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Corrections officer dead after being caught with missing inmate in Indiana

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) — Florence, Alabama, jail employee Vicky White has died Monday after she was apprehended along with murder suspect Casey White in Evansville, Indiana, which ended a 10-day manhunt, according to the Vanderburgh County Coroners Office.

After Inmate Casey White, 38, and Lauderdale County Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White, 56, were spotted at a hotel, Casey White and Vicky White led police on a car chase that ended with a wreck, Indiana authorities said. Vicky White, who was driving the Cadillac, was hospitalized with “very serious” injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Vanderburgh County, Indiana, sheriff’s office.

“Can’t clarify how long they have been in Evansville … lucky we stumbled upon them today,” Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said Monday.

He said the pursuit only lasted a few minutes.

“We got a dangerous man off the street today,” Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said Monday during a press conference.

Casey White and Vicky White, who are not related, fled the Lauderdale County Jail on April 29.

Authorities said they believe Vicky White willingly participated in the escape, which took place on her last day before retirement.

The duo fled Alabama in a Ford Edge and ditched the car in Williamson County, Tennessee — about a two-hour drive north of Florence — just hours after the jail break.

On Monday, U.S. Marshals said investigators were in Evansville, Indiana, following up on a tip after a 2006 Ford F-150 believed to have been used by Casey White and Vicky White was found abandoned at a car wash on May 3. Police were alerted to the vehicle on Sunday.

At the time of his escape, Casey White was facing two counts of capital murder for allegedly stabbing a woman to death in 2015, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Vicky White has been charged with forgery and identity theft for allegedly using an alias to buy the Ford Edge used to facilitate the escape, according to the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. A warrant was also issued for Vicky White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape.

No one was injured as a result of the escape, Singleton said.

Vicky White died Monday evening at Deaconess Hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

Casey White will be brought back to Lauderdale County to be arraigned, Singleton said.

“He’s not getting out of this jail again,” Singleton said. “I assure you that.”

What South Korea’s new president means for North Korea

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SEOUL, South Korea) — The inauguration of Yoon Suk-yeol as the 20th president of South Korea took place at the National Assembly compound in Seoul on Tuesday, marking the start of his five-year term.

Facing an economy hit hard by the pandemic, surging home prices and a politically polarized country, Yoon’s biggest and imminent challenge is the constant threat of North Korea, which has sped up its nuclear weapons program while test-firing missiles 15 times just this year alone.

“The door to dialogue will remain open so that we can peacefully resolve this threat,” President Yoon said during his inauguration speech.

Under the condition that North Korea “genuinely embarks on a process to complete denuclearization,” the new South Korean government will present “an audacious plan” to help Pyongyang strengthen its hardstricken economy and “improve the quality of life for its people,” Yoon added.

But prospects are grim for a peaceful resolution between the two Koreas. Yoon, characterized as a “man of principle” and “predictability,” has repeatedly warned that North Korea’s bad behavior will not be rewarded.

Analysts also doubt that Pyongyang will change its path, especially after its leader Kim Jong Un declared last month that “the nuclear forces, the symbol of our national strength and the core of our military power, should be strengthened in terms of both quality and scale.”

Analysts say more variety of weapons tests, especially tactical nuclear weapons and submarine-launched missile systems, are very likely to follow with the aim to minimize nuclear warheads.

“For tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed, they have to test a tactical nuclear warhead. So it’s not going to be a bigger sized scale of the nuclear test, but they probably need to have a nuclear warhead test very soon to show that they have that capability,” Dr. Woo Jung-yeop of the Seoul-based Sejong Institute told ABC News.

Yoon, married to first lady Kim Gun-hee with no children, spent 27 years of his entire career as a prosecutor with no political experience. He rose to prominence for standing up against political and social pressure when convicting numerous big political players, including two former presidents, Park Geun-Hye and Lee Myung-bak. He was appointed as Prosecutor General in 2019 by then-President Moon Jae-in for that reason, but was ironically pushed out by Moon’s Democratic Party politicians last year for his principled manners against their radical reformist policies. Yoon had run for office as the opposition conservative People Power Party’s presidential candidate.

Eleven staffers at Missouri hospital are pregnant at the same time

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LIBERTY, Mo.) — At one Missouri hospital, it’s going to be quite a baby bonanza soon.

Ten nurses and one doctor at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Missouri, are pregnant at the same time. And, in case you were wondering, none of it was planned and nothing’s in the water.

“There’s a lot of nurses saying they won’t drink the water,” Hannah Miller, 29, told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “One of the nurses actually brought her own water bottle the other night and I was joking with her. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re really not drinking the water,'” the postpartum nurse, who’s expecting her first child, added.

Dr. Anna Gorman of Northland Obstetrics and Gynecology is expecting her second child and said it wasn’t likely that all 11 of them would be pregnant together.

“I think it’s really unique because it’s all in the same unit … and especially like our population ratio, I think is quite high. So sure it happens, but it’s pretty exciting when it’s this big,” the OB-GYN said.

Most of the pregnant staff are nurses with Liberty Hospital’s Birthing Center and said they hope to deliver there when the time comes. They’ve also bonded over their shared experience so far.

“This is definitely a great experience and it’s something that I feel like we’ll probably bond over for a lifetime, having the babies due around the same time,” Alex Atcheson, a labor and delivery nurse, told GMA. “It’s been great to have each other for support and go through pregnancy together.”

The 29-year-old is expecting her third child, along with her colleague, labor and delivery nurse Alison Harrell.

“Alex and I figured out pretty early that we were due the same day,” the 30-year-old said. “And then we started making a list of everyone and people just kept adding to the list as time went on.”

Atcheson and Harrell are 37 weeks along and will welcome their little ones in the next two weeks, with both sharing the same due date of May 27. Their labor and delivery co-worker Katie Bestgen is due in a little over two months, on July 20.

Meanwhile, Christen Burns, 26, joined the club more recently.

“I was one of the last ones to tell everybody that I was pregnant,” she said.

The labor and delivery nurse is expecting her first child and said, “I think it was just more exciting to add to the group and have everybody right there with me.”

In addition to delighting in each other’s happy news, the nurses and co-workers have been sharing their own experiences as well.

“It’s been really helpful. Just like getting advice and tips from my coworkers and especially the ones that have had babies before and just relating and like, ‘Oh, do you have problems with your hips too, or different pains or that kind of thing?'” Cheyenne Beaty said.

For the 26-year-old labor and delivery nurse expecting her first child, she’s appreciated having a built-in support group at work.

“It’s just nice that there’s people around me going through the same thing for sure,” she said.

Therese Byrum, 27, said lately, there have been at least two pregnant staffers working together during a shift and they’ve also had instances where everyone was pregnant during a shift. The obstetric float nurse who rotates between labor and delivery, the NICU, and in postpartum, will be one of the last staffers to give birth. The mom of three is expecting her fourth child on Thanksgiving Day.

“We got a new baby”: Luke Bryan’s niece welcomes first child

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Luke Bryan has a new member of the family!

Mother’s Day was extra special for the Bryan family, as the singer’s niece, Jordan Cheshire Eudy, welcomed a baby boy named Jonathan. In addition to celebrating his wife, Caroline, the family headed down to Luke’s home state of Georgia to meet the new bundle of joy, who was born on May 7, weighing three pounds and 13 ounces.

“My niece, Jordan, her little boy came a little early. Caroline and I got to go see our brand-new precious little nephew, and he and mama are doing well,” Luke shares with E! News. “We got a new baby. We got a new mama in our family. That made Mother’s Day.”

The country superstar also walked his niece down the aisle when she wed Clint Eudy in Tennessee last year.

“Clint and I are extremely thankful and cannot wait to get him home. We know he was handpicked from Heaven by the sweetest angels,” Jordan writes on Instagram, alongside a photo of the couple holding their new son.

Luke and Caroline adopted Jordan and her siblings, Kris and Til, after their parents passed away. Luke’s sister Kelly died in 2007 of unknown causes, followed by her husband, Ben, who passed away in 2014 due to a heart attack.

Demi Lovato says their gender identity “has nothing to do with my music or the direction it takes”

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Fans who are expecting Demi Lovato‘s new music to describe in detail what it’s been like to fully embrace their queer identity and come out as non-binary in recent years may be disappointed with what they’ve got coming, although Demi assures fans that they won’t be ignoring the topic entirely.

Speaking to Inked magazine, Demi says, “My gender identity has nothing to do with my music or the direction that it takes. But I am proud to be non-binary and I talk a little about acceptance from others in the lyrics of my new songs.”

Regarding their forthcoming project, Demi says, “I’ve only made a few songs so it’s still very new. My writing style hasn’t really changed much. It’s just going into the studio, thinking about a concept that I’m passionate about and wanting to write a song about it.”

Describing their new material as “more rock than anything,” Demi tells Inked, “I hope my fans can find inspiration in my new songs coming out and something to relate to in these times of uncertainty.”

But what the “Sorry Not Sorry” star is most looking forward to, they say, is being onstage. “I haven’t performed any of my new music, which is what I’m looking forward to most,” Lovato says. As for which of their old hits might be on the set list, they tease that they “still love performing ‘Cool for the Summer.'”

Of course, doing an interview with Inked magazine required Demi to comment on their tattoos: They have 22 and counting, and don’t regret any of them. They explain, “It’s important to me to get pieces of art on my body that represent who I am.”

Alice Merton reflects on “No Roots”: “That came from a really dark place”

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ever since releasing her debut breakout single “No Roots,” Alice Merton has written a lot of very sad lyrics accompanied by very happy-sounding music. Even still, the true nature of “No Roots” continues to elude listeners over five years since it first dropped.

“Everyone’s always like, ‘Ah, it’s so much fun! This is a great, like, upbeat [song]!'” Merton tells ABC Audio of “No Roots.” “I was, like, ‘That came from a really dark place.’ I felt like I had no home, I couldn’t really figure out where I belonged in the world.”

Giving “No Roots” that bright sonic flavor was Merton’s way of putting a “fun twist” on some difficult emotions.

“As soon as you add this fun bassline…it just becomes fun, you know?” she says. “Instead of dwelling on these sad things, I just wanted to give it a fun spin.”

Merton originally wrote “No Roots” about having to constantly move homes throughout her life. Given the travel restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, one might assume that Merton took the opportunity to stay put for a bit. That, of course, is why you should never assume.

“To be honest, as soon as the pandemic got a little bit easier and there was a gap in between…that’s when I decided to move again,” Merton laughs.

Merton moved to London to be closer to her parents in the U.K., and while she doesn’t feel any more “rooted,” she has a new outlook on the idea.

“I also realized my home is not in certain places,” she says. “It’s everywhere.”

You can hear more of Merton’s sad-happy songs when she opens for Bastille‘s U.S. tour kicking off this Saturday, and on her upcoming sophomore album, S.I.D.E.S., due out June 17.

World Lupus Day: Toni Braxton, Nick Cannon & Seal have shared their journeys with the disease

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In honor of World Lupus Day, celebrated annually on May 10, here are a few stars within the Black community, who have shared their journey with the life-long, autoimmune disease.

Almost 12 years ago, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Toni Braxton revealed to the world her battle with lupus after learning of her diagnosis in 2008. According to Billboard, she shared the news while accepting the Women in Achievement Award at the eighth Annual Lupus LA Bag Ladies Luncheon.

In an appearance on Dr. Phil in 2018, the 54-year-old singer opened up about how lupus affects her every day. Braxton said she recalls being shamed for her sickness but now, she shares her story humbly, with hopes it’ll help others who also struggle with the disease.

Among those who’ve publicly expressed concern and support for Braxton in the past is fellow entertainer, Nick Cannon, who, like Braxton, didn’t know much about the disease until his diagnosis in 2012.

In a March 2012 sit down chat with Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts, Cannon explained how shocking it was to receive the news, especially considering the healthy lifestyle he always tried to follow.

He later told the Huffington Post, “[Y]ou realize that this is something that you can live with and actually overcome with the proper research and with the proper support system.”

Though British singer-songwriter Seal doesn’t speak much on his lupus journey since diagnosed at the age of 23, the scars on his face may tell help tell the story for him.

Speaking to the The New York Times in 1996 about the disease among other life struggles, the “Kiss from a Rose” singer emphasized the power of channeling art and music as means of coping with pain.

“I believe that in all forms of art there has to have been some initial adversity: that is what makes art, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend says co-writing with her was “the most accidental thing to happen in lockdown”

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Taylor Swift‘s boyfriend Joe Alwyn is credited with co-writing and co-producing several songs on her acclaimed sister albums folklore and evermore, but the British actor says his input was purely accidental.

Speaking to GQ Hype, Joe explained, “It was really the most accidental thing to happen in lockdown. It wasn’t like, ‘It’s three o’clock, it’s time to write a song!’ It was just messing around on a piano and singing badly and being overheard and then thinking, you know, ‘What if we tried to get to the end of it together?'”

In addition to co-writing the folklore songs “Exile” and “Betty” under the pseudonym William Bowery, Joe also co-produced those two tracks, plus “My Tears Ricochet”, “August”, “This Is Me Trying” and “Illicit Affairs.” On evermore, he co-wrote “Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island” and the title track.

The Conversations with Friends star said he chose to be credited under a different name because he didn’t want his take attention away from Taylor’s work. “The idea was that people would just listen to the music rather than focus on the fact that we wrote it together,” he explained.

While Joe doesn’t plan on co-writing any more songs with his girlfriend of six years, he says he did enjoy the experience. “It was fun to do it together, and I was proud of it,” he told GQ. “It was nice getting such a positive reception.”

In addition to a positive reception, Joe also got a Grammy for his trouble: When folklore won Album of the Year, he received his own trophy, along with the other producers who contributed to the project.

Band featuring ex-members of Chicago & Rascal Flatts, Journey’s Deen Castronovo, releasing debut album soon

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Generation Radio, a new supergroup featuring former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff, Journey drummer/singer Deen Castronovo and ex-Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus, has signed a deal with the Frontiers Music label and will be releasing its debut album this summer.

The band, which also features guitarists Chris Rodriguez and Tom Yankton, first began playing shows under the moniker The Rise Above in 2020.

“I know that the band is very excited to have partnered with Frontiers on this first release from Generation Radio,” Scheff says in a statement. “I have a personal great feeling about it, having brought Frontiers to Chicago to release our 36th album [2014’s] Now: Chicago XXXVI, of which I produced and co-wrote the title track. We have a beautiful history together, so it only made sense to bring Frontiers into any of my ongoing projects.”

He adds, “We are booking live dates as we speak and are already talking about getting started on the next record.”

Demarcus, meanwhile, explains, “Any fans of Chicago, Journey, or Rascal Flatts will find something in this record that will resonate with them. To make some music with my friends and heroes is a truly incredible thing.”

In a video message posted on Generation Radio’s Instagram page on May 6, Scheff revealed that the album will be released sometime in August.

According to the band’s official website, Generation Radio has seven concerts on its 2022 schedule, spanning from a May 21 show in Cocoa Beach, Florida, through a September 17 performance in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It’s worth mentioning that longtime Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone was part of Generation Radio’s lineup until recently, but it’s not clear if he’s still with the group.

Kelly Ripa tests positive for COVID-19

May 10, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Live with Kelly and Ryan may look a little different for a few episodes because co-host Kelly Ripa has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 51-year-old, who co-hosts the show with Ryan Seacrest, took to Instgram on Tuesday to share the news, writing, “Unfortunately i tested positive for covid-19 this weekend, but thankfully i am fully vaccinated and boosted, and today’s show was already pre taped last week.”

“I am taking all necessary precautions and looking forward to returning to normal life as soon as the standard quarantine time is over,” she continued. “On a lighter note, i did receive the peace and quiet i requested for Mother’s Day. Thanks for understanding, Xo, Kelly.”

Ripa did not confirm the exact date she is expected to return to the show.

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