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Syphilis cases at highest levels in 70 years in alarming trend

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States shows “no signs of slowing,” new federal data shows.

A total of 2.53 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were recorded in 2021, according to a new report published Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s a 5.8% increase from the 2.39 million cases reported in 2020 and a 7% increase from five years ago when 2.37 million STIs were recorded in 2017.

While certain STIs did not reach pre-pandemic levels, others — such as syphilis — are recording the highest numbers seen in more than 70 years.

A total of 176,713 syphilis cases — for all stages of the infection — were recorded in 2021, the highest since the 217,558 cases reported in 1950 and a 32% increase from the 133,954 recorded the previous year, the report said.

The report also found that cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a baby is born with the infection after the mother passed it on during pregnancy, rose by 32% from 2,148 to more than 2,800. This resulted in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths in 2021, the agency said.

Meanwhile, gonorrhea rates increased 4% from 206.5 per 100,000 to 214.8 per 100,000. Rates of chlamydia — which make up the majority of STIs — also rose by about 4% from 481.3 per 100,000 to 500 per 100,000.

However, unlike gonorrhea and syphilis, reported cases of chlamydia did not return to pre-pandemic levels, the CDC said.

However, the CDC cautioned that because the disease is typically asymptomatic, these decreases were more likely due to COVID-19-related disruptions than to drops in infections.

According to the CDC, STIs fell rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in March and April 2020, during shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders.

This is due to reduced screenings because many health care clinics either closed or had limited in-person appointments in the early days of the pandemic, limited resources due to programs shifting to help combat COVID-19 and social distancing measures limiting sexual behaviors and activity.

In response, the federal health agency is calling for more action from health care and public health experts with a focus on STI prevention and innovation efforts.

This includes rebuilding and expanding local public health services to offer STI testing and treatments, making these testing and treatment options more accessible and advancing research to prevent STIs through vaccines or post-exposure prophylaxis.

“The U.S. STI epidemic shows no signs of slowing,” said Dr. Leandro Mena, director of the CDC’s division of STD prevention, in a statement. “The reasons for the ongoing increases are multifaceted — and so are the solutions. For the first time in decades, we’re seeing promising new STI interventions on the horizon, but these alone will not solve this epidemic.”

The statement continued, “It will take many of us working together to effectively use new and existing tools, to increase access to quality sexual healthcare services for more people, and to encourage ongoing innovation and prioritization of STI prevention and treatment in this country.”

Federal government proposes even water cuts across lower Colorado River basin states

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Federal officials are proposing a plan to cut water allotments to states dependent on the Colorado River system to combat dwindling water levels on one of the country’s most important bodies of water.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental impact statement on Tuesday that details revisions in the operations of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams, which could potentially evenly cut water allotment for water delivered to California, Arizona and Nevada by as much as one-quarter in order to prevent the Colorado River depleting reservoirs from falling to critically low levels.

It proposed three possible scenarios.

The first of three possible scenarios involves no federal intervention and would rely on the seven states that take water from the Colorado River to come to a deal to prevent deadpool levels that would threaten power production, something they have so far failed to do.

The second option concerns the amount of water released from Glen Canyon Dam, which would be reduced based on water rights. This would mean fewer cuts for California, which has the most senior water rights, and more severe cuts for Arizona and Nevada.

The third scenario would entail water cuts spread evenly by the same percentage across all states, which could prompt legal challenges from states like California with more senior water rights but could avoid worse consequences for states like Arizona and Nevada and tribal communities that could struggle under larger cuts.

The alternatives presented in the draft on Tuesday analyze measures that may be taken to protect system operations in the face of “unprecedented hydrologic conditions” while providing equitable water allocations to Lower Basin communities that rely on the Colorado River System, according to a statement by the Bureau of Reclamation.

The Colorado River Basin supplies drinking water to 40 million people in the U.S., as well as two states in Mexico, fuels hydropower resources in eight states and remains a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations as well as agriculture communities across the West, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

“Failure is not an option,” Interior Department Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said in a statement. “Recognizing the severity of the worsening drought, the Biden-Harris administration is bringing every tool and every resource to bear through the President’s Investing in America agenda to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future.”

The proposal comes after a decadeslong megadrought has reduced water levels in the Colorado River and Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the two largest reservoirs in the world — to record-low levels.

Water levels in June 2022 at Lake Mead were dangerously low to hitting “dead pool” status, which is below the surface elevation needed to generate power.

The first-ever water shortage was declared for Lake Mead in August 2021, which prompted a reduction in water releases to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in 2022.

Atmospheric river events have inundated the West with an excess of precipitation — much of which did not cross over the Sierra Nevada mountain range. However, once the snowpack starts to melt, water levels along the Colorado River system will be slightly replenished.

The West cannot rely on one good year of moisture to combat the effects of a drought plaguing the region for nearly two decades, federal officials said.

“Drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin have been two decades in the making,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. “To meet this moment, we must continue to work together, through a commitment to protecting the river, leading with science and a shared understanding that unprecedented conditions require new solutions.”

Last week, the Biden Administration announced a $15.4 billion investment to enhance the West’s resilience to drought, which will include reducing water demand, maximizing water resources and protecting the communities along the Colorado River Basin.

“The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million Americans, fuels hydropower resources in eight states, supports agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, and is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations,” the White House said in a press release on Thursday. “Despite recent heavy rain and snow, the historic 23-year drought has led to record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead.”

Beat the heat with Trisha Yearwood’s Sweet Tea cocktail

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Summer’s right around the corner, and there’s no better thirst quencher in the South than good ol’ sweet tea. Introducing: Trisha Yearwood‘s Sweet Tea in a Cup Cocktail Mix.

Available now at Williams Sonoma, the mixer boasts strong flavors of black sweet tea and hints of lemon.

Trisha recently endorsed the mixer on Twitter with a simple “Cheers!” while sharing Williams Sonoma’s tweet.

For the perfect thirst quencher, it’s recommended to serve the mixer with lemonade over ice. And to enjoy a great summertime adult beverage, add vodka, rum, tequila or whiskey to the drink.

Trisha Yearwood’s Sweet Tea in a Cup Cocktail Mix can be purchased for $22.95 for a single bottle or $45.90 for a set of two. Grab yours today at Williams Sonoma.

George Thorogood cancels tour to deal with “serious medical condition”

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

George Thorogood and the Destroyers have canceled their upcoming tour as Thorogood deals with some health issues.

“George has been diagnosed with a very serious medical condition that will require immediate surgery and quite a few weeks of recuperation and healing,” the band shares. “You, our fans, mean the world to us, and we know this news is not want you wanted to hear, but rest assured George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be back.”

They add, “We’ll keep you updated as we know more.”

The tour of the U.S. and Canada was supposed to kick off April 27 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wrap May 21 in Big Flats, New York. Fans who have tickets will be receiving refunds for the canceled dates.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on the dream team they assembled for ‘Air’

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Air, the drama about the real-life battle Nike had to sign Michael Jordan, made more than $20 million amid tough competition at the box office over its first weekend, what with the monster hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The film is being embraced by critics and audiences, with the ratings aggregator Rotten Tomatoes giving it a Critics Score of 92 and an Audience Score of 98.

Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon co-star in the movie they co-produced, with Affleck directing. The latter explains how he was able to wear so many hats.

“For me, it was made … so much easier because this is a group of people who either I had known for a long, long time, [have] an enormous amount of respect and regard for, Matt Maher, Chris Messina, and obviously Matt Damon and Jason Bateman, all of whom … I’ve worked with multiple times and know well and adore and admire, and people who had been my sort of life’s goal to work with.”

He adds of co-star and script contributor Chris Tucker, “I think Chris can attest to the number of times I’ve harassed him like [if] he passed me by in a hotel lobby. ‘Chris! Chris! Chris! I want to do a movie with youuu!'”

Damon agrees. “Marlon [Wayans], Chris [Tucker] … they’re writers, as well as actors … they’re filmmakers. And Jason Bateman’s a director-producer, you know, so we really lean on our actors.”

He adds, “Part of our process has always been from Good Will Hunting all the way ’til today [is] … lean into what your actor’s bringing; the actor always is in the moment and always knows. And we had these conversations with Viola [Davis], like … ‘What do you feel like here?’ You know, because that’s always the way to the best scene.”

Louisville shooting: What to know about 5 killed and cop critically injured days after graduating academy

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LOUISVILLE) — Authorities have identified the five people who were killed in a mass shooting at a bank in Kentucky’s largest city on Monday morning.

Joshua Barrick, 40; Deana Eckert, 57; Thomas Elliott, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; and James Tutt, 64, and were all gunned down at Old National Bank in Louisville, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Eight others, including a 26-year-old Louisville police officer, were injured in the shooting.

Officer Nickolas Wilt, who had just graduated from the Louisville Metro Police Department Training Academy on March 31, was shot in the head while responding to the scene. He underwent brain surgery and is in critical but stable condition, police said.

Here’s what we know about the slain victims:

Joshua Barrick, 40

Joshua Barrick was among those killed in the shooting, according to police.

“Josh was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” his brother, Jeff Barrick, said in a statement. “He would do anything for anyone and cherished his time with them. He had a wonderful sense of humor, was sentimental, and was passionate about life.”

The statement continued, “His involvement with Holy Trinity gave him a sense of purpose and community. He will be missed by all that knew him.”

Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where Barrick was a parishioner, described him as active in the community including coaching basketball and participating in the church’s men’s retreat program.

“He cared deeply about his family, his faith and his community,” pastor Rev. Shayne Duvall said in a statement. “Each human person matters, and until we have a greater respect for human life, this violence is not going to stop. We must love and respect the human person and that is what the church teaches. That is how we will get through this.”

Deana Eckert, 57

Deana Eckert was among those killed in the shooting, according to police.

Eckert’s father, Ben Hurst, told ABC News that he will always remember his daughter for “how good and sweet she was, and generous.”

Thomas Elliott, 63

Thomas “Tommy” Elliott was among those killed in the shooting, according to police. He was a close friend of both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Greenberg revealed that Elliott was “a very good friend of mine,” while Beshear told reporters that Elliott “was one of my closest friends.”

“Tommy Elliot helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad,” the governor said. “One of the people I talk to most in the world and very rarely were we talking about my job.”

Juliana Farmer, 45

Farmer was among those killed in the shooting, according to police.

“Juliana Maria Farmer was a beautiful person that loved her family and friends,” her family said in a statement. “The job she had for three weeks she loved it and her co-workers. The legacy that she leaves we must emulate and celebrate the time we had with her.”

James Tutt, 64

James Tutt was among those killed in the shooting, according to police.

“Jim was a finance genius, brilliant negotiator, and always the smartest person in the room,” David Bizianes. president of Oldham Chamber & Economic Development, said in a statement. “He was also incredibly compassionate and had a teacher’s heart. When I stepped into my role as President of OLDA, Jim mentored me and invested time in my professional development.”

The statement continued, “He was very generous to everyone that he came into contact with. He liked to sail his boat with his son Andrew, made his own wine, and (few people knew) that he also played drums. We can’t believe he is gone. What a loss.”

ABC News’ Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.

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

Most leading Republicans remain quiet on abortion pill ruling as Democrats blast decision

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — In the days after a federal judge in Texas ruled to reverse the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the widely used abortion medication mifepristone, Democrats have erupted in outrage.

Republicans, who for years made abortion restrictions a centerpiece of their politics, have remained mostly mum on the issue that looks set for a Supreme Court showdown.

Some in the GOP have suggested they are now on the “wrong side” of abortion, which polling has shown can be a leading issue to motivate voters — against possible restrictions.

By contrast, leading conservatives last June swiftly celebrated the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade, praising the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision as putting the issue of abortion back in the hands of the people — in the states — and not having it determined by the court.

“The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Dobbs is courageous and correct. This is an historic victory for the Constitution and for the most vulnerable in our society,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement following the ruling in June. “Now the American people get their voice back.”

The Kentucky lawmaker has not yet remarked on last week’s decision.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi was the sole federal Republican lawmaker who directly lauded the ruling on Friday, calling it “a victory for pregnant mothers and their unborn children,” while Democrats — from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to a fleet of legislators in Congress — denounced it.

But triumphant GOP response to the Dobbs ruling, which was decided just months ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, came at a time when abortion appeared to be less politically fraught within the party.

In the months since, both exit polling after the 2022 midterms and a growing list of elections, in red and blue states alike, indicate that support for abortion access can sway voters.

Most recently, last week, liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by double digits, flipping the bench’s ideological balance ahead of a likely hearing on the state’s abortion restrictions.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina argued on Monday on CNN that her party has to approach abortion differently if they want to shore up public support.

“This is an issue that Republicans have largely been on the wrong side of. We have over the last nine months not shown compassion towards women. And this is one of the issues that I’ve tried to lead on, as someone who is pro-life and just has some common sense,” Mace said.

“We’ve got some extreme views on this issue, but 90% of America is somewhere in the middle,” she said.

Her fellow South Carolinian, Sen. Lindsey Graham, said on “Fox News Sunday” that Republicans need to show up to the ballot box with “reasonable positions” on the issue.

“If we have our head in the sand, we’re gonna lose,” said Graham, who is backing a proposed 15-week ban on abortions nationwide.

Democrats quick to decry the anti-abortion ruling
On Friday, directly after U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, sent down his decision, Democrats and abortion advocates decried what they called a “single federal district judge in Texas'” ban of medication used in more than half of all abortions in the country, noting that “everything is on the table” including filing an emergency stay motion.

Democrats — whom Republicans have sought to paint as overly permissive of abortions in all cases — also called the decision “the next big step toward the national ban on abortion” that some conservatives have vowed to make law, condemning a “political, ideological” attack.

“This does not just affect women in Texas – if it stands, it would prevent women in every state from accessing the medication, regardless of whether abortion is legal in a state,” Biden said in a statement on Friday.

On CNN, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York slammed the Texas ruling as “an extreme abuse of power” and suggested the extraordinary step of ignoring the courts if the justices were to uphold Kacsmaryk’s decision, noting that the Trump administration turned the other cheek to some immigration decisions.

Mace lent some support to that idea, despite her ideological differences with Ocasio-Cortez.

“This is an FDA-approved drug. I support the usage of FDA-approved drugs. Even if we might disagree, it’s not up to us to decide as legislators or even as the court system whether or not this is the right drug to use or not,” Mace said on CNN. “So I agree with ignoring it at this point.”

Republican comments remained vague and sparse
Meanwhile GOP reaction from among the party’s top ranks has been muted.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is one of the few leaders who has spoken out on the decision.

“Life won again today,” he said in a statement, contending that the FDA acted “carelessly and with blatant disregard for human life” in initially approving the drug.

Former President Donald Trump has largely remained silent on abortion in the months after the midterms but has maintained that pro-abortion restriction voters and candidates were to blame for the GOP losses in November — not him.

“It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t live up to expectations in the MidTerms,” Trump wrote in a Jan. 1 social media post.

He wrote that it was “the ‘abortion issue,’ poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters.”

Another leading GOP lawmaker, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, didn’t outright praise the decision, instead commenting on the ruling by reacting to Ocasio-Cortez’s suggestion that the FDA ignore it.

“Democrats don’t care about undermining the rule of law or the consequences that will come from destroying the institutions that protect the Constitution,” Cruz wrote in a tweet.

ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Molly Nagle and Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.

James Marsden is all for a ’27 Dresses’ sequel

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

James Marsden is all in for a 27 Dresses sequel.

During a recent interview, the Jury Duty actor shared that he’d gladly do a follow-up to the 2008 rom-com, where he starred alongside Katherine Heigl — and he’s even got a name for it.

“27 Children,” he told E! News.

The 49-year-old went on to share that he was surprised by the response that the film has gotten over the years.

“That movie weirdly has legs that I’m not sure I anticipated in having,” he shared. “Just a fanbase that people — when they talk about romantic comedies — you don’t really see too many of those made nowadays.”

However, Marsden believes that things are starting to shift.

“I think that people are starting to have an appetite for it again,” he added. “So, yeah, bring it on.”

Manhattan DA sues GOP’s Jim Jordan as feud escalates over Trump’s prosecution

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday sued Republican Rep. Jim Jordan for what he called an “unprecedentedly brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress.”

The 50-page lawsuit alleges Jordan has launched a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack” on Bragg amid the historic indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Trump, who has repeatedly denied the charges against him, was arraigned last week and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in an alleged hush money “scheme” to influence the 2016 election.

Jordan, one of Trump’s biggest supporters on Capitol Hill, has led the charge against Bragg along with other GOP chairs of influential House committees. The chairmen last month demanded documents related to Bragg’s investigation of Trump and testimony from the district attorney himself.

Last week, Jordan subpoenaed Mark Pomerantz to give deposition related to his role in investigating Trump and Trump’s businesses. Pomerantz is a former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office who resigned last year over Bragg’s reluctance at the time to pursue the case against Trump.

Bragg’s lawsuit seeks to stop the enforcement of the subpoena, arguing “basic principles of federalism and common sense, as well as binding Supreme Court precedent, forbids Congress from demanding it.”

“Congress has no power to supervise state criminal prosecutions. Nor does Congress have the power to serve subpoenas for the personal aggrandizement of the investigators or to punish those investigated,” the lawsuit said. “Yet that is precisely what Chairman Jordan is trying to do.”

The lawsuit accused Jordan and the House Republicans of “participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction” and noted how Trump “has threatened New York officials with violent and racist vitriol.”

The tense back-and-forth between Bragg and Jordan continued Monday as House Republicans announced plans to hold a hearing on New York City crime in Bragg’s backyard.

The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Jordan, will hold a field hearing on April 17 in New York City to discuss “victims of violent crime in Manhattan.” There, lawmakers will examine what the committee called Bragg’s “pro-crime policies” that have led to a “dangerous community” for residents, according to a press release issued on Monday night.

A spokesperson for Bragg’s office quickly shot back: “Don’t be fooled, the House GOP is coming to the safest big city in America for a political stunt. This hearing won’t engage actual efforts to increase public safety, such as supporting national gun legislation and shutting down the iron pipeline.”

The spokesperson also said New York City had a murder rate “nearly three times lower” than that of Columbus, Ohio — Jordan’s home turf.

That data appeared to be pulled from Wirepoints, an Illinois- based nonprofit, which found New York City had 5.2 homicides per 100,000 people compared with Columbus’ 15.4 homicides per 100,000 residents using publicly available homicide data for 2022.

Violent crime decreased during the first three months of this year, with shootings falling by 23% and homicides falling by 12.7% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, the New York Police Department recently announced.

“If Chairman Jordan truly cared about public safety, he could take a short drive to Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, or Toledo in his home state, instead of using taxpayer dollars to travel hundreds of miles out of his way,” the spokesperson for Bragg said.

Not long after, Jordan tweeted, “First, they indict a president for no crime. Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it.”

The Weeknd teases Future collab

April 11, 2023 by WDNY Radio

The Weeknd previewed some new music Monday, and among the snippets played was a clip of a song with Future.

“Baby girl, I can tell that you think that I’m right for you/ I already know that it’s not true, but girl I lie to you/ Even though it’s wrong,” The Weeknd sings on the track. He confirmed in his Instagram Live that Mike Dean was responsible for production.

It’s not clear if or when the unnamed song will be released, but if it is, it will mark the latest collaboration between The Weeknd and Future. The two previously teamed up on Future’s “Low Life” and “Comin Out Strong,” as well “All I Know” from The Weeknd’s Starboy.

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