(WXYZ) — Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
7 First Alert Meteorologist Mike Taylor said we'll stay dry today, so you won't need an umbrella. Temps will climb into the upper 70s and it will be cloudy.
If you're planning for this weekend, be prepared that there will be a chance for rain overnight Friday and the chances continue into the weekend as the remnants from Helene make their way north.
The bulk of heavy rain is expected to stay south of metro Detroit, and highs will reach in the low 70s for both days.
Any traffic issues?
So far this morning, there are no major traffic issues to know about! We'll update this section if any major road closures arrive.
Be sure to check our live traffic map here
The top stories you need to know about
Hurricane Helene makes landfall as a category 4 storm in Florida
Just after 11 p.m. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a category 4 storm in Florida's Big Bend with sustained winds of up to 140 mph.
The storm, which is now a tropical storm over Georgia, brought rains and flash floods hundreds of miles inland. It knocked out power to over 1 million homes.
It's causing major flooding throughout Georgia this morning and brought a large storm surge to much of Florida's gulf coast on Thursday.
The storm will continue to work its way north, bringing flooding, storms and more.
The Detroit Tigers could clinch a playoff spot tonight!
It's been 3,645 days since the Tigers last played in the playoffs. That could all change tonight, as the team is just one game away from clinching its first playoff spot since 2014.
Everything is going right for the Tigers. On Monday, the magic number was six, but they swept the Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins lost two of three against the Miami Marlins, and the Tigers sit firmly in the Wild Card.
They finish the season with three games against the Chicago White Sox. If they win tonight, they're in the playoffs.
The Tigers also have the same record as the Kansas City Royals, who take on the Atlanta Braves. Detroit must finish with a better record than Kansas City to have the second wild card spot, since the Royals own the tiebreaker.
Judge who handcuffed sleepy teen is back on the job – in traffic court
Last month, we first brought you the story of a Detroit judge who handcuffed a teen who was dozing off in his court room on a field trip and placed her in a jail uniform.
36th District Court Judge Kenneth King was temporarily removed from the bench shortly after our reports, and Chief Judge William McConico had him undergo social and emotional training.
Now, King is back on the job, but instead of presiding over criminal cases, he's in traffic court.
7 News Detroit called Fieger Law, which is representing Latoreya Hill and her 15-year-old daughter in a civil suit against King. Fieger Law said “no comment” when asked about the judge returning to the bench now that he’s completed training with pay.
Local doc's own immigration story inspires plan to help students get mental health services
Hispanic Heritage Month is continuing through mid October, and our Brittany Toolis highlighted a local doctor and her program to help students at Ypsilanti Community High School.
It's called the Latinx Youth Empowerment Series, also known as "YES." The group connects and provides mental health services to immigrant students. Those students, many of the program's designers say, may not have had access to those services otherwise.
Dr. Fernanda Cross is one of the people who work with the group. Now an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Cross is an immigrant herself who came to the U.S. from Brazil over two decades ago.
Cross' first language is Portuguese, and she knew just a handful of English words before leaving home.
"I just felt so powerless. No matter how much I wanted I couldn’t communicate," she said. "You notice that others don’t really take you seriously because they can’t understand you or they can’t understand your accent, no matter how intelligent and how eloquent you are in your native language."
Submit your questions to the WXYZ U.S. Senate debate between Mike Rogers, Rep. Elissa Slotkin
WXYZ-TV will host a Michigan U.S. Senate debate between former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R) and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) in October.
The live televised commercial-free debate is set for Monday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. at our Southfield studios.
The debate will be moderated by Editorial Director Chuck Stokes, 7 News Detroit Anchor Carolyn Clifford and 7 News Detroit Anchor Alicia Smith.
The debate will broadcast on Channel 7 and stream on WXYZ.com and all of your favorite streaming devices.
We're also asking the public to submit questions they'd like to see the candidates answer. The questions may be used online and on-air.
You can submit your questions here
