August 28 Radio History

➦In 1922...In February, the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) announced it planned to begin establishing stations that would be dedicated to selling their airtime to interested parties, which AT&T called "toll broadcasting".

Its primary station, WEAF in New York (now WFAN), aired its first paid $100 for a 10-minute radio commercial on August 28, 1922 for the Queensboro Corporation, advertising a new apartment complex in Jackson Heights, Queens, near the just-completed #7 subway line.

Based on a series of industry cross-licensing agreements, AT&T initially claimed that its patent rights gave it a monopoly on commercial radio transmissions. Although the courts upheld this contention, the practice was widely disliked, and AT&T soon came up with a licensing scheme to allow individual stations to begin selling airtime.

➦In 1954...Elvis Presley got Memphis airplay on his first official release “That’s All Right (Mama)” b/w “Blue Moon of Kentucky”.  Local DJ Dewey Phillips had debuted the single on his “Red Hot and Blue” radio show on WHBQ.

➦In 1961...Cousin Brucie Morrow started at 77WABC. 

Morrow's first stint in radio was in Bermuda at ZBM-AM, where he was known as "The Hammer."

Morrow began his stateside career at New York Top 40 station WINS in 1959. In 1960, he moved to Miami for a brief stint before returning to the New York airwaves the following year on AM 770 powerhouse WABC, another Top 40 outlet. Morrow's return to New York City came at the precise moment that rock and roll music was exploding across the Baby Boom demographic and Morrow found himself on the most powerful radio station on the East Coast. His main competition came from his previous station WINS, which featured "Murray the K."

"Cousin Brucie" quickly became a success on WABC's teen-oriented evening shift in the 6:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. slot. Morrow became a commercial radio powerhouse and household name through his ability to maintain a rapport with his listeners while smoothly mixing the diverse musical genres of the time (Motown soul, pop, hard rock, surf music, novelty records), and then seamlessly segueing into commercials for youth-oriented sponsors and events such as concerts and drag-strip races.

He served at WABC for 13 years and 4,014 broadcasts until August 1974, when he jumped to rival station WNBC.

➦In 1966...the Beatles played Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. It was their next-to-last live performance.  The Beatles performed before 45,000 people in Los Angeles. Tickets were priced at $3, $4.50, $5.50 and $6. The cheapest were reserved for members of the US Army.

The support acts for the concert were The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle and The Ronettes. The Beatles performed a set consisted of 11 songs: Rock And Roll Music, She's A Woman, If I Needed Someone, Day Tripper, Baby's In Black, I Feel Fine, Yesterday, I Wanna Be Your Man, Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer and Long Tall Sally.

➦In 1967...WCBS 880 AM flipped to all news.

By the early sixties, WCBS had evolved into a Middle of the road (MOR) music and personality format, which included limited talk programming. Personalities included legendary morning host Jack Sterling, Bill Randle and Lee Jordan. Like many MOR stations at the time, WCBS did mix in softer songs by rock-and-roll artists, as its ratings at the time were ordinary compared to the higher ratings at WOR and WNEW, both of which also had MOR formats and more distinct identities. Through it all, the variety show "Arthur Godfrey Time" remained a weekday mid-morning staple. Eventually, WCBS gained a foothold in local news coverage (WOR and WNEW's strengths) bolstered by its standing as CBS's flagship radio station.

During the 1960s, CBS chairman William S. Paley was concerned about the station's low ratings, and that concern started a process that would lead to the creation of a news radio format that would become known as "Newsradio 88". This format debuted on August 28, 1967. Lou Adler and Harvey Hauptman -- both veterans of the previous WCBS MOR/weekday daytime talk mix -- were there from Day 1 of Newsradio.  The original roster of anchors also included Charles Osgood, Ed Bradley, Robert Vaughn (not related to the actor of the same name) and Pat Summerall. Also, first phase of Newsradio was a block from 5:30am - 8pm.

Initially, the station ran news in the drive time periods but maintained an MOR format during the midday and overnight hours, and within a couple of years, it ran all-news programming for much of the broadcast day except for overnights. "Newsradio 88" began its transformation into an all-news format in 1970, when the overnight American Airlines-sponsored Music Till Dawn ended in January of that year, and completed the process in 1972, when Godfrey's weekday morning variety show came to an end. The station built a reputation as an all-news powerhouse during the 1970s, and has continued with an all-news format to this day.

Although 1010 WINS has usually received the higher Arbitron ratings of the two all-news stations, WCBS has had the stronger ratings in the outlying suburbs because of its broadcast-signal pattern. Its traffic reports and news coverage includes more of Long Island and the northern and western suburbs of New York City than WINS, and it occasionally allows room for longer interviews and analysis pieces than does WINS. The station is less tightly formatted than WINS, and formats at a half-hour cycle instead of a 20-minute cycle.

➤Courtesy of DonSwain.com:

WCBS-AM Newsradio88 debuted inauspiciously on its little-heard FM Station on August 28, 1967, because a small plane demolished the transmitter tower on High Island in a fatal crash, knocking the AM station off the air. Interestingly, the debut begins with a staff announcer reading the WCBS-FM sign-on, followed by the "Star Spangled Banner." Then, anchorman Steve Porter reads an account of the air crash. Pat Summerall delivered the sports, Gordon Barnes the weather. The rather ponderous presentation includes few if any commercials, and virtually no news audio. Charles Osgood takes over from Steve Porter at 6:00 A.M. The producer of the broadcast was Mike Ludlum, the editor was Al Wasser. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan, Manager of On-Air Promotion, WCBS.

Part One 8/28/67

Part Two 8/28/67

➤Courtesy of DonSwain.com:

30th ANNIVERSARY BROADCAST WCBS's LET'S FIND OUT -- 8/3/97. Hosted by Rich Lamb, this special broadcast looks back at 30 years of Newsradio88. With Charles Osgood, Lou Adler, Art Athens. First of two broadcasts. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan (30:00) Part One: Click Here.

30th ANNIVERSARY BROADCAST WCBS's LET'S FIND OUT -- 8/10/97. Hosted by Rich Lamb, this special broadcast looks back at 30 years of Newsradio88. With Jim Donnelly, Harvey Hauptman, Rita Sands, Gary Maurer, Ben Farnsworth, Bill Fahan, Neil Busch. Second of two broadcasts. Audio courtesy of Bill Tynan (30:00) Part Two: Click Here

➦In 1987...Superjock Larry Lujack knew when it was time to leave The Big 89WLS. ABC had already bought out Lujack's contract amid sliding ratings and on Friday August 28, 1987, after a slew of televison cameras, newspaper and magazine reporters joined him for his farewell, a tearful Larry Lujack signed off from radio and from WLS. His tenure at the station spanned three decades.

1987

Despite Lujack's cynical on-air persona, he was actually quite easy to work with, his former boss John Gehron said.

"He was a professional, worked hard at what he did," Gehron said.

"He was one of those personalities that surprisingly didn't cause any problems. His feeling was, you pay me and I'll do the job for you, and he worked very hard at it."

Lujack signed off thanking listeners "not just for listening, but also for caring."

➦In 2012…Boston radio personality David MacNeill, "the voice of the Boston Pops," died at age 80.   He worked classical WCRB 102.5 FM for 57 years. In the late 1950's he spent two years at KCBH 98.7 FM, Los Angeles but returned back to Boston where he forged a long radio career. He was best known for being the voice of the Boston Pops on WCRB Radio for countless years including broadcasts from Tanglewood. He is believed to be one of the longest running radio personalities in Boston history.

➦In 2016...83-year old Charles Osgood announced his retirement. He  is best known for being the host of CBS News Sunday Morning, a role he held for over 22 years from April 10, 1994, until September 25, 2016. Osgood also hosted The Osgood File, a series of daily radio commentaries, from 1971 until December 29, 2017.

Charles Osgood

Immediately after graduating from Fordham, Osgood was hired as an announcer by WGMS (AM) and WGMS-FM, the classical music stations in Washington, D.C. (today WWRC and WTOP-FM respectively). Shortly afterward, however, he enlisted in the military to be the announcer for the United States Army Band.

Stationed adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery at Fort Myer during his service with the U.S. Army Band, using pseudonyms Osgood worked as an announcer for radio stations in the Washington area to supplement his income and experience. He hosted the morning show on WEAM (WZHF today) as "Charlie Woods."  At WGMS, he called himself “Carl Walden.” At WPGC (AM) (WJFK (AM) today), a rock station, he referred to himself as “Chuck Forest.”

When his tour with the U.S. Army Band was completed, in October 1957 Osgood returned to WGMS full-time as announcer Charles Wood and as a special assistant to the general manager. Before the end of 1958, WGMS promoted him to program director.

Barbara Bach is 76

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Sonny Shroyer (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 87. 
• Actor Marla Adams (“The Young and the Restless”) is 84. 
• Actor Ken Jenkins (“Scrubs”) is 82. 
• Actor David Soul (“Starsky and Hutch”) is 79. 
• Actor Barbara Bach is 76. 
• Actor Debra Mooney (“The Practice,” ″Everwood”) is 75. 
• Singer Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds is 71. 
• Actor Daniel Stern is 65. Actor Emma Samms is 62. 
• Actor Jennifer Coolidge is 61. 
• Actor Amanda Tapping (“Stargate: Atlantis,” “Stargate SG-1”) is 57. 
• Country singer Shania Twain is 57. 
• Actor Billy Boyd (“Lord of the Rings”) is 54. 
• Actor-singer Jack Black of Tenacious D is 53. 
• Actor Jason Priestley (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) is 53. 
• Actor Daniel Goddard (“The Young and the Restless”) is 51. 

• 

  Shania Twain is 57

  Actor J. August Richards (“Kevin (Probably) Saves the World,” ″Angel”) is 49. 
• Singer-bassist Max Collins of Eve 6 is 44. 
• Actor Carly Pope (“Outlaw,” ″24,”) is 42. 
• Country singer Jake Owen is 41. 
• Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 40. 
• Actor Kelly Theibaud (“General Hospital”) is 40. 
• Actor Armie Hammer (“The Lone Ranger,” ″The Social Network”) is 36. 
• Singer Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine is 36. 
• Actor Shalita Grant (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 34. 
• Singer Cassadee Pope (“The Voice”) is 33. 
• Actor Katie Findlay (“How To Get Away With Murder”) is 32. 
• Actor Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) is 31. 
• Actor Kyle Massey (“Cory in the House,” ″That’s So Raven”) is 31. 
• Actor Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) is 19. 
• Reality TV personality Honey Boo Boo (Alana Thompson) (“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”) is 17.

✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

• Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer on this day in 2020. He was 43.
• Actor and writer Robert Shaw, best known as Quint in Jaws, died on this day in 1978. He was 51.
• Actor and comedian Gene Wilder died on this day in 2016. He was 83.

Report: NBC Considering Cutting Back Prime-Time

NBC is considering reducing the number of hours it programs in prime time, people familiar with the matter said, a cost-cutting move that would reflect broadcast television’s diminishing popularity.

Under the scenario being discussed, NBC would stop programming the 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. hour and give those seven hours per week to local TV stations to program, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The talks are preliminary and it is possible that NBC will decide to continue to program the 10 p.m. hour, one of the people said. NBC hasn’t officially discussed the matter with its affiliate board, a group that represents station partners, two people close to that organization said. The earliest such a shift could take place would be the fall of 2023.

If NBC did drop the hour, it would have to decide which shows in its lineup would get cut. The network currently airs mostly scripted dramas in the 10 p.m. hour. Those could be moved to earlier in the evening to replace other content.

If the plan moves forward, the network likely would seek to move up the start time of its late-night programming block including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. from 11:30 p.m., one of the people familiar with the matter said. That would give Mr. Fallon a jump on his chief rivals, Stephen Colbert at CBS and Jimmy Kimmel at ABC.

An NBC spokeswoman said: “We are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible. As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable and streaming.”

The big three broadcast networks—NBC, CBS and ABC—have been programming at least three hours a night since the early days of television. In partnership with local stations across the country, network television was the dominant medium for entertainment and news for decades. It was also the primary way for advertisers to reach a mass audience.

Local stations—some of which are owned by the broadcast networks—program the hours that the networks don’t with content such as daytime talk shows and news.

All the major networks have suffered audience declines for years, facing competition first from cable and then streaming-video. Hits are few and far between while the costs of creating content continue to rise. Advertisers, too, are flocking to streaming and other platforms.

Whether NBCU eventually decides to give up on the 10 p.m. ET hour or not, it is clear that the company’s future strategy revolves around Peacock, reports The Streamable. Not only have they positioned it as a standalone streaming service, but also as a key component in plans to turn Xfinity’s operating system into a platform for all sorts of streaming entertainment.

With the extra money saved from seven hours of broadcast programming, that money would likely be reinvested in expanding the content stream over at Peacock.

'Woke' Podcast Movement Apologizes For Ben Shapiro's Presence

The world's largest podcast conference holding an event in Dallas apologized Thursday for the presence of a conservative podcaster who showed up at his company's booth, reports WFAA-TV8..

The Podcast Movement conference brings together some of the top and most popular podcast companies and voices every year. In 2022, the conference is being held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in downtown Dallas.

Thursday morning, the conference Tweeted an apology before the session started for the day. Podcast Movement apologized for Daily Wire co-founder and conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro being at the conference, saying "we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence."

The Daily Wire, which is a conservative news website and media company, did have a booth near the PM22 expo area, according to Podcast Movement. It's most known for its podcast, "The Ben Shapiro Show."

The conference did not provide anymore details about what happened while Shapiro was there.

Podcast Movement provided a follow-up Tweet that said:

Hi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off for the day. Yesterday afternoon, Ben Shapiro briefly visited the PM22 expo area near The Daily Wire booth. Though he was not registered or expected, we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence.

— Podcast Movement at #PM22 (@PodcastMovement) August 25, 2022

"There’s no way around it: We agreed to sell The Daily Wire a first-time booth based on the company’s large presence in podcasting. The weight of that decision is now painfully clear. Shapiro is a co-founder. A drop-in, however unlikely, should have been considered a possibility."

Later in the thread, Podcast Movement also tweeted, "The pain caused by this one will always stick with us. We promise that sponsors will be more carefully considered moving forward."

The Daily Wire booth pictured images of three of its main hosts: Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens and Jordan Peterson. None of the company's representatives were scheduled to appear on any panels and Shapiro remained in the common space, according to Podcast Movement.

This situation caused "Ben Shapiro" to trend nationally Thursday on Twitter and brought with it many responses in the comments below Podcast Movement's Tweet.

User Seth Silvers tweeted:

This tweet is frustrating. I LOVE PM. I have always appreciated how inclusive PM has been. However, apologizing for hosting one of the largest networks in the industry because they believe differently than some in the PM community is the least inclusive move I’ve seen PM do.

— Seth Silvers (@SethSilvers) August 25, 2022

One user by the name Mary Mo tweeted, "I don’t know why it’s hard to understand that someone such as a trans person or anyone in the LGBTQ+ community might not feel safe around Shapiro, since he & many conservatives are often speaking against them & attacking their very existence. I can see how that could happen."

Twitter user Brian Chovanec said: "Please. As someone who often disagrees w/Shapiro, his mere physical presence at an event, especially as it seems his company had a booth, should be viewed an opportunity for discussion, not something to be feared. Don't help them turn the 'triggered snowflakes' meme into reality."

Daily Wire CEO and co-founder Jeremy Boreing announced in February that The Daily Wire had officially become a $100 million business. The conservative media company has also started moving into the entertainment industry, releasing multiple feature-length films.

Report: The Evolution Continues At CNN

CNN, now under the Warner Discovery corporate banner and led since spring by CNN Worldwide Chairman Chris Licht, continues trying to inject more balance into its programming and become less radioactive to Republicans. How and whether that can be accomplished remains a mystery, writes David Bauder in a weekend story for The Associated Press.

“CNN has to figure out what it wants to be,” said Carol Costello, a former anchor there and now a journalism instructor at Loyola Marymount University.

Former President Donald Trump portrayed CNN as an enemy, and a Pew Research Center study illustrated the impact that had with his followers. In 2014, Pew found that one-third of people who identify or lean Republican said they distrusted CNN as a source for political news. By 2019, that number had shot up to 58 percent — higher distrust than The New York Times, The Washington Post or MSNBC

As Trump attacked the network, CNN returned fire. Under previous leader Jeff Zucker, CNN figures became more opinionated on the air than they ever had before. Anderson Cooper once likened Trump to “an obese turtle on its back, flailing in the hot sun, realizing his time is over,” a remark he later apologized for.

“All mainstream media took a hit with the ascent of Donald Trump,” Costello said. “I really think he did a number on journalism in general, not just CNN. For a time we all played into it, and our reporting was kind of hysterical.”

Being seen as a liberal alternative to Fox News Channel isn’t an issue for a news outlet that plays up partisanship. But for a company that has sold itself as an unbiased news source for more than 40 years — to viewers, to advertisers, to cable or satellite operators — that presents a problem.

Bauder notes since Licht took over, morning anchor Brianna Keilar’s occasional takedowns of Fox coverage have disappeared. Although Licht hasn’t commented publicly on Stelter’s exit, the media reporter’s criticism of Fox was a regular feature of “Reliable Sources.”

Licht wants CNN anchors to be conscious of a perspective that they sometime talk down to people. He wants panel discussions to be informative, not dominated by extreme points of view. He wants to resist “outrage porn.” He ordered that the on-air “breaking news” banner be reserved for real breaking news.

Licht also went to Washington to meet with Republican leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, his counterpart at the House.

Licht would like to see more Republicans appear on CNN for meaningful interviews, not necessarily to be used by them to appear tough to supporters for standing up to hostility. There have already been small signs of success in recent weeks: appearances by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Texas U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw.

CNN points out that Licht made a similar pitch to aides at President Joe Biden’s White House, showing demographic information of viewers to illustrate it would be worthwhile to appear for interviews. The network resists suggestions that lies would not be challenged, but said wants all Americans to feel their opinions are listened to.

“No matter what they do, they’ll be attacked,” Whitaker said. “Trump and others will continue to cry ‘fake news’ about anything they don’t like from the media.” But, he said, CNN has the best chance of any cable news network to reach an audience looking for a more balance in journalism.

➤Read the Full Story here.

Bill Maher Rails Against 'Conspiracy' By Media, Big Tech

"Real Time" host Bill Maher blasted the widespread suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 presidential election.

During Friday night's panel discussion, Maher highlighted the controversial comments made by liberal podcaster Sam Harris, who openly approved of the "conspiracy" to bury the brewing scandal that implicated then-candidate Joe Biden in order to defeat President Trump on Election Day. 

"Is it okay to have a conspiracy to get rid of Trump?" Maher began. "They were talking about Hunter Biden's laptop, which was a story and now all the mainstream press has finally admitted it was a real story. It was a real laptop."

Sam Harris claims there was a 'conspiracy' to prevent Donald Trump from winning re-election | https://t.co/ASEEryKViN

— Tom Benson (@Tombenson1) August 27, 2022

Maher went on, "Now look, let's not pussyfoot around this; he was selling the influence of his father, Joe Biden. I mean, most political sons do, but let's not pretend at least that was going on…  so Hunter Biden's laptop was buried by the press. Even the head of Twitter Jack Dorsey said that was a mistake… So Sam Harris says it was appropriate for Twitter, and the heads of Big Tech, and the heads of journalistic organizations to feel that they were in the presence of something that is a once-in-a-lifetime moral emergency, meaning Trump. So he's saying it's okay to have a conspiracy, to get rid of somebody as bad as Trump." 

"It's a little bit of a thorny question because once you go down this road- this is sort of where we are in this country, the other side is so evil, anything is justified in preventing them from taking office. Is it?" Maher asked.

WA Radio: Matt Case Joins KYYO-FM for PM Drive

KGY Media Group station KYYO-FM McCleary, WA branded as 96.9 KAYO-Country has announced the addition of Matt Case to host afternoons. Matt has most recently served the Seattle/Tacoma market at iHeartMedia-Seattle, and previously with Crista Ministries-Seattle, and Entercom/Audacy-Seattle.

Matt will also handle Production Director and Operations Assistant duties for KGY Media Group, which serves the South Puget Sound region of the Seattle/Tacoma market.

Matt Case

Broadcast Partners Ken Moultrie, who supervises the programming for 96.9 KAYO and KGY Media Group, said “It’s great when the best candidate for a position is right in your own back yard. Matt knows our station, our listeners, and the market. I’m proud to have him join the winning KAY-O team.”

Nick Kerry, General Manager adds “on behalf of our station owners, the Kerry Family, and the entire KGY Media Group team, we’re very excited and pleased to bring Matt Case to our Olympia-based operation serving the South Sound.”

Kevin Huffer, Station Brand Manager says, “the right person doesn’t always walk through the door…Matt is not only the right person, but he brings excitement and will help take our radio stations to the next level.”

Matt Case comments, “I’m extremely blessed for the opportunity and excited to join the KGY
family, continuing the rich tradition of serving the community.

Matt Case can be heard on 96.9 FM KAYO-Country, Monday-Saturday afternoons, from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. 96.9 KAYO-Country is streaming online at KAYOfm.com.

NPR Adds Deepa Fernandes To 'Here & Now'

Deepa Fernandes

Deepa Fernandes, most recently immigration correspondent and senior newsroom advisor on race and equity issues at the San Francisco Chronicle, is becoming the third host of NPR's midday news program “Here & Now,” the public radio outlet said Friday.

She will join current hosts Robin Young and Scott Tong on Oct. 10.

Before joining the Chronicle, Fernandes had extensive public radio experience and has worked in Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador and other countries in Latin America and Asia.

“Here & Now” is a co-production with NPR's Boston affiliate WBUR.

NPR received some attention a year ago for an exodus of minority hosts for other jobs outside the company. They included Tonya Mosley, Fernandes' predecessor at “Here & Now,” and Audie Cornish, who left for the ill-fated CNN+ streaming service, which was quickly shut down.

Beyond the hiring of Fernandes, NPR points out that in the past year or so, Leila Fadel, Ayesha Rascoe, Juana Summers and A Martinez have all been elevated to more prominent roles hosting news programs at the service.

Britney Spears, Elton John Mash-Up Zooms To Number 1

Britney Spears, Elton John

And just like that…Britney Spears can thank Elton John for putting her right back at number 1 (iTiunes), her first since 2011.

Just hours after the track allegedly leaked online, Spears’ “Hold Me Closer” duet with Elton John hit streaming services on Friday (Aug. 19). The song, which is a fresh take on John’s 1972 classic “Tiny Dancer” produced by Grammy winner Andrew Watt, features the pop princess and the “Rocketman” himself singing the opening verse of John’s 1992 hit, “The One” over a club-ready beat, before diving into the chorus of 1971’s “Tiny Dancer.”

“Since most say they are honored TO KNOW ME SO WELL and only want happiness for me … you can bet your bottom dollar that THIS collaboration will heighten my year by joining your brilliant hands of play,” Spears wrote on Instagram ahead of the song’s release. “Thank you for your generosity and just thinking of me to join you on such a brilliant song !!!

“Hold Me Closer” is Spears’ first new music since her 2016 studio album Glory, which also included deluxe tracks “Mood Ring,” “Swimming in the Stars” and the Backstreet Boys-assisted “Matches” that were released in 2020. Most notably, the collaboration will mark Spears’ official return to music since the end of her 13-year conservatorship.

“Tiny Dancer,” originally included as part of John’s 1971 album Madman Across the Water, was released as a single in 1972 and peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alex Jones Accused of Hiding Assets

Sandy Hook victims’ families asked a federal bankruptcy court on Thursday to order the Infowars conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones to relinquish control over his company, saying he has “systematically transferred millions of dollars” to himself and his relatives while claiming to be broke.

In a filing in the bankruptcy court in Houston, the families of nine Sandy Hook victims said they sought to have a bankruptcy trustee who is already monitoring the case take control of Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Jones’s misinformation-peddling media outlet. The families are also seeking a court-appointed oversight committee to restrict Jones’s ability to control Infowars’s finances, according to The NY Times.

Jones’s claimed insolvency is at the heart of his efforts to avoid paying for the damage done by his Sandy Hook lies. Earlier this month, a Texas jury ordered him to pay the parents of a child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting nearly $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages for spreading the falsehood that they helped stage the massacre.

"Alex Jones is not financially bankrupt; he is morally bankrupt, which is becoming more and more clear as we discover his plots to hide money and evade responsibility,” said Kyle Farrar, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families. “He used lies to amass a fortune, and now he is using lies and fictions to shield his money.”

At the core of his bankruptcy claim is Jones’s assertion that Free Speech Systems owes $54 million to PQPR Holdings, a company owned and operated directly and indirectly by Jones and his parents. The debt is fictional, the families’ lawyers said in Thursday’s filing, and “a centerpiece of Jones’s plan to avoid compensating the Sandy Hook families.”

For years Mr. Jones broadcast lies on his show that the shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Conn., was staged by the government as a pretext for gun control and that the victims’ families were “actors” in the plot. Conspiracy theorists tormented the victims’ families online, defaced and stole memorials to their murdered loved ones, confronted them on the street and threatened their lives.

BFA Establishes Frank Boyle Memorial Fund

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has set up The Frank Boyle Memorial Fund to honor the respected broadcaster and media broker who passed away Tuesday at the age of 96.

Boyle began his radio career in 1953 at WJR, Detroit before joining Eastman National Radio Sales as Detroit Office Manager. He was soon promoted to NY Office Manager and continued to rise steadily, eventually becoming Eastman’s Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Frank Boyle

Boyle founded Eastman Cable Representatives, the first national sales rep in the cable TV business and the largest for many years. He left Eastman Radio in 1979 to found Frank Boyle & Co., a well-regarded independent station brokerage and consultation company. The firm acquired radio stations in Albany, NY and Peterborough/ Keene, NH, along with a cable system outside of Binghamton, NY.

Frank Boyle & Co. was often involved in many radio, TV, and Cable transactions. In 1987, his brokerage firm was one of the founding firms to form the National Association of Media Brokers, where Frank was elected to the Board of Directors. He continued to operate his firm into his 90s.

Frank served on the Board of the Radio Advertising Bureau, was inducted in the Hall Fame of Broadcasting in 2006, and awarded the Giants of Broadcasting honor in 2021. He may be the only non-air talent and non-network executive or station group owner to be selected for both significant industry awards.

His surviving family encourages donations to The Frank Boyle Memorial Fund by clicking here.

The Broadcasters Foundation of America provides financial aid to broadcasters who have lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease, or unforeseen tragedy. Personal donations can be made to the Foundation’s Guardian Fund. Corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative, and bequests can be made through the Foundation’s Legacy Society. For more information, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, call 212-373-8250, or email info@thebfoa.org.

August 27 Radio History

➦In 1910...The first aircraft-to-ground wireless message was transmitted.   The tests were conducted at Selfridge Field, near Mount Clemens, MI and were under the direct charge of Lieutenant Paul W. Beck and representatives of the Western Wireless Equipment Company, who designed and built the apparatus for the experiments.

The maximum distance covered was 40 miles and the greatest altitude attained during the tests was 500 feet, at which time Lieutenant Beck, carried as a passenger in a Wright machine, transmitted two complete messages in the Morse code to the wireless station on the aviation field while traveling at an approximate speed of 55 miles per hour. Both messages were received at the field station as well as by other stations, one of which was over 40 miles distant, with absolute clearness and accuracy.

➦In 1960…After almost 12½ years on the air, the series "Louisiana Hayride," known as "The Cradle of the Stars," presented its last performance on radio station KWKH in Shreveport, LA.  However, KWKH continued to use the Louisiana Hayride name for packaged music tours throughout the 1960s on a bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly basis, finally ending operations entirely in 1969.

In August 1974, Shreveport businessman David Kent mounted a country music show originally called Hayride U.S.A., which was retitled Louisiana Hayride in 1975 after KWKH agreed to let Kent use the name. Located at a new dinner theater facility in Bossier City, this new Louisiana Hayride was syndicated on radio and ran until 1987.

In 2009, after several years of litigation over the Louisiana Hayride name and trademark, a federal court ruled that Margaret Lewis Warwick owned the rights to the name. As of May 31, 2012, KWKH had changed to a sports format and ceased producing the classic country music format reminiscent of the Hayride era.

Gracie Allen

➦In 1964...Actress Gracie Allen, co-star of radio & TV’s George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, died of a heart attack at age 69.

The Burns and Allen act began with Allen as the straight man, setting up Burns to deliver the punchlines—and get the laughs. In his book Gracie: A Love Story, Burns later explained that he noticed Allen's straight lines were getting more laughs than his punchlines, so he flipped the act over—he made himself the straight man and let her get the laughs. Audiences immediately fell in love with Allen's character, who combined the traits of naivete, zaniness, and total innocence. The reformulated team, focusing on Allen, toured the country, eventually headlining in major vaudeville houses. Many of their famous routines were preserved in one- and two-reel short films, including Lambchops (1929), made while the couple was still performing onstage.

Burns attributed all of the couple's early success to Allen, modestly ignoring his own brilliance as a straight man. He summed up their act in a classic quip: "All I had to do was say, 'Gracie, how's your brother?' and she talked for 38 years. And sometimes I didn't even have to remember to say 'Gracie, how's your brother?'"

In the early 1930s, like many stars of the era, Burns and Allen graduated to radio. The show was originally a continuation of their original "flirtation act" (as their vaudeville and short film routines had been). Burns realized that they were simply too old for that material ("Our jokes were too young for us," he later remarked) and changed the show's format in the fall of 1941 into the situation comedy vehicle for which they are best remembered: a working show business married couple negotiating ordinary problems caused by Gracie's "illogical logic," usually with the help of neighbors Harry and Blanche Morton, and their announcer, Bill Goodwin (later replaced by Harry von Zell during the run of their television series).

Gracie Allen fought a long battle with heart disease.

High Island as seen from Orchard Beach, Bronx County, NY

➦In 1967...An airplane knocked down transmitting tower on High Island, NY (Bronx County) shared by WCBS 880 AM and WNBC 660 AM (now WFAN).

NY Times

The pilot and a passenger died. The crash destroyed the antenna taking WCBS and WNBC off the air.  The mishap occurred  just hours before WCBS was to have dropped its full-service format to go all news, challenging Westinghouse's two-year-old 1010 WINS format.

The news format debuted instead on WCBS 101.1 FM, which had itself been readying a new "Young Sound" format.

WNBC found a temporary home back in New Jersey, diplexing into the Lodi tower of rival WABC 770 AM, whose audio could be heard not so faintly behind WNBC's on 660 for a time.

WCBS accepted an offer from WLIB 1190 AM to use the site along the East River in Astoria, Queens that it had just abandoned in favor of a site in Lyndhurst, N.J. Within a few weeks, WCBS and WNBC were back on the air from High Island with a temporary tower; it would be the end of the year before both were back to 50 kilowatts from the current tower.

The taller of the towers is 548 ft. The shorter tower is 300 ft and was built in 2001 to replace the emergency tower erected in 1967.

➤Click Here for more details.

➦In 2003...Eugenia Lincoln "Jinx" Falkenburg died (Born - January 21, 1919). She  was an actress and model. She married journalist and publicist Tex McCrary in 1945. Known as "Tex and Jinx", the couple pioneered and popularized the talk-show format, first on radio and then in the early days of television. They hosted a series of interview shows in the late 1940s and early 1950s that combined celebrity chit-chat with discussions of important topics of the day.

Jinx Falkenberg

Falkenburg was an actress, expert swimmer and tennis star, and one of the highest-paid and most ubiquitous cover-girl models in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s - one of the first supermodels. She married journalist and influential publicist Tex McCrary in 1945.

In 1941, Liebmann Brewery, the maker of Rheingold beer, decided it might sell a lot more of the brand if each year it bestowed on some attractive young woman the title Miss Rheingold. Miss Falkenburg was the first. It was a plum for any model, since, for starters, it put her name and face in every store in New York that sold beer.

Falkenburg first met John Reagan "Tex" McCrary when he came to photograph and interview her for a military publication. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Air Forces. They were about to be engaged in 1942 but World War II intervened and, after a globe-trotting romance during the hostilities,  they married on June 15, 1945, in a civil ceremony.

During the war Falkenburg traveled extensively on USO tours entertaining troops. The most arduous was a 42,000 mile 80-stop series of shows in the rugged China-Burma-India theatre of operations. In 1945 she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for her contributions.

Backed by some of his well-connected friends like millionaire statesman Bernard Baruch, McCrary convinced David Sarnoff, the chairman of RCA which owned NBC, to give the couple a morning show on the network's New York radio station, WEAF. The show was called "Hi, Jinx" and first aired on April 22, 1946. Reviews ranged from "sprightly" to "rather intense discussions of foreign affairs." In a cover story about the couple, Newsweek wrote: "A soft-spoken, calculating Texan, Tex McCrary, inched up to the microphone and drawled 'Hi, Jinx.' A voice with all the foam substance of a bubble bath answered, 'Hello Tex.'"  Over time they came to be known as "Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty."

The McCrary's radio show was broadcast five mornings a week on New York radio station WEAF, and became a hit with critics and the public for tackling controversial issues like the A-Bomb, the United Nations and venereal disease along with talk about theatre openings and New York nightlife.

McCrary wrote the scripts and taught Falkenburg the art of interviewing and the basics of broadcast journalism. Over time she was considered the better interviewer, eliciting candid responses, often from the show's more intellectual guests. Her technique was to ask questions until she understood the answer and so presumably, did all the housewives at home listening to her.

The McCrary's radio show was broadcast five mornings a week on New York radio station WEAF, and became a hit with critics and the public for tackling controversial issues like the A-Bomb, the United Nations and venereal disease along with talk about theatre openings and New York nightlife.

McCrary wrote the scripts and taught Falkenburg the art of interviewing and the basics of broadcast journalism. Over time she was considered the better interviewer, eliciting candid responses, often from the show's more intellectual guests. Her technique was to ask questions until she understood the answer and so presumably, did all the housewives at home listening to her.

In January 1947, McCrary and Falkenburg had their first network TV show, Bristol-Myers Tele-Varieties, also known as Jinx and Tex at Home, broadcast Sunday nights on NBC. The program combined film and live interviews of celebrities in their residences.

In May 1947, The Swift Home Service Club combined household tips with breezy interviews. Another radio show, Meet Tex and Jinx got such a big audience that in 1947 and 1948 it became a summer replacement for one of radio's most popular shows, Duffy's Tavern.

Falkenburg informally retired from broadcasting in 1958.

For her contributions to the television industry, Jinx Falkenburg has a star on the Hollywood Blvd. Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine St.

➦In 2016…Dr. Joy Browne died at the age of 71. She was a clinical psychologist and radio talk host.

Dr. Joy Browne

Her syndicated show was one of the longest-running call-in therapy shows in the United States. Browne took a no-nonsense approach to callers, trying to zero in on a problem without getting caught up in a caller's long stories or digressions. Browne was also known for her "one-year rule", which states that people who have lost a spouse or long-time partner due to break-up, death, or divorce should wait at a minimum one year before resuming romantic relationships.

Browne's call-in therapy show was heard for two decades at WOR 710 AM in New York and was syndicated to other cities. She was released by WOR on December 20, 2012, after iHeartMedia bought the station and brought in its own network hosts.

Singer/Actor Tommy Sands is 85

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

•  Actor Tommy Sands is 85. 
• Actor Tuesday Weld is 79. 
• Actor G.W. Bailey (“MASH,” ″The Closer”) is 78. 
• Actor Marianne Sagebrecht is 77. 
• Guitarist Jeff Cook of Alabama is 73. 
• Actor Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) is 70. 
• Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush is 69. 
• Actor Peter Stormare (“Fargo,” ″The Big Lebowski”) is 69. 
• Actor Diana Scarwid is 67. 
• Bassist Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols is 66. 
• Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 61. 
• Guitarist Matthew Basford of Yankee Grey is 60. 
• Bassist Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) is 57. 
• Percussionist Bobo of Cypress Hill is 55. 
• Country singer Colt Ford is 53. 

• 

  Amanda Fuller is 38

  Actor Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 53. 
• Bassist Tony Kanal of No Doubt is 52. 
• Rapper Mase is 47. 
• Actor Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs,” second Becky on “Roseanne”) is 46. 
• Actor RonReaco Lee (“Madea Goes To Jail”) is 46. 
• Actor Demetria McKinney (“House of Payne”) is 44. 
• Actor Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” ″Big Love”) is 43. 
• Guitarist Jon Siebels of Eve 6 is 43. 
• Actor Shaun Weiss (“The Mighty Ducks”) is 43. 
• Keyboardist Megan Garrett of Casting Crowns is 42. 
• Actor Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”) is 41. 
• Actor Karla Mosley (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 41. 
• Actor Amanda Fuller (“Last Man Standing”) is 38. 
• Singer Mario is 36. 
• Actor Alexa PenaVega (“Spy Kids”) is 34. 
• Actor Ellar Coltrane (“Boyhood”) is 28. 
• Actor Savannah Paige Rae (“Parenthood”) is 19.

✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

• In 1967...Beatles' manager Brian Epstein died. Said John Lennon: "We loved him and he was one of us."
• Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a helicopter crash on this day in 1990. He was 35.

Boston Radio: WEEI Helps Raise $3.5M+ For the Jimmy Fund

Audacy helped raise over $3.5 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at the 20th anniversary “WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon,” presented by Arbella Insurance. This year’s event brought the fundraising total to over $65 million since the radio-telethon’s inception. The radio-telethon was started by WEEI-FM, The Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox in 2002. New England Sports Network (NESN) joined the event in 2003.

“This was the 20th anniversary of the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, and our listeners and sponsors came through like never before,” said Mike Thomas, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “To hear the doctors talk about the progress that is being made, the clinical trials that are ongoing and to hear from patients about how Dana-Farber saved their life will forever be in our hearts and minds. There really is nothing like the two days of this fundraiser.”

The event was part of a 36-hour live broadcast during WEEI weekday programming “The Greg Hill Show,” “Gresh & Keefe,” and “Merloni, Fauria & Mego” on August 23 and 24. The three shows, which were simulcast on NESN, combined to welcome Dana-Farber patients and their families, doctors, researchers, nurses and executives. 

Programming also featured Jimmy Fund Clinic director of patient and family programs Lisa Scherber; Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker; New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh; executives and/or coaches from the Boston Red Sox (Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy, Chaim Bloom, Alex Cora), New England Patriots (Bill Belichick), Boston Bruins (Jim Montgomery) and Boston Celtics (Steve Pagliuca, Brad Stevens, Ime Udoka); current and former Boston athletes including Mac Jones, David Ortiz, Richard Seymour, Shawn Thornton, Rich Hill, Garret Whitlock, Jonny Gomes, Charlie Davies, Brock Holt, Roger Clemens and more; plus local celebrities to share stories of inspiration and hope (Denis Leary, Michael Bivins, Lenny Clarke). 

Additionally, the radio-telethon was broadcast on the WEEI Sports Radio Network and NESN during two Red Sox game broadcasts and postgame programming.

For more information on this year’s event, including a full list of guests featured on WEEI, photos, videos and audio clips, please visit weei.com/jimmyfund.

➤Listeners can tune in to WEEI in Boston on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sean Hannity, Other Fox Staffers Face Depositions in Defamation Suit

Some of the biggest names at Fox News have been questioned, or are scheduled to be questioned in the coming days, by lawyers representing Dominion Voting Systems in its $1.6 billion defamation suit against the network, as the election technology company presses ahead with a case that First Amendment scholars say is extraordinary in its scope and significance.

The NY Times reports Sean Hannity became the latest Fox star to be called for a deposition by Dominion’s legal team, according to a new filing in Delaware Superior Court. He is scheduled to appear on Wednesday.

Tucker Carlson is set to face questioning on Friday. Lou Dobbs, whose Fox Business show was canceled last year, is scheduled to appear on Tuesday. Others who have been deposed recently include Jeanine Pirro, Steve Doocy and a number of high-level Fox producers, court records show.

People with knowledge of the case, who would speak only anonymously, said they expected that the chief executive of Fox News Media, Suzanne Scott, could be one of the next to be deposed, along with the president of Fox News, Jay Wallace. Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, whose family owns Fox, could follow in the coming weeks.

The depositions are among the clearest indications yet of how aggressively Dominion is moving forward with its suit, which is set to go to trial early next year, and of the legal pressure building on the nation’s most powerful conservative media company. There have been no moves from either side to discuss a possible settlement, people with knowledge of the case have said.

Angry Megyn Kelly Rips: ‘F–k you, Dr. Fauci!’

Megyn Kelly unloaded on Dr. Anthony Fauci during her Wednesday podcast, using a four-letter expletive while demanding that he abide by a congressional subpoena from Republican lawmakers if the GOP takes control of the House of Representatives, reports The NY Post.

“F–k you, Dr. Fauci,” the former Fox News primetime star said during her most recent broadcast podcast of “The Megyn Kelly Show.“

Kelly took umbrage at comments by Fauci indicating that he “certainly would consider” appearing before lawmakers if he is served with a subpoena.

The Republican Party is expected to retake the majority in the House after midterm elections this coming fall.

GOP lawmakers have vowed that they will demand the 81-year-old Fauci, who plans to retire this coming December as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after nearly four decades, appear to testify over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her opening monologue on Wednesday’s podcast, Kelly said Republicans should give Fauci “the Steve Bannon treatment” if the epidemiologist refuses to comply with a subpoena.

“He sounds like he’s been invited to afternoon tea at one of our houses,” Kelly said on her podcast.

“‘I will consider it. I’ll consider it,'” Kelly said, mockingly paraphrasing Fauci. She then continued: “‘Only if it’s oversight because what I experienced was personal attacks.'”

Kelly then broke character and said: “F–k you, Dr. Fauci!”

Republicans have blasted Fauci and other public health officials for pandemic-era lockdown measures and other mitigation tactics that many believe were heavy-handed and excessive, including mandatory masking, vaccine mandates, and lengthy school closures.

Wake-Up Call: Ukraine Nuke Power Plant Under Threat

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is located in the middle of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, was briefly cut off from the power grid yesterday, knocked offline by fire damage to a transmission line, fueling ongoing fears about a nuclear catastrophe at the plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the plant’s emergency backup diesel generators had to be activated to operate it. Zelenskyy blamed the fire on Russian shelling, while Zaporizhzhia’s Russian-installed regional governor blamed a Ukrainian attack. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a major buildup of his country’s military troops by 13 percent by the end of the year, an apparent effort to replenish Russian forces that have suffered heavy losses in Ukraine and ready for a long fight ahead. Not specified was whether it will be done through expanding the draft, recruiting more volunteers, or both.

The power supply from the Russian-controlled nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, was completely disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history. The region is on edge amid fears of a potential nuclear disaster. @kileycnn reports. https://t.co/trrZPz5bKl

— CNN (@CNN) August 26, 2022

➤JUDGE ORDERS REDACTED VERSION OF AFFIDAVIT USED FOR MAR-A-LAGO SEARCH UNSEALED: A judge ordered the Justice Department yesterday to unseal a redacted version of the affidavit it used to obtain the search warrant federal agents executed at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month. The FBI retrieved 11 sets of classified documents, including some that were top secret. The decision came after the Justice Department submitted the portions of the affidavit they want redacted so they're not made public. Depending on the extent of the redactions, more information could be learned from the affidavit about what led to the FBI search. U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said the Justice Department had made compelling arguments to redact broad parts of the affidavit to protect grand jury information, the identities of witnesses, and details about the investigation’s "strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods."

➤APPEALS COURT: ARKANSAS CAN'T BAN GENDER-AFFIRMING MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR TRANSGENDER KIDS: A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that Arkansas can't enforce its 2021 law banning transgender children from receiving gender-affirming medical treatment. A trial is set for October on whether to permanently block the law. Arkansas' ban bars providing gender-affirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under age 18. The appeals court said yesterday, "Because the minor’s sex at birth determines whether or not the minor can receive certain types of medical care under the law, Act 626 discriminates on the basis of sex." Arkansas argued the law is within the state’s authority to regulate medical practices. Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed the state's ban last year, but his veto was overridden by Republican state lawmakers. Yesterday, he called the the ban yesterday the "most extreme law in the country," and has said he would sign legislation if it only barred gender-affirming surgery on minors.

Cruz wrote '666' on cell wall

➤PENALTY TRIAL: FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTER CRUZ FIXATED ON GUNS, DREAMED OF KILLING OTHERS: It was revealed yesterday during the penalty trial for 23-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, that therapists at another school wrote a letter to his psychiatrist four years before the massacre that said he was fixated on guns and dreamed of killing others and being covered in blood. However, the psychiatrist, Dr. Breet Negin, testified that he never received it and no one followed up with him when he didn't respond. Negin and another psychiatrist who treated Cruz in the decade before the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School both testified that they never saw anything that would have led them to believe he was capable of mass murder. Cruz pled guilty to the murders in October, and the penalty trial is to determine whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. The defense is trying to show that Cruz had a long history of mental health issues that were never fully treated.

Police, for a second time in 26 hours, rushed to the Georgia home of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for another false shooting report, authorities say. https://t.co/ti0vHAB3Zq

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2022

 
➤TWO PLEAD GUILTY IN PLOT TO SELL DIARY STOLEN FROM BIDEN'S DAUGHTER: Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander pled guilty in a plot to sell a diary and other items stolen from President Biden's daughter to the conservative group Project Veritas for $40,000, prosecutors said Thursday. Harris and Kurlander could face up to five years in prison. Ashley Biden, who's now 41, was moving out of a friend’s Delray Beach, Florida, home in the spring of 2020, as her father was running for president, when she stored the diary and other belongings there. Harris then moved into the same room, found the items and contacted Kurlander, who said he would help her make a, quote, "ton of money" from selling it. The two first tried to sell the items to then-President Donald Trump’s campaign, but a representative said no and told them to take the items to the FBI. They then went to Project Veritas, which paid them an initial $10,000, promising more if they could get more of Ashley's belongings. The two then took Ashley's tax documents, clothes and luggage to the group, which paid them $20,000 each. Project Veritas didn't publish the information from the diary, saying they couldn't confirm it belonged to her. Neither Project Veritas nor any of its staffers have been charged with a crime.

FACE OFF: The social media mogul explained how the government influenced his company’s policies in bombshell @joerogan interview. https://t.co/53uL11qXgp pic.twitter.com/blXA44HhAN

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 26, 2022

➤STARBUCKS UNION CLAIMS RETALIATION: At least 85 Starbucks workers who were involved in union organizing activities at the company have been fired in recent months, according to their union, Starbucks Workers United. Workers at more than 220 Starbucks coffee shops have voted to join the union since December. According to The Guardian newspaper, the National Labor Relations Board has issued 21 official complaints against Starbucks, including 81 charges and 548 allegations of labor law violations, all of which are currently under review. Starbucks has accused the federal agency of favoring the union campaign and has called for union elections to be temporarily suspended. The company denied all of the allegations.

➤MILLIONS CAN’T WORK DUE TO LONG COVID EFFECTS: At least 1.8 million Americans can’t work because of the effects of long COVID, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. They are among an estimated 16 million Americans of working age who have symptoms of long COVID. The symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, fever, and difficulty breathing.

➤HERBAL REMEDY LINKED TO DEATH: A coroner’s report concludes that a California woman’s death was related to her ingestion of white mulberry leaf, an herb used in some over-the-counter diet supplements. Lori McClintock, the wife of Republican U.S. Representative Tom McClintock, died from dehydration due to gastroenteritis, according to the report. Kaiser Health News said her death illuminates the risks in the booming but largely unregulated business in dietary supplements and herbal remedies. The news service said it was not clear whether McClintock took a supplement that contained white mulberry leaf or directly ingested it.

California Gov. Newsom tells @mattgutmanabc that his state's historic vote to ban the sale of new gas engine vehicles by 2035 is a game changer in the country's goals to curb its dependency on fossil fuels. https://t.co/aVIaG0Kkyc pic.twitter.com/wKu6NAYay8

— ABC News (@ABC) August 26, 2022

➤A MISSOURI SCHOOL DISTRICT REINSTATES SPANKING:  The Cassville R-IV School District is bringing spanking with a wooden paddle back to schools! The policy is opt-in, meaning parents have to say if they want their children hit in school. Younger students receive one to two spanks, and older children could receive three.  Superintendent Merlyn Johnson claims parents were asking for corporal punishment. "We've had people actually thank us for it," he said. The first state to ban hitting students was New Jersey. In 1977, the Supreme Court determined that each state should decide if corporal punishment should be legal. The American Psychological Association consider corporal punishment a violation of human rights, and the UN has called for it to be banned completely.

➤SEPHORA FINED UNDER CALIFORNIA PRIVACY LAW: The cosmetics retailer Sephora has been fined $1.2 million by the state of California for selling data on its customers without notifying them. It is the first significant settlement to be reached under the state’s tough new online privacy law. The company apparently allowed third-party companies to monitor its customers as they shopped. Sephora argued that the arrangement was not a sale of data in the usual sense. The settlement still needs the approval of a state judge and does not require Sephora to admit wrongdoing, according to NBC News.

🏀THUNDER'S HOLMGREN, NUMBER 2 DRAFT PICK, TO MISS SEASON WITH FOOT INJURY: The Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren, who was the Number 2 pick in this year's NBA draft, will miss the upcoming 2022-23 season with a foot injury. The team said yesterday (August 25th) that the forward had a Lisfranc injury, and will undergo surgery to repair a ruptured tendon. Thunder general manager Sam Presti said, "Long-term prognosis is obviously very positive for this . . . he’s going to make a full recovery." The 20-year-old was hurt while playing in a pro-am game last weekend in Seattle, and video appeared to show he suffered the injury while defending LeBron James.

 

Bills’ rookie punter Matt Araiza has been accused along with two others of gang raping a 17-year-old girl last year in a civil lawsuit filed on Thursday, via @agetzenberg:https://t.co/gVlmUduqeJ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2022

🏈BILLS' ARAIZA, TWO OTHERS ACCUSED OF GANG RAPE: Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza and two of his former San Diego State teammates were accused of gang raping a 17-year-old girl last year in a lawsuit filed yesterday. The other two are Zavier Leonard, a redshirt SDSU freshman and Nowlin Ewaliko, who was a freshman last season, but is no longer on the roster. The lawsuit accuses Araiza of forcing the girl to have sex with him outside at an off-campus party at his residence early on October 17, 2021. The suit charges Araiza then brought her in a room where at least three other men were, including Leonard and Ewaliko, and she was repeatedly raped. The alleged victim went to police the next day, and while no arrests have been made, detectives recently gave their findings to the DA's office to determine whether charges should be filed, according to the L.A. Times. Araiza's lawyer said the accusation is false, and charged to the Times that it's a "shakedown."

🎾DJOKOVIC WON'T PLAY IN U.S. OPEN BECAUSE UNVACCINATED: Novak Djokovic announced Thursday that he won't be playing in the U.S. Open, which begins next week, since he remains unvaccinated against Covid-19, and vaccination is required for foreign citizens to enter the U.S. Djokovic shared the expected news hours before the draw for the event that begins Monday was revealed. Djokovic also missed the Australian Open in January because of his vaccination status, but did play in the French Open and at Wimbledon, where he won the title. Meanwhile, the draw showed that Serena Williams' first-round opponent in what is expected to be the last tournament of her career will be unseeded Danka Kovinic. The 41-year-old Williams recently announced she was readying to retire, and suggested, but didn't explicitly say, that the U.S. Open would be her final tournament.

🏈BRADY EXPECTED TO PLAY IN BUCS' FINAL PRESEASON GAME: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is expected to play in the team's third and final preseason game Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. While head coach Todd Bowles didn't explicitly say so on Thursday, he told reporters, "Everyone who is healthy will play." Brady returned to training camp this week from an 11-day absence for unspecified "personal issues," and this would be the first time he's played this preseason.

🏈EX-BROWNS CENTER TRETTER RETIRING, STAYING AS PLAYERS' UNION PRESIDENT: Former Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter announced yesterday that he's retiring, but he is staying on his position as president of the NFL Players Association union after he was elected earlier this year for a second term. Tretter, who played nine seasons for the Browns and the Green Bay Packers, told Sports Illustrated he believes his work with the union played a role in him not being re-signed after the Browns released him in March.