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Ex-Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink launches bid for Congress in mid-Michigan

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Ex-Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink launches bid for Congress in mid-Michigan


Washington ― Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, who resigned her post under President Donald Trump, said Wednesday that she is running as a Democrat for the U.S. House in Michigan, her home state.

Brink, 55, recently moved to Lansing after 28 years as a diplomat whose career spanned five administrations, including the last three in the war zone of Ukraine. She aims to challenge first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th District, which is rated a tossup by political handicappers and is among the most competitive districts nationally.

“I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our country, serving overseas for almost 30 years, fighting for freedom and trying to protect democracy. I’m a public servant at heart. It’s more than what I’ve done ― it’s really what I do and who I am,” Brink told The Detroit News.

“We need people who have clear principles and integrity to step up and help us manage what is a very difficult political situation in a way that is going to be positive for every working family, for Americans, and I think I can help in that way,” she added.

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“I think right now, one of the most important aspects that’s needed are people who are willing to stand up to the Trump administration and have principled leaders that are in Congress and able to find common-sense solutions that are going to benefit Michigan.”

Her campaign launch video tells the story of her resignation from the foreign service over Trump’s Ukraine policy and emphasizes her family’s roots in Michigan.

Brink is the first high-profile Democrat to jump into the 7th District contest, though others are mulling bids, including Matt Masdam of Ann Arbor, a retired Navy SEAL and former military aide to President Barack Obama; and former House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski.  

Both parties are targeting the mid-Michigan district in 2026. Barrett, a former Army helicopter pilot and state lawmaker, defeated Democrat Curtis Hertel last fall by 3.7 percentage points when the seat was open because Democrat Elissa Slotkin of Holly ran for the Senate.

After it was reported that Brink was looking at the race last month, Jason Cabel Roe, an adviser to Barrett, said his team is confident Barrett’s record will earn him election to a second term.

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“In his first four months in office, Congressman Barrett has already established himself as a bipartisan leader who is getting things done. He’s already had two bipartisan bills pass the House, successfully reopened a Social Security office which had been closed to residents for most of the year, helped secure the release two Michiganders imprisoned in Mexico over a timeshare dispute, and brought the VA Secretary to visit two key VA hospitals that service 7th District veterans,” Roe said.

Brink’s bid for the U.S. House campaign in Michigan following years of public service in Washington and abroad is reminiscent of Slotkin, who won election to Congress in 2018 after years of service in the CIA and the Department of Defense, noted consultant Adrian Hemond, a Democrat and CEO of the firm Grassroots Midwest.

After three terms in the House, Slotkin is now representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

“It’s certainly doable. Much like Slotkin when she first ran for Congress, this person is starting from zero in terms of name ID, political connections inside the state, a local fundraising network and a volunteer base,” Hemond said.

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“That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but you’re starting from behind.”

Brink, 55, grew up in west Michigan, raised by a single mom on the lakeshore in Spring Lake and, “to make ends meet,” they lived in Grand Rapids with her grandparents.

The Lansing area, however, is the home to six generations of Brink’s family, she said. Brink’s grandfather grew up in Charlotte in Eaton County and her grandmother in Lansing ― both cities within the 7th District. They met at an ice cream shop in Lansing.

Brink attended Michigan public schools and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kenyon College in Ohio. She speaks Russian and holds master’s degrees in international relations and political theory from the London School of Economics.

Her career has centered on European affairs, with assignments in Belgrade, Greece, Georgia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. She served on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council, where she helped coordinate U.S. foreign policy and advance U.S. interests with Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

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Brink later was appointed deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs in 2015 to oversee issues related to Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and regional conflicts in Europe.

She attained the rank of ambassador twice: Trump nominated Brink to be ambassador to Slovakia in 2019, where she served until shortly after Russia began its war on Ukraine in 2022, when President Joe Biden nominated her to be ambassador to Ukraine.

She spent three years in Ukraine ― the first American female ambassador to serve in a war zone. Brink resigned her post in April, citing her opposition to the policies of the Trump administration ― “specifically the pressure that was being put on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor Russia.”

“Appeasing a dictator never has, and never will, achieve a lasting peace,” she says in her launch video. “And it’s just not who we are.” 

Now, she’s taking aim at Trump’s domestic policies, including “reckless” tariffs that are raising prices for working families, she said, and Trump’s “big beautiful” agenda budget bill that she said threatens the earned benefits of Social Security, Medicare and specifically Medicaid.

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“And also the slash-and-burn tactics to try to make government more efficient, and what they’re doing is cutting services for seniors, for veterans and for children, and so that’s why I’m running for Congress,” she said. “I think there’s too much at stake at home and also abroad.”

Brink said she had options to consider when she returned home from overseas with her husband and two sons, including business, non-governmental organizations or academia, but chose to run for elected office.

“I could do a lot of different things, but this is the really important moment in our country, and I think we’re at a crossroads. This particular race, I think, is incredibly important to show who we are and what kind of country we are ― what kind of country we want for our children and our children’s children,” she said.

“I think I’m a person who will be able to make the case in a way that can help us remember what this country is and what we care about. You know, respecting freedoms, following rule of law, delivering for the people of our community and through the United States. I think this is what we have to do now.”

Asked how she might respond to potential carpetbagging attacks, Brink said she would be happy to talk to people about questions about her background.

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“I think this election is going to be about the future and what what candidate can deliver for the people of my community. I believe that my experience, especially three years in the war zone dealing with presidential-level challenges and under direct fire from Russian missiles and drones, I think I have a proven ability to deliver, and I think that’s what’s going to be important,” she said.

“But I’m so happy to be here. This is my home. I’m delighted to be back and especially now at this really important point for our country and for future generations.”

mburke@detroitnew.com



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Yaxel Lendeborg scores 29 points and No. 2 Michigan stays unbeaten with 101-83 win over Maryland

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Yaxel Lendeborg scores 29 points and No. 2 Michigan stays unbeaten with 101-83 win over Maryland


COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 29 points, a career-best nine assists and eight rebounds, and No. 2 Michigan rallied from a nine-point deficit Saturday night to defeat Maryland 101-83.

Aday Mara scored 18 points for the Wolverines (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten), who overcame a halftime deficit for the second time this season and the first since they beat TCU on Nov. 14.

Michigan scored 100 points for the fourth time in five games.

Diggy Coit made eight 3-pointers and scored 31 points for the Terrapins (6-5, 0-2), who lost center Pharrel Payne to a right leg injury late in the first half and forward Solomon Washington to ejection after he picked up his second technical foul early in the second half.

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Coit scored nine of Maryland’s first 10 points and 22 before the break, helping to prevent Michigan from opening a lead larger than six in the first half.

The Terps lost Payne, their leading scorer at 18.7 points a game, with 4:36 remaining before halftime. Yet Maryland stretched its lead from one to 50-45 at the midpoint, then expanded it to 56-47 on Elijah Saunders’ 3.

Washington, who had a first-half technical for celebrating a 3 in front of the Michigan bench, was called for a delay-of-game technical just after Saunders’ basket. His departure left the Terps without their two most experienced and imposing interior players.

Lendeborg took advantage, scoring the next eight points. Mara’s dunk with 14 minutes left made it 64-63 and gave the Wolverines the lead for good.

Elliot Cadeau’s layup with 21.2 seconds remaining got the Wolverines to 100 points for the fifth time this season.

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Up next

Michigan hosts La Salle on Dec. 21.

Maryland visits No. 24 Virginia on Dec. 20.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Aquinas College expands automatic acceptance to 2 more West Michigan high schools

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Aquinas College expands automatic acceptance to 2 more West Michigan high schools


GRAND RAPIDS, MI – After beginning a direct admittance program at one West Michigan high school in November, Aquinas College has now expanded the program to cover more classrooms.

The guaranteed admission program, first implemented for graduates of West Catholic High School with a 2.0 GPA or above, has now been expanded to Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Catholic Central High School.

The partnership will apply to students from all three schools entering college in the fall of 2026.

The direct admission program was described by Aquinas College leaders as offering high school students a “clear path to college success” while also continuing to develop partnerships.

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Aquinas College, a private Catholic liberal arts institution located at 1700 Fulton St. E, was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1886.

The college has enrolled 1,262 students during the 2025-26 academic year, and its new student numbers are up, with 419 new students on campus this fall, up from 311 in 2024-25.

The college’s overall enrollment total is just slightly under the approximately 1,300 students Aquinas recorded across its campus in 2023-24, according to a press release sent out in January 2025.

This year’s partnership announcements do not mark Aquinas’ first direct admittance deal.

The college also has a direct admit bachelor’s in nursing partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy, which allows students to take core curriculum courses at Aquinas and nursing classes from Detroit Mercy faculty.

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On Nov. 14, Aquinas announced its direct admittance deal with West Catholic High School.

The school, located at 1801 Bristol Ave. NW, enrolled just over 500 students as of the 2024-25 school year, according to an online school profile.

West Catholic President and CEO Jill Wierzbicki said the initiative simplifies the college application process and offers students a straightforward path to higher education.

On Nov. 20, Aquinas then announced it had also partnered with Grand Rapids’ Catholic Central High School, 319 Sheldon Blvd SE, which enrolls 567 students and is the oldest co-educational diocesan Catholic high school in the nation.

Brian Matzke, vice president for enrollment management, said there’s “no doubt that Aquinas here has had more graduates from Catholic Central than any other school in our history.”

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On Dec. 10, the college announced another partnership deal with Muskegon Catholic Central High School, 1145 W Laketon Ave., which enrolled just under 300 students in 2023-24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Jerry McDowell, Muskegon Catholic Central president, said both the high school and Aquinas share a “deep commitment to developing the whole student — academically, spiritually, and individually.

“This direct-admit program provides our graduates with an exceptional opportunity to transition confidently into higher education while maintaining the Catholic values that guide their formation,” McDowell said.

Aquinas’ listed price for traditional undergraduate tuition is $41,192, according to senior director of strategic communications Dave DeJonge.

Students are eligible for annual merit scholarships between $15,000-$25,000, depending on their GPA and housing status. Additional scholarships may be available. This applies to all students who are admitted to Aquinas.

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Matzke highlighted the direct admittance program’s easy transition from one West Michigan school to another, with those accepted to Aquinas able to live on campus or commute from home depending on what best fits their needs.

He also said a growing Grand Rapids job market, combined with support from the college’s career center, contributes to a 97% placement rate for graduates.



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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore

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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore


WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.

The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).

Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.

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The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.

Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”

“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.

Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.

“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.

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Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.

“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.

“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.

Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.

“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”

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“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.

Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.

As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.

–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond

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