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Civil rights leaders demand meeting with Elon Musk

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The top executives of three civil rights groups are demanding a meeting with new Twitter owner Elon Musk following what they say has been a rise in racial and religious hatred on the social media platform.

The groups are asking for Musk to have “strong content moderation standards that foster a safe and healthy online environment.”

In a joint letter sent to Musk on Wednesday, the heads of the NAACP, Urban League and National Action Network say they are “alarmed by the rise in white supremacist propaganda and racial and religious hatred on the Twitter platform over the weekend.”

The civil rights groups say the purpose of their request is to “address our concerns and better understand your content moderation plan to protect our communities against abuse on Twitter by those who seek not simply to express controversial views, but who seek to harm us and undermine our democracy.”

They went on, “And as we have seen over the last several years, online behavior has offline impact, including leading to violence and harassment online and otherwise.”

Separately, NAACP President Derrick Johnson met with Musk on Tuesday “to express our grave concerns with the dangerous, life-threatening hate and conspiracies that have proliferated on Twitter under his watch,” according to an NAACP statement.

Johnson said, “Nazi memes, racial slurs, and extreme far-right propaganda do not belong in the ‘town square’ of any democracy or online platform. Taking the necessary actions is not rocket science, but failing to do so will put human lives at risk and further unravel our democracy.”

Noting the upcoming midterm elections, Johnson said he believes “it is critical that Twitter’s existing election integrity policies remain in effect until at the very least after the midterm elections have been certified.”

A new study from Montclair State University showed a dramatic increase in hate speech on Twitter immediately following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform.

Musk acquired the platform on Oct. 27 and promised to reduce Twitter’s content restrictions to promote free speech. He also said a “content moderation council” will be formed to review company policies.

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement when the deal was announced.

A spokesperson for Twitter did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Starbucks red holiday cups return for 25th year, plus peppermint mocha and new pastries

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Starbucks is officially in holiday mode with the return of its iconic red cups and special holiday menu.

Starting Thursday, Nov. 3, Starbucks will celebrate the return of holiday beverages and festive food, as well as 25 years of the holiday cups.

The coffee chain first rolled out the cups, initially designed by Sandy Nelson in 1997, to signify the arrival of the holiday season. This year, the classic red and Starbucks green colors have accents of mint and sparkles as a nod to the Peppermint Mocha, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Additional fan favorites back on the holiday menu include the Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and returning for the second year, the nondairy Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte.

The pastry case is also getting the festive treatment for the season with a brand new Chocolate Pistachio Swirl and the return of Reindeer Cake Pops, Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, Cranberry Bliss Bars and Snowman Cookies.

Starbucks is also debuting its annual limited-edition holiday merch lineup, which features an array of colorful cold cups, tumblers, mugs and more in a variety of holiday designs.

Why this could be the worst flu season in the US in more than a decade

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The number of positive flu tests and hospitalizations in the United States is the highest in more than a decade, indicating this influenza season may be the most severe in years.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been at least 880,000 cases of flu-like illness during the 2022-23 flu season.

Over the season’s first three weeks, clinical laboratories have recorded more than 9,100 positive tests, CDC data shows.

This is the highest number of tests recorded this early in a season since 2009-2010, when the country was seeing a swine flu outbreak. More than 21,000 positive tests were recorded that season, according to an ABC News analysis of data from the federal health agency.

Additionally, there have been about 6,900 hospitalizations so far this season with a cumulative rate of 1.5 per 100,000. According to the CDC, this is “higher than the rate observed … during previous seasons going back to 2010-2011.”

At least two states have also experienced pediatric flu death deaths within the last week, including two reported in Texas and one in South Carolina.

“What the data tells us so far is we’re likely to have a fairly substantial influenza season,” Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told ABC News. “It’s taking off at a faster rate than usual. We’re clearly in the influenza season but what we’re seeing is a more rapid rise in cases.”

He added, “It does seem to be spreading quicker, particularly along the eastern seaboard and the south. It’s unusual for the East Coast to be seeing so much influenza this early in the season.”

Public health experts said one of the possible reasons why cases and hospitalizations are so high is because during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools and businesses were closed and people were staying at home, they weren’t exposed to many viruses.

Due of this, people may be more susceptible to getting sick, as their immune systems are remembering (or learning for the first time) how to fight off these infections.

“It takes some time for immunity to build back up,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News. “Immunity … is what protects [us] against severe disease in the future. And that’s why we’re seeing so many people who are sick in the hospital with viruses.”

Doron said there also may be more people being tested for flu this season than usual.

“In a normal flu season, we were not recommended to test everyone with flu symptoms … we’re now in a situation where everyone who has symptoms of any kind is supposed to test,” Doron said.

The doctors stressed it’s not too late to get the flu shot and encouraged everyone 6 months and older to receive a dose.

“It’s definitely not too late,” Dr. Justine Justman, an associate professor of medicine in epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, told ABC News. “Now is a great time. This week is a great time to get your flu shot. I wouldn’t put it off, it’s still completely worth it.”

The experts also suggested Americans follow the same steps they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, including washing hands thoroughly, avoiding crowded indoor spaces and even wearing masks.

“All of those things that we talked about, over and over for COVID, what are called the non-pharmaceutical interventions, they will work really well, to help you avoid flu, just the way they help you avoid COVID,” Justman said. “So we’ve all learned how to do those things. We just have to remember to keep going.”

Billion-dollar Powerball jackpot approaches world record amount

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Now at an estimated $1.5 billion, the Powerball jackpot is quickly approaching a world record amount after 39 consecutive drawings yielded no grand prize winner, lottery officials said.

The next drawing is Saturday night, marking the 40th Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won in Pennsylvania on Aug. 3. The cash value of Saturday’s jackpot is $745.9 million, according to a press release from Powerball.

If a player’s ticket matches all six numbers drawn on Saturday night, it will be the second-largest jackpot won in Powerball’s 30-year history and the third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history, only behind the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in 2016 and the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2018. If no one wins Saturday’s jackpot, it will tie the game record for the number of drawings in a row without a grand prize winner, Powerball said.

Although there was no jackpot winner in the last drawing on Wednesday night, more than 7.2 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $74.9 million. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9, according to Powerball.

The jackpot grows based on game sales and interest. But the odds of winning the big prize stays the same — 1 in 292.2 million, Powerball said.

Jackpot winners can either take the money as an immediate cash lump sum or in 30 annual payments over 29 years. Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes, Powerball said.

Tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was purchased, according to Powerball.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. The drawings are also livestreamed online at Powerball.com.

North Korea fires three ballistic missiles, launching tests for second consecutive day

November 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korea test-fired three missiles on Thursday, a day after launching its most-ever tests in a single day.

One long-range and two short-range ballistic missiles were tested, South Korean officials said. Tokyo initially said the longer-range ballistic missile had flown over Japan, warning residents of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata prefectures to take shelter. But Japan’s Defense Ministry later said the missile did not fly over Japan.

Authorities said they were still analyzing the details. Analysts suggested that the missile, which flew 472 miles and reached a height of 1,200 miles, was presumably an intercontinental ballistic missile that failed.

“We can sense North Korea’s anxiety from recent launches. In fact, these missile launches are a huge burden for their military, especially when North Korea is so economically cut off,” Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, told ABC News.

The provocations are a typical brinkmanship tactic to either bring the U.S. and South Korea into nuclear talks or a prelude to justifying an imminent seventh nuclear underground test.

“It’s possible to assume that North Korea will decorate the grand finale of its tactic with the seventh nuclear test, and then suggest a deal,” said Park.

The two Koreas test-fired missiles one after another throughout Wednesday in a series of tit-for-tat moves. North Korea fired a total of 23 missiles that were a combination of ballistic and surface-to-air weapons, and 100 artillery shells from various locations toward the east and west. In a retaliatory move, South Korea quickly responded in between by launching its own air-to-surface missiles into a similar area above the NLL, launched by two F-15K and KF-16 jet fighters.

Pyongyang claimed the missile tests are “self-defensive” in nature. Officials called for the U.S. and South Korea to stop their annual joint military drills, which they said were “aggressive and provocative.”

“They are going on a full-scale sprint. Not only are there a variety of missiles, but also a great number of them,” Park added.

Dr. Yang Uk, of Seoul-based Asan Institute, told ABC News that the missile launches are a way to show off Pyongyang’s tactical nuclear capabilities.

“It’s an adamant statement that they will respond with all forces by fully mobilizing all the means they have,” Yang explained.

South Korea’s air force announced Wednesday shortly after North Korea’s ballistic missile provocation, that the joint air drill between the U.S. will be extended. It was originally planned for five days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.

Donald Trump reaches settlement with protesters who allege they were assaulted by his security

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump settled a civil lawsuit Wednesday that alleged his security guards violently assaulted protesters outside Trump Tower in 2015.

The case, brought by Efrain Galicia and four other protesters of Mexican origin against Trump and his head of security, Keith Schiller, was in the middle of jury selection in Bronx Supreme Court when the parties came to a confidential agreement.

Video from the September 2015 rally appeared to show Schiller smacking Galicia in the face after he reached for a sign that said “Trump: Make America Racist Again.”

“Defendants were staring down the barrel of a Bronx jury who were about to be presented with overwhelming evidence in support of plaintiffs’ claims,” Ben Dictor, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said in a statement to ABC News. “Nevertheless, plaintiffs are proud to have settled their claims and to have obtained written recognition by Donald Trump of their right to protest on the public sidewalk. Powerful men may put their names on buildings, but the sidewalk will always belong to the people.”

The settlement was announced in a stipulation that said the two sides agreed the matter should be “discontinued in its entirety.” The stipulation did not disclose terms.

“Although we were eager to proceed to trial to demonstrate the frivolousness of this case, the parties were ultimately able to come to an amicable resolution. We are very pleased with this outcome and are happy to finally put this matter to rest once and for all,” Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said.

A joint statement from Trump, signed by Habba on his behalf, and the plaintiffs, said, “The parties all agree that the plaintiffs in the action, and all people, have a right to engage in peaceful protest on public sidewalks.”

Trump said Schiller “did nothing wrong” and called the protesters “troublemakers” during a deposition in October 2021.

“I think they were troublemakers, yes I do. I think they were,” Trump said, according to a transcript.

The protesters said they were lawfully on the public sidewalk outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan when they were “attacked and their property destroyed.” Their lawsuit also alleged infringement on their free speech rights.

Two of the protesters wore Ku Klux Klan outfits to call attention to David Duke’s endorsement of Trump’s immigration policies during the campaign.

Cause announced for Indiana home explosion that killed 3 people

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) — A deadly home explosion in southern Indiana in August has been ruled accidental, with no signs of foul play, authorities said Wednesday.

Three people died after a house exploded in Evansville on Aug. 10. Two of the victims were in the home where the blast occurred, while the third was not, authorities said.

Investigators discovered a leaking gas line in the basement of the home, according to Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, who conducted a joint investigation with the Evansville Fire Department.

The line was uncapped and the valve was in the open position, according to the fire marshal, who said he has ruled the cause of the explosion to be accidental.

“Meter data taken after the incident showed a sharp increase in gas usage beginning two days before the blast,” Jones said in a press release. “No additional evidence was found to determine how the valve was opened; however, there is no indication of foul play.”

The source of ignition could not be determined, though electrical devices and other appliances in the home could have served as an ignition source, the fire marshal noted.

Following the blast, the gas lines between the main and meter were determined to be working properly, Jones said.

Testing also confirmed that mercaptan, a foul-smelling additive, was present in the natural gas line leading to the home.

“It could not be determined how the occupants were unaware of the gas accumulating in the home,” the fire marshal said.

The home where the explosion occurred was destroyed and nearly a dozen other homes were uninhabitable after the blast, authorities said.

The victims were identified by the coroner’s office as Charles Hite, 43, and Martina Hite, 37, who both lived in the home, and their next-door neighbor, 29-year-old Jessica Teague.

Federal Reserve approves another 0.75-point rate hike

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it was raising its short-term borrowing rate another 0.75% to slow key areas of the economy and tame inflation, which is at a 40-year high.

The central bank said its new target range is 3.75%-4%, the highest level since January 2008.

The aggressive move is the latest in a string of borrowing cost increases imposed by the Fed in recent months as it tries to slash price increases by cooling the economy and choking off demand. The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. into a recession and putting millions out of work.

The fourth rate hike of 2022 also arrives less than a week before the midterm elections.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine is causing tremendous human and economic hardship. The war and related events are creating additional upward pressure on inflation and are weighing on global economic activity. The Committee is highly attentive to inflation risks,” Fed officials said in a statement. “The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time.”

Data on consumer prices released last month showed that costs rose 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, defying efforts to bring prices down. Consumer prices overall rose 8.2% over the 12 months ending in September, exceeding economists’ predictions.

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise the benchmark interest rate by 0.75%, repeating the same hike it imposed at each of the last three meetings, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. Prior to this year, the Fed last matched a hike of this magnitude in 1994.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on several occasions has reiterated the central bank’s commitment to bring inflation down to a target rate of 2%, saying in September the Fed expects to put forward “ongoing increases” to its benchmark interest rate.

The personal consumption expenditures price index – the inflation measure preferred by the Fed – stands at a year-over-year growth rate of 5.1%, government data showed last week.

“Powell has been very clear that inflation is unacceptably high and we have to stay the course to get it down,” Anne Villamil, an economist at Iowa University, told ABC News. “Markets have been a little hopeful that we could have a pause – I don’t see that happening.”

Despite persistent inflation, growing evidence suggests that the Fed’s moves have put the brakes on some economic activity.

Mortgage rates reached a 20-year high last week, as the U.S. faces an ongoing slowdown in home sales and housing construction.

Job growth has persisted at a strong rate but has shown signs of moderating.

U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.5% from 3.7%, exceeding expectations and demonstrating the continued strength of the labor market.

But the total came in well below the typical jobs added over a given month in 2022. Monthly job growth has averaged 420,000 so far this year versus 562,000 per month in 2021, according to the Department of Labor.

Meanwhile, hires and quits fell slightly in September, suggesting that the demand for labor from employers has begun to ebb, government data released on Tuesday showed. The number of job openings, however, increased in September, a sign that the need for workers remains robust.

While some data points to an economic slowdown, a government report released last month showed significant economic growth over three months ending in September. U.S. gross domestic product grew 2.6% over that period; by contrast, economic activity shrank a combined 2.2% over the first six months of the year.

“We’re getting these very conflicting signals,” Villamil said. “That’s why the Fed has a tough job.”

Biden warns democracy is ‘under attack’ as midterms enter final stretch

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden, with less than a week to go until the midterms, delivered a speech Wednesday night condemning political violence and urging voters to protect democracy.

“We must with an overwhelming voice stand against political violence and voter intimidation, period,” he said. “Stand up and speak against it. We don’t settle our differences in America with a riot, a mob, or a bullet or a hammer. We settle them peacefully at the ballot box.”

Speaking from Union Station in Washington, a short distance from the U.S. Capitol, Biden began by addressing the attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband last week, detailing how an intruder broke into their California home and assaulted Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

“The assailant entered the home asking, ‘Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?’ Those are the very same words used by the mob when they stormed the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, when they broke windows, kicked in the doors,” Biden said.

Biden then went on to denounce the Jan. 6 attackers as a mob “whipped into a frenzy” by former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. Those falsehoods, Biden said, are still pervasive this election cycle with some Republican candidates espousing Trump’s lies about the 2020 race and are preemptively sowing doubt about the outcome in the races they’re running in this fall.

“American democracy is under attack because the defeated former president of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election,” Biden said. “He refuses to accept the will of the people, he refuses to accept the fact that he lost.”

Biden also addressed vote tallies, trying to temper Election Day expectations by reminding the public that it may take a few days before full results are announced.

More than 28 million people have voted early in the 2022 general election, according to data analyzed by the University of Florida’s U.S. Elections Project.

“It takes time to count all legitimate ballots in a legal and orderly manner,” he said.

The speech came just six days out from the Nov. 8 elections, where Democrats are defending their slim majorities in Congress.

Forecasts from FiveThirtyEight point to a potential Republican takeover of the House, while the Senate is in flux.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama and other political heavyweights have been hitting the campaign trial these final days to shore up voter enthusiasm in contentious races across the country.

Biden’s hoped to cast the 2022 cycle not as a referendum on his presidency but as a choice between Democrats and “MAGA Republicans” who he describes as extremists that threaten rights to abortion, privacy and same-sex marriage.

“I appeal to all Americans, regardless of party, to meet this moment of national and generational importance,” Biden said. “We must vote, knowing what’s at stake and not just the policy of the moment.”

But polling has shown kitchen-table issues are top of mind for a majority of voters. The latest survey from ABC News and Ipsos found 26% of Americans identify the economy as their single most important issue determining their vote while 23% cite inflation.

“People are worried about disorder. And whenever there’s disorder — in this case in crime and economic news — they tend to vote for the opposition,” Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic strategist, told ABC News.

Sheinkopf said it’s “hard to imagine” Biden’s message on democracy will move the needle before next week’s elections.

“[Biden] has to show that he is a unifier at a time of great division, but is it really going to move voters?” Sheinkopf questioned.

CBS, Les Moonves to pay $30M in deal with NY attorney general over sexual misconduct claims

November 2, 2022 by WDNY Radio

CBS, Les Moonves to pay M in deal with NY attorney general over sexual misconduct claims

(NEW YORK) — CBS and its senior leadership knew about multiple allegations of sexual assault against former chief executive Les Moonves but intentionally concealed them from shareholders, regulators and the public, according to an investigation by the New York attorney general’s office that alleged insider trading and violations of consumer protection law that are now part of a $30 million settlement.

A senior CBS executive who knew about the allegations, former chief communications officer Gil Schwartz, sold millions of dollars in company stock in the weeks before the allegations became public, the attorney general’s office said.

The network fired Moonves in December 2018 after two law firms conducted an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. That triggered a lawsuit by shareholders who alleged CBS and some of its current and former executives made false statements or failed to disclose material information about how the company handles sexual harassment complaints in the workplace.

The attorney general’s investigation also accused a captain of the Los Angeles Police Department of “direct and repeated interference” and violating confidentiality rules when the captain informed CBS about one complaint against Moonves and worked with network executives to prevent the complaint from becoming public.

“Hopefully we can kill media from PD. Then figure [sic] what [Complainant #1] wants,” the attorney general’s office quoted a text message from Moonves as saying.

The New York attorney general’s office said it has referred the matter involving the LAPD captain to the California attorney general.

The LAPD released a statement Wednesday acknowledging the New York attorney general’s investigation “involving the actions of a former command officer of the Department while assigned as a Captain to Hollywood Division.”

“We are fully cooperating with the New York and California Attorney General offices and have also initiated an internal investigation regarding the conduct of the retired command officer as well as to identify any other member(s) of the organization that may have been involved,” the statement said.

LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore added, “What is most appalling is the alleged breach of trust of a victim of sexual assault, who is among the most vulnerable, by a member of the LAPD. This erodes the public trust and is not reflective of our values as an organization.”

According to the attorney general’s office, the same day an individual filed a confidential criminal sexual assault complaint against Moonves at an LAPD station in Hollywood, the former LAPD captain informed a CBS executive of the confidential complaint. The LAPD captain shared an unredacted police report with the executive, who shared it with Mr. Moonves and other executives at CBS, the AG’s investigation found.

The settlement requires Moonves and CBS to pay $30.5 million to shareholders. CBS must reform its human resources practices around sexual harassment and provide biannual reports to the attorney general’s office.

“CBS and Leslie Moonves’ attempts to silence victims, lie to the public, and mislead investors can only be described as reprehensible,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “As a publicly traded company, CBS failed its most basic duty to be honest and transparent with the public and investors. After trying to bury the truth to protect their fortunes, today CBS and Leslie Moonves are paying millions of dollars for their wrongdoing.”

As CBS tried to hide these allegations, the company authorized its former chief communications officer, Schwartz, who was one of the few people with information about the allegations and the LAPD police report, to sell his shares, the attorney general’s office said. Schwartz died in May 2020.

Six weeks before the first article about the allegations became public, Schwartz sold 160,709 shares of CBS stock at an average weighted price of $55.08 for a total of $8,851,852. The stock dropped 10.9% from the day before the news broke to the trading day after, according to the attorney general’s office.

“We have reached an agreement in principle to resolve the matter with the Investor Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office,” Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, said in filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday. “The resolution includes no admission of liability or wrongdoing by the Company.

Moonves agreed to pay $2.5 million, and CBS will pay the rest of the settlement, according to a letter filed Wednesday with the federal judge in Manhattan handling the case.

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