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Why Trump is going to Republican-leaning states for midterm election rallies

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With just weeks until the high-stakes midterm elections, President Donald Trump is set to headline rallies in Republican-favoring states this week — with critics asking why the president is not instead focusing on key battleground states instead.

Some Republicans and experts say the goal is to boost midterm election turnout among Republican voters more generally who might have been less motivated to vote this year, and that this sort of travel to “safe” states during midterm years is not unprecedented. One expert said Trump’s low national approval ratings could be seen as a risk — and a reason he’s not stumping in more competitive areas.

Trump will join a “Midterm Rally” on Thursday, Oct. 1 in Durant, Oklahoma, and another in Mobile, Alabama on Friday, Oct. 2, according to announcements by the Republican National Committee last week.

Both rallies will be in congressional districts and states that appear to favor the Republican Party in the 2026 midterm elections.

Durant, for instance, is located in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District, which Trump won by more than 50 percentage points in 2024, according to data compiled by the Associated Press. This district, held by GOP Rep. Josh Brecheen, is also expected to be solidly Republican in the midterms, as are the statewide governor and Senate races, according to ABC News race ratings.

Mobile, meanwhile, was redrawn after mid-decade redistricting to be in Alabama’s 1st Congressional District. The redrawn district, favoriting Republicans, would have voted for Trump in 2024 by around 40 points.

The 2nd Congressional District, which formerly included part of Mobile, is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, but now leans Republican post-redistricting, according to ABC News race ratings — although Figures and his supporters plan to put up a fight to hold the seat. And the statewide Senate and governor races in Alabama are considered solid Republican, according to ABC News race ratings.

Trump will also be heading to states with more competitive races. Later in October, he is set to attend rallies in Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska — states that voted for him in 2024 but are hosting competitive Senate races in 2026.

Trump, asked about the upcoming red-state campaign trips in the Oval Office on Monday, said “we have great people” in those races, and slammed the Democratic candidates.

But Democrats are arguing that Trump is going to red states like Alabama because Republicans are nervous.

“We’re scaring the hell out of them,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Sen. Doug Jones argued on MS NOW on Sunday. “They think … Alabama’s a firewall. Now they’ve got to protect a firewall. Well, it’s not a firewall anymore.”

But Republicans say that Trump’s red state rallies will benefit the GOP more broadly.

An official with the RNC made the case to ABC News on Thursday that the rallies will help turnout in neighboring media markets in Texas and Florida. Republicans are trying to hold on to a Senate seat and governorships in both states.

Kyle Kondik, an elections analyst and the managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, told ABC News that he found the Oklahoma and Alabama events to be “head-scratchers,” and didn’t buy the media market argument: “Why not just go to Texas and Florida?”

Separately, RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in an appearance on Newsmax on Monday that the GOP has the “resources” and “record cash on hand, so the goal here is to drive people to the polls.”

Georgia-based Republican strategist Ryan Mahoney told ABC News he also felt Trump’s travel to red states was about turning out voters who otherwise might not show up. He added that some Republican-base voters may be disenchanted by Trump because of the higher cost of living — an issue that has plagued the president, according to recent polling.

“There’s no shortage of states, solid-red districts, solid-red states [that] are starting to suffer with Republican base voters who lack enthusiasm and motivation to get out and vote,” Mahoney said.

Still, Mahoney said the GOP should be more focused on competitive races: “it’s not a good look for Republicans.”

Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University, told ABC News there’s merit to the argument that Trump will turn out unmotivated GOP voters with these rallies.

“Trump has this ability, at least when he’s on the ballot, to turn out some people who don’t typically vote, to kind of remake the electorate to some extent,” he said.

But Dallek also pointed to low national approval ratings for Trump — just 33% of Americans approve of Trump and 67% disapprove, according to a recent CNN poll — that he said have created a “toxic” brand for the president, which he said could be why he is not stumping in more competitive areas.

Kondik was also skeptical that Trump appearing “front and center” at rallies may be helpful for unmotivated GOP voters who have fallen out of the president’s coalition.

From a historical perspective, however, Dallek pointed out that it’s not unprecedented for a sitting president to head to “safe” territory during a midterms election cycle. He pointed to Barack Obama, who, for instance, attended rallies in 2010 in Los Angeles and Maryland, as well as George W. Bush in 2006 (who attended rallies in states such as Indiana and Georgia.

“[Trump] is following a pattern that many of his predecessors have followed, which is when they are unpopular in midterm elections, to the extent they travel, they go to their base,” he said.

ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Benjamin Siegel and Gaby Vinick contributed to this report.

New York Gov. Hochul calls for ‘transparent, independent review’ of Cornell response to alleged group rape

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday called for an outside investigation into Cornell University’s campus culture and its response to allegations by an unidentified female former student that she was raped by several men at a fraternity there in 2024.

The governor said in part that she is seeking to determine whether “Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice.”

“The allegations in this case are nothing short of horrifying. For any student to come forward after an experience like this takes extraordinary courage,” Hochul said in her statement.

“I support the district attorney’s decision to reopen the criminal investigation. But there are also serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response,” Hochul’s statement continued. “That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice.”

“No student should ever be left wondering whether the institutions meant to protect them will listen and act,” the statement also said.

“Cornell shares Governor Hochul’s commitment to addressing campus culture issues, which affect universities across the nation and New York. We are committed to continuing to work with state officials to advance student safety and wellbeing,” a Cornell spokesperson said in a statement provided to ABC News.

Prosecutors in central New York this week announced that they are reopening the investigation of the alleged sexual assault after a former Cornell student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell, sparking outrage about the incident.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement that his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, though he said the allegations in the civil complaint are “dramatically different” than the woman’s statement to police two years ago.

In an interview with ABC News, Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and said his office didn’t “independently investigate” the allegations.

Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo said on Monday that he would issue a directive for the city to stop issuing permits for student events at Cornell “until such time that the University conducts an accounting of its protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and publicly releases new standards and practices to keep our community safe.”

“Despite the severity of these crimes, Cornell University administrators and police failed to contact or coordinate any response with the Ithaca Police Department. Furthermore, the University failed to hold the perpetrators to account,” Cantelmo’s statement said. “This is a miscarriage of justice and continues to pose a significant threat to students and residents who may be victimized at unsafe and under-monitored on- or off-campus student events.”

Ithaca’s Common Council would have to adopt the resolution for it to take effect.

The Ithaca Police Department said in a statement Monday that the alleged incident wasn’t reported to them at the time and that they “learned of these allegations recently through the media.”

“We understand these allegations are being taken very seriously by Cornell University and the Tomkins County District Attorney’s Office,” the statement further said. “We encourage members of our community to report allegations to the Ithaca Police Department.”

Alcohol, motorcycles: Which Canadian products are banned by the US?

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) A United States ban of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Canadian products took effect on Tuesday, escalating a trade war between the longtime allies and pinching imports from one of the top U.S. trade partners.

The ban applies to an array of products spanning from alcohol to motorcycles to dairy goods, White House documents show.

In all, the affected products account for $967 million worth of annual imports from Canada, Jacob Jensen, director of trade policy at the right-leaning American Action Forum, said in a blog post.

Nearly $9 of every $10 worth of impacted products belongs to the category of alcoholic beverages, making them the primary target of the ban, Jensen said. The move comes after some Canadian provinces pulled U.S.-made alcohol off of liquor store shelves, crimping sales for American producers.

The list of banned alcoholic products includes beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, rum and brandy.

The policy also bars some mopeds and motorcycles, as well as some food items featuring whey, a popular protein-rich additive derived from dairy. Molasses and non-alcoholic beer also stand among the banned imports.

Still, the U.S. ban applies to a small fraction of U.S. imports from Canada. The U.S. imported roughly $381 billion worth of goods in 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative found, meaning the ban covers 0.2% of Canadian products shipped to the U.S.

The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition — a trade group representing farmers, retailers and other members of the U.S. alcohol supply chain — issued a statement on Tuesday criticizing the ban.

“We appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to encouraging Canada to reopen its market to American spirits and wine products,” the organization told ABC News.

“However, as this ban on Canadian spirits and wines takes effect today, America’s restaurants, bars, retailers and consumers are being pulled further into a trade dispute that has already taken a significant toll on U.S. wine and spirits producers,” the group added.

A tit-for-tat trade war erupted in August after official negotiations collapsed and a fresh round of U.S. levies took hold. Within days, Canadian officials unveiled what they described as a set of matching tariffs.

Canada’s retaliatory measure, which took effect earlier this month, targets about $20 billion worth of U.S. products, mirroring the size of the U.S. levies.

The goods impacted by both countries’ levies total about 4.5% of annual trade between the U.S. and Canada, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said. For now, levies apply to a sliver of goods that travel between the U.S. and Canada, limiting the impact of the trade dispute.

Trump has carried out on-again, off-again trade negotiations with Canada since he took office, aiming to resolve a dispute that began with tariffs announced by Trump early in his second term.

Trump has repeatedly claimed Canada takes advantage of its proximity to the large U.S. consumer market, while preventing many U.S. sellers from reaching Canadian shoppers.

“On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with,” Trump said on his social media platform in August. “They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has criticized fresh U.S. tariffs as a pressure campaign that disadvantages Canadian exporters, describing retaliatory levies as an effort to protect Canada’s economy.

“I don’t believe in escalating the conflict. That’s not constructive, but our tariffs are necessary to protect our workers, protect our companies and our communities. We can’t let American goods into Canada tariff-free while they charge our companies to export,” Carney said in a video message posted earlier this month.

18-year-old in ICE detention for more than 200 days: ‘They just took me away’

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Elder Chavez Carranza believed his last year of high school would consist of preparations for his graduation, prom and planning for his future.

Instead, the 18-year-old has spent more than 200 days in an immigration detention center in Louisiana, hundreds of miles from his home in Albertville, Alabama.

Chavez Carranza who is from Copan, Honduras, entered the U.S. when he was 14 and was later granted Special Immigrant Juvenile classification when he was a minor, a designation for certain immigrant children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected that provides humanitarian protection, his lawyer said.

According to immigration lawyers, the primary benefit of SIJS is that it provides eligible youth under 21 a pathway to obtain a green card. Historically, immigration authorities exercised prosecutorial discretion to avoid arresting or deporting individuals with pending or approved SIJS applications.

The 18-year-old said he was on his way to buy food when a police officer stopped him and began asking about his identification and immigration papers. After explaining to the officer that he did not have documents with him, he said the officer contacted immigration authorities.

“I was going to buy a torta when the officer stopped me. He first asked me for my ID and whether I had papers. I told him, ‘no.’ Then he called ICE. They asked me what kind of papers I had, and I told them I had status. But they didn’t even give me time to show them my papers. They just took me away,” Chavez Carranza told ABC News from detention.

Dalaney Mecham, Chavez Carranza’s immigration attorney, said he had already been granted SIJ classification by USCIS but that a separate deferred-action application, which could allow him to remain in the U.S while pursuing the next steps in his immigration case, has not been resolved.

“The federal government has already decided that he deserves protection; Congress decided that children like him deserve protection; and USCIS has already looked at his application and approved it,” Mecham said. “The only thing standing between him and that protection while he waits for his lawful process to continue is the very same government that created this pathway.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told ABC News that “Chavez-Carranza will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings.”

“He will receive full due process,” DHS added. “Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App.”

For the past nine months, Chavez Carranza has been at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, separated from his family, friends and school.

His sister, Maryuri Chavez Carranza, who is his legal guardian, says he calls her every day.

“He tells me, ‘I really miss my teachers. I miss my friends. I miss everything about school,'” Maryuri told ABC News.

Immigration advocate Angela Del Valle says she became involved in Chavez Carranza’s case after her husband, Carlos, was detained at the same facility and met the 18-year-old there.

Del Valle says she began communicating with his sister and helping the family navigate the detention process. She now speaks with Chavez Carranza regularly and is among the advocates pushing for his release.

“Above all, we want him to know that he’s not forgotten,” Del Valle said. “We also want the community there at Winn to know that he’s cared for, that he’s not forgotten.”

Advocates and lawmakers have raised concerns about the conditions of the facility where Chavez Carranza is detained. In less than two months, two detainees have died at Winn. DHS has said in statements that the deaths are under investigation and has defended its treatment of detainees in detention centers.

The 18-year -old is one of thousands of people who have been in prolonged detention after being detained by federal immigration authorities, ABC News has reported.

Chavez Carranza said that when he first arrived at Winn, he did not feel comfortable. Over time, he said he began forming friendships with other detainees, including Carlos, who he said was one of the first people he met.

“I do feel protected with them,” he said. “They are older people, and they always look out for me.”

In detention, the 18-year-old works at the facility unloading trucks. He said that for now, he is focused on finding the strength to get through each day in detention.

“What I ask for most right now, while I’m here, is for God to give me strength so I can keep enduring this confinement. It’s very difficult here,” he said.

Pro-Trump ad campaign was financed by DHS: Sources

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration used funds from the Department of Homeland Security to air TV ads featuring President Donald Trump in recent days, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The money was moved into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) account for “commemorative events” on Sept. 19, and federal contract data shows that a contract of $20 million was awarded the next day to the LMD Agency, a Maryland-based advertising agency for a “National Media Campaign.” Days later, the ads began airing.

CBP is the the agency within DHS that is responsible for securing the nation’s border and ports of entry. The funds appear to have been drawn from Trump’s signature tax and spending bill passed in 2025. The bill provided $6.2 billion for a variety of border security improvements, but also for “commemorating efforts and events related to border security.”

LMD Agency did not immediately respond to ABC’s request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the source of the federal funds.

DHS has been known to use funds for advertising campaigns, including spending millions of advertisements encouraging people who are in the country illegally to self-deport.

The federal government has spent at least $1.7 million to air three different TV ads featuring Trump in recent days, according to an estimate from AdImpact, which tracks and analyzes political ad spending across TV, digital and connected TV channels.

DHS directed inquires to the White House. In a statement to ABC News, a White House spokesperson said: “These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad. The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”

Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee responded by sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding he answer questions about the breakdown of the funds, whether the ads are expected to continue, and DHS’s role in facilitating their airing.

“The American people deserve answers about how this president is literally stealing their tax dollars to air campaign ads celebrating himself — while doing nothing to help them afford health care or housing,” the letter says.

Another Trump loyalist helping lead probe into Trump investigations resigns

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Another top Trump loyalist tasked to help lead a controversial conspiracy probe targeting President Trump’s political foes has resigned from the Justice Department, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.

The resignation of Kurt Olsen, a 2020 election denier who was assigned to the so-called “grand conspiracy” probe in Southern Florida earlier this year, comes just weeks after Trump ally Joe diGenova similarly announced his departure after suggesting to the New York Post that he was being pressured by DOJ leadership to bring charges without supporting evidence.

Olsen had no prior prosecutorial experience and was deeply involved in litigation surrounding President Trump’s efforts to challenge his 2020 election loss.

Olsen could not immediately be reached for comment. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment to ABC News.

Other line prosecutors on the investigation are also said to have departed the U.S. attorney’s office in South Florida in recent days, sources said, though one source said that those officials had only been temporarily assigned to the office on a detail basis and that their terms had expired.

Additional attorneys were recently been added to assist in the conspiracy probe in recent weeks, that source said.

The investigation, as detailed by Justice Department officials and other allies of the White House, purports to be examining intelligence officials and others who investigated President Trump and his inner circle dating back to his 2016 presidential campaign, up to the criminal probes he faced after leaving office in 2021. Trump has denied all charges.

The novel theory underpinning the probe has been a source of skepticism by current and former federal prosecutors, who have questioned the premise of charging Trump’s foes under a civil rights statute known as “deprivation of rights under color of law,” sources have said.

Several subjects of the investigation, including former CIA Director John Brennan, have been subpoenaed in recent weeks to testify before a grand jury in South Florida, according to attorneys.

Trump celebrates Senate passage of legislation to overhaul college sports

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump celebrated the Senate’s passage of the Protect College Sports Act, saying that the legislation will “save college sports” and is a “really big deal.”

“This is a really big deal. It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves,” Trump wrote in a Monday night social media post.

Trump has long been an advocate for this legislation and said in August that he would sign the bill “immediately” if it came across his desk — urging both the House and Senate to advance it.

On Monday night, the Senate passed the act with a vote of 77-22, bringing a massive restructuring of college athletics one step closer.

The legislation establishes a federal framework for college athletics to create one set system over the current patchwork of differing state rules. It creates one rulebook on how athletes can earn money from their name, image and likeness (NIL) and puts a cap on the amount of money schools can directly share with their athletes.

But it’s not just about money. The bill also deals with transfers, eligibility and media rights. Athletes can transfer to another school one time without losing a year of eligibility and student-athletes are given five years of eligibility with exceptions for certain circumstances such as a serious injury. The legislation also gives colleges the ability to negotiate broadcasting agreements collectively to give them more control over how their games are marketed and distributed.

Supporters of the bill say that it will add much-needed stability to the world of college athletics that has rapidly changed in recent years due to increasing NIL deals and frequent transfers. Senators — including Sen. Ted Cruz — argue that creating one national set of rules will reduce uncertainty and establish clear guidelines for compensation, eligibility and media rights.

“This bill puts an end to the chaos plaguing college athletics. It protects NIL opportunities because student athletes deserve the opportunity to benefit from their talent, without being taken advantage of by unscrupulous agents and backdoor deals, it creates clear, enforceable rules for eligibility and transfers. It protects our traditions and rivalries,” Cruz said on the Senate floor ahead of Monday’s vote.

While the bill received bipartisan support in the Senate on Monday, there were still concerns from many senators, largely around the amount of leverage the bill gives to the NCAA. The NCAA will now be in charge of overseeing school compliance on certain portions of the bill while also being granted immunity from federal antitrust lawsuits when enforcing its rules.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the bill’s opponents, argued that the legislation could give the NCAA greater legal protection and authority without giving athletes an equivalent role in negotiating the rules that govern them.

“You don’t need a bill of this sweeping scope to address what are a set of minor but important practices in college athletics that have gotten out of control. We could have either passed a very narrow bill here to address the agent issue and the transfer issue, or we could have done what happens in most industries, which is just say to the NCAA and to the colleges, tough luck. Congress isn’t going to come in here and micromanage your relationship with the athletes. If you want to work something out, sit down and talk to the athletes about it,” Murphy said.

On Monday night, the NCAA thanked the senators who supported the legislation and looked ahead to the next hurdle: House passage.

“The NCAA thanks the many senators who sponsored this bill — including Senators Cruz, Cantwell, Schmitt and Coons — as well as the many other senators who voted for the bill, for their bipartisan effort to protect this uniquely American tradition of college sports in the decades to come,” the NCAA wrote in a social media post. “Now the bill moves to the U.S. House of Representatives and there is much work left to do to ensure student-athlete benefits are codified into federal law and future generations of young people can access those benefits and use college sports as the launching point for their careers.”

The bipartisan piece of legislation still faces obstacles in the House.

The Congressional Black Caucus has come out against the bill because they believe it doesn’t include strong enough protections and economic opportunities for Black athletes. Additionally, some conservative House members have expressed criticism for similar legislation, arguing the government is trying to have too much oversight over college sports.

The House remains out of session for their midterm recess and it is unlikely that they will be called back to Washington early to consider the legislation.

So while the legislation is now in the red zone, it’s going to take more than a “tush push” to get it into the end zone and onto the president’s desk.

X2 roller coaster shut down at Six Flags Magic Mountain amid lawsuits

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The X2 rollercoaster, which is the subject of multiple lawsuits, has been shut down, the president of Six Flags Magic Mountain announced Tuesday.

“After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding said in a statement posted on the Six Flags blog.

“While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” Oerding said.

Lawsuits allege riders suffered major brain injuries after riding the X2 roller coaster. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say more than 100 people have come forward.

X2 has been closed since July 12 and will now stay closed.

The lawsuits allege the ride had design problems dating back to when the ride first opened in 2002, originally called X.

According to court documents, Pamela Guillen and her family visited Six Flags Magic Mountain in July of this year for her daughter’s 16th birthday. Guillen said X2 was the family’s final ride of the day.

After exiting the ride, Guillen said she felt confused and disoriented. Her next memory was waking up in a hospital two weeks later and learning from her family that she had undergone emergency brain surgery.

“I was confused and disoriented, and I remember seeing the fear in my daughter’s eyes and how scared she was,” Guillen recalled. “Everything went blank. My next memory is waking up in the hospital about two weeks later.”

Guillen is one of three people who recently filed lawsuits against Six Flags Magic Mountain alleging they suffered major brain injuries after riding X2.

“I had suffered a traumatic brain injury and needed emergency brain surgery to stop the bleeding and had to be intubated. I was in a coma. I spent almost a month at the hospital,” Guillen said.

Another plaintiff, Michael Wick, visited the park with his family and rode X2. Wick’s attorney said he has undergone two brain surgeries and is now unable to practice law because of a disability.

Six days after Guillen collapsed while exiting X2, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode the coaster. Her parents said they are still waiting for her to begin breathing on her own.

“Naomi, 25 years old, still hasn’t come home. Her parents, Artemis and Josh, are with her every single day and wonder when she’s going to be able to breathe on her own again,” said Christopher Bulone, a partner with Dordick Law.

“Magic Mountain, as a business, seems to think that it’s OK that if people voluntarily choose to ride a roller coaster, then they’ve assumed the risk. No! They don’t assume a risk of death or catastrophic brain damage for some family fun,” said Gary Dordick, owner of Dordick Law.

Magic Mountain has previously settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley. That lawsuit alleged Hawley died after riding X2 in 2022.

Hurricane Polo makes Baja landfall, headed for a 2nd in Mexico

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Polo made landfall in Baja California overnight and is expected to make a second landfall on the mainland of Mexico on Tuesday.

Polo slammed the Baja California Peninsula near Las Barrancas as a Category 2 hurricane, packing dangerous winds of 96 to 110 mph.

After making landfall around 11 p.m. local time, Polo was downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it trekked across the Baja and took aim at the Sonora region of mainland Mexico.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Polo formed into a Pacific hurricane on Sept. 20, one of three hurricanes to develop in the Pacific at the same time.

Near-record levels of moisture are coming in from the Pacific, aided by strong flow from Polo.

The hurricane’s remnants will eventually merge later Tuesday with an existing storm system and supercharge moisture across a large swath of the United States.

More than 30 million people on Tuesday across a dozen states from California and Texas to Iowa are under a flood watch.

Overnight, multiple flash flood warnings were in effect across Utah and Arizona.

Zion National Park saw near-record flooding along the Virgin River and Heaps Canyon as a flash flood wave moved through on Monday night.

Water rescues were made on Monday evening in Bullhead City, Arizona, after a vehicle got trapped in floodwaters.

3 hikers in Big Sur saved in overnight rescue operation

September 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Three hikers were airlifted to safety by rescue crews early Monday morning after becoming lost and disoriented in a Big Sur state park, according to officials.

The hikers called 911 at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday to request emergency assistance, prompting a joint search-and-rescue operation by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Big Sur Fire, and a naval air station in the area, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the hikers was experiencing a medical emergency when they called 911, the sheriff’s office said.

The group was located at about 12:30 a.m. The sheriff’s office team located them Monday and hoisted them to safety with “Lasso 3,” a Navy search-and-rescue helicopter, according to the release.

Rescue teams undertook a 2.5-mile hike at about 2,000 feet of elevation along trails that needed to be cleared with machetes and chainsaws because of overgrowth to reach the hikers, authorities said.

The three were hiking in Limekiln State Park along the Big Sur coastline, officials said.

The three were turned over to Big Sur Fire and Ambulance personnel upon their safe return and the mission was concluded at about 4 a.m. on Monday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reminds those venturing into the backcountry to know their limitations and prepare before departing. Hikers are encouraged to use established trails, carry a GPS-enabled device for navigation, and tell a family member or friend when they leave and their expected return time.

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