Riley Green & Carly Pearce (Catherine Powell/Getty Images)
The mystery only seems to be deepening with Carly Pearce, as she adds a new player to her developing musical drama: Riley Green.
On Monday she cleared her Instagram feed, save for a sultry photo that seems to show her sitting on the edge of a bed, wearing a negligee and staring off into the distance.
Then on Wednesday she promised there would be more info on Thursday, attaching a short clip of a video monitor showing a man’s hand stroking her arm and leg as she holds a glass of red wine.
“Baby isn’t doing this, the definition of insane,” she sings in the background.
On Thursday, she shared another clip, revealing the masculine hand belongs to Riley.
The audio clip remains the same, though if you listen closely, it adds a harmony from Riley. A subsequent news release teases the upcoming track without offering much more clarity.
With Riley fans excited about a video that hints at being as steamy as “Worst Way,” Carly devotees are still waiting for news of her upcoming fifth studio album, featuring the lead single “Dream Come True” and the recently released “Church Girl.”
Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States celebrates at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Tang Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images)
Alysa Liu isn’t a just an Olympic gold medalist, she’s a one-woman streaming booster.
Three songs that the figure skater used in her routines during the Winter Olympics have experienced huge bumps in their streams and downloads, according to Billboard.
During her short program, she skated to Laufey’s “Promise,” which has seen its streams go up 67%. According to Billboard, Laufey thanked Liu at a recent show for bringing the song “such new life.”
Liu’s free skate program saw her skating to the late Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite,” and the track’s streams went up 976%. Sales, meanwhile, increased over 4,500%. Legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb, who wrote the song, personally thanked Liu.
And at the Olympic Gala on Feb. 21, Liu skated to the PinkPantheress/Zara Larsson remix of “Stateside,” and the song’s streams increased by 88%.
Meanwhile, thanks to Liu the “Stateside” remix has hit the #1 spot on the U.S. Spotify Charts.
Former President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images)
(CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, has been paused Thursday afternoon after a photo of her from inside the room was leaked, which is against committee rules.
The photo was posted by conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson who claimed it was provided by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.
The former first lady and former President Bill Clinton are participating in depositions as part of the committee’s probe into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Foo Fighters will be among the headliners for the 2026 Rock in Rio festival in Brazil.
Dave Grohl and company will take the stage in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 4. For ticket info, visit RockinRio.com.
Rock in Rio takes place over Sept. 4-7 and Sept. 11-13. Other announced performers include Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me the Horizon, Elton John and Mumford & Sons.
Foo Fighters are currently playing a run of shows in the U.K., during which they debuted a new song called “Of All People.” It will appear on their upcoming album, Your Favorite Toy. They’ll be back stateside for a couple festivals in May before launching a full North American stadium tour in August.
Your Favorite Toy, the follow-up to 2023’s But Here We Are, is due out April 24.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia (R) and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura (L) attend a prayer vigil before he enters a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, testifying Thursday at a hearing on whether the government is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, said that no one from the White House or the Department of Justice made the decision to seek an indictment against the Salvadoran native.
The hearing comes after the federal judge overseeing the case, Waverly Crenshaw Jr., canceled the trial in the case in December and wrote in a court order that there was enough evidence to hold a hearing on the question of vindictive prosecution after the Trump administration brought Abrego Garcia back from detention in El Salvador to face charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.
“Who decided to seek an indictment against Abrego Garcia?” a government lawyer asked Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire during Thursday’s hearing.
“I did,” McGuire testified.
McGuire said that after reviewing the body cam footage of the 2022 traffic stop, “there were things” that were similar to other human smuggling cases, including the number of individuals in the car, the lack of luggage in the vehicle, and the fact that Abrego Garcia — who was the driver — “seemed to speak on behalf of everyone else.” Abrego Garcia was not charged at that time.
“This really looked like a human smuggling case to me,” McGuire testified.
When asked about his communications with DOJ leadership, McGuire said it was normal for him to be in contact with top officials because of the high-profile immigration case involving Abrego Garcia.
In response to questions about an email from a top DOJ official to McGuire stating that the case was a “top priority,” McGuire said DOJ leadership “always” wanted to stay updated on high-profile cases.
Earlier in Thursday’s hearing, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security said that she felt no pressure to bring charges.
Saoud stated that as she began her preliminary investigation and obtained the video of the traffic stop in the spring, “the case started getting stronger.”
When asked by a DOJ attorney whether she felt pressured by the government to move the case toward prosecution, Saoud said no.
“We’re not swayed by political attention or political posturing,” Saoud testified.
The government is currently blocked from deporting Abrego Garcia, who was released from immigration detention in December. In a separate case last week, a federal judge ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot re-detain him because his 90-day detention period had expired and the government lacked a viable plan for his deportation.
The Salvadoran native, who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported last March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he and his attorneys deny.
He was brought back to the U.S. in June to face the human smuggling charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.
After being released into the custody of his brother in Maryland pending trial, he was again detained by immigration authorities before being released in December.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., conducts a news conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus during the House Democrats 2025 Issues Conference at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va., on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Gregory Meeks knows the pivotal role Black men can play in a young person’s life.
“In high school, my [Black] male teacher was Mr. Ozzie and he guided me, you know, through some difficult times and through good times,” Meeks, D-N.Y., told ABC News.
He praised Ozzie for giving him life advice and will never forget how his former teacher inspired him to pursue politics.
“He got me involved in student government at the time,” Meeks said, adding “Without the foundation, I would never be here.”
In interviews with ABC News over the last year, lawmakers across a broad spectrum discussed their relationship with the Black male figures who taught them during their formative years. Having a Black male — and a diverse group of educators — benefits “everyone,” not just Black students, according to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and education experts who spoke with ABC News.
However, less than 2% of all U.S. public school teachers are Black men, according to recent government data. It stems from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which ended racial segregation in America’s public schools and prompted a massive white resistance to the new law of the land.
Leslie T. Fenwick, author of “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership,” told ABC News that the resistance — by mostly white Southern politicians — helped cause the shortage of Black male educators, and Black educators as a whole were forced out in droves.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the latest data on Black male teachers are a “concerning statistic.” Still, the Louisiana native told ABC News that he had “many” Black male teachers over the years.
“One of my favorites was Mr. Tilmer Keels,” Johnson recalled. “He was our band director in middle school. He was such a great inspirational leader,” Johnson added.
Johnson, Meeks and their colleagues overwhelmingly described Black male teachers as supportive, encouraging, and provided positive images for young people.
“They [Black male educators] were very significant for me, and we need more than just one,” Meeks said. “I should be able to talk about three, four, five, six, seven, eight of them,” he added.
Bipartisan appreciation
There’s bipartisan support throughout Congress for these impactful teachers.
Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said teaching is one of the “most important” careers one can choose. Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny K. Davis, one of the oldest lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said his roles in public service include teaching.
Jonathan L. Jackson’s father, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson who passed away last week, served as a role model for Black youth across the nation. In the classroom, Jackson said he had at least two Black male teachers throughout high school who he said impacted his worldview.
“People need someone to look up to,” Jackson told ABC News. “That’s why we should be pushing specifically for more African American males in science, education, humanities, histories and all the other good things.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is also pushing to increase representation in the classroom.
“I’m an advocate for having more male teachers in general, but certainly Black male teachers,” he said, adding, “I think you need a picture of what you want to become in the world.”
Recruitment and retention
Over years of reporting, several Black male educators at public, charter and private pre-K-12 schools have told ABC News that they feel underappreciated and overstretched — with their numbers in the profession already small and appearing to dwindle, according to experts.
Today, 100 years after the first observance of what would become Black History Month, roughly three dozen Black males are serving in Congress. The ones who spoke to ABC News believe Black men deserve a space in the classroom.
Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education & Workforce Committee who grew up in the segregated South, doesn’t remember ever having a Black male teacher — from elementary school all the way through to when he earned his law degree from Boston College. He noted that teachers and coaches hold an important place in a child’s upbringing, stressing that there should be more Black male educators in schools.
Eric Duncan, the director for preschool-12th grade policy at the nonprofit organization The Education Trust, argued Congress holds the power to bolster the Black male educator through a multitude of levers that would incentivize them to stay in the profession, including scholarships, mortgage assistance, and teacher tax credits.
Duncan, a former social studies teacher, said Black male educators need to feel empowered. Their dismal numbers would improve if the legislative branch keeps level funding for teacher pipeline programs, he said.
“Congress has a role, I think, in continuing to appropriate those funds and continues to keep those programs for the teacher prep programs in the districts that are doing the hard work of trying to recruit and retain Black male educators in their schools,” he said.
“Artificial barriers” impeding progress
The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling had a crippling impact on the retention of Black male teachers.
More than 70 years after the resistance to the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, some lawmakers say they feel different factors of the teaching profession keep men out of the classroom, including credentialing and salaries.
Rep. John James, R-Mich., said he wishes there were more avenues for Black men to become teachers but “artificial barriers” are impeding their progress.
“The licensing and certification, the time and the money required, this erects artificial barriers to create mentors and role models, particularly for young Black men who don’t necessarily have that in their life,” James told ABC News.
Last session, multiple teacher salary bills introduced in the House and Senate never received a vote. Freshman Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala. said Congress has a collective obligation to address the problem.
“The salary piece of it is certainly a big thing, but we also got to get real about, you know, conditions in schools,” Figures said.
“How are we making the environment the best suitable for teachers to want to stay and remain in the classroom long term?”
David Anthony Burke, aka D4VD, attends the Ottolinger Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week, March 9, 2025, in Paris. (Antoine Flament/Getty Images)
The singer D4vd is the target of a grand jury investigation involving the death of a teenage girl whose decomposing body was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla last year, newly released court filings confirm.
The court filings involve the secretive Los Angeles County grand jury investigation. They were filed under seal in California but have come to light through the court system in Texas, where D4vd’s parents and brother live.
In petitions seeking to compel the family members to testify in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that D4vd is the “target” of the grand jury investigation and alleged that the singer “may be involved in the death of 14-year-old victim Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who may have been a victim of foul play.”
ABC News has reached out to D4vd’s representatives and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for comment on the filings.
The 20-year-old singer is alleged to have possibly committed one count of murder, according to the filings, dated Jan. 15. Hochman stated that the victim’s “severely decomposed, dismembered body” was found in the front trunk of D4vd’s abandoned, impounded Tesla on Sept. 8, 2025, at a Hollywood tow yard. Her head and torso were found in one bag, and her arms and legs in another, according to Hochman’s filings.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Richman subsequently commanded D4vd’s parents and brother to appear before the grand jury earlier this month. The three fought the order and an appeals court in Texas denied their petitions for writ of habeas corpus on Feb. 9. An attorney for D4vd’s mother and father told ABC News that they then filed a writ in a higher court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which issued a stay on the lower court’s order commanding their appearance in California. That matter is still pending, according to the attorney.
Grand jury testimony happens in secret and it remains unclear where the Los Angeles County investigation stands. D4vd has not been arrested or charged in the matter.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner has not released the cause and manner of Celeste’s death.
The teen, from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, was reported missing in 2024, investigators confirmed to ABC News.
According to a copy of the death certificate obtained by ABC News, her manner of death is pending investigation and her cause of death remains listed as “deferred.” Based on the date of birth listed, her remains were found a day after her 15th birthday.
She may have been dead for several weeks before her body was discovered, police said.
Officers responded to an impound lot “for a foul odor coming from a vehicle,” Los Angeles police said.
The Tesla had been at the impound lot for two days after being found abandoned on a Hollywood street, investigators said.
The towed vehicle was registered to David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, according to a senior Los Angeles Police Department source.
Sources confirmed to ABC News in November that the singer was considered a suspect in the death investigation.
World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, 2026. (Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Borge Brende stepped down as the head of the World Economic Forum Thursday following an independent review into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, marking the latest departure in a string of high-profile resignations by business and government leaders who were associated with the late sex offender.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Columbia University. (Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A Columbia University student was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents Thursday morning, after they allegedly made “misrepresentations” to enter a dorm, the school said.
Claire Shipman, the school’s acting president, sent a letter to the school community informing them that the DHS agents entered an unspecified dorm on the campus around 6:30 and detained the student.
“Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details,” she said.
DHS did not immediately return messages from ABC News for comment.
The school was “working to reach the family, and providing legal support,” the letter further said.
“It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access,” the letter said.
“If law enforcement agents seek entry to non-public areas of the University, ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety,” Shipman wrote. “Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel to coordinate the University’s response. Do not allow them to enter or accept service of a warrant or subpoena.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement condemning the federal agents’ alleged actions.
“Let’s be clear about what happened: ICE agents didn’t have the proper warrant, so they lied to gain access to a student’s private residence,” she said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Backstreet Boys perform at Sphere Las Vegas (Rich Fury)
Backstreet Boys announced Tuesday that they’d added six more 2026 shows to their Into The Millennium residency at Sphere Las Vegas. And they haven’t even let a week go by before announcing that they’re expanding the residency yet again.
On Wednesday, the group announced three additional shows — Aug. 13, 14 and 15. Presales are underway and the general sale begins Friday at 1 p.m. ET.
The group will perform Aug. 20, 21 and 22, which is also the birthday weekend of Backstreet’s Howie Dorough. Sharing the news on Instagram, the group noted that these dates will mark “over 50 shows at Sphere,” adding, “WOW, we can’t thank you enough for all your love and support.”
For those new shows announced Thursday, the Backstreet Fan Club presale starts Thursday at 12 p.m. PT. A Ticketmaster presale starts Thursday at 1 p.m. PT, and all tickets go on sale Friday at 1 p.m. PT via sphere.backstreetboys.com.
Some fans are stressing out over all these announcements. As one put it in the comments, “Guys, you’re killing us! Just announce everything at once.”
