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Abortion ballot initiatives could have helped Harris win, instead Trump overperformed

November 9, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Despite Kamala Harris’ loss, pro-abortion rights activists are celebrating the results of the 2024 election, arguing that abortion rights won.

“When we look at the election results from this week, we saw voters in states that are really different from each other, in large majorities support abortion rights,” Elisabeth Smith, the director of state policy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told ABC News in an interview.

Abortion was a central issue in Harris’s campaign as she sought to draw a stark difference between her vision for the country and President-elect Donald Trump’s. But, exit polling shows some supporters of abortion rights still voted for Trump, despite Roe v. Wade being overturned as a result of his U.S. Supreme Court appointments.

The battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada were among 10 states with abortion on the ballot Tuesday. Some strategists hypothesized that this would boost turnout among the majority of voters who support legal abortion, aiding Democratic candidates in the process.

Trump’s approach, focusing on states’ rights, appeared to resonate with voters who didn’t view abortion access as incompatible with a Trump presidency. In Arizona, 23% who voted “yes” on the state’s initiative enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution also voted for Trump. In Nevada, where another abortion rights measure was approved, 27% of “yes” voters elected Trump.

This followed at the national level. Among the two-thirds of voters who said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, 28% voted for Trump; that included 30% in Arizona, 33% in Nevada and 36% in Florida.

Supporters of legal abortion still broke strongly for Harris, but partisan elasticity on the issue did not cut both ways. As Harris made abortion access a central focus of her campaign, she won only 9% of voters who said abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. In Arizona, anti-abortion voters made up 31% of the electorate and backed Trump by 95%.

“In thinking about what seems like a contradiction, research has shown that Americans — when there is an abortion ballot or abortion-protecting constitutional amendment or initiative on the ballot — they don’t see abortion as a partisan issue,” Smith said. “Americans see abortion as an issue of liberty and of freedom.”

“In 2022, 10% of voters in the state of Kentucky voted against the restrictive constitutional amendment that was on their ballot and for Rand Paul — a senator who has made his opposition to abortion rights known,” Smith said.

Trump has also told voters that there won’t be a federal abortion ban and it could be that voters were persuaded by him, Smith said.

“I don’t think that people know that a federal abortion ban would preempt state constitutional protection. So I think there could also be this sense ‘I’m voting yes on this amendment, and that means my state is fine,'” Smith said.

At least 14 states have ceased nearly all abortion services since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In total, 21 states have restrictions on abortion in effect.

Seven of the 10 states with abortion on the ballot are projected to vote in favor of abortion rights while three states are projected to uphold abortion restrictions — marking a first since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Six states previously voted in favor of abortion rights in the 2022 midterm elections.

In Florida, 57% of voters voted in favor of enshrining protections for abortion rights in the state’s constitution, but the measure failed to reach the 60% threshold it needed to pass. Still, abortion rights groups dubbed this measure a success, saying a majority of voters sided with abortion.

“Abortion won big,” said Gretchen Borchelt, the vice president for reproductive rights and health at the National Women’s Law Center, at a press conference Wednesday. “If not for the rigged rules and for the very intentional and purposeful efforts to confuse and mislead voters and change the goal post and change the rules, abortion access would have won, certainly in Florida but in Nebraska and South Dakota too.”

In Nebraska, two contradicting abortion-related amendments on the ballot confused voters, likely contributing to the failure of the initiative, Smith argued.

“There is research, outside of the abortion context, but about ballot initiatives that show that when voters are confronted with two choices on the same question, that creates a lot of confusion about what people are voting for. And in Nebraska, when signatures were being collected, there were voters who alleged that they were told they were signing the abortion rights petition and later found out they had signed the petition against abortion rights,” Smith said.

Despite the success of ballot initiatives, advocates need to make it more understandable to people that their elected officials greatly determine their ability to access reproductive healthcare like abortion, Kelly Baden, the Guttmacher Institute’s vice president of policy told ABC News in an interview.

“Women are dying from these abortion bans. And so unfortunately, to to see that that reality wasn’t sufficient for people to fully prioritize abortion rates up and down the ballot in every way possible is it’s a tough pill to swallow,” Baden said.

“Seven states did soundly declare their support for abortion, active rights via ballot measures and I think there’s a bigger conversation of how and why people are able to make that make sense in their own voting patterns. That is a problem that predates Trump,” Baden said.

ABC News’ Gary Langer contributed to this report.

Shares in Trump’s social media company spike after president-elect says he won’t sell stake

November 9, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Shares in Donald Trump’s social media company spiked after the president-elect again vowed not to sell his stake in the parent company of Truth Social and called for an investigation into “market manipulators or short sellers.”

Trump Media’s stock price increased by nearly 16 percent to $32 per share on Friday, as investors reacted to the news.

In interviews with ABC News before the election, some shareholders expressed optimism about the company’s future if Trump won the election, in large part due to his potential ability to investigate and stop so-called “naked short sellers,” who they blamed for the company’s lackluster stock price.

Earlier this year, Trump Media’s CEO Devin Nunes called for Nasdaq to investigate whether the company’s stock price was manipulated by short sellers betting against the company without owning or borrowing shares.

“I’m very happy he’s the president and think he’ll do something about the short selling when he gets into office,” Todd Schlanger, a shareholder from West Palm Beach, told ABC News.

“The system seems kind of rigged,” Todd Schlanger, a shareholder from West Palm Beach, told ABC News earlier this year. “Once he becomes president, I think he’s going to fire the head of the SEC, and I think that’s going to make a big change for the company and for all companies.”

Shares in the company — which some analysts saw as a bellwether for Trump’s electoral odds — have surged since late September when the stock traded as low as $12. As Trump’s odds of winning the election improved, the stock’s value tripled in October, trading at more than $50 per share.

But the company’s long-term success remains uncertain, with the company losing more than $19 million during the last quarter while bringing in only $1 million in revenue, according to a recent SEC filing.

According to Similarweb, a data tracking site, the site only attracts 3.7 million unique monthly visitors, compared to rival X’s 461.4M monthly visitors.

As Trump heads into office and the company’s share price continues to surge, his 57 percent stake in the company is worth nearly $4 billion.

Suspect in custody following spate of stabbing attacks in Seattle: Police

November 9, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(SEATTLE) — Five people were stabbed in Seattle on Friday, marking the latest incident in a string of stabbings over the past two days in the same area, police said.

A suspect was taken into custody following Friday’s stabbing attack, which appeared to be random, Seattle Police Deputy Chief Eric Barden told reporters at a press briefing.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, is believed to be linked to several of the recent stabbing incidents, police said.

The latest stabbing incident occurred Friday afternoon in the 1200 block of South Jackson Street, in the Chinatown-International District, Seattle police said.

Four of the victims were transported to a local hospital in various conditions, including one who still had a knife in them, Barden said. A fifth victim was treated and released at the scene, police said.

A man matching a description given by witnesses was located nearby and arrested without incident, Barden said. A weapon was also recovered near the suspect, he said.

“This is a horrific tragedy, a mass casualty event,” Barden said.

In addition to the five victims in this incident, five other people have been stabbed in the area in a roughly 38-hour period, according to Seattle police.

The suspect is believed to be linked to four of those stabbings, while one is still being investigated, police said.

The first incident occurred early Thursday, in which a 52-year-old woman was stabbed eight times, police said.

Three other stabbing incidents involving male victims occurred on Thursday, police said. Two of the victims were stabbed multiple times. The other victim told police the assailant tried to stab him in the chest but he managed to block the assault, though sustained a cut to his hand, police said. The victim’s cellphone was also stolen, police said.

Another stabbing occurred early Friday, where a victim was found bleeding “heavily from the neck” and transported to a local hospital in serious condition, police said.

Barden said that beyond the robbery incident, the stabbings appeared to be “just random attacks.”

“This incident was apparently one individual over a 38-hour period of time committing random assaults. That is an aberration. That is not at all the norm,” Barden said. “With a suspect in custody, I think we are returned to normal.”

The Cure’s ’Songs of a Lost World’ debuts at #1 in the UK

November 9, 2024 by WDNY Radio

The Cure‘s Songs of a Lost World has debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.

“It is enormously uplifting, genuinely heartwarming to experience such a wonderful reaction to the release of the new Cure album,” says frontman Robert Smith. “To everyone who has bought it, listened to it, loved it, believed in us over the years – THANK YOU!”

The Cure last hit #1 across the pond 32 years ago, with 1992’s Wish. The band has never reached #1 on the Billboard 200.

Songs of a Lost World was released on Nov. 1. It’s the first new Cure album in 16 years.

The Funeral Portrait notches first #1 single on ‘Billboard’ Mainstream Rock chart

November 9, 2024 by WDNY Radio

The Funeral Portrait has grabbed hold of the top spot on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with their single “Suffocate City.”

The track, which features Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas, gives The Funeral Portrait their first #1 on the ranking.

“Suffocate City” also marks Charnas’ first leader on Mainstream Rock Airplay — his peak with Ice Nice Kills is #9 with “A Grave Mistake.”

Two other artists have landed their first #1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay in 2024: Daughtry with “Artificial,” and Wage War with “Magnetic.”

In addition to conquering a Billboard chart, The Funeral Portrait’s 2024 has included putting out a new record, Greetings from Suffocate City, and touring with Five Finger Death Punch and Marylin Manson.

The Rolling Stones are ‘honored’ to receive Grammy nod for ‘Hackney Diamonds’

November 8, 2024 by WDNY Radio

On Nov. 8, The Rolling Stones received a Grammy nomination for Rock Album of the Year for their critically acclaimed 2023 release, Hackney Diamonds. Now the legendary band has issued a statement reacting to the nod.

“We are honored Hackney Diamonds has been recognized for a Grammy,” say Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. “This past year has been a thrill to see our new music celebrated, especially when it comes to the heart and soul of what we’ve always been about—rock ‘n’ roll.”

“Rock music has been the epicenter of our lives for over 60 years, and Hackney Diamonds is not only a return to our roots, but also an evolution.”

Hackney Diamonds was The Stones’ first album of original material since 2005 and has sold over 1 million copies. The album’s first single, “Angry,” was nominated for the Best Rock Song Grammy last year. Hackney Diamonds featured guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Paul McCartney and the Stones’ former bass player, Bill Wyman.

Chinese hacking effort is far more pervasive than previously reported, sources say

November 8, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Chinese effort to hack prominent Americans is far more pervasive than previously reported, ABC News has learned.

Sources told ABC News that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials are concerned the espionage operation by the Chinese government may have been in place for well over a year — and perhaps longer — before it was recently discovered.

The Chinese appear to have been able to gather large volumes of data in a sweeping covert campaign targeting the cellphones and mobile devices of business leaders and other high profile Americans of both political parties, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The evidence is mounting that in some cases the Chinese operation was able to tap into, or get access to, what cellphone users of Verizon, AT&T and Lumen were communicating.

Authorities are trying to determine whether the Chinese were able to listen to conversations and watch text messages in real time, as they were occurring, or if they captured the material for review at a later time.

Sources said that U.S. officials are only beginning to understand the breadth of the Chinese operation, but what they have found so far is deeply concerning and represents a massive breach of privacy on a disturbing scale.

The targets have included not only former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, but also individuals working in a number of government agencies.

The FBI is systematically contacting victims, sources said.

Salt Typhoon, the name given to an advanced, persistent threat actor run by the Chinese government, is believed to be behind the operation.

Intelligence officials suspect Salt Typhoon hackers exploited routers as a gateway to cellphones and mobile devices, and there is concern that Chinese capabilities for intrusion may have made significant advances.

In a statement issued last month, Verizon representatives said, “We are aware that a highly sophisticated nation-state actor has reportedly targeted several U.S. telecommunications providers to gather intelligence. Along with federal law enforcement, industry peers and third-party cyber experts, we have been and are working to confirm, assess and remediate any potential impact. Verizon is committed to assisting law enforcement in this investigation.”

Representatives for AT&T and Lumen declined to comment.

Green Day, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen among nominees for 2025 Pollstar Awards

November 8, 2024 by WDNY Radio

The Grammys weren’t the only awards show to announce its nominees Friday. The concert trade publication Pollstar has also revealed its nominees for the 2025 Pollstar Awards.

Up for the Rock Tour of the Year prize are Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Green Day, blink-182, Metallica and Coldplay.

Coldplay is also nominated for the all-genre Major Tour of the Year prize, along with Noah Kahan.

Other nominees include Paramore and The Smashing Pumpkins for Support/Special Guest of the Year for opening for Taylor Swift and Green Day, respectively, Billie Eilish for Pop Tour of the Year, and Sleep Token for New Headliner of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Residency of the Year category includes U2, Dead & Company and Eagles‘ runs at the Las Vegas Sphere, and Billy Joel‘s residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, which concluded in July after 10 years.

The 2025 Pollstar Awards will take place Feb. 19.

KISS’ Paul Stanley says it’s been an ‘adjustment’ to stop touring

November 8, 2024 by WDNY Radio

KISS fans are no doubt disappointed that the band’s live career has come to an end, but even the band’s Paul Stanley says he’s having trouble getting used to the idea.

In a preview of an upcoming interview on the Rock of Nations podcast, Stanley says that it’s been an “adjustment” for him to realize that, after 50 years, he isn’t going to be touring in the near future.

“There’s no way to give that up and not feel a sense of, if not lost, kind of disoriented,” he says. “It was time [to stop] and intellectually it made sense, but that doesn’t mean that emotionally it doesn’t play a part in it. So, yeah, being home … is normal. What’s not normal is I’m not going back out.”

“KISS remains. We’re so involved in what’s going on now and the future and this phenomenal, mind-boggling KISS avatar show,” he continues. “But, yeah, to not be up there — I see video from 10 months ago, 11 months ago and it almost seems like a lifetime ago, because I’ve kind of come to grips with not doing that again.”

Referring to the band’s planned avatar show, which will feature holographic representations of each member in makeup as their iconic characters, Stanley noted, “Star Child is forever — but me up there, that’s done.”

Incidentally, November marks the 51st anniversary of KISS signing their first record contract.

Art Garfunkel and son cover hits by Simon & Garfunkel, Eurythmics, Cat Stevens & more on new joint album

November 8, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Art Garfunkel and his son Art Garfunkel Jr. have teamed up for a joint album — called, appropriately, Father And Son — which features them covering songs from the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

The album is out now, and includes the two singing everything from Cyndi Lauper‘s “Time After Time” and The Everly Brothers‘ “Let It Be Me” to Eurythmics‘ “Here Comes the Rain Again” and Nat King Cole‘s “Nature Boy.” The two even duet on the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Old Friends.”

“I like to say my son is a better singer than I am. I mean, I’m pretty good … but he is better … it’s very thrilling to record with him now,” the elder Garfunkel says in a statement. “The new album is a love letter. It brings us together.”

The younger singer, born James Garfunkel in 1990, says, “It’s truly a father-son project. I brought more of the 80s influences into the project, and my father brought more of the Great American Songbook – wonderful songs from the 1940s and so on. These two influences came together in a pretty exciting way.”

The father-son duo will do a residency at New York City’s The Carlyle hotel from Nov. 12 through Nov. 16.

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