tumultuous legal process and pursue their legal interests and options in a rapidly evolving immigration system.

Groups like the Acacia Center argued that the loss of federal funds would force them to lay off attorneys providing legal services to unaccompanied migrant children. A judge agreed that the termination of funding would be detrimental to these organizations, stating that terminating funding for direct legal representation for unaccompanied children, without any plan to ensure continuity in representation, potentially violates Congresss express directive.

The Court additionally finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness within the immigration system, wrote Martnez-Olgun, who was appointed to the district court in 2023 by President Joe Biden.

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The Detroit Free Press Marathon has been voted the best marathon in the United States as part of the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

The results were released on Wednesday with the Detroit race being named the top marathon.

Watch below: Ferndale couple crowned Detroit Free Press Marathon Champions

Ferndale couple crowned Detroit Free Press Marathon Champions

Over the past few years, the has continued to grow in popularity. 2024 was the first year the race sold out with the sell-out taking place three months before.

This year, the race sold out within just a couple of months, the fastest sell-out in the race's 48-year history.

Watch below: Runner in Detroit Free Press marathon survives heart attack during the race

Runner in Detroit Free Press marathon survives heart attack during the race

The 26.2-mile route is an international marathon that crosses into Windsor over the Ambassador Bridge and then back into the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, officially known as the underwater mile.

It also goes through several historic neighborhoods in Detroit, including Eastern Market and Indian Village.

We are thrilled to be recognized by readers and runners alike who help make our international marathon the pride of the Motor City, Vice President and Race Director Aaron Velthoven said in a statement. This is a testament to the hard work and passion of our team, volunteers, and participants each and every year.

A suspect has been taken into custody and charged in connection to vandalism at Meadow Brook Hall that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

According to Oakland University, the suspect was arrested after an anonymous tip.

This act of vandalism has been a very upsetting situation for all of us, added Bill Matt, executive director of Meadow Brook Hall. We are greatly appreciative of the Oakland University Police Department for their excellent work in apprehending the responsible party."

Original story below

After someone purposely broke two of Meadow Brook Halls historic stained glass windows earlier this month, the estate is kicking off a new initiative, asking the community to help get them restored to their original splendor.

Meadow Brook Hall Executive Director Bill Matt said the windows were broken during the early hours of February 4. The suspect reportedly kicked in one window and smashed another with a tool.

"It's kind of a mix of grief and horror, how anybody, an adult, could damage a National Historic Landmark," said Matt.

The Meadow Brook team launched The 1929 Club. This philanthropic monthly giving club, a nod to the year Meadow Brook was founded, aims to have people commit to giving $19.29 a month to support the cultural institution and restore the stained glass windows.

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett has pledged to be the first member of the club.

"As Mayor of Rochester Hills, I take great pride in the unique gems that make our community special and one of those is certainly Meadow Brook Hall, our nationally recognized historic venue located right down the street," said Barnett in a statement. "After the vandalism, we want to get Meadow Brook Hall looking beautiful and back on its feet as quickly as possible.

According to Meadow Brook, it will cost $35,000 to replace the windows, which depicted scenes of the arts and are at the top of the estates ballroom. While Meadow Brook does have insurance, we're told the deductible was much higher than the cost of the damage. Meadow Brook was also recently approved for a grant to help with window restoration, but Matt says the recent vandalism was not factored into that cost.

"It wasn't part of our budget and you know we really need the support because we are donation-based, basically a non-profit," said Matt.

If you want to learn more about The 1929 Club or make a pledge, click here.

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue critical rulings that may determine the fate of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the future of President Donald Trumps efforts to downsize the federal government.

Previously, lower courts, including district and appeals courts, have provided decisions on these matters. However, the highest court in the land is expected to announce at least temporary rulings soon, which could reverse or uphold those lower court decisions.

RELATED STORY | Trump admin files emergency appeal to Supreme Court over federal worker firings

Among the key issues at stake are recently terminated diversity, equity, and inclusion grants within the Department of Education, as well as the legality of layoffs affecting thousands of probationary employees across six government agencies. The central question remains: Did Trump and his administration have the legal authority to implement these decisions?

The timing of the Supreme Court's pending rulings coincides with ongoing layoffs within the federal government. Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the dismissal of approximately 10,000 employees across various health agencies. Meanwhile, other government departments have also begun offering buyouts to employees in an effort to streamline operations.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Scripps News Reports: DOGE Unleashed

In addition to these legal challenges, questions arise regarding Elon Musk's future role within DOGE and the Trump administration. Musk has played an active part in government affairs. However, following a recent defeat in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race where he invested millions to support the Republican-backed candidate some speculate that his political influence may be dwindling.

President Trump discussed Musk's involvement, suggesting that a departure could be on the horizon.

At some point he's going to be going back. He wants to, Trump said, hinting that Musk may refocus on his business ventures. But I'd keep him as long as I could keep him.

FOLLOWING UP | Scripps News Reports: DOGE Unleashed Part 2

Currently classified as a temporary government employee with a 130-day cap, Musks potential exit could come by the end of May, coinciding with the anticipated Supreme Court rulings.

As the legal landscape evolves, all eyes are on the Supreme Court to see how its decisions will shape the future of both DOGE and broader federal employment practices.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for the Food and Drug Administration in its crackdown on sweet-flavored vaping products following a surge in teen electronic cigarette use.

But the justices' unanimous decision throwing out a federal appeals court ruling is not the final word in the case, and the FDA could change its approach now that President Donald Trump has promised to save vaping.

The high court ruled that the FDA, during President Joe Biden's administration, did not violate federal law when it denied an application from Dallas-based company Triton Distribution to sell e-juices like Jimmy The Juice Man in Peachy Strawberry and Suicide Bunny Mothers Milk and Cookies. The products are heated by an e-cigarette to create an inhalable aerosol.

RELATED STORY | Vaping linked to 19% higher risk of heart failure, study finds

The FDA has rejected applications for more than a million nicotine products formulated to taste like fruit, dessert or candy because their makers couldnt show that flavored vapes had a net public benefit, as required by law.

It has approved some tobacco-flavored vapes, and recently it allowed its first menthol-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers after the company provided data showing the product was more helpful in quitting.

But the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Triton, agreeing that the FDA changed its standards with little warning in violation of federal law.

RELATED STORY | 'It was scary: Tulsa woman says vaping landed her in medically-induced coma

While mainly ruling for the FDA on Wednesday, the Supreme Court noted that the agency had said the company's marketing plan would be an important factor in evaluating its application. But it ultimately did not consider the marketing plan, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court.

The appeals court was ordered to consider if the failure to do so is an important mistake that might still lead to a decision in Triton's favor.

The Kent County Health Department confirmed a case of measles in a county resident, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed.

This is the first confirmed measles case in 2013 in the county and Michigan's second case of the year after a person in Oakland County had a confirmed case last month.

Watch below: March report after measles case confirmed in Oakland County

Measles case confirmed in Oakland County, health officials warn of 2 exposure sites

According to the health department, the traveler visited Detroit Metro Airport and the Delta Sky Club across two days last month.

The first exposure happened between 11:20 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25 at the Delta Sky Club near Gate A68.

Then, at DTW from 6:45 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, March 27 through Friday, March 28.

The infected adult recently traveled abroad before returning to the U.S. and traveled between Michigan and New Jersey.

Measles spreads easily through the air when an infected person breaths, coughs, or sneezes. It can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves, continuing to infect others. Symptoms typically begin 714 days after exposure, though they can surface as late as 21 days after exposure, and may include:

High fever (may spike to over 104F) Cough Runny nose Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis) Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of mouth (Koplik Spots) 2-3 days after symptoms begin A rash that is red, raised, blotchy; usually starts on face, spreads to trunk, arms and legs 3-5 days after symptoms begin

People who were at the above locations during the specified times should monitor for these symptoms for 21 days after exposure. Anyone experiencing symptoms is urged to call their healthcare provider before seeking in-person care to prevent further spread. The KCHD can be reached Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 616-632-7228. Individuals can call 2-1-1 for support during weekends and evenings.