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Russia-Ukraine updates: Russian troops left mines ‘everywhere,’ Zelenskyy says

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian troops invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Russian forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.

In recent days, Russian forces have retreated from northern Ukraine, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, the United States and European countries accused Russia of committing war crimes.

Latest headlines:
-Russia appoints new general as nation reaches ‘new lows of depravity and brutality’: US
-Mariupol death toll could be over 20,000: Mayor
-Russians still attacking Mariupol, partially blocking Kharkiv: Ukraine
-Over 4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Apr 11, 6:45 pm
Russian troops left mines ‘everywhere,’ Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian officials are focusing on clearing the mines left behind by Russian forces before they retreated the region surrounding Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his address Monday.

The Russian troops deliberately left mines “everywhere,” Zelenskyy said, adding that they did so “to kill or maim as many of our people as possible, even when they were forced to withdraw from our land.”

“Russian troops left behind tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of dangerous objects,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials are also focusing on procuring more arms. The country is not getting the lethal aid it needs to end the war sooner, he said.

The president also called on the European Union to include an oil embargo in its sixth round of sanctions toward Russia, saying that unless they do, another round of sanctions will be received by Moscow “with a smile.”

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Apr 11, 3:45 pm
CEO of World Central Kitchen opens up about ‘catastrophic’ train station attack

Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen, opened up to ABC News Live on Monday about what he saw in the immediate aftermath of Friday’s attack on a Ukrainian train station that killed at least 57 people.

Mook said Friday was the third day he was spending near the Kramatorsk train station planning food distribution for Ukrainians trying to flee the region.

On Friday, Mook said, “We had just driven by the station, I looked down and saw 1,000 people or so on the platform. And we got about two minutes beyond the station when we heard the explosions happen.”

“We headed over there … the scene was horrific. It was catastrophic,” Mook said. “There was damage both on the platform and in front of the station where innocent civilians were waiting … there was remnants of a rocket on the ground.”

One of the areas that was really hit the hardest was actually a waiting area for seniors,” Mook said. “They had a little waiting area set up, they had chairs, they had a little tent area. And this is right where the rocket landed and why so many were killed.”

Mook added, “I think there was a little bit of shock around this idea that the train station itself, with just innocent civilians, would be targeted, because there’s no strategic value to it — it is just murder.”

Apr 11, 2:32 pm
US considering training more Ukrainians in US

A small group of Ukrainian troops who were in the U.S. for pre-planned military training when Russia invaded their country returned home Sunday, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Monday. The Pentagon took advantage of their presence to train them on the Switchblade drones the U.S. is sending to aid Ukraine.

The official said the U.S. is looking into training more Ukrainians, possibly in the U.S.

“There’s been no policy decision that I’m aware of that would prevent them from coming to the United States,” the official said.

But the Pentagon is considering several options.

“As for additional training on systems like the Switchblade, we are reviewing and thinking about and considering a number of different options for how we could manage to get more Ukrainians trained on that system,” the official said.

ABC News’ Matt Seyler

Apr 11, 2:23 pm
Russia appoints new general as nation reaches ‘new lows of depravity and brutality’: US

Gen. Alexander Dvornikov has been appointed to lead Russia’s invasion effort, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Monday. Dvornikov previously led Russians in the south of Ukraine, where they saw the most success.

“In the early days and weeks of the conflict, the Russians did achieve more success in the south than they achieved certainly in the north. I have no idea that was a factor in his selection,” the official said.

But the official noted that Russian efforts in the south are now largely stalled, with no progress against Mariupol since last week and no success advancing on Mykolayiv.

The official said it is unclear how Dvornikov’s selection could affect the fighting but said a pattern of brutality remains constant.

“What is clear is that the Russians continued to sink to new lows of depravity and brutality, as we saw with the missile strike on the train station last week,” the official said.

The official said some of the Russian troops that withdrew from northern Ukraine are starting to move east toward the Russian cities of Belgorod and Valuyki.

“We believe that this line of vehicles that we talked about that are north of Izium came out of the Belgorod/Valuyki region, from there to the south,” the official said.

ABC News’ Matt Seyler

Texas school district to adopt four-day week amid teacher shortage

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(JASPER, Texas) — A local school district in Texas has announced plans to reduce students’ school weeks from the traditional five days to four days for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.

The Jasper Independent School District cited teacher shortage and retention when it announced the change in a Facebook post last month and said it had conducted surveys with parents, teachers and staffers before the change was voted on by its board of trustees.

The change to a four-day school week was motivated, in part, by burnout among current teachers and difficulty recruiting new teachers, according to John Seybold, superintendent of the Jasper Independent School District.

“Teacher burnout has been an issue for a long time, but since COVID, it has seemed to expand, and it’s becoming more and more of an issue,” Seybold told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “The four-day week kind of makes it a little more manageable for them because there’s so much pressure placed on our teachers.”

He continued, “As a school district, ultimately the best thing we can do for kids is put the best possible teacher in front of them every day.”

The school district in Jasper, Texas, a city about 134 miles northeast of Houston near the eastern Texas and western Louisiana border, also plans to give teachers and school staff members a financial incentive if they stay in their positions.

Teachers would get a $3,000 stipend while staff members, such as librarians, would receive $1,500 if they remain with Jasper ISD. The funds allocated would come from the public school district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) grants, a federal grant program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

According to Seybold, the school district is now down to just one teacher vacancy. Prior to the changes, he said, open high school science positions “had been unfulfilled for two years.”

“Where we used to post a job and get no applications, now we’re getting multiple applications for every position. So it’s kind of worked so far,” Seybold said.

During the past two years of the coronavirus pandemic, school districts across the country have reported not only a shortage of teachers but also of substitute teachers and school support staff, such as bus drivers.

According to a study conducted last year by the American Federation of Teachers with the Rand Corporation, one in four teachers were thinking about quitting their job by the end of the school year. Teachers were also more likely to report experiencing regular job-related stress and symptoms of depression than the general population, according to the study.

Jasper’s school district serves over 2,230 students in pre-K through 12th grade, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, which also showed there were 175 teachers and 196 full-time staffers in the district.

All students in Jasper’s public school system would be subject to the four-day school week.

Jasper ISD isn’t the only district to have changed students’ school weeks. Other Texas school districts that have adopted four-day school weeks include Devers ISD and Athens ISD, which promotes its “four-day instructional week” on its district homepage.

Other states — including Oregon, Montana, Colorado and Oklahoma — have also implemented four-day school weeks with mixed results.

According to one study from researchers at Oregon State and Montana State University, which examined 2005-2019 test scores from over 341,000 Oregon high schoolers, students’ math test scores appeared to decline on average after switching to a four-day school week in a non-rural district.

In other states, such as California and New Jersey, school districts have prioritized different changes, like starting school later in the day, in a push to address the growing mental health crisis among students.

The conditions of a four-day school week also vary based on a school’s district and state mandates. Some districts have added more time to each of their four days or included more days in the academic calendar.

In Jasper, the next academic year would kick off on Aug. 10 and run through June 1, 2023, but the four-day schedule wouldn’t begin until the week of Oct. 3, according to an academic calendar posted on the district’s website. From October through the end of April, students would report to school only from Mondays through Thursdays, and teachers would use Fridays as professional development days.

“The kids are going to school virtually the same amount of time,” said Seybold. “They’re still getting their required minutes.”

Two of the downsides to a four-day school week are an increased risk of food insecurity among students and that parents and caregivers could find it harder to secure child care with an extended weekend, according to a 2021 study and research compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures respectively.

Seybold said the Jasper ISD is working with a local YMCA to secure additional programming for kids and with a food bank to make sure kids who qualify have food to cover long weekends.

Carrie Underwood brought to tears over fans’ sweet gesture for her late dog, Ace

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Carrie Underwood is expressing gratitude toward her fans’ kind gesture in the wake of her dog’s passing.

Last week, Carrie shared that her longtime pet, Ace, had passed away. After fans learned of the news, several pitched in to honor the pup by donating more than $4,000 to the C.A.T.S. Foundation, which was created by Carrie in 2009 as a way to give back to her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma. The organization provides funding to a variety of causes close to the singer’s heart, including animal welfare.

The monetary donation also came with an e-card signed by each fan who contributed, sharing messages of encouragement and photos with their own pets. The sentiment brought the superstar to tears.

“You guys are honestly the best! When I read this, I immediately started crying…I can’t believe you all pitched in like that!” Carrie professed on Twitter. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you on behalf of Ace and all the little furry babies that you are helping!”

Kelsea perseveres, Maddie cries, and Jason & Carrie take home top prize at CMT Awards

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Keith Urban set things in motion Monday night with an energetic performance of “Wild Hearts,” as the 2022 CMT Music Awards took over a transformed Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

Even a positive COVID-19 diagnosis couldn’t keep Kelsea Ballerini from doing her part, co-hosting the show from her living room, alongside Anthony Mackie and Kane Brown, who stepped in at the last minute. She even managed to work in most of her wardrobe changes — finishing the night in pjs — and debuting her new single, “Heartfirst,” from her backyard.

Little Big Town also rolled out their new release, “Hell Yeah,” while Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Maren Morris all opted for album tracks. TR teamed with Riley Green for “Half of Me,” and Ryan Hurd joined his wife for “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” while Carly lit up a pyro-infused rendition of “Diamondback.”

Fireworks closed out Female Video winner Miranda Lambert’s performance of “If I Was a Cowboy” on the show’s Lower Broadway stage, where Jason Aldean earlier teamed up with eighties icon Bryan Adams to cover “Heaven.”

Jason won both Collaborative Video and Video of the Year – the night’s top honor – for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Carrie Underwood, who offered an impressive acrobatic performance of “Ghost Story,” shot earlier during her ongoing Vegas residency.

Of course, no moment could rival the reunion of the Judds, who revived “Love Can Build a Bridge” – complete with choir – in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where Naomi and Wynonna will soon be inducted.

Maddie Font delivered the night’s most emotional moment, barely able to speak through tears and excitement, after an unexpected win for Group/Duo Video for “Woman You Got.” New mom Taylor Kerr joined via video, holding her new baby, Leighton Grace, born in January.

Taylor Swift’s childhood home reportedly sold for $1 million

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Taylor Swift’s childhood home reportedly sold for million

It’s not the famous “Christmas Tree Farm,” but one of the houses that Taylor Swift lived in as a kid in Pennsylvania has been sold for a cool million bucks.

Taylor and her family moved into a rented five-bedroom, five-bathroom house in Wyomissing, PA when she was 10. When she was 14, her family relocated to Hendersonville, TN. The New York Post reports that in February, that home was put on the market for $1.1 million, and after a $100K price cut, it went into contract this past Friday.

The house, which has changed hands several times since Taylor and her family moved out, is more than 3,500 square feet and features hardwood flooring, a fireplace, gourmet kitchen, wet bar, heated pool and a hot tub.

As for that Christmas tree farm that Taylor sings about, that’s where she and her family lived before they moved into that five-bedroom rented home. Her dad, who worked in finance, bought the farm from a client and, Taylor told Esquire, he would “tend to the farm as his hobby.”

Since leaving Pennsylvania, Taylor’s gone on to acquire an extensive real estate portfolio, with homes in Los Angeles, New York City, Rhode Island, Nashville and, reportedly, London.

Kaleo announces livestream for upcoming Red Rocks show

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Kaleo‘s upcoming concert at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre is sold out, but you’ll still be able to watch it from the comfort of your own home.

The Icelandic rockers have announced a livestream for the show, which takes place May 16. You’ll be able to watch Kaleo’s whole performance — as well as the sets from openers The Glorious Sons and Bones Owens — beginning at 10 p.m. ET via the streaming platform Veeps.

For ticket info, visit Kaleo.Veeps.com.

The Red Rocks show marks the closing performance on Kaleo’s ongoing Fight or Flight North American tour in support of their new album, Surface Sounds, which was released last April. It’s the follow-up to 2016’s A/B, which spawned the singles “Way Down We Go” and “No Good.”

Kaleo’s tour continues Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.

‘Fool’ at 40: John Mellencamp’s classic 1982 album ‘American Fool’ celebrates milestone anniversary today

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of John Mellencamp‘s breakthrough fifth studio album, 1982’s American Fool, which was the last collection of original tunes that the Indiana-born singer/songwriter issued under the moniker John Cougar.

American Fool is Mellencamp’s only album to date to top the Billboard 200 chart, spending nine weeks at #1, spanning from September to November. It features two of his most-enduring hits, “Hurts So Good” and a little ditty called “Jack and Diane,” which peaked, respectively, at #2 and #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Jack and Diane” became John’s biggest hit, and his only song ever to reach the top of the Hot 100, where it enjoyed a four-week run in October of ’82.

The track features guitar and background-vocal contributions from Mick Ronson, best known as the lead guitarist in David Bowie‘s famed 1970s backing band The Spiders from Mars.

The album also includes one other hit single, “Hand to Hold on To,” which peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. American Fool has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 5 million copies in the U.S.

Meanwhile, in 1983, Mellencamp won his only Grammy for “Hurt So Good” in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category, while American Fool was nominated for the Best Rock Album that year.

Mellencamp teamed up producer Don Gehman to co-produce American Fool, which the first of a run of four consecutive multi-Platinum albums on which the duo collaborated. The others were 1983’s triple-Platinum Uh-Huh, 1985’s fives-times Platinum Scarecrow and 1987’s triple-Platinum The Lonesome Jubilee.

Here’s the full track list of American Fool:

“Hurts So Good”
“Jack & Diane”
“Hand To Hold On To”
“Danger List”
“Can You Take It”
“Thundering Hearts”
“China Girl”
“Close Enough”
“Weakest Moments”

‘American Idol’ recap: A platinum ticket holder drops out as the competition continues

April 12, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The journey to find the next American Idol continued Monday night with the remaining half of the Top 24 taking the stage in hopes of winning America’s votes.

Before taking the stage, though, they were mentored by pop star Bebe Rexha, who offered guidance and words of wisdom to talented singers. While no eliminations were scheduled this week, a shocking departure came from Platinum ticket winner Kenedi Anderson who withdrew from the competition for “personal reasons.” Her show-stopping performance of Christina Perri‘s “Human” was still aired, followed by a quick announcement from host Ryan Seacrest.

“You might have noticed that there was no voting information during Kenedi’s performance just now,” he said from a studio. “Since we taped these shows in Hawaii earlier, Kenedi has decided to withdraw from our show for personal reasons. We send her well wishes.”

On social media, Kenedi issued a lengthier statement explaining, “I’m unable to continue on American Idol. This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary.”

“I’m so grateful to American Idol, the judges, the producers, the amazing contestants, and all the fans who have supported me,” she continued. “Thank you for giving me such an amazing opportunity to share my voice, chase my dreams, feel so much joy and happiness doing what I love, and make lifelong friends along the way.”

Here are the remaining 11 contestants and their song choices:

Cadence Baker: “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” Etta James
Sir Blayke: “Breakeven” The Script
Allegra Miles: “Adore You” Harry Styles
Lady K: “Before He Cheats” Carrie Underwood
Ava Maybee: “Tell Me Something Good” Rufus and Chaka Khan
Noah Thompson: “Blue Side Of The Mountain” The Steeldrivers
Leah Marlene: “Call Me” Blondie
Cameron Whitcomb: “Bad Moon Rising” Creedence Clearwater Revival
Christian Guardino: “Leave The Door Open” Silk Sonic
Katyrah Love: “Blame It on the Boogie” The Jacksons
Fritz Hager: “Waves” Dean Lewis

The Top 24 will be narrowed down to the Top 20 when American Idol returns Sunday, April 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Mariupol death toll could be over 20,000

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Apr 11, 6:45 pm
Russian troops left mines ‘everywhere,’ Zelenskyy says

“Russian troops left behind tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of dangerous objects,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials are also focusing on procuring more arms. The country is not getting the lethal aid it needs to end the war sooner, he said.

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Apr 11, 3:45 pm
CEO of World Central Kitchen opens up about ‘catastrophic’ train station attack

Mook said Friday was the third day he was spending near the Kramatorsk train station planning food distribution for Ukrainians trying to flee the region.

Apr 11, 2:32 pm
US considering training more Ukrainians in US

The official said the U.S. is looking into training more Ukrainians, possibly in the U.S.

“There’s been no policy decision that I’m aware of that would prevent them from coming to the United States,” the official said.

But the Pentagon is considering several options.

ABC News’ Matt Seyler

Apr 11, 2:23 pm
Russia appoints new general as nation reaches ‘new lows of depravity and brutality’: US

But the official noted that Russian efforts in the south are now largely stalled, with no progress against Mariupol since last week and no success advancing on Mykolayiv.

The official said it is unclear how Dvornikov’s selection could affect the fighting but said a pattern of brutality remains constant.

“What is clear is that the Russians continued to sink to new lows of depravity and brutality, as we saw with the missile strike on the train station last week,” the official said.

The official said some of the Russian troops that withdrew from northern Ukraine are starting to move east toward the Russian cities of Belgorod and Valuyki.

“We believe that this line of vehicles that we talked about that are north of Izium came out of the Belgorod/Valuyki region, from there to the south,” the official said.

ABC News’ Matt Seyler

“Fatherhood is something I have always looked forward to”: Britney’s fiancé Sam Asghari weighs in

April 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After Britney Spears posted a message on Instagram that seemed to indicate that she’s expecting a baby, her fiancé Sam Asghari took to his Instagram feed to post a message that may or may not confirm the speculation.

“Marriage and kids are a natural part of a strong relationship filled with love and respect,” Sam wrote next to an image of two lions with a cub — it’s worth noting that his pet name for Britney is “lioness.”

He continued, “Fatherhood is something i have always looked forward to and i don’t take lightly. It is the most important job i will ever do.”

Interestingly, Sam wrote “marriage and kids.” Britney has referred to Asghari several times as “my husband,” but it’s not clear if the two have actually tied the knot.

As previously reported, Britney posted earlier in the day, “So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby.” But since she also referred several times to being “food pregnant” — as in, eating too much — it wasn’t exactly clear if she was serious.

At least one of Britney’s friends took her post seriously: Paris Hilton commented, “Congratulations sis!! I’m so excited for you!! Love you!!!”

If Britney and Sam are indeed expecting, this will be Britney’s third child: She and her ex-husband Kevin Federline share sons Sean and Jayden who are 16 and 15, respectively.

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