October 28, 2020 Flint remains an important battleground for presidential candidates after a drop in Democratic votes contributed to President Donald Trump’s narrow win in Michigan four years ago. Democratic votes dropped by 22% in Flint, while surrounding Genesee County recorded 20% fewer votes for Clinton than Obama. Flint resident Chia Morgan has been working to register voters in a nonpartisan partnership with local clerks and the Michigan Secretary of State. Morgan said the coronavirus pandemic made it more difficult to meet with voters, but she sees the virus and the deaths of several Black Americans in police incidents over the summer inspiring more urgency to vote in this election. MORE As coronavirus case numbers rise in Michigan and across the country, President Donald Trump and many of his supporters are shrugging it off as a result of increased testing. Health experts point to a number of metrics that contradict Trump’s contention. Deaths, hospitalizations and the testing positivity rate are all on the rise, indicating that an increase in cases reflects a genuine increase in coronavirus transmission. In Michigan, the average number of daily tests is up 30% in October compared to September, but the number of new cases is up 87%. MORE At least five protesters spent the weekend in jail and are now charged with felonies following a clash with Shelby Township police on Saturday. Two others were arrested and released on bond, Shelby Township police said. Detroit Will Breathe members organized another protest outside the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Monday and called for the charges to be dismissed against the suspects they described as “political prisoners.” But police say those who were detained assaulted police or resisted arrest. MORE ►Police struggle with image problem amid arrests, calls for reform The baseball postseason really hit a message home this year -- baseball is the most fun when the ball is put in play. It’s something simple and yet essential. The game is more fun when hitters hit, fielders field and baserunners run. Lengthy sequences of walks and strikeouts -- interrupted by an occasional home run -- are draining the game of its life. The trend toward the Three True Outcomes -- walk, strikeout, homer -- is nothing new. But while other cyclical trends in the game have worked themselves out naturally over the years, this one seems only to be accelerating. MORE During a recent Mike Pence event in Waterford, Michigan, we asked supporters of President Donald Trump if they would trust the results if former Vice President Joe Biden wins on election night. Many said they had doubts. “I think there’s too much fraud going on, lot of mail-in voting, lot of harvesting," said Vicki Guck of West Bloomfield. "I don’t trust it.” Guck also said she expects the election could be decided in the U.S. Supreme Court. See the full reactions we got by watching the video here: VIDEO Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive to your address book or safe sender list. |