Page 130 – 105.7 WDNY

Trump says he’s sending ICE agents to airports Monday amid DHS funding impasse

March 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(ORLANDO, Fla.) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he’s sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats, who are only focused on protecting hard line criminals who have entered our Country illegally, are endangering the USA by holding back the money that was long ago agreed to with signed and sealed contracts, and all,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform.

On Saturday, the president said he was ready to deploy ICE agents if Democrats didn’t “immediately sign an agreement” to end the shutdown.

Trump said that operations would include immigration enforcement. It’s not currently clear what security roles, exactly, ICE agents will take on in airports.

The White House referred ABC News back to the president’s post when asked what capacity Americans can expect to see ICE operating in at airports.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, said Sunday that he was working with acting ICE Administrator Todd Lyons on plans that would “free up TSA agents for specialized tasks, like passenger and bag screening” and hopes to have final details together by the end of the day.

“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as, you know, screening through the x-ray machine, not trained on that, we won’t do that,” Homan told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non significant role, such as guarding an exit, so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.”

Trump’s statements come after Democrats on Friday blocked legislation to reopen DHS for the fifth time since the partial shutdown began in mid-February.

Democrats have demanded changes to policy surrounding ICE and Customs and Border Protection in exchange for votes to fund all of the department. Republicans, meanwhile, have rejected Democratic efforts to fund other agencies in DHS like the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Thousands of TSA employees have now missed their first full paychecks, and travelers are facing long lines at airports around the country.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the plan to send ICE agents to airports.

“The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or, in some instances, kill them,” Jeffries told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We’ve already seen how ICE conducts itself. These are untrained individuals when it comes to doing the current job that they have for the most part, let alone deploying them in close exposure in highly sensitive situations at airports across the country.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday appeared to suggest that ICE agents would do more than Homan outlined, saying that ICE could be used to support airport screening.

“They run those same type of security machines at the southern border, right? Packages come through or people come through. They run similar assets,” Duffy said on ABC News’ “This Week,” adding that “even administratively they’ll be helpful.”

“But again, we have ICE agents who are trained and can provide assistance to agents,” Duffy said.

On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also urged Democrats to agree to a funding deal.

“At some point, the Democrats are going to have to take yes for an answer. I know they think this is politically good for them. It is not,” Thune said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has met behind closed doors with Homan throughout the week. The latest meeting concluded late Friday night.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in speech on the Senate floor on Saturday, urged Republicans to support a Democratic effort to fund TSA while other negotiations continue.

“It is unacceptable for workers and travelers and entire airports to get taken hostage in political games, but that’s what the Republicans are doing,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

“It is unacceptable to say we will only pay TSA workers if it is attached to a bill that funds ICE with no reforms, but that’s what the Republicans have been doing. Democrats want to pay TSA workers ASAP, with no strings attached,” Schumer added.

400 people treated for heat-related illness at Arizona airshow as record temperatures bake the West

March 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(PHOENIX) — Record-shattering temperatures are expected to continue on Sunday as a rare and strong early-season heat dome has resulted in triple-digit highs in some parts of the Western U.S.

As the temperatures soared to 105 degrees on Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., the third-straight day the weather has topped the 100-degree mark, more than 400 people attending an airshow in nearby Glendale were treated for heat-related illnesses, authorities said.

At least 25 people attending the Luke Days Airshow at Luke Air Force Base were overcome by the sweltering weather and had to be hospitalized for various heat-related illnesses, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland said at a news conference on Saturday, according to ABC affiliate station KNXV in Phoenix.

Berkland said the majority of the people treated were under the age of 12 or over the age of 60, and many also had “pre-existing medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes or pregnancy.”

Dozens of locations across the West have broken high-temperature records since Thursday, and some areas in the Plains have also seen records fall.

The temperature in Phoenix reached 105 degrees for the third straight day on Saturday, tying a record for March. In Tucson, temperatures soared to 102 on Saturday. Las Vegas, Nev., hit 96 on Saturday, the second-highest temperature there for March behind the 97-degree record set on Friday.

Elsewhere in the West, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colo., set new highs for March when they hit 84 and 86 degrees, respectively, on Saturday,

Hot weather also stretched across the Midwest and Great Plains. Omaha, Neb., recorded 96 degrees on Saturday, while Wichita, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., each reached 93.

Extreme heat warnings remain in effect for parts of southern California, Nevada and Arizona on Sunday, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson and Lake Havasu, Ariz.

Phoenix is likely to surpass the 100-degree mark again on Sunday, the fourth-straight day the city is expected to surpass that temperature. Las Vegas and Salt Lake City could also see additional daily records heading into Monday.

Hot weather is forecast to continue to move into the South and the Ohio Valley, where dozens of daily records could be broken from interior California to Texas and the Carolinas, including the cities of Sacramento, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis, New Orleans, Cincinnati and Raleigh.

Severe weather in store for southern Indiana and Pennsylvania
Some severe storms are possible for southern Indiana and most of Pennsylvania later Sunday and into Sunday night and could include damaging winds and large hail. Isolated tornadoes are also possible for a sliver of Ohio, the northern panhandle of West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.

By late Sunday night, a line of scattered storms will likely stretch from Evansville, Ind., to Columbus, Ohio, and into State College, Pa.

New York City could also see a couple of thunderstorms, some strong enough to produce gusty winds and possibly small hail.

Critical fire weather threat in the Plains

Millions of people across the Plains are under red flag fire warnings on Sunday due to low humidity, warm temperatures, gusty winds and dry vegetation. The fire danger is expected to continue Sunday before improving a bit into Monday.

Meanwhile, several wildfires are still burning further north in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Fire crews in Nebraska have made significant progress in battling the Morrill Fire, largest wildfire in state history. The blaze, which has burned more than 640,000 acres across multiple counties in western Nebraska, was 98% contained as of Saturday night, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

Another large Nebraska wildfire, the Cottonwood Fire in the south-central part of the state, has burned nearly 130,000 acres and was 94% contained on Saturday night, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

More damaging floods in Hawaii

After a damaging flood event more than one week ago during which parts of Hawaii recorded rainfall by feet, more rain has brought damaging and impactful flooding across parts of the island.

A flash-flood warning was in effect Saturday for potentially life-threatening flooding on Oahu and the potential for the Wahiawa Dam to fail. There were several reports of damage, water rescues and road closures due to flooding.

The threat of the Wahiawa Dam failing has subsided as water levels gradually subside, but any heavy pockets of rain could cause rapid water rises and reinvigorate the threat.

The heaviest rain has shifted eastward, with the island of Molokai under a flash-flood warning on Sunday.

All Hawaiian islands except Kauai remain under a flood watch through Sunday for more heavy rain. The heaviest rain is expected mostly on the Big Island and the island of Maui, but the other islands will see some rain showers and perhaps some isolated heavy pockets of rain.

Thunderstorms will be possible at times, which may include damaging winds.

Record numbers of TSA officers called out Saturday as DHS shutdown continues

March 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Saturday saw the highest call-out rate of TSA officers at airports since the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown began, according to exclusive data from the Transportation Safety Administration first obtained by ABC News.

Over 3,250 officers called out Saturday, March 21, according to TSA data, accounting for 11.51% of the scheduled workforce.

Airport security lines are growing nationwide as TSA officers, who haven’t received a paycheck for over three weeks, call out of work. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform that he will deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports beginning Monday unless Democrats agree to a funding package to end the DHS shutdown.

Democrats are demanding reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection policies before they will vote to fund the DHS.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that ICE agents are trained and can assist with airport security. ICE has remained funded through appropriations from the Trump’s tax and spending bill passed last summer, while key DHS agencies like TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard are left unfunded.

Duffy said that ICE does have proper security training, but could also help by just managing lines. It is unclear how many ICE agents would be sent to airports or which airports they will be sent to.

“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as, you know, screening through the x-ray machine, not trained on that, we won’t do that,” White House Border Czar Tom Homan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non significant role, such as guarding an exit, so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.”

There was a nearly four-hour wait Sunday during the 11 a.m. hour to pass through TSA checkpoints at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to the TSA.

Saturday, the airports with the highest TSA personnel call-out rates were William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, with 47.4%; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, with 42.4%; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, with 34.1%, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with 33.6%; and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, with 33.4%.

The president of the union that represents TSA workers issued a statement Sunday blasting what he called the Trump administration’s “threat” to send ICE to airports.

“ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley in the statement. “TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints – skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You cannot improvise that. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one.”

“Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe,” Kelley said. “They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”

Other airports with call-out numbers over 20% Saturday included Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Long Beach Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Airports with high wait times Saturday included Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, with wait times of roughly two-and-a-half hours in the standard TSA line; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, with wait times of over two hours; LaGuardia, with wait times of one hour and 40 minutes, and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with wait times of an hour-and-a-half.

Chappell Roan denies she sent her security to confront Brazilian soccer star’s daughter

March 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Chappell Roan has responded to Brazilian soccer star Jorginho Frello, after he claimed her security confronted his 11-year-old daughter for just looking at the pop star.

Frello wrote on his Instagram Story that his wife and daughter were staying at the same hotel in Brazil as Roan, who was there to headline Lollapalooza. He said his daughter was “extremely excited” because Roan was someone she “admired a lot.”

At breakfast, Frello says his daughter saw that Roan was there too but insists she didn’t bother the singer.

“She just passed by the singer’s table, looked over to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to the table with her mom,” he wrote. “She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything.”

Frello wrote that after that, a security guard confronted his family and spoke “extremely aggressively” towards his wife and daughter, accusing his daughter of “disrespect” and “harassment,” which scared her and left her crying.

But in a video posted to her Instagram Story, Roan insisted the person who confronted the 11-year-old was not part of her “personal security.”

“I didn’t even see a woman and a child … No one came up to me. No one bothered me,” she said. “I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child.”

“It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions when they have no reason to believe because there’s no action even taken,” she added, noting, “Like, I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do no hate children. Like, that is crazy.”

Roan also apologized to Frello’s wife and daughter if they “felt uncomfortable” noting, “that makes me really sad. You did not deserve that.”

GOP Sen. Tillis says objectives of Iran war unclear: ‘It’s a real problem’

March 22, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As the war with Iran enters its fourth week, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said the Trump administration must make its objectives of the operation clearer before Congress approves additional funding.

“What is the objective, the primary objective?” ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl asked Tillis in an interview that aired Sunday.

“I don’t know, and I think it’s a real problem,” the North Carolina senator said.

Praising last summer’s “Operation Midnight Hammer” when the U.S. military struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, Tillis said he “could see why we needed to finish some of the work and go back in,” but the weeks-long operation now is “ambiguous.”

“I don’t know what our long-term strategic goals are, but we’re going to need to know that,” Tillis said. “I generally support what the president’s doing in Iran, but if we’re going to get anything close to the $200 billion supplemental request, we got to get 60 votes, and we’re going to have to figure out how to accomplish that.”

The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in funding, according to a senior administration official. While he said the topline number could move, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the department will request additional funding for the war, saying, “It takes money to kill bad guys.”

As the war rages on, Iran continues to block the critical Strait of Hormuz. A significant share of the world’s oil passes through the strait each day, and the blockage has surged global oil prices. Gas prices in the U.S. are up $1 per gallon on average since the war began Feb. 28, according to GasBuddy.

“Can’t all of a sudden walk away”
President Donald Trump has mused about “winding down” the war soon and last week he suggested in a social media post that he may pull out of Iran before the Strait of Hormuz issues are resolved.

“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?’ That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!” Trump posted Wednesday.

Tillis was critical of that option, arguing leaving the strait as it is harms U.S. allies in the region.

“We have a number of partners and allies in the region whose economic fortunes rests on the Strait of Hormuz being open,” Tillis said. “We’ve decided that we’re going to project power and try and produce good outcomes in the Middle East. You can’t all of a sudden walk away after you’ve kind of created the event and expect other people to pick it up and leave — and leave a good taste in their mouth.”

After Trump lashed out U.S. allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for not assisting the U.S. with opening the Strait of Hormuz, labeling them “cowards,” Tillis — the co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group — defended those allies’ decisions.

“I don’t think that they’re cowards. I think they’re people that weren’t consulted on a major military operation, and I’d have the same reaction if I was the head of state,” Tillis said.

“These folks love the United States,” he added. “But they don’t appreciate the way they’re being treated right now. And I can, I can absolutely understand that.”

“American lives will be lost” without NATO
The North Carolina Republican also pushed back on Trump’s recent suggestion that he could leave NATO without consulting Congress.

“Well, that’s factually not true. The president of the United States cannot withdraw from NATO,” Tillis said. “American lives have been saved by the NATO alliance, and American lives will be lost without it.”

In June, Tillis announced he would not seek reelection this year. No longer concerned with having to run a campaign, the self-described “plain-spoken” senator has become even more so.

He didn’t vote for the Republicans’ tax overhaul and spending cuts bill. He’s not planning to vote for the “SAVE America Act,” a Trump priority. He called out Trump’s Justice Department for seeking indictments against Democrats Trump accused of seditious behavior for posting a video telling service members not to follow illegal orders, and he’s threatening to hold up any nominee to the Federal Reserve until the DOJ ends its probe of Chair Jerome Powell.

But no members of Trump’s administration have received more criticism from Tillis than Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff to the president and one of his top advisers on immigration, and outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Tillis has called the pair “sycophants” and called for Trump to fire Noem, which he ultimately did.

The president has praised Miller over the years. In October, he said he was “doing an unbelievable job” and told him, “The people of this country love you.”

But Tillis said he doesn’t think Miller is “particularly loyal” to the president.

“If the president thinks that Stephen Miller is worried about [Trump’s] legacy, he’s fooling himself. Stephen Miller is worried about his own legacy,” Tillis said.

A “healthy” relationship with Trump
Still, Tillis told Karl he believes he has a “healthy relationship” with the president.

“There are aspects about this president that I admire and will always admire, but I do not admire bad advice, and I hate bad execution, and when I see it and I think it’s undermining the president of the United States’ agenda, then I’m going to call them out,” he said.

Tillis said his motivation for criticizing the administration and some of its policies are to help Republicans perform well in this year’s midterm elections.

“I’m not trying to undermine Republicans. I’m trying to undermine efforts that are going to make it very difficult for Republicans to get elected in November,” he said.

Asked by Karl why he feels liberated to speak out since announcing his retirement, Tillis had a simple answer.

“When people have said, ‘You seem a little bit more liberated.’ I said, ‘No, s—, Sherlock,'” Tillis said. “I no longer have to view things through a political lens.”

‘Buffy’ stars react to Nicholas Brendon’s death at 54

March 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars are mourning the loss of actor Nicholas Brendon, who died at 54.

Brendon, who portrayed Xander Harris on the long-running supernatural drama, was a central figure in the series’ original cast and remained closely connected to fans of the show in the years that followed.

Alyson Hannigan, who starred alongside Brendon for years on the series, shared a heartfelt note on Instagram on Friday, reflecting on their friendship.

“My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” she wrote. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Buffy, also honored Brendon with a deeply personal post, referencing a poignant line tied to the show’s themes of identity and belonging.

“They’ll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn’t chosen. To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it,” Gellar wrote. “But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, because nobody’s watching me.”

She added, “I saw you Nicky. I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky.”

Other Buffy stars to pay tribute to Brendon include David Boreanaz, who played Angel on the show before moving to his own spinoff; Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia, a love interest of Brendon’s character; and Emma Caulfield, who played former demon Anya, who also became a love interest for Brendon’s character.

The news of Brendon’s death was confirmed in a statement shared on his official Facebook page, revealing he passed away in his sleep from natural causes. The message described him as “passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create,” noting that in recent years he had turned his focus to painting and art, which he often shared with loved ones and fans.

His death marks another loss for the Buffy community. In 2025, Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn Summers, also passed away.

Trump threatens to put ICE agents in airports starting Monday amid DHS funding impasse

March 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he is ready to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports starting Monday if Democrats don’t agree to a funding package to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

“I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” the president wrote in a post to his social media platform.

In an earlier social media post on Saturday, Trump wrote that unless Democrats “immediately sign an agreement” he will move to deploy ICE agents into American airports and conduct security enforcement “like no one has ever seen before.”

Trump said that operations would include immigration enforcement. It’s currently unclear what security roles, exactly, ICE agents will take on in airports.

The White House referred ABC News back to the president’s post when asked what capacity Americans can expect to see ICE operating in at airports.

Trump’s statements come after Democrats on Friday blocked legislation to reopen DHS for the fifth time since the partial shutdown began in mid-February.

Thousands of TSA employees have now missed their first full paychecks, and travelers are facing long lines at airports around the country.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, during an appearance on Fox News earlier Saturday, called on Democrats to negotiate with Republicans.

“I just wish they would stop using the American people as leverage. Make them go through pain so Democrats can get what they want legislatively,” Duffy said.

On Capitol Hill, in a rare Saturday morning press conference, Senate Majority Leader John Thune also urged Democrats to agree to a funding deal.

“At some point, the Democrats are going to have to take yes for an answer. I know they think this is politically good for them. It is not,” Thune, R-S.D., said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers met behind closed doors with White House border czar Tom Homan throughout the week. The latest meeting concluded late Friday night.

“We need to get the government open and we’ll keep talking until it has,” Homan told ABC News after the meeting.

Thune said he believed that meeting was “productive” and confirmed that the Trump administration added to its offer on DHS funding and submitted legislative text, though lawmakers have not publicly discussed what the new offer from the White House entails.

Thune said he hopes additional meetings take place over the weekend.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in speech on the Senate floor on Saturday, urged Republicans to support a Democratic effort to fund TSA while other negotiations continue.

“It is unacceptable for workers and travelers and entire airports to get taken hostage in political games, but that’s what the Republicans are doing,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

Schumer said Democrats are “having productive conversations on reforming ICE and CBP” but that the process is “ongoing.”

“But we must fund TSA now. Let us keep negotiating the outstanding issues with ICE, but let us start sending paychecks to TSA workers now. Let us end the long lines at the airport now,” Schumer said.

Robert Mueller, former FBI director and special counsel, dies at 81

March 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the bureau in the tumultuous decade following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and who later served as special counsel overseeing the politically charged investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has died, his family announced. He was 81.

“With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night,” a family statement said. “His family asks that their privacy be respected.”

The FBI Agents Association also weighed in on the passing of Mueller, noting he led the bureau “during a period of significant change and played an important role in strengthening its ability to confront evolving national security threats while maintaining its core criminal investigative mission.”

Mueller was the second-longest serving FBI director in the agency’s history. He had a decorated career in public service, cultivating a reputation for steady leadership, dedication to country and commitment to protecting the nation’s security.

Born in New York City on Aug. 7, 1944, Robert Swan Mueller III studied politics at Princeton University, and then earned a masters in international relations from New York University.

Upon leaving the Marines in 1970 at the rank of captain, Mueller attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1973 and then spending the next 28 years working as a U.S. attorney in San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as three years at the Department of Justice Criminal Division.

During his time at the DOJ, Mueller investigated the Gambino crime family and also prosecuted the men responsible for bombing a Pan Am Flight in December 1988, as well as former Panamanian military leader Manuel Noriega.

On July 5, 2001, Mueller was appointed to be director of the FBI, nominated by then-President George W. Bush. His tenure there saw the bureau’s focus shift from domestic investigations to tackling foreign terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, during which time Mueller developed a reputation among agents for being no-nonsense.

After serving his full 10-year term as FBI director, Mueller agreed to then-President Barack Obama’s request to remain in the position for two more years, after which he returned to the private sector in 2013.

In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to oversee the investigation of alleged Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The investigation focused primarily on the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign and returned numerous high-profile indictments, including political consultant and lobbyist Roger Stone, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and 32 others.

Mueller submitted his controversial report in March 2019, which did not find that the Trump campaign had worked with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Two months later, he stepped down from his special counsel position and returned to private life.

Addressing the 2017 graduating class at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, Mueller advised the graduates to live their lives with “integrity, patience and humility.”

“Whatever we do, we must act with honesty and with integrity, and regardless of your chosen career, you’re only as good as your word,” Mueller declared. “If you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.”

‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ star Nicholas Brendon dead at 54

March 20, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Buffy The Vampire Slayer actor Nicholas Brendon has passed away at the age of 54. The news was announced in a statement posted on Brendon’s Facebook page.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes,” reads the statement. “Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.”

“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was,” the post continues. “Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart.”

Brendon rose to fame playing Xander Harris on all seven seasons of the hit WB series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan. He also had a recurring role on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, and appeared in the short-lived Fox series Kitchen Confidential, based on the book by chef Anthony Bourdain.

Outside of TV, he appeared in several films, including the 2000 comedy Psycho Beach Party, which also starred Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams, and the 2002 horror film Demon Island.

Brendon was frequently in the news for legal troubles: He’d been arrested multiple times, with his first arrest happening 2010. Charges he faced over the years included resisting arrest, battery, felony vandalism, malicious injury and more. He also dealt with substance abuse issues, and went to rehab for addiction to alcohol and sleeping pills.

Brendon is the second member of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast to die in recent years. Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s sister, Dawn Summers, passed away in 2025.

Mike Mills praises Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy’s R.E.M. tours

March 20, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Actor Michael Shannon and his musical partner Jason Narducy have been touring in celebration of the music of R.E.M. since 2023, and R.E.M.’s Mike Mills says the shows have given him some insight into his own band.

“One of the ironies about being in R.E.M. is that I could never see my band play. I could never truly know the effect our music had on our fans, or what it might have felt like to see us at any point in our musical journey, especially the early days,” he writes on Instagram, noting that he “was able to get an idea of what it might have been like to see R.E.M. perform” thanks the pair and their band.

He adds, “This band not only reinforced what I thought we sounded like, but gave me an idea of the power, and the joy, of an R.E.M. show.”

Mills notes that Shannon and Narducy aren’t “imitators” or “copycats,” but “seriously talented musicians, and a real band who loves our music as much as we do, and that love shows in their performance.”

Mills has joined them on stage during their tours, and he says getting to play with them “was more fun than I’ve had doing almost anything in quite a while.”

Finally, Mills adds, “Thank you, guys, for being so much more than a mirror, for being a great band, and for keeping the joy of our music alive for us, and for our fans.”

Shannon and Narducy’s most recent R.E.M. tour was in celebration of the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s fourth studio album, Lifes Rich Pageant. They will kick off another leg of the tour in September.

+ More