Flint, Michigan

Montana Republican congressional candidate Aaron Flint, a retired lieutenant colonel and fifth-generation Montanan, has sharpened his attacks on Democratic opponent Sam Forstag ahead of the race for the state's U.S. House seat. Speaking on Breitbart News Saturday, Flint called Forstag "an absolute phony," citing his past work as a lobbyist for the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the cities of Missoula and Bozeman, where he supported higher property taxes and a state sales tax. Flint also criticized Forstag's past LGBTQ advocacy work and ties to progressive figures. Flint framed the contest as part of a broader Democratic push, backed by national money, to flip traditionally conservative districts, predicting Republicans will retain House control despite the effort.

A closely watched race in Montana's 1st congressional district has become a test of whether economic populism or culture-war messaging resonates more with voters. Democrat Sam Forstag, a wildland firefighter and former ACLU lobbyist, has focused his campaign on housing affordability and cost-of-living frustrations, while Republican Aaron Flint, a former conservative radio host, has leaned into attacks portraying Forstag as a "radical" on gender and sexual orientation issues. President Trump campaigned in the state for Flint this week, underscoring the race's national profile.

Polling shows the contest within a few points either way, and the Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican." A heated debate this week saw Flint brand Forstag "Phony Forstag" over his past LGBTQ advocacy work, while Forstag kept his focus on housing costs, private equity's role in the rental market, and wage stagnation. Montana Democrats argue the state's independent streak favors pocketbook messaging over national identity politics, making the race a bellwether for broader midterm strategy debates.

A Trump administration proposal to remove race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census is alarming Arab American advocates, who had expected a new Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category to debut after decades of organizing. The federal government approved MENA as a distinct classification in March 2024, ending a long practice of counting Arab Americans as white, with implementation expected by March 2029. Michigan, home to large Arab American communities in Dearborn, Detroit and Flint, has much at stake.

The proposal would strip race, ethnicity and sexual orientation questions from the decennial questionnaire, with the Census Bureau arguing this protects privacy and boosts participation; detailed demographics would still be gathered via the American Community Survey. Advocates, including the Arab American Heritage Council and former federal policy manager Adam Beddawi, say that survey cannot replace a full population count used for funding and civil rights advocacy. A second provision would exclude certain noncitizens from congressional apportionment counts. Public comments are open through Nov. 2, and the proposal has not been finalized.

New Orleans officials are working to bring the Rx Kids cash-assistance model to the city as a way to combat poverty-driven maternal and infant health problems. Rx Kids, founded in Flint, Michigan, by pediatrician Mona Hanna, gives pregnant parents a one-time $1,500 payment followed by six months of $500 monthly payments after birth. Studies of the Michigan program found steep drops in evictions, neonatal mortality, NICU admissions and low birthweights, along with more consistent prenatal care.

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Jennifer Avegno, who runs the city's Family Connects home-visiting program, says families repeatedly cite basic needs — food, rent, utilities, diapers — as their biggest struggle, making the direct-payment approach appealing. A pilot targeting New Orleans East would cost about $4 million a year, with citywide expansion estimated at $10 million annually. Officials are looking to combine federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds with philanthropic support, though the effort faces headwinds amid the city's broader budget crisis.

More than 600 Michigan Jews have signed an open letter pledging to vote for Abdul El-Sayed in his U.S. Senate race, part of an effort to shore up the Democratic candidate's uneven standing with Jewish voters ahead of a tight, high-stakes contest. The coalition, called "Michigan Jews for Democracy," includes former U.S. Reps. Sander and Andy Levin, attorney general nominee Eli Savit, Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus chair Decky Alexander, several rabbis and clergy, and journalist Danny Fenster, signing in personal capacities. The letter acknowledges disagreements with El-Sayed, including on Israel policy and remarks by some of his allies, framing a vote for him as "a strategic chess move" rather than an endorsement of everything he stands for.

El-Sayed, whose opposition to a two-state solution and past controversies have made his candidacy divisive among Jewish voters, has recently worked to repair relations, including a private meeting with rabbis at Temple Israel. Competing letters back his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, or press El-Sayed on Jewish "non-negotiables." National Democrats view the Michigan seat as crucial to retaking the Senate.

Federal emergency orders keeping the J.H. Campbell coal plant in west Michigan running have emerged as a campaign issue in the state's 4th District U.S. House race. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has repeatedly extended 90-day directives forcing the plant to stay open past its planned closure, citing electricity supply concerns, despite Consumers Energy's earlier deal with state officials to shut it down.

Democratic challenger Sean McCann is attacking GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga over the plant's continued operation, arguing it has raised Consumers Energy customers' bills by more than $200 million and pledging to push for its closure if elected. Huizenga counters that Michigan's clean-energy mandates, championed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democrats including McCann, are driving up utility costs and threatening reliable power. Rep. Hillary Scholten joined McCann in criticizing the administration's intervention as an unprecedented move against a private utility's decision. The dispute reflects a broader national fight over fossil fuel plant closures versus renewable energy transitions, playing out in a district expected to be closely contested this November.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a 101-page report Tuesday closing out the state's long-running Flint water crisis investigation, calling it the final accountability step her office can take. Charges had been brought against nine current and former officials, including former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, but a 2022 Michigan Supreme Court ruling threw out the cases after finding the one-judge grand jury process used to indict them was unlawful. No one was ever convicted. Nessel, who inherited the probe in 2019 and was not involved in the criminal cases, defended prosecutors' strategy and questioned the political implications of a ruling joined by three Snyder-appointed justices.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said residents "deserved accountability" and answers they will now never get in court. The 2014 crisis began when the city switched its water source to the Flint River to cut costs, causing lead to leach from aging pipes. It led to a $626 million settlement, roughly $170 million in federal aid, and citywide replacement of lead service lines, which Neeley said is now complete.