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Trump set to visit Federal Reserve, ratcheting up pressure on Chair Jerome Powell

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is set to visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank after his repeated calls for lower interest rates.

It marks the first official trip to the Fed taken by a sitting president in almost 20 years.

The extraordinary move comes roughly a week after Trump said he had discussed with a group of Republican lawmakers the possibility of firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, before walking back such plans, calling them “highly unlikely.”

This episode sent stock prices tumbling and bond yields climbing, until Trump’s disavowal restored calm to the markets.

Since Trump took office, he has sharply criticized Powell and frequently urged the Fed to cut interest rates.

“We have a man who just refuses to lower the Fed rate,” Trump said of Powell last month. “Maybe I should go to the Fed. Am I allowed to appoint myself? I’d do a much better job than these people.”

The Fed is an independent agency established by Congress. Trump is legally barred from appointing himself the head of the central bank.

Trump also slammed Powell for alleged overspending tied to the central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovation project.

The Fed attributes spending overruns to unforeseen cost increases, saying that its building renovation will ultimately “reduce costs over time by allowing the Board to consolidate most of its operations,” according to the central bank’s website.

Federal law allows the president to remove the Fed chair for “cause” — though no precedent exists for such an ouster. Powell’s term as chair is set to expire in May 2026.

The Fed has held interest rates steady for seven consecutive months, taking up a wait-and-see approach as it observes potential effects of Trump’s tariff policy.

Earlier this month, Powell said he would not rule out a potential interest rate cut as soon as the Fed’s next meeting on July 29 and 30.

“I wouldn’t take any meeting off the table or put any on the table,” Powell told the audience at the European Central Bank forum in Sinatra, Portugal. “It depends on how the data evolve.”

Trump is the first president to visit the Fed since President George W. Bush attended the swearing-in ceremony of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke in 2006. That ceremony marked only the third visit of a president to the Fed, Bernanke noted in his remarks on the day.

Franklin Roosevelt visited when he dedicated the building in 1937 and Gerald Ford visited in 1975, according to Bernanke. He served in the role until 2014.

Measles cases in US over 4.5 times higher than all of last year

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Measles cases in the United States are continuing to rise after breaking a decades-long record just two weeks ago.

There are now 1,319 confirmed measles cases across 39 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated Wednesday. This is the highest nationwide measles figure seen since 1992.

National cases are more than 4.5 times higher than the entirety of last year, which had an estimated 285 cases reported.

So far, two children and one adult have died from the virus this year, the first deaths from measles in a decade. About one to three of every 1,000 children infected with measles die from respiratory and neurologic complications, according to the CDC.

An overwhelming majority of this year’s cases — 92% — are among those who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, CDC data shows.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC

Childhood vaccination rates to protect against measles have been declining in recent years, CDC data shows.

The rate of kindergarteners receiving state-required vaccinations dropped from 95% in the 2019-2020 school year to less than 93% in the 2023-2024 school year, according to CDC data. A 95% threshold is the ideal level to protect for herd immunity, public health experts note.

This leaves about 280,000 U.S. kindergarteners, or 7.3%, without protection from the virus.

A measles vaccine became available in 1963. Prior to that, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years old. It led to an estimated 500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations each year before the shot was widely available, according to the CDC.

Children in the U.S. are recommended to receive the two-dose measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says.

A booster shot is not typically recommended for adults who already have immunity from the virus through vaccination or prior infection.

130 million people on alert as hot, sticky weather expected from Texas to Maine

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 130 million people from Texas to Maine are under alert for dangerous heat and humidity over the next few days.

Hot and sticky temperatures will make it feel as high as 115 degrees in parts of the Mississippi River Valley. Even Niagara Falls will get no relief from the sweltering conditions; the tourist destination will feel like the mid-to-upper 90s on Thursday.

The heat index in Chicago, which factors in humidity, will make it feel in the triple digits and nighttime and early-morning temperatures will provide little comfort. As of 4 a.m. Thursday, the actual temperature was 80 degrees, or 85 with the heat index.

Texas will be just as hot on Thursday, as the heat index is expected to make it feel 107. Up north in Detroit, it’s forecast to feel 102.

Dangerous heat will spread to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as temperatures in the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Maine, will make it feel like it’s in the mid-90s on Thursday.

Maine is under a heat advisory mainly for Friday as the heat index will make Portland, Maine, feel like it’s 100 degrees.

New York City, Boston and Philadelphia are also bracing for extreme temperatures. On Friday, the feels-like temperature is expected to be reach 104 in New York City, 103 in Boston, 106 in Philadelphia and 109 in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

Meanwhile, the Midwest and the Southeast is expected to see hot and humid weather stretch into the weekend and into early next, as the heat indices are expected to make it feel 110 degrees in some parts.

Most of the Southeast, including Atlanta, is expected to see a level four out four “extreme heat risk” on Monday and Tuesday as a potentially life-threatening heat wave continues in the region.

Besides the heat, the Midwest, specifically Kansas and Missouri, is expected to see a summer flash flooding continue. Strong thunderstorms on Thursday could cause flooding across the region, which is still recovering from flash floods earlier this week.

Heavy thunderstorms are expected to develop over the Midwest on Thursday afternoon and through the night, with rainfall totals forecast to reach 2 to 4 inches or higher in some areas along the I-70 corridor. The Kansas City region may see the brunt of storms with multiple rounds of heavy rain possible.

Woman attacked by alligator while swimming with dog, boyfriend: Sheriff

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.) — A woman was attacked by an alligator while swimming in waist-deep water with her boyfriend and dog in Florida, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The attack occurred on Wednesday, when the 27-year-old woman and her boyfriend took their boat out in the South Fork of the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

While the two were swimming in waist-deep water with their dog, “an alligator bit the hand and wrist of the female” and momentarily pulled her underwater, officials said.

The gator released the woman, with her boyfriend “swiftly” jumping in to “save her life,” Martin County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday.

The woman’s boyfriend drove her to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park in Palm City, Florida, and the victim was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, Florida, officials said.

The sheriff’s office said the woman — who has not been identified — suffered “several broken bones” in her hand and wrist, along with minor lacerations and scuffing on the top of her hand and wrist.

The dog and the boyfriend were not injured in the attack, officials said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation responded to the scene and are “awaiting their trapper to locate the alligator,” the sheriff’s office said. FWC confirmed to ABC News the trapper has not yet captured the gator and will continue “removal efforts” on Thursday.

The status of the woman’s condition as of Thursday remains unclear.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office and HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Judge to weigh legal rights of Venezuelan nationals recently released from CECOT

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — One week after more than 250 Venezuelan nationals were released to their home country from a mega-prison in El Salvador, a federal judge is holding a hearing Thursday to determine what due process rights the men may be entitled to after they were removed from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act.

In June, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the men, who were then being held in El Salvador’s CECOT facility, were entitled to practice their due process rights to challenge their detentions.

Boasberg had ordered the Trump administration to come up with a plan to allow the men to challenge their detentions from El Salvador by June 11, but a federal appeals court put that deadline on hold.

With the men now in Venezuela, Boasberg scheduled a conference Thursday to determine the next steps in a class-action lawsuit filed by the families of the removed men.

In March the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act — an 18th century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process — to deport two planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that is invading the United States.

An official with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acknowledged shortly afterward that “many” of the men deported on March 15 lacked criminal records in the United States — but said that “the lack of specific information about each individual” actually “demonstrates that they are terrorists with regard to whom we lack a complete profile.”

In a filing last week, lawyers for the former detainees argued that they should still be able to practice the due process rights they were deprived of when they were removed from the country with little notice under an authority that multiple judges have ruled is unlawful.

“Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court request an immediate status update from the government as to whether it is prepared to bring the members of the class back to the United States for habeas proceedings,” they argued.

As part of a series of lawsuits that began in March when Trump issued the proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act, Judge Boabserg has sharply criticized the conduct of the Trump administration and considered holding officials in contempt. In an order last month, Boasberg rebuked the Trump administration for detaining the men on “flimsy, even frivolous, accusations” and failing to provide them with a meaningful opportunity to exercise their rights.

“Defendants instead spirited away plane loads of people before any such challenge could be made. And now, significant evidence has come to light indicating that many of those currently entombed in CECOT have no connection to the gang and thus languish in a foreign prison on flimsy, even frivolous, accusations,” Judge Boasberg wrote.

UnitedHealth under federal investigation, company says in filing

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

UnitedHealth Group faces a criminal and civil investigation from the Department of Justice, the company disclosed on Thursday.

The company in an SEC filing said it was complying with the requests from the DOJ. UnitedHealth said it reached out “proactively” to the DOJ after media reports about a probe into its Medicare practices.

“The Company has now begun complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the Department. The Company has full confidence in its practices and is committed to working cooperatively with the Department throughout this process,” UnitedHealth said.

UnitedHealth’s announcement that it faces a federal investigation adds to an increasingly tumultuous year for the country’s largest healthcare company.

The company was thrown into the spotlight after last year’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, sparking a national conversation about frustrations with healthcare companies.

UnitedHealth Group’s CEO abruptly left the company in May, and the company’s stock price plunged following a series of reports in The Wall Street Journal about civil and criminal probes into the company. The WSJ reported in May that the DOJ’s healthcare-fraud unit was investigating possible Medicare fraud at the company, adding to investigations of potential antitrust violations and its Medicare billing practices.

The company was the worst performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average during the first half of 2025. Its stock price declined by 1.5 percent in morning trading following the announcement.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, UnitedHealth said it has “full confidence” in its practices. It added that a court-appointed monitor found no wrongdoing after a decade-long probe into its Medicare Advantage business.

“The Company is committed to maintaining the integrity of its business practices and serving as reliable stewards of American tax dollars,” UnitedHealth said.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

US Osprey makes emergency landing in Japan, officials say

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(TOKYO) – -A U.S. CV-22 Osprey made what Japanese officials called an emergency landing Thursday at Hanamaki Airport in northeastern Japan, about 300 miles north of Tokyo.

Airport officials say the tilt-rotor aircraft touched down safely after reporting a mechanical issue mid-flight. The U.S. Air Force said the craft made a “precautionary landing” during a flight from Misawa Air Base to its home base, Yokota Air Base.

No injuries were reported. Operations for commercial flights continued as normal. Video from Japanese broadcaster NHK shows the aircraft taxiing to the apron where uniformed personnel could be seen on top of the aircraft, near the center, inspecting the aircraft.

Japan’s Defense Ministry says it has dispatched staff to the site and is in contact with U.S. forces.

The landing came six days after another U.S. Osprey set down in Akita Prefecture for a safety inspection, according to Japanese officials. That aircraft remained on the ground for over seven hours.

A U.S. military public affairs officer described the Thursday incident as a “precautionary landing.” The V-22 Osprey has been involved in several incidents in recent years, including a crash off Yakushima, in southern Japan, in 2023 that killed eight and grounded the fleet for months.

Cullen Drenkhahn, a 1st lieutenant serving as a public affairs advisor for the 353d Special Operations Wing Kadena AB, told ABC News, “I can confirm a U.S. CV-22 Osprey conducted a precautionary landing today at Iwate Hanamaki Airport at 9:45 a.m.”

“The landing was executed safely and in accordance with policies. An assessment is ongoing to gather additional information. No injuries or damages occurred. There were no interruptions to airport operations,” Drenkhahn said. “The aircraft is assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing and was flying from Misawa Air Base to its home base, Yokota Air Base.

He added, “No further information at this time. the safety of our pilots and aircrew, as well as the men and women of Japan is our foremost priority.”

DOJ meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell in Tallahassee

July 24, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A senior Department of Justice official is meeting with longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday in Tallahassee, Florida, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The meeting between Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Maxwell is occurring in downtown Tallahassee at the U.S. attorney’s office, which is located inside the federal courthouse, sources familiar with the matter said.

Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022. She is serving her sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee.

Blanche arrived at the federal courthouse around 9 a.m. ET. He shook his head and said “no” when asked if he had anything to say ahead of his meeting with Maxwell.

Maxwell’s attorneys were also seen entering the federal courthouse in Tallahassee.

“We’re looking forward to a productive day,” David O. Markus, Maxwell’s appellate lawyer, told ABC News. He declined further comment.

The Justice Department said earlier this week that the meeting between Blanche and Maxwell would occur “in the coming days.”

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

Maxwell’s attorney confirmed earlier this week that they were in discussions with the government about the visit, saying in a statement that “Ghislaine will always testify truthfully.”

Separately, on Wednesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer issued a subpoena for Maxwell for a deposition to occur at the prison on Aug. 11.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein’s cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,” Comer wrote in a statement Wednesday.

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.

DOJ meeting with longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell