A volcano on Russias far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula erupted overnight into Sunday for what scientists said is the first time in hundreds of years, days after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake.

The Krasheninnikov volcano sent ash 3.7 miles into the sky, according to staff at the Kronotsky Reserve, where the volcano is located. Images released by state media showed dense clouds of ash rising above the volcano.

The plume is spreading eastward from the volcano toward the Pacific Ocean. There are no populated areas along its path, and no ashfall has been recorded in inhabited localities, Kamchatkas emergencies ministry wrote on Telegram during the eruption.

The eruption was accompanied by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and prompted a tsunami warning for three areas of Kamchatka. The tsunami warning was later lifted by Russias Ministry for Emergency Services.

This is the first historically confirmed eruption of the Krasheninnikov volcano in 600 years, Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Smithsonian Institutions Global Volcanism Program, based in the U.S., however, lists Krasheninnikovs last eruption as occurring 475 years ago in 1550.

The reason for the discrepancy was not clear.

The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team said late Sunday that the volcano's activity was decreasing but that moderate explosive activity" could continue.

The eruption occurred after a huge earthquake struck Russias Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.

After a placard referencing the 2019 and 2021 impeachments of President Donald Trump was reportedly removed from an exhibit at the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Institution says the exhibit "will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation's history."

"The placard, which was meant to be a temporary addition to a twenty-five year-old exhibition, did not meet the museums standards in appearance, location, timeline and overall presentation," the Smithsonian said in a statement. "It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard."

"We were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit," the Smithsonian added.

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The announcement comes after The Washington Post reported last week that the exhibit had been on display at the museum since 2021, and mentioned Trump's impeachments alongside those of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, as well as Richard Nixon, who resigned from office before facing impeachment. But when the references to Trump's impeachments were removed, a Smithsonian spokesperson said it was because the display had been changed to an earlier version that predated President Trump's first term in office, The Post reported.

The back and forth also comes just months after President Trump signed an executive order targeting federal funding for Smithsonian programs with what he described as "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." The order put Vice President JD Vance in charge of reshaping the Smithsonian, including its museums, education and research facilities, and the National Zoo.

President Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2019 amid accusations he had pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. However, following a vote that was mostly along party lines, he was ultimately acquitted by the Senate and remained in office.

Then in 2021, Trump was impeached again on charges related to his role in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol including his false claims of election fraud. But despite a handful voting to convict him, Trump was again acquitted by the Senate.

Hundreds of volunteers helped put a Detroit Back-2-School event together this weekend. When it started in 2014, this back-to-school store served 100 Detroit kids. Today, that number has soared to 900.

Watch Evan's report in the video player below Back-to-School event founded in 2014 helps provide 900 Detroit students with school supplies

There was no shortage of volunteers Sunday at Cesar Chavez Academy Upper Elementary.

We're having a back 2 school store for 300 children," said Lauren Koenigsberg, the Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women Michigann (NJCW).

These are children that, Koenigsberg said, might otherwise not have this kind of access.

NJCW spent the last year raising funds to put this Back-2-School store together.

I was a teacher in Detroit for 35 years, so I'm well aware of the life these children lead, Koenigsberg said.

Koenigsberg says the goal of this drive is give children of low-income families a sense of independence.

Many of these children never get to shop, their parents bring home clothes for them many times its second-hand clothes," Koenigsberg said.

They give us pencils, colors, erasers," said fifth grader Christopher Garcia-Torres.

Besides those essential supplies, the 12-year-old also grabbed a new jacket.

My jackets are broken from the pockets, I cant put nothing in there," Christopher said.

From clothes to books, everything is new. This is high-quality stuff too.

Everything is brand new. We have been fundraising for a year to raise the money for this it costs us about 180 dollars a child," Koenigsberg said.

Christopher's Mom was especially excited to have an answer for her son.

Very good for the kids because he always where, when I have to work for my stuff," said Karla Garcia-Torres.

And for Koenigsberg, who taught in this city for 30 years, the store is an answer to how she wanted to spend her post-teaching career.

I've always felt in my heart Ive wanted to give back, and I feel so good about being able to do this and being able to do this for the people of Detroit," Koenigsberg said.

300 kids got to choose what they wanted at this year's back-2-school event, NCJW tell me the work continues this upcoming week, with another 600 Detroit children getting served with the help of social service agencies.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday told more than a million Catholic youths at a closing Mass for a weeklong encounter with the next generation of faithful that they are the sign that a different world is possible" where conflicts can be resolved with dialogue, not weapons.

In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries at war who could not join their celebration.

We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings, Leo said. We are with the young people of Gaza. We are with the young people of Ukraine, with those of every land bloodied by war.

My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Pope Leo XIV marks new beginning with American and global outlook

The young people camped out in sprawling fields southeast of Rome overnight after attending a vigil service on Saturday, also presided by Leo who has been ferried from Vatican City by helicopter. The special Jubilee celebration is part of the Holy Year that is expected to draw 32 million people to the Vatican for the centuries-old pilgrimage to the seat of Catholicism.

The Vatican said more than 1 million young people were present, along with 7,000 priests and 450 bishops.

During the Sunday homily, Leo urged the participants to spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith when they return home to some 150 countries.

Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are," Leo urged the young faithful. Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you."

Leo reminded the crowd that their next encounter will be during World Youth Day, set for Aug. 3-8, 2027, in Seoul, South Korea.

The week has been a joyous gathering marked by bands of youths singing hymns as they move down cobblestoned streets, praying the Rosary in piazzas and standing for hours at the Circus Maximus to confess their sins to priests offering the sacrament in a dozen languages.

RELATED STORY | In White Sox stadium broadcast, Pope Leo XIV sends message of hope

Leo also shared some tragic news on Saturday: two young people who had made the pilgrimage to Rome had died, one reportedly of cardiac arrest, while a third was hospitalized.

Rain overnight awakened the faithful but didnt dampen their spirits.

At least we were a little covered, but we still got a bit wet. We lost our voices a little. It was cold, but we woke up to a beautiful sun and view," said Soemil Rios, 20, from Puerto Rico. Despite the difficulties, it was very nice and very special to have been part of this historic moment.

Sister Giulia De Luca, from Rome, acknowledged that waking up was a bit tough, but that she was looking forward to seeing the pope again.

It will be very nice to conclude a very intense week together. Definitely a lot of fun, but also very challenging in many ways," she said.

Now that the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment has data to support the difference in head and neck injury risks for youth versus adult tackle football players, one athletic equipment safety standard nonprofit has released a first-ever youth football helmet standard.

An awful lot went into the standard, Dr. Robert Cantu, NOCSAE vice president and chair of the organizations scientific advisory committee, said. It is something that's evolved over the last 10 years. ... Youth are not small adults. They have particular needs. They have disproportionately large heads at an early age, and they have very weak necks.

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That was the starting point for NOCSAE to invest half a million dollars into research to actually go out and test on the field during practices and during games, exactly what these kids were experiencing, Executive Director Emeritus Michael Oliver said. ... Out of that came some data that was actually fairly surprising. One of which is the younger age group actually has higher head accelerations than the older age group, but it's because they hit the ground more often out of control.

Armed with that information, NOCSAE developed a new standard for tackle football players whove yet to reach high school that will require manufacturers, including Riddell and Schutt, to design a helmet that weighs less. It also reduces the allowable rotational acceleration, the force most closely associated with concussion risks in tackle football.

Forty, 50 years ago, the big problem was mostly skull fractures and intracranial bleeds, more serious injuries, Cantu said. Those have been eliminated virtually by the current helmet standards. What hasn't been as well addressed and can never be perfectly addressed, but it can be made better are helmets that better attenuate the forces for concussion. That's where we think this lighter helmet with adequate energy attenuating equipment in it will do a much better job than the current adult standard.

New helmets will weigh no more than 3.5 pounds. There is no weight limit in the current performance specifications for helmet manufacturers.

We have 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds, and they tend to, it's like bobblehead football, a little bit, said Keith Fogliani, who serves as president of the Independence, Missouri, Hawks Pop Warner football and cheer squad and as commissioner for the Heart of America Pop Warner Association.

That bobble-head doll effect means that a youngster taking a blow, it can be a much lesser blow, but it produces great accelerations to the head, Cantu said. Youngsters with that weak neck can't support the weight of an adult helmet, so this helmet will be a lighter one.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Dad of middle schooler killed during football practice wants game to adopt new helmets

The hope is that it will better mitigate the risks unique to youth football players.

Knowing that you have a helmet that's kind of tailored, or a standard thats tailored, to that age, to me, is comforting, Oliver said. If I'm a parent, I know my kid's not trying to figure out how to use an adult helmet to play a game for kids, and I think that's probably the most important part of it. It's tailored for the risks and exposures for kids at that age.

Youth football helmets are considered usable for 10 years, but NOCSAE standards require them to be inspected and reconditioned every two years.

They're (a new helmet) about $140, then you're paying about $40 to $50 every two years (for reconditioning), Fogliani said. You end up with about a $400 helmet when it's all said and done.

NOCSAEs new youth football helmet standard goes into effect March 1, 2027, which gives manufacturers time to develop equipment to meet the standard, but current helmets can still be used under the existing guideline, according to Oliver.

National organizations, like Pop Warner or USA Football, could create their own rule requiring the adoption of the new helmets sooner.

However, NOCSAEs new standard only sets a deadline for future manufacturing as helmet technology continues to evolve from leather helmets, to foam-lined plastic helmets, to new models with air bladders.

The technology of the helmets is just going to keep getting better and better, Fogliani said. Im just kind of curious to see what a three-and-a-half-pound helmet's going to be looking like.

This story was originally published by Tod Palmer with the

Scripps News Group in Kansas City.

A Royal Oak man has been charged with homicide after police say he shot and killed a maintenance worker at an apartment complex earlier this week.

The alleged shooting happened around noon on Thursday (July 31), at Devon Park apartments in the 3800 block of Crooks Road.

Watch our previous coverage Residents rattled by deadly shooting in Royal Oak Victim dead, suspect arrested in shooting at Royal Oak apartment complex Chopper video of Royal Oak shooting scene Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore speaks on deadly shooting

Police arrived at the scene, and the suspect, 32-year-old Nathaniel Joshua-Olson Rockwell, complied with police and was quickly taken into custody. They found the victim 100 feet away from the suspect, and that victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told police that Rockwell was arguing with another tenant when he ran to his car and got a handgun. The tenant ran away, but Rockwell shifted his focus to a maintenance worker, who was near the altercation but was not directly involved.

Authorities say that that victim 65-year-old Gregory Hill, a Southfield resident was working at the time of the incident.

Rockwell, who had no prior criminial record, appeared in court today and was charged with the following:

One count of Homicide First Degree Murder Three counts of Felony Firearm Two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon

If convicted, Rockwell faces life in prison. He's due back in court in a little over a week.

"This was a senseless act of horrific violence," said Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore. "We extend our deepest condolences to the victim's family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Thankfully, due to the swift actions of our officers, the suspect was apprehended quickly before he could harm anyone else."

In the pursuit of love, many people find themselves navigating the complexities of modern dating apps with little success. However, a new dating app born in Colorado looks to make finding that special someone a bit easier and more fun through the sport of pickleball.

The app, called PickleMatch, aims to connect singles via their shared love of pickleball, helping to break the ice before any romantic potential is explored.

For many in Colorado, pickleball has emerged as a vibrant community, especially for those who discovered the sport during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's a huge blessing for me and for thousands of people, millions of people. You know, across the U.S. that really peaked at the height of social isolation during COVID, said Caroline Moore, pickleball teaching pro at Boulder Pickleball. It was a way for people to get out of the house, do something social, where we didnt necessarily have to wear a mask.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Do singles need help finding love now more than ever?

But for those looking to find love in addition to friendship, the process of online dating can feel laborious. Anneliese Niebauer, co-founder of PickleMatch, experienced this firsthand after trying out several dating apps.

I became single for the first time in like 10 years. I was downloading the apps and creating profiles," she said.

Tired of navigating the profiles and weeks of small talk that often leads to lukewarm first dates, Niebauer began filtering potential matches based on connections made through pickleball.

The people I met through that, they didn't all turn out to be romantic, but I'm still good friends with a lot of the people that I met in that way, she said.

PickleMatch will allow users to create profiles that feature their skill level, favorite pro players, and preferred courts. The app is currently in beta testing and is expected to launch soon.

You get on the app, you know, you have something in common, Niebauer explained. You instantly get on the court, and then, if it's a good fit, you know, you can see each other again off the court, but if not, like, you had fun.

Co-founder Michael Watson-Fore said the app will have a positive impact on singles looking to connect over a mutual interest.

Hopefully, we're kind of greasing the wheels a bit in terms of allowing people just to meet for fun, but also for romantic things, if that's what they want, he said.

The unique approach of PickleMatch contrasts with the traditional dating scene.

First dates can feel like interviews, especially nowadays, and so if you're sitting at a coffee shop, you kind of go through the checklist of, like, green flags, red flag questions, Niebauer said. At pickleball that doesn't happen. You just see if there's a connection, and if you play well together, and then, of course, you can discuss the important things down the line.

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With the app still in development stages, there has already been considerable interest.

With very little promotion or anything, we got the first 100 subscribers, Niebauer said.

In a world where many feel disconnected, especially following the isolation of the pandemic, PickleMatch looks to provide an innovative option for singles to meet and form connections.

Thatd be a really cool thing to be able to facilitate, Watson-Fore said. Not every day do you get to kind of help people meet in that way.

This story was originally published by Colin Riley with the

Scripps News Group in Denver.

After an hours-long stand-off, police took a 30-year-old suspect they believe is responsible for shooting and injuring a 15-year-old boy.

Watch Tiarra's report in the video player below 2 teenage stepbrothers shot in Detroit, one of them fatally, police say

He received non-life-threatening injuries, he was treated at the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery," said Captain Sederick Dunbar.

Around 3 p.m. on Saturday, police say the 30-year-old suspect pulled up onto Mark Twain Street and opened fire on the 15-year-old victim.

From what we know, it was just a verbal altercation that led to a shooting," said Captain Dunbar.

Police say the suspect in the shooting barricaded himself inside a house on Saturday.

And on Friday, two 13-year-old boys were shot. One died and was injured on the city's east side.

Watch our previous coverage 2 teenage stepbrothers shot in Detroit, one of them fatally, police say

When I was 13 years old, all I wanted to play and its just sad to me that our kids cant be safe in our own communities," said neighbor Sabre Johnson.

Johnson lives a block from where the shooting happened on Friday night.

I came home, I was going to get in the shower, heard the shots, then I spun the block to see what was going on," Johnson said.

According to Detroit Police in regards to the Friday shooting, three teens were out walking and a dark-colored vehicle pulled up near them, words were exchanged, and then shots rang out.

Im praying for that mother, like I said hearing her scream like that is I dont wish that on my worst enemy.

While police believe they have their suspect in the shooting, they are still looking for a suspect in the shooting of the two 13-year-olds. If you have any information, reach out to Detroit Police.

Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in Gaza, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites, as the malnutrition-related death toll also rose.

Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is facing famine because of Israels blockade and nearly two-year offensive.

Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground.

I couldnt stop and help them because of the bullets, he said.

Southern Gazas Nasser Hospital said they received bodies from routes to the sites, including eight from Teina, about 1.8 miles away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the private U.S.- and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago.

The hospital received one body from Shakoush, hundreds of yards north of a GHF site in Rafah. Another nine aid-seekers were killed by troops near the Morag corridor, it said.

RELATED STORY | Over 60,000 Palestinians killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war, Gazas Health Ministry says

Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, told The Associated Press shootings occurred on the routes to distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward troops.

Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire Sunday morning toward crowds of Palestinians trying to reach GHFs fourth and northernmost distribution point.

Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot, said Hamza Matter, one of the aid seekers.

At least five people were killed and 27 wounded near GHFs site close to Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said.

Eyewitnesses seeking food have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead.

The United Nations reported 859 people were killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of U.N.-led food convoys.

The GHF launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the U.N.-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas, which guarded convoys early in the war, to siphon supplies.

Israel has not offered evidence of widespread theft. The U.N. has denied it.

GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israels military has said it only fires warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated

Israels military did immediately responded to questions about Sunday's reported fatalities. GHF's Media Office said there was no gunfire near or at our sites.

Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours. It said Sunday's casualties brought the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 over the five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June. Malnutrition-related deaths are not included in the ministrys count of war casualties.

Ninety-three children have also died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started in 2023, the ministry said.

Israeli minister prays at flashpoint holy site

Israels far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir prayed at Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, a move swiftly condemned as a incitement by Palestinian leaders as well as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

At the hilltop compound in the Old City revered by Jews and Muslims, Ben Gvir called on Israel to annex the Gaza Strip and encourage Palestinians to leave.

This is the only way that we will return the hostages and win the war, he said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | UN pushes for two-state solution in Gaza, but US and Israel aren't attending the meeting

His visit on Sunday in honor of Tisha Bav, a day in which Jews mourn the destruction of two Jewish temples at the site, was the first in which a government minister openly prayed at the site.

Under the status quo, Jews have been allowed to tour the site but are barred from praying, with Israeli police and troops providing security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said afterward that Israel would not change the norms governing the holy site.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned Ben Gvir's visit. Ambassador Sufian Qudah, a spokesperson for Jordan's Foreign Ministry, condemned what he called provocative incursions by the extremist minister and implored Israel to prevent escalation.

Ben Gvir's visit took place on Tisha Bav, a day in which Jews mourn the destruction of their temples. He condemned a video that Hamas released of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David showing him emaciated in a dimly lit tunnel in Gaza.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in Gaza, triggered outrage when they released separate videos of individual hostages this week. Israeli media hasnt broadcast the videos, calling them propaganda, but Netanyahu met with the hostage families on Saturday, pledging further efforts to return them to Israel.

Red Crescent Facility Shelled

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the Israeli military attacked its headquarters in the southern city of Khan Younis early Sunday, killing a staffer and wounding three others.

The overnight strike wrecked the organization's multi-story building, leaving its offices full of broken concrete and blood, with gaping holes in the walls and floors, according to video released by the organization.

Red Crescent said the military shelled its Khan Younis facility three times between around 1 a.m. local time.

Elsewhere in Khan Younis, an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced people, killing at least two, Nasser hospital said.

Israel's military did not immediately respond to questions about either strike.

The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducting another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israels retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry.

The ministry, which doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasnt provided its own account of casualties.

One man was killed and another was injured in a double shooting on Detroit's west side.

We're told it happened in the area of Auburn and Lyndon late Saturday night, with police saying the man killed was in his 20s. Police were notified of the shooting through a ShotSpotter alert.

Authorities say that the other victim another man in his 20s is listed in serious condition at the hospital, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

Police say the victim in this case is unknown.

The requests have come in letters, emails and phone calls. The specifics vary, but the target is consistent: The U.S. Department of Justice is ramping up an effort to get voter data and other election information from the states.

Over the past three months, the departments voting section has requested copies of voter registration lists from state election administrators in at least 15 states, according to an Associated Press tally. Of those, nine are Democrats, five are Republicans and one is a bipartisan commission.

In Colorado, the department demanded all records relating to the 2024 election and any records the state retained from the 2020 election.

Department lawyers have contacted officials in at least seven states to propose a meeting about forging an information-sharing agreement related to instances of voting or election fraud. The idea, they say in the emails, is for states to help the department enforce the law.

The unusually expansive outreach has raised alarm among some election officials because states have the constitutional authority to run elections and federal law protects the sharing of individual data with the government.

It also signals the transformation of the Justice Departments involvement in elections under President Donald Trump. The department historically has focused on protecting access to the ballot box. Today, it is taking steps to crack down on voter fraud and noncitizen voting, both of which are rare but have been the subject of years of false claims from Trump and his allies.

The department's actions come alongside a broader effort by the administration to investigate past elections and influence the 2026 midterms. The Republican president has called for a special prosecutor to investigate the 2020 election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden and continues to falsely claim he won. Trump also has pushed Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps to create more House seats favorable to the GOP.

The Justice Department does not typically engage in fishing expeditions to find laws that may potentially have been broken and has traditionally been independent from the president, said David Becker, a former department lawyer who leads the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research.

Now it seems to be operating differently, he said.

The department responded with an emailed no comment to a list of questions submitted by the AP seeking details about the communications with state officials.

Requests to states vary and some are specific

Election offices in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Utah, and Wisconsin confirmed to the AP that they received letters from the voting section requesting their statewide voter registration lists. At least one other, Oklahoma, received the request by phone.

Many requests included basic questions about the procedures states use to comply with federal voting laws, such as how states identify and remove duplicate voter registrations or deceased or otherwise ineligible voters.

Certain questions were more state-specific and referenced data points or perceived inconsistencies from a recent survey from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an AP review of several of the letters showed.

The Justice Department already has filed suit against the state election board in North Carolina alleging it failed to comply with a part of the federal Help America Vote Act that relates to voter registration records.

More inquiries are likely on the way

There are signs the department's outreach isn't done. It told the National Association of Secretaries of State that all states would be contacted eventually, said Maria Benson, a NASS spokeswoman.

The organization has asked the department to join a virtual meeting of its elections committee to answer questions about the letters, Benson said. Some officials have raised concerns about how the voter data will be used and protected.

Election officials in at least four California counties Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and San Francisco said the Justice Department sent them letters asking for voter roll records. The letters asked for the number of people removed from the rolls for being noncitizens and for their voting records, dates of birth and ID numbers.

Officials in Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wisconsin confirmed to the AP that they received an email from two department lawyers requesting a call about a potential information-sharing agreement.

The goal, according to several copies of the emails reviewed by the AP, was for states to provide the government with information about instances of election fraud to help the Justice Department enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections. One of those sending the emails was a senior counsel in the criminal division.

The emails referred to Trump's March executive order on elections, part of which directs the attorney general to enter information-sharing agreements with state election officials to the maximum extent possible."

Skeptical state election officials assess how to reply

Election officials in several states that received requests for their voter registration information have not responded. Some said they were reviewing the inquiries.

Officials in some other states provided public versions of voter registration lists to the department, with certain personal information such as Social Security numbers blacked out. Elsewhere, state officials answered procedural questions from the Justice Department but refused to provide the voter lists.

In Minnesota, the office of Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, said the federal agency is not legally entitled to the information.

In a July 25 letter to the Justice Department's voting section, Simons general counsel, Justin Erickson, said the list contains sensitive personal identifying information on several million individuals. He said the office had obligations under federal and state law to not disclose any information from the statewide list unless expressly required by law.

In a recent letter, Republican lawmakers in the state called on Simon to comply with the federal request as a way "to protect the voting rights of the citizens of Minnesota.

Maine's secretary of state, Democrat Shenna Bellows, said the administration's request overstepped the federal governments bounds and that the state will not fulfill it. She said doing so would violate voter privacy.

The department doesnt get to know everything about you just because they want to, Bellows said.

Some Justice Department requests are questionable, lawyers say

There is nothing inherently wrong with the Justice Department requesting information on state procedures or the states providing it, said Justin Levitt, a former deputy assistant attorney general who teaches at Loyola Law School.

But the departments requests for voter registration data are more problematic, he said. That is because of the Privacy Act of 1974, which put strict guidelines on data collection by the federal government. The government is required to issue a notice in the Federal Register and notify appropriate congressional committees when it seeks personally identifiable information about individuals.

Becker said there is nothing in federal law that compels states to comply with requests for sensitive personal data about their residents. He added that while the outreach about information-sharing agreements was largely innocuous, the involvement of a criminal attorney could be seen as intimidating.

You can understand how people would be concerned, he said.

The collapse of an amusement park ride in western Saudi Arabia has left more than 20 people injured and prompted authorities to close the park and order an investigation, state media said.

The accident occurred in the Al-Hada area of the city of Taif on Wednesday, when the 360 Big Pendulum ride snapped in two, sending the part carrying people crashing to the ground.

Video footage posted on social media showed the pendulum swinging riders, who were strapped into their seats, in a wide arc several times before the pendulum arm snaps, sending the passenger section crashing to the ground.

The regional government said in a statement that the Taif governor, Prince Saud bin Nahar bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, had ordered an investigation and the parks closure. It said some of those injured received first aid at the amusement park, and others were taken to a hospital. It did not specify how many people were hospitalized.

State media said 23 people were injured, and that there were no fatalities.

Nearly eight million student loan borrowers are accruing interest on their debt again. The U.S. Department of Education announced in July that interest charges for people enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan would resume on August 1.

The income-driven repayment program, which was introduced by the Biden administration in 2023, allowed some low-income borrowers to qualify for $0 monthly payments on their federal student loans, while others could have their loans forgiven outright.

IN RELATED NEWS | As federal student loan collections resume, what options do borrowers have?

The Biden White House at the time said that student loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan who have made payments for at least 10 years and originally took out up to $12,000 are eligible to have their loans automatically forgiven.

Additionally, the White House said for every $1,000 borrowed above $12,000, a borrower can receive forgiveness after an additional year of payments. That means someone enrolled in the SAVE Plan with an original debt of up to $21,000 would have their loans forgiven by the time they reach 20 years of payments.

For years, the Biden Administration used so-called loan forgiveness promises to win votes, but federal courts repeatedly ruled that those actions were unlawful," said U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. "Congress designed these programs to ensure that borrowers repay their loans, yet the Biden Administration tried to illegally force taxpayers to foot the bill instead."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | US appeals court blocks Biden SAVE Plan for student loan repayment and relief

The Student Borrower Protection Center said it projects that the typical borrower will be forced to pay more than $3,500 per year or $300 per month in interest charges.

Instead of fixing the broken student loan system, Secretary McMahon is choosing to drown millions of people in unnecessary interest charges and blaming unrelated court cases for her own mismanagement, said SBPC executive director Mike Pierce. Every day, we hear from borrowers waiting on hold with their servicer for hours, begging the government to let them out of this forbearance, and help them get back on trackinstead, McMahon is choosing to jack up the cost of their student debt without giving them a way out. 

A sex toy was tossed onto the court during a WNBA game for the second time this week.

Video showed the sex toy out of bounds under apa basket after a whistle was blown to stop play during the third quarter of the Golden State Valkyries 73-66 victory over the Chicago Sky. An official then kicked it aside before it was picked up and removed.

Its super disrespectful, Sky center Elizabeth Williams said in the postgame press conference. I dont really get the point of it. Its really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.

A similar incident occurred Tuesday during the Valkyries 77-75 victory over the Atlanta Dream in College Park, Georgia.

RELATED STORY | WNBA expanding to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia over next five years

I mean, first of all, it was super dangerous, Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini said after Tuesday's game. And then when we found out what it was, I guess we just started laughing. Ive never seen anything like that. Im just glad we worked through that situation. We stayed locked in, we stayed concentrated.

New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison commented on social media about the situation Friday.

ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Harrison said on X. Please do better. Its not funny. Never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.

As Republicans move to redraw legislative maps in red states to pad their narrow House majority in Washington, some Democrats are rethinking their embrace of a nonpartisan approach to line-drawing that now complicates their party's ability to hit back before next year's midterm elections.

In many Democratic-controlled states, independent commissions rather than the state legislature handle redistricting, the normally once-a-decade task of adjusting congressional and legislative districts so their populations are equal. Parties in the majority can exploit that process to shape their lawmakers districts so they are almost guaranteed reelection.

The commission model limits parties ability to game the system, leading to more competitive districts. Not all redistricting commissions were created at Democrats insistence. And, like Republicans, the party has exploited line-drawing for its own gain in the handful of states where it controls the process. But unlike Republicans, many Democratic Party leaders have embraced the nonpartisan model.

That means Democrats have fewer options to match Republicans, who are redrawing the U.S. House map in Texas at President Donald Trumps urging to carve out as many as five new winnable seats for the GOP. That could be enough to prevent Democrats from winning back the majority next year.

Democrats have threatened payback. During a gathering on Friday in Wisconsin of Democratic governors, several of them said they wanted to retaliate because the stakes are so high.

RELATED STORY | Midterm implications: Texas redistricting effort sparks nationwide battle for Congressional seats

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who has pushed for a nonpartisan redistricting commission in his state, said Democrats must do whatever we can to counter the Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps.

When you have a gun against your head, youve got to do something, he said.

Despite the ambitious talk, Democrats largely have their hands tied.

Democratic states have limited ability to redistrict for political edge

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he and the Democratic-controlled Legislature will try to redraw his states congressional map. But they would need to repeal or defy the 2008 ballot measure creating an independent redistricting commission. Voters extended its authority to congressional districts two years later.

Newsom supported the constitutional amendment at the time, when he was mayor of San Francisco. The Texas redistricting, which is expected to pass the Legislature next week, led him to modify that position.

We can act holier than thou, we can sit on the sidelines, talk about the way the world should be, or we can recognize the existential nature that is this moment, Newsom said earlier this month.

In New York, which also has a commission, the state constitution bars another map this decade. Democrats have moved for a change, but that could not happen until 2027 at the earliest, and then only with voter approval.

In other states where Democrats control the governor's office and legislature, including Colorado and Washington, the party has backed independent commissions that cannot redraw, let alone rig, maps in the middle of the decade.

Democrats say foundations of our democracy at stake

When the redistricting cycle kicked off in 2021, after the last census, independent commissions were in charge of drawing 95 House seats that otherwise would have been drawn by Democrats, but only 13 that would have been created by Republicans.

In a marker of the shift among Democrats, former Attorney General Eric Holder, who heads the partys redistricting effort and has called repeatedly for a more nonpartisan approach, seemed to bless his partys long-shot efforts to overrule their commissions.

We do not oppose on a temporary basis responsible, responsive actions to ensure that the foundations of our democracy are not permanently eroded, Holder said in a statement last week.

In states where they werent checked by commissions, Democrats have redistricted just as ruthlessly as Republicans. In Illinois, they drew a map that gave them a 14-3 advantage in the congressional delegation. In New Mexico, they tweaked the map so they control all three House seats. In Nevada, they held three of its four seats in November despite Trump winning the state.

Even in states where they have a lopsided advantage, Democrats are exploring ways to maximize it.

On Friday, Maryland's House Majority Leader, Democratic Del. David Moon, said he would introduce legislation to trigger redrawing of the congressional lines if Texas moves forward. Democrats hold seven of the state's eight congressional seats.

We cant have one state, especially a very large state, constantly trying to one-up and alter the course of congressional control while the other states sit idly by," he said.

Commissions promote fair representation, advocates say

Advocates of a nonpartisan model are alarmed by the shift among Democrats. They say the party would redistrict just as aggressively as the GOP if not held in check, depriving voters of a voice in districts whose winners would essentially be selected in advance by political leaders.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Texas Republicans aim to redraw House districts in special legislative session

Were very desperate were looking for any port in a storm, said Emily Eby French, Common Causes Texas director. This Democratic tit for tat redistricting seems like a port but its not a port. Its a jagged rock with a bunch of sirens on them.

The groups director of redistricting, Dan Vicua, said using redistricting for partisan advantage known as gerrymandering is highly unpopular with the public: This is about fair representation for communities."

Politicians used to shy away from discussing it openly, but that has changed in todays polarized environment. Trump earlier this month told reporters about his hopes of netting five additional GOP seats in Texas and more out of other Republican-controlled states.

He has urged new maps in GOP-controlled states such as Indiana and Missouri, while Ohio Republicans are poised to reshape political lines after neutralizing a push to create an independent redistricting commission.

Democrats are divided over how to respond to Texas

In a sign of the partys divide, Democrats have continued to push for a national redistricting panel that would remove partisanship from the process, even as some call for retaliation against Republicans in defiance of state limitations.

No unilateral disarmament till both sides are following the law, said Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, like Newsom a possible 2028 presidential contender, wrote on X. Gallego's post came a day before his Democratic colleagues gathered to announce they were reintroducing a bill to create the national commission.

An identical bill died in 2022 when it couldn't overcome Republican objections despite Democrats controlling Congress and the presidency. It has no chance now that the GOP is in charge of both branches.

Sen. Chris Murphy, another potential 2028 contender, didnt express regret over past reforms that have implemented independent redistricting boards in Democratic states, saying the party "should never apologize for being for the right thing.

But he added that Republicans are operating outside of the box right now and we cant stay inside the box.

If theyre changing districts in the middle of the 10-year cycle, we have to do the same thing, he said.

That approach, however, hasnt caught on across the party.

We shouldnt stoop to their tactics, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said. Its an ideal that we have accurate and fair representation. We cant abandon it just because Republicans try to manipulate and distort it.

Outerwear retailer Columbia Sportswear has sued Columbia University over alleged trademark infringement and a breach of contract, saying that the universitys merchandise looks too similar to its own offerings and can confuse shoppers.

In a lawsuit filed July 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Columbia Sportswear, whose roots date back to 1938, alleges that the Ivy League university intentionally violated an agreement the parties signed on June 13, 2023. That agreement dictated how the university could use the word Columbia on its own apparel and accessories.

As part of the pact, the university could feature Columbia on its merchandise provided that the name included a recognizable school insignia or its mascot, the word university, the name of the academic department or the founding year of the university 1754 or a combination.

RELATED STORY | With Columbia as a model, White House seeks fines in potential deals with Harvard and others

Columbia Sportswear clothing is sold at more than 800 retail locations, including more than 150 of its branded stores as well as its website and third-party marketplaces.

But Columbia Sportswear alleges the university breached the agreement a little more than a year later, with the Portland, Oregon-based company noticing several garments without any of the school logos being sold at the Columbia University online store.

Many of the garments feature a bright blue color that is confusingly similar to the blue color that has long been associated with Columbia Sportswear, the suit alleged.

The lawsuit offered photos of some of the Columbia University items that say only Columbia.

The likelihood of deception, confusion, and mistake engendered by the universitys misappropriation and misuse of the Columbia name is causing irreparable harm to the brand and goodwill symbolized by Columbia Sportswears registered mark Columbia and the reputation for quality it embodies, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit comes at a time when Columbia University has been threatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in government support.

Last week, Columbia University reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus.

Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years, the university said.

Columbia Sportswear aims to stop all sales of clothing that violate the agreement, recall any products already sold and donate any remaining merchandise to charity. Columbia Sportswear is also seeking three times the amount of actual damages determined by a jury.

Neither Columbia Sportswear nor Columbia University could be immediately reached for comment.

The Food and Drug Administration will soon require drugmakers to place stronger warning labels on opioids to convey the risks associated with these medications.

The labels will include clearer risk information about addiction, misuse, and overdose; stronger warnings regarding higher doses and their long-term risks; clarified use limits to prevent misinterpretation of long-term use; treatment guidance recommending long-acting opioids only if shorter options are inadequate; advice against sudden discontinuation for physically dependent patients; and information on overdose reversal agents.

RELATED STORY | States push for life-saving fentanyl testing laws amid rising opioid concerns

These changes to label rules come as the FDA claims that OxyContin was approved illegally and without proper study supporting its long-term use. The maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, reached a $7.4 billion settlement for its "manufacturing and distribution of opioids that fueled a nationwide addiction epidemic."

The death of almost one million Americans during the opioid epidemic has been one of the cardinal failures of the public health establishment, said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. This long-overdue labeling change is only part of what needs to be done we also need to modernize our approval processes and post-market monitoring so that nothing like this ever happens again.

The FDA said drugmakers have 30 days to submit labeling updates for review.

Hey, you're busy we get it.

We know a lot happens throughout the week, and you may not catch all of our stories here at WXYZ. So we've decided to gather the most talked-about stories from the past week all in one place that you can check out during your free time over the weekend.

Have a story idea or tip? Feel free to let us know using the contact form below.

Here are the big stories from the week beginning July 28.

'I was not a spy.' 1 year after release from Russia, Paul Whelan details his time in captivity A year after his release from Russia, Paul Whelan details his time in captivity

Friday, Aug. 1 marks one year since Paul Whelan has been free. After being accused of espionage and spending more than five years behind bars in Russia, the Michigan native said his return home has been bittersweet.

Upon his release, it was hailed as a major diplomatic achievement, especially since he was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian labor camp. But, he said, getting back to a normal life has been difficult to say the least.

Our Carolyn Clifford sat down with Whelan in Manchester, where he now lives with his parents, and is trying to reclaim his former life.

"Im in my hotel room, one of my friends is with me, were getting ready to go to the wedding," he said.

That's when he said 20 officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB), the new KGB in Russia, lined the hallways and stormed his room.

"FSB comes into my room where I am violently arrested. 'Mr Whelan, youre under arrest for espionage,' and so I said, 'I havent committed espionage.' 'Well, we think you have,'" Whelan said.

Whelan said his long-overdue return to Michigan felt like a gut punch. After 20 days of evaluation in Texas, he had to find his own way home.

"I came home to no home. My house was gone, no job, cars were gone, and finances had been used over the years to store things and pay attorneys," he said.

Whelan says hes been denied unemployment, health insurance and at 55, although hes highly qualified, his six-year work gap puts him out of the running for many jobs.

"There's a stigma from being in prison, even though I was wrongfully held, I was still in prison," he said.

Whelan says he joined the military to give back after America gave his family so much as immigrants. Now hes back home with his aging parents in Manchester who escaped Germany during World War II.

Michigan woman shares decade-long battle with Lyme disease after Justin Timberlake reveals diagnosis 'An ongoing battle': Michigan woman shares decade-long battle with Lyme disease

A Michigan woman is sharing her struggle with Lyme disease after pop star Justin Timberlake revealed his own diagnosis with the tick-borne illness, which he described as "relentlessly debilitating" on social media Thursday.

Annette Jackson, 37, has been battling Lyme disease for over 10 years and says finding a diagnosis was an exhausting journey that took dozens of medical consultations.

"Throughout this journey, it has been tough," Jackson said.

Jackson traces her health problems back to 2015 when she was bitten by a tick while visiting a park in southeastern Michigan.

"I was in the Clinton River, at a park here and I got bit and the symptoms started after," Jackson said. "It was a struggle every day to fight, mentally, emotionally, a lot of depression, a lot of anxiety."

For years, Jackson struggled without knowing what was causing her symptoms, consulting with numerous medical professionals who often misdiagnosed her condition.

"I've probably seen over 100 doctors in the past nine years," Jackson said.

The challenge with Lyme disease is that its symptoms can mimic other conditions, making diagnosis difficult.

"So, doctors normally think it's anxiety disorders or OCD or depression. A lot of the times, Lyme disease does present as psychiatric symptoms," Jackson said.

Dr. Jonathan Swetech, a family medicine physician in Clinton Township, finally diagnosed Jackson's condition in 2020 and explains that advanced Lyme disease can affect multiple body systems.

"Usually what people with the advanced forms of it have are bad joint pain, chronic pains, their nervous system doesn't work right, all kinds of psychiatric issues. Cardiac issues, too, seem to be pretty common. Just stuff just doesn't work right," Swetech said.

Mom turns in 13-year-old son after vehicle thefts, said she hopes this is a wake-up call 'Id rather see you alive.' Mom turns in 13-year-old son after vehicle thefts

Two local kids were arrested after being accused of stealing cars from a Waterford business over the weekend and for one of them, this isn't their first rodeo.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is commending the mother of one of the suspects for turning him in.

The stolen vehicles have since been recovered, and that mother tells 7 News Detroit her son is a troubled teen, but shes doing all she can to keep him off the streets.

The 12-year-old and 13-year-old allegedly broke into a landscaping business and used the company's trucks they're accused of stealing, to break open the gate to drive out.

Part of the incident was captured on surveillance video.

"My cousin started blowing up my phone, and she said 'open your screen, look at your screen' and thats when I witnessed the videos," said Destini Ghee.

And to Destini's surprise, there was her 13-year-old son alongside a 12-year-old stealing work trucks from Elowsky Lawn Services in Waterford on Sunday. She says hes been in trouble before, but not to this extent.

"Im hoping that him knowing that this could have cost him his life, this could potentially cost him his freedom, his whole childhood," she said.

The Oakland County Sheriffs Office says the boys stole three Chevy Silverados, two of which had trailers attached. All of it was valued at $90,000.

Sheriff Bouchard says the 12-year-old suspect was arrested before for stealing seven vehicles from local businesses, even selling at least one of them for a mere $30.

"Its sad, but hopefully this, now, second encounter will help get us a better path for this young man going forward. I mean, real life is not Grand Theft Auto," said Sheriff Bouchard.

Destini turned her son in to authorities Tuesday after seeing him on surveillance footage posted on social media. Destini says the teen made a confession of sorts after the truck thefts on Sunday, saying he needed to go to Children's Village Oakland Countys juvenile detention center. At the time, Destini had no idea what he was suspected of doing.

"He just said, 'Ive done some things that I shouldnt have been doing and I need to go get help,'" she said.

She said she is hoping that this will be his wake-up call.

"We tried numerous ... things ... to try to get him on the right path," said Destini. "I used to tell him, 'no, Id rather see you alive than dead, and getting you locked up, I know, is going to save your life,'" said Destini.

The 12-year-old boy arrested on charges of stealing seven cars last month had his hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Destinis son has a hearing set for the second week of August.

Walgreens employee prevents woman from falling for scam in Farmington Hills Walgreens employee prevents woman from falling for scam in Farmington Hills

It started like any other shift for Cody Moore, until he noticed some odd behavior from one of his regular customers, and stepped in to save her from being scammed out of hundreds of dollars.

They always target the older people who don't have anybody," Cody said.

Cody is a shift lead at Walgreens in Farmington Hills. He tells me he noticed something not quite right with one of their regulars.

She was buying some gift cards for $500, which I thought was weird because I've never seen her buy gift cards," Cody said.

He said he noticed an unsaved number out of California calling the woman repeatedly. This raised some red flags for Cody.

So I asked her was that the number who she was getting these gift cards for and she said, yeah, so I informed her that it was obviously a scam and not to answer that, Cody said.

Becky Ulcinski was in line behind the elderly woman while this was all going down. She says the relief on the woman's face was obvious.

She said, 'thank you so much. You're a good person. I have been worried about this all day, and you're right, it is a scam now that I think it through, no bank is gonna want Target gift cards,'" Becky said.

She said she had second thoughts, but I guess those people can be kind of convincing sometimes," Cody said.

Becky says seeing Cody trust his instincts and go out of his way to help the woman made her proud of her community.

He could have just said, 'this isn't my problem,' ring them up and sent her on her way," Becky said. "And the fact that he recognized the scam and said, I'm not, we're not going to be a part of this, we're stopping this right here was just so wonderful to see.

'An honor': Detroit couple provides safe rides to teen who witnessed bus shooting Detroit couple provides safe rides to teen who witnessed bus shooting

In a show of community support, a Detroit couple has stepped up to help a local teen who witnessed a city bus shooting by providing her with free rides to school.

High school senior Ashyira Kenney says she is thankful for the Kendrick family, total strangers who stepped in to give her more than a safe ride they gave her the courage to finish summer school.

"It makes me feel good that I've got somebody on my side to help me to get back and fourth from school," Kenney said.

Kenney is looking forward to her senior year at Chandler Park Academy High School in Harper Woods. But earlier this month, on her way home from summer classes, her peaceful world was turned upside down when she witnessed a shooting on a Detroit Department of Transportation bus, leaving the 17-year-old scared to get back on a city bus.

"Whenever something goes down in the community that affects our young people, we want to follow up to make sure it doesn't affect their quality of life," said Bishop Daryl Harris, project manager of Cease Fire Detroit.

Harris asked members of his church if they could help Kenney prosper.

"We thought we would step in and see how we can keep her coming to school," Harris said.

"We're just glad that we can step in and add some support," said Shawn Kendrick.

"We just want to make sure she has the chance to do whatever she needs to do to graduate," Krystina Kendrick said.

Parental fines increased, curfew violations decriminalized by city of Detroit Detroit City Council passes new curfew ordinance

Detroit City Council voted to amend an ordinance that regulates curfew violations.

Under the updated ordinance, parental fines increased, however, theyve been decriminalized. It passed 7 to 1.

Detroit City Councilman Coleman Young II sponsored the amended curfew ordinance.

We cannot be a thriving city and have 4-year-olds' blood shed in the street, Young said.

He and Police Chief Todd Bettison emphasized the updated ordinance decriminalizes the violation. That means parents wont have to serve jail time if their kids are caught out after curfew and parents are given a choice.

The chief said they wont have to pay the fine if they choose to take courses instead. Under the new, amended ordinance, the fine is now $250 for a first offense. It was $75. A second offense is $500.

Today, tomorrow, the fees will actually increase and thats for leverage purposes. I was talking to a couple judges and they say the fees are too low that a parent will choose not to take the services. Theyll say, Ill just pay the ticket. But if its $250 its like, Ok, Ill go to that parent responsibility course, Bettison said.

Young said, To go through the classes, get the mental health therapy that they need, get the training they need, get the resources, access that they need to be able to become not only prepared parents but also become better and more productive members of society.

And to get these kids off the street, and were not looking at 4-year-olds being gunned down by 17- and 18-year-olds in the city of Detroit. That cannot stand, he added.

Prior to the vote to approve the changes, a spirited discussion took place among council members and other community leaders.

Oakland County road commissioner accused of making threats, wasting millions Oakland County road commissioner accused of making threats, wasting millions

For more than a decade, the Road Commission for Oakland County has been saving for a new building that would finally bring most of its staff together on one campus.

But after spending millions of dollars to start the project, some road commission employees say county politics put the brakes on their plans and wasted your tax dollars.

The Road Commission for Oakland County is a separate entity from county government except for one thing: the Oakland County Commission appoints the three road commissioners who oversee the agency in charge of county roads.

Road commission employees tell the 7 Investigators one of those recent appointments has caused a lot of political drama, resulting in allegations of threats of violence, money wasted and interference from the highest levels of the county.

Road Commission for Oakland County employees say their sole mission is safety.

We all worked hard to make the roads better, which they are in Oakland County. And to save lives, said former Road Commissioner Ron Fowkes.

The road commission is responsible for maintaining more than 2,700 miles of county roads and about 1500 traffic signals. Fowkes said they pride themselves on Oakland Countys fatality rate being half the state and national average.

The three political appointees in charge of the agency are responsible for the commissions $178 million budget. Fowkes said thats why during his 12 years on the road commission, they carefully set aside millions of dollars for a new headquarters building on the same campus as their main operations center in Waterford.

To bring everybody under one roof, said Fowkes.

Road Commission officials said the new $43 million headquarters would improve efficiency by consolidating about 200 employees spread between three aging buildings across the county. They also said it would cost less than renovating their existing buildings.

We have to buy a lot of property for right-of-way. Well, after a year or two, the utilities are moved and all the work is done, you can sell that property and that's where the majority of it went, said Fowkes.

So you guys pinched your pennies and saved over the years to put money in this building fund? asked 7 Investigator Heather Catallo.

Yes, said Fowkes. The county was aware of it for 12 years.

Last August, commissioners voted to hire a contractor and they broke ground on the new site in the fall.

Road commission records showed the agency did not use gas tax funds or money earmarked for roads for the project. A spokesman said they also secured a $5 million federal grant to upgrade their Traffic Operations Center, but now employees say that grant and the entire project are in jeopardy.

Road Commission officials said the building plans started to hit red lights in January when road commissioner political appointees shuffled.

Last August, commissioners voted to hire a contractor and they broke ground on the new site in the fall.

Road commission records showed the agency did not use gas tax funds or money earmarked for roads for the project. A spokesman said they also secured a $5 million federal grant to upgrade their Traffic Operations Center, but now employees say that grant and the entire project are in jeopardy.

Road Commission officials said the building plans started to hit red lights in January when road commissioner political appointees shuffled.

The next month, meeting minutes showed Woodward told the road commissioners that the county supports a moratorium on the construction currently in progress of the new administration building," and Esshaki made a motion to suspend the work, a delay that records show cost taxpayers more than $2 million.

Meeting minutes show Commissioner Esshaki later suggested the road commission should look at moving to the countys Executive Office Building, which will be vacant when the county offices move to downtown Pontiac in 2027 as part of a $174 million project.

But according to engineering records, renovating that property for the road commissions specialized needs would cost more than the new headquarters building: $55 million.

While not every road commission employee supported the idea of a new headquarters, many employees told us they were furious with what they call the countys interference with a separate agency.

I pray to God the county does not move forward on taking us over, said Mary Gillis during an Oakland County Commission meeting in April.

I just wanted to voice my frustration at the lack of transparency which is going on between this board and the road commission. We experienced an undeniable interference from this board, said Stephen Guerra at the April Oakland County Commission meeting.

In my 35 years, I've never seen anything like this. You guys are taking this like a power trip. Its sad, said Road Commission Foreman Walter Mersino Jr. about the new road commissioner's plans.

Mersino says he has worked at the road commission for 35 years. Hes one of many long-time employees who spoke out during public comment at some of those recent public meetings, questioning Road Commissioner Esshaki about why he supported cancelling the plans for the new building.

You said the road commissions doing things underhandedly, but you guys are doing things underhandedly. You weren't even part of this building. And all of a sudden you come in, and now this building is being suspended? Who's pulling your strings? asked Mersino.

Mersino said when he was on a job site in Bloomfield Township in June, the foreman and a coworker got a surprise visit from Commissioner Esshaki.

He goes 'why don't you talk to me now, it's just me and you. You don't have your crowd behind you now,' said Merisno.

Mersino said he tried not to engage with the road commissioner and tried to back up his work truck to leave.

So then I proceeded to start to back up, and he says, that's right. Leave little girl. So I stopped and said, don't talk to me like that. And that's when he says, this guy [the coworker] can leave, and me and you can go behind those trees and handle this. I said I'm not going do that ... and he just kept picking, picking. So I started to leave again. He said the same thing. 'That's right, leave little girl,'" said Mersino.

Mersino did leave and then filed a police report and an incident report with the road commission.

"I just felt threatened for my job. That's how I felt. I felt threatened. Like this guy is trying to take my 35 years and flush it down the toilet," he said.

Mersino said he believes Esshakis actions violate the Road Commissions Violence in the Workplace Policy, which states the commission will not tolerate any threat, direct or implied which creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile work environment. The road commission is investigating the incident.

The 7 Investigators caught up with the road commissioner at a public meeting to ask him about the allegations that he wanted to fight the road commission employee.

"Id like to know if youd like to respond to that? Why did you call him a little girl?" asked 7 Investigator Heather Catallo.

"Just remember theres two sides to the story ... I have no comment now, thank you," said Esshaki.

Esshaki later told us he did not threaten the employee, but did not comment beyond that. He refused our repeated requests to do an interview. After Commissioner Nancy Quarles resigned in late May, that left just Esshaki and Road Commission Chair Eric McPherson to vote on the building deal. They both voted to cancel it even though millions had already been spent.

McPherson had previously voted in support of the building. He declind to respond to our questions about why he changed his vote.

It was a decision that angered many former and current employees.

"I told them that they were violating their oath of office ... because you get sworn in just like the President of the United States, because you're handling people's money and you're dealing with people's lives... They have no idea what they're doing, they're clueless," said Fowkes.

Meanwhile, County Commission Chair Dave Woodward told the 7 Investigators he questioned the fiscal responsibility of the road commission building a new headquarters with all of the road funding needs the county has, but it's not clear why this is all happening now.

County records showed Woodward and two other commissioners formed a committee to study the road commissions operations back in 2022, and road commission employees say the new building was discussed during Woodward's committee meetings.

A federal appeals court ruled Friday night to uphold a lower courts temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held a hearing Monday afternoon at which the federal government asked the court to overturn a temporary restraining order issued July 12 by Judge Maame E. Frimpong, arguing it hindered their enforcement of immigration law.

Immigrant advocacy groups filed suit last month accusing President Donald Trumps administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during the administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The lawsuit included three detained immigrants and two U.S. citizens as plaintiffs.

In her order, Frimpong said there was a mountain of evidence that federal immigration enforcement tactics were violating the Constitution. She wrote the government cannot use factors such as apparent race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, presence at a location such as a tow yard or car wash, or someones occupation as the only basis for reasonable suspicion to detain someone.

The appeals court panel agreed and questioned the government's need to oppose an order preventing them from violating the Constitution.

If, as Defendants suggest, they are not conducting stops that lack reasonable suspicion, they can hardly claim to be irreparably harmed by an injunction aimed at preventing a subset of stops not supported by reasonable suspicion, the judges wrote.

A hearing for a preliminary injunction, which would be a more substantial court order as the lawsuit proceeds, is scheduled for September.

The Los Angeles region has been a battleground with the Trump administration over its aggressive immigration strategy that spurred protests and the deployment of the National Guard and Marines for several weeks. Federal agents have rounded up immigrants without legal status to be in the U.S. from Home Depots, car washes, bus stops, and farms, many of whom have lived in the country for decades.

Among the plaintiffs is Los Angeles resident Brian Gavidia, who was shown in a video taken by a friend on June 13 being seized by federal agents as he yells, I was born here in the states, East LA bro!

They want to send us back to a world where a U.S. citizen ... can be grabbed, slammed against a fence and have his phone and ID taken from him just because he was working at a tow yard in a Latino neighborhood, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Mohammad Tajsar told the court Monday.

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The federal government argued that it hadnt been given enough time to collect and present evidence in the lawsuit, given that it was filed shortly before the July 4 holiday and a hearing was held the following week.

Its a very serious thing to say that multiple federal government agencies have a policy of violating the Constitution, attorney Jacob Roth said.

He also argued that the lower courts order was too broad, and that immigrant advocates did not present enough evidence to prove that the government had an official policy of stopping people without reasonable suspicion.

He referred to the four factors of race, language, presence at a location, and occupation that were listed in the temporary restraining order, saying the court should not be able to ban the government from using them at all. He also argued that the order was unclear on what exactly is permissible under the law.

Legally, I think its appropriate to use the factors for reasonable suspicion, Roth said

The judges sharply questioned the government over their arguments.

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No one has suggested that you cannot consider these factors at all, Judge Jennifer Sung said.

However, those factors alone only form a broad profile and dont satisfy the reasonable suspicion standard to stop someone, she said.

Sung, a Biden appointee, said that in an area like Los Angeles, where Latinos make up as much as half the population, those factors cannot possibly weed out those who have undocumented status and those who have documented legal status.

She also asked: What is the harm to being told not to do something that you claim youre already not doing?

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the Friday night decision a victory for the rule of law and said the city will protect residents from the racial profiling and other illegal tactics used by federal agents.