Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey is pushing back against the Trump administration's decision to send Justice Department operatives to monitor the August primary election. The DOJ says it will be watching the voting in Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing, which are Democratic strongholds. Trump has falsely claimed that fraud in Detroit cost him the 2020 election. Justice officials say they're worried about compliance with election law and long lines at polling places. Winfrey says no such delays happened in 2024 because the state had adopted early voting.

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Additional headlines for Thursday, July 9, 2026

Growing Cyclosporiasis cases

The state health department says an outbreak of a parasitic infection has grown to almost 1 thousand cases. Cyclosporiasis causes severe diarrhea and other symptoms. Investigators have not found the cause of the outbreak, but people usually get it by eating contaminated fresh produce.

Health experts advise washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly and seeking medical attention if symptoms persist. They can last for weeks without treatment.

Money for new mothers

Republican House Speaker Matt Hall says he doesn’t want a state program that pays new mothers to get the 20 million dollars it is expecting from the new state budget. R-X Kids gives women 15 hundred dollars during pregnancy and 500 dollars a month for the first six months of a newborn’s life. Studies show it has reduced infant mortality in Flint, where it began. Republican Speaker Matt Hall says more traditional social safety net programs with tougher eligibility requirements should get the money.

"I'm hopeful that we'll have a WIC program, that our child protective services will be well funded, that the cash assistance program will be well funded."

R-X kids serves all eligible mothers in designated coverage areas regardless of individual family need.

Reporting by Michigan Public Radio Network's Colin Jackson

Rental housing gridlock

Efforts to reform Detroit's rental housing remain stalled... and advocates blame the city's largest court for some of the gridlock. A lawsuit by the Detroit Tenants Union accuses 36th District Court's Chief Judge of failing his legal duty by allowing landlords without a certificate of compliance to continue collecting rent.

Right now, only 14 percent of Detroit landlords are compliant with city safety inspections. Donovan McCarty represents the union.

"If landlords can keep going in to collect rent that's not lawfully collected, then they have no incentive to actually come into compliance, and that I4 percent number will not grow to where we need it to be."

The 36th District Court didn't reply to a request for comment.

You can hear the full conversation at WDET.org or on The Metro podcast.

Grow Detroit Young Talent

City officials kicked off the 12th annual Grow Detroit's Young Talent
Summer Employment Program Wednesday.

The program will provide over eight thousand summer jobs for kids in the city. It's Mary Sheffield's first year leading the effort as Mayor. Over 90 thousand positions have been extended to Detroit's young people since the program began in 2014.