Page 8174 – 105.7 WDNY

Biden to focus on ‘intensive diplomacy’ at UN amid tensions with allies

September 24, 2021September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Biden challenges UN to act together on pandemic, climate change

(WASHINGTON) — As President Joe Biden kicked off a week of global engagements amid tensions with some key allies, the White House previewed his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday as one that will focus on turning the page from conflict to global cooperation and competition.

According to a White House senior adviser, the president’s remarks — one of his biggest opportunities to date to deliver his message on U.S. foreign policy — will “center on the proposition that we are closing the chapter on 20 years of war and opening a chapter of intensive diplomacy by rallying allies and partners and institutions to deal with the major challenges of our time,” including COVID-19, climate change, emerging technologies, rules of the road on trade and economics, investments in clean infrastructure, and a modern approach to counterterrorism.

Speaking to reporters Monday, the adviser stressed that Biden would also advocate for “vigorous competition with great powers, but not a new Cold War.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, during a press briefing on Monday, also said that the president will “reaffirm that the United States is not turning inward,” especially as the assembly follows closely on the heels of the withdrawal of U.S. and allied troops from Afghanistan..

“The president will essentially drive home the message that ending the war in Afghanistan closed a chapter focused on war and opens a chapter focused on personal, purposeful, effective intensive American diplomacy, defined by working with allies and partners to solve problems that can’t be solved by military force. And that require the cooperation of many nations around the world as well as non-state actors from the private sector and non-governmental organizations and international institutions,” the adviser said.

“This will be the central theme of his speech, which will really lift up some of these big hard challenges that will define the scope and shape of prosperity and security for the people of the United States and for people of the world in the years ahead. And he will reinforce the notion that our futures in our fortunes are really interconnected and bound up with one another. And so we all have to work together to cooperate in service of solving problems and seizing opportunities that lie before us,” the adviser added.

Given Biden’s key campaign pledge of restoring the standing of the U.S. on the world stage, the remarks could be a critical test. The speech is one part of a week that will see Biden focusing on global partnerships, amid tensions on the global stage in the wake of the AUKUS deal announced last week with Australia and the United Kingdom, aimed at curbing China’s influence on in the Indo-Pacific region. The deal angered the French by undercutting a sizable deal they had with Australia for nuclear-powered submarine technology.

“But what you’ll hear him talk about tomorrow is the president’s going to lay out the case for why the next decade will determine our future. Not just for the United States, but for the global community. And he will talk, and this will be a central part of his remarks, about the importance of re-establishing our alliances after the last several years,” Psaki said Monday. “I also think it’s important to note that establishing alliances doesn’t mean that you won’t have disagreements or you won’t have disagreements about how to approach any particular issue in the world.”

Administration officials also confirmed that Biden is currently working to find time to speak with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, clearly hoping to try and smooth things over with an important U.S. ally, after a diplomatic dustup over the submarine deal with Australia.

“The president wants to communicate his desire to work closely with France in the Indo-Pacific and globally, and to talk about specific practical measures that we can undertake together. We understand the French position, we don’t share their view in terms of how this all developed, but we understand their position. And we will continue to be engaged in the coming days on this,” the adviser said. “And we look forward to the phone call between President Biden and President Macron once its time is fixed on the books, we think that will be an important moment an opportunity for the two leaders to speak directly with one another.”

The White House also outlined the rest of the president’s week, including several engagements with world leaders both in New York and back in Washington following his remarks at UNGA.

In addition to his remarks, Biden will meet on Tuesday with Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison, before returning to Washington to host a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

On Wednesday, as has been previously announced, Biden will host a summit on COVID-19 to “rally the world urgently to work towards ending this pandemic as rapidly as possible and building our systems better to be able to handle the next pandemic,” the White House said.

“He believes that it is high time for the world to come together and not just national leaders. But he’s placing a heavy emphasis on international institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, all of the actors who collectively have the capacity to beat COVID-19. And he is going to call for an all-hands-on-deck effort that can end this pandemic much more rapidly than if we allow for things to unfold without the kind of focus sustained energy and effort that is required,” the official previewed of the summit.

The United States will also have a series of announcements about our own further contributions beyond what we’ve already contributed to ending the pandemic globally, according to the senior administration official.

On Friday, in addition to the first in-person meeting of the Quad countries (India, Japan, Australia and the U.S.) in Washington, Biden will hold individual meetings with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan.

COVID-19 live updates: US records 1.1 million pediatric cases over past five weeks

September 24, 2021September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 676,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The average number of daily deaths in the U.S. has risen about 20% in the last week, according to data from the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The U.S. is continuing to sink on the list of global vaccination rates, currently ranking No. 45, according to data compiled by the Financial Times. Just 64% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Sep 21, 9:16 am
Washington state requests federal staff for overwhelmed hospitals

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter to the White House Monday requesting staffing resources to help the state’s overwhelmed hospitals.

“Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks,” Inslee wrote. “The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures, but are still over capacity across the state.”

“While there are hopeful signs that the current wave of infection is peaking, and some states are beginning to see declines, we have not yet seen that effect here,” the governor said.

Washington state had already asked for 1,200 federal government staffers and is now “requesting the deployment of Department of Defense medical personnel to assist with the current hospital crisis,” Inslee said.

Sep 21, 8:31 am
2nd dose of J&J vaccine results in stronger protection, company says

A second dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine given two months after the first leads to stronger protection, the company said Tuesday.

Compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine always had slightly lower efficacy. Peak efficacy from the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines was 95% and 94%, respectively, against symptomatic illness. But two Johnson & Johnson shots, given two months apart, resulted in a similarly high effectiveness level: 94% protection against any symptomatic infection in the U.S. and 100% against severe disease.

J&J chief scientific officer Dr. Paul Stoffels said the single-shot vaccine still provides “strong and long-lasting protection” while also being “easy to use, distribute and administer.”

“At the same time,” Stoffels said, “we now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly.”

Sep 20, 5:39 pm
US records 1.1 million pediatric COVID-19 cases over past 5 weeks

The U.S. reported more than 225,000 child COVID-19 cases, marking the fourth consecutive week with over 200,000 new pediatric cases reported, according to a newly released weekly report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.

In the last five weeks alone, the country has reported more than 1.1 million pediatric cases, according to the organizations.

“The weekly figure is now about 26 times higher than it was in June, when just 8,400 pediatric cases were reported over the span of a week,” the organizations wrote in their report.

The South accounted for about half –110,000– of last week’s pediatric cases, according to the report.

The organizations added that more than 2,200 children are hospitalized with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection.

Republicans dig in on debt-limit standoff despite Democratic effort to mount pressure

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Senate Republicans are holding firm against a hike to the federal debt limit, even as Democratic leaders announced Monday that they would link the raise in the borrowing limit to a must-pass government funding measure.

Government funding is set to expire at the end of September and administration officials are projecting that the United States could default on its credit in the coming weeks. The White House has warned an unprecedented default could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger a recession.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for weeks has dug in against support of a hike to the debt limit, arguing that Democrats, who control both chambers of Congress, should be held responsible for the move. But Senate Democrats worked with Republicans under the Trump administration to raise the debt limit on multiple occasions, and they said it’s a bipartisan responsibility.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Monday looked to ratchet up the pressure on Republicans by linking the increase in the federal spending limit to a resolution aimed at keeping the government open past a fast-approaching end of the fiscal year. That resolution includes aid for Afghan refugees and emergency funding for natural disaster relief.

“The American people expect our Republican colleagues to live up to their responsibilities and make good on the debts they proudly helped incur,” the leaders wrote in a statement, pointing to $908 billion COVID relief legislation passed under former President Donald Trump.

Within moments of the Democratic announcement that the two measures would be tied, McConnell threw cold water on the plan. In floor remarks Monday afternoon, he doubled down on his long-held opposition to raising the debt limit.

Republicans would support an extension to government funding, McConnell said, but not if it includes a lift to the debt ceiling.

“Since Democrats decided to go it alone they will not get Senate Republican’s help with raising the debt limit,” McConnell said Monday.

Almost all Senate Republicans are in line behind McConnell, vowing to vote against a raise to the limit because they oppose additional massive spending measures that Democrats are currently working to craft.

Their biggest opposition is to a $3.5 trillion spending measure that encompasses many of President Joe Biden’s agenda items and which is exempt from the normal 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Democrats can pass it without any GOP support, and a raise in the limit should be tied to that bill, Republicans argue.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Monday his vote on raising the debt limit would be “absolutely no.”

“The Democrats say they don’t need our votes to spend money they want to spend, but they do need our votes to pay for it,” Romney said. “That dog won’t hunt.”

“I will not be consenting to anything that makes it easier for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to bankrupt our kids,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said, joining a chorus of other Republicans who also said Monday they won’t support a government funding stop-gap that includes a raise to the debt limit.

Democratic Whip Dick Durbin accused Republicans of being politically motivated in their opposition and said they are failing to take responsibility for their actions.

“I certainly hope Sen. McConnell is not going to do damage to America and its economy out of an act of political spite,” Durbin said. “If he won’t stand up and take responsibility for things which he and his members supported in the Trump administration it shows this is a totally political effort.”

But pressed on what Democrats would do if Republican opposition held, Durbin was frank: “I don’t know.”

The House is expected to vote to raise the debt limit and fund government on Tuesday, after the Rules Committee takes up the matter. Schumer said Democrats in the Senate will hold a vote to raise the limit in the coming weeks, but without at least 10 Republicans to support the measure, there’s little that can be done aside from inclusion in the $3.5 trillion package. If the United States defaults on its debt in the coming weeks, it will be the first time in history this occurs. U.S. creditworthiness would take a hit, and markets could be severely impacted.

At least one Republican, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, said he would vote with Democrats on the measure because it would include hurricane relief for his home state. However he predicted that the bill would still fall short of 60 votes.

As they grapple with a looming government funding deadline and potential credit default, Democratic lawmakers are also at odds over how to advance their $3.5 trillion social policy package and the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure deal.

Progressives have vowed to withhold votes in the House for the Senate infrastructure agreement until their policy demands are met for the larger package. But moderates in the House and Senate have threatened to sink Biden’s major policy package over its scale and individual provisions.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said of the to-do list before Congress. “I don’t know how’s it going to end.”

Second dose of J&J COVID-19 vaccine results in stronger protection, company says

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A second dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine given two months after the first leads to stronger protection, according to the company.

The new data, announced in a press release, adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that booster shots could enhance vaccine protection against breakthrough infections — though experts agree all three vaccines are still doing their job to protect against more serious illness.

But two Johnson & Johnson shots, given two months apart, resulted in a similarly high effectiveness level: 94% protection against any symptomatic infection in the U.S., and 100% against severe disease.

With Pfizer’s booster shots now up for formal review from the Food and Drug Administration, and Moderna’s shortly to follow, the new data will likely factor into regulators’ decision about if and when additional shots are appropriate for the nearly 14.9 million people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

All three currently authorized vaccines are still working well to dramatically reduce the risk of being hospitalized, but as months pass and with the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, the vaccines are losing their power to prevent more mild breakthrough infections.

The new Johnson & Johnson data also raises questions about when to give an additional shot for the country’s only single shot vaccine. New data describing a booster two-months later found a marked increase in antibody levels. But prior data, already published, found that a booster shot given six months after the first dose results in even higher antibody levels.

“With the two-month boost interval, there was a four-fold increase in antibody titters. But when a booster was given after six months, it led to a 12-fold increase in antibody titers,” Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, whose lab helped develop the J&J vaccine, told ABC News.

“This suggests that the efficacy might be even greater when the booster is given at this later point in time,” Barouch said.

Regulatory authorities will need to weigh the available evidence and determine the appropriate timing for booster shots for all three vaccines.

In prepared remarks, J&J Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Stoffels said the single-shot vaccine still provides “strong and long-lasting protection” while also being “easy to use, distribute and administer.””At the same time,” Stoffels said, “we now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly.”

According to Barouch, “the data supports the single-shot vaccine as the bedrock for providing robust and durable protection. But giving a boost two to six months later increases immune responses and augments protection to very high levels.”

Scoreboard roundup — 09/20/21

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

INTERLEAGUE
Baltimore 2, Philadelphia 0

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City 7, Cleveland 2 — Game 13
Detroit 4, Chicago White Sox 3
Kansas City 4, Cleveland 2 — Game 14
NY Yankees 4, Texas 3
Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 4
Seattle 4, Oakland 2
Houston 10, LA Angels 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 9, Pittsburgh 5
St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 2
Miami 8, Washington 7
Atlanta 11, Arizona 4

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Green Bay 35, Detroit 17

Blake Shelton warns his ‘Voice’ competitor Ariana Grande: “The bigger the star, the harder they fall”

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As Blake Shelton kicks off the latest season of The Voice, the veteran judge is happy to have some new blood joining the panel, as pop superstar Ariana Grande takes over one of the big red chairs, alongside Kelly Clarkson and John Legend.

“To be honest, I was really excited when I heard that Ariana was coming to join the coaching group here on The Voice for season 21,” Blake says. “I’m always excited to work with somebody new, and she’s incredibly talented and obviously a huge star.”

Of course, that’s about where Blake’s compliments end, since he can’t resist a little good-natured trash talk about his competitors.

“It’s always more exciting for me — the bigger the star, the harder they fall,” he jests. “And it’s always way more exciting to me to beat somebody of her level of popularity than it is just to beat, you know, some loser like Kelly or John, you know.”

You can check out the second night of the new season of The Voice tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 30 recap: JoJo Siwa’s historic first performance puts her atop leaderboard

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dancing with the Stars welcomed back head judge Len Goodman and a live studio audience when kicking off its 30th season on Monday.

Of course, a brand new season brought a fresh crop of star power, who brought their A-game to the ballroom floor. Besides Goodman, fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough regularly remarked on how the competitors exceeded their expectations for a first night performance.

Monday’s premiere even yielded the first 8 of the season after Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa — who made history by becoming the first female competitor to dance with another woman, pro Jenna Johnson — ruled the dance floor with her colorful and cheerful quickstep to Jet‘s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” The peppy number drew rave reviews from all four judges, with Bruno dubbing her performance the “groundbreaking moment we’ve been waiting for!”

Siwa ended the night at the top of the leaderboard with an impressive 29 out of 40 points.

However, she shouldn’t get too comfortable in first place. Several other competitors made a strong first impression during the premiere and could easily steal her thunder. The people to watch out for are The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, Spice Girl singer Melanie C, Olympic Gold medalist Suni Lee, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore and Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby.

Not everyone shined on the dance floor on Monday. Cobra Kai star Martin Kove only managed to earn a meager 13 out of 40 possible points for his ill-prepared Paso Doble to “You’re the Best Around” off the Karate Kid soundtrack. Hough hinted that the disastrous performance could possibly be due to Kove not attending every rehearsal and told him, “Put in the hours and we’ll see you next week.”

The night also offered up many memorable moments, such as Brian Austin Green revealing he’s the lucky chap to be partnered with his significant other, pro dancer Sharna Burgess. The two shared a celebratory kiss upon completing their upbeat Foxtrot to Silk Sonic‘s “Skate.” However, Green hinted that his dance partner won’t go easy on him and even joked before the two stepped onto the ballroom floor, “If I mess this up, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sharna left me!”

“We’ll see,” she shot back with a devilish grin before amending, “I’ll judge him… but I wouldn’t leave him.”

Olivia Jade also made waves when she openly addressed the elephant in the room prior to her performance, speaking about the college admissions cheating scandal involving her famous parents — actress Lori Loughlin and designer Mossimo Giannulli.

“After everything that happened, I did step back from social media and just soaked in what everybody was saying,” she told the camera. “I’m not trying to pull a pity card. I need to move forward and do better.” She finished the night in the middle of the pack with a score of 25 out of 40.

Dancing with the Stars returns next Monday, September 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Scores from the premiere will be combined with next Monday’s scores before the series announces its first elimination.

Here are the current standings:

First Place:
JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 29/40

Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 28/40
Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 28/40
Melanie C, Spice Girl, with Gleb Savchenko — 27/40
Kenya Moore, Real Housewives of Atlanta star, with Brandon Armstrong — 26/40
Melora Hardin, The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 26/40
Christine Chiu, Bling Empire star, with Pasha Pashkov — 25/40
Olivia Jade, influencer, with Val Chmerkovskiy — 25/40
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 24/40
Matt James, Bachelor star, with Lindsey Arnold — 24/40
Brian Austin Green, Beverly Hills, 90210 star, Sharna Burgess — 24/40
Michael “The Miz” Gregory, WWE superstar, Witney Carson — 24/40
Jimmie Allen, country music singer, with Emma Slater — 22/40
Imam Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 21/40

Lowest score:
Martin Kove, Cobra Kai star, with Britt Stewart— 13/40

Lil Nas X teams up with Jean Paul Gaultier for limited edition $400 shirt

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

If you didn’t get your hands on Lil Nas X’s infamous Satan Shoes, he’s got another exclusive piece of clothing for you.

This time, the singer has teamed up with French designer Jean Paul Gaultier for a limited edition shirt in celebration of his new album, Montero.

The unisex long-sleeved mesh top is decorated with an ornate image featuring a shirtless Lil Nas with angel wings surrounded by tiny winged devils. It’s design was inspired by one of Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic ‘90s prints.

Much like the controversial Satan Shoes collab with design company MSCHF, only 666 of the Jean Paul Gaultier x Lil Nas X shirts were made. The shirt will set you back nearly $400 and is available for pre-order now.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MONTERO (@lilnasx)

How Meghan Trainor avoided the biggest workplace hazard on ‘Top Chef: Family Style’

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Top Chef‘s Padma Lakshmi has been open about the fact that she gains 10 to 15 pounds while taping each season of the show. So of course, Meghan Trainor was concerned about the issue when she signed on to host the new Peacock cooking competition Top Chef: Family Style. But as Meghan tells ABC Audio, she wasn’t going to let it happen to her.

Meghan started out with two strikes against her: Not only was she required to eat delicious and fattening food every episode, but when she started hosting the show, her son Riley was just two months old. “I was [also] trying to lose my baby weight,” she tells ABC Audio. “So I was on a mission!”

“I worked out every single day before that show — and after that show, sometimes,” she reveals. “But I was the only person — I think I’m the only person in history, dare I say — to lose weight on Top Chef!

Yes, believe it or not, through diligent workouts and a nutrition plan, Meghan was able to avoid packing on the pounds while shooting the series.

“I was very excited. I kept coming in each week telling people, like, ‘We’re another pound down!'” she laughs. “So I worked very hard, and it showed me, too, like, you don’t have to be afraid of carbs and all the treats. Because if you balance it out, you can still lose weight. So I did very well!”

Top Chef: Family Style, which features kids and their relatives competing in teams, will be about halfway through its first season when Meghan’s other show, Clash of the Cover Bands, premieres on E! on October 13. She’s also working on a new album.

Vanilla Fudge’s Carmine Appice says playing with late bassist Tim Bogert on band’s new single was “magic”

September 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Earlier this month, Vanilla Fudge released a new cover of the classic 1965 Supremes hit “Stop in the Name of Love” that featured the final recording of original Fudge bassist Tim Bogert, who died of cancer in January of this year.

Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice tells ABC Audio that it was his idea to have Bogert — who had retired from the group in 2009 — record a bass part for the track, which the group had started working in in 2019.

“[When] we found out Tim was really ill…I said, ‘Let’s get Tim on this before he passes away,'” Appice recalls. “And in the January [2020], I went to L.A. and got Timmy to play on it.”

Similar to Vanilla Fudge’s 1967 hit version of The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” the group’s rendition of “Stop in the Name of Love” turns the tune into an extended, multi-part psychedelic epic.

Appice says the arrangement began with singer/keyboardist Mark Stein, with the rest of the band then pitching in ideas. Carmine notes that it was particularly special to lock in his drum parts with Bogert’s signature bass fills.

“[I]t fit like a glove,” he gushes. “It was magic.”

Along with the “Stop in the Name of Love” single, which is available now digitally and via streaming services, Vanilla Fudge released a special audio tribute to Bogert, that features the group’s surviving original members — Appice, Stein and guitarist Vince Martel — sharing recollections about Tim, soundtracked by music from the band.

Vanilla Fudge also has released a music video for “Stop in the Name of Love” that combines vintage footage and photos of the band with lava-lamp style projections that were popular at concert during the late 1960s. The clip also is dedicated to Bogert.

+ More