“No Kings” protest organizers called Trump’s parade an abuse of taxpayer funds

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Morning Briefing

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2025

In today's newsletter, changes coming after energy audit, chilly Great Lakes waters block heat and Great Lakes piping plovers break record for nesting pairs.

Check out the new champions

High school baseball, softball and girls soccer all held state finals over the weekend. MLive was there to cover it all.

 

The MHSAA 2025 softball season culminated in four champions lifting up the trophy on the Michigan State campus on Saturday. Saline, Richmond, Grass Lake and Mendon capped off the season at the top with their wins at Secchia Stadium. Baseball season came to an end on the same campus with Hartland, Forest Hills Eastern, Traverse St. Francis and Portland St. Patrick as the winners.

 

The MHSAA 2025 girls soccer season wrapped up as well. Byron Center, Hudsonville Unity Christian, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Kalamazoo Christian were crowned champions.

 

Speaking of crowns, Miss Spirit of the State Hannah Palmer, of Brighton, won the 2025 Miss Michigan scholarship competition.

Curated by Jamie Rewerts

A man holds a megaphone in front of a crowd

Protesters march down Vernor Highway after a “No Kings” protest at Clark Park in Detroit on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com)

Thousands gather for "No Kings" protests across Michigan

President Donald Trump was the focus of several ”No Kings" protests that took place across Michigan (Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing and more) and nationwide on Saturday, June 14, 2025. The demonstrations were organized by Democratic Party leaders, local chapters of the anti-Trump Indivisible movement and others in response to Trump’s plans to celebrate his 79th birthday and the Army’s 250th birthday with a military parade with tanks in the street in Washington, D.C.

“No Kings” protest organizers called Trump’s parade an abuse of taxpayer funds to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, arguing the money instead should go to programs like Social Security, SNAP, Medicaid or public schools. More broadly, the protests were billed as a nationwide day of defiance and rejection of authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and militarization of democracy.

 

More in politics: Several political leaders across the state have released statements in response to the targeted shootings of two Minnesota State Legislators.

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Changes coming after audit exposes why Consumers, DTE have major outage problems

Michigan’s two largest utilities will be expected to use a deep-dive audit of their outage-prone grids as a roadmap to improve historically poor electric reliability for more than four million customers across much of the state.

 

On Thursday, June 12, state regulators with the Michigan Public Service Commission ordered both Consumers Energy and DTE Energy to evaluate ramping up tree trimming along power lines, better protect the public from dangerous downed wires and address maintenance backlogs.

 

‘Finally justice’: In early June, a jury ruled in favor of five Guatemalan men who accused a Michigan farm labor contractor of violating anti-trafficking laws, wage theft and breaching contract.

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See how chilly Great Lakes waters bully Michigan’s summer-lovers

Even the weather models show how the cold water of the Great Lakes influence Michigan’s temperatures. Many of us are ready for summer temperatures, but the Great Lakes want to hold that heat back. The Great Lakes water temperatures aren’t much colder than normal right now, but they are still cold compared to the air temperatures of this time of year.

 

Heart of tornado, derecho season coming: The time of year combined with the upcoming weather pattern may bring Michigan several severe weather outbreaks. Here’s how those storm bursts could occur.

 

Discovered in Berrien County: State officials confirmed Michigan’s first detection of the Asian longhorned tick, an invasive pest which carries disease and presents a major risk to cattle.

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Millions of dollars in cuts to MSU, University of Michigan part of GOP’s revised plan

To know: The Michigan House walked back huge, sweeping funding cuts for most of the state’s public universities in its budget passed. The revised plan from House Republicans maintains major funding cuts to Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, while redirecting those funds to provide sizable increases to the state’s 13 other public universities.

 

Higher cost: Michigan State University will raise tuition by $798 annually for most undergraduate students for the 2025-26 academic year. That translates to an increase of 5% percent for in-state freshman, 4.8% for in-state sophomores, 4.3% for in-state upperclassmen and 1.8 percent for out-of-state and international students.

 

In transportation: Michigan drivers should plan for new construction delays this week. More than 70 road projects and special events will begin between Sunday, June 15, and Saturday, June 21, requiring various levels of closures on the state’s primary roads, according to MDOT.

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Great Lakes piping plovers break record for nesting pairs – again

Multiple chicks: Great Lakes piping plovers are getting busy replenishing the species’ numbers. On June 13, conservation officials confirmed this year is a record-breaking nesting season for the federally endangered shorebird. The species’ recovery team reported that wildlife monitors counted 82 pairs of Great Lakes piping plovers across its range this spring. 

 

Delicious: June doesn’t just mean warmer temperatures and flowers blooming. It’s strawberry season on the shores of Lake Michigan. While ripening times vary, strawberries are primarily available for picking in Southwest Michigan from early June through the end of the month. You can pick your own fresh strawberries at several farms near the shore.

 

In the U.P.: Pictured Rocks offers a guided hike on the Sand Point Marsh Trail. According to NPS, it's one of the best places in the park for birding. The wetlands are also home to frogs, turtles and even beavers.

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Welcome to a new week. 

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- Jamie Rewerts

 

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