Artists including Tom Morello and Billie Eilish have joined the lineup for the upcoming virtual #iVoted Festival.
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist will be taking part in a conversation with comedian W. Kamau Bell, while the “bad guy” artist will be making an appearance on the webcast alongside her brother and collaborator, FINNEAS.
As previously reported, the #iVoted Festival takes place on Election Day, November 8. You can RSVP to watch by sending in a selfie from outside your polling location or with a blank, mail-in ballot. People who aren’t yet of voting age can also take part in the #iVoted Festival by RSVPing with their first voting-eligible election year and sharing why they’re “excited to vote.”
The announced performers include Rise Against, Halestorm, The Revivalists, Black Stone Cherry and Run the Jewels. Bands including Filter, Dead Sara and Local H have also since joined the lineup.
Judas Priest will be welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 5, and two of the band’s surviving former members — guitarist Ken “KK” Downing and drummer Les Binks — will be inducted alongside most of the group’s current lineup and late drummer Dave Holland.
While Downing has been at odds with his former bandmates since leaving Judas Priest in 2011, frontman Rob Halford confirms both KK and Binks will perform at the Rock Hall ceremony.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Halford tells ABC Audio about having Downing and Binks playing with the band. “And that was never a real issue. We felt that this is what the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame represents in terms of showing the talent, showing these are the guys that are receiving this accolade and there they are playing, you know.”
Halford also shares some details about the band’s performance, noting with a chuckle, “We’ve got, like, 8 minutes and 32-and-a-half seconds … Everything’s on the clock, which is the way it is in these kinds of events. So, we’re gonna try and cram as much as we can in that space.”
He adds, “And we got a few other things that we’re gonna do, which we won’t let out until the actual night, because that’s part of the magic of Priest. We’ve always got a little something up the metal Houdini sleeve.”
Judas Priest will be inducted into the Rock Hall in conjunction with receiving the Musical Excellence Award. The ceremony will take place at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, and the event will air on HBO at a later date.
Meanwhile, Priest launched the fall 2023 U.S. leg of its 50 Heavy Metal Years tour last week. Check out all the upcoming dates at JudasPriest.com.
Monday night in Denver, Colorado, Em Beihold kicked off her biggest tour yet, opening for singer/songwriter King Princess. When it comes to performing live, the “Numb Little Bug” singer has come quite a long way since being rejected by a major singing competition show because of her lack of stage presence.
“I feel like I just have more fun [onstage] because the more you do it, the less nervous you get, obviously,” Em told ABC Audio about doing concerts these days.
She laughs, “I used to have extreme stage fright. I remember I got a callback from The Voice once, and the reason they didn’t take me, they said, was because I stood like a stick onstage the whole time.”
“I’d say there’s more going on now,” she adds of her performance abilities.
Em’s run with King Princess goes through November 5. If you can’t get tickets to see her this time around, or you want a preview of upcoming shows, you can watch one of her full concerts on the music website The Circle Sessions.
Meanwhile, Em recently celebrated “Numb Little Bug,” off new EP Egg in the Backseat, being RIAA-certified Platinum for sales of 1 million units. She wrote on Instagram, “i never would’ve imagined this in my wildest dreams” and thanked her fans for “streaming and creating a community around this song.”
She added, “You’ve changed my life and I love you all so much.”
Fellow breakout stars Lauren Spencer-Smith and GAYLE responded in the comments, writing, “PROUD OF U” and “YES BABE,” respectively.
Thomas Rhett and Riley Green have written many songs together, but their current hit, “Half of Me,” isn’t one of them. Still, Riley is grateful to be part of it.
The two met years ago on a duck hunting trip and hit it off — so much so they pulled an all-nighter writing songs together. Although they didn’t write “Half of Me” together, Thomas turned it into a duet with his country music peer and friend.
“I took him duck hunting one year and we stayed up all night writing songs and then [he] ended up cutting one that we didn’t write. But very nice of him to let me be a part of it,” Riley says. “It’s such a great song, hit song. It’s been really fun to see crowds really react to it week by week.”
Despite performing it in front of their respective audiences on tour, the singers have only performed “Half of Me” together live one time — at the CMT Music Awards in April. Riley is hoping they’ll have another opportunity to perform it as it continues to climb up the charts.
“We need to get together and do it again now that it’s in the top 10. It’s becoming a hit and it’s just obvious that people are really liking it,” he says. “So we need to get together and recreate that.”
“Half of Me” is featured on Thomas’ latest album, Where We Started.
Josh Groban is teaming up with Josh Cellars wine for “Joshgiving,” which encourages people named Josh — and everyone else — to give back to the people and communities that enrich their lives with meaningful acts of thanks. Josh is actually a longtime fan of Josh Cellars, and not just because they share a name.
“It started many, many years ago because somebody at a restaurant said, ‘Hey, that’s your name, we should order a bottle of that,'” Josh recalls. “And I was like, ‘Well, that is quite delicious.’ And I’ve been drinking it ever since.”
Josh’s act of thanks is supporting the arts charity Sing for Hope, to which Josh Cellars has donated $100,000. Among its other programs, Sing for Hope refurbishes old pianos and places them in cities worldwide so people can play them.
“It’s a great opportunity to put an instrument in the hands of a lot of people who wouldn’t normally be able to have the exposure to that,” Josh explains. He notes that being introduced to the piano at age 13 — as well as having access to arts education — is the reason “why I’m here today.”
Starting now, you can post your own act of gratitude using #Joshgiving; three fan-submitted charities will receive a donation from the wine brand.
Teaming up with a wine brand is very on brand for Josh, a longtime wine drinker and connoisseur — although he waits until after a show to enjoy a glass while touring.
“I never drink before a show. I know some people that like to have a little glass of wine or two — or seven,” he laughs. “I save my glass for afterwards on the tour bus when we can all high five and watch a dumb comedy and just laugh about the show.”
Former Wings drummer Denny Seiwell and current Yes bassist Billy Sherwood are among the artists who have contributed to Shadows in a Jar, the sixth album by veteran guitarist and songwriter Earl Kayoss‘ Life on Mars project.
Kayoss’ main Life on Mars collaborator is Fernando Perdomo, a veteran producer and guitarist whose credits include the star-studded 2021 album Ram On, a tribute to Paul and Linda McCartney‘s 1971 Ram record, and 2021’s Energy Overload, a collaboration with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice. Seiwell also played on Ram On, as well as on the original Ram album.
You can check out a video for the Shadows in a Jar track “After All,” which features Sherwood on vocals, bass and drums, on Kayoss’ official YouTube channel.
Here’s the full track list of Shadows in a Jar:
“Ego”
“The Key”
“Stray Dog”
“After All”
“Technology”
“Rabbits”
“And Besides…”
“She’s Already Gone”
“Rock People”
“Nancy’s Finger”
“Only One”
“Hurricane Jane”
“Shadows in a Jar”*
Selma Blair is stepping down from Dancing with the Stars.
During Monday night’s show, the Cruel Intentions actress said she “has to pull back” after getting results from several MRIs.
“I had these MRIs and the results came back and it all adds up to — I can’t, I can’t go on with the competition,” Blair told her dance partner, Sasha Farber, in a taped clip during rehearsals.
“My body is definitely taking a hit,” she added. “It’s way too much for the safety of my bones…so I could do extensive damage.”
Since 2018, Blair has battled multiple sclerosis, a chronic disorder in which cells from the immune system attack the central nervous system. In a 2021 documentary, “Introducing, Selma Blair,” she spoke about her battle with the disease and how it has changed her life.
In her final performance Monday night, Blair danced to “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”
“To see the audience react to each and every one of us and our efforts, it’s so heartening and I wish I could stay and learn,” she said after her last performance. “I’m so proud of everyone and this audience for seeing us.”
“I came into this competition late,” she added. “I definitely was so excited to be active and learn…but it’s tough on your body. I know as a mom and someone who wants to represent people, some people who are taking chances, sometimes there are consequences. Mine is fine, I’m gonna be OK, there are little tears, but I don’t want it to be something serious.”
“This competition showed me how much I love to be around people,” she said before taking the dance floor a final time, with her son, Arthur, next to her. “How much I love to want to do something again.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Cleveland at NY Yankees (Postponed)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
NY Rangers 6, Anaheim 4
Arizona 4 Toronto 2
Boston 5, Florida 3
Washington 6, Vancouver 4
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2 (OT)
Los Angeles 5, Detroit 4 (OT)
Colorado 6, Minnesota 3
Dallas 4, Winnipeg 1
Carolina 5, Seattle 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LA Chargers 19, Denver 16
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
New York City FC 3, Miami 0
Minnesota 0, FC Dallas 0
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Monday officially launched the application for student loan relief, after the test version of the site went live this weekend — a long-awaited first step to fulfilling one of his campaign promises just weeks before the midterm elections.
“Today marks a big step among others that my administration is taking to make education a ticket to the middle class,” Biden said.
“A new student loan application is now open. If you have federal student debt please visit student aid.gov. It’s easy, simple and fast. And it’s a new day for millions of Americans all across our nation,” he said.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said after the Monday briefing that over 8 million borrowers have already applied for loan forgiveness through the “beta” — or test — version of the application, launched on Friday.
The rollout is a much-anticipated move to accomplish Biden’s August announcement that individuals with student loans making less that $125,00 can apply for up to $10,000 of debt relief, or as much as $20,000 for eligible borrowers who were also Pell Grant recipients.
Borrowers who submitted their applications for the student debt relief program during the beta test period won’t need to reapply now that the application is officially launched, according to a department spokesperson.
“As millions of people fill out the application. We’re going to make sure the system continues to work as smoothly as possible so that we can deliver student loan relief for millions of Americans as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” Biden said on Monday.
“My commitment was, if elected president, I was going to make government work to deliver for the people. This rollout keeps that commitment, just as I’m keeping my commitment to relieve student debt as borrowers recover from this economic crisis caused by the once in a lifetime pandemic.”
Biden also acknowledged the Republicans who are seeking to block the new relief.
“The Biden bailout is not only unfairly punishing Americans, but it is a political loser for Democrats this November. While Biden gives the wealthy a handout, his agenda has slammed families with rising gas prices, sky-high grocery bills, and tax hikes,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Nathan Brand said in a statement after Biden’s Monday announcement.
The policy has been challenged multiple times in court, largely by conservative organizations and states that argue that the Biden administration doesn’t have the authority to cancel student loan debt — that it’s up to Congress.
“Republican members of Congress, Republican governors are trying to do everything they can to deny this feat, even to their own constituents. As soon as I announced my administration’s student debt plan, they started attacking it, saying all kinds of things. Their outrage is wrong, and it’s hypocritical,” he said.
So far, none of the lawsuits has halted the program, which the Biden administration argues is on firm legal footing under the HEROES Act — an act that provides broader-than-usual authority to the Education Secretary during emergency periods, such as COVID. Biden said it’s his administration’s legal judgment that the relief program will not be blocked.
Biden noted that many of the GOP members who have opposed the policy have benefited from other COVID-related relief programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program or American Rescue Plan loans.
“As soon as I announced my administration’s student debt plan, they started attacking it, saying all kinds of things. Their outrage is wrong, and it’s hypocritical. I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle class people as they recover from the pandemic,” he continued.
“I don’t want to hear from Republican officials again, who heard who had hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions of dollars in pandemic relief loans, PPP loans, but who now attack the work the middle class Americans are getting relief,” Biden said.
The federal student loan forgiveness plan will cost $400 billion over 10 years, according to a revised estimate in late September from the Congressional Budget Office, which is a lower number than from one leading outside estimate.
“In total, more than 40 million Americans can stand to benefit from this relief, and about 90 percent — 90 percent of that relief is going to go people making less than $75,000 a year,” Biden said. “Let me be clear: Not a dime will go to those in the top 5 percent of the income bracket. Period.”
Biden said on Monday that the country is “on track” to reducing the federal deficit by $1 trillion this fiscal year, along with reducing it by another $300 billion over the next ten years because of a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Medicaid to now negotiate drug prices with corporations.
“We’re able to afford this student loan relief,” Biden claimed. “It’s because of our historic deficit reduction that Republicans voted against.”
He also said there would be federal income from the borrowers who do not qualify for the loan forgiveness program who will need to begin paying their loans when the payment pause discontinues this January. “That means billions of dollars a year will start coming into the U.S. Treasury,” Biden said.
“My administration’s plan is economically responsible.”
(WASHINGTON) — More than 2 million people have already voted in the 2022 general election, according to data analyzed by the University of Florida’s U.S. Elections Project.
The project, which compiles public data on early voting at ElectProject.org, had counted 2,030,730 early votes, of which 1,842,115 mail-in ballots have been returned and 188,615 ballots have been cast in person thus far, as of Oct. 17. There have been 14,892,186 total mail ballots requested.
University of Florida professor Michael McDonald, who oversees the Elections Project, said that early turnout so far in 2022 was higher than usual for a midterm election.
“It’s clear that we are above the 2018 midterm at the same point in time in states where we have comparable data to look at,” McDonald told ABC News.
With 21 days and millions more ballots left before Nov. 8, McDonald noted that 2022 turnout is likely to be on par with 2018 midterm turnout, which broke records previously set more than a century earlier. Midterm elections typically turn out fewer voters than during years when a presidential election is held, but the recent numbers indicate a growing trend of participation over the past few years.
“We do know that interest is running high for the election. We can see the sorts of indicators that would suggest that we’re in for a high-turnout election, much like we had in 2018. And 2018, was the highest midterm turnout rate since 1914,” he said.
“So, it was a fairly exceptional election, I mean 2020 was also exceptional in that it had the highest turnout for presidential elections since 1900.”
Early voting is underway in more than a dozen states, with more to start early voting sometime this week. Early voting periods range in length from four days to 45 days before Election Day, with an average length of 19 days, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Between 2006 and 2018, the percentage of national voters who cast their vote at a polling site on Election Day dropped from roughly 80% to roughly 60%, according to voter data. During that same period, the percentage of voters who chose early in-person voting grew from 5.8% to 16.7%, and the percentage of voters who mailed in their ballot increased from 13.8% to 22.3%.
But a rise in the use of early voting began to really spike during the 2020 presidential election, when the COVID-19 pandemic dampened in-person voting and triggered many state legislatures to expand mail-in options. The 2020 election saw record breaking turnout and also was the first time more people voted before Election Day than on it.
McDonald noted that the current midterm early voting trends may be indicative of a more permanent, stronger pattern of early voting.
“What we’re observing here is that some people have changed their behavior. They’re either voting early, where they may not have done so in a past midterm election, or they’re voting sooner than they would have,” he said. “Those are both things that we saw in 2020, where people were not only voting by mail, and in person early at greater frequencies then they had past elections, but they were also voting earlier than they had in prior presidential elections.”
Of the states that record party registration, the U.S. Elections Project shows more Democrats have voted early this cycle — 52.3% compared to only 31.1 % of Republicans.
The share of Republicans who are recorded saying voters should be allowed to vote early or absentee without a documented reason fell drastically in the past few years, according to a 2021 Pew Research survey– down 19% from 2018.
The use of absentee and mail-in ballots have been subject to conspiracy and skepticism after former President Donald Trump said that mail-in ballots lead to voter fraud in 2020.
McDonald noted on Twitter that the early vote count numbers crested 2 million as their project now has included totals from Arizona, one of the latest states to open ballot casting options ahead of election day. The Copper State began mailing ballots out to constituents on Oct. 12.
Arizona was ground zero for election fraud claims, with Trump alleging mass fraud in the state — joined later by now-gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, and the courts have refuted these baseless allegations, saying there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud or irregularities associated with the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous.
Sunday on CNN, Lake again refused to commit to conceding if she loses and laid the groundwork for sowing mistrust in mail-in voting options: “We don’t want to be counting for 10 days,” Lake said.
Florida leads in early voting participation
According to the U.S. Elections Project data, nearly a third of all of the early votes that have been cast so far, were done so in Florida– it’s the only state where early vote totals exceed 600,000. The rest of the 21 states that the project has recorded as imposing some sort of early vote method spans from 100,000 to 500,000 votes cast thus far this cycle.
“Quite remarkable, right. Considering that early voting is going on in many other states,” McDonald. “Florida has been piling on another 100,000 every day, at this point. Florida’s really why the numbers have moved so quickly.”
McDonald said that because of Florida’s larger size, broader voter turnout activity is expected, along with the fact that Floridians tend to use mail ballots more frequently than some of the other states has so far been casting votes early.
Large states like California, which sent their mail-in ballots out later than the Sunshine state, will quickly catch up, he said.
“California will catch up really quick and pass Florida within the next week or so. But in this period of time, right now, we’re Florida is the state that sent out well over a million mail ballots.”
Florida leads the pack as GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed an executive order which allows voters in areas devastated by recent Hurricane Ian — coastal counties Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota — more flexibility to request and cast their ballots.
The expanded voting order adds three days to early voting, and waives the requirement for voters to supply a signature when requesting a vote by mail ballot at a new address– a new voting law passed in 2021– and authorizes election supervisors to designate additional early voting locations, among other measures.
DeSantis said he signed the order at the request of the Supervisors of Elections in Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota counties, and at the recommendation of Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, following the storm which destroyed polling places and displaced thousands of people.
DeSantis encouraged Republicans to vote by mail at a campaign event on Saturday, saying he has “confidence” in Florida’s elections. The governor polled the crowd at the event, asking how they’d vote: attendees erupted into cheers when he asked who might cast ballots on Election Day, followed by silence when he asked if they might vote by mail.
“What I would say is whatever you like is fine. We’ve got good returns on absentee, and I have confidence in early voting, in person [voting], and of course Election day [voting],” DeSantis said.
