(WASHINGTON) — An off-duty FBI agent appeared to fatally shoot a person at a metro station in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night, police said.
Police responded to reports of multiple shots fired on the Red Line platform at the Metro Center station shortly before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, D.C. Metro Transit Police said.
Based on preliminary reports, the federal officer opened fire, fatally striking one individual, police said. The officer was also transported to a local hospital with “unknown injuries,” police said.
Ashan Benedict, Metropolitan Police Department executive assistant chief of police, later said it appeared two individuals, including the agent, were involved in an altercation, where one apparently grabbed the other and both went over a side wall, away from the tracks, which was an 8-foot drop.
The struggle continued and shots were fired, Benedict said.
The FBI agent was transported to an area hospital with minor injures, he added.
Multiple sources told ABC News there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Red Line service has been suspended between Farragut North and Gallery Place amid the investigation and delays are expected in both directions.
ABC News’ Jack Date and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
(AUSTIN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies on Wednesday to ban the use of social media platform TikTok on government-issued devices over concerns about how the China-owned app handles data on American infrastructure and other sensitive information.
“TikTok harvests vast amounts of data from its users’ devices — including when, where and how they conduct internet activity — and offers this trove of potentially sensitive information to the Chinese government,” Abbott said in a letter to state officials on Wednesday.
TikTok has faced growing scrutiny from state and federal officials over fears that American data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sued TikTok on Wednesday for allegedly misleading users about the Chinese government’s capacity to access their data and showing mature content to minors. It marks the first state lawsuit against the app.
TikTok provided ABC News with a statement after Indiana sued the company.
“While we don’t comment on pending litigation, the safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority. We build youth well-being into our policies, limit features by age, empower parents with tools and resources, and continue to invest in new ways to enjoy content based on age-appropriateness or family comfort. We are also confident that we’re on a path in our negotiations with the U.S. Government to fully satisfy all reasonable U.S. national security concerns, and we have already made significant strides toward implementing those solutions,” the statement read.
On Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a similar prohibition on TikTok, as well as Chinese technology makers like Huawei and ZTE, from use on state business.
In a statement a response to Hogan’s ban, TikTok said in a statement to ABC News: “We believe the concerns driving these decisions are largely fueled by misinformation about our company. We are happy to continue having constructive meetings with state policymakers to discuss our privacy and security practices. We are disappointed that many state agencies, offices, and universities will no longer be able to use TikTok to build communities and connect with constituents.”
Last month, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission called on the U.S. government to ban the social media platform.
The Biden administration and TikTok wrote up a preliminary agreement to address national security concerns posed by the app but obstacles remain in the negotiations, The New York Times reported in September.
TikTok says that it stores the data of U.S. users outside of China, and has never removed U.S. posts from the platform at the request of the Chinese government.
Recent news stories have called into question the security of user data.
Buzzfeed reported in June that TikTok engineers based in China gained access to intimate information on U.S. users, such as phone numbers. Forbes reported in October that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, intended to use the app to access information on some users.
The Trump administration tried to ban TikTok in 2020, eventually calling on ByteDance to sell the app to a U.S. company. However, the sale never took place.
ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, the former romantic partner of Elizabeth Holmes and president of disgraced blood testing company Theranos, was sentenced Wednesday to 155 months, or nearly 13 years, in prison.
The sentencing in federal court comes less than three weeks after Holmes, the founder of Theranos, received 135 months, or 11 1/4 years, in prison for defrauding investors.
Balwani, 57, was convicted in July on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy after persuading investors and patients to trust the company’s faulty blood testing devices. In addition to 155 months in prison, Balwani was ordered to serve three years of probation after the sentence. Restitution will be decided at a later date. He has been ordered to report to prison on March 15, 2023.
Balwani faced a sentence of 20 years for each of the 12 counts, but legal experts expect the sentences to be served at the same time, giving him a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Prosecutors filed a legal memorandum last week arguing that the severity of the fraud and the need to “promote respect for the law” warrant a prison term of 15 years for Balwani.
Balwani’s lawyers, meanwhile, said their client should not receive any jail time, arguing instead that probation would prove sufficient. In a court filing, the lawyers noted Balwani’s financial losses on Theranos and contrasted Balwani’s low public profile with Holmes, who drew “fame and media attention.”
Last month, Balwani received a three-week delay in sentencing to give probation officers additional time to offer a recommended punishment. Balwani had asked for a sentencing date of Jan. 23, 2023, due to an undisclosed health problem and to make sure family members could attend the hearing.
Balwani, who also served as chief operating officer at Theranos, was convicted in July after a 13-week trial that detailed his trajectory from a wealthy software engineer who formed a romantic relationship with Holmes to a second-in-command figure at Theranos who invested millions in the startup and oversaw day-to-day operations.
Theranos sought to revolutionize the medical testing industry with a product that could assess an array of potential health issues with just a few drops of blood. The company, once valued at $9 billion, became an emblem of Silicon Valley malfeasance after it came to light that Balwani and Holmes misled investors even as the product failed to work.
During her trial, Holmes alleged that Balwani psychologically and physically abused her over the course of their romantic relationship — accusations that he forcefully denied.
Lawyers for Balwani depicted Theranos as a venture launched and shaped by Holmes. “Sunny Balwani did not start Theranos, he did not control Theranos, he did not have final decision-making authority at Theranos,” said Balwani’s attorney, Stephen Cazares.
Ultimately, however, a jury found him guilty of misleading investors and patients as the company raised more than a billion dollars and formed partnerships with drugstore giants Walgreens and Safeway.
Federal prosecutors indicted Balwani and Holmes in 2018, the same year Holmes agreed to forfeit control of Theranos. Their trials were severed in 2021.
The sentence on Wednesday was handed down by Judge Edward J. Davila at a federal courthouse in San Jose, California. Holmes received her sentence from Davila at the same courthouse on Nov. 18.
In addition to 135 months in prison, Holmes was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after the sentence. She has been ordered to report to prison on April 27, 2023.
Cold has announced a U.S. tour celebrating the upcoming 20th anniversary of the band’s 2003 album, Year of the Spider.
The trek begins March 17 in Syracuse, New York, and will wrap up May 29 in Cleveland. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 9.
Year of the Spider, Cold’s third studio effort, debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. It includes the single “Stupid Girl,” which was co-written by Weezer‘s Rivers Cuomo.
Cold’s most recent album is 2019’s The Things We Can’t Stop.
RCA records released a sneak peek of a rare recording of Whitney Houston‘s live performance of “Don’t Cry For Me.” RCA also teased a Sam Feldt remix of the track. Both songs will be featured on the I Wanna Dance With Somebody movie soundtrack, out December 16.
Andy Grammer held a massive game night and Rachel Platten was in the mix. “1. Search minute to win it games on YouTube. 2. Laugh until you cry with your friends. 3. Get too serious and almost fight your friends. 4. Best night ever,” he captioned the Instagram video.
Alicia Keys teamed up with American Greetings to create new, customizable holiday greetings via Creatacard, where people can pick from four songs off Alicia’s new Santa Baby album to send as messages.
Harry Styles and Chris Pine put those “spit-gate” rumors to rest once and for all. Page Six reports the two were seen hugging it out in Brazil. It was rumored Harry spat on Chris during the screening of Don’t Worry Darling at the Venice Film Festival.
The sing-along music video of Idina Menzel‘s “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen has reached 3 billion YouTube views.
Ethan Slater, who played SpongeBob in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, will play Boq in the movie adaptation of Wicked, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Varietyreports that actor Jeff Goldblum is in talks to play the Wizard of Oz.
Which artists trended the most on Google this year? The company found Ricky Martin, Adam Levine and Kate Bush were among the artists who had high spikes in traffic. Top trending songs include Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero,” Kate’s “Running Up That Hill,” and Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “What Else Can I Do” and “Surface Pressure.”
Demi Lovato reflected on their 2022 by sharing a TikTok reel of their biggest highlights of the year, which include releasing new album Holy Fvck, going on tour, getting a bunch of new tattoos and falling in love with partner Jutes.
Charlie Puth says he has a big announcement that he’s very excited to share, but we’ll have to wait to hear it. He posted a TikTok to cryptically tease what he says is major good news that he’ll share after Christmas.
RCA Records released a sneak peek of a rare recording of Whitney Houston‘s live performance of “Don’t Cry For Me.” RCA also teased a Sam Feldt remix of the track. Both songs will be featured on the I Wanna Dance With Somebody movie soundtrack, out December 16.
Harry Styles and Chris Pine put those “spit-gate” rumors to rest once and for all. Page Six reports the two were seen hugging it out in Brazil. It was rumored Harry spat on Chris during the screening of Don’t Worry Darling at the Venice Film Festival.
Ethan Slater, who played SpongeBob in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, will play Boq in the movie adaptation of Wicked, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Varietyreports actor Jeff Goldblum is in talks to play the Wizard of Oz.
Which artists trended the most on Google this year? The company found Adam Levine and Kate Bush were among the artists who had high spikes in traffic. Top trending songs include Lizzo‘s “About Damn Time,” Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Taylor Swift‘s “Anti-Hero,” Kate’s “Running Up That Hill,” “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, and Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “What Else Can I Do” and “Surface Pressure.”
When two Saturday Night Live legends are scheduled to host the show together, you’d be right to expect a funnier than usual promo. Such is the case, no pun intended, with Steve Martin and Martin Short‘s upcoming return to Studio 8H.
The spot starts with Martin casually pulling a rolling suitcase out of an elevator at 30 Rockefeller Center as he focuses on the cellphone in his hand, obliviously towing cables and knocking over chairs as he walks down the hall.
When Martin reaches the stage, still texting, he roughly yanks the case up the steps, only to reveal a tortured shout coming from within the luggage at each bump. He unlatches the case, revealing Short, comically shrunk to puppet size except his head.
Martin and Short are interrupted by a fanboying Michael Longfellow, who says he’s a big fan. As Short tries to thank the new SNL star from inside the box, Martin kicks it closed, then orders a green tea, mistaking the young comic for an assistant — and clarifies his order even after Longfellow makes clear who he is.
Short is then shown perched on Martin’s arm, like a ventriloquist dummy, with Martin puppeting his words; Short then gives a tune-in reminder, only to be dropped when Longfellow returns with Martin’s tea.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Rihanna and Beyoncé have secured spots on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful women in the world.
Rihanna came in at #73, with her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line boosting her net worth to a whopping $1.4 billion. According to the outlet, Fenty generated $550 million in revenue in 2020, and the Savage x Fenty lingerie line surpassed $1 billion in valuation last year.
As for Queen Bey, she took the 88th spot on this year’s list. Forbes praised the nine Grammy nods she earned this year, which brings her to a total of 88 nominations and makes her the most nominated female artist in Grammy history. Her net worth is estimated to be $450 million, according to the outlet.
Rihanna and Beyoncé are also ending the year on another Forbes list, the one compiling America’s Self-Made Women. The singers came in at #21 and #61, respectively.
Tune into ABC on Thursday to watch the latest installment of ABC News’ Superstar series, spotlighting Reba McEntire. The show will trace Reba’s career from her childhood in Oklahoma to her status as one of the biggest country stars today. Superstar airs at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
In case you missed it, Ashley McBryde brought Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night for a performance of “Gospel Night at the Strip Club.” The song comes off her new album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville.
Another TV highlight Tuesday was Carly Pearce’s appearance on The Voice. She sang her current single, “What He Didn’t Do.” If you didn’t catch her live performance, you can watch it now.
Jimmie Allen and his wife, Alexis,posted a video message this week in hopes of raising awareness of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, sharing the story of their daughter Zara being diagnosed with RSV at six weeks old. The virus, which is more common in the winter months, can lead to serious lung ailments in babies; visit KnowingRSV.com to learn more.
Interest in the Beatles on film is at an all-time high thanks to Peter Jackson‘s eight-hour Disney+ documentaryThe Beatles: Get Back. That’s why New York’s Paley Center for the Media is hosting an event called From Paperback Writer to the Rooftop Concert: Directing The Beatles.
The event, which takes place Wednesday night, is a conversation with Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who directed the original 1970 Let It Be film that Jackson expanded and reworked, as well as the music videos for “Paperback Writer,” “Rain” and “Revolution.”
Lindsay-Hogg will be joined by The Beatles: Get Back producer Jonathan Clyde of Apple Corps, Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield and Beatles academic Dr. Holly Tessler of the University of Liverpool.
The videos, as well as highlights from the Beatles’ 1969 rooftop concert — their last public performance — will be screened, and the panelists will discuss the Fab Four’s groundbreaking use of visual media to complement their music.
If you can’t make it to New York City on such short notice, the discussion will be posted on the Paley Center’s official YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.
