Michigan Toss-Ups Could Tip House

Michigan’s 4th, 7th, and 10th U.S. House districts are rated toss-ups that could help decide which party controls the House after the Nov. 3 elections.

The priciest is mid-Michigan’s 7th, where Republican Rep. Tom Barrett faces Democrat Will Lawrence. Ad spending there is nearing $60 million, and analysts call the seat a bellwether for the House.

In the open 10th around Macomb County, Republican Michael Bouchard Jr. and Democrat Christina Hines are running for the seat John James gave up to run for governor. In western Michigan’s 4th, Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga faces Democratic state Sen. Sean McCann.

Nationally, Republicans hold a four-seat House majority, and Cook Political Report rates all three districts as toss-ups. Republicans currently hold seven of Michigan’s 13 House seats.

Muskegon Heights Corruption Probe Widens

Two Muskegon Heights City Council members were charged this week in an ongoing public-corruption probe.

Council member Derrick Collins is accused of buying city-owned property while in office without disclosing his interest or recusing himself from the vote, and council member Lashae Simmons is charged with willful neglect of duty. Investigators reviewed more than 7,000 digital items, and the case remains open.

The charges came hours after Mayor Bonnie McGlothin forfeited her office for missing three straight council meetings, a separate matter under the city charter. She had led the city since 2023.

State police conducted the months-long investigation with help from the DEA, FBI, and IRS. Shawnderrick Roberson, the city’s former fire chief and interim manager, was previously charged with drug and tax evasion offenses. The charges against Collins and Simmons remain allegations, and neither has been convicted.

Untangling Child Care Funding Streams

Michigan has released a report mapping how child care providers can combine at least six funding streams so more children can access care and preschool.

The report, The Early Childhood Funding Puzzle, maps how money from Head Start, the Great Start Readiness Program, child care scholarships, and a federal food program can be blended to serve the same children and braided to cover program expenses. Providers can face more than a thousand possible funding combinations.

The state has already updated its funding guidance, giving Great Start programs more flexibility and creating a waiver process to better align requirements with Head Start. Officials say steadier, better-coordinated funding can help providers on thin margins stay open and keep classrooms stable for families.

The report, developed by the Policy Equity Group with state and Kresge Foundation support, draws on Detroit’s Marygrove Early Education Center and maps longer-term fixes.

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➤ Statewide: Michigan Democrats want TV stations to pull a John James campaign ad funded by a $1.8 million state GOP contribution, alleging it violates campaign finance laws. James’ campaign says a June Supreme Court ruling allows the spending. (See Details)

➤ Also Statewide: Michigan’s 2026 measles total rose to 20 cases after a new Delta County outbreak, part of a national surge that has pushed U.S. cases past 4,500, more than double last year’s count. (See Details)

➤ Oakland County: MDOT expects to reopen westbound I-696 between M-10 and I-75 by early December, ending roughly two years of closures and detours. (More)

➤ Pontiac: Voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to let the city borrow up to $75 million in bonds to rebuild neighborhood streets, many not repaved in more than 40 years. (More)

➤ Crawford County: A Grayling jail inmate, Casey Jo Helsel, escaped through a propped-open door Monday and was later recaptured in a nearby swamp after state police spotted him with a thermal camera. The sheriff’s office is reviewing its procedures. (More)

➤ Grand Rapids: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the Downtown Market on Monday and praised Corewell Health for improving hospital meals with fresh, locally grown food, drinks without added sugar, and sustainably sourced proteins. (Read Story)

➤ Flint: The University of Michigan-Flint earned Michigan’s highest veteran-friendly school designation for the 12th straight year, recognizing its support for military-connected students. Veteran enrollment rose 11.2% this fall to 278 students. (More)

➤ Eaton County: Sheriff’s officials warned of scammers using AI-generated images of fake deputies near cryptocurrency machines and spoofed phone numbers to demand bogus payments. Authorities say real deputies never demand payment by phone. (See Details)

➤ The Pistons entered Tuesday’s road game against the winless Knicks with a perfect 3-0 record, though center Jalen Duren was expected to miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, while Ausar Thompson was questionable with an ankle injury. (More)

➤ Michigan football sits at 4-3 and needs two more wins to become bowl eligible. ESPN and CBS Sports project a Cactus Bowl matchup against Cincinnati, while Sports Illustrated favors the Music City Bowl against South Carolina. (More)

➤ Michigan State athletics is planning a football rebuild supported by a historic $401 million donor commitment, with goals to reach the Big Ten’s top third in roster spending and pursue a $500 million Spartan Stadium renovation. (See Details)

➤ Captain Rowdy, Boyne City High School’s mascot, reached the final eight in the national America’s Best High School Mascot contest, with voting for that round closing yesterday. (Read Story)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ Motor City Ice, backed by three Metro Detroit families, invested more than $15 million to convert a former Forgotten Harvest facility in Oak Park into an automated ice plant, creating 50 jobs. (See Details)

➤ Bradford White’s more than 1,300 striking UAW Local 1002 workers will vote Sunday on the Middleville water-heater maker’s “best and final” contract offer after rejecting an earlier deal. It’s the plant’s first strike since 1978. (More)

➤ Tribe Development has begun construction on a nearly $9 million artisan market and event space in Detroit’s Bagley neighborhood, with space for 20 small businesses. A separate 38-unit affordable housing project is under construction across the street. (See Details)

➤ Grand Vin, a family-run downtown Grand Rapids wine shop, plans to move to the historic 1874 Ledyard Block and expand into a 20-seat wine bar, pending city approval. The Planning Commission will review the proposal Nov. 12. (More)

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➤ NICU babies at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital marked their first Halloween in hand-knit costumes, from pumpkins and candy corn to twin Frankensteins, made by longtime volunteer Valerie Atkinson and knitters from two Monroe groups. (See Photos)

➤ A Lions timeout may have saved Chesterfield Township homeowner Michael Pingel, who left his couch moments before a car crashed through his living room wall, stopping feet from where he’d been sitting. (Read Story)

➤ 85-year-old Lansing-area man Tony Klain teamed up with 11-year-old family friend Riley Haughey to turn her hand-drawn animals, Riley’s Critters, into greeting cards, helping fund her dance classes. (Read Story)

➤ Mount Bohemia, the extreme backcountry ski area on the Keweenaw Peninsula, is Michigan’s only nominee for Best Ski Resort in USA Today’s 10Best contest, a title it last won in 2023. (See List)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ The classic 4% retirement rule got a haircut, and new research is rewriting savings targets. (Listen Now)

➤ ACA premiums are slated for another double-digit jump, and new enrollment rules could slow sign-ups. (Hear Episode)

➤ About 80% of the seafood Americans eat is imported, and the White House has a new strategy to shrink that number. (Hear Details)

When Michigan’s snow starts flying, where will you be?

1. First chair on the slopes
2. Out on the cross-country trails
3. By the fire with cocoa
4. Counting down to spring
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum just reopened. What’s your go-to at the arcade?

1. Not an arcade person: 65%
2. Pinball: 21%
3. Classic video games: 7%
4. Skee-Ball: 6%
5. The claw machine: 1%

In 1935 and 1936, Detroit’s Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings won the World Series, the NFL title, and the Stanley Cup within a single year, a feat no city has matched. What nickname did Detroit earn?

Show me the answer