Highly Suspect will play the 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Festival, taking place September 7-10 in Alton, Virginia.
The “My Name Is Human” rockers join a bill that already includes the reformed Pantera and Flyleaf reunited with Lacey Sturm, as well as Megadeth, Parkway Drive, Motionless in White, Beartooth, Spiritbox, Vince Neil, Scott Stapp, Avatar and Atreyu.
(WASHINGTON) — Federal safety regulators said Tuesday that they plan later this year to begin gathering “data and perspectives” on the “potential hazards associated with gas stoves.”
In a statement, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) clarified that it has not proposed any regulatory action on the appliances at this time.
Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg News in an interview published Monday that the stoves were “a hidden hazard” and “any option is on the table.”
“Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” Trumka said.
New regulation on the appliances would only apply to new products, Trumka later wrote in a tweet.
“My guiding duty is protecting consumer health and safety. Gas stoves can emit dangerous level of toxic chemicals – even when not in use,” he wrote.
In its statement, the CPSC said regulatory action “would involve a lengthy process,” including public input. “Commission staff also continues to work with voluntary standards organizations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards,” the agency said.
Some studies show an association between gas cooking and a higher risk of asthma in children. Other studies in adults haven’t shown this increased risk. However, experts agree that anyone who lives in a home with a gas stove — particularly in small apartments — can take steps to lower the risk, including using a hood vent while cooking or opening windows.
The potential for increased regulation drew criticism from some lawmakers and industry groups.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, reacted to the news by saying, “It’s clear President Biden prioritizes his radical energy policies over the needs of the American people.”
Sen. Joe Machin, D-W.Va., said in a statement that his gas stove would be the last thing to “ever leave my house,” adding, “If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission.”
The American Gas Association (AGA), a trade group for local energy companies, argued a ban would place “significant costs” on consumers.
“Any efforts to ban highly efficient natural gas stoves should raise alarm bells for the 187 million Americans who depend on this essential fuel every day,” the AGA said in a statement.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, John Parkinson, Sony Salzman and Trish Turner contributed to this report.
DeBarge frontman El DeBarge, best known for the 1985 hit single “Rhythm of the Night,” was arrested Sunday morning in California on drug and weapon possession charges.
According to TMZ, while the 61-year-old was stopped at a gas station, cops noticed he had expired tags. When they got near his vehicle they saw he had an expandable metal baton, which is considered an illegal weapon in California. A further search of the vehicle uncovered pepper spray and narcotics, which cops say they believe was heroin.
DeBarge was arrested around 3:40 a.m. on charges of possession of a leaded cane or baton, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on $25,000 bond and has a court date in March.
Legendary stage and screen actress Kathleen Turner famously played Chandler Bing’s father, a performer famous in drag circles as Helena Handbasket.
Like many shows seen through today’s lens, the Friends character might appear to some to be cringeworthy. Even show co-creator Marta Kauffman recently apologized, noting to the BBC, “We kept referring to her as Chandler’s father, even though Chandler’s father was trans.” She continued, “We didn’t refer to that character as ‘she.’ That was a mistake.”
That said, Turner tells the Guardian newspaper she has no regrets playing Matthew Perry‘s parent. “There was no question of casting a trans person or a drag queen – it was never considered,” the 68-year-old star said. “It never crossed my mind that I was taking a role from someone.”
So would she ever reprise the role? “Probably not,” Turner admits, “But I certainly don’t regret having taken it. It was a challenge!”
Nick Jonas on NBC’s ‘Dancing with Myself’; Fernando Decillis/NBC
Nick Jonas is heading to Austin, Texas, in March for this year’s South by Southwest conference, but he won’t be playing music.
Instead, the Jonas Brothers member will be one of the conference’s featured speakers and will take part in a panel called Crushing: The Burden of Diabetes on Patients. Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 13, and has been a staunch advocate for raising awareness of the disease and funds for its treatment, even testifying before Congress in 2016.
The Dancing with Myself judge will join a Colorado state representative, a Texas pastor and the COO of a company that produces diabetes testing equipment on the panel, which will tackle the topic of whether we’re doing enough to help manage, fund and treat a disorder that affects one in 10 Americans.
Ahead of that appearance, the Jonas Brothers will play three shows as part of an ongoing residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM Las Vegas. As of last year, the group said they were close to finishing a new album, so maybe that’ll arrive in 2023.
Blondie is set to make a trek out to the desert this spring. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are booked to play Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, taking place in Indio, California, April 14 to 16 and April 21 to 23.
Blondie is confirmed to play opening night of both weekends, which will be headlined by Bad Bunny and also feature Gorillaz,Chemical Brothers and more. The weekend’s other headliners include BLACKPINK on the Saturday shows and Frank Ocean closing out both weekends.
The Coachella date is one of only two U.S. shows Blondie has scheduled for 2023. The other is happening March 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Presale tickets go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. PT, although there is a “very limited” amount of passes available for weekend one. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit Coachella.com.
(WASHINGTON) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy and leading Republicans are expected to soon make good on a vow to keep three Democrats from seats on influential committees in the new House.
McCarthy’s focus is Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, two California lawmakers who have served on the House Intelligence Committee.
“Speaker McCarthy confirms that Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar are getting kicked off the Intel and Foreign Affairs Committees. Promises made. Promises kept!” Rep. Troy Nehls, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted on Tuesday.
McCarthy has long pledged to oust the three, citing objections to their behavior and the precedent of the previous House removing committee assignments for Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
In those cases, the Democratic majority and some Republicans in the House voted to remove Greene and Gosar over their inflammatory conduct, including Greene spreading conspiracy theories — some of which she has since renounced — and Gosar sharing an animated social media video depicting violence against President Joe Biden and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Gosar said amid the controversy, “I do not espouse violence.”)
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was asked during a press conference on Tuesday what the process would be for stripping members of their assignments and said no one had yet been assigned to committees. But he suggested removals were a new standard first set by Democrats.
“As we see what comes out, the Democrats set a precedent that we urged them strongly not to go down last Congress,” Scalise said.
“They decided that they were going to break the precedent that had been in place for over 200 years and remove members of the opposing party that our party selected to be on committees,” he continued. “And so that was a practice they set and so, obviously, we’re going to be looking very closely at who they appoint. They haven’t appointed anybody yet to committees, but we’re gonna see if they do.”
After Republicans won back the House in November, McCarthy reiterated to Fox News that he planned to keep the three Democrats from their committee posts.
Rep. Pete Aguilar, the chair of the House Democratic caucus, on Tuesday declined to elaborate on next steps should Schiff and Swalwell be blocked or booted by Republicans from the intelligence panel.
“We will send the names of the individuals who this caucus supports and are qualified to serve on committees,” Aguilar told reporters. “What the speaker does beyond that is something that we will handle … but it isn’t anything we’re going to get in today.”
Schiff previously discussed the potential removal of his committee assignment during a November interview with ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
“I suspect he will do whatever Marjorie Taylor Greene wants him to do,” Schiff said of McCarthy. “He is a very weak leader of his conference, meaning that he will adhere to the wishes of the lowest common denominator. And if that lowest common denominator wants to remove people from committees, that’s what they’ll do.”
McCarthy has accused Schiff of lying to the public during references to a disputed dossier that claimed to outline links between former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
McCarthy has also called Swalwell a “national security threat” for Swalwell’s reported run-ins with an alleged Chinese spy, stating there’s no way he should be allowed to serve on the committee.
Swalwell has not been accused of wrongdoing and he has said he stopped contact with the woman after federal authorities briefed him, according to the Associated Press.
Separately, McCarthy’s criticized Omar over what he described as her “repeated antisemitic and anti-American remarks.” Omar has previously apologized for some of her statements, including about lobbyists on behalf of Israel’s government.
Omar has also fired back at McCarthy, accusing him of amplifying rhetoric targeting minorities.
“McCarthy’s effort to repeatedly single me out for scorn and hatred — including threatening to strip me from my committee — does nothing to address the issues our constituents deal with. It does nothing to address inflation, healthcare, or solve the climate crisis,” she said in a statement in November.
“What it does is gin up fear and hate against Somali-Americans and anyone who shares my identity, and further divide us along racial and ethnic lines,” she said.
As anyone from New England can tell you, Dunkin — née Dunkin Donuts — is a Massachusetts mainstay, and Bay State-raised Ben Affleck is apparently showing the coffee chain some love.
According to videos on social media, Affleck just wrapped some time working at one of the shops in Boston, and Jennifer Lopez was along for the ride. According to the videos, Affleck is filming a commercial for the chain, and he got suited up in a Dunkin shirt and hat for the occasion. He also served Lopez via the drive-thru, even throwing in his branded visor to his smiling wife.
One of the videos shows Ben and Jen thanking the employees, with Ben noting he hoped when he returned to the location their drive-thru performance scores would improve over when he was working there.
Incidentally, Ben’s not the first Oscar-winning Affleck to show appreciation for the franchise in commercial form: His Oscar-winning younger brother, Casey, shot a hilarious fake New England-set ad for Dunkin when he hosted Saturday Night Live back in 2016.
(MEXICO CITY) — One day after President Joe Biden’s special counsel confirmed classified documents were discovered in Biden’s former personal office, the president had yet to directly address a key question: Did he knowingly mishandle classified material?
Meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Tuesday morning in Mexico City, Biden ignored reporters’ efforts to shout versions of that question, instead focusing on his goals for the North America Leaders’ Summit.
The Justice Department is currently looking into the matter, scrutinizing the set of documents, which were discovered in early November at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Biden Center in Washington. Biden worked there in the years following his vice presidency. The existence of the documents was first reported Monday by CBS News, and confirmed by ABC News.
The FBI and DOJ have been conducting a preliminary investigation for weeks to determine how the documents got to the Penn Biden Center, whether Biden was involved in transferring them there or whether he was aware they were there at any point. The goal of the investigation, sources say, is to determine whether there were any significant crimes committed and whether there’s a need for a special counsel to be appointed.
Sources said there were approximately 10 documents discovered by Biden’s personal attorneys including some that were marked “Top Secret” and they were from the timeframe between 2013 and 2016.
Two sources confirmed that the information was turned over to the National Archives which then reached out to DOJ, after which Attorney General Garland moved to task U.S. Attorney John Lausch — an appointee of former President Donald Trump, with leading a review into the matter.
Sources describe the preliminary investigation as “well underway” and that Lausch has briefed Garland, but it’s unclear when exactly his final report will be completed.
Some critics have complained that since the documents were discovered just days before the midterms, suggesting that the Biden administration should have disclosed it. But officials familiar with the case say while the White House could have seen fit to release information, the DOJ typically works in secret on such investigations.
Two sources say this is being handled precisely the way the Trump Mar-a-Lago controversy was handled by DOJ, the officials noting it was many months before it was revealed there was a grand jury subpoena of Trump for documents with classified markings still in his possession and the details of DOJ’s communications with Trump attorneys came out.
One source also told ABC News “it doesn’t appear that Biden personally identified the documents” and asked that they be moved to the private office.
While Biden has yet to comment on the politically explosive matter, he has not been shy to criticize former President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified information, after the FBI raided Trump’s personal office at the Mar-A-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in August.
“How that could possibly happen? How one — anyone could be that irresponsible? And I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? By that I mean names of people who helped or th– et cetera. And it just — totally irresponsible,” Biden said in an interview on the CBS News program “60 Minutes” in September.
In August, when asked whether it is ever appropriate to take classified documents home, away from the White House, Biden told reporters, “it depends.”
“Depending on the circumstance. For example, I have in my home a, a cabined-off space that is completely secure. I’m taking home with me today, today’s PDB (President’s Daily Brief). It’s locked, I have a person with me, military with me. I read it, I lock it back up, and give it to the military,” Biden said, when asked if it was ever appropriate to take home classified documents.
When pressed whether it would be appropriate to do without a specialized, secured area, Biden once again said, “it depends.”
“Depends on the document and it depends on how secure the room,” Biden said.
According to a statement from Richard Sauber, President Biden’s special counsel, the White House is fully cooperating with the National Archives and the Department of Justice in this matter. The statement claims the documents were immediately handed over for review upon discovery by the president’s personal attorneys, who were packing files in order to vacate the office.
Former President Trump reacted to the discovery of the Biden documents Monday evening on his Truth Social account.
“When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House? These documents were definitely not declassified,” Trump claimed.
On Capitol Hill Tuesday, newly-empowered House Republicans were quick to call for investigation. Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, the top Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, asked Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to carry out “an immediate review and damage assessment” pertaining to the storage of the documents.
Other Republicans drew a comparison between the Biden documents, and the ongoing legal fight over the classified documents discovered at Trump’s personal office.
“It’s unprecedented to raid the residence of a former president for something that every president, including the current president, has done accidentally — I’m gonna assume accidentally – pack documents that may be classified,” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told ABC News.
“If then Vice President Biden took classified documents with him and held them for years, and criticized former President Trump during the same time that he had those classified documents … I wonder why the press isn’t asking the same questions of him,” Majority Whip Steve Scalise said.
Some Democrats are also expressing concern.
“Obviously if there are classified documents anywhere they shouldn’t be, that’s a problem and a deep concern,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
ABC News’s Katherine Faulders, Will Steakin, Lauren Peller and Gabe Ferris contributed to this report.
A lot of people likely made New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, and now folks can do that with the help of Duran Duran. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ music is the subject of Peloton’s next Artist Series workout.
“With their dynamic sound and iconic music videos Duran Duran (@duranduran) gave us timeless hits to sing and dance to,” Peloton shared on Instagram, listing the instructors for “this epic Artist Series.”
Duran Duran classes kick off Wednesday at 4 a.m. with a 30-minute run. Row, Ride, Cool Down, Full Body Strength and Yoga Flow workouts are also included. There will be a Duran Duran Hits 30-minute Lanebreak level coming January 18, available on Bike and Bike+ devices.
