US risks default as soon as July unless debt ceiling is raised, financial agency estimates

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. risks defaulting on its debts as early as July unless the borrowing limit is raised, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a report on Wednesday.

The federal government on Jan. 19 reached its approximately $31.4 trillion debt ceiling — which legally caps how much the U.S. can borrow to pay for what tax and other revenue doesn’t cover — and the Treasury Department has since been using “extraordinary measures” along with its current cash flow to keep the government’s obligations paid.

“CBO estimates that under its baseline budget projections, the Treasury would exhaust those measures and run out of cash sometime between July and September of this year,” according to the report.

The CBO projection adds urgency to an ongoing political dispute in Congress over the debt ceiling. Some Republicans in the House have resisted an increase of the debt limit unless Democrats agree to spending cuts. The Biden administration, however, has repeatedly said that it will not negotiate over the debt ceiling and that a discussion over spending should occur separately.

Speaking with “Good Morning America” last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on Congress to raise the debt limit.

“America has paid all of its bills on time since 1789, and not to do so would produce an economic and financial catastrophe,” Yellen said. “Every responsible member of Congress must agree to raise the debt ceiling.”

She added, “It’s something that simply can’t be negotiable.”

Failure to raise the debt limit and the ensuing default on U.S. debt — which have never happened before — would cause immense harm to the U.S. and global economies, since the trustworthiness of U.S. Treasury bonds amounts to a cornerstone of domestic and international investment, economists and budget analysts previously told ABC News.

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

Raquel Welch, sex symbol and ‘Fantastic Voyage’ star, dead at 82

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Raquel Welch, actress and pinup starlet, has died, ABC News has confirmed. According to a rep, “The legendary bombshell actress of film, television and stage, passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”

She was 82.

Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago in 1940, Welch was a beauty pageant winner in her youth, before stepping in front of the camera to briefly work as a weather person at a San Diego TV station.

Her big break came in the form of three lines of dialogue — but particularly a fur bikini — in the 1966 campy film One Million Years B.C. Welch also appeared that year in the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage.

The early films cemented her role as a sex symbol, a reputation she often poked fun at, including in the title of her 2010 memoir, Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage.

For 1975’s The Three Musketeers, Welch appeared opposite Faye Dunaway and Charlton Heston, snagging a Golden Globe for Best Actress in the film comedy category. She’d be nominated again in the drama category for the 1987 movie Right to Die.

Welch received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1996.

In 1997, Welch came to a new audience while appearing in the penultimate season finale of Seinfeld. Playing a diva version of herself in the installment called “The Summer of George,” Welch poked fun at her persona, physically taking on Michael Richards‘ Kramer and later Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Elaine after her character was fired from the fictitious Tony-winning play Scarsdale Surprise.

In 2001, she had supporting roles on the big screen in the hit Legally Blonde and the indie film Tortilla Soup.

Married four times, Welch leaves behind two children, son Damon Welch and daughter Tahnee Welch.

US watched Chinese balloon from launch, may have accidentally drifted: Official

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. intelligence agencies tracked the Chinese spy balloon from its launch in China and watched as it may have been inadvertently blown into U.S. airspace, a U.S. official has confirmed to ABC News.

The Washington Post was the first to report that the balloon may have been diverted from its original route and that the resulting incident and tensions with China might have been due, in part, to a mistake. It was said the balloon was on course to fly toward the U.S. territory of Guam when it took an unexpected turn north due to strong winds.

U.S. officials have said the intent of the balloon was for surveillance — not meteorological research as Beijing claimed. A State Department official said last week that the balloon had equipment “clearly for intelligence surveillance,” including antennas “likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications.”

Over its weeklong journey over the U.S., the balloon first entered airspace over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 then traversed into Canada’s airspace before reentering U.S. airspace heading east. It was shot down in waters off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

President Joe Biden said he ordered the balloon be shot down when he was informed of its presence over Montana, but that his military advisers said it was too dangerous to conduct over land.

The incident added tension to the fraught U.S.-China relationship, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelling a planned trip to Beijing. Blinken and other U.S. officials called the balloon a “clear violation” of international law.

China has now accused the U.S. of flying several balloons into its airspace since the spring of last year, which White House spokesperson John Kirby flatly denied during an appearance Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“We do not deploy surveillance balloons over China,” Kirby said, though he declined to answer a follow-up question on whether the U.S. spies on China.

The Pentagon said earlier this month the balloon didn’t pose a physical threat, and that once it was detected the U.S. took steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection.

Crews have been working since the Feb. 4 take down to collect debris. A significant portion of the balloon’s reconnaissance section was recovered on Monday, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News. One official said the payload is 30-feet long.

“Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure,” Northcom said in a statement.

All senators received a classified briefing on Tuesday about the spy balloon and three other unidentified objects shot down over the weekend over Alaska, Canada and Lake Huron. The intelligence community is considering as a “leading explanation” that those objects were for commercial or benign use, Kirby told reporters Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said senators will receive another briefing Wednesday “on the state of U.S. defense readiness with respect to China.”

Listen to new ’Daisy Jones & The Six’ soundtrack song, co-written by Marcus Mumford

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Marcus Mumford has co-written the new song “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” for the soundtrack to the upcoming Prime Video limited series Daisy Jones & The Six.

As previously reported, artists including Mumford and Phoebe Bridgers wrote music for the show, which tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional ’70s band called Daisy Jones & The Six. The songs are sung by stars Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, who play the group’s co-vocalists, Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne.

You can listen to “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” now via digital outlets.

Daisy Jones & The Six, which is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid, premieres March 3. Its accompanying soundtrack, titled Aurora, arrives the same day.

Disturbed’s David Draiman shares “awesome” vocal cover of “Down with the Sickness”

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

David Draiman is down with this vocal cover of “Down with the Sickness.”

The Disturbed frontman has shared a video of Ukrainian musician Daria Zaritskaya belting out the Chicago metal outfit’s signature song.

“Awesome,” Draiman writes in an Instagram post alongside a metal horns emoji. “Well done @dariazaritskaya!”

The original “Down with the Sickness” appears on Disturbed’s 2000 debut album, The Sickness. Draiman and company had planned a 20th anniversary The Sickness tour for 2020, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Disturbed just announced a summer U.S. tour in support of their latest album, 2022’s Divisive.

They drink wine: Lizzo details her boozy hangouts with Adele

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Adele sang about how she will only soak up wine in the aptly titled song “I Drink Wine.” And according to Lizzo, that’s exactly what happens when the two of them hang out.

The singer appeared Wednesday on the U.K.’s Heart radio and spilled about their friendship. One of the hosts wanted to know if Adele ever invited Lizzo over for tea.

“It wasn’t tea,” the singer giggled before explaining why that is. “She drinks and — oh god, and funny enough I drink it, too. But I wouldn’t dare request [tea] at her house.” So they instead drink “wine with ice.”

Lizzo also politely declined to reveal too much about what Adele’s house is like, but did say it looks “real English” on the inside.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I feel like I’m in England,'” she described. When pressed on what the house smelled like, she deadpanned, “[I drank] too much wine. I don’t remember.”

Adele and Lizzo have been longtime friends after meeting at a Grammys party a few years back. The “About Damn Time” singer previously said she thinks one of the reasons they click is because they share the same astrological sign, which is Taurus.

Sam Hunt sets his sights on a short Sin City stint

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Sam Hunt is the latest country star who’s headed to Vegas.

He won’t be sticking around for an extended residency like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert or Keith Urban, however. Instead, Sam will do a two-night stint at Resorts World Las Vegas, the same place Luke and Carrie Underwood have ongoing runs.

Sam’s Sin City stint is Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, with tickets going on sale Thursday, February 16. You can find all the details online.

Right now, the Georgia native has a top 15 hit with “Water Under the Bridge,” and just last week, he put out a new track called “Walmart.”

Jerry Garcia can now give you a “hand” hanging your guitars

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Guitar playing fans of The Grateful Dead can display their axes with the help of Jerry Garcia. Well, actually, his hand.

Guitar.com reports that GuitarGrip has come out with a new guitar hanger that’s basically a replica of Garcia’s hand coming out from the wall and shaped so a guitar can easily rest inside it. The hanger is “inspired by existing photos and guidance from Jerry’s family,” and is finished with gold and wood accents.

“GuitarGrips has created a beautiful homage to our father!” Jerry’s daughter Trixie shares. “Nearly as exquisite as Jerry’s playing, these grips rock.” Mike Ryan, founder of GuitarGrip, notes, “Jerry was one of a kind, and we worked really hard to bring his unique personality and the timeless vibe of his music into this series.”

But the hangers don’t come cheap — they’re priced between $235 and $295. There are other options priced significantly less, including four decorative wall plates inspired by Garcia’s famed Alligator, Tiger, Wolf and Rosebud guitars. They cost around $125.

The Jerry Garcia collection is available now at guitargrip.com.

Rihanna on why she decided to perform at the Super Bowl after turning it down in 2019

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rihanna returned to the stage for the halftime performance at Super Bowl LVII, but she could’ve had her halftime show a few years back. The singer turned down the opportunity in 2019, in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who was ousted from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality.

In her cover story for British Vogue, Rihanna shared her belief that “there’s still a lot of mending to be done,” but took the opportunity for the message it would send, especially after last year’s hip-hop halftime show.

“It’s powerful to break those doors, and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level,” she says. “Two Super Bowls back-to-back, you know, representing the urban community, globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message.”

After Rih took the Super Bowl stage Sunday, and revealed she was pregnant again, footage surfaced of her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, cheering her on. Rihanna says he’s her best friend, noting their parenthood journey has had a positive effect on their bond.

“We’re best friends with a baby … We have to be on the same page, but we’ve always kind of had that in our relationship,” she says. “Everything changes when you have a baby but I wouldn’t say it’s done anything but made us closer.” Watching Rocky with their son, she adds, made her realize “that the validation that you really need as a boy is from your father.”

As far as a new album goes, Rih admits “there’s this pressure that I put on myself. That if it’s not better than that then it is not even worth it.” So, instead of “waiting until this feels right,” she’s going to play. She wants to release an album sometime this year.

“There wasn’t even time for rage”: Rihanna recalls paparazzi taking unauthorized photos of her baby

February 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rihanna shocked fans in December when posting a first look at her son on TikTok. But, as it turns out, it was a deliberate move to thwart the paparazzi.

British Vogue features Rihanna as its March cover star and revealed the cover shoot was apparently intended to be the baby boy’s introduction — on her and father A$AP Rocky‘s terms. Those plans were foiled when paparazzi managed to snap photos of him.

“I just went straight into protective mode,” Rihanna said. “Like there wasn’t even time for rage.” The singer recalled speaking with Rocky on how to “move forward” because, as she said, “It just feels so icky, like a violation.”

They didn’t want the first images of their son being photos they hadn’t consented to, so Rihanna posted a video of her baby boy on TikTok, which amassed over 20 million views. She also sent approved pictures of her infant to a “friendly blogger,” in an attempt to further derail deals to publish the paps’ unauthorized photos.

“We get to decide as parents when and how we do that. End of story,” Rihanna said. “Throw me to the wolves. Do what you want with me. But [my child] doesn’t have a say in any of this.”

The singer continued, “We’ve been protecting him thus far and you don’t have any consent to be posting photos or selling photos of my child, a minor. Get the hell out of here with that.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Rihanna acknowledged fans’ hunger for a new album. She last released Anti in 2016 and, according to the singer, she hopes fans won’t have to wait too much longer.

While she said she wants to release something “this year,” the comments were made before she knew she was pregnant with her second child.

The March issue of British Vogue is available on newsstands and via digital download from Tuesday 21st February.

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