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‘States should lead:’ McMahon grants Iowa first-of-its-kind education funding waiver

January 8, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon granted Iowa a first-of-its-kind waiver to use millions of unrestricted federal dollars on education in a move that inches the Trump administration closer to its goal of transferring education power and decision-making to states.

“States should lead — Washington should support their sound approaches and get out of the way,” McMahon announced on Wednesday. “We hope that as we partner with congressional leaders to return education to the states we can work with them [Iowa] to expand these opportunities for states and local leaders to run their education systems.”

The over $9 million waiver will help the Hawkeye State save millions in “compliance costs” over four years as the money flows directly back into the classroom, McMahon said in a post on X.

“Iowa now has the flexibility to cut paperwork and simplify a hundred percent of state activities funding streams. It can invest in proven strategies to build a world-class teacher pipeline, close achievement gaps, and open post secondary opportunities to prepare for a great career,” McMahon said.

Under the waiver, certain federal requirements will be dropped so that less strings are attached giving the state more flexibility in using the aid. Prior to the formal waiver request, the state submitted a Unified Allocation Plan to show how it would use its funds to improve academic outcomes for Iowa’s education programs. The plan includes supporting effective educator development, English language acquisition, among other topics, according to state education leaders.

The approval of the waiver bolsters McMahon’s mission to reduce the federal government’s role in education nationwide. But education is already a local-level issue in the U.S. On average, state and local education agencies provide about 90% of public school funding across the country.

The agency is also working with about six additional states on their waiver requests, an Education Department spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.

Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 allows states and tribes to submit requests to waive any statutory or regulatory requirement seeking to “reduce administrative burden” and align programs with the needs of its students, according to a release from the Department of Education.

In addition to Iowa’s $9 million in flexible federal funding, the Education Department approved the state’s application for “Ed-Flex authority,” which allows the state to grant individual school districts waivers from certain federal requirements without first having to submit individual waiver requests, according to the release from the department.

McMahon made the announcement during her “Returning Education to the States Tour.”

During her first year as the nation’s top education official, McMahon has made about two dozen stops in states across the country aiming to identify the best educational practices on the local level and work with local leaders to scale those practices nationwide, she says.

Wednesday’s announcement allows state leaders to focus federal dollars on work that best improves the achievement of Iowa students, according to the release from the department. For the announcement, McMahon was joined by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, director of Education McKenzie Snow, and surrounded by about a dozen students at Broadway Elementary School in Denison.

Reynolds touted Iowa’s education models, including teaching the science of reading and using evidence-based math and reading practices. She stressed that the move Wednesday means “moving the dial” towards returning education to the states.

“The more red tape that we cut from the federal level, the more Iowa can increase education quality,” she added.

“I look forward to continuing to improve student outcomes, reduce red tape for schools, support teachers, and ensure federal education dollars are focused toward state and local priorities where they make the greatest difference,” Reynolds said in a statement.

However, critics of the Trump administration’s education initiatives say they believe abolishing the agency and giving sole power to the states could harm the millions of students across the country.

The top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee slammed McMahon’s approval of the education waiver for allegedly ignoring the law and abandoning marginalized students.

In a statement, Ranking Member Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, urged the Department to “refrain” from granting similar waivers to other states.

“Congress must not sit idly by as the Trump administration makes every effort to drag students, educators, and parents back into an era where students were denied the opportunities and resources they needed to succeed,” Scott said.

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s still ‘America First,’ but Trump’s recent actions aren’t

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in her first interview since resigning from Congress effective Monday, said on ABC’s “The View” on Wednesday that she disagrees with the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the focus on Venezuela instead of other countries that contribute to the flow of drugs into the U.S.

Greene said that while she served on the House Homeland Security Committee, “it wasn’t Venezuela that we were ever talking about” regarding drug trafficking, and that “you can’t hold Maduro accountable and not hold Mexican cartels accountable, who are number one”.

The Trump administration has said it is taking action on stopping the flow of drugs from various countries, including Mexico. On Sunday, Trump said Colombia could face a similar fate as Venezuela, and he said Cuba was imminently “ready to fall.” He also said Mexico could be next, as the administration seeks to continue its battle against drug cartels.

The former congresswoman, who has previously pushed back against other U.S. foreign policy endeavors, insisted as well that she remains “America First,” which she said does not align with the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.

“We campaigned, and I went to countless Trump rallies and stood on the stage with the president and stood on the stage with other Republican candidates and said ‘America First. No more regime change, no more foreign wars, no more foreign intervention.’ Enough of this. That’s what America First means,” she said.

“Militarily invading a country, killing people in the process, arresting their leader and taking them out, then claiming this is for the Venezuelan people, and saying all the charges are about drugs, but then turning around and literally, every single statement is about Venezuelan oil and how it belongs to America … it’s not working.”

Greene also said a “deeper issue” for her on the U.S. action on Venezuela is that “if it’s OK to go into Venezuela and arrest Maduro, then why are we telling China you can’t go and take Taiwan? Why are we telling Russia you can’t go take Ukraine?”

Greene, first elected to the House in 2020, had established herself as one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies and a staunch supporter of the MAGA movement he spearheaded. Greene came to define the MAGA movement on Capitol Hill, fighting Trump’s second impeachment following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat at then-President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in 2024.

But she broke with Trump more recently on issues such as the Israel-Hamas war and releasing files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump withdrew his support for Greene in November after she criticized him and his administration for their handling of the Epstein investigation, along with other matters.

Greene announced that month that she would resign from the House, dropping a surprise bombshell soon after she was one of few Republicans to sign on to a discharge petition forcing a vote to order the Department of Justice to release the files. Her resignation before the end of her term leaves House Republicans with an even narrower majority — with 218 Republicans against 213 Democrats as of Wednesday, after Greene’s resignation and the death of GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California on Tuesday.

Greene said Wednesday she made the final decision to leave Congress when Trump called her a “traitor” and soon after, her son began to face death threats. She said she herself had faced threats previously and was used to them.

“One of MAGA’s big campaign pledges was to release the Epstein files. And then having to say ‘Am I going to have to be the next Charlie Kirk? Is my son going to get murdered because I’m trying to continue to do this job?'” she said, referencing the high-profile conservative activist who was assassinated in Utah in September.

Asked how she would respond to people skeptical of her political transformation who think she is trying for a run for another office or to get ahead of potential Republican losses in the 2026 midterms, Greene replied, “I’ve been asked by every single person that’s interviewed me, ‘What are you running for?’ And I’ve said over and over again to exhaustion I’m not running for Senate. I’m not running for governor, I’m not running for president. So first of all, that narrative is just wrong about me.”

She added later that her focus is on “using my voice to pull Americans on the right and the left together to focus on our collective problems, particularly affordability.”

Yet Greene had sharp criticism for Democrats when asked if she’d consider becoming one, saying that Democratic policies and actions contributed to issues at the southern border and both parties had contributed to ballooning national debt.

She declined to say whether she’d leave the GOP.

“I haven’t said if I’m leaving the Republican Party, but my focus is America First, and my focus is — earn my vote,” she said.

As for what’s next for her, Greene told “The View” that she hopes to spend more time with her children, her mother, and friends.

Would she ever return to Congress if Trump asked her to?

“Absolutely not — the way he treated me. No,” Greene said.

ABC News’ Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, Jay O’Brien Will Steakin and Mariam Khan contributed to this report.

Rubio offers threefold plan for Venezuela, White House says it has ‘maximum leverage’

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday laid out what he called a threefold process for Venezuela’s future, with the White House saying it has “maximum leverage” over the South American nation in the interim.

Since the dramatic capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces, questions have swirled about who is running Venezuela and how.

President Donald Trump said earlier this week the U.S. was “in charge.” But Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez pushed back on Tuesday that the Venezuelan government is in control and “no one else.”

ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday, “Which one is it?”

“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now,” Leavitt said. “And the president has made it very clear that this is a country within the United States — the Western Hemisphere, close by the United States, that is no longer going to be sending illegal drugs to the United States of America. It’s no longer going to be sending and trafficking illegal people and criminal cartels to kill American citizens, as they have in the past. And the president is fully deploying his peace-through-strength foreign policy agenda.”

“So, we’re continuing to be in close coordination with the interim authorities. And their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America,” Leavitt added.

Leavitt also touted what she called a “historic energy deal” between the U.S. and Venezuela after Trump announced on Tuesday night that Venezuela will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S.

Sources told ABC News that those barrels represent the first tranche to be handed over to U.S. control. The Trump administration intends to oversee the sale of Venezuela’s oil indefinitely and some sanctions against Venezuela will be lifted, two sources familiar with the plan told ABC News.

Rubio, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill after a classified briefing with senators on Venezuela, echoed what he called “tremendous leverage and control” the U.S. now exerts over Caracas.

“We are in the midst right now, and in fact about to execute on a deal, to take all the oil — they have oil that is stuck in Venezuela, they can’t move it because of our quarantine, because it’s sanctioned,” he said.

Rubio pointed to a tanker that was captured in the Caribbean Wednesday by U.S. forces and said Venezuela’s interim leaders are cooperating because they want to make money off of it.

“They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal. They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States. And that’s what we see are going to happen,” Rubio said.

Rubio also described a threefold process going forward with regards to the U.S. role in Venezuela.

The first phase, he said, was stabilization of the country.

The second involves “recovery” by ensuring that American, western and other oil companies have access to the Venezuelan oil market in a way that’s fair, Rubio said. He added that this phase would include offering amnesty to opposition forces in Venezuela, allowing for people to be released from prisons and brought back into their home country to “rebuild civil society.”

The third phase is the “transition” of the Venezuelan government, Rubio said. He didn’t offer any details as to what that would include, but said he described to senators the administration’s thinking in “great detail.”

Neither Rubio nor the White House provided a specific timeline on what’s next.

“In the end, it will be up to the Venezuelan people to transform their country,” Rubio said.

“I understand that in this cycle, in the society we now live in, everyone wants instant outcomes. They want it to happen overnight. It’s not going to work that way. But work — we’re already seeing progress with this new deal that’s been announced and more deals to follow. You are already seeing how the leverage the United States have over those interim authorities is going to begin to lead to positive outcomes.”

Pressed on when elections may be held in Venezuela, Leavitt maintained Trump’s assertion that it’s “too early” to set a date.

“So, I will reiterate what the president has said a few times now to all of you, which is that it’s too premature and too early to dictate a timetable for elections in Venezuela right now,” Leavitt said.

Minnesota governor says he is preparing National Guard amid furor over fatal ICE shooting

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he has issued an order to prepare the state’s National Guard while urging peaceful protest after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in her car during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Walz and the Minneapolis mayor are disputing the government’s claims surrounding what led up to the shooting, which killed a 37-year-old woman.

“We have someone dead in their car for no reason whatsoever,” Walz said during a news conference, decrying the shooting as “preventable” and “unnecessary.”

According to Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her Wednesday morning.

Following the shooting, a large crowd gathered in the area, which is less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed in May 2020.

The governor said he has issued a “warning order” to prepare the Minnesota National Guard, saying there are soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed “if necessary,” while urging “peaceful resistance.”

“I want Minnesotans to hear this from me: The desire to get out in the protest and to speak up to this administration of how wrong this is, that is a patriotic duty at this point in time, but it needs to be done safely,” he said.

“I feel your anger, I am angry. They want a show, we can’t give it to them,” he said.

President Donald Trump said the officer acted in “self defense.”

“The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense,” Trump posted on social media.

The Minneapolis mayor, however, at an impassioned news conference, said that he saw video of the incident and claimed the agent’s actions were not self-defense.

“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying — getting killed,” Mayor Jacob Frey said.

Frey said it does not appear the victim was driving her car toward the agent and using her car as a weapon. She was a U.S. citizen who was “an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.

Minneapolis police said preliminary information indicates that she was in her car and blocking the road.

“At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” police said. “At least two shots were fired … the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

“There is nothing to indicate that this woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity,” police added.

The woman had gunshot wounds to the head and was transported to an area hospital, where she died, according to city officials.

The governor said he doesn’t have a “definitive ID” of the woman.

In describing the shooting, McLaughlin said that an ICE officer, “fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”

“He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” she said, referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

“What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis,” she said during remarks at a press briefing in Texas. “They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”

Frey said his message to ICE is to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.

“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said.

Walz said during Wednesday’s briefing that he has reached out to Noem and is awaiting a response.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is working in conjunction with the FBI to investigate the shooting, according to Commissioner Bob Jacobson.

“Keep in mind that this is an investigation that is also in its infancy, so any speculation about what had happened would be just that, and we will not engage in speculation,” Jacobson said during the briefing.

Walz said earlier on X that the state will “ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”

The FBI said in a statement, “Consistent with our investigative protocol, the incident is under review, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners.”

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area, but a source cautioned that the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday, conducting immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

At the end of a House Oversight Committee hearing on alleged social services fraud in Minnesota on Wednesday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., put forth a motion to subpoena DHS for all documents and footage related to Wednesday’s deadly ICE shooting.

Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called it a “horrific killing.”

“I encourage folks to watch those videos and see what’s happened for themselves,” he said. “And I’m hopeful that this committee investigates this incident and that we have full accountability.”

ABC News’ Laura Romero and Emily Chang contributed to this report.

Key legal players in Maduro case include a 92-year-old judge and Julian Assange’s lawyer

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were arraigned this week on narco-terrorism charges, the key legal players in the case included a 92-year-old judge and the attorney for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The case with international implications will feature high-profile defense attorneys and will be presided over by the most senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Monday pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. The next court date is set for March 17.

The Judge

U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein was appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton and was confirmed by the Senate through unanimous consent.

Known by colleagues and lawyers as a no-nonsense jurist with an independent streak, Hellerstein presided over the 2019 federal civil trial of Harvey Weinstein, brought by 16 women who accused the former movie mogul of sexual assault.

In a major July 2020 ruling, Hellerstein, who turned 92 last month, tossed a $19 million settlement in the Weinstein civil case, saying that it failed to adequately compensate the accusers.

In his decision, Hellerstein slammed the settlement proposal as unfair, noting that accusers who had merely met Weinstein would receive compensation equal to those who were allegedly sexually assaulted by him.

“What is there to make me believe that a person who just met Harvey Weinstein has the same claim as the person who is raped by Harvey Weinstein?” the judge asked during a hearing on the settlement.

Additionally, the judge said it was “obnoxious” that the settlement proposal would have included money to cover the legal fees for Weinstein and other directors of his former company.

Hellerstein has also ruled against President Donald Trump, whose Justice Department is prosecuting Maduro, in multiple instances.

In 2023 and 2024, Hellerstein rejected requests by Trump’s attorneys to move a case charging him with falsifying business records to hide hush-money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels from state court to federal court.

“Trump has failed to show that the conduct charged by the Indictment is for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under color of the official acts of a President,” Hellerstein wrote in his ruling.

Trump was eventually convicted in state court on 34 felony counts.

In April 2025, Hellerstein blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, ruling that migrants being held in the Southern District of New York could not be deported without them first receiving notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Maduro’s attorney

Barry Pollack, Maduro’s attorney, has more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer and has represented high-profile clients.

During Maduro’s arraignment on Monday, Pollack signaled that that he could assert that he is entitled, as a foreign leader, to protection against prosecution.

“He is the head of a sovereign state,” Pollack said in court, adding that there are “issues about the legality of his military abduction.”

Among the attorney’s past clients is Julian Assange. In June 2024, Pollack negotiated a plea agreement for the WikiLeaks founder who was charged with violating the Espionage Act for publishing classified information he obtained from Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst.

Under the plea agreement that Pollack hammered out with the Department of Justice, Assange was freed from prison in June 2024 after pleading guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information.

Pollack — a partner in the Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler law firm in New York City and Washington, D.C. — also won the freedom of Martin Tankleff, a Long Island, New York, teenager who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1988. Tankleff was released from prison in 2008 after Pollack successfully filed an appeal, arguing there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Pollack also defended Michael Krautz, former accountant for the Enron Corp., who was charged along with other company executives with fraud and conspiracy to falsify business records stemming from overstated earnings of the company’s now-defunct subsidiary Enron Broadband Services.

Krautz was acquitted of the charges in 2006, just days after Enron founder Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling were convicted on similar charges in one of the biggest business scandals in U.S. history.

“Barry’s unwavering commitment to his clients, the defense function, and the Constitution serves as inspiration to criminal defense lawyers across the nation,” Christopher W. Adams, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said in 2021, as the organization honored Pollack with its Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award.

Maduro also added constitutional law expert Bruce Fein to his legal defense team, according to a notice on the court docket on Tuesday. Fein has written critically about the Trump administration’s deportation policies and the president’s use of pardons.

Maduro’s wife’s lawyer

Houston-based defense attorney Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor, has been retained by Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores.

Donnelly is the former senior advisor to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and was a federal prosecutor for 12 years before going into private practice. He is now a partner in the Houston law firm Parker Sanchez & Donnelly.

“With over 100 jury trials under his belt, Mark not only is extremely comfortable in the courtroom, but also has the knowledge and experience to guide clients through all phases of representation,” his bio on his law firm’s website says.

According to the bio, Donnelly spent eight years as a prosecutor in the Harris County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office, where he led investigations into elected officials and others charged with violating the public trust.

In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives recruited Donnelly to assist in the historic investigation and impeachment trial of then-state Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, who was accused of bribery and abusing his office to protect a donor accused of making false statements to secure business loans.

Paxton, a Republican, was acquitted in September 2023.

Donnelly is a proficient Spanish speaker and was once designated as a bilingual assistant prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

“We look forward to reviewing and challenging the evidence the government has,” Donnelly said in a statement to Houston Public Media about representing Flores. “While we would love to present our side now, we will wait to do so in court at the appropriate time. The first lady is aware that there is a long road ahead and is prepared.”

DOJ drops assault charges against Georgia election case defendant Harrison Floyd

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MARYLAND) — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday moved to dismiss a long-running assault case against Harrison Floyd, one of the 19 defendants charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, after Floyd was accused of attacking two FBI agents in 2023 as they attempted to serve him with a subpoena in a related case.

The rare decision to drop the federal charge comes shortly after President Donald Trump in November issued a largely symbolic grant of clemency to individuals who worked on his behalf to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

In a court filing Wednesday, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Maryland informed the federal judge overseeing Floyd’s case that her office “moves to dismiss without prejudice the criminal complaint in the above-captioned case.” The judge approved the request soon afterward.

Prosecutors did not provide an explanation for the dismissal.

The charge stemmed from an incident in February 2023 when Floyd allegedly assaulted two FBI agents sent on behalf of then-special counsel Jack Smith to serve him with a subpoena related to Smith’s federal election subversion probe, according to court records. Floyd, a former Marine and mixed martial arts fighter, allegedly rushed at the agents and spit in their faces, the records show.

During the encounter, Floyd shouted profanities at the agents, including “YOU F—— PIECE OF S—!” and “WHO THE F— DO YOU THINK YOU ARE,” according to an affidavit. One of the agents showed Floyd his firearm in an effort to de-escalate the confrontation, according to the affidavit.

Several months after the alleged assault, prosecutors in Fulton Country, Georgia, brought racketeering charges against Floyd and 18 others, including Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, for their alleged efforts to keep Trump in power despite his 2020 election loss.

Floyd, Trump and 13 others pleaded not guilty to all charges, while Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants. The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutor Pete Skandalakis, who took over after Fulton Country DA Fani Willis was disqualified from the case.

This past November, Trump issued all defendants a sweeping pardon, though the move was largely symbolic as the cases were brought at the state level and therefore fell outside the scope of presidential pardon power.

Floyd’s attorney, Carlos Salvado, told ABC News at the time that the language in Trump’s clemency order might also apply to Floyd’s otherwise unrelated federal assault charge.

Reached by ABC News on Wednesday, Salvado welcomed the dismissal. “I’m extremely happy for my client,” he said. “It’s a hell of a way to start 2026.”

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

Uvalde officer trial: Judge denies defense motion for mistrial

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The criminal case will continue against former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who is accused of placing more than two dozen children in “imminent danger” by failing to respond to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting as it unfolded.

Judge Sid Harle on Wednesday denied the defense request for a mistrial after defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding key information that was revealed during testimony on Tuesday.

Harle said he may exclude the part of Tuesday’s testimony from former teacher Stephanie Hale, who testified for the prosecution that she saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, on the south side of the school. In an interview days after the shooting, Hale told investigators that she had not seen the shooter — a change in her account that defense attorneys said was not disclosed to them.

Defense attorney Jason Goss argued that the change in testimony affected their strategy during jury selection.

“I don’t believe what was testified to in front of the jury resonated enough to significantly affect your trial strategy,” the judge said.

While defense attorneys argued that the teacher provided the only evidence that the shooter was on the south side of the school, prosecutors said that bullet casings would corroborate their argument.

The prosecution and defense agreed to resume the trial on Thursday, with Hale still on the stand.

Based on the agreement reached, the defense will play part of Hale’s original interview with state investigators in the days after the shooting, when she said she did not see the shooter nor believe she was being shot at.

Prosecutors will have the chance to question Hale again, and defense attorneys reserved the right to ask for the testimony to ultimately be excluded.

Outside court, Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed in the shooting, expressed relief that the case will go forward, saying a mistrial would have been an “injustice.”

He said his confidence in District Attorney Christina Mitchell was shaken by the potential mistrial, but said he believes she learned from her mistake.

“I have confidence that she learned, I have confidence that she went back home last night … and she basically took the lessons, and she came back in today, she seemed a little more prepared, to me, to be honest, a little more assertive, a little more confident,” he said.

Defense attorney Nico LaHood said outside court he was happy with Wednesday’s outcome and trusts the jury.

“We really trust this process, so we believe this remedy the judge did was appropriate,” he said. “We preserved the error, and then we’ll proceed tomorrow.”

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb. Investigations faulted the police response and suggested that a 77-minute delay in police mounting a counterassault could have contributed to the carnage that day.

Gonzales, who was one of nearly 400 law enforcement officers to respond to the scene, was charged with 29 counts of child endangerment for allegedly ignoring his training during the botched police response. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty and his legal team maintains he’s being scapegoated.

This case marks the second time in U.S. history that prosecutors have sought to hold a member of law enforcement criminally accountable for their response to a mass shooting.

RFK Jr. releases new dietary guidelines with emphasis on protein and full-fat dairy, less processed foods

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new federal dietary guidelines on Wednesday, encouraging Americans to limit highly processed food and reduce refined carbohydrates.

The guidelines also encourage Americans to eat whole foods like fruits and vegetables, incorporate healthy fats, prioritize protein-rich meals including red meat, and consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are updated every five years, comes as Kennedy has made nutrition policy a cornerstone of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

The administration also released an image of an updated food pyramid to match the guidelines.

“These new guidelines will revolutionize our nation’s food culture and make America healthier again,” Kennedy said during a press conference at the White House alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and other health officials.

For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines explicitly warned Americans against certain highly processed foods and suggests avoiding “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet” and “sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks.”

Kennedy has previously called for restrictions on ultra-processed foods as part of an initiative to address the high rates of chronic disease in the U.S.

The health secretary also said the updated guidelines will place an emphasis on incorporating saturated fats into diets.

“We are ending the war on saturated fats,” Kennedy said. “My message is clear. Eat real food, nothing matters more for health care outcomes, economic productivity, military readiness and physical stability.”

The guidelines states that when adding fats to meals, “prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil. Other options can include butter or beef tallow,” the latter which has been touted by Kennedy in the past.

Health experts have previously stated that there are benefits of good fats, such as those found in some nuts and vegetables, while warning that too much saturated fats are a health risk.

The American Heart Association warns that saturated fats can increase the risk of high cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, the guidelines state that “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners” is part of a healthy diet and calls on parents to completely avoid added sugar and artificial sweeteners for children aged four and under.

The guidelines also say Americans should “limit alcoholic beverages.” Previously, guidelines recommended adults aged 21 and older should stick to two drinks or fewer per day for men and one drink or less per day for women.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said during the press conference that there was “never good data” to support the previously recommended level of alcohol consumption.

In addition, guidelines call for “high-quality, nutrient-dense” proteins with every meal such as red meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. For those who prefer plant-based options, this includes beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.

A factsheet claimed that previous federal dietary guidelines have “demonized” protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“Protein was never demonized in U.S. dietary guidelines. As it is, Americans are consuming protein in amounts well above the amount that is necessary to sustain health and development,” Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a professor at Columbia University Nutrition, told ABC News.

The guidelines, issued by HHS and the Department of Agriculture, provide Americans with dietary advice to promote health and prevent disease.

Although the federal government has provided such advice to Americans for at least a century, the guidelines in their current form have existed since 1980.

Previous releases include the introduction of the food pyramid in 1992 and its replacement, MyPlate, in 2011.

The guidelines are also the foundation for all federal food programs, such as school lunches; the Women, Infants and Children program; and Head Start, as well as meals for active-duty service members and veterans who rely on Veterans Affairs hospitals.

The guidelines were lauded by medical groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

“The American Medical Association applauds the Administration’s new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses,” Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, AMA’s president, said in a statement. “The Guidelines affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health.”

The AHA said in a statement that it welcomes the new dietary guidelines and its emphasis on fruits and vegetables while limiting highly processed foods and added sugars.

However, regarding protein, the AHA said it encourages prioritizing plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk.”

ABC News’ Nicholas Kerr and Liz Neporent contributed to this report.

Minneapolis Mayor Frey disputes DHS claims in lead-up to deadly ICE-involved shooting

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in her car during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and the Minneapolis mayor is disputing the government’s claims surrounding what led up to the shooting.

According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her.

“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said.

“He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” she said, referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.”

The mayor, however, at an impassioned news conference said that he saw video of the incident and claimed the agent’s actions were not self-defense.

“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying — getting killed,” Frey said.

Frey said it does not appear the victim — a 37-year-old woman and U.S. citizen — was driving her car toward the agent and using her car as a weapon. The victim “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.

Minneapolis police said it indicates she was in her car and blocking the road.
“At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” police said. “At least two shots were fired … the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

“There is nothing to indicate that this woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity,” police added. “… She appears to be a middle-aged white woman.”

Frey said his message to ICE is to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.

“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

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

ICE agent fatally shoots woman in vehicle during operations in Minneapolis: DHS

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in a vehicle during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The victim was a U.S. citizen who “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez told ABC News.

The woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her, according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin said the ICE officer fired “defensive shots,” referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.” She did not identify the woman killed or the ICE officer involved in the shooting.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that he is aware of the shooting involving an ICE agent while demanding that ICE leave the city “immediately.”

“The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement on social media regarding the shooting. “We’re demanding ICE to leave the city immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said his office is working to “gather information on an ICE-related shooting this morning.”

“We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm,” he posted on X.

The city of Minneapolis said it is “aware of a shooting involving a federal agent” near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue and urged people to avoid the area.

“We are working to confirm additional information, but what we know is that the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city and making our community less safe,” the city said in a statement.

A large law enforcement presence could be seen at the scene. Protesters have also gathered, with some seen getting pepper-sprayed by law enforcement.

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

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

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