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Texas Supreme Court overturns halt on investigations into trans youth care

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(AUSTIN, Texas) — The Texas Supreme Court reversed the statewide halt on investigations into parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children on Friday.

However, the court also stated that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is not legally obligated to investigate such care as child abuse based on the directives from Gov. Greg Abbott and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The court did not rule whether such investigations violate the families’ rights or not — that is still up to lower courts.

In a Feb. 22 letter, Abbott called gender-transitioning or affirming procedures “child abuse,” following an opinion from Paxton that said the same.

Paxton attacked gender-affirming care for LGBTQ youth, saying that his opinion “comes at a critical time” when “Texans are seeing the horrors that flow from the merging of medicine and misguided ideology.”

State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued a temporary injunction on the directive in March after hearing from the parents of a 16-year-old transgender girl who were under investigation by DFPS. Meachum also heard from attorneys from the state.

The Texas Court of Appeals later that month affirmed the injunction.

The state Supreme Court said that neither the governor’s letter nor the attorney general’s opinion changed the legal obligations of the DFPS and have no authority over the state agency. Gov. Abbott was dismissed from the case, because the court states he has no authority over such investigations.

In February, the DFPS announced that it would comply with Paxton and Abbott’s directive. It was investigating at least nine families under Paxton’s directive, an agency spokesperson told ABC News.

“In sum, we are directed to no source of law obligating DFPS to base its investigatory decisions on the Governor’s letter or the Attorney General’s Opinion,” the opinion from the Texas Supreme Court states.

The court also will uphold the decision to block an investigation into a family that is suing the DFPS and Governor Greg Abbott over the directive.

According to an ACLU complaint against the state, “some doctors and other providers have discontinued prescribing medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria to transgender youth” as a result of Abbott’s directive.

Party like it’s ‘1883’: Faith Hill wishes everyone had the chance to live like the characters on the hit TV show

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Faith Hill had an eye-opening — and life-changing — experience playing Margaret Dutton on 1883, the hit Paramount+ prequel to Yellowstone.

The show famously put its actors in real-life experiences simulating the lifestyle of Western frontier families from the 19th century, and though the prep work was grueling, Faith says she’s glad she did it — and she wishes everyone else could, too.

“I wish every single person had the opportunity to live off the land,” Faith says in a new interview with Gold Derby. “There’s something about being outside and working outside and cooking and getting that connection to the earth. There’s nothing like it.”

Faith loved working on 1883 so much that she admits she went through “a couple of weeks of just complete depression” after saying goodbye to the character of Margaret.

In addition to giving her the chance to embrace a completely new kind of life, Faith’s experience with 1883 was special for another reason, too: It gave her a chance to co-star with her husband Tim McGraw, who plays James Dutton on the show.

Linkin Park releases deluxe ‘Minutes to Midnight’ album to streaming services

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The deluxe version of Linkin Park‘s 2007 album Minutes to Midnight has been released to streaming services in honor of its upcoming 15th anniversary this weekend.

The expanded set includes four bonus tracks: a remix of “What I’ve Done,” the “Third Encore Session” performance of “Given Up,” and the songs “No Roads Left” and “Across the Line.”

Minutes to Midnight, the third Linkin Park album, arrived after the one-two punch of 2000’s Hybrid Theory and 2003’s Meteora, and found the group moving away from their nu metal origins into a more expansive sound.

Just in time for the milestone anniversary, Minutes to Midnight was certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA this week.

Last week, Linkin Park announced that they were launching a new newsletter to share “tiny snapshots into our daily misadventures.” That came after band member Mike Shinoda said that LP didn’t currently have any new music or tour plans. The group’s future has remained uncertain since the death of frontman Chester Bennington in July 2017.

Ed Sheeran sends sweet message to ill fan who spent 40th birthday at the hospital

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ed Sheeran went above and beyond to make sure a fan of his felt very special on her 40th birthday.

Gemma Fearing is a major fan of the “Shivers” singer, but she struggles with health issues. Sadly, she had to be hospitalized and not only did she miss out on seeing Ed live in concert in Cork, Ireland — she also was going to spend her birthday at Queen’s Hospital in Burton, U.K.

British publication the Daily Mail said the hospital banded together its resources to make sure Gemma felt special on her big day and reached out to the Grammy winner for some help. Senior Sister Netty Webster spearheaded the effort and told the outlet, “To be in hospital is hard enough as it is. When we know something significant and a patient’s on our wards, it’s important to help them celebrate in the best way that we can.”

Aside from decorating Gemma’s rooms with streamers, balloons and a life-sized cutout of Ed, they surprised her with a special video shoutout from the singer himself.

He told Gemma that he hoped she was “having the best day,” adding, “I wanted to hopefully make you smile and I’m sending all the love in the world.”

Gemma says she is “lucky” to have had such an amazing team looking out for her. When speaking about the “Shape of You” singer, she gushed, “Ed is just brilliant, he’s the best bit. I can’t believe that they had it done and I can’t believe he’s done it. Thank you very much. It’s above and beyond what I could imagine.”

Sister Webster is pleased that their good deed lifted their patient’s spirits. “It may not be the birthday she hoped for, but we got Ed Sheeran,” she said.

Homeland Security announces $1.6B in local grants for election security, to combat extremism

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Homeland Security announces .6B in local grants for election security, to combat extremism

(WASHINGTON) — Shortly after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, then-top Department of Homeland Security official Alejandro Mayorkas saw a picture of a Federal Emergency Management Agency analysis as part of the investigation — and realized the equipment used, to illustrate what happened on the day of bombing and lay out a plethora of evidence and leads, had been purchased through a grant program run by his department.

Years later, a repeat: After a shooting on the New York City subway last month injured 10 people, Mayorkas told ABC News in an interview this week, authorities relied on equipment purchased with FEMA funds to capture “critical evidence.”

“We impact people’s lives by making those lives safer,” said Mayorkas, now the secretary of DHS.

The DHS on Friday announced nearly $1.6 billion as part of the FEMA preparedness grant program for the 2022 fiscal year, available to cities from coast to coast, with a specific focus on terrorism and preventing disasters.

The newly announced awards are the latest in what DHS officials called significant funding funneled to the local level. Since FEMA’s preparedness grant program began in 2002, the department has given localities more than $54 billion.

State and local governments, which can apply annually, can be funded by eight grant programs that range from an increase in law enforcement equipment to overtime for local officers on the southern border.

The grant recipients for the largest amount of money, the Urban Area Security Initiative, have to address six priority areas of cybersecurity, soft target and crowded places, information and intelligence sharing, domestic violent extremism, community preparedness and resilience and election security, according to DHS.

The categories of community preparedness and resilience and election security are new for 2022, Mayorkas told ABC News.

DHS’ continued focus on cybersecurity and domestic extremism comes amid the department’s concerns of possible Russian cyberattacks as retaliation to the U.S. response to the war in Ukraine and what Mayorkas himself has called one of the “greatest” threats to the country: homegrown extremists.

As part of the latest wave of grants, which will be disbursed throughout the 2022 fiscal year, DHS will identify 36 high-threat, high-density cities, states and localities that will receive some of the $615 million funds allocated through the program to focus on the six priority areas.

These areas are selected in a nonpartisan way, Mayorkas stressed.

“This is a risk-based program,” he said.

The secretary told ABC News that officials have increased the percentage of funds — from 25% to 30% — which must be dedicated to law enforcement’s terrorism prevention. Mayorkas cited their “role in preventing terrorist acts on the front lines in each of our communities across the country.”

In years past, according to public filings, the grants have been used to fund local narcotics task forces, training for intelligence analysts and more.

Mayorkas says the program has improved because they’ve engaged with local stakeholders on the flexibility of how they spend their grant money.

Along the southern border — where federal officials have been dealing with historically high levels of migration — the department is allocating $90 million for local communities through their Operation Stonegarden grant.

Operation Stonegarden pays for border officer overtime, Mayorkas said, as well as technology enhancements for local communities, such as phones and tablets to allow for better communication, according to previous filings.

Regarding the southern border, the secretary told ABC News that the federal government has been planning since September for the end of Title 42, the Trump-era policy continued by the Biden administration which expels migrants before they can seek asylum under the auspices of a public heath emergency.

President Joe Biden’s White House is seeking to now roll back the use of Title 42 regarding immigrants — which drew intense criticism from advocates under both Trump and Biden — but that plan is being challenged in court, with the latest hearing scheduled in Louisiana on Friday.

Conservatives have continually voiced concerns about how the government will handle high levels of immigration at the same time that the government’s treatment of these migrants, dating beyond the Biden administration, has also drawn scrutiny.

Spiritbox collaborates with Illenium on new song “Shivering”

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Spiritbox has released a new song called “Shivering” in collaboration with DJ and producer Illenium.

The track mixes elements of metal and electronic music to create what Illenium calls “[d]efinitely one of my favorite songs I’ve been a part of.”

Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer add, “Watching Illenium work and create on the spot was such an amazing thing to witness and be a part of. It was an honor working with him, and we appreciate his willingness to push boundaries, and use his influence to bring metal to the masses.”

You can listen to “Shivering” now via digital outlets.

Illenium has previously worked with rock artists including Thirty Seconds to Mars, Angels & Airwaves and I Prevail.

Nurse rejected over race honored by hospital 71 years later

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ELGIN, Ill.) — Betty Brown was rejected by Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois, for nursing school 71 years ago because she is Black. This year, the now-retired 90-year-old is being named an honorary chief nursing officer by that same hospital.

“It was very emotional,” Brown told ABC News. “And it was emotional for the speaker … because of somebody like me, it made her what she is today,” she said, referring to the hospital’s current president, Sheri De Shazo, who is a Black woman.

“That refusal to let that moment that I know was deeply painful — She didn’t let it become a barrier and that’s what inspires me,” De Shazo told ABC 7 Chicago.

Brown didn’t let the rejection 71 years ago phase her — she went on to make history as the first Black nursing student and the first Black nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Joliet, Illinois.

She later returned to work at Advocate Sherman Hospital, but she never held a grudge against the institution.

“I would always say to the young women: don’t give up,” she said. “Keep your eye on the goal and don’t give up and don’t become bitter.”

She’s also a local leader, volunteering with organizations like the local Elgin YWCA, which she says gave her and other Black children a safe place to play and socialize.

“When I was growing up, there weren’t many places that Black young women could go and be accepted and the YWCA was a place that we could go and be accepted,” she said.

She took swimming, tap dancing and music lessons there — and she says the organization sparked her passion for giving back to the community.

“While other organizations were still segregated, we have always welcomed everyone into our programs,” said Alana Freedman, an administrator at YWCA Elgin. “Over the years, almost her entire 90 years, she’s been a supporter of our programs and our mission. She’s come back to teach classes to our children here, like etiquette classes.”

The YWCA honors Brown annually, by presenting a social justice award in her honor to up-and-coming local heroes: the Betty Brown Racial Justice Award. It’s one of the many ways Brown has been honored over the years.

“I will always contribute to them,” Brown said.

New Music Friday: Burna Boy, Blac Youngsta, Davido, Muni Long and more

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

From tracks by dancehall greats to club bangers and love songs, check out this week’s New Music Friday for the culture’s latest & greatest in music.

— Blac Youngsta, 4Life — The Memphis native called on fellow hometown rappers Pooh Sheisty, Lil Migo & Big 30 to assist on the 23-track collection of bass-thumping, catchy songs. Also making an appearance are hip hop favorites 21 Savage & 42 Dugg.

— Leikeli47, Shape Up— Following the release of her single “BITM,” the Brooklyn-born rapper dropped off her final LP that’s part of a trilogy of albums including 2017’s Wash & Set and 2018’s Acrylic.

— Burna Boy, “Last Last“ — Sampling Toni Braxton‘s hit 2000 song, “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” the international superstar released his latest track, which is set to appear on his upcoming album, Love, Damini.

— Muni Long, “Pain“ — The powerhouse songwriter continues her singing streak by pouring her heart into another of her R&B relationship ballads.

— Davido, “Stand Strong” — The Nigerian singer released the first song off his upcoming album, an uplifting track featuring Kanye West‘s famous Sunday Service choir, The Samples.

Hits in Heavy Rotation

— Pusha T, “Scrape It Off the Top“

— Lil Durk, “What Happened to Virgil“

— Giveon, “Lie Again“

— Future ft. Drake & Tems, “Wait for U“

— Queen Naija & Big Sean, “Hate Our Love“

— Jazmine Sullivan, “Hurt Me So Good“

— PJ Morton, “Please Don’t Walk Away“

— Maverick City Music ft. Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine, “Jireh“

Artist on the Rise

Like Cardi B., Bronx, NY rapper Dreamdoll went from the reality show Love & Hip Hop to a hip hop career that is shaping up to be a promising one. Her hard-core rap flow mixed with her New York street swag proves Dreamdoll to be one artist to definitely keep an eye on.

New Music Friday: OneRepublic, Gavin DeGraw, Tate McRae and Mandy Moore

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

‘s Friday! Let’s see who’s out with new tunes…

OneRepublic dropped their new, feel-good track “I Ain’t Worried,” which joins Lady Gaga’s new anthem in the upcoming movie Top Gun: Maverick. The singer also released an official music video, which features some footage of Tom Cruise’s new action film. Top Gun: Maverickflies into theaters on May 27.

Gavin DeGraw released “Freedom (Johnny’s Song),” which tells the story of his mother and father’s relationship. The piano ballad is part of Gavin’s forthcoming album, Face the River, due out next Friday. Gavin said, “It was their love story, their sacrifices, and their guidance that shaped this music.”

Tate McRae is out with “what would you do?,” the latest song off her upcoming album, i used to think i could fly, due out May 27. The song is about Tate realizing that the boy she idolizes is not treating her right, so she asks what he’d think if she copied his behaviors — such as not showing up for dates and kissing his friends.

Mandy Moore‘s new album, In Real Life, is out now. The new record “shares a window into her world and all that illuminates it,” according to the press release. Mandy is about to head off on her first tour in over a decade, which kicks off June 10 in Atlanta. She’ll visit 26 locations in all. Tickets are on sale now at her official website.

Letting the days go by: Talking Heads frontman David Byrne celebrates his 70th birthday on Saturday

May 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Founding Talking Heads singer/guitarist David Byrne has led a wild, wild life, and this Saturday, May 14, the talented, quirky and prolific musician celebrates his 70th birthday.

Byrne was born in Scotland, and his family moved to Canada when he was two, then subsequently relocated to the Baltimore area when he was eight or nine.

Byrne briefly attended the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, where he met drummer Chris Frantz, with whom he formed a band called The Artistics in 1973. After that group broke up, Byrne, Frantz and Chris’ then-girlfriend and future wife Tina Weymouth, relocated to New York City, and the trio formed Talking Heads there.

The band soon became part of the New York punk scene, playing regularly at the famed club CBGB. The group’s classic lineup was solidified when Jerry Harrison, formerly of The Modern Lovers, joined as the keyboardist and second guitarist.

Talking Heads went on to become among the most popular and influential punk and New Wave bands. Byrne became known for his eccentric stage persona and, eventually, his inventive dance moves. He wrote or co-wrote all of the Talking Heads’ original songs, including “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House,” “Road to Nowhere” and “Wild Wild Life.”

In 1986, Byrne co-wrote, directed and acted in the film True Stories, which featured a soundtrack by Talking Heads. In 1981, David released My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, a collaborative album with Brian Eno, and his debut solo album, Rei Momo, followed in 1989.

He won a 1988 Oscar for Best Film Score for his work on The Last Emperor.

Talking Heads split in 1991, and since then, Byrne has forged a wide-ranging solo career that’s included various film, stage, recording and multimedia projects. Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 2019, Byrne premiered his popular Broadway stage production David Byrne’s American Utopia, which was honored with a Special Tony Award in 2021.

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