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Former Theranos board member, investor testifies against Elizabeth Holmes

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former Theranos board member and former Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis testified last week in the criminal trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes.

“I was taken with the idea that with one drop of blood and with remote capability, you could basically test for a broad array of problems,” Mattis told jurors from the witness stand during his initial examination from prosecutors.

When asked who was in charge in board meetings — Holmes or her former romantic partner and Theranos Chief Operating Officer Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani — Mattis did not hesitate when he said: “Ms. Holmes.”

And when asked where he got his information regarding Theronos blood testing devices, he also named Holmes. “I had no other source of information on it,” he told the court.

Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 and claimed the company was developing blood testing technology that could perform hundreds of blood tests using only a few drops of blood. Holmes and Balwani face a dozen charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with what prosecutors call a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors and patients.

Both have pleaded not guilty. Balwani’s trial is slated to begin next year.

Along with Mattis, last week jurors heard from a digital forensic expert, Theranos’ former lab director, and the first Theranos patient to take the stand.

Mattis joined Theranos in 2013 and departed in 2016, prior to joining the Trump administration as the secretary of defense.

Mattis told jurors that when he joined the board in 2013 U.S. military casualties had not relented. “I was interested in anything that would improve the care of casualties,” he added.

Mattis recalled meeting Holmes in either 2011 or 2012, at an event in San Francisco where he was giving a speech. Holmes allegedly pricked his finger to give him “an idea of what the machine blood draw was,” he stated in court.

Mattis told the court that he became instantly impressed with Holmes’ description of Theranos’ testing capabilities, thinking the company’s devices could have game-changing benefits on the battlefield.

In 2013, he pushed for Theranos devices to join a “pilot project” where they’d be compared to devices already used on large U.S. Naval vessels, according to email exchanges between Mattis and Holmes displayed in court.

“We could do a side-by-side comparison,” Mattis recalled in the courtroom. The plan was to put Theranos devices up against the already-approved devices on those vessels to determine if the devices were “faster” or “more accurate.”

Mattis told jurors he invested $85,000 in the startup. His salary on the board was approximately $150,000, according to Theranos financial documents.

Theranos devices, however, never ended up in Mattis’ “pilot project” or in any sort of military arena. He testified that at a certain point, following growing scrutiny of the company’s testing capabilities, “I didn’t know what to believe about Theranos anymore.”

Since leaving the company’s board to join the Trump administration, Mattis has voiced regrets over his involvement with Holmes’ failed company. “The bottom line is we all make mistakes at times,” he told PBS in 2019.

Mattis may be the first of several notable names to testify in Holmes’ trial. Others who may be called as witnesses include former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and prominent attorney David Boies. Murdoch was a Theranos investor, and Boies at one point sat on Theranos’ board and his firm served as the company’s outside counsel for several years.

Another key witness from last week, Brittany Gould, was the first Theranos patient to take the stand. She told the court that the company’s blood test inaccurately showed she was suffering a miscarriage when in fact she had a healthy pregnancy.

Gould, who had already miscarried three times, testified that in September 2014 she took a Theranos blood test at a Walgreens store in Arizona after learning that she was pregnant.

Additional non-Theranos tests confirmed the initial results were inaccurate, and she went on to have a healthy baby girl.

Holmes’ lawyers elected not to cross examine Gould.

Holmes and her counsel did not respond to ABC News’ repeated requests for comment.

Trisha Yearwood jokes Garth Brooks won her heart with frozen pizza

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Best-selling author Trisha Yearwood releases her fourth cookbook today, complete with a foreword by her superstar husband, Garth Brooks.

The first time Trisha cooked for Garth, she confesses she made a Fettuccine Alfredo so heavy he needed a nap immediately afterwards. But the first time Garth cooked for her, it was pretty much love at first bite.

“I went to visit him in Oklahoma, and he asked me if I wanted pizza. I don’t think I’ve ever told this story,” Trisha reveals. “And I said, ‘Yeah, that’d be great.”

“And so he goes into the kitchen and he comes back with — first of all, they were the two for five dollar pizzas, which is fine. He still likes those,” she laughs. “He does. He came back with a pizza for him and a pizza for me. And I’m like, ‘I’m probably just gonna marry him. This is probably gonna happen…'”

“I did not eat my whole pizza, but he did eat his whole pizza, and some of my pizza,” she adds. “It was just really sweet.”

Since then, Trisha’s nicknamed her husband Gartha Stewart, he’s so good in the kitchen.

“He makes a hot pasta salad that I love,” she tells ABC Audio. “He’s got kind of a famous breakfast bowl in the second book that he makes a lot. He just made that for my birthday a couple weeks ago.”

“You know, he’ll get in there and do whatever you need,” she says. “If you want him to cook and take it over, he’ll take it over.”

Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends & Family is available now and includes 125 recipes from the host of Food Network’s Trisha’s Southern Kitchen and her sister, Beth Yearwood Bernard.

Scoreboard roundup — 9/27/21

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

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

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 8, Kansas City 3
Chi White Sox 8, Detroit 7
Seattle 13 Oakland 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 13, Pittsburgh 1
Washington 5, Colorado 4

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Columbus 3, Pittsburgh 0
Montreal 5, Toronto 2
Vancouver 4, Calgary 2
St. Louis 2, Dallas 1 (OT)
Arizona 2, Los Angeles 1

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Dallas 41, Philadelphia 21

‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 30 recap: Martin Kove knocked out of the competition

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

With the first elimination of the Dancing with the Stars season looming heavy over the ballroom, the pressure was palpable on the dance floor. However, the journey came to a screeching halt for Cobra Kai star Martin Kove, who failed to impress the judges during his ballroom debut.

Kove reacted to his elimination by telling host Tyra Banks he was “beyond belief” that he was going home.

While the ballroom has lost a little of its fighting spirit with the actor’s dismissal, two front runners for the Mirrorball Trophy emerged Monday night when The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots and Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa ended the night tied on top of the leaderboard.

For Kloots, she honored her late husband Nick Cordero by dancing an emotional foxtrot to their wedding song, “It Had to Be You,” of which he sang to land a role in Bullets Over Broadway — the musical where they first met.

“This song holds such a special place in my heart, and our wedding will always remain in my mind as one of the happiest times of my life,” Kloots told the camera and bravely smiled through her graceful routine that landed her the highest score of the season, a 32 out of 40.

Siwa also brought the judges to their feet with her vivacious cha-cha to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande‘s “Rain on Me” and proved that she and pro dance partner Jenna Johnson are a force to be reckoned with.

Another notable dance came from Melanie “Sporty Spice” C, who enjoyed a surprise shout out from Ringo Starr following her upbeat foxtrot to “Here Comes the Sun.”

Ringo wasn’t the only celebrity who crashed the night. Earlier in the show, NBA legend LeBron James also taped a special shout out for Imam Shumpert, which aired after his rumba.

The most memorable moment of the night, however, happened mere hours before the competition kicked off, with Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby and partner Cheryl Burke having to take a step away from the competition to quarantine after the latter tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated.

Because the two were in isolation, the judges were tasked to judge one of their rehearsal videos of their salsa. All four agreed that, while the routine lacked the polish, it was enough to secure Cody and Cheryl another week in the competition.

Both assured the audience that they are feeling okay and are looking forward to competing next week.

Dancing with the Stars will celebrate all things Britney Spears when it returns next Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Here are the current standings:

JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 60/80
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 60/80
Melanie C, Spice Girl, with Gleb Savchenko — 57/80
Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 56/80
Melora Hardin, The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 53/80
Olivia Jade, influencer, with Val Chmerkovskiy — 52/80
Kenya Moore, Real Housewives of Atlanta star, with Brandon Armstrong — 50/80
Michael “The Miz” Gregory, WWE superstar, Witney Carson — 50/80
Christine Chiu, Bling Empire actress, with Pasha Pashkov — 49/50
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 48/80
Matt James, former Bachelor, with Lindsey Arnold— 46/80
Brian Austin Green, Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, Sharna Burgess — 47/80
Jimmie Allen, country music singer, with Emma Slater — 49/80
Imam Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 46/80

Olivia Rodrigo talks navigating fame “one step at a time”

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Olivia Rodrigo is taking her sudden rise to fame “one step at a time.”

The “good 4 u” singer discusses her newfound celebrity in a new cover story with Vogue Singapore.

“It can be really tough on your mental health…” she says. “I’m grateful for the people who like me for me, and keep me separated from all the noise and tabloids or what people are saying about me on social media. That’s always been a top priority.”

“It’s funny how recognition changes everything and also changes nothing in your life,” the 18-year-old adds. “The problems I was having a year ago are still the problems I’m having now, and things that brought me joy a year ago are still the things that bring me joy now. It’s just another aspect of life that you need to learn how to deal with, but it doesn’t change who you are as a person.”

Olivia says one of the most surprising things about fame is finding out who was “genuinely supportive” of her career and who wasn’t, but she leans on her “amazing friends and family” to keep her grounded. That includes her parents.

“They always say, ‘We are so proud of you and all these achievements are incredible, but we would be equally proud of you if you were in school in your hometown,'” she says. “They’re the best and that’s a really important attitude to have.”

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40 years ago, Olivia Newton-John invited us all to get “Physical”: “At the time, I was horrified”

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Forty years ago today, Olivia Newton-John released the song that made her a pop superstar: “Physical.” Olivia was given “Physical” after Tina Turner rejected it, and it became her all-time biggest hit, no doubt in part due to the lyrics, which were considered super-provocative for the time. Just last year, songs by two pop superstars, Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus, offered nods to “Physical” lyrically and melodically — something which amazed Olivia.

“Who would have thought that all these years later this song was still popular?” she told ABC Audio of the 10-week number-one hit. “I think it struck the chord of getting fit at that time.”

She laughed, “It was the perfect opportunity and combined a lot of messages, but that was one of them! And yeah, I can’t believe it. Forty years on. I mean, Grease and ‘Physical,’ [it’s] amazing that these things are still alive and popular.”

“Physical” was actually considered so racy that it was banned in Utah, which Olivia said she’s “very proud” of now. “Even though at the time, I was horrified, now, it’s like a good thing!” she noted, laughing.

And boy, was she ever horrified: She told ABC Audio, “I knew it was a fun song, but I didn’t really focus in on how people were going to take it until I was banned. And then I called my manager and I said, ‘We got to pull it off the radio…I think I’ve gone too far!’ And he said, ‘It’s too late, love. It’s climbing up the charts!”

But now, Olivia noted, “‘Let’s get physical/ Let me hear your body talk’…compared to what’s on the radio now, it’s like a lullaby!”

A new deluxe edition of Olivia’s 1981 Physical album is now available for pre-order.

The Pretty Reckless spotlights the “human element of music” with ‘Death by Rock and Roll’ guest spots

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Pretty Reckless‘ new album Death by Rock and Roll features guest appearances by Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden, and Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello. Aside from being a part of some of the biggest rock bands of the last 30 years, Taylor Momsen wanted to work with those artists specifically for an important reason: nobody else sounds like them.

“Part of the reason I love rock n’ roll so much is that you can really hear the person behind the note,” Momsen tells ABC Audio. “Especially in today’s modern age of music, there’s a lot of music that is not rooted in the human performance or the human element of music, I guess.”

Momsen adds that Thayil, Cameron and Morello are all artists who “really have an identity behind what they do.”

“Whether they’re playing drums or guitar or bass or whatever it is, they play it with such an intent that it sounds like a voice, it sounds like a human voice,” she says. “You can tell immediately who that person is because they’re singing with their instrument in a way that I feel like a lot of people don’t do nowadays.”

Thayil and Cameron are featured on the song “Only Love Can Save Me Now,” while Morello adds his guitar to the track “And So It Went.” Clearly, Momsen must be on to something with the whole “it matters who’s playing on the song” thing, since both singles hit number one on Billboard‘s Maintream Rock Airplay chart.

“Matt and Kim and Tom, obviously, are just three of the most iconic people who’ve done that throughout their career,” Momsen says. “I’m so fortunate to have worked with them on this.”

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger to discuss new memoir during virtual Q&A event next month

September 28, 2021 by WDNY Radio

On October 12, The Doors‘ Robby Krieger will release his first-ever book, Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with The Doors, and to celebrate the memoir’s arrival, the guitar great will take part in a virtual Q&A event the following day.

The interactive ticketed event, which costs $36, will be streamed via Dice.fm, and will feature Krieger chatting with respected writer and broadcaster Laura Barton via Zoom. Robby also will be answering questions submitted by virtual audience members.

Those purchasing tickets also will receive a copy of Set the Night on Fire with a bookplate signed by Robby. The event will only be viewable in the U.S.

As previously reported, the book features the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer opening up about his journey to becoming a member for one of the most influential U.S. bands to emerge during the 1960s and beyond.

Set the Night on Fire offers a series of vignettes in which Krieger discusses such highlights as buying his first guitar, getting arrested for drugs as a teenager, writing songs with singer Jim Morrison in his parents’ living room, playing his first gigs with The Doors at empty bars and backyard parties, recording his bands classic albums, and eventually performing in front of massive adoring crowds.

The book also feature anecdotes about Robby’s experiences and encounters with other famous musicians, unhinged fans and more as well as his recollections about the difficulties he endured during his life, including his struggle with drug addiction, battling cancer, and his twin brother’s mental health issues.

Krieger co-wrote Set the Night on Fire with Jeff Alulis, an author and documentary filmmaker who also was lead singer of veteran punk band The Dead Kennedys from 2003 to 2008.

Nearly 28,000 pounds of frozen pizza recalled due to misbranding, undeclared allergens

September 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The frozen DiGiorno Crispy Pan Crust pepperoni pizza has been found to contain textured soy protein, a known allergen that is not declared on the label, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Monday.

Nestle USA Inc. is recalling 27,872 pounds of the pizza product after a consumer complaint found that the frozen pepperoni pizza product carton may actually contain the frozen three-meat pizza, according to the FSIS release.

The recalled pizza products were produced on Jun. 30, 2021 and shipped nationwide.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions, the release stated.

ABC News reached out to Nestle for comment, but has not received word at this time.

Dave Grohl featured on upcoming episode of Mark Ronson-hosted ‘The FADER Uncovered’ podcast

September 27, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Dave Grohl will guest on the upcoming second season of The FADER Uncovered podcast, hosted by famed DJ and producer Mark Ronson.

On The FADER Uncovered, Ronson interviews musicians about their “lives, careers, and creative breakthroughs.” Along with the Foo Fighters frontman, other season two guests include My Morning Jacket, J Balvin, RZA, Charli XCX and Vince Staples.

New episodes premiere starting October 4.

The first season of The FADER Uncovered featured Tame Impala, HAIM, Damon Albarn, David Byrne and Questlove, among others.

Grohl, by the way, previously guested on Ronson’s Watch the Sound Apple TV+ documentary series.

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