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Girl with rare disease beats the odds to celebrate fifth birthday

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(CHICAGO) — A 5-year-old in Chicago has overcome the odds to celebrate her fifth birthday. Now, her family is raising money for her to receive a life-changing surgery.

When Alice Cloe was born on Nov. 22, 2017, she was unable to breathe on her own and later, doctors diagnosed her with a rare disease called congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) and another condition called Hirschsprung disease.

It was a big shock for Alice’s parents, Sabiha Aoudia and Atmane Abbas, who are both from Algeria and had been on vacation in the U.S. when Aoudia had to undergo an emergency C-section.

“They took her right away to the NICU and then they intubated her right away,” Aoudia told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

“They tried a lot of things but they told me that Alice cannot survive,” she recalled, adding that doctors had told her Alice would never be able to talk, walk, or hear and would be “handicapped one hundred percent.”

CCHS is caused by a genetic abnormality that affects the nervous system and can cause respiratory impairment, according to the National Institutes of Health. It affects less than 5,000 people in the U.S. and there is currently no cure for the syndrome. CCHS also can cause Hirschsprung disease, which the NIH defines as a birth defect where nerve cells are missing from the large intestines and cause bowel obstruction.

According to her mom, Alice was treated with multiple surgeries and therapies at three different Chicago hospitals for the first two years of her life, including La Rabida Children’s Hospital, before she could be discharged. Olivia Hayes, a registered nurse at La Rabida, was one of the many who helped care for her.

“The biggest issue with CCHS and what [Alice] requires is the ventilation,” Hayes told GMA. “She just couldn’t maintain and she really still can’t maintain that breathing on her own to get the carbon dioxide out. It kind of builds up within her if she forgets to breathe it out.”

Today, Alice relies on a tracheostomy tube that connects her trachea and lungs to a ventilator that helps her breathe. Aoudia and Abbas have to care for Alice full-time, helping to push her ventilator for her unless she’s at school where a nurse will follow Alice with her vent.

“She’s strong,” Aoudia said. “Sometimes, when she’s healthy at home, like she’s not sick, I’m looking at her like you’re [a] normal baby.”

Hayes too, described Alice, who got to have a special fifth birthday party celebration two weeks ago, as a “wild child” who is “full of life all the time.”

With their fundraiser, Aoudia hopes to raise enough money for another surgery for Alice that isn’t covered by insurance. The surgery would implant a diaphramatic pacemaker so Alice can have the chance to live a life untethered by cords and a ventilator, according to Aoudia.

“This pacemaker will be implanted inside of her diaphragm and then give the order for the brain to breathe [on] her own,” Aoudia explained. “She will [have] the small battery in her backpack and then be free from the vent, from the cord and then she will walk and then run around and then go to school without any issue.”

Despite all the challenges Alice and their family have had to endure, she still feels like “the happiest mom in the world,” Aoudia said.

“I’m really, really happy and proud of her,” she added. “When I see my daughter, she’s giving me assurance to stay positive, stay strong, because she is a big fighter.”

Boy, 2, killed when redwood tree falls on double-wide trailer

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(OCCIDENTAL, Calif.) — A 2-and-a-half-year-old boy has died after a redwood tree fell on a double-wide mobile home on Wednesday evening in California as a massive storm pummeled the state, authorities say.

The incident occurred in Occidental, California — approximately 70 miles northwest of San Francisco in Sonoma County — on Wednesday evening as hurricane-force winds battered parts of California as part of the bomb-cyclone that has also brought heavy rains and flooding, according to Ron Lunardi, the fire chief in Occidental.

“One of our major incidents we’ve had involved a redwood tree falling on a house … and we had a fatality up there of a minor — infant, actually. A one-to-two-year old infant,” Lunardi said in an interview.

The child was home with his mother and his father when the accident happened, Lunardi said.

“When I first arrived on scene, a frantic father came out of the house holding the child. He was kind of covered in debris and he said my child is not breathing,” Lunardi said. “We are in a rural location out here so my first thought was get him into my truck and let’s get him out to the main road because he is on a long dirt driveway. I got the father into the truck. As I was backing up down the driveway in reverse I was giving him instructions to breathe his child for him and as we did we got back out to the main road where I met the rescue squad and they immediately grabbed the child from the father and started CPR and waited for the paramedics to get there.”

Neither the mother nor the father of the child were injured when the tree fell but the young boy succumbed to the injuries he suffered in the accident.

“Any time you have a situation like this, especially with a child, everybody’s emotions are a lot higher,” Lunardi said.

Damaging winds gusts of at least 50 mph were forecast Wednesday night and gusts of up to 70 mph are possible near Northern California’s coast, according to the National Weather Service. Flooding rain, damaging winds and mudslides will also be possible across the state over the next several days.

Ohio man, jailed for fake Facebook page, asks SCOTUS to let him sue police

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(PARMA, Ohio) — The parking lot arrest in 2016 stunned Anthony Novak as much as the charge: alleged disruption of law enforcement operations for making a parody of his local police department’s page on Facebook.

“They said, ‘put your hands behind your back.’ They said, ‘fake Parma Facebook page,'” Novak recounted to ABC News of the moment Parma police officers took him into custody outside a neighborhood convenience store in 2016.

Novak, 33, went on to spend four days in jail. A local jury later acquitted him of any wrongdoing. Now, he’s trying to sue the police for alleged violation of his civil rights.

A federal appeals court earlier this year acknowledged “difficult questions” in the case, but said the officers were protected by qualified immunity and dismissed Novak’s claims.

Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether to take up his appeal.

“I made something that was completely legal. I was allowed to make a parody page about the police,” Novak said. “And then, they raided my house, they took my electronics, they arrested me. My image was blasted all over the news, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I don’t want them to think that’s okay, because I kind of think they do,” Novak added. “I don’t want it to happen to someone else.”

Novak claims it was all “obviously a joke” — protected by a right to free speech — and that he was jailed as payback. The spoof page included the slogan “We No Crime” and a series of satirical posts, including an announcement banning residents from feeding the homeless and an offer of free abortions from a police van.

The police department did not see humor. Police Lt. Kevin Riley told local reporters at the time that the posts were “crude, demeaning and inflammatory,” adding, “there’s a fine line between satire and endangering the public.”

The city said later in court documents that Novak’s social media spoof prompted 11 phone calls to the police department’s non-emergency number and necessitated a public warning on the city’s official Facebook page about a fake.

Shortly after the spoof went online, the department announced a criminal investigation into the creator of the page poking fun at their officers. Novak says he then deleted the account, which had been online for just 12 hours.

“Unless there are some consequences for police essentially taking offense to protected speech online and showing up at people’s houses and arresting them, all signs are that they will continue doing that,” said Patrick Jaicomo, senior attorney with Institute for Justice which is representing Novak.

The City of Parma declined ABC News’ request for an interview but said in a statement that its officers did nothing wrong and that Novak’s suit is “groundless.”

“The courts concluded that the police [acted] within the bounds of warrants issued by judges,” the city said through its attorney, adding Novak “went beyond mimicry” by reposting on his fake page an official warning from the city about the fake site.

“The legal theory here is just staggeringly broad and dangerous for all sorts of free speech,” Jaicomo said in response to the city’s claim.

Experts say the case could have a significant impact on parody — a form of humor defined by being true to life, wielding criticism by imitation. From TV skits to satirical headlines, parodies at least momentarily fool a viewer or reader into thinking they could be real.

“It’s the ability to tell a joke with a straight face,” said Mike Gillis, head writer at The Onion, the popular satirical web publication that mimics a newspaper and pokes fun at just about everyone and everything.

When Gillis heard about Novak’s case, he and The Onion filed their first ever brief with the U.S. Supreme Court late last year, citing a “self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists.” They urged the justices to defend the ability to deceive without a disclaimer.

“There are powerful individuals in this country who seem to think that they should be the sole arbiters of [legitimate parody]. And I think judges and police officers and figures of authority, the people who are most susceptible to parody, should be as far away from that lever as possible,” Gillis said. “I think we should leave it to the average American to make that choice.”

Novak says he is done poking fun at the police but not giving up on parody, hoping The Onion’s support of his case will help inspire the nation’s highest court to hear his appeal.

“I hope that it defines even more something I think is already defined: that you can make fun of the government. It is your First Amendment right to make parody, especially. And government shouldn’t come after you and attack you,” Novak said. “I want to weaken the idea that the government can just come and arrest you and have no accountability.”

The court will decide whether to take up the case at a private conference next month.

Pope Francis presides over Benedict’s funeral, as faithful flock to Vatican

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ROME) — Pope Francis on Thursday paid homage to his friend and retired predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, by presiding over his funeral mass at the Vatican, an unprecedented event in the modern Catholic Church.

Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95, stunned worshipers in 2013 when he became the first pope to resign in more than 600 years. His funeral marked the first time a supreme pontiff presided over the previous pope’s funeral in modern times, according to church scholars.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday morning. The funeral procession began before the last of the morning fog had burned off the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, where Benedict had lied in state. The mass began at 9:30 a.m. local time, moments after Benedict’s coffin had been carried into the square. Francis arrived in a wheelchair.

Francis opened his homily with Jesus’ last words, which were spoken on the cross, saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Francis spoke in Italian of the spirit of life that “quietly inspires us,” adding that the spirit “wishes to shape the heart of every pastor, until it is attuned to the heart of Christ Jesus.”

“Like the Master, a shepherd bears the burden of interceding and the strain of anointing his people, especially in situations where goodness must struggle to prevail and the dignity of our brothers and sisters is threatened,” he said.

He also spoke of friendship, likening it to a sustaining force amid a “shipwreck of the present life,” as Saint Gregory the Great had written in Pastoral Rule, a guide for leaders.

Francis closed his eulogy by saying, “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever!”

The ceremony had been planned to be “roughly similar” to those held for pontiffs who’ve died while still leading the church, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters on Wednesday.

“The missing elements are those most pertinent to a reigning pontiff,” Bruni said, “such as the final supplications, the supplication of the diocese of Rome and the Eastern Churches that are very specific to a sitting pope.”

Heads of state and Catholic dignitaries attended, although the church offered official invitations to only Italian and German dignitaries. The Vatican advised foreign embassies that any other leaders who wish to attend could do so, but only in their “private capacity.”

The United States was represented by Joseph Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, his office said on Thursday. The ambassador represented the U.S. in keeping “with the wishes of both the Vatican, and Pope Emeritus for a simple, solemn funeral,” officials said.

Benedict, who was born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, had been elevated to pope when he was 78 in 2005. He retired eight years later, citing declining health.

Thousands of worshipers flocked over the last few days to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the retired pontiff lied in state in red vestments. Members of the Swiss Guard flanked Benedict, standing just outside the red velvet ropes surrounding his remains.

A constant stream of mourners flowed into the church. Many lined up for hours to pay their last respects. More than 65,000 people were said to have filed into the Basilica on Monday alone, with similar crowds on subsequent days.

The bells at St. Peter’s Basilica have not rung since Saturday, the day Benedict died, Vatican officials confirmed. Death tolls are usually rung for the death of a sitting pope.

Benedict’s remains were placed on Wednesday in a triple coffin — lined with cypress, zinc and wood — and were brought on Thursday at about 8:50 a.m. into St. Peter’s Square, where the funeral was to be held.

During the mass, Francis sat and watched as a cardinal anointed and blessed the coffin. Moments earlier, Francis had said in Latin, “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Salus Populi Romani, intercede before the Eternal Father, that he may reveal the face of Jesus his Son to Pope Emeritus Benedict and console the Church on her pilgrimage through history as she awaits the Lord’s return.”

Francis in the days before and after Benedict’s death asked the church’s followers to pray for him. The two popes were reportedly friendly following Benedict’s resignation.

A Vatican press office official told reporters on Sunday that Francis was “the first” to arrive on Saturday at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, where Benedict lived within the Vatican walls, after receiving the news of Benedict’s death. Bruni said that the pontiff then stayed at the monastery for a time of prayer.

Francis on New Year’s Day asked followers to invoke “the intercession of Mary Most Holy for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.”

The pontiff added, “Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church.”

Benedict’s remains were to be buried immediately after Thursday’s funeral, Vatican officials said.

“In addition,” Bruni said, “the coffin will also contain the rogito,” a written text that describes the Pontificate that is placed in a metal cylinder inside the coffin. The Vatican on Thursday issued a copy of the text, a biographical sketch of a few hundred words written in Italian. It describes Benedict’s parents, his childhood in Germany, his rise to the top of the church and his resignation.

Underneath the text, it reads: “CORPUS BENEDICTI XVI P.M.”

As white-gloved pallbearers picked the coffin up to return it to the Basilica, Francis stepped off the dais with the help of a cane. He blessed the coffin, placed his free hand on it, bowed and closed his eyes for a minute of reflection.

He stood for a moment, until his wheelchair was brought to him.

Benedict was to be interred in St. Peter’s Crypt, where more than 90 popes have found their final resting place.

Family of eight, including five children, found dead in Utah home with gunshot wounds

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(ENOCH CITY, Utah) — A family of eight people, including five children, were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds in a Utah home on Wednesday after police conducted a welfare check, according to the officials in Enoch City, Utah.

No suspects are at large, and there is no threat to the public according to a press release from Enoch City.

“We all know this family; many of us have served with them in church, and community, and gone to school with these individuals,” City Manager Rob Dobson said at a press conference. “And so this community at this time is hurting, they’re feeling loss, they are feeling pain, they have a lot of questions which is natural.”

In a letter to parents, the Iron County School District confirmed that the five children in the home were students of the Iron County School District.

According to Dotson, the welfare check was called into the police department on Wednesday evening.

Dotson indicated that police are unaware of a motive at the moment. At the time of the press conference, police were actively searching the home. Law enforcement from Enoch City, Iron County and Cedar City are cooperating in the investigation, according to Dotson.

Dotson said that the public could learn more about a possible motive within “a day or two or maybe longer.”

“The most important thing that we can say is that this community is feeling remorse, feeling pain,” he said. “There are friends and neighbors and family members who are hurting because of this incident.”

Enoch is a rural city with roughly 8,00 residents in the southwest corner of Utah near Zion National Park. About 250 miles from Salt Lake City, the city is closer to Las Vegas than the Utah capital.

The small city is mourning the loss of these residents, according to Dotson. Visibly choking up during the conference, Dotson said he appreciated the prayers from across the county for the family.

“We are getting word from across the nation about how much people care for each other, and it is overwhelming and appreciated,” he said.

Learning of the tragedy, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted, “Our hearts go out to all those affected by this senseless violence. Please keep the community of Enoch in your prayers.”

Doug Andersen, director of media relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, declined to say whether the family had been members or if the church was aware of any allegations of domestic violence.

ABC News has reached out to the Enoch City mayor and police department for more information.

Domestic extremism targeting migrants at southern border could rise amid possible end of Title 42: DHS

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Extremist violence targeting migrants along the southwest border could rise amid the possible lifting of the public health restriction known as Title 42, according to a Department of Homeland Security intelligence assessment obtained by ABC News.

The bulletin, dated Dec. 23 and issued by DHS’ intelligence and analysis branch, came just before the Supreme Court announced that they would hear arguments on whether or not the policy should continue.

The high court ordered the controversial restriction, which allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants and is officially intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, be kept in place until they decide on an appeal from 19 states who want to preserve the policy.

The justices will hear the appeal in February.

“We assess that the potential for domestic violent extremist (DVE) violence along the US Southwest Border likely will increase in the coming weeks based on recent online calls for violence in response to the anticipated lifting of US Code Title 42,” the late-December bulletin states.

In particular, the bulletin cites “calls for attacks targeting primarily migrants and critical infrastructure.”

“But our insight into DVE plotting is constrained by these individuals’ use of online security measures to limit exposure to law enforcement,” the DHS assessment notes.

On social media, the department says extremists have also posted “online calls for violence targeting migrants at the US Southwest Border.”

“The tactics discussed are consistent with DVE messaging and include firearms attacks, the placement of land mines along migration routes, and luring migrants into trailers to poison them with gas, according to DHS reporting,” the bulletin states.

DHS believes that domestic extremists will be influenced by “perceptions of … law enforcement action along the border” after Title 42 ends: “This includes perceptions about individuals, groups, or other organizations operating along the border, the treatment of migrants encountered there, and the number of migrants entering the United States.”

According to the department, social media users have discussed shooting electrical substations near the southern border as a way to “disrupt immigration facilities and public safety and emergency services, judging from DHS reporting.”

This tactic, the department says, is new and similar to what occurred in early December at a substation in Moore County, North Carolina.

Militia extremists pose the greatest threat to law enforcement, the bulletin states, because of their readiness and preparedness. In years past, extremists have targeted immigrant communities, such as in the 2019 mass shooting of an El Paso, Texas, Walmart.

“Since at least 2018, DVEs responsible for mass casualty attacks tied to immigration grievances have prioritized soft targets perceived as being densely populated by immigrants or facilitating migration to the United States,” the bulletin states.

The assessment was first reported by CNN.

Adele reveals she suffers from sciatica: What to know about the painful condition

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Adele revealed she is suffering from a type of nerve pain while performing at her Las Vegas residency.

In a video shared online, the 34-year-old singer is seen walking across the stage during a recent date of her Weekends with Adele residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

As she walks, Adele is heard telling the audience, “I have a wobble these days because I have really bad sciatica.”

Sciatic pain is an irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body, which runs from the lower back to the legs, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

The symptoms generally include a shooting or burning pain from the lower back down one leg, as well as feelings of numbness or a tingling sensation or muscle weakness, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Adele, who is performing her residency through March, has previously spoken about suffering from back pain.

She said in a 2021 magazine interview that she has suffered from two slipped disks in her back.

“I slipped my first disk when I was 15 from sneezing. I was in bed and I sneezed and my fifth one flew out. In January, I slipped my sixth one, my L6,” she told The Face, adding, “I’ve been in pain with my back for, like, half of my life, really. It flares up, normally due to stress or from a stupid bit of posture.”

Adele told the magazine she helped heal her back pain by strengthening her abdominal muscles while losing weight.

“But where I got my tummy strong, down at the bottom, which I never had before, my back don’t play up as much,” said Adele, the mom of a 10-year-old son. “It means I can do more, I can run around with my kid a little bit more.”

Sciatica is fairly common, affecting as many as 40% of people at one point in their lifetimes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Here is what to know about the painful condition:

What causes sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by a variety of factors, everything from the general wear and tear of aging to sudden pressure on the disks around the lower spine, like a herniated or slipped disk, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

There are also multiple risk factors for the condition, including a previous injury to the lower back or spine, an active job that requires heavy lifting, an inactive lifestyle that involves sitting and limited exercise, diabetes, smoking, osteoarthritis and obesity, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Weak abdominal muscles can also contribute to sciatica, as can improper form while exercising, specifically strength training.

Who is most likely to suffer from sciatica?

Sciatica affects people of all ages, but it is most common between the ages of 30 and 50, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that people under the age of 40 are most likely to experience sciatica due to a herniated disk, while people over the age of 40 typically experience it due to bone spurs and arthritis.

Pregnant women are also more prone to sciatica because of the loosening of ligaments that happens naturally due to hormones in pregnancy, as well as the weight and position of the baby, according to Cleveland Clinic.

What does sciatica feel like?

Sciatica can feel like a shooting pain from the lower back through one leg, as well as a numbness or tingling sensation or a feeling of muscle weakness.

The pain may increase when you “bend over, lift objects, twist, sit down, cough or sneeze,” according to the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The key symptom that diagnoses sciatica, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery, is leg pain associated with back pain.

How is sciatica treated?

If sciatica is mild, it can be resolved using at-home treatments like lower back stretches, resting from activities that cause pain and applying ice to the painful area, according to the hospital.

If at-home treatments do not work, sciatic pain can also be treated through physical therapy, focusing on exercises that reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Prescription medications may also be administered to help with pain, and in some cases spinal injections of anti-inflammatory medicine are used to help reduce the pain and swelling, according to Cleveland Clinic..

In the most severe cases that are not helped by other treatments, spinal surgery may be considered.

How can sciatica be prevented?

While not all cases can be prevented, there are things that can be done to help lessen the risk of sciatica, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Those steps include maintaining good posture, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, exercising regularly, choosing low-impact activities like swimming and walking and protecting yourself from falls.

Tesla stock plummeted 12% in a single day. Here’s why

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Shares of Tesla plummeted 12% on Tuesday, wiping nearly $50 billion from the company’s value and eliciting scrutiny of CEO Elon Musk as he appears to focus on Twitter.

The losses exacerbated a skid that goes back months. Since Musk acquired Twitter in late October, Tesla stock has fallen by half. Since last January, when Musk began investing in Twitter, the company has lost nearly three-quarters of its value.

In early trading on Wednesday, Tesla stock jumped about 3%, recovering some of the losses.

The precipitous drop this week followed a disappointing sales report for the last three months of 2022, which fell short of Wall Street expectations. Tesla delivered 405,000 vehicles from October through December; analysts anticipated 420,000 deliveries.

In all, Tesla sold a total of 1.3 million cars last year, which marked a 40% increase from the year prior. The figure fell short of Tesla’s stated goal of 50% annual sales growth.

The latest blow deepened some concerns that already hung over the automaker. Tesla faces falling demand amid recession fears and interest rate hikes, heightened competition and pandemic-induced production challenges.

Further, some analysts and major investors have sharply criticized Musk over a perceived lack of focus on Tesla, saying the company needs leadership as it contends with an adverse business environment.

“We all know Tesla management needs to be 100% focused at the moment,” Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, tweeted on Tuesday.

Gary Black, the managing director of investment firm the Future Fund, said on Monday in response to the company’s latest report on sales: “No way to sugar coat this.”

Tesla and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Previously, Musk has attributed the falling stock price to rising interest rates, which typically benefits savers who stand to gain from an uptick in the interest yielded by accounts held at banks.

“As bank savings account interest rates, which are guaranteed, start to approach stock market returns, which are not guaranteed, people will increasingly move their money out of stocks into cash, thus causing stocks to drop,” Musk said last month in response to concern from a prominent Tesla investor.

Musk said late last month that he will resign as head of Twitter when the company identifies a successor.

The world’s richest person has sold nearly $40 billion worth of Tesla stock since late last year, including a $3.6 billion sale as recently as last week.

The sales have reduced the stake Musk holds in Tesla, raising questions about his continued level of involvement with the company.

Since he acquired Twitter, Musk has made dramatic changes. He fired top executives and cut the company’s 7,500-person workforce in half, while reinstating some formerly suspended accounts.

For his part, Musk has defended his actions at Twitter as part of an aggressive effort to rescue the company from financial peril, which he described in a Twitter Spaces interview in December as an “emergency fire drill.”

“That’s the reason for my actions,” he added. “They may seem sometimes spurious or odd or whatever.”

In an interview last month, Musk vowed to stop selling Tesla stock until at least 2024, though he has previously violated commitments to halt sales of the stock. He insisted that he hasn’t missed “a single important Tesla meeting” since acquiring Twitter.

Tesla remains the top seller of EVs in the U.S. but its lead has slipped in recent months as competitors offer a host of affordable alternatives, a S&P Global Mobility report showed in November.

The company held a 65% market share of newly registered electric vehicles in the U.S. through the third quarter 2022, a drop from 71% in 2021 and 79% in 2020, the report found.

Responding to weakened demand, Tesla announced in December that it would offer $7,500 discounts on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered in the U.S. that month.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Musk appeared to acknowledge how his fortunes had changed: “12 months ago, I was Person of the Year,” he said.

No barbecue ribs? No “Son of a Sinner”: The essential ingredients for Jelly Roll’s breakthrough

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Jelly Roll‘s already had a #1 rock hit with “Dead Man Walking,” and now he’s poised to top the country chart for the first time with “Son of a Sinner.”

Were it not for a delayed order of smoked meat and a chance meetup with “Flower Shops” hitmaker Ernest, however, his Music City breakthrough might never have happened.

“I was in the studio one night, and we had already finished the album,” Jelly Roll tells ABC Audio. “And Ernest had texted me. It was like a Sunday night. He said, ‘Hey, man, I’m waiting on my ribs to get cooked next door at this barbecue pit. Are you still over there at the studio?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘I’m gonna come over and we’re gonna have a drink or smoke one or something.'”

“And he came in and we were just hanging out, man. We didn’t plan on writing a song. It wasn’t on the books. And he picked up a guitar,” Jelly Roll recalls, before humming the melody. “Man, we wrote that song in probably an hour.”

And if “Son of a Sinner” does make it to #1? Well, the Nashville native predicts it’ll be epic.

“If it’s my first #1, it’s gonna be bad for the city,” he laughs. “We’re gonna turn the lights down like they did that night in Georgia, baby! It’s gonna be a big ‘un up here. It’ll be the biggest #1 party they’ve ever had.”

Look for Jelly Roll’s new album to arrive sometime this year, featuring the recently released tracks “Need a Favor” and “She.”

Fitz and the Tantrums want to return to “hot, sweaty club messes” for ‘Dream’ 10th anniversary

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Fitz and the Tantrums‘ breakout 2013 album, More Than Just a Dream, which spawned the hits “Out of My League” and “The Walker,” turns 10 in May. Speaking with ABC Audio, vocalist Noelle Scaggs shares that the group has been thinking of ways to mark the milestone.

“We have some ideas [that we] have been throwing at the team that I hope we can pull off,” Scaggs says.

One of those ideas is returning to the smaller venues that Fitz was playing early on their career leading up to the More Than Just a Dream era.

“We came from the era of independent venues like a lot of bands that start their career,” Scaggs explains. “For me, having a moment to revisit that start of our career point, I think, would be a really rad way to create an anniversary thing. It’s still in conversation on what we would actually really do.”

Scaggs also notes that many of those independent venues have had a tough time over the last few years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It would be really nice to maybe revisit our old school roots and play in those really fun clubs, small venues, just to bring the fans out and have them line up,” she says. “It’s just that kind of reminiscent history of what Fitz and the Tantrums was — hot, sweaty club messes!”

While the 10th anniversary plans remain up in the air, Fitz and the Tantrums will hit the road later this month in support of their new album, Let Yourself Free, which dropped in November. The outing begins January 21 in Portland, Oregon.

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