The second season of CMT Storytellers premieres Thursday, February 16, at 10 p.m. ET, with an episode starring Kelsea Ballerini.
If you missed the livestream of Reba McEntire‘s concert at the grand opening of Reba’s Place in Atoka, Oklahoma, last Thursday, you can check out the full show on her YouTube channel.
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(WASHINGTON) — A massive spy balloon believed to be from China was seen above Montana on Thursday and is being tracked as it flies across the continental United States, with President Joe Biden ultimately deciding against “military options” because of the risk to civilians, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The high-altitude reconnaissance balloon was not the first such vessel to pass over the country in this way, a defense official said in a briefing.
A separate senior official told ABC News the balloon is the size of three buses and complete with a technology bay.
The defense official said they “are confident” the balloon was sent by China. “The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday.
“NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely,” Ryder said.
While the balloon’s purpose remains unclear, one outside expert predicted it was essentially scientific and set off course.
Retired Col. Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor, said the balloon appeared to be a standard research vessel — which would mean it was unpowered and drifted with the jet stream.
Separately, the senior defense official told reporters that “instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”
“It’s happened a handful of other times over the past few years …. It is appearing to hang out for a longer period of time this time around,” the defense official said.
The balloon was seen over Montana on Thursday and a U.S. official said F-22s were sent up the same day.
Biden was briefed about the balloon and “asked for military options,” the official said. The president agreed with the recommendation of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen D. VanHerck to not “take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.”
A senior administration official echoed that view and said in a statement, “We acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
“Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective,” the defense official said. “But we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that there was a ground stop in Billings, Montana, on Wednesday but an agency spokesperson did not share more details.
Military expert’s view
Ganyard predicted the balloon was an experiment gone awry.
Such balloons are not controlled after their release and while they are normally equipped with mechanisms to deflate over an open area, the mechanisms can fail, Ganyard said. So it’s possible the balloon would have drifted over from China after multiple days, rather than being nefariously deployed.
China intentionally deploying a reconnaissance balloon over the U.S. would be highly provocative, with little value, Ganyard said, noting that Chinese satellites are able to collect information in a similar manner.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile and MaryAlice Parks contributed to this report.
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(WASHINGTON) — A massive spy balloon from China is flying over the continental U.S., government officials said Thursday.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is flying over the continental United States right now,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters. “NORAD [North American Aerospace Defense Command] continues to track and monitor it closely.”
A senior defense official said they “are confident” the balloon was sent by the Chinese government — and this incident isn’t the first one.
“Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration,” the official said.
Earlier Thursday, a senior U.S. official described the balloon to ABC News as the size of three buses, with a technology bay.
President Joe Biden has been briefed about the balloon and “asked for military options,” the defense official said. Biden is following the recommendation of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen D. VanHerck to not “take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.”
“Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective. But we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information,” the defense official said.
The balloon was seen over Montana earlier Thursday, they said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that there was a ground stop in Billings, Montana, on Wednesday but an agency spokesperson did not share more details.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny whips into theaters on June 30, just shy of the 81st birthday of the movie’s star, Harrison Ford.
The leading man may be well past retirement age, but thanks to digital wizardry, the new movie will be showing both past and 1969-set “present” day adventures of the swashbuckling archeologist. Getting a chance to show what an Indy in his later years would be up to, Ford says, was “always” his goal.
“I always wanted to do it,” Ford told Variety on the red carpet of his Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking. “I wanted to do the rest of the story to see the end of his career.”
And while Indy famously said, “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage,” his real-life alter ego insists he’s finally done with the role. “It’s the last time for me,” Ford insisted.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was directed by Oscar nominee James Mangold and produced by Lucasfilm, which, like ABC News, is a subsidiary of Disney.
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Lizzo can celebrate a new victory. The U.S. Patent and Trademark office approved her application to trademark the phrase “100 percent that b****.”
A tribunal ruled Thursday that Lizzo owns the saying and can use it however she likes, including on merchandise. The singer famously used that phrase to open her 2019 hit song “Truth Hurts.”
It should be noted the singer didn’t actually create the phrase. The saying was once used as a viral meme and its true creator, Mina Lioness, has since been given songwriting credit on “Truth Hurts.”
Lizzo attempted to trademark the phrase after the song took off, but its fate was in limbo for literal years as the agency debated if the wording was unique enough to warrant trademark protection. Lizzo’s application was actually tossed last year, with the ruling saying the wording was too commonplace and that she didn’t have the right to appropriate it.
Billboard reports the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board reversed that decision because they believe Lizzo is inherently connected to the phrase. Part of their argument was that if a person were to read “100 percent that b****” on a shirt, they would most likely think of the rapper.
The ruling reads, “Consumers encountering ‘100% That B****’ on the specific types of clothing identified in the application ― even when offered by third parties ― associate the term with Lizzo and her music.”
The TTAB argued that Lizzo popularized a phrase, adding it was “lesser known” before it was featured on “Truth Hurts.”
“Lizzo did not originate the expression she encountered as a Twitter meme,” the ruling stated. “Nonetheless, lyrics from songs are more likely to be attributed to the artists who sing, rap or otherwise utter them, rather than the songwriters.”
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Chris Cornell‘s widow, Vicky Cornell, has shared a statement regarding Soundgarden‘s nomination to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In an Instagram post, Vicky writes, “Thank you Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for nominating Soundgarden for induction in 2023!”
“I know that Chris would be so proud and his fans will be so happy to see his band recognized and honored,” she continues. “On Chris’s behalf, I want to thank every one of you in advance for your love and support for his music and legacy.”
Soundgarden is on the ballot for the second time, following their first nod in 2020. Both nominations have come after Chris’ death in 2017.
Guitarist Kim Thayil previously told Billboard that the latest nomination is a “pleasant surprise.”
The 2023 Rock Hall inductees will be announced in May.
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Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Nickelback will headline this year’s Boots and Hearts festival in Canada.
Riley Green, BRELAND, Lauren Alaina, Blanco Brown, Bailey Zimmerman, Travis Denning, Kylie Morgan, Adam Doleac, Seaforth and many more round out the lineup for the August 10-13 event.
Known for being Canada’s largest camping festival, Boots and Hearts takes place in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds. You can find out more at BootsAndHearts.com.
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(PHILADELPHIA) — The Kelce brother’s Super Bowl fan section just keeps growing.
NFL players Jason and Travis Kelce are brothers, but on Feb. 12, they will be competitors during the Super Bowl LVII championship.
On an episode of their podcast, Jason Kelce, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, spoke to his younger brother, Travis Kelce, a player on the Kansas City Chiefs, and said his wife is bringing a special guest to the big game: her OB-GYN.
“Kylie’s bringing her OB because she’s going to be 38 weeks pregnant at the game. That could be a Super Kelce Bowl. If she has a baby in the stadium, it’s officially scripted,” Jason Kelce said on “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.”
Jason Kelce’s wife of five years, Kylie McDevitt, announced in September 2022 that they are expecting a third child, a baby girl. The couple already has two daughters, Wyatt, 3, and Eliotte, 22 months.
Jason and Travis Kelce are the first brothers to ever compete against each other in a Super Bowl. Both are offensive players for their respective teams, so they won’t be on the field at the same time during the competition, but they are both looking to claim their second Super Bowl titles.
Their parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, will also be in attendance, so while the Kelce family cheering section figures out seating arrangements, the question remains: Who’s going to root for who?
“My mom can’t lose. She’s gonna lose and she’s gonna win. She’ll focus on the positive, which is wrong because she should be there for the brother who loses,” Jason Kelce said during the podcast episode. “She’s a front-runner, it’s fine.”
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Justin Moore and Priscilla Block‘s new video, “You, Me and Whiskey,” premieres Thursday night, and from the looks of things, it’s gonna be a hot one.
A short, steamy clip Justin shared on Instagram shows a couple falling into bed, just before the romance starts and the clothes come off. You can tune in at 8:50 p.m. ET to check out the full video.
Justin and Priscilla will also be going live on YouTube for the premiere, just as they kick off The You, Me & Whiskey Tour in Rapid City, South Dakota.
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(MANILA, Philippines) — Seeking to deter China’s ambitions in the western Pacific, the U.S. and the Philippines have reached an agreement that will give the U.S. military access to four additional bases in the Philippines.
The agreement is the latest sign that both countries are reestablishing their military cooperation as concerns continue about China’s claims in the South China Sea and their stated intent to reclaim Taiwan, which it considers to be a breakaway province.
“That’s just part of our efforts to modernize our alliance, and these efforts are especially important as the People’s Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters during a visit to Manila, where the new deal was announced.
The new deal means that the U.S. military will now have access to nine Philippine military bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement where they can construct new facilities, preposition equipment, and rotate troops for training purposes.
The locations of the four additional bases that will be accessible to U.S. military personnel have not yet been finalized and were not not disclosed under the agreement.
But there has been speculation that some are located on the northern island of Luzon, where Manila is located, that at its northernmost tip the island is about 200 miles from Taiwan.
The U.S. military has focused its attention on redirecting its military presence and priority to the Pacific where China is seen by the Pentagon as its “pacing challenge” in the region.
Of mutual concern to the U.S. and the Philippines are China’s increasingly aggressive military exercises around Taiwan and its territorial claims in the South China Sea over the past decade, most notably in 2012 when China seized Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines.
Those concerns about China’s ambitions in the region spurred renewed military contacts between the U.S. and the Philippines that led to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2014 that granted U.S. access to five Philippine military bases.
The Philippines used to be home to large U.S. military bases including Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Force Base, but those facilities were closed in the early 1990s.
Currently, the U.S. has no permanent presence and about 500 military personnel rotate regularly into the country for training.
While both countries have a long-standing military alliance, the U.S. military relationship with the Philippines deteriorated under former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who courted China.
That relationship has improved since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took over in mid-2022.
Austin stressed on Thursday that the new agreement allowing access to four more bases does not mean that the U.S. is permanently stationing forces in the Philippines.
“It’s about providing access that allows us to increase our training opportunities with our partners, our allies here,” he told reporters in Manila. “It’s about having the ability to respond in a more effective fashion as we’re faced — as we’re collectively faced with humanitarian assistance issues or natural — or disaster response issues.”
“This is an opportunity to increase our effectiveness, increase interoperability. It is not about permanent basing,” he said.
“But it is a big deal. It’s a really big deal, in that, you know, it provides us the opportunity, again, to interact a bit more in an effective way,” he added.
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