In today's newsletter, Michigan’s second tallest skyscraper reaches major construction milestone, man alleging $2.5M loss from Michigan football ticket resale rules sues in lower court and Michigan car dealer and poker champ charged in $3.9M fraud after alleged abduction. |
Spring vacation season is almost here |
With warmer weather and spring break right around the corner, it feels like the perfect time to start making plans for vacation. You don't have to travel out of the country to have a spectacular trip—two popular vacation spots in Michigan were just nominated for USA Today 10Best "Best Historic Small Town" award. Ludington is currently ranked at No. 4 and Mackinac Island at No. 7, among 20 nominees. If you plan on venturing out on your own this vacation season, check out these six tips for first-time solo travelers from a Michigan travel coach. |
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A horse-drawn carriage leaves the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich. on Friday, May 17, 2024. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com) |
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US Trade War kicks off, 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico take effect |
President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States' North American allies. Starting just past midnight Tuesday, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%, and Beijing retaliated Tuesday with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would slap tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days. Mexico didn’t immediately detail any retaliatory measures. Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, said he “intends to put a 25% surcharge on electricity exported” to states including Michigan in response to U.S. tariffs on Canada, The New York Times reported. |
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Your 2025 tax refund could be larger than you think, latest IRS numbers show payments are up |
Higher refunds: The IRS reports the average tax refund in 2025 is up $240 through the week ending Feb. 21. More than 42 million returns have been processed so far with the average refund coming in at $3,453. That represents a 7.5 percent increase when compared to the same time last year. The average direct deposit refund is coming in at $3,505, an increase of 7.1 percent compared to 2024. Kent County officials are warning property owners about illegal schemes targeting those facing tax delinquency or foreclosure proceedings as property tax deadlines approach. Homeowners, especially seniors and vulnerable residents, are being targeted with false promises of assistance, only to be stripped of their home equity, ownership rights or additional funds. As the cost of groceries continues to climb, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon says customer spending habits indicate the rising costs are significantly hurting shoppers. In particular, those at the lower end of the income scale appear to be having the biggest issue toward the end of the month. |
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Michigan’s second tallest skyscraper reaches major construction milestone |
New heights: The Hudson’s Detroit Tower is the largest ground-up development in the last 50 years in Motor City and it just reached a major milestone. The final glass panel has been installed on the Hudson’s Detroit tower exterior. This marks the completion of its façade. At 681-feet high, it’s second in height in Michigan to the Renaissance Center, which is 727 feet. Closing: Advance Auto Parts said it plans to shutter stores and distribution centers last week, confirming plans announced in November 2024. Approximately 500 corporate stores, 200 independent locations and four distribution centers will be closed by mid-2025 as part of a “restructuring plan.” Two Michigan locations, one in Battle Creek and another in Wyoming, will be closed. On recall: Thousands of highchairs are being recalled for suffocation and entrapment dangers, which can be deadly, federal officials said. Costway is recalling 4,400 Babyjoy collapsible highchairs that violate federal safety regulations, according to the recall posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. |
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Man alleging $2.5M loss from Michigan football ticket resale rules sues in lower court |
A Michigan football ticket holder and reseller alleging changes to the program’s season ticket policy will cost him at least $2.5 million in lost revenue refiled his claims in state court. Kevin Brick and his North Carolina-based ticket resale company Maxim Tickets, Inc. has sued the university for deceiving and misleading the company into donating millions to UM and abruptly changing the policy without notice, according to a Feb. 28 complaint filed in the Michigan Court of Claims. College football news: Mark Dantonio, the winningest coach in Michigan State history on Tuesday was announced one of five new members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. His three-year term will start this spring. Trailblazer: A woman is set to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time since 2018. Live Fast Motorsports announced that Katherine Legge will race in the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 9. She will drive the No. 78 Droplight Chevy Camaro in what will be her Cup Series debut. |
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Michigan car dealer, poker champ charged in $3.9M fraud after alleged abduction |
Finding the facts: In late 2023, the owner of a Bay City car dealership vanished for more than a month. When he turned up on a rural roadside, bloodied and zip-tied, he claimed he’d been abducted by a Mexican cartel that had been extorting him for years. However, the kidnapping may have been a smokescreen, fabricated by the abductee to cover his multimillion-dollar auto loan scheme. A former church leader will stand trial on 60 charges related to sexual abuse after a Washtenaw County judge added 30 more counts based on preliminary testimony. Michigan tribal leaders say they won’t pay hackers to recover stolen data after an attack that closed five casinos in the Upper Peninsula. Kewadin Casinos in Manistique, Christmas, Hessel, Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace closed on Feb. 10 after the attack on Feb. 9. The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians began reopening its casinos Wednesday. |
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I hope your Wednesday is off to a great start. As always, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber. See you tomorrow! - Cara Hackett |
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Ready for positive, feel-good coverage of life in the Mitten? Curated from our best travel, outdoor, food, entertainment, photos and videos - immerse yourself in the place we love and the place we call home. Explore new dining, cabin rentals or how to view the next meteor shower. Join MLive․com's Tanda Gmiter and the Life & Culture team every week. Your next adventure is waiting! Sign up here. There's one caveat: This is an exclusive newsletter for MLive.com's loyal subscribers. Not a subscriber? That's OK. You can receive a few weeks of the newsletter as a free trial. Click here to sign up. |
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