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Woman who struggled for months with weight gain diagnosed with 17-pound cancerous tumor

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(DALLAS) — Amanda Shoultz said she spent most of the past year trying to lose weight after noticing that her stomach kept getting bigger.

“I started working out more. I was dieting more and, oddly enough, I was losing weight but I was gaining inches in my stomach,” Shoultz, 29, told Good Morning America. “For the longest time, I thought, ‘Oh, I just must gain weight in my stomach.'”

When Shoultz, of Dallas, Texas, went to her annual checkup with her primary care physician in February, she said she was shocked at the number she saw on the scale.

“I remember telling her, ‘The next time you see me I’m going to be 10 pounds lighter,'” said Shoultz. “I just assumed it was my fault. That I had done something wrong.”

Shoultz’s blood work from her doctor’s appointment came back normal, so she said she kept changing her diet to see if she had an allergy that was causing her stomach to bloat.

“I gave up all dairy products because I thought it was a lactose allergy, and nothing changed. Then I gave up gluten. I love bread but I was willing to do anything,” she said. “That didn’t work so then I gave up meat. None of that helped.”

Shoultz said she did not feel any pain beyond the discomfort of her stomach getting so much bigger than usual.

By August, nearly eight months after first noticing the growth, Shoultz was referred to a gastroenterologist by a colleague at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital, where she works in public relations.

“By the time I saw my GI [gastroenterologist] doctor, my stomach was hard as a rock,” she said. “My mom said you could have punched me in my stomach and broken your hand it was so hard.”

After several tests that did not find anything definitively wrong, Shoultz underwent a CT scan in late September.

“About four hours later, I got a call from my doctor who told me I had a 33-centimeter tumor in my abdomen,” she recalled. “And within two days of that, I was already meeting with the surgeon.”

Doctors discovered that Shoultz’s tumor was cancerous. She was diagnosed with liposarcoma, a rare form of tumor that, in most cases, does not present any symptoms until the tumor grows large and invades other organs or tissues, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In Shoultz’s case, the tumor had formed around her right kidney and adrenal gland, but she experienced no symptoms to indicate that cancer was growing inside her.

“I’m 29 and otherwise perfectly healthy,” she said. “I had no other symptoms other than my stomach.”

On Sept. 27, Shoultz underwent a two-hour surgery to remove the tumor, which doctors discovered upon removal weighed 17 pounds.

Doctors also had to remove Shoultz’s right kidney and part of her adrenal gland. Because the cancer had not spread to other parts of her body, she did not have to undergo further treatment, like chemotherapy or radiation.

“Once I left the hospital, my stomach was back to normal,” said Shoultz. “Now I’m just eating all the food that I missed when I gave it up for a year in order to put some weight back on.”

Shoultz said she is sharing her story publicly because she wants other people, particularly women, to know the importance of knowing and listening to their own bodies.

“I knew that something was wrong because I’ve always had a hard time gaining weight,” said Shoultz. “When I was getting so large in my abdomen and I couldn’t control it, that’s when I knew something was off.”

“We preach it at the hospital, don’t die of doubt,” she said. “No one else is going to need to fight for you, so fight for yourself and find a care team that is going to care for you through the journey.”

It’s a message echoed by Dr. Robert Mennel, an oncologist with Texas Oncology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, who is treating Shoultz.

“There is a whole group of these sarcomas that tend to occur in younger people and a lot of times they have symptoms that are sort of very nondescript symptoms,” he said. “If somebody comes in and they have some abdominal discomfort and it’s somebody who’s in their 20s or so, most physicians think that’s probably not much and it will pass.”

“We can’t do scans on everybody, but if you really feel that something is wrong, just be persistent to get this evaluated,” added Mennel. “And make sure you’re going to somebody who has experience and really knows what they’re doing.”

“The takeaway would be that if you feel that something is not correct, see a physician or health care provider to let them evaluate it,” he said. “And if you really feel that they’re not evaluating it, or if you really feel that something’s wrong, pursue your desire to get it looked at and worked up.”

Gymnasts call on Congress to dissolve US Olympics board over Larry Nassar case

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Four elite gymnasts are calling on Congress to dissolve the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s board of directors, alleging the body fostered a culture of abuse and ignored serial sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor.

“We make this request after years of patience, deliberation, and unrequited commitment to learn from our suffering and make amateur sports safe for future generations,” Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols, who all testified before Congress last month about what they say were failures in the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case, wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders Wednesday.

“We believe the Board’s past actions demonstrate an unwillingness to confront the epidemic problems with abuse that athletes like us have faced and a continued refusal to pursue true and necessary reform of the broken Olympic system,” the letter continued.

Nassar was sentenced in 2018 to up to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges. The sentencing came after dozens of girls and women accused him of sexually abusing them.

“Since becoming aware of Nassar’s abuse, the USOPC’s top priority has been to hide culpability and avoid accountability,” the athletes wrote in their letter, claiming the board “took no investigative action whatsoever after learning that Nassar was an abuser.”

The athletes wrote that the “ecosystem” that gave shelter to the likes of Nasser “still exists,” and they took aim at officials still in positions of power at USOPC and its foundation. They asked that Congress replace the board with one that will investigate “systemic” sexual abuse; otherwise, they said, “athletes will remain at risk.”

The four women addressed their letter to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who co-sponsored a bill signed into law last year that gives Congress the power to dissolve the board.

In response to the letter, Blumenthal outlined potential next steps, saying Congress should “develop procedures to appoint a new board before dissolving the old one, and must be approved by the House and Senate before being signed by the President.”

“We’re grateful to these athletes for their continued demand for justice and accountability — a goal we share,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that USOPC is held responsible for past failures.”

Olympians Biles, Raisman and Maroney, as well as world champion Nichols, testified about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Nassar during a hearing last month with the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case.

“Over the past few years it has become painfully clear how a survivor’s healing is affected by the handling of their abuse, and it disgusts me that we are still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability over six years later,” said Raisman, who cited failings by USA Gymnastics, the USOPC and the FBI.

A Department of Justice inspector general report released in July found the FBI made “fundamental errors” in its response to allegations against Nassar that were first brought to the agency in July 2015.

“We have been failed, and we deserve answers,” Biles said during her testimony. “Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable. If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports.”

Following Nassar’s sentencing in 2018, USOPC (at the time known as the U.S. Olympic Committee) penned an open letter to Team USA athletes to “tell all of Nassar’s victims and survivors, directly, how incredibly sorry we are.”

“We have said it in other contexts, but we have not been direct enough with you,” Scott Blackmun, former chief executive of the organization, wrote. “We are sorry for the pain caused by this terrible man, and sorry that you weren’t afforded a safe opportunity to pursue your sports dreams. The Olympic family is among those that have failed you.”

The entire USA Gymnastics board resigned in the wake of the sentencing, after USOPC demanded the remaining members step aside or face termination.

US pushes diplomacy, prepares sanctions as Ethiopia launches new offensive in brutal war, risking famine

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Nearly a month after President Joe Biden created a new U.S. sanctions authority and threatened to impose economic penalties on Ethiopian leaders unless they halted a conflict in the country’s northern province, that war is now escalating.

The worsening fighting puts millions of lives at risk amid reports of famine-like conditions already faced by up to 900,000 people and severe food insecurity impacting 6 to 7 million, according to U.S. officials.

The U.S. announced Tuesday it is providing $26 million more humanitarian aid, but that will do little to stop the suffering as of now. Aid convoys into the Tigray region have been blocked and attacked throughout the conflict, with a particularly brutal blockade by the Ethiopian government for nearly 110 days now keeping resources like food, fuel and medicine out.

“Looking forward, it’s pretty dark and pretty bleak without a significant change either politically or militarily — I hate to say that, but the status quo really cannot continue. The famine is only going to start taking more lives at an accelerated pace,” said David Del Conte, the former deputy director for Ethiopia at the United Nations’ humanitarian agency.

Spurred by warnings like that, the U.S. seemed to kick diplomacy into a higher gear this week, too. The U.S. hosted a summit of high-level donor countries to urge humanitarian access and a halt to fighting — openly weighing the possibility of a humanitarian airlift. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with the African Union’s envoy trying to negotiate a ceasefire.

But once again, it is all seems to be falling on deaf ears on the ground. In the last week, the Ethiopian government launched a new major military offensive against Tigrayan forces, the country’s former longtime ruling party that has been at war with the federal government since last November.

Every side in this nearly one-year-old conflict has been accused of atrocities, in some instances documented in great detail by monitors like Amnesty International and media outlets. Blinken has said the U.S. has seen reports of “ethnic cleansing” — but increasingly, reports from the region are hard to come by because the Ethiopian government has cut cell phone and internet communications.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday the U.S. was aware of the reported offensive, adding, “Escalating fighting undermines critical efforts to keep civilians safe and the ability of international actors to deliver humanitarian relief to all those in need, and we know there are too many in need.”

The Biden administration is “considering the full range of tools,” including using those economic sanctions that Biden authorized last month, Price added. One source familiar with the administration’s plans said those sanctions are being prepared, although Price declined to preview any announcement Tuesday.

But it’s unclear what, if any, effect that will have on Ethiopian officials, up to and including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. His government declared a ceasefire in June as its military and aligned forces retreated from Tigray and Tigrayan troops retook territory. But fighting has continued, including Tigrayan offensives into neighboring regions like Amhara and Afar — each side defying threats of sanctions from the U.S., European Union and others.

“From Abiy’s perspective, this fight is existential, at least politically for him, so the idea that these sanctions are going to make him turn on a dime and reevaluate the nature of the campaign is unlikely,” said Hardin Lang, vice president for programs and policy at Refugees International, an advocacy group. But, he added, it is an important “tool” that could “erode support of those around Abiy.”

Abiy’s blockade has created shortages of food, fuel, medicines and medical supplies, and cash in Tigray, while continued fighting threatens to heighten humanitarian crises in neighboring regions. The United Nations, aid groups and other countries, including the U.S., have increasingly sounded the alarm about the risk of a massive famine in Tigray and beyond, especially now in Amhara and Afar.

In total, more than 2 million people have fled their homes, and some 48,000 have fled across the border into neighboring Sudan as refugees, according to U.S. officials.

In response to those warnings, however, the Ethiopian government expelled U.N. officials from the country two weeks ago — sparking more international condemnation. Ethiopia’s ambassador to the U.N. accused those officials last Wednesday of falsifying data — prompting a striking rebuttal from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Already, there are reports of people starving to death. USAID Administrator Samantha Power said today that people are going multiple days without food, left to eat leaves.

“Innocent Ethiopian lives depend upon the government of Ethiopia immediately reestablishing communications, banking and other vital services within Tigray, and fully restoring transport corridors and air linkages to Tigray,” said Power, who convened Tuesday’s high-level meeting of G7 countries and other major donor countries.

The countries discussed the “possibility of augmenting road operations — which are failing to meet urgent humanitarian needs due to government obstruction — by expanding air operations to deliver relief supplies directly to the region,” she added in her statement.

That kind of airlift would still require the Ethiopian government’s permission, however, and would be far less effective at bringing in supplies than convoys of trucks, according to Del Conte. One cargo aircraft would cost more than up to 100 trucks in a convoy, he said, while feeding only about as much aid as what one double-trailer truck could carry.

In addition to Power’s summit, Blinken held his own high-level meetings Tuesday on Ethiopia. He met one-on-one first with the African Union’s Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president now serving as special envoy for the Horn of Africa — before they joined Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who heads the regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, along with the EU and UK’s top diplomats and senior diplomats from Germany and France.

Together, they discussed the conflict and agreed to urge “the parties to the conflict to immediately end abuses, to enter into negotiations toward a ceasefire, and to lay the foundation for a broader and inclusive dialogue to restore peace in Ethiopia and preserve the unity of the Ethiopian state,” Price told reporters during a briefing.

But with this new offensive, it seems clear Abiy has no interest in a dialogue — instead hoping a communications blackout means the world will not pay attention.

“The government in Addis has shown remarkable commitment to a military solution to the conflict,” said Del Conte, now the leader of Refugees International’s Stop Tigray Famine campaign. “What we see out of northern Ethiopia is going to be dramatic and significant. … I’m deeply concerned at the unwillingness to change directions in any way.”

Off-duty female NYPD officer fatally shoots woman after finding her with partner, police say

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A New York City police officer is in custody after she allegedly shot two women, killing one, at a home in Brooklyn.

The officer, who was off-duty at the time, is believed to have shot both women — one of whom she was dating — when they returned to the home where the officer’s girlfriend lived.

Police said the off-duty officer shot a 24-year-old woman in her chest, “possibly more than one time,” at the Bensonhurt home. The victim, identified as Jamie Liang, was taken to Maimonides Medical Center and was pronounced dead, police said.

The other woman, a 23-year-old, who was in the romantic relationship with the officer, was shot in the torso and is expected to survive, police said.

The suspect, 31, is a police officer in the 72nd District, which encompasses the Park Slope and Sunset Park areas of Brooklyn.

The officer had worked for the NYPD for 5 1/2 years. Police said she was at a local hospital for evaluation.

“We believe it is domestic in nature. We believe all three parties knew each other,” Assistant Chief Michael Kemper, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, said at a press conference Wednesday evening.

“We believe they had an intimate relationship,” he said of the officer and the 23-year-old woman.

The officer remained at the scene and told police she had shot the two women, according to police.

Police said they were still investigating, but recovered a gun on the scene and “there’s a very good chance it is her service weapon,” Kemper said.

“The whole incident is horrible, but these cops performed great, just heroically, and this is what NYPD cops come upon every single day,” Kemper said. “Is this an incident they would want to come upon? No. But unfortunately throughout their careers they come upon this.”

Luke Bryan sees a day when he’ll trade in arenas for Friday night football games

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Tonight in Irvine, California, Luke Bryan kicks off the final four shows on his Proud to Be Right Here Tour.

And as much as he’s enjoying being back on the road, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year is looking ahead to a time when he won’t be hitting it quite so hard, as he steps back to spend more time with his sons, 13-year-old Bo and 11-year-old Tate.

“The boys have been coming out some on the road with me this year,” Luke explains, “and I’ve got hunting trips planned and fishing trips planned.”

“And I think as my boys get a little older and really start being in varsity sports and stuff,” he continues, “I’m gonna really have to take some tangible, you know, [time off, and] back the afterburners off. And certainly I’m prepared for that.”

For now, Luke heads to Fresno and San Bernardino, California on Friday and Saturday, before wrapping the trek October 28 in Brandon, Mississippi.

“Right now, it’s like, let’s get things rocking,” Luke says. “And as long as I’m having fun doing it — and I mean, my voice feels better than it’s ever been, and I’ve been having a blast out on stage. So as long as I’m having fun, I’m gonna keep doing stuff.”

“But then, you know, things will certainly have to naturally slow down,” he points out.

There’s not much slowing down in the near future, however. Luke plays Florida’s Tortuga Music Festival in November before hosting his popular Crash My Playa getaway vacation in Mexico in January. In February, he heads to Sin City to kick off his Vegas residency.

Meanwhile, Luke’s just released “Up,” on the heels of his latest #1, “Waves.”

Five dead, two injured in random bow and arrow attack in Norway

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(KONGSBERG, Norway) — Five people were killed and two others injured in an apparently random attack in Kongsberg, Norway, late Wednesday as a man roamed the city shooting people with a bow and arrow.

Authorities said the man was taken into custody in the city center and is currently being held in the nearby city of Drammen.

Police are not searching for any other suspects.

“Based on the information we have at the present time; the apprehended man has acted alone. We will also have to look at whether this is an act of terror or not,” Øyvind Aas, the city’s assistant chief of police, said in a statement. “The suspect has not yet been questioned by the police, and it is therefore too early to say anything about his motivation for his actions.”

The suspect was identified as a 37-year-old man who lived in Kongsberg, but is a Danish citizen. He has been charged in the crime, police said.

Kongsberg is located about an hour southwest of Oslo.

Police said the man was spotted walking around the city shooting at random around 6:30 p.m. local time and was taken into custody about 20 minutes later. Photos from the city showed arrows stuck in walls of buildings.

One of those who was injured was an off-duty police officer, authorities said.

“There has been, and there still is a major police activity in the area,” Aas said. “The reason for this is that the suspect has moved over a large area, and we are now working on securing evidence and get as much information about the incident as we can.”

In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, “We are aware of today’s attack and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families.”

Julia Michaels may not be touring, but she has a way to keep fans dancing in their kitchens

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Julia Michaels dropped her debut album, Not In Chronological Order, earlier this year, and she’s itching to get out and perform those songs on the road for her fans. But right now, she tells ABC Audio, touring isn’t in the plan.

“I don’t have a timeline right now, and I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up and say a time and then let anybody down,” she says. “So I won’t. But I do miss them very much. They know that I’m doing everything I can to get to them and I can’t wait until the time does come.”

For now, she’s enjoying watching her boyfriend, fellow artist JP Saxe, on his own tour. So is she feeling the FOMO?

“No, I’m very, very grateful to be home, and I’m happy that I get to watch him live out his very first tour and see all his dreams come true,” Julia says.

Though Michaels may be putting touring on hold, she’s finding new and innovative ways to connect with her fans at home. On Wednesday, she launched a new partnership with Campbell’s, featuring a special QR code on the brand’s soup labels that unlocks a new track.

The track is a cover of “Just One Look” by Doris Troy, inspired by Julia’s love of listening to ‘50s and ‘60s music while she cooks. The music is paired with her favorite Campbell’s recipe — grilled cheese and tomato soup, something she says her mom made for her growing up and JP still makes for her to this day.

Fans will also have the opportunity to submit their own cooking-inspired song for the chance to win $20,000 and a partnership with Campbell’s. The Sounds Good Tonight SoundCloud contest launches on Nov. 15.

Red Hot Chili Petrified: Chad Smith prepares for “scary” US tour headlining stadiums

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As shocking as it might sound, the upcoming Red Hot Chili Peppers tour next year will mark the band’s first-ever run headlining U.S. stadiums. Speaking with Rolling Stone, drummer Chad Smith admits that playing such big venues feels “kind of scary.”

“We’ve played stadiums in Europe before,” Smith shares. “Live Nation was really confident that we could [headline U.S. stadiums], and we’d never done it.”

Any anxiety that Smith and the rest of the Peppers might feel, though, will apparently be channeled into their performance.

“We’re like, ‘F*** it, balls out!'” Smith exclaims.

“We’ll literally have our balls out,” he laughs. “No one wants to see that! Old balls!”

Beyond the prospect of whatever that entails, the Peppers tour features the reunion of the band’s classic lineup now that guitarist John Frusciante‘s back in the fold. Frusciante, who played on beloved RHCP albums including Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication and Stadium Arcadium, rejoined the band at the end of 2019 after previously leaving 10 years earlier.

“I know there’s gonna be people [attending the tour], even Chili Peppers fans, that have never seen this lineup,” Smith says. “We’ve written some of our best songs with these these four guys, and we do have something special.”

“It will be really exciting, and I see us not taking that for granted at all,” he adds. “As you get a little bit older, you appreciate it more. It’ll be a real joyful thing.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers tour kicks off June 2022 in Europe. The U.S. leg launches in July.

Christina Aguilera & Jennifer Hudson to headline free 2021 World AIDS Day Concert

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Christina Aguilera has always been a huge supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, so it’s no surprise that she’s been tapped to headline this year’s World AIDS Day Concert, organized annually by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The free event will take place December 1 at the Forum in Inglewood, CA, and will also feature Jennifer Hudson as a co-headliner, with Internet comedian Randy Rainbow hosting and legendary entertainer Debbie Allen producing. Free tickets will be available via Ticketmaster or AHFEvents.org. Proof of COVID vaccination is required to attend.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will be honored with AHF’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which he’ll accept via video. This year’s event also commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first recognition by the CDC of the virus that led to what is now known as AIDS, in June of 1981.

Perhaps Christina will have some new music to perform at the concert. She told ABC Audio recently that material from the Spanish language album project she’s been working on is coming “this fall.”

Ashanti explains why she’s re-recording her triple-platinum debut album

October 14, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Next year, Ashanti will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her triple-platinum self-titled debut album by re-recording the entire project.

The 2002 album featured the hits “Foolish,” “Happy” and “Baby,” and earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. Now, the 41-year-old singer looks forward to releasing the new version on her own independent label.

“It makes the most sense after being in the game for 20 years and having the rights to be able to go back and re-record my first album,” she explains to Essence about why she is recreating the most successful project of her career.

She says her goal is to “sonically make it feel that same rawness, but with the 2022 spin on it — just sonically making it crispy,” adding, “I don’t want to stray too far because I’m really proud of what we created, but I’m excited about it.”

The singer/actress notes that when she recorded the original music, she was “a little naive, a little green, and super vulnerable…a young girl from Long Island in SoHo writing records in the studio with a bunch of rappers,” including Ja Rule.

“I was happy that as a young female, I was writing my own records,” she recalls. “A lot of the guys didn’t believe me. They thought I had a ghostwriter. They would make me sit in front of them and write.”

In 2022, in addition to recording the new version of the album, Ashanti will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“The fact that everything is happening in God’s timing that I’m celebrating my 20-year anniversary,” Ashanti says with gratitude. She adds about also getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year, “The timing couldn’t have been planned better.”

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