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Michigan voters express shock, sorrow for the country over Trump assassination attempt

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Michigan voters express shock, sorrow for the country over Trump assassination attempt


Voters in Michigan said they were worried about the country’s political climate as they reacted Saturday evening to news of a reported assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Elaine Donnelly was at her home in Livonia, watching the Pennsylvania campaign rally on her phone when the shooting occurred. She said she was horrified to witness it, saying she could instantly tell by the sounds that it was gunshots, not firecrackers.

“It’s horrible that there is this level of violence and hate,” said Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness and a former appointee of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush to presidential commissions on issues dealing with women in the military.

Her and others’ focus on Saturday night was more on the national state of affairs than the November election, which Michigan is expected to play a pivotal role in. They mostly expressed shock and sorrow for the status of American politics, public safety and unity in light of the incident.

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Donnelly, a Republican who plans to vote for Trump, said the incident quickly reminded her of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. She said she was grateful Trump was all right and that she would have been equally horrified if there had been an attempt on President Joe Biden.

Bryan Vliem, 44, of Grand Rapids said he “knew things would be heated” due to the national political climate and presidential race. “But not that bad.”

Vleim said he found out about the shooting from looking at the social media platform Reddit while eating dinner. He identified himself as politically independent, having voted for both Republicans in the past but more for Democrats lately.

Michael Fracker, a 76-year-old retired teacher in Ionia, was surprised and saddened when he heard about the incident. He’s worried that even after Saturday’s shooting, things won’t calm down any time soon.

“There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground anymore,” said Fracker, who considers himself a Republican. “The pendulum has swung so far both ways that there’s no middle ground. That’s sad. Because our country needs to have some unity again.”

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The assassination attempt is a dark moment in the nation’s history, conjuring memories of the assassinations of Kennedy and his brother, Robert Kennedy, as well as the failed attempt on Reagan on March 30, 1981, in Washington, D.C.

That day, would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. fired six gunshots toward Reagan, wounding him and three others. Reagan was seriously injured but was stabilized at nearby George Washington University Hospital. Hinckley reportedly had no political motivation for the attack but was instead trying to impress actress Jodie Foster.

That attempt and Saturday’s incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, are just two of many attempts to kill U.S. presidents.

Theodore Roosevelt, in one instance, was wounded by a gunman while campaigning for a third presidential term in 1912, some three years after he left office. More recently, then-President George W. Bush survived an assassination attempt on May 10, 2005, when an assailant hurled a grenade toward his podium during a speech in the eastern European country Georgia. The assailant pulled the pin on the grenade, but it did not detonate.

Other plots to assassinate presidents have failed after detection by security personnel. Four U.S. presidents — Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and Kennedy — have been killed all while in office and all as a result of gunshot wounds.

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Herb Saulnier, a 49-year-old truck driver from the Shiawassee County community of Henderson, considers himself an independent but attended one of Trump’s rallies during his 2020 campaign.

He was saddened by the news out of Pennsylvania but didn’t believe that would influence his participation in future campaign events for one side or the other.

“It’s not going to distract me from going there,” Saulnier said. “You never know who’s going to be in any crowd — political event, football game, concert. You just don’t know.”

Debbie Whitcher-Campbell, a 54-year-old from Livonia, had worked a long shift before running to a graduation party and didn’t hear the news until later Saturday night.

Whitcher-Campbell considers herself a Republican but said political rallies like the one in Pennsylvania Saturday aren’t appealing. Still, she said, individuals should be able to attend a political event in the U.S. without fear of violence.

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“You should be able to freely voice your opinion without any fear,” she said. “I mean, what the hell is going on? This is the message we’re giving to our children that this is acceptable.”

Michael Langan was enjoying a show at Planet Ant Theater in Hamtramck when he saw the footage of Saturday’s shooting. He said it wasn’t a shock, and he’s fearful of what’s to come. 

“It’s really unfortunate that happened, and it’s even worse to know one of his fans died,” said Langan, 38, of Detroit.

Sitting at the bar, Langan said he didn’t find the violence hard to believe. 

“I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often. I don’t think anyone in public office should have their life put in jeopardy, but when you foster that negativity and anger into a pile with a match, you’re gonna catch a flame,” said Langan from Detroit. 

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“I think he will use it as a crutch for election points, and anyone would, to be fair,” he said about Trump. “I’m actually afraid about how his people will seek retribution for this. And it’s unfortunate that a fan of his was killed. I’m curious who did it and why, but it doesn’t change what happened.”

Emma Armstrong, 19, of Novi was at the gym when a friend told her that Trump was shot.

“I was shocked because you don’t think that that would actually happen,” Armstrong said. She characterized the assassination attempt on Trump as a situation similar to when former President John F. Kennedy was shot.

“It’s crazy,” Armstrong said. “I hope he’s OK. I hope he recovers. I hope it doesn’t affect the election.”

But Armstrong added that she thinks “it definitely will have an impact.”

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“He’s probably gonna get some sympathy votes,” Armstrong said. “And depending on who shot him,  I think that’s going to impact too. I think that stuff is gonna come up in the next few days.”

Jennifer O’Connell, 42, of Calumet, said she unfortunately wasn’t all that surprised to get a call from her mother with the news of what happened in Butler.

“They tried pretty much everything else to stop him from running, and none of it worked. He’s just becoming more and more popular,” said O’Connell, who plans on voting for Trump.

“I am a Trump supporter, but I’m one of those that can see both sides of it,” she added. “I don’t care if you’re left or right. This is just wrong. You should never attempt to try to take somebody’s life, period. I don’t care how much you disagree with them.”

“It’s sickening. And this is not America. This is not who we are.”

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gschwab@detroitnews.com

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Urban Meyer reacts to Sherrone Moore scandal after coach’s shock Michigan firing

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Urban Meyer reacts to Sherrone Moore scandal after coach’s shock Michigan firing


One of the best college football coaches of all time, Urban Meyer, lent some sympathy to Sherrone Moore — or at least his family — in the wake of the former Michigan head coach’s shocking firing last week. 

“Last night, I said a prayer for that family,’’ Meyer said on “The Triple Option Podcast,” speaking of Moore’s wife and daughters. 

“I mean, you’ve got three little girls,’’ said Meyer, who won a national title at Ohio State a little over a decade ago. “You’ve got a guy that was on top of the road a week ago.”

Urban Meyer reacted to the fallout of Sherrone Moore’s shock firing from Michigan. Getty Images
The former Michigan football coach was fired for cause after the university confirmed he had an inappropriate relationship with a. staffer. AP

That changed in stunning fashion, as Moore, a married father of three, went from leading the Wolverines to out of a job, fired in Ann Arbor for cause after the university confirmed he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

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The situation only worsened when Moore was later arrested after he allegedly broke into the home of the staff member, and during an argument, grabbed butter knives and threatened to kill himself.

Sherrone Moore was charged on Friday with third-degree home invasion, a felony, as well as a pair of misdemeanors. AP

On Friday, he was charged with third-degree home invasion, a felony, as well as a pair of misdemeanors — stalking and breaking and entering.


Here’s the latest on former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore


Even Meyer, who created some controversy of his own during a brief, ill-fated tenure as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars — when he was seen on video in 2021 that showed him dancing suggestively with a woman who was not his wife and was later fired before finishing his lone season in Jacksonville — was stunned by Moore’s downfall.

“They’re up 6-0 on the Buckeyes at home,” Meyer said of Michigan’s early lead against rival Ohio State on Nov. 29. “And then, also, you wake up, and they’re in this situation. Rivalries aside, this is all human element. Now, this is something that, from what you read, that’s some serious stuff that went on. And just, all of a sudden, you start seeing the impact. Forget football. Who cares about football?’’

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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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