(LONDON) — British rail and postal workers on Thursday canceled scheduled strikes after Queen Elizabeth II died earlier that day.
The moves pause worker protests that in recent months have involved hundreds of thousands of workers and at times disrupted train and mail services across England.
The Communication Workers Union, or CWU, which represents 115,000 workers at the Royal Mail, called off a 48-hour strike that began on Thursday and was scheduled to continue on Friday.
“Following the very sad news of the passing of the Queen and out of respect for her service to the country and her family, the union has decided to call off tomorrow’s planned strike action,” the Communication Workers Union said in a tweet on Thursday.
A strike by the postal workers late last month across 1,500 locations, the first of several strikes planned for the ensuing weeks, marked the biggest work stoppage in England since 2009.
Postal workers are seeking a wage increase amid the country’s near-historic inflation, which reached a 40-year high of 10.1% in July.
CWU said its members would not accept an “imposed” 2% pay raise, the BBC reported. Royal Mail said that the workers rejected an offer with raises of up to 5.5%.
Meanwhile, roughly 40,000 rail workers with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, or RMT, canceled a two-day strike set for Sept. 15 and 17.
“RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth,” the union said in a statement. “We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country.”
The rail workers, who work at Network Rail and 14 train operators, have carried out intermittent strikes since June, when it appeared that their employers would reject a demand for a 7% pay raise.
Network Rail made an offer in July with raises worth more than 5%, but it depended on workers accepting “modernising reforms,” the BBC reported. RMT rejected the offer, saying it amounted to a pay cut in inflation-adjusted terms and would require cutting a third of front-line maintenance roles.
In a statement, Network Rail confirmed that RMT had called off the strike, saying it would alert riders “when we receive more information on any confirmed or proposed industrial action.”
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) — The South Carolina State Senate rejected a bill that would ban nearly all abortions just days after House lawmakers approved the ban.
The Senate went on to pass a separate bill that has an exception for fetuses born with a fatal anomaly. Both the House and Senate versions included exceptions for pregnancies that are a result of rape or incest; however, the Senate bill only allowed this exception if the abortion is performed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
When a physician performs an abortion under the rape or incest exceptions, the Senate bill requires the physician to report the allegations to his or her respective county sheriff’s department within 24 hours of performing or inducing the abortion. This includes reporting the name and contact information for the woman making the allegation. The physician would also be required to preserve a DNA sample from the fetal remains and submit the evidence to the country sheriff.
The physician would also be required to add a note to the woman’s medical records that the abortion was performed under the exception.
The Senate bill criminalizes providers who perform abortion services in the state. The bill makes it illegal to perform an abortion or administer, provide or distribute medication or drugs that induce an abortion. A person found guilty of providing an abortion could face a fine of up to $10,000 and jail time of up to two years.
The Senate bill also prevents Planned Parenthood from utilizing state funds for any purposes related to abortions.
South Carolina’s Supreme Court temporarily blocked a six-week abortion ban from going into effect in August. The temporary block was part of a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood in July. The organization alleged that the abortion ban is an invasion of privacy and a violation of equal protection under the state constitution.
The ban was signed into law in February 2021 by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and took effect June 27 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The new version of Dolly Parton’s number one hit “9 to 5,” reimagined by Kelly Clarkson and Dolly, herself, is finally here.
While the original 1980 version of the song was peppy and upbeat, the new version has more of a melancholy feel, with slight changes in the melody reflecting the frustration of trying to get ahead in one’s career and being held back by your boss.
“It’s a rich man’s game, no matter what they call it/And you spend your life putting money in his wallet,” sings Kelly.
The new duet version of the song appears in the new documentary, Still Working 9 to 5, which is set to premiere September 16. It’s about the 1980 feminist comedy 9 to 5, in which Dolly starred alongside Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. The doc examines the landmark film and the impact it had on the women’s movement at that time, as well as how its message still resonates as women continue to fight for equality in the workplace.
“I am so honored that Dolly asked me to reimagine this iconic song, ‘9 to 5,’ with her!” Kelly says in a statement. “She is so talented, an inspiration to all women, and one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! I hope y’all like what we did, but even if you don’t, remember I got to sing a duet with the magical Dolly Parton and now have bragging rights til the end of time!”
Dolly adds, “Nobody sings like Kelly Clarkson. She makes any song come alive. I love her voice on ‘9 to 5’ and I am so proud I got to sing with her on it.”
(NEW YORK) — As cultural debates over access to books rage on in school districts across the country, a Republican lawmaker in Virginia is hoping to make it easier for parents to control what their children read in public school libraries.
“In school libraries across the Commonwealth, there are books that are in the libraries that are extremely sexual in nature,” Virginia delegate Tim Anderson told ABC News.
“We have to give parents more authority over the schools and what their children have access to while they’re in the schools,” he added.
Anderson, a Republican who represents parts of the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach, said that he plans to introduce a bill that would identify titles that contain “sexual content” and implement a rating system for library books that would essentially be based on the Motion Picture Association film rating system. Books would be marked with “Parental Advisory Warning” labels and parents would be able to opt their children out of reading books with a particular rating.
He said titles would be rated from G, appropriate for all audiences, to R, which restricts content to children under 17 years of age. If a child is 17, they can access the content with the supervision of a parent or guardian.
“This puts parents back in the driver’s seat,” Anderson said of his proposed legislation.
Anderson, an attorney, filed a lawsuit in May that attempted to stop Barnes & Noble bookstores from selling books that contain sexual content to children. The lawsuit, which was dismissed last month by a Virginia Beach Circuit Court judge, named graphic novel Gender Queer and A Court of Mist and Fury — two books that have been challenged or banned in various school districts across the country.
According to ABC affiliate in Hampton, Virginia, WVEC-TV, Judge Pamela Baskervill dismissed the case because Virginia law doesn’t grant circuit courts authority to determine if a book is obscene to minors.
Anderson said that since the lawsuit failed, he is now “looking for a legislative fix.”
Virginia state Senator Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat, told WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., that the potential bill is “deeply concerning.”
“I’m concerned about this subset of parents who think that they can legislate what children are reading, and whose children get to read these materials,” Hashmi said. “Overwhelmingly, the books that we see targeted are by authors of minority communities or by LGBTQ authors. And it is unfortunate that they continue to push their particular perspective onto other families.”
Yael Levin-Sheldon, a parent in Virginia and chief communications officer of No Left Turn in Education, told ABC News that the nonprofit organization is part of a nationwide coalition advocating for a rating system and “fully supports” Anderson’s proposal.
“We are staunch believers in the First Amendment and the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children,” Levin-Sheldon said. “Appropriately labeling books based on content, just as is done with movies, is a commonsense way to allow parents to decide what books are acceptable for their own children, without imposing their standards and values on other parents and their children.”
Books have been banned in at least 26 states and 86 school districts, with at least seven in Virginia, according to PEN America, a nonprofit organization working to advance freedom of expression through literature.
A PEN America report documenting book bans in school libraries and classrooms between July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, shows that the spike in bans reflects a “disproportionate targeting of books by or about people whose identities and stories have traditionally been underrepresented in children’s and young adult literature, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, or persons with disabilities.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law in April a bill that would give parents the authority to opt their children out of instructional content in classrooms that is deemed “sexually explicit.”
The Republican governor hailed the signing of Senate Bill 656 as delivering on “my Day One promises to give parents a greater say in their children’s education.”
But critics who opposed the legislation argued that what qualifies as “sexually explicit” is too vague and the law would make it easier for conservative advocates and organized groups to target and censor LGBTQ+ content.
“While SB 656 may not explicitly censor what books are taught, it puts teachers and librarians in the unenviable position of having to determine if a book qualifies under the policies,” the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on April 8. “This will most likely result in censorship due to teacher and librarian’s fear or confusion over what qualifies as ‘sexually explicit content.'”
Anderson, a father of three, argued that the law gave “parents back their rights” by giving them more authority over the material their children are taught in the classroom. Now he hopes that his bill, which he plans to introduce in the coming weeks, would do the same when it comes to books available in public school libraries.
“This isn’t about gay, trans or straight literature,” he said, pushing back on the argument that the bill could lead to censorship. “This is about literature and books that have sexual content in it.”
Anderson’s proposed legislation is one of several initiatives in the state seeking to give parents more control over the material their children have access to in schools.
As children returned to the classroom this fall, Bedford County school libraries in Virginia launched a new notification system that enables parents to receive alerts about the books their children check out of the library.
“In response to some concerns brought up by a community member about the content in the libraries and curriculum, we’ve really had a year-long conversation about how we can be more transparent and inform parents,” said Shawn Trosper, director of curriculum and instruction for the school system, according to ABC affiliate in Lynchburg, WSET-TV.
Levin-Sheldon, who leads the Virginia chapter of No Left Turn in Education, told ABC News that she supports the alert system and hopes it would be implemented in additional counties across the state.
“At the end of the day, we just want the parents to have a choice in what their children are exposed to,” she said. “Because that choice is ours…that right is ours.”
Rod Stewart, who received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2016, is not only mourning the loss of the monarch but also of a close family member.
On Instagram, Sir Rod wrote, “It has been a devastating 48 hours. We lost my brother Don on Tuesday at 94 and today we have all lost Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at 96.”
He added, “The Queen has been an unwavering presence throughout my life and a great unifier. A shining star that will never fade in our hearts and souls. What a privilege it was to perform for her. My deepest sympathies to the Royal Family. God save the King.”
Rod met and performed for the queen multiple times: his most recent performance was at her Platinum Jubilee this past summer. Ahead of that concert, he told the BBC, “She’s been so much part of my life, almost like a sister, you know?”
At the time he also said he “loves” the newly minted monarch, Charles, and joked that his wife and the then-prince had “a thing going on.”
Wolfgang Van Halen is marking the anniversary of one of his father’s most iconic musical contributions with his own version.
The son of the late Eddie Van Halentweeted a video of him shredding Van Halen‘s famed instrumental “Eruption” on the same guitar his dad used to record the original.
While the video was filmed in 2015, Wolf’s sharing it now in honor of it being the 45th anniversary of “Eruption’s” first recording in 1977. The song was later released on Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut album.
Wolf, who played bass in Van Halen starting in 2006, hasn’t performed much of his dad’s music since Eddie passed away in October 2020, instead focusing more on his Mammoth WVH solo project. However, he did jam the Van Halen songs “On Fire” and “Hot for Teacher” during last weekend’s Taylor Hawkins tribute concert.
(MIAMI) — The Miami-Dade County School board voted against recognizing October as LGBTQ history month in a 1-8 vote, as the effects of the Parental Rights in Education law continue to trickle down.
H-11, a resolution for Miami-Dade schools to formally recognize LGBTQ history month, stated that the month “has been established to remind all cultures within our wider community of the important roles that LGBTQ people have taken in shaping the social, historical, legal, and political worlds we live in today.” It was voted down on Wednesday.
This year, it included providing resources for 12th grade teachers to teach about major Supreme Court cases on same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination protections such as Obergefell v. Hodges and Bostock v. Clayton County.
In 2021, Miami school board members voted overwhelmingly to recognize the month — 7-1. Just one year later, the board took a different route. Board members expressed confusion over whether the initiative would break the classroom restrictions set by the Parental Rights in Education law.
The law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by LGBTQ activists, bans classroom instruction on “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through grade 3 or “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
It went into effect in July.
Critics say that the law will silence LGBTQ people, as well as ignore the history of LGBTQ people in the U.S. Supporters say the law gives more power to the parents.
The meeting took a rowdy turn during the public comment portion of the night, with more than 100 people speaking that night, according to School Board vice chair Steve Gallon III. Debate over H-11 lasted more than five hours.
Andrea S. Pita Mendez, the 17-year-old school board’s student advisor, said after weeks of speaking to students, to teachers and others, she hoped the board would pass the initiative.
“Our students want this to pass,” said Mendez, who is not a voting member of the board. In an impassioned speech that stoked both applause and upset, Mendez told the board that LGBTQ history plays an important role in U.S. history.
“I heard many of you speak of the fact that in your generations this wasn’t seen, this wasn’t heard – you grew up in a very different time than we are,” she said.
Though the country is highly polarized, she said it “does not take away from the fact that we are the ones that sit in those classrooms, that we embrace diversity and inclusivity because we do love each other and we do support each other and we do want to see each other go very far in the world.”
Christi Fraga, who represents District 5, voted against the recognition both years, saying that H-11 creates a “hostile” environment.
“If we are going to allow the teachers to decide what will be taught in classrooms during this time, that concerns me,” Fraga said.
(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace wrote, referencing Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the queen’s traditional summer residence. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Elizabeth’s death comes just over two months after her Platinum Jubilee celebration, which marked her 70th year on on the British throne. The queen participated in a limited number of jubilee festivities, with palace officials citing health issues and “discomfort” that prevented her full attendance.
The queen, who was forced to use a walking stick in recent months, was determined to continue working through her health issues and as recently as Tuesday participated in an official appointment ceremony at Balmoral for the country’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
During her time on the throne, Elizabeth met countless foreign dignitaries and saw Britain through a number of historic events and landmark moments.
Here are five things to know about the British monarch and her 70-year reign:
She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history
Elizabeth was the longest-serving monarch in British history, surpassing even her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria for the title in 2015.
She came into power at the age of 25 following her father King George VI’s death in 1952. Her coronation in 1953 was a national spectacle and was broadcast across the globe.
During her reign, Elizabeth was served by 15 British prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Truss, and she met with 13 of the last 14 U.S. presidents.
The queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren
Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten, the duke of Edinburgh, on Nov. 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey in London. In 2017, Prince Philip and the queen celebrated 70 years of marriage, making her the first monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. Phillip died on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99.
Together, the couple had four children, their eldest being Prince Charles, who upon his mother’s death Thursday became known as King Charles III.
Elizabeth first became a grandmother in 1977 after her daughter Princess Anne gave birth to son Peter Phillips.
Over the next three decades, the queen welcomed seven more grandchildren: Zara Phillips Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn.
Elizabeth was also a great-grandmother to 12 children: Savannah and Isla Phillips; Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Mia, Lena, and Lucas Philip Tindall; Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor; August Philip Hawke Brooksbank; and Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.
Lilibet, whose father is Prince Harry, made history upon her birth in June 2021 as the queen’s first great-grandchild to be born outside of the U.K.
She was an international head of state
Elizabeth, who never technically owned a passport, made more than 270 trips abroad during her time as queen.
She was the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, a political association of 56 member states, composed mostly of former British territories. The queen was recognized as the constitutional monarch of 15 sovereign states in the Commonwealth including Canada, The Bahamas and New Zealand.
A queen of many firsts
During seven decades as head of the royal family, Elizabeth made history time and time again, starting from her very first day on the throne.
Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was the first coronation ceremony to be broadcast on TV and it was watched by a record-breaking 27 million people in the U.K. alone.
She also started the royal tradition of greeting the public, known as a “walkabout,” during a tour in Sydney in 1970.
In terms of her stately duties, Elizabeth made many critical diplomatic firsts, including visiting West Germany in 1965, upon which she became the first British monarch to visit Germany in 52 years. She also became the first British monarch to visit China in October 1986.
Elizabeth made her way to the U.S. in 1991 where she to be the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
Her health had been declining in recent months
Elizabeth’s health had been deteriorating in the months leading up to her death.
On May 10, she missed the State Opening of Parliament ceremony, which formally marks the start of a new parliamentary session, for only the third time in her 70-year reign. The two other times she missed the ceremony were due to pregnancies.
The queen tested positive for COVID-19 in February after it was confirmed that Charles and his wife, Camilla, now-queen consort, had also tested positive for the virus. While Buckingham Palace said the queen experienced “mild cold-like symptoms” at the time, she was eventually forced to cancel some of her virtual engagements amid her recovery.
The queen, who previously had surgery in both knees to remove cartilage in 2003, began using a walking stick in late 2021.
British artists who are in the U.S. right now are still feeling the loss of their monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at age 96 after 70 years on the throne. And Harry Styles was no exception.
At New York’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Harry announced to the crowd, “From my homeland, there was some very sad news today: the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.”
“Please, join me in a round of applause for 70 years of service,” he urged, and all 20,000 fans joined him in clapping for the queen for a good 30 seconds. Fan-recorded video of the moment can be seen online.
In 2012, as part of One Direction, Harry actually got to meet the queen after they performed at the Royal Variety Performance, an annual concert attended by the royal family. A then-18-year-old Harry tweeted his excitement afterward, writing, “Amazing night.. Can’t believe it. Night!!”
Selma Blair is opening up on what the opportunity to compete on season 31 of Dancing with the Stars means to her.
The actress, 50, told Good Morning America how excited she is to compete after facing life-changing health struggles since her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2018.
“I’m beyond thrilled,” Blair said. “I’m [here] with perspective and coming back and realizing the support of people when you try — it’s changed my life.”
Blair also shared what she hopes to take away from the experience: “I am thrilled to learn how to move my body better right now, I am thrilled to have support, be here — have camaraderie,” she said. “I cannot believe that I am ready in my life to do this. I am so excited.”
Blair revealed in an Instagram post in October 2018 that she’d been diagnosed with MS, a disorder in which cells from the immune system attack the central nervous system.
The actress spoke about her battle with the disease and how it’s changed her life in a 2021 documentary, Introducing, Selma Blair, the same year she said she was in remission after undergoing chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
“I’m really happy — to really do things that are pushing stamina and being visible,” she told GMA. “I’m grabbing at every joy we have in life.”
The actress, who will partner with DWTS pro Sasha Farber, also shared what she believes will be some of her biggest challenges while competing.
“I am really nervous if I lose my partner’s touch,” Blair said. “I am used to having a counterbalance of my dog or a cane or at home my abilities are much more seamless than out and about, so this is a bit of a flop sweat.”
