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Judge Boasberg cancels hearing on Trump deportations after Supreme Court ruling

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has canceled a Tuesday afternoon hearing on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged migrant gang members without due process, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday evening that the administration could resume carrying out such deportations.

Boasberg had scheduled the hearing to consider whether to convert the temporary restraining order he issued blocking those deportations last month into a longer-lasting preliminary injunction, as he mulled whether to hold the administration in contempt for failing to provide information about the deportation of over 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members last month.

Boasberg’s order canceling Tuesday’s hearing did not address where the contempt issue stands.

The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision Monday evening, ruled that the Trump administration could resume deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, but said detainees must be given due process to challenge their removal.

The unsigned opinion lifted Boasberg’s temporary restraining order, ruling that he lacked the jurisdiction to address the matter.

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the ACLU — which is representing several alleged Venezuelan gang members who are set to be sent to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act — filed habeas petitions in the New York district where the men are being held, seeking to challenge their removal.

Trump last month invoked the Alien Enemies Act — a wartime authority used to deport noncitizens with little-to-no due process — by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that is invading the United States.

Judge Boasberg temporarily blocked the president’s use of the law on March 15, ordering that the government turn around two flights carrying more than 200 alleged Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador.

Authorities failed to turn the flights around, leading the judge to threaten the administration with contempt.

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.

Supreme Court allows Trump to terminate 16,000 probationary federal workers

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Trump administration can move forward with the termination of 16,000 probationary federal workers across six agencies and departments, rescinding a lower court order that they be reinstated as litigation challenging the layoffs continues.

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

Flooding danger persists in wake of deadly storm: ‘We need people to wait this out,’ Kentucky governor says

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — The flooding danger isn’t over in the wake of four days of deadly storms that devastated the central U.S. with catastrophic rainfall and destructive tornadoes.

For Andy Beshear, governor of hard-hit Kentucky, the biggest concern is people driving through water and around barricades.

“We need people to wait this out,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.

Twenty-three people have died since Wednesday from the storms, with the fatalities spanning Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana.

Four of the deaths were in Kentucky, including a 27-year-old man, Lee Chandler, who was reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters in McCracken County. His body has since been recovered, police said on Monday.

The rainfall from these storms was historic. More than 15 inches of rain deluged Benton, Kentucky — the most rain on record in a four-day period for the western part of the state — and over 14 inches of rain inundated Arkansas and Tennessee.

Flood alerts remain in effect on Tuesday in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Twenty-one river gauges are currently in major flood stage and more than 40 locations could reach major flood stage this week.

In hard-hit Frankfort, Kentucky, the Kentucky River crested near record levels on Sunday night, more than 17 feet above flood stage — the highest the river has been in decades at this location. The river is now slowly receding, but still in major flood stage.

Beshear said rivers have crested in many places and flooding should soon be going down.

He said he hopes people forced to evacuate can return to their homes on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced a new website, Floodsmart.gov, to help people directly access flood insurance quotes.

“It’s quick and easy and takes just a few minutes. Insured survivors recover faster,” Cameron Hamilton, senior official performing the duties of FEMA administrator, said in a statement. “With spring flooding and hurricane season both approaching fast, it’s important to take this first step so you can better protect the life you’ve built.”

ABC News’ Melissa Griffin, Max Golembo and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

14-year-old dual Palestinian-US citizen killed in the West Bank

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — A 14-year-old dual Palestinian-U.S. citizen was killed in the West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Monday.

The teen was identified as Amer Mohamad Saada Rabee.

The death comes after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Sunday that they identified “three terrorists who hurled rocks toward the highway, thus endangering civilians driving” in the Turmus Ayya area of the West Bank.

Israeli soldiers “opened fire,” killing one person and hitting two others, the IDF said in the statement, though they did not identify the person who was killed.

In response to an ABC News request, the IDF would not comment regarding whether they are investigating the incident. A video of the rock-throwing incident in question was provided with the IDF statement Sunday.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed in a statement to ABC News that a U.S. citizen died in the West Bank.

“We acknowledge the IDF’s initial statement that expressed that this incident occurred during a counter-terrorism operation and that Israel is investigating,” the statement said.

“It is with heavy hearts that The Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) shares the news of the horrific killing of Amer Mohamad Saada Rabee, a young 14-year-old Palestinian American boy from Turmusayya [sic], a village in the West Bank,” the New Jersey-based Palestinian American Community Center said in a statement.

Two other people who were also under 18 years old were injured in the incident, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

“Amer, along with two other Palestinian American 15-year-olds from the village, were shot by Israeli military officers. Amer was shot 11 times in total,” the Palestinian American Community Center said.

Mourners gathered Sunday for funeral prayers at the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton, New Jersey.

ABC News’ Nathan Luna contributed to this report.

Following Supreme Court ruling, Judge Boasberg cancels hearing on use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Boasberg’s order canceling Tuesday’s hearing did not address where the contempt issue stands.

The unsigned opinion lifted Boasberg’s temporary restraining order, ruling that he lacked the jurisdiction to address the matter.

Authorities failed to turn the flights around, leading the judge to threaten the administration with contempt.

Iran says US talks will be ‘indirect’ despite Trump ‘direct’ negotiations announcement

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Iranian officials confirmed Monday that Tehran would hold “indirect” high level talks with U.S. representatives in Oman this weekend regarding Iran’s nuclear program, though appeared to contradict President Donald Trump’s assertion that the negotiations are “direct” in nature.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, “We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen.”

“You know, a lot of people say, ‘Oh, maybe you’re going through surrogates or you’re not dealing directly. You’re dealing through other countries.’ No, we’re dealing with them directly. And, maybe a deal is going to be made,” Trump said.

Asked on Tuesday whether the talks would indeed be direct, a White House National Security spokesperson told ABC News, “The president was clear in his remarks.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that a meeting will take place in Oman on April 12, though stressed they would be “indirect high-level talks.”

“It is as much an opportunity as it is a test,” Araghchi said in a post to social media.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani also told a Tuesday press conference that the coming talks with the U.S. will be “indirect.”

“We believe in negotiations,” she said, as quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. “We had previously stated that if the language of respect is used, we will negotiate.”

“Details will emerge during the negotiations,” Mohajerani added. “As negotiations have not started yet, there are no details that we can share now,” she said.

“As a negotiator party with an equal perspective toward the talks, what matters to us is focusing on our national interests, anything that improves the situation for our people, and the topics that have previously been discussed. Hopefully, we will have wise negotiations ahead,” she added.

The U.S. and Iran have engaged in indirect talks several times in recent years. The country has traditionally played a mediating role between Washington and Tehran, including during talks held there in 2023.

Iranian officials have so far refused Trump’s offer to engage in direct talks. President Masoud Pezeshkian said in March that “although direct negotiations between the two parties are rejected, it has been stated that the path for indirect negotiations is open.”

If direct talks happen as Trump said, they would be the first publicly-known direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran since the president exited the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal in 2018.

In recent weeks, Trump has threatened potential military action against Iran to keep it from developing nuclear weapons.

“I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious,” the president said Monday, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it,” he said.

“So, we’re going to see if we can avoid it,” Trump continued. “But it’s getting to be very dangerous territory. And hopefully those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interests if they are successful.”

ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.

Mom remembers 9-year-old son who died in Kentucky floodwaters

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — The mother of a 9-year-old boy is speaking out after he was swept away and killed by floodwaters in Kentucky during the four days of historic storms that pounded the region.

Gabriel Andrews was swept away by the floodwaters on Friday morning while walking to his school bus stop in hard-hit Frankfort, according to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.

Gabriel, who enjoyed basketball and football, “had the most beautiful smile” and “loved everyone he came in contact with,” his mother, Racheal Andrews, told ABC News.

“I’m overwhelmed with the love that the community had for my son,” she added.

The four days of deadly storms began on Wednesday, devastating the central U.S. with catastrophic flooding and destructive tornadoes. Twenty-three people have died, with the fatalities spanning Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana.

Franklin County, Kentucky, was hit especially hard by the life-threatening rain, and Racheal Andrews said she is “devastated” that in-person school wasn’t canceled on Friday.

“There never should have been school that day,” she said.

The Franklin County School District is on spring break this week and superintendent Mark Kopp did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Monday.

But Kopp commented on Gabriel’s death on Friday, saying in a statement, “We are deeply saddened at this horrific tragedy.”

“We are more than a school system, we are a family at Franklin County Schools, and we share this loss together. At this time, we are working with support staff at our schools and offering services to our students, faculty, and staff who need assistance,” Kopp said. “We are eternally grateful for our community first responders from both city and county agencies who selflessly responded to assist in this situation.”

US stocks rise as Trump signals tariff negotiations

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday in a burst of investor optimism as the Trump administration signaled plans to negotiate with some countries targeted by sweeping new tariffs.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,385 points, or 3.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 3.7%. The S&P 500 was up 3.3%.

The move followed an upswing in markets worldwide.

Asian markets opened in positive territory after posting significant losses on Monday driven by President Donald Trump’s global tariffs campaign,

Japan’s Nikkei index closed just over 6% up on Tuesday, recovering some of almost 8% of losses posted on Monday.

South Korea’s KOSPI index rose by 0.3%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 grew by 2.2% and India’s NIFTY 50 index climbed almost 2%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index — which on Monday posted its worst day since 1997 losing 13% — rebounded with a 1% rise on Tuesday. Shanghai’s Composite Index grew 1.4%.

European markets also edged into the green after a tumultuous start to the week. The British FTSE 100 picked up 1.3% shortly after opening, Germany’s DAX gained 0.9% and France’s CAC 40 rose 1.3%.

Monday’s rollercoaster trading saw the Dow post its largest intraday point swing ever — falling more than 1,700 points during its Monday session low, then swinging up 2,595 points from the low.

The Dow dropped 349 points, or 0.91%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq ticked up 0.1%. The S&P 500 closed down 0.23%. Its 8.5% high/low spread has only happened 20 other times since 1962, according to S&P Global.

The S&P 500 briefly entered bear market territory during the session but was last off nearly 18% from its recent high.

ABC News’ Max Zahn and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Trump admin tells prosecutors to ease up on crypto enforcement

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is pulling back its enforcement of crypto regulations, disbanding a unit dedicated to cryptocurrency enforcement

The Justice Department instructed federal prosecutors to “no longer target virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and offline wallets for the acts of their end users or unwitting violations of regulations,” according to a memo from the U.S. deputy attorney general reviewed by ABC News.

“The Department of Justice is not a digital assets regulator,” the memo said. “The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) shall be disbanded effective immediately.”

The shift is consistent with President Donald Trump’s other pro-crypto policies, including directives to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to ease up on crypto regulation and the creation of a digital assets reserve.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s memo attacked the Biden administration, which he said, “used the Justice Department to pursue a reckless strategy of regulation by prosecution, which was ill conceived and poorly executed.”

Blanche said the Trump administration’s prosecutions and investigations involving the crypto industry would focus on “individuals who victimize digital asset investors, or those who use digital assets in furtherance of criminal offenses such as terrorism, narcotics and human trafficking, organized crime, hacking, and cartel and gang financing.”

The memo suggests the Justice Department would no longer be interested in some of the biggest crypto cases brought under the prior administration, including Tornado Cash, which allegedly laundered more than $1 billion, and the hacker Avraham Eisenberg, who was convicted in April 2024 of a $110 million market-manipulation case. Both prosecutions were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Blanche also appeared to criticize how the office approached the prosecution of Sam Bankman-Fried, who the prior administration said orchestrated “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.”

Blanche said some investor victims have only been able to recover the value of their digital assets at the time the fraud was perpetrated.

“The effect: digital asset investors’ losses may be calculated at a value when the digital asset market was at a lower point, and victims who bore the risk of loss are unable to benefit from corresponding gains that occurred during or after the period in which they were victimized and would otherwise have possessed the asset,” the memo said, adopting an argument made by Bankman-Fried that investors he defrauded have been made whole. Blanche instructed prosecutors to change their approach.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment.

Asian, European markets rebound, US futures edge up amid Trump tariff turmoil

April 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL) — Asian markets opened up on Tuesday after posting significant losses on Monday driven by President Donald Trump’s global tariffs campaign, with U.S. futures also rising slightly after a day of turmoil on Wall Street.

As of early Tuesday morning, Dow Jones futures were up almost 2%, S&P 500 futures were up more than 1.5% and Nasdaq futures were up 1.3%.

Japan’s Nikkei index closed just over 6% up on Tuesday, recovering some of almost 8% of losses posted on Monday.

South Korea’s KOSPI index rose by 0.3%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 grew by 2.2% and India’s NIFTY 50 index climbed almost 2%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index — which on Monday posted its worst day since 1997 losing 13% — rebounded with a 1% rise on Tuesday. Shanghai’s Composite Index grew 1.4%.

Monday’s rollercoaster trading saw the Dow post its largest intraday point swing ever — falling more than 1,700 points during its Monday session low, then swinging up 2,595 points from the low.

The S&P 500 briefly entered bear market territory during the session but was last off nearly 18% from its recent high.

ABC News’ Max Zahn and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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