Jocelyn Benson declined FOX 2’s debate invite, leaving an empty chair while Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson answered questions on data centers, education and Gretchen Whitmer’s record. The forum ran before a live studio audience and took viewer questions via QR code.

Sheriff Mike Murphy confirmed the county's contract with Flock Safety, prompting residents to warn the cameras could create a searchable surveillance dragnet.

A Detroit News analysis found about one in six Michigan lawmakers accepted trips paid by outside groups as the Legislature’s lawmaking hit historic lows. The finding has reignited disclosure debates in Lansing.

A Lansing bill would force cash totals to round down to the nearest nickel as pennies go out of circulation. The change would apply only to cash payments.

Consumers Energy has asked Michigan regulators for roughly $456 million a year more from electricity customers, and Attorney General Dana Nessel says her office will intervene. The filing would fund reliability and clean‑energy projects but has drawn sharp pushback from consumer advocates.

A 4‑3 council vote removed a planned drag story time from Madison Heights' Pride festival; the performer says she'll move her reading to Ypsilanti.

A presidential proclamation retools Section 232 metal tariffs, shifting duties to full product value and adding tiered rates that could deepen costs for Detroit automakers and suppliers.

The Michigan Department of State will mail opt‑out notices and prepaid return forms to people automatically registered during Secretary of State transactions. The mailer explains how to decline registration.

Grosse Pointe school board trustee Sean Cotton sued after a social-media post linked him to the KKK. The case will test Michigan’s updated hate-crimes law in court.

House Democrats refiled a Death With Dignity package in Lansing that would let some terminally ill Michiganders obtain life‑ending prescriptions under strict safeguards. The bills face GOP resistance and pushback from medical groups.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told Fox 2 Detroit she won't run for president in 2028, ending months of speculation and refocusing attention on Michigan's politics.

Michigan Democrats pitched the DNC to place the state in the early 2028 primary window, arguing late‑February timing, voter access and battleground status make it a strategic choice.

A federal appeals panel said anti‑abortion groups and some lawmakers lacked standing to challenge Michigan’s Proposal 3, keeping the voter‑approved amendment intact.