The last time The Weeknd was in town, during July of 2022 at Ford Field, he promised that the end of the night, “I’m gonna come back soon, Detroit. Next time we’ll do Ford Field two nights, back to back!”

And on Saturday, May 24 at the stadium, the multi-hyphenate Canadian entertainer made sure to acknowledge that the promise had been kept. “I said that, right?” The Weeknd crowed before performing his 2022 hit “Out of Time.”

That was, of course, just fine with the 45,000 or so fans — quite a few of whom had come from out of town and even out of the country to catch the nearly two-hour and 15-minute concert, ostensibly a continuation of The Weeknd’s After House Before Dawn Tour but with enough new elements to make it a fresh experience. (He performs again on Sunday, May 25.)

Much has happened, and not all good, since the Toronto native also known as Abel Tesfaye’s last appearance at Ford Field. His HBO series “The Idol,” was critically panned, while his feature film “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” which opened two weeks ago, has been a box office bomb (though trailers were shown between acts to remind the OOXO faithful that it’s still in some theaters). But the album companion to the latter, released at the end of January, was his fifth straight to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving him plenty of familiar fresh material to play on Saturday.

And he added plenty of new fare to the visual extravaganza, a dizzying and action-packed presentation on par with other groundbreaking stadium performances by the likes of Pink Floyd, U2, Madonna and, yes, even Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

Saturday’s show was even more stadium-filling (not to mention a half-hour longer) than its predecessor. The stage still stretched nearly the entire length of the Ford Field floor, with three distinct performance spaces as well as catwalks. To that The Weeknd added another section that crossed the stage in the middle, allowing him to get closer to fans on what would be the sidelines as he sang, often directly to the camera, through a series of large gold hoops. During “Out of Time” he came down to floor level, singing into fans’ phones and even letting a couple of them sing some of the song’s lines.

The backdrop of a post-apocalyptic Toronto on one side has crumbled since The Weeknd’s last stop, opening up more space for the huge video screen behind it and making his four-piece band — including artist-producer Mike Dean, who opened the evening with his own half-hour set — more readily visible. A rotating gold Sorayama statue with lighted eyes sat in the center of all this, and The Weeknd deployed lasers and fire effects — the latter prodigiously during “The Hills” and “Sao Paulo” — throughout the night.

Also back was an enlarged corps of masked, red-cloaked extras — 32, up from 24 three years ago — that walked and posed in formation during about a third of the more than three-dozen songs, occasionally breaking into poses and dance moves. And glittering hand-out bracelets The Weeknd used last time, as well, kept Ford Fields sparkling throughout the show.

Amidst all this, however, The Weeknd was still the star of the night, in good voice and even better mood as he continually teased the crowd — “Detroit, are you warmed up yet?” he asked several times — but also sang his gratitude for its support, also on several occasions. He offered up 11 songs from “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — including the opening dramatic couplet of “The Abyss” and “After Hours” and the live debut of “Reflections Laughing.” The show also brought “The Morning” back into the set after a two-year absence, while Playboi Carti — whose 40-minute opening set had enough energy to power the Movement festival down at Hart Plaza — joined for romps through The Weeknd’s “Timeless” and his own “Rather Lie.”

And there were plenty of hits, ranging from shortened versions of “After Hours,” “Starboy” and “Kiss Land” to full-length and even extended stadium-banging renditions of “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Call out My Name,” “Less Than Zero” and “Blinding Lights.” “Sacrifice” and the show-closing “Moth to a Flame,” meanwhile, were delivered ala the remixes done by Swedish House Mafia.

The latter was also accompanied by a barrage of grand finale visual effects to send fans home dancing, singing and perhaps a little (temporarily) hearing empaired. The Weeknd — who has talked about dumping that stage name in the near future — said nothing about coming back for three nights at Ford Field, but it’s likely that anyone at Saturday’s show, even the world travelers, would be happy to return and see what new he could cook up for that.

Tickets still remain for The Weeknd’s concert at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25 2000 Brush St., Detroit. 313-262-2008 or fordfield.com.

By Sarah Jane Tribble, KFF Health News, Holly K. Hacker, Lydia Zuraw, KFF Health News, KFF Health News

BRANCHLAND, W.Va. — Ada Carol Adkins lives with her two dogs in a trailer tucked into the timbers off Upper Mud River Road.

“I’m comfortable here, but I’m having health issues,” said the 68-year-old, who retired from her job as a school cook several years ago after having a stroke. “Things are failing me.”

Her trailer sits halfway up a ridge miles from town and the local health clinic. Her phone and internet are “wacky sometimes,” she said. Adkins — who is fiercely independent and calls herself a “Mountain Momma” — worries she won’t be able to call for help if service goes out, which happens often.

To Frontier Communications, the telecommunications company that owns the line to her home, Adkins says: “Please come and hook me right.”

But she might be waiting years for better service, frustrated by her internet provider and left behind by troubled federal grant programs.

A quarter of West Virginia counties — including Lincoln, where the Mud River bends its way through hollows and past cattle farms — face two barriers to health care: They lack high-speed internet and have a shortage of primary care providers and behavioral health specialists, according to a KFF Health News analysis.

Years of Republican and Democratic administrations have tried to fix the nation’s broadband woes, through flawed attempts. Bad mapping, weak standards, and flimsy oversight have left Adkins and nearly 3 million other rural Americans in dead zones — with eroded health care services and where telehealth doesn’t reach.

Blair Levin, a former executive director of the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan, called one rural program rollout during the first Trump administration “a disaster.”

It was launched before it was ready, he said, using unreliable federal maps and a reverse-auction process to select internet carriers. Locations went to the lowest bidder, but the agency failed to ensure winners had the knowledge and resources to build networks, said Levin, who is now an equity analyst with New Street Research.

The fund initially announced awards of $9.2 billion to build infrastructure in 49 states. By 2025, $3.3 billion of those awards were in default and, as a result, the program won’t connect 1.9 million homes and businesses, according to a recent study.

A $42 billion Biden-era initiative still may not help Adkins and many others shortchanged by earlier federal broadband grants. The new wave of funding, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, or BEAD, has an anti-waste provision and won’t provide service in places where previous grants were awarded — even if companies haven’t delivered on their commitments.

The use of federal money to get people connected is “really essential” for rural areas, said Ross DeVol, CEO and chairman of the board of Heartland Forward, a nonpartisan think tank based in Bentonville, Arkansas, that specializes in state and local economic development.

“Internet service providers look at the economics of trying to go into some of these communities and there just isn’t enough purchasing power in their minds,” DeVol said, adding that broadband expansion is analogous to rural electrification. Without high-speed internet, “you’re simply at a distinct disadvantage,” he added. “I’ll call it economic discrimination.”

‘I Got Books Full’

Adkins keeps spiral-bound notebooks and calendars filled with handwritten records of phone and internet outages.

In January, while bean soup warmed on the stove, she opened a notebook: “I got books full. Hang on.”

Her finger traced the page as she recounted outages that occurred about once a month last year. Adkins said she lost connectivity twice in November, again in October, and in July, May, and March. Each time she went for days without service.

Adkins pays Frontier Communications $102.13 a month for a “bundle” that includes a connection for her house phone and wireless internet access on her cellphone. Frontier did not respond to requests for comment on Adkins’ and other customers’ service.

Adkins, a widow, spends most of her time at home and said she would do video calls with her doctors if she could. She said she still has numbness on one side of her body after the stroke. She also has high blood pressure and arthritis and uses over-the-counter pain patches when needed, such as after she carries 30-pound dog food bags into the house.

She does not own a four-wheel-drive truck and, for three weeks in January, the snow and ice were so severe she couldn’t leave. “I’m stranded up here,” she said, adding that neighbors check in: “‘Do you have electric? Have you got water? Are you OK?’”

The neighbors have all seen Adkins’ line. The pale-yellow cord was tied off with green plastic ties around a pole outside her trailer. As it ran down the hill, it was knotted around tree trunks and branches, frayed in places, and, finally, collapsed on the ground under gravel, snow, and ice at the bottom of the hill.

Adkins said a deer stepping on the line has interrupted her phone service.

David and Billi Belcher’s double-wide modular home sits near the top of the ridge past Adkins’ home. Inside, an old hunting dog sleeps on the floor. Belcher pointed out a window toward where he said Frontier’s cable has remained unrepaired for years: “It’s laying on the ground in the woods,” he said.

Frontier is West Virginia’s legacy carrier, controlling most of the state’s old landlines since buying them from Verizon Communications in 2010. Twelve years later, the company won nearly $248 million to install high-speed internet to West Virginia through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, an initiative launched during President Donald Trump’s first term.

“Big Daddy,” as local transit driver Bruce Perry called Trump, is popular with the people of Lincoln County. About 80% of the county’s voters picked the Republican in the last election.

The Trump administration awarded Frontier money to build high-speed internet to Upper Mud River Road residents, like Adkins, according to state mapping. Frontier has until Dec. 31, 2028, to build.

But the Belchers needed better internet access for work and could afford to pay $700 for a Starlink satellite internet kit and insurance, they said. Their monthly Starlink bill is $120 — a price many cannot manage, especially since Congress sunset an earlier program that helped offset the cost of high-speed plans for consumers.

Meanwhile, the latest broadband program to connect rural Americans is ensnared in Trump administration policy shifts.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which administers the program, in April announced a 90-day extension for states to finalize their plans during a “comprehensive review” of the program.

West Viriginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, announced his state would take an extension. The move, though, doesn’t make a lot of sense, said Evan Feinman, who left the agency in March after directing the broadband program for the past three years.

Calling the work already done in West Virginia an “incredible triumph,” Feinman said the state had completed the planning, mapping, and the initial selection of companies. The plan that was in place would have brought high-speed fiber lines to homes ahead of schedule and under budget, he said.

“They could be building today, and it’s just deeply disappointing that they’re not,” Feinman said.

When Feinman resigned in March, he sent a lengthy email stating that the new administration wants to take fiber away from homes and businesses and substitute it with satellite connections. The move, he said, would be more expensive for consumers and hurt rural and small-town America.

Morrisey, whose office declined to respond to requests for comment, said in his announcement that he wants to ensure West Virginia spends the money in a manner “consistent with program changes being proposed by the Trump Administration” and “evaluate a broader range of technology options.”

Commissioners from Grant County responded with a letter supporting fiber-optic cables rather than satellite-based connections like those provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink. Nationwide, 115 lawmakers from 28 states sent a letter to federal leaders stating that changes could “delay broadband deployment by a year or more.”

For Adkins and others, the wait has been long enough.

While legislators in Washington and across the country bickered over the broadband program, Adkins went without phone and internet. By late March, she said, her 42-year-old son was increasingly worried, noting “you’re getting up in age.” He told her: “Mom, move out, get off of that hill.”

Worst-Case Scenario

A few miles from Upper Mud River Road, past the McDonald’s and across the road from the local library, Brian Vance sat in his downtown Hamlin, West Virginia, office. He said his company has been trying to “build up there for a while.”

Vance is a general manager for Armstrong Telephone and Cable, a regional telecommunications provider that competes with Frontier. He grew up in the community, and parents of a high school friend live off Upper Mud River. But he said “it’s very difficult” to build fiber along the rocky terrain to homes where “you are hoping that people will hook up, and if they don’t, well, you’ve lost a lot of money.”

A 2022 countywide broadband assessment found that stringing fiber-optic lines along telephone poles would cost more than $5,000 per connection in some areas — work that would need big federal subsidies to be feasible.

Yet Vance said Armstrong cannot apply for the latest BEAD funding to help finance connections. And while he likes that the federal government is “being responsible” by not handing out two federal grants for the same area, Vance said, “we want to see people deliver on the grants they have.”

If Frontier hadn’t already gotten federal funds from the earlier Trump program, “we definitely would have applied to that area,” Vance said.

The 2022 assessment noted the community’s economy would not be sustainable without “ubiquitous broadband.”

High-speed internet brings more jobs and less poverty, said Claudia Persico, an associate professor at American University. Persico, who is also a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, co-authored a recent paper that found increased broadband internet leads to a reduction in the number of suicides as well as improvements in self-reported mental and physical health.

More than 30% of Lincoln County’s population reports cases of depression, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of opioid prescriptions dispensed in Lincoln County is down about 60% from 2014 to 2024 — but still higher than the state average, according to the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

Twenty percent of the county’s population lives below the poverty line, and residents are also more likely than the national average to experience heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Lincoln Primary Care Center offers telehealth services such as electronic medical records on a patient portal and a pharmacy app, said Jill Adkins, chief quality and risk officer at Southern West Virginia Health System, which operates the clinic.

But because of limited access, only about 7% of patients use telehealth, she said.

Della Vance was a patient at the clinic but said she has never used a patient portal. If she could, Vance said, she would check records on the baby she is expecting.

“You can’t really get on if you don’t have good service and no internet,” she said. “It makes me angry, honestly.”

Vance and her husband, Isaiah, live off a gravel road that veers from Upper Mud River. There is a tall pole with black wires dangling across the road from their small home. Pointing to the cables, Isaiah Vance said he couldn’t get phone service anymore.

Verizon announced plans last year to buy Frontier for an estimated $20 billion. The deal, which must be approved by federal and state regulators, is expected to be completed in early 2026, according to an investor’s press release.

In its federal merger application, Frontier stated that it had taken on too much debt after emerging from bankruptcy and that debt would make it difficult to finish the work of installing fiber to customers in 25 states.

In West Virginia, Frontier’s Allison Ellis wrote in March 3 testimony, seeking approval for the merger from state regulators, that Verizon will honor the rural program commitments. The previous month, in February, Frontier filed a motion with the state public service commission to keep the number of customers using copper lines and the faster fiber-optic lines confidential.

Kelly Workman, West Virginia’s broadband director, said during a November interview that her office has asked federal regulators for “greater visibility” into Frontier’s rural program construction, particularly because those locations cannot win the Biden-era infrastructure money when it’s available.

“The worst-case scenario would be for any of these locations to be left behind,” Workman said.

‘Money Cow’

Frontier’s progress installing fiber-optic lines and its unreliable service have frustrated West Virginians for years. In a 2020 letter to the FCC, U.S. Sen. Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.) cited “the failure of Frontier to deliver on promises to federal partners” and its “mismanagement” of federal dollars, which forced the state to pay back $4.7 million because of improper use and missed deadlines.

Michael Holstine, a longtime member of the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council, said the company has “just used West Virginia as a money cow.” Holstine has been fighting for the construction of fiber-optic lines in Pocahontas County for years. “I really just hope I get it before I die.”

Across the state, people like Holstine and Adkins are eager for updated networks, according to interviews as well as letters released under a public records request.

Chrissy Murray, vice president of Frontier’s external communications, acknowledged that the company was “building back our community efforts” in West Virginia after a bankruptcy filing and reorganization. She said there has been a “notable decline” in consumer complaints, though she did not provide specific numbers.

Murray said Frontier built fiber-optic cables to 20% of its designated rural funds locations as of the end of 2024. It has also invested in other infrastructure projects across the state, she said in a January email, adding that the company donated high-speed fiber internet to West Virginia University’s rural Jackson’s Mill campus.

According to data tracked by a federal agency, Frontier has connected 6,100 — or fewer than 10% — of the more than 79,000 locations it was awarded in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program.

The FCC oversees the rural fund. The agency did not respond to a request for comment. Frontier expects to receive $37 million annually from the agency through 2032, according to a federal filing.

In April, a new batch of letters from West Virginia residents filed as “support” for Frontier’s merger with Verizon appeared in the state regulatory docket:

“My support for this case depends on whether Verizon plans to upgrade or replace the existing Frontier infrastructure,” wrote one customer in Summers County, in the far southern corner of the state, adding, “West Virginians in my neck of the woods have been held hostage by Frontier for a generation now because no other providers exist.”

A customer from Hardy County, in the state’s northeastern corner, wrote: “This is [a] move by frontier to to [sic] escape its responsibility to continue services.”

‘Deep-Rooted’

Adkins moved to Upper Mud River with her husband, Bobby, decades ago.

For years, Bobby and Ada Carol Adkins ran a “carry-out” on Upper Mud River Road. The old building is still at the rock quarry just down the hill and around the curve from where her trailer sits.

It was the type of store where locals kept a tab — which Bobby treated too much like a “charity,” Adkins said. They sold cigarettes, beer, bread, bags of chips, and some food items like potatoes and rice. “Whatever the community would want,” she said.

Then, Bobby Adkins’ “health started deteriorating and money got tighter,” Adkins said. He died at 62 years old.

Now, Adkins said, “I’m having kidney problems. I got arthritis, they’re treating me for high blood pressure.”

Her doctor has begun sending notes over the internet to refill her blood pressure medicine and, Adkins said, “I love that!”

But Adkins’ internet was out again in early April, and she can’t afford Starlink like her neighbors. Even as Adkins said she is “deep-rooted,” her son’s request is on her mind.

“I’m having health problems,” Adkins said. “He makes a lot of sense.”

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Marian Rivman is pushing 80. Harriet Luria is a proud 83. In this trio, Carol Leister is the baby at 62. Together, they have decades of experience with yoga. Only now, it involves a chair.

Chair yoga adapts traditional yoga poses for older people and others with physical challenges, but the three devotees said after a recent class that doesn’t mean it’s not a quality workout. As older adults have become more active, chair yoga has grown in popularity.

“You’re stretching your whole body,” Rivman offered. “What you can do in the chair is a little bit more forgiving on the knees and on the hips. So as you age, it allows you to get into positions that you were doing before without hurting yourself.”

Sitting down to exercise, or standing while holding onto a chair to perform some poses, may not sound like a workout, but Rivman, Luria, Leister and practitioners everywhere see a world of benefits.

“I took it up because I have osteoporosis and the chair yoga is much easier,” Luria said. “You don’t have to worry as much about falling and breaking anything. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be, but it’s not easy. And you really do use your muscles. It’s an excellent workout.”

Yoga with a chair isn’t just for older people

Chair yoga is clearly marketed to older women, who made up the class where the three yoga friends got together at the Marlene Meyerson JCC on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But the practice also has a lot to offer others, said their instructor, Whitney Chapman.

Desk workers can squeeze in 15 minutes of chair yoga, for instance. Many companies offer it as a way to cut down on stress and improve overall health. And people recovering from surgery or injuries may not be ready to get down on a yoga mat, but they can stretch in a chair.

“I’ve known these ladies probably 18 to 20 years. And the very first time in a yoga class that I brought in the chair, all of my students said I don’t want geriatric yoga. I’m not an old person,” Chapman said.

“And then they saw that having a chair is just as good as a yoga strap, a yoga block. It’s another prop that’s going to help you do what you want to do. So it’s not necessarily because you’re older, but that it can be helpful. And it doesn’t mean you’re geriatric just because you’re sitting in a chair.”

The benefits are many, Chapman said: improved flexibility, strength, balance. And there’s the overall emotional well-being that yoga practitioners in general report. It’s particularly useful for people with mobility issues or chronic ailments like arthritis or back pain. Chapman also teaches yoga to cancer and Parkinson’s disease patients.

In addition to restorative and other benefits, the practice of chair yoga can help improve posture for people of all ages and abilities, and help older people prevent falls.

A physical practice that can last a lifetime

Leister recently retired.

“I’ve been looking for all different kinds of exercises to do and this is one of them,” she said. “This is the one that I could see doing for the rest of my life, where some that are a little more strenuous I may not be able to do in the future.”

Traditional yoga originated more than 5,000 years ago in India. Many of the poses used today are also that old. It can be as much spiritual as physical, and that also goes for its chair descendant. The precise movements are tied to deliberate, cleansing breathwork.

Rivman has been doing yoga for about 50 years.

“Once you start and you get what it does for your body, you don’t want to give it up. And if there’s a way that you can keep doing it and keep doing it safely, that’s a choice you’re going to make,” she said.

Yoga by the numbers, including chair yoga

The practice of yoga, including chair yoga, has been on the rise in the U.S. over the last 20 years. In 2022, the percentage of adults age 18 and older who practiced yoga in the past 12 months was 16.9%, with percentages highest among women ages 18–44, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to practice yoga, the data showed. The percentage of adults who practiced yoga to treat or manage pain decreased with increasing family income.

The CDC, didn’t break out chair yoga for analysis but recommends that adults 65 and older focus on activities that improve balance and strength. That, the health agency said, can be achieved through various exercises, including chair yoga.

Why don’t more men do yoga?

Chapman and her students have thoughts on why more men don’t practice yoga. Traditionally, Chapman said, the practice was reserved for men, but as yoga became more westernized, women took over.

“Women tend to be more group-oriented. I would love to see more men in class. I do have a few. I don’t know if they’re intimidated, but you know, it’s a great way to meet women if everybody’s single,” Chapman said with a chuckle.

Luria theorizes that fewer men are drawn to yoga because it’s not a competitive sport.

“You’re really working at your own level,” she said. “Take out the competition and it’s not their thing.”

These chair yoga practitioners have lots of advice. Rivman summed it up best: “Get into a chair and do some yoga. You don’t have to stand on your head, but you have to move. You’re never too old to start.”

Oakland County Road Commissioner Nancy Quarles has resigned her position with the board to take a position with the state.

The commission’s chairman, Eric McPherson, told The Oakland Press that she emailed her resignation after Thursday’s board meeting, but he did not see it until Friday.

“I believe she got an opportunity in another part of government,” he said.

On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she had appointed Quarles, a Novi Democrat, to the state’s three-person tax commission.

McPherson said he had no idea who would replace Quales on the three-person road commission.

“Road commissioners are appointed by the county commissioners and I have no idea who they will choose,” he said, adding that he is not making suggestions. “That’s not my place.”

The state tax commission oversees the administration of the property tax laws, assists and advises assessors and, since 2009, is responsible for the education and certification of assessing officers.

Quarles succeeds Mark Davidoff, whose term expired in December.

She is a former state representative, during which time she was vice chair of the tax policy committee, a former Oakland County commissioner and the immediate past chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party.

She did not respond to an Oakland Press request for comment on Friday.

The county road commission is in the midst of deciding whether to move forward with a $43 million administration building or renovate the county’s executive building, which will be empty in 2027 when employees there move to the Ottawa Towers buildings in downtown Pontiac.

Each year on the final Monday in May, the country commemorates military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. Those individuals made the ultimate sacrifice, and Memorial Day is a way to honor them and thank their families for their selfless acts.

This Memorial Day, families can embrace various measures to honor fallen veterans.

• Visit a local veterans cemetery. The United Service Organization (USO) notes that most states have national veterans cemeteries. Though some veterans cemeteries are open only to family members of service personnel, others are open to the general public. Visiting a veterans cemetery is a great way to honor fallen military members and ensure the memory of their service and sacrifice is not forgotten on Memorial Day. There are two in Michigan — Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly and Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta.

• Celebrate veterans. Memorial Day weekend is synonymous with getaways and backyard barbecues. By taking time out during the weekend to honor fallen veterans, families can ensure the meaning behind the holiday is not lost in the midst of celebrations with family and friends. Take time out during a family barbecue to discuss a family member who served or, if traveling, make an effort to visit a veterans memorial along your travel route.

• Help raise funds for veterans organizations. Fun runs or community Memorial Day walks may benefit local veterans organizations that help service members in need. Many service members may need help dealing with the deaths of friends or family members who died while serving in the armed forces, and veterans organizations may provide such help or direct funds to groups that do. That makes participation in events that benefit veterans organizations a great way to honor current military personnel and those who have served in the past, including those who died in service of their country.

• Teach youngsters about the role of the armed forces. There’s a lot competing for the attention of today’s young people, and that can make it easy to overlook the very freedoms that make the United States such a unique country. Parents and guardians can emphasize the role the armed forces play in procuring and protecting freedoms in the United States and emphasize the significance of the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to ensure a higher quality of life for all U.S. residents.

Did you know?

• Though Memorial Day traces its origins to the years following the American Civil War in the mid-19th century, it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971.

• Memorial Day began as something of a grassroots movement. According to History.com, by the late 1860s, individuals in towns across the war-ravaged United States began holding springtime tributes to soldiers who lost their lives during the American Civil War.

• Among the more notable postwar commemorations was one organized by former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. That commemoration occurred less than a month after the Confederate forces surrendered in 1865. Despite that, History.com notes that in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of Memorial Day.

• Postwar commemorations also were organized by northern veterans of the Civil War. Gen. John A. Logan, who led an organization of Union veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance in May 1868. Logan referred to the holiday as Declaration Day and chose May 30 because it was not the anniversary of any specific battle and therefore unlikely to be viewed by some as controversial.

• Early commemorations of Decoration Day, which gradually came to be known as Memorial Day, initially honored only those soldiers who died during the American Civil War. However, that changed over time as American servicemen fought in various wars, including both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and other conflicts.

• The red poppy has become a symbol of Memorial Day. That red poppy can be traced to a poem by Canadian John McCrae, who served as a lieutenant colonel in World War I. “In Flanders Field” notes the red poppies that grew in fields where countless soldiers had been buried in modern-day Belgium. The poem was published in 1915, three years before the war ended. Sadly, McCrae himself was a casualty of the war, succumbing to pneumonia in France in 1918 while still in the service.

The Waterford school board voted unanimously to approve a superintendent contract with Adam Martin.

He will officially take over as district superintendent July 1.

Martin and the district came to an agreement on a three-year contract at a salary of $227,500. The board voted at a May 19 special meeting.

Martin is the current executive director of student achievement at Dearborn Public Schools.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adam Martin as our new superintendent,” said Kristen Wagner, school board president. “His extensive experience and proven track record in student achievement make him the ideal leader to guide Waterford School District into the future. We are confident that under his leadership, our students, staff, and community will continue to thrive.”

Lisa Eldredge, who was assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, is the current interim superintendent.

Thomas Ahart, former superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa, public school system, was chosen October 2024 to take over for Scott Lindberg, who retired after five years as superintendent. The two sides could not reach a contract agreement forcing the board to reopen their search for a new superintendent.

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Career programs

• Free Women to Work Program Offered to Metro Detroiters informational meeting is 9-11 a.m. June 5, at Gesher Human Services, 29699 Southfield Road, Southfield, register with Judy Richmond at 248-233-4232, or email jrichmond@geshermi.org, www.geshermi.org/event-calendar. The program starts June 10 and includes eight sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-noon through July 8.

Children’s activities

• Springfield Township Parks & Recreation Fishing Derby is 1-3 p.m. June 8, at Shiawassee Basin Preserve Ponds, 12000 Davisburg Road, Davisburg. Children are encouraged to bring their own poles, bait, tackle and chair, rain or shine. Practice and registration begin at 12:30 p.m. and contests begin at 1 p.m. Prizes for largest fish caught and most fish caught. Participants must be present to win and claim prizes. Fishing licenses are not required. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Pre-registration is encouraged, $5 per child by June 6, on-site rate is $7 per child (cash or check on day of), ages 16 and younger, www.springfield-twp.us/departments/parks_and_recreation/index.php.

Community events

• The Village of Rochester Hills kicks off summer activities with most events taking place outside in Festival Park. Bugs on Wheels: Interact with bugs is 10-11 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. May 29; Music & Me with Ms. Calissa is 10-10:45 a.m. June 2, Music & Me with Miss Jenna is 10-10:45 a.m. June 4 and Lip Service Band live music is 5-8 p.m. June 6, TheVORH.com.

• Troy Historic Village Summer Kick-Off Open House is 5-8 p.m. June 3, explore all 11 historic buildings and grounds, purchase food or bring a picnic, live music. Visitors can purchase raffle tickets for prizes, $5 for one ticket, registration not required, walk-ins welcome. Visitors should park at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois Road, Troy) and ride the complimentary shuttle to the Village, www.TroyHistoricVillage.org.

Festivals/Shows

• Ya’ssoo Greek Festival is May 23-25, (noon-9 p.m. Sunday) on the grounds of St. George Greek Orthodox Church 43816 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, Greek culture, Greek dancers, customs and cuisine, live music, www.yassoogreekfestival.com, $3 admission, free for ages 12 and younger, menu prices vary.

• Hazel Park Memorial Weekend Festival is May 23-26 in Green Acres Park, 620 W. Woodward Heights, carnival, live music, facebook.com/HazelParkRecreation. Memorial Day Service is at 9 a.m. at City Hall Memorial Site, followed by parade at 10 a.m. May 26, starting at Hazel Park Junior High School, 22770 Highland Ave., Hazel Park.

• Kensington Metropark Art Fair is May 24-26, along the beach at Kensington Metropark, 4570 Huron River Pkwy., Milford, Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.), Metropark entry pass required, daily admission is $10, KensingtonArtFair.com.

• Royal Oak Leprechauns Baseball Team to host Family Fun Day event from 2-5 p.m. May 25, at Royal Oak Memorial Park. Home opener is 6:30 p.m. May 26, www.facebook.com/RoyalOakLeprechauns.

• Canterbury Village Medieval Faire is May 31-June 1 and June 7-8, Orion Twp., artisan shopping, knight battles, jousting tournaments, fire breathers, magicians, food, Canterbury Village, 2325 Joslyn Road, Orion Twp., www.canterburyvillage.com, www.facebook.com/CanterburyVillageMedievalFaire, $17.99+, ages 2-12-$7.99+.

• Blake’s Lyon Township’s 2025 Grand Opening Celebration with discounted Funland admission, is 8 a.m.-6 p.m., May 31, at 61475 Silver Lake Road,  South Lyon, featuring food trucks, music and more. Admission to Funland will be discounted to just $5 per person. There will also be U-Pick asparagus, free kids’ activities like bubbles, coloring, and sunflower planting, and giveaways with prizes including an Appleseed Camp summer cay camp pass, an annual family membership.

Fundraisers/Volunteer opportunities

• Judson Center annual fundraising gala for Child Safe Michigan, an affiliate of human service agency Judson Center, is 6 p.m. May 30 at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. The event benefits Child Safe Michigan’s foster care, adoption and mentoring services, featuring a strolling dinner, cocktails, silent auction, raffle, and live entertainment, www.childsafemichigan.org/gala.

• Capuchin Souper Summer Celebration is 7:30-11 p.m. May 31, at Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Fundraising event festive night at the ballpark with food and drinks, music and dancing, fireworks, raffles of more than $30,000 of luxury jewelry and watches from Ahee Jewelers, and other prizes. Raffle tickets are $5, to benefit Capuchin Soup Kitchen, www.cskdetroit.org.

• The Furniture Bank of Metro Detroit is hosting “Furniture Flip Challenge,” calling all do-it-yourselfers, to stop by its Pontiac warehouse, 333 North Perry St., through July 31, to select an old table or other home furnishing, and transform it. The contest will culminate at “Furniture Flip Bash” fundraiser Sept. 4 at The Village Club in Bloomfield Hills featuring Hilary Farr, international interior designer and popular star of HGTV’s “Love It or List It.” The upcycled furniture pieces will be auctioned to raise funds for the The Furniture Bank nonprofit, www.furniture-bank.org.

• Forgotten Harvest Farms at 9153 Major Road, Fenton seeks volunteers to help the farm team prep the land. Forgotten Harvest has a projected yield goal of more than 900,000 pounds of fresh produce, all to be distributed for free to metro Detroiters experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers must be ages 14+, volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Register for a shift at https://forgottenharvest.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1041749.

• Necessities Drive is 10 a.m.-noon, May 31, at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 4230 Livernois Road, Troy, drive-through drop off non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper products, laundry detergents, new underwear and socks, and diapers to benefit local nonprofits. For questions, call 248-524-9339.

• Shakespeare Royal Oak fundraiser is 6-9 p.m. June 6, at the Royal Oak Historical Society Museum, 1411 W. Webster Road, Royal Oak, featuring an exhibit of local artists’ work from the theatre company’s 25 seasons of professional theatre in Starr Jaycee Park, at ShakespeareRoyalOak.com, tickets are $40 for the fundraiser, $65 for the fundraiser and a ticket to Shakespeare Royal Oak’s 2025 summer production of “Macbeth” and $130 for the fundraiser and two tickets to “Macbeth”.

• The Waterford Foundation for Public Education Annual Golf Outing is June 17, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, at Fountains Golf and Banquet Center in Clarkston. Derrick Fries, Ph.D. will be honored as an educator, author, triathlon national and sailing world title holder, www.wsdmi.org/wfpe, $150 per golfer, banquet only-$40.

• The American Red Cross urges donors to give blood or platelets. To book a time to give blood or platelets, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Gardening

• Perennial Swap/Sale is 9-10:30 a.m. May 31, on the grounds of Mill Pond Park, at Springfield Township Parks & Recreation, 12000 Davisburg Road, Davisburg. Bring perennials to exchange, must be in groups of two or three root clumps, in four or six-inch containers and labeled, In partnership with the Springfield Garden Club, www.springfield-twp.us/departments/parks_and_recreation/index.php.

• Gardening for Pollinators is 10:30 a.m.-noon May 31, Red Oaks Nature Center, 30300 Hales St., Madison Heights, wildlife and pollinator-friendly garden, discuss options and take home a native plan, $5/person. Register at www.oakgov.com/home/showpublisheddocument/26662.

• Oakland County Farmers Market is open 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and on Spring Flower Days, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, through June 1, at 2350 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford Twp., 248-858-5495, www.facebook.com/OaklandCountyFarmersMarket.

Lectures/Speakers

• Speaking Peace Series-Turning Compassion into Action is 6 p.m. May 29, at St. John Lutheran Church (ELCA), 23225 Gill Road, Farmington Hills, www.stjohn-elca.org
Coleman Yoakum, executive director of the Micah 6 Community in Pontiac, will share his insights on community-building. In 2012, Coleman and his team founded Micah 6 Community, a neighborhood-based community development organization in Pontiac, dedicated to strengthening communities and supporting individuals, with gardens, children’s programs and Webster Community Center. Register at https://form.jotform.com/242835058121149.

• USAID Officers to offer a presentation about Gaza, Ukraine and US foreign aid at 7 p.m. May 29 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 16200 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, doors open at 6:30 p.m., www.stdavidssf.org, followed by Q&A.

Library activities

• The Troy Public Library hosts free Summer Library Program kick-off event, 6-8 p.m. June 6, for families of children ages 0–13, featuring bounce house (socks required and must be 42”), Carousel Acres petting zoo, outdoor games, reptiles provided by Reptarium, and food trucks, no registration required. Weather permitting, this outdoor event will take place in the space between the library and City Hall. Register for the Summer Library Program at troypl.org/SLP, children can log their reading and complete activities for prizes.

• Friends of the Huntington Woods/Pleasant Ridge Library will hold their spring used book sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 30-31, at the library, 26415 Scotia Road, Huntington Woods. (Special pricing from 2 to 4 p.m. each day of the sale, fill a brown paper bag for $5). For questions248-543-9720 or email the Friends at hwfotl@gmail.com.

Misc.

• Oxford Bank will hold a grand opening event for its remodeled headquarters, May 28, at 60 S. Washington Street, Oxford, with free cookies, giveaways and coloring books for kids.

• Hazel Park City-wide Yard Sale, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. May 30-June 1, throughout Hazel Park, hpcan.org/hpsale.

Parks/Outdoor activities

• Disability Dirt Days series at Holly Oaks ORV Park from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sundays, June 1, Sept. 21 or Oct. 19. An off-roading ride will be provided for a rider and one guest (must be at least 10 years old) during this special event. Registration is required at bit.ly/DirtDay25. For questions, text or call 248-221-8040.

• Free Fishing Weekend is June 7-8 in Michigan, www.michigan.gov. All fishing license fees will be waived for both inland and on the Great Lakes. All fishing regulations still apply.

• Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers free admission. General park entry fees and vehicle permits have been eliminated for all parks operated by Oakland County Parks, www.oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks.

• The Metroparks Trail Challenge is open through Oct. 31. Registration is $35, includes a custom tumbler and trail passport. Visit designated Challenge Trails across all 13 Metroparks. Take a selfie at each trail’s Challenge Kiosk and upload it to the leaderboard to collect your badge, and you’ll get a 2026 Annual Vehicle Pass. Register your dog for $10 and receive a custom Trail Challenge dog tag. www.metroparks.com/trailchallenge.

• Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas, michigan.gov/dnr. Park entrance fees apply.

Senior activities

• Finding the Next Chapter in Your Life, a free program for mature adults entering a new stage of life is 7-9 p.m. June 5, at National Council of Jewish Women Michigan, 26400 Lahser Road Suite #306, Southfield, https://ncjwmi.org, free event, register by June 2.

• Start the Conversation: Talking to A Loved One About Dementia Free Community Event is 6:30-8 p.m. June 4, at Jewish Senior Life Fleischman Residence, 6710 West Maple Rd., West Bloomfield Twp., https://jslmi.org/amenities-services-new/fleischman-dementia-event, 248-592-1144.

Support resources

• For access to local community services, dial 211 (844-875-9211) or text zip code to 898211, for information and referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions, United Way, https://unitedwaysem.org/get-help.

• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 confidential support for people who are suicidal or in emotional distress, or who know someone who is. Calls and text messages to 988 route to a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center, www.fcc.gov/988Lifeline.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-7233, available 24/7.

• Common Ground’s Resource & Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 – call or text 800-231-1127.

• Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 and then press 1 to connect to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.
To submit a community event, email the information to Kathy Blake at kblake@medianewsgroup.com.

More than 120 teachers in 43 school districts are receiving $796,000 in grants from the Michigan Department of Education for earning National Board Certification.

“National Board Certification benefits students by increasing the effectiveness of teachers,” said State Superintendent Michael F. Rice. “Certification is particularly beneficial to students in high-poverty school districts. I congratulate the teachers who are receiving grants for achieving this certification.”

Districts and intermediate school districts applied on behalf of 124 Michigan teachers with the certification. Teachers receive grants of at least $4,000, with a $10,000 grant if they work for a high-poverty school that receives building-wide federal Title 1 funding.

The goal of the grant program is to acknowledge the professional learning, growth, and achievement of Michigan teachers who have obtained National Board Certification.

By promoting the recognition and retention of teachers, this grant supports Goal 7 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to increase the numbers of certified teachers in areas of shortage.

The National Board-Certified Teachers receiving grants in Oakland County:

– Bloomfield Hills schools $8,000

– Ferndale public schools  $4,000

– Lake Orion community schools $4,000

– Novi community schools $28,000

– Rochester community schools $88,000

– Royal Oak schools $4,000

– Southfield public schools $14,000

– West Bloomfield schools $4,000

Today is Sunday, May 25, the 145th day of 2025. There are 220 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading that he couldn’t breathe; Floyd’s death, captured on video by a bystander, would lead to worldwide protests, some of which turned violent, and a reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.

Also on this date:

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.

In 1946, Transjordan (now Jordan) became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, ordered the Virginia county to reopen its public schools, which officials had closed in an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka desegregation ruling.

In 1977, “Star Wars” was released by 20th Century Fox; it would become the highest-grossing film in history at the time.

In 1979, 273 people died when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed just after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander arrived on the Red Planet to begin searching for evidence of water; the spacecraft confirmed the presence of water ice at its landing site.

In 2012, the private company SpaceX made history as its Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.

In 2018, Harvey Weinstein was arrested and charged in New York with rape and another sex felony in the first prosecution to result from the wave of allegations against him. (Weinstein would be convicted of two felony counts in 2020, but an appeals court would overturn the conviction in 2024. A retrial on the charges began in April 2025.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Ian McKellen is 86.
• Country singer Jessi Colter is 82.
• Actor-singer Leslie Uggams is 82.
• Filmmaker and puppeteer Frank Oz is 81.
• Actor Karen Valentine is 78.
• Actor Jacki Weaver is 78.
• Rock singer Klaus Meine (Scorpions) is 77.
• Actor Patti D’Arbanville is 74.
• Playwright Eve Ensler is 72.
• Actor Connie Sellecca is 70.
• Musician Paul Weller is 67.
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is 65.
• Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 62.
• Actor Octavia Spencer is 55.
• Actor Cillian Murphy is 49.
• Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher is 47.
• Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Aly Raisman is 31.

The Michigan Panthers had a chance to get some revenge, clinch the top record in their conference and gain more momentum as the UFL playoffs near.

Backup quarterback Danny Etling guided the Panthers (6-3) to the Birmingham 9-yard line on their final drive. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, the Panthers had three cracks at the end zone with 19 seconds left.

The Stallions (6-3) stood tall, breaking up two of Etling’s passes over the middle and forcing three incompletions. On third down, Etling found receiver Jaylon Moore in the back of the end zone, but Moore couldn’t get his feet down inbounds to complete the catch.

Etling, who was making his second straight start in placed of injured Bryce Perkins, finished 23 of 39 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Panthers to points on three of their four second-half possessions.

Receiver Siasoi Mariner had a 33-yard touchdown reception and finished with five catches for 115 yards. Running back Toa Taua had 62 total yards and scored on a 2-yard run that gave Michigan a 22-20 lead with just under eight minutes to go.

Stallions quarterback J’Mar Smith completed 22 of 31 passes for 307 yards and threw two touchdown passes to Deon Cain, including a 19-yarder that gave Birmingham the lead for good with 2:30 remaining.

Since the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Panthers are 0-5 against the Stallions, including a loss in last season’s USFL Conference Championship game.

The Panthers and Stallions, who both secured playoff berths last week, will meet in the conference title game for the second straight season on June 8. The winner will advance to the UFL Championship game on June 14.

Before that, the Panthers will host the Houston Roughnecks in their regular-season home finale on May 31 at Ford Field. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

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

DETROIT (AP) — Kyle Manzardo and Angel Martínez hit RBI doubles in Cleveland’s four-run 10th inning, helping the Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers for the third straight game, 7-5 on Saturday night.

Bo Naylor homered and drove in two runs, including a sacrifice fly that was part of the Guardians’ big inning. Nolan Jones added an RBI single in the 10th.

Gleyber Torres made it 7-5 with a two-run double in the bottom of the inning, but Emmanuel Clase got two outs to seal the victory for Cleveland.

Tim Herrin (4-1) got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth.

Detroit, which hadn’t lost three straight since the opening series of the season, led 3-0 after one inning, but Torres got their only two hits in the rest of the game.

After scoring one run in the first 18 innings of the series, the Tigers scored three in Saturday’s first inning. Kerry Carpenter doubled, Torres walked and Colt Keith hit an RBI double.

Ortiz almost escaped the inning, retiring Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, but Zach McKinstry walked and Matt Vierling hit a two-run single.

Cleveland scored twice in the third on Naylor’s homer and an RBI single by Jose Ramírez, and Ortiz escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning.

Cleveland tied it in the eighth when Ramírez singled, took third on Manzardo’s base hit and beat Torkelson’s throw to the plate on Martínez’s grounder to first.

The Guardians called up RHP Nic Enright and placed RHP Hunter Gaddis on the bereavement list. Enright was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2022, but has continued to pitch while undergoing treatment.

Key moment

After Ramírez tied it in the eighth, Cleveland loaded the bases with one out. Tommy Kahnle got Naylor to pop out and Will Vest came in to retire pinch-hitter Jones on a grounder to second.

Key stat

Ramírez’s third-inning single extended his hitting streak to 17 games.

Up next

The Tigers and Guardians finish their four-game series on Sunday morning, with the first pitch scheduled for 11:35 a,m. EDT. Detroit ace LHP Tarik Skubal (4-2, 2.87) will face LHP Logan Allen (2-2, 3.86).

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

Residents of Eastpointe and Rochester Hills are among four people accused by federal authorities of operating a $63-million scheme to steal checks from people’s mail and sell them.

Jaiswan Williams, 31, of Rochester Hills; Dequan Foreman, 30, of Eastpointe; Vanessa Hargrove, 39, of Detroit; and Crystal Jenkins, 31, of Detroit, have been charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon announced Friday.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

Hargrove and Jenkins were Postal Service employees who “diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury,” officials said in a news release. Williams and Foreman administered online marketplaces on which they sold the checks, officials said.

“When public employees break the public trust, they enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer and undermine the institution itself,” Gorgon said in the release. “We will find and prosecute those who exploit their position for personal gain. We are committed to disrupting these shadowy schemes.”

According to allegations submitted by federal investigators, Hargrove and Jenkins sold the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman, who marketed them for sale on Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application. Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks. One of the Telegram channels, named “Whole Foods Slipsss,” was used to advertise high-dollar checks while another channel, “Uber Eats Slips,” was used to advertise lower-dollar checks. “Slips” is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks.

Transactions were completed via other methods using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods.

According to a report in Reuters news service and other media outlets Thursday, Vietnam authorities have instructed telecommunication service providers to block Telegram for not cooperating in combating alleged crimes committed by its users. Unrelated to the alleged stolen-check scheme, 55 men were arrested in France this week as part of an operation to dismantle a suspected pedophile ring that allegedly operated over Telegram, following a 10-month investigation, according to multiple media reports. Telegram was founded in 2013 by two Russian brothers and is headquarted in Dubai, United Emerites.

Regarding the charges against the foursome, Sean McStravick, acting inspector in charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division, thanked investigative partners for helping to “maintain the integrity and respectability of the U.S. Postal Service.”

“The charges against these four individuals underscore the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to securing the nation’s mail system from those who seek to exploit it for personal and financial gain,” McStravick added in the release. “Postal Inspectors utilize every tool at their disposal, including crucial partnerships, to uncover, investigate, and prosecute these schemes to the fullest extent of the law.”

Williams also faces charges on allegations of money laundering for activities dating back to October 2022, and for millions of dollars of fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims submitted between August and December 2020.

The investigation was led by the  U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General with assistant from the Postal Inspection Service, participating investigative agencies included the  Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.

The case is being prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Darrin Crawford.

The Detroit Lions will once again have a battle for their backup quarterback position behind quarterback Jared Goff.

Incumbent backup and 2023 third-round pick Hendon Hooker will face new competition for the spot after beating out Nate Sudfeld last year.

Beating out Allen will be no easy task for Hooker, who will begin just his second full offseason as an NFL quarterback.

Allen, meanwhile, has 31 career appearances and 19 starts, 13 of which came for the Carolina Panthers in his first two seasons.

Though he hasn’t started a regular season game since 2022, quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell believes what he’s put on tape throughout his career was enough to grant him an opportunity to join the Lions’ quarterback room.

Key elements of this year’s backup battle will be being an asset in game preparation for Goff and showcasing an ability to efficiently operate and lead the offense when granted the opportunity.

“What we saw in Kyle was a quarterback who has experience. He has played, he’s been on multiple teams, different systems, very smart,” Brunell said. “What I loved about the tape we saw (was) he made good decisions with the ball. He managed very well. You can tell he was operating within whatever offense that he was in, and just has a good grasp on how to play at this level and has for a while. In our room, being a resource for Jared. Always being ready, that’s at the top of the list if necessary, but be a good resource for Jared, another set of eyes.”

In his opportunties as a starter, Allen has showcased some consistency. He was 5-7 in 12 starts for Carolina in 2019, he completed 62 percent of his passes and threw for 3,222 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Brunell believes that Allen’s experience will be an asset, but his comfortability and consistency within the offense during the offseason program will be one of the deciding factors in whether or not he’s able to beat out Hooker for the backup job.

Both quarterbacks will likely get plenty of opportunities to showcase their ability in a game setting, as the Lions have an extra preseason game on the docket on account of playing in the Hall of Fame game.

With three quarterbacks currently on roster, the competition for the backup spot is strictly between Allen and Hooker. Together, the group has already been able to start building consistency and camaraderie within the quarterback room ahead of the start of organized team activities.

“Once again, in year five, we have another good room. Obviously we have Jared, we’ve got Hendon and we’ve got Kyle, and they all work very well together,” Brunell explained. “We’re finding that out this offseason, and there’s good synergy in that room. Even today, we’re watching tape, and Kyle was kind of coaching Hendon a little bit and talking a little bit. So I’m really pleased with what I see with Kyle, he’s gonna be a huge asset for us and we’re glad to have him.”

This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrated/All Lions. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

ALLEN PARK — On paper, there isn’t much room for Sam LaPorta to grow.

The Detroit Lions tight end has tallied 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns on 146 receptions through the first two seasons of his career, numbers that each rank in the top four among players at his position since 2023. The former Iowa standout has seemingly improved as a blocker, too, both in the run game and a pass protector.

“Start to see the game from the quarterback’s perspective, what Jared (Goff) needs exactly,” LaPorta, who is in the midst of his first healthy offseason since he was a senior with the Hawkeyes, said Thursday. “And maybe not just knowing what I’m doing on the field, but what other people are doing, as well. Just seeing the big picture.”

LaPorta’s cerebral growth will have much to do with guidance from new tight ends coach Tyler Roehl, who was hired in February to replace Steve Heiden. Roehl, 39, came over from Iowa State, where he spent one season. Before that, he held various roles — ranging from fullbacks coach to offensive coordinator — at North Dakota State from 2014-23.

Roehl’s job with the Lions is his first gig in the NFL.

“He’s been great so far,” LaPorta said of Roehl, who interviewed with the Lions in previous years before he was hired this time around. “Our first phone call he talked about gaining trust with us. I think he’s starting to do that. I love him so far. Very fiery. … And we appreciate all of that.”

It took some time for LaPorta to look like himself in 2024 — he averaged 37.3 yards through the season’s first six games, and his targets in that span (17) trailed receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (50) and Jameson Williams (30) and running back Jahmyr Gibbs (22) — but he got rolling midseason and finished strong, averaging 67 yards over the regular season’s final five weeks.

The early dip in production concerned some who hoped LaPorta would continue a linear ascent following his record-breaking rookie season, but LaPorta wasn’t sweating much. He’ll never turn down more targets, but he’s aware of the talent surrounding him. Sometimes, passes wouldn’t come his way. Other times, he’d be fed. That’s the nature of being a part of an offense with two 1,000-yard receivers (St. Brown and Williams) and perhaps the league’s best tandem at running back (Gibbs and David Montgomery).

“There were a lot of weapons last year, so I kept hearing comments this offseason, ‘Why didn’t you get the ball as much?’” LaPorta said. “It’s like, ‘Dude, we scored the most points of any team in the NFL in the last five years. Everybody deserves the ball.’”

LaPorta expects the offense to look similar despite Ben Johnson’s exit to Chicago, but he’s open to hearing new ideas from new coordinator John Morton: “There might be different ways that Johnny wants to give me the ball, maybe other areas where we might step away from it,” LaPorta said.

“I think there’s a relationship that needs to be built there as well, and we’ll learn what each other needs.”

DETROIT — It was no surprise Marco Kasper headed off to the IIHF men’s world championships in Sweden and Denmark soon after the Red Wings season ended.

“You play all those games and you’re in a flow and it’s so weird, just the end of it,” Kasper said. “I love being on the ice.”

So Kasper had an opportunity to play more hockey — high-level hockey, at that — and the torrid pace he was on the second half of the NHL season continued overseas.

Austria made it to the quarterfinals of the IIHF world championships Thursday — it lost 6-0 to Switzerland — for the first time since 1994. Kasper, 21, the Wings’ talented rookie, was a major reason why.

Kasper led Austria with seven points (four goals, three assists) in eight games and displayed the impressive versatility at both ends of the rink that came to be expected of coach Todd McLellan and his staff by the end of this past season.

“You talk about 200-foot player, I would put him on our team in that category,” McLellan said toward the end of the season. “He plays our zone, the neutral zone and offensive zone, and he can play east-west or north-south. He’s a 200-foot player and they are very valuable.”

Kasper had 37 points (19 goals and 18 assists) in 77 games with the Wings, seeing his game take off after McLellan took over as head coach on Dec. 26.

Kasper soon found himself on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond and complemented the two offensive stars with a willingness to get to the net, create space, and do all the grunt work. Later in the season, Kasper centered his own line, moving back to his natural center position.

Wherever Kasper played, he showed definitively why the Wings drafted him eighth overall in 2022, and why there’s so much excitement around his game.

“For some, it’s very difficult (shuttling between center and forward), but Marco may be one of the exceptions,” McLellan said. “The initial task of going from center to wing is probably a bigger adjustment than going back to the middle. He played in the middle his whole life. When he went up and had to play the wing, that’s where he probably had to adjust his game and read a little bit differently, understand where and what might happen along the boards more than in the middle of the rink.

“We talked about can he produce some offense and he wasn’t going to basically with the minutes we were playing him and where he was playing. We moved him to wing and we put him up there, and he took advantage of it.”

Kasper was one of several Wings’ young players who received more ice time under McLellan and thrived with the responsibility.

“Just confidence,” said Kasper, of what he may have gotten during the switch to McLellan. “Also trying to play a 200-foot (all-around) game and getting out there and doing the right things. The intensity during practice was harder, and that’s good for me and the team. Going out there and getting ready for those games.

“The guys did a great job helping me and the coaches. They talked about how we wanted to play and needed to play.”

It’s unclear this soon after the season ended where Kasper will begin next season, wing or center. Kasper doesn’t mind either spot, although if he does play center, becoming more effective in the faceoff circle is a must (44.9% this season).

“That’s definitely something I want to improve on over the summer and into next season,” Kasper said. “That goes back to the matchups against these guys like (Toronto’s John) Tavares, he’s unreal in the faceoffs. You take away things from those guys, and Larks (Dylan Larkin) is real good on faceoffs, and just watching him and seeing how he does it. It’s a big point of my focus, and to play center, it’s something I have to get better at.”

In terms of preparation this summer, nothing will change for Kasper. General manager Steve Yzerman was impressed with Kasper’s maturity and preparation when the Wings drafted Kasper, and those traits were on display in the Wings’ locker room after he was recalled.

“It’s not going to change how I approach the offseason,” Kasper said of his rookie success. “I know it’s the same boring answer, but what I’m trying to do is go out there every day and do the best I can, whether it’s on the ice or in the gym, and try to do the best I can. That’s how I’m going to look at it.

“It’s going to be hard next year. I feel like I had a pretty good year, but it’s going to be really hard to come back and do as good and even improve, but it’s something I’m going to focus on.”

Playing in the top two lines most of the season, Kasper saw some difficult matchups against some of the best forwards in the NHL. Facing them on a nightly basis was a challenge he willingly took on.

Interestingly, it was taking on some of the older legends that Kasper will remember.

“Sidney Crosby, to just line up and face off against him, it was pretty cool,” Kasper said. “You see how long he’s played and also (Alex) Ovechkin, he just breaks the goal-scoring record. They’ve been the best players in the world, and (teammate Patrick) Kane, and those guys for a long time have been the best, and that’s pretty cool.”

Kasper always will remember facing Crosby for another reason.

“I won the first faceoff,” Kasper said. “I didn’t win too many after that first one, but that was pretty cool.”

ROCHESTER HILLS – In need of as many points as possible in the 4×400 relay to close Friday night, Rochester’s quartet of Mia Snellgrove, Ella Abraham, Imani Morgan and Lucy Cook won the event, earning the program its first Oakland County Meet championship in the process.

The Falcons finished that relay with a time of 4:05.24, beating out rival and runner-up Adams by just over three seconds. It gave them 10 points, moving Rochester ahead of Novi (54 points), and Lake Orion (52), who took fourth in the relay, with a grand total of 57.

“It was very exciting,” Falcons head coach Larry Adams said. “I knew we were going to be in it to the end, and I know I’ve got a good group in the 4×4. Even though we were replacing one runner who’s out of town on vacation, (our replacement and) my best short springer moved up to the 400 today and did a great job. I was really pleased with how they competed. It was fun. Everybody did a good job today getting points here and there.”

Novi jumped into the lead when sophomore Katelynn Egli took first in the 3,200-meter run (10:58.44), effectively making it a three-horse race between the Wildcats, Dragons and Falcons going into the last event of the night at Oakland University.

With its second-place finish in the 4×400, Adams jumped up a few places and captured fourth overall (46 points), followed by Royal Oak in fifth with 40. The rest of the top 10 in order was Farmington (34 points), Clarkston (31.5), Berkley (29), Cranbrook-Kingswood (27) and a tie for 10th between Troy Athens and Farmington Hills Mercy (26).

That same depth that won the Falcons the OAA Red/White championship paid dividends for them Friday night.

“We got some long jump points, shot and discus points … just some of our young kids stepping up and doing a nice job, getting points where we thought we could,” Adams said. “The depth is there, which is nice. I don’t want to race them to death because I want them ready (for states) next week, so they only did a couple things here or there tonight. I don’t really ever come to this meet to win it. If we do, it’s because we just happened to be on the right side place-wise.

Rochester took third last year with 49 points. The 2024 edition was won by Oak Park, who opted not to attend this year’s meet, the 66th annual. It’s difficult to say whether the Knights would have racked up 110 points as they did last season, but might not be a stretch either considering Oak Park won the regional hosted by the Falcons last Saturday by nearly 50 points.

Either way, that left plenty of other teams and athletes to take advantage in a number of events in which someone from the Knights may have otherwise been favored, such as relays or hurdles.

In the 100-meter dash, junior Nicole DeCoster won with a time of 12.43 seconds. “My block start wasn’t every good, but I kind of came back in the end,” she said.

Athens junior Maddy Piotrowski edged out DeCoster to win the 200 in a time of 25.68.

“I think I got out strong,” said Piotrowski, who skipped out on the 100, which she calls her favorite event, to rest her foot for an otherwise full day of competing. “It’s definitely hard in the first 100 with the wind and everything, but at the end there was a little bit of tail wind. That helped push me to the end.”

Rightfully, neither were bothered by potentially taking advantage of Oak Park’s absence, and as Piotrowski aptly put it, “we’ll see them at the state meet and be (competing) against them either way.”

As Piotrowski became the Red Hawks’ first winner in the 200, sophomore Abbey Neering became the first from Lake Orion to win the 400 (58.91). Along with Zoe Moss, Elisabeth Hetu and Lexi McDaniel, she also was part of a Dragons’ foursome that won the 4×200 relay for the first time at the county meet.

“I was feeling good about today,” Neering said. “It was a little cold, but I was just ready to run. Time-wise, it wasn’t my personal best, but I still pushed myself and got us to the front. It just feels good to be helping the team to win.”

Adams senior Kaitlyn Kauppila beat out Mercy’s Nora Gerzema and teammate El McMahan by less than a second to win the 800 (2:15.36).

Rochester got points from Lucy Cook’s win in the 1,600 (4:59.56), as well as finishes of second (Erica Proctor) and fourth (Imani Morgan) behind Ferndale senior Danah Pearson, who won the long jump (17-01.25). In addition, Falcons sophomore Ellie Mendoza came second to Cranbrook junior Eby Nosike, who won shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 9 1/4 inches.

In hurdles, Royal Oak junior Brooklyn Cotton won the 100 (15.21) and Oxford senior Taylor Brodeur captured first in the 300 (47.40).

Other results included West Bloomfield (Lauren Choice, Ese Uwedjojevwe, Lia Marshall and Kamryn Tatum) taking first in the 4×100 relay (48.42), Farmington’s Rachel Hibbs winning high jump (5-03), Lake Orion’s Olivia Bagdasarian winning pole vault (11-06), and Royal Oak’s Jada Ewell finishing in front of a tough field of competition in discus (139-04).

ROCHESTER HILLS – Rochester Adams boys team cleared the hurdles, both figuratively and literally, earlier on Friday night to make its last event of the evening that secured them victory status a relative breeze.

The Highlanders finished eighth in the 4×400 relay — the final race of the night at Oakland University — earning them just one point, but their total of 63 was still a dozen more than runner-up Clarkston, making Adams a winner at the 66th annual Oakland County Meet.

“It did,” said Adams head coach Eric Lohr when asked if the previous points accrued took the pressure of his team’s relay quartet in the last event. “We had no expectation of being in position to win the whole meet, and then seeing the scores as they started to pile up, and then, you know what, we’ve got a 13-point buffer and nobody ran the 200, then Gavin (Wilkins) scored (two points) in the 3,200. It was like, wow, we wrapped it up earlier than expected.”

Their bread was buttered to the tune of 35 points resulting from hurdles finishes. Adams senior Michael Wilkerson (14.42 seconds) won the 110-meter event, with Lachlan Tillotson and Steven Wilkerson also taking fourth and sixth place, respectively. Then, in the 300 hurdles, Michael Wilkerson again took first (39.04), Tillotson captured third and Steven ended in eighth.

“It’s been our strong event all year long,” Lohr said. “It’s one of those things where we know we’re going to get points, it’s just how many points? The coaching with the hurdle crew, they do a fantastic job.”

Adams has now won the county meet twice in the past four years. Walled Lake Central, last year’s winner, took fifth with 42 points. Between the two, Clarkston accumulated 51 points, Detroit Catholic Central took third with 48, and Novi finished fourth with 47.

Lakeland (41 points), Lake Orion (35), West Bloomfield (32), Detroit Country Day (27.5) and Troy Athens (25.5) rounded out the top 10 in order.

Along with WL Central, Novi put itself in good position earlier in the day with 38 points out of the handful of field events, including a first-place finish by senior Odin Gulledge in pole vault, which required navigating the air on a day when the wind played a factor in many ways.

“I felt alright,” said Gulledge, whose best clearance was 13 feet, six inches, matching his performance at last year’s state meet. (They were) not the best jumps, but it is what it is.”

Gulledge cleared the 15-foot barrier by three inches last last month. Talking about the breakthrough, he said, “Getting all that air time, it was pretty awesome. I worked hard over the offseason to get there. I think working on the take-off and the plant a lot in the offseason, then coming back and just getting faster and stronger (made it happen).”

Admitting that the weather affected his commitment to jumps, Gulledge holds the fourth-best qualifying mark entering the D1 state meet and said that the proper execution should allow him to clear 15-6 in Kentwood.

Other than Gulledge, Novi senior Jordan Paige won the long jump with an attempt of 23 feet, two inches, while teammates Drelen Lillard and Michael Schave finished just behind high jump winner Giovanni Charles of Walled Lake Central (6-05).

Also from WL Central, Garrod Alexander (56 feet, 2.25 inches) edged out Stoney Creek’s Spencer Beckeman to win shot put by just an inch-and-a-half. Lakeland junior Andrew Neumann won the discus event with a heave of 171 feet, 10 inches.

On the track, Groves senior Noah Sanders won the 100 dash, Samson Gash of Detroit Catholic Central won the 200 (22.23 seconds) in what was a three-man final, and Southfield Christian’s Brock Morris, who came runner-up to Gash in the 200, took first in the 400 (49.20).

In the 800, Royal Oak Shrine junior Abenezer Cerone beat out at least several competitors with more favorable entry times to win in 1:55.54. Clarkston’s Jaxon Nowik took the 1,600 run (4:22.27), while Bloomfield Hills senior Taye Levenson outpaced the field handily, winning the 3,200 event by over 20 seconds with a time of 9:20.76.

Walled Lake Northern went the distance in the 4×800 relay with the team of Finn Gammerath, Sam Fairchild, Chase Griffith and Nathan Bruss taking first by over four ticks with a time of 8:01.39. That marked an improvement of about two seconds over the quartet’s regional time. The Knights were one of five teams that qualified out of their region in the event.

“We’ve just kind of been focusing on the last big meets of the year as it dwindles down,” WL Northern head coach Jeff McNeil said. “They don’t have such a workload from the dual meets and other different ones that we go to, so we’re dialing in as we’re trying to taper it down and firing at the right time.”

Lake Orion won a pair of relays — the 4×200 (James Bambard, Malek Pulford, Benjamin Lako and Fernando Bartolome; 1:29.85) and the 4×400 (Bartolome, Lako, Cole Shoskey and Payton Lyles; 3:23.97). Meanwhile, Detroit Country Day (Tyler Newby, Ashton Collins, Derrick Williams and Darryl Carter) won by the thinnest margin, edging out West Bloomfield by just one-hundredth of a second with a time of 43.33.

By Breana Noble, The Detroit News

Hundreds of used vehicles rolled through the auction aisles of Manheim Detroit on Thursday as dealers in person and online scrambled to make their bids to shore up inventories in anticipation of price increases.

Average used vehicle list prices are up slightly year-over-year at $25,547, according to Cox Automotive Inc., a dealer digital services provider that owns Manheim and its 79 U.S. auction sites, which handle more than 7 million vehicles per year. The increase represents a reversal as used prices had fallen over the past couple of years after hitting a peak during the pandemic. But President Donald Trump’s tariffs have spooked buyers, prompting a surge in new and used vehicle purchases with consumers hoping to get ahead of larger price increases.

“We’re trying to get caution out there, but we’re not trying to spread any kind of concern that there’s a collapse coming,” said Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox, which is forecasting a 1% increase in used vehicle sales in 2025 compared to last year. “It’s just going to be a challenging couple of months here over the summer.”

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index that assesses the wholesale prices of used vehicles at Manheim auctions reversed course in April after declining in February and March. It spiked 2.7% month-over-month compared to a typical monthly movement of about 0.3%, as prices rose almost 5% on average. The frenzy has slowed a bit since April with the index falling 1.1% in a mid-May report shared this week. But the index still remains 4.4% higher than it was a year ago.

It typically takes four to six weeks before changes at auction are reflected in retail transactions, Chesbrough said: “Our expectation is over the course of the summer, those prices are going to rise even more quickly.”

In Carleton on Thursday morning, auctioneers rambled 250 to 400 words per minute to secure bids within 1 minute from dealers across the country for used vehicles from automakers like Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., rental car companies, banks and other dealers. About 72% of Manheim’s vehicle sales are done online.

Established in 1992, the 250-acre Manheim Detroit has three sales days per week for licensed dealers. Whether a company vehicle, a trade-in, a repossession or a fleet retirement, 1,800 vehicles or more hit the block each of those days. Vehicles sell anywhere from $200 to salvage dealers to $450,000 for a Lamborghini recently. Most vehicles passing through are about three years old.

“Every car will sell,” said Keith Winningham, assistant general manager at Manheim Detroit. “It may not be today. Maybe it’s next week. The market’s constantly changing.”

Manheim Detroit is unique because of the business it does with manufacturers and the Canadian dealers that sell in its auction. Despite tariffs and trade tensions between the United States and Canada, sales from Canadian dealers are up this year, said Noel Kitsch, general manager of Manheim Detroit Market Center.

Most vehicles sold in Canada are made in the United States (designated by their vehicle identification numbers beginning with a one, four or five). Those can return to the United States tariff-free, Kitsch said, while more Canadian- and Mexican-built vehicles are staying in Canada because of Trump’s 25% auto tariff.

“They started adjusting in October,” Kitsch said about the Canadian sellers. “We have not seen a decrease in Canadian vehicles. As a matter of fact, we’re up year over year in Canadian sales in the Michigan area.”

High interest rates, improved new-vehicle inventories and inflation on other goods contributed to falling used vehicle prices over the past couple of years. The spring usually sees an increase in demand with tax returns hitting consumer pockets, Chesbrough said, and prices have stayed high.

“The used vehicle market is still looking very, very strong in terms of sales out there,” he said. “But the inventory has been drawn down, and that’s creating a situation where the inventory is lean on dealer lots, and they’re going to be less likely to make a deal, because their sales have been going quite well, and their existing inventory is now worth more money, because they know the incoming replacement inventory is going to cost a little bit more.”

Days of used-vehicle supply nationwide is in the 40s, he said, which is down about 20% from recent weeks.

More than a third — 34% — of Americans plan to buy a car in the next 12 months, the highest since 2023, according to auto lender Santander Consumer USA’s Paths to Prosperity survey. Some have pulled ahead those purchases in anticipation of increased prices, said Betty Jotanovic, the lender’s president of auto relationships.

But this comes as auto loan delinquency rates have returned to pre-COVID levels. Default rates remain below the norm, but it’s an indication of consumer economic stress, Jotanovic said.

“The consumer is getting behind on their payments,” she said, “but still prioritizing the auto loan over their mortgage or credit card.”

Adding in the uncertainty around tariffs, buyers may adjust their purchases, Jotanovic said: “You’re going to see a shift where maybe your typical new buyer goes to a one- or two-year-old used car, or maybe that one- or two-year-old used buyer goes to a three- or four-year-old used vehicle.”

Fewer younger vehicles are returning to dealer lots in 2025. A sharp drop in leasing through 2022 and 2023 amid a microchip shortage and other supply-chain disruptions, Ivan Drury, director of insights for auto information website Edmunds.com Inc., wrote in a report released Thursday.

In the first three months of 2025, the average sales price of a three-year-old used vehicle surpassed $30,000 for the first time since the second quarter of 2023.

“Due to unexpected market swings,” Drury wrote, “3-year-old lease-return values are coming in higher than automakers originally forecasted — offering some drivers unexpected trade-in advantages.”

That’s incentive for vehicle sellers to send their inventory to auction, and it’s keeping the 320 Manheim Detroit employees busy. The facility has a mechanic shop, a body shop to repair dented and scratched panels, and a paint shop able to spruce up as many as 50 vehicles per day. Manheim inspects about 150 vehicles to grant AAA certification daily.

“If there’s heavy collision on a vehicle, most of those assets are going to be sold as is,” Winningham said. “Most of what we do are cosmetic repairs. If a dealer is out in the lanes, and they’re looking at the car, and the bumper is scratched, it’s got a dent in the door, he’s got to calculate in his head what he’s got to spend on that car No. 1. No. 2, he has to get it repaired. Most body shops at most dealerships are very, very busy. And for him to have to get that into a shop and get it sold takes time. Obviously when they buy a car, the whole concept is to sell it as quickly as possible.”

Ninety-five percent of auctioned vehicles here are detailed on-site. Fixed imaging tunnels leverage 44 cameras and artificial intelligence to help identify damage on the vehicles and pick the best dozen of 2,000 photos captured as the vehicle travels under 10 mph through the tunnel. The chosen images are uploaded within minutes to Manheim’s website for dealers to check out.

Vehicles on average spend less than 30 days at Manheim before heading to a buyer. If a vehicle doesn’t sell, it might go to an auction next week or at another location. Certain electric vehicles stick around longer because of lower demand and to balance out losses for the seller, Kitsch said.

Whether buying at auction or from a trade-in, dealers like Walt Tutak, general manager at Matthew Hargreaves Chevrolet in Royal Oak, have upped their supply of used vehicles. Tutak is at 200 vehicles and could increase his stock to 225, up from a typical 150, in anticipation of tariffs affecting new-vehicle inventories.

“It hasn’t affected (demand) for used cars,” Tutak said about tariffs. “But we need to pay our bills one way or another. If inventories are going to get lowered, we want to be covered selling used cars.”

Tutak isn’t the only one thinking like that, and he recognized that used car prices are going up. But he said he’s willing to compromise on margins per vehicle if he’s selling more of them, he noted, seeing it as a long-term investment in the business.

“They’re going to come back to our dealership,” he said, “and tell friends and family and come to our service department and body shop and parts department. It’s a snowball effect.”

By Jackie Fortiér and Arthur Allen, KFF Health News

In the dim basement of a Salt Lake City pharmacy, hundreds of amber-colored plastic pill bottles sit stacked in rows, one man’s defensive wall in a tariff war.

Independent pharmacist Benjamin Jolley and his colleagues worry that the tariffs, aimed at bringing drug production to the United States, could instead drive companies out of business while raising prices and creating more of the drug shortages that have plagued American patients for several years.

Jolley bought six months’ worth of the most expensive large bottles, hoping to shield his business from the 10% across-the-board tariffs on imported goods that President Donald Trump announced April 2. Now with threats of additional tariffs targeting pharmaceuticals, Jolley worries that costs will soar for the medications that will fill those bottles.

In principle, Jolley said, using tariffs to push manufacturing from China and India to the U.S. makes sense. In the event of war, China could quickly stop all exports to the United States.

“I understand the rationale for tariffs. I’m not sure that we’re gonna do it the right way,” Jolley said. “And I am definitely sure that it’s going to raise the price that I pay my suppliers.”

Squeezed by insurers and middlemen, independent pharmacists such as Jolley find themselves on the front lines of a tariff storm. Nearly everyone down the line — drugmakers, pharmacies, wholesalers, and middlemen — opposes most tariffs.

Slashing drug imports could trigger widespread shortages, experts said, because of America’s dependence on Chinese- and Indian-made chemical ingredients, which form the critical building blocks of many medicines. Industry officials caution that steep tariffs on raw materials and finished pharmaceuticals could make drugs more expensive.

“Big ships don’t change course overnight,” said Robin Feldman, a UC Law San Francisco professor who writes about prescription drug issues. “Even if companies pledge to bring manufacturing home, it will take time to get them up and running. The key will be to avoid damage to industry and pain to consumers in the process.”

Trump on April 8 said he would soon announce “a major tariff on pharmaceuticals,” which have been largely tariff-free in the U.S. for 30 years.

“When they hear that, they will leave China,” he said. The U.S. imported $213 billion worth of medicines in 2024 — from China but also India, Europe, and other areas.

Trump’s statement sent drugmakers scrambling to figure out whether he was serious, and whether some tariffs would be levied more narrowly, since many parts of the U.S. drug supply chain are fragile, drug shortages are common, and upheaval at the FDA leaves questions about whether its staffing is adequate to inspect factories, where quality problems can lead to supply chain crises.

On May 12, Trump signed an executive order asking drugmakers to bring down the prices Americans pay for prescriptions, to put them in line with prices in other countries.

Meanwhile, pharmacists predict even the 10% tariffs Trump has demanded will hurt: Jolley said a potential increase of up to 30 cents a vial is not a king’s ransom, but it adds up when you’re a small pharmacy that fills 50,000 prescriptions a year.

“The one word that I would say right now to describe tariffs is ‘uncertainty,’” said Scott Pace, a pharmacist and owner of Kavanaugh Pharmacy in Little Rock, Arkansas.

To weather price fluctuations, Pace stocked up on the drugs his pharmacy dispenses most.

“I’ve identified the top 200 generics in my store, and I have basically put 90 days’ worth of those on the shelf just as a starting point,” he said. “Those are the diabetes drugs, the blood pressure medicines, the antibiotics — those things that I know folks will be sicker without.”

Pace said tariffs could be the death knell for the many independent pharmacies that exist on “razor-thin margins” — unless reimbursements rise to keep up with higher costs.

Unlike other retailers, pharmacies can’t pass along such costs to patients. Their payments are set by health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers largely owned by insurance conglomerates, who act as middlemen between drug manufacturers and purchasers.

Neal Smoller, who employs 15 people at his Village Apothecary in Woodstock, New York, is not optimistic.

“It’s not like they’re gonna go back and say, well, here’s your 10% bump because of the 10% tariff,” he said. “Costs are gonna go up and then the sluggish responses from the PBMs — they’re going to lead us to lose more money at a faster rate than we already are.”

Smoller, who said he has built a niche selling vitamins and supplements, fears that FDA firings will mean fewer federal inspections and safety checks.

“I worry that our pharmaceutical industry becomes like our supplement industry, where it’s the wild West,” he said.

Narrowly focused tariffs might work in some cases, said Marta Wosińska, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center on Health Policy. For example, while drug manufacturing plants can cost $1 billion and take three to five years to set up, it would be relatively cheap to build a syringe factory — a business American manufacturers abandoned during the covid-19 pandemic because China was dumping its products here, Wosińska said.

It’s not surprising that giants such as Novartis and Eli Lilly have promised Trump they’ll invest billions in U.S. plants, she said, since much of their final drug product is made here or in Europe, where governments negotiate drug prices. The industry is using Trump’s tariff saber-rattling as leverage; in an April 11 letter, 32 drug companies demanded European governments pay them more or face an exodus to the United States.

Brandon Daniels, CEO of supply chain company Exiger, is bullish on tariffs. He thinks they could help bring some chemical manufacturing back to the U.S., which, when coupled with increased use of automation, would reduce the labor advantages of China and India.

“You’ve got real estate in North Texas that’s cheaper than real estate in Shenzhen,” he said at an economic conference April 25 in Washington, referring to a major Chinese chemical manufacturing center.

But Wosińska said no amount of tariffs will compel makers of generic drugs, responsible for 90% of U.S. prescriptions, to build new factories in the U.S. Payment structures and competition would make it economic suicide, she said.

Several U.S. generics firms have declared bankruptcy or closed U.S. factories over the past decade, said John Murphy, CEO of the Association for Accessible Medicines, the generics trade group. Reversing that trend won’t be easy and tariffs won’t do it, he said.

“There’s not a magic level of tariffs that magically incentivizes them to come into the U.S.,” he said. “There is no room to make a billion-dollar investment in a domestic facility if you’re going to lose money on every dose you sell in the U.S. market.”

His group has tried to explain these complexities to Trump officials, and hopes word is getting through. “We’re not PhRMA,” Murphy said, referring to the powerful trade group primarily representing makers of brand-name drugs. “I don’t have the resources to go to Mar-a-Lago to talk to the president myself.”

Many of the active ingredients in American drugs are imported. Fresenius Kabi, a German company with facilities in eight U.S. states to produce or distribute sterile injectables — vital hospital drugs for cancer and other conditions — complained in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that tariffs on these raw materials could paradoxically lead some companies to move finished product manufacturing overseas.

Fresenius Kabi also makes biosimilars, the generic forms of expensive biologic drugs such as Humira and Stelara. The United States is typically the last developed country where biosimilars appear on the market because of patent laws.

Tariffs on biosimilars coming from overseas — where Fresenius makes such drugs — would further incentivize U.S. use of more expensive brand-name biologics, the March 11 letter said. Biosimilars, which can cost a tenth of the original drug’s price, launch on average 3-4 years later in the U.S. than in Canada or Europe.

In addition to getting cheaper knockoff drugs faster, European countries also pay far less than the United States for brand-name products. Paradoxically, Murphy said, those same countries pay more for generics.

European governments tend to establish more stable contracts with makers of generics, while in the United States, “rabid competition” drives down prices to the point at which a manufacturer “maybe scrimps on product quality,” said John Barkett, a White House Domestic Policy Council member in the Biden administration.

As a result, Wosińska said, “without exemptions or other measures put in place, I really worry about tariffs causing drug shortages.”

Smoller, the New York pharmacist, doesn’t see any upside to tariffs.

“How do I solve the problem of caring for my community,” he said, “but not being subject to the emotional roller coaster that is dispensing hundreds of prescriptions a day and watching every single one of them be a loss or 12 cents profit?”

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.