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World Cup live updates: Group stage matches heat up as Ghana beats South Korea

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After years of controversy around its location, the 2022 World Cup is underway in Qatar.

There have been allegations of payoffs to FIFA members to earn the bid, criticism of Qatar’s laws against women and LGBTQ individuals, the deaths of migrants used to build the sparkling new stadiums and even last-second controversy over beer sales. The tournament was also moved from its usual summer timeframe to the holiday season to avoid Qatar’s intensely hot weather.

But on the field, the best players in the world — such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar — are ready to go. And the U.S. is back with a hungry, young team after failing to qualify for the last World Cup.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Nov 28, 1:03 PM EST
Brazil tops Switzerland

In the Group G competition Monday, Brazil beat Switzerland 1-0 with a late-game goal by Casemiro.

With that, Brazil has won both its matches so far in the tournament and sits atop the group.

Nov 28, 10:14 AM EST
Ghana defeats South Korea, Cameroon and Serbia tie

Ghana won over South Korea 3-2 in a high-intensity match that saw the momentum change several times over.

Ghana started strong, with Mohammed Salisu scoring 24 minutes in and Mohammed Kudus at 34 minutes, bringing the score to 2-0 by halftime.

But then Cho Gue-sung of South Korea scored twice, at the 58th minute and again just three minutes later. He scored both goals on a header from a cross, the second powerful strike followed by an exuberant team celebration as it tied up the game.

Ghana met the challenge just minutes later, with Kudus scoring once more to put Ghana back in the lead.

With 10 minutes of extra time, South Korea was not able to score again as the Ghanaian team successfully defended multiple goal opportunities.

Earlier Monday, in Group G, Cameroon and Serbia ended in a 3-3 tie.

Nov 27, 3:59 PM EST
Germany, Spain tie

Germany and Spain ended their high-energy match in a 1-1 tie Sunday.

Both goals came late in the game, with Spain’s Álvaro Morata scoring at 62 minutes and Germany’s Niclas Füllkrug at 83 minutes.

Nov 27, 1:06 PM EST
Croatia beats Canada 4-1

Croatia handily beat Canada four goals to one. Croatia’s goals were scored by Marko Livaja, Lovro Majer and Andrej Kramaric, who scored twice.

Canada’s Alphonso Davies scored their sole point, the country’s first in a men’s FIFA World Cup, within the first three minutes of the match.

Croatia is now the top team in Group F, while Canada will not advance.

Nov 27, 11:23 AM EST
Morocco beats Belgium 2-0

Morocco beat Belgium Sunday with two goals over zero.

The first goal was scored by Abdelhamid Sabiri 73 minutes in on a free kick near the corner. The second goal came in extra minutes, scored by Zakaria Aboukhlal chipping off a smart assist by Hakim Ziyech.

This win puts Morocco at the top of Group F.

Nov 27, 8:12 AM EST
Costa Rica beats Japan 1-0 with late goal

Costa Rica beat the favored Japan 1-0 with a late goal on Sunday.

Keysher Fuller scored the match’s sole goal at the 81-minute mark, shooting from inside the 18-yard box and slipping the ball past the fingertips of Japan’s goaltender, Shuichi Gonda.

The goal was Costa Rica’s first of the tournament after losing 7-0 against Spain in its opening game.

Nov 26, 4:15 PM EST
Argentina tops Mexico 2-0 in vital win

After a stunning loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina defeated Mexico 2-0.

Argentina and Saudi Arabia now have three points each. The team that wins their third match in this round will likely head to the knockouts.

Nov 26, 1:30 PM EST
France defeats Denmark 2-1 in heated match

France defeated Denmark 2-1 with a last minute goal from Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé, in what was a tight game between the two Group D teams.

Mbappé also scored France’s first goal of the match. The win solidifies France’s spot in the knockout round.

To qualify for the next round, Denmark will have to defeat Australia on Wednesday.

Nov 26, 12:17 PM EST
Poland defeats Saudi Arabia 2-0

Poland defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0, putting the Polish team in Group C’s top spot.

Saudi Arabia has the second highest number of points in the group thanks to its surprise 2-1 win over Argentina. Mexico and Argentina will face off later today, where Mexico could knock Argentina out of the tournament with a win.

Nov 26, 8:04 AM EST
Saudi Arabia can qualify for elimination round with win over Poland

Poland and Saudi Arabia have kicked off at Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Saudi Arabia shocked the football world this week with a 2-1 over Argentina, one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Poland played Mexico and earned a scoreless draw against the squad to take one point away from the match.

The second Group C match of the day will take place later on where Mexico can eliminate Argentina from the competition with a win.

Nov 26, 7:07 AM EST
Australia defeats Tunisia for their first World Cup win since 2010

Australia and Tunisia played a tight game throughout with each squad having their chances to score but it was Australia who ultimately prevailed 1-0 over the North African side.

Tunisia is now on the backfoot when it comes to qualifying for the knockout rounds but they have not formally been eliminated in the loss to Australia. Australia have garnered three points in their two matches thus far. Tunisia has earned one point in their matches. Denmark takes on France later today in the other Group D match.

Nov 25, 4:09 PM EST
US and England tie 0-0

The U.S. and England tied in their match on Friday, ending the game without scoring any goals.

To advance to the next round, the U.S. will need to win its match against Iran on Tuesday.

England won its match against Iran on Monday 6-2.

Nov 25, 12:47 PM EST
Neymar injures right ankle during Brazil’s 1st match

Soccer star Neymar injured his right ankle during Brazil’s match against Serbia Thursday.

The team’s doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar sprained his ankle and said he is confident Neymar will continue playing at the World Cup, according to the Associated Press.

Nov 25, 12:47 PM EST
China gifts Qatar two pandas tasked with predicting game winners

Thuraya and Suhail are two pandas gifted to Qatar from China to celebrate their hosting the World Cup. Every day, they are tasked with predicting which countries will win that day’s matchups.

Fans of the U.S. men’s soccer team may hope this less-than-stellar rate holds as the pandas predicted this morning that England wins in the team’s group stage match.

Nov 25, 12:37 PM EST
Senegal beats Qatar 3-1

Senegal beat World Cup host Qatar 3-1, in what was the host’s first appearance in the tournament ever.

The two other Group A members, the Netherlands and Ecuador, are set to face off on Friday.

Nov 25, 7:30 AM EST
Wales suffers defeat at the hands of Iran

With two goals allowed in added time, Wales lost a tight match to Iran 2-0.

In the defeat, Wales has one point in Group B and Iran now has three. The United States will play England later today to wrap up the second games for each team in the group at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Nov 25, 6:00 AM EST
Wales and Iran battle to 0-0 at halftime in each squad’s second match

In a closely fought match between the two teams, Wales and Iran have played a tight match so far at halftime at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Ar-Rayyan.

Wales has had possession 54% of the time to Iran’s 30% with the ball contested 16% of the time.

England is leading Group B with three points and they will play the United States who garnered point against Wales in their first match. Wales is tied with the U.S. with one point and Iran yet to put points on the table.

Nov 24, 10:39 PM EST
Brazil wins against Serbia as Neymar suffers ankle injury

Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0 in the opening for Group G at Lusail Stadium courtesy of Brazilian forward Richarlison’s double goals.

Brazil’s Neymar, one of the sport’s most popular players, sprained his ankle, according to Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar.

Now at the top of the Group G standings, Brazil will play Switzerland on Monday, while Serbia will face Cameroon.

Nov 24, 8:43 PM EST
Portugal beats Ghana 3-2 as Ronaldo breaks record

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo made history today, becoming the first male player to score in five different World Cups after scoring a penalty kick in Portugal’s opening match.

Portugal now leads Group H after defeating Ghana 3-2.

Ronaldo left Manchester United earlier this week after an explosive TV interview in which he criticized the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

Nov 24, 2:04 PM EST
Portugal beats Ghana 3-2 as Ronaldo breaks record

Soccer star Christiano Ronaldo made history today, becoming the first male player to score in five different World Cups after scoring a penalty kick in Portugal’s opening match.

Portugal now leads Group H after defeating Ghana 3-2.

Ronaldo left Manchester United earlier this week after an explosive TV interview in which he criticized the club and manager Erik ten Hag.

Nov 24, 11:39 AM EST
Uruguay and South Korea draw 0-0

Uruguay and South Korea did not score any goals in their first appearance in the 2022 World Cup, ending the game with a 0-0 draw.

The two other teams in the group, Portugal and Ghana, are also facing off today.

Nov 24, 8:10 AM EST
Uruguay takes on South Korea

The match between Uruguay and South Korea has kicked off in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

This match is the first one featuring teams from Group H, the last group not to have played yet in Qatar 2022. The other two teams, Ghana and Portugal, will play later today.

Nov 24, 7:07 AM EST
Switzerland defeats Cameroon 1-0

Cameroon-born Swiss star Breel Embolo scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute shortly after the half as Switzerland defeated Cameroon in the first game of the World Cup for each squad in Group G.

Embolo, who plays for Ligue 1 club Monaco in France, refused to celebrate in what would be the only goal of the match and held up his hands after scoring before he was mobbed by his teammates in celebration.

Switzerland will next play Brazil on Monday while Cameroon will take on Serbia the same day.

Nov 23, 1:02 PM EST
Spain looks like Cup contender with rout of Costa Rica

Spain, one of the oddsmakers’ favorites to hoist the World Cup trophy next month, did nothing to dissuade those picking the 2010 champs to win another title.

Spain defeated Costa Rica 7-0 in the most lopsided game of the tournament so far. Costa Rica had zero shots on goal in the match.

Ferran Torres had two goals, while Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata each had one.

It was the most goals scored by Spain in a World Cup game, topping the six they scored against Bulgaria in 1998. Spain next plays Germany on Sunday, with the German side facing elimination with a loss.

Nov 23, 10:16 AM EST
Japan shocks Germany with 2 goals in final 15 minutes

Germany controlled possession throughout the first half and appeared ready to cruise to a opening game victory. Then Japan turned it on in a shocking final 15 minutes to steal the win.

German Ilkay Gundogan scored on a penalty kick in the 33rd minute, and thought they had added a second late in the first half before a review took it off the board.

In the second, Ritsu Doan tied the game at 1-1 in the 75th minute after coming on the pitch just four minutes earlier. Eight minutes later, Takuma Asano gave Japan the 2-1 lead and held on for the win.

Nov 23, 10:14 AM EST
German players cover mouths in protest

The starting 11 for Germany posed for photos covering their mouths before the match with Japan in a sign of protest.

Several European team captains had planned to wear “OneLove” armbands during the tournament as a protest against Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ laws. However, FIFA cracked down on the teams’ decision and promised to immediately hand out yellow cards to any player violating the rules on uniform.

Also, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was pictured wearing the armband while watching in the stands, alongside embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino. She had previously said she might not even attend the World Cup due to concerns over human rights.

Nov 23, 7:04 AM EST
Croatia and Morocco draw 0-0

Croatia and Morocco failed to score in their match, which ended up being the third 0-0 draw in the 2022 World Cup so far.

The other two teams in the group, Canada and Belgium, will face off later today at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium — popularly known as the Al-Rayyan Stadium — in Al Rayyan, Qatar. It will be Canada’s first World Cup match in 36 years and only their second ever appearance at the tournament.

Nov 23, 6:57 AM EST
Morocco and Croatia battle to 0-0 draw at halftime

Croatia controlled possession of the ball 51% of the time to Morocco’s 36% in the first half of the Group F match at Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

Croatia had two corner kick opportunities but were unable to capitalize on those opportunities to score while Morocco had one less foul in the first half than the European side.

Nov 23, 5:08 AM EST
Match between 2018 World Cup runners-up and Morocco kicks off

Croatia, runners-up to France in the 2018 World Cup, has taken the field against the second-best team in Africa, Morocco, in Group F’s first match of the tournament.

Morocco has not won a World Cup match since 1998 and has only ever emerged from the qualifying rounds in the tournament once, 36 years ago in 1986.

Nov 22, 4:23 PM EST
Soccer powers take the stage on Wednesday

Germany, Spain and Belgium take to the field on Wednesday as they each look to open the tournament with a win — and deliver a message that they are in World Cup-winning form. Germany and Spain won the World Cup in 2014 and 2010, respectively, while Belgium is No. 2 in the FIFA world rankings.

Our neighbors to the north, Canada, also get their World Cup underway. This is just the second time Canada has appeared in the World Cup and certainly want to do better than that appearance in 1986 when they went 0-3 in the group stage.

Here’s the schedule for Wednesday:

Morocco vs. Croatia, 5 a.m., FS1
Germany vs. Japan, 8 a.m., FS1
Spain vs. Costa Rica, 11 a.m., Fox
Belgium vs. Canada, 2 p.m., Fox

Nov 22, 4:07 PM EST
Defending champion France routs Australia

Just nine minutes into France’s opening round match with Australia they trailed 1-0 behind a goal from Craig Goodwin.

But any thoughts of the defending World Cup champions stumbling to a loss in their opener — like Argentina earlier in the day — were erased by Adrien Rabiot in the 28th minute. Five minutes later, Olivier Giroud banged one home to take the lead.

The rout was on in the second half when 23-year-old French star Kylian Mbappe headed one home in the 68th minute. Giroud scored a brace with his second goal in the 71st minute. The goal tied him with legend Thierry Henry for the most international goals in French history.

France finished with 23 shots to Australia’s four. The Aussies had just one shot on goal.

Nov 22, 1:11 PM EST
Mexico, Poland go scoreless after Lewandowski misses penalty

Mexico and Poland, both teams hoping to advance to the knockout stage, finished 0-0 in their opening match after Polish star Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty kick in the second half.

Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa came up with a big stop in the 58th minute Tuesday. Mexico, meanwhile, dominated possession — 61% to 39% — and had 11 shots but couldn’t break through.

Lewandowski, one of his generation’s great forwards, has not scored a World Cup goal in four matches.

Nov 22, 11:12 AM EST
Fans show off team pride with crazy costumes

Win or lose, you can always count on fans to show up — often in the most outlandish outfits.

-ABC News’ Moe Zoyari

Nov 22, 10:04 AM EST
Denmark, Tunisia settle for scoreless draw

Denmark, one of the sleeper picks to win the tournament, settled for a 0-0 draw with Tunisia in their first game in Group D. It was the first scoreless draw of the tournament and only the second draw — after the U.S.-Wales on Monday.

The Danes are ranked 10th in the world, while Tunisia is ranked 30th.

Denmark held its collective breath in the 93rd minute when the referee was called over to look at VAR for a hand ball, but the ruling came back with no penalty.

Nov 22, 9:35 AM EST
World Cup’s New High-Tech Ball Will Change Soccer Forever: FiveThirtyEight

When the 2022 World Cup made its debut on Sunday, it kicked off one of the most significant in-game uses of technology in sports history.

All tournament long, match balls will contain a sensor that collects spatial positioning data in real time — the first World Cup to employ such a ball-tracking mechanism. This, combined with existing optical tracking tools, will make VAR (video assistant referees) and programs like offside reviews more accurate and streamlined than they’ve ever been.

Combining these two forms of tracking has long been a holy grail of sorts in technology circles, and FIFA’s use of the ball sensor in particular will serve as a highly public test case over the next four weeks.

For more on the technology and how it will affect the World Cup, read FiveThirtyEight’s in-depth investigation.

Nov 22, 9:16 AM EST
Budweiser plans celebration with unused beer

With millions of dollars in unused beer sitting in Qatar, the company AB InBev says it will be bringing the beer to the winning country for an “ultimate” celebration.

“Where there is a celebration, there is always a Budweiser. In that spirit, Budweiser wants to bring this celebration from the FIFA World Cup stadiums to the winning country’s fans,” the company said in a statement. “We will host the ultimate championship celebration for the winning country. Because, for the winning fans, they’ve taken the world. More details will be shared when we get closer to the finals.”

Nov 22, 9:03 AM EST
Saudi Arabia stuns Argentina

Lionel Messi and Argentina were stunned by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as the Saudis rallied to beat one of the tournament’s favorites, 2-1.

Messi, one of the sport’s all-time greats, scored in the 10th minute on a penalty kick. But Saudi Arabia came out strong in the second half with goals in the 48th minute by Saleh Al-Shehri and in the 53rd minute by Salem Al-Dawsari.

Leonard Cohen’s 1973 Yom Kippur war concerts to be subject of new TV series

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In 1973, Leonard Cohen visited the frontlines of the Yom Kippur war in Israel and performed a series of concerts for soldiers. Now, that trip is being turned into a TV series. Variety reports journalist Matti Friedman’s 2022 book about the trip, Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, is being made into a limited TV series by Keshet International and Sixty-Six Media, which is set to film in Israel in 2024.

“Moving around the front with a guitar and a pick-up team of local musicians, Cohen dived headlong into a global crisis and met hundreds of fighting men and women at the worst moment of their lives,” reads a description of the series. “Cohen’s audience knew his songs might be the last thing they heard, and those who survived never forgot the experience,” the description continues, adding, “The war tour was an electric cultural moment, one that still echoes today, – but a moment that only few knew about, until now.”

The title of the book and series comes from the track “Who By Fire,” which appeared on Cohen’s fourth studio album, 1974’s New Skin for the Old Ceremony, released after the tour. It is inspired by a Yom Kippur prayer.

Buffalo supermarket shooter pleads guilty to terrorism and murder charges

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Payton Gendron pleaded guilty Monday to state charges stemming from the May shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

Gendron pleaded guilty to 15 charges in all, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, murder and attempted murder. He still faces more than two dozen federal charges, some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2023. Domestic terrorism motivated by hate carries a mandatory life sentence.

“Thank God the families and the victims who survived this and this community don’t have to endure a long, protracted trial,” Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said following the plea. “Nothing will ever bring back the 10 beautiful people who lost their lives on that day. This past Thursday on Thanksgiving, there were 10 empty chairs at the Thanksgiving dinner … I can never provide full closure. There’s never going to be full closure for the families.”

Gendron fatally shot 10 Black people “because of the perceived race and/or color” of the victims, according to the indictment by the Erie County district attorney.

He was charged with carrying out a “domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate” along with 10 counts of murder in the first degree, 10 counts of murder in the second degree as a hate crime, three counts of attempted murder as a hate crime and one count of criminal possession of a weapon.

Flynn said Gendron illegally modified his gun, practiced shooting at state parks in Broome County and wrote 180 pages of racist screed that also contained the names of past mass shooters he admired.

White supremacist rhetoric online, including the promotion of racist conspiracy theories, has been linked to Gendron and his motive behind the Buffalo attack, ABC News has previously reported. Gendron traveled from his home near Binghamton, New York, to carry out the shooting, according to officials.

A document of Gendron’s uncovered by investigators outlined “the goals behind the attack which were to kill as many African Americans as possible, avoid dying and spread ideals,” Flynn said. “The document also detailed the defendant’s hateful beliefs, specifically his hatred for African Americans, Jewish people, immigrants, and other minorities.”

Gendron is the first to be charged with domestic terrorism motivated by hate in New York under a 2020 statute, which was implemented following an El Paso, Texas, shooting targeting Latinos in 2019.

He has been charged by federal prosecutors with a total of 26 counts of committing a hate crime resulting in death and a hate crime involving bodily injury. He’s also charged with using a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence. In July, Gendron’s public defender entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

“His decision to plead guilty will deliver the families some justice, but it will not end the racism that drove him to kill in the first place,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of civil rights group National Action Network. “That horrific day was the byproduct of a white supremacy so blatant that its followers don’t hide under a hood — they livestream their hate for everyone to see,” referring to the livestream of the shooting captured by a camera on Gendron’s helmet during the attack.

The families of Buffalo victims are expected to speak following the hearing.

Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world, begins erupting

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Ash and lava have begun spewing out of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island — the largest active volcano in the world.

The activity, which began Sunday and continued into Monday morning, is the first eruption from Mauna Loa in nearly 40 years.

The lava was contained to the summit, and there are currently no threats to populated areas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, lava flows are significant enough to be visible from Kona, dozens of miles away.

Mauna Loa is so large it takes up more than half of the Big Island. The last time it erupted was in March and April 1984.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has closed the Mauna Loa Summit Area to visitors as a precaution.

Video posted to Twitter by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory shows thermal footage of the lava flowing out of the volcano’s summit.

In conjunction with the lava flow, were more than a dozen earthquakes in the region of more than 2.5 magnitude early Monday morning, according to the USGS.

Lava was still erupting from the summit and was overflowing from the caldera as of 5 a.m. local time, according to USGS Volcanoes. The National Weather Service issued an ashfall advisory for depositing ash and debris, as well as light accumulation of ash on vessels, until 6 a.m. along the Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island windward waters, Big Island leeward waters and Big Island southeast waters.

The NWS advised that vessels should remain at port or avoid advisory areas, and those with respiratory sensitivities should take extra precautions to minimize exposure.

Falling volcanic ash and debris can also render engines or electronics inoperative, according to the NWS.

Hawaii is home to several active volcanos, including the Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island, one of the most active in the world.

Volcano activity has been recorded all around the globe over the past year.

Major eruptions could be underway from two volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after clouds of ash and lava began spewing on Nov. 20.

In July, an eruption at the Sakurajima volcano in Japan prompted evacuation orders for residents nearby in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima.

And last week, marine geologists announced that the underwater volcano eruption that occurred on Jan. 15 in the Tongan archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean is the largest ever recorded.

Axl Rose criticizes “intrusive” “drone pirate[s]” at Guns N’ Roses show

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Guns N’ Roses‘ fun and games were interrupted by “drone pirates” during a recent show in Gold Coast, Australia.

In a statement posted to his Twitter, frontman Axl Rose called crowd members’ use of drones at the concert “intrusive” and a “distraction,” adding that “people were pissed” about the situation.

“It’s not something we’re all that used to,” Rose writes. “A lot of impulse reactions went thru everyone’s minds after thinking about it (which when [your] live there’s really no time to really sort things out like that) didn’t make much sense.”

“We get that it can [be] ‘fun’ to get [your] drone bootleg vid,” he continues. “But we’d appreciated it if anyone planning to [be] a drone pirate took the fans [and] the band into consideration [and] played [with your] toys somewhere else.”

Guns N’ Roses’ current tour of Australia and New Zealand will wrap up in December.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson makes sweet reparations to 7-Eleven for formerly sticky fingers

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) At a 7-Eleven in Hawaii over the weekend, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to Instagram to exorcise a “chocolate demon” he has wrestled with “for decades.”

The Black Adam superstar explained that in 1987, he and his mother were evicted from their home in the 50th State, which led him to a life of crime.

Sort of.

“I was broke as hell, so I used to steal a king sized @snickers EVERY DAY from 7-11 for almost a year when I was 14yrs old, on my way to the gym,” Johnson captioned the video, which showed him entering the same store.

“The same clerk was there every day and always just turned her head and never busted me,” Rock’s caption continued.

As a way to make good, Johnson returned to the store to “clean out every Snickers bar they had – the right way.” To that end, DJ grabbed an armful of the candy bars and had a shocked staff member ring up dozens. Johnson also comped the purchases of every shopper at the store “as a bonus” bit of goodwill.

He commented about the latter, “Least I could do considering all the s*** I used to steal from here.”

In the end, Johnson explained he wanted the staffers to leave the candy out in case someone walked into the store, like he did many years ago, and intended to walk out without paying for one.

While Johnson posed for shocked fans in the video, he noted philosophically in his captions, “We can’t change…some of the dumb stuff we may have done, but every once in a while we can add a little redeeming grace note to that situation — and maybe put a big smile on some stranger’s faces.”

Billie Eilish, FINNEAS performing at Prince William’s 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Billie Eilish and FINNEAS are set to perform at the ceremony for the 2022 Earthshot Prize, an environmental award founded by Prince William.

The event will take place December 2 in Boston and will air first in the U.K. December 4 on BBC. U.S. viewers can watch beginning December 5 on PBS.org.

Other performers include Annie Lennox of Eurythmics, Chloe x Halle and Ellie Goulding.

The Earthshot Prize honors those working to “discover, accelerate and scale ground-breaking eco-solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.” The first Earthshot Prize ceremony took place in 2021 and featured a performance by Coldplay.

Eilish and FINNEAS have frequently lent their support to environmental causes. Earlier this year, the Environmental Media Association honored Eilish with the Missions in Music Award.

White House criticizes China COVID policy, says people have ‘right to peacefully protest’

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The White House on Monday criticized China’s coronavirus containment strategy and said people there have a “right to peacefully protest,” although its comments were notably restrained at a time it is seeking to strengthen relations with Beijing.

The comments follow the most significant demonstrations in China in decades as over the weekend, protesters in Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere challenged police in the streets, with some even calling for China’s President Xi Jinping to resign.

“We’ve long said everyone has the right to peacefully protest, in the United States and around the world,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, who requested anonymity, said. “This includes in the PRC.”

The spokesperson used the acronym for China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

The Biden administration has emphasized the need to manage the United States’ strategic relationship with China, which it this year labeled the United States’ “only competitor with both the intent and, increasingly, the capability to reshape the international order.”

Biden has spoken with China’s Xi half a dozen times since taking office, most recently in person — for the first time since both became president — this month at a summit in Indonesia.

China’s continued strategy of locking down large parts of its cities and subjecting residents to stringent testing and restrictions stands in stark contrast to the approach to COVID in the United States and much of the rest of the world, which have largely returned to life as normal while living with the pandemic.

Since last winter’s omicron wave subsided, Biden has adopted a strategy that eschews large-scale lockdowns or mandatory restrictions on Americans. A significant portion of the American population is now vaccinated against the virus, and the country has increasingly prioritized its economic recovery.

In September said in an interview that the pandemic was “over.”

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, told ABC News’ This Week on Sunday that a better strategy would be to “build up immunity in the population by getting people vaccinated,” as the United States has done.

The spokesperson also said that it would be “very difficult” for China to be able to contain COVID using its current strategy.

“I think it’s going to be very, very difficult for China to be able to contain this through their zero COVID strategy,” Jha said in an interview with ABC News’ Martha Raddatz. “I would recommend that they pursue the strategy of making sure everybody gets vaccinated, particularly their elderly. That I think is the path out of this virus. Lockdown and zero COVID is going to very difficult to sustain.”

Houston under water boil notice after power failure

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — Over two million Houston residents are under a water boil notice after a power outage Sunday affected a water treatment plant, officials said.

The water pressure dropped below the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s required minimum of 20 PSI during a power outage at the East Water Purification Plant around 10:30 a.m. local time, according to the agency. Houston schools were closed Monday because of the order.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the water was safe and that the boil order was done to comply with regulations. He tweeted that the city submitted its plan to TCEQ to lift the notice Sunday night.

“Water samples will subsequently follow and hopefully we will get the all clear from TCEQ. The City has to wait 24 hours from that point before the boil water notice is suspended. The earliest would be tomorrow night or very early Tuesday morning,” Turner tweeted Sunday night.

He is scheduled to update the situation at a news conference at 10:30 a.m. local time Monday.

Yvonne Williams Forrest, Houston’s water director, told ABC affiliate KTRK-TV Sunday night that the order the city’s pressure system was never at zero, just below the regulatory limit. That pressure is important because it prevents anything from infiltrating the water system, she said.

“There are a number of steps in the regulatory process before you issue a boil water notice and we didn’t want to unnecessarily alert the city if we did not have to issue a boil water notice,” she told KTRK.

Cardi B says she’s been feeling “hopeless” trying to make Offset happy following Takeoff’s death

November 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Cardi B is giving fans an update on how her family has been coping since the death of Migos member Takeoff.

In a voice note obtained by The Neighborhood Talk, she reveals they’ve been trying to live their lives “normally,” but she’s been feeling “hopeless” in trying to cheer up her husband, Offset, Takeoff’s bandmate and cousin.

“We’re living our life normally, but deep down inside our hearts have been so heavy,” she says. “I feel like if I talk about – the internet’s so desensitized – how we really feel…y’all would start saying, ‘Oh sympathy.’”

“We don’t want no sympathy,” Cardi continues. “We ain’t no charity case, but no lie, I have been feeling so hopeless trying to make my husband happy, trying to make him crack a smile.”

She says it’s been tough seeing Offset “randomly cry” as he continues to process the loss.

Takeoff was shot and killed on November 1 at a bowling alley in Houston, where he and Quavo, his uncle and fellow Migos bandmate, were attending a party. He was 28.

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