A Macomb Township man has been identified as the interpreter who was killed in Syria over the weekend while working with the U.S. Army.

According to an online obituary, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, was killed when soldiers were ambushed in Syria by the Islamic State group on Dec. 13. Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, who were part of the Iowa National Guard, were also killed.

Watch below: 3 Americans killed by suspected ISIS gunman in Syria

3 Americans killed by suspected ISIS gunman in Syria

Sakat was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, according to the obituary, and previously worked as an interpreter along with U.S. soldiers from 2003-2007.

"Ayad died in Syria while supporting U.S. forces, serving with the same courage and devotion that defined his life. His fellow soldiers affectionately called him Eddie, a nickname that reflected the trust, warmth, and friendship he inspired," his obituary reads.

President Donald Trump was on hand on Wednesday and witnessed the dignified transfer of the two soldiers and Sakat.

More information about how the attack happened from the Associated Press below

The shooting Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded members of the countrys security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syrias internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, a Syrian official said.

The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said Sunday.

Al-Baba acknowledged that it was a major security breach but said that in the year since Assads fall, there have been many more successes than failures by security forces.

The Army said Monday that the incident is under investigation. Military officials and President Donald Trump have blamed the attack on an IS member.

Standing on a college football sideline at Florida Atlantic University, Florida Highway Patrol trooper Craig Gaines quickly took a few steps back as two players barreled toward him.

Gaines was working a familiar assignment as a security guard for Florida A&M Universitys head football coach, James Colzie III, when players from both teams started moving in his direction during the September 6th game.

In a split second, one player rolled out of bounds, slamming into Gaines leg, breaking it. The impact forced Gaines' arms into the air as his body crashed to the ground.

Sideline collision at a Florida A&M University and Florida Atlantic University football game

Game footage captured Gainesquickly standing back on his feet, despite the fractured bone.

Less than two weeks later, he was dead.

I had been calling him every day to assess ... how he was doing,saidJohnnie Niles, Gaines mother. He would say, Well mom, Im doing okay except for at night, I have these spasms in my leg, and its very painful.

According to an autopsy, Gaines died of a pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thromboses with the leg fracture listed as a contributing factor.

A medical examiner ruled his death an accident. The Florida Highway Patrol said he passed away "from injuries sustained in the line of duty.

In his mind, the safety issue was protecting the coach ... but never thinking that anything would actually happen to him, Niles said.

Niles said Gaines was a Navy veteran who loved being a police officer, especially his assignment working with the FAMU football team.

Most of all, he enjoyed being around the young men the team players, she said.Im sure he probably got into conversations with them about one thing or the other and probably shared ... life experiences with them that he had gone through ... he loved FAMU.

Scripps News review of college collisions

Scripps News started examining sideline collisions at college football games after conducting a similar review of NFL games in early 2025.

An exclusive analysis of 284 NFL games found nearly 90 people including coaches, team staff, photographers and others had been knocked off their feet during sideline collisions last season. Some suffered broken bones or serious injuries that drew blood.

Scripps News could not replicate a full-season analysis of every college game because there are significantly more college teams and games. Also, replays of complete game broadcasts are not always available. Instead, Scripps News selected 30 televised college games to review from the weekof October 4.

An analysis found at least 20 people including referees, staff, and players had been knocked off their feet on the sidelines of games during that period.

In one case, ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe and NFL Hall of Fame player Michael Irvin were knocked down during the same sideline hit. Following the incident, the pair laughed it off on air.

In another incident, a sideline official at the University of Alabama said he broke his wrist and suffered a concussion.

Broken wrist and concussion

I just kept backing up, and I bumped into something or somebody, said Kirby Michaels, an SEC sideline official whose job is to document penalty flags at Alabama games.

Michaels said he was standing in an area where he was permitted to be, but he had gotten in front of the line of scrimmage.

I couldnt go nowhere, and he kept coming, so I put my hands up to protect my kidney, he said.

A collision on the sidelines of an Alabama football game

Michaels was protecting his kidney because he said he received a kidney transplant in June.

The first couple of minutes after (the hit) happened, Im sitting there trying to assess ... am I hurt in my stomach or my kidney area? Am I hurting? Am I hurting where my scar is at? he said. I didnt feel a bit of pain there at all, and then I got to thinking, well, Ive got an adrenaline rush.

Michaels said his kidney was unharmed, but his wrist snapped when he tried to protect his body from the impact. He said he also hit his head.

Im laying on the ground, and my head is spinning, he said. Im like, This is not good.

He was hauled off in a neck brace that day, but he has not been afraid to return to the sideline.

He says sideline collisions are inevitable.

I think it is part of the game, said Michaels. You have news reporters. You have camera people. You have all kinds of people thats there, filming a game, he said. Getting hit and having hard contact on the sidelines from players coming out of bounds has become part of the game. You dont want to be a part of it, but it has become a part (of it).

Michaels said he loves being on the sideline, but he would understand if his position was one day moved to an area away from the field for safety reasons.

Probably my job could be done from the press box. I mean, I wouldnt have to be on the sideline, he said. Dont get me wrong. I love being down there, and I love being part of the atmosphere, but if I was to move up there to keep doing the same work, Id do it.

The rules

NCAA football rules require boundaries called limit lines to be drawn 12 feet outside the sidelines and endlines except in stadiums where total field surface does not permit, and no person outside the team area shall be inside the limit lines.

Meanwhile, only 50 staff and personnel (excluding medics and squad members) are allowed in a designated team area.

Individual schools and conferences also have the power to create their own policies beyond the NCAAs rules or to recommend changes to the NCAA.

With more awareness, its definitely something Ive thought about more, said Kiai Keone, a quarterback for the University of Northern Colorado. He said he started considering sideline safety after Scripps News reached out to him about this story.

It seems like this is something that we should maybe talk about or think about moving forward, he said.

Keone is a new member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committee, a group that has authority to consider new rules that could impact safety.

Its important because we want to play the game with as limited injuries as possible and whether people (are) playing or people (are) spectating we want to have a safe game, he said.

Keone said he witnessed a woman on the sidelines at one of UNCs games knocked down early in the season.

It was just another one of those plays where somebody was running off, and she tried to move and it was too late, he said. Shes a trouper.

A sideline hit at a University of Northern Colorado football game.

He acknowledged, however, that sideline collisions also may be unavoidable. Id say its part of the game, he said. But I feel like thats not a good attitude. Like, we can always get better at things, Keone said.

Scripps News exclusive survey

Scripps News sent surveys inquiring about awareness of and improvements to sideline safety to 23 NCAA conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Football Championship Subdivision, not including independent schools.

Fewer than half of the conferences responded by our deadline, but several indicated sideline safety would be considered further or reviewed in the future.

Safety is a shared responsibility across the league. Each institution develops a stadium and sideline security plan tailored to its venue and resources, ensuring that credentialing, access control, and prohibited item policies are enforced, said Javan Hedlund of the Mountain West Conference. Game management and stadium security personnel work diligently to uphold NCAA and institutional guidelines during every football game.

Hedlund said the Mountain West conference continually reviews protocols for safety, even extending the required limit line by three feet to support safe and efficient movement for broadcast personnel.

A representative from the Big Sky Conference said he did not believe the conference tracked sideline injuries resulting from collisions, but said the conference would use any data/new information in consideration for the future decisions on that.

A representative from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference said that the visibility of this issue will make this a topic of discussion in the near future, but the conferences current policy does not address sideline safety.

Conference USA indicated it does not maintain a central database of sideline injuries, but the conference continuously works to promote a safe environment on the sidelines through existing operational standards.

A representative from the American Conference told Scripps News that the conference and its schools place the highest priority on the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff, and all event participants and will continue to work together to maintain a safe and positive game-day environment.

Other collisions go viral

In November, a social media post featuring video of a Miami wide receiver colliding with a woman during the teams game at Virginia Tech racked up 5 million views. The video showed the woman coming perilously close to hitting a metal railing but popping back up with the assistance of the Miami player, Malachi Toney.

A sideline collision during a game between Virginia Tech and Miami

Student media said the journalist shown being hit in the video had been injured earlier in the season after being hit by a player in a separate incident.

Incidents in the NFL have also caught lots of attention this season. This month a security guard with his back turned to the field went down after a hard collision with Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman, Jr.

Pittman later took to social media to ask about the mans condition, later saying he received an update that the man was doing good.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn finished a September game with a bloodied nose after a collision with a player.

Earlier that month, former Raiders CEO Amy Trask posted her feelings about sideline safety in the NFL on X. The sidelines must be kept clearer, they are too crowded, she wrote. It is not safe for players and others.

Players and coaches are not the only individuals on the sideline during the game... stadium security, camera operators, first responders, photographers and others are also on the sideline and it is thus in the best interest not only of the league, the teams and the stadiums to make the sidelines as safe as possible, but in the best interest of all entities with personnel on the sidelines, Trask, now a football analyst for CBS, recently told Scripps News.

Trask told Scripps News she feels the same about college football.

Call for changes after troopers death

Scripps News reached out repeatedly to Florida Highway Patrol to learn more about the role FHP plays on football sidelines. However, they did not provide responses to any of our questions for this story.

Last year, an FHP auxiliary trooperbroke his ankle during a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game when a player hit him from behind near the end zone.

I dont think anybody under any circumstances would actually think that a person would be injured on the sideline, but you have to realize too that in the back of your head, anything can happen at any place, said Johnnie Niles, Craig Gaines mother. We stay prayed up.

When it comes to safety, Niles says theres definitely room for improvement.

By KRYSTA FAURIA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the movies this fall, Josh O’Connor plays a hot priest with a complicated past, Keanu Reeves is an angel who lost his wings and Elizabeth Olsen has a romantic dilemma in the afterlife.

Hollywood, it seems, has found God.

But it’s not just starry big-budget Netflix films or A24 indies that are grappling with religion and its place in entertainment. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of films and television made from a confessional perspective that evangelize or portray a particular faith, often Christianity, that have performed particularly well with audiences.

There are animated biblical films from Angel, like the upcoming musical “David,” which the company said has already exceeded $14 million in theatrical pre-sale tickets ahead of its release this Friday, to docudramas like Martin Scorsese’s “The Saints.” While episodes from Season 2 are still being released, the first season of the Fox Nation series, which premiered last year, was the most watched on the platform.

“There has been a revival, a revolution of sorts, of spirituality and faith content,” proclaimed Traci Blackwell, head of targeted content for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, at a recent Variety event in Beverly Hills for faith and spirituality in entertainment. Earlier this year, Amazon premiered the first season of its own biblical drama, “House of David,” and gained exclusive U.S. streaming rights to “The Chosen,” a massively popular drama series about the life of Jesus.

‘The Chosen’ effect

Historically some faith-based entertainment has performed well at the box office — Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic “The Passion of the Christ” was notoriously the highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. and Canada for two decades. But faith-based hits have been few and far between for most of this century.

“Hollywood has taken a lot of criticism by those in the faith community for not providing films that speak to them, that reflect their values,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, emphasizing the box-office potential of faith-based films.

Studios are realizing faith-based film and television is a worthwhile investment at least in part due to the success of “The Chosen,” which Angel helped launch in 2017, even if it initially took time to see those results.

“It was like pulling teeth to get people to watch it,” recalled Angel CEO and co-founder Neal Harmon. “People have this idea that faith means cheesy or preachy. And we had to break through that barrier.”

Once they did, it paid off. Since Fathom Entertainment began distributing “The Chosen” theatrically in 2023, the series has grossed more than $116 million domestically.

Though not a Christian company, Angel aims to distribute and market “values-based entertainment” that includes but is not limited to stories of faith. They’ve released a host of religious films, with “Zero A.D.,” a biblical epic about the Massacre of the Innocents recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, on the docket for 2026.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate is set to premiere “I Can Only Imagine 2” in theaters February, a sequel to the 2018 biopic starring Dennis Quaid, which was one of the highest-grossing Christian films of all-time in the United States.

Co-director Andrew Erwin said he noticed a “massive shift” take place about five years ago, after years of disconnect between the demand for these kinds of films and Hollywood’s willingness to make them.

“For the first time, movie studios are really giving us a fair shake,” he said, though he thinks the quality of the content was also a factor. “We didn’t have the knowledge of how to do the filmmaking side of things. And so, I think the storytelling has gotten a lot better.”

Lionsgate is also set to distribute the first of Gibson’s two-part sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” in 2027.

Defining ‘faith-based’

Trying to define what counts as faith-based programming is a bit like trying to define what counts as pornography.

Themes of belief, guilt and “foolish grace” abound in O’Connor’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” — the third of filmmaker Rian Johnson’s hit Netflix franchise. But few would call it a religious film.

Amanda Seyfried preaches celibacy and endures persecution in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” the musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers sect, in theaters Christmas. But in all the acclaim and Oscar buzz surrounding the film, there’s little talk of its engagement with faith.

Even Scorsese’s 1988 “The Last Temptation of Christ” or filmmaker Paul Schrader’s Oscar-nominated “First Reformed,” which also stars Seyfried, are hardly thought of broadly as Christian films, despite the fact that both men have been outspoken about their respective traditions.

“This film was his way of exploring his faith and exploring who his God is,” Scorsese’s daughter Francesca, who directed one of the episodes of “The Saints,” said of “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Conversely, the people behind some of these recent projects resist them being called explicitly religious, even when audiences perceive them as such.

“I wouldn’t characterize it so much as overtly Christian,” Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in “The Chosen,” told The Associated Press last year. “It’s a historical drama that centers on Jesus.”

For studios and filmmakers, acknowledging that a project is told from a religious perspective can be a double-edged sword.

“If you’re buying in on going to the movie theater for a faith-based movie, you know you’re gonna have people around you who are really into the experience,” Dergarabedian said. “The minute you say faith-based though, it kind of puts a movie in a box.”

A fad or here to stay

Many Christians celebrate the trend beyond its monetary potential. Phil Wickham, a Grammy-nominated Christian recording artist who voices the character of David in the upcoming Angel film, said it’s been gratifying to see the success of shows like “The Chosen” and “House of David.”

“Growing up, anything that was Christian media felt so preachy,” Wickham said. “Even as a pastor’s kid, it was a turn off. But now I think there’s just more opportunity to tell bigger stories over the course of a series and more people willing to really dig in and tell something with excellence and beauty.”

While it’s too soon to tell whether there’s been a sea change in Hollywood or if it’s a short-term fad, the success of some of these projects has stood out amid an otherwise perilous time in the business.

“Hollywood usually follows money,” Jason Klarman, Fox News Media’s chief digital and marketing officer, said as he touted Fox Nation’s packed slate of upcoming faith-based content, including Zachary Levi’s “David: King of Israel” docudrama. “Even when the trend ends, we’ll still be doing it.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Wrestling great Mick Foley has called it quits with the WWE over its cozy relationship with President Donald Trump, he said Tuesday, citing “incredibly cruel comments” Trump made about film director Rob Reiner’s murder.

Long concerned with the WWE’s cozy relationship with Trump amid the administration’s “ongoing cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants,” Foley wrote in his announcement on social media, “reading the President’s incredibly cruel comments in the wake of Rob Reiner’s death is the final straw for me.”

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, known in the wrestling world as Triple H, is a fixture at many White House events. Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon helmed the U.S. Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and currently serves as U.S. Secretary of Education.

“I no longer wish to represent a company that coddles a man so seemingly void of compassion as he marches our country towards autocracy,” Foley wrote. “Last night, I informed WWE talent relations that I would not be making any appearances for the company as long as this man remains in office.”

Both Foley and Trump were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, Trump as a celebrity honoree.

Hours after Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered Sunday in their Los Angeles home with their throats slit, Trump posted a social media diatribe blaming Rob’s death on anger he incited with his liberal views. Blowback has come from all sides of the political spectrum. Their younger son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested for their murders.

Foley’s breakup with WWE was thorough.

“Additionally, I will not be signing a new Legends deal when my current one expires in June,” Foley wrote. “I love WWE, will always treasure my time with them, and I am deeply appreciative for all the opportunities they afforded me. But, in the words of Popeye the sailor, ’I stands all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more.’ ”

With News Wire Services

As President Trump takes fire from all sides of the political spectrum for mocking slain director Rob Reiner, it’s the Hollywood icon who may have the last word.

Clips of Reiner’s compassionate response to the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk when he discussed the horrifying incident with Piers Morgan in September are flooding the internet.

“When you first heard about the murder of Charlie Kirk, what was your immediate gut reaction to it?” Morgan asked Reiner on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” as shown in a clip posted by show staffers and then reposted by its eponymous host.

“Well, horror. Absolute horror,” Reiner said. “And I unfortunately saw the video of it, and it’s beyond belief what happened to him. And that should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”

On Sunday — just three months later — Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home. Their son Nick Reiner has been charged with their slayings.

Reiner was especially struck, as were many observers, when Kirk’s widow, Erica Kirk, forgave her husband’s attacker during a national memorial service held in Kirk’s honor.

“I felt like what his wife said at the service, at the memorial they had, was exactly right,” Reiner continued. “And totally. I believe, you know, I’m Jewish, but I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I believe in ‘do unto others,’ and I believe in forgiveness. And what she said, to me, was beautiful and absolutely, you know, she forgave his assassin, and I think that that is admirable.”

Reiner’s remarks resonated in a soft-spoken rebuke to Trump’s widely denounced vitriol, in which he blamed the director’s killing on anger supposedly generated by his liberal views, described him as “tortured and struggling” and said he suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“Rob Reiner responded with grace and compassion to Charlie’s assassination,” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet wrote on X, echoing the public support for the 78-year-old director. “This video makes it all the more painful to hear of he and his wife’s tragic end. May God be close to the broken hearted in this terrible story.”

With News Wire Services

Want to own a golf course in metro Detroit? Here's your chance. Carrington Golf Club in Monroe is up for sale.

According to a listing from Weins & Roth Real Estate Group, Carrington Golf Club and its 162 acres of land are for sale for $2.5 million.

The course's website said it was designed by Brian Huntley, and first opened as a championship public course in 1998.

It features 18 holes and tips out at 6,873 yards, with a practice facility that includes a driving range, 12,000-square foot putting green and chipping area.

Carrington also features a full-service restaurant with year-round service called River's Edge.

The listing said that the course hosted nearly 30,000 rounds per year in 2024 and 2025.

The post The Metro: The life and legacy of the Packard Plant appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Senate gave final passage to an annual military policy bill Wednesday that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs while pressuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international water near Venezuela.

The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which raises troop pay by 3.8%, gained bipartisan backing as it moved through Congress, and the White House has indicated that it is in line with President Donald Trump's national security priorities. However, the legislation, which ran over 3,000 pages, revealed some points of friction between Congress and the Pentagon as the Trump administration reorients its focus away from security in Europe and towards Central and South America.

The bill pushes back on recent moves by the Pentagon. It demands more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean, requires that the U.S. keep its troop levels in Europe at current levels and sends some military aid to Ukraine.

But overall, the bill represents a compromise between the parties. It implements many of Trump's executive orders and proposals on eliminating diversity and inclusion efforts in the military and grants emergency military powers at the U.S. border with Mexico. It also enhances congressional oversight of the Department of Defense, repeals several years-old war authorizations and seeks to overhaul how the Pentagon purchases weapons as the U.S. tries to outpace China in developing the next generation of military technology.

We're about to pass, and the president will enthusiastically sign, the most sweeping upgrades to DOD's business practices in 60 years, said Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

RELATED STORY | Full video of Venezuela drug boat strikes will not be made public, Hegseth says

Still, the sprawling bill faced objections from both Democratic and Republican leadership on the Senate Commerce Committee. That's because the legislation allows military aircraft to obtain a waiver to operate without broadcasting their precise location, as an Army helicopter had done before a midair collision with an airliner in Washington, D.C. in January that killed 67 people.

"The special carve-out was exactly what caused the January 29th crash that claimed 67 lives, Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said at a news conference this week.

Cruz said he was seeking a vote on bipartisan legislation in the next month that would require military aircraft to use a precise location sharing tool and improve coordination between commercial and military aircraft in busy areas.

Boat strike videos

Republicans and Democrats agreed to language in the defense bill that threatens to withhold a quarter of Hegseths travel budget until he provides unedited video of the strikes with the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, as well as the orders authorizing them.

Hegseth was on Capitol Hill Tuesday ahead of the bill's passage to brief lawmakers on the U.S. military campaign in international water near Venezuela. The briefing elicited contrasting responses from many lawmakers, with Republicans largely backing the campaign and Democrats expressing concern about it and saying they had not received enough information.

The committees are investigating a Sept. 2 strike the first of the campaign that killed two people who had survived an initial attack on their boat. The Navy admiral who ordered the double-tap strike, Adm. Frank Mitch Bradley, also appeared before the committees shortly before the vote Wednesday in a classified briefing that also included video of the strike in question.

Congressional oversight

Lawmakers have been caught by surprise by the Trump administration several times in the last year, including by a move to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine and a decision to reduce U.S. troop presence in NATO countries in eastern Europe. The defense legislation requires that Congress be kept in the loop on decisions like that going forward, as well as when top military brass are removed.

The Pentagon is also required, under the legislation, to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. A similar requirement also keeps the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea at 28,500.

Lawmakers are also pushing back on some Pentagon decisions by authorizing $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

Cuts to diversity and climate initiatives

Trump and Hegseth have made it a priority to purge the military of material and programs that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues, and the defense bill would codify many of those changes. It will repeal diversity, equity and inclusion offices and trainings, including the position of chief diversity officer. Those cuts would save the Pentagon about $40 million, according to the Republican-controlled House Armed Services Committee.

RELATED STORY | Heres whats in the $900B US defense bill headed for a Senate vote

The U.S. military has long found that climate change is a threat to how it provides national security because weather-related disasters can destroy military bases and equipment. But the bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts by eliminating climate-change related programs at the Pentagon.

Repeal of war authorizations and Syria sanctions

Congress is writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Now that Iraq is a strategic partner of the U.S., lawmakers in support of the provision say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses. The bill also repeals the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War.

The rare, bipartisan moves to repeal the legal justifications for the conflicts signaled a potential appetite among lawmakers to reclaim some of Congress's war powers.

Congress will also permanently lift U.S. sanctions on Syria as part of the legislation, following up on the Trump administration's decision to temporarily lift many penalties. The nation is rebuilding after its former leader Bashar Assad was deposed, and supporters of the new government say that permanently lifting the sanctions will spur the country's economic reconstruction and encourage the establishment of democracy.

Police in Providence, Rhode Island, released new images on Wednesday of a person they want to speak with in connection with the mass shooting at Brown University.

The images show a person in a blue jacket, carrying a bag and holding a water bottle. Police say they want to speak to the individual because they were in the vicinity of the person of interest in the case.

The person of interest was seen in the area of Brown University hours before Saturday's attack. Police believe he was casing the area.

On Tuesday, officials released enhanced surveillance video of the man. Although he is wearing a mask, investigators hope the public may recognize him based on his gait, clothing, or body type.

The FBI says the man is about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build.

Two people were killed in the mass shooting. The victims were identified as 19-year-old Ella Cook, vice president of Browns College Republicans, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman from Virginia.

Nine others were injured in the shooting. All but two remain hospitalized.

In a seismic shift for one of televisions marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.

ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars.

But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.

We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming, said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) faces a Friday deadline to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplices, as required under a new federal law signed by President Donald Trump.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed Nov. 19, set a 30-day countdown for the DOJ to make the records public. The law passed Congress with near-unanimous support, but questions remain about how much will be disclosed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Third judge approves unsealing of Epstein grand jury materials

The legislation states it is An Act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein. It also makes clear that no record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."

However, several exemptions remain. The DOJ may withhold records that contain personal information of victims, depict or contain child sexual abuse materials, involve victims medical files, or would jeopardize ongoing investigations or prosecutions.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department will follow the law. But on Tuesday, Democrats in Washington expressed concern the Trump administration could misuse those exemptions to keep key information hidden.

If they abuse narrow exemptions, we will know, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. And there will be serious legal and political consequences.

The DOJ is not the only agency releasing new Epstein-related material. In recent days, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published photographs showing Epstein alongside various celebrities including President Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

RELATED STORY | Exprosecutor: Release of Epstein photos fuel speculation, not charges

The committee has been investigating Epstein for months and has given Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dates in January to sit for a deposition. Members have threatened to hold them in contempt if they do not appear. The Clintons have long denied wrongdoing, as has President Trump.

I mean, everybody knew this man, the president recently stated. He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him, so thats no big deal.

In a seismic shift for one of television's marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.

ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars.

But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to stream the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.

"We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming," said Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. "The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community."

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While major award shows have added streaming partnerships, the YouTube deal marks the first of the big four the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Tonys to completely jettison broadcast. It puts one of the most-watched non-NFL broadcasts in the hands of Google. YouTube boasts some 2 billion viewers.

The Academy Awards will stream for free on YouTube, in addition to YouTube TV subscribers. It will be available with audio tracks in many languages, in addition to closed captioning.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

"The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry," said Neal Mohan, chief executive of YouTube. "Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' storied legacy."

Representatives of The Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The network has been the broadcast home to the Oscars for almost its entire history. NBC first televised the Oscars in 1953, but ABC picked up the rights in 1961. Aside from a period between 1971 and 1975, when NBC again aired the show, the Oscars have been on ABC.

The 2025 Academy Awards were watched by 19.7 million viewers on ABC, a slight increase from the year before.

If you are unable to attend Christmas mass this holiday season, you will be able to watch a local mass right here on Channel 7.

WXYZ-TV will broadcast a special Christmas mass on Christmas Day.

The mass will air at 5 a.m. on Channel 7.

The Christmas mass will be held at The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.

A Wayne County judge has rejected Detroit Thermal’s bid to shut down a lawsuit brought by residents of Detroit’s historic Lafayette Park neighborhood, keeping in place a court order that blocks the utility from running steam lines through the protected greenspace.

The post Judge deals major blow to Detroit Thermal in Lafayette Park dispute appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL

Nebraska will become the first state to implement new work requirements for some people with Medicaid health insurance under a law President Donald Trump signed last year.

Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, announced Wednesday that the requirement would take effect in the state May 1 and could impact about 30,000 people who have slightly higher incomes than traditional Medicaid beneficiaries.

“We’re not here to take everybody to the curb,” he said. Instead, he said, the aim is “making sure we get every able-bodied Nebraskan to be part of our community.”

The sweeping tax and policy law Trump signed in July requires states to make sure many recipients are working by 2027 but gave them the option to do it sooner.

Beneficiaries will have more reporting duties

The law mandates that people ages 19 to 64 who have Medicaid coverage work or perform community service at least 80 hours a month or be enrolled in school at least half-time to receive and keep coverage.

It applies only to people who receive Medicaid coverage through an expansion that covers a population with a slightly higher income limit. Forty states and the District of Columbia have opted to expand the coverage income guidelines under former President Barrack Obama’s 2010 health insurance overhaul.

Of 346,000 Nebraska residents enrolled in Medicaid as of May, about 72,000 were in the higher income expansion group.

Some people will be exempted, including disabled veterans, pregnant women, parents and guardians of dependent children under 14 or disabled individuals, people who were recently released from incarceration, those who are homeless and people getting addiction treatment. States can also offer short-term hardships for others if they choose.

All Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible because of the expansion will be required to submit paperwork at least every six months showing they meet the mandate.

Those who don’t would lose their coverage.

The reporting requirement is twice as frequent as it is for most people covered by Medicaid now. That change means more work for the state agencies — and for some of them, extensive and likely expensive computer program updates.

Pillen said he does not expect the state government to increase staffing to make the changes.

When and how to implement the change is likely to be on the agenda for governors and state lawmakers across the country as legislative sessions start — most of them in January.

The policy is expected to lead to lost coverage

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the requirement will reduce Medicaid costs by $326 billion over a decade — and that it will result in 4.5 million people becoming uninsured each year starting in 2027. Currently, about 77 million Americans are covered by Medicaid.

Because most people covered by Medicaid who are able to work already do, it’s not expected to increase employment rates.

Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, joined Pillen’s announcement via a video feed and said the administration believes there are jobs available across the country, and the challenge is connecting people with them.

“Most people who are able-bodied on Medicaid actually want to get a job,” Oz said.

Georgia implemented similar requirements in 2023. Far fewer people are covered than projected, in part because of the work and reporting requirements.

Arkansas tried another variation of Medicaid work requirements — later blocked by a judge — that saw 18,000 people kicked off coverage in the first seven months after it took effect in 2018.

Rob Reiners son Nick Reiner made his first court appearance Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents.

The 32-year-old did not enter a plea as he appeared from behind the glass wall of a custody area. He was in shackles and wearing a jail suicide prevention smock.

Reiner's arraignment was postponed until Jan. 7 at his lawyers request. He spoke only to say yes, your honor to agree to the date.

Reiner was charged Tuesday with killing the 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference with LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell.

Their loss is beyond tragic and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice," Hochman said.

WATCH | Rob Reiner remembered as son is arrested in double homicide case

Along with the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.

Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.

This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city, McDonnell said.

The announcement came two days after the couple was found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from the crime scene, police said.

Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom All in the Family who went on to direct films including When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride. He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.

Several of those closest to them, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple on Tuesday night.

They were a special force together dynamic, unselfish and inspiring, the statement said. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.

Nick Reiner had been scheduled to make an initial court appearance earlier Tuesday, but his attorney Alan Jackson said he was not brought from the jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and the appearance was postponed.

At Wednesday's hearing, Reiner may enter a plea, a judge may schedule an arraignment for later or the same issue that prevented him from coming to court Tuesday could cause further postponement. He is being held without bail.

Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.

On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers' attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.

Authorities havent said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.

A 16-year-old from Highland Park is being charged after prosecutors say he shot and killed a teen in the parking lot of a Dollar General last month.

We previously reported that Avonte Herring was gunned down near the Dollar General store on Woodward Avenue and Manchester Parkway around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with stray rounds from the shooting striking neighboring businesses and passing vehicles. Police say that Herring was shot in the back, and was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.

Watch our previous coverage from Randy Wimbley

13-year-old killed in Highland Park shooting, family and community demand justice

The 16-year-old is not being charged as an adult, but he has been adult-designated. We're told that this means that, upon conviction, a judge can choose to sentence the teen as a juvenile or as an adult.

The juvenile is facing First-Degree Murder charges. He is set to appears in court again next month.

The post The Metro: Measles case confirmed in Oakland County appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By GARY FIELDS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that the National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital can continue for now, staying a lower-court ruling that had ordered an end to the troops’ presence.

The three-judge panel for U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that Donald Trump may prevail in his argument that the president “possesses a unique power” to mobilize the Guard in Washington, which is a federal district.

The ruling stops the implementation of U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb’s Nov. 20 opinion and order, and reaffirms that residents and visitors to Washington will routinely see Guard members well into 2026.

Cobb had ruled that the deployment illegally intrudes on local officials’ authority to direct law enforcement in the District of Columbia.

Wednesday’s unanimous 32-page ruling went on to say that other factors also favored the Republican administration, including the “disruption to the lives of thousands of service members,” as well as what it said was the president’s interest “in the protection of federal governmental functions and property within the Nation’s capital.”

The judges found that the district “has not identified any ongoing injury to its statutory interests.”

The ruling acknowledged that the administration has a strong case for its appeal.

The deployment began in August after Trump issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington. Within a month, more than 2,300 National Guard troops from eight states and the district were patrolling the city under the command of the Army secretary. Trump also deployed hundreds of federal agents to assist.

The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, sued to challenge the Guard deployments. He asked that the White House be barred from deploying Guard troops without the mayor’s consent while the lawsuit played out. Dozens of states took sides in Schwalb’s lawsuit, with their support falling along party lines.

A spokesperson with Schwalb’s office said the stay was a “preliminary ruling that does not resolve the merits. We look forward to continuing our case in both the district and appellate courts.”

Cobb had found that while the president did have authority to protect federal functions and property, he could not unilaterally deploy the D.C. National Guard to help with crime control as he saw fit or call in troops from other states. She called for the troops to be sent home after her ruling but put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the appeal by the administration.

The appeals court issued an administrative stay of Cobb’s ruling Dec. 4. Wednesday’s action lifts that order.

The court action comes three weeks after two members of the West Virginia National Guard, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House. Beckstrom died Nov. 27 from her injuries. Wolfe continues to recover. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

The administration has called for an additional 500 National Guard members to be deployed to Washington as a result of the shooting.

The appeals court panel said its decision was “limited in several respects.” For example, it did not address questions such as whether the Guard units were engaged in “law enforcement” activities in violation of federal law.