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Hegseth calls protesters ‘ingrates’ as they try to drown out DC National Guard event

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed protesters chanting “Guard go home” outside a ceremony in Washington, D.C., honoring National Guard troops as their presence in the nation’s capital approaches the one-year mark and has nearly doubled in recent weeks to roughly 5,000 personnel.

“It’s the sound of ingrates,” Hegseth told a formation of some 250 National Guardsmen gathered at a park nestled in Washington D.C.’s northwest neighborhoods. “People who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them. There’s nothing ideological about this group.”

Outside the park, dozens of protesters gathered in front of a security perimeter formed by National Guard troops and law enforcement, chanting through megaphones and blowing whistles while drums and a trombone added to the noise as they sought to drown out the speeches. The peaceful demonstration remained largely uneventful.

Speaking in front of the Meridian Hill Park fountain that was recently repaired by the Department of the Interior after years of being inoperative, Hegseth was joined by National Guard chief Gen. Steven Nordhaus, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, commander of the District of Columbia National Guard, and senior White House aide Stephen Miller, who has been an architect of the Trump administration’s National Guard mission in Washington D.C. Each praised the troops serving in Washington.

The deployment has largely focused on high-visibility patrols through downtown corridors and major tourist areas, far from the city’s high-crime areas, along with civic support missions, including trash collection. Troops are commonly armed with 9mm SIG Sauer M17 pistols or 5.56mm M4 rifles.

National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington since last August, with states maintaining a steady rotation of personnel into the city. The broad mission has placed military personnel on civilian streets in an unprecedented domestic role, though National Guard troops retain very limited legal authority.

The National Guard also maintains its constant rotation of units to missions in Africa, Europe and in the Middle East amid the war with Iran. Troops often serve in a part-time capacity, juggling their Guard duty with typical civilian careers.

The force has been drawn overwhelmingly from Republican-led states. The D.C. National Guard itself accounts for about 500 troops, roughly one-quarter of its force, serving on the mission.

South Carolina has deployed roughly 700 troops, Georgia nearly 800 and Mississippi about 500, according to National Guard figures. Other states with sizable contingents include West Virginia, Nebraska, Florida and Louisiana.

Democratic-led states and U.S. territories have begun sending troops to D.C. in recent weeks, but only for events tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration and an expected surge in tourism.

Earlier this week, Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned she would withdraw her state’s troops if they were assigned to President Donald Trump’s ongoing “Safe and Beautiful” mission rather than July 4th-related events.

In practice, however, drawing a distinction between holiday security operations and the Guard’s broader mission in Washington, D.C., may be difficult. Much of the ongoing mission is already concentrated around the National Mall and downtown transit stations, where tourists and local residents celebrating the holiday are expected to converge, one U.S. official explained. National Guard units from other states are frequently sent to Washington for major events such as presidential inaugurations.

Estimates have shown the Guard deployment is more expensive than using additional police officers or municipal workers.

An analysis from the Niskanen Center found the cost differential between troops and local law enforcement was roughly $607 per Guardsman per day compared to about $384 per day for a D.C. police officer.

The report also noted that the National Guard’s presence in D.C. has not reduced violent crime but has coincided with a decline in property crimes.

One estimate from the Congressional Budget Office found the National Guard’s D.C. footprint will cost at least $660 million this year, but it doesn’t account for the additional surge of troops for the summer.

A White House spokeswoman dismissed the Niskanen analysis and insisted the National Guard presence had driven down crime and improved quality of life in the District.

Two National Guard members from West Virginia were shot in the head while on patrol in November. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured and is still recovering, his family says.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, an Afghan national and suspected gunman, pleaded not guilty to the shootings. The Department of Justice said in June it is determining whether to seek the death penalty.

Olympian David Hearn indicted for alleged vandalism of Reflecting Pool

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn has been indicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for allegedly “maliciously” destroying lining at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

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

16 children rescued from ‘deplorable conditions’ in Ohio home, officials say: ‘Beyond comprehension’

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(VINTON COUNTY, Ohio) — Four people have been charged with child endangerment after 16 children were removed from a home in Ohio where officials say they were living in “deplorable conditions.”

Authorities executed a search warrant at the home in Hamden in Vinton County on Tuesday, where they say they found the children and four suspects inside.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the evidence in the case is “beyond comprehension.”

“I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, that there was a very high probability that we’d be dealing with a death or multiple deaths of these children,” he said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said this is not a case of human trafficking, but an “intra-family situation.”

He described the suspects as being the “grandma, grandpa, father and mother” during Wednesday’s press briefing.

The four suspects — Gary Siders Sr., 73; Christina Siders, 67; Gary Siders II, 36; and Elizabeth Siders, 33 — have each been charged with 16 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony, according to officials. They pleaded not guilty during their arraignment Wednesday morning and their bond was set at $300,000 each. They will likely request court-appointed counsel, officials said.

The charges allege the four suspects abused the children, resulting in “serious physical harm.”

The children range in age from 1 ½ to 18, according to Wilson. He did not go into the nature of the injuries but said seven of the children were transported to the hospital on Tuesday, including two who were airlifted there. One of the children was in critical condition, Wilson said.

Archer said the children are safe and officials are working to have them placed in temporary custody.

“They are currently in a good situation and are being protected,” he said.

Wilson said the investigation has been ongoing for some time, and that a separate but “parallel” investigation led law enforcement to execute the search warrant on Tuesday.

The family had lived in Vinton County for the past four years and were “clearly bouncing around,” according to Wilson.

“They were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and out of investigative eyes,” he said.

The children were not enrolled in school, according to Wilson. The eldest child is included among the charges because the 18-year-old is believed to developmentally still be a minor, officials said.

“Some of these children couldn’t even speak,” Wilson said. “It was terrible.”

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the condition of the house as “disgusting,” including the presence of human feces, and said the children were largely confined to a small area.

“Most of our livestock is kept in better condition than the children,” Cain said during Wednesday’s briefing.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called the situation “tragic.”

“It is heartbreaking to learn the conditions that these children were living in, and to learn of their medical conditions,” DeWine said in a statement, which also thanked those helping them.

An attorney for one of the suspects said that the case is in an “extremely preliminary stage.”

Gary Siders Sr. is “entitled to the same presumption of innocence that every person charged in this county should and does enjoy,” his attorney, Dorian Keith Baum, said in a statement on Thursday, in part.

“So while there is little ability to stop all speculation, conjecture, or uncorroborated guess-work from taking place, I would ask that we all let the process play out, irrespective of the sensationalist underpinnings of the allegations against Mr. Siders, so that we as his defense counsel can be provided with whatever evidence the State allegedly has in order to give it a thorough review and determine if the State can meet their burden of proof; or, alternatively, if Mr. Siders is actually not guilty of what is being alleged,” the statement continued.

ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.

Texas man charged with manslaughter in Tesla crash that killed a woman in her home: Sheriff

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(KATY, Texas) — A Texas man has been arrested on a manslaughter charge after his Tesla crashed into a home last month while he claimed it was in self-driving mode, killing a woman inside the residence, authorities said.

The driver, Michael Butler, was arrested on Wednesday and booked at the Harris County Jail, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Butler is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on July 6, according to online jail records. He remained in custody on Thursday morning, according to jail records.

The fatal crash allegedly involving Butler unfolded on June 19 in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas, according to the sheriff’s office.

Butler was traveling in his Tesla Model 3 around 8 p.m. local time and claimed the vehicle was operating “with an automated driving assistance system,” the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Butler allegedly failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway and crashed through the front of a two-story brick residence, according to the sheriff’s office.

Butler’s car allegedly drove into the front room of the home, pinning 76-year-old Martha Avila, the sheriff’s office said.

Avila was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.

Avila’s family filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit last month in Harris County District Court, alleging Tesla and Butler were negligent.

“So, what we have is a horrific and what we believe will be proven to show preventable crash amidst a rising number of autonomous vehicle crashes, particularly including Tesla. And in this particular situation, a 76-year-old grandmother who was tragically, preventively and needlessly killed while in her own residence,” Ryan Zehl, an attorney for Avila’s family, told ABC News in an interview last month.

Investigators said Butler, who was injured, showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperating with investigators.

It was unclear on Thursday if Butler had hired an attorney.

Investigators said Butler claimed his car was in self-driving mode, but Tesla disputed that and alleged he overrode the feature.

Following the crash, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla, posted a response on social media, saying Butler’s account of the crash “makes no sense.”

“FSD [full self-driving] drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash!” Musk said in his post.

In a separate online post, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of artificial intelligence, responded to Musk, alleging that the self-driving mode on Butler’s vehicle was manually overridden.

“Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area,” Eluswamy claimed in his post. “They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.”

Zehl said that Tesla has a system called a collision snapshot that sends data to its servers during significant crashes.

“So they clearly have the data because they’re talking about accelerator data. We would like to see it. We don’t have it. We will request it,” Zehl said.

The crash is being investigated by local authorities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board.

ABC News’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

EMS personnel attended to ‘unconscious’ person at Mitch McConnell’s home, audio suggests

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the Washington home of Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell last month to attend to an unconscious person who appeared to be in cardiac arrest, according to EMS dispatch audio reviewed by ABC News.

While the audio does not indicate who the person is, the incident occurred on the same day that McConnell was hospitalized on June 14.

At 8:36 a.m., a dispatcher directed an “ALS response” ambulance to McConnell’s residence for an “unconscious” person. “ALS” stands for Advanced Life Support.

At 8:42 a.m., the EMS responder, identified as “Medic 3,” responded to the dispatcher, saying “inform supervisor CPR in progress.”

At 8:43 a.m., the dispatcher said “EMS to respond, for cardiac arrest,” and once again repeated McConnell’s address.

McConnell is not named directly in any of the audio.

A spokesperson for McConnell declined to comment on the audio and did not provide any update on McConnell’s current condition.

On June 14, McConnell’s spokesperson confirmed he was admitted to the hospital, adding “he is receiving excellent care.” It’s unclear if McConnell remains in the hospital.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on June 15 he had spoken with McConnell following the Kentucky senator’s hospitalization. Thune told reporters McConnell was “dialed in” and “wants to be back.”

Republican Whip John Barrasso also spoke to McConnell that day, a spokesperson for Barrasso confirmed. Barrasso said McConnell was “engaged” and eager to return to the Hill.

On June 22, McConnell’s office indicated he was still working on Senate business, but would not be appearing on Capitol Hill for votes.

“Senator McConnell is still working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery. However, he will not be voting this week,” a McConnell spokesperson said on June 22.

McConnell has not yet returned to the Senate and was last seen on the Hill on June 11.

This is the latest in a string of medical incidents that the seven-term senator and longtime Republican leader has faced in recent years. McConnell, 84, stepped down from leadership in 2024 and is set to retire at the end of his term in January.

ICE arrests 10,000 illegally in US in 5-day span

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Immigration officials have quietly ramped up arrests in the recent days, taking 10,000 people who they say are illegally in the United States into custody within a five-day space, sources familiar with the figures said Thursday.

The source said the significant number of arrests have occurred around the United States since last week.

The new goal for immigration authorities is to arrest at least 2,000 per day going forward, according to sources. Last year, in a meeting with senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, White House and senior Department of Homeland Security officials urged a goal of 3,000 arrests per day, a source familiar told ABC News.

“Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.

During the immigration crackdown, President Donald Trump has pledged to target the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders among the nation’s migrants. While the criminal histories of those arrested in this latest sweep is not yet clear, the DHS spokesperson said that “nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.”

The recent arrests have been carried out with little publicity, according to sources, after DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pledged during his confirmation hearing earlier this year to keep the agency out of the headlines and do the work quietly. That is in contrast to former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who wanted maximum publicity for ICE enforcement.

ICE has a new pick to lead the agency, Lance Schroyer, a top Mullin ally and former Oklahoma state trooper who has no federal immigration experience.

The New York Times first reported the details.

Mike Howell, who serves as the president of the Trump-aligned Oversight Project and a leader of the Mass Deportation Coalition, applauded the arrests numbers, but said there should “transparency and meaningful metrics on deportation-related statistics,” which are not publicly available.

“There have been so many numbers thrown around in press releases, estimates, extrapolations, and puffery that most people are just kind of immune to it and waiting to see the hard data that’s being withheld,” Howell said.

Hantavirus outbreak linked to cruise ship over after last contact completes quarantine: WHO

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(GENEVA) — The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship is over.

It came after the final contact of a person exposed to the virus on the cruise ship completed their quarantine period, according to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The recommended quarantine and monitoring period for hantavirus exposure is 42 days.

The individual tested negative and returned home. No further cases have been reported since May 25, Tedros said during a media briefing.

As of Thursday, there have been a total of 13 cases of hantavirus — 12 confirmed and one probable — and three deaths, of which at least two have been confirmed, according to the WHO. All cases have been passengers or crew members on the ship.

Tedros said more than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories.

“Although the outbreak is over, WHO will continue working with governments and partners to advance our understanding of this outbreak and of hantavirus more generally,” Tedros said. “We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for future outbreaks.”

Last week, quarantine ended for the 18 Americans who were cruise ship passengers on the MV Hondius and exposed to hantavirus.

The WHO said it received notification on May 2 of a cluster of “severe acute respiratory illness” aboard the MV Hondius, including two deaths and one critically ill passenger

The working hypothesis behind the cluster is that the first case was infected with hantavirus while on land, before boarding the cruise ship, according to the WHO.

At least 11 confirmed cases tested positive for Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus, and the only one that is known to transmit between people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New details emerge about Empire State Building daredevil climbers, as couple released from jail

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A daredevil couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building on Wednesday appeared to have broken through a door to get to the antenna, investigators revealed Thursday before the pair was given a supervised release.

Officers could not go up to the couple during their stunt, which ended with one of the climbers proposing to the other, because they had to power the antenna down for safety, investigators said.

Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, both Russians with a current address in East Orange, New Jersey, were charged with multiple felonies in Manhattan Criminal Court including reckless endangerment, burglary and other charges. They did not enter a plea.

“We will do supervised release. We will do it at a low level,” a judge said Thursday.

Still despite the serious charges and dangerous aspects of their stunt, the two were all smiles and kissed for cameras on Thursday as the newly engaged pair left court.

“We love New York,” Kuznetsov said after the court appearance.

Kuznetsov told detectives he had to “do something special for his engagement,” according to the complaint.

Jason Krinsky, an attorney who is representing the couple, said the district attorney’s office “overcharged” the case.

“They are trying to send a message,” Krinsky said after the court appearance about the prosecutors’ charges.

“As far as what I’ve seen, and I’m sure you have all seen, It was a message of love. You know, that’s a nice thing.”

The couple appeared in court wearing the same black outfits they had during their stunt. Their next court appearance is August 24.

They held hands and smiled after they left court and barely spoke to reporters who asked questions about the stunt and their wedding plans.

Just before the couple entered a subway, they posed for cameras with a long kiss.

The DA’s criminal complaint provided more details on how the couple allegedly climbed their way to the 1,454 foot peak of the building.

The complaint alleges that a lock on the security door to the Empire State Building’s 104th floor, which provides access to the building’s broadcast antenna, was broken.

An officer told prosecutors that there was an additional safety risk for the couple and first responders as the antenna “emits high-frequency radio signals that are powerful enough to cause harm to the human body,” the criminal complaint said.

“As a result, the antenna was powered down before members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit could approach the two individuals on and around the broadcast antenna,” the criminal complaint said.

First responders had to wait 30 minutes while the antenna powered down before they could approach the couple, according to the complaint.

Nikolau and Kuznetsov, who have gained an online following for their death-defying skyscraper climbs around the world, stayed on top of the structure for several minutes as cameras rolled on the action before they came down the spire, the New York Police Department said.

They unfurled a black banner with an apparent reference to a Jimi Hendrix quote and said in white letters, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”

Kuznetsov, who is also known as Ivan Beerkus, appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody.

They posted close up photos of the proposal and the ring on social media before they were taken into custody.

Security was supposed to have been strengthened following previous attempts by trespassers to take selfies near the spire.

Officials said they believe the two may have observed building employees and used a worker entrance to get around the screening.

Empire State Building climbers released from jail after court appearance

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) –A daredevil couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building on Wednesday were given supervised release following a brief court appearance Thursday as investigators revealed new details on how they ascended to the top of the spire.

Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, both Russians with a current address in East Orange, New Jersey, were held overnight at 100 Centre Street, where Manhattan Criminal Court is located.

The couple was charged with reckless endangerment, burglary and other charges. They did not enter a plea.

“We will do supervised release. We will do it at a low level,” the judge said.

Jason Krinsky, an attorney who is representing the couple, said the district attorney’s office “overcharged” the case.

The couple appeared in court wearing the same black outfits they had during their stunt. Their next court appearance is August 24.

The DA’s criminal complaint provided more details on how the couple allegedly climbed their way to the 1,454 foot peak of the building.

The complaint alleges that a lock on the security door to the Empire State Building’s 104th floor, which provides access to the building’s broadcast antenna, was broken.

“As a result, the antenna was powered down before members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit could approach the two individuals on and around the broadcast antenna,” the criminal complaint said.

First responders had to wait 30 minutes while the antenna powered down before they could approach the couple, according to the complaint.

Kuznetsov, who is also known as Ivan Beerkus, appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody.

Both face multiple charges — including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, violation of a local law, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar’s tools — according to police.

Security was supposed to have been strengthened following previous attempts by trespassers to take selfies near the spire.

Officials said they believe the two may have observed building employees and used a worker entrance to get around the screening.

Heat wave forecast: Dangerous temps to continue into July 4 holiday

July 2, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A dangerous heat wave is bringing prolonged extreme heat to more than two dozen states across the Midwest, the South and the East Coast.

The heat wave began in the Midwest on Monday and has since spread east, where it’s set to last into the Fourth of July weekend.

With holiday travel in full effect, Amtrak canceled over a dozen trains in the Northeast Thursday due to the heat.

On Thursday, the heat index — what temperature it feels like with humidity — is expected to hit a scorching 111 degrees in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., 106 in Boston, 102 in Chicago, 108 in Detroit, and 110 in Nashville, Tennessee.

New York City’s heat index is forecast to reach 110 degrees, which has only happened three times in the last 80 years.

The city has activated its heat emergency plan and is opening hundreds of cooling centers.

“I’m also asking every employer to plan ahead with their teams, build in flexibility, and make sure that no one is put at risk during their jobs this week,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

On Friday, the heat index is forecast to hit 108 degrees in New York, 105 in Boston, 112 in Washington, D.C., and 111 in Memphis, Tennessee.

There will be minimal relief overnight, which makes the heat even more dangerous.

On the Fourth of July on Saturday, the heat will improve slightly for the Northeast, but will still feel like the triple digits, with the heat index expected to reach 103 degrees in New York and 107 in D.C.

By Sunday and Monday, the strongest heat and humidity will settle over the Southeast. Raleigh, North Carolina, is expected to feel like 107 degrees and Savannah, Georgia, will feel like 105 degrees.

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S. At least 13,000 Americans have died from the heat since 2018, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Click here for tips on how to stay safe.

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