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Democrats demand answers about how FBI handled Brett Kavanaugh inquiry

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Senate Democrats are demanding answers after the FBI revealed just recently that it received more than 4,500 tips about Brett Kavanaugh when he was a Supreme Court nominee in 2018 and that only ones the agency deemed most “relevant” were referred to then-President Donald Trump’s White House.

The Democrats want to know how the information from the supplemental background check was handled and whether any of it was investigated, details they say were never passed on to the senators considering Kavanaugh’s nomination.

They asked the FBI to hand over by Aug. 31 “all records and communications” related to the first-of-its kind tip line the FBI set up that produced both “telephone calls and electronic submissions” and to explain how the tips were evaluated and categorized as “relevant.”

“If the FBI was not authorized to or did not follow up on any of the tips that it received from the tip line, it is difficult to understand the point of having a tip line at all,” they said in a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray.

It’s been nearly three years since Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation onto the nation’s highest court following allegations by California professor Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her at a party in Maryland when they were both in high school in the early 1980s. Local police did not investigate in 2018 and weren’t asked to look into her allegations around the time she says the incident happened.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse released a letter from the FBI Thursday, dated June 30, that was written in response to a two-year-old request from Sens. Whitehouse and Chris Coons asking about how an expanded FBI review of Kavanaugh — done in response to Ford’s allegation — was pursued and how involved the Trump White House was in the probe.

In the letter, Jill C. Tyson, an FBI assistant director said the most “relevant” of the 4,500 tips received in the probe were passed to the Office of White House Counsel under Trump, but no further, as a 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the Justice Department and White House requires. The fate and subsequent actions based off those tips remain a mystery.

The letter stated that the agency was conducting a background check rather than a criminal investigation. “The authorities, policies and procedures used to investigate criminal matters did not apply,” Tyson said.

In light of Ford’s accusations, other allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh ensued, all of which he denied. Don McGahn was White House counsel at the time.

The allegations led to bitter divide among lawmakers over Trump’s nomination of the judge and saw Ford and Kavanaugh endure a heated daylong hearing in September 2018 where they were grilled by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kavanaugh was eventually sworn into the Supreme Court in October that year.

The FBI response has only sparked outrage among Democrats. Whitehouse along with six other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee — Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Coons — replied to the FBI’s letter Wednesday asking for additional details on the agreement with the White House over the inquiry and the handling of the incoming tips.

“The admissions in your letter corroborate and explain numerous credible accounts by individuals and firms that they had contacted the FBI with information ‘highly relevant to . . . allegations’ of sexual misconduct by Justice Kavanaugh, only to be ignored,” the senators wrote in response.

ABC News has reached out to the FBI for comment.

In the probe into Kavanaugh’s past, 10 witnesses were interviewed by the FBI, according to the letter, but Ford and Kavanaugh were not. It’s unclear whether those 10 were discovered through the tip line.

Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, the lawyers who represented Ford, said in a statement that the FBI’s investigations into her allegations about Kavanaugh’s alleged misconduct “was a sham and a major institutional failure.”

The lawyers said the FBI “handed the information over to the White House, allowing those who supported Kavanaugh to falsely claim that the FBI found no wrongdoing,” adding, “our nation deserved better.”

ABC News’ Trish Turner and Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.

Trevor Jackson reveals coronavirus diagnosis and sings Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work”

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

R&B singer Trevor Jackson shared a video of himself singing Maxwell’s classic “This Woman’s Work,” while revealing he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Bad news is I got COVID. Good News is my falsetto kicked in after 24 hours, lmao,” Jackson wrote Instagram Thursday. “Next album bout to be nothing but false[setto].”

The grown-ish actor added that fans should check out the music video for his single, “Tiny Dancer,” from his latest album, The Love Language.

Fans in the comments sent Jackson well wishes and “get well soon” remarks, including from vocalistsJD McCrary, Syleena Johnson and more.

“Feel better, baby brother!” wrote comedian Loni Love.

According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Friday afternoon, there were over 34.2 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.

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Rob Thomas posts sweet tribute to wife on 23rd anniversary of their engagement

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Rob Thomas is celebrating his wife Marisol on Instagram today, the 23rd anniversary of the day he proposed to her.

“23 years ago today, in 1998, in a rented SUV in the rain I asked her to marry me,” Rob wrote alongside a series of photos of himself and Mari through the years. “I’d carried the ring around with me for a week or so waiting for the right time.”

“Everyone thought we were nuts and rightfully so, considering we had only been dating 2 months,” he continues. “She said yes and we started the year and a half of wedding plans. But I would have married her in that car that night.”

“A lot of years have passed now,” writes Rob. “Good times and heartache. But she is my partner in crime. She’s my other. Thanks, Mari, for saying yes.”

The Matchbox Twenty frontman and Marisol, a former model who’s inspired many of his songs, including “Smooth,” tied the knot October 2, 1999. The couple, who are passionate about animal rescue and advocacy, have stuck together, even as Marisol has battled a number of debilitating tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease.

Rob and Matchbox Twenty’s planned 2021 tour was rescheduled for 2022; it’ll now begin May 17 in Vancouver, B.C.

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blackbear to release new EP ‘misery lake’

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

From Maroon 5 to Machine Gun Kelly, to All Time Low, Kane Brown and Tate McRae, blackbear seems to be the go-to collaborator these days — but he’s putting out his own EP next month.

The singer, songwriter and producer will release misery lake on August 13. It will feature his previously released collaboration with Tate, “u love u,” and five new tracks, including “ghost town” with Sasha Alex Sloan and “imu,” featuring the equally ubiquitous Travis Barker.

Blackbear’s new single with Kane Brown, “Memory,” isn’t included on the package.

As previously reported, blackbear will join Maroon 5 on their upcoming tour, which kicks off August 10 in Auburn, WA. The artist, born, Matthew Musto, is featured on the song “Echo” on Maroon 5’s new album JORDI, and co-wrote and co-produced their current hit, “Beautiful Mistakes.”

Here’s the track listing for misery lake:

“alone in a room full of people”
“@ my worst”
“u love u” ft. tate mcrae
“ghost town” ft. sasha alex sloan
“imu” ft. travis barker
“bad day”

Dierks Bentley loves singing with his kids, but he’s not pushing them into the music business

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

If you’ve been keeping up with Dierks Bentley’s social media channels lately, you’ve probably seen glimpses of all the on-stage fun as the singer embarks on his 2021 Beers on Me Tour.

He’s even had an extra-special guest with him now and again: Dierks’ 12-year-old daughter, Evie joined him onstage earlier this month. She showed off her impressive vocal talents in a live rendition of Dierks’ “Different for Girls,” where she filled in for her dad’s studio duet partner on the song, Elle King.

But in an interview with Good Morning America, Dierks says that as much as he loves singing with Evie and the rest of his kids, he’s not forcing them to follow in his country music footsteps.

“All my kids love performing. Evie’s got a pretty special voice right now,” he says. “We don’t really practice or rehearse a bunch…she’s just a kid, and I like her doing kid stuff.”

Still, the singer says, he’s impressed by his daughter’s affinity for the spotlight.

“She’s got a great voice, a great stage presence. She’ll jump out onstage sometimes and sing in front of 15,000 people, and I’m more nervous than she is,” he jokes. “She’s kind of a natural at it. It’s a special thing to get to share together.”

Dierks’ Beers on Me Tour continues this summer, with opening acts Riley Green and Parker McCollum. He also recently notched his 20th number-one country radio hit with “Gone.”

Nathan Fillion gives new meaning to “arms control” as TDK in new clip from ‘The Suicide Squad’

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

(NOTE LANGUAGE) Lots of virtual ink has been spent on fan speculation that with a name only listed as TDK, Nathan Fillion would be playing The Dark Knight AKA Batman in the upcoming sequel The Suicide Squad.

However, fanboys and girls, you can put your hands down. Or, more accurately, your arms: with a new clip posted exclusively to IGN’s YouTube channel, it has been revealed that TDK actually stands for The Detachable Kid — a low-tier DC Comics hero who can detach his limbs and use them independent of his torso.

In the scene from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn‘s forthcoming film, the Suicide Squad members, including Joel Kinnaman‘s Rick Flag and Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn, are under fire, and the order goes out to deploy TDK.

In that instant, Fillion strikes a heroic pose, and his arms indeed pop off, and float over to the bad guys, and proceed to basically just annoy them.

“What the f***?!” Harley says in disbelief. “I didn’t pick the damn team!” Flag replies in his defense.

A while back, Fillion, who has appeared in nearly every Gunn-directed film in some form, had some fun with the online speculation. He falsely boasted to ABC Audio that not only was he playing The Dark Knight, but that previous Batmen West, Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, and Bale need to take a seat. “I’m gonna go update my Wikipedia page as well, to make sure everybody knows that I played The Dark Knight. Some say the best, I don’t know who’s saying it. I’ll just say, ‘Whatever guys, you be the judge.'”

The Suicide Squad also stars Viola Davis, John Cena, Idris Elba, Michael Rooker, and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark. The film opens August 6.

Gemini Syndrome announces new album, ‘3rd Degree — The Raising’

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Gemini Syndrome will release a new album called 3rd Degree — The Raising on October 15.

In a statement, vocalist Aaron Nordstrom describes the upcoming record as being about “death and rebirth.”

“In the process of this record I made some major life choices,” Nordstrom explains. “Mainly to stop killing myself slowly with alcohol. Two years without a drink, and a couple near death experiences later, I think I have ample experience to talk about a subject as elusive as death.”

Gemini Syndrome has already released three songs from 3rd Degree, including the current single “Die with Me.” A fourth cut, titled “Abandoned,” is out today via digital outlets.

3rd Degree is the follow-up to 2016’s Memento Mori, which spawned the single “Remember We Die.”

Here’s the 3rd Degree — The Raising track list:

“Reintegration”
“IDK”
“Die With Me”
“Baptized in Fire”
“Children of the Sun”
“Abandoned”
“Broken Reflection”
“Sum Quod Eris”
“Best of Me”
“Absolution”
“Hold the Line”
“Where We Started From”
“Fiat Lux”

Whoopi Goldberg joins film on Emmet Till’s mother; Marla Gibbs & Jackée Harry to reunite on ‘Day of Our Lives’ & more

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Whoopi Goldberg has been added to the cast of Till, the upcoming film that follows Emmett Louis Till‘s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and her fight for justice after her 14-year-old son was brutally murdered.

According to Variety, Goldberg joins Danielle Deadwyler who has also been tapped to star in the Chinonye Chukwu-directed feature. Deadwyler will play Mamie Till-Mobley, while Goldberg will portray Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan. As previously reported, Till chronicles Mamie’s decision to allow Jet magazine to publish the open casket photos at her son’s funeral. In doing so, she ensured “people everywhere saw the true horrors of her son’s murder” which helped usher in the civil rights movement. A release date for Till has yet to be announced.

In other news, 227 alums Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry are set to reunite on daytime television. According to Soap Opera Digest, the two will play mother and daughter on Days of our Lives starting Tuesday, August 17. Gibbs will play Olivia Price, while Harry will play her daughter Paulina. As you may recall, Gibbs had played Mary Jenkins alongside Harry, who played her neighbor Sandra, on 227 from 1985 to 1990.

Finally, Grammy-nominated singer and grown-ish actress Chlöe Bailey has been added to the film Jane. She joins Madelaine Petsch, Melissa Leo, Ian Owens and Chloe Yu who were also announced. Jane is the debut feature film from Creator+, a studio and streaming platform geared toward digital creators and Gen Z viewers. The psychological thriller explores social media anxiety and mental health from the perspective of a high school student. Creator+ is expected to launch sometime in 2022. A date for Jane has not been announced.

David Crosby discusses Donald Fagen’s contribution to new album, ‘For Free’; reveals he may not tour again

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

David Crosby‘s latest solo album, For Free, was released today, and to celebrate the record’s arrival, the folk-rock legend took part in a new video interview this week with the Grammy Museum’s Scott Goldman that’s been posted on GrammyMuseum.org.

For Free includes a song called “Rodriguez for a Night,” which features lyrical contributions from Donald Fagen, lead singer of Crosby’s favorite band, Steely Dan.

In the interview, Crosby explained that the collaboration came about after Crosby made a couple of well-received guest appearances with Steely Dan at concerts that the group played in New York, during which they performed the Crosby, Stills & Nash classic “Wooden Ships.”

David said that shortly after those shows, Fagen emailed the lyrics for what became “Rodriguez for a Night,” for which Crosby’s son and frequent collaborator James Raymond wrote the music.

“I don’t know if I heard Donald do that with anybody else, but I’m honored that he did it with us,” David said.

Speaking of Raymond, Crosby praised his son for writing the best song on For Free, the album closer “I Won’t Stay for Long.”

“With this record, he’s matured as a writer…to the point where he’s as good as I am, if not better,” David gushed about James, who also produced For Free.

The album also features collaborations with Michael McDonald and Grammy-winning Americana artist Sarah Jarosz. McDonald co-wrote and sings on the record’s lead song, “River Rise,” while Jarosz lends her talents to the Joni Mitchell-penned title track.

Meanwhile, Crosby, who turns 80 in August, revealed during the interview that he unfortunately may not tour again, explaining that he has arthritis in both hands and fears that “in a year or two I won’t be able to play guitar.”

Here’s the full For Free track list:

“River Rise” (featuring Michael McDonald)
“I Think”
“The Other Side of Midnight”
“Rodriguez for a Night”
“Secret Dancer”
“Ships in the Night”
“For Free” (featuring Sarah Jarosz)
“Boxes”
“Shot at Me”
“I Won’t Stay for Long”

Judge in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorce case dismissed

July 23, 2021 by WDNY Radio

An appeals court in California has dismissed the judge Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had hired to adjudicate their divorce proceedings, Page Six is reporting.

Jolie had filed an appeal motion before Judge John W. Ouderkirk‘s decision in May that ultimately awarded Pitt more time with their minor children: adopted daughters Pax, 17, and Zahara, 16, as well as the couple’s three biological children: Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, who turn 13 in July. The couple’s eldest adopted child Maddox is 19, and as such wasn’t part of the custody situation.

However, the appeals court just agreed with Jolie, ruling Ouderkirk didn’t appropriately disclose “business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.”

According to the publication, the appeals court ruled disqualification was “required,” noting, “Judge Ouderkirk’s ethical breach, considered together with …his recent professional relationships with Pitt’s counsel, might cause an objective person…to entertain a doubt as to the judge’s ability to be impartial.”

The 46-year-old Jolie and Pitt, 57, split in 2016 after 2 years of marriage, but 12 years together. They were legally divorced in April 2019, but chose at the time to mediate custody and other issues separately via a private judge for the purposes of discretion.

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