MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three Mexican financial institutions sanctioned by the Trump administration last week have felt a cascade of economic consequences following the allegations that they helped launder millions of dollars for drug cartels.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced that it was blocking transactions between U.S. banks and Mexican branches of CIBanco and Intercam Banco, as well as the brokering firm Vector Casa de Bolsa. All three have fiercely rejected the claims.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum accused U.S. officials of providing no evidence to back their allegations, though the sanctions announcement made specific accusations on how money was transferred through the companies. It detailed how “mules” moved money through accounts in the U.S., as well as transactions carried out with Chinese companies that U.S. officials said provided materials to produce fentanyl.
Mexico’s banking authority has announced that it is temporarily taking over management of CIBanco and Intercam Banco to protect creditors.
Sheinbaum said Tuesday that the Mexican government is doing everything within its power to ensure that creditors aren’t affected, and said they were well “within their right” to pull their money from the banks.
The U.S. Treasury Department said that the sanctions would go into effect 21 days after the announcement.
Fitch Ratings has downgraded the three institutions and other affiliates, citing “anti-money laundering concerns” and saying the drop “reflects the imminent negative impact” that the sanctions could have.
“The new ratings reflect the significantly more vulnerable credit profile of these entities in response to the aforementioned warnings, given the potential impact on their ability to meet their financial obligations,” the credit rating agency wrote in a statement.
On Monday, CIBanco announced that Visa Inc. had announced to them with little warning that it had “unilaterally decided to disconnect its platform for all international transactions” through CIBanco. The bank accused Visa of not complying with the 21-day grace period laid out by the sanctions.
“We would like to reiterate that your funds are safe and can be reimbursed through our branch network,” the bank wrote. “We reiterate to our customers that this was a decision beyond CIBanco’s control.”
S&P Ratings also withdrew CIBanco from its ratings index, saying that it was because it had terminated its contracts with the bank following the U.S. Treasury announcement.
FILE – The Treasury Department building is seen, March 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said Tuesday.
The munitions were previously promised to Ukraine for use during its ongoing war with Russia under the Biden administration. But the pause reflects a new set of priorities under President Donald Trump.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a (Defense Department) review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.”
The Pentagon review determined that stocks were too low on some items previously pledged, so pending shipments of some items won’t be sent, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been made public.
To date, the U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Over the course of the war, the U.S. has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.
The halt of some weapons comes after Russia launched its biggest combined aerial attack against Ukraine over the weekend, Ukrainian officials said, in an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts championed by Trump.
“They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,” Trump said then. “And we’re going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We’re supplying them to Israel, and they’re very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.”
Those comments reflect a change of thinking about providing weapons to Ukraine across the administration in recent months.
In opening remarks at a Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing in June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he has moved quickly to quash wasteful programs and redirect funding to Trump’s top objectives.
Hegseth said a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine, which has been promoted for months by Trump, makes America look strong, even though Moscow is the aggressor in the conflict. He also said the budget includes hard choices and “reflects the reality that Europe needs to step up more for the defense of its own continent. And President Trump deserves the credit for that.”
The defense secretary said during that testimony that some U.S. security spending for Ukraine is still in the pipeline, but provided no details. Hegseth also acknowledged that funding for Ukraine military assistance — which has been robust for the past two years — would be reduced.
“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” Hegseth said. “We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests.”
Last month, Hegseth skipped a meeting of an international group to coordinate military aid to Ukraine that the U.S. created three years ago. Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, formed the group after Russia attacked Ukraine, and Hegseth’s absence was the first time the U.S. defense secretary wasn’t in attendance.
Under Austin’s leadership, the U.S. served as chair of the group, and he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff attended monthly meetings, which were both in person and by video. Hegseth had previously stepped away from a leadership role of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — turning that over to Germany and the United Kingdom — before abandoning the gathering altogether.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech at the Council of Europe after signing the legal instruments necessary to launch the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI announced Tuesday that it planned to move its Washington headquarters several blocks away from its current five-decade-old home.
The bureau and the General Services Administration said the Ronald Reagan Building complex had been selected as the new location, the latest development in a yearslong back-and-forth over where the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency should have its headquarters.
It was not immediately clear when such a move might take place or what sort of logistical hurdles might need to be cleared in order to accomplish it.
The decision represents a turnabout from plans announced during the Biden administration to move the FBI to a site in Greenbelt, Maryland. The suburban Washington location was selected over nearby Virginia following a sharp competition between the two states.
The FBI’s current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building, was dedicated in 1975. Proponents of moving the headquarters have said the Brutalist-style building, where nets surround the facility to protect pedestrians from falling debris, has fallen into disrepair. Discussions have been underway for years to relocate it.
The FBI and GSA said in a joint statement that moving the headquarters just a few blocks away to an existing property would avert the need to construct a brand-new building in suburban Washington, which they said would have taken years and been costly for taxpayers.
“FBI’s existing headquarters at the Hoover building is a great example of a government building that has accumulated years of deferred maintenance, suffering from an aging water system to concrete falling off the structure,” GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian said in a statement.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is ramping up its plans to revoke the citizenship of immigrants who’ve committed crimes or pose a national security risk, according to a recent memo underscoring the Trump administration’s hardline immigration agenda.
Efforts to identity and go after those suspected of cheating to get their citizenship are not new to this administration.
But the public push is raising concerns from advocates, who have accused the administration of trying to use immigration enforcement for political purposes. It’s receiving increased scrutiny after a Republican member of Congress suggested that Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Democratic mayoral candidate, should be subject to denaturalization proceedings.
Here’s a look at the denaturalization process and what the Justice Department’s memo means:
Denaturalization cases are rare
The U.S. government can strip a naturalized immigrant of their citizenship if they are criminally convicted of naturalization fraud or if the government proves through civil proceedings that they illegally obtained their citizenship through fraud or misrepresented or concealed facts on their application.
For years, the government’s denaturalization efforts focused largely on suspected war criminals who lied on their immigration paperwork, most notably former Nazis. The Justice Department filed just more than 300 total cases between 1990 and 2017.
An initiative that began under the Obama administration called Operation Janus expanded those efforts by seeking to identify people who had used different identities to get green cards and citizenship after they were previously issued deportation orders.
In 2016, an internal watchdog reported that 315,000 old fingerprint records for immigrants who had been deported or had criminal convictions had not been uploaded to a Department of Homeland Security database that is used to check immigrants’ identities. The same report found more than 800 immigrants had been ordered deported under one identity but became U.S. citizens under another.
The first Trump administration made such investigations a bigger priority, creating a Justice Department section focused on denaturalization cases.
But even then, the number of denaturalization cases remained small, as the administration didn’t have the resources to bring many amid an onslaught of legal challenges to immigration policies it had to defend against, said Matthew Hoppock, an attorney in Kansas who represents people in denaturalization cases.
Justice Department says it will prioritize certain cases
The push was announced in a memo from the recently confirmed head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. Shumate said the cases the department will prioritize include people who “pose a potential danger to national security,” people who commit violent crimes, members of gangs and drug cartels and people who commit Medicaid fraud and other types of fraud.
The benefits of the denaturalization process, Shumate wrote, “include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport.”
Hoppock said the memo sort of “blows the doors open” for the administration to file as many as many denaturalization cases as it has the resources to file.
Lawyers raise alarm about the potential impact
The broad language in the memo raises the prospect “that any offense, at any time, may be used to justify denaturalization,” said Christopher Wellborn, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
“It is not difficult to imagine a scenario where the government invokes unsubstantiated claims of gang affiliation or uses an individual’s criminal record to claim that citizenship was illegally procured,” Wellborn said in a statement.
Others worry the administration’s public push will stoke fear among naturalized immigrants.
“The more you talk about it, the more you frame it as ‘we’re coming after your naturalization, we’re coming after you,’ the more of a chilling effect we see on people applying for naturalization,” said Elizabeth Taufa, senior policy attorney and strategist at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. “Even those folks that really are eligible for naturalization.”
Critics have accused the Trump administration using immigration enforcement to go after people because of their speech — most notably in the case of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, whom it has sought to deport over his role in pro-Palestinian protests.
“One of our ongoing concerns is will they target these politically, will they start combing through people’s immigration files if they don’t like you or if they think you don’t agree with the government,” Hoppock said.
“I think most Americans would support the idea of stripping someone of citizenship if they got it through fraud and they are also a dangerous person,” he said, but the concern is if they start going through “regular folks’ immigration files to find a T that is not crossed or an I that is not dotted so they can use it as a weapon.”
Justice Department recently secured denaturalization in one case
The department last month announced that it had successfully secured the denaturalization of a man who was convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The British man had become a U.S. citizen after enlisting in the U.S. Army under a provision that provides a pathway to citizenship for U.S. service members, officials said. He only listed a speeding ticket when asked on his naturalization application if he had “ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested,” and he became a U.S. citizen in 2013.
Months later, he was arrested in Louisiana on child sexual abuse material charges and convicted, according to the department.
“The laws intended to facilitate citizenship for brave men and women who join our nation’s armed forces will not shield individuals who have fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship by concealing their crimes,” Shumate said in a statement at the time. “If you commit serious crimes before you become a U.S. citizen and then lie about them during your naturalization process, the Justice Department will discover the truth and come after you.”
FILE – The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference with Attorney General Pam Bondi, May 6, 2025, at the Justice Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
Detroit’s rating went up one notch from Baa2 to Baa1 with a positive outlook, the city reported. The city’s financial resiliency and its operating performance over time were key reasons behind this year’s upgrade, Moody’s said in a statement.
Moody’s cited key projects underway — such as the new Hudson’s development, the expansion of Henry Ford Hospital’s campus, and the new Water Square development — as positives, adding that the city’s tax base has more than doubled in the past five years.
The city’s credit rating hit an all-time low at Caa3 — considered “junk bond” status — in June 2013 after declaring bankruptcy.
“This is what happens when elected leaders set aside us-versus-them politics and work together,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “Our CFO team, department heads and City Council all have demonstrated tremendous fiscal discipline over the past 11 years to help bring us to where we are today and to lay a strong foundation for years to come.”
Other headlines for Tuesday, July 1, 2025:
Residents on Detroit’s east side are speaking out about gun violence after two young people were killed at a city playground near Denby High School on Friday. Police are still investigation the shooting, which claimed the lives of 4-year-old Samir Grubbs and 18-year-old Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey and left another teenager wounded. No suspects are in custody.
The Motown Museum has reopened its “Motown Mile” art installation along the Detroit riverfront with a new exhibition honoring the legacy of Motown Museum founder Esther Gordy Edwards, titled “Keeper of the Dream.”
Detroit’s neighbors across the river are celebrating Canada Day on Tuesday, commemorating the country’s “confederation.” Windsor residents celebrated with a parade down Ouelette Avenue late Tuesday morning.
Detroit is getting a new WNBA team. The league announced the new team on Monday. Tom and Holly Gores will be the controlling owners of the new franchise, set to play in 2029. Other expansion teams will also be launched in Cleveland and Philadelphia that year. Detroit’s previous WNBA team — the Detroit Shock — played from 1998 until 2009, winning three championships during that time.
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A ballot campaign plans to launch in July to ask voters to ban political donations from committees affiliated with utility monopolies and from businesses with substantial state contracts.
A coalition of progressive organizations are behind the campaign for a voter-initiated law to reign in the influence of utilities and insurance companies with market dominance as well as contractors that do more than $250,000 in business annually with the state, which would appear to include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan — a prolific political donor.
“This isn’t just another policy tweak,” said Sean McBrearty, Michigan director for Clean Water Action, one of the groups backing the proposal. “It’s a line in the sand. We want to stop corporations from buying off our democracy.”
The Michiganders for Money Out of Politics campaign said Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, in particular, have used their clout to fend off efforts to award bigger paybacks to customers for power losses.
“One of the biggest reasons we don’t see progress in Lansing is because too many politicians are bought and paid for,” said Ken Whittaker with Michigan United. “The political will to fix this mess just isn’t there, but that’s by design. We’re not new to this.”
But they say it will be very similar to legislation that has stalled in the Legislature already.
The campaign said utility influence has held back reforms that would improve service and make rates more affordable. Spokespersons for two large Michigan utilities said their companies behave ethically. They said donation decisions are made independently by political action committees run by employees and shareholders.
Statements from Consumers Energy and DTE Energy said they and their corporate political action committees strictly abide by existing campaign finance laws. DTE spokesperson Ryan Lowry noted the utility agreed to publicly disclose all political donations of $5,000 or more as part of a 2023 rate settlement agreement with the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Lowry also said political action committee decisions are made by employees and shareholders.
“These disclosures showcase DTE’s commitment to our customers and communities we serve, helping us meet our aspiration of being best in the world and best for the world,” he said in an emailed statement. “The political contributions the company makes are supported by the DTE voluntary employee PAC or DTE shareholders — not from customer revenue.”
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The U.S. Supreme Court could decide if a case involving the Line 5 oil pipeline stays in Michigan court or goes back before federal judges.
The case began in 2019 when Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued in state court to partially shut down Line 5. Nessel cited three state laws to make an environmental case for stopping the project.
It then got moved to federal court in 2021 at the request of Enbridge, the Canadian company that operates the pipeline. That request came much later than a 30-day window to do so, partly because Enbridge says it was waiting on the result of a similar lawsuit from Michigan’s governor.
A lower federal court granted an exception to the timeline. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, didn’t buy that argument and sent the case back to the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County where a hearing was held in January.
The Supreme Court, on Enbridge’s appeal, will decide whether there are exceptions to the 30-day period to remove a case to federal court.
Enbridge argues, while the Sixth Circuit took a narrow view of that time frame, other appellate courts have allowed exceptions. It believes the case belongs in federal court because the matter butts up against international treaty law and some federal laws as well.
“The District Court cited the important federal issues in this case, including U.S.-Canada Treaty issues, and the fact that litigation of these issues was already pending in another case in federal court.
However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, deciding that district courts have no authority to give exceptions to the 30-day time limit.
The Sixth Circuit’s remand decision is in conflict with decisions from two other federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, which both held that there can be exceptions to the 30-day limit. The Supreme Court review will resolve this conflict in the courts of appeals,” Duffy said in an email.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s office is maintaining its position.
“The Department’s lawsuit is based on state claims and law, and it belongs before a Michigan court. We remain undeterred in our commitment to protect the Great Lakes, especially from the devastating catastrophe a potential Line 5 rupture would wreak upon all of Michigan,” a written statement from AG spokesperson Kimberly Bush said.
If the case goes back to federal court, the proceedings that have happened in state court may be moot. Meanwhile, the legal fight between Enbridge and the governor is already playing out in federal court.
All this is happening as Enbridge tries to move forward with a project to build a tunnel around a replacement section of the Line 5 pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. That project is currently in the permitting process.
Enbridge says the tunnel would make the pipeline safer by protecting it from anchor strikes. Environmental groups are fighting it, saying it could potentially rupture and dump massive amounts of oil into the Great Lakes.
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Michigan has seen some extreme weather the past few weeks, with temperatures rising recently into the upper 90s and a heat index pushing 100 degrees.
Older adults are more susceptible to heat exhaustion or heat stroke during these periods of extreme heat.
Temperatures are expected to remain high this week in metro Detroit. The National Weather Service is projecting a high of 88 degrees on the Fourth of July, and a high of 94 degrees over the holiday weekend.
Dr. Pragnesh Patel, chief of the Division of Geriatrics at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, says older adults are some of the most vulnerable to becoming ill from extreme heat.
“With aging, there are changes, and they have multiple comorbid conditions that can put them at risk from higher temperature,” he said. “That can lead to some serious consequences if they don’t take precautions.”
Some of these illnesses include heat exhaustion, which can then lead to heat stroke, a dangerous condition where the body can no longer control its temperature’
Symptoms of heat stroke:
Confusion, slurred speech
Hot, dry skin
Absent or profuse sweating
Very high body temperature
Loss of consciousness
Fatal if treatment delayed
Heat exhaustion symptoms include headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, cramps and elevated body temperature. Patel says in addition to these symptoms, people with heat stroke can run a high fever of 104 degrees or more and not perspire.
“Despite the excessive high temperatures, you’re not able to dissipate that heat through the sweating mechanism. And they also become very confused, become disoriented, have rapid heartbeat, palpitations and shallow breathing — just a severe form of exhaustion,” he said.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated, it can cause permanent disability or death.
Staying hydrated is among the best ways to prevent heat-related illnesses. Patel says older adults should stay hydrated even if they may not feel thirsty. He also suggested that people stay indoors in cool areas, wear lighter, loose-fitting clothing, and reduce caffeine intake.
He says older adults are often hospitalized for dehydration, which is why they should take extra precautions during extreme heat events.
“They come with symptoms of heat stroke, and a lot of older folks are susceptible to this because they also have other conditions, or they may be taking medications that puts them at higher risk,” Patel said.
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In Detroit, three of the city’s seven city council districts have a community advisory council (CAC). The body helps advocate for residents’ issues and gives them direct access to city council members.
Unfortunately, due to confusion around filing deadlines in the city clerks’ office, anyone who wants to run for a CAC will have to run as write-in candidate because their names won’t appear on the ballot. This includes incumbent candidates who have been serving on these councils for several years.
To help us break down what CACs are, why only some distracts have them and what exactly happened that led to candidates missing the filing deadline, Metro Producer Jack Filbrandt spoke with Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade and Outlier Media Civic Life Reporter Briana Rice.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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A newly founded Black-owned magazine in Detroit is trying to show its readers that everyone can live a life of luxury.
Divine Magazine highlights Detroit’s creatives and fashion designers, at a time when the fashion world is paying more and more attention to what’s being made in Detroit.
Charde Goins, Detroit native and editor-in-chief of Divine Magazine, says she has always expressed herself as a creative through her clothing, and she got the idea to start a fashion magazine after graduating from Central Michigan University.
Goins joined The Metro to share what inspires her about Detroit’s fashion scene and the journey of launching her own fashion magazine.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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More than 6,000 signatures have been collected by a group seeking to change Dearborn’s city council format from an at-large body to holding district-based council elections.
Dearborn Wants Wards filed the petition with the Dearborn City Clerk’s Office on June 18. If the language is approved, the city would have council members per district and only two at-large seats, for a total of nine council members.
If the language is approved, the city would have council members per district and only two at-large seats, for a total of nine council members.
Campaign spokesperson Mona Mawari says the changes are overdue and necessary for equal representation of the city’s east and south sides.
“So most of the seats are won by folks from the west side; and the East End has only one person on city council, and the South End has none,” she said. “So that’s when I decided to create this campaign where we will be going to change the structure of city council to a more equitable structure.”
If all the signatures are certified and election language is approved, voters in Dearborn will see the measure on their ballot in November.
Changes to the city council and charter commission would go into effect in 2029.
Other headlines for Monday, June 30, 2025:
A series of bills were introduced in the state Senate that aim to make renting more accessible. The bills would cap rental application fees at $25, eliminate junk fees that occur after a lease is signed, and seal eviction records.
The city of Dearborn will be increasing its police presence this Fourth of July weekend to combat a rise in illegal fireworks usage. Parents of children caught mishandling and using illegal fireworks will also receive citations as well. Police are reminding residents that fireworks are only allowed on private property from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. between June 29 and July 5.
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
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This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow explain the brewing tensions surrounding the MSP director. Then later, Michigan Association of State Universities CEO Dan Hurley stops by to discuss the various challenges state universities have faced in the last several months.
What led to the no-confidence vote of Col. James Grady II
How state universities are navigating recent funding challenges
A breakdown of how public universities receive funding
Earlier this month, two police unions representing state troopers and MSP command officers announced that more than 90% of their members voted no confidence in Grady and his second in command, Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe.
The vote was the latest in a series of tensions that have arisen since Grady’s appointment by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2023.
Now lawmakers are getting involved, with Republican legislators beginning to call for Grady’s resignation, saying “he’s lost the confidence of his employees.”
“This week, leadership of the House Oversight Committee began deposing some members of the state police behind closed doors, in what appeared to be an effort to get sworn testimony about Grady’s performance,” Roth said, adding that Grady and the Attorney General’s office are saying the body has “no authority” to depose members of the executive branch.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are rallying behind Grady, Roth said, with the legislative Black Caucus this week calling Grady’s criticism “unwarranted, given Grady’s qualifications,” suggesting that he is getting criticism that a white leader of the department would not get.
Whitmer’s office has also expressed support for Grady.
“In the past when Republicans have called for a department director to resign, the governor and her staff tend to turn the other cheek thinking they don’t want to dignify those types of requests,” Gorchow said. “But her press office is making clear that Gov. Whitmer stands behind Grady.”
Roth and Gorchow also spoke with Dan Hurley, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Association of State Universities, about the recent reductions in funding for state universities, crackdowns on DEI policies, and other challenges education institutions are currently facing.
“The one thing the universities need are sustainability, stability, and good forecasting,” he said, “and their model has been shaken up.”
Hurley said despite the added pressures from the current administrations, these universities, collectively, have been around for a while and will weather the storm.
Men’s sports have dominated the media for decades, but that trend is shifting.
The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), widely considered the most successful international women’s team, has won four World Cup titles and five Olympic gold medals. The team’s success has both increased the popularity of women’s soccer domestically and helped close the pay gap between the men and women’s national teams.
Later, Detroit City FC player on the women’s team, Ella Karolak, joined the conversation to discuss the unique challenges women athletes still face and how it has shaped her athletic career so far.
Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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On Fridays, Stephanie Johnson has a busy schedule, driving her navy-blue Jeep from one patient’s home to the next, seeing eight in all. Pregnant with her second child, she schleps a backpack instead of a traditional black bag to carry a laptop and essential medical supplies — stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and pulse oximeter.
Forget a lunch break; she often eats a sandwich or some nuts as she heads to her next patient visit.
On a gloomy Friday in January, Johnson, a nurse practitioner who treats older adults, had a hospice consult with Ellen, a patient in her 90s in declining health. To protect Ellen’s identity, KFF Health News is not using her last name.
“Hello. How are you feeling?” Johnson asked as she entered Ellen’s bedroom and inquired about her pain. The blinds were drawn. Ellen was in a wheelchair, wearing a white sweater, gray sweatpants, and fuzzy socks. A headband was tied around her white hair. As usual, the TV was playing loudly in the background.
“It’s fine, except this cough I’ve had since junior high,” Ellen said.
Ellen had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, peripheral vascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Last fall, doctors made the difficult decision to operate on her foot. Before the surgery, Ellen was always colorful, wearing purple, yellow, blue, pink, and chunky necklaces. She enjoyed talking with the half dozen other residents at her adult family home in Washington state. She had a hearty appetite that brought her to the breakfast table early. But lately, her enthusiasm for meals and socializing had waned.
Johnson got down to eye level with Ellen to examine her, assessing her joints and range of motion, checking her blood pressure, and listening to her heart and lungs.
Carefully, Johnson removed the bandage to examine Ellen’s toes. Her lower legs were red but cold to the touch, which indicated her condition wasn’t improving. Ellen’s two younger sisters had power of attorney for her and made it clear that, above all, they wanted her to be comfortable. Now, Johnson thought it was time to have that difficult conversation with them about Ellen’s prognosis, recommending her for hospice.
“Our patient isn’t just the older adult,” Johnson said. “It’s also often the family member or the person helping to manage them.”
Stephanie Johnson examines her patient Ellen’ s foot. Ellen had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, peripheral vascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Last fall, doctors made the difficult decision to operate on her foot. ((Jariel Arvin for KFF Health News)/KFF Health News/TNS)
Nurse practitioners are having those conversations more and more as their patient base trends older. They are increasingly filling a gap that is expected to widen as the senior population explodes and the number of geriatricians declines. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a 50% increase in demand for geriatricians from 2018 to 2030, when the entire baby boom generation will be older than 65. By then, hundreds of geriatricians are expected to retire or leave the specialty, reducing their number to fewer than 7,600, with relatively few young doctors joining the field.
That means many older adults will be relying on other primary care physicians, who already can’t keep up with demand, and nurse practitioners, whose ranks are booming. The number of nurse practitioners specializing in geriatrics has more than tripled since 2010, increasing the availability of care to the current population of seniors, a recent study in JAMA Network Open found.
According to a 2024 survey, of the roughly 431,000 licensed nurse practitioners, 15% are, like Johnson, certified to treat older adults.
Johnson and her husband, Dustin, operate an NP-led private practice in greater Seattle, Washington, a state where she can practice independently. She and her team, which includes five additional nurse practitioners, each try to see about 10 patients a day, visiting each one every five to six weeks. Visits typically last 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the case.
“There are so many housebound older adults, and we’re barely reaching them,” Johnson said. “For those still in their private homes, there’s such a huge need.”
Laura Wagner, a professor of nursing and community health systems at the University of California-San Francisco, stressed that nurse practitioners are not trying to replace doctors; they’re trying to meet patients’ needs, wherever they may be.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the role of nurse practitioners,” she said. “We step into places where other providers may not, and geriatrics is a prime example of that.”
Practice limits
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced training that enables them to diagnose diseases, analyze diagnostic tests, and prescribe medicine. Their growth has bolstered primary care, and, like doctors, they can specialize in particular branches of medicine. Johnson, for example, has advanced training in gerontology.
“If we have a geriatrician shortage, then hiring more nurse practitioners trained in geriatrics is an ideal solution,” Wagner said, “but there are a lot of barriers in place.”
In 27 states and Washington, D.C., nurse practitioners can practice independently. But in the rest of the country, they need to have a collaborative agreement with or be under the supervision of another health care provider to provide care to older adults. Medicare generally reimburses for nurse practitioner services at 85% of the amount it pays physicians.
Last year, in more than 40 states, the American Medical Association and its partners lobbied against what they see as “scope creep” in the expanded roles of nurse practitioners and other health workers. The AMA points out that doctors must have more schooling and significantly more clinical experience than nurse practitioners. While the AMA says physician-led teams keep costs lower, a study published in 2020 in Health Services Research found similar patient outcomes and lower costs for nurse practitioner patients. Other studies, including one published in 2023 in the journal Medical Care Research and Review, have found health care models including nurse practitioners had better outcomes for patients with multiple chronic conditions than teams without an NP.
“I would fully disagree that we’re invading their scope of practice and shouldn’t have full scope of our own,” Johnson said.
She has worked under the supervision of physicians in Pennsylvania and Washington state but started seeing patients at her own practice in 2021. Like many nurse practitioners, she sees her patients in their homes. The first thing she does when she gets a new patient is manage their prescriptions, getting rid of unnecessary medications, especially those with harsh side effects.
She works with the patient and a family member who often has power of attorney. She keeps them informed of subtle changes, such as whether a person was verbal and eating and whether their medical conditions have changed.
While there is some overlap in expertise between geriatricians and nurse practitioners, there are areas where nurses typically excel, said Elizabeth White, an assistant professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown University.
“We tend to be a little stronger in care coordination, family and patient education, and integrating care and social and medical needs. That’s very much in the nursing domain,” she said.
That care coordination will become even more critical as the U.S. ages. Today, about 18% of the U.S. population is 65 or over. In the next 30 years, the share of seniors is expected to reach 23%, as medical and technological advances enable people to live longer.
Patient and family
In an office next to Ellen’s bedroom, Johnson called Ellen’s younger sister Margaret Watt to recommend that Ellen enter hospice care. Johnson told her that Ellen had developed pneumonia and her body wasn’t coping.
Watt appreciated that Johnson had kept the family apprised of Ellen’s condition for several years, saying she was a good communicator.
“She was accurate,” Watt said. “What she said would happen, happened.”
A month after the consult, Ellen died peacefully in her sleep.
“I do feel sadness,” Johnson said, “but there’s also a sense of relief that I’ve been with her through her suffering to try to alleviate it, and I’ve helped her meet her and her family’s priorities in that time.”
Jariel Arvin is a reporter with the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He reported this article through a grant from The SCAN Foundation .
Stephanie Johnson, a geriatric nurse practitioner, checks her patient Ellen with a stethoscope during a hospice consult. ((Jariel Arvin for KFF Health News)/KFF Health News/TNS)
NEW YORK (AP) — Jeremy Didier had taken her son to a psychologist for a possible ADHD evaluation when she spotted an article about women with the condition. As she read it in the waiting room, she thought to herself: They’re describing me.
“Lots of risk-taking, lots of very impulsive behavior growing up,” Didier said. As the magazine described, she’d excelled in school but gotten in trouble for talking too much. She’d amassed too many speeding tickets as an adult. She turned to her husband and said, “I think I might have ADHD.”
Didier is now the board president of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a nonprofit advocacy and support organization. Her realization mirrors the experiences of other adults who wonder if they have ADHD after a child’s diagnosis.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity or a combination of the two. Common symptoms such as trouble concentrating or sitting still can create challenges at work.
People with ADHD are often passed over for promotions, said Andrew Sylvester, a psychiatrist at UCHealth, a hospital in Longmont, Colorado. Difficulties with attention may lead the mind to drift during meetings, and cause someone to miss important discussion nuances. The disorder may interfere with organization, planning and remembering details.
Yet some adults think of having ADHD as a source of personality strengths and ways of thinking that benefit employers. Diagnostic manuals may call it a disorder, but it also can be a superpower, they said.
“Our brains work differently and so we’re more likely to be able to think outside the box and come up with different things, and sometimes that’s because we’ve had to do that in order to to survive,” Didier said.
Here are some ways to cope with and channel ADHD in the workplace.
Finding community
Getting diagnosed with ADHD doesn’t always lead to a quick fix. While doctors often recommend medication and therapy, not everyone can take medication, and those routes don’t necessarily eliminate all symptoms.
Didier floundered with a messy house and lots of yelling as she and four of her five children were diagnosed with ADHD. She experimented with medicine, diets and reward charts, and discovered what helped her the most: a community of parents who had children with ADHD.
“There’s nothing like talking to other people who are going through what you’re going through to help you feel … that you’re not alone,” she said.
Didier eventually became a social worker and now runs support groups for adults with ADHD, teaching skills they can use at work.
Some organizations have employee resource groups organized around neurodiversity to provide camaraderie and support to adults with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other conditions.
GPS of the brain
People with ADHD often struggle with executive function, which Didier describes as “your brain’s GPS” for navigating your day. Executive function is a set of mental skills that includes making plans, managing time and flexible thinking. It also includes working memory, which helps us keep track of what we’re doing.
To keep from getting derailed, experts recommend breaking large tasks into chunks, writing detailed to-do lists and taking breaks.
Personal chef Bill Collins, 66, who was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, writes structured lists when he’s making a meal for a client. He creates categories for kitchen areas — counter, stove and oven — and then lists tasks such as “chop carrots, boil water for pasta” underneath each category. Then he numbers each task so he knows exactly what to do, where and when.
“That’s how I got around my unknown ADHD early on, just making lists,” Collins said. “If it’s something I don’t want to do, I put it at the top of the list so I can be done with it.”
Another technique is called “body doubling,” which involves a pair of work colleagues meeting over Zoom or in-person to focus on completing projects. The two may choose to perform separate tasks — one might build a presentation deck while the other files tax reports — but help each other stay accountable.
“You’re just sitting there during that dedicated time, getting things done,” Didier said.
Insurance company Liberty Mutual provides an AI tool that helps break down large projects into manageable tasks and provides reminders about deadlines, to help employees with ADHD stay focused and organized, said Head of Benefits Verlinda DiMarino.
Getting through meetings
Meetings can be difficult for people with ADHD if their minds drift or they feel an urge to get up out of a chair. They also may struggle with impulse control and find it hard to wait their turn to speak.
Nicole Clark, CEO of the Adult and Pediatric Institute, a mental health practice in Stuart, Florida, suggests asking for meeting topics in advance and writing up talking points. If you think of questions during the meeting, write them down.
Some employers use a voice-to-text service, projecting what a speaker is saying on a screen, which helps people with attention difficulties stay focused, Clark said.
Sylvester, the psychiatrist, recommends practicing active listening by repeating in your head what someone just said, or taking a brief time-out from a meeting to reset.
Tell them, “’I need five minutes. I’ll be right back.’ Get up and walk out. Do what you need to do,” he said.
Mariel Paralitici-Morales, chief medical officer of the Adult and Pediatric Institute, who has ADHD, sits close to whoever will be speaking to help sustain attention.
“Having something in my hand helps,” said Paralitici-Morales, who sometimes holds a fidget spinner. “If we have to talk, I found it’s easier for me to be the first one and break the ice” to keep herself from second-guessing what she planned to say.
Seek accommodations
People with an ADHD diagnosis can request accommodations at work through the Americans with Disabilities Act. Noise-canceling headphones may help. Consider asking for the ability to take a break every 20 minutes, Sylvester said.
“Set a timer for five to 10 minutes. Get up and walk around. Make some coffee. Go play with the dog,” he said. “When that timer goes off, go back to a 15 to 20 minute hard productivity cycle.”
Employees can also request a flexible schedule or ability to work from home, which can enable time for therapy or self-care.
Antoinette Damico, 23, who coordinates events at an executive search firm in San Francisco, said she practices meditation, writes daily goals in a journal and stays off short-form media to improve her concentration.
Celebrate your strengths
Having ADHD can be an asset in the workplace, and many CEOs and entrepreneurs are neurodiverse, Didier said.
“We bring all kinds of unique talents to our workplaces. Hyper-focus, lots of energy, resilience, the ability to multitask,” she added. “There’s something about people with ADHD that seems to unmask or give us a greater capacity for creativity and innovation.”
Damico also thinks her ADHD provides some advantages. When she’s interested in a topic, she can be extremely focused, reading extensively and talking about the topic nonstop, a trait others with ADHD report.
“It can generate a real passion in you that is a bit unique,” she said. “It really creates this grit in me in terms of when I really want to accomplish something, there’s this boost of energy.”
Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well
Downtown Royal Oak has always had a tasty food scene, and from July 3 to July 6, it will be highlighted by the Royal Oak Taco Festival.
This celebration includes plenty of family fun with music, Lucha Libre wrestling, special guests and, of course, Tacos. The deliciously fun-filled street festival will feature Mucho show-stopping entertainment, including live local music, DJs and street performers, taco eating contests, a variety of free activities and plenty of tantalizing tacos and tequila.
This year’s festival will showcase a delicious mix of over 50 taco vendors and food trucks serving everything from classic tacos to creative culinary mashups. Guests can look forward to a variety of mouthwatering options, including steak and fish, as well as vegetarian fare, along with summer favorites like BBQ, deep-fried treats, and shaved ice.
Newcomers and fan favorites, including The Taco Cartel, Dos Locos Burritos, Mezcal, Real Taco Express, Galindo’s, Azteca, Xav’s Jammin Caribbean, and Cousins Maine Lobster, are part of the lineup.
Jon Witz has led the event’s planning and is looking forward to a downtown packed with taco lovers.
“We have a new layout for this year, featuring a stage now in Centennial Commons, where DJs and top bands will perform,” Witz said. “We’re expecting 40 to 50 restaurants.”
A new addition to the entertainment lineup will be mechanical bull riding south of City Hall, along with Lucha Libre wrestling inside the Farmer’s Market.
“We’ve rearranged everything with a fresh layout, an array of great foods, new activities, and mechanical bull riding, taco eating contests, sales, and cannabis consumption. We’ll be here for the second year in a row, and we’ve got a lot of stuff brewing, so we’re pumped,” Witz said. “Tame the bull and tame your appetite should definitely be the theme.”
The event has averaged more than 50,000 attendees over the past three years, and Witz expects the same turnout for this year’s event. Pre-purchased tickets are $8 each, but a family pack of four is available at $6 per ticket. During the week of the event, individual tickets will be $10. At the gate, the cost will be $12.
“It’s definitely an incentive to save half off your ticket if you buy now versus during the show. The ticket gets you in, and the tacos and tequila are extra. But there’s a lot of entertainment value built in, and we have many reasonably priced tacos and taco trucks. I think everybody’s fine. It’s a good competitive marketplace with amazing food. And, you know, we have most of our great restaurants returning for another go-around this year.”
The ticket/wristband also includes the wrestling event and all activities and entertainment.
“Those wristbands are coded for each day, allowing you to go in and out. You can enjoy yourself, and many people will appreciate sitting in a cafe in Royal Oak or getting an ice cream somewhere after enjoying the music.”
Witz noted that “old school comedian Tommy Chong” is set to appear as part of the festival entertainment. The iconic actor, best-selling author, Grammy Award-winning comedian, activist and cannabis advocate will be on hand for a special appearance on July 5 and 6 for meet and greet and photos.
Several stages will be set up with entertainment for everyone. The Soaring Eagle Stage will feature Kalysta, Nique Love Rhodes & The NLR Experience, Detroit Fury, McKayla Prew, Shotgun Soul, Julian Joel, New Relatives and Ryan Jay.
The Michigan Lottery Stage will spotlight Turner Porter, The Bores, Alise King, Delaney Morgan, RJ Redline, Stonelore, The Warped Tourists, Glencoe, The Twisted Lemon Blues Band, The Ruiners, Thunderbuck, SHÜ, Carley Lusk’s, Kayfabe: thepplsband, and the Martin Chaparro Trio.
The JARS Stage will feature Reeds & Steel, Metawav, Good Folk, The Outfit, DJ Dirty White, Dru Ruiz, Ernesto Villarreal and Friends, Esshaki, TWIZT, Rebecca Cameron and DJ Cisco.
The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority Kids Stage, where laughter, learning and live entertainment come together all weekend long. Juggler Tim Salisbury, Zippity 2 Guys & A Guitar and experience the mind-blowing vocal talents of Beatbox Jake. Cool Tricks & Funny Stuff, interactive hula hoop fun with Nat Spinz, and a special appearance by the Michigan Science Center, whose “Amazing Astronomy” show launches kids on an out-of-this-world adventure through the stars. With hands-on experiences and crowd-engaging acts throughout the day, the Kids Stage is the ultimate destination for curious minds, big imaginations and endless smiles.
Unidentified children are shown crafting at a previous festival. (ROYAL OAK TACO FEST PHOTO)
The Royal Oak DDA Kids’ Zone, located in a lot by the district courthouse, will feature a variety of free, family-friendly fun. Enjoy bounce houses featuring a giant slide, while older kids can test their skills at basketball double-shot and quarterback blitz challenges. Budding artists will appreciate the creative stations that include face painting and hands-on crafts like DIY luchador masks, maracas, walking paper tacos, and colorful sombreros. With even more surprises ahead, the Kids’ Zone promises an unforgettable adventure for families at Royal Oak Taco Fest.
The JARS Cannabis Lounge returns as one of Michigan’s few festival-based cannabis retail and consumption experiences. Dubbed “The Trap,” this 21+ space offers a relaxed, curated environment for adult guests, set apart from the festival buzz, main family and food areas but very much a part of the vibe.
Participants who believe they can eat three tacos as quickly as possible without drinking water are invited to join the taco eating contest presented by Condado Tacos Royal Oak. Contestants who manage to eat all three tacos completely, leaving no scraps of lettuce or cheese behind, will receive vouchers for food trucks at the festival and two VIP tickets to Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats 2025 concerts for the night of their choice.
A mariachi band is shown performing at a previous festival. (ROYAL OAK TACO FEST PHOTO)
The vibrant sounds of Mariachi Jalisco, one of Detroit’s most celebrated mariachi ensembles, will bring the heart of Mexico to the festival streets. With rich harmonies of trumpets, guitars and violins, these strolling performers will serenade guests throughout the festival footprint, creating an authentic and joyful atmosphere steeped in tradition, culture and spirited celebration.
The Motley Misfits, Michigan’s premier troupe of circus-style performance artists, return with an electrifying lineup designed to dazzle audiences of all ages.
Advance tickets for the Royal Oak Taco Fest are now available. The event’s hours are 4-11 p.m. Thursday, July 3; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5; and 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sunday, July 6. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit RoyalOakTacoFest.com or call 248-541-7550.
A vendor serves up street corn at a past Royal Oak Taco Fest. (ROYAL OAK TACO FEST PHOTO)
The American Red Cross recently honored three Farmington Hills lifeguards who helped save the life of a co-worker who collapsed at work last year.
Fana Rombou, Amy Gunn-Gill and Vanessa Hersey-Tartt received the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders at a ceremony held Thursday, June 26, at The Hawk, the city’s recreation and arts center.
When their co-worker showed signs of cardiac arrest, the lifeguards used CPR and an AED to help her regain consciousness before paramedics arrived, according to a release from the city.
The award, which includes a citation and lapel pin, is bestowed on professional responders like lifeguards, police, firefighters and health care workers.
The lifeguards came to the aid of Janet Dabish, a senior transportation dispatcher for the city, who collapsed at the city-run Costick Activities Center.
Dabish was at her desk last September, enjoying a few minutes of solitude, when she lost consciousness. Her colleagues in transportation services called 911 and went to get help from the lifeguards.
Rombou, who was nearby, rushed over to help. She helped move Dabish from her chair to the floor. Rombou found a pulse and noticed Dabish was extremely warm.
The co-worker who called 911 placed the phone next to Rombou, who then began performing
CPR using chest compressions and rescue breaths under the direction of the 911 dispatcher.
Her teammates, Gunn-Gill and Hersey-Tartt, then arrived with an AED. Dabish was shocked once, then Rombou and a Farmington Hills police officer who had arrived on scene rotated performing CPR.
Rombou and the police officer continued to perform CPR and gave Dabish a second shock from the AED. Dabish then regained consciousness and Farmington Hills paramedics transported her to a hospital.
“Fana, Amy and Vanessa, your lifesaving action exemplifies the mission of the Red Cross to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. Thank you for your willingness to help Janet, who was in distress,” said Kelly King, regional chief executive officer of the Red Cross Michigan Region.
Rombou said every second counts in an emergency.
“This experience reminded me that in a crisis, being calm, prepared, and responsive can truly make the difference between life and loss. As a lifeguard and lifeguard instructor, I know the difference we make doesn’t stop at the water’s edge,” she said.
Dabish, who had a defibrillator and pacemaker implanted as a result of the incident and is doing well, praised the three lifeguards for their heroic actions. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them,” she said.
The Red Cross has been creating courses and training people in first aid and CPR for more than 100 years. For more information, visit redcross.org/TakeAClass.
Janet Dabish, far left, looks on as the lifeguards credited with saving her life receive awards from the American Red Cross. Left to right, they are Amy Gunn-Gill, Fana Rombou and and Vanessa Hersey-Tartt. Photo courtesy of city of Farmington Hills.
• KD2 presents The Talent Show for local teenagers, ages 13-19, with the opportunity to win prizes, (grand prize is $1,000). Call 248-269-3276 in advance to enter. The talent show is July 2, at Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw, Pontiac, doors at 5:30 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m., $10 admission, presented by A Father’s Presence, an organization to help fathers become better fathers and engage youth. For more information, call 248-269-3276.
• United Community Family Services-Chaldean American Ladies of Charity announced the completion of its new outdoor green space, the UC Oasis, located behind its building in Troy. Among other community programs, the UC Oasis will offer Summer Study Camp, aimed at ensuring academic momentum for local students. For more information, call 248-528-0130, https://ucfamilyservices.org.
• The Rochester Garden Club is hosting “Steeped in Beauty: Teas and Flower Arranging”, 1-3:30 p.m. July 15, in the Calf Barn at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm. The event includes a presentation by Maryanne Munroe, owner of the Spice and Tea Exchange in downtown Rochester and a demonstration of flower arranging. The event includes tea and treats, and each participant will receive a vintage teacup to take home. Tickets are $50, and can be purchased through the Rochester Garden Club website at RochesterGardenClub.org.
• The City of Southfield to host Dangers of Synthetic Drugs Community Forum, 5:30-8:30 p.m. July 23 at the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield. Four local law enforcement leaders will participate in a forum to address the dangers of Synthetic Drugs and human trafficking. The community is invited to participate in this roundtable discussion. For more information, contact the Southfield Police Department at 248-796-5582, or visit www.cityofsouthfield.com.
Festivals
• Annual Cars Under the Stars Fireworks Spectacular is June 29 at M1 Concourse Arena and Trackside, 1 Concourse Drive, along Woodward Ave. Pontiac. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. activities include a DJ, food trucks and craft beer, interactive kids games, sponsor displays and fireworks at dusk. Ticket options start at $20 per person for general admission walk-in passes (parking not included) Arena or trackside vehicle spots with onsite parking start at $50 per vehicle, m1concourse.com/cars-under-the-stars-fireworks-spectacular, www.facebook.com/M1Concourse.
• Clawson 4th of July carnival is 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. July 3 and July 4, at Clawson City Park, 935 N Custer Ave, Clawson, $3 gate entrance, ride ticket prices vary, rides close at 9:45 p.m. July 4. Arts & Crafts Fair is 3-8 p.m. July 3 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 4; live music is 3-8 p.m. July 3 and 2- 10 p.m. July 4, Firecracker Mile race and parade at 9 a.m. July 4, fireworks at 10 p.m. July 4 at Clawson City Park. Register for the race at https://clawson4thofjuly.com, www.facebook.com/cityofclawson.
• Royal Oak Taco Fest is July 3-6, (4-11 p.m. July 3; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 4-July 5; and 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. July 6) on the east side of Main Street between 11 Mile Road and 4th Street, centered around Centennial Commons and Royal Oak City Complex parking lots. Features taquerias, taco trucks, comedy icon Tommy Chong, more than 100 musical and entertainment acts across four stages, taco-eating contests, mechanical bull riding, lucha libre wrestling, mariachi, margaritas, tequila tastings and Kids’ Zone, RoyalOakTacoFest.com, 248-541-7550. Advance tickets are $10 or $12 at the gate.
• Oakland County Fair is July 11-20, carnival and fair, at Springfield Oaks County Park, 12451 Andersonville Road, Davisburg, 248-634-8830, oakfair.org, admission and ticket prices vary. Fireworks show is at 9:50 p.m. July 11, (following concert featuring Grant Reiff band at 8 p.m.) Fair parking, which includes admission, is $15/vehicle and $10/motorcycle or walk-in. Presenting sponsor Oakland County Parks offers free admission July 11 to the first 250 people who register and all military personnel who present a valid military ID, www.oakfair.org/events/2025/opening-dayarmed-forces-day. Free admission will also be provided for individuals with disabilities who register for the July 17 adaptive recreation day before July 10, online, oakfair.org. The fair opens at 9 a.m. daily, admission gate closes at 9 p.m. fair closes at 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends.
Fundraisers/Volunteer opportunities
• Leader Dogs for the Blind seeks volunteer puppy raisers, able to spend a year helping a future Leader Dog learn the basics they’ll need before entering formal guide dog training. Puppies will begin arriving in early August, and new raisers must be approved and prepared in advance. This volunteer opportunity is open to individuals, couples, and families who can pick up a puppy from Leader Dog’s campus in Rochester Hills. Visit LeaderDog.org/Volunteer or call 888-777-5332 to learn more and apply.
• 8th Annual “Salute Our Warriors” benefit is 6-10 p.m. July 11, at the Danny Kassab Estate in Rochester Hills. The event is set to honor local military heroes, and raise critical funds for fallen and wounded soldiers. Entertainment includes a performance by “Slight Return”, with musical guest Derek St. Holmes, Ted Nugent’s guitar player and singer. Tickets and sponsorships are available at https://saluteourwarriors.us. Tickets for veterans are $50 each and $100/couple. General admission tickets are $150 each and $250/couple. Event parking is at Rochester Adams High School, 3200 W. Tienken Road in Rochester Hills, with shuttle service to the Danny Kassab estate.
• Corks & Caps fundraiser is 6 p.m. July 12, hosted by Metamora Golf & Country Club to benefit Seven Ponds Nature Center in Dryden. Event includes plated dinner with wine and craft beer included, cash bar, live auction, raffles, tickets are $125 per person, sponsorships available. Deadline to register is July 2, at sevenponds.org/corks-caps, or call Seven Ponds Nature Center at 810-796-3200, provide name, address, phone number, and names of guests for name tags, choice of entrée per guest (Filet of Beef & Shrimp, Honey Pecan Glazed Salmon or Wild Mushroom & Spinach Wellington-vegetarian) and credit card info.
• Menards home improvement stores are hosting charitable food drives, serving as drop sites for non-perishable food donations to benefit local food pantries. Donations can be dropped off in the large collection boxes near the exit doors at Menards locations, through the months of June and July. Oakland County locations include Bloomfield Hills, Orion Twp. and Wixom, menards.com.
• Kajy Law Firm, PLLC, in Southfield is collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations for Gleaners through July 18. Collection bins have been set up in the firm’s main lobby at 18000 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield, https://877kajycares.com.
Golf outings
• Golf for Hope golf outing is July 12, at Hartland Glen Golf Course, 12400 Highland Road, Hartland, 8 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. shotgun start, 18 holes of golf with cart, buffet lunch, https://fivepointsofhope.com, $140 per golfer, $35 for lunch only, proceeds go to the Five Points of Hope Cancer Care Fund.
Library
• Rochester Hills Public Library presents “The Enchanted Season: The Detroit Tigers and the World Series” at 7 p.m. July 8, at the library. This event is open to the public. Registration is required, at calendar.rhpl.org or call 248-656-2900.
Parks/Outdoor activities
• The Community Sailing School hosts weekly sailing camps until Aug. 22, for ages 6-18 at Dodge Park No. 4, Cass Lake, Keego Harbor. For information, and to register, call Eric at 586-291-4802, https://communitysailingschool.org.
• Saturday Morning Yoga lesson is 9:30-10:15 a.m. July 5, at the Oakland County Farmers Market, 2350 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford. The program is sponsored by Studio 8 Fitness, Healthy Oakland Partnership and the Oakland County Farmers Market, and will be held the first Saturday of the month through September. Tai Chi is also offered following Saturday morning yoga from 10:30-11:15 a.m.
• WhoaZone inflatable on-water play structure and other lake activities at Heron Beach at Holly Recreation Area state park, 5005 McGinnis Road, Holly. Ticket prices vary for WhoaZone and must be at least 45″ tall, https://whoa.zone/holly. A state park recreation passport is required for entry to the park, https://whoa.zone/holly/#zone.
• Oakland County Parks and Recreation offers free admission. General park entry fees and vehicle permits have been eliminated for all parks operated by Oakland County Parks, www.oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks.
• The Metroparks Trail Challenge is open through Oct. 31. Registration is $35, includes a custom tumbler and trail passport. Visit designated Challenge Trails across all 13 Metroparks. Take a selfie at each trail’s Challenge Kiosk and upload it to the leaderboard to collect your badge, and you’ll get a 2026 Annual Vehicle Pass. Register your dog for $10 and receive a custom Trail Challenge dog tag. www.metroparks.com/trailchallenge.
• Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas, michigan.gov/dnr. Park entrance fees apply.
Support resources
• For access to local community services, dial 211 (844-875-9211) or text zip code to 898211, for information and referrals to physical and mental health resources; housing, utility, food, and employment assistance; and suicide and crisis interventions, United Way, https://unitedwaysem.org/get-help.
• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 confidential support for people who are suicidal or in emotional distress, or who know someone who is. Calls and text messages to 988 route to a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center, www.fcc.gov/988Lifeline.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-7233, available 24/7.
• Common Ground’s Resource & Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 – call or text 800-231-1127.
• Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 and then press 1 to connect to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.
To submit a community event, email the information to Kathy Blake at kblake@medianewsgroup.com.
The 2025 Royal Oak Taco Fest is July 3-6. (Previous year photo, courtesy of Royal Oak Taco Fest)
(THE CONVERSATION) Americans love small businesses. We dedicate a week each year to applauding them, and spend Small Business Saturday shopping locally. Yet hiding in plain sight is an enormous challenge facing small business owners as they age: retiring with dignity and foresight. The current economic climate is making this even more difficult.
As a professor who studies aging and business, I’ve long viewed small business owners’ retirement challenges as a looming crisis. The issue is now front and center for millions of entrepreneurs approaching retirement. Small enterprises make up more than half of all privately held U.S. companies, and for many of their owners, the business is their retirement plan.
But while owners often hope to finance their golden years by selling their companies, only 20% of small businesses are ready for sale even in good times, according to the Exit Planning Institute. And right now, conditions are far from ideal. An economic stew of inflation, supply chain instability and high borrowing costs means that interest from potential buyers is cooling.
For many business owners, retirement isn’t a distant concern. In the U.S., baby boomers – who are currently 61 to 79 years old – own about 2.3 million businesses. Altogether, they generate about US$5 billion in revenue and employ almost 25 million people. These entrepreneurs have spent decades building businesses that often are deeply rooted in their communities. They don’t have time to ride out economic chaos, and their optimism is at a 50-year low.
New policies, new challenges
You can’t blame them for being gloomy. Recent policy shifts have only made life harder for business owners nearing retirement. Trade instability, whipsawing tariff announcements and disrupted supply chains have eroded already thin margins. Some businesses – generally larger ones with more negotiating power – are absorbing extra costs rather than passing them on to shoppers. Others have no choice but to raise prices, to customers’ dismay. Inflation has further squeezed profits.
At the same time, with a few notableexceptions, buyers and capital have grown scarce. Acquirers and liquidity have dried up across many sectors. The secondary market – a barometer of broader investor appetite – now sees more sellers than buyers. These are textbook symptoms of a “flight to safety,” a market shift that drags out sale timelines and depresses valuations – all while Main Street business owners age out. These entrepreneurs typically have one shot at retirement – if any.
Adding to these woes, many small businesses are part of what economists call regional “clusters,” providing services to nearby universities, hospitals and local governments. When those anchor institutions face budget cuts – as is happening now – small business vendors are often the first to feel the impact.
Research shows that many aging owners actually double down in weak economic times, sinking increasing amounts of time and money in a psychological pattern known as “escalating commitment.” The result is a troubling phenomenon scholars refer to as “benign entrapment.” Aging entrepreneurs can remain attached to their businesses not because they want to, but because they see no viable exit.
This growing crisis isn’t about bad personal planning — it’s a systemic failure.
Rewriting the playbook on small business policy
A key mistake that policymakers make is to lump all small business owners together into one group. That causes them to overlook important differences. After all, a 68-year-old carpenter trying to retire doesn’t have much in common with a 28-year-old tech founder pitching a startup. Policymakers may cheer for high-growth “unicorns,” but they often overlook the “cows and horses” that keep local economies running.
Even among older business owners, circumstances vary based on local conditions. Two retiring carpenters in different towns may face vastly different prospects based on the strength of their local economies. No business, and no business owner, exists in a vacuum.
Relatedly, when small businesses fail to transition, it can have consequences for the local economy. Without a buyer, many enterprises will simply shut down. And while closures can be long-planned and thoughtful, when a business closes suddenly, it’s not just the owner who loses. Employees are left scrambling for work. Suppliers lose contracts. Communities lose essential services.
Four ways to help aging entrepreneurs
That’s why I think policymakers should reimagine how they support small businesses, especially owners nearing the end of their careers.
First, small business policy should be tailored to age. A retirement-ready business shouldn’t be judged solely by its growth potential. Rather, policies should recognize stability and community value as markers of success. The U.S. Small Business Administration and regional agencies can provide resources specifically for retirement planning that starts early in a business’s life, to include how to increase the value of the business and a plan to attract acquirers in later stages.
Second, exit infrastructure should be built into local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are built to support business entry – think incubators and accelerators – but not for exit. In other words, just like there are accelerators for launching businesses, there should be programs to support winding them down. These could include confidential peer forums, retirement-readiness clinics, succession matchmaking platforms and flexible financing options for acquisition.
And finally, policymakers should include ripple-effect analysis in budget decisions. When universities, hospitals or governments cut spending, small business vendors often absorb much of the shock. Policymakers should account for these downstream impacts when shaping local and federal budgets.
If we want to truly support small businesses and their owners, it’s important to honor the lifetime arc of entrepreneurship – not just the launch and growth, but the retirement, too.
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