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More than half of US killings by police go unreported: Study

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A new study on fatal police violence shows more than half of killings by police were left unreported in the last 40 years, and that Black Americans were estimated to be 3.5 times more likely to die from police violence than white Americans.

Researchers compared data from the National Vital Statistics System — a federal tracker of deaths in the United States — with three independent, non-government, open-source databases: Fatal Encounters, Mapping Police Violence and The Counted.

From 1980 to 2019, there were 30,800 deaths from police violence, which is 17,100 more deaths than the NVSS reported, according to the study by researchers from the University of Washington and published in the Lancet.

The study found that the NVSS underreported 55.5% of these deaths overall, but that percentage rose to 59.1% when reporting deaths among Black Americans.

“Police violence and racism is really a public health problem,” senior author Mohsen Naghavi told ABC News.

The NVSS did not respond to ABC news’ request for comment.

The rate of police killings for non-Hispanic Black victims was about 3.5 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white people, and Hispanics were 1.8 times more likely to be killed by police violence than non-Hispanic white people.

The study confirms a pattern of systemic racism in policing, predominantly burdening communities of color, the study’s co-author Eve Wool says.

“Even when unarmed, Black Americans experienced disproportionately high levels of police contact, even for crimes that Black and white folks committed at the same rates,” Wool told ABC News.

Open-source data, which is compiled from open access sources, like news articles and public records, are typically more comprehensive when it comes to tracking these kinds of incidences, according to Neghavi and Wool.

Even with more comprehensive data, they say, there is a lot more research to be done on police violence.

The study didn’t take into account the non-fatal victims or incidences of police brutality, and the binary gender identifiers in the data didn’t allow for analysis of gender-based discrimination against people of transgender or nonbinary identities.

Gloria Estefan reveals childhood abuse on ‘Red Table Talk: The Estefans’

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

On the latest episode of her Facebook watch series Red Table Talk: The Estefans, Gloria Estefan has revealed that she was sexually abused by a family member at the age of nine.

“I knew one day I would share this story,” Gloria said. “I was waiting for the right opportunity and space to do so.”

Gloria began her revelation by stating, “Ninety-three percent of abused children know and trust their abusers. And I know this because I was one of them.” She then explained that she used to attend a music school run by a distant relative who her mother trusted.

“He immediately started telling [my mom] how talented I was, and how I needed special attention, and she felt lucky that he was focusing this kind of attention on me,” Gloria said, adding, “It starts little by little and then it goes fast.”

When Gloria tried to stop the abuse, she says the man told her, “Your father’s in Vietnam, your mother’s alone, and I will kill her if you tell her.”

She continued, “I knew the man was insane and that’s why I thought he might actually hurt my mother.” But finally, Gloria said, she broke down and told her mother the truth. But when her mom called the police, they advised her not to take action.

“They told my mother not to press charges because they said I was going to go through worse trauma having to get on a stand and testify,” she said. “And that’s the one thing that I feel bad about, knowing that there must have been other victims.”

It turns out there was at least one: Gloria’s own aunt, who had been abused as a child by the same man in Cuba.

Gloria said that years later, after she had her first big hit with “Conga,” the same man “wrote a letter to the paper criticizing my music.”

“At that moment, I was so angry that I was about to blow the lid off of everything, and then I thought, ‘My whole success is going to turn into him,'” she recalled. “That’s what they do, they take your power.”

In the episode, Gloria and her family also talk to Clare Crawley, the first Latina Bachelorette, about Crawley’s abuse as a child at the hands of a priest.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, know that you are not alone. Call 800-656-HOPE or Visit rainn.org for free, confidential, 24/7 support.

Cardi B reveals postpartum reactions after giving birth earlier this month: “Crying for no reason”

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As Cardi B livesthe glamorous life in France for Fashion Week, she admits her body is reacting in unusual ways after giving birth 26 days ago.

“Can’t wait till these weird postpartum hormones completely leave my body,” the “Rumors” rapper tweeted Wednesday, “I be crying for no reason.”

The baby boy, whose name has not been publicly revealed, is Cardi’s second child, following daughter Kulture, who is three years old.

Cardi also experienced what she called “annoying“ postpartum reactions after Kulture’s birth in 2018. “Let me tell you something. No matter how many books you read or advice I get, ya’ll never be ready for mommy mode,” she then commented in an Instagram Story.

The Grammy winner made her first public appearance this week in Paris after welcoming her second child, and dazzled the crowds. She stunned in a crimson sequined and ruby-encrusted gown with plunging neckline, accentuated by a long train and a halo of red feathers. She accessorized the look by wearing long matching sequined gloves, a ruby choker adorned with large red, pink and orange gemstones, and red rhinestone eyebrows.

Later in the evening, she slipped into a sheer black dress with a tight corset, sleeves and small black feathers.

“Thank you @manfredthierrymugler for including me in such a historical night, the opening of your exhibit in Paris! Truly one of my favorite creative minds in the WORLD,” the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram. “I’m mind blown looking at your collections from over the years. A true Genius!”

Cardi, Lil Durk and Megan Thee Stallion lead all artists, with nine nominations each, for the 16th annual BET Hip Hop Awards, airing Tuesday, October 5 at 9 p.m. on BET,

Can’t wait till these weird postpartum hormones completely leave my body.I be crying for no reason.

— iamcardib (@iamcardib) September 30, 2021

Elton John says new Stevie Wonder collab is “one of the greatest records I’ve ever made”

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Elton John‘s upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions features the song “Finish Line,” a collaboration with the equally legendary Stevie Wonder that was released today as an advance track. In a preview clip from the upcoming episode of his Apple Music show Elton John’s Rocket Hour, Elton calls the tune “one of the greatest records I’ve ever made.”

Elton talks about putting the track together songwriter and producer Andrew Watt, noting, “Stevie came along and played piano, I played electric piano, and then he did harmonica on it, and then we were trying to get another vocalist on it.”

Elton recalls, “[Stevie] wouldn’t do it because I think he thought he’d done enough.” But Watt then added a gospel choir on the song — the same choir Kanye West has been using — and Elton says, “I think when Stevie heard that, he decided to do the vocal.”

“I think for me, it’s one of the greatest records I’ve ever made, because it’s Stevie Wonder!” Elton raves, praising Watt for making “Stevie sound like a 17-year-old again.”

“I’m so proud of this record because I love [Stevie] so much,” Elton rhapsodizes. “He’s always been so kind to me and so sweet to me, you know, the talent is beyond ridiculous. And it was just lovely to spend time with him and just see this wonderful human being smiling and happy and playing on a record of mine.”

You can hear the whole episode of Elton John’s Rocket Hour on Apple Music 1 on Saturday at noon ET.

Elton’s The Lockdown Sessions is coming out October 22.

Watch Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” come to life in new animated video

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As promised, a newly created video for Billy Joel‘s beloved 1977 song from The Stranger, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” has premiered on Billy’s YouTube channel.

The animated clip brings to life the two main characters of the song, Brenda and Eddie, who meet at an Italian restaurant after years apart to reminisce about their lives. The clip pretty much illustrates the lyrics exactly, as the former couple catch each other up on what they’re doing now, think about their days together as the king and queen of the prom, and recall their ill-fated marriage and subsequent divorce.

The fun part of the video, however, is spotting all the Billy Joel Easter eggs. For example, the story unfolds comic book-style via the pages of a menu on the table of the restaurant, which is called Cacciatore’s — the name of a character in another Stranger song, “Movin’ Out.” The menu’s cover is decorated with a mask and a pair of boxing gloves, both motifs of The Stranger‘s artwork, which recur throughout the video.

In another comic-strip panel, there are scenes of people outside a bar called “Zanzibar,” the name of a 1978 song by Billy. When we see Brenda and Eddie’s “apartment with deep-pile carpets,” the walls are decorated with framed covers of Billy’s 1970s-era albums.

Also sprinkled in are scenes of Billy and his band performing live in various eras, and one shot shows a wall of posters advertising a gig at the “Coliseum” — a reference to Billy’s hometown venue, the now-defunct Nassau Coliseum. As the song ends and the menu closes, it morphs into the cover of The Stranger.

The Stranger is included in the nine-LP box set Billy Joel — The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1, due out on November 5.

Collectible Rolling Stones “Little People” figurines available now from Fisher-Price

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Fisher-Price company has introduced a new set of collectible Rolling Stones figurines as part of its “Little People” series of kids’ toys.

The collection, which is priced at $19.99, features miniature versions of the band’s four main longtime members — singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, and late drummer Charlie Watts. Each figure stands over 2.5 inches tall.

The toys come packaged in a gift box resembling a concert stage and featuring The Rolling Stones’ iconic “tongue and lips” logo.

The set currently is available as an Amazon.com exclusive.

Other music stars who have been previously been immortalized as miniature toys as part of the “Little People” series include The Beatles, KISS, Elvis Presley and Run-DMC.

FBI assisting in 3-county search for missing Florida college student Miya Marcano: Sheriff

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(ORLANDO) — The FBI has joined the search for 19-year-old Florida college student Miya Marcano as her desperate family said they suspect she was kidnapped from her apartment a week ago.

Marcano, a student at Valencia College in Orlando, was last seen at her apartment complex on Sept. 18 and a man Orange County Sheriff John Mina named Thursday as a “prime suspect” in her disappearance was found dead from an apparent suicide after investigators searched his home and car.

“We’re just ready to bring her home, but we need everyone’s help. We need every resource at this point,” Marcano’s aunt, Semone Westmaas, told ABC affiliate station WFTV in Orlando.

Mina said at a news conference Thursday afternoon that 60 detectives from his agency’s Criminal Investigations Division are working exclusively on this case.

“I know that Miya’s family and her loved ones are going through unimaginable anguish as they try and find out what happened to Miya,” Mina said. “Hundreds of sworn and civilian personnel here at the sheriff’s office and beyond have been working around the clock to employ all the resources at our disposal to find Miya.”

Sheriff investigators initially named Armando Manuel Caballero, a maintenance employee at the Arden Villas apartments where Marcano lives as a person of interest in her disappearance. Authorities said Caballero had expressed a romantic interest in Marcano but she rebuffed his advances.

Investigators said the 27-year-old Caballero possessed a key fob to access apartments and his was used at Marcano’s unit just before her disappearance.

Caballero was found dead on Monday in his apartment from an apparent suicide.

“We believe that the suspect that we had named, Armando Caballero, is responsible. We don’t know all the circumstances involved in what happened there, but he was obviously the prime suspect,” Mina said.

He said that at this time investigators do not believe another person was involved in the disappearance of Marcano, but have not entirely ruled out that possibility.

Mina said the sheriff’s office Emergency Response Team and personnel from other law enforcement agencies have conducted nearly 30 searches since Marcano went missing across three different counties. He said at least 175 people have been involved in the searches.

The sheriff said his agency reached out to the FBI for assistance and that the federal agency has provided resources.

“We are working with the FBI and they are assisting in this case. I’ll just say in a manner of technology at this point,” Mina said.

He announced the FBI’s involvement after Marcano’s loved ones called on the bureau to help in the case.

Mina said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has also loaned investigators a K-9 unit that is trained to search for electronics, specifically cellphones.

Deputies were seen on Wednesday combing through storage facilities at the Arden Villas apartments in Orlando, where Marcano also works, and searching a nearby wooded area.

Marcano was last seen at around 5 p.m. on Friday at her apartment complex, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Westmaas said relatives reported her missing after asking the sheriff’s department to conduct a welfare check on Marcano. She said that when she and other relatives entered Marcano’s normally tidy apartment, they found it “a mess” and discovered signs of an apparent struggle.

WFTV obtained a video of Caballero walking through the parking lot of the Arden Villas apartments after Marcano went missing, carrying what her family said resembled items belonging to her.

“We were given that video right away,” Mina said. “That video led us to be able to do a search warrant on Caballero’s apartment and vehicle.”

Mina did not disclose what evidence investigators found.

Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals how she’s combating harmful stereotypes and misinformation about asthma

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Sarah Michelle Gellar is tired of how pop culture portrays people with asthma — and she’s aiming to change that.

In partnership with the pharmaceutical company Teva, Gellar helped launch the Inhaler Tales campaign, which aims to raise awareness on proper inhaler use and encourage those with asthma to advocate for themselves.

“I think that there’s this stereotype — like any kind of diagnosis — [asthma] is a sign of weakness. And it’s not,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum told ABC Audio. “Our bodies are not machines.”

Asthma is a condition of the lungs, says the Mayo Clinic, where the airways can narrow and swell, which in turn can make breathing difficult or trigger an attack. Asthma can’t be cured but it can be controlled with medication.

Gellar took note of how pop culture makes light of asthmatic characters and that those misguided stereotypes can feed misinformation. For example, Mikey from The Goonies and Albert from Hitch used their inhaler as a prop and were portrayed as defenseless or cowardly. Gellar says those tropes should be “taken with a grain of salt” because asthma is “not something to be ashamed of.”

Gellar also noted how actors who play asthmatic people don’t correctly use an inhaler on screen.

“They just puff into it. Always wrong,” the Cruel Intentions star stressed, noting a recent Teva study that found over 50% of people with asthma or COPD use their inhaler incorrectly.

Gellar said improper inhaler use can exacerbate symptoms, and stressed, “With the right treatment program, you really should be able to live your life to the fullest.”

That’s why she says it’s “so important… to know how to properly utilize that equipment.” Gellar encourages those with asthma to be honest with their doctors when their inhaler isn’t effectively controlling their symptoms.

“He got what he deserves”: Aaron Sorkin on former co-producer Scott Rudin following bullying scandal

September 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

In a lengthy interview with Oscar-winning screenwriter and The Newsroom creator Aaron Sorkin, Vanity Fair got him to speak for the first time about producer Scott Rudin, a once frequent collaborator whose career was torpedoed by accusations of bullying and even physical violence against his staff.

Those accusations from former employees were chronicled in a bombshell Hollywood Reporter feature last April.

“He got what he deserved,” Sorkin said in part, explaining he previously stayed silent about Rudin because he didn’t think it was “helpful for me to stand on his torso and kind of jump up and down.”

Sorkin says, “…I’ve worked with Scott a lot, three feature films, an HBO series, and a Broadway play. [I]t was painful to read that Hollywood Reporter story, particularly because it’s pretty likely that some of those assistants who were being abused were working on something I wrote while they were being abused. So I took it personally.”

Sorkin insists to Vanity Fair that he knew about Rudin’s “higher class of bullying,” but claims he never personally witnessed any troubling behavior or heard any of the physical violence accusations. The pair last worked on the Tony-winning revival of To Kill a Mockingbird, with Jeff Daniels in the lead.

Sorkin also explained the last time he spoke with the disgraced producer was when he severed Rudin’s ties with To Kill a Mockingbird via Zoom. The play will re-open after the COVID-19 hiatus on October 5, without Rudin’s involvement.

As for his former collaborator on The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Moneyball and The Newsroom, Sorkin, who’s battled substance abuse problems, said of Rudin, “I feel the way I would with an alcoholic or an addict. I hope he gets better.”

COVID-19 live updates: 37% of people may have at least 1 symptom months later

September 30, 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 696,000 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.

Just 65% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Latest headlines:
-Daily hospital admissions down 32% in last month
-NYC teachers ask Supreme Court to block school vaccine mandate
-37% of people may have at least 1 symptom months after having COVID: Study

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

Sep 30, 4:33 pm
Daily hospital admissions down 32% in last month

Since the beginning of September, the U.S. has seen a drop of more than 27,000 patients in hospitals across the country, according to federal data. A little less than half of those patients come from Florida.

Daily hospital admissions are down by nearly 15% in the last week and by 32% in the last month, according to federal data.

The country’s daily case average has fallen to 107,000 — a 33% drop in the last month. However, about 97% of counties are still reporting “high” or “substantial” community transmission.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Sep 30, 4:02 pm
Aladdin on Broadway to resume after COVID cancellation

Aladdin will return to Broadway Thursday night after Wednesday’s show was canceled due to several people in the production testing positive for COVID-19.

All members of Disney Theatrical’s companies must be vaccinated.

“Our extensive protocol system to test our employees and identify positive cases worked, and allowed us to act immediately to contain those cases,” production said. “Given the thoroughness of our Covid protocols and a vaccinated workforce, we remain confident that the environment is safe for our guests, cast, crew and musicians.”

Disney Theatrical Productions is a part of the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News.

Sep 30, 3:39 pm
NYC teachers ask Supreme Court to block school vaccine mandate

A group of New York City public school teachers asked the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday to block the city’s vaccine mandate for school employees, claiming it violates their due process and equal protection rights.

The unvaccinated teachers said they should be given an option to regularly test rather than forced to get the shot and they accused the city of failing to explain why that alternative was not made available.

“If permitted to take effect, the August 23 Order will force thousands of unvaccinated public-school employees to lose their jobs — while other municipal employees, including those who have significant contact with children, are allowed to opt-out of the vaccine mandate through weekly COVID-19 testing,” the petition said.

“While a temporary interruption of work is not actionable, the mandate here would have a permanent effect: it is open-ended, where if a teacher never gets vaccinated, he or she will never be able to return to work,” the petition said.

A federal appeals court earlier this week dissolved a temporary injunction and allowed the mandate to stand. The city has given school employees until Friday afternoon to comply before enforcement begins Monday.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky

Sep 30, 3:22 pm
Africa making modest vaccination gains: WHO

Out of the African continent’s 1.3 billion population, 60 million people have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

Fifteen African countries met the WHO’s goal to fully vaccinate at least 10% of residents by Sept. 30. (Nearly 90% of high-income countries have met this target.)

Twenty-three million vaccines arrived in Africa in September, 10 times the number delivered in June. COVAX is working to identify countries that can absorb large volumes of vaccines.

COVID-19 cases in Africa are on the decline. There were 74,000 new cases reported the week of Sept. 16, a 35% drop from the previous week.

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

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