Photographing weather features in the cold and snow can be taxing, but every once in a while you’re gifted moments like this, moments of connection, understanding, and getting to know another human being.

Shukran ktir, Awaat, for sharing this moment with me. www.freep.com/picture-gall...

As we enter 2026, I continue to feel incredibly grateful and blessed to meet people like Awaat through my work.

When I got closer, I realized a man was praying inside his van. I waited quietly for him to finish, and in that moment, I made this photograph. After Haypham Awaat finished praying, he stepped out, smiled, and we talked about religion, the origin of his name, and life.

At least two protesters were arrested as Detroit police blocked access around the casino shortly before Trump’s appearance.

Photos by David Rodríguez Muñoz/ @freep.com

Demonstrators called for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to leave the city and raised concerns about what they described as growing authoritarianism.

Protesters gathered on multiple sides of MotorCity Casino ahead of Trump’s planned speech to the Detroit Economic Club, holding signs criticizing the president and expressing support for immigrant communities.

Thank you, Cam! I appreciate the kind words.

To our @freep.com subscribers, thank you. 🙏🏽 Your support makes it possible to tell real, human stories rooted in our communities. I’m grateful to carry that work into the new year and continue documenting the people and places that make Michigan what it is. 💙

In Michigan, Pinter’s Flowerland still does, growing thousands of poinsettias each year through patience, precision, and yearlong hard work. I spent a day with Tim Pinter inside the family greenhouse, watching that care up close. Here are a few moments from my time at Pinter’s Flowerland.

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It was an honor to spend time with Henderson and her family as they shared their love for motocross and the memories that continue to guide them.

Amanda Henderson welcomed me into her St. Clair home to talk about her sister, Ashlee Sokalski, a talented racer who died after a crash on the track. Henderson keeps her memory alive through riding, teaching her own kids, and staying connected to the sport that shaped their family.

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He’s one of more than 200,000 Michiganders now confronting disrupted coverage as three major insurers, HAP CareSource, Molina and Physicians Health Plan, leave Michigan’s individual market in 2026, while a fourth, Meridian, ends coverage for metro Detroiters.

For Cortney Strother, 61, this year’s open enrollment brought something he never expected, a notice saying his health insurance will disappear at the end of 2025.

Here’s a look at a few of those moments for the Detroit Free Press. For more coverage on Sheffield’s historic win, click the link below. www.freep.com/story/news/l... #detroit #marysheffield #herstory #detroitfreepress

My colleague Violet Ikonomova and I spent a short time with her in the final weeks before the election as she stopped across Detroit to listen, connect, and share space with members of the city’s elderly community.

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