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Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down after federal funding cuts

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will begin a “wind-down of its operations” and cut a majority of its jobs by the end of September following Congress’ vote earlier this month to cut $1.1 billion in its federal funding.

CPB said it told its employees on Friday that the majority of staff positions will be cut by Sept. 30, with only a small transition team remaining through January 2026 to ensure “a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.”

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a news release. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”

CPB’s shuttering comes after Republicans passed a package earlier this month, which included zeroing out two years’ worth of funding — $1.1 billion — for the CBP. The move was a part of President Donald Trump’s request to claw back $9 billion from the federal budget.

CPB provides grants to local radio and television stations across the country, as well as the producers of well-known PBS and NPR programs.

CPB said it will work to provide regular updates to stations and employees as it ends operations.

Trump repeatedly called on Congress to pull funding for CPB. As Congress considered the package, Trump threatened to withhold his support for any Republican who voted against it.

“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on his social media channel on July 10.

4 dead in shooting at Montana bar, suspect at large: Highway patrol

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(ANACONDA, Mont.) — Four people were killed in a shooting at a bar in Anaconda in western Montana, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.

The shooting suspect, Michael Paul Brown, is at large and believed to be armed and dangerous, the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center said.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said on social media that he’s “closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda.”

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

Trump moves nuclear submarines in response to Russia’s ‘highly provocative’ statement

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Friday he’s ordered two nuclear submarines to move in the “appropriate regions” in response to what he called “highly provocative statements” from the deputy chair of Russia’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump announced the move in a post to his social media platform. He did not specify in the post exactly where the submarines would be going.

“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump wrote.

“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted Trump’s statement on X.

Medvedev has recently sounded off on social media on Trump’s deadline for Russia to come to a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine or face severe sanctions.

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” Medvedev posted on X earlier this week.

Trump has expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. Russia launched a record 6,443 drones into Ukraine in July, ABC News reported.

On Monday, Trump announced he was moving up the timeline for Russia to make peace from 50 days to 10 days.

“I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made,” Trump said. “I’m not so interested in talking anymore.”

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

Corporation for Public Broadcasting to begin shutting down its operations

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced Friday that it will begin a “wind-down of its operations” and cut a majority of its jobs by the end of September following Congress’ vote to cut nearly more than $1 billion in its federal funding.

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

Midtown Manhattan office shooter fired 47 rounds in deadly rampage: Police

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Midtown Manhattan office shooter fired 47 rounds from his M4-style rifle during the rampage, a number that indicates the suspect, Shane Tamura, reloaded his rifle at least once, the NYPD said.

There were 23 shell casings and 13 bullet fragments recovered from the lobby of 345 Park Avenue, police said.

Detectives also located 24 spent shell casings and 15 bullet fragments on the 33rd floor of the office building, police said.

An additional 800 rounds and a .357 caliber handgun were recovered in Tamura’s BMW, which was double-parked outside the building, the NYPD said.

Four people, including off-duty New York City police officer Didarul Islam; Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner and security guard Aland Etienne, were killed in Monday’s mass shooting. The fourth victim, Julia Hyman, was killed on the 33rd floor. Office cleaner Sebije Nelovic also said she was shot at on the floor.

Police said Hyman was the last person Kamura shot and killed before taking his own life.

Investigators say they are continuing to look for a motive, but New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it appears Tamura, a former high school football player, was attempting to target the headquarters of the NFL, located in the 345 Park Avenue building but took the wrong elevator and ended up in the 33rd-floor office of Rudin Management.

Tamura, 27, worked as a surveillance department employee at the Horseshoe hotel and casino in Las Vegas, a spokesperson for the Horseshoe said on Tuesday.

He purchased the rifle used in the shooting for $1,400 from his supervisor at the casino, Rick Ackley, police sources told ABC News.

The supervisor complied with the law in the sale, his attorney said in a statement.

“Rick Ackley administered the transfer of the firearm used in the tragedy in New York lawfully complying with Nevada and federal gun laws,” Ackley’s attorney, Chris Rasmussen, said in a statement.

Bureau of Prisons moves Ghislaine Maxwell to prison camp in Texas

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(BRYAN, Texas) — The Bureau of Prisons has moved former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell from a federal prison in Florida to a federal prison camp in Texas, officials confirmed Friday.

“We can confirm Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas,” a BOP official said.

The reason for the move was not made clear. FCI Tallahassee in Florida, where Maxwell had been held, is a “low security” prison for men and women, while FPC Bryan is a “minimum security” camp just for women.

The move follows Maxwell’s two-day meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee, where her attorney said the two discussed “about 100 names” associated with Epstein, after the Trump administration promised to release additional information about the deceased sex offender.

The Justice Department has disclosed nothing about the information Maxwell provided in that nine-hour interview.

Her attorney had no comment about the move from one federal prison to another.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other offenses in connection with Epstein, the former financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019.

Weak jobs report ‘not what we want to see,’ White House says

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hiring slowed in July as President Donald Trump’s tariffs pinched the balance sheets of some major companies and reshaped the nation’s trade relationships. The reading fell short of economists’ expectations.

The U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. That figured marked a slowdown from 147,000 jobs added in the previous month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, keeping it at near-historic lows.

The report also provided new estimates for two previous months, significantly dropping the government’s estimate of jobs added in May and June. The fresh data indicated a notable slowdown in hiring as Trump’s tariffs took hold over recent months.

The Trump administration described the downward revisions as an unwelcome sign for the U.S. economy.

“Obviously, they’re not what we want to see,” White House Council of Economic Advisors chair Stephen Miran said on Friday.

Miran blamed the weak performance in part on uncertainty tied to the fate of Trump’s domestic spending legislation as well as the ultimate outcome of tariff policy. Congress passed Trump’s spending measure earlier this month; more recently, Trump announced a fresh round of tariffs late Thursday.

“Both of those sources of uncertainty are resolved,” Miran said. “We expect things to get materially stronger from here, now that our policies are starting to sort into place.”

In May, the U.S. added 19,000 jobs, much lower than a previously estimated total of 139,000 jobs, the BLS said. While in June, the economy added just 14,000 jobs, revising downward a previous estimate of 147,000 jobs.

“Not only was this a much weaker than forecast payrolls number, the monster downward revisions to the past two months inflicts a major blow to the picture of labor market robustness,” Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, told ABC News in a statement.

The jobs report arrives days after a separate government report showed better-than-expected economic growth. U.S. GDP increased at a 3% annualized rate over three months ending in June, the report said.

The robust reading suggested the economy has continued to avert a significant tariff-induced cooldown. A one-off statistical quirk tied to a drop-off of imports appeared to partially account for the surge, however.

Some key measures of the economy have proven resilient in recent months, defying fears of resurgent inflation and a possible economic downturn. Inflation has increased for two consecutive months but it remains well below a peak attained in June 2022.

The hiring data arrives days after the Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at its July meeting.

Five meetings and seven months have elapsed since the Fed last adjusted interest rates. The federal funds rate stands between 4.25% and 4.5%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.

A meaningful slowdown in the labor market could prompt the Fed to grant greater consideration to a potential rate cut.

Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to lower interest rates, saying the policy would boost economic performance and reduce interest payments on government debt.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, by contrast, has voiced some concern about a rekindling of inflation due to elevated tariffs. Importers typically pass along a share of the higher tax burden in the form of price hikes.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Powell said tariffs had begun to contribute to price increases for some goods but the ultimate impact of the policy remains uncertain.

“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly into prices of some goods but their overall effects on inflation and the economy remain to be seen,” Powell said. “Their effects on inflation could prove to be short-lived, but it is possible the inflation effects could be more persistent.”

He added, “We’ll do what we need to do to keep inflation under control.”

Republican Rep. Bryan Steil booed defending Trump tariffs at Wisconsin town hall

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(ELKHORN, Wis.) — In a rowdy town hall on Thursday night, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil was booed when he expressed support for President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

An attendee pressed Steil on Trump’s tariffs against scores of U.S. trade partners.

“I really feel that this is a terrible tax that’s going to be placed on the citizens of the Unites States. I would like to know what dire economic circumstances put Trump in a position of deploying tariffs on over 190 countries?” the attendee asked, prompting applause from the crowd. “You have allowed him to do that and it’s sad. So tell me the dire circumstances that triggered his tariff wars.”

Steil’s response prompted loud boos from participants.

“As we look at the broader tariffs back and forth with the administration, this really is, at its core needs to be, an opportunity to make sure other countries are treating the United States fairly,” the congressman said.

In the Elkorn town hall, the congressman was also pressed on other topics, including the impacts Trump’s megabill will have on Medicaid and other services.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the cuts to Medicaid included the sweeping tax and spending cut bill, which Trump signed into law on July 4, will result in 10 million Americans losing health insurance.

Responding to the event on X, Steil wrote “despite a handful of individuals attempting to disrupt the discussion, we had a great dialogue about the issues that matter most.” He committed to holding future events.

Some in the room were local protestors, ABC News affiliate WISN reported, including members of a group who last week carried a mock cardboard coffin to Steil’s home to protest Medicaid cuts.

Earlier this year, Rep. Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, encouraged House Republicans to do more virtual events over in-person town halls after several House Republicans faced fiery constituents at in-person town halls.

House Democrats are being challenged at their town halls, too, facing pushback on topics such as the response to the war in Gaza. Earlier this week, Illinois Rep. Bill Foster, a Democrat, hosted a town hall event where he was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters.

Witkoff and Huckabee visit Gaza as Trump comes up with a plan for aid

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — As global concern over the hunger crisis in Gaza intensifies, Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, on Friday inspected the U.S. and Israel-backed aid distribution system there.

“Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza on Friday to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

Leavitt said that immediately following the visit, Witkoff and Huckabee would brief Trump in order to “approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region.”

Huckabee posted photos of the visit on X.

Witkoff posted as well on X, saying, “At @POTUS’s direction, @USAmbIsrael and I met yesterday with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with @GHFUpdates and other agencies. The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”

The president hinted at a new plan to address humanitarian concerns in Gaza on Monday following a meeting with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“We’re going to set up food centers and where the people can walk in and no boundaries. We’re not going to have fences,” Trump said. He later added that he expected European nations to work with the U.S. on the initiative, and that he expected the plan to be operational “very soon.”

But so far, both the White House and the State Department have declined to elaborate on the president’s comments or provide a basic framework for the new plan.

The Trump administration and Israel have backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial American non-profit now charged with distributing most aid that is allowed to enter Gaza.

The GHF — with Israel’s approval and despite rejection from the United Nations — took over most of the aid distribution system in Gaza on May 27, after an 11-week Israeli blockade on all supplies from entering the strip. Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid provided by the U.N. — formerly the main distributor — and others to fund its militant activity — claims which Hamas denies.

Earlier this month, more than 160 charity groups and NGOs called for the GHF to be shut down, claiming that more than 500 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid from the organization and that its distribution locations “have become sites of repeated massacres in blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.”

But the administration has shown no signs of backing away from the GHF, which it has repeatedly touted as the only organization working in Gaza that is able to ensure aid doesn’t benefit Hamas.

The U.S. has pledged $30 million toward GHF’s efforts in Gaza and a U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday that the money was expected to be distributed to the group within the coming days — a sign of the administration’s continued confidence in the organization.

As of now, GHF operates only four distribution sites across Gaza. Trump administration officials have always maintained that its operations could be scaled up, but there’s no indication the administration has played any direct role in planning for its expansion.

Ahead of his visit to Gaza, Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

Following their discussion, an Israeli official told ABC News that the two had agreed to several tenets related to bringing the war in Gaza to a resolution, including that it was time to consider a ceasefire framework that would free all Israeli hostages, that Hamas must disarm, and that Israel and the U.S. should work together to increase the flow of aid into Gaza even as the conflict continues.

Witkoff’s visit to Gaza of Friday will mark his second trip to Gaza this year.

In late January, when the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was negotiated in part by both the Biden and Trump administrations was still in place, Witkoff became the first high-level U.S. official to enter Gaza in more than a decade when he toured an area of the Gaza Strip that was still occupied by the Israeli military.

-ABC’S Michelle Stoddart and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

Teacher charged in Arkansas couple’s murder held without bond

August 1, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark.) — A teacher arrested in the murder of a married couple found stabbed to death on a trail in an Arkansas park was held without bond after a brief court appearance on Friday.

Andrew James McGann, 28, of Springdale, Arkansas, was appointed a public defender, according to ABC affiliate KHBS.

McGann is charged with two counts of capital murder in the killings of 43-year-old Clinton David Brink and his wife, 41-year-old Cristen Amanda Brink, Arkansas State Police said.

The Brinks were “fatally attacked” while out hiking with their two daughters at Devil’s Den State Park on July 26, police said.

Following a dayslong manhunt for the suspect, McGann was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a barbershop in Springdale, about 30 miles north of the park, police said. Investigators were able to track him down based on a description of the suspect’s vehicle, police said.

The state will not be waiving the death penalty in the case, according to Brandon Carter, the prosecuting attorney for Washington County.

During an interview with police following his arrest, McGann admitted to killing the couple, Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar said during a press briefing on Thursday.

DNA from blood recovered from the crime scene also matched McGann’s DNA, Hagar said. The suspect had sustained cuts on his hands during a struggle with the victims, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.

McGann had recently moved to the area from Oklahoma and had been hired to work at a local school though he had not yet started, officials said. He had previously worked in school districts in Oklahoma and Texas.

The Brinks had recently moved to Prairie Grove from North Dakota, police said.

Their children, ages 7 and 9, were not harmed in the incident thanks to the actions of their mother, police said.

“We believe that the mother took them to safety, and then returned to help her husband,” Maj. Stacie Rhoads with the Arkansas State Police said during Thursday’s press briefing.

The couple has a third daughter who wasn’t at the trail that day, Hagar said.

Their children are safe and in the custody of relatives, according to police.

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