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Queen guitarist Brian May’s response to anti-vaxers: “I’m sorry, I think they’re fruitcakes”

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Eric Clapton recently made headlines for blaming “the propaganda” for what he described as his “disastrous health experience” after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, for supporting Van Morrison‘s anti-lockdown stance, and then for subsequently declaring that he won’t perform at any concert that requires the audience to be vaccinated. Well, count fellow British guitar hero Brian May as someone who thinks Clapton’s wrong.

Speaking to the U.K. paper The Independent, the Queen guitarist was asked to comment on musicians like Clapton and their vaccination comments. “I love Eric Clapton, he’s my hero, but he has very different views from me in many ways,” May responds. “He’s a person who thinks it’s O.K. to shoot animals for fun, so we have our disagreements, but I would never stop respecting the man.”

As for people against the vaccine, May declares, “Anti-vax people, I’m sorry, I think they’re fruitcakes. There’s plenty of evidence to show that vaccination helps. On the whole they’ve been very safe. There’s always going to be some side effect in any drug you take, but to go around saying vaccines are a plot to kill you, I’m sorry, that goes in the fruitcake jar for me.”

May, who has a PhD in astrophysics, was also asked whether he’d like to buy a ticket to join billionaires like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk on one of their space missions. May responds, “When it comes to one very rich guy putting himself into space — actually not into space, only about 60 miles high — I ask myself, ‘What is it really for?’”

He adds, “I saw this cartoon where somebody said, ‘We’ve got two billionaires competing to see who can get into space first. Wouldn’t it be nice if they competed on how quickly they could solve world hunger instead?’”

‘Free Guy’ director Shawn Levy teases massive “supercut” of Taika Waititi’s improv

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

20th Century Studios/Walt Disney Studios

While Ryan Reynolds‘ new action comedy Free Guy doesn’t come out in theaters until Friday, it’s already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Director Shawn Levy explains one of the high points of the film was capturing Oscar-winner Taika Waititi‘s improvised riffing as villainous game designer Antwan, which the Stranger Things and Night at the Museum director teased in a recent tweet.

However, there’s tons more to come, the filmmaker said at a recent press conference.

“There is a Taika Waititi improvisation supercut I cut,” Levy revealed. “I mean, I think it’s about thirty-nine minutes long,” he said, cracking up the cast, adding, “I forced myself to cut it down to a minute and a half so that it could go on social media…But eventually it must be shared with the world because it was a level of improv that I’ve rarely, rarely, rarely seen.”

In the film, Waititi’s over the top character is the dudebro behind Free City, a violent “open-world” game in the style of Grand Theft Auto. But the brains behind the game is the A.I. he stole from a pair of programmers, Keys and Millie, played, respectively, by Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery and Killing Eve Emmy-winner Jodie Comer.

Things in the game’s virtual world, and in Antwan’s real world, go awry when one of its background characters — Guy, played by Reynolds — begins to think on his own after meeting Millie’s butt-kicking in-game avatar.

Free Guy, which also stars Lil’ Rel Howery and a host of spoiler-worthy stars, is being released by 20th Century Studios, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

Hugh Jackman reveals results from latest skin biopsy were “inconclusive”

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hugh Jackman continues to urge fans to wear sunscreen while he keeps them updated on his latest cancer scare.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 52-year-old actor declared, “I promised I’d keep you updated,” while indicating the bandage on his nose. “[The biopsy] came back inconclusive, which means they didn’t quite take enough.”

The Australian actor revealed he’s about to start filming another project, so he and his doctors “didn’t want to go too deep.”

Despite the latest results, Jackman assured fans that his doctors “aren’t worried” because, “if anything, it’s basal cell carcinoma, which is not threatening, really, but needs to be taken care of.”

The actor said he’ll undergo another biopsy when filming wraps “in two months” and promised to let fans know its results.

“Wear sunscreen, get a skin check whenever you can,” he urged before thanking his followers for their support.

Last week, Jackman told fans he had to undergo a biopsy and was awaiting the results after his doctor noticed something “a little irregular” on his skin. The actor admitted in a 2015 interview with ABC News that he spent most of his childhood playing in the hot Australia sun and neglected to protect his skin — resulting in him being diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in 2013.

He also shared his type of cancer is “the mildest form but serious, nonetheless.”

In the years since, Jackman’s stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen and getting regular medical checkups.

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Jonas Brothers help close out Tokyo Olympics with inspiring “Remember This” performance

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Jonas Brothers helped close out the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday by performing their anthemic single “Remember This” during the Games’ closing ceremony.

Kevin Jonas shared the band’s performance on Twitter, calling their experience “a moment I’ll never forget.”

Nick Jonas also celebrated JoBros’ Olympic debut on Sunday, saying it was “an honor” to be involved in the Games. He added, “We are so proud of you @TeamUSA [flexing emoji] Let’s get it!!”

“Getting to perform this song at the Olympics Closing Ceremony is quite the bucket list moment for me,” Joe Jonas shared on his Twitter.

The three-minute performance video included shots of the brothers’ rooftop performance spliced with callbacks of various Olympic athletes preparing for and dominating their respective events.

The United States took home the most overall medals at this year’s Games out of all competing nations with 113 — 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze. Many of those moments were included in the “Remember This” reel, which aired on NBC, this year’s home of the Olympic Games.

“Remember This” by the Jonas Brothers is available for digital download and on-demand now.

Dr. Jha’s 5-point COVID-19 strategy for getting kids back to school safely

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to raise new concerns for Americans, parents can follow a set of five principles to help make going back to school safer for their children.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, joined Good Morning America Monday to share his five-point strategy:

1. Vaccinate everyone who is eligible and who will be around children in schools

“Those kids who can’t get vaccinated, the way you protect them is making sure everyone around them is vaccinated,” Jha said.

2. Upgrade ventilation in schools

“We’ve got a lot to do to improve the air quality in schools,” he said of ventilation and filtration.

3. Test in schools

“We should be testing every unvaccinated person on a regular basis in schools,” Jha said about extensive access to testing.

4. Wear masks

5. Avoid super-crowded events

Jha suggested avoiding assembly halls and concerts.

As for the latest surge hitting the U.S., Jha said he expects “that until we put in mitigation measures and get more people vaccinated, we’re going to be struggling with the delta variant for a while.”

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie sells catalog to same company that bought Lindsey Buckingham’s

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham are now reunited. Well, at least their catalogs are.

According to Variety, McVie, who just turned 78, has just sold her 115-song catalog to Hipgnosis, a music company that’s made headlines in the past few years for spending billions to acquire pop and rock copyrights. It includes the hits she’s written for Fleetwood Mac — a list that includes “Don’t Stop,” “Over My Head,” “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun” — as well as the songs she wrote with her pre-Mac group, Chicken Shack, plus her solo material.

In January, ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham sold his publishing rights to Hipgnosis. Stevie Nicks, meanwhile, sold a chunk of her catalog last year to a company called Primary Wave, while drummer Mick Fleetwood made a similar deal with BMG.

As Music Week points out, thanks to Hipgnosis’ deals with McVie and Buckingham, it now owns the rights to eight of the 11 songs on Rumours, seven of the 11 songs on the band’s 1975 self-titled album, 11 of the 16 songs on Greatest Hits, and 15 of 20 songs on Tusk.

In a statement, Merck Mercuriadis, the head of Hipgnosis said, “It’s wonderful for us to welcome Christine to the Hipgnosis Family and particularly wonderful to reunite her once again at Hipgnosis with Lindsey Buckingham.”

McVie added, “I am so excited to belong to the Hipgnosis family, and thrilled that you all regard my songs worthy of merit. I’d like to thank you all for your faith in me, and I’ll do all I can to continue this new relationship and help in any way I can!”

Bruce Springsteen’s daughter claims silver medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, rocked her first-ever Olympic Games over the weekend, taking home the silver medal for the U.S. Equestrian jumping team.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Springsteen clan reacted with pure joy and triumph after Jessica’s Olympic victory.

“I FaceTimed them really quick,” the 29-year-old Springsteen said after collecting her medal. “They were all screaming, I don’t think we understood anything.”

This latest win now pushes Jessica to a new ranking. Prior to competing, she was listed as 27th in the world; now, she ranks 14th.

“It was also super exciting,” the Olympian added, noting she dealt with some “jitters” before making her final run in Tokyo. “My horse jumped it beautifully. And we really gave it our all out there.”

She competed alongside fellow Team USA members Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and two-time gold medalist McLain Ward in a neck-and-neck race for first against Sweden.

The two countries faced against each other in a jump-off, with the Swedes eking out Team USA with a slightly better time of 122.90. Team USA completed the jump-off with an overall time of 124.20. Both managed the course with no penalties.

Despite taking home the silver, Team USA managed to make history: Not only does this mark Jessica’s first Olympic Games and medal, but teammate Laura Kraut, 55, is now the oldest Olympic medalist.

Kathy Griffin speaks for first time since undergoing surgery: “I laugh at everything now”

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

John Sciulli/Getty Images for Playboy Playhouse

Kathy Griffin is showing fans what she currently sounds like after having a portion of her left lung removed following a recent cancer diagnosis.

The comedian took to Instagram on Saturday to share a short video, where she directly addressed her followers to let them know she is in good spirits.

“I might start to post little videos about… my recovery and stuff, but my voice is, like, really hoarse, and I don’t want to scare people,” Griffin joked. “Also, for some reason, I laugh at everything now and, if it’s horrible, I laugh way more!”

The following day, Griffin shared an additional update that included new standup material from her very eventful Sunday, which she laughed through. Her voice was also noticeably stronger.

The 60-year-old comic revealed that her husband had an accident in the kitchen and remarked, “If he’s calling for my help, it must be bad because I can’t do anything!”

“I’m going to hell for laughing,” she continued, noting she ran from the bedroom where she was resting and was only in her undergarments. Griffin’s wild story continued as she revealed that, while her husband was away to go get stitched up, someone knocked on their door.

Griffin noted she was “too famous” to safely answer the door but remembered a friend of hers promised to mail her ice cream bars.

“I’m thinking, ‘I don’t care if I have cancer… I’m getting those [damn] ice cream bars,'” she giggled.

Griffin revealed last week that she’d been diagnosed with Stage 1 lung cancer. She underwent surgery the next day to remove half of her left lung.

Among those wishing her well in her latest updates were famous friends Laverne Cox, Kris Jenner and Rosie O’Donnell.

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‘The Suicide Squad’ underwhelms, but tops the box office with $26.5 million

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

Despite glowing reviews, The Suicide Squad fell short of the $30 million insiders had predicted, only managing to deliver an estimated $26.5 million in its opening weekend. That was in direct contrast to its predecessor, 2016’s Suicide Squad, which opened with $133.7 million amid bad reviews.

To be fair, The Suicide Squad‘s lackluster performance faced new challenges — the new surge in COVID-19 cases and the fact that it was simultaneously available to HBO Max subscribers at no additional cost. The streamer has not made the number of home viewers available.

The movie, from director James Gunn and starring Viola Davis and Margot Robbie — reprising her role as Harley Quinn — along with franchise newcomers Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Pete Davidson, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of Nanaue/King Shark, added an estimated $45.7 million overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $72.2 million.

Last week’s box office champ, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, slipped to number two in its second week, delivering an estimated $15.7 million. That brings the movie’s stateside total to $65.3 million, to go with its estimated $56.5 million overseas, and pushes its worldwide tally to $121.8 million.

M. Night Shyamalan’s horror feature Old earned an estimated $4.1 million, pushing its three-week stateside total to $38.5 million. Marvel’s Black Widow took fourth place with an estimated $4 million, for a domestic box office total of $174 million. Its global total stands at $359.8 million.

Rounding out the top five is Stillwater. The indie thriller, starring Matt Damon, grabbed an estimated $2 million in its second week of release. The film has has yet to open internationally.

The Whitest Kids U’ Know co-founder Trevor Moore dead at 41

August 9, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Trevor Moore, who co-founded the sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U’ Know and star of Comedy Central’s The Trevor Moore Show, died Friday in an unspecified accident. He was 41.

Deadline obtained a statement from the comic’s widow, Aimee Carlson, and his family from Moore’s manager, who confirmed his death.

“We are devastated by the loss of my husband, best friend and the father of our son,” the statement read. “He was known as a writer and comedian to millions, and yet to us he was simply the center of our whole world. We don’t know how we’ll go on without him, but we’re thankful for the memories we do have that will stay with us forever.”

The family is requesting privacy as they grieve. Those wishing to honor Moore are encouraged to donate to NEXT for Autism.

Moore’s fellow WKUK troupe members Sam Brown and Sam Cregger honored his memory, sharing in a joint statement, “He was our best friend, and we speak for all of us in saying that the loss of Trevor is unimaginable. We are heartbroken.”

Adam Sandler also mourned Moore’s passing on Sunday, taking to Instagram to share a video tribute and his memories of the late comedian.

“Sending love to his family. Got to hang with Trevor a few times and just thought he was such a great sweet funny man,” Sandler wrote. “Such a tragedy.”

Besides founding WKUK, which won Best Sketch Group at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2006, Moore spearheaded the Disney XD comedy series Walk the Prank and executive-produced and co-created the Disney show Just Roll Wwith It. He also created the Trevor Moore Show on Comedy Central.

He is survived by his wife Aimee and their son, August.

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