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Get Vaxxed: Paul McCartney encourages fans to get the COVID-19 vaccine

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Sir Paul McCartney is hoping to encourage more of his fans to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they haven’t already done so.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 79-year-old music legend shared a photo of him getting the jab and captioned his post in all capital letters, “BE COOL. GET VAX’D.”

Sir Paul opted to wear navy blue beanie, navy sweater and a matching face mask for his appointment.

The former Beatles member shared his latest PSA as COVID-19 infections caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant continue to rise worldwide.

The music legend previously expressed to British publication The Sun that he was eager to be vaccinated, as it will allow him to perform before a live audience in the near future.

“The vaccine will get us out of this,” Paul said at the time. “I think we’ll come through it, I know we’ll come through, and it’s great news about the vaccine. I’ll have it as soon as I’m allowed.”

The British government reports that, as of Monday, nearly 90 percent of its adult population has obtained at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 72 percent of eligible adults are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 has killed over 153,000 people in the U.K., according to government figures, and has infected nearly six million British citizens.

BE COOL. GET VAX’D – Paul pic.twitter.com/33PtIyub5X

— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) August 2, 2021

New York celebrates Tony Bennett’s 95th birthday

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images 8th Annual Exploring The Arts Gala

It’s Tony Bennett’s 95th birthday today, and he’ll be celebrating with all of New York.

New York State has officially proclaimed today Tony Bennett Day, with Governor Andrew Cuomo saying in part, “Music and the arts have long been an essential piece of the fabric of New York, and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who has made more of a contribution in this space than Tony Bennett.”

Sony Music Entertainment has also bestowed Tony with a bench in Central Park engraved with his name. It’s located at the east side of Center Drive when entering the Park at Central Park South and 6th Avenue.

“It is an honor to dedicate this bench to Tony in his beloved Central Park, where he has experienced so much joy and inspiration across the years,” Richard Story, President of Sony Music Entertainment’s Commercial Music Group, says in a statement.

And finally, Tony will be celebrating his birthday by taking the stage and doing what he does best. Tonight marks the opening night of One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall. The second night of the sold-out two-night engagement takes place August 5. It will be Tony’s last live concert appearance in New York City.

Earlier this year, Tony’s family revealed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Chris Evans responds to Lizzo’s joke that she’s pregnant with his baby

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lizzo‘s love for Chris Evans has been an ongoing bit between the two. Most recently, the “Truth Hurts” singer joked that she was pregnant with his child — and now Evans has responded.

In a TikTok, Lizzo shared a screenshot of the DM Evans sent reacting to the news.

“Hi!” the message read. “Just heard about our little bundle of joy [crying laughing emoji] my mother will be so happy lol.”

The Grammy winner was clearly ecstatic about the news, captioning the post, “OMG YALL — HE SAW THE BABY BUMP! WE DID IT! NOW YALL GOTTA NAME LIL MERICA!!!!! WHAT YALL BOUTA NAME MY BABY ?!”

Lizzo, 33, first joked a week ago that she and Evans, 40, were expecting when a fan messaged her, “Lizzo baby… we know your [sic] [pregnant emoji] and we know it’s Chris Evans now spill the tea.”

Blasting the Captain America theme, the character Evans has famously portrayed in a host of Marvel films, Lizzo jokingly confessed, “I’ve been sucking in… We’re going to have a little America!”

Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Ninety-one-year-old Gene Hackman trending on Twitter for all the right reasons

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hackman in 2003 – Vera Anderson/WireImage

Unfortunately, when a Hollywood legend of a certain age trends on Twitter, fans assume the worst — but thankfully that’s not the case with 91-year-old Gene Hackman.

The two-time Oscar winner’s name began trending on the social media service thanks to a tweet from film historian James L. Neibaur, who posted a picture of the iconic American actor, with a caption reading, “Gene Hackman retired from acting 17 years ago, but had this recent pic taken to show he is alive and well at 91, and living in New Mexico. He goes bike riding every day and remains active and engaged with hobbies, and friends.”

The post went viral, with fans cheering on the star — and with more than a few admitting they feared bad news when Hackman’s name began trending.

Neibaur later tweeted a clarification, because he couldn’t edit his original post, informing followers that the picture was actually two years old, but the sentiment still stands.

“I was informed that this pic is 2 years old, when he was a young, strapping 89 — Grinning face with smiling eyes,” Neibaur wrote, adding, “Still great that Mr. Hackman is alive and well, and has so many supportive fans.”

pic.twitter.com/HzYGv7duLv

— James L Neibaur (@JimLNeibaur) August 2, 2021

Employee allegedly shoots three co-workers at Smile Direct Club in Nashville

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — An employee allegedly shot and injured three co-workers at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday, officials said.

One worker was struck in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.

One of the victims is in critical condition, he said.

The suspected gunman, a 22-year-old employee, left the building as officers responded to the call, but officers spotted him at an intersection and demanded he drop the weapon, police said.

The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, instead directed the gun toward officers, according to Aaron.

The suspect was shot by police and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

It appears the gunman acted alone, police said. The suspect, who was not named, started working at Smile Direct Club in June, police said. He also worked there from late 2019 to early 2020.

Smile Direct Club said in a statement, “The safety of our team members is a top priority for our Company and we maintain strict security protocols and a no weapons policy at all of our facilities. We are working with the local police as they investigate this matter.”

Three employees shot at Smile Direct Club in Nashville

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Three employees were shot and injured at a Smile Direct Club manufacturing facility in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, early Tuesday, officials said.

One employee was struck in the chest, one in the abdomen and one in the leg, Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said at a news conference.
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One of the victims is in critical condition, he said.

The suspected gunman left the building as officers responded to the call, but officers spotted him at an intersection and demanded he drop the weapon, Aaron said. The suspect, armed with a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, instead directed the gun toward officers, according to Aaron.

The suspect was shot by police and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Katy, Lionel and Luke returning for 20th season of ‘American Idol’

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan will be back behind the judges’ table when American Idol returns on ABC in the spring of 2022. It’ll be the show’s fifth season on ABC, but its 20th season overall. Host Ryan Seacrest is also on board for this historic season.

American Idol‘s executive producer and showrunner Megan Wolflick said in a statement, “The chemistry and passion Katy, Luke, Lionel and Ryan bring is second to none. We couldn’t be more ecstatic that they are returning for this iconic 20th season in search of the freshest new talent that this nation has to offer.”

Auditions for the new season start this Friday, August 6 with the return of the virtual nationwide “Idol Across America” search, which will take place in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The most recent American Idol champ, Chayce Beckham, auditioned via “Idol Across America.”

Visit AmericanIdol.com/auditions to find out how to sign up. Here are the dates; you can audition on any date, regardless of where you live:

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina (Aug. 6)
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York (Aug. 8)
Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (Aug. 11)
Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia (Aug. 13)
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Aug. 16)
Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee (Aug. 18)
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada (Aug. 21)
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming (Aug. 23)
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin (Aug. 25)
Open Call: Nationwide (Aug. 27)
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah (Aug. 31)
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont (Sept. 2)
Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. (Sept. 8)
Open Call: The South (Sept. 10)
Open Call: East Coast (Sept. 13)
Open Call: West Coast (Sept. 16)
Open Call: Nationwide (Sept. 21)

Simone Biles finishes with bronze: Key moments from Day 11 of the Olympic Games

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(TOKYO) — Each day, ABC News will give you a roundup of key Olympic moments from the day’s events in Tokyo, happening 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. After a 12-month delay, the unprecedented 2020 Summer Olympics is taking place without fans or spectators and under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Simone Biles finishes Tokyo Games with a bronze medal

After previously withdrawing from the team all-around and individual events, Simone Biles rejoined the competition and won the bronze medal in the individual balance beam competition. Biles ended her Olympic events by completing a solid routine, one that did not include any twists and had one minor balance check. Biles is now tied with Shannon Miller as the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast with seven medals.

Teammate Sunisa Lee, who won the gold medal in the individual all-around, did not place in the balance beam event.

U.S. men’s basketball advances to semifinals

The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 95-81, advancing to the semifinals against the winner of the game between Australia and Argentina. The effort was led by Kevin Durant with 29 points. Team USA is looking to continue its streak of winning a medal in every Olympic Games since competing in 1936.

COVID-19 cases at Tokyo Olympics rise to 299

There were 18 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, including one athlete who was staying at the Olympic Village at the time of the positive test. The total now stands at 299, according to data released by the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

The surrounding city of Tokyo reported 3,709 new cases on Tuesday, a seven-day average increase of 189.3%, according to data from the Tokyo metropolitan government.

U.S. takes silver in long jump, 400m hurdle world record obliterated

Team USA’s Brittany Reese won the silver medal in long jump in Tuesday’s event. The U.S. now has five silvers in the athletics competitions with the only gold in discus throw.

Norway’s Karsten Warholm took home the gold in the men’s 400m hurdles but also finished with a new world record of 45.94 seconds. He broke the previous record by .76 seconds.

Sport climbing makes its Olympic debut

Sport climbing in the Tokyo Games began with two of the three disciplines: The men’s combined bouldering qualifier and the men’s combined lead qualifier. This is the first time sport climbing has been featured in the Olympics and consists of bouldering, lead and speed disciplines.

For more Olympics coverage, see: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/Olympics

Hugh Jackman alerts fans he underwent skin biopsy following possible cancer scare

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hugh Jackman hoped to inspire more fans to wear sunscreen when revealing Monday that he had to undergo a skin biopsy after his doctor noticed something “a little irregular” on his skin.

Taking to Twitter, the Australian actor shared a video where he pulled down his mask and showed his bandaged nose. “I just want to let you know, I just went to see… my amazing dermatologists and doctors and they saw something that was a little irregular,” the Greatest Showman star explained. “So they took a biopsy and they’re getting it checked.”

Jackman, 52, assured fans they need not be concerned or “freak out” and promised to “let you know what’s going on.”

“It’s probably fine,” he continued. “But remember… wear sunscreen. Don’t be like me as a kid.”

The actor revealed in a 2015 interview with ABC News that he spent most of his childhood playing in the hot Australia sun and neglected to wear sunscreen. He was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in 2013.

In the years since, Jackman’s continued to remind fans of the importance sunscreen, and revealed in 2016 that he had to undergo another biopsy.

“An example of what happens when you don’t wear sunscreen. Basal Cell. The mildest form of cancer but serious, nonetheless. PLEASE USE SUNSCREEN and get regular check-ups,” he shared on Instagram.

In 2017, he shared a similar message about his ongoing battle with skin cancer and credited his “frequent checks” for catching it early.

The Mayo Clinic says basal cell carcinoma is believed to be caused by long-term exposure to UV sunlight and recommends the best way to prevent it is to wear sunscreen.

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The Weeknd taps the Olympics to announce new single “Take My Breath,” due out August 6

August 3, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

After sharing a cryptic two-minute teaser the other day about an upcoming single, The Weeknd confirmed on Monday that his next music era is finally here.

Taking to Instagram, the “Blinding Lights” singer announced fans will hear his brand new song “Take My Breath” this Friday, August 6.

The Weeknd tapped the Tokyo Olympics to share the track and release info in an official promo, which focused on the U.S. Women’s Track & Field team through the eyes of runners Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Gabby Thomas and Athing Mu.

The promo features joyous moments the four celebrated at the finish line in past races before revealing the song’s title and teasing the next crop of Olympic track and field events that Team USA is primed to dominate.

The Weeknd, also feeling the gold medal vibes, captioned his comeback, “8.6.21 new single [gold medal emoji].”

No word yet on when that new album is supposed to come out, but fans are buzzing that an announcement is on the horizon.

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