News – Page 74 – 105.7 WDNY

Luigi Mangione’s federal trial opening statements set for Jan. 25

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Accused killer Luigi Mangione will stand trial in Manhattan federal court beginning Jan. 5 with jury selection, followed by opening statements on Jan. 25, Judge Margaret Garnett said Monday.

Garnett said she hoped to hold the trial this fall but Mangione’s state trial, scheduled to begin Sept. 8, makes that “impossible.”

“In my view it’s simply impossible for us to be moving through the jury selection process in this case while the defendant and his counsel are fully engaged in the state trial,” Garnett said.

Mangione, wearing beige jail clothing, did not speak during Monday’s hearing. His appearance was delayed about 20 minutes after he got stuck in an elevator with U.S. marshals.

Defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said New York State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro will hold firm to the Sept. 8 start.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he stalked UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before shooting and killing him in December 2024 in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione has also pleaded not guilty to state charges.

For the federal trial, hundreds of prospective jurors from Manhattan, the Bronx and New York City’s northern suburbs will fill out questionnaires in December. Garnett said she would not post the questionnaire on the public docket until all prospective jurors finish filling it out, saying that the need for a fair and impartial jury overrides the customary expectation of public access to the document.

The defense said it might ask the judge to include additional questions depending on the outcome of Mangione’s state trial.

The jury will be comprised of 12 jurors and six alternates.

JetBlue flight hits drone while landing at JFK: Officials

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A JetBlue Airways pilot reported hitting a drone as the flight was on approach for landing at JFK Airport on Monday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The plane landed safely and the FAA said no damage was found during inspections. The agency will investigate the incident, it noted in its statement.

This story will be updated shortly.

Extreme heat forecast: Dangerous heat wave hitting Midwest, Northeast

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A dangerous heat wave is bringing prolonged extreme heat to the Midwest and the East Coast this week.

The extreme heat hits the Midwest first. On Monday, the heat index — what temperature it feels like — is forecast to soar to around 105 degrees in Minneapolis and over 100 degrees in Chicago.

By Tuesday, the feels-like temperature in Chicago will be closer to 105 degrees. Indianapolis and Green Bay, Wisconsin, will also feel like the triple digits.

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

Chicago has activated cooling centers throughout the city, including at community service centers, senior centers, libraries, city colleges and police districts.

On Wednesday, the extreme heat moves east, with the temperature forecast to reach near 100 degrees in Detroit and Washington, D.C.

With humidity, it will feel like the triple digits across much of the Interstate 95 corridor in the afternoon.

The heat will peak in the Northeast on Thursday, when the heat index is expected to reach around 105 degrees.

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

Click here for tips on how to stay safe.

ABC News’ Dan Peck and Michelle Simmons contributed to this report.

Supreme Court blocks Trump, for now, from firing Fed Board member Lisa Cook

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court has blocked for now President Donald Trump’s unprecedented attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Lisa Cook, over allegation of gross negligence and without any formal opportunity for her to answer the claims.

The decision means Cook, a Democratic appointee who has 10 years left on her 14-year term, will retain her position. She is the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s advisory committee.

While the Court has recognized expansive power of a president over executive branch agencies, it has appeared to draw a line at the Fed, which has a long history of independence from direct White House interference.

Federal law allows presidents to remove a Fed governor, but only for cause. The heart of Trump’s appeal before the high court involved what constitutes “cause;” who gets to decide that; and, what due process may be owed.

The president had asserted unchecked power, insisting allegations of mortgage fraud against Cook – raised by a member of Trump’s administration, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte – were sufficient basis alone for her removal.

Trump has claimed Cook illegally filed a mortgage application for a second home as a “primary” residence in an effort to secure more favorable loan terms, at the very least creating an impression of impropriety. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation.

Cook, who refused to resign and has not been charge with a crime, insists through her attorneys that relying on “one stray reference” in a 2021 mortgage document amounts to pretext for a politically-motivated effort to manipulate the Fed’s policy board.

The case was being examined by the court in a very preliminary posture, focusing primarily on Trump’s request to stay a lower court order that Cook be allowed to remain on the job as litigation continues. No lower court has thoroughly considered the legal or constitutional issues connected to the dispute.

The court’s decision is widely seen as a victory for the independence of the Federal Reserve – at least in the near term – in the face of Trump’s extraordinary effort to influence the central bank.

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

Supreme Court allows Trump firing of FTC commissioner

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — In a landmark decision that could transform the federal government, the Supreme Court has voted to allow President Donald Trump to remove a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, Rebecca Slaughter, for policy reasons, rolling back 90 years of legal precedent that had prevented at-will removal of independent agency officials and significantly expanding presidential power.

The 6-3 decision came from Chief Justice John Roberts.

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

Woman killed by alligator in Florida river, officials say

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

A woman was killed by an alligator while swimming in a river in Florida, officials said.

The victim was in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, on Sunday when she was attacked, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

She was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries, the FWC said.

Efforts to trap the alligator are ongoing, authorites noted.

The FWC said it “extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time.”

This attack comes two days after a 28-year-old man was killed by a crocodile on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Supreme Court allows counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Monday, in a 5-4 decision, upheld state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots even if they were postmarked by Election Day.

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

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s appeal of 2022 E. Jean Carroll defamation case

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court has denied President Donald Trump’s appeal of the $5 million jury finding in the 2022 defamation case brought against him by the writer E. Jean Carroll.

The denial means the judgment against Trump stands and that he will have to pay it.

A New York jury in 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after it found Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her in 2022 when he denied the allegations.

Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing the judge in the case should not have allowed the jury to view an excerpt from the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Trump is heard describing lewd behavior that he downplayed as “locker room talk.”

Trump also faulted the trial judge for allowing testimony from two women — Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff — who claimed that Trump had sexually assaulted them, which Trump denies.

A federal appeals court said the evidence was properly admitted and, even if it wasn’t, there was no major harm to Trump.

“The petition does not challenge — indeed, does not mention — the Second Circuit’s holding that were there any error here, it did not prejudice petitioner,” Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan argued.

Trump is also appealing a separate but related defamation judgment involving Carroll that ordered him to pay $83 million.

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

Luigi Mangione to return to court following plea talks

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Accused killer Luigi Mangione is due back in Manhattan federal court Monday after talks to resolve his case with a guilty plea stopped without a deal.

Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to federal charges he stalked UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before shooting and killing him in December 2024 in Midtown Manhattan, is scheduled to stand trial in federal court in early 2027.

Ahead of Monday’s hearing, defense attorneys and federal prosecutors discussed a possible plea deal, sources told ABC News, but the talks stopped without one. It’s not clear how close to a deal they came or whether they will try again. Criminal defendants can change their plea before or during trial.

On Monday, the parties are expected to discuss plans for a trial, including the questionnaire prospective jurors will complete before in-person voir dire questioning.

Mangione has also pleaded not guilty to state charges he murdered Thompson and is scheduled to stand trial in New York State Supreme Court in September.

Defense attorneys recently gave notice that they intended to mount a psychiatric defense to the state charges, arguing Mangione experienced an extreme emotional disturbance prior to shooting Thompson, but they quickly withdrew the notice before a deadline to turn over his psychiatric records.

Man, 28, dragged out to sea and killed by crocodile at popular resort: Police

June 29, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico) — A 28-year-old man was killed in a crocodile attack on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Friday evening, according to state authorities.

The victim, who was from Mexico, was on the beach in front of the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa when he was allegedly attacked by the reptile and dragged out to sea, Jalisco State Police said in a statement on Sunday.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. local time, police noted.

The victim’s body was recovered Saturday morning about 300 meters offshore after an overnight search and rescue operation at sea and on land.

Local authorities are reminding the public to obey warning signs and avoid entering the water where wildlife is known to be present, particularly in estuary and mangrove areas.

“The safety and security of our guests and associates are our top priority,” the resort said in a statement to ABC News. “At the Marriott Puerto Vallarta we have appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags to indicate caution in the area and all were and are properly in place.”

The resort said it reviews its “plans and procedures often” and works “closely with the appropriate authorities on an ongoing basis and our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately.”

“We extend our thoughts to the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time and are providing appropriate support in line with our policies,” the resort said.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Madeline Wheeler contributed to this report.

+ More