News – Page 349 – 105.7 WDNY

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Bondi says

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) –Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday that Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sometime in the “coming days.”

“President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” Blanche said in the statement posted by Bondi on X.

Blanche also said that the joint statement from the Justice Department and FBI on July 6 — which stated they would not release any additional files on Epstein and that they determined there was no Epstein “client list” — “remains as accurate today as it was when it was written.”

“Namely, that in the recent thorough review of the files maintained by the FBI in the Epstein case, no evidence was uncovered that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” Blanche said.

He added that up “until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government.”

The statement comes as a growing chorus of lawmakers have called for Maxwell to testify about her relationship with Epstein, and while the department is actively opposing Maxwell’s efforts to appeal her conviction for conspiring with and aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls.

David Oscar Markus, the appellate counsel for Maxwell, confirmed to ABC News that they are in talks with the government.

“I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government, and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully,” Markus said. “We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.”

Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.

Amid growing calls from Republicans to release the Epstein files, an Oversight subcommittee approved a motion on Tuesday morning to direct Chairman James Comer to issue a subpoena for Maxwell testimony.

The motion was offered by Republican Rep. Tim Burchett during an unrelated hearing in the Subcommittee on Government Operations. Burchett’s motion was approved by a voice vote with only a few members present in the room.

“It’s about to get real,” Rep. Burchett posted on X.

Comer said he plans to subpoena Maxwell “as expeditiously as possible,” according to a committee spokeswoman.

“Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her,” the spokeswoman said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson brought up the Epstein files during a GOP House news conference Tuesday and reiterated his calls to release the files, but emphasized that there needs to be protection for the victims.

“There are innocent victims of those sex crimes,” Johnson told reporters.

Johnson also slammed Democrats for calling out the administration for not being transparent in the Epstein case.

“What we refuse to do is participate in the Democrats’ political games,” he said.

Several hours later, when asked about the meeting between Maxwell and Blanche, Trump said he “doesn’t know a thing” about it, but said the meeting “sounds appropriate to do.”

“I don’t really follow that too much,” Trump said, calling the demand for the release of the files to be a “witch hunt.”

Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the DOJ to “release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval,” he said on social media.

The DOJ requested in its filing, which was signed by Bondi and Blanche, for the court to “conclude that the Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell cases qualify as a matter of public interest, release the associated grand jury transcripts, and lift preexisting protective orders.”

ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.

28 countries sign statement calling for end of war in Gaza

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Three more countries have joined the original 25 nations that released a joint statement this week calling for the immediate end of the war in Gaza and accusing Israel of not allowing sufficient aid in, demanding it must do so to comply with international humanitarian law.

“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now,” the original statement, released on July 21, began. “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”

“The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” the statement further said.

Throughout the conflict, Israel has maintained they are sending enough aid into Gaza but international aid organizations have repeatedly said there is not enough aid, and the United Nations has reported conditions of malnutrition inside of Gaza.

The statement was initially signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. The foreign ministers of Greece, Malta and Cyprus have now also signed the statement as of July 22.

The call to action was released Monday following an incident Sunday in which at least 81 Palestinians were killed and another 150 were injured while trying to gain access to food, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which said the majority of those killed were gathered near the Zikim border between Gaza and Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that its troops fired near crowds “in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them,” though it wasn’t specific. A review is ongoing, but “preliminary review indicates that the reported number of casualties does not align with existing information,” according to the IDF.

On Tuesday, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health reported that hospitals in the Gaza Strip had recorded the deaths of 15 people, including four children, due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours. That brings the total number of deaths from famine and malnutrition since the war began to 101, which includes 80 children, according to the health ministry.

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on X Monday in response to the initial announcement that Israel “rejects” the then-25-nation joint statement “as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”

“All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” Marmorstein’s statement said.

The statement further said that while there is a “concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal,” Hamas “stubbornly refuses to accept it.”

“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation.” Marmorstein said. “Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides.”

“At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind,” the Marmorstein statement concluded.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Monday called the initial joint statement “disgusting” in a post on X. “25 nations put pressure on @Israel instead of savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational,” the post said.

At least 875 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food aid in recent weeks, according to the United Nations.

“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid,” the joint statement said. It also condemned Hamas for refusing to release the remaining Israeli hostages.

“The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement said. “A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement Monday that he is “appalled by the accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.”

The “last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing,” Guterres said in part, adding that he “condemns the ongoing violence, including the shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families.”

“Civilians must be protected and respected, and they must never be targeted. The population in Gaza remains gravely undersupplied with the basic necessities of life,” Guterres’ statement said.

With the joint statement, the 28 signatory countries further called on the Israeli government to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively,” and for “all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law.”

“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the statement continued. “Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.”

“We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,” the statement concluded.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV also renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the pope said during Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, according to the Associated Press.

State Department confirms US citizen killed in Syria after disturbing videos surface

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. State Department confirmed on Tuesday that a U.S. citizen was killed in Syria after disturbing videos surfaced showing him among a group of men apparently being executed by Syrian government forces.

“We offer condolences to the family on their loss and are providing consular assistance to them,” the State Department said in a statement. “We are greatly concerned when any U.S. citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are. The United States calls for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad.”

Family and friends confirmed to ABC News that one of the men executed was Hosam Saraya, an American citizen.

The confirmation came after videos shared on social media last week showed eight men kneeling next to each other in civilian clothes, with a group of soldiers filming. In one video, the soldiers are seen talking to each other. Then, without warning, they open fire, shooting the unarmed, kneeling men dozens of times at close range.

The videos were filmed in Tishreen Square, in southern Syria, on the afternoon of July 16 amid ongoing fighting there.

ABC News has spoken to friends and family of Hosam Saraya, a American-Syrian citizen, and confirmed that he and other relatives were among those seen in the video being gunned down.

Besides Saraya, the family said his brother, Karim, their father, Ghassan, and their uncles and cousins were also shot to death in the incident.

The family showed ABC News Saraya’s American passport, confirming his U.S. citizenship.

The State Department is “looking into accounts of the death of an individual reported to have been a U.S. citizen in Syria,” a spokesperson said.

The Saraya family are Druze, the largest ethnic group in the city but a minority in Syria. Sectarian clashes broke last week between government forces and Druze, Sunni Bedouins and other Sunni factions.

A close friend of the Sarayas who worked with Hosam told ABC News that he spoke with Hosam and his relatives last Tuesday night and that they told him bombs had been falling around their home. On Wednesday, the friend, who only wants to be identified as Omar, heard from other family members that Hosam and the others had been taken from their home by government forces.

Saraya’s mother was left in their ransacked home, Omar said.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell ‘in the coming days,’ Bondi says

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

He added that up “until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government.”

David Oscar Markus, the appellate counsel for Maxwell, confirmed to ABC News that they are in talks with the government.

Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.

Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the DOJ to “release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval,” he said on social media.

House paralyzed over Epstein files for 2nd week in a row

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Another week, another stalemate in the House of Representatives over releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The GOP-led Rules Committee — which was working on advancing a slate of unrelated bills — came to a halt Monday evening because Democrats announced their plan to force a committee vote on bipartisan legislation that would call for the release of the Epstein files.

Republicans on the panel decided to recess the meeting with lawmakers saying there were no plans to reconvene at all. South Carolina GOP Rep. Ralph Norman said Monday he and the other Republicans on the committee did not want to vote on Democrats’ Epstein amendments, calling the effort “grandstanding.”

Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters it was “unlikely” the committee would meet this week at all.

This means that House Republicans will not hold votes this week on several key measures, including an immigration bill and legislation to establish new ZIP codes, because Democrats on the panel continue to force tough votes over releasing the Epstein files.

The House plans to depart for a long August recess on Thursday without holding votes on the planned measures. The lower chamber can still vote on measures under suspension, which requires a two-thirds majority.

With no action by the Rules Committee, the House will vote on two minor bills both under suspension on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Republicans also plan to meet behind closed doors Tuesday morning for their weekly conference meeting, which is followed by a news conference from Speaker Mike Johnson.

15 dead, including 4 children, of malnutrition in the Gaza over the past 24 hours, Hamas-run ministry says

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have recorded the deaths of 15 people, including four children, due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health said Tuesday.

That brings the total number of deaths from famine and malnutrition since the war began to 101, which includes 80 children, according to the health ministry.

WHO staff residence in Gaza attacked by IDF, WHO says

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The World Health Organization’s staff residence in Deir al Balah, Gaza, was attacked three times by the Israel Defense Forces, WHO officials said in a statement.

The Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi, according to the Tuesday statement. The WHO said male staffers and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint.

“WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah in Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse,” WHO said.

The IDF released a statement on Tuesday on social media about its military action in Deir al Balah.

The statement, which was released after the WHO statement, didn’t mention the WHO by name, but said the Israeli military had been “in contact” with international organizations prior to the start of its action in Deir Al Balah.

“We emphasize that the IDF maintains continuous and consistent contact with the international organizations, and throughout the war, the IDF has facilitated the safe evacuations of their personnel from evacuated areas, in coordination with the troops and in accordance with operational requirements,” the IDF said in its statement.

What to expect at sentencing for Idaho college killer Bryan Kohberger

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(BOISE, Idaho) — Bryan Kohberger, the admitted killer in the University of Idaho quadruple murders, will be face-to-face with the victims’ families on Wednesday at his high-profile sentencing hearing, with President Donald Trump even weighing in on how it should unfold.

Here’s what to expect:

The case
Roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death at the girls’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, sending shockwaves through the small college town of Moscow and capturing the nation’s attention.

Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University at the time, was arrested at his parents’ Pennsylvania home nearly seven weeks later.

After proclaiming his innocence for more than two years, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all counts at a July 2 change of plea hearing. The deal took the death penalty off the table; Kohberger will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count. The sentencing hearing begins on Wednesday and could last through Thursday.

Families and survivors
Sentencing is the first time the victims’ families — including the Goncalves, who have expressed anger with prosecutors over the plea deal — can speak directly to their children’s killer. They’ll get the chance to read victim impact statements in open court, though the parents of victim Ethan Chapin have said they’re not planning to attend.

“I would almost describe this as like a legal funeral, in the sense of, it’s your ability to give your last goodbyes in a situation where you’re talking about your pain, your anxiety, how you feel about the loss of a loved one,” ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire said. “Everyone grieves differently. Some people grieve by going to the funeral and speaking, some people grieve by going to the funeral and saying nothing, some people grieve by not going at all. And I think all are healthy, all are correct.”

The victims’ roommates, who have avoided the spotlight, might also speak at sentencing. The night of the murders, two roommates inside the house survived, including one woman who told authorities she saw a man in a mask walking past her in the middle of the night, according to court documents.

It’ll be up to the women whether they speak in court themselves, have an attorney or relative read a statement on their behalf, or decline altogether, Buckmire said.

Moscow police and the victims’ friends are also expected to be in the Boise, Idaho, courtroom. Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger said last week about sentencing, “Our hope is that not only the families, but the friends, even the Moscow community and all the communities that were affected by this, can start to heal and bring some sort of closure to this horrendous act.”

Will Kohberger speak?
After the victim impact statements, Kohberger will have the opportunity to address the court, but he’s not required to do so, Buckmire said.

With a set sentence of life in prison, “there’s no incentive for him to speak,” Buckmire explained. “The [criminal justice] system just doesn’t operate that way — it’s not a rehabilitative process.”

“I think there’s a less than 50% chance he does speak, and a zero percent chance that he says anything that makes anyone walk away from this sentencing feeling any better,” Buckmire predicted.

Kohberger’s change of plea hearing on July 2 marked the first time his voice was heard in years. Judge Steven Hippler asked him a series of questions and Kohberger gave brief responses, showing no emotion. Defense attorneys have attributed Kohberger’s “flat affect” to autism spectrum disorder.

Kohberger’s attorneys said they will not speak until sentencing is finished.

Motive still a mystery
Despite Kohberger’s admission of guilt, a motive for the killings has not been revealed, and Kohberger is under no legal obligation to disclose one.

Asked if police were able to find a clear motive, Dahlinger told ABC News last week that he could not answer.

Trump weighed in on social media Monday, saying he thinks Kohberger should be required to give a motive, “I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders. There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING. People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened.”

Buckmire said a motive is not likely to ever surface.

“This isn’t a 30-minute true crime show where everything gets wrapped up in a nice bow at the end,” he said.

Police are, however, planning on releasing a large amount of information from the case later on, according to the department. Buckmire said those documents will likely relate to evidence and witness statements.

Once the hearing concludes and the judge formally sentences Kohberger, the convicted killer will be placed into the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. He’ll then be evaluated to determine where he’ll be sent to prison.

Ukraine-Russia talks set for Wednesday in Turkey, Zelenskyy confirms

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams will again meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed, for the first such meeting since President Donald Trump set a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire to be reached.

In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Rustem Umerov — the former defense minister who is now heading Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council — on Monday, to discuss upcoming prisoner swaps and the next round of talks with Moscow.

“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday,” the president said. “More details will follow tomorrow.”

Russia’s state TASS news agency, meanwhile, quoted a source in Turkey who also said the talks would be held on Wednesday. The state-owned RIA news agency — also quoting a source — said the negotiations would stretch over Thursday and Friday.

This week’s meeting will be the third recent round of talks between the two combatants, previous meetings having been held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Before that, the two sides had not met directly since the opening weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

The May and June talks led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but any breakthrough on a ceasefire or eventual peace deal has proved elusive — despite continued pressure from the Trump administration.

The White House is pushing for an immediate ceasefire, a stance backed by Ukraine. But Russia has so far dodged committing to the proposal, with President Vladimir Putin saying various issues need to be addressed before the fighting can be paused.

Trump has appeared in recent months increasingly frustrated by Russia’s intransigence, plus by its nightly drone and missile strikes across Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, threatening fresh sanctions and tariffs if it failed to do so. Trump also announced new military support for Kyiv, with a particular focus on strengthening Ukraine’s anti-drone and anti-missile defenses.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s goals from the coming talks would be “the return of prisoners, the return of children who were abducted by Russia and the preparation of the leaders’ meeting,” the last referring to his repeated offers of an in-person meeting with Putin.

In a Tuesday social media post, Zelenskyy said Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Representatives from Ukrainian intelligence, its Foreign Ministry and the president’s office will also attend, he said.

“Our position is fully transparent,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine never wanted this war and it is Russia that must end the war that it started.”

On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump’s ultimatum — issued earlier this month — for Russia to agree to a ceasefire within 50 days or face more sanctions.

“Everyone is already used to his rather tough and straightforward rhetoric,” Peskov told journalists. “At the same time, he confirms his intentions to do everything possible to contribute to peaceful settlement.”

“In fact, President Putin has repeatedly spoken about his desire to transfer Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful route as soon as possible,” Peskov added. “This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. And, most likely, more and more people in Washington understand this.”

As to a possible meeting between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, “It is possible, and over time it will definitely happen. It is necessary.”

“Perhaps it will be necessary for the fixation of some major agreements, which will be achieved over time, after a huge amount of work has been done,” he continued. “But this time has not yet come. This work is yet to be done.”

“Russia is ready to move fast,” Peskov said. “The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear, obvious, they do not change. But the process depends not only on us.”

Expectations for this week’s talks are not high in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee.

“I don’t expect anything serious from these negotiations,” Merezhko told ABC News.

“In my opinion, Russia will be using these negotiations to prolong offensive operations during summer,” he added. “Putin has not given up his goal to subjugate the whole of Ukraine and is not interested in serious negotiations.”

“Putin will use these 50 days to the maximum,” Merezhko added.

School districts sue Trump administration over $6 billion funding freeze

July 22, 2025 by WDNY Radio

School districts sue Trump administration over billion funding freeze

School districts sue Trump administration over $6 billion funding freeze — Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — A coalition of school districts — including Alaska’s largest school district — and advocacy groups has sued President Donald Trump’s administration over the $6 billion funding freeze to congressionally appropriated education programs.

The news comes just days after nine Republican senators and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski conducted a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump’s education policies, urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to reverse the decision to withhold aid for key programs, such as English language acquisition, teacher development and student support.

OMB told ABC News in a statement that many of the programs “grossly misused” government funds to promote a “radical leftwing agenda.” However, the GOP senators’ letter said the decision to pause this funding was “contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” and they didn’t believe any leftwing agenda programs were being administered in their states.

Within 48 hours, the Trump administration had unfrozen more than a billion dollars for critical after-school and summer education programming nationwide, a senior administration official told ABC News.

Murkowski celebrated the initial funding release but noted it doesn’t go far enough.

“The pause of these funds caused great concern for families across the nation, and I am relieved to know that our young people will have enriching opportunities to stay engaged outside of the classroom,” Murkowski wrote in a statement to ABC News. “While this news is welcome, it is frustrating that many additional funds Alaska school districts are relying on from the Department of Education remain in limbo,” she said.

ABC News has reached out to the Trump administration for additional comment.

A pause on the total $6 billion funding happened on July 1, when federal aid for schools is typically allocated each year. However, states were notified on June 30 that an ongoing programmatic review of education funding would occur, according to a Department of Education memo sent to Congress, obtained by ABC News. School districts and programs have been concerned that programs and staff could be eliminated if funding isn’t restored.

The case, Anchorage School District et al. v. Department of Education et al., is led by multiple Alaska school districts and affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers. In it, the plaintiffs argue that the administration’s recent actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Impoundment Control Act, and the constitutional separation of powers.

The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 says Congress must consider and review executive branch withholdings of budget authority, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The GAO website says the Administrative Procedure Act prescribes the minimum procedural steps an agency must follow in its administrative proceedings.

The school districts’ suit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island. It comes in the wake of two dozen state attorneys general and Democratic governors suing the administration for withholding education funding using the same claims.

“It’s against the Constitution,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, one of the AGs involved in the suit, told ABC News. “It’s against the Impoundment Act. From a legal standpoint, this is not a hard case,” he added.

AFT President Randi Weingarten called the freeze an attempt to “lawlessly” defund education through rampant government overreach.

“It’s not only morally repugnant: the administration lacks the legal right to sacrifice kids’ futures at the altar of ideology,” Weingarten wrote in a statement to ABC News.

“The Department of Education is holding hostage billions of dollars from American communities,” according to Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward — a public education advocacy nonprofit representing the plaintiffs.

“This is an unconstitutional and unlawful power grab that puts extreme agendas over the well-being of students and denies communities the educational resources that Congress intended them to have,” Perryman added in a statement to ABC News.

Earlier this month, the Anchorage School District announced in a letter to the community that the district had already begun laying off some staff members after $46 million was impacted by the pause. The district receives about a third of the state’s federal education funds, according to Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt.

Several state education leaders who’ve spoken to ABC News say that they’re scrambling to prevent immediate harm to students as the school year approaches. OMB has not given a timeline for when the programmatic review for the other education programs will be completed.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green applauded the Republican efforts to reverse the funding pause, stressing this is not a political issue.

“We are one United States of America,” Infante-Green told ABC News. “These dollars are important to every single student in every single state. This is what we need,” she said.

“We need people to speak up. We need people to be brave, to have the conversation and advocate for our kids, to put politics aside and make this one of their number one issues.”

+ More