Page 8126 – 105.7 WDNY

Texas hospital reports its 1st case of lambda COVID-19 variant

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A major Texas hospital system has reported its first case of the lambda COVID-19 variant, as the state reels from the rampant delta variant.

Houston Methodist Hospital, which operates eight hospitals in its network, said the first lambda case was confirmed Monday.

The lambda variant was first detected in Peru in August 2020, according to the World Health Organization and makes up 81% of COVID-19 cases sequenced in the country since April 2021, according to a June WHO report. Currently, WHO designates lambda as a “variant of interest.”

Houston Methodist had a little over 100 COVID-19 patients across the hospital system last week. That number rose to 185 Monday, with a majority of those infected being unvaccinated, according to a statement released by the hospital Monday.

Among those infections, about 85% have been diagnosed with the delta variant, hospital officials said.

“We’re seeing an alarming spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the Houston area, with the steepest increase happening over the weekend,” Houston Methodist said. “The increased hospitalizations add stress to many of our hospitals that are nearing capacity.”

Hospital president and CEO Dr. Marc Boom stressed it is “imperative” that the community “get vaccinated and decrease virus spread.”

Despite the report of the lambda variant, experts at Houston Methodist say delta is still the primary concern in the U.S.

“The lambda is the dominant variant in Peru and Peru has had a very difficult time with COVID-19. It shares mutations in common with the alpha variants, the beta, the gamma, which is the dominant variant in Brazil,” Dr. Wesley Long, medical director of Diagnostic Microbiology at Houston Methodist, told ABC News.

“I don’t think there’s sufficient evidence at this point that we should be more concerned about lambda than delta, I still think delta is the primary concern for us. There’s a lot more evidence that we have that delta is much more contagious, the viral loads are much higher,” he added.

The lambda variant “has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased COVID-19 incidence,” the WHO said in its June report. In June, the variant was detected in 29 countries.

The delta variant, which was first detected in India in December, now accounts for about 83% of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in the United States, Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a Senate hearing Tuesday. The WHO designates delta as a “variant of concern.”

Long noted that Houston Methodist has seen its positivity rate increase and hospitalizations rise, but the situation on the ground is still “far below” the winter peak.

“[Infections are] on the increase. How many more cases are we going to get?” Long said. “We’re going to need more folks to get vaccinated and folks who aren’t vaccinated in particular to practice all the safe practices that we learned through the pandemic to help slow the spread of COVID. All those are critically important to keep this delta wave under control.”

At the moment, 51% of Texas’ state population aged 12 and up is fully vaccinated, according to state data.

Childish Gambino covers Brittany Howard’s rock hit “Stay High”

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Childish Gambino lent his soulful vocals to a cover of Brittany Howard‘s Grammy-winning rock hit, “Stay High.”

The singer and actor, born Donald Glover, renounced his familiar falsetto on the synth-driven track over guitar strings and electronic drums. The original “Stay High” sat atop Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart for three weeks and secured Alabama Shakes’ frontwoman a Grammy for Best Rock Song in March.

Gambino’s version will appear on Brittany Howard’s forthcoming project, Jaime Reimagined, which includes fresh covers and remixes of the original songs from her 2019 solo album Jaime. It was named after Howard’s older sister, who taught her how to play the piano and write poetry and died of cancer as a teenager.

Fans who pre-order the digital edition of Jaime Reimagined will receive Childish Gambino’s version of “Stay High,” along with reimagined tracks from Dreamville duo EARTHGANG, Common, 9th Wonder, Syd, and more.

Jaime Reimagined drops on July 23, followed by a vinyl edition arriving later this fall.

Fauci blasts GOP senator for suggesting he lied to Congress about Wuhan lab research

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — GOP Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday stepped up his months-long fight with the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, suggesting he lied to Congress about whether the National Institutes of Health funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and triggering an angry shouting match.

At a Senate Health Committee hearing meant to update lawmakers on the country’s COVID-19 response, the Kentucky Republican began by asking Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if he’s aware that it’s a crime to lie to Congress.

“On May 11, you stated that NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Paul said. He claimed that gain-of-function research — which could, in theory, enhance the transmissibility of a virus — was performed in the lab and referred to an academic paper by a Chinese scientist, which he then asked to be entered into the record and for a copy to be given to Fauci.

“Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11, where you claimed at the NIH never funded gain-of-function research and move on?” Paul said, repeating his unsupported accusation.

Fauci flatly rejected Paul’s suggestion.

“Sen. Paul, I have never lied before the Congress. And I do not retract that statement,” he said.

Paul suggested Fauci and the NIH could be partly responsible for the pandemic and the deaths of 4 million people worldwide.

The virology expert explained that the paper Paul referenced does not represent gain-of-function research, and when Paul interrupted, the shouting match ensued.

“Let me finish!” Fauci said, when Paul tried to interject. “Sen. Paul, you do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly. And I want to say that officially, you do not know what you’re talking about.”

Continuing their ongoing feud, the two argued over the definition of gain-of-function. NIH Director Francis Collins, in a statement earlier this year, warning of misinformation, said, “neither NIH nor NIAID have ever approved any grant that would have supported ‘gain-of-function’ research on coronaviruses that would have increased their transmissibility or lethality for humans.”

But Paul would not be swayed.

“You’re dancing around this because you’re trying to obscure responsibility for four million people dying around them from a pandemic,” Paul said.

At that point, Senate Health Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., told Paul to let Fauci finish — though the senator continued to interrupt his witness.

“I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, senator,” Fauci said. “If you look at the viruses that were used in the experiments, that were given in the annual reports, that were published in the literature, it is molecularly impossible–“

Paul interjected, “You are obviously obfuscating the truth,” to which Fauci replied, “I’m not obfuscating the truth — you are.”

“You are implying that what we did was responsible for the deaths of individuals. I totally resent that,” Fauci said.

Paul interrupted, “It could have been.”

“If there is any lying here, senator, it is you,” Fauci shot back, pointing his finger at Paul.

With Paul’s time expired, the lawmaker up next, Sen. Tina Smith, D-N.M., gave Fauci the chance to “counteract these attacks on your integrity that we’ve all just witnessed.”

“I don’t think I have anything further to say,” Fauci said. “This is a pattern that Sen. Paul has been doing now at multiple hearings based on no reality. He keeps talking about gain-of-function. This has been evaluated multiple times by qualified people to not fall under the gain-of-function definition.

“I have not lied before Congress. I have never lied, certainly not before Congress. Case closed,” Fauci said.

Don’t say he didn’t warn you: Lil Nas X confirms next video is not for kids

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Lil Nas X is giving everyone fair warning this time: his next video is not for kids.

The singer, who’s gearing up to release his new single, “Industry Baby,” warned parents on Twitter Tuesday: “Saying this in advance so y’all won’t blame me. THE INDUSTRY BABY VIDEO IS NOT FOR YOUR KIDS!”

Lil Nas’ debut song, “Old Town Road,” was a hit with kids and adults alike, so some parents were shocked when the singer later released his decidedly more adult video for the sexually charged song “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).”

He previously hit back at critics on Twitter, writing, “i made the decision to create the music video. i am an adult. i am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. that is your job.”

“Industry Baby” is set to drop Friday. Lil Nas teased the Kanye West-produced track Monday with a video spoofing the Nike lawsuit over his Satan Shoes.

Thrice announce new album, ‘Horizons/East’; listen now to first single, “Scavengers”

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

California rockers Thrice will release a new album called Horizons/East on September 17. The first single from the project, “Scavengers,” is out now.

Singer Dustin Kensrue says the song is about “toxic worldviews I once inhabited,” and he admits, “a lot of people that I love are still in that place.” In the track, Kensrue appears to be trying to rescue those people, singing, “I will find you in the black light/Of that cold dry land/never mind who held you last night/Come and take my hand.”

As for the album, Horizons/East is described as “a soundtrack for deeper dreaming,” with a theme of “interrelatedness.” The songs, meanwhile, speak to “the fragile and awkward arrangements that pass for civilization, while inviting us to dwell more knowingly within our own lives.”

Horizons/East is a followup to Thrice’s 2018 album, Palms.

Thrice will launch a tour September 24 in Houston, TX which is currently scheduled to wrap October 30 in Anaheim, CA. Visit Thrice.net for the full itinerary.

Miranda Lambert unveils special Instagram filter to encourage pet adoption

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Miranda Lambert is bringing her MuttNation Foundation into the digital space.

The “Bluebird” singer is partnering with Auras Studios to create an interactive online experience for people trying to adopt a pet through MuttNation.

The London-based music technology company has developed a special Instagram filter that shows two dogs sitting side by side in front of a digital 3D model of an animal shelter. Users will have the ability to virtually adopt a dog by touching the screen, which then transforms the scene into the user’s new pet living in their home.

“Here’s a way to spread awareness about shelter pet adoption. Use our new MuttNation Instagram filter on your story! I want every dog to find a home, especially ones that have a harder time of getting adopted, like Pit Bulls and senior dogs,” Miranda describes in a sample video on Twitter. “Thanks for helping spread awareness for pups that are easy to love, but have a hard time finding homes!”

The superstar founded MuttNation in 2009 with her mother, Bev Lambert, with the goal of advancing pet adoptions from shelters, providing support to shelters during natural disasters and more.

Report: Film focusing on Springsteen and the E Street Band’s “No Nukes” performances due out later in 2021

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

An archival film focusing on the performances that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band gave at the historic 1979 “No Nukes” concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City will be released later this year, the popular Springsteen fan site Backstreets.com reports.

According to the website, Sony Music announced Tuesday that restored footage of Springsteen and his group’s performances at the shows, which took place on September 21 and 22, 1979, are being edited together by frequent Bruce collaborator Thom Zimny to create a full-length concert flick called The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts.

The audio of the shows also has been remixed and remastered.

The “No Nukes” shows, also known as the MUSE Concerts, were a star-studded series of performances that ran from September 19 through September 23 at Madison Square Garden. They were organized to advocate against the use of nuclear energy by Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, an activist organization co-founded by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, ex-Orleans member John Hall and others.

Besides Springsteen and the E Street Band, performers included The Doobie Brothers, Browne, Raitt, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

A 1980 documentary about the shows only featured a few of the songs that The Boss and his group played, as did the triple-LP soundtrack released in 1980.

An official press release about The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts film is expected to arrive in September.

Harvey Weinstein extradited to California to face sexual assault charges

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Alec Tabak/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein was extradited Tuesday morning to California, having been extradited to face sex assault charges there.

Weinstein was taken from New York’s Wende Correctional Facility, where he’s been serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault in Manhattan, and “was handed over to the appropriate officials for transport to the state of California per a court order,” according to a statement from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Weinstein’s lawyers had argued that the former movie mogul has been suffering from physical ailments that left him in no condition to be extradited, but a judge denied the petition to stay the extradition. The Los Angeles District Attorney charged Weinstein with rape in January 2020, just as his trial was beginning in New York.

In Los Angeles, Weinstein’s charged with four counts of rape, four counts of forcible oral copulation, two counts of sexual battery by restraint and one count of sexual penetration by use of force. The counts involve five women and stem from alleged events in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills that took place from 2004 to 2013.

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys celebrate 11 years of marriage with a “72-hour date night”

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary with an elaborate “72-hour date night.”

The singer shared a “photo dump” from their vacation on Instagram Monday, which included a helicopter ride and a nightcap featuring a starter kit from Key’s skincare line, Soulcare. Other photos find Keys and Swizz enjoying food by the water and lounging on a couch.

According to her husband’s Instagram, the photos were taken in the French territory of Corsica, where the couple tied the knot in 2010.

“72 hr date trip dump Zaaaaa. Celebrating our 11th anniversary month all month. Them Deans,” Swizz wrote in the caption. “The fact we haven’t been back to the house in Corsica we got married at 11 [years] ago until now is crazy! Time goes by fast make every moment count.”

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys tied the knot on July 31, 2010, and welcomed their son, Egypt, later that year, in October. They had their second son together, Genesis, in November 2014. Beatz has three children from other relationships.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys)

Guantanamo detainee Abdul Latif Nasser speaks out after release

July 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A Guantanamo Bay detainee who spent nearly two decades at the notorious facility and thought he might not make it out alive spoke out after being released — the first prisoner freed by the Biden administration.

“I was born again on July 19. My birthday is no longer March 4. I was born yesterday on July 19,” Abdul Latif Nasser said in a statement shared with ABC News. “I have no words to describe my overwhelming sense of happiness and joy. It is like a miracle after 20 years to be home and celebrate Eid together with my family.”

On Tuesday, the legal charity Reprieve, which campaigned for his release and provided legal support, confirmed to ABC News that Nasser was reunited with his family in Morocco.

Nasser, whose case was profiled by ABC News in 2019, was first cleared for release from Guantanamo more than five years ago. He had been detained there for 19 years after he was captured in Afghanistan, alleged by the U.S. government to be an active member of the Taliban and then to have trained with al-Qaeda.

During his time at Guantanamo, he was never charged with a crime, and his lawyers stress that none of the U.S. government’s claims have been aired in a court of law. He was cleared for release in 2016 following a Periodic Review Board (PRB) hearing, set up by the Obama administration in 2011, in order to speed up the process recommending individuals for transfer away from the facility.

The PRB consists of officials from six major agencies, and all members of the board must recommend that law of war detention is no longer justified.

However, after a series of bureaucratic missteps and a political reversal from the Trump administration, which declared that no more prisoners would be released, he remained imprisoned in the facility.

“I want to thank everyone, all the people who worked very hard and spared no efforts to make this possible,” said Nasser in the statement. His case was also the subject of a recent podcast series, ‘The Other Latif’ on New York Public Radio.

With Nasser’s release, the first from the facility since 2016, 39 detainees remain at Guantanamo, 10 of whom have been cleared for release. Seventeen of the remaining are eligible for review, 10 are part of the military commissions process and two detainees have been convicted for their crimes, officials said at a press briefing on Monday.

“On June 17th of this year, the Department of Defense notified Congress of its intent to repatriate Mr. Nasir to Morocco, and, in consultation with our Moroccan partners, we have undertaken a responsible transfer,” a senior administration official said. “The Biden administration remains dedicated to a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo facility.”

The United States is grateful to the Kingdom of Morocco for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility,” the senior administration official said.

In a statement from Nasser’s brother, Mustafa, his family said were delighted Nasser was home in time for the Islamic festival, Eid al-Adha.

“This is a dream for us as a family that came true at a very special moment,” he said in a statement. ” We want to thank everyone involved who made this miracle possible. Now we would just like some peace and some time to ourselves to help our brother begin his new life in Morocco.”

Advocacy groups celebrated Nasser’s release, but said that the Biden administration must do more to make good on the Obama-era promise to shut the facility down.

“Abdul Latif Nasser’s release is hugely encouraging, but he’s only one man among many who have suffered the same grave injustice of years of detention without trial, even after long since being cleared for release,” Reprieve deputy director Katie Taylor said in a statement. “There are 10 other men cleared for transfer who should be sent home without any further delay or resettled in countries where they can safely begin to rebuild their lives.”

+ More