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Trump admin touts new partner funding for Rohingya refugees amid backlash over aid cuts

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is asserting that it has secured substantial financial commitments for the Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh from partner nations as reports claim that U.S. foreign aid cutbacks have worsened the crisis facing the persecuted group, according to a State Department document obtained exclusively by ABC News.

Per the document, the State Department says it has secured $64.6 million in aid commitments from partner countries in September alone, marking what it calls “a significant development in the Trump administration’s effort to encourage burden sharing with other nations to address humanitarian crises across the globe.”

State Department data indicates that 11 countries, including the U.K., Bangladesh, Japan, Qatar, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, and the Netherlands, have increased their aid to the Rohingya people by more than 10% under the Trump administration in 2025 compared to the last year of the Biden administration, the document states.

The level of influence the Trump administration had over the uptick in aid from these foreign governments is not clear.

The Trump administration also pledged more funding to support Rohingya refugees in September, committing $60 million to the cause in addition to $73 in new assistance announced in March.

In 2024, the final year of the Biden administration, the U.S. contributed just over $300 million to the Rohingya, over 50% of total support for that year, records show.

“The Trump administration has continuously called on nations around the world to join the United States in offering humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations like Rohingya refugees,” a senior State Department official said. “The media narrative that the obligation to provide aid falls solely on the Trump Administration is tired and ignores the reality that many other countries, including regional actors, have repeatedly failed to step up.”

The State Department’s push to ramp up foreign aid for the Rohingya comes as the AP has published a report asserting that Rohingya children have died in a camp located in Myanmar because of the Trump administration’s USAID cuts. (Notably, the report covers impact to Rohingya children in Myanmar; the Trump administration’s fundraising efforts have focused on supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.)

“Let me be absolutely clear: the Associated Press’ claim that children are dying because of recalibrated U.S. foreign assistance levels is completely false and downright irresponsible,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Man charged after allegedly threatening right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(TAMPA, Fla.) — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday the arrest of a man who allegedly sent a letter with death threats targeting right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson in the days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Bondi held a news conference in Tampa, Florida, to make the announcement.

“Benny is a well-known media personality carrying a message very similar to Charlie’s, grounded largely in faith and love of country,” Bondi said during a news conference in Tampa, Florida.

Kirk, 31, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was killed on Sept. 10 during a campus event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, about 39 miles south of Salt Lake City.

“Just days after Charlie’s assassination, Benny received a letter at his home, where he and Kate are raising their beautiful, beautiful young family. The author of this letter made it very clear that he hated Benny, because of his views and he wanted him dead. This was a coward hiding behind a keyboard who thought he could get away with this,” Bondi said during the press conference Friday.

Bondi said authorities arrested George Isbell Jr. in connection with the threatening letter, which she described as “horrific” in nature.

He was arrested on Oct. 7 in San Diego, California.

Isbell was charged federally with mailing a threatening communication, according to the DOJ.

“We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer,” Bondi said. “This arrest will serve as a reminder to many: Do not do this. We will find you.”

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Greg Kehoe further detailed Isbell’s letter to Johnson, saying he threatened Johnson’s “extermination” and that he “should be strangled by an American flag” and “hoped somebody blows his head off.”

If convicted, Isbell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the DOJ.

“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate threats of violence like the kind allegedly made by the defendant about a media personality,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a DOJ press release on the arrest. “We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system.”

Isbell has not yet entered a plea in the case, and contact information for his attorney was not available as of Friday afternoon.

Marine veteran who threatened to shoot up Texas high school and zoo arrested after car chase: Police

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(KATY, Texas) — A Marine Corps veteran was arrested after allegedly threatening to open fire on a Texas high school and zoo after leading police on a high-speed chase, officials said.

Joshua Finney, 38, is accused of sending Facebook messages to relative threatening to shoot up Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, and the Houston Zoo. The relative said he also sent pictures posing with guns, according to authorities.

Law enforcement confronted Finney on Tuesday, when he took police on a high-speed car chase in Katy, according to investigators. One magistrate told ABC News affiliate ABC 13 that Finney “evaded for eight miles at speeds of 110 miles per hour, driving on the shoulder, weaving through lanes, driving the wrong way head-on at two patrol vehicles and innocent motorists.”

When Finney was stopped, police said they found a loaded gun in his car with 39 rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement also has a video of Finney driving by Morton Ranch High School, according to police.

At his first probable cause court appearance Wednesday, Finney did not appear as he being held in a mental health unit, according to the magistrate.

Finney has been charged with harassment, evading police and illegally possessing a weapon due to a lengthy and violent previous criminal history, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing, police said, and Finney’s bond was raised to $10 million on Thursday.

Uvalde opens new elementary school honoring shooting victims 3 years after tragedy

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(UVALDE, Texas) — Three and a half years after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the community honored the 21 victims killed in the tragedy at the “bittersweet” opening of a new school.

“Today, as we open the doors of this beautiful elementary school, we do so with reverence for the precious lives lost and with resolute confidence in the legacy we will build within it,” Ashley Chohlis, the superintendent for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.

The new school, Legacy Elementary School, a two-story campus totaling 116,000 square feet, opened on Friday, with classes beginning on Oct. 20. The new school is not located on the Robb Elementary property, which remains closed off with no immediate plans to demolish it.

The campus features a “large oak tree with two large branches” along with 19 “smaller branches,” paying tribute to the two teachers and 19 children who were killed in the May 2022 rampage.

At the start of the emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Chohlis asked for those in attendance to pause for 21 seconds of silence in honor of the victims of the shooting.

“The path to this ribbon cutting has been long and deeply emotional in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. Texans from across the state and here in Uvalde, with sorrow gripping their hearts, vowed to do something, anything they could to offer their deep sympathy, love and support. During the darkest of times, many people came together. From their love, this beautiful building stands proudly,” Chohlis said.

The school, which was built using $60 million in “donations, grants and community support,” will teach third, fourth and fifth graders, school officials said.

Jesse Rizo, the uncle of one of the victims who was killed in the shooting, said the opening of this campus is a “bittersweet” and “heart-wrenching moment.”

Laura Perez, the Uvalde CISC school board president, said the school “stands a testament” to the memory of the victims.

“This school is not about forgetting but remembering with dignity, rebuilding with courage and choosing to believe in the future even when the past still hurts,” Perez said on Friday.

The campus, which includes 36 classrooms, can house up to 800 students, according to a press release from Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, an organization that was created in the wake of the tragedy.

The opening of the school comes days after a trial date was set for one of the two senior police officers charged in connection with the failures on the day of the shooting, the judge overseeing the case told ABC News.

Former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at Robb Elementary School on the day of the shooting, and former school officer Adrian Gonzales, were charged in June 2024 with multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment.

On the day of the shooting, law enforcement waited some 77 minutes at the scene before breaching a classroom and killing the gunman.

Gonzales’ trial is set to begin on Jan. 5, with Arredondo’s case remaining on hold pending the outcome of ongoing litigation between the Uvalde District Attorney’s Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

ABC News’ Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

Federal workers’ paychecks impacted as government shutdown continues

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As the government shutdown plows forward with no end in sight, many civilian federal workers are feeling the impact as they receive only a partial paycheck on Friday, the 10th day of the impasse.

For many federal workers, the partial paycheck is the last payment they will receive until the shutdown ends.

“You’ve got millions of American families who will now have to figure out how to make their mortgage, how to cover their rent, pay the car note and keep food on the table — because Democrats, Chuck Schumer, his colleagues in the Senate are here playing games,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a Friday morning press conference.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries fired back in his own Friday morning press conference saying Republicans are “not serious about reopening the government” and that Democrats are open to having meetings to discuss off-ramps. He urged Republicans to work with Democrats to “pay our federal employees and at the same time address the Republican health care crisis.”

On Thursday night, the Senate again failed to pass the clean seven-week funding bill. Following the seventh failed vote, senators left town for the weekend — ensuring the shutdown lasts for at least two weeks with the next chance to vote to fund the government on Oct. 14.

House Republican leaders on Friday canceled votes for all of next week.

The latest failed Senate vote guarantees that some 2 million military service members will miss their paycheck on Wednesday, Oct. 15 and won’t be paid until the government reopens.

The last time service members went without pay was in 2018 when the Coast Guard went without money in a shutdown under President Donald Trump’s administration. Other troops haven’t gone without pay in decades, although private financial institutions are offering zero percent loans.

Johnson said that Trump is “working on ways” to ensure the military troops get paid during the shutdown but did not provide specifics.

“The executive branch, the president is working on ways that he may have as well to ensure that troops are paid,” Johnson said Friday morning. “The Republican party stands for paying the troops; the Democrats are the ones that are demonstrating over and over and over – now eight times – that they don’t want troops to be paid. This could not be any simpler than it is – look at the record.”

Pressed by ABC News on the worsening effects of the government shutdown and the millions of federal employees and soldiers going without pay, Jeffries was firm, saying Democrats will not buckle without health care concessions from Republicans.

“Republicans have the House, the Senate, and the presidency. They decided to shut the government down. Republicans in the House have decided to remain on vacation,” Jeffries said.

The shutdown already appears to be impacting many military families, with some lined up at food pantries around the country.

On Thursday, a military mom called into Johnson’s appearance on CSPAN and begged him to bring the House back to session to pass a standalone bill to provide military troops pay during the shutdown, saying her “kids could die” if her family experiences a lapse in pay on Oct. 15.

The National Military Family Association estimates that one in five military and veteran families are experiencing some level of food insecurity. Also, 25% of military families report having less than $500 in savings, the association found in its most recent report.

The next vote on clean House-passed funding bill in the Senate will be Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET — which will be Day 14 of the shutdown.

Trump threatens ‘massive’ tariffs on China, triggering stock market sell-off

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Friday voiced frustration with what he called China’s “trade hostility,” threatening to respond with large tariffs on China and to cancel his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The comments triggered a stock selloff. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 385 points, or 0.8%. While the S&P 500 fell 1.25% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.75%.

Trump’s remarks came a day after China imposed new restrictions on rare-earth minerals, key materials in the production of semiconductors used for everything from artificial intelligence to home appliances.

In a social media post, Trump said China had sent letters to countries around the world threatening to impose export controls on “each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths.”

“There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,'” but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time,” Trump said.

In retaliation, Trump threatened a “massive increase” on tariffs on Chinese products coming into the US, even though he said the move would be “potentially painful.”

Tariffs on Chinese imports into the US currently stand at 30%, down from the high point of 145% earlier this year.

Trump also threatened to cancel an upcoming meeting with Jinping.

“This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World. I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” Trump concludes.

This comes as the trade truce between the US and China is still in effect but set to expire in less than a month.

Multiple people dead in ‘devastating blast’ at explosives manufacturer in Tennessee: Sheriff

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(MCEWEN, Tenn.) — Multiple people are dead following a “devastating blast” at an explosives manufacturing plant in Tennessee on Friday, according to authorities.

The explosion occurred Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, located about 50 miles west of Tennessee.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis confirmed to reporters there are “some” fatalities and several people missing in the blast, though he did not give specific numbers.

At least 13 people are unaccounted for, Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told ABC News.

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

Melania Trump says she and Putin communicating about children affected by war

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — First lady Melania Trump announced Friday that she and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had an “open channel of communication” regarding children impacted by the Russian-Ukraine war.

“We have agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war,” she said in brief remarks delivered from the Grand Foyer of the White House.

“In fact, eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours,” she added.

The first lady had written a letter to Putin stating it was time to protect the children impacted by the yearslong war, which was hand-delivered by President Donald Trump when he met with the Russian leader in Alaska in August.

“He responded in writing, signaling a willingness to engage with me directly and outlining details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia,” she said on Friday.

Melania Trump said her representative has been working directly with Putin’s team on reunification of children separated from their families as the conflict continues.

“Russia has demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information reflective for the current situation,” she said.

The first lady also said she was provided a “detailed report” about the eight children who were reunited and the U.S. government-confirmed facts contained in the documents.

“This is an important initiative for me. It is built on shared purpose and lasting impact,” she said, adding that plans are “underway” to reunify more children in the near future.

“A child’s soul knows no borders, no flags,” she said. “We must foster a future for our children which is rich with potential, security and complete with free will. A world where dreams will be realized rather than faded by war.”

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

Potential nor’easter poses threat to East Coast, bringing heavy rain, damaging winds to major cities

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A potential nor’easter is beginning to develop off the coast of Florida on Friday, which could pose a threat to the East Coast this weekend into next week. Major cities and coastal areas in the Northeast could see heavy rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion.

The cold front that has brought chilly temperatures across the Northeast stalled out over the Florida Peninsula on Friday morning, with a low-pressure system developing in its wake along the Southeast coast later on Friday into Saturday that will track parallel to the East Coast.

By Sunday into Monday, the storm will skirt North Carolina’s Outer Banks and spin off the Jersey Shore before pulling away later in the day on Tuesday into Wednesday.

Over the next several days, this potential nor’easter will bring a plethora of impacts to the East Coast, with some threats even extending well inland.

Coastal areas from the Carolinas up to Long Island and southern coastal New England will bear the brunt of this storm, with winds reaching up to 60 mph, rain totals hitting between 2 to 5-plus inches, moderate to major tidal flooding and significant beach erosion.

Inland areas, including along the Interstate 95 corridor, could see up to 2 inches of rain and wind gusts reaching anywhere between 20 to 40 mph.

The heaviest rain totals will come from Saturday through Tuesday, bringing concerns of flash flooding, gusty winds and coastal flooding.

High wind watches have been issued for southern Delaware, coastal New Jersey and Long Island from Sunday morning through the overnight hours into Monday, with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 60 mph or more.

Coastal flood watches have also already been issued from the Outer Banks of North Carolina up to coastal Massachusetts for Sunday through Monday for at least minor to moderate flooding. Areas from Delaware up to the Jersey Shore and Long Island could see moderate to potentially major impacts, with structural damage possible in coastal and bayside communities.

Additionally, significant beach erosion is also possible along the East Coast, especially from the Outer Banks up to coastal New England.

Pam Bondi, DOJ officials caught off guard by Tish James indictment: Sources

October 10, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior leadership of the Justice Department were caught off guard Thursday by news that the Trump-installed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia had presented to a grand jury seeking an indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

While Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and other DOJ officials had expected Lindsey Halligan would move forward in seeking to indict James, against the recommendation of prosecutors in the office who had investigated for months the claims she committed mortgage fraud, they were not informed until after Halligan had already presented the case, sources said.

“The Justice Department is united as one team in our mission to make America safe again and as stated previously Lindsey Halligan is fully supported by the AG, DAG, and the entire team at Main Justice,” a Justice Department spokesperson told ABC News in a statement.

The news that Halligan was making her presentment was not news, however, to Ed Martin — who was appointed to several senior leadership positions at DOJ by President Trump after his nomination to be the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. failed to earn support from Republican senators earlier this year.

Martin, who goes by his self-described nickname “Eagle Ed” posted on his ‘X’ account Thursday morning an image of an eagle flying over the Brooklyn Bridge – and reposted the image Thursday evening following news of James’ indictment.

As ABC News previously reported, Martin and Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who initially made the criminal referral to DOJ over James’ mortgage applications, have in recent weeks clashed with senior leadership of the department as they’ve demanded more aggressive actions to prosecute President Trump’s political enemies.

In a Truth Social post last month, President Trump publicly urged Bondi to move “now” to prosecute his enemies and said he was appointing Halligan to lead the office and “get things moving.”

One former senior DOJ official said it would be extraordinary for leadership at the department to not be informed of a pending indictment of a major political figure like James, which would more typically be led by the department’s Public Integrity Section. Staff in that office has been eliminated to just two officials down from roughly 30 since Trump’s inauguration, according to sources.

Despite her being initially caught off guard by Halligan’s presentment, Bondi posted on ‘X’ following James’ indictment, “One tier of justice for all Americans.”

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