Neil Young recently toldThe New Yorker that he’s glad that one of his most beloved albums — 1972’s Harvest — “was a big successful record,” but he admitted, “I have no idea really why.” Maybe you can figure out why yourself, since the 50th anniversary edition of the classic set is out now.
The Harvest box set, available on CD, digital or vinyl, includes the original album, three outtakes and an unreleased live 1971 BBC solo performance on CD, LP and DVD.
The set also features a DVD of Harvest Time, a two-hour film featuring footage of the making of the album. A hardbound book and fold-out poster rounds out the package.
The three outtakes from the original sessions are “Bad Fog of Loneliness,” “Journey Through the Past” and “Dance Dance Dance.” The live BBC performance includes live versions of “Old Man,” “Heart of Gold,” “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” and “A Man Needs a Maid,” among other songs.
(NEW YORK) — A passenger on an Antarctic cruise died and four others were injured after their Viking ship was struck by a “rogue wave,” the cruise line said.
The incident happened on Tuesday around 10:40 p.m. local time while the Viking Polaris ship was sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, Viking said.
A guest died following the incident, Viking said, though it did not share further details on the cause of death. The victim’s family has been notified, the company said. The identity or nationality of the passenger was not released.
Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship’s doctor and medical staff, Viking said.
“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities,” Viking said in a statement Thursday. “Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel.”
The ship sustained “limited damage” from the rogue wave and arrived in Ushuaia on Wednesday “without further incident,” Viking said. Images taken of the docked ship showed several damaged windows.
Passengers on board the ship described choppy conditions leading up to the incident.
Californian Beverly Spiker told ABC News that a “huge smash” against the window of her and her husband’s cabin caused her window frame to break.
“Clearly something big had happened,” she said. “A lot of water came shooting in.”
“Luckily, our windows did hold,” she added, though she said other rooms on their side of the ship were “washed out.”
Spiker’s cousin, Suzie Gooding, of North Carolina, told ABC News that at the time, the ship was going through the Drake Passage, “which is well-known for having turbulent seas.”
Gooding said despite the conditions outside looking “horrible,” the inside was “like a normal cruise ship” leading up to the incident. She said she felt a “sudden shudder” that caused cabinets to open.
“It was just unbelievable,” she said. “At the time that it happened, we personally wondered if, you know, we knew that we weren’t by any icebergs, but it’s like, did we hit an iceberg? It just was so sudden.”
Spike said she and other passengers were “shook up” afterward.
“No matter what side of the boat you’re on, it was felt throughout the ship that clearly something bad had happened,” she said. “So everybody was pretty shook up.”
The ship is docked as passengers await further travel plans from Viking, according to Gooding, who said that two other ships in their bay in Ushuaia were also damaged, possibly by rouge waves.
The Viking Polaris ship’s next departure for the Antarctic, scheduled for Dec. 5, has been canceled “after careful consideration,” the cruise line said.
Rogue, or extreme storm waves, are “greater than twice the size of surrounding waves” and are “very unpredictable,” according to the National Ocean Service.
Ushuaia, at the southernmost tip of South America, is a common starting point for cruises to Antarctica.
(NEW YORK) — Some unions representing rail workers as well as the nation’s largest labor organization blasted a Senate vote on Thursday denying workers paid sick days after the chamber passed a separate measure imposing a labor agreement and averting a nationwide rail strike.
The bill, which gives rail workers seven paid sick days, passed the House but was defeated by a vote of 52-43 in the Senate, as Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., joined Republican members in rejecting the measure. A handful of Republican members, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla, voted in favor of the bill.
“It is extremely disappointing that 43 Senators voted to prioritize the corporate greed of rail carriers and CEOs over the needs and quality-of-life improvements that our members so desperately deserve,” said the SMART Transportation Division, or SMART-TD, which represents about 28,000 conductors, making it the nation’s largest rail union.
The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division of the Teamsters, or BMWED, which represents 12,000 members, sharply criticized the Senate vote.
“It is shocking and appalling that any Member of Congress would cast a vote against any sort of provision that raises the standard of living for hard-working Americans,” a union statement said.
“In fact, such a vote is nothing less than anti-American, an abdication of their oath of office and you are deemed, in my eyes, unworthy of holding office,” it added.
SMART-TD and BMWED were among four rail unions that rejected a tentative agreement brokered by the White House in September, which later set the terms of a labor contract for rail workers passed by Congress on Thursday and signed by President Joe Biden on Friday. That contract did not provide rail workers with any paid sick days.
The contract imposed by Congress includes a 24% raise from 2020 to 2024, bonus increases and an additional paid day off.
The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization representing 12.5 million workers, slammed the Senate vote denying paid sick days but applauded other parts of the imposed contract.
“While rail workers won significant wage increases and other important gains today, it’s deeply disappointing that 43 senators sided with multibillion-dollar rail corporations to block desperately needed paid sick days,” the AFCL-CIO said in a statement.
“Rail workers keep America’s economy moving, yet rail companies treat workers as essential one minute and disposable the next,” the labor federation added.
The American Association of Railroads, a trade group representing rail companies, in a statement applauded the vote in Congress on Thursday that averted a nationwide strike but did not comment directly on the Senate’s rejection of paid sick days.
“The Senate acted with leadership and urgency with today’s vote to avert an economically devastating rail work stoppage,” AAR president and CEO Ian Jefferies said on Thursday. “The product of these agreements is a compromise by nature, but the result is one of substantial gains for rail employees.”
“Without a doubt, there is more to be done to further address our employees’ work-life balance concerns, but it is clear this agreement maintains rail’s place among the best jobs in our nation,” he added.
After signing the bill imposing the labor agreement on Friday, Biden said the contract helped the U.S. avert a “catastrophe,” even as he acknowledged that the measure fell short of worker demands.
Biden has faced criticism for backing congressional intervention in support of labor terms rejected by some of the rail unions, despite referring to himself as a pro-union president.
“Look, I know this bill doesn’t have paid sick leave these rail workers, and frankly every worker in America, deserves,” Biden said. “But that fight isn’t over.”
“I supported paid sick leave for a long time,” he added. “I’m going to continue that fight til we succeed.”
Unions accused rail companies of penalizing workers for taking time off for medical reasons, since employees do not receive paid sick days. To win a favorable deal, rail companies jeopardized the nation’s economy, unions said.
The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, said rail employees are provided “significant” time off and that the companies had offered a fair contract that included a considerable wage increase.
The terms of the labor contract followed guidelines issued by a presidential emergency board formed by Biden in July. Two months later, in September, the White House brokered a tentative agreement based on those terms but the deal was later rejected by 4 rail unions.
While alluding to disappointment over the Senate vote on paid sick days, Transportation Communications Union President Arthur Maratea applauded Biden’s efforts to forge an agreement in a statement on Thursday.
“Regardless of our feelings on the outcome of the vote today, union members should not discount the lengths to which the Biden Administration went to deliver a Presidential Emergency Board with strong recommendations that provided our members with record wage increases, preserved our healthcare (which was under assault), and even provided an extra paid day off,” he said.
One of the most popular shows on TV, Yellowstone, is now part of the Monopoly franchise.
That’s right: If you ever wished you could build your empire like the Dutton clan, now you can, thanks to Hasbro’s board-game version of the neo-Western phenomenon.
Monopoly: Yellowstone‘s makers tease that players can collect properties, including some of the Paramount Network series’ most recognizable locations: Obviously, the Dutton Ranch Main House is up for grabs, as are stables, the bunkhouse, Rip & Beth’s cabin, the Paradise Valley Resort and others.
Instead of the classic game’s shoe, thimble and other player pieces, the new game offers up a branding iron, a saddle, a cowboy hat, a bull and a belt buckle. The “Chance Cards” have been re-branded as “Protect The Land” Cards, with Monopoly’s “Community Chest” cards retrofitted with Rip Dutton’s memorable line: “We Don’t Choose The Way.”
And because you can’t build an empire without legal tender, the game’s iconic colored cash gets a Yellowstone-themed face-lift, too.
Offset gave his first performance since the death of his Migos bandmate and cousin Takeoff.
The rapper took the stage at Miami club E11EVEN in the wee hours of Friday morning as part of an Art Basel kickoff party. His wife, Cardi B, was in attendance.
“We’re doing this for my brother,” he told the crowd, according to Page Six. “For Takeoff, let’s do this s***.”
He then performed hits including “Clout” and “Bad and Boujie.”
Takeoff, who was part of the rap trio with Offset and Quavo, was shot and killed November 1 in Houston at the age of 28.
“My heart is shattered and I have so many things to say, but I can’t find the words,” Offset wrote in a statement following Takeoff’s death. “I’ve been going to sleep and waking up hoping that all of this is a dream, but it’s reality, and reality feels like a nightmare.”
(LOS ANGELES) — Los Angeles County may soon reimpose indoor mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in the area.
During a press conference Thursday, LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the largest county in the United States had reached “medium” COVID-19 transmission levels and will require face coverings if it reaches the “high” category.
As of Dec. 1, Los Angeles County is averaging 2,490 new COVID-19 infections every day, the highest number recorded since Aug. 26, according to health department data.
Ferrer said the real count is likely much higher due to several people testing positive with at-home rapid tests and not reporting the results to health officials or due to people not testing at all.
Additionally, there are currently 1,164 residents hospitalized in the county due to the virus, which is the highest number of patients seen since Aug. 11.
Daily deaths are still relatively low at 14, but the figure could rise because COVID-related fatalities tend to lag a few weeks behind case and hospitalization increases, Ferrer noted.
“There is this common line of thinking that the pandemic is over and COVID is no longer of concern, but these numbers clearly demonstrate that COVID is still with us,” she said.
Two weeks ago, county officials said they were “strongly recommending” that residents wear masks in indoor public settings but stopped short of requiring them after the COVID-19 case rate hit 100 per 100,000 residents.
Currently, the weekly rate is 185 per 100,000 and Los Angeles County would likely be considered “high” if it reaches 200 per 100,000.
If cases keep climbing at the same rate, Ferrer said the county will likely reach the “high” category by next week.
According to Ferrer, mask requirements will return if Los Angeles County sees daily average hospital admissions exceed a rate of 10 per 100,000 and if more than 10% of staffed inpatient beds are being occupied by COVID patients. Both are benchmarks set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Given both the increases in hospitalizations and the lack of certainty in the winter trajectory for COVID-19, continuing some common-sense mitigation strategies that we know work to limit transmission and illness, including masking and being up to date on vaccines and boosters, remains a very sensible approach,” she said.
Health department data shows 73% of all residents are fully vaccinated but the percentages vary widely by age.
Seniors aged 65 and older have the highest rate with 92% fully vaccinated while children between ages 6 months and 4 years have the lowest rate with just 6% fully vaccinated.
Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
After much speculation by fans — and some pretty blatant hints — it’s now official: Elton John’s final U.K. show of his Farewell tour will take place at Great Britain’s most prestigious music festival: Glastonbury.
“We are incredibly excited to announce that the one and only @eltonjohn will headline the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night at Glastonbury 2023,” the festival announced. The show will take place June 24. Unfortunately, all the Glastonbury tickets sold out in an hour last month, though resales of returned tickets will take place next spring.
On Instagram, Elton wrote, “I couldn’t be more excited to be headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023 and celebrate the greatest festival in the world!!”
He continued, “Every week I speak to new artists on my radio show and Glastonbury is often cited as a pivotal moment in launching their careers – the festival’s genuine, enthusiastic support for the best emerging talent is something I’ve long admired. Thank you for having me…for my final UK show – it’s going to be emotional.”
Elton has never played Glastonbury before.
Fans began speculating that Elton would headline the legendary event after he said he was going to announce one more show, and they noticed a gap in his schedule from June 21 to June 24, which coincides with the dates of the festival.
Then, the BBC’s Glastonbury Twitter feed seemed to confirm the speculation when it posted a link to a webcam shot of the festival’s Pyramid Stage with a rocket — as in Rocket Man — flying above it.
(NEW YORK) — The founder of nonprofit organization Sistah Space drew international attention after she detailed racist comments from a British royal aide while attending a Buckingham Palace reception on combatting violence against women hosted by Queen Consort Camilla.
Ngozi Fulani, whose charity focuses on supporting women of African and Caribbean heritage affected by domestic violence, detailed her encounter with “Lady SH” in a viral tweet about her experience that took place Tuesday at an event to mark the international campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
“Because of the work that we do at Sistah Space, we talk about domestic abuse, but we also look at the racism or, you know, barriers for Black women reporting domestic abuse,” Fulani said, addressing the controversy in an interview with ABC News Live on Friday. “So because of that work, that’s why we received the invitation in the first place. I did not expect that five minutes after I got into the palace, I was approached by a woman that I didn’t know and I still don’t know.”
The royal aide was later revealed to be Lady Susan Hussey, godmother to Prince William and lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Fulani, a British national, said that Hussey asked her repeatedly where she was from after moving her locs to see her name badge, allegedly responding, “No, what part of Africa are you from?” when Fulani said her organization is based in the U.K., continuing to question Fulani when she insisted that she was British.
“I know when someone’s asking me a question because they’re interested and when someone’s asking me a question because there’s a motive at the end,” Fulani told ABC News Live of the interaction she perceived as more than a case of genuine curiosity. “This is about her feeling comfortable that I can’t claim my British citizenship.”
Several commenters under the post mentioned the incident as a reminder of the racism and terroristic threats faced by Meghan Markle upon her entrance to the British Royal Family when she married Prince Harry in 2019. The duchess of Sussex, who is biracial, accused the Firm of ignoring her pleas for help when she suffered suicidal ideation and claimed an unnamed royal had concerns about her unborn baby’s skin color in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Earlier this week, Neil Basu, the former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, confirmed the Sussexes faced “disgusting and very real” threats when they lived in the United Kingdom.
In response to the allegations, Buckingham Palace said in a statement last March that the royal family was saddened to learn the “full extent” of Harry and Meghan’s experiences.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately,” the palace wrote.
The duchess of Sussex will make a trip to New York with Prince Harry next week, shortly after the prince and princess of Wales’ Boston travels this week.
Hussey has since resigned from her royal role and offered “her profound apologies for the hurt caused,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
“We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made,” the palace said in a statement. “We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes.”
In the wake of Hussey’s resignation — something Fulani did not want, according to her friend and fellow activist Mandu Reid — Fulani told ABC News on Friday that she and the palace have not spoken directly, but “will have that discussion” on how the situation should have been handled once they do.
“I haven’t spoken directly to the palace and neither have they to me. And when that happens, we will have that discussion,” she said. “But I just want to make something clear: The palace appointed her or gave her that position. So it’s for her and the palace to sort out. It’s not for me.”
But, in the new Hulu teen comedy film Darby and the Dead, it all gets taken up a notch. The movie, which centers on Riele Downs’ introvert Darby and her ability to see ghosts like Auli’i Cravalho’s Capri, balances supernatural elements with classic teen movie tropes.
“We have our North Stars that we wanted to pay reverence to, like Clueless and Mean Girls and Heathers. They all had these incredible, powerful women, but we wanted a fresh take on it,” Cravalho tells ABC Audio. “So, we have incredible diversity in these women, and they’re in positions of power. And we also wanted to talk about grief and what it looks like and how it has ripple effects.”
The cast still got to have all the classic teen movie moments, such as “the makeover,” “the walk down the hall,” and the classic “tossing of the hair” over the shoulder, Cravalho says, but they also got to focus on the deeper subject matter of grief as well.
“We also get characters like James, played by Asher Angel, who’s devastated by the loss of his girlfriend. And then we get to see Derek Luke, who plays Darby’s dad – the beautiful representation of a parent who’s understanding and emotionally available to talk about these sensitive subjects,” Cravalho says.
According to Downs, this complexity was completely intentional.
“We really put a lot of attention on creating layers for them and making them all have motivations. Nothing is by accident,” Downs says. “Knowing that they’re not just a stereotype and also there’s something in it for everyone.”
Darby and the Dead will be available to stream Friday, December 2, only on Hulu.
A Guns N’ Roses fan who attended the band’s concert in Adelaide, Australia, earlier this week claims that she was injured when frontman Axl Rose threw his microphone into the crowd.
Rebecca Howe tells Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the mic hit her in the face after Rose tossed it following a performance of “Paradise City.” She also provides a photo showing bruises under her eyes and across the bridge of her nose.
In talking about the alleged incident, Howe wants to spread a “warning” to any other GN’R fans planning to attend a show.
“If Axl sings ‘Paradise City’ get ready to duck for cover,” Howe says, adding that her “intentions were not to gain anything” in speaking up.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reached out to GN’R’s rep for comment.
Apparently, microphone-related injuries in Australia are something of a thing for Guns N’ Roses. A man was hit in the mouth with Axl’s mic during a 2013 show in Perth.
Guns N’ Roses will conclude their current tour of Australia and New Zealand on December 10.
