“Our Constitution gives to bigotry no sanction.”
- George Washington -
This week, Michigan Advance offered two powerful examples of what it means to deliver independent, nonpartisan journalism that holds power accountable.
In a deeply reported examination of Islamophobia in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, our Senior Reporter Ben Solis went beyond campaign rhetoric to explore how anti-Muslim prejudice is being normalized in American politics — and why advocates say silence from political leaders carries consequences. The story connects local events to a broader national reckoning over religious bigotry and political accountability.
In another story, reporting from Minnah Arshad (one of the many great freelance journalists we have the fortune to work with) examined the record of Senate Republican nominee Mike Rogers through the experiences of United Auto Workers members who recall tense encounters with him during his time in Congress. Their accounts offer voters important context about a candidate seeking to represent Michigan in Washington.
These stories reflect what Michigan Advance does best: move beyond talking points, amplify voices that deserve to be heard and give readers the facts and context they need to understand the forces shaping their lives.
That’s independent journalism without a paywall — and it’s why this work matters.
And, as always, thank you for supporting Michigan Advance.
Jon King - Editor-in-Chief
YOUR TOP MICHIGAN ADVANCE STORIES OF THE WEEK
A Christian nationalist protest led by Jan. 6 rioter Jake Lang prompted approximately 2,000 protestors and counterprotesters to gather in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Aug. 18, 2026 (Photo by Tyler Scott/Michigan Advance)
By Ben Solis
As Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed held a campaign rally in rural Hart, Michigan on the weekend of Oct. 11, he was greeted by interested voters waiting to hear him speak in a part of the state that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. Also waiting for him were more than two dozen self-styled Christian “crusaders” carrying crosses, dressed in military garb and calling for El-Sayed to be deported, citing his faith as a Muslim and Egyptian background.
Then-House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) at a hearing October 30, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
By Minnah Arshad
As Mike Rogers courts Michigan voters in his bid for the open U.S. Senate seat, members of Michigan’s largest union describe a strained relationship with him when he was last in Congress.
The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Oct. 8, 2026. (Photo by Robin Bravender/Michigan Advance)
By Robin Bravender
If the Trump administration had its way, an Ann Arbor-based research lab that studies the Great Lakes and its coastal ecosystems would be gone.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) speaks at a press conference in Inkster introducing federal legislation to ban federal funding for automated surveillance technology like Flock cameras on Oct. 14, 2026. (Photo by Katherine Dailey/Michigan Advance)
By Katherine Dailey
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) announced new federal legislation at a news conference Wednesday to prohibit the use of federal funds for the purchase or operation of any mass surveillance technology, including the controversial automated license plate reader systems from Flock.
A visitor holds an AIPAC folder in an elevator in Rayburn House Office Building on March 12, 2024 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
COMMENTARY
By Jamie Beran
Nothing is more important for Jewish safety here in Michigan and across the United States than a robust, healthy democracy. Yet, we have unlimited dark money flooding the airwaves with political ads, thanks to a Supreme Court that prioritizes corporations over people.
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