While Tyler Joseph takes his time on his ride, Josh Dun apparently lives his life a quarter mile at a time.
According to Slate, the Twenty One Pilots drummer makes a cameo in the new Fast & Furious movie, Fast X. He and his wife, actor Debby Ryan, appear in a scene at an airport.
The cameos were likely a big deal for Dun and Ryan, who are actually big Fast fans. Speaking with Vogue about writing their vows ahead of their 2019 wedding, Ryan shared, “What is vowing to be together forever without us both acknowledging my annual trips to the emergency room and the significance of The Fast and the Furious franchise in our relationship?”
Dun also invitedFast actor Dwayne Johnson to his and Ryan’s wedding, though The Rockpolitely declined.
Britney Spears is speaking out against the latest documentary to be released about her life.
On Monday, Fox aired TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom, an unauthorized doc about Britney’s life post-conservatorship. Britney took to Instagram to express her displeasure with it, beginning her post by saying how hard she’s been working every day to “be a better person” since the conservatorship ended.
“The concern and just effort on TMZ’s part of being the trashiest news channel for news !!!” she writes. “Damn I’m flattered !!! These men who I have no idea who they are, are talking about me as if they have any right at all to do so !!!”
She continues, “The media has always been cruel to me and most people probably wouldn’t even comment on it but I do think some people might believe this and I care !!!”
Britney goes on to reference writing a book to tell her side of the story, but says she’s had to “stop a couple of times.” “It may take me a year, maybe longer who knows … to share my story !!!” she writes.
She ends her post with some advice she got from her grandmother, writing, “She said ‘Dear sweetheart the real key to happiness is to forget every f****** thing that ever happened’ !!! It’s a new day y’all !!!”
(NEW YORK) — Western officials said Russia’s forces in Ukraine are so badly depleted that Russia may lack the reserves to effectively respond to a major counteroffensive from Ukrainian troops in the coming weeks.
One official said Russia does not appear to have a dedicated reserve force to react to a major breakthrough from Ukraine.
The assessment, given by Western officials speaking on condition of anonymity to reporters, suggested they back Ukraine’s capacity to attempt an ambitious offensive soon and that the weakened state of Russian forces is increasingly favorable for it, although there was no certainty it would succeed.
While the officials could not say when the counteroffensive would begin, they said the forces Ukraine has gathered and equipped with Western help are now at an “increasingly high level of readiness.”
Russia’s own forces are now so diminished that they are “stretched” and strung out along a more than 1,000-kilometer-long front line, the officials said.
One official cautioned that Ukraine still faced a “monumental” challenge to break through Russia’s lines, saying it would be a “monumental achievement for any army” and warned it was entirely possible the counteroffensive would not achieve its goals.
But, if used effectively, the assault force built up by Ukraine has “the potential for some success” on a scale ambitious enough to alter the outcome of the war, the officials said.
More than trying to retake all of Ukraine’s territory, the key aim for the counteroffensive was to inflict serious enough battlefield defeats on Russian forces to alter President Vladimir Putin’s view of the war. The official said the Kremlin believes it can “win by default” by holding defensive lines and outlasting Western support for Ukraine. The counteroffensive was a chance for Ukraine to convince Putin that was no longer a tenable strategy, officials said.
“The cognitive effect from battlefield activity I think in this case is arguably more important than how many square meters of territory that they manage to achieve,” the official said.
Russia currently has over 200,000 men in Ukraine, according to the officials, and it has built formidable defenses in occupied areas, including extensive minefields that will pose significant obstacles for the counteroffensive.
But the officials said the quality of Russia’s troops manning those defenses was dubious, saying many were badly trained and had poor morale.
Moreover, officials said it appeared Russia had no dedicated reserve force to respond if Ukrainian was able to successfully pierce the line on a large scale.
The Western assessment was notable because it echoes similar warnings from Russian pro-war commentators recently, who have been sounding the alarm around Russia’s preparedness to defend against the counteroffensive.
Some Western countries have previously worried that major Ukrainian successes could trigger Russia to respond with nuclear weapons. But those fears have receded recently and an official said there has been a significant drop-off in Russian nuclear rhetoric.
Analysts are debating whether recent local counterattacks by Ukraine around the city of Bakhmut may be part of the counteroffensive.
Ukraine in the past several days has succeeded in forcing Russian units to retreat on the northern and southern flanks of the city, in the first advances Ukrainian forces have made in months defending the city.
The advances have triggered dire warnings from Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, whose forces have spearheaded Russian efforts to take Bakhmut. Prigozhin has warned that Ukraine is now attempting to encircle the city.
Wagner is still advancing slowly inside Bakhmut but the Ukrainian successes on the city’s flanks threatens to nullify any eventual capture of the city.
The Ukrainian territorial gains themselves are small — measured in hundreds of meters — but independent analysts as well as Russian pro-war commentators have said they believe Ukraine is counterattacking in Bakhmut to force Russia to pull forces from other areas on the front line, thinning them for a possible main blow.
“Ukrainian formations are fulfilling the main task: forcing Russia’s Armed Forces to stretch its forces and removing the most capable fighting units from other critically important directions,” a prominent Russian military blogger, who publishes on Telegram as “Rybar,” wrote this week.
Ukraine appeared to continue its momentum near Bakhmut on Thursday, advancing again toward the village Sakko i Vanzetti, according to Russian and Ukrainian public statements. The U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine has now “seized the tactical initiative” around Bakhmut.
Gen. Oleskandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top ground forces commander, told troops this week that Wagner forces in Bakhmut now felt like “rats in a trap” and the Russian army was now “into a stupor.”
(NEW YORK) — As the U.S. hurtles closer to a default on its debt as early as next month, the economic consequences could prove devastating, especially for millions who stand to lose their jobs.
Even a brief debt ceiling breach of about one week would slash 1.5 million jobs, raising the unemployment rate from 3.4% to 5%, a Moody’s Analytics report found in March.
An extended breach of roughly two months would bring a massive wave of unemployment, cutting nearly eight million jobs and pushing the unemployment rate to 7.8%, the report said.
“The economic downturn that would ensue would be comparable to that suffered during the global financial crisis,” Moody’s Analytics warned of a prolonged debt ceiling breach.
Failure to raise the debt ceiling would send financial markets into turmoil, raise interest rates at a moment when elevated borrowing costs already weigh on economic activity and all but ensure a recession.
The potential job losses, however, would not fall evenly across occupations, demographics and regions, experts said. Instead, some workers would be hit hard while others would be spared.
Here’s what to know about who will lose their jobs first in the event of a U.S. debt default:
Which occupations will be hit first by a debt ceiling breach?
The initial jobs losses that result from a potential debt ceiling breach will center in the construction and manufacturing sectors, Michelle Holder, a labor economist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told ABC News.
If a debt default takes place next month, it would arrive as job gains remain robust but have begun to slow, leaving the labor market vulnerable to a downturn in the goods-producing occupations, she said.
“When the economy starts to slow down, people stop spending money on things you can touch: cars, homes, computers and clothes,” she added.
In turn, job cuts will strike construction and manufacturing because those are the sectors most sensitive to a contraction in consumer demand, as employers try to weather an anticipated decline in revenue, she said.
In the event of a debt ceiling breach, major job losses would also hit financial services, leisure and hospitality and retail, the Moody’s Analytics report found.
Which worker demographics will suffer the first job losses?
The employees most likely to lose their jobs first during a default-induced downturn are Black and Hispanic workers as well as young and less-educated workers, Holder told ABC News.
The initial job losses will also disproportionately affect men because they are concentrated in the manufacturing and construction sectors most at risk, Holder said.
The job cuts are set to arrive weeks after fresh government data showed that the Black unemployment rate reached 3.7% in April, the lowest level recorded since the U.S. began tracking such data in the early 1970s.
Between the late 1980s and mid-2000s, government employment data shows “considerable evidence” that Black workers are among the first ones fired as the economy weakens, according to an economic study published in 2010 in Demography, an academic journal.
“We’re going to see a reversal of this resurgence of Black employees, particularly Black men, in the labor force,” Holder said.
Which states will see unemployment rise the most?
The states most vulnerable to job losses are those sensitive to a sudden erosion of the business environment, particularly in regions dependent on tourism- and travel-related spending, the Moody’s Analytics report found.
Such states at risk of sharp job losses include Arizona, Florida and Nevada, the report said.
As consumers cut back on spending and avoid big-ticket purchases amid high borrowing costs, the states reliant upon the auto industry will also face significant difficulty, Moody’s Analytics said. Chief among those states are South Carolina and Michigan, the report said.
The anticipated downturn in manufacturing will also fall disproportionately on goods-producing states like Tennessee and Kentucky, the report said.
Post Malone has released a new track called “Mourning,” the latest off his upcoming album, Austin, out July 28. The song takes a sad tone, with Posty singing about trying to forget his problems. “Don’t want to sober up/ The sun is killing my buzz/ That’s why they call it mourning/ Thought I was strong enough/ Threw my bottle at the sky/ Said, ‘God, that’s a warning,’” he sings.
Zara Larssen’s got a new single, “End of Time,” along with a music video that imagines what it would be like to visit your younger self for a day.
Jason Derulo has dropped “When Loves Sucks” featuring Dido. The track interpolates Dido’s 1999 hit “Thank You.” Fun fact: Jason’s 2009 debut single, “Whatcha Say,” also interpolated a song by a female British singer/songwriter: Imogen Heap‘s 2005 single “Hide and Seek.”
Anne-Marie has teamed up with Shania Twain for the song “Unhealthy,” off the British pop star’s upcoming album of the same name, due out July 28. Anne-Marie slid into Shania’s DMs to get her to appear on the track, and it worked. The two met up in London to record the song in March.
After an 11-year hiatus, Boys Like Girls are back with a new single, “Blood and Sugar,” and a music video. “Thematically the song is fairly simple, an empty calorie relationship that’s so delicious you don’t care,” lead singer Martin Johnson says in a statement.
PNAU, known for their megahit “Cold Heart” with Elton John and Dua Lipa, are out with a new collab: “Stars,” featuring Bebe Rexha and Ozuna.
Kesha‘s new album, Gag Order, has arrived, featuring the prereleased tracks “Only Love Can Save Us Now,” “Eat the Acid” and “Fine Line.”
Coi Leray‘s talk about her upcoming album can finally be matched with a release date: June 23. Titled COI, the project will feature 15 tracks that showcase her flow and vocals across a variety of genres, including rap, rock, pop, reggae and dance. It will also boast appearances from all-star peers including Saucy Santana, Lola Brooke, Skillibeng, David Guetta and Giggs.
Coi’s announcement comes in the wake of her new tracks “My Body” and “Bops,” both of which will appear on COI. She previously told Apple Music that the album, her sophomore effort, will be “one of the biggest projects ever.”
“I’m so excited about this second album because it’s mostly myself,” the star said, adding it will showcase her “true talent and what God really brought me here to do.”
“This is just Coi on a whole ‘nother level,” she continued.
Coi, who narrates the WNBA’s “More Than Game” campaign, has upcoming performances at Austin City Limits, Summer Jam and the Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom, among other events. She previously teamed up with FENDI by Marc Jacobs, appearing as a model in the Summer Capsule campaign, which is currently available.
Items from the late Donna Summer, including Gold records, photos, costumes and more, are going under the hammer next month.
Famed auction house Christie’s is selling The Collection of Donna Summer starting on June 15. The sale features the handwritten lyrics for “On the Radio,” photos, a Gold single for “Last Dance,” a Platinum award for “Macarthur Park,” a photo proof from the shoot for her album Bad Girls, unused tickets to a 1979 concert, her own hand-drawn costume designs, Polaroid photos she took at home and while traveling, and some of her many original paintings.
The collection will also be on view at Christie’s New York. The auction coincides with the debut of the documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer, which starts streaming on Saturday via HBO and Max, formerly HBO Max.
Online bidding will be open from June 15 to June 29, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Save the Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
You’ve heard of limited-edition vinyl and premium vinyl — now get ready for limited-edition premium vinyl with super high fidelity and exclusive new content.
The vinyl series, Rhino High Fidelity, launches Friday with The Cars‘ 1978 self-titled debut, which is available for $39.98 at Rhino.com. The pressing, featuring a high quality glossy cover, is limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies.
With the album, you’ll get a new interview with Cars guitarist Elliott Easton and producer Roy Thomas Baker‘s notes on one of the album’s hits, “Good Times Roll.”
In a statement, Easton says when he heard the new pressing of the album, “It just blew mind … it’s like listening to a studio playback.”
The Cars’ debut was chock-full of songs that are now classics, including “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed,” “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” and “Bye Bye Love,” as well as the beloved deep cut “Moving in Stereo.”
Easton says, “We felt like we were doing something that hadn’t been done before. We felt like we were breaking some ground and making some sounds that hadn’t been recorded before.”
“That was very exciting. It was just completely the chemistry of the five of us,” he adds. “It’s nothing you can calculate or plan. It just either happens or doesn’t. It’s magic.”
The Rhino High Fidelity series will release two albums quarterly. In addition to The Cars, jazz legend John Coltrane‘s 1964 album Coltrane’s Sound is also available. The next round of releases will be announced soon.
(WASHINGTON) — After optimistic talk from both House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden earlier this week, Rep. Garrett Graves, who is leading debt ceiling talks for House Republicans, said Friday negotiations have hit a snag.
“We decided to press pause because it’s just not productive,” Graves said as he emerged from a Capitol Hill meeting with White House negotiators.
The development comes as time is quickly running out for lawmakers to find a debt ceiling compromise or risk default for the first time in history. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned the U.S. could run out of cash to pay all its bills by June 1.
Soon after Graves’ remarks, White House negotiators said they are “playing it by ear” when asked about the possibility of more meetings Friday and during the weekend.
Despite the snag, a White House spokesperson insisted Friday a deal was still “possible.”
“A responsible, bipartisan budget agreements remains possible if both sides negotiate in good faith and recognize that neither side will get everything it wants,” the spokesperson said. “There are real differences between the parties on budget issues and talks will be difficult. The President’s team is working hard towards a reasonable bipartisan solution that can pass the House and the Senate.”
But Graves on Friday slammed the administration position as “unreasonable.”
“Until people are willing to have reasonable conversations about how you can actually move forward and do the right thing, then we’re not going to sit here and talk to ourselves,” Graves added.
The Louisiana Republican touted the Save, Limit, Grow Act that the House narrowly passed last month, which he said “has great savings in it. and it’s responsible and puts us on a path to bend the curve.”
The bill, which would block various White House priorities such as federal student debt cancellation and new funding for the IRS, has been deemed a nonstarter by Democrats.
The apparent breakdown comes after the White House late Thursday night touted “steady progress” following a phone call between Biden, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young and counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti.
“The President’s team informed him that steady progress is being made. The President directed his team to continue pressing forward for a bipartisan agreement and made clear the need to protect essential programs for hardworking Americans and the economic progress of the past two years as negotiations head into advanced stages,” the White House tweeted.
“He remains confident that Congress will take necessary action to avoid default,” the White House added.
McCarthy, too, seemed more optimistic Thursday than at any other point in the process as he said they were in a “much better” place than a week ago.
“We’re not there. We haven’t agreed to anything yet,” McCarthy said during an impromptu gaggle with reporters. “But I see the path that we could come to an agreement. I think we have a structure now.”
Timing remains critical as lawmakers stare down a fast-approaching deadline to lift or suspend the debt ceiling or risk a default. McCarthy said Thursday he believed a deal would need to made in principle by this weekend in order for a bill to clear the House and Senate before June 1.
Penned by Kelley Lovelace, Kurt Allison, Neil Thrasher and Tully Kennedy, the uptempo track bursts with small-town pride.
“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk/ Car jack an old lady at a red light/ Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store/ Ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like/ Cuss out a cop, spit in his face/ Stomp on the flag and light it up/ Yeah, ya think you’re tough,” Jason sings in the opening verse.
He then professes in the chorus: “Well, try that in a small town/ See how far ya make it down the road/ ‘Round here we take care of our own/ You cross that line, it won’t take long/ For you to find out, I recommend you don’t/ Try that in a small town.”
Of his new single, Jason says, “To me, this song summarizes the way a lot [of] people feel about the world right now. It seems like there are bad things happening on a daily basis, and that feels unfamiliar to a lot of us. This song sheds some light on that. Go give it a listen!”
“Try That In A Small Town” is now on country radio and wherever you listen to music.
