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Slain MSU student Arielle Anderson dreamed of becoming a surgeon. But ‘her future was robbed,’ Gov. Whitmer says at funeral

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(DETROIT, MI) — Arielle Anderson, a 19-year-old Michigan State University student gunned down on campus, dreamed of becoming a surgeon.

She even planned to graduate early to get a head start on her career, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at her funeral Tuesday.

But “her future was robbed from her by a senseless act of violence,” the governor said at the service at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit.

Anderson was one of three students shot and killed on Feb. 13. Five others were injured. The suspected gunman was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“While her life was cut short in the cruelest of ways, her impact is undeniable as I look around this church, as I listen to stories,” Whitmer said.

The teenager who loved photography and her family had “wisdom beyond her years,” the governor said.

Whitmer said Anderson had a “quiet confidence” and was known for her “loud compassion.”

In middle school, Anderson “led by example” and “was an advocate of making sure everyone belonged,” Roy Bishop Jr., deputy superintendent of Educational Services for Grosse Pointe Public Schools, said at the service. Two of the three victims of the shooting, including Anderson, were from Grosse Point.

Bishop called her drive and compassion inspirational.

In eighth grade mock elections, Anderson was voted most likely to succeed, and Bishop said “she would go on to do just that.”

When Anderson headed to high school, she announced she’d become a doctor, Bishop said.

In a college recommendation letter, Bishop said one of Anderson’s teachers described her as “hard-working, dedicated, talented and driven,” as well as “compassionate, thoughtful and mature.”

“She embraced her middle name, Diamond,” Bishop said. “She shined so bright for everyone to see.”

“Arielle’s life, her impact, her mere presence, has changed the world for the better,” Bishop said.

The 19-year-old is survived by her mother, father, grandparents, siblings and a great-grandmother.

Anderson was very close with her mom and had a special bond with her aunt, who has special needs and is nonverbal, her family said.

Ashley McBryde invites us into her “Kitchen” for taste of new album

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Ashley McBryde‘s leaving a light on for us this Friday.

The recent Grammy winner confirmed on her socials she’s dropping a new track this week.

“You know me, as soon as we put out new music… first thing I want to do is put out more new music,” Ashley shared on Instagram. “I can, I am, I will. Love youuuu. ‘Light On In The Kitchen’ is out Friday!”

Earlier, she teased the tune in a post that includes a recording of a phone conversation with her mother, as well as a short snippet of the song.

“I’m noticing now how big a difference such seemingly small comforts have made in my life,” Ashley reflected. “Things as simple as ‘Sure, Honey’ from a voice I need to hear it from, or just walking into the kitchen for a drink in the middle of the night. How comforting that warm glow has always been… Leave a light on y’all. Big hugs.”

The new music is likely the first taste of Ashley’s forthcoming third album. Her most recent record, Never Will, came out in April of 2020, followed by last September’s collaborative Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville project.

George Harrison’s son: New solo catalog deal means “custom limited vinyl,” “deepest of dives into our archives”

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

George Harrison‘s solo albums will now be available via a partnership with his Dark Horse Records label and BMG, the company that in 2022 signed on to administer the late Beatle‘s song catalog.

George’s son, Dhani Harrison, says in a statement, “22 years since his passing, for what would have been his 80th birthday, I am overjoyed to announce that we are bringing my father’s music catalogue back home to Dark Horse Records, the company he started back in 1974.”

Dhani went on to tease that “the finest of packages,” “the deepest of dives into our archives” and “all the custom limited vinyl that we can get away with” will be coming as a result of the deal.

To mark the occasion, George’s entire back catalog is now available in Dolby Atmos surround sound for the first time, exclusively on Apple Music. “Happy 80th Dad!!! We love you always,” Dhani concludes.

February 25 will mark the 80th anniversary of George’s birth.

Among the Harrison albums included in the deal are All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World, Cloud Nine, the concert recording Live in Japan with Eric Clapton and George’s solo debut, Wonderwall Music.

Report: Rod Stewart’s son, Sean Stewart, marries girlfriend after Valentine’s Day proposal

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Sean Stewart, the 42-year-old son of Rod Stewart, is reportedly a married man. Sean is Rod’s child with model Alana Stewart.

People reports Sean proposed to girlfriend Jody Weintraub, who is also 42, on Valentine’s Day, and the two didn’t wait long to tie the knot. Sean reportedly popped the question in Las Vegas, and the two exchanged vows hours later.

A source close to the couple claimed, “Sean asked her while they were out to dinner at Catch. They married shortly after getting their marriage license at 10 p.m. at Little Church of the West.”

Sean reportedly called his mom before the wedding and had to convince her it was actually happening “as he’s known as a bit of a jokester in the family.” He then told his father, who the source said “was so happy to hear the news.”

The married couple reportedly celebrated their nuptials with Rod and Alana at the upscale Nobu restaurant in Malibu. They are apparently planning on throwing a more traditional celebration in Spain later this summer.

Jody is the daughter of late Ocean’s Eleven producer Jerry Weintraub. She has a five-year-old son, Doc, whom Sean is close to. “They go to the beach, he reads him books, he takes him to karate class, they play Magna-Tiles,” the source spilled.

The couple reportedly have known each other since high school. The source credits their mutual “best friend, Courtenay Semal,” for being “the reason why they kept reconnecting over the years.”

BTS’ Jimin announces first solo album, ‘FACE’

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Jimin is the latest member of BTS to embark on a solo career, which launches in a little over a month.

The K-pop singer’s debut solo album, FACE, arrives March 24. According to a release, the work “delves in to Jimin’s story of fronting his true self and making a new leap forward as an artist.”

BTS’ label BIGHIT Music tweeted the reveal and also shared a 30-second preview of what appears to be a new song. The music plays over a black-and-white video of ocean waves.

Jimin began teasing his new album early last week on the Weverse app and also hinted he has a few other things going on in his life.

“I think the album I’ve been working on is going to drop in around March,” he said, translated from Korean. “I’m currently preparing lots of things that I can do together with you guys around that time.”

He continued, “I’m planning lots of different kinds of things we can do to have fun together and enjoy ourselves, so I think you can safely look forward to it.”

Jim will soon become the latest BTS member to release a solo effort, following Jin‘s The Astronaut, RM‘s Indigo and J-Hope‘s Jack In The Box.

Queen Latifah to host 54th NAACP Image Awards

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Queen Latifah is set to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, airing live Saturday, February 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET.

“It’s an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially in the year we are celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop,” Latifah says in a statement. “This is a night to celebrate Black excellence and Black contribution to our industry and beyond. Celebrating one another, lifting each other up and you know we’ll have fun doing it!”

The broadcast will also feature presenters including Brian White, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Damson Idris, Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau, Issa Rae, Janelle Monáe, Janelle James, Jonathan Majors, Kerry Washington, Letitia Wright, Morris Chestnut, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Terrence Howard, Tracee Ellis Ross and Zendaya.

On Monday, the first round of winners was announced, with more winners from the non-televised categories rolling out this week.

Garth Brooks’ duets record is coming, including Trisha Yearwood and a whole lot more

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

When Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood announced last week that a new duets album was coming, it left many hoping it would be the long-awaited, full-length collaboration between the two. This week on Inside Studio G, Garth revealed that’s not the case.

“You know, the duets record that’s coming is not just of the queen,” he said, using his frequent nickname for his wife. “The queen’s in there, of course, ’cause you can’t do it without her.”

Garth didn’t offer up any additional details about who his partners may be, only adding, “It’s been fun so far. It’s going to be a blast to finish, though.”

He went on to say the album should arrive “late in this year.”

U2 and their 1997 concert in Sarajevo are the focus of new doc ‘Kiss the Future’

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

If you saw U2‘s Zoo TV tour, you may remember that among the videos and transmissions shown on the wall of TV monitors onstage were dispatches from Sarajevo, which at the time was under siege during the Bosnian War. Now, the band’s role in helping the people of Sarajevo, culminating in their concert there in 1997, is the subject of a new documentary called Kiss the Future.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film features interviews with Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton, politicians and others. It describes how a photographer and filmmaker named Bill Carter — who wrote the documentary — wangled an interview with Bono and convinced him that the people of Sarajevo needed help.

The band was fired up by what Carter told them, but after U2’s management nixed Bono’s idea of doing a concert there right way, they started incorporating those video transmissions into the tour.

“We gave them a serious dose of uneditorialized reality in the middle of our show,” The Edge says in the film. However, as Bono notes, they eventually stopped because “it started to look a little bit like reality TV, using people’s pain and anguish for entertainment.” Still, U2 continued bringing attention to the cause, recording the song “Miss Sarajevo” as part of their side project, Passengers.

The war officially ended in 1995, and U2 finally was able to come to Sarajevo in 1997 and do a full-scale concert. As one attendee recalls, “The war ended the moment U2 came onstage.”

Produced by, among others Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Kiss the Future premiered over the weekend at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In social media post, Will Smith almost asks his Oscar what it thinks of him

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On Monday evening, Will Smith posted to Instagram a reaction video to a social media user’s challenge and used it to reference his infamous Oscars night outburst.

In the video, Will is shown reacting with interest to a young woman who claimed an “unhinged exercise” will “change your life.”

She explains, “Did you know you can pick any object, look at it, and ask it what it thinks of you? So, for example, you can pick up a pen ask it how it sees you, or what it thinks of you, and you will get an answer in your mind from your intuition.”

“You can ask your car what it thinks of you,” she continues. “You can even ask money what it thinks of you.”

At this, Will reaches off camera and fetches his Oscar. Looking unsure, he inhales as if he’s about to ask his King Richard Best Actor trophy what it thinks about him. The clip ends before he does.

That said, his followers had some suggestions. Andor and House of the Dragon actor Jason Canela snarked, “What are the chances it flinched when you picked it up?”

A majority of the replies were supportive of Will, and his post earned some 207,000-plus likes in just 14 hours.

Smith has apologized for his antics at the last Oscars ceremony, during which he slapped and cursed out presenter Chris Rock before claiming his trophy later in the evening. The incident got Will banned from Academy events for a decade.

Mormon Church pays $5 million to settle accusations it covered up $32 billion investment portfolio

February 21, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Mormon Church pays million to settle accusations it covered up billion investment portfolio

(WASHINGTON) — The Mormon Church agreed Tuesday to pay $5 million to settle charges involving disclosure failures and misstated regulatory filings.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its investment management company, Ensign Peak Advisers, failed for 20 years to file forms that would have disclosed the church’s equity investments and, instead, filed forms for shell companies that obscured the church’s portfolio, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ensign Peak agreed to pay $4 million and the church itself will pay $1 million to settle the charges.

“We allege that the LDS Church’s investment manager, with the Church’s knowledge, went to great lengths to avoid disclosing the Church’s investments, depriving the Commission and the investing public of accurate market information,” said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC enforcement division. “The requirement to file timely and accurate information on Forms 13F applies to all institutional investment managers, including non-profit and charitable organizations.”

The church was concerned the disclosure of a portfolio that grew to $32 billion would lead to negative consequences so it consented to the creation of more than a dozen shell companies to cover its investments, according to the SEC.

“To address this issue, on March 21, 2005, the senior leadership of the Church approved a new reporting entity to be created with ‘better care being taken to ensure that neither the ‘Street’ nor the media [could] connect the new entity to Ensign Peak,'” the SEC order said.

It continued, “The senior leadership of the Church approved Ensign Peak’s recommendation to ‘gradually and carefully adapt Ensign Peak’s corporate structure to strengthen the portfolio’s confidentiality.'”

Through the use of this approach for almost 20 years, Ensign Peak’s significant role in the securities markets as an institutional investment manager was not disclosed to the SEC, the markets and the investing public, the SEC said.

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