(WASHINGTON) — With his widow and former colleagues looking on, the late Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings had his official portrait unveiled Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.
Cummings died in October 2019, at 68, after longstanding health challenges. He was first elected to the House in 1996 and served as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform until he died.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip James Clyburn on Wednesday and delivered remarks honoring Cummings.
“He was a leader of towering integrity, everybody knows that. A man whose life embodied the American dream,” Pelosi, a Maryland native, said.
Cummings’ portrait was commissioned by his widow, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, and was painted by Baltimore-based artist Jerrell Gibbs. It will hang in the Rayburn House Office Building Government Oversight and Reform Committee hearing room.
“This entire process has been a beautiful challenge,” Gibbs said Wednesday. “Being tasked with creating a painting of this magnitude for someone as important as the honorable Elijah Cummings to be permanently housed in a place of such significance as the United States Capitol building seemed like an insurmountable feat.”
Rockeymoore Cummings told ABC News that the portrait “is going to help keep his legacy alive, because that portrait is going to actually stand and look over the Government Oversight and Reform Committee members as they deliberate on all matters of issues.”
“And he’s going to be a reminder to them that we have to hold ourselves to the highest levels of integrity, that we have to hold ourselves to the truth,” she said.
(WASHINGTON) — As a onetime ambassador to the U.N. and an international hostage negotiator, Bill Richardson has often been on the front lines of American diplomacy. But after his high-profile trip to Russia amid efforts to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan, members of the Biden administration are now urging Richardson to take a back seat.
“Our message is that private citizens should not be in Moscow at all right now and that private citizens cannot negotiate on behalf of the United States government,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday.
But Richardson, a former New Mexico governor and energy secretary who now heads up an organization aimed at freeing Americans considered to be wrongfully held abroad, is not exactly an average citizen. When his plans to travel to Russia were first reported in July, Kirby said U.S. officials were in “constant communication” with him.
Richardson, for his part, told ABC News in August that he was “optimistic” about both Griner and Whelan, calling himself a “catalyst”: “I’ve been talking to the Russians. I talked to the White House.”
But the State Department’s receptiveness to help from outside the administration has chilled in recent weeks. Spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday that anything other than government-to-government communication could be counterproductive.
“Our concern is that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to hinder the efforts that we have undertaken to see the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner,” he said.
However, when Richardson first became involved in Griner’s case at the behest of her family in May, Price struck a different chord.
“We welcome all of those efforts that are coordinated closely with us that might help to seek the safe release of any American who’s unjustly detained around the world,” he said then.
Asked about the apparent shift, Price denied there had been a change in the government’s approach, saying the channel through which the Kremlin and Washington are currently communicating was established back in 2021 when President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva.
It’s unclear if the State Department was informed of Richardson’s latest travel plans in advance, but Price said the trip was not coordinated through the U.S. embassy in Moscow. ABC News independently confirmed Richardson’s visit to Russia and reached out to the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, but a spokesperson declined to comment or answer questions.
“Of course, families are perfectly free to engage in to consult with outside voices, with outside entities,” Price said Wednesday. “But again, we want to make sure that any outside effort is fully and transparently coordinated with us and, in this case, we believe that any efforts that fall outside of that officially designated channel have the potential to complicate what is already an extraordinarily complicated challenge.”
The shifting tone from members of the administration comes as its push to free Griner and Whelan plods along at a slow — but not atypical — pace.
In late July, Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the rare step of announcing that the U.S. had put forth what he called a “substantial proposal” aimed at securing the release of both prisoners. Sources later confirmed it was a proposal for a prisoner swap involving so-called “merchant of death” Viktor Bout, a convicted arms trafficker who is currently serving out a 25-year sentence in an Illinois penitentiary.
Although officials within the department say direct engagement between the U.S. and Russia has continued on a regular basis since then, there is scant evidence that an agreement is any closer. Some, including Richardson, say they believe Moscow will require parity for an exchange, giving the White House the difficult task of identifying another prisoner that is tolerable to release but still a valuable enough asset for Moscow to go through with the trade.
Still, other sources have expressed doubt that Moscow is approaching the talks in good faith and question whether the Kremlin is truly willing to cut a deal in the near-term.
Richardson, who has carried out diplomatic missions in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and North Korea, played a role in freeing another former U.S. Marine detained in Russia: Trevor Reed. He was released as part of a prisoner exchange in April.
The administration’s position against outside help has sparked backlash from some advocates, who believe other avenues may yield results.
Griner, who pleaded guilty to drug charges in early July — though she said she had only inadvertently brought illegal hashish oil into Russia — has been detained since Feb. 17. She was sentenced to nine years behind bars but is currently appealing the ruling.
The Phoenix Mercury center and Olympic gold medalist’s wife, Cherelle Griner, said in July that she would “not be quiet anymore” and publicly urged the government to do everything in its power to help Griner.
Whelan has been detained in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that U.S. officials have called “trumped up.” His brother told ABC News the Whelan family is supportive of Richardson’s involvement in the case.
The wait is over for the return of the Mexican Pizza to Taco Bell’s menu — and now the wait is nearly over for the Taco Bell TikTok musical.
That’s right: On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, fans can watch the Mexican Pizza TikTok musical, starring Dolly Parton and other celebrities. Dolly teased the event on her social channels, posting snippets of the musical — and a poppy background score — in her Instagram Stories.
For the uninitiated, Mexican Pizza was discontinued from Taco Bell’s menu in 2020, leading to general uproar from superfans of the product, including rapper Doja Cat and Dolly herself.
They weren’t alone. A petition to bring back the Mexican Pizza netted 171,000 signatures, and Taco Bell listened, vowing to return the item to its menu and to launch a TikTok musical celebrating it.
Dolly announced her involvement in the musical — which was also inspired by a song Doja Cat wrote and posted on TikTok — in May.
(NEW YORK) — A 10-year-old boy is on a mission to make life easier for the 37.7 million Americans who suffer from diabetes.
Jameson Wardle was 5 years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a chronic disease in which the insulin-making cells in the pancreas are destroyed, forcing a person to be dependent on insulin, delivered via shots or an insulin pump.
Jameson, a 5th grade student in Boerne, Texas, has met with his local congressmen to urge them to stand up against what he says are unaffordable insulin prices.
“[Diabetes] is when your body attacks the beta cells … which produce insulin which is a hormone that changes carbohydrates into energy,” Jameson told ABC News’ Good Morning America.
More than eight million Americans use insulin, which is a necessity for people like Jameson with type 1 diabetes, who often require multiple injections of insulin each day, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Jameson uses 100 units of fast-acting insulin everyday, said his mom, Jennifer Wardle.
Each vial of insulin, which is about the size of a golf tee, costs $300 without insurance. Wardle, a U.S. Air Force veteran, said her family fortunately has insurance under her military benefits.
“But what happens when [Jameson] turns 26 and he’s not on our insurance anymore?” she said. “And these are the things that we, as parents, have to help him plan for.”
Jameson and Wardle are calling on Congress to pass legislation that would cap the price of insulin. One piece of legislation they support, H.R.6833, the Affordable Insulin Now Act, would encourage insulin manufacturers to reduce list prices and expand access to insulin.
The legislation passed the House in March but it has stalled in the Senate.
A proposal by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., to place a $35-per-month limit on insulin costs under private insurances failed this month in the Senate by a 57-43 vote.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and costs a total estimated $327 billion in medical costs and lost work and wages annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jameson said that he remains committed to meeting with more lawmakers, saying, “I feel empowered.”
He also shared a message of encouragement to other kids out there with diabetes, fighting like he is.
“Keep going and be strong because soon we’ll have a cure,” he said. “Contact your congressman.”
Growing up in Alabama, Walker Hayes has plenty of first-hand experience when it comes to life in the South, and he says his new song, “Y’all Life,” perfectly sums it all up.
“Where I grew up — the song just says it like it is,” the singer tells ABC Audio. “From Alabama, it’s all football and Jesus. That’s it, bro. And that’s all that matters down there.”
Walker describes his new single as a “two-and-a-half-minute snapshot of where I grew up,” going on to offer more images from the song that speak to what life is like growing up in a place like his Alabama hometown.
“I love the images this song has — the furniture in it, the ice cream truck,” he rattles off. “It is a football game, and you know, we’ve got the marching band feel in there.
The song also tips its hat to a legendary 2000 anthem for rapper Nelly — “Country Grammar” — in one of its lyrics, sampling the iconic first line of that song’s chorus. “I wanted to use that [line] — ‘Down, down baby’ — but I was like, ‘You know, let’s just go there and we’ll sort out the co-write stuff later,’” he explains.
Nelly’s influence on the song isn’t the only instance of a potential future “Y’all Life” collaboration, Walker hints. “I would imagine we’re going to have some pretty sick collabs with this song throughout its life,” he says.
The reissue of Pink Floyd‘s classic 1977 concept album Animals, featuring a 5.1 Surround Sound mix created in 2018, gets released in multiple formats this Friday, September 16.
Along with the updated mix, the reissue boasts a reimagined and updated version of Animals‘ memorable cover art, which featured a photo of London’s massive Battersea Power Station with a giant inflatable pig tied to its chimneys.
Both covers were created by Aubrey “Po” Powell, co-founder of Hipgnosis, the graphic-design firm that has worked on most of the band’s albums.
The new cover features an ominous-looking recent photo of the building, which is covered in scaffolding, taken at night from a different angle than the original pic, with the pig added digitally.
Powell tells ABC Audio that he had to act fast to get a good current photo of the building because the site is in the middle of a “massive regeneration project” that’s obscuring the view of the station.
Powell says the new photo reflects Animals‘ cynical look at humanity, which was partly inspired by George Orwell‘s dystopian novel Animal Farm.
“I think the reflection of the image is very much related to the album, this Orwellian, dark, bleak, futuristic image,” he notes. “It’s almost sci-fi … Roger [Waters is] over the moon about it, and I think one of the reasons is because [it echoes] the period of time that we live in.”
Powell adds that Pink Floyd’s other members also think the new cover was great.
In addition, Powell says the cover reflects the edgier, more in-your-face new Animals mix, which, he maintains, “sounds so different and so good.”
The Animals reissue will be available Friday on CD, vinyl LP, Blu-ray and SACD. A deluxe multiple-disc package will follow on October 7.
Imagine a prep school for Vampires – that’s the starting point for the new Peacock series Vampire Academy, which debuts today.
The fantasy horror series focuses on the friendship between a privileged teen vamp who is destined to rule, and her best friend who is training to protect her for life. Sisi Stringer plays the guardian vamp and told ABC Audio about the bond between these two women.
“You think that they already have a wonderful, beautiful, strong connection and then a lot of stuff happens and it just gets stronger and stronger in these weird and wonderful ways,” she says, adding, “As the story unravels, you see them get closer.”
Vampire Academy is based on a popular book series of the same name, and Stringer explains that there are “three different kinds of vampires” in this show’s fantasy world “and there’s all this wonderful lore and back story.”
Daniela Nieves, who also stars in the show, adds, “Yeah, because I think that also what makes our vampire Show different and interesting is that within the vampires and half vampires, then there’s royal vampires and non-royal vampires.”
“And they dress differently,” she continues. “They, have different rights and different things they can or can’t do. It’s complex. And then within the within that, there’s also like the factional leaders of the elements because they can perform magic as well.”
Part of that magic includes being able to manipulate a specific element — so which power would Stringer want in real life?
“If you have earth, in our world, we can manipulate like wood, as well…So…imagine being able to manipulate dirt, sand, wood…rocks, all of that. That would also be really cool,” she says. “But then also you can do so so much with air. I can’t decide.”
(NEW YORK) — American railway companies and unions have reached a tentative labor agreement amid the threat of strikes.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh announced the news on Twitter early Thursday, saying the deal “balances the needs of workers, businesses, and our nation’s economy.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Colorado 3, Chi White Sox 0
Seattle 6, San Diego 1
Baltimore 6, Washington 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Houston 2, Detroit 1
Cleveland 5, LA Angels 3
Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 1
NY Yankees 5, Boston 3
Minnesota 4, Kansas City 0
Oakland 8, Texas 7
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 10, Cincinatti 4
San Francisco 4, Atlanta 1
Philadelphia 6, Miami 1
Chi Cubs 6, NY Mets 3
St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 1
Arizona 5, LA Dodgers 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Atlanta United 1, Orlando City o
Austin 3, Real Salt Lake 0
Vancouver 3, LA Galaxy 0
Colorado 2, San Jose 1
(BOSTON) — Boston police and federal authorities are questioning whether an explosion ever took place on the Northeastern University campus Tuesday evening, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Police and school officials said Tuesday that a package had detonated at the university, resulting in a school staff member sustaining a minor hand injury.
Boston EMS had responded to reports of an explosion at the university, with the 45-year-old victim transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police and officials.
The Northeastern University staff member who allegedly sustained injuries in what authorities called a “package detonation” had opened a hard-backed, Pelican-type case, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
There’s no apparent damage to the case and investigators have found no evidence of an explosion occurring, the sources said. Instead, authorities are looking at whether the entire thing was a hoax.
The alleged package was sent to Holmes Hall on Leon Street, where police responded at 7:18 p.m., authorities said. Boston Police Superintendent Felipe Colon said there was a second similar package that was rendered safe by the bomb squad.
Law enforcement’s preliminary assessment is that the reported minor explosion on campus was not random, two sources briefed told ABC News.
Authorities also found what the sources described as an anonymous note railing against virtual reality, among other things.
There is no intelligence indicating a further threat, according to the FBI’s Boston office.
A manager at Northeastern’s virtual reality lab, the sources said, is apparently the 45-year-old male staff member who was hurt. The injuries are reportedly minor abrasions to both forearms.
In a statement to Boston ABC News station WCVB, Northeastern University said a package delivered to Holmes Hall “detonated when a staff member opened it.”
A second suspicious package was cleared and did not contain an explosive, according to the two sources. There have been a number of reports of suspicious packages that police have checked, and they’ve searched buildings and mail rooms at Northeastern and nearby colleges for similar-looking packages, the sources said.
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said a number of campus buildings were evacuated. He urged citizens to come forward if they see something out of the ordinary.
“We’re trying to gather facts now,” Colon added.
“The building has been evacuated and a notification was sent to the Boston campus at 7:55 p.m. urging people to avoid the area. We will update members of the Northeastern community when more information is available,” the university added in its statement.
Police for Northeastern University urged people to avoid areas around the school’s Holmes Hall as they conduct an investigation into the incident.
Nearby colleges and universities in and around Boston were advised to be on watch for similar-looking Pelican-type cases.
Sources said the case appears to have contained no explosive material. Instead, it was believed to have had somehow been pressurized and, when opened, rapidly depressurized, causing the supposed detonation.
The Boston Police Department’s bomb squad, Boston EMS and the Boston Fire Department were all on the scene investigating the incident, officials said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation, according to a spokesperson.
Northeastern is a private research university located in Boston.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin, Arielle Mitropoulos and Jack Date contributed to this report.
