News – Page 798 – 105.7 WDNY

What are Linda McMahon’s chances to be education secretary?

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — World Wresting Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon has been getting high marks from her meetings with the Republican senators who could decide whether she’ll be the next secretary of education.

McMahon has run a large government organization before — she led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in President-elect Donald Trump’s first term — but critics say she has little professional education experience beyond earning a teaching certificate from East Carolina University.

Since then, McMahon has primarily focused her time as a WWE executive, serving on the boards of colleges and state education agencies, and as chair of the board for think tank America First Policy Institute.

McMahon allies suggest her business experience will not only disrupt but also help reshape a federal agency that’s long been criticized by Republicans. As a confidant to the president-elect who co-chaired his transition, McMahon is uniquely positioned to carry out his promises to close the education department, restore power to parents, and inject choice in schools, they say.

“Linda McMahon is a win for parents and will root out radical ideology and get DEI out of America’s education system,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote in a post on X after their meeting on Tuesday.

McMahon said she will carry out Trump’s platform if confirmed by the Senate. When asked if she would dismantle the Department of Education like Trump campaigned on in her new role, she told ABC News, “If I am secretary of education, I will certainly fall in with what the president’s policy is.” However, it would take 60 votes in the Senate to dissolve the department, which is highly unlikely with just a 53-47 Republican majority.

The slim majority may not be enough to create immediate changes at the department, but senators who talked to ABC News expect her to be the department’s next leader.

What are senators saying?

Ultimately, McMahon’s nomination rests with the 100 senators who will vote on whether to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks. The Senate hasn’t yet formally set a date for a confirmation hearing for McMahon, but she told ABC News she is looking forward to it.

Like Trump’s most vulnerable Cabinet nominees, McMahon has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill in advise and consent meetings with everyone from newly elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune to freshman Republican Sen. Jim Banks. The GOP senators McMahon has met with have signaled a smooth process ahead.

“She’s awesome,” Oklahoma GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin told ABC News. “I’m looking forward to getting her over to be the secretary of education. She’s going to do the reform that needs to be done there.”

Mullin added, “I think she’s going to get through pretty easy. She’s really good.”

McMahon first met with Mullin and most of his colleagues on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP). This committee is expected to hold hearings for the nominees to lead the departments of Education, Labor and Health. Mullin explained that he and McMahon discussed reforming Washington, not outright dismantling agencies such as the DOE.

“I think all these federal agencies need to have a hard look at,” Mullin said. “The American people were very clear about that in the election, they gave President Trump and they gave the Republicans a mandate that they want the government to start working for them and not working for a party.”

McMahon and her team have been marching through the Senate halls for weeks. The meetings typically last between 30 to 45 minutes. After his meeting, HELP Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he and McMahon “speak the same language” on education issues.

Tuberville, R-Ala., also stressed that McMahon is the right leader to execute Trump’s goal of closing the education department, arguing states already have their own departments of education so Washington doesn’t need one.

“I’ve seen the downgrade of our curriculum, of the discipline, you know, between the students and the parents and the teachers,” Tuberville said. “We need to be more of a family when it comes to education, instead of an individual agency. We need to make it more personal, and I think that she’ll have a great opportunity to do that. She knows a lot about it.”

Tuberville is one of five current or former GOP members on the HELP committee who told ABC News the closed-door meetings with McMahon have been going “great.” McMahon has not told ABC News if her meetings will include Democrats.

HELP Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., told ABC News she wants to see full vetting of Trump’s nominees including FBI background checks. Baldwin said she hopes McMahon is going to be a “good steward” of the education department and looks forward to reviewing her case to be its next secretary.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., struck a different tone condemning Trump’s nominees.

“[McMahon] definitely wouldn’t be my first choice or my second choice, or third choice, or fourth choice, or fifth choice, or sixth or seventh,” Fetterman said, then added, “But I forgot they won, so, they can pick these kinds of things.”

Court reissues warrant for impeached South Korean president, who remains at residence

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL, South Korea) — Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday night reissued a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The Corruption Investigation Office chief, Oh Dong-woon, said during a parliament hearing that they would “thoroughly prepare for the execution of arrest, as if it was the last chance.”

The effort to detain Yoon came after a South Korean court issued an arrest and search warrant on Dec. 31 over his short-lived imposition of martial law, ABC News confirmed. Yoon has been suspended from his position since Dec. 14.

Yoon’s attorney told reporters Wednesday that he is still at his residence and is greatly disappointed to hear rumors saying he had fled. Opposition lawmakers had spread those rumors, the attorney said.

To prepare for another arrest attempt, the President’s Secret Service heightened surveillance near the Presidential residence, adding more chains to the barbed wire fence and blocking vehicles.

Yoon’s lawyer said he still strongly believes that the CIO’s execution of the arrest warrant is illegitimate, as the CIO lacks the authority to investigate insurrection. He also pointed out that the Seoul Western District Court, which reissued the arrest warrant, has no jurisdiction. Nevertheless, he told reporters, the impeached president would stand trial if he were to be indicted.

Thousands had gathering on Sunday, a day before another arrest warrant for Yoon expired, near impeached the presidential residence

Protesters from both sides — one calling the warrant invalid or illegal and the other shouting for arrest — have occupied the wide four-lane road in a normally quiet neighborhood, blocking all traffic, in freezing temperatures and snow.

Yoon declared martial law in a televised speech on Dec. 3. The president said the measure was necessary due to the actions of the country’s liberal opposition, the Democratic Party, which he accused of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government.

Animosity has been sky-high between the two sides, after over 100 investigators from the CIO anti-corruption agency and the police retreated from the residence after a tense standoff with the presidential security service.

Yoon’s die-hard supporters have been camping on the street vowing to protect him from “pro-North Korean forces about to steal away the presidency.” Anti-Yoon protesters who are backing of the opposition party claim that Yoon must be jailed for insurrection.

ABC News’ Joohee Cho and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Wind speeds remain high as Southern California wildfires rage

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — A damaging Santa Ana wind event was peaking early Wednesday and winds were expected to stay strong through early afternoon in Southern California, fueling three wildfires that were quickly expanding early Wednesday around the Los Angeles metro area.

The Palisades Fire had grown to at about 2,921 acres, the Eaton Fire was about 1,000 acres and the Hurst Fire was about 500 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. All were zero percent contained.

Wind gusts were recorded at 99 mph on Mt. Lukens in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains, at 98 mph on Saddle Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains and at 84 mph at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Relative humidity in the area is very low, less than 10%. It has been very dry in Los Angeles, in fact October through December period was the sixth driest on record last year.

Downtown Los Angeles only saw about 0.16 inches of rain since Oct. 1, where it usually sees as much as about 4.53 inches.

An ABC News graphic shows the fire forecast in Southern California on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

An extreme fire risk warning was issued from Malibu to Burbank, along with Simi Valley and San Fernando.

A “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning was set to continue for Los Angeles until 4 p.m. PST on Wednesday.

The same type of warning was also issued for Orange County, and the damaging winds are expected to extend all the way to San Diego county.

A warning of critical fire danger was extended all the way to east of San Diego.

On Thursday and Friday, winds will begin to relax and relative humidity will begin to climb.

As 1st bird flu death reported in US, what could happen with virus in 2025?

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — In the nearly nine months since the first human case of bird flu was detected in the United States, the virus has continued to spread.

The outbreak infected hundreds of herds and millions of birds before it spread to humans. As of Jan. 6, there have been 66 human cases of bird flu reported in 10 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Almost all confirmed cases involve direct contact with infected cattle or infected livestock.

On Tuesday, the first death of a human bird flu patient was reported in Louisiana. The patient was over the age of 65 and had underlying medical conditions, according to health officials.

The CDC says there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission and the risk to the general public is low.

However, public health experts say they are worried the virus could mutate and become more transmissible, amplifying the need to ramp up testing and to stockpile vaccines.

Dr. Tony Moody, a professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases specialist at Duke University, said the fact that cases have yet to pass from human to human is “both reassuring, but not completely reassuring.”

He told ABC News, “What we’re concerned about is that, eventually, we might get a variation of this strain that could pass from person to person. That’s really what we’re going to need to see, I think, to get substantial human cases and the potential for a new pandemic strain.”

He added, “So, in terms of peering into the crystal ball for 2025…I think the concern is whether or not we’re going to see something change that will turn it into a pandemic strain that could then really be a problem,” he added.

Fears of mutation or a combination virus

One fear experts have is that the virus will continue to mutate in a way that will cause more human-to-human transmissibility. The experts say that every new human case of bird flu allows the virus an opportunity to mutate.

Recent CDC data found mutations in samples of bird flu collected from the Louisiana patient. What’s more, the mutations were not found in poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes appeared after the patient became infected.

Moody said that because the virus has not yet mutated in a way to spread more easily between humans, he’s not sure if or when it will happen.

“Given the number of cows that have been infected, the number of birds that have been infected and the fact that the virus essentially mutates every time it replicates, I’m kind of surprised that the mutations that they’re talking about haven’t happened yet,” he said. “So, I actually think there’s a bigger barrier to it becoming a real problem.”

Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, said he believes there is a more likely scenario of the virus becoming more transmissible: an individual getting infected with bird flu and seasonal influenza at the same time.

He said this could lead to the virus “reassorting” to produce a hybrid, or recombinant, virus that could then transmit more easily from person to person.

“Everyone’s focusing on the potential for mutation; that is a serious concern for some,” he told ABC News. “The greater probability is that there could be a reassortment, what could ignite the pandemic or an epidemic.”

The experts say there is no evidence the virus is currently heading towards an epidemic or pandemic, but there has already been one case of severe disease.

Different genotypes, or genetic makeup of the virus, means there could more severe cases.

“What we’ve seen with [bird flu] in the United States is that the particular genotype that’s associated with dairy cows has primarily caused more mild disease in people,” Dr. Meghan Davis, an associate professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told ABC News.

“What we’ve seen with the case in Louisiana … is caused by a different genotype, one that has been circulating in the wild birds, and these are much more severe cases,” she continued. “This highlights the ability of avian influenzas to cause a wide variety of disease … and I think it is possible that we’re going to see that moving forward.”

Making testing more available

The U.S. has begun ramping up testing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture issuing a federal order for raw milk samples nationwide to be collected and tested and the Food and Drug Administration announcing it is collecting samples of aged raw cow’s milk cheese to be tested.

However, for 2025, Hotez said he believes testing needs to be made more readily available to physicians, especially during flu season.

He said there are likely cases of bird flu going undiagnosed, and testing made more available in health care settings would catch those flying under the radar.

“I think one of the problems that we have, especially as we move into influenza season, there’s the risk that, if you’re a physician, if they want to do influenza testing, they’re only really testing for the usual seasonal influenza, they’re not testing for [bird flu],” he said. “Otherwise, we’re never going to fully know the actual extent of the problem.”

Stockpiling bird flu vaccines

In early July, the U.S. government awarded Moderna $176 million to develop and test a bird flu vaccine using mRNA technology, which is the same technology used for the COVID vaccine.

In October, federal health officials announced they were providing $72 million to vaccine manufacturers to help ensure currently available bird flu vaccines are ready to use, if needed.

There are currently no recommendations for anyone in the U.S. to be vaccinated against bird flu, but experts say that could change if the virus becomes more transmissible.

Moody said clinical trials for new vaccines are being conducted and there are already bird flu vaccines in a stockpile maintained by the U.S. government that have previously been licensed by the FDA.

However, these three vaccines were formulated to protect against older strains of bird flu so there are questions about their protectiveness.

“One of the difficulties in making a stockpile is you’re trying to predict the future. Picking which influenza is going to be a problem is always the difficult bit,” Moody said. “So, I think that those vaccines that are in the stockpile, based on the data that I’ve seen, have a pretty good chance of being helpful. Whether or not they’ll be the answer that’s a that’s a tougher question to address.”

He said the U.S. is in a better position currently to address bird flu if it becomes an epidemic or pandemic than the country was to address COVID in 2020.

“We know how to do this. We know how to make these vaccines. We know how to get everything rolled out, and so I think we are in a better position today,” Moody said.

LA fires live updates: 1,400 firefighters battling ‘unprecedented’ fires, Newsom says

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — More than 30,000 people were told to evacuate in Southern California on Tuesday after a fast-moving brush fire erupted in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood near Los Angeles.

One firefighter has been injured and “multiple” people burned in the Palisades blaze, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire has burned more than 2,900 acres.

By early Wednesday morning, the Eaton Fire — which broke out miles away from the Palisades Fire, in Altadena,

Hurst Fire expands to 500 acres

The Hurst Fire in Sylmar had expanded to 500 acres as of 1:50 a.m. PT, per an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire northeast of San Fernando was at zero percent containment, Cal Fire said, with the cause of the blaze still under investigation.

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

Harris promises more support for California to fight ‘devastating’ fires

Vice President Kamala Harris said her “heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.”

In a Wednesday morning statement, Harris said she and her husband “are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses and schools remain in harm’s way.”

“We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe,” Harris added.

The vice president said she had been briefed on the situation and was receiving “regular updates” on the fires. “I am also urging residents in the affected areas to listen to local officials, remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if told to do so,” she added.

The White House is “committed to ensuring that no community has to respond to this disaster alone,” Harris said, noting the mobilization of federal resources to suppress the fires and assist those affected.

“As a proud daughter of California, I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbors and communities,” Harris said.

“I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained. As we respond and as Californians recover, I will ensure that our administration is in constant contact with state and local officials.”

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

James Woods recounts ‘losing everything at once’ in Palisades Fire

Actor James Woods documented the spread of the Palisades Fire into homes in the hills around Los Angeles on Tuesday, writing in posts to X that “all the smoke detectors are going off in our house” as the blaze approached.

“I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long,” Woods wrote. “It feels like losing a loved one.”

“It tests your soul, losing everything at once,” he added.

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

1,400 firefighters deployed to ‘unprecedented’ fires, Newsom says

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 1,400 firefighting personnel and hundreds of “prepositioned assets” have been deployed to battle the “unprecedented fires” ravaging parts of Los Angeles.

“Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives,” Newsom said in a post to X.

Hurst Fire burns 100 acres in Sylmar

The Hurst Fire — burning in Sylmar, north of San Fernando — expanded to 100 acres as of early Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

Santa Clarita City issued mandatory evacuation orders for four areas of the city — Newhall Pass, Wildwood, Eternal and Calgrove.

-ABC News’ Lissette Rodriguez

Los Angeles schools to close amid fire threat

The Los Angeles County Office of Education reported Wednesday school closures in 19 districts due to spreading wildfires and related weather conditions.

Among them was the Los Angeles Unified School District, which announced that six schools will close on Wednesday “due to the fire activity across the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.”

In a statement, the district said Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, Canyon Charter Elementary School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Topanga Elementary Charter School would all be closed.

Los Angeles’ Griffith Park will also be closed, while classes at the North Hollywood High School’s Zoo Magnet are cancelled, the district announcement said.

“Students at the six closed schools will pivot to continuity of learning where they will have access to academically enriching digital resources,” the district said.

Los Angeles Unified said it would “continue monitoring the situation” and, if necessary, extend online learning into Thursday.

“The high winds and red flag warnings will remain through Wednesday and Thursday,” it added.

“We urge everyone to be careful and cautious when commuting to school or work, especially in areas with extreme wind and heavy smoke. Please make the right decision for you and do not compromise your safety or security.”

Eaton Fire spreads to 1,000 acres

The fire that broke out at about 6:12 p.m. near Eaton Canyon in Pasadena had spread by midnight to about 1,000 acres, the Angeles National Forest said in an update.

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

Pasadena issues mandatory evacuation orders

The City of Pasadena issued mandatory evacuation orders for the area north of Orange Grove and Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue and west of Michillinda Avenue as the nearby Eaton Fire continued to grow.

The city earlier said on its X account that those subject to emergency evacuation orders should go to the Pasadena Convention Center.

The Eaton Fire is burning in the hills northeast of the city, posing a direct threat to the northern suburb of Altadena.

Firefighter injured, ‘multiple’ people burned in Palisades Fire
Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said that a 25-year-old female firefighter “sustained a serious head injury” during the response to the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County on Tuesday evening.

“She received immediate treatment at the scene and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,” Scott said in a statement posted to X.

Scott also said that “multiple burn victims” were identified “walking toward a nearby restaurant,” which he later identified as Dukes.

“Incident operations redirected medical resources to the location to provide evaluation and treatment,” he added.

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

Palisades Fire burning at 5 football fields per minute

With the winds picking up Tuesday evening, the Palisades Fire is burning at the rate of five football fields per minute, according to CalFire.

The winds around the fire are expected to increase to up to 80 miles per hour through the night.

Eaton Fire grows to 400 acres

The Eaton Fire is now at an estimated 400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions,” CalFire said in a statement.

Fifteen streets in Altadena are under mandatory evacuation.

LAFD summons off-duty firefighters to help combat multiple fires

The Los Angeles Fire Department called on all of its firefighters to report for duty on Tuesday night as multiple brush fires relentlessly raged on in Southern California.

In a post on X, the LAFD wrote, “All #LAFD members currently off-duty are to call [in] with their availability for recall.”

The summons came at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time.

New fire breaks out in eastern Los Angeles

A second fire broke out Tuesday evening, in Altadena, California, located in eastern Los Angeles County.

Fueled by rapid winds, the Altadena-based brush fire quickly grew from 10 acres to 200 acres in just 30 minutes.

The Eaton Fire prompted evacuations as high winds are set to continue overnight, the Angeles National Forest said in a post on X.

Biden urges residents to heed evacuation warnings

President Joe Biden is urging Los Angeles residents to heed evacuation warnings as two wildfires burn out of control.

Biden, who is in Los Angeles, was briefed twice throughout the day Tuesday as the flames spread and “encourages residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials—especially if ordered to evacuate,” the White House said in a statement.

Biden traveled to California for a ceremony to designate two new national monuments.

Evacuation order issued in Santa Monica

The City of Santa Monica issued an evacuation order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente Boulevard.

There is an “Immediate threat to life” in the area due to the Palisades fire, the order warned.

What’s in Jack Smith’s final report on the Trump probes? Recent filings provide some clues

January 8, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Attorneys for President-elect Donald Trump and his allies unleashed a legal blitz this week to prevent the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on his classified documents and election interference investigations, successfully convincing the federal judge who dismissed Trump’s documents case to issue an emergency injunction temporarily blocking the report’s release.

While Smith has released many of his findings already — through four indictments and a lengthy filing outlining the evidence against Trump — recent disclosures made by attorneys for Trump and his co-defendants suggest that the special counsel’s final report could contain previously undisclosed details that are potentially damaging to the president elect.

Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who reviewed a draft version of the report over the weekend, argued in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland Monday that the report’s release would be a “partisan weapon” and “lawless political stunt, designed to politically harm” President-elect Trump and his allies.

According to Trump’s lawyers, a draft of the report included multiple “baseless attacks” on members of Trump’s incoming presidential administration that could “interfere with upcoming confirmation hearings.”

The letter did not provide any additional information about which, if any, of Trump’s nominees or appointees were mentioned in the report.

According to a court filing from Trump’s defense lawyers Monday, a draft version of the report asserts that Trump “engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort,” violated multiple federal laws, and served as the “head” of multiple criminal conspiracies.

Trump pleaded not guilty in 2023 to charges of unlawfully retaining classified materials after leaving the White House, and, in a separate case, pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case this past July after deeming Smith’s appointment unconstitutional, leading Smith to appeal that decision.

Smith, who is now winding down both his cases against the president-elect due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president, has not provided any details about the contents of his report. Smith’s team has accused Trump’s attorneys of violating a confidentiality agreement by making portions of their findings public in their filings.

Special counsels are mandated by internal Justice Department regulations to prepare confidential reports at the conclusion of their investigations to summarize their findings, and the attorney general can determine whether to release the report publicly. Smith’s report includes two volumes, covering his investigation into Trump’s alleged retention of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump’s lawyers argued that the report’s release would disrupt the ongoing presidential transition process and “exacerbate stigma and public opprobrium surrounding the Chief Executive,” suggesting that the report — which is being prepared by a prosecutor independent from the president — contradicts the Biden administration’s vow to “facilitate an orderly and collegial transition process.”

“It’ll be a fake report, just like it was a fake investigation,” Trump said at a news conference Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Trump’s lawyers also suggested that the report included a “pathetically transparent tirade” about social media platform X’s effort to “protect civil liberties.”

ABC News previously reported that X — then known as Twitter — was held in contempt and fined $350,000 for failing to comply with a search warrant for records and data from former President Trump’s social media account. X’s owner, Elon Musk, is now one of Trump’s most vocal supporters and advisers, and spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump.

Blanche and Bove — both of whom Trump has picked for top Justice Department posts in the incoming administration — have argued that the report’s release would only offer a single-sided view of the case and give “rise to a media storm of false and unfair criticism” that Trump would need to address during the transition period.

While Trump is no longer being prosecuted by Smith, his two former co-defendants in the classified documents case have argued they would be unable to have a fair trial if the findings are released publicly. Lawyers for Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira have claimed that the report would reveal sensitive grand jury material — such as communications obtained via a subpoena — and support the finding that “everyone Smith charged is guilty of the crimes charged.”

Describing Smith as a “rogue actor with a personal and political vendetta,” lawyers for Trump’s co-defendants argued in a filing that the report would irreparably bias the public by amplifying the government’s “narrative” without providing Trump and his co-defendants the ability to respond.

“Smith’s planned Final Report — now that he is unshackled from due process requirements that restrained him as a government actor — would engender the very prejudice, passion, and excitement and be an exercise of the tyrannical power that our court system is designed to insulate against,” the filing said.

In a brief filing Tuesday, a lawyer on Smith’s staff confirmed that the special counsel’s office is “working to finalize” its report, and said that Garland will have the final say over what material will be made public.

Former Virginia nurse charged with felony child abuse amid probe into NICU babies suffering ‘unexplained fractures’

January 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

$Former Virginia nurse charged with felony child abuse amid probe into NICU babies suffering ‘unexplained fractures’$

(RICHMOND, Va.) — A former nurse who was employed at the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, was charged on Friday with malicious wounding and felony child abuse for allegedly intentionally injuring an infant at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman of Chesterfield County was charged with one count of felony child neglect which carries up to 10 years in prison, as well as one count of felony malicious wounding for an injury sustained by an infant which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to Henrico Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor, whose office is prosecuting this case.

The charges are connected to an incident that allegedly occurred on Nov. 10, 2024.

According to WRIC, the ABC affiliate in Richmond, Strotman was arraigned on Friday.

Public defender Scott Cardani, who is representing Strotman, told ABC News on Tuesday that she has not yet entered a plea and he declined to comment on the charges. According to court records, Strotman’s next hearing is scheduled for March 24, 2025. She was denied bond, according to Taylor’s office, and was ordered by the court to not have any contact with children under the age of 18.

Taylor told ABC News on Tuesday that while Strotman was charged in connection to a single incident, the investigation is ongoing and law enforcement officials have so far identified seven potential victims, but added that the number could increase.

“Thus far, we have four babies identified from 2023 and three babies identified from 2024,” Taylor said. “However, both Henrico Police Division and myself have made public statements encouraging families to reach out if they believe that their babies were impacted. Thus, this number may increase.”

Taylor said that her office has been in touch with the families who have been identified so far, but officials did not name the alleged potential victims involved in this case.

According to the Henrico Police Department, law enforcement officials began to probe this case after the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital launched an internal investigation into “unexplained fractures” sustained by babies in the hospital’s NICU from 2023 to 2024.

“All of the previously closed cases related to these incidents have been reopened as part of the recent broader investigation,” Henrico Police said in a statement on Dec. 31 2024. “All of the families involved in this current broader investigation have been notified, to include those from 2023.”

Dominique Hackey, a father of twins, told WRIC in an interview published on Jan. 1 that his son Noah’s case is one of those that has been reopened.

“We want to make it clear that Noah didn’t have a bone disease. It wasn’t accidental. It wasn’t from his birth,” Hackey said. “Somebody did this to our son and we’re going to find out who did this.”

As this case gained national attention, the Henrico Police Department dispelled rumors that the alleged victims were targeted based on their racial identity, telling ABC News in a statement on Tuesday those allegations are “not factual” based on the “preliminary investigation.”

Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English said that police recognize that this case has generated feelings and emotions, but asked the public for “patience as our detectives work to investigate every piece of evidence in connection to these cases.”

As part of the investigation, police said that they are reviewing dozens of videos from inside the NICU as they pursue a wider investigation with the assistance of Henrico’s Child Protective Services (Department of Social Services), the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General.

A spokesperson for the Henrico Police Department confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing.

Henrico Doctors’ Hospital announced on their website that the hospital’s NICU is “not admitting new patients” at this time.

“We have been assisting law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and will continue to do so. Any media questions or inquiries about that investigation should be directed to law enforcement,” the hospital said in a statement on Jan. 3. “We are both shocked and saddened by this development in the investigation and are focused on continuing to care for our patients and providing support to our colleagues who have been deeply and personally impacted by this investigation.”

ABC News reached out to a hospital spokesperson for further comment.

Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion suspect used ChatGPT to plan attack: Police

January 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LAS VEGAS) — Matthew Livelsberger used ChatGPT to help plot the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year’s Day, authorities revealed on Tuesday.

Police have “clear evidence” that Livelsberger used the generative artificial intelligence tool to “help plan his attack,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Livelsberger, an active-duty Army soldier who authorities said died by suicide in the incident, asked questions about explosives and what would set off certain types of explosives, police said.

McMahill said he believes this is the first case on U.S. soil in which ChatGPT/AI helped a suspect build a device, calling it a “concerning moment” and a “game changer.” He added it is also “instructive” for other law enforcement agencies and is releasing information where they can in the case.

ABC News has reached out to OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, for comment.

Through ChatGPT, the suspect looked at “trying to figure out the amount of explosives needed in order to conduct the explosion he was looking to cause,” Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said during the press briefing.

He also used it to try to figure out where to buy fireworks, how much and how they compare to other explosive materials, Koren said. An “important component” of his inquiries involved the velocity of the bullet fired from the firearm and “determining whether that would ignite the explosives,” Koren said.

Livelsberger, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound just prior to the blast, according to the Clark County coroner. Two firearms — one handgun and one rifle — were found in the vehicle, police said.

The Cybertruck had over 60 pounds of pyrotechnics, and 20 gallons of fuel were poured over the fireworks and explosive material in the back of the truck, according to Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ San Francisco field division.

Investigators believe the muzzle flash alone could have been an ignition source for the fuel-air explosion, though several other possible sources have not been ruled out, he said.

Police said Tuesday they have also recovered a six-page document on a phone found in the Cybertruck that showed a “variance of grievances and a constant evolution of his plans or intents of what he wanted to do,” Koren said.

In the document, the suspect was critical of the Biden administration and talked about having graphic memories of his time in battle and losing his teammates, according to Koren. He also mentioned being “super high on weed and drinking,” which investigators are still working to confirm, Koren said. The document also showed his mental health struggles, which “builds upon that potential PTSD that we’re referring to,” Koren said.

“He does transition at some point, and talks about being concerned of the media labeling them as a terrorist and that he had no intent on killing anyone else besides from himself,” Koren said.

Livelsberger’s writings indicate he had considered planning to set off the explosion at the glass walkway at the Grand Canyon but changed his mind, for whatever reason, to the Trump Hotel, police said.

“He does talk about his intent to make this as public as possible,” Koren said.

Police believe parts of the document may be classified and are working with the Department of Defense to understand if it can all be released.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department last week released two additional letters found on a cellphone retrieved from the Cybertruck. In the letters, Livelsberger said the country was being led by the “weak” and those out to “enrich themselves,” while also claiming the incident was not meant as a terrorist attack but a “wake-up call.”

In one of the letters police say were found on his phone, Livelsberger expressed support for Donald Trump and the president-elect’s allies, Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He also expressed disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and income inequality and expressed a concern about homelessness, according to the letters.

Livelsberger also sent an email shared by the military-themed “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast on Friday, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. That information was sent to the FBI following the attack, federal officials said.

The evidence shows Livelsberger “thoughtfully prepared” and acted alone in the incident, federal authorities said. He was not on the FBI’s radar prior to the attack, authorities said.

No one else was seriously hurt, though seven bystanders sustained minor injuries, officials said.

Livelsberger served as a Green Beret in the Army and was on approved leave from serving in Germany at the time of his death, a U.S. Army spokesperson said Thursday.

He received extensive decorations in combat, including the Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor, indicating heroism under fire. Livelsberger received four more standard Bronze Star medals, according to Army records. He also earned the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three stars. Each star represents service in a separate campaign in Afghanistan.

Livelsberger had been receiving mental health assistance over the last year, a U.S. official confirmed Friday.

Another U.S. official confirmed that officials thought Livelsberger was stable enough to go home for Christmas and his leave was approved.

His wife, who investigators spoke to in Colorado Springs, said he had been out of the house since around Christmas after a dispute over allegations of infidelity, the official said.

His wife told officials she did not believe Livelsberger would want to hurt anyone, the official told ABC News.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Los Angeles brush fires latest: 2 blazes threaten structures, prompt evacuation

January 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) — Two fast-moving brush fires erupted Tuesday in Los Angeles as dangerous wind conditions and unseasonably dry, warm weather sweep Southern California.

A currently 200-acre fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood was first reported before 11:00 a.m. local time and quickly prompted evacuations across the region and into Malibu.

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area between Piedra Morada Drive and Pacific Coast Highway.

A separate brush fire is threatening the West Hollywood area, with crews working to contain the blaze on Sunset Boulevard between San Vicente and Crescent Heights.

The cause of both fires is currently under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

A “life-threatening” and “destructive” windstorm is also expected from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning across much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service. Areas that are not typically windy will also be impacted, the agency said.

Much of Southern California is under red flag alerts for fire danger from Tuesday through Thursday as strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and critically dry fuels jeopardize the region.

According to Cal Fire, residents in Greater Los Angeles County, San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, San Diego and Riverside mountains, eastern San Diego valleys, Inland Orange County, Santa Ana Mountains, Inland Empire and San Bernardino Foothills should be prepared in case of an evacuation order.

“Stay vigilant, avoid activities that could spark fires and have an evacuation plan ready,” Cal Fire said in an update Tuesday on X.

On Monday evening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed state departments to position fire engines, handcrews, aircraft and additional support in areas that could be impacted.

“The state is taking early, proactive steps to coordinate with local partners to protect communities as dangerous weather enters our state. We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go,” Newsom said in a statement.

In addition, drought conditions have returned to much of Southern California, according to an update from the U.S. Drought Monitor that was released last week.

Moderate drought now is currently in place from Los Angeles to San Diego, leaving very dry vegetation that can potentially fuel a spark and create a wildfire.

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

Internal watchdog found DOJ officials may have sought to influence 2020 election

January 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Senior Justice Department officials serving under Donald Trump’s first administration may have violated federal law in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election by pushing for pandemic-related investigations that targeted states with Democratic governors, and then leaking private information about those investigations to friendly media outlets in a potential attempt to influence the election, according to a previously-undisclosed report from the Justice Department’s internal watchdog.

The inspector general’s report, obtained by ABC News, concluded that for one of the officials — a senior member of the department’s public affairs team who the report said first hatched the alleged plan to leak investigative information — “the upcoming election was the motivating factor.”

The report specifically pointed to a text message he sent in mid-October 2020, describing a proposed leak to a major New York-area tabloid about reviews of COVID-related deaths at nursing homes in New York and New Jersey as “our last play on them before [the] election” — “but it’s a big one,” he added, according to the report.

The inspector general’s report comes just weeks before Trump takes office again, after winning reelection two months ago in part by promoting questionable claims that the Biden administration had used the Justice Department to further its own political agenda.

Last week, the inspector general’s office released a brief and vague summary of its report, saying only that three former officials had violated Justice Department policies by leaking “non-public DOJ investigative information” to “select reporters, days before an election.”

The summary said the officials may have even violated the Hatch Act, a non-criminal law that prohibits federal employees from using their positions to engage in political activities.

The summary did not say when the alleged violations occurred or which election may have been implicated, but some of Trump’s supporters and at least one major conservative media outlet claimed that it involved the Biden administration trying to harm Trump’s most recent reelection bid.

The partially-redacted report, obtained by ABC News through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows otherwise.

According to the report, in the summer of 2020, leaders of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division at the time pushed for reviews of government-run nursing homes in several states, looking to find any connections between deaths there and orders from governors directing nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients.

In late August 2020, when the Justice Department then sent letters to the governors of Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York seeking relevant data — “despite having been provided data indicating that the nursing homes with the most significant quality of care issues were in other states” — the Justice Department’s public affairs office issued a press release about the move, the report said.

Though the inspector general’s office said it did not find evidence that any officials, even career officials, raised concerns at the time, the report said current and former officials more recently described the press release as “unusual and inappropriate.”

The report further details how over the next few months, leadership in the Civil Rights Division pressured officials in the department’s Civil Division to send a letter to New York officials seeking data regarding COVID-19-related deaths in private nursing homes throughout the state, the report said. The Civil Division officials were reluctant to do so, but they ultimately complied because they were “led to believe” that the directive to make the investigative activity public was “coming from Attorney General [Bill] Barr,” the report said.

Then in October 2020, in the final weeks of the 2020 presidential campaign, the senior official with the Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs proposed his plan to leak information about the letter and other information about an investigation of state-run facilities in New Jersey, according to the report.

On Oct. 17, 2020, the senior public affairs official texted colleagues: “I’m trying to get [them] to do letters to [New Jersey and New York] respectively on nursing homes. Would like to package them together and let [a certain tabloid] break it. Will be our last play on them before election but it’s a big one,” according to the report.

A week before the election, on Oct. 27, 2020, the investigative information was provided to the New York-area tabloid, which published a story that night, accusing New York authorities of undercounting deaths in nursing homes, the report said. The inspector general’s report noted that official statistics released at the time did in fact undercount the actual number of deaths.

Nevertheless, “the conduct of these senior officials raised serious questions about partisan political motivation for their actions in proximity to the 2020 election,” inspector general Michael Horowitz said in his report.

“[T]he then upcoming 2020 election may have been a factor in the timing and manner of those actions and announcing them to the public,” Horowitz added, concluding that the three officials violated the Justice Department’s media contacts policy.

Horowitz said his office has referred its findings to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is tasked with investigating potential violations of the Hatch Act.

A spokesperson for the Office of Special Counsel confirmed to ABC News that his office received the referral and is now reviewing it.

The inspector general’s report noted that Barr declined to be interviewed in connection with Horowitz’s investigation.

A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

+ More