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Alleged Ohio fraudsters filed false health claims, purchased luxury cars

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Senior Justice Department leaders on Thursday announced a number of cases against those who they say perpetrated fraud in Ohio.

Four people, including two state of Ohio employees, were charged with a $30 million fraud scheme targeting the state’s behavioral health department.

Two of the defendants owned businesses which claimed to provide behavioral health services for young adults that attend summer camps, church groups and recreational programs, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department alleges the two businesses submitted fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered. After the claims were not submitted because one of the behavioral health organizations’ accreditation was invalid, the two allegedly conspired with another individual to submit claims.

The funds were used to fund a lavish lifestyle, according to DOJ, including purchasing 14 vehicles worth $800,000.

“The days of the brazen theft that we’ve seen of taxpayer dollars, abusing the generosity of the American taxpayer is over,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Columbus, Ohio. “Our message to fraudsters is simple: With our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will be working day and night to identify you, arrest you and imprison you.”

Blanche and other federal leaders, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, were in Ohio to not only announce charges against alleged fraudsters, but to also announce a Top 10 fraudsters list and tout the cooperation between Ohio authorities and the federal government on fraud issues.

“Our best form of information is the American public,” Patel said. “Take a look at this Top 10 most wanted. Let us know any information. There is no bad piece of information. The only bad piece of information is the one you don’t give us.”

Earlier this week, the Justice Department charged five individuals with scamming older Americans in romance fraud schemes totaling $15 million. The five — mostly from Ghana — allegedly used AI to create false stories and indicate to people they were interested in them romantically to get them to send them money.

“Once they establish trust, they use false pretenses and stories about vast inheritances of money, gold, or diamonds, and then convince these elderly Americans to help finance bogus legal proceedings in the nation of Ghana,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer said at the press conference.

The scheme allegedly went on for almost two years and impacted more than 100 people.

“They then use this stolen money to buy a mansion in Ghana. Diamond-encrusted jewelry, a Lamborghini and other high-end luxury vehicles. All of those assets have now been seized and are going through the forfeiture proceedings so that they will not profit from their fraudulent efforts,” Toepfer said.

Lynette Hooker’s daughter grateful Coast Guard is conducting new search in Bahamas

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The daughter of Lynette Hooker, an American woman who went overboard in the Bahamas and vanished two months ago, is grateful a U.S. Coast Guard dive team is on the scene conducting new searches.

“She has to be somewhere, so all the help that we could get, it’s greatly appreciated,” Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told ABC News.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service, which is leading the investigation, received permission from the Bahamas to send U.S divers to areas that were previously not searched, according to multiple U.S. officials.

This search comes after forensic evidence found on electronic devices belonging to Lynette Hooker’s husband, Brian Hooker, led investigators to new areas of interest, officials said.

A U.S. official told ABC News that what Brian Hooker told investigators does not match the GPS data recovered from his devices.

Aylesworth told ABC News she doubts her stepfather Brian Hooker’s story and said she’s not spoken with him since the day after her mother went missing.

Aylesworth said she’s hopeful the new search points investigators in the right direction.

“I’m happy they were able to get Brian’s location and discover new areas to look,” she said. “… I know they’re working very hard.”

Lynette Hooker has been missing since the evening of April 4. Brian Hooker told authorities that after the couple departed Hope Town on their dinghy to head to their yacht, called the “Soulmate,” bad weather caused her to go overboard.

Brian Hooker was arrested on April 8 and questioned by police. He was released on April 13 without charges.

On April 14, Brian Hooker told ABC News that he was staying in the Bahamas with a “sole focus” of finding his wife. But hours after that interview, Brian Hooker left the Bahamas, with his attorney saying he wanted to be with his terminally ill mother.

Aylesworth said of her missing mother, “I hope she’s just in Cuba or something, just needing a break from life, living it up. But I feel like at this time, she would have at least contacted my grandma and me. So I don’t, at this point, I don’t really have much faith that she’s out there still alive.”

She added that if she could speak to her mother now, she’d tell her, “I just hope you’re still out there. I have doubts with how long it’s been, but I love you and I hope I can see you again.”

Temperatures soar in the Northeast as Great Plains brace for more severe weather

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As residents of the Great Plains brace for more severe weather stretching into the weekend, summer-like temperatures are heating up the Northeast.

From New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina, temperatures are expected to be in the 90s on Friday and Saturday before a cold front arrives on Sunday.

The temperature in Raleigh is expected to hit 100 this weekend. Washington, D.C., is also forecast to see 90-degree temperatures through Saturday.

Humidity is not expected to be much of a factor in the Northeast as dew points remain low, meaning the “feels-like” temperatures will be nearly identical to the actual temperatures.

Some areas of the West are expected to see triple-digit temperatures. Phoenix, Arizona, could reach 110 degrees on Thursday.

Damaging winds and hail expected in the Great Plains

Severe weather is expected to continue in the Great Plains through the end of the week, with damaging winds and large hail forecast to be the main threats.

An isolated tornado or two and some instances of flash flooding are also possible on Thursday across the Great Plains, including South Dakota, southeast Montana, northeast Wyoming and northern Nebraska.

On Friday, severe weather, including damaging winds and large hail, is expected from Nebraska to Iowa and into southern Minnesota, including the cities of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Rochester, Minnesota; and Des Moines, Iowa.

On Saturday, severe weather is expected to move into the Great Lakes region and bring rain to parts of the Northeast on Sunday.

The foul weather in the Great Plains comes after the region was hit by severe thunderstorms and damaging winds on Wednesday. Thunderstorms and wind gusts of more than 80 mph were reported in Frederick, South Dakota, on Wednesday, leaving buildings damaged, a radio tower and power lines toppled, and trees uprooted.

Warren Haynes reimagines Grateful Dead’s ‘Shakedown Street’ for upcoming album, ‘Dreams & Songs’

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Warren Haynes takes on a Grateful Dead classic in the latest preview of his upcoming symphonic album, Dreams & Songs.

The Gov’t Mule frontman has released a cover of The Dead’s “Shakedown Street,” recorded at his 2019 Dreams & Songs symphonic show in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. For the show he was backed by the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra, as well as Oteil Burbridge, John Medeski, Jeff Sipe and Greg Osby.

“‘Shakedown Street’ is a really powerful orchestrated arrangement that enhances the power of the original, which I played and sang a ton of times with those guys through the years, especially with Phil Lesh and Friends, but with The Dead as well,” Haynes says. “It’s a very danceable song. A lot of people just focus on the groove and get lost in the rhythmic quality of it. The orchestra forces you to pay attention to it in a different way. It’s very dark and powerful and, I think, very effective.”

Details on when Dreams & Songs will be released will be revealed at a later date.

Haynes will once again perform with an orchestra next year when he brings his Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience to Nashville on March 11 and 12. Tickets are on sale now.

Below is the track list for Dreams & Songs:
“Dreams and Songs (Part One)”
“Dreams”
“Banks of the Deep End”
“Spots of Time”
“Broken Promised Land”
“Thorazine Shuffle”
“Makes No Difference”
“Terrapin Station”
“Raven Black Night”
“Just Another Rider”
“Black Peter”
“Instrumental Illness”
“One”
“Shakedown Street”
“Whipping Post”
“Dreams and Songs (Reprise)”

Teenage girl accused of stabbing 3 horses appears in juvenile court

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LAS VEGAS) — The teenage girl accused of stabbing three horses made her first appearance in juvenile court in Nevada on Thursday as prosecutors hope to move her case to adult court.

The judge said he believed the teen was a public safety risk and ordered her to remain in custody with no bail, ABC Las Vegas affiliate KTNV reported. She’s due to return to court on July 8 when attorneys will discuss the possibility of moving her case to adult court, according to the Clark County District Attorney’s office.

The girl — who was in Las Vegas for the National Barrel Horse Association’s Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show — is accused of attacking three horses in a barn early Saturday, according to Las Vegas police and the NBHA.

She allegedly had access to the barn and authorities believe she may have used a knife to wound the horses, authorities said.

The horses’ injuries were non-life-threatening but the wounds did keep the animals from competing in the event, which took place over the weekend, according to police.The teenager was arrested for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal — horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, authorities said.

The Clark County District Attorney’s office said Tuesday that it wants the teen charged in adult court.

“These allegations involve deliberate acts of extreme cruelty against defenseless animals and have had a significant impact on the victims, the owners, and the broader equestrian community,” DA Steve Wolfson said in a statement.

Why Pink’s opening number at the Tonys might have a hint of ‘The Greatest Showman’

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

When host Pink takes the stage to perform her opening number at the Tony Awards on Sunday, it might remind you of The Greatest Showman. Or maybe Dear Evan Hansen. Or maybe La La Land.

That’s because, as Pink tells Playbill, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo who wrote the songs for all those projects, have written her opening number for her.

“They did me a solid by doing this opening with me,” Pink said, adding that Neil Patrick Harris, who has hosted the Tonys numerous times, has been “totally supportive” and has given her “a lot of great advice.”

Pink, Benj and Justin go back to at least 2018, when she recorded a version of “A Million Dreams” for the album The Greatest Showman: Reimagined. Her daughter, Willow Sage Heart, now 15, also sang on the album.

Pink also reveals that there will be “up to 170 people” onstage with her during the number, joking, “Because I’m not enough.” She adds that she “gets to be ridiculous and make fun of myself right away, which was my one rule.”

The Tony Awards air live on CBS Sunday night.

Sadie Sink to star in ‘The Marriage Plot’ limited series for FX

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Sadie Sink has found her next TV project.

The Stranger Things actress is set to star in and executive produce The Marriage Plot for FX. It will be a limited series based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ 2011 novel of the same name.

The Marriage Plot tells the story of three recent college graduates who are “caught in an all-consuming love triangle as they reconcile their youthful romantic aspirations with looming adulthood and make life-altering choices about love and identity,” according to an official description from FX.

Succession‘s Will Arbery is writing the project while Widow’s Bay director Hiro Murai is helming. The series will stream on Hulu.

“The Marriage Plot is a perfect fit for FX: ambitious, character-driven storytelling that offers another great opportunity to partner with exceptional artists,” Gina Balian, the president of FX Entertainment, said. “We look forward to building on our partnerships with Will and Hiro, both of whom are extraordinary talents who we are proud to work with again.”

This marks Arbery’s second FX series order in less than a year. His original show Seven Sisters was picked up by the network in December.

Next up for Sink is an appearance in this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. She is also set to executive produce the film adaptation of the play John Proctor Is The Villain for Universal Pictures.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

Sally, when the guests run out: Role Model won’t keep doing viral stage gimmick

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Role Model is gearing up for a new album, and as such, he says he won’t be continuing his signature live performance gimmick: bringing up a guest to dance with him each night during his breakthrough hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.”

The gimmick went viral as Role Model brought up everyone from Natalie Portman and Charli XCX to Olivia Rodrigo, Kate Hudson and Hilary Duff to dance with him. But speaking to Rolling Stone, he says, “I have no plans to keep that going. I think it’s good to know when to end a bit.”

Plus, Role Model thinks that his new album, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, is strong enough that he doesn’t have to rely on a schtick to get his crowds excited.

“If this album wasn’t good, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, we should probably keep the Sally bit going, I gotta sell tickets,'” he says. “But I feel very good about this record, and I don’t think people will even give a s*** [if I don’t do it], to be honest.”

Role Model notes that he decided in February to stop doing it, because he says that if he kept it going, “It’s just gonna die out and be this sad thing.”

“It was just a happy accident, and I’m really grateful for it,” he adds. “But I’m not gonna be defined by being the dude who brings out Sallys at his shows.”

Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is due Aug. 7. Rolling Stone says the album “explores [Role Model’s] journey after a very public break-up with Emma Chamberlain,” the influencer and YouTube star.

Black Label Society sets chart record with ‘Name in Blood’

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

After offering fans limited-edition CDs of her new Toy Story 5 song, Taylor Swift has put some vinyl versions up for sale — with a twist.

Instead of the usual 7-inch vinyls, there are two 10-inch vinyls available to order now. One of them is pressed in the star shape of Toy Story 5 character Jessie’s sheriff’s badge. Taylor’s Toy Story 5 song “I Knew It, I Knew You” was inspired by Jessie’s journey in the film.

The other vinyl is decorated to look like Jessie’s red cowboy hat. Both vinyls picture the Toy Story 5 logo on the flip side, along with an instrumental version of the song.

These so-called “collector’s edition” vinyls are only available until Friday at 1:59 p.m. ET or while supplies last. They’ll ship on or around June 19, but you won’t have to wait to hear the song: it arrives on digital platforms on Friday.

When she announced the song, Taylor wrote on Instagram, “I’ve always dreamed of getting to write for these characters who I’ve adored since I was a 5 year old kid watching the first Toy Story movie.”

The Rolling Stones collaborate with FIFA for new ‘Foreign Tongues’ variants

June 4, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The Rolling Stones have announced a new collaboration with FIFA to coincide with the upcoming World Cup tournament.

The Rolling Stones x FIFA – Foreign Tongues collab is made up of limited-edition vinyl variants of their upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

The variants are the Host Nation Edition, featuring artwork inspired by the colors, iconography and cultural identity of host countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada; the FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, which celebrates the tournament with multi-colored artwork that surrounds the band’s iconic tongue and lips logo; and the Winners’ Circle Edition, which reimagines the logo inspired by the World Cup trophy and highlights past winners.

All three variants are available for preorder now.

The Rolling Stones are also one of the many artists appearing on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Album. The album features 18 tracks, with The Stones contributing a remix of the Foreign Tongues single “In the Stars.”

Foreign Tongues, The Stones’ first album since 2024’s Hackney Diamonds, drops July 10.

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