Michigan
President Joe Biden returns to Michigan ahead of NAACP speech
President Joe Biden has landed back in Michigan, where he’ll campaign in Detroit and deliver a Sunday keynote address at an annual NAACP dinner.
Biden, a Democrat who’s being challenged by Republican former President Donald Trump in the November election, is spending much of the day reaching out to Black voters. On Sunday morning, before traveling to Michigan, he delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta.
Air Force One landed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport at about 1:10 p.m. Biden was greeted on the tarmac by a group that featured Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, state House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, and U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit.
On Sunday night, Biden is scheduled to speak at the NAACP Detroit Branch’s 69th annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner at the Huntington Place convention center. In an interview last week, the Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the NAACP Detroit Branch, said he believes Biden recognizes the significance of Detroit.
“Anybody, any party, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or independent needs to not take for granted the African American community,” Anthony said.
Black voters helped Biden win the Democratic nomination and the general election in 2020.
He scored 240,936 votes in Detroit on Election Day in 2020, defeating Trump in Michigan’s largest city, 94%-5%. About 78% of Detroit’s population is Black, according to U.S. Census data. Despite there being no proof of systemic voter fraud in Detroit, in the days after the 2020 election, Trump labeled Detroit “totally corrupt” and said there had been an improper dump of votes there.
Some Democrats are concerned that voters in Detroit won’t turn out for Biden the same way this fall in a rematch with Trump, potentially providing a path for the Republican to flip Michigan.
In a statement, Janiyah Thomas, the Trump campaign’s Black media coordinator, said Biden was “on a pandering tour because he knows what we all know: without the Black vote, there is no Democrat Party.”
“Today, Black voters can see through what Joe Biden is trying to sell because they know, like all Americans, that inflation is eating away at wages, the border is in chaos, and in big blue cities, Black children are trapped in unsafe neighborhoods and failing schools,” Thomas said.
Sunday’s visit marks Biden’s third campaign stop in Michigan of 2024. He met with supporters in Saginaw County in March, and he spoke at a United Auto Workers hall in Macomb County in February.
Biden defeated Trump by about 154,000 votes in Michigan in 2020, 51%-48%.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
Michigan
117th annual Race to Mackinac takes off from Chicago’s Monroe Harbor
Saturday, July 11, 2026 2:48PM
CHICAGO (WLS) — Sailors are making their way from Chicago to Mackinac Island on Saturday morning.
The racing division of the Race to Mackinac took off from Monroe Harbor. The first sailors began their journey at 9 a.m.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The race, spanning over 300 miles into Michigan, brings sailors from all over the world to compete. The event is considered the longest annual freshwater sailing race in the world.
The Race to Mackinac is now on its 117th year and is the Chicago Yacht Club’s signature sailing event. This year, there are 2,000 sailors competing on 252 boats total.
The race’s unpredictable weather and shifting winds on Lake Michigan serve as a challenge for sailors. The event goes on, rain or shine.
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Michigan
Michigan State Police rule out suspect in Electric Forest baby death investigation
ROTHBURY, Mich. — Michigan State Police (MSP) detectives shared some more information Friday about their investigation of the infant death at this year’s Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury.
Troopers recently received a tip about a Muskegon woman who was said to have information about the incident, but after interviewing her and completing other necessary investigative steps, MSP said they ruled her out as a suspect.
A restroom vending company employee at the festival found the body of a neonate, a newborn infant who is four weeks old or younger, in a portable restroom in the festival camping area on June 28, according to troopers.
The festival is hosted at the Double JJ Resort, which was locked down to anyone entering the following day as police surrounded the scene.
Troopers are asking for tips from the public at michigan.gov/michtip.
Michigan
Harmful algal blooms reported on 2 large West Michigan lakes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Harmful algal blooms have been reported on two notable lakes in West Michigan: Gun Lake and Muskegon Lake.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says cyanobacteria was reported on Muskegon Lake July 3, but no tests have confirmed it.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says a harmful algal bloom was confirmed Thursday on Gun Lake. The lake remains open, but the BEDHD is encouraging visitors to use caution and avoid water that has “visible algae.”
Visitors are encouraged to avoid any contact with water that appears bright green, blue-green, brown or red or has “floating mats of scum.”
Pets should also avoid the water. If they come into contact with the algae, pets should be rinsed off as soon as possible with clean, fresh water.
Exposure to algae can cause a rash or irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever and trouble breathing.
“If you become sick, contact your healthcare provider. Seek medical care right away if you have trouble breathing, severe vomiting, or other serious symptoms,” the BEDHD said in a statement. “If your pet was exposed, rinse them well with clean water and do not let them lick their fur until they have been washed. Contact your veterinarian right away if your pet has vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, trouble walking, excessive drooling, shaking, or seizures.”
Harmful algal blooms are powered by the sudden growth of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria occur naturally in lakes, rivers and ponds but is often boosted by a sudden excess of nutrients, often caused by fertilizer runoff from farms or failed septic systems.
They can last for several days and sometimes even months. The water will look “scummy” or like “spilled paint or pea soup.” They are typically found in the summer and fall — usually peaking in August or September and dying off by the end of October.
You can report a suspected harmful algal bloom to EGLE at AlgaeBloom@Michigan.gov or 1.800.662.9278.
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