Washington ― U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been assigned around-the-clock police protection, her office said, following calls by President Donald Trump on Thursday morning that the Michigan lawmaker should be arrested and possibly put to death over a video that she made with other Democrats.
Slotkin told NBC News that she has received “hundreds and hundreds, if not, you know, closer to 1,000 threats” since the video first picked up traction in the news earlier in the week and then Trump suggested on Thursday that her message was “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Now, a U.S. Capitol Police officer is following Slotkin around everywhere she goes to ensure her safety, her office said late Thursday.
The Holly Democrat had posted online the video recording of Democratic veterans in Congress on Tuesday. The video features Slotkin and five other lawmakers who contended that the Trump administration is pitting the uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against U.S. citizens, and urged them not to follow unspecified illegal orders: “Don’t give up the ship.”
Trump lashed out at the Democratic lawmakers on Thursday in a torrent of posts on his Truth Social platform.
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL,” Trump wrote. “Their words cannot be allowed to stand – We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.”
The second-term Republican president followed up with other posts about the Democratic lawmakers: “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, told reporters Thursday that he’d requested extra security for Slotkin and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who was also in the video. Schumer railed against Trump’s language toward the lawmakers on the Senate floor, saying the president’s language “is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious.”
“When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen,” Schumer said.
The other Democrats in the video with Slotkin besides Kelly were U.S. Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire.
Trump’s social media comments suggesting Slotkin and the other Democratic lawmakers could face execution for their remarks prompted the president’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, to argue the lawmakers had encouraged service members “to defy the President’s lawful orders.”
At a White House briefing Thursday with reporters, Leavitt said “no” when asked whether the president wants members of Congress executed.
“The president expects his Cabinet officials in the administration to follow the law and to demand accountability and hold people accountable for their dangerous rhetoric,” Leavitt said. “And I would just add that if this were Republican members of Congress who were encouraging members of the military and members of our United States government to defy orders from the president and from the chain of command, this entire room would be up in arms. But instead, it is the other way around, and I think that’s quite telling.”
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) speaks to a group of business and community leaders among others attending Tuesday’s roundtable discussion at Macomb Community College’s University Center hosted by Macomb County Chamber. GINA JOSEPH – THE MACOMB DAILY
A deputy was killed, and at least two other people were injured when law enforcement attempted to serve an eviction notice Friday morning near Florida's Vero Beach.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said three deputies were serving an eviction notice to 37-year-old Michael Halberstam, when Halberstam retrieved a weapon and began firing at the deputies.
Flowers said that Deputy Terri Mashkow, 47, was killed in the line of duty. Mashkow was with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office for over 25 years.
Another deputy was shot in the shoulder and is recovering at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. A locksmith who was also on scene is in critical condition and is undergoing surgery.
Flowers said Halberstam is in critical condition and is undergoing surgery after at least two deputies fired at the suspect.
WATCH: Multiple deputies shot, 1 deputy dead in Indian River County shooting
1 deputy dead, others shot in Indian River County
[Halberstam] was not someone that was on our radar; this was not someone that we were actively engaged with," Flowers said. "This was a standard call for service."
Deputies say that seven calls had been placed by Halberstam's mother to the residence within the past month, leading to her choice to evict her son.
This is the second line-of-duty death in the 100 years of the agency's service.
A Colorado city council member asked a simple question at a July 2023 public meeting, not knowing it would take more than two years to find out the answer.
Lakewood City Councilor Anita Springsteen called on the citys police to release body camera footage showing why officers shot and killed a teenage girl months earlier.
It may very well be that there is absolutely no question about what had to happen there, but I think the city should be forthcoming, in that case, about what occurred, she said to the council. I mean, whats going on?
She was skeptical because police in the Denver suburb had initially provided differing narratives of the March incident, which began after a resident reported a mail carrier had been robbed at gunpoint in front of her home by two teenage girls.
A police department spokesperson initially told reporters that the teen suspect had shot and wounded an officer before police shot and killed her in front of an auto repair business. Later that day, the department released a slightly different statement, indicating the suspect had only pointed a gun at police, leading officers to open fire. The wounded officer recovered.
Springsteen, who is also a civil rights attorney, said her concern grew in August when the city received a notice from an attorney representing the 17-year-olds estate claiming officers fired close to 30 shots at the girl.
That sounds like a scene out of 'Scarface,' Springsteen told Scripps News.
It was a concern to me that they were in front of a business where people were working right behind them, and there [were] bullets flying all over the place, she added.
In September 2023, a Critical Incident Response Team working under the authority of the district attorney found the officers actions that day to be justified, finding a reasonable person would believe it was necessary for the officers to use deadly physical force to defend themselves.
The following month, a letter from the police chief said his review of an internal affairs investigation also found the officers use of force to be objectively reasonable and in compliance with department policies and the law.
But the video of the police encounter would not become public until more than two years after it happened, only after a court battle waged by Scripps News.
Lakewood initially denied public records requests for the video from Scripps News and other media. In a denial sent to Scripps News, an attorney for the city cited statutes referring to juvenile privacy rights as their reason for withholding the records.
The city released the video only after Scripps News sent a legal demand letter, filed a lawsuit, prevailed, won again on appeal and paid the city for its time spent blurring the footage.
Scripps News prevails in nearly two-year fight over body camera footageNote: the first 30 seconds of this police body camera footage is silent, as is typical for these recordings. Scripps News edited this video to pause it before the teen is shot, added captions, and highlighted the weapon she held.
The video reviewed by Scripps News showed Lakewood officers chasing 17-year-old robbery suspect Mariana Martinez and surrounding her in front of the auto shop.
One officer pulled out a taser, and another shouted at him to use it. But after the teen pulled out a gun and pointed it in the direction of police, three officers each fired multiple shots, hitting her ten times. She died later that day at a nearby hospital.
No charges were filed against the officers involved, and all three officers received public commendations for their actions that day.
While the video affirmed the police departments account of what happened that day, the citys efforts to withhold it represented one of the first tests of the reforms passed by the Colorado legislature after the murder of George Floyd.
Because of the law, we are receiving the truth
During the heat of the 2020 summer of protests following Floyds death, Colorado lawmakers spent weeks hammering out a slate of policy reforms to enhance law enforcement integrity in the state.
It took about 16 days of hard, all-day negotiations, with law enforcement, with community, with activists, and with other folks that were involved to come together to come up with the bill that we have today, former state Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democrat, told Scripps News about the law she co-sponsored. One of the critical points was body camera.
Signed into law in June 2020, the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act required all law enforcement agencies to issue body-worn cameras to their officers and required agencies to release footage from cases where there were complaints of misconduct lodged against police within 21 days of the receipt of the complaint.
The key was we wanted unedited body cam footage released in a decent amount of time so that there couldnt be a narrative that was put in place as opposed to reality and the truth, said Herod.
Because of the law, we are receiving the truth. Were seeing it quicker, and were seeing it unedited, she said. And Im proud of that.
When do we see them as a child and when do we see them as an adult?
Scripps News referenced that law in its requests to Lakewood police for video from the March 2023 shooting, but the city attorneys office said police would not release the video because the juvenile suspect who was killed had privacy rights that could only be waived by her family.
In August 2023, after the attorney representing Martinezs estate sent the city of Lakewood a notice of a potential lawsuit over the shooting, records indicate the city allowed the teens family to view the body camera footage.
After a city attorney told a family representative they believed the family could decide whether or not the footage would be released to the media, the relative sent an email to Lakewood saying they did not want the footage released. (Scripps News attempted to reach out to family members months after the shooting, but the people who answered the door said they did not want to speak with us. The attorney who sent the letter on behalf of the teens estate did not file a lawsuit and no longer represents the estate.)
Colorados law says any video that raises substantial privacy concerns including those depicting a minor shall be blurred or redacted before its release to the public, and if redaction or blurring is insufficient to protect the substantial privacy interest the video should be released to the victim or the victims legal representative who could waive the privacy interest.
In the Lakewood case, the city argued blurring the teen suspects face would not sufficiently protect her privacy, but the courts disagreed, ordering the city to release the blurred video.
Denver First Amendment attorney Steve Zansberg, along with the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, represented Scripps News in court.
I believed strongly and believe strongly today that Scripps was entitled to receive this footage within 21 days of requesting it, and that the City of Lakewood's refusal to provide it to you was unlawful, and that's ultimately what both the trial court and the court of appeals held, Zansberg told Scripps News.
Herod said lawmakers did not intend for body-worn camera videos depicting police incidents involving juvenile suspects to be withheld when they wrote the law, noting that the legislation allowed for such videos to be blurred.
Frankly, Id ask the question if that child were to make it out of that interaction alive, would they be tried as an adult? When do we see them as a child and when do we see them as an adult? Herod said.
I believe that should be across the board, if a life was taken at the hands of law enforcement we should be able to see what really happened, she said.
Theyre little kids
While Lakewood police fought against releasing their video of the shooting, the department and the court did provide records to Scripps News that painted a picture of how the teen girl ended up surrounded by police officers that day.
A postal carrier told police it began when a young girl in a black hoodie walked up and asked him if she could borrow his phone to make a call.
He agreed, and she tried several times to call someone who she said wasnt answering. Soon, a younger girl approached the truck, and the older girl, later identified as Mariana Martinez, pulled out a gun, the mail carrier said. She demanded his keys.
The postal worker escaped, hiding in a backyard nearby. The woman who lived there called 911.
Police chased down Martinez a few blocks away, surrounded her in front of the auto shop, and shot her after she pointed a gun at them. Police video obtained by Scripps News showed the mailman, hiding in the yard, speaking to an officer after a flurry of gunshots was heard in the distance.
I hope theyre OK. I mean, Jesus Christ. Theyre little kids, he said.
Life will never be the same
Hours after the shooting, police tracked down the other teen, Martinezs 13-year-old sister, in a car with an adult named Ashley Cortez. The sister was not criminally charged, according to the district attorney.
Prosecutors charged Cortez in connection with the aggravated robbery of the mail carrier, and she reached a plea deal earlier this year.
Police said Cortez had a history of mail theft, and they came to believe she recruited the girls to commit a similar crime. A neighbors Ring camera captured footage of Cortez in the neighborhood with the girls before the robbery, handing Martinez a black object police believed was possibly the gun, according to court documents.
At her sentencing, Cortezs defense attorney argued she did not plan the robbery or provide the gun, and only dropped the teens off in the neighborhood so one of them could visit a boyfriend. But her attorney said she admitted guilt in court because she could have done more to stop it.
Though Cortez was not convicted of causing Martinezs death directly, prosecutors argued that she deserved a harsher sentence because the girl died.
We cant ignore that she coerced a 17-year-old and 13-year-old to go and commit this crime for her. That she put a gun in the 17-year-olds hand, and it is because of that action alone that a child is dead, prosecutor Lenae Davis said in court, according to a transcript of the proceeding.
In court, the prosecutor read a statement from Martinezs mother, who described the girl as a hard worker who was saving up to buy a car. She got her first fast food job at 15, but it was her job at a Subway sandwich shop managed by Cortez, her mother said, that started the series of events that ended her life.
Life will never be the same, her mother said in the statement read in court.
The judge sentenced Cortez to serve 28 years in prison.
They are putting the blame on me, which is not right, Cortez told Scripps News from prison. I wasnt even there when the robbery happened or when they killed her.
Why were we not permitted to see it?
By the time Anita Springsteen watched the video she publicly called on the city to release two years prior, her city council term had already ended.
Watching the video of the police shooting obtained by Scripps News in 2025, she wondered aloud why the city fought for years to keep the footage secret.
It looks to me like she pointed her gun at them and they shot her, Springsteen said. Part of my question, again, is why were not permitted to see it?
Lakewood police declined a request for an interview for this story. In a written statement, police spokesperson John Romero said the department was not attempting to obscure an incident that would have painted our agents or agency in a bad light.
LPD has always maintained that just because the video in question depicts LPD agents acting in a justified manner, that didnt supersede a familys interest in not having their juvenile loved ones tragic final moments broadcast to the world, Romero wrote.
While we respect the decision of the Court of Appeals and released the video at their order, LPD still believes that an individual, or their next of kin, should decide whether video which captures them in a private moment should be released to the public, he continued.
When asked if that statement meant LPD would withhold similar future videos involving juvenile suspects, Romero responded, We will continue to follow the law as it is written as it pertains to the release of body worn cameras to the public and media.
People have already decided ... just based on the lack of information
A policing expert told Scripps News that agencies are frequently grappling with these dilemmas as the usage of body-worn cameras becomes more widespread.
We have to recognize that we live in an environment now where access to information instantaneously is kind of expected, said Humberto Cardounel, a senior director at the National Policing Institute. Now with body-worn camera, [police] have another resource to actually help visualize, help understand what actually occurred.
Cardounel, a former police chief who now focuses on training law enforcement across the country, advises law enforcement agencies to have clear policies in place about when body-worn camera video will be released. He said police, at times, are not allowed to release video relating to ongoing prosecutions and have to balance other considerations like a familys opposition to the release of footage.
When police delay releasing video, Cardounel said, they are working against an insurmountable challenge, which is people have already decided or made up their mind or developed an idea just based on the lack of information.
Even though in this case the body-worn camera footage may have validated what was being presented, it was the delay in complying with the release that caused or generated or added to some of that consternation and some of that distrust, he said.
In Colorado, law enforcement agencies often release videos from officer-involved shootings with detailed explanations of what occurred within days or weeks of the gunfire.
That has included incidents where juveniles were hurt or killed. In September, Aurora police shot a 17-year-old after he called 911 from a gas station saying he planned to shoot the place up. By the end of the month, police had released a critical incident briefing video, which includes portions of the 911 call and the crucial moments leading up to the gunfire, narrated by a department spokesperson.
The appellate decision in the Lakewood case set a precedent, meaning the decision will be binding for all trial courts should the body camera sections of Colorados police reform law end up in court in the future.
I think ultimately we obtained a good published precedent that will guide hopefully not only future trial court judges, but police departments throughout the state, Zansberg said.
In July, federal immigration agents took Milagro Solis-Portillo to Glendale Memorial Hospital just outside Los Angeles after she suffered a medical emergency while being detained. They didn’t leave.
For two weeks, Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractors sat guard in the hospital lobby 24 hours a day, working in shifts to monitor her movements, her attorney Ming Tanigawa-Lau said.
ICE later transferred the Salvadoran woman to Anaheim Global Medical Center, against her doctor’s orders and without explanation, her attorney said. There, Tanigawa-Lau said, ICE agents were allowed to stay in Solis-Portillo’s hospital room round-the-clock, listening to what should have been private conversations with providers. Solis-Portillo told her attorney that agents pressured her to say she was well enough to leave the hospital, telling her she wouldn’t be able to speak to her family or her attorney until she complied.
“She described it to me as feeling like she was being tortured,” Tanigawa-Lau said.
Legal experts say ICE agents can be in public areas of a hospital, such as a lobby, and can accompany already-detained patients as they receive care, illustrating the scope of federal authority. Detained patients, however, have rights and can try to advocate for themselves or seek legal recourse.
Earlier this year, California set aside $25 million to fund legal services for immigrants, and some local jurisdictions — including Orange County, Long Beach, and San Francisco— have put money toward legal aid efforts. The California Department of Social Services lists some legal defense nonprofits that have received funds.
Sophia Genovese, a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown Law, said law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, can guard and even restrain a person in their custody who is receiving health care, but they must follow constitutional and health privacy laws regardless of the person’s immigration status. Under those laws, patients can ask to speak with medical providers in private and to seek and speak confidentially with legal counsel, she said.
“ICE should be stationed outside of the room or outside of earshot during any communication between the patient and their doctor or medical provider,” Genovese said, adding that the same applies to a patient’s communication with lawyers. “That’s what they’re supposed to do.”
ICE guidelines
When it comes to communication and visits, ICE’s standards state that detainees should have access to a phone and be able to receive visits from family and friends, “within security and operational constraints.” However, these guidelines are not enforceable, Genovese said.
If immigration agents arrest someone without a warrant, they must tell them why they’ve been detained and generally can’t hold them for more than 48 hours without making a custody determination. A federal judge recently granted a temporary restraining order in a case in which a man named Bayron Rovidio Marin was monitored by immigration agents in a Los Angeles hospital for 37 days without being charged and was registered under a pseudonym.
In the past, perceived violations by agents could be reported to ICE leadership at local field offices, to the agency’s headquarters, or to an oversight body, Genovese said. But earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security cut staffing at ombudsman offices that investigate civil rights complaints, saying they “obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles.”
The assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, said that agents arrested Marin for being in the country illegally and that he admitted his lack of legal status to ICE agents. She said agents took him to the hospital after he injured his leg while trying to evade federal officers during a raid. She said officers did not prevent him from seeing his family or from using the phone.
“All detainees have access to phones they can use to contact their families and lawyers,” she said.
McLaughlin said the temporary restraining order was issued by an “activist” judge. She did not address questions about staffing cuts at the ombudsman offices.
DHS also said Solis-Portillo was in the country illegally. The department said she had been removed from the United States twice and arrested for the crimes of false identification, theft, and burglary.
“ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe, secure, humane environments for those in our custody very seriously,” McLaughlin said. “It is a long-standing practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.”
Protections in California
Anaheim Global Medical Center did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Dignity Health, which operates Glendale Memorial Hospital, said it “cannot legally restrict law enforcement or security personnel from being present in public areas which include the hospital lobby/waiting area.”
California enacted a law in September that prohibits medical establishments from allowing federal agents without a valid search warrant or court order into private areas, including places where patients receive treatment or discuss health matters. But many of the most high-profile news reports of immigration agents at health care facilities have involved detained patients brought in for care.
Erika Frank, vice president of legal counsel for the California Hospital Association, said hospitals have always had law enforcement, including federal agents, bring in people they’ve detained who need medical attention.
Hospitals will defer to law enforcement on whether a patient needs to be monitored at all times, according to association spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea. If law enforcement officers overhear medical information about a patient while they’re in the hospital, it doesn’t constitute a patient-privacy violation, she added.
“This is no different, legally, from a patient or visitor overhearing information about another patient in a nearby bed or emergency department bay,” Emerson-Shea said in a statement.
She didn’t address whether patients can demand privacy with providers and attorneys, and she said hospitals don’t tell family and friends about the detained patient’s location, for safety reasons.
Sandy Reding, who is president of the California Nurses Association and visited the Glendale facility when Solis-Portillo was there, said nurses and patients were frightened to see masked immigration agents in the hospital’s lobby. She said she saw them sitting behind a registration desk where they could hear people discuss private health information.
“Hospitals used to be a sanctuary place, and now they’re not,” she said. “And it seems like ICE has just been running rampant.”
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Nov. 18 on a proposal to provide more protections for detainees at county-operated health facilities. These include limiting the ability of immigration officials to hide patients’ identities, allowing patients to consent to the release of information to family members and legal counsel, and directing staff to insist immigration agents leave the room at times to protect patient privacy. The county would also defend employees who try to uphold its policies.
Solis-Portillo’s lawyer, Tanigawa-Lau, said her client ultimately decided to self-deport to El Salvador rather than fight her case, because she felt she couldn’t get the medical care she needed in ICE custody.
“Even though Milagro’s case is really terrible, I’m glad that there’s more awareness now about this issue,” Tanigawa-Lau said.
A small group of veterans, healthcare workers and supporters, gather outside the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who are using part of the facility to facilitate Operation Midway Blitz, on Sept. 15, 2025, in Hines, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will miss a second consecutive game because of a concussion.
Interim coach Mike Kafka said Friday that Dart remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will not play Sunday at Detroit. Journeyman Jameis Winston is set to start again in Dart’s absence, with Russell Wilson backing up.
Dart was knocked out of the Giants’ game against the Bears on Nov. 9 after taking a hit to the head. He did not play last weekend when New York hosted Green Bay.
The team hoped Dart would progress quickly enough to get cleared to face the Lions. The 22-year-old was a limited participant in practices Wednesday and Thursday and would have needed to take part fully Friday to play.
Winston was 19 of 29 for 201 yards passing with a rushing touchdown and an interception in a 27-20 loss to the Packers that dropped New York to 2-9 this season.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, center, looks to throw during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Lawmakers departed Capitol Hill for the Thanksgiving holiday without addressing rising health care costs or the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans afford insurance.
When senators return in December, they're expected to vote on extending those subsidies during the first half of the month, but passage remains uncertain. In the House of Representatives, there's no guarantee a vote will happen at all, as even moderate Republicans are demanding changes to the law before supporting an extension.
"I wouldn't sign on just a clean extension. They're gonna have to, Hakeem Jeffries can't do my way to the highway on this thing. This thing got passed without a single Republican vote to begin with," Republican Rep. Don Bacon said.
As the subsidy expiration approaches alongside the 2026 midterm elections, some Republicans are raising concerns about their party's healthcare strategy. Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, who is running for governor of Florida with President Trump's endorsement, acknowledged the challenge.
"I think Republicans need to have a health care strategy and not just say that Obamacare is broken, although it's very broken, and that's what's causing some of the affordability crisis hurting the American people, are Democrat policies like healthcare policies. So we have some room to work on that as well," Donalds said.
Recent polling suggests Democrats may benefit from the healthcare debate in upcoming elections. An NPR-PBS-Marist poll shows Democrats favored on the generic ballot by 14 points among registered voters, their strongest position in three years. Additionally, 57% of respondents said lowering prices should be the Trump administration's top priority.
Democrats received another boost when a federal court threw out new congressional maps in Texas, though the ruling is pending appeal to the US Supreme Court. Combined with Democratic moves in California to strengthen their margins and positive polling, the party could potentially regain control of the House of Representatives.
"I think what you're seeing is a massive blue wave building for this election. Americans are deeply concerned about the direction of the country, especially in the spiraling upward of prices for everyday items, electricity, food," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
Whether affordable healthvcare will be addressed when lawmakers return in December remains unclear as Republican lawmakers debate the best path forward to reduce costs.
A day after President Donald Trump took office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a new directive to its agents: Arrests at courthouses, restricted under the Biden administration, were again permissible.
In Connecticut, a group of observers who keep watch on ICE activity in and around Stamford Superior Court have since witnessed a series of arrests. In one high-profile case in August, federal agents pursued two men into a bathroom.
“Is it an activity you want to be interfering with, people fulfilling their duty when they’re called to court and going to court? For me, it’s insanity,” said David Michel, a Democratic former state representative in Connecticut who helps observe courthouse activity.
Fueled by the Stamford uproar, Connecticut lawmakers last week approved restrictions on civil arrests and mask-wearing by federal law enforcement at state courthouses. And on Monday, a federal judge tossed a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice that had sought to block similar restrictions in New York.
They are the latest examples of a growing number of Democratic states, and some judges, pushing back against ICE arrests in and around state courthouses. State lawmakers and other officials worry the raids risk keeping people from testifying in criminal trials, fighting evictions or seeking restraining orders against domestic abusers.
The courthouse arrests mark an intensifying clash between the Trump administration and Democratic states that pits federal authority against state sovereignty. Sitting at the core of the fight are questions about how much power states have to control what happens in their own courts and the physical grounds they sit on.
In Illinois, lawmakers approved a ban on civil immigration arrests at courthouses in October. In Rhode Island, lawmakers plan to again push for a ban after an earlier measure didn’t advance in March. Connecticut lawmakers were codifying limits imposed by the state Supreme Court chief justice in September. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to sign the bill.
States that are clamping down on ICE continue to allow the agency to make criminal arrests, as opposed to noncriminal civil arrests. Many people arrested and subsequently deported are taken on noncriminal, administrative warrants. As of Sept. 21, 71.5% of ICE detainees had no criminal convictions, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data research organization.
Some states, such as New York, already have limits on immigration enforcement in courthouses that date back to the first Trump administration, when ICE agents also engaged in courthouse arrests. New York’s Protect Our Courts Act, in place since 2020, prohibits civil arrests of people at state and local courthouses without a judicial warrant. The law also applies to people traveling to and from court, extending protections beyond courthouse grounds.
“One of the cornerstones of our democracy is open access to the courts. When that access is denied or chilled, all of us are made less safe and less free,” said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director at Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based group that works to provide legal support to immigrants, people of color and low-income individuals.
But in addition to challenging the New York law, the Justice Department is prosecuting a Wisconsin state judge, alleging she illegally helped a migrant avoid ICE agents.
“We aren’t some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Stateline. “Nothing in the constitution prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them.”
Some Republican lawmakers oppose efforts to limit ICE arrests in and near courthouses, arguing state officials should stay out of the way of federal law enforcement. The Ohio Senate in June passed a bill that would prohibit public officials from interfering in immigration arrests or prohibiting cooperation with ICE; the move came after judges in Franklin County, which includes Columbus, imposed restrictions on civil arrests in courthouses.
“The United States is a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of law and order. To have a civilized society, laws must be respected, this includes immigration laws,” Ohio Republican state Sen. Kristina Roegner, the bill’s sponsor, said in a news release at the time.
Roegner didn’t respond to Stateline’s interview request. The legislation remains in a House committee.
Knowing where a target will be
Courthouses offer an attractive location for ICE to make immigration arrests, according to both ICE and advocates for migrants.
Court records and hearing schedules often indicate who is expected in the building on any given day. Administrative warrants don’t allow ICE to enter private homes without permission, but the same protections don’t apply in public areas, such as courthouses. And many people have a strong incentive to show up for court, knowing that warrants can potentially be issued for their arrest if they don’t.
“So in some respects, it’s easy pickings,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island.
In June, ICE arrested Pablo Grave de la Cruz at Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal in Cranston. A 36-year-old Rhode Island resident, he had come from Guatemala illegally as a teenager.
“They pulled up on him like he was a murderer or a rapist,” friend Brittany Donohue told the Rhode Island Current, which chronicled de la Cruz’s case. “He was leaving traffic court.”
An immigration judge has since granted de la Cruz permission to self-deport.
McLaughlin, the Homeland Security assistant secretary, said in her statement that allowing law enforcement to make arrests “of criminal illegal aliens in courthouses is common sense” — conserving law enforcement resources because officers know where a target will be. The department said the practice is safer for officers and the community, noting that individuals have gone through courthouse security.
Agents “should, to the extent practicable” conduct civil immigration arrests in non-public areas of the courthouse and avoid public entrances. Actions should be taken “discreetly” to minimize disruption to court proceedings, and agents should generally avoid areas wholly dedicated to non-criminal proceedings, such as family court, the directive says.
Crucially, the directive says ICE can conduct civil immigration arrests “where such action is not precluded by laws imposed by the jurisdiction.” In other words, the agency’s guidance directs agents to respect state and local bans on noncriminal arrests.
Trump administration court actions
But the Trump administration has also gone to court to try to overcome state-level restrictions.
The Justice Department sued in June over New York’s Protect Our Courts Act, arguing that it “purposefully shields dangerous aliens” from lawful detention. The department says the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, under which federal law supersedes state law.
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James argued the state law doesn’t conflict with federal law and sought the lawsuit’s dismissal.
U.S. District Court Judge Mae D’Agostino, an appointee of President Barack Obama, on Monday granted James’ motion. The judge wrote that the “entire purpose” of the lawsuit was to allow the federal government to commandeer New York’s resources — such as court schedules and court security screening measures — to aid immigration enforcement, even though states cannot generally be required to help the federal government enforce federal law.
“Compelling New York to allow federal immigration authorities to reap the benefits of the work of state employees is no different than permitting the federal government to commandeer state officials directly in furtherance of federal objectives,” the judge wrote.
The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The department is also prosecuting Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who prosecutors allege helped a person living in the country illegally avoid ICE agents in April inside a Milwaukee courthouse by letting him exit a courtroom through a side door. (Agents apprehended the individual near the courthouse.) A federal grand jury indicted Dugan on a count of concealing an individual and a count of obstructing a proceeding.
In court documents, Dugan’s lawyers have called the prosecution “virtually unprecedented and entirely unconstitutional.”
Dugan has pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for December.
Lawmakers seek ‘order’ in courthouses
Rhode Island Democratic state Sen. Meghan Kallman is championing legislation that would generally ban civil arrests at courthouses. The measure received a hearing, but a legislative committee recommended further study.
Kallman hopes the bill will go further next year. The sense of urgency has intensified, she said, and more people now understand the consequences of what is happening.
“In order to create a system of law that is functioning and that encourages trust, we have to make those [courthouse] spaces safe,” she said.
Back in Connecticut, Democratic state Rep. Steven Stafstrom said his day job as a commercial litigator brings him into courthouses across the state weekly. Based on his conversations with court staff, other lawyers and senior administration within the judicial branch, he said “there’s a genuine fear, not just for safety, but for disruptions of orderly court processes in our courthouses.”
Some Connecticut Republicans have questioned whether a law that only pertains to civil arrests would prove effective. State Rep. Craig Fishbein, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, noted during floor debate that entering the United States without permission is a criminal offense — a misdemeanor for first-time offenders and a felony for repeat offenders. Because of that, he suggested the measure wouldn’t stop many courthouse arrests.
“The advocates think they’re getting no arrests in courthouses, but they’ve been sold a bill of goods,” he said.
Stafstrom, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in response that he believed the legislation protects many people who are in the country illegally because that crime is often not prosecuted.
“All we’re asking is for ICE to recognize the need for order in our courthouses,” Stafstrom said.
Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on Oct. 22, 2025, in New York City. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other federal agencies continue to make detainments in immigration courts as people attend their court hearings despite a government shutdown thats going on it’s twenty second day. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/TNS)
The case against a Farmington Hills police officer accused of sexually assaulting a police cadet has advanced from district court to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.
At the conclusion of a Nov. 20 preliminary exam, 52-1 District Judge Travis Reeds bound over the case against Michael Rybinski, ruling that the evidence presented established probable cause.
Rybinski, 31, of WIxom, is charged with one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for an alleged assault that reportedly happened outside of work on June 16.
Rybinski is on administrative leave, according to the Farmington Hills Police Department.
As previously reported, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said the alleged victim stated that the incident happened in her car after she agreed to give Rybinski a ride home. He had reportedly called her for the ride, stating he was drunk. He’s accused of groping, forcibly fondling and trying to kiss her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop. The alleged victim reported the incident the next day, the prosecutor’s office said. The Farmington Hills Police Department subsequently referred to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit, the prosecutor’s office said.
Rybinski is out on bond after posting $2,000 — the required 10% of the $20,000 bond set at his district court arraignment. With the bindover, his arraignment in the higher court is scheduled for Dec. 4 before Judge Mary Ellen Brennan.
Third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Fourth-degree CSC is punishable by up to two years in prison.
Ftima Bosch Fernndez of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Friday, a dramatic victory for a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.
The issues at this year's event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity, and a teary, melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.
When Bosch was announced as the winner, cheers and screams erupted from the audience, with Mexican flags waved by elated supporters.
Speaking to the media after her victory, Bosch said that she would like to be remembered as "a person that changed a little bit the prototype of what is a Miss Universe and a real person that gives the heart."
She also paid tribute to the pageant, describing it as "a platform that is strong because they have the space that women are searching to have a voice."
The first runner-up was 29-year-old Praveenar Singh of Thailand, and 25-year-old Stephany Adriana Abasali Nasser of Venezuela placed third. Rounding up the finishers were Ahtisa Manalo, 28, of the Philippines, and 27-year-old Olivia Yac of Ivory Coast, who came fifth.
At the livestreamed sashing ceremony for the more than 100 contestants on Nov. 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil hectored Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for taking part in local promotional activities. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.
Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjr Theilvig of Denmark.
"What your director did is not respectful: He called me dumb," an unbowed Bosch told Thai reporters. "If it takes away your dignity, you need to go."
Nawat insisted that he did not call her "dumb."
The Miss Universe Organization president, Mexican businessman Ral Rocha Cant, released a statement condemning Nawat's conduct as "public aggression" and "serious abuse."
Even Mexico's first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, piled on, saying at a news conference in her country's capital that she wanted to give "recognition" to Miss Mexico for voicing her disagreement in a "dignified" way.
"It seems to me that it is an example of how women should raise our voices," Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum recalled being told in the past that "women look more beautiful when they keep quiet."
"We women look more beautiful when we raise our voice and participate, because that has to do with the recognition of our rights," she said.
Nawat later apologized for his actions, appearing both tearful and defiant at the same time.
"If anyone (was) affected and not comfortable it happened, I am so sorry," he said in front of the contestants. He then turned to them and said, "It's passed. OK? Are you happy?"
Bosch's official Miss Universe biography says she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and has focused on creating sustainable designs and working with discarded materials. It says she has volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness, and engaged in supported migrants and mental health issues.
This year's competition also saw a report that two judges had quit, with one of them suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. The allegation was denied. Separately, Thai police investigated the alleged illegal promotion of online casinos as part of the event's publicity.
Mishaps and controversies are not rare for the pageant. The 2021 event attracted criticism because it was held in Israel, to the dismay of supporters of the Palestinian cause.
An example of a minor misstep literally occurred Wednesday when Miss Universe Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the evening gown competition. She was not badly hurt.
Nearly 800 air traffic controllers and technicians will receive a $10,000 bonus for working through the 44-day government shutdown without taking time off.
The bonus comes on top of the back pay they are owed for their work during the shutdown.
This award is an acknowledgment of their dedication and a heartfelt appreciation for going above and beyond in service to the nation, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
The department said employees eligible for the bonus will receive notice next week and should get their payments no later than Dec. 9.
While Duffy praised the controllers who consistently reported for duty, he struck a different tone toward those who did not. At one point during the shutdown, he told Scripps News that employees who called in sick could face consequences.
"If they're sick, they're sick. I'm fine with that," Duffy said. "But if they're not showing up to work, and they're calling out for other reasons. And it's coordinated, and they collaborate on it, I don't want those people working in air traffic."
The Federal Aviation Administration has more than 14,000 air traffic controllers nationwide. With about 800 employees receiving bonuses, it appears most took some leave during the shutdown period.
Many employees spoke out during the shutdown, saying the lapse in pay strained their families and forced them to consider other jobs to make ends meet.
Staffing shortages contributed to nationwide flight delays and cancellations, eventually prompting the Department of Transportation to implement flight restrictions at 40 major U.S. airports.
On Nov. 10 Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz formally adopted the Okanagan Charter.
The charter provides institutions with a common language, principles and framework to become a health and wellbeing promoting campus and outlines two calls to action: to embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates, and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.
“We know that a mentally and physically healthy community leads to a thriving campus. Adopting the Okanagan Charter means we’re joining a global movement of health-promoting universities and reaffirming our commitment to embed health into every part of campus life,” said Becky Lewis, director of University Recreation and Well-Being and chair of OU’s Healthy Campus Network. “As part of the adoption, and as we move forward, we will foster an environment where everyone can live well in all areas of wellness – physical, mental, social, environmental and financial.”
Oakland is one of the first 50 universities in the country to adopt the charter.
“We’re so proud to lead by example and adopt the Okanagan Charter,” said Pescovitz. “By doing so, we are reaffirming our commitment to care for one another, nurture a campus where all can flourish and build a future rooted in health.”
President Pescovitz signs the Okanagan Charter, reaffirming OU's commitment to promoting health and wellbeing across campus and in surrounding communities.
Photo courtesy OU
The Roeper School has announced a new transportation service beginning in the 2026–2027 school year.
O’Neal Turner, Roeper’s director of enrollment and financial aid, said inaugural routes will serve families in and around the Livonia area and the southwestern suburbs.
“We’re proud to partner with Cranbrook Schools to make this service possible. By sharing a single route, both schools can reduce costs for families and minimize environmental impact,” Turner said in a statement. “This collaboration helps meet the needs of families who commute from communities as far as Ann Arbor while ensuring their children can continue to enjoy a Roeper education.”
The annual fee includes round-trip transportation and before-care/after-care services. For 2026–27, the cost will be $2,500 for the first child with a $500 discount for each additional sibling.
The proposed schedule includes a 6:45 am pick-up and 5:45 pm drop-off, though these times may be adjusted.
Registration for new and returning families will open in spring 2026. The exact pick-up locations and additional details will be shared before registration begins.
The Roeper School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 day school for gifted children located in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham.
The Roeper School, founded in 1941 by George and Annemarie Roeper, is a prekindergarten
through grade 12 independent day school for gifted children located in Bloomfield Hills and
Birmingham,
Photo courtesy the Roeper School
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it is predicting La Nia conditions to return this winter, which will play a major role in upcoming weather patterns.
In its seasonal forecast, NOAA says conditions are expected to be warmer and drier than usual in the South, wetter in the Midwest and North, and cooler than usual in the northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest.
The world experienced a prolonged La Nia from 2020 to 2023, which brought winters that were warmer than usual in the Eastern and Southern U.S., while being cooler than usual in the West. The Midwest, Northeast and parts of Arizona and California had wetter-than-usual conditions, while the Pacific Northwest and Florida were drier than average.
Scientists say a weak La Nia also occurred last winter, but other factors did not have a dominant effect on climate. In recent years, overall climate change has resulted in both La Nia and El Nio winters being warmer than usual. Last winter was the 27th-warmest in U.S. history; the winter before was the warmest on record.
NOAAs projections come as a sudden shift in weather patterns is expected later next week. Forecasters say a massive cold front will sweep through much of the U.S., dropping temperatures to well below average by Thanksgiving weekend.
Thousands of students from southeast Michigan experienced hands-on learning in a new way.
Over 9,000 high school students from 132 schools across six counties turned out for MiCareerQuest Southeast, the region’s largest career exploration, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
The event in its fifth year featured more than 210 career demonstrations in advanced manufacturing, construction, health sciences and technology. The interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations exposed students to industrial technology and may have helped some decide what their career choice will be.
“Some of these engineering tools really make me want to pursue something in that field when I go to college next year,” said Jared Jackson, a senior at Novi High School. “The tools they use to create cars and buildings and other things is amazing.”
“Hands-on events like MiCareerQuest open our students’ eyes to real-world career paths and inspire them to imagine their futures,” said Lisa Butts, director of K-12 Career Focused Education at Oxford Community Schools.
Nyla Rushin from Children’s Village tries on fire department gear from the Novi Fire Department. Several municipalities brought in personnel and equipment to show students what career opportunities they have.
Photo by Matt Fahr
Alyssa Valdwin, a sophomore at Brandon High School, was interested in a specific career, but got a chance to see what other careers were available.
“I really want to be a postpartum nurse so the healthcare area was what I really wanted to see, but I wanted to see what other things they had to offer,” Baldwin said after she helped take lugnuts off a tire at the Baker College Auto Diesel Institute display.
One display that drew a crowd was a virtual reality set up from Emerge.
The company, started in 2017 and based in Troy, offers “virtual extended reality experiences”, according to Joe Bamberger, co-founder of the company.
Carissa Hanna and Apple Gillum from Royal Oak High School walk among the planets at the Emerge display.
Photo by Matt Fahr
Students put on virtual reality headsets and to explore the galaxy, oceans, deserts and more. Emerge can bring those experiences into classrooms through virtual field trips.
“We can do anything related to any educational area and we can provide in-building field trips and educational lessons in an immersive way,” said Bamberger. “Students can dissect things, try anything that is too dangerous or impossible or expensive to create in a classroom setting we can do over and over again. If you can think of it, we can create it.”
The company has been to all 28 school districts in Oakland County and last year went to schools in 29 different counties in Michigan.
“The kid that usually has his head down and asleep in class is usually the kid that we can’t get out of the headset,” said Bamberger.
Carissa Hanna and Apple Gillum, juniors at Royal Oak High School, gave their evaluation of the technology after a few minutes of moving planets around.
“It was fun and it was weird and it was cool,” said Hanna. “We were walking among the planets!”
Ken Gutman, superintendent of Oakland Intermediate Schools, explained the value of the event.
Students from Oakland Community College work with Tom Coates from the Marine Trades Institute in Cedarville, Michigan on woodworking.
Photo by Matt Fahr
Media News Group
“With industry having the opportunity to share what they do, they can fill jobs they struggle to fill, but they can also show the value in what they do,” said Gutman. “There are over 200 careers here that they (students) may have never heard of. What a great opportunity for our kids.”
“I would recommend this to everyone because it is very helpful if you are still looking for your career and you get to do hands-on things and learn what you want to be in life,” said Erandy Ferreyra from Avondale High School.
A survey of students and administrators from last year’s event shows how effective the event can be:
89%t of students said they learned about career and training opportunities previously unfamiliar to them.
78% said the event helped them plan their post-high school education.
93% of educators said it effectively showcased potential career paths.
98%t agreed it represented a strong cross-section of in-demand careers
Students from around the county got a chance to try out construction, health and technology equipment through the 400,000 square feet of displays during CareerQuest.
Photo courtesy CareerQuest
Oakland County employees will be busy Saturday sorting groceries and delivering Thanksgiving boxes.
Nov. 22 is the county’s annual Day of Service. County Executive Dave Coulter said it’s important to help families experiencing food insecurity. He praised county employees who volunteer.
“Their generosity reflects the best of public service, and I’m grateful to our nonprofit partners who work every day to ensure no one in our community goes hungry,” he said.
So many employees volunteered that some had to be put on a waiting list, according to county officials.
The volunteers will be distributing Thanksgiving food at Hospitality House at 2075 E. West Maple Road in Commerce Township from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Others will be at:
• Forgotten Harvest, 15000 Eight Mile Road in Oak Park sorting and repacking rescued grocery items on the box line.
• Oakland HOPE, 20 E. Walton Blvd. in Pontiac, loading food, assisting clients with pantry shopping and lending a hand at the charity’s thrift store.
• Neighborhood House, 1720 S. Livernois Road in Rochester Hills, to label and organize thousands of donated food items from a local high school food drive.
The November Day of Service was launched three years ago by the county’s Equity Council and organized by the county’s diversity office. The effort is one part of the countywide Season of Giving campaign, which includes a second Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In addition to volunteering during and beyond the Season of Giving, employees donate food and pet supplies for fellow employees and for partner organizations like Children’s Village, the Animal Shelter and Oakland HOPE.
Nate Gilling used a day off from his job as a youth and family casework supervisor for Oakland County’s court system to help those lined up for food at Lighthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (Peg McNichol/MediaNews Group)
An Oakland Community College faculty member continues to make an impression in the art world.
Tylonn Sawyer had two pieces in art exhibitions this fall, ART Basel Paris and Palais de Tokyo, as well as fashion magazine W.
Art Basel is a global series of art platforms connecting collectors, galleries and artists, while Palais de Tokyo (Tokyo Palace) hosts contemporary art exhibitions as part of Paris Art Week. This marks Sawyer’s second consecutive year exhibiting in Paris.
His pieces were selected to represent Detroit artists by Detroit-based cultural organization Salonnière.
Sawyers’ 30 x 22-inch oil on paper, “The King James Version,” featured at ART Basel Paris depicts a young Black man holding an American flag.
At the Palais de Tokyo, his 8 x 6-foot charcoal, pastel and glitter on paper, “Black Man on Horse Bayard,” shows a Black man in a white riding suit on a black horse.
“This is the second year Salonierre has sponsored my trip to Paris to display my work. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to participate in Paris Week alongside other Detroit-area artists and curators,” Sawyer said.
His art was also highlighted in “W” magazine’s feature, “How Two New Art Exhibitions Are Spotlighting Black Queer History.” The magazine showcased his 72 x 48-inch lavender pencil on paper piece, “Strata Drawing 4: Cake Walk.”
Sawyer has taught art at OCC since 2016, covering all levels of drawing and oil painting.
He has also created public murals and collaborative projects for organizations such as Quicken Loans Corporation, Market International Festival at Eastern Market, Detroit’s Museum of Contemporary Art and The Detroit Institute of Arts.
“I like to teach art students as if they have never seen a pencil,” Sawyer said. “Once a student has learned foundational skills, then we work on establishing ways to use those skills to manifest whatever they observe or imagine.”
Tylonn Sawyer with his 8 x 6-foot charcoal, pastel and glitter on paper, “Black Man on Horse Bayard,”
Photo courtesy OCC
The days may be getting shorter, but Detroit knows how to make the most of wintery weather. From finding the perfect gift during Small Business Saturday, to strolling through breathtaking light displays with a loved one, here’s how to kick off your holiday season in metro Detroit.
Plus, indoor entertainment to keep you warm. Read on to learn more.
Every Wednesday through Sunday from 6-10 p.m. Hines Drive goes full winter-wonderland with miraculous light displays! En route there’s also food trucks, hot chocolate, and plenty of opportunities to snap the perfect photo.
A music-driven work inspired by medieval retellings of the Orpheus myth and our collective internet-driven madness. The production weaves technologies old and new to mythologize our relationship with technology and how it has changed and shaped our imagination. This performance runs approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.
Detroit Artists Market’s Art for the Holidays exhibition is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Peruse and purchase unique pieces from almost 100 local artists, perfect for the gift-giving season!
The 22nd annual tree lighting will be accompanied by live entertainment, holiday shopping, food trucks, and giveaways. It’s a great time to watch professional ice skaters hit the ice and make a visit to Santa!
Watch as Beacon Park brings a massive White Fir to life with ornaments and listen to carolers as the park lights up with festive cheer. Beacon Park celebrates the start of the holiday season from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.
Visit City Bird and Nest for special deals and events during extended hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free gifts will be available, as well a DJ set, a locally crafted photo-op and Midtown Holiday Bingo. For those unable to attend in person, a coupon code is available from Friday to Cyber Monday.
General Admission $11.50, Senior/Student/DIA Member $9.50
Cat videos are a long-standing gem of the internet era, and the Detroit Film Theatre invites you to enjoy the cutest and goofiest of them on the big screen. There are 4 showings over the weekend of this 80 minute compilation. The DFT recommends purchasing tickets in advance. A part of the proceeds will be donated to local shelters.
Support local journalism.
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Ukraine has to confront the possibility of losing its dignity or risking the loss of a key partner as it figures out how to respond to a U.S. peace proposal to end Russia's war with his country.
"This is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation. "Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner."
He said Ukraine would "work calmly with America and all partners," as he vowed to work constructively.
Zelenskyy spoke earlier by phone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, as European officials scrambled to respond to U.S. peace proposals that apparently caught them unawares.
The U.S. plan contains many of Russian President Vladimir Putin's longstanding demands, including Ukrainian territorial concessions, while offering limited security guarantees to Ukraine.
Wary of antagonizing U.S. President Donald Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of "their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace" in Ukraine, Merz's office said.
The four leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to end the war. "In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees," the statement added.
"They agreed to continue pursuing the aim of protecting vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term," the statement said. "That includes the line of contact being the point of departure for an agreement and that the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively."
Starmer said the right of Ukraine to "determine its future under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle."
European countries see their own futures at stake in Ukraine's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and have insisted on being consulted in peace efforts.
"Russia's war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels. "Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded. Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide."
The plan foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia, something Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out, reduces the size of it army and blocks its route to NATO membership.
Zelenskyy said the leaders discussed the plan and appreciated the efforts of Trump and his team, although he added that they are "working on the document."
"We are closely coordinating to ensure that the principled positions are taken into account," Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
The proposals come at a difficult time for Zelenskyy, who is grappling with a push on the battlefield by Russia's bigger army and a major domestic corruption scandal.
A European government official said that the U.S. plans weren't officially presented to Ukraine's European backers.
Many of the proposals are "quite concerning," the European government official said, adding that a bad deal for Ukraine would also be a threat to broader European security.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly.
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she also would call Zelenskyy to discuss the 28-point plan.
"Important is a key principle we have always upheld, and that is nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," she said at a G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
European Council President Antonio Costa in Johannesburg said of the U.S. proposals: "The European Union has not been communicated (about) any plans in (an) official manner."
Ukraine examines the proposals
Ukrainian officials said they were weighing the U.S. proposals, and Zelenskyy said he expected to talk to Trump about it in coming days.
"We are fully aware that America's strength and America's support can truly bring peace closer, and we do not want to lose that," Zelenskyy said on Telegram late Thursday.
The Kremlin offered a reserved reaction, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Moscow has not officially received the U.S. peace plan.
"No, we haven't received anything officially. We're seeing some innovations. But officially, we haven't received anything. And there hasn't been a substantive discussion of these points," Peskov told reporters without elaborating further.
He claimed U.S.-Russian diplomatic contacts are "ongoing," but "nothing substantive is currently being discussed."
A U.S. team began drawing up the plan soon after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official added that Umerov agreed to most of the plan, after making several modifications, and then presented it to Zelenskyy.
Umerov on Friday denied that version of events. He said he only organized meetings and prepared the talks.
He said technical talks between the U.S. and Ukraine were continuing in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials are "carefully studying all the partners' proposals, expecting the same respectful attitude toward the Ukrainian position."
"We are thoughtfully processing the partners' proposals within the framework of Ukraine's unchanging principles sovereignty, people's security, and a just peace," he said.
Russian glide bomb hits Ukraine homes
Meanwhile, a Russian glide bomb slammed into a residential district in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing five people, officials said Friday, as Moscow's forces continued to hammer civilian areas of Ukraine. The overnight attack also injured 10 people, including a teenage girl.
The powerful glide bomb damaged some high-rise apartment blocks for the third time since the war began and also wrecked a local market, according to the head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov.
A Russian drone assault on the southern city of Odesa also struck a residential area during the night, injuring five people, including a 16-year-old boy.
The attacks came two days after a Russian drone and missile barrage on Ukraine's western city of Ternopil killed 31 people, including six children, and injured 94 others, including 18 children.
Emergency services say 13 people are still unaccounted for after the attack crushed the top floors of apartment blocks and started fires.
President Donald Trump has further loosened tariffs on Brazil as part of his effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. The decision, released Thursday, affects coffee, fruit and beef, among other goods.
The White House said last week that Trump was rolling back some worldwide tariffs that were originally announced in April.
However, Brazil said that didn't affect levies that Trump had enacted in July to punish the country for prosecuting his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Thursday's decision harmonizes Trump's plans, ensuring that neither the April nor July tariffs apply to certain products.
Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva have been negotiating over trade, which could further reduce tariffs.
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