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Supreme Court sides with Ohio straight woman who alleged ‘reverse discrimination’ by gay employer

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled in favor of an Ohio woman who wants to bring an employment discrimination claim against the state, alleging she was passed over for a job on the basis of her heterosexual orientation.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered the opinion.

The plaintiff, Marlean Ames, alleges her employer, the Ohio Department of Youth Services, denied her a promotion and later demoted her, in both cases selecting gay candidates instead who were less qualified. Her supervisor at the time was also gay.

Ames had worked for the Department for more than 15 years and received sterling performance reviews.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and sexual orientation.

In order to bring a case in federal court, plaintiffs must initially present a prima facie case — Latin for “on the face of it” — a legal term to indicate that there are sufficient facts to support a claim.

Justice Jackson, writing for the court, said that Ames had been unfairly held to a higher legal standard as a member of a majority group.

“The question in this case is whether, to satisfy that prima facie burden, a plaintiff who is a member of a majority group must also show ‘background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority,'” Jackson wrote, quoting the decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“We hold that this additional ‘background circumstances’ requirement is not consistent with Title VII’s text or our case law construing the statute. Accordingly, we vacate the judgment below and remand for application of the proper prima facie standard.”

The ruling means Ames’ lawsuit can move forward, but it does not necessarily mean she will succeed in her case against her former employer.

Trump and China’s Xi speak amid trade war, Chinese state media reports

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the phone Thursday amid a trade war between the two countries, according to Chinese state media.

The call happened at Trump’s request, Chinese State News Agency Xinhua reported.

Their conversation is a significant development amid the trade war between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies.

It comes after Trump accused China of violating a deal negotiated by top officials in Geneva last month to roll back high tariff rates for 90 days. The agreement saw the U.S. drop the rate on Chinese goods coming to the U.S. from over 145% to 30%. China lowered its levy on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%.

Trump, last Friday, said China had breached the temporary truce though didn’t provide details.

“So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he wrote on his conservative social media platform.

Beijing pushed back on Monday, saying it “firmly rejects unreasonable accusations” and that it was the U.S. that “unilaterally provoked new economic and trade frictions.”

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, had said the expectation was for Trump and China’s Xi to talk this week.

Hassett said “the two of them will talk about the Geneva agreement, which we’re all very favorably inclined towards, thinking this is a huge step forward. But then what happened is that people had to — in China — had to give us licenses for things, and the licenses, we believe, have been slow rolled is something that the presidents want to talk about this week.”

Hassett also said that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s team and their counterparts in China are “talking every day trying to move the ball forward on this matter.”

Greer said on CNBC last week that China was slow-walking approval of export licenses for rare earth materials, which was also a part of the Geneva agreement.

Meanwhile, Chinese leaders said recently that they have their own concerns about U.S. restrictions on tech exports and the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Chinese student visas.

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

Harvard calls Trump’s proclamation to block foreign students from attending university ‘illegal retaliatory step’

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) — Harvard University is calling President Donald Trump’s proclamation to block foreign students from attending the university another “illegal retaliatory step.”

“This is yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” Harvard said in a statement. “Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”

Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday afternoon, invoking the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit the entry of noncitizens from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard for at least six months. Trump argued the institution is “no longer a trustworthy steward” of international students.

The proclamation also directed the secretary of state to consider revoking the visas of foreign students already in the U.S. to study at Harvard.

“I have determined that the entry of the class of foreign nationals described above is detrimental to the interests of the United States because, in my judgment, Harvard’s conduct has rendered it an unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers,” the proclamation said.

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security tried to revoke Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program — which allows the school to sponsor foreign students – but a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking the move.

Trump justified the sudden move Wednesday by claiming Harvard has refused to provide information about international students, has “extensive entanglements with foreign countries,” and has discriminated in their admissions practices. The proclamation also claimed crime rates have “drastically risen” at the school and requires the government to probe the potential misconduct of foreign students.

“These concerns have compelled the Federal Government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs,” the proclamation said.

US trade deficit narrowed significantly amid Trump’s tariff escalation

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. trade deficit narrowed significantly in April as President Donald Trump sharply escalated tariffs before pausing a large swath of the levies, U.S. Commerce Department data on Thursday showed.

Trump touted the tariffs as an effort to slash the nation’s trade deficit, which the president has said he considers a threat to the nation’s economic prosperity. Many economists disagree, however, saying the trade deficit reflects the consumer-driven engine of the U.S. economy.

The trade gap fell by more than half in April as imports plunged, the data showed. The U.S. registered a trade deficit of about $61 billion in April, marking a sharp decline from a $140 billion trade gap a month earlier.

Imports dropped by 16% in April as some trade barriers took effect, the data showed. Imports had ticked upward a month earlier as some firms rushed to stockpile supply before the levies saddled them with additional costs.

The nation’s trade gap stands well below the $131 billion deficit recorded in January, the month Trump took office.

The outlook is murky for the Trump’s tariff policy and the wider economy.

Trump’s on-again, off-again approach to tariffs leaves in doubt their ultimate level. A pair of court rulings last week thrust Trump’s steepest tariffs into limbo, adding another layer of uncertainty as federal appeals court judges determine whether a significant number of the policies pass legal muster.

The uncertain policy environment facing businesses has coincided with an anxious moment for consumers. Consumer attitudes have soured for four consecutive months as tariffs have taken hold, according to a survey conducted by the University of Michigan.

Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, could weaken if shopper appetites diminish and import prices rise.

So far, key measures of the economy have largely defied fears of a downturn. The unemployment rate stands at a historically low level and job growth remains robust, though it has slowed from previous highs. In recent months, inflation has cooled, reaching its lowest level since 2021.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, forecast on Tuesday continued growth for the U.S. economy in 2025 and 2026, albeit at a slower pace than last year. Additionally, recession forecasts on Wall Street faded in recent weeks after Trump rolled back some tariffs.

Trump directs DOJ, White House counsel to investigate Biden’s mental state in office

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether former President Joe Biden’s administration sought to conspire to cover up his mental state while in office, prompting a response from Biden.

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said in a statement. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

The move by the White House represents a significant escalation, as it is a directive to the Justice Department to formally investigate.

It goes beyond the review into Biden’s last-minute pardons before leaving office.

Biden responded to Trump’s memo to Bondi and the Department of Justice, calling an investigation “nothing more than a mere distraction” and defending his decision-making ability. In a statement he says any suggestion he was not in control is “ridiculous and false.”

“This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,” Biden said in a statement sent to ABC News.

The president directed the U.S.’s top law enforcement official, in coordination with his White House counsel, to investigate “the circumstances surrounding Biden’s supposed execution of numerous executive actions during his final years in office,” according to a statement from the White House.

Israel recovers bodies of 2 American-Israeli hostages from Gaza

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(JERUSALEM AND LONDON) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday morning that Israeli forces recovered the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages held by Hamas and returned them to Israel.

Judy Weinstein-Hagi, 70, and Gadi Hagi, 72, were a couple from kibbutz Nir Oz close to the Gaza frontier. Both were dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, with Judy also holding Canadian citizenship.

Their bodies were recovered from the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip in a special operation by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, according to the statement released by Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said the couple were killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and their bodies abducted. The IDF had previously determined they were killed on the day of Hamas’ surprise attack by the same terror group, Kitab al-Mujahidin, that abducted and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young children.

“We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our abductees home — the living and the dead alike,” Netanyahu said.

Fifty-six hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to still be alive, according to figures provided by the prime minister’s office. Two Americans — Itay Chen and Omer Neutra — are among the 36 hostages believed to be dead.

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Climber falls over 3,000 feet to his death off tallest mountain in North America

June 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(SEATTLE) — The body of a 41-year-old ski mountaineer has been recovered after he fell over 3,000 feet off of Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, officials said.

Alex Chiu of Seattle, Washington, was on the Mount McKinley West Buttress climbing route on the Peters Glacier when he fell on Monday, according to a statement from the National Park Service.

“On Monday, June 2, the other two members of Chiu’s expedition reported that the un-roped ski mountaineer fell at a location known as Squirrel Point towards the Peters Glacier, an exposed rocky and serac covered 3000-foot face,” officials said. “After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu. They then descended the West Buttress route for additional help before proceeding to Camp 1.”

Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until the early morning hours of Wednesday morning, according to the National Park Service.

“Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an ariel helicopter search to locate and recover the body,” officials said.

After the 41-year-old’s body was recovered from the more than half a mile fall, rangers returned to Denali National Park and Preserve headquarters where his body was transferred to the state medical examiner, park officials said.

In 2010, an un-roped French mountaineer fell to his death near this same location towards the Peters Glacier. His body was never recovered.

There are currently an estimated 500 climbers on the mountain and the climbing season typically begins in early May and ends in early July.

The investigation into the fall is currently open and ongoing.

Parents charged with manslaughter after their 7-year-old son fatally struck by car in North Carolina

June 4, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(GASTONIA, N.C.) — The parents of a 7-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a car while trying to cross a street in North Carolina have been charged with manslaughter and remain in jail on $1.5 million bond, police said.

The child was hit by a Jeep Cherokee on May 27 in Gastonia, located west of Charlotte, police said.

He was attempting to cross the street outside of a crosswalk with a 10-year-old boy when the crash occurred, according to the Gastonia Police Department. He suffered life-threatening injuries and died at a hospital.

His parents — Jessica Ivey, 30, and Samuele Jenkins, 31 — were charged two days after the deadly collision with felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child neglect and misdemeanor child neglect, police said.

The parents said the older child was the boy’s brother, ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC reported.

The Gastonia Police Department said in a press release that its investigation “revealed that the children involved were unsupervised at the time the boy stepped into traffic.”

“In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children,” the department added.

A judge set the parents’ bond at $1.5 million during a court appearance on Friday. They remain in custody in the Gaston County Jail, online jail records show. They have not yet entered a plea to the charges.

ABC News has reached out to Ivey’s public defender for comment and did not immediately receive a response. Jenkins’ attorney said he was appointed to the case on Wednesday and had not received any documents yet.

The 76-year-old female driver of the Jeep has not been charged, police said.

“At this time, there is no evidence of speeding or wrongdoing on the part of the driver, therefore no charges have been filed,” the Gastonia Police Department said. “The driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation by the Gastonia Police Department’s Traffic Division.”

Police did not release the name of the boy who was fatally struck, though his parents said his first name was Legend in an interview with WSOC prior to their arrest.

Ivey told the station that her two sons were walking the two blocks home from a shopping center for the first time on their own when the accident occurred, WSOC reported.

“It was just devastating. I’m still in shock,” she told WSOC.

“It’s hard. I haven’t stopped crying. My husband hasn’t stopped crying,” she told the station.

Ivey added that she wanted “justice for my baby” against the driver, whose name has not been publicly released.

“I just don’t feel like she should still be able to drive,” Ivey told WSOC.

Jenkins told WSOC he was on the phone with his sons when the crash occurred.

“I heard my oldest son, he was like, ‘Oh my God, Legend, no, no,'” he told the station. “So I hung up and … I ran to find them.”

The parents are next scheduled to appear in court on June 20.

Hiker and his daughter found dead after going missing on Mount Katahdin in Maine: Officials

June 4, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine) — A man and his daughter were found dead following an extensive, dayslong search after they went missing while attempting to hike to the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, officials said.

Tim Keiderling and Esther Keiderling, both of Ulster Park, New York, set out to hike the summit on Sunday, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

They were last seen Sunday morning on the Katahdin Tablelands heading toward the summit, which is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and located in Baxter State Park.

Baxter State Park rangers began searching for them Monday morning after their vehicle was still found parked at the trailhead in the day-use parking lot, park officials said.

The search on Katahdin expanded Tuesday to include the help of dozens of Maine game wardens, including the Maine Warden Service Search and Rescue team, and the Maine Warden Service K9 team. The Maine Forest Service and the Maine Army National Guard also responded as part of an aerial search.

The body of Tim Keiderling, 58, was found Tuesday afternoon, officials said. A Maine Warden Service K9 search team located him at approximately 2:24 p.m. on the Tablelands near the summit of Katahdin, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said.

The body of his 28-year-old daughter was found at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area of Katahdin’s Tableland between two known trails, officials said.

Additional details will be released later Wednesday after search crews return to the base area, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said.

“We understand that many of our social media followers share in our profound sadness for the family and friends of Tim and Esther Keiderling,” Baxter State Park said in a statement on Facebook. “We appreciate your support for their loved ones and the members of the search teams during this incredibly difficult time.”

Baxter State Park notes on its website that hiking Katahdin “is a very strenuous climb, no matter which trailhead you choose.” The average round-trip time for a Katahdin hike is eight to 12 hours, it said.

All Katahdin trailhead trails are currently closed until further notice, the park said.

Education Dept. threatens Columbia University’s accreditation, invoking anti-discrimination laws

June 4, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Education sent a warning to the accreditor of Columbia University on Wednesday, saying the Ivy League institution violated federal anti-discrimination laws.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release that the decision came after the spate of protests on university grounds opposing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

McMahon alleged Columbia leadership “acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus.”

“This is not only immoral, but also unlawful,” McMahon said.

Columbia is accused of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin, according to the department.

The department said that by violating federal anti-discrimination laws, Columbia has failed to meet the standards of accreditation that have been set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The government claims Columbia leadershup failed to take several actions, including failing to establish effective reporting mechanisms for antisemitism until the summer of 2024, failure to abide by its own policies and procedures when responding to Jewish students’ complaints as well as governing misconduct against Jewish students and not investigating or punishing vandalism in its classrooms.

Now, the university’s federal accreditor is required to establish a plan to come into compliance with the federal law or “take appropriate action against” Columbia, the department said.

ABC News has reached out to Columbia University for a comment.

This is President Donald Trump’s administration’s latest action taken against prominent universities, claiming they have fostered a breeding ground for harassment of Jewish students amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Last month, the Trump administration announced and then backtracked on a decision to bar Harvard University from allowing international students to enroll at the university.

Harvard is also fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to the school. Harvard filed a separate lawsuit to challenge the funding freeze in April, and the next hearing in that case is set for July.

Trump has also expressed interest in revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.

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