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As Democrats sour on Biden, Gavin Newsom sparks presidential-run chatter with attack on Ron DeSantis

July 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Gavin Newsom has never been afraid to throw an elbow.

During the surge of the COVID-19 delta variant, California’s Democratic governor sat on the glossy sound stage of The Late Late Show with James Corden, surrounded by Christmas lights, and slammed Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis over what Newsom called his lax coronavirus policies.

“California’s example versus Florida? It’s not even close in terms out of the outcome if you care about life, and you care about the economy,” Newsom told Corden, adding later that “clearly” DeSantis was running for president to scoop up the Trump-aligned Republican vote, pointing to DeSantis’ policies as a “litmus test” to win attention from conservative-aligned news networks.

His criticism of DeSantis is one of many made over the course of the pandemic, but Newsom’s recent $105,000 advertising buy that ran in Florida, certainly an unusual move for a politician who is running a reelection campaign of his own, has spun the question of presidential aspirations toward Newsom.

During an interview with ABC News’ Zohreen Shah prior to the ad placement, Newsom, 54, insisted he had no White House ambitions, although several unaffiliated California-based political advisers told ABC News that claim doesn’t totally hold water, and the ad campaign was a foolproof way to elevate his profile and test public appetite as President Joe Biden’s stock with Democrats continues to dive.

On Wednesday while in Washington to accept an award on education, Newsom told reporters he emphatically supported a Biden reelection bid.

Still, during his remarks, he continued to speak out on national issues, criticizing what he called Republican efforts to regulate topics in the classroom: “I don’t want to sugarcoat it. Education is under assault … And we have an obligation, moral and ethical obligation, to call out what’s going on as it relates to the suppression of free speech,” he said.

Picking a fight across state lines is “very vintage” Newsom, consistent with his appetite to be a part of the national conversation in elevating California above other states, said Jessica Levinson, a California-based legal expert and former president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

“He’s always talking about California as a nation-state. And I think he fancies himself the executive of a nation-state in some ways. And he really wants to put a stake in the ground and say California is different and better and therefore, I am different and better,” said Levinson.

His vision of his state as a shining “city on a hill” is clear from his Florida ad, in which he urges residents of the Sunshine State to “join the fight” against Republican leaders or “join us in California, where we still believe in freedom,” a clear knock at DeSantis’ “free state of Florida” mantra.

Levinson said Newsom has a penchant for wanting to be a beat ahead, almost defiant, of national Democrats on key issues, as when he began issuing same-sex marriage licenses as mayor of San Fransisco in 2004 to the chagrin of conservatives, and testing the waters with a high-profile attack on DeSantis is part of that calculus.

“And if that means my political career ends, so be it,” Newsom said nearly a decade ago.

But that defiance propelled him to the governor’s mansion, and now, possibly, if the tide shifts in his direction, toward the White House.

The idea that Newsom wouldn’t run for president is “total bull—,” said Levinson, who explained that he likely sees himself as the kind of lawmaker who could “fill a leadership vacuum” if given the opportunity.

And members of Newsom’s party may be looking for candidates to fill that vacuum as well. New polling from The New York Times/Siena College shows that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic party want a new nominee at the top of the ticket. Even more bleak for the White House, 94% of Democrats under 30 said they’d prefer a fresh face.

Dan Schnur, a veteran strategist in California who worked on Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid and former Gov. Pete Wilson’s team, told ABC News that Newsom’s toe-dip into the national news-cycle is great political posturing, given the uncertainty of the Democratic leadership.

“Whether Newsom runs in two years, or in 2028, he’s now a part of that conversation. If Biden, 79, decides not to run again, Newsom is ready to pounce. And if Biden does run for reelection, Newsom certainly can lay the groundwork for four years after that,” Schnur said.

Biden has made it clear he intends to run for reelection with Vice President Kamala Harris by his side, but slipping approval numbers and concerns over age and health are determinate factors that, coupled from pressure from within his own party, could force him to reconsider.

Some of that pressure has come from Newsom himself. A day after Politico reported the contents of a leaked Supreme Court draft that would overturn Roe, Newsom slammed Democrats for not taking decisive action to codify access to abortion with a biting exclamation: “Where the hell is my party? Where’s the Democratic Party?”

“Why aren’t we standing up more firmly, more resolutely?,” Newsom questioned. “Why aren’t we calling this out? “This is a concerted, coordinated effort and yes, they’re winning. They are, they have been … We need to stand up, where is the counter offensive?”

And casting himself as a hero is what Newsom does best, said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist who worked for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Where Newsom thrives is when he’s able to be in contrast to a Republican that he can lead a progressive coalition against,” said Stutzman. “He’s going to go after the guy he perceives as the Republican frontrunner.”

Stutzman pointed out that national focus will once again be on states and governors partly due to decisions handed down by the Supreme Court on guns and abortion access. He pointed to the spotlight of Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, too, who is lauded for his response to the deadly July 4 Highland Park shooting outside Chicago.

On Tuesday, weeks after the shooting, Florida Democrats announced Pritzker will keynote the state’s leadership gala this weekend. Biden was the keynote speaker at the same event in 2017.

Stutzman says another theory floating around California is that Newsom may also be laying the groundwork to succeed veteran Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein, who is 88-years-old. She’s yet to formally announce she’s retiring, and has chided suggestions that her age limits her performance in any way.

It’s likely that Newsom’s team would have placed the ad in Florida regardless of Biden’s standing, said Schnur, “but the fact that so many Democrats are disappointed that Biden wouldn’t be combative right now just makes it even better for Newsom.”

“This is the best hundred thousand dollars a California politician has ever spent,” said Schnur.

In this way, experts agreed, Newsom is able to occupy a space in the Democratic party that puts him in contrast to those in Washington who are seen as slow, ineffective, but positions him in a less-radical space than Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

As Newsom is expected to win his bid for reelection after beating back a recall attempt, there’s little to keep Newsom from leaving the state to campaign for other Democrats outside of California as DeSantis has done for down-ballot Republicans.

Seen from every angle, Newsom’s strategy here would appear to be a winning one, and allows him to keep all potential political options on the table.

“If he’s going to lock horns with DeSantis all of a sudden, is this a preview [for the 2024 election?,” said Stutzman. “If this was a Week One NFL game, is this a preview of the Super Bowl? People can imagine it. It’s plausible.”

Family flying American Airlines claims they were asked to pay $30K after airline changed their flight to another country

July 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Family flying American Airlines claims they were asked to pay K after airline changed their flight to another country

(NEW YORK) — A family alleges American Airlines tried to force them to pay roughly $30,000 to change their itinerary after the airline switched the family’s return ticket to leave from an airport in another country, according to a complaint filed by the family with the Department of Transportation and American Airlines.

Sam Taussig also claims his family was forced to charter a plane at their own expense to another island in order to return to the United States on American Airlines.

American involuntarily changed the family’s flights multiple times over the course of several months after the family purchased their tickets in January for their summer vacation, Taussig said. It wasn’t until July 4 when Taussig said he wanted to ensure his family was sitting together for their upcoming trip that he noticed not only was the family not together, but their flight was leaving from St. Lucia instead of Saint Vincent. There are no scheduled flights or ferries between St. Lucia and Saint Vincent.

“I called American Airlines thinking this must be some sort of clerical error and spent nearly three hours with the American Airlines customer service teams learning that I have, in fact, been bumped and seven of the nine family members were bumped to another flight departing from a different country at a different airport because of an oversold situation,” Taussig said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

Taussig said he did receive an email from the airline that there had been a change to his flight, but he said the airport change notification was in tiny, fine print.
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“American Airlines was not very apologetic at all. They blamed me, the customer, for not catching this sooner,” Taussig said. “American Airlines offered a couple of different, I think, absolutely insane solutions where they said, well, we’ll have to split up part of your family and put most of you on a flight a week later, if not longer. And to do that, we’re going to charge you change fees, reissuing fees, certain other fees, which were not clear to me, and new fares, which totaled about $30,000 to get all of us back. And we’d be stuck on the island for a week with no offer of compensation for hotels or meal vouchers or anything like that.”

The airline ultimately found a flight leaving a day later from Barbados and asked him to pay thousands in fees, he said. Taussig said he refused to pay the fees, but was forced to book a private charter flight to get his family to Barbados.

“We researched a private charter to get us to a third country, Barbados, where American Airlines might be able to get us out the next day from our original departure day, where they then told us that it would be $3,000 in change fees to make that happen. And [American told us] we should be so lucky because this whole situation was putting the company out $3,000, even though they originally bumped us for an overbooking situation. So all in all, where we are today is out a couple of thousand dollars. On our dime, we’re flying to yet a different country to meet American Airlines to get back to the U.S.,” Taussig said.

In a statement to ABC News, American Airlines said: “We are concerned by the experience our customer is reporting. A member of our team has reached out to discuss their travel.”

“In this situation, there was obviously a significant change by the airline and the person could get an involuntary refund. And if they could construe it as being bumped, which is a little unclear, then they would also be entitled to bump in compensation. Now, in the United States, that means if it’s one to four hours, you get 200% of the one-way fare up to $775. If it’s all or four hours difference in delay from the original flight, you can get 400% of the one-way fare up to a maximum of $1,550,” Paul Hudson, president of Flyers Rights, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for airline customers, told ABC News.

Taussig says he’s grateful he discovered this error before the family plans to leave for their vacation later this week, and says American Airlines still has not provided any compensation.

Taussig said he hopes his story fosters change at the airline and serves as a warning to other travelers.

“I hope American Airlines uses this as an opportunity to learn about the inefficiencies and arbitrary decisions that are just crazy for passengers and how their customer service agents either can’t or are unwilling to solve this situation. I hope American learns from this,” Taussig said. “I tell fellow passengers, fellow travelers, really pay attention to those schedule changes. Try to invoke your rights for travel waivers. Call the airline to make sure that you are flying out of the correct place at the correct time, that you’ll make your connections and get to where you’re going or where you’re coming home to on time and all together.”

The Department of Transportation says consumer complaints against airlines are soaring, up more than 300% compared to pre-pandemic levels. DOT regulations say passengers are entitled to a full cash refund if an airline cancels or makes a significant change to a ticket.

US heat wave may force delays in Amtrak service

July 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Amtrak has announced an extreme heat warning for the Northeast region, signaling that trains running between New York and Philadelphia might experience delays.

“This is a typical protocol for warm summer months,” a spokesperson for Amtrak told ABC News.

High temperatures cause the rails and overhead wires to expand. The service is affected because the trains have to travel at lower speeds to avoid accidents.

A rail temperature of 131 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, requires the train to slow down to 100 mph or less, where an Amtrak train would usually travel between 125 and 150 mph.

With extreme heat also comes the risk of rails warping, which can cause train derailments, rolling black outs and subsequent service disruptions, according to Nick Bassill, a meteorologist at the University of Albany who regularly works with state governments and utility companies.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation wrote in an email to ABC News that “one issue that receives attention during summertime is ‘sun kink’ which is a track buckling condition that can occur during extended periods of extremely high temperatures where continuous welded rail is in use.”

A train derailment in the San Francisco bay area this May was due to “a rapid increase in ambient temperatures,” according to local transit authorities.

During the record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest last summer, in which temperatures reached 115°F, roads buckled and power cables melted. Amtrak announced delays in service during that period.

A 2019 article in the publication Transport Policy estimated that delays in the U.S. rail network due to temperature could cost between $20 and $60 billion by 2100.

Paul Chinowsky, professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, laid out three possible solutions in an interview with ABC News.

The first is upgrading the rails to be more temperature resistant, which Chinowsky said is already being enacted in Great Britain and France. In this case, the steel mix is changed to be less brittle, said Chinowsky.

The obstacle is that the United States has over 140,000 miles of rails, compared to 10,000 miles in the U.K. and 18,000 in France.

“We have started that a little bit, but not nearly at the rate that’s keeping up with the rising temperatures,” said Chinowsky.

Another option, which is already being implemented in the U.S., is a system of heat sensors which provide localized information about when and where trains need to slow down.

It enables a “more accurate analysis,” Chinowsky said, so that the train slowing could be targeted for a set number of miles and hours.

That way, “you don’t have to shut down the whole Northeast corridor,” he said.

A final opinion Chinowsky mentioned was planting trees, or using some other natural solution, to create shade. This could be implemented around train stations, Chinowsky said, although this planning is “still in the very early stage.”

“We’re not even in the worst part of the summer yet,” said Chinowsky. “So we’ll keep seeing [delays]. It’s going to get worse as we go along.”

Agencies weigh second COVID booster for more people; admin urges shots for those over 50

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Scientists at the nation’s top health agencies are looking into expanding vaccine eligibility so that more Americans can get a second booster shot during the latest COVID-19 wave, White House officials said on Tuesday.

“I know that the [Food and Drug Administration] is considering this, looking at it. And I know [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] scientists are thinking about this and looking at the data as well. The decision is purely up to them,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID coordinator, said at a briefing with reporters on Tuesday morning.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, said conversations about booster eligibility have been going on for a while. But he also reiterated that the final call lies with the FDA and CDC.

“We always talked about it, it’s not something new, but we all recognize what the lines of authority are and that’s what we’ll be depending on,” he said.

In May, FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told ABC News that internal discussions were underway about second boosters for all adults.

Currently, everyone over 5 is eligible for an initial booster shot at least five months after their initial vaccination series. Everyone over 50 is recommended to get a second booster shot four months after their first, as is anyone who is immunocompromised.

But officials were clear on Tuesday that despite the potential for opening up second boosters to a wider population, there has been very low uptake among the older Americans who are already eligible — a problem because they are the most vulnerable to the virus.

“For people who are 50 years of age or older, my message is simple: If you have not gotten a vaccine shot in the year 2022 — if you have not gotten one this year — please go get another vaccine shot,” Jha said. “It could save your life.”

Jha also pushed people to start testing before gathering at big events, getting treatment like Paxlovid or monoclonal antibodies if infected with COVID and upping their use of face masks.

BA.4 and BA.5, the latest dominant COVID strains to spread in the U.S., are substantially more evasive of prior immunity, both from infection and from vaccines. Together, they currently account for around 80% of cases.

“The vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, fortunately for us, is not reduced substantially or at all compared to other omicron subvariants,” Fauci said Tuesday.

Jha said the White House was closely monitoring the subvariants and their impact.

“We’re encouraged that serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths have remained relatively low based on the level of infections. That’s not by coincidence, by the way. It’s not random,” Jha said, going on to tout “our successful vaccination program, our efforts to get people boosted and our incredibly focused effort on making sure that treatments and testing are widely available.” (The administration had faced criticism last year that testing wasn’t easily accessible nationwide.)

Still, Jha noted Tuesday that hundreds of people — far too many — were dying every day.

“We are experiencing about 300 to 350 deaths a day. That is unacceptable. It’s too high. And we will continue to use the infrastructure we have built and the tools we have to lower suffering and death as we manage BA.5,” he said, “and it is clear that with every American doing their part, we can get through the BA.5 infections together.”

What Americans can do to protect themselves

While Jha, Fauci and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky were all clear in their recommendations on Tuesday for the public to get up-to-date on their vaccines and boosters to fend off variants, the reality is murky for many Americans who have recently had COVID.

The CDC’s guidance is that people can wait up to three months after infection to get a shot — but reinfection with BA.5 could happen sooner than three months. Because the omicron subvariant is still new, there’s a lot scientists are still scrambling to learn.

“The overall principle is that we know immunity wanes with coronaviruses, whether that is infection or vaccination, and so if you’ve been infected or vaccinated and your time comes for a boost, that’s when you should go and get the boost,” said Fauci, who recently recovered from COVID.

“And I might say myself, having been someone who’s been vaccinated and infected, when we get the next round of having vaccines available, months later, I will be in line to get another boost after that,” he added.

The other factor many Americans are weighing is the new, omicron-specific vaccine that will be available beginning in October. Officials were adamant that anyone who gets a booster now will again be able to get one in the fall. But booster fatigue or hesitancy to get boosted twice within a span of a few months might prevent people from making that decision.

To that, officials said the benefit was worth it.

“People say, ‘Well, why do I want to get a prototype vaccine booster now, when I’m gonna have a variant-specific vaccine in four months or five months?'” Jha said.

“The biggest thing, and the data on this is very clear, is if you’re over 50, that extra booster dramatically lowers your risk of getting into the hospital, going into the ICU and dying. And there are very few things we do in medicine that have the kind of benefit that we see from that extra shot,” Jha said.

“And let me be clear: If you get vaccinated today, you’re not going to be ineligible to get the variant-specific vaccine as we get into the later part of fall and winter. So this is not a trade off,” he said. “We’ve got plenty. It’s a great way to protect yourself.”

Inflation runs hotter in June as US faces recession risk

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As U.S. policymakers walk a tightrope in an attempt to dial back sky-high prices while averting an economic recession, new inflation data on Wednesday showed a significant acceleration of price hikes.

Prices rose even faster in June, jumping at the highest rate in four decades and prolonging a bout of inflation that has strained household budgets nationwide, according to data released by the federal government.

The consumer price index, or CPI, stood at 9.1% in June, a significant increase from 8.6% in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the largest 12-month increase since December 1981.

On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 1.3% in June, far outpacing the 1% rise seen in April, according to the bureau.

The new data arrives as the Federal Reserve pursues a series of rate hikes that aim to tackle inflation by slowing down the economy and slashing demand. The moves, however, risk tipping the economy into a recession.

The high inflation figure could spur the Fed to seek a more aggressive approach to raising interest rates. The new inflation data comes days after employment data showed stronger than expected hiring last month, suggesting that employers remain undeterred by borrowing cost increases from the Fed.

“The million dollar question is how hard the Fed has to apply the brakes,” Hernan Moscoso Boedo, an economist at the University of Cincinnati, told ABC News.

Inflation data that shows continued acceleration of inflation “will put more pressure on the Fed to increase the interest rate more than expected, and that increases the possibility that the U.S. is going to enter a recession,” Moscoso Boedo added.

President Joe Biden, in a statement on Wednesday, called the new inflation data “unacceptably high” but downplayed the report as “out of date.” Gas prices, which made up almost half of the monthly increase in inflation, have declined since last month, Biden said. “Those savings are providing important breathing room for American families,” he added.

Over the past month, the national average gas price has decreased about 35 cents, reaching $4.65 a gallon, according to data from AAA.

But more needs to be done to bring down inflation, which remains “the most pressing economic challenge,” Biden said.

“Tackling inflation is my top priority,” he added. “We need to make more progress, more quickly, in getting price increases under control.”

At a Fed meeting last month, just days after the release of inflation data for May, the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate 0.75%, its largest rate hike since 1994. The increase brought the interest rate to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%

At a meeting later this month, the Fed is expected to raise the interest rate again. Fed officials are considering a 0.50% or 0.75% hike at the next meeting, according to minutes from the past meeting that were released July 6.

Damaging storm reports across the East as extreme heat grips the Heartland

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 300 damaging storm reports came from Maine to Arkansas, as severe storms moved through.

More than 100,000 people in Virginia and Maryland were left without power on Tuesday night, as storm damage left its mark on homes, power lines and cars. Particularly, fallen trees were captured smashing into cars and parts of homes.

Heavy rains, up to 4 inches in some areas, caused flooding into Wednesday morning in the Dollywood theme park area in Tennessee.

Officials reported that over a dozen people were rescued Tuesday night after flash flooding in Greenbrier Campground in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The Gatlinburg Fire Department responded to a call just before 11 p.m. that 14 people were trapped at the campground due to flooding, officials said.

Throughout the night, the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency continued to monitor the situation, first posting at 11:10 p.m. that anyone in the Greenbrier Island area and anyone downstream of Pigeon River should seek high ground, due to rapidly rising water with recent heavy thunderstorms.

As reports emerged of displaced people in the area, a temporary evacuation shelter was opened at Pittman Center Elementary School around midnight, SCEMA said.

At 2 a.m., SCEMA said that the water was continuing to recede, but that roads and low-lying areas were expected to remain submerged for the next several hours.

Farther south and out West, this summer’s extreme weather continues to manifest in dry, scorching heat.

Texas cities including Austin, San Antonio and Tyler, saw record-high temperatures on Tuesday, coming in at 109, 105 and 106 degrees, respectively.

For Wednesday, Austin is set for a heat index of 110 degrees.

According to the National Weather Service, the heat isn’t going anywhere, and will likely spread to the Midwest, the Great Lakes and parts of the East by next week.

For Phoenix, the heat will also stay steady through the end of the week, forecasted at 112 and 113 degrees for the end of the week.

Heat alerts have been issued for Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Montana.

Heat advisories have been issued for much of Texas, as well as in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Colorado and parts of Montana.

An excessive heat warning has been enacted in the Salt Lake City area.

Out West, the extreme heat coupled with dry weather, maintains the region’s fire risk.

The Washburn Fire continues to burn in southern Yosemite National Park as it reaches 3,516 acres burned and is 17% contained.

Hot and dry weather will continue in the area.

Red flag warnings have been issued for dry lightning and gusty winds, making the perfect circumstances for fire, from northern California to Nevada, including parts of southern Colorado.

To add to the eastern floods, southern heat and western fire, the Gulf Coast may be hit with tropical moisture and heavy rain.

Flash flooding from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, may come as rains could reach half a foot in a short period of time on Wednesday.

As the weather across the U.S. remains extreme, remember to stay safe in life-threatening situations such as high temperatures. Learn more about hot weather safety here.

Five people fatally shot in four hours in New York City

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Five men were killed in separate shootings that erupted on the streets of New York City during a violent four-hour streak, police said.

The slayings occurred between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday, including three in the city’s Brooklyn borough and two in the Bronx, according to the New York Police Department.

No arrests have been announced in any of the homicides.

The latest killing occurred just after 1 a.m. Wednesday in the Fordham Heights neighborhood of the Bronx when police said two gunmen on dirt bikes opened fire on a 34-year-old man standing in front of his apartment building, police said.

Officers called to the scene found the man shot in the torso and unconscious, according to the NYPD. The victim, identified as Melquan Cooper, was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

About a half-hour earlier, a 24-year-old man was found shot in the torso outside a home in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, police said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, police said. No further details were released on the homicide.

The string of fatal shootings started around 9:13 p.m. Tuesday, when police officers were called to investigate a report of shots fired in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn and found a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest outside a New York City Housing Authority complex, according to the NYPD. The man was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he died, police said.

The man’s name was not immediately released and homicide investigators were working Wednesday to identify suspects.

More gunfire rang out at 10:46 p.m. Tuesday outside an apartment building in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx, police said. Officers, who responded to a 911 call of a person shot, discovered a 31-year-old man unconscious and with a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the NYPD. The victim was pronounced dead at Saint Barnabas Hospital, police said.

The victim’s name was not immediately released, pending notification of his relatives.

Another fatal shooting happened about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday outside an apartment building in the Ocean Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, police said. Officers discovered a 29-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

The victim, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

The latest NYPD crime statistics show that as of Sunday, 222 homicides have occurred across New York City this year, a nearly 8% decrease from the same period as last year.

Jayland Walker’s funeral held as Akron acknowledges day of mourning

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(AKRON, Ohio) — Jayland Walker’s funeral took place Wednesday, as Akron, Ohio, recognizes an official citywide day of mourning for the police shooting victim declared by city officials days earlier.

Services began midday Wednesday with musical performances. Singers and speakers were flanked by photos of Walker in the Akron Civic Theatre.

“Jayland was a kind and gentle soul who loved to make others laugh,” said Pastor Marlon Walker. “A true family man, Jayland cheers the time he spent with his mother, sister and grandmother. He had a zeal for life and love, traveling with his beloved fiancee. He loved underground music and basketball. He was just beginning to live his life, saving money to become a successful entrepreneur with aspirations of starting a business.”

Speakers took to the stage to not only honor Walker’s life, but also call for accountability in his death.

“One of the things that we cannot do, we must not do, is — we must not normalize this,” said Bishop Timothy Clarke. “We cannot make the deaths of our sons and daughters at such an early age the normal thing. … We should not be here and Jayland should not be in that box.”

The ceremony will be followed by a press conference with representatives of the family, who plan to discuss Walker’s death.

Walker’s sister previously told Good Morning America about how she remembers her brother as a funny, kind brother who looked out for his family and had big goals for his future.

“It’s hard to just talk about somebody who you expect to live your life out with,” Jada Walker said.

The 25-year-old unarmed Black man was fatally shot by officers of the Akron Police Department on June 27.

Officials said they attempted to pull over Walker for a traffic violation and an equipment violation with his car. He allegedly refused to stop, which set off a chase that ended in his death.

Officials said a flash of light seen in body camera footage appeared to be the muzzle flash of a gun coming from the driver’s side of Walker’s car.

In a second body camera video, officers are heard radioing that they heard a shot being fired from Walker’s car. The footage shows the officer following Walker’s Buick off Route 8 and continuing the pursuit on side streets.

At one point, Walker slowed down and jumped out of the passenger side door before it came to a full stop. As Walker ran away from police, several officers simultaneously fired several bullets, fatally shooting him.

The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation being led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, officials said.

His death has prompted weeks of protests across the city.

“Tomorrow, Jayland Walker, a beloved son, brother, nephew, and friend will be laid to rest,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan on Tuesday. “I want to thank Akron City Council for passing this resolution declaring tomorrow a day of mourning, in support of Jayland’s family and friends and to respect them in their time of grief. I know our entire city is also grieving. I offer my sincerest condolences to Jayland’s mom, sister, family, and friends during this difficult time.”

The citywide day of mourning aims to address ongoing unrest concerning Walker’s death.

“The City encourages robust discussions about difficult topics and supports advocacy to change unjust laws, and supports those who press for meaningful change, by engaging their local, state, and federal legislatures,” the resolution to enact the honorary day reads.

In it, officials also call for peaceful protesting and healing throughout the community: “The City urges that the friends and family of Jayland Walker, and the entire Akron community, be surrounded with love and peace, and that the City would begin to heal.”

As Democrats sour on Biden, Gavin Newsom sparks presidential-run chatter with attack on Ron De

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Gavin Newsom has never been afraid to throw an elbow.

During the surge of the delta variant, California’s Democratic governor sat on the glossy sound stage of The Late Late Show with James Corden, surrounded by Christmas lights, and slammed Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis over what Newsom called his lax coronavirus policies.

“California’s example versus Florida? It’s not even close in terms out of the outcome if you care about life, and you care about the economy,” Newsom told Corden, adding later that “clearly” DeSantis is running for president to scoop up the Trump-aligned Republican vote, pointing to DeSantis’ policies as a “litmus test” to win attention from conservative-aligned news networks.

During an interview with ABC News’ Zohreen Shah prior to the ad placement, Newsom, 54, insisted he had no White House ambitions, although several California-based political advisers told ABC News that claim doesn’t totally hold water, and the ad campaign was a fool-proof way to elevate his profile and test public appetite as Biden’s stock with Democrats continues to dive.

“And if that means my political career ends, so be it,” Newsom said nearly a decade ago.

But that defiance propelled him to the governor’s mansion, and now, possibly, if the tide shifts in his direction, toward the White House.

And casting himself as a hero is what Newsom does best, said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist who worked for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Signs the housing market is turning more buyer-friendly

July 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — When Jarvis Claiborne and his wife Renada were pre-approved for a mortgage in February, they were excited to start shopping for their first home in Houston, Texas. But that excitement quickly turned to shock and frustration as they realized they couldn’t compete with all-cash offers that were often tens of thousands of dollars above a home’s listing price.

“We really just weren’t willing to pay the prices that people were asking and that people were paying,” Jarvis Claiborne told ABC News. “Most of the houses, we didn’t even have a chance to bid on. As soon as they were coming on the market, they would just get snatched up.”

Jarvis Claiborne, who works in the oil and gas industry and Renada, a private investigator, decided to walk away from their home search in June, as mortgage rates climbed above 6%.

After two years of housing-hunting and getting outbid, often by all-cash offers, Tinesha Feiton, a single mom from Brooklyn, New York, is in contract to buy a three bedroom home in West Orange, New Jersey.

“It feels a little surreal,” Feiton told ABC News about finally having a seller accept her offer. An information technology consultant, Feiton is paying $46,000 above the asking price of $479,000.

“I still feel kind of worried because I’m just thinking to myself, well, is the house going to appraise for that value. You know, I don’t want my first home to actually be a lemon,” she said.

Feiton said it was important that she be settled in a home in time for her 5-year-old son Mason to start kindergarten in his new school this fall.

Record home prices and higher mortgage rates made May the most expensive month to buy a home since 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors’ Housing-Affordability Index. The index incorporates median existing-home prices, median family incomes and average mortgage rates. The median price of a home in the U.S. reached a record $407,600 in May, according to the NAR, as mortgage rates more than doubled since January to the highest level in 13 years.

That pushed the typical monthly mortgage payment to $1,842 in May, up from $1,297 in January, according to the NAR, assuming a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and a 20% down payment. Despite the rising cost to finance a home, there are fresh signs that the housing market is slowly becoming more buyer-friendly.

Sales of previously owned homes fell in May for the fourth straight month as more buyers give up, pressuring sellers to cut asking prices. More than one in five homeowners dropped their asking price in May, according to the real estate brokerage Redfin, and for the first time in three years, Realtor.com said the number of homes for sale is on the rise, up 21% in June compared to a year ago.

The real estate firm’s Chief Economist, Danielle Hale, told ABC News there are two reasons for the rise in inventory.

“One, we’ve got more homeowners deciding that now is the time to sell their home, and the other reason is that buyers are getting a little bit choosier as the cost of housing goes up,” she said.

According to Redfin, bidding wars are slowing down and searches for “homes for sale” on Google are down nearly 14% from a year ago.

“A couple of months ago, it wasn’t unusual for a home to get 10 to 20 offers,” said Sarah Drennan, executive vice president at Terrie O’Connor Realtors in Northern New Jersey. “Now, they’re still getting a number of offers, but it’s less than 10.”

Mortgage applications sank 16% in June and are now less than half what they were a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Drennan said a growing number of sellers now recognize new limits to their pricing power, as the days of sellers asking — and getting — their “make me move price” begin to fade.

“We’re not seeing a price reduction, we’re seeing just a deceleration of price increases,” said Drennan. “So prices are still increasing, just not at double digit rates like we were seeing just a few months ago.”

While home prices are still trending higher nationally, Realtor.com found that prices have begun falling in many smaller Rust Belt cities. In Toledo, Ohio, home prices plunged 18.7% in May. They sank 15.4% in Detroit and fell 13.4% in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Demand for second-homes is also showing signs of softening. Patty Magie has been selling homes in Pennsylvania’s lake region of the Pocono Mountains for 30 years. She told ABC News she never saw demand for housing like she did at the height of the pandemic.

“People were buying site unseen, waiving appraisals and home inspections,” she said.

Eager for more space to work and school remotely, Magie remembers giving buyers home tours via FaceTime as they chased a small number of available homes. That scenario is changing.

“The current inventory has doubled from what it was in March and April; however, it is still about a third of what it was three to four months ago. There have been more price reductions and fewer bidding wars,” she added.

Potential buyers who have given up their search in favor of renting aren’t finding much, if any, relief. In fact, in some markets, rental prices are outstripping the monthly cost of financing a home, according to Miller Samuel, Inc. The real estate appraiser reported the average rental price in Manhattan cracked a record $4,000 per month in June.

“It’s expensive and getting more expensive in the city,” Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, Inc., told ABC News. “It’s interesting because office towers are two-thirds empty in the city, but yet you’re still seeing record leasing activity for the residential rental market.”

Still, experts say for some buyers, timing the housing market for that “perfect price” could backfire.

“If you have more flexibility in your timeline, you may be able to wait it out and negotiate with sellers,” said Hale, “but keep in mind that mortgage rates are also still climbing so you may end up with a higher mortgage rate if it takes you longer to find a home.”

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