Finger Eleven may not be paralyzed, but they do seem to be struck by having their own Greatest Hits compilation.
“Man, it’s mind-blowing,” frontman Scott Anderson tells ABC Audio of the collection. “It’s great.”
“The goal has always just been just stay a band — what’s better than this?” he laughs. “And now we can say, ‘Wow, we have a collection of songs that have done really well for us.'”
Finger Eleven’s Greatest Hits features 12 tracks, headlined by the 2007 smash “Paralyzer.” You’ll also find a new song called “Together Right,” which marks the first fresh offering from Finger Eleven in eight years.
“The band feels strong about [‘Together Right’] and it has been resonating with some people, so I feel good about that,” Anderson says. “I think fans of the harder elements of our music will be happy.”
“I think it can stand amongst the best of what Finger Eleven has to offer,” he adds. “So I think it deserves a place on the Greatest Hits, and I’m glad it’s there.”
Whether you’re a longtime Finger Eleven fan looking forward to new music or someone who may only know “Paralyzer,” Anderson feels that Greatest Hits has something for you.
“I hope you hear 20 years of dudes doing what they loved,” Anderson says. “I hope you enjoy it, I hope you get something out of it.”
Phillip Phillips‘ new album, Drift Back, is his first in five years. One of the things he’s been doing since his last album is being a dad: He and wife Hannah welcomed their son, Patch, in 2019. Ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18, Phillip says he finds fatherhood challenging.
“He’s just the coolest little kid. He drives me absolutely nuts, but he’s awesome. Just so funny,” Phillip says of Patch. “But … being a dad is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. And I think it will always be that way.”
The former American Idol champ says he realizes there’s no such thing as a perfect dad, but he’ll keep working on it.
“I don’t get it right every day with him, but I’m trying to do the best I possibly can, and just kiss him and play with him,” he laughs. “Play the same games every day! And y’know, I think that’s what love is.”
At least Phillip can say Patch is definitely a fan of his music: He inspired a few songs on the record, but more importantly, Phillip says, he was there for its entire creation.
“He knows every word to every song on this album,” Phillip says. In fact, when Phillip listens to the album to figure out which songs he should perform live, Patch won’t let him turn off or skip any of them.
“He’ll go, ‘No, go back to Daddy’s song!'” Phillip says. “And man, he’ll just sing it so loud! I got videos of him. It’s so funny.”
June 17 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Police’s fifth studio album, Synchronicity.
The band’s most successful record, Synchronicity went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, and topped the chart in the U.K. and several other countries, as well. It went on to be certified eight-times Platinum by the RIAA.
Synchronicity contained several hit singles, including “Every Breath You Take,” which spent eight weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. It wound up being the biggest hit of 1983 in both the U.S. and Canada. The song also topped the U.K. singles chart for four weeks, making it their fifth U.K. #1.
Other hit singles on the record include “King of Pain,” which peaked at #3 on the Hot 100, “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” which went to #8, and “Synchronicity II,” which peaked at #16.
The album turned out to be The Police’s final studio release, and frontman Sting tells ABC Audio he’s happy the band ended on a career high.
“I think that was a pretty good strategy because the legend still lives on, it hasn’t really been tarnished or diminished,” he says. “I’m very proud of the work we did. I think it was a fantastic seven-year adventure and we couldn’t have expected any better result.”
In 2009 Synchronicity was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2023 it was chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” It’s also ranked on several greatest albums lists, including Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, where it ranked at 159 as of 2020.
Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin took to their respective Instagrams on Thursday, June 15 to confirm their engagement after five years of dating.
“With the power invested in V I am a Sprouse to be,” Palvin wrote, alongside a photo from her and Sprouse’s joint V Magazine cover shoot, showing the two dressed as a bride and groom in front of a wedding cake.
“Sprouses to be,” The Suite Life of Zack & Cody star captioned a different picture from the shoot.
Zach revealed in the V Magazine article — conducted by his twin brother and Suite Life co-star Cole Sprouse — that the engagement actually took place back in September of 2022.
“We didn’t necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement,” the 30-year-old actor explained, “What we wanted to do…is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We’re playing with the idea of perception.”
“I knew we were building this story up. So, I’m very happy that we ended up doing it our way,” Barbara, 29, added.
The couple, sparked engagement rumors back in March, when Palvin was spotted with a diamond ring on that finger and had been referring to Sprouse as her fiancé, according to Us Weekly.
Sprouse and Palvin have been mum on their wedding plans, except to reveal that it will take place in Palvin’s native Hungary.
“I know there was no way we would have not had a wedding in Hungary because my parents would have killed me,” she joked.
(NEW YORK) — A destructive tornado ripped through Perryton, Texas, Thursday evening, leaving at least three people dead, two missing and 56 injured, according to the The Ochiltree County Sherriff’s Office.
Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said 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, Dutcher said.
The north and east sides of the small town saw significant damage, with trailer houses destroyed and communication towers downed, Dutcher told ABC News. One fatality has been confirmed and more than 75 people were being treated at the local hospital, he said.
Dutcher said that the confirmed death is from a trailer home and multiple agencies are on scene responding to the tornado.
There is currently no power to Perryton, Xcel Energy told ABC News.
“Our crews are arriving on site and are assisting in removing lines from cars and across the roads. 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,” Xcel Energy said in a statement.
Gov. Greg Abbott 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, is currently without power, an official said Thursday evening.
Debbie Beck, CFO of Ochiltree General Hospital, confirmed to ABC News that they have treated 50 to 100 patients related to tornado injuries.
Beck said that the hospital was out of power, and they don’t have an exact number of patients from the tornado as they are doing paperwork manually. No victims died at the hospital and some patients were transferred to Northwest Texas Hospital, according to Beck.
There have been seven reported tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan as of Thursday evening.
Severe thunderstorm watches have been issued in Brunswick, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
Georgia and Alabama are also getting slammed with heavy rain and flooding. More than 7 inches of rain hit Albany, Georgia, over the last 24 hours.
This comes after Wednesday storms brought massive hail and powerful winds to Mississippi and at least 10 reported tornadoes to Texas, Alabama and Georgia.
The Plains are also bracing for rough weather, with a severe thunderstorm watch issued in parts of southeastern Colorado and southwestern Kansas. Residents in the region should 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.
(WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y.) — The district attorney in Westchester County, New York, has closed a two-year investigation into former President Donald Trump without filing criminal charges, her office confirmed Thursday.
District Attorney Miriam Rocah had been investigating whether Trump National Golf Club Westchester had tried to inappropriately lower its tax burden in the Town of Ossining.
“The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation regarding certain properties owned by Donald J. Trump and/or the Trump Organization located in Westchester County, New York,” read a statement from the office. “Our investigation is now closed. We approached this investigation as we do all of our investigations, objectively, and independent of politics, party affiliation and personal or political beliefs.”
Trump responded to the news on his Truth Social platform, writing that closing the probe “WAS THE HONORABLE THING TO DO IN THAT I DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT WHERE AND WHEN DO I GET MY REPUTATION BACK?”
The probe was an offshoot of other investigations by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the New York state attorney general’s office into how Trump has valued his real estate holdings.
New York AG Letitia James sued Trump last September, accusing him, his eldest children, the Trump Organization and some of its executives of scheming for more than a decade to manipulate Trump’s net worth and the value of his real estate holdings in order to receive more favorable terms on loans, taxes and insurance.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has called James, who is black, “racist” and her lawsuit “ridiculous.”
(WASHINGTON) — Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump, speaking to supporters hours after his arraignment, outlined potential legal arguments as he defends himself against his second indictment.
Trump took the stage at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club just hours after his appearance in a Miami courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty to 37 felony counts in relation to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
“This day will go down in infamy,” he said.
Trump unloaded on the charges and in the process mischaracterized aspects of the Presidential Records Act and the Espionage Act, experts told ABC News.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the former president’s claims.
He cites the Presidential Records Act
“Under the Presidential Records Act, which is civil not criminal, I had every right to have these documents,” Trump said.
The 1978 law, not mentioned in the indictment, states just the opposite, as it requires records created by presidents and vice presidents be turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at the end of their administrations.
“On the contrary, the former President had absolutely no right to have taken any presidential records with him to Mar A Lago,” Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at NARA, told ABC News in an email.
“Under the Presidential Records Act, the Archivist of the United States assumed legal custody of all Trump White House official records immediately upon President Biden’s swearing in as President,” Baron said. “Every piece of paper constituting an official document, whether it was classified or unclassified, should have been turned over to NARA. Moreover, when NARA staff asked for the return of the records improperly taken, the former President should have immediately given NARA every official document in his possession.”
Among the documents found at his Florida estate, according to prosecutors, were ones marked “top secret” and some about the country’s nuclear programs.
“I think it is misleading because the Presidential Records Act just isn’t the statute at issue,” Margaret Kwoka, a law professor at Ohio State University, told ABC News of Trump’s remarks.
“There’s no reason to think that the Presidential Records Act somehow overrides the Espionage Act,” Kwoka added. “And so this is not, in my view, going to provide a very strong sort of basis for defense against the charges in the indictment.”
He alludes to a judge’s decision in a case involving former President Bill Clinton
“Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s decision states under the statutory scheme established by the Presidential Records Act, the decision to segregate personal materials from presidential records is made by the president during the president’s term and in the president’s sole discretion,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to a case involving former President Bill Clinton in the wake of the indictment.
In 2010, the conservative group Judicial Watch sued the National Archives and Records Administration, arguing audio tapes kept by Clinton for interviews he did with historian Taylor Branch during his years in office — and which he afterward allegedly kept in a sock drawer — were “presidential records” and should be made available to the public.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismissed the case, and Trump and his allies have taken to quoting different parts of her opinion in their defense.
The Presidential Records Act does contain an exception for personal records, according to Baron, including items such as “diaries, journals, and other personal notes that were never used in the transaction of government business.”
“President Trump had the right to keep those types of records. But the argument being made by some that he had some kind of absolute authority while president to declare classified records or other official records about government business as his personal records is absurd in its face,” he said. “It is also contrary to law. The decision by Judge Jackson cited prior precedent from the D.C. Circuit that stands for the opposite proposition.”
That citation included in Jackson’s opinion reads, in part, that the Presidential Records Act “does not bestow on the president the power to assert sweeping authority over whatever materials he chooses to designate as presidential records without any possibility of judicial review.”
“Judge Jackson went on to speculate about the level of deference to be afforded a president making a categorical decision about whether records of his were personal, but she never ruled on that issue,” Baron said. “Instead, the case was dismissed on the grounds that plaintiff had no standing to compel the Archivist to seize materials not in the government’s possession.”
There are also significant differences between the materials in question in the two cases.
“In that case, the records were very different and really did seem arguably personal,” Kwoka said of the Clinton matter. “We’re just sort of nowhere near the situation that we’re discussing today with the records that President Trump kept.”
He claims he was still negotiating with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
“I was supposed to negotiate with NARA, which is exactly what I was doing until Mar-a-Lago was raided,” Trump said.
Trump continued to make an argument he and his team have been for months, asserting he’s allowed to negotiate with NARA over which documents are personal and what’s presidential after leaving office.
NARA, in a June 9 statement, said the law requires a president to separate personal and presidential documents “before leaving office.”
“There is no history, practice, or provision in law for presidents to take official records with them when they leave office to sort through, such as for a two-year period as described in some reports,” NARA said.
He says he’s being treated like a spy
“The Espionage Act has been used to go after traitors and spies. It has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents,” he said.
Trump has been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e) of the Espionage Act, which prohibits unauthorized retention and disclosure of national defense information, and does not require that information be classified or disseminated to a foreign government.
Neither did the indictment charge him with disseminating information with the intent to harm the U.S.
Still, Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed he’s accused of being a spy.
“This is not an uncommon argument for defendants to make,” David Aaron, a senior counsel at Perkins Coie and former federal prosecutor with the Justice Department’s national security division, told ABC News. “The title Espionage Act is kind of a misnomer because it includes much more than espionage.”
“Espionage is a different section entirely of Title 18. He’s charged simply with willfully retaining national defense information,” Aaron said. “He’s not charged with disclosing classified information to foreign governments or to anyone else, although there are references in the current indictment to his alleged disclosure to unauthorized people.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs have shared a new version of “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” the band’s collaboration with Perfume Genius, the stage name of indie artist Mike Hadreas.
“There haven’t been many duets in the history of YYYs, maybe we were waiting for a unicorn like Mike to come around,” the “Maps” outfit shares. “Having a chance to try a different rendition of ‘Spitting Off the Edge of the World’ with Mike was always on the wishlist once the original was recorded.”
You can listen to the updated recording, dubbed “Spitting Off the Edge of the World (Lush Version),” now via digital outlets.
The original “Spitting” appears on Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2022 comeback album, Cool It Down, and was nominated for the Best Alternative Music Performance Grammy.
Dream Theater has premiered the video for “Answering the Call,” a track off the band’s latest album, A View from the Top of the World.
The 7 1/2-minute visual follows two young children amid the fiery wreckage of their house. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.
A View from the Top of the World, the 15th Dream Theater album, was released in 2021.
The “Answering the Call” video arrives just before Dream Theater’s Dreamsonic touring festival kicks off Friday, June 16. The outing also features Devin Townsend and Animals as Leaders on the bill.
