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Rices Fire leads to evacuations in Nevada, 700 firefighters responding

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEVADA COUNTY, Calif.) — At least 700 firefighters are battling the Rices Fire in northern California on Wednesday, where hundreds of residents have been evacuated from their homes, officials said.

The fire, which has burned 769 acres and is 0% contained as of Wednesday morning, has led to mandatory and warning evacuation orders, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. It has impacted 355 homes and other buildings in the area, according to local officials.

The fire is expected to be fully contained on July 1, according to a Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit report on Wednesday.

There are no reported civilian injuries, and one reported firefighter injury.

Evacuation warnings and orders remained active for 12 zones on Tuesday night, according to police.

“Today, the fire exhibited active fire behavior with wind driven runs and single tree spotting and long range spotting. It is burning in dormant brush, hardwood slash and brush,” a statement from Cal Fire said on Wednesday.

Steep and rugged terrain, critically dry and receptive fuel beds, and drought have led to the continued fire activity, authorities said.

Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief Brian Estes said the fire has been burning to the north and northeast towards the Yuba River drainage.

“If it does go into the over the Yuba River drainage and crosses that drainage that crosses into Yuba County from Nevada County then we could have some tremendous impacts to the communities of Dobbins, Oregon House and Brownsville,” Estes said in a press conference on Tuesday evening.

The fire began around 2 p.m. on Tuesday off Rices Crossing Road and Cranston Road, according to the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit.

Four structures were confirmed to be destroyed as of Wednesday morning. An additional 500 buildings are threatened along with South Yuba State Park, officials said.

Estes said the Rices fire is already a massive operation and it’s vital to contain the fire before it spreads further.

“I think we’re going to see a trend for Northern California to start to see more large fires, and so we have a long summer ahead of us,” Estes said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

The Madelyn Helling Library is open as a shelter for residents forced to evacuate and animals can be taken to the Nevada County Fairgrounds for shelter, according to the sheriff’s office.

“We make sure that we have lots of law enforcement personnel in the areas to make sure that the people that are in that area are supposed to be there,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a Tuesday evening conference. “We want to make sure that we don’t have any looting.”

Johnny Cash’s former California home is up for sale

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Johnny Cash‘s former California home is up for sale, and it’s fit for a country king.

The home was originally built in 1961 in Ventura County, about an hour outside of Los Angeles, where the “Ring of Fire” singer and his first wife, Vivian, lived when traveling to California. The five-bedroom, ranch-style home was built specifically to cater to Cash’s taste is now selling for just under $1.8 million.

The Hollywood Reporter states that many of the home’s original features remain intact, including ceilings adorned with glitter, a wood-paneled studio where Cash wrote and recorded songs, an intercom system and even a turntable mounted on the wall.

Photos reveal that the property includes a pair of bedroom suites and Cash’s black commode in the bathroom, while the master bedroom offers stunning views of rolling hills. The house is also equipped with an in-ground pool.

According to the listing, Johnny and Vivian used the house as a “serene getaway” for them and their four daughters Rosanne, Tara, Cindy and Kathy. “You can feel the spirit of ‘The Man in Black’ as you traverse the private driveway towards the iconic house,” as described in a statement.

Man gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park in 2nd attack this year

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) — A 34-year-old man is recovering from injuries sustained at Yellowstone National Park after he was charged at and brutally gored by a bison when he and his family got too close to the animal.

The incident occurred near Giant Geyser at Old Faithful on Monday when the unidentified man from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was walking with his family on a boardwalk at Yellowstone National Park when a bull bison began charging at them, according to a press release issued by the park.

“Family members did not leave the area, and the bull bison continued to charge and gored the male,” the statement from Yellowstone continued. “The male sustained an injury to his arm and was transported by ambulance to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.”

It is unclear whether the family had gotten too close to the animal or if the attack was unprovoked but Yellowstone officials confirmed that the incident remains under investigation and did not disclose any further information on the man’s condition.

Yellowstone warned that park regulations mandate people stay at least 25 yards away from bison at all times because they are unpredictable animals and can run three times faster than humans can.

“This is the second reported incident in 2022 of a visitor getting too close to the animal and the bison responding to the perceived threat by goring the individual,” said Yellowstone National Park.

That incident occurred just last month on May 30 when a 25-year-old woman from Grove City, Ohio, approached a bison within 10 feet near Black Sand Basin, located just north of Old Faithful at Yellowstone, causing the animal to charge at her. The victim was subsequently gored by the bison and tossed 10 feet into the air before she was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, according to a statement from Yellowstone National Park released at the time of the incident.

“Yellowstone’s scenic wonders are sure to take your breath away: don’t let them take your life,” warns Yellowstone National Park on its page online for park safety. Some of the rules highlighted by the park include never approach wildlife, stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas, and never feed wildlife.

“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” says the park. “Always stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from bison.”

Justice Stephen Breyer to officially retire Thursday at noon, swear in Ketanji Brown Jackson

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the most senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal wing, said he will officially step down from the bench at noon on Thursday, and the court announced he will then swear in his former law clerk — Ketanji Brown Jackson — to take his place on the bench, becoming the nation’s first Black female justice.

“It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Breyer wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden dated Wednesday.

Breyer’s retirement fulfills the wish of Democrats who lobbied for his exit to make way for Biden’s first nominee to the court.

Jackson will take both her oaths at noon — Chief Justice John Roberts administering the Constitutional Oath and Justice Breyer delivering the Judicial Oath. Her presence will mark the first time four women will be on the Supreme Court at the same time.

Progressive activists had imposed unprecedented public pressure on Breyer, who was nominated in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, to retire. Breyer was first appointed to the federal bench in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter, going on to serve 13 years as an appellate judge until Clinton elevated him to replace Justice Harry Blackmun on the Supreme Court in 1994. The Senate confirmed him 87-9.

Last term, Breyer authored major opinions upholding the Affordable Care Act, affirming free speech rights of students off-campus and resolving a multi-billion dollar copyright dispute between two titans of American technology, Google and Oracle.

His retirement relatively early in the Biden presidency, while Democrats retain a razor-thin majority in the U.S. Senate, helped to ensure his seat would be filled with someone who shares his judicial philosophy.

Breyer has described differences among the justices as contrasts in “philosophical outlook” rather than differences of politics and chaffed at the labeling of justices as “liberal” or “conservative.”

“Politics to me is who’s got the votes. Are you Republican or Democrat? I don’t find any of that here,” he told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl in 2015.

While he never enjoyed the rock-star status held by Ginsburg, Breyer has long been revered and celebrated as a consensus-seeker and happy warrior throughout his 27 years on the court. He has also been one of the few justices to be a regular attendee at State of the Union addresses before a joint session of Congress.

Asked in 2017 how he would like to be remembered, Breyer told an interviewer: “You play the hand you’re dealt. You’re dealt one. And you do the best with what you have. If people say yes, he did, he tried, he did his best and was a decent person, good.”

Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill Breyer’s seat

Jackson, 51, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, will fill Justice Breyer’s seat, and become the first Black woman to sit on the nation’s highest court. With Jackson’s ascension to the bench, for the first time, white men will not represent the majority of justices on the Supreme Court.

President Joe Biden formally announced Jackson’s nomination earlier this year and fulfilled a campaign promise made ahead of the South Carolina primary when he relied heavily on support from the state’s Black voters and Rep. Jim Clyburn.

“For too long our government, our courts haven’t looked like America,” Biden said in February from the White House. “And I believe it is time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation with a nominee of extraordinary qualifications.”

Jackson, who will also be the nation’s first former public defender to sit on the high court, served as a clerk for Breyer from 1999 to 2000 and called it “extremely humbling to be considered” for his seat.

“I know that I could never fill his shoes, but if confirmed, I would hope to carry on his spirit,” she said.

Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney — joined Senate Democrats in voting to confirm Jackson in April, marking a solid, bipartisan win for the Biden White House.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to officially retire Thursday at noon

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the most senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal wing, said he will officially step down from the bench at noon on Thursday, relinquishing his duties as a justice and clearing the way for the swearing-in of the nation’s first Black female justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

“It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Breyer wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden dated Wednesday.

Breyer’s retirement fulfills the wish of Democrats who lobbied for his exit to make way for Biden’s first nominee to the court.

“Politics to me is who’s got the votes. Are you Republican or Democrat? I don’t find any of that here,” he told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl in 2015.

Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill Breyer’s seat

“I know that I could never fill his shoes, but if confirmed, I would hope to carry on his spirit,” she said.

Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney — joined Senate Democrats in voting to confirm Jackson in April, marking a solid, bipartisan win for the Biden White House.

Calvin Harris taps Halsey, Justin Timberlake, Charlie Puth, Normani for ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2’

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

We’ve already heard “Potion,” the first single from Calvin Harris‘ new album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2. It features Dua Lipa and Young Thug, but it turns out that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of big-name guest stars on the album.

On his socials, Calvin posted a video running down the full lineup of features on the project, and they include Halsey, Justin Timberlake, Charlie Puth, Normani, Chloe and Pharrell Williams, plus a who’s who of hip-hop stars, including Latto, Offset, 21 Savage, Pusha T, Busta Rhymes, Swae Lee and Snoop Dogg.

The album is now available to be presaved; it’s out August 5.

Calvin’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 came out in 2017 and featured an equally star-studded lineup, including Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Khalid, John Legend, Nicki Ninaj, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Future. Artists who appeared on that first volume and are back for another round include Pharrell, Young Thug and Snoop.

Fauci says he’s taking 2nd course of Paxlovid after experiencing rebound with the antiviral treatment

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — After testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that he has joined a growing group of people experiencing a Paxlovid rebound, following treatment with Pfizer’s antiviral.

Fauci, 81, said that when he first tested positive two weeks ago, he had very minimal symptoms. However, when he began to feel worse, “given [his] age,” he was prescribed Paxlovid.

Other than fatigue and a bit of congestion, Fauci reported that he felt “really quite well,” and after his five-day course of Paxlovid, he tested negative with a rapid test.

However, after testing negative for three consecutive days, Fauci said he decided to take one more test out of precaution and subsequently found himself positive again on the fourth day.

“It was sort of what people are referring to as a Paxlovid rebound,” Fauci said during a remote interview with the Foreign Policy Global Health Forum on Tuesday.

Over the course of the next day, he began to feel “really poorly,” and “much worse than in the first go around,” he added.

Paxlovid is authorized in the U.S. for people with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19, who are at significant risk of progressing to severe illness.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked doctors to be on the lookout for the seemingly rare, but increasingly reported phenomenon.

“Paxlovid continues to be recommended for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 among persons at high risk for progression to severe disease,” the CDC wrote in a health alert in May.

The rebounding phenomenon, which is described as a recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms or the development of a new positive viral test after having tested negative, has been found to occur between two and eight days after initial recovery. A brief return of COVID-19 symptoms may be part of the “natural history” of the virus, officials wrote, and may occur in some people, regardless of treatment with Paxlovid or vaccination status.

Just last week, Fauci told reporters during a White House COVID-19 briefing that he was feeling well after testing positive and taking his first course of Paxlovid.

“All is well with Fauci and thank you for asking,” Fauci said. “I’m vaccinated. I’m doubly boosted. And I believe if that were not the case, I very likely would not be talking to you, looking as well as I look, I think, right now.”

However, after his COVID-19 recurrence, Fauci was prescribed another course of Paxlovid, he said. As of Tuesday, he is on his fourth day of a five-day course.

“I am on my fourth day of a five-day course of my second course of Paxlovid. And fortunately, I feel reasonably good. I mean, I’m not complete[ly] without symptoms, but I certainly don’t feel acutely ill,” Fauci said.

Health officials have reported that while information is still limited, available data suggests that most people who experience the rebound are not likely to suffer from severe forms of disease.

At this time, CDC states that there is currently no evidence that an additional treatment of Paxlovid, is needed, following a rebound.

The Food and Drug Administration also says that “there is no evidence of benefit at this time for a longer course of treatment … or repeating a treatment course of Paxlovid in patients with recurrent COVID-19 symptoms following completion of a treatment course.”

The CDC currently recommends that doctors advise their patients with COVID-19 rebound to follow CDC’s guidance on isolation and take additional precautions to prevent transmission.

Patients should re-isolate for at least five days, and per agency guidance, can end their re-isolation period after five full days, if fever has dissipated for 24 hours and symptoms are improving, the CDC says. Physicians are also recommended to tell their patients to wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started, the agency said.

“Regardless of whether the patient has been treated with an antiviral agent, risk of transmission during COVID-19 rebound can be managed by following CDC’s guidance on isolation, including taking other precautions such as masking,” the agency wrote in May.

Earlier this month, Pfizer also reported new clinical trial data that showed that Paxlovid did significantly reduce the risk of going to the hospital or dying in people with standard risk of developing severe illness. However, the company said the treatment still works well in high-risk individuals.

Brandy remembers embarrassing moment with her idol: “I fainted when I met Michael Jackson”

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Brandy is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her 2002 Platinum album, Full Moon, and as she looks back at recording the music, she will never forget an embarrassing meeting with Michael Jackson.

The album was recorded at the Hit Factory in Miami with producer Rodney Jerkins, who was also simultaneously recording songs for Jackson’s final studio album, Invincible, in the next room.

The Moesha star sang background on one song on Invincible, “Unbreakable,” and Michael is heard ad-libbing on the track “It’s Not Worth It” on Full Moon.

Brandy remembers she was overwhelmed meeting her idol.

“I fainted when I met Michael Jackson,” she told Billboard. “My brother [Ray J] was like, ‘B, get up! You’re embarrassing. Get up right now! This is Michael Jackson, and you are on the floor! Get up!’ And then Michael was like, ‘It’s OK. It’s OK. This has happened before.’”

Full Moon became Brandy’s first project to top the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

The album was known for how Brandy stacked her vocal harmonies, a skill Quincy Jones says reminded him of Jackson.

“When I had an opportunity to work with Quincy when I was younger, he told my dad, ‘Brandy has something that Michael Jackson has,’” she recalled.

“’She can stack her voice and it’ll sound like one person, like it can kind of trick computers.’ And I’m like, ‘Dad, he did not say that! Really? Quincy Jones said that?’ I took that in, and I was ready.”

Now 20 years later, Brandy is overwhelmed by how other stars say they admire her music

“I heard H.E.R. say, ‘I felt like when I started listening to Brandy, I started singing better.’ And this is H.E.R., she’s amazing!”

R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The singer was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court for a racketeering conviction that involved a dozen separate criminal acts, including sex with underage girls.

In September 2021, Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty of leading a criminal enterprise that recruited women and girls for sex. The charges also included a bribery scheme involving a public official to get a fake ID for Aaliyah so the two could get married when she was 15.

Kelly, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all nine counts he faced and told a Brooklyn judge that he would not testify. He faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life in prison.

Kelly previously avoided prison in 2008 when he was acquitted on 14 counts in a highly publicized child pornography case.

Producer Barbara Broccoli teases a “reinvention” of James Bond is two years away

June 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Don’t expect to see Daniel Craig‘s successor as James Bond for at least two years.

That’s the word to Deadline from Barbara Broccoli, the longtime producer of the 007 films with her stepbrother and producing partner Michael G. Wilson.

With speculation flying as to who will next don the super-spy’s tux — with names including Chris Hemsworth, Henry Cavill and Idris Elba being bandied about — Broccoli insists, “Nobody’s in the running.”

She says of Ian Fleming‘s secret agent, who was apparently killed off-screen at the end of No Time To Die, “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through.”

The producer adds, “There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is, and that takes time …”

Whoever does step into them has some big, gadget-filled shoes to fill: No Time To Die made more than $774 million worldwide.

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