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Security for UFC fights at White House will be at Super Bowl level, Secret Service says

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As UFC fans descend on Washington, D.C., for Freedom 250 on Sunday and events surrounding it Friday and Saturday, security will also be strict, according to the top Secret Service agent for D.C.

UFC Freedom 250 has been designated a Special Event Assessment Review 1 event, like the Super Bowl, Indianapolis 500, Kentucky Derby and college football games, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Entrance to the South Lawn of the White House, where the UFC Octagon has been erected, is invitation-only for some 4,000 guests. The larger crowd will be watching on The Ellipse, outside the White House grounds.

The UFC Fan Fest and Watch Party on the Ellipse is free, but tickets are required and fans will have to pass through TSA-like screening, according to Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.

“Come early, don’t bring large bags, TSA-like security screening,” McLeese told ABC News.

Federal law prohibits flying drones in the airspace over the National Capital Region, so McLeese’s advice for fans is to “leave their drones at home.”

“We will have law enforcement drones for overwatch, but just to make it simple for the public, if they see a drone, we want them to report that,” she said.

The fight on the South Lawn and viewing on The Ellipse kick off a summer of events in the nation’s capital, many celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

“The public safety team here in the Washington, D.C., area is second to none. We have a lot of big events in D.C., and it’s very much a collaborative effort, a team effort here in D.C.,” McLeese said. The Secret Service is partnering with U.S. Park Police for security.

For the first time, the annual 4th of July fireworks display on the National Mall will be designated a National Special Security Event, with security levels on par with presidential inaugurations. The event is something Secret Service is also “very focused on,” McLeese said, adding that people attending the celebration will also have to pass through TSA-like screening.

In years past “you could just walk up and put a lawn chair and a blanket out. That will be different this year,” she said. “You won’t be able to just show up. There will be specific places, designated places to go through security before you can get on the Mall.”

The Secret Service uniformed division and agents have been involved in three shootings in the past two months — the first at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when a gunman allegedly attempted to get through the screening area with a firearm, the second in which a man allegedly fired on a unformed officer near the Washington Monument and then days later a man allegedly opened fire on uniformed officers over Memorial Day weekend.

“I can tell you that our workforce is training every day, that we are hyper-focused on ensuring that we are ready to respond to any type of threat or attack that comes our way,” McLeese said.

5-year-old girl found dead after being swept away in ocean in Laguna Beach: Officials

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.) — A 5-year-old girl who went missing when she was swept away in the ocean in Laguna Beach, California, has been found dead, city officials said.

Her body was found Thursday morning about one-quarter mile north of where she went into the water, Laguna Beach officials said.

The girl went missing at about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday near Treasure Island Beach, officials said. She was with her mother and a sibling near the shoreline when the three of them were swept into the ocean by powerful water conditions, the city officials said.

Bystanders ran into the ocean and were able to rescue the mother and one of her children, but the 5-year-old remained missing, officials said.

The search and recovery effort continued on Wednesday, with rescuers working “under challenging and hazardous ocean conditions, including large surf, powerful currents, and limited underwater visibility,” city officials said.

The search ended Wednesday evening after rescuers worked more than 30 hours and covered more than 90 square miles, the Coast Guard announced.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the child’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Capt. Stacey Crecy, commander of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, said in a statement. “Suspending a search is an extremely difficult decision.”

“This is one of the most heartbreaking incidents I have witnessed during my time serving this community,” Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the young victim’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our Marine Safety, Fire, and Police personnel, as well as every agency that assisted in this effort,” the mayor added. “These men and women put themselves in harm’s way, entering the same dangerous ocean conditions in an attempt to bring this young girl home to her family.”

House and Senate fail to pass short-term extension of FISA ahead of Friday’s expiration deadline

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House and Senate on Thursday failed to pass last-minute, short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire on Friday.

The House failed to pass a three-week extension of the spy program in a 198-218 vote, well short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nineteen House Republicans voted against the bill. Seven House Democrats voted in favor of it.

In the Senate, three separate efforts to unanimously pass short-term extensions of FISA authorities also failed.

The House and Senate are expected to now leave town as it grows increasingly likely that FISA’s legal authorization will lapse for the first time in the program’s history.

Efforts on Capitol Hill to renew FISA stalled after President Donald Trump tapped Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence. Democrats in the House and Senate are opposed to Pulte, arguing the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency does not have any national intelligence experience.

Pulte is also known in the Trump administration for launching probes into several of the president’s perceived political enemies over allegations of mortgage fraud and possible misuse of authority. Targets of the investigations include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney GeneralLetitia James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. They’ve all denied wrongdoing.

The Department of Justice had at one point investigated whether Pulte and his team were interfering in ongoing investigations. Pulte has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

“Today, we just offered a simple, clean, three-week extension of the FISA national security law. The Democrats, 199 of them, voted against a clean, three-week extension for political purposes,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the failed vote. “And when the bill went down, they applauded it.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune led an effort to extend the program for one singular week until Pulte is installed to replace Tulsi Gabbard, who announced last month she was stepping down from the post.

“This is a program that saves American lives. And I have to ask the question: I can’t for the life of me figure out why the Democrats continue to support policies that make this country less safe,” Thune said.

House Minority Hakeem Jeffries called Thursday’s vote a “show vote” from Republicans.

“Bill Pulte has no national security experience, no law enforcement experience and no military experience,” Jeffries said. “So, it is highly irresponsible to try to elevate Bill Pulte, as we’ve made publicly clear repeatedly to Republicans and to the administration.”

Speaker Johnson met with Trump twice this week to try to hammer out a FISA deal.

Trump on Wednesday repeated his praise for Pulte, who will take over as intelligence chief for Tulsi Gabbard following her resignation, despite the challenges his temporary appointment presented for FISA.

“He’s going to do a good job,” Trump told reporters. “He’s going to be there for a very short period of time. He will be superseded and replaced by somebody that’s going to have the job permanently.”

Trump on Thursday afternoon, after the FISA votes failed on Capitol Hill, announced a new permanent pick for director of national intelligence: Jay Clayton.

Trump picks Jay Clayton for director of national intelligence after uproar over Pulte

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a permanent pick to head the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, after the uproar over his temporary pick risked derailing the renewal of a key surveillance law.

Trump said that he is nominating the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton to head the intelligence agency.

“I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Trump’s announcement comes after both the House and Senate earlier Thursday failed to pass extensions of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire at the end of the day Friday.

The reauthorization of the spy program was muddied by Trump’s choice of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation. Pulte drew bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill over his lack of previous experience in national security and intelligence.

ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Trump on Thursday about Pulte continuing to serve as acting director given his lack of intelligence experience.

“He’s only there for a little while. He’s running it for a short while we get a very talented person, Jay Clayton, in,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Apart from the national security cases he oversaw while serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clayton also lacks experience in intelligence gathering and national security matters.

Clayton spent the bulk of his career as a corporate attorney, and prior to his appointment as U.S. attorney last year, lacked meaningful experience in criminal matters.

He has spent the last year overseeing one of the country’s highest profile federal prosecutor’s offices — focusing on drugs, gangs, immigration and fraud cases — and was also tapped to lead an investigation that Trump directly called for into high-profile Democrats such Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman’s alleged associations with Epstein. Nothing appears to have resulted from that investigation, and earlier this year acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department did not have any active cases into Epstein associates.

Clayton also oversaw the unsealing of grand jury materials related to Epstein, prompting complaints from victims about the disclosure of their sensitive personal information. The Justice Department’s push to unseal those materials resulted in little new information about the investigations into Epstein and was criticized by judges as a largely performative effort while the DOJ refused to release their own materials.

Clayton’s office has brought the first two prosecutions of insider trading on prediction markets, including cases against a special forces soldier and Google employee, putting his office at the center of the debate about how to govern the sites that critics say are rife with insider trading.

Clayton was never confirmed by the Senate as U.S. attorney, though his nomination was approved by the federal judges in the district and was seen by many as a steady hand to lead the high-profile office. He was, however, the subject of criticism earlier this week when he appeared on CNBC and opined about baseless claims of election fraud in California.

“There’s a great phrase, ‘opportunity for fraud,'” Clayton said, criticizing the state’s mail-in voting laws.

Clayton spent most of his career at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he represented hedge funds, wealthy investors, large banks and massive corporations such as Deutsche Bank, UBS and Alibaba Group. Clayton represented Goldman Sachs during the 2008 financial crisis and Barclays when it purchased Lehman Brothers’ assets out of bankruptcy.

During Trump’s first administration, Clayton led the SEC, cracking down on cryptocurrencies and winning $14 billion in monetary remedies, including returning $3.5 billion to investors. While he championed the “long-term interests of the Main Street investor,” Clayton also pushed deregulations — such as removing the requirement that hedge funds publish stock positions and loosening the rules for corporate auditors — that critics said weakened investor protections.

While Clayton generally avoided the political spotlight while at the SEC, a June 2020 proposal to nominate Clayton to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York briefly resulted in political turmoil. The sitting U.S. attorney, Geoffrey Berman, refused to leave his post after then-Attorney General Bill Barr announced he would be replaced by Clayton. The standoff was resolved with Berman’s deputy taking over the position, and Clayton continued to lead the SEC.

Trump picks Jay Clayton for director of national intelligence

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a new permanent pick to head the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Officer fatally shot while executing search warrant in probe tied to US consulate shooting in Toronto

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A police officer was shot and killed while executing a search warrant Thursday as part of an investigation into a series of shootings in Toronto, including one at the United States consulate in March, authorities said.

The officer, 43-year-old Marc Pinizzotto with the department’s emergency task force, was “shot in the line of duty while conducting a search warrant early this morning,” Toronto Police Service Chief Myron Demkiw said during a press briefing on Thursday.

Pinizzotto was provided emergency care and transported to a local hospital, where he died, the chief said.

Police did not share additional details on the circumstances of the shooting. A suspect is in custody and receiving emergency medical treatment in the hospital, according to Demkiw, who did not share further details on the individual.

The investigation involving the search warrant and several others executed on Thursday “concerned a number of shootings,” including one at the U.S. consulate in Toronto on March 10, Demkiw said.

Witnesses observed two people emerge from a white Honda CR-V and discharge a handgun at the consulate before driving away, according to police. No one was injured during the incident. Officers got a call about the shooting around 5:29 a.m., and found shell casings and damage to the building when they arrived, police said.

A 19-year-old suspect wanted in connection with the investigation remains at large, Demkiw said Thursday.

The police chief identified the suspect as Zara Jabbi and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

“I urge you to turn yourself in,” Demkiw said while addressing the suspect during the briefing.

ABC News’ Othon Leyva contributed to this report.

Pentagon lifts lockdown after air quality scare proves to be false alarm

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A partial lockdown at the Pentagon implemented in response to a potential air quality issue has been lifted after no hazards were found, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokesman.

Portions of the Pentagon had gone into a shelter-in-place earlier Thursday, after officials locked down multiple floors and hallways in response to a potential air hazard situation, according to three officials.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement earlier that building monitoring systems detected an air-quality issue, prompting precautionary measures while officials work to determine the source and extent of the problem.

In an update Thursday, Parnell said subsequent testing “confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed.”

Sources told ABC News earlier that authorities were investigating what caused a sensor to alert for a potential hazardous air quality issue at the Pentagon. Additional testing occurred to verify whether there was any hazard or if the sensor was faulty, multiple sources said.

In a message sent to Pentagon employees earlier Thursday, employees in certain corridors on select floors were urged to remain in place while awaiting testing results, which it noted could take one to two hours.

The Arlington County Fire Department said its hazardous materials team had responded to the Pentagon in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat Team “during a hazardous materials incident.”

Extra officers called in as violent unrest in Belfast continues for another night

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(BELFAST, Northern Ireland) — Extra officers from the U.K. are being deployed to Northern Ireland on Thursday following another night of violent unrest over an alleged knife attack by an immigrant suspect.

Scotland will send 90 officers to Northern Ireland to support an additional 200 officers from across the U.K. that were deployed to the region after protesters allegedly set fire to cars, properties and other outdoor objects, pelted cops with projectiles and harassed immigrant healthcare workers on Wednesday, according to investigators and local leaders.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said Thursday that 16 people have been arrested this week in connection with the back-to-back nightly protests in Belfast and other towns. They are looking for more suspects connected to the violent demonstrations.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told reporters that 12 officers were injured during Wednesday night’s incidents, including some who were allegedly struck by Molotov cocktails and other projectiles.

Officers had to use a water cannon to disperse some of the crowds.

“Our communities in Northern Ireland deserve to get their lives back to normal. Yesterday, businesses shut their doors, trains were not running and we saw schools closing early due to fear. This is the impact these thugs are having,” he said.

As the destruction and chaos continued on the streets, the family of the victim of Monday’s stabbing attack at the center of the riots pleaded for calmness and tolerance.

The family of Stephen Ogilvie, who is in stable condition following the attack, released a statement Wednesday saying they were “feeling disgusted” by the images of the violent protests.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that to do this in response is not supported by our family, and peaceful protest is only ever the way forward,” the family said.

A Sudanese immigrant allegedly attacked Ogilvie with a knife around 10:30 p.m. Monday near Kinnaird Avenue before he was subdued by nearby pedestrians and arrested by the police.

The victim “suffered serious injuries to his eyes and slash-wound injuries to his back and face,” police said.

The 30-year-old suspect was charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill. The investigation is ongoing.

The protests that have broken out since the attack have been pushing anti-immigrant rhetoric and have caused disturbances across Northern Ireland, according to the police.

In one incident on Wednesday, 20 masked protesters allegedly blocked the road and threw projectiles at officers and in another incident in Portadown, demonstrators attacked a property for hours, according to PSNI.

During the demonstrations, some protesters allegedly harassed immigrant healthcare workers who were on their way to and from their work, according to police.

UNISON Northern Ireland, the union representing healthcare workers, said in a statement it had received reports this week of workers being followed, stopped by people to check their identities and intimidated in their homes.

“They are care workers, nurses, classroom assistants and a host of other occupations delivering key public services. They are here because our government and public services invited them to fill the critical shortages in these vital services. The hypocrisy of those behind the hate campaign is stunning,” UNISON said in a statement Wednesday.

Henderson said he was meeting with UNISON members on Thursday and also shared his support for the healthcare workers.

“They are the backbone of our public service. They are caring for our family, friends and loved ones in our communities. We are here to support them. In the same way they support us,” he said.

Ogilvie’s family also expressed support for Northern Ireland’s immigrants and healthcare workers.

“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including from within our healthcare system and hospitality sector, and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility — do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values,” they said.

Outside of the unrest on the streets, police have also been working to combat a flood of misinformation about the knife attack and protests circulating on social media sites that are being promoted by anti-immigrant groups and figures.

Ogilvie’s family also condemned those who spread misinformation about the attack and protests.

“If you know anything at all about the attack, or saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, please go to the police and stop sharing false information on social media, as it is deeply distressing,” they said.

Henderson urged the public to heed the family’s request.

“They could not be more clear that violence is not in Stephen’s name,” he said.

WHO says risk of Ebola in World Cup host countries is low

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(GENEVA) — The World Health Organization said on Thursday that the risk of Ebola transmission in Europe and World Cup host countries is low as the tournament gets ready to kick off across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said in a statement that there are currently no Ebola cases in North America or Europe amid an outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The DRC has recorded 676 confirmed cases as of Thursday morning, according to DRC’s minister of health. In Uganda, there are 19 confirmed cases — many of them travel-related — and two deaths, the country’s health officials said.

Kluge made reference to an Ebola patient who was treated in the European Region after being evacuated from the outbreak region.

An American physician, Dr. Peter Stafford, tested positive for Ebola after being exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital. Stafford, a medical missionary with the mission organization Serge, was transferred to Germany and treated at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital.

His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and their four children were also transferred to the same hospital, where they were monitored in quarantine for 21 days as high-risk contacts.

Last week, the family was released from the hospital after Dr. Peter Stafford had no symptoms for more than 72 hours and a negative result in repeated PCR tests, Serge said.

“There is no reason to change your plans. Travel as normal, stay informed and enjoy the tournament,” Kluge said.

Kluge said there are several reasons why the risk is low in other countries: most cases are in remote areas of the DRC, Ebola is not an airborne illness and it is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a sick person.

Additionally, screening is in place before travel is allowed from affected regions and people are only infectious once visibly ill, according to Kluge.

The CDC has temporarily restricted entry to the U.S. for certain travelers who were recently in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan. Currently, U.S. citizens and nationals may still enter but will undergo enhanced public health screenings.

Kludge said the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions, “though if you don’t have to travel to the affected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, it is safer not to.”

He added that it’s important to challenge the stigma associated with Ebola patients and those from affected regions or African communities.

“The spread of Ebola is not determined by nationality or ethnicity,” he said. “Stigma discourages people from seeking care and can make outbreaks harder to control. Stay informed, rely on trusted sources and treat others with understanding. With common sense and compassion, we can keep both people and the game safe.”

Vance Boelter, suspect in Minnesota political killings, pleads guilty in federal case

June 11, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Vance Boelter, the man charged in the attacks against Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, changed his plea to guilty in his federal case on Thursday, according to ABC Minneapolis affiliate KSTP.

John and Yvette Hoffman sat in the front row of the federal courtroom as Boelter admitted to firing multiple shots at them, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

When Boelter admitted that he shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman several times and then put a gun to her head and killed her, sobs broke out in the courtroom, KSTP reported.

Boelter initially pleaded not guilty to six federal counts, including murder, attempted murder and stalking.

This week, a Justice Department spokesperson said federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty because a federal judge ruled earlier this year in an unrelated murder case that interstate stalking charges do not rise to the level to support a capital crime.

The crimes unfolded on June 14, 2025, when Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a police officer and fatally shot Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home.

That same day he allegedly drove to the home of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and shot the lawmaker and his wife, Yvette, and attempted to shoot their daughter, according to prosecutors.

Following the attacks, police said they found a notebook in Boelter’s abandoned, fake police car containing a list of elected officials who investigators suspect were targeted in a plot that the Minnesota U.S. attorney described at the time as the “stuff of nightmares.”

Prosecutors said Boelter traveled to the homes of two other state lawmakers only to find no one at those locations.

Boelter has also pleaded not guilty to state charges of murder and attempted murder.

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