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June 14 primaries key takeaways: Trump’s political sway renewed as SC ousts one of his critics

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As former President Donald Trump’s presidential legacy is tested in Washington this week, with the Jan. 6 hearings dominating Capitol Hill, his political power — and the sway of his election denying — saw a renewed test in the midterm primaries in a handful of states.

Voters took the polls in South Carolina, Nevada, Maine, North Dakota and Texas’ 34 Congressional District Tuesday night, delivering historic turnout numbers and allowing voters to give Republicans who defied the former president a second chance at keeping their jobs, and some Democrats to lose theirs.

Here are some of the key takeaways from Tuesday’s races:

Trump finally lands incumbent ouster

While Trump’s had some success in backing candidates in open races, he’s had major difficulty in knocking off their perch incumbent members of his party who have challenged him in some way, putting aside the score of Trump-scorned Republicans who have decided to not seek re-election.

But finally, on Tuesday, Trump was able to handedly bump one of the most vocal off that list, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina, rendering him out of a job come November.

Rice was one of the ten Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment, a “conservative vote” he told ABC News’ Jon Karl that he would make again in a heartbeat, even if it cost him his job. And lost his job he did, to MAGA-world challenger Russell Fry, who was quick to paint Rice as a traitor to his party. The demographic makeup of Rice’s district, toward the northern border of the state where voters trend far more conservative, may have also contributed to the massive backlash against Rice, pushing folks toward Fry’s direction.

Now, with newly-won swagger, Trump will undoubtedly charge on to defeat another impeachment-vote member of his party, and perhaps his biggest enemy yet, in Wyoming: Rep. Liz Cheney. The question remains: can lightning — and political luck — strike twice?

Nancy Mace’s tightrope walk pays off in Trump proxy war

Totally flipped dynamics greeted South Carolina’s 1st District, where Trump was wholly unsuccessful in booting a challenger in Rep. Nancy Mace, who carried her primary win by at least 10 points. Mace defeated cybersecurity expert Katie Arrington, who beat Rep. Mark Sanford in his primary in 2018 but ultimately lost the race to Rep. Joe Cunningham, who historically flipped the district Democrat during the slate of “blue wave races.”

Arrington bet that voters in the low country would see Mace as something of a flip-flop, first condemning Trump hard after the Capitol insurrection and eventually softening her attacks. But that bet didn’t pay off, partly thanks to a bench of heavy hitter South Carolina endorsements for Mace, including former Gov. Nikki Haley and Trump Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

Another interesting dynamic in Mace’s race is the endorsement cold war of sorts. The proxy battle between potential 2024 candidates — Haley and Trump — falls squarely in Haley’s camp, the beginning of a nice set up for a highly gossiped about bid for the White House. So far, a good record for Haley, who said in the past she’d bow out of consideration if Trump decides to run. But if Haley notches a few other primary wins, who knows? There may be a spot for her against Trump after all.

Trump seems to be trying to save face a little, saying on Truth Social Tuesday night that Arrington was a “long shot” and Mace will “easily” be able to defeat a Democratic opponent come November.

Big Lie gets big win in Nevada senate race

Voters in Nevada seem to not be scared of a little election denial. Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s open-armed embrace of conspiracy surrounding the 2020 presidential election helped him notch a win in the state’s GOP Senate Primary. Laxalt, who hails from a state political dynasty, bested political outsider Sam Brown who tried and failed to paint Laxalt as cozy with party insiders.

Still, a roster of Republican stars, nearly all of whom are rumored to join the crowded contest for president in 2024, backed Laxalt’s bid, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Laxalt’s former roommate, funnily enough), Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Tom Cotton, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

He’ll see if that flock of support will be enough to kick Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto out of office. She sails to the general election contest with no serious challengers and now must answer not just to Laxalt but to voters increasingly frustrated with the concurrent fallout of the pandemic, inflation and other economic woes that hit the tourist-driven state.

Experts eye fall deals as domestic flight prices skyrocket

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Prices for flights this summer have skyrocketed at unprecedented rates, and some travel experts say that travelers looking for deals should start planning for fall trips.

Domestic flight prices have jumped by 47% since January, according to an Adobe Analytics report released Thursday. The cost of domestic airfare also increased 6.2% from April to May, the report said.

“We expected to see elevated demand leading into 2022,” Patrick Brown, vice president of growth marketing insights at Adobe, said. “And consumers have been spending at twice the rate that they have over last year, but prices have grown even faster than the demand has grown.”

Brown also said the price increase “hasn’t dampened the demand for travel.”

“Despite the high increases in prices month over month, we’re seeing consumers still booking their travel while they’re looking for other ways to do it and getting creative about when to travel,” Brown said.

However, travel experts said there are still a few ways travelers can find affordable travel options or more room in their travel budget.

Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, said cheap flights “aren’t gone forever,” but they are for travelers looking to book this summer.

“It’s really too late to get a great deal for your summer travels, but that’s because it’s already June,” Keyes told ABC News.

Keyes said there are still “a ton of deals to be had” for those looking to book fall or winter vacations. For the same seven-day trip from Los Angeles to Maui, waiting a few months could save travelers more than 70%, according to Scott’s Cheap Flights.

“Flights on July 1 through 8 from Los Angeles to Maui are $725 roundtrip,” Keyes said. “But flights from L.A. to Maui on Sept. 1 through 8 are just $161 round trip.”

But Keyes says to get those deals, travelers need to book now.

“My recommendation is book those fall flights now while fares are really cheap and give yourself a trip on the books to look forward to that you get to daydream about,” Keyes said.

For travelers who have already booked flights or are still looking for destinations, the strength of the U.S. dollar could mean more bang for your buck in some foreign destinations, according to Haley Berg, an economist at the booking platform Hopper.

“The dollar has appreciated compared to many local currencies, Mexican pesos is one of them,” Berg said. “So many of those Central American and Caribbean countries might be more attractive to visit this summer than in previous years as well.”

The U.S. dollar’s strength will especially benefit travelers to Europe this summer, where the Euro has depreciated by nearly 15%. Berg said that even though prices for airfare to Europe are up, the dollar parity will help travelers stay in budget.

“When you’re there shopping, staying at hotels, eating out, your dollars will go about 6% further than in 2019,” Berg said.

Study on child hepatitis cases points to prior COVID infection, but experts say too soon to know

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A new study points to prior COVID-19 infection as a possible culprit for the global wave of severe hepatitis cases among children — though experts caution the true cause is still a medical mystery.

Researchers in Israel added evidence for the theory in a small study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, suggesting some children might develop liver inflammation in the weeks after recovering from a mild COVID-19 infection.

While the root cause of the pediatric hepatitis outbreak is still unknown, experts say the leading theories include COVID-19 infection, infection with a common cold virus, or an interplay between the two infections, according to Dr. Alok Patel, a pediatric hospitalist at Stanford Health and an ABC News medical contributor.

In a new twist, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis published Tuesday found that there may not be a spike in cases at all — at least not in the United States. CDC scientists said the number of severe hepatitis cases observed in recent weeks is relatively consistent with pre-pandemic levels, but urged public health authorities to continue to monitor the situation.

“I think it is too early as CDC [is] looking at U.S. data and U.S. has not been hit as hard as other countries like U.K.,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.

More than 700 children across the globe have been found to have probable cases of severe hepatitis with an unknown cause, officials from the World Health Organization said in a press conference last Wednesday.

At least 38 children have required a liver transplant, and 10 children have died, the WHO says. Additionally, 112 cases are also under investigation, and a total of 34 countries have reported cases to date.

As the mystery deepens, scientists across the globe are racing to understand whether — and why — children are falling ill with severe hepatitis in higher numbers.

Severe hepatitis, or liver inflammation, is often prompted by an infection, but not always. It is unusual among children, and most often seen in adults who have been living with alcoholism or an undiagnosed infection for decades, slowly causing liver damage.

During a global investigation, the WHO found that about two-thirds of children tested positive for a common cold virus called adenovirus 41 — which quickly became one of the leading theories. Only about 12% of children had COVID-19 at the time they developed severe hepatitis.

Because most of the children were too young to be vaccinated, the COVID-19 vaccine was ruled out as a possible cause.

“The latest Israeli study adds just a little gasoline to the fire to try to understand the causes of the mysterious hepatitis in children,” said Chin-Hong.

However, he said the study was too small to be conclusive.

In the study, researchers described five cases of children ranging from 3 months to 13 years old who recovered from COVID-19 and later developed severe liver inflammation, some requiring liver transplants.

If true, this type of delayed reaction to a COVID-19 infection would mirror the rare multi-organ syndrome MIS-C that affects children weeks and sometimes months after COVID-19 infection.

It’s possible children may be experiencing “an autoimmune reaction from a viral infection causing hepatitis, where the child’s immune system attacks their own liver cells in an attempt to combat the virus,” said Dr. Madhu Vennikandam, a gastroenterology fellow at Sparrow Health System.

However, the CDC cautions the cause remains unknown and a global research effort spearheaded by the WHO is ongoing.

“The silver lining in all of this is that vaccines for children under 5 are on the cusp of approval in the U.S.,” said Chin-Hong.

If COVID-19 indeed “has a central role to play in all of this, we should eventually start seeing cases drop,” he said.

Two police officers die of injuries after being shot while responding to call in California

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EL MONTE, Calif.) — Two police officers have died after being shot in El Monte, California, Tuesday while responding to a possible stabbing at a motel, authorities said.

The El Monte Police Department said two officers “immediately took gunfire upon arrival” at the Siesta Inn.

The officers were taken to LAC-USC Medical Center, where they died of their injuries, ABC News Los Angeles station KABC-TV reported.

The suspect was also shot and died at the scene, according to KABC.

Neither the police officers nor the suspect have been identified, and additional details about the incident were not immediately available.

“There are no words to describe our grief and devastation by this senseless act as we learned about the passing of two of our police officers,” the city, police department and El Monte Police Officers Association said in a statement. “It weighs heavy on our hearts and we are sending our support to their families. We would also like to thank the El Monte community and our surrounding government agencies for the outpouring support we have received in the last few hours.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has taken over the investigation, the El Monte Police Department said.

El Monte is east of Los Angeles.

HomeGoods store evacuated after armed man makes threats

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — An armed man is in custody after officials say he threatened people inside a HomeGoods store in the Atlanta area.

The HomeGoods in Alpharetta, about 25 miles from Atlanta, was evacuated as were the neighboring businesses, authorities told reporters.

There were no reports of shots fired, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety said.

“The manager came out of the office and she just told all of us to run,” one HomeGoods employee told ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV.

Authorities said the suspect, who has not been identified, was located in the store and contained at 12:20 p.m. Police said negotiators tried to speak with him.

At 1:28 p.m., authorities announced that the suspect had been taken into custody.

Photos capture election-night tension at White House as Trump family, aides watch lead fade away

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A series of photos taken on election night 2020 inside the Trump White House captures the tension as Donald Trump’s family and his top aides track election returns and see Trump’s early lead fade away.

The photos, taken by a White House photographer and published exclusively in the book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, are a visual representation of the testimony of senior Trump advisers who told the House Jan. 6 committee that they did not believe Trump should declare victory on election night.

The photos show Trump’s family and campaign team camped out in the Map Room of the White House.

The room, located in the basement of the White House residence, is where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tracked the movement of Allied Forces during World War II.

It’s called the Map Room because some of the maps used by FDR are framed and on the walls.

For election night, however, Trump’s political team transformed the room in to a campaign war room, installing large-screen televisions and placing them over FDR’s maps.

The photos capture the apparently pained expressions on the faces of Trump’s inner circle.

According to a source who is shown in at least one of the photos, they were taken as the campaign’s analysts, who had been more confident early in the evening, became concerned Trump could lose.

The photos feature some of Trump’s most prominent advisers, including chief of staff Mark Meadows, campaign manager Bill Stepien, senior strategist Jason Miller, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

Also present are several Trump family members, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Lara Trump.

In videotaped testimony released Monday by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Stepien said Trump was “increasingly unhappy” on election night as votes were counted and he started to lose.

Stepien, Miller and other key aides urged Trump not to declare victory that night.

“My belief, my recommendation was to say that votes were still being counted, it’s too early to tell, too early to call the race,” Stepien said in a clip of his interview with the committee played during Monday’s hearing.

Trump, he said, “thought I was wrong,” and would instead declare victory at the White House early the next morning on the advice of Rudy Giuliani, who Miller said was “definitely intoxicated” on election night.

Giuliani on Tuesday challenged Miller’s testimony and denied being drunk on election night at the White House.

After Trump exits DC hotel, celebrity chef José Andrés returns with new restaurant

June 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Celebrity chef José Andrés on Monday announced plans to open a restaurant in the Old Post Office, the Washington landmark which recently reopened as the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C. after operating for five years as the Trump International Hotel.

“People of DC big news! Today after a dream of 30 years I’m announcing we will open @bazaarbyjose in the Old Post Office!” Andrés tweeted. “Building longer tables in the heart of our nation’s capital, welcoming people from across the city & the world.”

The new restaurant follows Donald Trump’s company agreeing to sell its hotel lease in May.

It’s not the first time Andrés has planned to have a location in the complex — or the first time his career overlapped with Trump. According to The Washington Post, Andrés was in progress on the $7 million Topo Atrio, at Trump International, when Trump launched his 2016 presidential candidacy.

The chef split with Trump after the latter, then a businessman and reality TV show host, announced his campaign at an event in New York where he notoriously disparaged some immigrants.

Andrés subsequently sought to exit their partnership and a legal battle ensued. (It was settled in 2017.)

The chef went on to repeatedly, publicly criticize Trump-the-politician, tweeting in 2017 that Trump’s continued behavior only reaffirmed his decision to pull out of the hotel partnership.

The forthcoming eatery, The Bazaar by José Andrés, has locations in Chicago, Miami’s South Beach and in Las Vegas. It offers a “vibrant mix of sophisticated cuisine” and “playful lounge spaces,” according to the restaurant’s Twitter.

A hotel spokesperson told ABC News they “look forward to sharing more details about new partnerships in the coming months” but that “with a long history of innovation across the culinary industry, Waldorf Astoria creates iconic, award-winning dining experiences at its landmark locations worldwide. We are continuing that tradition with exciting food and beverage concepts at our newest hotel.”

In a video Andrés — whose humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen is also working to provide meals to Ukrainians during the Russian invasion — tweeted with his announcement on Monday, he took in the historic bells of the Old Post Office ringing in the background.

“For whom the bells toll?” he asked. “Well, for a new restaurant by José Andrés at the Old Post Office.”

Firefighters battle 2 growing wildfires near Flagstaff, Arizona

June 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.) — Two wildfires are threatening communities near Flagstaff, Arizona, as the fire danger remains high due to dry, hot conditions.

The largest, the Pipeline Fire, has quickly swelled to over 20,100 acres since first reported on Sunday and is 0% contained. It is burning about 6 miles north of Flagstaff, with “critical” weather concerns due to warm and windy conditions, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

The Haywire Fire is also burning nearby, about 17 miles northeast of Flagstaff. It has grown to over 4,000 acres since first reported on Monday and merged with the smaller Double Fire and is also 0% contained.

On Monday, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency due to the Pipeline and Haywire fires.

Several communities are under evacuation and parts of the Coconino National Forest are temporarily closed due to the fires.

High winds and remote terrain have challenged the fire response, though aerial operations were seen on Tuesday. Some 500 fire personnel are working on both fires, with aerial resources including six helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft, state officials said Tuesday.

“We are priority for all our aircraft, at least in the region if not the nation,” Aaron Graeser, incident commander for the U.S. Forest Service, told reporters Monday.

The causes of both fires are under investigation. Fire officials suspect a lightning strike caused the Haywire Fire. A 57-year-old man was arrested by U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers for “federal natural resource violations” in connection with the Pipeline Fire, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

Federal court records show Matthew Riser was charged with building a prohibited fire, residing on national forest lands and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana).

Riser allegedly lit toilet paper on fire in the Coconino National Forest around noon on Saturday. The Pipeline Fire was reported the following day at around 10:30 a.m. in the area, according to a statement of probable cause. Riser reportedly told a law enforcement officer that he did not see the “no campfire” signs, but saw them when he drove out of the area, the probable cause stated.

His attorney told Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV there is no evidence that Riser started the fire. A detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Gas station manager fired for mistakenly setting gas to 69 cents per gallon

June 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.) — The manager of a Northern California gas station was fired after he accidentally set the gas price to 69 cents a gallon.

John Szczecina, who served as the manager for a Shell gas station in Rancho Cordova, said he mistakenly placed the decimal in the wrong spot and that the price was supposed to be $6.99 a gallon.

“I put all three prices on there, except the diesel. The last one kind of didn’t go. So, I just took responsibility for it and said yeah, it’s my fault,” Szczecina told ABC News Fresno station KFSN.

The pricing error reportedly cost the gas station $16,000, as hundreds of drivers capitalized on the mistake and filled their tanks.

Szczecina told KFSN he’s worried the station owners will sue him for lost revenue, revealing that his family created a GoFundMe to help repay them.

According to auto club AAA, nationwide gas prices recently reached $5 a gallon for the first time.

Drivers in California are paying much higher prices for gas — an average of $6.43 per gallon — than the national average.

Gas prices have skyrocketed in the last few months, pinching the pockets of millions of Americans who are struggling to fill their tanks amid inflation costs.

More motorists are also poised to hit the road as the busy summer season gets

US Mint releases Wilma Mankiller quarter for purchase, honoring first woman Cherokee Nation leader

June 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, can now be seen on U.S. quarters available for purchase.

Mankiller, an activist for Native American and women’s rights, is the third woman to have her face adorned upon a quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program.

“Chief Mankiller was a true champion for tribal sovereignty, women’s rights, health care, education and building strong communities for the Cherokee people. Every Chief that has followed her looks to her as the standard by which their work should be measured,” Chuck Hoskin Jr., the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, told ABC News Tuesday.

The new coin design shows Mankiller with a “resolute gaze to the future,” the U.S. Mint said in announcing the design.

Mankiller looks to be wearing a traditional shawl, and to her left is the seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation. The coin is inscribed with several phrases, including, “E Pluribus Unum,” “Wilma Mankiller,” “Principal Chief,” and “Cherokee Nation,” which is written in the Cherokee syllabary.

“Even years after her passing, Chief Mankiller is making an impact,” Hoskin said at a coin release event held by the Cherokee Nation and U.S. Mint last week.

“She’s not changing the world on this day simply because her likeness is being struck on the quarter. Her likeness is being struck on the quarter because she keeps changing the world for the better,” Hoskin added.

Mankiller served as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1985 to 1995. During her leadership, the nation’s population sprung from 68,000 to 170,000, according to a biography on her website.

The first woman to hold this title, Mankiller advocated throughout her tenure for improved healthcare, education and housing services. While she was principal chief, infant mortality declined and educational achievement rose across the nation, Cherokee Nation officials say.

“She was very driven on behalf of other people she was nurturing, she wanted to make people feel better. She was very approachable,” Ross Swimmer, the Cherokee Nation’s former principal chief, said at the release event.

Mankiller worked with the federal government while chief, working to pilot a self-government agreement for the Cherokee Nation through the Environmental Protection Agency. She guarded centuries of Cherokee traditions, customs and legal codes while managing a budget that reached $150 million by 1995, her website says.

“Wilma suffered from several serious illnesses and was almost killed in an auto accident, but she never complained. She would never say, ‘well, I just can’t do that today, I just don’t feel like it,’ or ‘no, I’m in pain,’ you would never hear that from her. She would go right on and get done what needed to be done,” Swimmer said at the event.

“I want to leave you with my mom’s last words. In 1995, the last time she took the podium as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, she said, ‘I did what I could,’” Felicia Olaya, her daughter, said in a speech at the release event.

In 1993, Mankiller was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

After Mankiller finished her term as principal chief, President Bill Clinton honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. In 2018, Mankiller was inducted into the National Native American Hall of Fame as one of the first female inductees.

“Chief Mankiller’s efforts to inspire our Cherokee people to work together at the grass roots level to build strong communities in the spirit of “Gaudgi” is alive and well. Our Cherokee people remain organized to this day working on their own solutions and for every challenge they are confronted with, not simply content to wait for any government to come to the rescue,’ Hoskin told ABC News.

Mankiller began her activism in 1969, when she began serving as director of Oakland’s Native American Youth Center, working to restore pride in Native heritage and reduce the downward spiral of Native youth who grew up in the streets.

In the late 1970s, Mankiller founded the Community Development Department for the Cherokee Nation, which focused on improving access to water and housing. A feature film was created around this work, entitled “The Cherokee Word for Water.”

“Chief Mankiller is still making an impact today, because now every time a little girl sees Wilma’s face on a quarter, and reads her story, she realizes she can do it too,” Hoskin said Tuesday.

Mankiller died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer.

The first coin of the American Women Quarters Program was released in January, with a quarter featuring poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

“These inspiring coin designs tell the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are indelibly etched in American culture,” Alison L. Doone, the Mint’s acting director, said in a statement last year. “Generations to come will look at coins bearing these designs and be reminded of what can be accomplished with vision, determination and a desire to improve opportunities for all.”

In March, Sally Ride, the first woman to travel to outer space, appeared on U.S. quarters.

Nine Otero-Warren, a leader in Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools, and Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood who left a legacy for women in the film industry, are both set to appear on U.S. quarters in the coming months.

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