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Australia PM will propose tougher gun laws after Bondi Beach mass shooting

December 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The Australian government is “prepared to take whatever action is necessary,” after a shooting that left 15 people dead and more than 40 injured at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a press conference on Monday.

Albanese said Sunday would be remembered as a “dark day in Australia’s history,” after authorities said two gunmen — one of whom was killed during the incident — opened fire on an event marking the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

At least 15 people were killed and more than 40 people were injured in the attack, a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement to media on Monday afternoon. Twenty-seven patients are being treated at eight hospitals in and around Sydney, the spokesperson said.

The prime minister encouraged everyone in Australia to put a candle in their windows on Monday evening to show “that light will indeed defeat darkness.”

Albanese said he planned to “put on the agenda of the national cabinet tougher gun laws,” with details to include “the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals” and whether or not licenses for guns should be reviewed after a period of time, he added.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said in a separate press conference that he believes it’s time for a “change to the law in relation to firearms legislation in New South Wales.”

The alleged shooters were father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said during a news conference. The father was killed and the son is hospitalized with unspecified injuries, according to officials. Their names were not released.

NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed there is a 24-year-old male who is in the hospital at the moment and will likely face criminal charges.

Six firearms were collected from the scene, officials said, adding that the father had a gun license and six licensed firearms. Officials said investigators are working to determine whether the six firearms collected from the scene were licensed to the father.

Two improvised explosive devices were also discovered at the scene and were removed to be rendered safe by a bomb disposal unit, according to officials at the news conference.

Speaking to reporters on Monday about the two suspects, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the son is an Australian born citizen and the father arrived in 1998 on a student visa.

Albanese said the son was investigated by authorities in 2019 for links to Islamic State, but that “that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”

Albanese on Sunday called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism.” The prime minister called for “national unity” in response to the shooting.

Manhunt continues after deadly Brown University mass shooting

December 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Federal and local law enforcement officials in Rhode Island were continuing their search early on Monday for an assailant who fatally shot two Brown University students on Saturday in an academic building in Providence.

A person of interest in the case, who had been taken into custody early on Sunday, was released later in the day, after authorities said that there was no basis to continue detaining them.

“Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies,” the Providence Police Department said in a statement early on Monday. “Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”

Two people were killed and nine were injured in the shooting, according to officials. The injured victims were transported to local hospitals amid a day of “devastating gun violence,” Christina H. Paxson, the university’s president, said in a statement posted early on Sunday.

“Every year, emergency responders and students drill for the unthinkable — a shooting at our schools,” Gov. Dan McKee said in his own statement. “Yesterday, that action became all too real when a gunman opened fire on a classroom of innocent Brown University students.”

The FBI and other law enforcement officials shared a short video clip of someone whom they described as a person of interest. The individual in the clip is seen dressed in dark clothing, including what appeared to be a hood, as they walk along Hope Street and take a corner heading north.

The person’s right hand appeared to be in their jacket pocket as they walked northward along Waterman Street before exiting from the frame.

Officials said they still believe the person seen in that video is a person of interest in the shooting.

The person of interest who was detained and released on Sunday was initially caught at about 3:45 a.m. at a hotel in Coventry, about 28 miles south of Providence, according to law enforcement sources and Coventry police.

Law enforcement sources described the person of interest as a man in his mid-20s from Wisconsin. At the time the person was detained, the individual was allegedly in possession of two guns, according to sources.

There was “no basis” to keep the person detained, Attorney General of Rhode Island Peter Neronha said.

“Sometimes you head in one direction and have to regroup and go in another,” Neronha said. “That’s exactly what’s happened over the last 24 hours or so.”

No injuries after engine fails on United flight, sparks brush fire near runway

December 14, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — One of the engines on a United Airlines flight taking off from Dulles International Airport in Virginia failed as it lifted off Saturday, sparking a fire near the runway, officials said.

No one was injured and the plane later landed safely, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

It happened on United Flight 803, a Boeing 777-200ER jet with 275 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, according to the airline.

During takeoff at about 12:20 p.m., the left engine failed and a piece of engine cover separated and caught fire, sparking a mulch fire near the runway, according to Duffy and airport officials.

The plane, which was headed to Tokyo and had about 16 hours’ worth of fuel aboard, dumped fuel over Virginia from 5,000 feet and landed back at Dulles at about 1:30 p.m., according to officials.

The airline said passengers would be accommodated on another plane later Saturday.

New York, Los Angeles law enforcement on alert in wake of Bondi Beach fatal shooting

December 14, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Security is being ramped up for the first night of Hanukkah in New York City and Los Angeles as law enforcement agencies went on high alert following a mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia, Sunday that killed 11 people in what New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said was an attack “designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.”

The New York City and Suffolk County, New York, police departments announced on Sunday that extra officers are being deployed to local Hanukkah events.

New York law enforcement officials said that while there have been no credible threats locally connected to the mass shooting in Australia, extra officers will be patrolling public Hanukkah celebrations “out of an abundance of caution.”

Hanukkah, which lasts eight days and is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, begins at sundown on Sunday.

“We are closely monitoring the horrific attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration,” the NYPD said in a statement. “We are in touch with our Australian partners, and at this time, we see no nexus to NYC.”

On Long Island, New York, the Suffolk County Police Department said it also plans to beef up security at public Hanukkah events, and noted it is monitoring developments following the mass shooting in Australia.

“While there are no threats locally, the department is in constant contact with its law enforcement partners,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina and County Executive Ed Romaine said in a joint statement posted online. “As always, the department has stepped up patrols around religious institutions during the holidays and has now enhanced those efforts. We are reaching out to Jewish community leaders and ask anyone who sees suspicious activity to call 911.”

In California, the Los Angeles Police Department said it is providing extra patrols at Jewish facilities, schools, synagogues, and at Hanukkah events in the city.

“While there is no known threat to Los Angeles at this time, the LAPD remains vigilant and committed to protecting our diverse communities. As part of this commitment, the LAPD will provide extra patrols at Jewish facilities, schools, synagogues, and at Hanukkah events throughout the city,” the LAPD statement said, in part.

“We stand in solidarity with the Jewish Community in Australia and here in Los Angeles, and our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those impacted by this senseless act of violence,” the statement also said.

Beverly Hills also will assign extra patrols to all religious institutions and high-profile areas of the city, Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook told ABC News, adding that there is no known threat to the city. He further said that the city will focus surveillance cameras and drones on those high-profile areas of the city and any Hanukkah events. They will also have extra private security at events which are often used in Beverly Hills to augment sworn police, according to Stainbrook.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said they likewise will increase their vigilance.

“We are actively assessing any potential threats to Los Angeles County and have increased patrol checks at critical facilities. All patrol personnel will be briefed to ensure heightened situational awareness and continued vigilance,” an LASD spokesperson told ABC News, in part. “In addition, we will be reaching out to our faith-based partners and community leaders to encourage the public to promptly report any suspicious activity.”

Two gunmen opened fire at Australia’s Bondi Beach Sunday in an attack that targeted a Jewish event, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, adding that police had designated the shooting as a “terrorism event.”

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” Minns said at a press conference on Sunday.

11 killed in Australian shooting targeting Jewish community, premier says

December 14, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — At least 11 people were killed on Sunday as two gunmen opened fire at Australia’s Bondi Beach in an attack that targeted a Jewish event, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, adding that police had designated the shooting as a “terrorism event.”

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” Minns said in the beginning of a press conference on Sunday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an “act of evil antisemitism.”

Another 29 other people were injured in the shooting, the New South Wales Police Force said, adding that two of the injured were police officers.

A suspect was also killed and a “second alleged shooter is in a critical condition,” police said in a statement issued at about 9 p.m. local time.

As gunfire erupted along the popular waterfront on Sunday evening, hundreds of beachgoers could be seen fleeing from the north side of the beach, according to a video taken at the scene at 6:42 p.m. and verified by ABC News. Police said the first call for a report of shots fired came in at about 6:45 p.m.

“The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing,” Albanese said in a statement. “Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.”

Police in their first social media message urged the public to avoid the area. Anyone who was there was told to seek shelter.

“Two people are in police custody at Bondi Beach; however, the police operation is ongoing and we continue to urge people to avoid the area,” police said in a subsequent message about 40 minutes later. “Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines.”

Photos from the scene showed a heavy police presence and emergency response, including several people being transported by stretchers.

The Australian Jewish Association described the shooting as happening at an event being held at the beach to mark the beginning of Hanukkah celebrations.

“Please pray for the Australian Jewish community,” the organization said in a statement.

Sussan Ley, a minister who leads Australia’s opposition party, said in a statement that the shooting amounted to “hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian community.”

“This attack occurred as our Jewish community came together at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration,” Ley said. “This was a celebration of peace and hope for the future, severed by hate.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a statement condemning the shooting in Sydney, calling it a “terrorist attack” on the Jewish community.

“At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach,” he said.

Albanese in his statement said he was in contact with New South Wales officials, including the local premier.

“We are working with the NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed,” he said. “I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.”

“This is a massive, complex investigation that has only just begun,” Minns said.

Person of interest in custody after fatal Brown University shooting, official says

December 14, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A person of interest was taken into custody early Sunday in connection with the fatal shooting at Brown University, according to Kristy DosReis, a spokesperson for the Providence Police Department.

The person in custody was caught about 3:45 p.m. at a hotel in Coventry, R.I., about 28 miles south of Providence, according to law enforcement sources and Coventry police.

At the time the person was detained, the individual was allegedly in possession of two guns, according to sources.

“We have detained a person of interest,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said at a Sunday-morning news conference. “We are lifting the shelter-in-place.”

Rhode Island law enforcement authorities said no one else is being sought in the shooting that occurred Saturday on the Ivy League campus, which killed two people and injured nine, according to officials.

The residents of Providence can “breathe a little easier,” Smiley said.

A tip from the public led police to the location where the person of interest was detained, according to sources.

A federal source told ABC News the person was only being called a person of interest at this point, but added that they were confident they were on the right track.

The person in custody is not a student at the university, sources familiar with the situation said.

The person was detained hours after the mass shooting on Saturday on the school’s East Side campus. Two students were shot and killed and another nine were transported to local hospitals with injuries amid a day of “devastating gun violence,” Christina H. Paxson, the university’s president, said in a statement posted just prior to 2 a.m. ET.

“Our hearts go out to them. This is a day of tremendous sorrow,” Paxson said. “No parent or family member should ever have to endure a day like this.”

Eight of the nine who had been injured remained in the hospital on Sunday morning, officials said, adding that seven of them were in stable condition and one was in critical but stable condition.

A shelter-in-place order that had been put into effect for the university’s College Hill campus was lifted early Sunday by Providence Police, the school said in a 5:42 a.m. ET alert to students, adding that “police activity continues in areas that are still considered an active crime scene.”

The fatal shooting on Saturday on the city’s East Side came as students across the College Hill area were getting ready for or taking exams ahead of the winter break.

The shooting took place at the school’s Barus & Holley building, where engineering and physics classes are held, on Hope Street, officials said.

The shooting took place in a lecture hall during a final exam review, according to Paxson.

The FBI and other law enforcement officials had shared a short video clip of someone whom they described as a person of interest. The person in the clip could be seen dressed in dark clothing, including what appeared to be a hood, as they walk along Hope Street and take a corner headed north.

The person’s right hand appeared to be in their jacket pocket as they walked northward along Waterman Street before exiting from the frame.

Belarus releases 123 prisoners in agreement with US, including Nobel Prize winner and opposition leader

December 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Belarusian government announced Saturday that it has released 123 people, including foreigners, a Nobel Prize winner and several political opposition leaders, who were being held in prison on “espionage, terrorism, and extremism” charges.

Belarusian government officials said in a statement that the release is part of “agreements reached with U.S. President Donald Trump” and involves the United States lifting sanctions on the Belarusian potash industry.

U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale told reporters in Minsk Saturday that the U.S. was lifting sanctions against Belarusian potash producer Belaruskali, one of the European country’s largest state-owned companies.

Coale said the goal is to normalize relations between the U.S. and Belarus and that “more sanctions will be lifted” in the future.

Among the prisoners released were two prominent Belarusian activists, Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava.

Of the detainees, 114 were transferred to Ukraine while the remaining nine, including Bialiatski, were transferred to Lithuania, according to the Ukrainian government.

Shortly after her release, Kalesnikava was seen arriving at the Ukrainian border and reuniting with Viktar Babaryka and Maxim Znak, both of whom were former Belarusian prisoners.

Babaryka was imprisoned during the 2020 election while trying to run against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Kalesnikava was his campaign manager and took his place after he was arrested.

Bialiatski spoke with the press from Lithuania telling them, “being released means meeting with family, meeting with friends and continuing my work as a human rights defender.”

US soldiers, civilian interpreter killed during ambush in Syria by apparent ISIS gunman: Officials

December 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Two U.S. soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed in Syria Saturday after they were ambushed by a likely ISIS gunman, U.S. officials said.

The gunman was killed by “partner forces” during a skirmish, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Three other service members were injured during the incident in Palmyra, Syria, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. Two U.S. officials told ABC News the wounded were American.

“The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region,” Parnell said in a statement.

This marked the first combat deaths since President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office.

Two U.S. officials told ABC News that Saturday’s attack “took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control.”

The identities of the soldiers were not immediately revealed due to ongoing next of kin notifications, officials said.

The three American fatalities in today’s attack in Syria are the first combat deaths in that country since 2019 when four Americans were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Manbij, Syria.

Prior to today there had been 10 U.S. military deaths in Syria, including a mix of hostile and non-hostile deaths. The most recent U.S. military death in Syria was a non-hostile death in February 2022.

Powerball jackpot surges to $1 billion ahead of Saturday drawing

December 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Powerball jackpot surges to billion ahead of Saturday drawing

Powerball jackpot surges to $1 billion ahead of Saturday drawing — Powerball lottery ticket forms at Bluebird Liquor on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 in Hawthorne, CA. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The Powerball jackpot prize has grown to $1 billion, a cash value of $457.7 million, for Saturday night’s drawing.

This is the game’s seventh largest prize ever, according to Powerball. The largest prize ever was $2.04 billion won on Nov. 7, 2022.

The Powerball jackpot was last hit on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize. There have been 41 consecutive drawings with no wins.

The Powerball jackpot last rolled Wednesday night, when no ticket matched the five white balls — 10, 16, 29, 33, 69 — and red Powerball 22.

If a player wins on Saturday night, they will have the choice between annual payments worth an estimated $1 billion or an immediate $457.7 million lump sum payment.

According to Powerball, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

The drawing will be held just before 11 p.m. ET in the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.

Powerball tickets are $2 per play.

House Republicans unveil health care package that does not extend ACA subsidies ahead of next week’s vote

December 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans — led by Speaker Mike Johnson — unveiled Friday a narrow health care package to address rising costs, but the plan does not extend the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.

The GOP proposal — which will receive a vote on the House floor sometime next week — would expand the availability of association health plans and what are known as “CHOICE arrangements”; impose new transparency requirements on pharmacy benefit managers to lower drug costs; and appropriate money for cost-sharing reductions to reduce premiums in the individual market.

Association health plans allow employers to band together to purchase coverage.

Notably, the 111-page measure would not funnel additional money into health savings accounts.

“While Democrats demand that taxpayers write bigger checks to insurance companies to hide the cost of their failed law, House Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care, increase access and choice, and restore integrity to our nation’s health care system for all Americans,” Johnson said in a statement Friday.

Republicans are also discussing staging a vote on an amendment to the health care package that would extend the ACA subsidies. The specifics of the amendment are still being discussed, according to GOP leadership aides.

The Rules Committee plans to mark up the bill at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The House would then have to vote on an amendment related to extending the subsidies and then the underlying bill before sending it over to the Senate.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump said he wants a health care plan that would directly funnel aid to patients, adding that money should be given to people for health care through an insurance account.

“I think what most Republicans want to see– what is what I want to see, and I leave it to them, and hopefully they’re going to put great legislation on this desk right here: we want to see all of the money that’s been squandered and given to insurance companies because Obamacare is horrible health insurance,” Trump said.

He added, “And we want the money to go to the people. They’ll go in the form of an insurance account, health care account, or any other form that we can create with a lot of different forms. We want to give the money to the people and let the people buy their own great health care, and they’ll save a lot of money, and it’ll be great,” he continued.

But Trump also kept the door open, slightly, on extending ACA tax credits, saying he was going to “look into” the possibility of doing so with the assurance that an extension deal would come with some caveats that Republicans want.

House GOP leadership aides hope to pass the health care package next week — the last legislative week of 2025 that the House is expected to be in session for.

“The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act will actually deliver affordable health care — and we look forward to advancing it through the House,” Johnson said.

Even if the measure does clear the House, the Senate is not likely to take any further major action on health care next week, leaving those enhanced premium subsidies all but certain to lapse.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the Republican proposal “toxic legislation” that doesn’t address the coming hike in ACA premiums.

“House Republicans are not serious about ending the healthcare crisis they have unleashed in this country,” Jeffries said in a statement. “After promising legislation for months, this 11th hour measure fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that tens of millions of Americans rely on to afford their healthcare.”

Jeffries said Democrats are willing to work with Republicans on extending the subsidies, saying: “We are ready to work with anyone in good faith on the other side of the aisle who wants to prevent the Affordable Care Act tax credits from expiring at the end of the month.”

Ahead of the measure being introduced Friday, nearly a dozen House Republicans had publicly defied Johnson by trying to force a vote on extending the expiring subsidies.

As of Thursday, 11 Republicans had signed on to two discharge petitions — one filed by a Republican and the other by a Democrat — that would extend the subsidies.

In the Senate, two competing health care proposals aimed at addressing the expected premium spikes — one championed by Democrats and the other by Republicans — failed to advance earlier this week.

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