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Facebook, WhatsApp should remove accounts that defraud users, Manhattan DA says

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Meta is failing to remove imposter accounts from its Facebook and WhatsApp platforms that “have led to tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers” in a growing scam across the country, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Bragg is the latest prosecutor to go public with criticism of Meta for failing to protect the public from criminals lurking on its social media platforms. New Mexico recently won a $375 million civil case that held Meta liable for failing to police its sites for child predators, and a jury in Los Angeles found Meta, along with Google, liable for a 20-year-old woman’s social media addiction.

In one of the latest scams, phony Facebook and WhatsApp accounts pose as organizations like Catholic Charities that offer pro bono legal services. The scammers behind those accounts claim to be lawyers offering immigration services, coaxing money from unsuspecting victims, Bragg said.

His office is getting, on average, a complaint a month and the scam has become so prevalent that Catholic Charities chapters in Trenton, Houston and Baltimore have posted warnings on their Facebook pages.

In some instances, scammers create public Facebook accounts that mirror real accounts belonging to pro bono legal services organizations, Bragg said. In others, they create WhatsApp profiles posing as immigration lawyers associated with those same organizations, frequently using the names and logos of legitimate organizations to give the appearance of credibility.
“These imposter accounts have led to tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers. Scammers frequently target immigrant populations because they are perceived to be, and often are, more vulnerable to fraud and in need of a specific type of legal assistance,” Bragg said in a letter to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg demanding the company take action after requests to remove false profiles were declined.

“Your company has made representations about the importance of the safety and security of your platform for its users,” Bragg’s letter said. “If you sincerely wish to protect the safety of your users from fraud, we urge you to take necessary, proactive steps.”

Bragg urged Meta to allow law enforcement agencies to report imposter accounts, suspend suspect accounts and ensure that users claiming to represent organizations that provide legal services are really where they say they are.

He also requested a meeting with Zuckerberg or his representatives to assure compliance.

Meta said that users are not permitted to misrepresent their identity to mislead or deceive others, but that bad actors are constantly changing the ways in which they violate Meta’s policies. As a result, Meta said, the company strives to keep scammers off its platforms and is investing in new technology, partnering with experts and other companies, and constantly working to update its detection and enforcement systems so users can feel safe.

In an interview with ABC News, Bragg urged caution to users seeking legal services.

“If there’s a lawyer who only wants to meet virtually and can’t give you a business address, that’s a red flag,” Bragg told ABC News. “Catholic Charities, these other organizations that are not-for-profits, they provide these services for free. So just the asking of money in and of itself is something that can be a red flag.”

Scoreboard roundup — 4/9/26

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

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

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Heat 114, Raptors 128
Bulls 119, Wizards 108
Pacers 123, Nets 94
Celtics 106, Knicks 112
76ers 102, Rockets 113
Lakers 119, Warriors 103

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Maple Leafs 3, Islanders 5
Blue Jackets 0, Sabres 5
Lightning 1, Canadiens 2
Panthers 1, Senators 5
Flyers 3, Red Wings 6
Penguins 5, Devils 2
Jets 3, Blues 2
Hurricanes 7, Blackhawks 2
Wild 4, Stars 5
Flames 1, Avalanche 3
Predators 1, Mammoth 4
Sharks 1, Ducks 6
Golden Knights 3, Kraken 4
Canucks 1, Kings 4

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Reds 1, Marlins 8
Athletics 1, Yankees 0
Tigers 1, Twins 3
Diamondbacks 7, Mets 1
White Sox 2, Royals 0
Rockies 3, Padres 7

In brief: ‘Rooster’ gets a season 2, ‘Wednesday’ casting, and more

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Heated Rivalry, The Pitt and Pluribus are among the nominees for the 86th Peabody Awards in the entertainment category. Also among the 15 entertainment nominees this year: Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Adolescence and Andor. The Peabody Awards will take place in Los Angeles on May 31 …

Steve Carell’s HBO series, Rooster, has been renewed for a second season. The first four episodes of season 1 have averaged 5.8 million U.S. viewers, according to the network, making it the most-watched freshman HBO comedy in over a decade. New episodes are airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT …

Wednesday is adding some new faces to season 3. Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy and James Lance will be guest starring in the new season of the Netflix Addams Family series, which is currently in production. Jenna Ortega stars as the title character …

‘There I Go’: Vincent Mason steps into the spotlight with Morgan Wallen & Parker McCollum

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

When newcomer Vincent Mason opens for Morgan Wallen Friday on the first night of the Still the Problem Tour, it’ll be one of his first chances to get to know one of his heroes.

“I’ve never met him,” Vincent tells ABC Audio. “[I’m] just a very, very big fan of the music. I have been for a long time and I’m excited to get out there. I’m excited to just watch seven shows, you know, [and] at the very least get to go hang out.”

“That’s the peak of how to headline,” he adds. “So I’m gonna try to learn what I can [and] see what works for us.”

After two nights in Minneapolis, he’ll have five more stadium dates with Morgan, mixed in with some of his own shows.

From there, he’ll reunite with another major musical influence.

“[I’m] going back out with Parker McCollum,” Vincent says, “who’s one of my favorite artists [and a] big reason that I got into writing songs and trying to do everything that I’m doing now.”

“And headlining again will be awesome,” he continues. “So we get to play this new album we just put out. [It’s] pretty much a brand new set for us. I know the band’s excited to have some new songs to play and so am I. So we’re gonna have a lot of fun on stage, so in turn, I hope everyone else has fun too.”

Vincent currently has a top 20 hit with his debut single, “Wish You Well,” from his There I Go album.

Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Selena Gomez & more make ‘Forbes’ list of the greatest living self-made Americans

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Forbes magazine is celebrating the 250 greatest living self-made Americans, and a lot of them are hugely successful singers.

The list was created from various sources, including Forbes’ Self-Made Score, a one-to-10 ranking that measures the obstacles overcome, impact and financial success.

Mariah Carey is #123 on the list because she “grew up in poverty,” and Katy Perry is in at #226, having come from “a religious family [who] relied on food banks to survive.”

Selena Gomez, #220, was “raised by a teenage mother who scrounged for quarters to pay for gas,” and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“Fast Car” singer Tracy Chapman is #151, having been “raised by a working-class single mother.”

Cher is #130 because she was “raised by a struggling, itinerant single mother” and dropped out of high school.

Jennifer Hudson is #106; she too was raised by a single mother. Jewel is #103 because, as most fans know, she grew up in a one-room cabin in Alaska and once lived in her van.

Others on the list include Pharrell Williams at #86, Eminem at #79, Stevie Wonder at #69, Barbra Streisand at #65, Bruce Springsteen at #60 and Oprah Winfrey at #1.

See the full list at Forbes.com.

Watch Nine Inch Noize, Jack White, Turnstile and more perform at Coachella 2026

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The first weekend of Coachella kicks off Friday. As with previous years, those unable to make the trip to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, can watch the festival unfold live streaming on YouTube. Here are some of the rock and alternative acts you can tune into:

Nine Inch Noize, Saturday at 8 p.m. PT, Sahara

After collaborating playing with each other each night on the Peel It Back tour, Nine Inch Nails and producer Boys Noize make their official debut as Nine Inch Noize at Coachella’s Sahara tent on Saturday. Perhaps they’ll preview their just-announced Nine Inch Noize album, due out April 17.

Jack White, Saturday at 3 p.m. PT, Mojave

A last-minute addition to the lineup, Jack White will open the Mojave stage on Saturday. The “Seven Nation Army” rocker is fresh off a performance on Saturday Night Live, during which he gave the live debut to his new singles, “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs” and “Derecho Demonico.”

Turnstile, Friday at 8:05 p.m. PT, Outdoor Theatre

Following their breakout 2025, which saw the release of their new album, NEVER ENOUGH, Turnstile returns stateside for their first U.S. show of 2026 at Coachella Friday on the Outdoor Theatre. The set will also mark Turnstile’s first live performance since the band’s former guitarist, Brady Ebert, was arrested for attempted murder after allegedly hitting frontman Brendan Yates’ father with a car.

Other rock and alternative artists on the Coachella 2026 lineup include The Strokes, The xx, Iggy Pop, Wet Leg, David Byrne, Interpol, Geese, Foster the People, Gigi Perez, Royel Otis, Black Flag, Lykke Li, Devo and Suicidal Tendencies.

Coachella weekend two takes place April 17-19.

Kansas’ Rich Williams on ‘SNL’s’ ‘Carry on Wayward Son’ sketch: ‘Just wonderful’

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Kansas’ signature tune “Carry on Wayward Son” was featured prominently in the Saturday Night Live sketch “Husbands” on April 4, and the band’s guitarist and original member Rich Williams was happy to see it play a role in something so funny.

In the segment, a group of husbands are forced to hang out together as their wives chat in the kitchen. They have nothing to talk about, until host Jack Black begins singing “Carry on Wayward Son,” and the men all chime in and sing along.

“There’s always a good and bad side to things. Everybody I know is sending me the clip,” Williams tells New York Magazine’s Vulture column. “So it’s a nice problem to have, I’ll say that.”

Williams says over the past 50 years Kansas has had a reputation as a “really serious band,” but he notes, “We laugh all the time. We have a lot of stupid inside jokes and our own language.” He adds, “But to be a part of something like this is just wonderful.”

“It’s another feather in our cap that adds to our legacy,” he says. “We’re still out there and working, but to be acknowledged by an institution like Saturday Night Live? Wow.”

Williams describes Jack Black as “one of a kind,” noting “to see him involved in that sketch gave it a lot of credibility, because he’s a musician himself.”

But when it comes to the tune, Williams was unable to answer a question that’s probably been on a lot of fans’ minds — why isn’t the song named “Carry on My Wayward Son” since that’s what they sing in the song?

“Wow. That’s a good question, and I can’t answer that,” he says. “Maybe those two letters filled up too much room on the disc.”

Kerry Condon joins cast of Netflix’s ‘The God of the Woods’ adaptation

April 10, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Kerry Condon is heading into the woods with Maya Hawke.

The Oscar-nominated actress is set to star opposite Hawke in Netflix’s adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling 2024 novel The God of the Woods.

As previously announced, Hawke will play Judy Luptack, an investigator working to solve the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl from her family’s upstate New York summer camp. Condon will play Alice Van Laar, the teen’s mother who’s been hardened by grief and past trauma.

The multigenerational drama series will explore how the girl’s disappearance may be connected to an earlier family tragedy. “As the past and present collide, the Van Laars’ wealth and influence unravel, revealing the damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power,” the description from Netflix reads.

Liz Moore and Liz Hannah will serve as co-showrunners, writers and executive producers.

“We love making TV and can’t wait to bring The God of the Woods to life with our partners at Sony and Netflix,” Moore and Hannah tell Netflix. “We hope everyone falls in love (and hate) with these characters as much as we have.”

A release date has not yet been announced.

Afrika Bambaataa, hip-hop pioneer and founder of Universal Zulu Nation, has died

April 9, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Afrika Bambaataa, a hip-hop pioneer and the Father of the Electro Funk Sound, has died. He was 68 years old. A representative for Naf Management confirmed the news in a statement.

“On behalf of the entire Hip Hop community, I am heartbroken to share that we have lost my brother, my legend — Afrika Bambaataa,” the statement begins. “He was more than a man. He was a movement. A father to a culture. A light that guided millions across the world through Peace, Unity, Love, and Having Fun.”

“Hip Hop will never be the same without him – but everything Hip Hop is today, it is because of him. His spirit lives in every beat, every cypher, every corner of this globe he touched,” it continues. “We did not just lose a legend. We lost our foundation. We lost our brother.”

Born Lance Taylor on April 17, 1957, in New York City, Bambaataa began his early life as a member of the Black Spades street gang. As a music enthusiast, he started deejaying at house parties in the early 1970s, inspired by DJs like Kool DJ Dee and Kool DJ Herc. He later organized block parties and participated in breakdancing competitions throughout the Bronx.

As the Black Spades declined, Bambaataa established the Bronx River Organization performing group — later called The Organization — at Stevenson High School. Inspired by his studies of African history, he later transformed his organization into the Universal Zulu Nation, a collective that brought together DJs, MCs, breakdancers, graffiti artists and other creatives, and promoted positive, conscious and artistic expression.

Bambaataa was also a pioneer of the electro-funk sound. His groundbreaking single “Planet Rock” with his group Soulsonic Force became a global hit and was certified Gold, eventually playing a major role in shaping genres such as Miami bass, electronica, house, hip house and early techno. He gained further recognition with tracks like “Looking for the Perfect Beat,” “Renegades of Funk” and his collaboration with James Brown, “Unity.”

Bam played a key role in developing the careers of artists such as New Edition, Maurice Starr and the Jonzun Crew. His eclectic deejay sets, which blended genres including go-go, soca, salsa, reggae, rock, jazz, funk and African music, earned him nicknames like “Master of Records” and the “Grandfather” or “Godfather of Hip Hop Culture.”

Bambaataa was deeply involved in humanitarian efforts, as well. He promoted Afrocentric, spiritual and health-conscious education, as well as hip-hop history. He participated in anti-apartheid initiatives, including “Hip Hop Artists Against Apartheid” for Warlock Records in 1990, and helped organize a concert at Wembley Stadium in London in honor of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. He also raised funds for the African National Congress in Italy.

In addition to his music and activism, Bambaataa worked as a radio host on Hot 97 FM in New York City; served as a visiting scholar at Cornell University; contributed to the early development of the Hip Hop Museum; and appeared as a voice actor on the television series Kung Faux.

Bambaataa faced several sexual assault allegations in 2016 dating back to the ’70 and ’80s, all of which he denied; the allegations were met with backlash and led to him stepping down from a leadership role for Universal Zulu Nation. Rolling Stone reports he lost a child sexual abuse civil case in May 2025 after failing to make a court appearance.

Suspect in Iowa real estate agent’s cold case murder was spotted by witness at the scene: Court docs

April 9, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WEST DES MOINES, Iowa) — The woman accused in the 2011 cold case murder of an Iowa real estate agent was allegedly spotted by a witness outside the crime scene just after the fatal gunshots, according to new court documents.

Kristin Ramsey, 53, was arrested last month for first-degree murder in the April 8, 2011, death of Ashley Okland, according to the West Des Moines police.

Okland was working at a model townhouse when she was shot twice at close range: once in the chest and once in the face, according to court documents.

A woman who was in the neighboring townhome said shortly after 2 p.m. she heard two loud noises a few seconds apart that sounded like “thuds,” prosecutors said Wednesday in a filing regarding Ramsey’s motion for bond. Authorities believe those “thuds” were gunshots, prosecutors said.

The witness said after hearing the noises she saw Ramsey “outside the front door of the model home,” the court documents said. “Shortly after that the witness observed the Defendant from the second floor window of her home pacing by her vehicle on her cell phone.”

The witness then said she saw Ramsey back her car up quickly and “in an erratic manner,” and then drive away, the documents said.

“Concerned that something was wrong, the witness entered the model home and discovered Ms. Okland unresponsive on the ground,” according to the court documents. The witness called 911, and “shortly after she left the Defendant returned to the area of the townhome,” the documents said.

While police have yet to release a potential motive, court documents said the model home was owned by the same company for which Ramsey was a sales manager.

Ramsey was interviewed multiple times and has allegedly given “conflicting versions of her whereabouts and other events” from that day, according to the court documents. Her statements themselves conflict, and they also conflict with other witness statements, the documents said.

Ramsey has not entered a plea and is due in court on Friday for a bail hearing. Her attorneys did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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