A Macomb Township man has been identified as the interpreter who was killed in Syria over the weekend while working with the U.S. Army.
According to an online obituary, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, was killed when soldiers were ambushed in Syria by the Islamic State group on Dec. 13. Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, who were part of the Iowa National Guard, were also killed.
Watch below: 3 Americans killed by suspected ISIS gunman in Syria
3 Americans killed by suspected ISIS gunman in Syria
Sakat was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, according to the obituary, and previously worked as an interpreter along with U.S. soldiers from 2003-2007.
"Ayad died in Syria while supporting U.S. forces, serving with the same courage and devotion that defined his life. His fellow soldiers affectionately called him Eddie, a nickname that reflected the trust, warmth, and friendship he inspired," his obituary reads.
President Donald Trump was on hand on Wednesday and witnessed the dignified transfer of the two soldiers and Sakat.
More information about how the attack happened from the Associated Press below
The shooting Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded members of the countrys security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syrias internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, a Syrian official said.
The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said Sunday.
Al-Baba acknowledged that it was a major security breach but said that in the year since Assads fall, there have been many more successes than failures by security forces.
The Army said Monday that the incident is under investigation. Military officials and President Donald Trump have blamed the attack on an IS member.
Standing on a college football sideline at Florida Atlantic University, Florida Highway Patrol trooper Craig Gaines quickly took a few steps back as two players barreled toward him.
Gaines was working a familiar assignment as a security guard for Florida A&M Universitys head football coach, James Colzie III, when players from both teams started moving in his direction during the September 6th game.
In a split second, one player rolled out of bounds, slamming into Gaines leg, breaking it. The impact forced Gaines' arms into the air as his body crashed to the ground.
Sideline collision at a Florida A&M University and Florida Atlantic University football game
Game footage captured Gainesquickly standing back on his feet, despite the fractured bone.
Less than two weeks later, he was dead.
I had been calling him every day to assess ... how he was doing,saidJohnnie Niles, Gaines mother. He would say, Well mom, Im doing okay except for at night, I have these spasms in my leg, and its very painful.
According to an autopsy, Gaines died of a pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thromboses with the leg fracture listed as a contributing factor.
A medical examiner ruled his death an accident. The Florida Highway Patrol said he passed away "from injuries sustained in the line of duty.
In his mind, the safety issue was protecting the coach ... but never thinking that anything would actually happen to him, Niles said.
Niles said Gaines was a Navy veteran who loved being a police officer, especially his assignment working with the FAMU football team.
Most of all, he enjoyed being around the young men the team players, she said.Im sure he probably got into conversations with them about one thing or the other and probably shared ... life experiences with them that he had gone through ... he loved FAMU.
Scripps News review of college collisions
Scripps News started examining sideline collisions at college football games after conducting a similar review of NFL games in early 2025.
An exclusive analysis of 284 NFL games found nearly 90 people including coaches, team staff, photographers and others had been knocked off their feet during sideline collisions last season. Some suffered broken bones or serious injuries that drew blood.
Scripps News could not replicate a full-season analysis of every college game because there are significantly more college teams and games. Also, replays of complete game broadcasts are not always available. Instead, Scripps News selected 30 televised college games to review from the weekof October 4.
An analysis found at least 20 people including referees, staff, and players had been knocked off their feet on the sidelines of games during that period.
In one case, ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe and NFL Hall of Fame player Michael Irvin were knocked down during the same sideline hit. Following the incident, the pair laughed it off on air.
In another incident, a sideline official at the University of Alabama said he broke his wrist and suffered a concussion.
Broken wrist and concussion
I just kept backing up, and I bumped into something or somebody, said Kirby Michaels, an SEC sideline official whose job is to document penalty flags at Alabama games.
Michaels said he was standing in an area where he was permitted to be, but he had gotten in front of the line of scrimmage.
I couldnt go nowhere, and he kept coming, so I put my hands up to protect my kidney, he said.
A collision on the sidelines of an Alabama football game
Michaels was protecting his kidney because he said he received a kidney transplant in June.
The first couple of minutes after (the hit) happened, Im sitting there trying to assess ... am I hurt in my stomach or my kidney area? Am I hurting? Am I hurting where my scar is at? he said. I didnt feel a bit of pain there at all, and then I got to thinking, well, Ive got an adrenaline rush.
Michaels said his kidney was unharmed, but his wrist snapped when he tried to protect his body from the impact. He said he also hit his head.
Im laying on the ground, and my head is spinning, he said. Im like, This is not good.
He was hauled off in a neck brace that day, but he has not been afraid to return to the sideline.
He says sideline collisions are inevitable.
I think it is part of the game, said Michaels. You have news reporters. You have camera people. You have all kinds of people thats there, filming a game, he said. Getting hit and having hard contact on the sidelines from players coming out of bounds has become part of the game. You dont want to be a part of it, but it has become a part (of it).
Michaels said he loves being on the sideline, but he would understand if his position was one day moved to an area away from the field for safety reasons.
Probably my job could be done from the press box. I mean, I wouldnt have to be on the sideline, he said. Dont get me wrong. I love being down there, and I love being part of the atmosphere, but if I was to move up there to keep doing the same work, Id do it.
The rules
NCAA football rules require boundaries called limit lines to be drawn 12 feet outside the sidelines and endlines except in stadiums where total field surface does not permit, and no person outside the team area shall be inside the limit lines.
Meanwhile, only 50 staff and personnel (excluding medics and squad members) are allowed in a designated team area.
Individual schools and conferences also have the power to create their own policies beyond the NCAAs rules or to recommend changes to the NCAA.
With more awareness, its definitely something Ive thought about more, said Kiai Keone, a quarterback for the University of Northern Colorado. He said he started considering sideline safety after Scripps News reached out to him about this story.
It seems like this is something that we should maybe talk about or think about moving forward, he said.
Keone is a new member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committee, a group that has authority to consider new rules that could impact safety.
Its important because we want to play the game with as limited injuries as possible and whether people (are) playing or people (are) spectating we want to have a safe game, he said.
Keone said he witnessed a woman on the sidelines at one of UNCs games knocked down early in the season.
It was just another one of those plays where somebody was running off, and she tried to move and it was too late, he said. Shes a trouper.
A sideline hit at a University of Northern Colorado football game.
He acknowledged, however, that sideline collisions also may be unavoidable. Id say its part of the game, he said. But I feel like thats not a good attitude. Like, we can always get better at things, Keone said.
Scripps News exclusive survey
Scripps News sent surveys inquiring about awareness of and improvements to sideline safety to 23 NCAA conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Football Championship Subdivision, not including independent schools.
Fewer than half of the conferences responded by our deadline, but several indicated sideline safety would be considered further or reviewed in the future.
Safety is a shared responsibility across the league. Each institution develops a stadium and sideline security plan tailored to its venue and resources, ensuring that credentialing, access control, and prohibited item policies are enforced, said Javan Hedlund of the Mountain West Conference. Game management and stadium security personnel work diligently to uphold NCAA and institutional guidelines during every football game.
Hedlund said the Mountain West conference continually reviews protocols for safety, even extending the required limit line by three feet to support safe and efficient movement for broadcast personnel.
A representative from the Big Sky Conference said he did not believe the conference tracked sideline injuries resulting from collisions, but said the conference would use any data/new information in consideration for the future decisions on that.
A representative from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference said that the visibility of this issue will make this a topic of discussion in the near future, but the conferences current policy does not address sideline safety.
Conference USA indicated it does not maintain a central database of sideline injuries, but the conference continuously works to promote a safe environment on the sidelines through existing operational standards.
A representative from the American Conference told Scripps News that the conference and its schools place the highest priority on the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff, and all event participants and will continue to work together to maintain a safe and positive game-day environment.
Other collisions go viral
In November, a social media post featuring video of a Miami wide receiver colliding with a woman during the teams game at Virginia Tech racked up 5 million views. The video showed the woman coming perilously close to hitting a metal railing but popping back up with the assistance of the Miami player, Malachi Toney.
A sideline collision during a game between Virginia Tech and Miami
Student media said the journalist shown being hit in the video had been injured earlier in the season after being hit by a player in a separate incident.
Incidents in the NFL have also caught lots of attention this season. This month a security guard with his back turned to the field went down after a hard collision with Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman, Jr.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn finished a September game with a bloodied nose after a collision with a player.
Earlier that month, former Raiders CEO Amy Trask posted her feelings about sideline safety in the NFL on X. The sidelines must be kept clearer, they are too crowded, she wrote. It is not safe for players and others.
Players and coaches are not the only individuals on the sideline during the game... stadium security, camera operators, first responders, photographers and others are also on the sideline and it is thus in the best interest not only of the league, the teams and the stadiums to make the sidelines as safe as possible, but in the best interest of all entities with personnel on the sidelines, Trask, now a football analyst for CBS, recently told Scripps News.
Trask told Scripps News she feels the same about college football.
Call for changes after troopers death
Scripps News reached out repeatedly to Florida Highway Patrol to learn more about the role FHP plays on football sidelines. However, they did not provide responses to any of our questions for this story.
I dont think anybody under any circumstances would actually think that a person would be injured on the sideline, but you have to realize too that in the back of your head, anything can happen at any place, said Johnnie Niles, Craig Gaines mother. We stay prayed up.
When it comes to safety, Niles says theres definitely room for improvement.
The course's website said it was designed by Brian Huntley, and first opened as a championship public course in 1998.
It features 18 holes and tips out at 6,873 yards, with a practice facility that includes a driving range, 12,000-square foot putting green and chipping area.
Carrington also features a full-service restaurant with year-round service called River's Edge.
The listing said that the course hosted nearly 30,000 rounds per year in 2024 and 2025.
The Senate gave final passage to an annual military policy bill Wednesday that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs while pressuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international water near Venezuela.
The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which raises troop pay by 3.8%, gained bipartisan backing as it moved through Congress, and the White House has indicated that it is in line with President Donald Trump's national security priorities. However, the legislation, which ran over 3,000 pages, revealed some points of friction between Congress and the Pentagon as the Trump administration reorients its focus away from security in Europe and towards Central and South America.
The bill pushes back on recent moves by the Pentagon. It demands more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean, requires that the U.S. keep its troop levels in Europe at current levels and sends some military aid to Ukraine.
But overall, the bill represents a compromise between the parties. It implements many of Trump's executive orders and proposals on eliminating diversity and inclusion efforts in the military and grants emergency military powers at the U.S. border with Mexico. It also enhances congressional oversight of the Department of Defense, repeals several years-old war authorizations and seeks to overhaul how the Pentagon purchases weapons as the U.S. tries to outpace China in developing the next generation of military technology.
We're about to pass, and the president will enthusiastically sign, the most sweeping upgrades to DOD's business practices in 60 years, said Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Still, the sprawling bill faced objections from both Democratic and Republican leadership on the Senate Commerce Committee. That's because the legislation allows military aircraft to obtain a waiver to operate without broadcasting their precise location, as an Army helicopter had done before a midair collision with an airliner in Washington, D.C. in January that killed 67 people.
"The special carve-out was exactly what caused the January 29th crash that claimed 67 lives, Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said at a news conference this week.
Cruz said he was seeking a vote on bipartisan legislation in the next month that would require military aircraft to use a precise location sharing tool and improve coordination between commercial and military aircraft in busy areas.
Boat strike videos
Republicans and Democrats agreed to language in the defense bill that threatens to withhold a quarter of Hegseths travel budget until he provides unedited video of the strikes with the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, as well as the orders authorizing them.
Hegseth was on Capitol Hill Tuesday ahead of the bill's passage to brief lawmakers on the U.S. military campaign in international water near Venezuela. The briefing elicited contrasting responses from many lawmakers, with Republicans largely backing the campaign and Democrats expressing concern about it and saying they had not received enough information.
The committees are investigating a Sept. 2 strike the first of the campaign that killed two people who had survived an initial attack on their boat. The Navy admiral who ordered the double-tap strike, Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley, also appeared before the committees shortly before the vote Wednesday in a classified briefing that also included video of the strike in question.
Congressional oversight
Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by the Trump administration several times in the last year, including by a move to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine and a decision to reduce U.S. troop presence in NATO countries in eastern Europe. The defense legislation requires that Congress be kept in the loop on decisions like that going forward, as well as when top military brass are removed.
The Pentagon is also required, under the legislation, to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. A similar requirement also keeps the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea at 28,500.
Lawmakers are also pushing back on some Pentagon decisions by authorizing $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.
Cuts to diversity and climate initiatives
Trump and Hegseth have made it a priority to purge the military of material and programs that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues, and the defense bill would codify many of those changes. It will repeal diversity, equity and inclusion offices and trainings, including the position of chief diversity officer. Those cuts would save the Pentagon about $40 million, according to the Republican-controlled House Armed Services Committee.
The U.S. military has long found that climate change is a threat to how it provides national security because weather-related disasters can destroy military bases and equipment. But the bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts by eliminating climate-change related programs at the Pentagon.
Repeal of war authorizations and Syria sanctions
Congress is writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Now that Iraq is a strategic partner of the U.S., lawmakers in support of the provision say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses. The bill also repeals the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War.
The rare, bipartisan moves to repeal the legal justifications for the conflicts signaled a potential appetite among lawmakers to reclaim some of Congress's war powers.
Congress will also permanently lift U.S. sanctions on Syria as part of the legislation, following up on the Trump administration's decision to temporarily lift many penalties. The nation is rebuilding after its former leader Bashar Assad was deposed, and supporters of the new government say that permanently lifting the sanctions will spur the country's economic reconstruction and encourage the establishment of democracy.
Police in Providence, Rhode Island, released new images on Wednesday of a person they want to speak with in connection with the mass shooting at Brown University.
The images show a person in a blue jacket, carrying a bag and holding a water bottle. Police say they want to speak to the individual because they were in the vicinity of the person of interest in the case.
The person of interest was seen in the area of Brown University hours before Saturday's attack. Police believe he was casing the area.
The FBI says the man is about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build.
Two people were killed in the mass shooting. The victims were identified as 19-year-old Ella Cook, vice president of Browns College Republicans, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman from Virginia.
Nine others were injured in the shooting. All but two remain hospitalized.
In a seismic shift for one of televisions marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.
ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars.
But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.
We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming, said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."
The Department of Justice (DOJ) faces a Friday deadline to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplices, as required under a new federal law signed by President Donald Trump.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed Nov. 19, set a 30-day countdown for the DOJ to make the records public. The law passed Congress with near-unanimous support, but questions remain about how much will be disclosed.
The legislation states it is An Act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein. It also makes clear that no record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."
However, several exemptions remain. The DOJ may withhold records that contain personal information of victims, depict or contain child sexual abuse materials, involve victims medical files, or would jeopardize ongoing investigations or prosecutions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department will follow the law. But on Tuesday, Democrats in Washington expressed concern the Trump administration could misuse those exemptions to keep key information hidden.
If they abuse narrow exemptions, we will know, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. And there will be serious legal and political consequences.
The DOJ is not the only agency releasing new Epstein-related material. In recent days, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published photographs showing Epstein alongside various celebrities including President Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
The committee has been investigating Epstein for months and has given Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dates in January to sit for a deposition. Members have threatened to hold them in contempt if they do not appear. The Clintons have long denied wrongdoing, as has President Trump.
I mean, everybody knew this man, the president recently stated. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him, so thats no big deal.
In a seismic shift for one of television's marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.
ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars.
But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to stream the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.
"We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming," said Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. "The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."
While major award shows have added streaming partnerships, the YouTube deal marks the first of the big four the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Tonys to completely jettison broadcast. It puts one of the most-watched non-NFL broadcasts in the hands of Google. YouTube boasts some 2 billion viewers.
The Academy Awards will stream for free on YouTube, in addition to YouTube TV subscribers. It will be available with audio tracks in many languages, in addition to closed captioning.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry," said Neal Mohan, chief executive of YouTube. "Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy."
Representatives of The Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The network has been the broadcast home to the Oscars for almost its entire history. NBC first televised the Oscars in 1953, but ABC picked up the rights in 1961. Aside from a period between 1971 and 1975, when NBC again aired the show, the Oscars have been on ABC.
The 2025 Academy Awards were watched by 19.7 million viewers on ABC, a slight increase from the year before.
Rob Reiners son Nick Reiner made his first court appearance Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents.
The 32-year-old did not enter a plea as he appeared from behind the glass wall of a custody area. He was in shackles and wearing a jail suicide prevention smock.
Reiner's arraignment was postponed until Jan. 7 at his lawyers request. He spoke only to say yes, your honor to agree to the date.
Their loss is beyond tragic and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice," Hochman said.
WATCH | Rob Reiner remembered as son is arrested in double homicide case
Along with the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city, McDonnell said.
The announcement came two days after the couple was found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from the crime scene, police said.
Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom All in the Family who went on to direct films including When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride. He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.
Several of those closest to them, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple on Tuesday night.
They were a special force together dynamic, unselfish and inspiring, the statement said. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.
Nick Reiner had been scheduled to make an initial court appearance earlier Tuesday, but his attorney Alan Jackson said he was not brought from the jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and the appearance was postponed.
At Wednesday's hearing, Reiner may enter a plea, a judge may schedule an arraignment for later or the same issue that prevented him from coming to court Tuesday could cause further postponement. He is being held without bail.
Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.
On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers' attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.
Authorities havent said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.
A 16-year-old from Highland Park is being charged after prosecutors say he shot and killed a teen in the parking lot of a Dollar General last month.
We previously reported that Avonte Herring was gunned down near the Dollar General store on Woodward Avenue and Manchester Parkway around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with stray rounds from the shooting striking neighboring businesses and passing vehicles. Police say that Herring was shot in the back, and was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.
Watch our previous coverage from Randy Wimbley
13-year-old killed in Highland Park shooting, family and community demand justice
The 16-year-old is not being charged as an adult, but he has been adult-designated. We're told that this means that, upon conviction, a judge can choose to sentence the teen as a juvenile or as an adult.
The juvenile is facing First-Degree Murder charges. He is set to appears in court again next month.
AAA expects the 2025 Christmas holiday week to be the busiest on record, with more than 122 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles.
Of the 122.4 million travelers, 89.4% will drive and 6.6% will fly, according to AAA.
While New Years week will also see heavy traffic, AAA says Christmas week will be most active. Hertz projects Dec. 20 will be the busiest rental car pickup day, with top locations in Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Phoenix.
Dec. 20 and 21 are expected to be among the busiest interstate travel days, with Dec. 26 also projected to see heavy congestion. AAA says traffic could more than double on some routes Washington to Baltimore could be 133% heavier on Dec. 20, and Boston to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, could see a 126% increase.
Travel between Fort Collins and Denver on Dec. 26 could take 1 hour, 53 minutes about 50 minutes longer than usual.
Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways and tropical vacations, said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether its returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations.
Award-winning musical "Hamilton" is returning to the Fisher Theatre this spring for another series of performances.
The hit show will play at the Fisher from April 29 through May 17. Tickets go on sale to the public starting Friday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. at BroadwayInDetroit.com.
According to Broadway in Detroit, there will be a lottery for 40 $10 seats for all performances, and details for the lottery will be announced closer to the show's start.
There is a maximum of eight tickets per account for the performances.
It's tempting to get tickets any way you can. There are many sites and people who are selling overpriced, and in some cases, fraudulent tickets. For the best seats, the best prices and to eliminate the risk of counterfeit tickets, all purchases for the Detroit engagement should be made through BroadwayInDetroit.com," Producer Jeffrey Seller, a metro Detroit native, said.
The show, based on Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway with music from Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Performances will take place at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, plus 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, 1 p.m. matinees on Sunday and Sunday evening performances at 7 p.m.
There will be an open caption performance on Friday, May 8 at 8 p.m. and an ASL performance on Sunday, May 10 at 7 p.m.
Gil Gerard, who played television's hunky sci-fi hero William Buck Rogers soon after the Star Wars franchise took hold in the late 1970s, has died. He was 82.
Gerard died Tuesday in hospice as a result of a rare, aggressive form of cancer, said his manager, Tina Presley Borek. His wife, Janet Gerard, posted a posthumous Facebook message he left behind for fans that read in part:
Dont waste your time on anything that doesnt thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.
Gerard starred in NBC's campy Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which ran for two seasons from 1979 to 1981. A theatrical film based on the series also delighted youngsters and their parents alike. It was Rogers' second turn on TV after a show in the 1950s, a radio series and a 1939 film serial.
The story was based on Philip Francis Nowlan's serialized 1928 pulp novella Armageddon 2419 A.D. Nowlan's character was named Anthony Rogers. The name was changed when the story began running in newspapers as a comic strip.
My life has been an amazing journey, Gerard wrote in his social media post. The opportunities Ive had, the people Ive met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying.
As the TV story goes, Rogers was a 20th century NASA pilot who was placed in frozen animation when his ship was hit by a meteor storm. He pops awake 500 years later in the year 2491. He gazes upon a futuristic, domed Earth with all its threats, including aliens, space pilots and the evil Draconians.
He had helpers: The robot sidekick Twiki and a beautiful space pilot Wilma Deering, played by Erin Gray.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gerard worked steadily in TV commercials. He was featured in a number of other TV shows and movies, including starring roles in the 1982 TV movie Hear No Evil as Dragon and the short-lived Sidekicks in 1986.
In 1992, he hosted the reality series Code 3, following firefighters responding to emergency calls around the U.S. There were many guest appearances in the 1990s, including on Days of Our Lives.
Gerard and Gray were together again in 2007 for the TV film Nuclear Hurricane. They also returned to the Buck Rogers universe as Rogers' parents in the pilot episode of James Cawley's Buck Rogers Begins internet video series in 2009.
Gerard spoke openly about addictions to drugs, alcohol and compulsive overeating. He was the subject of a one-hour documentary, Action Hero Makeover, in 2007 after his weight ballooned to 350 pounds.
Done by Adrienne Crow, then a longtime companion, for the Discovery Health Channel, the film documented his progress after gastric bypass surgery.
Gerard was married and divorced four times before Janet. He had a son, actor Gilbert Vincent Gerard, with model and actor Connie Sellecca. Their divorce included a bitter custody battle for Gib, who was born in 1981. Sellecca was granted main custody.
My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years, Gerard wrote in the post put on Facebook after his death.
Its been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.
Demolition began on Wednesday at the historic Roosevelt Elementary in Keego Harbor after a more than year-long battle to save the school.
According to the City of Keego Harbor, the post-abatement asbestos inspection was completed on Tuesday, setting up demolition to begin on Wednesday.
See video from Chopper 7 over the demolition below
Demolition begins at historic Roosevelt Elementary in Keego Harbor
The city said that the demolition contractor will have fire hoses and water cannons to control dust from the process, and the contractor is expected to complete demolition by the end of January 2026.
Watch previous coverage below
Roosevelt school anti-demolition supporters, district await court ruling
Roosevelt school anti-demolition supporters, district await court ruling
Demolition prep begins at historic Roosevelt Elementary in Keego Harbor despite resident opposition
Demolition prep begins at historic Roosevelt Elementary in Keego Harbor despite resident opposition
Maryland will create a commission to study potential reparations for slavery after lawmakers voted Tuesday to override a veto by Gov. Wes Moore currently the nation's only Black governor that disappointed many fellow Democrats.
Moore said in his veto letter in May that it was a difficult decision to veto the bill, which was a priority of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. But he wrote there has been enough study of the legacy of slavery, and it was now time to "focus on the work itself" to address it.
But Democrats who control both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly decided the commission was needed to better examine how to do that.
"This topic isn't easy, but, again, without formal study, reparations risk being dismissed as symbolic or unconstitutional, regardless of moral merit," said Sen. Charles Sydnor, a Democrat.
After his veto was overridden, Moore said that while he disagrees with the legislature's decision, "I am eager to move forward in partnership on the work of repair that we all agree is an urgent and pressing need."
"I believe the time for action is now - and we must continue moving forward with the work of repair immediately," Moore said in a statement. "That mission is especially vital given the immediate and ongoing effects of this federal administration on our constituents, including communities that have been historically left behind."
Potential reparations outlined in the bill include official statements of apology, monetary compensation, property tax rebates, social service assistance, as well as licensing and permit fee waivers and reimbursement. Reparations also could include assistance with making a down payment on a home, business incentives, childcare, debt forgiveness and tuition payment waivers for higher education.
Maryland's Black population is about 30%, the highest percentage of any state outside of the Deep South.
Support for reparations gained momentum in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. However, the issue has been a difficult one, particularly for high-profile Democrats, and comes amid a broader conservative backlash over how race, history and inequality are handled in public institutions.
"At a time of growing attacks on diversity and equity, today's action reaffirms our shared commitment to truth-telling, accountability, and meaningful progress for Black Marylanders," the state's Legislative Black Caucus said in a statement.
In October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a mixed bag for proponents of bills aimed at addressing racist and discriminatory policies against African Americans. He signed a law authorizing $6 million for California State University to study how to confirm an individual's status as a descendant of an enslaved person. But he vetoed other bills the California Legislative Black Caucus championed as tools to atone for the state's history.
Newsom, who is considering running for president in 2028, signed a law last year to formally apologize for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Californians.
Moore has said he is not planning to run for president in 2028, but he has continued to cultivate a national profile that has drawn pundits' attention as a potential White House contender.
New York City lawmakers approved legislation last year to study the city's significant role in slavery and consider reparations to descendants of enslaved people.
In 2021, Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, became the first U.S. city to create a reparations plan for its Black residents, using tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana.
As recently as a few years ago, Americans viewed the prospect of reparations mostly negatively. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2021 found that only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults said descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way, such as given land or money. About 7 in 10 said these descendants should not be repaid.
Maryland lawmakers did not take up congressional redistricting in their one-day special session. Moore has expressed interest in pursuing a new map, which could come up when lawmakers convene in January for their annual 90-day session. However, the state Senate president has said he doesn't support moving forward with a new map. Democrats hold a 7-1 advantage over Republicans in the state's eight congressional districts.
"He's going to talk a lot about the accomplishments over the past 11 months, all that he's done to bring our country back to greatness, and all he continues to plan to do to continue delivering for the American people over the next three years," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The address will prompt major broadcast networks to shift their prime-time schedules.
CBS will air its season finale of Survivor at 8 p.m. ET, pause for the presidents address and resume the show where it left off after Trumps speech.
ABC will also pause its programming. It will air the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball starting at 8 p.m. ET, resuming coverage of the concert immediately following the address.
Four House Republicans crossed party lines on Wednesday and joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies for three more years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is now required to bring the measure to the floor within the next seven legislative days. With the House expected to adjourn soon, the vote is unlikely to occur until January.
Even if the bill passes in the House, it's fate in the Senate is unknown. Last week, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance the measure.
Wednesdays development underscores bipartisan concern about the looming expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies, which were first expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The subsidies expire at the end of 2025, and experts warn that without an extension, premiums for people who buy insurance on the ACA marketplaces will dramatically increase.
Big Sean and USHER have teamed up to create a Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator inside the all-new Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan.
The two global icons, who are also Boys & Girls Club alumni, announced the $1 million investment earlier this month. The investment comes from Usher's New Look (UNL) and the Sean Anderson Foundation (SAF), along with other partners, including Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Emergy University's Goizueta Business School.
The Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator will offer a virtual production studio, a special effects lab, a creator's lounge and much more.
The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan will be a dedicated youth floor inside Michigan Central Station. It's expected to serve as a launchpad for Detroit youth, and open in February 2026.
Detroit is where my creativity was born. From freestyling in my moms basement to performing on the biggest stages in the world. My mission has always been to make sure the next generation of dreamers and innovators from my city have the access, tools, and mentorship to do the same, Big Sean said. The Innovation Incubator is about showing young people that they dont have to leave Detroit to chase opportunity, they can build it right here.
Detroit has always been the blueprint for innovation, from the assembly line to Motown. This collaborationespecially with two heavy hitter alumniextends that legacy by proving the creative economy can be a pathway to ownership and equity, said Shawn H. Wilson, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. Together, with our amazing partners, were transforming talent into capital and creativity into generational wealth.
Ive always been a true believer in igniting a spark in the next generation to be better and have access to things we didnt. This new spark lab in Detroit with my friend and fellow Boys & Girls Club alum Big Sean will not only minimize the access gap for the youth but also prepare them for greatness. It takes just one person to believe in your success, and Im honored to be one of many in this partnership to help make that happen, USHER said in a statement.
Big Sean and the Sean Anderson Foundation have already gifted four fully-operational Big Sean Studios inside BGCSM clubs, which have provided more than 10,000 kids with hands-on music exploration opportunities.
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