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Hiring blew past expectations in August, jobs report shows

September 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hiring grew far more than expected in August, bouncing back from a decline in employment a month earlier, according to the federal government’s monthly jobs report.

Employers added 162,000 jobs in August, which marked a major improvement from 23,000 jobs lost in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.

Hiring came in well above a monthly average gain of 31,000 jobs over the previous 12 months.

The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, a low level by historical standards.

Employment surged in restaurants and bars, which added 59,000 jobs in August, after averaging just 12,000 jobs gained each month over the past year. Hiring also grew in manufacturing, continuing a period of steady gains since the end of last year.

The fresh data demonstrated economic health, despite a bout of elevated inflation that continues to weigh on shoppers and nudge central bankers toward a possible interest rate hike.

The economy has shown signs of additional strain in recent weeks, including a bond selloff that threatens to raise consumer borrowing costs and a rise in oil prices amid renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran.

The labor market grew at a solid pace over the first half of 2026, despite a historic oil shock that has driven up fuel prices and hiked supply-chain costs for a host of other goods.

The U.S. added an average of 92,000 jobs per month over the initial six months of this year, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. That pace marks an improvement from an average of about 7,000 jobs lost per month over the second half of 2025.

The Iran war drove up gasoline prices and catapulted inflation to a three-year high in May. Inflation eased in June and July, but a burst of on-again, off-again fighting in recent weeks caused crude prices to rise again.

The annual inflation rate stands at 3.4% as of July, the most recent month on record, putting inflation more than a percentage point above the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%.

The combination of elevated inflation and a fairly resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike at the Fed’s meeting later this month, financial markets show.

Investors peg the odds of a quarter-point rate hike on Sept. 16 at about 62%, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

A rate increase could help fight inflation but the move risks a slowdown in hiring. Central bankers, in turn, may examine the jobs report for information on the sturdiness of the labor market.

The Fed opted to hold interest rates steady at its most recent meeting in July, but central bankers appeared divided over the move. Three of the 12 members on the Fed’s policymaking board voted in favor of a rate hike, marking the largest number of dissenters casting ballots in the same direction since 2016.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who took the helm of the central bank in May, said in recent days that it should prioritize fighting inflation.

“Inflation is running above our 2% target so the Fed’s predominant focus right now should be on prices,” Warsh said in remarks last week at the Fed’s annual summer gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial high-fliers. Hard-working Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that is too high or jobs that suddenly appear less secure,” Warsh added.

Diesel prices hit record high, raising supply costs for many products

September 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Diesel prices hit a record high in the United States on Friday, jumping to an average of $5.85 a gallon as the Iran war choked global oil supply.

Gasoline prices also climbed on Friday, registering at an average of $4.14 a gallon, the highest price ever recorded at this time of year, AAA said.

High diesel prices push up transport costs for many everyday products, including groceries, clothes and furniture.
The average price of a gallon of diesel has soared 55% since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February set off a historic oil shock, AAA data showed. The conflict prompted Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates one-fifth of global crude supply.

Since diesel is the lifeblood of the supply chain, a rise in fuel costs may result in higher prices charged by wholesalers in response to elevated transport expenses. In turn, retailers could pass those costs along to shoppers, raising prices on shelves.

The price hike for any individual item would likely be modest, but the pileup of extra costs across an array of goods could weigh on wallets, analysts previously told ABC News.

Global oil prices stood at about $94 a barrel on Friday, putting them well above a level of $72.50 before the war began. A resumption of fighting in recent days pushed prices higher as investors feared an escalation of the conflict, though prices eased slightly on Friday.

The rise in diesel costs threatens to worsen a bout of elevated inflation that continues to weigh on shoppers and nudge central bankers toward a possible interest rate hike.

The annual inflation rate stands at 3.4% as of July, the most recent month on record, putting inflation more than a percentage point above the Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%.

Grocery prices fell slightly in July, according to the latest government data, marking a bright spot in the inflation report and cooling off from a surge in the spring. The previous uptick in grocery prices owed in part to elevated diesel costs, as well as droughts and other agricultural issues.

Costs ticked lower last month for cheese, salad dressing and candy, among other foods.

The relief for grocery prices included some notable exceptions, however. Increases remained elevated for some household staples like fruits and vegetables, beef, coffee, milk and rice.

The combination of elevated inflation and a fairly resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike at the Fed’s meeting later this month, financial markets show.

Investors peg the odds of a quarter-point rate hike on Sept. 16 at about 62%, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who took the helm of the central bank in May, said in recent days that it should prioritize fighting inflation.

2 people rescued alive from tunnel after deadly Nepal-Tibet flash flood

September 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

LONDON — Two people have been rescued from a hydropower tunnel at the Trishuli 3A construction site, Nepal’s Army confirmed Friday after posting videos and images from the scene on Facebook.

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane, an engineer who has been involved in the search operations, also posted about the two rescues on his Facebook page, including photos and videos from the scene.

He identified the two workers rescued as Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan.

In an earlier Facebook post, Neupane said rescuers had heard voices from people trapped inside the tunnel.

“It has been confirmed that more than one person’s voice has been heard from inside,” Neupane wrote in the post. “When the rescue team said, ‘Don’t panic, we are rescuing,’ a response of ‘yes’ was received from inside.”

After being rescued, Sah, a mechanical foreman, said in a video published by the Nepali Army on Friday that his responsibility was to save the lives of the others in the tunnel because he was in the control room.

“I told everyone that there was a big accident on the big dam, and asked everyone to run and in the end, I ran out of time and could not run out,” Sah said in the video, which was translated from Nepali.

At least 557 workers are missing from the Trishuli 3A hydropower projects along the Trishuli River, with about 115 believed to be trapped in the tunnel, according to the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said officials remain hopeful that more workers will be rescued. “We are waiting for the rescue of more and more people,” Timilsina wrote on his Facebook page.

Sah said there seemed to be three or four more people still stuck in the tunnel, and possibly even more, as the tunnel is long and some may have been swept deeper inside.

Holding onto hope, Sah said he was chanting mantras while he was trapped.

The death toll following last week’s unprecedented flash flood at the Nepal-Tibet border has climbed to 1,287, with an additional 4,216 people believed to still be missing as of Thursday, officials said.

Those figures increased from 1,114 deaths and 3,916 missing people, respectively, a day earlier, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Management Authority.

Chinese state media have reported an additional 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet, bringing the total death toll to 1,268 and the number of missing people on both sides of the border to 4,762.

Relief and rescue efforts are continuing, with almost all communication towers restored and nearly 12,000 people rescued through international and domestic aid.

Additionally, almost 21,500 security personnel have been mobilized in an effort to speed up search and rescue operations, with more than 5,000 people receiving treatment for injuries, officials said.

Nepali Prime Minister Shah said earlier this week that his government would begin focusing on “rehabilitation” as the length of time since the initial disaster grows.

ABC News’ Anna Bourke contributed to this report.

Suspect in Minneapolis apartment shooting opened fire after custody exchange, officials say

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — A man who allegedly shot and killed two residents and wounded several other people, including police officers, at his Minneapolis apartment building opened fire on the victims following a custody exchange, authorities said.

The suspect — who was armed with a handgun — is dead and an autopsy is underway, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said at a news conference Thursday. His cause and manner of death are not clear but investigators believe he “died in an exchange of gunfire” with officers, Evans said.

Wednesday afternoon’s shooting began outside the suspect’s apartment building during what appeared to be an arranged custody exchange, Evans said. The gunman allegedly shot and wounded his child’s mother, Evans said, adding that the child was able to escape and was not physically harmed.

As the gunman went inside the apartment building, he shot and wounded two building employees, Evans said.

The suspect then took the elevator to ninth floor — where his apartment was — and he allegedly shot and killed two men in their 60s who also lived in the building, Evans said.

Responding officers heard the gunfire and followed the sound to the ninth floor, where they encountered the suspect and exchanged gunfire, Evans said.

The suspect died and two officers were shot and injured, Evans said, noting that a third officer was not shot but also wounded.

When officers arrived on the ninth floor they “encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility,” Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Garrett Parten said Wednesday.

Four officers “experienced adverse effects” from the hazy unknown substance, police said, and two additional officers were injured when their squad car was involved in a crash while responding to the shooting.

A motive is not clear, interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said Wednesday. Law enforcement sources told ABC News investigators are probing whether the suspect had some connection to the building, including whether he was a former or current tenant and whether he was under an eviction notice.

Asked about the potential eviction notice, Evans told reporters Thursday, “That will all be part of our investigation.”

“The residents that were shot and killed on the ninth floor, the exact relationship he had with any of them, and whether or not they were a part of some of the information that was leading up to the eviction process that was underway by the building, is something that we will unpack, and I don’t have specifics right now,” Evans said.

Evans added, “This is once again a situation where domestic violence is center and central to a really terrible situation with multiple people shot. And the role that domestic violence continues to play in mass casualty incidents … continues to be a problem.”

ABC News’ Luke Barr and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

TikTok announces new ways to comment, including voice messages and polls

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — TikTok is giving users new ways to join conversations on the platform.

The social media company on Thursday announced several new comment features that will allow people to leave voice messages, vote in polls and share multiple photos under videos.

More than 1.7 billion comments are shared on TikTok each day, according to the company.

Among the updates is Voice Comments, a new feature that TikTok says it will allow users to record and post audio messages directly under videos.

“Sound and music have shaped TikTok from the very beginning, turning songs into trends and audio clips into jokes shared across the app,” TikTok said in its announcement.

To leave a voice comment, users can tap the microphone icon in the comment box and record a message up to 60 seconds long. Once posted, anyone can tap to listen.

Voice Comments will roll out globally over the next month to accounts belonging to people ages 18 and older, according to TikTok.

The company also announced Comment Polls, which will allow creators to ask followers to vote directly under their videos.

Creators can add a poll while commenting on their own video, choose up to five options and set a timeframe for voting. They can also track results as votes come in, TikTok said.

TikTok is also expanding its photo comment feature with Photo Carousel Comments and Live Photo Comments.

With Photo Carousel Comments, users can share up to nine photos in a single comment. TikTok said the feature is designed to allow people to “share a full moment instead of just one frame.”

The feature will roll out globally over the next month.

Live Photo Comments, meanwhile, allow people to upload Live Photos directly from their camera rolls, giving images a brief burst of motion. The feature is now available globally, according to TikTok.

Billionaire Leon Black sues House Oversight Committee over subpoena in Epstein probe

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Private equity billionaire Leon Black filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against the House Oversight Committee and Chairman James Comer before failing to appear under subpoena for a deposition under oath before the panel as part of its probe into the government’s investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

After Black filed the suit and failed to appear for the deposition, Comer signaled that the committee may move to hold Black in contempt of Congress — but said he wants to gain consensus and examine the legal path ahead before proceeding.

“This is unacceptable,” Comer, R-Ky., said. “We’re very disappointed. I don’t think I need to tell anyone in here how important of a witness Mr. Black is to this investigation. So we’re going to huddle up as a committee and talk about next steps with respect to Mr. Black, and we’ll go from there.”

“I would hold him in contempt right now,” Comer added. “Of all the powerful billionaires and political people we brought in for interviews and depositions, this is the first time anyone’s filed suit. I don’t want to do anything to harm our chances in court.”

In June, the panel issued subpoenas to Black after he appeared for a transcribed interview and refused to answer questions. The subpoenas called for his appearance for a deposition, as well as the production of purported nondisclosure agreements that Epstein survivors have discussed with committee investigators.

Black’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asserts the subpoenas are “invalid to the extent they exceed OGR’s delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate connection to OGR’s legislative purpose.”

Black’s attorneys also contend that the subpoenas would also “expose women who value their privacy,” who have no known or public connection to Epstein — while contending that the committee lacks statutory authority to enforce its subpoenas in federal court.

Black is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief preventing the committee from compelling compliance with the subpoenas.

“The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility,” said Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich. “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black. We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power.”

Black, who maintained a social relationship with Epstein since the mid-1990s and eventually paid him more than $170 million for “tax and estate planning advice,” according to the Senate Finance Committee, appeared in June before the Oversight panel as part of its ongoing Epstein probe.

Black has denied wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, though his financial payments to Epstein served as a lifeline to the convicted sex offender in the years after Epstein’s 2008 prison sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

With time running short on the 119th Congress, Comer and Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, both believe Black is trying to run out the clock — complicating the committee’s effort to conclude its investigation before the end of the 119th Congress.

“Obviously, we’re running up against the clock at the end of this Congress, I’m sure his legal team knows that. So we’ve got to be smart from here on in,” Comer said.

“What he’s trying to do is to slow the process down of getting us the information,” Garcia, D-Calif., said. “He’s very aware that Comer no longer is going to be the chairperson. But what Mr. Black should understand is that we will be even more aggressive than Chairman Comer as it relates to his testimony.”

“Leon Black provided over $180 million to Jeffrey Epstein. $180 million, and he has yet to tell the committee or the public as to exactly what that funded and why he did it,” Garcia said.

Judge confines Barry Morphew to his home after alleged hit-and-run incident

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A Colorado judge ordered that Barry Morphew be confined to his home after the murder suspect was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident while out on $3 million bond, according to the judge’s order.

Morphew is set to go on trial next year after being indicted on first-degree murder over the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, whose body was found more than three years after the mother of two was reported missing. He pleaded not guilty and has denied any involvement in her death.

In her order issued Wednesday, District Court Judge Amanda Hopkins said that earlier that day, a “concerned citizen” alerted her that Morphew was involved in a hit-and-run accident in Denver on Aug. 26, in which he is alleged to have been “driving aggressively prior to striking two vehicles.”

One of the drivers filmed her encounter, according to the filing, which cited a CBS News Colorado report on the incident that included some of the footage.

In the video, a “person who is very clearly” Morphew “refused to provide his name or identification,” the judge stated. He then offered to pay the driver $300 for the damage and is seen buffing scratches on her vehicle with his shirt and hand, according to the filing.

The truck involved in the incident had the same Indiana license plate that Morphew is “alleged to have used on more than one vehicle,” according to a motion the prosecution filed in his murder case, the judge said.

“When the other driver refused the Defendant’s offer of cash and indicates that she was calling the police, the Defendant leaves the scene, almost striking another individual and driving over a curb to do so,” the judge stated.

Hopkins ordered Morphew’s GPS provider to submit its monthly report and provide her with all information related to permissions he may have had to be away from his home at the time of the incident, though the judge said the provider did not comply. Prior reports have shown no violations of Morphew’s conditions of release, the judge said.

The terms of that release included that Morphew only leave his home for medical appointments or emergencies, work, meetings with his legal team and court, and that he not commit any felony offenses, the judge said.

In the order issued Wednesday, the judge said Morphew must now remain in his home at all times, “no exceptions.”

“If the Defendant has a medical emergency during that time, he can call 911 and be transported by ambulance,” Hopkins stated.

She said a hearing will be set for next week to discuss his bond.

The judge noted that while there “may potentially be felonious conduct implicated by the actions of the Defendant during the traffic incident,” Morphew has not been charged in the incident by the local jurisdiction.

Following the judge’s order, prosecutors filed a motion to modify Morphew’s bond conditions, including that he no longer be given exceptions from his house arrest and that the financial conditions of his bond be increased, “given the increased flight risk demonstrated by his behavior in the hit and run incident.”

“His driving in this case appears to put others at risk, and were he to flee in the present case, that is a new consideration for the Court as it pertains to community safety,” prosecutors stated. “The fact that the driving appears to be in direct response to impending police involvement indicates a willingness to flee police specifically.”

ABC News has reached out to Morphew’s attorneys for comment on the order but has not yet received a response.

Morphew is set to go on trial for murder in July 2027.

His wife was reported missing on Mother’s Day in May 2020. Her remains were found in September 2023 while investigators were searching in an unrelated case. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide.

Her death was determined to have been caused by homicide “by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” according to the autopsy.

Morphew had previously been charged with his wife’s presumed murder in 2021, but those charges were dropped in April 2022, just before the trial was supposed to begin.

Pennsylvania youth football coaches charged following on-field fight

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Three Pennsylvania youth football coaches were charged Thursday, days after they were part of a massive brawl caught on video during the final minutes of a game, police said.

The clash took place during the final minutes of Saturday’s game between Carlynton and Keystone Oaks, who were made up of 8 and 9-year-old players, in Carnegie, a Pittsburgh suburb. Carlynton coach DeQuay Canton, 24, was seen screaming at the sideline of the opposing team and then confronted one of their coaches, Frank McGrath, 37, the criminal complaint said.

Although referees tried to separate them, the fight escalated as more Keystone Oaks coaches came onto the field and fought with the Canton, according to the criminal complaint.

At one point during the fight, another Keystone Oaks coach, Joseph Kobiak, 35, and the Canton were seen throwing a punch at the other’s head as bystanders looked on and called to watch the kids, according to the video and the criminal complaint.

On Thursday, the Carnegie Police Department charged Canton with disorderly conduct and harassment. The police allege he threw punches “which would have caused substantial harm and most definitely caused serious inconvenience.”

Police also charged McGrath and Kobiak by summons with disorderly conduct and harassment for participating in the fight.

The investigation is ongoing. Attorney information for the coaches wasn’t immediately available.

Steel City Youth Football League, which organized the game, said in a statement Monday that it suspended two coaches involved in the fight indefinitely.

The two teams independently suspended five additional members involved in the clash, according to the league.

“League officials are reviewing video footage, referee reports, and witness statements. The scope of this inquiry is not limited to the ejected individuals; the investigation may expand to include additional personnel, coaches, or spectators found to be involved,” Steel City Youth Football League said in a statement.

Speaker Johnson, in reversal, cancels House votes, leaving few days in session before midterms

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With government funding in the rear view, the House on Thursday canceled votes for the last two weeks of September, leaving just four days of legislative business before the Nov. 3 midterm elections — a reversal from Speaker Mike Johnson’s comments on the matter earlier this week.

After a vote series Friday morning, lawmakers will fly home for a district work period over the Labor Day holiday, as well as the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas.

The House is scheduled to return on Sept. 14 for four days of legislative business — leaving on Sept. 17 for six full weeks of campaigning ahead of the midterm elections.

The sparse floor schedule is not particularly unusual for an election year — but is a reversal of Johnson’s position earlier this week when he told reporters that he did not intend to cancel any scheduled legislative business this month.

“Republicans are here to work,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday when pressed if GOP Rep. Thomas Massie’s prediction of a schedule change might come to fruition. “We have a schedule, a calendar that’s been out for a year. We are abiding by that calendar. We are going to work all the way through September and every day that’s on the calendar, so long as people like him don’t stop the progress.”

But earlier this week, the House passed government funding through Dec. 11 — clearing the speaker’s top legislative priority ahead of the election.

Lawmakers will return again for a lame duck session on Nov. 9 — scheduling five more weeks of legislative business before the end of the 119th Congress.

2 killed, multiple hurt in shooting at Minneapolis apartment building: Police

September 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Two people were killed and several others, including police officers, were injured in a shooting at a high-rise apartment building in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, authorities said.

The suspected shooter is also dead, according to interim Police Chief Bill Peterson, who told reporters he was “truly sickened by this level of violence.”

It is unclear how the suspect died, and Peterson said a motive is not clear. Investigators are probing whether the suspect had some connection to the building, including whether he was a former or current tenant and whether he was under an eviction notice, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

One shooting victim died at the scene, and the other died at Hennepin County Medical Center, police said.

Three civilians and three Minneapolis police officers were injured in the shooting, police said.

Some of the victims lived in the building, according to police.

The shooting unfolded Wednesday afternoon, and when responding officers encountered victims in the lobby, they heard additional gunfire, Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Garrett Parten said.

“Officers followed the sound of gunfire to the upper floor of the building, and on that floor, officers encountered a haze that significantly limited their visibility,” Parten said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the officers, who he said brought people to safety “all while getting shot at themselves.”

“Our Minneapolis police officers acted with incredible bravery and courage,” he said.

ABC News’ Luke Barr and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

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