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FBI investigates fire where Chinese billionaire, a Steve Bannon ally, was arrested

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire with business ties to Steve Bannon, has been arrested on federal charges out of New York.

Guo owned the 152-foot-long yacht Lady May on which Bannon was arrested in August 2020.

Guo and Bannon have been under investigation in connection with GTV Media Group, which the Securities and Exchange Commission previously accused of violating securities laws.

The FBI arrested Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok, Wednesday morning in New York on charges he orchestrated a $1 billion fraud.

“Kwok is charged with lining his pockets with the money he stole, including buying himself, and his close relatives, a 50,000 square foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari and even two $36,000 mattresses, and financing a $37 million luxury yacht,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.

The SEC filed civil charges Wednesday that accused Guo and his financial adviser, Kin Ming Je, of “multiple offering frauds” that targeted retail investors through online and social media posts and videos.

“Since in or about April 2020, Guo has conducted fraudulent securities offerings that have collectively raised at least hundreds of millions of dollars from investors in the United States and around the world. Unbeknownst to those investors, Guo and his financial adviser, Je, misappropriated a large portion of the funds raised from certain of the Subject Offerings in order to enrich themselves and their family members,” the SEC complaint said.

Guo, 54, pitched three unregistered securities offerings to investors as a means of obtaining shares in GTV and a fourth offering as a means to obtain a crypto asset security called “H-Coin” that he falsely claimed was backed by gold reserves, the SEC said.

The FBI’s New York field office is also working to determine whether a two-alarm fire at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel is linked to the arrest of Guo, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. FBI agents were still inside Guo’s apartment at the time the fire broke out at 12:02 p.m., sources told ABC News.

Guo was arrested at 6 a.m. at his $32 million apartment in the building. Agents were forced to evacuate when the fire broke out six hours later.

Firefighters were called just after noon for a fire on the 18th floor, according to the FDNY. There was significant damage to Guo’s 15-room penthouse, sources said.

No one was injured in the fire.

Guo, a critic of the Chinese government, fled China in 2014 and is viewed as a fugitive by the PRC. He appeared on Forbes’ Billionaires List in 2015, worth an estimated $1.1 billion, but declared bankruptcy in February 2022.

Bannon helped Guo found GTV, but has not been charged.

Bannon is currently being prosecuted by the Manhattan district attorney for defrauding donors to the We Build the Wall online fundraising campaign.

That’s a lot of ‘Days’: Peacock renews ‘Days of Our Lives’ through season 60

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On Wednesday, Peacock revealed it is reviewing the beloved soap opera Days of Our Lives for two more seasons, meaning it will run through its 60th.

The series, which the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service called “one of television’s most iconic and trailblazing” dramas, made the switch from terrestrial to streaming last September and has continued to be a strong performer for Peacock since.

Days celebrated its 14,000th episode in 2020, making it NBC’s longest-running drama at the time, before it switched to Peacock.

In its run, the Corday Productions/Sony Pictures Television mainstay has earned some 61 Emmy Awards, most recently earning the Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Drama trophy in 2022.

16-year-old softball player with cerebral palsy inspires thousands with surgery recovery

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A 16-year-old softball player with cerebral palsy has gained thousands of social media followers sharing her recovery efforts after a major leg surgery.

Throughout her life, Charlie Duffy has had over 20 surgeries to help correct pain and walking issues affecting the left side of her body — a subtype of the condition known as hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy can affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It’s the most common motor disability among children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s estimated that 1 in 345 children in the United States have been diagnosed with the development disorder.

“There’s always that, ‘What if I might not be able to walk or do things on my own?’ And I kind of beat the odds,” Duffy told “GMA3.”

For the teen, playing softball has been a source of motivation. She said feels a “rush of adrenaline” whenever she makes a play or gets a hit.

She was in PE class one day when she noticed that her foot was turning in again as she walked, which would require another surgery to correct. In May, surgeons cut Duffy’s femur in half, rotated it and secured it with a plate.

Before the surgery, Duffy’s Instagram posts were about her softball workouts. Now, she needed something new to post about.

“I just posted a video of me getting out of bed after my surgery, just so people can who are following my softball journey know that softball is not the only part of my life. And that kind of blew up unexpectedly,” Duffy said.

Duffy now has over 100,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares snippets of her life and recovery progress. The mental aspect has been almost hard as the physical, she said.

“You’re competing with yourself and your thoughts. And I think so many people dealing with injuries don’t take that into account,” Duffy said.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from person to person, depending on which parts of the brain have been affected, and may even change over a person’s lifetime, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

“I just hope that one person can realize they’re going through this battle with a whole community rallying around them,” Duffy said.

When Duffy was cleared to do certain softball-related exercises after surgery, she said she felt like her true self again. She’s looking forward to getting back on the field.

“I hope to continue to grow my platform to get the word out to people. And I hope to be back playing softball soon and really doing what I love,” Duffy said.

War reporter who nearly died in Ukraine writes memoir to heal

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Moments after a bomb explosion by a Russian drone in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, Benjamin Hall found himself on the ground covered in his own blood, his right leg barely hanging from his body. His colleagues were similarly injured, lying nearby and close to death.

Despite the chaos, instinct kicked in and Hall, a war correspondent for Fox News, fumbled to find his phone to film a video.

“In one sense, it’s inherent” in all journalists to report the news, he told ABC News.

“SAVED: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make it Home,” a book Hall later wrote to document his experience, is a continuation of that instinct. It’s been 12 months since the explosion that claimed the lives of his colleagues and left 17% of his body burned. The book, he said, became part of his personal catharsis to confront what had happened to him.

“I knew I had to face it,” he said. “Writing the book was part of the recovery.”

The book began in the form of voice notes he made on his phone while hospitalized and undergoing major surgery. Ten percent of his burns are third degree and his right leg required amputation. He lost his left foot and sight in one eye. Eventually, Hill required prosthetics for both legs and would need to learn to walk again.

Up to that point, being close enough to danger to report on it with accuracy had become a way of life. He covered conflicts all over the world between 2007 and 2015 when he joined Fox News as a correspondent out of the network’s London bureau. He began to feel less comfortable at home than being in the field.

“No other work really felt satisfying or really important,” he said.

It wasn’t until marriage and children forced him to balance the two worlds. “The work of covering wars is very important. I do understand the need to keep doing it and I also understand the need to stay home and be safe,” he said.

Fox offered him a respite from the battlefield in 2021 when he became the channel’s U.S. State Department correspondent and moved to Washington. In February 2022, at the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said he felt called to report from the field.

“It was a decision I made quickly,” he said. “I never had a moment of regret making that decision to go.”

Journalists becoming targets

The war in Ukraine has proven deadly for journalists. According to a 2022 report by Reporters Without Borders, an international nonprofit, about 1,700 journalists have been killed globally over the last 20 years, an average of more than 80 a year. Eight journalists were killed last year alone in Ukraine, compared with 12 deaths in that country over the last two decades. After Russia, the organization ranks Ukraine as the most dangerous country in Europe for journalists, followed by Turkey.

According to international law, the intentional killing of civilians, which includes journalists, is considered a war crime. Hall, however, said the “press is targeted more than the way it used to be.”

He also said the number of journalists covering conflicts has increased, raising the likelihood of danger. Over his career, at least six of his colleagues have died in their work, which includes Fox cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and producer Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova who were with him on the day of the attack. Zakrzewski was a kind of mentor, he said.

“You can only work in those parts of the world if you totally, 100% trust each other and we developed a relationship that was incredibly deep. You have conversations you might not have with anyone else,” he said. “[Pierre] was someone who wanted to explore as many cultures and societies as much as he could. I learned that from him.”

This week Fox Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross to support ongoing global Ukrainian relief efforts.

Finding optimism

Today, while based in London, Hall is dealing with daily medical care, upcoming operations and learning “to live with a bit of pain.” It remains a struggle to walk and serious burns cover the bottom half of his body. Despite those challenges, he said he is driven to “find my own optimism” and to “pass it on to those who don’t have it.”

“I try to enjoy the small things in life: sunlight, a beautiful walk, great music. Maybe the attack made me realize the many things I once thought were problems don’t feel like problems anymore,” he said. “Nothing else matters. That’s what I want every day.”

Bebe Rexha confirms her third studio album, ‘BEBE,’ comes out next month

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Bebe Rexha‘s fans are feeling good and not at all blue after hearing her latest announcement. She finally confirmed her third studio album, and we won’t have to wait that long to hear it.

The hitmaker revealed on Instagram Wednesday, “My third studio album BEBE is out april 28!!!!!”

Bebe also shared what appeared to be the album’s official artwork, which is a glamorous headshot of her and the big hair she’s recently been rocking. The image is given a rose-gold tint.

The announcement comes shortly after the singer unleashed the new song “Heart Wants What It Wants,” which fans felt was the introduction to a new music era. She then raised expectations by announcing a 20-date summer tour, which starts May 31. Fans can buy tickets now on her website.

Bebe began dropping hints about her third studio effort last month and recently revealed it’ll include a duet with her icon, Dolly Parton.

She told People last week, “I have this beautiful song (‘Seasons’) that I really love. I was like, ‘Oh my God, Dolly Parton would be so iconic on this.'”

Bebe sent the song over to the legendary country star and got a response. “She heard it and sent me a verse that she put together a week later, and it’s coming out! So, that’s epic,” the pop star raved.

She said Dolly’s verse made her cry, and explained the upcoming new song symbolized the changing of the seasons and the personal desire to change, as well.

BEBE follows her 2021 effort, Better Mistakes. Her team previously teased in a press release that it will be her “most ambitious and intoxicating body of work yet.”

Fans can pre-order the album now.

My Morning Jacket announces US headlining tour dates

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

My Morning Jacket has announced a U.S. headlining tour.

The outing begins May 14 in Mobile, Alabama, and concludes with a two-show stand at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 25 and 26.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 24. Members of MMJ’s One Big Family fan club will have access to a presale. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit MyMorningJacket.com.

MMJ will also be playing a number of festivals this year, including Bonnaroo, and will play a trio of California dates alongside Fleet Foxes in August.

The most recent My Morning Jacket album is 2021’s self-titled release.

Disney+ reportedly gives ‘Willow’ the ax

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Willow‘s adventures won’t continue on Disney+. Deadline reports the streaming service owned by ABC News’ parent company has reportedly not renewed the series, which was a continuation of the 1988 Ron Howard film that shared its name.

Warwick Davis reprised the title role as Willow Ufgood in a series set in a world of swords and sorcery. The show also starred Rogue One and Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Erin Kellyman, as well as Spider-Man franchise vet Tony Revolori and Aladdin live-action movie vet Amar Chadha-Patel.

Although not a hit in terms of streaming numbers, Willow scored an average 83% with critics on the ratings aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, though its audience score sits at 66%. Incidentally, the original film, which also starred Val Kilmer, rated just 46% with critics, but 79% with audiences.

The trade notes that the Willow universe is still “important” to Disney-owned Lucasfilm, and the property may be revisited in the future.

Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund announces Rock for Ronnie benefit concert

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has announced the Rock for Ronnie benefit concert in memory of the late Dio frontman.

The event will take place May 7 at Los Encinos State Historic Park in Los Angeles. It will include performances by bands including Dio Disciples, which features former Dio members; Steamroller, featuring former Whitesnake members; and the Van Halen cover band The Atomic Punks, before ending with an “all star band jam full of surprise appearances.”

For ticket info, visit DioCancerFund.org.

Dio passed away in 2010 from stomach cancer at age 67. The Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund was founded in his honor and also raises money for cancer research through the annual Bowl for Ronnie charity bowling tournament.

Strum Chris Stapleton’s new Epiphone guitar

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Epiphone has teamed up with Chris Stapleton to celebrate its 150th anniversary with a brand new Epiphone Chris Stapleton Frontier.

Made in the USA, the one-of-a-kind acoustic guitar was handcrafted in the famous Gibson Acoustic factory in Bozeman, Montana, by Gibson’s expert acoustic luthiers.

In a statement to the press, Chris shares, “Epiphone has done an incredible job of getting every detail as it should be on this instrument, and I can tell you firsthand it’s stage worthy and will get the job done at any venue you want to play in. It’s a work of art that does the work.”

“It’s an honor to have Chris join our family as a signature artist to represent and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Epiphone,” adds Beth Heidt, VP of cultural influence at Gibson Brands-Global. “He continues to inspire and push boundaries through his incredible artistry.”

The exclusive Chris Stapleton Frontier from Epiphone can be purchased worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers and on Epiphone’s website.

Lil Uzi Vert says their creative process has improved since becoming sober

March 15, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Lil Uzi Vert took a different approach when recording their upcoming album, The Pink Tape: they did it sober. The rapper talked to TMZ about the process and Don Cannon‘s revelation that they recorded nearly 700 songs.

Uzi said it was initially challenging to create music during their sobriety journey, but notes they got used to it after a month.

“I thought that my creative process wasn’t going to be the same because I wasn’t on drugs no more,” they said. “It was the same. Even better. Because I could think more clear and I could actually, like, instead of my words slurring, which is kinda of cool, everything made sense. I didn’t just make random music … I didn’t play off the beat. I actually made song[s] with topics this time.”

Uzi’s now encouraging fellow artists to stop taking drugs: “It’s the best thing to do.”

“It will change your life. And you’ll look better,” they add.

Lil Uzi Vert’s attempted sobriety several times, most recently claiming to be drug free in August. “I’m a sober man, OK. Kids, it’s real good to be sober and it’s real good to live your life — not over the influence, but under the influence,” they said in a clip captured by No Jumper.

Laughter at the end of the video led some to believe Uzi was joking, but Don confirmed their sobriety when he revealed the level of creativity Uzi’s substance-free life has unlocked.

“It’s different because we’re getting all kinds of songs out of him. Might get a rock song, a real rap song, because he really rap,” Cannon said on Math Hoffa‘s podcast. “Might get the melodic s*** that he do. That’s a fun thing.”

Uzi’s putting the final touches on The Pink Tape.

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