Scammers are posing as legitimate tow truck companies online, taking money from stranded drivers and leaving them without help, according to a local wrecker service owner who has seen multiple cases in recent weeks.

Bill Byers, owner of Byers Wrecker Service in Rochester, said one customer sat on a dirt road north of Rochester for six hours after paying more than $300 to what he thought was a legitimate towing company. No truck ever arrived.

"These people are calling them on the phone and they're going, 'we can send somebody out but it'll be a $300 charge prior to us coming out up to $600, I've even heard more," Byers said.

Byers started noticing this scam about two weeks ago. He said stressed drivers are calling companies they find through Google searches, but the addresses listed sometimes aren't actual tow lots.

The scam almost always begins with a demand for hundreds of dollars upfront, according to Byers.

"No legitimate towing business should ask money up front on a credit card," Byers said.

He explained that while some companies do require upfront payment to prevent customers from leaving before the truck arrives, legitimate fees should be $50 to $75, never $300, $600 or $900.

Byers said suspected scammers sometimes call trusted towing services like his, posing as customers or roadside assistance companies requesting a tow. However, these callers have already collected payment from the actual stranded driver.

"We went to a house up in Orion Township for a classic car and the gentleman said he already paid $392 to have his car towed, and it was only being towed two blocks two miles it was within a small area, and when we got there to collect he said I already paid, well we didn't get paid," Byers said. "So here we are, and we told him, 'you need to call and stop that transaction because this scam is going on.'"

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Computer Crimes Unit is actively investigating the scam.

"Any time they can get some kind of electronic payment or some other kind of methodology to get you to send them money without services, they're all about it," Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

Bouchard said some scammers are even intercepting calls intended for legitimate tow truck companies.

"Our computer crimes unit is kind of evaluating and trying to examine the whole situation to determine, you know, where the security breach is that Google is now sending them or calling the wrong number with the wrong party on the other end," Bouchard said.

If you suspect you're being targeted by a scammer, hang up, don't pay over the phone, and look for another tow truck company. You can also call your local police or sheriff's department to connect you with a legitimate towing company.

The U.S. stock market roared back, as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge, at least for now.

The S&P 500 jumped 2% Friday for its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared roughly 1,200 points and topped the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 2.2%.

Chip companies helped drive the gains on hopes for more big spending by customers diving into AI technology. Stocks also got a boost from a better reading on sentiment among U.S. consumers. Bitcoin rose back above $70,000.

They were among the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500, and they benefited from hopes for continued spending by customers diving into artificial-intelligence technology. Amazon, for example, said late Thursday it expects to spend about $200 billion on investments this year to take advantage of seminal opportunities like AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites.

Such heavy spending, similar to what Alphabet announced a day earlier, is creating concerns of its own, though. The question is whether all those dollars will prove to be worth it and create much bigger profits in the future. With doubt remaining about that, Amazons stock dropped 7%.

Even with Fridays rebound, the S&P 500 is still potentially heading toward its third losing week in the last four. Besides worries about big AI spending by Big Tech companies, whose stocks are the most influential on Wall Street, concerns about AI potentially stealing customers away from software companies also hurt the market through the week. The hits for software stocks accelerated after AI firm Anthropic released free tools to automate things like legal services.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, steadied following a weekslong plunge that had sent it more than halfway below its record price set in October. It climbed back above $70,000 after briefly dropping close to $60,000 late Thursday.

Prices in the metals market also calmed a bit following their own wild swings. Gold rose 1.8% to settle at $4,979.80 per ounce, while silver added 0.2%.

Their prices suddenly ran out of momentum last week following jaw-dropping rallies, which were driven by investors clamoring for something safe to own amid worries about political turmoil, a U.S. stock market that critics called expensive and huge debt loads for governments worldwide. By January, prices for gold and silver were surging so quickly that critics called it unsustainable.

RELATED STORY | US applications for jobless benefits jump by 22,000 to 231,000 last week, the most in 2 months

On Wall Street, the recovery for bitcoin helped stocks of companies enmeshed in the crypto economy. Robinhood Markets jumped 13.6% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500. Crypto trading platform Coinbase Global rose 11.4%. Strategy, the company thats made a business of buying and holding bitcoin, soared 24.5%.

Stocks of smaller U.S. companies also helped lead the market, along with companies whose profits depend on U.S. households spending more money. They benefited from potentially encouraging data on how U.S. consumers are feeling.

A preliminary report from the University of Michigan suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is improving slightly, when economists were expecting to see a drop. The improvement was strongest among households who own stocks, which are benefiting from the S&P 500 setting a record late last month.

To be sure, sentiment remained at dismal levels for consumers without stock holdings, according to Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.

Airline stocks were strong with hopes that more confidence among U.S. households will translate into more spending on trips. That included gains of 9.2% for United Airlines, 7.6% for Delta Air Lines and 7.5% for American Airlines.

The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index jumped 3.4%, roughly double the gain of the S&P 500. Smaller companies profits can be more dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy than those for big, multinational rivals.

MORE ECONOMIC NEWS | Economists warn Trump's $200B mortgage move could backfire, lifting home prices

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe.

That was even though Stellantis, the auto giant whose stock trades in Italy, lost 25.2% after saying it would take a charge of 22 billion euros, or $26 billion, as it dials back its electric vehicle production. The automaker acknowledged over-estimating the pace of the energy transition and said it was resetting its business to align the company with the real-world preferences of its customers.

Stocks fell across much of Asia, but Japans Nikkei 225 rose 0.8%. It benefited from a 2% climb for Toyota Motor, which said CEO Koji Sato will step down in April and will be replaced by the companys chief financial officer, Kenta Kon.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury erased an earlier modest loss and held at 4.21%, where it was late Thursday.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wants to quickly send 5 year-old Liam Ramos and his father out of the country.

Images of Ramos in a blue bunny hat went viral last month after he was detained by ICE officers in Minneapolis.

Ramos and his father are asylum seekers from Ecuador and have since been released from a detention center in Texas and returned to Minnesota.

But the Department of Homeland Security filed a motion to expedite deportation proceedings in the family's asylum case.

RELATED STORY | Federal officers detain a 5-year-old boy who school official says was used as 'bait'

An immigration attorney told Scripps News the development matches the Trump administration's immigration goals.

"This is just part of a much larger picture is, you know, in which the Trump administration is doing everything it possibly can quickly detain and deport as many migrants as possible," said Philip Schrag, Delaney Family professor of public interest law at Georgetown University. "Even migrants who like this family have a pending asylum case. So this family is legally in the United States because they have pending asylum case and they should not be deported until case is resolved."

Ramos' attorney says the family was following all established protocols for pursuing asylum in the U.S. and should have never been detained in the first place. They called the new effort to deport the family uncommon and retaliatory.

Trump administration officials have argued the family did not properly apply for asylum.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the case.

MORE ON IMMIGRATION | Minnesota boy, father return home from Texas ICE detention facility

Ramos and his father could be deported in a matter of weeks. A hearing in their case was scheduled for Friday. Their attorneys are requesting more time to respond to the government's motion to support the family.

Colorado sheriffs Lt. Jeremy Muxlow has firsthand experience with high-profile kidnapping investigations and is closely following the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Those are the big moments in law enforcement. Those are the ones that demand 100% perfection because someones life is potentially hanging in the balance, Muxlow told Scripps News.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Son of missing 84-Year-Old Nancy Guthrie urges captors to make contact

Four years ago, Muxlow and the Rio Blanco County Sheriffs Office were called to a well-known property in their community the sprawling ranch owned by former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg to investigate a reported car crash. But the deputies soon learned a housekeeper was missing, and had been taken by force by an intruder who used a truck to ram his way onto the property.

My mind was in battle mode, Muxlow recalled. Weve got to find the lady, weve got to ID the suspect. Weve got to start getting direction of travel and location.

Muxlow, like the rest of the nation, is following the search effort for Nancy Guthrie in Tucson. The 84-year-old was reported missing on Sunday. He said in his experience, the element of celebrity can add pressure to an investigation.

The reality of the situation is that high-profile cases add layers of complexity. Theres increased attention, media interest, and outside pressures, but the fundamentals dont change. They cant change, Muxlow said. I had to turn off whose ranch it was ... no offense to Mr. Bloomberg whatsoever. All that I was focused on 100% was just finding our victim.

In the Rio Blanco case, authorities said the kidnapper forced the victim to drive him out of state to a motel in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The SWAT team there executed a rescue operation and brought the victim home uninjured.

The suspect, Joseph Beecher, was convicted and later took his own life in prison, according to Muxlow. Prosecutors said he went to the ranch intending to kill Bloomberg, then committed the kidnapping when he discovered the politician wasnt there.

Muxlow said Beecher made a critical mistake that led authorities to track him down, but he would not elaborate on what that misstep was. He said revealing it might give clues to the person who took Nancy Guthrie, and hes holding out hope that investigators in Tucson will experience a similar break.

Its going to take a lot of patience, Muxlow said. Prayer, honestly, is huge, and just know that the best of the best in our nation are focused in Arizona right now doing what they can do.

MILAN (AP) — Men’s downhill in Alpine skiing starts as the first medal event of the Milan Cortina Olympics and will take place Saturday, which is officially Day 1 of the Games.

Also in the spotlight will be U.S. figure skating star Ilia Malinin as well as Jessie Diggins, America’s most decorated cross-country skier.

Here is a guide of what to look out for:

Men’s downhill is wide open

Swiss teammates Marco Odermatt and world champion Franjo von Allmen are among the favorites, though there’s a long list of contenders for the podium at Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio.

The home crowd will be rooting for Dominik Paris, who in his fifth Games is still looking for his first Olympic medal. The 36-year-old Italian is a Bormio specialist, having won a record six World Cup downhills there. There’s also young Italian Giovanni Franzoni.

U.S. skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle was fastest in the opening downhill training session Wednesday. It is Cochran-Siegle’s third Winter Olympics. He won silver in the super-G at the Beijing Games four years ago.

The event is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. local time (0930 GMT, 4:30 a.m. ET), weather permitting.

Ilia Malinin performs in figure skating team event

Two-time reigning world champion Ilia Malinin, the overwhelming favorite to win Olympic figure skating gold, performs his short program as part of the team event. The defending champion U.S. leads Japan and Italy going into Day 2 of the three-day competition. It’s scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. local time (1745 GMT, 12:45 p.m. ET) in Milan.

In the free dance, the U.S. team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates is expected back on the ice. The three-time defending world champions won the rhythm dance portion of the team competition Friday.

Jessie Diggins competes in her 4th Olympics

Diggins, a 34-year-old Minnesota native, is trying to add to her Olympic haul before she retires at the end of the season. She already has a gold, silver, and bronze medal from three earlier Olympics. She will compete Saturday in the 20 kilometer skiathlon. The event is scheduled to begin at noon local time (1100 GMT and 6 a.m. ET). Cross-country skiing is held in Val di Fiemme, a valley in the heart of the Dolomites. It’s possible medals could be awarded before the men’s downhill medals.

There are also medal events in ski jumping (women’s normal hill individual), snowboard (men’s snowboard big air) and speedskating (women’s 3000 meters).

US faces Finland in women’s hockey

Women’s hockey is among the handful of disciplines that have already begun preliminary rounds. The U.S. team opened its campaign with a 5-1 victory over Czechia on Thursday.

Next up for the Americans is Finland. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:40 p.m. local time (1440 GMT, 9:40 a.m. ET) in Milan. The other games Saturday: Switzerland-Canada; Sweden-Italy; and Germany-Japan.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

No, you’re not tripping! If you pick up a copy of the latest issue of Detroit Metro Times with the stunning Dita Von Teese on the cover you might notice things look a little bit different than they did before. We switched to a new printer, resulting in a larger page size of 11 inches […]

The post Detroit Metro Times boasts new larger print edition appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

By The Associated Press

This photo gallery, curated by AP photo editors, features highlights from the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics.

As conversations about climate change continue to evolve, the College for Creative Studies (CCS) is being proactive about the role its students will eventually play.

The art and design college has been developing the next generation of creative professionals for over a century. Graduates go on to work in transportation, film and animation, athletic apparel, and more. Throughout the winter season, CCS is holding a series of conversations that interrogates how artists and designers build a future that is more sustainable. CCS president, Donald Tuski, joined the show to explain why they are encouraging more sustainable and innovative designs.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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The post The Metro: Arts college emphasizes sustainability in winter lecture series appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA, Associated Press

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will resume staff cuts that were briefly paused during January’s severe winter storm, according to two FEMA managers, stoking concern across the agency over its ability to address disasters with fewer workers.

FEMA at the start of January abruptly stopped renewing employment contracts for a group of staffers known as Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery, or CORE employees, term-limited hires who can hold senior roles and play an important role in emergency response.

But FEMA then paused the cuts in late January as the nation braced for the gigantic winter storm that was set to impact half the country’s population. FEMA did not say whether that decision was linked to the storm.

The two FEMA team managers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the staffing changes with the media, were told this week that dismissals were going to resume soon but were not given a specific date. It was not clear how many people would be impacted.

FEMA staff told The Associated Press that the policy indiscriminately terminates employees without taking into account the importance of their role or their years of experience. The hundreds of CORE dismissals have wiped out entire teams, or left groups without managers, they said.

“It’s a big impact to our ability to implement and carry out the programs entrusted to us to carry out,” one FEMA manager told The Associated Press.

The officials said it was unclear who at the Department of Homeland Security or FEMA was driving the decision. Managers used to make the case to extend a contract months in advance, they said, but now leaders were often finding out about terminations at the same time as their employee.

DHS and FEMA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

There are over 10,000 CORE workers, making up nearly half of FEMA’s workforce. While they are employed on two- and four-year contracts, those terms are “routinely renewed,” one manager said, calling CORE the “primary backbone” for FEMA’s response and recovery work. Many CORE are supervisors and it’s not uncommon for them to have worked at the agency for many years, if not decades.

CORE employees are paid out of FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and are not subject to as long a hiring process as permanent full-time federal employees. That allows the agency to be more nimble in its hiring and onboard employees more quickly as needs arise. With DHS funded only temporarily because of a battle in Congress over immigration tactics, CORE employees can work and be paid during a government shutdown, so long as the disaster fund still has money.

The administration’s efforts to reduce the workforce come as the Trump administration has been promising reforms for FEMA that it says will reduce waste and shift emergency management responsibilities over to states.

It also comes as DHS faces increasing criticism over how it manages FEMA, including delays in getting disaster funding to states and workforce reductions.

FEMA lost nearly 10% of its workforce between January and June 2025, according to the Government Accountability Office. Concern has grown in recent months among FEMA staff and disaster experts that larger cuts are coming.

A draft report from the Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council included a recommendation to cut the agency’s workforce in half, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the report with media. The council’s final report, due last November, has not been published.

“Based on past disasters, we know that slashing FEMA’s workforce will put Americans at risk, plain and simple,” Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said after introducing a resolution Wednesday condemning FEMA staff cuts.

Last week, a coalition of unions and nonprofits led by the American Federation of Government Employees filed a legal complaint against the Trump Administration over the FEMA reductions.

A CORE employee at FEMA headquarters who asked not to be named for fear of losing their job said that even though FEMA was able to support states during Winter Storm Fern, a year of staff losses could already be felt. There were fewer people available for backup, they said, and staff were burned out from ongoing uncertainty.

Ezra Parker Chapter, the Royal Oak chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), presented the 2026 DAR Good Citizen award to Shrine High School senior Natalie Lanfear. Natalie is the daughter of David and Sara Lanfear of Birmingham.

The DAR Good Citizen Award is presented to a high school senior who best exemplifies dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

Natalie received a $200 award from the Ezra Parker Chapter and she was also named as a state finalist of the DAR Good Citizen Award, one of five in Michigan. The state awards conference is in April and then the state winner will advance to the division level.

The DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to historic preservation, education, and patriotism, with 55 chapters in Michigan. For more information, visit www.dar.org.

— Submitted by Diane Mazurek, Ezra Parker Chapter NSDAR

Luigi Mangione spoke out in court Friday against the prospect of back-to-back trials over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling a judge: Its the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.

Mangione, 27, made the remarks as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom after a judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case.

Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial.

Mangiones lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, they'll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him.

Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation," defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. "This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices.

The defense will not be ready on June 8," she added.

Be ready, Carro replied.

RELATED STORY | Judge dismisses federal murder charge, death penalty off table for Mangione

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty.

Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13.

Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing.

As the trial calendar began to take shape, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann sent a letter to Carro asking him to begin the New York trial on July 1.

The prosecutor argued that the states interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay until after the federal trial. Under the law, he said, the state has priority of jurisdiction for purposes of trial, sentencing and incarceration" because Mangione was arrested by New York City police, not federal authorities.

When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors said anticipated that the state trial would go first. Seidemann told Carro on Friday that Thompsons family has also expressed a desire to see the state trial happen first.

It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first, Carro said Friday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | A man impersonating an FBI agent tried to get Luigi Mangione out of jail, authorities say

Scheduling the state trial first could help Manhattan prosecutors avoid double jeopardy issues. Under New York law, the district attorneys office could be barred from trying Mangione if his federal trial happens first.

The states double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. The cases involve different charges but the same alleged course of conduct.

Mangione isnt due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing.

Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive.

Last week, Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial.

In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge.

Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Groups annual investor conference.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say delay, deny and depose were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

Joseph John Zainea, a longtime Detroit restaurateur and community figure who helped build and sustain the Majestic Theatre Center and the city’s historic Garden Bowl, has died. 

The post Joseph Zainea, longtime steward of Detroit’s Majestic Theatre and Garden Bowl, dies at 92 appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

The post Metro Events Guide: Shiver on the River, slide into Sled Season + more appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

Energy Star, the program that helps guide consumers to more energy-efficient appliances and electronics, has survived the Trump administration’s plans to cut it.

The program received sufficient support in Congress that it was included in budget legislation signed this week by President Donald Trump.

Environmentalists and advocates called it good news for consumers and the planet, but raised concerns over how the program will be administered under a shrunken Environmental Protection Agency.

But Energy Star is not the only energy efficiency program targeted by Trump.

Here’s what to know about the outlook for that program and others.

What’s Trump got against energy efficiency?

Trump has regularly said efficiency standards for household items and appliances — many strengthened under predecessor Joe Biden’s administration — rob consumers of choice and add unnecessary costs.

His first executive order upon returning to office last year outlined a vision to “unleash American energy.” In it, he emphasized safeguarding “the American people’s freedom to choose” everything from light bulbs to gas stoves to water heaters and shower heads.

At the same time Trump has targeted efficiency, he’s also sought to block renewable energy development such as wind and solar and boosted fossil fuels that contribute to warming, including gas, oil and coal.

What happened with Energy Star?

Energy Star is a voluntary, decades-old EPA-run program that informs consumers about how efficient home appliances and electronics are, including dishwashers, washing machines and more. The idea is to simultaneously reduce emissions and save consumers money on their energy bills.

The Department of Energy develops product testing procedures for Energy Star, while the EPA sets performance levels and ensures the certification label is reliable for consumers. It also applies to new homes, commercial buildings and plants.

EPA says the program has saved 4 billion metric tonnes (4.41 billion tons) of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions since launching in 1992, and can save households an average of $450 annually.

Last May, EPA drafted plans to eliminate Energy Star as part of a broader agency reorganization that targeted air pollution regulation efforts and other critical environmental functions. The agency said the reorganization would deliver “organizational improvements to the personnel structure” to benefit the American people.

Many groups advocated against the potential closure of the program, citing its benefits to consumers.

The legislation Trump signed this week allocated $33 million for the program, slightly more than 2024’s $32.1 million, according to the Congressional Research Service, but it continues the general trend of declining funding for the program over the past decade. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, among many industry groups to advocate for keeping the program in letters sent to Congress, said it was “very pleased” to see the funding continue.

Some concerns remain

Experts say uncertainty around the program likely didn’t impact consumers much over the past year. They note that manufacturers can’t change their product lines overnight.

Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at climate research organization Project Drawdown, said the uncertainty may have had a bigger effect on EPA’s ability to administer the program. She was among experts wondering how staffing cuts may affect EPA’s work.

EPA spokesperson Brigit Hirsch didn’t address a question about that, saying in a statement only that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin “will follow the law as enacted by Congress.”

What other energy efficiency rules are still in limbo?

The Department of Energy has proposed rolling back, weakening or revoking 17 other minimum efficiency standards for energy and water conservation as part of 47 broader deregulatory actions. Those are standards that must be met for the products to be sold legally.

That includes air cleaners, ovens, dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners, washers, dishwashers, faucets and many more items that have been in place and updated over the years.

“These are standards that are quietly saving people money on their utility bills year after year in a way that most consumers never notice,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “The striking thing is that consumers have a huge array of choices in appliances in the market today. Repealing these standards would simply increase cost. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Changing efficiency measures also drives up energy demand at a time when utilities are already challenged to meet the growing needs of data centers, electrification and more.

While Congress has supported Energy Star and these separate appliance standards, it also has advanced legislation that would give the president new powers to roll back rules.

Manufacturers are likely to continue making efficient consumer appliances, but weakened rules could negatively impact the U.S. marketplace.

“The problem for U.S. manufacturers is that overseas competitors making inefficient products elsewhere could now flood the U.S. market,” deLaski said, noting that would undercut American manufacturers.

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Matthew Stafford walked away with the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award and a declaration that he's returning to the Los Angeles Rams for another season.

Stafford edged Drake Maye for the MVP award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.

Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, wants another opportunity to try to win his second Super Bowl ring with the Rams.

Oh yeah, I'll be back. It was such an amazing season and I play with such a great group of guys and great group of coaches that I was lucky enough to finish this season healthy, and I wanna make sure that I go out there and see what happens next year," Stafford told the AP.

Stafford brought his four daughters all dressed in identical black-and-white dresses to the stage to accept the award.

He thanked his team and saved his wife and daughters for last: Youre unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I cant wait for you to cheer me on next year when were out there kicking (butt).

It was Staffords way of announcing he will be back next season after contemplating retirement.

Myles Garrett was a unanimous choice for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after setting a season record for sacks with 23.

RELATED STORY | NFL says it will look into Giants co-owner's association with Jeffrey Epstein

All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba beat out Christian McCaffrey for the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

New Englands Mike Vrabel beat out Jacksonvilles Liam Coen for the AP NFL Coach of the Year award, becoming the seventh coach to win it with two different teams.

McCaffrey became the first running back to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 24 years.

Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger was a runaway winner for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in the first season of his third stint with the team.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr.

RELATED STORY | From the field to advocacy: NFL, NWSL stars join campaign pushing others to make CPR their 'superpower'

Voters selected a top 5 for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, received two first-place MVP votes, and Justin Herbert got the other one.

Stafford, who earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career, finished with 366 points to Mayes 361. Allen placed third with 91 points, Christian McCaffrey (71) was fourth and Trevor Lawrence (49) came in fifth.

Its McCaffreys second top-five finish in three years, more than any other non-quarterback since the weighted point system was implemented in 2022.

Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards passing and 46 TDs. He threw eight picks and finished second to Maye with a 109.2 passer rating. Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams lost to Seattle in the NFC championship game.

Maye had 4,394 yards passing, 31 TDs and eight picks. The second-year pro led the league in passer rating (113.5) and completion percentage (72).

By STEPHEN GROVES

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Friday requested records related to firms partially owned by the husband of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, taking the extraordinary step of scrutinizing the spouse of a sitting House member.

Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, released a letter to Timothy Mynett, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Omar, requesting records related to a pair of companies that had a substantial jump in value between 2023 and 2024, according to financial disclosures filed by the congresswoman.

Comer’s request marked a highly unusual move by the chair of a committee with a history of taking on politically-charged investigations, but almost always focused on government officials outside of Congress. The House Ethics Committee, which is comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans and tries to stay away from political fights, typically handles allegations involving lawmakers and their family members.

Yet since her 2018 election as one of the first Muslim women in the House, Omar has received nearly-nonstop attacks from the right. She has dismissed allegations around her finances as “misleading” and based on conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for Omar, Jackie Rogers, said in a statement that Comer’s letter was “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to fundraise, not real oversight.”

“This is an attempt to orchestrate a smear campaign against the congresswoman, and it is disgusting that our tax dollars are being used to malign her,” Rogers added.

Comer has also displayed a willingness to push the traditional parameters of the Oversight panel. In a separate investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, he is enforcing subpoenas for depositions from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, marking the first time a former president will be forced to appear before Congress.

In the letter to Mynett on Friday, Comer said, “There are serious public concerns about how your businesses increased so dramatically in value only a year after reporting very limited assets.”

There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Omar, but President Donald Trump also said last month that the Department of Justice is looking into her finances.

In response to the president, Omar said on social media that “your support is collapsing and you’re panicking,” adding that “Years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing.”

The scrutiny of Omar’s finances comes from a required financial disclosure statement she filed in May last year. She reported then that two firms tied to her husband, a winery called eStCru and an investment firm called Rose Lake Capital, had risen in value by at least $5.9 million dollars. Lawmakers report assets within ranges of dollar figures, so it was not clear exactly how much the firms had risen in value or what ownership stake Mynett had in them.

Omar has also pointed out that her husband’s reported income from the winery was between $5,000 and $15,000 and none from Rose Lake Capital.

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brandi Carlile isn’t hedging.

When the multi-Grammy winner steps onto the field at Super Bowl to sing “America the Beautiful,” Carlile said she’ll perform fully live — with no prerecorded safety net, embracing the same risk she believes audiences take every day simply by showing up.

“The people deserve to have you live,” Carlile told The Associated Press on Thursday. “They need you to be taking the risk they’re taking every day when they walk out into those streets.”

That decision sets the tone for how Sunday’s pregame performers are approaching one of music’s most technically demanding stages. Some play it safe while others are fully present.

Carlile, who will perform before kickoff along with Charlie Puth and Coco Jones, described preparation that extends beyond rehearsals and sound checks. Having previously performed in large outdoor venues — including Elton John’s final tour date at Dodger Stadium in 2022 — she said singing in an open-air stadium introduces noticeable sound delay, where performers can hear their own voices echo back moments later.

“I’ve been preparing for it more spiritually than technically,” Carlile said. “I want to sing that song as more of a prayer than a boast.”

Performing live at the Super Bowl has long required a careful balance between authenticity and logistics. Because of stadium acoustics, broadcast delays and the precision demanded by a globally televised event, artists often blend live vocals with backing tracks or use prerecorded elements to ensure consistent sound quality across the venue and broadcast.

The practice is not new. Whitney Houston’s iconic 1991 national anthem performance was later confirmed to have used a prerecorded track. Katy Perry and other halftime performers have also used a mix of live vocals and reinforcement as part of highly choreographed productions.

The approach is common but the choice remains personal, shaped by an artist’s own philosophy and comfort level.

Jones, who will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” framed her preparation less as declaration and more as discipline — rooted in respect for the song itself. Rather than focusing on whether a performance is live or supported, she emphasized repetition, rehearsing until muscle memory takes over.

“I try to overly practice,” she said. “When everything is second nature … I’m just a vessel.”

Jones has performed on stadium stages before, including Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and said the scale amplifies pressure but doesn’t fundamentally change her mindset. She studies lyrics — her own and those she covers — to understand the emotion and intention behind every line before stepping onto the field.

From a sound standpoint, Jones stressed the importance of sound monitoring in a massive stadiums. Jones sought guidance from Alicia Keys, who became the first artist to sing the rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for the NFL in 2000.

“She just told me, ‘Don’t be nervous — be in the moment,’” Jones said. “That meant a lot coming from her.”

Puth, who will perform the national anthem, said he is approaching the moment as a producer as much as a vocalist — a mindset shaped by years of controlling sound from the studio to the stage. Though he has performed in stadiums before, he said each venue presents its own challenges.

“There’s not one stadium that sounds alike,” Puth said.

Known for his hands-on role in his music, Puth said maintaining control over sound is central to his preparation, particularly in a setting where acoustics, delay and broadcast demands intersect. The national anthem, one of the most scrutinized songs in American music, requires restraint as much as power, especially in a stadium setting, the singer said.

“You just make sure you don’t over sing,” said Puth, whose Super Bowl appearance arrives ahead of a busy year. His fourth studio album, “Whatever’s Clever,” is set for release March 27, followed by a world tour that will take him through arenas including New York and Los Angeles.

“The moment you start thinking about everybody else, you’re not locked into the music,” he continued. “And that’s when things don’t sound the way they should.”

For Carlile, the Super Bowl also serves as a bridge to what comes next.

Next week, she will launch the Human Tour, her first-ever arena headlining run. It’s a milestone she described as both thrilling and intimidating. But standing alone on the Super Bowl field, she said, offers a kind of preparation no rehearsal room can replicate.

“It’ll be the scariest thing I do this year,” she said. “So once that’s over, the Human Tour is going to be Disneyland all day long.”

Carlile said what she’s learning in this moment. She’s resisting perfection, staying present and trusting herself during her live performance, hoping she along with Puth and Jones’ performances give viewers some form of inspiration.

“You have to wake up and take a risk with yourself,” she said. “That’s what makes performance beautiful.”

By PATRICK WHITTLE The Associated Press

KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) — It just wouldn’t feel like the Super Bowl for them if they weren’t all there. And this might be the last time they all do it.

That’s what three old friends were coming to grips with just before this year’s Super Bowl. The trio of octogenarians are the only fans left in the exclusive “never missed a Super Bowl” club.

Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel of Florida were back for another big game this year. But two of them are grappling with the fact that advancing years and decreasing mobility mean this is probably the last time.

This year’s game pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday. Crisman, a Patriots fan since the franchise started, was excited to see his team in the game for a record-setting 12th time.

“This will definitely be the final one,” said Crisman, who made the trip with his daughter, Susan Metevier. “We made it to 60.”

Getting older, scaling back

Crisman, who first met Henschel at the 1983 Super Bowl, turns 90 this year. Meanwhile, Henschel, 84, has been slowed by a stroke. Both said this is the last time they’ll make the increasingly expensive trip to the game, although members of the group have said that before. For his part, Eaton, 86, plans to keep going as long as he’s still physically able.

Eaton, who runs a ground transportation company in Detroit, is the only member of the group not retired. And he’d still like to finally see his beloved Detroit Lions make it to a Super Bowl.

Even so, all three said they’ve scaled back the time they dedicate each year to the trip. Crisman used to spend a week in the host city, soaking in the pomp and pageantry. These days, it’s just about the game, not the hype.

“We don’t go for a week anymore, we go for three or four days,” Crisman said.

Eaton, too, admits the price and hype of the big game have gotten to be a lot.

“I think all of them are big, they’re all fun. It’s just gotten so commercial. It’s a $10,000 trip now,” he said.

Friendly rivalries over the years

Henschel said this year’s Super Bowl would be the most challenging for him because of his stroke, but he was excited to see Eaton and Crisman one more time.

Eaton met Crisman and Henschel in the mid-2010s after years of attending the Super Bowl separately. And Henschel and Crisman have a long-running rivalry: Their respective favorite teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots — are AFC rivals.

The fans have attended every game since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, as the first two Super Bowls were known at the time, in 1967. They have sometimes sat together in the past, but logistics make it impossible some years.

But this year it was just about being able to go to the game at all, Henschel said.

“I don’t talk or walk good,” he said.

An ever-shrinking club

The club of people who have never missed a Super Bowl once included other fans, executives, media members and even groundskeepers, but as time has passed, the group has shrunk. Photographer John Biever, who has shot every Super Bowl, also plans to let his streak end at 60.

The three fans spin tales of past games that often focus less on the action on the field than on the different world where old Super Bowls took place. Henschel scored a $12 ticket for the 1969 Super Bowl the day of the game. Crisman endured a 24-hour train ride to Miami for the 1968 Super Bowl. Eaton, who is Black, remembers the many years before Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988.

Metevier, Crisman’s daughter, was born the year of the first Super Bowl and grew up with her dad’s streak as a fixture in her life. She’s looking forward to going to one last game with him.

“It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s about the memories,” Metevier said. “It’s not just about the football, it’s something more.”

Crisman’s son, Don Crisman Jr., said he’s on board with his dad making the trip for as long as he’s still able, too.

“You know, he’s a little long in the tooth, but the way I put it, if it was me and I was mobile and I could go, I would damn sure go,” he said.

By CLAIRE RUSH, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Lawyers for conservation groups, Native American tribes, and the states of Oregon and Washington returned to court Friday to seek changes to dam operations on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, following the collapse of a landmark agreement with the federal government to help recover critically imperiled salmon runs.

Last year President Donald Trump torpedoed the 2023 deal, in which the Biden administration had promised to spend $1 billion over a decade to help restore salmon while also boosting tribal clean energy projects. The White House called it “radical environmentalism” that could have resulted in the breaching of four controversial dams on the Snake River.

The plaintiffs argue that the way the government operates the dams violates the Endangered Species Act, and over decades of litigation judges have repeatedly ordered changes to help the fish. They’re asking the court to order changes at eight large hydropower dams, including lowering reservoir water levels, which can help fish travel through them faster, and increasing spill, which can help juvenile fish pass over dams instead of through turbines.

In court filings, the federal government called the request a “sweeping scheme to wrest control” of the dams that would compromise the ability to operate them safely and efficiently. Any such court order could also raise rates for utility customers, the government said.

“We’re returning to court because the situation for the salmon and the steelhead in the Columbia River Basin is dire,” said Kristen Boyles, managing attorney with Earthjustice, a nonprofit law firm representing conservation, clean energy and fishing groups in the litigation. “There are populations that are on the brink of extinction, and this is a species which is the center of Northwest tribal life and identity.”

The lengthy legal battle was revived after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement last June. The pact with Washington, Oregon and four Native American tribes had allowed for a pause in the litigation.

The plaintiffs, which include the state of Oregon and a coalition of conservation and fishing groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, filed the motion for a preliminary injunction, with Washington state, the Nez Perce Tribe and Yakama Nation supporting it as “friends of the court.” The U.S. District Court in Portland will hear the oral arguments.

The Columbia River Basin, spanning an area roughly the size of Texas, was once the world’s greatest salmon-producing river system, with at least 16 stocks of salmon and steelhead. Today, four are extinct and seven are endangered or threatened. Another iconic but endangered Northwest species, a population of killer whales, also depend on the salmon.

The construction of the first dams on the Columbia River, including the Grand Coulee and Bonneville in the 1930s, provided jobs during the Great Depression as well as hydropower and navigation. They made the town of Lewiston, Idaho, the most inland seaport on the West Coast, and many farmers continue to rely on barges to ship their crops.

Opponents of the proposed dam changes include the Inland Ports and Navigation Group, which said in a statement last year that increasing spill “can disproportionately hurt navigation, resulting in disruptions in the flow of commerce that has a highly destructive impact on our communities and economy.”

However, the dams are also a main culprit behind the decline of salmon, which regional tribes consider part of their cultural and spiritual identity.

Speaking before the hearing, Jeremy Takala of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council said “extinction is not an option.”

“This is very personal to me. It’s very intimate,” he said, describing how his grandfather took him to go fishing. “Every season of lower survival means closed subsistence fisheries, loss of ceremonies and fewer elders able to pass on fishing traditions to the next generation.”

The dams for which changes are being sought are the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite on the Snake River, and the Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary on the Columbia.