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Ahead of Tuesday primary, Trump target Massie says billionaires are trying to ‘buy’ his seat

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Days before his highly anticipated primary, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie struck a defiant tone, asserting on Sunday that out-of-state billionaires “have funneled millions of dollars in here” in an effort to “buy a seat” in Congress.

“How did this race become the most expensive race in the history of Congress for a primary? It’s because three billionaires from outside of Kentucky have funneled millions of dollars in here. They’re trying to buy a seat,” Massie said in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.”

On Friday, Massie told a reporter that his has “turned into a referendum on whether Israel gets to buy seats in Congress.”

“This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos pressed Massie on the comment, asking him, “What did you mean by that?”

Massie said that two of the individuals he named — major GOP donors Miriam Adelson and Paul Singer, along with the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), are “all part of the Israeli lobby.”

Adelson and Singer are both major AIPAC contributors.

“That’s where all the money comes from, and it will be a referendum on foreign policy, whether Israel gets to dictate that by, you know, bullying members of Congress, and I’m the one they haven’t been able to bully, so they’re putting all the brunt, the force on me,” Massie said.

Massie said his opponents are “desperate” because he says he’s ahead in the polls.

“That’s why the president is losing sleep and tweeting about this,” the Kentucky congressman said.

In a statement to ABC News, RJC CEO Matt Brooks accused Massie of “antisemitism and bottom-of-the-barrel nativism at a time when Jew hatred is on rise.”

“The RJC stands with those who will combat antisemitism like Captain Ed Gallrein, and against those who foment it,” Brooks said, referring to Massie’s Republican opponent. “Massie’s record is indefensible, and the Republican primary voters of Kentucky will hold him accountable.”

ABC News also reached out to AIPAC, Adelson’s foundation, Singer’s foundation and Singer’s investment management fund to request comment in response to Massie’s statements, but has not received a response.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Massie, including on Sunday morning, after another Republican who Trump wanted to oust from Congress — Louisiana’s Sen. Bill Cassidy — lost his primary on Saturday.

“Bad Congressman Tom Massie voted against Tax Cuts, the Border Wall, our Military and Law Enforcement. Actually, he voted against almost everything that is good. The Worst Republican Congressman in History. Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday. We can’t live with this troublemaker for another two years. He is a true negative force!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform.

Massie is facing a primary challenge from former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who was endorsed by Trump before he even entered the race. In an Oct. 17 Truth Social post, Trump said he hoped Gallrein “gets into the Race against Massie”; four days later, Gallrein did just that.

The seven-term congressman has clashed with Trump throughout his second stint in the White House. But Massie argued he can overcome Trump’s opposition to win this primary.

“I have the endorsement of the right to life organizations, the gun organizations. I had four members of Congress come here yesterday and campaign with me. So, my situation is a little bit different [than Sen. Cassidy’s],” Massie said. “Plus, I’ve had millions of dollars come in from the grassroots, tens of thousands of donors, to my website, thomasmassie.com. And it’s still coming in. And that’s how we’re going to beat them.”

At least 4 Virginia Democratic House candidates drop out after courts toss new map

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Overturning a new congressional map in Virginia that would have favored Democrats has had an outsized impact on the state’s U.S. House primaries, with at least four high-profile candidates so far suspending their campaigns.

With Virginia keeping its current congressional map, which currently has six Democrats and five Republicans, Democratic candidates face the prospect of either running in a GOP-leaning district or of mounting primary bids to incumbent Democrats.

Virginia’s primaries are Aug. 4, having been changed from their original date of June 16. The state had also moved its candidate filing deadline to May 26, so candidates can still get on the ballot ahead of the primary.

Col. Bree Fram, a transgender woman who came out and transitioned while serving in the Air Force and who had joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its ban on transgender individuals in the military, suspended her campaign for the proposed 11th District. She would have been mounting a primary challenge to incumbent Rep. James Walkinshaw regardless of which map was in place.

“With only five weeks before early primary voting, the ruling left this campaign without sufficient time and resources to meaningfully pivot to the previous district and have the kind of substantive debate voters deserve,” Fram wrote.

Dorothy McAuliffe, the former first lady of Virginia who was running in the redrawn 7th District, announced last Saturday that she will similarly suspend her campaign. The 7th District is represented by Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman.

“For me, representing Virginia in Congress was an opportunity to do good, make government deliver, protect fundamental freedoms, lower costs, defend democracy, and fight for those too often ignored,” said McAuliffe, who is married to former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

J.P. Cooney, who had launched a bid for the 7th District and was the top deputy for former special counsel Jack Smith, who led investigations into President Donald Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election and alleged mishandling of classified documents, suspended his campaign last Friday.

“I am disappointed that the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision at the expense of the Commonwealth’s voters is now final. Although this means the end of my congressional campaign, our movement to fight corruption and lawlessness is just beginning,” Cooney wrote on X.

Dan Helmer, a Virginia state delegate who had also launched a bid for the redrawn 7th District, said last Friday he had ended his campaign.

“While I’m incredibly disappointed at tonight’s news, I can’t say I’m surprised. The MAGA playbook is straightforward: if you can’t win at the ballot box, pack the courts… While our candidacy for Congress has ended, the path forward is clear: as I’ve said consistently, we need reform of the courts, here in Virginia, and in the federal judiciary,” he wrote in a statement on X.

One major name has not yet confirmed her plans.

Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence who changed parties and was running as a Democrat in the proposed 7th District, wrote in a blog post last Wednesday that she had visited an ICE detention facility on the day of the Virginia Supreme Court decision, and that both that visit and the court decision “made me more certain than ever that I cannot walk away from this fight.”

Troye has not confirmed if she plans to withdraw from the race. ABC News has reached out to Troye and her campaign. Troye was among the highest-profile Trump administration officials to become a critic of the president during his first term.

One candidate has said he’s staying in the race even with the Democratic-favoring map thrown out.

Tom Perriello, a former member of Congress who had planned to run in the redrawn 5th District, said the day the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling dropped that he is still going to run for Congress but is shifting to the current 5th District to try to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. John McGuire. Perriello represented the 5th from 2009 to 2011.

“We are obviously aware of the Virginia Supreme Court decision, and as we said from the launch of the campaign, we will respect the will of the voters and the courts … having done hundreds of listening sessions across Central and Southside Virginia over the last few months, I can say one thing that people on the right, left and center, seem to agree on is that McGuire needs to be fired and replaced by somebody who actually cares about Central and South Side Virginia,” he told reporters on Friday, just hours after the seismic court decision.

Richie Sambora performs Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ at daughter’s wedding

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s daughter got married over the weekend, and the rocker helped get the guests up and dancing by performing one of the band’s classic hits during the reception.

People reports Ava Sambora — Richie’s daughter with ex-wife Heather Locklear — got married to fiancé Tyler Farrar on Saturday in Montecito, California. The former rocker shared special moments from the day on his Instagram account, including a clip of him joining the band for the Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ On A Prayer” as the crowd danced and sang along.

In the clip you can see the happy couple right up front dancing and belting out the song along with Richie and the band.

Richie also posted video of his and Ava’s father/daughter dance, with Ava telling the guests, “My dad wrote this song.” The rocker previously told People that it was a song he wrote just for Ava called “I’ll Always Walk Beside You.”

Shakira acquitted of tax fraud in Spain

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Music superstar Shakira was acquitted of tax fraud in a new ruling released Monday by Spain’s national court.

The court ordered Spanish authorities to repay Shakira more than $60 million from the yearslong legal battle.

The ruling was based on an appeal from Shakira’s legal team, which argued the Grammy winner was not a full-time resident of Spain in 2011 and therefore did not owe taxes to the government for that year.

The court ruled that Shakira spent 163 days in Spain that year, not the minimum 183 days required under Spanish law to pay income taxes. The court also said the tax agency failed to prove that Shakira “maintained her center of economic interests in Spain, or that she had family ties with residents in the country.”

Spain’s Ministry of Justice said Monday it plans to appeal the court’s ruling, which was issued in April and announced publicly Monday.

Shakira applauded the court for what she described as a ruling that “set the record straight.”

“After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight,” Shakira said in a statement to ABC News Monday.

“There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.”

Shakira moved to Miami in 2023, one year after she and her boyfriend of more than a decade, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, ended their relationship. Piqué is the father of Shakira’s two sons.

The potential 2027 reunion of Florida Georgia Line

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The fences seem to be mostly mended along the Florida Georgia Line, and now there’s talk of returning to the road in 2027.

Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley hadn’t played a show together since August 2022 when they reconnected at the CMA Awards in November. By March, they were back together to play “You Make It Easy” at Country Radio Seminar to honor Jason Aldean.

Now, an official FGL reunion could be on the horizon.

“We have been toying around and flirting with the idea of playing a handful of shows next year,” Tyler told Entertainment Tonight at the ACMs. “That gets us both excited, but right now we’re trying to be patient with it, trying to enjoy this kind of like honeymoon phase.”

After the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, Tyler revealed he and his wife, Hayley Hubbard, were headed to Florida to visit Brian and his wife, Brittney Kelley.

Former Hartford police officer charged with manslaughter in fatal shooting of Stevie Jones

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(HARTFORD, Conn.) — Former Hartford police officer Joseph Magnano was charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection to the February 27, 2026 fatal shooting of Steven “Stevie” Jones.

The charge and evidence supporting it was laid out in the Connecticut state inspector general’s report, which was released on Monday, and comes after Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam announced in March that he had terminated Magnano amid a probe into the incident after viewing the police body camera footage. The body camera footage has not been released publicly.

ABC News has reached out to the Hartford Police Department and Magnano’s attorney for comment.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

Alex Murdaugh sues former court clerk who served during his double murder trial

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Alex Murdaugh is suing the former court clerk who served during his double murder trial in South Carolina, alleging she denied him a fair trial before an impartial jury, his attorneys announced days after the state’s top court overturned his murder convictions.

Murdaugh’s wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds near the dog kennels at the family’s hunting estate in 2021.

Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering them following a six-week trial, with jurors deliberating for nearly three hours before reaching a guilty verdict.

Last week, the five-member South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Murdaugh must have a new trial, citing the “breathtaking and disgraceful effort” of former Colleton County clerk Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill to “undermine the jury process.”

“With the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling, it has been adjudged as a matter of state law that she deprived Alex of his constitutional rights, deprived him of a right to a fair trial, and as a result we’ve got to do it all over again, which nobody wants to do,” Murdaugh’s attorney, Jim Griffin, said during a press briefing on Monday announcing the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is seeking at least $600,000, Griffin said. The civil complaint notes that Murdaugh spent $600,000 on his trial defense, according to the filing.

“The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that Ms. Hill’s actions — motivated by her own desire to profit from the trial — caused these funds to be lost,” the filing stated.

Griffin said they are seeking “accountability” with the lawsuit.

“Now, let me be clear. Alex Murdaugh owes a lot of people a lot of money. None of this money that is recovered will go to him personally,” he said. “The purpose of this lawsuit is to hold Becky Hill accountable for what she did.”

ABC News has reached out to Hill’s attorney for comment.

In its opinion filed last Wednesday, the state supreme court stated that Hill “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility and his defense, thus triggering the presumption of prejudice, which the State was unable to rebut.”

“As noted at the outset, Hill’s shocking jury interference was accomplished outside the presence and knowledge of the outstanding trial judge and superbly competent and professional counsel for the State and the defense,” it continued.

In the murder trial, prosecutors made the case that Murdaugh, who comes from a legacy of prominent attorneys in the Lowcountry region, killed his wife and son to gain sympathy and distract from his financial wrongdoings, while the defense argued that police ignored the possibility that anyone else could have killed them.

Murdaugh’s defense claimed that Hill influenced the verdict through remarks heard by some jurors during the trial, including in one instance to watch Murdaugh’s body language during his testimony, according to court filings.

Murdaugh has continued to deny having anything to do with the deaths of his wife and son.

Following the decision, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said his office will “aggressively” seek to retry Murdaugh for the murders “as soon as possible” — possibly by the end of this year.

Hill resigned as the Colleton County clerk of court in March 2024, amid the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s investigation into allegations she may have abused her government position for financial gain.

Her book, “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” was ultimately pulled from publication over accusations of plagiarism.

She pleaded guilty in December 2025 to obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct in office for showing photographs that were sealed court evidence to a reporter during the trial and then later lying about doing so on the stand during a hearing related to Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial. She was sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

The charges did not allege any jury tampering, and she denied any tampering with the jury during her testimony.

Murdaugh was also convicted on several financial crimes following the murder trial and is serving a 27-year sentence on state charges and a 40-year sentence on federal charges related to those crimes.

In its opinion, the state supreme court found that the trial court acted within its discretion in admitting some evidence of the financial crimes, which supported the state’s theory of motive, though it noted that the evidence could have been presented in a “fraction” of the time. If admitted on retrial, the evidence must be presented “efficiently,” the opinion stated.

Hear Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd sing on ‘Power Ballad’ soundtrack

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

In the new movie Power Ballad, Paul Rudd plays Rick Power, a wedding singer, and Nick Jonas plays Danny Wilson, a boy band star who’s trying to go solo. As you might expect, the movie’s soundtrack features some performances by Nick — but there are many more by Paul.

Power Ballad (Music From The Motion Picture) arrives May 29 and includes all the songs you see Paul sing in the movie while he’s fronting his wedding band, The Bride & Groove. They range from ’80s pop favorites like Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” and Hall & Oates’ “Maneater,” to rockers like Thin Lizzy’s “Boys Are Back in Town” and Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69.”

The centerpiece of the album is “How to Write a Song Without You,” the track that sets the movie’s plot in motion. When Paul and Danny spend a night jamming, Paul plays him the song, which he wrote years ago. Danny then steals the song and uses it to launch his solo career, passing it off as his own. The soundtrack features two versions of the song, one sung by Nick and one sung by Paul, plus another “radio version.”

In addition, the album includes Nick and Paul singing several original songs created specifically for the movie, which you see their characters writing or singing during the course of the film. Those original songs, including “How to Write a Song Without You,” were co-written by director John Carney and Gary Clark. Gary was in a band in the ’80s that scored a global hit with a song called “Mary’s Prayer.” The name of that band? Danny Wilson.

Here’s the track listing:
“How to Write a Song Without You (Radio Version)”
“Celebration”
“Summer of ‘69”
“The Power of Love”
“Finishing Line”
“Fun Won’t Matter”
“Boys Are Back In Town”
“I Wish”
“Don’t Look Down”
“Spectacular”
“Satellite”
“How to Write a Song Without You (Nick Jonas Version)”
“Message In A Bottle”
“1984”
“Maneater”
“How to Write a Song Without You (Paul Rudd Version)”
“Dublin To L.A.”

ICE agent charged in nonfatal shooting of Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MINNEAPOLIS) — Minnesota prosecutors on Monday announced charges against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year.

The federal agent, Christian Castro, was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, according to the Hennepin County attorney.

“Mr. Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of the home, knowing there were people who had just run inside that presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference Monday.

According to Moriarty, the bullet struck Sosa-Celis in the leg, passed through a closet and lodged in the wall of a child’s bedroom. She added that Castro was not under any physical threat when he opened fire and that claims from government officials that he had been struck with a shovel or broom were false.

“There is no such thing as absolute immunity for federal officers who commit crimes in this state or any other,” Moriarty said. “A violent crime did occur that night, but it was Mr. Castro who committed it.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

According to the criminal complaint, the confrontation began when Castro and other ICE agents chased a man who was delivering food for DoorDash back to his house.

The complaint states that security footage shows that Castro tackled the driver after he jumped out of his car and was running toward his home, which he shared with Sosa-Celis. Another resident then separated the two men and was able to get inside the house with the driver.

According to the complaint, video evidence shows Castro then fired a single gunshot through the closed front door and hit Sosa-Celis in the right leg.

Four adults and two children were inside the home at the time of the gunfire, the complaint states. Following the shooting, ICE agents deployed tear gas, breached the residence, and took the occupants into custody.

Bail for Castro was set at $200,000.

Threat ‘neutralized’ after active shooter reported at Islamic Center of San Diego: Police

May 18, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(SAN DIEGO) — The San Diego Police Department said the threat “has been neutralized” after reports of an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Photos show children being evacuated from the area.

“Emergency personnel are on scene and actively working to protect the community and secure the area,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said earlier on social media.

The center says it is the largest mosque in San Diego County.

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

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