The Rectory, a new pizza spot in Detroit's Boston-Edison District right next to The Congregation, will hold a grand opening on Tuesday.

Located inside a restored historic home at 1920 Atkinson St., The Rectory once served as the rectory for the church next door, which is now home to The Congregation, a cafe and bar that opened in 2020.

The Rectory will be a full-service pizza restaurant with indoor dining, a three-season back deck and walk-up window for carry-out pizza.

Pizzas include hand-tossed pies with locally-sourced ingredients, with build-your-own options, plus salads, appetizers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Bringing this building back to life felt like the natural next step, said Betsy Murdoch, co-founder of The Congregation. We kept hearing from our neighbors that they wanted more food options nearby, more places that felt like an extension of home. The Rectory is just that.

The grand opening on Tuesday will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m., then music from DJ Radical Me and an evening of food, drinks and community celebration.

It will be open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said there has been a "credible and consistent" report of an alligator on Belle Isle in Detroit.

Lynn Blasey, a Hamtramck resident who regularly visits the island, took photos of the alligator last Friday and reported it to the DNR.

See more information in the video below

Michigan DNR confirms 'credible' alligator sighting on Belle Isle in Detroit

The DNR in a statement said that Belle Isle park staff responded to the report, and while no visible confirmation has been made, the photo with geo-location data was obtained and the report is considered credible and consistent.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the DNR is coordinating to assess the area and determine appropriate next steps," the DNR said.

The DNR is reminding visitors not to approach any wild animal, regardless of size.

"Though the reported animal appears small, all wildlife can be dangerous and unpredictable. If you observe unusual wildlife activity, please report it immediately to the Report All Poaching hotline at (800) 292-7800," the DNR said.

The DNR also said that they are aware of social media rumors regarding a boa constrictor sighting, but there is no evidence to support the claim and no such report has been received or verified.

"As a reminder, releasing wild animals or pets into State Parks is prohibited and harmful to the animal, the ecosystem, and public safety. Non-native species can disrupt local habitats and pose risks to visitors and wildlife alike," the DNR said.

Michigan's much-anticipated bow hunting deer season officially kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and thousands of hunters will be heading into the woods to take part in the age-old tradition.

See the full story in the video below

Michigan hunters gear up for the start of bow season on Wednesday

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is expecting a strong bow-hunting deer season this year, and those who I spoke to say they're excited to get out and hunt.

"I am totally excited. I have been looking forward to this all year," Jim Yaxley said.

"It's a great time of the year to be in the woods. The colors are starting to change," James Hack added.

Hack has been hunting for over 40 years and plans to head north soon to his property in Northern Michigan, but he's waiting for the weather to cool down.

"It's a little too warm for me, and I haven't had too many deer on my trail cam, so I am going to wait another week," Hack said.

But for others, like Carlous Kern, plan to be ready in the blind the moment bow season opens on Wednesday morning.

"I'll be up there for five weeks," Kern said.

I asked him what he enjoys most about the season.

"Just the serenity of it. The peacefulness and being up close with nature itself. And then, of course, if you're fortunate enough and be blessed enough to get a harvest. That adds to it as well," he said.

Chad Stewart, with the Michigan DNR, said, "We're expecting our archers to have a really great year."

The DNR said the season starts Oct. 1 and goes through Nov. 14, and then resumes on Dec. 1 through Jan. 1, 2026.

But, the DNR is warning hunters to be on the lookout for white-tail deer who may suffer from a viral and often deadly disease called epizootic hemorrhagic disease. The DNR said Jackson and Washtenaw counties are seeing the brunt of it.

"They might start to come across deer that are either dead or dying and and we ask them to report those deer through what's alled our eyes in the field program on our website," Stewart said.

The DNR said hunters should get their meat tested even though there is no evidence that humans can contract the virus. However, the viral disease is not deterring hunters from heading into the woods.

"I've seen a lot of good signs out there this year and I am really stoked about it," Yaxley said.

Where Your Voice Matters

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 30, the 273rd day of 2025. There are 92 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 30, 1938, addressing the public after cosigning the Munich Agreement, which allowed Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain proclaimed, “I believe it is peace for our time.”

Also on this date:

In 1777, the Continental Congress — forced to flee in the face of advancing British forces — moved to York, Pennsylvania, after briefly meeting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

In 1791, Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” premiered in Vienna, Austria.

In 1947, the World Series was broadcast on television for the first time, as the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in Game 1; the Yankees would go on to win the Series four games to three.

In 1949, the Berlin Airlift came to an end after delivering more than 2.3 million tons of cargo to blockaded residents of West Berlin over the prior 15 months.

In 1954, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was commissioned by the U.S. Navy.

In 1955, actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in a two-car collision near Cholame, California.

In 1972, Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente connected for his 3,000th and final hit, a double against Jon Matlack of the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium.

In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to illegally annex more occupied Ukrainian territory in a sharp escalation of his seven-month invasion.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Angie Dickinson is 94.
• Singer Johnny Mathis is 90.
• Actor Len Cariou is 86.
• Singer Marilyn McCoo is 82.
• Actor Barry Williams is 71.
• Singer Patrice Rushen is 71.
• Actor Fran Drescher is 68.
• Country musician Marty Stuart is 67.
• Actor Crystal Bernard is 64.
• Actor Eric Stoltz is 64.
• Rapper-producer Marley Marl is 63.
• Country musician Eddie Montgomery (Montgomery Gentry) is 62.
• Rock singer Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 61.
• Actor Monica Bellucci is 61.
• Actor Tony Hale is 55.
• Actor Jenna Elfman is 54.
• Actor Marion Cotillard is 50.
• Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates is 50.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Hingis is 45.
• Olympic gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu is 44.
• Actor Lacey Chabert is 43.
• Actor Kieran Culkin is 43.
• Singer-rapper T-Pain is 41.
• Racing driver Max Verstappen is 28.
• Actor-dancer Maddie Ziegler is 23.

WHITE LAKE – Some teams are just built for knockout soccer.

Walled Lake Northern edged its way past the White Lake Lakeland Eagles 1-0 in the Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Final on Monday night.

It marks the third time that the Knights have won the tourney this decade despite not being the league’s regular season champion.

“It’s been two or three years since we won it, and it feels great. We played a really hard brand of soccer today, and we’re really happy with the win,” Northern tri-captain Nate Bruss said.

The game was a defensive battle from the start. It took over 20 minutes for either team to get a shot off – let alone one that was on frame.

Eventually, the game opened up a little bit and the teams started to create some chances in the later part of the first half. That was when the game’s only goal was scored. Lucas Wilson slipped a diagonal ball behind the defense and Ryan Donato ran onto it, quickly one-timing the ball past the goalkeeper with 15:03 remaining in the first half.

The teams traded a few more good chances with both keepers coming up with a couple of good saves each before halftime. Lakeland goalie Elijah Bohanon and Northern keeper Chase Colasanti did some of their best work of the game as it neared the interval.

When the teams came out after the half, it was back to a defensive battle. The teams once again were shutting down anything that resembled an efficient offensive chance. The Eagles put on a late push, trying to force the issue and find a late-tying goal, but the Knights were able to do enough to see off Lakeland and capture their first LVC Tournament title since 2022 — they also won it the year before that — after going out early in the LVC Tournament the last two years.

“I think we’re all connected as a team,” Knights senior tri-captain Brandon Honkala said. Everyone is friends with each other. We all have laughs with everything. Everyone is included in everything. I think our chemistry is at another level besides the other two or three years I’ve been a part of this program.”

Photo gallery of Lakeland vs. Walled Lake Northern in the 2025 LVC Boys Soccer Tournament Championship

“Being a part of this team for four years now, I think that what makes this team so different from the other teams playing in this tournament is just our grit, solely our grit. No matter how many times we get kicked down, no matter how many times we get scored on, we always keep our goals set high, and we always come out with a win,” added Tim Udovichnko, another Northern tri-captain.

Now 10-3 on the year, Lakeland's only losses in LVC play this season have come to the Knights. Northern beat the Eagles 5-0 in Walled Lake back on Aug. 28. Lakeland's only other defeat was at the hands of Holly, 3-1, in the team's season opener.

Both teams will now prepare for the state tournament, which starts next week. Walled Lake Northern (9-3-2) opens the playoffs at home against West Bloomfield next Wednesday. The Eagles host North Farmington on the same evening. If both teams win, they would play each other for a third time this season in the district semifinal.

It took 20 minutes to record the first shot on goal, and Lakeland appeared to dominate the play in the second half, but in the end Walled Lake Northern came away with a 1-0 victory and the LVC Tournament trophy Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 in Lakeland.

Investigators are continuing to work and determine the motive behind a deadly shooting and arson at a Grand Blanc Township church that claimed the lives of four innocent people and the shooter.

John Bond, a Navy veteran and loving husband, father and grandfather, was identified by family as one of the victims who was shot and killed while attending Sunday service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Man killed in Grand Blanc Township church shooting was 'well known and loved'

"He was a well known and loved member of his family and active in his community. John was a Navy veteran serving for 9 years, a lover of golf and trains and always loved spending time with his family and grandkids," read a GoFundMe page created for Bond's family.

The suspect, 40-year-old Thomas Sanford, not only opened fire but also set the church on fire, creating additional dangers for those inside and challenges for investigators. Several other people were hurt and hospitalized.

"Anybody who has been through active shooter training, we teach to run hide barricade. But the act of fire changed everything. When you're teaching someone and a sympathetic response is to go barricade, that's the last thing you want to do when there's a fire," Genesee County Sheriff Christopher R Swanson said.

Swanson grew up in the area and knows the community personally.

"I grew up right down the road on the 8000 block of McCandlish Road. I know this community, I know the people," Swanson said.

The FBI is leading the investigation into what they describe as an act of targeted violence on the church. Investigators have interviewed more than 100 witnesses and are working with their Quantico labs division to analyze evidence from the scene.

Related video: Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack 'This was an evil act.' Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack

Inside the truck the suspect drove into the church, law enforcement found four improvised explosive devices, which were described as "fairly basic."

The fire has created additional challenges for investigators as they comb through the wreckage while working to determine a motive.

With the community on high alert, Swanson has added 31 marked patrol cars to ensure schools, churches and other gathering places are protected.

Related video: Council candidate recalls 'very dark' conversation with Grand Blanc Twp. church shooter Council candidate recalls 'very dark' conversation with Grand Blanc Twp. church shooter

The sheriff's office plans to host a security, safety and tactical briefing this week for any place of worship that wants to attend.

"People want to know when they gather, there's things they have to do. Law enforcement can't do it by themselves. So to create that outside perimeter, the inside perimeter, communications, we're gonna cover those things and I think that's going to help people," Swanson said.

The family of Bond has launched a fundraiser to help with memorial expenses. The Grand Blanc Township Police Department has also established a victim compassion fund through a local credit union.

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 water main break in Novi that occurred last week continues to disrupt daily life across Oakland County, forcing business closures, school shutdowns and prompting new boil water advisories for several communities.

The break happened Thursday on 14 Mile Road west of M-5, causing a majority of Novi and surrounding communities to lose water pressure. Great Lakes Water Authority crews are still working to repair the damage five days later.

Watch Evan Sery's video report below: Water main break in Novi continues to impact Oakland County businesses and schools

Jacob Sessions, owner of Big Dip Burgers in Walled Lake, said the water loss forced him to close for an entire day last Thursday.

"I've never completely lost water pressure. This one shut us down for the day," Sessions said. "Couldn't do dishes, couldn't wash hands."

Pete Fromm, Great Lakes Water Authority director of water transmission, provided an update Monday from the repair site.

"We are hoping to lift that water advisory with the city of Novi tomorrow," Fromm said. "Working on doing some inside welding of the pipe, will be wrapping that up today."

Despite progress on pipe repairs, GLWA reported another loss in pressure Monday morning, prompting several cities to reissue new boil water advisories including Wixom, Walled Lake and Commerce Township.

"It will take us about three days to be able to lift that again," Fromm said.

The water issues have forced several area schools to close or dismiss students early due to low water supply. Wixom Public Library also shut down, posting on Facebook that water pressure affected restrooms.

Previous coverage: GLWA explains water main break occurrences, long-term solution

Work continues on Novi water main break

Sessions has had to adapt his restaurant operations, stocking his sauce refrigerator with soda and selling water bottles to customers.

"I feel bad for charging them for the water bottles, but I have to make up for what I spend on it," Sessions said. "Definitely frustrating, especially shutting down that first day and losing sales for that Thursday. Thursday is usually a pretty good day for us."

Related video: Businesses, neighbors navigate water main break Businesses, neighbors navigate water main break as repairs stretch overnight

Fromm urges residents and businesses to follow boil water guidelines while crews work to restore normal service.

"It's very important for the residents and businesses to boil their water and follow those restrictions for health reasons, and we're working as quickly as we can to be able lift those boil water advisories to those impacted communities," Fromm 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.

The Grand Blanc Township community came together for prayer services after a mass shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left four people dead and others injured.

Faith Lutheran Church opened its doors to dozens of community members for a prayer service, providing a space for healing and support in the wake of the tragedy. The shooting sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community, with several congregations organizing prayer services in response.

Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report below: Grand Blanc Township community gathers for prayer services after church shooting

"My first instinct was why is this happening in our world," said Marcia Thomas, a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

Faith Lutheran Church was less than a mile away from the shooting and was about to begin their own service when they learned what was happening. The tragedy hit particularly close to home when they discovered personal connections to the victims.

"Several of the victims had been a part of our preschool family. So there was a close connection there that we were made aware of that really intensified the emotions of many of the people here," said Jeffrey Heimsoth, senior pastor at Faith Lutheran Church.

The church welcomed dozens of people for their prayer service, creating an open environment for anyone seeking comfort and community support.

Related video: Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack 'This was an evil act.' Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack

"We have no idea of the range of emotions that people are going through, and how do they combat this? And so we felt it was important for us to simply open our doors for anybody that wanted to come," Heimsoth said.

During the service, community members shared their emotions with one another and had the opportunity to meet with comfort dogs. Heimsoth emphasized the importance of maintaining hope during difficult times.

"It's a tragic event, but we pray that somehow God will use that for good, but that requires us to act in a compassionate manner, it requires us to reach out to our neighbors, it requires us to conquer our own fears," Heimsoth said.

For many church members, processing what occurred has been challenging.

"Just the horrifying thought that people were put in danger and traumatized, children traumatized," said Sue Hooper, a member of Faith Lutheran Church.

Related video: 'They are our neighbors': Grand Blanc churches open doors after deadly church shooting, fire Finding faith in the face of tragedy

Despite the tragedy, community members are finding strength through their faith and support for one another.

"In my mind, our hope is in the Lord and he can create peace out of horrendous situations, and I pray that people will find some comfort and hope and peace in this," Hooper 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.

The sight of armed, camouflaged and masked Border Patrol agents making arrests near famous downtown Chicago landmarks has amplified concerns about the Trump administration's growing federal intervention across U.S. cities.

As Illinois leaders warned Monday of a National Guard deployment, residents in the nations third-largest city met a brazen weekend escalation of immigration enforcement tactics with anger, fear and fresh claims of discrimination.

It looks un-American, said Chicago Alderman Brandon Reilly, who represents downtown on the City Council. He deemed the Sunday display a photo opp for President Donald Trump, echoing other leaders.

Memphis, Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon, also braced for a federal law enforcement surge.

Trump has called the expansion of federal immigration agents and National Guard troops into American cities necessary, blasting Democrats for crime and lax immigration policies. Following a crime crackdown in the District of Columbia and immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, hes referred to Portland as war-ravaged and threatened apocalyptic force in Chicago.

Whether it takes place here in the city or the suburbs, its all the same to us, Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino said in Chicago.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued a memo that also directs component agencies within the Justice Department, including the FBI, to help protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, including in Chicago and Portland.

Heres a snapshot of where things stand with federal law enforcement activity in Chicago, Portland and Memphis.

Chicago raises alarm about racial profiling

Many Chicagoans were already uneasy after an immigration crackdown began earlier this month. Agents have targeted immigrant-heavy and largely Latino areas.

Trump has waffled on sending the military, but Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday it appeared the federal government would deploy 100 troops. Pritzker said the Illinois National Guard received word that the Department of Homeland Security sent a memo to the Defense Department requesting troops to protect ICE personnel and facilities.

An immigration processing center outside Chicago has been the site of frequent protests and aggressive tactics by federal agents.

The enforcement recently escalated, with agents using boats on the Chicago River and marching Sunday on Michigan Avenue and in upscale neighborhoods.

Activists and elected leaders are concerned about discriminatory stops, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted restrictions on roving patrols in LA. The court cleared the way for immigration agents to stop people based on race, language, job or location.

ICE is running around the Loop, harassing people for not being white, Pritzker said, describing the city's core business district.

Activists said a Latino family of four was led away by federal agents Sunday near the popular Cloud Gate sculpture, commonly called The Bean. Construction workers and bicyclists were also targeted.

The downtown operation of being racially profiled and kidnapped by immigration in broad daylight represents a major escalation by the Trump administration, said Veronica Castro with Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Bovino told The Associated Press that agents will go after anyone who is here illegally, an approach that fell under immigration authority, known as Title 8. He told the Chicago Sun-Times that a persons appearance goes into the calculation.

It would be agent experience, intelligence that indicates theres illegal aliens in a particular place or location, he told the newspaper. Then, obviously, the particular characteristics of an individual, how they look.

DHS did not return messages Monday.

RELATED STORY | ICE detains Des Moines, Iowa, public school leader, school board says

Chicagoans trail Border Patrol

As Border Patrol agents marched near downtown, a few onlookers nodded in approval and shouted praise while a trail of activists and others urged agents to leave.

Shirley Zuniga was celebrating her 24th birthday when she saw agents. Still wearing a pink birthday sash, she left brunch to follow them.

Zuniga, among the first in her family of Honduran immigrants to be born in the United States, said she forgot all about her birthday plans as she yelled at the agents to go home.

This is much more important to me, she said as she grew emotional. Im celebrating my people.

Portland goes to court

In Oregon, Democratic Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a motion in federal court Monday seeking to temporarily block the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard.

The motion is part of a lawsuit Rayfield filed Sunday, after state leaders received a Defense Department memo that said 200 members of the states National Guard will be placed under federal control for 60 days to protect Federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek are among local leaders who object to the deployment.

Putting our own military on our streets is an abuse of power and a disservice to our communities and our service members, Rayfield said in a statement Monday.

The ICE building outside of Portland's downtown has been the site of nightly protests that peaked in June, with smaller clashes occurring since then.

A larger crowd demonstrated at the building Sunday. Two people were arrested for assault, according to authorities. That followed a peaceful march earlier in the day that drew thousands to the citys downtown and saw no arrests, police said.

Some residents are already frustrated.

The building manager of the affordable housing complex adjacent to the ICE building said the impacts of violent tactics, including tear gas and late-night altercations, are traumatizing for residents, including the veterans who live there.

Sending federal troops will only escalate the situation. The last thing we need is an escalation, Reach Community Development said in statement.

Meanwhile, federal agents on Monday searched a home associated with someone who allegedly aimed a laser at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter as it flew over Portland on Saturday evening, the FBI said. Four people, who were found to be in the country illegally, were detained and placed under the custody of ICE, according to the FBI, which did not specify the charges they face.

Memphis residents worry

Memphis was in wait-and-see mode Monday, the first day of a planned federal law enforcement surge ordered by Trump to fight crime. There were no immediate reports of large-scale federal law enforcement operations.

Still some residents, including Latinos, expressed concerns that immigration agents will detain people regardless of immigration status.

We know the presence of the National Guard will lead to our neighbors being afraid to seek help when they need medical care, need to report crimes, or require social services, because of this military presence, said Sandra Pita, a community organizer.

The city has experienced high numbers of violent crimes such as carjackings and homicides in recent years, but both Democratic and Republican officials have noted that the majority-Black city is seeing decreases this year in some categories.

By SEUNG MIN KIM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has had one refrain in recent days when asked about the looming government shutdown.

Will there be a shutdown? Yes, Trump says, “because the Democrats are crazed.” Why is the White House pursuing mass firings, not just furloughs, of federal workers? Trump responds, “Well, this is all caused by the Democrats.”

Is he concerned about the impact of a shutdown? “The radical left Democrats want to shut it down,” he retorts.

“If it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down,” Trump said Friday. “But they’re the ones that are shutting down government.”

In his public rhetoric, the Republican president has been singularly focused on laying pressure on Democrats in hopes they will yield before Wednesday, when the shutdown could begin, or shoulder the political blame if they don’t. That has aligned Trump with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who have refused to accede to Democrats’ calls to include health care provisions on a bill that will keep the government operating for seven more weeks.

Those dynamics could change Monday, when the president has agreed to host Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Johnson and Thune. Democrats believe the high-stakes meeting means the GOP is feeling pressure to compromise with them.

Still, Republicans say they are confident Democrats would be faulted if the closure comes. For Trump, the impact would go far beyond politics. His administration is sketching plans to implement mass layoffs of federal workers rather than simply furloughing them, furthering their goal of building a far smaller government that lines up with Trump’s vision and policy priorities.

This time, it’s the Democrats making policy demands

The GOP’s stance — a short-term extension of funding, with no strings attached — is unusual for a political party that has often tried to extract policy demands using the threat of a government shutdown as leverage.

In 2013, Republicans refused to keep the government running unless the Affordable Care Act was defunded, a stand that led to a 16-day shutdown for which the GOP was widely blamed. During his first term, Trump insisted on adding funding for a border wall that Congress would not approve, prompting a shutdown that the president, in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting that played out before cameras, said he would “take the mantle” for.

“I will be the one to shut it down,” Trump declared at the time.

This time, it’s the Democrats making the policy demands.

They want an extension of subsidies that help low- and middle-income earners who buy insurance coverage through the Obama-era health care law. They also want to reverse cuts to Medicaid enacted in the GOP’s tax and border spending bill this year. Republican leaders say what Democrats are pushing for is too costly and too complicated to negotiate with the threat of a government shutdown hanging over lawmakers.

Watching all this is Trump. He has not ruled out a potential deal on continuing the expiring subsidies, which some Republicans also want to extend.

“My assumption is, he’s going to be willing to sit down and talk about at least one of these issues that they’re interested in and pursuing a solution for after the government stays open,” Thune said in an Associated Press interview last week. “Frankly, I just don’t know what you negotiate at this point.”

Back and forth on a White House sit-down

At this point, Trump has shown no public indication he plans to compromise with Democrats on a shutdown, even as he acknowledges he needs help from at least a handful of them to keep the government open and is willing to meet with them at the White House.

Last week, Trump appeared to agree to sit down with Schumer and Jeffries and a meeting went on the books for Thursday. Once word got out about that, Johnson and Thune intervened, privately making the case to Trump that it was not the time during the funding fight to negotiate with Democrats over health care, according to a person familiar with the conversation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Not long after hearing from the GOP leaders, Trump took to social media and said he would no longer meet with the two Democrats “after reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats.” Republicans privately acknowledge Trump’s decision to agree to a meeting was a misstep because it gave Democrats fodder to paint Trump as the one refusing to negotiate.

“Trump is literally boycotting meeting with Democrats to find a solution,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., wrote on the social media site X before Trump reversed course again and agreed to meet with the leadership. “There is no one to blame but him. He wants a shut down.”

It was not immediately clear what led Trump over the weekend to take a meeting he had once refused. Schumer spoke privately with Thune on Friday, pushing the majority leader to get a meeting with the president scheduled because of the approaching funding deadline, according to a Schumer aide. A Thune spokesman said in response that Schumer was “clearly getting nervous.”

Another reason why Democrats suspect Trump would be fine with a shutdown is how his budget office would approach a closure should one happen.

The administration’s strategy was laid out in an Office of Management and Budget memo last week that said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse, are not otherwise funded and are “not consistent” with the president’s priorities. A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but also eliminate their positions, triggering yet another massive upheaval in the federal workforce.

Jeffries argued that Trump and his top aides were using the “smoke screen of a government shutdown caused by them to do more damage.”

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Another mass shooting in America, this time at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Law enforcement there is being praised for its rapid response that may have saved lives.

Responding to a mass shooting is a reality for law enforcement agencies. There have been more than 320 this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. And in each case, seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

Gene Petrino is a retired SWAT commander. He says law enforcement response protocol changed after the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.

"Back then, it was believed that we would wait until tactical teams could be in place," Petrino said. "We've gone to a new method where essentially the first officer on scene is going in."

RELATED STORY | Police say no victims remain unaccounted for after shooting, fire at Michigan church

According to an FBI report, last year law enforcement responded to active shooting incidents at schools in under two minutes.

Better technology like GPS has helped with that.

"Very typically departments will have tracking devices on their squad cars. They know exactly where the squad cars are at and then they'll have a computer aided dispatch that will help pull up maps to help officers get to the scene more quickly," said Peter Blair, who prepares first responders for situations like an active shooter at the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center.

He says that even as response times improves, any delay can be deadly.

"With firearms, there are a lot of casualties that can be created very quickly. And so even a small delay can create many more casualties," Blair said.

Church leaders in Grand Blanc are stepping in to support the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints community after a gunman killed four people and injured 10 others Sunday morning.

Several local congregations are offering office space and rooms for worship services, while others are organizing prayer gatherings to help the community grieve and process the tragedy.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Finding faith in the face of tragedy

Grand Blanc is home to different faith traditions, but many church leaders are stepping in to help their neighbors and opening their doors in this time of need.

"It was just prior to our 10:45 a.m. service that somebody came to me and said 'we just heard from our friends. They're hiding in the woods. What do we do?'" said Jeffery Heimsoth, senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church.

Heimsoth's church is located about a mile from where the tragedy occurred Sunday morning, when a gunman rammed his car into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, fired multiple rounds killing and injuring several people before setting the church ablaze.

Related video: Police chaplain responds to Grand Blanc church attack Police chaplain responds to Grand Blanc church attack

"You know, it really hits home when it's in your backyard," said Ethel Bence, a Grand Blanc resident. "You think that your church is a safe place to be. We don't have politics in our churches. We got there to pray, to worship and to have somebody violate that, it's just a horrendous thing."

"We could hear the smoke as we worshiped here. We could hear the sirens as we worshiped here," Heimsoth said. "In the middle of the service, one of the members grabbed me and took me back. She just got notification that a former preschool student that had come here was one of the shooting victims. She and her father were hospitalized and are OK, but at that point in time, we knew nothing of what was going on."

A day after the attack, Heimsoth met with his staff to coordinate support efforts.

"This worshipping community at the Latter-day Saints Church, they are our neighbors, and so our question this morning is how can we serve them?" Heimsoth said.

Faith Lutheran Church has offered to host a dinner for the LDS community when they're ready.

"Even though we try and find understanding around what happened and why it happened, we'll never really fully get it," said Brian West, lead pastor at Grand Blanc United Methodist Church.

Related video: Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack 'This was an evil act.' Police say all accounted for after deadly church attack

West, who has led the Methodist congregation for more than five years, said his doors are also open to anyone looking for a place to worship.

"We're in the midst right now of reaching out not just to the LDS community in Grand Blanc but to everyone in the community to try and find ways to be a source of light in the midst of a dark time," West said.

Faith Lutheran Church is hosting a prayer service for the community at 7 p.m. Monday. Grand Blanc's United Methodist Church is also planning a prayer service scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m.

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.

Googles YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump over his 2021 account suspension following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

According to documents filed in federal court in California, $22 million of the settlement will be contributed to the Trust for the National Mall to help pay for the construction of the White House State Ballroom. The rest will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union.

Google is the latest big tech company to settle lawsuits brought by Trump. In January, Meta Platforms agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit over his 2021 suspension from Facebook. Elon Musk's X agreed to settle a similar lawsuit brought against the company then known as Twitter for $10 million.

RELATED STORY | Federal judge tosses Trump's $15B defamation lawsuit against New York Times

The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, the filing says. Google confirmed the settlement but declined to comment beyond it.

The disclosure of the settlement came a week before a scheduled Oct. 6 court hearing to discuss the case with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in Oakland, California.

By JEFFREY COLLINS

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former Republican South Carolina Rep. RJ May admitted in court Monday that he sent hundreds of videos of children being sexually abused to people across the country on social media.

May pleaded guilty to what prosecutors in court papers called a “five-day child pornography spree” in the spring of 2024.

May, who resigned earlier this year, is accused of using the screen name “joebidennnn69” to exchange 220 different files of toddlers and young children involved in sex acts on the Kik social media network, according to court documents that graphically detailed the videos.

“Bear with me. This is very hard to read,” U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said as he haltingly read a brief description of each video for television reporters outside of court since cameras aren’t allowed in federal courtrooms.

May, 38, pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing the videos and faces five to 20 years in prison on each charge. He will have to register as a sex offender and could be fined up to $250,000, according to his plea agreement.

The five counts represented the worst videos May shared, Stirling said.

Felony convictions bar May from voting or having a weapon

The felony convictions means the political consultant and National Rifle Association member cannot vote, hold public office, carry a gun or serve on a jury the rest of his life.

May’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 14 — the second day of the South Carolina legislature’s 2026 session.

The evidence against May included logs of his laptop and cellphone use, showing he was uploading and downloading the child sexual abuse videos at the same time he was emailing work files, making phone calls, doing web searches and messaging someone on Kik asking for “Bad moms. Bad dads. Bad pre teens.”

May mostly spent Monday’s hourlong hearing answering the judge’s questions. At the end, when Judge Cameron McGowan Currie asked May if he had anything else he wanted to say, May answered, “not at this time, your honor.”

May changed his mind about pleading guilty after hearing

May changed his mind and decided to plead guilty just hours after a Wednesday pretrial hearing in which he acted as his own attorney.

During Wednesday’s hearing, May made arguments to the judge to throw out the warrant used to search his home, laptop and mobile devices. She denied May’s request just hours after prosecutors filed documents detailing May’s plea on Friday.

Prosecutors showed May used his phone to upload and download videos through his cell network and home wireless network and also showed him charts explaining in stark, factual ways what was on each video May is charged with distributing.

May also tried to keep out any evidence about whether he used a fake name to travel to Colombia three times. Prosecutors said they found videos on his laptop of him allegedly having sex on the trips. A Homeland Security agent testified the women appeared to be underage and were paid. U.S. agents have not been able to locate the women.

May admitted to using the fake name Monday in court but was not asked about the videos.

May was a rising Republican political force in South Carolina

May was in his third term in the South Carolina House and was attacking fellow Republicans to go in a more conservative direction before he resigned.

“We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our children have no harm done to them,” May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors.

After his election in 2020, he helped create the Freedom Caucus. He also helped the campaigns of Republicans running against GOP House incumbents.

When the horror of yesterdays mass shooting spread across the news, Thomas Sanfords neighbors recognized the man in the photo, and they recognized his truck adorned with American flags, too.

Watch Ross Jones' video report: Council candidate recalls 'very dark' conversation with Grand Blanc Twp. church shooter

Family members were seen coming and going all day Monday at Sanford's home. To a person, his neighbors told 7 News Detroit that Sanford was reclusive. Two said that, during the winter, he would plow their driveways free of charge. Another knew that Sanford loved to hunt, but everyone agreed that he lived an isolated life.

As one neighbor said off camera: He was not someone you

could 

get to know.

One man who encountered Sanford just recently was a candidate running for city council here in Burton. Kris Johns was going door to door last week, talking to potential voters when he says he came into contact with Sanford, who was outside in his driveway.

He said the two spoke for about 20 minutes. The tone was pleasant, but the content was unforgettable and would foreshadow Sundays horrific mass shooting.

"He then shared about himself, that he was a Marine, went to Iraq, experienced some drug addiction issues," John said.

"He asked about my position about guns, I said I support the second amendment, which I believe was a satisfactory answer. The very next question almost was: What do you know about Mormons?" Johns said.

"For him to just have the very pointed and direct questions about the Church of Latter-day Saints, thats really what shook me. Religion is not a common topic, let alone the Church of Latter-day Saints," Johns continued. "I will never forget this interaction. Even outside of what happenedGod forbid on Sunday morninghe was a person who was unforgettable."

Johns says the conversation was so jarring, he actually sent a voice memo about it to a friend in the Mormon church. He shared it with us today.

"He went on a tirade about the Church of Latter-day Saints. It was something else," the message says.

"He said, at the end, Mormons are the anti-Christ. I mean, that is just something I will never forget," Johns told us today.

Prior to Sunday, Sanford was largely not on the radar of police. In Burton, where he lives, Chief Brian Ross said that the department had never received a call to Sanford's house or taken in calls about him.

In 2011, records show that Sanford was arrested for burglary; however, theres no indication that he was ever charged.

Today by phone, 7 News Detroit spoke with Sanfords father, Tom, who did not want to appear on camera, but wanted us to share this:

I feel so bad about the families that were affected by this, aside from ours. Were not the only ones going through this devastation. We are beside ourselvesThomas was a great father, a great husband, a great sonthis one bad act does not define him as a person.

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writers

Google’s YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit President Donald Trump brought after the video site suspended his account following the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the Capitol following the election that resulted in him leaving the White House for four years.

The settlement of the more than four-year-old case earmarks $22 million for Trump to contribute to the Trust for the National Mall and a construction of a White House ballroom, according to court documents filed Monday. The remaining $2.5 million will be paid to other parties involved in the case, including the writer Naomi Wolf and the American Conservative Union.

Alphabet, the parent of Google, is the third major technology company to settle a volley of lawsuits that Trump brought for what he alleged had unfairly muzzled him after his first term as president ended in January 2021. He filed similar cases Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Twitter before it was bought by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022 and rebranded as X.

Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle Trumps’ lawsuit over his 2021 suspension from Facebook and X agreed to settle the lawsuit that Trump brought against Twitter for $10 million. When the lawsuits against Meta. Twitter and YouTube were filed, legal experts predicted Trump had little chance of prevailing.

After buying Twitter for $44.5 billion, Musk later became major contributor to Trump’s successful 2024 campaign that resulted in his re-election and then spent several months leading a cost-cutting effort that purged thousands of workers from the federal government payroll before the two had a bitter falling out. Both Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were among the tech leaders who lined up behind Trump during his second inauguration in January in a show of solidarity that was widely interpreted as a sign of the industry’s intention to work more closely with the president than during his first administration.

ABC News, meanwhile, agreed to pay $15 million in December toward Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. And in July, Paramount decided to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit regarding editing at CBS’ storied “60 Minutes” news program.

The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, the filing says. Google confirmed the settlement but declined to comment beyond it.

Google declined to comment on the reasons for the settlement., but Trump’s YouTube account has been restored since 2023. The settlement is will barely dent Alphabet, which has a market value of nearly $3 trillion — an increase of about $600 billion, or 25%, since Trump’s return to the White House.

The disclosure of the settlement came a week before a scheduled Oct. 6 court hearing to discuss the case with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in Oakland, California.

Churches across Michigan are ramping up security measures as leaders work to protect their congregations while maintaining their welcoming atmosphere, according to local security experts and law enforcement officials.

Mike Harvill, president of the Security Leaders Coalition and member of a local church security team, said the need for enhanced safety protocols is growing throughout the state.

Watch Meghan Daniels' video report below: Michigan churches enhance security while maintaining welcoming atmosphere

"I think it's ramping up. We're seeing more here in Michigan," Harvill said.

Security experts report that more than 75% of deadly force incidents at faith-based organizations begin in parking lots, making exterior surveillance a critical component of church safety plans.

"If there's a mobile patrol out in the parking lot and they're seen, that tells people that there is security here and it might deter them," Harvill said.

Harvill trains churches on how to balance safety with hospitality, suggesting subtle security measures that don't compromise the welcoming nature of worship spaces.

"If you lock the door and then post somebody at that door, somebody comes walking up, the person just opens the door those people walking up never had a clue that door was locked. But if somebody walks up that you have a concern with, you don't open the door and you can talk to them through the door," Harvill said.

Related video: Several injured in Grand Blanc attack, including a child 8 injured in Grand Blanc Township attack, including a child

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard emphasized that churches must prepare for various threat scenarios including vehicle-based attacks.

"The only way you're going to stop a vehicle from getting into a building is have vehicular barriers, as you see around government buildings," Bouchard said.

Harvill noted that security barriers can be implemented aesthetically.

"There's really nice ways of doing it. You can get big concrete planters and have flowers in them that looks nice," Harvill said.

Related video: Grand Blanc businesses unite to support church community after deadly attack Grand Blanc businesses unite to support church community after deadly attack

Bouchard stressed the importance of comprehensive security planning.

"They have to have protocols in place What does that breach on those doors do to your security plan? How do you react to it?" Bouchard said.

These security concerns led to the formation of the Security Leaders Coalition, a network of more than 95 churches across Michigan that shares information and training resources to enhance safety measures.

Harvill said many congregants actually prefer knowing security measures are in place rather than being deterred by them.

"They think a security team is going to scare them off when it's quite the contrary. People nowadays want to know that there's a security team," Harvill said. "Our church just this morning got a phone call from a lady that said that she was going to be coming back to church and wanted to know if we had a security team," Harvill 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.

Over-consumption during peak hours has led to boil water advisories in western Oakland County communities where they had been lifted or had never been in place.

Several communities were affected after a 42-inch water main broke early Thursday, Sept. 25, on 14 Mile Road in Novi.

As of Monday afternoon, boil advisories were in place in Wixom, Commerce Township, Walled Lake, most of Novi and a small part of Wolverine Lake.

Novi – except the southeast corner of the city – has been under an advisory since the break. Wolverine Lake issued an advisory for just a few streets shortly after the break.

An advisory had been in effect in Walled Lake since shortly after the main broke but was lifted over the weekend. Commerce Township had not issued one until Monday.

Wixom issued only a recommendation to boil water after the break, which was later lifted. The city issued the advisory after water pressure dropped early Monday due to demands on the system, City Manager Steve Brown said.

He said an emergency alternative, using a much smaller main, allowed the city to keep water pressure at a safe level until it dropped on Monday.

After the break, all of the affected communities asked residents and businesses to refrain from watering lawns or washing cars and to not use water unnecessarily.

“Low pressure on the system due to over consumption during peak hours, while emergency connections are in use, has been identified as the reason for the boil water notice,”  Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash said in a release.

“Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended because a loss of pressure can lead to bacterial contamination in the water system,” the release said.

“Bacteria generally are not harmful and are common throughout our environment. Although no contamination has been detected, as a precaution, all water customers in the affected area are advised to boil water used for drinking and cooking.”

Boiling the water for one minute will kill bacteria and other organisms. Allow it to cool before consumption. Boiled, bottled or disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and preparing food.

You can use tap water to bathe, but do not swallow it or allow it to get in your eyes or nose. Supervise children or disabled adults while bathing.

If you have a private well, you do not need to boil your water.

The advisory will be lifted after two samples, taken 24 hours apart, test negative.

The Great Lakes Water Authority, which owns the broken main, has been working on it around the clock and expects full repairs to take about two weeks.

Novi said in a release late Monday that the first sample, taken Sunday, tested negative.

“Best-case scenario (for the advisory to be lifted) is Tuesday, but it could stretch into Wednesday depending on testing,” the city said in a release Monday morning.

“We need to chat about irrigation. Sprinklers running in the morning are really hurting the system. If you see a neighbor’s sprinklers going, don’t get annoyed (they could be on a well) —be kind and give them a friendly nudge. We’ve done pretty good so far, but we really need to do better.

“Thanks for hanging in there, Novi—your patience (and humor) helps.”

For updates, call the county’s water hotline, 248-858-1555, or check websites or social media for the affected communities.

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