For the first time in more than 100 years, cougar cubs have been discovered living in the Michigan wild.

State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the existence of two cougar cubs on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula. The spotted cubs, believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old, were verified from photographic evidence of the cubs taken March 6 by a local resident.

This is the first time cougar cubs have been verified since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s, said Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Roell, a wildlife biologist for 26 years, led the team that verified the cubs.

“It’s pretty exciting, considering this could be the first known cougar reproduction in modern times in the western Great Lakes states,” said Roell, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. “It really shows that we have a unique place in Michigan where someone has a chance to see a wolf, a moose and a cougar in the wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this.”

The cubs were spotted and photographed without their mother. Cougar cubs are highly dependent on their mothers, often staying with them for the first two years of life.

Although cougars are native to Michigan, most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into Michigan from Western states. The DNR has verified 132 adult cougar reports, Roell said, but DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars to date.

The cubs have not been spotted since March 6. “Those young cougars are very vulnerable right now,” Roell said. “We don’t know where they are or if they’re even alive. Mother Nature can be very cruel.”

Sightings can be logged in the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system. Roell said cougars are on the list of endangered mammals in Michigan, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or harass them, which includes trying to locate their den. It’s also illegal to trespass on private property, he noted.

For the latest information on cougars, including the DNR’s cougar sightings photo page, visit Michigan.gov/Cougar.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court announced its justices have selected a new chief justice with the upcoming departure of the current incumbent.

The justices unanimously selected Megan Cavanagh to succeed Elizabeth Clement when she steps down, according to a Thursday announcement from the court. In February, Clement announced her intention to retire from the court before the end of April.

“The Court decided to make the choice now to ensure that the transition will be as smooth as possible and to confirm that our commitment to the path the Court is on will not waver,” Cavanagh said in a statement.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has the opportunity to appoint a justice to fill Clement’s vacancy and create a 6-1 majority of Democratic-backed justices. Whoever is appointed must run for retention in 2026 for a full eight-year term.

Michigan’s justices are technically nonpartisan, but they are nominated by state parties or appointed by the governor in the case of a vacancy. The court currently has a 5-2 majority of justices backed by Democrats after picking up a seat in the November election.

Cavanagh, backed by Democrats, narrowly beat out an incumbent justice in 2018. She is up for another term in 2026.

Clement was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017 by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. She is leaving to join the National Center for State Courts as president.

“I believe strongly that collaboration and cooperation are the keys to building public trust in our branch of government,” Cavanagh said.

Hannah Mackay, The Detroit News

Grounding wires, or safety straps worn around a wrist to prevent static electricity inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, were found inside a “junk drawer” at a Troy medical facility where a chamber exploded, killing a boy, and could’ve saved the child’s life, according to testimony by a Troy police detective.

A transcript of Det. Danielle Trigger’s testimony to 52-4 District Court Magistrate Elizabeth Chiappelli, given March 7, sheds light on the Jan. 31 explosion at the Oxford Center. Thomas Cooper, 5, of Royal Oak was inside the hyperbaric chamber and died when it exploded.

Thomas on his 36th of 40 treatments in the hyperbaric chamber, which creates a pressurized environment of pure oxygen. His mother, standing nearby, burned her arms trying to rescue her son. Police have not revealed what the boy was being treated for.

CCTV footage of the oxygen chamber gave police insight into what preceded the tragedy: Cooper lay in the chamber wearing pajamas and holding a gray blanket. His head rested on a pillow with a patterned pillowcase, according to March 7 transcripts.

“Cooper is moving around within the chamber, moving the blanket and sheet around with him. He rolls onto his side and pulls his knee up towards his chest, which results in a visible ignition,” Trigger said. “The chamber immediately begins to burn internally and in what could only be described as a fireball, ultimately killing Thomas Cooper. At the time of the initial ignition to the time the inside of the chamber is fully engulfed in flames, killing Cooper, is approximately three seconds.”

Police found the grounding wrist straps in a “junk drawer” in the facility’s laundry room, Trigger said. She described the cords as oxidized, like they hadn’t been used or moved for an extended period. They also found a multimeter in the drawer, which is used to test grounding, Trigger said.

“The multimeter was still in the bag with the caps on both ends of the cords and the cords appeared to have never been unraveled, which was consistent with it never having been utilized to test grounding,” Trigger said.

Tamela Peterson, the Oxford Center’s owner and CEO, was arraigned Tuesday in 52-4 District Court on second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges, as was Gary Marken, the facility’s primary manager, and safety director Jeffrey Mosteller. If bound over for a trial, a jury will decide where either charge fits the defendants’ conduct.

Aleta Moffitt, the operator of the hyperbaric chamber that exploded, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false information on a medical record. All four pleaded not guilty.

Second degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison, while involuntary manslaughter can result in a sentence of up to 15 years behind bars.

The Michigan Attorney General’s office, which filed the charges, has accused the Oxford Center’s CEO and employees of disregarding safety protocols and using the chamber in ways it wasn’t intended to be used. The Oxford Center has said the “safety and well-being of the children we serve is our highest priority.”

Moffitt’s lawyer Ellen K. Michaels said Thursday Moffitt was an hourly worker at the Oxford Center who was adhering to the corporate policies presented to her by the center’s decision-makers.

“Everything that has been presented to the court to this point are allegations, not facts, not evidence,” Michaels said in a Thursday statement. “We look forward to reviewing the information that will be given to the defense through the discovery process and performing our own investigation. We believe in letting this process unfold.”

No grounding wire

Investigators made copies of hyperbaric chamber maintenance and service records at the scene and learned that the chamber that exploded was from 2013, while the other two in the facility were only a few years old, Trigger said. They also found a manual showing a wrist strap that patients should use when receiving treatment in the chamber to ground them. CCTV footage showed that Cooper was not wearing one, Trigger said.

“Photos taken of the scene at the time that the incident occurred were also re-reviewed,” Trigger said. “I observed what appeared to be a grounding wire for the chamber involved in the incident was wrapped in electrical tape and was clearly in worse condition or inconsistent with the other chambers in the room.”

The other patient receiving treatment at the time of the explosion and previous patients and employees at the Oxford Center all told police that a grounding wire had never been used in their hyperbaric treatments there, Trigger said. Employees who expressed concern to Peterson, Mosteller, and Marken about this policy were told that grounding wrist straps were not necessary, she added.

Police also found that starting in 2019, the Oxford Center removed items related to checking the chamber and patient grounding from daily and weekly checklists performed on the chambers.

Representatives from Sechrist, the hyperbaric chamber’s manufacturer, were shown a photo of the chamber that exploded and the electrical tape wrapped around the grounding wire.

“Sechrist personnel advised that they would have never repaired a wire in that way,” Trigger said. “They further advised that had a wire been repaired by an outside electrician, they would have had to tag out the chamber as being unusable. They would then have had to return to the location to inspect the work in the chamber before it could be used again. That did not occur.”

Trigger also claimed that one previous Oxford Center employee told her superiors she would no longer administer hyperbaric treatments due to the lack of safety practices and was fired.

The police consulted with two industry experts with “decades of experience in hyperbaric oxygen treatments,” according to Trigger. They also asked hyperbaric facilities at multiple hospitals and a privately run facility for insight into safety protocols, she said.

“The experts were able to determine, based on their opinion, that had Cooper been wearing the grounding wrist strap, he would still be alive,” Trigger said.

Mosteller told Trigger in an interview that Peterson had advised him that grounding straps were not necessary and said he performed his own testing to “convince himself to agree with that theory,” the detective said.

“Mosteller indicated that he would occasionally check the chamber grounding, but it was not done regularly,” Trigger said. “Employees were both advised of and shown an ‘experiment,’ that Jeff Mosteller had conducted that he felt made the grounding wrist straps unnecessary in order to justify not using them.”

At her Tuesday arraignment, Peterson’s attorney Gerald Gleeson said her parents both used the facility’s hyperbaric chambers, discounting the idea that she was operating the machines with “reckless abandon.”

Keeping the chambers full

Hyperbaric chambers are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat 13 conditions, ranging from decompression sickness to severe burns. The Oxford Center advertises their use for treatment of over 90 different conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease and diabetes.

Upon reviewing Peterson’s cellphone and laptop, police found messages in which people ask whether the company was promoting hyperbaric treatments for erectile dysfunction, Trigger said.

“Peterson responds stating, ‘Whatever gets bodies in those chambers, lol,’ ” the detective said.

Police also found messages containing still photos from CCTV footage of Cooper burning in the chamber.

“In the message exchange along with those photos, she stated something to the effect of, ‘If my leg was on fire, I would at least try to hit it and put it out. He just laid there and did nothing,'” Trigger said.

When police attempted to execute a search warrant for Peterson’s cellular devices and laptops at the Brighton facility, she initially ran from investigators, Trigger said. She also allegedly told investigators that she’d had her son wipe her laptop days after the explosion, Trigger said.

“Conversations with investigators at the attorney general’s office made Troy investigators aware that the CEO of the company, Tamela Peterson, along with her IT personnel had a history of tampering with and/or destroying evidence, specifically CCTV footage and records related to the investigation that the AG’s office had previously been conducting,” Trigger said.

Investigators observed nine inconsistencies between internally recorded time stamps for Cooper’s treatments provided by Peterson’s attorney and CCTV footage of the treatments, Trigger said.

Cooper’s records that police recovered from the facility show that on the day of the explosion he continued to receive treatment after the fire occurred and he had died.

Rolling back machines

Two previous employees told police they observed Marken manually manipulating the hyperbaric chamber’s cycle counters, which measure the lifespan of the machine, Trigger said.

“They reported that they had personally observed Marken using a screwdriver to remove the panel from the side of the chamber, remove the cycle counter, and roll back the number in order to make the cycle count look lower and to extend the life of the chamber,” the Troy detective said. “They advised that they were confident that this was likely done at the direction of Peterson due to her level of involvement in the ongoings of the company.”

Previous employees also told police that Marken was Peterson’s “muscle” and they were “one and the same,” Trigger said.

Marken’s attorney Raymond Cassar said at his arraignment that he had not been to the Oxford Center facility in Troy in over three years.

“I don’t know where the information is coming from that he is rolling back any of these things, but I can tell you that we’re confident he hasn’t been to that facility because he worked at the Brighton facility,” Cassar said Tuesday.

“They reported that they had personally observed Marken using a screwdriver to remove the panel from the side of the chamber, remove the cycle counter, and roll back the number in order to make the cycle count look lower and to extend the life of the chamber,” the Troy detective said. “They advised that they were confident that this was likely done at the direction of Peterson due to her level of involvement in the ongoings of the company.”

Previous employees also told police that Marken was Peterson’s “muscle” and they were “one and the same,” Trigger said.

Marken’s attorney Raymond Cassar said at his arraignment that he had not been to the Oxford Center facility in Troy in over three years.

“I don’t know where the information is coming from that he is rolling back any of these things, but I can tell you that we’re confident he hasn’t been to that facility because he worked at the Brighton facility,” Cassar said Tuesday.

Safety and clothing guidelines

The National Fire Protection Association’s guidelines for hyperbaric chambers indicate that there should be a safety pause before a patient enters one to check that the clothing they wear is 100% cotton and that they don’t have any lotions or medical patches on, Trigger said. CCTV footage of Cooper’s entire visit shows that this did not occur, she said.

The experts that police consulted with also advised that a physician is required on scene for hyperbaric oxygen treatments, although one was not present for Cooper’s treatment, Trigger said. Of the defendants, Mosteller is the only one with a current certification to administer the treatments and none are physicians or nurses, she added.

While on scene at the Oxford Center in Troy, the experts noted that pillows inside the chambers were filled with 100% polyester, which is not allowed inside them, partially due to fire risk, Trigger said. The disclosure forms and waivers that patients and parents signed did not mention the risks of fire or death.

hmackay@detroitnews.com

 

By Mia Taylor, TravelPulse

Anxiety surrounding air travel has been growing among the public in recent weeks and months.

With the deadly crash in Washington, D.C., earlier this year and several near misses, as well as FAA staff being slashed by the new U.S. president, it’s not exactly surprising that uneasiness is spiking.

If turbulence is one of the factors that causes you anxiety when flying, here is some news to notice: A new study has been released that identifies the most turbulent air travel routes globally.

The study was conducted by turbulence tracking company Turbli and is based on a review of turbulence forecast data provided by NOAA and the UK Met Office. The result of this effort is a ranking of the most unstable flight routes worldwide.

And coming in at the top of the list (meaning the most turbulent flight route) is the route from Mendoza, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile. The eddy dissipation rate (EDR), which is essentially turbulence intensity, associated with this route is 24.684.

To put that into some context, that’s 4 EDR greater than the second most turbulent flight path identified by the research. Coming in second is the route between Cordoba, Argentina and Santiago, Chile, which has an EDR of 20.214.

As it turns out the third most turbulent route on the list is also an Argentina-based route. It is the route between Mendoza, Argentina and Salta, Argentina. This flight route has an EDR of 19.825.

Turbulence is an irregular motion of the air resulting from eddies and vertical currents, according to the National Weather Service.

“Turbulence is one of the most unpredictable of all the weather phenomena that are of significance to pilots,” says the National Weather Service website. “It may be as insignificant as a few annoying bumps or severe enough to momentarily throw an airplane out of control or to cause structural damage.”

Turbulence is associated with fronts, wind shear and thunderstorms.

Here are the top 10 most turbulent routes globally

• Mendoza (MDZ) – Santiago (SCL) 
EDR: 24.684
• Cordoba (COR) – Santiago (SCL) 
EDR: 20.214
• Mendoza (MDZ) – Salta (SLA) 
EDR: 19.825
• Mendoza (MDZ) – San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC) 
EDR: 19.252
• Kathmandu (KTM) – Lhasa (LXA) 
EDR: 18.817
• Chengdu (CTU) – Lhasa (LXA) 
EDR: 18.644
• Santa Cruz (VVI) – Santiago (SCL) 
EDR: 18.598
• Kathmandu (KTM) – Paro (PBH) 
EDR: 18.563
• Chengdu (CTU) – Xining (XNN) 
EDR: 18.482
• San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC) – Santiago (SCL) 
EDR: 18.475

©2025 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

I have watched with fascination as the U.S. media swayed with every utterance by President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin on Putin’s war of aggression on Ukraine. Vice President J.D. Vance led the attack and Trump jumped in scolding Zelensky that he “did did not have the cards.” The Ukrainian president, though  wincing, responding  that, “this (war) is not playing cards.”

I had a Catholic nun in grade school who would admonish her students with, “He who laughs last, laughs best.” Yet this is no laughing matter, nor is it card playing. It is instead a shrewd calculation by Zelensky, the David in this David and Goliath(s) story, who once again has bested both giants whose top heavy egos keep them off balance.

Trump boasted, “I will end this war the first week I am in office.” Then that changed to first 100 days in office. Remember, Trump did nothing to end the protracted war Putin has waged against Ukraine since 2014. Trump had four full years in his first term to try. Nada!

Many in the press have bought the notion that Putin does hold the cards and Trump and Putin are about to crush Ukraine. However, as one scribe recently wrote, “Not so fast on Ukraine.” Count me in this latter camp.

This war has been a disaster for Putin and Russia. The Russians predicted that they would overthrow Ukraine in three days when their full invasion began in February 2022. It is now over three years with Russian casualties mounting and Russia’s financial picture worsening every day. Estimates of Russian casualties are between 800,000 and one million deaths and injuries. The Stockholm Institute for Transition Economics reports that Russia’s fiscal resources are under increasing strain, threatening its economic stability.

The full scale invasion by Russia has prompted its neighbors, Finland and Sweden, to move from neutral to NATO members, strengthening NATO. The day after Trump’s and Vance’s staged tirades against Zelensky in the Oval Office that was seen on camera, the leaders of the European Union states met with Zelensky in London. They pledged to increase their support for Ukraine — sealing even further the bonds of their growing alliance. They also pledged impressive increases in their military budgets.

Led by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, there seems to be movement to create a European Army. As I write, the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has indicated that all men in Poland will undergo some manner of military training. Today Poland’s military stands at 200,000. Tusk wants to increase the size of his military to over 500,000. Ukraine’s army is approximately 800,000 while Russia’s is thought to be around 1.3 million. All of this could very well lead to the creation of a European Army.

Zelensky was smart enough to gradually start making amends. (A little humility goes a long way in dealing with Trump and Putin.) The very evening after the Oval Office battle of words, a surprisingly fair interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier allowed Zelensky to make his case for the mineral deal that Trump wanted so desperately. That deal would provide Trump the cover his ego required to go forward with his exercise in peace making. The television interview allowed Zelensky to also make his case forcefully and rationally for peace and be open to supporting a ceasefire.

Zelensky had earlier underscored his seriousness about peace when he offered to step aside as President to get a secure peace. Now once again Zelensky was the crafty, charismatic, and authentic leader that the world community admires.

The next day, fresh off of his rude rebuke by Trump, Zelensky met in London with British Prime Minister Kier Starmer who showered the Ukrainian leader with high praise. Starmer understood what the press missed, which was that Zelensky had to force the issue of guaranteed security in a public way with Trump. Zelensky was bound and determined to be part of the discussion about conditions for peace in “his” own country.

Bullying Zelensky like a third rate leader was in itself third rate and not going to work with Zelensky. If Zelensky had to go forward without the support of the United States but with European support, then so be it.

It was not lost on the Europeans, including the Ukrainians, that this last year Europe had contributed more in aid to Ukraine than the U.S. Also of note is that Ukraine is every day becoming more and more self sufficient in producing their own weapons. In just these past three years Ukraine has gone from 20 percent self sufficient to a predicted 50 percent by year’s end. In fact, Silicon Valley is convinced that Ukraine makes a better and less expensive drone than any place in the world. They have sent their engineers to Ukraine to learn to make more lethal and far less expensive drones.

In addition, there is $300 million in Russian assets being held in European countries that could be used in their support of Ukraine.

This past week in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainians agreed to a ceasefire and Trump lifted his temporary ban on Ukrainian aid, both in armaments and intelligence. Trump has now challenged Putin to meet the ceasefire and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has hinted that guaranteed security for Ukraine will most likely be in the final peace agreement, if it is to be had.

Ukrainians possess an indomitable spirit. They may suffer devastation and loss but cannot be defeated, especially with a leader like Zelensky. That and 1,000 years of resilience tell me so.

David Bonior represented Macomb County and Michigan in the House of Representatives from 1977 to 2003. He served as Democratic whip from 1991 to 2002.

 

Do you know these names: Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Parent, Jay Sebring, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca?

What if I add to that list the name Sharon Tate?

Ah, there you go. Those are the names of the people killed by Charles Manson and some demented buddies on the nights of Aug. 8 and 9, 1969, Tate the most prominent because she was a beautiful movie star, married to filmmaker Roman Polanski, and eight months pregnant with their child.

Long time ago, I know, but so bloody and weird and headline-grabbing were the killings and ensuing trial and most of all Manson that they have stayed through the decades, creeping into our dreams and nightmares and coming at us in a steady stream of rehashing in books, movies and documentaries, some interesting and some merely exploitative.

Last time I remember remembering them was while watching “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 movie that, among many things, presented a wild, fairy tale version of the real events of what was and still is called the Manson Family murders.

Now they are on my mind yet again, courtesy of “Chaos: The Manson Murders,” a new 90-minute documentary on Netflix.

This would not ordinarily have grabbed my attention because I have over the decades had more than my fill of Manson-related subjects. But attached to “Chaos” is the name Errol Morris, which gives it a certain credibility, since he is a distinguished documentarian whose decades-long career has included such films as 1978’s “Gates of Heaven,” on the pet cemetery business; 1988’s “The Thin Blue Line,” his controversial film about the trial and conviction of a man for killing a Dallas police officer; 2003’s “The Fog of War,” which focused on Robert McNamara, the secretary of defense during much of the Vietnam War, which won an Academy Award; and “The Pigeon Tunnel” in 2023, about the life and work of novelist John le Carré.

Here he is in collaboration (and in intellectual tussle) with the work of journalist Tom O’Neill, in essence adapting O’Neill’s 2019 book, “CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties,” written with Dan Piepenbring.

As I expected, there is much repetition of known facts in the film but a judicious use of vintage material as Manson, a failed musician, wild-eyed hippie and career criminal, gets released from prison and in 1967 gathers around himself a bunch of younger outcasts who are all living together on a rusted movie set of a rural ranch.

He orders some of them to commit a series of gruesome murders and we get those bare details, effectively and vividly dramatized, but we don’t get a lot of answers to some of the questions raised and there are plenty.

Among them, and in no specific order:

Why didn’t law enforcement, such as parole officers, slap cuffs on Manson and send him back to jail when they had the chance?

And how did Manson turn a group of peaceful hippies into savage killers?

How was it that the Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson and record producer Terry Melcher nearly gave Manson a record deal? We hear Manson play guitar and sing.

What do the activist organization Black Panthers have to do with this?

Why do we meet Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassin Jack Ruby? And what is Louis Jolyon “Jolly” West, a subcontractor for the CIA’s Project MKUltra, doing as a court-appointed psychiatrist for Ruby? And what is Project MKUltra?

How did the Beatles’ “White Album” get into the mix?

There are more questions and plenty of talking, some of it from interviews of Manson by such TV personalities as Diane Sawyer, Geraldo Rivera and Tom Snyder.

Among the most compelling conversations are those that take place between Morris and O’Neill. The filmmaker asks pointed questions, operating from an authoritative position. He is probing, curious, suitably skeptical. And he is able to get O’Neill to admit, “Frankly, I still don’t know what happened. But I know that what we were told isn’t what happened.”

The movie is held together more by its questions (for which there are no real answers) than facts, presented in a visually compelling manner, peppered with such things as old movie clips of Laurence Harvey in the “Manchurian Candidate,” in which mind control is a chilling key.

Morris and his compelling moviemaking is likely to get a bigger audience than most of his previous documentary work. That’s a good thing even though this is not his finest work.

It’s still pretty good and one of the finer offerings of the massive Manson-inspired “Helter Skelter” enterprise. And if you ask yourself why there is not much here from Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, know that his book, “Helter Skelter” was published in 1974. It was subtitled “The True Story of the Manson Murders.” And it is the best-selling true crime book of all time.

rkogan@chicagotribune.com

By AMANDA SEITZ and JONEL ALECCIA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — There sat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, at a Steak ’n Shake with Fox News host Sean Hannity, raving about the fries.

“Steak ’n Shake has been great, we’re very grateful for them,” Kennedy said, in between nibbles of fries that the Midwestern franchise recently announced would be cooked in beef tallow instead of common cooking oils that Kennedy claims — contrary to advice from nutritionists — are bad for Americans’ diet.

It’s the kind of endorsement that doctors have implored him to make about the childhood vaccines used to prevent deadly diseases, like measles as outbreaks worsened in Texas and New Mexico during his first month in office.

The secretary of Health and Human Services has, instead, raised doubts about vaccines, most recently saying in his interview with Hannity that the shots cause “deaths every year,” although he later added that vaccinations should be encouraged.

In his first month in office, Kennedy, who vowed to “Make America Healthy Again,” has delivered an inconsistent message that has the nation’s top infectious diseases specialists worried that his tepid recommendations will undermine access to long-proven, life-saving vaccines.

Public health agencies cancel vaccine meetings, research under Kennedy’s watch

During his first address to thousands of workers at the federal public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Food and Drug Administration, Kennedy promised to “investigate” the childhood vaccine schedule. Days later, the CDC canceled a public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Panel, a group of doctors and scientists who make recommendations on vaccines. That meeting has not been rescheduled.

In another case, a canceled public meeting of vaccine advisers who make recommendations on the flu vaccine every year for the FDA also has not been given a new date. This week, the National Institutes for Health, also under Kennedy’s purview, began canceling funding for some research on vaccines.

The CDC also is preparing to research autism and vaccines, planning to “leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement. Agency officials did not comment further for this article.

Numerous studies have concluded that there is no link between the two, a fact the agency states on its website. And studying it again could take money from other research including into finding the true cause of autism, noted Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, as he questioned National Institutes of Health director nominee Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

When Bhattacharya suggested more studies could be worthwhile because some may believe there’s a link, Cassidy retorted: “There’s people who disagree the world is round.”

“What (Kennedy) is trying to do is scare about the safety of vaccines,” Dr. Paul Offit, an FDA vaccine adviser and infectious disease doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said of Kennedy’s first month in office. “It shouldn’t surprise anybody. His agenda has always been to get vaccines off the market, or to make them less available.”

Offit worries that the cancellation of the FDA’s flu vaccine meeting, held every March for at least 30 years, is just the beginning. The committee’s June meeting to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine’s formulation has also not been scheduled, he said.

Democrats and Republicans pushed back when Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA nominee, wouldn’t commit to rescheduling the committee’s flu meeting .

“What is lost is the transparency,” said Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate health committee and is also a physician.

Kennedy rejects ‘anti-vaccine’ label but still echoes the movement

During his senate confirmation hearings earlier this year, Kennedy seemed to say he would not undermine vaccines. “I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule,” he said. He promised Cassidy, who was unsettled about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine work, that he would not change existing vaccine recommendations.

But in the hearings he also repeatedly refused to acknowledge scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism and that COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives, and he falsely asserted the government has no good vaccine safety monitoring.

And since his confirmation, Kennedy has repeated his skeptical views of vaccines in interviews and other public statements.

He’s sent “mixed messages” on vaccine safety, even though the U.S. has “the most elaborate vaccine adverse event surveillance system in the world,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. Serious problems, including death, are very rare and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks, he said.

“A simple way to describe this to the average person is the serious adverse events generally occur at a rate of 1 to a few cases per million doses of vaccine,” he said. “That’s a needle in a haystack.”

In an opinion piece on FoxNews.com earlier this month, Kennedy said the measles outbreak in West Texas that left a six-year old child dead was a “call to action” but stopped short of recommending that people receive the vaccine that prevents 97% of cases. Despite the U.S. registering its first measles death in a decade, Kennedy has repeatedly downplayed this year’s outbreaks, noting that when he was a child “everybody got measles.”

This year’s cases — reported at 250 — are on track to far outpace last year’s reports of 286 measles infections.

Pediatricians are fielding more questions from confused parents in their exam rooms, said Dr. Susan Kressly. Worried about reports of cancelled vaccine meetings, they’re wondering about their access to next year’s flu vaccines. Others are asking if they should get doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine earlier. Kressly said there’s a clear message the government can send to help stop the rising case count.

“The only way to stop an outbreak is increased coordinated positive messaging around vaccinating,” Kressly said.

The CDC has assisted with vaccination efforts in West Texas. But Kennedy himself has publicly advocated for an alternative treatment for measles: Vitamin A. Under his watch, the CDC’s guidance was updated to say that Vitamin A should be given to children with severe measles and prescribed in doses under a doctor’s supervision.

Vitamin A supplementation has been recommended for decades to reduce pneumonia and death in malnourished children in developing countries, but the benefits in well-nourished children in countries like the U.S. are less clear.

“We need to use Vitamin A for those kids who are unlucky enough to get measles,” said Dr. Andy Pavia, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the University of Utah. “But it can’t prevent measles and it can only provide some help in reducing the severity.”

When administered correctly, using Vitamin A in kids with severe measles will “do no harm,” Pavia said. But if improperly done, high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic and deadly.

Kennedy’s supporters celebrate success on the food front during first month

Abrupt staffing changes have also dominated Kennedy’s first weeks in office, with CDC pick Dave Weldon withdrawing from the nomination mere minutes before his hearing, Kennedy’s top HHS spokesman quitting two weeks into the job and the Food and Drug Administration’s newly minted chief counsel departing 48 hours into the position.

Trump and Kennedy’s supporters, however, have dismissed concerns about the rocky start.

His newfound platform as health secretary and talk of healthier foods is already affecting change in the American diet, advisers close to Kennedy and Trump have claimed on social media.

They credit Kennedy with prompting Republican legislators to introduce bills in Utah and Texas that would seek to ban soda in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example. And then there’s Steak ‘n Shake’s new fries.

“RFK Jr. just ate Steak ’n Shake on live TV, the fast food joint that’s bravely frying everything in beef tallow,” conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk said this week in a tweet. “This is the way.”

In fact, nutrition science experts say that decades of research show that consuming plant-based oils lowers the risk of heart disease and that there is no evidence to indicate that beef tallow is healthier than seed oils.

On Wednesday, after a meeting with a handful of executives from the nation’s largest food manufactures, Kennedy released a slickly-produced video that promised more change would be on the way, saying companies were taking his “MAHA” movement seriously.

“They understand they have a new sheriff in town,” Kennedy said.

He did not share any details about what was discussed at the meeting.

Associated Press writers Matthew Perrone and Mike Stobbe contributed.

Cultlike celebrities of a certain size sometimes cross the line between unsettling narcissism and unsettling narcissism with top notes of pathology. This may not be news, even if they make the news fairly regularly, but the frustrating new film “Opus” treats the toxic intersection of fame and infamy as a big reveal unto itself.

It’s a sleek enough experience visually, and the songs composed for “Opus” by Nile Rodgers and The-Dream are pretty tasty. This is the first feature from filmmaker Mark Anthony Green, who wrote and directed and undoubtedly pulled a few ideas for “Opus” from his ego-navigation experience as a celebrity journalist.

Premise: After a nearly 30-year hiatus shrouded in mystery, the ’90s pop legend known throughout the world as Moretti — bigger than Dylan, a pale white Prince with a wardrobe inching toward the interstellar — has produced his magnum opus, an album so major it’s almost too special for human ears. Moretti launches this album by way of a lavish but exclusive junket held at his remote Southwestern compound, which is staffed by serenely puttering acolytes in thrall to the Scientology-esque religion Moretti subscribes to, known as Leveling. (His followers are Levelists.)

The half-dozen who were lucky enough to be invited include five media poseurs Moretti has known a while, including the sycophantic editor of a Rolling Stone-type music magazine. For reasons unknown, a low-mid-level staffer of that same magazine, Ariel, has been invited as well. She’s played by Ayo Edebiri (of “The Bear”). Moretti is played by John Malkovich, because who else?

Consigned to providing her boss with a few atmospheric details for his story, Ariel can’t help but notice just how strange the goings-on appear. Cellphones are collected from everybody, with the promise of a return later. Moretti likes his guests unshaven, all over, so there’s a non-negotiable grooming policy enforced.

From there it’s one small step to the first disappearing-guest act, and “Opus” lurches from a satirically insufferable album-release party to a bloody nightmare. It does this while letting the audience get dangerously ahead of the narrative developments. Malkovich certainly holds his own, though there are times when his singular, sidewinding performance energy has a way of sapping a scene’s overall rhythm and pace. The supporting cast is a good one, with Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis and others filling in the blanks of their thinly conceived characters. Edebiri’s the anchor here, but the material is the material, and the material only goes so far.

It’s a familiar set-up by now: take a swank, remote compound, add an ultra-exclusive guest list and an escalating barrage of bloodletting, a la “The Menu” or last year’s undervalued “Blink Twice.” “Opus” has its moments. But even the surprises aren’t especially surprising.

“Opus” — 2 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for violent content including a grisly image, language, sexual material and brief graphic nudity)

Running time: 1:43

How to watch: Premieres in theaters March 13

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

Listen, at 21 years old, I couldn’t get enough of a pub crawl down barf-soaked streets. I think comedian Colin Quinn’s St. Patrick’s Day poem sums up why at 35, I’ve decided to stray from the pub crawls of yore.

“I’ve lost my friends and seven teeth at this festival to St. Patrick. Puked, out-duked and oft rebuked this holy day’s unholy hat trick. Can’t find the train, it starts to rain. I’m in a world of trouble and a house of pain. Still, this tradition I keep alive, it’s in my blood, at .25.”

My March 17 no longer resembles Quinn’s, and I’ve since perfected the art of the St. Patrick’s Day punk party, and it’s under my own roof. No, I’m not kicking over my garbage bins and covering my walls in black Sharpie art. I’m spinning my favorite Irish punk tunes, making my tried and true St. Patrick’s Day recipes and clinking Guinness pints with my closest friends — after I’ve toasted with an Irish proverb of course.

Here’s a guide to partying like a proper Irish punk from home.

The Tunes

“Nowadays for us, St Patrick’s Day has taken on a totally different meaning where it’s about getting together with friends and family,” Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys said in a 2013 interview. Adding what rookie mistakes not to make, and this applies to partying at home as well, Casey said “Don’t start too early. You start too early, you peak at about two, you’re in trouble. … It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You wouldn’t believe how many kids are getting rushed into the gutter outside of the club because they went a little too high, too fast.”

Whether you’re spinning records from The Pogues, Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys, you can’t party like a punk on St. Patrick’s Day without some Celtic Punk tunes vibrating your walls. If you don’t have any records handy, I made a Spotify playlist to make your celebration a festive one. And like all the party playlists I make, it starts nice and easy with songs including The Pogues’ “Dirty Old Town,” The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” and The Kilkennys’ “Galway Girl,” and ramps up as you get deeper into the list with pub songs like Flogging Molly’s “Drunken Lullabies,” The Real McKenzies’ “Chip,” and Dropkick Murphys’ “Rose Tattoo.” The playlist, “Party like an Irish Punk on St. Paddy’s,” is searchable via Spotify, or you can check it out by clicking the link here.

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The Feast

What could be more punk than a grab-what-you-have traditional Dublin stew known as the Irish Coddle? Bacon, sausage, potatoes and of course, Guinness, make this super easy stew rich and filling. Check out Casey Elsass’s recipe for Food Network Kitchen below.

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound Cumberland sausage or any mild pork sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup Irish stout, such as Guinness, optional
• Irish soda bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and increase the heat to medium high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon and sausage are nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and sausage to a plate.
3. Drain the fat from the pot and return it to medium heat. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pot, then sprinkle the onions with 1 tablespoon of the parsley and plenty of black pepper. Layer the bacon and sausage over the onions and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley and more black pepper. Layer the potatoes over the meat and add enough water to submerge everything but the potatoes, about 2 cups. Season the potato layer with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Bring the liquid to a boil (don’t stir!), then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake, checking halfway to add more water if needed, until the onions are very tender and caramelized and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 2 hours.
4. Finish with a pour of stout, if using, and a final garnish of the remaining parsley. Serve immediately with soda bread.

For some other St. Patty’s recipes, check out:

• Clodagh Mckenna’s mum’s Classic Irish Lamb Stew takes a bit of time to make, so you may want to whip it up the night before or start early in the morning. It’ll feed six to eight people and keeps well if you’ve got some left over to nurse a hangover with on March 18. The stew pairs well with Irish soda bread. Find the recipe here.
• My go-to St. Patrick’s Day recipe is Alton Brown’s Shepherd’s Pie, which calls for lamb, but you can swap it with ground sirloin or even ground chicken or turkey if you steer away from red meat. This is a hearty dish that will feed several of your closest mates and doesn’t take too long to make.
• Southern California News Group contributor Cathy Thomas has a recipe for Colcannon, a rustic dish of mashed potatoes moistened with milk and butter and mixed with cabbage and onions. It’s a St. Patrick’s Day favorite served with corned beef, and she’s got a recipe for a “quick” corned beef here.
• Scotch Eggs aka St. Patty’s Pub Eggs are soft boiled eggs with a gooey center, wrapped in sausage and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are fantastic, and you can find a recipe for them here.
• John Mitzewich’s highly-rated Guinness beef stew is “a very simple dish, but at the same time, it has a deep, complex, rich flavor. The maltiness of dark beer really does amazing things for the gravy.” He serves it in a nice ring of green onion-mashed potatoes. Find the recipe here.

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The Drinks

If you have the patience to make a proper craft cocktail, start with the Dubliner, a citrusy take on the Manhattan using Irish whisky. Find Gary Regan’s Liquor.com recipe below.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish: 1 green maraschino cherry

Directions

1. Add the whiskey, Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth and orange bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a green maraschino cherry.

Some other St. Patrick’s Day cocktails to try are:

• The Dead Rabbit Irish Coffee may be the perfect hot cocktail to keep you warm this March 17, which is expected to be a relatively chilly and cloudy one. Grab the recipe here. For an Irish coffee with a twist try the Shamrock Flip by Luis Gudino, which incorporates an egg.
• If you prefer your St. Patrick’s Day drink simple and easy, try an Irish beer like the Murphy’s Irish Stout, a Guinness Extra Stout, O’Hara’s Irish Craft Lager or Sullivan’s Malting Irish Red Ale.
• A McGlashan is a funky twist on a whisky sour, which incorporates smooth Irish whiskey, orange-ginger marmalade, and a fiery kick of ginger for a balanced mix of warmth and spice. Here’s the recipe.

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The Toast

No St. Patrick’s Day is complete without a proper Irish toast, here are a few of my favorites to clink glasses to:

• “May the winds of fortune sail you, May you sail a gentle sea. May it always be the other guy Who says, ‘this drink’s on me.”
• “Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking. If you cheat, may you cheat death. If you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart. If you fight, may you fight for a brother. And if you drink, may you drink with me.”
• “May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
• “May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far.”
• “May the lilt of Irish laughter, Lighten every load. May the mist of Irish magic, Shorten every road. And may all your friends remember, All the favors you are owed!”

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St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration enjoyed by Irish and Irish wannabes alike. From coast to coast, at the core of the fun is satisfying, easy-to-prepare fare.

Thumbing through Kevin Dundon’s book, “Modern Irish Food” (Beazley), sparked devilish hunger pangs. Dundon, an award-winning Irish chef and PBS television personality, features recipes for what he calls “modern Irish house cooking.” He explores the classic dishes of his homeland, giving them appealing updated twists.

I love his beautiful-but-simple apple tart. Use refrigerated prepared dough, such as Pillsbury Pie Crusts, and then layer thin apple slices on top, slightly overlapping the slices in concentric circles to cover the dough. The flavor of the tart-sweet apples shines through in this scrumptious finale, the crust offering a pleasing texture contrast that compliments the fruit and corrals the rich juices.

But before the dessert, a traditional Irish stew is a must. To accompany the cozy dish, Irish Guinness Brown Bread is an irresistible partner. Cookbook maven and Food Network star Ina Garten has a recipe that comes close to the real deal. Her formula calls for a 9-by-5-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan. My pan is slightly smaller, with the same depth but is only 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inches. So, when I bake it, I make two, the second one baked in a tiny loaf pan. That puny loaf is for this baker’s secret pleasure.

Simple Apple Tart

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated crusts (2 rolled crusts in rectangular box), chilled

Juice of 1 lemon

5 to 6 medium-sized Pink Lady apples; see cook’s notes

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted, divided use

1/3 cup turbinado sugar, divided use

2 tablespoons honey

For serving: Whipped cream or ice cream

Cook’s notes: Pink Lady apples are delectable in this tart. I sometimes find them at my local supermarket, but if you prefer, substitute Gala apples. Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that has been steam-cleaned. The coarse crystals are a honey-brown color and have a subtle molasses flavor. It’s often sold in the natural food section of the supermarket and is available at natural food stores.

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll one of the pie crusts and place on parchment paper. Unroll second pie crust and cut out a ring 1/2-inch-wide around the edge of the crust. Cut crosswise into three pieces to make them easier to transfer. Transfer to edge of crust that is on the pan and press in place (so now you have a double layer of crust around the edge). Pinch to make a ridge around the edge about 1/2-inch high. Prick with tines of a fork at 2-inch intervals. Place in refrigerator.

2. Squeeze lemon juice into a medium-large bowl. Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices, placing them as you work in the bowl with the juice and tossing them from time to time to prevent browning.

3. Remove crust from refrigerator and lightly brush with butter. Arrange apple slices in two concentric circles overlapping them slightly (start with the outside circle). Brush with half of the remaining melted butter. Remove 1 tablespoon of the sugar and set aside to use as garnish; sprinkle remaining sugar over apples. Bake 12 minutes.

4. Remove from oven (and shut oven door). Brush apples and rim of tart with remaining butter. Drizzle apples with honey. Return to oven and bake 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from oven and sprinkle with reserved sugar. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Source: “Modern Irish Food” by Kevin Dundon

Irish Stew

Irish Stew often calls for lamb, generally hearty chunks of lamb shoulder. This recipe uses pieces of beef; they attain lovely tenderness with long simmering. The stew can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cool, cover and then refrigerate it. Bring to a simmer before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 large garlic cloves, minced

7 cups beef stock or canned beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped, see cook’s notes

2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook’s notes: If you wish, substitute pearl onions for the chopped onion. Peeled and frozen, they are generally available in many supermarkets. Or peel fresh pearl onions by boiling in water with the skin in place for 1 1/2 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process; once cool, the skins should easily come off by squeezing the onion between your fingers.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef broth, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine and scrape up browned bits on the pot. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 10 minutes. Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt the pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine

Ina’s Irish Guinness Brown Bread

Serve this delicious brown bread with honey butter. To make the honey butter, combine room temperature unsalted butter with honey to taste; you can use a mixer to do this or stir by hand with muscle and determination. My favorite combination is unsalted Irish Kerrygold butter mixed paired with clover honey and topped with coarse salt.

Yield: 1 loaf (see story)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup McCann’s quick-cooking oats (not instant), plus extra for sprinkling

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 (11- to 12-ounce) bottle Guinness extra stout beer, at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, shaken before measuring

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing pan

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For serving: Honey butter (unsalted butter combined with honey to taste, topped with a smidgen of coarse salt)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, place oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together beer, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the well. With your clean fingers, stir batter from middle of bowl to the outside, until it is well mixed. It will look more like cake batter then bread dough.

3. Brush a 9-by-5-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan with melted butter. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle top with oats. Put the bread in the oven, immediately turn the temperature down to 400 degrees and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn bread out onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve with honey butter.

Source: Adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

Being down with “The Sickness” has been a healthy endeavor for Disturbed during the past 25 years.

The Chicago-formed heavy rock quartet is on the road celebrate its five-times platinum debut’s anniversary, a rare feat that few 21st century albums are likely to achieve in a world of song-oriented streaming. But, as Disturbed proved on Monday night, March 10 at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, “The Sickness” — played in its entirety during the first part of the show — sounds every bit as potent now as it did during 2000, an entirely individualistic display of nu rock established by frontman David Draiman’s jungle creature scats and the instrumentalists’ textured whomp.

The band celebrated in theatrical fashion, too, on Monday. Following tight opening sets by Sevendust and Three Days Grace (reunited with original frontman Adam Gontier after an 11-year break), Disturbed played in front of a tiered metallic backdrop laden with pyrotechnics. Its portion of the evening began with a historical video shown on a white curtain, which rose to reveal a straightjacketed Draiman being wheeled on, Hannibal Lechter-style (a throwback to early Disturbed concerts), and deposited at the end of a ramp that jutted into the arena floor.

After he took of the jacket and mask the group then exploded into “The Sickness'” opening track “Voices” and didn’t take its foot off the pedal as it ran through the album’s hits — “Stupify” and “Down With the Sickness,” usually saved for the end of the night — and brought deep cuts such as “Numb,” “Violence Festish,” “Conflict” and a lumbering cover of Tears For Fears’ “Shout” back into the set for the first time in more than two decades in some cases. For the closing “Meaning of Life,” meanwhile, Draiman and company — guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist John Moyer (who joined in 2004) — changed into orange prison inmate outfits and staged a mock electrocution of the frontman, who sang with faux blood dripping from his forehead.

A 20-minute break — accompanied by more historic, though largely inaudible, video footage — allowed the crew to set up a new drum kit for Wengren. The eight-song “greatest hits” set that followed included Disturbed’s new single, “I Will Not Break,” while a giant inflatable figure of the band’s mascot, The Guy, hovered at the back of the stage during “Bad Man,” Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” and “Indestructible.” But Disturbed’s massive hit rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” — accompanied by two guest string players — was hampered by technical problems that rendered all but Draiman and one of the acoustic guitars inaudible.

“That was interesting,” Draiman quipped afterwards, acknowledging in comically graphic terms how unsettled he became during the mishap. He filled some time by speaking (correctly) about how rock concerts now provide an antidote to the bitter divisions sweeping the country, and he brought up two young fans — 11-year-old Chase and seven-year-old Hunter, with a parent each — to sit on stage during “The Light.”

“Into the Fire” finished the night with more — duh — fire, a solid close to a show that showed Disturbed is still in top form 25 years later, even when it wasn’t entirely indestructible.

A 24-year-old Pontiac man is in police custody, accused of stabbing a woman multiple times Monday night allegedly because she had worn his clothing.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spoke to the woman at an area hospital’s emergency department where she had gone for treatment of multiple stab wounds. The woman, a 25-year-old Pontiac resident, reportedly told deputies she had been stabbed during a fight over her wearing the suspect’s clothes.

Based on further information from the woman and a witness who reportedly had driven the woman to the hospital, deputies went to a residence in the 100 block of Cherry Hill Drive in North Hills Farms housing complex to confront the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.

As stated in the deputies’ report: “Initially, the suspect refused to answer the door, but after continued announcements of law enforcement presence and a secure perimeter being set, the individual ultimately surrendered to deputies without further incident. Another male was located inside of the home and taken into custody as well for investigative follow up.”

Charges are pending for the suspect, who’s held in the Oakland County Jail.

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More charges filed against Pontiac mother accused of abandoning kids to live in squalor for years

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Washington Avenue will be renamed O’Washington Avenue and flowing green with all things Irish for the second-year revival of the Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade this coming Saturday. Al Carter, retired Royal Oak policeman and chairman of the parade, and his team have been working off the momentum from the revitalization of the parade last year.

“The Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Oakland County’s largest parade,” Carter said. “This is the second year after a four-year hiatus after COVID happened.”

Carter got the job when he inquired about the parade and learned the previous chairman had moved to Bay City.

“At that point, nobody brought it back or anything. And my wife and I raised our kids here and we’d always go to the parade and we enjoyed it,” Carter said. “I was coming upon retirement and I kept asking, ‘when are you bringing the parade back?’”

Carter got together with the remaining committee members, revamped the non-profit organization and got the Irish spirit marching back down Washington Avenue last March. Now with a larger cadre of sponsors including last year’s name sponsor, the Royal Oak Leprechauns summer collegiate baseball team. This year, Henry Ford Health is the named sponsor. Sullivan & Son Funeral Directors, Gus’s Snug, Abraham & Associates, the Royal Oak DDA, Green Wire Systems, John Cowley & Sons, North Oaks Dental & Orthodontics, Lilly’s Seafood, Fifth Avenue, Gilda’s Club, O’Sullivan’s Moving, AOH and Holiday Market have also signed on.

“Royal Oak has tons of events, but it was the first one that starts spring, you know, springs around the corner when we did the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Carter said.

It takes a year to plan and develop the parade and he is thankful for the generous sponsors

“It’s like a full-time job takes and it’s a non-profit. So we had zero budget. Last year we did it by the skin of our teeth. This year, we learned a lot with our committee that I formed from last year and we hit it hard. And we really were very fortunate with Henry Ford Health. They did a big sponsorship for us. So that gave us a little bit of funding to start,” Carter said.

He noted some of the parade entertainers are professionals such as the dancers and bagpipers who are paid to appear.

“I went and cheered on parades many times and led the parade with the Royal Oak Police Honor Guard many times, never put two thoughts together of what went into it,” Carter said. “We have to shut parking meters off and that has to be paid for. Our Downtown Development Authority are very generous. We want to bring with that partnership, bring some business to all the businesses in downtown Royal Oak as well.”

He noted that several downtown restaurants will feature Irish food menus an opening up earlier to take advantage of the parade crowd. In addition to downtown businesses, Carter has pubs in Clawson and Rochester supporting the event.

“It’s not just the local community of Royal Oak. It’s spread to a little bit. And they’re going to have banners and signs in the parade in addition to it. Both Gus’ Snug and O’Connor’s are good Irish businesses,” he said.

This year’s Grand Marshall is Shirley O’Brien from the O’Brien Clan who are descendants of the late and former Judge Francis X. O’Brien.

“The whole family comes down. They build a float. They have buses and all this fun stuff,” Carter said. “And then our Honorary Grand Marshal is Father John from Shrine of the Little Flower. They’re actually participating and bringing a float and a trailer in honor of him.”

The parade will feature groups from Royal Oak schools, the St. Bridget Scholarship winners and Queen of the Court, an Irish Setter Group, The Ennis Center for Children in Detroit, bagpipes, dancers and many more. Floats and trailers will be judged and awarded prizes as well.

“We have another different band that’s coming, the Detroit Celtic Revival Band. They’re going to play live on a trailer. The Oakland County Sheriff and Michigan State Police are sending cars,” Carter said.

The parade begins at Royal Oak Middle School on North Washington and heads south beginning at noon. Parade announcers are former Royal Oak City Commissioner Carlo Ginotti and Fox 2’s Charlie Langton. The parade float Judges are Circuit Court Judge Mary Ellen Brennan, and 44th District Court Judges Derek Meinecke and Andrew Kowalkowski.

“We’re praying for that wonderful weather and no rain showers. But they say a little bit of rain is a sign of good luck, so we’re going to go with that if it happens. We have our stage set up at 5th and Washington,” Carter said.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to town with special intent this weekend.

The troupe will, for starters, celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace,” which depicts a journey to the promised land accompanied by Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday.” Also on the docket are three world premiere pieces: “Sacred Songs” by Matthew Rushing, “Finding Free” by Hope Boykin” and “Many Angels” by Lar Lubovitch.

Rounding out the program will be a new production of Elisa Monte’s “Treading” and the company’s signature piece, “Revelations.”

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St. 313-237-7464 or detroitopera.org.

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States’ northern neighbor.

Trump said on social media that the increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States.

“I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,” Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social.

The U.S. president has given a variety of explanations for his antagonism of Canada, saying that his separate 25% tariffs are about fentanyl smuggling and voicing objections to Canada putting high taxes on dairy imports that penalize U.S. farmers. But he continued to call for Canada to become part of the United States as a solution, a form of taunting that has infuriated Canadian leaders.

“The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State,” Trump posted on Tuesday. “This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear.”

The U.S. stock market promptly fell following his social media post, triggering more concerns after a brutal selloff on Monday that puts Trump under pressure to show he has a legitimate plan to grow the economy instead of perhaps pushing it into a recession.

Trump was set to deliver a Tuesday afternoon address to the Business Roundtable, a trade association of CEOs that during the 2024 campaign he wooed with the promise of lower corporate tax rates for domestic manufacturers. But his tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, steel, aluminum — with plans for more to possibly come on Europe, Brazil, South Korea, pharmaceutical drugs, copper, lumber and computer chips — would amount to a massive tax hike.

The stock market’s vote of no confidence over the past two weeks puts the president in a bind between his enthusiasm for taxing imports and his brand as a politician who understands business based on his own experiences in real estate, media and marketing.

Harvard University economist Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary for the Clinton administration, on Monday put the odds of a recession at 50-50.

“All the emphasis on tariffs and all the ambiguity and uncertainty has both chilled demand and caused prices to go up,” Summers posted on X. “We are getting the worst of both worlds – concerns about inflation and an economic downturn and more uncertainty about the future and that slows everything.”

The investment bank Goldman Sachs revised down its growth forecast for this year to 1.7% from 2.2% previously. It modestly increased its recession probability to 20% “because the White House has the option to pull back policy changes if downside risks begin to look more serious.”

Trump has tried to assure the public that his tariffs would cause a bit of a “transition” to the economy, with the taxes prodding more companies to begin the years-long process of relocating factories to the United States to avoid the tariffs. But he set off alarms in an interview broadcast on Sunday in which he didn’t rule out a possible recession.

“I hate to predict things like that,” Trump said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” ”There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing. And there are always periods of — it takes a little time. It takes a little time. But I don’t — I think it should be great for us. I mean, I think it should be great.”

The promise of great things ahead did not eliminate anxiety, with the S&P 500 stock index tumbling 2.7% on Monday in an unmistakable Trump slump that has erased the market gains that greeted his victory in November 2024. The S&P 500 index fell roughly 0.4% in Tuesday morning trading.

The White House after the markets closed on Monday highlighted that the tariffs were prompting companies such as Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo to consider new investments in U.S. factories.

It issued a statement that Trump’s combination of tariffs, deregulations and increased energy production had led industry leaders to promise to “create thousands of new jobs.”

The significance of thousands of additional jobs was unclear, as the U.S. economy added 2.2 million jobs last year alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

ALEX VEIGA, The Associated Press

Detroit-based mortgage lender Rocket Cos. has agreed to acquire online real estate brokerage Redfin in an all-stock deal valued at $1.75 billion.

The transaction, announced Monday, gives one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders an in-house network of more than 2,000 real estate agents across 42 states and Redfin’s popular home and rental housing listings platform, which draws nearly 50 million monthly visitors.

The deal values Redfin at $12.50 per share. Shares in Seattle-based Redfin soared 68.5% in morning trading to $9.81 per share, while shares in Detroit-based Rocket Cos. slumped 15%.

Rocket expects the acquisition will save the company $140 million in costs by eliminating duplicative operations and other expenses. Rocket also anticipates the move will boost revenue by more than $60 million by enabling the company to connect its clients with Redfin’s agents and, ultimately, offering those customers other real estate services that Rocket provides, including title insurance and loan servicing.

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman is expected to remain at the helm of the real estate brokerage, reporting to Rocket’s CEO, the companies said.

Under the terms of the deal, each share of Redfin common stock will be exchanged for a fixed ratio of 0.7926 shares of Rocket Cos. Class A common stock, which represents a premium of 63% over the volume weighted average price of Redfin’s common stock for the 30 days ended March 7.

Once finalized, current Rocket Cos. shareholders will own roughly 95% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis, while Redfin shareholders will own about 5%, the companies said.

The companies’ board of directors have already approved the transaction, though Redfin shareholders still have to sign off on the sale. The companies expect the transaction to close in the second or third quarter this year.

The Pontiac woman facing felonies for allegedly abandoning her three children to live in a filth-ridden home for years has been charged with additional crimes.

As announced Tuesday by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, three counts of welfare fraud are filed against Kelli Bryant, in addition to the three charges of first-degree child abuse filed against her last month.

Bryant, 34, is accused of collecting $29,397 from January 2022 through February 2025 in support payments by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services while the children were living alone. It’s alleged Bryant abandoned the children in 2020 or 2021.

The prosecutor’s office said a review of Bryant’s MDHHS payments showed the overpayment, leading to the charges.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald said the alleged fraud indicates Bryant stole from her children.

“The defendant appears to have effectively abandoned her children while collecting their public assistance,” McDonald stated in a news release. “This crime is, first and foremost, a theft from Kelli Bryant’s children. These resources were intended to ensure they had the basic necessities denied to them. The children deserved better.”

Welfare fraud more than $500 is punishable by up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. For the first-degree child abuse charges, Bryant faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The case against Bryant unfolded in February after deputies were called to a residence on Lydia Lane in the Stonegate Pointe townhomes for a welfare check and found Bryant’s children, a 15-year-old boy and his sisters, ages 13 and 12, hiding inside. The townhome was filled with large piles of garbage, mold and human waste throughout, had an overflowing toilet and a feces-filled bathtub, officials said. It was described as “uninhabitable.”

When rescued, the girls were covered in feces, and all three children had matted hair and toenails several inches long making it difficult to walk, officials said.

Bryant had reportedly been arranging for food to be dropped off at the home each week, but toilet paper, soap and hygiene products were never provided, officials said. The children, who’ve since been placed with relatives, hadn’t gone to school for years.

Bryant is held in the Oakland County Jail, with bond set at $50,000 — recently reduced from the $250 million bond set at her Feb. 20 arraignment for the child abuse charges.

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By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, Associated Press

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security skipped a fully competitive bidding process to give two Republican-linked firms the first part of a $200 million television ad campaign that lauds President Donald Trump for his crackdown on illegal immigration.

DHS told news outlets last month that it had undergone a “competitive procurement process” for the campaign. But in a document posted Friday on a federal database, the department said Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes “an unusual and compelling urgency,” a circumstance that allows federal agencies to bypass the usual competitive process.

The ads feature Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a blue suit standing with a backdrop of American flags thanking Trump. The ads have caught some attention as they mix campaign-style images of Trump signing executive orders and flying on Air Force One with clips of large groups of migrants crossing the Rio Grande and police cars with sirens blaring.

Noem warns immigrants to leave the U.S. or not to come. “If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return,” she says in one of the videos.

One of the winning firms is People Who Think, LLC, which is owned by Jay Connaughton, a Louisiana-based political consultant who served as media adviser for Trump’s 2016 campaign. Connaughton appeared to have worked as recently as October 2023 with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in the campaign of Jeff Landry, for governor of Louisiana. Lewandowski, a longtime Noem adviser going back to her tenure as South Dakota governor, mentioned him in a post on X as part of the team that helped elect Landry.

The other firm selected for the contract was Safe America Media, LLC, which was incorporated in Delaware a few days before the solicitation with an address to a property owned by Republican consultant Mike McElwain. Safe America Media has already been awarded $16 million for the ad buy.

Connaughton and McElwain did not respond to messages and calls seeking comment. DHS still called it a “competitive process” in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

“Following a competitive process with multiple companies competing to deliver the best service, product, and price for American taxpayers, Safe America Media and People Who Think both earned a shared contract for this targeted national and international campaign,” it said. “Multiple career government officials oversaw this competitive procurement process.”

The document posted on a federal contracting database reads in part: “DHS requires an immediate domestic and international campaign to direct illegal aliens within the U.S. and its territories to leave immediately, and to discourage illegal immigration into the country.”

DHS reviewed industry publications and vendors specializing on hyper-targeted media and advertising services and narrowed its search down to four companies that were able to work immediately.

“Any delay in providing these critical communications to the public will increase the spread of misinformation,” the document says.

Noem shared the story behind the ad campaign at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month. She said she had suggested conducting more news conferences to keep the public posted on its immigration actions, but Trump asked for those ads “to make sure the American people know the truth of what you’re doing.”

“But he said, ‘I want the first ad, I want you to thank me. I want you to thank me for closing the border.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I will thank you for closing the border.’”

Most of the money spent so far in airing the ads has been on English-language TV stations with more than $2 million, compared to the $360,000 spent to air them in Spanish-language stations around the country, data from ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows.

The data shows it has aired the most in TV stations in Phoenix, Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. It has also been tracked running on Fox News in larger markets, with most airings captured in the Washington and Philadelphia areas.

Associated Press writer Byron Tau in Washington contributed to this report.

The Long Island brush fires that startled communities across Suffolk County over the weekend were likely caused by a person attempting to cook s’mores in their backyard, officials said Monday.

One person was using cardboard while attempting to make s’mores in the backyard of a Center Moriches home, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said Monday.

The person struggled to create a flame for the toasted marshmallow dessert due to the winds but accidentally set their backyard on fire, Catalina said at a press conference. Firefighters doused the flames at the home by around 10:30 a.m.

However, embers from the initial blaze were blown southeast by strong winds out of the northwest, sparking the fires that eventually sent smoke soaring into the sky, Catalina said. The first 911 calls about the larger brush fires came in just before 1 p.m.

“All of those fires are in a direct line with the strong northwest wind that was blowing that day,” Catalina said. “We feel very, very strongly that this is an accidental fire.”

A massive response from local firefighters kept the brush fires south of Sunrise Highway, part of which was closed on Saturday as crews battled the flames.

By Monday morning, all visible flames had been extinguished and smoke-eaters were taking preventative measures to stop new fires from sparking. Conditions on Long Island are expected to remain dry throughout the week.

“This was a fire that could’ve been far more serious than it was,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said.

 

Two firefighters were injured battling the flames but released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon. Two commercial buildings were damaged, but no residential structures were harmed.

Gov. Hochul instituted a burn ban for New York City and Long Island on Sunday, one week earlier than usual. Romaine had his own blunt advice at Monday’s press conference: “Don’t cook s’mores.”