Paramount has gone hostile with a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging Netflix, which reached a $72 billion takeover deal with the company just days ago.

Paramount said Monday that it is going straight to Warner Bros. shareholders with a $30 per share in cash offer for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its Global Networks segment, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix.

That is the same bid that Warner Bros. rejected in favor of the offer from Netflix in a merger that would alter the U.S. entertainment landscape.

RELATED STORY | Trump says Netflix deal to buy Warner Bros. 'could be a problem'

Paramount criticized the Netflix offer, saying it exposes WBD shareholders to a protracted multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process with an uncertain outcome along with a complex and volatile mix of equity and cash.

Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to Warner Bros. Discovery over a 12 week period.

We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry," Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. "We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theaters as a result of our proposed transaction,

RELATED STORY | Streaming shake-up: Netflix to absorb Warner Bros. and HBO in $82.7 billion deal

On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind Harry Potter and HBO Max. The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

But President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery could be a problem because of the size of the combined market share.

This might be your chance to get your hands on the viral Starbucks "Bearista" cup that has been sold out for weeks.

The company posted an Instagram video on Sunday featuring the cup. The caption said, "Your chance is in the Starbucks app. Tomorrow, 12/8."

There were no other details given about the possible restock.

The bear-shaped cup was added as part of the coffee chain's holiday collection on Nov. 6. It features a glass teddy bear wearing a green Starbucks beanie.

RELATED STORY | Think you can beat 'Whamageddon'? Dodge this one song until Christmas Eve

The 20-ounce cup costs about $30, but they immediately sold out after they were launched.

You can find the cups being resold online for hundreds of dollars.

A 45-year-old man has been charged with two counts of assault after he allegedly struck a school safety officer and a principal with his vehicle at a Sterling Heights middle school.

Investigators say that Lemuel Young was blocking a bus lane at Donald L. Bemis Junior High School when the school safety officer approached his vehicle, asking him to move.

Authorities say that Young refused, striking the officer with his vehicle when he stepped in front of the vehicle.

The principal of the school was called to assist, also stepping in front of the vehicle. Young proceeded to strike the principal with his vehicle three times, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

Young appeared in court last week and faces two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, each a 4-year felony. Young's bond was set at $10,000 cash/surety only, no 10 percent. He has also been ordered not to contact the officer or the principal, not to enter the premises of the school, and not to possess a weapon.

Young is due back in court twice more later this month.

The conduct alleged in this case is shocking and completely unacceptable. Using a vehicle as a weapon is extraordinarily dangerous and will not be tolerated. My office is committed to holding offenders fully accountable and will pursue justice on behalf of victims and the public, said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido in a media release on the charges.

The post The Progressive Underground Pick of the Week: ‘Disarray’ by Lianne La Havas appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, according to a White House official — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.

According to the official, who was granted anonymity to speak ahead of a planned announcement, Trump will unveil the plan Monday afternoon at the White House.

Farmers have backed Trump politically but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries.

The aid is the administration’s latest effort to defend Trump’s economic stewardship and answer voter angst about rising costs — even as the president has dismissed concerns about affordability as a Democratic “hoax.”

An investigation is underway into the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy Saturday night in Royal Oak Township.

As of Monday morning, officials hadn’t announced any arrest in the case.

According to Michigan State Police, troopers responded to the American Inn & Suites at 11000 W. Eight Mile Road just before 10:30 pm. Dec. 6 after the assault was reported. Troopers administered first-aid to the victim including applying a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, where he had been stabbed. The teen was then transported to an area hospital.

Troopers contacted his mother and brought her to the hospital, MSP stated.

MSP Lt. Mike Shaw requested further information from the public as investigators work to develop leads to the suspect.

“Anyone who has information on this incident is asked to call the Metro North Post at 248-584-5740 or Crime Stoppers at 800-SPEAKUP,” Shaw stated on X.

Before she takes office next month as Detroit’s first woman mayor, Mary Sheffield quietly got married over the weekend. The news was confirmed Monday in a statement by Sheffield’s transition team, Rise Higher Detroit. “Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield and her fiancé, Rickey Jackson, Jr., exchanged vows in a private ceremony over the weekend in Detroit,” the […]

The post Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield confirms low-key weekend wedding appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

Michigan State Police say a 15-year-old has been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of a 13-year-old in Highland Park last month.

Avonte Herring, 13, was gunned down near the Dollar General store on Woodward Avenue and Manchester Parkway around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Stray rounds from the shooting struck neighboring businesses and passing vehicles.

In an update on Dec. 8, MSP said the 15-year-old from Highland Park was taken into custody overnight and is being lodged pending a prosecutor's review.

Watch Randy Wimbley's original video report below: 13-year-old killed in Highland Park shooting, family and community demand justice

I spoke with Avonte's mother, who said she did not get a minute of sleep after learning her son was murdered. The family was too shaken up for an interview Wednesday but is hoping and praying his killer is brought to justice.

"Children need a village. They need a village because these streets and being out here, you know, it's nothing nice," said Liletha Poe, a neighbor, reflecting on the tragedy.

Neighbors like Poe are stunned by the loss. She said Avonte was a familiar presence in the community who looked out for younger children.

"Definitely going to miss his presence around here. Like I said, I'd see him every morning and to wake up and not see him, that's definitely going to be a stint in my routine," Poe said.

Watch our previous coverage the night of the shooting below: Teen fatally shot near Dollar General store in Highland Park, police say

She described how Avonte would help watch her young children and even give her son money.

"He used to give my son like a dollar or two. He would see them on the bus," Poe said. "First he would come and see me or if they were not listening as they say they're supposed to, he would know that and let me know."

Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive in the shooting. Highland Park Police Chief James McMahon believes the suspect, like Avonte, is a young teenager.

"I've had community leaders reach out to me, residents that are offering to help in any way. Whenever you hear something like this, it's horrible," McMahon said.

Hear more from Chief James McMahon below: Web extra: Highland Park police chief has message for community after teen fatally shot

The chief issued a stark warning to parents about knowing what their children are doing.

"As parents, as teachers, as the community, as law enforcement, we gotta do a better job of getting control of these kids. We suspect our suspect is very young as well and I also suspect that their parents know what they're into and knowing who they're hanging out with," McMahon said.

"For the parents out there who know what their kids are up to, your kids are going to end up in prison or dead if you don't get control of them."

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

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a case that could significantly expand presidential authority and upend a 90-year-old framework that shields members of independent federal agencies from being removed without cause.

At issue is whether President Donald Trump can fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter at will. Slaughter, a Democrat, was first appointed to the FTC during Trumps first term and later reappointed by President Joe Biden. Trump has sought to remove her without citing any misconduct, arguing that the Constitution grants presidents broad power to oversee the executive branch.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court says it will hear arguments on the constitutionality of Trump's birthright citizenship changes

The dispute directly challenges a 1935 Supreme Court precedent known as Humphreys Executor, which held that presidents may remove FTC commissioners only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance. That ruling has long been the legal foundation protecting the leadership of roughly two dozen independent regulatory agencies from the Federal Communications Commission to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from political turnover.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage

The courts conservative majority has already signaled interest in revisiting long-standing limits on presidential removal authority in recent opinions. Depending on how broadly the justices rule, the decision could reshape how much independence federal agencies maintain and redefine the scope of presidential control for decades.

The Central Michigan Chippewas will be in Detroit for the holiday season as they'll face the Northwestern Wildcats at Ford Field.

Both teams announced over the weekend that they will play in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. The game will air on ESPN.

"The GameAbove Sports Bowl annually showcases the energy of Detroit and the passion of its football fan base. GameAbove remains committed to giving back to the community and we are again honored to work with the Lions to bring college football fans one of the most exciting bowl games on the schedule," said Matt Shepard, Chief Outreach Officer at GameAbove.

CMU finished the season 7-5 overall while the Wildcats finished with a 6-6 record.

Tickets for the game go on sale Monday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. They start at $29 and are available on the bowl game's website.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max, the president said, “Well that’s the question.”

“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”

Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”

He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.

“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.

Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed to this report.

By ISABELLA VOLMERT, Associated Press

A proposal to redraw Indiana’s congressional boundaries faces its first public test in the state Senate on Monday, with no clarity on whether it can pass a final vote later in the week despite months of pressure from President Donald Trump.

Senators will take action on a bill designed to favor GOP candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. However, many Republicans, who control the chamber, have been hesitant or even outright opposed to the idea of mid-decade redistricting. Several have also been threatened over their opposition or unwillingness to immediately declare support.

Their deciding votes could test Trump’s typically iron grip on the Republican Party. Monday’s expected committee hearing could give a first glimpse at how many senators plan to go on record against the bid to consolidate power in the staunchly conservative state.

The map introduced just last Monday and passed by the Republican super majority in the state House on Friday splits the city of Indianapolis into four districts, distributed across other Republican-leaning areas. It also groups the cities of East Chicago and Gary with a wide swath of rural counties in northern Indiana.

The contours would eliminate the districts of the state’s two Democratic congressional representatives: longtime Rep. André Carson, representing Indianapolis, and Rep. Frank Mrvan, representing northwest Indiana near Chicago. Carson is the state’s only Black member of Congress.

Republicans currently hold seven of the state’s nine districts.

Democrats are hoping to flip control of the U.S. House in the 2026 elections and like their odds, since midterms tend to favor the party opposite the one in power.

Redistricting is typically done once a decade following the census. But Trump has pushed Republican-led states to squeeze out more districts winnable for Republicans as a result. Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina have followed suit, while Democrats in California and Virginia have moved to draw their own favorable districts in response.

But the idea of redrawing a congressional map last approved in 2021 has made many Republicans in Indiana uneasy, particularly in the Senate. The leader of the state Senate previously said there were not enough votes in support of redistricting. But where the vote count stands going into Monday is unknown.

Senators are scheduled to meet on the floor at 12:30 p.m., and the Senate elections committee is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m.

The White House has upped the pressure on Indiana. Vice President JD Vance visited Indianapolis twice since August, and legislative leaders met with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this year.

After the leader of the state Senate, Republican Rodric Bray, said the chamber would reject the governor’s call for a special session on redistricting, Trump repeatedly lashed out at Bray and other state Senators on social media. Trump promised to endorse primary challengers to any state lawmaker who opposes redistricting.

In the weeks following, about a dozen state lawmakers were the victims of threats and swatting, in which a hoax call is made to police to elicit a law enforcement response, typically to someone’s home.

In the 50-person Senate chamber, redistricting proponents need at least 25 “yes” votes to give final passage to the map. That would trigger a tiebreaking vote from Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who is in favor of redistricting.

If the Senate were to vote against the new map, it would be extremely difficult for proponents to try again. The deadline to file to run for Congress in Indiana is in early February, and primary elections are held in early May.

Volmert reported from Lansing, Michigan.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was meeting the French, German and British leaders in London on Monday as Kyivs European allies try to strengthen Ukraines hand in thorny talks on a U.S.-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due to gather with Zelenskyy, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leaders 10 Downing St. residence.

Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraines war effort. The leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again.

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administrations peace proposal.

RELATED STORY | Putin says there are points he can't agree to in the US proposal to end Russia's war in Ukraine

Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that talks had been substantive and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him.

A major sticking point in the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine must cede control of its eastern Donbas region to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.

Starmer said he wont be putting pressure on Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement.

The most important thing is to ensure that if there is a cessation of hostilities, and I hope there is, it has to be just and it has to be lasting, which is what we will be focused on this afternoon, he told broadcaster ITV.

In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader hasnt yet read the proposal.

Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but Im not sure that Zelenskyys fine with it," Trump said before taking part in the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. "His people love it, but he hasn't read it."

Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since riding into a second White House term insisting that the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayers money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to bring an end to the nearly four-year conflict.

The European talks follow the publication of a new U.S. national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the administrations core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscows vision.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Peskov said that the Kremlin welcomed the documents focus on developing constructive relations with Russia.

The nuances that we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us, he told reporters. It mentions the need for dialogue and building constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but appeal to us, and it absolutely corresponds to our vision. We understand that by eliminating the irritants that currently exist in bilateral relations, a prospect may open for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the rather deep crisis.

The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to reestablish strategic stability with Russia.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he wont meet Zelenskyy or Putin until peace deal is nearly done

The document also says NATO must not be a perpetually expanding alliance, echoing another complaint of Russias. It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, suggesting they face the prospect of civilizational erasure due to migration.

Starmers government has declined to comment on the American document, saying it is a matter for the U.S. government.

Aerial attacks continue

Russian forces continued to attack Ukraine Monday as diplomatic efforts continued.

Russian drones struck a residential high-rise in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov, wrote on Telegram. He said that the building suffered extensive damage.

Elsewhere, in the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone injured three people when it exploded outside a residential building, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said. The attack also damaged a kindergarten, domestic gas pipes and cars.

Ukraines Air Force said Monday that Russia fired a total of 149 drones across the country overnight, of which 131 were neutralized and 16 more struck their targets.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russias Ministry of Defense said Monday. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.

ANN ARBOR — Ask any Michigan coach or player about forward Morez Johnson Jr., you’re bound to hear the same description.

Take a spin around the Crisler Center media room following Saturday’s smackdown of Rutgers in the Big Ten opener, for example. After Johnson poured in 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the floor in 24 minutes to go along with four rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot, guards L.J. Cason, Elliot Cadeau and Roddy Gayle Jr. all offered a similar assessment about their teammate.

“He’s just a dog,” Cadeau said. “He can guard all five positions. I think that’s what makes him different. We can put him on the point guard, and he’ll lock up a point guard.”

Across the room from Cadeau, Gayle and Cason echoed that sentiment.

“I feel like he’s our junkyard dog,” Gayle said. “You really can’t stop him. He’s just too physical, too forceful.”

Added Cason: “He’s just a dog on the boards. He plays hard and wants to win.”

It’s fitting that Cadeau, Cason and Gayle touched on different areas, considering all the different ways that Johnson impacts the game.

He’s the team’s enforcer on defense and, along with center Aday Mara, a vaunted rim protector. He’s a bully in the paint on offense who has no issue scoring over defenders or through contact. He’s a handful on the glass on both ends.

He’s a big reason why, entering play Sunday, the Wolverines lead the nation in 2-point defense (37.5%) and rank second in 2-point offense (64.9%) per KenPom, in addition to posting a plus-13 rebounding margin per game, a mark that’s tied for the fifth-best nationally.

Gayle can at least sympathize with what opponents have to go through with Johnson.

“I deal with it every day in practice, especially when we play games. Sometimes I’m at the four and it’s like, ‘What am I going to do?’” Gayle said. “I get a glimpse of what these other teams get to experience and when you piss him off, he’s a whole other animal.”

Throughout Michigan’s blazing 8-0 start, Johnson has been playing at a high level and Saturday was the latest demonstration.

He hounded the Scarlet Knights on the perimeter and in the paint. His defense generated offense, like when he turned a steal near midcourt into a fast-break layup. He ran the floor in transition. He finished at the basket on pick-and-rolls and through double-teams. At no point was he ever hunting his own shot.

“When you look at our good possessions in Vegas (at the Players Era tournament), a lot of times we got layups and dunks because of his seals, because of his screens, because of his rim runs,” coach Dusty May said. “He does a lot of extremely visible and invisible plays.”

On numerous occasions against Rutgers, Johnson got inside position and sealed off his defender, which led to easy buckets at rim. There were also several times he had to go up to grab a contested post entry pass that led to more paint points.

“He loves contact. I think that’s first and foremost,” May said. “He wins every catch. Our guys have a lot of confidence to throw him the ball, because if it’s a 50-50 ball, a 60-40 ball, a 70-30 ball and he’s at a disadvantage, he typically wins those catches and turns them into baskets.

“There’s trust that’s developed throughout the season … and Morez has certainly earned the trust of his teammates that he’s going to play the right way, play with efficiency.”

Given Johnson’s elite finishing inside — his 68.7% field goal percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten — and improved free-throw shooting, it almost seems unfair when he’s knocking down 3-pointers.

Heading into the Rutgers contest, Johnson had attempted two 3-pointers all season after not attempting one last season at Illinois and missed both. Against Rutgers, he knocked down both of his 3-point tries from straightaway.

May noted the goal is to have all five guys on the court be capable of knocking down deep balls. And if Johnson adds a respectable 3-point shot to his arsenal, May added it can make teams “more skittish” toward helping at the rim, which can cause a “chain reaction” that opens driving lanes for others.

Yet, Johnson has already provided a noticeable ripple effect throughout the team with his fierce, nasty nature on the floor.

“I think our team has adopted his personality. We don’t have a rugged group by nature. We have some guys that have grown into being tough, rugged dudes,” May said last week. “But Morez, every single minute of every single day he brings a physicality and intensity, a serious approach to everything that he does.”

So far, Johnson has been doing it all — and perhaps even more than anyone May has ever coached before.

“(Assistant coach) Kyle Church and I have worked together for a million years. He said we’ve never had one of those. We’ve never had … a guy that impacts the game in so many ways,” May said. “And now, because of his work and the staff’s ability to help him get better, he’s playing well out of the short rolls, he’s adding to his game.

“The sky is the limit for Morez. … He does so much but he’s also so selfless.”

By Craig Mauger, cmauger@detroitnews.com

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said Friday he’s considering pursuing a new state commission or fee schedules to limit what hospitals can charge for their services, as part of a bid to lower health care costs.

The Kalamazoo County Republican made the comments during an appearance on WKAR’s “Off The Record” overtime segment while discussing his caucus’s priorities for the upcoming year. The speaker referenced the Michigan Public Service Commission, which currently gets to approve or alter rate increases proposed by gas and electric utilities that have monopolies within their service territories.

“I am looking at potentially proposing a new … public service commission, but for the hospitals, to regulate their price increases,” Hall said.

He added later, “We might need fee schedules.”

Hall’s comments came amid reports of rising health care costs nationwide and a push by some political candidates to focus on lowering medical bills and insurance premiums paid by their constituents. However, a new government panel to intervene in hospitals’ financial decision-making would represent a significant change for an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents.

Annual health spending in the U.S. increased by 62% from about $3 trillion in 2014 to about $4.9 trillion in 2023, according to data tracked by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, said Friday that his group “is always willing to engage in discussions that can improve affordability and reduce government intervention.”

“Hospitals remain committed to addressing rising healthcare costs,” Peters said. ”Insurance premiums are ultimately determined by insurance companies, not hospitals, while independent analyses show that prescription drug costs and administrative expenses are driving insurance premium inflation.”

The website of McLaren Health Care, which has 12 hospitals, describes billing, costs and charges as “very complex.”

“The price a patient sees on their hospital bill reflects not just the specific care team who treated them, but also overall operational costs that keep the hospital running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” the McLaren website says.

The Detroit News reported in October that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was hiking its small group insurance premiums an average of 12.4% next year for its Blue Care Network HMO plans. In the individual market, state regulators allowed Blue Cross to hike its premiums by 24%, as three insurers stopped selling so-called “Obamacare” plans in Michigan.

In an interview in October, Tricia Keith, Blue Cross’s CEO, referenced a study by the RAND Corp. that concluded hospital mergers gave the health systems more negotiating power with insurers, increased patient volume for services, reduced competition and contributed to increased health care spending.

“We are concerned with (hospital) consolidation because there are a number of studies that have come out and shown — the RAND study, for instance — that hospital consolidation does drive up prices,” Keith said.

More: Q&A: Blue Cross CEO Tricia Keith on what’s driving double-digit health insurance increases

During his public television interview on Friday, Hall said something has to be done to lower health care costs.

“We see these big Taj Mahals they’re building,” Hall said of new facilities built by Michigan hospital systems. “I’m just saying it’s out of control.”

Some hospital executives, including Henry Ford Health CEO Bob Riney, have defended new medical facilities. Henry Ford Health is currently erecting a new $2.2 billion hospital across West Grand Boulevard from its flagship Detroit hospital, where the tower dates back to 1915.

“I would ask people to think about the inefficiencies in the design of a building that was designed to be a hospital over 100 years ago,” Riney said. “… If anyone has shown a great use of a building for a hundred-plus years, it’s us.”

More: Q&A: Henry Ford Health executives defend rising costs of care, new Detroit hospital

Democrats in the Michigan Senate have approved bills to create a new state board with the power to study prescription drug costs and set maximum caps on prices if they’re determined to be too expensive for patients.

The Senate voted in favor of those bills in April, but the Republican-controlled House has not acted on them.

Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, said the ideas Hall floated Friday seemed somewhat similar to the Senate’s plan for the Prescription Drug Affordability Board.

“We have a great plan that’s sitting in the House chamber and that’s been sitting there for many months,” Camilleri said.

Camilleri added that Hall has continued to attack Michigan’s hospitals. In September, Hall called for the ouster of Brian Peters, the leader of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, after the group criticized the House GOP’s budget plan.

A 25-year-old Mt. Pleasant man is jailed in Livingston County on a $1 million bond, accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a home as his stalking of a juvenile escalated into an attack on their home.

Authorities in Brighton Township were first alerted at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, after several bottles of flammable materials were thrown at a house on Burson Drive, igniting fires, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday, Dec. 5.

Within less than a day, Mt. Pleasant police officers had the suspect in custody in mid-Michigan and he was being transported to the Livington County Jail, awaiting criminal charges in the county just northwest of Metro Detroit.

Now, Alex Buley-Neumar is being held in the downstate jail on a $1 million bond, facing four felony criminal charges.

On Monday, Dec. 1, he was arraigned in the 53rd District Court on charges of the manufacture/possession of a Molotov cocktail causing damage, a potential 20-year felony; aggravated stalking of a minor, which carries up to 10 years in prison; using a computer to commit a crime, also a 10-year felony; and accosting a child for immoral purposes, a four-year felony.

When emergency responders arrived at the Burson Drive home in a residential neighborhood, the fires had been extinguished by “alert neighbors… preventing what could have been a catastrophic outcome,” the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said in its statement. The home is about an hour-and-40 minute minute drive from Mt. Pleasant.

Deputies found evidence of the incendiary devices and documented the fire damage. Investigators when learned the violence was connected to “an ongoing stalking and harassment case involving a juvenile victim over social media platforms.”

And the suspect was identified, prompting sheriff’s detectives to work overnight with police investigators and officers in locating him.

By 3 p.m. the next day, Saturday, Nov. 29, Buley-Neumar was being taken into custody without incident by Mt. Pleasant officers, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff’s officials also wanted to remind parents and families “to get involved and be aware of what their are doing on social media and who they are talking to.”

The sheriff’s office did not provide an age or gender of the stalking victim.

Buley-Neumar is due back in court for an 8 a.m. Dec. 9 hearing for a probable cause conference before Judge Shauna Murphy. A preliminary examination is scheduled at this time for Dec. 16.

He was represented by a court-appointed attorney at the arraignment and has requested one for the ongoing case, according to court records.

By SUSIE BLANN, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “hasn’t read” a U.S-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump was critical of Zelenskyy after U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s proposal. But in an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, Trump suggested that the Ukrainian leader is holding up the talks from moving forward.

“I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it. But he hasn’t — Russia’s fine with it,” Trump told reporters on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it. His people love it, but he hasn’t read it.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also hasn’t publicly expressed approval for the White House plan. In fact, Putin last week had said that aspects of Trump’s proposal were unworkable, even though the original draft heavily favored Moscow.

Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since riding into a second White House term insisting that the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayer money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to bring an end to a now nearly four-year conflict he says has cost far too many lives.

Zelenskyy said Saturday he had a “substantive phone call” with the American officials engaged in the talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. He said he had been given an update over the phone by U.S. and Ukrainian officials at the talks.

“Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy came as Russia on Sunday welcomed the Trump administration’s new national security strategy in comments by the Kremlin spokesman published by Russia’s Tass news agency.

Dmitry Peskov said the updated strategic document, which spells out the administration’s core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscow’s vision.

“There are statements there against confrontation and in favor of dialogue and building good relations,” he said, adding that Russia hopes this would lead to “further constructive cooperation with Washington on the Ukrainian settlement.”

The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to “reestablish strategic stability with Russia.”

Speaking on Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said efforts to end the war were in “the last 10 meters.”

He said a deal depended on the two outstanding issues of “terrain, primarily the Donbas,” and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia controls most of Donbas, its name for the Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk regions, which, along with two southern regions, it illegally annexed three years ago. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in an area that has been under Russian control since early in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and is not in service. It needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Kellogg, who is due to leave his post in January, was not present at the talks in Florida.

Separately, officials said the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany would participate in a meeting with Zelenskyy in London on Monday.

As the three days of talks wrapped up, Russian missile, drone and shelling attacks overnight and Sunday killed at least four people in Ukraine.

A man was killed in a drone attack on Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region Saturday night, local officials said, while a combined missile and drone attack on infrastructure in the central city of Kremenchuk caused power and water outages. Kremenchuk is home to one of Ukraine’s biggest oil refineries and is an industrial hub.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.

Three people were killed and 10 others wounded Sunday in shelling by Russian troops in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

AP writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed reporting.

President Donald Trump on Sunday hosted the Kennedy Center Honors and praised Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford and George Strait, the slate of honorees he helped choose, as being legendary in so many ways.

Billions and billions of people have watched them over the years, Trump, the first president to command the stage, said to open the show.

The Republican president said the artists, recognized with tribute performances during the show, are among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers, songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has made the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is named after a Democratic predecessor, a touchstone in a broader attack against what he has lambasted as woke anti-American culture.

Trump said Saturday that he was hosting at the request of a certain television network. He predicted the broadcast scheduled for Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+, would have its best ratings ever.

Before Trump, presidents watched the show alongside the honorees. Trump skipped the honors altogether during his first term.

Asked how he got ready for the gig, Trump said as he moved along the red carpet with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, that he didnt really prepare very much.

I have a good memory, so I can remember things, which is very fortunate, the president said. But just, I wanted to just be myself. You have to be yourself."

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, one of several Cabinet secretaries attending the ceremony, said his boss "is so relaxed in front of these cameras, as you know, and so funny, I cant wait for tonight. Lutnick arrived with his wife, a member of the Kennedy Center's board.

Trump appeared on stage three times to open and close the show, and after intermission. He also talked up each artist in prerecorded videos that played before their tributes.

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Trump was both gracious and critical in the comments he delivered from the stage, lavishing the honorees with effusive praise but at times showing a mean streak. After returning from intermission, he said hed toured some of the construction projects he has launched to renovate the performing arts center. And he said it was a fantastic night.

Well, were really having a good time tonight, Trump said. So many people I know in this audience. Some good. Some bad. Some I truly love and respect. Some I just hate.

Since 1978, the honors have recognized stars for their influence on American culture and the arts. Members of this year's class are pop-culture standouts, including Stallone for his Rocky and Rambo movies, Gaynor for her I Will Survive feminist anthem and Kiss for its flashy, cartoonish makeup and onstage displays of smoke and pyrotechnics.

Strait is a leader in the world of country music and Crawford, a Tony Award-winning actor, is best known for starring in Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Trump said persistence is a trait shared by the honorees, several of whom had humble beginnings.

Some of them have had legendary setbacks, setbacks that you have to read in the papers because of their level of fame, he said from the stage. But in the words of Rocky Balboa, they showed us that you keep moving forward, just keep moving forward.

He said many of the politicians, celebrities and others in the audience shared the trait, too.

I know so many of you are persistent, Trump said in his opening. Many of you are miserable, horrible people. You are persistent. You never give up. Sometimes I wish youd give up, but you dont.

The ceremony was expected to be emotional for the members of Kiss. The bands original lead guitarist, Ace Frehley, died in October after he was injured during a fall. During the tribute to Kiss, a lone red guitar that emitted smoke was placed on stage in remembrance of Frehley, who was known for having a smoke bomb in his instrument.

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The program closed with a rousing performance by Cheap Trick of Kiss' Rock and Roll All Nite" that brought the audience to its feet.

Stallone said receiving the honor was like being in the eye of a hurricane.

This is an amazing event, he said on the red carpet. But youre caught up in the middle of it. Its hard to take it in until the next day. ..: but Im incredibly humbled by it.

Crawford also said it was humbling, especially at the end of a career.

Gaynor said it feels like a dream to be honored. "To be recognized in this way is the pinnacle," she said after arriving.

Mike Farris, an award-winning gospel singer who performed for Gaynor, called her a dear friend. She truly did survive, Farris said. "What an iconic song.

Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center

Trump upended decades of bipartisan support for the center by ousting its leadership and stacking the board of trustees with Republican supporters, who elected him chair. He has criticized the centers programming and the buildings appearance and has said, perhaps jokingly, that he would rename it as the Trump Kennedy Center. He secured more than $250 million from Congress for renovations of the building.

Asked Sunday night about a possible renaming, Trump said it would be up to the board. Still, he joked at one point about the Trump Kennedy Center.

Presidents of each political party have at times found themselves face to face with artists of opposing political views. Republican Ronald Reagan was there for honoree Arthur Miller, a playwright who championed liberal causes. Democrat Bill Clinton, who had signed an assault weapons ban into law, marked the honors for Charlton Heston, an actor and gun rights advocate.

During Trumps first term, multiple honorees were openly critical of the president. In 2017, Trumps first year in office, honors recipient and film producer Norman Lear threatened to boycott his own ceremony if Trump attended. Trump stayed away during that entire term.

Trump has said he was deeply involved in choosing the 2025 honorees and turned down some recommendations because they were too woke." He said Sunday that about 50 names were whittled down to five. While Stallone is one of Trump's Hollywood special ambassadors" and has likened Trump to George Washington, the political views of Sunday's other guests are less clear.

Honorees' views about Trump

Strait and Gaynor have said little about their politics, although Federal Election Commission records show that Gaynor has given money to Republican organizations in recent years.

Simmons spoke favorably of Trump when Trump ran for president in 2016. But in 2022, Simmons told Spin magazine that Trump was out for himself and criticized Trump for encouraging conspiracy theories and public expressions of racism.

Fellow Kiss member Paul Stanley denounced Trump's effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, and said Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were terrorists. But after Trump won in 2024, Stanley urged unity.

If your candidate lost, its time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why, Stanley wrote on X. "If your candidate won, its time to understand that those who dont share your views also believe they are right and love this country as much as you do.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery could be a problem because of the size of the combined market share.

There's no question about it, Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the worlds biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warners television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflixs vast library and its production arm.

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The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to go through a process and we'll see what happens," Trump said.

Netflix is a great company. Theyve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man, he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. "I have a lot of respect for him but its a lot of market share, so well have to see what happens.

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind Harry Potter and HBO Max, the president said, Well that's the question.

They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I dont know, he said. "I'll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share

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Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a great person who has done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.

He repeated that a merger would create a big market share for the company.

Theres no question about it. It could be a problem, Trump said.