(NEW YORK) — Nordstrom just made a commitment to Black-owned businesses.
The store has become the first major retailer to commit to a 10-year agreement with the 15 Percent Pledge, a nonprofit that holds large corporations accountable for supporting Black-owned brands.
“Long-term societal change cannot happen overnight and we’re in this for the long haul,” said president and chief brand officer Peter Nordstrom in a statement.
Nordstrom — which joins other retailers including Macy’s, Old Navy and Sephora in the commitment to 15 Percent Pledge’s mission — announced it would increase its purchases and partnerships with Black-owned or founded retailers tenfold by the end of 2030.
“Nordstrom has established new goals and benchmarks to help it become a more diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organization, and has made strides towards these goals through notable product launches and curations,” 15 Percent Pledge said in a statement.
What is the 15 Percent Pledge?
Created in 2020 by Aurora James, the 15 Percent Pledge is a nonprofit organization that aims to get retailers to commit 15% of their shelf space to products from Black-owned businesses.
According to 15percentpledge.org: “Over 13% of people living in the United States identify as Black and another estimated 2% identify as mixed race, totaling 15%.”
What started out as an Instagram post now has nearly 30 major retailers across three countries addressing racial inequities in retail.
(NEW YORK) — What do you get when National Macaroni and Cheese Day falls in the middle of National Ice Cream Month? A flavor collaboration from two very different comfort foods.
While the creaminess of mac and cheese doesn’t exactly scream ice cream, Kraft and Van Leeuwen put their heads together to create a unique summer treat.
“For the first time ever, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will launch a limited-edition ice cream in partnership with Brooklyn-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, the cult-favorite brand known for making decadent and delicious ice cream and vegan ice cream with just a few ingredients,” the company announced Tuesday.
The soft orange hue that makes the iconic elbow-shaped pasta pop is made with paprika, annatto and turmeric, according to Kraft, after the brand removed artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes from the recipe in 2016.
The exact recipe for the hot-turned cold nostalgic noodle dish being churned up in ice cream form was not officially released, but the brand said just like the pasta, the ice cream remains free of any artificial ingredients.
Starting July 14, the limited-edition flavor will be sold at Van Leeuwen scoop shops in New York City, Los Angeles and Houston, as well as online for $12 per pint, while supplies last. New Yorkers can taste the bold new flavor for free at an ice cream truck that will be stationed by Union Square on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We know that there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than ice cream. That is why we wanted to combine two of the most iconic comfort foods to create an ice cream with the unforgettable flavor of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese we all grew up with,” Emily Violett, senior associate brand manager for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, said in a statement.
(WASHINGTON) — With GOP-led legislatures advancing new voting laws and Congress deadlocked over proposed legislation, President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a major speech on voting rights in Philadelphia on Tuesday as his administration wades more aggressively into the fight over ballot access at the urging of civil rights groups and Democrats.
Previewing his remarks on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would directly call out lies from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, and “decry efforts to strip the right to vote as authoritarian and anti-American.”
“He’ll call out the greatest irony of the ‘big lie’ is that no election in our history has met such a high standard with over 80 judges, including those appointed by his predecessor, throwing out all challenges,” Psaki said.
National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, who was one of a handful of civil rights leaders to meet with Biden at the White House last Thursday, told ABC News the group asked Biden “to put the full moral prestige and the power of the presidency” behind voting rights, to help frame the debate for the American people.
“As a candidate, he talked about the soul of the nation. And I think this is a soul of the nation issue,” he said.
Along with Biden’s White House meeting last week, Vice President Kamala Harris also announced plans for the Democratic National Committee to spend $25 million to expand its voter outreach campaign and support future litigation.
The Justice Department has also sued the state of Georgia over its new voting law, and Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced plans to beef up the department’s Civil Rights Division to help defend voting rights.
Biden’s speech on Tuesday comes as Democrats in the Texas State Legislature fled the state for Washington, D.C., the second such effort in recent weeks to derail the passage of sweeping GOP-authored voting legislation by trying to prevent Republicans from taking up the proposals in a special legislative session.
Roughly 17 states have enacted 28 laws that would restrict voting access, out of hundreds that have been introduced throughout the country, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.
“You can’t disassociate Jan. 6 with what is happening in the states,” Morial said of the Capitol riot that sought to disrupt the Electoral College count. “This is all sour grapes over losing an election.”
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld two GOP-backed voting restrictions in Arizona, imposing new limits on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Liberals on the court argued that the decision would weaken protections against racial discrimination.
That ruling, together with the flurry of state-level actions on voting, has led civil rights advocates to push the White House to more vocally make the case for federal voting rights legislation.
“The Court has put the ball in Congress’ court, and now it’s on Congress and the administration to actually take that up now,” said Wendy Weiser, the director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center.
In March, House Democrats advanced HR 1, the For the People Act, an expansive package that would transform federal elections, voting and congressional redistricting. But it has stalled in the Senate after failing to advance in a procedural vote late last month, over opposition from all Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., panned the bill and accused Democrats of attempting a “power grab” with the proposal.
A more measured proposal named for the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., which would restore pieces of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, has also failed to advance through Congress.
In light of the GOP opposition, Democrats have pushed for the Senate to reform the legislative filibuster, with House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a key Biden ally and endorser during the 2020 Democratic primary, suggesting Democrats create an exception to the 60-vote threshold for election reform and other constitutional issues.
When asked about Clyburn’s call for a filibuster exemption for voting rights, and if the president agreed, Psaki punted the issue back to Congress.
“I will say, though, in terms of how this works, the filibuster is a legislative process tool, an important one, that warrants debate but determination about making changes will be made by members of the Senate, not by this president or any president, frankly, moving forward,” Psaki said Monday.
“There are two pathways forward” for voting rights reform,” Morial said. “Either you try to find an agreement with Republicans, so you have a bipartisan bill, or the pathway forward is to create a carve out for the filibuster.”
Asked how Biden responded in their meeting last week, Morial told ABC News the president “simply made a comment that, ‘I know the Senate better than anyone,’ and that’s probably true.”
Veteran R&B singer Deborah Cox turns 47 today. The Canadian vocalist, who previously sang backup for Celine Dion, says the new music she’s making reflects her spontaneous attitude toward life.
“It’s really just about the spontaneity and living in the moment. I’m very much that kind of person that’s very grounded and very present,” Cox tells ABC Audio. “So a lot of the projects that I choose to do are birthed out of the moment that I’m in.”
Cox’s next moment involves preparing her seventh album, which will feature production assistance from Rico Love and D-Town.
“We were in the studio coming up with ideas for this next project, the seventh album, and that’s literally what I was working on at the time,” Cox explains, noting that the pandemic impacted her motivation to create more R&B classics.
Cox admits that she’s “still in the process” of mixing, mastering and recording vocals for the album, reflecting on her new perspective on life.
“y life has changed dramatically [because of the pandemic]. I’m not able to really connect with people and do live shows and do all the things that were my life before,” she explains. “I’m going to have to be able to express that in this album. So, yeah, we’re not done. We’re just taking a bit of a pause until we can figure out how and when we can get back to finishing up some more.”
It’s difficult for videos that were released before YouTube existed — that’s pre-2005 — to amass a billion views, but a lucky few have done it, including clips for hits by Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Whitney Houston and 50 Cent. Now, you can add Nelly to that prestigious list.
The multi-platinum rapper’s number-one 2002 hit “Dilemma” has just made it into the Billion Views club. A collaboration with Kelly Rowland, whose career was then red-hot with Destiny’s Child, the song topped the the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks that year and won a Grammy to boot. The video featured the legendary Patti LaBelle playing Kelly’s mother, since the song was based on a sample of Patti’s hit “Love, Need and Want You.”
“Dilemma” replaced Nelly’s own “Hot in Herre” at number one on the Hot 100. The song appeared on both his album Nellyville, and Kelly’s first solo album, Simply Deep, which also included the hit “Stole.”
In a statement, Nelly said of the achievement, “It is both humbling and what every artist hopes for, to see your work from 20 years ago still getting such love from fans old and new.”
He added that it’s “super dope that a song made before YouTube existed is getting so much support now,” and declared, “Shout out to Nelly fans and to my girl Kelly Rowland who helped make this song a hit when we made it and still a hit today!”
Nelly is currently on the pop charts with the song “Lil Bit,” a collaboration with his pals Florida Georgia Line. He’s working on a country-inspired album called Heartland that’s due out this summer.
After his solo touring plans were put on hold last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moody Blues singer/guitarist Justin Hayward will get back on the road starting in September for a monthlong U.S. trek.
The outing, dubbed the “Nights” tour, gets underway with a September 13-14 stand in Chicago and winds down on October 15 in Clearwater, Florida. The 22-date trek also will stop in venues in other Midwest cities, as well as along the East Coast.
Hayward’s longtime guitar accompanist Mike Dawes will open the shows with a solo set.
The most recent new music that the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer released was a two-song digital EP featuring the original songs “One Summer Day” and “My Juliette” that came out in March 2020.
Here’s a full list of Hayward’s upcoming U.S. tour dates:
9/13 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/14 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/16 — Cincinnati, OH, The Ludlow Garage
9/18 — Warren, OH, Robins Theatre
9/19 — Kent, OH, The Kent Stage
9/20 — Munhall, PA, Carnegie of Homestead
9/22 — Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
9/24 — Fairfield, CT, The Warehouse at FTC
9/25 — Hartford, CT, Infinity Hall Hartford
9/26 — East Greenwich, RI, Greenwich Odeum
9/28 — Boston, MA, City Winery Boston
9/29 — Rockport, MA, Shalin Liu Performance Center
9/30 — Plymouth, NH, The Flying Monkey
10/2 — Huntington, NY, The Paramount
10/3 — Sellersville, PA, Sellersville Theater 1894
10/5 — Nashville, TN, City Winery Nashville
10/7 — Atlanta, GA, City Winery Atlanta
10/9 — Fort Lauderdale, FL, Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
10/10 — Key West, FL, Key West Theater
10/12 — Ponte Vedra, FL, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
10/14 — Orlando, FL, The Plaza Live
10/15 — Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theatre
The Bachelorette continued Monday with one suitor’s shocking and heartbreaking exit, leaving the rest of the men doubting where they stand with Katie.
The episode started with a friendly competition for the remaining 12 men, cooked up by Katie and mentors Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. The three wanted to find out who among the suitors — to borrow a phrase from a classic Seinfeld episode — was “the master of his own domain.”
Dubbed “Operation: WOWO,” the men made a promise to refrain from “self-care” for the remainder of the competition.
Back to the real business at hand, Justin got the first one-on-one date — a dress rehearsal of sorts for their potential big day in which he and Katie had to write and recite their wedding vows.
Katie admitted the date was tough for her and tearfully explained that her dad, whom she’d lost to cancer, could not give her away. She also revealed that she’d learned shortly before his death that he was not her biological father. Despite her real father’s attempt to reach out, Katie said he could never replace the man who raised her.
Justin’s promise to support Katie and be there for her “no matter what,” along with his ability to listen to her, resonated with her. Katie believed his caring nature would make him a great husband and awarded him the date rose. Afterwards, they slow-danced to MAX performing his song, “Butterflies.”
Next, Katie enlisted RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars winners Shea Couleé and Monét X Change in a group date that engaged Blake, Andrew, Michael A., Greg, Aaron, Mike P., Brendan, James, Tre and Hunter in a “great royal debate” to prove why they deserved to remain in the competition with Katie, instead of the other suitors.
When pressed to pick the man they thought was the least compatible with Katie, Hunter was the unanimous choice, arousing her suspicions. Later, at the after-party, James, Tre and Aaron used their time with Katie to try and cast more doubt in her mind about Hunter’s character, leaving the bachelorette confused and sick to her stomach — literally. She abruptly ended the date, informing the men that they would not be getting a rose.
Another one-on-one date, this time with Connor B., started out with a special double date featuring Bristowe and her fiancé Jason Tartick. Beforehand, Katie admitted that she and Connor are still in the “friend-zone” and hoped the date would change that. After one last kiss between the two failed to ignite a “spark,” Katie informed Connor he would be going home.
In a break with tradition, Connor personally told the remaining suitors he was leaving, leading to an emotional goodbye that left them all shell-shocked because the Tennessee-based math teacher was once considered the one to beat. His departure caused everyone to doubt their own futures with Katie.
The tension grew more intense after Katie canceled the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party, revealing she’d already made up her mind. Fed up with the drama, she sent James, Tre, Aaron and Hunter home.
The pandemic year’s best of the best in television will be hailed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday, when the nominations for the 73rd Emmy Awards are revealed.
Emmy winning father-daughter team Ron Cephas Jones from This Is Us and Blindspotting‘s Jasmine Cephas Jones will do the honors. Nominations will stream live at on Emmys.com.
The pandemic year devastated the entertainment industry, with shutdowns and delays that took sure-bets like Better Call Saul, Stranger Things and Ozark out of the running for this year.
While locked-down viewers meant big numbers for Marvel Studios’ first small-screen spin-off WandaVision, many predict the show will enchant Emmys voters — particularly for scene stealer Kathryn Hahn as Agnes/Agatha Harkness.
Another all-but-sure nominee in the Limited Series category is HBO’s Mare of Easttown and its lead, Emmy and Oscar winner Kate Winslet. Ditto goes for Netflix’s Golden Globe-winning The Queen’s Gambit.
The void left by some shows could mean Disney+’s other major release, The Mandalorian, could return to the Emmy stage this year, with a better shot at the Best Drama category than it previously had. In the comedy category, Jason Sudekis‘ AppleTV+ show Ted Lasso seems another sure thing, seeing as Schitt’s Creek swept the category last year.
Other favorites going into Tuesday’s announcement include Netflix’s steamy Bridgerton and HBO’s acclaimed-but-ultimately cancelled Lovecraft Country.
The 73rd Emmys will be held live and in person from on Sunday, September 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
The annual Stagecoach festival focuses mainly on country music, but the event also has traditionally featured some big-name artists from other genres, and the forthcoming 2022 edition of the fest is no exception.
Motown legend Smokey Robinson and rockers The Black Crowes are part of next year’s lineup for the three-day extravaganza, which is scheduled to run from April 29 to May 1 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the same site as the popular Coachella fest.
Both Robinson and The Black Crowes will play on the final day of the festival. The respective daily headliners for the upcoming event are country stars Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs.
Among the many other artists on the bill are Tanya Tucker, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Midland, Lee Brice, The Mavericks, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price.
Additionally, next year’s festival — Stagecoach’s 14th event — will feature a new partnership between YouTube and music event promotions company Goldenvoice, enabling the festival to livestream all three days of music on YouTube.
Passes for Stagecoach 2022 go on sale this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. PT.
The 2020 and 2021 installments of the Stagecoach fest were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(WASHINGTON) — For the second time since May, Texas House Democrats will break quorum in protest against state Republicans’ push to revise the election and voting laws in the Lone Star State.
The much-speculated move was officially announced by Democrats Monday afternoon, a day before the Texas House was slated to be back in session to continue working through the items set by Gov. Greg Abbott for the ongoing, 30-day special session agenda.
“Today, Texas House Democrats stand united in our decision to break quorum and refuse to let the Republican-led legislature force through dangerous legislation that would trample on Texans’ freedom to vote,” a joint statement from several high-profile Texas House Democrats read.
The group of lawmakers — including Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner, Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chair Rafael Anchía, Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Nicole Collier, Legislative Study Group Caucus Chair Garnet Coleman and Dean Senfronia Thompson — also announced plans to head to Washington as they break quorum.
“We are now taking the fight to our nation’s Capitol. We are living on borrowed time in Texas. We need Congress to act now to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to protect Texans — and all Americans — from the Trump Republicans’ nationwide war on democracy,” the group said in a statement.
Vice President Kamala Harris, praised the Democrats’ efforts to break quorum and head to Washington to push Congress to pass election reform.
“I applaud the effort of the Texas legislators who are standing in the way of a blatant attempt to suppress the vote,” she said.
After spending the day in Michigan, the vice president told reporters that her conversations were meant to “remind voters — to remind people that their voice is important and that they are at risk of having legislative bodies impede the right to vote, if we don’t stand up and understand what’s happening, see it for what it is and obviously, be more engaged.”
The move is being met with strong opposition from across the aisle, and it remains unclear what the state’s executive branch will do next. In a statement following the Democrats’ announcement, the Republican governor blasted the legislators, accusing them of engaging in “partisan political games.”
“Texas Democrats’ decision to break a quorum of the Texas Legislature and abandon the Texas State Capitol inflicts harm on the very Texans who elected them to serve. As they fly across the country on cushy private planes, they leave undone issues that can help their districts and our state,” Abbott said in a statement.
One of the issues that remains on the agenda is reinstating government funding, which Abbott vetoed in response to House Democrats last quorum break in May. The issue is already emerging as a focal point for House Republicans, with the Texas House Speaker chiding Democrats over the decision to break quorum.
“These actions put at risk state funding that will deny thousands of hard-working staff members and families a paycheck, health benefits and retirement investment so that legislators who broke quorum can flee to Washington, D.C. on private jets,” Phelan said in a statement.
According to House rules, at least two-thirds of the chamber’s 150 members must be present to conduct business. The rules also outline that if there are absent lawmakers “for whom no sufficient excuse is made,” a vote can be held just among the members in attendance for those absent lawmakers to “be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found.”
For now, Democrats, like Texas Rep. Gene Wu, who represents southwest Houston and is among those heading to the nation’s capital, indicate the potential risk is worth it.
“This is the only tool that Republicans have left Democrats and we intend on it,” Wu said.
ABC News Political Director Rick Klein and Deputy Political Director Averi Harper contributed to this report.
