Michigan
Campus protests against Gaza attacks continue in Michigan amid national crackdown
Amid a national crackdown on campus protests supporting Palestinians and calling for divestment from Israel that have resulted in about 2,300 arrests, a tent encampment at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor set up almost two weeks ago has remained standing with commencement ceremonies set for Saturday that may see additional demonstrations.
And Wayne State University officials on Friday defended the actions of campus police who made one arrest after removing protesters accused of disrupting a Board of Governors meeting attended by the university president.
“The camp size varies throughout the day and night from 30-100” people, University of Michigan Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton said Friday afternoon of the encampment at the Diag in Ann Arbor. “We have not made any arrests.”
Overton did not comment on what their possible plans were for the encampment, saying that the department does not discuss strategy. Lt. Rene Gonzalez of the Michigan State Police said they have been assisting university police as they do for other events. He did not comment further on future plans for the encampment.
At universities across the country, students have set up camps and protested, calling for divestment from Israel over its actions in Gaza that have resulted in thousands of deaths. In other states, such as in California at UCLA and in New York at Columbia University, police this week have raided protest camps, resulting in numerous arrests that have brought criticism from some civil rights advocates and elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, and praise from some Republicans such as House Speaker Mike Johnson. In Michigan, the tent encampments in Ann Arbor and at Michigan State University have not resulted in police crackdowns, but police did make one arrest on April 26 at Wayne State University that drew criticism from many faculty members in a letter. Organizers of the encampment at Michigan State University voluntarily ended it April 27, reporteed student newspaper The State News.
An April 30 letter signed by more than 100 professors and other faculty members at Wayne State read: “We … unequivocally denounce the actions of university officials in perpetrating violence against the students of this university at the April 26 Board of Governors meeting. We particularly condemn President Kimberly Espy and the Board of Governors, who looked on silently as a large group of … students were assaulted and violated by campus police and security.”
The letter alleged that “plainclothes police and security, some of whom were planted in the audience, rapidly and aggressively moved against the students. The President and Board looked on without emotion as the officers they oversee forcefully cleared the room of Arab, Muslim, and Jewish students, faculty, and community supporters. Campus police, in violation of their own protocol, flagrantly laid their hands on female students who were doing nothing more than chanting. One student was inexplicably arrested, even though students never received any order to vacate or disperse.”
The letter added “the attacks embody the latest wave of racist and McCarthyite repression against students on campuses across the United States.”
A Wayne State University spokesman, Bill Roose, released a statement Friday on behalf of the university that painted a different picture and criticized the protesters.
The Wayne State statement said that “more than a dozen public comment speakers exemplified Wayne State’s values and provided robust remarks.”
But “after transitioning to the business portion of the meeting, a group of protesters inside the crowded room locked their arms and announced, via a megaphone, that they were taking control of the meeting,” Wayne State said in its Friday statement. “Their actions halted the meeting and prevented it from continuing. At the same time, additional protesters locked their arms, blocking the only two exits. For a short time, no one was able to leave the room. Recognizing a real threat to the safety of everyone there, WSUPD (Wayne State University Police Department) approached the protesters, identified themselves as police, asked the protesters to leave, and ultimately removed them from the room.”
The statement said one protester, not a student at Wayne State, was “was briefly detained, cited for disorderly conduct, and released.”
Wayne State added that while “we will continue to support the free speech of everyone in our community … we are also responsible for ensuring the safety of our campus and our ability to carry out normal operations.”
A report in the South End, the campus newspaper, said the student who was arrested attended Oakland Community College and was charged with disorderly conduct. The meeting included public comments made in favor of divestment before the clashes.
The protests at the University of Michigan echo demonstrations held about 40 years ago calling for divestment from South Africa. In March 1986, a group of Michigan students constructed a shanty at the Diag to symbolize the suffering of Black people under apartheid in South Africa, calling upon the university to divest from companies doing business in the country, the Free Press reported.
In 1983, the state of Michigan enacted a law requiring public universities and colleges to divest from South Africa and sell their investments in companies that do business in South Africa, such as General Motors. But the University of Michigan fought back against the new law, filing a lawsuit against the state saying the law restricted their constitutional autonomy. The university’s regents eventually voted in October 1988 to fully divest from South Africa. The university divested from tobacco in 2000 and disinvested from fossil fuels in 2021. In 2022, the university said it would end future investments in Russia.
In 1978, Michigan State University became one of the first universities in the U.S. to divest from South Africa.
UAW President Shawn Fain, the leader of a union headquartered in Detroit, posted a thread this week on X expressing support for pro-Palestinian protesters, writing on May 1: “The UAW will never support the mass arrest or intimidation of those exercising their right to protest, strike, or speak out against injustice. Our union has been calling for a ceasefire for six months. This war is wrong, and this response against students and academic workers, many of them UAW members, is wrong.” Fain in December compared the struggles of Palestinians to the struggles against apartheid in South Africa.
Efforts in Michigan to divest from Israel have faced stiff challenges in recent years.
In 2017, a law went into effect in Michigan that prevents public contracts with anyone who supports divestment from or boycotting Israel.
More: During Passover and NFL draft, Michigan protests were held on both sides of war in Gaza
The Tahrir Coalition, which organized the tent encampment in Ann Arbor, did not respond to messages seeking comment. Organizers with Tahrir have been asking to meet with university regents to discuss divesting from Israel. An email sent Friday afternoon to the regents was not immediately returned. In recent weeks, a popular Islamic cleric based in Texas, Omar Suleiman, addressed the encampment via video and the religious leader at the Islamic Center of Detroit, Imam Imran Salha, spoke at the encampment, reported the Michigan Daily.
For Saturday’s commencement, the university announced on its website certain restrictions that include a “prohibition of banners, flags and anything that obstructs sightlines.” The university said that while it respects free speech and recognizes the history of protests at commencement, “if protests significantly impede the program, leadership will take steps to de-escalate and address the interruption.”
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo.
Lansing — The Michigan Senate voted unanimously this week in favor of a bill that would prevent the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency from continuing to try to recoup jobless aid overpayments that were made during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting as many as 350,000 people.
Many lawmakers have reported receiving a deluge of calls from constituents, in recent weeks, after the agency began sending out letters, wanting money back from people whom state officials believe received more assistance than they should have during the pandemic. The messages came after the settlement of a three-year court battle over the repayment effort, which allowed the agency to resume collections.
Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, contended that the Unemployment Insurance Agency was demanding money back from low-income and gig workers who were simply trying to access a financial support system that was available to them in 2020.
“Somewhere along the line, in the maze of boxes that they have to check every week to stay compliant, there was one box that was unchecked,” Irwin said. “And now, the UIA comes after them alleging fraud, turning their life upside down, sending them threatening letters.”
The Senate bill, which passed Tuesday in a vote of 35-0, would require the agency to waive the recovery of improperly paid benefits if they were distributed more than three years ago. The first cases of COVID-19 in Michigan were identified in March 2020, five years ago. The pandemic and government efforts to combat the spread of the virus spurred a rush of unemployment claims and a wave of fraud.
The bill still allows the state to seek repayments that were “the result of the claimant’s fraud.”
Both Democratic and Republican senators — Democrats have a majority in the Senate — voted for the measure Tuesday. However, it will have to be approved by the GOP-controlled House and signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to become law.
Jason Palmer, the Unemployment Insurance Agency’s director, said in a statement on Sept. 8 that his staff was “legally obligated” to seek the repayments from the pandemic if they were improper. Roughly 350,000 workers with claims in collections dating back to March 2020 would be required to return the unemployment benefits they received, the agency has said.
The value of the overpayments, many of which lawmakers believe were made or sought by accident, has been estimated at $2.7 billion. The Unemployment Insurance Agency faced a tidal wave of claims and fraudulent activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the state’s jobless rate reached as high as 22.7% in April 2020.
Palmer has said the overpayments primarily resulted from claimants not providing the requested or required proof of employment or income, starting a job but continuing to certify for benefits as if they were unemployed and not satisfying the required work search activities.
“In these situations, we have a legal and fiduciary duty to recover the funds,” Palmer previously said. “The unemployment trust fund is taxpayer money, and we must be responsible stewards of it.”
Much of the unemployment money in question flowed through the federal government. Many business groups, like the National Federation of Independent Business, have voiced concerns that the U.S. Department of Labor might try to force the state to reimburse the federal government for the overpayments if they’re specifically forgiven by the Legislature.
“We would still like to see a waiver or waiver language because we don’t want to see the state end up with a budget crisis,” said Amanda Fisher, Michigan state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.
Lawmakers attempted to address that concern in the bill by adding a provision that says the new policy doesn’t obligate the Unemployment Trust Fund for any amount of money.
Brian Calley, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, called the new language an improvement. But Calley said he wants to see a specific statement in the bill that makes it clear that employers will not be assessed any additional liability because of the policy.
Forgiving the overpayments isn’t the problem, Calley said. It’s the potential liability to the small businesses that fund the Unemployment Trust Fund, he said.
“You could inadvertently create a massive obligation for small businesses,” said Calley, a former lieutenant governor.
Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, who’s running for governor, was among 16 Republicans who voted for the bill Tuesday. He said it was a shame that lawmakers were still dealing with the “ineptitude” of Whitmer’s administration.
From the other side of the aisle, Irwin said the Unemployment Insurance Agency was acting “irresponsibly” in seeking the repayments from the pandemic.
“They bully our residents,” Irwin said. “I’ve had residents … who have paid UIA back money, not because they owed, but because they’re scared. They’re bullied. And they’re harassed by the agency.”
Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, the proposal’s sponsor, called on the House to pass it next week before the holidays.
“They should do the right thing,” Camilleri said Wednesday in an interview.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
JACKSON — The Lumen Christi girls basketball team opened the coaching tenure of Scott Stine by pulling away in the second half to beat Michigan Center 50-28 on Tuesday.
The Titans led by five early in the third after McKynley Gaddy hit a putback and Mayrese Vieau added a pair of free throws for the Cardinals, but Lumen Christi responded with an 11-1 run, then added a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter.
“We worked all off season and are working right now to get to be able to play against Michigan Center,” Lucy Wrozek said. “They’re a good team who likes to push the ball up the floor, but we stopped that tonight.”
Lumen Christi’s stellar sophomores, Wrozek and Kenna Hunt, combined for 38 points, with Hunt leading the way with 20 and Wrozek adding 18.
In the first half, it was Wrozek coming up with key shots, scoring seven of the Titans’ first eight points of the night with a 3-pointer, a spin move in the lane to get a layup, and a drive down the lane.
“She’s a basketball player,” Stine said. “That’s one of the best compliments I can give her. She can shoot the ball, she can get to the hoop, she plays defense. She’s a tough kid who, one game it might be hitting 3s. The next game it might be getting to the hoop and getting to the foul line. But she’s going to make winning basketball plays.”
Hunt scored six points in the first half, limited by Michigan Center’s use of a box-and-one against her.
“I thought we played great defense,” Cardinals coach Greg Vieau said. “I thought we had a really good game plan to really squeeze in on Kenna. And I thought Mayrese did a really nice job defensively on her that first half. And then they got us into some switches that second half and really caused us some problems. They made some nice adjustments at halftime to get other girls on Kenna, and she was just more effective than that second half.”
But in the second half she scored six points in the third and eight more in the fourth. Hunt had a series of third-quarter layups, one in transition off of a steal, to extend the Titans’ lead to 33-18 after three. She then opened the fourth with another layup before Wrozek drained a 3-pointer off a drive-and-kick from Lily Ganton.
That 3-pointer answered one at the other end moments earlier from Gaddy off of a Mayrese Vieau assist. That bucket, and a Karsyn Smith floater in the lane moments earlier, helped the Cardinals briefly keep pace with Lumen Christi, but the Titan defense clamped down from there, getting defensive stops on the next eight Michigan Center possessions before a transition layup ended that string, that basket coming off a Gaddy steal, with the Michigan Center junior guard then feeding a behind-the-back pass to Mayrese Vieau for the layup.
Mayrese Vieau led the Cardinals with 12 points and Gaddy added eight.
“They’ve played together forever with AAU and now with high school,” Greg Vieau said. “They know each other really well. They missed some shots I think that they would like to get back, but they played really well off each other. They seem to know where the other one is going at all times. So while their shots were off tonight, I expect them to be two of the better guards in the state.”
But the Titans also kept coming up with defensive stops. Michigan Center turned the ball over 20 times in the game and Lumen Christi held the Cardinals to 11 points in the first half.
“I’m really proud of the way we played defense for four quarters,” Stine said. “To hold that team to 11 points at halftime, even with our offensive struggles, it’s impressive.”
Both teams struggled with cold spells shooting the ball at times. Michigan Center, after an Ella Best 3-pointer in the first quarter, did not connect from long range again until Gaddy’s 3-pointer early in the fourth. The Cardinals shot 10-for-41 overall from the field.
“Offensively, we looked like we had three girls with experience and five girls without,” Greg Vieau said.
But Lumen Christi also suffered through shooting woes, going 6-of-32 from the field in the first half before knocking down 12-of-35 in the second half.
Part of that surge came from adjusting to what Michigan Center was doing on defense.
“When they came out in the box-and-one, we had a little issue with it,” Stine said. “At halftime, we drew up some stuff where we could just put our shooter in the corner and put Kenna in a situation where if they were switching the high screen, she could attack the mismatch. And they had to pick their poison at that point.”
Helping limit the Titan shooters was Kara Straub, who swatted away a pair of shots in the paint in the first half.
“Kara has a knack for blocking shots,” Greg Vieau said. “She’s big, she’s long, she’s athletic, so we expect her to block a lot of shots. She’s very active in the post, so defensively she really anchored us. She really makes up for some of those mistakes that we might make on the perimeter.”
Representatives of Michigan’s cannabis industry plan to appeal a Michigan Court of Claims decision to leave in place a pending 24% wholesale tax on cannabis.
“We don’t believe the Court of Claims made the right call,” said Rose Tantraphol, spokesperson for the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. “While we are deeply frustrated by this ruling, I can tell you this: The fight is far from over.”
The association represents more than 400 cannabis producers across the state.
Michigan’s retail cannabis industry boomed in the years after voters approved a ballot issue in 2018 allowing recreational use among adults age 21 and older. Local cities and townships can restrict or prohibit the establishment of cannabis businesses within their jurisdiction, and many did just that as the laws took effect. In the communities where retail cannabis business is allowed, the market can be competitive.
The new tax, set to take effect on Jan. 1, was part of Michigan’s fiscal year 2026 state budget, which passed in October. The wholesale tax of 24% on marijuana sales as growers and processors ship to distributors is meant to help fund road repairs, generating an estimated $420 million in new revenue toward an annual $1.8 billion road budget.
Less than 24 hours after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the pending tax into law, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association filed its lawsuit. The legal action hoped to strike the tax in its entirety.
While the pending tax is not directed at retail sales, dispensary customers already pay a 6% sales tax, along with a 10% excise tax on marijuana products.
The above video first aired on Oct. 9, 2025.
Israel prepares for Storm Byron, but not all citizens will get help
Washington state braces for dangerous flooding as thousands could face evacuation orders
Iranian refugee builds world-ranked American winery rooted in heritage and health
Michigan man dies of rabies after receiving kidney from infected donor who saved kitten from skunk: CDC
Illegal immigrant wanted for brutal bathtub murder arrested in Texas after crossing southern border again
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Israel prepares for Storm Byron, but not all citizens will get help
Washington state braces for dangerous flooding as thousands could face evacuation orders
Nobel Peace Prize winner to arrive in Oslo after daughter accepts award | BBC News
Cause of death confirmed for Mitt Romney’s sister-in-law
Watch the video: Elon Musk, creator, jester, ruler or nihilist?
-
Alaska5 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics1 week agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio7 days agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
News1 week agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World1 week agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Texas5 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Iowa4 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL4 days agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion