A Livonia man is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl and has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report: Livonia man charged with sex crimes after allegedly assaulting 11-year-old girl
Jeremiah Bishop, 33, is the former owner of Movement United Parkour & Acrobatics, a children's and adult parkour and acrobatics gym in Farmington Hills.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the investigation began on June 18 after the victim's grandfather reported the allegations. Investigators spoke to the mother of the child, who reported her daughter had made disclosures and provided investigators with text messages allegedly sent by Bishop admitting to the abuse. The mother was cooperative with the investigation.
Bouchard said the alleged abuse spanned more than a year.
"We believe the time frame for these particular charges was between August of '24 to October of '25, so quite an extensive period of time," Bouchard said.
Each of the four counts carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
"Very serious charges but very serious offense," Sheriff Bouchard added. The person was in the house and in a position to do this unfortunately.
Bishop was arrested at his mother's residence last week. 7 News Detroit stopped by to see if she had any comment regarding the allegations, but we were denied an interview.
Lisa Rajtrajt's 18-year-old son has been going to Movement United for over a year. She says she professionally knows Bishop and is horrified by the allegations.
"Obviously we were shocked, I mean there's no other word for it," Rajtrajt said. "If he's guilty, I hope he's punished to the fullest extent possible."
The gym's new owner is clarifying they have completely severed ties with Bishop and that a change in ownership and name occurred before the charges were brought. The development gave Rajtrajt some reassurance.
"If you had asked me were we still gonna go to the gym with Jeremiah in charge I think the answer probably would be no, but knowing that there's new ownership now that gives me a little bit more comfort," Rajtrajt said.
The new company in the same building issued the following statement to 7 News Detroit:
MVMT UNTD is a newly established company that has no connection to Mr. Bishop. The assets of Movement United, LLC were acquired by MVMT UNTD, LLC, a company owned by Nathan Wilmot, prior to the filing of the charges described in recent reporting. Mr. Bishop holds no ownership interest in MVMT UNTD and has no role in its management, operations, staffing, programming, or day-to-day activities. The allegations described in recent reporting are serious. MVMT UNTD treats the safety and wellbeing of its members and the surrounding community with the utmost seriousness particularly where the protection of children and vulnerable individuals is concerned. MVMT UNTD recognizes that reporting of this nature can cause concern, and wants to communicate clearly and directly with its members and the public. Based on the information currently available to the Company, the matters described in the reporting are unrelated to MVMT UNTDs facilities, programs, and operations. The legal proceedings involving Mr. Bishop are a matter for the courts and law enforcement, and MVMT UNTD will cooperate with any lawful request from the appropriate authorities. Under its current ownership, MVMT UNTD is fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and professional environment for every member. All business processes and coaching procedures are under review to ensure members and families are confident in its programs and safety practices. MVMT UNTD appreciates the continued trust and support of its members and the community.
Bouchard says while investigators do not believe there are any more victims, they are encouraging anyone to speak up if there is any indication of abuse. The sheriff stresses the importance of having conversations with young children in your family about inappropriate touching and consent.
Bishop was arraigned on Friday, July 24th before Magistrate Langham in the 52-1 District Court on four counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree (victim under 13). Langham set a cash surety bond of $850,000 with GPS tether provision.
His next scheduled court date is a probable cause conference on August 7th.
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 Detroit man is facing felony charges after investigators say he exposed himself to children and a woman while working as a DoorDash driver in two downriver communities and police believe there could be more victims.
Brownstown Township detectives say 23-year-old Christian Joel Venancio drove up to three young girls playing in their front yard near Telegraph Road and called one of the children over to his vehicle.
Surveillance video shows car approach children and then drive off: Surveillance video shows car approach children and then drive off
"This did not happen down the street, it did not happen in some alley somewhere, this happened right outside this residence," Detective Sergeant Ian Morrison said.
Surveillance video captured a white Ford Edge pulling up to the children outside their home. The girls' father called police.
"This father called police saying that a male drove up and exposed himself and was rubbing on himself," Morrison said.
Through their investigation, detectives identified Venancio as the driver. Morrison says Venancio had just completed a DoorDash delivery in the area before the incident. He was arrested six days later during a traffic stop in Brownstown Township.
"That window of opportunity can be so small for someone to take advantage of, and certainly not every DoorDash driver is doing these sorts of things, but these people exist; they're out there," Morrison said.
Detectives also connected Venancio to a similar incident in Grosse Ile, where police say he exposed himself to an older woman after asking if she needed a ride again in the same white Ford Edge, a vehicle investigators say he is known to drive but is not registered to him.
Venancio is now charged with aggravated indecent exposure, a felony, in both cases. He is currently out on bond.
Rachel Yancey, the mother of the 8-year-old girl police say was targeted in Brownstown Township, says the arrest has not erased the fear her family now lives with.
"It was so many different emotions at one time; it was like rage, it was me being scared, it was the protective part of me, like, ' This is my baby," Yancey said. "It makes you feel very vulnerable and unsafe. Of course, now the security cameras are up and things like that just for more sense of security, but it's really just the fact that my children are right outside my home and can become victimized that fast."
Investigators say the two victims appear to have been randomly targeted, and they are going public with the case because they believe there may be additional victims.
"Based on the totality of this investigation, we believe that there's a likelihood there's more victims out there, so we would obviously want that information," Morrison said.
Police say Venancio has frequented communities across metro Detroit as a DoorDash driver. Anyone who may have had a similar experience is urged to contact Brownstown Township Police or Grosse Ile Police.
I reached out to DoorDash to ask whether Venancio was actively working for the company at the time of these incidents and what safeguards are in place for customers and communities. A response is still pending.
Yancey is urging parents to talk with their children about reporting anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.
"I just want people to understand that no matter how minor the situation is, if somebody makes you feel uncomfortable sexually, that is something that should be reported, no matter if it was minor or major; it should be something that's reported," Yancey 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.
The City of Wayne has opened a new $1.2 million amphitheater at Goudy Park, replacing a longtime gazebo that hosted concerts in the round during summers past.
Watch Tony Geftos' video report: City of Wayne's new $1.2M amphitheater opens Wednesday for free summer concerts
Free concerts are scheduled Wednesday evenings at 7:30 through the end of August.
Mayor John Rhaesa said the project was fully grant-funded through federal, state, and county sources, with no cost to City of Wayne taxpayers.
"It's been great," Rhaesa said.
The renovation included an underground water reservoir and a pump house, which the Rotary Club of Wayne will use to sell T-shirts and beer during concert nights.
Trish Hampton of the Rotary Club of Wayne said the community has been eager for the amphitheater to open.
"People have been so excited to have this. We have been pushing for this for 2 years now. People have been calling and saying, 'When is this happening?'" Hampton said.
The Rotary Club worked alongside the City of Wayne and the Wayne Downtown Development Authority to bring the amphitheater to life.
Lori Goin, director of the Wayne Downtown Development Authority, said the concerts draw people to nearby businesses as well.
"Typically what happens the night of a concert, people will go over to the US 12, they'll have a bite to eat, then they'll come down here," Goin said.
Owners of the family-run Mike & Mona's U.S. 12 Bar & Grill said they are ready for the crowds the concerts are expected to bring.
John Goci, owner of Mike & Mona's U.S. 12 Bar & Grill, said anticipation has been building all season.
"The people've been waiting all year. This year's Cruisin' US 12, the talk of the town, was all about the upcoming concerts in Goudy Park," Goci said.
Rhaesa said the draw extends well beyond the city limits.
"People bike all the way from Farmington, and you're going 'What?'" Rhaesa said.
Free concerts at Goudy Park's new amphitheater begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:00 PM Wednesday, July 29, 2026, followed by a concert at 7:30 PM. Concerts will run Wednesday evenings through the end of August.
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 family packing for a road trip in Grosse Pointe Woods was confronted by two men, one armed with a gun who attempted to carjack their rental vehicle early Tuesday morning, according to police.
The attempted carjacking happened around 5 a.m. on Anita Avenue near Mack Avenue. Police say two suspects pulled up in a silver Chevrolet Equinox and tried to steal the family's SUV.
Abigail Russell, whose son-in-law was targeted, said the family was loading up when one of the suspects approached him and her granddaughter.
"He told them to lay on the ground. He laid on the ground. My granddaughter ran back into the house and as she was coming back into the house, the other kids and myself was coming towards the door and she just yelled 'he's robbing. My dad is being robbed. My dad is being robbed,'" Russell said.
Police say the victim was also armed and fired at the suspects, who fled the scene. Dispatch audio captured the moment a 911 caller reported the incident.
"50-50 cars, I've got a caller on 911 screaming attempted robbery," the audio said.
Neighbor Dr. Chontay Taylor Glenn was in her bedroom when she heard the gunshots and saw the confrontation unfold outside.
"I can still kind of hear it in my ear. Pow, pow, pow, pow," Taylor Glenn said. "I see someone run, which looks like a tall maybe young guy run really fast and I see him get up and begin to shoot."
Security video shows the suspects' vehicle approaching Kercheval Avenue and Fisher Road in Grosse Pointe Farms, where it jumped a curb and crashed into a light pole and a concrete flower bed. Officers from the city of Grosse Pointe and Grosse Pointe Farms took the two men into custody and recovered a gun.
Russell said she is grateful no one was killed.
"I thank God for protecting my family, my son in law because this could have turned a whole different way," Russell said.
The suspects, both men in their 20s, are expected to face charges.
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.
Even before the U.S. enacted a national shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci pondered whether he might have testified before Congress more than any other official.
As the longtime face of the governments infectious disease response, he was on Capitol Hill roughly 250 times over the course of his career to discuss threats such as the HIV/AIDS crisis and Ebola.
On Wednesday, the retired scientist will notch one more testimony, in what is expected to be a combative hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
The appearance will mark the latest showdown with Sen. Rand Paul, the committees chairman, who has long sought to blame the Covid pandemic and shortcomings of the U.S. response on Fauci.
Fauci did not agree to turn up willingly. In June, Paul subpoenaed the 85-year-old former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his appearance.
Internal correspondence shared with CNN shows that Fauci initially declined to appear voluntarily, citing his past clashes with Paul and the senators efforts to indict him.
Your request that Dr. Fauci appear before the Committee arises within a context that cannot be ignored the context of repeated public and absolutely baseless pronouncements by you, a sitting United States Senator, that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and jailed, his lawyers wrote in a letter to Paul.
Ahead of the hearing, the committee released more than 1,100 pages of Faucis personal diary from 2019 to 2022. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday night on Fox News that he had recently handed the files over to Paul and Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson after finding them on government servers following an eight-month search.
Neither HHS nor Pauls committee alerted Fauci ahead of time that they had obtained his diary and that they planned to publish it in full, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The entries documented his frequent media appearances and growing fame, shining a light on his interactions with celebrities and dozens of members of the news media, including some CNN journalists.
The diary entries also narrate Faucis growing concerns about Covid-19, frustrations with the government response and conflicting relationships with both Trump and Biden administration officials.
Pauls intense focus on discrediting Fauci has taken a toll on him, according to people familiar with the scientist. The long-running probe has forced Fauci to continue defending his actions well into retirement, while fueling further conspiracies theories about him and deepening distrust in the broader public health establishment.
The GOP fixation on Fauci also disrupted the careers of those closest to him; amid a Trump administration purge of federal health officials last year, Faucis wife was fired from her job at the National Institutes of Health, and at least three of his former longtime colleagues at the agency were reassigned.
Nobody would want this. But Ive known him for a very long time and we both use the phrase Brooklyn strong quite a bit, said Peter Staley, an AIDS activist and longtime friend of Fauci. Hell get through this, he added. Hes got all the facts on his side.
Sen. Pauls demands
Paul and Fauci have clashed repeatedly over the years about the origins of Covid-19, Faucis guidance on shutdowns and allegations that Fauci instructed NIAID staff on corresponding through private channels to avoid public records gained through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Since the early days of the pandemic, the senator has accused Fauci of greenlighting controversial research to make viruses more contagious and virulent, mostly as a means of better understanding their spread and how to treat them, known as gain-of-function research. Paul has alleged, without evidence, that NIAID-funded studies in Wuhan, China, used gain-of-function research and led to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fauci has repeatedly denied this both before the senator and in his diary entries.
An analysis of viruses used in the Wuhan lab clearly indicate(s) that it is molecularly impossible for the viruses under the auspices of the NIH grant to have been manipulated into or evolved into SARS-Cov-2, he wrote in July 2021.
Paul has previously called for Fauci to be indicted for denying that the U.S. government funded of gain-of-function research in China, which Paul characterizes as a lie. Fauci has maintained that U.S.-funded studies did not meet the federal governments definition of the restricted research.
This pressure from Paul and others led President Joe Biden to preemptively pardon Fauci during his last days in office, shielding Fauci from charges pertaining to any comments made in previous years.
Paul could attempt to renew calls for perjury charges based on the scientists remarks in the Wednesday hearing.
If he lies during the hearing, thats a new lie, and the pardon wont cover that, Paul said during his interview with Fox Business on July 15.
Yet despite new access to Faucis realtime thoughts throughout the pandemic, Paul and Johnson have both sought to manage expectations that the hearing will produce any major new developments.
(I) dont expect to get much out of him, Johnson told Fox News last week. But Im going to try and lay out all the things that he did that were such a miserably failed response to Covid.
Diary shows internal tensions, Fauci media strategy
Dozens of diary entries made public by the committee show Faucis growing concerns about the coronavirus threat and increasing internal conflicts about the government response.
Fauci referenced long calls and conversations with Trump in which they would discuss the Covid-19 response and the presidents messaging.
Big surprise was at 10:35 PM tonight I got a phone call at home from President Trump who wanted to chat about the coronavirus situation in general, he wrote on February 27 , 2020. He urged the president not to underplay the seriousness of the virus but noted that he did just that the next day.
In July 2020, he and other officials explained to the president in an Oval Office meeting that vaccines would not be ready before the presidential election in November.
He accepted that the vaccine might not be ready before the election, but he was not happy about it. He kept pushing about when therapy would be ready, Fauci wrote.
But fractures in their relationship were forming, as Fauci noted days later.
The POTUS is playing a weird game of acting Okay with me in person and saying that our relationship is fine to the press and then retweeting stuff that attacks me. He is a very strange guy, Fauci wrote on July 28, 2020.
In other entries, Fauci noted Trump nearly begging Fauci and other Coronavirus Task Force members to end shutdown measures and yelling at officials such as Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the task force, that shutdowns were ruining the economy and his reelection efforts.
Trump getting out of control in pushing to open up the country and get the economy back before election day. He is desparate (sic). This is all about re-election, Fauci wrote in May 2020.
The diary also indicates that Fauci believed administration officials were blocking his media appearances, particularly when his message fell out of line with Trumps narrative. Fauci and Trump denied early in the pandemic that the administration was limiting his media appearances, but by the summer, the tension had grown.
A Health and Human Services spokesperson at the time told me that I am being kept off TV (even though they were leaning to approve requests) because of my comment about false narrative concerning relying on deaths going down, he wrote in July 2020.
In other entries, Fauci wrote about Trumps illness with coronavirus and later Bidens illness, discussions of booster vaccines and Americas Covid fatigue. The diary continued through late 2022, with Fauci mulling in some writing about when he would retire.
In early entries, Fauci made a few brief allusions to people who would years later join Trumps second administration.
On October 7, 2020, he wrote that then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar met with White House advisor Scott Atlas and his 3 stooges who authored the Great Barrington Declaration, a call to end broad shutdown measures. One of those people was Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, now director of the National Institutes of Health.
On April 2, 2020, he fretted that now HHS secretary RFK Jr. was preparing to publish a book about him that will almost certainly be slanderous.
Fauci documents his boom in fame
The pandemic saw Fauci become a household name, and in his diaries, he regularly marveled at the media frenzy and noted with some amusement comics, memorabilia and art depicting him.
For better or worse, I am becoming an international celebrity. Calls from all over the world, he wrote in March 2020.
He seemed to revel in the celebrity connections bolstered by his position. In April 2020, reality star Kim Kardashian arranged a Zoom call for him to speak with nearly three dozen actors, singers and athletes, including Demi Lovato and Michael Jordan.
In December 2020, he noted that several celebrities appeared in a video compilation wishing him a happy birthday. It was very moving, he wrote.
Earlier that month, Fauci logged that he received a call from Ethel and Kerry Kennedy explicitly inviting (me) up to Hyannisport for 4th of July weekend. They were so nice over the phone. They said that they loved and admired me and were so please that the Kennedy family could honor me.
He appeared to monitor how his outreach with celebrities was received, noting in April 2021 that 95% of comments on an Instagram Live with model and actress Tyra Banks were positive, but some were really mean and vicious statements about me and Tyra.
He added, One person said that Tyra was sexy, but I was even more sexy than she was. She read it and put a big smile on her face and said that she agreed with that but then beautifully and gently shot this down by saying: Dr. Fauci, that is true and my mother is in love with you.
At times, celebrities almost treated Fauci as a private physician and confidant. In February 2021, actress and singer Barbra Streisand called him to discuss the safety of mRNA vaccines after a shingles outbreak. They later discussed life in general, and Fauci explained the Amazon product Alexa to Streisand by instructing the virtual assistant to play her songs. By October, Streisand was asking about booster shots, and they joked about their mutual Brooklyn accents.
It is always good to hear from her, Fauci wrote.
The-CNN-Wire & 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
The Detroit Children’s Museum has reopened for the first time in 14 years. The museum originally closed due to financial crisis within the school district. With the help of a grant of over $800,000 from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the institution was able to open it again to the public.
During its closure, the museum still lent out artifacts and STEM tools to teachers. The museum has now expanded it collection to 2.5 million artifacts including historical objects, science materials, and global treasures.
Schools are open to schedule field trips to the museum. Its open to the public for free every fourth Saturday of the month.
Additional headlines for Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Ride to Rise program increases student ridership
Detroit’s Ride to Rise program has doubled ridership on city busses among Detroit students. That’s according to the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT).
The program allows all youth to ride DDOT busses year-round for free when they show drivers their student IDs.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the program in April to reduce absenteeism in schools and provide reliable transportation for students to after school programs.
DDOT Director Robert Kramer says the department has secured a million dollars in funding in the 2027 state budget to continue the program.
Cyclospora outbreak continues
The state health department says more than 9,000 people in Michigan have reported coming down with a parasitic infection linked to contaminated lettuce. That’s more than twice the number of cases the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed nationwide.
The CDC estimates Michigan has between 900 and 2,100 people who’ve gotten sick since May 1. That does not include probable cases.
Whitmer signs new bills
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill to help people avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. The new law makes programs such as installment plans for delinquent property taxes permanent.
She also signed bills banning state lawmakers from lobbying while they’re in office and prohibiting former legislators from becoming lobbyists for two years after they leave office.
Community Contractor Fair
The development program Ignite Detroit is hosting a Community Contractor Fair on Wednesday. The fair is for Detroit residents, homeowners, and small business owners to connect with contractors, explore home and property improvement resources, and learn about the Homeowners Property Exemption program.
The event takes place at the Northwest Activities Center—that’s 18100 Meyers Rd., Detroit, on Wednesday, July 29 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Support the podcasts you love.
One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.
The Royal Oak Public Library closed Tuesday after a routine inspection revealed a bed bug infestation.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report: Royal Oak library set to reopen Wednesday after bed bug discovery
Library staff first found a single bed bug in a bathroom on the main floor Saturday. Tuesday morning, as part of a monthly routine inspection, inspectors discovered more bugs on furniture in the computer lab and on chairs on the main floor. The library immediately closed and sent all workers home.
Library Director Sandy Irwin said officials believe the bugs came in on a person or their belongings.
The library put its monthly bed bug inspection process in place following an insect incident two years ago.
"A couple years ago we opened DVDs, and these bugs came out. It was like one of those nightmare horror movie type things. Turns out that those were cockroaches," Irwin said.
Visitor after visitor turned around Tuesday after seeing a sign on the door noting the unexpected closure.
Kaitlin Mortz, who was visiting the library Tuesday with a child she nannies, said the closure was a surprise.
"Definitely unexpected. Looks like we're going to have to do something else today," Mortz said.
Abbey Baetz, a tutor who uses the library daily, was among those turned away.
"I showed up at around 8:45 a.m. looking to come to the library because I come every day for tutoring, and when I saw the sign on the door, I was a little shocked to hear that there were bed bugs," Baetz said.
Baetz said she decided to move her tutoring session outside for the day.
"I think I'll stay here unless it gets really humid or rainy. If not, go to a different library, but hoping that they open up soon this week and I'm able to resume normal tutoring sessions," Baetz said.
A team is working to prepare the library to reopen Wednesday. Irwin said the library will also be making changes to help prevent future infestations.
"Once we do reopen, we are going to ask people to limit what they bring into the library. We currently allow people to bring in a couple of bags. We're not going to allow that," Irwin 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.
In todays Health Alert, a new study estimates 21.5 million additional Americans may now qualify for statins to help prevent heart disease. The new guidelines now include adults as young as 30.
What new guidelines could mean for how young adults manage 'bad' cholesterol
So whats changed in the new guidelines to make so many more people eligible, and how did researchers determine that 21.5 million more Americans may now qualify for statins?
There are a few major changes. The guidelines now look at a wider age range, including adults as young as 30. They also lowered the thresholds used to determine cardiovascular risk, meaning more people may now be considered for statin therapy.
They give more weight to certain health conditions, like advanced kidney disease and HIV, that can raise heart disease risk. And finally, they now consider a persons 30-year risk - not just their risk over the next 10 years - to help identify younger adults who may benefit from lowering cholesterol sooner.
Now, what the researchers did for their study was look at health data from more than 4,300 adults in a national survey, between the ages of 30 and 79. And when they applied the new guidelines, they found an estimated 21.5 million more adults may now be eligible to consider statin therapy to help prevent a first heart attack or stroke.
Being eligible doesnt mean you automatically need a statin. It means its time to have a conversation with your family doctor about your cholesterol numbers, your overall health, your family history, and your personal risk.
For younger adults, their short-term risk may be low simply because of their age. But factors like high LDL, or bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, or a strong family history can increase their long-term risk.
Now, if medication is recommended, the good news is that most people tolerate statins well. The most commonly reported side effect is muscle aches or weakness. If that happens, doctors can often adjust the dose or try a different statin.
Also, statins can slightly raise blood sugar, which may increase diabetes risk in some people who are already at risk. But for people with significant cardiovascular risk, the benefits generally outweigh that small risk.
So whether youre taking a statin or not, lifestyle remains essential. A heart-healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood pressure, and not smoking are some of the most powerful ways to protect your heart.
And remember, the goal of these guidelines is not to put everyone on medication. Its to identify risk earlier so people can make informed decisions.
Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori walks to the presidential palace after her inauguration in Lima, Peru, Tuesday.(Martin Mejia / AP)
LIMA, Peru — Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president on Tuesday after winning the June presidential runoff by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes, a victory that confirmed a regional shift in South America toward the conservative wing.
With the ceremony, Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and leader of Peru's largest political party, officially takes office as the country's ninth president in a decade. The 51-year-old is hoping to stabilize Peru's turbulent politics, reduce crime and boost economic growth.
Over the past decade, only three of Peru's presidents have been elected by popular vote. The rest have come into office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by congress amid corruption scandals.
Fujimori's Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, will hold half the senate seats once the new legislature is installed, making it harder for opposing legislators to attempt to remove her as president.
An incoming president with a political past and promises for the future
Fujimori centered her campaign around promises to improve security in a nation where extortion rackets have become a significant problem. She has also promised to develop infrastructure by making it easier for government agencies to form partnerships with private investors.
She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s and stabilized its economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military as his government took an authoritarian turn. He was pardoned in December 2023 and died in September the following year.
During her campaign, Keiko Fujimori pledged to fight crime with an "iron fist," implementing some policies adopted by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, and also build a megaprison modeled after the notorious Cecot penitentiary in El Salvador.
To guarantee judges their safety, she has said she will implement reforms to enable them to hide their identities as they oversee criminal trials.
She also said on Tuesday she would reorganize social services to fight malnutrition in rural communities and announced a 15% increase in the nation's minimum wage.
Fujimori said that the nation's military will "temporarily" lead security operations in crime afflicted areas. And said she will focus on preparing the South American nation for the latest onset of El Niño, a weather pattern that warms ocean temperatures and often leads to flooding along Peru's coast.
"My goal is not only to administer the state" Fujimori said. "My main objective is to narrow the enormous social deficit that affects millions of Peruvians."
Opposition leaders remember those killed in protests
Opposition leaders have asked Fujimori's incoming government to reverse a series of laws approved by Peru's last legislature, which critics say weaken efforts to fight organized crime.
The laws eliminate preventive arrests and stop prosecutors from processing political parties involved in corruption under the same statutes as criminal groups. The laws also make it harder for police to confiscate the goods of criminal groups.
Opposition leaders are also asking the incoming government to create a commission to investigate the deaths of 50 civilians during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023 following the removal of former President Pedro Castillo.
During Fujimori's swearing-ceremony, some opposition lawmakers protested outside the parliament, holding photos of people killed during the protests. Relatives of the dead have said they do not recognize Fujimori as president and that they are protesting her inauguration.
Fujimori will lead a deeply polarized country
Fujimori was widely backed by voters in Peru's capital and along the Pacific coast, but voters in the highlands, where there is a larger Indigenous population, overwhelmingly supported left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez, an ally of Castillo.
Sanchez challenged the election results, arguing there were irregularities in how votes were counted at Peruvian consulates abroad, but electoral authorities dismissed his complaints.
Despite the political friction, Peru continues to be one of the most stable economies in Latin America. Its central bank has long kept the benchmark interest rate below 5%, and the government is known for a conservative approach toward public spending.
But critics point out a growing gap in living standards between coastal areas and communities in the Andean highlands.
Fujimori's June election victory, along with those of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia and José Antonio Kast in Chile, underscored South America's shift toward the conservative wing, a stark contrast from the panorama of a few decades ago when left-wing leaders such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela or the current Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerged.
Conservatives have won seven major presidential elections in Latin American in the past few years, most of the them since the January 2025 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a winning streak propelled by concerns over crime, immigration and slow economic growth
Overdose deaths in Michigan have been declining since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on concerning increase in drug-related fatalities. But, Wayne County’s numbers stayed high until 2024 when it saw overdose deaths decrease by 42%.
Wayne County still leads the state in overdose deaths. Black Michiganders are disproportionately affected, with an overdose rate nearly double that of all other residents.
Accessibility to life-saving Naloxone (aka Narcan) and peer recovery coaches have been cited as a few reasons behind the decreases.
However, experts say keeping people from becoming addicted to opioids has gotten tougher.
Avani Sheth, the chief medical officer for Wayne County, says drugs like carfentanil pose a challenge for continued overdose prevention.
“The drug supply continues to change and evolve in increasingly dangerous ways.”
Carfentanil, used to tranquilize large animals like elephants, is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and even small amounts of the drug can be deadly.
Sheth spoke to The Metro’s Sam Corey about why certain communities experience more deaths, what helps patients navigate recovery, and how expanding resources can help local communities.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
More than 150 Florida residents remain scattered across assisted living facilities throughout the Tampa Bay area days after a partial roof collapse forced an emergency evacuation at Aviata at Bradenton Villas early Sunday morning.
Family members and advocates say loved ones have been placed in facilities as far south as Englewood and as far north as New Port Richey with medical records, wheelchairs and personal belongings still trapped inside the damaged building.
On Monday, the Scripps News Group in Tampa observed engineers walking the property on behalf of the City of Bradenton, assessing the structural damage. But for families like George Mendez, the focus isn't just on the building it's on getting critical documents and equipment their loved ones need.
"You can't get through to anybody"
Mendez, who holds power of attorney for 93-year-old Alfred Perani, came to the facility Monday after repeated phone calls to Aviata Health Group went unanswered.
"You can't get through to anybody. So I'm glad I came because I talked to a fireman. He put me in touch with somebody," Mendez said. "So finally, but it's very frustrating."
Perani, who has been a resident at Aviata at Bradenton Villas for three years, was evacuated to a facility in Palm Harbor. Mendez found an available bed at another facility in Bradenton to bring his friend closer to home but says he can't complete the transfer without Perani's medical records.
"They have some beds available. And she gave me a list of paperwork they needed. But I called and called. Nobody answers their phone, so I came and they won't let you in," Mendez said. "And the lady at Westminster said that you're the 7th person that's called us from there, and it's a first come, first serve basis, and they're having the same problem you are."
Adding to his frustration, Mendez says Perani's section of the building wasn't even affected by the roof collapse.
"What I find a problem with is that the section that Alford was in was not affected by the roof. They're all walking through there and eating in there, but they won't let me go into his room and get his things, and I don't know why not," he said. "I don't know if we'll ever get his things. His wheelchair's in there that I bought for him, and he's going to need that chair."
Why the evacuation was ordered
In a joint statement released Monday, the City of Bradenton and Manatee County provided new details about why the Fire Marshal ordered the emergency evacuation.
Officials say the partial roof collapse compromised multiple building systems essential to safe operation, including fire protection, electrical and air conditioning systems. Damage to critical support areas necessary for resident care, combined with the inability to safely complete a full structural assessment during the emergency, made it unsafe for residents to remain.
The emergency response involved the City of Bradenton Fire Department, Manatee County Public Safety and Emergency Medical Services, and multiple regional partners. All 157 residents were evacuated by approximately 4 a.m. Sunday.
City leads building assessment
The City of Bradenton is in charge of the building assessment. A city spokesperson confirmed that city officials and the Fire Marshal were on-site at Aviata Monday, along with flooding and restoration specialists.
According to the joint statement, the property owner's structural engineer is responsible for evaluating the building, and any determination regarding the cause of the collapse will be based on that evaluation.
Following the evacuation, Aviata resumed responsibility for the care of its residents, including communication with families and coordination of any subsequent movement of residents.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is conducting site visits at the facilities where residents were relocated as part of its state regulatory oversight.
However, officials say all inquiries regarding individual residents including their current locations, family notifications or subsequent relocations must be directed to Aviata. Due to HIPAA and other privacy requirements, agencies involved in the emergency response cannot provide protected information regarding individual residents.
Aviata mailbox full, families frustrated
For the second day in a row Monday, the Scripps News Group attempted to reach Aviata Health Group to ask about communication concerns raised by families. The company's mailbox was full.
Until a dedicated communication line is established by Aviata, families seeking information may contact Aviata through its general information number at 800-781-9593, according to the joint statement from city and county officials.
"We recognize how important it is for families to know where their loved ones are and receive accurate information," the statement reads. "As additional contact information is provided by Aviata or AHCA, we will share it to help connect families with the appropriate resources."
There is no timeline yet for when families might be able to access belongings inside the building or when residents might be able to return to the facility.
This story was originally published by Haley Zarcone with the
KFC founder Colonel Sanders ' pressure cooker, black bow tie and dozens of other personal items are up for public auction Tuesday night, along with his former home and a dinner house Sanders opened after selling his iconic restaurant chain.
Harland Sanders, still known as the face of the worldwide chain originally known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, established the Shelbyville property as the first headquarters of his restaurant business in the late 1950s. He sold the property, which included his home and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House, to Tommy and Cherry Settle in 1974, who have run the restaurant since then.
"Colonel Sanders was the original celebrity chef," said Bill Menish, whose firm, The Menish Group, is conducting the auction. "The feedback has been worldwide, so we needed to have an auction that would cater to that worldwide audience."
Online pre-bidding concludes with a live, in-person auction for the Sanders memorabilia on Tuesday evening. Sealed bids for the restaurant and Sanders' former 5,000-square-foot (465-square-meter) home, which he named Blackwood Hall, will be taken until Friday.
Sanders' personal watches, an original cash register, his cutlery set, a bust sculpted by his daughter and a commercial gas range from the colonel's former residence are among the items up for bidding. The bust had a bid of $4,400 on Tuesday morning, and the cash register was bidding at $5,000.
Sanders sold KFC in 1964 to a group of investors, but continued as a brand ambassador for the company.
Menish called Sanders a "marketing genius" for creating the character of the colonel.
"He didn't dress like that before he was starting to build Kentucky Fried Chicken," Menish said. "He adopted the colonel: the clothes, the bow tie, the glasses, the goatee."
One of the most intriguing pieces could be a personal 1964 planner with a handwritten herbs and spices recipe that was later the subject of an early 2000s lawsuit filed by the KFC Corp. to keep the contents private. KFC later dropped the legal action, saying after reviewing the planner the ingredients didn't match Sanders' secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and was likely for a stuffing recipe.
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a teenager who killed two students and two teachers in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. Gray, who was 14 at the time, was charged as an adult.
Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence after hearing from family members of those killed and victims, as well as investigators, a forensic psychologist who had evaluated Gray, a youth detention center counselor and Grays grandmother.
The minimum penalty for murder in Georgia is life with the possibility of parole. That left Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm with the decision of whether Gray should ever be eligible for parole. He decided the teen should never be allowed out.
District Attorney Brad Smith had argued that Gray cannot be in society.
Weve seen no evidence he has any ability to develop a conscience or any ability ever to fully value human life, Smith said.
Defense attorney W. Charlton Allen told the judge his client is not irretrievably broken. Giving him the possibility of parole would give him an opportunity of hope," Allen said, adding that without hope, that takes away the ability for him to change.
Teachers Richard Ricky Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.
Victims of the shooting and family members of those killed conveyed their anger and grief to Primm on Friday, almost all of them asking him to impose a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
Shayna Aspinwall, the wife of math teacher and football coach Richard Aspinwall, described a life sentence of grief and trauma for those left behind.
Investigators say Colt Gray aspired to be a mass shooter
Investigators testified during the sentencing hearing that Gray idolized other mass shooters, talking about them online with other members of the true crime community, a group of young people online who are fascinated with such attacks. Gray had chatted online about gaining notoriety through a school shooting and his admiration for previous mass shooters.
Prosecutors played recordings of phone conversations Gray had with his mother, Marcee Gray, from a youth detention center in the months after the shooting. During those calls, he directed his mother to look up what people were saying about him online. When she described fan art drawings depicting him or comments people made about him, he asked her how much engagement those posts were getting and seemed excited when they were getting a lot.
Gray had the mental wherewithal to mimic details of other mass killings on the day of the shooting, Smith said. He took steps to place those Easter eggs, anticipating that they would be mentioned in court one day and would perpetuate his fame, the prosecutor said.
The shooting was not the culmination of the plan. The shooting was just one of the steps of the plan. The plan was ultimate and lifelong fame inside of the TCC, Smith said, referencing the true crime community.
Colt Gray's grandmother says he needed help
Colt got less stability than he needed, which made him even more vulnerable, Allen argued, arguing that his client got wrapped up in an online community where he found the acceptance he craved but wasnt getting at home.
Grays maternal grandmother, Debbie Polhamus, testified that the teen had a troubled childhood and that his parents failed him. Her grandson had grown highly agitated and aggressive in the weeks before the shooting, she said, adding that she had urged his parents to get him some help but they didnt follow through.
I tried to help Colt because nobody else was helping him, she said.
Polhamus said she visits her grandson once a week at a youth detention center and that he has improved enormously with treatment and medication. She said her grandson has been doing a lot of reading and wants to study to get a GED diploma.
Id like to see him have a chance at some point to prove himself, Polhamus said.
Gray was put in foster care while in detention because his father was in prison and there were concerns about his mother's contact with him. Candice Broce, director of the state Division of Family & Children Services and commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, managed his case.
Broce testified that Gray appeared to show improvement. After Marcee Gray was barred from speaking with her son by a July 2025 no-contact order and he started taking medication, staff at the youth detention center told Broce it changed him essentially into a different child, she said.
Sergiy Olehovych Kyslytsya is first deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. He had previously served as permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations.(Paula Bronstein for NPR)
Updated July 28, 2026 at 4:35 PM EDT
KYIV — When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Sergiy Kyslytsya was in New York serving as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations.
That day, Kyslytsyaleaned into his microphone at the U.N. and looked straight at his Russian counterpart Vasily Nebenzya. Kyslytsya did not hold back.
"There is no purgatory for war criminals," he said. "They go straight to hell, ambassador."
Russia's invasion severed diplomatic relations between Kyiv and Moscow. That made Kyslytsya's posting at the U.N. a particularly unique one: the only place where a Ukrainian diplomat engaged directly with his Russian counterpart.
"My fellow ambassadors in all capitals around the world would not talk to them," Kyslytsya says. "So by the time I was part of our negotiating team (for peace talks), I already knew how to control my feelings and attitude."
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's then-ambassador to the United Nations, holds up the United Nations Charter as he speaks at the U.N. General Assembly for a special session on the war in Ukraine on March 2, 2022, in New York City.(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
Official negotiations mediated by the U.S. have stalled since early this year as the Trump administration has focused on the U.S. war on Iran. Yet Ukraine continues to talk with American and, occasionally, Russian envoys, says Kyslytsya, who has been a key member of Ukraine's negotiations team since 2025.
"Dialogue," he says, "is active and ongoing."
NPR spoke to Kyslytsya, who also serves as the first deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, inside the well-guarded presidential compound in Kyiv. His office is decorated with wartime artwork and shelves of history and current-affairs books, including one by Jared Kushner. Standing guard is DeZi, Kyslytsya's 13-year-old Jack Russell terrier.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Kyslytsa reaffirmed Kyiv's current position on stopping the war: freeze the fighting along the current frontline.
"Of course, that does not entail illegal or de facto recognition of the territories occupied by the Russians as Russian territories," he says.
The Kremlin, he says, continues to make unrealistic demands. He points to the "3+2" proposal, also known as the "Anchorage formula," which Russian officials have described as a U.S.-backed diplomatic framework that emerged from an August 2025 summit in Alaska between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Under this proposal, Russia is seeking recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions—three that it fully occupies and two that it partially occupies. U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this proposal had failed because Ukraine rejected it, and that he wants a deal acceptable to both sides.
"The Russians are obsessed, and Putin is obsessed with taking full control of the Donetsk region, the 15 to 20 percent that's not occupied," he says. "And (the Russians) have been feeding the Americans with the line that in two or three months, they will take full control."
Destroyed residential buildings and the remains of the city's former Wedding Palace are seen on July 1, 2026 in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Located close to the front line, Druzhkivka continues to bear the scars of Russia's ongoing invasion, with widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure shaping daily life for those who remain in the city.(Marharyta Fal/Frontliner / Getty Images)
Even when it's clear, he says, that this is no longer solely a war of infantry and artillery.
"It is a war of the 21st century," he says. "And we have the upper hand."
Ukraine's long-range drones are repeatedly hitting Russian oil and gas facilities, causing fuel shortages, and weakening the Kremlin's ability to wage war. Kyslytsya argues the Russian army is no longer making meaningful advances on the battlefield.
"And that has become very apparent not only to Ukrainians but also to our partners and to the United States," he says.
President Trump praised Ukrainian troops at the NATO summit in Ankara last month.
In June, Zelenskyy wrote a pointed open letter to Putin proposing face-to-face talks between the two men.
"In Russia, this war is a decision of just one person," Kyslytsya said. "In Russia, this war can be stopped at any given time by just one person."
Kyslytsya says he believes it's likely such a meeting could happen even later this year and yield in a "major breakthrough."
Last month, Putin said he saw no point in such a meeting. But if the war continues on its current trajectory, Kyslytsa says that could change.
Kyslytsya sits for an interview with NPR's Joanna Kakissis.(Paula Bronstein for NPR)
"Because, see, if we keep doing what we do, with long-range strikes, sooner or later, the Russian leader would have only one choice: to sit down and discuss how to stop this war."
He says he believes even Putin has realized that Ukraine now hasall the cards.
Today on Stateside, Michigan's primary election, where voters will choose the candidates who will appear on the ballot in November, is less than a week away. Michigan Public's Morning Edition host Doug Tribou has been interviewing the people hoping to be Michigan's next governor. Today, his conversation with current Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson.
Then, a look at an under-discussed subject: men’s mental health. Men are less likely than women to self-report conditions like depression and anxiety. Michigan State University clinical nurse practitioner Michael Martel discussed the nuances that shape how men experience mental health conditions.
And, writer John Freeman reviews the new collection Dementia Lyrics by Michigan poet Dennis Hinrichsen. In it, Hinrichsen uses neuroscience and prose to make sense of a friend’s decline.
Finally, there are an estimated nearly 20,000 Amish residents spread across more than 50 settlements in Michigan. Their commitment to preserving traditions for centuries has set them apart and drawn fascination from mainstream society. Ohio author Kevin Williams reflects on more than three decades of observing Amish settlements in his new memoir Not So Simple: My Adventures Among the Amish, Mennonites, Shakers, and Other Plain People.
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor
Michael Martel, assistant professor at the MSU College of Nursing
John Freeman, lecturer at Oakland University and author of the books Brother of Leaving and Fight Songs
Kevin Williams, author of Not So Simple: Adventures Among the Amish, Mennonites, Shakers, and Other Plain People
Four out of five foods sold for toddlers in the United States are ultraprocessed, according to research that analyzed more than 2,700 products on grocery store shelves.
Nearly half of those items also failed to meet at least one nutritional benchmark for children set by the World Health Organization.
We wanted to know what parents were seeing when they went to the grocery store, said lead author Erin Hudson, a postdoctoral researcher at the department of pediatrics at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
The answer is over 80% of the products are ultraprocessed, Hudson said. Many of them are high in sugar, high in sodium, but parents really cannot tell that from just walking down the aisle.
Commercial foods marketed for children between 6 and 36 months should have no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or concentrated fruit juices, and limited saturated fats and sodium, according to the WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model.
We found toddler products which failed to meet WHO standards on sugar were four times as likely to be ultraprocessed, said Hudson, who presented the preliminary research findings on Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
Almost a quarter of the foods were higher in sodium than is recommended, and some were high in fat and calorie dense, she added. These included organic foods.
Fruit pouches and oat bars are examples of foods that were high in sugar; ready-to-eat mac and cheese bowls and turkey sausages were high in sodium and fat; and peanut butter puffs were high in sodium, fat and calories, the researchers found.
The problem isnt just whats in these high-sugar, high-salt ultraprocessed foods, its what they crowd out, said Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies Bright Futures, an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors with a mission of reducing babies exposures to neurotoxic chemicals. She was not involved in the study.
A toddler who fills up on fruit snacks, sweetened yogurt, crackers and snack bars is likely to eat fewer whole grains, vegetables, beans and other healthier foods, Houlihan said in an email.
Critically important stage of life
The first 1,000 days of a childs life are vital for the growth and development of their brain and subsequent health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A healthy diet is a key part of that progress.
Early childhood is also the time when taste preferences are set for life, experts say. Eating too many overly sweet, highly processed foods in childhood may lead to choosing sugar and artificial flavors over natural, nutrient-dense foods in the years to come.
Parents dont have to be on the baby and toddler aisle at the store once their kid is able to chew, said senior study author Marissa Burgermaster, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kids can eat whatever healthy foods and snacks the family is eating just chop or mash it up, Burgermaster said. Industry has marketed these toddler foods to make parents believe these foods were created for the health of toddlers, and its just not true.
The US Food and Drug Administration proposed a rule in 2025 for a mandatory, front-of-package labeling system for most packaged foods that would rate a food as low, medium or high in added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. At this time, however, foods marketed to children under 4 would be exempt from that requirement.
The Consumer Brands Association, which represents industry, told CNN in an email that Americas trusted household brands offer parents and caregivers a wide variety of safe, affordable and convenient product choices to meet different dietary needs, preferences and family budgets.
There is currently no universally accepted scientific definition of the term ultraprocessed food, a spokesperson said. Cherry-picking data to fit a narrative undermines the seriousness of the need for risk-based, peer-reviewed and rigorous scientific processes.
To do the research, Hudson and her team photographed foods marketed to children between 6 and 36 months at 21 grocery stores in Austin, Texas. First foods, such as infant formula, drinks and purees, were excluded from the study.
Researchers analyzed nutrition labels on 2,783 products for grams of sugar, salt, saturated and unsaturated fat, total calories and additives. They then compared foods to the NOVA classification system, which separates foods into four categories based on the level of processing.
Group one of the NOVA system covers unprocessed or minimally processed foods in their natural state, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and eggs. Group two includes culinary ingredients such as salt, herbs and oils. Group three consists of processed foods that combine groups one and two canned goods and frozen vegetables are examples.
Group four includes ultraprocessed foods, which typically contain artificial ingredients not found in whole foods. Additives include preservatives to resist mold and bacteria; emulsifiers to keep incompatible ingredients from separating; artificial colorings and dyes; fragrance and flavor enhancers; anti-foaming, bulking, bleaching, gelling and glazing agents; and added or altered sugar, salt and fats designed to make food more appealing.
Prior research published in January found over 70% of 651 baby and toddler foods contained additives that emerging research has linked to inflammation and disruptions in the gut microbiome.
What shocked me was the top ingredient in 71% of these baby foods wasnt a fruit or vegetable it was one or more additives, Elizabeth Dunford, an adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told CNN previously.
We know that babies guts are not fully developed enough to be able to handle additives in the way an adult stomach could, said Dunford, lead author of the January baby food study. There is no need for these additives; they are simply cosmetic, designed to make the food look more appealing.
Until federal guidelines are developed, experts say the burden falls on parents to find the healthy choices among the lineup of less healthy products.
To do that, parents must read nutrition labels and ingredient lists, Houlihan said.
You cant assume foods marketed for toddlers are actually healthy, she said. A pouch labeled 100% fruit can deliver a big hit of sugar. A snack thats perfect for little fingers can be loaded with artificial ingredients, too much salt, or industrial fatty acids.
Look for added sugar and saturated fats on the nutrition label and if you see those, put the food back on the shelf, Hudson said. Look at the additives in the ingredients at the bottom are there natural and artificial flavors? Are there emulsifiers like gums, xanthan gum, carrageenan? All of these are markers of ultraprocessed or unhealthy foods.
Fruit juice concentrate is a red flag for hidden added sugars, she explained.
Fruit juice concentrates are essentially only the sugar and flavor of fruit everything else with nutritive value has been stripped away, almost like a simple syrup, Hudson said. Sometimes manufacturers put fruit juice concentrate in the food and do not add it to the added sugars on the nutrition label even though thats what it is.
As often as possible, parents should prepare healthy foods at home instead of using store-bought foods, Houlihan said. Try to limit fruit juice. Serve whole or diced fruit instead of pouches and purees.
Pair fruit and veggies with protein and healthy fats like yogurt or nut butter when age-appropriate for balanced snacks. Offer lots of different fruits, vegetables, beans, healthy meats and whole grains.
Parents shouldnt have to decode every package in the grocery store to find healthy food for toddlers, Houlihan said. But until stronger standards are in place, choosing and preparing simpler, less processed foods is one of the best ways to stack the odds in a toddlers favor.
The-CNN-Wire & 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
American at a polling booth(rawpixel.com - stock.adobe.com / 340508644)
A group of Michigan activist leaders have created a statewide election protection initiative for the August 4 primary.
The Hands Off Michigan Coalition is an effort to promote election safety, security, and ensuring eligible voters can cast a ballot without intimidation.
The coalition includes grassroots networks, labor unions, and advocacy groups.
Scott Holiday is executive director of Detroit Action. He said the purpose of the coalition is to promote the integrity and authenticity of elections in Michigan.
“We are coming together to draw attention to the process of free and fair voting in the state of Michigan,” said Holiday. “Lift up the security of voting in Michigan and ensure that there is visibility around the process from all angles.”
This effort is a response to baseless voter fraud claims regarding the 2020 election that President Donald Trump recently resurfaced in a speech.
Holiday said the coalition wants to ensure that people understand that voting is their right and it cannot be impeded.
While the U.S. Department of Justice has announced it will monitor voting in several Michigan jurisdictions during the primary, coalition leaders are also joining in.
“We are coordinating training for people to be trained as observers, election observers, all the way to legal challenges,” said Holiday. “We are establishing a communication channel to ensure that if there is an interference that we can route community aid and resources to where there is a potential problem.”
Holiday said there are resources and information that eligible voters should be aware of prior to the election.
“You can look on the secretary of state’s website, and trusted organizations like vote.org also have great information about how to vote, where to vote and that if anybody tries to stop you from voting that there should be help available either by your local clerk or organization on the ground actively at your polls.”
The 15-year-old arrested after a shootout at food festival near Seattle's Space Needle over the weekend was armed with a ghost gun with an extended magazine, police said Tuesday.
Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference that the weapon was a 9 mm gun from Polymer80 a now-defunct company that was once a leading manufacturer of ghost gun parts.
Investigators also recovered two other weapons and 14 shell casings that had been fired by weapons of two different calibers, he said.
There were at least three suspects involved in a shootout at a crowded food festival near Seattle's Space Needle over the weekend, police said Monday. One of them was among those killed in the violence.
In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, police said they believed there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and "at least one other unknown suspect." Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.
Officials in Oakland County and Pontiac are celebrating the completion of a $3 million renovation of Pontiac Oaks Park, turning a once-neglected city park into a cleaner, more welcoming place for families to enjoy.
The park, previously called Hawthorne Park, had problems with illegal trash dumping and run down facilities. Oakland County Parks Planning Supervisor Simon Rivers explains that the county worked closely with local residents to find out what improvements the community really wanted.
“There was a lot of trash and illegal dumping,” Rivers said. “The fishing pier was in bad shape, and the playground was falling apart in several spots.”
The county partnered with the city to restore the area. Pontiac will keep ownership of the park, while the county takes over maintenance and construction of new facilities.
Rivers mentions that upgrades include fixing up the popular fishing pier, renovating the bathrooms, adding new playground equipment, and expanding the disc golf course.
“We’re making improvements that the community actually wants to see, instead of trying to do things we think are best,” Rivers said.
Pontiac Oaks is one of several parks being renewed across the county.
Rivers also says there are plans to improve parks in Southfield, Madison Heights, and Waterford.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Login
