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What is Bluesky? Social media platform tops 20 million users

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has kept busy since Election Day, advising President-elect Donald Trump and receiving an appointment to co-lead a new government efficiency commission.

Musk has also found time to promote Trump in scores of posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, which he owns. But such advocacy appears to have driven some X users to seek alternatives.

One such app, Bluesky, has drawn attention as a possible X rival and has amassed a total of 20 million users to date. Its growth accelerated in the aftermath of the election, when Bluesky added one million users in a single week.

Launched by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky has attracted some prominent users in recent days, including comedian Ben Stiller, author Stephen King, and pop star Lizzo.

Here’s what to know about Bluesky, and how to join:

What is Bluesky?

Bluesky is a text-oriented social media platform on which users can post messages as long as 300 characters. Like X, the messages posted on Bluesky appear on a newsfeed displayed to users. The app is available on iOS and Android.

The platform operates on an open framework, meaning that users can post their messages to a server tailored for specific interests or communities. The system design resembles that which is used on another text-first app, Mastodon, as well as the decentralized platform Discord.

Bluesky began in 2019 as a venture at Twitter overseen by Dorsey, and was launched as an independent company in 2022, the year after he left Twitter.

Development of the site started after a 2020 tweet from Dorsey announcing Twitter’s plans to fund a decentralized social media platform, Bluesky said in a blog post. The eventual leaders at Bluesky were among those who sent direct messages to Dorsey in response to his post, the blog added.

Who owns Bluesky?

The board of directors at Bluesky features Dorsey as well as Jeremie Miller, the founder in the late 1990s of a free instant messaging service called Jabber.

Bluesky’s CEO is Jay Graber, who formerly founded an events-oriented social media site called Happening and worked as a software engineer on a cryptocurrency called Zcash, according to LinkedIn. She also serves on the Bluesky board.

The company is owned by Graber as well as “the Bluesky team,” the Bluesky website says.

While Bluesky has retained a traditional corporate structure featuring a board and chief executive, the company said it aspires to take control of content away from a top-down entity and return it to creators.

“Traditional social networks are often closed platforms with a central authority,” the website says. “There’s a small group of people who control those companies, and they have total control over how users can use the platform and what developers can build.”

Dorsey criticized Musk’s leadership at Twitter on Bluesky last year, saying that things “all went south” at the platform after Musk’s acquisition, CNBC reported.

Is Bluesky a viable alternative to X?

The steady growth of Bluesky has made it a destination for an increasing number of celebrities, elected officials and government entities. But the platform remains much smaller than X or the Meta-owned competitor, Threads.

Bluesky boasts roughly 20 million users, which amounts to less than 10% of the 229 million daily active users disclosed by Twitter in a June 2022 earnings report. X’s user data is no longer publicly available since Musk took the company private.

In July, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads had exceeded 175 million monthly active users.

How do you join Bluesky?

During Bluesky’s initial years, users could only join the platform if they received an invitation. The policy aimed to limit the app’s user base as it underwent testing.

In February, however, the platform made itself available to all users. Individuals or organizations can navigate to the platform and follow instructions to create an account.

Some hospitals seeing increase in RSV, ‘walking pneumonia.’ Here’s what to know

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Some hospitals in the U.S. are seeing an increase in RSV and higher levels of “walking pneumonia” among young children despite overall respiratory illness activity remaining low nationally.

Cook Children’s Medical Centers in Texas reported a “steep increase” in children visiting the emergency room due to respiratory-related illnesses.

On Tuesday, at the health system’s Fort Worth location alone, there were 572 patients — a near-record-high number — in the emergency department. Officials said the increase in hospital visits is due to a spread of RSV and walking pneumonia in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Additionally, University of North Carolina hospitals reported 40 walking pneumonia cases in the last week of October compared to no cases the same time last year.

Infectious disease specialists say that although parents should stay alert when it comes to respiratory illnesses spreading, this season also may also be marking a return to typical seasons seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s the calm before the storm,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News. “It feels that there’s so much going on … that we almost forget about respiratory viruses, but they’re very regular. They’re kind of falling back into normal pre-pandemic cadence.”

Walking pneumonia seeing cyclical increase

So-called “walking pneumonia” is a respiratory tract bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infections are generally mild, and people may seem better than expected for those with a lung infection, hence the term walking pneumonia, the CDC said. Sometimes serious complications, however, emerge requiring hospitalization.

For the week ending Nov. 2, the latest for which CDC data is available, 2.8% of all pneumonia-associated ED visits led to an M. pneumoniae diagnosis, up from just 2% at the end of September.

Rates were highest among those ages 1 and younger, making up 7.8% of all pneumonia-associated ED visits with an M. pneumoniae diagnosis for the week ending Nov. 2.

Experts say mycoplasma infections have a cyclical nature and tend to surge every three to seven years.

“Just like other respiratory viruses, there was not a lot of exposure during the pandemic years because of social distancing and people staying away from each other, and so we’re catching up to that,” Chin-Hong said. “Mycoplasma may also be one of these things where you’re kind of seeing the perfect storm. So, it comes back every four or five years and people are getting back to their normal lives.”

RSV activity returning to pre-pandemic levels

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus with most children affected by their second birthday, according to the CDC.

Although it typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover in one to two weeks, it can be a serious infection for infants and older adults, resulting in hospitalization, the CDC said.

Current levels remain lower than those seen at the same time during the past few seasons.

“While RSV activity is increasing in certain regions, particularly among young children, it’s important to remember that we’re seeing a return to more typical pre-pandemic patterns,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

“This year’s season is starting later and progressing more slowly compared to the past few years, which were marked by earlier and more severe outbreaks,” he added.

Brownstein pointed out that while national levels remain low, certain regions in the southern U.S. and eastern U.S. are seeing localized surges, especially among young children.

When to go to the emergency room

Chin-Hong said if symptoms are mild, including low-grade fever, dry cough, sore throat, headaches and mild aches and pains, parents can keep their children home and contact their primary care provider with any questions.

However, when symptoms become more severe including difficulty breathing, a long-lasting fever or lethargy, then it might be time to visit the emergency room.

If you have “a child who’s having a cough for more than seven days and maybe they’re not shaking that off, then you worry about something like walking pneumonia,” Chin-Hong said.

How to prevent RSV and walking pneumonia

To prevent RSV, there are three vaccines approved for adults ages 60 and older as well as some adults between the ages 50 and 59 who are at higher risk. There is also a vaccine available for pregnant women between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

For babies under eight months, there are two monoclonal antibody products available. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins manufactured in a lab that mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection.

“For walking pneumonia. or mycoplasma, there’s no vaccine for that, but by getting vaccines for RSV, COVID [and] influenza, you reduce the probability of co-infections that can make things worse,” Chin-Hong said.

Experts also recommended applying lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as wearing a mask in spaces with poor ventilation.

“Practicing good hygiene, like frequent hand-washing and covering coughs and sneezes, remains essential in preventing the spread of respiratory infections,” Brownstein said.

Police recover Travis Kelce’s watch after spate of burglaries targeting athletes during games

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Authorities investigating the rash of recent burglaries at the homes of professional athletes have recovered a watch belonging to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in Providence, Rhode Island, sources familiar with the case told ABC News.

Kelce’s Leawood, Kansas, home was burglarized as the Chiefs were about to kick off Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints hours apart from a burglary at the home of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Police had not previously disclosed a watch was taken from Kelce but did confirm that $20,000 cash was stolen.

Police believe the athletes are being targeted based on their game schedules and are working to determine whether a crime ring is targeting them along with other luxury homeowners.

So far all of these thefts have occurred while nobody is home. There is a concern about what happens if the athlete or his/her family members are present, a security source told ABC News.

The burglars conduct extensive surveillance, sometimes posing as delivery men, maintenance workers or joggers to learn about residences, neighborhoods and security systems, according to an NFL memo obtained by ABC News.

One security source told ABC News the burglars appear to know what they’re looking for, where it is in the home and are in and out within 15 minutes.

‘Suspicious package’ found outside US embassy in London

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — A suspicious package was discovered outside the United States embassy in London on Friday morning, police said.

The London Metropolitan Police immediately closed Ponton Road outside of the embassy in “an abundance of caution,” according to their statement, before they destroyed it in a controlled explosion.

“We’re aware of speculation online about an incident in the vicinity of the US Embassy in Nine Elms,” the Met Police said. “Cordons are in place in the area as a precaution while officers investigate a suspect package.”

Authorities updated the situation approximately an hour later after reports of a “loud bang” began circulating online.

“We can confirm that the ‘loud bang’ reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers. Enquiries are still ongoing and cordons will remain in place for the time being,” police said.

The U.S. embassy in London moved to a brand-new purpose-built location in January 2018. The 12-story government office — complete with a moat surrounding it — cost approximately $1 billion to construct and was funded entirely from proceeds of sale from other U.S. government property in London, according to the U.S. government.

Miley Cyrus reveals which Britney Spears song was on in ‘Party in the U.S.A’

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

We finally know which Britney song was on.

In a teaser for an upcoming Spotify Billions Club episode featuring Miley Cyrus in conversation with her sister Brandi Cyrus, the singer revealed which Britney Spears song she was referencing in her hit track “Party in the U.S.A.”

“The burning question everybody wants to know, what Britney song was on?” Brandi asked Miley.

“If I had to choose one, it would be [‘I’m a Slave 4 U’],” Miley said. “When I watched that video for the first time, that’s when I knew I wanted to be a stripper.”

Miley laughed, before saying her true aspiration. “No, a star,” she said, before joking again, “Why choose when you can be both?”

The famous “Party in the U.S.A” lyrics are as follows: “Too much pressure and I’m nervous/ That’s when the DJ dropped my favorite tune/ And a Britney song was on.”

The Billions Club episode with Miley drops Friday on Spotify.

Genesis’ ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ turns 50

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Genesis’ sixth studio album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the last Genesis record to feature frontman Peter Gabriel.

The album was a concept record conceived by Gabriel, with a bit of a bizarre story centered around a Puerto Rican youth named Rael who goes on a spiritual journey of self-discovery.

But recording the album was not without problems. Guitarist Steve Hackett tells ABC Audio there was some concern within the band about whether Gabriel would finish the record, as he was dealing with some personal pressures surrounding the birth of his first child.

“I think that it was probably the most difficult album that Genesis ever got to make because we weren’t sure if Peter Gabriel was going to be in the band or not,” he says.

The album went on to be a top 10 hit in the U.K. and peaked at #41 in the U.S.

Genesis supported the record with an extensive tour, playing the album in its entirety. The tour featured lots of theatricality, with Gabriel donning multiple costumes, but it seems he had some even bigger ideas for the production.

“It’s an album that was as much about the visuals as it was … the grooves,” Hackett says. “So the last time we were talking about doing that in its entirety with Pete, Pete was already talking about avatars even then, several years ahead of ABBA.”

During the tour, Gabriel let the band know that he’d be leaving at the end of it. They would go on to have even more success with drummer Phil Collins as frontman.

Genesis will celebrate the album’s anniversary with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition), dropping March 28.

Clay Aiken wants to give fans that ‘cozy’ vibe of ‘safety’ and ‘security’ with new Christmas album

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Clay Aiken‘s new album, Christmas Bells Are Ringing — his first in nearly 15 years — arrives Friday, 20 years after his first holiday album, Merry Christmas With Love. Clay says he made the album for a very specific reason, but he also thinks it’s something the world needs at this moment.

For the past 10 years, Clay’s been focusing on running for office in his home state of North Carolina. But he rediscovered his love for singing live after he and pal Ruben Studdard toured together in 2023.

“I had fun,” he tells ABC Audio. “And I thought, ‘You know what? I could see myself going out and touring or performing again.’ Then my manager said, ‘Well, you can’t go out and do it unless you have a new album,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, God.’ So the album is a means to an end, right?”

Clay’s planning a Christmas tour for 2025. But as for why he chose to make a holiday album, he says, “Christmas just felt like the right place to start for me. It is something that’s all positive. … [It’s] supposed to hearken back to that sort of Perry Como, Andy Williams sort of vibe of cozy, safety, security.”

He laughs, “I feel like after what I’ve done for the last decade, and after the year that the world has gone through — yeah. Something safe and secure … I wanted to be a part of that.”

And keeping with that vibe, Clay is only singing classic tunes and old favorites.

“Everybody thinks they’re going to be the next Mariah and come up with this new, catchy Christmas song,” Clay says. “But no one’s going to beat Mariah. … So I didn’t want to try. I didn’t want to try for new original songs because no one ever remembers those.”

Can’t find a better album: Pearl Jam’s ’Vitalogy’ turns 30

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Pearl Jam‘s Vitalogy has been waiting and watching the clock for three decades now.

The third studio effort from Eddie Vedder and company was first released on Nov. 22, 1994, 30 years ago Friday. Following in the footsteps of their 1991 breakout debut, Ten, and its 1993 follow-up, Vs., Vitalogy further cemented Pearl Jam’s status as among the biggest bands in rock, even as the grunge phenomenon was fading.

Like Vs., Vitalogy reached #1 on the Billboard 200, though it didn’t debut in the top spot. It actually began at #55 thanks to an initial vinyl-only release, before arriving on CD and cassette two weeks later, which vaulted it to #1.

At the time, Vitalogy set the record for most vinyl copies sold in a single week since tracking data started in 1991. Pearl Jam held onto that record for 20 years and was finally beat by Jack White‘s Lazaretto in 2014.

Vitalogy produced rock radio hits in “Spin the Black Circle,” “Not for You” and “Immortality.” It also spawned two of Pearl Jam’s most enduring songs, “Better Man” and “Corduroy,” though, amazingly, neither track was released as an official single.

Today, Vitalogy is certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

While by all accounts Vitalogy was a smash success — it also received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year — the era was not without its difficulties. Drummer Dave Abbruzzese, who played on Vs., was fired toward the end of recording and replaced by original Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons. Additionally, the subsequent tour was hampered by Pearl Jam’s continued boycott of Ticketmaster, which lasted until 1998.

From ‘Atlantis’ to ‘Golden’: Pharrell explains name change of upcoming movie, difference from ‘Piece by Piece’

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Pharrell is gearing for the 2025 release of a film he’s co-producing titled Golden. Directed by Michel Gondry, it’s a coming-of-age story starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Halle Bailey that is set in his native Virginia. But it’s not to be confused with his recent Lego-animated biopic.

“Piece By Piece is about my life, whereas Golden is about a neighbourhood that I grew up in,” Pharrell shares in an interview with Empire. “This is very different. It’s a musical expedition, set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with the spirit of the music [of that time].”

“You know how in Dirty Dancing and Grease, the music was almost a character? That’s what it’s like in this film,” Pharrell continues. “It’s a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and pursuing your dreams, but it’s so much more magical than that. It’s a celebration of Black life, Black culture, and most importantly, Black joy.”

Golden, set to release in 2025, was originally going to be named Atlantis in tribute to the Atlantis Apartments where Pharrell grew up. It was also a nod to “the magical lens through which he still sees the place,” Empire writes. The title, however, was eventually changed to Golden because “it just speaks to the narrative, the area, the energy and literally everything about [the film, which is] this analysis of what being ‘golden’ is,” Pharrell explains. “Children and grown-ups with inner children within them can connect to it and realise that there’s a golden aspect to them too, whether it’s realised or latent.”

Golden also stars Janelle Monáe, Anderson. Paak, Missy Elliott, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry and Quinta Brunson.

How ‘Holding On’ saved Bailey Zimmerman from his ‘music slump’

November 22, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Bailey Zimmerman‘s hit the ground running hard since his first hit, “Fall in Love.”

He released his debut album, notched more chart-toppers, toured with Morgan Wallen and launched his very own headlining tour, among many other things. So it’s no surprise he’s had a bit of a burnout since.

Thankfully, Bailey’s latest single, “Holding On,” helped remedy some of that and renewed his music-loving spirit.

“Man, I had been like in a music slump. I’ve just been in a live slump, a music slump, for some weird reason,” Bailey recalls in a recent press interview.

“I’m out of it now, but I really give some credit to [‘Holding On’]. I went in and cut it and it was just like one of those songs. It just flowed right out, it was so easy to sing,” he says. “I could relate to every single word.”

Bailey’s hoping that you, too, can be encouraged by his song.

“I [want] to give them hope, really, because it gave me a lot of hope,” shares Bailey. “It gave me this fire back in music and in life.”

“Holding On” is currently in the top 30 and ascending the country charts.

Bailey performed “New to Country” at the 2024 CMA Awards. If you missed it, the full fiery performance is available to watch on YouTube.

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