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“Not an easy decision”: Meghan McCain announces departure from ‘The View’

July 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After four seasons on The View, Meghan McCain announced Thursday that she’s leaving at the end of the season.

“It is a privilege to work alongside such strong, brilliant, intelligent, incredible broadcasters like the four of you. You are the most talented women on all of television hands down and it has been so incredible,” McCain said to her co-hosts in announcing her departure.

Declaring “This was not an easy decision,” McCain added, “I’m just eternally grateful to have had this opportunity here so, seriously, thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart.” She also implied that COVID-19 had something to do with her decision, sharing in part that the pandemic has “changed the way I’m looking at my life, the way I’m living my life, the way I want my life to look like.”

McCain, 36, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain. joined as a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show in October 2017, and as the lone conservative voice on the show would often spar with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. On Thursday’s show, Behar called McCain a “formidable opponent,” adding, “You’re no snowflake, missy!”

“It’s such a privilege to be on the show. It’s such an iconic show. It’s so iconic to be in this chair that [Elisabeth Hasselbeck] made so great,” McCain said at the top of her first show on Oct. 9, 2017. “I watched Elisabeth in college, and to be the conservative on this show is something I take very seriously, and I’m excited to bring a different perspective to the show.”

So far, there’s no public indication of what McCain may do next.

New York Mayor confirms Bruce Springsteen & Paul Simon will headline “amazing” Central Park concert

July 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has confirmed the news reported Wednesday by Page Six, that Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will be among the headliners of a huge concert held August 21 in the city’s Central Park to celebrate the post-COVID-19 reopening of the Big Apple.

Speaking about the event, apparently called the Central Park Homecoming Concert, at a press conference Thursday, de Blasio declared, “[I]t’s gonna be a great moment for the city marking our rebirth, marking our comeback, and it’s gonna be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history.”

In revealing Springsteen’s participation in the show, the mayor noted, “He just did something amazing by bringing back his show on Broadway, and starting the Broadway rebirth. He is beloved in New York City in an extraordinary way, even though he happens to come from New Jersey — no one’s perfect — he is amazing, and I’ve loved his music from the first moment I heard it, and I know so many others have as well.”

Regarding Simon, de Blasio mentioned that the folk-rock legend played two previous historic concerts in Central Park, in 1981 — with Art Garfunkel — and 1991.

De Blasio promised that a full lineup and a lot more details about the show will be announced soon, adding “get ready for a concert for the ages and a big part of the rebirth of New York City and the summer of New York City.”

As previously reported, the massive concert is being organized by famed music mogul Clive Davis.

4th of July in New York City is BACK! Join me at City Hall as we get ready for this weekend’s celebrations.
https://t.co/WTOv8IQzYL
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 1, 2021

Pelosi taps GOP Rep. Liz Cheney for House select committee to investigate Jan. 6

July 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced Republican Rep. Liz Cheney will serve on the House select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“We are very honored and proud she has agreed to serve on the committee,” Pelosi said Thursday.

At her press conference on Capitol Hill, Pelosi also announced House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., will serve as the chair of the committee, which was widely expected.

The other Democrats tapped by Pelosi to serve on the committee are Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy, Jamie Raskin and Elaine Luria.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in a press conference following Pelosi, downplayed reports that he’s threatened GOP members with taking away committee assignments if they were to accept a select committee position and questioned Cheney’s place in the Republican Party when given the chance.

“I was shocked that she would accept something from Speaker Pelosi. It would seem to me, since I didn’t hear from her, maybe she’s closer to her than us,” McCarthy said.

Cheney, who has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump in the wake of the attack and stripped of her No. 3 GOP leadership role earlier this year, said in a statement she was “honored” to be named though she did not appear with Democrats on Thursday.

“Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious, and non-partisan manner,” she said. “Our oath to the Constitution, our commitment to the rule of law, and the preservation of the peaceful transfer of power must always be above partisan politics.”

Later, appearing informally with the other members chosen by Pelosi, Cheney was asked if she would lose her committee assignments. She said she has not been told that at this time.

“We have an obligation to have a sober investigation of what happened leading up to the attack on the Capitol on that day,” she said.

The House approved a resolution Wednesday to green-light the creation of a select committee after a vote for a bipartisan, independent commission — similar to one formed after the Sept. 11 attacks — failed to pass the Senate earlier the month.

The resolution required a majority vote in the House for the committee to be formed and it passed mostly along party lines — other than Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., breaking from Republicans.

Pelosi introduced the measure earlier in the week, which states the committee will include 13 members. Eight of those members will be selected by Pelosi, while the five others will be selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in consultation with Pelosi.

“As we enter the Fourth of July weekend to observe the birth of our nation, we do so with increased responsibility to honor the vision of our Founders and to defend our American Democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement announcing her committee choices.

As for whether McCarthy will cooperate and to which members he would select to the committee, he told reporters Thursday, “When I have news on that, I’ll give it to you.”

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