Michigan
She was a one-woman protest in Michigan’s Trump country, but not alone
On a warm June day, as crowds of thousands gathered in Detroit and Grand Rapids to protest the policies of President Donald Trump, a lone woman marched up and down the few blocks that make up her city’s downtown.
Sign in hand, 70-year-old Cindy Hull was a one-woman No Kings Day protest in Croswell, a roughly 2,000-person city seated in the longtime, deeply red Sanilac County in the Thumb of a state that Trump won in 2024.
Half a year later, about 90 protesters gathered on a freezing day in Howell, a nearly 10,000-person city in the Republican stronghold of Livingston County.
Anti-Trump protests in a red county can be both subtly and distinctly different than those in liberal haunts, smaller in size but seemingly subject to more obvious — and, in at least one case, dangerous — objection.
Yet increasingly across the country, they appear to be taking place.
Researchers from the Crowd Counting Consortium, a joint project by Harvard and the University of Connecticut that collects data on crowd sizes, have found a sustained reach into Trump country that wasn’t seen during his first term.
Protests, on average, were held in counties that went to Trump across the majority of months the consortium analyzed on the topic, confirmed consortium co-founder and University of Connecticut political science professor Jeremy Pressman.
“Nationally, there are more protests, they are more spread out, and more people are turning out,” he said.
For some protesters, demonstrating near home simply makes them feel safer.
For others, protesting in red areas feels more important than marching in bigger protests in more liberal areas.
“They need to hear it more than anybody,” Hull said of those in her red county.
A changing model for protests
Data shows there has been some movement away from a model of going to Washington, DC, or other big cities for protests, said Pressman of the Crowd Counting Consortium.
Since the Women’s March in 2017, the consortium has collected reports on crowd sizes from sources that include news groups and social media posts. They then make it available to the public, listing both the high and low estimates for a crowd’s size.
It’s not exact work. If sources use general terms, like “dozens” or “hundreds,” to describe a crowd, the team takes a conservative approach, translating that into “24” or “200” in their listing, Pressman said. They’ve also improved their method over time, meaning exact comparisons can’t always be made between earlier recordings and the present day.
But the consortium has deduced that protests have moved into previously unreached counties.
Hull’s protest wasn’t included in the 2025 data, but neither were any prior anti-Trump protests in her county. Trump won there by a margin of more than 45 percentage points in 2024.
And John Llewellyn, chair of the Newaygo County Republican Party and a former state representative, said he hasn’t seen such protests in his area since the end of the Vietnam War.
Newaygo County, another longtime Republican stronghold, also voted for Trump by a margin of more than 40 percentage points in 2024.
Still, Llewellyn wasn’t surprised to see the gatherings.
He said the participants are solid Democrats who everyone knows, an idea with which organizers for Indivisible Newaygo County disagreed.
Not just one-offs
Protests aren’t just reaching Trump country but sticking around, according to the data.
Hull hasn’t marched solo in Sanilac County again, opting to travel elsewhere because she had a ride, but the swath of land in front of the historic Livingston County Courthouse saw multiple protests in 2025, and Indivisible Newaygo also reported multiple demonstrations.
Trump’s first term saw protests reach deep into Trump country at select times, but the instances were one-offs instead of a holding trend, the consortium found. In 2025, that reach, indeed, became a trend.
Additionally, the size of the crowds increased.
As of August 2025, counties where Trump won by at least 5 percentage points in the 2024 election had seen more protesters come out as compared with 2017, according to data from the consortium.
The average grew from two to seven protesters per 10,000 residents.
Lonely in a red community
Hull was disturbed that immigration arrests in her area didn’t result in protests. She wants her neighbors to know there are people in the community who will stick up for them.
She carried a sign that day in June that read, “Hands Off,” with a list including immigrants, free speech, SNAP and LGBTQ+ individuals. A photo of her and the sign wound up in the Sanilac County News.
Organizing group Indivisible Newaygo County also held protests in their red county as opposed to heading to the bigger, bluer Grand Rapids, said Michelle Petz, part of the group’s planning team.
“We need to show up in this county, so people don’t feel alone,” she said. “For too long, it has felt like there is just one party here, and it is red, and that is not the case. And so, this is a bringing together of community and like-minded people that are very distressed about what is going on.”
Sara Lane, chair of the Alpena County Democratic Party, reported seeing about 300 people come out for their June and October 2025 gatherings in the county that went to Trump by a margin of 29. Some counterprotesters came out, too.
Lane doesn’t see her work as coaxing over Republicans, but if staunch Republicans want to see another side, her group is there.
“I can show you something different than you’ve been exposed to before,” she said. “If you go through all that and you stay through that and you stay where you are … that’s OK.”
Rebecca Hilla, 46, of Hartland, felt safer going to protests in Howell with her son than going elsewhere. It’s not that there’d be more danger in a big city given the political vitriol everywhere, but she felt comfort being surrounded by those already willing to put a target on their backs in a red community. Livingston County went to Trump with a margin of 24 percentage points.
“They’re out there to protect everybody’s kids,” Hilla said of the protesters there.
Smaller, local rallies matter to residents, said Kate Naden, the organizer of an October 2025 No Kings Day rally in Macomb County’s Romeo.
A key swing county, Macomb gave Trump a win by a margin of 14 percentage points over Harris in 2024 and served as the venue when Trump marked his first 100 days in office.
There were still more than 300 people present as Naden’s October rally wound down, and elsewhere in the county, in Sterling Heights, thousands gathered the same day.
Through the eyes of Republicans
Speaking shortly after those Macomb County rallies in October — which saw two men on opposing sides seek out a possible friendship — the chair of the Macomb County GOP expressed a belief that protesters were bused into the area by the Democratic Party. He also raised concerns about protesters being paid.
“I don’t know that anybody is participating from our county,” Gus Ghanam said. “If they are, I’d be shocked; our county’s doing very well.”
No protesters reported to the Free Press getting payments or being bused in.
Llewellyn of the Newaygo County Republican Party said both that trying to rally people is what political parties do and that “people like to do trendy stuff.”
And while protests aren’t new to Howell, which saw both Ku Klux Klan rallies and pushback in the ‘90s, an acceleration in protests isn’t shocking, said longtime resident and Livingston County Republican Party Chair Deb Drick.
Trump is aggressive, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction, she said.
She thinks protesters are aiming to convince swing voters and the independents in her county to join their cause, but she thinks their message isn’t helping them.
“Half those signs are just silly,” she said. “When you’re protesting a woman’s death, saying ‘(Expletive) Trump’ is not the way to do it. That’s not the message that you’re trying to get across. It could be ‘ICE needs training’ or ‘ICE needs to back off.’ … Every single time a Democrat loses their mind and flies off the handle, they send another independent or swing voter my way, so have at it, people.”
A change of heart?
Neither Drick, in Livingston County, nor Monroe County Republican Party Chairman Todd Gillman believes that the protests in their area are indicative of locals being swayed away from their support of the Republican Party or Trump.
Trump won Monroe handily in the last three elections, but Gillman said it used to be more purple than it is now.
“I don’t think it’s a representative of Monroe, I think it’s a representative of a small part of Monroe,” Gillman said of the anti-Trump protests.
It’s the beauty of being an American that people can peacefully protest whatever they want, he said. Good or bad, Trump elicits a lot of emotion.
Thy neighbor
Stepping back slightly from the curb shortly after a silver truck swerved toward the crowd of protesters in the median in Howell, Rachel Bennett, 31, apologized for being a bit distracted. She was still shaken up.
Bennett loves her city. She thinks it’s a beautiful place with a close-knit community.
“But Howell can be so nasty, I think it’s really important I’m here,” she said outside the historic Livingston County Courthouse that day in January.
She knows Republicans, knows that they are not evil and wants to try to reach those on the fence.
Protesters in red counties shared similar mixed reviews of living there. Many said they loved their neighbors, but some said they disliked raising a family amid toxic politics. Several said they had friends who were Republican, but some also said they didn’t talk politics with those friends.
Hull was surprised to get so many thumbs up when she did her solo protest in Sanilac County. Of course, some “yahoos” sent black tailpipe smoke her way, and the husband of a fellow churchgoer got “blustery” over not needing a handout himself, she said.
In Howell, the level of friction wasn’t as obvious standing back near the 19th-century courthouse, but, from the median, drivers in about every third car could be seen flashing obscene gestures, giving a thumbs down or otherwise showing their displeasure. A man parked in front of the island and walked around filming the crowd; some protesters blocked his path and called him names.
A week later, Bennett was still shaken by the truck that swerved at her and was fighting feelings of defeat. The day it happened, however, she sought to give the driver the benefit of the doubt. She thought back to times she’d had to watch her language while protesting in her own community.
“It was probably heat of the moment,” she said. “I hope he’s regretting it.”
Michigan
Birmingham police say massive pool party should have been shut down sooner
Police in Birmingham, Michigan, say officers should have shut down a massive pool party in a residential neighborhood sooner last weekend.
More than 100 people showed up for a party in the 300 block of Westchester Way on June 13, when city officials say a private residential pool was rented out to a third party, violating zoning regulations.
“While officers shut the party down and issued multiple citations, the department acknowledges the party should have been shut down earlier,” said Birmingham police Chief Scott Grewe in a social media post. “Protecting public safety and preserving the quality of life in Birmingham neighborhoods remain top priorities. Should an event require intervention in the future, there will be police supervision to ensure the orderly and safe dispersal of attendees.
Homeowners on Westchester Way told CBS News Detroit that the street was filled with cars and some intoxicated partygoers.
“Women, I don’t even know if they were wearing anything, thong bikinis on top of vehicles, twerking,” said homeowner Brian Homer.
Birmingham police confirmed the individual who rented the backyard over the weekend was a promoter. Police say the homeowner and the person who rented the pool were among those who received citations.
Residents told CBS News Detroit that the house has been hosting parties for years and that its pool is listed on Swimply for rent.
“This isn’t the first time; this has been ongoing. This is just the first time he got caught,” said a resident who shares a fence with the homeowner who is renting their pool.
During a Birmingham City Commission meeting Monday night, Birmingham Mayor Clinton Baller said that the city had failed in this case.
Homeowners who spoke with CBS News Detroit said they are concerned about their safety, given that the neighborhood is filled with children.
In April, three men were arrested and later charged in connection with a shooting at a short-term rental in the 1400 block of East Lincoln Street. According to police, a party was advertised at the rental home, and three 18-year-old men drove up to the property, where other teens were gathering, when an argument ultimately led to a shooting.
Michigan
Skateboarding legend conquers California, revisits Michigan roots
Meet Michigan’s own Skateboard Hall of Famer Bill Danforth
Grosse Pointe native and legendary skateboarder Bill Danforth talks about how it all began for him and how it continues across the country.
Warren — Skateboarders flew through the air at Macomb County’s Eckstein Skatepark, launching off concrete ramps as spectators looked on from the surrounding rows of vendor tents.
Punk rock music from a band on the Creative Grind Fest stage echoed across the park as veteran skateboarders — and a legend in the sport — stood alongside the youngest, offering help and encouragement. Among them was 4-year-old Nikky Bukobich, who said the first thing he learned on a skateboard was “to fall.”
Bill Danforth, a Grosse Pointe South High School graduate, surveyed the scene. With buzzed silver hair, limited edition Danforth Vans sneakers and a white T-shirt, the 60-year-old skateboarding trailblazer talked with fans and signed boards.
“Young skateboarders are the future of the sport, and will be able to carry it on long after we are not,” Danforth told The Detroit News. “You’re never done with skateboarding. But after we slow down, they got to keep that tradition going.”
Danforth returned to Metro Detroit last weekend as one of the newest inductees into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, making appearances at Royal Oak’s Modern Skate & Surf — which Danforth credits with keeping skateboarding alive in Michigan — and Warren’s Creative Grind Fest. As the skateboarding industry continues to grow, Danforth’s induction offers a look back at the figures who helped shape the sport’s early years.
Grosse Pointe meets California
Danforth was drawn to skateboarding as a Grosse Pointe youth when he realized it allowed him to express his creativity like no other sport did.
“I played organized sports when I was a kid. I played hockey, I played baseball, I played golf,” he said. “Skateboarding was unique, and it had no rules. We created our own groove.”
Danforth started skating wherever he could: “Most of it was at schoolyards or loading docks. This is before we were even building ramps.”
Then, in 1978, Detroit’s Endless Summer Skatepark opened in Roseville and Danforth began competing through the Great Lakes Skateboarding Association. These competitions drew attention to Danforth and other Midwest skaters from some of the largest industry groups on the West Coast, earning Danforth a sponsorship from Madrid Skateboards.
“We started getting recognized by California,” Danforth said. “All of a sudden we were sponsored by California companies — we’re getting free skateboards, we’re getting free wheels and we’re getting free components.”
‘Style is faster, more charged’
Art director and brand manager for Madrid Skateboards, Eagle Barber, said that Danforth stood out from others in the way he skated.
“His style is faster, it’s more charged. He was never an apprehensive, laid-back skater,” Barber said. “He was always going faster and bigger, and he had a very certain air of intimidation about him.”
Michigan professional skateboarder Garold Vallie, a close friend, added that Danforth was known for skating anything and everything.
“He could skate big halfpipes, but he could skate street,” Vallie said. “He could skate anything. He had his own style, and people gravitated towards that.”
Jerry Shirts, a skater and artist selling his spraypainted road signs at the festival, had often been inspired by Danforth’s tricks on the board, he said: “He was a big influence on me when I first started skating. I had seen him in the mags and such, and then realized he was from Michigan, so he was my favorite local skater. I copied all his tricks.”
Danforth was also unique simply for being a Michiganian. Todd Huber, founder and CEO of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, said Danforth emerged from a region rarely associated with professional skateboarding.
“He wasn’t from California, and California kind of got the spotlight. He was from Detroit, no spotlight was on him,” Huber said. “He was cut from a different cloth, and he did things differently.”
Growing up in Michigan forced skaters like Danforth to be resourceful: “We had to fight a lot of issues just to be a skateboarder in Michigan. Nothing was given to us; we earned it out of our own blood, sweat and tears. We were skateboarders without attitudes in the Midwest. California was a bunch of attitudes with skateboards.”
‘The American Nomad’
The same determination that helped Danforth break into the sport also took him far beyond Michigan. Danforth flew, drove and hitchhiked across the world, skating any terrain he could find and earning him the nickname “The American Nomad.”
His journeys included a trip to Tahiti in the 1980s. Intended as a skateboarding clinic and demonstration tour, the trip turned into what Danforth called an unexpected adventure when political unrest erupted on the island. Danforth evacuated before continuing his travels through New Zealand and Australia.
Stories like these helped make him one of skateboarding’s most recognizable figures during the 1980s.
“He had the number one-selling board in the United Kingdom. He had one of the number one-selling boards in America,” said George Leichtweis, founder of Royal Oak’s Modern Skate & Surf. “And he would go anywhere with anybody in skating, and that’s a level of respect to the core of skateboarding.”
Memorabilia, renewed demand
Today, one of Danforth’s signature boards is part of the Smithsonian’s collection, alongside a copy of “Street Survival,” an instructional VHS video starring Danforth that helped teach a generation of skateboarders.
“He was definitely a really influential skater of the ’80s,” said Jane Rogers, a curator with the Smithsonian. “His board had a lot of cool elements — the graphic and the way the board was shaped. The circle of skulls definitely represents that time.”
Madrid Skateboards recently reissued several of his signature boards as part of a limited-edition collection. Only 200 of each design were produced, and the company said Danforth’s boards were the strongest sellers in its Gold Reissue Series.
Danforth has his own board company, American Nomad, where boards cost upwards of $95. Reissues or originals of Danforth’s signature boards can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, according to industry experts.
Such demand was visible during Creative Grind Fest. There, the Modern Skate & Surf tent reported strong interest in Danforth’s Hall of Fame commemorative deck, selling for $119, and his Madrid Misfit reissue boards, priced at $84.
“A big percentage of people are buying these things for the collectability aspect of it,” Barber said.
For many collectors, the boards represent more than a piece of equipment, skateboarding industry expert Iain Borden said: “To some extent, people are buying back the youth that they had.
“A lot of people in their 40s, 50s, 60s who can’t skate anymore, they’ve got injuries, they’re too heavy, they’re out of practice, but they still have this relationship to skateboarding that’s been a central part of their life. Board collecting is a way of keeping up that relationship.”
‘People can relate to Bill’
Danforth’s influence isn’t measured solely by the value of his memorabilia. Those who know him often point to his impact off the board as his most lasting contribution.
Danforth has spent decades mentoring younger skaters and supporting Native American skateboarding programs and Michigan skateparks, saying it is important to “share our knowledge with everybody”.
“People love Bill because people can relate to Bill,” said Creative Grind Fest organizer Bridget Harrington Renteria. “He’s great with kids, and he’ll talk to anybody. He’s got time for everybody.”
Among those eager to meet Danforth was 9-year-old Junior Wilie, whose admiration for the skateboarding pioneer was evident. With a photo of Danforth hanging on his bedroom wall, Wilie was excited to get his skateboard signed by him and other Michigan professionals. Wilie toted his skateboard around the park, darting in and out of vendor tents with his parents to find the perfect items.
Wilie wasn’t the only one eager to attend. Miguel Lynn rode his skateboard down into the concrete bowl before accelerating back up and over the rim. Lynn, who has been skateboarding for more than 20 years, said he was excited to learn Danforth would be attending the festival.
“He’s awesome. I look up to that guy,” Lynn said. “He’s been skating for so long, being that old, being able to skate, it’s amazing.”
Vallie was among the skateboarders mentored by Danforth. What began with drawing pictures of Danforth in class as a child eventually led to years of skateboarding and traveling alongside him.
“I think the term legend gets thrown around too much,” Vallie said. “But I do think he embodies every part of what that word encompasses — not only from his skateboarding accomplishments, but bringing skateboarding back to Michigan and helping kids.”
atisch@detroitnews.com
Michigan
Detroit Bar Misses James Beard Award, Leaving MI Without Any Winners
Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails is best known for its farm-to-table American cuisine. It has earned numerous accolades, including Yelp’s No. 1 Detroit restaurant in 2017 and 2018.
Freya, known for its prix fixe tasting menus typically served with wine, has also earned high praise, including a spot in the New York Times’ most exciting restaurants list.
The 20 chefs will headline events in their hometowns as part of the foundation’s Taste America culinary tour, which begins Sept. 16 in New Orleans and continues in cities across the country through March 2027.
The foundation said the chefs were selected not only for culinary talent but also for their work beyond the kitchen, including efforts such as supporting sustainable agriculture, investing in restaurant teams, elevating quality ingredients and advocating for a stronger food system.
Chefs in Houston, New York, Detroit, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles and New Orleans are among the 20 to watch.
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