(BEIJING) — American bobsled athletes Kallie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor took gold and silver respectively in the first monobob competition in Olympics history.
Meyers Taylor’s silver was especially impressive considering she spent a week in quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test.
Humphries, meanwhile, who was competing for the United States in the Olympics for the first time after winning two golds for Canada in the two-person bobsled, dominated the competition, winning by more than 1.5 seconds.
Canada’s Christine de Bruin, who had held second entering the fourth and final run, earned the bronze. Meyers Taylor saved her best run for last, passing de Bruin to claim second.
Meyers Taylor, who had been selected as a flag bearer for Team USA at this year’s Winter Olympics, was forced to isolate after testing positive for the virus on Jan. 29 and missed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games on Feb. 4.
Athletes inside the closed loop at the Olympics, which separates athletes, team officials and members of the press from the rest of the Chinese population, live under a daily regimen of temperature checks and COVID tests administered by workers dressed in full-body personal protective equipment.
She spent isolation away from her teammates, husband and young son, who has Down syndrome and is still nursing, she told ABC News earlier this month.
During that time, she missed crucial training days but was able to get an exercise bike dropped off to train in isolation.
Meyers Taylor was permitted to reenter the Olympic village on Feb. 5 after receiving two negative COVID-19 tests, per Olympics regulation.
Meyers Taylor ranks No. 1 in the world in two-man and monobob and is the only woman to win four Olympic bobsled medals for the U.S.
Going into her fourth Olympics, she had two silver medals and one bronze.
ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud and Maggie Rulli contributed to this report.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was not only a star-studded event, it made history as the first time that rap was at the forefront of the entertainment.
Dr. Dre set things off as he rose from an all-white platform while the intro to his classic hit “The Next Episode” filled the stadium. Snoop Dogg joined him shortly after and the two headliners got the crowd hyped.
The duo also performed the late Tupac Shakur‘s record “California Love” before handing the performance over to surprise guest 50 Cent, who rapped his debut single, “In Da Club,” while hanging upside-down from the ceiling.
After 50, the Queen of Hip-Hip/Soul, Mary J. Blige, took center stage to sing her hits “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
Next up was Kendrick Lamar, the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, who performed his records “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright, before transitioning to Eminem‘s explosive entrance. Em performed his Academy Award-winning track “Lose Yourself” and ended his performance by taking a knee, a move former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick used in 2016 to protest police brutality against the Black community.
After Em, it was time for a full-circle moment, which saw Dre and Snoop hit the stage one more time to perform “Still D.R.E.” as the previous artists joined them for a final bow.
The entire Halftime Show was a celebration of Los Angeles, as well as an homage to Dre, his career, and the many careers he had a hand in building.
And to make the deal even sweeter, the LA Rams became the Super Bowl 56 champs, winning 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
Sunday’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was not only a star-studded event, it made history as the first time that rap was at the forefront of the entertainment.
Dr. Dre set things off as he rose from an all-white platform while the intro to his classic hit “The Next Episode” filled the stadium. Snoop Dogg joined him shortly after and the two headliners got the crowd hype.
The duo also performed 2Pac‘s record “California Love” before handing the performance over to surprise guest 50 Cent, who rapped his debut single “In Da Club” while hanging upside down from the ceiling.
After 50, the Queen of Hip-Hip/Soul, Mary J. Blige took center stage to sing her hits “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
Next up, was Kendrick Lamar, who performed his records “M.A.A.D. City” and “Alright, before transitioning to Eminem‘s explosive entrance. Em performed his Academy Award-winning track “Lose Yourself” and ended his performance by taking a knee, a move Colin Kapernick used to protest police brutality against the Black community.
After Em, it was time for a full circle moment, which saw Dre and Snoop hit the stage one more time to perform “Still D.R.E.” as the previous artists joined them for a final bow.
The entire Halftime Show was a celebration of LA, an homage to Dre, his career, and the many careers he had a hand in building.
And to make the deal even sweeter, the LA Rams became the Super Bowl 56 champs, winning 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Shinedown just announced the details of their new album Planet Zero last month, but the “Second Chance” outfit already has a follow-up in the works.
“There’s a whole another record written,” frontman Brent Smith tells ABC Audio.
“That’s another thing that we’re trying to figure out right now, too,” he shares. “We didn’t just go in, write these potential songs, and then that was it. We had a whole other section of things.”
Naturally, of course, Smith and his band mates are focusing their energy for now on Planet Zero and its topical themes.
“These songs are the most important for right now,” Smith says.
That doesn’t seem to be a problem with fans, who’ve helped propel the Planet Zero lead single and title track to the top 10 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in just two weeks since its premiere.
Shinedown now has a total of 28 top-10 Mainstream Rock Airplay hits, tied with Tom Petty for second-most in the chart’s 40-year history. Foo Fighters have the most, with 29.
The ninth installment of the star-studded Rock Legends Cruise, which originally was supposed to take place sail in February 2021, but was postponed because the COVID-19 pandemic, finally sets sail today from Port Canaveral, Florida.
One of the nautical rock extravaganza’s headlining acts this year is Deep Purple, and the famed British hard-rock band’s founding drummer, Ian Paice, tells ABC Audio that this is the first time his group has ever played this type of event.
Asked how he feels about doing the cruise, Paice explains, “I’m not trying to get any pre-formed ideas about it. I’m sure it’ll be very nice to spend a week in Florida in the middle of winter on a boat where I don’t have to work too hard, and I can wander off to a bar whenever I feel like and have a nice exotic tropical drink.”
To warm up for the cruise, Deep Purple played two gigs in Florida this past week, which were among the band’s first live performances since the pandemic began in 2020. Since that time, Deep Purple has released two studio albums — 2020’s Whoosh! and last year’s covers collection Turning to Crime.
Paice says the band likley won’t include too much material from the new albums on the cruise, noting that the performance time is limited and “the people on that boat are gonna want to hear those classic songs.”
Deep Purple currently has no other U.S. shows scheduled for this year, but Paice says, “[A]ssuming that everybody is fit and healthy and still wants to do it…then [the band will tour the States in] 2023.”
The Rock Legends Cruise IX runs through February 18, and also features Styx, Don McLean, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, Blue Öyster Cult and many more.
(LOS ANGELES) — It began with a chance encounter at a resort in Cabo. Two men who were both at a proverbial fork in the road in their respective careers.
Matthew Stafford. The 12-year veteran quarterback who just finished up another losing season with the Detroit Lions. With little team success and suffering through several rebuilds, the 34-year-old Stafford could sense his window to win the biggest prize of all, the Super Bowl, was closing quickly. He knew a change of scenery was needed.
Sean McVay is the charismatic 36-year-old head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. The grandson of former NFL head coach and executive John McVay, Sean was coming off another tough playoff exit in the NFC Divisional round, just two years removed from his first Super Bowl appearance against the New England Patriots. The man many around league referred to as the “offensive guru” felt he had to shake up his team.
Stafford and McVay were introduced by a mutual friend. Over drinks, the two hit it off and bonded over their careers.
Now, one year later, both men finally reached the top of the hill that at one point seemed so fleeting and illusive: celebrating their first Super Bowl title, a thrilling 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. And to cap it all off, it was Stafford, with the ball in his hands, who delivered the eventual game winning touchdown pass to Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp with under two minutes to play to secure Los Angeles’s first Super Bowl title since 1999.
Talk about a perfect ending to an unbelievable story only fit for Hollywood.
“You put the ball in your best player’s hands when it matters the most, and that’s what we did with Matthew,” McVay, who became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, said following the game.
“And he (Stafford) delivered in a big way and is a world champ.”
Despite this being his first-ever Super Bowl, the bright spotlight certainly didn’t faze Stafford.
“I love those kind of drives… you’re sitting in the huddle and the belief that I have and in the teammates that I have is just unwavering,” Stafford said.
“I believe in those guys so much and we got it done.”
But there looked like a time where the Rams would come up short in the big game yet again.
After a back-breaking interception closed out the first half, Los Angeles held on to a tight 13-10 lead. Cincinnati capitalized on this momentum swing to begin the third quarter. In less than five minutes, the Bengals came roaring back, thanks to a one play, 75-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins, and a field goal by rookie Evan McPherson.
But if there is one thing fans who have watched the Rams this season have come to realize, it’s that you can never count this team out. They have been in this spot before many times, including in the divisional round against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and two weeks prior against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
The Rams defense clamped down, not allowing the Bengals to score a single point the rest of the way and sacking Burrow seven times.
Then, Stafford and Kupp rallied the offense after losing key receiver Odell Beckham Junior to a knee injury, finishing off one last comeback with the go-ahead touchdown to keep the Lombardi trophy in Los Angeles.
Finally, vindication for a team that went all-in, acquiring big name players like Stafford, Beckham and former Broncos All-Pro Von Miller to add to the main stays led by Kupp and arguably the league’s top defensive end Aaron Donald.
“You got to be relentless,” said Donald.
“You know it was right in front of us…all offseason you work, you train, you got camp, you got a long season just for this one game. You know we the last team standing.”
Just the way McVay had envisioned his return trip to the big game ending.
“You get over it (loss in last Super Bowl appearance). You know, as a competitor, you have to be able to do that,” said McVay.
“But certainly, this was really satisfying to see these guys and to see the looks on their faces.”
As for Stafford, all the ups and downs and heartbreaking seasons he endured early in his career was all worth it.
“For 12 years, that goal wasn’t reached and it tore me up inside,” said Stafford.
“But I knew I could keep playing and try to find a way. You know, the fact that we reached that goal is so special.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States and its allies will respond “swiftly and decisively” to any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine, according to a White House readout of a phone call between the two leaders.
The Sunday morning call took place as U.S. officials continue to warn that an attack from Russia could come “any day now” and urge all Americans still in Ukraine to leave the country.
“President Biden made clear that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the White House said of the call. “The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.”
In a tweet Sunday following the call, Zelensky said he and Biden discussed “security, economy, existing risks, sanctions and Russian aggression.”
The conversation with the Ukrainian president comes one day after Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Biden similarly warned that should Russia take action against Ukraine, the U.S., along with its allies, “will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia.”
According to a White House official, the call between Biden and Zelensky, who last spoke at the end of January, lasted 51 minutes, a shorter call than Biden’s discussion with Putin on Saturday, which lasted just over an hour.
A senior administration official, speaking with reporters following the Saturday call with Putin, said the tone was “professional and substantive,” however, “there was no fundamental change in the dynamic that has been unfolding now for several weeks.”
Since Friday, the Biden administration has ramped up its warnings about a possible Russian attack on Ukraine — which they say could happen as soon as this week.
“We have seen, over the course of the past 10 days, dramatic acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces and the disposition of those forces in such a way that they could launch a military action essentially at any time,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CBS on Sunday. “They could do so this coming week.”
Despite the warnings, Zelensky has continued to call for calm in the country and seemed to express frustration with the dire tone.
“The best friend of our enemy is panic in our country, and all that information which helps create only panic doesn’t help us,” Zelensky said Saturday.
(WASHINGTON) — Rudy Giuliani is in active discussions regarding testifying before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and potentially responding to some of the committee’s questions, sources familiar with the matter confirm to ABC News.
The extent of the cooperation remains to be seen and no deal is anywhere near final, the sources said. Sources have told ABC News that the negotiations could easily dissolve.
Giuliani was subpoenaed by the committee last month to appear for an interview last week.
“Mr. Giuliani’s appearance was rescheduled at his request,” a committee aide told ABC News on Sunday. “He remains under subpoena and the select committee expects him to cooperate fully.”
Committee investigators and Giuliani’s representation are expected to connect again in the coming days over Giuliani’s potential cooperation. It’s unlikely that Giuliani would agree to testify about or share records regarding his direct communications with former President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Giuliani is still very close to Trump, having spent some time with the 45th president just last week in Florida, and was planning to watch the Super Bowl Sunday evening with Trump and other guests, a source told ABC News.
The former New York City mayor was on the front lines of Trump’s unsuccessful efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election, working with allies Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and a small team that filed numerous lawsuits and tried to assemble a slate of fake electors — all of which failed.
Should he testify, Giuliani would arguably be one of the closest to Trump’s efforts to undo the election results to meet with the committee.
News of Giuliani’s possible cooperation with the committee was first reported by the New York Times.
Trump has maintained that the committee’s efforts are a partisan witch hunt, and several top Trump allies have refused to cooperate with the probe.
Ex-White House strategist Steve Bannon was indicted on two federal counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the committee. A trial has tentatively been set for July.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reversed course after originally cooperating with the panel, leading the full House to hold him in criminal contempt. A referral to the Justice Department has yet to be acted upon.
An attorney for Giuliani did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Congress should be sending a stronger signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin as fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine persist.
On “This Week,” anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Graham on Sunday whether he is convinced Putin will invade the neighboring Baltic state.
“No, I’m not, but I’m convinced that we could do more in Congress and should,” Graham answered.
The Senate’s prospects of passing a sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill have stalled, and Graham said the White House “keeps pushing back” against pre- and post-invasion sanctions being considered by Congress.
Stephanopoulos followed up: “You’re saying the president is pushing back against, but you also have some pushback from your Republican colleagues in the Senate?”
“Yeah, but not in a real, meaningful way. There’s 70 votes in the body for invasion sanctions, pre-invasion sanctions with a waiver, post-invasion sanctions,” Graham responded. “So, the problem has been secondary sanctions. It’s not just enough to sanction a Russian bank. You want to sanction anybody that does business with that bank.”
On Saturday, President Joe Biden spoke with Putin for a little more than an hour from Camp David, pledging to “impose swift and severe costs” if Russian forces invade Ukraine.
Graham said the U.S.-Russia relationship “would be forever changed,” possibly harming the diplomatic process for decades to come, if Putin launched an invasion.
“This is not the last president America will have. If Russia invades the Ukraine, you will destroy the U.S.-Russia relationship for decades and every president in the near-term will be put in a box when it comes to dealing with Russia, so I hope Putin understands that,” Graham said.
When asked about whether the Biden administration’s release of intelligence on a possible false flag operation has been effective in deterring a military advance into Ukraine, Graham said the U.S. government should be doing more.
“I don’t want to ring alarm bell as much as take action. They’re telling us the invasion is imminent. But they’re not telling Putin with clarity what happens if you invade,” Graham added. “He should be punished now.”
Recently, the South Carolina senator came under fire by the former President Donald Trump after disagreeing with Trump suggesting he would pardon Jan. 6 rioters if reelected to office. Trump even called Graham a “RINO,” a Republican in name only, during an interview with NewsMax.
Stephanopoulos pressed: “So where do things stand with you and President Trump right now? Do you support his comeback in 2024?”
“If he wants to be the Republican nominee for the Republican Party, it’s his for the taking,” Graham responded. “Donald Trump is the most consequential Republican in the Republican Party today. He has a great chance of being president again in 2024.”
Despite some Republicans still casting doubt on the legitimate results of the last presidential election, Graham said “the 2020 election is over for me” and that he’s not “contesting” the results.
The key GOP senator gave advice to the former president as well, suggesting that “if he looks backward, I think he’s hurting his chances.”
Given Trump’s fractured relationship with longtime Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, Stephanopoulos asked Graham: “If (Republicans) take the Senate back, will you vote for Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader? In the past, you have said that he’s got to fix his relationship with President Trump if he’s going to earn your vote.”
“Yes, I think any Republican leader in the House or the Senate has to have a working relationship with President Trump, because most Republicans like President Trump’s policies,” Graham said. “And so Mitch McConnell, if he runs, or anyone else, I think, would have to show a working relationship with the president.”
U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs, who sits on the federal court in South Carolina, is reported to be one of Biden’s top contenders to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who recently announced his retirement.
Graham, a fellow South Carolinian, has previously voiced his support for Childs to become Biden’s nominee.
Stephanopoulos asked: “Is Judge Michelle Childs of South Carolina the only Biden nominee you could support?”
“I think she’s the one that would get the most Republican votes. I would be very inclined to support her because of her background,” Graham said. “She didn’t go to Harvard or Yale, which I think is a plus. She went to the University of South Carolina. But we’ll wait and see what President Biden does.”
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a stark warning for Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Russian military buildup near the Ukraine region showed no signs of slowing on Sunday.
“The fact is that we think that an assault on Ukraine is an assault on democracy,” Pelosi told George Stephanopoulos during an exclusive interview on ABC’s “This Week.” “We understand that the loss of life, the damage, the collateral damage to civilians, to military and the rest are severe.”
“If he decides to invade, the mothers in Russia don’t like their children going into what he’s had to experience that — forgive the expression — bodybags from the moms before, so he has to know that war is not an answer. There’s very severe consequences to his aggression, and we are united in using them.”
Pelosi said the U.S. has to be prepared for any potential invasion, and she believes sanctions have acted as a deterrent thus far.
“If we were not threatening the sanctions and the rest, it would guarantee that Putin would invade. Let’s hope that diplomacy works. It’s about diplomacy, deterrence. Diplomacy, deterrence,” Pelosi said.
“And the president’s made it very clear: There’s a big price to pay for Russia to go there. So if Russia doesn’t invade, it’s not that he never intended to, it’s just that the sanctions worked,” Pelosi said.
“I’m very proud of what the president has done. The unity of our allies and NATO to come to an agreement as to the severity of the sanctions is very, very important. And that is, that is something that Putin should pay very close attention to,” Pelosi added.
Pelosi noted that while President Joe Biden has the authority to issue sanctions by executive order, “it would be better” if Congress did so through legislation.
The Senate has been negotiating a Russia sanctions bill, but as of last week, lawmakers concluded that they had hit an “impasse” in their talks. Senators have said they will continue to negotiate while also considering “other” options.
On the domestic front, Pelosi defended passing historically massive spending bills to address the coronavirus and infrastructure, which some say has contributed to rising costs across the U.S.
She noted that legislation the House passed recently to better compete with China, as well as the long-stalled Build Back Better Act, would help with supply chain issues and improve the economy in the long run.
“The fact that people have jobs always contributes to increase in inflation. And that’s a good thing. But inflation is not a good [thing],” Pelosi said.
“There has to be a cumulative effect, a cumulative effect and part of the consequences of all of that investment in the infrastructure bill the rest, is that more people have jobs and and, therefore, inflation goes up,” Pelosi said.
“The BBB is a deficit reduction bill,” Pelosi added. “The [Joint Committee on Taxation] says that BBB will reduce the national debt by $100 billion in the first 10 years and a trillion dollars in the second 10 years.”
She urged Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to understand Congress’ role in addressing inflation as opposed to contributing to it, which he claims passing the BBB will do.
“It’s very important for us to address it. We must bring it down and but is not. It’s not right — with all the respect in the world to my friend Joe Manchin — it’s not right to say that what we’re doing is contributing to inflation because it is exactly the opposite,” Pelosi said.
Stephanopoulos also pressed Pelosi on the rate of rising crime in America and noted the differing opinions among some members of Congress as to how to address the issue. Some have called for an increase in the police force, while other members, such as Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, have supported the “defund the police” movement.
“Well, with all the respect in the world for Cori Bush, that is not the position of the Democratic Party,” Pelosi said of the “defund the police” movement, which calls for a reallocation of money from police forces to local community organizations and non-policing forms of public safety.
“Community safety, to protect and defend in every way, is our oath of office,” Pelosi said. She pointed to the “The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021” as an answer to rising crime. The legislation is a human rights and police reform bill drafted by Democrats. The legislation aims to combat police misconduct, excessive force and racial bias in policing. The House approved the measure in 2020 following Floyd’s murder, but it is stalled in the Senate.
Stephanopoulos also pointed to Biden’s low approval rating as Democrats gear up for the upcoming midterm election this November. He asked Pelosi if she is concerned about losing the majority given the high number of Democrats who have already announced they are not running for re-election.
“I don’t agonize. I organize,” Pelosi countered. “We fully intend to win this election. Nothing less is at stake.”
“Forget history,” Pelosi said to Stephanopoulos when he pointed to historical election results during a midterm year. “We’re talking about the future….We have every intention every single day to do everything in our power. We have decided to win and that’s what we will do.”
Asked by Stephanopoulos if she intends to run for speaker again, Pelosi quipped: “That’s not a question. My purpose right now is just to win that election. Win that election, nothing less is at stake than our democracy.”
