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Ahmaud Arbery death trial live updates: Prosecutor’s rebuttal begins

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — The lead prosecutor got the final word on Tuesday before a Georgia jury is to begin deliberating the fates of three white men charged with trapping Ahmaud Arbery with their pickup trucks and fatally shooting the 25-year-old Black man.

Linda Dunikoski, the Cobb County, Georgia, assistant district attorney appointed as a special prosecutor in the Glynn County case, is expected to take up to two hours to rebut the closing arguments made on Monday by attorneys for the three defendants.

The jury is expected to be given the case to begin deliberations following Dunikoski’s presentation and final jury instructions from the judge.

The panel, comprised of 11 white people and one Black person, heard wildly different summations on Monday of the same evidence in the racially-charged case. Dunikoski alleged the defendants pursued and murdered Arbery because of wrong assumptions they made that the Black running through their neighborhood had committed a burglary, while defense attorney’s countered that Arbery was shot in self-defense when he resisted a citizen’s arrest.

Travis McMichael, the 35-year-old U.S. Coast Guard veteran; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, a retired Glynn County police officer, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, each face maximum sentences of life in prison if convicted on all the charges.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count state indictment that includes malice murder, multiple charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a 12-gauge shotgun and aggravated assault with their pickup trucks.

The McMichaels and Bryan were also indicted on federal hate crime charges in April and have all pleaded not guilty.

Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern:

Nov 23, 10:03 am
Defense attorneys call for a mistrial

As prosecutor Linda Dunikoski continued her rebuttal argument, defense attorneys for Greg and Travis McMichael objected several times, accusing Dunikoski of misstating the law that pertains to citizen’s arrest.

After one of the defense attorneys called for a mistrial in front of the jury, Judge Walmsley sent the panel out of the courtroom.

Walmsley appeared frustrated at all the interruptions to Dunikoski’s rebuttal, saying, “I like to get the closing arguments done.”

Walmsley denied the motion for a mistrial, telling the attorneys, “I indicated the law is going to be provided to the panel. I’ve indicated the court’s position with respect to the law.”

Nov 23, 9:42 am
‘This isn’t the Wild West’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski went through the felony counts against the defendants, telling the jury that the evidence shows they are guilty of each charge, including malice murder.

“This isn’t the Wild West,” Dunikoski said, referring to the actions the McMichaels and Bryan allegedly took.

“But for the criminal intent at false imprisonment, but for the false imprisonment, but for the assault with the motor vehicles, but for the aggravated assault with the shotgun, he (Arbery) wouldn’t be dead. That’s how you think about it,” Dunikoski said. “You can’t take out any of these crimes. You take out any one of these crimes that they committed and he’s still alive.”

Dunikoski added, “All of the underlying felonies played a substantial and necessary part in causing the death of Ahmaud Arbery.”

Nov 23, 9:18 am
‘Ignorance of the law is no excuse’: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski began her rebuttal argument by telling the jury she wants to make sure “we are on the same page as far as the facts and the law goes.”

She said the law requires “a fair-minded and impartial juror to honestly seek the truth.”

“In other words, do you think they committed the crimes? That’s all you need. Oh, if you go, ‘Yeah, I think they committed the crimes, you’re good. That’s all you need.”

Dunikoski’s statement prompted objections from the defense attorneys that she was misstating the law. Judge Timothy Walmsley told the jury he will instruct them on the law once Dunikoski is finished.

The prosecutor then told the jury that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

“If you’re going to take the law into your own hands, you better know what the law is,” Dunikoski said, referring to the laws of self-defense and citizen’s arrests that the defendants are claiming.

“The state is not saying that Greg and Travis McMichael ran out of their house to go murder him,” Dunikoski said. “It started out as one thing and it escalated and it escalated until it became murder.”

Nov 22, 8:30 pm
Jury sent home for the night

After Kevin Gough, the attorney for William “Roddie” Bryan, wrapped up his closing argument, Dunikoski informed the judge that she’d need another two hours to present her rebuttal argument.

Judge Walmsley polled the jury and they said they didn’t want to stay longer.

Dunikoski will present her rebuttal argument on Tuesday morning before the jury is given final instructions on the law and sent to begin deliberations.

Court will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, about a half-hour earlier than usual.

Why Jennifer Lawrence took $5M less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Why Jennifer Lawrence took M less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’

Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio both star in Netflix’s upcoming comedy Don’t Look Up, but Lawrence’s paycheck was $5 million less — and here’s why she’s okay with that.

Speaking with IndieWire, the actress, 31, candidly said of her 47-year-old costar, “Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do.”

“I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal,” Lawrence explains. “But in other situations, what I have seen — and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well — is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay. And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity, but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”

Don’t Look Up, which was directed by Adam McKay, tells the story of two astronomers, played by Lawrence and DiCaprio, who try to warn people about a comet that could destroy the Earth. Although the Hunger Games star took a lesser payout for the film, she did receive top billing, which means her name will appear before the Titanic star’s in the credits.

“I was number-one on the call sheet,” Lawrence shared. “[Am I ok] with being number one on the call sheet? Yeah. And I thought [the credits] should reflect that.”

“Leo was very gracious about it,” she continued. “I think we had something called a Laverne & Shirley, which is this billing they invented where it’s an equal billing. But I guess maybe somewhere down the line, I kicked the stone further, like, ‘What if it wasn’t equal?'”

Don’t Look Up hits Netflix December 10.

‘GMA’ co-anchor Michael Strahan to fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan will fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight.

The Dec. 9 mission will be the New Shepard rocket’s third human flight this year and marks the first with a full astronaut manifest of six crew members in the capsule, according to Blue Origin.

Liftoff is targeted for 9:00 am CT on Thursday, Dec. 9 from the company’s “Launch Site One” facility in a remote area in the West Texas desert.

Strahan joins Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American to fly to space and the namesake of New Shepard, and four others on the space flight.

Space industry executive and philanthropist Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, and Bess Ventures founder Lane Bess and his child, Cameron, will also be part of the crew for New Shepard’s 19th mission. Lane and Cameron Bess will become the first parent-child pair to fly in space.

Blue Origin invited Strahan to join the crew of this flight. As a crew member, Strahan will receive a stipend, which is being donated to The Boys & Girls Club.

On July 20, 2021, Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was among the history-making crew aboard Blue Origin’s first human flight along with his brother, Mark Bezos, as well as the oldest and youngest people ever to go to space, pioneering female pilot Wally Funk, 82, and Oliver Daemon, 18.

On Blue Origin’s second crewed mission in October 2021, actor William Shatner, 90, set a new record as the oldest person ever to go to space.

Wendy Williams’ brother shuts down rumors she’s confined to wheelchair, showing signs of dementia

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Wendy Williams‘ brother, Tommy, is speaking out after reports emerged that the talk show host has been confined to a wheelchair and is showing signs of dementia.

According to The Sun, Tommy said Wendy is not “displaying that type of behavior to the family.”

“We haven’t had any alerts like that and I haven’t seen anything like that or have had conversations with her that would lead me to believe that,” he said, adding that he and the rest of their family, all of whom reside in Florida, “routinely” visits and checks on Wendy.

Tommy continued, “So no, we don’t have any concerns concerning her mental state. It’s all physical.”

Wendy’s brother even shared that his sister could possibly be traveling down to Florida to spend the upcoming holiday with the family, adding, “I am trying to find out if she’s coming down for Thanksgiving. I mean, she’s normal like that.”

Tommy’s update comes after The Ricky Smiley Morning Show’s Toine The Don, also known as Antoine Edwards shared the supposed update on Wendy’s health. “It is being reported that the 57-year-old talk show host has completely lost all blood circulation in her legs and in her feet,” he said.

Wendy last gave fans an update on her health on November 8.

“HOW YOU DOIN’? I MISS YOU ALL! As everyone knows, my health has been a hot topic,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m making progress but it’s just one of those things that’s taking longer than we expected.”

Due to Wendy’s absence, The Wendy Show has aired its 13th season with a slew of celebrity guest hosts, including Leah Remini, Michael Rappaport and Sherri Shepherd. Fat Joe and Remi Ma are co-hosting for Thanksgiving week.

Malcolm X’s daughter found dead in her apartment

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Malikah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, was found dead in her Brooklyn, New York, home Monday, police told ABC News.

Shabazz, 56, was found by her daughter just before 5 p.m. ET, police said.

The death does not appear suspicious.

The news comes as two men found guilty in Malcolm X’s assassination are expected to have their convictions thrown out.

Minister and human rights activist Malcom X was killed 57 years ago in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights.

Shabazz was one of Malcolm X’s six daughters.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

‘The Humans’ serves up a Thanksgiving feast full of family drama

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

One new movie opening this week may get you in the mood for Thanksgiving — or just happy that you’re not stuck in this family.

The Humans stars Beanie Feldstein, Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun and Richard Jenkins in a tense, funny, and dark drama. Stephen Karam wrote and directed the film, based off his own play, and he tells ABC Audio why it’s a great movie to watch on Turkey Day.

“Because it’s not your family, the joy of, I think, the entertainment value of this story is that no matter how bad things get, it’s not your family, he explains. “So I feel safe recommending it at any moment, both before or after eating.”

Karam says the beauty of The Humans is that while people relate to different characters, they always identify with someone.

“Maybe some people are the mother and are likewise this daughter’s so spoiled, and some people are 25 going, ‘Oh my God, I feel similarly clinically insane when I go home and I become like a teenager again. Like, what is this insanity, I’m 25. I shouldn’t be doing this anymore,'” he explains.

Jenkins tells ABC Audio that the squabbling family at the center of it may not be that different from your own.

“They make horrible mistakes. They do, they say, mean things to each other,” he says. “But you know, I think if we saw a film of our own Thanksgiving dinner, we’d be a little surprised at, it may not be exactly what you think it is.”

The Humans opens Wednesday in theaters and on Showtime.

Bus crash in Bulgaria kills dozens, including children: Officials

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(MOSCOW) — At least 45 people, including a dozen children, were killed after a tourist bus from North Macedonia crashed and caught fire in Bulgaria early Tuesday, officials said.

The accident occurred on the Struma highway near the village of Bosnek in western Bulgaria at around 2 a.m. local time. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, where 45 people were confirmed dead, according to a statement from the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior.

Seven people who sustained injuries from the crash were transported to a hospital for treatment, the ministry said.

The bus, carrying 53 people, was heading back to North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, after a tourist trip to Istanbul, Turkey, according to Monika Markovska, an official at the North Macedonian Embassy in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. The Bulgarian Ministry of Interior confirmed that the bus was registered in North Macedonia.

Most of those on board were Macedonian, apart from one Belgian national. Twelve children were among the dead, Markovska told ABC News.

The seven people who were hospitalized were admitted to Pirogov Hospital in Sofia.

The patients — four men and three women — suffered from burns and lacerations but were all in stable condition, Dr. Ljubo Topkov of Pirogov Hospital told ABC News.

The cause of the crash was unclear and is under investigation.

Traffic was stopped in both directions on the highway as first responders and investigators worked on scene.

The Macedonian travel agency that owns the bus, Besa Trans, did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

To lower gas prices, Biden authorizes release from US strategic oil reserve

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The White House said Tuesday that President Joe Biden will tap into the nation’s strategic oil reserve to help offset a surge in gasoline prices.

Biden, facing rising consumer discontent ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, will make the formal announcement in remarks Tuesday afternoon, a senior administration official told ABC News.

Other countries, including China and India will release their own reserves in concert with the U.S. move, the White House said in a statement.

“Today, the President is announcing that the Department of Energy will make available releases of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower prices for Americans and address the mismatch between demand exiting the pandemic and supply,” the White House said.

It said Biden has been working with countries across the world to address the lack of supply as the world exits the pandemic.

“And, as a result of President Biden’s leadership and our diplomatic efforts, this release will be taken in parallel with other major energy consuming nations including China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. This culminates weeks of consultations with countries around the world, and we are already seeing the effect of this work on oil prices. Over the last several weeks as reports of this work became public, oil prices are down nearly 10 percent,” the White House said.

“The U.S. Department of Energy will make available releases of 50 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in two ways: 32 million barrels will be an exchange over the next several months, releasing oil that will eventually return to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the years ahead. The exchange is a tool matched to today’s specific economic environment, where markets expect future oil prices to be lower than they are today, and helps provide relief to Americans immediately and bridge to that period of expected lower oil prices. The exchange also automatically provides for re-stocking of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over time to meet future needs,” the statement said.

Experts said Americans will see a quick drop in prices almost immediately. But the larger impact won’t hit for about two weeks, when gas stations across the nation lower prices.

A senior administration official, citing a low global supply of oil that is contributing to driving up fuel costs, said the decision has been made to ease costs on everyday American consumers as pressures between demand and the easing of the pandemic create unique conditions.

“We think that this is an immediate challenge that we face as we are exiting the global pandemic and supply has not kept up,” the official told reporters Tuesday morning. “We think that this is exactly suited to that.”

ABC’s Sarah Kolinovsky and Jordyn Phelps contributed to this report.

Biden to announce that US will tap into strategic oil reserves, official says

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce Tuesday that the country will tap into strategic oil reserves to help offset a surge in gasoline prices, a senior administration official told ABC News.

The move will be formally announced by the White House on Tuesday morning before Biden addresses it in a speech scheduled for the afternoon, according to the official.

Experts said Americans will see a quick drop in prices almost immediately. But the larger impact won’t hit for about two weeks, when gas stations across the nation lower prices.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Mariah Carey planning “gritty” adaptation of her memoir, new Christmas book

November 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Mariah Carey is all about Christmas right now, but she’s already thinking ahead to what she wants to do in 2022 — like making a movie out of her best-selling memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey.

Speaking to Extra, Mariah says, “I’m working on some really exciting stuff for next year, the adaptation of my memoir with Lee Daniels…We need it to be gritty. It’s not gonna be…sweet…it’s a very real situation.” Lee directed Mariah in the acclaimed movies Precious and The Butler.

Mariah says she’s also “working on another Christmas book,” but adds, “We’ll talk about that next year.” In 2015, Mariah put out a children’s book based on her signature tune “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

As for the holidays this year, Mariah’s AppleTV+ special Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues streams on December 3. On it, you’ll see her sing her new holiday song “Fall In Love at Christmas,” featuring Khalid and Kirk Franklin, and she tells Extra that she’s also performing a new version of Darlene Love‘s classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

But first, let’s get through Thanksgiving. Mariah tells Extra that she’s cooking “greens” for Thanksgiving dinner, bragging, “I’ve been heralded for my greens.”

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