Oakland County officials are pushing back against a proposed 10% electric rate increase from DTE Energy, and they want residents to help make their case.

DTE filed a $474 million rate hike request with the Michigan Public Service Commission earlier this year. If approved, the increase would not take effect until March 2027. Both Oakland and Macomb County boards voted to intervene in the case, arguing the proposed hike is too steep.

Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chair Dave Woodward said the county is now asking residents to submit copies of 2 electric bills from December 2025 and April 2026 to be used as evidence in the proceedings.

"A 10% rate increase is just absurd, it is out of proportion of reality," Woodward said.

Woodward said the county is looking for a strong sample of bills to demonstrate the real-world impact of recent rate changes on customers.

"We need a good sampling, 500-1000 would be a good sample that we can look at and show with empirical concrete evidence, with actual bills, that the true experience of the rate increase wasn't just the 5% approved earlier this year, it's probably double digits," Woodward said.

The push to intervene comes as businesses and residents across the region report rising utility costs. In downtown Royal Oak, Alchemi and Johnny's Speakeasy owner John Prepolec said his electric bill has doubled since he opened 10 years ago. This summer, he said his monthly electric bill reached nearly $2,000.

"It's not like I can replace my air conditioner you know? That's a huge user of it, but you're a restaurant, you can't have people sweating," Prepolec said.

Prepolec said a 10% rate hike is difficult to justify given the current economic climate.

"I think when inflation is around 3.5%, I think 10% is pretty high," Prepolec said. "They just pass along the cost increases, I'd be curious to what they're doing to cut their costs."

In a statement, DTE said in part: "Our customers' bills remain below regional and national averages, and the grid is getting more resilient with outage times improving 90% from 2023 to 2025." The company also said that after this rate hike request, it plans to pause rate hike requests for 2 years.

Royal Oak resident Matthew Gray said he would be willing to participate in the county's bill submission effort.

"Yeah if I knew someone was going to take a look at it and there would be some follow up, I would submit my bills," Gray said.

Oakland County residents can submit their electric bills through an online form at https://publicdocs2.oakgov.com/Forms/DTEBillSubmission.

The Attorney General's office is also among the officials fighting the rate hike request.

City officials, first responders and community members gathered Friday in Romulus to break ground on a new public safety headquarters that will serve both the city's police and fire departments.

Before the ceremony focused on the future, attendees paused to remember the thousands of people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The new headquarters will be built on Wick Road near Vining.

"It's exciting," said Romulus Police Chief Robert Pfannes. "They've been trying to get this facility for the last 35 years."

According to Pfannes, the department's current building is located in a former elementary school in downtown Romulus.

"A 100-year-old school building and it doesn't meet any of the needs of a modern police station," he said.

City leaders say the new location will also improve emergency response times.

Take a look at the ceremony in the video player below

"This is much more centrally located," Pfannes said. "The area where the station used to be was basically on a side street in a neighborhood. While residents liked it, it was not a good place for response and we were routinely stopped by trains."

The facility will house both police and fire operations.

"Virtually all of the fire administration will be in this building, but it will be a four-bay station that houses fire crews that actively respond to fire incidents and EMS," Fire Chief Dave Heavener said.

The groundbreaking ceremony's timing on September 11 gave added significance to the event. Heavener reflected on the sacrifices made by first responders during the attacks 25 years ago.

"Three hundred forty-three firefighters died that day from FDNY," Heavener said. "The common thing following that event was 'never forget,' and I think things that we've done here today and what we continue to do prove we're committed to not forgetting."

Longtime Romulus resident Emery Long attended the ceremony and said first responders deserve updated facilities.

"Public service is not an easy thing to do, so you want the most comfortable work environment that you can have to serve the public," Long said.

Construction on the new public safety headquarters is expected to begin soon. City officials hope to have the facility open by 2028.

President Trump on Friday once again promised each American adult a $5,000 check if Republicans keep control of Congress after the midterm elections.

"When I say something, I mean it! The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it. VOTE REPUBLICAN," he wrote on social media.

But the pledge is receiving bipartisan criticism from politicians, and economists are sounding the alarm. The proposal would cost the U.S. government over a trillion dollars, while the country is already carrying a $40 trillion debt.

Scripps News spoke with Veronique de Rugy, an economist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about the effects if the checks do go through.

"It's not much different than the checks that we cut people during the COVID epidemic. The COVID relief sent a lot of checks," de Rugy said. "What's very different is that we're not in an emergency at all."

RELATED STORY | Trump announces $500 refunds for nearly 1 million 'Obamacare' enrollees

"What is also different is that in general, when you put relief efforts during an emergency, there's this kind of understanding that actually the money will be repaid. In this case, the president is actually claiming we're going to have this paid with tariff revenue. But tariff revenues are not nearly enough to pay for this. So it will be borrowing and no one knows how it will be repaid for," de Rugy said.

Watch the full interview with de Rugy in the video above.

25 Years After 9/11: Personal Stories, Unanswered Questions, and the Next Generation. On this special, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Jon Leiberman reflects on being at the Pentagon moments after the plane hit, and hears from those whose lives were forever altered that day.

Jon sits down with 9/11 widow and three-time cancer survivor Beth Murphy, who shares her incredible story of resilience after suffering a stroke right before the 20th anniversary.

Scripps News' Kadia Tubman breaks down the long-fought victory for the World Trade Center Health Program and why a 7th moment of silence is being added to this year's ceremony. Then, Middle East historian Dr. Asaf Romirowsky examines how the global terror threat has evolved 25 years later, before the panel sounds off on how to teach 9/11 to the 100 million Americans who weren't even alive when it happened.

Don't have time to follow every twist and turn of the week's biggest stories? Veteran journalist Jon Leiberman ("Howard Stern" and "America's Most Wanted") breaks down what happened so you are in the know on the most important, compelling, underreported and craziest stories of the week.

Stream new episodes of "Catch Me Up" every Friday at 7 p.m. ET. And text the word Scripps to 202-968-2449 to comment or be part of an upcoming panel discussion.

Ford Field is rolling out several new features for the upcoming Detroit Lions season, including premium seating, interactive experiences, new merchandise options and a virtual reality ride.

Kara Agby, director of partnership marketing and naming rights, led a tour of the new additions and said the upgrades are built around one priority.

"Everything we do is for the fans," Agby said.

Watch 7 Action News reporter Jeffrey Lindblom break down all the new features in the video below:

Ford Field debuts new fan experiences ahead of Lions season openerI

Among the new features are 100 elevated seats positioned next to a new game entertainment stage where a DJ will help energize the crowd before and during games. The new 1934 Club offers a premium experience for ticket holders, including comfortable seating, access to the pre-game radio show live and additional entertainment options. A limited number of memberships remain available.

Agby said the stadium's renovations, including some of the newest additions, have been years in the making.

"We want the city to feel like this stadium is for them and so everything we do is centered around that," Agby said.

One of the more unique new additions is a Raptor VR experience. After completing the virtual reality ride, fans receive a complimentary hat either a ball cap or a trucker cap.

Ford Field is also debuting its first-ever gate name change. The newly named Bernie Advantage Gate will offer a gift a hat good for an upcoming game to fans who exit through it during the fourth quarter.

On the merchandise side, the new Fan Cave gives fans a place to pick out jerseys and other gear. A Lions statue is also on hand for photos, lit up in the team's signature color.

"What's our color? Honolulu blue," Agby said.

Fans can also stop by End Zone Ink to get face or body paint before the game. Lions fans at Ford Field said they are ready for the season.

"It's the Motor City Grit," Drew Titkemeier said.

Titkemeier, who picked up one of the new hats, said he is optimistic heading into the year.

"History of having a hard time but always fighting. Super Bowl or bust," Titkemeier said. "We're not going to let anybody push us around."

Agby echoed the sentiment shared by fans throughout the tour.

"We would be nothing without our fans," Agby 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.

A 9/11 memorial in Pontiac brought together former and current first responders Friday to mark 25 years since the attacks including several Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies who drove through the night to help at Ground Zero.

Ten officers from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office loaded a truck full of supplies and drove to New York in the hours after the attacks. Several of them gathered at the Pontiac memorial for a ceremony that included a 21-gun salute and a helicopter flyover.

WATCH VIDEO REPORT BY 7 NEWS DETROIT'S TONY GEFTOS BELOW:

Oakland County first responders mark 25 years since 9/11

Retired Deputy Roger St. Jean was among those who responded.

"I feel fortunate that I was capable of doing something to help," St. Jean said.

St. Jean described the conditions at Ground Zero when they arrived.

"And somebody would lead you out to where they wanted you to dig, and we would dig by hand because you couldn't get a shovel or a tool in any place, any heavy equipment wasn't there yet," St. Jean said.

Deputy Thomas Poulin said the response from within the department was immediate and overwhelming.

"He wanted volunteers and everybody said, 'I'll go.' I mean, we're talking over 300 people in our union saying, 'We'll go,'" Poulin said.

For Poulin, the memory remains vivid.

"It's amazing how fast it went. I mean, we're watching everything and it's like seems like yesterday," Poulin said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard reflected on the lasting toll the response took on those who went.

"Now we know how many kinds of particulates and asbestos and everything that was in the air. After that day, I've never heard one person that went say, 'I wish I didn't go.' Again that goes to the the heart and soul of the men and women that responded from all over this country, including the team from Oakland County," Bouchard said.

Thomas Quisenberry, who served as Oakland County Undersheriff at the time, said the magnitude of what they experienced took time to fully set in.

"It was big, but I never knew quite how big until later when we came back and had time to think about it because for that first week when we were working, you didn't think about it," Quisenberry said. "You were just doing your job, working and trying to help out the best way you can."

Friday marked the first time Quisenberry visited the 9/11 memorial in Oakland County, where his name appears on a plaque.

"That's the first time I've seen this monument. It's the first time I've stepped in here. I just didn't have the heart to want to come and address. Upstairs, all the emotions that have gone on," Quisenberry 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.

Police in Jackson, Mississippi, have arrested a man in the case of Tasia Fortune, the 29-year-old Black woman found hanging from a tree outside an abandoned house last month, following the state medical examiner ruling her death a homicide.

Last night, the medical examiners office officially classified Miss Fortunes death as a homicide. With that determination, our investigators moved quickly, Chief RaShall Brackney said at a Friday news conference.

Police secured two search warrants and an arrest warrant for the man, according to Brackney. After being unable to locate the man at the search warrant location, officers returning to police headquarters arrested the suspect as he was walking along a city street, she said. More arrest warrants could be served in connection with the case, the chief said.

RELATED STORY | Community shaken after Mississippi woman, Tasia Fortune, found hanging from a tree

That arrest today is an important development in this investigation but it is not the conclusion, Brackney said.

The chief said Fortune was found in a hanging position with various states of decomposition of her body on August 3.

Fortunes death shook her family and communityin Mississippi, where two other people have been found hanging from trees in less than a year.

The investigation into Fortunes death comes less than a year after the hanging deaths of 21-year-old Trey Reed, a Black student at Delta State University in Cleveland, and Cory Zukatis, an unhoused white man in his 30s, in Vicksburg, according toThe Associated Press. Both deaths were determined by authorities to be suicides.

Jackson police interviewed nearly 15 people, collected forensic evidence and followed leads in the case. Brackney said the investigation into Fortunes death remains active.

This is not closure. This is just one step as we continue to investigate this case, Brackney said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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A Livonia homeowner says he's been waiting for a DTE Energy repair to his yard for months following a major storm in May.

Dave Pietrowski said a tree in his yard fell during the storm, starting the issue.

"There was a matching tree right here and what happened was the tree fell down hit the DTE line, brought down some hot wires and it was a complete mess," Pietrowski said.

Watch 7 News Detroit reporter Christina Ford's story in the video below:

Livonia homeowner gets resolution from DTE months after storm damage

The fire department and DTE crews responded to address the hot wires. DTE also tied a rope to Pietrowski's large pine tree to stabilize a nearby utility pole, a temporary fix that remained in place for months.

"We're going on the second week in September and unfortunately, we're still tied up and we've got a pole that is coming out of the ground," Pietrowski said.

Pietrowski said the pole had become a safety concern for him.

"It's leaning approximately about four feet now and as you can see the gap down there, it's basically it's basically an accident waiting to happen," Pietrowski said.

The situation also caused ongoing stress.

"The anxiety level definitely goes up when the wind starts blowing," Pietrowski said.

Pietrowski said he filled out a survey after the storm and contacted a DTE employee he believed could resolve the issue, but the problem went unresolved. He eventually reached out to 7 News Detroit.

"I would really just like it fixed to get my mind off of it," Pietrowski said.

After 7 News Detroit reached out to DTE on Thursday, the company said it was sending someone to the home that evening. Pietrowski confirmed crews arrived that night and returned Friday to finish the job.

"I feel very good about it. I'm actually, I'm number one, I'm happy that they got it completely finished in a day after we did the story, but I'm really excited about the landscaping because they're going to be fixing those big divets in my grass," Pietrowski said.

In a statement, DTE said:

"Following a spring storm, DTE crews were dispatched to make the area safe by temporarily securing an electric pole. We sincerely apologize that the planned follow-up work was not completed as expected. We have addressed the issue and encourage customers to always contact us if they have concerns so we can address them as quickly and safely as possible."

Pietrowski said he appreciates the peace of mind.

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.

A Grosse Pointe Farms sanitation worker is alive after two co-workers and a police officer acted quickly to stop life-threatening bleeding from a broken piece of glass.

See the full story from Grosse Pointe Farms reporter Peter Maxwell in the video below A sanitation worker's life was saved by co-workers and a police officer after broken glass causes severe injury

Rick Braun was on the job last Friday when a shard of glass hidden inside a resident's black plastic bag cut deep into his right arm.

"It was a very small cut, but it was a poke up," Braun said.

What initially seemed minor quickly became a crisis. Braun felt a warm sensation on his arm and realized he was bleeding heavily.

"I threw the piece of glass and then I thought oh that hurt but not bad. That was weird and then I went to do something else and I felt the warm sensation of blood on the outside of my arm," Braun said.

Co-worker Maxwell Roeske spotted Braun from their sanitation truck and immediately recognized something was wrong.

"All of a sudden, his arm goes up and his hand goes on it, and he starts moving towards me and saying 'hey,'" Roeske said.

Roeske jumped out of the truck and took action.

"At that point kind of just went into reaction mode," Roeske said.

"I stripped off my shirt wrapped it around his arm and started just twisting trying to just get pressure on it," Roeske said.

A minute later, co-worker Scott Foster arrived and escalated the response.

"Grabbed that belt off of him snatched it off of him and put it on top because the amount of blood I knew we had to act quick," Foster said.

Braun said he was grateful for his colleagues' immediate response.

"I had two amazing guys right there ready to help me do whatever it took," Braun said.

Roeski called 911. Grosse Pointe Farms Public Safety Officer Paul Lyke, who has been on the force for just one year, was the first to arrive on scene.

"I said to myself what would I do if this was my father," Lyke said.

Lyke quickly assessed the severity of the wound.

"When I looked at the injury I noticed a very deep laceration right here to his brachial artery," Lyke said.

With an ambulance 8 minutes away, Lyke applied a tourniquet and made a critical decision.

"I am like 8 minutes is way too much time to wait. We need to get him there now. So I packed him up in my car and we took him up to St. Johns and he got his medical treatment right away," Lyke said.

On Friday, Braun had the chance to meet and thank Officer Lyke in person for helping save his life.

For Braun, what his co-workers and the officer did goes far beyond simply following their training.

"They saved me. Saved me. Saved me. Saved me," Braun 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.

A Waterford woman has spent nearly a decade tending to a tree she calls a living piece of history one that traces its roots back to the September 11 Memorial.

Since 2016, Julie Ogg has been growing what she calls her 9/11 tree, a swamp white oak descended from the trees that surround the memorial.

See the full story in the video below Waterford woman grows tree descended from oaks at the September 11 memorial

"You know, it's a reminder of the tragedy that happened that day, but also it's a symbol of growth and resilience," Ogg said.

The tree's journey to Ogg's front yard began when the son of her friend, Roy Johnson, collected acorns from the swamp white oaks surrounding the 9/11 Memorial and mailed them to his father.

"He started walking across the park area there, and I guess one year, after the acorns became rather prolific and he just decided to pick a bunch of them up and send them to Dad," Johnson said.

Johnson said he received somewhere between 50 and 100 acorns and was asked to plant them so he did. When the seedlings began to sprout, he turned to Facebook to find them homes.

"They were probably 2 or 3 inches tall and they were growing out of the Dixie Cups, so I had to get rid of them. So, I put a post on Facebook asking who would like a 9/11 memorial descendant, a tree descendant?" Johnson said.

Ogg answered that call, and what began as a small seedling has grown into a tall, healthy oak in her front yard.

"It just seemed like a wonderful opportunity to have a tangible piece of history. You know, we all remember where we were that day," Ogg said.

The tree's path from a son, to his father, to a friend mirrors the way remembrance itself travels from person to person.

Now, years later, Ogg looks at the oak and sees more than a tree.

"It's amazing that grown from a tiny little twig to this great height, it's healthy," Ogg said. "But it's also symbol of resilience... how we can rise up. We can still grow from here," she 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.

A massive wildfire in North Texas is still burning more than two weeks after it started.

The Ross Fire has torched more than 90,000 acres since it ignited on August 24, destroying over 150 structures and disrupting schools. It grew quickly during its initial days, crossed water boundaries like creeks and prompted some evacuations as it burned through rural ranchland.

Triple-digit temperatures and gusty winds may now complicate firefighting efforts over the weekend.

But firefighters are making progress: The fire is now more than 75% contained, thanks to efforts by crews from across the state and personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Aerial firefighting craft have continued fire retardant drops and some ground crews have even deployed retardant to help reinforce a defensive line.

The Texas A&M Forest Service says the Ross Fire is the largest summertime wildfire in Texas in state records, which go back to 2005.

The fire is believed to have been started due to a vehicle.

RELATED STORY | Earth logs hottest August ever as global heat blows past climate threshold

More than 54,000 wildfires have burned more than 8.4 million acres so far in 2026, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Seventy-four new fires, two of them large, were reported on September 10.

A Pentagon survivor stood before a crowd in Clinton Township on Friday the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to share what he witnessed firsthand when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Larry Powell was the keynote speaker at Clinton Township's annual Patriot Day ceremony at Resurrection Cemetery. He was 100 yards from the point of impact when the plane hit.

See the full story in the video below Pentagon survivor shares 9/11 story at Clinton Township ceremony on 25th anniversary

Powell said he had just returned from a morning run when a colleague delivered the first piece of devastating news.

"And I got back to my office after running and was just getting settled in, someone came into the office and said a plane had just hit the World Trade Center," Powell said.

Later, the Pentagon became the next target.

"I was walking down the stairs, and I heard an explosion, I felt the building shake," Powell said.

When asked how close he felt he came to dying that day, Powell said the distance gave him perspective.

"I don't think I ever felt like I was close to dying but I was within 100 yards of where the plane hit so I felt lucky I was that far away," Powell said.

184 people died at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Powell said he and his colleagues did what they could to help others reach safety before firefighters turned them back.

"There were a couple of people we helped get on a stretcher, most of them were walking, we were probably still halfway to that impact area when the firefighters said you guys don't have the equipment you can't come in, too hot anyway to get people out of there," Powell said.

Powell said events like Friday's ceremony serve a purpose that history books cannot.

"I think it's really important for things like this where you actually talk to a Larry Powell who comes out and tells you his story about where he was that day, it's not just something that happened or you learn about in a history book," Powell said.

Ashley Brouwer, a Macomb County first responder who was just 1 year old on Sept. 11, 2001, attended the ceremony and said meeting a survivor made the tragedy feel real in a way it never had before.

"You always kinda see movies, TV shows, you never get to actually meet somebody who was there and experienced the tragedy," Brouwer said.

Brouwer said she worries younger generations may not fully grasp the weight of what happened that day.

"I do feel like the younger generation has this they understand a little bit of the importance but they don't get the full grasp of the entirety of the situation," Brouwer 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.

A family movie night in Madison Heights was interrupted Thursday evening when a car traveling on I-75 veered off the interstate and crashed into a family's yard.

Madison Heights police say the vehicle was traveling on I-75 between 12 and 13 Mile when it veered from the interstate into the nearby neighborhood and directly into the Scharf family's parked car directly in front of their home. Michigan State Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash.

The driver most likely flew over the embankment and cleared a fence before hitting the driveway and continuing into the yard. None of the fencing directly in the neighborhood was damaged. The 21-year-old driver was seen walking around on home surveillance video after the crash and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Surveillance video showing the driver walking around moments after the crash: Surveillance video moments after the crash

Gwyn Scharf, who was inside the home when the crash occurred, said the car alarm was going off and the driver's vehicle began to catch fire shortly after.

"It was just kind of like shock at first, it didn't feel real at first," Scharf said.

Scharf says the family does not typically park in front of the home, and that the change in routine may have been the only thing that stopped the car from going straight into the house.

"I guess it's best possible scenario that could've happened, because if that wasn't there he would've been in our house," Scharf added.

The section of Northbound I-75 where the crash occurred has no guardrails and no sound wall. Scharf said there used to be trees separating the neighborhood from the interstate, but that the Michigan Department of Transportation removed them when reworking the interstate. The family is now hoping the incident prompts MDOT to reevaluate safety in the area.

"At least a guard rail of some sort, maybe not a full sound wall, but something there to prevent this from happening again," Scharf said.

Car parts remained scattered across the property following the crash, leaving the family with significant cleanup.

_______________

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.

On Sunday, September 13, Spotlight on the News will feature how Michigan is leading the way on the future of high schools. Join us as we look inside a first-of-its-kind analysis examining how states are updating high school policies to better prepare students for a rapidly changing economy. Stephanie Schultz, Deputy Chief of Policy at XQ Institute, will share what Michigan and other states are doing to transform high school education. Also, on our Sunday morning program, Megan Patino, Executive Director of Michigan Education Trust, and Western Michigan University student Issah Idris, will discuss how MET's Fostering Futures program is making an important difference.

Spotlight on the News, now in its 61st season, is Michigan's longest-running weekly news and public affairs television program. It airs every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit, is streamed live on wxyz.com and broadcast at 11:30 a.m. on 23.1 WKAR-HD in East Lansing.

Used electric vehicles may look like a bargain, but experts say you should be doing your homework before you buy.

The biggest thing to check? Battery health.

RELATED STORY | Gas prices are driving a new interest in EVs, retailers say

Consumer Reports says battery condition can have a major impact on value and driving range.

The sweet spot for a used EV is one thats still under its battery warranty but thats depreciated enough for significant savings compared to a new one, says Alex Knizek, director of auto test development at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center. You should also consider how long you plan to keep the car, and if the savings are worth it compared to buying a hybrid vehicle that may be more reliable in the long run.

Ask about the battery warranty, charging speed, and whether the car has the latest software updates.

RELATED STORY | Congress eyes first-ever federal EV fee that could offset savings from high gas prices

Don't forget the hidden costs, including insurance, a home charger, and maintenance.

The reality is that if you end up having to replace the battery in an EV, the cost could be more than the cars worth, said Knizek.

A great deal today could turn into an expensive surprise tomorrow.

Yemen s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured the island of Mayun at the entrance of the Red Sea, a key alternative for shipping Saudi oil and other exports since Iran has been targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The island's seizure was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemens internationally recognized government and a Houthi official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes against the airport in Yemen's port city of Mokha, which the Houthis captured on Thursday, a Houthi broadcaster said. There was no immediate report of damage or deaths.

RELATED STORY | Oil hits $100 again. Heres why consumers could feel it soon

About 12% of the worlds goods are typically shipped through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. It's especially important to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.

The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement Friday that maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels. But markets are nervous, and experts have described the Houthis as highly unpredictable.

A United Nations spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said Houthi rebels in Mokha seized a compound that had housed U.N. staff, who all fled safely before the city's capture. Haq said that no U.N. personnel remain in Mokha right now.

Looking to cut costs on your grocery bill? Experts say you may want to check out International supermarkets.

They said that shoppers may find lower prices on some staples while discovering new ingredients and flavors.

RELATED STORY | One in five Americans are using their personal savings to pay for groceries

Experts say savings depend on what's in your cart, but international grocery stores are growing in popularity as more Americans look for variety and value.

In April, it was reported that grocery prices rose 2.9 percent. That was mainly driven by higher fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict, weather impacts, and trade policies.

Because of that, many Americans are looking for ways to save money wherever they can.

RELATED STORY | 'Backwards shopping': A new strategy to cut your grocery bill

A recent survey also found that nearly 35% of consumers bought groceries with a credit card in 2025 and paid the balance in full.

Thats according to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan group that tracks economic and social policy trends annually.

It also found that nearly 1 in 10 adults are using Buy Now, Pay Later options to pay for groceries.

Its been 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Many can remember where we were when the planes came in. And for many, its the day everything changed.

This is especially true for local commercial photographer Brad Ziegler, who might have been one of the last people on top of the World Trade Center.

Watch Mike Duffy's video report below: From the World Trade Center to veterans: How 9/11 reshaped a photographer's life

Ziegler has documented the lives of hundreds of World War II veterans in remarkable, raw detail through his photographs. But it started with 9/11.

While the connection might not make sense at first, Ziegler took me back to that day and his remarkable story.

I was there on the 10th at 3:30 in the afternoon. That was our call time. And usually, wed have two or three of them back to back, and I was putting my gear sorry, Im going to get emotional. I was putting my gear together on the 11th when the first plane hit, Ziegler recalled.

Ziegler was working as an aspiring fashion photographer in New York City in 2001. He had been doing photo shoots on the observation deck of the World Trade Center on Sept. 10. The next morning, he watched on live TV as the planes tore through the twin towers.

I could look out my window or go to the front step of my apartment and see where the smoke was, when it eventually started heavily smoking, he said. For me, that meant look how close I was to it on top of the fact that I was supposed to be there in the afternoon.

Ziegler recalls seeing the raw moments in person and on television.

Seeing that explosion penetrate the building will never leave my mind, watching a rain of glass, he said. The other one that sticks in my mind, I think like anybody, there was no delay on the feed that I remember on the 'Today' show that was the most horrific thing Id ever seen.

In the days following the attack, he went back into Manhattan.

What I remember vividly is coming up the stairs at Lexington on the subway and seeing black ash floating through the air and looking down the street and there was not a car on the road, Ziegler said. It was a ghost town.

He says it would take him 20 years before he would finally be able to go back to Ground Zero.

There was no work in New York for months, Ziegler said. And it changed the trajectory of the path of my life. It ultimately is what brought me here to Michigan.

Zieglers career pivoted from fashion to photographing campaign-style images of rugged beauty. Ziegler explained to me that the HBO series Band of Brothers also came out in September of 2001, and it brought to the forefront the history of World War II veterans.

And for some reason, it struck me. And I though wow, it would be really amazing to go and photograph some of these guys. They have such incredible stories.

It made him want to put together a portrait series one day about World War II veterans.

I witnessed my generations Pearl Harbor. The best way I knew how to pay that back to their generation was to document them and photograph and donate my time and make sure their stories are told, so we could learn the lesson, Ziegler said.

After hearing a veteran on the radio in Michigan one day, Ziegler had the idea to get four World War II veterans on a working B-17 bomber and document their stories. Willow Run Airport and the Yankee Air Museum got the pilots and picked up the tab. Ziegler took the pictures. Hour Magazine printed the story.

We spent the day going through all of their stories, he said. We landed. They all hugged me and told me it was better than the day they came home from the war. I remained friends with them up until they passed.

Ziegler spent the next five years with Honor Flight Michigan taking pictures of hundreds of veterans as they got the chance to fly to Washington to experience in person the memorials honoring their service.

He says he often got to ask the veterans how the generations that came after could pay them back and he distinctly remembers one veterans answer.

And thats when he said learn the lesson. I said OK. A couple more times, I had other vets say something very similar. And finally, I wish I could remember his name, but he was sitting up front and he was leaning and I said OK, now I gotta ask: whats the lesson? And he just smirked at me and he said thats for you to figure out.

Ziegler what the lesson means for him.

For me, that lesson is to make sure that we dont repeat that history, to make sure that younger generations are prepared and to always, always remember September 11th.

Post-traumatic stress disorder from the events of 9/11, even though he wasnt on the ground when the towers came down. But he says traumatic events dont need to just be negative they can project people into something else,just like 9/11 did in his life.