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Georgia at ‘tipping point’ as pro-West protesters clash with security forces

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The ancient streets of Georgia’s capital city were again choked with smoke on Sunday night, as a fourth consecutive night of anti-government protests descended into running street battles between pro-Western demonstrators and security forces.

Protesters in Tbilisi gathered behind makeshift barricades and launched fireworks toward lines of armored police, who sought to disperse the demonstrations with water cannons, tear gas and baton-wielding charges.

More than 200 people have been arrested during four nights of protests, the Georgian Interior Ministry said. Tbilisi has been the core of the unrest, but protests have also been reported in the Black Sea city of Batumi and elsewhere in the south Caucasus nation, which is bordered by Russia to the north and Turkey to the southwest.

The protests erupted after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze — of the Georgian Dream party founded by elusive billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia — announced last week that Tbilisi would suspend European Union membership talks for four years.

Kobakhidze accused the bloc of “blackmail and manipulation” over its criticism of Georgia’s recent parliamentary election. Georgian Dream claimed victory in the October contest, which was beset by allegations of electoral fraud and voter suppression.

EU membership ambitions were central to Georgian Dream’s election manifesto. The party framed a vote for the pro-Western opposition as a vote for renewed war with Russia, which in the 2008 Russo-Georgian war cemented its control of around 20% of Georgian territory in collaboration with local separatist allies.

Mass protests failed to materialize in the aftermath of the vote, despite the efforts of opposition leaders including President Salome Zourabichvili. But the government’s turn away from EU talks prompted significant anger among Georgians, a majority of whom support the goal of EU accession. The ambition to join the bloc is also enshrined in Georgia’s constitution.

Sunday night saw deepening violence, with security forces filmed beating protesters and detainees. More than 40 people have been hospitalized, according to Georgian authorities, with protesters and police among the injured.

Zourabichvili wrote on X on Monday that the “majority of the arrested protesters have injuries to their heads and faces, broken face bones, eye sockets, open wounds.”

Those detained “have been subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transport to already overcrowded detention facilities,” the president added, citing information from lawyers representing the arrested.

Kobakhidze, meanwhile, said at a Sunday briefing that “any violation of the law will be met with the full rigor of the law.”

“Neither will those politicians who hide in their offices and sacrifice members of their violent groups to severe punishment escape responsibility,” Kobakhidze said.

The opposition has vowed to continue its protest campaign. Zourabichvili said she would not step down from the presidency when her term ends in December unless a new “legitimate” parliament is empowered to choose her successor.

Alexandre Crevaux-Asatiani, a spokesperson for the United National Movement opposition party, told ABC News during the weekend clashes that Ivanishvili — as the power behind the Georgian Dream party — “has been playing chess against the Georgian people for a long time.”

“It was just a question of time before he’d make a wrong move,” Crevaux-Asatiani said of Georgia’s richest man. “Looking at it as a self-inflicted wound would be assuming that his goal is to somehow maintain peace and stability in Georgia, which is not what he wants.”

Jonathan Eyal of the Royal United Services Institute think tank in the U.K., told ABC News that Georgia is at “a tipping point.”

The Georgian Dream government, Eyal said, could “crumble” if the demonstrators remain on the streets, “especially if their numbers grow, as they appear to have done over the weekend and if the president remains stuck in her position,” he added.

“The question, of course, is what happens then?” Eyal continued. “It’s more than just a fake election,” he said of the Georgian Dream’s retention of power. “It’s a state capture.”

“A lot will need to happen for the oligarchs to run away to Moscow,” Eyal said. “It’s really 50-50 at the moment.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists at a Monday briefing that government authorities “are taking measures to stabilize, return the situation to calm.”

Russia, he said, “has not interfered and does not intend to interfere” in events in Georgia.

Peskov described the protests as “an internal matter,” though added that the demonstrations are an “attempt to stir up the situation” reminiscent of the 2014 Maidan Revolution in Ukraine that unseated pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Dmitry Medvedev — formerly Russia’s president and prime minister, now serving as the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council — wrote on Telegram that Georgia was “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss.”

Medvedev framed the protests as an attempted “revolution,” which he predicted would end “very badly.”

Western leaders, meanwhile, have underscored concerns over the disputed October election results and the recent conduct of security forces.

The U.S. State Department condemned “the excessive use of force by police against Georgians” and announced it would suspend the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership due to “anti-democratic actions” by Georgian Dream.

“We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The EU’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc stands “with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future.”

“We condemn the violence against protesters and regret signals from ruling party not to pursue Georgia’s path to EU and democratic backsliding of the country,” Kallas wrote in a post to X. “This will have direct consequences from EU side.”

ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

US Navy shoots down Houthi missiles targeting US-flagged commercial ships in Gulf of Aden

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Two U.S. Navy destroyers shot down incoming Houthi missiles and drones that were targeting three U.S.-flagged commercial ships that the destroyers were escorting in the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. military said.

There was no damage to the ships involved, the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a statement. There were no injuries, the statement said.

The destroyers, the USS Stockade and the USS O’Kane, shot down “a range” of Houthi-launched weapons while traveling through the gulf on Saturday and Sunday, CENTCOM said.

“These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect U.S. personnel, regional partners, and international shipping, against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis,” the command said in a statement.

The Houthis began their campaign against shipping in response to Israel’s war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. Houthi leaders have vowed to continue attacks until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza and withdraws from the territory.

The U.S. — along with the U.K. — first launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in January 2024, following several months of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. Those strikes continued in November, officials said.

The Houthis launched over the weekend three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile, all of which were defeated, the Navy said.

CENTCOM in a press release, which was dated Dec. 1, did not identify the civilian vessels that had been targeted.

ABC News’ David Brennan and Matt Seyler contributed to this report.

Man with chainsaw fatally shot by police inside senior-living facility, officials say

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(ST. CHARLES, IL) — A man wielding a chainsaw inside a senior-living facility in St. Charles, Illinois, was shot and killed by police early Sunday, state and local law enforcement said.

The man, whom police have not publicly identified, was allegedly attempting to cut down a tree on the facility’s property at about 8:45 a.m. on Sunday. He was “shirtless” when police arrived at the facility, on the 900 block of North 5th Avenue, the St. Charles Police Department said in a press statement.

“Just before police arrival, witnesses advised the subject had now gained entry to the lobby of the building and began confronting residents with the chainsaw,” the department said.

Officers sought to deescalate the situation, but “the suspect continued his attempts to use the chainsaw against residents of the building,” as well as against responding officers, the department said.

Officers used a taser on the man, “but his attack continued,” the press statement said. An officer then fired his gun, striking the alleged attacker, police said.

“The male suspect was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” the Illinois State Police said in a press release.

Officers and residents of the assisted-living facility were treated at the scene for minor injuries, police said.

“We are deeply grateful for the swift action of our team and law enforcement,” a spokesperson for the facility, the River Glen of St. Charles, said in a statement. “We want to emphasize that our community is secure, and all residents and staff members are safe.”

The Illinois State Police said it would investigate the shooting.

ABC News’ Maci Smith contributed to this report.

Transgender teen implores Supreme Court to strike Tennessee gender-affirming care ban

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE) — The transgender Tennessee teenager behind a historic hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court this week doesn’t want to show her face on television but is eager to speak about a case she says has the potential to make thousands of American kids feel “seen” for who they are.

“The court has definitely ruled in ways that would make me think that they don’t exactly value bodily autonomy, but I have heard that they’ve been a little bit better about trans cases than people would think,” said 16-year-old LW in an exclusive interview with ABC News alongside her parents Samantha and Brian Williams.

The court on Wednesday will hear the Williams family’s challenge to Tennessee’s 2023 ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, including puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapies that have dramatically improved LW’s quality of life.

While the medications have been used safely to treat minors of all genders for years, they are now prohibited in Tennessee when used to treat trans kids struggling with gender dysphoria, the distress experienced when one’s gender assigned at birth is different from one’s sense of identity.

“It’s not very comfortable being trapped in [your body] because it just doesn’t feel like you,” said LW, who reports significant improvement since beginning the treatments in 2022.

Since the state law took effect, LW now has to take time away from school to make a 10-hour round trip out of state to continue receiving care. The travel has also been a costly and time-consuming burden, her parents say.

“It would definitely be horrible for me to have to continue to go out of state to get care,” said LW. “I feel normal now.”

Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Biden administration, and major American medical associations, the Williamses sued Tennessee last year alleging the ban on certain gender-affirming treatments for minors discriminates on the basis of sex and overrides the rights of parents to make medical decisions for their children.

“Our state legislature had made such a big deal out of parents’ rights during COVID, about masks and vaccines that that’s for parents to decide these medical decisions for their children,” Samantha Williams said. “And then they made this medical decision for our child.”

State lawmakers who support the law, SB1, say it is meant to protect kids from potentially irreversible effects from treatment and that contradictory scientific evidence and uncertainty about long-term adverse consequences warrant caution.

“We made the policy decision on behalf of our constituents that in Tennessee we think this is a risky procedure,” said state Sen. Jack Johnson, the Senate GOP leader who sponsored the bill. “It is our role as policymakers here in the state of Tennessee to set those guardrails.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics says the effects of puberty blockers are not permanent if treatment is discontinued and that many effects of hormone therapy can also be reversed. Long-term risks may include fertility challenges and possible harm to bone density, but the Academy says those risks require further study.

Worldwide, several countries which had previously embraced the treatments for transgender children have subsequently reversed course, citing unclear data about their purported benefits and alleged harms. In many of those places, the treatments remain available, but on a much more limited basis.

In Tennessee, there are an estimated 3,000 transgender teenagers between ages 13 and 17, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, which has analyzed Census data. It is not known how many were receiving treatments that are now outlawed or how many suffered alleged harm.

A study published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics in October 2024 found the overwhelming majority of participants in a long-term survey of 220 transgender youths reported high levels of satisfaction and low levels of regret in the three to five years after receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Major American medical associations have for more than a decade endorsed the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy as part of “individually tailored interventions” to support trans kids and affirm their sense of self.

“It all begins and ends with science. This is not about any sort of agenda,” said Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in an interview with ABC.

Clinical practice guidelines from the American Endocrine Society — based on more than 260 research studies — recommend consideration of medications to treat gender dysphoria in young people but waiting until a child reaches adulthood to consider gender-affirming surgery.

“It’s crucial that there be a deep understanding of both the risks and benefits, and truly informed consent,” Hoffman said. “And for that reason, it is, by definition, going to take months or years.”

The Williams family said the decision to use medication to delay LW’s puberty followed months of careful consultation with medical experts and mental health providers. They said they grew worried that masculine changes to LW’s body would compound her gender dysphoria.

“There is this time clock sitting here,” said Brian Williams. “The kids can go through puberty and it can have permanent effects on them. So these two things you’re trying to balance at the same time.”

“She’s not suicidal, but she shouldn’t have to be suicidal, right?, to get the care that she needs,” added Samantha Williams. “When that really hit me, I was like, ‘OK, let’s do blockers. Let’s get moving.'”

More than a year later, LW began receiving hormone therapy to better align her body with her gender identity. The course of treatment led to a reduction in discomfort.

“That was incredibly helpful,” LW said. “I feel amazing after that. You know, maybe it’s just because the gender dysphoria was so bad.”

The outcome of the case U.S. v. Skrmetti could have a sweeping impact on health care for the more than 300,000 American teens who identify as transgender, as well as the broader LGBTQ community.

“This is one of the most significant LGBTQ cases to ever reach the Supreme Court. I think this is an inflection point,” said Chase Strangio, the ACLU attorney representing the Williams family. He will be the first openly transgender person to argue a case before the nation’s highest court.

“Is this going to be a Bowers v. Hardwick type moment that sets off years of government legitimized discrimination against LGBTQ people? Or, is this going to be a Bostock moment that clarifies what we all have been assuming all this time, which is that LGBTQ people are protected under the Constitution and civil rights laws,” Strangio said.

In its 1968 decision in Bowers, the court upheld state laws criminalizing private same-sex conduct; it was overturned in 2003. The Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County found that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal.

Twenty-six states have laws banning gender-affirming treatments for minors, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

“What concerns me as a physician is that legislators are going to be able to make decisions about a diagnosis, which is very unusual. I mean, that really hasn’t happened,” said Dr. Susan Lacy, a physician who specializes in hormone management and transgender care for teens and adults at her private practice in Memphis.

Lacy, who is also a party to the Supreme Court case, agrees with Tennessee lawmakers that more research is needed on gender-affirming treatments for minors, but that a debate over the data shouldn’t deny patients the chance to make an informed decision of their own.

“I think the most compelling thing is to listen to the patients,” Lacy said. “I have about 700 transgender patients out of about 3,000 total patients, and I have not seen anybody have a serious complication — not one.”

“I think we’re just at a point where we’re still in the process of treating people and having studies that will give us more and more data to support this treatment,” she said.

Johnson said he hopes the Supreme Court will uphold an appeals court ruling that affirmed Tennessee’s right to impose restrictions on treatments for transgender minors.

“States should be the laboratories of democracy,” he said. “We should be making the vast majority of decisions about what’s best for our people, our constituents here in the statehouse.”

The Williams family says care that has improved the life of their daughter should not be up for political debate.

“I want to listen to the doctors. I want to listen to my kid. I want to take care of her, you know?” Brian Williams said.

Supreme Court weighs FDA block on kid-friendly flavored vapes

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — With e-cigarettes and flavored vapes booming in popularity, the Supreme Court on Monday will examine whether the Food and Drug Administration unlawfully blocked the marketing and sale of more than a million new sweet and candy-flavored nicotine products in recent years.

The case comes as kid-friendly flavors, such as fruit, candy, mint, menthol and desserts, which are not approved by the FDA and are on the market illegally, have been fueling an explosion in retail sales of e-cigarettes.

While vaping among youth is declining, more than 1.6 million children use the products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 90% of them consume illicit flavored brands.

Two manufacturers of flavored nicotine-laced e-liquids such as “Jimmy the Juice Man Peachy Strawberry” and “Iced Pineapple Express” sued the FDA after their product applications were rejected, alleging regulators imposed unclear and unreasonable requirements to win approval.

Triton Distribution and Vapetasia acknowledged that their products may appeal to youth but insisted that a “growing body of scientific evidence” shows that “flavors are crucial to getting adult smokers to make the switch and stay away from combustible cigarettes.”

A federal appeals court sided with the companies last year, saying the agency had acted arbitrarily. If the Supreme Court upholds that ruling, it could clear the way for broader marketing and sale of flavored nicotine products.

Since 2009, when Congress passed legislation aimed at curbing tobacco use among young people, the government has almost universally denied tobacco company requests to sell flavored nicotine e-liquids, citing risks of addiction among minors.

Under federal law, companies must provide the FDA with reliable and robust evidence to show that the products would promote public health and that, on balance, the benefits to adult smokers would outweigh the risks of youth addiction.

The FDA has said the two companies in this case provided insufficient evidence that the benefits of their flavored e-products in helping tobacco smokers quit exceed the dangers of hooking children.

“If you ask adults who smoke if they were to switch to e-cigarettes what kind of flavors are they interested in, the majority of responses are tobacco flavor. If you ask kids, they like the fruit or candy flavor,” said Caroline Cecot, an administrative law expert at George Washington University Law School. “This was a big part of what the FDA was sort of thinking about. And we have this evidence.”

Nearly a quarter of high school students who use e-cigarettes consume illicit menthol-flavored varieties, according to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Josie Shapiro, the 2024 national youth ambassador for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids who testified before Congress on the dangers of nicotine addiction, said illicit flavored vapes hooked her at age 14.

“I think that by marketing any sort of flavored product as bubble gum or any of the genres of candy, it’s going to catch the eyes of children,” Shapiro said. “I’m still addicted, and I’m still trying to fight my addiction. Honestly, the FDA needs to regulate all flavored tobaccos to flavor ‘tobacco’ products and get them off the market.”

Public health experts have credited the FDA’s restrictions on flavored nicotine products with helping to drive down the number of teenagers who vape gradually from an “epidemic” level just five years ago.

The case, Food and Drug Administration v. Wages and White Lion Investments, LLC, will be decided before the end of the Supreme Court’s term in June 2025.

ABC News’ Patty See contributed to this report.

Israel-Gaza-Lebanon live updates: IDF confirms death of US-Israeli hostage

December 2, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group.

The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the devastated Palestinian territory.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.

Israeli drone strike injures Lebanon soldier, army says
The Lebanese Armed Forces said on Monday that an Israeli drone “targeted an army bulldozer while it was carrying out fortification work” at a military center in the northeastern Hermel region close to the border with Syria.

The attack “resulted in one soldier being moderately injured,” the army wrote in a post to X.

The Israel Defense Forces has not yet commented on the alleged strike.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

IDF confirms death of US-Israeli hostage

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday confirmed that missing U.S.-Israeli soldier Omer Maxim Neutra, 21, was among those killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel.

Neutra was believed taken into Gaza as a hostage by militants during the attack. But the IDF said Monday he was killed during the Oct. 7 assault and his body was taken by militants.

Neutra — originally from New York — was serving as a tank platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade at the time of the Hamas attack. He was among hundreds of security forces personnel killed during the assault.

Neutra’s parents have been campaigning for a hostage release deal in the U.S., their activity including public appearances at the White House and the Capitol.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

IDF reports ‘several operations’ against Hezbollah in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it launched “several operations” targeting Hezbollah fighters that it claimed posed a direct threat to Israel “in violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

Among the operations was an attack on armed militants operating close to a church in southern Lebanon, the IDF said.

Those killed “were active in the ground defense, anti-tank and artillery formations in the sector, and took part in the fighting while using the church,” it wrote in a post to X.

The 60-day ceasefire that went into effect last week is holding despite continued sporadic fighting and Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon.

The deal stipulates that IDF troops will withdraw from their positions in Lebanon during the 60-day window and that Hezbollah forces will withdraw from the region south of the Litani River.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Hostage Edan Alexander’s father makes an appeal to Biden, Trump and Netanyahu

The father of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander issued an emotional request on Sunday to President Biden, President-elect Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling the leaders to act now to bring the hostages home “before it’s too late.”

A day after seeing his son for the first time in a year in a propaganda video released by Hamas’ military wing, Adi Alexander of New Jersey spoke at a rally in New York City’s Central Park, saying, “No father should hear his child plead for his life like that.”

“President Biden, President Trump, Prime Minster Netanyahu, I call on all of you to act,” Alexander said. “This is not a moment for politics or hesitation. This is a moment of courage, collaboration and decisive action.”

He appealed to Biden to use the United States’ influence “to negotiate a deal before it’s too late.”

Directing his words to Trump, he said, “You do not have to wait until January to make an impact. The world is watching. Act now.”

To Netanyahu, Alexander said, “The fate of the hostages, including my son, rests in your hands. You have the power to bring them home. Don’t let this opportunity slip away.”

Edan Alexander, 20, was serving in the Israeli military and stationed near Gaza when he was taken captive by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.

The White House issued a statement, saying, it has been in touch with the Alexander family and called the hostage video a “cruel reminder of Hamas’s terror against citizens of multiple countries, including our own.”

“The war in Gaza would stop tomorrow and the suffering of Gazans would end immediately– and would have ended months ago– if Hamas agreed to release the hostages,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement. “It has refused to do so, but as the President said last week, we have a critical opportunity to conclude the deal to release the hostages, stop the war, and surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza. This deal is on the table now.”

Netanyahu to hold meeting to discuss hostages, Lebanon, Syria tonight: Official

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security meeting Sunday night to discuss the issue of the hostages, as well as Lebanon and Syria, an Israeli official told ABC News.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

UN pauses aid deliveries to Gaza amid safety concerns

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on Sunday announced a pause to Gaza aid deliveries via the strip’s main crossing point, citing serious threats to the safety of staff.

The road out of the Kerem Shalom crossing “has not been safe for months,” Lazzarini said in a post to X.

“This difficult decision comes at a time hunger is rapidly deepening,” Lazzarini said. “The delivery of humanitarian aid must never be dangerous or turn into an ordeal.”

The UNRWA chief said a “large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs” on Nov. 16, with several more aid trucks taken on Saturday.

Lazzarini also said that Israel’s “ongoing siege” of Gaza, “hurdles” put in place by Israeli authorities and “⁠political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid” were among the other problems facing U.N. staff.

“The humanitarian operation has become unnecessarily impossible,” he wrote. “The responsibility of protection of aid workers [and] supplies is with the state of Israel as the occupying power.”

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian

GOP senator praises current FBI Director Christopher Wray, calls Putin a ‘tyrant’

December 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Mike Rounds emphasized his support for current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whom President-elect Donald Trump intends to fire and replace with the loyalist Kash Patel.

“I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl about Wray. “When we meet with him behind closed doors, I’ve had no objections to the way that he’s handled himself, and so I don’t have any complaints about the way that he’s done his job right now.”

However, Rounds reiterated the president-elect’s right to select his Cabinet and Trump’s selection of Patel is not surprising.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he will pick people that he believes are very loyal to himself, and that’s been a part of the process,” Rounds said. “Every president wants people that are loyal to themselves.”

A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Rounds called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “tyrant” and suggested that negotiating with him might be futile.

“I think Mr. Putin is a tyrant. I think dealing with him is going to be extremely difficult,” Rounds said, expressing hope for Trump to succeed but recognizing that this will be a challenge for “any president.”

He added that you can’t trust “a guy that doesn’t honor their word,” which he says Putin had done.

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

North Carolina was a ‘bright spot’ for Democrats, governor-elect says

December 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — After prevailing in a state that went for Republican Donald Trump, Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein said that his service as attorney general gave North Carolina voters confidence and called the Tar Heel state a “bright spot” for Democrats on election night.

Stein told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that Kamala Harris ran a “strong campaign,” but was hindered by a condensed timeline and “tough national mood.”

“It was a unfortunate night for Democrats across this country, but North Carolina was a bright spot,” Stein said. “ And we’re proud of what we accomplished here.”

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

Biden team wants to finish strong on Ukraine, Gaza

December 1, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that President Joe Biden is looking to make as much progress as possible on foreign policy before he leaves office next month.

In an interview with “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Sullivan said that Biden is hoping to surge aid to Ukraine and move forward with ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas with his time left in office. Both conflicts have dogged the administration, with Ukraine struggling to retake territory it lost to Russia and little progress in Gaza despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We are going to do everything in our power for these 50 days to get Ukraine all the tools we possibly can to strengthen their position on the battlefield so that they’ll be stronger at the negotiating table. And President Biden directed me to oversee a massive surge in the military equipment that we are delivering to Ukraine so that we have spent every dollar that Congress has appropriated to us by the time that President Biden leaves office,” Sullivan said.

When pressed on clinching a deal in Gaza and possibly broader diplomatic breakthroughs between Israel and Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Sullivan said, “The first step is getting the ceasefire and hostage deal. If we can get that into effect, then the possibilities for a broader diplomatic initiative in the region along the lines that you just described really open up, and we will use every day we have in office to try to generate as much progress towards that end as possible.”

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

Trump picks Florida sheriff Chad Chronister for DEA administrator

November 30, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said that Chronister — who has served the Tampa, Florida, area for over 32 years — will work with his attorney general selection, Pam Bondi, to help secure the U.S.-Mexico Border.

The DEA administrator is a Senate-confirmed position.

“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES,” Trump wrote.

Chronister was appointed to lead the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott in 2017 and has been twice reelected by voters.

He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in science in criminal justice from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 260th session.

Chronister is married to Nikki DeBartolo and has two sons.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody took to X on Saturday to congratulate Chronister on the nomination and praise his experience in fighting on the “frontlines” of the opioid crisis.

“Chad has fought on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, and I know his leadership and decades of experience will be invaluable as we work to combat the flow of Mexican fentanyl into our county,” Moody wrote.

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