DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit woman is facing several felonies for her involvement in a crash that killed a husband and wife.
It happened Friday evening on the city’s west side at Fenkell and Evergreen. The couple leaves behind five children.
“They were authentic. As a pastor, I see fakeness all the time, and it’s given me a sensitivity to when I run into authentic Christians. They were the real deal,” Pastor Semmeal Thomas.
Pastors Thomas, Mark Van Andel, and Phil Carr knew Kwasi and Elizabeth Agbottah for nearly two decades. The couple died at a local hospital after being struck by an SUV while waiting at a bus stop last Friday.
FULL VIDEO: Detroit pastors talk about accident victims
FULL VIDEO: Detroit pastors talk about accident victims
“I just broke down,” Dwan Dandrige, founder of Black Leaders Detroit, was a close friend of the Agbottah family. “And I don’t know if it was me breaking down so much for Kwasi and Elizabeth as much as it was for their five children.”
“That’s the most devastating part of this. They were so intentional about loving and training up their children,” Pastor Van Andel said.
Originally from Texas and the Carolinas, the Agbottahs first came to Detroit nearly 20 years ago and planted roots in Brightmoor, where they worked and served in various ministries.
“They considered themselves urban missionaries, and so, they were on a mission, and they wanted to have an impact on the disenfranchised, the overlooked,” Pastor Carr said.
“We arguably could’ve been the poorest zip code in the state of Michigan, and I would even put us up against other places in the US at that time. For someone to come here on purpose, it was really a testimony to their obedience to what they felt God was calling them to,” Pastor Thomas said.
“They actually chose not to have a vehicle so they could walk the streets and ride the bus to be present with people in the community in a way that we don’t if we get in a car and drive around,” Pastor Van Andel said.
Their friends would often secure donations for the Agbottahs only to learn the couple, who lived so openhandedly, would give them away to other families in greater need.
“Part of me said, ‘Arrgghh!! Ya’ll can use it’,” Dandridge said.
FULL INTERVIEW: Dwan Dandrige talks about the loss of Kwasi and Elizabeth Agbottah
FULL INTERVIEW: Dwan Dandrige talks about the loss of Kwasi and Elizabeth Agbottah
“When COVID hit, Kwasi was doing some neighborhood education. He was a teacher by training, and our church got a grant to be able to fund devices. So I said, ‘Kwasi, you need a computer to be able to help set up this education stuff,’ so we got him set up with a laptop that we got donated, and he gave it away to somebody. And I got him another one, and he gave it away. He wasn’t going to keep it for himself because he wanted so desperately to make sure people had access to stuff,” Pastor Van Andel said.
Late Monday, Dejah Berry was charged with four felonies in connection with the crash that took the Agbottahs’ lives (two counts of Reckless Driving Causing Death and two counts of Driving While License Suspended, Revoked, or Denied Causing Death). She reportedly blacked out while behind the wheel. She’s being held on $50,000 bond.
“She knows she shouldn’t have been out there, but because she defied those rules that are in place to prevent things like this, two people are dead,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steve Vincent said.
“I prayed for her this morning,” Pastor Thomas said.
“It’s a heavy weight for her to hold. I hope that she has support to deal with it, process through that, and receive forgiveness,” Pastor Van Andel said.
Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney really don’t like each other.
On Friday, both Garcia and Haney compete at the historic Times Square boxing event dubbed Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, featuring Garcia taking on Rolly Romero for the WBA welterweight title, while Haney faces off with Jose Ramirez in the co-main event. But you would barely know it’s not Garcia and Haney fighting on Friday after their explosive back-and-forth during Wednesday’s press conference.
Garcia and Haney have a storied rivalry at this point, with Garcia winning their fight last April, but missing weight for the bout and then testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine. Garcia settled with the New York State Athletic Commission, resulting in a one-year ban from competition, a fine, and the win being overturned to a No-Contest; however, “King Ryan” maintains his innocence in the matter. Haney, of course, disagrees, and the two appear to be on a collision course should both handle business on Friday. And they certainly did their best to hype up a potential rematch.
Things started quietly enough, but when Garcia was asked about his confrontation with Haney’s father, Bill Haney, at the open workouts on Tuesday, Garcia got heated.
“He was coming at my physique, but it’s all good,” Garcia said. “They were saying the same thing last time and they got their ass whooped last time, too! And you’ll get your ass whooped again!”
“He got off that Ostarine, and he don’t even sound the same!” Haney responded. “His voice changed back. Your physique changed! You’ve got titties now! Those muscles gone, your voice is gone. This motherf*cker is gone!”
Things only escalated from there.
“What the hell happened to Ryan Garcia?” Bill Haney said. “This is not the same Ryan Garcia, at all.”
“I’ve got multiple personalities, bitch!” Garcia retorted. “I’ve got multiple personalities, bitch! And you don’t want to see the crazy one! You don’t want to see the crazy personality, bitch! You and your son are some bitches. You a big bitch!”
Things continued in this manner for a few more minutes, with the two parties shouting over one another. The crowd even got in on the action, chanting “shut the f*ck up” to Bill Haney, after prompted by Garcia.
The Haneys continued going in on Garcia and his failed drug test, and then things took an unexpected turn when Bill Haney and Oscar de la Hoya nearly got physical after Haney made some comments about de la Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions. After things settled down, it appears that Haney wasn’t really insulting de la Hoya, but the Hall of Famer nonetheless offered to settle things the old-fashioned way.
“Everybody’s a great fighter here,” de la Hoya said. “There’s three main events, three great fights. Sit down, learn how to promote. We can have four if you want. Me and you!”
Check out the entire explosive press conference above.
In 2016, mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert predicted a shortage of office space in Detroit that might one day force him to house some employees in the suburbs, J.C. Reindl of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Now, after a pandemic that changed the world, there’s a glut of space, Reindl reports:
The office vacancy rate, which was 12.6% in the fourth quarter of 2019 just before the pandemic, was up to 19.7% in the first quarter of this year, according to data from Newmark.
Commercial brokers continue to see many businesses downsizing their offices when leases come up for renewal. This is partly because of fewer staffers in the office every day, and other reasons such as law firms needing fewer conference rooms with so many meetings now happening virtually over ZOOM.
SALT LAKE CITY — Downtown Salt Lake City is on the verge of a drastic makeover, especially now that Salt Lake County has agreed to sell off a piece of the Salt Palace Convention Center in a deal that should kickstart renovation plans east of the Delta Center.
However, that left many in the audience at Tuesday’s CountSalty Council vote wondering the same question: What happens next?
Those are the types of conversations just beginning as the “sports, entertainment, culture and convention district” comes together.
Planning major changes
The next steps are about to get underway. Salt Lake County plans to launch a search for an architectural firm this week to help it map out more detailed plans for the blocks east of the Delta Center that are included in the downtown revitalization district. It hopes to have a firm hired by the end of summer, which will help map out the culture and convention side of the district.
Once selected, the winning firm will also handle questions about other key logistics like demolition, site locations, feasibility and programming.
Everything will center around the Salt Palace. Tuesday’s sale paves the way for parts of the building west of 200 West to be demolished for Smith Entertainment Group’s “mid block” section, which may include mixed-use development on top of a plaza east of the area.
It’s still unclear how the space will be utilized, but the company’s past renderings have suggested that tall buildings could be constructed within some of the spaces currently occupied by the convention center. Building heights of up to 600 feet are permissible within the district, per a rezone of the area Salt Lake City approved last year.
Meanwhile, the county plans to build a second ballroom as part of a new convention center. Partial demolition of the existing building could begin as early as 2027, and the new Salt Palace could be completed by 2031, according to preliminary projections. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said the county wants to make sure that the new convention center is completed before 2034 because it’s slated to be the media center and potential curling site when the Winter Olympics return to Salt Lake City.
“I’m excited that the visitor in 2034 is going to have this incredibly fresh, new, invigorated downtown,” she said, adding that the same can be said for residents.
Abravanel Hall and UMOCA
Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City is pictured on May 8, 2024. County officials said Tuesday that the building’s “back of house” will have to be rebuilt to account for a new east-west walkway. (Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
Changes are also planned for other county facilities neighboring the Salt Palace. County leaders voted last year to preserve Abravanell Hall, but county officials said Tuesday that the building’s “back of house” will have to be rebuilt to account for the new east-west walkway. They’re currently working with the Utah Symphony as they raise funds and plan out updates to the building’s other features.
They’re also working with the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art on planning out a new museum location after it was determined early in planning that the current building would likely be torn down and rebuilt.
300 West
300 West and the Salt Palace Convention Center are seen from the Delta Center plaza in downtown Salt Lake City on April 1. The road’s future is a key piece in future redevelopment plans. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)
Of course, 300 West might be the biggest challenge between the Delta Center and the buildings east of it. State lawmakers floated around the idea of transferring 300 West in the area to Salt Lake City earlier this year, but a proposed bill to do that didn’t clear the Utah Legislature.
Smith Entertainment Group is “working closely” with the Utah Department of Transportation on plans to discuss process and timeline, said Smith Entertainment Group executive Mike Maughan, in an update to plans on Wednesday. Whether the road is owned by UDOT or Salt Lake City, plans still call on a portion of it to be tunneled underneath the plaza linking the district together.
“We are going to be doing work on 300 West, and hopefully, (it’ll be) done in a way that inhibits traffic the least,” Maughan said.
More details about the road could be announced “in the coming months,” he added.
Bracing for impacts
The county’s land sale doesn’t include a garden currently buffering the Salt Palace or the Japanese Church of Christ. County officials say they plan to maintain the garden moving forward.
But church leaders and others with close ties to historic “Japantown” say there are still “serious concerns” as the project slowly moves from concept to reality. Lynne Ward, a Japanese Church of Christ elder, called for a series of construction mitigation steps before Tuesday’s vote.
Her congregation would like to see vehicle access for both its and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple’s parking lots during demolition and construction, along with ways to mitigate the dust, debris and potential damage caused when demolition begins. They’d also like to see that future buildings have multiple access points to avoid congestion along 100 South once new buildings are constructed, as well as new security measures to protect the church grounds.
Japanese Church of Christ is pictured on July 14, 2024. The western end of the Salt Palace Convention Center, which is slated to be demolished, can be seen in the background. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
Those closest to the churches remain cautious about the future, especially since creating and expanding the convention center wiped out most of what once was a neighborhood with thousands of residents.
“If the two churches end up getting run over, shame on everybody,” said Brent Koga, a member of the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple board.
Salt Lake City will largely oversee construction approvals within the district section. City leaders have expressed an interest in preserving and enhancing what’s left of the neighborhood. Its agreement with Smith Entertainment Group last year included a provision that at least $5 million from a “public benefits” account — generated from Delta Center ticket sales — go toward Japantown revitalization.
Maughan says the company heard the comments. It plans to engage with residents and churchgoers before construction shifts to those parts of the district.
“We want to move as efficiently as possible and disrupt as little as possible,” he said.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
Wreak havoc across the dangerous new planet Kairos when Borderlands 4 launches on September 12, 2025. I’m Graeme Timmins, Creative Director at Gearbox Entertainment—and today, the team and I are thrilled to give you our deepest ever look at some explosive, carnage-filled gameplay, all running on PlayStation 5 Pro. We’re showing off two of our four new Vault Hunters and some of their Action Skills, intense looter shooter gameplay with details on all kinds of new gear, the deadly regions you’ll explore on the all-new planet Kairos, and much more.
Following the cataclysm seen in our teaser trailer and the contentious clash of our First Look trailer, the tyrannical Timekeeper is here to admonish us as we meet our four new Vault Hunters in this pulse-pounding Gameplay Trailer:
Ever since Gearbox created the looter shooter genre nearly 16 years ago, we’ve continued to refine the formula, delivering more loot and action with every entry. I’ve worked on every mainline Borderlands game since starting out as Lead Level Designer on the original Borderlands, and my Gameplay Deep Dive co-op buddy Anthony Nicholson, Senior Project Producer on Borderlands 4, has been with the series since Borderlands 2. With Borderlands 4, we truly believe that this team is creating the best, most ambitious Borderlands game to date.
This all-new adventure is the perfect entry point for new players—and for existing players, you’ll find the awesome gameplay you know and love cranked up to 11, with new movement abilities, our biggest and baddest enemies yet, a vast new planet to explore, and of course, billions of guns to loot.
Wreak havoc as a Vault Hunter
The Borderlands games are set in an unforgiving sci-fi universe, where life is cheap and guns are plentiful. You play as a Vault Hunter, a badass mercenary on the hunt for alien Vaults, wielding wild guns and devastating abilities. In the Gameplay Deep Dive, we’re showing off two of our four all-new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren, who uses supernatural phase energy to empower herself and can conjure deadly minions, and Rafa the Exo-Soldier, a former Tediore trooper who wears an experimental exo-suit capable of digistructing an arsenal of weapons. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Vex’s spectral feline familiar Trouble, who can absolutely maul any enemies that try to attack my flank during a shootout.
Each Vault Hunter class in Borderlands 4 offers a unique playstyle that empowers you to choose from three signature abilities that serve as your Action Skills. We’re delivering our most advanced skill tree system yet, letting you enhance your Action Skills with special augments and capstone abilities. You can choose from three branching paths of passive abilities that enable an incredibly wide variety of distinctly powerful builds.
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Each Vault Hunter also has a unique Trait that shapes their playstyle; for instance, Vex’s Trait makes her Action Skills attune to the element of the weapon she currently has equipped, incentivizing an arsenal of elemental weapons to shock, burn, or freeze enemies based on the situation.
One of our guiding design principles for our Vault Hunters is that playing as them should make you feel like an unstoppable force on the battlefield, that unleashes Action Skills to control the flow of combat and blast through enemies with an arsenal of outrageous weaponry. You can also flex even more skill expression during battle with a wide range of new movement abilities, including gliding, dashing, double-jumping, and point-grappling.
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Welcome to Kairos
In Borderlands 4, we’re dropping you into the middle of Kairos, an all-new planet rife with warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants. For thousands of years, the oppressive Timekeeper kept the planet hidden, controlling its inhabitants with cybernetic implants called Bolts and an army of synthetic soldiers known as The Order.
But six years before the events of Borderlands 4, a rogue moon suddenly teleported into Kairos’ orbit, shattering the planet’s protective veil and plunging the world into chaos. Now the denizens of Kairos have started rising up, with some even ripping their Bolts right out of their skulls. That’s the situation our four Vault Hunters have crash-landed into: a planet with a population primed to explode, and you’re the spark.
In your quest to ignite a revolution against the Timekeeper, you’ll meet unique factions that you’ll need to recruit to your cause, including a slew of new characters and some returning faces that’ll be instantly familiar to Borderlands fans. We’re delighted to be bringing back fan-favorite characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane—but we’re also so excited for you to meet some of the charming allies and loathsome adversaries that await you on Kairos.
To help you get around Kairos’ sprawling, seamlessly connected spaces, you can now summon a personalized Digirunner vehicle at will and jet-boost your way towards the horizon. We’ve built a world that exudes craftsmanship and encourages you to explore it at your own pace—with the option for guidance provided by your ECHO-4 robot buddy—as you take on new enemies, encounter world events, and discover hidden treasures.
From Order patrols to world bosses, there’s always something to shoot and loot as you explore Kairos. You’ll also come across short gameplay experiences and new activities that auto-grant a tracked mission whenever you discover them—like Silos, which house old, decommissioned Order tech that you can hijack for the Crimson Resistance with the help of ECHO-4.
Once you’ve reclaimed a Silo, it will reveal the approximate location of a Vault Key Fragment. Collect enough fragments and you’ll unlock a hidden Vault—a high level dungeon with challenging combat and serious loot. Reclaimed Silos can also be used as Fast Travel points, or you can zipline up their hacked communications balloon to start gliding through the air towards your next objective.
Wreaking havoc across Kairos is awesome alone and even better with friends—which is why we’ve made it easier than ever to jump into co-op multiplayer, whether through 2-player splitscreen or via our improved lobby system with drop-in/drop-out action for up to 4 players online, with full crossplay at launch.* Borderlands 4 is designed for co-op from the ground up, with instanced loot for each player, dynamic level scaling, individual difficulty settings, and the option to Fast Travel directly to other players to keep the party together and having fun through the whole campaign.
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Gearing up for a fight
In the new gameplay footage, you can watch us go on the offensive across the Terminus Range, where one of the Timekeeper’s generals, Vile Lictor, has been conducting nefarious experiments. We’re breaking into his secret blacksite with the help of Amara, an allied Siren and former Vault Hunter.
You can also see the destructive power of some deadly weapons from our eight unique manufacturers: Order, Ripper, Daedalus, Tediore, Maliwan, Jakobs, Vladof, and Torgue, each boasting their own devastating strengths. Longtime Borderlands fans will notice that the first three of these manufacturers are brand new, with fresh characteristics:
Order guns focus on precision with high-powered bursts
Ripper guns charge up to go fully automatic
Daedalus guns are easy-to-use and incorporate multiple ammo types
Tediore guns are reloaded by tossing them as grenades
Maliwan guns specialize in elemental damage to burn, freeze, and shock
Jakobs guns can fire bullets as fast as you can shoot with ricochets on critical hits
Vladof guns have a high rate of fire and huge magazines
Torgue guns have heavy-duty explosive rounds that can switch to sticky projectiles.
With the new Licensed Parts system, you can find guns that incorporate the behaviors and abilities from multiple manufacturers into a single weapon, fueling our wildest loot variety yet. In addition, Borderlands 4 reworks our approach to the iconic Legendary guns that have unique effects you won’t find on any other piece of gear. In Borderlands 3, Legendaries dropped too often, devaluing them and making other loot feel less special overall. In our new system, not only do all guns feel great, but now Legendary drops will truly be special events.
We’ve added the magic back to our loot chase, and we know you’ll love grinding all the great gear on Kairos. Farming coveted gear is much more intuitive now that you can replay entire missions or use Moxxi’s Big Encore Machine to fight bosses whenever you’d like. Speaking of bosses, Borderlands 4 makes them bigger and better than ever—like Vile Lictor himself, a monstrosity you can glimpse at the end of the Gameplay Deep Dive. These boss fights will put all your new skills, gear, and abilities to the ultimate test, requiring that you think quickly and adapt to whatever each boss throws at you.
There are also new gear slots to specialize your builds even further:
Ordnance, a shared slot for Grenades and Heavy Weapons like rocket launchers, recharges on a cooldown to keep you locked and loaded during especially tough encounters
Enhancements, which replace the Artifact slot seen in Borderlands 3, augment your weapons based on their manufacturer, rewarding you with extra firepower when you optimize your gear loadout
Repkits add utility by letting you heal yourself or activate temporary buffs to help turn the tide of an intense battle
We’re incredibly excited to unveil more Borderlands 4 when we host our first hands-on event this June, with tons to show off ahead of the full launch on September 12. Wishlist Borderlands 4 now and stay tuned as we reveal more in the coming months!
*Online play requires an Internet connection, a SHiFT Account, and a PlayStation Plus subscription. Terms apply.
Robert De Niro may have played many iconic parts over the years, but the Oscar-winning actor’s most important role is as a father.
The actor shares seven children with four different women — two each with Diahnne Abbott, Toukie Smith and Grace Hightower, as well as one with Tiffany Chen.
De Niro told ET Canada in May 2023 that he has to ride the line between being “loving” and “stern” while raising his brood.
Robert De Niro has welcomed seven children over the years. Getty Images
The actor’s children span 50 years. Timothy Hiatt/Shutterstock
“There’s no way around it with kids,” the Emmy winner explained. “I don’t like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But, [sometimes] you just have no choice.
“Any parent, I think, would say the same thing,” he continued. “You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can’t.”
Keep scrolling to see how De Niro’s family has grown between 1976 to 2023.
Drena De Niro
The Oscar winner adopted Drena De Niro in 1976. WireImage
Robert’s ex-wife Diahnne Abbott welcomed Drena in a previous relationship. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
She has worked as a model, actress, DJ and producer over the years. WireImage
When Robert and Abott tied the knot in April 1976, the “Taxi Driver” star adopted the actress’ daughter, Drena, from a previous relationship.
The little one, who was born in 1971, took her then-stepdad’s surname at the time.
Not only has she followed in Robert’s acting footsteps over the years – with movies like “Great Expectations” and “Joy” – but she has also worked as a model and a DJ.
Additionally, she created the production company Daredevil Films and Television.
Drena made Robert a grandfather in 2003 when she and then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez welcomed son Leandro. The 19-year-old died in 2023.
Raphael De Niro
The former couple’s son, Rafael (pictured above with Drena), works in real estate. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Robert and Abbott welcomed their son, Raphael, in November 1976, seven months after their wedding.
While the real estate agent broker did not pursue a career in Hollywood, he has helped many A-listers find homes during his time at Douglas Elliman.
De Niro shares twins Airyn (left) and Julian (right) with Toukie Smith. goldenboyjulio/Instagram
The former couple were an item from 1988 to 1996. Getty Images
Airyn came out as transgender in 2025.
Robert divorced Abbott in 1988, moving on with actress Toukie Smith that same year.
Before their 1996 split, the former couple welcomed twins Airyn and Julian in October 1995.
Unlike Julian, Airyn stayed mostly out of the spotlight until she came out as transgender in 2025.
Julian Henry De Niro
Julian has followed his parents’ acting footsteps. goldenboyjulio/Instagram
Julian has taken a page from his parents’ book and tried his hand at acting — in addition to studying science and math at New York University.
He made his film debut in the 2016 movie “In Dubious Battle,” alongside James Franco, Selena Gomez and more stars.
As for the silver screen, Julian played a young Barack Obama in Showtime’s “First Lady” in 2022.
Elliot De Niro
De Niro and Grace Hightower’s son, Elliot, has autism. Getty Images
In June 1997, Robert married Grace Hightower.
Their son, Elliot, was born in March of the following year.
The Golden Globe winner shared Elliot’s autism diagnosis in 2016. While Robert has clarified that he is not “anti-vaccine,” he said in 2017 that “something is not right” with the process.
As for Elliot, he is best known for his accomplishments as a tennis player in the Special Olympics.
Helen Grace De Niro
A surrogate gave birth to the former couple’s daughter, Helen, in 2011. FilmMagic
Robert and Hightower’s second child, daughter Helen, was born via surrogate in December 2011.
The former couple, who have kept their youngest child out of the spotlight, called it quits in 2018 after more than two decades together.
“We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process,” De Niro wrote in a statement at the time. “I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy … as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting.”
Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro
Robert De Niro’s seventh baby is a daughter named Gia. CBS Mornings
Robert made headlines in May 2023 when he corrected an ET Canada reporter saying he had six kids, clarifying that he “just had a baby” and was a father of seven.
While the “Intern” star did not confirm Tiffany Chen’s maternity at the time, he has been linked to martial arts instructor Tiffany Chen since 2021.
Scott Galloway, a popular author, podcaster, and New York University professor, recently shared his insights on investing for retirement and his bold opinions on how Social Security should be financed. In a conversation on his Pivot podcast with prominent business journalist Kara Swisher, Galloway emphasized, “For the most part, don’t believe you’re smarter than everybody else. I strongly believe that low-cost index funds are the way to go.
You want to reduce your fees and be totally diversified.”
“You don’t need to find the needle in the haystack. You want to buy the whole haystack,” he added. I would do something along the lines of 50% of an S&P fund or maybe QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) if you want a little bit more exposure to aggressive tech companies.
Galloway also emphasized the importance of avoiding high fees.
There are a lot of great financial advisors on social media, where you can find advice tailored to your specific situation. The key is to avoid high fees. Consider placing 50% in a low-cost S&P fund or a similar fund from Schwab or Vanguard, 30% in an international index fund or a credit fund, and perhaps some in Treasurys for liquidity.
Furthermore, Galloway believes serious reform is necessary for Social Security.
Earning $16 million annually, he suggests that wealthy individuals, including himself, should forgo receiving Social Security benefits.
Galloway advocates for means-testing benefits
He advocates for the adoption of means-testing to determine eligibility, aiming to ensure that Social Security resources are directed toward those who genuinely need financial support during retirement.
Galloway’s views highlight the need for a strategic approach to retirement planning, emphasizing diversification, low fees, and the potential for Social Security reform to better serve those in need. However, his statements have raised concerns among current and future Social Security beneficiaries. Many fear that a reform based on means-testing could reduce or eliminate their benefits.
Additionally, the idea that a significant portion of recipients “shouldn’t” collect has been seen by some as a lack of recognition for years of contributions to the system. Nonetheless, others support the proposal, arguing that the current system favors the “wealthy generation” and that it needs reform to ensure its long-term viability. According to a report from the Social Security Administration, if no changes are made, the fund could be depleted by 2033, resulting in a 25% reduction in monthly payments.
Scott Galloway’s opinion has ignited a crucial debate about the future of Social Security in the United States. While some view his proposals as a necessary solution to preserve the system, others see them as a threat to acquired rights. With an aging population and growing financial challenges, the discussion about who should receive Social Security payments is more relevant than ever.
Biden-signed law triggers Social Security increases for retirees
Many are seeing an increase in their Social Security payments, thanks to a law aimed at correcting long-standing benefit reductions for public sector workers.
unbranded – Newsworthy
This is one of those months when some Social Security recipients may have three checks hit their bank accounts.
About 7.4 million Americans who may be disabled or have limited resources get monthly SSI benefit payments. About one-third of those SSI recipients also get a benefit from Social Security. Those folks will wind up with three benefits payments hitting their account during the calendar month of May.
Traditional Social Security payments – for those who are older or retired – are issued on Wednesdays throughout the month for most recipients. If your birthdate falls between the first and 10th of the month, that mean you are paid on the second Wednesday of the month, which this month is May 14; between the 11th and 20th, you’re paid on the third Wednesday (May 21), and if you were born after the 20th of the month, you get paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month (May 28), according to the SSA calendar.
Social Security recipients who began getting benefits before May 1997 are paid on the 3rd of the month – if they also get SSI, that benefit comes on the 1st.
SSI payment calendar: Months with two checks ahead
As it was in February, SSI recipients will get two checks in the month of May. The May SSI payment is scheduled to be issued on May 1, according to the SSA calendar, and the June SSI payment is scheduled for May 30. The June payment is issued early because June 1 falls on a weekend.
That means in June, as it was in March, SSI beneficiaries will not get a payment in that calendar month.
This recurring calendar quirk crops up again in August when SSI recipients will get two checks – the August payment on Aug. 1 and the September payment on Aug. 29 – but no payment in the calendar month of September.
SSI recipients will also get two checks in October, but not one in the calendar month of November, according to the SSA calendar.
When are SSI payments sent out for May? See full 2025 payment schedule
Supplemental Security Income checks will be sent out on the following dates in 2025, according to the SSA calendar.
Thursday, May 1, 2025 (Check for May 2025)
Friday, May 30, 2025 (Check for June 2025)
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 (Check for July 2025)
Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 (Check for August 2025)
Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 (Check for September 2025)
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 (Check for October 2025)
Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 (Check for November 2025)
Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 (Check for December 2025)
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 (Check for January 2026)
What is SSI?
Supplemental Security Income is a benefit payment for those with limited income or resources aged 65 or older, who are blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with a qualifying disability can also get SSI, according to the SSA’s website.
Adults who earn more than $2,019 from work monthly, typically do not qualify for SSI.
Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
DALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen is now really on the other side, settling in as a Star and going back to Colorado with a chance to advance in the NHL playoffs.
In his first postseason series with Dallas, against his former team no less, Rantanen broke through with first playoff goal and two assists for the Stars in their Game 5 victory that put them on the verge of eliminating the Avalanche for the second year in a row.
“It’s reality, I guess,” Rantanen said with a grin Wednesday, the day before Game 6 of the series.
After being in the playoffs with the Avs each of the past seven years and playing with them during 10 seasons, including their Stanley Cup title in 2022, Rantanen was traded twice in a six-week period — first to Carolina on Jan. 24, then to Dallas on March 7 in a deadline deal completed after he agreed to a $96 million, eight-year contract extension.
Playoffs included, the 28-year-old Rantanen has now played 25 games with the Stars.
“That’s the biggest thing, I think, is settling in and playing with instinct,” Rantanen said. “The systems and everything, it’s in the back of my mind now, so I don’t have to think about anything on the ice, like where I have to go. It comes with instinct and it’s going to come even more the more games go by. … Settling is a good word to say, which is always key to playing well.”
It was in Game 6 at Colorado last season that the Stars wrapped up a second-round series on Matt Duchene’s goal 11:42 into the second overtime for a 2-1 victory. Rantanen had the lone Avalanche goal in that game.
In Game 3 of this series, his first in the playoffs as an opponent in Colorado, Rantanen had the secondary assist on Tyler Seguin’s overtime winner. That was Rantanen’s only postseason point for Dallas until Game 5, when his goal came on a 2-on-1 break and some nifty back-and-forth passing with Roope Hintz. He did have 12 shots on goal the first four games.
“He is settling and I think he’s a lot closer than the numbers say. I thought he’s had two or three really good games in this series so far,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “He played great that night in Colorado (Game 3). … I think he’s stringing together more and more games here where he looks comfortable, and he’s going to make an impact even if the points aren’t showing it.”
In 81 career playoff games for Colorado, Rantanen had 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists). His last game with the Avalanche was Jan. 22, but the regular season ended with him still as their third-leading scorer with 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in his 49 games there, behind Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
After six points (two goals) in his 13-game stint with Carolina, Rantanen had five goals and 13 assists over the final 20 regular-season games for Dallas, giving him an 82-game total of 88 points (32 goals). It was the seventh time in eight seasons to average more than a point a game, the lone exception in that stretch being 41 points in 42 games in 2019-20.
He is on a line in Dallas with fellow Finnish players Hintz and Mikael Granlund. Hintz, the same age as Rantanen, has played all seven of his NHL seasons with Dallas. The 33-year-old Granlund was acquired from San Jose in a trade on Feb. 1, and has only 11 more games in Dallas than Rantanen.
“They have a history together as Finnish players and national teams and things like that,” DeBoer said. “I don’t know if they played together as a line before, but I think that always speeds up the chemistry when you have a familiarity like that and you know, they’re countrymen, they speak Finnish to each other, they can communicate really easily.”
Duchene played his first eight-plus NHL seasons with Colorado, where his final full season was when Rantanen was a rookie.
“Having him in the room is good,” Duchene said. “You know he’s a great player because he behaves like a great player. So, easy guy to bring in.”
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This story has been corrected to show Rantanen had 101 playoff points with Colorado, not 99.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) April 30, 2025
The residents in affected areas reported feeling the tremors on social media, while many evacuated the buildings as a precautionary measure.
However, no loss of life or property was reported.
On April 12, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit Pakistan, a statement by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said.
Also read: Istanbul shaken by 6.2 magnitude earthquake, neighbouring regions also felt tremors
The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks, according to NCS.
After that, on April 27, a 4.4 magnitude of earthquake struck Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat and its adjoining areas with a depth of 185 kilometres and epicentre in Hindukush.
People came out of their homes in panic and began evacuating for precautionary measures.
Notably, Pakistan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults.
Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — as per the geological engineer Muhammad Rehan, creating five seismic zones within the country.
Hence, earthquakes in Pakistan are often occurrences.
Also read: Pahalgam terror attack: India closes its airspace for all flights from Pakistan
