The Metro Detroit Parkinson Hero Walk wrapped up Saturday in Utica, bringing together patients, caregivers, researchers, and families affected by Parkinson's disease.

Organizers say the event is about more than fundraising it's about reminding people living with the disease that they don't have to face it alone.

"The mission for today is to continue to raise awareness around Parkinson's, the research that is done to support those that are dealing with it, and also to be able to celebrate caregivers and all the work that they do," Terry Whitfield said.

Watch Faraz Javed's report in the video player below: Metro Detroit Parkinson Hero Walk raises awareness and support for patients and veterans

For Whitfield, that mission hits close to home. His father Bill, a Marine veteran, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2018.

"How he, every day and every way, chooses to take steps forward, no matter how small those steps might be. They're not the steps as large as they used to be, but for him, every day is an opportunity to wake up and do it again," Whitfield said.

For the Whitfields, Parkinson's has become a family journey.

"So you're looking at Whitfield Warriors. These are all of our family, my sister, my brother-in-law, my cousins, my aunties. These are all the people that make up the village that support his care, and every day, how we support our mother in supporting him," Whitfield said.

This year's walk also shines a spotlight on veterans. Michigan Parkinson Foundation CEO Kristin Rossi says Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disease that affects movement, balance and coordination. While treatments can help manage symptoms, there is currently no cure.

"Veterans have a higher incidence of Parkinson's disease. So we really want to shine the light on their experience, how they came to have Parkinson's, and how it's affecting them now," Rossi said.

One of those veterans is Nate Jolliff. The former Marine was diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 55. Today, he uses his experience to help others navigate their journey.

"For me, the diagnosis was unplanned. It was really a surprise. I had denial and all the other phases that you have when you're diagnosed with something terrible like that. But got through that, lined myself up with a support group..." Jolliff said.

While support groups help patients navigate the emotional challenges of Parkinson's, research companies, including Quest Research, continue searching for better treatments. Alison Chanley, an intake specialist and patient liaison at the Farmington Hills-based company, says clinical trials are showing promise.

"We've actually seen people improve, their conditions improve. When a trial goes into later phases, we have open-label studies. So they're getting the medication; there's no placebo, and we've actually seen patients make progress and symptoms be reduced," Chanley said.

The goal of Saturday's walk is to raise $350,000 to support education, exercise programs, support groups and caregiver respite services across Michigan. Rossi says the foundation's support extends well beyond the annual event.

"I really want people to know that we're here for them throughout the entire year, not just this day. I want them to feel like they've been enveloped in a big hug... and then come to us for support groups and mentorship and very, very importantly, exercise and education," Rossi said.

For the Whitfields, Parkinson's is part of their story but it doesn't define their family.

"That what happens to you does not have to dictate how you then move forward. No matter what the situation, circumstance, trial or tribulation, we all have the opportunity to take our best step forward," Whitfield said.

More information about the Michigan Parkinson Foundation is available at www.parkinsonsmi.org.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A 70-year-old Royal Oak man who had been missing for a week after embarking on a solo hiking trip to Isle Royale National Park has been found safe.

Craig Berg was located by backpackers at the national park, according to a post on Isle Royale National Parks Facebook page.

Its unclear why Craig failed to return home, with Isle Royale National Park stating that additional information will take time to investigate and share.

His son, Evan Berg, spoke to 7 News Detroit on Sept. 9 and said that the last time the family had contact with Craig was on Sept. 2 and that they had contacted multiple agencies in an effort to find Craig.

He also said that his picture had been posted at every campsite on the island and park staff were asking everyone entering or leaving Isle Royale whether they had seen him.

Evan added that the remote and rugged terrain of Isle Royale had made the search especially challenging.

"They're spread pretty thin up there. I know it's a pretty remote national park. There's no horses, there's no motor vehicles; everything's by foot. I mean, it's what, 400 square miles of wilderness? That's a lot for a handful of people to try to search," Evan said.

Donald Trump's childhood home has sold for nearly $2 million after a renovation transformed the New York City residence from a mold-ridden cat den to a modern abode.

The president lived at the Tudor-style Queens estate until age 4. His father, developer Fred Trump, built the home in the affluent Jamaica Estates neighborhood in 1940. The family hasn't owned it in years.

The sale price, $1.93 million, appeared Friday on real estate websites after a buyer, whose name hasnt been disclosed, entered into a contract in July.

The seller, Tommy Lin, had purchased the five-bedroom, three-bathroom home last year for $835,000 after it sat vacant and neglected for years.

Lin, a developer, spent another $500,000 on an eight-month interior overhaul that added amenities including a chefs kitchen, herringbone wood floors and spa-like bathrooms, the New York Post reported.

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The home has changed hands several times in recent years, including for $2.14 million months after Trump became president in 2017, according to Zillow.

The buyer was an entity called Trump Birth Home LLC and the home was briefly offered for rent on Airbnb, complete with copies of a life-sized cardboard cutout of Trump, copies of his book The Art of the Deal and a framed People magazine cover featuring Trump.

It was listed for sale again in 2019 with an asking price of $2.9 million, but went unsold until Lin snapped it up.

In the meantime, the Post reported, the home fell into disrepair, with water damage and mold from a burst pipe, and a colony of feral cats taking up residence where Trump spent his earliest years.

The president, now 80, got rich in the real estate business putting up his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and living there for decades before parlaying his fame and wealth into politics.

RELATED STORY | Next stop, Trump Station? Administration wants to rename New York's Penn Station

As president, he's overseeing his own residential overhaul: adding a massive ballroom to the White House and adorning the Oval Office with the kinds of gold-plated fixtures that are a hallmark of his properties and aesthetic.

A brief interaction between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez captured on video Friday during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, sparked fierce criticism that was met with pushback from those who say the video was taken out of context.

The clip of Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez at Ground Zero lasted four seconds in the live video feed, which transitioned between multiple camera angles of the ceremony.

They were seen greeting each other with smiles while the names of the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center were being read aloud. There is no audio in the video feed of their interaction.

CNN has reached out to representatives for Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez for comment.

RELATED STORY | Its an ongoing battle: New 9/11 documents renew focus on survivors health

Their exchange has prompted debate around the moment, with some Republicans criticizing the two New York Democrats for what they called inappropriate laughter and others saying that characterization is false.

The former head of security for Rudy Giuliani who was the citys mayor during the terror attacks said videos of the two leaders laughing are not true.

Michael Ragusa wrote on social media he was standing next to Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez for the entire ceremony.

The camera just caught her greeting him hello. Multiple other politicians were laughing and joking behind me. Republicans and Democrats, Ragusa said on X.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz reposted the video clip on X, saying, How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?

Another attendee, former Democratic New York State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, condemned the criticism as ridiculous talking points.

She noted most politicians dont stay for the duration of the ceremony, but Mamdani stayed for every name and even stayed after to talk to families for 45 minutes.

RE:ATED STORY | Bush recalls chaos and fear of 9/11 during rare public conversation

Ocasio-Cortez also stayed until the end, Niou wrote on X, adding the brief interaction with Mamdani was just when she walked up to him and said hello.

Another criticism came from Meghan McCain, conservative television personality and daughter of the late Republican Sen. John McCain. Why the f**k are these two laughing?!? she wrote on X.

Niou, however, said she has attended the Ground Zero ceremony every year for the past decade, adding: My friends and neighbors are not crying for 6 hours straight.

We are greeting each other, hugging each other, laughing at the memories and the jokes the families tell remembering their loved ones, Niou said.

In the moments before the ceremony began, Mamdani, the citys first Muslim mayor, walked over to Giuliani to shake his hand at the Ground Zero ceremony.

The brief moment was also caught by cameras and reaction was swift on social media, with some praising Mamdani for showing grace to the man who just a few days prior had compared him to 9/11 hijackers and said his presence at the memorial ceremony would be offensive.

Aides to the mayor said Mamdani and Giuliani exchanged pleasantries, and that Giuliani told Mamdani that the job of being mayor was hard.

Fridays exchange appeared to offer a brief pause on the political rancor of the past weeks.

An aide to Giuliani said the former mayor told Mamdani he was praying for him.

Speaking briefly with reporters after the event, Mamdani declined to share what the former mayor had said to him.

He came over and we both extended our hands and exchanged pleasantries, Mamdani said, according to remarks shared by his office.

I think the focus for all of us is a focus on the families, a focus on first responders and to be here and hear the names of all those who were stolen from us 25 years ago and how the families have persevered through that time. I am truly in awe of all that these families have given us.

Mamdani has faced partisan rancor around his attendance at the ceremony for weeks.

Giuliani previously said Mamdani attending the commemoration offends him, while George Pataki, state governor during the disaster, said Mamdani should stay away. Bruce Blakeman, a candidate for governor, had vowed to turn his back on the mayor if he turns up.

Later in the day after attending the ceremony, Mamdani spoke at an interfaith memorial service at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, the only house of worship that was destroyed on 9/11.

Mamdani recalled the resiliency of New Yorkers in the aftermath of the tragedy as he spoke. Those who attacked our city, they did so because they thought they could break us at the fractures, he said.

They thought they could frighten us. They could make us feel alone. They could leave us on our knees, Mamdani said. How wrong they were. How quick we were to stand back up.

The CEO of Anthropic said Saturday the artificial-intelligence industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without it, Dario Amodei warned AI could be capable within six to 12 months of leading a swarm that could take over the entire internet, among other risks.

Amodei also offered a plan in a post on his website to increase checks on the industry, one part of which he said Anthropic is undertaking by itself already. The others would require coordination among the broad industry and with governments around the world, including authoritarian ones.

I believe that if slowing down bought us even an extra year or two before models reach critical levels of capability, and we used that time to advance alignment, we could greatly reduce the risk that something goes seriously wrong, Amodei said.

The stakes are high, even as some critics dismissed earlier warnings as hype to gin up excitement. Anthropic said two days earlier that it blocked efforts by bad actors to use its AI models for malicious activity such as cyberattacks, surveillance, and research that could have led to biological weapons. In July, rival OpenAI shook the industry after saying its AI system hacked into another AI company on its own in an unprecedented cyber incident.

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Amodei's post comes only a few days after one of Anthropic's researchers announced hes resigning over concerns that Anthropic and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development. Another former Anthropic employee, Joe Benton, wrote in a Substack post published Friday that he left his job as part of a safety team to hold AI companies accountable and that humanity may not survive this transition.

Many of the people I know who work on safety research at AI companies want to do what is right for the world, Benton said in his posting. But they feel their companies are trapped in a race to build superintelligence: either they stop and other, less conscientious people take their place; or, they continue, and risk participating in enormous harm themselves.

To help rein in such risks, Amodei suggested that all companies at the frontier of AI commit to giving ongoing, employee-like access to a team of outside evaluators, who can monitor safety practices. He said Anthropic already plans to do so itself, including offering desks in its offices, access badges, and company laptops.

The other parts of Amodei's suggested plan may be more difficult to implement. One asks the U.S. government to potentially issue waivers that would allow U.S. AI companies to coordinate and set safety standards without running afoul of antitrust laws.

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Another asks the U.S. and other democratic governments to try to coordinate with authoritarian governments, so that companies from China and other countries don't accelerate their efforts when U.S. rivals are intentionally pacing theirs.

The measures I propose to advance the frontier at a safe pace will not be easy, Amodei acknowledged. But I believe we owe it to humanity to try.

The Atlantic is quiet record quiet this hurricane season thanks to an enormous El Nino that crushes storms before they get going.

No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year and none are likely to form for at least another week, even though this would normally be the peak of the season, according to the National Hurricane Center. Only five relatively weak and brief tropical storms have spun up this season.

On Saturday, 2026 set a record for the longest a season has begun without a storm that has reached winds of 74 mph to qualify as a hurricane at least in the satellite era, said Nick Novella, a meteorologist at the government's Weather Prediction Center. Before the 1950s, there were a few years where no hurricanes were recorded this late in the season, but meteorologists don't trust those records because ocean monitoring wasn't complete.

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Overall hurricane activity, using a measurement that factors in the number of storms, their strength and how long they last, is also at a post-1950 record low, according to Colorado State University hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach. Storm activity in the Atlantic is only 7% of normal for this time of year.

People shouldn't let down their guard because it just takes one storm, even during an El Nino, to be catastrophic. Several experts pointed to 1992, which kicked off late but nastily with devastating Hurricane Andrew.

El Ninos spawn storm-stunting conditions

Its really staggering, just how inhospitable the Atlantic is to anything that could form a tropical cyclone right now, said Kristen Corbosiero, a University at Albany atmospheric science professor. Anything that tries to form is just getting this triple whammy of winds that decapitate a storm, dry air that starves it and downward pushing winds that basically stomp it.

Those three forces are classic impacts of El Nino, the natural and temporary warming of parts of the equatorial Pacific that warps and warms weather worldwide, five experts told The Associated Press.

"It's just hammering the Atlantic. Its just impressive, Klotzbach said. We havent even had anything really even close to a hurricane.

The biggest El Nino effect in the Atlantic is record-strong wind shear, which is when strong easterly winds hit a storm system at low levels while strong westerly winds push it the other way at upper altitudes. The result is that they tear apart the storm, Corbosiero said.

In the area between Africa and the Caribbean where the strongest storms normally form and head west, that wind shear is about 45 mph more than what a tropical cyclone can withstand, Corbosiero said. That's an unheard of level, she said.

Their heads are cut off before they even have a chance, said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.

Keep an eye on the Gulf

The one area where wind shear hasn't been high has been the Gulf of Mexico and those storms tend to really get going later in the season, so there could still be some strong ones coming to that region, Corbosiero and others warned.

Along with the dry air that starves the storm, African dust is choking it and there are fewer seeds of stormy weather that could develop, all classic El Nino signs, the experts said. And in the Atlantic, high pressure is pushing the air downward, which also hinders storms from forming, they said.

This is all despite warm waters the world's oceans have been record hot for 100 days that normally feed storms. It shows the power of El Nino to overcome that, Klotzbach said.

The trouble is the Atlantic waters, while warm, haven't warmed up nearly as quickly as the atmosphere above, which got hotter quickly as part of El Nino, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel. His research found what matters more than just the water temperature is the difference in temperature between the air and the water; because hurricanes are powered by the flow of heat from the ocean to the air, the higher that is, the less storm activity there will be.

The waters of the Atlantic are a few months behind the atmosphere in feeling the El Nino effect. But next year, as the El Nino winds down and cools closer to normal, the warm water will persist, which will increase the odds for next season to be extra busy, Emanuel said.

The opposite issue in the Pacific

Just as El Nino traditionally dampens Atlantic hurricane season, it tends to rev up tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific, with moist air and little wind shear. And so far this year, storm activity in the eastern Pacific is nearly double normal, with hurricanes lasting much longer than usual. In the central Pacific, activity is about 40% more than normal.

RELATED STORY | El Nio is here and scientists fear it'll be big, bad and costly

It's just a party out there, one right after the other in the eastern Pacific, Klotzbach said.

While the Atlantic has had only five small tropical storms, there have been 16 named storms in the eastern Pacific and 20 in the central Pacific.

Hawaii has been hit twice. El Nino tends to push storms farther west than other years, Corbosiero said.

Because scientists have long known about El Nino's effects on storm activity in both oceans, forecasters months ago predicted a slow Atlantic hurricane season.

I don't think anyone really foresaw it being this quiet, McNoldy said. This is quite remarkable.

Newly uncovered record shows Mike Rogers repeatedly opposed efforts to establish, advance, or fund medical care for people sickened after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The post Mike Rogers opposed 9/11 responder health care not twice, but nine times appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

Are you looking to boost your mood? Go for a run.

Not a long run or an intense workout. A new study suggests a 10-minute run at a relaxed pace can significantly improve mood.

New research from the University of Tsukuba examined the cognitive effects of running at a pace only slightly faster than walking. Researchers said participants ran at an intensity equal to about 35% of peak oxygen uptake.

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In addition to improved mood and feelings of pleasantness, participants showed increased activity in brain regions linked to executive function and mood regulation, researchers said.

These findings suggest that even very slow running, despite imposing little physiological demand, can simultaneously improve mood and executive function while providing insight into the brain mechanisms that may underlie these effects, the researchers wrote.

Researchers also said slow running may be an accessible form of exercise because it requires relatively little effort. They said it could benefit people who find conventional exercise challenging.

U.K. lawmakers on Friday voted down legislation to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives.

Following an impassioned four-hour debate in the elected House of Commons, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was rejected 286 to 270. The outcome was somewhat surprising given that an almost identical bill had passed last year with a margin of 23 votes.

The vote brings an end to a two-year debate in Parliament about assisted dying, during which the House of Commons had backed assisted dying on two previous occasions. Their backing wasn't enough for it to become law because it was effectively filibustered by unelected lawmakers in the House of Lords.

RELATED STORY | British lawmakers give initial approval to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives

Back in the House of Commons on Friday, the bill had proposed allowing adults in England and Wales who have fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

Many individual lawmakers relayed their own stories both in favor of and against the proposal. The government took a neutral stance, meaning lawmakers voted according to their consciences rather than along party lines.

One lawmaker who was among those to oppose the bill, having previously backed it, spoke about how nightmares prompted her to switch sides. Janet Daby said she dreamed of dying and death because she had not been entirely comfortable with her former position.

The new U.K. leader, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, didn't vote because he said he didn't want to unduly influence the debate.

Opponents branded the bill unsafe and unworkable, citing concerns around potential coercion of vulnerable people and a lack of safeguards for those with disabilities.

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Lawmaker and cancer surgeon Dr. Zubir Ahmed also noted uncertainty around a doctors prognosis.

I have to be honest with you, he said. When I am asked to prognosticate as to whether someone has six months to live or not, I am as often wrong as I am right.

The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Archbishop Richard Moth, called the bill wrong in principle and deeply flawed. The Church of Englands Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, also objected to the bill.

Medical colleges, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, had raised serious concerns about the bill, saying there were too many unanswered questions about the safeguarding of people with mental illness.

Proponents of assisted dying sometimes referred to as assisted suicide had hoped it would mark the biggest change to social policy in the U.K. since abortion was partially legalized in 1967. The intention was to put an end to the practice of those near the end of their lives going to other countries, such as Switzerland, for an assisted death.

Lauren Edwards, who reintroduced the bill to the House of Commons, said the rejection was heartbreaking but expressed hope that the issue will win parliamentary approval in the future.

Assisted dying will come in this country, as it is already doing all across the world, but not soon enough, she said. Parliament has dropped the ball today. It will be picked up again as it must be, because the law as it stands is simply too cruel and too unjust to be allowed to stand.

Other countries where assisted dying is legal include Australia, Belgium and Spain, with regulations on qualifying criteria varying by jurisdiction.

Newly crowned NBA champion Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks will host Saturday Night Live when the new season begins later this month, with future guests including Inde Navarrette, Gracie Abrams and Katseye.

Brunson, who helped the Knicks become champions this summer for the first time in 53 years, makes his hosting debut Sept. 26 with pop girl group Katseye the musical guest.

RELATED STORY | New York Knicks revel at NBA victory parade as joyous fans fill the streets

A week later Oct. 3. Dakota Johnson, promoting the film Verity, will host with Turnstile as the musical guest, making their SNL debut. On Oct. 10, comedian Shane Gillis hosts for the third time and Rosala will take the stage for the second time as musical guest.

SNL takes a two-week break after that, returning on Halloween night with Navarrette making her hosting debut. She's the breakout star of the horror-thriller Obsession and is starring in the upcoming X-Men film and The Waffle House Index. Abrams will be the musical guest, marking her second time.

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The NBC sketch comedy show airs at 11:30 p.m. Eastern and streams live on Peacock.

A 15-year-old boy survived on top of an overturned skiff in Alaskas frigid Bering Sea for roughly two days, losing his older brother and then his cousin to the ocean after the boat capsized while they were out fishing.

The teen, identified by a relative as Derek Parker Aghnaanga, was finally hoisted to safety Monday by a fishing boat near St. Lawrence Island a remote Alaskan island closer to Russia than it is to the United States. The bodies of his cousin and brother were also recovered.

The cousin had held onto the overturned boat for a while too, but did not survive until the rescue, the teen told one of the rescuers.

The captain of the fishing boat that came to his aid said Aghnaanga clung to the skiff through darkness and water temperatures around 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius).

Thats one tough kid, Adam White, captain of The Northwest Explorer, told KTUU-TV in Anchorage.

Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff, White said. And then he said that, in the previous night, before our rescue, that his cousin had slipped away.

U.S. Coast Guard planes and helicopters began searching for the skiff Monday morning after family members reported the three missing the night before.

The group left the village of Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island on Friday and planned to return early Sunday, the Coast Guard said.

Halibut fishing is a part of the culture and important to survival in the village where there are about 800 residents and jobs are hard to come by, said Collen Walker, an aunt of the two brothers. Residents often share their catch with family and neighbors, she said.

That's how we do it in our community. We take care of one another, she said Friday. We still live a traditional way of life even if the world is changing.

Aghnaanga, the teen rescued, often went fishing with his 35-year-old brother, Sidney Kulowiyi, and looked to him as a father figure ever since their own father died when they were younger, Walker said.

RELATED STORY | Entire Alaska villages vanish under the tide now comes one of the largest airlifts in state history

She described Kulowiyi, a commercial fishing captain, as a humble and loving provider for people in the village. She didn't want to release the name of their cousin who died, saying he also came from Savoonga.

Their skiff capsized Saturday night far out in the ocean, she was told.

The Coast Guard said one of its aircrews spotted the boy Monday morning and deployed a raft and supplies before contacting The Northwest Explorer.

Aghnaanga's mother was listening to a radio transmission of the rescue Monday while other family members huddled around a speakerphone, Walker said.

We all cried and jumped for joy when the captain announced on the radio, We found a kid, hes alive, hes alive, she said. Then we asked, 'Wheres the rest of them?'

Video of the rescue shows Aghnaanga in a bright yellow jacket kneeling atop the overturned skiff. The boat's crew tosses him a line, tugging the skiff closer until they can pull him into a rescue basket.

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He was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he got onto the boat, the Coast Guard said.

The fishing boat crew warmed him with blankets and hot packs, its captain said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that a unified Ireland would be fantastic, wading into a complex and politically charged subject during a weekend visit to a major tournament at his Irish golf course.

At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin in Dublin, Trump said he would love to see the reunification of the Republic of Ireland with the U.K.s Northern Ireland.

I dont want to cause any problems but Id love to see it unified," Trump said. "Its going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.

I think it would be a fantastic thing," he said, adding that "the U.K. will have something to say about it, obviously.

The Irish unity debate is heated

Competing visions of Northern Ireland whether it's Irish or British drove decades of violence in Northern Ireland that left some 3,600 people dead. Previous American presidents have avoided commenting directly on the subject, even those, like Joe Biden, with strong emotional ties to Ireland.

When Ireland, long dominated by its bigger neighbor Britain, became a self-governing Roman Catholic-majority country a century ago, a six-county region in the north with a Protestant majority remained part of the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland was split between two main communities: nationalists most of them Catholic who desired union with the rest of Ireland, and largely Protestant unionists, who wanted to stay British. Tensions eventually exploded in the Troubles: three decades of violence involving paramilitary groups on both sides and British troops.

RELATED STORY | Ireland touts record investments in US economy

A 1998 peace accord that the U.S. was instrumental in striking largely ended the violence, but left Northern Irelands ultimate status unresolved.

The peace accord allows for a vote on unification if it appears likely a majority of people would vote for it. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday that I am not aware that there is majority public support for another referendum, and until that changes, there will not be one.

A meeting with the Irish president who criticized Trump

Trump also held talks Saturday in Dublin with his Irish counterpart Catherine Connolly and will address U.S. and Irish business leaders at the U.S. ambassador's official residence in Dublin, before traveling to his oceanfront golf club in Doonbeg, on the other side of the country, to watch the Irish Open.

Connolly is a left-wing politician who was among those who protested when Trump visited Ireland in 2019, during his first term in office. She is now Ireland's elected, largely ceremonial head of state. A supporter of the Palestinian cause, she in the past has criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East and called Trump a bully.

The Irish president met Trump at the end of a red carpet at her official residence. They shook hands and chatted before going inside. He emerged alone a few minutes later and saluted as an Irish Defence Forces band played the U.S. national anthem and inspected an Irish Army honor guard.

Connolly then joined Trump outdoors to introduce the U.S. and Irish delegations before the leaders went back inside for their closed-door talks.

Trumps visit is the latest example of blending his official duties and personal interests.

Trump visit irks some Dubliners

Police put up a cordon around Dublins 1,750-acre (700-hectare) Phoenix Park, where he met Connolly at her residence, ras an Uachtarin. He met Martin, the taoiseach, at the governments Farmleigh state guesthouse and stopped by Deerfield, the U.S. ambassador's residence.

Some residents expressed annoyance over the disruption.

Hes causing mayhem in this city because he wants to go down to Doonbeg and play golf, said taxi driver Christopher Fox, emphatically not a fan of Trump. The worlds in turmoil and this fellas down playing golf.

University student Mina Petrovski said Trumps attitudes toward women, toward immigrants, toward minority communities in general are abhorrent. She said its shameful that the Irish government is welcoming him with open arms.

RELATED STORY | King Charles clarifies status of Prince Harry and his wife after their UK return

Separately, a collection of left-leaning opposition parties, anti-military groups, pro-Palestinian organizations, environmentalists and others plan to demonstrate against Trump in Dublin on Saturday.

Eric Trump defends family's presence in Ireland

Trump's son, Eric, says the family is loved in Ireland, despite the protests planned over his father's visit.

Speaking to Irish national broadcaster RTE on Friday in Doonbeg, home to the Trump International golf resort, Eric Trump said the course is the largest employer in the area.

Go down to Morrisseys tavern in Doonbeg and hear from a real Irish person as to whether or not they like President Trump and the Trump family, go have them attest to what weve done for the country and what weve invested in the country and the love and respect that our family has always shown them, he said.

Trump flew overnight to Ireland after observing the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The Republican president spent the two nights before Friday's solemn observance giving lengthy speeches at a political pep rally in Dallas.

Trump enjoys golf

Trump plays golf just about every weekend at clubs he owns in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia. His attendance at the Irish Open continues his trend of appearing at high-profile sporting events and having a hand in organizing some of them in ways that benefit his family business. His clubs in Doral, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, have each hosted professional golf tournaments this year.

The Irish Open is the second European Tour event to be held at a Trump property this year. The Nexo Championship was held last month at Trump's golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Last year, Trump went to Scotland for five days to play golf at his club in Turnberry and later inaugurated a new Trump golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. During that visit, he held talks with the British prime minister and the president of the European Commission.

Oakland County officials are pushing back against a proposed 10% electric rate increase from DTE Energy, and they want residents to help make their case.

DTE filed a $474 million rate hike request with the Michigan Public Service Commission earlier this year. If approved, the increase would not take effect until March 2027. Both Oakland and Macomb County boards voted to intervene in the case, arguing the proposed hike is too steep.

Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chair Dave Woodward said the county is now asking residents to submit copies of 2 electric bills from December 2025 and April 2026 to be used as evidence in the proceedings.

"A 10% rate increase is just absurd, it is out of proportion of reality," Woodward said.

Woodward said the county is looking for a strong sample of bills to demonstrate the real-world impact of recent rate changes on customers.

"We need a good sampling, 500-1000 would be a good sample that we can look at and show with empirical concrete evidence, with actual bills, that the true experience of the rate increase wasn't just the 5% approved earlier this year, it's probably double digits," Woodward said.

The push to intervene comes as businesses and residents across the region report rising utility costs. In downtown Royal Oak, Alchemi and Johnny's Speakeasy owner John Prepolec said his electric bill has doubled since he opened 10 years ago. This summer, he said his monthly electric bill reached nearly $2,000.

"It's not like I can replace my air conditioner you know? That's a huge user of it, but you're a restaurant, you can't have people sweating," Prepolec said.

Prepolec said a 10% rate hike is difficult to justify given the current economic climate.

"I think when inflation is around 3.5%, I think 10% is pretty high," Prepolec said. "They just pass along the cost increases, I'd be curious to what they're doing to cut their costs."

In a statement, DTE said in part: "Our customers' bills remain below regional and national averages, and the grid is getting more resilient with outage times improving 90% from 2023 to 2025." The company also said that after this rate hike request, it plans to pause rate hike requests for 2 years.

Royal Oak resident Matthew Gray said he would be willing to participate in the county's bill submission effort.

"Yeah if I knew someone was going to take a look at it and there would be some follow up, I would submit my bills," Gray said.

Oakland County residents can submit their electric bills through an online form at https://publicdocs2.oakgov.com/Forms/DTEBillSubmission.

The Attorney General's office is also among the officials fighting the rate hike request.

City officials, first responders and community members gathered Friday in Romulus to break ground on a new public safety headquarters that will serve both the city's police and fire departments.

Before the ceremony focused on the future, attendees paused to remember the thousands of people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The new headquarters will be built on Wick Road near Vining.

"It's exciting," said Romulus Police Chief Robert Pfannes. "They've been trying to get this facility for the last 35 years."

According to Pfannes, the department's current building is located in a former elementary school in downtown Romulus.

"A 100-year-old school building and it doesn't meet any of the needs of a modern police station," he said.

City leaders say the new location will also improve emergency response times.

Take a look at the ceremony in the video player below

"This is much more centrally located," Pfannes said. "The area where the station used to be was basically on a side street in a neighborhood. While residents liked it, it was not a good place for response and we were routinely stopped by trains."

The facility will house both police and fire operations.

"Virtually all of the fire administration will be in this building, but it will be a four-bay station that houses fire crews that actively respond to fire incidents and EMS," Fire Chief Dave Heavener said.

The groundbreaking ceremony's timing on September 11 gave added significance to the event. Heavener reflected on the sacrifices made by first responders during the attacks 25 years ago.

"Three hundred forty-three firefighters died that day from FDNY," Heavener said. "The common thing following that event was 'never forget,' and I think things that we've done here today and what we continue to do prove we're committed to not forgetting."

Longtime Romulus resident Emery Long attended the ceremony and said first responders deserve updated facilities.

"Public service is not an easy thing to do, so you want the most comfortable work environment that you can have to serve the public," Long said.

Construction on the new public safety headquarters is expected to begin soon. City officials hope to have the facility open by 2028.

President Trump on Friday once again promised each American adult a $5,000 check if Republicans keep control of Congress after the midterm elections.

"When I say something, I mean it! The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it. VOTE REPUBLICAN," he wrote on social media.

But the pledge is receiving bipartisan criticism from politicians, and economists are sounding the alarm. The proposal would cost the U.S. government over a trillion dollars, while the country is already carrying a $40 trillion debt.

Scripps News spoke with Veronique de Rugy, an economist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about the effects if the checks do go through.

"It's not much different than the checks that we cut people during the COVID epidemic. The COVID relief sent a lot of checks," de Rugy said. "What's very different is that we're not in an emergency at all."

RELATED STORY | Trump announces $500 refunds for nearly 1 million 'Obamacare' enrollees

"What is also different is that in general, when you put relief efforts during an emergency, there's this kind of understanding that actually the money will be repaid. In this case, the president is actually claiming we're going to have this paid with tariff revenue. But tariff revenues are not nearly enough to pay for this. So it will be borrowing and no one knows how it will be repaid for," de Rugy said.

Watch the full interview with de Rugy in the video above.

25 Years After 9/11: Personal Stories, Unanswered Questions, and the Next Generation. On this special, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Jon Leiberman reflects on being at the Pentagon moments after the plane hit, and hears from those whose lives were forever altered that day.

Jon sits down with 9/11 widow and three-time cancer survivor Beth Murphy, who shares her incredible story of resilience after suffering a stroke right before the 20th anniversary.

Scripps News' Kadia Tubman breaks down the long-fought victory for the World Trade Center Health Program and why a 7th moment of silence is being added to this year's ceremony. Then, Middle East historian Dr. Asaf Romirowsky examines how the global terror threat has evolved 25 years later, before the panel sounds off on how to teach 9/11 to the 100 million Americans who weren't even alive when it happened.

Don't have time to follow every twist and turn of the week's biggest stories? Veteran journalist Jon Leiberman ("Howard Stern" and "America's Most Wanted") breaks down what happened so you are in the know on the most important, compelling, underreported and craziest stories of the week.

Stream new episodes of "Catch Me Up" every Friday at 7 p.m. ET. And text the word Scripps to 202-968-2449 to comment or be part of an upcoming panel discussion.

Ford Field is rolling out several new features for the upcoming Detroit Lions season, including premium seating, interactive experiences, new merchandise options and a virtual reality ride.

Kara Agby, director of partnership marketing and naming rights, led a tour of the new additions and said the upgrades are built around one priority.

"Everything we do is for the fans," Agby said.

Watch 7 Action News reporter Jeffrey Lindblom break down all the new features in the video below:

Ford Field debuts new fan experiences ahead of Lions season openerI

Among the new features are 100 elevated seats positioned next to a new game entertainment stage where a DJ will help energize the crowd before and during games. The new 1934 Club offers a premium experience for ticket holders, including comfortable seating, access to the pre-game radio show live and additional entertainment options. A limited number of memberships remain available.

Agby said the stadium's renovations, including some of the newest additions, have been years in the making.

"We want the city to feel like this stadium is for them and so everything we do is centered around that," Agby said.

One of the more unique new additions is a Raptor VR experience. After completing the virtual reality ride, fans receive a complimentary hat either a ball cap or a trucker cap.

Ford Field is also debuting its first-ever gate name change. The newly named Bernie Advantage Gate will offer a gift a hat good for an upcoming game to fans who exit through it during the fourth quarter.

On the merchandise side, the new Fan Cave gives fans a place to pick out jerseys and other gear. A Lions statue is also on hand for photos, lit up in the team's signature color.

"What's our color? Honolulu blue," Agby said.

Fans can also stop by End Zone Ink to get face or body paint before the game. Lions fans at Ford Field said they are ready for the season.

"It's the Motor City Grit," Drew Titkemeier said.

Titkemeier, who picked up one of the new hats, said he is optimistic heading into the year.

"History of having a hard time but always fighting. Super Bowl or bust," Titkemeier said. "We're not going to let anybody push us around."

Agby echoed the sentiment shared by fans throughout the tour.

"We would be nothing without our fans," Agby said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A 9/11 memorial in Pontiac brought together former and current first responders Friday to mark 25 years since the attacks including several Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies who drove through the night to help at Ground Zero.

Ten officers from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office loaded a truck full of supplies and drove to New York in the hours after the attacks. Several of them gathered at the Pontiac memorial for a ceremony that included a 21-gun salute and a helicopter flyover.

WATCH VIDEO REPORT BY 7 NEWS DETROIT'S TONY GEFTOS BELOW:

Oakland County first responders mark 25 years since 9/11

Retired Deputy Roger St. Jean was among those who responded.

"I feel fortunate that I was capable of doing something to help," St. Jean said.

St. Jean described the conditions at Ground Zero when they arrived.

"And somebody would lead you out to where they wanted you to dig, and we would dig by hand because you couldn't get a shovel or a tool in any place, any heavy equipment wasn't there yet," St. Jean said.

Deputy Thomas Poulin said the response from within the department was immediate and overwhelming.

"He wanted volunteers and everybody said, 'I'll go.' I mean, we're talking over 300 people in our union saying, 'We'll go,'" Poulin said.

For Poulin, the memory remains vivid.

"It's amazing how fast it went. I mean, we're watching everything and it's like seems like yesterday," Poulin said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard reflected on the lasting toll the response took on those who went.

"Now we know how many kinds of particulates and asbestos and everything that was in the air. After that day, I've never heard one person that went say, 'I wish I didn't go.' Again that goes to the the heart and soul of the men and women that responded from all over this country, including the team from Oakland County," Bouchard said.

Thomas Quisenberry, who served as Oakland County Undersheriff at the time, said the magnitude of what they experienced took time to fully set in.

"It was big, but I never knew quite how big until later when we came back and had time to think about it because for that first week when we were working, you didn't think about it," Quisenberry said. "You were just doing your job, working and trying to help out the best way you can."

Friday marked the first time Quisenberry visited the 9/11 memorial in Oakland County, where his name appears on a plaque.

"That's the first time I've seen this monument. It's the first time I've stepped in here. I just didn't have the heart to want to come and address. Upstairs, all the emotions that have gone on," Quisenberry said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested a man in the case of Tasia Fortune, the 29-year-old Black woman found hanging from a tree outside an abandoned house last month, following the state medical examiner ruling her death a homicide.

Last night, the medical examiners office officially classified Miss Fortunes death as a homicide. With that determination, our investigators moved quickly, Chief RaShall Brackney said at a Friday news conference.

Police secured two search warrants and an arrest warrant for the man, according to Brackney. After being unable to locate the man at the search warrant location, officers returning to police headquarters arrested the suspect as he was walking along a city street, she said. More arrest warrants could be served in connection with the case, the chief said.

RELATED STORY | Community shaken after Mississippi woman, Tasia Fortune, found hanging from a tree

That arrest today is an important development in this investigation but it is not the conclusion, Brackney said.

The chief said Fortune was found in a hanging position with various states of decomposition of her body on August 3.

Fortunes death shook her family and communityin Mississippi, where two other people have been found hanging from trees in less than a year.

The investigation into Fortunes death comes less than a year after the hanging deaths of 21-year-old Trey Reed, a Black student at Delta State University in Cleveland, and Cory Zukatis, an unhoused white man in his 30s, in Vicksburg, according toThe Associated Press. Both deaths were determined by authorities to be suicides.

Jackson police interviewed nearly 15 people, collected forensic evidence and followed leads in the case. Brackney said the investigation into Fortunes death remains active.

This is not closure. This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case, Brackney said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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