Wednesday, October 15th, 2025

Good Michigan morning! Welcome to The Mitten, where we provide you a 3-minute rundown of all things Michigan every morning at 5am, directly in your inbox!

The former Red Wings zamboni driver lost a discrimination suit he filed for being fired for urinating in an ice drain after 50 seasons with the team. Read more on the wonky case in Top Stories.

We look forward to bringing you news from across the Mitten every weekday, and as always, please feel free to respond to any of our emails with your feedback! We review every single response we receive.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of a Michigan school district for banning a “Let’s Go Brandon” t-shirt, with the majority ruling the Constitution’s protection of free speech does not allow for vulgarity in a schoolhouse setting.

The case arose after a student at Tri County Middle School was told to remove his “Let’s Go Brandon” shirt in 2022. According to the court, there was evidence the school allowed for other political apparel, including “Make America Great Again” shirts.

The term “Let’s Go Brandon” was coined at a Nascar race in 2021 when fans chanted, “F*** Joe Biden,” and a reporter interpreted the fans’ chant as “Let’s Go Brandon.” Subsequent videos of the report went viral.

The court’s dissenting judge disagreed with the ruling over whether the speech itself was vulgar. You can see the full ruling here.

The highly anticipated Gordie Howe International Bridge that will link Detroit and Windsor will now be delayed until 2026 due to construction hurdles, according to a Canadian official working on the project.

The bridge, which has been under construction since 2024, is now 98% complete, but still needs interior finishes, signs, and striping at the ports of entry, and some late-stage visual work like landscaping and fencing.

When finished, the bridge is expected to carry thousands of commuters daily, and will cost around $6 billion. The final opening date is subject to various inspection approvals. You can find more details, and photos of the bridge here.

The former zamboni driver for the Red Wings, Al Sabotka, lost a discrimination lawsuit he filed after being fired for urinating in an ice drain at work after 50 years with the team.

Sabotka sued Olympia Entertainment, claiming his firing was due to age discrimination. A Wayne County Circuit Court jury in downtown Detroit voted 5-2 against Sobotka after an hour of deliberation.

Allegedly, Sabotka claims he witnessed former owner Mike Illitch urinating in the same drain he was fired for utilizing. You can read more on the story here.