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Oath Keepers trial: Defendants ‘concocted plan for armed rebellion’ on Jan. 6, prosecution says

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Five members of the Oath Keepers facing charges of seditious conspiracy “concocted a plan for an armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of American democracy,” a federal prosecutor said Monday in opening statements at the D.C. district court, kicking off the high-stakes first trial for members of the far-right militia group.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler told jurors the defendants, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, along with members Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell, “banded together to do whatever was necessary” to stop the transfer of power between Donald Trump and then-President-elect Joe Biden — and that they saw U.S. Congress certification of the electoral college as their perfect opportunity.

In addition to their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, the Oath Keepers members conspired to stage “an arsenal of firearms,” including multiple semi-automatic rifles at a hotel just outside of Washington D.C. and multiple teams of so-called “Quick Reaction Forces,” with Caldwell even plotting for ways to potentially ferry weapons into the city by boat across the Potomac River in case they were called on, the prosecution alleged.

Nestler showed jurors multiple photo and video exhibits during his more than hour-long opening statement, including the now-infamous picture of members of the group climbing the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot in a military-style “stack” formation. He also showed video snippets of members of the Oath Keepers militia participating in training sessions with semi-automatic rifles.

All of the defendants, except Meggs, formerly served in the military before joining the Oath Keepers.

“These defendants use their training, knowledge and experience they gained in the United States Armed Forces to further their ability to succeed and plot to oppose by force the government of the United States,” Nestler said on Monday.

While Rhodes is not alleged to have participated in the breach of the Capitol, Nestler described him as the group’s ringleader in calling members to Washington and urging them to resist the transfer of power by force if necessary.

Nestler played audio of various public appeals Rhodes made to Trump directly, asking him to invoke the Insurrection Act, which he believed would help mobilize members of the group to take up arms and resist any efforts to remove Trump from office. He said Rhodes, a Yale-educated former lawyer, told the group “they needed to be careful with their words” and used coded language to shield their true aims of opposing by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, the prosecution alleged.

Even after the riot, as they learned law enforcement was seeking to arrest those involved in the attack on the Capitol, Rhodes attempted to pass a message directly to Trump assuring him it was not too late to take action, Nestler said.

“My only regret is that they should have brought rifles,” Rhodes said in recorded audio on Jan. 10. “We could have fixed it right then and there.”

Rhetoric used by the group’s members grew increasingly violent in the days leading up to Jan. 6, Nestler said, with Rhodes and others raising the prospect of civil war or “bloody war” erupting as the end of Trump’s time in power grew closer.

All of the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defense attorneys for the five charged Oath Keepers are expected to argue their clients did nothing illegal in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, while claiming the government’s decision to charge them with the rarely-used seditious conspiracy statute is an effort to target members of the militia group over their political beliefs.

“The real evidence is going to show our clients were there to do security on [January] 5th and 6th,” Stewart Rhodes’ attorney Phillip Linder said during his opening statement Monday. “The type of security they’ve done for 13 years throughout their history.”

Linder said Rhodes would testify during the trial. He described Rhodes as “extremely patriotic” and claimed the Justice Department’s presenting of his recorded statements about opposing the transfer of power were merely an attempt to “alarm and anger” the jury.

“You take a handful of texts and you take a handful of things you don’t understand, take some things that look bad and put them together then you come to a conclusion or an incorrect mischaracterization,” Linder said on Monday. “We want to bring you the full picture.”

The trial is expected to last upward of a month, lawyers have estimated, with a second set of defendants from the Oath Keepers militia charged in the conspiracy slated to stand trial in late November.

Nestler said the five Oath Keepers did have other reasons for being in Washington on Jan. 6 other than the storming of the Capitol, such as providing security for VIPs and attending Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse that preceded the riot.

But, Nestler said, all of them “also agreed to do whatever was necessary, including using force to make sure that presidential power was not transferred,” and that included driving to D.C. so they were able to bring their “weapons of war” close to the nation’s Capital.

Meet the women who went viral for delivering a resume cake to Nike headquarters

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Getting a foot in the door at a company is a huge step for any job seeker. And one woman’s clever concept involving a cross-country pastry ploy quickly went viral on LinkedIn, but it was an unexpected friendship with the Instacart delivery woman who was integral to the plan that was the real icing on the cake.

Like so many Americans searching for their next move in a sea of creative, well-qualified applicants, 27-year-old Karly Pavlinac Blackburn was hoping to land a conversation at her dream company but got stuck trying to figure out how to break through.

“I was actually talking to my former colleague about getting in front of employers — and he was like, ‘Well, Karly you need to do better … show up in a creative way … what about a resume on a cake?’ ” she recalled, speaking with ABC News’ Good Morning America.

Although Pavlinac knew there were no open positions with Valiant Labs, Nike’s new business incubator, she took up her colleague’s suggestion in the hopes that it might help her find some favor within their team.

“I was like, I’m actually going to do that,” she said, noting that she hoped the cake would ensure she was “on their mind if roles did come up in the future.”

As for the execution, Pavlinac, who previously founded and sold a celebrity fitness monetization app, admitted “it was kind of difficult” because she lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Nike World Headquarters are based in Beaverton, Oregon — meaning she couldn’t just swing by a bakery, pick up a specialty order and deliver it to them herself.

“I’m on the other side of the country trying to get a cake delivered to Nike, [which is] in Oregon,” she said.

Instead, Pavlinac searched online and found an Albertson’s store 4.4 miles from Nike World Headquarters that offered screenprint-frosted photos on sheet cakes with delivery options through Instacart.

“The only difficult thing is when an Instacart delivery is made, you don’t know who’s gonna deliver it,” she said. “The cake has to be made ahead of time, so I had to call Albertsons and I was like, ‘Hey, there’s gonna be a delivery on this day, I know, you don’t know about it yet, but I’m gonna have to have this cake ready. You’re gonna need the image, and it’s gonna have to be ready before they get there [to pick it up].'”

On Sept. 8, an hour ahead of the delivery window at 8 a.m. local time, Pavlinac called the Albertsons store to confirm the order — a half-sheet vanilla cake with her resume printed on top — would be completed.

Everything was on schedule — now all Pavlinac needed was to ensure the cake would make it to its location.

“Lucky for me Denise was the person from Instacart that day to pick up the cake, because she’s just so amazing,” Pavlinac said, referring to highly ranked platinum Instacart courier Denise Baldwin.

Baldwin had her own to-do list once she arrived at the store to pick up the cake delivery.

“[Pavlinac] wanted me to take a look at it and make sure it looked OK,” Baldwin told GMA of the initial instructions that came with the Instacart order. “Me and the baker were both talking about it, because we couldn’t believe that somebody had gone out of the box and did a resume on a cake … I messaged Karly and said, ‘It looks great. I’m on my way to the campus, and I’ll let you know how things go.'”

The two stayed in constant communication after Baldwin left the store and navigated the massive Nike campus in search of Mac Myers from Business Operations at Nike Valiant Labs.

“She gets there and someone from security was like, ‘OK leave the cake here.’ And [Denise] said, ‘No, I have to give it to Mac, I have to see it go in his hands,'” Pavlinac recalled. “At the time I didn’t know this, but she had her 8-month-old son on one hip the whole time — she didn’t even tell me, she was just like, ‘I’m gonna get it done.'”

The working mom of three — with another on the way — told Pavlinac, “‘Don’t worry, I’m here on the campus. I’ll do whatever it takes.'”

Myers eventually came down after a call from security letting him know about the delivery. According to Baldwin, Myers was “kind of blown away” and even asked to take a picture of himself with the cake for confirmation.

The pair later shared their story in a now-viral LinkedIn post, which has been liked more than 100,000 times and garnered thousands of comments.

Pavlinac has been busy ever since with back-to-back calls from recruiters and potential employers. She’s also been checking in regularly with her new mentee, Baldwin, who is looking for her dream job as well.

“My day is jam-packed from 8 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.] with conversations, interviews — I have so many amazing messages from people on LinkedIn that I’m still trying to go through,” Pavlinac said, adding that she has her sights set on a future in product marketing.

“The cool thing afterwards was, [Denise] texted me, ‘You’ve inspired me to go chase after something better,'” Pavlinac said. “I told her whatever I can do to help find a job … be it sharing documents on ‘how to do a job should search’ or talk[ing] about what jobs might fit.”

Baldwin, a self-described “go-getter,” said she’s looking for a position in an assistant or human resources role that capitalizes on her communications and multitasking skills.

“I’m just trying to get my foot in the door where I can have good benefits for my kids and have some security and stability,” she said.

Perhaps more important is the newfound friendship the two women have developed as a result of their cake delivery scheme — and what that friendship has taught them both.

“Denise inspires me to be a better person,” Pavlinac said.

North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK, TOKYO and SEOUL) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan early on Tuesday morning, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said.

South Korea and the U.S. conducted a joint strike package flight and precision bombing drill in response to the ballistic missile test, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told ABC news.

The Japanese government issued a “J-alert” through its emergency warning system, advising residents to take cover in sturdy buildings or underground.

A government spokesperson said Japan didn’t attempt to shoot the missile down because they didn’t think it posed a threat.

A U.S. defense official confirmed the launch to ABC News.

Residents in Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, toward the northern end of Japan, were advised to be on alert and to notify police or fire officials if debris is seen.

Tuesday’s launch marked the seventh time a North Korean missile flew over Japan. The last time was in August 2017. North Korea has shot 21 ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles since January, a record-breaking number of launches in a single year. Tuesday’s launch was the country’s fifth missile test in just over a week.

“We ask that people return to life as usual, calmly,” the Japanese government’s chief spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters at a press conference.

People were also warned by officials not to touch or pick up any debris.

The office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began to gather members to analyze the situation.

A government spokesperson said no damage has been reported so far and a search is underway for debris. Officials are gathering information and will work with South Korea and the U.S.

“North Korea’s actions threaten Japan and the international community,” the spokesperson said. “Missile launches like this go against the U.N. resolutions. Japan will launch a strong protest against North Korea in light of this. All new information will be shared promptly.”

The White House said in a statement late Monday local time in Washington, D.C., that “the United States strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) dangerous and reckless decision to launch a long-range ballistic missile over Japan.”

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on Monday night local time, according to White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

“In both calls, the National Security Advisors consulted on appropriate and robust joint and international responses,” Watson said, “and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reinforced the United States’ ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK [South Korea].”

Regional players may have few cards left in their hands to play towards curbing North Korea, observers said. Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan, told ABC News that the missile launch was a very provocative act as it comes amidst numerous missile tests this year.

“There are no good options for [South Korean President] Yoon, Kishida, Biden to rein in Kim Jong Un,” Kingston said. “Sanctions and condemnation have failed to deter him and there is no good military option.”

North Korea recently passed a law declaring its readiness to launch preemptive nuclear strikes. Analysts warned that the country may seek to reaffirm its nuclear weapons state status and is prepping for a seventh nuclear test.

Jaechun Kim, professor of international relations at South Korea’s Sogang University, said the U.S., Korea and Japan should mobilize cooperation from like-minded countries in non-U.N. sanctions to thwart North Korea’s provocations.

“A unified front must be established that imposes sanctions on North Korea, as they did on Russia,” Kim said. “This is the only way to penalize North Korea for its bad behavior.”

Kim also told ABC News that China, North Korea’s strongest ally, may have no little or no say in North Korea’s actions.

“North Korea just does what it needs to do these days. So, with or without China’s support, it is quite likely for the North to conduct 7th nuke test,” Kim said. “It will be interesting to see whether Xi Jinping will throw his weight behind Kim Jong Un.”

Student protesters in Iran tear-gassed, arrested by police: Report

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The third week of nationwide protests in Iran turned particularly violent Sunday when security forces besieged Sharif University, a prominent university in the country, and closed the main gates of the facility where hundreds of students were protesting.

The violent confrontation led to arrests and injuries, according to eyewitnesses who shared their accounts on social media sites such as Vahid Online.

The unrest swept the country after the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of the morality police, which arrests women for not wearing a hijab properly. Protests, however, soon went beyond the condemnation of the morality police and turned into a movement against the Islamic Republic, with slogans demanding the toppling of the regime.

Reports from inside Sharif University Sunday night described the atmosphere as “dreadful.” Many shared accounts of students being trapped inside the university and told to leave the premises through a parking garage. Once they got there, however, the students found themselves encircled by the guards who were waiting to arrest them, the Sharif University Islamic Association reported. Students were tear-gassed and shot by pellet guns, paintballs and rubber bullets, according to the association.

In his first comments about the protests since they broke out on Sept. 17, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the U.S. and Israel for the unrest.

“The incident that happened in which a young girl died was a bitter one. Our hearts were also broken,” he said Saturday in a graduation address for the country’s armed forces.

Accusing protesters of making the streets “unsafe” by setting cars and banks on fire, he said people should have waited for the results of the “investigation.”

“I say clearly that the riot is designed by America, the Zionist regime and those on their payroll,” Khamenei said, alleging that some of the protesters have links to the country’s former monarch or some of its opposition groups.

According to the Iranian penal system, such accusations can put people behind bars for years or even put them at risk of execution.

According to Iran Human Right, the death toll from the protests was 133 on Sunday, 40 of whom were killed in an attack in the southeastern city of Zahedan on Sept. 30.

State-linked media, however, confirmed only 19 of the casualties in Zahedan and accused “separatists” of the attacks in the southeast.

The Islamic Association of Sharif University Students said it invited “students and professors of universities across the country to close their classes as a sign of solidarity with the professors and students of Sharif University.”

The call for the strike was received by many university students who kept protesting despite the crackdown on the Sharif University protests.

While other strikes were announced by small business owners, teachers and some labor associations, the excessive violence against university students has raised concerns.

The first open call for a strike was issued by the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Cultural Associations on Sept. 26. The Council “strongly condemned” the violent action taken by the state against protesters, especially students, and asked all working and retired educators to stand with the protesters.

“Nationwide strikes cause psychological pressure on the repressive forces to realize that many people agree with the protesters,” a Health Ministry employee told ABC News. He asked that his name not be used for fear of retribution.

“I hope people understand they would be better off striking in the long run because nothing matters as much as togetherness and unity,” he said.

In Supreme Court debut, Justice Jackson grills attorney challenging EPA power under Clean Water Act

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — After her investiture at the U.S. Supreme Court last week, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson heralded her “seat at the table” and a desire to “get to work.”

During oral arguments Monday, the public got a glimpse of what that looks like: the nation’s first Black woman justice emerged as a remarkably active questioner in her debut on the bench, making clear she will not hesitate to make her mark on debate.

“Let me try to bring some enlightenment to it,” Jackson said dryly to an attorney challenging key parts of the Clean Water Act.

The law gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate “waters of the United States,” but there is widespread disagreement about the extent to which wetlands count.

The case, the first of the court’s new term, will decide the scope of EPA power over tens of millions of acres of marshland and swamp land. Environmental advocates say public health and safety hangs in the balance.

“Isn’t the issue what Congress intended?” Jackson pressed. “Why is it that your conception of this does not relate in any way to Congress’ primary objective?”

“The objective of the statute is to ensure the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters,” she added.

Attorney Damien Schiff, representing an Idaho couple that wants to build their dream home on a lot near Priest Lake, argued that the federal government should not have unbound power to regulate wetlands on Americans’ property without direct, physical connection to a major body of water.

“The Sacketts’ property contains no waters, much less waters of the U.S.,” Schiff said. The EPA contends marsh on the Sacketts’ property has a “significant nexus” to the nearby lake.

The court will decide early next year how to draw the line.

The dispute played out for nearly two hours inside a courtroom packed with attorneys, clerks, special guests, and members of the public for the first time in two and a half years since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the arguments to go virtual. Masks were not required, though Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan wore them on the bench.

The nine justices assumed new seating assignments, by seniority, for the first time since the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. Flanking Chief Justice John Roberts at the center are Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Jackson, as the newest members of the court, hold the seats at each end of the bench.

Heightened security measures were visible throughout the courthouse, including a new requirement that water cannot be brought inside the building, but a steel security fence that had encircled the Court starting in June has been removed.

While the proceedings were again opened to the public in-person, the Court has decided to continue livestream audio online. “I think that’s a great compromise on transparency and a huge step for the chief justice,” said Sarah Isgur, a former Justice Department attorney and now an ABC News legal analyst.

The court gaveled in a new term and welcomed Justice Jackson as public confidence in the institution has slumped to a new low.

Jackson’s appointment does not alter the ideological makeup of the court — six conservatives, three liberals — but her presence could change dynamics in untold ways.

“Each new justice really changes the institution,” said Kate Shaw of Cardoza School of Law and an ABC News contributor. “By all accounts, she is a bridge builder and a warm and collegial person. I don’t expect any radical change, but it’ll matter for the public to see her on the bench, and I think it will matter as the court starts issuing opinions.”

Jackson spoke at least 21 times during Monday’s argument in the Sackett case, according to an ABC News review of the transcript.

“Although Justice Jackson might be more liberal in some respects than Justice Breyer, she won’t change the really polarized cases. But every new justice is a new court, and there could be some unexpected alliances,” Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, said.

For the first time, Texas represented by Asian American women in Miss USA and Miss America pageants

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — For the first time in state history, Asian American women will represent Texas at two of the most prestigious pageants in the country.

Averie Bishop from Dallas, made history in June when she became the first Asian American woman to be crowned Miss Texas America. She will compete for the title of Miss America, the long-running national scholarship pageant, on Dec. 15 in Connecticut.

Just one week after Bishop’s win, R’Bonney Gabriel from Houston became the first Asian American woman to earn the Miss Texas USA title, marking another historic milestone. Gabriel is currently in Reno, Nevada competing in the Miss USA beauty pageant. If she wins the national title tonight, she will go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

The Miss America and Miss USA competitions have long welcomed state titleholders to their stages. But for decades, women of color were banned from participating.

“I never saw anybody as Miss Texas who looked like me, so I was very scared to take up space in an organization that is historically meant for white women,” Bishop told ABC News.

Bishop’s mother immigrated from the Philippines in the 90s. Her father, who is white and Cherokee, is a fourth-generation Texan. For years, Bishop said her family lived in “extreme poverty,” experiencing housing insecurity and relying on food assistance programs. She grew up attending a Title I school in Prosper, Texas.

“I was quite literally the only student that looks like the way that I did for almost, I’d say, a decade,” Bishop said. “I convinced myself that I wasn’t allowed to speak my voice, that I wasn’t allowed to dream or pursue the things I wanted to pursue.”

Gabriel, who is also Filipina, said she now feels a “big responsibility” to share her multicultural background and empower others to embrace their identities.

“My dad moved to America from the Philippines on a college scholarship with about $20 in his pocket. He wanted to pave a new life for himself. He met my mom in Texas, who is a country woman from Beaumont,” Gabriel told ABC News’ local affiliate in Houston. “I’m a very proud Filipina Texan.”

Texas is the second most diverse state in the U.S., with minority groups together constituting more than 50 percent of the state population. But in recent years, Texas has also been at the epicenter of national political debates and culture wars over the state’s controversial abortion restrictions, book bans, gun laws, and crackdown on border immigration.

For Bishop and Gabriel, representing the ‘Lone Star State’ means using their platforms to speak out about the pressing issues affecting their communities, including anti-Asian hate, environmentalism, and women’s rights.

“I am very strong in my beliefs and what I believe are important to my generation,” Bishop said. “But as a statewide representative, as Miss Texas, I will, as my first initiative, listen to any perspective and all perspectives.”

Bishop’s Miss Texas platform is “Y’all Means All,” which emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Bishop and her mother manage a nonprofit called the Tulong Foundation that provides scholarships and mentorship to girls in Southeast Asia to help them pursue an education.

After going viral on TikTok, Bishop, a law school graduate, is also an online influencer running her own social media consulting business.

Gabriel, a model and designer, currently owns her own fashion label R’Bonney Nola, using sustainable practices and even designing her own looks for the pageants she enters.

She also works with the Houston nonprofit Magpies and Peacocks, teaching sewing to women in under-served communities as well as survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.

“I foresee myself in really dreaming about having a bigger brand that is focused on sustainability and being a leading voice in the industry that’s helping the industry push to a more environmentally friendly practice,” Gabriel said.

After competing in Miss America, Bishop said she is considering pursuing a career in academia, hoping to continue serving as a mentor and role model to students who look like her.

“Now that I have become the thing that I dreamed of becoming, other young girls, other women from the Filipino community, from the AAPI community can look at me, look at R’Bonney, and think to themselves, I can do it too,” Bishop said.

Timeline: When did officials tell people to evacuate from Hurricane Ian?

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Before Hurricane Ian brought destruction to the Florida Peninsula on Sept. 28, federal and state officials urged Floridians to evacuate their homes and seek shelter because of dangerous winds and deadly storm surge.

Those warnings weren’t for nothing, as about 99 people in Florida and four people in North Carolina died when Ian moved up the East Coast.

This is how the evacuations took place:

Sept. 27 – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an evacuation order for 12 counties, including Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam and Sarasota, when Ian became a Category 3 hurricane, threatening coastal communities.

Those who didn’t evacuate Hurricane Ian describe what it’s like to ride out storm
Before DeSantis decided to place 2.5 million people under an evacuation order, county officials issued orders for residents to leave as the powerful storm approached.

County evacuations

Sept. 26/Sept. 27 – Florida’s Charlotte County ordered residents in two zones to evacuate the area, including people who lived on Don Pedro Island, Knight Island, Little Gasparilla Island, Gasparilla Island and Manasota Key.

Additionally, people living in mobile homes and trailers, regardless of county, were told to leave the area.

Sept. 26 – Pinellas County issued its evacuation orders based on when Hurricane Ian was forecast to hit the Tampa Bay area.

Officials in Pasco, Hillsborough and Sarasota counties issued evacuation orders on Sept. 26 as Hurricane Ian still had Florida’s southwest coast set in its sights.

Sept. 27 – Criticisms have been lobbied against Lee County officials for issuing a mandatory evacuation for residents less than 24 hours before Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm, a day after neighboring counties.

DeSantis defended Lee County’s delayed evacuation order on Saturday in Fort Myers, telling reporters that county officials were following the data, which showed the storm hitting Tampa Bay before shifting south to Lee County.

“When we went to bed Monday night, people were saying this is a direct hit on Tampa Bay, worst-case scenario for the state,” the governor said. “As that track started to shift south, and the computer models the next morning, they called for the evacuation, they opened their shelters and they responded very quickly to the data.”

Parts of Lee County, including Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, suffered extensive damage because of the hurricane.

At least 94 people in Florida died in the storm, according to data from local officials. Lee County suffered the most casualties, with 54 deaths, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.

Upward of 700 people were rescued in the county, according to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

Sept 30 – Following its destructive trek across Florida, Hurricane Ian made its way to the Carolinas, prompting South Carolina officials to issue evacuation orders for residents before it made landfall on Sept. 30.

ABC News’ Alexandra Svokos, Meredith Deliso and Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.

North Korea fires apparent ballistic missile over Japan: Ministry of Defense

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — North Korea has fired what appears to be a ballistic missile over Japan, the country’s Ministry of Defense said Monday.

The apparent ballistic missile was launched at 7:22 a.m. local time and passed over Japan at 7:29 a.m., the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced.

The government of South Korea confirmed that the Japanese government warned citizens to take shelter. The missile likely flew over Japan, but it is still unknown whether the missile fell into the sea.

Residents in Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, toward the northern end of Japan, have been advised to be on alert and to notify police or fire officials if debris is seen.

People were also warned by officials not to touch or pick up any debris.

The office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has begun to gather members to analyze the situation.

A government spokesperson said no damage has been reported so far and a search is underway for debris. Officials are gathering information and will work South Korea and the U.S.

ABC News’ Joohee Cho, Guy Davies and Anthony Trotter contributed to this report.

More than 100 deaths reported after Hurricane Ian slams into Florida, North Carolina

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 99 people in Florida have died due to Hurricane Ian, according to local officials.

Four additional people were also reported dead due to the storm in North Carolina, the governor’s office said Saturday.

The Category 4 storm slammed into Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday afternoon, causing catastrophic damage, fierce winds and dangerous, record-breaking storm surges.

Deaths from Hurricane Ian reported in Florida

The deaths span multiple counties in Florida, including 54 in Lee County, 24 in Charlotte County, five in Volusia County, four in Collier County, three each in Sarasota and Manatee counties, two in Polk County, and one each in Hardee, Hillsborough, Lake and Hendry counties, ABC News has determined based on information from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission and inquiries with local officials and authorities.

The death toll from the catastrophic storm has been rising amid ongoing search and rescue missions.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said that upward of 700 people were rescued in the devastated county.

“It’s what a heavy heart that I say that number,” Marceno, whose county is home to hard-hit Fort Myers and the barrier island Sanibel, said in video posted to Facebook.

The causes of the deaths in Florida were primarily drownings, as well as two vehicle accidents and a roofing accident, officials said.

It is unclear whether the state’s figure overlaps with ABC News’ analysis. The state confirms deaths by reviewing medical examiner records, which can take some time.

Confirmed deaths from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement occurred in Lake, Sarasota, Manatee, Volusia and Collier counties between Sept. 27 and 30. The victims ranged in age from 22 to 91. One, a 68-year-old woman, drowned after being swept into the ocean by a wave on Sept. 29, the department said.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was among the first to publicly announce a fatality from Ian. A 72-year-old man in Deltona died after attempting to drain his pool during the storm, the office said Thursday.

The man, who was not publicly identified, “disappeared” after heading outside, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies found him unresponsive in a canal behind the home and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

Deaths from Hurricane Ian reported in North Carolina

The storm made landfall again on Friday in South Carolina, which has reported no deaths due to the storm so far, Gov. Henry McMaster said Saturday.

Though in neighboring North Carolina, four storm-related deaths have been reported, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement Saturday. Three involved vehicle accidents on Friday, with the victims ranging in age from 22 to 25. Additionally, a 65-year-old man died Saturday from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in his closed garage while the power was out.

Hurricane damage across the southeast, as rescue efforts continue

Florida Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents the Tampa Bay area, called the situation a “major catastrophe.”

“I’m afraid we’re going to be dealing with a larger loss of life than we anticipated,” she said on “ABC News Live” Thursday.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott told “Good Morning America” Thursday morning there were “thousands of rescue efforts going on right now.”

“We’ve got great sheriff’s departments, police departments, fire departments, state rescue teams. They’re working hard. But there’s a lot of people that need help right now,” he said.

He expressed concern for the state’s many low-lying areas.

“The water kills and I’m just — I’m scared to death of, you know, what’s happened here and I hope everybody stays safe,” he said.

Sheriff Marceno told “Good Morning America” Thursday they had thousands of 911 calls they were answering.

“We still cannot access many of the people that are in need,” Marceno said. “It’s a real, real rough road ahead.”

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien, Ahmad Hemmingway, Benjamin Stein and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

Trump’s 1st secretary of state testifies he never asked Tom Barrack to ‘conduct any diplomacy’ for US

October 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testified Monday during the illegal foreign lobbying trial of former Donald Trump ally Tom Barrack that he never asked Barrack to undertake any diplomacy on behalf of the United States during his year-long stint as Trump’s secretary of state.

“Did you ever ask Tom Barack to commit any diplomacy on behalf of the United States?” prosecutor Hiral Mehta asked.

“No,” Tillerson replied.

Barrack, a billionaire California businessman who ran Trump’s 2016 inaugural committee, is currently on trial in Brooklyn federal court for alleged illegal lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates before and during the Trump administration. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which Barrack’s defense attorney has dismissed the charge as ridiculous.

“[The government’s] accusations are nothing short of ridiculous. Tom Barrack was never under anybody’s direction. Tom Barrack was never under anybody’s control,” said Michael Schachter, Barrack’s attorney, during opening statements. “Tom Barrack was his own man [and] said things because he wanted to.”

Tillerson, the former chief diplomat of the United States, during his three hours on the stand said he had had no knowledge of Barrack’s communications with the UAE. Prosecutors allege failing to register as a lobbyist for those communications constitutes a crime.

But Tillerson also conceded there were conversations about foreign policy that he was not always a part of, including between Trump and his son-and-law, Jared Kushner — who he said was also in communication with government officials, though not always in lockstep.

“It was evident that at times Mr. Kushner was engaging with the same government officials on the same issues I was engaging with them on and that those messages were not consistent,” Tillerson said.

Regardless, he emphasized the importance of transparency surrounding relationships with foreign governments.

“You always, in any communication, want to understand the context in which the information is coming to you,” Tillerson said.

Tillerson also testified that his dealings with Barrack were limited, but that Barrack had called him “on a couple of occasions” to discuss a potential ambassadorship.

“I recall him expressing interest in serving as an ambassador,” said Tillerson, who said he brought the idea up to Trump, who “did not direct [him] one way or another” on the idea.

On cross-examination, the defense sought to normalize Barrack’s contacts with the UAE by likening them to Tillerson’s own contacts with foreign government officials during his time as the chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil.

Tillerson testified he took over one hundred foreign trips and met with dozens of foreign government officials when serving in that private role, including in the Middle East and Russia, in his efforts to promote the interests of his company.

“The fact that you were interacting with government officials in Russia… in no way meant you adopted all of their views or operated under their control, right?” asked Randall Jackson, Barrack’s attorney.

“We at all times represent our views, nobody else’s,” said Tillerson, who has since retired.

But Tillerson said during that time, he explored registering.

“I had my attorneys look at the law,” Tillerson said, “and I wanted to be sure.”

Barrack was arrested in California in July 2021, accused of using his connection to Trump to surreptitiously promote UAE interests. The trial is expected to last five weeks, attorneys said during a hearing earlier this year.

According to the indictment, The UAE worked through Barrack “to influence United States foreign policy in the first 100 days, 6 months, 1 year and 4 years of the Trump administration.”

The UAE funds committed nearly $400 million to Barrack’s investment management firm, the indictment said, though it did not make clear whether Barrack’s firm ever received the money.

The indictment released last July also charged Barrack with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 20, 2019, interview with federal law enforcement agents.

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