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BTS’ V is the latest member to test positive for COVID-19

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

V from BTS is the latest member of the band to battle COVID-19. The group’s label, Big Hit Music, announced V’s diagnosis on Tuesday.

According to Billboard, the pop singer took a PCR test after complaining of a mildly sore throat and the results came back positive.

Big Hit said in a statement on the messaging app WeVerse, “V completed two rounds of COVID-19 vaccinations and is not presenting any extraordinary symptoms other than a mild fever and sore throat. He is currently undergoing treatment at home while waiting for further guidelines from the health care authorities.”

“There was contact with the other members on Saturday the 12th, but everyone was wearing a mask, and there was no close contact. None of the BTS members other than V are presenting any symptoms, and everyone received negative results from the preemptive self-test,” the statement continued.

Big Hits stressed, “The company places the artists’ health as our top priority and we will do everything we can to aid V in his speedy recovery. We will also diligently cooperate with the requests and guidelines of the health care authorities.”

V, whose birth name is Kim Taehyung, is the fifth member of BTS to come down with COVID-19. Previously, RM, Jin, Jimin and Suga battled the virus and have all made complete recoveries. Jimin had the biggest health scare of the group, as his diagnosis was confirmed when he was about to undergo surgery for acute appendicitis after complaining of abdominal pain. He reached out to fans on February 2 and let them know he is “recovering well.”

Puscifer announces summer US tour dates

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Puscifer has announced a U.S. tour for this summer.

The headlining run, which marks the Maynard James Keenan-led band’s first trek through the States since 2016, launches June 9 in Las Vegas, and will wrap up July 10 in Seattle.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 18, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Puscifer.com.

Puscifer will be touring behind their new album, Existential Reckoning, which was released in 2020. The band celebrated the record’s release with a streaming concert, which will be released on vinyl and, of all things, VHS on February 25.

In between the headlining dates, Puscifer will also play this year’s Bonnaroo in June. Keenan will pull double duty at the Tennessee festival, at which he’ll be playing with Tool, as well.

Roots Picnic returning this summer with Mary J. Blige, Summer Walker and more

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Roots Picnic is back!

The Roots and Live Nation Urban have announced the return of the outdoor music festival for the first time since 2019. This year, it’ll take place at the Mann at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5. The festival will also stream live on The Roots’ YouTube channel.

Mary J. Blige will join The Roots as headliner, with a lineup that will include Summer Walker, Wizkid, Kirk Franklin, Jazmine Sullivan, J Period Live Mixtape featuring Black Thought, Rick Ross, G Herbo, country star Mickey Guyton and more.

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, February 18 at 10 a.m. ET.

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: Billy Joel’s mom saluted on her 100th birthday by local pizzeria

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Billy Joel‘s mother Rosalind Nyman Joel would have been 100 years old today, and a restaurant where she and Billy used to eat when he was a kid is marking the occasion in a unique way.

DiMaggio’s Pizza of New York is a pizzeria across the street from where Billy was raised in Hicksville, New York, and when Billy was a kid, he and his mom would stop there to grab food after she took him for his music lessons. At noon today, the restaurant will dedicate the “Roz Pie” in honor of Rosalind, who was born February 15, 1922. The inspiration for Billy’s song “Rosalinda’s Eyes,” Rosalind passed away in 2014 at the age of 92.

DiMaggio’s will also host a singalong with civic and community leaders on Hicksville’s Village Green, which Billy immortalized in the lyrics of his song “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”

There’s no word on whether Billy himself will stop by, but there’s a good chance he’ll be in the area: His next concert date isn’t until February 26 in Las Vegas.

Prince Andrew agrees to settle sexual assault lawsuit

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Prince Andrew has agreed to settle a sexual assault lawsuit from Virginia Giuffre, according to a letter filed Tuesday from her lawyer David Boies.

The sum of the settlement is not being disclosed, and the letter to the court says Prince Andrew “intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.”

“Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks,” the letter reads. “It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”

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

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ tops ‘Avatar’ to become the third-highest-grossing film of all time at US box office

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures accountants’ Spidey senses were tingling over the weekend, as Spider-Man: No Way Home swung over Avatar to become the third-highest grossing domestic release of all time.

Only Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens and Avengers: Endgame sit above Spidey, with domestic performances of, respectively, $936.6 million and $858.3 million.

No Way Home, which is also boasting an A+ on ratings aggregator Cinemascore, earned an additional $7.2 million over the weekend and $1.6 million on Valentine’s Day, bringing its domestic haul to $760.9 million and counting.

By comparison, 2009’s Avatar made $760.5 million in the States, and that included a 2020 re-release that helped the James Cameron sci-fi film snatch back the “highest grossing movie ever” title from Avengers: Endgame.

When considering worldwide box office, Spider-Man: No Way Home earned $1.8 billion in record time — just nine weeks in theaters — making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time globally. Avatar‘s total take sits on top with $2.84 billion, and Avengers: Endgame is in second place, with $2.79 billion globally.

Nearly 1,500 NYC municipal workers fired for not being vaccinated against COVID

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Nearly 1,500 New York City municipal workers have been fired over their refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

That number represents less than 1% of the city’s workforce, but it appears to be the country’s largest workforce reduction linked to COVID vaccines.

Under a mandate set by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, city employees on leave without pay and those who were newly hired had been told they had until Friday, Feb. 11, to show proof of vaccination or they would face termination.

The workers on leave had to submit proof of their first dose and would then have 45 days to receive a second dose. The new workers had submitted proof of an initial dose when they were hired and were required to show they’d completed their vaccine series.

The 1,428 employees who were on unpaid leave for more than three months lost their jobs.

Data provided by City Hall Monday shows the majority of employees who were fired worked in the Department of Education, which saw 914 people let go. The Housing Authority terminated 101 workers.

Also fired were 36 New York Police Department workers and 25 FDNY employees.

Meanwhile, 939 employees on unpaid leave — about 40% of the group — opted to get vaccinated and keep their jobs.

Additionally, 99.8% of new employees showed proof of being vaccinated. Only two workers hired after Aug. 2 failed to get a COVID vaccine and were fired Friday.

The City Hall data shows the two employees were from the Department of Sanitation and the Human Resources Administration, respectively.

“City workers served on the frontlines during the pandemic, and by getting vaccinated, they are, once again, showing how they are willing to do the right thing to protect themselves and all New Yorkers,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Our goal was always to vaccinate, not terminate, and city workers stepped up and met the goal placed before them.”

He continued, “Out of all the new city employees who received notices two weeks ago, only two who worked last week are no longer employed by the city. I’m grateful to all the city workers who continue to serve New Yorkers and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for the greatest city in the world.”

A city official told ABC News that residents should not notice any disruption of services due to the firings.

ABC News’ Mark Crudele contributed to this report.

Simone Biles announces engagement to Jonathan Owens

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Simone Biles is getting married!

The Olympic gold medalist shared a post Tuesday announcing her engagement to Jonathan Owens, who she has been dating since 2020.

Alongside four photos of the moment Owens proposed, Biles wrote: “WOKE UP A FIANCÉE I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! Let’s get married!”

WOKE UP A FIANCÉE 💍💍😭

I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married! 🕊🤎@jjowens_3 pic.twitter.com/BcrWvhEE38

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) February 15, 2022

On Instagram, she said the proposal from the Houston Texans safety was the “easiest yes” she’s made. In Owens’ post announcing their engagement, he said Biles “really had no clue what was coming.”

Biles publicly confirmed her relationship with Owens in 2020. In August 2021, she shared a post to celebrate that she and Owens had been dating for more than a year.

“So happy past 1 year to the best thing that’s ever happened to you: ME,” Biles wrote, with a laughing emoji.

In a recent interview with NET-A-PORTER’s digital title PORTER, Biles spoke about how she is prioritizing her personal life at the moment.

She told the outlet she was “making sure I have the proper time to spend with my family, my friends and my boyfriend.”

Barry Manilow, Celine Dion hits being used to disperse crowds of protestors in New Zealand

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Crowds protesting the government’s mask and vaccine mandates in Wellington, New Zealand, have had to deal with something more unusual than police hassling them. Lawmakers are playing hits by Barry Manilow and Celine Dion, among other songs, on a loop in an attempt to get them to disperse.

Trevor Mallard, the speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, has been blasting Manilow’s greatest hits — as well as the 1990s Los del Rio chart-topper “Macarena” — through the speakers inside Parliament buildings in an attempt to break up the crowds of protestors, who have refused to budge for the past week. COVID-19 vaccine PSAs are also being played.

As the protests continued, other tunes were added to the playlist, including U.K. singer/songwriter James Blunt‘s 2005 smash “You’re Beautiful” and an out-of-tune recorder rendition of Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”

The tactic has made headlines around the world, and elicited mixed reactions.

Mallard told the New Zealand website Stuff over the weekend that surrounding residents had been consulted on the plan and were supportive. “And one of them is a Barry Manilow fan,” Mallard added.

So far, the protestors appear to be unbothered: They’ve been dancing along to the “Macarena,” singing along to “You’re Beautiful” and playing their own songs, like Twisted Sister‘s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”

Sandy Hook families settle with Remington marking first time gun maker is held liable for mass shooting

February 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Remington Arms agreed Tuesday to settle liability claims from the families of five adults and four children killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to a new court filing, marking the first time a gun manufacturer has been held liable for a mass shooting in the U.S.

The settlement comes nearly eight years after the families sued the maker of the Bushmaster XM15-E2S semiautomatic rifle that was used in the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

More details will be announced at a news conference from the families.

On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, 20, forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, and in the course of 264 seconds, fatally shot 20 first-graders and six staff members.

The rifle Lanza used was Remington’s version of the AR-15 assault rifle, which is substantially similar to the standard issue M16 military service rifle used by the U.S. Army and other nations’ armed forces, but fires only in semiautomatic mode.

The families argued Remington negligently entrusted to civilian consumers an assault-style rifle that is suitable for use only by military and law enforcement personnel and violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act through the sale or wrongful marketing of the rifle.

Remington, which filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2020, had argued all of the plaintiffs’ legal theories were barred under Connecticut law and by a federal statute — the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act — which, with limited exceptions, immunizes firearms manufacturers, distributors and dealers from civil liability for crimes committed by third parties using their weapons.

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