Michigan
Longtime former Michigan U.S. Sen. Donald Riegle dies at age 88
Former Michigan U.S. Sen. Donald Riegle, who served in office under seven U.S. presidents as a Republican and later a Democrat, has died, his family said in a statement Sunday.
He died at home on Friday, April 24, 2026, of cardiac arrest in San Diego, California, with his wife of 48 years, Lori Hansen Riegle, by his side, the statement said. He was 88.
Riegle served nearly three decades representing the Flint area and Michigan.
“The cornerstone of our family, Don was a kind, loving, courageous leader who taught us to stand up for justice, economic opportunity, and fairness for everyone,” the family said. “He tirelessly fought for the rights of the working men and women of Michigan and led the Senate opposition to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), the trade agreement that resulted in the loss of many jobs in Michigan.
“We miss him profoundly and are forever grateful for his decency and commitment to seeing the good in others. He dedicated much of his life to public service, always seeking to make life better for those in need. Don was not inclined to dwell on his achievements during the 28 years he served the people of Michigan, instead preferring to work to accomplish more for those he represented.”
Riegle was elected to the U.S. House in 1966 as a Republican at age 28, making waves by challenging President Richard Nixon’s policies on the Vietnam War and changing parties in 1973.
He was first elected a U.S. senator in 1976, was reelected twice and served 18 years, including six years as the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, before the reverberations of a savings and loan controversy prompted his departure in 1994.
He was embroiled in controversy when he and four other senators, called the Keating Five, faced allegations that they pressured federal officials to back off savings and loan executive Charles Keating after getting campaign donations. He faced Ethics Committee hearings in 1990, with the panel finding he didn’t break any laws or chamber rules. But the committee decided his actions gave the appearance of being improper.
Riegle was noted for his support of equal rights for women and helped secure the 1973 Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prevented discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status in credit applications.
In the Senate, he led sponsorship of the Chrysler Corp. loan guarantees in the late 1970s and was successful in averting a filibuster on the Senate floor to win passage of the bill, according to his family’s statement.
Riegle was born in Flint on Feb. 4, 1938. He attended Flint Junior College and Western University; he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1960, received a degree from Michigan State University in 1961 and pursued graduate studies at Harvard Business School.
Riegle remained active in presidential politics after he retired, supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 primary and subsequent elections. In 2016, Riegle endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who went on to defeat Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York in the Democratic presidential primary.
After he left Congress, Riegle became a lobbyist and joined Weber Shandwick Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., to boost its government affairs practice before going to APCO Worldwide in 2001 to help clients from government to businesses to nonprofits.
“He loved his hometown of Flint,” said former U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, who said he has known Riegle since he was a kid. “He was very helpful to me throughout my career, but especially in my time in Congress. When I was in Congress would talk regularly, and his advice was very thoughtful and always helpful to me.
After Kildee said he decided not to seek reelection, Riegle called him to say he understood why Kildee made the decision to come home.
“On that day, I realized he’d become more than a mentor. He was my friend. He was a courageous leader and was willing to do the hard things real leaders do. The lessons of his service are more relevant now than ever,” Kildee said in a statement.
“He was committed to the state, to the nation and all people,” said Inez Brown, a former Riegle staffer from 1972-93 who later became the Flint city clerk.
Memorial arrangements are expected to be announced later, the family said.
A 2.9 magnitude earthquake near Amherstburg, Ontario, was felt across parts of Downriver and Monroe County Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (USGS.gov)
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A 2.9-magnitude earthquake near Amherstburg, Ontario, was felt across parts of southeast Michigan Sunday morning.
What we know:
The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake occurred around 10:30 a.m. Sunday at a depth of 2.1 kilometers near Lakewood Beach, across from Rockwood, Michigan.
Big picture view:
The Canadian town, near the mouth of the Detroit River, is about 16 miles south of Detroit, across from communities including Grosse Ile, Gibraltar, Trenton and Wyandotte.
Local perspective:
According to a USGS map, the quake was felt across Downriver and Monroe County, as well as parts of eastern Ontario and near Toledo, Ohio.
Reports show the quake was felt across Downriver, Monroe County, parts of eastern Ontario and as far south as the Toledo, Ohio, area. (USGS.gov)
The Source: Information for this story came from the U.S. Geological Survey
One of Michigan State football’s leaders for the last few years has found a landing spot in the NFL. MSU safety Malik Spencer will be joining Michigan State center in the nation’s capital, signing with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
We knew that there was interest in Spencer from the NFL clubs, as the Patriots hosted him for a 30 visit before the NFL Draft. Instead, it was the Commanders who swooped in and grabbed the former Spartan.
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Spencer was a four-year letterwinner with MSU and started in 29 games at safety, recording 173 career tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions.
The Commanders must have had some scouts around the MSU program, as they also used draft capital to bring in center Matt Gulbin, and now will add Spencer to their defense.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State safety signing UDFA deal with Washington Commanders
EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 25: Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder (30) celebrates a first half sack during a college football game between the Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines on October 25, 2025 at Spartan Stadium in East Lan
DETROIT (FOX 2) – Another former Michigan Wolverine was drafted by the Detroit Lions on Saturday as the fourth round kicked off the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The Lions selected linebacker Jimmy Rolder with the No. 118 overall pick in the fourth round.
With Alex Anzalone having departed Detroit, the Lions needed to find a successor at the position.
In 2025, Rolder played in 12 games for Michigan and led the Wolverines with 73 tackles. He also recorded two sacks, seven tackles for loss and an interception. He earned All-Big Ten honors, was a Butkus Award semifinalist and won the Roger Zatkoff Award, given to Michigan’s most outstanding linebacker.
It marks back-to-back selections of former Wolverines for the Lions. The team traded up to the No. 44 overall pick Friday night to select Rolder’s teammate, edge rusher Derrick Moore, in the second round. Moore had 10 sacks in 2025 and joins fellow Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson on the Lions’ defensive line.
Lions trade up to pick Michigan’s Derrick Moore
The Lions on Friday traded up to the no. 44 overall spot and made their second-round pick, choosing Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore. Moore had 10 sacks in the 2025 season, joining fellow Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson on the Lions defensive line. According to his scouting report, Moore is effective with a bull rush, consistently generating pressure and sacks. In 2025, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, recording 10.5 tackles for loss.
First Round Pick:
On Thursday, the Lions opened the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 overall pick.
Miller, from Strongsville, Ohio, played for Clemson from 2022-25 and set the program record for career snaps from scrimmage with 3,778 over 54 games.
What’s next:
The Lions have two picks in the fifth round (Nos. 157 and 181 overall), two picks in the sixth round (Nos. 205 and 213 overall) and one pick in the seventh round (No. 222 overall).
The Source: Information for this story came from Detroit Lions and NFL.
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