News@noon: Dantonio speaks; border wall woes

Today is Tuesday, March 28, 2017, and the Red Wings’ incredible streak of making the playoffs 25 consecutive seasons could be over as soon as this evening.

If the Red Wings lose in regulation tonight in Carolina, Boston defeats Nashville, and Toronto earns at least one point against Florida, Detroit is officially eliminated.

And then, of course, the rebuild can really begin.

Oh, and in case you were wondering after last night's game, Carolina goalie Eddie Lack is OK, released from the hospital with a neck strain.

Here's what else we're following today:

RIP Mr. Belvedere 

• Maurice “Bud” Lezell, known as “Mr. Belvedere” in his local Belvedere Construction commercials, became a famous pitchman with local ads and slogans like “We do good work.”

Ford making moves

• Ford Motor Co. will invest $1.2 billion in three Michigan facilities to prepare for production of the all-new Ford Ranger and Bronco, and to support the company’s expansion into mobility. Get the full details. 

Keeping DMC accountable

• Children’s Hospital of Michigan failed a late January inspection conducted by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of a broad investigation into dirty surgical instruments at Detroit Medical Center hospitals.

• An inspections sweep of three DMC hospitals and the Karmanos Cancer Center on Jan. 30 and 31 also found Karmanos was not in compliance with federal certification requirements. The cancer center, which is on the Midtown campus, is not part of DMC, but many of its patients are operated on at DMC’s Harper University Hospital.

Dantonio speaks

• Michigan State's football coach Mark Dantonio spoke publicly since it was announced that three players were being investigated by MSU Police in an alleged sexual assault case. The fallout resulted in the suspension of staff member Curtis Blackwell and also triggered a Title IX investigation as well as an independent investigation into the football staff’s handling of the matter.
• Here's what he had to say. 

Bert Johnson has his say

• Embattled state Sen. Bert Johnson said Tuesday he is “disappointed” by a Federal Bureau of Investigation and Michigan State Police raid at his home, telling reporters he is “very concerned” for his family, including his mother and children. Speaking with reporters today in Lansing, the Highland Park Democrat said he does not know what prompted simultaneous searches of his home and Senate office in Lansing. But he is hiring an attorney

Building that border wall

• The White House is calling for immediate budget cuts of $18 billion from programs like medical research, infrastructure and community development grants to help pay for the border wall that President Donald Trump repeatedly promised would be financed by Mexico. Like Trump’s 2018 budget, which was panned by both Democrats and Republicans earlier this month, the proposals have little chance to be enacted.

Beef and cheddar and credit card fraud

• Georgia-based Arby’s restaurant chain failed to prevent hackers from stealing customer information at hundreds of its stores, a Connecticut couple said in a new federal lawsuit. Since early February, eight credit unions and banks from Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Montana have filed seven other federal lawsuits. All make similar allegations about what the credit unions describe as a massive data breach.

Facebook making changes 

• Facebook is adding more Snapchat-like features to its app. The company says it wants to let people’s cameras “do the talking” as more people are posting photos and videos instead of blocks of text. Here are the changes you can expect to see. 

Sexism and politics 

• Britain’s Daily Mail tabloid has sparked complaints with a front page photograph focusing on the legs of Prime Minister Theresa May and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The photo of the two leaders published Tuesday displays their legs prominently alongside a headline that read “Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!”

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.