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Puerto Rico working with federal agencies on water crisis, governor says

August 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon said on Sunday that authorities are working closely with federal agencies as they grapple with a water crisis that has left more than 180,000 households facing 48-hour water supply shuts-off and rationing.

Gonzalez-Colon declared a state of emergency in the U.S. territory on July 31 in response to serious drought and falling levels in water reservoirs. On Friday, authorities began implementing rotating 48-hour water shut-offs in parts of the capital San Juan, as well as neighborhoods in the cities of Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas and Loiza.

The governor told reporters during a press conference on Sunday that an “interagency support plan for municipalities” had been activated to coordinate assistance to the island’s communities.

“Mayors have a direct liaison inside the government of Puerto Rico,” Gonzalez-Colon said. “Each head of agency has the responsibility to maintain communication with that mayor, to understand the needs that arise, to channel urgent situations, to support the distribution of water trucks, and to facilitate coordination with the agencies that need to intervene.”

The island’s Public Housing Administration has begun installing community cisterns in different public housing complexes, the governor said, while portable water is also being distributed directly to residents with support from the fire department.

Puerto Rican authorities are working closely with the federal government in their response to the crisis, Gonzalez-Colon said. “We are combining a climate committee, actually a drought committee, with all the scientific people. The federal government is helping us out as well,” she said in a press conference on Saturday.

“In the case of Puerto Rico, a few weeks ago was the hottest day in San Juan in 100 years,” Gonzalez-Colon said on Saturday, telling CNN that the island was also grappling with almost 1,000 fires across the island.

July was the driest month on record for San Juan in more than 120 years and the fourth hottest on record for the capital. The U.S. Drought Monitor said that as of Aug. 4, almost 25% of Puerto Rico was experiencing a severe drought and another 36% was under a moderate drought.

“This situation is out of our hands,” Gonzalez-Colon said last week, blaming the severe weather for the shortages. “Nothing prevents this from worsening,” the governor added.

Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo Jose Hernandez, meanwhile, last week urged Gonzalez-Colon to seek a federal emergency declaration from President Donald Trump. “Faced with the water crisis, Puerto Rico needs an immediate response,” Hernandez wrote in a post to X.

Amid concern over disruption to the island’s vital tourism and hospitality industry, the government-owned Puerto Rico Tourism Company said in a statement that it was “committed to our tourism industry, providing the necessary support to maintain the continuity of operations in our hostels and guarantee services to their guests.”

“Water distribution continues in areas impacted by the scheduled interruption plan, supporting the continuity of services and the care of our visitors,” it added.

ABC News’ Ayanna Martinez contributed to this report.

Deadly New York boat crash: Operator in federal custody, to appear in court

August 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The operator of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor, leaving a mother and her baby daughter dead, is in federal custody, prosecutors said.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, is due to appear in federal court on Monday afternoon, ABC New York station WABC reported.

Investigators are looking into whether the boat was an illegal charter operation, the Coast Guard said. Hernandez was initially arrested on state charges — 13 counts of reckless endangerment — according to the New York Police Department.

The boat overturned near the Statue of Liberty on Saturday night, sending all 14 on board into the water, the Coast Guard said.

The New York Police Department identified the two people killed as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and 5-month-old Antonella Garcia, of Queens, New York. Sources told ABC News the victims were mother and daughter.

The 12 survivors were rescued with minor injuries, the Coast Guard said.

Sanchez leaves behind her husband, who was on the boat and survived, and their 6-year-old son, who was not on the boat, WABC reported.

Taylor Farms pulls jalapeno products sold at grocery stores

August 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Taylor Farms is now pulling more than a dozen products with jalapenos from grocery stores across the United States.

It’s the latest recall as part of the salmonella outbreak that has made 345 people sick in 27 states. Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapenos last week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said this weekend grocery stores are also removing meat products that include jalapenos.

The list of 20 recalled foods includes dips, salsas and guacamole sold at grocery stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Kroger.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a list of recalled products Sunday, which includes diced jalapenos and rice and bean burritos from Hannaford, as well as spicy pimento cheese dip, spicy Jarlsberg dip and spicy roast beef sandwiches from Kroger.

Stop and Shop and Hannaford pico de gallo salsa was also recalled.

Products recalled from Target include authentic guacamole, spicy guacamole, pico de gallo, mango pico de gallo, and taco dip. Walmart’s recalled products include mild pico de gallo and hot (or spicy) pico de gallo, while fiesta style salad shrimp was recalled from Trader Joe’s.

Whole Foods’ recalled products include salsa fresca medium, mild pico de gallo, spicy pico de gallo, medium salsa roja, and mild pineapple mango salsa.

Recalled products were sold under brand names including Taylor Farms, Trader Joe’s, Private Selection and Freshness Guaranteed. Some recalled products were unbranded.

The products were distributed across 26 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

They include a “best if used by” date up to and including Aug. 16, 2026.

In a statement to ABC News, Walmart said, “Safety is a top priority. When notified of recalls, we move swiftly to remove the impacted products from our stores and implement a sales block at our registers and online. We are working closely with our supplier, and customers who have this should discontinue use.”

This all underscores Taylor Farms’ broad reach within the U.S. food system. Last year, it said it made 40% of all salad kits sold in the U.S. and accounted for 265 million servings of fresh vegetables to Americans per week.

Taylor Farms, the massive food producer also linked to the record cyclosporiasis outbreak, said it received the jalapenos from Coast Citrus Distributors. The FDA had already traced that company to the salmonella outbreak across 27 states. The FDA said the jalapenos from Coast Citrus came from Sinaloa, Mexico.

“Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers,” Taylor Farms said in a statement. “To date, Taylor Fresh Foods is not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapenos.”

ABC News reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and GrubMarket, parent company of Coast Citrus Distributors, for additional comment on the recalled foods with jalapenos but did not receive a reply.

At the same time, the scope of the separate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taylor Farms is expanding. An update on the FDA’s website says potentially contaminated iceberg lettuce was also distributed to Subway locations in July. Subway did not respond to an ABC News request for comment.

The Consumer Federation of America sharply criticized Taylor Farms for not being more transparent in its original recall notice about the brands and retailers potentially affected by the parasite.

‘She did not do this to herself’: Mother says family ‘devastated’ after woman found hanging in Mississippi

August 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The mother of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old woman whose body was found hanging from a tree on Aug. 3 in Jackson, Mississippi, told ABC News on Sunday afternoon that her daughter’s death has “just devastated” her family.

“This has just devastated us,” Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said. “Tasia was strong-minded, she was full of laughs and love, she had faith in God. … She had so little and gave so much.”

Spivey said that she last saw her daughter, who is a mother of four, on July 26 after she traveled from Mississippi, where she has lived for over a decade, to Kentucky for a family reunion.

When asked about Fortune’s state of mind the last time she saw her, Spivey said, “She was better than I had seen her in a long time. She was at peace.” Asked if her daughter could have died by suicide, Spivey said, “She did not do this to herself. I know my daughter and she did not do this to herself.”

A spokesperson for the Jackson Police Department (JPD) confirmed to ABC News on Saturday night that police are investigating Fortune’s death and confirmed that the Hinds County Coroner’s Office identified Fortune.

Asked about the status of the investigation and if any persons of interest have been interviewed, the spokesperson did not provide further comment.

The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an autopsy to determine Fortune’s cause and manner of death, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

Jackson City Council member Kenneth Stokes sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger, asking for help in investigating this case, according to a letter obtained by ABC News.

“We are in dire need of the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the death of an unidentified female discovered hanging in the backyard of an abandoned house on the Road of Remembrance in Jackson, Mississippi,” the letter says.

The woman has since been identified as Fortune.

ABC News reached out to Stokes for further comment. Asked if his office is investigating this case, Kruger did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS.

Trump acknowledges ‘no video or proof’ of alleged vandalism to Reflecting Pool

August 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that there was “no video or proof” of alleged vandalism to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after weeks of claiming that damage to the pool’s surface was the deliberate work of saboteurs.

Even after acknowledging contractor error and a lack of evidence of vandalism on Sunday, the president still went back to the case against former Olympian David Hearn, whose charges prosecutors moved to drop after new evidence revealed that the section Hearn was alleged to have damaged was already in disrepair when he arrived.

Trump nonetheless again accused Hearn — who pleaded not guilty to a felony destruction of property charge in July and has maintained he didn’t damage the pool — of intentional vandalism.

“There was substantial other damage to the Reflecting Pool, also but, unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself,” Trump wrote on social media on Sunday.

Trump also said that there was “some contractor error done by rushing the job for a July 4th opening.”

The president said that contractors were “working on the Pool, and it will reopen shortly,” but said that “it was a very small area of this massive Pool” which was damaged, calling it “relatively inconsequential.”

“Security cameras have been, and are being, installed,” he added.

On Monday, Hearn’s lawyers said they were “reviewing all legal remedies” for what they described as “continued harassment.”

Norm Eisen of Democracy Defenders Fund, Mary Dohrmann of Washington Litigation Group and Steve Levin of Steptoe LLP said in a statement, “The government is continuing to attack an innocent man. Our first filing in the case on July 10 included photographic evidence from before Mr. Hearn touched the Reflecting Pool proving that he caused no damage. Our other filings provided even more proof.”

“Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s own motion on July 31 admitted the damage was caused by ‘a botched installation and not vandalism,'” the statement added, describing the continued allegations as “outrageous.”

Going back as early as June, the president has insisted that the damage to the Reflecting Pool — which he ordered resurfaced so the bottom would be “American flag blue” — was purposely destroyed by criminal vandals.

“I can’t help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up. And we also have pictures of it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 22. But asked if the president could share the photos, he demurred.

“No, at the right time you’ll see it. You’ll see it in court. You’ll see it in court. But all you have to do is call the Parks Department, call the Department of Interior,” Trump said at the time. But that evidence has not been released publicly.

The Justice Department moved to dismiss the case against Hearn in July, acknowledging the damage to the pool “was the result of flawed installation by the contractor.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s motion sought to dismiss the case without prejudice, which could still leave Hearn exposed to a future indictment.

Last week, Associate Judge Todd Edelman issued an order granting in part the Department of Justice’s request to dismiss the case. Edelman said he would wait to determine whether to grant the dismissal with prejudice after hearing more arguments from the government and Hearn’s attorneys.

Trump criticized Pirro after her office moved to dismiss the case, writing in a post to social media on Aug. 1 that while there “may have been some contractor difficulty” in the installation of a new pool liner, “the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”

“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro,” Trump said in his post.

ABC News’ Alexander Mallin and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

Manhunt continues for suspect believed to have killed father, set home ablaze

August 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A manhunt continued Saturday for a suspect in upstate New York believed to have killed his father and set fire to the home to cover it up, according to law enforcement sources.

The suspect, Thomas Ryan, 32, is known to frequent the Plattsburgh area in Clinton County and is considered armed and dangerous, New York State Police said in a statement Friday.

On Thursday, investigators responded to a fire at a residence on Greenville Turnpike in Greenville, Orange County. After the fire was extinguished, the body of a dead man was found inside the residence, state police said.

A preliminary investigation revealed the fire was deliberately set and state police are investigating the death as a homicide, police said.

Ring video obtained by ABC News appears to show Ryan running from the burning house.

Law enforcement sources identified the man found dead as 70-year-old Robert Ryan. Robert Ryan retired to Orange County while the rest of the family lives on Long Island.

Investigators are also looking into Ryan’s mental health history, the sources said.

Stephanie Coiro, the victim’s daughter, told ABC News her father did not deserve to be killed.

“My Dad was a pillar in our family and every community he was a part of. He made you feel welcome, he helped when you needed, and then some. He had more character in his pinky than most in their whole bodies, he did not deserve this,” she said.

Ryan is 6 foot 2 inches and approximately 200 pounds. He was last seen in the area of Greenville Turnpike wearing black sweatpants and a black t-shirt, according to police.

Ryan is believed to be operating a 2016 gray Toyota Prius with a New York license plate, HNH-7671, police said.

The New York State Police is asking residents of the Greenville community to review any available home surveillance footage recorded from approximately 6:00 p.m. on Thursday through the overnight hours. Anyone who observes suspicious activity is urged to contact the New York State Police immediately.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to not approach him and immediately contact New York State Police Troop F Communications at (845) 344-5300 or call 911. Tips can be emailed to FBCICrimeTips@troopers.ny.gov.

Louisiana reporting at least 5 deaths from flesh-eating bacteria in seawater

August 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Louisiana health officials on Thursday urged residents to take precautions following an uptick in severe cases of a type of dangerous flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus.

So far this year, the state has reported nine cases, five of them fatal. During the same period in previous years, Louisiana averaged seven cases and one death.

The Louisiana Department of Health said all nine cases reported this year were linked to wounds exposed to seawater and that all of the patients had underlying health conditions.

“Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and are found in higher numbers from May to October, when water temperatures are warmer. Infection can occur when an open wound is exposed to brackish or salt water or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters,” the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement.

Vibrio infection can result in gastrointestinal illness, wound infection, or blood poisoning, officials said.

“Some species, including Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections. People with severe infections may require intensive care or limb amputation,” health officials added. “About one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

Authorities said that people should seek medical care “immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored,” and that the health care provider should be told about water exposure.

NPS to flush Reflecting Pool pipes as it blames issues on previous administrations

August 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was partially refilled on Friday to flush out what the National Park Service said were clogged pipes that supply water to the monument, marking the latest twist in the Trump administration’s plagued renovation project.

NPS wrote in a sign posted outside the Reflecting Pool that more than half of the 58 supply ports were “deemed nonfunctioning” due to buildup and needed to be cleared.

The posting blamed the clogged lines on “years of neglect by previous administrations,” echoing attempts by President Donald Trump to pin the Reflecting Pool’s ongoing troubles on his predecessors.

Leaks and cracks in the piping have long afflicted the pool, which was constructed in the 1920s.

President Barack Obama undertook a $35 million renovation in the 2010s, installing a treatment plant to purify water piped in from the Tidal Basin, but it did not eliminate the leaks from both the pipes and between the slabs of the pool itself.

President Trump has long fixated on the leaking pipes installed during the Obama renovation. When he announced the renovation project in April, he said the pool was “filthy dirty” and had “leaked like a sieve for many years.” The administration’s spring renovation, however, was limited to repainting the bottom of the pool and installing a new filtration system, leaving the pipes untouched.

Issues have plagued Trump’s $16 million renovation project since it was unveiled earlier this summer. In mid-June, algae blooms turned the pool a murky green and the newly-installed liner appeared to peel off.

Trump has attributed the problems to vandalism. But charges brought against several visitors accused of damaging the pool have not held up in court.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who originally brought the charges, moved to drop four of the cases last week, saying publicly that evidence indicated the damage was caused by a flawed renovation, not intentional sabotage.

Pirro explained her decision to dismiss the most high-profile charge — a felony indictment against former Olympian David Hearn — in a revelatory 20-page filing last Friday, calling the renovation “hasty” and “botched.” She said she brought the case before she was provided internal Department of Interior documents proving that concerns about the peeling pool liner predated the alleged vandalism.

The public about-face drew Trump’s ire, who continues to attribute the damage to vandalism, and led to questions about Pirro’s future as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, Hearn is seeking to dismiss the case with prejudice to ensure charges cannot be revived against him. His lawyers have not ruled out further legal action of their own.

The pool, which remains fenced off and empty alongside the sides, was drained for repairs in mid-July. Trump claimed at the time that the repairs would “fix the scars and damage that was done by the Vandals” and promised it would be “refilled and put back into service soon.”

The National Park Service posting warned on Friday that the “flushing may temporarily discolor the water as buildup in the pipes is cleaned out.” The Department of Interior provided a similar explanation when algae first discolored the pool, saying it was residual growth from reactivated supply lines.

Senate approves Russia sanctions bill named after Sen. Lindsey Graham

August 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Senate on Friday approved a long-awaited Russia and Iran sanctions bill named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The bill was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 86-11.

Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister who is currently filling his seat in the chamber and running for a full six-year term this November, gaveled down the vote.

The package would impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and other countries that support Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions target Russian political officials and oligarchs, banks and financial institutions, and the Russian shadow fleet, according to a release from a bipartisan group of senators who unveiled the legislation.

This bill still needs to head to the House of Representatives, which is currently on recess until the end of the month.

House Speaker Mike Johnson previously stated he supports sanctioning Russia, but it’s unclear whether the bill will have the support it needs in the lower chamber.

Graham, who died suddenly last month at the age of 71, was a champion of the bill.

A foreign policy hawk, Graham was one of the Republican conference’s most outspoken Ukraine allies and had a strong relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Graham had made his 10th visit to Ukraine shortly before his death.

Zelenskyy attended Graham’s funeral services in Washington, D.C., and was on Capitol Hill last week when the Senate first advanced the Russia sanctions bill, celebrating it as important pressure on Russia.

“It’s not only about money, how to stop how to finance this war, but it’s also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people,” Zelenskyy said at the time.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, in emotional announcement, says he will vote for Todd Blanche to be attorney general

August 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Friday he will vote for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Department of Justice, likely clearing the way for Blanche to be narrowly confirmed.

All eyes were on Cassidy after two other Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced their opposition to President Donald Trump’s nominee.

Cassidy, in a speech on the Senate floor, said that he is supporting Blanche because he sees him as more favorable than potential alternatives.

“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this. But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general, who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche,” the senator said. “This puts at risk the progress made fighting violent crime, human and drug trafficking and fraud. And this does not serve the American people well.”

Cassidy, who is leaving office in January after losing to a Republican primary challenger and who has clashed with Trump several times in recent months, appeared to grow emotional as he stated his case.

“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche and very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche. I’ll be criticized for this vote. What’s new?” Cassidy said, taking a long pause and choking up before he continued. “But people of Louisiana can be assured that I work hard to understand the issue, and to make the right decision.”

The Senate has not yet agreed when they will hold a full vote on Blanche’s nomination.

While Murkowski said she would “oppose” Blanche’s nomination, it remains unclear whether she will cast a “no” vote or use a procedural pairing arrangement with absent Sen. Mitch McConnell that would allow her not to vote while maintaining the balance of the Senate.

Murkowski said in a statement released Friday morning that she had “numerous constructive meetings” with Blanche and described him as “decent and capable.” She also praised his efforts to learn about Alaska and said that, as acting attorney general, he had made “several noteworthy decisions” that would benefit the state and the nation.

“Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination,” Murkowski said in a statement, citing concerns about what she described as the politicization and “weaponization” of the Justice Department.

“The politicization — even weaponization — of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it,” Murkowski said.

Among the issues she cited were the handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, what she called “sweeping immunity protections” granted to the president, his family and their businesses, statements made to anti-abortion groups, and what she described as the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators.

“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski added. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”

Earlier this week, Collins said in a statement that she would vote no on Blanche’s nomination.

“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political,” Collins said in a statement. “Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation.”

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