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Trump signs security agreement with Greenland and Denmark, but isn’t ‘complete’ change

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed a security deal with the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“This has been an amazing journey with tremendous people,” Trump said of Denmark’s Mette Frederikson and Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States, for everybody, and for Greenland,” Trump said. “It’s going to be incredible, and the people of Greenland have been so nice. The people of Denmark have been amazing, and so I know it’s going to be a long-term, fantastic relationship.”

The agreement comes after months of escalating rhetoric from Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to take over the territory citing national security purposes. Trump’s threats, including refusing to rule out taking the territory by military force, sowed tension between the U.S. and its European allies and sparked consternation from Greenlanders.

Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, resisted Trump’s calls to “take over” the island via acquisition or military force. Danish leaders said they were open to negotiating new frameworks for the U.S. military’s presence, but that the sovereignty of the territory was a red line.

The text of the trilateral agreement reveals some red tape that constrains what Trump administration officials have billed as the “complete ability” to do what it deems necessary in Greenland.

While the deal appears to fall short of the “Complete and Total Control” by the U.S. that Trump once called for, it does grant the U.S. ability to expand its military footprint in Greenland.

The deal gives Greenland and Denmark the authority to review requests from the U.S. to build unmanned military installations “under accelerated governmental approval procedures.”

Frederikson praised the agreement, saying that it was “bigger and better” than the deal struck with the U.S. in 1951.

“Seventy-five years ago, we entered into an agreement about the defense of Greenland. Today we are signing an even bigger and better agreement, a deal that can last forever,” she said.

“Mr. President, you have been very clear. You don’t want adversaries to come too close. I fully agree, and with this deal, they are not,” she added.

Under the 1951 agreement amended by the new pact, the U.S. already enjoyed wide latitude to scale up its bases and military footprint on the island.

Nielsen acknowledged that the U.S. national security concerns are legitimate and praised the negotiation process that led to the agreement.

“The security landscape in the Arctic is changing, and we recognize the long term security threats that you, Mr. President, have rightly spoken about. It is for that very reason that we have insisted on engaging in a constructive dialog,” he said. “Your security is our security, and our security is your security.”

Nielsen called the agreement historic and a “win-win-win” for all parties.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte posted on X, “This agreement, along with NATO’s growing role in securing this vital region, enhances our collective security and supports a safer and more stable future for us all.”

In a post on his social media platform last Friday, Trump declared, “At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America.”

The text of the deal affirms released Tuesday states that the U.S. can “modernize and expand its activities” at its existing Pituffik Space Base and says it can establish additional bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, following specific terms that the signatories had already agreed to.

If the U.S. wants to expand its footprint beyond that, the agreement requires that it puts forward a proposal that all parties will “immediately convene” to review via a standing committee that was established by an earlier memorandum of understanding.

If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the deal specifies that the proposal will then be elevated to the deputy minister level, and if that fails to the minister level — secretary of state and equivalents. The text does not say what would happen if those consultations don’t end in a consensus.

The deal gives Greenland and Denmark the authority to review requests from the U.S. to build unmanned military installations “under accelerated governmental approval procedures.”

While the agreement details the U.S. military’s right of free access to land, air and sea routes, it does not appear to materially advance privileges granted by the 1951 defense pact.

The agreement also bars non-NATO from establishing military installations in Greenland unless the three parties agree to make an exception.

The agreement also bans countries and individuals from countries that are either not NATO members or partners nor members of the European Union from having control or significant influence over “Particularly Sensitive Sectors” that includes critical infrastructure and the extraction of resources. The deal puts Greenland in charge of ensuring these prohibitions are upheld under its current or future investment screening laws.

The agreement specifies it has no end date and it plans for a contingency in which Greenland declares its independence from Denmark. An independent Greenland will agree to remain a member of NATO, athough that decision would likely not be entirely up to Greenland, the U.S. or Denmark — joining the alliance requires the approval of all NATO members and an independent Greenland would have to go through the application process.

Trump in United Nations speech says ‘big decision’ ahead: Make a deal or ‘annihilate’ Iran

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said during his speech to global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday that he has a “big decision” to make: to strike a deal with Iran to end the war or to “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and “drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness.”

“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump said.

“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” Trump added.

The president’s message comes as a core Iranian delegation traveled to New York for the gathering of world leaders.

Since the war began nearly seven months ago the president has made repeated threats to launch devastating attacks on Iran, only to pull back in hopes of a deal. He has backed off large threats on at least eight occasions.

The president has claimed that he is not on any timeline and told reporters that the upcoming midterm elections do not impact his strategy. On Tuesday, Trump said in his speech that he doesn’t believe there will be an agreement before the midterm elections.

“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” Trump said.

But later, Trump claimed that he will “get it done” fast when it comes to Iran.

“In addition, the United States and Iran will definitely get it done. We will get it done, one way or the other. It’s going to be done. It’s got to be done fast,” Trump added.

The president also pushed back on assertions that the U.S. is low on munitions despite a Pentagon report acknowledging the war with Iran created a shortage.

“The cowards and traitors would love to say the United States is low and munitions, but that’s not true. We have more munitions than we could ever possibly even think of using, and we’re building them at levels that we have never done before. We are adding to our stockpiles faster than we have ever been able to do before,” Trump said.

The president seemed to make his case for the war as the impacts reverberate across the globe, once again pointing to the history of terrorism and oppression by the Iranian regime.

“As president of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day,” the president said.

“I do not believe in letting problems fester. They only become harder to solve. So while others have talked, I have acted. While others have spoken of peace, I have made peace. While others have ignored threats, I have confronted them,” Trump added.

The president also thanked the UN for its support for a resolution to say that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. He also made the case to European allies that his decision to go to war with Iran would also protect them, saying he hoped those nations “realized that.”

The president, after making the case for the war, then urged global leaders to show unity — and promised that crushing oil prices will fall as soon as the war ends.

“If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror, and oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict. And they were very low in the United States. They were really low. With courage and resolve, anything is possible,” Trump said.

The average gallon of regular is $4.46 a gallon — around $1.52 more since the start of the war; diesel is at $6.51 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Trump asserts U.S. dominance over Western Hemisphere

Trump threatened other countries during his speech, asserting American dominance over the Western Hemisphere.

The president took aim at the United States’ neighbors to the south, including Cuba, saying that his administration is “seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba.”

“Marco Rubio is handling a negotiation. He’s deep into negotiations with Cuba. Let’s see what happens. We’ll not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep,” the president said, as the Cuban delegation rose from their seats to exit the assembly hall.

Trump touted his administration’s collaboration with the regime of Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who rose to power after the U.S.-led ouster of Nicolas Maduro. The two are set to meet Tuesday evening.

Trump highlighted that the U.S. signed an oil deal with the Rodriguez regime in August, which he has claimed will drive down gas prices around the world.

The president also promoted the United States’ unilateral strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, comparing drug cartels to “the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.”

“Upon taking office, I designated the drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and unleashed the United States Armed forces to eliminate them,” Trump said.

Trump also noted that he struck a new agreement with Greenland, which he said would give the U.S. greater control over the island.

“We will have the complete ability to do what is necessary to defend the American continent, and also Europe and other places,” Trump said of the agreement.

Trump signed the security deal with the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark later Tuesday.

Trump said he won’t ‘rein in’ artificial intelligence development

As lawmakers and tech leaders express concerns about artificial intelligence and its rapid growth, Trump said that the U.S. will “encourage” AI development, instead of “rein it in.”

“Other law enforcement bodies that will rein things in if we have to do that, but we will only encourage super-intelligence. We’re going to encourage it, not rein it in. We’re going to watch it closely through the Department of Justice,” Trump said.

Trump, who said he would rebrand “artificial intelligence” as “super-intelligence,” repeated his message that the U.S. leads China on AI development — and that “whoever wins super-intelligence wins.”

“I’m not going to stifle growth of something that will be bigger than the Industrial Revolution, many say bigger than the Industrial Revolution or the internet itself,” Trump said.

LA County sees highest number of West Nile virus cases in nearly a decade

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Los Angeles County is seeing the highest number of West Nile virus cases in nearly a decade, health officials said Monday.

The county has reported 100 cases so far this year. This is the highest figure since 2017 when 268 cases were recorded for the entire season.

The number of current cases is also greater than the five-year average during the same period, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA County DPH).

So far, 94 people have been hospitalized and five people have died, the health department said.

Of the 100 cases, 96 were symptomatic with the most recent onset of illness occurring on Sept. 4, according to LA County DPH.

The health department said that one-third of infected patients live in the East Los Angeles area, about a quarter live in the San Fernando Valley area and about a fifth live in the South Bay region.

It comes as the California Department of Public Health is reporting the highest levels of West Nile virus activity in five years, local health officials said.

So far, the U.S. has seen 671 cases this year across 42 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The true number of infections is likely higher because cases typically peak in August and September and reporting is delayed.

Public health officials have been warning that rising temperatures have allowed mosquitoes to thrive, increasing the risk of the diseases they spread, including West Nile.

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S., according to the CDC.

Mosquitoes typically become infected with the virus after feeding on infected birds and then spread it to humans and other animals, the federal health agency said.

Risk increases with older age; certain medical conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure and kidney disease; and a weakened immune system.

Most people infected are believed to have lifelong immunity but those with certain conditions may have their immunity wane over time.

Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most symptoms disappear, but weakness and fatigue may last for weeks or months.

About one in 150 patients will develop severe disease leading to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Both can lead to death, the CDC says.

Each year, about 2,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with West Nile virus, but the CDC says this is likely an undercount because most people either don’t develop symptoms or believe their mild symptoms were caused by another illness.

More than 1,300 people develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system, the CDC says.

There are no licensed vaccines or medications that protect against the virus. The CDC recomemnds using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants, treating clothing and gear and taking steps to control mosquitoes. The last step includes putting screens on windows and doors, using air conditioning and emptying out containers with still water.

American F-16 fighter jet crashes near US air base in Germany, military says

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — An American F-16 fighter jet crashed near a U.S. air base in western Germany on Tuesday, according to military officials.

The pilot “ejected safely” and is receiving medical care, U.S. Air Base Spangdahlem said in a statement.

“Emergency response personnel are on scene,” the statement said. “The cause of the incident is under investigation.”

The fighter jet, assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, crashed at 2:30 p.m. local time. Smoke could be seen in video near the scene.

The news comes days after a separate Texas National Guard F-16 crash in Michigan last week.

Converse pulls controversial ad, apologizes following backlash over alleged KKK imagery

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Converse has discontinued an advertisement following public backlash last week over what critics said appeared to be Ku Klux Klan symbolism and lynching in the shoe and apparel company’s ad campaign.

One of the images in the ad showed the bottom half of a person wearing a white, calf-length skirt-like garment that some critics said resembled a KKK robe, while holding a pair of black sneakers in one hand with their arm fully extended down by their side.

Critics said lighting in the photograph makes the shoes look as if they are dangling in the air next to the person in the white garment, resembling someone being hanged.

Shadows in the photograph also create a triangle-shaped light on the white robe that critics said further resembled the top peak of a Klan hood.

“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong,” Converse, who is owned by Nike Inc., said in a statement to ABC News Monday. “We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened and we will do better.”

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who represented the family of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was chased and fatally shot by three white men while jogging in Georgia in February 2020, weighed in on the controversial promotional campaign.

“We keep having this conversation because corporations keep failing the same test,” Merritt said in a social media post. “Do better means catching this before it airs — not after we’re offended.”

Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said in a statement that the advertisement was neither creative nor artistic.

“Black pain is not a marketing prop,” Carter said. “Lynching is not a creative concept. The Ku Klux Klan is not an aesthetic.”

The photos were part of a campaign to promote the Chuck 70 X sneaker. The advertisement was a collaboration with K-pop singer Karina, who is with the group aespa.

ABC News has reached out to representatives of Karina for a comment.

ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this story.

What GLP-1 users should know about the potential risk of a rare type of vision loss

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Dozens of Americans have filed personal injury lawsuits against the makers of popular GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, claiming they were not properly warned of the risk of a rare type of sudden vision loss, called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, when taking the medications.

Researchers have been studying a possible link between GLP-1 drugs and this eye condition in recent years after a possible safety signal was reported from a single health center in Boston in 2024, but so far, no study has proven these drugs are the cause.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said they take “all reports of adverse events very seriously,” and pushed back against these claims, stating, “Novo believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and are vigorously defending them,” a spokesperson told ABC News.

Adding, “Novo is committed to patient safety and continuously monitors the safety profile of our GLP-1 RA products. Should emerging safety data warrant further action, appropriate measures will be implemented in accordance with regulatory requirements.”

A spokesperson for Lilly, who manufactures Zepbound and Mounjaro, told ABC News, “Patientsafety is Lilly’s top priority. We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the FDA. As part of our routine safety review process, we have ongoing discussions with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data, including any data regarding ophthalmic issues.”

Here’s what GLP-1 users should know about this condition and what the science says.

What is NAION?

Although a rare condition overall, Dr. John Chen, a professor of ophthalmology and neurology at Mayo Clinic, said, “NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy in patients over the age of 50. It’s essentially a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve, where patients typically have pretty acute onset of painless vision loss.”

That vision loss is usually permanent, and there is no specific treatment for the condition at this time, Chen told ABC News.

Dr. Raj Maturi, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ophthalmologist at Midwest Eye Institute, told ABC News that people with diabetes, regardless of GLP-1 use, can be at increased risk of developing this condition, and other risks include overnight low blood pressure or a very small optic nerve cup.

Vision problems are listed as possible side effects of these medications, but the Food and Drug Administration does not currently require the drug makers to list NAION as a specific risk.

The agency’s Sentinel Initiative does say a review is ongoing that aims to scientifically evaluate the possible safety signal related to GLP-1 drugs and NAION that is still in progress.

In a statement provided to ABC News, a spokesperson for the FDA said, “The FDA routinely monitors the safety of drug products postmarketing. The FDA identifies safety signals from a variety of sources, evaluates the available data and takes regulatory actions when appropriate.”

Other countries have required the drug makers to include a warning that there may be a possible increased risk of developing NAION if taking some of these medications based on their review of available evidence, including the European Medicines Agency and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, both citing it as a rare possible side effect.

In general, safety signals don’t alwayspan out as true risks for all medications and not every possible side effect is caused directly by the medication itself.

Drugs that are FDA-approved undergo rigorous clinical trials, are heavily scrutinized before reaching the market, and post-marketing safety is continuously monitored.

What does the science say?

“Several studies suggest that there is a potential link between NAION, or eye stroke, and GLP-1 use,” Maturi said. “However it is important to note that causation has not been proven. And the risk does seem to be rare,” Maturi said.

In 2024, researchers at a single health system in Boston published data that suggested people with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist and the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may be at increased risk of developing this type of vision loss.

Since then, more research has been done with larger studies that have shown mixed results as to whether a link does exist, and no study to date has proven that these medications cause this eye condition.

“There are significant benefits from the GLP-1’s for severe obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease. That’s proven time and time again with these randomized clinical trials,” Chen said. “We didn’t have to pull the plug on those trials because people were going blind. So again, if there is an association, it’s a very low risk.”

The European Medicines Agency estimates this eye condition could possibly impact 1 out of every 10,000 GLP-1 users who have diabetes, based on their analysis of available information.

In a joint statement, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology said, “While many report a small possible increased risk of NAION in patients taking GLP-1 RAs such as semaglutide, some studies report no correlation, and the overall magnitude of the risk of NAION remains low.”

Maturi and Chen both said that the data isn’t conclusive so far and more research is needed to understand if GLP-1 drugs have a true role in developing NAION.

What should GLP-1 users do?

Doctors recommend that people always discuss any potential side effects of a medication with their own doctor and warn that there are proven health risks, including eye problems, if diabetes and obesity go untreated.

“For any patients already taking semaglutide who have not experienced any symptoms, they should continue to do so as instructed and discuss any questions or concerns with their primary care physician,” Maturi said.

Chen said he doesn’t believe this potential risk should prevent most people from using GLP-1 medications if they are recommended by a doctor to help treat an underlying health condition but cautions that people who have experienced NAION in one eye already may need to weigh the possible risks more closely with their doctor.

“We’re not sure if the GLP-1 is connected or not. We know this helps with diabetes, heart disease, and severe obesity,” Chen said. “We essentially don’t want you to stop your meds without talking to your doctor, and if you do have sudden painless vision loss, you should be seen by an eye doctor.”

Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit. ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze also contributed to this reporting.

Republican senator calls for Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden

September 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis is calling on Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Dick Dubin, D-Ill., to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden as part of an investigation into “the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment or access by domestic and foreign interests” that Curtis is urging the senators to open.

Curtis’ letter comes after he posted a video on X Friday saying that reports that Donald Trump Jr.’s two-day wedding afterparty in May had been funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin “stink” and are “corruption.” He promised further action on the topic.

President Donald Trump said last week that his son had repaid the oligarch for the afterparty costs, though no evidence of that alleged repayment has been publicly offered.

“As I understand it, he paid them back. He didn’t want to have that, so I hear he paid them back. A person that he knows pretty, I guess a friend of his, gave him a wedding party. That’s very common,” the president said.

“The country should not have to accept one standard for the family of a Republican president and another for the family of a Democratic president. Nor should congressional oversight begin and end when control of the White House changes hands,” Curtis writes in the letter.

“I therefore respectfully request that the Senate Judiciary Committee launch an investigation into the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests,” Curtis’ letter continued. “As part of that investigation, I urge the Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden to testify regarding their past business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts, or other benefits they have received, and any instances in which their relationship to the President was invoked or understood to provide value.”

Hunter Biden, the youngest son of former President Joe Biden, has faced years of Republican and congressional scrutiny over unproven claims that he and his father, who was then vice president, allegedly pressured a Ukrainian oligarch to pay them millions of dollars to orchestrate the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor who at the time was investigating Burisma, the energy company of which the oligarch was CEO. Hunter Biden sat on Burisma’s board at the time.

Sen. Durbin said Tuesday that he supports Curtis’ “good faith request” for the investigation.

“Corruption must never be tolerated,” Durbin said in a statement, in part. “To ignore this is to run the risk of being complicit. I will join in supporting Senator Curtis’ request of the Judiciary Committee.”

An ABC News request for comment sent to Sen. Grassley did not immediately receive a response.

Curtis is not a member of the Judiciary Committee and would not be involved in any vote to subpoena Hunter Biden or Donald Trump Jr. However, his is the most direct admonishment regarding recent reports concerning Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding that has come from any Republican on Capitol Hill.

In his letter, Curtis raises direct concerns both about Hunter Biden’s “substantial business with foreign entities … while his father held or sought public office” and about “the relationship of President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with foreign business figures and the acceptance of significant gifts.”

Curtis writes that concerns about Trump Jr.’s activities are “compounded” by his “promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state, and his reported investments in defense contracting.”

“These reports raise legitimate questions about foreign access to members of a sitting president’s family and whether such relationships can create actual or perceived expectations of favorable treatment,” Curtis writes. “They also may create expectations of a returned favor that would not be in the best interests of the American people or our allies, and could even create national security vulnerabilities.”

Trucking company says long-term contracts are forcing it to absorb increasing cost of diesel

September 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — One Washington, D.C.-area waste collection company says the long-term agreements it has made with its customers means it can’t raise its rates fast enough to keep up with the rising cost of diesel fuel.

Marc Shaener, director of market development for JLT Trucking Inc., told ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze on Friday that rising diesel costs are costing the company $100,000 more per month for its fleet of more than 100 trucks.

“There’s no relief in sight,” Shaener said. “We can’t sustain it any longer, period, in that it’s going to detract from investment. It’s going to take away from our employees. It’s going to shrink business.”

Diesel prices have risen nearly 60% since the war with Iran began almost seven months ago. The average price of diesel hit a record high on Monday at around $6.49 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. The national average price sat near $3.70 a year ago.

Diesel prices rose 30.7 cents over the last week, according to GasBuddy, boosted by the flareup in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters today that the Navy is trying to push back against the Iranians “trying to terrorize international shipping.”

“We’re very cognizant of the fact that because the Iranians are terrorizing international shipping, energy prices are elevated,” Vance said. “We’re doing everything that we can to, one, try to clamp down on those prices, but give American people some relief in the interim.”

President Donald Trump has previously pointed to Ukraine’s attacks on energy infrastructure in Russia as driving up prices.

“Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine,” Trump posted on his social media platform on Monday. “A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission.”

Shaener said his fleet burns about 2,000 gallons of diesel a day to collect waste and recyclables in the D.C. and Baltimore region. He said he’ll now spend an extra $1.2 million a year on fuel.

“They rebounded so high and so fast that we can’t even change pricing fast enough to account for that cost,” Shaener said.

He said JLT can’t increase its rates to keep up because its contracts usually adjust annually or every five years so it has been forced to absorb its higher costs.

Shaener said his business is an economic indicator.

“When things go down, trash is the first to feel it. And we’re starting to feel it already,” he said. “People have budgets to hit. They can’t afford this, so they have to cut somewhere. They cut from the trash.”

Shaener said he feels like JLT’s employees and customers are political “pawns.”

“We have to tell our customers. We have to tell our employees. We have to tell our investors why we can’t do what we want, what we planned to do,” he said. “Why is that? That’s because someone somewhere is running a government that decided that they’re going to impact our industrial fuel economy.”

What to know about dengue fever as Florida reports 1st death and cases rise

September 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Florida Department of Health confirmed the state’s first death from dengue fever this year as cases of the mosquito-borne illness continue to rise.

The department did not provide any details about the patient including name, age, sex or residence.

The Tampa Bay Times, which first reported the death, described the patient as an 80-year-old Tampa woman who died on Sept. 4.

The FDOH did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment.

For the week ending Sept. 12, Florida has confirmed 152 locally acquired cases of dengue, according to data from the state health department.

This is the highest number recorded since 2023, when the state saw 189 locally acquired cases over the course of the year, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

Hillsborough County — which includes Tampa — has reported the most cases so far this year with 134, according to the FDOH. Other counties with confirmed cases include Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco and Pinellas.

Dengue viruses are spread through bites from infected Aedes species mosquitoes, mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions, according to the CDC. These mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading Zika and chikungunya viruses.

Dengue can be caused by dengue virus strains 1, 2, 3 or 4. A person also can be infected with dengue multiple times over the course of their life.

About one in four people who contract dengue develop symptoms which typically last two to seven days and are usually mild. This may include fever, rash, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain and bone pain.

About one in 20 infected people will develop severe dengue, which can lead to shock, internal bleeding and, in some cases, death, the CDC said.

There are no disease-specific treatments for dengue. The CDC recommends rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms. Patients with severe illness often need to be hospitalized and receive additional supportive treatments, such as intravenous fluids.

The CDC warns patients not to take aspirin or ibuprofen; it can trigger inflammation or bleeding of the stomach lining.

Currently, there is no dengue vaccine available in the U.S. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for children between ages 9 and 16 who have a laboratory-confirmed previous dengue virus infection and live in areas where dengue is endemic, but it has since been discontinued.

Methods to help prevent dengue infection include using effective mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside and staying in places with air conditioning when possible. The CDC also recommends emptying containers of still or stagnant water to eliminate places where mosquitos can breed.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.

‘Blatant violation’ of rights: News outlets file lawsuit over Trump ban

September 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The three news outlets banned from the White House by President Donald Trump on Monday filed a First Amendment lawsuit to restore their access.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico are seeking a temporary restraining order demanding the White House restore their reporters’ credentials after Trump announced the ban on Friday.

In a joint statement on Monday, the three news outlets said the lawsuit aims to “protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”

“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference,” the statement said.

Trump said in a social media post following the news on Monday that the barring of journalists was not “an assault on the Free Press” but instead “an assault on the FAKE NEWS,” which he claimed was a national security “threat.”

Trump said in a post to social media on Friday, “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”

At an event in the Oval Office shortly after he posted his message, the president suggested there may be more restrictions on other outlets. Trump told reporters he supports a free press, but that “you need a fair and honest press.”

“It’s sick. I mean, there’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stuff. Now, if they want to write them, that’s fine. But I don’t have to let them into my, into the people’s house,” Trump said.

Journalists from the three outlets were turned away from the White House over the weekend. A reporter from CNN said on air that she was told by a Secret Service agent that her badge had been deactivated.

The three outlets are challenging the legality of the president’s ban on multiple fronts, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit argues the ban violates the outlets’ reporters’ due process rights, that it unlawfully retaliates against their protected speech and that it violates the First Amendment by barring them from a nonpublic forum for unlawful reasons.

“This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles,” the news outlets wrote.

The lawsuit warns of a cascading effect for other news organizations should Trump seek to expand the scope of the ban, as he said he may do in his Friday remarks in the Oval Office.

“The ban is already severely impeding the ability of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO to cover the President and his administration,” according to the lawsuit. “Every day, critically important news is breaking at the White House and in the press pool: President Trump is the commander in chief of a country at war; he is traveling to New York today to address the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow; he is meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday; and he is steering national policy on the ever-advancing technology of artificial intelligence. And the ban inflicts an injury on all news media organizations—who now risk a similar fate if they engage in reporting the President deems insufficiently favorable.”

The five members of the White House TV pool — ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, Fox News Media and CNN — issued a statement on the matter on Monday, saying, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

Vice President JD Vance on Monday pushed back on the notion that Trump’s actions constituted a ban, saying that the White House would not provide “special access” to outlets it deems are spreading “propaganda” against the president and his agenda.

“He’s not banning media outlets. What he’s doing is saying we’re not going to give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda,” Vance said.

Trump’s initial social media post said he was “banning” the news outlets.

Vance was pressed by pool reporters traveling to with him on how this is not an attack on the First Amendment. Vance said the outlets are still able to report on the White House — it’s just that they won’t be able to maintain what he called “special access” to the building.

“Well, they can still report on the Trump White House. They can still get the public reports. They can still, of course, talk to people in the administration and outside the administration. What the president has said is, ‘we’re not going to give you special access inside the White House,'” Vance said.

The civil case has been assigned to D.C. District judge Timothy Kelly, who in 2018 oversaw former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s lawsuit that similarly sought to restore his press pass.

At the time, Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled in Acosta’s favor after finding that the Trump White House did not afford him proper due process in revoking his credentials.

The full D.C. Circuit and the Supreme Court have yet to establish settled precedent in the wake of Trump’s earlier attempted ban on The Associated Press from being part of the press pool and attending certain White House events last year.

While a D.C. District court judge backed the AP, a three-judge panel with the D.C. Circuit put the ruling on hold and later wrote that “restricted presidential spaces are not First Amendment fora opened for private speech and discussion.”

Monday’s lawsuit is expected to cite a 1977 ruling in which the full D.C. Circuit found that the White House cannot arbitrarily deny a journalist a press pass without due process.

“As the D.C. Circuit has long held, the interest that members of the press have in their White House hard passes is ‘protected by the first amendment’ and ‘undoubtedly qualifies as liberty which may not be denied without due process of law under the fifth amendment,'” the attorneys wrote, according to the court papers shared by Politico.

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.

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