(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — East Palestine, Ohio, is the kind of town where neighbors greet each other at the store and lean on each other during hard times.
Now, in the wake of a massive train derailment that expelled hazardous materials into the air, ground and water, residents are grappling with the fear that their hometown is no longer safe to reside in.
People who live in the northeast Ohio town are scared to return home, despite officials telling them that there are no more concerning toxic chemicals in the air, soil or water, residents and community advocates told ABC News.
On Feb. 3, a train carrying several toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, spilling the hazardous materials. A controlled burn that occurred over the next several days expelled even more toxic gases, prompting a mandatory evacuation for residents living within a 1-mile radius of the crash site due to the potentially deadly risks posed by inhalation in high concentrations.
State officials maintained during a press conference hosted by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday that the air, soil and water surrounding the crash site remain safe enough for residents to return. While some of the waterways remained contaminated, state officials contended that those tributaries were contained and that the water supply was not affected.
Many residents say they don’t believe those claims.
Resident Ashley McCollum, who said she could see the flames and giant plume of smoke from the controlled burn, told ABC News that she and her children are too afraid to return home. They don’t know what, if any, chemicals made their way inside their home or which objects are contaminated, she said.
“I’m just really unsure,” she said. “There’s so much information out there, and we don’t really know an exact answer.”
Air quality monitors have been placed in several locations in McCollum’s neighborhood. Even though the meters are reading zero, the stench of chemicals remains in the air, making residents uneasy about whether it is safe to be there, McCollum said.
Among the health effects that could result from coming in contact or inhaling the chemicals are burning and irritation of the skin and eyes, irritation of the nose and throat, causing shortness of breath and coughing, dizziness, drowsiness, headache and vomiting, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I don’t believe the reading’s accurate,” she said. “If I can smell it, and it’s alarming enough that it’s not a good smell, it makes me feel like I shouldn’t be in the area.”
The primary emotion in the community at the moment is fear about what the situation might develop into, Jayne Conroy, an attorney at Simmons Hanly Conroy, told ABC News. The firm is representing residents in a class action lawsuit against the derailed train’s operator, Norfolk Southern Railway.
Norfolk Southern said in a statement Tuesday that it has helped 1,000 families as well as a number of businesses in the community. The railway operator said it also distributed $1.2 million to families to cover costs related to the evacuation.
“We are committed to East Palestine today and in the future,” said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw in the statement. “We will be judged by our actions. We are cleaning up the site in an environmentally responsible way, reimbursing residents affected by the derailment, and working with members of the community to identify what is needed to help East Palestine recover and thrive.”
The most common concern Conroy says she has heard among residents is concern for their health and their children’s health.
Experts say the chemicals are likely not sticking around.
Vinyl chloride, phosgene, benzene and hydrogen chloride have a short half-life, and the concentrations in the air will be low because the fire is no longer active and the chemicals are no longer being released, Ashok Kumar, a professor in the University of Toledo’s department of civil and environmental engineering, told ABC News.
“Atmospheric dispersion of chemicals in air due to wind will help reducing the concentrations of chemicals,” Kumar said, adding that the public will not be subject to high concentrations of these chemicals — which was the immediate concern in the aftermath of the derailment.
The four hazardous chemicals that were aboard the train, vinyl chloride, thylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene, do not persist in the environment on a long-term basis and tend to evaporate quickly, Christopher Reddy, a senior scientist at the Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, told ABC News.
“They are not persistent,” he said. “They are compounds that do break down.”
Community concerns are common following these types of disasters, Reddy said.
“The people who are impacted want answers because it’s directly related to their lives and livelihood,” he added.
Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, who became a household name after Julia Roberts played her in the 2000 film about her fight against an energy corporation over groundwater contamination in California, told ABC News that the residents feel they have been given misinformation about the town’s safety.
“They don’t trust the information that’s there,” Brockovich said. “And they’re scared.”
Many residents returned home after evacuation orders were lifted on Feb. 8, but concerns were reignited after state officials recommended that residents with private water sources drink bottled water until their wells have been tested, Brockovich said.
“This community just doesn’t feel they’re being seen, they’re being heard,” Brockovich said.
Brockovich said she is concerned about the “deeper systemic problem” of how industries are treating the environment.
The small town, which houses roughly 4,700 residents, will continue to be impacted by the disaster, McCollum said.
“I feel like more people that have been here a long time are leaving,” she said.
ABC News’ Brandon Chase, Lourdes Leahy, Will McDuffie and Alex Presha contributed to this report.
(HUNTSVILLE, Ala.) — Two fatalities were reported after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed onto an Alabama highway Wednesday afternoon, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.
The crash occurred on Highway 53 near the intersection of Burrell Road in Madison County, near the Alabama-Tennessee border, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
The helicopter belonged to the Tennessee National Guard, according to a U.S. official.
The Madison County Sheriff’s office received a distress call on its 911 system around 3 p.m., spokesperson Brent Patterson told ABC News.
First responders who arrived first at the scene found the helicopter “engulfed in flames,” Patterson said. The aircraft was a “total loss,” and given the extent of visible damage, they determined there were no survivors, he said.
Troopers with the agency and deputies from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office were securing the scene.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office advised of road closures in the area following the crash.
“We anticipate evening traffic to experience heavy delays in this area throughout the evening,” the sheriff’s office said.
Tammy Adams told Huntsville, Alabama, ABC affiliate WAAY that she heard what sounded like a car without a muffler before seeing the helicopter fly overhead.
“Then bam, we heard a hit,” she told the station. “We saw it hit the ground and it exploded.”
She said she said a prayer for those onboard.
“We knew there could not be anybody surviving that,” she told WAAY.
Chermonica Johnson also told WAAY she said a prayer after witnessing the devastating crash.
“There’s nothing there, at all,” she told the station. “You can’t even tell it was an aircraft.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(EAST LANSING, Mich.) — Three students were killed and five others were injured when a gunman opened fire at two locations on Michigan State University’s main campus in East Lansing on Monday night, police said.
After an hourslong manhunt, police found the suspect — identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae — dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound off campus.
All five injured students were in critical condition as of Tuesday, officials said.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 15, 7:17 PM EST
Thousands gather on campus for memorial vigil
Thousands of mourners gathered at Michigan State University’s campus Wednesday night to pay their respects to the students who were shot Monday.
School president Teresa K. Woodruff spoke at the event, which included poems, songs and reflections from students and elected officials including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“We remember and honor the three Spartan students so cruelly taken from their families, friends and us.” she said. “Each came to join the very special, this extraordinary campus.”
Whitmer, a Michigan State alum, spoke about the courageous efforts that students and teachers did to help the wounded. She said she spoke to one of the hospitalized victims who told her that a fellow student took off their shirt and used it to put pressure on his wound and save his life.
“Countless Spartans were heroes,” the governor said.
Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo said he also visited the hospital where some of the wounded were recuperating and called on the community to keep those victims in their thoughts.
He also urged the campus community to take comfort in their friends and family as they process the violence.
“We all process trauma in a very different way, I’m just glad we’re all here tonight.”
Feb 15, 1:26 PM EST
MSU students protest at Michigan capitol
Michigan State students channeled their grief into protest as they gathered at the capitol in Lansing to urge gun reform.
Hundreds braved cold and windy weather as they sat on the building’s majestic steps and listened to sympathetic and angry speeches calling for legislative action to curb the violence they and students across the nation have been exposed to.
-ABC News’ Andy Fies
Feb 15, 7:13 AM EST
Communities mourn victims at vigils across Michigan
Hundreds of people gathered at memorials, prayer services and candlelight vigils across Michigan on Tuesday night to honor the three students who were killed and five others who were injured in Monday’s mass shooting at Michigan State University.
More vigils are planned for the rest of the week, including one scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET at The Rock, a 149-year-old landmark on MSU’s main campus in East Lansing.
Feb 15, 6:06 AM EST
MSU students recount deadly mass shooting on campus
Michigan State University student Dominik Molotky was in class on Monday evening when he heard a gunshot in the hallway, just outside the door.
“I was sitting next to the nearest door and thank god that my fight-or-flight response kicked in because, right when that first gunshot went off, I booked it to the far corner of the class,” Molotky, a senior, told ABC News in an interview Tuesday on Good Morning America.
A couple seconds later, the gunman entered the classroom and fired “three to four more rounds,” Molotky said.
“I was ducking and covering,” he recalled. “I think one of the students in my class got hit.”
When the gunfire stopped for “30 seconds to a minute,” Molotky said he and his classmates started breaking open a window so they could escape.
“There was glass everywhere,” he added. “We broke open the window and climbed out of there, and I booked it back to my apartment.”
Molotky and other students recounted their horrifying experiences as the mass shooting unfolded at multiple locations on MSU’s main campus in East Lansing, Michigan.
Feb 15, 5:42 AM EST
MSU student survives bloodshed 14 months after another mass shooting
ABC News spoke to Matt Riddle, who said his daughter survived the bloodshed at Michigan State University on Monday night, 14 months after surviving another deadly mass shooting at a high school in Oxford, Michigan.
The shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, left four people dead and seven others wounded.
“Having been through it in Oxford … it helped her understand what she needs to do in these situations,” Riddle told ABC News during an interview on Tuesday night. “I don’t like that she has those tools. I wish she didn’t, but she does.”
Feb 14, 7:58 PM EST
Classes to resume on Monday
Classes at Michigan State, which have been canceled in the wake of the tragic shooting, will resume on Monday, school officials said.
A vigil is also planned on campus Wednesday night in honor of the victims, all of whom were students at the school, officials said.
“We are devastated by this tragedy and wrap our collective arms around the victims’ families and friends who face unimaginable injury and loss,” Kim Tobin, vice president of university advancement, said in a statement Wednesday announcing the details.
Feb 14, 6:27 PM EST
Victim Arielle Anderson remembered for passion to help others
Arielle Anderson, a junior from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, was one of the three Michigan State students killed in the shooting. Her family remembered her as a “precious daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend” in a statement shared Tuesday evening through her mother’s employer, Comerica Bank.
“As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more,” the family said. “She was passionate about helping her friends and family, assisting children and serving people.”
Anderson, who was described as “sweet and loving with an infectious smile,” wanted to be a surgeon, her family said.
“Driven by her aspiration to tend to the health and welfare of others as a surgeon, she was working diligently to graduate from Michigan State University early to achieve her goals as quickly as possible,” the family said.
“We are absolutely devastated by this heinous act of violence upon her and many other innocent victims,” the statement added.
Feb 14, 3:26 PM EST
University releases names of victims
The three Michigan State students killed in the shooting have been identified by university police.
Brian Fraser, a sophomore, and Arielle Anderson, a junior, were both from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Alexandria Verner, a junior, was from Clawson, Michigan.
Five other students remain in the hospital in critical condition following the attack.
Feb 14, 2:19 PM EST
Suspect walked from his home to campus, viewed himself as ‘loner’
The FBI offered new details on the suspected gunman in a confidential briefing to law enforcement on Tuesday.
Investigators have determined 43-year-old Anthony McRae walked from his home to Michigan State and had no connection to the university or the victims.
Authorities said that when McRae was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, he had a “3-page document expressing his reasons for the attack and a number of additional locations in Lansing and Holt, Mich.; Ewing Township and Franklin Park, NJ; and Colorado Springs, Colo., which had ‘hurted’ (sic) him and, therefore, were deserving of attack.” Agents believe he had “personal grievances” with people at those locations.
McRae lived with his father, who is cooperating with the investigation, the FBI reported.
Investigators said the suspect’s writings confirmed he “was often alone.” The briefing said the gunman viewed himself as “a loner” and an “outcast” who was “never noticed or accepted by others.”
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin
Feb 14, 1:12 PM EST
Biden urges Congress to ‘enact commonsense gun law reforms’
President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday, “Our hearts are with these young victims and their families, the broader East Lansing and Lansing communities, and all Americans across the country grieving as the result of gun violence.”
Biden noted that the Michigan State mass shooting came one night before the U.S. marked five years since the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre. In the Feb. 14, 2018 school shooting in Parkland, 17 students and staff were gunned down.
“I have taken action to combat this epidemic in America, including a historic number of executive actions and the first significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years, but we must do more,” Biden said.
He stressed, “Congress must do something and enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, closing loopholes in our background check system, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. Action is what we owe to those grieving today in Michigan and across America.”
Feb 14, 1:04 PM EST
Timeline of the shooting
The first active shooter call came in at 8:18 p.m. from Berkey Hall, an academic building, and the university immediately told students to shelter in place, the Michigan State University Police Department said.
Shots were fired soon after at the student union.
At about 11 p.m., the suspected gunman was seen on campus security cameras, police said.
Images of the suspect were shared with the public at 11:18 p.m., police said.
At about 11:35 p.m., a caller’s tip led police to the suspect, authorities said.
Feb 14, 12:36 PM EST
Suspect had 2 guns, numerous magazines
The suspected shooter, 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, lived in Lansing, officials said.
The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound as law enforcement was approaching, a law enforcement source briefed on the situation said.
The source added that a firearm was recovered at the scene, and a second firearm was found in a backpack along with numerous magazines.
McRae served 18 months in prison between 2019 and 2021 on a weapons charge for having a loaded weapon in his vehicle, according to Michigan’s Department of Corrections.
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman, Luke Barr and Josh Margolin
Feb 14, 12:25 PM EST
Michigan State police releases names of 2 victims
Two of the three Michigan State students killed in the shooting have been identified by university police.
Brian Fraser, a sophomore, was from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, while Alexandria Verner, a junior, was from Clawson. Authorities said they will not be naming the third victim at the request of the family.
Five other students remain in the hospital following the attack.
Feb 14, 11:56 AM EST
Shock, fear, confusion at Michigan State
At Michigan State, students and staff are overcome with shock, fear and confusion, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor told ABC News’ GMA3.
“It’s a terrible time. No mayor, no governor, no elected official ever wants to be up all night or wake up to a situation like this,” he said.
Schor said mental health resources are available.
Schor said the five injured students “are critical but stable.”
“It’s touch and go,” he said. “and the doctors are doing their best to work as aggressively as possible.”
Feb 14, 11:02 AM EST
Suspect had note indicating threat to NJ schools
When the suspect, 43-year-old Anthony McRae, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said there was a note in his pocket indicating a threat to two public schools in Ewing, New Jersey, according to Ewing police.
McRae had local ties to Ewing but hasn’t lived in the area in several years, police said.
Ewing Public Schools are closed on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, police said. However, no threat has been found and schools are expected to reopen on Wednesday, police said.
McRae “had a history of mental health issues,” police added.
Feb 14, 8:47 AM EST
No motive known
No motive is known, police said. The 43-year-old suspect, Anthony McRae, had no known connection to the university, according to authorities.
After police released the suspect’s photo, a tip from a caller led authorities to finding him, officials said.
A search warrant has been executed at a home, police said.
Feb 14, 8:14 AM EST
Michigan leaders call out US gun violence
At a news conference Tuesday, Michigan leaders called out the prevalence of U.S. gun violence.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said, “I cannot believe I am here again doing this 15 months later,” speaking at the scene of another Michigan school shooting, referring to the November 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School where four students were killed and several others were injured.
“I am filled with rage that we have to have another press conference about our children being killed in schools,” she said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer added, “We’re all broken by an all-too-familiar feeling.”
“We cannot keep living like this,” she said. “Our children are scared to go to school. People feel unsafe in their houses of worship or local stores.”
Feb 14, 6:00 AM EST
City manager thanks ‘brave’ first responders after ‘horrific act of violence’
Interim East Lansing City Manager Randy Talifarro described Monday night’s mass shooting at Michigan State University as a “horrific act of violence.”
“The City of East Lansing is mourning the devastating shooting that occurred on the campus of Michigan State University tonight,” Talifarro said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to all of the victims of this horrific act of violence as well as their family and friends. East Lansing and MSU have always shared in each other’s victories and each other’s losses. Tonight, we hold space while we grapple with this devastating loss of life together.”
Talifarro also thanked the “brave first responders who quickly responded to MSU’s campus.”
“Against every natural instinct they ran towards the sound of danger, seeking not their own wellbeing, but instead to protect and serve those in need,” he said. “And we stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone impacted by tonight’s events. Please know that you’re not alone in your grief. We stand with you and will be here as we seek to heal as a community.”
City buildings and offices, including city hall, the public library and the district court, will be closed to the general public on Tuesday. Essential city employees will be reporting to work.
Drop-in counseling services will be available for members of the community at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center beginning at 9 a.m. ET.
(NEW YORK) — Billions of people are at “unthinkable” risk because of rising sea levels, according to the United Nations.
Speaking at the United Nation’s Security Council meeting on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the coastlines of some countries have already seen sea levels rise at triple the average rate.
“The impact of rising seas is already creating new sources of instability and conflict,” he said.
As strong waves repeatedly crash against the shore, coastal erosion naturally occurs; however, as temperatures around the world increase and sea levels rise, the damage to the coast’s natural barriers is being exacerbated with each ensuing monster storm with tropical force winds or higher — which typically causes the most damaging events of erosion, according to environmental scientists.
Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear in the next few decades because of rising sea levels, according to the U.N.
“We would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale, and we would see ever-fiercer competition for fresh water, land and other resources,” Guterres said.
According to the secretary-general, rising sea levels would make it harder for people to access water, food and health care.
Global average sea levels have risen faster since the beginning of the 20th century than in any previous century in the last 3,000 years, according to new data released from the World Meteorological Organization.
Since 1993, the rate at which sea levels have risen has doubled, according to the WMO’s provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report. Since January 2020, it’s increased by nearly 10 mm, hitting a record high last year, according to the report.
The WMO said that while the increase is measured in millimeters, it can add up to 3.2 feet, or 1 meter, every century, bringing devastating threats to millions of people living along the coast.
Through the Paris Climate Agreement, world leaders set a goal to limit the earth’s warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit; however, according to WMO, even if that limit is reached, seawater levels would still significantly rise around the world.
“Our world is hurtling past the 1.5-degree warming limit that a livable future requires, and with present policies, is careening towards 2.8 degrees — a death sentence for vulnerable countries,” Guterres said.
Mega-cities on every continent, including cities like Lagos, Bangkok, Mumbai, Shanghai, London, Buenos Aires and New York will be impacted by sea level rise, he said.
“The danger is especially acute for nearly 900 million people who live in coastal zones at low elevations — that’s 1 out of 10 people on earth,” the secretary-general said.
Guterres has called for countries to step up their efforts to reduce emissions and to safeguard climate justice, particularly for developing nations that need resources to tackle climate disasters.
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — There are 80 million Americans across 25 states on alert for severe weather as a major winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, high winds and a threat for tornadoes from Colorado to Alabama through Thursday.
Winter storm warnings stretch from New Mexico to Illinois for a swath of heavy snow. High wind warnings remain in effect across the Southwest and wind advisories are in effect across the Great Lakes.
There could be damaging winds and tornadoes from Texas to Alabama and up to Ohio.
Whiteout conditions are likely across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, Kansas and southern Nebraska. Snowfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour accompanied with high winds.
A swath of heavy snow is expected from Colorado to Michigan through Thursday. Some areas, especially across Kansas and Nebraska, could see 6 to 12 inches of snow. Chicago could pick up a few inches.
Nighttime tornadoes are possible Wednesday night into early Thursday morning from Arkansas to Tennessee and northern Mississippi.
On Thursday afternoon, severe storms forecast to blossom in Mississippi and Alabama where a few strong tornadoes are possible.
Ahead of the storms, record warm temperatures are expected for the Midwest and the East Coast. Numerous record warm temperatures are expected to be broken Wednesday and Thursday before more seasonable weather returns on Friday.
Some 200 records could be tied and broken through Friday.
Selena Gomez is thrilled to be featured in Vanity Fair and raved on Instagram how she’s dreamed of being on its cover since she was young. “Thank you for making this girls dream a reality,” she wrote.
David Guetta believes artificial intelligence’s influence in music will only grow, telling BBC, “I’m sure the future of music is in AI. For sure. There’s no doubt. But as a tool.”
Demi Lovato‘s song for Scream 6, “Still Alive,” arrives March 3. They shared the single’s promo art on Instagram.
Olivia Wilde raised eyebrows on Valentine’s Day after sharing a portion of a letter author John Steinbeck wrote to her Instagram Story. The excerpt reads, “There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind.” Fans are theorizing she was throwing shade at Harry Styles three months after they broke up.
Sam Smith toned down their performance of “Unholy” at the 2023 BRIT Awards, but NME reports 106 complaints about the performance were filed to Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s TV, radio and video regulating body. It wasn’t known what people were complaining about.
Speaking of Sam, Page Six reports Sam is dating fashion designer Christian Cowan and was seen front row at his Tuesday runway show at New York Fashion Week.
Behati Prinsloo shared how she spent her Valentine’s Day: husband Adam Levine wasn’t in the photo collage, but his Maroon 5 bandmate James Valentine andhis new wife, Alexis Novak, were. The pair, who were dressed as a bride and groom, eloped last week. Behati did share a close-up of a bouquet of roses, but she cropped out the card.
Marc Anthony just tied the knot with wife Nadia Ferreira, and now they’re expecting their first child together. They made a joint announcement on Instagram, saying, “Best Valentine’s Gift Ever!!!” Anthony is also father to twins Emme and Max with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez and sons Cristian and Ryan with former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres.
Olivia Wilde raised eyebrows on Valentine’s Day when she shared a portion of the 1958 letter author John Steinbeck wrote to his son to her Instagram Story. The excerpt reads, “There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind.” Fans are theorizing she was throwing shade at Harry Styles three months after they broke up.
Sam Smith toned down their performance of “Unholy” at the 2023 BRIT Awards, but NME reports 106 complaints about his performance were filed to Ofcom, a broadcasting regulator. It wasn’t known what people were complaining about.
Speaking of Sam, they have a rumored new boyfriend; the singer apparently supported him during New York Fashion Week. Page Six reports Sam is dating fashion designer Christian Cowan and was seen front row at his runway show.
Behati Prinsloo shared how she spent her Valentine’s Day: husband Adam Levine wasn’t featured in the photo collage, but his Maroon 5 bandmate James Valentine and his new wife, Alexis Novak, were. The pair, who were dressed as a bride and groom, eloped last week. Behati did share a close-up of a bouquet of roses, but she cropped out the card. She captioned the post, in all capital letters, “Valentine’s Day” with a black heart emoji.
A new teaser for the live-action film The Little Mermaid is here.
On Wednesday, Walt Disney Studios released the new look at the highly anticipated film starring Halle Bailey, who transforms into Ariel.
“Just 100 days until it arrives in theaters!” the announcement read.
In September 2022, Bailey told Good Morning America at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, that the upcoming film is a “twist on Ariel’s strength and powerfulness.”
“She’s just so strong in this film and I’m so grateful to play her,” she added.
Bailey, one half of the singing group Chloe X Halle, was cast in the role in July 2019.
Also starring alongside Bailey in the Rob Marshall-directed film is Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid premieres in theaters on May 26.
Saint Asonia guitarist Mike Mushok won’t be joining the band on the upcoming Rock Resurrection tour with Skillet and Theory of a Deadman.
In a tweet, the “Better Place” rockers write that Mushok’s absence is due to “extenuating circumstances.”
The statement continues, “He will be missed, but the rest of us have enlisted friend and highly talented guitarist Tavis Stanley (Adelitas Way/Art of Dying) to take on Mike’s parts.”
The tour begins February 17 in Gary, Indiana, and concludes March 26 in Los Angeles.
Mushok, of course, also plays guitar in Staind. He and ex-Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier formed Saint Asonia in 2015.
