MILFORD – After returning most of its 2024 roster this fall, the South Lyon volleyball team wasn’t shy when it came to one of its key goals.

That was winning the Lakes Valley Conference for the first time in program history.

While the season is still young, the Lions took a big step toward that goal on Tuesday night, besting Milford 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 to establish themselves as the lone remaining unbeaten LVC team.

“It’s something we talk about every year, but we really want it this year,” South Lyon coach Deena Maher said of the LVC title. “We are going to fight for it, and this was a big win for us toward achieving that goal. There’s a lot of matches still to play, but we are excited to see what happens.”

Milford (12-3-1, 3-1 LVC) came into the match with a win over the two-time defending conference champions, South Lyon East. The Mavericks were looking to take command of the league, but the Lions had other ideas.

Each set was competitive, but the Lions (17-5, 2-0) utilized a surge late in each set to keep the Mavericks at bay. In the first, a 6-1 rally with the score at 18-16 propelled the Lions toward the win. Junior Kennedy Duncan had three kills in the rally to start a strong night for herself.

“Kennedy is really stepping up as a leader for us this year,” Maher said of Duncan. “She continues to grow her game and is finding the open shots for us. I am really proud of her growth.”

In the second set it was another junior, Kate Sulkowski, who came through with some timely kills down the stretch to put South Lyon up two sets.

In the final set, the Lions scored five straight when the score was tied 16-16 to help themselves pull away. Duncan had another two kills and a block during the stretch.

Closing sets have been a big emphasis for South Lyon, as the Lions suffered most of their losses this year to ranked teams, coming up just a few points shy of pulling out the wins.

“We love playing top competition because it really helps us as a team,” Maher said. “We had some close losses to good teams early on and I think it showed us what we needed to work on, and we’ve been able to grow from that.”

Photo gallery of Milford vs. South Lyon in LVC volleyball action

The growth of the team also is a credit to the play of senior setter Lucy Stoll. She has over 350 assists on the season following Tuesday’s win where she spread the ball out well to the Lions’ capable hitters.

“Lucy is amazing. She’s not afraid of anything” Maher said of her senior setter. “She can handle anything that is thrown at her. She gives a good sense of calm to her teammates and she’s helped build that in our program.”

Duncan capitalized the most from Stoll’s play with 15 kills, while Sulkowski had seven kills with two blocks and two aces. Sophomore Julia Kavaliauskas added six kills.

Milford was led by junior Lexa Pierson, who had 17 kills, while junior Brynlei Gunn had six kills and a block.

South Lyon will look to maintain its hold on the LVC lead on Thursday when it hosts Walled Lake Western. The Lions still have an upcoming slate with rival South Lyon East on Oct. 7, but the team is very motivated to finish the job in the conference race after finishing second to the Cougars in 2024.

“We were really close last year, so the team has been really focused on winning the conference,” Stoll said. “We have a lot of players back from last year and we feel we are a much stronger team now. We just want to keep playing at a high level and get to that title.”

South Lyon defeated Milford in a battle of Lakes Valley Conference unbeatens on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. The Lions prevailed 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 at Milford High School.

 

Eastpointe police are investigating a hit-and-run that left a 17-year-old severely injured after being hit while riding his bike.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Veronica and Hayes avenues when a driver in a dark-colored pickup truck towing what appeared to be a landscape trailer hit Miles Rice and then fled the scene.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Teen injured in hit-and-run while riding bike in Eastpointe, police searching for driver

"As I got to this corner, the guy stopped because it's a yield sign, and he looked down on his phone, so I decided to hurry up and get across, and as I got across, he decided to take off and hit me," Rice said.

Rice suffered a fractured wrist and multiple cuts on his body from the collision.

"My leg was in between the bike and the front bumper and I had to pull my leg out, and then I had to pull the bike out from under it, and his front bumper kind of fell apart," Rice said.

Instead of helping the injured teen, Rice says the driver became aggressive before driving away.

"He rolled down his window and started screaming at me, saying it was my fault, saying I should have stopped and slowed down," Rice said.

Jerrica Rice, Miles' mother, expressed her distress about the driver's actions.

"It upset me, made me furious. I don't understand how people can do that to a child, regardless of if they were in the right or wrong, how can you leave a child hurt and injured in the street?" she said.

Eastpointe police are actively investigating the incident and working to identify the driver.

"(Regardless) if the child was at fault or the driver was at fault, both should wait for police arrival. Somebody fleeing the scene shows some kind of guilt, or there's a reason they don't want to wait, apparently," police said.

Residents in the neighborhood have voiced concerns about the intersection where the incident occurred, describing it as dangerous with vehicles frequently driving over the speed limit.

"We would like to see a stop sign, just for the safety of our children," said Kissy Lewis, an Eastpointe resident.

Another local resident, Donald Brant, shared similar concerns about the intersection.

"There's a lot of traffic here for the party store, and it should be a four-way stop, and they constantly run through it, and I've seen numerous accidents," Brant said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run to contact the Eastpointe Police Department.

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

South Lyon Community Schools will remain closed Wednesday for a third day for what is being called a network interruption.

The superintendent says there has been significant improvement since Sunday, but the system is still not restored to the level needed to safely open schools.

The superintendent released the following statement Tuesday night:

Good evening, Unfortunately, SLCS will be closed tomorrow, September 17th, due to the network interruptions and phone systems being down.  Our teams are continuing to work diligently to restore impacted systems. While there has been significant improvement, we cannot ensure our systems will be restored to the level of security and communication we need to safely open school. We will provide updates as they become available. Steve Archibald

Additional details about the interruption have not yet been released. The district is not saying if student information was accessed.

DETROIT (AP) — Steven Kwan, Angel Martinez, José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo combined to give Cleveland four extra-base hits an extra inning for the first time in 64 years, and the Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 in the 10th on Tuesday night for their 10th win in 11 games.

Pinch-hitter Kerry Carpenter tied the score 3-3 with a two-out homer in the ninth against Cade Smith (7-5), who blew a save for the sixth time in 21 chances.

Cleveland extended a winning streak to five for the fifth time this season, matching its high. The Guardians began the night three games behind Houston for the last AL wild card and closed within 5 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Tigers.

The Guardians’ first our batters in the 10th had extra-base hits off Will Vest (6-4), when Kwan doubled, Martínez tripled, José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo doubled. Gabriel Arias added a one-out RBI single for a 7-3 lead.

Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer in bottom of the 10th off Jakub Junis.

C.J. Kayfus hit an RBI single in the second and Gleyber Torres tied the game in the third with his 16th home run. Arias’ homer put Cleveland back ahead in the fourth and Bo Naylor’s RBI double in the sixth built a 3-1 lead.

Dillon Dingler drove in a run with a grounder in the bottom half, beating a throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play.

Key moment

Cleveland had not had four extra-base hits in an extra inning since May 10, 1961, when Tito Francona, Chuck Essegian, Woodie Held and Bubba Phillips achieved the feat in the 11th inning during an 8-2 win at the Chicago White Sox.

Key stat

Several players wore No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day, but the Tiger who normally wears the number, rookie pitcher Jackson Jobe, is sidelined for the rest of the season with a flexor injury.

DETROIT — Tarik Skubal is on track to make his scheduled start against the Guardians on Thursday, though manager AJ Hinch stopped short of saying it’s a done deal.

“We said we were going to go day by day and we have,” Hinch said before the game Tuesday against the Guardians. “He’s inching closer to his start day. Obviously we’re thrilled with the news that things were looking positive.”

Skubal on Monday threw his usual between-starts bullpen and felt none of the tightness in his upper rib cage area that forced him out of his start in Miami.

“Everything felt good,” Skubal said. “Just one of those weird things. I don’t really know how to explain it. But the bullpen went well, the scans came back good, so it’s on to the next one.”

He was asked if he held anything back in his bullpen session, just as a precaution.

“No, it was a normal working pen,” he said. “If anything, I probably worked a little harder just to make sure I was good to go. There was nothing there.”

Tigers Nation certainly gave a collective sigh of relief. Skubal, too.

“During the game, I was a little worried about it,” he said. “But once I came out and calmed down a little bit and ran through most of the tests with our trainers, I wasn’t too concerned after that.”

If the Tigers had taken care of business Tuesday (they lost in extra innings) and Wednesday, Skubal could have been on the mound with a chance to clinch the Central Division title Thursday.

“This series is going to be fun,” he said. “Cleveland is a good team and we tend to play good baseball games against each other. It starts (Tuesday) with Casey (Mize) and hopefully we win (Wednesday) with (Jack Flaherty) and hopefully sweep. That’s the division if the math works out. But it starts with (Tuesday), for sure.”

Bloomfield Township police are cracking down on drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, issuing eight citations in just the first three weeks of the new school year.

The violations were captured on video by cameras mounted on a school bus, showing multiple vehicles driving past the bus with the stop arms extended and red lights flashing. Each violation carries a $500 fine that can be mailed directly to the vehicle owner.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Bloomfield Township police crack down on school bus passing violations

"Today, we're three weeks into school and we posted a video that we saw that had several violators blowing right past that school bus stop arm," Sgt. Nick Soley with the Bloomfield Township Police Department said.

That most recent incident occurred on Franklin Road near Maple Road on Sept. 4, where video footage shows several cars ignoring a stopped school bus.

Watch video of the incident shared from police below: Web extra: Police release video of cars illegally passing stopped school bus in Bloomfield Township

"It unfortunately is common. It's kind of people aren't paying attention, one car goes, the next car goes and that's just kind of the way that it happens," Soley said.

Last year, Bloomfield Township police issued 62 tickets for similar violations. In March, video captured two students who nearly got hit by a passing vehicle.

WATCH: Video shows close call at bus stop in Bloomfield Township WATCH: Video shows close call at bus stop in Bloomfield Township

Thanks to a 2021 Michigan law, police can review footage from bus-mounted cameras that capture both the violation and license plate numbers, allowing them to mail citations directly to vehicle owners after an officer review.

"There's a lot more out there. We're definitely not catching all of them, but we're getting as many as we can," Soley said.

According to Michigan law, when a school bus displays its stop sign with red flashing lights, drivers must stop at least 20 feet away. This requirement applies to all traffic on both sides of the road, unless there's a divided highway.

"Those school buses are going to flash amber lights first. Those amber lights are a warning, hey this school bus is slowing down, its preparing to stop," Soley explained. "When the red lights come on and the arms go out, you can no longer pass.

Parents in the area expressed support for the enforcement efforts after viewing the violation footage.

"It seems very small and innocent, but you're talking about the lives and safety of our school kids," Bill O'Connor said. "Having the cameras sounds like a great idea and giving away $500 tickets sounds maybe light."

"It's really, really sad. I think children are at so much risk in their everyday lives that if we can make it a little bit safer for them to get off the bus, we should obey the laws," Sharon Myers said.

This school year, other districts including Detroit are adding cameras to their buses as police across the region emphasize that violations involving the safety of children come with serious consequences.

Related video: Detroit school buses get new cameras to catch drivers who don't stop for kids Detroit school buses get new cameras to catch drivers who don't stop for kids

"We want to start to get these messages out early. This isn't something we want to deal with the entire school year," Soley said.

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

Wayne County Health Division is reporting the first death associated with West Nile Virus in the county for 2025.

The only information being released about the individual is that they were an older adult with underlying health conditions and that they were from outside the City of Detroit.

So far this year, Michigan has reported 17 human cases of West Nile, including 3 under the jurisdiction of Wayne County Health Division.

This tragic loss is a reminder that West Nile virus can have serious consequences and why prevention is so vital, said Dr. Avani Sheth, Chief Medical Officer, in a news release. We urge residents to take simple, effective stepslike using insect repellent and draining standing waterto protect yourself and your loved ones.

The county also released the following information about West Nile:

WNV spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. It does not spread directly from person to person. Most people infected with WNV have no symptoms. When illness does occur, it usually begins 2 to 6 days after a mosquito bite and may include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. In rare cases, WNV can cause severe, potentially deadly illnesses such as meningitis or encephalitis (brain infection and swelling). Seek medical care immediately if you experience high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, confusion, or tremors. People over 50, those with weakened immune systems, or with certain medical conditions, are at higher risk for severe illness. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for WNV, so the best protection is prevention. WNV activity in Michigan typically peaks in late August and early September, but cases may occur from summer through early fall. Residents can reduce risk for West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses by following these precautions: <ul><li>Use insect repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</li><li>Limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.</li><li>Wear long sleeves, pants, and socks when outdoors; apply repellent to clothing as well.</li><li>Empty standing water to reduce mosquito breeding sites, such as tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers.</li><li>Install or repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of homes.</li></ul>For more information on West Nile virus, visit <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000166-21ae-df00-ab7e-f1af3fa00000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1758070970538,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000165-a645-d3c9-a3fd-e74588640000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1758070970538,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000165-a645-d3c9-a3fd-e74588640000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-5532-ddb4-a1ff-55ba0b4c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a&quot;},&quot;linkText&quot;:&quot;www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-5532-ddb4-a1ff-55ba0b380001&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288&quot;}">www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus</a> or <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/west-nile" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000166-21ae-df00-ab7e-f1af3fa00000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1758070952813,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000165-a645-d3c9-a3fd-e74588640000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1758070952813,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000165-a645-d3c9-a3fd-e74588640000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/west-nile&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-5531-d2c8-a79b-57f9bf620000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a&quot;},&quot;linkText&quot;:&quot;www.michigan.gov/wnv&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-5531-d2c8-a79b-57f9bf4d0001&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288&quot;}">www.michigan.gov/wnv</a>.

The United Kingdom is welcoming President Donald Trump for a rare second state visit Wednesday.

Trump arrived Tuesday evening to London for what he called a great honor. The event is poised to show the pageantry of the state visit, with focuses on trade and technology initiatives underlying it.

Its the first time this has ever happened, someone was honored twice. It is a great honor. And this was at Windsor and they've never used Windsor castle for this before, usually its Buckingham palace, Trump said.

The King and Queen will formally welcome President Trump and First Lady before a lunch. The Trumps will privately place a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II and view a beating retreat ceremony with military families before a state banquet.

This historic second state visit is set to highlight and renew the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the visit will recognize and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, a U.S. official said.

But beyond the pomp and circumstance of the event, officials expect policy discussions as Trump also will meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and business leaders.

This visit gives the President the opportunity to strengthen ties with a particularly close partner and ally, while advancing mutual economic and foreign policy interests. Our tradition of economic cooperation will continue with a historic trade agreement, which will feature three pillars, said a U.S. official.

Initiatives include a science and technology partnership worth potentially at least $10 billion dollars in investment, senior U.S. officials said. It also includes mutual cooperation in civil nuclear power, research and development and advances in defense technology cooperation.

Ahead of the visit, the UK announced a deal earlier in the week aimed at speeding up building of nuclear power stations and with commercial partnerships between U.S. and UK companies that will, in several cases, prepare to deploy advanced nuclear reactors the United Kingdom, a senior U.S. official said. It also announced new investments from companies including PayPal, BlackRock, Bank of America and CitiBank.

CEOs of American technology companies are expected to take part in a roundtable. OpenAI leader Sam Altman is expected to attend this week, according to a source familiar.

There's a broader sense that a technology partnership around things like AI, around space and future facing technologies if the U.S. and the UK could create that kind of partnership, then that's good for the whole of the Western world, said Duncan Edwards, CEO of the trade group British American Business. "So there's all those sort of things. On the tariff front, I think the UK will be looking to try to get relief on the steel tariffs currently at 25% on steel exports from the UK. Inevitably, they'll also be looking for a reduction in the tariffs on Scotch whiskey, which gets my vote, I have to say.

I think all sensible people should be celebrating the fact that the President has chosen to visit the UK, and the UK chose to invite him for, remarkably, for a second time, which is extremely rare. So it's a very positive sign the U.S. and UK relationship really matters in the world, Edwards said.

RELATED STORY | Peter Mandelson removed as UK ambassador to US amid Epstein email revelations

The U.S. and UK announced an initial trade deal in May that offered the UK relief on some auto tariffs, but left more negotiation on steel and aluminum tariffs and did not address the UKs digital services tax.

The Starmer government is looking to solidify the trade deal that they've already negotiated and to put more detail on that, and to, in some sense, reinforce what seems to be a relatively positive relationship between Washington and London at a time of otherwise difficult relations across the Atlantic, said Ian Lesser, a distinguished fellow with the German Marshall Fund.

Lesser said both leaders are looking for something tangible out of the meetings that serve as a political booster.

I think the President's keen to have, you know, outcomes he can portray as wins, in terms of American economic nationalism. And Prime Minister Starmer and his government are keen to demonstrate that they have established, you know, re-established, a strong, quote, unquote, special relationship with the United States. And that's important, because although the trade deal that was agreed looks relatively favorable compared to others around the world, there's still a lot of unfinished details in that agreement said Lesser.

President Trump indicated he was open to discussing trade further with the UK after reaching an agreement earlier in the year. .

They want to see if they can refine the trade deal, and we made a deal, its a great deal. And I'm into helping them, our country is doing very well, we've never done this well, we have trillions coming in because of the tariffs and they'd like to see if they can get a little bit better of a deal so we'll talk with them, Trump said.

While the administration seeks to focus on the economy, in the backdrop is Russias continued war in Ukraine and Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

I think probably as we look towards potential new rounds of sanctions on Moscow, Prime Minister Starmer will press the president on that question. Above all, I think President Trump, on the other hand, would prefer to concentrate on issues of economics and commerce, rather than much more difficult questions of foreign policy, where they may or may not agree, Lesser said.

On Capitol Hill Tuesday FBI director Kash Patel and Democratic lawmakers got into a heated debate over how he handled the investigation into the Charlie Kirk shooting. He was also taken to task on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files that he's frustrated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including some of the president's staunchest allies.

Democrats who went into Tuesday's hearing skeptical did not receive many answers.

Patel engaged in repeated and often acrimonious exchanges with Democratic committee members in which he accused lawmakers of prioritizing soundbites.

You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate, you are a disgrace to this institution and you are an utter coward, Patel told Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

You can make an internet troll the FBI director, but he will always be an internet troll, Schiff replied.

RELATED STORY | Police: Man falsely claimed he shot Charlie Kirk to distract from real gunman

Multiple Democratic senators ultimately left the hearing.

Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) told Scripps News he does not have confidence in Patel to lead the FBI, which recently responded to the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.

"[Patel] took a lot more credit, I think, and he blew it when he said we had our person in custody and it turned out he was wrong. That was 27 hours ahead of time."

Scripps News' Nathaniel Reed: Do you have faith in Mr. Patel?

"Well, I don't," Sen. Welch said. "I mean, when you take out the really respected people who've served, say, 18,20 years they've done an outstanding job and you fired them for political reasons. No. I'm appalled by that."

But some Republicans said before the hearing that they felt Patel had done a good job leading the FBI.

"I see no reason for the armchair quarterbacks to be criticizing his performance. I think it's been commendable," said Sen. John Cornyn, (R-TX). "It took roughly 33 hours to arrest Charlie Kirk's killer. There's always a certain fog that goes on with emergency situations like this."

Patel is expected back before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

On day two of The Oxford Center preliminary hearing, a hyperbaric chamber expert testified about the center's methods.

Thomas Cooper, 5, died when a hyperbaric chamber caught fire and exploded during a session in late January. Four people are charged for the homicide.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Expert calls out The Oxford Center, alleges facility bucked industry standards

The Oxford Center CEO Tamela Peterson is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, along with primary manager Gary Marken and the safety manager Jeff Mosteller.

Aleta Moffit, the chamber operator, is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Francois Burman, a hyperbaric chamber expert, was the second witness in the case to take the stand. He said he drew his analysis from watching the 40-minute video leading up to Thomas' tragic death and visiting the center to investigate.

The prosecution asked Birman, "Should a patient ever receive treatment without having a grounding strap?"

He replied, "They should not.

Burman said he believes the center operated below industry standards, particularly when it comes to safety and prevention of fires.

The prosecution asked, "The movement that you saw Thomas Cooper making before the ignition of the fire, in your opinion, could that have contributed to creating an electrical charge?"

"It could," Birman replied.

Watch the first day of the hearing when a former employee testified below: Ex-employee reveals safety concerns in preliminary hearing

The prosecution continues to raise the point that Thomas wasnt wearing grounding straps around his wrists. Burman said grounding straps hold a patient still and prevent the creation of static electricity, which is a fire hazard in an oxygen chamber.

While watching the 40-minute video of Thomas treatment, the explosion and the staffs response to the situation, Burman said he hadnt see a 'safety pause' take place before the session. He explained thats when a technician makes sure the patient doesnt take any potentially hazardous items into the chamber and makes sure they are grounded to prevent the buildup of static electricity.

Burman acknowledged a safety pause could have taken place out of view of the camera. He also said its not clear if anything made it into the chamber that could have been flammable or if anything flammable was on any surface like the bed sheet.

The hearing is scheduled to resume in December.

The U.S. State Department will deny visas to individuals who are found to be celebrating the death of right-wing podcaster and activist Charlie Kirk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday.

Speaking from Israel on Tuesday, Sec. Rubio confirmed that the department would not issue visas to people who were "celebrating" the shooting death of Kirk.

If youre a foreigner and youre out there celebrating the assassination of someone who was speaking somewhere, I mean, we dont want you in the country, Sec. Rubio said.

Why would we want to give a visa to someone who think its good that someone was murdered in the public square? Thats just common sense to me," he said.

Last week Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau ordered department officials to "take appropriate action" in cases where people seeking visas made light of or rationalized Kirk's death.

Specific details about whether and how visas would be denied was not clear. It's also not clear how many visas may have been denied or revoked so far.

Officials push to revoke visas for migrants who praised Charlie Kirk's death

President Donald Trump's administration has warned that it will crack down on speech that it claims constitutes threats or otherwise supports political violence in the aftermath of Kirk's death.

Attorney General Pam Bondi warned during a podcast appearance on Monday that the Trump administration "will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."

Her comments drew wide criticism, from civil rights groups and conservative media figures alike.

"For far too long, weve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over," Bondi wrote in later comments on social media.

"It is clear this violent rhetoric is designed to silence others from voicing conservative ideals."

RELATED STORY | Social media posts on Charlie Kirk shooting cost jobs, business deals

Meanwhile, in the local government and private sectors, there have been numerous examples of public officials losing their jobs or being placed on leave due to comments they posted on social media concerning Kirk's death. In other cases, businesses have become the subject of boycotts or lost partnerships.

Vice President JD Vance, while hosting Charlie Kirk's radio show on Monday, appeared to encourage pushback against people who "celebrated" Kirk's death.

"When you see someone celebrating Charlies murder, call them out. And, hell, call their employer," the vice president said.

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service.

While commanders are still able to issue service members exemptions from shaving — a policy that has existed for decades — they will now have to come with a medical treatment plan, Hegseth said in an Aug. 20 memo made public Monday. Troops who still need treatment after a year will be separated from service, the memo says.

“The Department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos,” Hegseth wrote in his memo.

Most shaving waivers are for troops diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a condition in which hair curls back into the skin after shaving and causes irritation. It is a condition that disproportionately affects Black men.

The memo is silent on what treatments the military would offer for troops affected by the new policy or if it will front the cost for those treatments.

It is also unclear if policies like broad exemptions from shaving for special forces troops who are in operational settings or soldiers stationed in the Arctic climates of Alaska where shaving can pose a medical hazard in the extreme cold will be affected by the change.

The announcement applies to all the military services. The Army this week announced its own grooming standard update, which significantly changes acceptable appearance standards for soldiers, especially for women, including revisions for nails, hairstyles, earrings and makeup.

Southwest Detroit residents are voicing concerns about increasing truck traffic in their neighborhoods as the new Gordie Howe Bridge approaches completion, fearing the situation will worsen once the bridge opens.

Watch Peter Maxwell's video report below: Residents raise concerns about truck traffic as Gordie Howe Bridge nears opening

Parents and community members say they've noticed a significant uptick in semitruck traffic over the past two to three years during bridge construction, particularly affecting areas near Maybury Elementary School on Clark Street.

"The semitrucks, you know, bigger vehicles, stuff like that, they have increased in the past two to three years," Belinda Ramirez said.

Ramirez, a Maybury Elementary School parent, worries about the safety of children walking to school amid the heavy truck traffic.

"We are probably going to get double the amount that we get now," Ramirez said.

Web extra: Semitrucks cut through southwest Detroit neighborhood WEB EXTRA: Semi trucks cut through southwest Detroit neighborhood

Fellow parent Barelle Solomon shares similar concerns about trucks speeding through the neighborhood, particularly during school pickup times.

"It concerns me a little bit, but when I am here picking my daughter up, you see a lot of trucks fly through in and out," Solomon said.

While both parents acknowledge that Maybury Elementary has crossing guards and police directing traffic, they worry about potential lapses in safety measures.

"We do have the crossing guards, we do have police out here directing traffic and stuff like that, but there's just that one on a phone or I don't know, maybe didn't get enough sleep," Ramirez said.

"They have the crossing guards out here and the police, and they do a really good job like taking care of the crossing, but the thing is what happens when it's not like that," Solomon said.

Related video: Man in iconic Gordie Howe Bridge photo is 2nd generation ironworker from Southgate Man in iconic Gordie Howe Bridge photo is 2nd generation ironworker from Southgate

The city has installed signs alerting truck drivers not to turn into neighborhoods, but residents and Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero say traffic isn't their only concern. They're also worried about noise and air pollution from increased truck traffic.

Santiago-Romero has proposed a solution through a truck route ordinance.

"We're asking for us to have a truck route ordinance. The administration asks that we do a study first to figure out the routes where trucks are coming in and out. We've done that already. We have the study and the recommended truck routes. We just need the administration to move forward and put that truck route in place," Santiago-Romero said.

The councilwoman believes her proposed routes would benefit the entire community, with city council expected to vote on the matter this fall.

"I think it would benefit all of us to have businesses, truck drivers, know routes that are going to get them in and out of places safely," Santiago-Romero said.

Related video: Celebration atop Gordie Howe International Bridge marks completion of bridge deck Celebration atop Gordie Howe International Bridge marks completion of bridge deck

Ramirez hopes the city's plan will address residents' concerns.

"Maybe they can get either another station, another entrance or exit for the semi trucks. That would be perfect," Ramirez said.

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

Police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect connected to 35 auto larcenies that plagued a Farmington Hills neighborhood over the past week.

Watch Evan Sery's video report: Farmington Hills police arrest teen suspect in string of 35 car break-ins

The teen from Novi would ride his bike late at night to the area near 12 Mile and Drake Road, targeting unlocked vehicles in the dark residential streets, according to Farmington Hills Police Captain Domenic Lauria.

"There's quite a few homes, it's very dark, most of the area is not lit, and we believe that's why he chose that area," Lauria said.

The suspect wasn't using sophisticated methods he simply looked for unlocked car doors and took whatever valuable items he could find, including designer sunglasses, cologne, and phone chargers.

"Any door he found unlocked, he would go through the door and try to find anything he wanted to steal," Lauria said.

The frequency of thefts prompted police to increase patrols in the neighborhood. Early Monday morning, officers spotted the teen and deployed drones with thermal imaging to track him down.

WEB EXTRA: Nightvision drone footage helps track suspect WEB EXTRA: Nightvision drone footage helps track suspect

"It's absolute pitch black, the suspect takes off running at that point," Lauria said.

Residents like Dan Harris weren't surprised by the arrest.

"My honest opinion, some dumb kid who shouldn't be breaking into people's cars," Harris said.

Harris said his wife's car was broken into a few weeks ago, though nothing was taken. Neighbor Michael Laura's vehicle was untouched, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"I grew up in Detroit in the 1980s, where you lock everything," Laura said.

Police are reminding residents to take basic precautions to prevent future thefts.

"First and foremost, don't leave anything valuable in your car, and next, when you go to sleep at night, make sure your car is locked," Lauria said.

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

A warehouse owner on Detroit's west side claims repeated burglaries over the years have cost him tens of thousands of dollars and are preventing him from renovating his property to reopen as a business.

Watch Randy Wimbley's video report: Detroit warehouse hit in a dozen reported break-ins, owner says it cost him thousands

Jad Taleb says thieves have stolen car parts, copper wiring, and air conditioning coils, among other items, from his warehouse, with losses totaling well over $70,000 to $80,000.

"Somebody has your stuff in the back of their car and you can't do anything about it," Taleb said.

The most recent break-in occurred Tuesday morning, but Taleb says the thefts date back years. The Detroit Police Department says there have been a dozen reported break-ins since 2018, with seven occurring this year alone.

"If you could put a dollar amount on the property stolen here over the years. It's well over the $70-80,000 range at this point," Taleb said.

Extended interview: Business owner talks about numerous break-ins he's experienced over the years Extended interview: Business owner talks about numerous break-ins he's experienced over the years

"This crew that's been hitting recently, they started back in February, hitting us. We got hit on and off a couple days, on a couple days, off for about seven days in total," he said.

During the most recent break-in, Taleb arrived at the scene as the suspects were attempting to flee. The thieves got caught on an electric pole wire while trying to drive out, damaging their vehicle in the process and leaving behind wreckage.

"He got stuck in the wiring and kept trying to go forward, back, forward, back, forward, back," Taleb said.

"Hit my car about three to four times, and when he got loose on the wire, he came right at me and went right back northbound up Freeland again," he said.

Taleb followed the men to the Warren and Livernois area in southwest Detroit. He says he has clear surveillance footage of the suspects and has even encountered them selling his stolen property.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Break ins at Detroit business caught on camera (** WARNING: Contains profanity**) SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Break ins at Detroit business caught on camera (** WARNING: Contains profanity**)

"So, we have them on video. You can see them as clear as day," Taleb said.

"I once found them in Dearborn selling my stuff too. Very frustrating," he said.

Taleb says he first purchased the warehouse, which was formerly an auto collision shop, in 2017 and started experiencing break-ins about a year later. Taleb says he closed the business in 2019 and is now trying to renovate the space to reopen as a recycling facility, but says the ongoing burglaries are hampering that effort.

"We stockpile as much as we can stock to rehab these buildings in Detroit, and everything gets stolen time and time again," Taleb said.

Despite the frustrations, Taleb praised the detective working on his case.

"The detective has been doing a really amazing job. She's really on top of it," Taleb said. "I know they're trying their best as far as the police go. I mean, I was a cop, I know how it is," he said.

The Detroit Police Department says it is aware of the situation, is in contact with Taleb, and is actively investigating the break-ins.

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

A Downriver nonprofit is putting the "neighbors helping neighbors" spirit into action, stepping up to support some of metro Detroit's most vulnerable residents.

Watch Carli Petrus's video report: Downriver nonprofit builds ramps, restores independence for vulnerable residents

St. Joseph's Helpers, a Taylor-based organization, dedicates volunteers' time and skills to repairing homes and helping seniors and people with disabilities live healthier and happier lives.

On Detroit's west side, volunteers are installing a brand new ramp for a woman in need just one of many projects they've completed since starting in 2023.

Powered entirely by volunteers, St. Joseph's Helpers is building more than just ramps. They're also giving seniors, like 86-year-old Irene Tinny, dignity and hope.

"For her to come home and see this ramp, it might brighten her day up to know that she gets to come home and she gets to come out and be a little independent on her own without anyone taking her up and down the stairs," said Shinese LaVergne, Irene's granddaughter.

LaVergne said her grandmother recently lost both of her legs due to a medical complication. Now, she's waiting in a rehab center until her home is safe to live in again.

"But she's still a trooper, though. She still has good spirits. She can't wait to come home," LaVergne said.

Detroit Councilwoman Angela Whitfield-Calloway connected Irene to St. Joseph's Helpers after meeting volunteer and board member Tony Rosati at a community meeting a few months back.

"And I thought this would be an excellent project for them, and I knew he would say yes, and he certainly said yes," Calloway said.

Growing need in the community

Irene is just one of hundreds receiving support from the nonprofit. Rosati said they're on track to help about 1,800 people this year, up from 350 in 2023 when they started.

"Neighbors seem to have isolated themselves. You can say the cellphone isolates people, but I think more what's happened is COVID. COVID put us all in our houses and we didn't come out for quite a while," Rosati said.

Rosati said he's trying to change that feeling of isolation.

"As a kid growing up in the 60s, I was raised you helped your neighbor. My grandmother baked, you would take things to neighbors. We had a lady who lost her husband. I would go cut her grass for 10 cents. You could buy two packs of baseball cards with that. That's kind of the way I grew up," Rosati said.

From raking leaves to leaky roofs, the mission is simple, said volunteer and board member Dennis: to restore safety and security.

"I was looking for a way to use the talents the lord has blessed me with to help those in need," Dennis said.

And they're doing it all for free.

Although they enjoy seeing the reactions from those they're helping after a project's complete, Dennis said that's not why they do it.

"We've had hugs, we've had tears, we've had pats on the backs, and it all feels great, but that's not the reason why we do it. I'm just that I can help others in need with the talents that I have," Dennis said.

St. Joseph's Helpers is always looking for volunteers and donations. You can visit their website at https://sjhelpers.org/ or call 800-303-5075.

People in need of help can do the same, and if a project is too big, they'll even connect you with additional resources.

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

Patients, staff and volunteers marched through the hallways at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, united in a simple mission: remind kids fighting cancer they're not battling alone.

Watch Meghan Daniels' video report: 'So special': Parade brings joy to cancer patients at Mott Children's Hospital

For kids like 18-month-old Sophia Ginopolis, the parade was a break from hospital routines a day filled with princesses, music and a visit from her best friend, Dash the therapy dog.

"When she saw Dash open the parade, she was so excited," said Cassandra Ginopolis, Sophia's mother.

Little Sophia has been battling leukemia since her diagnosis about six months ago.

"We were here for induction for 40 days and thankfully at the end of induction, she was in deep remission," Cassandra Ginopolis said.

For Cassandra Ginopolis, seeing her daughter smile like that means everything.

"She's been doing really well, all things considered. I mean, everything that her body is going through is incredible that she still wakes up with a smile on her face, and I don't know that I'd be able to do it, what she's doing," the mother said.

Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is working hard to brighten these kids' days during some of the toughest times in their lives.

Vanessa Shamany-Fakhoury, a nurse at Mott, says she knows this journey from both sides her daughter is battling cancer.

"It just hit differently as a pediatric nurse at Mott to now be the mom walking these halls," Shamany-Fakhoury said. "Going through this journey can be very lonely, so when you have these moments where it's recognized, it means a lot and it brings joy and smiles."

The parade brought so much joy that 21-year-old Molly Felty made sure she wouldn't miss it. She is battling cancer herself.

"I wanted to see what the parade was all about. I was really excited. I had my biopsy scheduled earlier, so I could be part of the parade and I'm glad I did that," Felty said.

For families like the Ginopolis family, the support stretches beyond the hospital walls.

"To see the support from everybody here, not just at Mott but the community and the teams and the school, is so special. I feel like it gives her so much hope. It gives us so much hope to know that we're not fighting this alone," Cassandra Ginopolis said.

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

By Jackie Fortiér, KFF Health News

A key federal vaccine advisory panel whose members were recently replaced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to vote to recommend delaying until age 4 the hepatitis B vaccine that’s currently given to newborns, according to two former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

“There is going to likely be a discussion about hepatitis B vaccine, very specifically trying to dislodge the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and to push it later in life,” said Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Apparently this is a priority of the secretary’s.”

The vote is expected to take place during the next meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, scheduled for Sept. 18-19.

For more than 30 years, the first of three shots of hepatitis B vaccine has been recommended for infants shortly after birth. In that time, the potentially fatal disease has been virtually eradicated among American children. Pediatricians warn that waiting four years for the vaccine opens the door to more children contracting the virus.

“Age 4 makes zero sense,” pediatrician Eric Ball said. “We recommend a universal approach to prevent those cases where a test might be incorrect or a mother might have unknowingly contracted hepatitis. It’s really the best way to keep our entire population healthy.”

In addition to the hepatitis B vaccine, the panel will also discuss and vote on recommendations for the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine and covid-19 vaccines. Pediatricians worry changes to the schedules of these vaccines will limit access for many families, leaving them vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Typically, ACIP would undertake an analysis of the data before recommending a change to vaccine guidelines. As of the end of August, this process had not begun for the hepatitis B vaccines, Daskalakis and another former official said.

“This is an atypical situation. There’s been no work group to discuss it,” Daskalakis said.

The second former senior official spoke to NPR and KFF Health News on the condition of anonymity.

In response to questions from KFF Health News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon wrote, “ACIP exists to ensure that vaccine policy is guided by the best available evidence and open scientific deliberation. Any updates to recommendations will be made transparently with gold standard science.”

The draft agenda for the upcoming ACIP meeting was released to the public less than a week before it is scheduled to begin.

At the last ACIP meeting, in June, Martin Kulldorff, the chair and one of seven new members handpicked by Kennedy, questioned the need to vaccinate every newborn, citing only two of the many ways the virus can spread. Kulldorff is a former Harvard Medical School professor who became known for opposing some public health measures during the pandemic.

“Unless the mother is hepatitis B positive, an argument could be made to delay the vaccine for this infection, which is primarily spread by sexual activity and intravenous drug use,” he said.

The virus spreads via direct exposure to an infected bodily fluid like blood or semen. The disease has no cure and can lead to serious conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life. The CDC advisory panel may maintain the recommendation to inoculate newborns whose mothers have hepatitis B or are considered at high risk of the disease, the former officials said.

Protection from birth

In 1991, federal health officials determined it was advisable for newborns to receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, which blocks the virus from taking hold if transmitted during delivery. While parents may opt out of the shots, many day care centers and school districts require proof of hepatitis B vaccination for enrollment.

The prospect of ACIP’s altering the recommendation has left some people living with the virus deeply unsettled.

“I am goddamn frustrated,” said Wendy Lo, who has lived with the liver disease, likely since birth. Years of navigating the psychological, monetary, medical, and social aspects of chronic hepatitis B has touched almost every aspect of her life.

“I would not want anyone to have to experience that if it can be prevented,” she said. Lo learned she had the disease due to a routine screening to study abroad in college.

Lo credits the vaccines with protecting her close family members from infection.

“I shared with my partner, ‘If you get vaccinated, we can be together,’” she said. He got the vaccine, which protects him from infection, “so I’m grateful for that,” she said.

The CDC estimates half of people with hepatitis B do not know they are infected. It can range from an acute, mild infection to a chronic infection, often with few to no symptoms. Most people with chronic hepatitis B were born outside of the U.S., and Asians and Pacific Islanders followed by Black people have the highest rates of newly reported chronic infections.

When her children were born, Lo was adamant that they receive the newborn dose, a decision she says prevented them from contracting the virus.

The earlier an infection occurs, the worse the consequences, according to the CDC. When contracted in infancy or early childhood, hepatitis B is far more likely to become a chronic infection, silently damaging the liver over decades.

Those who become chronic carriers can also unknowingly spread the virus to others and face an increased risk of long-term complications including cirrhosis and liver cancer, which may not become evident until much later in life.

“Now I’m in my 50s, one of my big concerns is liver cancer. The vaccine is safe and effective, it’s lifesaving, and it protects you against cancer. How many vaccines do that?” Lo said.

Thirty years of universal vaccination

Treatments like the antivirals Lo now takes weren’t available until the 1990s. Decades of the virus’s replicating unchecked damaged her liver. Every six months she gets scared of what her blood tests may reveal.

After a vaccine was approved in the 1980s, public health officials initially focused vaccination efforts on people thought to be at highest risk of infection.

“I, and every other doctor, had been trained in medical school to think of hepatitis B as an infection you acquired as an adult. It was the pimps, the prostitutes, the prisoners, and the health care practitioners who got hepatitis B infection. But we’ve learned so much more,” said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a former voting member of ACIP.

As hepatitis B rates remained stubbornly high in the 1980s, scientists realized an entire vulnerable group was missing from the vaccination regime — newborns. The virus is often transmitted from an infected mother to baby in late pregnancy or during birth.

“We may soon hear, ‘Let’s just do a blood test on all pregnant women.’ We tried that. That doesn’t work perfectly either,” Schaffner said.

Some doctors didn’t test, he said, and some pregnant women falsely tested negative while others acquired hepatitis B after they had been tested earlier in their pregnancies.

In 1991, Schaffner was a liaison representative to ACIP when it voted to advise universal vaccination for hepatitis B before an infant leaves the hospital.

“We want no babies infected. Therefore, we’ll just vaccinate every mom and every baby at birth. Problem solved. It has been brilliantly successful in virtually eliminating hepatitis B in children,” he said.

In 1990, there were 3.03 cases of hepatitis B per 100,000 people 19 years old or under in the U.S., according to the CDC.

Since the federal recommendation to vaccinate all infants, cases have dramatically decreased. CDC data shows that in 2022 the rate among those 19 or under was less than 0.1 per 100,000.

While hepatitis B is often associated with high-risk behaviors such as injection drug use or having multiple sexual partners, health experts note that it is possible for the virus to be transmitted in ordinary situations too, including among young children.

The virus can survive for up to seven days outside the body. During that time, even microscopic traces of infected blood on a school desk or playground equipment can pose a risk. If the virus comes into contact with an open wound or the mucous membranes of the eyes, an infection can occur. This means that unvaccinated children not considered at high risk can still be exposed in everyday environments.

Future access uncertain

If the CDC significantly alters its recommendation, health insurers would no longer be required to cover the cost of the shots. That could leave parents to pay out-of-pocket for a vaccine that has long been provided at no charge. Children who get immunizations through the federal Vaccines for Children program would lose free access to the shot as soon as any new ACIP recommendations get approved by the acting CDC director.

The two former CDC officials said that plans were underway to push back the official recommendation for the vaccine as of August, when they both left the agency, but may have changed.

Schaffner is still an alternate liaison member of ACIP, and hopes to express his support for universal newborn vaccination at the next meeting.

“The liaisons have now been excluded from the vaccine work groups. They are still permitted to attend the full meetings,” he said.

Schaffner is worried about the next generation of babies and the doctors who care for them.

“We’ll see cases of hepatitis B once again occur. We’ll see transmission into the next generation,” he said, “and the next generation of people who wear white coats will have to deal with hepatitis B, when we could have cut it off at the pass.”

---

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.