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Nick Reiner’s defense attorney withdraws from case

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Nick Reiner returned to court on Wednesday for the alleged murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner.

The 32-year-old, who faces two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, sat behind the glass, wearing a dark jumpsuit and sporting a buzz cut.

His defense attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case during Wednesday’s court appearance. Reiner will be assigned a public defender. Jackson is under a protective order to not talk about the case.

The hearing is ongoing.

On Dec. 17, Nick Reiner made a brief first court appearance and waived the right to a speedy arraignment.

Since his last appearance, sources told ABC News that law enforcement and defense attorneys have been working to piece together Nick Reiner’s psychiatric and substance abuse history. Legal experts say California law allows defense attorneys to signal as early as Wednesday’s hearing whether they will seek to use mental health in their defense.

Nick Reiner has a documented history of addiction and substance abuse treatment, and friends have told investigators that his mental health had been deteriorating prior to the murders.

He could enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday, though that could also come later.

Under California law, a jury can find a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, which would result in confinement to a state psychiatric hospital rather than prison. That process can begin at arraignment but is not required to.

To pursue this defense, attorneys must demonstrate that the accused suffered from a mental illness prior to developing an addiction. A mental illness caused solely by addiction does not meet the legal standard.

Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14.

The night before the murders, Nick Reiner — who had been open about battling drug addiction since he was a teenager, and had been living on his parents’ property — got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party, and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News.

Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered.

Rob and Michele Reiners’ other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, said in a statement last month, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”

“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” Jake and Romy Reiner said. “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”

Energy Secretary Wright details plans for US control of Venezuelan oil

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Trump has been adamant that the U.S. will take control of Venezuela’s oil. Wednesday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright explained how the Trump administration envisions this will actually work, saying the U.S. will control the flow and sale of Venezuela’s oil and the revenue that comes from those sales.

“Instead of the oil being blockaded, as it is right now, we’re going to let the market, let the oil flow, sell that market to United States refineries and to around the world to bring better oil supplies, but have those sales done by the U.S. government and deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government,” Wright told an energy industry conference organized by Goldman Sachs in Miami.

“And then from there, those funds can flow back into Venezuela to benefit the Venezuelan people, but we need to have that leverage and that control of those oil sales to drive the changes that simply must happen in Venezuela,” Wright said.

Wright also said that he is in “active dialogue” with the Venezuelans and the oil and gas companies that were there before.

“It is going to require this, this cooperation between and pressure between the United States and Venezuela. If we control the flow of oil, the sales of [that] oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage, but without large leverage, as we’ve seen in the last 25 years, you don’t get change,” he said.

As for what happens to the revenue from those sales, which Wright said would be “deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government,” it would then “flow back into Venezuela to benefit the Venezuelan people, but we need to have that leverage,” he said.

Wright did not detail how much of that revenue would ultimately flow back into Venezuela. He did say that several hundred thousand barrels of oil could start to flow from Venezuela in the “short to medium term.”

President Donald Trump announced 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.

Sources also confirmed to ABC News that some sanctions against Venezuela would be lifted to allow for the transport and sale of the oil on global markets, and that the revenue from those sales would be deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S., as Wright said.

The White House declined to comment but did not dispute the reports.

Wright on Wednesday echoed Trump in saying that some sanctions against Venezuela may be lifted, or at least that the U.S. would enable imports of some crucial equipment.

“And as we make progress with the government, you know, we will enable the importing of parts and equipment and services to kind of prevent the industry from collapsing, stabilize the production, and then as quickly as possible, start to see it growing again,” Wright said.

Wright also described the current energy infrastructure in Venezuela as “not good,” saying that it had degraded under “decades of under-investment, decades of corruption.”

“It’s not, of course, just oil and gas. Think of the electricity grid. That’s the backbone of a society,” Wright further said, adding that he’s been talking to leaders in the oil industry about how to improve the infrastructure.

“We’re either going to make that happen, make those changes in Venezuela and the capital will flow, or if we can’t successfully make those changes in Venezuela, the capital won’t flow,” Wright said.

Uvalde officer’s trial could be in jeopardy after issues with key witness testimony

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The criminal case against former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales could be in jeopardy after defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding key information that was revealed during the first day of testimony on Tuesday.

Defense attorneys alleged prosecutors failed to disclose that a former Robb Elementary School teacher changed her original account of the shooting during testimony in the long-anticipated trial.

Judge Sid Harle excused the jury and canceled the trial for Wednesday, and instead scheduled a special hearing for Wednesday afternoon to determine how the case could proceed in the wake of Tuesday’s events. Harle offered no indication of how he might rule, though he told the court there are several possibilities after defense attorneys suggested they could ask for a mistrial.

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.

The legal dispute on Tuesday stemmed from the testimony of former teacher Stephanie Hale, who told jurors she saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, firing toward her and her students near the playground.

“As we were all running into the classroom, I saw the — I don’t know if you call him — horrible person, walking,” she testified. She said she sheltered with her students in a classroom and armed themselves with safety scissors.

Defense attorneys immediately objected, arguing that in an interview with state investigators four days after the shooting, Hale didn’t mention seeing the shooter or being shot at.

In a remarkable turn of events, the judge allowed defense lawyers to question District Attorney Christina Mitchell under oath in open court about the issue. Mitchell confessed that she was not aware the teacher’s testimony had changed. Prosecutors acknowledged that she mentioned seeing the shooter in interviews with investigators ahead of trial.

While witnesses sometimes change their accounts of traumatic events without casting doubt on their entire testimony, prosecutors are under a legal obligation to turn over ahead of trial notes of their meetings with witnesses, experts say. Defense lawyers argue they did not receive any notes showing the change in testimony, which, they argue, is vital to their defense.

Hale is the only witness so far who has placed the shooter on the south side of the school and in range of Gonzales.

“If she did report these things to the prosecution, we were entitled to that to prepare for this. And this is a trial by ambush,” defense attorney Jason Goss said.

Gross was pointed in his questioning of the district attorney, saying, “Neither the prosecutor nor anyone in the room thought to ask her, ‘Where did you see the shooter?'”

“You know, you’re getting very nitpicky. … When we were prepping these witnesses, I was running a law office,” Mitchell responded. “I was in and out of interviews, so I can’t say that … ‘Oh my God,’ you know, it wasn’t that type of reaction for me.”

Harle is set to decide the next steps during Wednesday afternoon’s hearing.

In an interview with reporters outside court on Tuesday, lead defense attorney Nico LaHood declined to say whether he would ask for a mistrial, though he noted the option was on the table.

Local attorneys who spoke with ABC News described Hale, the judge overseeing the case, as a well-experienced jurist known for setting high standards for the lawyers who practice before him. The Texas law that requires prosecutors hand over witness statements to defense attorneys — known as the Michael Morton Act — stemmed from a case in which Harle, himself, exonerated a man wrongly accused of killing his wife.

“He’s not going to do any favors,” Gerry Goldstein, an attorney for Morton, said of Harle. “He will call orders as he sees them.”

Shooting involving ICE agent occurred in Minneapolis, mayor says

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — A shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent occurred in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the city’s mayor.

“The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said 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 federal law enforcement” near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue while urging people to avoid the area.

A large law enforcement presence could be seen at the scene.

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

White House releases new dietary guidelines encouraging Americans to limit highly processed foods

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration announced new federal dietary guidelines on Wednesday, encouraging Americans to limit highly processed foods and to reduce refined carbohydrates.

The guidelines also recommend eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables, incorporating healthy fats, prioritizing protein-rich meals and consuming full-fat dairy with no added sugars.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are updated every five years, come as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made nutrition policy a cornerstone of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

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

Judge orders DOJ to explain why Lindsey Halligan is still using the title of US attorney

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge wants to know why Lindsey Halligan is still using the title of U.S. attorney despite a judge ruling in November that she is legally not in the position.

Halligan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to be the acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, was found by a judge to not be legally allowed to serve in the role because the law doesn’t allow the position to be filled by two interim nominees in a row.

The ruling came two months after Halligan secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, only to have them thrown out due to her unlawful appointment.

The issue stems from a recent case in which Halligan, on the indictment, represents that she is the U.S. attorney and “did so despite a binding Court Order entered by Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie on November 24, 2025, in which Judge Currie found that the ‘appointment Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney violated 28 U.S.C. § 546 and the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution,'” U.S. District Judge David Novak wrote in a filing Tuesday.

Judge Novak said that while the government is appealing the ruling, it is not subject to being ignored. He ordered the government to explain why Halligan has identified herself as the U.S. attorney within seven days.

“Ms. Halligan shall further explain why her identification does not constitute a false or misleading statement,” the judge wrote.

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

Halligan, one of Trump’s former personal attorneys, was named U.S. attorney by Trump in September after Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, who sources say had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against James and Comey.

Because Siebert himself had been named interim U.S. attorney by Trump last January, Judge Currie ruled that Halligan’s appointment as interim U.S. attorney violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause that limits how long prosecutors can serve without Senate confirmation.

US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic and 2nd tanker

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker — formerly known as the Bella-1 — which has been linked to Venezuela and was transiting the North Atlantic, according to three sources familiar with the operation. And it also seized another tanker, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The operation for the Marinera was being carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and other military assets, according to one source. Russian military vessels were in the area as the situation unfolded.

In a post on X, U.S. European Command confirmed the seizure of the tanker in the North Atlantic.

“In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ships — one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean,” Noem said in a post on X. “Both vessels — the Motor Tanker Bella 1 and the Motor [Tanker] Sophia — were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it.”

The U.S. Coast Guard has been tracking the Marinera tanker for the last two weeks after attempting to seize it on Dec. 20 when the empty ship was in the Caribbean and apparently headed to Venezuela.

On Dec. 31 the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping listed the ship — with the new name of Marinera — as a Russian vessel. The ship’s crew also painted a Russian flag on the ship’s side.

The Bella-1 previously flew a false Panamanian flag and is suspected to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which Moscow is accused of using to evade international sanctions.

The ship recently activated its transponder allowing open source maritime tracking websites to locate the ship as being in the North Atlantic Ocean close to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said it was “monitoring with concern” the situation around the ship.

“At present, our vessel is sailing in the international waters of the North Atlantic under the state flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law,” the ministry said.

“For reasons unclear to us, the Russian ship is being given increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the U.S. and NATO military, despite its peaceful status,” it said.

The vessel was put under U.S. sanctions in 2024 for carrying Hezbollah-owned cargo and for providing a form of support to the Iranian regime.

Nick Reiner expected to enter plea in stabbing deaths of parents Rob and Michele Reiner

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Nick Reiner is expected to appear at an arraignment on Wednesday to enter a plea in the murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner.

The 32-year-old faces two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders.

Nick Reiner made a brief first court appearance on Dec. 17 and waived the right to a speedy arraignment.

Nick Reiner has a documented history of addiction and substance abuse treatment, and friends have told investigators that his mental health had been deteriorating prior to the murders.

He could enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday, though that could also come later.

Nick Reiner’s defense attorney Alan Jackson issued a statement last month, reading: “We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed … not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves and that the family deserves.”

Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14.

Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered.

Rob and Michele Reiners’ other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, said in a statement last month, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”

European nations commit to troops in Ukraine as part of ‘milestone’ peace talks in Paris

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — U.S., European and Ukrainian representatives are gathering in Paris again on Wednesday for further talks regarding a potential peace deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

Participants were positive on the outcome of the first day of talks, with Jared Kushner — U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key member of the American delegation — describing Tuesday as a “real milestone,” though warning that a peace agreement is not imminent.

Notably, the U.K. and France signed a “Declaration of Intent” to send troops to Ukraine to safeguard any future deal, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday.

The two nations said they would establish “military hubs” across Ukraine and protective facilities to be used by Ukraine’s armed forces to support the country’s defensive needs, Starmer said. The British leader, though, said that “the hardest yards are still ahead” in terms of reaching a deal.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, meanwhile, said at a joint press conference that Berlin is “not fundamentally ruling anything out” regarding its future involvement.

“Germany will continue to engage politically, financially, and also militarily,” Scholz said. “This could include, for example, deploying forces for Ukraine on neighboring NATO territory after a ceasefire.”

Kyiv has long said it cannot accept any peace deal with Russia without binding security guarantees from its Western partners to protect against future aggression from Moscow. The largely-European “Coalition of the Willing” group of nations has been pushing for such guarantees.

For its part, Russia has repeatedly said it will not accept the deployment of any troops from NATO nations to Ukraine as part of a peace deal.

The Coalition of the Willing said in a joint statement on Tuesday that its proposed guarantees will include a “U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” overseen by a “Special Commission” to address any “breaches, attribute responsibility and determine remedies.”

The Coalition also said it would continue “critical long-term military assistance and armament” to Ukraine alongside intelligence and military industrial cooperation and deploy a multinational force to “support the rebuilding of Ukraine’s armed forces and support deterrence.

The Coalition will offer “military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions” in the event of any future Russian aggression, it said.

The extent of any U.S. involvement remains unclear, Trump having already ruled out deploying American forces to Ukraine.

Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post to X that Tuesday’s talks made “significant progress” on several critical issues related to the proposed 20-point peace plan, including on security guarantees.

“We agree with the Coalition that durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace in the Ukraine and we will continue to work together on this effort,” Witkoff said in a post on X.

Kushner, meanwhile, warned that there is still significant work to be done before any peace deal is finalized. “This does not mean we will make peace,” he said after Tuesday’s talks. “But peace would not be possible without the progress we made today.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in posts to social media that significant progress was made on the practicalities of future security guarantees.

“It’s determined which countries are ready to take leadership in elements of ensuring security on land, in the sky, at sea and in reconstruction. It’s determined what forces are needed. It’s determined how the forces will be managed and at what levels the command will be located,” he wrote.

“We had very substantive discussions with the American side on monitoring — to ensure there are no violations of peace. The United States is ready to work on this. One of the most critical elements is deterrence — the tools that will prevent any new Russian aggression,” he added.

“Thank you, America, for your willingness to provide backstop on all fronts: security guarantees, ceasefire monitoring and reconstruction,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Some pediatricians are already seeing negative effects of changing vaccine recommendations

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly changed the childhood immunization schedule, reducing the number of recommended shots for all children from 18 down to only 11.

According to the new schedule, shots will now be categorized in three groups: those recommended for all children, those recommended for only certain high-risk children and others left up to shared clinical decision making, meaning only given if recommended by an individual’s doctor or based on parental preference.

Some pediatricians told ABC News that this decision will only cause more confusion and fuel a growing trend of vaccine skepticism and refusal amid a rise in some vaccine-preventable illnesses around the U.S.

Dr. Anita Henderson, a pediatrician at the Pediatric Clinic in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, told ABC News that removing seven shots from the schedule recommended for all kids is “reckless” and confusing.

This isn’t the first change to vaccine recommendations that has been made in the past year by the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In 2025, guidance for vaccinating healthy children against COVID-19 was reversed and the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine was eliminated. Kennedy also fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and handpicked their replacements, and has been criticized.

“Pediatricians are already facing families who are confused about vaccine recommendations. This confusion is intentional and meant to weaken vaccination rates in the US and sow seeds of doubt and division,” Henderson said.

Under the updated schedule, only seven vaccines are recommended based on shared clinical decision making between a doctor and parent and are no longer universally recommended for all children.

These include shots that protect against influenza, COVID-19, rotavirus and some types of bacterial meningitis and viral hepatitis. All of these vaccine-preventable illnesses can lead to severe infections or death and have limited to no treatment options.

“These latest changes will undoubtedly shake confidence in vaccines even further, to the detriment of the children we care for,” Dr. Molly O’Shea, a practicing pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told ABC News.

O’Shea said that, in her practice, she’s had to navigate more vaccine skepticism and refusal over the past year, but wants parents to know that the science on effectiveness and safety hasn’t shifted “even though the recommended vaccine schedule has shifted.”

She continued, “The reason for that shift has nothing to do with whether or not vaccines are safe and effective and all children benefit from avoiding illness and being healthy, to attend school and be a part of the community.”

To address growing concerns about vaccines, O’Shea said the pediatric offices she works in have had to change their workflow to allow more time for discussions about vaccines and to address vaccine misinformation.

While happy to have these conversations with families, O’Shea said reserving time for these additional visits for vaccine counseling becomes more difficult during flu season, when more kids need to be seen due to illnesses.

She added that the offices have already had to scale back ordering some vaccines in bulk because uptake has decreased for some shots.

Henderson and O’Shea both reaffirmed that vaccines are safe — far safer than the dangerous illnesses they prevent.

“Over the last 30 years, I have hospitalized hundreds of children with complications from influenza, RSV, rotavirus and other vaccine-preventable diseases that have now been removed from the CDC schedule,” Henderson said. “I have never hospitalized a child from a vaccine reaction. Vaccines are safe and effective and protect our most vulnerable patients … our babies and children.”

“Vaccines are the safest way for a child’s immune system to become familiar with any of these illnesses, way safer than the disease itself,” O’Shea added.

Doctors are also concerned that the vaccination schedule updates may have secondary impacts, including how often children and families see their pediatrician.

Pediatric wellness checks include recommended vaccines, particularly in young childhood, but pediatricians say that there’s more to those visits than shots alone. Skipping visits could miss critical windows of a child’s growth, development, and recommended screenings.

“Absent vaccine, kids are really going to miss out on important other screening aspects of the wellness visits if their parents are opting out,” O’Shea said.

Pediatricians continue to urge parents to talk to their own child’s doctor and to trust their medical guidance.

“Your pediatrician really is your trusted source of information, and we have nothing to gain in the way things are going here,” O’Shea said.

“Vaccines are certainly not a way in which we make any money,” she went on. “But [a] pediatrician’s goal is to partner with parents to make the right decision for your child, and so, bringing your concerns and questions to your pediatrician is the best way to get quality information.”

Amid the shrinking childhood vaccine schedule, many vaccine-preventable illnesses remain common in the U.S. and other diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, are increasing.

Last year, the U.S. saw more measles cases than at any other time in the last 30 years and three people died from the disease. Two children died from whooping cough during an outbreak in Louisiana and more kids died from influenza than in any other year on record since it became a reportable illness in 2004.

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