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Early heat wave on West Coast to stretch through end of the week

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A dangerous heat wave that began much earlier than usual is continuing on the West Coast.

Heat advisories are currently in place for Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and down to Fresno and Bakersfield in California.

Several record-high temperatures were broken over the weekend in California and the Pacific Northwest, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs of 95 degrees in North Bend, Oregon, 92 degrees in Portland and 89 degrees in Seattle all broke daily records on Sunday. A temperature of 102 degrees in Bakersfield tied the record.

More record heat is forecast on Monday from Seattle down to Portland, where temperatures are expected to remain near 90 degrees.

Slight relief will come on Tuesday for some regions, such as Seattle, but heat returns by the middle of the week, with 90-degree temperatures expected in Portland and near 100-degree temperatures forecast in Fresno to end the week.

The scorching temperatures are unseasonable for this time of year, especially for the Pacific Northwest. The majority of households in the region are not equipped with central air conditioning, raising the risk for heat-related illness for residents there. Extreme heat is the deadliest natural hazard in the U.S, experts said.

Temperatures do not typically begin to climb so high in the region until well into June, records show.

The increase of extreme heat is an indicator of human-caused climate change, scientists say.

More than 230 locations in the U.S. have seen the annual number of minimum mortality temperature heat days — temperatures at which the health risks also start to rise — by 21 more days on average since 1970, according to an analysis by Climate Central.

Man, woman arrested after 3 pounds of cocaine falls from fake pregnancy belly: Sheriff

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Deputies in South Carolina arrested a “pregnant” woman after three pounds of cocaine fell from a rubber belly the suspect allegedly taped to herself.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled over Anthony Miller and Cemeka Mitchem, both of Charlotte, on Interstate 85 on April 12 during a “proactive patrol,” according to an account from the sheriff’s office.

Public Information Officer Shale Remien told ABC News that the stop was predicated on Miller’s erratic driving. He allegedly weaved through multiple lanes and nearly collided with a semi-trailer truck, Remien said.

Miller and Mitchem behaved nervously during the stop and volunteered that Mitchem was pregnant, according to Remien.

“The first red flag began when the two gave conflicting information about her ‘due date,'” the release from the office said.

Remien added that the two offered different information about their destination. Deputies also found marijuana in their vehicle, according to Remien.

Mitchem fled from the officers as they grew increasingly suspicious of the “conflicting story” offered by the couple, according to police.

“Mitchem immediately took off running and very quickly drugs fell from the fake rubber stomach,” the release noted.

Both Mitchem and Miller were arrested and face drug trafficking charges for the 1,500 grams of cocaine officers retrieved from the stop. The two remain incarcerated in Anderson County.

“It’s not every day we see something like that,” Remien said.

Information about Miller and Mitchem’s attorney was not immediately available.

‘Archer’ to end with season 14, ‘Justified: City Primeval’ teaser debuts and more

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

FX’s long-running, Emmy-winning animated series Archer will come to an end with this upcoming 14th season.

The network made the announcement Monday as part of its trumpeting its slate of upcoming programming on FX, FXX and Hulu, which streams their shows, along with return dates for long-running hit It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and acclaimed comedies What We Do in the Shadows and Reservation Dogs.

FX also dropped a teaser to Justified: City Primeval, a continuation of the cop series starring Timothy Olyphant.

As previously announced, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for its 16th season June 7 on FXX and streaming on Hulu.

On June 22 on Hulu, FX’s award-winning The Bear returns with all 10 episodes of its second season.

On FX itself, July 13 will see Shadows kick off for the vampire mockumentary’s fifth season at 10 p.m., followed by City Primeval with a two-episode debut on July 18 at 10 p.m.

On August 2, FX’s Reservation Dogs returns for its third season on Hulu.

The teaser to City Primeval shows that Olyphant’s Raylan Givens, the man in the hat, is back, but in the big city. The network teases, “Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.”

KISS’ Gene Simmons confirms he slept with over 5,000 women

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons’ prowess with the ladies has been the subject of rumors for years, particularly the claim that he has slept with over 5,000 women. Well, now he’s setting the record straight.

“I’ve heard all about those numbers,” he tells The Sun when asked about the rumors. When pushed about whether they were true, he responded “confirmed.”

“For me, an insane heterosexual male, party means girls. I was like a vulture, waiting on the sidelines until all the guys got drunk,” Simmons, who says he doesn’t drink, shares. “But the prettiest girls didn’t get drunk so I’d walk in and choose whichever — as you Brits say — birds I liked.”

Simmons and his KISS bandmates are getting ready to say goodbye to the road, with the U.K./European leg of their End of the Road tour kicking off June 3 in Birmingham, England. As for why they are finally ready to give it up, Simmons says, “It’s the end of the touring band because we have enough self-respect. We don’t want to be like boxers who stay in the ring too long.”

He notes, “If I was in the Rolling Stones, who are great by the way, I could strum a guitar wearing sneakers and T-shirt and it would be fine. I admire Mick Jagger for pushing the limits but I can’t keep doing it with 40lb of studs and armor and eight-inch heels.”

A complete list of KISS’ End of the Road tour dates can be found at kissonline.com.

“Do what you want. I got paid already”: Michael J. Fox on rumors of a ‘Back to the Future’ reboot

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Michael J. Fox doesn’t think his beloved Back to the Future films should be remade, but in a conversation with Variety, the actor joked, “I’m not fanatical. Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already.”

That said, Fox expresses, “I don’t think it needs to be.”

The Emmy-winning actor and Parkinson’s advocate explains the trilogy’s director, Robert Zemeckis, and co-writer Bob Gale are fiercely protective of the franchise. Fox added, “I think Bob and Bob have been really smart about that. I don’t think it needs rebooting because are you going to clarify something? You’re going to find a better way to tell the story? I doubt it.”

Fox also addressed that at some point, he’s “sure somebody thought about” a fourth film in the BTTF franchise, but allows, “But I was in the early stages of Parkinson’s at that point, so I don’t know that I would have wanted to take that on. Right after [1990’s] Part III had done well, there might have been conversations about it, but I never got involved in them.”

Rod Stewart’s a grandpa for the third time

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rod Stewart‘s daughter Ruby has made him a grandfather again.

Ruby, Rod’s daughter with his ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg, announced on Mother’s Day that she and her fiancé, Jake Kalic, had welcomed a baby boy, Otis Stewart Kalic, on May 9. “I can’t remember what life was like before you….But nothing else matters now that you’re here,” Ruby wrote on Instagram.

Rod’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter and her daughter, Ruby’s half-sister Renee, both congratulated Ruby in the comments.

But it turns out that Rod actually became a grandfather for the third time, not thanks to Ruby, but thanks to his and Hunter’s son, Liam. Liam and his partner, Nicole Artukovich, announced that their son, Louie Mark Roderick Stewart, had arrived on May 12. Since Ruby’s baby was born on May 9, Otis is Rod’s second grandchild, while Louie is his third.

As for his first grandchild, that’s Delilah, who’s 11. Her parents are Rod’s daughter Kimberly — from his first marriage, to Alana Hamilton Stewart — and actor Benicio Del Toro.

We hope Rod has a scorecard to keep track of his growing family.

Vice files for bankruptcy amid digital media struggles

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Vice Media, the youth-oriented publisher of prominent online outlets such as Vice and Motherboard, filed for bankruptcy on Monday, underscoring the fraught economic environment for digital media companies as economic growth slows and the advertising market softens.

The group of sites, which includes food outlet Munchies and fashion news brand Refinery29, will continue publishing as the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process unfolds and the site takes on new ownership, Vice Media said in a statement.

The bankruptcy announcement will facilitate the sale of Vice Media to a group of its top lenders led by Fortress Investment Group and Soros Fund Management — which has agreed to an acquisition of the company that values it at about $225 million, the statement said.

“This accelerated court-supervised sale process will strengthen the Company and position VICE for long-term growth, thereby safeguarding the kind of authentic journalism and content creation that makes VICE such a trusted brand for young people and such a valued partner to brands, agencies and platforms,” Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala, Vice Media’s co-CEOs, said in a statement.

“We will have new ownership, a simplified capital structure and the ability to operate without the legacy liabilities that have been burdening our business. We look forward to completing the sale process in the next two to three months and charting a healthy and successful next chapter at VICE,” they added.

The move comes weeks after Vice Media canceled its flagship TV program, Vice News Tonight, indicating the depth of layoffs and cost cuts already underway.

A string of layoff and closure announcements in digital media has arrived in response to cooling ad revenue that has punished balance sheets.

Vox Media cut 7% of its staff in January and Bustle Digital Group — the parent company of online media outlets like Bustle and NYLON — followed a month later with layoffs that affected 8% of its workforce.

BuzzFeed News, a brand synonymous with the rise of online news coverage, shuttered less than a month ago.

Founded by Shane Smith, Suroosh Alvi and Gavin McInnes in Montreal in 1994, Vice Media rose from an edgy print magazine to a plucky online news brand to a youth culture media empire, ultimately garnering an investment of more than $400 million from Disney. In 2017, Vice was valued at $5.7 billion.

However, the company fell into financial trouble as it struggled to convert a large readership into reliable digital ad sales, finding cold comfort in a volatile ad market where social media platforms reaped much of the revenue.

Vice Union, a labor organization that represents more than 320 employees at the company, said on Monday that it “stands strong in supporting our members through stressful and uncertain times — and is more than ready to fight tenaciously for our rights.”

“Regardless of who owns the company,” the union added.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Halle Bailey performs “Part of Your World” onstage at Disneyland

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Halle Bailey fans were gifted with a special performance during Sunday’s episode of American Idol. Dressed in an aqua blue gown, the singer delivered a live rendition of The Little Mermaid track “Part of Your World” from a stage at Disneyland, set in front of the Magic Kingdom castle and illuminated with blue lights. She says it was her first time singing the song since she filmed the movie.

“first time singing part of your world live since filming. thank you @AmericanIdol for giving me the chance to do so on stage at disneyland,” Halle wrote on Twitter. “singing vocals in freezing cold weather at 3am while park is closed is no joke but we did it! only 11 more days until you all can watch the film!”

“Part of Your World,” now available on streaming platforms, is one of many songs that will appear in the film, which also stars Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy.

The Little Mermaid and its accompanying soundtrack are due out on May 26.

Sting & Shaggy to launch One Fine Day Festival in Philly

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Sting fans will want to make their way to Philadelphia this September.

The Police frontman and frequent collaborator Shaggy are throwing their very own festival — the One Fine Day festival — taking place September 9 at The Mann Center, Fairmount Park.

Sting and Shaggy will team up for what’s being described as “a joint-set of combined greatest hits.” The festival will feature two stages, with a lineup that also includes Thundercat, G-Love and Special Sauce, Kofee and Tank and the Bangas.

“I love how Shaggy and I effortlessly push each other to the creative edges,” Sting shares. “After having made the 44/876 album together and recording an album of Frank Sinatra covers in a reggae style, a day of hits and musical adventures in one of our favorite cities seemed like the next illogical step!”

A Sting presale kicks off Tuesday, May 16, with the general sale set for Friday, May 19. More info and a complete lineup can be found at sting.com.

This isn’t the only chance Sting fans have to catch him onstage this year. He’ll kick off the North American leg of his My Songs tour on June 1 in Vienna, Virginia.

Biden plans to nominate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli at NIH

May 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden said Monday he intends to nominate a new director for the National Institutes of Health after Dr. Anthony Fauci stepped down.

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, a surgical oncologist and cancer researcher, was picked by Biden as the successor.

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