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With SNAP benefits set to halt, Thune says he can’t clarify Trump’s plan to fund program

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With critical food assistance benefits set to run out Saturday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday said he is talking with President Donald Trump about the shutdown as lawmakers appear sympathetic, but still entrenched.

The Department of Agriculture said earlier this week that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which serve roughly 42 million low-income Americans, will not be issued on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown.

On Tuesday night as he traveled to South Korea, Trump signaled his administration may find a solution to help fund SNAP, saying “we’re going to get it done,” without offering any details on how.

At the same time, Trump blamed Democrats for putting Americans at risk of losing critical federal food assistance this weekend.

“The Democrats have caused the problem on food stamps … because all they have to do is sign, and, you know, they sign, I’ll meet with them,” Trump said.

Asked about Trump’s SNAP benefits comments, Thune told reporters on Wednesday that he spoke to Trump on Tuesday, but didn’t have insight into what his comments meant.

“I think that what he is saying consistently is ‘Open up the government and then we’ — and that’s the way to fund SNAP,” Thune said.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has a new bill that would fund SNAP during the shutdown. While several Republican senators support it, Thune has appeared lukewarm about bringing it to the floor.

Asked if Trump’s comments were an endorsement of bills like Hawley’s that would fund SNAP during the shutdown, Thune said he wasn’t sure if that’s what Trump was referring to.

“I think the message that he and the rest of the White House, including JD yesterday, have delivered pretty clearly is ‘Open up the government and that’s the way to fund SNAP and everything else.’ If he’s got something else he’s thinking about, I’ll certainly be open to listening to that,” Thune said.

On Wednesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the impacts of the government shutdown this week — including a possible food crisis as well as missed paychecks for federal workers and air traffic controllers — are “getting really tough for the American people,” placing the onus squarely on Democrats.

“The Democrats are coming near now to a cliff that they will not be able to turn back from,” Johnson said at a news conference in the Capitol. “You’ve got families and children that rely upon SNAP benefits that are going to go hungry here at the end of the week.”

As Democrats continue their fight over health care subsidies as the Nov. 1 open enrollment date approaches, Trump said Tuesday night that he would work with Democrats — as long as they vote to fund the government.

“I’d say, open up the government and we’ll work it out,” Trump told reporters.

Democrats are working to balance their health care demands and find solutions for SNAP, with Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján expected to attempt to get the Senate to unanimously pass legislation that would direct the USDA to release available contingency funds to ensure benefits under SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program continue during the shutdown.

Luján’s bill is co-sponsored by every Democrat in the Senate, but does not have any Republican co-sponsors. Because it’s being put on the floor by Democrats, the only way the bill could pass is if every senator supports it — meaning it will likely fail as a result.

“Right now, we’re staring down the barrel at two crises at once. A health care crisis and a hunger crisis,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“We don’t want to pit health care and food. Thank you. We think you can have both,” he later shouted.

Schumer has continued to call on Republicans to “sit-down and negotiate with us” to reopen the government and address the health care crisis.

Thune told reporters Wednesday morning that discussions over a path out of the shutdown have “ticked up significantly” and that he’s “hopeful” that something fruitful will soon emerge.

“It’s ticked up significantly,” Thune said of talks among rank-and-file members. “And hopefully that’ll be a precursor of things to come. But yeah, there’s a lot of higher-level conversation.”

Thune stressed that conversations are going on among rank-and-file members and not among leadership.

“There are a lot of rank-and-file members that continue to, I think, want to pursue solutions and to be able to address the issues they care about, which is including health care, which as I just said right there we are willing to do, but it is obviously contingent upon them opening up the government.”

ABC News’ Megan Mistry, Isabella Murray and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.

Pentagon cuts troops in Eastern Europe, prompting rare pushback by GOP lawmakers

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon’s decision to pull out as many as 800 troops deployed in Eastern Europe has prompted a rare, forceful pushback from congressional Republicans who said Wednesday the move sends the “wrong signal” to Russia at a time the U.S. is trying to force Vladimir Putin to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the top Republicans on the House and Senate armed services committees said they would not support changes to the military’s posture in Europe without a “rigorous interagency process,” including coordination with Congress.

“Unfortunately, this appears to be exactly what is being attempted,” wrote Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, who as panel chairmen oversee defense policy issues related to the Pentagon’s nearly $1 trillion annual budget.

U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that the Army’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division would return to its base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, without being replaced. Romania’s defense minister, Ionut Mosteanu, noted the change in a statement, saying that the U.S. plans to reduce force size in NATO’s so-called “Eastern Flank” would still leave about 1,000 troops in Romania.

“This is not an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO and Article 5,” a statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa said, referring to the provision in the alliance’s treaty calling for mutual defense.

“Rather this is a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility,” wrote the command that oversees Army troops in Europe and Africa.

Wicker and Rogers directly pushed back on the notion that Europe was ready to fill the gaps when it comes to NATO security, noting that it needs time to build up its defenses and saying the move risks “inviting further Russian aggression.”

“This decision also sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine,” the senators wrote. “The President has it exactly right: now is the time for America to demonstrate our resolve against Russian aggression. Unfortunately, the Pentagon’s decision appears uncoordinated and directly at odds with the President’s strategy.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was not clear whether Trump was aware of the plan.

A senior NATO military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said adjustments to force posture were not unusual in Europe and that the alliance believes the U.S. and Trump remain committed to its alliance.

“Even with this adjustment, the U.S. force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years,” the NATO official said. “There are still many more U.S. forces on the continent than before 2022. NATO and U.S. authorities are in close contact about our overall posture — to ensure NATO retains our robust capacity to deter and defend.”

Pushback against the Trump administration by congressional Republicans has been extraordinarily rare during the president’s second term, with the president retaining a firm grip on the GOP.

Progressive House candidate Kat Abughazaleh indicted for allegedly conspiring to injure officers during anti-ICE protests

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(CHICAGO) — A federal grand jury has indicted progressive Illinois House candidate Kat Abughazaleh for allegedly assaulting and conspiring to injure law enforcement during a protest last month at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago.

Abughazaleh and five others were charged with felony offenses for their alleged involvement in a series of skirmishes with officers that later went viral on social media outside of the facility in Broadview, Illinois.

Abughazaleh, 26, posted a video on social media Wednesday responding to the indictment, in which she proclaimed her innocence.

“This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights,” Abughazaleh said. “I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.”

The indictment alleges Abughazaleh conspired with others to impede a law enforcement officer from carrying out his duties on Sept. 26 by surrounding his vehicle and banging “aggressively” to prevent it from moving outside of the Broadview facility’s staging area.

Abughazaleh has posted multiple videos of her joining protests outside of the facility, including one on Sept. 19 that showed her being thrown to the ground by an ICE officer. The videos have led to calls from right-wing activists such as Laura Loomer to have the DOJ arrest Abughazaleh and others who joined in the protests.

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

2 men sentenced to 25 years for failed murder-for-hire plot against Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Two men hired by Iran in a failed plot to kill Masih Alinejad, an Iranian dissident, author and activist, at her New York City home in 2022 were sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday.

A Manhattan federal court jury convicted Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov of murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering in March.

Federal prosecutors said the two partnered with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an attempt to silence one of Iran’s most vocal, internationally recognized and effective critics in exchange for half a million dollars.

“I looked these men in the eyes — men who intended to silence me for defending women’s freedom — and am still standing,” Alinejad said after the sentencing hearing.

The journalist said the verdict is a “victory for my fellow dissidents who continue to fight for freedom and refuse to be silenced.”

“For too long, dictators have treated America as their personal playground to orchestrate transnational oppression,” she said. “It’s past time the U.S. government makes clear that U.S. residents are protected and that if they are targeted on American soil, there will be consequences for the hitmen as well as the regimes that sent them.”

In a video posted on social media Wednesday morning, Alinejad said she was en route with the FBI to the federal courthouse for the sentencing “to face my would-be assassins” and read a victim impact statement.

“As you see, I’m wearing red because they were hoping to cover all over my body with blood,” she said. “I’m wearing red to celebrate my life.”

Ahead of the sentencing, prosecutors said Omarov and Amirov deserved 55 years in prison because they sought “to soak the Brooklyn streets with the victim’s blood.”

Meanwhile, Omarov’s attorney argued for a sentence of no more than 10 years and Amirov’s attorney argued for no more than 13 years.

Prosecutors said the pair is part of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran and wanted to use the bounty to build power and influence in the Russian mob.

“When Amirov and Omarov were presented with a $500,000 bounty to assassinate Ms. Alinejad, they pursued the assignment quickly and relentlessly,” federal prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that in late July 2022, the triggerman hired by Amirov and Omarov “repeatedly traveled” to Alinejad’s Brooklyn neighborhood to surveil her.

At one point, the triggerman, Khalid Mehdiyev, saw Alinejad on her porch while he was walking around the neighborhood, and by the time he was able to make his way back to his car to retrieve an assault rifle, she had gone back inside, prosecutors said. “Alarmed” by the sight of Mehdiyev, Alinejad left her house on July 28, 2022, to stay with a friend out of state, prosecutors said.

Alinejad posted a video on social media of Mehdiyev outside her house on July 28, 2022.

When the triggerman drove away from the Brooklyn residence that day, the NYPD pulled him over for blowing a stop sign and driving on a suspended license. The officers arrested him and, during an inventory search of the car, found the assault rifle, as well as 66 rounds of ammunition, a ski mask, gloves and a bundle of cash, prosecutors said.

Fed cuts interest rates for 2nd time this year, but rejects large reduction sought by Trump

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) –The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, opting for its second interest rate cut this year in an effort to jumpstart the flagging labor market.

The widely expected move delivers a lowering of interest rates sought by President Donald Trump, though the size of the cut falls short of the major drawdown called for repeatedly by the president.

The policy marks the first interest rate adjustment since the outset of a weekslong government shutdown that threatens to cool economic activity, all the while sharply restricting the release of gold-standard federal data prized by Fed policymakers.

In a rare exception, the U.S. government issued an inflation report last week showing a continued acceleration of price increases, which may complicate the Fed’s attempt to revive the labor market.

Inflation has picked up in recent months while hiring has slowed, posing a risk of an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation.”

Those economic conditions have put the Federal Reserve in a bind, since the central bank must balance a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment.

“Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment rose in recent months,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, said in a statement on Wednesday.

If the Fed raises interest rates as a means of protecting against tariff-induced inflation, it risks tipping the economy into a downturn. On the other hand, if the Fed lowers rates to stimulate the economy in the face of a hiring slowdown, it threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.

Last month, the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate a quarter of a percentage point, opting for its first interest rate cut this year. The federal funds rate stands between 3.75% and 4%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.

Last month, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, projected two additional quarter-point rate cuts over the remainder of the year. By contrast, Trump has called for rate cuts totaling as much as 3 percentage points.

Trump has carried out a pressure campaign at the Fed with little precedent.

In recent months, Trump moved to fire one member of the Fed’s board of governors and secure Senate confirmation for another. Both officials were among the 12 policymakers who cast votes on last month’s interest-rate decision, though their status remained uncertain days before the Fed meeting. They both stand poised to cast votes again on Wednesday.

Stephen Miran, a top White House economic advisor who joined the Fed last month, cast the lone vote in favor of a larger half-point rate cut.

Trump attempted to fire board member Lisa Cook, who sued Trump over her attempted ouster, saying the decision violated her legal protections as an employee at the independent federal agency. Trump said he removed Cook over mortgage fraud allegations against her.

Federal law allows the president to remove a member of the Fed board “for cause,” though no president has attempted such a removal in the 112-year history of the central bank.

Last month, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Fed to let Cook continue serving in her role as a governor of the Federal Reserve System as her lawsuit moves through the courts.

More beachfront homes in the Outer Banks have fallen into the Atlantic

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Several more North Carolina homes have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, and more could collapse in the coming days, according to the National Park Service.

Five unoccupied homes in the Outer Banks fell into the sea on Tuesday afternoon amid rough surf, the NPS announced.

Two of the homes that collapsed on Tuesday were located on Tower Circle Road in the community of Buxton, while two were located on Ocean Drive and one on Cottage Avenue, according to the NPS. All of the homes fell between 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. ET.

Local officials are attempting to reach the owners of the homes to determine their plans for cleaning up the debris on the beaches lining the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the NPS said.

Officials advised visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to avoid the beach and stay out of the water in Buxton due to “varying amounts” of hazardous debris that are currently littering the beach south of the collapse site. Large pieces of lumber have also been observed in the surf and shorebreak.

The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands stretching the coast of North Carolina, featuring more than 100 miles of shoreline. The picturesque seaside communities are known for their beach homes propped on high stilts.

But more than two dozen privately-owned homes along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore have collapsed into the Atlantic since 2020, according to the NPS.

Sixteen of those homes succumbed to the sea since Sept. 16 of this year, according to the NPS.

Most of the debris from the homes that collapsed prior to the latest event had been cleaned up before Tuesday, the NPS said. There is potential for more homes to subside in the coming days.

Rising sea levels that have resulted from global warming and the melting of ice caps have likely exacerbated the natural sea erosion that occurs daily from the impacts of wind, waves and tides.

In the Outer Banks, the villages of Rodanthe and Buxton have been hit particularly hard by the effects of coastal erosion, according to the NPS.

The Outer Banks — along with other barrier islands on the East Coast — often face the brunt of inclement weather that impacts the eastern coast of the U.S.

In August, mandatory evacuations were issued in several counties in the Outer Banks due to Hurricane Erin, despite the storm not making landfall in the U.S.

Eight homes collapsed between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3 after the impacts from Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, both of which stayed far in the Atlantic but still brought massive waves to the eastern seaboard.

An additional home fell on Oct. 18, days after the first nor’easter of the season battered the East Coast.

Projects to fortify the beaches near the Outer Banks, including beach nourishment and jetty repairs, are scheduled for 2026, ABC Raleigh-Durham affiliate WTVD reported.

Local officials are trying to preserve and secure the beaches as quickly as possible, Bobby Outten, manager of Dare County, told WTVD.

Louvre heist suspects to be charged, jewels not recovered: Paris prosecutor

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(PARIS) — The Paris public prosecutor reported on Wednesday that investigators are making “major progress” in solving the brazen Oct. 19 Louvre Museum heist and said two suspects in custody will be charged with “organized robbery.”

During a news conference on Wednesday, Laure Beccuau, the Paris Public Prosecutor, released new information about the two suspects arrested last weekend, but said the stolen jewels remain missing.

Beccuau said that if the suspects are convicted, they’ll face a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.

A 96-hour deadline for charging or releasing the suspects was set to expire on Wednesday. Both suspects are from the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, authorities previously said.

Beccuau also said in her press conference that the two suspects arrested on Saturday “partially admitted their involvement in the events to investigators.”

A massive manhunt continued on Wednesday for at least two other suspects in the robbery. Beccuau said she has not ruled out the possibility that more perpetrators were involved in the heist, but added that, at this stage, evidence has not suggested any additional accomplices.

Beccuau said trace DNA recovered from a scooter used in the heist and a window at the Louvre helped investigators identify the suspects, whose names have not been released.

One man was arrested about 8 p.m. local time on Saturday at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport as he was about to leave the country without a return ticket, Beccuau said. She said the suspect has lived in France since 2010 and had been convicted of a previous robbery.

Beccuau said the second suspect is a taxi driver who was arrested at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday near his home. She said the suspect’s DNA was found on one of the windows at the Louvre.

Beccuau said the suspect had been previously convicted of “aggravated robberies” in 2008 and 2014.

Investigators previously told ABC News that the second suspect was arrested as he was about to travel to Mali, but on Wednesday, Beccuau said the man had no intention of leaving the country.

ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge and Joseph Simonetti contributed to this report.

Hurricane Melissa tracker: Following storm’s path after historic landfall in Jamaica

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane — one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic basin — and is now continuing its path of destruction through the Caribbean.

Melissa tore through Jamaica on Tuesday with 185 mph winds, making the storm the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall on the island. The previous record was set by Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

Rain totals in Jamaica could be up to 2 feet, with up to 30 inches in higher elevations. Jamaica’s prime minister has declared the country a disaster area.

Early Wednesday morning, Melissa made landfall in Cuba with 120 mph winds. Cuba faced a storm surge of up to 12 feet and could be inundated with 25 inches of rain in higher elevations.

Now, Melissa is heading toward the Bahamas as a Category 2 storm.

In the southeastern Bahamas, 5 to 10 inches of rain is expected and a storm surge of 5 to 8 feet is possible.

The storm is then expected to pass closely to Bermuda on Thursday night.

South Korea says US will lower tariffs, agreement reached on trade

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(GYEONGIU, South Korea) – South Korea announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement on details of the trade deal with the U.S., following a bilateral meeting between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, as well as months of negotiations.

President Lee’s chief of staff said the tariffs the U.S. imposes on automobile exports will be lowered to 15% from 25%. The framework deal from July lowered the reciprocal rate to 15% and that will be maintained.

Back in July, South Korea pledged to invest $350 billion into the U.S. Lee’s chief of staff said a $200 billion investment will be made in installments of up to $20 billion cash payments each year. Another $150 billion will be invested in the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

This now puts the auto tariffs South Korea will pay in line with those on Japan.

The White House has not responded to request for comment about the tariffs, but released a fact-sheet with more details of the trade deal.

It includes a commitment from Korean Air to purchase 103 new Boeing aircraft for $36.2 billion, a move that is expected to support up to 135,000 jobs in the U.S. The Republican of Korea Air Force will invest $2.3 billion to develop its aircraft with an American technology company.

Plus, the White House said it has secured key investments that solidify the United States as a global energy leader, including South Korean purchases of American liquid natural gas and a $3 billion investment in U.S. power-grid infrastructure.

Earlier on Wednesday, the South Korean president greeted Trump with flattery and gifts, including a replica of the ancient gold crown from the Silla dynasty. Their meeting was held in Gyeongju, South Korea, which was the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom.

Trump was also awarded with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea’s highest honor. Trump is the first U.S. president to receive the honor.

Pennsylvania man with multiple arrest warrants escapes police custody while handcuffed, search underway: Officials

October 29, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A man in Pennsylvania with multiple warrants, including federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers, is at large after he escaped police custody while still wearing handcuffs, according to the East Pikeland Township Police Department.

Jairo Eliazar Ramirez-Lima, 41, escaped from police custody on Saturday at approximately 6:59 a.m. while being transported from a local hospital following an arrest for driving under the influence, police said in a statement on Saturday.

Despite being handcuffed, Ramirez-Lima “fled on foot from the hospital grounds” and has not been seen since, police confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.

Ramirez-Lima, who “should be considered dangerous,” was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, white or light gray sweatpants and black sneakers, police said.

While police said there is “no known active threat to the public,” they added Ramirez-Lima has “multiple active arrest warrants, including federal ICE detainers and has a history of violence and weapons offenses.”

In addition to the DUI and escape charges, Ramirez-Lima was also charged with false identification to a law enforcement officer, tampering with public records, driving without a license, disregard to a traffic lane and careless driving, according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

He also has a protection-from-abuse order against him in Maryland, according to Philadelphia ABC station WPVI.

The suspect’s escape remains under investigation and police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Anyone with information on Ramirez-Lima’s whereabouts should contact the East Pikeland Township Police Department at 610-935-0606 or call 911, officials said.

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