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3 dead in Philadelphia as string of weekend mass shootings erupt across nation

June 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHILADELPHIA) — Three people were killed and 12 others were injured when “several active shooters” opened fire at a crowded intersection in Philadelphia’s South Street entertainment district late Saturday night — one of a string of mass shootings that erupted across the country over the weekend, officials said.

The Philadelphia shooting was one of at least five across the nation involving four or more victims in a violent 27-hour span, including one that left three people dead and 11 injured in Chattanooga, Tennessee, another in which three people were killed at a graduation party in Socorro, Texas, and yet another that left a 14-year-old girl dead and eight people injured at a strip mall in Phoenix, Arizona, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings across the nation.

In total, nine people were killed and 38 injured in the five shootings.

The Philadelphia shooting erupted just before midnight at the busy intersection of Third and South streets.

Inspector D.F. Pace of the Philadelphia Police Department said hundreds of people were milling about the area when the shooting caused a panic and sent people running in all directions, some diving behind cars for cover.

“There were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when the shooting broke out,” Pace told reporters.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference Sunday afternoon that a police officer responding to gunshots in the area witnessed a man firing a gun into a crowd and attempted to detain him. Outlaw said the officer fired at the armed man three times before losing the assailant in the crowd.

Outlaw said investigators believe the officer shot the gunman, who is still being sought.

No arrests have been announced. Investigators are combing through security video in hopes of identifying the suspects and determining a motive for the shooting.

Outlaw the shooting apparently started during a physical confrontation between two people, including one of the people killed in the incident.

“These individuals eventually began firing at one another with both being struck, one fatally,” Outlaw said.

The names of the three people killed in the episode — a 34-year-old man, a 27-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man — were not immediately released. Outlaw said two of the slain victims were innocent bystanders as well as many of those who were wounded.

Police recovered two guns from the scene, including one with an extended magazine, Pace said.

Seven of the 12 wounded victims were taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, overwhelming the emergency room staff and prompting 911 dispatchers to direct first responders to take additional victims to two other area hospitals.

Outlaw said the injured victims are 17 to 69 years old and their conditions ranged from stable to critical.

“This is beyond unacceptable,” said Outlaw, who asked any witnesses of the shooting to contact police.

The mass shooting came on the heels of a deadly Memorial Day weekend in Philadelphia, in which more than 40 people were shot in separate incidents across the city, including a 9-year-old boy and his father returning to their home from a holiday cookout, police said.

As of midnight Saturday, Philadelphia had recorded 211 homicides this year, 14 fewer than this time in 2021, a year that saw a record 562 homicides, according to Philadelphia Police Department crime statistics.

2nd mass shooting in Chattanooga in the last week

Chattanooga, Tennessee, police are investigating the city’s second mass shooting for the second weekend in a row after a barrage of shots from multiple gunmen early Sunday left three people dead and 11 injured, officials said.

The shooting occurred around 3 a.m. outside a bar downtown Chattanooga.

Chattanooga police Chief Celeste Murphy said multiple gunmen are suspected in the shooting. She said of the three people killed, two were shot to death and one was struck by a car fleeing the scene.

No arrests have been announced.

The incident follows a mass shooting that occurred in downtown Chattanooga on May 28 in which six teenagers were shot, including two who were critically injured.

14-year-old shot dead in Phoenix

The Phoenix shooting broke out around 1 a.m. local time Saturday at a strip mall in the northern part of the city where more than 100 people were attending a party, according to the Phoenix Police Department. A 14-year-old girl was fatally shot in the incident, two women suffered life-threatening injuries and another six victims, including a teenager, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

“I heard over a hundred gunshots going off,” a woman who witnessed the shooting told ABC affiliate station KNXV-TV in Phoenix.

She said that prior to the shooting, she heard cars doing burnouts and donuts in the street. Once the gunfire erupted, the witness said she saw people screaming and running in all directions.

“I, myself, was like hiding behind cars as the shots kept getting closer and closer,” the witness said.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego took to Twitter to voice her frustration over the surge in gun violence in her city and across the country, writing, “Seems we can’t go a day without another mass shooting.”

“Time has run out,” Gallego tweeted. “Change must happen now.”

4 shot, 2 fatally, in Mesa, Arizona

Two men were killed and two people were wounded in a shooting that occurred early Sunday outside a bar in Mesa, Arizona.

Sgt. Chuck Trapani of the Mesa Police Department said the shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. outside The Lounge Soho. He said police went to the scene to investigate a report of gunshots and found two men shot in the parking lot. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Trapani said officers searched the area and found two more wounded people, who were taken to area hospitals.

Trapani told KNXV that officers arriving on the scene saw a silver car speeding away and chased it. Police stopped the car and detained three occupants.

He said that while no guns were found in the car, a weapon was found along the path the vehicle fled.

No arrests have been announced.

5 teens shot at graduation party

Five teenagers were shot and wounded Saturday night at a graduation party in Socorro, Texas, a suburb of El Paso, according to police.

Socorro Police Chief David Burton said at a news conference that two teenagers were in critical condition.

Burton said that about 100 teenagers and young adults were attending a graduation party at a home when an individual began firing into the crowd.

He said the wounded victims ranged in age from 16 to 18.

Burton said different caliber shell casings were found at the scene, but police have not confirmed whether more than one shooter was involved.

“The initial investigation indicates this was a targeted attack,” Burton said. “There is no immediate threat to the public.”

No arrests have been announced.

The mass shootings followed President Joe Biden’s prime-time speech Thursday addressing the surge in gun violence across the nation, including the rampage at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school on May 24 that left 19 students and two teachers dead, a racially-motivated massacre at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that left 10 dead and three wounded, and a shooting Wednesday at a medical office in Tulsa, Oklahoma that in which a doctor and three other people were fatally shot.

Biden called for a federal ban on assault weapons and implored Congress act, saying, “We can’t fail the American people again.”

David McCormick concedes Senate race to celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz

June 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(HARRISBURG, Pa.) — Hedge fund manager David McCormick conceded the Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania to celebrity TV Dr. Mehmet Oz.

McCormick announced the decision on Friday, cutting short a recount process of the May 17 contest.

“I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished this campaign,” McCormick said. “We saw a historic turnout in the Republican primary and I’m proud to say 419,000 or so Republican voters who put their faith in my campaign.”

The Pennsylvania primary was one of the most competitive races to watch so far this midterm election cycle. McCormick and Oz were separated by less than 1,000 votes on Election Day, triggering Pennsylvania law that a recount be conducted if a candidate’s margin of victory is 0.5% or less.

The recount began last week and needed to be completed by June 7. The final results were expected to be announced on June 8.

“We spent the last 17 days making sure that every Republican vote was counted in a way that would result in the will of Pennsylvania voters being fulfilled,” McCormick said as he conceded. “That’s what it’s all about, that is what this process is all about.”

“But it’s not clear to me, with the recount largely complete, that we have a nominee,” McCormick continued, “and today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory.”

McCormick said he’ll work to unite Republicans and Pennsylvania behind Oz ahead of the general election.

Oz said he is “tremendously grateful” for McCormick’s promise to help his campaign.

(INSERT TWEET)

Oz shook up the race in late 2021 with the announcement that he was joining the primary field. He then garnered the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump in April. Trump had urged Oz to declare victory over McCormick just the day after the May 17 primary, when it was too close to call.

Oz will face off against Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who easily won the Democratic nomination last month after suffering a stroke just days before the election.

The Pennsylvania seat, held by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, is viewed as one of the Democratic Party’s best chances to flip a seat in the 50-50 divided Senate.

Fetterman revealed Friday that he nearly died from the health episode, stating he ignored warning signs for years and “should have taken my health more seriously.” Fetterman underwent surgery on the same day as the Senate primary.

“It’s not something I’m proud of, but it is something I hope that others can learn from,” Fetterman said. “So please: listen to your body, and be aware of the signs. Because ignoring them — and avoiding the doctor because you might not like what they have to tell you — could cost you your life.”

Fetterman said it may take him some time before he’s back on the campaign trail, but that he’ll be “ready” for the November general election.

Oz said Friday, “Now that our primary is over, we will make sure that this U.S. Senate seat does not fall into the hands of the radical left, led by John Fetterman.”

Baby formula maker Abbott reopens Michigan plant amid shortage

June 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(STURGIS, Mich.) — Abbott Nutrition’s baby formula plant in Michigan has officially reopened its doors and restarted production after shuttering nearly four months ago.

Hundreds of workers returned to their posts Saturday morning for the first time since the Sturgis facility closed amid contamination concerns in February following the discovery of a deadly bacteria inside.

The closure and a voluntary recall were among several factors that contributed to a nationwide formula shortage crisis.

It will be roughly another six to eight weeks before the Sturgis plant is back to full capacity, according to Abbott, and product returns to shelves with a real impact on families.

“We understand the urgent need for formula and our top priority is getting high-quality, safe formula into the hands of families across America,” the company, one of the largest makers of formula in the U.S., said in a statement. “We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements. We’re committed to safety and quality and will do everything we can to re-earn the trust parents, caregivers and health care providers have placed in us for 130 years.”

The plant’s reopening comes nearly three weeks after it reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on a plan to reopen safely.

Abbott said it will first prioritize the production of its specialty and metabolic formulas, like its hypoallergenic EleCare, since those formulas are especially critical for medically vulnerable babies who can’t switch to different brands as easily.

The company said it expects to start releasing some EleCare product “on or about June 20,” adding that it is “working hard to fulfill the steps necessary to restart production of Similac and other formulas and will do so as soon as we can.”

Last month, Abbott CEO Robert Ford expressed remorse at his company’s role in the nationwide shortage in an op-ed published in the Washington Post.

“The past few months have distressed us as they have you, and so I want to say: We’re sorry to every family we’ve let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formula shortage,” Ford wrote. “I have high expectations of this company, and we fell short of them.”

While families wait for formula to hit shelves, Ford announced in his op-ed that Abbott is establishing a $5 million fund “to help these families with medical and living expenses as they weather this storm.”

Amid the shortage, the White House also has been working to bring formula in from abroad as part of President Joe Biden’s “Operation Fly Formula.” A third round of baby formula shipments is set to make its way to U.S. shores by way of United Airlines beginning next Thursday, administration officials said.

Biden also invoked the Defense Production Act last month to help speed up formula production in the U.S.

Suspect who allegedly killed retired judge had hit list that included Mitch McConnell, Gov. Whitmer: Official

June 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW LISBON, Wis.) — A suspect who allegedly shot and killed a retired Wisconsin judge Friday in a targeted act had a hit list that included U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

Law enforcement responded to a home in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, Friday morning after a 911 caller reported there was an armed person in the residence who had fired two shots, according to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.

The caller had exited the home and contacted law enforcement from a nearby home.

The Juneau County Special Tactics and Response Team responded and attempted to negotiate with the alleged shooter before entering the home. Inside, they found the homeowner, a 68-year-old man, dead, and a 56-year-old man in the basement suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Kaul said.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition, Kaul said. A firearm was recovered at the scene, he said.

“This does appear to be a targeted act,” Kaul told reporters Friday. “The individual who is the suspect appears to have had other targets as well. It appears to be related to the judicial system.”

Kaul did not provide further details on the man killed and the other targets, beyond that they appear to be targeted “based on some sort of court case or court cases.”

The law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News that the victim was retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer. When SWAT entered the home, they found Roemer zip-tied to a chair and fatally shot, according to the source.

A hit list with over a dozen names found inside the suspect’s car at the scene included Roemer’s, McConnell’s and Whitmer’s, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’, the source said.

The information is preliminary and could change as the investigation continues.

Kaul said authorities have contacted those believed to be targets and that they have determined there is no threat to the public at this time. Investigators are also working to determine any link between this incident and others, he said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is leading this investigation.

The investigation is being handled as both a homicide and a possible case of domestic terrorism, the law enforcement official told ABC News.

Roemer was first elected to the Juneau County Circuit Court in 2004 and was reelected in 2010 and 2016 before retiring in 2017. He had previously served as an assistant district attorney for Juneau County and an assistant state public defender. He also was a lieutenant colonel for the U.S. Army Reserves.

Threats against judges have increased in recent years. By one measure, there were over 4,500 threats and “inappropriate communications” against protected people, which includes federal judges, last year, according to the U.S. Marshals.

“Typically security for judges is based on threats,” ABC News crime and terrorism analyst Brad Garrett told “Good Morning America.” “It’s all going to be driven by known threats because there isn’t enough manpower obviously to guard every judge at every level in this country.”

Garrett said more should be learned in the coming days about how much law enforcement knew about the alleged shooter.

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas is fighting to get a federal bill passed that would limit access of public officials’ private information after her son was murdered in a targeted attack at their New Jersey home in 2020. A similar bill was passed in New Jersey in 2020. Daniel’s Law, named after Salas’ son, shields the home addresses and telephone numbers of any active or retired judge, prosecutor and law enforcement officer from public disclosure.

ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

Father of child killed in Uvalde, retains lawyers who sued makers of rifle used in Sandy Hook

June 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(UVALDE, Texas) — The Connecticut lawyers who successfully sued the maker of the rifle used in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, shooting filed a letter Friday seeking documents and records from Daniel Defense, maker of the rifle used in the Uvalde, Texas, shooting May 24.

This petition was filed on behalf of the father of Amerie Jo Garza, one of the 19 children killed in the rampage by the alleged gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.

Alfred Garza, Amerie Jo’s father, is being represented by attorneys Josh Koskoff, who obtained a $73 million settlement to nine families of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting victims, and Texas-based attorneys Mikal Watts and Charla Aldous, according to a press release.

“We have to honor her and make sure we do good. From this day forward, I want to live my life for my daughter,” Garza told David Muir in a recent “World News Tonight” interview.

“My purpose for being now is to honor Amerie Jo’s memory,” Garza also said in the statement. “She would want to me to do everything I can so this will never happen again to any other child. I have to fight her fight.”

“Daniel Defense has said that they are praying for the Uvalde families. They should back up those prayers with meaningful action,” said Josh Koskoff of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. “If they really are sincere in their desire to support these families, they will provide the information that Mr. Garza has requested without delay or excuse. Either way, we will do a complete and thorough investigation, leaving no stone unturned.”

The petition letter is a precursor to a lawsuit that could seek to hold the gunmaker liable despite a federal shield for gunmakers that President Joe Biden asked the nation to repeal in his Thursday night speech.

A similar petition was filed Friday by Robb Elementary teacher Emilia Marin, whose lawyer spoke this week to ABC News.

In February, the families of five children and four adults killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School announced a landmark victory in their long-running case against Remington, the company that made and marketed the AR-15 weapon used in the Newton massacre.

DOJ declines to press contempt of Congress charges against Meadows and Scavino

June 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice will not be prosecuting former Trump officials, chief of staff Mark Meadows and social media director Dan Scavino, for refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee, according to sources familiar with the correspondence.

The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol previously voted in December 2021 to hold Meadows in contempt of Congress for not appearing before the committee and a criminal referral was sent to the Department of Justice. Meadows provided the committee with over 9,000 records and emails in regards to his activities and communications with former President Trump surrounding the riot but then refused to cooperate further and give a deposition.

The House voted to hold Scavino and former Trump adviser Peter Navarro in contempt in April after they refused to comply with a subpoena to testify before the Jan. 6 committee.

Navarro was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday on two counts of contempt to Congress.

The New York Times first reported that the DOJ would not be pursuing charges against Meadows and Scavino.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), the chairman of the House Select committee investigating the attack, and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) released the following statement on Friday evening. They declared that the indictment of Navarro was the “correct decision,” by the DOJ but did not agree with not pursuing charges against Meadows and Scavino.

“We find the decision to reward Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino for their continued attack on the rule of law puzzling. Mr. Meadows and Mr. Scavino unquestionably have relevant knowledge about President Trump’s role in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the events of January 6th. We hope the Department provides greater clarity on this matter,” the statement read.

“If the Department’s position is that either or both of these men have absolute immunity from appearing before Congress because of their former positions in the Trump Administration, that question is the focus of pending litigation. As the Select Committee has argued in District Court, Mark Meadows’s claim that he is entitled to absolute immunity is not correct or justified based on the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel Memoranda. No one is above the law.”

Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.

One hundred days in, fate of Biden’s face-off with Putin over Ukraine still uncertain

June 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — One hundred days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the unexpectedly prolonged conflict has created a political headache for President Joe Biden with no end in sight.

Historic inflation and sky-high prices at the gas pump in the U.S. have driven Biden’s popularity down ahead of midterm elections this fall.

He has to a large degree risked his political fortunes on the outcome of a war that he has pledged he will not send U.S. troops to fight — and which shows no signs of abating.

Russia has made recent gains on the battlefield. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Russian forces now control 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Biden said Friday that “it appears” there will have to be “a negotiated settlement” to end the war.

“What that entails, I don’t know,” the president said, speaking to reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “I don’t think anybody knows at this time.”

But Biden would not say if he thought Ukraine had to cede territory to Russia to achieve peace.

“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said. “It’s their territory. I’m not going to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do.”

The president has succeeded in largely keeping Western allies united, strengthening the NATO alliance in the face of Russia attempts to split it.

But as Russia continues to block Ukrainian food exports and sanctions drive up energy prices worldwide, Biden has found himself in the increasingly difficult position of balancing his desire to stop what he has called Russia’s threat to democracy, with Americans’ rising economic uncertainty.

Russia has also sought to present the conflict as a fight in which the United States is directly involved.

But while Biden insists he will not send American troops to Ukraine, as long as the war continues — and while the U.S. sends Ukraine increasingly sophisticated weaponry — the risk remains that the president could find himself more deeply involved than he wants.

The United States has sent billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine. Last month, Biden signed legislation providing $40 billion more over the coming months.

And it has provided intelligence that the Ukrainians have used to target Russian forces.

The U.S. military assistance — combined with aid from other Western nations — have contributed to Ukraine’s successes in fending off the Russian invasion.

The level of weapons systems the U.S. has provided has become more and more advanced over time.

This week, Biden committed to sending even more powerful, longer-range missile systems useful for the battle in eastern Ukraine.

After Russia’s failures early in the war — not taking any major cities and finding itself forced to narrow its aims — it has now made steady progress in the east.

What Vladimir Putin thought might just take a matter of days — conquering all of Ukraine — didn’t happen due to Ukrainian resolve and increasing American help.

But his aggression continues, despite unprecedented heavy sanctions that Biden said would change his behavior — sanctions now in effect for months.

One hundred days in, how Biden’s face-off with Putin ends — and when — is still an open question.

Russia-Ukraine live updates: 100 days of war

June 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.

The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jun 03, 12:39 pm
EU issues latest package of sanctions

The European Union announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russia on Friday. The EU is banning all sea transfers of crude oil from Russia after a six-month transitory period, to allow for the market to adjust.

The EU will also ban imports (sea transfers) of refined petroleum products from Russia, after an eight-month transitory period.

The EU also added 65 new individuals to its sanctions list, including retired Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. She became chair of the board of the National Media Group and previously sat as a deputy in Russia’s State Duma.

Kabaeva was sanctioned by the U.K. on May 13, which said she is alleged to have a close personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but has not been sanctioned by the U.S.

Jun 03, 12:17 pm
Marriott suspends all operations in Russia

Marriott International announced Friday that it will suspend all its operations in Russia, after operating there for 25 years, due to the conflict in Ukraine.

It said the suspension comes as newly announced U.S., U.K. and EU restrictions will make it impossible for it to operate or franchise hotels in Russia.

Marriott closed its corporate office in Moscow and all upcoming hotels and future developments and investments were paused on March 10.

The company also announced it has given $1 million in disaster relief funds for associates and their families who have been directly affected by the war. Lodging is being offered to refugees from Ukraine at 85 hotels in neighboring countries.

Jun 03, 7:50 am
Russia now controls over 90% of Luhansk region

Russia now controls over 90% of eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast and “is likely to complete control in the next two weeks,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Friday in an intelligence update.

“Russia is now achieving tactical success in the Donbas. Russian forces have generated and maintained momentum and currently appear to hold the initiative over Ukrainian opposition,” the ministry said. “Russia has achieved these recent tactical successes at significant resource cost, and by concentrating force and fires on a single part of the overall campaign.”

Russia has been unable to advance its other fronts or axes, “all of which have transitioned to the defensive,” according to the ministry. In fact, the ministry noted, none of the strategic objectives of Moscow’s original plan have been achieved.

Russian forces failed to achieve their initial objectives to seize Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other major cities.

“Staunch Ukrainian resistance and the failure to secure Hostomel airfield in the first 24 hours led to Russian offensive operations being repulsed,” the ministry said. “Following the failure of the initial plan, through false planning assumptions and poor tactical execution, Russia adapted its operational design to focus on the Donbas.”

Russian forces are now battling Ukrainian troops for control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which comprises Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

“In order for Russia to achieve any form of success will require continued huge investment of manpower and equipment, and is likely to take considerable further time,” the ministry added.

Jun 03, 5:49 am
100 days of war

Friday marked the 100th day since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine.

In a statement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the “full-scale invasion” as a “continuation of Russia’s aggressive actions it unleashed 8 years ago by occupying Crimea and parts of territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”

“Today, our people defend not only their right to exist and live in an independent state, but the security of Europe and the whole democratic world,” the ministry said. “Every day our defenders, at the cost of their own lives, bravely repel Russia’s war machine and fight for freedom and peaceful future of the continent.”

“For 100 days of war, the Kremlin has failed to reach its main goal — conquest of Ukraine,” the ministry added. “Instead, Russia has become the most sanctioned state in the world, and its activities within international organizations and participation in international events have been significantly limited or stopped. The Ukrainian army is bravely holding the line and has liberated territories in a number of regions. Ukraine is determined to have a complete victory over the Russian invader.”

The ministry thanked the “dozens of countries around the world who provide significant support” to Ukraine. It also called on the international community to support the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

“In order to stop Russia’s crimes against the Ukrainian people, destruction of our economy and blackmail of the whole world by famine, consistent support for Ukraine should continue. Assistance to our state today is the best investment in peace and sustainable development of all mankind,” the ministry said. “The main pillars for our victory remain unchanged: maximum sanction pressure on Russia, deliveries of necessary weapons and granting Ukraine the status of candidate on the way to full-fledged EU membership.”

Meanwhile, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova applauded progress that’s been made in the so-called special military operation in Ukraine.

“The special military operation will be continued until all of its objectives declared by the Russian administration, including denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, are achieved,” Zakharova said at a press briefing Friday. “A lot has been done in this area: militants of the Azov nationalistic formation have surrendered in Mariupol and the liberation of Donbas has been consistently carried out.”

Jun 02, 1:34 pm
Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, Zelenskyy says

Russia now controls over 46,300 square miles of Ukraine, which accounts for about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Since Russia’s invasion began, Russian forces have gained control of over 16,602 square miles, or roughly 7% of Ukraine’s territory — an area that’s comparable to the size of the Netherlands, Zelenskyy said Thursday in a speech to the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg. Combined with the territory from Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the war in the Donbas region, Russia’s control of Ukraine now accounts for 20% of its territory, he said.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Jun 02, 6:35 am
Ukrainian first lady sits down for exclusive interview with ABC News: ‘Don’t get used to our pain’

Since the start of Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian first lady has been in hiding with her two children. A difficult question her 9-year-old son keeps asking is when the war will end, Olena Zelenska said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think any Ukrainian would be able to answer that question,” Zelenska told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in her first televised solo interview since the invasion began.

In discussing the state of the conflict nearly 100 days after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Zelenska said that conceding territory to Russia won’t stop the war.

“You just can’t concede … parts of your territory. It’s like conceding a freedom,” Zelenska, 44, said in the interview, airing on Good Morning America Thursday. “Even if we would consider territories, the aggressor would not stop at that. He would continue pressing, he would continue launching more and more steps forward, more and more attacks against our territory.”

Jun 02, 4:34 am
Russia takes most of key city in Donbas

Russian forces have taken control of most of Sieverodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Thursday in an intelligence update.

“The main road into the Sieverodonetsk pocket likely remains under Ukrainian control but Russia continues to make steady local gains, enabled by a heavy concentration of artillery,” the ministry said. “This has not been without cost, and Russian forces have sustained losses in the process.”

Sieverodonetsk, an industrial hub, is the largest city still held by Ukrainian troops in the contested Donbas region of Ukraine’s east, which comprises the self-proclaimed republics in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

“Crossing the Siverskyy Donets River — which is a natural barrier to its axes of advance –- is vital for Russian forces as they secure Luhansk Oblast and prepare to switch focus to Donetsk Oblast,” the ministry added. “Potential crossing sites include between Sieverodonetsk and the neighbouring town of Lysychansk; and near recently-captured Lyman. In both locations, the river line likely still remains controlled by Ukrainian forces, who have destroyed existing bridges.”

Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk are the last major cities in the Luhansk area still controlled by Ukraine.

“It is likely Russia will need at least a short tactical pause to re-set for opposed river crossings and subsequent attacks further into Donetsk Oblast, where Ukrainian armed forces have prepared defensive positions,” the ministry added. “To do so risks losing some of the momentum they have built over the last week.”

Jun 01, 9:27 pm
Ukraine’s first lady tells ABC News that giving up land is ‘like conceding a freedom’

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska spoke about the state of the ongoing conflict with Russia and where the Ukrainian people currently stand as a country.

In her first televised solo interview since the invasion began, Zelenska, 44, told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts that conceding territory to Russia won’t stop the war.

“You just can’t concede…parts of your territory. It’s like conceding a freedom,” Zelenska said. “Even if we would consider territories, the aggressor would not stop at that. He would continue pressing, he would continue launching more and more steps forward, more and more attacks against our territory.”

The interview with Zelenska will air Thursday, June 2, on Good Morning America and across ABC News. GMA airs at 7 a.m. ET on ABC.

Peter Navarro indicted on contempt of Congress charges over Jan. 6 investigation

June 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro was indicted by a grand jury on contempt of Congress charges Friday for defying subpoenas from the House select committee investigating Jan. 6, the Department of Justice announced.

“Former White House advisor Peter K. Navarro has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of contempt of Congress stemming from his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the United States Capitol,” the Justice Department said in a release.

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NRA membership dues and spending continue to shrink, report shows

June 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As a disturbing string of mass shootings focuses the public spotlight on gun violence, the embattled National Rifle Association appears to have suffered another year of diminished membership revenue and cuts to core programs, according to an annual financial report obtained by ABC News.

The 31-page document, distributed to members who attended last week’s annual NRA convention in Houston, shows an organization reining in spending as revenue derived from its members fell 19% between 2020 and 2021.

Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University who tracks NRA spending, says the numbers suggest the NRA appears to be at a “real risk of entering a downward spiral.”

“By cutting back on core programs and legislative spending, the risk that the organization runs is that members will suddenly realize that they are paying the same dues for fewer benefits,” Mittendorf said. “If [the NRA] loses some of those members, revenues decline further, they will have to cut even more spending — and the trend continues.”

Mired in a series of lawsuits and scandals, the NRA’s standing as one of America’s most influential lobbying groups has waned in recent years.

Revenue from membership dues has plummeted nearly 43% from a record high in 2018, according to the 2021 financial assessment, pulling in just over $97 million — down from nearly $120 million in 2020. Spending on the areas of “safety, education & training” was cut roughly in half over the past three years, the document shows.

NRA spokesperson Andrew Arulanandam cited disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic for the organization’s reduced spending in 2021, and expressed confidence that the group would rebound in the coming year.

“Despite the global pandemic and the many challenges it created over the past two years, the NRA emerged financially strong and secure,” Arulanandam told ABC News. “NRA members are eager to return to our grassroots activities, participate in firearms education and training, and engage in events and competitions. All of this bodes well for 2022 and beyond.”

Meanwhile, the organization is fighting legal battles on multiple fronts — most notably in New York, where Attorney General Tish James has sued the organization for allegedly diverting money away from its charitable mission. As a result, the group’s legal costs continue to mount.

In 2021, according to its financial records, the organization devoted nearly a quarter of its total expenditures — $52 million — to legal fees. Arulanandam said that “naturally, the association expended significant resources to defend itself from the NYAG’s lawsuit. However, the NRA is winning that fight.” A judge blocked the attorney general’s bid to dissolve the organization in March, but the lawsuit remains active.

The organization’s legislative expenses, which include lobbying and electioneering activities, plummeted by $28.6 million between 2020 and 2021 — a 57% drop, according to the records, which were first reported by The Trace.

While it’s not uncommon for political organizations to spend substantially less during an off-election year following a presidential election, the NRA’s legislative spending cuts last year suggest a gradual downsizing of its legislative and political apparatus over the last few years.

Since the landmark 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court case that allowed corporations and advocacy organizations to spend unlimited funds on elections as long as they’re independent from candidates, the NRA and its super PACs have funneled more than $140 million in independent expenditures into federal elections, according to campaign disclosure data compiled by Washington-based nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets. The organization’s federal election spending peaked in 2016, when the NRA and its committees spent $54 million in independent expenditures, including more than $30 million to support Donald Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton, according to campaign disclosure records.

But the NRA’s political spending began to drop during the 2018 election cycle, when it reporting just under $10 million in outside spending — significantly less than the $27 million it spent during the 2014 midterms. Then, during the 2020 presidential election cycle, the NRA’s total outside federal election spending was just over $29 million — nearly half of what it had spent in 2016.

So far in the 2022 election cycle, the NRA’s political apparatus has barely reported any independent expenditures — only $9,600, according to OpenSecrets’ analysis of Federal Election Commission data.

Supporters, however, say that the slim prospects for sweeping gun control legislation — even in the face of the recent mass shootings — suggest that the NRA’s message has become so deeply engrained among gun rights advocates that the organization no longer requires a robust political operation.

The NRA’s influence “does not come from some guy sitting on K Street,” NRA board member Phillip Journey said in reference to Washington lobbyists — but instead from its place in the hearts of American gun owners.

Journey, a Kansas judge, has nonetheless waged an aggressive and public campaign to oust Wayne LaPierre, the longtime NRA chief who oversaw the organization’s rise over the past three decades. Journey said the organization’s financial position reflects years of mismanagement — and has opened the door for other gun advocacy groups to fill the void.

“There’s blood in the water, and it comes from a self-inflicted wound,” Journey said. “NRA leadership has nobody to blame but themselves for the decisions they’ve made.”

The National Association of Gun Rights and the Gun Owners of America, two competing longtime gun-rights groups, have beefed up their operations in recent years and are gearing up for the 2022 midterm elections through their super PACs — while other gun advocacy groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Safari Club International continue their active engagement in federal elections through campaign contributions.

Additional super PACs like the Gun Owners Action Fund and Hunter Nation Action — funded largely by top GOP donors such as the Ricketts family, Charles Schwab, Ken Griffith and Warren Stephens — popped up in late 2020 to promote pro-Second Amendment messaging while providing an 11th-hour boost for Republican incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in the Georgia Senate runoffs in January 2021.

More recently, Donald Trump Jr. launched his own gun-rights group called the Second Amendment Task Force, with the aim of fighting Democratic gun control proposals and promoting Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections.

Still, compared to the NRA, all these groups have much smaller budgets and staffs. And some gun-control advocates say that could open the door for more compromise on gun control.

“The fact that in recent years it has been slashing spending on programs like safety and education while pouring tens of millions into legal fees shows exactly how deep this crisis is for the NRA,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Smaller groups might try to fill that vacuum, but they’re no match for a gun safety movement that is bigger, stronger, and louder than ever.”

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