The 52nd annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction took place Thursday, June 15, in New York, with Electric Light Orchestra rocker Jeff Lynne among this year’s honorees.
Lynne’s induction kicked off the evening, with Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh paying tribute to Lynne with a performance of the ELO classic “Don’t Bring Me Down.” In his induction speech, Walsh recognized Lynne’s “unmatched talent to bring a great song, bring it to life, and turn it into an incredible record.”
Lynne, who also co-founded the supergroup Traveling Wilburys, which included BobDylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison, ended his celebration with a performance of another ELO classic, “Mr. Blue Sky.”
This, of course, isn’t the first honor for Lynne. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 as a member of ELO. In addition to writing the two songs performed, his songs include “Evil Woman,” “Hold On Tight” and “Handle With Care.”
Other songwriters inducted into the Hall of Fame this year include Gloria Estefan, Glen Ballard, Liz Rose and Teddy Riley, with Post Malone receiving the Hal David Starlight Award and Broadway songwriter Tim Rice receiving the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award.
(WASHINGTON) — The White House is responding after several transgender guests exposed their chests at the administration’s Pride celebration this past weekend.
The incident drew backlash as inappropriate, including from conservative commentators like CJ Pearson who suggested online that it brought “shame” on the country.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, “The behavior was simply unacceptable. We’ve been very clear about that.”
“It was unfair to the hundreds of attendees who were there to celebrate their families,” she continued. “So, you know, we’re going to continue to be clear on that. … It’s not appropriate. It’s disrespectful. And let’s not — it really does not reflect the event that we hosted to celebrate the LGBTQ+ families.”
The individuals in the video won’t be invited to future events, Jean-Pierre said.
“This has not occurred before,” she said. “This was not a normal thing that has happened under this administration. But we’ve been very clear about how we saw this particular behavior.”
Rose Montoya, a transgender model and activist who posted the video to TikTok in which she and other guests posed topless, responded Friday in a 3-minute video posted to her social media platforms.
“Today I need to apologize,” Montoya said, describing how she was invited by the president to attend the Pride event and was proud to speak at the National Press Club during her trip to Washington.
“In a quick moment of fleeting and overwhelming trans joy, I decided to do something unbecoming of a guest of the president at the White House lawn celebration,” she said. “More so than ever before, I have learned how powerful and just how impactful my actions are and how impactful it is when we share our stories and experiences and how we do so with the world. I want to take this moment to apologize for the impact of my actions.”
“It was also never my intention to create a situation that would lead to harassment and harm of myself and others, nor for trans joy,” she continued, adding she feels “energized to educate and articulate to others the importance and power of trans joy in a more effective way.”
The Bidens welcomed hundreds of LGBTQ families from across the country on Saturday to mark Pride month. The administration described the event as the largest-ever Pride celebration at the White House.
Montoya posted a one-minute video to TikTok showing different aspects of the event. At one point, Montoya can be seen meeting President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
At another point, the video shows Montoya and other individuals bearing their chests while posing in front of the White House South Portico. Montoya is seen covering her bare chest with her hands.
“Are we topless at the White House?” someone can be heard saying in the video. It’s not clear who the other individuals are in the video.
Montoya first responded to criticism to the toplessness in a separate TikTok post before the White House’s statements.
“My trans masculine friends were showing off their top surgery scars and living in joy, and I wanted to join them,” she said in the video. “And because it is perfectly within the law in Washington D.C., I decided to join them and cover my nipples just to play it safe.”
At the Pride event, President Biden spoke out against anti-LGBTQ legislation being introduced and passed in various state legislatures around the country.
He also had a message for “the entire community,” but particularly for transgender youth.
“You are loved. You are heard. You are understood,” he said. “And you belong.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame induction took place Thursday, June 15 in New York, with Gloria Estefan, and “Man in the Mirror” songwriter Glen Ballard among this year’s honorees.
Estefan was inducted by Valerie Simpson, who called her a “pop music force of nature, creating songs that touch fans of all backgrounds around the globe.” Gloria herself celebrated with a medley of some of her biggest hits, including “Words Get in the Way,” “Anything for You,” “Let’s Get Loud,” and more, ending the night with “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” featuring her husband Emilio Estefan and grandson Sasha.
“This is one of the most special awards that I have ever received because other people’s music, other writers’ music got me through my toughest moments,” Gloria told ABC Audio on the red carpet, noting “it’s a blessing to be able to reach other people’s hearts and minds through music and my words and be able to make a heart connection, which is what music does.”
Ballard, who’s known for his work with Alanis Morrissette, Michael Jackson and more, was celebrated with a performance of “Man in the Mirror,” from Siedah Garrett and Tony winner Myles Frost, and later performed a medley of his hits including “Ironic,” “Hold On” and more.
Ballard told ABC Audio he’s “grateful for the honor,” sharing, “It’s also encouraging to know I’ve been writing songs for 50 years and now they’re telling me it wasn’t a waste of time.” Ballard said he’s most proud of “Man in the Mirror,” noting, “that’s a pretty good one.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
The night’s other honorees included ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Liz Rose, best known for her work with Taylor Swift, and Teddy Riley,with Post Malone receiving the Hal David Starlight Award and Broadway songwriter Tim Rice receiving the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award.
(NEW YORK) — Tornadoes tore through parts of the United States on Thursday night, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others, officials said.
Three of the deaths occurred in Perryton, Texas, where a tornado destroyed homes and communication towers. The victims were identified as Becky Randall, a woman in her 60s who was found in a print shop; Cindy Bransgrove, a woman also in her 60s who was found in a food bank; and Matthew Ramirez, an 11-year-old boy who was found in a trailer park, according to the Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard.
Another 56 people in Perryton were injured and one person — identified as 64-year-old Ruben Villegas — is missing, Bouchard said.
Meanwhile, one person died in Pensacola, Florida, after a tree fell on their home during a tornado, according to the Escambia County Fire Rescue.
There were several reported tornadoes throughout the night across Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Florida.
Perrtyon, a small town near Texas’ state line with Oklahoma, was particularly hard hit, with the most significant damage on the north and east sides, according to Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher.
Dutcher told ABC News on Thursday that the number of injured may be around 100 people. The injuries range from minor to severe and multiple patients have be transferred to trauma centers.
Multiple agencies have responded to the scene, Dutcher added.
There is currently no power to Perryton, according to Xcel Energy, an electric utility and natural gas delivery company.
“Our crews are arriving on site and are assisting in removing lines from cars and across the roads,” the company told ABC News in a statement. “We are patrolling the transmission feeds into the city and also assessing possible damage at the main substation in town. One of the three main transmission feeds into the city was apparently undamaged, but we deenergized it for safety reasons.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy state emergency response resources to meet urgent life-safety needs in Perryton.
“The State of Texas is swiftly deploying critical emergency response resources to provide all necessary support and assistance to protect Texans and help those impacted by tornadoes in Perryton,” Abbott said in a statement. “I encourage all Texans to heed the guidance of state and local officials and to take all necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones. We remain ready to quickly provide any additional resources needed over the course of this severe weather event.”
Ochiltree General Hospital, the area hospital for Perryton, is currently without power, an official said on Thursday.
Debbie Beck, chief financial officer of Ochiltree General Hospital, told ABC News 50 to 100 patients were treated for tornado-related injuries.
No victims died at the hospital and some patients were transferred to Northwest Texas Hospital, according to Beck.
Weather alerts, including tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm watches, were issued across the South for Thursday. Georgia and Alabama were both slammed with heavy rain and flooding.
Southeastern Colorado to southwestern Kansas are also bracing for rough weather, with a severe thunderstorm watch issued. Residents in the region are told to expect dangerous winds up to 80 mph, hail up to 4 inches in diameter and possible tornadoes.
More storms are expected Friday from Colorado to the Gulf Coast, with damaging winds and hail the main threat. Severe storms are also possible Friday afternoon and evening from Virginia to New Jersey.
Meanwhile, dangerous, triple-digit heat is baking the South. Record-high temperatures are possible over the next few days in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump tried again in a new court filing to get his criminal prosecution in New York moved to federal court, arguing the alleged crimes “took place while the president was in office.”
Trump’s attorneys accused the Manhattan district attorney’s office, known by the acronym DANY, of “deceptively mischaracterizing and ignoring the applicable facts and body of law” by seeking to keep the case in state court.
“According to DANY, the crux of its case was a purportedly ‘illegal scheme that was largely perpetrated before defendant became [P]resident.’ Such an alleged scheme, albeit nonexistent, could only violate federal, not state, campaign finance laws, as made clear by both the federal jurisprudence and the New York State election board,'” the defense filing said.
Trump and the prosecutors have filed dueling motions over the appropriate place to put the former president on trial for allegedly falsifying business records connected to the 2016 hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts.
Trump has argued he was an officer of the United States when he was president and his case is best handled by federal court. There may be a more practical reason: If Trump’s bid for the White House in 2024 is successful he could, in theory, take steps to make a federal prosecution go away.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has argued Trump’s alleged criminal conduct regarding his business records had nothing to do with his job as president. Instead, Bragg’s team has argued payments to Trump’s then-fixer Michael Cohen, who had written the $130,000 check to Daniels, were solely reimbursements for campaign contributions, and therefore not acts done under the color of federal law.
Trump plans to argue the business records were truthful because the money paid to Cohen was, in part, “retainer,” so Cohen could handle Trump’s personal affairs while he was president.
“The question answers itself—clearly these actions were ‘connected or associated’ with President Trump’s official duties of ensuring that there was no doubt that he was complying with the Constitution of the United States of America, including the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Take Care Clause,” the filing said.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has scheduled oral argument at the end of the month.
(NEW YORK) — With summer on the horizon, many are breaking out their flip-flops and summer shoes. But these popular options can lead to more injuries and foot pain in the warmer months, including plantar fasciitis, one of the most common foot injuries, according to The Washington Post.
What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a very common condition that affects approximately two million people each year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
When the plantar fascia, a ligament at the bottom of the foot, is overused, it can cause inflammation, pain, micro tears and tight muscles, impacting how one walks or runs. Plantar fasciitis can also cause, in some cases, a heel spur, a type of bony growth by the heel, according to the National Library of Medicine.
What do flip-flops and summer shoes have to do with plantar fasciitis?
Because flip-flops and summer shoes tend to have less cushion, they can be less supportive than other types of shoes, like sneakers. The lack of cushion and support can lead to more stress and tension on the feet and muscles in the area.
How do you prevent plantar fasciitis?
The best way to prevent plantar fasciitis, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, is to wear cushioned shoes with arch support. Tension-reducing inserts, such as soft silicone heel pads, may help too. Avoid shoes without arch support or those that are already worn out, like overused running shoes, which should be replaced on a regular basis.
When starting a new exercise routine, start slowly and do daily stretches at the beginning of the day or before or after a workout to keep muscles loose.
To stretch the plantar fascia, place feet flat on the ground and then raise the toes and then the arches of the feet. This can help lengthen the ligament and encourage any healing needed.
What can I do if I already have plantar fasciitis?
To address immediate pain, following the RICE method, which stands for “Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate,” can help. Easy hacks include rolling a tennis ball or a frozen water bottle along the balls of the feet to relieve pain.
Over-the-counter pain relief medication may also be helpful as well as calf stretches and plantar fascia stretches. A night splint could also be used to stretch muscles while sleeping.
Most plantar fasciitis symptoms tend to resolve within a year but other long-term treatment options may include a surgical procedure that lengthens the calf muscle and/or a cut to the plantar fascia to reduce tension, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Anyone with foot pain that doesn’t go away should speak to a health care provider about their options.
(NEW YORK) — The Olympic torch was lit in Athens and arrived in Berlin for the nation’s first-ever hosting of the Special Olympics World Games where exceptional, inspiring athletes and volunteers have gathered from all over the world to go for gold.
ABC News’ Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts traveled to Germany, ahead of Saturday’s opening ceremony, where nearly 7,000 competitors representing 190 countries for 26 sports have come together to show off their skills.
Special Olympics legend and Chief Inspiration Officer Loretta Claiborne from York, Pennsylvania, trained hard to compete on the global stage.
“Forget being on top of the world. I was up on the moon. I was in the galaxy,” she told Good Morning America of the moment she got the call for the games. “I didn’t think they would choose somebody my age.”
Claiborne, who was born partially blind and unable to walk or talk until age 4, defied the odds as an accomplished runner and has found great purpose through movement. Berlin will mark her ninth World Games and her first competing in tennis.
“I was told I wasn’t going to make it this long in my life,” she said adding, “I think sport has a lot to do with it — mentally and physically.”
She continued, “I’m going to be 70 years old — but I’m going to give it my all whether I win the match or whether I lose. I’ve already won with the opportunity to be able to play.”
Other athletes representing the red, white and blue include The City Hawks, a unified soccer team from New York City.
Joe Stewart, the team’s assistant coach, told GMA, “We want to show that people with intellectual disabilities deserve to play sports that they love side by side with their peers without intellectual disabilities and they’re capable of doing so.”
Unified sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team with a mission of social inclusion.
‘When you watch the City Hawks play, you just see soccer players on the field,” Stewart said. “Everybody has a role, everybody contributes.”
Tim Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, and Claiborne joined Roberts live on Good Morning America Friday morning ahead of the games to discuss what it’s like being in a city known for breaking down walls and overcoming borders for this incredible event.
Claiborne, USA Today’s Woman of the Year and a recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN, has been part of the Special Olympics since 1970 and is again sharing her passion with more athletes.
“You are who you are, but you can be the best of who you are. That’s what I would tell a young [Loretta] today,” she said. “It’s not how much you have, it’s what you have and how you use it.”
Claiborne said she wants to continue helping people with intellectual and physical disabilities succeed and advises them to, “find an opportunity and seize it, be the best you can be, and never let anyone doubt you.”
Having previously competed as a runner and a figure skater, she is tackling a new event at nearly 70 years old with tennis.
She shared her motto that has kept her going and fired up through the years of athletic accomplishment: “God is my strength, Special Olympics is my joy. That’s what I have on my cross that I always wear — because you can’t do [anything] without God and my joy is Special Olympics.”
Claiborne also shared an example when she fell down and thought, “Faith is taking the first step even though you don’t see the whole staircase — I didn’t see that whole staircase [when I fell], but I had faith to get up and keep doing it.”
The global event was founded by Shriver’s mother, Eunice Shriver Kennedy. Its mission of inclusion, embracing those with a different story and of celebration, has a message for everyone.
“In the world, most of us see through hierarchies,” he said, citing categories like intelligence or wealth. “It’s a big cancer in human life. It invariably leads us to miss what’s going on beneath the surface. My mom saw beyond the appearance, beyond the label, beyond the stigma. That came from her sister. She grew up loving someone that the world didn’t. If you grow up that way, you have to learn how to see beyond what the world sees. You have to learn that the judgments of the world are not true, that they’re a distortion.”
The Special Olympics will run from June 17 through June 25 in Berlin.
Universal’s 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk, will finally air on Disney+ now that the rights, held by Universal for 15 years, have reverted to Marvel Studios.
“Smashing news. Marvel Studios’ The Incredible #Hulk arrives tomorrow on #DisneyPlus,” the streamer tweeted on Thursday. The film — starring Edward Norton in the titular role, who was replaced by Mark Ruffalo starting with 2012’s The Avengers — followed the origin story of Bruce Banner’s exposure to gamma radiation that transformed him into the raging green monster.
The movie also stars Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, a soldier who was turned into the monstrous Abomination to go toe to toe with Hulk. The Pulp Fiction star reprised the dual role briefly on the big screen in 2021’s Shang-Chi, and more extensively in Disney+’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Also starring in Hulk are Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson, who will reprise their respective roles as Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns in Captain America: Brave New World, hitting theaters July 26, 2024.
In that film, Harrison Ford will take over the role of Thunderbolt Ross, previously played by the late William Hurt who appeared as the character in Hulk, and throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ending with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
The Incredible Hulk launches Friday, June 16 on Disney+. Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
Billions will officially end with season 7, Showtime announced on Thursday. The 12 episode season is set to launch on Paramount+ August 11, before making its cable TV debut on Showtime August 13. In season 7, “alliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends,” per the cable network. And Damian Lewis‘ Bobby Axelrod returns, “as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.” Billions also stars Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, David Costabile, Asia Kate Dillon, Dola Rashad, Jeffrey DeMunn, Sakina Jaffrey, Daniel Breaker and Toney Goins…
NBC is bringing back Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, according to Deadline. Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, hosted by Peter Gross, premieres Saturday, October 7. The original series premiered on NBC in 1963, co-hosted by Marlon Perkins and Jim Fowler. It moved to syndication in 1971 and aired until 1988. It was revived in 2002 on Animal Planet, running through 2011. Gross succeeded Perkins, who retired in 1985. Perkins died in 1986, followed by Fowler in 2019…
Glenda Jackson, the two-time Oscar winner who took a break from acting to spend 23 years in the British Parliament before returning to acting, died peacefully after a brief illness at her home in Blackheath, London, her agent Lionel Larner announced in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. She was 87. Her many accolades included the best actress Oscar for 1969’s Women in Love and A Touch of Class in 1973; a pair of Emmys for her performance as Elizabeth I in the BBC miniseries Elizabeth R; and a Tony for the 2018 Broadway revival of Edward Albee‘s Three Tall Women. She recently completed filming The Great Escaper opposite Michael Caine, according to Larner…
(NEW YORK) — As the war rages around them, the Ukrainian Special Olympics team is showcasing their indomitable spirit, staying incredibly focused on the opportunity to compete at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.
ABC News’ partner, ESPN, was given exclusive access to the team as they trained for the big event.
“This is not a normal situation when the training takes place during the war,” said Oleksándr Redozúbov, a gymnastics coach.
The athletes trained in complete darkness with the use of flashlights, practiced routines over Zoom, and even ran drills in bomb shelters during air raids.
“When the air raids begins, everything is buzzing, planes are flying, I immediately run into the corridor. I sit and wait for it to end,” said gymnast Mariánna Akhrárova.
This week, the Ukrainian athletes loaded up on buses to make the over 15-hour drive out of Ukraine, through Poland, and into Germany.
While it’s been over a year since Russia invaded their home country, the war has never dimmed the athlete’s spirits. Now, the team is ready to not only bring home a medal but to represent Ukraine.
