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Jury selection reaches pivotal moment in federal trial of Buffalo racist mass shooter

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — More than four years after he gunned down 10 Black people in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket, Payton Gendron’s federal trial reaches a crucial point on Monday in selecting a jury that will decide whether he lives or dies.

Gendron, who will turn 23 next week, has already pleaded guilty to state charges stemming from the May 14, 2022, attack at a Tops supermarket, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate. He is serving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Gendron, according to his attorneys, has proposed pleading guilty to the 27-count federal indictment, including 10 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, but the Department of Justice has rejected his offer.

“The United States believes the circumstances in Counts 11-20 of the Indictment are such that, in the event of a conviction, a sentence of death is justified,” federal prosecutors said in January 2024, when they announced the decision to pursue the death penalty against Gendron.

On Monday, about 1,200 potential jurors who filled out an initial questionnaire were summoned to appear at the U.S. District Court in Buffalo to complete a more extensive inquiry to determine whether they can serve as fair and impartial jurors.

Based on their responses, Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who is overseeing the case, and the attorneys involved hope to whittle the potential jury pool down to several hundred.

Those who make the cut will be brought back in August to be questioned by the lawyers and judge, who are hoping to seat 12 jurors and at least six alternates for the trial scheduled to begin in October.

Gendron has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.

Garnell Whitfield, the former Buffalo fire commissioner, whose 86-year-old mother, Ruth Whitfield, was killed in the supermarket attack, said he plans to attend Monday’s court proceedings.

Whitfield told ABC News that he’s hoping that the upcoming trial will expose those whom he says helped radicalize Gendron, including the social media companies that allegedly provided the addictive algorithms that fed Gendron’s hate of Black people.

“I’m more concerned with that than I am with him. He’s a dead man walking as far as I’m concerned,” Whitfield said.

Social media companies are not defendants in the trial, have not accused of any wrongdoing by prosecutors.

Whitfield and other relatives of those killed and wounded in the attack filed a lawsuit in May 2023 against several social media companies alleging they facilitated the teenage killer’s white supremacist radicalization by allowing racist propaganda to fester on their platforms. The outcome of the case is still pending in the state Supreme Court. The social media companies have denied all wrong doing.

During his sentencing in the state case in May 2023, Gendron apologized to the relatives of the victims, saying he was “very sorry for all the pain” he caused and “for stealing the lives of your loved ones.”

“I did a terrible thing that day,” Gendron said in court. “I shot and killed people because they were Black. Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate. I know I can’t take it back, but I wish I could, and I don’t want anyone to be inspired by me and what I did.”

Gendron planned the massacre for months — including previously traveling twice to the Tops store he targeted, a more than three-hour drive from his home in Conklin, New York — to scout the layout and count the number of Black people present, according to state prosecutors. Wearing tactical gear, body armor and wielding an AR-15-style rifle he legally purchased and illegally modified, Gendron committed the rampage on a Saturday afternoon when prosecutors said he knew the store would be full of Black shoppers.

The attack was caught on a Tops supermarket surveillance camera and a helmet camera worn by Gendron that he used to livestream on Twitch. Before the attack, he also posted a racist screed online containing the names of past mass shooters he admired.

Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal analyst, said Gendron’s attorneys are aiming at seating jurors who can set aside the defendant’s guilty plea and decide the case based on the facts presented at trial.

“This is not a case of guilt or innocence; this is a case … of attempting to save his life,” he said.

Buckmire said that in the current phase of jury selection, potential members of the panel will likely be asked about their personal beliefs about the death penalty.

He noted that the judge in the case has already denied a request from the defense to move the trial from Buffalo in Erie County to Rochester in Monroe County.

“So, it’s deep in the heart of where all of this harm happened,” Buckmire said.

Buckmire said the defense is facing an uphill battle and will likely focus on trying to persuade the jury that Gendron should not be put to death.

“From a fact-based standpoint, it’s hard to say he’s not guilty,” Buckmire said. “I think the only argument here and the only strength of anything they can make out here is he doesn’t deserve the death penalty because of his age [and] the influences he had.”

Child killed after officer fires upon car following reported shoplifting at a Walmart in Mississippi: Police

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(SENATOBIA, Miss.) — A child was killed after an officer fired upon a vehicle following a reported shoplifting at a Walmart in Mississippi, authorities said.

An adult was also critically injured in the shooting, which occurred Sunday afternoon outside a Walmart in Senatobia, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Law enforcement officers who responded to a shoplifting call at the Walmart encountered two adults allegedly fleeing from the store with a child and going into a vehicle, the bureau said.

“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one,” the bureau said in a statement, noting that the information is preliminary. “An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”

The individuals in the vehicle went to a local hospital, where the child was pronounced dead, according to the bureau. One of the adults also had critical injuries, it said.

Authorities did not provide further details on the shooting victims, including the age of the child killed.

The Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the shooting incident, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which did not provide details on the officer who discharged the weapon or how many times the gun was fired.

No officers were seriously injured, the bureau said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting and will ultimately share its findings with the state’s attorney general’s office.

“This is an open and ongoing investigation. No further comment will be made at this time,” a spokesperson with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation told ABC News on Monday in response to multiple questions on the incident.

Senatobia is located in northwestern Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

The Senatobia Police Department said the officer-involved shooting occurred just after 2 p.m. Sunday.

“We are committed to full transparency,” the Senatobia Police Department said in a statement. “As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible.”

A Walmart spokesperson said they are working with law enforcement amid the investigation.

“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” the spokesperson said. “The safety of our associates and customers is a top priority.”

Senatobia Alderman Chris McConnell urged residents to “rely on official information and allow the investigative process to proceed.”

“Please join me in praying for everyone involved, their families, our law enforcement officers, first responders, and the entire Senatobia community,” he said in a statement.

DRC reports record number of Ebola cases in a single day as outbreak hits 1-month mark

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a record one-day increase in Ebola cases since the current outbreak was first detected one month ago.

The DRC Ministry of Health reported 72 new confirmed Ebola cases on June 13, bringing the total number of cases to 782. Additionally, 29 deaths were recorded, bringing to 181 the number of fatalities that have occurred in the last month.

The majority of cases are still concentrated in three provinces in the northeast part of the country: Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Two new health zones, Nia-Nia in Ituri and Mabalako in North Kivu, reported cases for the first time, increasing the number of affected health zones to 31, according to the Ministry of Health.

Contact tracing remains a concern. Health officials said only 56.5% of identified contacts have been followed up on, far below the desired 90%-95% target needed to contain the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

DRC health officials say they’re still experiencing community hesitance as well as shortages of essential medicines and infection-control supplies.

Meanwhile, Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, in large part linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC, and two deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Last week, United Nations agencies warned that children in the eastern DRC could become increasingly affected by the Ebola outbreak. The U.N. said it may be difficult to accurately track the number of children who may be affected by the outbreak due to inefficient surveillance.

Although most infections have been among adults, “as the outbreak evolves, we must be prepared for increasing household transmission which means we may see more children affected in the days ahead,” Dr. Douglas Noble, UNICEF global lead for public health emergencies and global incident manager for Ebola, said on Friday.

“These are already very vulnerable children, so the capacity for this community to absorb any additional stressors was already stretched to breaking point,” he said.

In past Ebola outbreaks in the DRC, children “made up a significant share of cases and an even greater share of deaths, with the youngest facing the highest fatality rates and many left orphaned or separated from caregivers,” Noble said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department recently announced plans to provide $50 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which describes itself as “a global partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats,” to help develop vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that’s driving the current outbreak.

The State Department further said it has committed more than $270 million directly to the Ebola response, with U.S.-funded partners screening more than 6,300 people in Ituri, supporting 100 health facilities and carrying out 200 safe burials.

Vance says Iran agreement has been digitally signed, but remains vague on its key elements

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President JD Vance on Monday spoke about the settlement that would extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and pave the way for 60 days of technical negotiations to end the war, saying it has been signed “digitally.”

Vance said the agreement marked a moment in which Iran has a “two-path” option.

“On the one hand, if they continue to try to rebuild their nuclear program, this deal ensures they will never have the resources to do that,” Vance told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in an interview on Monday. “On the other hand, if the Iranians are willing to give a long-term commitment — along with proper verification — to giving up that nuclear weapon, we’re willing to welcome them into the world economy, to lift some sanctions and to turn over a new leaf in that relationship.”

Iranian officials have long publicly maintained that the country’s nuclear program operates only for civilian purposes, although Western officials have said their uranium enrichment has gone beyond what would be needed for civilian use. Iran has also said it does not have ambitions to create nuclear weapons, a claim that American officials have disputed.

Vance’s interview followed a Sunday social media post from President Donald Trump, who said the United States and Iran reached an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire in the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Vance said that the deal had already been digitally signed by parties, but also maintained that there would be a signing ceremony on Friday — though it’s unclear exactly what the Friday signing will mean if the deal has already been signed digitally. The vice president did say that the full text of the agreement would be released at some point this week and that negotiations were expected to continue.

The exact contents of the agreement is still unclear, and he remained vague about what specifics were in the the text of the already-signed agreement.

When pressed by “Good Morning America” Anchor George Stephanopoulos about whether this deal was the president going back on promises that Iran would need to provide “unconditional surrender,” Vance responded that “what this deal fundamentally does is it reopens the Straits of Hormuz.”

“You see, oil prices have already come down substantially just in the last 24 hours,” Vance added.

Vance also said that the deal includes provisions that Iran will stop funding terror groups, though he did not expand on what exactly that means.

As a potential deal was reportedly coming together on Friday, Vance took to social media to push back on what he described as “fake information” about the potential terms, which he said were expected to include financial incentives for Iran. Vance said funds would not be released to Iran “for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting.”

Vance also said that since the deal was digitally signed on Sunday, no money for Iran has been released, “and that won’t change, George,” Vance said.

Vance on Monday said forward momentum for the deal would hinge on Iranian officials “doing the right thing,” including allowing for some form of verification to show that Iran is not working toward building a nuclear weapon.

“This is fundamentally a win-win for the American people,” Vance said. “What the president has said is he wants it to be a win for the Iranian people as well. But that requires some real trust building and some real positive conduct from the Iranian political system.”

“We’re going to see if that happens,” he added. “If it does, they’re absolutely going to find the president of United States and the entire team a willing partner, to make their country more prosperous.”

Stephanopoulos pressed Vance about whether Israel’s comments that they are not party to the agreement amid their continued hostilities in Lebanon, asking Vance whether that might complicate the peace settlement.

“Well, George, everything’s going to complicate the deal, as you know, in this region of the world, even a ceasefire, sometimes they’re a little bit dirty,” Vance said. “It goes from shooting a lot to shooting a little to shooting not at all. But what we fundamentally believe is that this is going to be a good deal for the people of Israel, for the people of the Gulf, the people of America, and again, potentially for the people of Iran as well.”

A landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, followed two years of negotiations. It imposed restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran, in that 2015 deal, agreed to international monitoring and to keeping its nuclear program “solely for peaceful purposes,” according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Trump withdrew the U.S. that deal in 2018, during his first term.

“There are all of these ways I could explain the ways this deal is fundamentally better for the American people than the JCPOA,” Vance said on Monday. “But the fundamental difference is that the Gulf Coast coalition, our Arab partners in the region, they hated the JCPOA, because they felt that it emboldened Iran to be a bad actor. They love this deal because they feel that it’s going to create a totally new dynamic in the Middle East.”

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

Trump arrives in France for 1st G7 summit since US-Iran war began

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump arrived in France on Monday to meet with top global superpowers at the annual G7 summit.

Held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17, this is the president’s fifth time attending the conference in person and comes amid heightened global turmoil, with the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine expected to loom large over the summit’s economic and geopolitical agenda.

This is the first time the G7 leaders are meeting in-person since the start of the U.S.-Iran war, which has now reached its 15th week and continues to impact the global economy, with increases in fossil fuel and oil and gas prices. The war had caught U.S. allies off guard and some were unwilling to heed the president’s requests for help, which has created tensions between Trump and some G7 leaders.

There is expected to be a focus on the Middle East, with Trump scheduled to participate in bilateral meetings with Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to a senior administration official.

While the past week saw significant military escalation between the U.S. and Iran, Trump said Sunday that the two countries had reached an agreement that would open the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the global oil supply passes through.

During the G7 summit last year, Trump left one day early because of the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, and that weekend launched Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Like last year, leaders are also looking to secure lasting peace in Ukraine. It has been 4 1/2 years since Russia invaded Ukraine, but the war is escalating, especially with Ukraine’s expansion of long-range drone attacks against Russia. Trump repeatedly promised that he personally could end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day of his presidency and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to seek more assistance from allies.

Zelenskyy will meet with G7 leaders on Tuesday, according to a senior administration official, but there is no one-on-one meeting currently scheduled with Trump. Ukraine was also not listed as one of the U.S. goals for the summit, though the administration emphasizes that resolving the conflict remains one of the president’s “top priorities.”

The other six countries that comprise the G7 coalition include France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, but leaders of other countries are often also invited to the annual conference, with Zelenskyy reportedly expected to be in attendance.

During a background call previewing the trip, a senior White House administration official said Trump’s goals include addressing “economic growth and development, supply chain resilience, illegal immigration and artificial intelligence,” in addition to boosting investment partnerships.

Upon assuming his second term, Trump has strained his relationship with the other G7 leaders. In addition to prompting other countries to question his actions in Iran, the president has distanced the U.S. from top allies over his rhetoric towards NATO, his tariffs and his ambitions in acquiring Greenland, to name a few issues.

The conference was originally scheduled to begin on Sunday. Officials did not comment on whether the president’s birthday plans for that day played a role in shifting the G7 schedule forward.

On the final day of the summit on Wednesday, Trump is expected to travel to Paris to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles before heading back to Washington.

Oil prices fall to lowest level since March after US announces Iran deal

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Oil prices on Monday fell to their lowest level since March after U.S. officials announced an agreement between the United States and Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures price, the benchmark index for U.S. trading, registered at about $80.40. That figure, which amounted to a 5% drop on Monday, marked the lowest price since March 5, just a week after the outbreak of the Iran war.

Stock prices, meanwhile, climbed on hopes of a resolution to the Iran war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 530 points, or 1%, while the S&P 500 increased 1.4%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 2.3%.

Gas prices have fallen toward $4 per gallon in recent weeks, nearing the milestone as oil costs have eased in response to negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.06, marking a decline of 46 cents, or 10.2%, over the past month, AAA data showed. Gas prices, however, remain $1.08 higher than where they stood before the Iran war.

The Middle East conflict prompted the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply. The standoff triggered one of the largest oil shocks ever recorded, sending gasoline prices higher.

President Donald Trump said in a Sunday social media post that the U.S. and Iran had reached a deal that will open up the strait.

“I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” Trump wrote.

“Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” he added.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the deal had been finalized and said it would be signed in Switzerland on Friday.

Trump said the strait would open after the formal signing of the deal on Friday. The oil flow is linked to mine removal, Trump noted.

Crude oil is the main ingredient in auto fuel, accounting for more than half of the price paid at the pump, according to the federal U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.

ABC News’ David Brennan and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

Obama says ‘doubtful’ that any Iran deal will be different than past

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former President Barack Obama is sharing his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran, saying recently that he is skeptical that real progress will be made.

Obama spoke with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts on Saturday, one day prior to Trump’s announcement that the United States and Iran had reached a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. naval blockade.

The exact points of the deal remain unclear. A senior administration official told reporters Friday that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lead to “the dismantling” of Iran’s nuclear program and the U.S. getting Iran’s highly enriched

The expected deal comes eight years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from a previous nuclear agreement with Iran – led by the Obama administration in 2015 – that Trump described at the time of withdrawal as the “worst deal ever.”

In the interview Saturday, ahead of the new deal being announced, Obama told Roberts that he was “doubtful” any deal with Iran put forward by the Trump administration would be “significantly different” from the 2015 deal that his administration put in place.

“It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place and had worked for, for a long stretch of time before we, the United States, pulled out of it,” Obama told Roberts in the interview, which took place at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Obama also expressed hope that the fighting in the region would come to an end and urged policymakers to prioritize diplomacy over military action.

“I’m hopeful that bombing stops and ordinary people are no longer suffering as a consequence of the war,” he continued. “Then in retrospect it’s a reminder that on a lot of difficult foreign policy problems — the notion that we can just bully our way or bomb our way to solutions — may sometimes seem appealing, but the fact of the matter is that taking the time to explore diplomacy and exhaust the possibilities of coming up with deals that don’t solve 100% of the problem but solve 80%, 90% of the problem while avoiding the necessity of going to war.”

“You’d think we would’ve learned that lesson by now,” he continued. “But it seems like every so often we have to relearn that lesson again.”

Trump first announced “major combat operations” against Iran on Feb. 28, with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

After an initial ceasefire and unsuccessful U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan in April, negotiations continued as the ceasefire was extended.

Following Trump’s June 14 announcement on social media that a new deal had been reached, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the deal had been finalized and said it would be signed in Switzerland on Friday.

“All of our positions and important issues are included in the draft understanding,” Gharibabadi said in a statement to Iranian state media.

Tune into “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, June 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ABC for more of Robin Roberts’ interview with former President Barack Obama.

Russia bombards Kyiv with drones and missiles, sets fire to historic cathedral

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Russian drones and missiles targeted Kyiv in a major attack on Sunday night, Ukrainian officials said on Monday morning, killing several people in the capital and setting a fire at a historic cathedral and UNESCO world heritage site.

At least five people were killed and 28 people injured by the strikes on Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in posts to social media.

Zelenskyy said that Russia launched more than 60 missiles at the capital.

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century cathedral located in the heart of the city, was among the sites damaged in the attack, Zelenskyy wrote.

The roof of the church was set on fire by strikes, he reported, though said that emergency responders extinguished the blaze. “This is one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture to date,” the Ukrainian leader added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as “barbaric” in a post to X. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has forever put his name on the list of history’s worst barbarians.”

In total, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones into Ukraine overnight, of which 50 missiles and 582 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed. Twenty ballistic missiles and 27 drones impacted across 42 locations, the air force said in a post to Telegram.

Sunday night’s attack was the largest combined Russian strike recorded since the night of June 1, according to Ukrainian air force data analyzed by ABC News.

Zelenskyy said that at least five more people were killed and nine people injured by Russian strikes In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, while other attacks were also reported in the Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Mykolaiv regions.

“Russia is showing the world its intentions to continue the war,” Zelenskyy wrote. “It is very important that there be a response from the G7 countries, which are currently gathering for a summit, and that it be decisive and meaningful: more pressure on the aggressor, more help for Ukraine with air defense, especially with anti-ballistic missiles.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry described the overnight attacks as “a massive strike with high-precision weapons” in a post to Telegram. The ministry claimed that its targets included “objects of the defense-industrial complex” and military facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro.

The ministry denied responsibility for the strike on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, claiming — without providing evidence — that the cathedral was hit by an interceptor missile fired by a Ukrainian-operated U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system.

The latest Russian attack came as leaders of the G7 — a grouping made up of the U.S., France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.K. — prepared to gather for the bloc’s annual summit, which this year is being held in France.

Zelenskyy is expected to attend the event as a guest and meet with President Donald Trump and European leaders. While touring the damaged cathedral on Monday afternoon, the Ukrainian president said he invited Putin for talks at the summit. Moscow has not yet commented on the invitation.

The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed the shooting down of at least 123 long-range Ukrainian drones overnight into Monday morning.

Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said in posts to Telegram that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at airports in Sochi, Volgograd, Kaluga, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod overnight.

Flight restrictions were also introduced at three of Moscow’s four international airports — Domodedovo, Ivanovo and Zhukovsky — amid the latest attacks, Rosaviatsiya said.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a post to Telegram that four Ukrainian drones were shot down en route to the capital in the early hours of Monday, marking the eighth consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow.

ABC News’ Victoria Beaule, Yulia Drozd and Anna Sergeeva contributed to this report.

Dangerous flooding ongoing in Texas, with flash flood risks across the region

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Areas in Texas are seeing from 3″ to more than 5″ of rainfall within hours, leading to flash flooding in places like Waco and Austin, with a flood watch in effect for much of central and southern Texas.

Flash flooding on I-35 in Waco led to water rescues and stranded vehicles. The Texas Game Wardens said on social media that their rescue teams and local partners were responding to “numerous” calls involving people trapped by floodwater.

Videos from the area show the flooding as well as first responders helping some of those who were stranded.

“I am sincerely lucky to be alive. When I got there, there were no first responders,” Rick Smith, who filmed a video showing people wading through waist-high water, wrote on social media. “I am so thankful that retaining wall held up otherwise this situation could’ve been a horrible tragedy. There were many of us literally trapped on I 35.”

A stationary frontal boundary is draped across the South, bringing daily flash flood risks to the region through the week ahead.

A flood watch continues for central and southern Texas through much of Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi through Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, depending on location. Torrential rainfall rates of 2″ to 4″ per hour are possible.

Houston is under a level 3/4 moderate risk for excessive rainfall and flash flooding for four days in a row — Monday through Thursday. Significant flood events are possible each day.

A low pressure system from the Gulf could bring more rain to South Texas mid to late week, hence the high rain and flooding potential there.

A widespread 4″ to 6″ is expected across southeast Texas, much of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Thursday.

The Houston area and other pockets of the South could see more than half-a foot of rain, and in a worst-case scenario depending on what happens later in the week, a 5-day total of 10″ plus is possible for the Houston region.

Dangerous heat in the Pacific Northwest

Record high temperatures started in western Washington and Oregon on Sunday — with new high temp record for Seattle (89) and Portland (94).

Record highs will be possible again on Monday, with highs near 100 for Portland and near 90 in Seattle.

An extreme heat warning continues on Monday for Portland, along with a heat advisory for Seattle. Temperatures will be cooler on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the 70s for Seattle and 80s for Portland.

Severe threat mid-week

Wednesday, a level 3/5 enhanced threat is in place from Missouri through central Illinois and Indiana. Destructive wind, large hail, and strong tornadoes are possible.

Indianapolis, St. Louis, Springfield and Peoria, Illinois, and Columbia, Missouri, are included in the threat.

A level 2/5 is in place for Chicago, Columbus, Kansas City, Wichita and Toledo.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman and Camilla Alcini contributed to this report.

Trump heads to France for 1st G7 summit since US-Iran war began

June 15, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Immediately after celebrating his 80th birthday with Sunday’s UFC fight on the White House South Lawn, President Donald Trump is expected to head to France to meet with top global superpowers at the annual G7 summit.

Held in Évian-les-Bains, France from June 15 to 17, this will be the president’s fifth time attending the conference in person and comes amid heightened global turmoil, with the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine expected to loom large over the summit’s economic and geopolitical agenda.

The other six countries that comprise the G7 coalition include France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, but leaders of other countries are often also invited to the annual conference, with Zelenskyy reportedly expected to be in attendance.

The conference was originally scheduled to begin on Sunday. Officials did not comment on whether the president’s birthday plans for that day played a role in shifting the G7 schedule forward.

On the final day of the summit on Wednesday, Trump is expected to travel to Paris to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles before heading back to Washington.

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