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Russian judge strikes down appeal of “Wall Street Journal” reporter

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — A Russian judge denied the appeal of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been charged with spying, in a Moscow court on Tuesday.

The reporter, a correspondent with the paper’s Moscow bureau, stands accused of “acting on the instructions of the American side” and collecting state secrets about the military.

Moscow City Court was expected to hear an appeal of the espionage charge from Gershkovich’s legal team, Tatyana Nozhkina and Maria Korchagina of the ZKS law firm, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Gershkovich arrived after noon local time, wearing a checkered shirt and jeans. He stood inside a glass detention area within the courtroom, a standard practice for criminal defendants in the Russian court system. Members of the press were escorted out of the courtroom and into a nearby viewing area before the hearing began.

Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, was present in the courtroom. Speaking outside the court following the denial, Tracy said the charges were “baseless” and called again for Russian authorities to release Gershkovich.

“I can only say how troubling it was to see Evan, an innocent journalist, held in these circumstances,” Tracy said.

Russia’s FSB intelligence agency said on March 30 that it had detained the WSJ journalist for spying.

“It is established that Evan Gershkovich, acting on the instruction of the American side, was collecting information consisting of state secrets, about the activity of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex. He was arrested in Ekaterinburg during an attempt to receive secret information,” according to Interfax, a Russian state-affiliated news agency, which quoted FSB officials.

The Wall Street Journal said the same day that it “vehemently denies” the spying allegations brought by Russia’s intelligence service against its reporter.

The paper “seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter,” a WSJ spokesperson said in a statement, adding, “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”

“He is a distinguished journalist and his arrest is an attack on a free press and it should spur outrage in all free people and governments around the world,” Emma Tucker, WSJ editor-in-chief, and Almar Latour, WSJ publisher and Dow Jones CEO, said in a joint statement.

U.S. officials on April 10 said they determined Gershkovich had being “wrongfully detained” by Russia, a designation that would allow the U.S. government to more aggressively advocate for his freedom.

Tracy visited the detained reporter on Monday, according to the State Department.

“I can report based on what Ambassador Tracy has said, he’s in good health and good spirits considering the circumstances,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. “We continue to call for his immediate release from this unjust detention.”

Speaking outside the court on Tuesday, Tracy called for the release of both Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, another American detained in Russia.

“We also call for the immediate release of Paul Whelan,” Tracy said. “Paul has been held for more than four years in Russia. Both men deserve to go home to their families now.”

Classified documents leak on social media sparks debate over government monitoring

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The leak of dozens of highly classified documents on the social media platform Discord has elicited concern over online spaces where users can post sensitive government material without notice of authorities.

Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old airman in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, allegedly posted documents as early as December in a private Discord server, akin to a members-only chat room, according to charging documents.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was first informed of the leak months later in early April, he said at a press conference last week.

Teixeira was charged on Friday with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and willful retention of classified documents, which collectively carry a maximum of 15 years in prison.

The blockbuster leak underscores the challenge posed by social media platforms like Discord on which sensitive material can spread from private chat rooms into the public square, legal and national security experts said.

However, some experts and civil liberties advocates cautioned that expanded government surveillance of social media could violate privacy protections and limit free speech.

In an online statement on Friday, Discord Chief Legal Officer Clint Smith acknowledged the difficulty posed by the presence of sensitive government material but said the company had removed posts in connection with the Russia-Ukraine leak.

“Classified military intelligence documents pose a significant, complex challenge for Discord as they do for other online platforms – only authorized government personnel can determine whether a document is classified, unclassified, or even authentic,” Smith said.

“However, what is clear is that unauthorized disclosure of classified government documents violates Discord’s Terms of Service, which prohibit the posting of illegal content on our platform. Because of this, in connection with this incident, we have removed content, terminated user accounts, and are cooperating with the efforts of the United States Departments of Defense and Justice in their investigation of this incident,” he added.

The Biden administration, meanwhile, is considering an expansion of its surveillance of social media sites and chat rooms in the aftermath of the leak, NBC reported last week.

Discord, a platform with more than 150 million users worldwide, grew in popularity during the pandemic. Popular with young people and gamers, the site hosts different servers, or online communities, many of which are private.

In a 2021 cybersecurity report, the app drew scrutiny over its potential for enabling data theft.

“The Discord domain helps attackers disguise the exfiltration of data by making it look like any other traffic coming across the network,” a study from Cisco’s Talos cybersecurity team found.

The federal government faces robust legal limits in monitoring sites like Discord, however, since the U.S. cannot surveil private domestic communications without a warrant, James Lewis, a former senior intelligence official and a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told ABC News.

“Here’s an easy rule of thumb: Can you get it in a Google search?” Lewis said. “If the answer is ‘yes,’ it’s public; if you can’t, it’s private. Then you go down the route of a warrant.”

“If you had a private club and gathered around the table to talk, the government doesn’t have a right to break into that club,” he added.

In turn, social media platforms such as Discord face government pressure to monitor for illicit material but they encounter formidable challenges due in part to user preferences for data privacy, Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University law professor who studies social media and content moderation, told ABC News.

“Social media providers are stuck in the middle. On the one hand, we want them to police against the dissemination of classified information,” Goldman said. “On the other hand, we don’t want them removing documents at the government’s request.”

While the images of the documents appeared to originate on a private Discord server, they later spread on publicly accessible social media platforms, such as 4chan and Twitter.

Enhanced government surveillance online could hinder free speech across social media, Patrick Toomey, deputy director of the National Security Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, told ABC News.

“The disclosure of classified documents on one gaming website doesn’t justify pervasive monitoring of our social media by intelligence agencies,” Toomey said.

“Suspicionless monitoring of social media chills speech and threatens Americans’ right to live without fear of constant government scrutiny,” he added.

Focus on social media in the aftermath of the leak overlooks the issue of how Texeira got a hold of the trove of documents in the first place, said Lewis, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Why did a 21-year-old air national guardsmen have access to this material?” Lewis said. “That’s probably a better place to start because it doesn’t raise as many civil liberties concerns.”

While reexamining the pool of employees with access to highly classified information, the U.S. could also reconsider how it monitors such employees after granting them access, Lewis said.

“When you work for the government, particularly if you’re given security clearance, they usually make you sign a form giving them a right to access your bank account and other information,” he said.

“It seems like there’s a need for employees to expand that to include some monitoring of social media,” he added.

Here’s what we know right now about Amazon Prime Day 2023

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Are you gearing up for one of the biggest shopping events of the year? Here’s what we know about Amazon Prime Day right now.

Though the company has not made its official announcement, Amazon Prime Day historically is in mid-July originally celebrating Amazon’s Birthday, which is July 5.

As we creep towards the big day we are breaking down everything you need to know to prepare for Prime Day 2023.

Be sure to check back as more information is released and deals start becoming available to shop.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

The 48-hour shopping event gives Prime members exclusive access to deals on Amazon.com across all categories including fashion, home, kitchen products and more.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2023?

Though the company has not made its official announcement, Amazon Prime Day historically is in mid-July.

Best prime day deals 2022

In past years, Amazon devices such as Echo systems, Fire Sticks and Kindles were deeply discounted. It is a great time to make purchases on electronics that you have been waiting to snag.

How do I score the best deals during Prime Day?

During the 48 hours of sale fun, there will be multiple discounts to explore. If you take bargain hunting seriously, be sure to look out for what Amazon calls “flash deals” or “lightning sales” that are time-sensitive. While some items are on sale all day long, lightning deals will only last as long as selected products remain in stock.

Do I need to have a prime membership?

Yes, Prime Day is for Amazon Prime members only. Not a member just yet? Amazon offers a 30-day free trial of Prime membership for shoppers who want to be able to participate in Prime Day. If you are looking to make the most out of this 48-hour spectacular, signing up for a membership is the best way to go. For those online shopping lovers who are looking to save all year round, the membership is $14.99/month or $139/year. Students can register at half price for $7.49 per month.

YouTube updates guidelines for eating disorder-related content

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — YouTube , the largest video-sharing platform, announced Tuesday a new policy framework for eating disorder-related content, in the company’s latest effort to address the growing mental health crisis, especially among teens, who can often be “vulnerable viewers.”

“Mental health issues like eating disorders can be isolating and stigmatizing for people around the world. YouTube is an important platform for raising awareness and understanding of eating disorders from a variety of perspectives, and we want to empower creators to continue to share their stories,” Dr. Garth Graham, director of YouTube Health, said in part of a statement Tuesday.

The new policies outline prohibiting content that features “imitable behavior” for “at-risk viewers,” including content that shows or describes behavior like restricting calories, setting age restrictions on content that discusses disordered eating behavior and adding information about mental health resources under videos related to eating disorders.

The Google-owned global video-sharing platform, which boasts over two billion users, said it worked with the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and Asociación de Lucha contra la Bulimia y Anorexia to expand the scope of Community Guidelines.

“In developing the new policies, we worked closely with NEDA and other groups to enhance understanding of what constitutes imitable behavior, how it can show up in content, and how it can impact vulnerable viewers,” said Graham.

Disordered eating behaviors include binge-eating, purging, laxative abuse and fasting for weight loss, are nearly as common among males as they are among females. Nearly 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to NEDA .

The updated policy comes nearly a month after researchers reported that an increased time spent on social media platforms, like YouTube, was identified as a risk factor for disordered eating.

Andrea Vazzana, a child psychologist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders in children, adolescents and adults at NYU Langone, spoke to ABC News’ Good Morning America about young social media users and eating disorders last month. She said the negative influence of social media is largely due to the social comparisons that are part of engaging in these social media platforms, including filtered photos, weight loss challenges and videos of purging techniques.

However, social media can be helpful and used to educate and provide resources to those who may need them.

“We know from the data that YouTube had over 1.4 billion views on mental health content in the US in 2021 and we know that the earlier a person with an eating disorder reaches out and seeks treatment, the greater the likelihood of physical and emotional recovery,” said Sarah Chase, the vice president of communication for NEDA, in part of a statement. “YouTube is taking a further step in the right direction toward helping NEDA with our mission.”

Border Patrol apprehensions increased last month in line with past trends, new data shows

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Border Patrol apprehensions in the Southwest increased last month, as warming spring temperatures allowed migrants to more easily make their way to the U.S., according to Customs and Border Protection.

Migrant encounters by Border Patrol agents increased 25% from February to March, according to CBP, marking the lowest February to March rate of increase since President Joe Biden took office.

Historic Border Patrol data shows that increases in migration from February to March have been common across administrations — an indication of the seasonal trends.

“The January border enforcement measures continue to hold strong even against the typical migration patterns seen as we enter the warmer months,” a senior administration official told ABC News. “This month’s encounters are down 23% from last year, and the month-over-month change is the lowest seasonal increase seen in two years.”

The data released Monday shows that nationwide, authorities apprehended or detained migrants more than 250,000 times. Significant increases were reported by CBP in southern Florida, where some migrants land boats illegally, as well as along the northern border.

The Biden administration is under intense pressure to keep migrant apprehensions as low as possible. Some Republicans have seized on the record high levels of unauthorized migration seen last year, claiming it proves the border is not secure under Biden’s watch.

The number of apprehensions can also serve as an indicator of success for the administration’s recent dual-track approach of restricting asylum for some while opening alternative legal pathways for those applying for entry from outside the U.S.

The number of times Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans were apprehended decreased by 72% since early January, according to CBP data, when the administration announced it would send many unauthorized migrants from those countries back to Mexico.

Under a court ruling, the Biden administration continues to implement a controversial public health order issued by the Trump administration’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order requires border authorities to expel large numbers of migrants rapidly from the border, usually in a matter of hours.

In January, the Mexican government agreed to accept the rapid return of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. Administration officials at the time said they intend to carry out these plans even if Title 42 ends. Immigration experts have said removing non-Mexicans to Mexico under standard immigration processes and outside of the emergency pandemic order would require full cooperation from Mexican authorities.

There may be fewer people from those four countries reaching the Southwest — but they’re still migrating, according to one country’s data. Panama recorded more Venezuelans crossing the notorious Darien Gap this March than compared to last year. Although not as high as the fall, those numbers have climbed back up — an indication that many are being forced to stay in Mexico now or go elsewhere along the way.

Blinken confirms US diplomatic convoy was fired on in Sudan

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed an attack on a U.S. diplomatic convoy in Sudan amid ongoing violence in the region.

“Yesterday, we had an American diplomatic convoy that was fired on,” said Blinken, who is currently in Japan. “All people are safe.”

He called the attack “reckless, irresponsible and unsafe,” and said it’s being investigated.

Since heavy fighting erupted in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Saturday, at least 97 civilians have been killed in the crossfire while 365 others have been wounded, according to a statement released Monday morning from the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, a pro-democracy group monitoring casualties. The group noted there was “a number of injuries and deaths that are not included” because some “hospitals could not be accessed due to the difficulty of mobility and security situation in the country.”

“Severe damages have been confirmed” at several hospitals in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities, with some facilities now “completely out of service” after being bombed, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, which called the issue “a clear violation of international humanitarian law.”

While the violence has spread from Khartoum to other parts of Sudan, “the heaviest concentration of fighting” is centered in the densely populated capital, according to the World Health Organization, the global health arm of the United Nations.

The clashes are the culmination of weeks of tensions between Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese paramilitary group. So far, neither has shown any indication of backing down. The two men were once allies who had jointly orchestrated a military coup in 2021 that dissolved Sudan’s power-sharing government and derailed its short-lived transition to democracy, following the ousting of a long-time dictator in 2019.

Blinken tweeted late Monday, “I spoke to both Sudanese Armed Forces Commander [Gen. Abdel Fattah al] Burhan & Rapid Support Forces Commander [Mohamed Hamdan] Dagalo and underscored the urgent need for a cease-fire. Too many civilian lives have already been lost. Stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel and aid workers.”

The White House on Monday called for de-escalation and an “immediate cease-fire without conditions” in Sudan.

“This dangerous escalation jeopardizes the progress made to date in the negotiations to restore Sudan’s democratic transition, and it undermines the aspirations of the Sudanese people,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said.

Kirby said the military leadership is responsible for protecting civilians, non-combatants and those from third countries, including U.S. diplomatic personnel.

“We’ve been in direct contact with both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the SAF and the RSF, respectively, to urge them to end hostilities immediately, without preconditions. And we are consulting very closely with regional and other partners on the situation there in Sudan,” Kirby added.

He urged American citizens in Sudan to “treat this situation with the utmost seriousness.”

“Wall Street Journal” reporter arrested in Russia arrives in court for appeal hearing

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Evan Gershkovich, a “Wall Street Journal” reporter who has been charged with spying in Russia, arrived in court for a scheduled appeal hearing on Tuesday.

The reporter, a correspondent with the paper’s Moscow bureau, stands accused of “acting on the instructions of the American side” and collecting state secrets about the military.

Moscow City Court is expected to hear an appeal of the espionage charge from Gershkovich’s legal team, Tatyana Nozhkina and Maria Korchagina of the ZKS law firm, according to the Wall Street Journal. The hearing is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. local time, according to the court.

Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, was present in the courtroom.

Russia’s FSB intelligence agency said on March 30 that it had detained the WSJ journalist for spying.

The Wall Street Journal said the same day that it “vehemently denies” the spying allegations brought by Russia’s intelligence service against its reporter.

The paper “seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter,” a WSJ spokesperson said in a statement, adding, “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”

Tracy visited the detained reporter on Monday, according to the State Department.

What’s ahead for Miranda Lambert? “Cool collabs” and “fueling [her] creative vibes”

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

What’s next for Miranda Lambert now that she’s left her longtime label home at Sony Music Nashville?

That’s something lots of folks have been wondering since the ACM Entertainer of the Year announced her departure back in March. Now, she’s telling ABC Audio more about what’s next.

“I am, for the first time in 20 years a free agent,” Miranda points out. “I don’t have a label and I feel pretty great about it. I mean, I have Vanner Records, which was my imprint that now I have.”

“And it feels very inspiring to get to go see what’s out there and what options [there are],” she continues. “And, you know, it’s definitely a very different landscape than the first time I signed my first record deal at 19 years old.”

Miranda and Sony teamed up to launch Vanner back in 2016 with the The Weight of These Wings. Now, she’s open to seeing what the future holds.

“Everything has changed in the business,” she reflects, “and I’m excited to learn about it and hopefully be part of a new wave of whatever’s going on, because it changes so quickly.”

“But I do have a home,” she adds, “and it’s Nashville and this community. So I’m excited to see what comes to the table. And in the meantime, I’m just working on stuff and like getting inspired and seeing what’s fueling my creative vibes.”

In the meantime, Miranda reveals she’s been “writing a ton” and also has “a few cool collabs up [her] sleeve right now.”

Next month, she defends her Entertainer of the Year title at the ACMs, with four more nominations, including Album of the Year for Palomino.

Miranda’s cookbook, Y’all Eat Yet?, also arrives April 25.

Staind releasing new single “Lowest in Me” this week

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

It’s — say it with us — been awhile since Staind put out new music, but that will finally change this week.

The reunited rockers will premiere a fresh track titled “Lowest in Me” on Wednesday, April 19. You can presave it now.

“Lowest in Me” will be the first new song from Staind in 12 years. They last released a record, their self-titled seventh effort, in 2011. They went on hiatus in 2012 and then again after a tour in 2014. Staind then got back together once more in 2019 and have stayed reunited since.

In addition to the upcoming tunes, Staind will be hitting the road this summer on a co-headlining tour with Godsmack.

Lizzy McAlpine’s “next level” tour will have plenty of “Ceilings” fans

April 18, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lizzy McAlpine‘s The End of the Movie tour kicks off Tuesday night in Denver, and all those new fans she’s made thanks to “Ceilings” are getting a show that’s also new.

“We toured in the fall and…we didn’t have a bass player and we didn’t really have a set. We just had a rug,” she laughs. “And this time we’re adding my bass player back, and adding set design and lighting, and…we’re really elevating it. So I’m very excited to take it to the next level.”

Now, about all those new fans: Lizzy says the ones who’ve been following her since her 2020 debut album Give Me a Minute and the ones who just discovered her thanks to “Ceilings” are just going to have to figure out how to get along.

“A lot of people will be like, ‘I was here like before “Ceilings” blew up on TikTok!’ and ‘I was here since Give Me a Minute!’ and all this stuff,” she tells ABC Audio. “And I think it’s funny. I mean, I don’t know, you join when you join and we’re all on the same train, y’know?”

“They’re very territorial,” she laughs. “They’re very protective. I love it!”

Lizzy also loves the fact that generally, the people who come to see her are singing all her songs back to her.

“It’s really insane. It’s so cool because, like, they know every word to every song,” she tells ABC Audio. “There will probably be people on this tour that maybe only know “Ceilings,” but for the majority, like last tour, everyone knew every word to every song.”

“it’s just so cool to see that my art has had an impact on so many people,” she says. “It’s crazy!”

Lizzy’s sold-out tour wraps May 13 in Okland, CA.

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