Livestream - WFMZ-TV 69News (2024)

Hurricane Beryl is roaring by Jamaica, bringing fierce winds and heavy rain after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least seven people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Beryl’s eyewall is “brushing the south coast of Jamaica.” Wind-whipped rain pounded the island for hours as residents heeded authorities’ all to shelter until the storm had passed. Power was knocked out in much of the capital. A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Beryl is forecast to weaken slightly over the next day or two. Read moreHurricane Beryl roars by Jamaica after killing at least 7 people in the southeast Caribbean

President Joe Biden is vowing to keep running for reelection as he rejects pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. But in an ominous sign, one of his top allies publicly suggested Wednesday a way that the party might choose someone else. According to a campaign aides, Biden told his staff that “no one is pushing me out” of the race. But there are signs that support for Biden is rapidly eroding among Democrats on Capitol Hill. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime Biden ally, says he’d support a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race. Read moreBiden vows to keep running as signs point to rapidly eroding support for him on Capitol Hill

Firefighters are battling a growing wildfire in northern California that has forced at least 26,000 people to evacuate with another day of extreme heat expected. The Thompson fire sent up a huge plume of smoke and grew to more than 5.5 square miles by Wednesday afternoon. It broke out Tuesday about 70 miles north of Sacramento in and around Oroville. The city of 20,000 people declared a state of emergency Tuesday night. At least three homes have been destroyed. There was no word of any injuries. The fire's cause is being investigated. Read moreThousands evacuate as Northern California wildfire spreads, with more hot weather expected

A California man has been convicted of murder with a hate crime enhancement for the 2018 stabbing of a gay University of Pennsylvania student. Twenty-six-year-old Samuel Woodward was found guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder plus the enhancement in for the killing of Blaze Bernstein. Bernstein was home visiting his family in Southern California on winter break when he went missing. Authorities scoured the area for him and found his body a week later in a shallow grave at a nearby park. The question during the monthslong trial was not whether Woodward killed Bernstein but why, and the circ*mstances under which it happened. Woodward's lawyer says he will appeal. Read moreCalifornia man convicted of murder in 2018 stabbing death of gay University of Pennsylvania student

An Italian appeals court has upheld the convictions of two American men in the killing of an Italian plainclothes police officer during a botched sting operation but reduced their sentences. The new trial was ordered after Italy’s highest court threw out their original convictions. The court on Wednesday convicted Lee Elder Finnegan and sentenced him to 15 years and 2 months in prison. It gave a sentence of 11 years and four months, along with a fine, to Gabriele Natale-Hjorth. They were found guilty in the July 2019 killing of Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega. The new verdict drew acceptance from the men’s families and disappointment from the officer’s widow. Read moreItaly appeals court upholds conviction of 2 Americans in death of policeman but reduces sentences

A federal judge has ordered Louisiana to take steps to protect the health and safety of incarcerated workers toiling in the fields of a former slave plantation. He says they face “substantial risk of injury or death” in blistering summer temperatures. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson on Tuesday gave the state seven days to provide a plan to improve conditions at Louisiana State Penitentiary. The state immediately appealed the decision. The order comes amid growing nationwide attention on prison labor, a practice that has evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry. Men incarcerated at the Louisiana penitentiary filed a class-action lawsuit last year alleging cruel and unusual punishment and forced labor in the prison’s fields. Read moreAs temperatures soar, judge tells Louisiana to help protect prisoners working in fields

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille told the U.N. Security Council that recently deployed Kenyan police will be crucial to helping control the country’s gangs and moving toward democratic elections. He said Wednesday his government will focus on addressing gang violence and food insecurity, ensuring free elections through constitutional and political reform, and rebuilding public trust in the police. The initial contingent of 200 Kenyan police arrived in Port-au-Prince late last month. Kenya has pledged 1,000 police to the U.N.-endorsed international police force. They will later be joined by police from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica, for a total of 2,500 personnel. Read moreHaiti's prime minister says Kenyan police are crucial to controlling gangs, early days are positive

Giannis Antetokounmpo was dominant with 32 points in 19 minutes during Greece's 109-82 win over the Dominican Republic in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Piraeus, Greece. Meanwhile, Croatia advanced in its bid to earn one of the final spots in the Paris Olympics’ basketball field. New Zealand beat Croatia 90-86 on Wednesday. But Croatia was able to secure a place in the semifinals with the four-point differential. Croatia's loss keeps the door open for Luka Doncic and Slovenia to earn the Olympic bid at stake in the Greece qualifier. Read moreAntetokounmpo, Greece strong in opener; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance to qualify for Olympics

Behind closed doors, in the Oval Office, on Air Force One or in meetings around the world, many people describe President Joe Biden in the same dual way. He is often very sharp and focused. But he also has moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seem jumbled and he trails off mid-sentence or seems confused, and he doesn’t grasp the finer points of some foreign policy details. The president is 81. And that he would be less sharp than he once was is not surprising. But these moments have taken on a fresh resonance following Biden’s disastrous debate performance. Read moreBiden at 81: Sharp and focused but sometimes confused and forgetful

Hurricane Beryl is roaring by Jamaica, bringing fierce winds and heavy rain after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least seven people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Beryl’s eyewall is “brushing the south coast of Jamaica.” Wind-whipped rain pounded the island for hours as residents heeded authorities’ all to shelter until the storm had passed. Power was knocked out in much of the capital. A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Beryl is forecast to weaken slightly over the next day or two. Read moreHurricane Beryl roars by Jamaica after killing at least 7 people in the southeast Caribbean

The damages a federal jury has ordered the NFL to pay for violating antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service is $4,707,259,944.64. The figure from the June 27 judgement against the NFL was listed on the verdict form, which was posted on the case docket Tuesday. The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the package on DirecTV of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons. The lawsuit claimed the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider. Read moreNFL is liable for $4,707,259,944.64 in 'Sunday Ticket' case

Shohei Ohtani has become the first player elected to start at designated hitter in four straight All-Star Games. He'll be joined by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge as the only holdovers in the lineups for the July 16 game at Arlington, Texas. Philadelphia could have three of the four National League infielders after fans voted shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm to start alongside first baseman Bryce Harper, whose has a leg injury. Major League Baseball said this is the first time each league has had no more than one player repeat as an elected starter since fan balloting resumed in 1970. Read moreOhtani elected to start at DH in 4th straight All-Star Game, joins Judge as only holdovers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state leaders have dropped a plan to put a crime-focused measure on the ballot a day after announcing it. The abrupt decision highlights the difficult balancing act for state Democrats who look to tamp down voters’ frustration on crimes while avoiding a return to mass incarceration policies. The governor is also prioritizing political ambitions in Washington D.C. The decision paves the way for voters in November to potentially roll back some progressive policies and add new penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing under proposals of another initiative already on the ballot. Read moreFight over retail theft is testing California Democrats' drive to avoid mass incarceration policies

A descendent of a Union soldier getting the Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden for conspicuous gallantry during the Civil War says it’s an opportunity for his ancestor to be remembered as “a brave soldier who did what he thought was right.” Brian Taylor is a great-great-great-nephew of U.S. Army Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach. Biden awarded the Medal of Honor on Wednesday to Shadrach and Pvt. George D. Wilson, who stole a locomotive deep in Confederate territory and drove it north while destroying railroad tracks and telegraph lines. Shadrach was from Pennsylvania and Wilson from Ohio. Wilson’s great-great-granddaughter says she gets chills reading his final words about having no ill feelings for the South. Read moreBiden bestows Medal of Honor on Union soldiers who helped hijack train in Confederate territory

A leading House Democrat is preparing a constitutional amendment in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark immunity ruling. Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York says he is seeking to reverse the court's decision “and ensure that no president is above the law.” It’s the most significant legislative response yet to the decision this week from the court’s conservative majority. Congress can launch the Constitutional amendment process with a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate, which is highly unlikely during the period of divided government. It then needs ratification by three-fourths of the states. There have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Read moreHouse Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment to reverse Supreme Court's immunity decision

The defense for Sen. Bob Menendez has rested without the New Jersey Democrat testifying at his New York bribery trial. Lawyers for Menendez called several witnesses over two days in an effort to counter seven weeks of testimony and hundreds of exhibits and communications introduced by federal prosecutors. Menendez maintains he is not guilty of charges that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold and cash in exchange for using his clout in the Senate to deliver favors to the benefit of three New Jersey businessmen. His defense rested Wednesday. As he left court, Menendez said prosecutors had failed to prove every aspect of its case. Read moreBob Menendez says he didn’t testify because prosecution failed to prove its bribery case against him