(NOTE LANGUAGE)Kendrick Lamar took some time from The Big Steppers Tour to reflect on the ways rap has positively affected his life. In a post on his Instagram Story, he credited the music for his self-growth, referring to it as a necessity in his lifelong journey.
“rap has truly helped my expansion of self. beyond the perception of who I believed to be. on jojo. music is air to a young n**** at this point. mr morale. the catalyst of my self expression,” Kendrick penned.
He also noted it took him “twenty years” to make “Mother I Sober,” a track off his Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers album, which sees him tackle his childhood trauma, battles with lust and other demons.
Kendrick’s rap career has afforded him the opportunity to meet his fans and travel around the world. He appreciates the experiences, some of which he says will forever be ingrained in his memory.
“ill never forget the process of falling in love with imperfection. the piano. my fans. the stories of reconciliation i hear from penitentiaries to small villages,” Kendrick wrote. “Some words will find you today. Some will find you in 10. find your children type shit. sitting in the corner like an old book.”
“im forever underground. infratrating [sic] the mainstream a la carte,” he continued. “these cities still beautiful to watch. on jojo. ily.”
Kendrick’s U.S. tour ends September 15 in LA; the European leg picks up the following month. Visuals of his shows can be found on his Instagram, where he uploaded 50 photos before sharing his reflective post.
WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for over five months, was found guilty on drug charges in a Moscow-area court Thursday. She was then sentenced to nine years in prison.
The judge found that Griner had criminal intent, and said she is guilty of smuggling and storing illegal drugs.
Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA’s offseason. She was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who appeared in court Thursday for the final hearing in her trial, was facing up to 10 years in prison, although 9 1/2 years is the maximum sentence with time served. Griner has a right to appeal.
Griner shared an emotional statement in court ahead of the verdict on Thursday morning. She apologized to her loved ones for the hurt that her detention has caused, and said that her parents instilled hard work in her and this value is what brought her to Russia.
The Phoenix Mercury star held up a photo of her Russian teammates on Thursday and said that she made “an honest mistake” by packing the vape cartridges in her bag.
The prosecutor argued that Griner’s guilt has been proven and also asked that Griner pay a $16,500 fine, which is about 1 million Russian roubles.
Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in court last month, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage mistakenly and that she had no “intention” of breaking Russian law.
Her legal team told ABC News in a statement last month that her guilty plea was recommended by her Russian attorneys.
(KHIMKI, Russia) — WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for over five months, was found guilty on drug charges in a Moscow-area court Thursday. She was then sentenced to nine years in prison.
The judge found that Griner had criminal intent and said she was guilty of smuggling and storing illegal drugs.
Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA’s offseason after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who appeared in court Thursday for the final hearing in her trial, was facing up to 10 years in prison although 9 1/2 years was the maximum sentence with time served. Griner has a right to appeal.
U.S. President Joe Biden slammed Russia in a statement on Thursday morning following Griner’s sentencing and called on Russia to “release her immediately.”
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” Biden said.
Calls to free Griner escalated following the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed in April, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange. Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.
“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” Biden wrote in the statement. “My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
Griner shared an emotional statement in court ahead of the verdict on Thursday morning.
She apologized to her loved ones for the hurt that her detention has caused and said that her parents instilled hard work in her and this value is what brought her to Russia.
Griner’s trip to Russia to play in the offseason has underscored the issue of pay inequality in professional basketball
Many WNBA players have traveled around the world to play in the offseason because they don’t make enough money during the season — an issue that is not as prevalent for NBA players. The top WNBA salary is $228,000 per season, whereas star NBA players make over $20 million a year.
The Phoenix Mercury star held up a photo of her Russian teammates on Thursday and said that she made “an honest mistake” by packing the vape cartridges in her bag.
The prosecutor argued that Griner’s guilt has been proven and also asked that Griner pay a $16,500 fine, which is about 1 million Russian roubles.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” Elizabeth Rood, Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Russia, who has attended each hearing, told reporters outside the court. “The U.S. Department of State has determined that Ms. Griner was wrongfully detained. Nothing in today’s decision changes that determination.”
Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in court last month, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage mistakenly and that she had no “intention” of breaking Russian law.
Her legal team told ABC News in a statement last month that her “guilty” plea was recommended by her Russian attorneys.
“Brittney sets an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people,” the lawyers said in the statement. “Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will be no severe sentence.”
Griner testified last week that she did not mean to leave the cartridges in her bag, but that she was in a hurry and was stressed after recovering from COVID-19 that month. The WNBA star said she was aware that the U.S. had warned Americans about traveling to Russia, but she didn’t want to let her team down in the playoffs.
She also testified that she has permission to use medical cannabis and used a certificate to buy it in the U.S. Earlier this month, one of Griner’s attorneys presented a letter from an American doctor in court, giving her permission to use cannabis to reduce chronic pain.
The American basketball star said she was pulled aside after inspectors at the airport found the vape cartridges in her luggage and that when she was detained, she was not offered an explanation of her rights or access to an attorney. Griner said that while there was a translator present, she was not offered a complete translation and even tried to use her phone to translate.
Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained, and some officials have expressed concern that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing war.
The U.S. Department of State has classified both Whelan and Griner as “wrongfully detained.”
Last week, in a sharp reversal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will hold a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “in the coming days” to discuss securing the freedom of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since late 2018.
“[They] have been wrongly detained and must be allowed to come home,” Blinken told reporters in Washington, D.C, on July 27. “We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release. Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal, and I’ll use the conversation to follow up personally and I hope [to] move us toward a resolution.”
Two days later, Blinken told reporters that he had a “frank and direct conversation” with Lavrov about a U.S. proposal to exchange convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in return for Griner and Whelan’s freedom.
“I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner,” Blinken said. “I’m not going to characterize his responses and I can’t give you an assessment of whether I think things are more or less likely, but it was important that [he] hear directly from me on that.”
During a press conference in Moscow on July 28, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova confirmed that “the issue of mutual exchange of Russian and American citizens, staying in places of detention on the territory of the two countries, was discussed at one time by the presidents of Russia and the United States,” but “a concrete result has not yet been achieved.”
ABC News’ Max Karmen, Shannon Crawford, Joseph Simonetti and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.
Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock has released a cover of the Motown classic “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”
The rendition was recorded for the soundtrack to a new documentary called Claydream, which tells the story of Will Vinton, the so-called “Father of Claymation.”
As for what all these things have to do with each other, Vinton created The California Raisins, a group of anthropomorphic dried grapes that revitalized “I Heard It Through the Grape Vine” in the ’80s by singing it in a series of popular commercials. The ’80s! What a time!
Brock’s cover is streaming now via Soundcloud and you can also hear it in the Claydreamtrailer. The doc opens in New York City this Friday.
Modest Mouse, meanwhile, released their latest album, The Golden Casket, in 2021. They launch a North American tour August 19 with a hometown show in Portland.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) ABC Audio has confirmed Idris Elba is reteaming with his Hobbs and Shaw director David Leitch — the guy behind Brad Pitt‘s new movie Bullet Train — for a Netflix-bound spy thriller called Bang!.
Based on the Dark Horse Comics books from Matt Kindt and Wilfredo Torres, the film will have Elba playing a secret agent sent to take down a terrorist organization that may be linked to “a science-fiction author … whose books may hold the key to either saving reality or destroying it.”
Incidentally, the 2020 books feature a review quote from none other than Keanu Reeves — Leitch’s pal and John Wick star — who called the series, “A great, f****ed up blend of James Bond and Tintin.”
The latter refers to Belgian cartoonist Hergé‘s beloved comic series about a globe-trotting reporter and adventurer.
(NEW YORK) — The drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is a double-edged sword for President Joe Biden, both bolstering his claim that counterterrorism operations need not rely on U.S. boots on the ground while casting doubt on his claim that Afghanistan would never again become a safe haven for America’s enemies.
But for the Taliban, the revelation that Osama bin Laden’s successor was hiding in plain sight in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul is a much sharper blow — hardening its pariah status at a time when the country’s de facto government is desperate for international legitimacy.
Taliban leaders, who initially tried to obscure evidence of the strike, waited days after to issue an official response.
On Thursday, the Taliban formally denied having any knowledge of al-Zawahiri’s “arrival and stay in Kabul,” even though he was living in the guest house of Afghanistan’s influential Interior Minister and the U.S. intelligence community has assessed that other top-level members of the government were also aware of Zawahiri’s location, according to a senior administration official within the Biden administration.
The Taliban also claimed Afghanistan poses no danger to any country, but condemned the strike that killed Zawahiri and issued a warning to the U.S., saying “if such action is repeated, the responsibility of any consequences will be on the United States of America.”
Though sources say American diplomats were not surprised to see that the Taliban has continued its close ties with al-Qaeda, a longtime ally, Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed outrage that Afghanistan’s government harbored Zawahiri.
“By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qa’ida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries,” Blinken said in a statement, referring the 2020 deal that paved the way for the withdrawal of NATO forces from the country in return for anti-terrorism commitments.
Despite the continuing conversation, concerns that releasing the funds would be politically untenable have ballooned in the wake of al-Zawahiri’s killing, as some officials fear any sign of support of Afghanistan’s de facto government could be construed by the American public as condoning the Taliban’s affiliation with extremists.
Though the Biden administration has previously faced backlash for failing to transfer the assets, the Taliban have the most to lose as they struggle to manage Afghanistan’s floundering economy.
Isolated and under sanctions, the Taliban have recently undertaken a concentrated effort to gain status on the world stage, which the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has characterized as a bid “to prove to the international community that it is a reliable partner.” Although no country has officially recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, at least four have accredited its appointed officials — a step in that direction.
But the Taliban’s response to the strike has done little to control damage with the international community. And domestically, the Taliban have been the target of blowback from nationalist who want to seek revenge.
Meanwhile, the suffering throughout Afghanistan is only worsening. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction’s quarterly report to Congress released this week predicts that before November “humanitarian food assistance is expected to decrease from reaching 38% of the population to only 8% due to lack of funding.” The United Nations’ World Food Programme estimates that 92% of the country’s population currently faces some level of food insecurity and three million children are at risk of acute malnutrition.
Sam Smith is about to release their most authentic album yet and they credit that to coming out as nonbinary in 2019.
Speaking with Billboard, the Grammy winner said being able to embrace their truest self, unencumbered by gender expectations, has been emotionally and mentally freeing. “I can’t express how incredible I feel every day,” they said.
Fans got their first taste of the new Sam Smith in their new single “Love Me More.”
“Love Me More,” says Sam, is an anthem of their journey of “trying not to hate myself” and discovering the “self-worth I had to earn.”
“I think joy for me, and for a lot of queer people, is quite a dangerous place,” the singer explained. “We’re all masters of pain, and I think it’s actually a very courageous act to step into the queer joy of it all.”
“Maybe the music I make in the future won’t sit as well on the radio … It takes a bit of courage to maybe try something that maybe people aren’t going to like,” Sam continued. “But I like it. And that’s all that matters.”
“This album, for me, marks the beginning of doing exactly what I want to do,” the British singer said, adding their newest offering will be their “first non-heartbreak album.”
The singer adds this new, authentic album is also a product of their journey of discovering who they were over the past three years.
“It was really a coming-of-age moment for me,” they said. “I was turning 30, we went through COVID-19, and I got the opportunity to sit down and really ask myself what it is I want to do [and] the type of music I want to make.”
Sam has yet to announce the album’s title or release date.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has filed charges against four former and current Louisville police officers in connection with the death of Breonna Taylor. The charges include civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction offenses.
“The federal charges announced today allege that members of a Police Investigations Unit falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylor’s home and that this act violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,” Garland said in a news conference.
The federal charges against detective Joshua Jaynes, former Louisville detective Kelly Goodlett and sergeant Kyle Meany allege they violated Taylor’s Fourth Amendment rights when they sought a warrant to search Taylor’s home while knowing they lacked probable cause, and that they knew their affidavit supporting the warrant contained false and misleading information and omitted other material information, resulting in her death.
“Among other things, the affidavit falsely claimed that officers had verified that the target of the alleged drug trafficking operation had received packages at Ms. Taylor’s address. In fact, defendants Jaynes and Goodlett knew that was not true,” Garland said during a press conference.
Garland also alleged that Jaynes and Goodlett knew armed officers will be carrying out the raid at Taylor’s home, and that conducting the search could create “a dangerous situation for anyone who happened to be in Ms. Taylor’s home.”
Prosecutors allege that Jaynes and Goodlett met in a garage after Taylor’s death “where they agreed to tell investigators” looking into the botched raid “a false story.”
Charges have also been filed against Brett Hankison a former Louisville Metro Police officer who was involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. Hankison has been charged in a two-count indictment for deprivation of rights under color of law, both of which are civil rights offenses.
Hankison allegedly used unconstitutional excessive force during the raid when he fired 10 shots through a window and sliding glass door in Taylor’s home that was covered in blinds and curtains after there was no longer a “lawful objective justifying the use of deadly force.”
Hankison went to trial on state charges relating to the raid on Taylor’s apartment and was found not guilty on all counts. He was charged with recklessly shooting into a neighboring apartment during the course of the raid that ended with the death of Breonna Taylor, not guilty on all three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree.
Taylor’s death sparked protests nationwide, and outrage was further inflamed after no officers were charged in relation to her fatal shooting.
“The lack of accountability showcased in every aspect of Breonna’s killing speaks to how much more work there is to be done before we can say our justice system is fair and our system of policing is protective of people of color,” Taylor’s attorney, Ben Crump said after Hankison’s trial in March.
The Justice Department has had a pattern or practice investigation ongoing into the Louisville Police Department since April 2021. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division told reporters the separate investigation remains ongoing and that DOJ has a team on the ground still conducting interviews with stakeholders and are conducting ride-alongs with police there.
Louisville officers conducted a raid of Taylor’s apartment on March 13, 2020, at around 12:45 a.m. When officers broke down the door to the apartment, a guest in Taylor’s home, thinking it was an intruder, fired a single gunshot using a legally purchased firearm, hitting the first officer at the door. Two Louisville officers then fired a total of 22 shots into the apartment, one of which hit Taylor in the chest, according to an information filed by the Justice Department.
A third officer moved from the doorway to the side of the apartment and fired ten more shots through a window and a sliding glass door, both of which were covered with blinds and curtains, according to an information filed by the Justice Department.
Garland also alleged that officers who carried out the raid were not involved in drafting the warrant and were unaware of the false and misleading statements it contained when they carried out the raid.
Garland said he spoke with Taylor’s family earlier Thursday and informed them of the charges.
“We share, but we cannot fully imagine, the grief felt by Breonna Taylor’s loved ones and all of those affected by the events of March 13, 2020. Breonna Taylor should be alive today,” Garland said.
-ABC News’ Alexander Mallin and Jack Date contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that the Department of Justice has filed charges against four former and current Louisville police officers in connection with the death of Breonna Taylor. The charges include civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction offenses.
The Justice Department has had a pattern or practice investigation ongoing into the Louisville Police Department since April 2021.
The federal charges allege that police officers falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Taylor’s home and that this act violated federal civil rights laws, resulting in her death. Former Louisville detective Kelly Goodlett and officer Joshua Jaynes have been charged with conspiracy for allegedly falsifying the affidavit for a search warrant, according to the justice department.
Charges have also been filed against Brett Hankison a former Louisville Metro Police officer who was involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. Hankison has been charged in a two-count indictment for deprivation of rights under color of law, both of which are civil rights offenses.
“We share, but we cannot fully imagine, the grief felt by Breanna Taylor’s loved ones and all of those affected by the events of March 13, 2020. Breonna Taylor should be alive today,” Garland said during a press conference.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
-ABC News’ Alexander Mallin and Jack Date contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Intense heat has returned to the Northeast, with 70 million Americans facing heat advisories on Thursday that will likely extend into the weekend.
Boston is projected to reach 99 degrees on Thursday, breaking a 96-degree high from 1928, according to the National Weather Service. The mayor of Boston declared a heat emergency on Wednesday through Sunday, opening 16 cooling centers across the city.
“I urge everyone to stay cool and safe, and check on your neighbors during the week,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.
Hartford, Connecticut, is forecast to hit 101 degrees on Thursday, breaking a 1944 record of 96 degrees, the NWS said.
Newark, New Jersey, could tie a 1993 record of 100 degrees. The city of Newark issued a Code Red on Wednesday, urging residents to take precautions against the dangerous heat.
New York City is forecast to break a 2006 record, reaching 94 degrees on Thursday, according to the NWS.
Con Edison, the city’s energy supplier, issued an advisory on Wednesday, asking residents to conserve energy due to the anticipated heat and humidity creating increased demand for electricity.
Philadelphia is expected to tie a 1995 heat record by reaching 95 degrees, according to the NWS.
Two heat deaths have been reported in the Northeast over the last two weeks, one in New York City and one in Philadelphia, officials said. Authorities have warned residents of the danger for more fatalities.
The heat will peak on Thursday, will highs forecast to decrease slightly on Friday before rising again on Sunday. The NWS predicts thunderstorms across the Northeast over the weekend, as heat and humidity come to a head.
The dangerous heat has persisted throughout the summer, with records broken across the Northeast just two weeks ago being threatened once again.
Last week, a heat wave settled over the Northwest, where over a dozen deaths have now been linked to the extreme temperatures.
