Hollywood Vampires have put their tour on pause to let Johnny Depp recover from an ankle injury.
The band, which also includes Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Alice Cooper and Tommy Henriksen, announced they are postponing three tour dates this week to give Depp time to heal.
“Johnny has sustained a painful injury to his ankle following his recent appearances and has been advised by his doctor not to travel,” reads the band’s announcement. “He is devastated by this turn of events, but looks forward to resting up so all four Vampires can bring their absolute best to the tour in Europe.”
The three shows — in Boston; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Bethel, New York — have all been moved to July.
Hollywood Vampires kick off their European tour in Bucharest, Romania, on June 8. A complete list of tour dates can be found at HollywoodVampires.com.
(WASHINGTON) — The debt ceiling deal brokered by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces its first major test Tuesday, just days before a potential default.
With little time for delay, the powerful House Rules Committee, which controls how, when and whether a measure will be handled on the House floor, meets at 3 p.m. to consider the Fiscal Responsibility Act..
It will decide whether to advance the legislation so the full House can hold a planned vote on Wednesday and send it to the Senate ahead of Monday’s default deadline.
But at least two GOP members of the 13-person panel — made up of nine Republicans and four Democrats — have vowed to block the bill: Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of North Carolina.
The two hard-liners are members of the House Freedom Caucus, and the group will hold its own press conference hours ahead of the committee meeting where Roy and other members are expected to voice their criticism.
The deciding vote in Tuesday’s Rules Committee meeting could come down to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., another GOP hardliner and fiscal hawk who hasn’t made his position entirely clear.
If Massie backs the measure, it will be pushed through. But if he joins Roy and Norman in opposing the bill in committee, Republicans will need one Democrat to vote in favor to move the bill forward, though the minority panel members usually vote against the majority in such procedural actions.
Potentially complicating the matter further is Roy’s suggestion that McCarthy, during his speakership battle in January, agreed that “nothing would pass the Rules Committee” without seven Republican votes and the panel “would not allow reporting out rules without unanimous Republican votes.” Though the rules package passed in January doesn’t include such language.
Speaker McCarthy told reporters Monday he wasn’t worried about the committee meeting.
Getting the bill through Congress will hinge on support from moderates in both parties. The White House and Republican leaders have been holding calls and briefings to sell the deal, with more meetings planned, ABC News has reported.
Lawmakers face a time crunch to pass the debt ceiling deal because Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned the “X-date” — when the government could run out cash to pay all its bills in full and on time — could happen as early as June 5.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said his chamber will take up the bill as soon as it passes the House. He advised his colleagues to prepare for possible Friday and weekend votes if there’s not unanimous cooperation.
If there’s a filibuster, it could push the chamber past the June 5 default deadline. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has previously threatened to “use every procedural tool at my disposal to impede a debt-ceiling deal” he didn’t agree with.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act includes a two-year government budget in exchange for lifting the debt ceiling through Jan. 1, 2025.
The bill would keep non-defense spending flat in fiscal 2024 and increase levels by 1% in fiscal 2025.
Despite pushback from both wings of the parties, McCarthy and Biden have expressed optimism the deal will be approved by Congress.
President Biden’s chief economic adviser, Lael Brainard, told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that the agreement “has something from everyone.”
“As I am hearing from members, they generally believe this is a good deal,” Brainard said Tuesday on Good Morning America.
(NEW YORK) — A 35-year-old man is missing after falling from a cruise ship off the coast of Florida, authorities said.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it is searching for a passenger who went overboard from the Carnival Magic cruise ship traveling 186 miles east of Jacksonville on Monday.
The man’s companion reported him missing late Monday afternoon and “an initial review of closed circuit security footage confirms that he leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 a.m. Monday,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement to ABC News.
After the Coast Guard released the ship from search and rescue efforts, the 1,004-foot Carnival Magic continued its return trip to Norfolk, Virginia, where it was scheduled to arrive as planned on Tuesday.
The Coast Guard said it is using both air and water assets to conduct the search for the passenger, who has not been publicly identified.
(LONDON) — Several artisanal miners are feared trapped in an underground gold mine shaft in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
Several illegal miners have reportedly entered AngloGold Ltd.’s Obuasi Mines in the Anwiam, Ashanti Region, searching for gold deposits. However, the miners found themselves unable to exit after the entrances were shut, officials said.
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana told ABC News it is aware of reports alleging that illegal miners may have been trapped in the northern areas of its mine.
“Obuasi Gold Mine’s management team has notified the relevant authorities and public security services and is working closely with them,” a statement from the company said.
Several illegal miners are reported to have been in the mine, according to local reports, with devastated family members of the miners telling local media that they have been unable to reach them for four days.
AngloGold tells ABC that seven illegal miners have thus far exited the mine and are currently in the custody of the Ghana Police Service.
“Intrusion of illegal miners into underground areas remains a significantly dangerous activity and AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is working alongside authorities to ensure that only authorized personnel and contractors can access underground work areas,” the company said in a statement.
AngloGold has denied any of the illegal miners are trapped or “confined in any way,” saying the main exit ramp — where security and police remain — is open.
“Unauthorised persons underground are able to exit on foot, via the existing ramp, through the main access of this mining area,” AngloGold’s statement said.
AngloGold Ltd. Is the world’s fourth-largest gold producer. According to AngloGold, its Obuasi underground mine operation runs to a depth of 1,500 meters at its deepest point. It has produced 250koz of gold, with a workforce of 4,403 people, including contractors.
Studies have found that rising unemployment coupled with the lucrativeness of mining has led to an upsurge in miners, many of whom operate illegally as a means to earn a living. Gold mining is a lucrative revenue source for corporations and small-scale and artisanal miners alike. The artisanal and small-scale mining sector is estimated to employ up to 1 million people in Ghana.
According to Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act, persons partaking in small-scale mining are required to obtain a license, however regulation of small-scale mining in Africa’s top gold-producing nation has been mostly unsuccessful, with research finding that over 85% of small-scale mining still occurs illegally. Poor regulation has also led to the occurrence of human rights violations in Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining trade such as child labor, according to the Human Rights Watch.
“Intrusion of illegal miners into underground areas remains a significantly dangerous activity and AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is working alongside authorities to ensure that only authorized mine personnel and contractors can access underground work areas,” AngloGold told ABC News.
ABC News reached out to Ghana’s Mineral Commission, who confirmed that incident was ongoing, but declined to comment further.
(WASHINGTON) — The man suspected of ramming a truck into the White House barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square should be locked up as he awaits trial, the government said in a Friday night filing that included a slate of new photos.
The government’s motion for a pretrial detention argued that “there are no conditions, or combination of conditions, which would ensure the Defendant’s presence at trial or the safety of the community if he is released.”
The filing also revealed pictures from surveillance cameras and body-worn police cameras of the suspect crashing into the bollards outside of the White House and getting arrested and more writings from Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, about what he wrote would happen if he was able to take power at the White House.
As prosecutors described in earlier court filings, Kandula came from St. Louis to Dulles International Airport, where he rented a U-Haul truck. Prior court records detailed his alleged admiration for Adolf Hitler and intent to kill President Joe Biden.
In addition to a flag bearing what Kandula confirmed to officials was a swastika, investigators recovered a green book that contained his writings, according to the Friday filing. The filing included an excerpt of what prosecutors said was a speech Kandula intended to deliver after taking power.
The writings, written in the style of a broadcast, spoke of “consequences” for civil unrest following his efforts to topple the government, and what has been described as his draft speech allegedly ended with a Nazi salute, according to the government.
Kandula will appear in court on Tuesday to determine whether he will continue to be locked up pending trial. His lawyers haven’t filed a response or counter motion. Court records show he was referred for a mental health evaluation.
(LONDON) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court on Tuesday opened the trial of Niloofar Hamedi, the first journalist in Iran who reported on Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in September.
Hamedi’s report came ahead of spiraling mass protests across the country, posing one of the biggest threats against the Islamic regime in over four decades. She published a photo of Amini’s family in the hospital hallway hugging and mourning after hearing the news of their daughter’s passing. She was arrested a few days later on Sept. 22.
Hamedi faces charges including “Collaborating with the hostile government of the United States” and “conspiring to commit crimes against national security and propagandistic activity against the system,” Masoud Setayeshi, judiciary spokesperson, said on April 26.
Amini, 22, was on a trip to Tehran last September when the hijab police, called the “morality police,” arrested her for not wearing an outfit that fully matched the Sharia-based compulsory hijab laws of the country. She was taken into custody only to be announced dead at a hospital three days later, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. Iran Human Rights reported that at least 537 people were killed in the ensuing protests and at least 22,000 people were arrested as IRNA confirmed.
Hamedi’s hearing on Tuesday was “private,” and family members were not allowed, her husband, Mohammad Hassan Ajurlou, tweeted.
“Niloofar denied all the accusations and emphasized that she performed her duties as a journalist within the framework of the law and did not take any action against Iran’s security,” he wrote, adding that Hamedi’s lawyers did not get a chance to defend her.
Another journalist, Elaheh Mohammadi, faces the same accusations as Hamedi for covering Amini’s funeral in Saqez, in northwestern Iran. Mohammadi’s trial opened on Monday. The two journalists have been in jail for over eight months.
One of Mohammadi’s lawyers, Shahab Mirlohi, listed unlawful treatment of his client during her arrest and the hearing process, including keeping her in solitary confinement for long periods of time and assigning the country’s revolutionary court for the hearing.
“In our opinion, the Revolutionary Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear this case, and the case should be heard publicly in a competent court (Criminal Court 1) with the presence of a jury,” Mirlohi said in an interview with the Iranian daily Hammihan Monday.
“No matter how many times we requested a chance to inform the court of our explanations, unfortunately, we were not granted any chance,” he added.
Talking about the atmosphere outside of the court building, one of Hamedi’s friends who was there told ABC News that the guards would not allow people to stay for more than a short time around the hearing time.
The friend, who did not want to share her name for security reasons, added that being upon being taken back to the prison, Hamedi managed to sneak a look outside and wave for her friends from behind the dark windows of the black Hyundai she was in.
The continuation of two journalists’ hearing proceedings was postponed to the next sessions, the date of which has not yet been announced.
Keanu Reeves returned to the stage Saturday, reuniting with his band, Dogstar, for the group’s first public performance in over 20 years.
“Great to be back on stage! What a fantastic day we had. Thank you so much BottleRock,” the band wrote in an Instagram post Sunday.
Reeves and bandmates Bret Domrose and Rob Mailhouse played on the second day of BottleRock Napa Valley, a three-day music festival held in Northern California’s famed wine region, with Reeves on bass, Mailhouse on drums, and Domrose playing guitar and singing.
Mailhouse also shared on Instagram a behind-the-scenes video clip of the team setting up the drum kit before the band’s performance.
Dogstar announced its comeback last summer. Since then, the band has been busy writing new songs, according to posts on their social media pages, and plans on releasing a new album, titled Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees. Its second album, Happy Ending, was released in 2000. Since then, the band has “reformed and taken a great creative leap forward, establishing an entirely new path,” according to a profile shared on BottleRock’s website.
Reeves told Billboard in May that he had missed his Dogstar days. “I missed playing together, I missed writing together, I missed doing shows together. It’s something I’ve always missed,” the John Wick star said. “We came to a spot where we weren’t playing anymore, and I missed it … Once we started to play, and it felt good, and really positive and creative, that’s when it was like, ‘Okay, let’s make this happen.’”
After it received a five-minute standing O at its debut at the Cannes Film Festival last week, HBO has debuted a full trailer to The Idol, starring The Weeknd in his series acting debut, and Lily-Rose Depp, the actress daughter of Johnny.
She plays a pop star in crisis who falls under the spell of The Weeknd’s Tedros.
“You’re the American dream,” says Tedros, credited as Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye. “Rags to riches. Trailers to mansions. You’re f****** Jocelyn. Just be you.”
“Easy,” she responds with a smile. “I’ll just do that.”
However, it’s not that easy — the trailer shows her falling under his spell, and falling for him, as he takes increasing control of her. One scene has him blindfolding Jocelyn in the studio, and sensually telling her, “We need to block out all the noise. Now sing.”
Meanwhile, an engineer asks him, “Who ARE you?”
Tedros not only takes over in the studio, he cuts off communication with her usual advisers.
According to the streaming service, “After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros, a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”
The Idol, which also starsTroye Sivan, The Simpsons‘ Hank Azaria, Schitt’s Creek Emmy winner Dan Levy, and horror director and Inglorious Basterds star Eli Roth, debuts on HBO June 4 at 9 p.m.
Roger Waters has commented on the controversy surrounding his concert in Berlin earlier this month.
As previously reported, Waters faced backlash for using images of Anne Frank and a pig with a Star of David on it, as well as what looked like an SS soldier costume. It even sparked a criminal investigation, with the police looking into “the suspicion of incitement of the people.”
But in an Instagram post, Waters calls the controversy “bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles.”
“The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms,” he writes. “Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated,” noting they’ve been in his shows since the ’80s.
Waters says he’s spent his life “speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it” and doesn’t plan to stop. He notes, “Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”
Waters also shared a clip from his recent Frankfurt show in which he told the audience he was leaving out certain elements because the venue is the site of where over 3,000 Jews were detained and abused in November 1938 before being sent to concentration camps,
“So, that is why I’m making this small, but I hope significant, gesture tonight,” he says. “It is to show that I can’t possibly understand the feelings of the relatives of those men, or what it was like in 1938 in Frankfurt all over the rest of Germany, but I do know the history and my heart is beating hard now.”
Rod Stewart was all set to become the latest rock legend to cash in by selling off his music catalog, but he’s now called off the deal.
Music Week reports that Rod, 78, had been negotiating with Hipgnosis Songs, which has purchased the catalogs, publishing rights or significant stakes in the catalogs of Justin Timberlake, Fleetwood Mac‘s Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, Soundgarden‘s Chris Cornell, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young and dozens of other artists, writers and producer.
However, he’s now opted to retain ownership of his catalog and terminated the sale. In a statement provided to Music Week, Sir Rod says, “This catalogue represents my life’s work. And it became abundantly clear after much time and due diligence that this was not the right company to manage my song catalogue, career or legacy.”
Rod’s recorded music output includes not just his solo work, but his recordings with The Faces and Jeff Beck Group.
The U.S. leg of Rod’s current tour starts July 29 in Sparks, Nevada.
