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Brittney Griner’s attorney presents doctor’s letter in court, says she had permission to use cannabis

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Brittney Griner’s attorney presented new evidence on the fourth day of her trial in Russia, where the WNBA star has been detained for nearly five months.

The lawyer had a letter from an American doctor giving Griner permission to use cannabis to reduce chronic pain.

Griner was expected to testify but her testimony was delayed until July 26 at the request of her legal team so she can have more time to prepare.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was visiting Russia to play basketball in the off-season when she was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport after being accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.

If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison and also has a right to an appeal.

Griner pleaded guilty on drug charges in court last week, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage mistakenly.

Griner, who has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17, said she had no “intention” of breaking Russian law and did not mean to leave the cartridges in her bag.

Her legal team told ABC News in a statement last week that her “guilty” plea was recommended by her Russian attorneys.

“Brittney sets an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people,” they said in the statement. “Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will be no severe sentence.”

Her trial, which is taking place in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, began on July 1 as the U.S. government works to secure her release.

At the trial on Thursday, several Russian individuals testified as character witnesses about their experience with the Phoenix Mercury player, who also played in the WNBA offseason for UMMC, a Russian basketball club in the city of Yekaterinburg.

The first witness was Maxim Ryabkov, the director of UMMC. The second witness was team doctor Anatoly Galabin, who said that Griner never tested positive for doping while playing for the team. A third witness, Evgenia Belyakova, one of Griner’s Russian teammates, said that Griner was the leader of the team.

The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last week that Griner’s guilty plea will have “no impact” on any of the negotiations to bring her home.

Calls to free Griner escalated following the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed last month, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange. Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.

“We’re going to do everything that we can to bring home Brittney Griner safely, and to also make sure that we bring Paul Whelan back home, as well,” Jean-Pierre said.

ABC News’ Joseph Simonetti, Tanya Stukalova, Patrick Reevell and Henderson Hewes contributed to this report.

Nashville notes: Mickey Guyton + LeAnn Rimes, the 2023 GRAMMY Awards and more

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Mickey Guyton joins LeAnn Rimes and percussionist Sheila E. for “The Wild,” a new song off LeAnn’s forthcoming new album, god’s work.

The Recording Academy has officially set a date for the 65th annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony. It’ll take place February 5, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Hillary Scott of country trio Lady A joins Christian group For King + Country for a new duet rendition of “For God is With Us.” The original version of the song was a number-one hit for the duo.

Here’s what Beyoncé & Solange Knowles’ father taught them about performing

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like growing up with a father as a music mentor, here’s a look into the life of superstars who were afforded that opportunity.

Beyoncé and Solange Knowles‘ music careers were managed by their father, top record executive Mathew Knowles, who also the oversaw the hit all-girl group Destiny’s Child.

A very active user on social media, Mathew recently tweeted a few bits of advice for performing artists and musicians — the same lessons he instilled in his daughters growing up.

“One thing I taught Beyoncé and Solange was to practice failure,” he said, sharing a collage image of the two singers onstage. “We would practice how they’d respond if their microphone got cut off, if their shoes broke on stage, if the wrong song got queued in their performance set. Anything can happen…”

Mathew said that his teachings worked: “they were always prepared to have a response!”

Suggesting that artists should utilize the same teaching method, Mathew said, “I would like for you to consider the same lesson. Whether you’re a performer or artist, or an entrepreneur or professional, practice how you’ll respond in the event you fail.”

He added, “It’s a skill that can and should be developed!”

Mathew managed each of this daughters’ solo careers up until their adult years. In an interview with US Magazine in 2011, Beyoncé spoke about her split from her father, saying, “I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level,” adding, “He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly.”

Beyoncé and Solange are the daughters of Mathew and his former wife of more than 30 years, Tina Knowles-Lawson.

It all started with Psy: YouTube marks 10 years of the Billion Views Club

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ten years ago — July 15, 2012 — Psy‘s supremely goofy video “Gangnam Style” debuted on YouTube. Less than six months later, the video had gone where no other music video had ever gone: it hit 1 billion views on the platform. That’s why today YouTube is celebrating 10 years of its Billion Views Club.

It took another year for another video — Justin Bieber‘s “Baby” — to hit the billion-view milestone, but since then the club has grown to include more than 300 music videos, from ’80s classics like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” to ’90s classics like “I Will Always Love You,” to more recent hits by Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Adele.

Here’s a look at who’s got the most entries in the Billion Views Club, along with some other achievements:

Artists with the most official music video entries in the BVC:

J Balvin – 11 [tied]
Justin Bieber – 11 [tied]
Ozuna – 10
Rihanna – 8 [tied]
Nicki Minaj – 8 [tied]
Maluma – 8 [tied]

Fastest music videos to reach 1 billion views

1. Adele – “Hello” – 88 days
2. Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You” – 97 days [tied]
3. Luis Fonsi – “Despacito” ft. Daddy Yankee – 97 days [tied]
4. J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente” – 103 days
5. Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato – “Échame La Culpa” – 111 days

Most viewed music videos of all time:

1. Luis Fonsi – “Despacito” ft. Daddy Yankee – 7.9B
2. Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You – 5.7B
3. Wiz Khalifa – “See You Again” ft. Charlie Puth – 5.5B
4. Mark Ronson – “Uptown Funk” ft. Bruno Mars – 4.6B
5. PSY – “Gangnam Style” – 4.4B

Music videos by the decade (pre-2000s):

1970s music videos in the Billion Views Club:

Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”

1980s music videos in the Billion Views Club:

Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
a-ha – “Take On Me”
Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean”
Rick Astley – “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”
Europe – “The Final Countdown”

1990s music videos in the Billion Views Club:

Guns N’ Roses – “November Rain”
Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
The Cranberries – “Zombie”
Whitney Houston – “I Will Always Love You”
4 Non Blondes – “What’s Up”
Metallica – “Nothing Else Matters”
AC/DC – “Thunderstruck”
Backstreet Boys – “I Want It That Way”
Dr. Dre – “Still D.R.E.” ft. Snoop Dogg
Aqua – “Barbie Girl”
Coolio – “Gangsta’s Paradise” (feat. L.V.)

Robert Downey Jr. reportedly supporting Armie Hammer in recovery

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) After his Hollywood career hit the skids following a salacious texting scandal, Armie Hammer has been seeking treatment for various issues. According to Vanity Fair, another star with his own dark past is helping.

The magazine reports Robert Downey Jr. footed the bill for Hammer’s six-month stay at the Florida rehabilitation facility called the Guest House.

What’s more, when a story broke that Hammer was selling timeshares at a hotel called Morritt’s in the Cayman Islands, he and his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, “fled” to L.A. with their two children and have been bunking up with the Marvel movie star.

Hammer is dad to 7-year-old Harper Grace Armand and 5-year-old Ford Douglas Armand.

VF says Chambers is emotionally supporting the Hotel Mumbai and Lone Ranger actor as he recovers, noting she “wants what’s best for their family.”

For the record, an attorney for Hammer didn’t “confirm or deny” the timeshare story, but told the magazine, “I just think it’s shi**y that, if he is selling timeshares, the media is shaming him for having a ‘normal job.'”

A source had told Variety that Hammer is “totally broke, and is trying to fill the days and earn money to support his family.”

Downey, of course, is no stranger to addiction, having been arrested multiple times in the late ’90s for drug-related offenses, eventually serving prison time. Clean and sober for years, he mounted a career comeback with 2008’s Iron Man to become one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood.

Noah Schnapp reveals Doja Cat apologized to him after leaked DM controversy

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The drama between Doja Cat and Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp continues. The 17-year-old actor said Doja apologized to him after calling him out for leaking her private messages.

When he was speaking to Variety about the fourth season of Stranger Things, the conversation gravitated toward the TikTok controversy. Noah, who recently revealed that he apologized to the Grammy winner and “everything is all good” between them, was asked if there was anything else he wanted to say.

“I’m super unserious on social media and pretty goofy, so I posted that not thinking too much of it, but obviously it hurt her feelings,” he said of the video that exposed Doja’s crush on Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson on the show.

“So, as I should, I apologized and she was totally OK with it, and was like, ‘I’m sorry how I reacted.’ It was all good,” he continued. “I love her. I’m, like, the biggest fan of her music, and I told her that. I was like, ‘You’re literally my role model.’ It’s all good.”

Noah also had a few choice words to the fans who he suggests blew the entire thing out of proportion. “People make such a big deal out of everything when it’s on the internet, but, like, in reality, it’s like a two-minute thing,” he explained.

Doja has not commented on the matter since speaking about it in a TikTok live video last week. She had said she was “disappointed” and “bummed” he had leaked her private messages, but gave Noah the benefit of the doubt because of his age.

At the time, she said of the 17-year-old actor, “When you’re that young, you make mistakes.” She also said she wasn’t “embarrassed” because the situation was “not that deep.”

“Excited” Nita Strauss confirms Demi Lovato tour: “Let’s rock!”

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Following her debut with Demi Lovato‘s band on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, Nita Strauss has confirmed that she’s joining the pop star on the road, too.

In an Instagram post Friday tagging Lovato, Strauss writes, “Let’s rock, @ddlovato! Excited to dive into this show and have some fun.”

Lovato’s tour, which supports their upcoming, guitar-driven album Holy F***, kicks off August 13 in Springfield, Illinois.

News of Strauss’ involvement comes after the longtime Alice Cooper touring guitarist announced earlier this week that she wouldn’t be joining the shock rocker on his upcoming fall tour.

“There is no drama whatsoever and my touring year is still VERY full,” Strauss wrote at the time. “In fact, I’m on a flight straight into the next adventure as I post this, and I’ll be on stage again much sooner than you think!”

Outside of her work in Cooper’s band, Strauss released her debut solo album, the instrumental Controlled Chaos, in 2018. Her 2021 solo single, “Dead Inside,” which features vocals by Disturbed‘s David Draiman, became the first song by a solo female artist to hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 32 years.

Pilot who landed small plane on highway arrested under suspicion of intoxication

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — A pilot who landed his plane on a Missouri highway early Friday after running out of fuel was arrested for allegedly flying while intoxicated, authorities said.

Troopers responded to reports of a small plane blocking the westbound lanes of I-70 near the Kansas City suburb of Grain Valley around 3 a.m. local time.

“Interstate 70 (westbound lanes) BLOCKED by an AIRCRAFT!” Missouri State Highway Patrol tweeted while warning commuters to expect delays.

The plane managed to avoid hitting any vehicles but had a “minor collision” with a guardrail, Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The pilot, who was the only person on board, suffered minor injuries, it said.

Authorities determined that the plane had run out of fuel when the pilot radioed in and made an emergency landing on the highway.

Interstate 70 (westbound lanes) BLOCKED by an AIRCRAFT!

Initial report is a small plane landed on the highway for an unknown reason. The pilot was the only person onboard w/ minor injuries. NO vehicles were hit!@MoDOT_KC is responding due to lane closure. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/Q6SIIJhXRk

— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) July 15, 2022

The pilot, identified by authorities as 35-year-old John Seesing was arrested after he was “found to be intoxicated,” Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Sgt. Andy Bell, a public information officer for Missouri State Highway Patrol, said troopers suspected impairment by a combination of alcohol and drugs.

Missouri State Highway Patrol records show that Seesing, of Prairie Village, Kanas, was arrested on charges including DWI, careless and imprudent driving involving a crash, felony possession of a controlled substance, felony unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

Seesing was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and underwent blood testing in connection with the charges, Bell said. He has since been released, he said.

It is unclear if Seesing has an attorney.

The single-engine Piper plane was towed from the scene and all lanes on the highway had reopened by 5:30 a.m.

Troopers believe the pilot was flying from Florida to the Kansas City Downtown Airport.

Flight Aware records show the plane left the Kansas City area early Thursday morning before arriving in Daytona Beach, Florida, then started making its way back toward the Kansas City area later that night.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident.

Midland vs. Jon Pardi: Who’s the best bowler?

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Jon Pardi and Midland’s “Longneck Way to Go” music video features a bowling game between two teams, each one led by the country acts. As it turns out, that premise is based on real-life events that happened when they were touring together.

“Actually, this happened once on tour,” Midland’s Cameron Duddy says in a new behind-the-scenes video of the video shoot. “And Jon offered $500 to the winner. And Midland beat Jon’s team in real life.”

The Midland guys may be better bowlers than Jon, but there’s no bad blood. The two acts have been friends since their early days in country music. Still, that doesn’t stop Cameron from giving Jon a little grief about his bowling chops — or lack thereof.

“He’s not very good. He’s too big to play bowling,” Cameron continues. Jon, for the record, stands at 6’7″ when he’s in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat — and he’s wearing those two things most of the time.

“Actually, they say, it’s like jockeys. You have to be smaller than 5’10 to really dominate,” Cameron jokes. “Which sucks for me because I’m 6 foot.”

See all the behind-the-scenes antics in the new video, which is available now.

‘Harry’s House’ is the first certified Platinum album of 2022

July 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Harry Styles has done what no other artist who released an album so far this year could — he officially sold over a million copies of his new studio album, Harry’s House.

The Grammy winner is the first artist to have an album released in 2022 reach Platinum status. The RIAA delivered the certification this week. The organization also honored another song of his — “Cherry” — which surpassed over 1 million sales as well, thus earning its own Platinum certification.

Harry’s House arrived on May 20 and was previously led by the record’s lead single, “As It Was.” To date, this song has been leading the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks. In addition, the RIAA has certified the hit twice Platinum.

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