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Who is Raphael Warnock? Reverend faces Herschel Walker in Georgia Senate runoff

December 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is running in his fourth election in roughly two years as he fights for a full six-year term representing the battleground state.

Warnock is facing Republican Herschel Walker, a businessman and college football legend in Georgia, in Tuesday’s runoff after neither reached the 50% threshold in last month’s general election, as mandated by state law.

Warnock first won his seat in the Senate in a 2021 runoff after neither he nor then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler garnered 50% of the vote in their first matchup in November 2020.

A noted reverend, Warnock — whom Republicans have sought to cast as too liberal for the state — has campaigned on a personal history steeped in religion, service and social justice. He has also touted his current work during his short time in Congress, including some bipartisan priorities, while Walker calls him merely a vote for President Joe Biden’s policies on inflation and more.

“I’m not a senator who used to be a pastor. You might as well know that you sent a pastor to the Senate,” Warnock told canvassers in October.

He grew up in public housing in Savannah, the 11th of 12 children to two Pentecostal preachers. He ultimately attended Morehouse College, a historically Black institution in Atlanta, before earning a master’s and doctoral degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York.

During the 1990s, he served as the youth pastor and assistant pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, a church with an extensive history of fighting for several social justice causes.

The church refused to hire workfare recipients in protest against then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s requirement that welfare recipients work to receive benefits, and it hosted Fidel Castro in 1995 while Warnock was youth pastor, though there is no evidence indicating Warnock was part of the decision-making process of welcoming Cuba’s authoritarian leader.

Warnock in November traveled back to Abyssinian to honor his late mentor, the preacher Calvin Butts, whom he said helped inspire his passion for social issues.

“Calvin Butts taught me how to take my ministry to the streets,” Warnock said in a eulogy, according to The New York Times. “He understood that the church’s work doesn’t end at the church door. That’s where it starts.”

After Abyssinian, Warnock worked at Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore before ultimately returning to Georgia to serve as senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, which was famously led by Martin Luther King Jr. Warnock was featured at several prominent events, including former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration and the funeral for Georgia Rep. John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement.

Also, from 2017-2020, Warnock chaired the New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan voter registration effort.

In 2020, before the election, Warnock was accused by then-wife Ouleye of running over her foot amid their divorce proceedings. She told responding officers that Warnock “crossed a line” and suggested he was manipulative, calling him a “great actor.”

However, neither police nor medical professionals were able to find evidence to show that she was injured, and Warnock was not charged with any crimes. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of his then-wife’s claim: “It didn’t happen.”

Warnock first ran for office in 2020 against Loeffler, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left by late Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned because of health issues. After defeating Loeffler in 2021, Warnock became the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from the South and, along with Jon Ossoff, the first Democratic senator elected in Georgia in some 20 years.

While in the Senate, Warnock has vociferously advocated for expansions to health care access, particularly around Medicaid, and emerged as one of the leading voices to lower the cost of insulin. He successfully advocated for language in the Inflation Reduction Act, which ultimately became law, to cap cost for the medication at $35 for people on Medicare.

Who is Herschel Walker? Former football star faces Raphael Warnock in Georgia Senate runoff

December 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — Republican Herschel Walker hopes to do what former Sen. Kelly Loeffler could not and defeat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in a runoff election in Georgia.

Walker, a football legend in the state known for scoring touchdowns in the University of Georgia’s 1980 championship season, will face Warnock in Tuesday’s race after neither reached the required 50% threshold in last month’s general election.

Both the November election and the runoff have seen Walker deny a series of allegations from women, including that he paid for their abortions, which he has said is not true. He is running as a staunchly anti-abortion candidate.

During the campaign, Walker’s past also received new scrutiny, such as resurfaced reports about violence in his first marriage to Cindy Grossman — which he didn’t contest — amid what he said was a struggle with dissociative identity disorder.

Warnock, Walker’s rival in the runoff, was first elected in January 2021 after defeating Loeffler in a previous runoff to serve the remainder of the late Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term when Isakson resigned.

While the outcome on Tuesday won’t determine control of the Senate, Walker could clinch a 50th seat for the GOP and create procedural obstacles for Democrats in the chamber.

Walker entered the Republican primary in the Senate race in August 2021 at the urging of former President Donald Trump, a longtime friend, whose swift support largely cleared the field.

Walker boasts significant name recognition in Georgia from his extensive football career. He was born in Augusta and after emerging as a star athlete in high school, he played football as a running back at the University of Georgia, where he helped win the national championship in 1980 and the Heisman Trophy in 1982.

In 1983, he joined the New Jersey Generals in the now-defunct United States Football League. The team was sold to Trump after the 1983 season.

He was later selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1985 draft and played in the NFL for 12 seasons, including for the Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Later, he launched a chicken distribution business in 2002.

Despite Walker’s local fame, he has grappled with a series of controversies — and criticism from some in his party — while running against Warnock.

Reports showed that Walker never graduated from college, despite his campaign team stating that he did so, and he never had a formal job with law enforcement after Walker repeatedly suggested he did.

During the cycle, Walker also confirmed he has four children — not just the adult son, social media influencer Christian, whom he has been publicly raising for years, but he insisted he wasn’t hiding his kids from the public.

At a recent rally for Warnock, former President Barack Obama jabbed at Walker’s verbal blunders, such as an unusual riff about vampires and werewolves.

On the trail, Walker has cast some of the most serious allegations as political smears manufactured by Democrats.

At the same time, he has emphasized his Christian faith and belief in “redemption.”

“I’m here to win the seat for the Georgia people because the Georgia people need a winner,” he said in October. “They don’t need the one that we see going on right now.”

Person of interest in death of two women, arrested for kidnapping 79-year-old woman

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(RACINE, Wisc.) — Prosecutors in Wisconsin charged a man, who’s a person of interest in two deaths, with kidnapping an elderly woman and stealing her identity.

The state of Wisconsin has charged Timothy Luther Olson Jr., on multiple charges, including kidnapping, identity theft, burglary and obstructing an officer, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News.

Prosecutors allege that officers responded to a call from a bystander who saw a 79-year-old woman waving her hand from her car.

When an officer arrived on the scene, he said that the woman seemed confused and told him that her belongings were stolen by the person who allegedly kidnapped her from an Italian restaurant in Milwaukee County.

The woman said before the alleged abduction, she was having her monthly glass of wine and reading on her tablet when a man, Olson, sat next to her and began talking to her at the bar, according to the complaint.

After their conversation, she left the restaurant and got into her vehicle, ready to go, when Olson reportedly opened her passenger door and told her, “I have a gun, drive.”

Police in Franklin, Wisconsin, arrested Olson, 56, on Nov. 29. According to the complaint, the suspect had the woman’s credit card in his possession.

Olson is also a person of interest in the death of a woman in the city of Racine and a woman in South Milwaukee, according to ABC News Milwaukee affiliate WISN.

In a press release, the Racine Police Department said that at least three women, whom he targeted on dating apps, have allegedly become unconscious while on dates with Olson, where he allegedly steals from them.

Online scammers don’t take a holiday, and neither should you

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — ‘Tis the season for online scammers to steal your personal information. This year, scams are at an all-time high as more consumers turn to e-commerce for their holiday shopping. According to the Better Business Bureau, online scams are 55% more prevalent than scam calls or texts, and experts say the fraudsters are more sophisticated than ever.

“I think in years past you had a person sitting in their parents’ basement, maybe with a hoodie. Things have changed dramatically. It is an organized crime,” Tami Hudson, executive vice president and cybersecurity client officer at Wells Fargo, told ABC News.

Social media is considered a gold mine for scammers, so consumers need to be especially wary of targeted ads on their social media feeds, in emails or text messages that contain suspicious links.

“Go to the website of that retailer, that bank, that company that you want to do business with,” Hudson said. “Pick up the phone and call the number on that website. Ensure that it is a legitimate site.”

Hudson says fraudsters will often create a sense of urgency, saying there’s a problem with your purchase and asking you to wire them money or use a link to a payment site.

“Keep in mind that no financial institution or retailer will reach out to you and ask for your username or password. They’re not going to ask you to transfer data or transfer money,” Hudson said.

Also, never re-text your authorization code, which banks and retailers often send to your mobile device when you are logging into your account in order to confirm your identity.

If you are receiving unsolicited authorization codes via text or email, experts say chances are scammers already have your username and password for that particular account and are now phishing for an authorization code to gain access to the website. They recommend immediately changing the password for that account by typing the website address directly into your web browser’s address bar.

These “bad actors” are also taking advantage of people’s generosity during the holidays by creating fake social media profiles for charities. If a charity or small business looks suspicious, do an internet search to see if victims have posted about being scammed.

Online shoppers also need to check website addresses for misspellings and poor grammar and, when possible, should always pay with a credit card, instead of debit or prepaid cards, for better fraud protection.

An added layer of protection when checking out outline is to choose ‘Checkout as a Guest’ instead of ‘Create an Account’ whenever possible. When you create an account, your personal information, including your credit card information, is stored on that retailer’s servers. If that retailer were to get hacked, a shopper’s personal information could be compromised.

It’s also important that consumers trust their gut. During a recent online search I conducted for an NHL licensed jersey, the site, for a major retailer, listed the item as out-of-stock. But it appeared to be available — and at a big discount — at an online small business that was unfamiliar to me. Immediately suspicious of the offer, I called the contact number on the website. No one answered. But less than a minute later I received a text from the “retailer” telling me they were very busy and could not pick up the phone, but that I could text them my information and they would return my call as soon as they were available.

You can bet I deleted that text faster than you can say “eggnog.” As the old adage goes, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stay vigilant and safe shopping!

Nike drops Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving over antisemitism

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Nike has severed ties with Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving following criticism for antisemitism.

“Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete,” the company said in a statement to ABC News.

Irving received widespread criticism after he posted a link to an antisemitic film on Twitter in late October.

The NBA star was suspended by his team in November after he and the Nets received criticism for not coming down more forcefully. Irving was suspended for “at least” five games on Nov. 3 for failing to “disavow antisemitism” when questioned by the media about the Twitter post.

“We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film,” the Nets said in a statement at the time. “This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify.”

One day after the team’s suspension, Nike announced it was suspending its relationship with Irving.

“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism,” Nike said in a statement. “To that end, we’ve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone.”

Irving signed a deal with Nike in 2011 when he left Duke University and entered the NBA draft. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His first line of signature shoes was released in 2014.

At the same time as Irving’s deal with Nike was suspended, it announced the cancellation of the launch of the Kyrie 9 shoe.

Irving ended up being suspended eight games before returning to the Nets’ starting lineup on Nov. 20. He had played in all nine games since Nov. 20, including his return against Memphis, and the team has gone 6-3.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

Why a cap on Russian oil could send gas prices rising

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Prices at the pump have plummeted over the past month but a dramatic move from the U.S. and allies meant to slash Russian oil revenue and cripple its war effort could send gas prices rising again, some energy analysts told ABC News.

On Monday, the European Union slapped a ban on all seaborne imports of Russian oil. On top of that, a group of Western nations imposed a price cap on Russian oil that will prohibit the country from selling crude to third party countries unless the price falls well below market rates.

The Western scheme aims to choke off the primary source of funds behind the Russian war in Ukraine but the move risks disrupting the global oil supply and spiking gas prices.

The newly announced measures contributed to a jump in global oil prices in early trading on Monday but prices retreated later in the day.

While the exact effect of the price cap remains unclear, some analysts expect the move to send gas prices higher in the coming months as the global market strains under lost Russian oil supply. However, Russia may circumvent the price cap and continue selling oil at its current rate, mitigating any effect on gas prices, other analysts said.

Here’s what you need to know about the price cap on Russian oil and how it will affect U.S. gas prices:

What is the price cap on Russian oil?

The price cap on Russian oil is a policy implemented by G-7 nations on Monday that will disallow the world’s second-largest oil exporter from selling crude at a price above $60 per barrel.

Since the outset of its war with Ukraine, Russia has sold its oil at discounted prices. As of Friday, Russian Urals crude traded at $67 per barrel — an amount little higher than the cap. But the price cap aims to ensure that Russian oil sales remain well below global oil prices, which stand at about $80 per barrel.

The policy relies on compliance from insurance companies, shipping outfits and other businesses involved in the transport of Russian oil. Many of those firms are based in Western countries and will play a key role in ensuring that any sale of oil from Russia is kept below the mandated price.

Alongside a newly announced EU ban on seaborne imports of Russian oil, the price cap will, in theory, limit the amount of revenue Russia can generate from the sale of oil to countries that have not imposed a ban.

What’s the reason behind the price cap?

Western countries have slapped the price cap on Russian oil in pursuit of a balance between two goals: curtailing the oil funds that drive Russia’s war effort while allowing the country to continue selling oil in order to preserve global supply and avert a far-reaching price shock.

The price cap was set at $60 per barrel after months of contentious negotiations between Western allies, some of whom wanted a much lower cap in hope of severely undermining Russia’s war aims while others wanted a higher cap that would keep oil flowing and prices low.

“It’s very delicate,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Houston, told ABC News. “The sale of crude is funding the war. They’re really trying to take out that economic engine.”

“But if you cut the price too low, Russia has no reason to produce. It says, ‘I’ll shut it down and hurt all of you in ways that will hurt the global economy,” he added.

How will Russia respond to the price cap?

A Russian government official sharply criticized the price cap on Sunday, saying the company would halt oil sales to any country that supports the measure.

Mikhail Ulyanov, a senior Russian diplomat, accused Western nations of weaponizing oil markets.

“They can make politically motivated anti-market decisions putting at risk stability of the oil market,” he said. “Russia has the right to react accordingly.”

Russia will likely seek to undermine and circumvent the price cap by using insurance and shipping companies that operate outside the purview of the ban, David Doherty, an analyst who tracks the oil industry at BloombergNEF, told ABC News.

Such a response would preserve the current level of Russian oil sales and avert disruption of global supply, leaving oil and gasoline prices largely unchanged, he added.

“You’ll see a status quo where China and India continue to take Russian barrels, using ships that are non-EU and insurance that’s non-EU,” he said.

What does the price cap mean for gas prices in the US?

Still, some analysts said the EU ban and price cap would curtail global oil supply and ultimately drive U.S. gasoline prices upward. Even if Russia evades some enforcement of the ban, they will struggle to sustain their current output or intentionally cut exports, they said.

“There is going to be a shortening of supply and therefore a price increase for crude oil and that will get reflected in an increased price at the gas pump for all of us,” said Krishnamoorti, of the University of Houston.

The Western moves will result in an increase in U.S. gasoline prices of between 5% to 10% over the next three weeks, Krishnamoorti estimated.

Global oil prices face other headwinds like an OPEC Plus decision to preserve output at current levels that could further strain supply as well as the potential lifting of COVID lockdowns in China that may boost demand.

Taken together, these factors could send U.S. gasoline prices up as much as 25% over the next three weeks, Krishnamoorti warned.

However, other analysts said that the impact of the cap on Russian oil prices could be minimal or nonexistent, cautioning that it remains too early to tell how U.S. gas prices will respond.

“Consumers don’t necessarily need to be worried about an imminent shockwave,” Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told ABC News. “There are thousands of potential outcomes.”

Arizona election results certified, Kari Lake expected to challenge

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PHOENIX) — Elected officials in Arizona certified the state’s election results on Monday in a formal canvassing ceremony at the state Capitol, initiating the start of recounts and potential lawsuits, which couldn’t begin by law until after the canvassing.

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democratic governor-elect, presided over the official certification, to the outcry of some Republicans, including her competitor Kari Lake, who was expected to challenge the vote. During the campaign, Lake repeatedly called on Hobbs to recuse herself from her role, but Hobbs maintained she carried no conflict of interest since former secretaries of state have certified their own election wins and because her office does not count the votes.

At the start of the certification process, Hobbs spoke about the importance of protecting democracy and looked to the next major election in 2024.

“Arizona had a successful election, but too often throughout the process, powerful voices proliferated misinformation that threatened to disenfranchise voters,” Hobbs said. “Democracy prevailed, but it’s not out of the woods.”

“2024 will bring a host of challenges from the election denial community that we must prepare for, but for now, Arizonans to stand proud knowing that this election was conducted with transparency, accuracy and fairness in accordance with Arizona’s election laws and procedures,” she added.

Outgoing Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel flanked Hobbs for the canvassing ceremony, along with outgoing Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who investigated claims of election fraud in the 2020 election but did not find anything substantial.

“There’s no better place in the nation to build a successful life” than in Arizona, Ducey said. “Let us remember this as we certify the election and begin this next chapter.”

Brnovich made a point of noting that the governor and attorney general don’t officially certify the election but serve as witnesses in the ceremony.

“I’m reminded what John F. Kennedy often said, those who ride the tiger to seek power often end up inside,” he added.

While Ducey shook hands with Hobbs after the canvass, Brnovich was quick to stand and leave the room.

Monday’s certification triggers automatic recounts in three qualifying races — including the attorney general race, where Democrat Kris Mayes leads by just 511 votes — and opens a five-day window in which legal challenges to the vote can be filed in court.

Lake’s campaign told ABC News on Monday that she still plans to file legal challenges to the election results. Republican Abe Hamadeh, also backed by former President Donald Trump, like Lake, is expected to file a challenge as well.

For weeks, Lake has repeated grievances on social media with Maricopa County’s printer issues on Election Day, calling on officials to resign and retweeting requests for a new election. Maricopa officials have maintained that voters in the state’s largest county were not disenfranchised because other options were presented on Election Day, and have cited a record number of “late early” ballots dropped off on Election Day as the reason why it took several days to count votes.

Lake faced legal blowback of her own just last week when a federal judge issued sanctions against an attorney who represented her and Republican Mark Finchem in a lawsuit inaccurately claiming electronic voting machines weren’t secure or accurate.

U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi wrote he would “not condone litigants … furthering false narratives that baselessly undermine public trust as a time of increasing disinformation about, and distrust in, the democratic process.”

Hobbs’ office did not allow in-person attendance for Monday’s canvass. Although the event was streamed live, as it’s required to be public by law, audio was not working on a Zoom link provided by the secretary’s office, and another Facebook link was down.

Blake Masters, who lost his challenge against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, is the only statewide Republican candidate so far to concede their race. The RNC recently announced he would be joining an advisory council. Masters has called on Republicans to adapt to early-voting expansions in the wake of midterm losses.

Health officials make urgent push for flu and COVID shots as hospitals feel the strain

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Health officials are making another urgent push to encourage flu and COVID vaccinations, as multiple respiratory viruses swirl around the country inundating both pediatric and adult hospitals. About 75% of pediatric hospital beds are filled and flu hospitalizations are at the highest level in a decade, for this time in the season.

“Levels of flu-like illness, which includes people going to the doctor with a fever, cough or sore throat are at either high or very high levels in 47 jurisdictions and that is up from 36 jurisdictions just last week,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a telebriefing today.

This week, the CDC is observing National Influenza Vaccination Week to encourage everyone over 6 months and older to get a flu shot. Experts say it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

“I want to emphasize that flu vaccines can be lifesaving and importantly, there is still time to get vaccinated to be protected against flu this season and its potentially serious consequences,” said Walensky.

This flu season has been one of the most significant in recent memory with nearly 9 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from flu so far, according to CDC estimates.

This year’s flu vaccine, as well as the updated COVID booster, have been formulated to better protect against currently circulating strains. Experts say you can get both shots at the same time.

“You can get both [flu and COVID] vaccines at the same time. I know everyone’s tired of getting shots. We all have booster fatigue. But understand, you could get really, really sick this year and ruin your holiday celebrations if you don’t get vaccinated,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association during the CDC telebriefing.

Those who have received the updated COVID booster have a 15 times lower risk of death from the disease, according to CDC data. Those over the age of 5 are currently eligible for the shot, while Pfizer and BioNTech have just submitted an application to the FDA to authorize the shot as a booster in children 6 months through 4 years of age, according to a press release out today.

COVID hospitalizations are beginning to trend upwards again as well, with those over the age of 70 seeing a nearly 28% increase in the past week.

While there are vaccines available for flu and COVID, RSV is another threatening virus that has especially impacted pediatric hospitals – a virus with no vaccine currently authorized in the U.S.

If you do get diagnosed with flu and COVID, there are antivirals available that can reduce the impact of symptoms as well as the possibility of severe illness and death.

“There are specific antivirals for flu and specific antivirals for COVID. But flu antivirals don’t work for COVID and vice versa. And the only way to know for sure what you have is to get tested,” said Fryhofer.

Experts also reiterated the importance of staying home when sick in addition to getting your shots.

“Please stay home when you’re sick. Share your love by not sharing your sickness. This holiday season, please get vaccinated, it’s the best way to protect yourself, it’s the best way to protect your loved ones and it’s the best way to protect your community,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer.

GOP leaders silent so far on Trump’s call for ‘termination’ of Constitution’s rules

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The White House on Monday and some Republicans in Congress condemned former President Donald Trump’s call for “termination” of the Constitution’s rules — while GOP congressional leaders kept silent on Trump’s comment and Democrats demanded Republicans rebuke him.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, asked about Trump’s comment, said she wanted to be “careful” about how she answered from the briefing room podium since Trump has declared his candidacy for 2024 but reminded that his own administration officials have called the 2020 election the most secure in American history.

“It was also upheld by the Trump administration’s attorney general, and by over 80 federal judges, [many] of whom were nominated by Donald Trump himself,” she said. “And so in 2022, the American people came together, these past midterms, and utterly rejected the dangerous conspiracy that we have been hearing — the big lie that we have been hearing from the former president, but also many Republicans.”

“The American people have been very clear,” she added. “They oppose the way that Republicans have talked about this. They oppose the violent rhetoric that extreme MAGA officials have engaged in, and so we should listen to what the American people had to say just a couple of weeks ago,” referring to the midterm elections.

Her deputy, Andrew Bates, said in a statement Saturday, “Attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation and should be universally condemned.”

The former president, in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, called for the “termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” citing debunked claims of voter fraud in 2020, claims that failed in court dozens of times.

Amid a flood of criticism, Trump posted another statement Monday on Truth Social attempting to deny that he posted as much, dismissing reports of his Saturday post as “disinformation and lies,”

“The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to ‘terminate’ the Constitution,” he said.

Republican congressional leaders Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, in the final stretch on his quest to become House speaker, on Monday had yet to weigh in on Trump’s comment — which came just days ahead of a Senate runoff in Georgia where Trump has backed Herschel Walker.

McConnell told reporters we would address the issue in his weekly news conference on Tuesday after not addressing in his Monday Senate floor remarks. McCarthy, meanwhile, tweeted just over a week ago that the incoming Republican-led Congress “will read every single word of the Constitution aloud from the floor of the House,” on its first day, after all members take an oath to uphold the Constitution.

At the same time, some of Trump’s most ardent defenders did not try to excuse or justify his comments.

“I believe in the Constitution, and I believe in the rule of law and believe we should enforce it,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, said. “Everybody’s gotta be even. Have to abide by it.”

“Yeah, I think what he said was inappropriate,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday.

When ABC’s Jay O’Brien pressed Graham on whether Trump’s comments were disqualifying, he said, “I don’t think so.”

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley he doesn’t support suspension of the Constitution.

His Missouri colleague, retiring Sen. Roy Blunt, as the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee, helped swear Trump in as president, said, “Well, I was standing ten feet from him when he took the oath of office and there was no emergency clause not to follow the Constitution,” Blunt said when asked about the comments.

Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, told NBC on Monday that he will “seriously consider” running for president in 2024 if Republicans don’t come out stronger against Trump’s suggestion.

“When you challenge the Constitution itself, that is un-American. If the current GOP presidential candidates don’t repudiate Trump, I’m prepared to get in the race,” Bolton tweeted, along with a clip of the interview.

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted to convict the former president in his second impeachment trial, and recently won reelection to the Senate, condemned the comment on Twitter.

“Suggesting the termination of the Constitution is not only a betrayal of our Oath of Office, it’s an affront to our Republic,” Murkowski tweeted.

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota tweeted rare criticism of the former president on Monday afternoon, without using Trump’s name.

“As I’ve said before, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would alter the results of the 2020 election,” Rounds wrote. “Anyone who desires to lead our country must commit to protecting the Constitution. They should not threaten to terminate it.”

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn called Trump’s comments “irresponsible” at the Capitol on Monday.

“I don’t know why anybody would say something like that — certainly not an ex-president,” Cornyn said.

Outgoing Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the only Republicans to sit on the Jan. 6 select committee, also called out the comment to warn against Trump.

“Donald Trump believes we should terminate ‘all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution’ to overturn the 2020 election,” Cheney said. “That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”

“With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane. Trump hates the constitution,” Kinzinger tweeted, tagging McCarthy and Reps. Elise Stefanik and Jim Jordan for their reaction.

Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce, a leading House Republican, told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that Trump’s comment was not a deal-breaker for him supporting the former president in 2024.

This marks the second time in back-to-back weeks that Republicans on Capitol Hill have started their Mondays having to answer questions about Trump — who remains their de facto party leader and only current 2024 candidate. Republicans last week fielded fallout over Trump’s meeting with a renowned antisemite and white nationalist.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a stern rebuke from the Senate floor on Monday, said Trump “cannot seem to go a week without doing or saying something disgusting, dishonorable and frankly disqualifying for higher office.”

“How can anyone hope to take the presidential office — oath of office — to preserve and protect the Constitution, while simultaneously calling for the Constitution’s termination?” Schumer said. “It’s wholly disqualifying on its face.”

“When a former president calls for the termination of the U.S. Constitution, there can be no silence, no equivocation, nothing less than total and fierce condemnation,” he added. “So, to my Republican colleagues, enough is enough.”

ABC News’ Olivia Rubin and Trish Turner contributed to this report.

Ukraine drone attack hits 2 military bases deep inside Russia

December 5, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MOSCOW) — Explosions that struck two military airbases deep inside Russia on Monday were the result of drone attacks launched by Ukraine, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials, in what appeared to be an audacious attempt to hit the long-range bombers Russia has used to devastate Ukraine’s power grid.

Russia’s defense ministry on Monday confirmed the attacks on the bases that are located hundreds of miles from the frontline, saying two of its aircraft were damaged and three military personnel killed.

The unprecedented strikes were the first time Ukraine has hit so far into Russia, targeting bases that had generally been thought of as untouchable, according to military experts.

A senior Ukrainian official from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s circle, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told ABC News that Ukrainian drones had struck the Russian military airfields Monday.

Russian media reported an explosion early Monday morning at the Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region in southern Russia, a key airfield that houses Tu-95 and Tu-60 nuclear-capable bombers.

Another explosion was reported at the Dyagilevo military airbase in Ryazan, a city less than 150 miles from Moscow and also houses Tu-95 bombers. Russian state media initially reported that a fuel tanker exploded at the base, killing three people and wounding at least five others.

Russian officials initially avoided commenting on the explosions but on Monday evening, Russia’s defense ministry said “Soviet-made” Ukrainian drones had caused it. But the ministry said Russian air defenses had shot down the drones and the damage was caused by their wreckage landing on the airfields.

Hours after the attacks, Russia launched a new barrage of missile strikes against Ukraine, including from strategic bombers, again targeting its energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot down 60 of 70 Russian cruise missiles, but the strikes left several regions partially without power. Zelenskyy said the Russian attacks had also killed four people Monday.

Russia’s defense ministry claimed the drone attacks on its airbases had failed to disrupt the planned strikes, claiming they had destroyed 17 targets.

The airbase explosions, nonetheless, were a significant shift, marking the first time Ukraine has sought to hit the bombers that for months have regularly attacked its civilian infrastructure with impunity and recently sought to bring its energy grid to its knees. The Russian bombers usually launch cruise missiles from outside Ukraine’s borders, well beyond the reach of its air defenses, experts said.

Satellite images from the company Maxar taken over the two days before Monday’s attacks showed roughly two dozen Russian bombers parked at the Engels-2 base.

The Russian defense ministry said two of its aircraft had suffered “superficial” damage in the blasts. Video circulating on Russian social media appeared to show two Tu-22 bombers at the Dyagilevo base with damage to their tail ends, standing next to a burned out fuel truck.

Russian pro-war commentators reacted with fury to the attacks, calling it a humiliation that the country’s nuclear airbases were vulnerable to conventional drones and blaming it on negligence among commanders.

A top advisor to Zelenskyy posted a cryptic comment on Twitter mocking Russia over the explosions.

“The Earth is round – discovery made by Galileo. Astronomy was not studied in Kremlin, giving preference to court astrologers,” wrote Mykhailo Podolyak, the presidential adviser. “If it was, they would know: if something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to departure point.”

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