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Daniel Craig reveals why he wanted to do one more Bond film

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Photo: Nicola Dove – © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

For Daniel Craig, 2015’s Spectre was the last time he thought he’d be playing James Bond.

“I thought I probably was physically not capable of doing another,” 53-year-old Craig, who suffered a torn meniscus during filming, told Total Film. “For me, it was very cut and dried that I wasn’t coming back.”

However, two or so years later, the opportunity to explore a different side of Bond drew the English actor back in for one last hoorah.

“It’s interesting to explore his emotions, because he’s a cut-off character. He doesn’t feel like other people, because he’s a killer,” he explained. “On Casino [Royale], he loses the love of his life, and then the shutters come down. On Quantum [of Solace], the flawed movie that it is, it’s about revenge. And Skyfall is about M. It’s about loss. They’re big themes. And I think, ‘Yeah! Why not have big themes?’”

For Craig’s final Bond film, No Time to Die, the theme takes a turn. It’s about “love and family.”

“Because what’s bigger than that?,” he asked. “Bond’s ‘family’ being Moneypenny and Q and M. And then Lashana [Lynch] comes in, and she’s like a distant cousin who you’re not sure about.”

No Time to Die marks the end of Craig’s 14-year reign as James Bond, and while it’s been a rollercoaster ride, there’s no doubt that he’ll miss being a super spy extraordinaire.

“I’m incredibly proud and honored to have been a part of it in the way that I was,” Craig shared, adding that the reason he got to work with “the best people in the industry.”

“So I just think: if you can’t get excited about a Bond movie, what can you get excited about?,” he added.

No Time to Die opens in theaters October 8.

“Happy two-week anniversary”: Gwen Stefani shares gorgeous wedding photo

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Two weeks after her wedding to Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani is still living in bliss.

On Sunday, the No Doubt frontwoman turned to Instagram to commemorate the two-week anniversary of their lavish wedding in Oklahoma, sharing a gorgeous black-and-white photo of her and Blake walking into a stone chapel, welcomed by officiant Carson Daly and a slew of wedding guests.

“Happy 2 week anniversary,” she captioeds the pic, adding a heart emoji.

The couple married on July 3 at their ranch in Blake’s native Oklahoma. Gwen wore a custom Vera Wang wedding gown, along with a veil embroidered with their names and those of her sons Kingston,Zuma and Apollo. Blake and Gwen wrote their own vows for one another, with Blake also turning his into an original song for his wife.

Gwen also wore a Vera Wang party dress at the reception, where she and her new husband danced to a playlist that included music from fellow The Voice coaches Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine‘s band, Maroon 5.

Iron Maiden announces new album, ‘Senjutsu,’ coming in September

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After releasing their new song, “The Writing on the Wall,” along with an animated mini-movie, Iron Maiden has now unveiled details of their new studio album.

Called Senjutsu, the 17th album from the metal legends will arrive September 3. Their first album in six years, it’s a double-CD collection, the title of which loosely translates from Japanese to “tactics and strategy.” The cover art, created by Mark Wilkinson based on an idea by Maiden bassist Steve Harris, features the band’s beloved mascot Eddie in full samurai gear.

Frontman Bruce Dickinson says Senjutsu was recorded in 2019 during a break in the band’s Legacy tour so they could continue on the road and still have plenty time to set up the project. Of course, as he says, “The pandemic delayed things more — so much for the best-laid plans — or should that be ‘strategies!?'”

Harris says of the new project, “We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds.”

“There’s some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging,” Harris adds, noting, “I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.”

Senjutsu is available for pre-order July 21 at IronMaiden.com in a variety of formats, including a few different colors of vinyl and a super deluxe box set.

Here’s the track listing for Senjutsu:

“Senjutsu”
“Stratego”
“The Writing on the Wall”
“Lost in a Lost World”
“Days of Future Past”
“The Time Machine”
“Darkest Hour”
“Death of the Celts “
“The Parchment”
“Hell on Earth”

‘Never Have I Ever’ cast discusses the opportunity for growth and authenticity in their coming-of-age comedy-drama

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan says she’s still navigating the “pressures” and success of her hit coming-of-age series Never Have I Ever even in its second season.

“It’s funny when people say, ‘Oh, you’re a pro now. Season two you’re a pro,” Ramakrishnan tells ABC Audio. “But reality is… I still only have done a season… So there’s still a huge part of me that’s learning. Every day is a new day on set and I’m learning something that I didn’t know before. Whether it’s behind the camera or in front.”

While the series — which follows Ramakrishnan as Devi, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl looking to improve her social status — is still new for Maitreyi, some of her co-stars see the show as a rare opportunity to “embrace” their culture.

“[It’s] the character that I brought most of myself to,” says Poorna Jagannathan, who portrays Devi’s mom Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar. “There’s a sense of a continuous self. So who I am outside of the set is also who I am on set. And that’s the first time that I’ve experienced that fluidity, even though I’m not Nilini at all in real life.”

Richa Moorjani, who plays Devi’s cousin Kamala Nandiwadal agrees, noting that she too has been able to bring “most” of herself to Kamala without “feel[ing] like [Richa has] to change.”

“I didn’t have to hide away from my Indian-ness,” Moorjani explains. “That was just so rare and such a blessing for me as a South Asian actor. It’s just been an incredible experience.”

Jagannathan concurs, calling it a “privilege” to “immerse” herself into her character.

“I’ve never felt that before,” she says. “Now that I have it, I’m not going back.”

Season 2 of Never Have I Ever is now available on Netflix.

Dow sinks more than 700 points as delta variant stokes new fears for economic recovery

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 775 points — or 2.25% — early Monday, as renewed fears over the delta coronavirus variant cast a shadow on the economy’s post-pandemic recovery.

The S&P 500 was down some 1.9% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq was down 1.6% shortly after markets opened. Monday’s sell-off comes on the heels of a record high for the S&P 500 approximately a week ago.

Some of the hardest-hit stocks include companies that would be impacted the most by new virus restrictions, including hotels, airlines and travel firms. Cruise liner Carnival Corp was down 7% in early trading and Boeing shed more than 5%.

The bloodbath also comes as the more-transmissible delta variant has become the dominant variant in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the delta variant has caused over half of all recent COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. were also linked to stoking new anxieties among investors. On Monday, the U.S. and several allies joined forces to “expose and criticize” China for a “pattern of malicious cyber activities,” announcing that China is profiting off some of the cyberattacks it’s supported and accusing China of being behind the Microsoft Exchange server breach in March.

Finally, in another worrisome sign for equity markets, the yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell to its lowest levels in five months in a possible sign investors were seeking safe havens.

Sways? Waves? Bruce Springsteen’s manager settles “Thunder Road” lyrics controversy

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

For the past week or so, there’s been an ongoing online debate about the opening lyric of Bruce Springsteen‘s 1975 classic, “Thunder Road.” But now, it appears that Bruce’s manager, Jon Landau, has solved the mystery.

It started when New York Times writer Maggie Haberman went to see Bruce’s Broadway show and tweeted, “A screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways.” Fans pounced, insisting that Haberman had it wrong: It’s “Mary’s dress waves.”

But fans who believe that the Boss sing “sways” jumped to Haberman’s defense, sparking a back-and-forth between the two camps, and even a Los Angeles Times article examining the issue and presenting evidence for both sides. For example, the lyric database on Springsteen’s official website, as well as the original lyrics printed on the album, say “waves,” but in handwritten lyric sheets from that period, and in Bruce’s autobiography Born to Run, the lyric is “sways.”

Reps for Springsteen wouldn’t comment, but Landau, who co-produced the Born to Run album in addition to managing the Boss for decades, has written a letter to The New Yorker, clarifying the issue.

“The word is ‘sways,’” Landau wrote. “That’s the way he wrote it in his original notebooks, that’s the way he sang it on Born to Run, in 1975, that’s the way he has always sung it at thousands of shows, and that’s the way he sings it right now on Broadway. Any typos in official Bruce material will be corrected.”

Landau added, “And, by the way, ‘dresses’ do not know how to ‘wave.’”

Poetry experts might argue that the best evidence for “sways” is the fact that it precedes the line, “Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays.” “Sways” rhymes with “plays,” while “waves” does not.

“Just be nice”: Courtney Stodden laughs at Chrissy Teigen’s “cancel culture” complaints

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

TM/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images — Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Courtney Stodden clearly doesn’t have much sympathy for Chrissy Teigen‘s latest social media post about the consequences for her former penchant for cyberbullying.

The now non-binary Stodden posted a TikTok video of themself giggling, superimposed over screenshots of Teigen’s latest online post, in which she admits to being depressed for having been “cancelled” for her behavior.

“Just be nice,” is Stodden’s captioned reply.

As previously reported, Stodden was one of Teigen’s targets; the model and former reality show star revealed months ago that when they were 16, Teigen urged Stodden to kill themselves. Teigen has since apologized.

Last week, Teigen posted a lengthy message to her fans, which read in part, “I feel lost and need to find my place again, I need to snap out of this. I desperately wanna communicate with you guys instead of pretending everything is okay.”

Teigen also mentioned, “Going outside sucks and doesn’t feel right, being at home alone with my mind makes my depressed head race” — without noting that she’d just returned from a picturesque Italian vacation with her husband, John Legend, and their two children.

The controversy has cost Teigen endorsements and at least one acting role: a voice-over gig on Netlfix’s popular teen comedy Never Have I Ever.

@courtneyastodden

Just be nice ?? ##fyp ##fyp? ##bully ##bekind ##mentalhealth ##chrissyteigen

? original sound – CourtneyStodden

Replacement athlete on US Olympic gymnastics team tests positive for COVID-19

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TOKYO) — A replacement athlete on the U.S. women’s artistic gymnastics team has tested positive for COVID-19, according to USA Gymnastics.

The gymnast tested positive on Sunday, USA Gymnastics said. She hasn’t been named but is a teenager, according to the Japanese city of Inzai, where the American women’s gymnastics team was training.

The infected gymnast and one other replacement athlete are following additional quarantine restrictions, USA Gymnastics said.

The Olympians moved Monday to different sleeping and training facilities as previously planned to continue their preparations, according to USA Gymnastics.

“The entire delegation continues to be vigilant and will maintain strict protocols while they are in Tokyo,” USA Gymnastics added.

ABC News’ Kate Hodgson contributed to this report.

2-year-old killed, 4 family members in critical condition after wrong-way driver slams into their car on freeway

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — A 2-year-old child has been killed and their entire family has been left hanging on to life in critical condition after their car was struck by a driver going the wrong way on a freeway.

The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday morning on the Eastex Freeway at North Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, when police say that a woman was driving south in the northbound lanes of the freeway when she collided with another vehicle containing a family of five, according to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK.

A 2-year-old child was killed in the accident and the mother, father and two other young children, whose ages and identities are not currently known, were immediately transported to a local area hospital where all of them remain in critical condition.

The wrong-way driver was also killed in the crash and police say it is unclear how long the woman had been driving in the wrong lane for or if there were any signs that she had been under the influence.

“A very tragic, a very dangerous scene,” a spokesperson from the Houston Police Department told KTRK in an interview following the accident. “We don’t know how long the person was traveling on the wrong side of the freeway. We will try to figure that out if we find any cameras or anything.”

Authorities also told KTRK that a police officer who just happened to be on the other side of the freeway at that time actually saw the driver headed the wrong way just before the crash happened but were unable to get to them in time to prevent the accident.

Sunday’s early morning crash was the second fatal wrong-way accident in just nine days, according to KTRK, after three people, including a 2-year-old boy as well as both drivers, were killed on the Westpark Tollway in an eerily similar collision involving a wrong-way driver in the early hours of the morning on July 9.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s tragic accident is ongoing.

3 US tennis stars share message of support for Coco Guaff sidelined by COVID-19

July 19, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TOKYO) — U.S. tennis star Cori “Coco” Gauff has been sidelined from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, leaving the women’s singles squad to just three first-time Olympians for the red, white and blue.

Alison Riske, Jen Brady and Jessica Pegula spoke with “Good Morning America” moments after learning they would represent Team USA without Gauff before heading to the Summer games.

“Obviously she’s going to be disappointed. She’ll be sad. But, you know, she has so much potential to do great things in this sport. And I know she will,” Brady said. “Hopefully she recovers well and we’ll see her back out on the court soon. Back here in the States.”

Just days ahead of opening ceremonies and before traveling to Japan, the 17-year-old phenom who was meant to lead a 12-member squad tweeted, “It has always been a dream of mine to represent the USA at the Olympics, and I hope there will be many more chances for me to make this come true in the future.”

🙏🏾❤️🤍💙 pic.twitter.com/lT0LoEV3eO

— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) July 18, 2021

Riske, 31, added to her teammate’s sentiment saying she wants Guaff to know “she’ll be missed” and to “keep her head up. Focus on your health and make sure you’re feeling OK — We’ll see you on the court soon.”

The United States Tennis Association tweeted a statement in response to her announcement.

“We were saddened to learn that Coco Gauff has tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore be unable to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” USTA’s statement read. “The entire USA Tennis Olympic contingent is heartbroken for Coco. We wish her the best as she deals with this unfortunate situation and hope to see her back on the courts very soon.”

It is unclear if Gauff was fully vaccinated before testing positive for COVID.

All three Tokyo-bound singles competitors expect “nothing but good vibes,” Brady said. And Riske said she is “most excited about Opening Ceremonies.”

“We all earned our way onto the team. We all deserve to be here in the end. We’re just going to embrace I think,” Pegula said.

Brady added: “It’s going to be something that I’m going to remember the rest of my life. Proud of each and every one of us … let’s go represent the U.S.”

For the first time in 25 years, the tennis roster for the U.S. will be missing another set of marquee names with both Serena and Venus Williams sitting out.

“These are the girls we compete against every single week of the year — and doing it against exact same people we are doing it against at the Olympics. And I think that’s an advantage for us,” Riske said.

While Americans have racked up 24 Olympic medals in tennis since 1988, Riske said “just to bring medals back would be amazing.”

While Guaff is the highest-profile athlete to test positive from Team USA, others from around the world including two South African soccer players, as well as a rugby coach have also come into contact with COVID-19. A group of eight British gymnasts are isolating after a case was detected on their flight.

The threat of coming into contact with or testing positive for the virus has loomed large over the Olympic athletes.

If a test is confirmed, the athlete faces immediate quarantine for up to 14 days and forfeit any chance of competing in the games.

To ensure Team USA gymnastics has enough replacements, the athletes have all been separated for safety reasons.

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