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Trump to speak at ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit aimed at taking on cartels

March 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at a ‘Shield of the Americas’ Summit on Saturday in Doral, Florida, an event that is billed by the White House as a ‘historic’ grouping of over 17 Latin American countries that are committed to cooperating with the U.S. in taking on the cartels and securing the American border following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump will host heads of state from 12 nations across the Western Hemisphere, according to a White House official.

They are:

Argentinian President Javier Milei,
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira,
Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles
Dominican Republic’s President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona
Ecuadorian President Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín
El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele Ortez
Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali
Honduran President Tito Asfura
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña; and the
President of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar

“On Saturday, the point of this newfound Latin America Summit is to promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing this week.

“The President will be speaking with the leaders of this country who have really formed a historic coalition to work together to address criminal, narcoterrorist gangs and cartels encounter illegal and mass migration into not only the United States but the western hemisphere, which remains a key and top priority of this President,” she added.

Trump’s relationships with some Latin American leaders have turned tense at times and his policies have drawn criticism. Some leaders criticized the U.S. raid that captured Maduro as an attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty. Trump has also been critical of Mexico’s efforts to fight drug cartels and traded barbs with the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro. However, following the Jan. 3 Venezuela raid, the two leaders appeared to have patched up their differences. Trump invited Petro to the White House and the two issued complimentary statements.

The summit has shifted in prominence after Trump announced he was removing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her post and shifting her to a new role as a special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas.”

Noem emailed DHS staff overnight on Thursday, informing them that her official final day at the department will be March 31 and writing, “In my new role, I will be able to build on the new partnerships and national security expertise I forged over my time as Secretary of Homeland Security.”

The summit also comes amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has resulted in major movements in the U.S. energy markets.

To combat the spikes in crude oil prices, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday on Fox that the U.S. was “drilling expeditiously here at home” and tapping into the new markets in Venezuela.

Trump to attend dignified transfer of 6 fallen service members killed in Kuwait amid Iran war

March 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump is set to attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday for the service members who were killed in Kuwait amid the war in Iran.

The transfer will mark the return home of the first American soldiers killed in the war with Iran.

“I will be going to Dover Air Force Base tomorrow, with the First Lady and Members of my Cabinet, to pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, adding, “GOD BLESS THEM ALL!”

The troops were killed in the opening hours of the conflict last weekend during an Iranian drone attack.

The Pentagon identified the troops as: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.

The soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.

All six died in the same attack at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, a commercial harbor that doubles as a logistics hub for the U.S. military. An additional 18 service members were wounded in the strike.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt extended prayers and condolences to the families of the fallen.

“These heroes represent the very best among us,” Leavitt told reporters at a Wednesday briefing. “They laid down their lives in defense of our country, and we will never forget their legacy or their sacrifice.”

“As the president said, we grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” Leavitt said.

Families of some of the fallen troops have released statements remembering their loved ones.

The family of fallen soldier Sgt. Declan J. Coady released a statement following his death, calling him “a rock in all of our lives” and “the most amazing brother and son my family could have asked for.”

In a statement, the family of Capt. Cody A. Khork said his life “was defined by devotion, character, and service,” his family said in a statement on Wednesday. “Cody was truly the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”

US believes Russia is providing Iran with locations of American troops, sources say

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. believes that Russia has been providing Iran the locations of American troops in the Middle East, including aircraft and ships, according to two people familiar with the intelligence.

The alleged assistance, first reported by The Washington Post, is alarming because it would enable the Iranians to target specific locations with ballistic missiles and drones, putting U.S. service members at risk.

When asked about the aid to Iran, an intelligence official confirmed that the U.S. believes Russia is supplying Tehran intelligence, but did not say exactly what type of information was being shared.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny the report on Friday, instead saying it didn’t matter because the U.S. was still winning the war.

“It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them,” Leavitt told reporters on Friday.

Leavitt added that the U.S. is achieving the military objectives of this operation, including destroying some 30 ships and crippling Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles.

“And that is going to continue because the United States military is the best and most, most lethal fighting force in the world,” she said.

Six U.S. service members were killed March 1 during an Iranian drone attack on a base in Kuwait. At least 10 other troops have been severely wounded in operations across the region.

The CIA declined to comment. The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia has not addressed the allegations. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said previously that Iran hasn’t asked for help.

“Our consistent position is well known to everyone, and there is no change,” Peskov said at a press briefing.

ABC News’ Cindy Smith contributed to this report.

SZA says her ‘why’ for third album is preserving humanity

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

SZA’s been working on her third studio album and says she’s motivated by her desire to preserve humanity.

Speaking to i-D, she explains that desire comes from the proliferation of AI.

“I feel like I’m at war because of AI,” she says, reflecting on the rise of AI-generated songs and artists.

“It’s happening disproportionately with Black music. Why am I hearing AI covers of Olivia Dean, when Olivia Dean just came the f*** out? She can’t even collect the streams,” she says. “I’m also really offended by the type of Black music that’s coming out of AI. Weird, stereotypical struggle music.”

While there are many other women in the music industry, SZA says she feels like she’s competing against “anti-intellectualism and doing things easy,” rather than fellow pop and R&B stars.

“The type of blend of information my human experience provides, AI can’t even be prompted to f*** with,” she says. “I want to just let this angst drive me into bizarre directions.”

SZA adds she’s “been dabbling [in] a little bit in everything,” working with Steve Lacy and a live band.

“I’m trying to just open my brain and open my heart, channelling awesome humanity s*** right now,” SZA explains. “Humanity is my ‘why’—preservation of what’s left, extreme expression of what is, and a desperate plea.”

SZA has always had a driving factor for her albums. “With Ctrl, I wanted to set myself apart,” she says. “I wanted people to know that I can write.”

Her intention with SOS was to prove she had more to show the world. “I could bang in a mainstream space if I wanted to,” she says. “I could do my little angry rap, and I didn’t have to keep it just for me. I could let other people hear it.”

Hear Barns Courtney cover 1950s song ‘Green Door’

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Barns Courtney has released a cover of the song “Green Door,” originally recorded by Jim Lowe in 1956.

As a press release puts it, “Courtney completely transforms the old crooner pop staple into a swaggering modern rock spectacle with wailing vocals and inspired production that makes the new version unmistakably his own.”

A preview of the cover was used in the trailer for the 2025 Netflix miniseries Wayward. The full version is out now on digital outlets.

Courtney’s most recent album is 2024’s Supernatural, which spawned singles in the title track and “Young in America.”

You can catch Courtney live on a solo acoustic tour launching in April.

Black Stone Cherry premieres video for ‘Deep’ song off new ’Celebrate’ EP

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Black Stone Cherry has premiered the video for “Deep,” a track off the band’s new EP, Celebrate.

The somber clip focuses on a family dealing with the loss of a child. If that’s something you can handle, the video’s now streaming on YouTube.

Celebrate is out now and also includes a cover of the Simple Minds ’80s classic “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” which features Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman.

“It feels so good to release this new music!” Black Stone Cherry says in a Facebook post. “It was a really fun and new process to put time and energy into a handful of songs at one time for an EP instead of a full length album. We can’t wait for everyone to love them as much as we do! This collection of songs is chocked full of riffs, big drums and bass, but most importantly its transparency.”

Black Stone Cherry will be touring with Shinedown starting in May.

Severe weather threat, including tornadoes, continues for millions of Americans

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Nearly 70 million Americans are under a severe weather threat heading into the weekend, including the possibility of tornadoes in the central United States, after deadly storms swept through Oklahoma.

A storm system is bringing rain, snow, ice and severe weather from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest and across much of the Plains on Friday.

The severe storm threat stretches from Dallas to Milwaukee, including Des Moines, Iowa, St. Louis and Oklahoma City. Strong winds, hail, and brief tornadoes are all possible.

A large area stretching from far northeast Texas to southwest Iowa is under an enhanced threat, with tornadoes and very large hail as the main concerns.

The greatest tornado threat on Friday is from far northeastern Texas to just south of Springfield, Missouri. Tornado watches are in effect across six states into Friday night — Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.

A large and “extremely dangerous” tornado was also detected in southern Michigan, south of Kalamazoo, on Friday afternoon. There were multiple reports of “significant damage” in Three Rivers, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy downpours, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, could also result in localized flash flooding.

The governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency on Friday “in preparation for potentially dangerous severe weather forecasted across the state,” including the threat of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes, his office said.

The threat comes after seven reported tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail impacted parts of west Texas and Oklahoma. A mother and daughter were killed in Major County, Oklahoma, on Thursday night after severe weather swept through the area, according to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. They were found dead in a vehicle that appeared to have tornado damage, authorities told ABC Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO.

Elsewhere, winter weather advisories are also in effect Friday from Colorado to Minnesota for the cold side of the storm with snow and ice. Denver could see 2 to 4 inches of snow.

Icy conditions are expected across parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota, with heavy rain forecast to move through the upper Midwest through Friday night.

To the South, widespread severe weather is possible through late Friday from Texas to Wisconsin.

CBP asks judge for more time to work on tariff refunds

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — A Customs and Border Protection official on Friday told a federal judge that the agency does not have the technology or manpower to immediately process $166 billion in tariff refunds, arguing the process would distract from its role addressing “imminent threats to national security.”

In a sworn filing, the official said that CBP needs an additional 45 days to create a system to process refunds for the more than 53 million entries related to the unlawful tariffs.

“CBP has never been ordered to, nor has it attempted to, process a volume of refunds anywhere near the volume of total entries and Entry Summary lines on which IEEPA duties have been deposited,” wrote Brandon Lord, the executive director of CBP’s Trade Programs Directorate.

The disclosure comes two days after a judge from the Court of International Trade initially ordered the Trump administration to remove the tariffs from its backlog of import paperwork. Even though the liquidation process — when the agency finalizes a tariff payment after goods enter the country — is largely automated and the Supreme Court overturned the tariffs two weeks ago, Lord said that Customs and Border Protection “is not able to comply” with the court’s order.

“CBP is now facing an unprecedented volume of refunds. Its existing administrative procedures and technology are not well suited to a task of this scale and will require manual work that will prevent personnel from fully carrying out the agency’s trade enforcement mission,” Lord said.

According to Lord, the current system used to process tariffs cannot handle the volume of refund requests, and that doing so manually would take resources away from “responsibilities that serve to mitigate imminent threats to national security and economic security.”

Following a hearing on Friday related to the refund process, which was closed to the public, Judge Richard Eaton of the Court of International Trade suspended his earlier order to immediately begin recalculating tariffs dues.

By lifting his initial order, the judge appears to be making room for the refund process to play out, though the exact timeline of refunds remains unclear.

During previous hearings, the judge had expressed skepticism that the refund process would be a “mess” or that the government lacked the resources to issue refunds.

Dow closes down 450 points as Iran war sends oil prices surging

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 450 points on Friday as the Iran war continued to spike oil prices.

The Dow fell 453 points, or 0.9%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.5%.

In a post on social media on Friday morning, President Donald Trump appeared to rule out a compromise with Iran.

Trump said there would be “no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Oil prices soared as traders feared a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global oil supply.

U.S. crude oil prices topped $90 on Friday, marking a staggering 35% increase from a week earlier.

The stock selloff on Friday extended losses from a day earlier, when the Dow closed down 785 points.

Alongside fallout from the Middle East conflict, a jobs report on Friday showed the U.S. economy unexpectedly lost jobs in February, marking a reversal of fortunes for the labor market.

The unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% in January to 4.4% in February, the BLS said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.

The Iran war threatens to slow U.S. economic growth since oil-driven price increases could weigh on consumers and businesses, analysts previously told ABC News.

The potential combination of higher inflation and slower growth could also pose a challenge for the Fed, putting pressure on both sides of its dual mandate to manage prices and maintain maximum employment.

The central bank held interest rates steady at its most recent meeting in January, ending a string of three consecutive quarter-point rate cuts.

Acetaminophen use dropped among pregnant women in ERs after White House claim linked drug to autism

March 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Acetaminophen orders in emergency rooms for pregnant patients fell in the weeks after a White House briefing last year linked its use during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism, a new analysis finds.

Researchers at Harvard and Brown University looked at data from an electronic health records system with more than 294 million patient records from more than 1,600 hospitals and 37,000 clinics across the United States.

They found that orders for acetaminophen, also known by the brand name Tylenol, fell 10% between the briefing on Sept. 22, 2025 and Dec. 7, 2025, according to the analysis, published on Thursday in The Lancet.

The drop in acetaminophen fell 16% in the first month after the White House news conference and reached a low of 20% in the third week after the announcement, according to the analysis. Over subsequent weeks, prescriptions appeared to trend back to baseline by early December.

This analysis did not track over-the-counter use of acetaminophen sales, which is the most common way people purchase the medication.

Meanwhile, as acetaminophen orders fell, new outpatient prescriptions for a drug called leucovorin increased sharply for children between ages 5 and 17, the analysis found.

Leucovorin is a form of folic acid used to reduce side effects from some chemotherapy drugs and treat folate deficiency.

Researchers have also studied it as a possible treatment for some children with autism who have cerebral folate deficiency, but it’s unclear if it has a role in treating children with autism more broadly, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

At the same September White House briefing, the Trump administration announced it was starting the approval process for leucovorin as a possible treatment for autism.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the drug as an “exciting therapy that may benefit large numbers of children who suffer from autism.”

The analysis found a 93% rise in leucovorin prescriptions in the first month after the briefing and a 113% spike in week two, meaning prescriptions more than doubled compared with expected levels. Overall, the analysis found that leucovorin prescriptions increased by about 71% from mid-September to early December.

“It is unknown whether the results reported reflect changes in patient demand or clinician decision making; nonetheless, they show the apparent power that public authority figures have to drive sudden changes in health care practices,” the researchers wrote.

Many health professionals and major medical organizations criticized the Trump administration’s assertion that pregnant women should avoid acetaminophen, claiming use during pregnancy may be linked to autism.

Studies on a potential link have not shown a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Some studies point to a possible association, but those associations often weaken or disappear once researchers adjust for other factors.

In January, a large meta-analysis of about 60 studies was published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health, finding no link to developmental disorders in children when expectant mothers used acetaminophen as directed.

In response to statements made by the White House, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly rejected the claim that acetaminophen in pregnancy causes autism, calling it “highly concerning,” “irresponsible” and “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence.”

The group emphasized that more than 20 years of research show no direct link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or intellectual disability, specifically pointing to two high-quality studies.

Acetaminophen is regarded as one of the safest non-opioid pain medication for pregnant women, according to ACOG. The group adds it’s an important drug to help treat fever in pregnancy that can have negative health impacts for both mom and baby if left untreated.

“The White House briefing was an extremely unusual mechanism to communicate medical information and bypassed many standard checks on ensuring accurate messaging,” Dr. Michael Barnett, a physician and professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown and one of the researchers, said in a press release.

“The results show just how much political leaders can steer health behavior even when there has been no change in the evidence for these therapies,” Barnett said.

In a statement, Kenvue Brands LLC, the maker of Tylenol, said it was “deeply concerned” about “unfounded claims” over its product.

“It is scientifically known that untreated high fevers pose potential serious risks to a pregnancy, such as miscarriage, pre-term labor and birth, and fetal malformations.” the statement read, in part. ‘As medical organizations have recognized, acetaminophen is the safest option for pain and fever relief for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy.”

Kenvue Brands added that there are multiple potential consequences as a result of pregnant women using acetaminophen less frequently, including higher rates of untreated fevers and use of medications that are less safe to use during pregnancy,

“Recent additional evidence has identified no increased rates of autism disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or intellectual disability among the offspring of those who used paracetamol during pregnancy,” the company stated.

Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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