By DANIEL WALTERS/InvestigateWest

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The first time Denys’s children heard fireworks go off in Spokane, Washington, they were terrified. His kids had grown up about 20 miles from the Russian border, in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, and they knew too well the booms of Russian missile attacks and screeching sounds of Ukrainian air defenses.

In 2023, after Russians attacked the hospital where his youngest daughter, Olivia, had recently been born, Denys knew he needed a way out, and fast.

That’s when a former neighbor, living in an American city on the other side of the world, offered him an escape:

“He called me and said, ‘We have a nice program — Uniting for Ukraine,’” Denys recalled. “If you want to come, grab your family and move.”

Denys, who asked his last name not be used, leapt at the opportunity. He’s stayed in Spokane for the past three years, getting used to a place where explosions are simply celebrations of freedom. He’d spent a half year learning English, and then drawing on his Ukrainian experience making boilers, he swiftly got a job welding construction beams at Metals Fabrication Co.

Like so many of the 240,000 Ukrainians who have immigrated to this country through the Uniting for Ukraine program, his future here is precarious.

Launched by former President Joe Biden in 2022, Uniting for Ukraine is a “humanitarian parole” program. It allowed Ukrainian immigrants to temporarily stay and work in America, two years at a time, so long as they found an American sponsor willing to help support them.

In June, however, Denys lost his job — not because he did anything wrong, but because the federal government failed to reauthorize his right to work. Under Donald Trump’s administration, which is targeting humanitarian parole programs affecting nearly 1.8 million migrants, renewals have ground to a halt.

“I’m very worried about my family,” Denys said. “I need to buy food. I have three kids.”

Along with freezing the Biden-era parole programs for Ukrainian refugees, the administration completely withdrew parole protections for more than 530,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and over 9,000 from Afghanistan.

Many Ukrainians are taking notice of what’s happening to other refugees. In Spokane, two Venezuelan immigrants who had come here legally through humanitarian parole programs were jailed and slated for deportation, despite applying for asylum. When they showed up for a scheduled meeting in June with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they were arrested by ICE and carted off to Tacoma’s immigration detention center. A mass protest resulted in 30 arrests, federal charges for nine demonstrators, and national media attention.

Unlike Latin American, Haitian and Afghan immigrants, most Ukrainians don’t have to worry about racial profiling. They haven’t been tarred with wild falsehoods about eating pets from the presidential debate stage. But while Ukrainians were never the primary target of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Biden’s immigration legacy, they’ve been caught in the crossfire. At the mercy of a rapidly changing and dysfunctional federal bureaucracy, many are paralyzed by the uncertainty — faced with a choice of waiting for a government response, working illegally, surviving on charity, or leaving America entirely.

“There’s this no man’s land,” said Spokane immigration attorney Sam Smith. “There’s this in-between that they’re stuck in. There’s no good solution for them.”

Frozen in place

Whether because of its climate or its people, Spokane, a mid-sized Washington city on the Idaho border, has been a hub for Ukrainian immigration since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine brought a new surge of nearly 3,000 Ukrainians, many who quickly got to work establishing their new lives.

At a coffee stop started by another Ukrainian immigrant, Maksym Bedenko proudly hands InvestigateWest the business card for The Old Preacher, a small barbershop business he started in 2023. He was lucky enough to re-enroll in the Uniting for Ukraine program in August of last year, when it was still easy to get re-approval. But he knows a slew of other people, including Amazon workers, factory workers and caregivers, who have all lost their jobs.

The second Trump administration had launched with a salvo against nearly every aspect of the immigration system. Executive orders banned new refugees, severed contracts with refugee resettlement organizations and put any renewals of those with programs like Uniting for Ukraine on hold.

During the campaign, Trump had demonized Biden’s humanitarian parole programs, which had resulted in a surge of immigrants into some cities. On his first day back in office, Trump issued an executive order to “terminate all categorical parole programs” that were contrary to his policies.

Three days later, a freeze order went out from the acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Stop processing all Uniting for Ukraine applications, including from those trying to renew their parole status. No parole status, no new rights to work.

Spokane Slavic Association Vice President Zhanna Oberemok, who immigrated to Spokane shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, said drivers for her husband’s trucking company recently started seeing some of their workers lose their commercial driver’s licenses as their work authorizations expired.

“Within the next week or so, we’re going to be losing about seven drivers because their driver license just became inactive,” Oberemok said.

Employers were frustrated to have to let perfectly good workers go.

Sara Weaver-Lundberg, vice president for Metals Fabrication Co., said by email that Denys had been a “gilded unicorn,” the rare, impossible-to-find experienced worker, and losing him “put a strain on our production.”

He was dependable, she said, always willing to work overtime when they needed it. She reached out to her corporate attorney and contacted her congressman to find help for Denys, but so far, neither route has been effective.

“I cannot imagine having to leave my country because it was no longer safe for me and my family,” Weaver-Lundberg said. “Denys did just that — he left Ukraine and entered this country legally. … Now, because of a pause in the program or backlog, he is living in this country with no job.”

Every two weeks, Denys had been sending money to his mother — still in Ukraine, where the prices of groceries and utilities have skyrocketed because of the war. He had been hoping to bring her to the United States through Uniting for Ukraine. Now, that’s out of the question, too.

Without a job, he’s been relying on the generosity of his sponsor — his former neighbor — to pay for food and rent for himself, his wife and his three kids. He’s waiting for a phone call from the state government to see if he’s eligible for unemployment benefits. He noted how he’d been turned from someone contributing to tax revenue through his work into someone costing the government money.

At a table at the Spokane refugee resettlement nonprofit Thrive International, Denys speaks through a translator, a woman who herself came here through the Uniting for Ukraine program.

“I know some families, they got mortgages,” Denys said. “They have loans for their cars. They have huge bills every single month.”

They’re left with an ugly decision: Provide for their family or follow the law. It’s a choice Denys hasn’t made and doesn’t want to.

“I should probably find some job and work under the table, but I don’t want to do that,” Denys said. “But it’s like the government pushes us to do that. We don’t want to do that. We want to work legally and follow the law.”

Pushing back

Elsewhere in Spokane, a local doctor has been fighting for months for a remedy in federal court. In February, Kyle Varner, an activist who spent a month along the Ukrainian border caring for refugees and who’d sponsored nearly 50 Venezuelan immigrants, joined a lawsuit to challenge the new policies, writing that he feels “that there is something fundamentally and morally wrong with treating people differently and giving them fewer rights simply because they were not born in this country.”

Along with immigrants from Ukraine, Nicaragua, Haiti and Afghanistan, he asked the court to force the Trump administration to start processing humanitarian parole applications again.

So far, the verdict has been mixed: New parole applications remain frozen, and in May, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to order a half-million Latin American immigrants to leave the country, a decision that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned could lead to “social and economic chaos.”

But thanks to a lower court ruling, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent out a memo on June 9, officially lifting the freeze on processing parole renewals. In theory, Ukrainian immigrants like Denys would begin to see their right to work restored. So far, few have.

“We’ve seen some cases denied. And some cases be asked for additional evidence,” said Matthew Soerens, the policy director for World Relief, a national refugee resettlement organization. “But at least the folks that we’re helping, we are not aware of cases being approved for humanitarian parole renewal from Ukraine.”

Smith, the local immigration attorney, says the parole system remains functionally frozen. He suspects it’s a matter of priorities, that the Trump administration is dumping more resources into enforcement and kicking people out instead of helping people to stay.

“It’s pretty clear what the administration thinks about … immigrants and immigration generally,” Smith said.

Alternate routes

Many Ukrainian immigrants have lit upon another strategy, one that uses the glacial pace of the federal immigration bureaucracy to their advantage. Some are filing for asylum — arguing they have a well-founded fear of political, racial or religious persecution from their home country.

And while an asylum application can sometimes take five to 10 years to process, immigrants can get work authorization while they wait.

There’s just one big hitch: It still takes six months, once you apply for asylum, to get work permits. Even if Denys applied today, he wouldn’t be able to get the right to work again until March.

Even then, Smith, the attorney, hesitates to offer any kind of certainty. Lately, federal policy has been chaotic enough that it’s hard to provide long-term assurances.

Often, the government hasn’t formally communicated at all about changes in policy, and when it has, it’s sometimes been a mistake. In April, according to The Washington Post, the Department of Homeland Security had emailed many Ukrainians across the country telling them that their humanitarian parole had been canceled, and threatening that if they didn’t leave the United States, “the federal government will find you.” The message was an error, but it was sent out so broadly that even Smith — an attorney, not an immigrant — got the email.

“There’s a lack of clarity all throughout the system, which makes an already difficult system to navigate even more difficult and perilous,” Smith said. “It paralyzes the system, but it also paralyzes people.”

Appealing to Trump

In Congress, there have been a handful of stabs at trying to make things easier for Ukrainian immigrants — a Senate bill proposes letting Ukrainians on humanitarian parole continue to work, while a bill in the U.S. House would give the Ukrainian parolees a way to become permanent residents. But while both bills have bipartisan supporters, neither has gotten much traction. The Republican Party has been starkly divided on Ukraine, the traditional anti-Russian wing in conflict with a growing isolationist wing.

Spokane’s Republican congressman, U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, embodies that tension. In February, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was booted from the White House following a combative meeting with Trump, Baumgartner called for Zelenskyy’s resignation.

But in April, he also co-authored a bipartisan letter calling for the Trump administration to continue to offer Ukrainian immigrants protection.

“Many of them have found employment, pay taxes, have their children enrolled in school, and are positively contributing to their new communities,” the letter states. “Revoking their protections and sending them back to a war-torn country before peace is secured would be devastating for both them and their families.”

Baumgartner said he did not get a response from the administration.

Still, he stressed to InvestigateWest that “the Ukrainian population have really been model immigrants. They’re hard-working folks, they are entrepreneurs, small business owners.” He was hopeful that Trump could use his tough-on-immigration reputation as a way to bring about reform of a broken system.

In a dark way, Oberemok with the Spokane Slavic Association finds a reason for optimism in the recent news about the stabbing of a young Ukrainian refugee woman in North Carolina. Trump, in his social media post calling for the death penalty for the “animal” who murdered her, had characterized her as a “beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety.”

“It’s already giving us hope that he’s not planning on sending us back home,” Oberemok said.

So far, Trump has shown little sign of making it easier for immigrants. In an interview this month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow declared that the administration plans to make it even harder, and more expensive, for immigrants to get work authorization. He accused the Biden administration of using work permits as a magnet to attract droves of foreigners to the United States.

“To the extent that we can shut off work authorization once we terminate these paroles, we’ve done that,” Edlow said. “You may be eligible for a work permit, but that doesn’t mean anymore that that’s going to result in you being able to remain in this country.”

For now, Ukrainian immigrants continue living under what Mariia Chava, Denys’s sponsor and former neighbor, calls “the big question mark.”

“What will be tomorrow?” she said. “Nobody knows.”

Denys knows he can’t return to Ukraine, where war is still raging and where many see those who left as traitors.

He loves the beauty of nature in Spokane, driving on America’s wide open roads. But he can’t live in a place where he has to fear deportation, where he’s not allowed to provide for his family without breaking the law, where he has no clear path to becoming legal.

“I love this country,” Denys said. “Just give me a chance to work.”

This story was originally published in InvestigateWest and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Just under a month after the Windsor Tunnel Bus stopped service, plans for a new bus through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel have been announced.

It's being called the Linq Tunnel Bus.

The bus will follow the same routes as the previous tunnel bus, with drop-off locations at Jefferson, Washington, Cass, and Michigan Avenue, after picking up passengers at the Tunnel Plaza. Fares will be $15 per person per ride and will be cashless, with all major credit cards accepted.

All you will need to ride is the necessary documentation to cross the border.

The bus will run Monday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The hours will remain the same every day, regardless of holidays or other events.

Operators are targeting October 1 for the beginning of service, but say that date could change.

In just four months, the 2026 Detroit Auto Show will return to Huntington Place in Detroit with renewed energy and excitement. Four of the major global automakers were the first to sign up for the big show. Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, and Toyota will participate with their latest line of cars and trucks.  This is the kind of corporate commitment needed to keep next years show a world-class attraction.

The 2026 Detroit Auto Show will take place January 14 25.  Additional auto brands participating will be announced over the next few months. Building on last years auto show success is vitally important for one of Detroits major industries and our automotive stature around the globe. The 2025 show attracted 275,000 people and delivered an economic impact of $370 million.  Show-goers also took 100,000 test drives on four indoor tracks.

Were pleased to learn Racing Day will return next year in partnership with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The hands-on experience was very popular with the crowd.  The Gallery, a showcase of ultra-luxury and exotic vehicles, will be back.

Also returning will be the shows annual Red Carpet Charity Preview event. Channel 7 is proud to once again be the official broadcast partner.  Over the last 25 years, it has raised more than $100 million for childrens charities across Southeast Michigan. The traditional media and industry days will kick off the show, along with the Mobility Global Forum.

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association will make more announcements in the weeks to come.  Theyre off to an exciting start in creating a 2026 Detroit Auto Show that will highlight automotive design, technology, and innovation.

Im Mike Murri, Regional V.P. & General Manager

Broadcast: September 18 - 21, 2025

New research shows a common over-the-counter drug may have significant benefits for people with colon and rectal cancer. 

A clinical trial suggests daily aspirin could cut the risk of cancer coming back by more than half.

This is really exciting. I see this type of cancer often in my practice, and this study offers real hope for these patients.

 

Now, researchers followed more than 600 people from 33 hospitals in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. They all had colon or rectal cancer with a PIK3 gene mutation. These genes usually help keep cell growth and division in check. But if they become dysregulated, cells can grow unchecked, leading to cancer.

 

So, before treatment started in this study, the patients had surgery to remove their cancer. Then they were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or a 160-milligram aspirin pill every day for three years.

 

And heres what the researchers found: those who took aspirin had a 55% lower risk of their cancer coming back compared to those who didnt. Thats a big deal because 30% to 40% of colon cancer patients face a recurrence. And once it spreads, the disease is much harder to treat.

 

So, its encouraging that something like aspirin, which is widely available and inexpensive, could offer real protection for a select group of patients.

 

The researchers arent exactly sure why aspirin cuts the risk, but they believe it works through several pathways. It lowers inflammation in the body, thins the blood and slows tumor cell growth. Together, these effects make it harder for cancer cells to survive and spread.

 

Now, we do have to talk about side effects. Aspirin has been around for over a century, but it isnt risk-free. In this trial, serious side effects were seen in 16.8% of people taking aspirin, compared to 11.6% of those taking the placebo. Of those potentially linked to aspirin, four patients experienced serious issues like stomach or intestinal bleeding, allergic reactions and bleeding in the brain.

 

So, while the benefits are promising, please do not start aspirin therapy on your own. In my opinion, larger studies are still needed before aspirin becomes a standard treatment. And, if you have colon or rectal cancer, talk with your doctor about genetic testing before considering aspirin.

 

THIS WEEK ON THE DR. NANDI SHOW

Yoga is more than poses or perfecting balance; its a powerful mind-body connection. Dr. Partha Nandi, MD, talks with a guest who shares how yoga brought her unexpected benefits: fewer asthma symptoms, less stress and even fewer colds. For her, the greatest reward wasnt stronger muscles, but the peace and stillness that transformed her daily life. Youll also hear from a yoga expert who discusses the main benefits of this extremely beneficial form of exercise. Tune in on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 5 p.m.

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A veteran water expert from Arizona says the Trump administration withdrew his nomination to lead the federal agency that oversees water management in the western U.S., leaving the Bureau of Reclamation without permanent leadership this year.

Ted Cooke told The Associated Press late Wednesday that he was preparing for a Senate confirmation hearing early this month but his name was removed from the agenda. He wasn’t told until this week that there was an unspecified issue with his background check. Cooke said the White House didn’t offer any details and asked only that he withdraw himself from consideration.

“The real story here is that I’ve been sacrificed on the altar of political expediency because of party politics and maybe Colorado River basin intrigues,” Cooke said, adding that he believes he was given a fabricated excuse “to avoid having any discussion on what the real issue is.”

Cooke said he didn’t know what the issue was.

The shift comes as the bureau and seven states face a deadline to decide how to share the Colorado River amid ongoing drought and shrinking water supplies.

The Interior Department, which oversees the bureau, referred questions about Cooke to the White House, which did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment.

Trump’s announcement in June that he had tapped Cooke, the former general manager of the Central Arizona Project, drew praise from many who said Cooke’s experience delivering water to the state’s most populous communities would be a plus for the bureau.

Still, officials in other Western states had concerns that Cooke would give deference to his home state as negotiations over the future of the Colorado River come to a head. Water managers have been grappling with the prospect of painful cuts in water supplies as the river dwindles.

The Colorado River is a critical lifeline to seven U.S. states, more than 20 Native American tribes, and two Mexican states. It provides electricity to millions of homes and businesses, irrigates vast stretches of desert farmland and reaches faucets in cities throughout the Southwest, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

In Mesa, Arizona, Mayor Mark Freeman had celebrated Cooke’s nomination back in June in a social media post. On Wednesday, the Republican told the AP he was disappointed to learn the nomination wouldn’t move forward.

“Mr. Cooke has dedicated his career to managing Arizona’s water resources, and his deep knowledge of the Colorado River system would have provided valuable insight during this critical time. Although his nomination was not confirmed, the challenges before us remain,” Freeman said, highlighting the need to ensure reliable water supplies.

Anne Castle, former chair of the Upper Colorado River Commission, said in an email that withdrawal of the nomination “looks like backroom politics at a time when what we really need is straightforward leadership on western water issues.”

Cooke said he heard from some people that his knack for being fair and even-handed might have worked against him. He theorized that some officials might have been pushing to find a “more ruthless” nominee since Colorado River negotiations have been anything but easy.

Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, said that while Cooke’s withdrawal is a lost opportunity to have a highly qualified person in the job, it’s not likely to disrupt ongoing negotiations. She said the bureau’s acting leadership has been working assiduously to figure out a way forward for river management.

She also doubted that having Cooke lead the bureau would have given Arizona a leg up, saying “there are too many other decision-makers and significant stakeholders involved for that to ever be a real possibility. And they know that Ted would have tried hard to rise above all that.”

It’s unclear whether the Trump administration is considering other candidates for the top post at the bureau.

Associated Press writers Felicia Fonseca in New York City, Matthew Daly in Washington, D.C., and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Marshall University President Brad Smith and his wife, Alys Smith, have made a $50 million gift to the university to promote a program aimed at eliminating student debt, the school said Tuesday.

The gift is the largest ever given to the public research university and the largest given by any sitting university president to their own institution, the school said.

The money will go toward Marshall For All, a program that allows students to combine scholarships, grants, family contributions and work opportunities to obtain a bachelors degree without having to apply for student loans.

Nico Karagosian, president and CEO of the Marshall University Foundation, called the gift transformative.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Number of borrowers with serious delinquencies on student loans expected to rise

Marshall, which has nearly 10,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students, plans to expand the program with the goal of enabling all students to graduate debt-free by the universitys 2037 bicentennial.

We are honored to support Marshall University and the Marshall For All program with this gift, Brad and Alys Smith said in a statement released by the university. Our why is simple: to level the playing field in West Virginia and Appalachia."

The program currently has two tracks. One covers full tuition and fees for West Virginia students with a family income below $65,000. The other offers a debt-free bachelors degree along with real-world experience for randomly selected students either from the state or eligible out-of-state counties within a certain distance of the Huntington campus.

IN RELATED NEWS | What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?

Brad Smith, a former CEO of software company Intuit, became Marshalls president in January 2022. During his investiture later that year a date chosen to honor the his late father's birthday he announced the Marshall For All program.

My father and mother have always been and remain my moral compass," Smith said. They committed to providing an opportunity for their children to attend college and sacrificed to ensure my brothers and I could do so. It was a promise made and kept. Alys and I are blessed to transform that promise into the privilege to pay it forward."

DETROIT (AP) — Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning after Tarik Skubal was replaced and the surging Cleveland Guardians swept the slumping Detroit Tigers with a 3-1 win on Thursday.

Cleveland has won seven straight to close within 3.5 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers with a little more than a week left in the regular season. The teams are scheduled for three more games Sept. 23-25.

Detroit has lost six of its last seven games and 15 of 22, turning an 11.5-game cushion into a lead that isn’t comfortable.

Returning from an injury scare last week, Skubal gave up one run, seven hits and struck out nine over six innings.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award and pitching Triple Crown winner was replaced by right-hander Troy Melton in the seventh in a 1-all game. Nine pitches later, Ramirez broke the tie with a 368-foot shot to right.

Cleveland’s Jhonkensy Noel hit a game-tying solo homer in the fourth.

Tanner Bibee (11-11) gave up one run and four hits while striking out eight over six innings. Tim Herrin and Kolby Allard followed with two innings of scoreless relief and Hunter Gaddis pitched the ninth for his third save.

Melton (3-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

Key moment

The Tigers started the second with three hits, including Colt Keith’s RBI double, and they failed to score another run after having two on and no outs. Keith left the game after the inning with back stiffness.

Key stat

The defending AL Central-champion Guardians are a season-high 10 games over .500, bouncing back from having a losing record on Sept. 4 by winning 12 of 13 games.

Up next

Guardians LHP Parker Messick (3-0, 1.84) and Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (5-4, 2.64) are to start Friday night in Minnesota. Detroit opens its final homestand Friday night with Tigers RHP Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.66) and Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (7-10, 5.56).

A Mount Clemens business owner is facing a double dose of challenges as the city's grant-funded $6.4 million downtown beautification project enters its final months.

Watch Jeffery's video report below Mount Clemens business owner weathers flood, construction chaos during downtown beautification

Diane Kubic, who has owned Max & Ollie's for 20 years, found herself dealing with both construction-related business slowdowns and a separate flooding crisis that left 2 inches of standing water in her shop.

"This was like, boom! You're putting this back together today," Kubic said.

The flooding wasn't caused by the construction project that has been ongoing since March, but by plumbing issues from the business next door.

"Oof, that's bad," Kubic said. "Just oh my goodness."

The combination of challenges proved overwhelming for the longtime business owner.

"Just not realizing what it would take, it's been a lot," Kubic said.

With help from the community, Kubic packed up her entire shop and moved everything off-site a career first she hopes never to repeat.

"And I don't want to do it again. It was enough," Kubic said.

Despite the difficulties, Kubic has maintained her sense of humor, decorating construction cones and putting mannequins in beach towels with a sign reading 'pardon us while we dry out' after the flood.

"This community is amazing," Kubic said.

She plans to keep her doors closed until the street reopens on Nov. 1, skipping ahead to Christmas sales when she reopens.

"I think once it's all done, it's going to be fabulous," Kubic said.

Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp, who has served for 6 years, calls the project a much-needed transformation for the downtown area.

"We had a really hard time during the recession and never really got our footing back as a downtown," Kropp said. "And so I say hold on, because it's going to be a fun time in the next few months with all of the unveilings going on."

Michelle Weiss, coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority, says the project represents the first major changes to the downtown area since 1982. The improvements include curbless streets to even out the groundscape, and updated lighting and parking.

"Everything about it is going to be so fresh and new," Weiss said.

While the street is scheduled to reopen Nov. 1, the complete beautification project won't be finished until next fall.

"We're almost to the end," Kubic said.

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

By AAMER MADHANI and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that he is working to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after America’s chaotic withdrawal from the country left the base in the Taliban’s hands.

Trump floated the idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he wrapped up a state visit to the U.K. and tied it to the need for the U.S. to counter its top rival, China.

“We’re trying to get it back,” Trump said of the base in an aside to a question about ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While Trump described his call for the U.S. military to reestablish a position in Afghanistan as “breaking news,” the Republican president has previously raised the idea. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether it or the Pentagon has done any planning around returning to the sprawling air base, which was central to America’s longest war.

Trump has seized on the U.S. withdrawal under Biden

During his first presidency, Trump set the terms for the U.S. withdrawal by negotiating a deal with the Taliban. The 20-year conflict came to an end in disquieting fashion under President Joe Biden: The U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul’s airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush.

The Afghanistan debacle was a major setback just eight months into Biden’s Democratic presidency that he struggled to recover from.

Biden’s Republican detractors, including Trump, seized on it as a signal moment in a failed presidency. Those criticisms have persisted into the present day, including as recently as last week, when Trump claimed the move emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

“He would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States,” Trump said, speaking of Putin. “They just went through the Afghanistan total disaster for no reason whatsoever. We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity. We were going to keep Bagram Air Base — one of the biggest air bases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing.”

Asked again about the proposal hours later on Air Force One, Trump offered no details but again bashed Biden for “gross incompetence” and said the base should have “never been given back.”

“It’s one of the most powerful bases in the world in terms of runway strength and length,” he said. “You can land anything on there. You can land a planet on top of it.”

No clarity if there have been discussions with the Taliban about Bagram

It is unclear if the U.S. has any new direct or indirect conversations with the Taliban government about returning to the country. But Trump hinted that the Taliban, who have struggled with an economic crisis, international legitimacy, internal rifts and rival militant groups since their return to power in 2021, could be game to allow the U.S. military to return.

“We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said of the Taliban.

The president repeated his view that a U.S. presence at Bagram is of value because of its proximity to China, the most significant economic and military competitor to the United States.

“But one of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “So a lot of things are happening.”

While the U.S. and the Taliban have no formal diplomatic ties, the sides have had hostage conversations. An American man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist was released by the Taliban in March.

Last week, the Taliban also said they reached an agreement with U.S. envoys on an exchange of prisoners as part of an effort to normalize relations between the United States and Afghanistan.

The Taliban gave no details of a detainee swap, and the White House did not comment on the meeting in Kabul or the results described in a Taliban statement. The Taliban released photographs from their talks, showing their foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, with Trump’s special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler.

Officials at U.S. Central Command in the Middle East and the Pentagon, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, referred questions about reestablishing a presence at Bagram to the White House.

By ISABELLA VOLMERT and OBED LAMY, Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied Democrats against redistricting in his home state of Indiana Thursday as pressure grows on Republican state lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional districts.

Buttigieg — a contender to represent Democrats aiming to win back the presidency in 2028 — was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, before he launched into the national political scene by running for president in 2020 and emerged victorious from the Iowa caucus that year.

Indiana Republicans have been hesitant to redistrict so far compared to other states where the GOP holds control. But Democrats have little power to stop the move if Republican leaders choose to create a new map.

“Indiana Republicans are being pressured by Washington Republicans to do something that they know in their hearts is wrong,” Buttigieg said.

Typically, states redraw their congressional districts every 10 years with the census. But President Donald Trump wants to give his party an advantage in the 2026 election in order to keep majority control in the House of Representatives, as midterms tend to favor the party out of power. Republicans in Texas and Missouri have moved to create advantageous new seats while California Democrats have countered with their own new proposal.

Indiana lawmakers however have not yet answered the redistricting call and have kept their cards close, emblematic of the state’s independent streak and its more measured approach to politics.

But pressure from Trump to redraw House districts has been mounting on Republicans in the state he won by 19 percentage points in 2024. First-term Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said Tuesday that a legislative session on redistricting probably will happen, and it could come as soon as November. But he doesn’t want to call a special session unless there will be a successful outcome.

“I’ve been very clear. I want it to be organic,” he said in a video reported by WRTV in Indianapolis.

A large crowd gathered inside the statehouse in Indianapolis Thursday afternoon to see Buttigieg speak.

“It’s an issue of fairness,” said Judy Jessup, an Indianapolis resident. “The voters should get to choose politicians, not the other way around.”

Buttigieg is the biggest Democratic voice to come out of Indiana in recent memory. Following the 2020 election, Buttigieg and his family moved to Traverse City, Michigan, and he served as Secretary of Transportation under the Biden administration.

In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, Kamala Harris said that Buttigieg was her first pick for 2024 running mate, but she said running with Buttigieg, who is openly gay, was too risky. He didn’t address the comments on Thursday.

Braun could call a special session, but it would be up to lawmakers to create a new map. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers in Indiana, meaning Democrats could not stop or delay a special session by refusing to attend, like their peers in Texas briefly did. Republicans also outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7-2. Some Republicans see an opportunity to gain all nine seats in the state.

The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold encompassing Gary and other cities near Chicago. Three-term Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan won reelection in 2022 and easily retained the seat in 2024 even after Republicans redrew the district to be slightly more favorable to the GOP.

Republicans could also zero in on the 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis, but they would invite more controversy by slicing up Indiana’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.

“Both of those districts are filled with Black voters,” state Sen. Andrea Hunley, who represents Indianapolis, said at the rally. “This is a racist power grab to silence voters who look like me.”

Texas passed a new map that would help Republicans win up to five new seats, and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, is expected to sign legislation soon that would help Republicans win seven of the state’s eight districts. Meanwhile, California Democrats are launching a campaign to build support ahead of a Nov. 4 referendum on new U.S. House districts that were made to offset wins made by Texas Republicans.

Utah and Ohio may soon have new congressional district maps, and elected leaders in other states also are considering mid-decade redistricting, including Republicans in Florida and Kansas and Democrats in Maryland and New York.

Volmert reported from Lansing, Michigan.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration moved Thursday to shut down a Miami organ donation group, calling it “failing” because of underperformance, unsafe practices and paperwork errors.

The Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency is one of 55 organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, nonprofit agencies around the country that coordinate the recovery of organs from deceased donors and help match them to patients on the nation’s transplant waiting list.

The administration cited an investigation that found a 2024 case where an unspecified mistake led a surgeon to decline a donated heart for a patient awaiting surgery.

In a news briefing, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said problems included would-be donations that went unrecovered, sending some donated organs to the wrong place and a lack of staff.

Life Alliance, a division of the University of Miami Health System, can appeal the decision. If it is shut down, it would mark the first time the federal government has decertified an OPO.

Life Alliance didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

More than 100,000 Americans are on the transplant list and thousands die waiting because there aren’t enough donations to go around. Last year there were more than 48,000 transplants, a record, the vast majority from deceased donors.

Changes to the transplant system have been underway for years to increase donations, reduce waste of potentially usable organs and address other concerns. They include some new safeguards after complaints last year that a different OPO didn’t stop donation preparations quickly enough when some patients showed signs of life, prompting some people to opt out of donor registries. Organ donation can proceed only after a hospital has declared someone dead — and by law, OPOs cannot be involved in that decision.

On Thursday, Oz sought to reassure would-be donors.

“Congress has thoughtfully and aggressively pursued some horrifying stories that have chilled some Americans’ enthusiasm for donating organs. We are here today to tell you this system is safe. It’s rigorously being addressed,” he said, adding later, “I want to applaud the OPOs that are doing a great job because most are.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By Kevin Hardy, Stateline.org

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — The conversations in French having given them away, the group of motorcyclists immediately stood out as foreigners over a Saturday breakfast in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

In the restaurant, the server was pleased, thanking them for coming. Because these days, tariffs and White House rhetoric have left Canadians a rare breed of visitors in New England, usually a hotspot vacation destination from the nearby province of Quebec.

“There’s a lot of people staying in Canada because of that,” said Dave Gingras, a 35-year-old biker from Saguenay, about two hours north of Quebec City.

While other Canadians are avoiding buying American products or traveling to the States, the group of 11 decided to leave politics behind on their road trip through New England.

“We are just keeping it neutral and trying to enjoy,” Gingras told Stateline.

After breakfast, they donned helmets and mounted an assortment of dusty Yamaha, BMW and Triumph bikes.

“We drive and when we’re tired, we stop and raise up a tent and relax with a beer,” Gingras said before pulling into a line of crawling traffic on the White Mountain Highway, the scenic byway dotted with quaint inns, old-timey stores and Colonial and Victorian homes.

Across Northeastern states, business owners and state officials have labored to maintain key economic connections with Canada despite the rhetoric coming out of the White House. President Donald Trump’s trade war, aggressive immigration enforcement and talk of making their country the 51st state has offended many Canadians. While concerns are acute in New England, tourism hubs from Hawaii to New York are reeling from a decrease in Canadian visitors.

To quell tensions, Maine leaders erected signs in French to welcome Canadian visitors and New Hampshire’s governor just returned from a Canadian trip she took to strengthen trade and tourism.

But hospitality businesses this summer reported a sharp decline in visitors from the North — Canadian travel to New Hampshire is down about 30% this year, according to state officials. Border crossings into Vermont hit their lowest levels since 2021, according to federal data, as the Canadian government reported a 34% drop in the number of August car visits into the U.S. compared with the same month last year.

New England businesses remain concerned as the region turns the page on the summer vacation season to its vibrant autumn, known for luring leaf-peeping travelers from across the globe.

Tourism is vital for White Mountain Valley communities like North Conway. While it’s home to only about 2,300 people, the village is a historic travel hotspot known for outdoor activities, tax-free shopping and family-friendly theme parks.

While many people think of the area as a winter ski destination, summers are actually the largest travel draw, said Chris Proulx, executive director of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The drop in Canadian tourism has been especially evident during less popular travel times for Americans. For example, Canada’s Victoria Day, a late May holiday celebrating that queen’s birthday, has traditionally brought big crowds to the Northeast.

“Our retail outlets are a very, very popular destination for them during that time,” Proulx said. “And our retail outlets have reported that it was basically nonexistent this year.”

Proulx said local businesses have tried to lure travelers from close-by regions like the Boston area to help make up for the loss of Canadian tourists, “so it’s not an unrecoverable loss.” But the absence of visitors from parts North is hard to ignore.

“It almost feels like a birder might feel if they find a rare species,” he said. “If you see someone with a Canadian license plate, you notice it right away. It gives you a little bit of a smile.”

Aside from the economic loss, Proulx said he worries about longstanding relationships.

This scenic valley is nostalgic for many visitors from the U.S. and Canada alike. He said many people return again and again, sharing fond memories of their first camping trip along the Saco River, childhood trips to the Santa’s Village amusement park and picturesque rides on the Conway Scenic Railroad.

“So we just don’t want anybody thinking that they’re not welcomed here. That’s our biggest thing,” he said. “We want everybody to be able to call this their second home, to be able to visit and reconnect and feel welcomed.”

‘Towns are quieter’

In the heart of North Conway, tourists picnic on the grass in Schouler Park, look into the 1874-era train station and meander into shops selling hokey souvenirs and homemade fudge. Framing the village is the imposing Mount Washington, which at 6,288 feet boasts the tallest peak in the Northeast.

At one of the town’s busiest intersections, the crowds come in waves to the North Conway 5&10 Store. But even as families line up, employee Polly Howe said she hadn’t seen many Canadians this summer.

“It’s a shame,” she said, bouncing between the cash register, the candy counter and stocking staples like toys and hats.

In a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the souvenir shop has been around for 86 years and features a false-front facade, the kind made famous in boomtowns of the Old West. Manager Terri Johnson said she had encountered a good number of Canadians inside the shop, but said she didn’t blame any who felt put off by the political climate.

“I’m thankful they still come after all that,” she said.

It’s not just international relations that have changed tourism here.

A rainy start to the summer season didn’t help, and business owners say anxiety over the domestic economy and inflation have pinched travel budgets.

Mark Lahood says family travel has dipped at the three hotels he operates in the area.

“Towns are quieter,” he said this summer. “They’re not quiet, but they’re much quieter than years’ past.”

Some summer weekends, which traditionally sell out entirely, the three hotels had 30% vacancies, he said. And travelers are more keen for weekend trips than their weeklong road trips of previous seasons.

“With a seven-day trip, by the time they were all in, it’s a lot of driving, it’s a lot of gas money, it’s a lot of meals, it’s a lot of hotels,” he said. “And I think it’s just too much.”

To help with rising costs, he ran a free breakfast promotion for kids earlier in the summer. And he increased an existing international discount for Canadian guests.

“Did it help anything? Probably not. But you know, when you view it from a Canadian traveler, at least you made an effort.”

The decline in Canadian visitors has allowed for more local, spontaneous travel, said Genn Anzaldi, who owns J-Town Deli & Country Store in Jackson, New Hampshire.

“More day trippers for sure,” she said. “So maybe not as many people spending the night or as many nights.”

The scent of sizzling bacon and toasting panini fills her shop, which offers hot meals along with handmade gifts and convenience store staples.

Anzaldi, who also runs a cooperative marketing effort for a group of independent restaurants, said the local restaurant business was down, but not significantly.

The reason?

“Canadians,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it’s the economy. That seems to be going well.”

About nine miles away from North Conway, things are a bit quieter in Jackson, home to a famed one-lane covered bridge. With its spas and boutique hotels, Anzaldi said the community is more known as a destination for weddings, romantic stays and outdoor getaways.

While Anzaldi said she hopes Canadian tensions settle soon, she noted that the matter lies in the political domain and there’s little business owners can do but carry on.

“We have to run, right?” she said. “We’re not personally going to go up and advertise.”

States try to ease federal tension

To maintain tourism and trade, Democratic and Republican politicians in the Northeast have made overtures to their counterparts in Canada.

Since Trump’s inauguration, Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has met with Maine businesses near the border, embarked on a diplomatic Canadian tour and even installed “Bienvenue Canadiens” welcome signs near border crossings. But on her trip this summer, she was reminded that it’s not just tariffs that have irked Canadians — many are also worried about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.

“Lots of people don’t feel safe in the U.S. right now and for good reason,” Susan Holt, the premier of the New Brunswick province, told Mills, according to local news accounts. Holt has encouraged her constituents to avoid traveling to the United States.

Last year, the state said some 800,000 Canadians visited Maine. On her June trip, Mills asked Canadians to remember those who rely on the tourism industry.

“To the extent people feel angst about coming to Maine, just remember that if they aren’t coming to Maine, the ones that they’re hurting are the small mom and pop businesses,” the governor told News Center Maine while in Halifax.

Mills’ office did not respond to Stateline’s requests for comment.

Similarly, New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte said ahead of a trade mission that she aimed to welcome Canadians to the Granite State, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported.

“That’s one of the things I’m going to just continue to promote on behalf of New Hampshire,” Ayotte said last month. “Not only that they’re welcome here — the Canadians — but we have open arms to them.”

Ayotte’s office did not respond to Stateline’s requests for comment about her trip.

René Sylvestre, the Quebec province’s delegate to New England, said those gestures are appreciated. He spends much of his time meeting with state and business leaders. Last month, he met numerous state lawmakers at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Boston, where he is posted.

But he said calming federal tensions will be key to seeing a rebound in tourism.

“What we can see right now is people in Quebec are really sad with the whole situation,” he told Stateline. “But they’re saying, ‘Maybe we should stay and spend more time in Canada these days.’ So this is really the impact that we’ve seen, and we think that it’s going to take a while before it’s back to normal.”

A decline in international travel has hit border communities across the country — from New York state to Washington state. North Dakota estimated that Canadian visitors spent about $14.4 million less in the first half of the year compared with last year, as the number of personal vehicles crossing the border from Canada declined by 30%. Other hubs for international visitors, including Las Vegas and Hawaii, are also seeing significant declines.

“Right now, it’s hard to turn back federal policy,” Hawaii state Sen. Ron Kouchi told Stateline in August.

Kouchi, a Democrat and president of the state Senate, said Canada has traditionally been among Hawaii’s top five travel markets. The state has sent tourism officials to trade shows and is trying to show Canadians, like all visitors, the Aloha State’s iconic hospitality. But he said that message hasn’t been persuasive, even coming from leaders of the solidly liberal state.

“While we argue about Republicans or Democrats, in other nations they simply look at Americans and they don’t see it as an R or a D thing,” he said. “It’s an American thing.”

A stormy beach season

Old Orchard Beach in Maine is a favorite of New Englanders and Canadians alike.

Part of the Portland metropolitan area, the vacation town sports a seaside amusement park and seven miles of sandy beaches. But some Canadians started to cancel their summer reservations to the area early on in Trump’s term.

Sean Nickless, who co-owns the 30-room Crest Motel with his family, said Canadians began calling off trips in January and February,

Those cancellations and poor weather foretold a slower summer. “It’s not as steady,” Nickless said, noting business had been inconsistent with shorter stays.

Like many of the other beachfront properties here, the retro Crest Motel relies heavily on repeat customers, filled out by the occasional road tripper who ducks in from the angled carport to ask about an available room.

“The best you can do is let Canadians know they’re still welcome here,” he said from the motel’s small lobby scented with the aroma of a drip coffeemaker and a bright popcorn machine.

At the height of summer, rain ushered in what should have been a booming weekend along the Atlantic’s Saco Bay. Crest Motel guests swam, but only under the cover of the pool’s rolling roof.

Down the way, five teenagers stood listlessly inside a walkup Dairy Queen with no customers to serve. On the pier, arcade games, $1-per-visit restrooms and barstools sat idle. Few took up heavily advertised offers for pizza by the slice, $15 lobster rolls or fried clam cakes.

“I’ve never driven around Old Orchard Beach in the summer and seen ‘vacancy signs.’ I have this year,” said state Sen. Donna Bailey, who represents the community. “I mean, you just never see that in the middle of July — all you see is ‘no vacancy’ signs.” A Democrat, Bailey emphasized that Canada isn’t some far-off destination for Mainers. People routinely cross the border for health care and work. They have friends and family on both sides.

“I mean, there’s some places up in northern Maine that the nearest hospital is in Canada, as opposed to in the United States. You know, some people have their babies over in Canada.”

But aside from emphasizing existing bonds, Bailey said Maine residents and officials were largely at the mercy of the federal government’s actions.

“I think it’s helpful to remind the Canadians of our personal relationship and that we are Maine and we’re Mainers, and so we’re not necessarily the same as the federal government,” she said. “But, yeah, it does only go so far.”

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Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org.

©2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Police in Mississippi said Wednesday they expect autopsy results to be available in the coming days after a Black student was found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University.

Demartravion "Trey" Reed, 21, was found near the pickleball courts on campus Monday, sparking fear and concern among the student body.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday he has been retained by Reeds family, writing on social media, Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus community deserve a full, independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened.

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At a news conference held Wednesday, university officials said a preliminary report by the local coroner did not indicate foul play. The state medical examiners office was said to be conducting an autopsy Wednesday.

Campus police chief Michael Peeler said Reeds death was an isolated incident and said there were no active threats to students and faculty. The chief said video evidence was being reviewed by investigators, but he would not say what the video shows.

Crump said in a statement posted Wednesday Reeds family was demanding to see the footage.

The universitys president acknowledged the emotional toll of the incident on campus.

We recognize that this is not only about facts. Its about emotions, and its about feelings, and the way this loss, and how it was discovered, affects peoples lives, school president Dan Ennis said Wednesday.

The FBIs Jackson division told Scripps News Thursday it is prepared to investigate if necessary.

"We are aware of the incident in Cleveland, Mississippi, at Delta State University and are in regular contact with local authorities. If, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate, the agency said in a statement.

For the first time in nine months, the Federal Reserve has cut its key interest rate, a move that signals a shift toward easing monetary policy. The rate now sits in a range between 4% and 4.25%, down a quarter-point from where it had been since late last year.

But while the rate cut could eventually lower borrowing costs, financial experts caution that the impact on most peoples day-to-day finances wont be immediate.

High inflation continues to squeeze Americans.

Its affecting me. Definitely, certain things have gone up in price, Christopher Robinson, a consumer in Phoenix, said.

And stagnant wages arent helping.

If you're working for lower wages, all the prices seem to be going up, but not the wages as well, David Henzerling, of Scottsdale, Arizona, said.

The rate cut may ease pressure in some areas, but dont expect a quick fix.

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I don't know how much people are going to feel this in their day-to-day, Kate Ashford, an NerdWallet Investing Specialist, said. "I think this is going to make borrowing a little bit cheaper, and it's going to drop savings rates, probably a little bit over time. But in your day-to-day life, groceries, gas, healthcare, this isn't really going to drop costs all that much.

Still, Ashford recommends using this shift as an opportunity to reassess your finances and make some strategic moves that can lead to long-term financial gains.

Her advice: focus first on tackling high-interest credit card debt. Look for zero-percent balance transfer cards to consolidate and save money.

Next, make sure you have an emergency fund, ideally enough to cover three to six months of expenses, kept in a high-yield savings account.

She also suggests locking in good rates while they're still available, especially in certificates of deposit (CDs) and online savings accounts.

For those with higher mortgage or auto loan rates, it may be a good time to explore refinancing options to lower your monthly payments.

This is kind of a long game for people. But it is those little steps you take over time that add up in the end, Ashford said.

For homeowners, the rate cut could bring new opportunities - if they act quickly.

This is going to make it easier for you to afford a home, Cynthia Fick, CEO of Financial Life Planners, said. If you already have one, and you're up at, you know, 7% or so in your mortgage rate, you might want to consider refinancing. I don't think interest rates will be going back down to 3% or less, but they may have further to go.

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Some consumers say theyre not pretending this is a magic wand.

Theres too many variables at play, Henzerling said.

Still, some consumers say the rate shift is enough to influence their financial strategy.

Its definitely changing the level of risk Im willing to take on in the near future. It's definitely making me make appropriate adjustments to my long-term plan, Robinson said.

Fick encourages consumers to stay grounded but optimistic.

Were going to have volatility. Were going to have ups and downs in all aspects of our financial lives, Rick said. " In the long run, I think were in a very good time, and that investors and consumers should keep an open mind to things going a little bit better than they might think they will.

This story was reported on-air by Jane Caffrey at the Scripps News Group station in Phoenix

and has been converted to this platform with the assistanceof AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The case against a Springfield Township man accused of shaking his infant and nearly killing him has advanced to Oakland County Circuit Court for possible trial.

At the conclusion of a recent preliminary exam in 52-2 District Court, Judge Kelly Kostin ruled there was probable cause to bind over the case against 32-year-old Daniel Charles Gracer, scheduled to be arraigned in the higher court on Sept. 25 by Judge Mary Ellen Brennan.

Gracer is charged with one count of first-degree child abuse in connection with the near-fatal injuries his then-2-month-old son suffered last December.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 23, 2024 deputies were called to a home in the 7000 block of Meadow Lane in Springfield Township on a report of an unresponsive baby. Gracer was caring for the boy at the time, the sheriff’s office said.

The baby suffered serious head and brain trauma, and a child abuse specialist who examined the baby determined the injuries were non-accidental, the sheriff’s office said. The brain injury, according to the specialist, was due to rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration, consistent with being shaken, the sheriff’s office said. The trauma was “nearly fatal,” the sheriff’s office said, and the baby is likely to have severely delayed development.

Hospital staff reportedly relayed the findings to the sheriff’s office which launched an investigation.

Gracer was released from jail in February after Kostin changed his $1 million bond to a personal bond – requiring no cash or surety to be posted.

First-degree child abuse is punishable by up to life in prison.

Retrial ends for Waterford man’s murder; another connected to incident sentenced in plea deal 

Officials: Illegal immigrant likely won’t face charges for allegedly killing pedestrian; deported 7 months ago

Rude awakening: Cops say homeowner roused from sleep by barking dogs sees man standing in his bedroom

Retrial ends for Waterford man’s murder; another connected to incident sentenced in plea deal 

 

DETROIT – The Tigers activated veteran right-hander Paul Sewald before the game Thursday.

Sewald, whom the Tigers acquired from the Guardians at the trade deadline, had been out since July 11 with shoulder soreness. He returned from his final rehab appearance on Wednesday.

In corresponding moves, right-hander Codi Heuer was released off the 40-man roster. He has been out with a shoulder injury.

Also, right-hander Jose Urquidy was technically designated for assignment, but he has agreed to accept an option to Triple-A Toledo to stay in the organization.

Procedurally, there is a 24-hour wait period before that part of the transaction can be completed.

“He’s demonstrated the positives in what he can bring,” Hinch said. “He’s creative. He’s got multiple pitches. He is undeterred by any big environment. He’s got a weapon for both sides of the plate.

But we are also seeing the difficulty in coming back from a second major surgery. He’s a little rusty, a little erratic and spraying the ball a little more than he normally does.”

With five years of big-league service time, Urquidy could’ve refused the option. But, with the Tigers holding a $4 million option on him next season and his stated desire to be part of this staff going forward, he signed off on it.

Marine One was forced to land at a U.K. airfield while carrying President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

The incident happened as the president was preparing to leave the country after his second official state visit this year.

"Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted Airport," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter."

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The Trumps later boarded Air Force One and departed for Washington.

During the visit, Trump held a press conference with Prime Minister Keir Starmer that underscored both alignment and differences on foreign policy, trade and technology.

Speaking about the war in Ukraine, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had let him down, while Starmer insisted Putin does not want peace.

Thursdays schedule was focused on official business, while Wednesday featured more of a royal welcome. The president and first lady met with King Charles and Queen Camilla, who hosted a formal banquet at Buckingham Palace. Prince William and Princess Kate also attended.

Conservationists have filed a lawsuit to halt Florida's first black bear hunt in a decade, arguing that the hunt scheduled for December is unconstitutional and contradicts the state's own policy protecting native species.

State officials approved the hunt in August despite strong opposition. Bear Warriors United filed the complaint against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in circuit court in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

The FWCs illegal action undermines its constitutional duty to manage the black bear population based on scientifically supported recommendations, not the whims of the Commission, the complaint reads.

A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment on the pending litigation.

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The conservation group previously filed a similar complaint in an administrative court, but voluntarily withdrew it after attorneys for the fish and wildlife agency argued that it isn't subject to an administrative ruling on the issue.

The commission voted unanimously in favor of the hunt last month, including plans to use dogs and target the bears in baited locations. State officials say they need to manage growing bear populations, which the wildlife agency says have recovered significantly.

State officials have also noted an increase in interactions between people and bears, with the animals digging through homeowners' trash cans and injuring or killing farmers' livestock.

We make decisions based on science, Commission Chair Rodney Barreto said at the time.

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Opponents have called the hunt a cruel, unnecessary excuse for hunters to bag a trophy animal when the real issue is humans encroaching on bear habitats as the country's third most populous state continues to add people.

There are an estimated 4,000 black bears in Florida, one of the few states with sizable populations that do not have a bear hunting season.

This year's plan has more stringent rules than the 2015 hunt did, when hunting permits were provided to anyone who could pay for them. That led to a chaotic event that shut down days early after 300-plus bears were killed, including at least 38 females with cubs, meaning the young bears probably died too.

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