DeVos yacht untied, set adrift in Ohio
A 163-foot yacht owned by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was vandalized while moored off Lake Erie in Huron, Ohio over the weekend, according to a police report.
Huron Police Chief Robert Lippert said Thursday the incident is under investigation and can't provide any additional details at this time.
A police report said the Seaquest captain called police early Sunday morning to report the boat had been untied and set adrift. The boat hit a dock, causing large scratches and scrapes that could cost $5,000 to $10,000 to repair.
Officers were looking for surveillance video to find the person who untied the boat.
Worth a reported $40 million, the Seaquest is one of 10 boats owned by the DeVos family.
Pro-Schuette super PAC hits $2.4M
A super political action committee backing Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette is pumping big bucks into his campaign for Michigan governor.
Better Jobs, Stronger Families has raised nearly $2.4 million since forming in September, according to a new state filing. Roughly one quarter of the sum has come from “dark money” groups that do not disclose their donors.
The pro-Schuette super PAC is raising more money and outspending a separate super PAC running television ads to support Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who is competing with Schuette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
Calley Continues the Comeback has raised roughly $949,000 since forming in March, but the super PAC’s fundraising slowed in the most recent reporting period.
William Parfet, a longtime supporter of Gov. Rick Snyder and the former chairman and CEO of MPI Research, gave the Calley PAC $73,540 in May, its only reported contribution since April 20.
The super PAC had $86,692 in the bank as of July 20, compared to more than $314,000 in cash reserves for the pro-Schuette PAC.
“I think Bill Schuette is ahead in the polls, ahead with resources, and in a strong position to win not only the primary but the Michigan governor’s race,” said Stu Sander, executive director of Better Jobs, Stronger Families.
A spokesman for the Calley super PAC did not respond to a request for comment.
Amash votes no on suicide hotline
Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, was the only member of the U.S. House of Representative this week to vote no on a bill aimed at preventing suicide.
The House voted 379-1 on Monday to approve the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, which directs the government to study the feasibility of designating a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.
The libertarian-leaning Amash tweeted that he voted against it because it has no basis in the Constitution.
"It’s another good idea without a constitutional basis. I swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I take that oath seriously. Constitutional limits are meaningless if we ignore them whenever we like the policy outcome," he wrote.
In replies to questions on Twitter, Amash stressed that the Constitution grants Congress limited, enumerated powers, and "this hotline is not authorized under any of these powers."
He added that the Constitution provides for an amendment process if the people want to give Congress a new power.
Contributors: Beth LeBlanc, Melissa Nann Burke, Jonathan Oosting