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Benton Harbor, already dealing with lead crisis, now entirely without water after main break

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BENTON HARBOR, Mich.) — A water main break in Benton Harbor, Michigan, has resulted in a city-wide loss of water pressure that has shuttered schools and upended businesses on Thursday.

The rupture in the major artery for the city’s water supply — which officials warned can allow disease-causing bacteria to enter the tap water — comes as the predominately Black community was already told not to drink the city’s water due to a crisis of toxic lead that residents have been grappling with for years.

The mounting issues afflicting Benton Harbor’s drinking water have raised allegations of environmental injustice in the town where some 45% of residents live in poverty and 85% are Black, according to most-recent Census data. It has also shined a harsh spotlight on the real-world impacts of the nation’s dilapidated infrastructure as lawmakers in the nation’s capital are mulling over the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” infrastructure plans.

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad tweeted Thursday morning that the burst in the 89-year-old water main “is taking longer than expected to address.”

“The contractors are still working on getting the water level down in order to repair the water main,” Muhammad added. “Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will continue to provide you with updates.”

The water main break occurred Wednesday afternoon and resulted in a “system-wide loss of water pressure across the city,” according to a statement from the Berrien County Health Department, urging residents “not to drink the water until further notice.”

“City water customers have previously been recommended to use bottled water, and should continue to use bottled water for cooking, drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, rinsing foods, and mixing powdered infant formula at this time, as well as after water is restored,” the statement added. “After the water pressure is restored, residents should flush the water taps for 5 minutes before using the water for washing hands, showering or bathing.”

The statement said these precautionary actions are being taken not because of the elevated levels of lead that has already been detected in the water, but “due to the potential for bacteria to enter the water supply after a loss of water pressure.”

County officials did not say what caused the break.

Free bottled water is being made available to Benton Harbor residents. Muhammad said in a second tweet Thursday that a YMCA in the area was offering its facilities to residents for showers.

Meanwhile, the Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Andraé Townsel said in a letter to parents and caretakers posted on the school system’s website that six local schools will not have class on Thursday due to the water main break. He added that they anticipate school resuming on Friday.

The latest crisis comes just days after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited Benton Harbor, and issued a new call for the state legislature to provide an additional $11.4 million investment needed to help expedite the replacement of lead pipes and service lines in the city.

Elevated levels of lead have been detected in the Benton Harbor’s water system since at least 2018, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council petition filed last month to the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of local advocacy groups and residents.

Residents continue to live with “significant and dangerous levels of lead contamination three years after the contamination was first discovered with no immediate solution in sight,” the petition states, calling it an “environmental justice” issue.

Frustration among residents has mounted in recent months, in part due to what they see as delayed responses from the state and local government.

“Three years of this is ridiculous,” Rev. Edward Pinkney, a local faith leader told the local news outlet MLive, after a water handout organized by the state’s department of health ran out of water bottles 30 minutes after it was supposed to start earlier this month. Rev. Pinkney said he and his grassroots organization have been passing out 2,000 cases of water per month on their own dime since 2019.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys to seek private screenings of potential jurors

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged accomplice of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, are set to appear before a federal judge Thursday afternoon to argue that prospective jurors for her criminal trial should be questioned individually and privately to ensure she receives a fair trial by an “open-minded jury.”

The extraordinary measures are necessary, Maxwell’s lawyers contend, to effectively screen for potential bias and for exposure to a “tsunami” of publicity about the high-profile sex-trafficking case.

“This case amplifies the likelihood that jurors will be more apprehensive and constrained to respond openly and honestly in open court within earshot of other jurors, members of the public, and the media,” Maxwell attorney Bobbi Sternheim wrote in a court filing last week.

The proposal from Maxwell’s defense team, which federal prosecutors oppose, would be a departure from typical procedure in the Manhattan federal court where her trial is scheduled. In most instances, a judge conducts screenings of groups of prospective jurors in open court after consulting with prosecutors and defense counsel about the questions to be posed.

In a court filing last week, prosecutors contended that Maxwell had presented “no persuasive reason” to depart from the “well-established practice.”

“The Court should ask most questions in open court and ask sensitive questions, such as those that relate to sexual abuse and media exposure, at sidebar,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe.

But Maxwell’s lawyers argue those conventional procedures are “inadequate” to ferret out potential bias and prejudice because of the sensitive nature of the charges and the “intense negative media coverage” about Maxwell and Epstein “in every conceivable form.”

“The negative publicity has been so pervasive, vitriolic, and extreme that Ms. Maxwell has been demonized in the press,” Sternheim wrote.

Private and individual questioning “would encourage potential jurors to answer questions more completely and honestly because the jurors would not be influenced by (or influence) the answers given by fellow jurors or fear embarrassment in giving an honest response,” Sternheim added.

Maxwell’s defense team also is asking the court to permit her lawyers and prosecutors to question each potential juror individually for up to three minutes after the court concludes its inquiries.

Late Wednesday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and a coalition of 17 media organizations registered objections to the proposed secrecy surrounding the jury selection process, known as “voir dire.”

“Voir dire is a critical stage of criminal proceedings, and the public interest in favor of access to voir dire is correspondingly weighty,” RCFP attorney Katie Townsend wrote in a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan, who’s overseeing Maxwell’s case.

The media coalition, which includes ABC News, argued that a proposed jury questionnaire that was filed under seal last week by Maxwell’s attorneys — without government objection — should be made part of the public record. Maxwell’s lawyers contend the documents should remain sealed “to avoid media coverage that may prejudice the jury selection process.”

“Such conclusory speculation cannot overcome the deeply rooted presumption of openness applicable to voir dire,” Townsend argued. “The defense’s request to seal provides the Court with no basis on which to make the specific factual findings required to conceal voir dire, including the parties’ joint juror questionnaire, from the public.”

Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges that she “assisted, facilitated and contributed” to Epstein’s abuse of four minor girls from 1994 to 2004. Prosecutors allege Maxwell befriended the young girls and helped to put them at ease, knowing that they would eventually be sexually abused by Epstein.

Maxwell’s lawyers have argued in court filings that federal prosecutors pursued charges against her as a “substitute” for Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Jury selection is set to begin in Maxwell’s case on Nov. 15, with the trial scheduled to open two weeks later.

See Tom Holland flying high with Mark Wahlberg in the trailer for the video game adaptation ‘Uncharted’

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fans of the hit Sony PlayStation Uncharted series can finally see a trailer for the big-screen adaptation, due out in February.

The long-gestating project stars Tom Holland as the series’ adventurer, Nathan Drake, and Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, both partners on the hunt for a priceless lost treasure.

Unlike the game, Holland’s Drake is a bartender when he meets Wahlberg’s Sully, who recruits him for the lucrative quest. They soon run afoul of a baddie played by Antonio Banderas, who also wants the lost gold.

Holland is dressed for the job, as Drake’s now well-known white shirt, brown pants and shoulder holster are on full display, and here — as in the game — Holland’s Drake can be seen dodging bullets and booby traps, and even dangling from a plane in midair.

That said, some Uncharted fans are still bummed that the role didn’t go to the guy Nathan Drake was made to look like: Nathan Fillion. Although actor Nolan North provided Drake’s voice in the games, The Rookie star was in the mix back in 2016, when Sony Pictures first began thinking of an Uncharted movie. Fillion even starred as Drake in a viral fan film that also starred Stephen Lang as Sully.

However, when asked recently about the upcoming film, Fillion was diplomatic. “My only regret is that we had to wait so very, very long…[to] actually see some Uncharted stuff,” Fillion told GamingBible. “Other than that, I think all my boxes have been checked,” Fillion went on. “I’m pretty excited to see what they do with that. I love movies and those guys have never let us down; Tom Holland, come on, Mark Wahlberg? We’re gonna have a great time.”

(Second video contains uncensored profanity.)

Six schools in set to join American Athletic Conference

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The American Athletic Conference has announced the addition of six new schools to its conference.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Florida Atlantic University, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, The University of North Texas, Rice University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio will join the conference at a date to be determined.

The six new schools will join the nine current members to bring the conference to 15 schools. The conference will compete as a 14 team league in football, and men’s and women’s basketball.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome these six outstanding universities to the American Athletic Conference,” said AAC commissioner Mike Aresco in a statement. “This is a strategic expansion that accomplishes a number of goals as we take the conference into its second decade. We are adding excellent institutions that are established in major cities and have invested in competing at the highest level. We have enhanced geographical concentration which will especially help the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball and Olympic sports teams.”

The conference is replacing Cincinnati, Houston, and the University of Central Florida, which accepted invitations to join the Big 12.

The Jonas Brothers & their “opening act” Bruce Springsteen help raise $77.5 million at gala charity event

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Jonas Brothers & their “opening act” Bruce Springsteen help raise .5 million at gala charity event

In what universe does Bruce Springsteen open for The Jonas Brothers? It happened Wednesday night in New York City at the annual Robin Hood Foundation benefit, Rolling Stone reports.

The Robin Hood Foundation has been fighting poverty in New York City for more than 30 years, and its annual gala always attracts the most “A” of A-List stars. In addition to JoBros and Bruce, Wednesday night’s roster included Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, SNL cast members, famous politicians, legendary sports stars, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

After Bruce opened the show with a solo acoustic set, Paul McCartney was presented with a special award as Alicia Keys sang the Beatles standard “Let It Be.” That was just the warmup, though: After dinner, The Jonas Brothers did an hour-long set on a concert-size stage.

“This crowd looks exactly like our usual shows,” Nick Jonas joked to the superstars, millionaires and billionaires in the room.

Rolling Stone then goes on to write, “It was an odd scene where the younger attendees were crammed to the front and screaming along to songs like ‘Cake by the Ocean,’ ‘Lovebug,’ ‘Jealous,’ and ‘Sucker,’ while the older ones hovered in the back while they sipped cocktails and eyed the exit doors.”

The publication also suggested that next time, JoBros should open for Bruce. All in all, though, the event raised a staggering $77.5 million for charity.

First lady Dr. Jill Biden speaks out on her mission to get people screened for breast cancer

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — First lady Dr. Jill Biden is speaking out about two causes close to her heart: access to community colleges and breast cancer awareness.

In a new interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, Biden, a professor of writing at Northern Virginia Community College, said she plans to continue to advocate to make community colleges more accessible to more Americans.

Tuition-free community college was included in President Joe Biden’s social-spending package, but it is now reportedly one of the latest big-ticket items to be dropped from the package.

When asked by Roberts what she would say to families who were hopeful about the prospect of free community college access, the first lady replied, “I would say we’re not giving up. We are not giving up. This is round one. This is year one. I’m going to keep going.”

Biden, the country’s sole first lady to hold a job outside the White House, said she is also committed to another cause important to her — making sure breast cancer screenings are accessible to all Americans.

During the coronavirus pandemic, many doctors saw a drop in cancer screenings due to limited non-essential, in-person visits and patients opting to put off routine examinations — including annual cancer screenings — to curb risky face-to-face interactions.

The number of screening and mammograms given to people in the U.S. fell by as much as 80 percent during the pandemic, according to research published in July in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Now, Biden is making it her mission to make sure people do not miss their screenings.

“We were afraid of the pandemic, afraid of the virus, but now I think that we’ve moved on a little bit and people are vaccinated,” Biden said. “We have to make sure that we have to get the message out.”

Urging people to get mammograms, Biden continued, “The next thing you have to do today is call your doc and get in there and get your screenings. If you go get that mammogram and they catch it early, you have a fighting chance.”

Why breast cancer research matters to the first lady

For Biden, who has been advocating for breast cancer research since the early 1990s, her fight for breast cancer prevention and awareness is personal.

“I had four friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, we lost one of those friends, and I was so upset. I thought, what can I do? There has to be something. I thought, I know education inside and out, and so let’s start to educate people.”

Biden started to spread the message about breast cancer awareness in schools.

“I went into all the schools in Delaware and we taught them about early detection and breast health and the importance of good habits,” said Biden, whose husband served as a Democratic senator from Delaware for several decades. “Not only that, then they went home and sort of spread the word. When your kids say it, you do it, you know?”

Detecting breast cancer early

Biden spoke to Roberts at the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center in New York City, where doctors have also seen a drop in the number of people getting mammograms.

“We screen about 41,000 patients getting mammograms every year, and with the pandemic here, that dropped to almost 31,000, and that’s disheartening,” Dr. Amanda Rivera, an attending radiation oncology physician at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, told “GMA.” “We really just want people to get their cancer detected early so that we have more treatment options.”

For 52-year-old Sandra Cruz, her hesitancy around the pandemic pushed back her annual mammogram. It wasn’t until this past April, after her doctor urged her to get screened, that she learned of her Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis.

Like Biden, Cruz — who does not need chemotherapy but will be starting radiation soon — is urging other women to get screened early.

“I was one of those women during the pandemic that had the fear of coming in, getting screened,” Cruz said. “I for one didn’t know what COVID was all about except for the fear of catching it, so I was one of those individuals that waited until things calmed down.”

Biden noted she took time within the first month of moving to the White House earlier this year to get a mammogram.

“As soon as we got into office, there I was, off and getting my mammogram,” she said. “There’s nothing more important than your health. Nothing.”

Improving access to screenings

As first lady, Biden said she is also working to make sure the federal government makes it a priority to provide access to mammograms to all women.

“It’s the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that we have access, that all communities have access,” Biden said. “Whether that’s urban, whether that’s rural, so that’s one of the things that we plan to do.”

Medical centers like Montefiore are also working to make sure their efforts to increase screenings reach all people, including those who face barriers when it comes to health care.

“We know that in communities of color, in communities where there’s less access to health care, we have barriers to overcome in terms of getting that population in for cancer screening,” Rivera said. “When you add a pandemic onto that, those disparities only grow further.”

Rivera said one of the ways Montefiore is reaching communities of color is through its clinical trials.

“As we learn through science, through research, we know that certain differences exist,” Rivera said. “Until we get more representation on those clinical trials, we’re not adequately assessing that patient population. So it’s very important to get more clinical trial enrollment from communities of color.”

According to federal guidelines, women ages 40 to 44 should have access to annual breast cancer screening with mammograms, while women ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.

Starting at age 55, women should switch to mammograms every two years or continue annual screenings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Oscar Isaac reveals that he passed on playing Freddie Mercury in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dune star Oscar Isaac is reflecting on the one role that he probably shouldn’t have passed on.

During a chat about his Adams Family 2 character Gomez Addams, Isaac reveals to ABC Audio that he was offered the opportunity to play Queen singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, but he turned it down.

“At the time I was like, ‘I don’t think anybody wants to see somebody pretend to be Freddie Mercury.’ And then, sure enough — everybody wanted to see someone do Freddie Mercury,” he laughs. “So that was one that came by.”

Thankfully, Isaac says he’s not beating himself up about it, noting that he doesn’t “wish” he would have taken it on.

“I think I could never have done what what Rami Malek did,” Isaac says of Malek’s Oscar winning portrayal of the Mercury. “I just think he was — obviously everyone thought so — he was great. But that was a funny one where it was just my thinking was so like, ‘You could just watch him on YouTube. Why would anybody want to watch somebody pretend to do him, you know?'”

However, when it came to his Addams Family 2 character of Gomez Addams, Isaac says it was a no-brainer for him to join.

“I was such a massive fan of Raúl Juliá,” he says of the late actor who played Gomez in two Addams Family films. “He’s been such an inspiration for me as an actor, as a Latin American actor. Just to see all the things that he was able to accomplish… So then, when it came time to give my crack at it, I definitely wanted to pay homage to that man and his work in it. And then also find my own way.”

Addams Family 2 is now in theaters. Dune hits theater on Friday.

Latina Equal Pay Day: Meet organizations fighting to close the income gap

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Latinas typically earn only 57 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men and must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months.

Latina Equal Pay Day — the day when Latina pay catches up to that of white, non-Hispanic men from the previous year — is being observed on Oct. 21.

In 2019, the median wealth of a Latino household was about $14,000, which represents only 9% of the median wealth of white households: $160,200, according to the National Bureau Of Economic Research. It’s a gap that can affect Latino families for generations.

As Latinas across the country fight for equal pay and equal opportunities, organizations like #WeAllGrow Latina, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and Vela are working to support, uplift and fund Latina workers on their path toward breaking glass ceilings.

“If I’m going to grow, if I’m going to understand how to do this, then I’m going to teach it and we’re all going to do this together,” said Ana Flores, the founder and CEO of the online networking community #WeAllGrow Latina. “Now we’re on 11 years later and we really have become a community.”

Systemic racial and gender-based discrimination is at the root of this pay gap, according to Patricia Mota, the CEO of Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement.

However, these groups are working hard to not only cultivate a strong Latinx network, but also provide professional development trainings, talent acquisition services and grants or fellowships to entrepreneurs, businesses and students. They also offer tools for mental health and self-care.

For example, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement hosts the Women’s Leadership Program, which has hosted about 3,000 Latinas over the years with leadership workshops. Within less than 12 months of completing the program, Mota said that 70% of the program’s alumni have reported an increase of pay or promotion at their place of employment.

#WeAllGrow has taken on many forms since its conception. What started as a tool for Latina bloggers has become a multimedia environment with forums, breakout sessions and chat rooms that brings the expansive community of Latinas from across the globe to one home base online.

To address Latina Equal Pay Day, #WeAllGrow and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement are teaming up with experts across many industries to provide seminars, panel discussions and conversations to host a cohort of future leaders on different skills to help them on their journey.

The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, #WeAllGrow and the Vela network, which is an up-and-coming Latinx professionals network for entrepreneurs, reach people of all ages — from students to early career workers to veteran professionals.

Creating a space for Latinas to talk openly about their experiences can give other Latinas the tools needed to fight against systems of discrimination, Vela founder Vanessa Nevarez said.

Nevarez has been inspired by those who have started similar efforts before her. She has never started her own business and neither has anyone in her family, so navigating this project has been a learning experience. She hopes that this network can be a tool for not only her members, but for herself as well.

Nevarez is just one example of how much the system of support and community has worked and will continue to work.

“[Vela] will extend into a hub, where we believe in community over competition,” Nevarez said. “We’re not a monolith … but we do have a commonality, which is that we care about our community and want our community to go forward.”

As glass ceilings continue to be smashed by Latinas across the globe, and as organizations fight to change the system that keeps Latinas at the bottom of the pay scale, these professionals offer some words of advice in the meantime.

Mota recommended doing your research when negotiating pay or a promotion — what others in your industry are being paid for the same work; what your colleagues make; and what opportunities are there for growth?

“It’s an employees market, a job-seeker market,” Mota said. “Right now is the opportunity to be able to leverage that and to really increase what you’re bringing in in terms of income — whether it’s in another industry or another opportunity.”

Vanessa Valentin, the director of marketing and communications at Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, recommended talking to others openly about income and pay since transparency helps make the process more equitable. She and Mota also recommended working on maintaining self-confidence, building connections and never settling with the first salary offer without a negotiation.

They also recommended building connections, your network and taking advantage of groups like theirs to ensure you have a Latinx force to support your goals and needs.

“It’s not your fault — this system has not been created for us — but we are here, showing up together, to make sure to change it and to make sure that the gatekeepers are listening to us,” Flores said.

Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Carly Pearce + more will perform at the 2021 CMA Awards

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Brothers Osborne and Jimmie Allen are among the first round of just-announced performers at the 2021 Country Music Association Awards.

Blake will share a live rendition of “Come Back As a Country Boy,” his brand-new single. The song will be included on the deluxe version of his Body Language album, which is set for release in December.

A couple of exciting collaborations are already on the books, too. Mickey Guyton will perform, bringing rising act Brittney Spencer and soul-jazz singer-songwriter Madeline Edwards to the stage with her. They’ll treat fans to a live version of a song off Mickey’s new album, Remember Her Name.

Also, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde will join forces for a performance of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which comes from the track list of Carly’s latest project, 29: Written in Stone.

More performers are expected to be announced in the weeks ahead. Luke Bryan is hosting the show solo this year.

The 2021 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

Elton John and Dua Lipa lend support to the UK’s efforts to win the Eurovision song contest

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A-list artists Dua Lipa and Elton John are are throwing their weight behind the U.K.’s efforts to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

The “Cold Heart” duet partners, in conjunction with Tap Management, were selected to announce the search for who will represent Britain in the annual competition, which in the past two years has made global stars of “Arcade” singer Duncan Laurence and “Beggin'” rockers Måneskin.

Tap, which manages Dua, as well as Lana Del Rey and Elle Goulding, is taking over the selection of entries for the competition in an effort to have their country perform better in the contest. The U.K. hasn’t won in 25 years, and last year, its contestant came in dead last.

Sharing her excitement for the new gig, Dua raved, “I’m a proud Brit whilst also being a proud Kosovan. I’m happy to lend my manager to the cause. I’ll be cheering them on!,” according to The Sun.

Elton added, “There aren’t many televised events that are as big and global as Eurovision, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to remind the world yet again of the depth and diversity of our talent. I can’t wait to see what gems our friends at Tap Music will unearth.”

Arguably the most famous artists ever to have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest, which has been running since 1956, are Céline Dion, who competed and won for Switzerland in 1988, and ABBA, who won for Sweden in 1974 with “Waterloo.”

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