Drake‘s betting habits have been well documented, so it’s no surprise he put a wager on the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. According to a screenshot on his Instagram Story ahead of the game, he’d put up $1.1 million for the Chiefs: “Big Sunday let’s buy mama something nice.”
The Chiefs’ victory earned him a payout of more than $2 million.
Drake’s win comes a month after he reportedly lost $1 million betting that Argentina would beat France in the 2022 World Cup final.
The Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl February 12.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is expected to pose two questions to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a Wednesday meeting and will challenge him to commit to avoiding a catastrophic default and unveil a specific, detailed and comprehensive budget, according to a White House memo obtained first by ABC News.
The highly anticipated meeting comes amid an ongoing standoff over the debt limit.
According to the memo, the president is expected to ask McCarthy if he will “commit to the bedrock principle that the United States will never default on its financial obligations” and whether he agrees with “former presidents, including Presidents Trump and Reagan, that it is critical to avoid debt limit brinksmanship.”
The memo — written by senior advisers Brian Deese and Shalanda Young — notes President Biden will release a budget on March 9 and challenges McCarthy to do the same.
“It is essential that Speaker McCarthy likewise commit to releasing a budget, so that the American people can see how House Republicans plan to reduce the deficit – whether through Social Security cuts; cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage; and/or cuts to research, education, and public safety – as well as how much their Budget will add to the deficit with tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, as in their first bill this year.”
McCarthy responded to the memo in a statement on Tuesday, writing: “Mr. President: I received your staff’s memo. I’m not interested in political games. I’m coming to negotiate for the American people.”
Republicans in the House have insisted on deep spending cuts in exchange for their cooperation on raising the debt ceiling.
The Republican Study Committee, which represents the largest group of Republicans in the House, previously called for revisions to Social Security and Medicare including raising the age for Medicare to 67 and Social Security to the age of 70 for younger workers.
But McCarthy recently said any cuts to Social Security and Medicare would be “off the table.”
McCarthy pointed to the “Commitment to America” plan presented by Republicans before the midterms, which he said “strengthens” Medicare and Social Security. The White House has accused McCarthy of being “evasive” on his plan for government spending.
Pressed on what he meant by “strengthen” and whether he would seek to raise the retirement age — McCarthy said: “No, no, no. What I’m talking about Social Security, Medicare, you keep that to the side.”
“I want to find a reasonable and a responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling but take control of this runaway spending,” McCarthy said.
Meanwhile, the White House has repeatedly said Biden will not negotiate or compromise by tying a debt limit increase to spending cuts, with the administration pointing to the bipartisan history of the ceiling being increased by both parties over the years.
“Attempts to exploit the debt ceiling as leverage will not work,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier this month. “There will be no hostage taking.”
Earlier this month, McCarthy made it clear he was holding firm.
“For the president to say he wouldn’t even negotiate — that’s irresponsible. We’re going to be responsible. We’re going to be sensible, and we’re going to get this done together. So the longer he waits, the more he puts the fiscal jeopardy of America up for grabs,” McCarthy told ABC News’ Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott earlier this month. “We should sit down and get this done and stop playing politics,” he added.
The debt limit doesn’t allow government spending on new programs — instead it allows the U.S. to borrow any money it needs to pay for the nation’s existing bills.
The federal government hit the current debt ceiling, about $31.4 trillion earlier this month prompting the Treasury Department to step in with “extraordinary measures” which will allow the nation to avert a catastrophic default until June.
“President Biden will ask Speaker McCarthy to publicly assure the American people and the rest of the world that the United States will, as always, honor all of its financial obligations,” the memo states.
Editor’s note: This article has been revised to reflect an updated memo released by the administration.
The Moody Blues’ John Lodge has added a special show to his upcoming Days of Future Passed tour, which will have him playing the band’s second album in its entirety.
Lodge is set to play a special symphony show with the Coachella Symphony on March 26 at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater in Rancho Mirage, California, which will wrap his winter 2023 tour. This will be his only symphony show on the tour. Tickets are on sale now.
“The Coachella Valley Symphony approached me and asked me to perform Days of Future Passed with them at their new home at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, and it intrigued me,” Lodge shares. “I had been developing a full orchestra concert, but it was something for the future. However, they are a passionate community music organization, and Alan (Hewitt, LODGE’s music director and keyboardist) knew them from when he lived there, and so it seemed like a wonderful way to step my feet into the water, and a fabulous finale to the tour.”
Lodge’s tour is set to kick off February 18 in Lexington, Massachusetts. He’ll be joined by his 10,000 Light Years Band, with a guest appearance by his friend and current Yes frontman Jon Davison.The show will also feature a special recording by the late Moody Blues drummer and co-founder, Graeme Edge.
(WASHINGTON) — The Environmental Protection Agency has vetoed a controversial proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska.
Pebble Limited Partnership, the company that would control the mine commonly known as Pebble Mine, argues it would bring economic opportunity to the Bristol Bay region of Alaska. However, the location of the mine and the infrastructure needed for it to become operational is the focus of a coalition of local Alaska Natives, fishermen and conservation groups concerned about the environmental impact it would have on the Bristol Bay watershed, which is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.
“After extensive review of scientific and technical research spanning two decades, and robust stakeholder engagement, EPA has determined that certain discharges associated with developing the Pebble deposit will have unacceptable adverse effects on certain salmon fishery areas in the Bristol Bay watershed,” the EPA said in a statement Monday.
The EPA, citing the Clean Water Act, said it has the authority to veto the project because of the impact of “certain discharges of dredged or fill material associated with development of a mine at the Pebble deposit.”
Pebble Limited Partnership said it will fight the EPA’s decision, which it said will hurt the economic opportunity for local residents.
“Today’s action by the EPA to preemptively veto the proposed Pebble Project is unlawful and unprecedented. For well over a decade, we have argued that fair treatment under the rules and regulations of the U.S should be followed for Pebble or any other development project,” Pebble Limited Partnership CEO John Shively said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Biden EPA continues to ignore fair and due process in favor of politics. This preemptive action against Pebble is not supported legally, technically, or environmentally. As such, the next step will likely be to take legal action to fight this injustice.
“Pebble development can be done in an environmentally responsible manner without harm to the Bristol Bay fishery,” Shively’s statement continued. “Unfortunately, EPA’s decision ignores their purported commitment to environmental justice as it dashes the hopes of hundreds of local Native Americans for a brighter economic future.”
The Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit application for Pebble Mine in 2020, a decision that was later appealed by Pebble Limited Partnership. Using the details provided in that permit application, in December 2022, the EPA’s local administrator suggested a veto of the mine, due to how the company planned to discharge materials “for the construction and routine operation of the mine.”
The EPA said the region near the proposed project is home to 25 Alaska Native villages and communities and “is an area of unparalleled ecological value, with salmon diversity and productivity unrivaled anywhere in North America.”
In an unusual move shortly after the recommendation to veto the mine proposal, an Alaskan Native group sold land it owns near Pebble Mine for $20 million as “conservation easements,” which under Alaskan law prevents any future development at those sites. These easements would block the construction of a key transportation road that mine developers planned to build.
The money from the easements will go to the Pedro Bay Corporation, an Alaska Native village corporation that owns land where part of the transportation road to the mine would be built. Pedro Bay Corporation shareholders are Alaska Natives who inhabit the eastern shore of Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay region and have a vested interest in not only the economic prosperity of the region but also in maintaining their cultural traditions.
Pedro Bay Corporation has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
Funding for the conservation easements was raised from a variety of donors in an effort spearheaded by The Conservation Fund. The president and CEO of the Conservation Fund, Larry Selzer, told ABC News this money will compensate the Pedro Bay Corporation for the appraised value of the land, taking into consideration the economic opportunities future development projects like Pebble Mine would bring to the region if they moved forward.
However, the prospect of job opportunities and other economic benefits from Pebble Mine are not the only reason Pebble Limited Partnership said they want to mine there. Some of the metals that would be extracted from Pebble Mine are essential for a transition to renewable energy sources, which is considered a key part in the global effort to mitigate against the effects of climate change.
“The copper at Pebble could provide a critical metal necessary for the substantial increase in renewable sources of energy which require significant amounts of mined materials in order to meet the nation’s stated goals for renewable energy,” Mike Heatwole, a Pebble Limited Partnership spokesperson, told ABC News.
“A prime question for policymakers is whether we want to produce these minerals domestically under the most stringent environmental standards or if we intend to turn a blind eye and get the metals from other countries,” Heatwole added.
The executive director of the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, Tim Troll, was also involved in the purchase of the conservation easements, which the land trust now holds. The exact locations for the easements were chosen to protect two rivers and a creek that feeds into Lake Iliamna. All of them are considered to be important bodies of water for the salmon habitat.
In an interview with ABC News, Troll cited a specific concern for “fugitive dust,” a term used to describe small particles that pollute the air as well as water ecosystems, which he said trucks using the transportation road for mining activities could release into the environment.
Selzer said the Conservation Fund balances economic and environmental objectives carefully, and is not anti-mining, acknowledging the role it will play in a transition to greener energy systems.
But Selzer said that there is no safe way to build Pebble Mine due to seismic activity in the region and its proximity to the Bristol Bay watershed.
“There are other places to mine,” Selzer told ABC News. “There are not other places to fish salmon at this scale.”
Last year, Kate Bush‘s 1985 song “Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)” topped charts worldwide thanks to its inclusion in the Netflix hit Stranger Things. But it looks like Linda Ronstadt may be the latest artist to have a decades-old hit revived by a TV show.
Linda’s 1970 hit “Long, Long Time” plays a pivotal role in the emotional third episode of the HBO series The Last of Us, which aired on Sunday night. On Monday, Spotify News tweeted, “On Sunday, January 29th, between 11PM and midnight ET, there was more than 4900% increase in U.S. streams of ‘Long Long Time’ by Linda Ronstadt.”
“Oh, so all of our hearts were breaking last night,” read the caption.
“Long, Long Time,” written by Gary White, appeared on Ronstadt’s 1970 album, Silk Purse. It peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance. The ballad was Linda’s first Top 40 solo hit; she’d previously reached #13 with “Different Drum,” recorded with her former band Stone Poneys.
It remains to be seen if, like “Running Up that Hill,” the song will eventually make its way back onto the Billboard charts and radio stations.
(WASHINGTON) — Jason Lewis, the man accused of shooting 13-year-old Karon Blake outside his home earlier this month, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed, according to Washington, D.C., police.
Blake was shot and killed after an alleged interaction with Lewis, who said he saw Blake appear to be “tampering with” with cars shortly before 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.
The family of Blake has been calling for criminal charges in the case, including at a public forum attended by a police representative. Authorities have only said the investigation was ongoing and police were working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
If convicted, the commission of second-degree murder while armed with a gun includes a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in addition to the penalty for second-degree murder.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in the days following the shooting that Lewis was a D. C. government employee, but did not specify what department.
Bowser said that despite being mayor since 2015, she did not know the man personally but said he did not work in public service. She said he was a long-time government employee. During her remarks, she noted that the body-worn camera from the police officer’s response would not be released as the investigation continues.
“It’s a horrible situation,” Bowser said on Jan. 11. “And we had a 13-year-old that died and we don’t have all the facts and the people who are responsible for gathering the facts [and] make charging decisions are doing it just as fast as possible. And so that is a very uncomfortable place we’re at but it is also the necessary place to get to just decisions.”
Lewis’ gun was registered, according to police.
Sean Long, Blake’s grandfather, told ABC News on Jan. 13 that the shooter should have called police instead of taking the law into his own hands.
“Everybody sneaks outside. Everybody go outside. Everybody do bad things,” Long said. “But that don’t mean that you’re supposed to be killed. They don’t mean that somebody supposed to put a gun on you. That don’t mean cause you touch a car someone look out their window and shoot you.”
Ward 5 Council Member Zachary Parker had called for charges in the shooting as well.
“No car or material possession is worth a life — under any circumstances,” Parker told ABC News in a statement just after the shooting. “I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon’s life.”
Blondie’s single “The Tide Is High” became their third number one song. The track was a remake of a 1967 rocksteady song originally recorded by Jamaican group The Paragons.
In addition to the U.S., “The Tide Is High” also went on to top the charts in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and landed in the Top Five in Australia, South Africa, and several European countries.
Blondie’s previous number ones included “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass.”
“The Tide Is High” was the lead single from Blondie’s fifth studio album, Autoamerican, which later produced another number one hit, “Rapture.”
(WASHINGTON) — Embattled GOP Rep. George Santos told House Republicans during a closed door meeting on Tuesday that he would recuse himself from sitting on any committees, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Santos was recently assigned two committees — the House Small Business Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Leaving the House Republican meeting, Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed that Santos said he would recuse himself from committees but indicated if he were to fill the committee seats, it would be on a temporary basis.
“If I fill them it will be on a temporary basis. He’ll be able to get committees back once he’s cleared,” McCarthy said.
A spokesperson for Santos’ office told ABC News, “The congressman is reserving his seats on his assigned committees until he has been properly cleared of both campaign and personal financial investigations.”
Santos was elected in November to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District but by the time he was sworn in, he was under a cloud of controversy for fabricating much of his resume. He now also faces several investigations into his campaign’s finances.
McCarthy reiterated that the House Ethics Committee will have questions about many of those concerns and once he answers those questions he may be able to be seated on committees.
“I think it was an appropriate decision that until he can clear everything up he’s off the committees,” McCarthy said, adding that they discussed the matter during a meeting on Monday.
McCarthy wouldn’t say explicitly whether he encouraged Santos to step aside from his committee assignments but told reporters, “I think we had a good discussion inside the meeting” and said Santos found this decision was the best way forward.
Santos was assigned to the two House panels earlier this month despite calls for his resignation by Democrats and at least seven Republicans.
McCarthy has declined to join calls for Santos to step down, stating he will treat him like any other member of the House.
“I will hold him to the same standard I hold anyone else elected to Congress,” McCarthy told reporters last week. “If he has broken the law then we will remove him, but it is not my role. I believe in the rule of law.”
Santos’ committee assignments were also the subject of scrutiny given McCarthy blocked Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. McCarthy is also seeking to remove Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Santos himself has remained defiant against stepping down.
When asked by ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott Tuesday if he was now considering resigning, he replied, “No, I’m not.”
Metaphysic’s performance on ‘AGT’ — NBC/Trae Patton
Hollywood stars have always tried to beat back the hands of time, but a new partnership could mean your favorite celebrities will stay as you remembered them forever.
Specifically, the company Metaphysic has inked a deal with CAA, the talent agency that represents a who’s who of A-listers, including George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston, “to develop generative AI tools and services for global talent.”
In the announcement, it was noted, “Through this partnership, Metaphysic and CAA will work together to unlock creative possibilities for artists using AI across film, television, and entertainment.”
Metaphysic’s deepfake tool Metaphysic Live came to Hollywood’s attention thanks to America’s Got Talent, when the tech company resurrected Elvis Presley for a “live” performance in 2022.
The possibilities with linking up with an agency full of living stars are virtually limitless, from digital de-aging to, basically, true immortality.
In a statement, CAA’s chief metaverse officer Joanna Popper said the partnership could “unlock an incredible opportunity for the entertainment industry and beyond.”
For now, however, Metaphysic will partner with Oscar-winning Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis and that film’s stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for a Miramax movie called Here. The adaptation of Richard McGuire‘s graphic novel will utilize Metaphysic Live to de-age the actors, as the story takes place in one setting over a number of years.
The Smashing Pumpkins have released the second act in the band’s three-part “rock opera” album, Atum.
The 11-song batch, which includes the lead single “Beguiled,” is available now via digitqal outlets.
As previously reported, Atum is described as the sequel to the Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and Machina/The Machines of God albums. In total, Atum consists of 33 tracks divided into three acts; the first dropped in November, while the third arrives on April 21.
If that’s not enough Smashing Pumpkins for you, a vinyl box set edition of Atum will be available on April 21 with 10 more bonus tracks.
