Page 7091 – 105.7 WDNY

Sen. Bernie Sanders warns of ‘drumbeats’ of war in Washington

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a speech on the Senate floor Thursday expressing grave concern over the “drumbeats” of war building in Washington, D.C., amid escalating tensions along the Ukrainian border.

Sanders, I-Vt., the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, which had kept relatively quiet on the issue to this point, pleaded with government officials to not follow a similar path of past military conflicts.

“I’m extremely concerned when I hear the familiar drumbeats in Washington, the bellicose rhetoric that gets amplified before every war, demanding that we must ‘show strength,’ ‘get tough’ and not engage in ‘appeasement’,” said Sanders, who has, in the past, led the charge to defund the war in Iraq and to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The senator focused on the “unintended consequences” that have resulted from previous American military involvements and the way wars have been portrayed in the lead up to those conflicts.

“They [wars] rarely turn out the way the planners and experts tell us they will. Just ask the officials who provided rosy scenarios for the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, only to be proven horribly wrong,” Sanders said.

Sanders reaffirmed his support for the pursuit of a diplomatic solution with Russia, the latest attempts of which have been led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately this week.

While condemning Putin over his responsibility for the current crisis, Sanders also called on officials to “consider the perspectives of our adversaries.” Putin has demanded the U.S. and Europeans commit to keeping Ukraine out of NATO, something the West has rejected outright.

“One of the precipitating factors of this crisis, at least from Russia’s perspective, is the prospect of an enhanced security relationship between Ukraine and the United States and Western Europe,” Sanders said.

In addition to his war critique, Sanders objected to potential sanctions against Russia and the possible impact on civilians. That includes a package the Senate has been discussing that could cause economic devastation in Russia and reverberate across Europe.

The legislation appears to be on hold following disagreement on a variety of issues, including the strength of the sanctions, leading some to suggest President Joe Biden should proceed on his own.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicated it would be better for Biden to take action as opposed to waiting for the passage of a sanctions package he believes wouldn’t deter Putin. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., struck a similar tone.

“We’re just a hair’s breadth away from an agreement on strong, message-sending sanctions legislation, but I really believe the Biden administration should act now — in fact yesterday,” said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Concerns about a Russian invasion into Ukraine continue to build as the Russian military began a series of exercises in Belarus on Thursday that are expected to continue until Feb. 20.

“[We] must work hard to achieve a realistic and mutually agreeable resolution…that is not weakness,” Sanders said. “That is not appeasement. Bringing people together to resolve conflicts nonviolently is strength, and it is the right thing to do.”

Corey Taylor announces ‘CMFB…Sides’ EP featuring covers, acoustic & live tracks

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Corey Taylor has announced a new EP called CMFB…Sides.

The nine-track collection, due out February 25, consists of various covers, as well as acoustic and live renditions of songs off the Slipknot frontman’s 2020 debut solo album, CMFT.

The covers include Taylor’s previously released rendition of Metallica‘s “Holier Than Thou,” originally recorded for The Metallica Blacklist tribute album, as well as new spins on songs by KISS, Dead Boys, Eddie Money and Red Rider.

You’ll also find a cover of the song “On the Dark Side,” recorded by John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band Cover for the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers. You can listen to that now via digital outlets.

Here’s the CMFB…Sides track list:

“Holier Than Thou” (Metallica Cover)
“All This and More” (Dead Boys Cover)
“Kansas” (Acoustic)
“Shakin'” (Eddie Money Cover)
“Home/Zzyxz Rd” (Live)
“Lunatic Fringe” (Red Rider Cover)
“Got To Choose” (Kiss Cover)
“Halfway Down” (Acoustic)
“On the Dark Side” (John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band Cover)

Billie Eilish responds to Kanye West’s demand she apologize to Travis Scott

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Billie Eilish has responded to Kanye West‘s demand that she apologize to Travis Scott for allegedly dissing him at a recent concert.

In an Instagram post Thursday, Ye, 44, threatened to pull out of Coachella if the “bad guy” singer, 20, didn’t apologize for reportedly dissing Scott at a recent concert. Later that day, Eilish commented, “literally never said a thing about travis. was just helping a fan.”

As for why Eilish would need to apologize, the “Stronger” rapper seemingly thinks that Eilish insulted Scott when she stopped in the middle of a recent concert to get a fan in the crowd an inhaler and said, “I wait for people to be okay before I keep going.”

While she didn’t mention Scott specifically, some apparently thought that Eilish’s comments were a dis to Scott and the tragedy that occurred at his Astroworld festival last year, when 10 people died in a crowd surge during his performance.

Alongside a screenshot of an article with the headline “Billie Eilish dissed Travis Scott at her concert,” Ye wrote in all caps, “Come on Billie we love you please apologize to trav and to the families of the people who lost their lives. No one intended this to happen. Trav didn’t have any idea of what was happening when he was on stage and was very hurt by what happened.”

West added that Scott is set to join him at Coachella, before declaring, “Now I need Billie to apologize before I perform.”

Both Eilish and West are set to headline Coachella this year, which is making its return after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott was set to headline the originally scheduled 2020 festival, but was reportedly dropped from this year’s bill due to the events of Astroworld.

Watch Bruce Springsteen chat with Eddie Vedder about Pearl Jam singer’s new solo album ‘Earthling’

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Bruce Springsteen is helping Eddie Vedder celebrate the release of the Pearl Jam frontman’s new solo album, Earthling.

The Boss and Vedder got together at Springsteen’s farm in New Jersey for a conversation about the album that was filmed for a special that will premiere today at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Live. The interview also will be made available at Vedder’s official YouTube channel starting this Sunday, February 13.

In a preview clip from the special that’s been posted on YouTube, Springsteen asks Vedder about his musical influences, and Eddie reveals that as he was grwing up they they included The Jackson 5, The Beatles and The Who, as well as, of course, the “Born to Run” rocker himself.

“Ah, grazie,” Springsteen responds.

Vedder adds that he also got into The Band, Split Enz, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and his grunge contemporaries Mudhoney.

Earthling, Vedder’s first solo album in 11 years, is out today. It was produced by Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Andrew Watt and was recorded with a core of backing musicians that included Watt on bass and guitar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer.

In addition, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench make guest appearances on the record.

Watt, Smith and Klinghoffer are also members of Vedder’s solo live band, The Earthlings, along with Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard. Their tour continues February 15 in San Diego and wraps up with February 21-22 stand in Seattle.

Here’s the Earthling track list:

“Invincible”
“Power of Right”
“Long Way”
“Brother the Cloud”
“Fallout Today”
“The Dark”
“The Haves”
“Good and Evil”
“Rose of Jericho”
“Try”
“Picture” — featuring Elton John
“Mrs. Mills”
“On My Way”

Biden to use $7 billion in Afghan funds for humanitarian relief, 9/11 compensation

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Biden to use billion in Afghan funds for humanitarian relief, 9/11 compensation

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday setting in motion a plan to make $7 billion in Afghan funds held in the United States available to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, and to provide humanitarian relief and other support to the Afghan people dealing with crushing hunger, according to senior Biden administration officials.

The funds were deposited by Afghanistan’s central bank in the United States before the Taliban took over last year and have since been made unavailable to the Taliban. Much of the money comes from U.S. and other international donations over the past 20 years, according to the official.

The U.S. has struggled to determine how to provide aid to the Afghan people without money going to the Taliban.

Biden’s order would freeze the funds and set aside more than $3.5 billion for American victims of terrorism who are pursuing litigation against the Taliban, according to the officials. The money would be available to them pending the outcomes of their litigation, the officials said.

The administration would also ask a court to allow for the rest of the funds to be placed into a trust fund to be used “for the benefit of the Afghan people and for Afghanistan’s future,” a senior administration official said.

A senior administration official said the U.S. government would “take a couple of months” to figure out exactly how the fund would work and how the money would be used. Another official told ABC News the money would go toward humanitarian relief and “other needs.”

“We have not made specific decisions about how the funds will be used,” the senior official said.

That plan would have to clear several procedural and legal steps, including gaining legal approval, receiving a license from the Treasury Department and going through a due diligence process by the Federal Reserve, an official said.

How Costco, grocery membership fee hikes impact consumer buying decisions

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Raising membership fees can generally be chalked up as “the price of doing business.” But as inflation, demand and supply chain issues continue to dictate an increase in prices, consumers are left to consider the value of using services like grocery deliveries and big-box retailers.

Retail analyst and financial expert Hitha Herzog shared her insights with “GMA” on increases in membership fees as well as how individual lifestyle is a key driving factor for cost-benefit analysis.

“It always leads back to the consumer, because the consumer will have to eat the cost somehow,” Herzog explained. “It’s in the form of membership prices.”

Amazon recently announced a price hike for its membership to Prime services, which includes discounts for Whole Foods and grocery deliveries, due to “the continued expansion of Prime member benefits as well as the rise in wages and transportation costs.”

“We’re going to start seeing more and more of these memberships to retailers, especially larger online retailers — go up in price as well — if you’re going to increase the number of goods sold on the site and what you offer to your customers, you’re going to have to cover those overhead costs.”

Guggenheim analyst John Heinbockel predicted in a new research note earlier this week that popular big box retailer Costco is close to increasing its annual membership fees.

“We believe we are now 8 to 9 months away from a likely membership fee increase, a historical catalyst for the shares. As is well known, Costco has increased its annual membership fee every five and a half years by $5 to 10. On this timetable, the next hike would come in August-September 2022.”

Herzog explained that bulk stores like Costco increase their membership price cyclicly “about every five and a half years.”

Costco has bifurcated membership options, Gold Star and Executive, the first costs $60 a year and the latter $120 a year, currently.

“I think the crux of this is that this is something typical of these bulk stores. The fact that they’re only doing it every five and a half years — as opposed to other stores or services that are increasing the price of products because of inflation,” Herzog said. “So I think this price increase is already baked into their business model we already knew that this was coming.”

According to Heinbockel’s analysis, he predicts the Gold Star fee would go to $65 while the Executive membership would move to $130. The warehouse retailer’s increased fee could potentially help keep overall product cost down for members amid labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflation.

Costco did not immediately respond to “Good Morning America’s” request for comment.

How should consumers weigh the value of pricier memberships?

“I think it really you have to examine your life, a little bit,” Herzog said. “What I mean by that is you have to assess, what is going to cost you less? So if you are seeing an increase in product [prices], which we’re definitely seeing across the board with everything from staple items in your refrigerator to the price of gasoline — Is it worth it to you to spend more on gasoline to drive to a store to try to get a cheaper product? Or is it worth it for you to spend a little more on a membership to potentially get free delivery, so you can spend a little more on the product?”

She continued, “Overall, consumers are going to have to pay for the price increase due to inflation and due to supply chain issues still existing.”

“As much as we hear government officials saying, ‘it won’t impact the consumer … manufacturers are going to eat the cost,’ it’s never the case,” she said. “At some point, the consumer is going to have to pay.”

Inglewood’s Black-owned businesses to be highlighted during Super Bowl weekend

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(INGLEWOOD, Calif.) — Seeing a need to promote Black-owned businesses, longtime Inglewood, California, resident Keokia Childress helped start a community-organized food festival to showcase what their neighborhood had to offer.

But what began with only a handful of food trucks in 2017, the Taste of Inglewood will have a super-sized spotlight and more than 100 Black-owned food and retail vendors this year as tens of thousands of NFL fans descend on the neighborhood for Super Bowl weekend.

Childress said she created the event after noticing a movement of Black-owned food trucks popping up throughout the neighborhood.

“I said to myself, ‘I wish there was something we could do to help promote these businesses because they do not get the recognition they deserve.'” Childress told ABC News.

After networking with some of her friends and community members, she gathered a few food trucks and curated an event to bring more publicity to their businesses.

“We were able to find a niche in creating an environment where urban food vendors, as well as retail vendors, could get the same publicity that a bigger business would,” Childress said.

After the first event’s success, Taste of Inglewood continued to grow, only to have COVID-19 halt its plans in 2020.

Childress, who lost her husband Jan. 2021 of over 20 years due to COVID-19, said as she and her daughters continued to grieve, she decided now was the time for her to get back into the community, get the dust off her shoulders and bring Taste of Inglewood back in time for Super Bowl weekend.

The three-day festival, which takes place less than five minutes from SoFi Stadium, where the Los Angeles Rams will be taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, will also include Latin, R&B, and hip-hop artists as part of a concert series.

Some of the businesses participating in the festival include All Flavor No Grease, A Hint of Moss, Sweet Red Peach, and Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen.

Vendors like Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen said they are filled with pride to see their neighborhood in the spotlight.

“When we sit back and think of the Super Bowl coming to Inglewood, the only words that come to mind are wealth and long overdue,” Angie Dillard-Miller, owner of Not Ya Mama’s Kitchen, told ABC News. “Inglewood has shaped us into hardworking and dedicated members of this community and for others to see what’s been here all along is truly astounding.”

“The taste of Inglewood is such a great opportunity not only for our family-owned business, but for the many other Black-owned businesses that are being showcased out here as well,” Dillard-Miller said.

The festival will also be incorporating a special moment where Issa Rae, the creator of the hit series “Insecure,” will be receiving the key to Inglewood for her hard work and positive recognition that she brings to the city.

The festival kicks off Thursday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. local time and will end Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 p.m.

New York City looks to lower greenhouse gas emissions by improving public housing

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As cities across the country work to meet clean energy goals in the coming years, a critical focus is being placed on public and affordable housing.

There are more than 1.2 million public housing units across the country, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Many of these buildings have aging heating and cooling equipment that is largely inefficient, resulting in expensive utility bills.

Low-income households spend three times more income on energy bills than those living above the poverty line, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Not only are these systems expensive, they also rely on fossil fuels, making them significant sources of greenhouse gases — any gas that absorbs heat and radiates it back at the Earth, causing global warming.

In America’s largest city, New York, more than 80% of low-income housing relies on old boilers fueled by natural gas, propane or oil. The New York City Housing Authority oversees more than 170,000 units and is the largest landlord in the city. The agency is looking to the future, and is required by law to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. To tackle that goal, NYCHA is beginning to address a long-standing problem with energy in its buildings.

The boiler at the Fort Independence Houses in the Bronx, home to more than 700 residents, broke at the end of 2021. The building was built in 1971 and people have had a difficult time staying warm this winter.

“I have my socks on. I have a T-shirt. I have sweatpants,” said resident Lauren White. “I have another sweatshirt and I have a hood, and sometimes I put the scarf around my neck so that I could be warm.”

NYCHA brought in a temporary mobile boiler to provide heat for residents in the complex while the building’s boiler, which is 18 years old, is being repaired. NYCHA told ABC News that repairing the equipment and finding the parts takes time.

Unfortunately, this energy problem is not unique. Heating outages have been reported in low-income housing from Brooklyn to Queens this winter. Tragically, 17 people, including eight children, died last month in a fire started by a space heater in a privately owned building in the Bronx.

NYCHA, the city’s public housing agency, is currently testing a pilot program at the Fort Independence Houses using electric heat pumps inside seven units. Jordan Bonomo, the program manager overseeing the electrification of NYCHA’s properties, said that heat pumps are like air conditioners that can work in both directions.

“In the winter, [the heat pump] goes into heating mode and takes heat from outside even though it’s cold,” said Bonomo. “I know it feels cold, but there’s actually heat here and it transfers inside.”

NYCHA said the heat pumps are six times as efficient as the old boiler system.

Heat pumps can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% compared to natural gas alternatives, according to a study from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the University of California. This is because heat pumps don’t need to use fossil fuels to generate heat, they just transport heat.

If the new heat pump technology is successful, it will deploy the new technology to more than 50,000 apartments over the next 10 years, according to NYCHA. But even that effort will only impact 30% of NYCHA properties.

John Rogers, an energy expert from the Union of Concerned Scientists, told ABC News that heat pumps were not previously an option in very cold climates, but that technology is now changing.

“I think what we need is to be looking to the building owners and building managers and the government — the city, the state and federal level — to be driving us in the direction of truly clean energy, of which energy efficiency is a huge piece,” said Rogers.

Jennifer Lopez reveals “the difficult part” of playing a character similar to herself in ’Marry Me’

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Marry Me, a new romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, hits theaters and the Peacock streaming service today.

Lopez, 52, not only stars in the film, she also worked simultaneously on the soundtrack, which she said was a first for her and “such a pleasure. It’s like my two worlds coming together.”

Lopez added, “Making an album…was great because they really allowed me to input into where and when and what these musical moments would be for this character.”

In Marry Me, Lopez plays Kat Valdez, a pop superstar who, after finding out her fiancé is cheating on her, decides to marry one of her fans. When asked about how she and the character relate to each other, J-Lo admitted, “I think there’s a lot of us in each other.”

“This wasn’t a role where I had to research what it was like to be a famous recording artist…I understand what all of that is already,” she continued. “I think the difficult part was…the idea of showing what it’s really like inside my bedroom when something goes wrong and you suffer a heartbreak like this in front of the whole world.”

Marry Me is out just in time for Valentine’s Day. So how would Lopez like to celebrate the occasion?

“The ideal Valentine’s Day for me is just me and my partner alone in a place where we don’t have to worry about people watching us,” she shared. “Where it wouldn’t be a bunch of paparazzi, where we can have some private moments and really talk about life and and love and just really appreciating the company and being in love and being together.”

Marry Me also stars Owen Wilson, Maluma, and Sarah Silverman.

Queen Elizabeth being monitored after Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19

February 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth is being monitored for COVID-19 after her son, Prince Charles, tested positive for the virus on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace.

A royal source told ABC News the 95-year-old queen and Prince Charles, 73, met recently. The queen is not displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 at this time, according to the source.

Prince Charles, who is now self-isolating, attended an event Tuesday at Windsor Castle, where the queen recently returned after spending time at Sandringham, her Norfolk estate.

This is the second time Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19, with his first diagnosis coming in March 2020, before he was vaccinated.

Buckingham Palace has not said if Queen Elizabeth has been tested for COVID-19.

“With the queen, they’re balancing the situation,” said ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy. “She is head of state and there is a sense that the public does need and want to know, but at the same time, she’s a very elderly lady who is entitled to a certain amount of medical privacy.”

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, was last seen publicly on Saturday at an event in Sandringham to mark her 70 years on the throne.

The queen met with representatives from local community groups in the ballroom at Sandringham House to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee.

It was the queen’s first public, in-person event since October, when she was hospitalized for one night for what the palace described as “preliminary investigations.”

After being advised by her doctors to rest, Queen Elizabeth took on a more modified schedule. In November, she missed the annual Remembrance Sunday Service for the first time in her reign due to a sprained back.

The queen had already modified her schedule throughout the coronavirus pandemic, holding virtual audiences and participating in video calls instead of public events.

When her husband, Prince Philip, died at age 99 last April, the queen sat alone during the funeral service in St. George’s Chapel, following pandemic restrictions.

Both Queen Elizabeth and her late husband received their first COVID-19 vaccination shots in January 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed at the time.

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, confirmed in December that they had both received their booster shoots of the vaccine, according to the BBC.

+ More