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Man who allegedly impersonated CIA agent has history of impersonating federal officers, officials say

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(COLUMBUS, Ga.) — Robert Earhart Jr. was an agent with the Central Intelligence Agency’s “protective operations division” with a Top Secret security clearance, and he needed a meeting with the Department of Justice.

Or at least that is what Earhart, 38, of Columbus, Georgia, allegedly said in a voicemail he left with the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia on Jan. 11.

The federal official with whom he tried to schedule a meeting unsealed a complaint last week charging Earhart with false personation of an officer or employee of the United States.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia also alleged that Earhart has a history of representing himself as a federal official. The DOJ said that in May 2019, Earhart identified himself as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency and attempted to free three inmates from Muscogee County Jail in Georgia. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Earhart also allegedly represented himself as a Homeland Security agent.

Earhart on Jan. 11 allegedly made a phone call in which he posed as a CIA agent to schedule a meeting with U.S. Attorney Peter Leary, one of the chief federal law enforcement officials in the state of Georgia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that Earhart specifically mentioned his involvement with the “protective operations division” and said he held a top-secret clearance.

The CIA does not publicly advertise a “protective operations division,” though a popular souvenir site sells a replica movie prop badge for the “protective operations division” for $70.

The CIA hires “protective agents” who “deploy worldwide to perform sensitive operations in support of protective requirements to defend our nation from those that try to do us harm,” according to a CIA job posting. That particular role requires six years of combined military or law enforcement experience, preferably in a special operations unit like the Navy Seals or Army Rangers.

Bad actors in the past have impersonated CIA officers, utilizing the covert nature of the agency to establish credibility. A former DEA public affairs officer was sentenced to seven years for impersonating a covert CIA officer to defraud $4.4 million from over a dozen companies, according to a press release from the DOJ.

Earhart faces up to three years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Chiefs beat Eagles in Super Bowl LVII comeback

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(GLENDALE, Ariz.) — The Kansas City Chiefs are the Super Bowl LVII champs. The chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, clenching the team’s second Super Bowl win in four years.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played Sunday night’s game on a sprained ankle, claimed his second Super Bowl MVP honor after leading his team to rally from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs’ victory was secured when Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with just eights seconds remaining.

Scoreboard roundup — 2/12/23

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Boston 119, Memphis 109
Toronto 119, Detroit 118

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Montreal 6, Edmonton 2
Seattle 4, Philadelphia 3
San Jose 4, Washington 1
Vegas 7, Anaheim 2

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Kansas City 38, Philadelphia 35

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Northwestern 64, Purdue 58

No loops or click tracks: Chase Rice travels back to 2010 for ‘I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell’

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

In spite of its ironic title, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell, Chase Rice says his new album is “the most vulnerable [he’s] ever been.”

To get to the heart, the North Carolina native got back to basics.

“First and foremost, the way we recorded, it’s different,” he tells ABC Audio. “The way I wrote the songs … all on acoustic guitars. There’s no tracks on this record that I wrote to. … It kinda feels like 2010 again for me.”

Chase had a hand in writing all of the album’s 13 songs, including penning three by himself. And just like he didn’t write to prerecorded loops, he also decided to forego using “click tracks” — a common way to keep a song in perfect time.

“The speed of the song is based off of the human feel and however much slow or fast we felt like playing it that take,” he explains. “And so that’s the first thing I think people are gonna feel and hear.”

“The way we recorded it was different, where we found the right keys, we got in there with a studio band in my house, which we’ve never done before,” he points out. “The way I’m singing is different just because, like I said, we found the right keys for each song. I’m not screaming. I sang way too high on a lot of these songs in the past.”

The album’s cover is a photo of his late father, Daniel Rice.

Next up, Chase makes a Valentine’s Day stop at the Grand Ole Opry before hitting the road on his Way Down Yonder Tour.

The Moody Blues’ John Lodge on the late Graeme Edge’s support for his ‘Days of Future Passed’ tour

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

The Moody Blues’ John Lodge is set to kick off a new tour this month in which he’ll perform the band’s sophomore album, Days of Future Passed, in its entirety. And it will feature a very special moment for fans: the late Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge will appear in a video clip. John says Graeme’s contribution was something he was eager to make happen.

“I went to see Graeme and I said, ‘I’m thinking about doing Days of Future Passed.’ I said, ‘Would you record the poetry for me?’ And he said, ‘I’d be delighted,’” Lodge tells ABC Audio. “He said because he’s never, ever recorded his own spoken word before and he was really excited.”

Lodge videotaped Graeme’s contribution just a few days before his death in November 2021; Lodge said Graeme was fully behind the Days of Future Past tour. Lodge notes, “He just said, ‘Keep the Moody’s music going, John.’ Because Graeme was always a Moody Blue, nonstop.”

And that’s not the only special moment planned for the tour. Jon Davison of YES is due to join Lodge on the tour to perform special renditions of “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.”

John Lodge’s Days of Future Passed tour kicks off February 18 in Lexington, Massachusetts. A complete list of dates can be found at johnlodge.com.

Rihanna performs greatest hits during Super Bowl 2023 halftime show

February 13, 2023 by WDNY Radio

All of the lights and eyes were on Rihanna as she took over the field for the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show.

The Barbadian singer descended on a platform from the air as she kicked off the 13-minute set with her hit “B**** Better Have My Money.” From there she sang “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl (In The World),” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Wild Thoughts,” “Pour It Up,” “All of the Lights,” “Run This Town,” and “Umbrella” before closing out with “Diamonds” as the crowd’s flashlights twinkled in the background.

In addition to the rundown of her greatest hits, Rihanna used this opportunity to reveal her pregnancy. Wearing an all red ensemble that included a halfway zipped jumpsuit, the Fenty Beauty founder had her growing baby bump on full display.

Her rep later confirmed the news that Rihanna, who already shares nine-month-old son with rapper ASAP Rocky, is indeed expecting her second child.

Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance marked Rihanna’s first public performance since 2018 and also made her the first pregnant woman to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show.

U2 announce ‘U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere’ Las Vegas residency

February 12, 2023 by WDNY Radio

It’s been rumored for months, but U2 has finally confirmed they’re headed to Las Vegas.

The Irish rockers announced their new Vegas residency, U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere, with an ad during Sunday night’s Super Bowl. As the show’s name suggests, the residency will celebrate their 1991 album Achtung Baby, and is set to go down this fall at the new high-tech MSG Sphere at the Venetian.

The Super Bowl ad focused on a variety of U2 fans from all over the world, who wind up in the desert along with the members of U2 to witness a sphere in the sky. The Edge then asks Bono, “So, are we doing this?” to which Bono replies, “We’d be mad not to.”

The shows will be without one member of the group though, with the band announcing that drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. would not be part of the residency as he recuperates from surgery. Instead, drummer Bram van den Berg will be filling in.

Exact dates for the residency have not been announced but you can sign up at u2xsphere.com to be the first to get details

Rihanna reveals second pregnancy during Super Bowl halftime performance

February 12, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Rihanna‘s halftime performance at the Super Bowl Sunday night was even more exciting than fans imagined — because she took the opportunity to reveal her pregnancy.

During her performance, Rihanna, 34, displayed what appeared to be a baby bump, leaving the zipper of her red jumpsuit down to unveil her belly beneath her red bodysuit. Her rep later confirmed that the singer is indeed expecting her second child.

Rihanna and boyfriend A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child together, a boy, in May of 2022. She later said one reason why she wanted to do the halftime show was because “when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world — you can do anything.”

She added, “And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was … there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. It’s important for my son to see that.”

De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove dead at 54

February 12, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Dave Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy the Dove, a member of the beloved hip hop trio De La Soul, has died, Rolling Stone has confirmed. He was 54. No cause of death was given.

Dave, whose stage name was “Yogurt” spelled backwards, had suffered from congestive heart failure in recent years. De La Soul took part in the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop tribute at the Grammys last weekend, but only group member Posdnos appeared on stage for a brief performance of “Buddy.”

Sadly, Trugoy’s death comes just as De La Soul’s music was about to arrive on streaming services after years of legal battles over sample clearances and disputes with their former record label. Their first six albums are scheduled to arrive March 3, following a two-year battle with their former record label. Among the albums set to debut are 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead and Buhloone Mindstate.

3 Feet High and Rising, released in 1989, was a landmark in hip hop, along with its single “Me Myself and I.” It introduced the group’s concept of the “D.A.I.S.Y. Age” — which stood for “da inner sound, y’all.” However, they disliked the “hippie” tag with which they were often associated.

De La Soul became members of the influential Native Tongues Posse, a collective which also included A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, the Jungle Brothers and Queen Latifah, and was known for its positive, Afrocentric lyrics and innovative use of samples.

The group continued to record and release albums, many of them critically acclaimed. In 2005, they collaborated with British group Gorillaz on “Feel Good Inc.,” a hit which won the group a Grammy. They also appeared on Gorillaz’ 2017 album, Humanz.

De La Soul’s most recent album was 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody…, with a new album reportedly in the works.

New Mexico State men’s basketball program suspended after alleged hazing incident

February 12, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LAS CRUCES, N.M.) — The New Mexico State University men’s basketball program has been suspended indefinitely amid an investigation into alleged hazing incidents the school’s chancellor said left him “heartbroken and sickened.”

The allegations surfaced Friday as the men’s basketball team was in Southern California preparing for a game against California Baptist University in Riverside, Dan E. Arvizu, chancellor of New Mexico State University said in a statement Saturday night. He said he immediately suspended the basketball program, canceled Saturday’s game and placed the coaching staff on paid administrative leave.

“We took this action after receiving reports of alleged hazing incidents within our men’s basketball team,” Arvizu said in his statement.

Arvizu said the players and coaching staff were called back to the school in Las Cruces and interviewed by university personnel specially trained to conduct investigations into hazing incidents.

“The most important job I have as Chancellor of the NMSU System is to ensure our students are safe and protected from harm,” Arvizu said. “That’s why I was so heartbroken and sickened to hear about these hazing allegations.”

Arvizu did not provide details of the incidents or say when they occurred. In his statement, Arvizu added, “hazing is a despicable act. It humiliates and degrades someone and has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm, or even death.”

“Sadly, hazing can become part of an organization’s culture left unchecked,” Arvizu said. “NMSU policy strictly prohibits hazing, in all forms, and it’s something we simply will not tolerate.”

Arvizu said the men’s basketball program will remain suspended “until further notice.”

School personnel were “recently informed of new allegations” involving the potential violations of school policy, the Las Cruces university said in a statement.

The New Mexico State University Board of Regents said in a statement that it “supports the action taken by the university leaders and is confident a full and thorough investigation will be conducted.” The board noted it was informed of the suspension Friday evening.

In a statement on the university’s website, the Board of Regents announced it will hold a closed-door meeting on Tuesday on matters that “may include discussion of personally identifiable information about individual NMSU students.”

The men’s basketball team competes in the Western Athletic Conference. In a statement to ESPN, the NCAA Division I conference said it is “continuing to monitor the situation at New Mexico State and at this time has no additional comment.”

The allegations are unrelated to a fatal shooting involving one of the men’s basketball team players that occurred in Albuquerque late last year, the school said.

On Nov. 19, forward Mike Peake was allegedly involved in a pre-dawn shootout on the University of New Mexico’s campus while in Albuquerque for a game against the school, New Mexico State University officials said.

Brandon Travis, 19, and three other University of New Mexico students allegedly lured Peake to the campus to assault him, New Mexico State Police said.

Travis allegedly confronted and shot Peake, 21, who returned gunfire, police said. Travis was pronounced dead at the scene, and Peake was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy in connection to the shooting, and no additional arrests have been announced. The incident remains under investigation by state police.

That weekend’s Albuquerque game and a Dec. 3 rematch in Las Cruces were canceled, and Peake was suspended from the team.

In December, New Mexico State University announced it will launch an independent investigation into the events and university response involving the shooting.

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