News – Page 401 – 105.7 WDNY

Vance defends Trump amid attacks from his base over US involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — In a lengthy post on X on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of President Donald Trump after supporters like Tucker Carlson and those in the MAGA base have been outspoken about the U.S. not getting involved in the war between Israel and Iran.

“First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Over the last few months, he encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians to accomplish this goal,” Vance wrote on X. “The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways–the easy way or the “other” way.”

Vance continued, explaining the difference between “civilian nuclear power” and “uranium enrichment.” The vice president told his followers that Iran has “been found in violation of their non-proliferation obligations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance wrote. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals. Whatever he does, that is his focus.”

Vance’s comments come amid a quickly escalating divide among some of Trump’s most vocal supporters being led in part by two prominent Trump allies: Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon and Carlson, the right-wing commentator — who continue to speak out against U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.

Bannon went on Carlson’s podcast Monday night and warned that further involvement would “blow up” the Trump coalition and derail the president’s national agenda, particularly on immigration.

“If we get sucked into this war, which inexorably looks like it’s going to happen on the combat side, it’s going to not just blow up the coalition, it’s also gonna thwart what we’re doing with the most important thing, which is the deportation of the illegal alien invaders that are here,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Carlson appeared on Bannon’s show and said the move could lead to “the end of the American empire” and could “effectively” end Trump’s presidency. LINK

Trump swatted down Carlson’s comments, calling him “Kooky” in a post on Truth Social and telling reporters Carlson should “get a television network and say it so that people listen.”

Minnesota shootings latest: Witness recalls moment she spotted suspect

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(GREEN ISLE, Minn.) — Wendy Thomas was on the phone with her father when she saw someone in a field in Green Isle, Minnesota, on Sunday night.

Thomas watched as the person reached a culvert and squatted, she told Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP.

“I was like, ‘Dad, that’s somebody,'” she told the outlet. “He said, ‘Hang up and call somebody.'”

Moments later, Thomas was flagging down a member of law enforcement, she said, and telling them about the man she’d seen out by the culvert. What followed was the arrest of the suspected Minnesota gunman, Vance Boelter, whom local, state and federal law enforcement had been trying to locate for about 43 hours.

Boelter is accused of killing Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in “political assassinations,” acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph Thompson said.

Boelter allegedly showed up to their doors in the middle of the night early Saturday impersonating a police officer and wearing a realistic-looking mask, officials said, noting that two other lawmakers were spared the night of the shootings.

Boelter allegedly surveilled his victims’ homes and took notes, Thompson said. In a search of a home in north Minneapolis tied to Boelter, authorities seized a list of public officials that had a notation under Melissa Hortman’s name reading, “married Mark 2 children 11th term,” according to the affidavit. Another notebook included an added notation next to Melissa Hortman’s name reading, “Big house off golf course 2 ways in to watch from one spot,” the affidavit said.

He “stalked his victims like prey” and “shot them in cold blood,” Thompson said.

Boelter is facing federal charges including stalking and firearms charges and state charges including first-degree murder, officials said. He made a brief appearance in federal court on Monday.

A motive remains under investigation. But Minnesota state Sen. Scott Dribble, who worked with Hortman, told ABC News on Monday that he was “very concerned about the nature of the rhetoric that’s occurring with politics, especially among right-wing extremists.”

Dribble pointed to what he saw as a change in recent years for “those at the highest levels to engage in rhetoric of dehumanization, politicizing instruments of government, politicizing our military, and really calling for a violent response rather than really having vigorous policy debates.”

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said “every elected official of every stripe and party has to turn down the temperature.” Elected representatives and government staffers should in difficult times be displaying their “humanity” and reaching across the aisle, Flanagan told ABC News on Monday.

“Our community, our families, you know, taking care of each other, stepping up for one another. And that needs to continue to be the message during this time of divisive rhetoric,” she said.

“The way our nation moves forward is not through hate. It is not through violence,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz added in a statement Monday. “It is through humility, and grace, and compassion.”

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump refused to call Walz, who ran alongside Kamala Harris last November, to offer condolences.

“I don’t want to call him,” Trump said. “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him. Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”

Walz’s spokesperson said in response, “Governor Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn’t about Trump or Walz. It’s about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal.”

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday received a briefing focused on member safety after it was revealed that a number of members of Congress were included on Boelter’s alleged lists of potential targets — but lawmakers were tight-lipped on the safety details.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. — who was on the suspect’s list, according to law enforcement sources — said, “I think it’s important for member safety that we don’t talk a lot about what is being done to keep us safe in order to keep us safe.”

Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there’s a bipartisan push for additional funding to be appropriated for member safety.

“The violence, the threats, against elected officials including people in the Senate has dramatically increased, and that means we need more protection, more money,” Schumer said.

ABC News’ Pierre Thomas, Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine, Alexander Mallin and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

Death toll rises from devastating flash flooding in West Virginia as rain threat continues

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK)– The death toll has climbed to seven in the wake of heavy rains and devastating flash flooding in West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said on Tuesday, as he warned the threat isn’t over.

“Flood watches continue throughout West Virginia,” Morrisey said on social media. “With the ground already saturated, there is the possibility of further flash flooding. Please continue to heed local warnings and do not attempt to drive through high waters.”

Two people remain missing as of Tuesday, the governor’s office said.

A state of emergency is in effect and the West Virginia National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are on the ground in Marion County, the governor said.

Flash flooding struck Ohio County in the northern part of the state on Saturday night, dumping about 3 to 4 inches of rain over a short time period, according to the governor’s office.

The flash flooding continued on Sunday in Marion County, dropping 3 inches of rain in the city of Fairmont over a short time period, state officials said.

On Sunday, a residential building in Fairmont partially collapsed.

Footage from the scene showed water rushing out of the severely damaged structure as emergency crews responded to the scene.

Displaced residents are being housed at Fairmont State University, officials said.

ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

IDF shooting near aid truck kills dozens in southern Gaza, Hamas-run ministry says

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Almost 60 people are dead after two incidents near locations where people were trying to get food aid in Gaza Tuesday, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.

Fifty-one people were killed in an incident near a food aid truck that got stuck near Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the shooting.

“A gathering was identified adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck in the area of Khan Younis, and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area,” the IDF said in response to an inquiry from ABC News.

“The IDF is aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd’s approach. The details of the incident are under review,” the IDF added.

The shooting comes as many in Gaza are in the grip of hunger, according to international aid agencies. The United Nations last week said a “very limited” amount of food was being brought into the Strip.

And it comes a day after COGAT, the Israeli organization tasked with bringing aid into Gaza, said that four aid distribution centers in Gaza were being operated simultaneously for the first time.

Humanitarian aid sites and routes in Gaza have become flashpoints in recent weeks, according to the Hamas-run ministry.

Some of the injured and dead in Tuesday’s incident were brought to Nasser Hospital Complex in Khan Younis after the incident. In a video published by Reuters, a man can be seen bleeding from a wound in his back while being wheeled into the entrance.

“We went to wait like other people to get food for our children,” the man told Reuters “They told us there is flour in a certain area, so we went and waited. Then we found rockets falling on us.”

In a separate incident, eight people were killed near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday. ABC News has asked IDF for comment on this incident.

Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from food products over next 2 years

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Kraft Heinz announced on Tuesday that it would be removing artificial food dyes from its products within the next two years.

The company said 10% of its products currently contain FD&C color additives, which are approved for use in food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including brands such as Crystal Light, Jell-O and Kool Aid.

Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes.

“As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,” Navio’s statement read, in part. “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio. … Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

It comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan in April to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply.

At a news conference announcing the plan, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said health agencies were looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with the food industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in a variety of food products.

Kennedy said the agencies had reached an “understanding” with major food companies to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from their products. It’s unclear what action Kennedy could take if the companies don’t comply.

Shortly after Kennedy’s announcement, PepsiCo’s CEO said on an earnings call that the company had already begun phasing out artificial colors. In-N-Out also announced in May it was removing artificial food dyes from menu items.

Other companies, like Kellogg’s, have previously stated their products are safe for consumption, and they are following federal standards set by the FDA.

Last month, the FDA approved two dyes and expanded approval of a third, meaning it can now be used in a wider range of food products.

Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans.

Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it’s best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.

West Virginia death toll rises amid devastating flash flooding

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK)– The death toll has climbed to seven in the wake of heavy rains and devastating flash flooding in West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said on Tuesday.

Two people were unaccounted for as of Monday, according to the governor.

“West Virginia has been hit very, very hard,” Morrisey said.

A state of emergency is in effect and the West Virginia National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are on the ground in Marion County, he said.

Flash flooding hit the city of Wheeling and the towns of Triadelphia and Valley Grove. Roughly 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in the area in a short period of time, prompting significant flash flooding along US 40 (National Road), Middle Wheeling Creek, Little Wheeling Creek and various runs and streams through Ohio County.

On Sunday, a residential building in the city of Fairmont, in Marion County, partially collapsed, prompting the emergency declaration, according to the governor.

Footage from the scene showed water rushing out of the severely damaged structure as emergency crews responded to the scene.

Displaced residents are now being housed at Fairmont State University, officials said.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined, the governor said Monday.

Officials said they are monitoring the situation as more rain is in the forecast over the next few days.

ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

Trump says calling Walz after Minnesota shootings would be ‘waste of time’

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said overnight that calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state would be a “waste of time.”

Trump was asked if he’d reach out to Walz, who was the vice presidential running mate for the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee Kamala Harris, as he returned to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early.

“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him,” Trump said. “Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”

Trump told ABC News on Sunday that he “may” call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state.

The president, who condemned the violence, called the Democratic governor a “terrible governor” and “grossly incompetent” in an interview with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott.
“Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” the president told Scott.

As of Monday afternoon, Walz had not heard from the president, according to a source.

Minnesota is reeling from two back-to-back shootings. Authorities say a masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former speaker of the state House, and her husband Mark, and wounded a state senator and his wife early Saturday.

The accused gunman, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, was captured late Sunday night.

Walz called the shootings an “act of targeted political violence.”

The president condemned the violence shortly after the attack.

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,” he said.

A source close the Walz told ABC News that Walz and Vice President JD Vance spoke regarding the shootings.

“The Governor expressed appreciation for the ongoing coordination between federal law enforcement and Minnesota public safety officials,” the person said.

A source told ABC News on Sunday that former President Joe Biden called Walz “right away.”

A source familiar with the call described the conversation on Monday as “compassionate.” The pair spoke about grief, Biden offered his condolences and “discussed Hortman’s legacy,” the source said, Biden had met Hortman and told Walz he “was a fan,” the source said.

The White House said in a statement that the FBI and the attorney general’s office will investigate the shootings and “will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”

Police say the suspected gunman allegedly had dozens of Minnesota Democrats on a target list, which was retrieved from the his vehicle.

The assassination comes amid growing concerns about political violence in the U.S. following the recent killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, the arson attack at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the attempted assassination of Trump last summer.

ABC News’ Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.

Trump denies reaching out to Iran, threatens to ‘come down so hard’ if Tehran strikes US assets

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump denied early on Tuesday having had contact with leaders in Iran, saying he hadn’t reached out about a potential ceasefire and that he was “not too much in the mood” to negotiate with Iran.

“I’ve been negotiating. I told them to do the deal,” Trump said. “They should have done the deal. The cities have been blown to pieces, lost a lot of people. They should have done the deal. I told them do the deal, so I don’t know. I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.”

The comments came as Trump returned early Tuesday to the White House, where he’d asked his top national security staff to assemble in the Situation Room, after he departed the Group of Seven leadership summit in Canada early.

He also seemed to dismiss a recent assessment from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who had said Iran wasn’t working on a nuclear weapon. Trump said on Tuesday he thought Iran was “very close” to having such a weapon.

Trump in a post on his Truth Social network also said that he hadn’t reached out to Iran “in any way, shape or form,” calling reports that he had done so “fabricated.”

“If they want to talk, they know how to reach me,” Trump said in a post early on Tuesday. “They should have taken the deal that was on the table — Would have save a lot of lives!!!”

Israel on Friday began an attack on Iran, launching a series of aerial strikes that Israeli officials described as a preemptive strike. Israeli leaders and Trump have separately called for Tehran to put an end to efforts to create nuclear weapons.

Diplomats from the United States and Iran held a series of talks in Muscat, Oman, beginning in April, with the sixth round due to begin last Sunday. Those talks were cancelled as the conflict between Israel and Iran began.

Trump was asked on Tuesday about Gabbard’s testimony in March in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, where she said Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.

When pressed about Gabbard’s comments, Trump dismissed them.

“I don’t care what she said, I think they were very close to having one,” Trump said.

Trump has not ruled out American participation in the conflict, although the U.S. has remained on the sidelines so far. Trump has issued, however, a stern warning to Iran on Tuesday over U.S. troops and assets in the region, instructing Tehran “not to touch our troops.”

“We’ll come down so hard if they do anything to our people,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

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

14 dead in massive overnight Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine says

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(KYIV, Ukraine) — A massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv killed 14 people and wounded more than 100 others, local officials in the Ukrainian capital said early Tuesday, as Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles at targets across the country.

It was not immediately clear whether others may be trapped beneath the rubble, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an update on the Telegram messaging app. Emergency personnel were working at several sites, including a residential building in the Solomianskyi district, where “an entire entrance collapsed,” Klitschko said.

The mayor posted a video to Telegram showing what he said were Russian cluster munitions found at one of the impact sites in the capital. Klitschko later declared Wednesday a day of mourning for the victims of the attack.

Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that the attack consisted of 440 drones and 32 missiles — of which 402 drones and 26 missiles were shot down or otherwise neutralized. The air force reported impacts in 10 locations and downed debris in 34 locations. The attack is believed to have been one of the largest on the capital in several months.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the nationwide attack killed at least 15 people were killed. Kyiv bore the brunt of the strikes, Zelenskyy wrote, with impacts also reported in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv.

At least one person was killed in Odesa and 17 others injured, according to a Telegram post by local Governor Oleg Kiper.

“Such attacks are pure terrorism,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “And the whole world, the U.S. and Europe must finally react the way a civilized society reacts to terrorists.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, “is doing this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to continue. It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this. We are contacting all partners at all possible levels so that there is an appropriate response. It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people.”

The attacks came as G7 leaders gathered in Canada, where Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine is one of several key topics of discussion. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that Russia — previously a member of the group when it was known as the G8 — should not have been expelled form the bloc in 2014 after its invasion and annexation of Crimea.

Putin “sends a signal of total disrespect to the United States and other partners who have called for an end to the killing,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. “Putin’s goal is very simple: make the G7 leaders appear weak. Only strong steps and real pressure on Moscow can prove him wrong.”

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

Federal appeals court set to hold hearing over Trump National Guard deployment in California

June 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — The legal battle over the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in California heads to a federal appeals court on Tuesday.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will preside over a remote hearing regarding California’s challenge to President Donald Trump’s federalization of the state’s National Guard troops amid protests over immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area.

Last week, a federal judge in California issued a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Trump’s deployment of the troops and returned control of the California National Guard to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who did not consent to the Guard’s activation.

However, following an appeal by the Trump administration, a panel of three judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay of the lower court’s order, dealing the Trump administration a temporary reprieve to what would have been a major reversal of its policy on the protests in Los Angeles.

The three-judge panel — made up of two judges nominated by Trump and one nominated by former President Joe Biden — scheduled the hearing on the matter for Tuesday afternoon.

The district judge’s order called Trump’s actions “illegal.”

“At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not,” U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said in his June 12 order granting the temporary restraining order sought by Newsom. “His actions were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith.”

The order did not limit Trump’s use of the Marines, which had also been deployed to LA.

In a press conference after the district court’s order, Newsom said he was “gratified” by the ruling, saying he would return the National Guard “to what they were doing before Donald Trump commandeered them.”

In its appeal to the Ninth Circuit, administration lawyers called the district judge’s order “unprecedented” and an “extraordinary intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority as Commander in Chief.”

Some 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines were ordered to the Los Angeles area following protests over immigration raids. California leaders claim Trump inflamed the protests by sending in the military when it was not necessary.

+ More