Page 7148 – 105.7 WDNY

Wolfgang Van Halen reflects on one-year anniversary of debut Mammoth WVH album

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Wolfgang Van Halen celebrated the one-year anniversary of his debut album with his Mammoth WVH solo project over the weekend.

In a statement posted to his Twitter reflecting on the milestone, Wolf writes, “Releasing this music was such a huge thing for me in so many different ways.”

“It was exciting, emotional, bittersweet, a relief,” he continues. “It was the culmination of years of work, trial and error, loss, self-doubt, and anxiety. It was a long road that led me to figuring out who I was as my own person and artist. I discovered who I was through the process and arrived at something I could truly be proud of.”

Wolf had been working on Mammoth music for a few years before officially launching the project in November 2020 with the song “Distance” as a tribute to his father, the iconic Eddie Van Halen, who had just died the month before. “Distance” would be included on the self-titled debut Mammoth record, which dropped June 2021.

“I knew it was the right thing to do because it was what Pop wanted,” Wolf writes. “I just wish I could’ve shared the whole experience with him. I know he’d be proud and SO f***ing stoked with how everything has gone thus far.”

The Mammoth WVH journey has so far included two #1 Billboard rock singles, as well as a Grammy nomination.

“I’m blown away with what Mammoth has accomplished this past year and I’m incredibly grateful,” Wolf says. “None of this would’ve happened without the amazing support from all of you. So with all of my heart, I’ve just gotta say…Thank you.”

Wolf adds that he’s returning to the studio in “a few months” to record a second Mammoth album.

Accidents derail Harry Styles and Billie Eilish’s concerts while The Kid LAROI brings out The Wiggles for hi

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Both Billie Eilish and Harry Styles suffered fan emergencies at their weekend concerts, while The Kid LAROI created a wholesome moment for his audience.

Starting with Billie, she was playing at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday when she noticed people in the crowd were fainting because of the heat. BBC reports Billie stopped her show to ask, “Are you all okay? People were fainting and getting pulled out. It’s hot, I know.”

The “Bad Guy” singer, who had security hand out water to concertgoers because of the temperatures, stopped the show after a fan complained they were being “squished” by the crowd, so Billie ordered to the audience, “Take a step back, give everybody some space. If someone looks a little woozy, just tell someone… Don’t try to save feelings.”

There was a major scare at Harry’s concert in Glasgow on Saturday. The Independent reports a fan fell from the third-tier Club Deck balcony at Ibrox Stadium. Police told the newspaper, “There were no suspicious circumstances and the man was seen to by medical staff.”

The man’s condition is unknown, but the paper reports several witnesses saw him speaking with security after the incident. It’s unknown if Harry was alerted of the fall during his show.

Scary stuff aside, The Kid LAROI turned heads because of the special guests he brought on stage during his tour in Melbourne, Australia — The Wiggles. Fan-taken videos of the event shows the “Stay” singer invited the original Wiggles Anthony Field, Jeff Fatt and Greg Page on the stage, where they all performed “Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car” and “Fruit Salad.”

S&P 500 opens in bear territory as global stock selloff gains steam amid inflation

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Global stocks tumbled and the S&P 500 opened in bear market territory Monday as fears over inflation rattle investors around the world.

On Friday, investors were disappointed to learn that inflation is moving in the wrong direction. U.S. consumer prices surged 8.6% year-over-year in May, to a fresh 40-year high, led by higher prices for energy, food and housing. For the first time in history, a gallon of regular gas now costs $5 on average nationwide, according to AAA, and experts predict gas prices could average $6 a gallon by August.

“Any talk that we are at peak inflation has to be tabled at least until prices stop rising,” said David Nelson, chief strategist at Belpointe Asset Management.

The worse-than-expected inflation report has investors raising their bets on more aggressive interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve, possibly as soon as the central bank’s policy-setting meeting this week.

According to the CME FedWatch Tool, there is now about a 25% chance that the Fed will raise short-term interest rates by three-quarters of a point at the end of Wednesday’s policy meeting as the Fed ratchets up its fight against high inflation.

The likelihood of a half point rate hike at the Fed’s September meeting has now jumped to 50%, up from 25% before Friday’s inflation report.

“The debate continues over whether the Fed can slow inflation using its many monetary policy tools without pushing the economy into a recession,” Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities, told ABC News. “Raising rates by three-quarters or even one percentage point on Wednesday would send a strong message that this Fed is willing to do what needs to be done to get inflation moving in the right direction.”

Inflation fears have sparked a broad-based selloff on Wall Street that has spread beyond stocks to the bond market and cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, traded below $24,000, down nearly 14% in just 24 hours.

Despite this year’s rapid stock market selloff, strategists at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs said the market does not fully reflect the risks facing the economy.

“The Equity Risk Premium does not reflect the risks to growth, which are increasing due to margin pressure and weaker demand as the consumer decides to hunker down,” Morgan Stanley strategists, led by Michael Wilson, wrote in a note on Monday.

If the S&P 500 closes Monday’s trading session with a decline of more than 1.3%, the index would be in a bear market, defined as a 20% drop from a recent high. The technology-heavy Nasdaq-100 slipped into a bear market in March.

Chris Lane’s 1-year-old son is following in his musical footsteps

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Chris Lane’s son, Dutton, turned 1 year old earlier this month, but he’s a quick study when it comes to music. The singer says Dutton is already getting the hang of following in his dad’s footsteps.

“At home, I do play guitar a lot,” Chris tells ET during a behind-the-scenes video following the making of his music video for his new duet with Lauren Alaina, “Dancin’ in the Moonlight.”

“And all we have to do is say, ‘Dutton, can you sing?’” the singer continues. “And obviously he’s not making words, but he starts using his voice, and it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Chris’ son gets plenty of chances to see what his country star dad does at work, too. In fact, Lauren revealed to ET that baby Dutton was in the recording studio with them when she came in to record her part on “Dancin’ in the Moonlight.”

“I got to meet him. He’s the cutest little thing,” the singer adds.

Maybe a Lane family band is in the offing: Chris and his wife, also named Lauren, recently announced that they’re expecting their second child in October.

Katy Perry reveals the thrift-shop find that inspired her shoe empire

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In addition to her Las Vegas residency, PLAY, her work on American Idol and — oh yeah — her music career, Katy Perry is also the CEO of Katy Perry Collections, her footwear line. But unlike some artists who go into fashion as an afterthought, Katy says she’s been dreaming of shoes since before she was famous — and can trace the inspiration for Katy Perry Collections to one particular pair.

In the new cover story for Footwear News, Katy says, “When I got to LA, I went to this club every Thursday night called Star Shoes. In the window, there were all of these gorgeous shoes from the ’40s and memorabilia-type shoes.” When she hit that club, she would wear a thrift-store find: a pair of dalmatian-print flats with bendable ears, whiskers and a tongue that flopped over the toe.

“I would wear these shoes everywhere around LA, and the amount of people who would stop me was by the hundreds,” Katy recalls. “That is what solidified the dream of having my own shoe company.”

Katy, who recently purchased the shoe brand outright from her former partners, says her goal for the brand is to “bring it back to its true soul, which has a little bit more personality, a little more kitsch.”

Speaking of kitsch, Katy’s famous for her over-the-top fashions, dressing like a chandelier at the 2019 Met Gala and as a cheeseburger for the after-party. Designer Tom Ford took a shot at her ahead of this year’s Gala, but Katy made headlines in a demure black-and-white Oscar de la Renta gown.

“I think it was a step in the right direction and it kept people guessing,” she says. “It’s about keeping people on the edge of their seats and surprising them.”

Roddy Ricch released after gun charges arrest before Governors Ball appearance

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Roddy Ricch was released Sunday afternoon after being arrested on gun charges while on his way to perform at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City.

According to police, the rapper, whose birth name is Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., was arriving at Citi Field, where the music festival is held, around 6:40 p.m., when a private security firm working the event noticed a firearm located inside his vehicle. Police recovered a loaded firearm with nine rounds of ammunition from the vehicle, as well as a large-capacity magazine.

Ricch, along with two men who were also inside the vehicle, were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device and unlawful possession of that weapon.

The 23-year-old rapper was released Sunday afternoon, TMZ reports.

Amber Heard says her defamation verdict wasn’t fair, “even if you think that I’m lying”

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

In a tease of an interview airing Tuesday and Wednesday morning on NBC’s Today, Amber Heard tells Savannah Guthrie that Johnny Depp‘s defamation verdict against her wasn’t “fair.”

The actress blamed social media for turning the tide against her, despite the fact the jury was instructed not to use it, where they would have seen the viral popularity of hashtags like #JusticeForJohnny and, well, #AmberTurd.

A Virginia jury agreed with the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s legal team that there was “clear and convincing evidence” Heard had defamed him in a Washington Post op-ed in which she obliquely accused him of domestic and sexual abuse, without naming him.

“Even somebody who is sure I’m deserving of all this hate and vitriol, even if you think that I’m lying, you still couldn’t tell me — look me in the eye and tell me … that you think that this has been fair,” said Hurd.

For their part, Depp’s attorneys, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, told Good Morning America‘s George Stephanopoulos last week that social media “played no role” in jury’s verdict, which resulted in Depp being awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

“This was a decision made by the jury on the evidence presented by both sides, and…it was overwhelmingly in Mr. Depp’s favor,” Chew maintained.

Depp was awarded a total of $10.35 million due to Virginia state law capping punitive damages at $350,000. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for statements made by Depp’s former attorney, but was awarded no punitive damages.

Heard said she “actually understand[s],” the jury’s decision, saying of Depp, “He’s a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor.”

Her legal team plans to appeal the verdict.

Jan. 6 hearing live updates: Trump pushing the ‘big lie’ is Monday’s focus

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee holds another public hearing Monday — this time focused on the “big lie” pushed by former President Donald Trump and his allies — that the committee says fueled those who attacked the Capitol.

The main witness scheduled was Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, but the committee said Monday morning the hearing would be postponed due to a family emergency.

This is how the hearing is unfolding:

Please check back for updates. All times Eastern:

Jun 13, 9:48 am
Hearing to focus on Trump pushing ‘big lie’

In previewing Monday’s hearing, which will be guided in part by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., House select committee aides said members would focus on how Trump and his campaign pushed the ‘big lie’ to millions of supporters after the election, despite knowing he lost.

The questioning of live witnesses, along with clips of interviews the committee videotaped with other key witnesses, will show how Trump was told he had lost the election and lacked evidence of widespread voter fraud but continued to claim the election was stolen from him, aides told reporters on Sunday night.

The committee hearing will show “how litigation to challenge elections usually works,” and argue that Trump had an “obligation” to “abide by the rule of law” when his dozens of lawsuits failed in courts across the country, they said.

Jun 13, 9:40 am
Live witnesses slated for Monday

Trump’s former campaign manager Bill Stepien will no longer testify live on Monday, citing a family emergency, but the committee will still hear from several live witnesses.

Chris Stirewalt, the former Fox News political editor who was fired after defending the network’s early projection that Trump had lost Arizona on election night, is scheduled to testify this morning.

A second panel of witnesses includes Al Schmidt, a former Republican city commissioner in Philadelphia who repeatedly debunked claims of fraud in the state; veteran GOP election lawyer Ben Ginsburg, and Byung “BJay” Pak, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

Pak previously told Senate investigators he resigned in January 2021 after learning Trump sought to fire him over not doing more to amplify his false claims of widespread election fraud in Georgia.

Jun 13, 9:21 am
Hearing delayed

The House select committee has delayed its 10 a.m. start time Monday, citing a family emergency for witness Bill Stepien, former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, who will no longer testify.

“Due to a family emergency, Mr. William Stepien is unable to testify before the Select Committee this morning. His counsel will appear and make a statement on the record,” the committee said in a statement. “The hearing will convene approximately 30 to 45 minutes after the previously announced 10:00am start time.”

Stepien had been subpoenaed to testify on Monday.

The committee said his counsel will appear and make a statement on the record.

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ coming back to theaters in extended “More Fun Stuff Version”

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Sony is marking 60 years of the Spider-Man comic book character and 20 years of Spidey films with a “fan cut” of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The new version, titled Spider-Man: No Way Home — The More Fun Stuff Version, containing added and extended scenes, hits theaters in the U.S. and Canada September 2. Other countries will be added soon, according to a post on the film’s official Twitter page.

The post features a snippet of the film’s three Spider-Men, Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield, all getting a kick out of introducing themselves as Ol’ Web Head, and is capped with their recreation of the famous “pointing Spidey” meme, along with the legend, “Who’s going?”

Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, August 9 with screenings starting Friday, September 2. Domestically, Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, and Alfred Molina, is the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, and the sixth-highest-grossing title worldwide, with over $1.8 billion to date.

Halsey wishes they wrote Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”: “I’m soooo happy it’s having this resurgence”

June 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Halsey brought the ’80s to New York City when they took over the Governors Ballstage over the weekend. The Grammy nominee decided to include Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” in their set, which drove the crowd wild.

Bush’s 1985 hit is enjoying a renaissance after Netflix’s Stranger Things featured it in its newest season, which has sparked countless memes, TikTok videos and more. The song is shooting up the Billboard Hot 100 and exploded in popularity across major streaming services. Now it’s also being covered by some of today’s top artists.

Fans captured video of Halsey’s weekend set, and the “Without Me” singer shared it onto their Twitter. Not only that, Halsey revealed just how much they love the nearly 40-year-old hit.

“Truly wish I wrote this song more than anything in the world,” Halsey wrote. “I’m soooo happy it’s having this resurgence. I knew immediately I wanted to do this.”

Some fans are also urging Halsey to officially release a cover of the song.

Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1985. Thanks to Stranger Things, the song has re-entered the music charts and now rests at number eight, becoming just the eighth song in Billboard Hot 100 history to make it into the top 10 upon a return to the chart.

+ More