A crash on I-71 has shut down part of the freeway Saturday afternoon.

As of 5:30 p.m., I-71 between Pearl Road and Royalton Road is closed, and motorists are asked to avoid the area.

The crash happened around 4 p.m., and it is unknown how many vehicles were involved or whether anyone was injured.

News 5 has reached out to authorities for information.

This story will be updated once more is learned.

CHICAGO (AP) Deshaun Watson led Cleveland on two early scoring drives in the first half of Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, and Shedeur Sanders tossed an ugly interception in the fourth quarter of the preseason opener for each team.

Watson and Sanders are competing for the starting quarterback job in coach Todd Monken's first training camp since taking over in January. Watson was 11 for 15 for 126 yards in his first game in almost two years, and Sanders was 6 for 11 for 79 yards while playing the third quarter and first part of the fourth.

KC Concepcion had a 14-yard touchdown run for Cleveland on an end around on the first play of the second quarter. The wide receiver, who also had three receptions for 27 yards, was a first-round pick in this year's draft.

Caleb Williams got the day off as Chicago coach Ben Johnson rested most of his starters. Williams passed for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns in Johnson's first season in charge, helping the Bears win the NFC North for the first time since 2018.

Tyson Bagent played the first half for the Bears, going 13 for 22 for 169 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception. Case Keenum was 9 for 10 for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Kiran Amegadjie started at left tackle as Chicago continued to look at its options for a key spot on its offensive line. Jedrick Wills Jr. also played against his former team, allowing a sack by Julian Okwara late in the first half.

The 30-year-old Watson played in his first game since Oct. 20, 2024, a span of 22 months. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023 and came back the next season only to twice rupture his Achilles tendon.

He was also suspended 11 games by the NFL in 2022 after being accused of sexual assault and misconduct by two dozen massage therapists while playing in Houston.

Watson helped Cleveland open a 10-0 lead, but he also lost a fumble on a sack in the second quarter.

Sanders, who started seven games as a rookie in 2025, was picked off by Beanie Bishop Jr. on a badly overthrown pass intended for Malachi Corley early in the final period.

Bishop also intercepted a pass by Dillon Gabriel, who finished the game for Cleveland. Gabriel was 5 for 8 for 23 yards.

Browns defensive backs Michael Coats Jr. (ankle) and Nate Evans (quad) left with injuries.

Bears wide receiver Luther Burden ran on the field before the game. Burden has been sidelined by a groin injury, but he is expected to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 13 at Carolina.

Browns: Host the Buffalo Bills next Saturday. The teams have a joint practice scheduled for Thursday.

Bears: At the Cincinnati Bengals next Saturday night. The teams also will practice against each other on Thursday.

___

See APs full NFL coverage here

Injuries are the most unfortunate part of football, but perhaps even more so when they happen in the preseason. The Browns weren't able to escape injury in their first preseason game of the season, with cornerbacks Michael Coats Jr. and Nate Evans leaving the game in the second half.

Coats was ruled out of the remainder of the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

Before the injury, Coats had been a standout in the game, breaking up two passes, recording two tackles and making an impressive read of a pass from Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent to get an interception and allow the Browns offense a 2-minute drill in the second quarter.

Coats has had a standout summer outside of the preseason game, making plays often during the Browns' training camp practices.

Evans, who has also had a strong summer, was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a quad injury. Before the injury, Evans had recorded a tackle and pass defended.

For the second consecutive presidential election cycle, South Carolina will be the first state on the Democratic Partys nominating calendar in 2028. South Carolina moved to the front of the line in 2024, despite New Hampshire and Iowa historically leading the nominating calendar.

Several states vied to be the first to help choose the partys nominee in 2028. The first few states tend to wield outsized influence in the nominating process. But some Democrats have argued that New Hampshire and Iowa do not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S.

RELATED STORY | Democrats gather in Austin to debate 2028 presidential primary calendar and party direction

While white non-Hispanics make up about 57% of the U.S. population, both Iowa and New Hampshire are more than 80% white non-Hispanic.

The DNC has delivered a 2028 nominating calendar that truly represents our party and our values, and will help us retake the White House in 2028, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said.

The South Carolina primary will be held Jan. 22, 2028. Nevada will hold its primary Feb. 1, 2028. New Hampshire will follow a week later. Rounding out the early states will be New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia.

The party said its goal was to have a battle-tested nominee with experience in key battleground states and among a broad range of voters needed to win back the White House.

RELATED STORY | South Carolina set to open Democratic presidential primary again

In addition to diversity, the party said it considered the geographic size of states and the affordability of advertising in early states. The goal, the party said, is to prevent candidates from winning solely on name recognition.

In 2024, Democrats attempted to move New Hampshires primary later in the cycle. As a result, President Joe Biden did not place his name on the ballot. New Hampshire has a state law that requires the primary to be held first. As a result, the party did not award delegates based on the results of the primary.

Later in the election cycle, New Hampshire held a party-run process to divvy up delegates.

In 2020, South Carolina was the fourth state in the nomination process, behind Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. South Carolina marked Joe Bidens first victory after Pete Buttigieg won Iowa and Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire and Nevada. The South Carolina primary gave Biden a significant boost heading into Super Tuesday just days later.

Within days, only Biden and Sanders remained in the race.

The All-Star Game is returning to San Francisco in two years.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Friday that the 2028 Midsummer Classic will be at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The 2007 game was played in the picturesque waterfront ballpark, featuring Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki's famous inside-the-park home run that bounced off the tricky wall in right-center field.

With its passionate fanbase, world-class ballpark, and rich baseball history, San Francisco will be an outstanding host for All-Star Week, which culminates in one of Major League Baseballs best traditions, the Midsummer Classic, Manfred said in a statement. "We look forward to bringing the excitement of All-Star Week and the celebration of baseball to the Bay Area.

This will mark another major sporting event for the Bay Area recently after the Super Bowl and World Cup this year and the NBA All-Star Game in February 2025.

The Giants will host the Midsummer Classic for a fourth time overall after Candlestick Park held the first All-Star Game of the 1961 season and also baseball's summer showcase in 1984.

RELATED STORY | MLB restricts dugout iPad use to prevent use of AI to make decisions

Oracle Park is set to become the eighth active ballpark to hold the All-Star Game multiple times, joining Fenway Park in 1946, 1961 and 1999, Wrigley Field (1947, 1962, 1990), Angel Stadium (1967, 1989, 2010), Dodger Stadium (1980, 2022), Progressive Field (1997, 2019), Coors Field (1998, 2021) and T-Mobile Park (2001, 2023).

Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said the club is incredibly honored and expressed his gratitude.

This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our organization, our city, and the incredible passion of our fans on baseballs biggest summer stage, he said in a statement.

RELATED STORY | Survey: 38% of Americans support MLB's automated balls and strikes system

Hosting the All-Star Game is more than celebrating the games brightest stars, its a chance to highlight the people, neighborhoods, and culture that make our community so special. Few cities offer the unique combination of sports, culture, innovation, entertainment, and natural beauty that defines San Francisco. We look forward to welcoming players, families, fans, and visitors from around the world for a week that will create lasting memories and have a meaningful impact throughout our region.

The Cleveland Browns are gearing up for the regular season and have the preseason to help sharpen them up against real opponents, taking the field for their first preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday. Getting the start at quarterback in the first game is Deshaun Watson.

Watson sat down with News 5 for an exclusive 1-on-1 interview ahead of the game.

You can watch the interview in the player above.

Watson answered questions about his health, the quarterback competition with Shedeur Sanders, and what he thinks fans should expect from him as he gets his first game action in nearly two years following his Achilles injury in 2024.

Here's what he had to say:

Camryn Justice: Deshaun, it's been a long offseason full of a lot of work both here and behind the scenes. How are you feeling two weeks into training camp?

Deshaun Watson: I feel good. I think I'm in the right spot where I need to be. I think mentally I'm in a good spot; physically, I'm in a great spot. So really just keep stacking the days, keep adding that up, and just try to get better each and every day.

CJ: What has it been like navigating the quarterback competition and changing of reps?

DW: You just got to take advantage of the opportunity. So whenever you're in, no matter what group you're in with, you just got to make sure you try to execute as much as possible.

CJ: I know there's been some highs and lows for you. What's been the most challenging part of navigating this?

DW: I think just the timing of all the receivers. Usually, during this process, it's my first time going through something like this, so usually you're with a certain group and you kind of build that time and that rhythm, but now you're flipping each and every day, so it's hard to kind of gain that trust, especially when you're installing new plays, new concepts, new routes. But it's been good; it's been very fun to be able to have those challenges and opportunities.

CJ: It feels -- like even though there is a competition, it's a room full of unity, maybe. Is that a good way to describe it?

DW: Most definitely. I think we all come in each and every day. We support each other. We talk about each other's reps, and we just try to learn. So the room has been awesome. It's been great, and we've just been taking it one day at a time.

CJ: It's been almost 2 years since that initial Achilles injury for you. That means two years really since game action, the preseason right around the corner. Your defense is obviously giving you good looks, but what does it mean to you to finally get a chance to go against another team in real game action?

DW: It's awesome. It's good. This is what I've been working for for the last two years, and just being able to be back on the football field has been amazing for me. It's a blessing. All the hard work that I put in with the training staff and myself, so I'm excited to just get back on the field and just go out there and play free.

CJ: This team looks so much different than it did the last time you suited up. New offensive line, new weapons, new head coach. What about the changes on this team maybe feel like it fits you and your game and what you're able to do out there?

DW: I think the team is a lot younger. A lot of guys trying to prove themselves in this league, trying to make a name for themselves. But also, with the coaching staff, Monk [Todd Monken] is a little bit more hard-nosed than [Kevin] Stefanski was a little bit. It kind of brings back similarities to what I had in Houston with Bill O'Brien. A guy that's going to coach you super hard; he wants perfection, he understands that you're going to make mistakes, but as long as we're learning and trying to progress, that's the biggest key.

CJ: What should fans expect from you when you do get out there on the field?

DW: I think just the execution and a guy that's going to put his heart out there to try to win games. That's the ultimate job in this business is to win games and be successful. So my full focus is making sure everyone is locked in every time we take the field so we can put up a lot of points, have excitement in that stadium for the fan base, and we can go out there and win some games and do what the Browns do.

CJ: It's been kind of a roller coaster journey for you in your career and here with the Browns. So what do you want fans to know about the journey that you've been on and where you're at now?

DW: To know? I haven't really thought that far, honestly. I think the actions have been proven. I'm not a big talker. I'm not a big guy that kind of responds to any criticism, so for me, I think everyone sees it. For me to just be back on the field after all the stuff that I've been through and still have a level head and still want to play football and be successful and put my foot forward with this team and organization, I think that speaks for itself.

A shooting involving multiple suspects and five people shot at Virginia State University prompted a campus lockdown and police investigation early Saturday.

It happened near the university's Quad Annexes, where campus police and Chesterfield County officers discovered five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories. Officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. and the lockdown was lifted at about 9 a.m., county police said.

RELATED STORY | Teen gets life in prison without parole for killing 4 at Georgias Apalachee High School

The five were transported to hospitals, and one initially listed as having life-threatening injuries has been upgraded to critical condition, county police said. The others sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The university said in a statement that the shooting involves multiple suspects. The statement asked people to avoid the immediate area on Saturday morning.

A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as the investigation into this morning's shooting continues, the university said after the lockdown was lifted.

RELATED STORY | Seattle police say teen arrested in connection with shooting had ghost gun

The campus had a large law enforcement presence on Saturday morning. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff's Office were assisting, county police said.

Virginia State University is a historically Black university located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 24 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The public university has about 5,700 students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Most of its students are undergraduates.

The shooting happened just before the start of the academic year at Virginia State. According to the university's website, residence halls opened for students a week ago, and classes are set to begin on Monday. Many students had just completed the university's New Trojans Experience for incoming students.

The university has grown in recent years while attempting to improve safety and retain its historic charm, said Arthur Fridrich, the university's former director of distance education, who lives near the campus and visits regularly. A shooting like this just as students return for classes is heartbreaking for the community, he said.

To start a new year with this event is very tragic. It casts a shadow in the minds of all students," he said.

Amid rising concerns over police departments use of Flock Safety cameras, the companys founder said he believes the technology would have solved Nancy Guthries missing-person case.

We would have solved that case, Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, told Vanity Fair. One hundred percent, he added. Theres no doubt in my mind.

Guthrie disappeared in February after FBI investigators said she was kidnapped from her home in Pima County, Arizona. Footage from a doorbell camera showed a masked man with a gun tampering with the camera around the time of her disappearance.

RELATED STORY | Ransom note in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping demanded millions in bitcoin

Pima County does not use Flock cameras.

Guthrie is the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie.

Flock recently claimed it helped solve an estimated 10,000 missing-person cases in 2025. However, the estimate was extrapolated from a limited, self-selected sample of agencies to its entire customer base and attributed all missing persons found outcomes to Flock technology helps.

Langleys comments to Vanity Fair come as Flock faces growing debate over its technology. Flock uses a network of cameras that can read license plates and create a database searchable by police departments.

Some homeowners associations and private businesses also have adopted the technology.

While many police departments have touted Flocks ability to help solve crimes, critics have raised concerns that the cameras invade personal privacy. There also have been recent examples of agencies misusing Flock cameras.

RELATED STORY | Full ransom notes released as Nancy Guthrie case reaches six-month mark

To address some of those concerns, Flock announced new privacy safeguards, including reducing its recommended data-retention period from 30 days to seven. Flock also said it will publish contractual language with agencies outlining who owns the collected data.

The company also said it is using a new offense filter, requiring audit assistance, proactive lockouts and case codes.

You will see over the next six months a dramatic increase in officers being arrested or fired for abusing Flock, because we are forcing our customers to do it now, Langley told Vanity Fair. We know because we solved a million crimes last year what it looks like in Flock to solve a crime, and we know based off of reported abuse what abuse looks like.

The preseason officially begins for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. The team is in Chicago, taking on the Bears.

Starting at noon, you can watch our News 5 sports team talk about what we can expect to see from the team.

Kickoff starts at 1 p.m.

After the game is over, you can watch our post-game show where sports director Jon Doss , Camryn Justice, and Mason Horodyski will break down the game.

All three shows will be available on News 5.

We've made it to the weekend! After such a humid and stormy week, Mother Nature is not done providing NEO with this kind of weather. Expect very humid conditions all day long, with an opportunity for a few storms, depending on where you are in the area.

During the morning hours, showers and a downpour are possible for the South region. An isolated storm chance into the late afternoon & evening for the West region.

Get ready to meet Cooper! David Rossetti sent in this photo of his dog Cooper ordering ice cream. With the hotter temps and constantly high humidity, ice cream is not a bad option!

Do you want your dog included in News 5's dog walking forecast? Send us an email and a photo of your dog to 5pix@wews.com.

Want the latest Power of 5 weather team updates wherever you go? Download the News 5 App free now: Apple|Android

Click here to view our interactive radar.

Follow the News 5 Weather Team:

Trent Magill: Facebook & Twitter

Katie McGraw: Facebook & Twitter

Phil Sakal: Facebook & Twitter

Allan Nosoff: Facebook & Twitter

Jinny Lu, a pug rescued from the dog meat trade in South Korea, won the annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest on Friday in Santa Rosa, California.

This year marked Jinny Lus fourth appearance in the contest, which organizers say champions rescue dogs, celebrates individuality, and reminds us that true beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and smiles. The event also highlights dogs that have overcome adversity to find loving homes.

Jinny Lus owner received a $5,000 prize.

According to contest organizers, Jinny Lu is known for barking and arguing with her own reflection several times a day and for dramatic performances with her toys before demanding cuddle time. Jinny Lu also serves as an ambassador for rescue dogs, visiting elementary schools, hospice patients and memory care facilities.

This year marked the contests 50th edition.

The Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest has never really been about finding the worlds ugliest dog, Mandy Clendenen, CEO of the Sonoma-Marin Agricultural Association, said in a statement. For 50 years, this event has celebrated the uniqueness of every dog while sharing an important message of compassion, rescue, and acceptance. Its incredible to see how a small local tradition has grown into an event that captures hearts around the world.

Vice President JD Vance warned Republicans this week not to ignore voters who sympathize with socialism as more Democratic candidates embrace democratic socialist policies.

Vances comments came after a CNN poll found that one-third of Democratic voters identify as democratic socialists. The poll also found younger voters were more likely to support progressive policies.

Democratic socialists generally support policies such as government-funded health care, heavily subsidized higher education and higher taxes on wealthy Americans. Some also have called for expanded public housing, abolishing immigration enforcement agencies and major law enforcement reforms.

Vance said Republicans cannot afford to ignore the concerns driving some voters toward democratic socialism.

Our response to that cant just be to ignore the economic concerns that I think are feeding this rising interest in socialism, Vance said on Fox News The Will Cain Show. You as an American citizen deserve to have a good life in this country, and you deserve to have a government that is making it easier for you to start a family, for you to afford to get a good education, for you to have a good job, for you to afford a home.

He added that President Donald Trumps policies are working, saying new investments are creating middle-class jobs for young people.

But Vance acknowledged that if the economy does not improve, younger voters could increasingly turn to democratic socialism as an alternative.

My warning to my fellow Republicans would be, if we dont get this right, dont blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. Weve got to blame ourselves, he said.

In the 2024 election, Trump performed strongest among voters ages 45 to 64, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris won voters ages 18 to 29 by an 11-point margin, 54% to 43%, according to a CBS News exit poll.

Vances comments come as the Trump administration has struggled to reduce inflation, which was a major issue during President Joe Bidens administration.

As of July 2026, consumer inflation over a 12-month period stood at 3.3%. In November 2024, when Harris lost the presidential election, inflation was 2.7%.

News that the Federal Aviation Administration along with Ohios two senators oppose a plan by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to shutter Burke Lakefront Airport received a mixed reaction Friday.

The city wanted to redevelop the 450 acres of lakefront property Burke sits on, calling the airport an underutilized public asset thats lost money for the last 20 years.

But FAA Administrator Byran Bedford said during a visit to Oberlin Friday afternoon that closing Burke didnt make sense.

Honestly, we dont have enough air space capacity for the future as it is, said Bedford. We need to talk about how do we open new facilities, not how do we close existing real estate.

RELATED: FAA administrator, Moreno say shutting Burke Lakefront Airport is a non-starter

It was welcomed news to Cleveland resident Yan Shanklin who gathered with friends at North Coast Harbor Friday evening, in the shadow of Burkes runways.

I do feel a way about it because Im like, theres nothing that needs to be changed here, said Shaklin. Look at Browns Stadium, right? Thats going too.

While at North Coast Yard, downtown resident Kevin Kercsmar said he loved spending time along the lake but didnt think closing Burke to potentially add more space to do so was worth it.

I think we need it, said Kercsmar. I think its awesome. We have our airshow there. Its a part of Cleveland.

The executive director of the Cleveland National Airshow said she was thrilled by Fridays news and said it felt like the light at the end of the tunnel after months of fighting to keep the airshows home open.

This is one of the longest running airshows in the United States, said Kim Dell. So it definitely is one of the grand dames and important to still have around for Cleveland.

But a spokesperson for Mayor Justin Bibb criticized the decision in a statement, writing in part, We are disheartened that the federal administrations position appears to bypass the best interests of Clevelanders and Ohioans who actually have to live with the consequences.

While others gathered along the lake shore said they were hopeful the decision to keep Burke open would lead to new life for the airport along the shore.

Hopefully with that decision theres more energy brought to the purpose of it being an airport, said Lakewood resident Rachel Mulholland.

Rescuers reported apparent signs of life under the rubble in two of the Colombian cities hit hardest by a massive earthquake, rekindling hopes Friday that more people could be found alive.

Search and rescue teams from Venezuela, Argentina and Israel joined the search for survivors following the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck the South American nation on Monday, killing at least 287 people. At 96 hours since the temblor hit, the window for survival was narrowing Friday afternoon.

The mayor of Pereira, Mauricio Salazar, told radio station FM on Friday that contact was made with a woman who was asking for help amid the rubble of a collapsed hotel at around 4 a.m. He suggested other people may have survived but were still trapped.

Authorities in Cali also reported apparent signs of life, saying at least three people were trapped under collapsed buildings. The search and rescue effort has been extended through Saturday.

Residents who lost their homes must start over again

With the overall search for survivors winding down, Colombia faced another challenge: rebuilding a nation shattered by a disaster that affected more than 100,000 people.

Tens of thousands of houses were damaged or destroyed, according to the government. Authorities have also reported damage to thousands of schools, medical facilities and community centers in more than 400 cities.

There is no place to live, we lost everything, Ebert Jonathan Morales, 38, said Friday in a shelter in Cali.

Morales is one of the 102,263 people whose lives were upended by the quake. The government says nearly 4,000 people were injured and hundreds remain missing. Private groups estimate the number of missing is in the thousands.

Morales said he, his wife and four children are trying to rebuild from scratch.

The earthquake destroyed several neighborhoods in the city. Many houses were damaged, and buildings collapsed, he said. We are going to stay here until the government gives us some help, some support.

RELATED STORY | Death toll continues to rise after 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Colombia

The government focuses on providing shelter

The devastation has tested Colombias President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was inaugurated just days before the earthquake shook the country's west. De la Espriella acknowledged Thursday night that the situation is complex and announced a plan to partner with private companies to rebuild, as well as subsidies for families who are homeless.

We will not overcome this tragedy alone as a government, he said. We need the private sector to rebuild Colombia together.

Mondays earthquake was the most powerful to hit Colombia this century. Government aid has yet to arrive in some areas, where many people are relying on volunteers and neighbors for help.

A neighbor is giving me shelter, Olga Castro, a mother of five in Cali, said. At least we survived, but right now we are practically on the street because we dont have a home anymore.

De la Espriella said national and international funds raised in response to the disaster will focus on the reconstruction of hospitals, schools, homes, roads and airports.

Rebuilding the country requires a serious technical assessment to determine which buildings can be used, which can be repaired and which must be demolished and rebuilt, said Yezid Alvarado Vargas, a professor in construction engineering at Javeriana University, in Bogota, Colombia.

Before even discussing reconstruction, we must guarantee temporary housing, food, healthcare, continuity of basic services and economic support for families who lost their homes or livelihoods, Alvarado said.

In Bogota, Colombias capital, around 500 volunteers gathered at a reception center to sort food, toiletries and pet food before distributing the supplies in the most affected areas. From youngsters to the elderly, everyone diligently participated in the challenging relief efforts.

We all have to help. Today is for you, tomorrow might be for me, volunteer Jorge Muoz, 85, said. One of the oldest helpers at Bogota's Vive Claro aid collection, Muoz has witnessed the devastation caused by other earthquakes, including one in 1999 that killed more than 1,180 people.

EARLIER THIS YEAR | Venezuela earthquake death toll rises as hospitals face collapse

National and international aid keeps coming

Authorities have converted schools, parks and public buildings into shelters, providing tents, mattresses and food to the displaced. In other hard-hit cities, residents improvised shelters in the streets, while hundreds of volunteers rush to help those in need in hard-to-reach areas.

These are isolated, neglected territories, historically lacking in institutional support, already plagued by violence, and now they are hit by an earthquake of this magnitude, said Mara Mercedes Livano, director of Save the Children in Colombia.

Its a crisis on top of a crisis, leaving the population in a situation of extreme vulnerability, she added, citing communities including Buenaventura, the countrys main port, and Choco, the earthquakes epicenter.

Many buildings in Pereira have limited or no access to electricity and water, and volunteers have been delivering hygiene kits to displaced families in the city's shelters, said Pamela Londoo, a technical adviser with Project HOPE. Of the five or six shelters in the city, at least one is already full and no longer accepting new residents. The nonprofit is also assessing medical supply needs.

Other areas are also suffering, such as the town of Roldanillo, where approximately 60% of residents do not have access to clean water.

The main concern is the lack of basic services for multiple communities, Londoo said. This is a really critical situation.

De la Espriella visited several cities to track relief efforts and aid distribution, including Quibdo, in the Choco region, and Pereira. Authorities are still waiting for tons of supplies and humanitarian aid from countries that have pledged their support, including Peru, China, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

My heart, my strength and my spirit are with all the victims and with all these territories that have been forgotten and now devastated by nature, he said. We must rebuild them. There is a great task ahead and I am committed to it.

The Trump administration announced Friday an additional $11 million in humanitarian aid including food, health, protection and shelter assistance bringing the total U.S. assistance following the earthquake to $26.5 million.

The U.S. continues to coordinate with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and the Colombian government to assess and respond to earthquake-related needs, the State Department said in a statement.

For 1,148 Cuyahoga County residents who were crippled with medical debt, congratulations, it's been erased!

And it's all thanks to the initiative of 20-year-old Shaker Heights native Ethan Khorana.

Khorana currently attends Duke University and is majoring in public policy.

"My organization (The Better Future for Cuyahoga) and me, the mission statement we both have is that we're trying to eliminate what we call the three evils of Cuyahoga County, which is poverty, violence, and discrimination," Khorana said. "I really see community organizing as the way to get rid of them."

One evil Khorana is currently tackling is his neighbors' poverty by working with a nonprofit called Undue Medical Debt as well as a handful of people and families he networked with over a span of two months to erase $1.26M in medical debt.

The canceled debt is across a variety of local hospitals, according to Khorana.

The craziest part of this story is he was able to wipe out that debt with $10,000.

"Undue Medical Debt, which they, you know, negotiated and got a portfolio of debt for people living in poverty, or up to four times the federal poverty line or whose debt accounts for around 5% of their annual household income, and so really what that means is that it's people who are living in poverty or on the brink of poverty. We got this debt portfolio that equated to $10,000 for $1.2 million in medical debt," he told me on Friday.

He said it feels great to know and see the impact he and his partners have made.

This isn't the end for him, though.

According to Urban Institute, about 10% of Cuyahoga Countys 1.2 million residents had some sort of medical debt in 2022. The average debt stood at $440, but that was just from debt collection agencies.

In 2023, it sat around 3.1%, with a median of $1,049 owed. Not all of the data is appearing online, though.

Seeing the research, Khorana said he knew he needed to step in and find a solution, which is when Undue entered the picture.

Khorana told me hospital systems often sell debt in bulk, which is where Undue stepped in.

The nonprofit's website says for every $1 raised, $100 in medical debt is canceled.

Undue went on to tell me via email on Friday, "Every campaign like Ethan's brings us closer to a world where getting care doesn't mean risking your financial future. It's a powerful example of what's possible when a community decides to take on medical debt together."

The debt has been canceled as of two weeks ago.

Khorana said those impacted are just now being made aware through mail.

Since posting to social media of the tremendous news, Khorana said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The feedback has been, well, a lot of folks are saying, 'Are you gonna run for office?'," he said, laughing, "Guys, I gotta get my degree first. I gotta make mom happy with that. I think that when we canceled the debt, you know, that was what I was really happy to hear, which is folks who were saying, you know, they might have received a letter in the mail that they had their debt canceled and that now they can move forward from a bill that they thought would follow them for the rest of their lives."

Those who are impacted by this debt cancellation didn't need to apply or sign up for anything either.

"It's not reduced, it's not paused, it's canceled, it's done, you know, it's a bill they don't ever have to worry about again," Khorana said. "Maybe medical debt canceling this year was not something that I 100% knew I would be doing, but fighting poverty in Cleveland is definitely something that I thought I'd be doing, and it's the same thing I'm gonna be doing at 40 that I'm doing at 20."

Khorana said although he's attending school out-of-state, soon-to-be attending a university in Tokyo for a semester, he plans to return to Cleveland once he has graduated.

Until then, and even after, he said he will tackle more debt.

He already has a few ideas he's kicking around.

Khorana is hoping his story of kindness will send a message to others in his generation that the time to make a difference is now.

"I think there's a lot of things that are said about our generation, you know, that we're the TikTok generation, we don't have an attention span, and I think a lot of folks in our generation start to believe that that's true at a certain extent. We are a resilient generation, and we're a generation that fought through the pandemic, fought through, you know, a lot of different tragedies in a short period of time, and I think for that reason, we can be the generation that will make poverty a problem of the past and make violence a problem of the past and create sustainable living communities that give Americans the best quality of life and Clevelanders the best quality of life," Khorana said.

Once he plans his next campaign, We'll Follow Through.

If you'd like to follow Khorana's journey on making his community a better place, you can find him on TikTok and Instagram under @ethanfromshaker.

The people with power to close Burke Lakefront Airport say thats not going to happen effectively grounding Mayor Justin Bibbs push for change.

During an interview Friday, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency is opposed to shutting Burke. And Ohios U.S. senators are deferring to the agency.

We dont have enough airspace capacity for the future as it is, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said, citing anticipated demand from drones and battery-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically, like helicopters.

The FAA is against closing airports across the country, he added. We need to talk about how do we open new facilities. Not how do we close existing, valuable real estate. So I will tell you, the FAA is not in favor of closing Burke field.

Bedford spoke with News 5 after touring a major air traffic control facility in Oberlin on Friday. He was joined by U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Westlake Republican who has been weighing the Bibb administrations request for Congressional action to shut Burke down.

Earlier this year, Moreno said he was letting the discussion play out and waiting to see more information. Now hes taking a stance, siding with federal regulators.

It would be patently absurd for a politician to override the experts at the FAA, to say we know better than you do, Moreno said Friday.

He urged the city, which owns Burke, to focus on helping the airport thrive instead of trying to replace it with parkland, recreational facilities and other development.

RELATED: What could replace Burke Lakefront Airport? New study shows the possibilities

From my perspective there is no scenario in which Burke Lakefront Airport would be closed, given the study and time that the FAA has spent analyzing this, Moreno said.

News 5 has requested any FAA data or analysis shaping the agencys position on Burke.

The citys better served addressing the issues in the neighborhoods, Moreno said. Addressing public safety. Addressing economic prosperity, which can be driven by Burke Lakefront Airport. In the business world, we have an expression: Dont talk about things that are never gonna happen.

Those remarks came as a blow to public officials and civic leaders who launched a formal push to close Burke last fall.

In October, Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne asked Ohios congressional delegation to legislate a shutdown the surest way to put an expiration date on Burke and cut through regulatory red tape.

RELATED: Bibb, Ronayne ask Congress for help to close Burke

In an emailed statement Friday, a Bibb administration spokesman said the 450-acre Burke site belongs to the people and should benefit everyday Clevelanders.

Burke is an underutilized public asset that has been operating at a multi-million-dollar deficit over the past two decades, spokesman Jorge Ramos Pantoja wrote.

The airport is subsidized by operations at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where the city and the airlines are embarking on a nearly $2 billion modernization project that will include a new terminal. The Bibb administration believes its possible to invest in regional aviation at Hopkins and other locations, while transforming the Burke property into something new.

Our responsibility is to improve the overall quality of life and economic well-being of Clevelanders. Decisions about Burke should be guided by that responsibility, Pantoja wrote, not by whether an airport can continue operating there. We are disheartened that the federal administrations position appears to bypass the best interests of Clevelanders and Ohioans, who actually have to live with the consequences.

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Husteds team said the Columbus-area Republican is also deferring to the FAA, taking the view that any changes at Burke should go through the traditional regulatory process.

In an emailed statement, a Husted representative said the senator also would need to see the reuse plan for Burke and a realistic strategy for funding redevelopment, along with broad local support.

The nonprofit North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation, which is working to remake the downtown lakefront, commissioned a survey about Burkes future this year. The survey netted more than 6,200 responses.

Most people said they want a more accessible lakefront, with strong interest in park space, trails, restaurants, sports and recreation, playgrounds and public art. But participants also raised questions about the cost and feasibility of a redevelopment project.

A majority of both Cleveland residents and non-Cleveland residents stated their support for the closure of Burke Lakefront Airport, Scott Skinner, the nonprofits president and executive director, wrote in an emailed statement Friday afternoon.

He said his organization will continue working to liven up the lakefront, with an emphasis on public access and economic growth.

Baiju Shah, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said the business group is disappointed by Bedfords position on Burke. We are eager to explore opportunities to make it a productive city asset and to identify opportunities for new air technologies in the region, Shah wrote in an emailed statement.

Pilots and aviation organizations, meanwhile, are relieved. Theyve been lobbying for months to keep Burke open and to quash the citys attempt to win congressional buy-in.

RELATED: Burke Lakefront Airport stakeholders plan next steps

This, I feel like, might be the light at the end of the tunnel for us, Kim Dell, the executive director of the Cleveland National Air Show, said during an interview at Burke on Friday afternoon.

Shed heard rumors that the opposition campaign was having an impact. But the firm rejections by Bedford and Moreno still caught her by surprise.

It definitely takes a little bit of the pressure off. Thats for sure. But I think were still a little wary, because this has been going on for so long, said Dell, who has stressed that closing Burke would mean the end of the air show in its current form.

Burke mainly serves private jets, flight schools and medical helicopters. Its home to a mix of aviation tenants and unrelated businesses, along with the International Womens Air & Space Museum.

Opponents of a shutdown teamed up with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to form a group called the Lakefront Airport Preservation Partnership.

Kyle Lewis, the associations Great Lakes regional manager, thanked Moreno and Husted for recognizing the value of Burke and its role in the airspace system.

Congress was the shortcut that Mayor Bibb was counting on to close the airport, Lewis said in an emailed statement. We have worked behind the scenes for months and had many productive conversations with local and federal officials on this important issue. Weve said from the beginning that the city should work with the FAA to develop an airport master plan to provide an unbiased path forward for the airport that takes the needs and concerns of all parties into consideration.

Cleveland could close Burke without FAA approval. But the city would have to wait until 2039, when the last strings attached to federal and state grants for the airport burn off. The city has used those grants for planning and improvements to runways, aircraft-parking areas and the paths between them.

Once the grant-repayment obligations end, the city could submit a 30-day closure notice to the FAA and shutter the airport. But thats an expensive and difficult route. Cleveland would have to carry Burke until 2039 without tapping additional state or federal funds.

Bedford said the FAA is open to conversations about airport closures in cases where theres waning demand, a clear place for displaced flights to go and no impact on safety.

That may be where we let the local communities make those decisions, he said.

But the agency expects nationwide air traffic to double over the next 20 years and to increase in Cleveland, fueled in part by emerging technology like electric air taxis. Bedford said closing Burke would be very counterproductive when it comes to safety and economic growth.

Moreno was more blunt.

The conversation was open, he said. And in my mind, this conversation is now closed.

Michelle Jarboe is the business growth and development reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @MJarboe or email her at Michelle.Jarboe@wews.com.

During an appearance in New York Friday, President Donald Trump claimed when the conflict with Iran concludes, he'll make the Strait of Hormuz territory of the United States.

"And after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," the president said.

The U.S. has no formal jurisdiction over the strait. The president did not share more details about the claim.

President Trump maintains that the U.S. controls the waterway and is winning against Iran, while the Iranians maintain that they are managing the strait and demand the lifting of the U.S.' blockade in order to open it.

Iranian officials responded on Friday, saying the strait was and would remain under Iranian control.

"The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs.

RELATED STORY | US prepared to hold Strait of Hormuz 'indefinitely', Hegseth says

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with Newsmax this week suggested there could be significant new economic measures against Iran to come, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested the U.S. could continue the naval blockade as long as needed.

A U.S. official who spoke to Scripps News pointed out the president's preference for a diplomatic solution, but also said that President Trump "continues to retain all options if Iran continues to engage in terrorism and refuses to make a deal."

This week on Catch Me Up, we break down Luigi Mangione's Friday guilty plea on federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

In court, Mangione read a statement laying out the motive for the crime, saying he had suffered from severe back pain for years after breaking his back and had heard about others dealing with similar issues. He said that prompted him to research UnitedHealth Group's investor conference and pose as an investor so he could attend.

Plus: The Nancy Guthrie case enters its sixth month, and the latest details on Harry, Megan and Britain's royal family.

Reddit will join the S&P 500 next week, giving the wide-ranging online forum a boost in prestige and investments.

Joining the S&P 500 is considered an achievement for a company because the index is a widely followed measure of the broader U.S. stock market's health. A company is selected for the index based on several criteria that demonstrate stability, including market size and consistent profitability.

Reddit's stock surged 12.6% Friday.

Aside from status, inclusion means more investments. The index tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. stocks, and trillions of dollars in investments benchmark themselves against it. Those investments include mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Essentially, those funds will have to buy the stock once it becomes part of the index that the fund is tracking or mimicking.

RELATED STORY | US stocks rise to a record as oil prices drop and inflation gets less bad

Investors are depending more than ever on funds that simply mimic indexes such as the S&P 500. It's a lower-cost way to invest, allowing savers to keep more of their investments. Partly because of that, such index funds have usually proven to be better performers than funds that try to pick and choose individual stocks.

Reddit will join the benchmark index as of Tuesday. A stock must trade publicly for at least 12 months to join the S&P 500. The operator of the index, S&P Dow Jones Indices, stuck to that guideline recently when it declined to fast-track SpaceX into the index after the space exploration company's massive initial public offering in June.

Reddit's inclusion comes weeks after it posted strong financial results for the second quarter. That included its highest-ever quarterly revenue. The company has been posting profits almost every quarter since it went public in 2024.

Wall Street expects profits to more than double overall in 2026 on a surge in revenue.

As you walk toward the beach at Conneaut Township Park, you quickly notice others around you with their jaws dangling open, in awe of how it has transformed for the Conneaut D-Day reenactment.

The city is hosting the largest World War II reenactment in North America and the largest re-creation of the Normandy D-Day invasion this weekend.

The event draws roughly 50,000 people to the area each year, with about 1,000 reenactors gathering to tell the story of June 6, 1944 the day Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.

Organizer Betsy Bashore told News 5 the event started in 1999 when a reenactor noticed how closely Conneaut's shoreline resembles Omaha Beach.

The weekend features battle reenactments, living history displays, and hands-on experiences for visitors of all ages.

Charlie Noble traveled from North Carolina to attend for the first time.

"I like to tell people this is my golf," Noble said. "Instead of spending thousands of dollars on Callaway golf clubs I'm spending thousands of dollars on things like that behind you. That is a 1917 water-cooled machine gun."

Beyond the spectacle of all the battles that occur during the weekend, the event carries a deeper purpose.

"This is a fleeting part of history: World War II veterans aren't with us anymore," Bashore said. "We're here to represent them now."

The World War II veterans who do attend are treated like celebrities.

Among them this year are 102-year-old Jack Einstein of Virginia and 101-year-old Frank Stellar of Pennsylvania.

"I'm glad there's something that reminds people and teaches people about World War II," Einstein said.

Stellar, who spent D-Day along the coastline as a soldier, traveled from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to attend the reenactment event. His family and friends are currently raising money for him and other World War II veterans to travel to Europe to retrace their steps as soldiers.

"It's unbelievable all these people here - all these people here, it's amazing," Stellar said.

The event runs through Saturday. Saturday's general admission tickets are sold out, but organizers say visitors can still try the gate in case cancellations make tickets available. To learn more about the events, CLICK HERE.

Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is urging his successor to leave the state's income tax alone.

Year after year, Ohio has whittled down that state income tax.

"For four straight budgets, I've signed four budgets every one of the budgets we have reduced the income tax in the state of Ohio," DeWine said.

The governor is saying enough is enough.

"The issue of income tax never comes up when we're talking to businesses," he said, adding that companies care about the workforce and water. "They never bring up, 'Oh, your income tax is too high.'"

In the last budget, the state went down to a 2.75% flat income tax. The state's highest earners, those making more than $100,000 a year, are now taxed at the same rate as people making less. Previously, those making six figures and above paid 3.5%.

RELATED: Ohio Senate GOP moves to give wealthiest Ohioans tax cut

At that time, DeWine tried to tell the lawmakers to stop, and he didn't want to sign that provision into law. Still, he did. When I asked him why, he said it was because they would have passed an override of his veto.

"This is just not an issue anymore," the governor said this week.

While the governor has lamented about this for years, it hasnt seemed to reach his possible replacement Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy

From the beginning, Ramaswamy has talked about completely eliminating the income tax.

"I will make Ohio a zero income tax state on my watch," he said during an event in late July.

He laid out a plan to phase out taxes over a 10-year period, starting with eliminating capital gains taxes, the fees on profits when someone sells assets like stocks, in order to encourage investment.

"That's what's going to lift up the workers of our state by bringing high-paying jobs right here to our state," Ramaswamy said.

To make up that money, the candidate has proposed several ideas, including cutting bureaucracy and focusing on economic growth.

Controversially, Ramaswamy suggested shutting down "subpar" universities to fund the cuts. He named Kent State, Cleveland State, Central State and Univ. of Akron as problem institutions.

After facing bipartisan backlash, he has changed his tune. Now, he is suggesting consolidation of some programs within colleges.

RELATED: Vivek Ramaswamy said Ohio should shut down 'subpar' universities. Then came the backlash.

Democrat Dr. Amy Acton

Acton's running mate, David Pepper, pointed to nonpartisan research showing that millionaires and the wealthy benefit most from eliminating the income tax.

"It's time for everyone else to get a break, and not just those at the top," Pepper said.

Their team is focused on tax relief for homeowners, child care and working families. One of those includes a homestead exemption proposal, which would raise the cap on the household income eligibility of Ohios seniors to $50,000.

Although he doesnt like the income tax cuts, he said they wont reinstate previously eliminated taxes. Instead, they would reallocate money in the budget.

"These types of proposals we're making are targeted exactly to those who are getting caught up in the higher costs," Pepper said.

RELATED: All candidates for Ohio governor have this in common

Libertarian Don Kissick

Kissick and running mate James Mills favor "reducing" the income tax, but don't have a percentage in mind.

"Ohio should eliminate waste, unnecessary bureaucracy, corporate welfare, and politically favored tax incentives," Mills said Friday. "Lower spending should drive lower taxes across the board."

Their priority is eliminating property taxes, but they would revisit income once that is accomplished, he said.

"Ultimately, what we would want eventually is for Ohio to move toward a more voluntary economy based on consent and individual choice," Mills said. "We trust Ohioans to decide how their own money is spent."

Whether they can deliver on their new market idea is a "different thing," he added. All cuts should be done "responsibly," the Libertarian added.

RELATED: Tax expert critical of Ohio governor candidates' property tax relief proposals

Follow Statehouse and Columbus bureau reporter Morgan Trau on X, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at Morgan.Trau@wews.com.

Growing frustration and protests are spreading in and around Big Bend National Park in far west Texas, where locals are demanding crews stop work on border security projects they say are unnecessary and destroying a national treasure.

The projects are part of the broader southern border barrier initiative that received $46.5 billion under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

More than 800,000 acres of rugged beauty line the border between the U.S. and Mexico inside the park. But now, the natural rhythm of Big Bend National Park is giving way to the rumble of bulldozers, backhoes, and outrage from those who call the area home.

One protestor shouted, "We're at war with these people."

That "war" is against work that has already started on a group of Trump administration projects to build 200 miles of border wall, mostly just outside of Big Bend, while carving out hundreds of miles of patrol roads, installing cameras, sensors, and lighting systems, along with 17 miles of 4-to-6 foot vehicle barriers inside Texas' most popular national park at a cost of more than $7 billion.

"This has nothing to do with border security, and everything to do with corruption," another protester said.

RELATED STORY | US taxpayers set to provide millions for Trumps 'beautification' efforts in DC

The Department of Homeland Security has waived the requirement for contractors to comply with dozens of laws, including the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, saying enhanced security is necessary in a park where Customs and Border Patrol statistics show around 1% of nationwide illegal border crossings occur.

Bob Krumenaker, a former Big Bend National Park superintendent, said the projects represent a fundamental breach of trust.

"This a betrayal of the United States government against its citizens, who thought that they were setting aside one of the most beautiful, and pristine and biologically important places in the United States."

Many in the area worry the construction is leaving unnecessary scars, on once-protected lands, that may never heal.

A local pool contractor said he did nothing wrong this came after the News 5 Investigators recently reported on several complaints against him. Now, were following through as the man defended his business, Lake Erie Pools, and more developments have emerged.

Austin Reale appeared in Parma Municipal Court to answer a lawsuit filed by Lakisha Young and her husband. You might remember our investigation into multiple people saying Reales business cost them money.

In court, Young said a different company examined why her pool leaked.

Come to find out that they determined that Austin did install our liner incorrectly, she told the magistrate.

Reale claimed the leak came much later than what Young says.

Theres no expectation of a warranty from my workmanship because I didnt sign a contract or anything with them, said Reale.

After court, Reale initially did not want to answer questions.

What do you have to say about some of these claims against you? we asked.

Uh... just no comment, Reale said.

Our initial investigation showed Bob Paulo filed a police report saying Reale took his $5,000 deposit and never delivered his pool. Police arrested Reale, and he now faces felony theft charges.

RELATED: Arrest warrant issued for pool contractor after senior citizen files police report

Reale told us Paulo doesnt understand his business and got impatient. (He) cursed me out over his pool. You go to the back of the line, sir, Reale said. I had no ill intentions.

We do have a text message from you that says, 'I dont want to do business with you anymore. Your pool will be dropped off,' we told Reale.

Exactly, said Reale.

Well, thats different than putting him to the back of the line. You were saying you dont want to do business with him anymore, we said.

Yeah, said Reale.

Those two dont match, so Im just wondering which one is true? we said.

I dont know. It was just It was just a heated thing between me and him, Reale said.

He told us hell pay back Paulo minus Reales expenses on the job. He said Paulos case is more for the civil courts, as is the lawsuit involving Young.

This is another civil matter. Theyre trying to get something for free out of me, said Reale.

He thought he could just make up some more lies to get away with it, but in the end, I think we proved our case, said Young.

He tried to make it sound like we tried to paint him as a bad person when we reached out to him multiple times and then he didnt want to reach back out to us, said Youngs husband, Antoine McGlothin.

The magistrate will decide the case soon.

That warning that your Facebook account is about to be deleted is most likely a scam.

Cybersecurity experts say scammers are sending fake account suspension notices through email and Facebook Messenger in hopes that users will panic and click.

They will often claim your account violated rules and urge you to appeal or verify your account.

RELATED STORY | FTC reports social media scams caused more than $90 million in losses in 2025

The links they provide lead to login pages that are designed to steal your password and access your account.

Facebook urges users that if they see something on Facebook that they think is a scam, to not respond and to instead report it.

They say you should follow three simple rules to protect yourself from being scammed:

Slow down: Scammers will often try to make you panic by creating a sense of urgency. Take time to ask questions and think it through.

Spot check: Does what they're telling you make sense? Do your research and double-check the details before clicking links or downloading files.

Don't Send: No reputable organization will demand payment on the spot.

RELATED STORY | New consumer alert warns about scams targeting previously defrauded individuals

For additional tips on how to keep your Facebook page safe and secure, click here.

A new study published in JAMA has found insurance denials for brand-name drugs without generic alternatives jumped 67 percent between 2018 and 2024.

Researchers analyzed more than two million prescription fill attempts and found GLP-1 weight-loss medications faced the highest denial rates.

According to the study's findings, nearly one-third of initial fill attempts were rejected because of formulary exclusions.

RELATED STORY | GLP-1 drugs are booming in 2026 here's how to find a safe telehealth provider

The study also found many patients never received the prescribed drug, or a replacement, within three months of that first denial. They found that those who did obtain treatment filled their prescriptions on average 12 days after the initial rejection.

We found that insurance restrictions are increasingly shaping whether and when patients receive medications their clinicians prescribe, says Joseph Levy, PhD, an assistant professor in the Bloomberg Schools Department of Health Policy and Management and lead author of the study. While these policies may help control drug spending, they can also create meaningful barriers to timely treatment and place growing administrative burdens on patients, pharmacists, and clinicians.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Battling your prescription drug insurance denial

Researchers are calling for reforms to make coverage decisions faster and easier.

An incident involving two American Airlines flights near Phoenix early Friday "could have been disastrous," according to an air traffic controller who helped manage the situation.

Both planes were operating as American Airlines Flight 2482 one traveling from Chicago to Phoenix and the other from Phoenix to Chicago.

The flights normally operate at different times, avoiding any conflict over the shared flight number. But the Chicago-to-Phoenix flight was delayed Friday, putting both planes in the same airspace at the same time.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Exposed: How the FAA fails to protect flight crews from cosmic radiation exposure in the skies

Flight-tracking data showed the planes converging along the same path while separated by about 3 miles horizontally and 2,000 feet vertically, within legal separation requirements.

Air traffic controllers were aware that the two aircraft were using the same call sign. In recorded audio, controllers can be heard distinguishing between them by referring to one as "2482 on arrival" and the other as "2482 on departure."

"I've been working in air traffic for 25 years. I've never seen two aircraft pretty much merge with the same call sign. That's pretty incredible," one controller said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Video shows aftermath of non-combat military crash; pilot walks away after ejecting

"Yeah, I was going to say, good job. You know, I've been flying a lot less than that. I've never seen that either, so that's good," one of the pilots responded.

"Yeah, no problem. That was I'm glad it all worked out there. Could have been disastrous, but I'm glad it all worked out," the controller said.

In a statement to Scripps News, the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.

Several investors in Selena Gomezs mental health startup Wondermind sued the popstar Thursday, claiming they were misled about the startups success and her involvement in it.

Wondermind launched in 2021, with Gomez listed as co-founder, chief impact officer, and head of marketing, according to the suit. The media platform was designed to give users easy, doable ways to put your mental fitness first every day, its website reads, directing visitors to sign up for a newsletter.

Five investors said in the lawsuit that they put in $1.2 million in 2022, expecting Gomez to leverage her star power and massive social media following to build up the company.

MORE CELEBRITY NEWS | Ariana Grande withdraws from London musical, will take a break from the public

Instead, for three years, while the Company quietly collapsed around them, not one of its founders, officers, or directors said a word to the investors whose money was funding the collapse, the lawsuit alleged.

The investors also sued Mandy Teefey, Gomezs mother and co-chief executive officer, and their former business partner, Daniella Pierson. The parties are being sued for securities fraud, common law fraud, breach of contract and other claims. The plaintiffs are seeking to recoup their investments as well as damages and attorneys fees.

The company said it had a $95 million valuation in 2022, when investors were allegedly led to believe there would be corporate partnerships with companies like JPMorgan as well as advertising deals, celebrity cover stories, and a groundbreaking app, according to the lawsuit.

The partnerships did not exist. The initiatives never materialized. The app was never built, the investors alleged.

Investors found out about the companys troubles in an explosive article published by The Cut last year, which reported that the company was burdened by internal power and relationship struggles.

ICYMI | Sir Rod Stewart calls off remaining tour dates after coronary stent procedure

The article forms a major basis for the lawsuit. The suit cited The Cut reporting when it said Gomez didnt fulfill her contractual obligations because of her long-running personal struggles with her mother.

Gomez, Teefey and Pierson collectively owned almost 90% of the companys shares, the lawsuit claimed.

Teefey told investors that Pierson allegedly used investor funds to help pay her rent in New York City, which came to approximately $60,000 a month, according to the lawsuit. Pierson left Wondermind in 2023.

In a statement on Thursday, Pierson said she denies the allegations against her and welcomes the opportunity to present concrete documentation and financial records that establish the facts. She also said she never used investor funds for personal expenses.

Gomez, Teefey and Wondermind did not immediately return a request for comment.

After splurging on the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales, Americans unexpectedly cut their spending in July by the biggest amount in more than a year.

Retail sales fell 0.6% last month, marking the biggest decrease since May 2025, compared with a revised gain of 0.2% in June, according to the Commerce Department data released Friday. Economists were projecting a small increase.

The decline followed a notable bump in spending in both April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds.

The drop in spending for July, however, raised concern among some economists about the resiliency of consumers who have powered the economy forward despite nagging inflation and soaring gasoline prices. Yet, it may be too early to declare a retreat by one of the strongest and most consistent forces in the U.S. economy of late.

RELATED STORY | Walmart to use tariff refunds to ease inflations strain on shoppers

Still, the weak sales report follows unexpectedly sluggish jobs figures last week, and both suggest the economy could be slowing after strong consumer and business spending in the first half of the year.

Separately, consumers turned more pessimistic about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, released Friday.

While most economists still expect solid economic growth in the July-September quarter, many have lowered their forecasts in the wake of the retail sales report.

Prices in July, which were not adjusted for inflation, were impacted by falling sales at gas stations. Fuel prices remained low until later in the month when evidence of a stalemate between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz began to grow. Business at gas stations fell 0.9% last month, according to the report.

Gas prices have been rising since the final week of July and ticked higher again overnight to $4.08 per gallon, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to motor club AAA. That's 92 cents more per gallon than Americans were paying last year at this time.

Gas prices typically begin to recede in August as the driving season comes to a close and the AAA said this week that the high cost of fuel for Americans this late in the year is unprecedented.

Excluding sales at gas stations and auto dealers, retail sales in July fell 0.2%.

RELATED STORY | Trump claims credit for Walmart price cuts, retailer silent on White House role

Business at motor vehicle and parts dealers saw a 1.8% drop from a 1.9% increase in June, which was helped by auto makers' promotion incentives.

Electronics and appliance sales declined 0.5%. Online sales fell 2.2% from June when they were fueled by spending surrounding Amazon's four-day Prime Day event that began in late June, earlier than previous years.

The drop in online sales weighed heavily on the so-called control groupwhich excludes food services, autos, building materials and gas station sales and is used to calculate economic growth. That figure fell 0.4% last month.

"American consumers are showing signs of fatigue, " Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote Friday. "July retail sales were disappointing on all levels."

But the weak sales seemed to be concentrated in a few areas.

Among some of the bright spots in the report: clothing and accessories stores, furniture and home furnishing stores as well as building material and garden supplies merchants all posted gains last month.

The data offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn't include activities like travel and hotel stays. But the lone services category restaurants registered a healthy 0.5% increase

"Though the latest numbers warrant a downgrade to the spending forecast, it'd be premature to write off the consumer," Bernard Yaros, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics said.

New data this week showed that inflation declined slightly in July as gas and grocery prices slipped, though it is still rising more quickly than before the Iran war.

Consumer prices increased 3.4% in July from a year ago, down slightly from 3.5% in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Inflation had fallen to 2.4% before the Iran war. On a monthly basis, prices rose just 0.1% from June to July.

The modest decline marked the second straight decrease after sharply higher gas prices pushed inflation to 4.2% in May, a three-year high.

Given the volatile economic environment, economists are closely watching how families spend behind Christmas.

Shopping has been steady, though Americans have dialed in on sales as they grow more careful with their money.

Off-price retailers, consumer electronics and office supply retailers have had a "strong early start" to the back-to-school season, said Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai.

"Consumers have looked to take advantage of early deals to check off their lists," Lafontaine said.

Walmart, Target and other retailers have been pushing discounts for the fall season, seeking to lure inflation-weary shoppers.

Target, for example, says that 95% of prices for school supplies are at or below last year's levels.

Retailers begin reporting quarterly earnings next week.

Stephen Yalof, CEO of the outlet mall operator Tanger, noted an increase in foot traffic this summer because of the World Cup festivities.

More Americans were shopping too, Yalof said, because more people are vacationing close to home to save money.

"We're rewarding with value, and we're getting customers to come in and shop more frequently," Yalof told The Associated Press.

If you bought something from an overseas vendor last year, it might be time to check your bank account.

Shippers including FedEx and UPS that acted as customs brokers for imported packages and received tariff refunds from the U.S. government have started to pass on those refunds to the customers that originally paid the tariffs.

The refunds to consumers are the last step in a monthslong process that kicked off in February when the Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs implemented by President Donald Trumpin March 2025 under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act on goods from almost every country. The court ordered the government to return the tariffs it collected.

So far, about $100 billion in tariffs have been refunded to companies who paid them under a system set up by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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That doesn't mean Americans will get anywhere close to what they paid in tariffs, since most were paid indirectly. In 2025, the Trump tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of $1,000 per U.S. household, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C., group that studies taxes.

But some consumers are getting some of what they paid directly back from shippers including UPS, DHL and FedEx. The refunds are being rolled out in phases based on what date they were paid. Shippers have said they'll return the refunds on a rolling basis as they receive them.

Tariff refunds from shippers will be directly refunded to credit cards or bank accounts

Most big overseas retailers paid the tariffs themselves and passed them along to retailers with a line item in their invoice that was part of the total bill, or indirectly by raising prices. But some smaller sellers left the tariff to be paid when it reached the U.S. In those cases, shippers paid the bill and charged the recipient of the package.

FedEx said it has begun the process of issuing $800 million in tariff refunds it received from the government back to the customers that paid them. Customers dont need to apply to receive their refund, but they can enter tracking numbers for purchased items into a portal on the FedEx website to see whether or not they are due a refund.

UPS said in April it had paid $5 billion in tariffs on behalf of clients and would begin the process of applying to the government for refunds. In the first phase, it applied for $500 million in refunds and said customers should get refunds one to three months after it receives reimbursement from the Treasury.

DHL similarly said that it has filed claims for almost all eligible shipments where it served as the importer of record and is returning the refunds it has received.

The volume and pace of refunds continue to depend on CBPs processing of claims, DHL said in a statement.

Major retailers say they could give back some refunds but mostly will use them to lower prices

Unlike shippers who collected tariffs directly from customers, most big retailers passed on tariffs in indirect ways, changing their product lineups or partly absorbing higher costs, making a consumer refund unlikely.

Amazon executives said last week the company received $600 million in tariff refunds in the second quarter.

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In a call with investors, Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said the company isn't the importer of record on most of the goods it sells and that it has absorbed some tariff costs. But he said the company has identified a limited set of circumstances where we can trace that we pass specific import charges on to customers. In those circumstances, he added, we will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds to them.

Otherwise, he said, Amazon will use tariff refunds to lower prices for customers.

That echoes what other large retailers have said. In May, Corie Barry, outgoing CEO of Best Buy, the nations largest consumer electronics chain, said the retailer is an importer of record of only about 2% to 3% of what it sells and that the company would use any refund it gets to deliver value back to our customers.

And Costco CEO Ron Vachris said the company planned to return in some form the tariffs that were passed on to consumers.

How much we return and when depends on a variety of factors, including how much refund money we receive and when it arrives as well as developments in the lawsuit filed against the company regarding the return process, he said in a quarterly earnings call in May.

Dozens of class-action lawsuits have been filed

Some shoppers are suing to get the tariffs they paid in the form of higher prices back from companies. More than 80 class-action lawsuits have been filed by customers across the country against retailers including Costco, Nike, Amazon, Walmart and others.

The lawsuits will face difficulty because plaintiffs will have to prove they paid for price increases that were specifically tied to the tariffs, according to Lori Leskin, partner and co-chair of law firm Arnold & Porters Consumer Products Practice Group. None of the lawsuits have yet been certified as class action, which would mean they apply to all customers.

Its going to be very hard for anyone to establish that the price increase they paid was due to tariffs and not some other market force, she said. Most of them are just talking about price increases, and to be able to trace a price increase due to a single factor is going to be really difficult given the multifactorial approach that most companies take.

A legendary drink is headed back to Starbucks menu this weekend.

The Unicorn Frappuccino blended beverage will return to coffeehouses around the world to close out the summer starting August 15.

The catch? It's one weekend only.

According to the company, to support demand, the drink will be available in one size only, grande (16 oz), with limited customizations.

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The drink itself is a mix of sweet and tart flavors. It features creamy mango flavors, tangy blue drizzle, whipped cream and of course, a pink and blue topping.

The drink was a viral sensation in 2017 and also popped up this year at Coachella Music Festival.

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The coffee company will be bringing in fall flavors starting August 25, when the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) as well as a new Iced Banana Bread Latte and Iced Banana Bread Chai head to the menu.

The Unicorn Frappuccino will be available at Starbucks Coffeehouses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and North Africa.