Midwest
Ohio Lt. Gov. encourages support for Trump’s ‘swamp the vote’ strategy as key state's early voting opens
COLUMBUS – Early voting in the former battleground state of Ohio began on Tuesday and Fox News Digital spoke to the state’s GOP lieutenant governor, who explained why Republicans are encouraging voters to vote early.
“I want to do what President Trump’s asking us to do, to swamp your vote, because we want everybody across the country and in the state of Ohio to get out there and vote early so that their voices, their votes are locked in, then the campaign can then move on to make sure that they’re focusing resources on people who may not have gotten out and voted,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told Fox News Digital at the Franklin County Board of Elections on Tuesday as he voted on the first day of early voting.
“It’s a really important part of the campaign strategy.”
The former president’s 2024 campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) announced earlier this year the launch of what they call their “Swamp the Vote USA” effort, which was a shift from 2020, when Trump spoke in opposition to early-in-person voting and mail-in ballots.
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Fox News Digital spoke to Lt. Gov Jon Husted on the first day of early voting in Ohio. (Fox News Digital)
“Whether you vote absentee, by mail, early in person, or on Election Day—We will Secure Your Vote,” Trump posted online at the time. “JUST VOTE! They are all good options. The way to win is to Swamp Them with Votes!”
Republican voters are typically known for voting on Election Day, while Democrats often have the advantage when it comes to early voting efforts. Husted told Fox News Digital that people should vote in whatever way they are most comfortable, but encouraged early voting.
“If you want to vote on Election Day, that’s fine,” Husted said. “But we’re encouraging those who are willing to vote early because once the campaigns know you voted, they can devote their resources to turning out people who haven’t voted. The system of elections here in Ohio is a place where we make it easy to vote and hard to cheat and when you get that done early, you can know that the system is working for you and that you can encourage your friends and neighbors to go out and get it done.”
Husted continued, “I think it’s really important that Republicans don’t let Democrats get the lead through early voting. Think about this. If you vote early, then if something comes up on Election Day, there’s a hurricane that hits you, a storm that happens, something might get in the way of you getting to the polls. When you do it early, you ensure that your vote happens, that it’s going to be there, it’s going to get counted, and something doesn’t get in the way between now and Election Day.”
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Ohio Senate candidates, Republican Bernie Moreno, left, and Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)
Although Ohio is no longer viewed as the battleground state it was for many years for presidential elections, the Buckeye State is home to several critical House races and a Senate race that could potentially shift the balance of power in Congress.
Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, running as a Republican in that Senate race against incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, rallied supporters outside the Franklin County Board of Elections on Tuesday and also pushed Trump’s “Swamp the Vote” plan.
A spokesperson for the Franklin County Board of Elections told Fox News Digital that over 4,000 Ohioans voted early at the Columbus voting site on Tuesday.
“The election is down to the hands of the voters and regardless if you want to support me or my opponent, President Trump or Kamala Harris, it’s your civic duty to show up and vote,” Moreno said. “Our elections in Ohio are secure. They’re safe. On Nov. 5, we’ll have an outcome and everybody will agree on that outcome. I encourage everybody to vote early. Bank that vote. Get your vote in there.”
People arrive to cast their vote during the early voting. (Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Moreno continued, “It’s a beautiful day today, but we have no idea what Nov. 5 will look like. If you’re not voting, you’re part of the problem. We’ve got to make sure that you have your voice heard. Look, the earlier you can vote, it’s better for us as Republicans because we get to take you off the list. We don’t have to text you, email you, knock on your door – if that alone doesn’t motivate you. But look, at the end of the day, here’s a very simple equation where we’re at right now. You vote for me, for Bernie Moreno, for the United States Senate, and your vote for me is a vote to fire Sherrod Brown. The first thing I’m going to do as senator, what we get to do when we get down there, we fire Chuck Schumer.”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
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Interest rates, geopolitical issues, slowing homes sales, builder says
Darian Neubecker, president of Bloomfield Hills-based Robertson Brothers Homes, said he’s seeing signs of slower buyer demand.
Buyers are still shopping for newly built homes in Metro Detroit, but fewer are moving quickly to sign contracts as higher borrowing costs pressure household budgets.
That’s what Darian Neubecker, president of Bloomfield Hills-based Robertson Brothers Homes, is seeing across the company’s communities. While potential buyers continue to research the homebuilding process, website traffic and in-person visits have declined from a year ago.
“There are certainly folks doing homework on buying,” Neubecker said. “I think as soon as we see relief on interest rates, we’ll see sales activity pick back up.”
Neubecker attributed the slowdown to temporary factors, such as higher mortgage rates amid geopolitical factors, including the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. And those factors are impacting new home activity.
Builders pulled 931 single-family permits across Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne counties through April, marking the second-slowest start to a year since 2012, according to the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan.
In April, builders pulled 310 single-family permits across the five-county region, down 18.4% from 380 permits a year earlier. The decline was led by Wayne County, where permits fell 30.2%, while Oakland County permits dropped 16.5% and Macomb County permits fell 12.1%.
One bright spot: April activity was up slightly from March, when builders pulled 302 permits. While the need for housing remains strong, higher mortgage rates and home prices have reduced affordability and caused some prospective buyers to delay purchasing decisions, economists say.
Mortgage rates remain elevated, with a 30-year fixed loan averaging around 6.5% in recent Freddie Mac data.
“Everybody’s basically waiting to see what happens to mortgage rates, and they have been like on a seesaw,” said Daniil Manaenkov, U.S. forecasting specialist for the University of Michigan’s Department of Economics. “So you would get some improvements, it would start edging down, but then something would happen, and rates would edge back up.”
Manaenkov said housing activity today more closely resembles pre-pandemic levels than the market after COVID-19, when low borrowing costs fueled demand and construction.
The market has softened, though it’s relatively stable rather than severely depressed, Manaenkov said.
Market’s ‘one-two punch’
One recent morning, Neubecker stood inside a two-bedroom townhome under construction at the Scripps District development along Trumbull Avenue in Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood.
As crews worked throughout the partially finished development, he spoke of the property’s features and the state of the homebuilding market. The project includes 65 two-bedroom townhomes priced from the upper $300,000s. Construction began about two years ago and is expected to be completed in 2027.
Neubecker said it has been one of Robertson Brothers Homes’ strongest-selling communities, outperforming the company’s other southeast Michigan developments during its early months on the market.
The company has about 100 homes under construction across southeast Michigan, and he estimates sales are down between 15-20%. Some of the other communities in Metro Detroit have seen a slowdown in sales, including developments in Troy and Lyon Township.
He said recent softness in buyer demand is showing up in early-stage sales data and could mean lower permit activity in the near future, Neubecker said: “Sales is always a three- to six-month leading indicator of permit activity.”
He expects the slowdown to be temporary. “Long term, not worried; medium term, not worried,” he said. “Short term, I would classify it as a nuisance more than anything.”
Vito Castellana, owner of V.I.P Homes & Development, said the most significant slowdown is occurring at the entry-level segment of the market, where affordability is the toughest.
In Burton near Flint, he said the company is building 1,500-square-foot single-story condos priced in the high $200,000s and 2,000-square-foot two-story colonials priced in the low $300,000s. Among the company’s other projects are seven single-family homes in Sterling Heights, ranging from 2,600 square feet to 4,000 square feet with three-car garages priced in the $800,000s.
Castellana said many potential buyers are pausing due to current mortgage rates and the desire not to lose the low rates they have on their present homes.
“The market is a little bit slower than what we’re used to, given costs and given interest rates, so it’s kind of a one-two punch right now,” he said. “So it’s not as robust as we’re used to seeing in previous … spring to summer markets.”
Vito said that has changed the broader housing mix for his company, which is putting more emphasis on multifamily and rental housing as buyers prioritize flexibility.
He said construction costs have also impacted housing prices, noting long-term increases in land and development expenses. For example, the home pricing in Burton starting in the high $200,000s is possible because the company purchased the land about 10 years ago, he said.
“If you had to go develop and put those lots in (now), it might cost tenfold of what we paid for them,” he said. “And this is just hypothetically speaking, like, if I sold that house for $320,000 last week, if we had to put the lots in and put the improvements in, like in current market rate, it could probably potentially be — that $320,000 could be a $420,000 home.”
Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, said that in the Northeast and Midwest markets, including Detroit, the focus is on higher-priced homes that better accommodate cost constraints.
“New construction has been expensive,” he said. “It’s really kind of operated as a luxury product, hasn’t really competed with existing homes on price so much.”
Berner also pointed to a tight market for skilled labor, rising material costs and the challenges of urban infill development as factors that make it hard to offer lower-priced homes in places like Michigan.
‘Consistent level of activity’
Despite the ups and downs, some buyers are still in the market.
Lucy Kollin, 50, of Troy is building a four-bedroom home in Robertson Brothers Homes’ Village at Clawson Park development. It’s been a two-year research process, she said.
Kollin, a real estate agent, previously lived in a Robertson-built condo and wanted another new build close to downtown Birmingham.
She decided to purchase a 2,400-square-foot single-family home with a base price of $600,000. She expects the house to be finished by the end of August.
“If you want something, keep looking,” she said. “Don’t give up.”
The overall slowdown in permits has not brought construction activity to a complete halt. Michele Chirco, general counsel for home-builder MJC Companies, said sales have remained largely in line with last year for his company.
“We’re still seeing pretty consistent level of activity,” he said. “Doesn’t really feel too much different than what we’ve seen through most of last year.”
Affordability continues to limit how much builders can raise prices, he said, while material and labor costs have become more predictable after years of pandemic-era supply disruptions and tariff-related uncertainty.
MJC Companies has about 20 speculative single-family homes under construction that have not yet been sold, Chirco said, and about 60 homes under contract across its communities.
“We have probably a larger percentage of homes that we start as spec homes,” he said. “We tend to keep maybe three to five homes within a community that we start without a buyer, just to make that decision and that process easier for anybody looking for new construction.”
Shanta Favors, 43, lives in MJC Companies’ Cypress Gardens subdivision in Taylor. She says she has watched new phases of construction fill in around her home.
“I do like the fact that it’s a community, a whole community,” she said, describing how the subdivision has grown into a fuller neighborhood over time, even as affordability has become more difficult for new buyers.
Favors, a disability advocate, purchased her home in 2020 for $301,000 after customizations designed to make things accessible for her wheelchair use. She figures her home is valued at about $500,000 now.
“There are people still buying in this subdivision,” she said.
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
By SEMA News Editors
Milwaukee Tool
M18 Brushless Pipe Threading Oiler
Milwaukee Tool has introduced its M18 Brushless Pipe Threading Oiler, a cordless solution designed to streamline portable pipe-threading operations.
According to Milwaukee, the oiler features a steel frame that attaches to pipe vises and is optimized for use with the company’s 6-in. Leveling Tripod Chain Vise. A self-contained basin and catch system are designed to help contain oil and reduce cleanup on jobsites.
Milwaukee said the oiler’s adjustable hose and flow-rate controls allow users to direct oil where needed during threading operations, which can help improve thread quality, extend die life and reduce oil waste. A three-stage filtration system separates metal chips from oil for reuse and longer service intervals.
milwaukeetool.com
FiTech Fuel Injection
Go E85 Power Adder EFI Systems
FiTech Fuel Injection has introduced two new EFI systems designed for E85-fueled, high-horsepower applications: the Go E85 2×4 Power Adder EFI System and the Go E85 1200HP Power Adder EFI System.
According to FiTech, both systems feature eight 130 lb/hr injectors operating at 58 PSI and are intended for turbocharged, supercharged, nitrous-assisted and high-output naturally aspirated engine combinations. The systems utilize the company’s self-learning EFI technology, which continuously adjusts fueling to optimize performance and drivability.
Go E85 2×4 Power Adder EFI System
FiTech’s dual-quad EFI system combines a traditional dual four-barrel appearance with modern electronic fuel injection technology. The company said the system supports up to 1,600 hp on gasoline and up to 1,200 hp on E85 fuel. Available in black or polished finishes.
Go E85 1200HP Power Adder EFI System
Based on FiTech’s Go EFI 8 platform, the throttle-body EFI system is designed specifically for E85-powered performance applications. According to the manufacturer, the system supports up to 1,200 hp on E85 and up to 1,600 hp on gasoline. Available in black or polished finishes.
fitechefi.com
Fleetguard
ES Compleat OAT PG Coolant
Fleetguard, a brand of Atmus Filtration Technologies, has announced ES Compleat OAT PG coolant, a new propylene glycol-based coolant intended for applications with environmentally sensitive operating requirements.
According to the company, the coolant uses the same organic acid technology (OAT) found in Fleetguard ES Compleat OAT coolant but replaces ethylene glycol with propylene glycol. Fleetguard said the product is designed for industries and applications where propylene glycol coolant is recommended or required, including food and beverage transportation.
fleetguard.com
Minneapolis, MN
Search for permanent Minneapolis police chief has not started yet, commissioner says
Minneapolis leaders say police reform work is continuing as the city prepares to start its search for a new permanent police chief.
The city has said little publicly about the search for a new permanent Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) chief since Chief Brian O’Hara resigned more than two weeks ago.
Brian O’Hara resigns as Minneapolis police chief after report shows he interfered with investigation into his conduct
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked for an update alongside a new progress report on state-mandated reform efforts released on Thursday from city public safety leaders, including Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette and MPD Bureau Chief Ganesha Martin, who said they are confident reform work will not slow down after O’Hara’s resignation.
“Not at all,” said Martin. “So, Chief Peterson has been highly engaged, very open, curious, wanting to make sure to get up to speed on all the things that we’re doing.”
“The majority of the process is already in place, so I don’t think that it impacts the work that’s being done,” said Barnette.
What happens next?
Barnette also addressed whether ongoing mandated reforms could affect the city’s ability to hire a new chief. He said the work ahead is significant, but said he believes it will still draw interest.
“It’s a heavy lift, but having transformational reform that we’re institutionalizing here in the city is exciting work to do,” said Barnette. “So, I think we’re going to attract a lot of candidates. I don’t think that’s going to persuade anybody from not coming.”
Barnette said the hiring process is still in its early stages, adding that city leaders are still deciding what the search will look like.
“We’re still, we’re not even two weeks in with Chief Peterson yet,” said Barnette.
“We’re just going through, looking at what we did in the former search, what things that the mayor wants to see in this search, and then what input we’re going to get along the way,” said Barnette.
Has the search started?
When asked whether the official search had started, Barnette said no. He also said the city has not started talking to people yet.
The fourth quarterly progress report from independent monitor Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) also called the hiring of a new chief “an opportunity.” The report found “significant weaknesses” in the former chief’s review process for misconduct investigations.
Barnette said the city will begin the official search for a permanent chief “pretty soon.”
Below is a statement from Interim Chief Bill Peterson on the release of the fourth ELEFA report:
You can view the full ELEFA report below:
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