Friday, October 17th, 2025

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

The Detroit Bourbon Fest is set to kick off Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Historical Museum. Find more events happening around the state this weekend here, and read more on the Bourbon Fest in Around the Mitten.

Detroit 45/65° 🌤️ | Grand Rapids 45/61° 🌤️ | Warren 55/65° ⛅ | Sterling Heights 53/65° ⛅ | Ann Arbor 40/66° 🌤️ | Lansing 46/67° ⛅ | Flint 54/65° 🌤️ | Dearborn 55/65° ⛅ | Livonia 55/65° ⛅ | Troy 44/65° 🌤️

One hundred twenty Michigan Army National Guard soldiers based in Traverse City will be deployed to the southwest border to assist federal law enforcement on Friday.

The mobillization of the 1430th Engineer Company came at the direction of the U.S. Department of Defense through the Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, and is aimed at helping Customs and Border Patrol for up to a year.

The Michigan Army National Guard has been deployed to the southwest border six times since 2020, under both Presidents Biden and Trump. Today’s deployment for the 1430th Engineer Company marks the first since being sent to Afghanistan in 2010.

You can read the full Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs press release here.

The University of Michigan Board of Regents announced on Thursday it will oppose the Big Ten’s effort to attract a $2.4 billion investment from UC Investments, the University of California pension system’s investment fund.

The $2.4 billion deal would reportedly include at least $100 million for each school in the conference, while bigger brands would be closer to $200 million. As part of the investment, UC Investments would obtain a 10% stake in an entity that would manage the conference’s media rights and sponsorships.

Regent Jordan Acker criticized the deal on the grounds it would cause the 18-team conference to lose its autonomy, saying, “The Big Ten does not need to be sold to save college sports.” Another regent, Mark Bernstein, called the deal “A very big payday loan.”

In order for the Big Ten to move forward with the deal, it would need unanimous approval from all 18 members of the conference. You can read more on the potential deal here.

All three people aboard a small plane died after the aircraft crashed in Bath Township Thursday evening.

According to township officials, police and fire personnel responded to a crash around 5 p.m. at the intersection of Clark and Peacock roads. The crash took place about 15 miles east of the Capital Region International Airport.

The crash is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, with the cause of the tragedy currently unknown. You can find more information on the story here.