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As George Santos admits to lying, Democrats call for his resignation

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — New York Rep.-elect George Santos is facing mounting criticism from his future Democratic colleagues for fabricating parts of his biography — criticism that is coming from some of Santos’ fellow Republicans as well, though many in his party have not commented on the controversy, and some have defended him.

“GOP Congressman-elect George Santos, who has now admitted his whopping lies, should resign,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted on Monday, pushing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to call a vote to expel Santos if he does not step down.

Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro also tweeted that Santos should resign or Congress should expel him, which would require a two-thirds vote, and that his actions should be investigated by authorities.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the incoming House minority leader, spoke sharply of Santos last week.

“He appears to be a complete and utter fraud. His whole life story made up, and he’s going to have to answer that question: Did you perpetrate a fraud on the voters?” Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters.

“It’s an open question to me as to whether this is the type of individual that the incoming majority should welcome to Congress. That’s a question from Kevin McCarthy at this point in time,” Jeffries said.

ABC News has reached out to Republican House leaders Kevin McCarthy, Elise Stefanik and Steve Scalise for comment multiple times and they have not responded.

Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office said she was looking into a number of issues raised about Santos.

In a series of interviews, Santos — who initially pushed back on scrutiny of his biography — admitted to lying about or exaggerating parts of his background, including where he went to school and worked and past claims about his Jewish ancestry.

Santos apologized and sought to play down the discrepancies as “embellishing.”

“I am not a criminal,” he told The New York Post on Monday. “This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good.”

Republican lawmakers have largely remained silent on Santos. However, fellow New York Rep.-elect Nick LaLota released a statement asking the ethics committee to investigate.

“House Republicans like me are eager to be sworn in and focus on our commitment to America and our respective districts. Yet over the last few weeks, I have heard from countless Long Islanders how deeply troubled they are by the headlines surrounding George Santos,” LaLota said.

“As a Navy man who campaigned on restoring accountability and integrity to our government, I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” he said.

Another incoming Republican New York representative, Anthony D’Esposito, also released a statement condemning Santos’ actions but did not echo a call for an ethics investigation.

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr., in Santos’ district, said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday that Santos “has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters and everyone who he represents in Congress.”

“I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos, and I expected more than just a blanket apology,” Cairo said.

He said that Santos’ contrition could be earned through a conservative legislative record.

“He must do the public’s will in Washington. Residents want him to deliver tax relief and pass laws that will make our neighborhoods and our nation safer,” Cairo said. “What’s more, George Santos will have to continually prove that he has learned his lesson.”

The Year in Rock 2022: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts a new class

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Another set of musicians were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, but before it actually happened there was at least one unexpected issue.

After the initial list of nominees was announced, Dolly Parton, who was included on the list, threw things for a loop when in February she requested her name be removed from the ballot. But the Hall refused, noting her music “impacted a generation of young fans and influenced countless artists that followed.” She eventually agreed to stay on the ballot, and it’s a good thing she did.

When this year’s class was finally announced, not only did Dolly make it, but so did Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Eminem. In addition, duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were chosen to receive the Musical Excellence Award, while Harry Belafonte received the Early Influence Award. The late R&B singer Sylvia Robinson was chosen for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The induction ceremony was held in November in Los Angeles. Here are some of the evening’s many highlights:

–Duran Duran performed “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film” and “Ordinary World.” Fans were hoping to see the band reunite with original guitarist Andy Taylor, but instead singer Simon Le Bon read a letter Taylor wrote explaining he couldn’t be there because he’s been battling stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.

—Sheryl Crow paid tribute to Benatar and Giraldo, who then treated the crowd to “All Fired Up,” “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker.”

–Eurythmics reunited at the ceremony for their first performance since 2019, performing “Would I Lie to You,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Missionary Man.”

—Carly Simon missed the ceremony, as she was grieving the loss of her two sisters. She was celebrated by Sara Bareilles, who performed “Nobody Does it Better,” and Olivia Rodrigo, who performed “You’re So Vain.” Alanis Morissette was supposed to take part in the Carly tribute but dropped out at the last minute, hinting it had to do with “anti-woman sentiment.”

—Judas Priest reunited with former bandmates K.K. Downing and Les Binks for a performance that included “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.” During speeches they were joined by guitarist Glenn Tipton, who retired from touring full time in 2018 due to Parkinson’s disease.

—Eminem, who was inducted by Dr. Dre, performed a medley of hits, including “My Name Is,” “Sing for the Moment” with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and “Stan,” with Ed Sheeran singing the chorus and playing guitar.

–Richie treated the crowd to “Hello” and brought out a special guest, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, for “Easy,” ending his set with his classic “All Night Long.”

—Pink helped induct Dolly, then joined Dolly and Crow for a performance of “Jolene,” which also included this year’s fellow inductees Benatar, Annie Lennox, Le Bon and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford.

–Finally, the night ended with a classic HOF jam, with Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp paying tribute to the late Jerry Lee Lewis with a medley of his hits.

Jennifer Lopez shares glimpse into “hummingbird Christmas” with Ben Affleck

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Jennifer Lopez is sharing details about her first Christmas with her husband, Ben Affleck.

In her newsletter, On the JLo, the singer and actress, 53, shared how the holiday went with hers and Affleck’s blended family and this year’s Christmas theme.

“I’ve been hunkering down at home (and loving it) since I wrapped my last movie,” Lopez began. “I like to create a theme for every holiday. I wrote a song called ‘Hummingbird’ for my new album, This is Me… Now.”

She went on, “To me, hummingbirds are messengers of love. They’re very agile — can fly forward, backward, and up and down. They’re also the fastest bird but they always have time to stop, eat something sweet and smell the roses. I identify with them, but more than anything, whenever I see one, I feel like it’s a sign from God that everything is going to be OK.”

“So, I decided this year, that the hummingbird would be a perfect theme,” Lopez added. “We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!! I wanted to have a tree in the house that was a hummingbird tree, reminding us that everything done in love and with love will always be OK.”

Lopez noted this was the first time in a while that she was able to get together with family and friends she hadn’t seen in so long.

Following their engagement and breakup in the early 2000s, Lopez and Affleck tied the knot in April in Las Vegas after rekindling their relationship following Lopez’s breakup with then-fiancé Alex Rodriguez.

Pope Emeritus Benedict’s health worsens, Vatican says

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ROME) — The health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has worsened in the last few hours, a Vatican official said on Wednesday.

“The situation at the moment remains under control and is constantly followed by doctors,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told reporters, adding that he could “confirm that in the last few hours there has been an worsening of his condition due to advancing age.”

The comments came after Pope Francis asked for prayers in his morning audience for Benedict, who is 95.

“I ask to all of you a special prayer for the Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is sustaining the church,” the pope said.

Francis visited his predecessor, who resigned in 2013, in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery later in the day, Bruni said.

“We join him in praying for the Pope Emeritus,” Bruni said.

Catcher Sean Murphy signs six-year deal with Atlanta Braves

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — Just over two weeks after acquiring him in a three-way trade, the Atlanta Braves have signed catcher Sean Murphy to a six-year, $73 million deal.

The team announced the contract on Tuesday night, which runs through the 2028 season and “includes a $15 million club option with no buyout for 2029 that would give Murphy a seven-year deal worth $88 million,” the Braves said in a press release.

#Braves Sign Sean Murphy: pic.twitter.com/CbuwZ6cMZa

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 28, 2022

Murphy, 28, was traded to Atlanta earlier this month by the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-team trade that also included the Milwaukee Brewers. He began his MLB career with the Athletics in 2019.

Last season in Oakland, Murphy played in 148 games, batting .250 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Texas Rangers sign free agent pitcher Nathan Eovaldi

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ARLINGTON, Texas) — Right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is no longer a free agent.

The Texas Rangers announced Tuesday night they have signed Eovaldi to a “two-year contract with a vesting player option.”

OFFICIAL: We’ve signed RHP Nathan Eovaldi to a two-year contract with a vesting player option. pic.twitter.com/8AMdCnO2XS

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) December 28, 2022

Citing sources, ESPN reports the deal is worth $34 million and includes performance bonuses.

Eovaldi, 32, opted to become a free agent last month after pitching for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he had been since 2018.

While he was injured for part of last season, Eovaldi finished out 2022 at 6-3, with a 3.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts.

Practicing hygge can help you beat the ‘winter blues’: Here’s how

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Danish concept of “hygge,” or “coziness,” can help fend off the seasonal blues.

Spending time with loved ones and creating a cozy ambience with scents, lighting and sounds can improve mood and reduce stress during the wintertime.

“Hygge is a mindset — an attitude and approach to living that prioritizes togetherness, affection, slow living, gratitude and contentment,” said Natalie Dattilo, a clinical health psychologist at Harvard Medical School.

Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is relevant year-round.

It can, however, be especially helpful during this time of year, when shorter daylight hours and stressful holiday events may contribute to seasonal drops in mood.

Nordic countries, like Denmark, have some of the shortest daylight hours and harshest winters but often rank highest in the annual World Happiness report.

“It would be very easy to be isolated and depressed. Hygge is a coping mechanism that helps them get through the long, dark winters,” said Jaime Kurtz, a clinical psychologist at James Madison University.

One way to practice hygge is through social connection.

“Social connectedness and gratitude are probably the most important factors that have been proven to be correlated with happiness,” said clinical psychologist Pauline Wallin.

Sharing and enjoying meals together can increase social bonding, feelings of well-being and contentment.

That doesn’t mean you have to overextend yourself socially.

“Holiday parties can seem overwhelming. It’s OK to be selective and choose the social events that will truly bring you joy,” said Howard Liu, a child and adult psychiatrist at the University of Nebraska.

But if you can’t physically be with loved ones, the right environment can evoke similar feelings.

“Eating, drinking and taking in comforting aromas can evoke memories of family and friends at various times of one’s life,” said Wallin. “Smell is strongly connected with memory and emotion. So is music.”

Good smells and music also help create a cozy ambiance, another important component of hygge. Opt for nostalgic scents when possible.

“Fill your environment with smells that you love and bring comfort. Think sugar cookies, spices, or chicken noodle soup,” said Dattilo.

Or try a sound or smell known to boost mood.

“Research has shown that the smell of lavender and vanilla is particularly relaxing to the population at large,” said Sally Augustin, a fellow at the American Psychological Association.

The right lighting in a room can also improve the ambience. People tend to perceive warmer lights as more relaxing, research shows.

“Using candles or a fireplace has advantages in that the visual of the flames themselves are naturally relaxing,” said Augustin.

If that’s not an option, swapping bright fluorescents for warm lightbulbs in lamps can work too.

For one last element of comfort, consider texture.

“Soft textures make sense because they are relaxing for us to feel,” said Augustin.

Think cozy pajamas, soft blankets, or fuzzy socks.

So as the long nights drag on and the cold creeps in, try turning to hygge, Kurtz said.

“Embrace the weather! Light a fire, put on soft clothing, make a warm beverage and snuggle a pet or a loved one,” she said.

Emoji lovers create new designs: ‘Language is just as artistic as music’

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Emoji, the silly little pictorials that fill digital communication, are a fun way to deliver a message for many people. But for those who want to be enshrined in the cultural annals of face-palm, red heart and tears of joy by creating the next iconic emoji, this is serious business.

Those digital pictograms must get approval from a group known as Unicode, which standardizes written communication on the internet by maintaining a universal character set. There are limited spots available for new emoji, and each year, scores of emoji-lovers submit proposals to the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee for review.

For one emoji creator-hopeful, this process has been filled with sad-face and eye roll. Caroline Morganti is a 28-year-old software engineer living in New York City and submitted her first emoji proposal to the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee in April.

“I feel like there aren’t very many opportunities to make a defined cultural contribution in a way that has a very defined process,” Morganti told ABC News’ “Start Here” podcast. “Especially something that’s so widely used.”

Morganti’s proposed emoji was a smiley face representing nostalgia or imagination. She came up with the idea when she was scrolling through social media and realized she could not find an emoji to match her feelings.

“Nostalgia is such a big part of internet culture. Why isn’t there an emoji for that?” Morganti said.

Morganti spent over 30 hours writing an 18-page appeal to the Emoji Subcommittee. Unicode requires that submitters address a series of detailed criteria in their proposals, including the relevancy and uniqueness of their idea.

Emoji weren’t always decided this way. Many cellphone companies used to have their own unique, often arbitrary sets of emoji. In 2010, emoji were included in Unicode so that they could be universalized. But this setup has put Unicode in the often strange position of being the world’s emoji gatekeepers.

Recently, Unicode has been keeping that gate shut. The Emoji Subcommittee reviewed Morganti’s proposal through the fall and in early November, they notified her that it was rejected.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed. I thought my emoji had a lot of different uses and I thought the proposal was pretty thorough,” Morganti said.

Morganti isn’t alone. Out of the roughly 400 emoji proposals submitted during this cycle, only 10 were accepted, according to the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee. This is significantly less than the hundreds of proposals accepted annually for the past few years. What was once a deluge of new emoji is now a slow trickle.

Jennifer Daniel, the chair of the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee, attributes this decrease to the strict criteria required to maintain Unicode’s character set, and the internet’s rapidly changing landscape.

“The internet of today is very different from the internet of 30 years ago. We may have been SMS text messaging then, but today we have rich media, we have short form video, we have memes,” Daniel said to “Start Here.” “Emoji is just one of many, but emoji is the only one that’s intended to stay still.”

Daniel, and her colleagues on the Emoji Subcommittee, have the challenging task of regulating the endless expressiveness of the internet.

With thousands of already-existing emoji and limited spots available, the group must be very choosy with its new additions, Daniel said. This all points to the difficult job Unicode has: balancing traditional communication with the ever-changing norms of the internet today.

“Language is just as artistic as music, but music is comprised of music notes. And those musical notes need to be standardized if they’re going to be digitized in some way,” Daniel said. “The beauty of emoji is that it doesn’t require editing software… but there’s so many things that people can do on top of Unicode that enable digital expression.”

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $640 million on Friday, after no tickets matched Tuesday’s numbers

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to 0 million on Friday, after no tickets matched Tuesday’s numbers

(NEW YORK) — The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday is expected to climb to $640 million, after no ticket matched all six winning numbers in Tuesday’s drawing, the lottery said.

“It’s by far the largest Mega Millions prize ever offered in the final week of any year, and could provide someone with a very happy New Year’s celebration,” the lottery said in a statement early Wednesday.

The cash prize option for Friday’s drawing is expected to top $328 million, the lottery said.

The winning numbers on Tuesday were 9, 13, 36, 59 and 61. The megaball was 11 and the megaplier was 2.

Players had also failed to win the top prize on Friday, sending the jackpot from roughly $510 million to $565 million, the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot this year. The cash prize option on Tuesday was $289.8 million.

In July, the jackpot surpassed the $1 billion mark for only the third time in the 20-year history of Mega Millions.

The historic $1.34 billion prize was won by an anonymous ticket owner in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The last winning ticket for a Mega Millions jackpot was on Oct. 14. Two ticket winners split a $502 million prize.

Only six Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year. Winning tickets were in California, Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois and Tennessee.

Parents ‘clearly’ know more about missing 11-year-old, police say

December 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Missing 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari’s parents “clearly” know more than they’ve told investigators, local police said on Tuesday.

The Cornelius Police Department offered an update into the steps it’s taken — with the help of the FBI and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation — in the 12 days since Cojocari was reported missing.

“We know everyone has a lot of questions,” Capt. Jennifer Thompson said in a video posted to Facebook. “We also have questions and are doing everything we can, with proper legal authority, to get those answers.”

She added, “This is a serious case of a child whose parents are clearly not telling us everything they know.”

The FBI last week released a surveillance video that investigators said showed the 11-year-old leaving her school bus on Nov. 21, which they said was the last confirmed sighting of the child.

Her parents told investigators she’s been missing since Nov. 23, but she was reported missing on Dec. 15, according to a police report.

Her parents — mother Diana Cojocari, 37, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, 60 — were both arrested on Dec. 17 and charged under a North Carolina law that requires guardians to notify police within “a reasonable time” when a child goes missing.

Each faces a felony charge of failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement, police said in two statements. Both are scheduled to appear on Wednesday morning in Mecklenburg County Court, according to the local sheriff’s website.

Investigators have developed and followed about 250 leads in the 12 days they’ve been searching for the girl, Thompson said on Tuesday. Those leads have been “across state lines and across the globe,” she said.

“We have interviewed hundreds of people in North Carolina, other states, and, again, across the globe,” she said.

Police have knocked at about 245 homes as they’ve gone door-to-door in the Victoria Bay neighborhood around Madalina Cojocari’s home, Thompsons said. Investigators have “scoured” hours of surveillance video from local businesses.

“Investigators received multiple search warrants for Madalina’s home, to make sure we legally gathered each and every piece of evidence to find Madalina,” Thompson said.

Police said the girl’s school reached out to Diana Cojocari “several” times between Nov. 23 and Dec. 15, when the mother reported the girl missing at her school.

“One of the challenges in the case, simply put — we were not notified she was gone, a delay of three weeks,” Thompson said.

Officials have worked to piece together a timeline of Madalina Cojocari’s disappearance, according to an arrest sheet obtained by ABC News affiliate WSOC-TV.

Diana Cojocari told police she’d last seen the girl at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, according to the arrest sheet, which was dated Dec. 17.

Diana Cojocari told police “Madalina went to her room that night to go to bed. Diana stated her and her husband, Christopher Palmiter, argued that night and the next morning he drove to his family’s house in Michigan to recover some items,” law enforcement officials wrote in the arrest sheet.

Diana Cojocari said she went to check on her daughter at about 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 24, but the girl wasn’t in her room, according to the arrest sheet. Police said Diana Cojocari told them that she’d waited until Palmiter returned home, at about 7 p.m. on Nov. 26, to ask if he knew where Madalina Cojocari was.

Police “asked Diana why she did not report Madalina missing until” mid-December, and she “stated she was worried it might start a ‘conflict’ between her and Christopher,” officials wrote in the arrest sheet.

Palmiter told police that he’d asked Diana Cojocari where Madalina was when he’d returned from his trip, officials wrote.

“Chris stated he spoke with Diana several time[s] about Madalina’s whereabout[s] over the next three weeks,” the arrest sheet said, “and both stated they did not know where she was but they did not contact the police to report Madalina missing.”

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