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Olivia Wilde weighs in on Harry Styles’ “Spit-Gate”: “People will look for drama anywhere they can”

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Even Olivia Wilde has something to say about Harry Styles‘ notorious “Spit-Gate,” where rumors sparked that he spat on Don’t Worry Darling co-star Chris Pine at the movie’s Venice Film Festival premiere.

Pine’s team has since dismissed the reports, while Harry used the rumor as a punch line at one of his Madison Square Garden shows.

Now, it’s Wilde’s turn to say something. The actress, who directed the movie and is dating the “As It Was” singer, was grilled on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert about the bizarre claim.

The actress was already addressing the reports when Colbert flashed his notecard, which read, “Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Why or why not? Support your answer.”

“No, he did not,” replied Wilde, who had just used “Spit-Gate” as a prime example of the “weird rumors” that have plagued Don’t Worry Darling.

“I think it’s a perfect example of, like, people will look for drama anywhere they can. Harry did not spit on Chris, in fact,” she continued on before Colbert interjected with a frank, “Only time will tell.”

Wilde laughed at the unexpected interruption and doubled down that Harry “really didn’t” spit on another man.

Speaking of Don’t Worry Darling, Harry’s mother, Anne Twist, saw the “first day showing” of the film and absolutely loves it. “You were excellent,” she told the cast on Instagram.

She had rave reviews for Wilde, who stars as Bunny in the movie, adding, “Well done @oliviawilde and team for drawing us in.”

The proud mom also praised her “baby” Harry’s performance in the film, telling him, “well done… for being a fabulous Jack. Very proud as usual.”

Don’t Worry Darling, which also stars Florence Pugh, premieres in theaters this Friday.

Blinken says UN must tell Putin to stop ‘reckless nuclear threats’ over Ukraine

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on the United Nations to send a clear message to Russia’s Vladimir Putin demanding an end to his “reckless nuclear threats.”

Blinken, addressing a U.N. Security Council meeting, said Putin has “doubled down” on the conflict despite concerns from the international community about the months-long invasion of Ukraine.

“That President Putin picked this week, as most of the world gathers at the United Nations, to add fuel to the fire he started shows his utter contempt for the U.N. charter, for the general assembly and for this council,” Blinken said.

“The very international order that we have gathered here to uphold is being shredded before our eyes,” he continued. “We cannot, we will not allow President Putin to get away with it.”

Putin on Wednesday announced a partial mobilization expected to conscript 300,000 Russian reservists to the fight after Ukraine recaptured parts of the Kharkiv region earlier this month, making a potential turning point in the conflict.

The Kremlin is also moving this week to hold “sham referendums” in Russian-backed regions of Ukraine for people to vote on whether to join Russia. Blinken urged all U.N. members to reject these referendums and declare that all Ukrainian territory will remain part of the Eastern European nation.

Blinken said Putin’s war was a distraction from other pressing global issues the security council should address, including climate change, famine and international health security.

Blinken’s Russian counterpart — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — was not in the room when the secretary of state spoke.

Blinken also discussed the mass graves uncovered in the recently recaptured Izium, stating the actions of Russian forces in the northeastern city are not acts of rogue units but fit a “clear pattern.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implored world leaders to punish Russia in his virtual address to the U.N. General Assembly, in which he said Russia wants to prepare another offensive that would include “new Iziums.”

“Russia wants war,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s true. But Russia will not be able to stop the course of history. Mankind and the international law are stronger than one terrorist state. Russia will be forced to end this war.”

Blinken’s remarks came one day after President Joe Biden, in his own address to the U.N. General Assembly, rebuked Putin for having “shamelessly violated the core tenants” of the group’s charter.

Biden called for the U.N. to continue supporting Ukraine as he announced a U.S. commitment of $2.9 billion in global food aid as the war has disrupted supply chains and increased prices.

What the rate hike will mean for housing

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Federal Reserve’s string of interest rate hikes this year has thrown cold water on the once red-hot housing market.

Existing home sales fell for the seventh straight month in August, down 0.4%, according to the National Association of Realtors, as the central bank aggressively raises interest rates to cool the economy and drive down high inflation. That has led to higher mortgage rates, increasing borrowing costs for home buyers by hundreds of dollars a month.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has more than doubled since the beginning of the year and was at 6.02% in the week ending Sept. 15, according to housing finance agency Freddie Mac.

“The latest Fed rate hike could continue to have an impact on affordability,” Glenn Brunker, president of the financing company Ally Home, told ABC News.

While home prices have fallen from their springtime peaks in some markets, prices remain above where they stood a year ago.

The median sale price of an existing home in August was $389,500, down from $403,800 in July but still 7.7% higher than the same time last year. As home demand falls, the inventory of homes for sale has increased and homes are sitting on the market longer.

“So that bidding war that may have cost you more than a rate increase a few months ago is less likely to happen today,” Brunker said. “However, while home prices are moving down on a relative basis, they are not moving down as fast as rates are moving up.”

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) made up nearly 10% of all new home loan applications as of mid-2022. As interest rates rise, adjustable-rate loans become more attractive to buyers who prefer not to lock in a high rate.

When considering an ARM, experts said buyers should be aware of the loan’s cap, which limits the total amount a rate can increase after the fixed rate period has expired. It is designed to protect buyers against sharp increases when the adjustable period begins.

If you’re house hunting, Brunker recommended getting pre-approved for a mortgage.

“Having a pre-approval letter in hand is important when buyers are ready to place an offer on a home in a fast-moving market,” Brunker said. “It shows sellers that a buyer is serious about purchasing and also that a lender is committed to financing their home.”

Experts continue to point to the need for more housing to ease the inventory shortage but the latest numbers are not encouraging.

Confidence among homebuilders fell in September for the ninth straight month, according to the National Association of Homebuilders. Residential permits, which can be a bellwether for future home construction, fell 10% in August, according to the Commerce Department.

Indiana court allows abortions to resume as legal challenge continues

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — An Indiana court granted abortion providers’ request for a preliminary injunction on Indiana’s abortion ban, allowing abortions to resume in the state after the ban had gone into effect on Sept. 15.

Plaintiffs asked the court for the temporary stop on the near-total ban until the court issues a final decision in their lawsuit, determining whether it violates the Indiana Constitution.

The ban makes providing an abortion a level 5 felony, only allowing three exceptions for when a woman’s life is in danger, the fetus is diagnosed with a fatal anomaly or if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.

The ban also eliminates abortion clinics in the state.

Providers who violate the ban will have their license revoked and could face between one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Indiana was the first state to pass an abortion ban after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, removing federal protections for abortion rights.

The lawsuit alleges the abortion ban violates the state constitution in three ways: infringing on residents’ right to privacy, violating Indiana’s guarantee of equal privileges and immunities and violating the constitution’s due course of law clause because of its unconstitutionally vague language.

The lawsuit was filed Aug. 31 against members of the state’s Medical Licensing Board and county prosecutors by Planned Parenthood, the Lawyering Project, the ACLU of Indiana and WilmerHale on behalf of abortion providers including Planned Parenthood, Women’s Med Group Professional Corp and All-Options.

“We knew this ban would cause irreparable harm to Hoosiers, and in just a single week, it has done just that. We are grateful that the court granted much needed relief for patients, clients, and providers but this fight is far from over. Indiana lawmakers have made it abundantly clear that this harm, this cruelty, is exactly the reality they had in mind when they passed S.B. 1,” the plaintiffs said in a joint statement Thursday.

The lawsuit alleges that the ban will “severely limit access to abortion care, prohibiting nearly all pregnant [residents] from accessing care in Indiana” and forcing “thousands” of residents to travel out of state in order to get abortion care.

It also alleges women will be forced to incur more medical expenses as pregnancies advance, because the cost of an abortion procedure increases as the pregnancy advances.

The lawsuit also warns that patients unable to travel will “resort to self-managing their abortion outside of the medical system” or be forced to continue a pregnancy against their will.

Weezer releases latest ‘SZNZ’ EP, ‘Autumn’

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Weezer‘s SZNZ project continues with the Autumn EP.

The seven-track collection, which arrives on the first day of fall, is now available on digital outlets. It follows Weezer’s two seasonally-themed EPs, SZNZ: Spring and SZNZ: Summer, which were released on the first days of their respective seasons.

As they did with Spring and Summer, Weezer celebrated the arrival of SZNZ: Autumn with a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as part of their “seasonal residency” with the ABC show. You can watch their rendition of the lead Autumn single “What Happens After You” streaming now on YouTube.

Weezer had also planned to support SZNZ with a Broadway residency, but the shows were canceled due to what frontman Rivers Cuomo called “low ticket sales and unbelievably high expenses.”

The fourth and final SZNZ EP, Winter, is expected to drop in December.

Jon Pardi and wife Summer are expecting their first baby in early 2023

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

It’s going to be a “Pardi of three” for country star Jon Pardi and his wife, Summer: The couple is expecting their first child early next year.

“I’m ready to start a new adventure with my wonderful wife Summer and our new little one — Pardi of three!” the singer tells People, which shared the news this week. “I’m really excited to meet our baby and to have someone to ride around the ranch with.”

Summer also explains that getting pregnant wasn’t the easiest journey for her and Jon, who got married in late 2020 and have been trying to have a baby ever since.

“It was definitely an interesting two years of ups and downs — the constant letdown month after month can be really hard on a couple,” she says. “After years of no luck and meeting with doctors who just didn’t feel like the right fit, we decided to take a break, leave it in God’s hands and just enjoy each other and this crazy, fun life we live together…and then surprise, we’re pregnant!”

Now, she adds, she can’t wait to see Jon become a dad. “He’s such a big kid at heart, always the life of the party and has such positive energy so I can only imagine how much fun this little Pardi addition will be for him and our family,” she adds.

In music news, Jon’s Mr. Saturday Night album came out earlier this month.

GAYLE “died and came back to life” after meeting Taylor Swift

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

GAYLE‘s been living in Nashville for years but hadn’t managed to run into Taylor Swift until Tuesday night, when both were honored at the 2022 Nashville Songwriters Association International Awards.

The “abcdefu” singer managed to grab a selfie with Taylor, who was being honored as the Songwriter/Artist of the Decade at the event. She posted the photo on her Instagram Stories and captioned it, “I’ve died and come back to life.” She also wrote, “I’m dead.”

You can also see the selfie in a carousel of pics GAYLE posted of the night, during which she and her “abcdefu” co-writers got one of the “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” awards voted on by NSAI’s professional songwriter members. She got to take the stage at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium to perform the song as well.

“i’ve been going to nashville for almost eight years and have been living here for six so this has been a goal of mine and i’m very grateful that i get to accomplish this with people i love,” GAYLE captioned the carousel.

As previously reported, GAYLE recently canceled her Avoiding College Tour. She still plans to put out a new EP next month.

Queens of the Stone Age announce vinyl reissues of self-titled debut, ‘…Like Clockwork’ & ‘Villains’

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Queens of the Stone Age have announced vinyl reissues of their 1998 self-titled debut and two most recent efforts, 2013’s …Like Clockwork and 2017’s Villains.

The QotSA reissue, which features the original track list and artwork off the original, long out-of-print record, will arrive on October 21. …Like Clockwork and Villains will follow on December 9.

You can preorder your choice of vinyl now via the Queens web store. In the meantime, you can listen to the restored QotSA track list via digital outlets.

In addition to prepping the reissues, Queens frontman Josh Homme will be performing at Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles on September 27. He previously played the London show earlier this month, during which he, Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones reunited their supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.

Homme is also producing Denim & Diamonds, the upcoming album from country artist Nikki Lane, due out this Friday. In a recent Facebook post, Homme shared that working on the record with Lane “saved my life.”

Maren Morris says her Brittany Aldean feud has given her new perspective on Morgan Wallen’s scandal

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Maren Morris recently made headlines due to some fiery back-and-forth with Brittany Aldean, wife to country superstar Jason Aldean, over an Instagram reel in which Brittany thanked her parents for not “changing my gender” during her “tomboy phase.”

Maren, along with fellow country singer Cassadee Pope, called the comments out as transphobic, leading to a feud that blew up so much, it even found its way to an episode of Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight.

It wasn’t the first time Maren’s spoken out about hate and discrimination in country music: In early 2021, Maren was among the loudest voices condemning Morgan Wallen’s actions amid his racist slur scandal. But after her feud with Brittany, Maren says she’s seeing Morgan’s actions in a slightly different light.

“I don’t know how I feel about it, honestly,” Maren tells the L.A. Times in a sprawling new interview. “I’ve never hated that guy.”

She also pointed out that Morgan’s reaction to his scandal included a striking difference from the recent uproar surrounding the Aldeans.

“I will say after this Aldean drama, at least Morgan tried to apologize, even if it wasn’t perfect. I have to give him that, because he didn’t have to. He’s not going anywhere,” the singer added.

The Aldeans haven’t incurred anywhere near as many consequences as did Morgan — who was benched by country radio for the better part of 2021 and had his record deal put on hold. Jason’s publicity company of 17 years did, however, part ways with him, though they didn’t specifically mention the transphobia incident as the cause of the split.

Tiffany Haddish says she “lost everything” following molestation lawsuit

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Tiffany Haddish is facing employment issues.

While at Los Angeles’ LAX airport Wednesday, TMZ caught up with the 42-year-old comedian and actress and asked about the aftermath of being accused of molestation and if its affected her career.

“Oh, I lost everything, all my gigs gone. Everything gone,” Haddish replied. “I don’t know, bro…I don’t have no jobs.”

The statement comes just one day after the news that one of the two people who accused Haddish and Aries Spears of child molestation have reportedly withdrawn their lawsuit against the stars. The celebrity comics were accused of hiring two then-children to appear in a past Funny or Die sketch called “Through a Pedophile’s Eyes.”

The two plaintiffs in the withdrawn suit, identified as Jane Doe, 22, and her now-14-year-old brother, John Doe, were respectively 14 and 7 years old at the time they were paid by family friend of Haddish’s to appear in the sketch, the suit alleged. One scene reportedly had the female eating a hero sandwich while moaning and simulating sex acts she was coached to perform; the other had the boy playing and bathing as Spears’ character leered and interacted with him suggestively.

In a statement to TMZ on Tuesday, Jane Doe noted, “My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us.”

Doe concluded, “We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.”

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