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Trump sues New York AG Letitia James after she sued him for $250M

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Trump sues New York AG Letitia James after she sued him for 0M

(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump asked a Florida court on Wednesday to shield his revocable trust from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has filed a $250 million civil lawsuit against Trump and his family.

In a 41-page civil lawsuit laden with familiar grievances, the former president accused James of “intimidation and harassment” and of making repeated “attempts to steal, destroy or control all things Trump,” including the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust that contains his private estate plan, and decisions about the disposition of his assets upon death.

The lawsuit said the trust “requires protection from James’ demand to invade his privacy.” As part of her lawsuit, James has sought documents about the trust, its terms and its contents.

“These are private matters to President Trump, and under Florida law, revelation of a settlor’s revocable trust while the settlor is still alive threatens the settlor’s right to privacy guaranteed by Article I, Section 23 of the Florida Constitution and the common law,” Trump’s lawsuit states.

A spokeswoman for James issued a statement Wednesday night, saying, “Multiple judges have dismissed Donald Trump’s baseless attempts to evade justice, and no number of lawsuits will deter us from pursuing this fraud. We sued Donald Trump because he committed extensive financial fraud. That fact hasn’t changed, and neither will our resolve to ensure that no matter how powerful or political one might be, no one is above the law.”

James alleges that Trump and his family enriched themselves through “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentations” for 20 years, and her lawsuit accuses the Trumps of “grossly” inflating the former president’s net worth by billions of dollars and cheating lenders and others with false and misleading financial statements.

The civil lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks a $250 million judgment and a prohibition on any of the Trumps leading a company in the state of New York.

Trump’s filing comes hours before a hearing on Thursday in New York where a judge will hear oral arguments about the attorney general’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop alleged ongoing fraud.

The attorney general’s office claimed in a court filing last month that the Trump Organization allegedly appeared to be moving assets and taking other steps to restructure the business in an attempt to “evade liability.”

James also asked the court to appoint a monitor to oversee the Trump Organization’s preparation of financial statements to ensure accuracy.

Trump aide offered immunity to testify before grand jury about Mar-a-Lago docs: Sources

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department has offered Trump aide Kash Patel an immunity deal to testify before a grand jury probing former President Donald Trump’s mishandling of documents marked as classified found at Mar-a-Lago, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Patel appeared before a grand jury probing the handling of the documents last month and repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment.

The immunity deal for Patel wouldn’t necessarily shield him from prosecution and wouldn’t protect him from any information investigators receive independent of his testimony.

But experts argue the extension of an immunity offer, nonetheless, could signal the advanced stage the investigation is currently in and how investigators are increasingly zeroing in on Trump’s attempts to hold on to documents that were among the most highly protected government intelligence.

Patel didn’t immediately respond to a text message seeking comment, and it’s not clear how he or his team will respond to the DOJ’s offer. A lawyer representing Patel declined to comment. Department of Justice officials declined to comment.

On Aug. 9, the day after FBI agents raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and found scores of documents marked classified, Patel issued a statement calling the raid “unlawful” and saying “corrupt government gangsters” had engaged in “the blatant weaponization of our government for political gain.”

On Monday, Patel appeared on “The Benny Show,” a right-wing podcast, and said, “I’m all in with the boss, and you know that.” Patel was responding to a question about whether he would accept the FBI director post if Trump were to be reelected in 2024.

“First I tell people, let’s win the midterms,” Patel said. “And then let’s see what he does and, you know, you and I think I know what he’s going to do. And then it’s a two-year lift and you know what, they’re going to come after us.”

DHS chief hopes new Twitter owner Elon Musk acts ‘responsibly’

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON0 — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he hopes Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, acts “responsibly.”

“He’s going to be in a position of responsibility with respect to an important platform, and we hope that he exercises that position responsibly,” Mayorkas told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas during an interview at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Musk, who acquired Twitter for roughly $44 billion last week, retweeted and since deleted inaccurate information regarding the assault of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul.

The secretary noted that Musk removed the inaccurate post “rather rapidly.”

Mayorkas said that, ultimately, it’s up to Congress to regulate social media companies. The government, however, is within its purview to combat mis- and disinformation, he said.

“For example, if it involves the election — if there is false information that [says] you don’t need to vote on Nov. 8… if you miss [the] voting date, you can ask … for permission to vote five days later — with no factual basis, inaccurate information that could deceive an individual into missing their right to exercise their vote. That is something that we will correct,” he said. “That is our responsibility. That is our mission. And we execute it quite proudly.”

Disinformation from nation-state actors could be seen by a vast audience, he said, including during the 2022 midterm election, if it is not stomped out.

“Here in the online environment, the potential audience is vast,” he said. “And what we do, we have a responsibility to make sure that the American public receives accurate information.”

Earlier this year, DHS established and then quickly shut down a Disinformation Governance Board that was aimed at combatting disinformation but it was criticized by both sides of the aisle.

Mayorkas told ABC News that leaders have a responsibility to combat misinformation.

“The words of leaders matter a lot, and we need leaders to act responsibly,” he said. “It is the responsibility of government, not just the Department of Homeland Security. The responsibility of government. It is a responsibility of leaders. It is the responsibility of people in positions of trust to communicate accurate information to the American public and disabuse them of falsehoods.”

He is concerned about the “temperature” in the country and the divisiveness, the secretary added.

Civil rights leaders demand meeting with Elon Musk

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The top executives of three civil rights groups are demanding a meeting with new Twitter owner Elon Musk following what they say has been a rise in racial and religious hatred on the social media platform.

The groups are asking for Musk to have “strong content moderation standards that foster a safe and healthy online environment.”

In a joint letter sent to Musk on Wednesday, the heads of the NAACP, Urban League and National Action Network say they are “alarmed by the rise in white supremacist propaganda and racial and religious hatred on the Twitter platform over the weekend.”

The civil rights groups say the purpose of their request is to “address our concerns and better understand your content moderation plan to protect our communities against abuse on Twitter by those who seek not simply to express controversial views, but who seek to harm us and undermine our democracy.”

They went on, “And as we have seen over the last several years, online behavior has offline impact, including leading to violence and harassment online and otherwise.”

Separately, NAACP President Derrick Johnson met with Musk on Tuesday “to express our grave concerns with the dangerous, life-threatening hate and conspiracies that have proliferated on Twitter under his watch,” according to an NAACP statement.

Johnson said, “Nazi memes, racial slurs, and extreme far-right propaganda do not belong in the ‘town square’ of any democracy or online platform. Taking the necessary actions is not rocket science, but failing to do so will put human lives at risk and further unravel our democracy.”

Noting the upcoming midterm elections, Johnson said he believes “it is critical that Twitter’s existing election integrity policies remain in effect until at the very least after the midterm elections have been certified.”

A new study from Montclair State University showed a dramatic increase in hate speech on Twitter immediately following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform.

Musk acquired the platform on Oct. 27 and promised to reduce Twitter’s content restrictions to promote free speech. He also said a “content moderation council” will be formed to review company policies.

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement when the deal was announced.

A spokesperson for Twitter did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Starbucks red holiday cups return for 25th year, plus peppermint mocha and new pastries

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Starbucks is officially in holiday mode with the return of its iconic red cups and special holiday menu.

Starting Thursday, Nov. 3, Starbucks will celebrate the return of holiday beverages and festive food, as well as 25 years of the holiday cups.

The coffee chain first rolled out the cups, initially designed by Sandy Nelson in 1997, to signify the arrival of the holiday season. This year, the classic red and Starbucks green colors have accents of mint and sparkles as a nod to the Peppermint Mocha, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Additional fan favorites back on the holiday menu include the Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and returning for the second year, the nondairy Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte.

The pastry case is also getting the festive treatment for the season with a brand new Chocolate Pistachio Swirl and the return of Reindeer Cake Pops, Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, Cranberry Bliss Bars and Snowman Cookies.

Starbucks is also debuting its annual limited-edition holiday merch lineup, which features an array of colorful cold cups, tumblers, mugs and more in a variety of holiday designs.

Why this could be the worst flu season in the US in more than a decade

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The number of positive flu tests and hospitalizations in the United States is the highest in more than a decade, indicating this influenza season may be the most severe in years.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been at least 880,000 cases of flu-like illness during the 2022-23 flu season.

Over the season’s first three weeks, clinical laboratories have recorded more than 9,100 positive tests, CDC data shows.

This is the highest number of tests recorded this early in a season since 2009-2010, when the country was seeing a swine flu outbreak. More than 21,000 positive tests were recorded that season, according to an ABC News analysis of data from the federal health agency.

Additionally, there have been about 6,900 hospitalizations so far this season with a cumulative rate of 1.5 per 100,000. According to the CDC, this is “higher than the rate observed … during previous seasons going back to 2010-2011.”

At least two states have also experienced pediatric flu death deaths within the last week, including two reported in Texas and one in South Carolina.

“What the data tells us so far is we’re likely to have a fairly substantial influenza season,” Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told ABC News. “It’s taking off at a faster rate than usual. We’re clearly in the influenza season but what we’re seeing is a more rapid rise in cases.”

He added, “It does seem to be spreading quicker, particularly along the eastern seaboard and the south. It’s unusual for the East Coast to be seeing so much influenza this early in the season.”

Public health experts said one of the possible reasons why cases and hospitalizations are so high is because during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools and businesses were closed and people were staying at home, they weren’t exposed to many viruses.

Due of this, people may be more susceptible to getting sick, as their immune systems are remembering (or learning for the first time) how to fight off these infections.

“It takes some time for immunity to build back up,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News. “Immunity … is what protects [us] against severe disease in the future. And that’s why we’re seeing so many people who are sick in the hospital with viruses.”

Doron said there also may be more people being tested for flu this season than usual.

“In a normal flu season, we were not recommended to test everyone with flu symptoms … we’re now in a situation where everyone who has symptoms of any kind is supposed to test,” Doron said.

The doctors stressed it’s not too late to get the flu shot and encouraged everyone 6 months and older to receive a dose.

“It’s definitely not too late,” Dr. Justine Justman, an associate professor of medicine in epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, told ABC News. “Now is a great time. This week is a great time to get your flu shot. I wouldn’t put it off, it’s still completely worth it.”

The experts also suggested Americans follow the same steps they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, including washing hands thoroughly, avoiding crowded indoor spaces and even wearing masks.

“All of those things that we talked about, over and over for COVID, what are called the non-pharmaceutical interventions, they will work really well, to help you avoid flu, just the way they help you avoid COVID,” Justman said. “So we’ve all learned how to do those things. We just have to remember to keep going.”

Billion-dollar Powerball jackpot approaches world record amount

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Now at an estimated $1.5 billion, the Powerball jackpot is quickly approaching a world record amount after 39 consecutive drawings yielded no grand prize winner, lottery officials said.

The next drawing is Saturday night, marking the 40th Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won in Pennsylvania on Aug. 3. The cash value of Saturday’s jackpot is $745.9 million, according to a press release from Powerball.

If a player’s ticket matches all six numbers drawn on Saturday night, it will be the second-largest jackpot won in Powerball’s 30-year history and the third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history, only behind the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in 2016 and the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2018. If no one wins Saturday’s jackpot, it will tie the game record for the number of drawings in a row without a grand prize winner, Powerball said.

Although there was no jackpot winner in the last drawing on Wednesday night, more than 7.2 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $74.9 million. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, according to Powerball.

The jackpot grows based on game sales and interest. But the odds of winning the big prize stays the same — 1 in 292.2 million, Powerball said.

Jackpot winners can either take the money as an immediate cash lump sum or in 30 annual payments over 29 years. Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes, Powerball said.

Tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was purchased, according to Powerball.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. The drawings are also livestreamed online at Powerball.com.

North Korea fires three ballistic missiles, launching tests for second consecutive day

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korea test-fired three missiles on Thursday, a day after launching its most-ever tests in a single day.

One long-range and two short-range ballistic missiles were tested, South Korean officials said. Tokyo initially said the longer-range ballistic missile had flown over Japan, warning residents of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata prefectures to take shelter. But Japan’s Defense Ministry later said the missile did not fly over Japan.

Authorities said they were still analyzing the details. Analysts suggested that the missile, which flew 472 miles and reached a height of 1,200 miles, was presumably an intercontinental ballistic missile that failed.

“We can sense North Korea’s anxiety from recent launches. In fact, these missile launches are a huge burden for their military, especially when North Korea is so economically cut off,” Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, told ABC News.

The provocations are a typical brinkmanship tactic to either bring the U.S. and South Korea into nuclear talks or a prelude to justifying an imminent seventh nuclear underground test.

“It’s possible to assume that North Korea will decorate the grand finale of its tactic with the seventh nuclear test, and then suggest a deal,” said Park.

The two Koreas test-fired missiles one after another throughout Wednesday in a series of tit-for-tat moves. North Korea fired a total of 23 missiles that were a combination of ballistic and surface-to-air weapons, and 100 artillery shells from various locations toward the east and west. In a retaliatory move, South Korea quickly responded in between by launching its own air-to-surface missiles into a similar area above the NLL, launched by two F-15K and KF-16 jet fighters.

Pyongyang claimed the missile tests are “self-defensive” in nature. Officials called for the U.S. and South Korea to stop their annual joint military drills, which they said were “aggressive and provocative.”

“They are going on a full-scale sprint. Not only are there a variety of missiles, but also a great number of them,” Park added.

Dr. Yang Uk, of Seoul-based Asan Institute, told ABC News that the missile launches are a way to show off Pyongyang’s tactical nuclear capabilities.

“It’s an adamant statement that they will respond with all forces by fully mobilizing all the means they have,” Yang explained.

South Korea’s air force announced Wednesday shortly after North Korea’s ballistic missile provocation, that the joint air drill between the U.S. will be extended. It was originally planned for five days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.

Donald Trump reaches settlement with protesters who allege they were assaulted by his security

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump settled a civil lawsuit Wednesday that alleged his security guards violently assaulted protesters outside Trump Tower in 2015.

The case, brought by Efrain Galicia and four other protesters of Mexican origin against Trump and his head of security, Keith Schiller, was in the middle of jury selection in Bronx Supreme Court when the parties came to a confidential agreement.

Video from the September 2015 rally appeared to show Schiller smacking Galicia in the face after he reached for a sign that said “Trump: Make America Racist Again.”

“Defendants were staring down the barrel of a Bronx jury who were about to be presented with overwhelming evidence in support of plaintiffs’ claims,” Ben Dictor, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said in a statement to ABC News. “Nevertheless, plaintiffs are proud to have settled their claims and to have obtained written recognition by Donald Trump of their right to protest on the public sidewalk. Powerful men may put their names on buildings, but the sidewalk will always belong to the people.”

The settlement was announced in a stipulation that said the two sides agreed the matter should be “discontinued in its entirety.” The stipulation did not disclose terms.

“Although we were eager to proceed to trial to demonstrate the frivolousness of this case, the parties were ultimately able to come to an amicable resolution. We are very pleased with this outcome and are happy to finally put this matter to rest once and for all,” Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said.

A joint statement from Trump, signed by Habba on his behalf, and the plaintiffs, said, “The parties all agree that the plaintiffs in the action, and all people, have a right to engage in peaceful protest on public sidewalks.”

Trump said Schiller “did nothing wrong” and called the protesters “troublemakers” during a deposition in October 2021.

“I think they were troublemakers, yes I do. I think they were,” Trump said, according to a transcript.

The protesters said they were lawfully on the public sidewalk outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan when they were “attacked and their property destroyed.” Their lawsuit also alleged infringement on their free speech rights.

Two of the protesters wore Ku Klux Klan outfits to call attention to David Duke’s endorsement of Trump’s immigration policies during the campaign.

Cause announced for Indiana home explosion that killed 3 people

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) — A deadly home explosion in southern Indiana in August has been ruled accidental, with no signs of foul play, authorities said Wednesday.

Three people died after a house exploded in Evansville on Aug. 10. Two of the victims were in the home where the blast occurred, while the third was not, authorities said.

Investigators discovered a leaking gas line in the basement of the home, according to Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, who conducted a joint investigation with the Evansville Fire Department.

The line was uncapped and the valve was in the open position, according to the fire marshal, who said he has ruled the cause of the explosion to be accidental.

“Meter data taken after the incident showed a sharp increase in gas usage beginning two days before the blast,” Jones said in a press release. “No additional evidence was found to determine how the valve was opened; however, there is no indication of foul play.”

The source of ignition could not be determined, though electrical devices and other appliances in the home could have served as an ignition source, the fire marshal noted.

Following the blast, the gas lines between the main and meter were determined to be working properly, Jones said.

Testing also confirmed that mercaptan, a foul-smelling additive, was present in the natural gas line leading to the home.

“It could not be determined how the occupants were unaware of the gas accumulating in the home,” the fire marshal said.

The home where the explosion occurred was destroyed and nearly a dozen other homes were uninhabitable after the blast, authorities said.

The victims were identified by the coroner’s office as Charles Hite, 43, and Martina Hite, 37, who both lived in the home, and their next-door neighbor, 29-year-old Jessica Teague.

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