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Explosions reported in Damascus amid Macron’s visit to Syria, state media says

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — At least two explosions were reported in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, as French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the city to meet with the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The Syrian Arab News Agency said that the explosions occurred near the Ministry of Tourism building and that at least 18 people — including four security personnel — were injured.

Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the report. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.

Writing on X after the explosions but without explicitly mentioning the blasts, Macron said, “Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. My visit continues.”

Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Assad was forced to flee the country after government forces collapsed in the face of a surprise offensive launched by a coalition of rebel groups, led by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday. “I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors. Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace,” he wrote in a post to X.

Last week, a device exploded in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20.

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

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Nearly 2 dozen sickened in Legionnaires’ disease cluster in New York City

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Health officials in New York City said they are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease.

As of July 6, 23 cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in two of Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhoods, according to the New York City Department of Health. So far, no deaths have been associated with the cluster.

In a notice to the two neighborhoods — Carnegie Hill and Yorkville — the department said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria.

The health department said there is no issue with any building’s plumbing system and that residents in the affected areas can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners.

“All cooling towers in [the] area are being sampled and tested in the NYC Public Health Lab,” Mark Levine, the city’s comptroller, wrote in a post on X on Sunday evening. “It unfortunately takes several weeks for cultures to grow.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or contaminated water accidentally going into the lungs.

The bacteria are found naturally in freshwater but amounts generally don’t lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disease does not generally spread from person to person, but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building’s water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.

Legionnaires’ disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases dropped during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.

Although most people recover from Legionnaires’ disease with antibiotics, certain patients — including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases — can develop complications that can be fatal.

About one out of every 10 people who develop Legionnaires’ disease will die due to complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires’ disease during a stay in a healthcare facility, about one out of every four people will die, the federal health agency added.

The NYC health department said anyone who lives or works in the affected areas — or has visited since late June — and is experiencing flu-like symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately. The ZIP codes for the areas are 10028, 10128, and 10075.

In brief: ‘Young Washington’ gets upcoming sequel ‘1776’ and more

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

After a successful Fourth of July weekend at the box office, the film Young Washington is officially getting a sequel. The upcoming movie will be titled 1776. It will continue telling the story of George Washington’s life and legacy. “We are working on another one right now. We have just begun writing another Revolutionary War epic on the year 1776. And if you think Washington‘s big, wait for 1776. It’s epic in every way,” Jon Erwin, the film’s director, said in an Instagram video …

Rain Spencer and Ariana Greenblatt are set to collaborate on a new film. Deadline reports the actresses are going to star in the upcoming movie Little Five. This film comes from Anne Hathaway’s production company Somewhere Pictures and Pigasus Pictures. It is set against the backdrop of Indiana University in the early 1980s and is inspired by the Little 500 bicycle race …

This is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway is set to air live on CBS on Friday. The one-hour primetime special features interviews with Conor McGregor and Max Holloway ahead of the UFC 329: McGregor Vs Holloway 2 event, which streams exclusively on Paramount+ on Saturday. Co-main event competitors Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Davis will also appear …

Scoreboard roundup — 7/6/26

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Phillies 1, Royals 15
Yankees 5, Rays 1
Astros 11, Nationals 12
Mets 7, Braves 6
Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
Diamondbacks 8, Padres 0
Blue Jays 1, Giants 10
Rockies 7, Dodgers 8

FIFA World Cup
Portugal 0, Spain 1
United States 1, Belgium 4

No, you’re not ‘Tipsy’: Shaboozey’s new album was inspired by ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Shaboozey set out to make sure The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales is more than just the follow-up to Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.

“It’s kinda like my magnum opus,” he says. “It’s something I’ve … been conceptualizing for almost like the later part of my life, wanting to bring my love of storytelling and films into an album.”

“The whole album, from top to bottom, follows this narrative about a farm girl looking for revenge against a group of outlaws who kinda took the things she loves the most, the things that she holds dear to her,” he explains.

If you remember studying epic poems from Greek literature in high school, you already have a head start.

“It’s just honestly like a saga, you know, being inspired by like [The] Iliad, Homer, like The Odyssey and all those Greek epics,” Shaboozey continues, “and wanting to just do a Western in an album form, really trying to just like challenge myself to see if I can pull it off.”

“I say it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I think we did it,” he adds.

The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales drops July 31, from the man who broke through with the country crossover smash “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

See how From Ashes to New solves setlist puzzle while opening for Shinedown

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

From Ashes to New will join Shinedown’s U.S. tour starting Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Having put out a new album, Reflections, in April, the “Drag Me” rockers find themselves with a lot of songs they want to play and not a lot of time to do it.

“I don’t even know how the hell we’re gonna pick those songs, because I think it’s, like, 30 minutes,” vocalist Danny Case tells ABC Audio. “It’s like, ‘Well, we’re gonna have to start cutting hits to play new songs.’ So it’s like, ‘Alright, maybe we don’t play a couple of the new songs,’ that way we still have our big heavy hitters and then, like, maybe, like, a couple of the new songs.”

From Ashes opened for Black Veil Brides earlier in the year, but in building a setlist, Case says his band doesn’t try to match the style of the headliner as much as they used to.

“Where we used to really cater to the bands that we were playing on tour with, we kind of are trying to be ourselves moving forward, and to just play the songs that we know are big for us and that we like playing,” Case says.

No matter who else is on the bill, the main From Ashes to New goal remains to deliver the best set they can.

“I think people will like what we do,” Case says. “We’re gonna bring our A game, we’re gonna do everything we can, we’re constantly trying to make our show better.”

He adds, “Soundwise, lookwise, song selection-wise, everything, we’re gonna do what we can to raise the bar every time.”

John Mellencamp invites fans to open rehearsal for Dancing Words tour

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

John Mellencamp is set to launch his Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits, and he’s giving fans in his home state a chance to get a preview of his upcoming shows.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has invited Indiana residents to come check out an open rehearsal at the Ford Center in Evansville on Wednesday from 5 p.m. CT to 9 p.m. CT.

The rehearsal is free, although in order to gain entry fans are asked to bring nonperishable items to donate to the Evansville Rescue Mission.

Tickets will be handed out on a first-come basis, with doors opening at 4:45 p.m. CT.

Mellencamp kicks off the Dancing Words Tour on Friday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, wrapping Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California.

When he announced the tour in January, Mellencamp promised fans he’ll be playing a set filled with hits, including “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town” and “Pink Houses.” He’s also promising to break out tracks he hasn’t performed live in nearly a decade, like “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock),” “I Need a Lover,” “Wild Night” and “Ain’t Even Done With the Night.”

A complete list of dates can be found at Mellencamp.com.

Zendaya was so cold she couldn’t speak on first day filming ‘The Odyssey’

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Zendaya is opening up about her first day on set of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.

In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actress said she could not even open her mouth to speak her first lines of dialogue while filming in freezing conditions in Iceland. Zendaya, who plays Athena in the film, said that didn’t help ease her nerves over appearing in her first Nolan project.

“I had my lines and I wanted to have them so down. I psyched myself out a little bit,” Zendaya said. “It was particularly cold. It was in Iceland. My mouth was just frozen. There is nothing coming out.”

The actress continued, saying, “My mouth would not move. Literally. It came out like, ‘Blah blah blah.’ So embarrassing.”

She went on to say that showing up “was such a pleasure and a gift to be able to share scenes with people you admire.”

“Part of you has to compartmentalize to a degree. Lock in, we’re working. But I was so moved and excited to be there and wanted to do my best work,” Zendaya said.

The Odyssey has a star-studded cast that also includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal. It opens in movie theaters on July 17.

The film, of course, is an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. It tells the story of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his 10-year journey of returning home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War.

Pearl Jam auctioning signed poster in support of Venezuela

July 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Pearl Jam is auctioning off a signed poster to raise money in support of relief efforts in Venezuela, which has been devastated by a pair of powerful earthquakes that hit the country on June 24.

The poster is from PJ’s set at the 2021 Ohana Encore festival and is signed by all of the band members. It was created by the design duo Ames Bros, which was cofounded by bassist Jeff Ament’s brother Barry Ament.

“Every dollar raised from this auction will go directly to those in need,” reads a post to the Ames Bros Instagram. “A huge thank you to the incredible folks at Pearl Jam for generously donating this signed poster to make this fundraiser possible.”

Bidding is open now through Friday at 10 a.m. PT via AmesBrosShop.com.

Other bands who’ve announced their support for Venezuela include Metallica and Rush.

Neil Young revisits ‘Living With War’ with updated tracks

July 6, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Neil Young has released updated versions of two songs from his 2006 album, Living With War.

According to a post on his Neil Young Archives website, the new versions are part of the Living With War archives collection. He notes that while the collection contains all the original performances, he’s made some “small changes within some songs.”

Examples of those changes can be heard on two tracks that Young has released to YouTube — the title track and “Let’s Impeach the President.”

He notes in his post that “(t)he mix is refocused.” He adds, “The choir is huge and has a band. The hundred voices add incredible depth to the stories of Living With War.”

Released in May 2006, Living With War was Young’s 29th studio album. It contained songs criticizing the George W. Bush administration and the war in Iraq. The album received three Grammy Award nominations: best rock album, and best rock song and best solo rock vocal performance for the track “Lookin’ For a Leader.”

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