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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.”

Hurricane Fiona latest: Bermuda braces for impact

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Fiona, now a monster Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds, is taking aim on Bermuda as hard-hit Puerto Rico looks to recover.

Latest forecast

A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda, where tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Thursday evening.

Hurricane conditions are possible overnight, depending on how closely Fiona passes the island.

On Saturday morning, a weakened Fiona will make landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, bringing powerful, gusty winds to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick.

The East Coast of the United States could see an increased threat of rip currents, along with choppy surf.

Devastated Puerto Rico looks to recover

As Fiona charges ahead, Puerto Rico looks to recover after the storm barreled across the island this week, killing several people, knocking out power and demolishing water service.

The flooding was catastrophic, with Fiona dumping up to 30 inches of rain.

President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the U.S. territory.

Next potential storm

A tropical wave known as Invest-98L has a 90% chance of development over the next five days.

It’ll move into the western Caribbean this weekend where conditions will be ripe for tropical development. The tropical wave is heading to the warmest water source in the Atlantic Basin, which gives it the potential to become a significant hurricane.

After this weekend, models are split on its path. Most of the models take the storm into the Gulf. Some models predict a strong storm moving through Cuba and off Florida’s east coast, while a few models track a weaker storm into Central America.

House Democrats look for a legislative victory on policing before the midterms

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Democrats, hoping to notch another major legislative win before the midterm elections, will vote Thursday on a long-delayed package of changes to policing and public safety.

Moderate and progressive Democrats hammered out a deal on Wednesday after frenetic negotiations — and on one of the House’s last working days before entering a recess that will stretch past the November races.

This new package of bills would fund recruitment and training for police departments across the country and includes new language on police accountability.

“House Democrats are committed to … building safer communities across America,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer tweeted on Wednesday. “Tomorrow, I will bring four public safety bills to the House Floor for consideration. I thank my colleagues for their continued work on behalf of the American people.”

To address mental health crises, one of the bills, sponsored by California Rep. Katie Porter, would create a grant program for departments to hire and dispatch mental health professionals — not law enforcement officers — in instances involving individuals with behavioral health needs.

The package also includes a bill from Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford that would direct the Department of Justice to establish a grant program for local agencies to hire detectives and victim services personnel to investigate shootings.

The legislation targets funding to smaller police departments with fewer than 200 officers; gives the DOJ the ability to preference applicants that use the funds for officer training to improve community safety and accountability; and allows the funding to not only go to officer pay and training but also be used for data collection regarding police and community safety.

Progressives have said they were particularly concerned about providing more grants and funds to police departments without including requirements on accountability for officers’ actions.

Moderates have long insisted on bringing forth public safety bills as a way to fire back at Republican attacks that blame Democrats for rising crime. Polls show some key Senate races tightening, with GOP candidates pressing their opponents on the issue — often citing advocates’ “defund the police” slogan, despite Democratic leaders rejecting such messages.

While Republicans seek to paint Democrats as soft on crime, President Joe Biden has slammed members of the GOP both for denouncing federal law enforcement after an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s residence last month and for expressing support for those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Biden and Democrats pushed in the 2020 cycle for broader policing reform, including changes to the standard to prosecute police misconduct and qualified immunity, after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

But Senate Democrats ultimately failed to overcome Republican opposition to a major piece of legislation named after Floyd. Instead, Biden signed two smaller executive orders on policing earlier this year, on the second anniversary of Floyd’s death.

House Democrats can only afford to lose four votes on their new package, but party leaders are confident they will get the proposal over the line. If it passes, the legislation will then head to the Senate, where its fate is unclear.

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents the district in Minnesota where Floyd was killed, was one of the harshest critics of the ongoing police reform efforts but gave her approval on Wednesday. The package, she said, is “evidence-based, holistic legislation that addresses public safety and unifies the Democratic Caucus.”

“After significant, deliberate negotiations, we are pleased to share that … the bill will include a number of reforms to ensure funds are used to support smaller police departments, to invest in de-escalation and other important training, and for data collection and mental health,” Omar and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a joint statement.

Harry Styles’ 15 sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden ends with banner-raising

September 22, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Wednesday night marked the end of Harry Styles‘ sold-out 15-show run at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and in celebration of the achievement, a banner was raised to the rafters of the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’

The banner, which reads “Harry Styles: 15 Consecutive Nights at the Garden,” was presented to Harry by Gayle King during the encore of the show, while every fan in the audience received a feather boa — one of Harry’s signature accessories.

As the fans cheered wildly, a slightly hoarse Harry exclaimed, “Any time that you come to Madison Square Garden and you see that, you remember it’s because of you — that is ours! Thank you so, so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Only two other music-related banners hang from the rafters of Madison Square Garden: one for Billy Joel, marking his 50th consecutive show at the venue in 2018, and one for the band Phish, who played 13 consecutive nights there in 2017.

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