Kanye West has bid farewell to Instagram yet again.
He informed fans of his departure Tuesday, posting a screenshot of the form he filled to temporarily deactivate his account. The link to his Instagram account is now broken.
Ye is no stranger to social media breaks. He’s deactivated his socials many times over the years and has even been suspended from his using account. His IG, for example, was restricted in October due to his antisemitic remarks, per The Hollywood Reporter. He then faced a ban on Twitter in December after he posted a photo with a Swastika.
(BOSTON) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and attorney from the famed political Kennedy family, announced on Wednesday that he is running for president in 2024 as a Democrat.
Son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, the 69-year-old launched his candidacy at Boston Park Plaza in Boston.
“I’ve come here today to announce my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States,” he said, noting that the aim of his campaign, and presidency, would be to “end the corrupt merger of state and corporate power.”
Kennedy, who has espoused vaccine hesitancy since the 2000s, has become one of the most prominent voices in the anti-vaccine movement, according to experts, as the founder of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization known mainly for its anti-vaccine efforts.
Kennedy, a self-described “Lifelong Democrat,” through his support of what critics call conspiracies about the COVID-19 vaccines, has garnered support from some unlikely bedfellows on the right.
“RFK Jr. could jump into the Republican primary for president, and only [Ron] DeSantis and [former President Donald] Trump, I think, would do better,” former Trump adviser Steve Bannon recently said on MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s streaming program, “Lindell TV.”
He’ll now face Marianne Williamson, a self help author who announced her bid on March 4. He’ll likely also oppose President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly said he intends to run for reelection in 2024 barring some major issues such as his health. However, the Democrat has not officially announced a decision.
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider is thinking about breaking out his old makeup case. In a response to a tweet about Montana’s recent drag ban, Snider shared his desire to get back to his old Twisted Sister look.
The amended ruling bans “obscene performances” of “male or female performers who adopt flamboyant or parodic feminine personas with glamorous makeup and exaggerated costumes.”
“You know I haven’t worn the Twisted Sister Makeup in many years,” Snider responded to the post, “but now I’m tempted to put it back on!”
Snider has already said that he plans to reunite Twisted Sister in 2024 for political rallies, especially since politicians keep using “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” but not in the way it was intended. This could mean the makeup will be back for those performances.
After urging the “true majority” of Americans to “fight back, push back, take control,” regarding the push for these bans, Snider shared a John Wick meme that read “People keep asking if I’m back. I’m starting to think I’m back.” He then noted, “I took off the @TwistedSisterny makeup more than a decade ago, but in light of the current stupidity in the USA it just might be time to start wearing it again!”
Jackson Dean recently performed his anthemic new single, “Fearless,” on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Donning his signature black hat, Jackson brought his raspy vocals to the show as he sang, “‘Cause I’m fearless/ I’ll jump off the ledges/ Burn all the bridges, walk on the edges/ I’m fearless/ I don’t mind the shadows Take all the arrows, ride in the echoes/ And I don’t mind the night/ I don’t mind the fight, even if I lose/ I’ve got thick skin, I’ll dive in, I’m fearless/ Except when it comes to you.”
The song was penned by the fast-rising newcomer alongside Luke Dick and Jonathan Scott Sherwood.
“Fearless” is featured on Jackson’s 2022 debut album, Greenbroke, as well as his recently released live record, Live at the Ryman.
(DADEVILLE, Ala.) — Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting at a birthday party in Alabama over the weekend where four victims were killed and 32 others were injured.
Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, have each been charged with four counts of reckless murder. They have both been charged as adults. The suspects were arrested and officially charged on Tuesday.
Four victims are still in the hospital in critical condition.
The shooting took place at a crowded birthday party in the small town of Dadeville, located approximately 60 miles northeast of Montgomery, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
“Make no mistake, this is Alabama and when you pull out a gun, and you start shooting people, we’re gonna put you in jail,” Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy Burkett said at a press conference Wednesday.
The suspects will have a bond hearing within 72 hours where prosecutors will be asking for no bond, according to Mike Segrest, district attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Alabama.
Officials said they are still in the early stages of the investigation and more charges will be coming. Officials asked anyone who has information or was present at the shooting to come forward.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Segrest said. “We’re going to make sure every one of those victims has justice and not just the deceased.”
Officials did not reveal whether they have identified a motive for the shooting.
One of the victims killed in the shooting — 18-year-old Philstavious Dowdell — was attending his sister’s 16th birthday party, according to Segrest.
“There were so many kids in this venue and what they saw, they’re victims in this. Their families are victims of this,” Segrest said at a press conference Wednesday.
In addition to Dowdell, the three others killed in the shooting were identified as 23-year-old Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 19-year-old Marsiah Emmanuel Collins and 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole Smith.
GloRilla made her debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday, where she was accompanied by Lil Durk for a performance of “Ex’s (PHATNALL Remix).”
Ahead of the show, the two teamed for a photo, which was shared on both rappers’ socials. In Durk’s post, he gave fans an update on the follow-up to 7220, writing, “album done.”
Durk announced he was in album mode back in December, and has since been teasing fans with random details about what’s to come. “This album ain’t regular,” he wrote last month on his Instagram Story. Days later, he said he can “drop this single and f*** up the streets.”
It’s not clear when Durk’s album will drop, but there’s one collab he’d add if he gets the chance.
“@Sza the goat y’all better not sleep or get blind every female every car every sale she really her… I need you on my album ASAP a hit not a regular song,” he previously wrote on Instagram. “Go tag SZA blow her shit down tell her Smurk need her.”
Interpol has announced Interpolations, a collection of remixes of songs off the band’s 2022 album The Other Side of Make-Believe.
“We are proud to unveil the Interpolations project, a collaborative series wherein 5 talented artists were invited to reimagine tracks from our latest album, The Other Side of Make-Believe — and the results are truly inspired,” Interpol says. “We are so excited that such a great collection of artists were able to connect with our music and we hope these songs connect with you.”
Those artists are Daniel Avery, Makaya McCraven, Jeff Parker, Jesu and Water from Your Eyes. You can listen to McCraven’s take on the track “Big Shot City” now via digital outlets, while the other four remixes will be released “over the coming months.”
Interpol will be touring the U.S. starting in August alongside The Smashing Pumpkins.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols’ mother has sued the city of Memphis and members of the police over his death following a violent traffic stop in the city, court records show.
Nichols, 29, died three days after he was beaten by police during a Jan. 7 traffic stop. Body camera footage of the altercation showed officers striking Nichols repeatedly.
The 139-page, 25-count civil complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court, includes allegations of excessive force and “deliberate indifference to serious medical needs,” and called the traffic stop “unreasonable.”
It also claims the police department failed to properly train its officers, including those in the now-deactivated SCORPION unit that was involved in Nichols’ arrest.
“The City of Memphis, through the Memphis Police Department, maintained a custom of tolerance for SCORPION Officers’ unreasonable search and seizure of individuals, use of excessive force, and the violation of the Fourth Amendment prior to the violation of Tyre Nichols’ constitutional rights and death,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit also claims that Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, suffered emotional distress due to “negligent acts and omissions” by officers following the incident and that police made “false representations” to her regarding her son’s condition.
The complaint, which is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, is demanding a jury trial.
Members of Nichols’ family will be attending a Wednesday afternoon press briefing outside the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in Memphis to announce the filing, their attorneys said.
ABC News has reached out to the city of Memphis for comment on the pending litigation.
All five officers who were directly involved in the beating have been charged with second-degree murder. The officers all pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance on Feb. 17.
Seven other police officers were terminated following the incident, according to city of Memphis chief legal officer Jennifer Sink.
The incident has also sparked a Department of Justice review of the Memphis Police Department’s use-of-force and de-escalation policies.
Kid Cudi has joined the cast of the Paramount+ series Knuckles.He shared the news on Instagram Tuesday alongside a screenshot of the Deadline article detailing the show.
“When life has more dreams for you to fulfill. its lit #knuckles @paramountplus,” he captioned the post. On Twitter, he shared that his cat Sweets was sharing his enthusiasm.
“Sweets is happy and excited about the Knuckles show,” Cudi wrote next to a photo of the cat. In it, Sweets is playing with a stuffed toy version of Knuckles.
According to Deadline, Knuckles, a spin-off of Sonic the Hedgehog, “will follow Knuckles on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.”
In addition to Cudi, born Scott Mescudi, the series will also feature guest stars Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter as well as stars Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Ellie Taylor, Adam Pally and Idris Elba, who serves as the titular character and one of the executive producers of the show.
No release date for Knuckles has been set, but Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is slated to come out Dec. 20, 2024.
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department on Tuesday charged a Hezbollah financier and eight others with evading sanctions and laundering almost $160 million, in some cases through artwork and diamonds.
Prosecutors alleged that Nazem Ahmad continued to acquire high-level artwork and diamonds through U.S. entities and provided access to international financial markets to a terrorist organization.
Ahmad was also an associate of high-level members of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based terrorist group that was designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the Justice Department said.
He was also sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2019, barring him from doing any business in the United States.
At a news conference on Tuesday, senior leaders from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Treasury and State made clear they want him captured, even offering a $10 million reward for his capture.
“Ahmad and his network used a complex web of unlawful business entities to buy valuable artwork and secure U.S. based diamond grading service all while hiding their involvement in and benefit from these activities to the tune of approximately $160 million, while also providing the terrorist organization Hizballah access to U.S. and international financial markets,” Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien told reporters.
Court documents allege that Ahmad used a U.S.-based diamond-grading service to affect the sales price of certain diamonds he would allegedly give to have serviced. He also obtained artwork after he was sanctioned in 2019 valued at more than $450,000, prosecutors said, while an additional $780,000 in artwork from U.S. persons located outside the United States was also acquired in violation of terrorism sanctions.
“The defendants and other conspirators engaged in this scheme to benefit Ahmad and themselves while at the same time evading terrorism-related sanctions, to avoid the payment of taxes to foreign governments on the import of valuable goods into foreign countries, and to make it more difficult for the United States government to carry out its lawful functions,” a press release from the Justice Department said.
