As previously reported, a new exhibit opening in June at London’s National Portrait Gallery will feature never-before-seen photos taken by Paul McCartney during the height of Beatlemania. Well, if you can’t get to London to see them, you’re in luck, because they’ve been compiled into a new book.
McCartney’s 1964: Eyes of the Storm will be released June 13, featuring 275 photos taken in late 1963/early 1964 just as The Beatles were exploding across the world. These photos were all taken on a 35 mm camera and were rediscovered by McCartney in 2020.
The book includes a forward by McCartney, and focuses on photos of him and his bandmates, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in six cities — Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami — with McCartney providing an introduction for each city.
“Anyone who rediscovers a personal relic or family treasure is instantly flooded with memories and emotions, which then trigger associations buried in the haze of time,” Sir Paul shares. “This was exactly my experience in seeing these photos, all taken over an intense three-month period of travel, culminating in February 1964. It was a wonderful sensation to be plunged right back.”
He adds, “Here was my own record of our first huge trip, a photographic journal of The Beatles in six cities, beginning in Liverpool and London, followed by Paris (where John and I had been ordinary hitchhikers three years before), and then what we regarded as the big time, our first visit as a group to America.”
Love (spores) are in the air in Gotham City, thanks to villainous couple Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, in the new trailer to HBO Max’s forthcoming Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special.
The R-rated coming attraction shows Kaley Cuoco‘s Harley going the extra mile with her gal pal (Lake Bell) for V-Day, but her mean green girlfriend’s ecstasy ends up being contagious — meaning everyone else in Batman’s stomping grounds starts feeling the love.
The coming attraction shows Clayface with a lady reenacting the pottery scene from Ghost, using himself as the clay; Bane seeks love advice, and a little male enhancement, from Etrigan the Demon; and even Bruce Wayne gets some Bat Symbol-shaped chocolate from Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.
However, all that is before Ivy’s love potion turns the town positively sex crazed on the year’s most romantic night.
The special, which also features the voices of Rogue One‘s Alan Tudyk, Happy Endings vet Casey Wilson and Abbott Elementary‘s Tyler James Williams, debuts February 9.
(Video contains uncensored profanity and mature content)
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Monterey Park, California, on Wednesday to meet with victims’ families days after a mass shooter there killed 11 and wounded at least nine others at a Lunar New Year celebration inside a dance studio.
“As we grieve Saturday’s mass shooting in California, we already face two more this week alone in Half Moon Bay and Oakland,” Harris wrote on Twitter Tuesday, acknowledging the subsequent shootings in her home state this week.
“Tomorrow I will visit Monterey Park to stand and mourn with the community. Doug and I continue to pray for healing and recovery for all those impacted,” she wrote.
In Monterey Park, Brandon Tsay disarmed the shooter. Tsay later told ABC News he realized “everybody would die” if he didn’t take control of the situation, adding, “Something came over me.”
On Monday, seven people were killed in Half Moon Bay, in a mass shooting across two farms, authorities said, with workplace violence believed to be the motive. And only hours later in Oakland, at least one person was killed and seven more injured in another mass shooting at a gas station.
It’s unclear if the vice president will renew calls for an assault weapons ban while in Monterey Park — an action she and President Joe Biden support but which lacks the necessary backing among Republican lawmakers, many of whom say restrictions on firearms are ineffective and unconstitutional.
Congress broke a nearly 30-year stalemate last year by passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the first major piece of federal gun reform to clear both chambers since what’s known as the 1993 Brady bill. The BSCA was crafted in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 young children and two teachers.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, alongside Connecticut Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, on Monday reintroduced a federal assault weapons ban and legislation that would raise the minimum purchase age for assault-style weapons to 21. But that legislation is unlikely to move forward.
Harris spoke about the Monterey Park shooting at a Sunday appearance in Florida to mark 50 years since Roe v. Wade, saying, “Yet another community has been torn apart by senseless gun violence.”
“All of us in this room and in our country understand this violence must stop,” she said then. “President Biden and I and our administration will continue to provide full support to the local authorities as we learn more.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has seen more mass shootings than days in 2023.
(NEW YORK) — A viral controversy over the use of facial recognition technology to bar customers from New York City performance venues has drawn the attention of the state’s top cop.
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday sent a letter to Madison Square Garden Entertainment — the company that owns venues like Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden – requesting information about the policy and raising the possibility that it could be illegal, James’ office said.
The letter also questions whether the facial technology is reliable and what safeguards are in place to avoid bias and discrimination, her office added.
The weekend after Thanksgiving, lawyer Kelly Conlon tried to join her daughter’s Girl Scout troop at a Rockettes performance but the venue scanned her face and barred her entrance.
Conlon reportedly appeared on an “attorney exclusion list” created by Radio City Music Hall’s parent company, MSG Entertainment, which bans employees at law firms engaged in litigation with the company, even if a given individual isn’t involved directly.
In this case, Conlon wasn’t involved directly, but her firm was engaged in litigation against one of the company’s restaurants, the New York Times reported. The incident at Radio City Music Hall was first reported by a New York affiliate of NBC.
In a separate incident at Madison Square Garden last month, another attorney was removed from a basketball game with the use of facial recognition software for the same reason as Conlon, the New York Post reported.
“MSG Entertainment cannot fight their legal battles in their own arenas,” James said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall are world-renowned venues and should treat all patrons who purchased tickets with fairness and respect,” she added. “Anyone with a ticket to an event should not be concerned that they may be wrongfully denied entry based on their appearance, and we’re urging MSG Entertainment to reverse this policy.”
MSG Entertainment did not respond to a request for comment on the letter from James.
In a statement to ABC News earlier this month, a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment defended the company’s use of facial recognition software.
“Facial recognition technology is a useful tool widely used throughout the country, including the sports and entertainment industry, retail locations, casinos and airports, to protect the safety of the people that visit and work at those locations,” the spokesperson said.
“Our venues are worldwide destinations and several sit on major transit hubs in the heart of New York,” the spokesperson added. “We have always made it clear to our guests and to the public that we use facial recognition as one of our tools to provide a safe and secure environment for our customers and ourselves.”
(FORT WORTH, Texas) — Twin sisters who were conjoined at the chest and stomach have undergone successful surgery to separate.
Doctors at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, announced Wednesday that 16-week-old sisters JamieLynn and AmieLynn are now sleeping in separate cribs after the separation surgery, the first surgery of its kind in the hospital’s 150-year history.
The girls’ parents, Amanda Arciniega and James Finley of Saginaw, Texas, said they learned via an ultrasound during pregnancy that they were expecting conjoined twins.
“On the ride home, we were quiet and it was kind of sad. We were thinking, ‘Why us, out of everybody?'” Arciniega said in a video shared by Cook Children’s. “It’s a lot.”
Arciniega gave birth to her daughters in October at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. She was 34 weeks pregnant at the time and delivered her daughters via C-section, doctors said.
JamieLynn and AmieLynn were then transferred to Cook Children’s neonatal intensive care unit, where they stayed until the separation surgery.
Only a small handful of conjoined twins survive past birth, according to Dr. Jose Iglesias, medical director of pediatric surgery at Cook Children’s Medical Center and the lead surgeon for the twins’ separation surgery.
“Conjoined twins that reach and stay viable after birth, at least for the first few days, there’s really only about five or eight of those on the entire planet,” he said. “So it is a very are situation.”
Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and approximately 75% of conjoined twins are female, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which has completed more than two dozen separation surgeries.
A large team of doctors and nurses at Cook Children’s prepared for three months for the surgery, which included surgeons, anesthesiologists, neonatal specialists and more.
“In order to prepare for this, it’s a lot of practice, practice, practice and more practice, trying really to think of every possible scenario so that we’re not surprised by anything,” said Dr. Chad Barber, a neonatologist at Cook Children’s. “There’s always going to be unexpected things, but if you’re prepared for the worst possibilities and the most unlikely outcomes, then you can at least hopefully not get caught too off guard.”
The operation on Monday, which lasted 11 hours, involved separating the girls’ liver as well as their skin, fascia and bowel, according to Dr. Ben Gbulie, a plastic surgeon at Cook Children’s.
The medical team was divided into two teams to take care of the two girls, with AmieLynn’s team wearing green hats and JamieLynn’s team wearing purple hats during the surgery.
Following the surgery, Iglesias said doctors were able to close both girls’ abdominal walls.
“They’re both doing very well,” he said. “The team performed phenomenally and we’re just incredibly happy.”
Describing the sisters’ future, Iglesias added, “They’re going to grow up like the little girls they’re meant to be, independent and feisty, like they’ve already shown us.”
Of the treatment at Cook Children’s that his daughters received, Finley said, “It feels like we’re at the best possible place we can be. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
(WASHINGTON) — In a major increase of U.S. support to Ukraine, President Joe Biden has signed off on sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the war-torn country as concerns mount over a new Russian offensive this spring.
“Secretary [Lloyd] Austin has recommended this step because it will enhance the Ukraine’s capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives,” Biden said on Wednesday in remarks from the White House’s Roosevelt Room, flanked by Austin, the defense secretary, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed for more tanks, with a harsh winter and the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaching.
The political maneuvering had muddled Ukraine’s plea for more tanks as Russia prepares for a spring offensive.
For weeks, Pentagon officials said publicly that the Abrams tanks weren’t suited for the fight in Ukraine, including because of the fuel they need to operate. But officials also did not rule out the vehicles as a potential long-term possibility.
The U.S. transfer of Abrams has presumably enabled Germany to authorize the transfer of German-made Leopard 2s to Ukraine — which would then allow the 12 NATO countries that have Leopard 2s to send them to Ukraine, with the most vocal of those countries being Poland.
“We remain united and determined as ever in our conviction and our cause,” Biden said at the White House on Wednesday. “These tanks are further evidence of our enduring, unflagging commitment to Ukraine and our confidence in the skill of the Ukrainian forces. As I told President Zelenskyy when he was here … in December: ‘We’re with you for as long as it takes, Mr. President.'”
Thirty-one tanks is a specific number, a U.S. official told reporters in a conference call earlier Wednesday, as it constitutes one Ukrainian tank battalion. “So we are specifically meeting that requirement.”
The U.S. announcement about its tank commitment comes the same day Germany has also pledged to send Ukraine 14 of its own Leopard 2 tanks.
Biden said that the U.S. is also pledging to train Ukrainians so they are prepared to integrate the Abram tanks into their defenses, though U.S. officials separately acknowledged the new vehicles won’t arrive for months.
The transfer of European tanks is set to be more expedient.
“The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world. They’re also extremely complex to operate and maintain, so we’re also giving Ukraine the parts and equipment necessary to effectively sustain these tanks on the battlefield. And we’ll begin to train the Ukrainian troops on these issues of sustainment, logistics and maintenance as soon as possible,” Biden said.
Administration officials had confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that they were considering sending the Abrams tanks to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. That means the U.S. will arrange for the contracting of the tanks with their manufacturer, so the vehicles will not be able to be fielded for quite some time — possibly more than a year.
On Wednesday, Biden confirmed the extended timeline, which government officials had said could take “months, as opposed to weeks.”
“Delivering these tanks to the field is going to take time,” the president said.
Early Wednesday, Germany confirmed it will supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks and approve requests by dozens of other countries to do the same. The U.K. has also committed 12 of its own Challenger 2 battle tanks, and Poland has asked Germany for permission to send the Leopards it has in stock.
The president said he spoke Wednesday morning about the war with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“I’m grateful to Chancellor Scholz for providing German Leopard 2 tanks and will lead an effort to organize the European contribution of two tank battalions for Ukraine,” Biden said. “Germany has really stepped up. The chancellor has been a strong, strong voice for unity, a close friend and for the level of effort we’re gonna continue.”
Asked about the timing of this decision and whether Germany “forced you to change your mind” about sending tanks, which the Pentagon was initially against, Biden defended the move as a coordinated decision.
“Germany didn’t force me to change your mind. We wanted to make sure we were all together. That’s what we were going to do all along and that’s what we’re doing right now,” he said.
Still, the commitment of tanks — which a Ukrainian official had told ABC News could number about 100 Leopard 2s — falls far short of the 300 battle tanks that Zelenskyy has said he needs.
U.S. officials argued on Wednesday that the new shipment of tanks highlights the unity among all allies working to support Ukraine, minimizing the disagreement between the U.S. and Germany on the usefulness of the Abrams vehicles.
Zelenskyy reacted to the tank commitments in a new SkyNews interview.
“I would like to say thank you to Germany, to Britain and to the United States that they made this decision,” he said.
Russia reacts: ‘Burn up … like any other’
The Kremlin has downplayed the new supply of tanks, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying in his daily briefing on Wednesday that “to supply U.S.-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine won’t work, as its initiators overestimate the potential of Ukrainian servicemen.”
“I am sure that many specialists overestimate the absurdity of this idea. Simply because it’s a rather bad plan in its technological aspects and, most importantly, there is an obvious overestimation of the potential it could add to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is yet another profound misconception,” he added.
“We have repeatedly said that these tanks will burn up just like any other,” Peskov said.
Biden reiterated on Wednesday the United States’ commitment to countering Russian aggression on Ukrainian land.
“Today’s announcement builds on the hard work and commitment from countries around the world led by the United States of America to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. That’s what this is about: helping Ukraine to defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia,” he said.
More international commitments coming, official says
“We do expect other nations to announce contributions of additional armored capability, including some that will be readily available for use on the battlefield in the coming weeks,” an official said earlier Wednesday.
Ukraine wants American and German advanced tanks quickly, as they’re more advanced than Russia’s own.
“Hundreds of thanks are not hundreds of tanks,” Zelenskyy said last week. “All of us can use thousands of words in discussions, but I cannot put words instead of the guns that are needed against Russian artillery or instead of the anti-aircraft missiles that are needed to protect people from Russian air strikes.”
The Biden administration last week had announced another huge military aid package for Ukraine — including close to 150 more armored vehicles — but not the Ukraine-requested tanks.
ABC News’ Libby Cathey, Shannon K. Crawford, Luis Martinez, Matt Seyler and Joseph Simonetti contributed to this report.
Uriah Heep is giving fans another taste of their upcoming album. The band just dropped the new single “Hurricane” from their 25th studio album, Chaos & Colour, which comes out Friday.
“Simon (Pinto) and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods,” drummer Russell Gilbrook, who co-wrote the tune, shares. “Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!”
“Hurricane” is the second track Uriah Heep has released from Chaos & Colour, following “Save Me Tonight.” The album is available for preorder now.
(WASHINGTON) — A Canadian-French dual national has pleaded guilty to charges that she mailed threatening letters containing the poison ricin to then-President Donald Trump, as well as eight Texas law enforcement officers, in 2020.
Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, faces over 21 years in prison if a judge agrees to accept the terms of her plea agreement.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26.
“There is no place for political violence in our country, and no excuse for threatening public officials or endangering our public servants,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves said in a statement. “We hope this resolution will serve as a warning that using our mail system to send a toxic substance and other threats of this type will cost you your freedom for many years.”
Ferrier admitted in plea records to making the ricin at her home in Quebec in September 2020 and mailing it to Trump and the eight Texas officials, who she blamed for being connected to a prior incident where she was detained in the spring of 2019.
The letter addressed to Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.”
After mailing the letters, Ferrier drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, where border patrol officials arrested her and found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.
She has remained in custody since then.
“This woman did not succeed in her efforts to poison numerous public officials in our district, but her actions still created fear and stress for many of these dedicated public servants,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in a statement. “We are grateful for the hard work of the FBI and our other law enforcement partners in identifying and apprehending her.”
Kendrick Lamar has secured another headlining performance for 2023. The rapper is now scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Paris.
Kendrick will take the stage on Day 3 of the event, following headlining performances from Stray Kidsand Rosalía, respectively. Lil Nas X and J.I.D. are among the slew of artists slated to hit the stage.
Lollapalooza Paris is set for July 21-23 at Hippodrome de Longchamp. Alongside the musical performances will be a “wide variety of French cuisine, art exhibitions, and a space dedicated to music fans that want to learn more about how to help the world around them,” a press release reads.
Kendrick’s also headlining the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Governors Ball, Rolling Loud Rotterdam and more.
(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) — The suspect in a deadly mass shooting at two Northern California farms will be charged with seven counts of murder, the local district attorney said.
The alleged gunman, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday with an arraignment hearing at 1:30 p.m. local time.
Ahead of the hearing, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told ABC News he will be filing a felony complaint on Wednesday against Zhao consisting of seven counts of murder, as well as one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements and a count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murder.
Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. An eighth shooting victim was hospitalized in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, authorities said.
Workplace violence is believed to be the motive, authorities said. Zhao worked at one of the shooting locations, Mountain Mushroom Farm, but it’s unclear what connection he may have had with the victims beyond being co-workers, authorities said.
All victims are thought to be workers at the nurseries and were of Asian and Hispanic descent, authorities said.
Zhao was arrested on Monday when the sheriff’s office located his vehicle in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Half Moon Bay Police Substation, the department said.
A semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect’s car that had been legally purchased, authorities said.
Zhao is believed to have acted alone, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.
