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Orlando Bloom reflects on devastating injury that almost left him paralyzed

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Orlando Bloom is thankful he was given a second chance after suffering a fall in 1998 that nearly cost him his ability to walk.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star took to Instagram recently to share a throwback photo of him wearing a back brace while riding a bicycle.

“That’s me in my back brace circa 1998 about 3 months after I fell 3 floors and crushed my spine, narrowly escaping death and paralysis,” Bloom explained.

The mini slide show features a second photo, a recent photograph of him pedaling uphill with another friend. He added, “Grateful everyday for my limbs that allow me to push my limits and live life on my edge (safer now.)”

Katy Perry reacted to the post by telling her partner, with whom she shares one-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove, “I love you.”

Ex-wife Miranda Kerr also shared her thoughts and told Bloom, “So proud of you.” The two share Flynn, their 10-year-old son.

Bloom has spoken before about his devastating injury, and said in his 2005 GQ profile that the accident made him reevaluate his life and what he does with it.

“Until you’re close to losing it, you don’t realize,” he said at the time. “I used to ride motorbikes and drive cars like everything was a racetrack; it was ridiculous. It wasn’t because I thought it was cool; it was just because I loved living on the edge. But I’ve chilled.”

“Until then, I didn’t have a healthy appreciation for life and death — that we’re not invincible,” he continued. “I faced the idea of living in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.”

GQ reported that Bloom fell three stories while attempting to leap onto a drainpipe to gain access to a roof terrace.

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European Union recommends reinstating travel restrictions for US visitors

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The European Union on Monday encouraged members to reinstate travel restrictions for visitors from the United States, as Americans deal with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

The U.S. on Monday was removed from the E.U.’s so-called “safe list” of countries for which travel restrictions (such as quarantine and testing requirements) were recommended to be gradually lifted. As a result, the E.U. is encouraging its 27-member nations to restrict non-essential travel from U.S. visitors.

The recommendation, notably, is not binding and the authorities of each member state remain responsible for implementing the recommendations.

Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia were also removed from the “safe list” on Monday.

The latest guidance reverses course from June when much of Europe began to welcome American tourists after over a year of pandemic-related travel restrictions. The U.S. has since dealt with an outbreak of the more-contagious delta variant that has caused new case counts to soar across the country. On Friday, the U.S. reported 176,742 new cases, and a 7-day moving average of some 147,030 new cases per day, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Just 63.3% of Americans age 18 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-10, according to CDC data. In the European Union, 67.4% of adults over the age of 18 have been fully vaccinated.

Travelers from Europe, meanwhile, are still largely barred from entering the U.S.

Nene Leakes shares heartbreaking update about husband’s cancer battle

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Nene Leakes gave an unexpected update about her husband Gregg Leakes‘ battle with cancer.

The news came while the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum was at her Atlanta lounge, The Linnethia, on Saturday. She took the mic to address fans who deemed her “rude” for not saying “happy birthday” to a patron.

“My husband is transitioning to the other side,” Nene, 53, revealed, before saying “happy birthday” to the attendee. “You don’t know what we’re dealing with right now.”

“We walked in this lounge because we had to walk in this lounge because this is our business,” the reality star continued. “So, when people approach and say, ‘You’re rude because you don’t want to say happy birthday,’ my husband is at home dying. I don’t want to say, ‘happy birthday.'”

“So please give us some respect, give us some love,” Nene added.

The speech was caught on video and ended up trending on Twitter, which Nene seemed to address on Sunday. Taking to Instagram, she shared an image that read “Broken” followed by the broken red heart and praying hands emojis.

Gregg, 67, was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2018, but went into remission after treatment. In June, Nene shared that the cancer had returned and Gregg had undergone surgery.

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COVID-19 live updates: Vaccines not as effective at preventing hospitalizations as initially thought, CDC says

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads. More than 637,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 61.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

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

Aug 30, 11:48 am

Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization drops, CDC says

The COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to keep people out of the hospital appears to be dropping slightly, particularly for those 75 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday during an advisory panel.

The CDC has previously estimated that 97% of people in the hospital being treated for COVID-19 are unvaccinated, but that data was collected before the spread of delta, a hyper-transmissible variant that many doctors have warned appears to be making people sicker.

The latest CDC analysis estimates that the ability of the COVID vaccines to keep a person out of the hospital is now between 75% to 95%.

For people older than 75 in particular, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization experienced the steepest decline, from more than 90% to 80% between June and July.

Health experts are also concerned that a person’s immunity could be waning over time, particularly among older people whose bodies are less likely than younger people to develop a strong immune response to the vaccines.

However, the vaccine still remains highly effective at preventing serious illness, according to the briefing.

US family trapped in Afghanistan successfully escapes with just days to go before deadline

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The State Department announced Friday that it had made contact with 500 U.S. citizens who still needed to be evacuated from Afghanistan. Among them was the wife and children of Hewad, a U.S. citizen living in California.

“I’m worried. I’m worried about my family who are stranded in Kabul, Afghanistan, for the past two weeks,” Hewad, who asked ABC News to use only his first name, recently told ABC News. “We have been trying everything possible to get them out but there is no way.”

Hewad’s wife had taken their two young children to Afghanistan last month to visit a sick family member. When the Taliban reclaimed power earlier this month, they quickly became trapped, Hewad said.

“They are in danger. The whole family is in danger,” said Hewad. “Everyone [is] a citizen… I am afraid for their life. I may lose them or they may die.”

Hewad’s wife, who asked not to be named, went into hiding while he and attorney Richard Sterger worked from the U.S. to organize the family’s documents so that they could be evacuated safely.

ABC News and Hewad were able to speak to his wife on Thursday after the terrorist attack around the perimeter of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 U.S. servicemen. The death toll of Afghan civilians is reported to be up to 170 and nearly 200 wounded according to an official at the ministry of public health who spoke on condition of anonymity with ABC News.

During the call, she told him the family had planned to go to the airport that day but ultimately decided not to

“We’re thankful that we didn’t go because they’re hurt,” she said.. “That’s why we decided to stay hidden.”

Amid the chaos, President Joe Biden said Monday during a press conference that he would not extend the Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw all U.S. troops. Hewad said that he and his wife were losing hope.

“We were hoping to get out, but now I don’t think we would be able to do that,” said Hewad’s wife.

Hours later, her outlook changed. On Friday, ABC News learned that the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan had been able to reach Hewad’s family and that they were given an evacuation plan. She and the children were able to get on a flight to safety.

Lady Gaga’s long-awaited ‘Chromatica’ remix album due this Friday

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It’s been in the works for quite some time — and teased as far back as April — but Lady Gaga‘s Chromatica remix album is finally seeing the light of day this Friday.

Titled Dawn of Chromatica, the project is described as a “reinvention” of Gaga’s 2020 album, Chromatica, which featured the hit singles “Stupid Love” and “Rain on Me.” It’s executive-produced by Gaga’s frequent collaborator, Bloodpop, with contributing artists that include Charli XCX, Ashnikko, Dorian Electra and Rina Sawayama.

Earlier this month, Gaga tweeted, “The Chromatica remix album is so f**king fuego,” followed by the mind-blown emoji. She added, “Music is life.”

Here’s the track listing for Dawn of Chromatica:

“Alice” (LSDXOXO Remix)
“Stupid Love” (COUCOU CHLOE Remix)
“Rain on Me” (With Ariana Grande) (Arca Remix)
“Free Woman” (Rina Sawayama & Clarence Clarity Remix)
“Fun Tonight” (Pabllo Vittar Remix)
“911” (Charli XCX & A. G. Cook Remix)
“Plastic Doll” (Ashnikko Remix)
“Sour Candy” (With BLACKPINK) (Shygirl & Mura Masa Remix)
“Enigma” (Doss Remix)
“Replay” (Dorian Electra Remix)
“Sine From Above” (with Elton John) (Chester Lockhart, Mood Killer & Lil Texas Remix)
“1000 Doves” (Planningtorock Remix)
“Babylon” (Bree Runway & Jimmy Edgar Remix)
“Babylon” (Haus Labs Version)

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Founding Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy, who played on “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” dead at 79

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Iron Butterfly in 1969, Ron Bushy second from left; ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Ron Bushy, longtime drummer of the psychedelic band Iron Butterfly, who played on the band’s classic 1968 song “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” died Sunday morning at the age of 79.

A message on the band’s official Facebook page reports that Bushy “passed away peacefully, with his wife Nancy by his side…at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. All three of his daughters were also with him.”

The note adds, “He was a real fighter…He will be deeply missed!”

Bushy joined Iron Butterfly in 1966 and, according to Rolling Stone, was the only member of the band to play on all six of its studio albums.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was the title track’s of Iron Butterfly’s second album, which was released in June 1968. The epic 17-minute song became the group’s signature tune and has become an enduring psychedelic-era anthem. An abbreviated version of the track peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached #4 on the Billboard 200, and has sold over four million copies in the U.S.

Bushy shared the story about the tune’s origins in a 2020 interview with Its Psychedelic Baby magazine, noting that it began as a slow country ballad written by Iron Butterfly singer/keyboardist Doug Ingle.

“I came home late one night and Doug had been drinking a whole gallon of Red Mountain wine… [He was] playing a slow ballad [he’d written] on his Vox keyboard,” Bushy recalled. “It was hard to understand him because he was so drunk…so I wrote it down on a napkin exactly how it sounded phonetically to me…’In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.'”

Bushy continued to play drums with various Iron Butterfly incarnations on and off through 2018, and made guest appearances with the band until his passing.

ABBA hits TikTok as big ‘ABBAVoyage’ announcement looms Thursday

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

ABBA went on hiatus nearly 40 years ago, but now their music has come to TikTok.

As Billboard reports, the Swedish group’s catalog is now available to TikTok users. ABBA’s music was the most requested by an act that doesn’t have an official TikTok account of its own. The good news was announced Sunday with an upload of a piano version of their signature song, “Dancing Queen.”

Meanwhile, a huge announcement is set for September 2 regarding ABBAVoyage, a mysterious project that’s being teased on the group’s socials. You can sign up now to be notified when the project is finally announced.

The British tabloid The Sun is reporting that the group will release its first new music in 39 years on Friday, in connection with a hologram show that will see avatars of the group’s four members performing all their hits.

The Sun also claims that the show — which will include a documentary-style film — will open in a purpose-built theater in East London next May, and the group’s members will be on hand for the event. None of this is confirmed, however.

An event in New York City’s Central Park on September 2 is also planned in connection with the big announcement.

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H.E.R. to make acting debut in The Color Purple musical

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

From music to musicals — H.E.R. is in “final negotiations” to make her acting debut in The Color Purple musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Color Purple, based on the 1982 novel of the same name, tells the story of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South during the early 1900s. H.E.R. will reportedly play Squeak, who, in the musical, goes from waitress to an aspiring singer.

Warner Bros. is behind the upcoming feature, which was also made into an Oscar-nominated 1985 Steven Spielberg-directed film adaptation, as well as a Broadway production, earning two Tony Awards in 2016.

Evan Rachel Wood takes aim at Kanye West and Marilyn Manson when performing “You Get What You Give”

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The fallout continues for Kanye West, who featured embattled shock rocker Marilyn Manson at his most-recent Donda listening event.

Manson stands accused of abusing and sexually assaulting several women over the years, which has resulted in his manager and label dropping him, radio stations refusing to play his music and various TV projects cutting his appearances.

Ye’s decision to invite Manson to the highly-publicized event sparked outrage among survivors and supporters.

Manson’s ex-fiancée, Evan Rachel Wood, took aim at the rocker’s public appearance in an Instagram post on Sunday, sharing her impromptu performance of the New Radicals‘ “You Get What You Give” at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood.

“For my fellow survivors who got slapped in the face this week. I love you. Don’t give up,” she captioned the post.

During her acoustic performance, Wood raised her middle finger when slipping a Manson reference into the song and declared before diving into her emotional rendition, “I’ve been saving this, but it seems like the appropriate time.”

Wood publicly accused Manson in February of having “horrifically abused [her] for years.” Since then, multiple women have come forward with similar allegations, including actor Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and Warner’s former assistant, Ashley Walters. Prosecutors in several states have launched investigations into the allegations, which Manson called “horrible distortions of reality.” In July, TMZ reported that his legal team asked that Bianco’s lawsuit, which accuses him of sexual assault, be dismissed.

For anyone affected by abuse and needing support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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