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Ontario vows to take down negative TV ad after Trump halts trade talks

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A top Ontario official vowed to take down a negative TV advertisement about tariffs on Friday, just hours after President Donald Trump halted trade negotiation with Canada citing the ad.

“Ontario will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, noting the advertisement would air over the weekend during the Major League Baseball World Series.

“The people elected our government to protect Ontario—our workers, businesses, families and communities. That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Ford said.

On Friday morning, Trump claimed, without evidence, that the ad aimed to sway the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court case over the policy set to come before justices next month.

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump posted on his social media platform.

“Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country,” Trump said on Friday morning.

Trump did not specify which law Canada had allegedly broken.

The ad campaign in question was rolled out earlier this month by the Canadian province of Ontario. The ad features audio with excerpts of a 1987 address by then-President Ronald Reagan that came as he imposed some duties on Japanese products but cautioned about the long-term economic risks of high tariffs and the threat of a trade war.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for a spirit of partnership between the two countries in a post on X early Friday.

“Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together. God bless Canada and God bless the United States,” Ford said.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said in a statement on social media Thursday evening that the Canadian ad campaign used “selective audio and video” of Reagan and “misrepresents” what he said in the address.

Referring to the Canadian ad campaign, Trump said, “They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.”

The Supreme Court is set to decide this term whether Trump’s sweeping global reciprocal tariffs are an illegal use of emergency authority granted by Congress — and whether tens of billions of dollars collected so far must be refunded.

Earlier this month, in a White House meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump signaled optimism about a potential U.S.-Canada trade deal, saying the two sides had “come a long way” in negotiations.

In July, Trump issued a 35% tariff on most goods and raw materials from Canada.

ABC News’ Brian Hartman contributed to this report.

Trump sends aircraft carrier to waters around Central and South America

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its accompanying aircraft to the waters around Central and South America, a move that would likely add some 5,000 troops to the region and significant firepower designed to ratchet up pressure against the Venezuelan government.

The strike group, which is currently operating near Croatia, would likely need at least several days if not weeks to arrive, suggesting that a military attack against Venezuela is not imminent.

“These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs,” or transnational criminal organizations, said Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell.

The move, however, is significant and raises questions about Trump’s pressure campaign aimed at getting Venezuela’s president to step down. Trump on Thursday threatened a direct attack on Venezuela.

So far, the military has struck 10 alleged drug vessels in the region, including eight of them near the coast of Venezuela. But all of those attacks have all been in international waters.

The latest strike occurred overnight, according to Hegseth, who said the target was an alleged drug vessel operated by Tren de Aragua. Hegseth said six people were killed in the attack.

At least 43 people are believed to have been killed in the U.S. strikes so far.

The carrier deployment announced on Friday would add another five Navy ships to the eight already operating there and boost the overall military presence from 10,000 troops to some 15,000 personnel. The strike group also includes F-18 fighter jets, which could be used to ramp up the tempo of military strikes against drug vessels.

The military also has 10 F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper drones already stationed in the region, while Hegseth has ordered B-52 and B-1 bomber planes, Black Hawk helicopter and MH-6 Little Birds to conduct exercises off the coast of Venezuela.

On Thursday, two U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers flew what was described as a training mission over the Caribbean Sea, sources familiar with the operation told ABC News.

The strikes on drug boats is part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. But the lethal force has raised several legal questions, as past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.

“We’re finally treating the cartels as the core national security threat that they really are. The cartels are waging war on America,” Trump said at a White House event on Thursday where he was joined by Hegseth and other officials to discuss the administration actions against cartels.

The president was asked if he would seek a traditional declaration of war from Congress as they ramp up their campaign against drug cartels and traffickers.

“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them. You know? They’re going to be, like, dead. OK.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

Hakeem Jeffries backs Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After weeks of declining to weigh in on the New York City mayor’s race, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday he was backing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.

Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn, said in a statement that while he and Mamdani had “areas of principled disagreement,” he acknowledged the state assemblyman’s win in the June primary and called for unity.

“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” the congressman said in his statement.

“The stakes are existential. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have unleashed an unprecedented assault on the economy, ripped healthcare away from my constituents, weaponized the Department of Justice against our state’s Attorney General and ordered masked agents to callously target law-abiding immigrant families,” Jeffries added.

Mamdani thanked Jeffries in a statement.

“I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government and building a Democratic Party relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism,” he said. “Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”

The New York Times first reported Jeffries’ endorsement.

As recently as Friday morning, Jeffries punted on endorsing Mamdani.

“I have not refused to endorse. I refused to articulate my position, and I will momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting,” Jeffries said Friday morning.

Early voting for the election begins Saturday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Trump likely to name White House ballroom after himself, officials say

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

President Donald Trump will likely name his new $300 million ballroom after himself, according to senior administration officials.

Already, officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.” That name will likely stick, ABC News was told.

Trump has not publicly said what he intends to name the ballroom, but he is known for branding his construction projects after himself — and it appears this project will be no different.

When asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce on Thursday if he has a name for his ballroom yet, Trump smiled and said: “I won’t get into that now.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Company who made lift used in Louvre heist goes viral with social post

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(PARIS) — When Alexander Boecker and his wife, Julia Schwartz, woke up last Sunday morning, the first headlines were not what they expected.

One of their company’s machines — a Boecker AgiLo furniture lift — had been used in a jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the image of their lift beneath the iconic French museum’s balcony was already everywhere.

Last week’s Louvre heist saw four masked thieves steal eight pieces of jewelry valued at $102 million, sparking a national outcry and nationwide manhunt. The daring heist took just seven minutes, leaving investigators searching for answers as to how one of the world’s most secure museums was robbed in such a brief window of time.

Based in Werne, a small town in western Germany, Boecker is a third-generation family firm that employs more than 600 people and earns about 150 million euros ($174 million) a year, according to its website. Its lifts are designed to move furniture, pianos and scaffolding — not priceless treasures.

“At first we were shocked,” Boecker told ABC News. “It was a reprehensible act. They had used our device to do it.”

By Sunday evening, once it was clear no one had been hurt, the shock gave way to dark humor, the 42-year-old noted.

“We put some slogans together we found funny,” Boecker said.

His wife, who heads the company’s marketing department, came up with the line that would soon go viral: “When you need to move fast.”

On Monday morning, the company licensed the now-famous photo of the Louvre heist — their lift in full view — and posted it online with the slogan.

“We expected maybe a few laughs,” Boecker said. “Not millions.”

By Thursday, the post had reached 4.3 million views — an extraordinary leap from their usual 20,000.

Inside the office, other slogans were considered: “Return on investment in only seven minutes” and “Even professional criminals rely on the best machines.” In the end, they decided to hold back.

“We didn’t want to cross the line,” Boecker said. “Of course, it’s a crime — a very serious one. We didn’t want to make fun of that.”

The AgiLo in question had been sold to a French rental company in 2020. On Oct. 15, 2025, the thieves arrived posing as clients, attended a short demonstration, learned how to operate the lift — then drove away with it. The rental company reported the theft to police that same day.

Boecker described his machines as “safe, reliable, durable — and as quiet as a whisper.”

“Over 99% of the reactions are positive,” he said. “Some people wrote, ‘Who says Germans don’t have a sense of humor?'”

He noted that they may stop the campaign, since they don’t want to “step over a line.”

“But still,” Boecker said with a smile. “Quite a story, and quite a lift.”

Volcano dormant for 700,000 years could soon resume activity, scientists say

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A volcano that has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of years could be gearing up for a massive explosion, according to new research.

Scientists have measured signs of unrest at the Taftan volcano in eastern Iran, near the Afghanistan border, despite no eruptions in the last 700,000 years, according to a paper published earlier this month in Geophysical Research Letters.

Rapid uplift was detected near Taftan’s 13,000-foot-tall summit between July 2023 and May 2024, while an analysis method to reduce random noise due to atmospheric condition indicated that neither rainfall nor earthquakes triggered the unrest.

Therefore, an explosive eruption is likely imminent, the researchers said.

Changes in gas permeability within the shallow part of the volcano, as well as undetected deep magma movement, have likely led to the hydrothermal pressure buildup.

Taftan experiences frequent fumarolic — or venting of gas — activity, but geologic evidence indicates that it has not experienced a major eruption since 700,000.

“Uncertain” eruptions may have occurred in January 1902 and April 1993, according to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program.

Currently, Taftan is not monitored at the same level of scrutiny as other volcanoes due to its remote location. Space-based satellite sensing is the only source of data to detect transitions from dormancy to unrest for many remote and unmonitored volcanoes, according to the paper.

The study reveals an urgent need to revise the current volcano risk of the Makran subduction volcanic arc — a stretch of about 275 miles along the Indian Ocean — and establish volcano monitoring networks in the region.

“Our findings reveal that Taftan is more active than previously recognized,” the authors wrote.

US strikes another alleged drug boat, sends carrier to waters around Central and South America

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The United States has carried out another strike against an alleged drug vessel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday.

“Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea,” Hegseth wrote on X, where he posted a video of the attack.

It marks the 10th strike in international waters around Latin America since early September. Eight of the attacks have occurred in the Caribbean Sea and two took place in the Pacific Ocean.

Hegseth said six people were killed in the overnight attack.

Hegseth also announced on Friday the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and accompanying aircraft to the waters around Central and South America, a move that would likely add some 3,000 to 5,000 troops to the region and significant firepower.

The Pentagon announced the move without providing details, including when the strike group would arrive and whether it would be in addition to the 10,000 troops already operating in the area.

On Thursday, Two U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers flew what was described as a training mission over the Caribbean Sea, sources familiar with the operation told ABC News.

The strikes are part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. But the lethal force has raised several legal questions, as past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.

At least 43 people are believed to have been killed in the U.S. strikes so far.

The president was asked if he would seek a traditional declaration of war from Congress as they ramp up their campaign against drug cartels and traffickers.

Trump again hinted at the possibility of land attacks to target drug cartels, saying on Thursday “the land is going to be next.” He previously said he was “looking into” possible land strikes against Venezuela.

Officers fire shots after driver tries to ram into Coast Guard Base Alameda, 2 hurt

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(OAKLAND, Calif.) — Two people were wounded when an “erratic” driver prompted a shooting at Coast Guard Base Alameda, which is located on a small island next to Oakland, California, officials said.

At about 10 p.m. Thursday, a driver was spotted “driving erratically” and apparently trying to use his truck to ram into Coast Guard Base Alameda, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Coast Guard personnel told the driver to stop several times but the driver then allegedly put the truck in reverse and suddenly sped backward toward the Coast Guard security officials, DHS said on Friday.

“Law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of defensive live fire,” which left the truck driver wounded in the stomach and a bystander struck by a fragment, DHS said.

Neither injury was considered life-threatening, DHS said. The truck driver was taken for a mental health evaluation and the bystander has been released from a hospital, DHS said.

No Coast Guard personnel were hurt, DHS said.

Protesters were gathered outside Coast Guard Base Alameda on Thursday after the base said it was planning to host Customs and Border Protection agents there as a place of operations.

President Donald Trump initially said he was sending troops to San Francisco this weekend to clean up crime, but the president said on Thursday he was pulling back on his decision after speaking with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday night.

“The Federal Government was preparing to ‘surge’ San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress,”Trump wrote on his social media platform. “I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around.”

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

New York AG Letitia James pleads not guilty to mortgage fraud charges

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NORFOLK, Va.) — New York Attorney General Letitia James, appearing in a federal courtroom in Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of alleged mortgage fraud, after she was indicted earlier this month by President Donald Trump’s handpicked U.S. attorney.

Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan — who Trump appointed just days after calling on the his attorney general to act “NOW!!!” to prosecute James and other political enemies — secured an indictment against James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

Halligan was named U.S. attorney by Trump after Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, who sources say had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey.

James, who successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies, was indicted on charges that she committed mortgage fraud related to a home she purchased in 2020.

According to the indictment, James falsely described the property as a second home to get an advantageous mortgage rate, but used it as an “investment property,” rented to a family of three. The indictment alleged James collected thousands of dollars in rent and would have saved $17,837 over the life of the mortgage versus a loan at a higher rate.

“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said in a statement announcing the charges. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

But in an internal memo to Siebert in September, prosecutors said James purchased the home in Norfolk, Virginia, for her great-niece and immediately allowed her and her children to begin living in the house rent-free, sources told ABC News. Prosecutors met with James’ niece, who stated that she had never signed a lease, had never paid rent for the home, and that James had often sent her money to cover some of the expenses, the memo concluded, according to sources familiar with its contents.

“It’s baseless,” James said of the charges this month. “It’s nothing more than retribution, retribution for doing my job.”

Attorneys representing James filed a motion Thursday signaling their intent to challenge Halligan’s appointment as unlawful. A similar motion challenging Halligan’s appointment was filed in the case against Comey.

James’ defense attorneys also filed a motion to the court to enforce rules prohibiting leaks from prosecutors, after a Monday report by Anna Bower of the online publication “Lawfare” contained Signal text messages exchanged between Halligan and Bower in the days after charges were filed against James.

“In initiating this contact, Ms. Halligan — the lead prosecutor on this case as of the date of this filing — commented on the credibility and general strength of the evidence presented to the grand jury,” the filing states.

James’ lawyers argue in their filing that Halligan’s comments to Bower run afoul of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Code of Federal Regulations, local court rules, the Justice Department Manual, and rules of ethical and professional responsibility.

James’ indictment on Oct. 9 came between the indictments of Comey and former Trump national security adviser John Bolton amid what critics call Trump’s campaign of retribution against his perceived political foes.

Vice President JD Vance has said any such prosecutions are “driven by law and not by politics.”

If convicted, James faces a maximum of up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count, and forfeiture of the property.

At least 2 historic magnolia trees, Kennedy Garden appear to have been removed to make way for Trump’s White House ballroom

October 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Legend says that George Washington once chopped down his father’s cherry tree.

Satellite images show President Donald Trump’s project to build a $300 million grand ballroom has appeared to take down at least six trees on the White House grounds — including two historic magnolia trees commemorating Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The satellite images released on Thursday provide the fullest picture yet of the extent of the demolition work on the White House’s East Wing and its effect on the surrounding parkland — changes made without consulting the government commission established by federal law to ensure the preservation and integrity of government buildings in D.C., according to former commission officials who spoke to ABC News.

Visible construction work on the new ballroom appears to have begun more than three weeks ago, according to satellite images of the White House complex taken over the last month. An image taken on Sept. 26 shows preparations for the construction, including the removal of multiple trees in President’s Park.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden — established by first lady Edith Roosevelt in 1903 adjacent to the East Wing — was also leveled during the demolition, according to satellite images. Earlier this year, Trump also paved over the Rose Garden, which was designed by the same architect who designed the Kennedy Garden.

The White House said in an announcement this summer that the project would begin in September and be completed “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”

Satellite images of the White House taken by Planet Labs on Thursday show that the East Wing has been leveled, while preparations appear to have begun on nearby land that the ballroom is expected to occupy.

At least six trees that once surrounded the East Wing appear to have been removed from the White House grounds, according to the images.

Two historic magnolia trees originally dating to the 1940s — designated as commemorative trees for Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt — appear to have been removed during the construction.

A magnolia tree commemorating Harding was originally planted by first lady Florence Harding in 1922 northeast of the entrance to the original 1902 East Wing, according to the National Park Service. The tree was replanted in 1947 and later re-designated as a commemorative tree in the 1950s, according to the park service.

The Roosevelt tree was originally planted in 1942 southeast of the entrance to the newly constructed East Wing, according to the park service. The tree was designated as a commemorative tree in the mid-1950s.

The White House did not respond for a request for comment about the removal of the trees.

Trump previously vowed that the ballroom project would not “interfere with the current” East Wing structure.

“It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” Trump said in July.

A White House official said that Trump intends to submit plans to the National Capital Planning Commission for approval but has not done so yet. According to multiple former members of the NCPC, plans have historically been submitted and approved before any demolition work began.

When speaking about the ballroom project earlier this month, Trump marveled at what he said was the lack of an approval process, compared to his experience constructing buildings in New York.

“I said, ‘How long will it take me?’ ‘Sir, you can start tonight, you have no approvals.’ I said, ‘You gotta be kidding,'” Trump said. “They said, ‘Sir, this is the White House, you’re the President of the United States, you can do anything you want.'”

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