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Larry Hogan won’t close the door on third-party presidential bid in 2024

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ANNAPOLIS, Md.) — Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declined on Tuesday to close the door on a third-party presidential bid in 2024 after he said Sunday that he would not seek the Republican nomination.

Hogan clarified in an exclusive interview with ABC News that an independent presidential campaign is not something he’s “actively” mulling, but he would not definitively say he would not wage one depending on who the Democratic and Republican nominees are.

“I have ruled out seeking the Republican nomination. And I haven’t ruled that out [running as an independent]. But it’s not something I’m really working toward or thinking about,” Hogan said, adding that “the question keeps popping up more and more.”

A popular Republican governor in a blue state, Hogan was term-limited out of office earlier this year and had been considering a campaign as an anti-Donald Trump candidate in the 2024 Republican primary.

However, he said over the weekend that he would not contribute to a crowded nominating field in which the former president could emerge as the winner with just a plurality of support, as Trump did in 2016 again Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

“To once again be a successful governing party, we must move on from Donald Trump. There are several competent Republican leaders who have the potential to step up and lead. But the stakes are too high for me to risk being part of another multicar pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination,” Hogan said in a statement on Sunday.

Even without him in the race, though, Hogan conceded on Tuesday that any conservative other than Trump — who has criticized Hogan as a RINO, or Republican in name only — or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the only other potential candidate polling in double digits, faces an uphill climb in clinching the GOP nomination.

The potential crowd is still anticipated to include multiple notable lawmakers, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley already running alongside Trump, and there’s no significant consolidation in sight.

“We got to find a candidate that can do that. And I don’t know who that is at this point,” Hogan said of the path for a candidate other than Trump and DeSantis to be successful. “But there can only be one.”

“Trump has to stumble, which is hard. And he’s been diminishing. But still, he’s the 800-pound gorilla. And then if he doesn’t make it, it goes to DeSantis, and then DeSantis has to stumble,” Hogan said. “And then you have to consolidate everyone else and overcome that.”

Yet if Trump does win the GOP primary, Hogan said the centrist political group No Labels, of which he is an honorary co-chair, could cobble together a third-party ticket.

Hogan said the group has “raised about $50 million to get access in all 50 states as kind of an insurance policy” for an “in case of ’emergency break glass'” scenario, referencing a general election matchup between Trump and President Joe Biden, who has said he will run in 2024 as well.

“I mean, they’re not trying to start a third party. They’re not committed to doing that. But in case the country is burning down, you may have to have an alternative,” he said.

Hogan insisted such a ticket would be a last-case scenario but could be sparked by a general election matchup between Trump and Biden — two politicians with consistently tepid approval ratings nationally who are nonetheless still seen by many as the likeliest nominees for each of their parties.

“I think that would be the trigger. I think that’s what they’re talking about. I’m not sure we’re gonna get to that point. I don’t know that. Frankly, I’m hopeful that Donald Trump is not going to be the Republican nominee. And I’m going to work toward that goal. And I’m assuming Biden may be the nominee, but who knows? I mean, he’s 80 years old. And we got a long ways to go,” Hogan said.

As for his own future, Hogan appeared open — among other possibilities — to having his name on such a ticket should one be launched.

“I’m not sure if it’s feasible. And it’s also just not something I’m working toward,” he said. “But, I mean, look, if you got to an election when the nominees were Biden and Trump and 70% of America didn’t want that, you wouldn’t rule it out, right?”

Man accused of attempting to open plane door allegedly tried to attack jail guards

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(CENTRAL FALLS, R.I.) — An airline passenger accused of attempting to open a plane emergency exit door and then swinging at a flight attendant with a broken spoon allegedly tried to attack two guards Tuesday at the jail where he is being held, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Francisco Torres, 33, of Leominster, Massachusetts, is being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, after he was ordered detained pending a bail hearing on Thursday.

Details and the severity of the incident at the jail were not immediately clear.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, which is prosecuting the case against Torres, declined to comment.

A request for comment was not immediately answered by the warden’s office.

Torres was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, following the incident on a United Airlines flight on Sunday from Los Angeles to Boston.

Torres allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon after he was confronted about tampering with the door, federal prosecutors said.

A “flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position … and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the ‘disarmed’ position,” prosecutors said.

Torres later told police he went into the bathroom to break the spoon “to make a weapon,” court records stated. Torres also allegedly told investigators he believed a flight attendant was trying to kill him, so he tried to kill the flight attendant first, according to court records.

Fellow passengers tackled him and the flight crew helped restrain him, prosecutors said. The flight attendant told police he wasn’t hurt, according to court documents.

Torres was taken into custody when the flight landed at Logan Airport.

Torres has two prior arrests, one for armed robbery and the other for assault and battery, though he was never convicted, law enforcement sources told ABC News. It appears he was determined not fit for prosecution.

ABC News Emily Shapiro and Benjamin Stein contributed to this report.

Family mourns Georgia bookstore owner found dead in creek: ‘Extremely painful’

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LOCUST GROVE, Ga.) — Family and friends are mourning the shocking death of a Georgia bookstore owner whose body was found floating in a creek over the weekend.

Erica Atkins, 40, the owner of Birdsong Books, was found dead hours after she was reported missing from her home in Locust Grove, about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta, police said.

Her body was discovered Sunday by a fisherman in Cedar Creek, several miles from her home, authorities said.

Romero Johnson, 38, faces murder and kidnapping charges in connection with her death, Locust Grove Police said.

Johnson was an ex-boyfriend of Atkins’ who would sometimes work at the bookstore, her brother, Phillip Robinson, told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.

“It was shocking and extremely, extremely painful,” Robinson told WSB.

Akins leaves behind a 21-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, WSB reported.

“I’m really going to miss her,” her daughter, Jasmine Atkins, told WSB. “My mother was everything to me.”

Atkins was reported missing on Sunday, police said. A friend called police after noticing the front door to Atkins’ home was wide open, WSB reported.

Detectives “quickly identified” Johnson as a suspect and he was taken into custody on Sunday for kidnapping, police said in a statement.

Later on Sunday, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office contacted Locust Grove police after finding a dead body that matched the physical description of the kidnapping victim, police said.

“To dispose of a body like that is just heartbreaking, senseless,” Locust Grove Police Chief Derrick Austin told WSB.

Detectives obtained an additional warrant for murder for Johnson, police said. Austin told WSB that neighborhood cameras showed that the suspect had been at the victim’s home, and that detectives tracked his car to Putnam County, near where Atkins was found.

“It’s such a sad situation,” Austin told WSB. “Someone she obviously trusted enough to have at her home, who would do something like this to her.”

Johnson is currently being detained in Henry County Jail. It is unclear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Authorities are still working to determine the cause of death.

Flowers have been placed outside Birdsong Books following news of Atkins’ death. The new and used bookstore opened in Locust Grove in late 2021. A bio on the store’s website described Atkins as an “advocate of reading, learning and educating people of all walks of life.”

“She grew up loving to read. An avid reader,” Robinson said of his sister. “She would spend hours when we were kids reading aloud.”

Birdsong Books was named 2022 Microbusiness of the Year by the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, which called Atkins’ death a “tremendous loss” to the community.

“As a business and community leader and a friend, she will be sorely missed,” the chamber of commerce said in a statement on social media Monday.

Weezer headlining inaugural Cave Mountain festival

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Weezer is headlining the inaugural Cave Mountain Catskills Music Festival, taking place September 15-16 in Windham, New York.

Others on the bill include The Strokes‘ Albert Hammond Jr., Dinosaur Jr. and Preservation Hall Jazz Band. For the full lineup and ticket info, visit CaveMountainMusicFest.com.

Weezer’s 2023 plans also include their Indie Rock Roadtrip tour, which kicks off in June. Modest Mouse, Spoon, White Reaper and Future Islands will also be on the bill for select dates.

Music notes: John Mayer, Alanis Morissette, Miley Cyrus and Lewis Capaldi

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

John Mayer is headlining the Sound on Sound festival, as are Alanis Morissette and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The festival will be held in John’s native Bridgeport, Connecticut, between September 30 and October 1. Tickets for the festival go on sale Thursday, March 9, at noon ET.

Miley Cyrus is about to release the music video for her song “River.” She shared a teaser and revealed the video drops Friday.

Speaking of Miley, music tracker Luminate says “Flowers” has had 848 million on-demand audio streams globally so far this year.

Lewis Capaldi is resting up after pulling the plug on several shows due to bronchitis. The singer was forced to postpone his shows in Milan and Zurich, which he says he is “absolutely devastated” to do. Lewis was ordered by a doctor to spend the next three days resting his voice.

Music notes: Mod Sun, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Calvin Harris, Lewis Capaldi and BTS

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Mod Sun is speaking out after ex-fiancée Avril Lavigne was seen kissing rapper Tyga. He tweeted, “I’m so grateful to have real friends who will sit on the phone with me for 2 hours. If you got those people in your life, do not let them go.” Mod and Avril got engaged last year. It’s unknown what caused their sudden breakup.

Miley Cyrus is about to release the music video for her song “River.” She shared a teaser and revealed the video drops Friday.

Speaking of Miley, music tracker Luminate says “Flowers” has had 848 million on-demand audio streams globally so far this year.

In the same press release, Luminate revealed SZA has amassed over 10 billion all-time global on-demand streams. Only 17 other women have achieved the honor.

Calvin Harris shared an extended preview of his new song “Miracle” with Ellie Goulding. He confirmed the single comes out Friday.

BTS‘ Jimin released his songs “Promise” and “Christmas Love” on streaming ahead of launching his debut solo album, FACE. The songs were respectively released in 2018 and 2020, but they previously weren’t available to stream.

On the topic of BTS, Jin shared a picture of him, in his army fatigues, posing with J-Hope and Jimin. The singer was the first member of BTS to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military service. He captioned the photo update, “Welcome.”

Nicolas Cage doesn’t “need” the MCU: “I’m Nic Cage”

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

While the gravity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has pulled in a galaxy of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated stars, Nicolas Cage isn’t eager to join them.

According to Variety, while he received the trade’s Legend & Groundbreaker Award at the Miami Film Festival on Sunday, Cage was asked about the superhero movie boom.

The lifelong comics fan, who played Ghost Rider on the big screen before the MCU existed, explained, “I’ve gotta be nice about Marvel movies, because I named myself after a Stan Lee character named Luke Cage.”

The actor, born Nicolas Coppola, added, “What am I going to do, put Marvel movies down? Stan Lee is my surrealistic father. He named me.”

But the Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent star later added, “I don’t need to be in the MCU, I’m Nic Cage.”

Unlike other actors, Cage doesn’t see the superhero genre as a problem for Hollywood. “I understand what the frustration is. I get it,” he said, adding, “I think there’s plenty of room for everybody. I’m seeing movies like [Oscar nominee] Tár. I’m seeing all kinds of artistic and independently driven movies. I think there’s plenty of room for everybody.”

Cage also talked a bit about recruiting Batman director Tim Burton for a Superman film in the ’90s that was infamously scuttled by Warner Bros. “It was more of a 1980s Superman with like, the samurai black long hair. I thought it was gonna be a really different, sort of emo Superman, but we never got there,” he expressed.

Tyre Nichols case: 20 more hours of footage to be released, more officials charged

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — About 20 more hours of police video and audio in the Tyre Nichols case will be released Wednesday afternoon, according to City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink.

Nichols, 29, died several days after a violent Jan. 7 traffic stop captured in body camera footage, which shows officers striking Nichols repeatedly.

His death has prompted protests and unrest across the country.

In a Tuesday city council meeting, Sink announced that the internal investigations resulted in four Memphis Fire Department personnel being charged, and 13 Memphis Police Department personnel being charged. According to Sink, these are not criminal investigations, but rather administrative investigations.

Of the 13 MPD personnel charged, seven were terminated, three officers received a suspension, two had their charges dismissed and one individual resigned in lieu of termination, Sink said. The charges and disciplinary decisions will be officially posted on Wednesday alongside the latest round of released footage, she said.

All officers directly involved in Nichols’ beating were part of the first round of terminations and criminal charges, Sink said.

Those five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in Nichols’ beating and subsequent death.

A sixth officer was fired and a seventh has been relieved of duty in the wake of Nichols’ death, officials said.

Another officer, who was suspended, “did place hands on [Nichols’] legs,” Sink said, but asserted that it was not a strike or assault.

Florida Republicans file a 6-week abortion ban bill, which DeSantis has said he’d sign

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida Republicans filed legislation to impose a six-week abortion ban on Tuesday, during the first moments of the state Legislature’s 2023 session — a bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he would sign should it be sent to his desk.

“We’re for pro-life. I urge the legislature to work, produce good stuff, and we will sign,” DeSantis said during a February briefing when asked if he would approve a so-called heartbeat bill that would ban abortions after six weeks.

The state currently prohibits almost all abortions after 15 weeks, restrictions that were put in place in July as the state appealed after a judge’s ruling that the law violated the state’s constitution.

The new bill would prohibit “physicians from knowingly performing or inducing a termination of pregnancy after the gestational age of the fetus is determined to be more than 6 weeks, rather than 15 weeks,” according to its text, with exceptions for rape and incest or if needed to save the life of the mother — under specific conditions.

For example, two doctors, if available, would have to certify in writing that an abortion is needed to prevent the pregnant woman’s death or “avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

In the case of a fatal fetal abnormality as attested to two by two physicians, the pregnancy could not be in the third trimester.

For victims of rape and incest, the pregnancy can’t be further than 15 weeks along and the woman has to provide a police report, restraining order, court order or other such documentation.

A six-week abortion ban would bar the procedure before many people identify their pregnancies. Pregnancies are counted based on the first day of a person’s last menstrual period, so by the time they miss their next period and take a test, they can already be four weeks in. And people with irregular cycles, or those uncertain of their cycle dates, might not recognize a missed period that quickly — taking them to six weeks or beyond before they know they’re pregnant.

The bill also prohibits any party other than a physician from inducing a termination of pregnancy, requires that medications intended for use in an abortion be dispensed in person by a physician and prohibits the dispensing of such medication through the U.S. Postal Service or any other courier or shipping service.

The proposal was introduced on the first day of the state’s 60-day legislative session by freshman state Sen. Erin Grall, a Republican who, when she was in the House last session, introduced Florida’s current 15-week ban. State Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka on Tuesday also filed a six-week abortion ban in her chamber.

“I believe that we have a unique opportunity in the fact that the Supreme Court is considering 15 weeks right now, and this would allow Florida to save as many babies as possible as soon as possible after that decision is made,” Grall said during a hearing in January 2022.

The White House quickly responded to the legislation on Tuesday, saying it would have a “devastating impact on women’s health.”

“Republican state legislators in Florida proposed today a bill that would ban abortion before many women know if they are even pregnant, virtually eliminating a woman’s right to make health care decisions about her own body,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing on Tuesday.

She said that the ban would also impact women in southern states who rely on Florida as an “option to access care.”

“Like the overwhelming majority of Americans, the president and the vice president believe women should be able to make health care decisions with their own doctors and families, free from political interference. Period,” Jean-Pierre said. “They are committed to protecting access to reproductive care and continuing to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade [the overruled Supreme Court abortion decision].”

The Florida bill was filed Tuesday just ahead of DeSantis’ State of the State address, though he did not refer to or comment on it during his speech.

The rising-star Republican who has visited various parts of the country — including Iowa, the first presidential nominating state, this week — is expected to energize the state’s GOP majority this session with conservative policy even as he’s quelled any discussion about his own White House ambitions.

ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Alexandra Hutzler and Jay O’Brien contributed to this report.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders reportedly declined to endorse Trump

March 7, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Sarah Huckabee Sanders touted her endorsement from former President Donald Trump to help win the Arkansas governor’s mansion, but although Trump reportedly has asked her to return the favor for his 2024 White House bid, Sanders so far has kept publicly silent.

With his reelection bid underway, Trump asked Sanders for her endorsement in a phone call “weeks ago,” according to the New York Times. The Times reported Sanders replied she wouldn’t yet do so and hasn’t weighed in publicly since.

Trump, for his part, denied asking for her endorsement on Sunday on his Truth Social media platform, saying he never asked Sanders for her endorsement, while taking credit for her political success.

“I give endorsements, I don’t generally ask for them,” Trump posted. “With that being said, nobody has done more for her than I have, with the possible exception of her great father, Mike.”

Trump’s spokesperson and Sanders’ office had not responded to ABC News’ requests for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.

Sanders, the longest-serving White House press secretary under Trump, followed in the footsteps of her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, to become the first father-daughter governor duo in the nation.

But it was serving in Trump’s White House that propelled Sanders to become a household name herself.

Some of Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters, such as Steve Bannon, are questioning why Trump hadn’t seen more endorsements. Bannon and Sanders worked together in Trump’s White House until he was removed from his position as chief strategist in Aug. 2017.

“Sarah … are you listening?” he said on his podcast “The War Room.”

In an interview in January on “Fox News Sunday,” Sanders declined the opportunity to endorse Trump and said her focus was on serving Arkansas, not 2024.

“My focus right now has been on 2022, winning the election in November, preparing through transition and getting ready to take office, as I did this past week. I love the president. I have a great relationship with him. I know our country will be infinitely better off if he was in office right now instead of Joe Biden,” Sanders said. “My focus isn’t on 2024.”

The Arkansas state legislature on Tuesday is expected to pass Sanders’ landmark legislation, the LEARNS Act, which imitates elements of Florida’s education policy enacted under Gov. Ron DeSantis — thought to be Trump’s closest competitor in 2024. Sanders also tapped DeSantis’ education secretary Jacob Oliva to bring Florida’s plan to Arkansas as it’s unclear if she could be waiting for another candidate to endorse.

According to an Axios report on Tuesday, Sanders is among four women Trump is currently considering as vice presidential pick. The others include South Dakota Kristi Noem, Gov. former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the most high-profile of Trump’s announced challengers, and Kari Lake, who has not conceded the race for Arizona governor.

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