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.

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)

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.