Page 6821 – 105.7 WDNY

Monkeypox patient shares diagnosis in effort to combat stigma, raise awareness

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BALTIMORE) — As federal officials move to address growing concerns over an outbreak of monkeypox in the U.S., an increasing number of positive cases are emerging across the country.

Last week, Brian Thomas, 32, of Baltimore became the latest American to test positive for monkeypox — a diagnosis he has been sharing openly on social media, in the hope of curbing the spread by raising awareness about the disease.

“I probably first started hearing about monkeypox a month or two ago and I really kind of wrote it off,” Thomas told ABC News. “You’re always watching it happen to other people and you’re like, ‘oh, but probably not going to happen to me, probably not going to happen a lot in the States.'”

Thomas, who had just recently traveled to Florida on a trip, said he initially thought he had contracted COVID-19, after he began to experience similar respiratory symptoms, often associated with the virus, such as fatigue and body aches. However, both of the COVID-19 tests he took came back negative.

After two suspicious lesions emerged on Thomas’ body, he realized that his symptoms were potentially connected to monkeypox. He “immediately” contacted his health care provider, he said.

After getting tested for monkeypox, Thomas’ test came back positive. Although Thomas, a travel nurse, said he was expecting to have monkeypox, his diagnosis was still “shocking.”

“I know that I’m going to be fine. But what do I do now? And who have I put it at risk? I live with two other people. And that really was what was going through my mind,” Thomas said. “I felt like I’m a danger to the public and that’s never a great feeling to have.”

Now, more than a week since his diagnosis, Thomas said he is feeling better, though he is still waiting for his lesions to fully scab over and heal, which he describes as a bit itchy and painful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that isolation precautions be continued until “all lesions have resolved, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed.”

Thomas told ABC News that he feels it his duty to educate his followers on social media about monkeypox, particularly given the suggestion by some, that the virus only targets people of certain sexual orientations. Health experts stress that although a large proportion of those who are currently testing positive for monkeypox are gay and bisexual men, ultimately, anyone can contract the monkeypox, regardless of sexual orientation.

“There is a lot of stigma about monkey pox right now. The fact of the matter is, is that it is most prevalent in the gay community right now, and that has led people to believe and lead people to remark that this is a gay disease. And when something is marked as a gay disease that automatically puts stigma on it,” Thomas said. “Even though this community is the one that’s most effected now, it’s not going to stay like that forever, if the numbers increase.”

Prior to his monkeypox diagnosis, Thomas has used his social media platform to share his story as an openly HIV positive healthcare worker. Thus, Thomas said the transition to also discuss his monkeypox diagnosis online felt natural.

Although monkeypox vaccines were provided to both his roommates, Thomas stressed that he strongly believes that in order to control the outbreak, vaccines need to be made available to all high-risk people.

“If we could get the population that’s most affected right now vaccinated, we could really stop this in the track in its tracks,” Thomas said. ” I think that’s the only way that we’re going to get ahead of this before it becomes a real problem in the States.”

The federal government is currently working to ramp up its production of monkeypox vaccines, in order to make them available to different states and jurisdictions. The Department of Health and Human Services said last week that the agency will send out nearly 300,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine for prevention of the disease for people who have been exposed.

As of July 1, HHS has shipped nearly 20,000 doses of JYNNEOS to 15 U.S. jurisdictions.

Since the start of the outbreak, there have been 559 confirmed monkeypox cases in the U.S. according to Global.health.

Sevendust concluding ’Animosity’ anniversary celebration with final tour leg

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Sevendust is bringing the 21st anniversary celebration of Animosity to a close with one last U.S. tour leg.

The headlining outing, which will also feature Nonpoint on the bill, begins September 10 in Cherokee, North Carolina and will wrap up October 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, July 8 at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Sevendust.com.

Animosity, Sevendust’s third album, was released in 2001 and includes the singles “Praise” and “Live Again.” Sevendust first launched the anniversary tour earlier this year in March.

Sevendust’s most recent album is 2020’s Blood & Stone.

What the stock market could look like for the rest of 2022, according to experts

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Stock market woes will persist into the second half of the year but signs of hope will emerge for beleaguered investors, experts told ABC News of their predictions.

The stock market took a historic plunge over the first half of the year, and many of the same economic threats still loom as inflation remains sky-high and the Federal Reserve pursues aggressive moves to tame price hikes by raising borrowing costs. That means volatility will continue to hammer markets in the coming months, experts told ABC News.

But the major indexes will likely end 2022 higher than they stand now, as rock-bottom share prices begin to promise a buy-low opportunity that outweighs the risk of further decline, the experts said. As investors eventually jump off the sidelines, the market will stabilize and begin to recover, they predicted.

Over the first six months of the year, the S&P 500 — a popular index to which many 401(k) accounts are pegged — plummeted 20.6%, marking its worst first-half performance of any year since 1970. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell even further, dropping more than 28% over the same period; the Dow Jones Industrial average dropped more than 14%.

Persistent threats to the market include inflation, ongoing interest rate hikes, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a potential recession. In the short term, these looming dangers will put downward pressure on the stock market, since market performance depends on the financial outlook of companies across the economy, experts said.

Ultimately, investors are deciding whether to buy or sell based on the likelihood that a given business will succeed over the coming months and years, Howard Silverblatt, a senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, told ABC News.

“It all comes down to earnings,” Silverblatt said. “We’re buying a stock based on how much we think the company is going to make.”

Economic headwinds will make it challenging for companies to show investors a path to success, experts told ABC News.

For instance, in order to tame an inflation rate last seen more than four decades ago, the Federal Reserve has undertaken an aggressive effort to raise borrowing costs, which in theory should slow the economy, slash demand, and reduce prices. But the approach will likely weigh on markets, as investors anticipate poor business performance amid the economic slowdown, Silverblatt said.

“In order to stop inflation, the Fed has got to create pain,” he said. “Nobody likes pain. If I’m taking a splinter out of my finger, I’m still yelling and screaming as I’m doing it.”

At its most recent meeting, last month, the Fed raised its benchmark interest rate 0.75%, its largest rate increase since 1994. The Federal Reserve has said it expects to continue raising interest rates in response to elevated inflation.

Experts also cited the threat posed by a potential recession, which many observers define through the shorthand metric of two consecutive quarters of decline in a nation’s inflation-adjusted gross domestic product, or GDP. A country’s GDP is the total value of goods and services that it produces.

If the U.S. were to enter a recession, it would likely further dampen the hopes of businesses and consumers alike, which could slow economic activity and batter markets, experts said.

“The market is suspect of the prospects for earnings and growth,” Harvey said.

But the market will reach a point at which it has dropped far enough that share prices present investors with a purchase that looks more like a buy-low opportunity than a risk of further losses, the experts said. At that point, the market will stabilize and begin to recover as traders jump back into stocks, they added.

Market analysts expect the stock market to reach this point of bottoming out sometime before 2023. Past recoveries suggest market performance can suddenly flip, said Sam Stovall, the chief market strategist at research firm CFRA.

“To know how frequently these declines occur — but then again, how quickly the market gets back to break even and beyond — it will remind investors they are better off preparing a shopping list,” Stovall said. “Think more about buying than bailing.”

But investors should take into account their level of financial cushion, and thus their ability to withstand losses in the short term, said Silverblatt, the analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

“Even if you think your stock is the best stock in the world — the new Apple or Amazon — in two years,” he said. “If you can’t live through it because you can’t take the loss, you can’t play it.”

Denise Richards shooting OnlyFans video with daughter Sami Sheen

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

There’s close, and then there’s perhaps too close. Denise Richards and Sami, her 18-year-old daughter with Charlie Sheen, have announced they plan to shoot a video together for OnlyFans on Thursday.

“As you know, I’m shooting with my mom soon @deniserichards,” Sami noted on her page. “If you tip in, I’ll make sure to send you a extra special and sweet video from both of us.”

For her part, Richards posted, “Who’s excited for my shoot with @samisheen tomorrow! [Thursday] I am! Also, a bit nervous! Send me some love!!! If I can get wifi, I’ll try and go live from there tomorrow!”

As reported, the Wild Things and Real Housewives veteran came out in support of her daughter launching her account on the steamy, subscription-based social media platform — so much so that days later, Richards launched her own.

Sami’s dad was reportedly less enthusiastic about the venture.

That said, Denise and Sami’s collab left some a little puzzled. One commented on a recent bikini snap Richards, 51, posted to Instagram, “Are you competing with your daughter? Or supporting your daughter…. Super weird.”

The Gaslight Anthem shares live “Howl” video from surprise reunion show

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Gaslight Anthem has shared a new live video for the song “Howl,” recorded at the band’s surprise reunion show in June.

The concert was publicly billed as frontman Brian Fallon‘s solo show, but the other Gaslight members showed up on stage unannounced, marking the “45” outfit’s first official live performance together in four years.

You can watch the “Howl” video streaming now on YouTube.

Meanwhile, the entire reunion concert, which took place in Gaslight’s home state of New Jersey, is available to stream in full through Saturday, July 9.

Earlier this year in March, Gaslight announced that they were “returning to full time status as a band.” The group had previously announced a hiatus in 2015 and briefly reunited in 2018 for a run of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of their beloved 2008 album, The ’59 Sound.

The reunion includes a full tour, kicking off in Europe in August before coming to the U.S. in September, and an upcoming album.

Shawn Mendes partners with Disney+ to make wishes come true on Wonder tour

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Shawn Mendes‘ Wonder tour is about to make wishes come true.

Shawn has partnered with Disney+ as a tour sponsor and will be working with the streaming platform to “grant wishes to patients” by visiting children’s hospitals in the U.S., he wrote on Instagram.

He’s also planning to donate one dollar per ticket sold in North America towards the Shawn Mendes Foundation‘s “Wonder Grants” program, which he’ll award to one “youth changemaker” in every city the tour visits.

In addition, the Wonder tour will now include a Social Impact Village, that will allow fans to vote on what the Foundation should fund, register to vote, learn about actions they can take to battle climate change, and sign petitions on issues such as mental health equity and climate justice.

In a statement to Variety, Shawn says, “I’m beyond thankful to be partnering with Disney+ on my tour, and to continue my foundation’s efforts to provide grants to young changemakers who strive to change the world for the better.”

Thursday night, Shawn’s Wonder tour visits Winnipeg, and then travels to Saint Paul, MN on Saturday.

Disney+ is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

Postponed Santana concert rescheduled for August after Carlos Santana’s recent onstage collapse

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After Carlos Santana collapsed on stage Tuesday during his band’s concert in Clarkston, Michigan, the group immediately postponed the show scheduled for the next night in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

Now, the new date for the Burgettstown concert, which will be held at Star Lake Pavilion, has been confirmed for Friday, August 4.

While the original show was supposed to have featured Santana performing with Earth, Wind & Fire as part of their Miraculous Supernatural joint tour, the new date will just be a Santana concert. All tickets purchased for the June 6 date will be honored at the August 4 show.

On Wednesday, Carlos’ wife, Santana band drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, shared an update on her husband’s health via Facebook.

“Hi Everyone! Carlos & I thank you so much for your prayers, love, care & concern for him!” she wrote. “Please know that he’s resting and doing very well! He was diagnosed with heat exhaustion & dehydration…it was 100 degrees on stage and 114 under the lights so that coupled with not enough water is what caused the issue. He’ll be as good as new soon! Thank you again and we love you!”

The next Santana concert is scheduled for Friday, July 8 in Noblesville, Indiana and is slated to feature Earth, Wind & Fire.

Visit Santana.com to check out the group’s full itinerary.

Brittney Griner says she’s guilty in Russian court and vape cartridges were in her luggage unintentionally

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MOSCOW) — WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to drug charges in a Russian court, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage unintentionally.

“I would like to plead myself guilty,” Griner said when asked if she would like to give testimony. ABC News was present inside the courtroom during the hearing.

“I did not have any intention on breaking Russian law,” she said, adding that she was is in a rush and did not mean to leave the cartridges in her bag.

Griner is expected to appear in court on July 14 for the third day of her trial.

Griner’s trial, which is taking place in Khimki — a suburb of Moscow — began last Friday, more than four and a half months after Griner was detained.

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 on Feb. 17 after being accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.

Griner’s detention was extended repeatedly, most recently through Dec. 20, which is the expected length of her trial. If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison and also has a right to an appeal.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, to discuss efforts to release the WNBA star, according to the White House.

“The president called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world,” the White House said in a statement released Wednesday.

The call came months after Cherelle Griner publicly expressed interest in speaking with Biden about her wife’s case in a May interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts.

“I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” Cherelle Griner said in May. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”

The first witness at Griner’s trial last Friday was a customs officer who was at the airport when she was arrested. Meanwhile, two others failed to appear, so the trial was adjourned for the day.

Representatives of the U.S. Embassy, as well as two representatives from Russian and foreign media, were allowed into the courtroom.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained. Some officials are concerned that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.

The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained,” meaning the U.S. will more aggressively work to negotiate her release even as the legal case against her plays out, the State Department has said.

Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, personally reached out to Biden in a handwritten letter that the White House received on Monday, urging the president to help her get out of Russia.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote to the president.

“It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate [the Fourth of July] because freedom means something completely different to me this year,” she added.

Biden intends to send a letter to Griner in Russia in response to her message, and he read a draft of that letter to Cherelle Griner during their call, according to the White House.

ABC News’ Kendall Ross, Teddy Grant, Shannon Crawford and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.

Charlie Puth finally announces release date of upcoming ‘Charlie’ album

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Charlie Puth first announced his third studio album, Charlie, in January — and, seven months later, we finally have a release date.

On Wednesday, the “Light Switch” singer posted an Instagram video letting fans know the countdown is officially on because the record arrives in two months. He also highlighted the numerous DMs, tweets, comments, podcast shoutouts and videos he received from exasperated fans demanding to know when the album arrives.

“My third album, Charlie, will be coming out everywhere October 7, 2022,” he declared. “Thank you so much for your patience.”

The Grammy nominee unveiled the official cover and tracklist of his third studio album on Thursday. Charlie, who is dressed in a white tank and black leather pants, leans on a white cube as the titles of his new songs — as well as mathematical equations and music signs — float over his head.

Among them are his previously released tracks “Light Switch,” “That’s Hilarious” and “Left and Right.” Other new titles include “Loser,” “Charlie B Quiet,” “Shhhhhhhhhhhh…,” “No More Drama,” “First Time For Everything,” “99,” “Metal Bang Whisper Snare,” “Marks on My Neck,” “What If There Was a Song That…” and more.

“This album was born on the internet, and I’ve had so much fun making it in front of all of you this past year. 2019 me used to think that in order to be an artist, you had to hide away and talk to nobody to make your art,” he wrote. “Turns out you make MUCH better art when you involve millions of people in the process. (For me at least.)”

He continued, “I hope you scream cry every word when I sing these songs on tour because they wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you.”

Charlie is available to pre-save now.

Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” earns 400% increase in streams post-‘Stranger Things’

July 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Metallica‘s “Master of Puppets” is the latest recipient of the coveted post-Stranger Things bump.

According to Billboard, the title track off the metal legends’ 1986 album has seen a 400% increase in streams since it was used in the season four finale of the Netflix sci-fi series.

While that certainly is a major bump, “Master of Puppets” still has a long way to go if it hopes to match the resurgence of Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill,” which soared all the way to the top five of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 after its use in an earlier episode of Stranger Things’ fourth season.

Metallica previously commented on Stranger Things‘ use of “Master of Puppets,” which is heard during a significant scene involving the Dungeons and Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, sharing that they were “beyond psyched” about the song’s placement.

“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away,” they said.

Meanwhile, Metallica took to TikTok to defend any newcomers who might’ve just discovered the band’s music through Stranger Things, declaring, “FYI — EVERYONE is welcome in the Metallica Family.”

+ More