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?
It's going to be a cold start to the morning on Friday in metro Detroit. Temps will rise into the 20s today, but then snow arrives late tonight and into Saturday morning.
Temperatures will be in the 20s on Saturday morning and snow will be pretty widespread.
Later on in the day, we'll see dry air work in again and temps will be warming up into the 30s. The snow will hang around in the northern part of the metro area as the dry air and warm temperatures move in.
On Sunday, a storm will develop to our south and that will give us a chance for heavy snowbands Saturday night into Sunday morning.
We believe it will be enough to shovel and plow on the roads.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map here.
The top stories to know about
'Take responsibility.' MSU shooting survivor calls for change, shows long-term impact of gun violence
Thursday evening marked the two-year anniversary of the Michigan State University school shooting.
On Feb. 12, 2023, a shooter opened fire on MSU's campus, killing three students – Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner.
The gunman also shot and forever altered the lives of five other students, including Nate Statly from Fenton.
Nate and his family have never sat down for an interview before, but they shared their story exclusively with WXYZ because, as they say, "people need to know what happens to gun violence victims after the tragedy."
"I woke up in the hospital. I had no idea what happened, and then when they told me I was like, ‘I lived through that?'" he said.
Inside Berkey Hall on the MSU campus, Nate was shot in the head. His mother, Amy told us where.
"We started calling the hospitals. They told us they did not have him at the hospital. And his roommate again told us, 'I have him on iMap at Sparrow Hospital,'" Amy said.
Now, the Statly family tells me the insurance companies want their money back.
"Both insurance companies that we have have sent us letters that they are doing subrogation," Amy said. "They want to be paid back."
"Do you think that there are things that MSU could have done better to protect its students?" I asked.
"Yeah, they could have put locks on the doors, and that guy would have never been able to get in," he said.
Since the shooting, MSU has pledged to add locks to 1,300 classrooms, as well as additional security cameras. In the U.S. in 2023, there were 82 school shootings. In 2024, a new record was set with 83
"We all have to push for change," Tom said.
Amid adversity that would crush most, Nate continues to fight for change himself.
DNR says avian flu widespread in Michigan wild birds, more than 300 dead birds found
As the bird flu continues to spread across the U.S., the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it is widespread among wild birds in the state, with more than 300 dead wild birds found in five counties suspected of being killed by the virus.
Nearly 100 of those cases happened in Washtenaw County, many of them at a public Ann Arbor park.
Mary Beth Doyle Park has lots of wildlife and paved trails that nearby residents walk often.
Joseph Igleski and Solaire Finkenstaevt-Quinn were walking in the park last month when they saw something odd.
“We were on the bridge over there and we noticed three? It was three or four dead geese that had floated down there,” they said.
Geese are commonly seen throughout the park, but not multiple dead geese all in one spot.
“I think we thought maybe they'd all eaten something that was bad and that’s what caused it," Finkenstaevt-Quinn said. "So a little concern, but more of like oh, it's probably an anomaly.”
But according to the DNR, it’s not an anomaly. Roughly 100 dead birds have been found in this area suspected to have died from highly pathogenic avian flu.
“More than fairly confident that this is what we're dealing with: high path avian influenza,” DNR Wildlife Pathologist Julie Melotti said. "Based on those test results, the clinical signs and then what we’re seeing, what we've seen in the past and what other states are seeing.”
Michigan Senate approves bill to preserve tipped credit, raise minimum wage
The Michigan Senate has approved a bill that would preserve the state’s tipped wage credit and increase the minimum wage.
It passed Thursday night with a bipartisan 20-12 vote. It now heads to the state House for consideration.
If signed into law, the bill would increase Michigan's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027, a year earlier than what's laid out in the current policy. The state's tipped wage would remain the same for the rest of 2025, then increase to 50% of the minimum hourly wage over the next six years.
The news comes months after Michigan's Supreme Court issued a ruling that would have phased out the lower tipped wage starting this year. Many workers and business owners in the hospitality industry have voiced concerns that it would have led to significant financial losses.
“This bipartisan legislation is a result of the overwhelming advocacy from tipped workers who have spoken loudly and been in and out of the Capitol asking for our help. We were able to honor their voices while accelerating the minimum wage even faster than the original proposal,” says Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “Over the past several months as we met with hundreds of stakeholders, it became clear that there was no perfect solution that would satisfy all parties. But the core of our mission is to make sure Michiganders get a meaningful raise, and we made major strides in that direction tonight.”
“This bipartisan compromise is a successful first step in finding a solution to save the businesses that make Michigan great," says Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt.
