Even after 30 years, the cast of A League of Their Own still keeps in touch.
The 1992 film, which starred Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Lori Petty and Anne Ramsay, is loosely based on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that was active from 1943 to 1954. It was created to keep professional baseball in the public eye while many of the male players had been drafted for World War II.
Geena, who played the catcher and the team’s assistant manager, Dottie Hinson, says that she and many of the cast members are still close.
“The girls and I are all still in contact and we still remain a team,” Geena shares with People, adding that Anne is a “very close friend.” “So much time has passed, but A League of Their Own has been very important in my life.”
The Academy Award-winning actress also says that while she didn’t know how to play baseball before the film, she learned through filming that she had natural athleticism for the sport.
“I’d never played baseball. I didn’t know how to play at all,” she explains. “But I had to learn to play for this part. And it turned out that I actually had some kind of untapped athletic ability.”
A League of Their Own has been adapted into a TV series starring co-creator Abbi Jacobson as team catcher Carson Shaw and Chante Adams as pitcher Maxine Chapman. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on August 12.
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 18, 3:59 PM EDT
Russia reportedly tells Zaporizhzhia plant workers not to go to work Friday
Russia has reportedly told some workers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant not to go to work on Friday, according to Ukrainian officials.
In an official Telegram channel, the main director of Ukraine’s military intelligence said Thursday, “Occupiers announced an unexpected day off on August 19. At the nuclear plant there will only be operational staff. All other employees will be denied entry.”
The official added that representatives of the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom also have “temporarily left the territory of the plant.”
This comes as both Ukraine and Russia have warned of a provocation being planned at the plant Friday.
-ABC News’ Britt Clennett
Aug 18, 1:08 PM EDT
Zelenskyy calls on UN to ensure demilitarization of Zaporizhzhya plant
During a meeting in Lviv on Thursday with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the U.N. to ensure the demilitarization and “complete liberation” of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant from Russian forces, according to a statement from his office.
The two “agreed upon the parameters” of a possible visit to the plant by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, Zelenskyy’s office said.
Russia has claimed a demilitarized zone around the plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, would make it more vulnerable.
During their meeting in Lviv, Zelenskyy also called for a U.N. fact-finding mission to head to Olenivka, where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in an explosion late last month.
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Aug 18, 12:04 PM EDT
Russia rejects calls to create demilitarized zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
The international calls and proposals for Russia to create a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine are “unacceptable,” according to Ivan Nechayev, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department.
“Their implementation will make the plant even more vulnerable,” Nechayev said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Moscow is expecting experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations, to visit the Zaporizhzhia plant “in the near future,” according to Nechayev.
The secretary-generals of the U.N. and the IAEA have called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Shortly after invading neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russian troops stormed the Zaporizhzhia plant, near the town of Enerhodar, on the banks of the Dnipro River in the country’s southeast. The Ukrainian workers have been left in place to keep the plant operating, as it supplies electricity across the war-torn nation. However, heavy fighting around the site has fueled fears of a catastrophe, like what happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine over 36 years ago.
Aug 18, 9:34 AM EDT
Firefighter describes destruction after deadly strikes in Kharkiv
A Ukrainian firefighter who responded to the Russian missile attacks in Kharkiv overnight told ABC News that the scale of the blasts was “one of the biggest” he’s ever seen.
One of the rockets struck a large apartment block on Wednesday night, killing at least nine people and injuring another 16, according to Ukrainian authorities.
“It went through all four floors and hit the ground and almost blew up everything,” the firefighter, Roman Kachanov, told ABC News during an interview on Thursday. “All the buildings around were without windows.”
“There was a dormitory, and the building was almost completely ruined,” he added. “There was a playground that was smashed like a big titan blew it up.”
Kachanov is among the rescue workers searching for survivors amid the smoldering rubble.
“I’ve seen three bodies on the floor covered by objects,” he said. “We tried to extract them and while we tried, the other wall started to fall and we had to run away as fast as we can.”
Kachanov said another missile hit the city before dawn Thursday, not far from where he and his team were working. He said the blast “was very loud” and “sounded close.”
“Everyone had to lay down,” he recalled. “The team had to split — fire truck had to leave to go to that other fire.”
Aug 17, 5:40 PM EDT
Large apartment block struck in Kharkiv, at least 7 dead
At least seven people are dead and another 13 injured by strikes on a large apartment block in Kharkiv, officials said.
Based on recovered shrapnel, authorities determined an Iskander-M missile system was used in the strike, said Ivan Sokol, Ukraine’s director of the regional Department of Civil Defense.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing at the three-story residential building, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said.
-ABC News’ Tatiana Rymarenko
Aug 15, 1:49 PM EDT
Shelling resumes near power plant, both sides claim the other is firing
More shelling was underway Monday in city of Enerhodar, which is under Russian control and where the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is located.
Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov urged residents to stay inside. He said Russian forces seized another government facility in Enerhodar, a lab where 30 of the employees are refusing to cooperate with the Russian-appointed administration.
Meanwhile, Russia’s semi-official Interfax reported that Ukrainian forces opened fire in Enerhodar.
Ukraine’s state nuclear regulator Energoatom said the plant remained occupied and controlled by Russian forces on Monday. The Ukrainian staff continues to work and make every effort to ensure nuclear and radiation safety, but Energoatom warned that periodic shelling by Russian troops with multiple rocket launchers since last week caused a serious risk to the safe operation of the plant.
Aug 15, 5:53 AM EDT
Griner to appeal Russian conviction, lawyer says
Brittney Griner’s defense team filed an appeal for the verdict by Khimky City Court, according to Maria Blagovolina, a partner at Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Partners law firm.
The WNBA star was found guilty on drug charges in a Moscow-area court this month.
-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova
Aug 14, 4:44 PM EDT
1st UN-chartered ship loaded with Ukrainian wheat set to depart for Africa
The first UN-chartered ship loaded with Ukrainian wheat is set to head for Africa from the near the port city Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.
The MV Brave Commander is loaded with 23,000 tons of wheat that will be shipped to Ethiopia as part of a mission to relieve a global food crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has halted grain exports for months, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov announced at a news conference.
Kubrakov said the UN-chartered ship is scheduled to leave the Pivdenny port near Odesa on Monday.
“When three months ago, during the meeting of the President of Ukraine (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Kyiv the first negotiations on unlocking Ukrainian maritime ports began, we have already seen how critical it is becoming a food situation in the world.” Kubrakov wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “This especially applies to the least socially protected countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, for whom Ukraine has always been a key importer of agro-production.”
He said Ethiopia is in desperate need of Ukrainian grain.
“This country has been suffering from record drought and armed confrontation for the second year in a row,” Kubrakov said. “Ukrainian grain for them without exaggeration — the matter of life and death.”
He said he hopes the MV Brave Commander will be the first many more grain shipments under the U.N. World Food Program.
Aug 12, 2:28 PM EDT
‘They treat us like captives’: Exiled Zaporizhzhia manager on conditions at plant
An exiled manager at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant told ABC News that the Ukrainian staff is treated “like captives.”
Oleg, who asked to be referred by a pseudonym, said he felt threatened by the Russian soldiers.
“They didn’t say, ‘I’m going to shoot you now,’ but they always carry guns and assault rifles with them,” said Oleg, who managed one of 80 units at the plant but was able to leave last month. “And when an assault rifle or a gun has a cocked trigger, I consider it as a threat.”
Amid reported shelling in the vicinity of the plant, Oleg said he was primarily concerned about its spent fuel containers, “which are in a precarious position, and they are not shielded well.”
Aug 11, 4:43 PM EDT
UN secretary-general calls for all military activities around nuclear power plant to ‘cease immediately’
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “calling for all military activities” around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in southern Ukraine “to cease immediately,” and for armies not “to target its facilities or surroundings.”
Ukraine’s nuclear regulator Energoatom said Russian forces shelled the plant for a third time on Thursday, hitting close to the first power unit. Earlier on Thursday, Energoatom said five rockets struck the area around the commandant’s office, close to where the radioactive material is stored.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed interim governor of Zaporizhzhya Oblast, issued a statement claiming Ukrainian forces struck the plant, hitting close to an area with radioactive material.
Guterres said he’s appealed to all parties to “exercise common sense” and take any actions that could endanger the physical integrity, safety or security of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
“Instead of de-escalation, over the past several days there have been reports of further deeply worrying incidents that could, if they continue, lead to disaster,” he said, adding that he’s “gravely concerned.”
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, pleaded with the U.N. Security Council Thursday to allow for an IAEA mission to visit the plant as soon as possible. He said the situation at the plant is deteriorating rapidly and is “becoming very alarming.”
Luke Combs, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde and Brothers Osborne are just some of the artists who cover country legend John Anderson on the new Something Borrowed, Something New tribute album.
Eight more artists — primarily from the world of Americana — round out the record. Interestingly, no one steps up to bat for Anderson’s campy classic from 1983, “Swingin.'”
Jonah Hill may have directed and starred in the upcoming film Stutz, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see him promoting it.
Stutz is a documentary that explores mental health alongside Hill and his therapist. Coincidentally, Hill’s mental health is the reasoning behind his decision to forgo promotional media appearances for the show.
“Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events,” he explained in an open letter obtained by Variety.
The actor, 38, went on to say that he’s “so grateful” the film is premiering this fall and he “can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those struggling.”
Further explaining his choice to not do press, Hill added that he’s taking this step to “protect [himself.]”
“If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film,” he said. “I usually cringe at letters or statements like this but I understand that I am of the privileged few who can afford to take time off. I won’t lose my job while working on my anxiety.”
“With this letter and with Stutz, I’m hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff,” the Superbad star continued. “So they can take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly.”
“I hope the work will speak for itself and I’m grateful to my collaborators, my business partners and to all reading this for your understanding and support,” Hill concluded.
The Band‘s classic 1972 double live album, Rock of Ages, was released 50 years ago this week. To commemorate its anniversary, a series of previously unseen photos taken at the series of 1971 New York City concerts that were recorded for the album have been made available for the first time.
The color images, which were shot by acclaimed photographer Ernst Haas, capture The Band performing at New York’s Academy of Music venue. The group’s longtime friend and mentor Bob Dylan made a surprise appearance at the final show of the run, on New Year’s Eve, and he’s also featured in a couple of the photos. The photos have been posted at UDiscoverMusic.com.
Some of the photos Haas took at the concerts were featured in the original Rock of Ages packaging, while additional shots were included in the 2013 box set Live at the Academy of Music 1971, which boasted remixed versions of Rock of Ages‘ tracks, as well as a full soundboard recording of the New Year’s Eve show.
Rock of Ages peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, while a cover of the Marvin Gaye song “Baby Don’t Do It” — retitled “Don’t Do It” — reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Meanwhile, restored versions of performance videos for three songs shot at the concert have debuted on The Band’s official YouTube channel. The clips capture renditions of “Don’t Do It,” “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show,” while a newly created lyric video for the latter performance has also been posted.
The Band also is celebrating Rock of Ages‘ 50th anniversary by making available a new lined of themed merchandise at their official store.
David Harbour plays the protective Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, and while a good chunk of the cast has revealed what song would save them from being killed by the villainous Vecna, he’s remained quiet … until now.
For those who need refreshing, the season 4 villain kills people by infiltrating their minds and destroying them from the inside. He can be stopped, however, if his victim listens to their favorite song. Sadie Sink‘s Max escapes Vecna’s clutches with an assist from Kate Bush‘s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” — while Sink herself has said Taylor Swift’s “August” would be her go-to savior song.
Harbour has been cagey with his answer, until he was cornered by E!’s Nightly Pop. “Oh god,” he repeated. “It’s just so embarrassing. My taste in music is … I rarely reveal it.”
So, what song would save the actor from Vecna? He says “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows would be sure to “bring me back.”
“My sort of college years were the early ’90s, so that’s really where music became very important,” he explained, adding he’d blast his favorite tunes while “sitting in the dorm room.”
Harbour also shouted out Stone Temple Pilots for being contenders for his savior song — but he thinks “Mr. Jones” would have what it takes to “bring me back to college” … and to safety.
Stranger Things is streaming its fourth season now on Netflix.
Happy birthday, Frances Bean Cobain! The daughter of the late Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love celebrates turning 30 Thursday.
In an Instagram post reflecting on the milestone occasion, Cobain shares, “20-year-old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen.”
“At the time, an intrinsic sense of deep self loathing dictated by insecurity, destructive coping mechanisms & more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle, informed how I saw myself and the world,” Cobain writes. “Through a lens of resentment for being brought into a life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that felt inescapable.”
Cobain then mentions an unspecified “event on a plane” that she experienced, which she says, “brought me closer in proximity to death.” However, Cobain feels that what happened “catapulted me towards running at this lived experience with radical gratitude.”
“I’m glad to have proven myself wrong & to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge,” Cobain shares.
“Entering this new decade I hope to stay soft no matter how hardening the world can feel at times, bask in the present moment with reverence, shower the people I am lucky enough to love with more appreciation than words could ever do justice & hold space to keep learning, so the growth never stops,” she continues. “I’m happy to be here & I’m happy you’re here too.”
(OTTUMWA, IA) — A 68-year-old man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting his wife with a crossbow while she slept on a sofa in their home.
The incident occurred at approximately 1:13 a.m. on Wednesday morning when authorities in Ottumwa, Iowa, responded to a report that a woman had been shot at a residence in the town, which is located approximately 90 miles southeast of the state capital of Des Moines.
The victim, later identified as 68-year-old Lillian Dennison, was reportedly on the sofa when her husband approached her with a crossbow and shot her as she slept, according to a press release published by the Ottumwa Police Department.
Authorities say that Dennison was taken to a local area hospital and treated for minor injuries suffered in the attack. She was subsequently released and is expected to survive.
Her husband managed to flee the scene of the crime after he allegedly shot her but was located approximately nine hours later, according to police.
“Later that morning at approximately 10:00 a.m., officers from the Ottumwa Police Department and the Wapello County Sheriff’s Department arrested George Edward Dennison, age 68, near the wooded area around Evergreen and Mable in Ottumwa,” police said in a statement.
George Dennison was arrested and taken into custody and charged with attempt to commit murder along with domestic abuse assault. Authorities did not disclose any possible motives in this case.
He is now being held on these charges in the Wapello County Jail with a $50,000 cash only bond but it is unclear when he will be appearing in court.
(NEW YORK) — The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented effects on our society and even more so on our senior population, as they struggle to manage care. In some cases, they are without their loved ones being able to visit them, creating a further sense of isolation, heightened anxiety and depression due to fear of contracting the virus.
Statistics show 43% of seniors experienced loneliness during this period. While taking care of loved ones is priority, caregivers experienced higher levels of stress as they tried to manage their own needs while taking care of their loved ones, leading to further negative health outcomes.
Per research conducted by the National Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, family caregivers experienced more negative effects from the pandemic than those who weren’t, including more emotional, physical and financial burdens. Female caregivers, younger caregivers and especially families with lower incomes experienced significant issues.
The pandemic has increased our awareness on the burden our caregivers face. We would need to further create a strong ecosystem to address this issue.
Here are four ways we can address and support our caregivers as part of a care infrastructure for better health in our nation.
Most of our caregivers spend 78% of their income to take care of their loved ones, leading them to diminish their savings and retirement. There are also situations where caregivers have to leave their jobs, leading to lesser incomes, more debts, unpaid bills and reduced Social Security retirement benefits. Some solutions that have emerged include adopting policies that allow flexible work hours. Furthermore, municipalities can provide tax credits to employers offering a minimum number of weeks of paid leave to family caregivers, make tax credit eligibility criteria more accessible to middle income families and extend job protections.
Second, caregivers face enormous difficulty being able to access services within their communities such as transportation, tailored meals and in-home health services due to lack of financial stability, better nutrition education and understanding resource availability overall. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 27% of caregivers found it very difficult and 62% of the caregivers needed training and access to information to better understand how to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Systems need modernization and integration as it can be difficult to find all information that is needed in one place. Finally, mental health services would be critical for caregivers as well as for their loved ones they are supporting.
Caregiver burnout is significant for professional and family caregivers. The exhaustion and burden of work results in caregivers not being able to attend to their own needs and have a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. There needs to be additional support for caregivers to provide relief and mitigate the risk of burnout.
Fourth but not least, we need to leverage technology. By 2020, approximately 120 million older Americans will need care at home. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the majority of caregivers—some 45 million—will be unpaid (compared to 5 million paid caregivers), and many will care for more than one aging family member. Technologies such as telehealth and bio sensors, with their capabilities to meet members where they are and to proactively detect health concerns, could help provide education, consultation, psychosocial/cognitive behavioral therapy (including problem solving training), data collection and monitoring, clinical care delivery and social support. Better data and predictive analytics will lead to more tailored interventions. As technology is used by caregivers, it will require digital literacy as well to be as effective but could also reduce caregiver burden.
In conclusion, caregivers are an integral part of our society. They need additional support, access to mental health professionals, care infrastructure and a living wage. We need to move forward by creating solutions at the intersection of innovation, partnerships and awareness. Employers for example can create partnerships with caregiver organizations. Our caregivers need care in order to give care.
It’s safe to say Carly Pearce has put behind her the heartbreak that she so ably chronicled on 29: Written in Stone.
If you’re looking for proof, just check out the beaming Instagram photo with her boyfriend, Riley King. “Making the most of the hours we get these days,” the CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year added, tacking on a heart emoji.
So what do we know about Mr. King? The 28-year-old Missoula, Montana, native is a former minor league baseball player who was signed by the Kansas City Royals in 2013. He also played for the AZL Royals, Burlington Royals and the Idaho Falls Chukars. He now works in real estate, having founded his own Cowan King Group.
Of course, Carly was famously wed to fellow country artist Michael Ray in October 2019, before their unexpected divorce the next summer. Both Carly’s latest album and her current hit, “What He Didn’t Do,” were inspired by the experience.
