ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 9am - August 9, 2026

Episode Date: August 9, 2026

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, breaking stories from overnight and this morning, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Good morning, Carolina. I'm the alcoholman. It's Sunday, August 9th, this morning on eyewitness news, paying tribute to a fallen hero. Sergeant Michael Swinton making the ultimate sacrifice dying while serving in the Middle East, how loved ones are coming together to honor him. A carry woman missing in Grenada, Liz Waddell's husband, providing new details on the search for his wife what he believes happen. And service suspended, Go Raleigh, hitting the brakes on its R-line, while its future could be in jeopardy. Right now here at 9 o'clock, let's go ahead and take a live look at the Raleigh skyline. Look it pretty beautiful out there.

And Steve, I stepped outside, tried to get in a couple of steps. It's feeling decent right now. Yeah, yeah. The mornings are not bad at all. later today, it's just going to feel sultry. Like yesterday. Yeah, the dew point stays elevated all day long. But it looks pretty out there right now.

Get out. I hope you get a chance to enjoy the day. It's a typical hot summer day for us where the temperature is going to be above average by a few degrees. Normal highs 90. We're going to be 94. And we hit 93 degrees yesterday and got a little bit of rain out at RDU yesterday. But there were a few areas closer to Durham just south there of the city really had some heavier downpours. Toppler estimates about an inch of rain. We could see a similar setup today where we get some pop-up showers and storms the farther west you live of the better opportunity.

Still in that moderate drought around the triangle, it's really our northern counties where we need more rain in that extreme drought up there right now. But unfortunately, it's just going to be hit and miss showers and storms during the course of the week. We'll keep that risk elevated later today. Keep an eye to the sky for that. Feels like temperatures up over 100. Good pool day today. I'm sure the pools are going to be rather full. isolated little pop-ups. It's really out to the west. We'll see some thunderstorms developing.

We'll see if they can hold together and make it here. Odds are, though, they're going to probably fizzle out, but we'll watch it for you. 78 in the North Hills right now. Do point around 70, so it's sticky out there with a breeze, though, at 10. That feels a little bit better. 77, Roxborough, 80 Rocky Mount Wilson, also an 80 in Goldsboro and Southern Pines currently at 82 degrees. Evening walk, it'll be rather sultry again. Numbers in the higher. 80s, around 6, 7. o'clock. By 9 o'clock, we get down to 82. And again, an isolated shower. Thunderstorm can't be ruled out. Get used to it every day this week. It's going to feel like over a hundred. More on that coming up in a few minutes. Bianca. All right. Sounds good. Steennings. Breaking right now this

morning, Raleigh Police investigating a shooting at an apartment complex. So here's what we know right now. Police responded to Ashire crossing around 244 this morning. We're told one person was found with gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to the hospital. RPD says the suspect fled the scene. before authorities arrived. And also breaking two people hurt after being stabbed at a downtown Raleigh Bar. Police confirming to eyewitness news, an argument started inside the alive bar and lounge.

It led to a stabbing outside. Both victims were taken to the hospital. They're expected to be okay. RPD searching for the suspect, so stay with us once we learn more. Well, in the Sand Hills, family and friends gathered in Hope Mills to honor, a Fort Bragg soldier and Fayetteville native,

Michael Swinton. The sergeant was killed. last month while serving in the Middle East. Our Tamara Scott was there for the emotional service. Friends, family, and community members filed inside the Southview Baptist Church Saturday afternoon to say goodbye. You saw more orange than the traditional black worn to mourn as a personal tribute to the 30-year-old husband, father, and soldier. Swinton was killed last month in Iraq during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. Family and friends described him as warm, welcoming, fun, and kind. A man who loved his family deeply and a man who served his country

continuously. Today we grieve our loss, but we rejoice in the fact that Michael is with his Savior in heaven today. They also spoke about his dedication to his country. He cared deeply for soldiers and he served his country relentlessly on several deployments. He served at Fort Bragg, but they also talked about his dedication to his family and bringing love and light into every moment of his life. Because of his faith in God, he is stationed in the kingdom of God. As a soldier of the most high God, staff sergeant Swinton, you fought the good fight. The ceremony continues the heavy grief felt by his family following his flag-draped casket,

returning home to Fayetteville earlier this week. That same community gathered not only to remember his service and sacrifice, but the man his family knew and loved. A full processional service will be on Monday, which will leave from the funeral home with a full escort over to the Sandhills National Cemetery. Tamara Scott, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Tamara, thank you. New details in the disappearance of a carry woman on vacation in the career.

Caribbean on the island of Grenada. Liz Waddell vanished on July 22nd while swimming in Grenada. Her husband shared an update saying a couple of jet skiers say they saw Liz and spoke to her for about 10 minutes on the day she disappeared. They say they tried to convince her to ride in with them on a jet ski and not stay in the ocean. This was after she was last seen on security cameras. Liz's husband is now saying his wife likely drowned. However, he says the family's waiting to see if the Royal Grenada police force will come up

with any more leads in the investigation. This morning, fire investigation underway in Moore County, this large blaze breaking out at the Dunroven County's country, the Dunroven Country Store in Delhi and Vass. Our crew capturing the thick smoke billowing from the building. Fire crews worked throughout the night for more than six hours putting out that fire. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported

so the cause is still under investigation. Starting today, Go Raleigh, suspending its R-line bus service and transit. Officials say the route may never come back. The Raleigh Transit Authority approved the change earlier this year after years of declining ridership. Transit officials say when the R-line was launched back in 2009, it filled a major need

for people getting around downtown. But now many folks turn to ride chair, scooters, bikes. Go Raleigh says it will study whether downtown still needs a circulator route or if a different type of service makes more sense in the future. The study will determine what that is. You know, it may be that there's nothing needed.

You know, at the peak of its service, it was doing about 30,000 trips a month, and we're doing about 30,000 trips a month on scooters and bikes today in the downtown area. So it's kind of gotten, you know, the ridership that it had has been replaced with other micro-mobility options. Right. A public hearing scheduled for this coming Thursday could steal its fate for good. Well, today we cheer on the 12-U softball team from Claydon as the they play for the Little League World Series title in Greenville.

The Johnson County All-Stars beat the Southeast team from Lake Mary, Florida yesterday for the second time in three days. They won four-zip, punching their ticket to the championship game. The ladies are four-zero overall in the tournament and have a chance to finish it off with a perfect record. They're playing against Davies County, Little Lee, Kentucky. The title game is this afternoon at 3 p.m. right here on ABC 11. Lottery fever heating up, the powerball jackpot soaring to nearly $1 billion. How much is up for grabs in tomorrow's big drawing? Plus, a close call right here caught on video.

Did you see that? Yeah, we're going to show you the full video in a second. A stranded driver nearly hit on an interstate, how they managed to escape. And severe storms leaving a mess in Massachusetts. We're getting new video of the damage. But first, good morning, Steve. Hey, good morning. Just checking my sleep score.

Oh, what did you get? Terrible again. Oh, no. Good morning, everybody. Outside right now, we got sunshine. Temperatures are in the 70s, almost 80 in spots. It is 80 down around Goldsboro. A sticky day today. Do point stay elevated, maybe an isolated shower at thunderstorm. Get used to this pattern. It's going to be stuck with us all week. All the details after the break. This is First Alert Weather from ABC 11 eyewitness news. Welcome back, everybody. Happy Sunday to you. Hot one today. Temperatures are going to be in the 90s. Isolated shower at thunderstorm. Most. Most of us are going to miss out. I think the farther west you live, you might get caught in a heavy downpour late today into the early evening hours. Things are nice and quiet right now. Thunderstorms off the coast, but they're going to stay there. We'll get to those 90s. If you're out on the lake today, UV index way up there to 10. We'll keep an eye to the sky for an isolated shower. Thunderstorm a little bit later on, but don't cancel any plans. If you do get under one, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. 78 degrees into North Hills right now. DuPont at 70 with a breeze at about nine miles an hour. Wise red mid to operate to operate. in a few areas touching 80 degrees already and that thermometer keeps going on up. Scattered showers and thunderstorms across the southeast. New York is good, Philly's good.

Dallas is really hot. Chicago's going to have thunderstorms and there's a level two risk of severe weather there. Also a severe risk all the way back into the Dakotas. Keep in mind there's a lot of near surface smoke with all the fires back here in Washington. So really bad air quality in these areas if you aren't traveling there. So far all the major Your hubs looking pretty good. Got your seven day in a few minutes. Bianca. All right, see in a moment.

Well, today is shaving up to be a great day for the Museum of Life and Science, offering free admission to all Durham County residents. Adults must provide proof of address and can bring up to five children each. The Museum of Life and Science features both indoor and outdoor environments including aerospace, Carolina Wildlife, a butterfly house, and a petting zoo. The museum was open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The powerball jackpot closing in on a billion dollars after no one won Saturday night's grand prize. That's because you didn't play. It could have been you.

The jackpot prize climbing to an estimated $905 million ahead of tomorrow's drawing. No one has won the jackpot in more than three months. A Delta plane diverted while a flight taking off from Atlanta was forced to turn around. But first, Iranian officials speaking out as negotiations with the U.S. continue what they're saying about the battle over the strait of war moves. From the producers of Super Troopers and

Super Troopers 2 comes, you guessed it. Broken Lizard and their rowdy patrol squad returned to the scene of the crime. In Super Troopers 3, the mustaches are thicker, the maple syrup, stickier, and the pranks crazier than ever. Buckle up for the funniest comedy

of the summer. Super Troopers 3, now playing only in theater. Get tickets now. Our local news. ABC 11 eyewitness news continues now. Developing now new signals from Iran as negotiations continue. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes at the center of the standoff. Here's ABC's Alison Kassik.

An Iranian official says Tehran is close to an agreement with Oman aimed at securing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but says any deal is depending on the U.S. changing its behavior before the Strait, fully reopens. A spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guard going further, declaring the strait is no longer just the waterway, but source of power Iran controls because of its geography. Iran also renewing its demands that the U.S. lift its naval blockade of Iranian ships and ports, and that the U.S. and its allies halt any attacks on Iranian proxies across the region. This comes as the U.S. and other parts of the world see higher fuel prices because of the crisis.

Today, Vice President Vance said the two sides have made progress, telling Fox News. I try to remind people that we're really in the middle of the game here. This thing is not over. It's obviously not at the beginning. We're in the middle of the game and we're applying a whole host of tools, diplomatic, economic, military tools to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people. The vice president, adding the negotiations are focused on conditions for the U.S. U.S. to maximize oil and gas coming out of the straight so Americans can enjoy lower gas prices. Allison Kosick ABC News, New York.

Allison, thank you. New this hour of Florida-bound Delta flight forced to return to the Atlanta airport and evacuate. Passengers after reports of smoke in the aircraft, the airline says flight 2204 was carrying 199 passengers and six crew members when the pilot noticed smoke coming from the back of the plane. Yep, Delta 2204 change of plans. We now have smoke in the back, and we need to deplane immediately. Delta 22.4. And the statement issued by Delta said the crew followed procedure.

The company apologized to its customer for the inconvenience, but said safety is paramount. A close call here in Ohio caught on camera. Brand new video shows a person standing beside a broken down car in the emergency shoulder on an interstate. You can see oncoming traffic traveling in the lane. The first car swerves over to another lane to avoid a crash, but the second car speed straight towards the person. They only managed to escape by leaping onto that concrete barrier there. The driver said they couldn't merge out of the shoulder in time.

Now, take a look at this. Clean up underway this morning in Massachusetts after a line of severe storms rolled through. Several neighborhoods waking up to down trees and on power lines, it calls thousands of residents to be without electricity. And at one point yesterday, nearly seven. thousand folks were in the dark. All right. We have had our share of storms. But today is a good day. The museum in Durham, Steve, offering free admission for kids. There you go. That's good. Good way to beat the heat. Get in the air conditioning a little bit. Listen, it's going to be a typical hot summer day. Numbers are going to be a few degrees above our average high, which is 90. But that feels like temperature is going to push it all the way up around 100 or so in a few afternoon storms. But those splash pads might be a little popular for today. More heat this week. Feels like over 100. just about each and every day. And a couple of those days, Tuesday, Wednesday might have heat advisories.

We'll watch for that. Daily storm chances, hit and miss variety. No one day really stands out. Even Wednesday and Friday, those are higher chances. But none of these days are in the likely category. Just know they're going to be hit and miss. This summer pattern, we do get that downsloping wind. Anytime we get a westerly wind that crosses the mountains,

that air descends creating a zone of lower pressure. We call that a Leaside trough or in some cases a Piedmont trough around here and this happens anywhere we get a north and south oriented mountain range. But with the Bermuda High acting with increased humidity for us, that rising motion that you get in and around that trough can develop thunderstorms. That's why a lot of these storms do develop out to our west. Then the prevailing winds kind of push them our way and we'll be watching for that again later on this afternoon. We'll be in those 90s today an isolated shower storm is possible. We'll keep an eye on that for you. A couple of those could bring some heavier downpours. Most of the.

action is going to be developing well out to the west. The question is how far do they make it here before they dissipate? Some of the high resolution models have them moving in here, so we'll keep that lower chance going. 78 into North Hills, the dew point is 70. Yesterday at dew point was 74, so it's a little bit better. 79 Roanoke Rapids, 81 into Smithfield and 82 down into southern pine. So a lot of warmth early this morning. Taking a walk this evening will keep a risk of an isolated shower, thunderstorm going.

Numbers falling down only to the low. by the late evening hours. As we look ahead, there's that little Piedmont trough there. Could get a thunderstorm or two on Tuesday up in our northern counties. A couple of those could be strong. We'll watch for that. Then as we go into Wednesday fronts to the north, these little waves of energy come down, and we could squeeze out some late day showers and thunderstorms again on the hit and miss variety.

Out in the tropics right now, there's a disturbance. This one a low chance, but one that's going to be moving in just south of the Cape Verde Islands, has about a 40% chance of development, but a lot of the models really don't do much with it at all. The European tries to get a little close circulation there. We'll keep an eye on it for you over the coming days. Mountains a little active today with isolated storms, but high probability of that.

And then the beaches look fantastic, mid to upper 80s for highs and lots of sunshine. The crystal coast does have a moderate risk, though, rip currents. Hot today in the mid 90s, clouds could get a bit dark, late in the day as you look to the west, So the farther west you live, the better chance at an isolated shower. Thunderstorm tonight will be in the 70s again. So it's another muggy overnight.

And then as we go to the day tomorrow, about 95, 97 on Tuesday, Wednesday, a late day storm in 96. You get the idea every day is going to be in those mid-90s. Maybe by the time we get to next weekend, we can actually see those temperatures getting back where they should be, Bianca, closer to 90. All right, Steve, thank you. Now it's a great time to go ahead and download the ABC 11 mobile app. you see that it's going to feel like in the hundreds this week, so you definitely want this on your phone or your mobile device. You can also check all the seven-day forecast. Straight ahead, proving that representation matters. We're going to take it to a film festival,

giving a voice to the Triangle's indigenous community. And a reminder, you can find eyewitness news live on ABC 11, Disney Plus, and wherever you stream. At Volvo, safety is not a feature. It's our purpose. Rigorous crash testing. decades of learning from real accidents. Innovations that help prevent accidents before they happen and help protect you when they occur. Going above and beyond industry standards. A vision of zero collisions.

Volvo's legacy revolves around you because safety is about helping to keep you and everyone around you safe for life. Learn more at bolvocars.caps.ca slash safety. I'm now 924 on this Sunday morning honoring the rich heritage of the Triangle's Native American culture. This weekend, the Triangle Native American Society hosting their second annual film festival at Raleigh's Rialto Theater. I spoke with the organizers about why this event is so important.

I'm just a site for all of them. I'll be honest. I'm a nerd, and I love film and movies and stories, and I'm excited for all of them. The first movie we're going to see today is a movie called Powell. The Triangle Native American Society returns for the second annual Triangle Native American Film Festival. The power was about to start. Why don't you put that game away? A day full of films created by Native American directors and featuring Native American actors. Organizer Trey Roberts shares his experience.

Storytelling is so important to indigenous communities that through film you can find interesting ways to tell those native stories. I myself grew up in Hollister, North Carolina, and I always wanted to get into film. I never saw anyone who was indigenous, native in film. From documentaries to animated shorts and feature-linked films, moviegoers watching it all,

drama, romance, and tales of Native Americans in modern times. Attendees sharing a sense of pride. I love actually seeing more native representation and accurate native representation, because I think historically there's the stereotypes of them portrayed. We still are fighting a lack of visibility and a lack of knowledge of our, stories told by our people. Stories to amplify the culture of indigenous communities.

Organizers and attendees want the public to learn more. I can show these stories in a way that's joyful, that's celebratory, right, that focus on the beauty that's in our community and not just the painful history, which may be the only people, the only topic that some people actually know about.

To be able to bring indigenous films to this place is very special to me. It's a big accomplishment for myself. This is a has several events planned for the remainder of the year. In our next half hour, cracking down on car break is details in the newly formed task force in Chapel Hill. Plus water system warning, the government sounding the alarm about potential hacks, why local experts say we should be on high alert.

And giving back, volunteers handing out free school supplies to children across Durham. We're going to take a look at how they're making a long-lasting impact. We are Local News. eyewitness news continues now. Here is a live look at Carolina Beach looking like a postcard out there right now at 9 o'clock. Families setting up their spots to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Look at those two chairs, a spot for me and you. Good morning, Carolina. It's Sunday, August 9th. I'm Bianca Holman. You're watching eyewitness news on ABC 11 and wherever you stream. The details of the top stories in all the day's news is just ahead. But first, let's go ahead and check in with meteorologist,

Stewart yes look at your forecast Steve that view of the beach looked pretty nice yeah look good yeah of course it's in the beach if I stay there today look of them walking out the guys walking out to feel the water getting their spot already for getting their spot it's gonna look like that pretty much the entire day perfect so that's good it's really good and around here we've got sunshine as we look downtown you can lose haze in the sky that's that humidity out there gonna feel hotter than the actual temperature got us at 94 today that feels like numbers closer to 100 degrees.

A isolated storm later today. Yesterday we topped out at 93, by the way, we got a little rain out at R&U, a couple hundredths of an inch. But south of Durham there got quite a bit of rainfall. Had some heavier downpours. You can see the Doppler estimates about an inch or so there. So we did have some impressive storms.

Again, the coverage was mainly from the triangle on points north and west. And today we could see a few more isolated storms, mainly farther west. Right now we're still dealing with that moderate drought, but it's up around our northern counties where it's still extreme. We need more rain. We have some coming.

Every day has an opportunity, but it's really the hit and miss variety. So that's unfortunate. It might get lucky, but a lot of us are going to miss out. Feels like over 100. We have that risk of an isolated shower or thunderstorms. So if you're at the pool,

just be aware a couple of those could pop up later today. Well, watch a cluster of thunderstorms out to the west. The question is, is can they hold together our model kind of fizzles them out, but other high-resolution models tries to hold that together. 78 into North Hills, a dew point at 70 with a breeze about 10 miles an hour, 77 Oxford, 81 into Irwin and Fayetteville at 78. Evening walk is going to be a little sticky with numbers in the 80s,

and again, we can't rule out an isolated shower or thunderstorm. This heat get used to it. It's going to be here pretty much all week where every day is going to feel like over 100. More on that in a few minutes, Bianca. All right, have your water bottles nearby. This morning, Nash County. EMS is mourning the loss of its director. The sheriff's office airing news of Dale Griffin's passing on Facebook in a statement they say

quote our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the family friends and loved ones of Dale Griffin Nash County EMS director. We also keep his EMS family in our hearts as they grieve this tremendous loss. After a string of car break-ins across the triangle police are stepping up patrols Chapel Hill Police say 14 cars were broken into across town last weekend eight of them in the planet fitness parking lot on South Elliott Road. So far this year, police have received 320 reports of car break-ins. They are now creating a dedicated team to investigate these cases. We spoke with the Chapel Hill

Police Chief who says that they've arrested several people, but break-ins continue across the region. We've seen the uptake over the last few years, I think, since COVID. But, you know, again, it's really unsettling for people. We know that these crimes leave patterns, and we often find them in parking garages, hotel parking lots, or apartment complexes. Now, police are urging drivers to remove valuable items, never leave keys inside their car, and park in well-lit areas. This morning, new security concerns after a string of hacking attempts targeting local water systems.

Officials believe Iran could be behind attempted attacks and hacks in New Jersey, which follow incidents in several other states, including a large breach in Minnesota. While there have been, haven't been any reported cybersecurity attacks on water systems here in our state, experts we spoke with say local municipalities must remain on high alert. The FBI has been looking at this along with SISA and H.S.DHS for over 15 years with public announcements. So it's not a new threat. It's something that's out there. And yes, everybody should be concerned about it. Now we reached out to the city of Raleigh, which said in part, Raleigh Water has been aware of a cyber attack foreign or domestic on our system for several years and have taken steps to minimize this risk.

We believe our proactive efforts have prepared our system to resist cyber attacks and we continue to make sure that we are following best security practices. Well, as more communities consider allowing data centers, new polling reveals most Americans not sold on the AI data center boom. A recent Gallup survey finds 71% of Americans oppose building data centers. Participants expressed concerns ranging from energy use to the environmental impact on their communities. Now, a proposition is also growing at the state level. Some lawmakers are pushing to limit or temporarily ban new data center projects. At the same time, AI companies are investing billions of dollars in them. Two to half months after Durham's community leader was gunned down,

her family and the nonprofit she spearheaded took to the streets to reach out to the youth. Elena Athens was there as the group handed out hundreds of book bags filled with school supplies. You do. We were with these fourth graders as they were gearing up and getting excited for the upcoming school year. The 5K Foundation held a back-to-school drive Saturday afternoon and rolled through multiple Durham neighborhoods. Willie from the Durham Bulls was part of the action. Duke basketball point guard DeRan Rippy Jr. was also on hand and says the cause is personal. Growing up, you know, I can relate to a lot of these kids in their environment.

He donated a hundred book bags himself. Just being able to get back to the community, get them pulled for inspiration and just make sure to head in the right direction. That's something I really value. Five K Foundation's mission is to empower the youth and hopefully decrease gun and gang violence. We're trying to gather more kids, trying to reach more kids. Days ago, city and community leaders embarked upon an effort to shape Durham's new gun violence strategy. They propose a separate Youth Summit focused on reducing gun violence for children and teens. This event was the first one held since the foundation leader Michelle Keenan was gunned down by gun violence earlier this year. The family has said her presence in the community mattered. Her legacy is living on through

an outreach program like this. The mission is to provide essential resources for families and underserved communities. Here we are. And so we're bringing it right to your front door. You don't have an excuse not to read and writing school. You have pencils. You have crayons. You have everything you need to be successful and you have everything your peers have. In Durham, Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Elena, thank you. ABC 11, we are back to school headquarters. We've got team coverage as students get ready to return to the classroom. So look for our reporting all month long on eyewitness news.

Chance the rapper is marking 10 years since the release of his Grammy-winning album, The Coloring Book, when you can see him on stage right here in the triangle. And it was a special day in Canton, Ohio. former panther inducted to the pool into the pro football Hall of Fame. But we got those highlights coming up. But first to check outside, Steve. Okay, lots of blue sky out there. It's humid again.

Temperatures are in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. Highs will be in those mid-90s. Might see an isolated shower, a thunderstorm, better chances out west. All the details coming up. This is First Alert Weather from a real Canadian Superstore has everything you need this back-to-school season. Save on lunch. savers like Zincke's sliced deli meat products for always 375 and get life brand pure Vita shampoo or conditioner for $8 each at real Canadian superstore when you're ready we're ready with a whole world

and more. TBC 11 I Witness News. Good morning everybody on this Sunday it says sticky out there again. We'll have a hot afternoon in the 90s an isolated shower and thunderstorm at best. Probably a lot of us are going to miss out once again just like yesterday but the areas that get rain could be some locally heavy downpours. Nice and quiet for now all these thunderstorms. are well off the coast and moving away. Nice beach day for heading out there. Nice day at the lake too. Numbers in the 90s. Feels like temperatures closer to 100 degrees. We'll watch for an isolated shower thunderstorm a little bit later this afternoon. Better chances the farther west you live. 78 into north hills. The dew point is 70. A breeze up near 10 miles an hour. Widespread temperatures near that 80 degree mark kind of uniform at this hour. And we'll get some scattered thunderstorms across the southeast. The mountains will get rain today. Atlanta might get an isolated shower. thunderstorm Chicago though could have some severe weather for today. Level two risk for severe weather and that level two risk moves in all the way to the Dakotas. Keep in mind too that near surface smoke is going to be an issue in the

Pacific Northwest Montana Wyoming all the way into the front range there of Colorado if you're traveling there so far all the major hubs look pretty good. Got you seven day just a few minutes Bianca. All right Steve thank you. Popular cafes are already brewing up a new list of pumpkin flavored drinks for fall. We're still summer you guys all right starbucks says as expanding its pumpkin inspired lineup to include ice pumpkin cream shaken espresso and ice pumpkin cream macha pumpkin and maca interesting all new fall flavors plus is popular pumpkin spice latte will be back on the menu on august 25th meanwhile duncan planning to get ahead of its rivals they are bringing back its

pumpkin inspired drinks on august 19th they're trying to one up starbucks there Chance the rapper kicking off a new tour this month. He's hitting the road celebrating 10 years since the release of his coloring book album. The first show is next week, Tuesday, August 11th in Cleveland, Ohio. You can see Chance the Rapper at Raleigh's Red Hat Ample Theater on Saturday, August 29th. Coming up, Hunter Biden opening up about his father's battle with cancer, what we're learning about the former president's condition. Plus, more celebrities opening up on their personal struggles, how it's sparking wide-spread conversation on mental health. The time now 945 on this Sunday morning.

New this morning from actors to singers, a growing list of celebrities are stepping away from the spotlight to protect their mental health. It's now sparking a conversation about taking care of your well-being before it's too late. ABC's Will Gans has the story. Somebody save me. He once asked for someone to save him. And now country music star Jellyroll is stepping back to save himself. Jellyroll announced he's taking a Menti B from performing for a. year or two. It comes after months of personal and professional changes.

I am not okay singer has long put his mental health front and center. I represent overcoming. I represent the guy that wasn't supposed to make it, making it. And I think that's how we all feel sitting at home, right? Is that there's like this glimmer of hope when a guy like me makes it through the cracks. But the artist is not alone in prioritizing himself. Ariana Grande said she'll be taking a step back from the public eye. Her Her representatives telling ABC News the break will come after her eternal sunshine tour, following the quote, endless ongoing public scrutiny. The star reclaiming control of the narrative. It's a plan that I have quietly made a long time ago, and it's a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.

And another batty. Megan the Stallion also took a step back after an onstage incident while performing in the Broadway production of Moulon Rouge. The rapper writing in a post after the episode, I've been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. The scrutiny celebrities face only growing since social media and its trolls took over. Well, right now, celebrities are under more pressure than ever before. They can't ignore the comment section. They can't ignore their community.

That pressure is placed on them. So even if they're struggling, they get blamed for their struggling. Study show millennials are more likely to talk about their mental health compared to generations before, which means big name artists opening up may hopefully influence a positive generational step for mental health. It's extremely beneficial when celebrities talk about mental health because they have platforms that are much more wide than any clinician could possibly have. And that allows most people to feel as if okay, I'm okay to ask for help too. ABC's Will Gans with that report. And if you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis, texts or call the suicide crisis lifeline at 988. Help is available 247. Hunter Biden, the son of former president Joe Biden, says the former president's prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body. Biden revealed in a 2025, May 2025, less than four months after he left the White House that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, saying at the time that it had spread to his bones.

Biden's spokesman said in October that he was undergoing radiation treatment and hormone therapy and a wide-ranging interview with the BBC broadcast. as Hunter Biden said his father's condition has gotten worse. The only thing that I say about my dad about his health right now is I wish he would complain more because it's not good. The cancer has spread, is metastasized into his bones and further. It's very painful. And it's very debilitating in many respects. But he's still out there. You're still doing this thing. A spokesman for the 83-year-old Democrat declined to comment on Hunter Biden's interview. A fan in New York suing the Yankees for $10 million after she was hit in the head by a bat that flew into the stands.

The incident happened in June. So in the bat, you can see it there flying out of the hands of a Cleveland Guardian's batter over the protective netting that's out there. The fan says that she suffered permanent injuries. Oh, yesterday, former Carolina Panthers player Luke Kikley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of His dad Tom presenting him and unveiling the bronze bus there during his speech. The 35-year-old came off very humble as usual talking about how grateful he was for his football career. That's why when people ask me what I miss most about football, it's not one specific game or one specific play. It's the locker room which I feel like I have again with you guys up here.

It's the conversations that have nothing to do with sports. It's celebrating together after wins and hurting together after losses. football has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined. The people I met, the experiences we've shared, and the joy that I found throughout this game, it will stay with me for the rest of my life. Your love and support have meant more than you'll ever know. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Thank you for sharing today with me, and most importantly, keep pounding.

Keep pounding. Keep pounding. He played eight seasons with the Panthers. He was an all pro in five of those seasons, pro bowler, seven times. What a phenomenal career, Steve. I know, right? He's in great shape. He could probably still play now. I bet he can.

He's only 35. Right? Yeah. All right. Listen, outside right now where it's getting the hot. Temperatures around that 80 degree mark. We're going to have highs today in the mid-90s. A few afternoon storms are possible.

Those splash pads could be pretty popular today. More heat this week. Every day should have feels like temperatures over 100. A couple days like Tuesday and Wednesday flirting with heat advisory criteria. And daily storm. but definitely the hit and miss variety. The chances aren't really that high.

Some days it's only 20%. Others it's 30 to 40. And the better chance is probably Friday and again midweek, but this is not in the likely category at all. It's that summer pattern. We have the Bermuda High throwing all the moisture our way. And then we get some winds aloft coming in from the surface to around

7,000 feet. Over the mountains, we get that westerly flow. As they drop down, that actually creates an area of low pressure. We call this a trough, a lee-side trough. A lee side trough or the Piedmont trough. And any north to south facing mountain range is going to have a similar setup. But an area of a low pressure like this, this trough promotes vertical development.

We have so much heat and humidity those thunderstorms can develop. And of course, the prevailing winds will carry them in our direction. So a lot of times we see those storms just out to the west and we'll see them tracking our way. We might get that again today. Numbers in the 90s out there this afternoon, if you're getting around a golf in, isolated shower, thunderstorm around. thunderstorm around. You can see that the thunderstorm should be developing mainly out to the west. The question is how far do they make it here before they fizzle out? And again, some high-resolution bottles are bringing it all the way close to the triangle. So we'll keep a low in risk today.

78 into North Hills with a breeze at about 5 to 10 miles an hour. Wide spread numbers near that 80-degree mark with Irwin, the warm spot now at 83. Evening out, if we're taking a walk after dinner, ambient temperatures in the 80s, but it's going to feel a hotter than that with that high humidity and we'll keep that low risk going through the evening hours. As we look ahead now, there's that little Piedmont trough. Could get a late day storm on our Tuesday coming in from the north. And then we'll watch as we get into Wednesday evening showers or thunderstorms could be with us late in the day and temperatures are going to be way up there again into the 90s. This disturbance right off the coast of Africa is the one we're going to pay attention to. The other one has a low-end risk. Little wave might try to develop,

but the atmospheric conditions aren't that favorable for this to develop. So if something will keep an eye on over the coming days, mountains could get showers and thunderstorms around today. If you're heading in that direction, beaches look fantastic. Numbers in the upper 80s and lots of sunshine. The rip current danger is elevated to moderate, though, on the Crystal Coast. Low to mid-90s today, late in the day,

could see some darker clouds like yesterday, And I think the farther to the west you live, the better chance at a storm. But even then 30, 40% chance. And then for tonight, we're going to have low temperatures in the 70s. First of late 70s, another hot one tomorrow. A lot of days in those 90s. That's kind of the theme here. Wednesday and Friday, a little better chance at some storms.

But it looks like maybe next weekend we can actually see temperatures back to at least close to normal. Close to normal. That's what we like. We like it warm, but not too too hot. Still ahead, recognizing some of the best and brightest stars and TV. We're going to show you the actors and actresses honored by the African American Film Critics Association. Television's biggest stars and storytellers came together for a celebration filled with big wins. The year's standout TV creatives were celebrated at the African American Film Critics Association TV honors.

Winters included Paradise for Best Drama and Abbott Elementary for Best Ensemble with Shirley Ralph and Janelle James. taking home acting honors. It feels amazing. Of course, that's what the goal is. You know, as any performer. We're going into our sixth season, and so the fact that people are still interested and excited about the show is amazing.

The fact that I could reach this point in my career and still be celebrated, still be acknowledged, still be looked upon as bringing a fresh new idea to the things that are going on in life and to be honored for it. It is amazing. And look at me. I'm entering the six.

season of avid elementary and we're still wonderful. The African American Film Critics Association continues to celebrate excellence and the diverse stories shaping entertainment. Still to come, we're following a pair of breaking news stories. Raleigh police investigating a shooting and a stabbing from overnight what we're learning from police. And going all the way, a softball team from Johnson County competing in the Little League World Series championship game. their chins at a clean sweep.