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Biden to award Citizens Medal to officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Friday is expected to award the Presidential Citizens Medal — the nation’s second-highest civilian honor — to officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, multiple sources told ABC News and a White House official confirmed Thursday.

Biden will present the awards during a ceremony at the White House. Friday marks the second anniversary of the Capitol attack.

The recipients include Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, Capitol Police Officer Carolyn Edwards, retired Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, and retired Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone.

Biden will also bestow the honor posthumously to Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who officials said died of natural causes a day after being assaulted with bear spray while defending the Capitol.

ABC News was the first to report these details.

“To mark two years since the insurrection on the Capitol, Biden will host a ceremony at the White House where he will deliver remarks and award the Presidential Citizens Medal to “individuals who made exemplary contributions to our democracy surrounding January 6, 2021,” a senior White House official said.

Others who will receive the award include Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, mother-daughter election workers who were the target of right-wing conspiracies following the 2020 race. They’ve since discussed living in fear since the attacks against them began, describing how they were forced to leave their jobs.

Several state and local officials who stood up to pressure to overturn the 2020 election results will also receive the honor, including former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt.

“These 12 heroes demonstrated courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation,” the White House official added. “They include Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police, election workers, and officials at the state and local level.”

Many of the officers Biden will recognize on Friday have testified about their harrowing experiences during the insurrection. More than 100 officers were injured as pro-Donald Trump supporters stormed the area.

Dunn, Hodges, Fanone and Gonell described first-hand the violence toward law enforcement during the first hearing of the House Jan. 6 committee, telling lawmakers they all feared for their lives.

Edwards, who testified at a different Jan. 6 committee hearing, said called the Capitol attack a “war scene.”

“There were officers on the ground. You know, they were bleeding. They were throwing up. You know, they had, I mean, I saw friends with blood all over their faces. I was slipping in people’s blood. I was catching people as they fell.”

Biden has repeatedly condemned the Capitol attack as a dark day for American democracy.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that Biden’s focus on the second anniversary of the attack will be to recognize Americans who “showed those best values of who we are.”

Blondie’s Debbie Harry to be featured on all-star ’80 For Brady’ track

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Blondie’s Debbie Harry has lent her vocals to a star-studded new single, to be featured in the upcoming movie 80 for Brady. The tune “Gonna Be You,” dropping January 20, was written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren and also features Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, The Go-Go‘s Belinda Carlisle and Dolly Parton.

80 for Brady is based on the true story of four best friends who traveled to the Super Bowl in 2017 to see then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady play. And the stars of the film are just as impressive as the lineup for the song: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno. Brady also appears in the film, which arrives in theaters February 3.

“I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship,” Diane says in a statement. “Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!!”

She adds, “I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

The song is available for preorder/presave now.

‘Glass Onion’ co-star Dave Bautista says there’s “relief” in being done with Marvel Cinematic Universe

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Dave Bautista, now starring in Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, tells GQ he’s relieved to be done playing Drax The Destroyer in Marvel’s The Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

The former pro wrestler-turned-actor told the magazine the story of his rags-to-riches career, from broke wannabe wrestler to WWE superstar who gave it up to be a struggling actor.

After appearing in November’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as the gray-skinned, overly literal alien, Bautista has one more go-round as Drax, in May’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has already wrapped.

“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” the actor says. “But there’s a relief [that it is over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”

That said, Bautista fondly recalls how he learned he landed the role that helped launch his career: A phone call from Marvel Studios as he was on his way to the gym. “I had to pull over because I was crying so hard,” Bautista says. “I turned right back around and walked into my house shaking to tell my wife I had gotten the role, and we were both standing there freaking out.”

Bautista followed the Guardians movies with more dramatic parts, like director Denis Villenueve‘s 2017 film Blade Runner 2049. He worked with the Oscar-nominated director again in 2021’s Dune reboot.

He’ll soon be seen in the next film from another acclaimed director, M. Night Shyamalan, in the thriller A Knock at the Cabin, which debuts in theaters February 3.

Former CEO of crypto firm Celsius sued in New York over alleged fraud

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The former chief executive of the cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a new lawsuit filed Thursday.

Alex Mashinsky lied to investors, concealed Celsius’ dire financial condition and failed to register as required by state law, the lawsuit said.

As Celsius lost some $440 million in risky investments, Mashinsky concealed the platform’s rapidly deteriorating financial condition, according to the lawsuit, which seeks to ban him from doing business in New York and requires him to pay damages, restitution and disgorgement.

“As the former CEO of Celsius, Alex Mashinsky promised to lead investors to financial freedom but led them down a path of financial ruin,” James said in a statement accompanying an announcement of the lawsuit.

Celsius is a cryptocurrency lending platform where investors could deposit their cryptocurrency in return for receiving yield on their deposited assets. Throughout Mashinsky’s tenure as CEO he made numerous false and deceptive statements about Celsius’ safety, number of users, and investment strategies to recruit investors, the lawsuit said.

In hundreds of public appearances, videos, interviews, blog posts and livestreams, Mashinsky asserted that Celsius was safer than a bank, though the attorney general’s office noted banks are highly regulated by state and federal agencies and subject to regular and robust examinations. Celsius was not and its customers had no hope of receiving the same protections as banks.

According to the lawsuit, Mashinsky repeatedly claimed that Celsius made safe, low-risk investments and only lent assets to credible and reputable entities. However, investors’ assets were routinely exposed to high-risk counterparties and strategies, many of which resulted in losses which Mashinsky concealed from investors.

The collapse of Celsius has left many individuals in financial ruin. The lawsuit mentioned a New York resident who mortgaged two properties to invest with Celsius. A disabled veteran lost his investment of $36,000, which had taken him nearly a decade to save up. Another disabled citizen, who depended upon government assistance to supplement his $8 per hour income, lost his entire investment.

Jackson Dean’s getting “Fearless” — and romantic, too

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Jackson Dean‘s getting “Fearless” with his new single.

The new release from Greenbroke is the follow-up to his debut single, “Don’t Come Lookin’,” which went on to become his first #1.

“I believe in ghosts/ Most people don’t/ I swear it on my Grandpa’s grave,” Jackson sings in the opening lines of “Fearless,” continuing in the rebellious, mystical style he established with “Don’t Come Lookin’.” This time, he makes room for a little romance, adding, “I got thick skin/ I’ll dive in/ I’m fearless/ Except when it comes to you” in the chorus.

2023’s a big year for Jackson. He joins Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce on the Back to the Honky Tonk Tour, before performing in the New Faces Show at Country Radio Seminar in March — a feat seen as one of the biggest predictors of long-term success in the genre.

Katy Perry cuts out alcohol when she’s prepping for a tour or album

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Katy Perry is practicing “Dryuary” — where one is challenged not to drink alcohol during the month of January — and reveals she actually goes a step further than that.

Speaking to Women’s Health, Katy revealed she will go alcohol-free for months when it comes to her music. “Sometimes when I’m prepping for a tour or album release, I’ll take three or six months where I’m not drinking at all,” she disclosed.

“I am a zero to 100 type of girl,” she continued. “I lean into the luxury and the pleasure. But then I have to recuperate and take time, pull back, re-energize by feeding myself good things and taking care of myself in certain ways so that I can go back out into the world and ham it up.”

Katy will never drink alcohol before a show. “I have so many marks to hit, and so many things that I have to make feel effortless and easy and natural, but they’re actually very technical,” she explained. “I’m hanging on wires, I’m masquerading as a Cirque de Soleil performer many of the times.”

Katy also spoke about being a first-time mom, and said she gives all the “extra moments I have to being present and being a mother.” She shares a 2-year-old daughter named Daisy with partner Orlando Bloom.

Katy became a mom at 35 and believes the timing was perfect. “I really feel like I checked off a lot of my life boxes and was ready to do that, to be of service as a mother does … I’ve seen so many views of so many different mountains, and this is the best view,” she said.

Bob Weir releases live version of “Greatest Story Ever Told” from upcoming ‘Ace’ deluxe edition

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Bob Weir is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, Ace, with a new deluxe edition and he’s giving fans a little taste of what to expect with the release.

The Grateful Dead guitarist just released a live version of the tune “Greatest Story Ever Told,” featuring Tyler Childers, which will appear on Ace: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, dropping January 13. The live version of the track was recorded at a 2020 show with his band Wolf Bros at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, where they performed the entire album live and were joined by special guests.

Ace: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be released as a double CD and on streaming services. It will feature a remastered new mix of Ace, along with a full Radio City performance. A black vinyl version will also be released on February 3.

More than 176,000 customers without power as storm hits West Coast

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A major storm is hitting the West Coast Wednesday into Thursday with flood, high wind and heavy snow alerts in effect for California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington state.

More than 176,000 customers are without power in California.

A winter storm warning is in place for the mountains outside of Los Angeles, where up to a foot of snow is possible.

In California, winds gusts up to 132 miles per hour were reported in Alpine Meadows, California, and up to 60 miles per hour at San Francisco International Airport.

Heavy rain will continue Thursday in California and then most of the state will catch a break on Friday before more rain arrives over the weekend and into early next week.

Winds in Los Angeles County gusted up to 87 mph and up to 63 mph on the Santa Barbara County coast.

The highest rainfall totals in California over the last 24 hours were 5 inches in Potter Valley, 3.98 inches in Valley Christian, 4.67 inches in Los Angeles County and 1.8 inches in Beverly Hills.

San Francisco picked up more than half of its annual rainfall in just 30 days.

In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, more than 5 feet of snow is expected in the next seven days.

Elsewhere, there were 23 reported tornadoes across the South.

Seven tornadoes were confirmed in Illinois alone, making it the biggest tornado outbreak for the state since 1989.

To the north, up to 15 inches of snow fell in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, breaking a daily record and making it the snowiest start to January in five years.

With more than 45 inches of snow so far this season, this is the snowiest start to winter in almost 30 years at Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport.

Triple-Platinum GAYLE included in RIAA’s Class of 2022

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

GAYLE is included in the RIAA’s Class of 2022, which lists all the artists who earned their first certifications over the last year.

The teenage artist’s breakout hit “abcdefu” was certified Gold last January and ended 2022 with triple-Platinum honors, signifying 3 million certified units.

GAYLE is one of 39 artists who achieved their first RIAA certification in 2022, though “abcdefu” was the only song by an RIAA freshman to go multiple-times Platinum.

“Whenever a Gold, Platinum or Diamond certification is earned, it represents massive engagement from an artist’s fans, and a remarkable achievement by the artist, their creative teams, and their record label,” says RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne. “And when it is your very first RIAA award, it’s even more special. We are so encouraged by the success of this #RIAAClassOf 2022 and are honored to help celebrate their immense talents.”

Meanwhile, GAYLE’s 2023 is looking to be just as eventful. She’ll be opening for select dates on Taylor Swift‘s stadium tour, while “abcdefu” is nominated for Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys.

On ‘Black Panther’ podcast, an emotional Ryan Coogler recalls finding out Chadwick Boseman had died

January 5, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On the first installment of the recently launched Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, director Ryan Coogler gets emotional recalling Chadwick Boseman‘s last days.

Host Ta-Nehisi Coates asked Coogler how the sequel took shape, both before and after their friend Boseman’s 2020 death at 43 following a private cancer battle.

At times overcome with emotion, the filmmaker explains he’d sent a draft of the script to Boseman weeks before he passed away. Coogler, like most people, didn’t know Boseman was dying.

Coogler recalls solemnly, “I could tell he was tired. I’d been trying to get a hold of him for a few days, and Denzel [Washington] had been trying to get a hold of him, too … I could tell he was laying down when I was talking to him … I could tell something was up.”

Coogler recalls, “I found out later he was too tired to read anything.”

Weeks later, Coogler was told Boseman passed away. “I didn’t wanna believe it. So I called Denzel, and I was like, ‘Maybe it’s a rumor.’ I was texting Chad … And [Denzel called back] and said, ‘It’s not a rumor.'”

The filmmaker exclaimed, “I found out in the [press] release … he was sick when I met him [in 2015]! When he passed, I just went back to all [the stunts] I asked him to do on [Black Panther].”

Coogler remembered Boseman needing extra time to warm up after scenes in the water. “Some days I’d just find him incredibly sad,” he expressed.

“Looking back,” Coogler realized, “I was like, ‘My mans was dying!'”

He said of going ahead with Wakanda Forever, “If he did all that while he was going through that … we gotta push through.”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2022. It arrives on Disney+ February 1.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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