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President Biden tests positive for COVID-19

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time Thursday morning, his office said.

Biden, 79, has “very mild symptoms” and is taking Paxlovid, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Biden is experiencing a dry cough, runny nose and fatigue, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said. The physician to the president, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said Biden’s systems started Wednesday evening.

The president went to bed feeling fine but didn’t sleep well and subsequently tested positive in the morning, Jha added.

Jean-Pierre said an update will be provided every day as Biden “continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation” at the White House.

Close contacts, “including any Members of Congress and any members of the press who interacted with the President during yesterday’s travel,” will be informed on Thursday, Jean-Pierre said.

Biden traveled to Somerset, Massachusetts, on Wednesday where he announced executive actions to address climate change. The president greeted Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska at the White House on Tuesday.

“He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence,” Jean-Pierre said.

The president will work in isolation until he tests negative, she said.

Biden was last tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday, when he tested negative, she added.

Biden is fully vaccinated and received two boosters; his second booster shot was March 30.

First lady Jill Biden tested negative Thursday morning in Detroit and will keep her full schedule in Michigan and Georgia through the day, her office said. She will continue following CDC guidance with masking and distancing, her office said.

ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said the biggest factor in treatment will be the president’s age.

“That is why,” she said, it’s “no surprise that he’s being treated with the antiviral pill Paxlovid. It’s been shown in clinical trials to be 89% effective in reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 illness, meaning hospitalization or death.”

Ashton stressed, “He is going to be closely monitored at the White House by the personal physician of the president, and if anything looks like it is going in the wrong direction, I absolutely expect that he would be hospitalized, if nothing else than for more close observation. But remember, the White House is not like your home or my home — they can do a lot of medical monitoring and observation and testing right there.”

Former President Donald Trump was briefly hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center in October 2020 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Paxlovid, an antiviral pill developed by Pfizer, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for those aged 12 and older in December 2021.

Patients take three pills twice daily over the course of five days. The pill was hailed as a game-changer because it was the first COVID-19 treatment that did not require an infusion, making it more convenient to give to patients.

Paxlovid is made up of two medications: ritonavir, commonly used to treat HIV and AIDS, and nirmatrelvir, an antiviral that Pfizer developed to boost the strength of the first drug. Together, they prevent an enzyme the virus uses to make copies of itself inside human cells and spread throughout the body.

Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 in April. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a senior adviser to the president on the pandemic, tested positive last month.

Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth dropping new songs Friday

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Your week’s about to get a lot heavier, courtesy of Ozzy Osbourne and Megadeth.

Both the Prince of Darkness and the thrash metallers are set to premiere new songs this Friday, July 22.

Ozzy will be dropping a track called “Degradation Rules,” which notably features his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi. Megadeth, meanwhile, is readying a cut titled “Night Stalkers,” a collaboration with rapper and Body Count frontman Ice-T.

“Degradation Rules” will appear on Ozzy’s upcoming solo album Patient Number 9, due out September 9, while “Night Stalkers” is a track from Megadeth’s forthcoming record The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!, arriving September 2.

U2, Gladys Knight among this year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Irish rockers U2 and pop/R&B legend Gladys Knight are among the five honorees who will be saluted at the 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors gala. The star-studded ceremony will be held December 4 at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.

Also set to be honored are actor/filmmaker George Clooney, Christian music artist Amy Grant and Cuban-born American composer and conductor Tania León.

The awards are presented annually by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to people who have made lasting contributions to American culture through performing arts.

In a joint statement, U2 said of the honor, “[W]e never imagined that 40 years on [from our first trip to the U.S.], we would be invited back to receive one of the nation’s greatest honours…It has been a four-decade love affair with the country and its people, its artists, and culture. We consider America to be a home away from home and we are very grateful to the Kennedy Center Honors for welcoming us into this great clan of extraordinary artists.”

Knight, meanwhile, says she’s “humbled beyond words” to be recognized alongside the other honorees, adding, “I stand here with my fans, my family, my friends, my team, and my faith in accepting such an amazing distinction. It is dedicated to all those who paved the path for me to be able to accomplish the wonderful blessings I’ve been able to receive.”

A two-hour TV special documenting this year’s event will be broadcast at a later date on CBS and will be streamed and made available on demand on Paramount+.

For more details about the event, visit Kennedy-Center.org.

Victoria’s Secret launches ‘Bare,’ its first fine fragrance in years

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — It’s 2022, and Victoria’s Secret is coming in hot with its first fine fragrance in five years.

“Bare,” the brand’s latest scent, launched this week. According to the company, “Bare” celebrates individuality and self-expression.

“This soft, warm scent transforms on skin, creating a signature that’s uniquely yours,” the company captioned the video revealing the launch.

“Bare Eau de Parfum” includes an alluring blend of musky mandarin, floral Egyptian violet petals and warm Australian sandalwood. Victoria’s Secret says the fragrance was formulated to adapt to every person’s body chemistry to create a unique scent for anyone who wears it.

The packaging for the latest fragrance is created with upcycled materials and responsibly sourced ingredients. Additionally, it uses a new cryptosym technology — created and trademarked by Symrise, a German chemicals company based in Holzminden — which has the capability to encrypt scent formulations to preserve its novelty and protect it from future replication.

“Bare Eau de Parfum is our most intimate fragrance yet. It’s about a quiet confidence that comes from knowing your authentic self, and celebrates individuality in its most natural form,” Kristen Lagoa, Victoria’s Secret vice president of merchandising, beauty and accessories, said in a statement.

The ad campaign for the new fragrance features a diverse lineup of women, ranging from social advocates and herbalists to artists and creatives — all with different backgrounds and body types.

Throughout the imagery, models are seen alongside inspiring quotes such as “Comparison is the thief of joy” and “It’s really the simple things that hold the most space for our healing.”

The latest campaign marks a major transformation from Victoria’s Secret’s past branding. In 2018, the company faced criticism after Ed Razek, the former chief marketing officer for L Brands — Victoria’s Secret’s parent company — told Vogue he didn’t think the brand should add plus-size or transgender models to its annual fashion show “because the show is a fantasy.”

Razek later apologized for his comments and resigned from the company.

The brand ultimately said farewell to its famed “Angel” models last year and launched The VS Collective to revamp its image, featuring a diverse lineup of “ambassadors,” including Valentina Sampaio, who is transgender, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and LGBTQIA+ activist and professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe, along with several others.

“Bare” is available nationwide now online and in-stores. It’s also slated to launch worldwide starting Aug. 23.

Randy Jackson wants Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bublé to collaborate

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Will we see Kelly Clarkson and Michael Bublé jump into the studio together? If Randy Jackson has his way, it’ll happen very soon.

The possibility was floated on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where the American Idol winner welcomed both Randy and Michael on set. The topic of a possible collab came up after Michael paused the conversation to ask about television theme songs.

“I know you’re going to cut me out of this, but I love TV themes. What is your favorite… If you had to pick one television theme, what is it?,” asked the Canadian crooner as both Kelly and Randy laughed.

Michael went first by singing the Cheers television theme, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.”

Randy picked the theme from I Dream of Jeannie, while Kelly was torn between Step By Step and Full House.

Michael started singing the latter theme and joked, “I might just record that now.” Kelly then began belting out Step By Step’s “Second Time Around.”

“Wait a minute,” Randy exclaimed while pointing at the two singers. “A duet. Tonight.”

“Why [not] all three?” Michael replied before briefly engaging with Kelly in a duet of the Three’s Company opening credits song.

The conversation ended with the “Sway” singer expressing he feels “so cozy” sitting with Kelly and Randy, which morphed into an invite to Kelly’s Montana ranch for a game of poker.

“It’s cold as hell, but it’s fun,” she grinned. She agreed to have the “same panel” on her show and declared, “Let’s have this date again.” The “Stronger” singer also suggested they play a game next time they’re all on the show.

Muse premieres new ’Will of the People’ song, “Kill or Be Killed”

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Muse has premiered a new song called “Kill or Be Killed,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, Will of the People.

“‘Kill or Be Killed’ is Muse at their heaviest!” says frontman Matt Bellamy. “We wanted to update our hard rock sound on this album and with ‘Kill or Be Killed’ we found a modern metal sound featuring double bass drum action and even a death growl.”

He adds, “Lyrically the song takes influence from my favorite Paul McCartney song ‘Live and Let Die,’ a dark take on how life’s adversity can sometimes bring out the worst human instincts to survival at any costs.”

The track is available now via digital outlets and is accompanied by a video showcasing footage from Muse’s famously bombastic live shows. You can watch that streaming now on YouTube.

“Kill or Be Killed” is the fourth cut to be released from Will of the People following “Won’t Stand Down,” “Compliance” and the title track. The album — Muse’s ninth studio effort and the follow-up to 2018’s Simulation Theory — arrives in full on August 26.

Muse will play a run of U.S. tour dates in support of Will of the People in October.

Unrelenting heat wave spreads from South into Northeast: Latest forecast

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The unrelenting heat wave pounding the U.S. is still going strong, with 24 states and 103 million Americans on alert for dangerous temperatures Thursday.

Triple-digit heat is still hitting the West with Thursday temperatures forecast to reach 113 degrees in Palm Springs, California and 114 in Las Vegas. If “Sin City” reaches 114, it’ll break its record high of 113.

In the South, Dallas hit a record high of 109 degrees on Wednesday as Texas’ ongoing heat wave continues to fan spreading wildfires.

The heat is spreading from hard-hit Texas to Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.

The heat is also slamming the Northeast. The heat index — what temperature it feels like with humidity — is expected to skyrocket Thursday to 107 degrees in Philadelphia, 103 in New York City and Washington, D.C., and 101 in Baltimore and Hartford, Connecticut.

The Northeast heat is expected to intensify over the weekend when actual temperatures could approach 100 degrees. Record highs are possible on Sunday from Philadelphia to New York City.

If New York City stays above 90 degrees for seven days in a row, the city will mark its longest heat wave in nine years.

Philadelphia has issued a heat health emergency that’ll begin at noon Thursday.

High temperatures are also still inundating Europe, where it’s forecast to hit 103 degrees in Madrid and 99 degrees in Milan.

Lainey Wilson shares snap from ‘Yellowstone’ set as Season five filming begins

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Looks like Lainey Wilson’s stint as a Season five regular on Yellowstone is in full swing. The country singer hopped on social media this week to share a snapshot from the set, where she plays a musician named Abby.

Lainey might be relatively new to acting, but she looks right at home in the photo, which shows her sitting in a director’s chair that has “Yellowstone” written across the back.

Lainey’s one of a handful of new additions to the fifth season of the wildly popular Paramount Network show, also including Dawn Olivieri, who played Claire Dutton in the Yellowstone prequel, 1883.

She’s also keeping busy with her music career. Following back-to-back number-one hits with “Things a Man Oughta Know” and her Cole Swindell duet, “Never Say Never,” she recently released her latest single, “Heart Like a Truck.”

Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane faces sentencing in George Floyd killing

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ST. PAUL, Minn.) — Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane will be sentenced in federal court on Thursday morning for violating George Floyd’s civil rights.

Lane, 39, is one of three former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted earlier this year of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care as the handcuffed, unarmed 46-year-old Black man was pinned under the knee of their senior office, Derek Chauvin, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020. Floyd’s videotaped killing in Minneapolis sparked anti-racism protests and calls for police reform across the United States and around the world.

Lane’s former Minneapolis police colleagues, 28-year-old J. Alexander Kueng and 35-year-old Tou Thao, were also convicted of failing to intervene to prevent Chauvin, 46, from applying bodily injury to Floyd. Lane, who was heard on video twice asking his fellow officers whether they should turn Floyd onto his side, did not face that charge. Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck, while Kueng knelt on his back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders away.

During their trial in February, Lane, Kueng and Thao each took the witness stand and attempted to shift the blame to Chauvin, who was a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department. Lane told the jury that Chauvin “deflected” all his suggestions to help Floyd, while Kueng testified that Chauvin “was my senior officer and I trusted his advice” and Thao attested that he “would trust a 19-year veteran to figure it out.”

The jury handed down convictions after deliberating for roughly 13 hours.

Magnuson has not yet set sentencing dates for Kueng and Thao.

Lane faces a separate sentencing in state court on Sept. 21, after changing his plea to guilty to a reduced charge of aiding and abetting manslaughter. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the top charge against him of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, according to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Thao and Kueng, who have rejected plea deals offered by prosecutors, are scheduled to go on trial in state court on Oct. 24 over charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier this month, Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on separate federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s killing and in an unrelated case involving a Black teenager. He had already been sentenced to 270 months, minus time served, which equals about 22 1/2 years in prison, after being convcited in state court last year of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca, Bill Hutchinson, Janel Klein, Whitney Lloyd, Mark Osborne and Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.

Jordan Peele shuts down fan who calls him “best horror director of all time”

July 21, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Jordan Peele shut down a fan who called him the greatest of all time when it comes to making horror films.

The moment went down on Twitter Wednesday, when one fan raved about the Nope director, writing,”I know this is a hot take but at what point do we declare Jordan Peele the best horror director of all time?”

“Can you think of another horror director that had 3 great films, let alone 3 in a row? I can’t,” the fan added.

Attached to the tweet was a screenshot of Peele’s recent films and their Rotten Tomatoes rankings, with Nope scoring 88 percent, 2019’s Us with 93 percent, and 2017’s Get Out with a near perfect 98%.

While Peele seemed flattered, he felt that filmmaker John Carpenter, known in part for the Halloween series, as well as the horror classics The Fog and the 1982 remake of The Thing, was much more deserving of the G.O.A.T title.

“Sir, please put the phone down I beg you,” Peele replied. “Sorry. I love your enthusiasm but I will just not tolerate any John Carpenter slander!!!”

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