Friday morning flooding • Detroit police chief talks mid-year crime data • Paul Whelan back in US

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Though the worst of the rain has passed, flooding remains an issue on Metro Detroit roads this morning.

Much of Metro Detroit got around 2-3 inches of rain headed into Friday. A Flood Advisory has expired for some of the area, but Oakland and Macomb remain under an advisory until 9:15 a.m. 

Some stretches of road are completely underwater, while others have large puddles to be mindful of. For instance, eastbound I-696 at 11 Mile remains completely closed.

"It looked like a normal day, like I'm going to work, and then the car in front of me, I seen wings like an eagle, but it was water," Chris Smith said.

Smith got stuck in water at Hoover and 12 Mile in Warren. That water has since receded, but not after trapping several vehicles.

"I was trying to drive as slow as I can so the water wouldn't get in my car but it was too high," he said. "I hope I got a car still. That's the plan, see if it dries off."

See the latest closures here.

Detroit police chief talks mid-year crime data

We're more than halfway through the year. With that, Detroit Police Chief James White is breaking down crime data from the first half of 2024.

The data may be surprising, especially after a string of summer shootings in Detroit – including a mass shooting on July 7 that killed two people and injured 19 others on the east side.

"When you get 21 people shot in your city at an illegal street party, that's called the action for not just the police go for the entire community," White said.

The department launched a Neighborhood Response Team that patrols residential areas for illegal block parties over the weekends.

In just four weeks, "well over 125 parties have been illegal parties," White said. "Illegal parties have been disrupted, multiple guns recovered. We recovered a machine gun and several handguns."

However, with 200 more Detroit police officers joining the force in 2023, some crime statistics are now seeing record lows, White says. 

Here are the big ones as of mid-2024, according to DPD data: 

• Homicides are down almost 16%
• Non-fatal shootings are down 20%
• Carjackings are down 38%

"We are not celebrating these statistics," White said. "Yes, we are proud of them."

Block party shooting suspects still wanted

Detroit police are still looking for a group wanted in connection with the block party mass shooting White discussed.

The shooting took place around 2:30 a.m. on Detroit's east side, in the area of Rossisi and Reno on July 7. 

Nineteen people between the ages of 17 and 27 were shot but survived, while two people were fatally wounded.

 A 40-year-old man, Cortez Lindsey, was arrested in connection with the shooting after police confiscated a firearm from his truck. The suspect was taken into federal custody after officers who were responding to the shooting observed the individual speeding away from the scene.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information.

Anyone with tips is asked to contact DPD's Major Crimes unit at 313-596-2260, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-up or Detroit Rewards TV.

Paul Whelan back in US after release from Russia

Paul Whelan, the Michigan man who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018, is back on U.S. soil.

Whelan, journalist Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship, all arrived in the U.S. late Thursday. The three were released by Russia after a prisoner swap that included two dozen others.

 While Whelan's name has been floated as a figure of a potential swap for years, Russia has refused to release him. He was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

There have been ongoing discussions to get Whelan back to the United States, though he was never freed.

A parade of Michigan representatives celebrated the release shortly after it was announced. 

"Today is a joyous and long overdue day for Paul, his family, and all who have been working tirelessly to get him back home to Michigan," U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said in a statement.

Farmington Hills fire leads to nationwide battery recall

Approximately 132,000 Baseus Magnetic Wireless Charging Power Banks have been recalled across the United States, a recall prompted by a fire in Farmington Hills earlier this year.

The February fire wasn't huge, but it was enough to launch an investigation.

"The homeowner heard his power bank hissing and saw it burst into flames," according to a news release from the city. "Though the fire was out when crews arrived and caused minimal damage and no injuries, Farmington Hills Fire Marshal Jason Baloga wanted to investigate further."

Baloga reported the incident to the CPSC, resulting in the countrywide investigation.

There were 39 reports of the charges catching fire, causing 13 burn injuries and about $20,000 in property damage, according to the CPSC. Baseus also received 132 reports of the power banks swelling or bulging.

According to Baseus, the two affected power bank models include the:

• Baseus Magnetic Mini Wireless Fast Charge Power Bank 2022, 6000mAh 20W — Model PPCXM06;
• Baseus Magnetic Wireless Charging Power Bank 6000mAh 20W —Model PPCXW06.

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Daily Forecast

The rain chances are fading, but they return over the weekend.

What else we're watching

1. An account notorious for posting fabricated news stories in Metro Detroit is back again with another virtual story, this time claiming that a woman shot a man over a handicapped parking spot at a Bloomfield Hills Target store. It's not real.
2. After months of suffering from health issues, the Detroit Zoo made the difficult decision to euthanize a beloved grizzly bear this week. Mike was unable to get up and was not improving with treatment.
3. Prepping for your kids to head back to school? Here are some tips to help you budget.
4. Neighbors say "the smell is terrible" after dogs were chained up and left to die outside a Detroit home this week. Police are now investigating, but neighbors are upset the animals were left to die in the first place.
5. If you ignore the heat, you can pretend it is Halloween time at this weekend's Haunted Hearse Car Show at Screamers Costumes in Clinton Township.

Hyundai recalls nearly 50K SUVs across US over issue that could affect airbag

from consumers.

More than 49,700 Hyundai Santa Fe and Sante Fe HEV sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are being recalled in America in response to a problem that can potentially affect the function of their airbags.

The recalled SUVs, which all belong to the model year 2024, could potentially experience "illumination of the air bag warning light, inadvertent air bag deployment, and/or an inability to deploy the air bags during a crash" because of an issue with their main floor wire harness, according to a recall report filed July 26 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"The main floor wire harness used in the subject vehicles could become damaged due to contact with the passenger-side, second-row bench seat’s folding hinge assembly," the report explained.

Hyundai Motors North America told FOX Business it issued the recall to address the issue in the affected U.S. Santa Fe gas and hybrid SUVs, plus 3,658 others in Canada, "to ensure the safety of its customers."