American detained in Iran ends 7-day hunger strike, calling it ‘weapon of last resort’

American detained in Iran ends 7-day hunger strike, calling it ‘weapon of last resort’
American detained in Iran ends 7-day hunger strike, calling it ‘weapon of last resort’
@FreetheNamazis/Twitter

(WASHINGTON) — Siamak Namazi, a U.S. citizen who has been detained in Iran since 2015, has ended his seven-day hunger strike, according to a Monday news release.

Namazi, 51, began the hunger strike on Jan. 16 to mark the seventh anniversary of a prisoner swap with Iran that freed five other Americans while he remained detained in Evin Prison.

Namazi said last week that he was protesting to draw the attention of the Biden administration.

“I went on hunger strike because I’ve learned the hard way that U.S. presidents tend to rely more on their political thermometer than their moral compass when deciding whether or not to enter a prisoner deal with Iran – or indeed who to include in one,” Namazi said in a statement after ending his strike. “I denied myself food for an entire week so that maybe President [Joe] Biden will recognize just how desperate the situation of the U.S. hostages here has become.”

Namazi, who is classified as wrongly detained by the U.S. government, was arrested while on a 2015 business trip to Iran for “colluding with an enemy state.”

“I’ve been Iran’s prisoner for a very long time,” Namazi said in Monday’s statement. “I know better than most that a hunger strike is a prisoner’s weapon of last resort – to be used only if our cup of endurance has truly run over and after exhausting all other options.”

During his seven-day hunger strike, Namazi lost around 10 pounds and his blood pressure spiked above normal levels, according to the news release. He also suffered drops in energy and lacked the ability to focus and stay warm.

In 2016, the Obama administration negotiated the freedom of five Americans detained in Iran, but Namazi was not included.

In an open letter to President Biden that announced his hunger strike last week, Namazi wrote, “Seven years and two presidents later, I remain caged in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, holding that long overdue IOU along with the unenviable title of the longest held Iranian-American hostage in history.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, “We received the letter, and our thoughts are with Namazi and his family.”

“The U.S. government is continuing to work to bring him home along with U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained in Iran, including Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz,” Jean-Pierre said then.

A spokesperson for the State Department told ABC News after Namazi began his hunger strike last week that “our thoughts are with him and his family.”

“Iran’s use of wrongful detention as political leverage is outrageous, and Iran should release our wrongfully detained citizens,” the spokesperson said.

Despite the negative physical effects of the hunger strike, the positive international response has renewed Namazi’s hope for freedom, according to Monday’s news release.

“Everyone here for the sole crime of speaking their mind and for demanding their rights and the rule of law deserves our attention and respect,” Namazi said in his statement.

ABC News’ Shannon K. Crawford and Cindy Smith contributed to this report.

 

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Cruel World festival lineup revealed, including Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol and more

Cruel World festival lineup revealed, including Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol and more
Cruel World festival lineup revealed, including Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol and more
ABC/Randy Holmes

The Cruel World Festival is returning for a second year in May, and it’s secured quite a lineup. The one-day festival, going down May 20 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, will feature Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy IdolLove and Rockets, Echo and the Bunnyman and more.

The festival mostly focuses on indie and alternative artists from the ’80s, with the lineup also including Adam Ant, The Human League, Gary Numan, Modern English, ABC and The Motels

The festival will mark the first U.S. performance of Siouxsie, of Siouxsie and the Banshees, in 15 years. It will also be Love and Rockets’ first show together since 2008.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday at 12 p.m. PT. More information can be found at cruelworldfest.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hilary Duff dishes on season 2 of ‘How I Met Your Father’

Hilary Duff dishes on season 2 of ‘How I Met Your Father’
Hilary Duff dishes on season 2 of ‘How I Met Your Father’
Hulu/Patrick Wymore

The second season of How I Met Your Father is almost here.

The Emmy-winning show, a spinoff of the hit series How I Met Your Mother, returns to Hulu on January 24.

The sitcom follows a woman named Sophie as she is telling her son the story of how she met his father when she was younger. Hilary Duff plays the flashback version of Sophie, who is living in New York, while Kim Cattrall plays the future version of Sophie who shares her story years later.

Season 1 ended with a dramatic moment in younger Sophie’s love life. She and Jesse (Chris Lowell) finally get together, but their relationship ends in the final episode after Sophie sees Jesse rekindle his connection with his ex-girlfriend Meredith (Leighton Meester).

Ahead of the new season, the cast spoke about how much fun they’re having playing their respective roles and getting to know their characters more.

“We know these characters, we feel a little bit more comfortable,” Duff told reporters at the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour. “We just get more room to play and experience and find these little human bits in the roles. It feels easier to find and a little more secure this time around.”

The cast also includes Francia Raisa as Valentina, Suraj Sharma as Sid, Tom Ainsley as Charlie and Ashley Reyes as Hannah.

In 2022, the show, created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, won an Emmy for outstanding multi-camera picture editing for a comedy series.

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Zoe Saldaña becomes first actor to have four movies cross $2 billion

Zoe Saldaña becomes first actor to have four movies cross  billion
Zoe Saldaña becomes first actor to have four movies cross  billion
20th Century Studios

Zoe Saldaña has a reason to flash that million-dollar smile — well, technically it’s a $2 billion smile, times four.

She has set a record as the first actor to have four movies cross the $2 billion mark at the box office.

Her latest adventure in Pandora as Neytiri, Avatar: The Way of Water, joined the original 2009 film in the $2 billion club over the weekend. Saldaña also appeared as Gamora in two $2 billion grossers for Marvel Studios: Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

Specifically, Avatar holds the title as the highest-grossing movie of all time, with a worldwide take of $2.9 billion; thanks to rereleases, it surpassed the film that briefly took its crown, Endgame, which made $2.48 billion globally. Infinity War ended its run with a $2.7 billion take, making it the fifth-highest-grossing movie of all time.

But with the way Way of Water is performing in theaters for 20th Century Studios, it looks like those rankings will shake up once again.

Both Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios are subsidiaries of Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Shinedown announces The Revolution’s Live Tour, featuring Three Days Grace & From Ashes To New

Shinedown announces The Revolution’s Live Tour, featuring Three Days Grace & From Ashes To New
Shinedown announces The Revolution’s Live Tour, featuring Three Days Grace & From Ashes To New
Sanjay Parikh

Shinedown is hitting the road this spring and has just announced dates for their The Revolution’s Live Tour, featuring special guests Three Days Grace and From Ashes To New

The 21-date tour kicks off April 3 in Saginaw, Michigan, with dates confirmed through May 9 in Portland, Oregon. Shinedown is also confirmed to headline the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia National Raceway September 7 to 10.

Tickets for the Revolution’s Live Tour go on sale Friday, January 27, at 10 a.m. local time, with presales running from Tuesday, January 24, to Thursday, January 26. A full list of dates and ticket sale information can be found at shinedown.com

The tour is in support of Shinedown’s most recent album, Planet Zero, which debuted in the top five on the Billboard 200 album chart. The band has released three singles from the album: the title track, “Daylight” and “Dead Don’t Die.” As previously reported, Shinedown just released a new video for “Dead Don’t Die,” which was filmed in London and directed by Lewis Cater.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jeffries taps Schiff, Swalwell for House intel after McCarthy promised to block them

Jeffries taps Schiff, Swalwell for House intel after McCarthy promised to block them
Jeffries taps Schiff, Swalwell for House intel after McCarthy promised to block them
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has selected Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to sit on the powerful House Intelligence Committee, setting up a fight with Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the assignments.

In a letter sent to McCarthy over the weekend, Jeffries wrote that Schiff — most recently the top Democrat on the intelligence panel — and Swalwell were both “eminently qualified” to continue to serve on the committee, despite McCarthy’s criticism of their conduct.

“It is my understanding that you intend to break with the longstanding House tradition of deference to the minority party Intelligence Committee recommendations and deny seats to Ranking Member Schiff and Representative Swalwell,” Jeffries wrote.

The House Intelligence Committee has special rules that allow the speaker to assign its members in consultation with the minority leader. McCarthy is able to decline to seat members without relying on a full floor vote of the chamber.

Typically, however, the minority party’s recommendations have been seated.

McCarthy has repeatedly pledged to keep Swalwell and Schiff off of House committees in this Congress — in Swalwell’s case, because of his reported run-ins with an alleged Chinese spy, though Swalwell wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing; and for Schiff, because of what McCarthy has said was his promotion of a disputed dossier about Donald Trump and Russia.

Jeffries wrote in his letter to McCarthy that “the denial of seats to duly elected Members of the House Democratic Caucus runs counter to the serious and sober mission of the Intelligence Committee.” Jeffries also wrote that embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is a “serial fraudster” who was seated on committees while Democrats could lose their seats.

“The apparent double standard risks undermining the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that is so desperately needed,” Jeffries wrote.

Republican leaders have cited how the House’s Democratic majority in the last Congress removed Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar from their committees over their past incendiary behavior, including Greene spreading conspiracies.

In both cases, some Republicans joined Democrats in voting to strip Greene and Gosar’s seats, Jeffries noted in his letter to McCarthy.

McCarthy has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment on Jeffries letter or when he will respond. Punchbowl News was the first to report the letter.

“What I am doing with the Intel Committee [is] bringing it back to the jurisdiction it’s supposed to do. Forward-looking to keep this country safe, keep the politics out of it,” McCarthy told reporters at a press conference earlier this month.

“So yes, I’m doing exactly what we’re supposed to do,” he said.

Separately, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., will be named by her party this week to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to Democratic sources.

McCarthy has also promised to keep Omar off of that committee, citing some of the controversial statements she has made, which could set up a House vote this week to remove her assignment.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Selena Gomez and The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart filmed holding hands in NYC

Selena Gomez and The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart filmed holding hands in NYC
Selena Gomez and The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart filmed holding hands in NYC
Christopher Polk/NBC

Not even a week after denying she’s in a relationship with rumored beau Drew TaggartSelena Gomez was spotted in New York City holding hands with The Chainsmokers singer.

TMZ snagged photos of the rumored love birds and discovered they had a dinner date at the SoHo eatery Torrisi. Paparazzi caught them as they exited the Italian restaurant; while they were holding hands, that was the only romantic thing they did in front of cameras.

The outlet notes Drew walked Selena to her car, but there was no goodbye kiss.

This comes a few days after Selena declared on Instagram that she likes “being alone too much” and is single after rumors popped up that she was seen kissing Drew at a bowling alley.

The Chainsmokers singer has yet to comment on the dating rumors.

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Jordan Davis keeps spinning at #1

Jordan Davis keeps spinning at #1
Jordan Davis keeps spinning at #1
MCA Nashville

Jordan Davis makes it two in a row this week as “What My World Spins Around” spends its second week at the top of the country chart. 

“Spins” is the second single from the Louisiana native’s upcoming Bluebird Days album. Last week, appropriately, he previewed his second full-length effort at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Cafe.

On Friday, Jordan also released the new track “No Time Soon” ahead of the full record, which arrives February 17.

“What My World Spins Around” is Jordan’s fifth #1, following “Buy Dirt,” “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” “Take It from Me” and “Singles You Up.” 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Pink Floyd fans can’t believe people are upset over ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ rainbow

Pink Floyd fans can’t believe people are upset over ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ rainbow
Pink Floyd fans can’t believe people are upset over ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ rainbow
Sony Music

Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon has always featured a rainbow on its cover, but the recently announced 50th anniversary box set is causing a stir from folks on social media who evidently weren’t aware of that.

In case you missed it, the new logo for the box set features the number 50 with the rainbow in the zero. After the band unveiled it on social media, some folks started blasting the rainbow inclusion as the band’s show of support for gay rights. 

“Lose the rainbow, you’re making yourself look stupid,” one person commented, while another added, “[A]re you going woke with rainbows? Is there a straight flag? I want equal representation.”

Of course the rainbow has always been there, and many Pink Floyd fans are calling out those complaining.

“Anyone mad at the most iconic album cover in the world was never a Pink Floyd fan to begin with,” one person commented on Facebook. Another noted on Twitter, “Pink Floyd fans complaining the band has gone ‘woke’ for having a rainbow on their merch must have taken the ‘we don’t need no education’ line a bit too literal.”

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4 more Oath Keepers militia members found guilty of seditious conspiracy for Jan. 6 riot

4 more Oath Keepers militia members found guilty of seditious conspiracy for Jan. 6 riot
4 more Oath Keepers militia members found guilty of seditious conspiracy for Jan. 6 riot
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — A Washington, D.C., jury on Monday convicted four more members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group for engaging in a seditious conspiracy to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory on Jan. 6, 2021.

Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo were the second set of individuals associated with the Oath Keepers to be convicted in connection with the insurrection.

All four men were found guilty of conspiring to disrupt the electoral college certification, preventing a member of Congress from discharging their duties and conspiring and obstructing an official proceeding.

The group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with another associate in November.

Three other members were found not guilty of seditious conspiracy in that trial, but were found guilty on a host of other felony charges connected to their actions around the Jan. 6 attack.

The Civil War-era sedition charge was rarely brought in the U.S. until Jan. 6 and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Members of the group have maintained their innocence throughout the trials and have vowed to continue fighting the judgments against them.

The jury’s decision is the latest victory for the Justice Department, which has brought cases against more than 900 defendants in connection with the Jan. 6 assault over the past two years.

The jury returned a mixed verdict on charges the defendants wiped cellphone evidence to throw off investigators, acquitting Minuta and Moerschel on those charges.

While he was never accused of being at the Capitol on Jan 6., prosecutors alleged that Vallejo was “on standby” at a nearby Virginia hotel waiting for the orders from Rhodes to bring firearms into the city. Vallejo and another member discussed the possibility of “armed conflict” and “guerilla war” on a podcast the morning of Jan. 6, according to evidence produced by prosecutors.

Defense attorneys stressed that those who amassed a cache of firearms at the Virginia hotel were mindful of Washington’s strict gun laws and were merely exercising their rights in self-defense.

Hackett and Moerschel were seen in images as part of the now-infamous military style “stack” formation of Oath Keepers who moved throughout the mob together during the riot.

Minuta was previously been identified as having served as a bodyguard for Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone on Jan. 6 before he and another member of the Oath Keepers rushed to the Capitol in a golf cart to join other members of the militia.

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