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At least 588 US measles cases reported in January: CDC

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 588 measles cases have been confirmed so far this year across the U.S., according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This means the U.S. has seen more cases in about one month than is typically recorded in an entire year.

Only nine other years, including last year, have had higher case counts since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

The high case counts in 2026 are largely being driven by a measles outbreak in South Carolina.

At least 17 states have also reported measles cases this year including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Almost all cases are tied to ongoing outbreaks in pockets of undervaccinated or unvaccinated communities. Just three measles cases were reported among international travelers so far this year, according to CDC data.

Last year, the U.S. saw a record-breaking number of measles cases reported with 2,257 infections, the highest figure recorded since 1992. The U.S. could be on pace to surpass that record if cases continue to mount at this rate.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

However, federal data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2024-2025 school year, 92.5% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 92.7% seen in the previous school year and the 95.2% seen in the 2019-2020 school year, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national trends mirror those see in counties across the U.S. A recent map from ABC News — a collaboration with researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine and Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai that allows people to type in their ZIP code and see the measles risk in their area — found a wide range of risks in areas across the U.S.

Some counties and ZIP codes fell into the “lowest risk,” with 85% or more of children under 5 years old receiving one or more measles vaccine dose to “very high risk” with fewer than 60% of children under age 5 receiving one or more measles vaccine dose.

DOJ releases additional material from its Epstein files

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Additional material from the Justice Department’s files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is being released to the public today, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press briefing Friday.

It’s the latest in a series of releases that began last month in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress overwhelmingly and was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Nov. 19. The act gave the Justice Department 30 days to make publicly available all unclassified records pertaining to investigations and prosecutions of Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

The bill contains several exceptions that allow for withholding or redacting records, notably to protect the privacy of Epstein’s victims.

The DOJ to date had posted to its online Epstein library roughly 12,000 documents totaling about 125,000 pages — just a small fraction of the millions of records the department has been reviewing.

Those materials included a record of a complaint to the FBI filed in 1996, years before the disgraced financier was first investigated for child sex abuse. The documents also included new details about the government’s investigation into potential accomplices as well as thousands of photographs of Epstein’s New York and U.S. Virgin Islands properties that were searched by the FBI after Epstein’s arrest in 2019.

The initial release of the files also contained numerous old photos of Epstein traveling with former President Bill Clinton, including pictures of Clinton lounging in a jacuzzi and one of him swimming with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking of minors and other offenses.

The images, which were released without any context or background information, contained little information related to Trump, leading a spokesperson for Clinton to accuse the DOJ of selectively disclosing the pictures to imply wrongdoing on the part of Clinton where he said there is none.

“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Angel Urena said. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.”

In an interview with ABC News on the day of the initial release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that every document that mentions Trump will eventually be released, “assuming it’s consistent with the law.”

“There’s no effort to hold anything back because there’s the name Donald J. Trump or anybody else’s name,” Blanche said.

Both Trump and Clinton have denied all wrongdoing and have denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

Federal prosecutors have indicated in recent court filings that hundreds of government lawyers have spent weeks reviewing “several millions of pages” of materials — including documents, audio and video files — in preparation for disclosure to the public.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act came after the Trump administration faced months of blowback from its announcement last July that they would be releasing no additional Epstein files, after several top officials — including FBI Director Kash Patel and former Deputy Director Dan Bongino — had, prior to joining the administration, accused the government of shielding information regarding the Epstein case.

The files released thus far have yet to show evidence of wrongdoing on the part of famous, powerful men, against the expectations of many of those who pushed for the files’ release.

Epstein owned two private islands in the Virgin Islands and large properties in New York City, New Mexico and Palm Beach, Florida, where he came under investigation for allegedly luring minor girls to his seaside home for massages that turned sexual. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for sex crimes charges after reaching a controversial non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami.

In 2019, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York indicted Epstein on charges that he “sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, among other locations,” using cash payments to recruit a “vast network of underage victims,” some of whom were as young as 14 years old.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Snowstorm headed to Southeast: North Carolina and South Carolina declare state of emergency

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A massive snowstorm is headed to the Southeast this weekend, with blizzard conditions possible for millions.

Here’s the latest forecast:

The storm begins Friday night, bringing snow to eastern Tennessee, southern Virginia, northern South Carolina, northeastern Georgia and nearly all of North Carolina.

The brunt of the storm will hit on Saturday.

Six to 12 inches of snow is expected in Appalachia along the Tennessee-North Carolina border and in western Virginia.

Norfolk, Virginia, and other cities along the North Carolina and Virginia coast could see 7 to 12 inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday, along with wind gusts up to 70 mph.

In North Carolina, Asheville could get 5 to 7 inches of snow and Raleigh is on alert for 4 to 7 inches of snow.

Wilmington, North Carolina, could see 5 to 8 inches of snow while Charlotte could see 4 to 7 inches along with wind gusts up to 30 mph.

Further south, Charleston, South Carolina, could see get 3 to 5 inches of snow through Sunday morning, while Athens, Georgia, could see 2 to 4 inches with wind gusts up to 35 mph.

The governors of North Carolina and South Carolina have both declared state of emergencies.

“The State Emergency Response Team is activated and is positioning resources across the state to quickly respond to any needs,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said on social media. “Starting Friday depending where you are, please stay off the roads if you do not have to travel.”

By Sunday morning, snow may still be falling along the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Massachusetts. By Sunday afternoon, much of the snow will be over, with only Massachusetts’ Cape Cod still getting snow by the evening.

The only real appreciable snow for the Northeast will be on Cape Cod, where 1 to 3 inches is possible. The rest of the Northeast coast will see flurries and likely less than an inch of accumulation.

First official photos released of Sam Mendes’ Beatles cast

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

We’re getting our first official look at Sam Mendes’ films about The Beatles.

Sony has released a set of photos revealing Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. They were also posted to the movie’s official Instagram account and to the accounts of The Beatles and the individual band members.

On Thursday, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, founded by McCartney, revealed on Instagram that it had received “exclusive postcards” promoting the films, which were hidden around the school for students to find. Students then shared photos of themselves with the postcards, which were posted to the school’s Instagram Story.

According to Variety, the postcards also appeared at other Beatles-related locations, including the Cavern Club in Hamburg, Germany, the Lennon memorial Strawberry Field in New York’s Central Park, Lennon’s childhood home in Liverpool and the Abbey Road Live in Tokyo.

The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event will consist of four films, each told from the perspective of one of band member. Due to hit theaters in April 2028, the cast also includes Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono and Aimee Lou Wood as Pattie Boyd.

Metallica announces collegiate winners of marching band competition

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Metallica has announced the collegiate winners for the latest edition of the metal legends’ annual marching band competition.

The grand prize Division 1-winning school was the University of South Carolina, which was awarded with $50,000 in prizing, including instruments and equipment. Additionally, the Gamecocks marching band will have the opportunity to record a Metallica track as well as the theme song for a future EA Sports College Football video game.

The Division 1 second and third place winners were Virginia Tech and University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, respectively.

California’s Riverside City College won first place in the Division 2/3 category, followed by Virginia’s Bridgewater College in second and Indiana Wesleyan University in third.

The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign also won the fan-favorite prize, which was determined by public vote.

Luigi Mangione latest: Death penalty off the table, judge rules

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A federal judge in New York on Friday dismissed the death-eligible counts from Luigi Mangione’s indictment, clearing the way for his federal trial to begin in October.

“Tortured and strange” though she said her conclusion may be, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled stalking is not a crime of violence and, therefore, not a predicate to make the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a capital crime.

“No one could seriously question that this is violent criminal conduct,” Garnett wrote. However, her opinion said that the U.S. Supreme Court requires her to analyze the allegations in a way that is “totally divorced from the conduct at issue.”

Garnett said crimes of violence must, by definition, involve force and, theoretically, stalking could be committed without it.

The defense wanted the death penalty taken off the table, arguing that stalking “fails to qualify as a crime of violence” and therefore cannot be the predicate to make Mangione eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted of the federal charges. The defense also argued that the decision to seek the death penalty was political and circumvented the federal government’s protocols.

Mangione, who is accused of stalking and killing Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges.

With the death penalty off the table, Garnett said Mangione’s federal trial will begin with opening statements on Oct. 13. Garnett said jury selection will begin on Sept. 8.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office is separately trying to convince a state judge to put Mangione on trial on July 1, before the federal case.

Garnett on Friday also declined to suppress evidence seized from Mangione’s backpack when he was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania. This ruling will allow prosecutors to use key evidence at trial, including the alleged murder weapon and writings that prosecutors say amount to a confession.

Garnett said the search fell within multiple exceptions to the requirements for obtaining a search warrant, including the discovery of the weapon and the likelihood that the evidence would have been discovered inevitably.

Mangione’s lawyers had argued the backpack search was illegal.

ABC News’ Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

Trump picks Kevin Warsh for Fed chair, but key Republican vows to block him over Powell investigation

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced conservative policymaker and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh as his pick to be the new Federal Reserve chairman.

In a post on Truth Social early Friday morning, Trump said that he has “known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best.”

“He will never let you down,” Trump continued.

Warsh previously served on the Fed’s board of governors from 2006 to 2011. He was a top adviser to then-Fed chairman Ben Bernanke during the 2008 financial crisis, serving as a liaison between the central bank and Wall Street. During that time, he was an inflation “hawk” — skeptical of the Fed’s ultra-low interest rate policy. But in more recent interviews, Warsh has heaped praise on Trump and called for “regime change” at the Fed, while also supporting lower interest rates.

On Thursday, Trump said that he had “chosen a very good person” while walking the carpet at the Kennedy Center ahead of the premiere of the documentary about first lady Melania Trump.

Trump said his pick to replace current Chairman Jerome Powell is an “outstanding person and a person that won’t be too surprising to people.”

“A lot of people think that this is somebody that could have been there a few years ago,” Trump went on. “It’s going to be somebody that is very respected, somebody that’s known to everybody in the financial world. And I think it’s going to be a very good choice.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell over the past year for his cautious approach to lowering interest rates.

Powell’s term as chairman expires in May.

Earlier this month, in an extraordinary escalation of the months-long attack on the independence of the Federal Reserve, Powell announced that federal prosecutors had launched a criminal investigation related to a multi-year renovation of the Fed’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this week, at its first meeting since news of the investigation surfaced, the Federal Reserve voted to hold interest rates steady.

Trump said that the Fed governors who voted earlier this week to pause interest rates will change their minds once there is a new chair.

“If they respect the Fed chairman, they’ll be with us all the way,” Trump said. “They want to see the country be great.”

Noah Kahan details guilt over friend’s struggle in new single ‘The Great Divide’

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Fans probably won’t be divided over Noah Kahan‘s new single.

“The Great Divide” is the title track of his new album, due April 24. It’s out now, along with a lyric video. In it, Noah reflects on the guilt he feels over failing to recognize that a close friend was going through a tough time.

“You know I think about you all the time/ And my deep misunderstanding of your life/ And how bad it must have been for you back then/ And how hard it was to keep it all inside,” he sings.

Reminiscing about a road trip between Vermont and New Hampshire, Noah realizes his friend may have been trying to communicate through the songs playing in the car, but he didn’t acknowledge it at the time.

“I’m finally aware of how s***** and unfair/ It was to stare ahead like everything was fine,” he sings.

In a statement about the album, Noah says, “The last five years have been the single most challenging, complicatedly beautiful, and life-altering of my career. I was somewhere I understood, and suddenly I was somewhere completely foreign. I was living in the opportunity I always wanted but felt disoriented and unsure of whether I deserved it.”

“Writing for this album was a balancing act of trying to go back in time and move forward in the same moment,” he adds. “Songwriting has always been the way I reflect on my life, and I hope these songs show you a glimpse of what this journey has looked like.”

As previously reported, “The Great Divide” will premiere during Mastercard’s commercial break at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Teddy Swims thinks he’s got ‘a pretty good shot’ at a Grammy

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

After being nominated for best new artist in 2025, Teddy Swims will now return to compete for the best pop vocal album trophy at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards.

Teddy is nominated for his album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), and he told ABC Audio that he’s happy to get some recognition for something other than his record-breaking single “Lose Control.”

“It’s such an honor to be able to be, I guess, seen as not just the song itself, but the whole album,” Teddy said. “And also to be nominated for a vocal. … I really worked so hard at being a great vocalist. So I think this is, by far, the biggest honor I’ve had, is being recognized as a vocalist and a performer.”

Teddy realizes that he’s got some stiff competition in the category, though. He’s up against Sabrina Carpenter‘s Man’s Best Friend, Lady Gaga‘s Mayhem, Miley Cyrus‘ Something Beautiful and Justin Bieber‘s SWAG.

“I mean, it’s a bunch of heavy hitters in it, so we’ll see how we fare in that matchup,” he said. “But I think I got a pretty good shot.”

The Grammy Awards will air Sunday on CBS and stream on Paramount+. In 2027, the Grammys will air on ABC.

Former CNN journalist Don Lemon arrested in connection with Minnesota protest

January 30, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former CNN journalist Don Lemon was arrested early Friday morning in connection with an incident in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a service at a Minnesota church, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The incident unfolded on Jan. 18, when protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul. The protesters said one of the pastors is the acting field director of the St. Paul ICE field office.

Bondi said on social media that Lemon and three others were arrested early Friday “at my direction” “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church.”

At least three additional people were previously arrested in connection with the protest.

Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said last week that a magistrate judge rejected charges against Lemon. A source told ABC News that Bondi last week was “enraged” at the magistrate judge’s decision to not charge the journalist.

Lowell said on Friday that Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents while he was covering the Grammy Awards.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this case,” Lowell said, calling the arrest an “attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration.”

Lowell called Lemon’s arrest an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” and said the journalist “will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.

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

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