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Santana joins forces with “Smooth” collaborator Rob Thomas for new collaborative single, “Move”

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

How’s this for a smooth move…Carlos Santana has teamed up again with his “Smooth” collaborator, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, to record a new song titled “Move” that will be the first single from Santana‘s star-studded upcoming album, Blessings and Miracles.

The track, which also features guest vocals by American Authors, will be released to radio on Wednesday, August 18, while the album in scheduled to arrive on October 15.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” explains Carlos. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob. The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself — you know, move. When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

In a press statement, the new song is described as “a grinding, grooving, swaggering, swaying and altogether breathtaking mix of pop and Latin rock with sure-fire hooks for days.”

“Smooth” was featured on the hugely successful 1999 Santana album Supernatural, and spent a whopping 12 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late ’99 and early 2000. The tune also won three individual Grammy Awards — Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals — and is ranked second among the most successful Billboard singles of all time.

As previously reported, Carlos and Rob both are part of the lineup of the star-packed “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” event taking place August 21 in New York City’s Central Park, although it hasn’t been officially announced if they will perform together. Meanwhile, the Santana band is slated to kick off a new series of Las Vegas residency dates at the House of Blues on August 25.

Santana join forces with “Smooth” collaborator Rob Thomas for new collaborative single, “Move”

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

How’s this for a smooth move! Carlos Santana has teamed up a again with his “Smooth” collaborator, Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas, to record a new song titled “Move” that will be the first single from Santana‘s star-studded upcoming album, Blessings and Miracles.

The track, which also features guest vocals by American Authors, will be released to radio on Wednesday, August 18, while the album in scheduled to arrive on October 15.

In a press statement, the new song is described as “a grinding, grooving, swaggering, swaying and altogether breathtaking mix of pop and Latin rock with sure-fire hooks for days.”

Elvis Presley Barbie, other collectibles released as 2021 Elvis Week celebration gets underway

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The 2021 edition of the annual Elvis Week celebration kicks off today, marking the anniversary of Elvis Presley‘s death and held at the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Graceland mansion in Memphis. Coinciding with the extravaganza, some new collectible Elvis-themed toys have been released.

The first is an Elvis Presley Barbie that features the famous female doll dressed in a replica of Elvis’ “American Eagle” jumpsuit. It’s emblazoned with sparkling red, gold and blue sparkling eagle designs and gold stars, and includes such accessories as a red scarf and a white cape. The doll also sports a pompadour hairstyle and a long ponytail.

The second collectible is the Little People Collector Elvis Presley figure set, which features three Little People characters reflecting different iconic looks of the legendary performer from the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s.

Both the Elvis Barbie and the Little People collector set will be available at major retailers including Walmart, Amazon and Target.

Meanwhile, this year’s Elvis Week runs from today through Tuesday, August 17. Among the many Presley-themed events and activities scheduled to take place during this year’s celebration are various concerts, Q&A sessions and discussions, fan parties and gatherings, movie screenings and much more.

Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, will make guest appearances at select events, including at a special concert on August 16 at the Soundstage at Graceland, featuring on-screen performances by Elvis accompanied by a live group that includes guitarist James Burton and piano player Glen Hardin of Presley’s TCB Band.

Elvis Week also will feature the traditional candlelight vigil held annually on the eve of the anniversary of Elvis’ 1977 death and running until the morning hours of August 16.

Visit Graceland.com for a full Elvis Week schedule.

Marlon Wayans shares how he gave a little ‘Respect’ to Aretha Franklin’s first husband Ted White

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Photo credit: Quantrell D. Colbert © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

Marlon Wayans says he wanted to give Aretha Franklin‘s first husband and manager Ted White a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T when he channeled him in the new biographical drama, Respect. Unfortunately for the actor, that wasn’t an easy task.

“It was funny because I couldn’t really get anything out of anybody about Ted,” Wayans tells ABC Audio. “They said he was a really nice dresser. They said he was stroppy. They said he was charming, but…that there was a bad guy in there.”

Wayans says before he decided to take his own “creative license” to portray the accomplished songwriter, he first tried to “reach out to Ted” to get his perspective — “but Ted didn’t want to talk.”

“So, I…based [Ted] on a minute-and-a-half interview I saw with him and Aretha,” Wayans says. “And from there, I started thinking about the psychology of a guy like Ted, because as much of a devil [that] he was, there was something angelic about him. And so I focused in on not him being all good or all bad, but sometimes he couldn’t keep his bad under control.”

To that end, Wayans says he formed a back story for White that helped explain his harsh behavior.

“And I focused on him maybe having… mommy issues and a lack of appreciation for women,” he shares. “And…even pimps and guys like that, they’re not bad people. They’re hurt people.”

Wayans continues, “Damaged people damage people. And so I wanted to protect that little nugget of innocence in him, because I think in order to make a great bad guy — you’ve got to love him and you got to hate them.”

Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul, hits theaters Friday.

No, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston are not dating

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

If you were hoping for a real-life Ross and Rachel situation between David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston, sorry to burst your bubble.

After the British tabloid Closer claimed the two Friends co-stars were dating in real life, Schwimmer’s rep reportedly told another U.K. tabloid — The Sun — that there was “no truth” to the rumors.

Closer had claimed the Friends reunion had “stirred up feelings” between the two. “They began texting immediately after filming and, just last month, David flew from his home in New York to see Jen in LA,” a source supposedly told the mag.

While a romantic relationship between the two appears to be the wishful thinking of Friends fans, Schwimmer and Aniston did previously reveal during the Friends reunion that they had crushes on each other back in the day.

“The first season, I had a major crush on Jen,” Schwimmer admitted. “At some point we were both crushing hard on each other — but it was like two ships passing [in the night], because one of us was always in a relationship.”

“So we just channeled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel,” Aniston said.

Inside the US Marshal manhunt for long-missing fugitive behind $350 million bank swindle

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(U.S. Marshals) John Ruffo pictured with wife Linda.

(NEW YORK) — This report is part of Season 2 of the ABC News podcast, “Have You Seen This Man?,” hosted by “The View’s” Sunny Hostin. It follows the U.S. Marshals’ ongoing mission to find John Ruffo, who engineered one of the most outlandish frauds in U.S. history, vanished in 1998 and has never been found. A four-part Hulu Original limited series on the global search for Ruffo is currently in production from ABC News Longform. MORE HERE

An unassuming Brooklyn computer salesman who in 1998 committed one of the nation’s most outlandish bank frauds before making a brazen escape is now the subject of an intensifying global manhunt by the U.S. Marshals.

John Ruffo swindled banks out of more than $350 million and was scheduled to start serving a 17-year prison sentence when he vanished. The U.S. Marshals have labeled Ruffo one of their 15 most wanted fugitives and have provided ABC News unprecedented access to their manhunt for the second season of the podcast “Have You Seen This Man,” launching Wednesday.

(U.S. Marshals)
U.S. Marshals’ wanted poster for John Ruffo.

The case has for decades baffled investigators, who never fully understood why Ruffo was granted the unusual privilege of being allowed to self-report for such a hefty prison term. On the day he was supposed to show up at prison, he rented a Ford Taurus, drove to Queens, New York, to turn in the ankle monitor he had been wearing, took $600 out of an ATM, left his car in long term parking at JFK airport, and disappeared.

(U.S. Marshals)
The last known image of John Ruffo, caught on a security camera withdrawing $600 from an ATM in Queens, New York, before disappearing.

A grifter with a history of elaborate cons and an un-memorable everyman appearance, Ruffo has proven an unusually challenging target, investigators said. The Marshals believe his disappearance was aided considerably by more than $13 million in stolen money that has never been found.

Ruffo’s fraud was deceptive in its simplicity. Teaming up with a former executive from the Phillip Morris tobacco company, he devised a false story about what they said was a super-secret research effort to develop smoke-free cigarettes. Ruffo’s computer firm was supposed to be supplying computers for the project – but the entire enterprise was a mirage. As millions poured in from banks, Ruffo attempted to invest the money on Wall Street, figuring he could pocket the gains and pay back the loans. But he was not a shrewd stock picker. He and his co-conspirator were arrested when the ruse fell apart.

(U.S. Marshals)
U.S. Marshals provided this age progression image of John Ruffo.

The podcast, produced by the ABC News Investigative Unit and hosted by Sunny Hostin, has uncovered surprising new details about the bizarre double life Ruffo led in the months and years leading up to his disappearance.

“I mean, it’s a crazy story,” said Judd Burstein, the veteran attorney who represented Ruffo after his arrest in 1997. “He was very disciplined. He was the ultimate double life person.”

The job of finding Ruffo has been assigned to an elite pair of investigators who have expertise in cold cases, Deputy Marshals Danielle Shimchick and Chris Leuer, both based out of Virginia. In recent months, the search for Ruffo has intensified considerably, as Shimchick and Leuer have developed new and promising leads about his escape.

Among those most invested in his capture is the woman who had been Ruffo’s wife at the time of his disappearance, Linda Lausten. Lausten was among those who lost their homes when Ruffo failed to report to prison. His $10 million bail had been secured by six houses belonging to his family members – all of which were seized by the government after he fled.

Lausten said she remains baffled that he was allowed to slip away. She has always maintained she knew nothing about Ruffo’s crimes and has never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with his crime or escape. Lausten has since remarried.

“Even the Marshals told me that it’s almost unheard of that a person would be sentenced to that lengthy sentence and be allowed to turn themself in alone, knowing what a high risk he was,” she said.

This is the second season of the “Have You Seen This Man” podcast. The first season followed the manhunt for long-escaped murderer Lester Eubanks, an Ohio killer who once sat on death row. The podcast generated hundreds of tips for the U.S. Marshals. Eubanks remains at large.

Listen, subscribe and rate “Have You Seen This Man?” on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and Audacy.

Consumer prices continued to climb in July, but at a slower monthly pace

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Consumer prices continued to climb in July, further stoking concerns over inflation as the economy rebounds from the COVID-19 shock.

The Consumer Price Index, often looked to as a measure of inflation, spiked 5.4% over the last 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday. This is the same pace reported in June, tying for the highest 12-month increase since August 2008.

The index rose 0.5% in July alone, the BLS said, leveling off somewhat from the 0.9% increase seen in June.

“This month’s increases were comparatively tame relative to what we had seen the last few months, and that’s in large part because the low bar of a year-ago number is starting to drop out,” Greg McBride, the chief financial analyst at Bankrate, told ABC News on Wednesday.

“What I mean by that is in the second quarter of last year, when the economy was on lockdown, price levels actually declined,” he added. “That exaggerated the increase on a year-over-year basis when we looked at it this year.”

McBride said there is no doubt prices are going up and inflation concerns are valid, adding that “there is more evidence that it could prove to be temporary.”

When compared to pre-pandemic data from two years ago, McBride said the annualized rate would fall to 3.1% versus the more concerning 5.4%.

“Think about a baseball player that usually hits 30 home runs a year, and then one year he hit 10 home runs, and then the next year he comes back and he hits 30 home runs again,” he said. “It’s going to look like he tripled his output — he didn’t. He just returned to normal.”

The so-called core index, which accounts for all items except the more volatile food and energy indexes, climbed 0.3% in July and 4.3% over the past 12 months, the latest data indicate. The food index, meanwhile, increased 0.7% in July and 3.4% over the last 12 months. The energy index climbed 1.6% last month, with the gasoline index alone rising by 2.4%.

The prices for used cars, which have been skyrocketing over the past few months amid a chip shortage, leveled off a bit in July. Used car prices increased by 0.2%, a significant reprieve from the 10.5% increase seen in June.

As consumer demand bounced back when the economy began to reopen all at once, many firms, spanning multiple industries, have reported supply chain bottlenecks and issues hiring back workers.

“Labor shortages and supply chain constraints have been a considerable factor in higher prices and underscores the transitory argument,” McBride said. “This debate of is it transitory or is it more sustained is one that’s going to continue through the balance of 2021.”

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell similarly downplayed inflation fears in a testimony before lawmakers in May.

“Inflation has increased notably in recent months,” Powell stated, according to his prepared remarks. “This reflects, in part, the very low readings from early in the pandemic falling out of the calculation; the pass-through of past increases in oil prices to consumer energy prices; the rebound in spending as the economy continues to reopen; and the exacerbating factor of supply bottlenecks, which have limited how quickly production in some sectors can respond in the near term.”

As these transitory factors abate, Powell said inflation is expected to drop back down again.

Trent Reznor guests on new version of Danny Elfman song, “True”

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Trent Reznor guests on a new version of the song “True,” by prolific film composer and Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman.

The Nine Inch Nails frontman lends his signature growl to the tune while enhancing its industrial vibe. You can listen to the updated recording now via digital outlets, and watch its truly creepy accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The original “True” appears on Elfman’s new solo studio album, Big Mess, which dropped in June.

In addition to appearing on the same song, Reznor and Elfman have another thing in common: they’re both Oscar nominees. However, Reznor has Elfman beat when it comes to wins — Trent’s won two with his scoring partner and NIN band mate Atticus Ross, for The Social Network and Soul, while Danny’s been nominated four times but has yet to go home with a trophy.

Florida investigating school districts that defied ban on mask mandates

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida’s education commissioner told the leaders of three school districts this week that he is investigating them for “non-compliance” after they defied state rules by refusing to let parents opt out of mask requirements for their children.

In letters sent to the leaders of the Alachua, Broward and Leon districts and obtained by ABC News, the commissioner, Richard Corcoran, threatened to withhold money from their salaries and gave them deadlines to respond with a plan “to remedy this glaring non-compliance.”

“There is no room for error or leniency when it comes to ensuring compliance with policies that allow parents and guardians to make health and educational choices for their children,” Corcoran wrote.

Alachua and Broward Counties have shown no indication of budging despite Corcoran’s threat.

Alachua County Public School’s website has not updated its mask policy, even though the district’s deadline to respond to Corcoran was Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Broward County Public Schools has directed its lawyers to challenge the ban on mask mandates, Rosalind Osgood, the chair of the school board, said in a press conference Tuesday.

Osgood spoke to the ABC News podcast “Start Here” and expressed her determination to stand up to the state’s threats.

“I personally can’t be bullied into parochial self-interest to make a decision where I put myself ahead of the lives of other people,” Osgood said in the interview, which aired Wednesday. “There is no monetary value that you can put on somebody’s life.”

Meanwhile, Leon County Schools caved to the state’s pressure, announcing at a board meeting Tuesday that it will now allow parents to opt their children out of wearing masks without giving a reason. The board said the opt out form will go home with students today.

Last Friday, the Florida Department of Health issued an emergency rule that ordered districts requiring masks to let parents opt out without providing a reason.

As punishment, the state “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members,” Governor Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, said Monday.

The mask saga has bled into the start of the school year for some districts in the state. Students in Alachua County returned to classrooms Tuesday, while students in Leon County return Wednesday. The first day of school in Broward County is Aug. 18.

This report was featured in the Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

“Start Here” offers a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Smooth “Move”: Rob Thomas reunites with Carlos Santana for new track

August 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It’s the reunion we didn’t know we needed: Rob Thomas has re-teamed with his “Smooth” collaborator Carlos Santana for a brand-new song.

The track, “Move,” is the first single from Santana’s new album, Blessings and Miracles, and it’ll be out August 18. The track also features vocals from “Best Day of My Life” band American Authors, with frontman Zac Barnett singing the lead in the second verse.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” says Santana in a statement. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob.”

“The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself – you know, move,” the guitar legend adds. “When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

If “Move” is even half as successful as “Smooth,” it’ll be massive: It was number one for 12 weeks, won three Grammys and it was number two on Billboard‘s ranking of the top songs of the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.

Blessings and Miracles arrives October 15. Meanwhile, Rob is working on his first Christmas album.

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