News@noon: Fighting the chill and the Lions blues
Today is Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Did you realize it's not technically even winter yet? You'd never know that from walking outside.
Today will be sunny, but highs will barely make it to the low teens, and wind chills will be as low as minus 10, according to the weather service. Overnight lows will be around 6, with wind chill values as low as minus 9.
Tuesday will be sunny with a high near 27 and wind chill values as low as minus 8. The low will be around 20 Tuesday night.
So bundle up, stay inside if possible and check out what is making news around town:
Sad little Lions
- Yeah, we're going to talk about it. No point avoiding it: The Lions put on a terrible performance yesterday against the New York Giants. The 17-6 loss did more than just fog the windows on the plane ride home to Detroit. Coupled with another win by red-hot Green Bay in freezing-cold Chicago, it means the Lions (9-5) are officially in jeopardy of fumbling it all away.
- Matt Stafford did what he could with an injured finger and poor conditions. But it was the running backs that really failed the team this time.
- The Lions’ recent red-zone woes continued against the Giants. With two turnovers inside the 20, the team failed to score a touchdown in three trips.
- For more on the game, check out our Lions section.
Uber dangerous
It began with a tap on the window. A 23-year-old Uber driver "felt his vehicle was disrespected" and allegedly unleashed a vicious attack early Saturday on his passenger, stabbing the 49-year-old man multiple times, according to Bloomfield Township police.
Making it official
Following the Nov. 8 general election, Wyckham Seelig received dozens of letters from voters around the country asking him not to cast his vote as one of Michigan’s 16 electors for President-elect Donald Trump. Then the U.S. Postal Service started delivering the letters in large trays — the kind large businesses use to process hundreds of pieces of mail. It's been a common occurrence for electors across the country.
Seelig is the presidential elector for Trump from the 7th Congressional District. He and 15 other Michiganians will travel to Lansing on Monday to cast their votes for the 45th president in the Electoral College, finalizing Trump’s narrow victory in Michigan that helped him capture the White House.
- Speaking of Donald Trump, he spent the weekend rattling relations between the U.S. and China. Trump lashed out at China, saying it stole an underwater drone from the U.S. Navy in an “unprecedented act.” Beijing’s response was muted, with the official Xinhua news agency publishing nothing on the topic on Sunday while the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times mocked Trump’s demeanor as “lagging far behind the White House spokespersons.”
- “China has so far practiced restraint at Trump’s provocations as he’s yet to enter the White House,” the newspaper said. “But this attitude won’t last too long after he officially becomes the U.S. president, were he still to treat China in the manner he tweeted today.”
Auto show attention
General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet brand will reveal the next-generation Traverse SUV Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show. The all-new 2018 Traverse, which can seat up to eight passengers, has a new, bolder design and will offer new technologies, Chevrolet said.
General Motors is also announcing that it will reduce production at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, as well as at factories in Lansing and Ohio. GM says it had more than 874,000 cars, trucks and crossovers in its inventory at the end of November — the most it has had in its U.S. stock in eight years, when vehicles went unsold during the Great Recession.
Detroit's Greatest Hits
- Our retiring photo editor Charlotte Massey spent hours in the archive library pouring over historic photos, including these gems of our city, her favorites.
Detroit News at noon is a daily roundup of the most talked-about stories on detroitnews.com. For more anytime, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram (@detroitnews), Snapchat (Search for "Detroitnews") and LinkedIn.