(WASHINGTON) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff departed Thursday for Poland and Germany on a six-day trip that is aimed at Holocaust education and remembrance as well as combating antisemitism worldwide, according to senior administration officials.
Emhoff’s events will focus on honoring the victims of the Holocaust and see “the Second Gentleman educating the public on the true nature of the Holocaust,” one official said.
Notable stops include visits in Poland to the Auschwitz death camp on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Friday, and to Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory museum on Saturday.
Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, will also aim to address antisemitism globally, particularly amid what advocates have warned is a spike in recent years.
“While some of those before us in government, in this fight, may have been able to travel abroad to discuss the issue of antisemitism globally, without the need to spend much time on antisemitism in the United States, we can no longer do so,” one administration official told reporters Wednesday, previewing the trip.
“Modern technology and internet, with social media in particular, allows ideas to spread with unprecedented rapidity. Hatred now faces no borders, and we will take an all-of-government and all-societal approach to combat that hate,” the official added.
While Emhoff’s trip will also aim to strengthen relationships with European allies on this issue, the second gentleman is not expected to deliver new policy proposals or deliverables.
“I would also think of it in many ways as a listening session,” one official said, nothing it’s more important than ever to share ideas for best steps forward as the number of living Holocaust survivors continues to dwindle.
“The trip is about reflecting on what we know is a dark, difficult history and then renewing our commitment to take action in current times,” the official said.
Officials said the trip was designed “to trace the trajectory of Jewish life in Europe, past, present and future.”
Emhoff will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and state museum on Friday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, attending a ceremony alongside some Holocaust survivors. Then, he will attend a Shabbat dinner with members of the Jewish community in Krakow, Poland.
He is scheduled to visit Schindler’s factory museum on Saturday, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the iconic film “Schindler’s List,” which was inspired by Schindler’s efforts to shield Jews during World War II.
Later that day, Emhoff will also meet with Ukrainian refugees in Krakow, officials said.
On Sunday, the second gentlemen will tour the historic Jewish Quarter of Krakow and visit Galicia, Poland, before heading on to Berlin, where he will meet with various European officials engaged in combating antisemitism in a “convening of Special Envoy coordinators.”
Emhoff will gather Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders to hold an interfaith discussion on Tuesday in Berlin and make stops at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial and other historic sites.
(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) — Two men have been arrested in the slaying of 11-year-old Brexialee Torres-Ortiz, who was shot dead while walking home after buying milk near her home, authorities announced Thursday.
Two of the three suspects believed to be involved in the Jan. 16 shooting, an 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, were arrested Wednesday on charges including second-degree murder, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile announced at a news conference Thursday. They were arraigned Thursday morning, Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said.
The third suspect, a 16-year-old, is known to police and is a resident at a juvenile facility in the New York City area, where he was placed by a family court judge, Fitzpatrick said.
He was “on a furlough from the facility” on the day Brexialee was killed, Fitzpatrick said.
“We will be addressing more information about him at such time he’s in custody,” he said.
Brexialee had just left a corner store that was about 100 yards from her apartment when she was shot by gunmen in a car who were firing at someone else, authorities said. A 19-year-old man was also shot at the scene and survived, the chief said.
Police zeroed in on the suspects after identifying the stolen car that the shots were fired from, the chief said.
Brexialee, president of her fifth grade class and part of her school’s high honors program, “was an extraordinary young lady,” the chief said Thursday.
“The stories we started to hear about her taking care of her classmates … [she was] their advocate so they could succeed the way she was succeeding,” Cecile said.
Elton John’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin is ready to tell his story. The songwriter just announced he’s releasing his memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton & Me, on September 12.
“I loved writing, I loved chronicling life and every moment I was cogent, sober, or blitzed,” Bernie shared. “I was forever feeding off my surroundings, making copious notes as ammunition for future compositions.” He added, “The thing is good, bad, or indifferent I never stopped writing, it was as addictive as any drug.”
According to Hachette Books, which is publishing the memoir, Taupin’s story will be told “in a non-linear yet grounded narrative,” noting it “allows the reader to witness events unfolding from Taupin’s singular perspective, sometimes front and center, sometimes from the edge, yet always described vibrantly, with an infectious energy that only a vivid songwriter’s prose could offer.”
Billboard and Vibe have been slowly unveiling their choices for the best 50 rappers of all time. They recently revealed numbers 21 through 30, a combination of living and deceased emcees.
Coming in at #30 is Lauryn Hill, who the outlets say “has influenced a host of hip-hop artists over the decades.” Pusha T secured the 29th position, followed in reverse order by The Roots‘ Black Thought, whose music they say is a “masterclass on lyricism,” Q-Tip, Big Pun at #26, Method Man, KRS-One, Kurtis Blow, Ghostface Killah and finally, the late DMX.
As of now, numbers 21 through 50 on the list celebrating hip-hop’s anniversary have been revealed. All 50 will be public knowledge come February 6.
Chris Martin and company will be the musical guests on next weekend’s episode, airing February 4, marking their seventh time on the long-running NBC sketch show. They last played SNL in 2019.
The Mandalorian and The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal will host.
Before their trip back to the SNL stage, Coldplay will perform during a prime-time edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, airing Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The special celebrates the 20th anniversary of JKL‘s first episode, during which Coldplay also performed.
Meanwhile, the day after Coldplay’s SNL performance is the 2003 Grammys, where the group is up for three awards, including Album of the Year for Music of the Spheres.
In a new teaser, HBO revealed its Emmy-magnet drama Succession is coming back March 26. In the preview for the forthcoming fourth season, the Roy siblings appear to be gunning for their dad, Logan, played by Brian Cox.
“This is not getting about getting back at Dad,” Sarah Snook‘s Shiv Roy says to her brother Roman (Kieran Culkin). “But if it hurts him, it doesn’t bother me.”
Later, they’re warned, “You cannot win. Your dad will wash you away!”
HBO teases, “The sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) moves ever closer. The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is complete.”
The network continues, “A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed.”
The singer released a statement about how thrilled she is to receive such recognition.
“It’s an honor to have the journey of my career displayed at the Grammy Museum,” she expressed. “These pieces are a testament to so many indelible moments that I cherish, and I’m so happy to be able to relive these memories with those who have and continue to support me as an artist.”
It will show her story from starting her career in her native Barranquilla, Colombia, to becoming a global pop superstar. The exhibit will not just focus on her music, it will also explore her cultural background, dancing and the boundaries she’s broken for Latin musicians.
In addition, the gallery will give fans an intimate look at her creative process by featuring 40 artifacts from her personal archive, original films and even an immersive experience that borrows elements from Shakira’s 2018 El Dorado tour.
The exhibit opens March 4 and will be installed in the Grammy Museum’s Latin Music Gallery.
(NEW YORK) — Human-made chemicals known as PFAS are back in the spotlight after the feminine hygiene company Thinx settled a class-action lawsuit earlier this month for millions of dollars.
The lawsuit was brought against Thinx by customers who claimed testing showed the brand’s period underwear — advertised by the company as sustainable, organic and reusable — contained PFAS, otherwise known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or forever chemicals.
PFAS are manufactured chemicals that have been used in products like nonstick cookware, cosmetics and water-repellent clothing for decades, but have more recently been discovered to cause adverse health effects in some instances, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, manufacturers aren’t required to identify PFAS on labels.
Thinx settled with the five plaintiffs late last year for up to $5 million, but a recently-launched website has reignited interest in the case and restarted the conversation on what consumers need to know about PFAS.
The website, Thinxunderwearsettlement.com, shares details on who is eligible to file a claim to be able to receive part of the settlement money.
Here is what to know about the Thinx settlement and the allegations over PFAS.
What led to the lawsuit against Thinx?
An article published in 2020 by Sierra magazine first brought attention to the ingredients in Thinx products.
The article’s author, Jessian Choy, had Thinx menstrual underwear and a similar product from another brand tested by Dr. Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame, whose research focuses on PFAS.
Peaslee found the presence of PFAS in the Thinx products at “high levels,” “especially on the inside layers of the crotch,” according to Choy’s article.
Following the article’s publication, several lawsuits were filed against Thinx, and eventually those cases were merged into the one class-action lawsuit against the company that was settled last year.
“The presence of these chemicals contradicts all of Thinx’s unvarying representations that the product is nontoxic, harmless, sustainable, organic, environmentally friendly, and otherwise safe for women and the environment,” the plaintiffs alleged in the lawsuit, also claiming the company “knowingly and willfully concealed and misrepresented the true nature of Thinx Underwear.”
Erin J. Ruben, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told ABC News that the lawsuit focused on how Thinx marketed its products. She said the settlement in the case is “about more than just refunds.”
“Thinx has agreed to make changes to its marketing, in addition to taking other measures to ensure that PFAS is not intentionally added to the product, which we believe will have lasting impact on consumers,” Ruben said in a statement. “I also think it’s important that consumers understand that this case was about how Thinx’s products were marketed — not whether they caused harm to consumers.”
What is Thinx’s response to the lawsuit?
The lawsuit settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing by Thinx Inc., which includes the brands Thinx, Thinx Teens and Speax.
The company denies the allegations in the lawsuit, and denies it did “anything improper or unlawful,” according to the settlement.
“Consumer health and product safety are top priorities for Thinx, and we stand by the quality, efficacy and safety of our products,” a company spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. “The lawsuit is related to how products were marketed and not on product safety or any adverse health effects. PFAS has never been part of the brand’s product design and we continue to take measures to help ensure these substances are not added to our products.”
The statement continued, “While the settlement included no admission of wrongdoing by Thinx, we have chosen to resolve this matter so that we can focus our attention on doing what the brand does best — bringing innovative, safe and comfortable leak protection underwear to our consumers.”
How common are PFAS in products?
PFAS began to be used in manufacturing in the 1950s, and for decades showed up in products ranging from shampoo and dental floss to cosmetics, fast food wrappers, pizza boxes, water-resistant clothing, umbrellas and in cleaning products like stain removers, according to the CDC.
It has only been in the last 20 years that further research has shown the dangers of PFAS, according to Peaslee, the Notre Dame professor who tested the Thinx products.
Because of their ability to last forever and because of their past widespread use, PFAS are still present all around, Peaslee explained.
“These things are so inert that they last for thousands of years, and they break down to the simplest products, which are all the fluorinated compounds,” Peaslee told ABC News. “And these will actually get into your body and they start piling up, so everybody in North America already has millions of these chemicals in their blood.”
In addition to absorbing the chemicals from products, people can also be exposed to PFAS through environmental factors like drinking water, accidentally ingesting soil or dust and eating exposed animal proteins, according to the CDC.
PFAS are not banned at the federal level in the U.S., but some states have taken action to restrict the use of PFAS.
How harmful are PFAS to a person’s health?
Research shows that exposure to high levels of PFAS can lead to adverse health effects, but it is not yet known exactly what the level of exposure is that leads to different health outcomes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
So far, research has shown that “exposure to certain levels of PFAS” may lead to everything from developmental delays in children and increased risk of some cancers to increased risk of obesity and high cholesterol, according to the EPA.
In women, exposure to PFAS may lead to difficulty getting pregnant, hormone issues and increased high blood pressure when pregnant, according to the EPA.
Peaslee noted that wearing a period product that contains PFAS is not going to harm a person in the short-term, but it may contribute to a bigger issue.
He said the risk of PFAS exposure is higher in certain areas of the body, including the groin, neck and underarms.
“No, they’re not going to die from their period underwear by wearing them today, but they will increase their risk of exposure to these chemicals,” he said. “And these chemicals you don’t really want in your body, and they’re already there.”
Peaslee continued, “For most people, especially those with children or of childbearing age, you’d like to not be exposed to an extra chemical, and this is one that we can avoid.”
How can PFAS be avoided?
Since companies do not have to list the presence of PFAS on labels, Peaslee suggests keeping an eye out on products that have an extra label showing they are PFA-free.
“When you get a label that says ‘no intentional PFAS added,’ that company has done some diligence,” he said. “They’re putting an extra 5-cent label on it to say, you know, ‘We checked.'”
Peaslee said consumers can also watch for products marketed with words like “water-resistant” and “long-lasting,” as those are two qualities that PFAS are used to help produce.
“You can look at those as indicators that you might have a problem,” he said. “But you don’t know for sure until somebody does a test or until a product deems itself and has been tested to be PFA-free, and that means the company has done some tests.”
The EPA says to be aware of the water and food you consume and ensure they do not come from contaminated sources.
While individuals do not need to be tested for PFAS exposure, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends undergoing regular routine health screenings and following a physician’s guidance.
What do I do if I own Thinx underwear?
The settlement applies to people who purchased certain types of Thinx underwear in the U.S. between Nov. 12, 2016, and Nov. 28, 2022, according to the settlement website.
People who submit a claim have options ranging from receiving a cash refund up to $21 to a voucher for 35% off future purchases.
People also have the option to exclude themselves from the settlement, which would then make them free to file their own lawsuit should they desire.
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy and Jacqueline Laurean Yates contributed to this report.
Vevo is joining in on the celebration of hip-hop’s anniversary. The music video network is teaming up with artists across the genre for some specialized and original content.
Artists including A$AP Rocky, Common, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Naughty by Nature, Salt-N-Pepa and Public Enemy have been tapped for special editions of either Vevo Footnotes or Vevo ctrl.
The network will also celebrate with special programming showcasing different aspects of hip-hop: Legends In Concert, Hip-Hop International, 2K Hip-Hop Legends, Rock Meets Rap, 70’s Sampled Songs and ‘80’s Sampled Songs are set to air this year.
Kicking Vevo’s celebration off is Chuck D‘s Footnotes episode, which gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at Public Enemy’s Spike Lee-directed music video “Fight The Power.”
“Hip Hop turning 50 means that there can be no doubt, no argument, no ignorance about its consequence in the world,” Chuck says of hip-hop’s milestone anniversary. “Back when PE was coming up, it was in the days before social media. Videos were the only way to connect with hip hop fans around the world. They delivered songs in a full package of sight, sound, story and style. A truly underrated art form.”
“Vevo keeps that connection solid, not only for us but for hip hop artists from every corner of the globe,” he continued. “Here’s to the next 50.”
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott appears on a new version of Ghost‘s “Spillways,” a track from the Swedish rockers’ 2022 album, Impera.
While some may be shocked by the pairing, it turns out Elliott is a big fan of the band, telling Planet Rock he was introduced to the group by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen. And after he found out that Ghost frontman Tobias Forge was a Def Leppard fan, “we both put two and two together and realized it kind of made five!”
“I’ve been saying out loud for a long time now how much I love the Impera album, and how much I really love the song ‘Spillways’ so when Tobias got in touch and asked me if I wanted to have a crack at it, I said ‘yeah I can do that!’” Elliott shares. “It was all quite organic. It (‘Spillways’) wasn’t broken, it didn’t need fixing, I just sang it as it is, and I think we sound pretty good together.”
Ghost announced the collaboration with an episode of their ongoing YouTube series, which finds Elliott in a Dublin pub about to perform his karaoke take on “Spillways” when he’s suddenly overcome by a demonic force.
“The video was shot in my local [pub], it was co-directed by Tobias and that was a lot of fun too,” Elliott says. “It was good to actually meet in person and trade stories, ideas and a few scoops!”
