2/05/2026

LANSING - President Donald Trump is calling to nationalize future elections, claiming the current system is corrupt his statements drawing sharp criticism from Michigan officials. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said he supports more federal involvement, However, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who is running to be the next secretary of state, said Trump has an ulterior motive when making such statements.  Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the proposal appears designed to deter accountability.  Suzanna Shkreli, a Democratic candidate for Michigan Secretary of State, says the president’s claims are aimed to “undermine the confidence in our elections and weaken the power of voters.”  In comments Tuesday, Trump said he wants elections to be honest and claimed states are agents of the federal government. He specifically mentioned Detroit, calling it corrupt.

2/05/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - As Michigan lawmakers begin the 2026 legislative session, cancer prevention advocates are urging the state to take stronger action against tobacco use, noting that nearly a third of cancer deaths in Michigan are caused by smoking. Molly Medenblik with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network says while lawmakers recently increased funding for tobacco prevention programs, Michigan still lags far behind most states.

                    0:13  "We spent about $1.8 million. The legislators increased that to $4.6 million, is how much we spend on these prevention cessation programs in the state – but we still rank 44th in the country for how much we spend."

She adds the stakes are high, with more than 68-thousand Michiganders expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. In its latest State of Tobacco Control report, the American Lung Association said Michigan must do more to reduce tobacco use, including stronger oversight of tobacco and e-cigarette retailers.

2/05/2026

HOUGHTON - Michigan Tech University’s Winter Carnival has kicked off last night in Houghton with its annual all-nighter snow statue competition.  The theme this year is ‘Through Ice and Snow, To Space We Go,’ Students worked on both the all-nighter statues and added final touches to the monthlong statues overnight while taking part in a variety of overnight activities on campus.    The statue building ended at 9 a.m. Eastern Time this morning.