It’s August, which means Taylor Swift‘s song of the same name is back on the Billboardcharts. People are Googling its lyrics in droves — a rise of 3,753% in the U.S., to be exact — and, of course, they’re also streaming the seasonal song. The song was streamed 3.8 million times in the first few days of August.
Someone hit Lady Gaga with a teddy bear as she was belting out “Hold My Hand” at a show in Toronto. Her Twitter fan page posted the video and warned fans, “Please DO NOT throw items on stage at The Chromatica Ball. This not only is dangerous to Gaga, but items may also catch on fire in the jets as well and cause damage.”
Ava Max teased her new single, “Million Dollar Baby,” on TikTok and hinted a music video is also on the way. “Shes comin to life,” she captioned the video.
Sara Bareilles is apologizing to fans because she’s not doing “pictures or signing or anything right now.” The singer explained she’s trying to stay healthy for her Broadway run, noting she can’t risk catching COVID-19. “Please forgive me,” she begged on her Instagram Story. “Thank you for understanding. It’s not personal.”
Madonna celebrated the forthcoming release of her dance remix album Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones with an old-fashioned roller disco party. She was joined by Nile Rodgers, who co-produced her breakthrough album Like a Virgin, as well as Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, designer Christian Siriano, her son David Banda and Questlove, who played DJ at the Central Park bash in New York City.
It’s August, which means Taylor Swift‘s song of the same name is back on the Billboardcharts. People are Googling its lyrics in droves — a rise of 3,753% in the U.S. to be exact. The song was streamed 3.8 million times in the first few days of August.
Someone hit Lady Gaga with a teddy bear during her concert in Toronto. Her Twitter fan page shared the video and stated, “Please DO NOT throw items on stage at The Chromatica Ball. This not only is dangerous to Gaga, but items may also catch on fire in the jets as well and cause damage.”
Ava Max teased her new single, “Million Dollar Baby,” on TikTok and hinted a music video is also on the way. “Shes comin to life,” she captioned the video.
Speaking of music videos, Dove Cameron says her one for “Breakfast” is coming soon. “Do you want to see a magic trick,” she teased on Instagram.
Sara Bareilles apologized that she’s not doing “pictures or signing or anything right now.” The singer explained she’s trying to stay healthy for her Broadway run, noting she can’t risk catching COVID-19. “Please forgive me,” she begged on her Instagram Story. “Thank you for understanding. It’s not personal.”
Madonna celebrated the forthcoming release of her dance remix album Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones with an old-fashioned roller disco party. She was joined by Nile Rodgers, who co-produced her breakthrough album Like a Virgin, as well as Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, designer Christian Siriano, her son David Banda and Questlove, who played DJ at the Central Park bash in New York City.
Hailey Bieber and Lil Nas X have teamed for the Vogue World fashion event this fall, which will celebrate the fashion mag’s 130th anniversary on September 12.
Ahead of hosting the 2022 Emmy Awards next month, nearly 20-year Saturday Night Live veteran Kenan Thompson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday.
His former SNL co-star Leslie Jones was on hand to help unveil the walk’s 2,728th star. They were also joined by comedian and actor JB Smoove, and Josh Server, who starred with a young Kenan on the Nickelodeon show All That.
“When we were kids, Kenan had this confidence,” Server said while at the podium with Kenan and his young daughters, Georgia and Gianna. “So many of us spend years trying to find who were are, and what makes us unique and special … Kenan just had that.”
“We are brothers,” Server said, “The world is a happier, funnier place because of those rare gifts you shared with us all.”
For his part, Kenan said, “From the bottom of my heart … It’s really been my pleasure. I do comedy. It’s fun, I don’t see it as work … I just wanna be a good partner in the world, a good human being.”
He also promised to high-five all the fans who lined up along the famous street.
Thompson’s star is located at 6627 Hollywood Blvd., “right next to the GOAT, Lorne Michaels,” he said of his SNL boss.
While actress Anne Heche remains in a coma and in critical condition at the hospital following her fiery car crash last week, ABC News has learned a blood test turned up positive for narcotics.
Heche was severely burned when her blue Mini Cooper slammed into a Mar Vista, Los Angeles, home at a high rate of speed, setting both the car and the home ablaze.
She has not been able to communicate since the crash. Los Angeles Police Department investigators say narcotics were found in her system — but because she was tested after being admitted to the hospital, it needs to be determined if they were taken before the crash, given by the hospital, or some combination of the two.
The 53-year-old could face felony DUI charges for the wreck in the likely scenario LAPD investigators refer the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
Rush‘s surviving members, singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, reunited Wednesday night at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, at a concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular animated comedy show South Park.
Lee and Lifeson made a surprise appearance, joining their longtime friends Primus for a performance of Rush’s classic 1977 song “Closer to the Heart” while South Park co-creator Matt Stone sat in on drums.
This marked the first time Lee and Lifeson have played together in public since longtime Rush drummer Neil Peart‘s death from brain cancer in January 2020.
Before Lee and Lifeson hit the stage, a video featuring South Park-style cartoon
versions of them was shown in which they humorously discussed what they could do to help Stone and South Park co-creator Trey Parker celebrate the 25th anniversary.
“[Should we] send them some free Rush beer?” Lee poses. “Or even worse, we could show up and jam with them, eh?” Lee and Lifeson then hit the stage, to wild applause.
Rolling Stone reports the concert included full sets from Primus and Ween, and Stone joined in on various instruments for renditions of original South Park songs.
The show was filmed for South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert special, which premieres on Comedy Central this Saturday, August 13, at 10 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Paramount+ starting August 14.
Stone is a lifelong Rush fan, and the band has been referenced in South Park numerous times, including the 2011 episode “Royal Pudding” that features the prog-rock legends performing at a vigil after the princess of Canada was kidnapped.
(WASHINGTON) — A year ago, America ended its longest war and withdrew troops from Afghanistan. After occupying the country for two decades, the withdrawal immediately led to a dangerous situation for any U.S. allies still left in the country, who risked retribution from the Taliban.
During the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the bond between two men from opposite worlds proved to be unshakeable and led to the rescue of a desperate family. They are now sharing their experiences in a dual memoir, “Always Faithful.”
After several failed attempts to leave, interpreter Zainullah Zaki, known as Zak, who had worked for the U.S. military for several years in Afghanistan, his wife and their four small children were able to leave Afghanistan safely – with the aid of Marine Corps Maj. Thomas Schueman, who helped from the other side of the world.
Schueman left Afghanistan in 2013, Zak remained in Afghanistan. As the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital, Schueman said he immediately thought of his friend and began to make calls, texts and social media posts to try to find someone who could help.
Meanwhile, Zak spent days in Kabul working to get the proper documents he needed for himself and his family to come to the United States, as Schueman worked from the United States to devise a strategy to get Zak out of the country, ABC News reported in August 2021.
Finally, Schueman said he found someone at the Kabul International Airport to look for Zak’s family and secure spots for them on a plane to Qatar.
Schueman and Zak first met in Helmand Province in 2010. Schueman said that Zak quickly became “family.”
“It quickly became apparent that Zak was there to do so much more than simply translate our words; that he was there to fight alongside us,” said Schueman. “He became one of the members of my platoon, and he was almost immediately family to us.”
Chaos ensued in August 2021, when the U.S. began withdrawing the troops left in Afghanistan after spending nearly two decades in the country.
Zak recalled the onset of the war in 2001 and the first time he saw American soldiers arrive in his country.
“When the Americans came, they were working [to build] Afghanistan. They work for our bright future,” said Zak. “I decided to go and join the U.S. Army and work together, side by side with them.”
Although he was able to help Zak, Schueman said his work is far from over. He is continuing to advocate and push lawmakers to help other U.S. allies safely evacuate.
“I do believe that many people have very good intentions to support our allies,” said Schueman. “It just seems that the red tape to honor some of these promises that we made to the allies sometimes seem nearly insurmountable.”
Schueman said that the two hope that their story can help draw attention to people like Zak and their experiences during the war.
“I think it’s important to have that dual narrative perspective where you don’t have an American telling what Afghanistan is like,” said Schueman. “You have someone who was born there and raised there. Telling us about their culture, about their religion, about their history. And so I think that’s imperative in this type of story.”
(CINCINNATI) — An hourslong standoff between law enforcement and an armed man who allegedly tried to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati office has ended, officials said.
The status of the suspect was not immediately clear.
Ohio State Highway Patrol started pursuing the suspect shortly after 9:30 a.m. after he allegedly fled from the field office.
Troopers followed the suspect, who was driving a white Ford Crown Victoria, to Clinton County, where shots were fired, according to officials.
The suspect, who officials said was armed with a rifle and wearing body armor, had been contained in a cornfield off Interstate 71 near Wilmington, according to Clinton County Emergency Management. The suspect appeared to have a gunshot wound to his leg but was mobile, according to a law enforcement source.
The suspect was allegedly armed with an AR15-style rifle and also brandished a nail gun during the alleged break-in attempt at the FBI field office in Cincinnati, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
Clinton County Emergency Management alerted around 4:30 p.m. that the law enforcement response “has ended.”
A lockdown was in effect within a 1-mile radius of the standoff scene. People were instructed to lock doors and stay inside.
The man led police on a chase along Interstate 71 before exiting near Wilmington. Ohio State Highway Patrol said shots were fired from the suspect’s vehicle before it exited and, once it pulled off the interstate, gunshots were exchanged between the suspect and police.
No officers have been injured, police said.
It remains unclear why the man allegedly tried to break into the FBI office but it comes amid a series of threats following the FBI’s court-authorized search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
As confirmed in the teaser, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” singer Jo Dee Messina makes an appearance in the video as the bartender serving up drinks at the karaoke bar that Cole and his friends visit in downtown Nashville.
Additionally, one of the original writers of “Heads Carolina,” Tim Nichols, makes a cameo sitting next to Cole at the bar.
The karaoke concept was Cole’s idea, as was Jo Dee playing the bartender, noting that “one of the coolest parts” about the video was having Tim next to him at the bar while the country legend is making cocktails.
“I told her, ‘You’re going to make this whole video,'” Cole shares on Instagram Live about pitching the idea to Jo Dee, admitting that he was “nervous” to meet her for the first time on set. “I’m so glad that she was able to make it up for that. It was cool.”
The Georgia native also hints that he and his team are in the process of finding another way for the two to collaborate and encourages his fans to be “patient.” “I promise it’s going to be worth it when we figure out what we want to do,” he says.
Cole’s girlfriend, Courtney Little, also makes a cameo in the video.
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina” is currently racing up the top 10 on the country charts, becoming the fastest rising hit of Cole’s career so far.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’sCinderella turns 25 years old this year, and for its milestone anniversary, members of the original, star-studded cast will come together to celebrate.
On August 23, Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander and Veanne Cox will convene for Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20. The one-hour program “dives into the film’s positive impact on representation in Hollywood” and features exclusive interviews, as well as BTS moments with the late Whitney Houston.
“We’re delighted that the 25th anniversary of this landmark incarnation of ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ is being celebrated on its original network,” said Imogen Lloyd Webber, SVP at Concord Theatricals, on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s unforgettable score is truly timeless — still enchanting listeners 80 years after their partnership began and 65 years since their ‘Cinderella’ first charmed the largest audience in television history.”
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella premiered on November 2, 1997, and put a spin on the traditional story, as it introduced America’s first Black Cinderella (Brandy) and Fairy Godmother (Whitney Houston). The revolutionary musical garnered critical acclaim and seven Emmy nominations following its release. It has since gained a new set of fans after its debut on Disney+ in February 2021.
Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20 will premiere on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the original film, which hasn’t aired on broadcast television in more than two decades. The special will be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
