For a lot of musicians, getting to play the Super Bowl halftime show is an experience they wouldn’t think of turning down, but it sounds like Elton John may have done just that.
In an interview with The Wrap, Elton’s husband and manager, David Furnish, discusses why Elton decided to go with a live, rather than taped, performance for his Disney+ special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium — and seemed to let it slip that they were once offered the Super Bowl gig.
Noting that for Elton “everything he does with his band, is always 100% live,” Furnish revealed, “We looked at the Super Bowl at one point, and the reason we decided to back away from it is that elements of the Super Bowl show, they don’t allow you to do live.” He said they expected Elton to play live along to prerecorded instruments.
Furnish says he has full confidence in Elton and his band’s live abilities, sharing, “There’s nothing he hasn’t encountered in his 50-plus years as a performer that he hasn’t been able to handle and that his band hasn’t been able to maneuver around.” He says for the the Disney+ special “going 100% live just felt like the magical right thing to do. And it felt like more of an event, too.”
Finally, he offers, “Doing a livestream to 150 million people felt like an opportunity too good to pass up.”
Treat Williams, the veteran actor best known for his roles in the WB series Everwood and the films Prince of the City and Hair, died Monday, June 12 in a motorcycle accident, his agent, Barry McPherson confirmed to ABC News. He was 71.
“It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont after a fatal motorcycle accident, As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time,” his family wrote in a statement on Monday.
Williams first gained prominence with his starring role in Miloš Forman’s 1979 movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Hair, following that up with a role in Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City two years later.
His other notable films included The Phantom, The Eagle Has Landed, 1941, Once Upon a Time in America, Dead Heat, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead and Deep Rising.
More recently, Williams landed a starring role in the 2002-2006 WB TV series Everwood, playing a New York City neurosurgeon who moves his family to Colorado. He also had recurring roles on White Collar, Chicago Fire, We Own This City and Blue Bloods.
His most recent appearances came as a main cast member of Chesapeake Stories, which concluded a six-season run on the Hallmark Channel last October; and the Blue Bloods episode “Irish Exits,” which aired in May.
Following the announcement, friends and co-stars honored the late actor:
David Simon: “After years of cop reporting, Prince Of The City was the only film that made me believe anyone else knew the truth about the drug war. So honored when Treat Williams signed on to deliver our own, later critique of the disaster. RIP to a legendary actor and a fine, gracious man.”
Justine Bateman: “Working with Treat Williams in Mamet’s “Speed the Plow” at Williamstown in ‘91 was the start of great friendship. Damn it, damn it. Treat, you were the best. Love you.”
James Woods: “Treat and I spent months in Rome filming Once Upon a Time in America. It can be pretty lonely on the road during a long shoot, but his resilient good cheer and sense of humor was a Godsend. I really loved him and am devastated that he’s gone.”
David Alan Grier: “Ahhhhhh mannnnn! I jus devastated! This is breaking my heart. Treat Williams rest in peace. One of the truly nicest guys I’ve ever met! My prayers go out to Treat’s family…what a loss. So, so so sad.”
Wendell Pierce: “Treat Williams was a passionate, adventurous, creative man. In a short period of time, he quickly befriended me & his adventurous spirit was infectious. We worked on just 1 film together but occasionally connected over the years. Kind and generous with advice and support. RIP.”
(DENVER) — Nine people were injured, including three critically, in a shooting in Denver near the arena where the Nuggets won their first NBA title on Monday night, police said.
A suspect, who was also shot, was in custody, the Denver Police Department said in a statement. The suspect’s injuries were believed to have been non-life threatening, police said.
Three of the injured people were in critical condition following the shooting near the 2000 block of Market Street, police said.
“This is a complex, ongoing investigation in its early stages,” the department said. “Preliminary info indicates multiple shots were fired during an altercation involving several individuals.”
The shooting was about a mile away from Ball Arena, where the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat on Monday to claim their first NBA title.
Police earlier in the evening closed some downtown streets as large crowds exited the arena.
Many of those fans had dispersed before the shooting began, but there was a smaller crowd lingering around the area, a police spokesperson said.
(NEW YORK) — More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine. Ukraine has begun its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia, officials told ABC News.
Multiple reports have said a major battle has begun in southeastern Ukraine, south of the major Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jun 13, 5:52 AM EDT
Russian missiles strike Zelenskyy’s hometown, killing six
At least six people were killed and 25 were injured in Kryvyi Rih, as Russian missiles targeted the city overnight, Ukrainian officials said.
Missiles hit residential buildings, including a five-story apartment building, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Facebook post early Tuesday morning local time.
“More terrorist missiles, Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian on Twitter.
Russia also attacked Kyiv with cruise missiles overnight into Tuesday morning. All of the cruise missiles were shot down, the Kyiv city military administration said on Telegram
Air raid sirens were activated across Ukraine early Tuesday morning.
Jun 12, 11:19 AM EDT
Ukraine makes first small gains in counteroffensive
Ukraine is making its first notable advances since the start of its counteroffensive, in the past two days rapidly compelling Russian forces to pull back from three villages on the southern front line.
Russian and Ukrainian public sources confirm Ukraine has liberated the villages in the area known as the Vremeyevskoe salient, at the border of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
The advances are still small but notable because they show Ukraine beginning to pierce Russia’s defensive line. Since liberating the villages, Ukraine is continuing to push south toward another village, according to Russian pro-war bloggers linked to Russia’s military.
Russia’s pro-war military bloggers are sounding the alarm about the Ukrainian advances. Russian units were forced to pull back from two villages, Neskuchnoe and Blagodatnoe, almost without a fight because of the risk of encirclement.
Jun 10, 12:53 PM EDT
Zelenskyy makes first comments on counteroffensive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first public comments on Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began earlier this week.
“Counteroffensive and defensive actions, accordingly, are taking place in Ukraine, on which stage, I won’t say in detail,” Zelenskyy said.
“I think we should trust our militaries. And I trust them. I am in touch with our commanders of different areas every day: Syrskyi, Tarnavskyi, Moskaliov, Nayev, Zaluzhnyi. Everyone is optimistic. Pass this to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” he added.
Jun 09, 9:50 AM EDT
Putin says tactical nukes to be deployed to Belarus after July 7 or 8
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons after July 7 or 8, when storage sites are ready, according to Russian news service Interfax.
“Everything is going to plan in the most sensitive matters you and I have agreed on. As you know, preparations of the relevant facilities will be finalized on July 7-8, and we will start taking measures towards the deployment of respective types of weapons in your territory as soon as that happens,” Putin said at a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“Everything is going to plan, all is stable,” he said.
Jun 09, 9:36 AM EDT
Putin says tactical nukes to be deployed to Belarus July 7-8
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons after July 7 or 8, when storage sites are ready, according to Russian news service Interfax.
“Everything is going to plan in the most sensitive matters you and I have agreed on. As you know, preparations of the relevant facilities will be finalized on July 7-8, and we will start taking measures towards the deployment of respective types of weapons in your territory as soon as that happens,” Putin said at a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“Everything is going to plan, all is stable,” he said.
-ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva
Jun 09, 9:19 AM EDT
Counteroffensive begins in southeastern Ukraine, south of Zaporizhzhia
Arguably, Ukraine’s counteroffensive was getting going a few days ago, and the Institute for the Study of War said as much on Monday, saying on Twitter that “Russian and Ukrainian officials are signaling the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.”
However, there were significant developments on Thursday. Multiple reports said a major battle has begun in southeastern Ukraine, south of the major Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
Well-placed unofficial pro-Ukrainian sources said the southeastern front is becoming more active and there are unconfirmed images and reports that Ukraine’s new modern German-made Leopard 2 tanks are involved in the offensive.
“The events that are happening now on the front line signal the start of the offensive and Ukraine will intensify its efforts,” the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Thursday morning.
Jun 09, 9:19 AM EDT
Ukraine begins counteroffensive against Russia
Ukraine began its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia on Thursday, officials told ABC News.
Well-trained Ukrainian troops had been near the front lines in recent days, Western officials said last week.
Two Ukrainian officials, including a source close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed to ABC News that an active phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is underway.
A tanker fire caused part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia to collapse, June 11, 2023. — WPVI
(PHILADELPHIA) — Officials recovered a body from the wreckage of the Interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia, which happened on Sunday morning when a tanker caught fire beneath an underpass.
Family members of Nathaniel Moody told ABC News he was the truck driver who died in the crash, fire and collapse on I-95. Authorities have not yet identified the remains taken from the wreckage as Moody’s.
Moody leaves behind a son and two daughters, his son told ABC News.
The Philadelphia County Medical Examiner and coroner are working on identifying the remains, as officials continue to clear the damaged part of the highway.
The rebuild of that section of I-95 is expected to take months, officials said.
“With regards to the complete rebuild of I-95 roadway, we expect it to take some number of months,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a press conference on Sunday evening.
Shapiro signed a disaster declaration on Monday, which he said would allow Pennsylvania to use federal funds in its rebuilding effort and immediately access $7 million in state funds.
The complete demolition of the bridge is likely to be complete within the next four to five days, officials said at a press conference Monday.
The bridge itself, which was constructed 10 to 12 years ago, was “structurally sound” prior to the crash, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said at a press conference Monday.
The tanker truck, carrying 8,500 of gasoline, attempted to navigate a left-hand turn after exiting at the Cottman Avenue offramp of I-95, according to officials. Losing control through its turn, the tanker fell on its side and ruptured its own tank, according to Carroll. Once ignited, the fuel burned at a high enough heat to structurally compromise the concrete and steel I-beans of the overpass.
The tanker that crashed and ignited has since been removed from the crash site. Officials have largely removed the collapsed section of the interstate and are working on demolishing the structurally unsound southbound portion of the road.
Inspectors from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation determined that the southbound portion cannot be reopened and will also need to be replaced, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report reviewed by ABC News on Monday.
Individuals who crossed the southbound portion of the road around 6:25 a.m. prior to the road being shut down described the road as slumping downward.
“It was like a sinkhole,” emergency room nurse Lisa Taormino told ABC News. “It felt like if you were driving, and you hit a really big pothole, and the whole entire road just sunk down probably a good six to 12 inches down.”
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg pledged the full support of his department to the rebuilding efforts during remarks at the American Council of Engineering Companies conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
Buttigieg said the collapse would slow passenger traffic but significantly impact supply chains.
“This is going to be a major disruption in that region and it’s really going to affect the Northeast,” he told reporters Monday.
I-95 is one of the busiest travel corridors in the United States and serves as the main north-south highway on the East Coast. An average of more than 160,000 vehicles travel across the impacted section in Philadelphia every day, according to a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Roughly 8-9% of traffic through that portion of I-95 is comprised of commercial traffic, with the American Trucking Association warning that the collapse is “likely to have significant impacts on the supply chain.”
Carrol pledged on Monday to work “24/7” to “attack this problem in the most efficient way possible so that we can resume normal traffic movements on I-95.” All lanes between the exits for Philadelphia’s Woodhaven Road and Aramingo Avenue are closed in both directions indefinitely, local ABC station WPVI reported.
“It’s gonna look like lower Manhattan like every day, probably throughout the summer,” Somerton resident Mark Fusetti told ABC News. “It’s going to be a nightmare.”
President Joe Biden was briefed on the collapse and his administration is in communication with Shapiro as well as Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
A team of specialists from the National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, will also be on site Monday to begin the on-scene portion of their safety investigation into the incident. A preliminary report will be available in two to three weeks, according to the NTSB.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio, Matt Foster, Amanda Maile, Chad Murray, and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Of all of the federal charges that former president Donald Trump and his aide Walter Nauta face in the investigation into the alleged mishandling of top secret government documents, obstruction is one of the most serious, according to legal experts.
Claire Finkelstein, the founder and faculty director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL), at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, noted that the obstruction charges in the indictment against Trump and his aide carry as much serious weight as the charges related to keeping the top secret documents, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Finkelstein told ABC News this was not surprising, as the federal government has always treated allegations of interfering with any investigation seriously and often spearhead these kind of probes.
“You can see it as the most important charges, as protecting the rule of law goes,” she said.
Finkelstein said an obstruction charge can cover a broad change of alleged activities from as simple as lying to investigators to as major as destroying evidence. But it all comes down to one clear allegation, she said: That the accused deliberately interfered with an ongoing criminal investigation.
“[U.S. Code] 1001 is lying to investigators. Very, very often you find 1001 charges filed in federal court,” she said.
Vida Johnson, an associate professor of law, at Georgetown University, told ABC News that federal prosecutors will seek an indictment on obstruction when they have evidence the subject knows they are part of an investigation.
“This is sort of the classic type of crime where people say the cover-up is worse than the crime,” she said. “The idea that you would cover up, that is the type of thing that prosecutors always look for.”
Trump allegedly ordered Nauta, his attorneys and other staff members to move boxes of government documents, some of which included nuclear information and information regarding other nations, to his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving office, according to the federal indictment. The boxes were allegedly kept in disarray in unsecured locations including a ballroom and bathroom, according to investigators.
After he was subpoenaed, Trump allegedly had his attorneys falsely sign an affidavit that all of the documents were returned, according to federal prosecutors.
Trump, who is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Miami, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and accused federal prosecutors of a political “witch hunt.”
“We did absolutely nothing wrong. … It’s a disgrace what’s happening,” he said at a campaign event on Saturday.
Finkelstein noted that obstruction can be charged against individuals who aren’t the main focus of a federal investigation.
“Even if you were a bystander and saw something like documents being taken away, if you deliberately lie to investigators, you’re liable,” she said.
Nauta allegedly lied to investigators when he denied having knowledge about the location and movement of the documents before Trump provided them to authorities even though there were alleged communications between himself, Trump and other staffers about previously moving the boxes of documents, the indictment said.
Trump has defended Nauta and the aide accompanied the former president during campaign events over the weekend.
Finkelstein said that prosecutors tend to gather as much evidence as possible to make a strong case before a grand jury and trial jury. Finkelstein said Special Counselor Jack Smith and his team would be very thorough given this is a major investigation that concerns national security and a former head of state.
Trump’s indictment references recorded conversations where he allegedly admits to knowing the documents at Mar-a-Lago were classified, text messages about the alleged movement of the documents and testimony from witnesses.
Finkelstein said the government will stress their obstruction case is based on the fundamental idea that no one is above the law.
“If the government can’t rectify those basic rule of law violations, or wrongdoings…then we have damaged quite a profound component of the rule of law,” Finkelstein said.
(NEW YORK) — After announcing his presidential bid last week, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appeared on “GMA3” on Monday where he criticized the Biden administration, touted the importance of “innovation, not regulation” — and briefly addressed Donald Trump’s unprecedented second indictment.
Burgum, who has been campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire, said on “GMA3” that he’s running for the White House because “the Biden administration has been 180 degrees in the wrong direction.” The governor, though popular in his own state, enters the national stage lesser known than competitors like the former president or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A former software executive, Burgum reiterated the three pillars of his platform: the economy, energy and national security.
“The reason we wanted to run for president is simple. We think there’s an opportunity with the federal government focusing on what the federal government is supposed to do … improve the lives of every American,” he said.
“The economy, inflation, taxes, spending” are “issues that we know that are important to most Americans,” he said, as is security at home and abroad.
“The world right now is growing increasingly unstable,” he said. “I never thought I’d tell my kids that we might be looking at World War III. But national security, border security: These are issues that are of great importance.”
Burgum was also asked about his thoughts on artificial intelligence, given his background. He said the U.S. must continue to focus on it, since innovating will be key.
“Technology is changing every job, every company in every industry, at a very rapid pace,” he said, later adding, “Anybody that says that we ought to stop developing AI would be like saying back during the 1980s that we should stop trying to win the nuclear arms race against Russia. This is going to be an important tool. America has the lead. We’ve got to continue to fight for the lead.”
When pressed on the Republican primary front-runner, former President Trump, Burgum again stayed cleared of specifically saying his name. The governor has yet to say Trump’s name since his campaign launch on Wednesday in Fargo, North Dakota.
However, Burgum did say he would “support whoever the Republican candidate is going forward in 2024” and, like other Republicans, suggested conservative voters think Trump’s 37-count federal indictment is unfair.
“One thing I can tell you from talking to the voters [is] that people are very concerned about a double standard in this country,” Burgum said. “They’re concerned that if we have lost trust in our institutions, if we don’t believe that the [Department of Justice] is going to enforce the laws equally between the two political parties, that’s even more serious than the charges themselves.”
Trump has been charged in Florida with willful retention of national defense information and conspiracy to obstruct justice, among other counts, and will be arraigned on Tuesday. He has said he is innocent.
Prosecutors outlined in Trump’s indictment how he allegedly held onto government secrets after his presidency and resisted efforts to return them — while sometimes sharing that sensitive information with people not authorized to see it.
Burgum previously told WMUR’s Arielle Mitropoulos during a campaign stop in New Hampshire: “It’s great that we live in a country where people are innocent until they’re proven guilty so the courts can play that out.”
He declined then to say whether he thought Trump should drop out of the race, saying he believes that should be left up to the voters.
Burgum is so far polling at the bottom of the GOP field, but he told WMUR that he has always come from behind.
“When you start out, you start out by just saying, ‘Hey, we got to focus on making sure people know who we are’. And that’s what we’re going to be doing is working hard to get out across Iowa and New Hampshire and make sure people understand our story and the issues that we’re talking about,” he said.
In a bid for more name recognition in those early nominating states, Burgum has made his first TV and radio candidate ad buy, spending more than $3 million in the Iowa and New Hampshire TV markets over the next few weeks, according to his campaign.
In one new ad released this week, Burgum describes his agenda with three action items: “First, fix this crazy economy. Second, unleash American energy production. Third, rebuild the military to win the cold war with China.”
The famed festival will return to Indio, California, April 12-14 and April 19-21. Registration for a chance at tickets is open now ahead of the advance sale, taking place Friday, June 16, at 11 a.m. PT.
Coachella 2023 featured headliners Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean, as well as the reunited Blink-182, who filled in for Ocean during the second weekend. The bill also included Gorillaz, Wet Leg, boygenius, WILLOW, The Linda Lindas, Björk, Yungblud, The Breeders and Blondie.
Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry is the new face of Marc Jacobs. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is one of the stars of Jacob’s latest campaign for the St. Marc Collection.
“Marc Jacobs has invited the lead vocalist of the iconic band Blondie to introduce the reimagined St. Marc silhouette,” the designer revealed on Instagram.
Photos posted to social media show Harry dressed in a black leather jacket holding a St. Marc bag and in a black-and-white dress, with black leather gloves and Marc Jacobs Kiki platforms. There’s also one with Ever Anderson, where they are both holding a yellow St. Marc bag. Anderson noted on Instagram that “shooting with this ultimate musical icon Debbie Harry is beyond my imagination.”
As for her other job, Debbie Harry and Blondie are about to hit the road. The band’s U.K. tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales, on June 16. A complete list of dates can be found at blondie.net.
