BG On The Scene

2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaigns at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan

Displays of “Thank You Miggy” and number 24 ahead of the retirement of Detroit Tigers player Miguel Cabrera, following 21 seasons in the MLB, including 16 with Detroit

The scene tonight outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI, following the launch of a strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers (Ford, GM and Stellantis) by the United Auto Workers union after the expiration of contracts tonight without a new agreement This is the first time in UAW history that the union has launched a strike against all three automakers simultaneously

Significant hurricane damage in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, with many homes and structures destroyed in the Gulf Coast community Cleanup efforts are now underway as residents return to town following Hurricane Idalia

Damage, flooding and power outages in Florida today in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall Wednesday morning as a Category 3 Hurricane. This is a look around the communities of Keaton Beach (near where the hurricane first made landfall), Steinhatchee, and nearby areas in Florida’s Big Bend region.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at the Fulton County Jail to surrender following last week’s indictment in Georgia

Several arrests made Sunday at a protest against a proposed new migrant shelter on Staten Island in New York. Hundreds gathered at Midland Beach to protest the proposed converting of a former assisted living facility into a migrant shelter. The proposal comes as the city tries to make accommodations for a large continuous influx of immigrants. Former GOP nominee for NYC Mayor Curtis Sliwa was among the arrestees, after he and others blocked a roadway in front of the site. Sliwa sharply criticized NYC Mayor Eric Adams and government policy decisions related to the current immigration situation. Protesters spoke out against illegal immigration into the United States, with speeches held ahead of the ‘civil disobedience’ action of blocking the roadway. NYPD issued verbal warnings to leave the roadway before making arrests, taking several into custody as they moved to clear protesters from the street.

The Michigan State Capitol Commission has voted to ban weapons inside the Capitol, and new weapons detectors have been installed at entrances to the building Lawmakers have an exemption for concealed carry with a CPL, and Capitol Security and federal law enforcement officers are exempt from the prohibition The new firearm restriction, which the Michigan State Capitol Commission voted unanimously to approve yesterday, comes following an earlier 2021 ban on open carry of firearms enacted shortly after the January 6th Capitol riot in DC The newly-approved ban is the first total weapons ban for the public in the building’s over 144 years of history

Damage in the city of Perry, Michigan after an EF-1 tornado struck on Friday, destroying a city emergency siren and some DPW buildings, and bringing down power lines and trees. No one was injured in the tornado, and cleanup efforts are underway

An MiG-23 fighter jet crashed in Belleville, Michigan on Sunday, following a demonstration on the final day of this year’s Thunder Over Michigan Air Show at Willow Run Airport. The pilot and backseater ejected from the aircraft over Belleville Lake, and the jet crashed at The Waverly on the Lake apartment complex just south of I-94. The aircraft narrowly avoided one of the apartment buildings, instead striking a complex parking lot with unoccupied vehicles, with no injuries reported from the incident. The pilot and backseater were recovered from the lake and taken to a hospital as a precaution, but did not appear to sustain any injuries, according to a statement by the Wayne County Airport Authority.

An AI-driven security robot, dubbed SAM (Special Agent Man), has been deployed at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio. Roaming the sidewalks of the development, the Knightscope robot features thermal imaging and 360-degree video recording, and is being introduced to augment security with the aim of deterring potential incidents

Crowds gather in Ohio ahead of a statewide vote on abortion.

Riot at Union Square in New York earlier this afternoon, where thousands had gathered at a giveaway event by Twitch streamer Kai Cenat. Multiple injuries and arrests occurred, with police also taking Cenat into custody. Multiple area businesses have closed up early for the day

Supporters of Donald Trump and demonstrators against the former President gather outside the federal courthouse in Washington, DC on Thursday, where Trump was arraigned on charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith in his 2020 election/January 6th investigation. Trump plead not guilty to all 4 counts, and his next scheduled court date in the case is set for August 28th.

Senate Office Buildings went into lockdown this afternoon following a 911 call regarding a possible active shooter. Staff were notified to shelter in place, and a large police response ensued, clearing the buildings and evacuating people to the outside. A search of the building found no active shooter or injuries, with U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger saying “this may have been a bogus call.” Staff were allowed to re-enter the building a little under two hours after the initial shelter-in-place notice.

Hazy sky over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan today, as smoke from Canadian wildfires makes its way across the Great Lakes. Parts of Michigan have had some of the worst air quality in the country today. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre listed hundreds of fires as ‘Out of Control’ as of Tuesday, with wildfires burning throughout Canada and sending polluted air across North America.

DHFD firefighters held their annual charity car wash yesterday, some going shirtless for the event as funds were raised going towards causes such as support for burn victims. The car wash was held in conjunction with the Telegraph Cruise, where car enthusiasts gather along Telegraph Road in Taylor and Dearborn Heights as classic vehicles and other unique rides make their way up and down Telegraph Road. The charity car wash was started in 2006, and funds raised yesterday go towards causes including the Great Lakes Burn Camp, which offers a camp and support for children burn victims. This year saw a significant increase in funds raised, following a good weather day and an attention-grabbing promotional social media post featuring several shirtless DHFD firefighters. A steady stream of cars was present throughout the afternoon. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi also came out for the event, held at Fire Station #1 along Telegraph Road.

A Lake State Railway train derailed in Kawkawlin, Michigan on Friday afternoon, with several train cars coming off the track by Old Kawkawlin and Russell Road, just off of M-13. No injuries or hazardous spills have been reported from the incident, the cause of which remains under investigation. The derailment reportedly occurred about 1 pm on Friday here in Bay County, and the railroad crossing in the area remains blocked off until derailed train cars can be removed.

Kyle Rittenhouse speaks to 2nd Amendment supporters gathered in Ionia, Michigan Wednesday for ‘Defend Our 2A: Michigan’s Fight for Self Preservation’, an event featuring 2nd Amendment advocates following the passing of new gun control legislation in the state. Rittenhouse, who was acquitted on all charges stemming from a 2020 shooting during the Kenosha, Wisconsin riots, headlined the event, held at Freedom Farms in Ionia. Other speakers included Mark McCloskey, who along with his wife Patricia received national attention following a June 2020 firearm-bearing incident with Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis; Lucas Gerhard, a former LSSU student who had been charged with making a threat of terrorism from a Snapchat post (he later reached a deal that did not end in a conviction on the charge); Brenden Boudreau, Founder and Executive Director of Great Lakes Gun Rights, and other 2nd Amendment advocates. Around 100 were in attendance for the event, which also featured booths from sponsors, a bouncy house, the Trump Unity Bridge, and a paid VIP meet & greet with Rittenhouse and others following the speeches. The event comes following Michigan Democrats passing new gun control measures, including mandatory background checks, safe storage requirements and a red flag law. The Democratic Party controls both chambers of the Michigan Legislature and the governorship for the first time in decades following the 2022 elections.

Demonstrators out Tuesday morning in New York, following last Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling against race-based affirmative action in higher education and other recent court decisions. Demonstrators with The Church of Stop Shopping gathered outside the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse early on Independence Day, in protest of the SCOTUS decision to restrict the consideration of race in college admissions, effectively overruling decades-old decisions on the issue stemming from prior rulings in 1978 (Regents of the University of California v Bakke) and 2003 (Grutter v Bollinger). In two cases decided last week, Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina, the court ruled that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions processes are unconstitutional. Reverend Billy of the group also cited recent rulings against EPA regulatory power, the overruling of Roe v Wade, and perceived monetary influence over justices on the Court as reasons for the action. Dressed in black, demonstrators waved black flags and sang near the court in Lower Manhattan. The event remained peaceful throughout, eventually dispersing from outside the courthouse.

The 9th Field Artillery Regiment of the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York (VCASNY) held their annual Independence Day ceremony in Lower Manhattan, with an artillery salute to all 50 states in order of their date of statehood in the Union. Formed in 1790, the historic military organization is the oldest in New York State, created just a few years after the end of the American Revolutionary War. Initially composed of officers and soldiers of the American Revolution, the VCASNY later expanded to descendants of those who fought in that war and the War of 1812, then later more widely outside of this hereditary lineage. Members have served in all U.S. military branches, and some remain active while also being a part of the organization. Today, the unit largely serves in ceremonial functions, including in this year’s Fourth of July Parade in Lower Manhattan. The event took place at Battery Park in New York, with spectators gathered near the waterfront for the artillery salute to the 50 states of the union.

A Detroit Police vehicle with a customized rainbow-colored hood was out by the city’s Pride flag-raising ceremony earlier this month. The annual event was held in Downtown Detroit at Spirit Plaza in recognition of Pride Month. An officer said the DPD vehicle is maintained like this year-round.

City officials and community members gathered this morning at Spirit Plaza for the annual Pride flag raising in Downtown Detroit. LGBTQ+ supporters spoke at the event, held this year on the first day of Pride Month.

Climate activists with the group Climate Defiance disrupted U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm speaking at the Politico Energy Summit, rushing towards the stage and chanting during a conversation on Thursday afternoon in DC. Protesters were quickly removed from the event, Politico’s first energy summit, being held at The Schuyler inside the Hamilton Hotel. Some were physically carried out of the event space while Granholm remained on stage. No arrests were made from the protest. Activists spoke outside the energy summit after their protest, criticizing Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s support for the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Biden Administration’s approval of oil and gas projects. They discussed fossil fuel industries, civil disobedience, and new projects recently greenlit by the administration.

First-year ‘plebes’ at the US Naval Academy build a human pyramid to complete the annual Herndon Monument Climb, a traditional event capping the freshman year at the academy. Scaling a heavily-greased 21-foot-tall monument this morning at the Yard, the Class of 2026 completed the climb in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 51 seconds, beating last year’s climb by the Class of 2025 by over an hour. The record for the climb is 1 minute and 30 seconds by the Class of 1972 (the monument was not greased for that climb). The Navy tradition dates back to the mid-20th century. Marking the end of the first year at the academy, freshman are no longer known as ‘plebes’ after successfully completing the climb, but instead "fourth class midshipmen". The climb is completed after removing a ‘dixie cup’ hat at the top of the monument and replacing it with that of an upperclassman’s. Midshipman Fourth Class Chris Paris, 20, of 28th Company from Louisville, Kentucky, capped the monument Wednesday morning, followed immediately by cheers and celebration from the Class of 2026 and family & spectators gathered on the campus grounds in Annapolis, Maryland.