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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for September 25

Posted at 10:30 AM, Sep 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-25 10:30:15-04

1. Oprah Winfrey was hanging out in Grand Rapids last month, and now we know why. She was taping a special for 60 Minutes, which was revealed to the nation Sunday night.

The special focused on a nation divided, particularly after President Trump won the election. The Knickerbocker in downtown Grand Rapids held a watch party for the people in Oprah's focus group.

In her three hour conversation with the group, Oprah discussed the impact Michigan had on the election; our typically blue state voted Republican for the first time in years. The members of the group all had differing options, but say they're friends now and stay in touch via Facebook. They said they hope the rest of the country can take a lesson from West Michigan.

2. The Van Andel Arena was buzzing over the weekend as hundreds of drones competed for the Great Lakes Cup Drone Championship.

Pilots led their drones through an LED obstacle course, in several different divisions, including professional and amateur.

The first place winner in the pro division was Paul Nurkkala from Indianapolis, who received $1,500.

The only Michigander to place int eh competition was Rick Kulis from Bloomfield Hills, he came in third place in the amateur division.

3. A dad built his kids the ultimate tree house over the summer, making all the neighbor kids jealous.

The dad is the owner of a construction company, and used all of his tools and expertise to create a two-story play home in Highland. It features a bridge, slide, hardwood floors and even kitchen supplies.

The photos of his creation are being shared all over social media, and he says the whole thing has sparked a new business venture for him: making custom playhouses for other families.

4. TGI Friday's is starting to test alcohol delivery service starting in November.

They're only testing it in Texas for now, but a third party service will deliver beer, wine and other liquors to customer's doorstep. If everything goes well, the service could then go nationwide next year.

This comes after the restaurant agreed to pay more than $19 million to settle accusations that it underpaid its employees for years.

TGI Friday's is accused of skimping on overtime wages, forcing tipped workers to share their earnings with non-tipped workers.

Industry experts say the propsed settlement would be the largest wage and hour payout ever.

5. Walmart is taking home grocery delivery service to the next level: they're testing out a service that will deliver groceries straight to the fridge, even if no one is home.

Walmart is teaming up with security company August Home which makes smart locks. If the customer isn't home, the delivery person will use a one time pass code that opens the door.

The home owner gets an alert on their phone that the delivery is in progress. They can even watch the process on home security cameras through an app. Once the delivery is done, the door locks automatically.

Walmart has said that it hopes to expand the services to other areas.