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Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(BEIJING) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday at 4:30 p.m. local time, according to an official with the U.S. Department of State.

The meeting comes amid soaring tensions between the United States and China, fueling concerns that the two counties could break out into conflict.

“State-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. I hope that Secretary Blinken, through this visit, could make positive contribution to stabilizing China-U.S. relations,” Xi said in opening remarks to Blinken before their closed-door meeting, according to Chinese state media.

Blinken, America’s top diplomat, arrived in the Chinese capital on Sunday for an official two-day visit aimed at easing tensions. He is the first U.S. secretary of state to visit China in five years and the highest-level U.S. official to make the trip since President Joe Biden took office.

On the first day of his high-stakes trip, Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for nearly six hours and, afterwards, both sides said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions, with Qin accepting an invitation from Blinken to visit Washington, D.C. However, behind closed doors, Qin told Blinken that China-U.S. ties “are at the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations,” according to Chinese state media.

Earlier Monday, Blinken met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours.

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

Scoreboard roundup — 6/18/23

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

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

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Baltimore 6, Chi Cubs 3
Cincinnati 9, Houston 7
Philadelphia 3, Oakland 2
San Diego 5, Tampa Bay 4
Cleveland 12 Arizona 3

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston 6, NY Yankees 2
Boston 4, NY Yankees 1
LA. Angels 5, Kansas City 2
Final Detroit 6 Minnesota 4
Texas 11, Toronto 7
Seattle 5, Chi White Sox 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 4, Washington 2
Atlanta 14, Colorado 6
Milwaukee 5, Pittsburgh 2
St. Louis 8, NY Mets 7
San Francisco 7, LA Dodgers 3

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New York 89, Phoenix 71
Washington 77, Chicago 69
Atlanta 100, Indiana 94
Connecticut 83, Los Angeles 74
Las Vegas 93, Minnesota 62

‘The Flash’ stumbles at the box office with $55.1 million

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

‘The Flash’ stumbles at the box office with .1 million

The Flash got off to a less than flashy start at the North American box office, earning an estimated $55.1 million over the weekend — good enough to take first, but less than the expected $70-million-plus opening, though it could add another $10 million or so on the Juneteenth holiday on Monday June 19. The movie, starring Ezra Miller as the titular character — a.k.a. Barry Allan — didn’t fare much better overseas, where it grabbed an estimated $75 million.

Disney-Pixar’s Elemental also had a disappointing opening weekend, finishing second with an estimated $29.5 million — the lowest opening gross for a Pixar film in 28 years. The animated feature — with a voice cast that includes Wendi McLendon-Covey and Catherine O’Hara — added an estimated $15 million overseas for a global total of $44.5 million.

Pulling up in third place was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, delivering an estimated $27.8 million, bringing its three-week domestic total to $280 million and $489.3 globally.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts grabbed an estimated $20 million, putting it in fourth place. The latest movie in the Transformers franchise has now earned $103 million. Worldwide, Rise of the Beasts has collected $174.3 million.

Rounding out the top five was Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, earning an estimated $11.6 million in its fourth week of release. The film has now racked up $253 million at the North American box office and $466 million worldwide.

Elsewhere, Wes Anderson‘s Asteroid City — starring Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Rita Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, and Liev Schreiber — scooped up an estimated $790,000 from six theaters in New York and Los Angeles. It goes wide next week.

Cole Swindell explains “Drinkaby” + why it makes the perfect show opener

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

With Cole Swindell‘s “Drinkaby” in the top 20 of the country charts this week, ABC Audio had to ask him an important question: “So, what is a ‘Drinkaby’?”

“I don’t really know what one is, but I just knew when I saw the title, I was like, ‘What is this?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, like a lullaby, but a drinkaby,'” explained Cole. “I was like, ‘That’s got to be a HARDY title or something.'”

Cole’s instinct was right, as HARDY did write the track with Jordan Schmidt, Hunter Phelps and Jon Pardi.

With summer in full swing, Cole’s looking forward to continuing opening for Thomas Rhett while promoting his current single and upcoming new music. His opening track? “Drinkaby,” of course.

“That’s what we’re kicking off the show with, and it’s doing exactly what we wanted it to do,” Cole shared of the “high energy” and “fun songs.” “It’s hard to follow up ‘She Had Me At Heads Carolina’ no matter what you put out, so it’s been fun to just see the reaction, live especially.”

“Drinkaby” is #16 on this week’s country charts and can be found on Cole’s Stereotype Broken deluxe album.

Megan Thee Stallion talks self-care, supportive fans and ‘Essence Festival’

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Megan Thee Stallion is set to headline the Essence Festival in July, but before then, she’s taking time out to do some of the things she loves. It’s part of the balance she’s trying to create between work and self-care.

“I’m doing a better job of prioritizing self-care,” Meg tells People. “Sometimes society places too much emphasis on hustle culture and not enough focus on physical and mental health. It’s a balance, so that’s why I’m making certain adjustments to my routine, and I want to let my Hotties know that it’s acceptable to reset and recharge when necessary.”

In Megan’s case, recharging includes “setting more boundaries” and using her self-care days to journal, pray, work out, binge-watch and spend time with her dogs. She says she’s grateful for the love she’s received, especially during and in the wake of her case with Tory Lanez, who was found guilty of shooting her in 2020.

“My Hotties have done so much to uplift and inspire me over the years. I’m so appreciative and humbled by their love,” she says, giving a special shout-out to the supportive Black women. With The Pete and Thomas Foundation, she hopes to pay it forward and uplift other Black queens.

Meg is one of many Black women performing at Essence Fest, which will feature fellow headliners Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Salt-N-Pepa. “They paved the way for women in hip-hop to shine,” Meg says. “I’m just so grateful to them for breaking barriers to create opportunities for artists like me.”

She adds that it’s “an honor to headline such a lineup full of legends and emerging stars,” especially during this year’s celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.

Essence Fest takes place June 29 to July 3 in New Orleans.

Taylor Swift thanks fans for making “Cruel Summer” a single four years after release

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

It’s going to be a good summer for Swifties. Taylor Swift is releasing “Cruel Summer” as a single, four years after its initial release on her album Lover.

She addressed the news during her show in Pittsburgh on Saturday, June 17, calling it “the weirdest, most magical thing.”

“‘Cruel Summer’ was on the Lover album,” she told the crowd. “That album came out four years ago. And I just need to let you know something: ‘Cruel Summer,’ that song was my pride and joy on that album.”

She explained it didn’t make the cut as a single at first, partly due the pandemic, which stopped it from being released as a summer anthem in 2020.

“No one understands how this is happening, but you guys have streamed ‘Cruel Summer’ so much right now in 2023…that my label just decided to make it the next single,” she said.

“Thank you to anyone who’s been listening to that song like 500 times a day,” Taylor said.

According to Billboard, Republic Records will officially start promoting “Cruel Summer” to pop radio stations as of Tuesday, June 20.

New INXS book coming this fall

June 19, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rock band INXS will be the subject of a new book being released this fall by Petrol Records, UMe and uDiscover Music, along with This Day In Music Books.

Calling All Nations – A Fan History Of INXS, dropping October 3, aims to recount the history of the Aussie rockers through the stories and memories of their dedicated fanbase. The group’s surviving members — brothers Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss and Tim Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Gary Beers — have also contributed to the project.

“We are thrilled to have our fans come together to tell the story of INXS in their own words,” Pengilly shares. “Their support and passion have been instrumental in our success, and we are honored to have their contributions be a part of this book.” He adds it’s “a testament to the enduring legacy of INXS, and we hope it will continue to inspire and connect fans for generations to come.”

Calling All Nations will be released in three different editions: a limited hardcover edition; Special Edition box set, with items from the band’s history; and a Super Deluxe box set autographed by band members.

Calling All Nations is available for preorder now.

INXS gained international stardom in the ’80s and ’90s thanks to hits like “What You Need,” “Need You Tonight,” “Never Tear Us Apart” and “New Sensation.” A lot of that fame was thanks to their charismatic lead singer, Michael Hutchence, who took his own life in November 1997. The band did go on following Hutchence’s death, first with lead singer JD Fortune, who they found on the reality show Rock Star: INXS, and then later with Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin. They gave their last performance in November 2012.

State trooper killed, another wounded in separate Pennsylvania shootings that left suspect dead

June 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(MIFFLINTOWN, Pa.) — A state police trooper was killed and another was critically injured during two violent encounters with the same armed suspect in central Pennsylvania, the first unfolding in the parking lot of a state police barracks, authorities said.

The suspect, Brandon Stine of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot during a gunfight with officer Jacques Rougeau Jr., a 29-year-old state police trooper, who was killed, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens described the exchange of gunfire between the officer and suspect as being like in “a warzone,” according to ABC affiliate station WHTM-TV in Harrisburg.

The violence began at 12:45 p.m. Saturday when the gunman opened fire on Pennsylvania state trooper James Wagner in the parking lot of the Lewiston Station state police barracks near Mifflintown, about 45 miles northwest of Harrisburg, according to police. Wagner was taken to the hospital and was listed in critical condition on Sunday, police said.

After allegedly shooting Wagner, Stein fled the scene, setting off an intense search that lasted more than two hours, according to police.

During the search, Stine called 911 several times, Bivens said. State police officers attempted to talk Stine into surrendering but Bivens said the suspect seemed to be “playing a game of cat and mouse.”

Police eventually tracked down Stein and cornered him in Walker Township, about 50 miles northwest of Mifflintown, Bivens said.

Rougeau was among the first officers to arrive at the scene in Walker Township and was hit by a bullet that was fired through his windshield in what authorities said appeared to be an ambush by Stine, according to Bivens. Rougeau managed to return fire, killing Stine, according to police.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris visited Wagner and his family in a hospital.

“I thanked his colleagues for their service and prayed for his recovery,” Shapiro said in a statement released on Twitter.

Shapiro said he and his wife Lori “send our love to the family of the trooper killed.”

Shapiro praised the two state troopers who were shot, saying, “Each one put themselves on the line to protect their fellow troopers — and to protect their fellow Pennsylvanians.”

A motive for the shootings remained under investigation Sunday.

At least 25 U.S. law enforcement officers have now been shot to death in the line of duty this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. In 2022, a total of 61 U.S. law enforcement officers were killed by gunfire in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page website.

Dads in Congress reflect on working in Washington while making sure ‘kids come first’

June 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — At 10 months old, Hodge Gomez has already roamed the halls of Congress, meeting with politicians and presidents.

He even went viral — watching all 15 rounds of Kevin McCarthy’s historically messy fight for the speakership from the arms of his dad, California Rep. Jimmy Gomez.

“He’s a famous little baby,” Gomez recently told ABC News, joking, “I’m just riding his coattails.”

Hodges’ charm, and Gomez’s new fatherhood, led him this year to help create the Congressional Dads Caucus, a group of 28 lawmakers, all Democrats, focusing on what they call the big picture parenting issues, like expanding the child tax credit and paid family leave.

“Now I get other issues in a more visceral sense. Like child care. It’s expensive,” Gomez said.

“You can see it on paper,” he said, “but when you’re going through it, you’re experiencing what other parents experience.”

Since the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, dads across the country say they have started taking a larger role in parenting.

But according to Pew Research data, while fathers have increased their child care workload over the years, moms still report taking on the most responsibility.

The dads caucus is well aware of that.

“These should not be issues that only moms are worried about or fighting for,” said Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, who co-founded the caucus with Gomez and New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim.

“The burden still disproportionately falls on mothers. And part of what we’re trying to do is uplift the responsibility that dads have for families,” Goldman said.

While they work, members of Congress are often stuck on Capitol Hill, away from their kids sometimes nearly half of the year.

“Their assumption is that I’m not going to be there in some way. … And what pains me about this is like the only reason I’m here is because I’m a dad,” Kim said.

But for advice on how to balance it all, look no further than Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3-ranking Republican in the House. Emmer and his wife raised six boys and one girl.

“Kids come first no matter what. I’ve actually had this conversation with members already: Your family comes first,” he told ABC News.

A hockey dad and coach-turned-congressman, Emmer has carried lessons from the rink to Washington.

“All the personalities are different. People have up days and down days. My wife has always said when we had everybody at home — she called it organized chaos,” he said.

Gomez and his wife, Mary, say they wouldn’t trade Hodge’s papoose or the Capitol diaper changes for the world.

For them, Hodge — with his wide-eyes always looking toward the future — is a symbol of what they’re fighting for.

“He’s part of a story, he’s part of a family, and that’s what I want him to know,” Gomez said. “Not just that his dad was a member of Congress, but what his grandparents sacrificed, what their parents sacrificed, and understand what his role is in the bigger story of America but also of his own family.”

Juneteenth celebration horror: 23 shot, 1 fatally, at Illinois event

June 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WILLOWBROOK, Ill.) — At least 23 people were injured, one fatally, when gunfire erupted early Sunday at a Juneteenth celebration in suburban Chicago, authorities said.

The shooting unfolded about 12:30 a.m. in the parking lot of a strip mall in Willowbrook, about 23 miles west of Chicago, according to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

The gunfire erupted during a large gathering of several hundred people to commemorate Juneteenth, Battalion Chief Joe Ostrander with the Tri-State Fire Protection District told ABC Chicago station WLS-TV.

Victims were taken to multiple area hospital with gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff’s office. One person was pronounced dead and at least two were in critical condition, Deputy Chief Eric Swanson of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference.

No arrests have been announced.

A motive for the shooting is under investigation.

Sheriff’s deputies had been monitoring the annual Juneteenth celebration when they responded to a 911 call of a fight breaking out nearby, the sheriff’s department said. While deputies were investigating the report of the fight, they heard gunshots and immediately returned to the Juneteenth celebration, authorities said.

“An unknown number of suspects fired multiple rounds from multiple weapons into the crowd,” police said in a statement.

In addition to those shot, several victims were treated at area hospitals for injuries they suffered attempting to flee the area, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives were combing through security video and witness cellphone video Sunday afternoon in hopes of identifying suspects, authorities said.

Witnesses described a scene of panic with people scattering in all directions, seeking cover from the barrage of gunfire.

“It was supposed to be like a Juneteenth celebration; we just started hearing shooting, so we dropped down until they stopped. They just kept going. After that, we literally scattered away,” witness Markeshia Avery told WLS-TV.

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