The 2023 Cannes Film Festival opened with the premiere of Johnny Depp‘s first major on-screen role since his controversial defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, and he got a warm reception.
Following the screening of Depp’s French-language film Jeanne Du Barry, he received a seven-minute standing ovation, according to a clip shared on Variety‘s Twitter page, bringing him to tears.
The Cannes bow of the film, which doesn’t have a U.S. premiere date at the moment, came a year after he and Heard’s high-profile defamation trial over her 2018 op-ed accusing him of domestic abuse.
Last year, a Virginia jury found that Heard defamed Depp in the piece, awarding him $10 million in compensatory damages, and $5 million in punitive damages. The couple later settled.
Meanwhile, Eve Barlow, a journalist, activist and close friend of Heard’s, launched a new social media campaign with the hashtag #CannesYouNot calling out the Cannes Film Festival for “celebrating abusers for 76 years.”
“Cannes seem proud of their history supporting rapists and abusers,” Barlow posted on social media with the French expression, “Plus ça change,” which roughly translates to, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Barlow included a series of photos depicting accused men who have been prominent presences at Cannes over the years including Depp, Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen, Gerard Depardieu and Luc Besson. “If you support Cannes, you support predators,” Barlow’s post says.
(NEW YORK) — The parents of 13-year-old Easton Oliverson are speaking out about a simple fix they say could have saved their son from a life-threatening accident at the Little League World Series last year.
In August 2022, Easton was part of the first team out of Utah to make it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During the trip, the then-12-year-old fell from his bunk bed while sleeping in the league dormitory.
His parents, Nancy and Jace Oliverson, are speaking out for the first time since they filed a lawsuit against the league, telling ABC News’ Good Morning America the accident was caused by “gross neglect.”
“All we’ve been through and it was 100% preventable,” Nancy Oliverson said.
Jace Oliverson said that night, he was woken up by his injured son, telling him he was nauseous and had a headache.
“I sat him down instantly, that sweet boy lost all ability to do any simple commands like, ‘Easton, sit up straight, Easton, open your eyes,'” said Jace Oliverson, who said his faith warned him something was wrong.
Easton was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said he suffered an epidural hematoma and fractured his skull in the fall, Oliverson said.
“[The doctor] taps my shoulder and says, ‘Dad, you need to give your son a kiss goodbye. He’s in serious critical condition,'” said Jace Oliverson, who traveled with his son to the tournament in 2022. “I didn’t know if that was the last time I’d see him alive or what. They told me about 20 minutes later, Easton had a 0% chance to live.”
The Oliversons said the doctors performed emergency surgery to relieve pressure in Easton’s brain and save his life.
The Oliversons filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball Inc. in September 2022. The suit claims litigation has since discovered a history of at least a dozen falls since 2005.
The Oliverson’s attorney, Ken Fulginiti, told Good Morning America there was “no reason” the league dormitory should have beds without rails.
“Kids have fallen out of the top bunks of the bunk beds and they may not have been as serious injuries as Easton suffered, but they were orthopedic injuries, they were concussions, there were things like that,” Fulginiti said.
The Little League told ABC News that it cannot comment on ongoing litigation, but in part of a statement, it said: “Out of an abundance of caution, following Easton’s fall — Little League removed all bunks from within the dorms and placed each bed frame individually on the floor, and we continue to review and evaluate safety protocols to prevent such an accident from ever happening again.”
The league also added, “We continue to offer Easton Oliverson our prayers and support as he recovers and heals.”
After nine months, three brain surgeries, many weeks in the hospital and countless hours in rehab, the Oliversons said Easton still has a long road to recovery.
“Throughout this whole experience, and the miracles with Easton, it was very easy to see that through power of prayer, anything is possible,” Jace Oliverson said.
(NEW YORK) — Doctors in Oregon recently set a Guinness World Record for discovering a spot of skin cancer that measured just 0.025 inches.
The spot of skin cancer was found on the face of Christy Staats, who said she made a dermatology appointment two years ago to have a different spot on her cheek examined.
The spot on her cheek turned out to be a benign skin growth, but her dermatologist, Alexander Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, noticed another miniscule spot of concern on her face.
“He looked four or five times, just looking really closely from every angle, and told me that he thought I had the smallest melanoma in the world,” Staats, of Portland, told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “So that’s how it got found.”
Witkowski told GMA that he was able to use a high-tech tool, called a confocal microscope, to detect the cancer quickly. He said the spot, located on Staats’ right cheek, was about the size of the tip of a pencil.
“I noticed this very tiny speckle, and so that’s when we applied the confocal microscope, the virtual biopsy, and that tool allowed me to see down to one cell and one nucleus,” Witkowski said. “So what I saw were very clear, distinct, atypical cells that are associated with melanoma skin cancer.”
He continued, “When I saw those, that’s when I made the comment to Christy, that ‘you’ll think I’m crazy, but I think this is the smallest skin cancer ever detected to date.'”
Staats was diagnosed with Stage 0 melanoma in July 2021. Because the cancer was caught so quickly, Staats was able to have all of it removed and did not have to undergo any further treatment.
“I was in the right place at the right time with the right technology,” Staats said. “I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn’t gone in and had the opportunity to have it looked at using the confocal imaging. I was just a very lucky individual.”
This month, nearly two years after her diagnosis and after many rounds of verification, Witkowski and Dr. Joanna Ludzik — his wife and colleague who worked with him on the diagnosis — were recognized with a Guinness World Record for the “smallest skin cancer detected.”
“This was a team effort,” Witkowski said of the honor. “But more importantly, this achievement for our group allows us to start a national conversation and get the word out that skin cancer does affect a lot of Americans.”
It’s estimated that more than one million Americans are currently living with melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer in which cancer cells form in melanocytes, the cells that color the skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Cancer Institute.
Melanoma is both an aggressive form of skin cancer and one that can spread throughout the body, according to Witkowski, who said that is why early detection is so key.
“With a late diagnosis in melanoma … I like to call it falling through the cracks, because we have this technology,” Witkowski said. “The solution is just the widespread implementation of these type of precise tools, not only in our offices, but across the United States.”
Ludzik added that when technology is available to detect melanoma early, the results can be lifesaving.
“All of the melanomas that we can find early are stage 0 or sometimes stage 1 melanomas,” she said. “And because of the early detection and treatment, we know that the survival [rate] of our patients is up to 99%.”
Both Ludzik and Witkowski said that it’s also key for people to pay attention to their own skin and reach out to their healthcare provider when they notice any type of change.
“The power is in the patient’s hands, because … skin cancers are [often] identified first by the patient, or their family member, their partner, friend or co-worker,” Witkowski said. “That means that a lay person or a public person, before they become a patient, are worried about something because it’s different, it has changed or evolved, and then they asked a question.”
He continued, “That’s where the power is, that if you think something is changing or different or stands out from the rest, ask your primary care doctor or ask your dermatologist so that an expert can evaluate it.”
Both Ludzik and Witkowski also stressed that people should know the ” ABCDEs of melanoma,” which include evaluating the characteristics of a mole for the following:
(NEW YORK) — As the popularity of injectable weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy continues to rise, some users of the drugs are speaking out about the reality of the medications’ reported side effects.
Lee Thomas, who lives in Washington state, said that he has lost 12 pounds after nearly seven weeks of using Ozempic, one of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in the blood. The drugs work by slowing down movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Thomas told ABC News that he initially experienced nausea and gastrointestinal issues while on the medication, but found that consuming lots of water and protein helped ease those symptoms.
“It’s been pretty minor with the things I’ve been doing,” Thomas said of the side effects he’s experienced. “And if I can feel it starting to come on, I can take care of it pretty quickly.”
Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe them “off-label” for weight loss. Wegovy is specifically approved for weight loss for people with obesity or who are overweight.
Ozempic and Wegovy are made from a compound called semaglutide, and Mounjaro contains a compound called tirzepatide.
While people can take semaglutide under the brand name Ozempic or Wegovy, some people, due to shortages and cost, have also accessed an off-brand version of the drug through pharmacies that create their own semaglutide compound, using the raw ingredients. There are risks associated with getting semaglutide through that route because the compounds are not regulated by the FDA.
Ashley Harkins of Minnesota told ABC News that she has been taking a generic semaglutide compound for nearly two weeks. She said she has not felt any side effects so far, but has lost her appetite.
“I was like fully expecting to be sick,” Harkins said. “But, no, I feel great.”
Heather Winterstein, who uses Mounjaro, said she experienced nausea when she started taking the medication.
She said her doctor prescribed Zofran, an anti-nausea drug, to ease the symptoms, and she has continued taking Mounjaro for nearly nine months. In total, she said she has lost 73 pounds and is no longer on medications to treat high blood pressure.
“My medical history alone from prior to this medication to six months in was astronomical,” Winterstein, who lives in Mississippi, told ABC News. “I used to have really high blood pressure. I was actually on two medications for high blood pressure.”
Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, and Novo Nordisk, the maker of both Ozempic and Wegovy, told ABC News that people who experience side effects using the medications should contact their health care providers.
To date, there are no reported irreversible side effects associated with Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro use.
Dr. Sethu Reddy, president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, said the primary side effect of the medications is nausea. The drugs can also cause constipation.
“The side effects are minimal. They are very well tolerated,” Reddy told ABC News. “Side effects include primarily nausea, stomach upset, sometimes vomiting.”
The medications cannot be given to patients with certain medical conditions, including medullary thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, or gallstones.
Their safety has not yet been established in minors.
Both Winterstein, who uses Mounjaro, and Thomas, who uses Ozempic, said that, more so than any physical side effects, the main impact of the medications that they’ve noticed is the quieting of what they describe as the “food noise” in their heads.
“I’ve never been able to overcome it because I’m trying to figure out how to have a better relationship with food while food is shouting at me in my mind all the time, and it’s never worked,” Thomas said. “And so, now that is quiet.”
(NEW YORK) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with experts across the country raising alarms about a growing mental health crisis.
Over 94 million Americans experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression in the past four weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Jake Goodman, a psychiatry resident doctor who advocates for mental health awareness on social media, described the numbers as “staggering,” telling ABC News, “We have to talk about this.”
Goodman and other mental health professionals said one of the keys to mental wellness is prevention: Ensuring you are taking care of yourself on a daily basis.
ABC News interviewed mental health professionals to learn about their top coping strategies for extra hard days when anxiety and depression feel out of control.
1. Find a therapist or mental health professional.
Mental health professionals said finding a trusted mental health therapist is the first step.
Ideally, this is someone you can seek advice on especially hard days, experts said.
“It is important to cast a wide net, as the most important factors for a therapy relationship are trust and safety,” Dr. Kali Hobson, an Atlanta-based adult and child adolescent psychiatrist, told ABC News.
Anyone having a mental health emergency should call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Experts said there are many barriers to starting therapy. For one, it can be expensive, especially for people without insurance coverage.
“In an effort to address insurance barriers and access, some therapists offer a ‘sliding scale’ cost based on income — ask about it.” said Hobson.
Stigma can be another barrier to seeking mental health help, even for professionals.
“I regret not getting therapy sooner,” Goodman said. “I had my own stigma about therapy. I used to think that therapy was only for people with severe mental health issues.”
Dr. Osose Oboh, a Maryland-based internal medicine resident doctor, said some of her patients initially worry about being stereotyped as crazy, being misunderstood, or being from different cultures and having to educate while trying to heal.
Therapy is not a quick fix, and you may need to meet with a few therapists to find the best match. But experts said the long-term payoff can be significant.
“You are investing in yourself by giving yourself time to sort out the things you’ve experienced in this life,” Oboh said.
Experts recommended approaching therapy with an open mind, clear written goals, and a willingness to hear things you may have to work on.
Goodman also said it’s best not to share your therapist with friends or family members.
2. Identify healthy coping strategies that work for you
There are many positive coping strategies that can help people get through difficult days, experts said.
“For some people, coping may look like running a marathon, and for others, it might be binge-watching a show in bed,” Hobson said. “Don’t compare your coping skills to others. If it helps, it helps.”
Oboh said running, journaling, or listening to music helped when she didn’t have the words to express how she was feeling.
As for finding the time in your schedule, Oboh said to pay attention to how you divide your time, especially time spent scrolling on devices.
“If you’re not giving yourself time, then who are you giving it to?” she said.
Social media can be a helpful way to find community, but it can also be harmful.
Oboh and other experts recommend that if you are depressed or anxious, or constantly comparing yourself in your life to other people, take a break from social media.
3. Know your adverse childhood experiences
Many people have experiences in childhood that include traumatic events, neglect, or abuse that may have contributed to mental health diagnoses later in life, experts told ABC News.
By understanding yourself better, experts say this self-awareness about past trauma can help people cope during their hardest days.
Knowing about potentially triggering events won’t eliminate bad days, but when people have a better understanding of why they feel so upset, it may help them remember to practice coping mechanisms, according to Oboh.
“[Think] about your experiences from childhood that still bring you to tears…bring out strong emotions …anger,” Oboh said, explaining those are the things that need healing.
4. Know when to seek professional help
In an emergency, seek qualified professional help, the experts said.
It can be hard to know when to seek help, but there are some good indicators that you may need immediate assistance.
If you are experiencing a few of the following — trouble sleeping, less interest in activities you love, feelings of worthlessness, less energy, trouble concentrating, increased or decreased desire to eat, easily angry, or feelings of not wanting to live, or wanting to harm others — then speak to your doctor, according to Oboh.
Oboh noted that if you’ve ever wondered if anyone would care if your car flipped over a median, it can be classified as passive suicidal thoughts and should be taken seriously.
“Typically, if your symptoms are impacting your functioning at school, job, social life, relationships … it is to the point where therapy and the consideration of medication would be recommended,” added Hobson.
In an emergency, Goodman states, “[Go] to an emergency room and let a physician know what you’re going through”
Oboh, Goodman, and Hobson agree that getting help sooner than later is very important because your mental health can decline quickly.
5. Don’t be afraid to take medication
According to Hobson, behavior and therapy strategies are used first before moving on to medication, but for some people, therapy plus medications is the best path to mental wellness.
Before starting a medication, you should talk about risks and benefits with your doctor. Ultimately, it’s your decision.
People who are having a hard day should never self-medicate with drugs or other substances that are not prescribed by a doctor. Instead, call a psychiatrist to explain how you are feeling. If it feels like a crisis, people can find a nearby emergency room or emergency psychiatric care center for same-day medical care, according to Oboh, Goodman and Hobson.
As we exit the pandemic and continue to seek a normal life, experts say some days will be harder than others, but it’s okay to have some bad days.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden was headed Wednesday for a less extensive-than-desired visit to Asia, cut short by crisis talks with Republicans over the debt ceiling.
The truncated trip — during which Biden will visit only Japan — comes as solving a domestic crisis took precedence over Biden’s time on the world stage.
The president had planned to focus heavily on Russia and China during summit meetings with world leaders in Japan and Australia. He also was to become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea.
But on Tuesday, the White House said Biden would skip Australia and Papua New Guinea, returning early to Washington on Sunday to hammer out a deal before the U.S. defaults as soon as June 1.
Biden, under pressure, faced ‘tough decisions’
No deal appeared imminent after Biden hosted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office Tuesday, although McCarthy did say a deal could be in hand by the end of the week.
Still, the looming threat of economic catastrophe threatened to completely overshadow Biden’s foreign travel.
The White House has argued it’s possible for Biden to handle domestic and foreign policy challenges at the same time, and the president said Tuesday he planned to stay in touch with McCarthy over the coming days.
“I made it clear to the speaker and others that we’ll speak regularly over the next several days and the staff is going to continue meeting daily to make sure we do not default,” Biden said after Tuesday’s Oval Office session.
But Biden had already come under fire from Republicans questioning his priorities and calling on him to completely cancel his trip.
“The president often has to make tough decisions about how and where he’s going to spend his time,” White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.
A U.S. default would have dire consequences for the global economy and, Kirby noted, would harm America’s reputation abroad.
“There’s countries like Russia and China that would love nothing more than for us to default, so they can point the finger and say, ‘You see the United States is not a stable, reliable partner,'” Kirby said. “That is a high priority, as it should be, for the — for the president.”
G-7 nations to confront Russia, China
But a looming default is not keeping the president away from the annual meeting of leaders of the “Group of Seven,” or G-7, industrialized nations.
In Hiroshima, which this year is hosting the summit, Biden and his counterparts are expected to focus on maintaining pressure on Russia and countering China’s increasingly aggressive approach to Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Four of the seven G-7 leaders met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days. They’ve already pledged more support for Ukraine as it prepares its highly anticipated counter-offensive against Russia, and while in Japan, the G-7 nations were expected to further tighten sanctions against Moscow.
The site of one of two atomic bombings of Japan by the U.S. during World War II, Hiroshima will also present an opportunity for Biden to reflect on the past amid new nuclear threats from Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Default threat harms effort to counter China
Biden’s decision to shorten his schedule will likely hamper his goal of working with allies to counter China’s growing military and economic influence in the Pacific.
His scheduled historic visit to Papua New Guinea, where he planned to meet with a host of Pacific Island leaders, had been designed to send a signal to those nations that the U.S. wants them in its orbit — instead of China’s.
And the U.S. was already playing catch-up with China, which has been courting these nations for years and whose president, Xi Jinping, visited Papua New Guinea in 2018.
In a major setback for the U.S., another archipelagic Pacific nation, the Solomon Islands, signed a security deal with China last year. In response to China’s burgeoning influence, the U.S. reopened an embassy there this year.
Biden’s visit to Australia would have also heavily focused on China.
He planned to meet with other leaders of the nations that make up the so-called “Quad”– the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — which consists of U.S., Australia, Japan and India.
Set up after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, it lost prominence for years but has become a key institution of Biden’s push to reorient American foreign policy toward Asia and the Pacific.
This would have been Biden’s fourth meeting with his Quad counterparts since taking office — and third in person. The meetings often result in agreements to increase cooperation on issues like maritime security and climate change.
White House looks for ways to make it up
But even though Biden doesn’t plan to travel to Australia, he’ll still have a chance to see his Quad counterparts in Hiroshima.
Japanese Prime Fumio Kishida, who is hosting G-7 summit, had already invited his Indian and Australian counterparts, Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese, respectively, to attend; they are among the non-G7 nations who will be represented there.
Biden, Kirby said Tuesday, will meet with the Quad leaders while in Hiroshima, although it wasn’t clear if they would meet all together.
“Revitalizing and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the president,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. “This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity.”
Biden called Albanese on Tuesday to inform him of his schedule change and invite him to the U.S. for an official state visit, Jean-Pierre said.
“We look forward,” she said, “to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year.”
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA
(WASHINGTON) — Attorneys for an IRS whistleblower have informed key members of Congress that their client, who claims to have information suggesting the Biden administration could be mishandling the investigation into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been removed from the probe into the president’s son.
According to a letter obtained by ABC News, the whistleblower’s attorneys on Monday notified several House and Senate Committee chairmen, both Democrats and Republicans, that their client — along with his “entire investigative team” — had been removed from the probe.
The attorneys wrote in the letter that the whistleblower had been “informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice.”
“[T]his move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry,” the letter reads.
A DOJ spokesperson told ABC News in a statement, “The Department cannot comment on the matter. As to any investigation of Hunter Biden, as the Attorney General has said that investigation is being handled by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who has full authority to make investigative decisions and to bring charges in any jurisdiction as he deems appropriate. I refer you to U.S. Attorney Weiss for any questions concerning his investigation.”
Weiss’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ABC News previously reported that the lawyer for the IRS whistleblower said in a letter that their client is an IRS criminal supervisory special agent “who has been overseeing the ongoing and sensitive investigation of a high-profile, controversial subject since early 2020 and would like to make protected whistleblower disclosures to Congress.”
The letter does not name Hunter Biden specifically, but lawmakers have been made aware he is the “high profile, controversial” subject that the lawyer is referring to.
While the letter refers to preferential treatment that Hunter Biden has allegedly received, there are no specific examples provided to support the accusations.
Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, has been leading the investigation into the younger Biden and his tax affairs since 2018.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff called for both celebrating Jewish American history, and tackling antisemitism head on, during an event marking Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House Tuesday afternoon.
“I want to thank all of you for joining us as we celebrate Jewish Americans whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped who we are as a nation, and that’s not hyperbole. Over generations, a story of resilience, hope, faith of the Jewish people… and the promise of a better tomorrow has inspired people everywhere, everywhere around the world,” Biden said.
Retelling his story about how he decided to run for president after the “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, where white supremacists chanted “Jews will not replace us,” Biden called for people to speak up about hatred and antisemitism.
Speaking about the reported rise in antisemitic incidents in America, Biden said, “It’s unconscionable. It’s almost unbelievable. It’s despicable. These attacks are a threat to other minority communities as well, but more importantly, it’s literally a stain on the soul of America. Let’s be clear… silence is complicity.”
The Anti-Defamation League released a report in March that found reported antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in 2022.
“The Talmud says, quote, it’s not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it,” Biden said, quoting a line from the corpus of Jewish legal thought. “You know, the American story depends on not any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us.”
The president pointed to initiatives he has taken and plans regarding antisemitism, including an upcoming plan to release a strategy on broadening awareness of Jewish American history and antisemitism, and reversing what he called the “normalization” of antisemitism. He also called for the release of Jewish journalist Evan Gershkovich, as well as detained former marine Paul Whelan, both detained in Russia.
Emhoff, a lawyer by trade and the first Jewish spouse of any U.S. president or vice president, spoke to the long arc of Jewish American history and his own Jewish heritage.
“And that history goes all the way back to our founding, when Jewish American patriots fought to help secure independence, and later help save our union during the Civil War, and have fought so valiantly in all subsequent wars. And throughout the eras there have been outstanding Jewish Americans who have achieved so much in their fields,” Emhoff said.
Emhoff said it was his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, who encouraged him to lead in combating antisemitism: “My wife, the Vice President, encouraged me… to lean into this fight… she said this issue found you, now lean into it.”
Antisemitism is part of an “epidemic of hate” worldwide, Emhoff said, “but I know that I’m doing everything I can to fight back,” he said to applause. “Fighting lies with truth. Educating others about the truth of the Holocaust and who we are as Jews. And building coalitions, ’cause we can’t do this alone.”
In December, Emhoff hosted a roundtable at the White House on antisemitism, which was attended by Jewish leaders and dignitaries.
The packed event in the White House’s East Room, attended by Jewish leaders, Congress members, and members of the administration, also featured a musical performance by Jewish actors Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond.
Platt and Diamond currently star in the Broadway revival of Parade, a musical telling the story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man in Georgia in the early 1910s who was accused of murder and later lynched. The show faced antisemitic protests during its first preview.
(NEW YORK) — Two staff members of the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria were among the four people killed by armed assailants when an American convoy was attacked on Tuesday, the State Department said.
The staff members, who were not U.S. citizens and who haven’t yet been publicly identified, were killed by people who were “linked with criminal groups” in the country’s southeast, U.S. officials said.
Two members of a local Police Mobile Force were also dead following the assault, Nigerian police officials sad. The victims’ bodies were later set on fire, officials said.
The consulate staff had been traveling in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State as part of a humanitarian effort when their vehicles were struck at about 3:30 p.m. local time, officials said.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the State Department was investigating the incident.
“What I can tell you is that no U.S. citizens were involved, and therefore, there were no U.S. citizens hurt,” he said during a midday briefing at the White House. “But we are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”
KISS’ 50th anniversary is being celebrated with a brand new coffee table book.
KISS at 50, from rock journalist Martin Popoff, looks at the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famers through 50 of their most important milestones. The book touches on things like the band’s formation in New York, their infamous TV appearances, their tours, their 1980s “unmasking,” their studio albums, conventions and more.
KISS at 50 is being released October 10, and will include plenty of photos of the band on and off the stage, some of which have never been published before. There’s also photos of gig posters, ticket stubs, picture sleeves and lots more.
The publisher notes, “The result is an epic tribute to one of the most influential and admired bands in rock history—in a milestone year.”
KISS is getting ready to kick off the next leg of their End of the Road tour on May 27 in Columbus, Ohio. A complete list of dates can be found at kissonline.com.
