Detroit Free Press
THE PROM GOES ON
It was a little bit of deja vu in Macomb County. Clintondale High School students h in glittery dresses and eye-catching suits headed to prom at Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens. But unlike 10 days earlier, when a gun threat canceled h the original...
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FARLEY FAMILY FEUD OVER FUTURE SOLVED
If you travel Woodward Avenue regularly, you might see Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley with his son behind the wheel of a hand-built Mustang street-legal race car. Farley and his teenage son, Jameson, share a passion for wrenching on and driving in fast...
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Home sweet homes to help childcare workers
Pre-K teacher Haylee Fettes and her two young kids started moving into their new home in Battle Creek this month, a light pink duplex with a stone porch. Fettes will be living there rentfree. And so will her neighbor, also an early education educator,...
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Teaching city’s next generation of auto technicians
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley has long banged the drum about the automaker’s lack of service technicians at its nearly 3,000 dealerships nationwide, but now he and another group are putting money toward fixing it. On June 8, the Detroit Public...
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PRIDE ON DISPLAY
Daija Parker, 24, left, and Champagne Divine, 25, both of Monroe, laugh after cooling off from the mist coming off the Dodge Fountain during Motor City Pride at Hart Plaza
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SENATE NARROWLY APPROVES $70B FOR ICE
Democrats don’t have much leverage in Washington these days – until they do. A small, but significant, political window opened briefly this week as Senate Republicans worked to pass a roughly $70 billion funding bill for Immigration and Customs...
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GOP questions Rx Kids founder on spending, immigrants, abortions
State lawmakers questioned the founder of Rx Kids during a hearing June 2, as the cash aid program for moms and babies rapidly expands across Michigan this summer. Pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna, director of Rx Kids, spoke before a hearing of the House...
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Sports anchor Galli is striking out on his own
Brad Galli had some huge personal news to share. Galli, who was the WXYZ-TV (Channel 7 in Detroit) sports anchor, had decided to quit his TV gig. But he dreaded telling his grandmother, Patricia Galli, who lives in Shelby Township. “That was one of...
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Trump stuns by naming Pulte to acting DNI post
President Donald Trump says he is appointing Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Trump loyalist whose family has a long history in Detroit and Michigan, as the nation’s acting chief intelligence official. The...
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Lake Erie algae is more harmful than previously thought
As harmful algal blooms chronically persist in western Lake Erie, communities and federal agencies are relying on the lake’s water monitor for microcystins, a health-harming toxin the blooms can produce. h High levels of microcystin led to the infamous...
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‘He was fearless’
On the night of May 15 in Dover, Delaware, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott left his tour bus and strolled over to the nearby bus of fellow NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. Busch had just won the 2026 Ecosave 200 h NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at...
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Driver crashes into Detroit Metro terminal
A 67-year-old man who appeared disoriented drove a Cadillac SUV slowly around barriers and into the Evans Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport on May 29. There were no serious injuries. Tadarial Sturdivant, senior vice president of emergency and support...
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Health care agreement a blessing for Detroit baby
Relief is how Andrew Bashi, of Detroit, described the feeling that washed over him and his wife, Amanda, upon hearing the news Wednesday, May 27, that Michigan Medicine and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan had reached an agreement on a new, five-year...
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Michigan Medicine, Blue Cross agree to long-term contract
Michigan Medicine and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan have reached an agreement after months of negotiations that threatened to knock hundreds of thousands of Michiganders out of in-network coverage at the Ann Arbor-based health system, effective...
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Mass attendance plunge forces tough decisions
Facing $94 million in unfunded building costs and a 40% drop in Mass attendance, the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit has embarked on a restructuring plan that some fear could lead to the merger or closure of parishes, especially those in Detroit and...
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How zoning rules can limit childcare
One boring, obscure element of city bureaucracy could be a reason why you don’t have more childcare options in your neighborhood. h Zoning. h City zoning codes can burden childcare providers with thousands of dollars in fees, costly on-site adjustments...
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Movement festival kicks off in Detroit
In a familiar Memorial Day weekend ritual, downtown Detroit surged to life Saturday, May 23, as the Movement festival revved up on the riverfront. About 30,000 fans piled into Hart Plaza to drop the needle on the three-day electronic music and dance...
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A WIN-WIN SOLUTION
Along-standing environmental problem in Michigan and elsewhere — massive piles of scrap tires and what to do with them — has become a solution for another chronic Michigan problem: bad roads. A researcher at Michigan Technological h University is...
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Without win in sight, Duggan pulls plug on bid
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he simply didn’t see a path to winning anymore, and that led to his announcement Thursday, May 21, that he would drop his independent bid to become Michigan’s next governor. During a Thursday afternoon news...
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After Detroit shooting, teen’s survival a ‘miracle’
Tracey Clark says she agrees with curfew enforcement and all the talk about parents needing to be more responsible, including having better eyes on their children. But a 9 p.m. curfew she imposed on her 14-year-old son still didn’t stop him from...
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Inflation woes, corporate cash spur a lively debate
Michigan gubernatorial candidates pitched workers in Dearborn on their visions for the state’s economic future and how they’d protect union labor if elected during a candidate forum with the UAW on Monday, May 18. Two Democrats, Secretary of State...
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GAME 7 LOSS SHOULD STING: IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN
Let it hurt. Let it sting like hairspray in their eyes. Let it haunt their sleep for weeks to come. Then maybe next time the Detroit Pistons get a Game 7 at home to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, they won’t play as if they’re chasing a bus...
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Grand Rapids amphitheater makes its debut
GRAND RAPIDS — On a breezy, picture-perfect evening along the Grand Rapids riverfront, Lionel Richie welcomed Michigan’s newest summer concert venue. The $184 million Acrisure Amphitheater marks the state’s most significant entertainment construction...
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New Henry Ford Hospital building hits a milestone
Henry Ford Health held a topping-out ceremony on May 14 for its new $2.2 billion Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit’s New Center area that some say will eventually exceed in height the nearby Fisher Building, if one counts the hospital tower’s future...
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Water main break brings reminders of pandemic
When a water main supplying multiple Oakland County communities ruptured in the predawn hours of Sunday, May 10, it brought immediate disruption to the lives of tens of thousands, starting with restrictions and forced closures reminiscent of the early...
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‘Everything scares me’: Her lawsuit seeks changes
Athletic trainer Morgan Dean was working a hectic high school basketball game when she got that mind-numbing call from the sheriff ’s department. “Ma’am, we think we’ve identified you and your son in one of the videos from the Goldfish swim school...
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Lobby the refs, but Pistons need to fix themselves
CLEVELAND – No, the Detroit Pistons didn’t lose because of the refs. They lost because they didn’t play well enough. Or hard enough. Or with enough force. Yeah, that’s the word. They lost because they didn’t bring it. To start the game. To start the...
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Official: Broken water main should have lasted longer
Crews for the Great Lakes Water Authority were working Monday, May 11, to weld a new segment of a 42-inch water main into place in Auburn Hills. But the timeline for resolving a water crisis that has left Orion Township, northern Auburn Hills and the...
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Greektown facelift nearing fruition
For businesses in Detroit's famous Greektown district, the past 13 months of streetscape construction have felt a bit like the first year of the coronavirus, but without the face masks and PPP assistance loans. The project has temporarily closed three...
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Cunningham already a closer for the ages
In any long-distance race, you need a kick. In any IndyCar showdown, you need a final lap. And in any tight NBA playoff game, you need a closer. Here were the Detroit Pistons, straight-arming the Cavaliers all night long, holding the wolves at bay — a...
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Michigan Catholics value Pope’s opinion
As Pope Leo XIV marks one year as the leader of the world’s largest religious group, the first pontiff from the United States increasingly finds himself under attack from the political leader of the country he’s from. President Donald Trump has...
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Michigan’s new normal: Record rain
Last month’s nearly statewide flooding, fueled by record rainfall and snowmelt from unprecedented lateMarch blizzards, left whole northern Michigan neighborhoods inundated, destroyed roads and bridges and had multiple high-hazard dams at danger of...
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Spirit employees worry about health care, jobs
Operating on her schedule as a flight attendant, even on her day off, Natasha Jones, 50, of Detroit, woke up about 5 a.m. Saturday, May 2 and glanced at her phone while still in bed. There were notifications of missed emails and text messages. A bunch...
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Pistons enter sunlight after shedding dark vibes
In the end, they climbed all the way out of the giant hole, then pushed the Orlando Magic into it. The clock was ticking down, the crowd at Little Caesars Arena was roaring the chorus of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.” And it was indeed, finally,...
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Target store project dead in Midtown
What was once a highly anticipated development for Midtown Detroit featuring a Target store and 350 upscale apartments is now all but dead, and another big nearby project appears to be in danger. Detroit City Council is poised to take back a tax...
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Travelers are in ‘disbelief ’ over airline’s troubles
Passengers at Detroit Metro Airport expressed surprise and disappointment Friday, May 1, over the news regarding Spirit Airlines, which could be on the verge of shutting down over its finances. “I’m really just in shock and disbelief,” Octavia...
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CAN CADE BE A HERO FOR MORE THAN ONE DAY?
Heroes hear trumpets. They rise to the call. So here was Cade Cunningham lifting past the ghost of Isiah Thomas and the night he scored 43 points on a bum ankle in the 1988 NBA Finals. And here was Cunningham, shooting past the specter of Dave Bing and...
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Ferndale’s new fans
While Detroit has seen its population grow in recent years, the same isn’t true for its inner-ring suburbs; most have seen their populations decline instead. The bright spot? Ferndale. Known for its vibrant downtown, thriving local businesses and...
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Drivers’ dread: Is $5 a gallon on the way?
Michigan gas prices, which already had surged from a week ago, jumped again — in a single day — an average of 15 cents a gallon to a statewide average of $4.19 a gallon. The new average in Michigan on Tuesday, April 28, followed several bits of news,...
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‘End of an era’
On Saturday, April 25, Dittrich Furs opened its doors for the last time, ending a 133-year run that saw it become synonymous with luxury in metro Detroit and beyond. Customers made their final purchases as current and former employees gathered to say...
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Blanche: Trump ‘likely’ was targeted
WASHINGTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on April 26 said the gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner appears to have targeted President Donald Trump and officials in his administration. “It does appear...
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Shiver details affair, reveals her pregnancy
Paige Shiver, the former executive assistant to former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, said Moore had “complete control” over both her emotions and her career, he “used it against” her and that he impregnated her. Shiver, whose lip quivered as...
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Tensions escalate in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran remained in place April 23 as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continued and negotiations between Lebanon and Israel were expected to resume in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador...
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High school ‘water wars’ are a final splash of fun
Wet and Wanted anticipated The MockingSquirts. The handful of Berkley High School seniors filed through the kitchen of classmate Noah Golembiewski’s house in Huntington Woods, some stopping to fill up water guns at the sink, before heading into the...
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In Cheboygan, a flow of water brings good vibes
CHEBOYGAN – Another long branch came floating down the river, heading right toward them. They stood ready to stop it. They had to. “This is the kind of stuff right here that we’re pulling out,” said Paul Dunn of the Department of Natural Resources,...
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Answers sought after Louisiana massacre
SHREVEPORT, LA – Residents of this historic riverfront city remained shaken a day after a gunman opened fire April 19 and killed eight children in the nation’s deadliest mass shooting since January 2024. They were looking for explanations – and...
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First the floods, now the freeze
First it was flooding, now it’s freezing temperatures that poses a new threat. “Well, there is still flooding, but for the most part, things are slowly getting better,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Keysor said Sunday, April 19, in...
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15 bridges close, 2 fail as flooding concerns mount
Threats to Michigan dams, roads and bridges continue as northern Michigan and parts midMichigan remain under a flood warning through the weekend with more rain in the forecast. Residents in Cheboygan, in the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula, got...
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Cheboygan County floods pack animal shelter with pets
As the flooding became more widespread in Cheboygan County and the situation at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam in the city became more dire, Cheboygan County Humane Society Executive Director Michelle Reid inquired to other local officials about what the...
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Evacuation order lifted but Cheboygan dam still at risk
As rains continued in Cheboygan, crews hoping to prevent an overflow of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam downtown were hoping to catch a break. “We need Mother Nature to cooperate as well,” said Rich Hill, a leader with DNR’s unified incident command for...
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Three northern Michigan dams at risk as waters rise
Water was everywhere. It was moving up to the front porches of homes and flooding backyards. Hotels were full of utility linemen and emergency workers. And near the Cheboygan Lock & Dam Complex — the most worrisome area — crews were doing everything...
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Water rises as Cheboygan Dam nears spillover
Cheboygan residents near the community’s dam on the Cheboygan River remained on stand-by to evacuate Monday, as water levels remained precariously close to spilling over the dam and potentially causing a dam failure − as ominous weather news provided...
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U.S. to blockade strait, Trump says
A day after failed peace negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will start blockading the Strait of Hormuz. In back-to-back social media posts on April 12, Trump said the United States...
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Iran sets conditions for talks with U.S.
Zac Anderson, Christopher Cann and Michael Loria Iran vowed on April 10 not to participate in negotiations unless a ceasefire takes hold in Lebanon and Iran’s assets are unfrozen, throwing doubt over high-stakes peace talks set to begin the following...
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Celebrate U-M basketball’s national championship with Free Press
swag. Scan the QR code to purchase championship books, page prints and commemorative newspapers.
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Resurrected at Michigan State
EAST LANSING – This was 33 months in the making, in case you’ve lost count. There’s zero chance he can contain himself now, much less take the high road. He didn’t wait nearly three years to allow someone behind the wall, behind the safety and sanity...
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MICHIGAN MAGIC
INDIANAPOLIS – Long after the buzzer had sounded, even when half of Lucas Oil Stadium had already cleared out, the Michigan basketball team still wouldn’t leave the court, which at the Final Four is elevated like a stage, a fitting platform for the...
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Police help ICE through traffic stops
Violet Ikonomova The police department in Canton Township, a racially and ethnically diverse metro Detroit suburb, says it doesn’t enforce immigration laws. Still, in August, when an officer stopped a man who gave him a Mexican driver’s license that...
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Trump issues more threats against Iran
Kathryn Palmer President Donald Trump took to social media on April 5 to applaud the U.S. military’s rescue of the second airman whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran – and to issue an expletive-laden threat against the Middle Eastern nation to...
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A BEAUTY OF A HOME OPENER
In Detroit, we treat Opening Day like an unofficial holiday, with parties and events happening all around downtown leading up to the game. We were on the ground to cover it all. Getting the party started Thousands of Tigers fans, dressed in orange,...
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Artemis II 10-day crewed mission will fly by moon
After two major delays, NASA made history on April 1, launching a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day expedition around the moon and back. The Artemis II mission, which is the second under NASA’s multibillion-dollar moon program, marks a major...
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Book Tower looks ‘incredible’ as it celebrates 100th
March marked the 100th anniversary of a famous building in downtown Detroit that, like numerous others in the city, was lucky to have survived a previous period of emptiness and neglect. The Book Tower, 1265 Washington Blvd., is an ornate 38-story...
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New EMU leader to students: Just tell me what you want
Incoming Eastern Michigan University President Brendan Kelly grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. When he was about 8, he was drafted to help his brothers move furniture for their parents’ interior design business with an emphasis on customer...
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Artemis 2 mission ready for launch
Three Americans and one Canadian will set their sights on heading toward the moon for the first time in more than half a century. Yes, robotic U.S. landers have begun to touch down on the moon, but ever since the Apollo era came to an end in 1972,...
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BIG BLUE BLOWOUT
CHICAGO – They went from the bottom of the Big Ten to the Sweet 16 in a flash and followed that turnaround with the best regular season in Michigan basketball history. Then they played even better once the 2026 NCAA Tournament started. Now they’re...
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McGonigle’s major league debut is a walk in the park
SAN DIEGO – Kevin McGonigle looked like a veteran all day. It was his MLB debut. The Detroit Tigers’ 21year-old top prospect stepped to the plate five times March 26 against the San Diego Padres, batting sixth and playing third base — and he came...
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May commands with calm style
He is seemingly unflappable on the sidelines, his boyish face expressionless, his neatly cropped hair devoid of sweat. With his arms crossed and his jaw set, he could be a civil engineer overseeing a bridge build, or a chairman of the board staring out...
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Doughnuts and dirt baths: Around the world with Farley
On March 3, Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley found himself surrounded by a family of Aboriginal people in Queensland, Australia, as they performed a ritual to make their honored guest feel at home in their country. The ceremony, called “Welcome to Country,”...
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Michigan sues ICE to stop a planned detention facility
State and local officials are taking legal action to try to stop a planned immigration detention facility in Romulus. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and city officials announced Tuesday, March 24, they had sued the U.S. Department of Homeland...
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MDOT patrol group keeping motorists safe on highways
Before Dennis Richards walked back to his truck, he checked to make sure the stranded white shuttle along the side of eastbound Interstate 94 wasn’t carrying any of the elderly passengers it serves. That type of consideration is part of Richards’...
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TOXIC TOPOGRAPHY
The bald eagle needed to be killed. Euthanized. All signs pointed to it. h But Alysha Albrecht, a rehabilitator who runs the Raptor Center of Southeast Michigan out of her Lapeer home, hesitated. She moved deliberately and sought consultation from...
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Bouchard: Antisemitism cannot be normalized
The top law enforcement officer in Oakland County decried antisemitism and religious hate as the director of national intelligence linked the Temple Israel attacker to a Hezbollah leader. Flanked by faith leaders, Oakland County Sheriff Michael...
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Temple Israel ‘takes back’ narrative after the attack
Images from inside Temple Israel following the attack earlier this month show scorched hallways, charred and discolored group photos on the wall and meals left behind — macaroni and cheese, grapes and cookies partially eaten on wooden tables with...
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1st patient in Michigan hopes for a life change
A 24-year-old Southfield man is the first person in Michigan to successfully undergo life-changing gene therapy for sickle cell disease using a commercial treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “It’s a privilege to talk about my...
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Nation is hit by weather extremes coast to coast
Adeep freeze settled into the South as a heat wave spread in the West and a trail of high winds and downpours left the East. h On the heels of a major storm that delivered downpours, high winds and thunderstorms in eastern states, the National Weather...
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