Michigan
Celebrities, tears, guns: 3 takeaways from Oprah, Harris Michigan livestream
Oprah, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller rally for Kamala Harris
Oprah Winfrey and other A-list celebrities gave Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris a boost in the battleground state of Michigan
Vice President Kamala Harris shared the stage with TV host Oprah Winfrey on Thursday night for a livestreamed campaign event featuring a live audience and virtual attendees from a Farmington Hills studio where the pair discussed a range of issues from the cost of living to abortion rights with the Nov. 5 election around the corner.
Harris faces former President Donald Trump in a tight race for the White House, and her appearance in Michigan comes after her Republican opponent visited the battleground state earlier in the week. Trump’s campaign mocked Harris’ event before it began, saying she doesn’t have a robust economic agenda. “Well, we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t lower inflation by hiding goodie bags under chairs,” said Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita in a statement Thursday morning.
Winfrey first endorsed a presidential candidate in 2008 when she backed Barack Obama in the Democratic primary, according to multiple media reports at the time. She went on to back Hillary Clinton in 2016 and gave a last-minute boost in the final days of President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month, Winfrey again announced her support for the Democratic candidate. And in Michigan, she put her full support behind Harris, with the pair sitting across from one another in beige accent chairs for over an hour.
An unusual format
In the post-COVID-19 era of hybrid work that accommodates those in the office and those working from home, it’s perhaps no surprise that politicians hitting the campaign trail would embrace the virtual format as Harris did Thursday night. About 400 of her supporters joined in person at a Farmington Hills studio while thousands, including celebrities, attended remotely, according to Winfrey.
While her supporters’ massive Zoom calls have helped buoy Harris’ campaign, the livestreamed campaign event Thursday seemed to offer further evidence the 2024 campaign cycle has taken the next step of campaigning in an internet era that seems to reward social media influencers and political organizers skilled at online organizing.
Those in person in the studio caught a glimpse of reality behind the scenes of viral moments. Photographers for national news outlets jockeyed for space with the film crew for the best shots. “Can I get another water for OW?” one crew member instructed on set. At the end of the show, Winfrey thanked everyone in the studio and said they were all fantastic.
Tearful stories
During the program, Winfrey invited a few individuals to share their personal stories about abortion bans in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and school shootings.
Amber Nicole Thurman was a Georgia woman who died after delayed abortion care in a state with a ban on the books, according to a ProPublica investigation. Winfrey introduced Thurman’s mother Shanette on Thursday and invited her to speak publicly for the first time about her daughter’s story.
“Initially, I did not want the public to know my pain. I wanted to go through in silence. But I realized that it was selfish. I want y’all to know Amber was not a statistic. She was loved by a family — a strong family — and we would have done whatever to get my baby — our baby — the help that she needed,” Shanette said, her eyes wet and holding a tissue in her right hand. “You’re looking at a mother that is broken.”
Winfrey later turned to 15-year-old Natalie Griffith — an Apalachee High School student who was shot at during a shooting on campus earlier this month. When Winfrey asked her where Griffith shot, she pointed to the bandages covering her shoulder and wrist. Through tears, her mother Marilda recalled receiving a call at work from a friend notifying her of the shooting. “My heart just dropped,” she said, her voice wavering. No parent should have to experience what she did, Marilda said.
Michigan 2024 Election: Joy, tears as Oprah Winfrey puts full support behind VP Kamala Harris in Michigan
Harris makes new comments on gun ownership
As Harris leaned into her support for abortion rights and gun safety measures she also argued that Americans don’t have to make hard choices on those issues when it comes to their religious beliefs in the case of abortion or abandon their support for the 2nd Amendment.
On abortion, Harris said that “one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government” should not be telling women what to do with their bodies. She made a similar argument on guns.
“Look, I think for far too long on the issue of gun violence some people have been pushing a really false choice to suggest you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away,” she said. “I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, and I’m in favor of assault weapons bans, universal background checks and red flag laws.”
Harris talked about being a gun owner herself. “If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot,” she said. “I probably should not have said that. My staff will deal with that later,” Harris laughed.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.
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Michigan
Menominee, Michigan man arrested on sexual assault charges involving a minor
MENOMINEE, Mich. (WLUK) — 24-year-old Ethan Raymond Masters of Menominee was arrested on sexual assault charges June 30th, according to the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, deputies learned of an incident involving a 24-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl which happened in Menominee June 22nd. Following a sexual assault investigation, police charged Masters.
Masters was arraigned July 2nd on 2 counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct First Degree. He remains in the Menominee County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond.
Menominee City Police and the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory of Marquette assisted with the investigation.
Michigan
Michigan immigration advocates react after Supreme Court ruling on Temporary Protected Status
Twenty-four thousand immigrants in Michigan have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but a recent Supreme Court decision could put their protection in jeopardy.
TPS is a humanitarian protection granted to U.S. immigrants fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries, often from natural disasters or political instability. The status allows immigrants from the designated countries to live and work in the U.S.
The Supreme Court overturned those for 356,000 Haitians and Syrians in a recent decision. While the court’s decision directly impacted Haitian and Syrian immigrants, it also established that the Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to determine TPS status without judicial review or input from the courts.
That means that the Secretary of Homeland Security can eliminate TPS for any immigrant group that is currently in the U.S. under protection. That puts 1.3 million immigrants in the U.S. at risk of deportation. In Florida, 113,000 healthcare workers with TPS are at risk of deportation. The Haitian population in Philadelphia is also expressing concerns about what comes next for them.
“The Supreme Court turned its back on our moral and legal commitments to people seeking safety,” said Christine Sauvé, manager of Policy and Communication at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “The decision eliminates legal protections for people fleeing danger and allows the Trump Administration to really advance its mass deportation agenda.”
Left without the ability to live or work in the U.S., these Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS now face deportation. But going back home could still be incredibly dangerous.
“It’s not really an option to go back to their home country,” said Melanie Goldberg, immigration attorney with the Institute of Metro Detroit. “In the case of Haiti, they don’t even have an airport in Port-au-Prince that’s operational. Yet they say it’s safe for these citizens to go back.”
In Michigan, immigrants with TPS have contributed $349 million to the state’s economy, a sign that they are deeply embedded in the community, according to Sauvé.
“Many TPS holders have been in our communities for a very long time,” Sauvé said. “They’ve really spent decades building their lives here in Michigan. We welcomed them here, only to see that completely ripped away with the stroke of a pen.”
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center encourages Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS, as well as any immigrants in the U.S. with a TPS designation, to seek out a qualified legal service provider and review the “Know Your Rights” Materials on the MIRC’s website
Michigan
Sherrone Moore’s former assistant sues University of Michigan over alleged FOIA violations
A former University of Michigan assistant whose relationship with ex-coach Sherrone Moore was under investigation is accusing university officials of refusing to provide records related to the probe.
Paige Shiver filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Washtenaw Circuit Court, claiming that U of M “arbitrarily and capriciously” violated the Michigan Freedom of Information Act by repeatedly denying her requests. Shiver and her legal team are seeking a court order requiring the university to disclose the records.
The lawsuit also alleges that throughout Shiver’s four-year employment with U of M, she was “discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Michigan law including Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.”
“The lawsuit filed today demands transparency and accountability from the University of Michigan, President Grasso and the Board of Regents,” said Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth.
On Wednesday, CBS News Detroit reached out to U of M, which says it has no comment.
The investigation led to Moore’s firing in December 2025. At the time, it was determined that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, who was later identified as Shiver.
Moore was arrested hours later after authorities said he went to Shiver’s home and threatened to harm himself. He was charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering. Moore was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after pleading no contest to the two misdemeanor charges.
According to the lawsuit, Shiver filed a FOIA request in February 2026 for audio, video and transcripts of interviews of herself, her father, Jeff Shiver, and Moore. The lawsuit alleges that the university denied her request, citing the ongoing investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that Shiver submitted a similar request months later, in June, but was told by the university that it was “overly broad and vague” and “does not describe a ‘public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record.’”
The lawsuit claims that requests were submitted in March and May, respectively, for all emails sent to the law firm Jenner & Block (UMconcerns@jenner.com) and for recordings of Shiver’s meetings by the university through Jenner & Block. However, those requests were denied because the university cited that it had no responsive records, according to the lawsuit.
The law firm was hired by U of M to investigate Moore and Shiver’s relationship. The university later expanded the investigation to include the athletic department.
The lawsuit also claims that Shiver requested copies of emails between Moore and athletic director Warde Manuel that contained the words “affair,” “discipline,” “pregnancy,” “baby” and “abortion.” The university denied the request, citing the communication between U of M employees as “exempt information,” according to the lawsuit.
However, Shiver’s legal team argued that the university has not shown evidence that the emails are exempt.
“This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings. It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” Stroth said.
Shiver appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in April to discuss her relationship with Moore. In the interview, she said she became pregnant by Moore and sought an abortion after medical complications were discovered about the pregnancy.
Note: The video above previously aired on April 14, 2026.
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