GOP

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The committee working to recall Genesee County GOP Chair Matthew Smith from the Davison Board of Education today submitted more than 4,100 election petitions to the Genesee County Clerk’s Office. Phillips said the group expects that the special election is held in May if the petition is approved and deemed sufficient by Genesee County. The committee is also courting possible candidates for the Davison Board of Education position that would be up for grabs in a special election. Smith maintained he was innocent before the guilty plea -- something that caused public distrust in the Davison school board, according to President Karen Conover. The committee, which plans to pursue the recall until Smith is no longer in office, called for Smith to resign from his position on the school board.

Were he alive today, he’d still be hated by those wedded to the status quo. | Opinion

Documents show a group from Michigan attempted to overturn the 2020 election by sending false documents to the state, the courts and the national archives.

As Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress push to protect voting rights on MLK Day, Republicans should answer why they're afraid of voters.

The House GOP leader said there was no information he could provide an investigative committee about what then-President Donald Trump did to stop the Capitol attack.

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Jennifer Kelly, the victim of a threatening phone call from Genesee County GOP Chair Matthew Smith, sent a letter to the judge asking that Smith not be granted the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act statute, which would eventually allow him to remove the misdemeanor from his record. Kelly, the Houghton County clerk, said in a news conference on Thursday that Smith did not properly admit to threatening her during his guilty plea, and therefore he should not be granted the HYTA statute.

The interview was a remarkable commentary on the power dynamics in the GOP -- and its according effort to rewrite the history of Jan. 6.

The anniversary of the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol leads to reflection on a truly dumb day in American history. And things have only gotten dumber since.

The new video gives Republican lawmakers a taste of their own words about the Jan. 6 insurrection.

In total, Washington state footed a $4,361 bill for the state representatives' hotels and flights to the conference.

Almost every poll since late 2020 has shown that large majorities of Republicans believe the election was illegitimate and/or stolen. And evidence to the contrary — even from conservatives and Republicans — has done almost nothing to change that.

What didn't get enough attention this year, but matters moving forward.

Hamdullah Mohib, the onetime national security adviser to former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, says one of Afghan leadership's biggest mistakes was not understanding the near certainty of the United States' decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Far from the North Pole, at the edge of the Sonoran Desert, Secret Santa is about to do some of his best work ever, on the San Carlos Apache Tribal Lands. Correspondent Steve Hartman reports on the anonymous wealthy businessman who is making his annual holiday season trek, giving away $30,000 in hundred-dollar bills to random strangers.

A powerful gas explosion in a sewage system in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, killed at least 12 people and injured 11 others Saturday, police and a health official said. (Dec. 18)

The Senate confirmed Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, to serve as ambassador to Japan by a vote of 48-21.

An employee helps identify and sort empty barrels at the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers storage facility in Laurierville, on December 09, 2021

A $1 billion plan to direct federal coronavirus aid towards COVID-19 testing, address health care worker shortages and make it easier for Michigan residents to obtain monoclonal antibody treatments cleared the Michigan House Tuesday. House Bill 5523, sponsored by state Rep. Julie Calley, R-Portland, would direct more than $500 million towards COVID-19 testing overall, $150.8 million of which would be dedicated to getting test kits to schools. Another $150 million initially included in the plan for school testing will now be included in an end-of-year spending bill to get it to the governor’s desk sooner, according to a spokesperson for House Republicans. House Democrats, who have long called for allocating more of the federal funding available to state lawmakers, called the bill long overdue. Lawmakers are expected to send a separate spending bill to the governor’s desk before breaking for the year.

“[GOP leaders] say they want schools to be open. And this is a way for schools to be open and stay open.” —Chad Livengood, Crain’s Detroit BusinessThat’s because state lawmakers simply haven’t gotten around to passing it along. Listen: Crain’s Detroit Business Senior Editor Chad Livengood discusses the $300 million not being sent to schools to help with COVID -19. GuestChad Livengood is a senior editor with Crain’s Detroit Business. ”[GOP leaders] say they want schools to be open.

The emergence of the new Omicron variant shows that Covid-19 "is not done with us" says WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the opening of a special session of the World Health Assembly. Nations are meeting in Geneva from Monday to Wednesday to discuss an international agreement setting out how to handle the next pandemic -- which experts fear is only a matter of time.

If they succeed, the former president and his backers could pull down some of the guardrails that prevented him from overturning President Biden’s victory, critics say.

The Trump International Hotel is the third-tallest building in the nation's capital

Passengers arrive at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, as Israel shuts its borders to non-residents in a bid to stem the spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, said at Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting that the measure is to protect Israel and to avoid a lockdown within the country.

Switch the beginnings of two words. Plus our Losers’ latest song parodies.

New Hampshire is estimated to receive $1.1 billion for federal-aid highways and $225 million for bridges, according to the White House.

Police believe multiple suspects were involved in the shooting.

It was full steam ahead as talk of politics took center stage during taping of CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters” as GOP powerhouse Susy Avery and Democratic strategist Steve Tobocman, the two outgoing co-chairs of MSU’s Michigan Political...

It was full steam ahead as talk of politics took center stage during taping of CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters” as GOP powerhouse Susy Avery and Democratic strategist Steve Tobocman, the two outgoing co-chairs of MSU’s Michigan Political...

With his presidency on the ropes, Biden felt a new sense of urgency to produce legislative results — and a willingness to accept greater risk in pursuing them.

Voters in Virginia and New Jersey will be choosing governors, and there are closely-watched contests in New York City, Buffalo and Minneapolis.

Election Day is Tuesday, and despite the fact that there won't be presidential or midterm races this year, there are contests across the country that will have major impacts on the future.

Polls close at 7 p.m. in Virginia and at 8 p.m. in New Jersey.

Arguments in the cases involving the Texas law are taking place one month before the Supreme Court hears a dispute over Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban.

The president answered questions from reporters in Rome before departing for a climate summit in Scotland.

The newspaper's editorial board hammered the Republican Florida governor for having “the gall, the nerve, to take a victory lap."

KALAMAZOO, MI — A Jeep crashed on the entrance to northbound U.S. 131 from Drake Road, the Oshtemo Township Fire Department reports. The department notified the public of the crash about noon on Friday, Oct. 29. The ramp appeared to be partially blocked during the response. Roads are slippery, the department said, asking people to drive with caution. Local officials point to GOP clerk who promoted QAnon theories.

A Michigan group has raised $2.5 million from a liberal nonprofit to fight a Republican-backed ballot drive that would toughen voter ID requirements, ban the unsolicited mailing of absentee ballot applications and make other election changes.

His dead wife's ballot was sent in with a signature that matched county records. Hartle had claimed the ballot was never delivered to their house.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., tweeted out a video that appeared to show House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., sleeping during a congressional hearing Thursday.

John Scott will oversee Texas elections, including Abbott’s reelection race for governor.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan House passed GOP-backed bills to add rules to Michigan’ voter ID rules this week, even as top election officials say the state’s system to catch voter fraud already works. And as the state’s independent redistricting commission gets closer to crafting the final versions of Michigan’s new political maps, Detroit-area lawmakers slammed the initial draft maps put forward this week. They argued the maps, as drawn, would disenfranchise Black voters and make it harder to elect Black lawmakers.

The run to be the next governor of Michigan is heating up, especially on the Republican side.

Scrambling to overcome his own mistake, the GOP candidate in the Virginia gubernatorial race invents a claim against his opponent.

West said he will most likely have to be hospitalized after his oxygen levels dropped and x-rays showed pneumonia.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that lawmakers have reached a deal on a short-term debt ceiling increase.

Twice now, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has used fellow Republican Gov. Brad Little's absences to enact policies that he opposes.

Mr. Biden will travel to Howell, Michigan, and visit a training facility for the International Union of Operating Engineers.

HOLLAND, MI -- A rally outside a Holland restaurant that recently reopened after defying earlier COVID restrictions brought out GOP candidates and others, many with hopes of reining in state authority used for pandemic-related mandates. The event at Marlena’s Bistro and Pizzeria was deemed a “grand reopening” even though Marlena Pavlos-Hackney officially reopened her restaurant Sept. 21. Throughout the winter, the restaurant was open for in-person dining against state restrictions because of COVID-19. Related: Jailed Michigan restaurant owner wins freedomSaturday’s rally attracted various GOP candidates for governor and other offices, including Michigan’s 3rd congressional district and Michigan’s 6th congressional district. More from MLive3 reasons why early fall color shows an eye-popping October coming to Michigan‘Before You Go’ ArtPrize 2021 grand prize winner draws crowds

One person was killed and 14 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at a supermarket.

The 74th Annual Tony Awards will return on Sunday, September 26.

One person was killed and 14 others were wounded after a gunman opened fire at a Kroger supermarket in Collierville, Tennessee.

A look at the history of shutdown and debt ceiling fights.

A Georgia businesswoman announced on Wednesday that she is waging a GOP primary challenge against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The investigation included 30 hours of public hearing, witness testimony from nearly 90 people, more than 400 pages of testimony and subpoenaed key documents from Secretary of State and municipal governments.

The campaign finance complaint argues the plane cost falls outside an incidental office expense and that the trip was personal.

A restrictive voting bill in Texas that was on the verge of reaching Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk failed to pass Sunday night after Democrats walked out of the House chamber before a midnight deadline.

State Rep. Matthew Maddock is no stranger to conspiracy theories and lies about both the election and pandemic.

The group’s members include former governors, members of Congress, presidential advisors and party officials who all agree the Republican Party needs to be fixed of challenged by a new party entirely.

Multiple COVID data points are severe enough that under a bill passed in the Michigan’s Republican-controlled Senate, the data would trigger a shutdown of indoor dining.

The company at the center of unproven claims of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. General Election is now going after a former Michigan state senator.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents censured Regent Ron Weiser on Friday for his comments against Michigan lawmakers.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has billions of dollars in federal COVID relief to spend. The GOP Legislature has made a series of bills spending it, but a large piece of that $4.2 billion comes with strings attached. READ: Michigan Legislature nears passing $4.2B in virus aid without deal$2 billion goes to education, which means an additional $450 per student, as well as millions more for summer school and student health. About $840 million is tied to moving the power from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to local health departments when making decisions when it comes to in-person education and high school sports. Another $2.3 billion would give millions in aid to businesses, renters, hazard pay for care workers and more, but it ties $347 million for COVID testing to limiting the amount of time the health department restrictions can stay in place to 28 days.

that allegedly involved national GOP Party Chair Ronna McDaniel after Weiser allegedly called McDaniel. She is also mentioned in a similar pay-off scheme during her run for Michigan GOP Chair, also allegedly organized by Weiser. Michigan’s GOP elected the new leadership amid party infighting and accusations of illegal activity. One involved an alleged $200,000 pay-off for a candidate to drop out of a race that allegedly involved national GOP Party Chair Ronna McDaniel after Weiser allegedly called McDaniel. She is also mentioned in a similar pay-off scheme during her run for Michigan GOP Chair, also allegedly organized by Weiser.

Ron Weiser, chairman of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. DETROIT – University of Michigan Board of Regents member Ronald Weiser was elected to Michigan’s GOP chair during Saturday’s virtual Michigan Republican Party 2021 Convention. AdWeiser had been the Michigan GOP chair from 2009-2011 and 2017-2019. Ambassador to Slovakia under President George W. Bush from 2001-2005 and has been on the University of Michigan Board of Regents since 2016. The rest of Saturday’s election results can be read on the Michigan GOP website here.

On Friday night, a few dozen people gathered to remember 12-year-old, Phoebe Elliot, at the St. John Lutheran Church in Taylor. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 566,630 as of Friday, including 14,797 deaths, state officials report. On Thursday, the state reported a total of 565,251 cases and 14,778 deaths. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 68,700 on Thursday -- near the lowest it’s been since November. AdNew Today: Coronavirus in Michigan: Here’s what to know Feb. 6, 2021Here’s a look at more of the data:

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)LANSING, Mich. – Democratic Michigan officials are taking action against attorneys who supported former President Donald Trump and his campaign in their effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Nessel filed a motion for sanctions against Michigan attorneys Greg Rohl, Scott Hagerstrom and Stefanie Junttila and Texas attorney Sidney Powell -- a close Trump ally. Filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the motion seeks to recover attorneys fees of about $11,000. Now-President Joe Biden won the 2020 election with 306 electoral votes, beating Trump’s 232. AdClick here to view the motion for sanctions filed on behalf of Whitmer and Benson on Thursday, or read it in the document below.

LANSING, Mich. – The annual State of the State address went online Wednesday night, an address like no other due to the pandemic. “My mission is to find common ground so we can emerge from this crisis stronger than ever,” Whitmer said. Whitmer seeks common ground, virus relief in State of State“I know you’re used to me saying ‘fix the damn roads.’ This year, let’s fix the damn road ahead and let’s find common ground to grow our economy,” she said. Whitmer did not mention the House GOP plan in her address. State Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton), who sits on Appropriations, said her colleagues are ready to go.

In this Oct. 14, 2020 file photo, Michigan's 3rd District Congressional Republican candidate Peter Meijer speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A newly elected Michigan Republican congressman who voted to impeach President Donald Trump is already drawing a GOP opponent for the 2022 race. Tom Norton, a Trump supporter, said he will challenge Rep. Peter Meijer in the Republican primary in the Grand Rapids area. Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He said he knew his vote could create a backlash among Republicans. “If someone’s in office and looking over their shoulder the whole time, they’re probably not going to be making decisions within the best interests of their constituents,” Meijer said.

Most notably, the order allows restaurants to resume indoor dining services on Feb. 1, in addition to allowing movie theaters and casinos to reopen concessions and more. Read: Michigan restaurants can officially reopen Feb. 1 with curfew, other COVID safety restrictionsMichigan business owners, employees and patrons alike have waited months for the good news -- but it doesn’t come without stipulations. Under the new order, restaurants must operate indoor dining services at only 25 percent capacity, sit six people or less at a table and follow a 10 p.m. curfew. More: MDHHS announces next COVID order, revising rules for Michigan restaurants, stadiums, gatheringsThe Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is calling the state’s loosened restrictions overdue. Whitmer’s office is hoping that people take the precautions seriously this time around to avoid the need to shut down indoor dining again.

DETROIT – Members of Michigan’s House of Representatives want to remove a Republican colleague from office for attending the rally in Washington, D.C. that preceded the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building that left five dead. RELATED: ‘They didn’t care if they hurt people’ -- Michigan lawmakers react to deadly DC riotsRep. Matt Maddock and his wife Meshawn are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump and have tried to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Michigan. Matt Maddock and Meshawn -- who is expected to become the next Republican Party Co-Chair -- spent much of Thursday in closed-door meetings. Matt Maddock was sworn into the Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday. “What we are seeing play out across our country right now is deeply concerning,” Whitmer said.

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Joined by Michigan Rep. Fred Upon, Meijer was one of only 10 Republican House representatives to support the second impeachment of President Donald Trump on Jan. 13. “At the end of the day, this was a vote of conscience,” Meijer said during an interview on MSNBC Thursday morning. Just last spring, a group of armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol Building and yelled at members of security outside the legislative chambers to be let inside. The Michigan Capitol Commission has unanimously voted to ban the open carry of firearms inside the building, but some officials argue that new rule is not enough to protect the Capitol and those working inside.

President Donald Trump is set to present one of the nation's highest civilian honors to Nunes. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Monday presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to one of his most outspoken congressional allies, California Rep. Devin Nunes, as he looks to reward loyalists with just over two weeks left in his term. Nunes, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, has been an ardent backer of Trump's during probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the president's 2019 impeachment by the Democratic-led House. In a statement, the White House credited Nunes with uncovering “the greatest scandal in American history," referencing Nunes' efforts to discredit the Russia investigation. U.S. intelligence agencies and multiple congressional committees concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the aim of boosting Trump’s candidacy.

The group says that if the 10-day audit isn’t granted, they will object to the Electoral College votes that have declared Biden the president-elect. Michigan Republicans are joining the last-ditch effort to overturn the election results. More than 100 Republican House members from the so-called Kraken Caucus are also expected to object to the presidential election results next week. This week, Democratic Senator Gary Peters called objections to the election results deliberate attempts to undermine trust in American elections. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped.

Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at 4:Trump’s $2,000 checks all but dead as GOP Senate refuses aidPresident Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks all but died Wednesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative approach of loading up the bill with other White House priorities that appeared destined to fail.

President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Twitter early Sunday morning -- and she was not having it. https://t.co/9OXZOujVtE — Dana Nessel (@dananessel) December 27, 2020“A patriot is a person who vigorously defends their country against its enemies and detractors. You’re not our type.”Nessel followed up with another tweet Sunday, saying she doesn’t expect this behavior from President-elect Joe Biden come his inauguration in January. “We’d be asking there be action taken against her law license including potentially disbarment.”In one of the latest filings, the attorney for Wayne County, Robert Davis, called on the federal judge in Michigan’s Eastern District to sanction the lawyers for six Michigan Trump supporters who are suing Gov. With no credible legal options remaining and the Electoral College having confirmed Biden’s victory earlier this month, Trump is turning his attention to Jan. 6.

Here’s what’s coming up on Local 4 News at 4:GOP blocks $2,000 checks as Trump leaves COVID aid in chaos -- What to knowThose stimulus checks are in jeopardy after the House failed to advance a plan to give $2,000 to most Americans this morning. Lawmakers were brought back to square 1 because of a surprise demand from President Trump.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Gary Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term after he made comments during a radio interview on Monday. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson and others on the Oversight committee, Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Electoral College. Because of that, Rep. Eisen has been removed from his committee assignments for the rest of the term. Our group, who will also be at the Capitol today to request to be seated as electors, intends to participate in our democracy peacefully. Rep. Gary EisenREAD: Michigan State House and Senate offices close Monday during Electoral College vote

LANSING, Mich. – Eight-hundred people signed up to speak and thousands watched as the Michigan Board of State Canvassers met in Lansing to vote on whether to certify election results. After Michigan certified, the Biden campaign received a letter from the General Services Administration (GSA) that the Trump Administration is ready to begin the formal transition process. Read more: Board ends controversy over Michigan election after certifying resultsThe Michigan Board of State Canvassers ended the controversy over the November election Monday afternoon. It voted 3-0 to certify the election results with one abstention. There were circulating rumors that both Republican Board of State Canvassers members were considering voting no and delaying the certification.

DETROIT – A group of Detroit voters are now suing the Trump Campaign, claiming it’s trying to disenfranchise Black voters in their attempt to block the certification of votes in Wayne County. The lawsuit Anthony is talking about is 18 pages long. The plaintiffs are several local Detroit voters, along with the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization. They are suing Donald Trump and his campaign, claiming they’re trying to disenfranchise Black voters by trying to block the certification of votes in Wayne County. And we hired Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”You can read the entire lawsuit filed against Trump and his campaign by the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and Detroit residents here.

DETROIT – The envoy of Michigan Republican lawmakers who traveled to the White House Friday for a controversial meeting with President Donald Trump returned home Saturday. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey refused to answer questions despite releasing a statement the day before. There were also photos of Chatfield and several other Michigan Republicans drinking inside Trump Hotel while seated at a table. The State Board of Canvassers meets Monday to vote on certifying the state election. Since the presidential election Republican leaders have made allegations of voter fraud without substantial evidence.

DETROIT – Three Detroit voters have joined a local organization in suing President Trump and his campaign over their effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Wayne County Board of Canvassers certifies results despite initial deadlockThe lawsuit comes days after two GOP members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially voted not to certify the votes, citing discrepancies in the county’s numbers. The pair changed their minds again, however, after President Trump called them personally on Tuesday evening after the certification process. Still, some argue that their meeting with the president so close to the state’s certification meeting is concerning. We expect the State Board of Canvassers to do its job and count the votes.”The Michigan Board of State Canvassers is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. on Monday.

Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at 5:GOP canvassers say presidential election played no role in attempt to change votesThe two GOP canvassing board members that set a chain of events off are speaking out on Friday for the first time. They said the presidential election played no role in their decision, despite getting a phone call from president Trump.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. What we know about President Trump’s meeting with two Michigan GOP lawmakersMichigan Senate majority leader Mike Shirkey and House speaker Lee Chatfield are expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House Friday. It’s an extraordinary move as the Trump Campaign continues to attempt to stop Michigan from certifying the election results.

There has been some suggestion from a few GOP activists that the state legislative leadership could change the state’s electors. Pfizer seeking emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in USPfizer said Friday it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic -- but not until after a long, hard winter. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 285,398 as of Thursday, including 8,324 deaths, state officials report. New COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Michigan. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 130,000 on Wednesday, near its highest mark on record.

Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at 5:GOP canvassing board members try to change votes after call from president -- What we knowThere’s an old legal theory you can’t unring a bell. Yet, that appears to be what these two Wayne County Board of Commissioners are trying to do. They want to un-vote to stop the certification they approved two nights ago.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. America’s Thanksgiving Parade will be a virtual production this yearThis year’s theme is “We Are One Together.” The parade will honor frontline workers and heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade will include floats, performers, helium balloons and Santa.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Wayne County Board of Canvassers certifies election results after GOP refusalThe Wayne County Board of Canvassers unanimously voted to certify the November election results Tuesday and asked the Michigan Secretary of State to conduct an audit of any Wayne County precincts with unexplained mismatching vote totals.

Here’s what’s coming up on Local 4 News at 11:GOP members of Wayne County Board of Canvassers reverse vote, approve election certificationThe board was initially deadlock with a 2-2 split along the party line Tuesday.

A Wayne County judge has denied a motion from Republican challengers to halt certification of Detroit election results. In a ruling issued Friday, Wayne County Judge Timothy Kenny said plaintiffs' interpretation of events at TCF Center were “incorrect and not credible.”“Plaintiffs' affiants did not have full understanding of TCF absent ballot tabulation.” Judge Kenny denied all motions, including one for an independent audit. Previous: Hundreds provide testimonies -- but no real evidence -- in Trump campaign lawsuit to stop certification of Michigan election resultsThere is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Kenny twice has turned down injunctions in Wayne County, a Democratic stronghold. Those who submitted affidavits questioned ballot transportation and most often were either not allowed to enter or saw others not allowed to enter.

DETROIT – Hoping to halt a statewide certification of Michigan election results, the latest lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s campaign submitted hundreds of claims asserting GOP poll watchers were excluded from counting rooms or saw illegal activity in the count in the state. The Trump campaign is suing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson along with the Wayne County and the Michigan Board of Canvassers, which are in charge of reviewing elections. Inside the lawsuit are 234 pages of affidavits from people claiming to have been Republican poll watchers who witnessed or were told about misconduct by mostly Detroit ballot counters. Both the Trump and Joe Biden campaigns have started asking Michigan voters specifically to help fund these upcoming legal battles. Democrats have already asked to be part of the Court of Claims appeal, opposing the Trump campaign.

Here is an interactive map showing Nov. 3, 2020 General Election results by Arizona county. Why AP called Arizona for Biden:The Associated Press has declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner in Arizona, flipping a longtime GOP state that President Donald Trump won in 2016. With 80% of the expected vote counted, Biden was ahead by 5 percentage points, with a roughly 130,000-vote lead over Trump with about 2.6 million ballots counted. The remaining ballots left to be counted, including mail-in votes in Maricopa County, where Biden performed strongly, were not enough for Trump to catch up to the former vice president. More interactive election results maps:Here is a look at the nationwide results map:Balance of Power:

DETROIT – People representing both the GOP and the Democratic Party gathered at the TCF Center in Detroit on Wednesday to demand access to the room in which General Election ballots are still being counted. Under Michigan law, a number of individuals are allowed to observe the ballot-counting process to ensure transparency. That is still allowed during the 2020 presidential election, but there are more restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The number of “watchers” allowed to partake in the process has been limited. There is no evidence of any nefarious activity in Michigan, as ballot counting delays were expected, given the massive increase in absentee voting.

There is no evidence of any nefarious activity in Michigan, as ballot counting delays were expected, given the massive increase in absentee voting. The latest vote counts in Michigan and Wisconsin gave Biden a small lead in those states, but it was still too early to call the races. Top advisers for both Biden and Trump on Wednesday morning expressed confidence that they respectively had the likelier path to victory in the outstanding states. Trump picked up Florida, the largest of the swing states, while Biden flipped Arizona, a state that has reliably voted Republican in recent elections. You can review the official complaint filed Wednesday on behalf of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.Latest on local and national races

Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 emergency orders struck down by the Michigan Supreme Court, GOP lawmakers are stepping in and offering their own potential response plan. Much like Whitmer’s response, lawmakers say theirs also relies on data -- but there is one key difference. The lawmakers suggest changing the COVID-19 response plans from what they believe to be a “one size fits all” model, and instead are using specific data to address the virus county by county. We used public health experts and doctors to formulate a plan that works for Michigan,” said Rep. Greg VanWoerkom (MI-91). Under the new plan, officials say local residents and small businesses would have more of a say in what’s being done to address COVID-19 in their area.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has signed a bill to fund the government through Dec. 11, averting the possibility of a government shutdown when the new fiscal year starts Thursday. Trump signed the bill, which was approved by sweeping bipartisan agreement Wednesday, into law early Thursday morning shortly after returning from campaigning in Minnesota. The measure would keep the government running through Dec. 11 and passed by a 84-10 vote. The House passed the bill last week. The legislation — called a continuing resolution, or CR, in Washington-speak — would keep every federal agency running at current funding levels through Dec. 11, which will keep the government afloat past an election that could reshuffle Washington’s balance of power.

AUSTIN, Texas – Former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul posted a picture of himself in a hospital Friday but said he was OK after video circulated online of him struggling to speak during an interview. The 85-year-old former Texas congressman, who ran for president three times, posted a picture on Facebook showing him smiling in a hospital gown and giving a thumbs-up. The post came after a video took off on social media showing Paul having trouble speaking during an appearance on his livestreamed show “Ron Paul Liberty Report.” The video cuts away to the interviewer as Paul struggles. Paul is the father of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., whose office did not immediately return a message Friday. He faced an electorate frustrated by a weak economy and two wars, and saw his once outsider views become more mainstream.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks in mid-Michigan on Thursday -- one day after former Vice President Joe Biden plans to visit the state. President Trump will speak in Freeland at 7 p.m. on Thursday at airport hangar Avflight Saginaw. The news of Trumps visit comes just after it was announced that former Vice President Joe Biden will also be visiting Michigan on Wednesday. He is the Democratic partys presidential nominee for the 2020 General Election. More: 2020 General Election coverage

WASHINGTON The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month, without members of the press present, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention said on Saturday, citing the coronavirus. If the GOP decision stands, it will be the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters. The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention. ___Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

ATLANTA Herman Cain, former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of a major pizza chain who went on to become an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has died of complications from the coronavirus. For many, many businesses like mine, the cost of your plan is simply a cost that will cause us to eliminate jobs, Cain told Clinton. Less than two years later, Cain was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in his colon that had spread to his liver. Thats when I prayed and prayed and prayed," Cain told an audience of young Republicans in Atlanta. Romney tweeted, Saddened that Herman Caina formidable champion of business, politics and policyhas lost his battle with Covid.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has canceled segments of the Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month, citing a flare-up of the coronavirus. To have a big convention is not the right time," Trump said of Jacksonville. Trump moved parts of the GOP convention to Florida last month amid a dispute with North Carolinas Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with maskless supporters. But those plans were steadily scaled back as virus cases spiked in Florida and much of the country over the last month. A small subset of GOP delegates will still gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, to formally renominate Trump on Aug. 24.