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Oklahoma governor signs 6-week abortion ban into law

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an abortion bill Tuesday that is modeled after a controversial Texas law.

The bill, formally known as S.B. 1503, creates the “Oklahoma Heartbeat Act,” which bans abortions after cardiac activity or a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs around six weeks — before a woman often knows she is pregnant.

There are exceptions when the mother’s life is danger but not for rape or incest.

The bill also allows any private citizen to sue someone who performs an abortion, intends to perform an abortion, or helps a woman get an abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. These citizens could be awarded at least $10,000 for every abortion performed.

A civil lawsuit, however, cannot be brought against a woman who receives an abortion. Additionally, someone who impregnated a woman through rape or incest would not be allowed to sue.

“I am proud to sign SB 1503, the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act into law,” Stitt tweeted Tuesday after signing the bill. “I want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country because I represent all four million Oklahomans who overwhelmingly want to protect the unborn.”

Oklahoma’s bill is the second copycat of the Texas legislation after Idaho passed the first bill in March.

Because of the bill’s emergency clause, it goes into immediate effect after being signed by the governor.

A few weeks ago, Stitt signed another abortion bill that would make it a felony to perform abortions except when the mother’s life is in danger.

“We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country,” Stitt said at the time. “We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.”

This bill doesn’t go into effect until the summer and will likely be facing legal challenges.

Abortion rights advocates said this is why Republicans in Oklahoma have been passing several abortion bills — in the hopes that one sticks.

Several groups, including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, have already filed a joint lawsuit to block S.B. 1503.

“These abortion bans will push abortion access out of reach for many communities who already face often insurmountable barriers to health care, including Black and brown communities, low-income communities, and people who live in rural areas,” Tamya Cox-Touré, co-chair of Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice, said in a statement. “These are the same communities who are most impacted by the maternal health crisis occurring in our country and in our state. The lawmakers who passed these bans do not care about access to healthcare, and we can’t allow this law to take effect.”

The signing comes as several Republican-led states — including Arizona, Kentucky and Wyoming — have been passing abortion legislation ahead of a Supreme Court decision that could decide the future of Roe v. Wade.

The court is expected to hand down a decision about a 15-week ban in Mississippi in June. If the ban is declared constitutional, it could lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned or severely gutted.

Music notes: Kelly Clarkson, The Weeknd and Olivia Rodrigo

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kelly Clarkson showed us what it would have sounded like if Elton John had tapped her for his “Cold Heart” remix. She belted out her version of the song during her daytime talk show on Tuesday, taking some liberties with the notes and octave. Of course, her fans are now begging for a dance album.

The Weeknd is a big fan of Ariana Grande‘s work ethic. When a fan began listing what female artists bring to the production of their songs, such as Ariana re-recording lyrics to stack her vocals, the “Blinding Lights” singer declared, “i’ve seen Ariana work in real time. That woman is a BEAST.” Ariana and The Weekend collaborated on several songs, including “Save Your Tears,” “love me harder” and “off the table.”

Olivia Rodrigo and Vanessa Hudgens had the cutest High School Musical moment at Monday’s Met Gala. The two both play Gabriella Montez in their own versions of HSM, of which Vanessa says makes her feel they have “such a connection.” Olivia sweetly replied, “I know! We’re soul sisters!” Olivia played the role Vanessa originated in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Music notes: Selena Gomez, Post Malone, Dove Cameron and more

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Post Malone honored an educator in a sweet tribute message. TMZ reports Phil Carollo, who served as principal of Staten Island’s P.S. 56, The Louis Desario School, died suddenly at age 49. Carollo was a big fan of the “Circles” singer, who in turn consoled his tearful students in a video message, where he told them, “I hope everybody continues to spread love and I’m so happy and blessed I could make an impact on somebody’s life.”

Selena Gomez poked fun at her single status in a new TikTok video, saying “I’m fine. I’m totally fine being single. It’s a real thing. It’s fine.” The camera then pans to her friends, who are all coupled up and snuggling on the couch. The camera then slowly pans back to Selena, who is giving them a jealous death stare.

Dove Cameron performed her queer anthem “Boyfriend” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday. This marked the first time the Emmy-winner performed the song on daytime TV. She used a smokescreen and dressed in a dramatic white dress and cloak for her seductive performance.

The Weeknd is a big fan of Ariana Grande‘s work ethic. The “Blinding Lights” singer declared on Twitter, “i’ve seen Ariana work in real time. That woman is a BEAST.” Ariana and The Weeknd collaborated on several songs, including “Save Your Tears,” “love me harder” and “off the table.”

Olivia Rodrigo and Vanessa Hudgens had the cutest High School Musical moment at the Met Gala Monday. The two both play Gabriella Montez in their own versions of HSM, which Vanessa says makes her feel they have “such a connection.” Olivia sweetly replied, “I know! We’re soul sisters!” Olivia played the role Vanessa originated in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Drake signs huge Universal Music Group deal, reportedly worth $400 million

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Drake signs huge Universal Music Group deal, reportedly worth 0 million

If you thought for a second that Drake and all of his chart-topping music would be slowing down for any reason, think again.

According to Variety, the Grammy-winning rapper just signed a massive deal with Universal Music Group that, while its value hasn’t officially been revealed, sources say could be worth upwards of $400 million.

What was confirmed by UMG chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge on the company’s Q1 earnings call Tuesday morning that Variety attended were other details of the deal, such as it stretches across multiple projects, including recordings, merchandise and visual media.

Drake’s partnership follows that of a similar UMG deal inked recently by The Weeknd, whose contract terms were also not shared.

While we may not know the exact number, Drake is said to be on his way to making lots of cash with the new venture — a “Lebron-sized” deal as one insider referred to it.

Phoebe Bridgers: “I had an abortion in October of last year”

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Phoebe Bridgers has shared that she had an abortion last fall.

The “Kyoto” artist tweeted Tuesday, “I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour.”

She continued, “I went to [P]lanned [P]arenthood where they gave me the abortion pill. It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access.”

Bridgers’ tweet comes after Politco published a draft of a Supreme Court opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in the United States. The authenticity of the draft was later confirmed in a statement by the Supreme Court.

Bridgers also shared a link to a list of abortion funds to which you can donate.

Step behind the scene of the crime in ABC’s new true-crime series ‘Who Do You Believe?’

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

ABC’s new true-crime show Who Do You Believe? premieres Tuesday night.

The show lets viewers play armchair detective, analyzing real cases presented from dual perspectives.

“In order to find the actual truth, you need to hear all sides. And when it comes to crime, too often the sides of, you know, you don’t really get the full picture,” executive producer Ben Crompton explains to ABC Audio. “Because everyone’s truth is different.”

He adds, “What we set out to do is to speak to people who were close to a really twisty, turny, true-crime story on either side of it. And what we found is their stories, their truth is often directly incongruent to the other person’s truth.”

Executive producer Alex Weresow says Who Do You Believe? is different than other true-crime shows. “Yes, there are some murders, but the range of stories are pretty different, too,” he notes. “We have a conservatorship battle…You know, it’s mothers versus daughters, sons versus mothers…They’re not all bloody, gory murder.”

Since the show deals with court cases, ABC Audio asked Weresow about the fascination over coverage of Johnny Depp‘s lawsuit against Amber Heard.

“[Y]ou get to see her reaction to him on trial as he’s [testifying],” Weresow points out. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing in our show, utilizing split screen and kind of putting them in the same rooms. You can watch this person as that person is making the accusations against them, and they have the right to rebut everything as well.”

He adds, “So it is very much just like that, that trial. But hearing Amber being able to respond right away instead of having to bite her tongue.”

Who Do You Believe? airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday on ABC.

Viola Davis to star in ‘Peacemaker’ spin-off for HBO Max

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Oscar winner Viola Davis will play icy DC Comics character Amanda Waller once again in a small-screen spin-off centering on her Suicide Squad and Peacemaker character.

Deadline reports Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad writer-director James Gunn will executive-produce the series for HBO Max, with Christal Henry, writer on HBO’s Emmy winning Watchmen series, writing the stories.

Davis’ Waller was talked about throughout, but only seen in the finale of the hit Peacemaker, which centered on John Cena‘s title character and other members of her team of misfits from the Suicide Squad movies, Task Force X. Waller had planted her conflicted daughter, Leota Adebayo — played by Danielle Brooks — on the team in order to land Cena’s hero back behind bars.

Gunn had hinted to Deadline back in January that he was working on another spin-off from The Suicide Squad, noting, “it won’t be as much a comedy as Peacemaker, but it will be in the same universe.”

Ohio, Indiana primary elections: Live updates and results: Voters weigh in at polls

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The first multistate contest of the 2022 midterm season kicks off Tuesday with primary races in Ohio and Indiana.

Ohio’s Senate race marks the first major test of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement power at the polls.

Here’s how the races are developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.

May 03, 5:30 pm
What to watch for in Ohio

Tuesday’s Ohio Senate primary is among the first litmus tests of many this midterm season to gauge how much influence former President Donald Trump holds over the Republican Party. Almost all of the candidates — except for Matt Dolan — align with the former president, so even if “Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance doesn’t win, the GOP nominee could well be a Trump-aligned Republican who endorses falsehoods about the 2020 election.

Another race seen as a test of Trump’s kingmaking power is in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, where the former president endorsed challenger and former aide Max Miller.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, chose to hand out only his second primary endorsement of the cycle in Ohio to Rep. Shontel Brown in her rematch against progressive powerhouse Nina Turner, a close ally of Sen. Bernie Sanders, in a race that has pit establishment Democrats against progressives.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who is seeking a second term, is expected to survive a Trump-inspired, though not endorsed, challenge to his COVID governance and establishment leanings.

-ABC News’ Political Director Rick Klein

May 03, 5:18 pm
What to watch for in Indiana

Some races in Indiana — such as the state’s 1st Congressional District where a slew of Republican challengers are vying to win the seat held by incumbent Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan — are seen as possible bellwethers for whether Republicans manage can flip districts in Democratic strongholds.

Indiana’s 9th Congressional District — the only vacant congressional seat in the state — is also in play when it comes to which party will control the House of Representatives after the midterms.

Along with Ohio, the state is an early indicator of the power of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, as Trump carried the state in 2020. Trump has backed six incumbent members of the House of Representatives in the state, including Rep. Greg Pence, former Vice President Mike Pence’s brother.

Polls close in Indiana at 7 p.m. ET, though there is some variation because the state falls within two time zones.

May 03, 4:28 pm
Supreme Court bombshell lands as Ohio tests Trump and Biden

Voters head to the polls in Ohio on Tuesday on the heels of a shocking leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting the court’s conservative majority may overturn nearly 50 years of abortion rights in America.

The endorsement power of former President Donald Trump — who promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe — faces a major test in the race of retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman in Ohio. While almost all the GOP candidates have centered their campaigns around being a Trump conservative, “never-Trumper” turned Trump ally J.D. Vance scored his coveted endorsement, upending the race.

On the Democratic side, the contest in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District between Rep. Shontel Brown and Nina Turner has pitted establishment Democrats against progressives. Biden endorsed Brown over Turner last week in his second primary endorsement of the election cycle, but progressives including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have backed Turner.

A new ABC News/Washington Post polling out Tuesday shows that 60% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents want the GOP to follow Trump’s leadership — about where that’s been since he left office. By contrast, only about 53% of Democrats and independents who lean that way want to follow Biden’s leadership, with younger Democrats most solidly favoring a new direction.

-ABC News’ Political Director Rick Klein

Cardi B shuts down rumors she and Billie Eilish are feuding: “I hate the internet”

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Cardi B insists there’s zero drama between her and Billie Eilish, despite what some reports are claiming. The “Up” rapper even shared a voice memo of the two mocking the rumor.

The internet began buzzing about potential beef between the two Grammy winners following the Met Gala, where they both attended the same after party. Cardi was filmed telling a crowd of people to have fun, drink and jokingly do drugs with her before the video jumps to another clip, taken across the room, which shows Billie mouthing “so weird” to her group of friends.

That led to reports that Billie was shading the rapper, prompting fans of the two artists to begin arguing on social media. Once Cardi caught wind of the drama, she took to Twitter to shut it down.

“I hate the internet cause one, how do y’all turn one of the most lit parties into drama? Two, ‘Ocean Eyes’ is the song I cater to my daughter. Three, Billie is my f***in baby,” Cardi declared. “Yesterday, from the met to the party, everything was drama free. Why do yall wanna turn everything into mess?”

The “Girls Like You” rapper then shared a voice memo exchange between her and Billie discussing what happened, which starts off with Billie explaining herself.

“Oh my god, I was so worried you were gonna see that [viral video.] I was f***ing calling the people around you ‘weird’ because everybody was coming up to you shoving their phones into your a**,” Billie explained. “And I was just like, ‘Just look at her? With your eyes?'”

Cardi replied using a dramatic crying voice: “The internet is trying to divide us. They don’t understand that you’re my baby!”

Nashville notes: Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and more

May 3, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Jon Pardi and Midland have released the video for their new collaboration, “Longneck Way to Go.”

Lainey Wilson will perform as part of Marty Stuart‘s Late Night Jam at the Ryman Auditorium on June 8. Also on the bill is Marty’s wife, Connie Smith, plus Emmylou Harris, Billy Strings, Marcus King and more.

Chris Janson and Travis Tritt will co-headline The Can’t Miss Tour from October 17-November 19.

The Country Music Association has announced the recipients for its annual Music Teachers of Excellence Awards, honoring 30 educators from around the country. The awards ceremony will be held in Nashville on October 19.

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