I love this story that appeared in the Detroit News today. Zoe Touray a senior at Oxford High School was among about 50 students and advocates with March for Our Lives Michigan lobbying lawmakers Wednesday for changes to state law to decrease gun violence in Michigan. Among the primary proposals the students supported were safe gun storage laws in homes where minors are present, introduced in the House and Senate in June, and increased funding for mental health resources in schools, as proposed in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget recommendation earlier this month. Alyssa Donovan, a 2019 alumni of Oxford High School and a junior at the University of Michigan, said her community had “been shattered” and “everyone has seemingly moved on.”
The two prosecutors leading the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into Trump’s business practices, resigned on Wednesday. The prosecutors, Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz, submitted their resignations because the new district attorney, Alvin Bragg indicated he had doubts about moving forward with a case against Mr. Trump. This is not a surprise to me. Once the former Manhattan district attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. decided to not seek re-election the champion of the case no longer existed.
A bigger concern for Trump, as reported in The Guardian, is that Rudy Giuliani is expected to cooperate with the House select committee investigating January 6, and potentially reveal his contacts with Republican members of Congress involved in the former president’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The move by Giuliani to appear before the panel – in a cooperation deal that could be agreed within weeks, according to two sources briefed on negotiations – could mark a breakthrough moment for the inquiry as it seeks to interview key members of Trump’s inner circle. Giuliani is in a position to inform House investigators about any possible culpability…. Giuliani has indicated through his lawyer to the select committee that he will produce documents and answer questions about Trump’s schemes to return himself to office on 6 January that House investigators had outlined in a subpoena issued to him last month. Giuliani is also prepared to divulge details about Trump’s pressure campaign on Pence to adopt the scheme, and the effort coordinated by him and the Trump White House to have legislatures certify slates of electors for Trump in states actually won by Biden….The former president’s attorney has indicated that he will assist the select committee only if his appearance is not pursuant to his subpoena, and does not have to give records or discuss his contacts with Trump over executive and attorney-client privilege concerns.
Nolan Finley reported today that Fred Upton, the St. Joseph Republican is dishing up hints he will run for re-election to Congress this year. He has served Michigan since 1987. Per Finley, Upton’s frequent pushback against former President Donald Trump has him in hot water with the GOP fringe But he should have appeal to those who are seeking some moderation in politics. Upton brings that. I was hoping he’d decide to challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this fall. But it looks like he’s sticking with Congress. It’ll be a tough primary race. He’s earned the right to make that choice.
What are you doing to stop the violence? Get vaccinated and get your booster.
Orchid of the Day: The 50 students and advocates from March for Our Lives Michigan. See above story.
Onion of the Day: The Board of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan for creating a hostile work environment which caused the health officer to leave her position for health reasons.
Quote of the Day: “I urge everyone listening, but especially our elected officials that have been chosen to represent the people, to unite together to push for this legislation to ensure our children have the mental health resources in their school that I know from experience they so desperately need,” Allyssa Donovan, a 2019 graduate of Oxford High School, and current U of M student.