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Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne announces retirement

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has announced his retirement from the NHL after 15 seasons with the team.

“For more than 15 years, I’ve been on an incredible, life-changing journey with the Nashville Predators that has taken me to more places than I could have ever imagined and given me more than I could ever hope to give back,” Rinne said in a statement.

The Finish-born goalie ended his career with 683 games, 369 wins, 2.43 goals-against average, and 60 shut-outs, all Nashville records. He finished his career with a 369-213-75 record.

In NHL history, he is ranked 19 for both wins and shut-outs.

In Finish history, he leads all NHL goaltenders with wins and shut-outs.

“For years, Pekka has been the face of our franchise on and off the ice,” Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile said in a statement. “The role he played in making the Predators organization into something so much more than just a hockey team cannot be understated, and what he means to our team and community makes him one of the most special players and people you’ll ever meet. It’s cliché of what you would want from your best players, but Pekka gave us a chance to win in every single game he played and led our team during the most competitive era of our franchise.”

Rinne was drafted 258 overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and made his league debut with a win against Chicago in December 2005. He became the starting goalie in the 2008-2009 season and finished fourth in the Calder Cup, the NHL’s rookie of the year award.

Rinne led the NHL in shutouts, second in wins and third in games played for the next 13 years

During the 2010-2011 season, Nashville won its first-ever NHL playoff series with Rinne backstopping them past Anaheim.

The next season, Rinne led the league with 43 wins, the first of three 40 win season’s in his career.

In 2017, he led the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final against Pittsburgh, losing 4-2. Rinne topped his single postseason Nashville records with 14 wins, two shutouts, and a 1.96 goals-against average.

The following year, Rinne won his first Vezina Award, given to the top goaltender in the league, after leading the league with eight shutouts and a .927 save percentage. He was a finalist for the award three other times.

This past season, he went 10-12-1 in 24 appearances and posted a shutout in the final game of his career. In June, he won the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, given to the “player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Garth Brooks originally wrote his new single, “That’s What Cowboys Do,” with Midland in mind

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Garth Brooks’ latest single off his Fun album is “That’s What Cowboys Do,” a gentle waltz-time ballad about a cowboy who winds up falling in love during what he thinks is going to be nothing more than a one-night stand.

The song is nothing if not true to the roots of country music, Garth explains during a recent installment of his Inside Studio G Facebook Live Series.

“If you’ve got a local country radio station, this is the most country thing you’re gonna be hearing on it for sure — no offense to any other artist,” the singer says with a grin. In fact, Garth — who penned the song solo, according to Amazon Music credits — originally wrote it hoping that one of the genre’s most traditional modern acts might record it.

“It was written for Midland,” he reveals. “It was written for the boys from Midland. ‘Cause I thought they would kill it. We sat down and wrote something for them, because they do a lot of George Strait-feeling stuff.”

But once Garth finished “That’s What Cowboys Do,” he knew he wanted to record the song. “It ended up feeling so good we just did it ourselves,” he said.

Garth will bring his new single on the road as he launches his next round of Stadium Tour shows. After a pandemic-induced, year-plus hiatus, the Stadium Tour resumed last weekend in Las Vegas.

WALK THE MOON dropping three new songs from upcoming album ‘Heights’ this week

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Shut up and get ready to dance to new WALK THE MOON this week.

The group is planning to release not one, not two, but three fresh tracks on Wednesday, July 14. One of the singles, titled “Can You Handle My Love??”, will be accompanied by a video, which premieres Wednesday at noon ET.

The new tunes are the first preview of WALK THE MOON’s upcoming album, titled Heights.

Heights, the fifth WALK THE MOON album, will be the follow-up to 2017’s What If Nothing, which spawned the single “One Foot.”

If you’re looking to hear the new stuff live and in-person, you’re in luck: WALK THE MOON has also announced a headlining tour, set to kick off September 20 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit WALKTHEMOON.com.

Halle Bailey confirms filming has wrapped for live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’: “It was made with so much love”

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fans of Disney’s The Little Mermaid are one step closer to watching its live-action reboot. Star Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel, confirmed that filming on the flick just wrapped.

Taking to Instagram on Monday to share a sunset photo of her lounging at the beach while in costume, the singer reflected on starring in her first breakout role.

“And just like that..that’s a wrap,” Bailey remarked. “After auditioning for this film when i was 18 just about to turn 19, to now finishing filming through a pandemic when i turned 21 ..we have finally made it.”

“I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory..it has been the toughest experience being away from everything and everyone i’ve ever known, to feeling self doubt/ loneliness, but also feeling such freedom and perseverance as i’ve reached the end,” the Chloe x Halle singer continued. “This experience has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be.”

Bailey shouted-out her fellow cast and crew mates who worked on the movie, noting how proud she was to have worked alongside such professionals.

“I cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears),” the Grammy-nominated singer expressed before further shouting-out the movie’s filming location in Sardinia “for a wonderful ending.”

While The Little Mermaid‘s release date has yet to be announced, the movie is slated to swim into theaters next year.

Besides Bailey, the movie will also star Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

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Metallica unveils “Rough Mix” & covers of “The Unforgiven” from upcoming ‘Black Album’ reissue & tribute record

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Metallica is spotlighting “The Unforgiven” this week as the celebration of The Black Album‘s upcoming 30th anniversary continues.

The metal legends have unearthed a “Rough Mix” of the Western-themed power ballad, which was released as the second single from The Black Album. The recording is one of many bonus tracks included on the upcoming 30th anniversary Black Album reissue, due out September 10.

Additionally, Metallica has released three covers of “The Unforgiven,” recorded by the artists Ha*Ash, Diet Cig, and Vishal Dadlani, DIVINE and Shor Police. Those will all appear on The Metallica Blacklist, a 53-track tribute to The Black Album, which will also arrive September 10.

In previous weeks, Metallica has focused on the Black Album tracks “Sad but True” and “Holier than Thou.” They’ve also shared an all-star cover of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring Miley Cyrus, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Elton John, guitarist/producer Andrew Watt and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Woman at large after plowing car through hotel-turned-homeless shelter, 3 injured

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A woman is on the run from the police after driving a car through the lobby of a hotel-turned-homeless shelter in New York City.

The incident occurred just after 11 p.m. Monday in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx in New York City when police say a woman — who may have been a resident of the homeless shelter — drove a car straight through the front lobby of the Ramada by Wyndham on Gerard Avenue after an alleged ongoing dispute with the shelter, according to ABC News’ New York City station WABC-TV.

It is currently unclear what the woman and the homeless shelter had been feuding over but authorities say it boiled over when the woman left and returned by crashing her car into the building, leaving three people with minor injuries in the process. Their conditions are currently unknown.

Authorities said that police have previously been called to the homeless shelter regarding the ongoing dispute, according to WABC.

The aftermath of the crash was chaotic, and the vehicle could be seen deep into the hotel’s lobby and next to the elevators.

“I’m hearing people screaming. I don’t know what’s going on. I heard a big boom and everybody screaming,” eyewitness Ann Marie Parker told WABC following the incident. “I smell gas. I have asthma. So, I go downstairs on the elevator. I get out of the elevator and she’s driving towards me. I backed up, like, oh my God. I almost had a heart attack.”

Police say that the suspect fled the scene of the crime on foot and is still at large following the incident, according to WABC.

The hotel was not evacuated, and the New York City Department of Buildings responded to check out the safety and integrity of the structure.

This incident comes as New York City works to evict thousands of homeless people temporarily housed in hotels during the pandemic, according to WABC. The most recent effort, however, was recently stalled following a motion that was filed by the Legal Aid Society arguing that these evictions violate the rights of people living in the shelters.

2 Baltimore police officers shot while trying to apprehend murder suspect: Officials

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BALTIMORE) — Two Baltimore, Maryland, police officers were shot Tuesday morning in the parking lot of Security Square Mall, according to authorities.

Baltimore County police said the officers’ injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect, who was also shot, is dead, police said.

Baltimore police said the two officers involved are on the Warrant Apprehension Task Force. They were working with the U.S. Marshals regional fugitive task force at the time of the shooting, according to a law enforcement source.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison is heading to the hospital, police said.

Additional information was not immediately available.

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

ABC News’ Jack Date contributed to this report.

Gov’t officials remain unconvinced Americans need COVID vaccine booster shot just yet

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Americans who are fully vaccinated don’t need another shot, top U.S. health officials said late Monday following a private meeting with top executives at Pfizer, which says it had new data showing a third vaccine dose could boost the body’s antibody response five- to ten-fold.

The statements appear to close the door – at least for now – on the suggestion that people who were among the first to be vaccinated more than six months ago would once again need to line up for a third shot. One factor that could change that calculus is the emergence of new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“At this time, fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster shot,” the Department of Health and Human Sciences said in a statement following the meeting with Pfizer.

Pfizer called its meeting with government health officials “productive” and said it would publish more “definitive data” in a peer-reviewed journal soon.

“Both Pfizer and the U.S. government share a sense of urgency in staying ahead of the virus that causes COVID-19, and we also agree that the scientific data will dictate next steps in the rigorous regulatory process that we always follow,” the company said in a statement released Tuesday.

The question of whether and when Americans might need a third shot has been an open question for months, as health experts noted that a person’s detectible antibodies wane over time and as new variants of the virus have emerged. But there are other parts of a person’s immune system, including T-cells, that doctors believe also play a major role in helping prevent hospitalization or death.

The first vaccine shots given in the U.S. were Pfizer doses to health care workers on Dec. 14 – some seven months ago.

But since then, ample real-world evidence has surfaced that vaccinated individuals are strongly protected from the virus and its currently known variants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 99.5 percent of deaths from COVID-19 are among unvaccinated patients.

“Nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19, is, at this point, entirely preventable,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky last week.

On July 8, Pfizer announced it had “encouraging data” on the prospects of a third dose. The Pfizer vaccine is typically given in two doses, three weeks apart.

“Initial data from the study demonstrate that a booster dose given after 6 months of the second dose has a consistent tolerability profile while eliciting high neutralization titers, 5-10 times higher than after two primary doses” against variants of the virus, the company stated in an announcement.

“While protection against severe disease remained high across the full 6 months, the observed decline in efficacy against symptomatic disease over time and the continued emergence of variants are key factors driving our belief that a booster dose will likely be necessary to maintain highest levels of protection,” Pfizer said in its earlier statement.

After meeting with Pfizer officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Monday night that it’s possible the government will recommend boosters eventually, possibly starting with older Americans or people with underlying medical conditions.

But Fauci said he doesn’t think boosters are needed just yet.

“We heard their data. We made it very clear their data is a part of a much larger puzzle, and we will be gathering data as the weeks go by,” Fauci said.

Fauci also noted that if a decision on boosters is made, “it will be based on a comprehensive study, not on the announcement of a pharmaceutical company.”

Fauci’s statement was a nod to the public confusion about the effectiveness of the vaccine after Pfizer announced it would recommend boosters.

“I don’t mean that in a derogatory way because it was a very good meeting, very informative. We exchanged information, and I think it’s an important step in the right direction,” he added.

In attendance were Drs. Fauci and Walensky, as well as acting FDA Administrator Janet Woodcock; Peter Marks, who has been leading FDA regulatory efforts on the vaccine; Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health; Biden COVID adviser David Kessler; and Rachel Levine, assistance secretary for Health at HHS.

ABC News’ Eric Strauss contributed to this report.

Team USA Men’s Basketball loses to Australia, second straight loss

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LAS VEGAS) — The USA Men’s Olympic basketball team lost to Australia 91-83 in Las Vegas Monday night.

It was the second straight loss for the team after losing to Nigeria 90-87 on Saturday. Entering into Saturday’s game, Team USA was 54-2 since 1992 when professionals started playing.

Team USA has lost four of its past five games dating back to the 2019 World Cup, according to ESPN.

Portland Trailblazers guard Damien Lillard led Team USA with 22 points, with 18 coming on three-pointers. San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills paced Australia with 22 points.

Winning a fourth straight gold medal is going to be a challenge, according to Lillard.

“These other teams and these other countries just continue to improve, said Lillard, “These players, they get better, they get more confident and they also want to beat us badly. It’s definitely noticeable when you’re on the court.”

The Americans led 46-37 going into halftime and gave up just 13 points in the second quarter. The second half was another story with Australia scoring 54 points, including 32 in the third quarter.

“In the first half, we defended the way we wanted to defend, the way we did not defend against Nigeria. We were more physical. We sustained the defense longer. We rebounded better. We moved the ball better at the offensive end and had more pace,” said Team USA head coach Greg Popovich. “In the second half, we tired out and when that happens we got hit mentally a little bit too, and we didn’t sustain the boards the same way. The defense wasn’t the same. Our pace wasn’t the same.”

The team opened training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas following shortened offseason, a 72 game NBA season, plus playoffs series for several players.

“We got to get some guys that have to get their legs and rhythm back, but in general we need more conditioning, which is totally understandable,” said Popovich, also the San Antonio Spurs head coach. “We’re just sticking with the process to try to get better with every game, and we did that tonight. So, I was pleased with what we saw.”

With the NBA Finals underway between Phoenix and Milwaukee, Suns guard Devin Booker and Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and forward Kris Middleton have not joined the team.

The Americans face Argentina Tuesday afternoon.

Team USA begins its quest for a fourth straight gold medal on July 25 against France.

Duran Duran, Green Day & many more stars to perform on ‘Global Citizen Live’ broadcast in September

July 13, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour live broadcast on Saturday, September 25, will feature performances from many of the music world’s top stars, including Duran Duran and Green Day.

The broadcast will be filmed across six continents, with a goal of uniting the world in order to defeat poverty and defend the planet. It’ll air on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter and more. The musical performances will take place at “iconic locations” in New York, Paris, London, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.

Other artists on the bill include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, BTS, Coldplay, Demi Lovato, Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban, Lorde, Metallica, Ricky Martin, Usher and The Weeknd.

The broadcast is part of Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World in the wake of the pandemic. It calls on governments, the private sector and philanthropists to donate one billion COVID-19 vaccine, contribute $6 billion to famine relief efforts, donate $400 million to education, give $250 million to support COVID-19 response efforts for marginalized communities, and get the world’s biggest companies to commit to reaching net zero emissions to fight climate change.

“COVID-19 has drastically reversed the progress toward achieving the United Nations’ Global Goals, pushing upwards of 160 million people back into extreme poverty,” said Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans. “There are now more than 40 million people on the brink of famine. Progress on climate change has halted, as the majority of the Fortune 500 fail to set science-based carbon reduction targets. We must rectify the damage done and hold world leaders and businesses accountable for ensuring that the entire world recovers from this pandemic together.”

Visit GlobalCitizen.org for more information.

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