(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING
INTERLEAGUE
Boston 7, Pittsburgh 4
Philadelphia 4, Detroit 1
San Francisco 6, Chi White Sox 3
San Diego 6, Kansas City 3
Houston 5, Washington 4
Cleveland 10, San Francisco 0
Seattle 17, Cincinnati 6
NY Yankees 1, St. Louis 1 (Tie)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 3, Minnesota 0
Detroit 8, Baltimore 8
Oakland 7, Texas 7 (Tie)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Chi Cubs 11, Arizona 1
Milwaukee 4, San Diego 2
Arizona 11, LA Dodgers 5
NY Mets 2, Atlanta 2 (Tie)
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
LA Clippers 127, Oklahoma City 105
Orlando 111, New York 106
Cleveland 116, Brooklyn 114
New Orleans 115, Charlotte 96
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Philadelphia 5 Minnesota 4 (SO)
Washington 6, Chicago 1
NY Rangers 2, Carolina 1
St. Louis 4, Detroit 3
Toronto 6, Florida 2
Ottawa 7, Tampa Bay 2
Boston 4, Montreal 2
Nashville 2, Seattle 1 (SO)
Final Dallas 3, Pittsburgh 2
Vegas 3, Calgary 2
Vancouver 7, San Jose 2
Winnipeg 3, Anaheim 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Gonzaga 79, UCLA 76
UConn 88, Arkansas 65
Kansas St. 98, Michigan St. 93
FAU 62, Tennessee 55
At the stroke of midnight, Ed Sheeran dropped “Eyes Closed,” the lead single off of his upcoming new album – [pronounced Subtract], along with the music video.
“This song,” says Sheeran, “is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and everything just reminds you of them and the things you did together. You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it.”
“Just dancing with my eyes closed / ‘Coz everywhere I look I still see you / Time is moving so slow
And I don’t know what else that I can do / So I’ll keep dancing with my eyes closed,” he sings in the chorus.
The “Eyes Closed” video shows the 34-year-old singer/songwriter standing next to his imaginary friend — a blue furry creature — which, according to Sheeran, “was inspired by movies like Harvey, where the main character has an imaginary friend who’s a giant rabbit that no one can see.”
“There’s also a book I read my daughters where sadness is encapsulated by an imaginary creature,” he continues. “Often sadness is something that follows you around, engulfing the rooms you’re in, and you can feel and see it, but no one else around you can. So I decided to create my own big blue monster for the video. He gets bigger and bigger as the video goes on, til he takes up whole rooms, and is all I can see, just like sadness.”
Yellowjackets returns to Showtime for its second season Friday and star Sophie Nélisse promises the stakes are higher than ever.
Nélisse, who plays the younger version of Melanie Lynskey’s Shauna in the series, tells ABC Audio fans should prepare themselves for “more chaos” and “more conflict” as the teenage survivors of last season’s plane crash go deeper into survival mode and their adult counterparts deal with the repercussions 25 years later.
“I think what I was really intrigued [about] with the show is to kind of see how we’ll transition into this sort of feral state where we’re ready to commit really bad things,” she says.
There are lots of fan theories about what those “bad things” will entail, but Nélisse says she can safely debunk at least one of them involving her character’s pregnancy.
“We’re not going to eat the baby,” she says. “[In] the first season, a lot of fans were like, ‘Are they going to eat the baby?’ I think our show does a good job at, you know, tapping into the horror, and we’re walking a very fine line and I think that’s the one line we are not ready to cross.”
As dark as it is, Nelisse admits she was actually a fan of the wild theory.
“I honestly, not gonna lie, I was kind of Team Eating the Baby,” she says. “I admit it’s a little dark. I think I would even have a hard time watching such a scene.”
Tune in to see just how dark things will get, as Yellowjackets’ season 2 premiere is streaming on Showtime now.
Celine Dion on opening night of ‘A New Day’/Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
On March 25, 2003 — 20 years ago Saturday — Celine Dion single-handedly changed the face of Las Vegas entertainment when she launched her first residency, A New Day…, at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
The state-of-the-art show, designed by Franco Dragone of Cirque du Soleil fame, ran through 2007 and is still the highest-grossing Vegas residency of all time, taking in $385 million. What’s more, it took Vegas from a place where careers went to die to a bucket-list item for major artists.
In 2011, Celine returned for a second residency, which ran until 2019 and made her the highest-paid entertainer in Vegas, raking in $500,000 per show. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that people initially thought the Canadian superstar was making a terrible move.
“People thought I was going to finish my career here, and that the Titanic was going to sink again,” Celine told ABC News in 2019.
But ultimately, other stars — especially female artists with children — realized what Celine knew all along: staying in one place, rather than dragging yourself around the world, is a great option.
“Vegas has given me, in a way, stability to be home every night, raising my kids,” Celine told ABC News in 2019. “I mean, I love touring, don’t get me wrong, but it’s very, very, very different.”
And thanks to Celine, if you don’t have a Las Vegas residency these days, are you even a star, bro? Maroon 5 starts theirs on Friday, and just some of the artists who set up shop in Vegas in Celine’s wake are Adele, Elton John, Katy Perry, Sting, Cher, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson and the Backstreet Boys.
Blood, Sweat & Tears’ 1970 State Department-sponsored tour of Iron Curtain countries Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland is the subject of a new documentary, What The Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?, opening in theaters in New York and Los Angeles Friday.
The film features interviews and archival footage from the controversial tour, which resulted in the band suffering backlash from fans. While it may not have been the best decision to go on that tour, BST drummer and co-founder Bobby Colomby says they really didn’t have the option not to do it.
“We just did a tour because (lead singer) David (Clayton-Thomas) didn’t have a green card anymore, and we couldn’t play in the United States and David’s Canadian,” Colomby tells ABC Audio. “So it was, you know, the State Department saying, ‘We’ll get you the green card, can you do us a favor?’”
He described it as “quid pro quo in the classic sense.”
Colomby says while there were definitely issues on the tour, he does have positive memories of the trek, especially the people. But he notes, “It was horrifying in certain aspects, especially Romania, which was dark ages.”
The political backlash that followed from both the right and the left really surprised the band, whose self-titled second album beat The Beatles’ Abbey Road for the Album of the Year Grammy. Colomby says it was very out of the ordinary for a band that tried to stay out of politics.
“You know, it’s funny, we weren’t a political group,” he says. “We were just truly, you know, as David says in the beginning, we’re just musicians. We’re just trying to play music, influence other musicians make stuff that people will enjoy.”
(NEW YORK) — Four Florida families filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, Board of Medicine, and Board of Osteopathic Medicine, over the state ban against gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The ban prohibits puberty blockers, hormones, cross-hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery for people under the age of 18. The families behind the lawsuit have transgender youth who would be impacted by the restriction.
The families say they fear for their children’s mental and physical health as some studies have shown gender-affirming care has been found to improve mental health of transgender youth.
According to the press release regarding the suit, the Does are a military family who moved to Florida when John Doe was stationed there as a Senior Officer in the U.S. Navy. Jane Doe said she has concerns about her 11-year-old daughter receiving the care she needs.
“Like most parents, my husband and I want nothing more than for our daughter to be healthy, happy, and safe,” said Jane Doe, concerning her 11-year-old daughter, in the release. “Being able to consult with our team of doctors to understand what our daughter is experiencing and make the best, most informed decisions about her care has been critically important for our family.”
She continued, “This ban takes away our right to provide her with the next step in her recommended treatment when she reaches puberty.”
Another family, called the Boes for anonymity, are also challenging the ban on behalf of their 14-year-old son.
“This ban puts me and other Florida parents in the nightmare position of not being able to help our child when they need us most,” said Brenda Boe. “My son has a right to receive appropriate, evidence-based medical care … That has been ripped away by this cruel and discriminatory rule.”
Gender-affirming care has been targeted across the country – with at least eight states with policies or laws that restrict it.
However, major national medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and over 20 more agree that gender-affirming care is safe, effective, beneficial, and medically necessary for transgender people.
In an email from the Department of Health to ABC News, a spokesperson responded with a gif of Gov. Ron DeSantis that stated “If you want to waste your time on a stunt, that’s fine. But I’m not wasting my time on your stunt.”
Ladapo, the Board of Medicine, and Board of Osteopathic Medicine have not yet responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) — For autistic drivers, a police stop or emergency while driving can be a scary situation, according to Joanne G. Quinn, the executive director of the non-profit, The Autism Project.
Sirens, flashing lights, and a law enforcement member asking questions can be too much to handle for someone who is autistic, Quinn, who has an autistic son, told ABC News.
“There is no way to know how you’ll react in one of those encounters,” she said. “And sometimes individuals’ reactions or how they answer a question can get them into trouble with an officer who doesn’t know they’re autistic.”
A bill introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives this week would give autistic drivers an option to alert others about their disability with special designations on their license and vehicle.
Lawmakers said it would improve the safety of autistic drivers, however, some advocates argued that in its current form, the specialized license could lead to discrimination and harassment.
Rhode Island House Rep. Samuel Azzinaro introduced the bill that would allow the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to offer an optional driver’s license “that is clearly marked ‘autism,'” and decals that are “marked ‘autism'” that can be affixed to a vehicle in a “conspicuous place,” according to the legislation’s current language.
Drivers would also have the option of receiving blue envelopes that contain “information regarding ways to enhance effective communication between a police officer and a person with autism spectrum disorder,” the bill said.
Connecticut launched a similar blue envelope program for autistic drivers in 2020.
Quinn said she supported the bill’s purpose, because it would help resolve an ongoing issue affecting the autistic community, which is communication between them and law enforcement.
She said first responder academies have been improving their training to understand how to communicate with autistic individuals properly, and her group has made videos to educate those departments about the community.
However, Quinn said there is still work to be done, especially when it comes to emergencies, and a designated license and information card would go a long way.
“Either it’s a pullover or a crash, they see the [marker], hopefully, they are educated to know what it is, and in the glove compartment is information about the driver,” Quinn said. “The purpose for our community is if it’s a stop in the highway it gives the officer a heads up.”
During a hearing on the bill Wednesday, some autistic residents also expressed support. Toby Silva, a 17-year-old Rhode Island resident who spoke through an electronic device, told lawmakers that he researched the Connecticut law and said Rhode Island would benefit from similar options for drivers.
“The goal is to avoid misunderstanding between the officer and the driver,” he said.
Some advocates, however, warned that putting an autistic person’s disability in big letters on an official ID can lead to problems.
Mireille Sayaf, the executive director of the Ocean State Center For Independent Living, sent a letter to the House of Representatives’ Health & Human Services Committee Wednesday, noting that such a designation on an official identification document would “lead to stereotyping and breaches of the individual’s confidentiality.”
“While the intent behind the bill to improve interactions with law enforcement is good, we feel that there are less intrusive ways to accomplish this goal that would lead to less stigma for persons on the autism spectrum,” she wrote.
Quinn said she agreed that the wording or markings on those special licenses and car decals must be more discreet.
“There should be another way, like a blue dot, or strip that is subtle and law enforcement should be informed about it,” she said.
Azzinaro, who didn’t immediately return messages to ABC News’ request for comment, told the committee that the bill’s language is not final and he is open to tweaking it based on the community’s input.
He also told the committee that he would consider a recommendation for drivers to apply for a special placard on their dashboard.
Quinn said whatever comes of the bill, it is important that lawmakers hear more from autistic drivers and residents, and she encouraged the community to weigh in.
“We need the neurodivergent voice and we need them at the table to tell us what works best for them,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — Darryl Campbell, better known as the rapper and hip-hop podcaster Taxstone, was convicted Thursday in New York of manslaughter in connection with the 2016 shooting of a bodyguard during a concert at Irving Plaza.
A jury in Manhattan found Taxstone guilty of shooting and killing Ronald McPhatter and seriously injuring three others.
He will be sentenced next month for what District Attorney Alvin Bragg called a “tragic and deadly confrontation in a packed New York City music venue.”
The shooting stemmed from a longtime feud Taxstone had with Roland Collins, known as rapper Troy Ave, who testified against him, prosecutors said. McPhatter was Troy Ave’s bodyguard.
Rapper TI was performing when the shots were fired. Troy Ave was on deck to perform.
Fall Out Boy‘s next video will deliver a long-awaited sequel.
On Friday, the group will premiere the clip for “Hold Me Like a Grudge,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, So Much (for) Stardust. In a tweet Thursday, Fall Out Boy shares that the video will be a “continuation” of the visual for their 2006 single “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.”
The “This Ain’t a Scene” video, of course, is a sequel itself — it picks up at the end of the video for 2005’s “Dance, Dance.” Perhaps “Hold Me Like a Grudge” will mark the conclusion of a trilogy.
So Much (for) Stardust will also be released Friday. It includes the previously released singles “Love from the Other Side” and “Heartbreak Feels So Good.”
We may soon see Joni Mitchell’s life on the big screen. The website Above The Line is reporting that Oscar-winning filmmaker Cameron Crowe is planning to write and direct a movie about the legendary singer, and has been working on it with Mitchell for the past two years.
The report claims the film won’t be a “traditional biopic in the conventional sense of the word,” adding that it’s not a documentary either, describing it as “akin to an autobiography.” A source says Mitchell’s story will be told in Crowe’s “singular voice,” so it will be from his point of view, as opposed to hers.
Mitchell and Crowe have been friends for a while — he even escorted her to Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party in 2017, just two years after she suffered a brain aneurysm. He also interviewed her for the Los Angeles Times in 2021 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of her legendary album Blue.
The movie will be the first one Crowe has written and directed since 2015’s Aloha, although since then he created the 2016 Showtime series Roadies and directed the 2019 David Crosby documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name.
