ANN ARBOR (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half and Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 18 points, leading No. 3 Michigan in a 90-80 win over No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday to give the Big Ten champions a 15th straight conference win.
The Wolverines (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) head to the conference tournament, hoping to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before shooting for the school’s second national championship and first since 1989
The Spartans (25-6, 15-5) were swept by their rivals in the regular season, but might get a third shot against them in a week at the Big Ten Tournament final.
Lendeborg, a preseason All-America selection, was the best player on the court for the second time in the series.
The UAB transfer was 8 of 12 from the field, matched a career high with five 3-pointers, had three assists and also made winning plays at the other end of the court.
After Jeremy Fears Jr. made a jumper to pull Michigan State within three points with 3:47 left, Lendeborg made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to start a 10-2 run that sealed the victory.
Fears had 22 points and nine assists, Jaxon Kohler matched a career high with 23 points and Carson Cooper added 19 points.
Fears drew attention for another kick toward an opponent’s groin. He was called for a technical after a video review showed he swung his right leg backward and into Elliot Cadeau.
When the Wolverines won the first matchup earlier this season, Fears appeared to intentionally trip Lendeborg and Michigan coach Dusty May said there were several dangerous plays in the game.
Up next
Michigan State: Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
Michigan: Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
Michigan St guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) puts up a shot between Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr, left, and Michigan center Aday Mara in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan fired their basketball coaches on the same day, parting ways with former assistants under Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.
Eastern Michigan announced the school and coach Stan Heath agreed to part ways on Sunday. Western Michigan athletic director Dan Bartholomae said Dwayne Stephens, a Ferndale native, would not return to coach the Broncos next season.
The Eagles and Broncos were both 10-21 overall and 4-14 in the Mid-American Conference this season, tying Northern Illinois for last place.
Heath and Stephens were previously assistants for the Spartans. Stephens also played for the program.
Heath, a former Eastern Michigan player, had a 57-99 record over four seasons with the Eagles. Stephens was 42-84 over four seasons.
Heath was previously the coach at Kent State, leading that MAC program to the Elite Eight in 2002. He also guided Arkansas to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007 and did the same at South Florida in 2012.
Stephens was on Izzo’s staff for 19 seasons, including the last decade as an associate head coach. He has coached in six Final Fours, including 2003 when he was an assistant for Tom Crean at Marquette. Stephens also was an assistant at Oakland University.
Western Michigan coach Dwayne Stephens reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Iranian state TV announced Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the country's late supreme leader, has been named his successor.
The younger Khamenei had long been considered a contender, even before an Israeli strike killed his father at the start of the war, and despite never being elected or appointed to a government position.
Irans powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard answers to the supreme leader, and now Khamenei will have the central say in war strategy. The announcement came on the ninth day of the war and after signs of a rift among Iranian officials as the country awaited a decision by the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, a group of clerics that selects Irans supreme leader.
U.S. President Donald Trump told ABC News earlier Sunday he wants a say in who comes to power once the war is over; a new leader is not going to last long without his approval, Trump added. The U.S. and Israel killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the wars opening airstrikes.
Regional anger grows over strikes
The war toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.
In a sign of rising regional anger, the Arab League chief lashed out at Iran for its reckless policy of attacking neighbors, including ones that host U.S. forces. Gulf countries have been struck by hundreds of missiles and drones since the war started on Feb. 28, and Irans president has vowed to expand attacks.
Saudi Arabia reported its first deaths, saying a military projectile fell onto a residential area and killed two people of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality. Foreign residents and workers have made up most of the wars deaths in Gulf nations.
Israel reported its first soldier deaths, saying two were killed in southern Lebanon, where its military is fighting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The U.S. military said a service member died of injuries from an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1. Seven U.S. soldiers have now been killed.
The war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, at least 397 in Lebanon and at least 11 in Israel, according to officials.
Irans president toughens tone
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian backtracked from conciliatory comments a day earlier in which he apologized for attacks on neighbors soil. Iranian hard-liners had swiftly contradicted him, saying war strategy wouldnt change.
The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be, Pezeshkian said Sunday.
Pezeshkian has urged neighboring states not to take part in U.S. and Israeli attacks. The U.S. strikes have not come from the Gulf Arab governments but from U.S. bases and vessels in the region.
The geography of some countries in the region both overtly and covertly is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue," judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote on X on Saturday.
Mohseni-Ejei and Pezeshkian are part of the three-member leadership council overseeing Iran since Khamenei was killed.
Desalination and oil facilities attacked
Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported additional Iranian missiles launched toward them.
Bahrain accused Iran of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets and damaging one of its desalination plants, though its electricity and water authority said supplies remained online.
Desalination plants supply water to millions of residents in the region and thousands of stranded travelers, raising new fears of catastrophic risks in parched desert nations.
The desalination plant strike came after Iran said a U.S. airstrike damaged a desalination plant there. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strike on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had cut into the water supply to 30 villages.
He warned that in doing so the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.
In response, CENTCOM spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins said that "U.S. forces do not target civilians period.
Iranian authorities also said Israel's overnight strikes on four oil storage tankers and a petroleum transfer terminal killed four people. Witnesses in Tehran said the smoke was so thick that it looked as if the sun had not risen.
Israels military said the oil depots were being used by Irans military for fuel to launch missiles.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society warned Tehran residents to take precautions against toxic air pollution and the risk of acid rain.
It also said about 10,000 civilian structures across the country had been damaged, including homes, schools and almost three dozen health facilities. It also
Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned it soon could become harder to produce and sell oil. Some regional producers, including in Iraq, have curbed output amid dangers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran maintains sufficient fuel, Veys Karami, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, told the state-run news agency.
Lebanon says a half-million people displaced
Lebanon said over a half-million people have been displaced in the week of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The actual number is likely higher. Lebanons count of 517,000 refers to those who registered on the governments online portal. Israel over the past week has called on residents in dozens of villages across southern Lebanon and the entirety of Beiruts southern suburbs to evacuate as fighting intensifies.
Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said 83 children and 82 women have been among those killed.
In Beirut, sheltering families crammed into schools, slept in cars or in open areas near the Mediterranean Sea, where some burned firewood to keep warm. The government said it would open a sports stadium to shelter thousands more.
Israels renewed offensive began last week after Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel during the war's opening days. The strikes have been the most intense since a November 2024 ceasefire. Israel has continued near-daily strikes, primarily in southern Lebanon, saying Hezbollah had been trying to rebuild its positions there.
Union City High School has transformed into a community resource center in the days following deadly tornadoes that tore through Southwest Michigan, with volunteers arriving before 8 a.m. on a Sunday to help neighbors in need.
Watch Faraz's report below
Union City High School becomes hub of hope after deadly Southwest Michigan tornadoes
The National Weather Service confirmed Union City was struck by EF-3 tornadoes with wind speeds of up to 150 mph. Three Rivers and Union City were among the hardest-hit communities in the storm system that swept through several counties in Southwest Michigan last Friday the deadliest tornadoes to hit Michigan in decades.
Principal Amber Case said aid is being distributed around the clock at the school.
"There's hygiene products, cleaning products, so many clothes. There's building supplies here. We have those resources available as well," Case said.
Every item at the center was donated, along with additional monetary contributions to support relief efforts.
Jennifer Gautsche, a secretary at Union City High School, and her 17-year-old daughter Allison, have been volunteering at the resource center since the weekend. The two were among the first on the scene after the storm, loading up their truck with chainsaws to help clear debris from roads.
"From the get-go, we were getting in the truck, had chainsaws, and we were on the road trying to clear brush from roads," Jennifer Gautsche said.
Allison described their early response as something more than volunteering.
"So in a way, we were kind of first responders. We started on Eastern Tuttle Road," Allison said.
Tuttle Road was one of the hardest-hit stretches in Union City. Witnessing the destruction firsthand left a mark on both mother and daughter.
"I see this family just looking at their destroyed home. And I just hugged one of the ladies," Allison said.
Jennifer Gautsche said sometimes presence is the most powerful form of support.
"Sometimes the best thing to do is to be there. You don't have to say anything, but just to show that they're not alone," Jennifer Gautsche said.
For Case, watching her students step up in the aftermath has been an emotional experience.
"Oh, it's a roller coaster. I'm so proud," Case said.
Case said she hopes the tragedy serves as a lasting lesson for her students.
"We don't need a tornado to tell us that we have people who need help. And I would love for this opportunity to be a chance for students to kind of be reminded of that and to maybe take more awareness of their surroundings and what's going on in their day-to-day lives," Case said.
For Allison, the memory of the storm and its aftermath will stay with her.
"It's... the biggest destructive hit that I've seen. I'm going to remember what I saw and remember how people wanted to be helpful, how God is helping us through this," Allison said.
Her mother echoed that sentiment with a message about resilience.
"I hope that we remember Mother Nature is an incredible force when she wants to be, but community is stronger," Jennifer Gautsche said.
The resource center, located across from the high school, will remain operational for as long as the community needs it.
Watch our previous coverage
Deadly tornado leaves trail of destruction in southwest Michigan Recovery begins after deadly tornadoes in Union CityThis story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
The U.S. military announced Sunday that a service member has now died of injuries they sustained during an Iranian attack on American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia last weekend.
U.S. Central Command said the identity of the person will be witheld until 24 hours after next of kin has been notified. They are the seventh U.S. service member to die since the U.S. and Israel began launching attacks on Iran.
CENTCOM UpdateTAMPA, Fla. Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regimes initial attacks across the Middle East. The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 8, 2026
The announcement comes a day after President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer to pay respects to six other U.S. soldiers killed in the war with Iran. Trump was joined by first lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several other administration officials.
The service members were killed on March 1 in a drone strike at a U.S. military installation in Kuwait. They were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.
The war with Iran is now in its second week, with no sign of ending anytime soon. On Saturday, Trump said Iran will be hit very hard, noting the country is under serious consideration for complete destruction for certain death.
"We knocked out their air force, we knocked out their communications and all telecommunications is gone," Trump said in a speech at a summit in Miami Saturday morning. "I dont know how they communicate but I guess they will figure something out. Its not working out too well and theyre bad people."
Iran's foreign minister responded to Trump with a defiant statement of his own.
"If Mr. Trump seeks escalation, it is precisely what our Powerful Armed Forces have long been prepared for, and what he will get," Abbas Araghchi said.
NEW YORK (AP) A device thrown by a counterprotester at an anti-Islam demonstration in New York City on Saturday was confirmed to be an improvised explosive, according to a preliminary police analysis. As the investigation continued on Sunday, police said they were looking into a second suspicious device found in the same area of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Two people were in custody for their alleged role in Saturday's confrontation, which unfolded during a Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City event led by the far right activist Jake Lang outside the Manhattan residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The sparsely attended event drew a far larger group of counterdemonstrators, including one person who tossed a smoking object containing nuts, bolts, screws and a hobby fuse into the crowd, police said. In a social media post Sunday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the departments bomb squad determined the object wasnt a hoax device or smoke bomb, but an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death. The device extinguished itself steps from police officers, Tisch noted. The same person who threw it then received a second device from another counterprotester, which was dropped and did not appear to ignite, the commissioner said. Charges against the two counterprotesters were still pending. Tisch said police were working with federal prosecutors and the FBI on the case. The FBI said agents with the bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force were participating in the investigation. Violence at a protest is never acceptable, Mamdani said in a statement Sunday. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are. Later Sunday afternoon, police said on social media that authorities investigating Saturday's events had identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street. Several streets were closed and limited evacuations of buildings were ordered as the bomb squad assessed and worked to remove the device, the post said. Around 7 p.m., police used a flatbed truck to remove a Honda Civic and the streets were reopened. A person associated with Langs protest was also arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, assault and unlawful possession of a noxious matter after allegedly macing counterdemonstrators, police said. Lang was previously charged with assaulting an officer with a baseball bat, civil disorder and other crimes before receiving clemency as part of President Donald Trumps sweeping act of clemency for Jan. 6 defendants last year. He recently announced that he is running for U.S. Senate in Florida. Earlier this year, Lang organized a rally in Minneapolis in support of Trump's immigration crackdown, drawing an angry crowd of counterprotesters that quickly chased him away.
The Kansas City International Airport reopened for travel Sunday following a brief evacuation due to a potential threat.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the threat was "determined to not be credible" and that normal operations at the airport had resumed.
"Threats like these are a federal crime," he added. "FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible."
An update on the earlier threat at Kansas City International Airport:@FBI and our law enforcement partners quickly responded to the scene and secured the area. The threat was reviewed and determined not to be credible. Terminal has been swept, cleared, and normal operations FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 8, 2026
Hours earlier, a spokesperson with the Kansas City Aviation Department said they were notified of "a situation" at the airport around 11:15 a.m. local time. As a precaution, travelers were evacuated onto the tarmac while authorities, including the FBI, investigated.
Jonathan Stein: Evacuation at KCI on March 8Video courtesy Jonathan Stein.
Some travelers shared that their flights were stuck on the taxiway due to the incident, while others reported being diverted. Southwest Airlines confirmed four flights bound for Kansas City were diverted.
"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its Customers and Employees," a Southwest spokesperson said in a statement.
A similar incident unfolded on Dec. 31, 2025, when travelers were evacuated due to a "potential threat in the unsecured area" of the airport. Ultimately, law enforcement determined there was "no credible threat to the airport or those inside the terminal" in the New Year's Eve incident.
The Eagles finished the season with a 10-21 record, losing 12 of their last 13 games dating back to Jan. 17. On KenPom, a college basketball website that uses advanced analytics to rank teams, EMU finished the regular season ranked 241st out of 365 Division I teams.
Under Heath this past season, the Eagles finished with a 4-14 record in Mid-American Conference, tied for worst in the conference. EMU failed to qualify for the MAC's conference tournament, meaning the Eagles will not have a chance to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
This was the Detroit native's fifth year coaching at EMU and his 18th as a head coach in DI men's college basketball. Heath has previously served as the head coach at Kent State (2001-02), Arkansas (2002-07), South Florida (2007-14), and the Lakeland Magic (NBA G-League, 2017-21)
The United States is warning Iranian civilians about Irans use of heavily populated civilians areas as launch centers and urging them to stay home.
Iranian authorities are launching military operations, including one way done attacks and ballistic missiles, from the areas, according to U.S. Central Commands safety warning. The U.S. militarys warning lists crowded areas in cities including Dezful, Esfahan and Shiraz.
This dangerous decision risks the lives of all civilians in Iran since locations used for military purposes lose protected status and could become legitimate military targets under international law, Centcom states.
U.S. forces are warning that while the U.S. military takes every feasibly precaution to minimize harm to civilians," it cant guarantee civilians safety near facilities used for military purposes. The U.S. is strongly urging civilians to stay home.
Irans terrorist regime is blatantly disregarding civilian lives by attacking Gulf partners while compromising the safety of their own people, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Centcom, said in a statement.
The intention is to warn Iranians about their governments actions, not to say the U.S. will hit, according to a source familiar, who also warned though that it could become a legitimate target due to the Iranian government. International law dictates protections against civilians in armed conflict, though also warns against the use of civilians as shields.
Earlier in the month, an explosion killed more than 165 people by an elementary school, according to Iranian state media. The administration has said it is looking into the matter. While President Donald Trump said his opinion was that was done by Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added were certainly investigating on Saturday.
Trump has suggested the operation could continue for a little while.
We're winning the war by a lot. We've decimated their whole evil empire. It'll continue, I'm sure, for a little while, he told reporters.
Water pressure has started to return in Novi and Walled Lake after a massive water main break in Farmington Hills on Saturday morning, the Great Lakes Water Authority tells us.
Watch Jolie's report in the video below
Water pressure returns in Novi & Walled Lake after water main break in Farmington Hills
GLWA said that water is currently entering Novi's system. They also say that water pressure returned in Walled Lake late last night, thanks to an emergency connection from Commerce Township.
Watch our previous coverage
Massive water main break in Farmington Hills leaves Novi and Walled Lake residents without water
Residents in both cities were without water earlier this weekend. The break occurred at 4:30 a.m. Saturday on 14 Mile near Verona Road in Farmington Hills, between Drake and Farmington roads. A 48-inch pipe burst, sending water gushing into the street and turning the roadway into what looked like a river.
Officials say that crews worked through the night to remove water from the break site, and began removing damaged pipe this morning. GLWA estimates that installation of the new steel main will be completed on Monday.
One family we spoke to saw significant flooding in their Farmington Hills backyard.
I told him if he had a boat, we could go swimming out here. From here to over there, that water is about 5 feet deep," said Marcos Daminos. That was probably the worst it ever got, when it rains a lot it probably gets to right around there, but never this high.
We're told that the Boil Water Advisory remains in effect in both cities until water quality testing is completed and comes back clear.
In Novi on Sunday morning, residents stopped by the Department of Public Works to pick up drinkable water. One resident we spoke said it's been inconveinent, as well as costly.
Its been a mess. We recently had this just five months ago and were back in same.. so running around for water," said Shrinivas Arcota. We need to spend like hundreds of dollars to get outside food, and most of the restaurants are also closed. Its like a pandemic situation, where do we go?
One family of five that we talked to came with their trunk full of water bottles and buckets.
Not having water is pretty hard though. We cook a lot, so even if we have to wash dishes, wash up, take a shower," said Lillian Burke.
Flushing is the biggest part. Going to get a bottle of water from Kroger, Meijer, thats easy peasy. But flushing the toilet, thats a little bit harder," said Novi resident Matt Chivell.
GLWA provided another update to us on Sunday afternoon.
""But I can say that today at this point, the pressures are near normal. We are still working to do some flushing and disinfecting of pipes. These are the steps that we have to take in order for us to get the system off the boil water advisories," said GLWA CEO Suzanne Coffey. "This is not the level of service they deserve. This is not the level of service that we expect to provide. So, we are very disappointed that this occurred as well. It's not something we did that created it, but we do have responsibility for these pipes. It's our responsibility to get in them, to inspect them, to look for vulnerable pipes, and to do the best that we can to avoid the situation, which we will continue to do."
Both Walled Lake and Novi are under a Boil Water Advisory until repairs are completed. For further questions regarding the boil water advisory, click here.
It started like most of my trips do, by coming across a cheap airfare. I’d only been to Vienna once, decades ago, loved it and always meant to go back. But did I really want to go in winter, when it’s bone-chilling cold, even if I could fly there for only $400 roundtrip? I’m a California girl, after all.
The answer was yes, of course it would be worth it. I pondered going for the elaborate Christmas markets for which the city is famous, but it’s too hard to get away in December, what with the holidays and all.
Then, I remembered I’d always wanted to see the famed snow-white Lippizaner stallions at the Spanish Riding School, and I’d read about the hundreds of balls that take place each winter. Plus, Vienna is considered the world’s best city for classical music, and winter is when the scene is in high gear. Not all that surprising, really, considering it’s too cold to do much else.
In fact, my love of grand opera began there some 40 years ago, when my friend and I discovered we could buy standing room tickets for that night’s performance of “Salome” at the box office for the Staatsoper, the Vienna Opera House. We paid the equivalent of 91 cents. The evening was enchanting and unforgettable.
Nowadays, there’s no way I’m standing for three hours, but I’m still cheap, so I paid 16 Euros (around $20) for obstructed view tickets to “The Marriage of Figaro.” Mozart wrote the opera in his house nearby and it premiered in Vienna in 1786. We were in our cheap seats in the third row of a box, so couldn’t see the whole stage, but we saw enough to enjoy the show. It’s definitely worth going to see this Renaissance and Gothic revival palace of music, opened in 1869, even if you’re not an opera fan, but it’s essential to get advance tickets online, although you can still get standing room tickets at the box office on the same day. They’re not 91 cents anymore, but still pretty cheap.
The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Back when we bought our plane tickets in September, I couldn’t stop the ridiculous thoughts of going to a ball. I’m 69 years old — a little long in the tooth to pretend to be Cinderella. I live in T-shirts and mom jeans. I owned nothing that could be worn to a fancy occasion, let alone a ball. But the idea kept growing on me, until finally it popped out, fully grown. I needed to go to a ball. Any ball. No one was inviting me back home, so I clearly needed to go to Vienna.
Luckily, my friend Lori agreed to come with me (She’s weird too). I went online and bought tickets for 210 Euros each to the Coffee Brewers Ball — supposedly one of the best in the city. (Don’t laugh, coffee is a religion there.) Then, of course, we had to go buy formal evening gowns, shoes, stockings, clutches and gloves. I found The Dress Outlet in the downtown L.A. garment district that had plus size dresses, and scored a silver sequined gown on sale for $59. We also bought enough cold weather clothing to outfit a polar expedition — and we needed it.
On arrival, we checked into the lovely 130-year-old Hotel Kaiserhof, an antique-filled place with a kind, helpful staff.
On our first morning, we headed to the Belvedere Museum, a baroque former palace that retains its grandeur. The acres of gorgeous gardens were frozen in January, but the palace retains its massive crystal chandeliers, painted ceilings, gilt trim and all its imperial splendor.
(Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Sphinx guards the Belvedere Museum, a former palace, in Vienna, Austria. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Close-up of “The Kiss” painting by Gustav Klimt in the Belvedere Museum, Vienna. January 2026. The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Afterward, we headed to the Hofburg Palace, where we’d reserved a walking tourof the Imperial Apartments, including the Sisi Museum. Sisi was the nickname of Empress Elisabeth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We’d recently watched an engrossing PBS series about her life. In a story that is possibly apocryphal, she was 16 years old when she accompanied her aristocratic Bavarian family to Vienna, where her sister Helene was to meet Emperor Franz Joseph, to whom she was already engaged to be married. But when they arrived, the emperor was so smitten with Sisi that he broke his engagement to her older sister, and married her instead. That was only the beginning of a thoroughly unique life for a royal wife.
After touring the excessively grand Imperial Apartments, I felt my little tract house at home was a little lacking. But then I don’t need dozens of servants to take care of it.
The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Ballgown owned by Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria. January 2026. The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Our next big adventure was visiting the Spanish Riding School, which has been famous for its pure white “dancing” Lippizaner stallions for hundreds of years. The name dates back to a former emperor, a Habsburg from Spain, who brought his horses with him. The first mention of a riding arena on the site dates back to 1565. And, to this day, they are meticulously trained from colts to perform spectacular feats of dressage, including some who can lift their front legs and seem to prance off the ground.
For horse lovers, it’s a breathtaking treat to see them. After the performance, we took a guided tour of their stables, where the equines are treated like the stars they truly are. Each horse has its own rider, who trains it from a young age and stays with the horse until it retires. We got a look at their fancy show tack, including bridles and saddles, and learned about their lives. We weren’t allowed to pet them, which I understand because strangers could make them sick, but it was hard to keep my hands in my pockets. The tour was supposed to last an hour but actually was only 37 minutes, which was annoying, but still worthwhile.
The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
A Lippizan stallion looks out of his stall at the Spanish Riding School, Vienna. January 2026. The author, Marla Jo Fisher, at the Vienna Opera House. January 2026. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
And then there were the balls. I was able to get press tickets to see the annual Vienna Philharmonic Ball, which is one of the most sought-after and prestigious in the city. Tickets go on sale in January. This year, the 100-year-old event sold out in only 80 minutes, according to the ball director, Paul Halwax.
Each year, workers remove all the seating from the elegant, gilded Musikverein — the concert hall where the famed Vienna Philharmonic plays — and turn it into a ballroom that can hold some 2,600 people. And we felt like we encountered all of them, as the elegantly attired guests were crammed cheek-to-jowl in the huge space. In addition to the main ballroom, there were bars and other places to hear music and dance the night away, and I mean that literally. Vienna balls generally start around 9 p.m. with a processional of white-clad debutantes dancing, and then continue all night until 4:30 or 5 a.m. punctuated by special events such as ballet or opera performances. Afterward, attendees ignore their sore feet and head out to get traditional Vienna sausages for breakfast before going home.
The most elegant balls, like the Philharmonic, are unyielding about their dress codes: White tie and tails for men and long evening gowns for ladies. Some balls allow tuxedos as well. People who turn up underdressed are turned away with regrets. Every year, some ladies show up in short cocktail dresses, and are sometimes irate at being refused entry, even though every venue, often even the tickets themselves, describe the dress code in advance. The Philharmonic ball, ever solicitous of its elite guests, provides seamstresses, hairdressers and cosmeticians on site for emergency repairs.
(Copyright: Wiener Philharmoniker/Richard Schuster)
Debutantes at the Vienna Philharmonic Ball, January 2026. (Copyright: Wiener Philharmoniker/Richard Schuster)
Vienna is known as the city of balls, and some 400 are held annually, sponsored by trade associations or other groups. The official ball season starts on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. Most of the balls are held in carnival season of January and February, ending by Ash Wednesday, but there are some outliers at other times as well. Generally, anyone can buy a ticket to a ball, but be warned that they typically sell out.
For this trip, I had to break my cardinal cheapskate rule of never paying to check a bag at the airport, because bringing an evening gown (actually two, because I bought one for the opera as well)- was impossible in my tiny carry-on bag.
Keep this in mind, though: Regular tickets only get you in the door, to watch and dance. If you want a place to sit, you need to reserve a seat at a table. This will cost considerably more, but it’s well worth it when your tootsies are sore and you need a break. Waiters are also on hand to bring food and drink, at additional cost. Champagne is by far the most popular option. Tickets for table seats are often for sale before regular tickets. There are typically also fancy boxes for sale, with as you can imagine, higher prices.
Being cheapskates, we didn’t have seats, so by 1:30 a.m. our dogs were barking. But, surprisingly, the fairy tale atmosphere was so enchanting that I didn’t even feel tired, but our bodies couldn’t take any more.
The following night, we repeated the magical experience, this time in the Hofburg Palace. The Coffeehouse Owners Ball is so vast that it takes over all the ballrooms in the palace. With more space, it was less crowded than the night before, so cooler. The orchestra in the main ballroom, which accomodated thousands of dancers, played waltzes and also other dances, even sedate rock ‘n’ roll. Other smaller ballrooms offered more dancing, including sambas, tangos, swing and more. Later in the evening, a jazz club and disco opened. The entire place remained buzzing until the wee hours, but again we had to reluctantly leave as our aching feet disappointed us.
Coffee Brewers Ball in Vienna, January 2026, in the Hofburg Palace. (Photo by Marla Jo Fisher/SCNG)
Incidentally, Vienna was the first place I ever drank real, delicious dark roast coffee all those years ago, long before it became popular in the U.S. In fact, the aromatic beverage is practically a sacrament in Vienna, which is why there’s a ball dedicated to it. The menu at our hotel breakfast offered us nine different varieties, with lattes, espressos and other drinks with which I wasn’t acquainted.
The next day, after two balls in a row, I scarcely got out of my comfy hotel bed except to get downstairs in time for free breakfast. I’m old, after all. Even in my sleep, I was still humming the waltzes I’d heard. In fact, I’m still humming them to this day.
When I planned this adventure, I presumed it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But now, I’m even considering doing it again. The balls were so grand and overwhelmingly beautiful. The winter season in January means no crowds at any tourist attraction. We walked right into museums that have long lines in the summer.
But brrrr…it’s so darn cold! There’s no lingering strolls and window shopping, at least not for these weenie California girls. And Vienna is a city of beautiful gardens, all of which were cold and dead in January.
This is something I must contemplate further, although I know I’ll be back to Vienna again, and hopefully soon. It is a magical place.
If you go:
What’s in a name? Vienna is the city’s English name, but it’s called Wien (pronounced veen) in German. Also note that nearly all Austrian tourism websites have a toggle at the top that will allow you to translate them into English.
Spanish Riding School: Make sure you have advance reservations to see the stallions. Buy tickets here: srs.at/en
Music: The main opera house is the Wiener Staatsoper, a spectacular palace of music that has performances of various types most every night. wiener-staatsoper.at, The other main opera house is the Volksoper Wien, which hosts operas, operettas and musicals. volksoper.at There are too many music venues to list here, but the most famous is the Vienna Philharmonic, one of the world’s greatest orchestras, which performs at the Musikverein.
Balls: Vienna is known as the city of balls, and its estimated that some 400 are held annually. Generally, anyone can buy a ticket to a ball, which does not include seating. Tickets are already on sale for next January’s Coffeehouse Owners Ball. at kaffeesiederball.at.
Museums: Vienna has a dizzying number of museums, including spectacular former palaces. You can also visit the homes of famous people, including Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Strauss and Sigmund Freud.
Where to stay: We liked the mid-priced boutique Hotel Kaiserhof, which has an elevator, bar, room service, breakfast buffet and friendly staff. It’s located in the Fourth District, close to public transportation and the historic attractions in the First District. hotel-kaiserhof.at/wien
Opening of the Vienna Philharmonic Ball in January 2025. (Photo by Richard Schuster, copyright the Vienna Philharmoniker)
THREE RIVERS, MI — Ashley Steel had just parked outside Applebee’s, 1330 W. Broadway St., for her 4 p.m. shift when she saw the roof of Menards and a sea of debris fly into the air.
Within seconds, a reported tornado had descended on Steel, before she could run inside the restaurant.
“I was going to die,” Steel told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette about the thoughts running through her mind. “I closed my eyes and just kept screaming… I felt sticks, I felt the trees.”
As the skies cleared, people emerged to overturned cars, downed power lines, scraps of metal and varying other debris along West Broadway Street.
Roads were blocked by a tangle of downed power lines.
Three Rivers Health Emergency Room, a Holiday Inn Express and Menards were among businesses that sustained significant damage.
The Menards at 1001 Warner Drive had partially collapsed with large chunks of the roof, brick walls and front entrance missing.
One resident said the entrance to the emergency room at 701 South Health Parkway was blocked by debris. Employees at the emergency room declined to comment on the damage.
Hospital employees were set to drive home in vehicles caked with dirt. Instead of glass windows, their cars had gaping holes.
Nearby trees had been uprooted.
Jonathan Baker looked outside the window of his office at Kendall Electric, 1201 W. Broadway St., when he saw a weird funnel shape and debris fly into the air.
“I think there’s a tornado at my house,” he said to his colleagues.
Within seconds there was a big gust of wind and he screamed to his colleagues to hide in the bathroom. They made it to the bathroom just before gusts of wind blew out doors and windows.
It was “chaos,” Baker said.
A spring-like storm in Three Rivers quickly escalated into a violent supercell, resulting in at least two tornado touchdowns.
Though no life-threatening injuries were reported, several individuals were treated for minor injuries, and emergency personnel are on-site managing the aftermath.
A tornado touchdown in Union City also was reported from this storm.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center on Friday evening in response to storm and the significant damage.
Ashley Steel looks inside her totaled car, that she was stuck in during a reported tornado is seen along W. Broadway Street in Three Rivers, Mich., on Friday, March 6, 2026. ((Devin Anderson-Torrez/mlive.com/TNS)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Wearing an oxygen pack on her back for her COPD, Marcia OBara is leading a group of nature enthusiasts on a mission to see birds. They carry walking sticks on the flat trails, moving at their own pace, without pressure or competition and enjoying a sense of community.
This is Birding for Every BODY, one of numerous such excursions offered each month by the nonprofit Tucson Bird Alliance with Arizona’s Pima County.
It’s part of a growing national movement to help people with physical and other limitations experience birding and nature in general.
“It’s an opportunity for people to get out and see birds without pressure, no matter how long it takes or how many birds we see,” said OBara, a retired nurse who has been leading the accessible outings for three years. She said disabled people often cannot keep up on traditional outings, especially when competitive birders are focused on checking off a list of the greatest possible number of species.
For her accessible walks, OBara ensures that all trails are easily traversable, and bathrooms are open and large enough to accommodate mobility scooters and wheelchairs. She checks on the availability of drinking water, shade and benches. Once a walk gets underway, OBara checks to ensure everyone is keeping up, then modulates the pace as needed.
“I used to work in rehab, so I usually know what people need,” OBara said.
While the outings are open to those with wheelchairs and mobility scooters, people who use those devices rarely attend the walks, OBara said, perhaps because they don’t think they’ll be able to keep up.
“But we’d encourage them to come,” OBara said.
Enjoying nature and community
On one of several walks she led in February at Tucson-area parks, OBara pointed out a phainopepla, a slender, crested bird perched on a mesquite tree that adores the bright red berries of desert mistletoe clumped on the branches. Quacking mallards and other ducks swam in ponds or pecked the ground.
“It’s nice to just be outside and not think of anything else,” said Rhea Guertin, a retired Rhode Island snowbird who spends four months in Tucson each winter. She used a walking pole for stability.
“I’m just slow,” she explained.
Group leader Marcia OBara checks the landscape for birds during an accessible birding walk at Feliz Paseos Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
Evelyn Spitzer, a retired Tucson-area teacher, used a walking pole for her heart condition and the lingering effects of a recent surgery.
The organized effort to share birding with people with limitations goes back at least to 2018, when retired Texas teacher Virginia Rose founded the nonprofit Birdability. Rose has used a wheelchair since suffering a spinal injury at age 14.
Retired Tucson area teacher Evelyn Spitzer pauses during an accessible birding walk at Feliz Paseos Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
On smooth trails or from the back deck
“Our vision is that birding be truly for everybody and every BODY, regardless of disability,” said Cat Fribley, Birdability’s executive director. She said participants’ limitations include mobility issues, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness. Some are neurodivergent, deaf, hard of hearing or have other health concerns.
Fribley, who has a mobility scooter for multiple disabilities, said she can go five or six miles while birding on the accessible paths in her residential community in Iowa City, Iowa.
An accessible dirt path leading to a nature and birding trail appears at Feliz Paseos Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
“In the winter, I bird on my back deck with my coffee,” she said.
Other examples of accessible birding include watching from a car, from a canoe on a river, or simply through a kitchen window, advocates said.
Maps and apps
Birdability has helped compile a crowdsourced map of accessible birding locations nationwide in partnership with the National Audubon Society, and offers advice to able-bodied birders on how to be more welcoming and inclusive.
A Phainopepla perching on the branch of a mesquite tree is photographed during an accessible walk for people with limitations at Agua Caliente Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 13, 2026. (Anita Snow. via AP)
The group’s website has many other resources and adaptive devices, such as car-window mounts for cameras, and apps that blind people and others can use to identify and record birdsong.
Occupational therapist Freya McGregor recommends binocular harnesses, which are strapped around the back and chest, saying they’re easier on the shoulders and neck than binoculars that hang around the neck.
McGregor — who has a permanent knee injury — runs Access Birding, which trains nature organizations such as state parks and local Audubon chapters on making trails accessible.
A sign for the Feliz Paseos trailhead is displayed at the park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
Birding by ear
Birding “really brings you joy,” said Jerry Berrier, a 73-year-old Massachusetts birder who has been blind since birth. “There is happiness from being out in nature.”
Berrier got hooked as a college student when he learned to identify a huge number of bird calls and songs to satisfy the lab requirement for a biology class. He later taught blind and blind-deaf people how to negotiate the use of laptops and cellphones at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.
A pair of Mallard ducks appear at Agua Caliente Park in Tucson, Ariz., during an accessible birding outing for people with limitations on Feb. 13, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
He captures avian songs and calls for his website, www.birdblind.org, to help blind bird enthusiasts record and share their own. Last year, he launched the “Any Bird, Any Body” podcast with his friend, Gary Haritz.
Berrier also helped organize the first national bird-a-thon for blind enthusiasts in the U.S. It drew several hundred participants last year, who reported the birdcalls they heard over 24 hours. The event goes international this year on May 3-4.
House finches are photographed during an accessible walk for people with limitations at Canoa Ranch, Ariz., outside Tucson, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Anita Sno via AP)
“We encourage people to reach out to local organizations to help blind people with the bird-a-thon, he said. “A disability can be very isolating.”
Anita Snow wrote for The Associated Press for more than 35 years before retiring a year ago. When she’s not birding, she writes freelance articles from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
Group leader Marcia OBara, left, wearing an oxygen pack for her COPD, and birding enthusiast Rhea Guertin walk down a smooth dirt path during an accessible outing at Feliz Paseos Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Anita Snow via AP)
This recipe is from the “I Love Sandwiches” chapter in my cookbook “Eat to Hustle.” The chapter is basically my love letter to road-trip food made healthier — inspired by fast-food classics, gas-station gems, and deli-counter staples that I thought I’d never get to eat again after going vegan.
My versions hit just as hard, especially because they’re loaded with plant-based protein, so your body enjoys them just as much as you do.
Traditional sloppy joes are way too sweet and ketchup-y for my taste. I like to think my version is a little more refined — still hearty and meaty from the lentils, with a smoky, savory sauce that’s just the right amount of tangy. Serve the hearty filling on high-protein buns and watch them disappear.
Napkins definitely required.
This cookbook cover image released by Voracious shows “Eat to Hustle” by Robin Arzón. (Voracious via AP)
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Ingredients
½ medium white onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked lentils
4 high-protein burger buns, such as Hero
Directions
This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for lentil sloppy joes from the cookbook “Eat to Hustle” by Robin Arzón. (Voracious via AP)
Preheat the oven to 200°F. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper is soft, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, paprika, red pepper and black pepper. Let the mixture come to a simmer, then stir in the lentils to coat. Simmer until the lentils are warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
While the lentils are simmering, split the burger buns and arrange on the oven rack to toast. Divide the sloppy joes mixture among the toasted buns and serve immediately.
Robin Arzón is head instructor and vice president of fitness and programming at Peloton. She’s also a bestselling author. She lives in New York City with her husband, Drew, and their children Athena Amelia and Atlas Sage.
Excerpted from “Eat to Hustle” by Robin Arzón. Copyright (copyright) 2026 by Robin Arzón. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for lentil sloppy joes from the cookbook “Eat to Hustle” by Robin Arzón. (Voracious via AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cradling his newborn daughter in his lap in their Indianapolis home, JaKobi Burton’s love for the new lady in his life is evident with each caress.
The first-time dad’s commitment started months earlier. Burton attended every medical appointment and took classes with Dads to Doulas, a program created by the organization Dear Fathers that teaches Black fathers-to-be how to provide physical, mental and spiritual support up to and after childbirth.
He and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, understood that the pregnancy came with immense risk, not just because they were in their 40s but also because they are Black. Federal health data shows Black women are almost 3.5 times more likely than white women to die around the time of childbirth.
Health professionals and advocates hope that by giving Black fathers-to-be the tools to be more hands-on — through government-funded programs and nonprofit center resources — they can cut into those odds. Organizers say there has been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of some Black men who now openly discuss their pregnancy fears and insecurities.
“I want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning, and I’m always going to be your biggest protector,” Burton tells his 1-month-old daughter. “That’s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.”
Paternal involvement is ‘directly correlated with better outcomes’
Health disparities, racism and equal access to prenatal care are among the contributing factors for the disparities in mortality rates among women of different races, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Two recent viral cellphone videos — including one in Indiana — show hospital staff dismissing the concerns of Black women in labor.
The maternal mortality rate for Black women soars above that of other racial groups. They suffered 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. White women experienced 14.5. Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7, respectively.
The National Healthy Start Association, which was created in 1998 to help improve infant and maternal mortality rates, has “fatherhood practitioners” at its 116 project sites. They, along with case managers, offer men assistance including webinars, a texting service and even cooking lessons.
Kenneth Scarborough, who has been the NHSA’s fatherhood and men’s health consultant for 10 years, has noticed a shift toward including male partners in the efforts to preserve the health of pregnant women.
“There’s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,” Scarborough said. “The challenge with that is still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.”
Doctors still leave Black fathers “on the fringes of the conversation” while society often codifies them as “scary and rough,” said Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder and director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University.
She said she has heard countless anecdotes of fathers being ignored in the exam room, even though paternal involvement is “directly correlated with better outcomes.”
JaKobi Burton assembles a baby crib at his home in Indianapolis, Oct. 17, 2025, three days before the birth of his daughter, Phoenix RyZen Reign Burton. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)
Mothers- and fathers-to-be face racism in medical institutions
Black patients are frequently advised to seek out an OB-GYN who looks like them, and Wilmot-Burton did just that.
“I thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,” she said.
But Black doctors make up a tiny share of OB-GYNs nationwide. Of the estimated 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, 7.5% are Black women, according to 2023 data from the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Even fewer — 2.3% — are Black men.
JaKobi Burton looks at his pregnant wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, during a prenatal appointment in Indianapolis, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)
Deborah Frazier, the CEO of National Healthy Start, said medical organizations must let go of any stigma about paternal involvement. Black and brown fathers still face stereotypes of absenteeism.
“We have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,” Frazier said.
Charles Johnson IV founded 4Kira4Moms in 2017 after his wife, Kira, bled to death during a cesarean section at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. Johnson sued the hospital in 2022, saying she died because of a culture of racism.
Fathers should be able to walk the line between assertive and aggressive while still being a “force in the room,” the group’s executive director Gabrielle Albert said.
“What if you happen to be 6-foot-5 and 200-something pounds? If you speak up, what’s gonna happen?” Albert said. “Let’s role-play conversations. How do you push back against the doctor?”
Crystal Wilmot-Burton holds their sleeping newborn daughter, Phoenix RyZen Reign Burton, as her husband, JaKobi Burton, kneels next to her at their home in Indianapolis, Dec. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)
From dad to doula
In August — two months before Wilmot-Burton gave birth — Burton was one of a dozen prospective dads holding a Black baby doll at a Dads to Doulas workshop. Facilitator Kyra Betts Patton tells them studies show present fathers-to-be can lower the chances of premature births.
“The largest time frame for maternal mortality, you’re looking at 43 to 100 days after you’ve had a baby. No one’s there but the partner,” Patton said.
Burton said the classes gave him the courage to advocate throughout the pregnancy, and that he took a checklist of questions from the class to every appointment.
JaKobi Burton cradles his newborn daughter, Phoenix RyZen Reign Burton, on his shoulder at his home in Indianapolis, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)
“I pushed hard prior to the delivery to make sure that our birth plan was followed, even though it wasn’t completely. But she (Phoenix) still turned out great and was delivered successfully,” said Burton. He also took classes with the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition.
Wilmot-Burton gives her husband credit for taking these workshops while also working and attending grad school. His presence was vital, especially when she felt unwell or was nervous.
“I would encourage other Black women to make sure their partners are on board to attend some classes or read books,” she said, “and definitely go to as many appointments as they can.”
Tang reported from Phoenix.
First-time dad JaKobi Burton holds his newborn daughter, Phoenix RyZen Reign Burton, at their home in Indianapolis, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Obed Lamy)
A driver is dead, and another driver has been hospitalized after a crash on Interstate 96 early Sunday morning, Michigan State Police tells us.
The crash happened at 3:05 a.m., near Outer Drive.
Investigators say that the driver of a sedan was heading eastbound when they lost control of their vehicle and crashed into the back of a tow truck.
The driver of the sedan, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tow truck was hospitalized to treat non-life-threatening injuries.
MSP told us that, about 90 minutes after the initial crash, a second crash happened between an SUV and a semi. When a trooper went to investigate the crash, his patrol car was struck on the passenger side.
The trooper was hospitalized from that crash, but is expected to make a full recovery. The other driver involved was impaired by both alcohol and narcotics, authorities tell us. She was arrested and transported to a local hospital after the crash.
These crashes along I 96 highlighted just some of the risky driving behaviors we are seeing on our roadways, said F/Lt. Mike Shaw in a statement. In these crashes we saw drivers losing control, being distracted and finally driving under the influence. These crashes led to property damage road closures, a trooper being hurt, and ultimately someone losing their life. Please slow down, focus on the roadway, move over for emergency vehicles. And once again, there is never a reason to drive impaired, ever.
This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.
In Oakland County’s Waterford Township, concern over the use of automatic license plate readers by law enforcement agencies escalated to a 24-year-old man smashing several of the devices to bits.
Police credit one of the cameras he’s accused of breaking with helping track him down. The license plate reader, Sheriff Scott Underwood said, captured his license plate data before it was damaged.
Underwood highlighted that incident as one of many examples where the readers have assisted in solving crimes quickly, but the damaged cameras and subsequent arrest highlight the tension many communities are experiencing as local officials grapple with how and whether to use automatic license plate readers in policing.
At least 16 states have adopted policies aimed at regulating the use and retention of data collected by license plate readers, which capture pictures of vehicle license plates every time a car drives by.
A group of lawmakers led by Republican state Rep. Doug Wozniak of Shelby Township and Democratic state Rep. Jimmie Wilson of Ypsilanti are suggesting it’s time for Michigan to do the same.
“Michiganders deserve to know that new technology is being used responsibly, not in ways that invade privacy or erode public confidence,” Wozniak said in a statement announcing bipartisan bills to regulate the devices, arguing their plan would protect driver privacy and help maintain public trust in law enforcement.
Absent a statewide policy, decisions on the use of license plate readers have fallen to local law enforcement agencies and municipal governments.
In communities where license plate reader contracts are being considered, concerned residents have increasingly spoken up at public hearings about the possibility of data being used to surveil lawful activity or the possible sharing of data with federal law enforcement agencies.
At least 125 Michigan agencies contract with the Atlanta-based company Flock Safety, one of the largest providers nationwide of automatic license plate reader technology.
Law enforcement agencies using the devices tout the technology as a speedy way to help locate missing people or catch criminals, and some police groups are concerned the proposed statewide regulations as written would go too far.
“We’re not against any regulations — we just don’t want it to weaken what a good investigative tool the license plate readers are,” said Matt Saxton, executive director of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association.
HOW THE BILLS WOULD WORK
If the proposed legislation became law, the biggest change would be a restriction on how long any data collected by license plate readers is stored.
Lawmakers supporting the bills are pushing for a 14-day limit on data retention, as well as limiting use of the license plate reader system to specific law enforcement actions, including:
Finding missing peopleLocating stolen vehiclesLocating people with outstanding arrest warrantsIdentifying uninsured or unregistered vehiclesParking and tolling enforcementCriminal investigations
The legislation also calls for publicly available reports from agencies using the readers on how the data is used and would offer a path for legal recourse if a driver believes his or her data was used improperly.
State and local governments can support effective policing “while still demanding safeguards that protect civil liberties,” Wilson said in a statement announcing the bills.
“This legislation creates clear limits on how … data is collected, stored and shared, ensuring these tools are used to improve public safety, not to enable routine mass surveillance,” he continued.
In most communities with license plate readers, the devices are placed at or near major public intersections. As vehicles pass by, the reader takes a photo of the back of the car, collecting the license plate number that can be used to look up the vehicle registration.
Photos are typically stored by the contractor for 30 days, though locals can elect to keep them for more or less time. The law enforcement entity can then cross-check those images with “hot lists” of license plates connected to suspected criminals or missing people.
Critics contend that 24-hour surveillance of drivers, the vast majority of whom will never be charged with a crime, poses major privacy concerns — especially considering the 30-day standard for storing the data also means anyone with access could gain insight into a driver’s daily routines.
Saxton, the executive director of the Sheriff’s Association, said law enforcement criminal investigations or missing person searches can take longer than two weeks to complete. He’s concerned cutting the timeline short could limit the effectiveness of the tool.
“If that data was gone after 14 days, we couldn’t use that as a tool to help that family find out answers about their missing loved ones,” he said.
The proposed legislation is pending in the House Judiciary Committee and would need to earn majority support in the politically divided House and Senate to become law.
ACLU of Michigan policy strategist Gabrielle Dresner, whose organization worked closely with lawmakers on crafting the proposal, is optimistic about the chances of meaningful reform.
“In conversations we’ve had with the vast majority of the representatives, we’ve had a lot of support from both sides of the aisle … the most left of left and right of right,” she said. “It’s really a popular issue among everyone.”
WHERE THINGS STAND STATEWIDE
In the meantime, communities around the state are reaching differing conclusions about how to balance law enforcement requests with increased pushback from citizens.
After weeks of opposition from residents, Lapeer County Sheriff Scott McKenna recently pulled back a request for license plate readers.
He told county commissioners that he personally believes foregoing the readers “leaves us in a vulnerable position,” but, after taking stock of the situation, he “felt it was my duty at that point to pull it off the agenda.”
Some cities, including Bay City and Ferndale, have in recent months backed out of contracts with Flock and have reassessed their license plate reader policies or switched to a different provider in response to community concerns.
In Detroit, city council members recently requested a report on how data collected from the city’s more than 500 license plate readers is used, expressing concerns about the possibility of data sharing.
But other communities are still considering getting their own license plate readers or adding onto existing contracts as local police credit the technology with helping locate stolen vehicles, bust human trafficking rings, solve serious crimes like rapes and murders and fill coverage gaps in short-staffed departments.
Local officials in Trenton and Taylor this week considered renewing existing contracts with Flock Safety. Taylor police credit the tool with arrests in a 14-year-old’s shooting death and a sting operation involving possible child predators, among other things.
In Waterford Township, where police began using license plate readers in 2022, law enforcement was recently approved to add additional readers and Flock-powered drones to its repertoire, despite concerted pushback from locals.
After several cameras were destroyed — including the camera that led to an arrest in the crime — Underwood, the Waterford police chief, in a press release said the public is entitled to their opinions regarding the readers, but aren’t entitled to maliciously interfere.
The license plate readers “collect only images of vehicles and license plates,” he said in the release. “Those images, coupled with a number of other investigative techniques, led to a successful resolution in this case, that being the arrest of a person who committed three felonies.”
A Flock Safety license-plate, vehicle-trait recognition camera is deployed along southbound Gratiot Avenue north of Interstate 696 in Roseville.
MACOMB DAILY PHOTO
Residents in Walled Lake and parts of Novi have been without water since a massive water main break early Saturday morning, while crews from the Great Lakes Water Authority work around the clock to restore service.
Watch Tiarra's report below
Massive water main break in Farmington Hills leaves Novi and Walled Lake residents without water
The break occurred at 4:30 a.m. Saturday on 14 Mile near Verona Road in Farmington Hills, between Drake and Farmington roads. A 48-inch pipe burst, sending water gushing into the street and turning the roadway into what looked like a river.
Cars were stranded, and some drivers had to be rescued from the floodwater.
The City of Novi said on Sunday morning that the Boil Water Advisory is still in effect as repairs continue. Drinkable water is available until 1 p.m. today at the following locations:
Department of Public Works (26300 Lee BeGole Drive) Village Oaks Elementary School (23333 Willowbrook)
Residents are asked to bring their own containers for the water.
"If you walked this area here, you can feel the thunder, the vibration from the water going down. It's a massive, you and I could walk inside that pipe," a Farmington Hills resident said.
"I've never seen anything like it," Barry Kaufman, a Farmington Hill resident said.
Water was shut off for residents in the immediate area but was turned back on within a few hours. There is no boil water advisory in place for Farmington Hills residents.
Residents in Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, and Commerce Township are not under a boil water advisory but are being asked to conserve water.
Some Novi residents stopped by the city's Department of Public Works to pick up drinkable water.
"We just grab a few bottles to fill up to help us wash up after dinner tonight, flush the toilets, and have some drinking water to try to get through this," Jenifer Lampi of Novi said.
When asked if she was prepared for the long haul, Lampi was direct.
"No, gosh, I hope not," Lampi said.
She added that she was hopeful service would be restored soon.
"I hope it's on tomorrow or something, or at least in the near future, otherwise we'll be right back here," Lampi said.
Another Novi resident, Anna Takahachi, said she was caught off guard by the outage.
"You never expect it, that's why it's a problem, you never know when it can happen," Takahachi said.
Suzanne Coffey, CEO of the Great Lakes Water Authority, said the exact cause of the break is still under investigation, but offered a possible explanation.
"It appears a power disruption at one of our pumping stations was the initial event that created a high-pressure transient wave that ran through the water transmission system," Coffey said.
Coffey said GLWA hopes to restore water to Novi and Walled Lake residents as soon as possible. She added that the authority is looking to replace aging pipes in the water system to prevent future breaks.
"It's about a billion dollars of pipe that's already past its useful life, and to keep up with the assets aging will cost us about $75 million dollars a year. We did put $7 1/2 million in our budget this year to begin to work toward that target of trying to keep steady, tread water if you will," Coffey said.
For residents who are under a boil water advisory, GLWA officials note that freezing water does not disinfect it. Water must be boiled.
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.
As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region.
On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants. Earlier, Iran said a U.S. airstrike had damaged an Iranian plant.
Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast, putting individual systems that supply water to millions within range of Iranian missile or drone strikes. Without them, major cities could not sustain their current populations.
In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination, along with roughly 86% in Oman and about 70% in Saudi Arabia. The technology removes salt from seawater — most commonly by pushing it through ultrafine membranes in a process known as reverse osmosis — to produce the freshwater that sustains cities, hotels, industry and some agriculture across one of the world’s driest regions.
For people living outside the Middle East, the main concern of the Iran war has been the impact on energy prices. The Gulf produces about a third of the world’s crude exports and energy revenues underpin national economies. Fighting has already halted tanker traffic through key shipping routes and disrupted port activity, forcing some producers to curb exports as storage tanks fill.
But the infrastructure that keeps Gulf cities supplied with drinking water may be equally vulnerable.
“Everyone thinks of Saudi Arabia and their neighbors as petrostates. But I call them saltwater kingdoms. They’re human-made fossil-fueled water superpowers,” said Michael Christopher Low, director of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah. “It’s both a monumental achievement of the 20th century and a certain kind of vulnerability.”
Early signs of risk
The war that began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran has already brought fighting close to key desalination infrastructure. On March 2, Iranian strikes on Dubai’s Jebel Ali port landed some 12 miles from one of the world’s largest desalination plants, which produces much of the city’s drinking water.
Damage also was reported at the Fujairah F1 power and water complex in the United Arab Emirates, and at Kuwait’s Doha West desalination plant. The damage at the two facilities appeared to have resulted from nearby port attacks or debris from intercepted drones.
On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of indiscriminately attacking civilian targets and damaging one of its desalination plants, though it didn’t say supplies have gone offline. The island nation, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been among the countries targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
Earlier, Iran said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant. Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister, said the strike on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had cut into the water supply for 30 villages. He warned that in doing so “the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.”
Many Gulf desalination plants are physically integrated with power stations as co‑generation facilities, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure could also hinder water production. Even where plants are connected to national grids with backup supply routes, disruptions can cascade across interconnected systems, said David Michel, senior fellow for water security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It’s an asymmetrical tactic,” he said. “Iran doesn’t have the same capacity to strike back at the United States and Israel. But it does have this possibility to impose costs on the Gulf countries to push them to intervene or call for a cessation of hostilities.”
Desalination plants have multiple stages — intake systems, treatment facilities, energy supplies — and damage to any part of that chain can interrupt production, according to Ed Cullinane, Middle East editor at Global Water Intelligence, a publisher serving the water industry.
“None of these assets are any more protected than any of the municipal areas that are currently being hit by ballistic missiles or drones,” Cullinane said.
A long-standing concern
Gulf governments and U.S. officials have long recognized the risks these systems pose for regional stability: if major desalination plants were knocked offline, some cities could lose most of their drinking water within days. A 2010 CIA analysis warned attacks on desalination facilities could trigger national crises in several Gulf states, and prolonged outages could last months if critical equipment were destroyed.
More than 90% of the Gulf’s desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, the report stated, and “each of these critical plants is extremely vulnerable to sabotage or military action.”
A leaked 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable warned the Saudi capital of Riyadh “would have to evacuate within a week” if either the Jubail desalination plant on the Gulf coast or its pipelines or associated power infrastructure were seriously damaged.
Saudi Arabia has since invested in pipeline networks, storage reservoirs and other redundancies designed to cushion short-term disruptions, as has the UAE. But smaller states such as Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait have fewer backup supplies.
Climate change could threaten water plants
As warming oceans increase the likelihood and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea and raise the chances of landfall on the Arabian Peninsula, storm surge and extreme rainfall could overwhelm drainage systems and damage coastal desalination.
The plants themselves contribute to the problem. Desalination is energy-intensive, with plants worldwide producing between 500 and 850 million tons of carbon emissions annually, approaching the roughly 880 million tons emitted by the entire global aviation industry.
The byproduct of desalination, highly concentrated brine, is typically discharged back into the ocean, where it can harm seafloor habitats and coral reefs, while intake systems can trap and kill fish larvae, plankton and other organisms at the base of the marine food web.
As climate change intensifies droughts, disrupts rainfall patterns and fuels wildfires, desalination is expected to expand in many parts of the world.
The threat is not hypothetical
During Iraq’s 1990-1991 invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, Iraqi forces sabotaged power stations and desalination facilities as they retreated, said the University of Utah’s Low. At the same time, millions of barrels of crude oil were deliberately released into the Persian Gulf, creating one of the largest oil spills in history.
The massive slick threatened to contaminate seawater intake pipes used by desalination plants across the region. Workers rushed to deploy protective booms around the intake valves of major facilities.
The destruction left Kuwait largely without fresh water and dependent on emergency water imports. Full recovery took years.
More recently, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi desalination facilities amid regional tensions.
The incidents underscore a broader erosion of long-standing norms against attacking civilian infrastructure, Michel said, noting conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq.
International humanitarian law, including provisions of the Geneva Conventions, prohibit targeting civilian infrastructure indispensable to the survival of the population, including drinking water facilities.
The potential for harmful cyberattacks on water infrastructure is a growing concern. In 2023 and 2024, U.S. officials blamed Iran-aligned groups for hacking into several American water utilities.
Iran’s own water supply at risk
After a fifth year of extreme drought, water levels in Tehran’s five reservoirs plunged to some 10% of their capacity, prompting President Masoud Pezeshkian to warn the capital may have to be evacuated.
Unlike many Gulf states that rely heavily on desalination, Iran still gets most of its water from rivers, reservoirs and depleted underground aquifers. The country operates a relatively small number of desalination plants, supplying only a fraction of national demand.
Iran is racing to expand desalination along its southern coast and pump some of the water inland, but infrastructure constraints, energy costs and international sanctions have sharply limited scalability.
“They were already thinking of evacuating the capital last summer,” Cullinane of Global Water Intelligence said. “I don’t dare to wonder what it’s going to be like this summer under sustained fire, with an ongoing economic catastrophe and a serious water crisis.”
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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
An incoming projectile explodes over the water as Israel issues a nationwide alert following its strikes on Iran, in Haifa Bay, northern Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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