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EEOC alleges anti-white discrimination at Nike, seeks court enforcement of subpoena

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The federal agency that investigates workplace discrimination is seeking court enforcement of a subpoena it has issued to Nike as it pursues allegations that the athletic apparel maker has been discriminating against its white employees in its corporate diversity policies.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed its motion this week in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, where Nike has a factory that produces its famous AIR footwear technology.

The agency’s charges against Nike date to 2024, when commission member, and current Trump-appointed chair, Andrea Lucas alleged that Nike had been engaging in a pattern of discriminatory practices, including “race-based workforce representation quotas,” and hiring, promotion, demotion and firing decisions that were a function of “disparate treatment against White employees, applicants, and training program participants.”

In its filing, the EEOC says the charges were not triggered by internal complaints from workers, but were “based on publicly available information regarding Nike,” including the company’s public pledges to have “30% representation of racial and ethnic minorities at Director level and above in the U.S.,” and 35% representation across its entire U.S. corporate workforce.

The EEOC said in the filing that it has gone to court because the company provided some, but not all, of the data the agency requested on the racial and ethnic makeup of its workforce following the issuance of a subpoena last September.

“Respondent NIKE’s failure to comply with the subpoena has delayed and hampered the EEOC’s investigation of alleged unlawful employment practices under Title VII” of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the motion states.

In a statement to ABC News, a Nike spokesperson said that the EEOC’s move to seek court enforcement of the subpoena “feels like a surprising and unusual escalation.”

“We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency,” the Nike statement said. “We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC’s inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information.”

Nike’s statement further said it is “committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow[s] all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination,” adding, “we believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously. We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition.”

Freight train carrying flammable liquids derails in Connecticut, prompting shelter in place: Officials

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MANSFIELD, Calif.) — A freight train carrying flammable liquids derailed in Connecticut on Thursday, prompting a shelter-in-place advisory, officials said.

Approximately 14 railcars of a New England Central Railroad (NECR) train went off the tracks shortly after 9 a.m. in Mansfield near a body of water, fire officials said.

Six railcars carrying liquid propane went fully off the track, with four ending up in water, officials said.

Other derailed cars were carrying liquified natural gas and cooking grease, according to Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache.

The derailment occurred along the Willimantic River, near Eagleville Lake, according to NECR.

Air monitoring has not detected any flammable leaks from any of the train cars, Roache said during a press briefing Thursday. An NECR spokesperson also said there is no indication of any leaks.

Richard Scalora, a supervising emergency response coordinator with the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said his staff is working on several of the railcars to “assure that we don’t have any releases.”

“We’re going to continue in this position until all the rail cars are back on their wheels and safely removed from the area,” he said during the press briefing.

All residents within a half-mile of the area have been advised to shelter in place out of an abundance of caution, due to concerns over a potential natural gas leak, officials said.

No injuries have been reported, according to an NECR spokesperson.

“First responders are on scene with NECR managers to assess the situation,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Emergency response contractors are also en route to assist with an expeditious cleanup.”

The cleanup is anticipated to take several days due to the hard-to-reach location, with crews working to gain access to the site and bring in cranes, according to Roache.

“It’s not going to be a today operation,” he said. “We’re definitely taking it slow and methodical.”

Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said he will be issuing an emergency declaration later Thursday, calling it a “very serious event.”

“We are blessed with natural resources in this community that we want to safeguard, and certainly potential hazardous waste spill is a serious concern,” he said during the briefing. “Fortunately, right now, it appears that the situation is under control and the public health and safety is being maintained.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said he is in touch with “our state emergency management and environment teams to assess any impacts regarding the train derailment involving hazardous materials in Mansfield.”

Car crashes into LA grocery store; 3 dead, several hurt: Officials

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — At least three people were killed and six others were hurt when a car crashed into a grocery store in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles Fire Department officials.

It appears the driver — a woman who’s about 70 years old — lost control of her car, hitting a bicyclist and then crashing into the market, LA fire officials said.

The crash is being investigated as accidental, not intentional, officials said.

It appears some victims were trapped under the car, officials said.

Six people were injured: two suffered serious or critical injuries; two had minor or moderate injuries; and two declined to be taken to a hospital, officials said.

The driver is being evaluated and is speaking with officers, officials said.

Congress secures long-term funding for the World Trade Center Health Program

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Congress has approved legislation for a funding fix that fully supports the World Trade Center Health Program and prevents a projected multibillion-dollar shortfall that threatened the program’s future.

At a press conference Thursday morning, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., highlighted the action as a critical step toward protecting long-term care for those sickened by toxic exposure after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“Fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program honors our promise to never forget 9/11 survivors and the brave first responders who put their lives on the line for our country,” Gillibrand said.

Since its creation in 2011 through an act of Congress, the program reports it has helped over 150,000 individuals get care and medical monitoring. Gillibrand said the package will fully fund the program through 2040.

The new measure updates how the program is financed, allowing it to meet rising medical costs and growing enrollment without the risk of sudden funding gaps.

Supporters say the change provides long-term stability for the thousands of people whose health was harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

“Making sure our 9/11 first responders and survivors have the resources they need to cope with the long-term health effects from toxic exposure has been one of my top priorities for my entire service in Congress,” Gillibrand said. “I am relieved that, after years of fighting tirelessly for its passage, this funding has been signed into law.”

The World Trade Center Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for first responders, cleanup workers, and community members affected by 9/11-related exposure. Advocates stressed that stable funding is critical not only for current patients but also for people who may develop related illnesses years or decades later.

Doctors, responders, advocates, and survivors have long warned that the program faced a looming financial crisis.

Enrollment has continued to grow as more people develop cancers and chronic conditions linked to toxic dust and debris, while aging patients require more complex care, Benjamin Chevat, executive director for nonprofit Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, told ABC News.

An outdated funding formula failed to reflect those realities, raising concerns that treatment could be delayed or limited, advocates cautioned.

Still, supporters say funding alone does not resolve all of the program’s challenges.

“Finally, fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program after so many years is a real accomplishment, for the 9/11 responders and survivors who walked the halls of Congress and called their representatives, and for Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Sen. Gillibrand among others who worked to get it done,” Chevat said.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is named after a New York City Police Department officer whose 2006 death was linked to exposures from the World Trade Center disaster.

Chevat said that some challenges remain for the program.

Certification of new conditions has slowed, staffing shortages persist at some clinical sites, and administrative backlogs have delayed care for certain patients, Chevat said. Addressing these issues will ensure the program can fully deliver on its mission, he added.

Dr. Joseph Wendt, a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.

Ziggy Marley pays tribute to dad Bob Marley with new song

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Reggae legend Bob Marley would have turned 81 on Friday, and in celebration of his father, Grammy-winning singer Ziggy Marley has dropped the new song “Many Mourn For Bob.”

The track is the first song Ziggy has ever written specifically dedicated to his father, who passed away in 1986 at age 45, when Ziggy was 12. An accompanying video features photos of Bob from Ziggy’s childhood.

According to a press release, Ziggy was inspired to write the song while producing the 2024 Marley biopic Marley: One Love.

“‘Many Mourn For Bob’ is a reflection on my father from the deepest parts of my heart and subconscious mind born from rediscovering him with new eyes,” says Ziggy.

“Many Mourn For Bob” is now available via digital outlets.

The song will appear on Ziggy’s upcoming ninth studio album, Brightside, which is being released April 18 for Record Store Day and digitally on May 1.

Lady Gaga says Bad Bunny doesn’t need any Super Bowl halftime advice from her

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Lady Gaga headlined the Super Bowl in 2017, but she says she doesn’t feel like she could offer any advice to Sunday night’s headliner, Bad Bunny.

In an email interview with People, Gaga said, “Honestly, I don’t think he needs any [advice] from me. He knows who he is, and that’s the only thing that matters when you step onto that stage. All he has to do is be the beautiful person he already is, and the world will feel his heart.”

Calling him a “brilliant musician” and an “incredibly kind human being,” Gaga added that she was “moved to tears” by his Grammy night speech, in which he said that love is more powerful than hate. “We need more artists willing to use the biggest moments to speak the truth,” she noted.

Gaga also shared with People her thoughts on her Super Bowl ad for Rocket and Redfin, for which she sang a new version of the theme from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

“I am an Italian American girl who grew up in a neighborhood full of every kind of person you could imagine, and I think that’s where I first learned that belonging doesn’t mean everyone looks like you or lives like you,” said Gaga. “It means people show up for each other.”

And that’s what she thinks is more important than ever, due to there being “a lot of pain” in the U.S. right now.

“There are communities who are being targeted, families who feel invisible, young people who feel hopeless. People are hurting,” she told People. “And the answer to that hurt has to be love. It has to be showing up for your neighbors, especially the ones who feel most alone. That’s what Mister Rogers taught us.”

Hayley Williams to perform at 2026 Newport Folk Festival

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Hayley Williams will be performing at the 2026 edition of the legendary Newport Folk Festival, taking place July 24-26 in Newport, Rhode Island.

The Paramore frontwoman’s set is billed as “Hayley Williams & Friends,” suggesting she’ll be joined by some special guests.

Tickets to Newport 2026 are sold out, but you can sign up for the waitlist at NewportFolk.org.

Williams’ Newport performance will follow her debut solo tour, which kicks off in March. She’d originally planned to embark on her first solo tour in 2020 before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Williams released a new solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, in 2025.

Nashville notes: Ella Langley’s Ronnie Milsap date + Charles Kelley’s mystery duet

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Charles Kelley is teasing a new collaborative version of his Songs for a New Moon track “Can’t Be Alone Tonight,” set to drop sometime in February.

Ella Langley and Vince Gill have joined the Feb. 24 Grand Ole Opry show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ronnie Milsap‘s addition to the cast.

The Red Clay Strays will play the new Mustang Stage at Stagecoach, which takes place April 24-26. Hootie & the Blowfish, BigXthaPlug, Counting Crows, Journey, Bush, Treaty Oak Revival, Third Eye Blind and The Wallflowers are also on the bill.

ZAYN announces world tour in support of new album, ‘KONNAKOL’

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Not only will we be getting solo albums from three different members of One Direction this year, we’ll also be getting three world tours.

Following tour announcements from Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, ZAYN has announced his KONNAKOL Tour, in support of his new album of the same name, due out April 17. The first single, “Die For Me,” arrives Friday.

The tour marks his first time headlining arenas and stadiums in North America, South America, Mexico and the U.K. It begins May 12 in Manchester, England, and is set to wrap up Nov. 20 in Miami, Florida. The U.S. leg of the tour begins July 19 in Philadelphia.

Tickets will be available through a ZAYN VIP KEY Presale on Feb. 10; all ZAYN VIP KEY holders will receive a unique passcode. You can join the community now through Sunday at midnight ET to receive the passcode.

More presales will run through the week, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Feb. 13. Sale times vary by market; Brazil’s general sale begins Feb. 11. VIP packages will also be available.

Meanwhile, Louis’ North American tour dates in support of his album How Did I Get Here? start June 3, and Harry’s Together, Together tour, in support of his album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. visits the U.S. starting in August.

Steve Carrell comedy ‘Rooster’ gets release date, official trailer

February 5, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Steve Carrell makes his return to TV comedy in the Rooster official trailer.

HBO Max has released the trailer and release date for the new original comedy series. It will debut to the streaming service on March 8. The 10-episode season will premiere a new episode each Sunday through May 10.

Carell stars as Greg Russo, a famous author who has a complicated relationship with his daughter Katie (Charly Clive).

The trailer starts with Katie, who is a college professor, saying that her husband, also a professor, has left her for a graduate student.

Greg visits the college’s campus to make sure Katie’s job is safe. This visit comes after a few incidents, such as a house fire and Katie punching her husband on-campus.

“You’re a bestselling author parents have actually heard of. We really could use your help,” the college’s president tells Greg on his visit.

Seemingly to save his daughter’s job, Greg takes on a teaching role at the school. This comes to the delight of the students, who refer to him as the hero of his book series — Rooster.

“Any time Katie has a problem, I swoop in. But I can’t fix this. I’m not Rooster,” Greg says.

“This is college,” a random college student tells him. “You can be the Rooster if you want.”

Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, John C. McGinley and Lauren Tsai also star in the comedy, which is co-showrun by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses.

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