(NEW YORK) — Tom Brady announced his retirement — again — in a video on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” the 45-year-old quarterback said in the video. “You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.”
“Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing,” Brady said.
The NFL great said his retirement this time is “for good.” He briefly retired after last season only to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more season.
On Feb. 1, 2022, when Brady first announced his retirement after 22 seasons in the NFL, he said, “I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things.”
One month later, Brady unretired, and said he was returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs struggled much of the season, including losing 5 of 6 games for a stretch in September and October.
The Bucs rallied late in the season to win the NFC South despite a losing record, but were soundly defeated by the Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.
In October 2022, Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s divorce was announced. Bündchen wrote, “The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”
Brady and Bündchen had been married for 13 years and share two children. Brady also has an older son from his previous relationship with Bridget Moynahan.
Brady spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowls. He then spent three seasons playing for the Buccaneers, leading them to a Super Bowl win in 2021.
He had one of his worst seasons in 2022, with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His 52.4 QBR was the lowest of his career since the stat began in 2006.
Nonetheless, Brady will go down as the most prolific quarterback in NFL history, with the most career passing touchdowns (649), completions (7,753), passing yards (89,214), game-winning drives (58) and games started (333).
Ozzy Osbourne has announced that his touring days are officially over.
In a message he called “probably one of the hardest things” he’s ever shared with his “loyal fans,” the 74-year-old Prince of Darkness explained health reasons were behind the difficult decision.
“As you may all know, four years ago, this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine,” Ozzy explained. “My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”
Osbourne continued, “I am honestly humbled by the way you’ve all patiently held onto your tickets for all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/UK tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required.”
Ozzy continued, “Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really F***S ME UP, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.”
The former Black Sabbath frontman left the door open for other options that could allow him to “perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.”
He concluded the message by saying, “I want to thank my family……my band…….my crew……my longtime friends, Judas Priest, and of course, my fans for their endless dedication, loyalty, and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have. I love you all.”
Ticket refunds are now available at point of purchase, the message noted.
Ozzy Osbourne has announced that his touring days are officially over.
In a message he called “probably one of the hardest things” he’s ever shared with his “loyal fans,” the 75-year-old Prince of Darkness explained health reasons were behind the difficult decision.
“As you may all know, four years ago, this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine,” Ozzy explained. “My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”
Osbourne continued, “I am honestly humbled by the way you’ve all patiently held onto your tickets for all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/UK tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required.”
Ozzy continued, “Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really F***S ME UP, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.”
The former Black Sabbath frontman left the door open for other options that could allow him to “perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.”
He concluded the message by saying, “I want to thank my family……my band…….my crew……my longtime friends, Judas Priest, and of course, my fans for their endless dedication, loyalty, and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have. I love you all.”
Ticket refunds are now available at point of purchase, the message noted.
Missy Elliott and A Tribe Called Quest are among the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2023 class. The two were named among a group of 14 people, including stars Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Cydni Lauper, Willie Nelson and Rage Against the Machine.
Missy is nominated for the first time during her first year of eligibility. Her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, turned 25 last year, meeting the requirement that an artist’s first commercial recording has to be released at least 25 years before their nomination.
Tribe, on the contrary, was previously nominated for the 2022 class. Inductees will be announced in May.
Two ’80s pop icons and one ’90s pop-rock staple are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023: Cyndi Lauper, George Michael and Sheryl Crow.
Cyndi has sold over 50 million records worldwide, and her 1983 debut album, She’s So Unusual, was the first debut by a female artist to spin off four top-five hits. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she’s three-quarters of the way to an EGOT, having already won an Emmy, a Tony and several Grammys.
George Michael ruled the charts in the early ’80s as half of Wham!,then went on to become one of the best-selling solo artists of all time, with eight number-one songs, two Grammys and numerous other awards. He was also an LGBTQ rights activist and philanthropist.
Sheryl’s 1993 debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club, made her a star thanks to the hit song “All I Wanna Do.” The anti-war and gun control activist’s blend of pop, rock, blues, folk and country has earned her nine Grammys overall, and she’s sold over 50 million records.
In all, eight of this year’s 14 nominees are making their debut on the ballot, including country legend Willie Nelson, late singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, R&B icon Missy Elliott, rockers The White Stripes and influential post-punk band Joy Division, jointly nominated with their later incarnation, New Order.
The nominees returning to the ballot for another try include Kate Bush,grunge icons Soundgarden, rap metal stars Rage Against the Machine, R&B legends The Spinners and British heavy metal heroes Iron Maiden.
Now through April 28, fans can vote online daily at vote.rockhall.com. The top five artists chosen in the vote will make up a “fans’ ballot,” which will be added to the tally to determine the inductees.
The final Class of 2023 will be announced in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall — dates and ticket information will be announced later.
Nominees for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have been revealed, with Cyndi Lauper,the late George Michael, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson and the late Warren Zevon in the running this year.
Other nominees include The Spinners, Sheryl Crow, Joy Division/New Order, Missy Elliott, Rage Againstthe Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Iron Maiden.
“This remarkable list of Nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, says. “These artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”
Many of this year’s contenders are receiving their first nomination this year, including Lauper, Michael, Nelson, Zevon, Crow and Joy Division/New Order, with The White Stripes and Missy Elliott landing their first nod in their first year of eligibility.
Fan voting is open now through April 28 at rockhall.com, and the top five vote-getters will quality for the “fan’s ballot,” which will help determine this year’s inductees. This year’s Hall of Fame class will be announced in May.
(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve is set to announce on Wednesday whether it will impose another interest rate hike, the central bank’s latest move in a months-long fight that has eased inflation but risks plunging the U.S. into a recession.
The Fed has put forward a string of borrowing cost increases as it tries to slash price hikes by slowing the economy and choking off demand. The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. economy into a downturn and putting millions out of work.
At a meeting in December, the Fed raised its short-term borrowing rate a half-percentage point, pulling back from three consecutive 0.75% increases and signaling confidence that sky-high inflation could be brought down to normal levels.
Economists expect the Fed to continue softening its approach with a 0.25% rate hike on Wednesday.
The decision comes weeks after a government report showed that inflation slowed in December, marking six consecutive months of easing price increases.
Consumer prices rose 6.5% over the year-long period ending in December, which amounts to a significant slowdown from a summer peak but remains more than triple the Fed’s target inflation rate of 2%.
Cooling inflation has spurred optimism that the U.S. economy may avert a recession. In a report on Monday, the International Monetary Fund projected that U.S. economic growth would slow this year but that the U.S. could still avoid a downturn.
Further, government data last week showed that the U.S. economy grew robustly at the end of last year, defying concerns about an imminent recession.
Still, most economists expect a recession later this year, as interest rate hikes weigh on the economy, according to a survey released by Bloomberg last week. Forecasters expect gross domestic product to fall over the second and third quarters of this year, the survey found.
Growing evidence suggests the Fed’s rate hikes have put the brakes on some economic activity.
Home sales fell for the 11th consecutive month in December, reaching their lowest rate since November 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Meanwhile, U.S. retail sales fell in December, ending the typically busy holiday shopping season with a whimper. Year-over-year retail sales dropped by about 1% last month, extending a nearly identical fall in November.
So far, however, the labor market has proven resilient, buoying the hopes of policymakers seeking to cool prices without causing significant job losses.
In December, employers added 233,000 jobs and wages grew a strong 4.6% compared to a year earlier.
(DONETSK REGION, Eastern Ukraine) — Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian positions in eastern Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin presses for gains on the battlefield ahead of the one-year anniversary of the war towards the end of this month.
Ukrainian and Russian forces remain locked in a brutal battle in and around the eastern city of Bakhmut.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian army said its positions in that area had been shelled 151 times during the previous 24 hours. Russian claims that its forces had surrounded the city were denied by Ukrainian officials.
However, Russia has also started a more sustained assault to the south on another frontline town called Vuhledar, according to both Ukrainian and Western officials.
Images circulating on social media show that the town has been pummeled by Russian artillery and Western officials said Russia had made “creeping gains” in that area.
Russia’s offensive in Vuhledar, they thought, could be an attempt to force the Ukrainians to move resources away from the battle in Bakhmut.
“It’s a devastating First World War-like environment” Western officials told journalists at a briefing on Tuesday, adding that both sides were sustaining “really heavy casualties.”
Medics at a Ukrainian army field hospital situated a few miles from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine told ABC News last Thursday that they are currently receiving “dozens of casualties” every day.
As Russia attempts to push forward, it has recently enjoyed some “tactical successes” in eastern Ukraine, according to Western officials.
However, the officials claimed there is still broad “parity” between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the battle zone and argued that Russia still does not have the means to commit significant additional resources into the fight to tip the balance.
That said, Ukraine and its Western allies are in a race against time.
The U.S. and its NATO partners are working to get new weaponry, including advanced Western tanks into Ukraine.
More than a hundred German-made Leopard 2 tanks and British Challenger 2 tanks could take “months” to reach the battlefield, say officials.
Ukrainian forces are also potentially more vulnerable to Russian attacks now because some of its best soldiers are resting and training on new Western weaponry ahead of a likely Ukrainian offensive in the coming weeks or months.
The Russians are also preparing for an “imminent offensive,” said the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in one of its recent reports, stating that its assessment came from “western, Ukrainian and Russian sources.”
However, the uptick in Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine did not mean a major Russian offensive was already underway, Western officials told journalists.
If Russia wants to launch a successful offensive, it will need to mobilize more soldiers, via a fresh draft, the officials claimed.
“The Russians’ ability to supply their troops and provide appropriate logistics to their forces in the battle zone limits their ability to change the course of the conflict,” they told reporters on Tuesday.
(WASHINGTON) — When President Joe Biden sits down with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the Oval Office Wednesday, he says he’ll tell the GOP leader: “Show me your budget; I’ll show you mine.”
The highly anticipated meeting, the first the two men will hold since McCarthy narrowly won the speakership last month, comes amid an ongoing standoff over the national debt limit.
The president told reporters Monday that would be his message for McCarthy, who has insisted on budget cuts in exchange for Republican support to lift the debt ceiling — and avoid a catastrophic default.
The White House has repeatedly said it would not negotiate with Republicans — that the stakes for the U.S. economy were too high, and that the limit had been raised 74 times before, including with Republican support under then-President Donald Trump.
But on Tuesday, the president suggested he was open to talking. Asked if he would negotiate with the speaker during Wednesday’s meeting, which is scheduled to take place at 3:15 p.m., Biden responded simply, “Show me his budget.”
The president has long cast himself as a dealmaker, eager to sit down with Republicans to reach bipartisan agreements. At a fundraiser in New York on Tuesday, Biden referred to McCarthy as “a decent man.”
But he has also lambasted congressional Republicans as “extreme” and said McCarthy had given in to that faction to take control.
“Look at what he had to do,” the president said Tuesday. “He had to make commitments that were just absolutely off the wall for a speaker of the House to make in terms of being able to become a leader.”
Responding to Biden’s comments at the fundraiser, McCarthy said, “apparently he doesn’t understand.”
“I’m looking forward to sitting down with the president negotiating for the American public — the people of America — on how we can find savings,” McCarthy said.
When asked if he planned to make Biden a specific offer, McCarthy said, “I think we’re gonna sit down and negotiate.”
That public posturing was only the latest salvo launched between the two men.
Earlier Tuesday, McCarthy told reporters that he was “willing to sit down” with Biden “and finally get this done long before the debt limit hits its point that we have to get something done.”
“Because why would you put the economics of America in jeopardy?” he said. “Why would you play political games?”
McCarthy has noted he and Biden had “met many times prior to him being president,” although “not as often as being president.”
He said Tuesday the White House should “say they’re willing to negotiate, because the only irresponsible way is to play a political game and say, we’re not going to talk about it. It sounds pretty childish to me.”
Earlier in the day, top White House officials wrote in a memo that Biden planned to pose two questions to McCarthy during the meeting.
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,” according to the memo, which was first obtained by ABC News.
The authors of the memo — the president’s top economic adviser, Brian Deese, and the director of the White House budget office, Shalanda Young — noted Biden planned to release a budget on March 9. They challenged McCarthy to do the same.
“It is essential,” they wrote, “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.”
In response, McCarthy wrote in a statement Tuesday: “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.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has expressed support for McCarthy.
“We’re all behind Kevin,” he said Tuesday. “Wishing him well in the negotiations.”
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 last 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 last 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 stated.
(WASHINGTON) — Republicans on Wednesday will take their first opportunity of the new Congress to illustrate what they call a protracted migration crisis across the southwestern border caused by overly lax policies of the Biden administration.
“How many illegal aliens will cross the southern border this month?” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who will lead a committing hearing, asked on Twitter last week.
To answer Jordan’s question: The number of illegal border crossings has recently declined, a data point that undermines the GOP narrative. This past week, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the pace of border apprehensions dropped to the lowest rate since February 2021 — to about 5,000 per day. That’s down from levels as high as 8,000 to 9,000 in December, according to DHS, and sources tell ABC News the downward trend continues to hold for now.
Regardless, Republicans are expected to continue deriding the administration over its latest efforts to pair a border crackdown with new, narrow pathways for certain migrants to seek relief.
A group of mostly-GOP led states has sued the administration over its latest parole program expansion which allows up to 30,000 vetted migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela to apply for temporary parole and a chance to seek more permanent humanitarian relief. Democrats have long supported pathways for asylum seekers with some saying more can be done to support those fleeing violence.
“We need to establish a safe and orderly way for people to be able to get processed and, and be able to seek asylum,” said Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, which is planning its own border hearing later in February.
Along with the parole programs, Mexico has agreed to accept the return of up to 30,000 migrants from those four countries. For now, the administration is relying on the controversial Trump-era order under Title 42 of the U.S. health code which allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants from the border.
“I believe that expansion of Title 42 is something that is being implemented in order to slow Republican political attacks on immigrants and on the administration,” Casar said. “I think that’s a mistake.”
Whether Title 42 is in fact expanded will depend on migrants continuing to attempt unauthorized border crossings. Given the message sent by an enhanced enforcement posture, combined with the opportunity to seek admission away from the border, the declines seen so far in January are an encouraging sign for the Biden administration.
Wednesday’s hearing will feature Judge Dale Lynn Carruthers of Terrell County, Texas, who has likened the historic level of unauthorized migration across the southwest to an “invasion.”
Far-right extremists have towed a similar line. Authorities documented anti-immigrant motivations and “invasion” rhetoric in connection with 2019 El Paso Walmart shooter Patrick Crusius, who killed 23 people and wounded dozens more. Crusius said he traveled to El Paso to stop what he called “the Hispanic invasion” of Texas.
Another committee witness, Mark Dannels, Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona, has called the Biden administration’s approach to immigration policy “open borders by design” regardless of the continued implementation of Title 42.
Despite progress made to reduce illegal crossings, a growing number of migrants have been turning to the seas — showing up in south Florida. Seasonal weather patterns and storms in the Caribbean can slow migration temporarily and may indicate a false sign of progress.
This week the Biden administration announced the upcoming formal end of the COVID-19 health emergency. After attempting to repeal Title 42 border expulsion order, the Biden administration has been blocked by groups of GOP-led states from fully repealing the emergency policy.
The broader end of the government’s pandemic emergency declaration could serve as another attempt at rescinding the policy that has received significant criticism from the left. Immigrant advocates deride the administration for continuing to implement a program which allows for the sharp curtailment of humanitarian protections for migrants across Central and South America fleeing targeted violence.
