The statement comes after the city sent federally mandated letters to thousands of residents about the materials used for water service lines. Many Detroiters were concerned that the letters served as some sort of warning.
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown held a news conference on Tuesday to let residents know there’s no reason to worry.
“Our water is safe and some of the best water in the world. We’re a leader in the United States in delivering quality water,” he said. “We’re below the actionable level for lead at 12 parts per billion in the most recent testing results.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires municipalities with lead service lines to send out the letters. Brown says the city uses a special coating to prevent old service lines from leeching lead into the water. He says concerned residents can run water for three to five minutes in the morning to flush standing water out of the system.
Detroit has 10 years to replace all of its lead service lines. Brown says the city has spent $100 million this year in its efforts to replace those lines.
Other headlines for Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024:
The city of Detroit broke ground Tuesday on a project that will turn a historic school into affordable housing.
AAA Michigan says you should pack your patience if you’re planning to take a trip over Thanksgiving, as 2.6 million Michiganders will be traveling over the holiday weekend.
Gas prices continue to trend lower in metro Detroit, according to AAA Michigan, with the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded now at $3.10 — down five cents from a week ago.
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Officials confirmed no one was killed in an explosion at a condominium complex Tuesday night in Lake Orion, and the two people injured remain hospitalized but their conditions were improving as of late Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s an absolute miracle, an absolute miracle — if you’ve seen this scene — (that) currently we’re talking about no fatalities,” Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon from Orion Township Hall.
Fire Chief Ryan Allen said an investigation continues into the cause and origin of the explosion at the Keatington New Town Association and is expected to take “a little over a week.” The explosion destroyed 18 units, displacing multiple residents, and caused damage to about a dozen more, Allen said.
First responders were dispatched to the two-story building on Pine Ridge Court between Joslyn and Baldwin roads after the explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m., officials said.
Little information has been released yet on the two people injured, but Allen said one was in non-critical, stable condition and the other in guarded condition which “is between serious and stable condition.”
According to Consumers Energy Vice President Christopher Fultz, crews found no abnormalities in the system from the gas main to the meter which is the extent of the utility company’s responsibility. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a resident reported she had detected the smell of gas just before the explosion and is part of the investigation.
Allen reminds residents that if they ever have concerns about a possible gas leak to exit the home and contact the fire department by calling either the emergency or non-emergency number.
Barnett noted that there’s been “an incredible show of support” from the community in response to what he described as “a horrific incident.” And it’s what can be expected, he said.
“I’d put our community against any community when it comes to things like this. We step up,” he said. “It’s horrible what happened, but if ever (something like this) happens, you’re lucky if it happens in Orion Township.”
Victims in need of immediate support are encouraged to call the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Orion Township offices at 248-391-0304 ext. 2009.
Those interested in helping can provide monetary donations through Love INC of Northern Oakland County by calling 248-693-4357 or online at https://loveincofnoc.org/.
Clothing and food donations can be dropped off at Woodside Bible Church, located in Canterbury Village, 2500 Joslyn Road. Those in need of food can visit Woodside’s Village Food Pantry, also located in Canterbury Village, at 2325 Joslyn Court. Reach the pantry by calling 248–391-1900.
Bouchard cautions residents that it’s likely there will be scammers attempting to profit through false charities, so only donate to organizations listed above and any others listed on social media pages for Orion Township or the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Tribune News Service contributed to this report.
Firefighters walk through the scene at a condominium building in Orion Township Wednesday morning, Nov. 20, 2024, after an explosion the night before. Two people were injured in the blast.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge who was nominated by Donald Trump says it would be “beyond frustrating and disappointing” if the president-elect hands out mass pardons to rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol after the 2020 election, a rare instance of judicial commentary on a politically divisive subject.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed to the bench in June 2019, expressed his criticism during a hearing Tuesday at which he agreed to postpone a Capitol riot defendant’s trial until after Trump returns to the White House in January.
During his campaign for a second term as president, Trump repeatedly referred to Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages” and “patriots” and said he “absolutely” would pardon rioters who assaulted police “if they’re innocent.” Trump has suggested he would consider pardoning former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury convicted him of orchestrating a violent plot to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election.
“Blanket pardons for all January 6 defendants or anything close would be beyond frustrating and disappointing, but that’s not my call,” Nichols said, according to a transcript. “And the possibility of some pardons, at least, is a very real thing.”
Nichols is one of over 20 judges who have presided over more than 1,500 cases against people charged in a mob’s attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Many Capitol riot defendants have asked for post-election delays in their cases, but judges largely have denied their requests and forged ahead with sentencings, guilty pleas and other hearings.
Steve Baker, a writer for a conservative media outlet, pleaded guilty last Tuesday to Capitol riot-related misdemeanors after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper refused to pause the case until after Trump takes office. However, Cooper acknowledged that the case may never reach the punishment stage given the possibility of pardons.
Nichols commented on pardons during a hearing for Jacob Lang, a Capitol riot defendant who is jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington. Within hours of Trump’s victory this month, Lang posted on social media that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”
“There will be no bitterness in my heart as I walk out of these doors in 75 days on inauguration day,” wrote Lang, who was charged several days after the riot with repeatedly attacking police officers.
Nichols, who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before working for the Justice Department, said he hasn’t delayed any trial solely on the basis of possible pardons. He noted that his decision to delay Lang’s trial was based in part on matters that they privately discussed under seal.
“I agree very much with the government that there are costs to not proceeding here, both to the trial team, to the witnesses and to the victims, as well as to the public, which has an interest in a determination of guilt or innocence in a case that has been pending as long as this one,” Nichols said.
Several days after the election, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras postponed a Jan. 6 trial that had been scheduled to start on Dec. 2. The defendant, William Pope, argued that his trial would be a waste of the court’s time and resources “because there will never be a sentencing, and I will be free.”
Contreras said he didn’t want to bring in dozens of prospective jurors for a two-week trial “just to have it go for naught.”
“Of course, it’s speculative, but there is a real possibility of that happening,” the judge added, according to a transcript.
A prosecutor objected to the delay, saying that “the speculative nature of what Mr. Pope hopes will be a pardon is not a sufficient reason to continue this trial.”
Judges have largely echoed that argument. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton refused to delay a Nov. 8 sentencing hearing for Anna Lichnowski, a Florida woman who believes she would be a good candidate for a pardon. Walton, who sentenced Lichnowski to 45 days in jail, wrote that the possibility of pardons is “irrelevant to the Court’s obligation to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Judicial Branch.”
FILE – Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed a line of guitars, following up on the Bibles, sneakers, watches, photo books and cryptocurrency ventures launched during his third White House campaign.
Trump on Wednesday posted to Truth Social a photo of himself holding what he said was a “Limited Edition ‘45’ Guitar,” an electric model emblazoned with an American flag and eagle on the body, and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan inlaid into the neck. Both acoustic and electric styles are available, for $1,250 and $1,500, respectively, as well as “Presidential” and “God Bless the USA” models and “Signature Edition” guitars, which — with a $10,000 price tag — also include Trump’s signature.
What’s not clear is the financial relationship between Trump and proceeds from the guitar sales.
Following his long tradition of melding his political and business interests, Trump has hawked a series of branded products since he launched his 2024 White House campaign, a slew of items that went up for sale in the wake of a $489 million civil fraud judgment against the former president.
Some of them, like the “Official Trump Watch Collection” — where one model costs $100,000 — were listed as affiliated with CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure.
Websites for items like the watches note that the products are subject to a “paid license agreement,” the same mechanism that allowed Trump, well before he entered politics, to profit for years from sales of everything from water to vodka and steaks.
As of Wednesday, GetTrumpGuitars.com included no such disclaimers, or even the name of the company selling the items. An FAQ page lists information about how many of each model are being made available — and notes that these models are “the ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump!” — but includes none of the disclaimers or licensing language on some of Trump’s other product sites.
The guitar website’s privacy policy does include a suburban Nashville address for a couple, neither of whom immediately returned a message seeking comment Wednesday. Photos on their social media pages showed that they attended Trump’s election-night party in Florida.
Messages left with 16 Creative — a branding agency listed at the bottom of the guitar website — and Trump’s transition team also were not immediately returned.
Leading up to his win in the general election, Trump this year has announced the sale of $100 silver coins bearing his face, urged his supporters to spend $59.99 for a “God Bless the USA Bible,” inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad, and hawked new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth.”
He also has dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.
Dana White, President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Kid Rock attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Sheetz, a 24-hour gas station, convenience store and restaurant, will ask the Farmington Hills Planning Commission on Thursday night, Nov. 21, to recommend approval of their plan to locate on the site of a vacant restaurant at 12 Mile and Middlebelt roads.
But a residents’ group has formed to oppose the development and plans to protest at Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 W. 11 Mile Road, at 7 p.m., before the meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
Concerned Citizens Against Sheetz says violent crime, noise, increased traffic and environmental issues have plagued Sheetz establishments in other states.
Sheetz will be open after almost all other establishments have closed and the restaurant will have a drive-through window. That will make it a target for crime, or at the very least, customers loitering and making noise late at night, said Lloyd Banks, spokesman for the group.
Sheetz proposes to locate on the site of the former Ginopolis restaurant, which closed five years ago. Banks said it’s too close to several subdivisions for a 24-hour operation.
“It needs to be another restaurant,” he said.
At previous hearings, sizable groups of residents have spoken in support of Sheetz, saying the development is better than a vacant building that is starting to fall into disrepair. Proponents also say Sheetz is a good employer and serves high-quality food. Banks said he doubts those people live near the proposed site.
When Sheetz appeared before the commission in June, it proposed six pumps, creating 12 fueling stations; and a 6,100-square-foot convenience store and restaurant.
Nick Ruffner, public affairs manager for Sheetz, defended the company’s crime prevention efforts.
“Sheetz serves as a community hub where families gather for a meal, friends meet up before the big football game and local residents meet to conduct safe online marketplace exchanges,” he said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, all retailers – not just convenience store operators – are occasionally subjected to criminal acts. At Sheetz, the safety and security of our employees and customers – both inside and outside our stores – is our highest priority. Sheetz’s advanced security systems cover nearly every area of our stores and parking lot. We also have a first-class, advanced security operations center that is connected to our stores in real time and staffed 24/7 to help address any issues that arise at our store locations. These safeguards at our stores allow our employees to notify police as soon as an emergency situation develops.” he said in a statement.
If the Planning Commission OKs the proposal, it goes to the City Council for final approval.
Sheetz opened in Romulus in late August, its first location in Michigan. The company plans to open 50-60 stores in the Detroit area within the next five to six years, he said.
Customers use touchscreens to order food at the Sheetz in Romulus. FILE PHOTO.
To date, Sheetz has announced the locations for eight other planned Detroit locations:
23 Mile Road east of I-94, Chesterfield Township
— 8200 Telegraph Road, Taylor
— 20623 Eureka Road, Taylor
— 45011 Garfield Road, Macomb
— 31925 Van Dyke Ave., Warren
— 19001 E. Nine Mile Road, Eastpointe
— 2103 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti
— Southwest corner of 14 Mile and Utica roads in Fraser
Each store will employ about 35 people; most will be full time, Ruffner said.
The former Ginopolis restaurant in Farmington Hills closed five years ago. Sheetz proposes to open a gas station, convenience store and restaurant on the site. Anne Runkle/MediaNews Group.
Earlier this year, WDET made a significant commitment to serving metro Detroit with updates to its programming designed to bring more local coverage and locally curated music to the airwaves as we celebrate our 75th anniversary year. The response to these changes was very positive, as measured by listener ratings data, membership feedback, fundraising metrics, and via WDET’s annual listener survey results.
On Monday, Nov. 25, WDET will refresh its programming schedule again with changes informed by additional input from our community. Sixty percent of the new schedule will feature local programming — up from 51% previously. We’ll include more daily local coverage of news, arts and culture, with more input and call-in dialogue from our listeners on an expanded The Metro, more local and national reporting on Morning Edition, and more opportunities for listeners to hear our one-of-a-kind music programming every weekday evening with an expanded weeknight music schedule.
Other changes include more music overnights with rebroadcasts of In the Groove Monday-Friday starting at midnight; Jeremy Hobson’s The Middle joins WDET’s roster of national current affairs programming; Fresh Air adds a Friday episode; and On Point, Latino USA, Fresh Air Weekend, The Treatment and Sound Opinions will occupy new time slots.
After almost a decade of service to WDET listeners, Stephen Henderson will wind up his tenure as a daily host with the conclusion of the program Created Equal. The nationally syndicated show On the Media will also be discontinued.
“We want to thank and acknowledge Stephen Henderson for his important contributions to our city and our station. Although Created Equal will no longer be a part of our schedule, WDET remains committed to pursuing stories that highlight the challenges of inequality and the promise of opportunity in our communities, throughout our programming and journalism,” said WDET Program Director, Adam Fox. “We are extremely proud and grateful for Stephen’s tenure at WDET, and we know Stephen’s commitment to our community will continue.”
General Manager Mary Zatina noted that, valuing transparency, WDET leadership made the choice to implement these changes now, before our Holiday On-Air Fundraiser, which begins on Dec. 3 and runs through Noel Night on Dec. 7.
“Growing listener and member bases and delivering the exceptional programming expected from WDET Public Radio is important as we improve our financial stability for the next 75 years serving Detroit,” Zatina said. “WDET ended Fiscal 2024 in a deficit, and we are working hard to improve our financial position.”
Listeners can view the updated program schedule here or by going to wdet.org/schedule on Monday.
Over the next few days, Waterford Township officials will consider two options for the community’s waste-hauling service.
On Wednesday, Supervisor Gary Wall and his successor, Anthony Bartolotta, met with the current contractor, Priority Waste, to discuss a one-year contract extension. But township trustees will also consider drafting a request for a new waste hauler contract.
Priority’s Waterford contract expires in March. To consider other companies the township must publish a request for proposals, allow time to evaluate bids, make a selection and sign a new contract before the end of February.
Waterford is weighing the options after Priority bought out 72 Green for Life (GFL) municipal waste-hauling contracts and equipment in May. The issue may be discussed at the trustees’ next study session, at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, in the conference room 3-2 at the township hall at 5200 Civic Center Drive.The regular meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Meeting agendas are online at https://www.waterfordmi.gov/AgendaCenter
The transition started on July 1 and led to significant criticism by residents in Waterford and many of the 71 other communities.
Months of long-delayed pickups of trash, yard waste and recycling led to emergency meetings between municipalities and company officials.
Priority blamed many of the problems on shoddy trucks bought from GFL, the inability to rapidly expand the fleet, hire and train adequate drivers to properly service existing and new customers.
Waterford is not the only community evaluating other waste pickup options.
In October, Orion Township officials announced Priority would be dropped on Dec. 31. The township signed a contract with Waste Management for service starting on Jan. 1. Priority and Standard Waste Services also bid for the contract.
Township residents will pay $62.23 per quarter for a single-family household, a $1.15-per-month increase over current rates. Waste Management agreed to honor existing discounts. The township will release more details this month.
In October, Priority secured a 5-year contract with Rochester. It’s the only renewal the company has among the former GFL communities. Pontiac signed a 10-year agreement on June 28.
On Thursday, Keego Harbor’s city council will consider extending its contract with Priority. In March, the city’s GFL contract had been extended through 2027, but a new company means a new agreement is needed. Priority officials promised to honor GFL’s 2025 terms with rates set for $20.36 each for weekly pick-up for household waste, recycling and yard waste. Payments would increase to $21.06 in 2026 and $21.99 in 2027.
Central Michigan University head football coach Jim McElwain is retiring from coaching according to numerous media reports reported on Wednesday afternoon.
He will retire at seasons end.
McElwain led the Chippewas to a 16-14 win over rival Western Michigan University at home on Tuesday night, snapping a five-game losing streak.
The Chippewas have struggled in recent seasons as they are 4-7 this season after going 5-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2022.
The story quoted McElwain as saying, “”My wife Karen and I have cherished every moment of our football journey. We want to express our deepest gratitude to the all the players who have welcomed us into their lives, and the incredible coaches and support staff at every stop along the way—it has been a true privilege to work alongside all of them. The lifelong friendships that were created mean the world to us.
“We are especially thankful for our time at Central Michigan. Mount Pleasant and the CMU community hold a special place in our hearts, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of this program and this great community. Thank you for the unwavering support and the unforgettable memories.”
McElwain said his reasoning behind his abrupt retirement were his own according to numerous reports.
CMU Athletic Director Amy Folan was quoted by footballscoop.com and stated, “Coach McElwain and his wife Karen have meant so much to the Central Michigan community,” AD Amy Folan said. “He has brought pride and excitement to Mount Pleasant and our football program and we look forward to his contributions to the department in other ways in the years ahead. We are grateful for his service and mentorship to our student-athletes. We wish both Jim and Karen the very best in their well-deserved retirement from coaching and we are glad that they will continue to help us.”
CMU closes the 2024 regular season at Northern Illinois on Nov. 30.
The 62-year old McElwain spent 40 years coaching in the college ranks and closes his career with a career record of 77-63 as head coach at CMU, Florida and Colorado State. He signed a five-year contact with CMU in 2022.
Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain retired abruptly Wednesday, one day after leading the Chippewas to a 16-14 win over rival WMU. (AP Photo/Michael Catreserina)
A Florida man pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges for threatening an American Muslim organization in Michigan last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.
Michael Shapiro, 72, faced one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce after calling six times and leaving three threatening voicemails to the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan.
The West Palm Beach resident also admitted to intentionally targeting CAIR-MI with threats because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of people who work at or are assisted by the organization, officials said in a press release.
Shapiro could serve up to five years’ incarceration for his guilty plea or pay a fine of up to $250,000, according to a plea agreement filed with the court on Tuesday.
He also faces up to three years of supervised release.
“No one should be able to threaten violence and instill fear on an entire community,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. “Today’s conviction should send a strong message that those who do so will be investigated, identified, and aggressively prosecuted.”
His attorney, Elizabeth Young, was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Shapiro first called CAIR-MI’s Canton Township office on Dec. 8 at 6:43 p.m. and left a voicemail laughing maniacally and twice saying “I’m going to kill you bastards,” according to the plea agreement.
He left another threatening voicemail six days later, investigators reported.
“I’m going to kill you mother f******g bastards,” Shapiro said in the 1:02 p.m. voicemail. “Muslims! I’m going to kill you mother f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
He also called the next day, on Dec. 15 at 6:24 p.m.
“You’re a violent people,” Shapiro said. “Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother f******s. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you mother f*****s!”
When prosecutors unsealed the grand jury indictment against Shapiro, CAIR-MI officials said the threat was among others as the war in Gaza escalated.
Shapiro’s case is the third time he has been charged in the last five years with federal crimes and has been accused of threatening U.S. Capitol Police officers, a member of Congress and their child, according to federal court records reviewed by The Detroit News.
Officials with CAIR-MI are pleased with the results of the case, Amy Doukoure, a staff attorney with the organization, told The News.
“What he’s doing is very serious,” Doukoure said. “We had to close our business for several days. He was calling every day — we didn’t know where he was, whether he was serious. It was a very scary and serious incident, and we’re happy that it’s over and he has pled guilty and will be sentenced to jail time.”
Discrimination complaints to CAIR-MI rose by over 340% in the three months after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks compared to the three months leading up to it, officials said in a 2023 CAIR-MI Civil Rights Report.
Reports of anti-Muslim bias incidents, including hate crimes, education and employment discrimination, surged in 2023, according to the report. Officials attributed the increase in complaints to increased anti-Muslim sentiment following media coverage of Israel’s attacks in Gaza.
The past year brought a record number of hate crime complaints to CAIR-MI, paralleled only by reports in 2018, according to the report.
CAIR-MI officials also recently called on the University of Michigan to conduct an independent investigation into the school’s “pattern of disparate treatment” of UM Muslim and Arab students.
In other recently reported hate crime cases, a Michigan man was sentenced in June for defacing a Jewish synagogue with swastikas and white supremacist group images.
A Warren man was also charged in March for spray painting swastikas and other graffiti on a predominantly Black church and in a Warren park’s public bathroom.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is nominating the billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump has promised to dismantle.
McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut.
Former U.S. Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon speaks on stage on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 17: Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump listens during the inaugural meeting of the Presidents National Council for the American Worker in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on September 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Oliver Contreras – Pool/Getty Images)
Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon turned talk show host and lifestyle guru, is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the massive federal health care bureaucracy that covers more than a third of Americans.
Here’s a look at a television doctor who became a politician and is now designated to lead an agency that touches nearly all Americans in some way.
Who is Dr. Oz?
Trained as a heart surgeon, Oz rose to prominence on Oprah Winfrey’s leading daytime television show before spinning off his own series, “The Dr. Oz Show,” in 2009.
The program aired for 13 seasons and made Oz a household name.
Oz stopped doing surgeries in 2018 but his physician license remains active in Pennsylvania through the end of this year, according to the state’s online database.
Oz is an author of New York Times bestsellers, an Emmy-winning TV show host, radio talk show host, presidential appointee, founder of a national nonprofit to educate teens about healthy habits, and self-styled ambassador for wellness.
He also guest hosted the “Jeopardy!” game show and helped save a dying man at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a heart surgeon who emigrated from Turkey.
He attended a private high school in Delaware and Harvard University as a college undergraduate, also playing football there, and served in the Turkish army to maintain his dual citizenship.
He made his reputation as a surgeon, but he made a fortune as a salesman
Oz dispensed nutritional and lifestyle advice on his show, portraying himself as a trusted doctor capable of explaining health matters in an engaging and approachable way. But his show also blurred the line between medical advice and advertising, failing to make clear to his audience just how closely he worked with the companies he pitched.
He repeatedly promoted products of questionable medical value and was named in lawsuits that alleged he made misleading claims on the show. Several of the companies he has promoted are structured as multilevel marketing businesses whose practices have repeatedly drawn the attention of federal regulators.
Oz had a net worth between $100 million and $315 million, according to a federal financial disclosure he filed in 2022, which gives dollar values in ranges but does not provide specific figures.
He ran for U.S. Senate
Oz ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican in 2022, one of the highest-profile races of that year’s midterms. Though he was a longtime resident of New Jersey and worked in New York City, Oz ran in Pennsylvania, citing ties to the state through his wife’s parents.
His campaign leaned heavily into his celebrity. Its logo looked just like his TV show logo. His themes — “a dose of reality” or “the doctor is in” — spun off his TV doctor reputation.
He ran in a crowded Republican primary and won Trump’s eagerly sought endorsement.
“Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel. I have seen this many times over the years. They know him, believe in him, and trust him,” Trump said when he endorsed Oz.
Following a court battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Oz narrowly won the primary over McCormick by 951 votes but lost to Democrat John Fetterman in the general election.
Oz and Trump have a long personal history
Oz told The Associated Press in a 2022 interview that he first met Trump in 2004 or 2005 when he asked Trump to use his golf course for an event for Oz’s children’s charity. Trump agreed. After that, they saw each other intermittently at social events before Oz interviewed Trump about his health during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In a 2016 appearance on “The Dr. Oz Show,” Trump said his wife, Melania Trump, was “a big fan” of the show.
Trump appointed Oz to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition during his first term.
He would oversee a massive agency
If confirmed by the Senate to lead CMS, Oz would oversee Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare.” The programs cover more than 160 million people, from newborns to nursing home residents.
CMS also plays a central role in the nation’s $4.5 trillion health care economy, setting Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors, labs and other service providers. Government payment levels become the foundation for private insurers. The agency also sets standards that govern how health care providers operate.
The agency has more than 6,000 employees and a $1.1 trillion budget.
FILE – Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center in Allentown, Pa., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover Michigan State Police’s new campaign to encourage residents to sign up for emergency alerts; Detroit PAL’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and more.
The Michigan State Police has launched the “Know Your Plan. Be Alert.” campaign, encouraging residents to sign up for alerts to stay informed during emergencies. Alerts would send information during severe weather, active shooter incidents, missing or endangered individuals and more. For more information or to sign up for alerts visit michigan.gov/miready and click on local alerts.
State holds hearing on child care licensing rule changes
The state is updating its child care licensing requirements and wants to hear from residents. The proposed rules would tighten regulations on drinking water and add standards for outdoor nature-based childcare centers. They would also make it easier for teachers to qualify for a job at a childcare center. The state held a public hearing on the changes in Lansing on Tuesday. People can submit questions or comments on the changes by mail or email until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22.
Cycling at the Velodrome
The Lexus Velodrome and Detroit Parks and Recreation are teaming up to offer an indoor cycling program for youth ages 13-17. The six-week program will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting on Jan. 7 and running through Feb. 11. Youth will learn the fundamentals of indoor track cycling from experienced competitors and coaches. Registration is open now and costs $10. For more information about this and other Parks and Recreation sports programs, visit dprdathletics.com.
Detroit PAL hosting Thanksgiving Food Drive
Detroit PAL is partnering with APEX Leadership Academy and the Detroit NFL Former Players Chapter to offer thanksgiving meals to 500 families next week. Turkeys, dressing, cornbread, cranberry sauce and more will be distributed from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at Detroit PAL’s headquarters, 1680 Michigan Ave., Detroit.
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary.
The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial.
Lutnick, a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice.” He has become a part of the president-elect’s inner circle.
Here are things to know about the billionaire who, if confirmed by the Senate, will lead the Commerce Department.
He was Elon Musk’s pick to lead the Treasury Department
Elon Musk and others in Trump’s orbit called on Trump last week to dump previous front-runner for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in favor of Lutnick. Musk said in a post that “Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change.”
The treasury role has been at the center of an unusual high-profile jockeying within the Trump world. At the same time, the position is closely watched in financial circles, where a disruptive nominee could have immediate negative consequences on the stock market, which Trump watches closely. Trump has yet to decide on one of the top remaining vacancies in his proposed cabinet.
The major remaining nominees for the role are Bessent, former Federal Reserve board governor Kevin Warsh, Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Marc Rowan, and Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty, Trump’s former Japan ambassador.
He is a major supporter of Trump’s tariffs plan
Trump on the campaign trail proposed a 60% tariff on goods from China — and a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports. On the campaign trail, Trump portrayed the taxes on imports as both a negotiating tool to hammer out better trade terms and as a way to generate revenue to fund tax cuts elsewhere.
An advocate for imposing wide-ranging tariffs, Lutnick gave full-throated support for Trump’s tariffs plan in a CNBC interview in September. “Tariffs are an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker,” he said.
Mainstream economists are generally skeptical of tariffs, considering them a mostly inefficient way for governments to raise money and promote prosperity.
His brother and hundreds of Cantor employees were killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks
Lutnick’s brother, Gary Lutnick, and 658 of 960 Cantor Fitzgerald employees were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. The firm lost two-thirds of its employees that day. Lutnick is a member of the Board of Directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Partnership for New York City.
After Cantor Fitzgerald settled a wrongful death and personal injuries case against American Airlines and insurance carriers in 2013 for $135 million, Lutnick said: “We could never, and will never, consider it ordinary. For us, there is no way to describe this compromise with inapt words like ordinary, fair or reasonable. All we can say is that the legal formality of this matter is over.”
Trump’s Tuesday announcement on the Commerce Department nomination mentioned Lutnick’s loss — stating he was “the embodiment of resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy.”
He’s a major supporter of cryptocurrency
Lutnick is a proponent of advancing aims of the cryptocurrency industry — namely, the cryptocurrency Tether.
Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency.
“Bitcoin is like gold and should be free trade everywhere in the world,” Lutnick said at a bitcoin conference earlier this year. “And as the largest wholesaler in the world we’re going to do everything in our power to make it so. Bitcoin should trade the same as gold everywhere in the world without exception and without limitation.”
Trump has taken on a favorable view of cryptocurrencies — from announcing in May that the campaign would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build what it calls a “crypto army” leading up to Election Day. He has also launched a cryptocurrency platform called World Liberty Financial with members of his family earlier this year.
Howard Lutnick speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled support Tuesday for a Republican effort to ban Democrat Sarah McBride — the first transgender person to be elected to Congress — from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol once she’s sworn into office next year.
“We’re not going to have men in women’s bathrooms,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “I’ve been consistent about that with anyone I’ve talked to about this.”
Citing his Christian faith, Johnson earlier in the day emphasized the need to “treat all persons with dignity and respect,” adding, “This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before, and we’re going to do that in deliberate fashion with member consensus on it.”
A resolution proposed Monday by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” Mace said the bill is aimed specifically at McBride, who was elected to the House this month from Delaware.
The debate over whether transgender people should be allowed to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity has been prevalent across the U.S. and was a focal point of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign. At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from girls and women’s bathrooms at public schools, and in some cases other government facilities.
“I’m absolutely, 100% gonna stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women’s restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms,” Mace said told reporters Tuesday. The second-term congresswoman added that Johnson assured her the bathroom provision would be included in any changes to House rules for the next Congress.
“If it’s not,” she said. “I’ll be ready to pick up the mantle.”
Democrats, including McBride, denounced the GOP effort as “bullying” and a “distraction.”
“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride said. “We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars.”
Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, quipped that House Republicans are already “off to a great start.”
“What are they talking about there, on day one, is where one member out of 435 is going, where she is going to use the bathroom?” the Massachusetts lawmaker said during a press conference Tuesday. “That is their focus?”
McBride was elected to the House this month after building a national profile as an LGBTQ activist and raising more than $3 million in campaign contributions from around the country. She became the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in the United States in 2016, when she spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
After her election win earlier this month, McBride said that her victory was “a testament to Delawareans that we have shown time and time again that in this state of neighbors, we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities.”
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photo as she stands on the Capitol steps, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.
Gaetz, who is expected to start meeting with senators as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nation’s top law enforcement official, creating a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.
The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced a House Ethics investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. Gaetz denies the allegations.
Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has positioned himself as Trump’s top ally in Congress, said last week that he will “strongly request” that the Ethics committee not release the results of its investigation.
Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who will become Senate majority leader in January, deferred to Johnson, saying Monday that the ethics report is “a House issue.” But several in his conference argued that the Senate should see the report, whether it is released publicly or not.
“There’s nothing about that that would smell right, to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report but none of us want to see it,’” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, said the ethics report is important for the Senate’s “advice and consent” role laid out in the Constitution. “I think the report from the House plays a pivotal role in that,” he said.
Others said the information would come out one way or another, even if it isn’t released. “I’m going to honor Speaker Johnson’s position,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. “I think it’s a reasonable position.”
The simmering clash between the Senate, House and Trump could be just the first of many to come. Trump has made clear he expects next year’s unified Republican Congress to give him broad leeway on his nominees.
Cabinet nominees have traditionally provided a flood of paperwork to Senate committees ahead of their confirmation hearings, participating in background checks by the FBI and filling out lengthy questionnaires that probe every aspect of their lives and careers. But Trump’s transition has already signaled that it might not request the background checks and has so far declined to sign agreements with the White House and the Department of Justice to allow that process to begin.
The documentation, including the criminal background checks and financial vetting, could be key for senators in both parties who have questions about Gaetz and some of Trump’s other more controversial nominees, including Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Pete Hegseth for secretary of Defense and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.
In the absence of the traditional process, whether to proceed without an FBI background check would be up to individual committee chairs, who will be under tremendous pressure from Trump and his allies to move his nominees quickly. On Tuesday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the incoming No. 2 Republican under Thune, said the Senate will begin hearings once Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and start holding confirmation votes once Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Republican senators say they will demand that documentation, but it’s unclear how that might work if Trump’s transition doesn’t consent to it.
“I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will serve as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year. “Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions.”
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants a traditional process involving the full FBI background check for Hegseth and the committee’s other nominees. “We should do it by the numbers,” Wicker said.
Democrats are wary, though, that the process could get muddled, or curtailed, as Trump puts the full force of his pressure on Senate Republicans.
“If there’s a cursory background check, like we call 20 people — that’s not going to be appropriate,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who will be the panel’s top Democrat next year.
Meanwhile. Gaetz has already paid a visit to at least one group of potential allies, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, where he outlined for the group “some of the things that that need to be done at the Department of Justice to end the weaponization,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.
Among the ideas Gaetz discussed was “eliminating a lot of the senior staff,” Harris said.
As for the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, Harris dismissed them saying, “last time I looked, in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty.” He said he did not believe the House Ethics files on Gaetz should be released.
“We think that the president deserves to get his selections approved for the cabinet, and Mr. Gaetz knows what to do to end the weaponization of the department,” Harris said.
Speaker Johnson also made clear his position Tuesday, telling reporters that the Senate should do its job and “sure, take a look, do a deep dive” and then move them along for confirmation so “the president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do.”
“I think President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo,” Johnson said. “And we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that.”
By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY, JOHN HANNA and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Terry Thompson had an election to run for voters in Cascade County, Montana. Why then, she thought, was her office in Great Falls being sent mailed ballots completed by voters in places such as Wasilla, Alaska, Vancouver, Washington, and Tampa, Florida?
It was only about a dozen ballots total from voters in other states. But she said it still raised concerns about the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to deliver election mail and whether the errant ballots would ever be counted.
“I mean, I would have had to been doing FedEx overnight envelopes to all these states to try to get them where they needed to go,” said Thompson, the county’s election administrator.
She received about a half dozen others that should have gone to county election offices in other parts of Montana. For those, she said she “just had to hope and pray” they made it back on time.
While a stray ballot ending up in the wrong place can happen during election season, the number of ballots destined for other states and counties that ended up at Thompson’s office is unusual. The Associated Press found it wasn’t an anomaly. Election offices in California, Louisiana, New Mexico and elsewhere also reported receiving completed ballots in the mail that should have gone to other states.
To some election officials, it confirms concerns they raised before the Nov. 5 presidential election about the U.S. Postal Service’s performance and ability to handle a crush of mail ballots, as early voting has become increasingly popular with voters.
State election officials warned in September that problems with the nation’s mail delivery system threatened to disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election. In a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the election officials noted problems during the primaries that included mailed ballots postmarked on time but received too late be counted and instances of properly addressed election mail returned as undeliverable.
In Louisiana, state election officials said some 40 to 50 ballots destined for 10 other states ended up being delivered to local election offices, mostly in Orleans Parish. Deputy Secretary of State Joel Watson Jr. said the Secretary of State’s Office had “extraordinary frustration” for the Postal Service’s continued “inconsistencies” and “lack of accountability.”
Dozens of mail ballots from inside the state also were delivered to the wrong local election office, Watson said.
“There were many instances where our staff had to physically take these ballots and drive them to another parish to get them there on time to make sure those votes count,” Watson said. “We had to use time and resources in the hours and days immediately preceding the biggest election we hold to make sure these ballots were delivered to the right places.”
Louisiana law does not permit ballot drop boxes, and Watson indicated his office does not support moving in that direction and would continue to encourage voters to cast their ballots in person. He cited security concerns such as the arson attacks on drop boxes in Washington and Oregon ahead of the Nov. 5 election in which ballots were damaged.
The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement that it had been working closely with local election officials to resolve concerns, but did not address specific questions regarding the misdirected ballots.
“The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system, and to delivering election mail in a timely manner,” Rod Spurgeon, a USPS spokesman, said in an email.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, said ballot monitors identified some problems inside facilities during the election season but said they were resolved.
“While we are waiting on the final statistics from the Postal Service, all indications show that vote-by-mail was a success in the 2024 general election,” he said in an emailed statement Tuesday.
Still, state and local election officials reported numerous cases of ballots ending up in the wrong place.
In New Mexico’s Santa Fe County, County Clerk Katharine Clark said seven ballots bound for her office were instead delivered to Los Angeles County in Southern California. Those ballots were redirected, Clark said, but did not arrive at her office before the state’s deadline to be counted, which is 7 p.m. on Election Day.
“It does mean that person got denied the right to vote, because the ballots from Los Angeles County — even though they were sent (to Santa Fe) with a four- or five-day lead time — they didn’t get to us in time to count,” she said.
In addition, Clark said her office received two ballots destined for Los Angeles County and one for Maricopa County in Arizona that she sent back to the U.S. Postal Service. Nine ballots should have been delivered to other counties within New Mexico.
In addition to the Santa Fe County ballots, Los Angeles County election officials said they also received two ballots that should have been mailed to Torrance County, New Mexico. That county’s clerk, Linda Jaramillo, said she did not recall receiving the ballots from Los Angeles County but expressed faith in the nation’s mail service.
“There’s going to be a few,” Jaramillo said. “You can’t have perfection.”
The California Secretary of State’s office said about 150 mail ballots from Oregon voters were misdirected to California before being sent back. Officials at the state election office in Springfield, Illinois, somehow ended up with a ballot intended for Massachusetts.
“Yeah, I have no idea how that happens,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, called the incidents “disappointing and heartbreaking.”
“Election officials don’t ever want to see misdelivered ballots, but it does happen for variety of reasons, not all of which are USPS’s fault,” Cohen said, noting that voters can sometimes forget to use the outer envelope that contains important address information.
But Cohen said the examples from this past presidential election seem to reflect the issues that election officials had been worried about since 2023 and were highlighted in their September letter to U.S. Postal Service leadership.
“We hope they will get to the bottom of what went wrong to prevent it from happening again in the future and that they will be responsive to the issues escalated by the election community,” Cohen said.
In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, was so frustrated after the August primary with hundreds of mail ballots arriving after the deadline for counting them that he posted on social media, “The Pony Express is more efficient at this point.” Schwab, unlike other Republicans, has touted the use of drop boxes.
There were no reports of ballots misdirected from or to other states, but Schwab said in a statement this week: “I still encourage voters to not use the USPS to mail their ballot unless there is no other option.”
Cassidy reported from Atlanta and Hanna from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Jack Brook in New Orleans; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and others contributed to this report.
Out-of-state ballots that the U.S. Postal Service delivered to the Cascade County elections office in Great Falls, Mont., are seen on Nov. 7, 2024 (Joee Taylor/NonStop Local)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is interviewing candidates for the role of FBI director, incoming Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday in the clearest indication yet that the new administration is looking to replace current director Christopher Wray.
In a social media post that was later deleted, Vance defended his absence from a Senate vote at which a judicial nominee of President Joe Biden was confirmed by saying that at the time of the vote, “I was meeting with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.”
“I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” he added on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Vance was referring to the Senate vote Monday to confirm Embry J. Kidd, a Biden nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, a vote that he and several other Republican senators missed.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, and the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FBI director’s position carries a 10-year term but Wray’s replacement would not be unexpected given Trump’s long-running criticism of the director he appointed when he was president seven years ago. This past summer, for instance, Trump took to social media to call for Wray to resign after Wray appeared to vouch for Biden’s mental acuity.
Some allies of Trump, including conservative strategist Steve Bannon, have been pushing Trump loyalist Kash Patel for the position but other potential contenders for the job are thought to include Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent and House intelligence committee chairman who recently lost his bid for the U.S. Senate as a Michigan Republican.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at an election night watch party, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
They want a review of how school officials acted leading up to the shooting, calling on Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, to do so this week.
Steve St. Juliana’s daughter, Hana, was among those killed in the Oxford High School attack. He says further action is needed to prevent future school shootings.
“This is about getting the truth out there,” says St. Juliana, “to create the counter measures to save our kids. This is not about identifying people to prosecute.”
The families are frustrated that a state review of procedures around the 2021 shooting has not taken place. They say they’ve had a hard time getting answers from the Oakland County prosecutor and state attorney general — accusing Nessel of retracting an offer to investigate over lack of probable cause.
Buck Myre (lower left) and Steve St. Juliana (lower right) speak to the media, calling for a state investigation into the 2021 Oxford High School Shooting.
Speaking to the media, Nessel countered that her offer to review has always been on the table.
“Now these offers were made to the school board and to the criminal investigation and prosecutions being handled by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and prosecutor. Our involvement on both fronts was soundly rejected,” she said.
While Nessel says she remains willing to help, she isn’t sure why Oakland County officials are now pointing the case at her.
“My authorities are not expansive beyond those that are already held by the county prosecutor and sheriff, who currently have the investigation, and have investigated this matter thoroughly for years and years now,” she said.
Nessel says her office can’t investigate without a referral from local authorities. She says she’s confused by Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard appearing in support of the Oxford family’s call to action, arguing that she’d need information from him to move forward.
In a statement, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said she’s unaware of any action needed by her office to involve the attorney general.
Oxford families say they’re tired of the finger pointing.
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President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have many concrete plans for what he wants to do when he gets into office. His policy list is thin, but there are two things he’s talked about a lot: deportations and tariffs.
Trump has said he plans to deport millions of people in the U.S. who don’t have legal status. Yesterday, he said he would use the military to carry out this plan. He also wants to use tariffs to develop industry here.
But how will these policy changes affect neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico? Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens joined The Metro on Tuesday to talk about the potential impact in Canada.
Dilkens says Canada has long been impacted by U.S. immigration policy at the Mexico-U.S. border.
“The millions of people who have crossed [the U.S.-Mexico border] in the last four years, many of them have made their way up to Canada, crossed illegally into the country,” he said. “And so in my city today, I’ve got two hotels who overlook the Detroit River and stare at Detroit, full of people who have crossed into our country, waiting for their cases to be adjudicated by our immigration and refugee group in Canada.”
In 2004, the U.S. and Canada entered into a Safe Third Country Agreement, a treaty between the two governments with the goal of better managing the flow of refugees better manage the flow of refugees seeking asylum at the border.
As part of the agreement, individuals seeking asylum in Canada are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception, Dilkens said.
“If you’re entering Canada to claim refugee status from the United States, you’re now required to wait in the United States to have your case adjudicated,” he said. “We’re no longer going to put you up in hotels and have you hang out here.”
Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.
More headlines from The Metro Nov. 19, 2024:
What is today known as the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clawson, used to be a raucous concert venue called The Hideout from 1966 to 1969. It was the third location in a series of teen clubs in southeast Michigan, where legendary musicians like The MC5, many of Bob Seger’s early groups, and The Subterraneans once played. Martin Hirchak, a Detroit cartoonist and graphic designer, joined the show to talk about the former venue, and an upcoming event at Knights of Columbus, “Tales from the Clawson Comic Book and Toy Show.”
Educators at the College of Creative Studies (CCS) have made it their mission to stoke the flame of creativity already inside the students they teach. Fiber Flux, a new exhibition on view through Dec. 14 at the Valade Family Gallery on CSS’ campus, pays homage to arts educators across the Midwest through fiber art. Wayne State Associate Professor of Fashion and Fibers Heather Macali and Professor and Section Lead of Fiber and Textiles at CCS, Jeremy Noonan, joined the show to discuss the exhibition.
Last week, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced he won’t run for another term. WDET’s Senior News Editor Quinn Kleinfelter joined the show to discuss the mayor’s legacy and what the future might hold for both the city of Detroit and Duggan’s political future.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today. Donate today »
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