France promises 3,000 extra teachers in first step to calm student protests
The French government has made its first sign of giving ground to teenage protesters, with a promise of 3,000 extra supply teachers in the coming days. The government says 6,877 people have been arrested, 86% of whom are under the age of 18, since protests began centered around demands for more resources in secondary education. (read)
Court reinstates Ohio law requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration
A panel of three judges on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to block a lower court ruling that had granted a preliminary injunction against the voter ID law in August. The majority argued that the advocacy groups that brought the suit failed to demonstrate that the law would likely prevent people from registering to vote. (read)
White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town
Cecelia Lewis was hired to lead diversity efforts in Georgia’s Cherokee County School District, but soon found herself at the center of a growing controversy over critical race theory and diversity programs. Some organized parents questioned her role and raised concerns about what they believed could be taught in local schools. They used school-board meetings, public-records requests and complaints to challenge the district’s policies and staff. The controversy eventually contributed to the district dropping its separate diversity plan, leaving Lewis caught in the middle of a much larger national debate. (ProPublica)
Detroit’s Water Board Building needs at least $30M in repairs
Detroit’s water department may decide to relocate from its historic downtown office building after routine work revealed costly structural problems. Repairs to the upper floors are expected to cost at least $20 million, while the building’s total repair needs are estimated at $30 million to $40 million. (Outlier Media)
Hot conditions in Detroit detention center
The Detroit Detention Center, which holds arrested people before arraignment, has no AC. Council member Denzel McCampbell raised concerns with city police leadership, saying he’s heard about heat-related problems there. A temperature log given to the City Council shows indoor temperatures in the 80s and 90s, up to 95. To help, workers installed fans and cooling units, opened and closed windows as needed and gave detainees ice water and bags of ice, Police Chief Todd Bettison wrote in a July memo to McCampbell. Officials are also looking into whether central AC is feasible. (story)
Only one-third of Detroiters earned living wage in 2024
A new five-year forecast of Detroit’s economy reveals the number of working Detroiters who earn a living wage shrunk to 34% in 2024, a 6% drop in three years that translates into thousands more struggling to pay for housing, food, and transportation. (story)
Texas police department ordered closed for failing to provide any benefit to community
A police department in Texas that arrested a local resident for complaining on social media about their city’s contaminated water supply has been ordered closed after failing to prove it provided any benefit to the community. State officials stepped in to investigate after Jennifer Combs spent a night in jail in May after a post appeared on her Facebook page suggesting people were hospitalized by bacteria in the water pipes of Trinidad, a municipality in Henderson county about 75 miles south-east of Dallas. (story)
Hundreds of demolition sites in Detroit filled with untested dirt from cemeteries
The City of Detroit paused their tear-downs of blighted properties throughout city neighborhoods for the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the pace of those demolitions has been ramping up over the last year and is now near pre-pandemic levels even though questions remain about the safety of the dirt used to backfill these demolition sites. (full story)
Contaminated dirt in Detroit at heart of $100M lawsuit (story)
Detroit paying average of $36K to remove, replace ‘dirty’ dirt
Detroit has paid an average of $36,000 per site to remove and replace contaminated backfill dirt at more than 100 demolition sites across the city, stemming from the work of a contractor now under federal investigation. (story)
Energy Utilities in Michigan have unchecked Monopolies
DTE Energy has what appears to be an unchecked monopoly in the state of Michigan. Modeling from groups like the Mackinac Center suggests that if Michigan continues its current “Net-Zero” trajectory alongside massive grid upgrades, monthly bills could rise by as much as 146% by 2035. DTE has sought a $574 million rate increase for 2026. This follows a $217 million hike approved in January 2025. If fully approved, residential customers could see their monthly bills jump by an average of $13.50. << reference >>
| State | 2026 Avg. Rate (¢/kWh) | Trend/Outlook |
| Michigan | 20.74 | High & Rising (Data center & grid focus) |
| Illinois | 18.09 | Moderate (Nuclear & renewables transition) |
| Wisconsin | 18.37 | Moderate (Stable industrial base) |
| Ohio | 17.61 | Low-to-Moderate (High gas/coal mix) |
| Indiana | 16.59 | Low (Historical coal reliance) |
| Iowa/Nebraska | ~13.15 | Lowest (High wind generation) |
Detroit Leland House a Model of Gentrification
The Leland House in Detroit is currently vacant and closed to the public. Detroit officials filed a lawsuit against the owners, describing the historic 20-story building as a “death trap.” The ownership group, Leland House LLC, argued but the courts found their efforts insufficient. The building remains in a state of legal and physical limbo. Tenants were forced out by the city. This is how Gentrification works, government pushes out residents saving the legal effort and expense of the property owners. Then a different set of tenants is sought for the property once renovations are complete. Long term residents are not invited back. ( Story )
Younger Generations Don’t Know Their History and It’s Hurting the Movement
Angela Rye has a message for young people: the Montgomery bus boycotts did not happen in a day; political movements are more than a weekend’s worth of protest. Guest host Roland Martin echoes her sentiment: older generations made deposits into the Black Bank of Justice that younger generations have been withdrawing from. If they don’t start depositing it is GOING to get even uglier. FAFO. Watch Video
Detroit council nixes study on making the RenCen a historic district
General Motors Co. says the Renaissance Center must evolve to survive. The Detroit City Council agreed, even if it means losing part of the iconic but underused riverside complex.
The City Council voted 8-1 on Tuesday to reject studying whether the Renaissance Center should become a historic district. (Full Story)
No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men
Franchetti’s firing has left the military without a single woman in a four-star general or admiral leadership position, as women in top positions are already a rarity across the services, and many female officers say that they’re concerned that the ouster will have far-reaching consequences. (Full Story)
Alabama Republicans refuse to draw a second Black congressional district in defiance of Supreme Court
The GOP-controlled Legislature had called a special session to redraw an earlier map after the Supreme Court reaffirmed a federal court order to include two districts where Black voters make up voting-age majorities, “or something quite close to it.” But on Friday, state Republicans approved a new map with just one majority-Black seat and a second district that is approximately 40% Black. (Story)
30 LA County detention officers face charges over ‘gladiator fights’ among youth at juvenile hall
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Thirty Los Angeles County detention officers have been charged for their alleged role in facilitating “gladiator fights” between youth detainees at a juvenile hall in Downey, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday. (Full Story)
234 people have died in Kentucky jails since 2020. Critics call it a ‘systemic failure’
When Terri Beth Mays was arrested in October 2021 for drug possession and trafficking, she told Whitley County Detention Center staff she had a seizure disorder. She had been at the jail several times before, with a documented history of seizures that required hospitalization. (Full Story)
Restaurant disaster or worker boon? Tipped minimum wage debate has dominated Lansing
For Erin Vilella, her job as a server at the Peppermill Cafe where she has worked for more than 10 years on the west side of Grand Rapids has its perks. She’s part of a tight-knit staff of servers, and working at a restaurant known for its breakfast allows her to take shifts bartending at night. (Full Story)