Michigan GOP lawmaker falsely claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — A Michigan state lawmaker involved in former President Donald Trump’s election denials is being widely criticized after the Republican made false claims that buses carrying college athletes to Detroit for March Madness were shuttling illegal migrant “invaders” into the city.

State House Rep. Matt Maddock made the claim Wednesday night in a social media post accompanied by photos of three buses near an Allegiant plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Maddock wrote that the buses “just loaded up with illegal invaders.”

“Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?” the Republican wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Maddock describes himself as Michigan’s “most conservative state representative” in his profile on the platform.

TOKYO — Five people who took a Japanese health

supplement have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized as of Friday, a week after a pharmaceutical company issued a recall of the products, officials said.

Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as early as January. The first public announcement came March 22.Earlier in the week, the number of deaths stood at two people. Company officials updated the number of dead to five Friday, and said 114 people were being treated in hospitals after taking products — including Benikoji Choleste Help meant to lower cholesterol — that contain an ingredient called benikoji, a red species of mold.

NEW YORK — New York City officials announced a pilot

program on Thursday to deploy portable gun scanners in the subway system, part of an effort to deter violence underground and to make the system feel safer.

The scanners will be introduced in certain stations after a legally mandated 90-day waiting period, Mayor Eric Adams said. Adams said officials would work to identify companies with expertise in weapons detection technology and that after the waiting period the scanners would be instituted in some subway stations “where the NYPD will be able to further evaluate the equipment’s effectiveness.”