Midwest
'Death to America' rapidly emerging as key slogan of anti-Israel agitators in US
The slogan “Death to America” is seemingly gaining steam among anti-Israel agitators, who have swept across the nation.
The anti-Israel demonstrations that have spread across the country have taken on an anti-American tenor in recent weeks, with students at the University of Michigan who were participating in the protests being given pamphlets titled “10 anarchist theses on Palestine solidarity in the United States,” which included a page that stated, “Freedom for Palestine means Death to America.”
The pamphlets come as anti-Israel protests have continued to gain steam, leading to multiple days-long “encampments” at some of the most elite colleges and universities in the United States.
But such rhetoric has not been limited to college campuses, with similar slogans being chanted in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, during a recent rally on the last Friday of Ramadan.
‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ PAMPHLETS CIRCULATED AT COLLEGE ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT, EYEWITNESS SAYS
One page of a pamphlet made available to students at the University of Michigan encampment states, “Freedom for Palestine means Death to America.” (Josh Brown)
“Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America,” Tarek Bazzi, a Michigan-based activist associated with the Hadi institute, said in a video before leading rallygoers in chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
The protests have spread at a rapid pace since a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October, becoming part of a growing movement that one expert believes can be traced in part to wavering support for Israel among top Democrats.
“The recent change of possible U.S. policy … the pressure that Biden is under, and then also Democrats going down from Senator Schumer to Pelosi, people that have been very stalwart, always pro-Israel seem to be turning,” Steven Stalinsky, the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), told Fox News Digital.
While the protests have been called “mostly peaceful,” participants in the demonstrations have been heard making antisemitic chants or rallying in support of the terrorist group Hamas.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
“We are Hamas!” protesters at Columbia University in New York City were heard chanting at one recent demonstration.
TOP DEMS TURN ON ISRAEL AFTER BIDEN CALL WITH NETANYAHU
The “Death to America” chants in Dearborn came amid a movement to deny President Biden reelection over his handling of the conflict in Gaza, with organizations such as “Listen to Michigan” and “Abandon Biden” leading a charge that saw over 100,000 voters mark “uncommitted” on their ballots instead of supporting the president in the state’s Democratic Primary in February.
Biden seemingly responded to some of that pressure earlier this month, holding a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the president threatened a change in U.S. policy toward Gaza if Israel does not do more to protect civilians during the conflict.
Biden noted the need for an “immediate cease-fire” according to a White House readout of the call, a longtime demand of activists in Dearborn.
Dozens of Democrats followed the president’s lead following the call, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., joining 36 House Democrats in calling for a halt to U.S. weapons shipments to Israel.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Israel to hold new elections to defeat Netenyahu, saying the Jewish state “cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
The anti-Israel encampment is shown on the University of Michigan’s campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on April 22, 2024. (Josh Brown)
DEARBORN ‘UNCOMMITTEDS’ PLAN TO MAKE ‘EXAMPLE’ OF BIDEN, TURN PARTY AGAINST JEWISH STATE
The White House and Pelosi’s and Schumer’s offices did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Representatives from Listen to Michigan and Abandon Biden told Fox News Digital that such chants represent a minority of the Dearborn community, arguing that most of the largely Arab and Muslim population in the area are peaceful and that such chants represent a vocal minority.
The chants of “Death to America” were also rebuked by a Dearborn-area imam, who told Fox News Digital that he had personally confronted a local protester who chanted the slogan.
“I am absolutely against saying ‘Death to America,’” Islamic House of Wisdom Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi said, later adding that Muslims in the area are “not for death,” but for “love.”
Mohammad Ali Elahi is seen here (Michael Lee/Fox News Digital)
But Stalinsky, who has spent years documenting cases of extremism arising out of Dearborn, argued that such evidence suggests that the community harbors many with anti-Israel and anti-American views.
“There’s definitely support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran,” Stalinsky said of Dearborn.
DEARBORN ACTIVISTS’ PUSH TO BAIL ON BIDEN SPREADS TO OTHER KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES
Stalinksy pointed out that Elahi himself has long been suspected of having ties to Iran, which resulted in nine members of Congress writing a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines last year warning of the Iranian regime’s influence in the U.S. Islamic Centers, including Elahi’s Islamic House of Wisdom.
The rhetoric coming out of Dearborn in recent weeks has also caught the attention of the Michigan legislature, with Republican State Rep. Phil Green telling Fox News Digital that the area is “conflicted” and contains “kind, gracious, loving individuals” as well as a “radical side.”
Green said that the conflict in Gaza has now begun to highlight a political divide on the issue, pointing out that a Republican-led effort in the state legislature to condemn terrorism had been unable to pass through the Democratic majority.
“Republicans are united in our support for Israel. We’re also united in our support or in our opposition to any type of terrorism,” Green said, noting that the Democratic “caucus is split … they do not want to support Israel.”
The potential for such a divide has been brewing for a long time, Stalinsky said, arguing that organizations in Dearborn and on college campuses have long propagated anti-Israel and antisemitic messages.
Those messages have now been combined by groups who have long been sympathetic to progressive narratives on social injustices in the United States, creating a sort of cross-pollination of messages that has manifested in anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment.
“These groups are having influence on a lot of young, ignorant Americans,” Stalinsky said. “That’s something we really need to be worried about, I think, because they’re mingling with a lot of bad guys, especially online, and that’s such a danger.”
Read the full article from Here
Michigan
Michigan to distribute marijuana tax revenue: What your city will get
2025 MI marijuana excise tax revenues drop for local governments
In 2025, local government retail license share dropped $4,211 from Michigan marijuana sales for the tax year. New taxes could cut it more in 2026.
Michigan municipalities and counties that allow recreational marijuana dispensaries are set to receive far less money this year than last in their annual portion of tax revenue collected from cannabis sales.
Sales declined in 2025 for the first time since legal recreational marijuana sales started in December 2019.
A total of 114 cities, 39 villages, 81 townships, 75 counties and four tribes will receive payments from the Marijuana Regulation Fund, according to a March 3 news release from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency. They will get about $54,000 per retail store or microbusiness, based on nearly $94 million collected.
Last year, each eligible government entity received a little more than $58,000 per business based on a total of nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue.
Detroit, once again, will receive the most money of any municipality. There are 61 active retailer licenses in Detroit, so the city will get nearly $3.3 million in tax revenue.
State law determines how the money is split. The Michigan Transportation Fund gets 35% of the revenue, which is used for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and another 35% goes to the School Aid Fund to be used for K-12 education. The other 30% is split between municipalities, counties and tribes.
The payments come from revenue collected from the 10% recreational marijuana excise tax. This tax is separate from a new 24% wholesale tax that went into effect Jan. 1. The revenue from that tax will go to fixes for local roads.
Sales at recreational marijuana dispensaries declined by 3% last year to $3.17 billion, down from $3.28 billion in 2024, according to figures from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, leading to the smaller payouts. More government entities also split the revenue compared with last year.
Payments to municipalities could get smaller if sales continue to decline. Recreational marijuana sales in Michigan plunged nearly 16% in January compared with December as heavy snow, cold temperatures and fears of higher prices due to the new 24% wholesale cannabis tax kept consumers at home.
While recent trends indicate a cooling period, a February report from Headset, a cannabis market intelligence firm, said the market — one of the largest in the country — has shown resilience over the last two years.
Below are the municipalities that received the most tax revenue:
- Detroit: $3.3 million
- Grand Rapids: $1.5 million
- Lansing: $1.4 million
- Ann Arbor: $1.2 million
- Kalamazoo: $1 million
- Flint: $648,000
- Traverse City, Hazel Park and Adrian all will receive $594,000.
For a full list of municipalities, counties and tribes that will receive marijuana tax revenue, go to www.michigan.gov/treasury.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
Minnesota
Minnesota Wild Acquires Defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers | Minnesota Wild
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The draft pick becomes a fifth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft if Minnesota wins two playoff rounds and Petry plays in 50 percent or more of the Wild’s playoff games during those first two rounds.
Petry, 38 (12/9/1987), owns eight assists, 22 penalty minutes and 45 shots on goal in 58 games for Florida this season. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound native of Ann Arbor, Mich., has recorded 393 points (96-297=393), 103 power-play points (24-79=103), 1,745 shots on goal and 1,616 blocked shots in 1,039 games across 16 NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2010-15), Montreal Canadiens (2015-22), Pittsburgh Penguins (2022-23), Detroit Red Wings (2023-25) and Florida (2025-26). He has also amassed 13 points (5-8=13) and 90 shots on goal in 48 postseason games across four Stanley Cup Playoff appearances (2015, 2017, 2020, 2021), all with Montreal.
Petry skated in the 1,000th game of his NHL career with Florida on Nov. 17 vs. Vancouver after signing with the Panthers as a free agent on July 1, 2025. He served as an alternate captain for Montreal for three seasons (2019-22) and set career-high marks in goals (13), assists (33) and points (46) with the Canadiens during the 2018-19 season. Petry totaled 28 points (7-21=28) in 51 career American Hockey League (AHL) games in parts of three seasons (2009-12) with the Springfield Falcons (2009-10) and Oklahoma City Barons (2010-12), and represented the United States at the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2024 IIHF World Championships, earning a bronze medal with Team USA in 2013. He was originally selected by Edmonton in the second round (No. 45 overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft. He will wear sweater No. 2 with Minnesota.
Minnesota travels to play the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow, March 6, at 9 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
Minnesota Wild single-game tickets are on sale now at wild.com/tickets, ticketmaster.com and at the Grand Casino Arena Box Office. Flex, 11-Game, half and full season memberships are also available for purchase. Please visittickets.wild.com or contact a Wild Ticket Sales Representative by calling or texting (651) 222-WILD (9453) for more information. Group reservations of eight or more tickets can contact [email protected] for more information. Single game suite rentals are also available, contact [email protected] for more information or book instantly at wildsuites.com.
Follow @mnwildPR on X and visit www.wild.com/pressbox and for the latest news and information from the team including press releases, game notes, player interviews and daily statistics.
Missouri
Missouri Supreme Court reviews airport property tax deduction
Summary:
- Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments on constitutionality of airport property tax valuation statute.
- Case involves valuation of Marriott hotel at Kansas City International Airport.
- Platte County assessor argues statute creates special tax advantage for airport properties.
- Missouri State Tax Commission reduced hotel’s valuation from $13.45 million to about $6.14 million.
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Feb. 10 in a case challenging how a hotel at Kansas City International Airport was valued for property tax purposes and whether a state statute allowing deductions for airport property improvements is constitutional.
The dispute centers on the valuation of the Marriott Hotel located at Kansas City International Airport and whether a provision in Section 137.115.1 of state law improperly reduces the taxable value of certain airport properties.
At issue is a challenge by the Platte County assessor and the Park Hill School District to a decision by the Missouri State Tax Commission that resulted in a lower valuation for the 2016 tax year.
The assessor was represented during arguments by Stephen E. Magers, an attorney for Platte County in Platte City; Grady Hotel Investments was represented by Peter A. Corsale of McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer in Town & Country.
Magers argued the statute effectively creates a special class of property that receives favorable tax treatment.
“This case concerns a truly novel item of the Missouri statutes,” he said. “It stands alone as the only statute within the entirety of the Missouri framework that gives a certain set of taxpayers a tax advantage of having real property located within an airport receive a deduction for new construction and improvements.”
The property at issue is a Marriott hotel located on land owned by Kansas City within the boundaries of Kansas City International Airport. The city leases the land to a private operator.
In 2015, Grady Hotel Investments purchased the prior operator’s interest in the property for about $8.5 million. As part of the transaction, Grady entered into an amended lease and concession agreement with the city and committed to making capital improvements to repair and renovate the property.
For the 2016 tax year, the Platte County assessor valued Grady’s interest in the hotel at approximately $13.45 million. After the county board of equalization upheld that valuation, Grady appealed to the Missouri State Tax Commission.
The commission initially set the hotel’s assessed value at zero using the “bonus value” methodology for leasehold interests, but the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District later reversed that ruling and remanded the case. On remand, the commission ultimately determined the hotel’s “true value in money” was about $6.14 million. The commission reached that figure after deducting the value of personal property included in the purchase and approximately $1.2 million in costs paid toward new construction and improvements made after 2008, as permitted under Section 137.115.1.
Magers argued that the statute operates as an unconstitutional tax break for properties located within airport boundaries.
“At its core, what the statute does is create a special kind of property that receives a reduction to its value based on new construction and improvements spent toward such possessory interests in real property,” said Magers.
He also said the provision treats airport properties differently from other commercial properties.
“A homeowner doesn’t get a reduction to their value when they get a new roof on their property,” he said. “But for property that is located within an airport boundary that undertakes new construction or improvements, there is a deduction to that value that the statute mandates.”
Corsale countered that the statute does not create a tax exemption but instead establishes a permissible method for valuing certain types of property.
“To me the answer is no. This is a method of valuation,” he said, arguing that the Missouri Constitution gives the legislature authority to determine how property is valued for tax purposes.
Judge Mary R. Russell questioned whether the deduction could potentially reduce a property’s value to zero if improvements continue over time.
“But couldn’t it be, at some point, a perpetual exemption,” she said, noting the statute allows deductions regardless of when improvement costs were incurred.
Corsale said the improvements ultimately revert to the city when the lease ends.
“What we are dealing with is a private company improving public land that eventually reverts back to the public,” he said. “At the conclusion of the lease, the public gets the benefit of whatever money they put into this property.”
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling