Chris Stapleton will once again join the Farm Aid lineup.
The “Broken Halos” hitmaker has been announced as one of the newest acts to perform at the 2022 festival in Raleigh, N.C. along with Sheryl Crow, Brittney Spencer, Farm Aid co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp and more. Fellow Farm Aid founding member, Neil Young, will not perform due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris previously performed at the annual event in 2018.
Farm Aid will take place at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on September 24, continuing the organization’s efforts to support farmers and their families and help keep them on their land.
See the full lineup here. Tickets go on sale July 30 at 10 a.m. ET.
(WASHINGTON) — A Senate investigation revealed evidence on Tuesday of widespread corruption and misconduct dating back years at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.
At a hearing Tuesday morning, an investigatory panel led by Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff pressed outgoing Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal on agency records that show staff at the Atlanta federal penitentiary “acted with impunity and even lacked regard for human life,” Ossoff said in his opening statement.
“The evidence the [subcommittee for investigations] has secured to date reveals stunning long-term failures of federal prison administration that likely contributed to loss of life; jeopardized the health and safety of inmates and staff; and undermined public safety and civil rights in the State of Georgia and the Southeast Region of the United States,” Ossoff said.
The prison was rife with contraband, including weapons and synthetic cannabis, and large amounts of confiscated drugs were never logged after they were discovered, according to Ossoff and the subcommittee’s review of internal BOP documents in addition to interviews with whistleblowers, federal judges and former senior agency leaders.
A lack of security checks also allowed inmates to pass contraband between cells and freely use narcotics, Ossoff said.
The findings documented by the panel — an investigatory arm of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — include allegations of poorly maintained and often dangerous conditions for inmates.
Between 2012 to 2020, a total of 12 inmates died by suicide which the committee linked to a lack of compliance by staff to prison procedures and “complacency, indifference, inattentiveness, and lack of compliance with BOP policies and procedures,” according to Ossoff.
Internal reports from 2017 and 2019, now revealed by the committee, found prison guard weapons were improperly stored and at times went missing.
Erika Ramirez, a whistleblower and former chief psychologist of the Atlanta facility, testified on Tuesday to a variety of unsafe and unsanitary conditions as well as a lack of control over contraband.
“The walls were infested with mold,” Ramirez said. “Whenever it rained, the sewer would break — would back up and overflow onto the recreation yard, sometimes leaving a foot of human waste behind. Security-wise, there was little to speak of. Given the volume and flagrancy of the contraband, it was obvious that cell searches were not being properly conducted, if at all.”
Ramirez testified that she documented her findings and reported them to upper management and, in some cases, to the BOP central office in Washington. Ramirez was subsequently, involuntarily transferred to a facility in Texas in what she described as retaliation for speaking out.
Former jail administrator Terri Whitehead also appeared at Tuesday’s hearing and said unsanitary conditions at the prison resulted in security lapses.
“For example, there was so many rats inside the facility, dining hall and food preparation areas that staff intentionally left doors open so the stray cats that hung around the prison could catch the rats,” Whitehead said. “It is never a good idea to leave prison doors open.”
After initially declining to testify, citing the end of his tenure next month, BOP Director Carvajal took questions before the panel to address the reported corruption and mismanagement at the penitentiary.
“I want to stress that what happened in Atlanta is unacceptable,” Carvajal said. “We recognize the gravity of the alleged misconduct at that facility, and in July of 2021, we determined that it was in the best interest of the institution to take significant action.”
BOP has since started replacing the entire management staff at the Atlanta prison, a process which Carvajal said was ongoing.
Asked about a federal judge’s letter detailing rats, roaches and emaciated detainees at the facility, Carvajal told the Senate panel he was not aware of the specific allegations but took responsibility for the agency overall. He repeatedly testified that the BOP is a “large, complex organization,” and he does not personally oversee day-to-day operations despite the unique nature of concerns in Atlanta.
“What does it mean to you to hear, as the director of Bureau of Prisons, a report from your own investigators that staff at this facility lack regard for human life?” Ossoff asked.
“It’s completely unacceptable, senator, that’s precisely why I took the actions that I did when I became aware of it,” Carvajal said.
But it remains unclear when and what Carvajal knew about missing prison guard weapons, life-threatening conditions and security lapses reported by internal BOP auditors. Carvajal testified that he wasn’t aware of internal reports about unqualified staff in armed positions until the middle of last year.
“We have a lot going on in a very large, complex organization,” he insisted. “I assure you that if I was aware, as with anything, I would have corrected or taken action.”
At one point Ossoff held up a copy of one of the internal reports, noting that Carvajal was personally copied on the correspondence. Citing the BOP report, Ossoff said it detailed a case in November 2018 where an inmate died by hanging. Guards did not conduct checks prior to the inmate’s death and inmates had been caught on camera passing contraband under cell doors.
“When I when I tell you I’m not aware, specifically, I can’t remember specifically what I did at that time,” said Carvajal, who was then assistant director for correctional programs. “I do know that I received those reports and we took appropriate action to address those issues.”
Carvajal said that in April he conducted a day-long visit at the Atlanta facility where he met with staff.
The U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta has been under public scrutiny for years. An inmate and his fiancée pleaded guilty in 2017 to running what prosecutors described as an “inmate Uber.” The two admitted to transporting convicts to and from the prison, allowing them access to outside food and contraband.
Last year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that four senior prison officers were banned from the facility amid a corruption investigation and the prison’s population was reduced from more than 1,800 to 134.
Photography by Keith Getter (all rights reserved)/Getty Images
(ST. LOUIS) — One person has died after a record amount of rain poured down on the St. Louis area overnight.
St. Louis has recorded 8.56 inches of rainfall since midnight, which surpassed the old record of 6.85 inches set almost 107 years ago on Aug. 20, 1915. In the suburbs northwest of St. Louis, St. Peters received 12.34 inches of rain.
The historic rainfall event caused widespread flash flooding across the region Tuesday morning with some areas getting more than half a foot of rain in just a few hours.
One person was found dead in a car after the water began to recede, St. Louis emergency officials said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy rain continued for St. Louis and its surrounding areas Tuesday morning as thunderstorms sit over Missouri. The rain let up into the afternoon, but more heavy rain with flooding is expected Wednesday morning.
The St. Louis Fire Department said there’s been a report of a partial roof collapse and possible natural gas leak at the scene of a storage facility at St. Louis Zoo. Further details were not immediately available.
The fire department also said there were several vehicles trapped in high water with rescue squads responding in small boats.
As of 7 a.m. local time, St. Louis Fire Department confirmed they had responded to approximately 18 homes with flooding and trapped occupants. Six occupants and six dogs have so far been rescued by boat and approximately 15 others were contacted but chose to shelter in place.
The Forest Park-DeBaliviere train station was seen completely submerged in photos, with water rising above the platforms. The floodwaters were so high that the roofs on some of the structures collapsed, emergency officials said.
By noon, another six adults and several pets were rescued from three homes by the St. Louis Fire Department, and water had begun to recede about 6 to 8 inches, according to fire officials.
One of the families was trapped in the attic due to the floodwaters, according to the fire department.
In total, more than 70 rescues took place, Dennis Jackson, chief of the St. Louis Fire Department, said during the news conference. While there has been widespread property damages, the number of injuries remained low, said St. Louis Police Chief Mike Sack.
By 2 p.m., the highways were mostly clear and all bridges were open, Heather Taylor, senior adviser for public safety for the city of St. Louis, told reporters Tuesday afternoon. However, some areas still have high water levels, Sack said.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who is currently overseas on a trade mission to Germany and the Netherlands, thanked rescue crews and said his lieutenant governor, Mike Kehoe, would act on his behalf.
“I have been briefed on the extreme flooding in the St. Louis area,” Parson said in a statement. “We appreciate the rapid and professional response of local first responders and emergency managers involved in flood rescues and other protective measures. We also thank our Missouri State Highway Patrol and MoDOT crews for working alongside local teams.”
ABC News’ Max Golembo, Melissa Griffin, Will Gretsky and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
Dave Matthews and his frequent collaborator Tim Reynolds are set to perform together at the 2022 Farm Aid festival, held September 24 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The annual event raises money in support of family farms, and this year, it will showcase how farmers are working to alleviate climate change.
Matthews is one of several Farm Aid board members headlining Farm Aid 2022, along with John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and Margo Price. The bill also includes Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Sheryl Crow and Chris Stapleton.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday, July 30 at 10 a.m. ET, while a limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available starting this Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.
For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit FarmAid.org.
Slash is bringing his shredding chops to the advertising world.
The Guns N’ Roses rocker is featured in a new Capital One commercial in which the spokesperson declares that working with the bank is the “easiest decision in the history of decisions,” even easier than, say, letting Slash join your band.
Cut to Slash jamming the GN’R classic “Sweet Child o’ Mine” for a stunned young band holding auditions for a guitarist.
The commercial follows a similar Capital One ad that features a kid picking NBA legend Charles Barkley to be on their pickup basketball team.
Meanwhile, you can hear “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” as well as several other GN’R tunes, in the new MCU movie Thor: Love and Thunder.
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
The Gray Man, the new action film starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Regé-Jean Page just hit Netflix on Friday, but there’s already a spin-off and a sequel in the works.
The streaming service announced Tuesday that Gosling will return as the titular spy, with Joe and Anthony Russo returning to direct the sequel, which like its predecessor, will be written by the pair’s Marvel movie collaborator Stephen McFeely.
Further, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, the writers behind Deadpool and Zombieland, will be penning a spin-off film “set to explore a different element of The Gray Man universe.”
Based on the best-selling book series by Mark Greaney,The Gray Man debuted at #1 in 92 countries where Netflix can be accessed.
In a statement, the Russos enthused, “The audience reaction to The Gray Man has been nothing short of phenomenal. We are so appreciative of the enthusiasm that fans across the world have had for this film.”
They added, “With so many amazing characters in the movie, we had always intended for The Gray Man to be part of an expanded universe, and we are thrilled that Netflix is announcing a sequel with Ryan, as well as a second script that we’re excited to talk about soon.”
Maren Morris is reflecting back on the making of her new album, Humble Quest.
Speaking to the Recording Academy, Maren shares that she went through a lot of “emotional” and “life changes” while making the album during the COVID-19 pandemic and after welcoming her first child, son Hayes, in March 2020.
“It’s like I was gaining motherhood, but losing my identity as an artist in a lot of ways, so I had to really rebuild the pieces,” she explains in regards to her touring life being halted during the pandemic.
The superstar notes that she went through a “resurgence” with Humble Quest and almost felt “born again” while writing the songs. “I felt like it was the most mature version of me and not taking myself so seriously,” she expresses. “I had fun writing these songs and I had the space to actually write them.”
Maren is currently on the Humble Quest Tour that kicked off June 9 in Raleigh, N.C. and continues through December 2, where it will wrap at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
(WASHINGTON) — In another break from his one-time boss, former Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday in Washington that while he and Donald Trump may not differ on conservative ideology they “may differ on focus” — and Pence said he wouldn’t be stuck in the past.
“I don’t know that our movement is that divided. I don’t know that the president and I differ on issues. But we may differ on focus. I truly do believe that elections are about the future,” he said at the Young America’s Foundation student conference, about a mile away from where Trump was slated to speak at another event later Tuesday.
Trump’s appearance marks his return to the nation’s capital for the first time since leaving office in the shadow of the Jan. 6 insurrection. His and Pence’s remarks offered another split-screen for the onetime GOP ticket — and possible 2024 competitors — who became estranged in the wake of the Capitol riot.
The former vice president made his comments about Trump in response to a student at the conference who asked about Trump’s upcoming speech. The student asked about the divide between the two on their outlook for the future of the conservative movement.
“[It] is absolutely essential at a time when so many Americans are hurting, so many families are struggling, that we don’t give away to the temptation to look back,” Pence said.
“But I think the time has come for us to offer a bold, positive agenda to bring America back,” he said. “And I’ll continue to carry that message all across this nation.”
Pence has been increasingly vocal about his select differences with Trump — in particular his refusal to try and overturn the 2020 election results — while also stressing their work together in the White House to advance a conservative agenda.
He had been slated to get a one-day head start on unveiling his Republican agenda ahead of Trump’s return, but a Monday night speech for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, was canceled due to weather.
“My plane was diverted against that terrible storm you’ve all witnessed. And I just figured with [my wife] Karen by my side that God must have had different plans for today,” Pence said on Tuesday.
“In fact, he must have decided that a talk about the future … should be given to the rising generation.”
Pence, Trump’s loyal No. 2 while in office, has repeatedly split with him in making endorsements in state races this year, with both seeking to make their mark on the party leading up to the midterms.
Most recently, in the Republican gubernatorial primary in Arizona, Pence has campaigned with current Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP secretary of state candidate Beau Lane on behalf of Karrin Taylor Robson while Trump hosted a rally across the state with his chosen candidate, former TV journalist Kari Lake.
Pence’s Young America’s Foundation speech on Tuesday detailed his “Freedom Agenda,” which includes banning abortions, finishing the southern border wall, focusing on China as an economic threat and protecting the Second Amendment, among other GOP policies.
“Some people may choose to focus on the past. But elections are about the future. And I believe conservatives must focus on the future to win back America,” Pence said.
“The conservative movement has always been built on the notion that ideas have consequences,” he said. “Conservative conservatism is bigger than any one moment, any one election or any one person.”
Ahead of Pence’s later-canceled speech on Monday, the Democratic National Committee released a statement criticizing his platform.
“We don’t have to imagine what’s on the Mike Pence agenda — he’s already told us as he’s brought his extreme road show across the country,” DNC spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement.
Pence spent much of his hourlong speech recounting his work as vice president, including on the southern border, appointing more than 300 conservative judges to federal courts and building up the military.
Shortly after his remarks, Pence announced new details about his forthcoming memoir “So Help Me God,” scheduled for release on Nov. 15, which will chronicle “President Trump’s severing of their relationship on January 6, 2021 when Pence kept his oath to the Constitution.”
ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.
Who knew The Weeknd and Halloween would make such a perfect pair?
Entertainment Weekly confirms the “Blinding Lights” singer will bring the thrills and chills to his very own haunted house at Universal Studios. The attraction, which is part of Halloween Horror Nights, pays homage to The Weeknd’s After Hours album.
The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare will be part of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, which means fans from either coast can immerse themselves into the Grammy winner’s twisted imagination.
“I always wanted my own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house, as Halloween has always been significant to my music, so this is a total dream come to life,” he said in a statement. “I feel like my music videos have served as a launching pad for a collaboration like this, and I cannot wait for people to experience this madness!”
This single-house experience transports thrill seekers into the After Hours fantasy world and is soundtracked to the songs “After Hours,” “In Your Eyes,” “Heartless,” “Blinding Lights,” “Save Your Tears” and “Too Late.”
Halloween Horror Nights executive producer John Murdy teased the first part of the experience, called the “Nightmare Extraction,” which includes an articulated, life-like version of The Weeknd strapped to a machine reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange.
Something goes wrong with the machine meant to suck out The Weeknd’s nightmares, leaving the audience to “face all of those things and dark places he went to in creating the album,” says Murdy.
Thrill seekers will also encounter “a horrific toad creature unlike anything you’ve ever seen before,” he added. There will also be moments that will “make you think you’re getting hit in the face with blood.”
The attraction opens September 2 in Orlando and September 8 in Hollywood.
(LAKE MEAD, Nev.) — For the third time since May, human remains have been discovered in Lake Mead near Las Vegas as the water level in the nation’s largest reservoir continues to shrink to historic lows due to a decades-long drought, officials said.
The human remains were found around 4:30 p.m. Monday by a visitor to Swim Beach on the Nevada side of the lake’s west end, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
Park rangers responded to investigate and set up a perimeter around the area as the remains were recovered, officials said.
The Clark County medical examiner’s office is working to identify the remains, officials said.
The park service said an investigation is underway. No further information was released.
Water levels in the reservoir, which straddles Nevada and Arizona, are so low they could soon hit “dead pool” status, in which the water is too low to flow downstream to Hoover Dam, officials said.
The minimum water surface level needed to generate power at the Hoover Dam is 1,050 feet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Anything below that is considered an “inactive pool,” and a “dead pool” exists when the water level hits 895 feet, according to the federal agency.
Satellite images released last week by NASA show side-by-side comparisons of Lake Mead, one taken on July 6, 2000, and the other more than two decades later on July 6 of this year. The images show waterways, which are fed by the Colorado River, have drastically thinned over the past 22 years as the surface of Lake Mead continues to hit its lowest levels since it was created in the 1930s.
A result of the diminishing water level is that bodies and human parts have been emerging.
On May 7, human skeletal remains were found near the lake’s Callville Bay, according to the National Park Service. The discovery came a week after the decayed body of a man was found stuffed in a steel barrel near the reservoir’s Hemenway Fishing Pier, more than 20 miles from Callville Bay, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The Clark County medical examiner’s office with the help of the FBI are still working to identify the remains recovered from the lake.
Homicide detectives from the Las Vegas Police Metropolitan Department said they suspect the man found in the barrel died from a gunshot wound. They believe the man was killed in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, based on his clothing and footwear.
Earlier this month, a World War II-era boat was discovered partially sticking out of the receding water roughly a mile from the Lake Mead Marina, which is also at the west end of the reservoir on the Nevada side, officials said.
The sunken vessel was identified as a “Higgins boat” used for beach landings during WWII and to survey the Colorado River decades ago, officials said.
