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Uvalde probe will be ‘nonpartisan,’ ‘thorough,’ Texas state lawmakers vow

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(AUSTIN, Texas) — Texas state lawmakers convened in Austin on Thursday for a special session to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Uvalde elementary school massacre.

“It is our goal to conduct a thorough, objective and nonpartisan examination … so that we, as a chamber, may move forward in determining the best possible solutions to prevent something like this from ever occurring again,” Texas state Rep. Dustin Burrows, chairman of the committee investigating the shooting, said in an opening statement.

Law enforcement officials are expected to testify in the coming weeks, Burrows said.

“The committee may produce a preliminary report in order to accommodate the need to have some information out to the public before a full and thorough investigation has taken place and we will do our best to keep everyone apprised of that timeline, as we know it,” he said. “I want to assure those watching that answers and solutions will come — and we will work as quickly as possible to get to that point.”

Texas state Rep. Joe Moody added, “We can’t let mass shootings, especially in our schools, be normalized. I was in high school when Columbine happened. And it was shocking because it was unheard of at the time.”

“Failing to tackle these issues because they’re difficult or politically uncomfortable is cowardly and morally wrong,” Moody said. “We have a duty to do what we can because our children’s lives are on the line. That’s why this committee is so important. When the issues are this complex and the stakes are this high, we need facts first. … We have to cut through the noise and the partisanship and deliver the truth. Only then can we make the informed policy decisions that are urgently needed.”

Nineteen students and two teachers were gunned down in the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. As gunshots rang out, parents gathered outside of the school, urging officers to enter the building.

After 77 minutes of gunfire, a tactical unit breached the classroom door and killed the gunman.

Law enforcement has come under immense scrutiny for failing to act faster.

Law enforcement and state officials have repeatedly corrected themselves and at times provided conflicting details about their response. At one point, a Texas Department of Public Safety official said the on-scene commanding officer, school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, made the “wrong decision” to wait to breach the barricaded classrooms.

At a separate news conference Thursday, Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, wouldn’t address any personnel questions and would not confirm if Arredondo, who has since been sworn in on the city council, is still employed by the district.

Over 80 feared dead in attack on Catholic church in Nigeria, sources say

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 80 people are feared to have died in Sunday’s attack on a church in southwestern Nigeria, sources told ABC News on Wednesday.

A source with direct knowledge of the investigation said the bodies of 82 victims were in a local morgue. Another source briefed on the latest U.S. intelligence assessment said the estimate was over 80. Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they didn’t have authorization to speak to the press about the ongoing probe.

A spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, which is leading the investigation, told ABC News on Wednesday that the probe is ongoing and they can not confirm the death toll at this time.

Richard Olatunde, a spokesperson for the Ondo state governor, told ABC News on Wednesday that the casualty count was 40 people dead and 86 wounded, including 61 who were still hospitalized. However, those numbers are likely an underestimate.

The bloodshed occurred at St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo in Ondo state, more than 200 miles northwest of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, and over 200 miles southwest of Abuja, the Nigerian capital. The church was holding a service for Pentecost Sunday, a Christian holiday celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, when suddenly explosives detonated and gunshots rang out at around 11:30 a.m. local time, according to police

Several gunmen who were disguised as congregants were inside the church and opened fire at worshippers, police said, while other armed men who had positioned themselves around the church fired into the building from different directions and at worshippers as they tried to escape.

The assailants fled the scene in a stolen Nissan and remain at large, according to police, who said the vehicle has since been recovered.

Police said they have also recovered three undetonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the scene, along with fragments of detonated IEDs and pellets of expended AK-47 ammunition.

The exact number of perpetrators was unknown and police have yet to identify them. A motive for the massacre was also not immediately clear, as no group has claimed responsibility.

The Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria said in a statement on Monday that the gunmen were “suspected to be bandits.”

Meanwhile, health workers at the Federal Medical Center in Owo, which was treating victims of the attack, told ABC News on Monday that there was an urgent need for blood donations for the wounded.

Nigerian Inspector-General of Police Usman Alkali Baba has ordered a “full-scale” and “comprehensive” investigation into the incident and has deployed specialized police units to help track down the assailants, according to police.

Sunday’s attack was largely unprecedented in Ondo, which has been considered one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states. Violent attacks and kidnappings for ransom have become rife in other parts of the West African country.

Tenacious D releases The Who cover medley in support of Everytown for Gun Safety

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Tenacious D has released a medley of three The Who songs in support of the anti-gun violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety.

The three-minute recording mashes together the tracks “Pinball Wizard,” “There’s a Doctor” and “Go To the Mirror!” While the D’s versions stay mostly true to the originals, a few vocal flourishes from Jack Black earn the track an “explicit” label.

“Who better to deliver a tribute to the greatest rock opera of all times? Who? The D! That’s Who!” Black and Kyle Gass say, channeling their inner Abbott and Costello. “We’ve been working on this medley for 20 years. It’s finally ready to be unleashed. Crank it. It’s a humdinger. Enjoy.”

The medley will be released on a vinyl single, the proceeds from which will be donated to Everytown. You can preorder your copy now via TenaciousD.com. You can also listen to the medley now via digital outlets, and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Halsey cancels Maryland show due to “unexpected, unpredictable” weather: “I chose your safety”

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Halsey fans are upset that the singer canceled her show Wednesday in Columbia, Maryland due to unsafe weather conditions, but Halsey is just as upset as their fans are.

In the midst of torrential downpours, video posted by fans shows the venue completely flooded, and rats invading the stage.

“Maryland I don’t even know what to say,” Halsey tweeted last night, adding, “But right now I’m heartbroken and panicked and I just want to know when/that you all get home safely. I love you guys more than anything.”

Halsey took to Instagram Live to explain that they travel with weather experts who warn their team if there are any concerts about the weather, but last night’s storm was “unexpected and unpredictable” and one that the “weather experts didn’t even see coming.”

They added that they were told to let fans know to shelter in place, instead of evacuating, and finally, they personally made the decision to cancel the show. Halsey added that they planned to reschedule the show.

“I promise I wanted to [perform] more than anything. But I couldn’t because it would have been SO unsafe if I went out there and people rushed the stage during or after the storm,” Halsey tweeted. “A lot of things were out of my control tonight but I promise everything I COULD choose, I chose your safety.”

They wrote, “I really want to add that I am beyond disappointed with the way the venue handled everything tonight and my rescheduled date will be happening somewhere else. I hear you guys loud and clear I promise.”

Disappointed fans can take heart in the knowledge that Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, Halsey is releasing their much-anticipated song “So Good.”

Garth Brooks reveals the oasis-themed logo for his Nashville bar, Friends in Low Places

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Fans can soon “slip on down to the oasis”: Garth Brooks’ new Nashville hot spot, called Friends in Low Places, has a tropical and vaguely pirate-centric theme.

He debuted the logo for his new bar on social media, revealing a graphic of lagoon-blue water and palm fronds and the bar’s acronym, FILP, spelled out in bones, with a palm tree representing the “I.”

The theme, of course, comes from a line in the chorus of the Garth mega-hit that gives the bar its name. “Yeah, I’m not big on social graces / Think I’ll slip on down to the oasis / So I’ve got friends in low places.”

Garth has been rolling out news surrounding his new Nashville bar, venue and entertainment complex ever since he announced it this spring. According to the venue’s newly live Twitter page, Friends in Low Places will be opening for business soon.

Cardi B says she’s not dropping new music next week, despite report

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After reports that new music from Cardi B would drop next week, the rapper took to social media to set the record straight.

“BARDIGANG I don’t wanna gas y’all and put a battery in yall back ….so I’m going to be the one to tell y’all what @PageSix wrote is not true,” the “Bodak Yellow” rapper tweeted Wednesday. “I actually wish but if y’all been checking in with me on Centerfold y’all know what’s been the issue.”

The tweet came shortly after Page Six reported that Cardi was gearing up to drop a new single next Friday, June 17. According to the post, their source also claimed that the new track would feature a “top male artist in the hip hop game” who is currently very “relevant.”

The news comes as Cardi prepares for the release of her sophomore album. While she hasn’t shared a release date or name for the new project, during an appearance on Playboy’s Centerfold platform over the weekend, the 29-year-old confirmed that 2020’s Megan Thee Stallion-assisted hit “WAP” and 2021’s “Up” will be included.

Katy Perry celebrated in Sin City, gets Key to the Las Vegas Strip

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Katy Perry is officially a Las Vegas superstar.

The singer, whose residency show PLAY is at Resorts World Las Vegas, was honored Wednesday at the property with a declaration of Katy Perry Day in Clark County, Nevada. She was also presented with a giant honorary ‘Key to the Las Vegas Strip.’

Katy told the crowd, “I have a lot of roots here [in Las Vegas]…My aunt was a showgirl here, my grandma was a seamstress here, my dad grew up here, he ended up being a chauffeur here, my parents met here, they got married here, so it’s only natural that I would be on the stage here eventually.”

“But I did not know or think that I’d be getting a key to the Strip, which I hope unlocks some, like, better HVAC,” she joked. “It is really hot in Las Vegas!”

Katy just announced new dates for her PLAY residency. Her current run of shows goes through August, and then she’ll return for shows on October 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22. Katy’s 38th birthday is October 25.

Report: Britney Spears and Sam Asghari to wed today

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Is today the day that Britney Spears becomes Mrs. Sam Asghari?

People reports that the singer, 40 and the actor and trainer, 28, will tie the knot in LA in a “fairly intimate wedding” attended by 60 guests. As previously reported, Britney will be wearing a gown by Versace. The two first announced their engagement about nine months ago.

Britney and Sam first met on the set of Britney’s 2016 video for “Slumber Party” and they’ve basically been together ever since, with Sam supporting her emotionally through Britney’s ultimately successful campaign to end her 13-year conservatorship. The couple recently announced that they were expecting, but sadly, they lost the baby.

This will be Sam’s first and Britney’s third marriage. She was previously wed to a childhood friend, Jason Alexander, in a union that was annulled, and then married Kevin Federline, with whom she shares sons Sean Preston, 16, and Jayden James, 15. Britney and Kevin divorced in 2007.

Special Elvis Presley-themed Memphis vacation, including ‘ELVIS’ film screening, being offered by Booking.com

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Booking.com recently launched The Ultimate ELVIS Experience at Graceland, a special new Elvis Presley-themed vacation in Memphis, Tennessee, created in honor of the new Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic ELVIS, which opens in theaters on June 24.

Those who book the two-night trip will get to stay at The Guest House at Graceland, and will be treated to behind-the-scenes access to various Elvis-related attractions, chauffeured rides in a vintage automobile, and an exclusive advance screening of the ELVIS film. They also will receive a Presley-inspired Gibson Epiphone guitar.

The Ultimate ELVIS Experience includes a dinner at Graceland’s Presley Motors Automobile Museum; tours of the Graceland and Memphis’ famed Sun Studio; and lunch at the Arcade Restaurant, the home of the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, Elvis’ favorite sandwich.

Meanwhile, today beginning at 12 p.m. ET, one pair of bookers will have the chance to purchase an Ultimate ELVIS Experience from this Saturday, June 11, to Monday, June 13, for the special price of $19.57, in honor of one of the most pivotal years of Presley’s career. The offer will be available at Booking.com on a first come, first served basis.

Gas prices hit $5 national average after rapid rise

June 9, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Gas prices hit national average after rapid rise

(NEW YORK) — The average price of a gallon of gas nationwide exceeded $5 on Thursday, crossing the milestone after a rapid rise over the past month that has alarmed public officials and strained the budgets of everyday Americans, according to GasBuddy.

In all 50 states, the average price of a gallon of gas stood above $4.40, but costs ranged considerably across different regions, as drivers in the West and Northeast suffered the highest prices and drivers in the Southeast saw the lowest, AAA data showed.

In California, the state with the highest gas prices, drivers paid an eye-popping average of $6.40 per gallon, AAA data showed.

The rising prices owe to a summer travel boom that has brought more people to the pump, experts told ABC News late last month. The spike in demand coincides with a shortage of crude oil supply amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which prompted a widespread industry exit from Russia that pushed millions of barrels of oil off the market, the experts said.

As consumer frustration has mounted in recent months, President Joe Biden has faced criticism over his handling of cost increases in essentials like fuel and groceries. Only 37% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economic recovery, according to an ABC/Ipsos poll released on Sunday.

Republican leaders in Congress have faulted Biden’s management of the U.S. oil supply for high gas prices, blasting his choice to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline last year.

As of last week, Biden was leaning toward a trip to Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, which may offer some hope of relief for U.S. gas buyers.

In March, the U.S. and its allies announced the collective release of 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves over the following months, which sought to alleviate some of the supply shortage and blunt price increases.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday told ABC News’ This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos that inflation is Biden’s “top economic priority.”

Stephanopoulos on Sunday asked Buttigieg about the release of oil from the strategic reserves, saying it “hasn’t made any difference at all.” Stephanopoulos asked, “Was that a failure?”

“I don’t think it’s correct to say it hasn’t made any difference at all,” Buttigieg said. “This is an action that helped to stabilize global oil prices.”

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