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Three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery appear in federal court for pretrial hearing

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery appeared in federal court on Monday for a pretrial hearing. They will be tried on federal charges of hate crimes and attempted kidnapping early next year.

Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot and killed while jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, in February 2020.

The men, Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, were convicted by a Georgia jury on Nov. 24 for killing Arbery.

Travis McMichael, who shot fatally shot Arbery, was convicted on all nine charges, including malice murder and four counts of felony murder. Gregory McMichael was found not guilty of malice murder but was convicted on the remaining charges, including the felony murder counts. Bryan was found guilty of three of the felony murder counts and a charge of criminal intent to commit a felony.

The McMichaels and Bryan are set to be sentenced on Jan. 7 and face a minimum of life in prison. A judge will decide whether or not the men will have the possibility of parole.

In April, the three men were also indicted on federal charges. The McMichaels were charged with separate counts of using firearms during a crime of violence. All three men have pleaded not guilty to all of the federal charges.

The federal trial is scheduled to begin on Feb. 7, 2022.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Billie Joe Armstrong appearing on ’Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party’; Green Day teases new music from studio

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Billie Joe Armstrong will be ringing in 2022 alongside Miley Cyrus.

The Green Day frontman is set to perform on Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, hosted by the pop star and Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson. The lineup also includes 24kGoldn, Brandi Carlile, Saweetie and others.

Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party airs December 31 at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

In addition to celebrating a new year, Armstrong also appears to be working on new music. In an Instagram post over the weekend, Green Day shared a video of the punk trio recording at he RAK Studios in London.

Green Day released three new singles in 2021: “Here Comes the Shock,” “Pollyanna” and “Holy Toledo!” The band’s most recent album is 2020’s Father of All…

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A post shared by Green Day (@greenday)

Lady Gaga supports Bradley Cooper’s new movie: “Go see it!”

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Bradley Cooper may have been the one person out of a hundred in the room that believed in Lady Gaga, as she’s often said, but she believes in him, too. She took to Twitter specifically to promote his new movie, Nightmare Alley.

“Nightmare Alley is an amazing film with an amazing cast, congratulations to [director Guillermo del Toro],” she wrote, “Bradley is spectacular, Cate [Blanchett] and Rooney [Mara] beyond powerful!I loved it so much. Go see it!”

The psychological thriller stars Cooper as Stan, a con man who takes a job with a traveling carnival.

Nightmare Alley could use Gaga’s help: Despite being directed by an Oscar-winner, getting solid reviews and featuring a star-studded cast that — in addition to Cooper, Mara and Blanchett — also includes Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins and David Strathairn, the movie only earned $2.95 million over its opening weekend.

Fans praised Gaga for standing by her A Star Is Born director and co-star, but others seem to be obsessed with the idea of Gaga working with Blanchett at some point.

Lorne Michaels hints he’ll retire from ‘SNL’ after 50th season

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Saturday Night Live‘s executive producer and co-creator, Lorne Michaels, is thinking about retirement.

The 77-year-old told CBS Mornings Monday that he’s contemplating leaving the show after its 50th season, which would debut in 2024 and conclude in 2025.

“You know, I think I’m committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years,” he said. “I’d like to see that through and I have a feeling that’d be a really good time to leave.”

He added, “But … I won’t want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It’s been my life’s work. So I’m going to do everything I can to see it carry on.”

Michaels launched the show in 1975 and only stepped away from it for five years in the early ’80s. He hinted that there are already plans in the works for who would replace him after retirement, but didn’t go into details.

“I have a sense of where we’re headed with that, you know,” he said, adding, “I’m not going to go on about it — it’s three years away.”

SNL is currently in its 47th season.

Ellen Pompeo is “trying to focus on convincing everybody” that ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ should end

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After 18 seasons on ABC, Ellen Pompeo says she’s ready for Grey’s Anatomy to end. But not everyone agrees.

“I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end,” the actress told Insider.

“I feel like I’m the super-naive one who keeps saying, ‘But what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?'” she explains. “And everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'”

They’re not wrong. Pompeo, who stars as Meredith Grey and is also a producer on the show, is one of the highest-paid actresses on TV following contract negotiations in 2017. She makes $575,000 per episode.

This isn’t the first time she’s expressed a desire to wind things down, though.

“I mean, I’ve been trying to get away for years,” Pompeo told Entertainment Tonight earlier this year. “I have been trying. It’s not because I haven’t been trying. I have strong relationships at the network and they have been very, very good to me, and have incentivized me to stay.”

“Miraculously, we keep coming up with ways to have a reason to stay and if there’s a reason, that warrants it,” she said.

Melanie C says the Spice Girls are “constantly” talking about another reunion

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Melanie Chisolm breathed new life into fans’ hopes for a Spice Girls reunion. During her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the “2 Become 1” singer hinted that she and her former band mates are seriously considering hitting the road again.

When guest host Howie Mandel prodded Mel about her former girl group going back on tour, she said she “really” hopes that things come together.

“We’re talking about it. Yes! We are talking about it constantly. It was always the plan,” Mel C continued as the crowd erupted into cheers. “We did these amazing stadium shows in the U.K. two years ago. It was the best thing we’ve ever done. The creative was so incredible. We had the best time.”

Melanie said should the group head back on tour, they’re planning on a North American trek because “we love the U.S. Our fans here are amazing!”

It’s been rumored the “Wannabe” singers are planning to hit the road in 2023 for a reunion tour, but so far nothing has been set in stone.

Fetty Wap arrested in New Jersey on outstanding warrant

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Fetty Wap was arrested Friday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on an outstanding warrant

The “Trap Queen” rapper, whose birth name is William Junior Maxwell II, was taken into custody after officers were notified of an active warrant via an ankle monitor call, according to NJ.com.

Port Authority spokesperson Amber Greene says the warrant was for a public nuisance ordinance, and added that Fetty was released after posting bail

As previously reported, Fetty was arrested October 28 during the Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field in New York City. He was charged with five others, including a New Jersey corrections officer, with conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances across Long Island and New Jersey.

After pleading not guilty to federal drug charges, Fetty was released on a $500,000 secured bond, along with other restrictions. As part of his release, he must stay under GPS monitoring, submit to random drug testing, surrender his passport, and only travel with the prior approval of Pre-trial Services and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The 30-year-old MC faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Billy Corgan mourns death of his father: “He inspired me to be the musician that I am”

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Billy Corgan‘s father, William Dale Corgan, has passed away at age 74.

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman announced the news over the weekend with a series of videos, in which he described his “long, crazy, complicated relationship” with Billy Sr.

“On the bright side of it all, he inspired me to be the musician that I am,” Corgan said. “He made me be way better than I would’ve ever been without him. He was a fantastic musician, and a great teacher in his own way.”

Corgan added that while his dad “didn’t really understand what I was doing, musically,” during the early days of the Pumpkins, he later “came around and became my biggest fan and supporter.”

Following the announcement, Corgan played a holiday concert at Madame ZuZu’s, the Chicago tea shop he owns with his partner, Chloe Mendel.

“The show goes on — that’s what my father believed in,” Corgan said.

WILLIAM DALE CORGAN, 1947-2021
“He inspired me to be the musician that I am. He made me be way better than I would have ever been. He was a fantastic musician, and a great teacher in his own way.” pic.twitter.com/cEiBekR0FC

— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) December 19, 2021

BTS teases ‘7FATES: CHAKHO’ project in cryptic new video

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Although BTS is heading toward a small break, the K-pop sensations shared a new video Monday that teased an upcoming project titled 7FATES: CHAKHO that has the ARMY buzzing with excitement.

J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga and V stand dramatically as a flurry of twinkling lights illuminate the nighttime scenes around them. They’re then shown in different settings, from deep in the forest to an empty tunnel. The promo ends with the lights forming a sparkling ball that rests in RM’s hand, who then presses it into his chest.

“A new fate is unveiled. A new story begins! 7FATES,” the cryptic caption reads.

In addition, the BTS YouTube channel recently posted individual interviews of the septet, where they talk about what fate means to them, as well as their thoughts about their band mates. The videos tease a new partnership between the group’s entertainment company, HYBE, and webcomic platform Webtoon as well as the social reading platform Wattpad. The goal is to bring new original BTS content to fans in the form of new stories and cartoons.

7FATES: CHAKHO arrives January 14, 2022 on both platforms, according to BTS’ Twitter. The upcoming story, set in Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from the late 1300s to late 1800s, is about seven tiger hunters bound by fate who must fulfill their destiny.

Luke Bryan’s wife Caroline, queen of pranks, falls victim to her own Pranksmas

December 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Each year, Luke Bryan‘s wife, Caroline, spends 12 days in December pranking family, friends and other loved ones for fun in an annual tradition they call Pranksmas. On day seven of this season’s installment, the queen of pranks got pranked herself.

In a video posted on Instagram, Luke and Caroline are seen posing for a photo in front of a beautiful Christmas tree when a stranger walks in front of the camera, talking on the phone as he lets out a loud sneeze.

His rude behavior prompts an annoyed response from the country superstar, who says “what a bunch of s**t,” before breaking into a smile.

“Who is that?” he asks, only to find out that their friends Nicole Bobek and Adam Alspaugh are behind the prank, with Adam disguising himself in a face mask, wig and hat.

“I got to see that,” Luke said in a fit of giggles.

Other pranks this year include Caroline and friends scaring each other with a toy spider, Caroline startling unsuspecting people with an air horn, and even going so far as to pretend that her hair had caught on fire.

“@linabryan3’s #prankmashas started. Everyone beware,” Luke warned on Instagram alongside a photo of the couple dressed in Christmas garb.

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