News – Page 93 – 105.7 WDNY

Key legal players in Maduro case include a 92-year-old judge and Julian Assange’s lawyer

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were arraigned this week on narco-terrorism charges, the key legal players in the case included a 92-year-old judge and the attorney for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The case with international implications will feature high-profile defense attorneys and will be presided over by the most senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Monday pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. The next court date is set for March 17.

The Judge

U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein was appointed to the federal bench in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton and was confirmed by the Senate through unanimous consent.

Known by colleagues and lawyers as a no-nonsense jurist with an independent streak, Hellerstein presided over the 2019 federal civil trial of Harvey Weinstein, brought by 16 women who accused the former movie mogul of sexual assault.

In a major July 2020 ruling, Hellerstein, who turned 92 last month, tossed a $19 million settlement in the Weinstein civil case, saying that it failed to adequately compensate the accusers.

In his decision, Hellerstein slammed the settlement proposal as unfair, noting that accusers who had merely met Weinstein would receive compensation equal to those who were allegedly sexually assaulted by him.

“What is there to make me believe that a person who just met Harvey Weinstein has the same claim as the person who is raped by Harvey Weinstein?” the judge asked during a hearing on the settlement.

Additionally, the judge said it was “obnoxious” that the settlement proposal would have included money to cover the legal fees for Weinstein and other directors of his former company.

Hellerstein has also ruled against President Donald Trump, whose Justice Department is prosecuting Maduro, in multiple instances.

In 2023 and 2024, Hellerstein rejected requests by Trump’s attorneys to move a case charging him with falsifying business records to hide hush-money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels from state court to federal court.

“Trump has failed to show that the conduct charged by the Indictment is for or relating to any act performed by or for the President under color of the official acts of a President,” Hellerstein wrote in his ruling.

Trump was eventually convicted in state court on 34 felony counts.

In April 2025, Hellerstein blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, ruling that migrants being held in the Southern District of New York could not be deported without them first receiving notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Maduro’s attorney

Barry Pollack, Maduro’s attorney, has more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer and has represented high-profile clients.

During Maduro’s arraignment on Monday, Pollack signaled that that he could assert that he is entitled, as a foreign leader, to protection against prosecution.

“He is the head of a sovereign state,” Pollack said in court, adding that there are “issues about the legality of his military abduction.”

Among the attorney’s past clients is Julian Assange. In June 2024, Pollack negotiated a plea agreement for the WikiLeaks founder who was charged with violating the Espionage Act for publishing classified information he obtained from Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst.

Under the plea agreement that Pollack hammered out with the Department of Justice, Assange was freed from prison in June 2024 after pleading guilty to a single felony count of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information.

Pollack — a partner in the Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler law firm in New York City and Washington, D.C. — also won the freedom of Martin Tankleff, a Long Island, New York, teenager who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1988. Tankleff was released from prison in 2008 after Pollack successfully filed an appeal, arguing there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Pollack also defended Michael Krautz, former accountant for the Enron Corp., who was charged along with other company executives with fraud and conspiracy to falsify business records stemming from overstated earnings of the company’s now-defunct subsidiary Enron Broadband Services.

Krautz was acquitted of the charges in 2006, just days after Enron founder Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling were convicted on similar charges in one of the biggest business scandals in U.S. history.

“Barry’s unwavering commitment to his clients, the defense function, and the Constitution serves as inspiration to criminal defense lawyers across the nation,” Christopher W. Adams, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said in 2021, as the organization honored Pollack with its Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award.

Maduro also added constitutional law expert Bruce Fein to his legal defense team, according to a notice on the court docket on Tuesday. Fein has written critically about the Trump administration’s deportation policies and the president’s use of pardons.

Maduro’s wife’s lawyer

Houston-based defense attorney Mark Donnelly, a former federal prosecutor, has been retained by Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores.

Donnelly is the former senior advisor to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and was a federal prosecutor for 12 years before going into private practice. He is now a partner in the Houston law firm Parker Sanchez & Donnelly.

“With over 100 jury trials under his belt, Mark not only is extremely comfortable in the courtroom, but also has the knowledge and experience to guide clients through all phases of representation,” his bio on his law firm’s website says.

According to the bio, Donnelly spent eight years as a prosecutor in the Harris County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office, where he led investigations into elected officials and others charged with violating the public trust.

In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives recruited Donnelly to assist in the historic investigation and impeachment trial of then-state Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, who was accused of bribery and abusing his office to protect a donor accused of making false statements to secure business loans.

Paxton, a Republican, was acquitted in September 2023.

Donnelly is a proficient Spanish speaker and was once designated as a bilingual assistant prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

“We look forward to reviewing and challenging the evidence the government has,” Donnelly said in a statement to Houston Public Media about representing Flores. “While we would love to present our side now, we will wait to do so in court at the appropriate time. The first lady is aware that there is a long road ahead and is prepared.”

DOJ drops assault charges against Georgia election case defendant Harrison Floyd

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MARYLAND) — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday moved to dismiss a long-running assault case against Harrison Floyd, one of the 19 defendants charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, after Floyd was accused of attacking two FBI agents in 2023 as they attempted to serve him with a subpoena in a related case.

The rare decision to drop the federal charge comes shortly after President Donald Trump in November issued a largely symbolic grant of clemency to individuals who worked on his behalf to challenge the results of the 2020 election.

In a court filing Wednesday, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Maryland informed the federal judge overseeing Floyd’s case that her office “moves to dismiss without prejudice the criminal complaint in the above-captioned case.” The judge approved the request soon afterward.

Prosecutors did not provide an explanation for the dismissal.

The charge stemmed from an incident in February 2023 when Floyd allegedly assaulted two FBI agents sent on behalf of then-special counsel Jack Smith to serve him with a subpoena related to Smith’s federal election subversion probe, according to court records. Floyd, a former Marine and mixed martial arts fighter, allegedly rushed at the agents and spit in their faces, the records show.

During the encounter, Floyd shouted profanities at the agents, including “YOU F—— PIECE OF S—!” and “WHO THE F— DO YOU THINK YOU ARE,” according to an affidavit. One of the agents showed Floyd his firearm in an effort to de-escalate the confrontation, according to the affidavit.

Several months after the alleged assault, prosecutors in Fulton Country, Georgia, brought racketeering charges against Floyd and 18 others, including Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, for their alleged efforts to keep Trump in power despite his 2020 election loss.

Floyd, Trump and 13 others pleaded not guilty to all charges, while Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants. The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutor Pete Skandalakis, who took over after Fulton Country DA Fani Willis was disqualified from the case.

This past November, Trump issued all defendants a sweeping pardon, though the move was largely symbolic as the cases were brought at the state level and therefore fell outside the scope of presidential pardon power.

Floyd’s attorney, Carlos Salvado, told ABC News at the time that the language in Trump’s clemency order might also apply to Floyd’s otherwise unrelated federal assault charge.

Reached by ABC News on Wednesday, Salvado welcomed the dismissal. “I’m extremely happy for my client,” he said. “It’s a hell of a way to start 2026.”

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

Uvalde officer trial: Judge denies defense motion for mistrial

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The criminal case will continue against former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales, who is accused of placing more than two dozen children in “imminent danger” by failing to respond to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting as it unfolded.

Judge Sid Harle on Wednesday denied the defense request for a mistrial after defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding key information that was revealed during testimony on Tuesday.

Harle said he may exclude the part of Tuesday’s testimony from former teacher Stephanie Hale, who testified for the prosecution that she saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, on the south side of the school. In an interview days after the shooting, Hale told investigators that she had not seen the shooter — a change in her account that defense attorneys said was not disclosed to them.

Defense attorney Jason Goss argued that the change in testimony affected their strategy during jury selection.

“I don’t believe what was testified to in front of the jury resonated enough to significantly affect your trial strategy,” the judge said.

While defense attorneys argued that the teacher provided the only evidence that the shooter was on the south side of the school, prosecutors said that bullet casings would corroborate their argument.

The prosecution and defense agreed to resume the trial on Thursday, with Hale still on the stand.

Based on the agreement reached, the defense will play part of Hale’s original interview with state investigators in the days after the shooting, when she said she did not see the shooter nor believe she was being shot at.

Prosecutors will have the chance to question Hale again, and defense attorneys reserved the right to ask for the testimony to ultimately be excluded.

Outside court, Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed in the shooting, expressed relief that the case will go forward, saying a mistrial would have been an “injustice.”

He said his confidence in District Attorney Christina Mitchell was shaken by the potential mistrial, but said he believes she learned from her mistake.

“I have confidence that she learned, I have confidence that she went back home last night … and she basically took the lessons, and she came back in today, she seemed a little more prepared, to me, to be honest, a little more assertive, a little more confident,” he said.

Defense attorney Nico LaHood said outside court he was happy with Wednesday’s outcome and trusts the jury.

“We really trust this process, so we believe this remedy the judge did was appropriate,” he said. “We preserved the error, and then we’ll proceed tomorrow.”

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb. Investigations faulted the police response and suggested that a 77-minute delay in police mounting a counterassault could have contributed to the carnage that day.

This case marks the second time in U.S. history that prosecutors have sought to hold a member of law enforcement criminally accountable for their response to a mass shooting.

RFK Jr. releases new dietary guidelines with emphasis on protein and full-fat dairy, less processed foods

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new federal dietary guidelines on Wednesday, encouraging Americans to limit highly processed food and reduce refined carbohydrates.

The guidelines also encourage Americans to eat whole foods like fruits and vegetables, incorporate healthy fats, prioritize protein-rich meals including red meat, and consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are updated every five years, comes as Kennedy has made nutrition policy a cornerstone of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

The administration also released an image of an updated food pyramid to match the guidelines.

“These new guidelines will revolutionize our nation’s food culture and make America healthier again,” Kennedy said during a press conference at the White House alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and other health officials.

For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines explicitly warned Americans against certain highly processed foods and suggests avoiding “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet” and “sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks.”

Kennedy has previously called for restrictions on ultra-processed foods as part of an initiative to address the high rates of chronic disease in the U.S.

The health secretary also said the updated guidelines will place an emphasis on incorporating saturated fats into diets.

“We are ending the war on saturated fats,” Kennedy said. “My message is clear. Eat real food, nothing matters more for health care outcomes, economic productivity, military readiness and physical stability.”

The guidelines states that when adding fats to meals, “prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil. Other options can include butter or beef tallow,” the latter which has been touted by Kennedy in the past.

Health experts have previously stated that there are benefits of good fats, such as those found in some nuts and vegetables, while warning that too much saturated fats are a health risk.

The American Heart Association warns that saturated fats can increase the risk of high cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, the guidelines state that “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners” is part of a healthy diet and calls on parents to completely avoid added sugar and artificial sweeteners for children aged four and under.

The guidelines also say Americans should “limit alcoholic beverages.” Previously, guidelines recommended adults aged 21 and older should stick to two drinks or fewer per day for men and one drink or less per day for women.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said during the press conference that there was “never good data” to support the previously recommended level of alcohol consumption.

In addition, guidelines call for “high-quality, nutrient-dense” proteins with every meal such as red meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. For those who prefer plant-based options, this includes beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.

A factsheet claimed that previous federal dietary guidelines have “demonized” protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“Protein was never demonized in U.S. dietary guidelines. As it is, Americans are consuming protein in amounts well above the amount that is necessary to sustain health and development,” Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a professor at Columbia University Nutrition, told ABC News.

The guidelines, issued by HHS and the Department of Agriculture, provide Americans with dietary advice to promote health and prevent disease.

Although the federal government has provided such advice to Americans for at least a century, the guidelines in their current form have existed since 1980.

Previous releases include the introduction of the food pyramid in 1992 and its replacement, MyPlate, in 2011.

The guidelines are also the foundation for all federal food programs, such as school lunches; the Women, Infants and Children program; and Head Start, as well as meals for active-duty service members and veterans who rely on Veterans Affairs hospitals.

The guidelines were lauded by medical groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

“The American Medical Association applauds the Administration’s new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses,” Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, AMA’s president, said in a statement. “The Guidelines affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health.”

The AHA said in a statement that it welcomes the new dietary guidelines and its emphasis on fruits and vegetables while limiting highly processed foods and added sugars.

However, regarding protein, the AHA said it encourages prioritizing plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk.”

ABC News’ Nicholas Kerr and Liz Neporent contributed to this report.

Minneapolis Mayor Frey disputes DHS claims in lead-up to deadly ICE-involved shooting

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in her car during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and the Minneapolis mayor is disputing the government’s claims surrounding what led up to the shooting.

According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her.

“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said.

“He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,” she said, referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.”

The mayor, however, at an impassioned news conference said that he saw video of the incident and claimed the agent’s actions were not self-defense.

“This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying — getting killed,” Frey said.

Frey said it does not appear the victim — a 37-year-old woman and U.S. citizen — was driving her car toward the agent and using her car as a weapon. The victim “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.

Minneapolis police said it indicates she was in her car and blocking the road.
“At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” police said. “At least two shots were fired … the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

“There is nothing to indicate that this woman was the target of any law enforcement investigation or activity,” police added. “… She appears to be a middle-aged white woman.”

Frey said his message to ICE is to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.

“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Frey said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

“What had happened was our ICE officers were out in enforcement action, they got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis,” she said during remarks at a press briefing in Texas. “They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

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

ICE agent fatally shoots woman in vehicle during operations in Minneapolis: DHS

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in a vehicle during operations in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The victim was a U.S. citizen who “was an observer” and was “watching out for our immigrant neighbors,” Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez told ABC News.

The woman was allegedly “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers” when an ICE officer fatally shot her, according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin said the ICE officer fired “defensive shots,” referring to the woman as part of a group of “rioters.” She did not identify the woman killed or the ICE officer involved in the shooting.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the incident was an “act of domestic terrorism.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that he is aware of the shooting involving an ICE agent while demanding that ICE leave the city “immediately.”

“The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement on social media regarding the shooting. “We’re demanding ICE to leave the city immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said his office is working to “gather information on an ICE-related shooting this morning.”

“We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm,” he posted on X.

The city of Minneapolis said it is “aware of a shooting involving a federal agent” near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue and urged people to avoid the area.

“We are working to confirm additional information, but what we know is that the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city and making our community less safe,” the city said in a statement.

A large law enforcement presence could be seen at the scene. Protesters have also gathered, with some seen getting pepper-sprayed by law enforcement.

The Twin Cities are seeing a massive deployment of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents to conduct immigration enforcement and fraud investigations, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.

As many as 2,000 agents from ICE and HSI could be headed to the Minneapolis area but a source cautioned the number of agents could change.

Sources have told ABC News that as many as 600 HSI agents are being deployed and 1,400 ICE agents could be deployed as part of the increased enforcement operation.

The Trump administration has zeroed in on accusations of fraud at Somali-run childcare centers in recent weeks.

Noem was on the ground in Minneapolis on Tuesday conducting immigration enforcement.

ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

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

Nick Reiner’s defense attorney withdraws from case

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — Nick Reiner returned to court on Wednesday for the alleged murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner.

The 32-year-old, who faces two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, sat behind the glass, wearing a dark jumpsuit and sporting a buzz cut.

His defense attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case during Wednesday’s court appearance. Reiner will be assigned a public defender. Jackson is under a protective order to not talk about the case.

The hearing is ongoing.

On Dec. 17, Nick Reiner made a brief first court appearance and waived the right to a speedy arraignment.

Since his last appearance, sources told ABC News that law enforcement and defense attorneys have been working to piece together Nick Reiner’s psychiatric and substance abuse history. Legal experts say California law allows defense attorneys to signal as early as Wednesday’s hearing whether they will seek to use mental health in their defense.

Nick Reiner has a documented history of addiction and substance abuse treatment, and friends have told investigators that his mental health had been deteriorating prior to the murders.

He could enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday, though that could also come later.

Under California law, a jury can find a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, which would result in confinement to a state psychiatric hospital rather than prison. That process can begin at arraignment but is not required to.

To pursue this defense, attorneys must demonstrate that the accused suffered from a mental illness prior to developing an addiction. A mental illness caused solely by addiction does not meet the legal standard.

Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14.

The night before the murders, Nick Reiner — who had been open about battling drug addiction since he was a teenager, and had been living on his parents’ property — got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party, and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News.

Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered.

Rob and Michele Reiners’ other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, said in a statement last month, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”

“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” Jake and Romy Reiner said. “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”

Energy Secretary Wright details plans for US control of Venezuelan oil

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Trump has been adamant that the U.S. will take control of Venezuela’s oil. Wednesday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright explained how the Trump administration envisions this will actually work, saying the U.S. will control the flow and sale of Venezuela’s oil and the revenue that comes from those sales.

“Instead of the oil being blockaded, as it is right now, we’re going to let the market, let the oil flow, sell that market to United States refineries and to around the world to bring better oil supplies, but have those sales done by the U.S. government and deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government,” Wright told an energy industry conference organized by Goldman Sachs in Miami.

“And then from there, those funds can flow back into Venezuela to benefit the Venezuelan people, but we need to have that leverage and that control of those oil sales to drive the changes that simply must happen in Venezuela,” Wright said.

Wright also said that he is in “active dialogue” with the Venezuelans and the oil and gas companies that were there before.

“It is going to require this, this cooperation between and pressure between the United States and Venezuela. If we control the flow of oil, the sales of [that] oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage, but without large leverage, as we’ve seen in the last 25 years, you don’t get change,” he said.

As for what happens to the revenue from those sales, which Wright said would be “deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government,” it would then “flow back into Venezuela to benefit the Venezuelan people, but we need to have that leverage,” he said.

Wright did not detail how much of that revenue would ultimately flow back into Venezuela. He did say that several hundred thousand barrels of oil could start to flow from Venezuela in the “short to medium term.”

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday night that Venezuela will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S. Sources told ABC News that those barrels represent the first tranche to be handed over to U.S. control.

Sources also confirmed to ABC News that some sanctions against Venezuela would be lifted to allow for the transport and sale of the oil on global markets, and that the revenue from those sales would be deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S., as Wright said.

The White House declined to comment but did not dispute the reports.

Wright on Wednesday echoed Trump in saying that some sanctions against Venezuela may be lifted, or at least that the U.S. would enable imports of some crucial equipment.

“And as we make progress with the government, you know, we will enable the importing of parts and equipment and services to kind of prevent the industry from collapsing, stabilize the production, and then as quickly as possible, start to see it growing again,” Wright said.

Wright also described the current energy infrastructure in Venezuela as “not good,” saying that it had degraded under “decades of under-investment, decades of corruption.”

“It’s not, of course, just oil and gas. Think of the electricity grid. That’s the backbone of a society,” Wright further said, adding that he’s been talking to leaders in the oil industry about how to improve the infrastructure.

“We’re either going to make that happen, make those changes in Venezuela and the capital will flow, or if we can’t successfully make those changes in Venezuela, the capital won’t flow,” Wright said.

Uvalde officer’s trial could be in jeopardy after issues with key witness testimony

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The criminal case against former Uvalde, Texas, school police officer Adrian Gonzales could be in jeopardy after defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding key information that was revealed during the first day of testimony on Tuesday.

Defense attorneys alleged prosecutors failed to disclose that a former Robb Elementary School teacher changed her original account of the shooting during testimony in the long-anticipated trial.

Judge Sid Harle excused the jury and canceled the trial for Wednesday, and instead scheduled a special hearing for Wednesday afternoon to determine how the case could proceed in the wake of Tuesday’s events. Harle offered no indication of how he might rule, though he told the court there are several possibilities after defense attorneys suggested they could ask for a mistrial.

Gonzales, who was one of nearly 400 law enforcement officers to respond to the scene, was charged with 29 counts of child endangerment for allegedly ignoring his training during the botched police response. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty and his legal team maintains he’s being scapegoated. This case marks the second time in U.S. history that prosecutors have sought to hold a member of law enforcement criminally accountable for their response to a mass shooting.

The legal dispute on Tuesday stemmed from the testimony of former teacher Stephanie Hale, who told jurors she saw the shooter, Salvador Ramos, firing toward her and her students near the playground.

“As we were all running into the classroom, I saw the — I don’t know if you call him — horrible person, walking,” she testified. She said she sheltered with her students in a classroom and armed themselves with safety scissors.

Defense attorneys immediately objected, arguing that in an interview with state investigators four days after the shooting, Hale didn’t mention seeing the shooter or being shot at.

In a remarkable turn of events, the judge allowed defense lawyers to question District Attorney Christina Mitchell under oath in open court about the issue. Mitchell confessed that she was not aware the teacher’s testimony had changed. Prosecutors acknowledged that she mentioned seeing the shooter in interviews with investigators ahead of trial.

While witnesses sometimes change their accounts of traumatic events without casting doubt on their entire testimony, prosecutors are under a legal obligation to turn over ahead of trial notes of their meetings with witnesses, experts say. Defense lawyers argue they did not receive any notes showing the change in testimony, which, they argue, is vital to their defense.

Hale is the only witness so far who has placed the shooter on the south side of the school and in range of Gonzales.

“If she did report these things to the prosecution, we were entitled to that to prepare for this. And this is a trial by ambush,” defense attorney Jason Goss said.

Gross was pointed in his questioning of the district attorney, saying, “Neither the prosecutor nor anyone in the room thought to ask her, ‘Where did you see the shooter?'”

“You know, you’re getting very nitpicky. … When we were prepping these witnesses, I was running a law office,” Mitchell responded. “I was in and out of interviews, so I can’t say that … ‘Oh my God,’ you know, it wasn’t that type of reaction for me.”

Harle is set to decide the next steps during Wednesday afternoon’s hearing.

In an interview with reporters outside court on Tuesday, lead defense attorney Nico LaHood declined to say whether he would ask for a mistrial, though he noted the option was on the table.

Local attorneys who spoke with ABC News described Hale, the judge overseeing the case, as a well-experienced jurist known for setting high standards for the lawyers who practice before him. The Texas law that requires prosecutors hand over witness statements to defense attorneys — known as the Michael Morton Act — stemmed from a case in which Harle, himself, exonerated a man wrongly accused of killing his wife.

“He’s not going to do any favors,” Gerry Goldstein, an attorney for Morton, said of Harle. “He will call orders as he sees them.”

Shooting involving ICE agent occurred in Minneapolis, mayor says

January 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — A shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent occurred in Minneapolis on Wednesday, according to the city’s mayor.

“The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said on social media regarding the shooting. “We’re demanding ICE to leave the city immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said his office is working to “gather information on an ICE-related shooting this morning.”

“We will share information as we learn more. In the meantime, I ask folks to remain calm,” he posted on X.

The city of Minneapolis said it is “aware of a shooting involving federal law enforcement” near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue while urging people to avoid the area.

A large law enforcement presence could be seen at the scene.

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

+ More