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Ryan Hurd admits to “Chasing After…” his first top ten, and making one important change

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Ryan Hurd‘s enjoying his first top-ten song as an artist right now, duetting with his wife Maren Morris on “Chasing After You.”

Of course, Ryan’s already been to the top of the chart as a writer, having co-written “What If I Never Get Over You” for Lady A, Luke Bryan‘s “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” and Blake Shelton‘s “Lonely Tonight.”

Ironically, his first major success comes with a tune he didn’t write — one that’s been a hot property for some time.

“This song has been around a long time,” Ryan explains. “And it was held by a handful of artists before us, and for whatever reason didn’t make those albums. And when it became available, I remember asking around if it would be something that I could kind of claim.”

“And I remember [Maren and I] were on our first trip together, which was a while ago, and we were on a beach,” he recalls. “We went to the Caymans, I think. I think that’s the night that Maren said she wanted to be a part of this song.”

“And so it’s gone through a few versions of recordings, and we settled on this one,” Ryan adds.

It turns out “Chasing After You” wasn’t even envisioned as a collaboration at first.

“It was originally not a duet,” Ryan reveals. “But I think picturing it and being able to do that, I think once we saw that it could be, it just became much more powerful.”

You’ll find “Chasing After You” on Ryan’s debut album, Pelago, which comes out October 15.

Blake Shelton drops new country music anthem, “Come Back As a Country Boy”

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Blake Shelton‘s new single is out! The Oklahoma native just dropped “Come Back As a Country Boy,” celebrating everything that is right about country music. The song, written by Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt and Josh Thompson, is from Blake’s upcoming Body Language Deluxe album, out on December 3.

“I think this song is an anthem for everyday hardworking country people out there,” Blake said of his rocking new single. “We have so much pride in who we are and what we do that, if we ever died and got the chance to live life over again, we probably wouldn’t do it if we couldn’t be country.”

Blake will wrap up his Friends and Heroes Tour this weekend with shows in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Porsha Williams confirms departure from ’Real Housewives of Atlanta’

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Another OG has left the Real Housewives of Atlanta. After 10 seasons on the show, Porsha Williams is handing in her peach.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the reality star shared a a few photos of herself along with a montage of clips from her time on the series. Alongside it, she announced, “After ten life-changing, gratifying, incredible years, it is finally time to begin my next chapter. Next season, I will not be returning to the Real Housewives of Atlanta franchise.”

“This was a difficult decision to not only make, but also come to terms with,” Williams continued. “It’s one I have put a lot of thought into and because of that, I know it’s the right one.”

The mom of one extended a thank-you to multiple networks and to her Bravo family, for which she said she has “much love and endless gratitude.”

“You’ve made the past decade a truly special one. One where I’ve dealt with unbelievable highs and unbelievable lows, and I can honestly say I would not have made it through some of them without the unconditional love and support I have gotten from all of you,” Porsha shared.

Williams went on to tease that this isn’t the last fans have seen of her.

“Don’t worry though, I’ll be back on your TV very soon. I can’t wait to share all of my exciting new endeavors with the world-beginning with the release of my memoir, The Pursuit of Porsha, out on November 16,” she concluded. “As for the rest, you’ll just have to wait and see! Love ya!”

Porsha’s exit comes just days after another OG, Cynthia Bailey, revealed she also would not be returning to RHOA for season 14.

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Haunting Disney+ today, the animated musical show ‘The Ghost and Molly McGee’

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Launching on Disney+ today is the animated series The Ghost and Molly McGee.

Featuring the voice of Emmy-winning writer and Mythic Quest co-star Ashly Burch, the series has her starring as Molly, an ever-optimistic tween girl whose family moves into a new home, only to find her attic room haunted by a curmudgeonly ghost named Scratch.

“He curses her and says, ‘Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be there haunting you.’ But Molly, being unflappable, kind of goes, ‘Well that just sounds like you’re my best friend now!’ Burch tells ABC Audio with a laugh.

“So it’s basically like an Odd Couple kind of thing of these two people that are forced to be together…But… over the course of several episodes, form this really cute, funny friendship.”

Burch explains she was first just called in to consult on the show, by creators Bill Motz and Bob Roth, but soon hooked into the character. “They were sort of like, ‘We’re we’ve never been a tween girl. Do you want to take a look at this…?’ And…I might have just flat out said, like, ‘Can I audition for this character?'”

For Burch, the show, which has already been renewed for a second season, is a dream gig.

“It’s so surreal,” the actress and writer admits. “I loved Disney when I was a kid, I mean, I had Little Mermaid bed sheets, I wanted to be Ariel…So it’s really, really cool to be part of not only part of a Disney show, but to be the lead of a Disney show and [not] only the lead…but it’s a musical!”

“10-year-old Ashly would be losing her mind if she knew,” she laughs.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Disney’s 50th anniversary celebration travel guide

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.) — October 1 marks 50 years since Walt Disney World Resort officially opened to guests.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, “The Most Magical Place on Earth” has put together an 18-month event featuring new attractions, nighttime spectaculars and a lot more.

“Guests will discover new experiences across the resort, where shimmering EARidescence appears as if by magic everywhere from theme parks to Disney Resort hotels to transportation to merchandise and more,” Disney said in a press release.

In honor of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” here are six things to watch for as you plan your trip for the 50th-anniversary celebration.

1. Expanded EPCOT France Pavilion

The France Pavilion at EPCOT is serving up a new attraction and a new restaurant.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a family-friendly attraction where guests are shrunk to the size of Chef Remy from Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning film, Ratatouille.

The new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, offers table and quick-service options featuring items like sweet crepes and savory buckwheat galettes.

2. Nighttime Spectacular ‘Harmonious’

EPCOT guests can also experience “Harmonious,” one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park.

The show at World Showcase Lagoon features new interpretations of classic Disney songs from a diverse group of 240 artists from around the world.

3. ‘Disney Enchantment’ at Magic Kingdom Park

Magic Kingdom Park is also debuting a new nighttime spectacular called “Disney Enchantment.”

According to a press release, “Disney Enchantment” features stunning fireworks, powerful music, enhanced lighting and, for the first time, immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A.”

4. ‘Disney KiteTails’ at Animal Kingdom

Discovery River Theater at Animal Kingdom will now feature “Disney KiteTails” several times daily.

You can watch performers fly windcatchers and kites of all shapes and sizes to the beat of favorite Disney songs.

5. Beacons of Magic

Four icons at Walt Disney World theme parks will transform at night into Beacons of Magic.

Cinderella Castle, Tree of Life, The Hollywood Tower Hotel, and Spaceship Earth will all come to life with their own “EARidescent” glow.

6. ‘Disney Fab 50 Character Collection’ Sculptures

In honor of the park’s 50th anniversary, 50 golden sculptures have been spread across the four Walt Disney World theme parks.

These sculptures feature characters from Timon and Pumba from The Lion King to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh tests positive for COVID-19

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for COVID-19, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

Kavanaugh tested positive during a routine test ahead of an investiture ceremony for Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

He has been vaccinated since January and currently has no symptoms, the court said. His family has also tested negative.

The court said Kavanaugh was informed Thursday evening that he tested positive.

“On Thursday, per the Court’s regular testing protocols, Justice Kavanaugh had a routine Covid test ahead of Justice Barrett’s investiture on Friday. On Thursday evening, Justice Kavanaugh was informed that he had tested positive for Covid-19,” the court’s spokesperson Patricia McCabe said in a press release.

“As a precaution, Justice and Mrs. Kavanaugh will not attend Justice Barrett’s investiture this morning,” McCabe said.

Barrett is scheduled to have an investiture photo op on Friday coming down the steps of the Supreme Court Building with the Chief Justice and her husband.

The news comes three days before the court is scheduled to begin its new term on Monday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

‘Controlling Britney Spears’ creators claim they listened to Jamie Spears’s secret recordings of the pop star

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Framing Britney Spears helped awaken the masses about the controversy behind Britney Spears’ 13-year conservatorship. Now, the second part of the explosive documentary has just dropped.

The makers behind FX and Hulu’s The New York Times Presents Controlling Britney Spears, Samantha Stark and Liz Day, spoke with Entertainment Tonight about what shocked them most about diving further into Britney’s legal woes.

Both say their interview with Alex Vlasov, who worked with the singer for nearly a decade and was a former agent of the security firm Black Box, is one of the most chilling segments of their film. That’s because Vlasov is the one who claimed Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, bugged Britney’s room and would secretly monitor her emails, phone calls and private conversations.

Vlasov reportedly turned over several recordings allegedly taken by Jamie to authenticate his claims.

“We have a copy of the recording, which we reviewed to authenticate it and make sure it was real,” said Day. “It was really disturbing to listen to. To imagine Britney being recorded secretly in her bedroom, that is just really disturbing.”

Stark added the two “made repeated” efforts to get Jamie’s side of the story, and said he “never denied the allegations that they wiretapped Britney’s bedroom.”

Jamie’s lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, claims in a statement to The New York Times that “All of his actions were well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court.”

However, Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart believes the elder Spears violated his client’s “privacy rights” and said, after Jamie was suspended as conservator on Wednesday, that “Mr. Spears has crossed unfathomable lines and he must be held accountable.”

As for when the 13-year conservatorship will end, a hearing to determine that has been scheduled for November 12. Another hearing on December 13 will focus on financial and accounting matters.

Jon Bernthal says ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is “its own thing” and not another episode of ‘The Sopranos’

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

It’s the weekend Sopranos fans have been desperately waiting for — the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark is out today.

Instead of picking up where The Sopranos ended nearly 15 years ago, the movie delves into the past and explores the life of a young Tony Soprano and the circumstances that led him to become the DiMeo crime family’s boss.

Jon Bernthal plays Tony Soprano’s father, known as Johnny Boy, in the film. He tells ABC Audio that fans of the original series shouldn’t treat the movie like two extra episodes of the award-winning HBO series.

“It’s absolutely its own thing. And I think that’s very smart. Those are shoes that are impossible to fill,” Bernthal explained, while keeping details about why that is to himself. “That’s something that exists on its own.”

There are whispers the movie does address what really happened to Tony Soprano in that controversial cut to black series ending, but don’t ask Bernthal to reveal what really happened to James Gandolfini‘s character.

“I think there’s a there’s a myriad of potential answers. And, yeah, I got no interest in answering it,” he teased.

And while The Many Saints of Newark will delight fans of the original series, Ray Liotta, who plays “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti in the film, says the movie will also entertain those who haven’t tuned into the series –and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t watched The Sopranos.

“You don’t have to have been a fan of the show or even watched the series in order to appreciate what goes on in this movie,” Liotta assured. “You don’t have to be a big Sopranos fan or know everything that happened in order to appreciate and like it.”

The Many Saints of Newark is now in theaters and on HBO Max.

Women’s March returning to cities across US in support of reproductive rights

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Women’s rights advocates are preparing to march again in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the U.S. this weekend, with a focus on reproductive rights.

The fifth annual Women’s March will take place on Saturday, a date specifically chosen for its proximity to the start of the U.S. Supreme Court’s new term — Oct. 4, the first Monday in October.

Women’s March organizers said the restrictive abortion law that went into effect in Texas in September motivated them to act now.

The law, which bans nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect after the Supreme Court rejected a request by Texas abortion providers to block the law as legal challenges continued.

“When the Supreme Court rejected an emergency request to block Texas’s abortion ban, they effectively took the next step towards overturning Roe v. Wade. Simply put: We are witnessing the most dire threat to abortion access in our lifetime,” reads a statement on the Women’s March website.

The Supreme Court also is scheduled to hear in December oral arguments in a case that could be the most consequential abortion rights case in decades. The state of Mississippi is asking the justices to overturn longstanding legal precedent that restrictions on abortion access before a fetus is viable outside the womb — around 22 to 24 weeks of pregnancy — are categorically unconstitutional. Mississippi wants to ban abortions after 15 weeks, or even earlier.

Reproductive rights advocates call the case, which centers around Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s last remaining abortion clinic, an existential threat to American abortion rights not seen in nearly 50 years.

This year’s protest will follow in the footsteps of Women’s March protests that have taken place every year since 2017, when the first march drew more than a million people to various locations across the U.S. the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The protests have dwindled in size since the first march, but have continued across the country.

As women take to the streets this year to march, in addition to battles over reproductive rights, women have also experienced disproportionate job loss during the coronavirus pandemic and faced greater caregiving burdens than male counterparts, data shows.

Women’s March organizers said that in addition to the Washington, D.C., march, there will be smaller marches from Bangor, Maine, and the way to Seattle.

The Washington march will begin at Freedom Plaza and continue along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Supreme Court building.

Busy Phillips, who has spoken publicly about having an abortion at age 15, is among the speakers confirmed for the Washington march.

Scarlett Johansson and Disney have settled ‘Black Widow’ dispute

October 1, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Scarlett Johansson‘s Periwinkle Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company have settled their dispute regarding the release of Black Widow.

Johansson filed suit last month against Marvel Studios’ parent company, Disney, claiming that the studio’s decision to simultaneously release Black Widow on Disney+ and in theaters was a breach of her contract, which guaranteed Black Widow an exclusive theatrical window before it hit the streaming service. The suit further claims Disney’s decision to do otherwise cost Johansson millions in potential earnings.

“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team,” the actress said in a statement on Thursday. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come,”

Alan Bergman, Chairman of Disney Studios Content, added, “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”

Neither side gave any indication of how much money was involved in the settlement.

ScarJo served as an executive producer on Black Widow, and therefore had profit participation “points” tied to the film’s box-office performance. The movie grossed $367 million at the box office. However, Disney revealed in August that the movie had grossed $125 million on streaming, which some assert detracted from the film’s box-office earnings potential, and Johansson’s bottom line.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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