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Closing arguments to begin in Uvalde school shooting trial for former officer

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — As soon as Wednesday afternoon, a Texas jury will begin deliberating whether a law enforcement officer should be held criminally responsible for failing to act in the face of one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.

After nine days of testimony, prosecutors and defense lawyers in the trial of former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments in a Corpus Christi courtroom on Wednesday morning. Deliberations could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon.

At issue is whether Gonzales — one of the first officers to arrive at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022 — ignored his training and endangered dozens of students when he responded to the shooting.

Prosecutors allege he “intentionally, knowingly, recklessly and with criminal negligence” put children in danger by failing to “engage, distract, and delay the shooter” in the critical first minutes of the shooting. If convicted on all 29 counts, Gonzales could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Nineteen students and two teachers died in the shooting nearly four years ago, with police officers waiting 77 minutes to confront the gunman as he was holed up inside a double classroom with students and teachers. While the shooting response has been the subject of hearings and investigations, the case against Gonzales marks the first criminal trial related to the shooting and the delayed police response.

What is he charged with?
Gonzales was charged with 29 felony counts of abandoning/endangering children – one count for each of the 19 students who died in the shooting and the 10 children who survived in classroom 112.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, and Gonzales could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted. While juries in Texas sometimes determine criminal sentences, Gonzales has opted to be sentenced by Judge Sid Harle if he is convicted.

What happened to the police chief’s case?
Along with Gonzales, prosecutors also charged former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who was the scene commander during the Robb shooting. His case has been indefinitely delayed due to a pending civil lawsuit involving the tactical unit that ultimately breached the classroom and killed the shooter.

Why is the trial in Corpus Christi?
Judge Sid Harle began overseeing the case after a local judge in Uvalde recused themselves from the matter.

Taking place 200 miles from Uvalde, the trial is being held in a Corpus Christi courtroom after Gonzales’ attorneys successfully argued he would be unable to have a fair trial in the county where the shooting took place.

Who is in the jury?
While emotions flared during jury selection — with some now-disqualified jurors vocally criticizing the police response to cheers from other jurors — Harle was able to seat a jury in less than a day.

The jury and alternates included 11 women and five men, though one of the male jurors was excused last week due to a family emergency.

Are there any comparable cases?
According to Phil Stinson — a professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio who maintains a database of police officers who have been arrested — the case against Gonzales is uncommon but not unprecedented.

Prosecutors in Florida attempted to similarly charge a law enforcement officer for his response to the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen were killed when a gunman opened fire that day, Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland.

A jury in 2023 acquitted Scot Peterson, a former Broward County sheriff’s deputy, after he was charged with child neglect and culpable negligence for his alleged inaction following the shooting.

How did prosecutors approach the case?
Prosecutors called three dozen witnesses — including investigators, teachers, and the families of victims — over nine days of testimony to argue that Gonzales missed a critical opportunity to stop the shooter before he entered Robb Elementary. They allege he was one of the first to respond to the shooter, was explicitly told the location of the gunman before he entered the school but failed to act.

“I told him that he needed to get stopped before he went into the fourth-grade building. We needed to stop him,” teaching aide Melodye Flores testified.

“And what did he say?” prosecutor Bill Turner asked.

“He, just, nothing,” Flores said.

According to a Texas Ranger who testified for prosecutors, Gonzales had more than a minute to stop the shooter before he entered the school, and the gunman was able to fire more than a hundred rounds during a two-minute period while Gonzales was standing outside Robb Elementary.

How did defense lawyers approach the case?
Defense lawyers spent less than three hours on Tuesday calling two witnesses before resting their case. Gonzales declined to testify in his own defense.

His lawyers have argued that Gonzales not only followed his training that day but also highlighted that other officers had similar — if not better — opportunities to stop the shooter.

They accused prosecutors of “Monday-morning quarterbacking” Gonzales’ actions that day and argued he acted appropriately based on the limited information he had in the moment. They also highlighted that Gonzales attempted to enter the building with other officers but was directed by his commanding officer to retreat to call in for SWAT support.

Exhibition of rarely seen fossils now on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(PITTSBURGH) — The Carnegie Museum of Natural History has made the behind-the-scenes inventory of rare fossils and other ancient artifacts available for public viewing for the first time.

The exhibition, dubbed “The Stories We Keep,” features items from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, museum’s inventory that are typically not displayed, chosen by the researchers and curators who work to preserve them.

Museum curators were inspired to create the exhibition in an effort to display items that wouldn’t otherwise be seen, Sarah Crawford, director of museum experience at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, told ABC News.

Museum staff cares for more than 22 million objects and specimens, less than 1% of which are on view at any given time, similar to other natural history museums around the country, Crawford said. The exhibition was designed in part by asking collection managers to choose objects and specimens to highlight.

“Every fossil, every animal and every object has a story that it can tell about our planet and the universe and our place in it,” Crawford said.

One of the most unique aspects of the exhibition is its Visible Collections display, which features a care lab in which visitors can watch as conservation staff work with fossils and other items in real time.

Guests even have the opportunity to speak with the scientists as they preserve and maintain the items, Crawford said.

When visitors walk in, the first thing they see behind the window is a 40-foot Egyptian funerary boat — the planks of which were all taken apart and individually restored, Crawford said.

Also within the Visible Collections are a cuneiform cylinder from King Nebuchadnezzar II that was made over 2,500 years ago, a fossilized bird feather that was found in Utah from about 48.5 million years ago and the lower jaw of a pygmy hippopotamus.

Currently on display within the Minerals and Earth Science Collection are toxic, radioactive specimens that could potentially kill people, as well as a meteorite that fell in Pennsylvania several years ago.

And a display named “Collecting So Many Bugs” features many of the museum’s 13 million invertebrate specimens, many of which are rare or from habitats that were previously lost.

Museums often do not have the space to display all of their items, or they are still in the process of being prepared and conserved, Crawford said.

The exhibition was unveiled in November and has since struck the curiosity and awe of new and repeat visitors alike.

“Because we have that visible lab, it means that the exhibition could be new every time you come,” Crawford said.

House committee set to approve resolutions holding Clintons in contempt of Congress

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans are set to take the next steps on Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with committee subpoenas related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

On Wednesday, Oversight Chairman James Comer is set to hold a markup of two resolutions finding the Clintons in contempt of Congress after they defied a subpoena for a deposition with the committee last week.

“The Clintons are not above the law, and the House Oversight Committee will move to hold them in contempt of Congress,” Comer, a Republican, said in a statement last week. “If Democrats refuse to hold the Clintons accountable, they will expose themselves as hypocrites.”

The Clintons have insisted that the subpoena is without legal merit, fighting the subpoena for months.

Last summer, Republicans and Democrats on Oversight’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved a motion to issue subpoenas to 10 individuals, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, for testimony related to their investigation into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Republicans have pointed at the former president’s travels on Epstein’s private aircraft in the early 2000s and the Clinton “family’s past relationship” with Epstein and Maxwell.

The contempt resolution is expected to advance out of the committee Wednesday afternoon — teeing up a full vote on the House floor days later. The timing of floor consideration won’t become clear until after the committee markup.

If Democrats oppose the floor vote, Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose just two Republican votes before a third GOP defector could upset passage.

The resolution, if passed, would direct the speaker of the House to refer the case to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia — under the Department of Justice — for possible criminal prosecution. A simple majority is needed to clear a contempt resolution, though it does not require passage in the Senate.

Besides defying the subpoena, neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and denies having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein.

Last month, in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department released several photographs of former President Clinton apparently taken during his international travels with Epstein and Maxwell between 2002 and 2003.

Following that disclosure, a spokesperson for the two-term Democratic president argued that the Trump administration released those images to shield the Trump White House “from what comes next, or from what they’ll try to hide forever.”

For months, David Kendall, the Clintons’ lawyer, has continuously argued that the Clintons have no information relevant to the committee’s investigation and should not be required to appear for in-person testimony.

Comer wrote in a letter to Kendall in October that the committee is “skeptical” that the Clintons have only limited information, and argued it was up to the committee, not the Clintons, to make determinations of the value of their testimony.

“[T]he Committee believes that it should be provided in a deposition setting, where the Committee can best assess its breadth and value,” Comer wrote.

Comer said in a statement on Tuesday that Bill Clinton’s lawyers made an offer for Comer, Ranking Member Robert Garcia and two members of each of their staffs to have a conversation with only former President Bill Clinton in New York. A Comer spokesperson said he “rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer.”

“The House Oversight Committee rejects the Clintons’ unreasonable demands and will move forward with contempt resolutions on Wednesday due to their continued defiance of lawful subpoenas,” Comer wrote in the statement.

In response to Comer’s statement, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña told ABC News that the Clintons “never said no to a transcript.”

“Interviews are on the record and under oath. Whether it was written or typed isn’t why this is happening. If that were the last or only issue, we’d be in a different position,” Ureña said in a statement.

“You keep misdirecting to protect you-know-who and God knows what,” she said, referring to Comer.

Last week, the ex-president’s office publicly released two written declarations — dated Jan. 13 from each of the Clintons — which it said were provided to the Oversight Committee. Both Clintons denied any personal knowledge of the criminal activities of Epstein and Maxwell. Both also denied ever visiting Epstein’s private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Once I left office, I devoted my time to the Clinton Foundation. As part of the work of the Foundation, I accepted offers from others to use private air travel for the philanthropic and life-saving humanitarian efforts,” former President Clinton wrote. “In the early 2000s, Mr. Epstein offered a plane that was large enough to accommodate me, my staff, and my U.S. Secret Service detail, in support of visiting the Foundation’s philanthropic work. As has been widely reported, I and my staff took trips on his plane from 2002-2003, visiting Foundation projects and attending conferences and meetings. I have never visited Little St. James Island, and I do not recall speaking to Mr. Epstein for more than a decade prior to his 2019 arrest.”

The former president acknowledges in his declaration that Epstein “may very well have attended” White House events during Clinton’s two terms in office and may have been among the “tens of thousands” of people photographed with him. But Clinton claimed he did “not recall encountering Mr. Epstein, or any specific interaction with him, while in office.”

Each of the Clintons contend that they had no involvement — while in office or afterward — in any criminal investigations or prosecutions of either Epstein or Maxwell.

“I did not direct, oversee or participate in the handling of the investigations or prosecutions of the Epstein or Maxwell cases,” both Clintons stated in their declarations.

Both Clintons also wrote that they could not recall the circumstances of how they met Maxwell — but remember that she later “began a personal relationship with a mutual friend.”

“To be clear, I had no idea of Mr. Epstein’s or Ms. Maxwell’s criminal activities,” former President Clinton wrote. “And, irrespective of any intent either may have ever had, I did not take any action for the purpose of helping them to avoid any type of scrutiny.”

“During my tenure in public office, from 1993 to 2013, I never had any responsibility for, or involvement with, the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein and Maxwell investigations or prosecutions,” Hillary Clinton wrote in her declaration.

Heart disease fatalities drop but are still leading cause of death in the US: Report

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK ) — Fewer people are dying from heart disease, but the condition is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA) finds.

Although death rates from heart disease have dropped for the first time in the past five years, it still kills more Americans than any other condition, according to the report, published early Wednesday in the journal Circulation.

Annual heart disease deaths decreased by 2.7% between 2022 and 2023 — from 941,652 to 915,973, according to the report. However, cardiovascular disease still killed more people in the U.S. than cancer and accidents combined.

Deaths related to blockages in the coronary arteries, which are blood vessels that wrap around the heart’s surface, decreased by 5.9% from 371,506 to 349,470 over the same period, the report found.

Coronary artery disease often leads to a heart attack, with two people dying of coronary heart disease every three minutes, the report noted.

Other chronic conditions that damage blood vessels and increase risks for heart disease are also common among Americans, according to the report.

The percentage of U.S. adults with high blood pressure increased slightly to 47.3% while the rate of obesity decreased slightly to 50%, the report found. However, obesity is on the rise among the younger generation — increasing from 25.4% to 28.1% among those between ages 2 and 19, according to the report.

Prevention, including addressing risk factors, remains key in reducing heart disease deaths, Dr. Sadiya Khan, a board-certified cardiologist at Northwestern and vice chair of the volunteer committee behind the report, told ABC News.

“We cannot cure heart disease and so, if we wait until symptoms are present, we are left with trying to manage symptoms and treat, which saves lives but the yield of prevention is even greater,” she said.

There are four lifestyle behaviors and four health metrics essential for heart health, according to the AHA report. These include healthy eating, physical activity, sleeping well and quitting tobacco as well as controlling weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Addressing these eight factors could prevent up to 40% of heart disease deaths and lower the risk of developing major heart disease symptoms by up to 74%, according to a 2024 analysis from researchers in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Those same preventative measures have benefits beyond the heart, Khan pointed out. They can also help slow brain aging and lower the risk for dementia. Managing blood pressure is especially helpful against cognitive decline, she added.

Reducing cardiovascular disease in the U.S. could improve the health of not just the general public but also the health of the economy, Dr. Jennifer Miao, a board-certified Yale cardiologist and ABC Medical Unit fellow, told ABC News.

“We’re seeing an incredible financial burden of cardiovascular disease on the U.S. economy, with an estimated average of $414.7 billion in direct and indirect costs of treating cardiovascular disease from 2021 to 2022,” she said.

Despite the well-documented positive effects from good lifestyle habits, getting Americans to focus on their cardiovascular health has been an uphill battle, Khan said.

For example, only one in four US adults currently meet national guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. Additionally, only 43.5% of Americans with type 2 diabetes have their condition under control, according to the report.

“Staying physically active and engaging in regular exercise routines to the best of your ability are day-to-day goals that can significantly impact your overall health,” Miao said. “Talk to your health care provider about any questions you might have on safe exercise plans and appropriate health screenings that are suited for you as an individual.”

Scoreboard roundup — 1/20/26

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wild 3, Canadiens 4
Sharks 1, Lightning 4
Senators 4, Blue Jackets 1
Bruins 2, Stars 6
Sabres 5, Predators 3
Blues 1, Jets 3
Devils 2, Oilers 1
Rangers 3, Kings 4

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Suns 116, 76ers 110
Clippers 110, Bulls 138
Spurs 106, Rockets 111
Timberwolves 122, Jazz 127
Lakers 115, Nuggets 107
Raptors 145, Warriors 127
Heat 130, Kings 117

How Riley Green’s football past paved the way for his country music future

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Before embarking on his music career, Riley Green played football for Jacksonville State University while he was in college in his Alabama hometown.

It’s something he believes helped prepare him for the success he’s enjoying today.

“Being a quarterback, you’ve gotta have a certain level of confidence to go out there and lead the pack, I guess,” Riley says. “And if you’re gonna get up onstage in front of people and sing about stuff you made up, you’ve gotta have some level of confidence then, too. You know what I mean?”

“It’s one thing if you’re just an amazing singer and you’re singing a song you know everybody is gonna sing along to,” he continues. “But I had to go out there and win ‘em over with songs that I made up, and that’s a pretty scary thing for anybody, I’m sure.”

“So, you know, definitely the confidence that playing team sports gives you, it definitely helped me out and helped me get to where I am now,” he says.

Riley’s just released his new radio single, “Change My Mind,” ahead of the start of his Cowboy as It Gets Tour April 16 in Southaven, Mississippi.

Charlie Puth on how Taylor Swift shoutout inspired his new album

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

When Taylor Swift sang “Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist” on The Tortured Poets Department, Charlie Puth took that to heart.

The singer tells Rolling Stone hearing Taylor name-drop him in that way lit a fire under him creatively.

“I don’t know if that was the moment where I realized that I needed to write a certain kind of music, but it was definitely affirming that one of the biggest stars in the world knows me,” he says. “It’s like, ‘I better write something good, ’cause maybe she, and some others, will hear it.’”

Charlie says part of becoming “a bigger artist” was deciding to “let people in a little bit more.” He adds that in the beginning of his career, “It was more about making sure that people were happy.”

He says the first song he wrote for his new album Whatever’s Clever! is called “I Used to Be Cringe,” which details the things he used to do when he was still figuring out what kind of artist he wanted to be. He says the whole song came to him during a 30-minute car ride.

“And it’s all just because Taylor had said something about me,” he said. “It gave me enough excitement to write another song in my head. And now we’re ending the album with that.”

Whatever’s Clever! comes out March 27.

Lzzy Hale channels Courtney Love with Halestorm song ‘Broken Doll’

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Along with Halestorm‘s many classic rock inspirations, frontwoman Lzzy Hale is very much influenced by the ’90s alternative scene. Hale appeared in a video tribute to Soundgarden during the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the Halestorm track “Broken Doll,” off their latest album, Everest, might bring to mind the Hole song “Doll Parts.”

“No matter what time you come into the ’90s era, there’s no way that it can’t influence you,” Hale tells ABC Audio. “There was such a pureness about it and such a dangerous aspect to it.”

With “Broken Doll,” Hale definitely felt herself channeling Courtney Love.

“I got to wear a little bit of some Courtney Love shoes with that,” she laughs.

Beyond throwing it back to the ’90s, Hale says that “Broken Doll” is partly about getting older.

“I’m not 21 anymore, where everything was just new, and we were just breaking through wall after wall,” the 42-year-old says. “So now we’re able to kind of exist and be like, OK, there’s still something here and there’s something that can’t necessarily be replaced with something shiny and new. We have to kind of own who we are and where we’re at in this life.”

Everest is out now. It also includes the singles “Darkness Always Wins” and “Like a Woman Can.”

Bonnie Raitt to play Brandi Carlile’s Echoes Through the Canyon concerts

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Bonnie Raitt is set to join Brandi Carlie for one of her Echoes Through the Canyon concerts, which will take place May 29 and 30 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Gorge, Washington, outside of Seattle.

Raitt, who Carlile called her “red headed hero,” is booked to play May 30. It will feature a headlining set by Carlile, along with a performance by Sara Bareilles. The May 29 lineup features the Indigo Girls and I’m With Her, plus both nights promise “very special guests.”

“I am so excited to be joining @brandicarlile and @sarabareilles, two of my favorite artists on what will surely be a legendary blast of a gathering,” Bonnie wrote on Instagram. “I’ve loved playing The Gorge, one of the most spectacular venues anywhere. Can’t wait to celebrate what will surely be a highlight of our summer. Thanks so much to Brandi for inviting me and hope to see you all there!”

Various presales are happening Wednesday and Thursday, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. PT.

The first Echoes Through the Canyon festival took place in 2023, with one of the shows headlined by Joni Mitchell and one of her all-star “Joni Jams.”

Raitt’s Echoes Through the Canyon appearance will take place just two days after she launches her 2026 tour. It kicks off May 28 in Spokane, Washington, and wraps in the U.S. on June 13 in Bellingham, Washington. The tour heads to Canada starting June 16 in Vancouver, wrapping June 27 in Winnipeg. Raitt’s also booked to play Las Vegas’ Big Blues Bender on Sept. 10.

A complete list of dates can be found at BonnieRaitt.com.

‘Adolescence’ star Stephen Graham lost his Golden Globe shortly after he won it

January 21, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Adolescence star and co-creator Stephen Graham won a trophy at this year’s Golden Globes — but he also lost that same trophy not too long after the ceremony.

In a recent interview with the U.K. radio show Capital Breakfast, Graham told the story of how he lost his Golden Globe in the chaos that followed his Jan. 11 win for best actor in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television.

“I had to go straight from LA the day after to Madrid because I had to be on set the next day. It was weird, I had like three minutes to catch the plane,” Graham said. “It’s a next-level kind of thing. As I come off, a woman stood there with my name and she took me down the stairs, threw me in a car and drove me across the airport on the runway.”

The actor remembered being concerned that his suitcase — which had his Golden Globe inside of it — wasn’t going to make the plane.

“I went, ‘Excuse me, love? There’s no way you’re getting my suitcase on this plane if I’m in a car now,’ and she’s like, ‘Oh no, don’t worry, we’ll take care of it,’” Graham said. “And I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, you don’t understand,’ and she went, ‘I promise you, I promise you.’ Anyway, it didn’t land.”

Graham said his suitcase that contained Golden Globe was left in Atlanta. He put his trophy inside the suitcase because he found it too heavy.

“I wasn’t carrying that on me,” Graham said.

Luckily, the trophy wasn’t lost for long. Graham said he has since been reunited with his Golden Globe.

”But thankfully, thankfully, it turns up the day after. Two days after,” Graham said.

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