Midwest
Traditionally Dem leaders in key Michigan voting bloc ditch Harris, endorse Trump
Some Arab leaders in southeast Michigan have heard enough from Vice President Kamala Harris and are now encouraging their community to throw their support behind former President Trump.
“Just look where we’re at right now and look where we were before,” Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi told reporters during an online call Monday.
Bazzi’s comments represent a growing sentiment among some Arab leaders in Michigan, where there has been increasingly negative sentiment around the Biden administration’s handling of the conflicts in the Middle East.
In Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit with the largest per capita Muslim population in the U.S., a movement bubbled up earlier this year to “Abandon Biden” during the state’s Democratic primary. While President Biden was still able to secure the nomination, leaders of the campaign against him hailed its success, noting that over 100,000 people failed to support the president and arguing they would continue to use their influence as the general election drew near.
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Former President Trump. (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Democrats’ disconnect with many Arabs and Muslims in Dearborn has failed to improve since, even after Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and Harris’ quick ascent to the top of the ticket, leaving Democrats with a possible large hole in their typical coalition of support in a state that could make or break their chances at winning this year’s election.
However, questions remained whether members of a community who have traditionally voted Democrat for so long and where Trump was deeply unpopular could suddenly turn around and support his latest bid for the White House, something Bazzi is now encouraging them to do.
“I can tell you, a lot of people are actually swaying to voting for Trump because they really don’t like what going on,” Bazzi said. “They think their future doesn’t look bright with the administration and the way they’re heading.”
Bazzi was joined on the call by Hamtramck, Michigan, Mayor Amer Ghalib, who leads the nation’s only Muslim-run city and made waves last month by announcing his endorsement of Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at UAW Local 652 during a campaign event in Lansing, Michigan, on Friday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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“The current administration has done nothing, and the war is expanding to other countries, and it could be a regional war and maybe even World War III,” Ghalib said. “President Trump keeps saying that he will end the chaos in the Middle East, and I talked to him personally, I told him ‘your strength is that no wars happened during your term, so we want it to stay that way.’”
While Ghalib acknowledged that some of Trump’s past rhetoric offended those in the community, his outreach since has made a difference. That outreach has worked, the mayor argued, noting that there is a “portion of the community that’s considering supporting Trump, and historically, those people used to vote Democrat.”
One of those people is Dearborn’s Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center founder and Imam Husham Al-Hussainy, who told reporters on the call that he is now leaning towards support for Trump.
“I lean towards Mr. Trump because I found him closer to the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran. Because I support peace, no war,” he said, adding that the country “deserves to have a strong leader where he can bring peace in this world.”
Activists with Workers Strike Back and the “Abandon Harris” campaign hold an event endorsing Green Party candidate Jill Stein at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn, Michigan, on Oct. 6. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/Middle East Images via AFP)
Meanwhile, Ghalib had a message for those in his community thinking about voting for a third party or sitting out, arguing that nothing could be worse than keeping Democrats in power.
“Some people are trying to vote for a third party because they predict that President Trump may do the same thing or even worse,” he said. “What could be worse than what’s going on now? There’s nothing worse.”
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Milwaukee, WI
Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 | Marquette Today
Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.
Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.
Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.
During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees.
An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.
Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration.
40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort.
In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list:
- David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC
- Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc.
- Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c.
- Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company
- Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County
- Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird
- Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin
The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center.
Minneapolis, MN
Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say
Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were told they will not play a role in the ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Leadership in the Civil Rights Division, overseen by Harmeet Dhillon, informed staff in the division’s criminal section that there would not be an investigation, two sources said. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section fly out to the scene. Multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case, but they were told not to do so, one of the sources added.
While investigations into the excessive use of force can be pursued solely by a U.S. Attorney’s office without direct involvement from the Civil Rights Division, it is customary for the division’s federal prosecutors to take the lead on high-profile investigations like the one in Minnesota.
The decision also raises questions about how far the FBI’s investigation into the shooting will go.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that the FBI was leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Video footage shows the officer, identified in court records from a prior incident as Jonathan Ross, fired three rounds at the car as Good started to drive away.
The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place. A separate video from the scene showed officers stopping a man who claimed to be a doctor from moving toward Good.
The killing has sparked protests nationwide, including in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has argued that Ross was acting in self-defense, and claimed that Good was trying to use her car as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism.”
That description sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials, with the mayor of Minneapolis labeling the self-defense claims as “bulls***.”
On Friday, Trump administration officials shared another cellphone video of the incident that sources say was recorded by the ICE officer. The White House argues this video shows Ross was hit by Good’s car.
The Justice Department has stopped short of claiming Ross was acting in self-defense.
But in a statement to CBS News this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified.
“Federal agents risk their lives each day to safeguard our communities. They must make decisions, under dynamic and chaotic circumstances, in less time than it took to read this sentence,” Blanche said.
“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” he added.
The criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division specializes in investigating and prosecuting constitutional violations by law enforcement officers.
Some of the most common investigations involve excessive use of force, but can also include other things such as sexual misconduct, false arrests or deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.
One of the most famous civil rights prosecutions by the section in recent years took place in Minneapolis, after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in May 2020.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving, while acting under color of law, Floyd’s constitutional rights, as well as the rights of a 14-year-old boy.
Since President Trump took office last year, the Civil Rights Division has scaled back its work on excessive force prosecutions, according to legal experts.
Last year, it sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights and asked a federal judge to sentence him to serve just one day in prison.
The judge ultimately sentenced him to serve 33 months.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts highest and lowest PFF grades on offense in 2025
These Colts’ players on offense received the highest and lowest PFF grades over the 2025 NFL season.
With the Indianapolis Colts’ season now behind us, let’s take a look at which players on offense received the highest and lowest grades from Pro Football Focus.
Below is a look at PFF’s grading system for some context. While this metric is very helpful when it comes to quantifying a player’s performance, PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all and end-all either. It is one metric out of many that are out there.
- 90.0+: Elite
- 80-89.9: High quality
- 70-79.9: Good
- 60-69.9: Above average
- 50-59.9: Average
- 40-49.9: Below average
- 39.9 or less: Poor
Now, here are the Colts’ five highest graded players on offense from the 2025 NFL season.
Colts’ five highest graded players for 2025 season
- LG Quenton Nelson: 84.5
- C Tanor Bortolini: 82.6
- LT Bernhard Raimann: 82.0
- WR Alec Pierce: 79.3
- RB Jonathan Taylor
In both pass-blocking efficiency and run-blocking grade, Nelson was one of the highest-rated guards in all of football by PFF’s metrics. Bortolini wasn’t credited with allowing any sacks, but what really boosted his overall grade was his performance as a run-blocker.
Raimann was steady across the board, grading out very well as both a run blocker and pass blocker.
Pierce led the Colts in receiving, totaling over 1,000 yards, and he also led the NFL in yards per catch. Taylor was the NFL’s second-leading rusher this season.
Colts’ three lowest graded players in 2025
- OL Dalton Tucker: 39.3
- QB Phillip Rivers: 51.0
- WR Anthony Gould: 52.0
Tucker’s pass-blocking grade is what brought down his overall grade. He allowed eight pressures and two sacks in just 86 pass-blocking snaps.
Remember at the beginning of this I said take these grades with a grain of salt? Rivers’ grade is an example of that. Overall, he provided the Colts’ with stability at quarterback and kept them in games. However, the late interceptions and lack of explosive plays brought his grade down.
Gould has a very small sample size to pull from, but of his two receptions, he generated just six yards of offense.
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