A Plymouth Township police officer who helped rescue an elderly couple from a house fire last year is now facing his own life-threatening battle with brain cancer.

Watch Christiana's story in the video player below: Plymouth Township police officer who saved elderly couple now fighting brain cancer

Tyler Cannon, 35, a husband and father of three young children, was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was rushed to the emergency room after suffering from severe headaches.

Despite the serious prognosis, he's approaching his diagnosis with remarkable courage.

"He has an astrocytoma grade 4, but it's kind of an interchangeable diagnosis basically I think more known as the glioblastoma, which is the worst type of brain cancer that you can get," said Kristi McCann, Cannon's wife's cousin.

Cannon was part of a team of four Plymouth Township police officers who were named Officers of the Year after bravely rescuing a couple in their 70s from a house fire in November. Now, the community is rallying around him as he faces this personal challenge.

Related Story: Bodycam footage shows officers rescuing couple from fire in Plymouth Township Bodycam footage shows officers rescuing couple from fire in Plymouth Township

"He is just saying there is no other option. I'm gonna fight this. I'm gonna beat it. That's the option. I'm gonna see my kids grow. I'm gonna see them get married, have their own children. That's his mentality, extremely positive," McCann said.

Cannon recently underwent an awake craniotomy to remove part of the tumor in his brain.

"All went well with the surgery. They got out as much as they could," McCann said.

Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel said Cannon has told him he wants to be back on the job.

"He's a warrior defending our citizens. This battle with brain cancer, he's taken on the same attitude, the same philosophy," Knittel said.

The community has already raised over $47,000 through a GoFundMe campaign, and plans are underway for a golf fundraiser on September 21 at Lakes of Taylor Golf Course.

McCann says the family has gone through a lot, and their hope is to alleviate as much financial burden as possible.

"Because they need to focus on him getting well and fighting this," McCann said.

The police department is creating "Cannon Strong" t-shirts and providing support in various ways.

Thin Blue Line of Michigan has also started a donation drive.

"In their time of need, our family here at the police department is gonna step up and we're gonna do everything we can for him," Knittel said. "The township of Plymouth is behind him. The board of trustees here at the township of Plymouth have all reached out to me and asked how they can help, so we're gonna tackle this as a family, and Tyler is gonna fight this, and we're gonna be in his corner. We're gonna have his back."

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

President Donald Trump lashed out after the U.S. Labor Department reported that just 73,000 jobs were added in July, pushing the unemployment rate from 4.1% to 4.2%.

The department also issued a sharp correction, revising its May and June estimates downward by 258,000 jobs.

President Trump, without providing evidence, claimed the jobs data was inaccurate and blamed Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Biden-appointed commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

RELATED STORY | US employers added just 73,000 jobs in July as labor market weakens

We need accurate Jobs Numbers, he said. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.

Scripps News reached out to the Labor Department and McEntarfer for a response, but has not received a comment.

The stock market fell Friday following the release of the jobs report and President Trump's latest announcement on tariffs. He is imposing a new rate on countries that missed his Aug. 1 deadline to reach trade deals. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down about 500 points in midday trading.

Despite the negative indicators, President Trump insisted the economy is "booming," while also criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates.

Jerome Too Late Powell should also be put out to pasture, President Trump said.

A jury in Florida awarded plaintiffs $329 million in damages on Friday in a case that blamed Teslas Autopilot driver assistance feature for a 2019 crash that killed a young woman and gravely injured her boyfriend.

Tesla has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case and said it plans to appeal the decision.

The company released the following statement after the jury's decision:

"Todays verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Teslas and the entire industrys efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology. We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial. Even though this jury found that the driver was overwhelmingly responsible for this tragic accident in 2019, the evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault because he was speeding, with his foot on the accelerator which overrode Autopilot as he rummaged for his dropped phone without his eyes on the road. To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs lawyers blaming the car when the driver from day one admitted and accepted responsibility."

The crash involved a Tesla Model S whose driver had been using the car's Autopilot technology in the moments before he smashed into an SUV in Key Largo, Florida. The driver of the Model S said he reached down to pick up his cellphone, taking his eyes off the road and colliding with the parked SUV.

RELATED STORY | Lawsuit against Tesla includes claim the automaker hid data after fatal crash

The collision killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and critically injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. Both were standing next to the SUV when it was hit by the Tesla.

The plaintiffs had claimed that the company deliberately hid information about the crash, and accused Tesla of encouraging drivers to over-rely on Autopilot.

"This car was not safe and destroyed our lives," Angulo said in an exclusive interview with Scripps News before the trial. "We all need to do what we have to do to hold Elon Musk and Tesla accountable."

Angulo's attorneys believe Tesla "engaged in a scheme to hide" data produced by the Tesla Model S during the crash. An expert witness for the plaintiffs discovered the existence of the data after Tesla had testified it had turned over all information from the car.

Tesla has since testified it did not realize there was missing data.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Tesla settles lawsuit over fatal crash involving self-driving software

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down after Republicans pulled federal funding from the organization.

For 60 years, the nonprofit has distributed federal money to public media stations and producers, supporting educational programming, local journalism, and emergency communications across the country.

Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations, said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison.

The closure will result in job losses. CPB said most staff positions will end on Sept. 30, the close of the fiscal year. The organization said it would maintain a small transition team through January 2026 to handle final responsibilities.

RELATED STORY | House passes $9.4 billion in cuts to public broadcasting and international aid

President Donald Trump urged Republicans to rescind CPBs funding, arguing that government support of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence. They passed legislation to do that in July.

In addition to CPBs closure, the funding cuts are expected to significantly affect rural public radio and television stations that carry National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service programming.

PBS President Paula Kerger told Scripps News that some rural public television stations could be forced to shut down.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris says the U.S. political system is "broken."

Harris made the comment on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," her first interview since losing the presidential election to Donald Trump.

Asked whether her decision not to pursue the California governors office was because she hoped to run for a different office possibly president again Harris told Colbert, "No."

RELATED STORY | Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor

"For now, I don't want to go back into the system. I want to travel the country, I want to listen to people, I want to talk with people, and I don't want it to be transactional where I'm asking for their vote," she said.

Harris added that she wants to remind Americans that the country was founded on the idea of democracy, and that people have the power to change what they dont like about their government.

"You can never let anyone take your power from you, and for me, that's what I would like to remind folks of," Harris said.

RELATED STORY | Kamala Harris sounds alarm on authoritarianism in high-profile speech

The former vice president was in the presidential race for 107 days following President Joe Biden's decision to drop out.

She has since written a book about the whirlwind experience.

"There are things I would do differently," Harris said, while noting she was grateful for her team and supporters who rallied around her candidacy.

Her memoir, "107 Days," is scheduled to be released on Sept. 23.

Two conservative activists and conspiracy theorists pleaded no contest to voter intimidation charges in Michigan on Friday.

Watch below: Conservative activists accused of voter intimidation appear in Detroit courtroom in 2020

Conservative activists accused of voter intimidation appear in Detroit courtroom

Jacob Wohl, 27, from Fairfax, Virginia and Jack Burkman, 59, of Arlington, Virginia, plead no contest to four charges. They are:

One count of election law bribing/intimidating voters, a 5-year felony;  One count of conspiracy to commit an election law violation, a 5-year felony;  One count of using a computer to commit the crime of election law intimidating voters, a 7-year felony; and  Using a computer to commit the crime of conspiracy, a 7-year felony. 

Attorney General Dana Nessel says the men orchestrated robocalls to thousands of Detroiters with false messages made to deter residents from voting by mail. Those calls were made in late August of 2020 and went out to 12,000 residents with phone numbers registered to an address with a Detroit zip code.

After five years, Im glad this case has finally reached a resolution, Nessel said in a statement on Friday. Deceptive and racially targeted suppression schemes will not be tolerated in Michigan. My office will continue to pursue and prosecute voter intimidation, no matter how long it takes, to ensure that Michiganders can exercise their right to vote free from fear and deception.

Wohl and Burkman have been called right-wing operatives with "Project 1599." State officials say the group is behind the calls.

The men have previously faced charges in other states, and were ordered to pay $1.25 million in fines in New York and were sentenced to register people to vote in Ohio.

According to the AG's office, the calls promoted falsehoods including:

Voting by mail would pub voters' information in a public database that could be used by police to track people with outstanding warrants Voting by mail would pub voters' information in a public database that would be used by credit card companies to collect outstanding debts The DCD were attempting to utilize vote by mail records to track people for mandatory vaccines

Both the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court upheld the charges against the men.

Its believed around 85,000 robocalls were made nationally, though an exact breakdown of the numbers of calls made to each city or state is not available.

Both men will be sentenced on Dec. 1.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been transferred from Florida to Texas, according to federal prison records.

Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence following her conviction on sex trafficking charges, had been held at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security federal correctional institution in Florida. She is now at Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a low-security facility in Bryan, Texas.

It remains unclear why Maxwell was moved. While not commenting on her specific case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons outlined general reasons for inmate transfers.

"Some of the factors include the level of security and supervision the inmate requires, any medical or programming needs, separation, and security measures to ensure the individual's protection, and other considerations, including proximity to an individual's release residence," a spokesperson said. "The same criteria apply when making decisions for both initial designations and re-designations for transfer to a new facility."

Maxwells case has drawn renewed attention after the Department of Justice and FBI released a joint memo stating that a review of the Epstein case found no incriminating client list. The memo angered many of President Donald Trumps most loyal supporters, who have called for greater transparency.

Amid the backlash, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell in Florida. Her attorney said Maxwell answered questions truthfully during the meeting.

Its unclear whether the prison transfer was related to that meeting. Maxwell has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her conviction, and her attorney has said she would be open to receiving a pardon from Trump. The president has said he has not considered it.

Detroit voters will take a key step toward choosing a new mayor in the municipal primary on Tuesday, when nine candidates will appear on the ballot in the citys first open-seat mayoral race in a dozen years.

Related: Which Detroit mayoral candidate most aligns with your priorities? Take this quiz and find out

The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will advance to the November general election. The winner will replace outgoing three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor of Michigan as an independent.

The crowded field includes former police chief James Craig, city council member Fred Durhal, former city council president Saunteel Jenkins, Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch, attorney Todd Perkins and current city council president Mary Sheffield. Also in the running are businessmen Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim and three-time mayoral hopeful DaNetta Simpson.

Scroll to the end of the article to see our interviews with all nine Detroit mayoral candidates

Sheffield leads the field in campaign fundraising. She brought in nearly $1.3 million since entering the race in December, more than double the roughly $574,000 Jenkins raised. Kinloch raised about $408,000, while Perkins and Durhal each raised more than $250,000. Sheffield also had about $451,000 in the bank heading into the final two-week stretch before the primary, more than double the rest of the field combined.

Sheffields major endorsements include the Detroit Free Press and the Michigan branch of the SEIU labor union. Jenkins was endorsed by The Detroit News and former Mayor Dave Bing, Duggans immediate predecessor. Durhal has the backing of the mayors of Lansing, Grand Rapids and Pontiac, all of whom are former colleagues from the state Legislature.

Although Michigan voters do not register by party and candidates for mayor do not run on a party label, most candidates in the field identify with the Democratic Party. Craig, on the other hand, is a Republican, having sought the GOP nomination for governor in 2022 and the U.S. Senate in 2024.

The Detroit electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2024, voters in the city supported Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by about a 9-1 ratio.

The city faces a vastly different situation than it did when Duggan was first elected in 2013. In July of that year, it became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy. The city now has a budget surplus, 12 years of balanced budgets under its belt and projected economic growth for the next five years. Homicides and violent crimes are down, while the citys population is up for the second consecutive year, according to the U.S. census.

Still, the next mayor will face numerous challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and vast economic disparities along racial lines.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when its determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Michigans mandatory recount law does not apply to Detroits mayoral primary. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Heres a look at what to expect on Tuesday:

Primary day

Detroits mayoral primary will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

Whats on the ballot

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in Detroits nonpartisan primary for mayor. Detroit, as well as cities and towns across Michigan, will hold a variety of other municipal elections on Tuesday, but they will not be included in the APs vote tabulation.

Who gets to vote

Any voter registered in Detroit may participate in the mayoral primary.

What do turnout and advance vote look like

There were about 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of late July.

In the 2021 mayoral primary, turnout was about 14% of registered voters. About 67% of votes in that election were cast before primary day.

As of Thursday, more than 41,000 ballots had been cast before primary day. Michigan adopted early in-person voting starting with the 2024 election season.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the Aug. 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results in Wayne County at 8:21 p.m. ET, or 21 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended the following day at 9:17 a.m. ET with about 98% of total votes counted.

See WXYZ interviews with all of the mayoral candidates in the videos below

Jonathan Barlow

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Jonathan Barlow

James Craig

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate James Craig

Fred Durhal III

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Fred Durhall III

Joel Haashiim

Full interview: 2025 Detroit Mayoral candidate Joel Haashiim speaks to 7 News Detroit

Saunteel Jenkins

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins

Solomon Kinloch

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch

Todd Perkins

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Todd Perkins

Mary Sheffield

One-on-one with Detroit mayoral candidate Mary Sheffield

DaNetta Simpson

President Donald Trump has delayed enforcement of a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. three times but will he do it a fourth time?

The latest extension expires on Sept. 17, giving TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, until then to divest from the popular video-sharing app.

The bipartisan law, signed in 2024, requires ByteDance to sell TikTok, citing national security concerns. Lawmakers warned that the Chinese government could compel the company to hand over user data or manipulate the apps algorithm to sway public opinion.

Glenn Gerstell, former general counsel of the National Security Agency, argued in a New York Times op-ed that the security concerns have only intensified since the law was passed.

RELATED STORY | Trump delays TikTok ban again, sets new deadline for company to sell app

Our relations are more adversarial than they were before, Gerstell told Scripps News. So whatever risk we thought we had with TikTok and we can debate whether that was right or overhyped whatever risks there were, theyre certainly worse now due to Chinas more adversarial position.

President Trump has previously said a deal was in the works that would satisfy the law, but it has ultimately not materialized. With just over a month remaining before the latest deadline, its unclear whether a deal is any closer.

Watch Gerstells full interview with Scripps News to hear whether he believes President Trump can continue delaying enforcement and what other security threats Americans may face from China.

A 23-year-old man is facing charges in connection with the fatal shooting of his 13-year-old sister in Canton.

Related Report: 13-year-old girl shot and killed in Canton 13-year-old girl shot and killed in Canton

Jay-Veon McKinney is charged with the following: Involuntary Manslaughter, Felony Firearm and Careless Discharge Causing Death. Family members say 13-year-old Aymira Thomas was killed in the incident.

They have established a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, McKinney was playing with two pistols and grossly negligent in handling the firearm in front of his two younger sisters when one of the guns discharged.

According to officials, police were called to an apartment in the 8300 block of Honey Lane in Canton on July 29 and found the 13-year-old dead with a gunshot wound to the chest.

The alleged actions of this defendant were dangerous and criminal. Overwhelmingly, most people do not want their loved ones to lose their lives. Their actions can make that a reality. We will keep pushing this message because this childs death was completely preventable, said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in a statement.

Video of arraignment of 23-year-old who is facing charges in the fatal shooting death of his 13-year-old sister Man charged in connection with fatal shooting of 13-year-old sister in Canton

McKinneys arraignment happened on Friday, and a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Judge James Plakas of 35

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District Court said he would amend the bond to an unsecured personal bond for $500,000 once the defendant is put on a home confinement tether with conditions.

At one point during the hearing, the defendant's family asked if he could attend his sister's funeral. Due to the logistics, the court said it could not accommodate the request.

McKinney's probable cause conference has been scheduled for August 14, and a preliminary examination date has been set for August 22.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed sorrow following the shooting at a New York City office building that left four people dead and another wounded, calling it a senseless act of violence.

New York Police Officer Didarul Islam was among those killed. Goodell said Islam was a familiar presence outside NFL offices. The NFL commissioner attended his funeral on Thursday.

It was a difficult and emotional afternoon, but also a tremendously heartwarming service for him, Goodell said.

An NFL employee was also wounded in the shooting and remains hospitalized. Goodell said he had the opportunity to meet with the man, who is expected to recover.

We're optimistic about his recovery. And I think that's good news for all of us in the NFL, he said.

RELATED STORY | Coach reflects on former high school football player behind deadly NYC shooting

Investigators identified the gunman as Shane Tamura of Las Vegas. Authorities said Tamura died by suicide after shooting himself in the chest on the 33rd floor of the building at 345 Park Avenue.

A note found on Tamuras body claimed he had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, possibly as a result of playing high school football, police said.

It remains unclear whether Tamura was actually suffering from the condition, which can only be diagnosed through a postmortem brain examination.

Still, Goodell said there was no excuse for the attack.

The NFL held a moment of silence Thursday night to honor the victims ahead of the leagues Hall of Fame game. Extra security was also in place for the event.

Several colleges facing discrimination investigations have struck deals with President Donald Trumps administration to restore withheld federal funding.

Brown University is the latest university to strike a deal, as the administration presses for agreements with others. Brown will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding and ends investigations into alleged discrimination, officials said Wednesday.

The university also agreed to several concessions in line with President Donald Trump's political agenda. Brown will adopt the government's definition of male and female, for example, and must remove any consideration of race from the admissions process.

Brown President Christina H. Paxson said the deal preserves Brown's academic independence. The terms include a clause saying the government cannot dictate curriculum or the content of academic speech at Brown.

The Universitys foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown, Paxson wrote.

It is the latest deal between an Ivy League school and the Trump administration, which has used its control of federal funding to push for reforms at colleges Trump decries as overrun by liberalism and antisemitism. The administration also has launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying they discriminate against white and Asian American students.

The Brown deal has similarities with one signed last week by Columbia University, which the government called a roadmap for other universities. Unlike that agreement, however, Brown's does not include an outside monitor.

The three-year agreement with Brown restores dozens of suspended grants and contracts. It also calls for the federal government to reimburse Brown for $50 million in unpaid federal grant costs.

The settlement puts an end to three federal investigations involving allegations of antisemitism and racial bias in Brown admissions, with no finding of wrongdoing. In a campus letter, Paxson anticipated questions about why the university would settle if it didnt violate the law. She noted Brown has faced financial pressure from federal agencies along with a growing push for government intrusion in academics.

Signing the agreement resolves the governments concerns without sacrificing university values, she said.

We stand solidly behind commitments we repeatedly have affirmed to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination, and we protect the ability of our faculty and students to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing, free from censorship, she wrote.

Brown agreed to several measures aimed at addressing allegations of antisemitism on its campus in Providence, Rhode Island. The school said it will renew partnerships with Israeli academics and encourage Jewish day school students to apply to Brown. By the end of this year, Brown must hire an outside organization to be chosen jointly by Brown and the government to conduct a campus survey on the climate for Jewish students.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Brown's deal ensures students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex.

The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nations higher education institutions, McMahon said in a statement.

The settlement requires Brown to disclose a wealth of data on students who apply to and are admitted to the university, with information about their race, grades and standardized test scores. The data will be subject to a comprehensive audit by the government.

It bars Brown from giving preference to applicants because of their race. A 2023 Supreme Court decision already forbids such consideration, but the deal appears to go further, stopping Brown from using any proxy for racial admission, including personal statements or diversity narratives.

The $50 million in payments to local workforce development organizations agreed to by Brown are to be paid over 10 years.

That's a step forward from paying a fine to the government, as Columbia agreed to do, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, an organization of major universities. Still, Mitchell said, it remains unclear whether Brown and other universities are clear of governmental pressure.

Lets remember, these are deals. These are not policies, Mitchell said. I had hoped that the Trump administration, when it came in, was going to be interested in having serious policy discussions about the future of higher education. Theyve yet to do that.

Columbia last week agreed to pay $200 million to the government as part of its settlement. In negotiations with Harvard, the Trump administration has been pressing for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school to pay far more.

In another agreement, the University of Pennsylvania pledged to modify school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, a deal that included no fine.

Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed to this report.

U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month and Labor Department revisions showed that hiring was much weaker than previously reported in May and June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%.

The unexpectedly weak report raises questions about the health of the job market and the economy as President Donald Trump pushes forward with a radical and erratic overhaul of American trade policy, imposing hefty tariffs on imports from almost every country on earth.

The Labor Department reported Friday that revisions shaved a stunning 258,000 jobs off May and June payrolls.

The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2% last month from 4.1% in June. The number of people in the labor force those working and looking for work fell modestly last month, and the ranks of the unemployed rose by 221,000.

Manufacturers cut 11,000 jobs last month after shedding 15,000 in June and 11,000 in May. The federal government, where employment has been targeted by the Trump administration, lost 12,000 jobs. Jobs in administration and support fell by nearly 20,000.

RELATED STORY | Laid-off workers encounter new employment challenges amid hiring slowdown

Healthcare companies added 55,400 jobs last month accounting for 76% of the jobs added in July and offering another sign that recent job gains have been narrowly concentrated.

The stock market tumbled on the news.

The current situation is a sharp reversal from the hiring boom of just three years ago when desperate employers were handing out signing bonuses and introducing perks such as Fridays off, fertility benefits and even pet insurance to recruit and keep workers.

Weighing on the job market are the lingering effects of higher interest rates that were used by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation; Trumps massive import taxes and the costs and uncertainty they are imposing on businesses; and an anticipated drop in foreign workers as the presidents massive deportation plans move forward.

The rate of people quitting their jobs a sign theyre confident they can land something better has fallen from the record heights of 2021 and 2022 and is now below where it stood before the pandemic.

U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday.

The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It's the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons.

Meanwhile, 92.5% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccination rate was 95% the level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.

RELATED STORY | Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

The vaccination numbers were posted as the U.S. experiences its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with more than 1,300 cases so far.

The concern, of course, is that with a further dip in the (vaccination) coverage, were going to see even more measles in the coming months, said Dr. Sean OLeary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It's possible that this year's outbreaks may spur more parents to get their children vaccinated before they go to school, said O'Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.

But Dr. Philip Huang isn't optimistic. Texas was particularly hard hits by measles this year, with more than half of the cases reported nationally. Despite that, the state passed a law making it easier for parents to get school vaccine exemptions for their kids.

It's crazy, said Huang, Dallas County's health director.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traditionally releases the vaccination coverage data in its flagship publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC officials usually speak to the trends and possible explanations, and stress the importance of vaccinations. This year, the agency quietly posted the data online and when asked about it emailed a statement.

The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Parents should consult their health care providers on options for their families, the statement said, adding; Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization and long-term health complications.

RELATED STORY |'More people are going to die': A former CDC official's warning as new vaccine advisory panel meets

The wording is more ambivalent about the importance of vaccinations than in the past. That is in keeping with communications from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before President Donald Trump put him in charge of federal health agencies.

O'Leary noted the changes in the CDC messaging, which places personal choice before community protection.

To sort of weaken the language or weaken the messaging that they're sending is very concerning, because what they say does matter, he said.

Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.

For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.

All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. And most also permit exemptions for religious or other nonmedical reasons.

In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has risen.

The rates can be influenced by policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. Online misinformation and the political divide that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines have led more parents to question routine childhood vaccinations, experts say.

According to the CDC data, 15.4% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho in the last school year. But fewer than 0.5% did in Connecticut.

Its good news that the vast majority of parents continue to get their kids vaccinated, OLeary said. And its noteworthy that there is a gap between the percentage vaccinated and the percentage who are exempted meaning there likely are unmet access issues, he added.

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trumps special envoy and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, visited Gaza on Friday as concerns rise about the hunger crisis in the region.

Huckabee posted pictures of the visit on X, saying the pair visited a food distribution site, as well as spoke with people on the ground about the situation.

This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites. We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat! pic.twitter.com/GyVK5cwNgZ

Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) August 1, 2025

After their visit, Huckabee and Witkoff will be briefing President Donald Trump to approve a plan to surge food and aid to the region.

RELATED STORY | Airdrops deliver food to Gaza, but aid groups say it isnt enough

More than 100 humanitarian organizations have warned that Gaza's population is on the brink of starvation.

In response to mounting international pressure and images of emaciated children, Israel recently announced a temporary daily pause in military operations to allow aid trucks to enter Gaza. The tactical pause, as officials described it, lasts 10 hours each day in three densely populated areas.

Israel has been at war with Hamas since the terrorist organization launched a deadly surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The ongoing conflict has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Israel restricting the number of aid trucks entering the territory, citing concerns that Hamas is diverting food and supplies meant for civilians.

The Trump administration has been working to ease the crisis, but ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas collapsed last week. U.S. officials blamed Hamas for failing to engage in negotiations in good faith.

RELATED STORY | Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September in latest push against Israel's Gaza policies

Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.

What's the weather for today Metro Detroit Weather: Temps in the 70s and smoky skies

An Air Quality Advisory has been extended or all of Southeast Michigan through Saturday. Pollutants are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range with some locations reaching the Unhealthy range.

Friday: Mostly sunny with drier air. Highs in the mid 70s. Winds: NE 5-15 mph.

The top stories to know about 'I was not a spy.' 1 year after release from Russia, Paul Whelan details his time in captivity A year after his release from Russia, Paul Whelan details his time in captivity

Friday, Aug. 1 marks one year since Paul Whelan has been free. After being accused of espionage and spending more than five years behind bars in Russia, the Michigan native said his return home has been bittersweet.

Upon his release, it was hailed as a major diplomatic achievement, especially since he was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian labor camp. But, he said, getting back to a normal life has been difficult to say the least.

Our Carolyn Clifford sat down with Whelan in Manchester, where he now lives with his parents, and is trying to reclaim his former life.

"Im in my hotel room, one of my friends is with me, were getting ready to go to the wedding," he said.

That's when he said 20 officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB), the new KGB in Russia, lined the hallways and stormed his room.

"FSB comes into my room where I am violently arrested. 'Mr Whelan, youre under arrest for espionage,' and so I said, 'I havent committed espionage.' 'Well, we think you have,'" Whelan said.

Whelan said his long-overdue return to Michigan felt like a gut punch. After 20 days of evaluation in Texas, he had to find his own way home.

"I came home to no home. My house was gone, no job, cars were gone, and finances had been used over the years to store things and pay attorneys," he said.

Whelan says hes been denied unemployment, health insurance and at 55, although hes highly qualified, his six-year work gap puts him out of the running for many jobs.

"There's a stigma from being in prison, even though I was wrongfully held, I was still in prison," he said.

Whelan says he joined the military to give back after America gave his family so much as immigrants. Now hes back home with his aging parents in Manchester who escaped Germany during World War II.

Michigan woman shares decade-long battle with Lyme disease after Justin Timberlake reveals diagnosis 'An ongoing battle': Michigan woman shares decade-long battle with Lyme disease

A Michigan woman is sharing her struggle with Lyme disease after pop star Justin Timberlake revealed his own diagnosis with the tick-borne illness, which he described as "relentlessly debilitating" on social media Thursday.

Annette Jackson, 37, has been battling Lyme disease for over 10 years and says finding a diagnosis was an exhausting journey that took dozens of medical consultations.

"Throughout this journey, it has been tough," Jackson said.

Jackson traces her health problems back to 2015 when she was bitten by a tick while visiting a park in southeastern Michigan.

"I was in the Clinton River, at a park here and I got bit and the symptoms started after," Jackson said. "It was a struggle every day to fight, mentally, emotionally, a lot of depression, a lot of anxiety."

For years, Jackson struggled without knowing what was causing her symptoms, consulting with numerous medical professionals who often misdiagnosed her condition.

"I've probably seen over 100 doctors in the past nine years," Jackson said.

The challenge with Lyme disease is that its symptoms can mimic other conditions, making diagnosis difficult.

"So, doctors normally think it's anxiety disorders or OCD or depression. A lot of the times, Lyme disease does present as psychiatric symptoms," Jackson said.

Dr. Jonathan Swetech, a family medicine physician in Clinton Township, finally diagnosed Jackson's condition in 2020 and explains that advanced Lyme disease can affect multiple body systems.

"Usually what people with the advanced forms of it have are bad joint pain, chronic pains, their nervous system doesn't work right, all kinds of psychiatric issues. Cardiac issues, too, seem to be pretty common. Just stuff just doesn't work right," Swetech said.

Downtown Romulus pushes for revival with new businesses and community spaces Efforts underway to boost tourism and revitalize downtown Romulus

Romulus officials are working to breathe new life into the city's downtown area after years of empty storefronts along Goddard Road.

For longtime residents of Romulus, the downtown area was once a thriving business hub.

"Downtown Romulus was booming at the time," said Stacy Brugh, a Romulus resident.

But economic and infrastructure changes created significant challenges for the area.

"People from Huron used to travel through here to get on I-94, now they don't need to do that. So, I-275 added to the problem. Lear Seating had about a 1,000 jobs at that site, that closed and left," said Robert McCraight, Mayor of Romulus.

McCraight explained that struggles with inherited properties also contributed to downtown's decay.

"Somebody will be a property owner for a long time. When they pass, they leave it on to the next generation, and there tends to be a reluctancy to invest," McCraight said.

Over the past decade, Romulus has been working to reinvigorate its downtown. One strategy has been purchasing old buildings, repairing them, and leasing them to new businesses willing to invest in the area.

"I can tell you there's a huge difference in the last three to four years, we've seen people are reaching out to Romulus and want to be a part of what we have going on," said Jerry Frayer, Director of Romulus Downtown Development Authority.

The city is also adding vibrancy through public art and the new "Eagle Alley" social district.

"That's a huge part of it. People want a place to call their own and go and enjoy and meet with their neighbors," McCraight said.

Jay Kuderick, a lifelong Romulus resident and co-owner of Bubbie's Pizza downtown, opened his business earlier this year.

"The building that we're in, it's been empty for almost 20 years," Kuderick said.

I report on the latest scams every week so that you can stay safe. One type of scam that is particularly devastating is the romance scam, because it not only can impact a person's financial security, but also their emotional well-being.

I spoke with one survivor, who has been helped by a Michigan-based romance scam recovery group.

Watch Alicia's full story in the video player below

Romance scams are on the rise, but a Michigan group is helping survivors recover

Beth Hyland of Portage, Michigan, met a guy on Tinder who claimed he was a freelance project manager for a construction company from Indiana a job that he said had him traveling from California to Qatar.

"Like we were talking at one point, marriage, you know, like he was going to move here," Hyland said.

Their romance blossomed, mainly over texts and phone calls.

Did you ever have a chance to meet this individual in person?" I asked.

"That actually, that never happened," she said.

But, they were planning a life together, and when he needed money to hire a lawyer and translator in Qatar to facilitate a $10 million payout for a job he claimed he'd completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped him with a $26,000 loan.

When he needed $50,000 more about a month later, her financial advisor told her it was a scam.

"Now thinking back, I'm like, that it sounds so like, wow, that just doesn't make sense. But like at the time, it made all the sense in the world," Hyland said.

Watch below: Ruined my life. Woman out life savings after scammer pretends to be NCIS actor

Ruined my life. Woman out life savings after scammer pretends to be NCIS actor

She even wrote a book about it called Diary of a Romance Scam: When Swiping Right Goes Wrong.

Hyland joined a romance scam recovery group through the Michigan-based non-profit FightCybercrime.org.

"The effects of this trauma are truly devastating for people. So, ensuring that they're getting support and resources is important," Dr. Jennifer Lawrence, the program lead for the peer support group, said.

Lawrence said the group has served more than 600 people over the last five years.

"What about being the victim of a romance scam is different from, say, other typical scams?" I asked.

"People have truly bared their souls, their emotions, they've shared such intimate details about themselves. And they truly thought that they had this very intimate relationship with this person. So, you know, not only the financial loss that comes with it, maybe, you know, there's stolen identity, you know, financial issues, but also really just that true sense of grief and loss that comes losing a relationship," Lawrence said.

Hyland found out the scammer created his Tinder profile using social media pictures he'd stolen from a real man in Germany. Getting over that heartbreak took time.

"How helpful was this recovery support group?" I asked.

"It was just great to have so many other victims to relate to," she said. "My heart was still all-in, and I wasn't thinking about the cybersecurity part. So, they were really able to help guide me to ways of protecting myself, keeping myself safe."

Hyland said there's often a stigma associated with romance scams. She wants people to remember that the money is not

given

or

lost

to scammers it's "stolen" by them. And it's important to her that the people targeted in these scams are not referred to as

victims

, but rather "survivors."

Where Your Voice Matters

On Friday, community leaders banded together to demand an end to violence against children amid a spike this summer.

It came as there have been at least seven shootings involving a child or teen in metro Detroit over the past month.

Watch the latest report in the video below

Groups rallying against child violence in Detroit

Commissioner Darryl Woods, one of the event's organizers, talked about who would be speaking at the event.

"We have some of Detroit's finest leading pastors in the city of Detroit. We have school principals, a plethora of them, over a dozen of them. We got the police chief. We got the sheriff's department. We have community leaders, CVI groups, and we have citizens. People have been impacted by violence here today," Woods said.

In Detroit this summer, we've seen multiple kids caught in the crossfire, and several didn't survive.

Watch below: 'Just really, really tragic.' 2 kids injured in drive-by shooting on Detroit's east side

'Just really, really tragic.' 2 kids injured in drive-by shooting on Detroit's east side

At the end of June, a 4-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed and a 17-year-old was injured at Skinner Playfield. This past Sunday, a 6-year-old was hit and killed by a stray bullet, and just yesterday, an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl were shot while sleeping when someone opened fire on their house.

Anytime, any child, any person gets shot in the City of Detroit, its one too many individuals," Detroit Police Assistant Chief Eric Ewing said.

On Friday morning, the community is set to come together at the Spirit of Detroit to rise up and say enough is enough.

Many Detroiters like Helen Starks have become extremely concerned about the rash of gun violence happening lately in the city.

Starks was awakened by gunshots in her neighborhood yesterday.

I'm afraid standing here telling you. but, somebody has to say something. you know, somebody has to step up. We have to step up and continue to try to work together," she said.

Those shots entered a neighbor's home where an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl were both hit by gunfire. One was shot in the arm, the other was shot in the foot.

While both children survived, Starks says the greater Detroit community must fight for change.

Honestly, like we have to stick together. we have to stick together," Starks said.

Every week were seeing children be shot and killed, every single week in the city of Detroit. and, sometimes you have shootings almost daily," Community Organizer Dr. Marvin Cotton Jr. said.

He's part of a team organizing the Hour of Power event at the Spirit of Detroit at 12 p.m. Friday.

He says its a gathering of residents, community leaders and clergy in a call to action for change and a chance to pray for peace in the city.

The message is unity because we work better when we work as a collective," Cotton said.

Where Your Voice Matters

President Donald Trump has raised the tariff rate on U.S. imports from Canada to 35% from 25%, effective Friday.

The announcement from the White House late Thursday said Canada had failed to do more to arrest, seize, detain or otherwise intercept ... traffickers, criminals at large, and illicit drugs.

See the latest information in the video below

Trump orders a 35% tariff for goods from Canada, citing a lack of cooperation on illicit drugs

Trump has heckled Canada for months and suggested it should become its 51st U.S. state. He had threatened to impose the higher tariff on Canada if no deal was reached by Friday, his deadline for reaching trade agreements with dozens of countries.

Earlier Thursday, the president said Canadas announcement it will recognize a Palestinian state would make it very hard for the United States to reach a trade agreement with its northern neighbor. Trump has also expressed frustration with a trade deficit with Canada that largely reflects oil purchases by America.

Prime Minister Mark Carney had tempered expectations over tariffs, saying Ottawa would only agree to a deal if theres one on the table that is in the best interests of Canadians.

In a statement released early Friday, he said he was disappointed by Trumps actions and vowed to diversify Canadas exports.

Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce these volumes, he said, pointing to heavy investments in border security.

Carney added that some industries including lumber, steel, aluminum and automobiles will be harder hit, but said his government will try to minimize the impact and protect Canadian jobs.

Canada was not included in Trumps updated list of tariff rates on other countries announced late Thursday. Those import duties are due to take effect on Aug. 7.

Trump sent a letter to Canada a few weeks ago warning he planned to raise duties on many goods imported from Canada to 35%, deepening the rift between the two North American countries that has undermined their decades-old alliance.

Some imports from Canada are still protected by the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which is up for renegotiation next year.The White Houses statement said goods transshipped through Canada that are not covered by the USMCA would be subject to a 40% tariff rate. It did not say where the goods might originate.President Donald Trump said Thursday that there would be a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico after a call with that countrys leader, Claudia Sheinbaum, keeping 25% tariff rates in place.