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Freeze alerts issued as temperatures plunge in the East after summer-like spell

April 20, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Don’t put away those winter coats just yet.

Summer-like temperatures will give way to chilly weather across the Northeast beginning on Monday as residents in the Midwest and Plains clean up after a spell of severe weather that spawned multiple tornadoes.

Morning temperatures are forecast to be near 40 degrees along the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to New York Monday and into Tuesday, just days after 90-degree weather enveloped much of the East.

It may be even colder from Chicago to Boston, where morning temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-30s on Tuesday, with some morning frost possible.

In parts of the Midwest from Minneapolis to Detroit, temperatures could fall to below freezing.

Just days after temperatures soared into the 90s, setting daily high temperature records in Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia, the weather is expected to turn significantly cooler to start the workweek.

Some places in the Northeast could also approach record low temperatures. Come Tuesday morning, places like Trenton, N.J., Scranton, Pa., Syracuse, N.Y., and Manchester, N.H., will likely see temperatures fall to below freezing and could break or tie their respective record low temperatures for the day.

The cold snap will be short-lived, as temperatures return to a more spring-like feel by Wednesday across the East, with summer-like weather returning by Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, the Midwest and Plains were cleaning up from days of severe weather that saw numerous tornadoes develop, some causing damage across Minnesota and Michigan.

The National Weather Service has preliminarily confirmed 50 tornadoes between April 12 and April 17 across 12 states, most of them in Illinois and Wisconsin. However, tornadoes were also confirmed during that time frame as far west as California and as far east as Vermont, according to the NWS.

At least 15 tornadoes were confirmed by the NWS in Illinois, 10 in Wisconsin, seven in Oklahoma and five in both Missouri and Iowa. Michigan and Kansas both had two tornadoes confirmed by the NWS.

The cold front that caused the severe weather late last week is continuing to move east into the Northeast on Sunday, bringing rain and even high-elevation snow showers to parts of the region before pushing off the coast later in the day.

Tsunami warning issued as 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off Japanese coast, USGS says

April 20, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(TOKYO) — A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday off Japan’s northeastern coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings and advisories along parts of the coast.

“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters,” USGS said, “hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km of the earthquake epicenter.”

The Japan Meteorological Agency said tsunami warnings were in place for some of the coast along the Pacific, along with lesser advisories and forecasts farther away from the quake’s center.

“Residents in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to higher ground or evacuation buildings and other higher, safer locations,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

The tsunami waves that were expected to have been the highest struck the coast within hours, with the largest one registering about 80 cm, or about 2.5 feet, but officials said they had not ruled out further waves. Official warnings were still in place, although the U.S. weather officials said in an update that, based on available data, “the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.”

Preliminary U.S. data pinpointed the quake about 100 km, or about 62 miles, off the eastern coast of Miyako, USGS said. Light rumbling could be felt as far away as Tokyo. A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck nearby about 40 minutes afterward, according to USGS data.

The Japanese agency held a press conference on Monday, during which it identified the quake as having been a 7.5 magnitude one. The depth was 10 km, or about 6.2 miles. It occurred at 4:53 p.m. local time, the agency said.

A tsunami warning was issued under twenty seconds after the initial earthquake, an official said. Officials warned people to stay on the alert for about week, as an equal or lesser than quake may occur. The risk was especially elevated for the next two or three days, officials said.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said a “destructive” Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected “and there is no threat to Hawaii.”

Severe weather threat, flooding continue as life-threatening storms pass through the East

April 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The severe weather threat is expected to ramp down this weekend after one more day of possible severe storms.

There is a slight risk for severe storms in Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and western New York. This includes Buffalo, New York; Cleveland; Pittsburgh; and Charleston, West Virginia.

Damaging winds and some large hail will be the main threat, but a tornado and some isolated flash flooding cannot be ruled out.

Remnant showers and storms moved along a cold front sweeping the Ohio Valley Saturday morning before rejuvenating later in the afternoon.

The level of severity of these storms will be determined by how the atmosphere recovers after preceding rain moving through Saturday morning, but enough energy could build up by late Saturday afternoon for some severe storms to develop over the area. Otherwise, it may just end up being added rain with possibly some rumbles of thunder.

This cold front will continue to push east into the Northeast on Sunday, bringing rain, and some high elevation snow, to the region before pushing off the coast.

Ahead of this cold front, the Southeast has had another day or record heat while the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic begin to cool down.

Saturday could see one more day of record highs across much of the South from Louisiana to Florida to Georgia.

The National Weather Service confirmed at least 35 tornadoes across 10 states this week, stretching from California to Vermont.

Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois have been hit the hardest by multiple outbreaks of severe weather over the week.

Friday was no exception to this active week of severe weather, with more than 300 reports of severe weather from Oklahoma up to Minnesota and east to Indiana.

Wind gusts over 75 mph were also reported in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. Hail larger than baseballs were reported in Illinois and Oklahoma. Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin reported hail greater than golf balls.

In addition, flooding continues to linger for parts of Wisconsin and Michigan from days of rain and, in some areas, on top of a deep snowpack that’s accelerated snowmelt. Fortunately, they have drier weather in the forecast for this weekend into next week.

Pope Leo says ‘not my interest at all’ to debate Trump

April 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Pope Leo addressed President Donald Trump on Saturday while aboard the papal plane on his trip to Angola.

The pope said recent remarks that appeared to address the U.S. president were prepared two weeks ago, before Trump had commented on him.

“Yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not my interest at all,” he said.

Facebook to remove imposter accounts tied to immigration scams, DA’s office says

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has pledged to remove imposter accounts tied to scams that were recently flagged by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, following a phone call between the two parties this week, the DA’s office told ABC News Friday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last week accused Meta of failing to remove imposter accounts that Bragg said pose as organizations like Catholic Charities to offer fake immigration services that scam money from unsuspecting victims.

“These imposter accounts have led to tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers,” Bragg said in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding the company take action after requests to remove false profiles were declined.

“Scammers frequently target immigrant populations because they are perceived to be, and often are, more vulnerable to fraud and in need of a specific type of legal assistance,” Bragg wrote.

In some instances, scammers create public Facebook accounts that mirror real accounts belonging to pro bono legal services organizations, Bragg said. In others, they create WhatsApp profiles posing as immigration lawyers associated with those same organizations, frequently using the names and logos of legitimate organizations to give the appearance of credibility.

“Your company has made representations about the importance of the safety and security of your platform for its users,” Bragg’s letter to Zuckerberg said. “If you sincerely wish to protect the safety of your users from fraud, we urge you to take necessary, proactive steps.”

In a statement issued in response to Bragg’s letter, a Meta spokesperson said, “Account impersonation violates our policies, and we take action against people and groups that attempt to misuse our platforms. We’re committed to engaging constructively with all levels of government, law enforcement and cross-sector partners to tackle this industry-wide challenge.”

Bragg is the latest prosecutor to go public with criticism of Meta for failing to protect the public from criminals lurking on its social media platforms. New Mexico recently won a $375 million civil case that held Meta liable for failing to police its sites for child predators, and a jury in Los Angeles found Meta, along with Google, liable for a 20-year-old woman’s social media addiction.

Trump tells ABC News he thinks he can trust the Iranians

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — After announcing the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” and saying a deal can soon be secured with Iran, a triumphant-sounding President Donald Trump told ABC News he believes he can trust the Iranians.

“I think they’ve had it,” Trump said in a phone interview on Friday. “I think they’ve had enough. That can happen to anybody. Even people like you and I can say, ‘I’ve had enough.'”

Trump said that the United States will be working with Iran to remove their enriched uranium, what he calls “nuclear dust,” and that it will be brought to the United States.

The president said it will be done with the Iranians in a “very peaceful manner.”

Trump also told ABC News the Iranians will be receiving no money for the exchange, saying that reports of a $20 billion payment are “fake news.”

Trump said this will all be resolved “very soon,” and that the U.S. blockade on ships coming to and from Iran will not come down until the agreement is finalized.

When asked if he thinks he can trust the Iranians to fulfill their commitments here, Trump said yes.

On his negotiating team, Trump told ABC News, “Steve [Witkoff] and Jared [Kushner] will be going out, and maybe J.D. [Vance]. Haven’t spoken to J.D. about that yet.”

The president said talks would take place in “Islamabad only. I’m not interested in going to countries that didn’t help.” Trump said a second round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend, though no formal announcement has been made.

“They want to make a deal. They want to make some money, you know. … They’re not making any money as long as I have the blockade,” Trump said.

Trump also said NATO called him, though he didn’t say specifically who, and offered to help.

“NATO called me and said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, stay away,'” he said.

The president also spoke at length about Lebanon. On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The Israeli military action in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, had been an obstacle in talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump said that’s a separate peace deal, and he reiterated what he has said on his social media platform: “I am going to prohibit him [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] from bombing Lebanon.”

When asked how, Trump said he’ll tell Netanyahu “he cannot do it.”

Regarding Lebanon, Trump said that he is going to involve the president of Syria in the final deal, and that he’s going dealing with Hezbollah.

First on ABC: Memo to Rubio details data on HIV/AIDS treatment program under Trump administration

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Data collected by the State Department that has not previously been made public indicates that the number of people receiving treatment through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has remained steady despite dramatic cuts to foreign aid funding under the Trump administration, according to an internal department memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen exclusively by ABC News.

The memo, which is marked sensitive but unclassified, says that even though overall spending on the initiative fell by roughly 30%, 20.6 million people living with HIV in more than 50 countries received anti-retroviral treatment through U.S. government programs during the 2025 fiscal year — the same number government data shows were receiving the therapy in 2024.

However, the memo did not provide information on the number of individuals who had received testing and counseling services through PEPFAR, which was 84.1 million in 2024. Global health experts estimate that figure could have fallen by more than 15 million in 2025, due in part to an interruption to some testing programs during the Trump administration’s freeze on most foreign aid in early 2025.

But Jeremy Lewin, the State Department’s senior official for foreign and security assistance, reports that the data collected in 2025 shows progress towards other Trump administration goals, including ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Lewin wrote to Rubio that the number of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who began pre-exposure prophylaxis through PEPFAR more than doubled. He said it climbed from 43,000 in 2024 to 103,000 in 2025, ” showing early progress on any early focus area of yours and President Trump’s.”

Additionally, Lewin said the 2025 data demonstrates “an important shift toward country self-reliance,” indicating that treatment programs for 3 million people with HIV/AIDS were now being managed by national governments rather than organizations working on behalf of PEPFAR.

Lewin said the department expected to see “further progress” toward country self-reliance as it further shifts toward its new global health strategy based on bilateral agreements that mandate a level of co-investment from participating nations.

In a letter outlining the plan in September 2025, Rubio said that the U.S. would enter pacts with 71 countries by the end of the year and establish detailed implementation plans with those nations by the end of March 2026 — a timeline the administration has fallen behind.

In his memo, Lewin said that as of April 7, the U.S had now “signed 30 compacts with nearly $20.6 billion dollars in both U.S. and partner co-investment commitments,” adding that the current data “does not yet show the impact of these historic deals.”

The Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy will confidentially brief members of Congress on the 2025 PEPFAR data before releasing it to the public on Friday, according to the memo.

Since it was launched by former President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives globally, supported 7 million orphans and vulnerable children, and enabled 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free, according to the State Department. It’s credited as the largest commitment by any country to fight a single disease in history.

Trump’s lawyers say they’re ‘in discussions’ to resolve his $10B suit against the IRS

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Trump’s lawyers say they’re ‘in discussions’ to resolve his B suit against the IRS

Trump’s lawyers say they’re ‘in discussions’ to resolve his $10B suit against the IRS — U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 16, 2026, in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to promote the tax cuts he signed into law in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ahead of the midterm election. Tomorrow he will deliver remarks at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Attorneys for President Donald Trump say they are “in discussions” with the Department of Justice to potentially resolve a $10 billion lawsuit that Trump, two of his sons, and his company filed against the Internal Revenue Service earlier this year.

According to a court filing on Friday, lawyers for the Trumps requested a deadline extension so they can “engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.”

President Trump, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department in January related to the unauthorized disclosure of tax information during Trump’s first term.

A government contractor with the IRS pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing the tax information of Donald Trump and other wealthy Americans and leaking it to media outlets in 2019 and 2020.

“Defendants have caused Plaintiffs reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other Plaintiffs’ public standing,” the Trumps said in their lawsuit, which requested $10 billion in damages.

“The Parties are engaging in discussions and need time to work through how to ensure those discussions can take place productively to avoid protracted litigation,” the attorneys said in Friday’s filing with the consent of the DOJ lawyers. “This brief period will allow the Parties to initiate and structure those discussions in a manner that best serves the interests of all Parties and the Court.”

The Department of Justice had not yet responded to the lawsuit and faced an impending deadline this month. Friday’s filing said both sides agreed to the 90-day extension.

A group of former government officials last month filed an amicus brief with the court to raise concerns about the ethics of the president suing his own government for billions.

“This case is extraordinary because the President controls both sides of the litigation, which raises the prospect of collusive litigation tactics,” the amicus filing said. “To treat this case like business as usual would threaten the integrity of the justice system and the important taxpayer and privacy protections at the heart of this case.”

The Trumps, in the suit, argued that the IRS and Treasury Department should have had “appropriate technical, employee screening, security, and monitoring” to prevent the theft of tax information.

Man at large after allegedly killing woman 8 months pregnant with his baby: Police

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — A man is at large after allegedly killing a woman who was 8 months pregnant with his baby, according to authorities.

Ashanti Allen, a 23-year-old Houston woman, was reported missing on April 10, Houston police said. Allen’s pregnancy was considered high-risk, according to the search and recovery organization Texas EquuSearch, whose members helped in the search.

On Thursday, police said a 23-year-old woman was found dead near a Houston community center. Police did not confirm the identity, but the family confirmed the victim was Allen, and Texas EquuSearch said the victim is believed to be Allen and her unborn child, Jackson.

The father of her baby, 24-year-old Kevin Faux, is charged with murder, police said, noting that Faux is not in custody.

Faux has a history of assault charges, according to court records obtained by Houston ABC station KTRK, including a September 2025 case when he allegedly assaulted Allen.

Allen’s cause of death is pending an autopsy, police said.

“My body’s been numb ever since I received the phone call,” Allen’s father, Edward Allen, told reporters. “We was hoping for the best. But now we’ve heard the worst.”

“Being pregnant, eight months, with my first grandson… I can’t even tell you how I feel,” Edward Allen said. “… I love my baby girl. She’s my only girl.”

He said the 23-year-old was excited to be a mother.

“Her life was going somewhere,” he said.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends as they navigate through this very difficult time,” Texas EquuSearch said in a statement. “Thank you for all who were involved and members who showed up each day, giving it their all.”

Houston police ask anyone with information about the case or information on Faux’s whereabouts to call the department at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Top prosecutor in Florida removed from probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan: Sources

April 17, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MIAMI) — A top career prosecutor in Miami has been removed from overseeing the Justice Department’s investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan after she allegedly expressed doubts about the viability of the probe, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.

Attorneys for several subjects involved in the probe were informed Friday that Maria Medetis Long would not longer be handling the case moving forward, sources said.

The news, according to sources, took some attorneys by surprise as there were additional interviews scheduled in the coming days as the department moves closer toward deciding whether to bring charges against Brennan.

News of Medetis Long’s departure was first reported by CNN. An attorney for Brennan did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. A DOJ spokesperson also did not immediately respond.

The investigation is believed to center around congressional testimony from Brennan about his role in crafting a 2017 assessment by the intelligence community that detailed Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election to the benefit of President Donald Trump.

Trump has long singled out Brennan, a vocal critic, as among those he believes was involved in illegally conspiring to accuse him of colluding with Russia, resulting in the special counsel probe that cast a cloud over much of Trump’s first term in office.

Brennan has denied wrongdoing and said he continues to stand by the 2017 intelligence community assessment that determined Russia’s interference in the 2016 election was aimed at denigrating Hillary Clinton to the benefit of Trump’s candidacy. A separate bipartisan report from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence largely affirmed the findings of the 2017 assessment.

The probe of Brennan is part of a larger investigation being run out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida that sources say is examining whether former officials engaged in a “grand conspiracy” to violate Trump’s rights dating back to his 2016 campaign for the presidency.

Scores of subpoenas have been issued by the office in recent months to former officials previously involved in the Russia investigation, though the effort has yet to result in any criminal charges or other allegations of wrongdoing.

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