Today is Monday, July 18, 2016, and one thing is very clear at members of the Republican delegation meet in Cleveland: This is not your father's GOP convention.
First, you've got the bombastic billionaire Donald Trump, whom the party is still trying to unite behind despite many detractors. Then, you've got the added element of Attorney General Bill Schuette doing his best to position himself for a governor run. Oh, and former presidential hopeful and Ohio governor John Kasich basically opting not to participate inside the convention in his home state. Add in the numerous protests police are expecting and the appearances by military leaders, ex-rivals and entertainment personalities and you've got a convention unlike any other we've seen.
True to form, Trump himself provided the first surprise of the week, announcing Monday morning he was headed Cleveland later in the day to watch his wife Melania take the spotlight for the first night of speeches.
“I will be there,” Trump said on Fox News. “I want to watch. It is going to be very exciting.”
Feeling overwhelmed? You don't need to be. We've got Chad Livengood, Jonathan Oosting and Nolan Finley at the convention all week, and they'll be bringing you all the updates you need to know. So click on their names and follow them on Twitter for the latest.
Here's what else is going on today:
Baton Rouge fallout
- A former Marine dressed in black and carrying extra ammunition shot and killed three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers Sunday, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide.
- Detroit police Chief James Craig on Sunday renewed his order for officers to be in a “heightened state” of alert in the wake of the fatal shootings and urged a toning down of anti-police rhetoric.
- In Daytona Beach, Florida, a police cruiser in Florida was set on fire and a note referencing the Black Lives Matter movement was found nearby.
Baltimore on edge
A judge in Baltimore is scheduled to issue his ruling in the case of a police officer charged in the death of a black man injured in a police transport van. Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams will make his ruling public Monday in the trial of Lt. Brian Rice, the highest ranking of six officers charged to go on trial in the 2015 death of Freddie Gray.
Swift vs West vs Kardashian West
It’s Taylor vs. Kanye, part 242, with a dash of Kim Kardashian. West’s famous wife stirred the pot of beef between Taylor Swift and Kanye West on Sunday, when on Snapchat, she posted video of a phone call between the rapper and pop superstar about his song “Famous,” in which he rapped: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex, Why? I made that b---- famous.”
'Life got a little crazy'
- Immanuel “Ike” Eickholdt, who first denied but later testified he sent an infamous false flag email last year on behalf of then-Rep. Todd Courser, has suspended his bid for the state House. Eickholdt said he has moved out of the district after divorcing his wife and having a dispute with his employer. He is living in Montcalm County and said he will not resume his campaign unless something “astronomically weird” happens. “Life got a little crazy, and I just needed to take a step back,” said Eickholdt, who is effectively conceding the Democratic primary to Ted Golden of Rochester Hills.
Updates on Nice attack
The uncle of the truck driver who killed 84 people on the French Riviera says his nephew was indoctrinated about two weeks ago by an Algerian member of the Islamic State group in Nice. French officials could not confirm Monday that attacker Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel had been approached by an Algerian recruiter, saying that the investigation is ongoing.
Tigers tear it up
- Here's a nice little photo of Jarrod Saltalamacchia from a nice little game last night against the Kansas City Royals.
- Rookie pitcher Michael Fulmer also put on a great show. It sure looks like he’s saving the Tigers season, in new and amazing ways.
Just around the river bend
- Detroit is making steady progress in creating a downtown riverfront that is a popular recreation area, a commercial district and an upscale residential strip.This year, several key projects will bolster the upscale housing scene along the Detroit River’s edge.
Honoring a hero
Nearly five decades after helping rescue dozens of American soldiers pinned down by enemy fire, a Vietnam War veteran is receiving the nation’s highest military honor for valor. President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles of Ypsilanti, Michigan, during a ceremony Monday at the White House.
Miked Up on autopilot
- In this week's podcast, Mike Martinez and Mike Wayland discuss how Michigan ranks against the rest of the country in terms of autonomous car infrastructure. Later, we talk with John Maddox about turning the former Willow Run bomber plant into a driverless car test site.
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