Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.
Feds bust alleged Michigan child predator ‘Handsome Rob’ again
A Clarkston man, who allegedly goes by ‘handsome Rob’ and was previously arrested in a child sex and human trafficking sting operation out of Genesee County, is now accused of distribution of child pornography and receipt and possession of child pornography.
A Homeland Security Investigations special agent based in Detroit said Robert Rhodes Bailey, 37, stated that, “if all law enforcement had was the one video, that he was not worried.” Bailey was arrested back in 2019 by a Michigan task force along with 11 others during a sting operation.
U-M survey finds 60% of local officials believe Michigan is ‘on the wrong track’
A majority of local officials in Michigan say the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new survey from the University of Michigan.
The findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders taken in the spring 2026, and aim to serve as a “vibe check” to compare changing attitudes year-over-year.
While the university itself acknowledges the surveys are steeped in political partisanship — with 65% of this year’s respondents self-identifying as Republicans, 21% identifying as Democrats and 14% as independents — it offers insights into broader trends of political optimism across party lines.
Justin Verlander’s retirement announcement might be the spark the Tigers needed
Sometimes in the sport of baseball you will see a manager purposely try to get an umpire to eject them from a game in hopes of lighting a fire underneath his players who are likely underperforming.
Back in May, the Tigers needed a forest-fire’s worth of manager ejections to get them out of the funk that saw them record an MLB worst 6-22 record and just 81 total hits.
Now in July — with announcement of third base coach Joey Cara’s departure and now, Justin Verlander’s upcoming retirement — this team has been busy, not just on the field, but off of it too.
Michigan man accused of cyberstalking, years of threats tied to New York church
The FBI said a Michigan man and former Cornell University Ph.D. student who was banned from an Ithaca, New York, church is now charged with cyberstalking after what investigators describe as years of harassing and threatening emails aimed at the church’s pastor and two female congregants.
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Detroit said in a federal complaint unsealed June 26, 2026, the case began when a pastor at a church in Ithaca, New York, made a report to the FBI in June of 2025. The pastor said Phillip Benjamin Bonneville, 30, of Macomb had been sending “harassing and threatening emails” to him and two female congregants.
Weather: Storms target Southeast Michigan Thursday before beautiful weekend arrives
It’s another warm and increasingly humid day across Southeast Michigan, but the quiet weather won’t last long. Thunderstorms are expected to develop and become more widespread this afternoon and evening, bringing the potential for isolated severe weather before cooler, drier air arrives for the weekend.
Afternoon temperatures will climb into the upper 80s, while humidity continues to build ahead of an approaching cold front.