Michigan
Ohio woman charged for leaving threatening, racist voicemails for Michigan legislators
An Ohio woman who allegedly made threats to Michigan state legislators in racist voicemails could face prison time, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Tuesday. Sandra Bachman, 58, of Batavia, Ohio, allegedly left voicemails in 2021 for state Reps. Cynthia A. Johnson (D-Detroit) and Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “Hey um, need to cancel that bill against […]
Activists target corporate campaign cash in battle against voting restrictions
Members of the Defend Black Voters Coalition chose Detroit’s Huntington Center as their backdrop earlier this month when they issued a warning about the dangers of “voter suppression legislation” backed by Michigan Republican state lawmakers. The building behind them, formerly known as the TCF Center, was a powerful symbol of what could happen if elections indeed […]
Biden praises Tlaib, previews Ford F-150 Lightning and touts jobs plan in Dearborn
By Andrew Roth, Michigan Advance President Joe Biden praised U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) for her passion relating to Palestine during a stop in Dearborn on Tuesday. “I want to say to you that I admire your intellect, I admire your passion and I admire your concern for so many other people,” Biden told Tlaib. […]
Plot to kidnap Michigan gov grew from the militia movement’s toxic mix of constitutional falsehoods and half-truths
The U.S. militia movement has long been steeped in a peculiar – and unquestionably mistaken – interpretation of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and civil liberties. This is true of an armed militia group that calls itself the Wolverine Watchmen, who were involved in the recently revealed plot to overthrow Michigan’s government and kidnap […]
A plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor hatched in a ritzy Columbus suburb, prosecutors say
This summer, a cabal of a least 15 extremists meeting in Dublin, Ohio began crafting a violent plan to “storm” the Michigan state Capitol and kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, law enforcement officials say. Six men were federally charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, and another seven were charged with violations of Michigan’s anti-terrorism laws connected […]
Why is Michigan’s coronavirus epidemic so much worse than Ohio’s?
COVID-19 was detected in Michigan two days after health officials found it in Ohio. But now, more than a month into each state’s local epidemic, the differences are vast. At least 1,921 Michiganders have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, compared to 361 Ohioans, as of Wednesday. Michigan’s first reported […]
Tough times on the farm: A look at agriculture in the Midwest
All in all, 2019 was a terrible year for farmers across the Midwest and so far 2020 doesn’t look much better. Bad weather, trade wars and low prices due to oversupply all contributed to the grim economic news, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began wreaking havoc with export markets. “Agriculture has been in a pretty […]
How a powerful lawmaker belittled a young, female reporter — a cautionary tale from an OCJ affiliate
This is republished from Ohio Capital Journal affiliate the Michigan Advance. This story has made national headlines this week. I waited outside the Michigan Senate chamber to ask Sen. Peter Lucido on Tuesday for a comment about the Detroit Metro Times story reporting that he was a member of a violent, anti-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Facebook group, […]