The rapper revealed on his Instagram Story that he would have to pull out his Young Money reunion show Monday night. He had been set to take the stage with Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne for the final night of his October World Weekend festival in his hometown of Toronto, Canada.
Drake promised fans he would reschedule “to the SOONEST date possible.”
“I will keep the city posted and share the new date whenever we have it locked,” he wrote. “Until then I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I love you all I am so sorry for letting you down on our weekend together and the moment I test negative I will give you everything I got on stage (except the covid).”
Joe Walsh‘s sixth annual VetsAid benefit concert is scheduled for November 13 in Columbus, Ohio and will feature a reunion of his old band James Gang — with drummer Jim Fox and bassist Dale Peters — for what’s being billed as their final performance or “One Last Ride.”
The event’s lineup also features Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, The Breeders and The Black Keys.
Walsh, who spent part of his youth growing up in Columbus and went to college at Ohio’s Kent State University, wanted to create an all-Ohio bill for the concert, which this year will specifically support Ohio veterans and their families.
The James Gang and NIN formed in Cleveland, The Black Keys are from Akron, The Breeders hail from Dayton, and Grohl was born in Warren.
“It all started in Ohio,” says Walsh. “Picking up my first guitar as a kid in Columbus set me on a musical journey to Kent State, Cleveland and then the world. Now it is a great privilege and humbling opportunity for me to share the stage once again with my original James Gang buddies and with this absolutely incredible group of Ohio rock legends.”
The 2022 VetsAid concert will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 5 at 10 a.m. ET atTicketmaster.com. Pre-sale tickets will be available on Wednesday, August 3, starting at 10 a.m. ET. For more info, visitVetsAid.org.
This marks the first time since 2019 that the show will be held live and in person after being aired as a streaming event in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, VetsAid has distributed $2 million in grants to charities that support veterans and their families.
Before he became Luke Skywalker, a young Mark Hamill worked at the fast food chain Jack In The Box — until he was fired for doing voice impressions through the drive-thru window.
“Jack knows he let go of a legend, so they’re making amends,” a rep explains, showcasing the actor in a new campaign called The Return of Mark Hamill.
The spot, which has gone live on social media, shows the big-screen Jedi back in the drive-thru window, this time surprising unsuspecting fans as he explains the inglorious end of his burger-flipping career.
“Instead of using my own voice, I’d use a clown voice,” Hamill said. “They didn’t like it at all.”
His ill-appreciated choice of a clown voice is pretty ironic, considering Jack In The Box’s competitor McDonald’s used a clown, Ronald McDonald, as its mascot for years — and of course because Hamill later created the iconic voice of the Clown Prince of Crime himself, the Joker, in Batman: The Animated Series.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden “continues to feel well” and is still in isolation after experiencing a rebound case of COVID-19, according to a letter from White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor on Monday.
O’Connor wrote in a memo released by the White House that Biden tested positive on an antigen test Monday morning, a result he said “could be anticipated.” Biden had previously tested negative Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning before again testing positive on Saturday.
“The President will continue his strict isolation measures as previously described,” O’Connor wrote.
“He will continue to conduct the business of the American people from the Executive Residence,” O’Connor added. “As I have stated previously, the President continues to be very specifically conscientious to protect any of the Executive Residence, White House, Secret Service and other staff whose duties require (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him.”
Biden had first tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21 and ultimately reemerged from isolation last Wednesday after testing negative. However, he had been treated with Paxlovid, an effective coronavirus treatment that at times produces a so-called rebound case after a patient finishes a course of it. High-risk patients still face drastically diminished risks of hospitalization after taking Paxlovid.
The letter did not specify any symptoms Biden is feeling, but the president has been asymptomatic since testing positive again Saturday, according to O’Connor’s past memos. Biden previously had a runny nose, cough, sore throat, a slight fever and body aches after testing positive the first time.
Biden had six close contacts before testing positive for COVID for a second time, though the White House has not announced any positive cases from any of those people.
The rebound case comes after Biden last week gave a speech from the Rose Garden praising vaccines and therapeutics.
“We got through COVID with no fear, I got through it with no fear, a very mild discomfort because of these essential, life-saving tools,” Biden said in the Rose Garden. “You don’t need to be president to get these tools used for your defense.”
Biden’s positive test result has interfered with his travel plans across the country in which he had planned on touting newly passed legislation to invest in production of semiconductors and computer chips. The president has also highlighted a recent agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on a bill to reduce drug prices, combat climate change and close corporate tax loopholes.
Billy Corgan made a surprise appearance during Porno for Pyros‘ set at Lollapalooza over the weekend.
TheSmashing Pumpkins frontman joined Perry Farrell‘s band for a cover of Led Zeppelin‘s “When the Levee Breaks.” Both Corgan and Farrell posted footage of the onstage collaboration to their InstagramStories.
The Lolla set marked the latest Porno for Pyros reunion show after the group got back together earlier this year for their first public concert since breaking up in 1998.
Corgan and Farrell, meanwhile, just recently played together during the former’s virtual benefit concert last week to support the victims of the July 4 shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. They closed the show with a joint performance of Jane’s Addiction‘s “Jane Says.”
The two will reunite once more when the Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction launch a U.S. tour in October.
The X Factor delighted Harry Styles‘ fans by releasing the extended, six-minute cut of his first audition.
“Meet Harry Styles again for the very first time, but with EXTRA footage that’s never been aired before!” the reality competition teased on YouTube.
The clip shows how close Harry came to being cut in round one. Instead of wowing the judges with his take on Stevie Wonder‘s “Isn’t She Lovely,” the then-16-year-old Harry nearly blew it with a shaky rendition of Train‘s “Hey, Soul Sister.”
Unfortunately for the future Grammy winner, he sings the Train hit off-key. The good thing is, judge Simon Cowell decided to give Harry a second chance.
“I don’t know whether it’s the track that’s throwing you, but can I hear something [that’s] just you without any music?” Cowell asks, which led to Harry singing the track that got him through to the next round.
What fans might not have known is that the One Direction singer managed to charm Cowell before showing off his vocal chops, and that may have been why the record executive stuck up for him.
Other unseen footage sees Harry having a fun back-and-forth with Cowell about the most and least popular desserts being sold at the bakery he works at — as well as why he wanted to audition.
“I thought I’d give it a whirl this time… Because my mum’s always told me that I’m a good singer,” he sweetly explains.
Cowell counters in a matter-of-fact tone, “But mum’s normally don’t know.”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean! So I wanted to come and ask the people who know,” Harry smartly responds, which earns him a nod and smile of appreciation from the X Factor judge.
(NEW YORK) — The death toll in the devastating flooding that hit eastern Kentucky continues to rise as more rain hits the region, according to officials.
A total of 30 people, including children, have been confirmed dead, and more fatalities are expected, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday morning.
Beshear described “widespread damage” that displaced thousands of people, including power outages for thousands of people as well as washed-out roads, destroyed homes and flooded schools.
More rain was falling Monday as search and rescue teams continue to look for those who are unaccounted for. The additional precipitation could potentially cause water levels to rise again in the same area that experienced the catastrophic flooding that began with heavy rains on Wednesday.
More than 600 people have been rescued by aircraft and boat since the flooding began, Beshear said.
The destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week.
Heavy downpours caused flash flooding in Las Vegas on Friday, with rising waters seen on roadways and parking garages in busy parts of Sin City.
The megadrought has caused the soil in the region to become so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains, which helped to contribute to the flooding.
Earlier in the week, a flash flooding emergency occurred near St. Louis, which had a record-breaking 8.56 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. One person was found dead in a car on Tuesday after the water began to recede, officials said.
Kentucky is working to establish shelters, Beshear said, asking those who want to help to donate cleaning supplies or water. Last week, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration.
“Let us wrap our arms around eastern Kentucky and pray for those impacted,” Beshear said.
ABC News’ Matt Foster, Kenton Gewecke and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A man arrested with a loaded AK-47 assault rifle outside the Brooklyn, New York home of an outspoken Iranian writer is due in federal court Monday amid questions about his intent.
Khalid Mehdiyev was charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number after he was seen lurking outside the home of Masih Alinejad, who was targeted last year in a kidnapping plot allegedly organized by Iranian nationals, according to the Department of Justice.
Over two days last week, Mehdiyev was seen in a gray Subaru Forester with an Illinois license plate in front of Alinejad’s home for several hours, according to the criminal complaint. In those hours, the complaint said, Mehdiyev “behaved suspiciously” by approaching the residence, attempting to look inside the windows of the residence and attempting to open the front door.
Police later pulled him over for failing to stop at a stop sign. He was arrested for driving with a suspended license, according to the complaint.
In the rear seat of the Subaru, police found a suitcase containing a Norinco AK-47-style assault rifle loaded with a round in the chamber and a magazine attached, according to the complaint. He also had $1,100 in cash and two other license plates issued from other states besides Illinois.
Mehdiyev initially told police he was in the area of the Brooklyn home because he was looking for a place to rent and was going to knock on the woman’s door asking to rent a room. He also claimed he did not know there was an assault rifle in the suitcase, according to the complaint. He later changed his story and admitted the gun belonged to him and he was “looking for someone.” He then asked for a lawyer and stopped talking, according to the complaint.
The complaint did not identify Alinejad but she posted video of the suspect outside her house on Twitter.
“My crime is giving voice to voiceless people,” she wrote. “The US administration must be tough on terror.”
Last July, a federal court unsealed an indictment charging four Iranian nationals with conspiring to kidnap Alinejad for “mobilizing public opinion in Iran and around the world to bring about changes to the regime’s laws and practices.”
Federal prosecutors said the suspects were directed by the government of Iran to conduct surveillance on Alinejad and lure her to a third country to be captured and brought back to Iran.
“You go to my beautiful country, you will be beaten up because you’re unveiled. … I launched a campaign against compulsory hijab, and that is why, actually, I’m receiving death threats,” Alinejad told ABC News Live last year after the kidnapping plot was revealed. “Of course, it is a scary [thing] that they were going to kidnap me, but that shows that they [are] scared [of] me and millions of other Iranian women, Iranian men, who got united this time loudly sending videos to me saying ‘no’ to Islamic Republic. That’s why they sent someone here in New York to kidnap me.”
Over the years, Melissa Etheridge has flirted with Broadway: In 2011, she played the role of St. Jimmy in the musical American Idiot, and in 2019, it was reported that she was writing the music for a stage version of the movie Mystic Pizza. It turns out, she’s also got plans to bring her own songs and story to the Great White Way.
Unlike, say, Jersey Boys, which tells the story of The Four Seasons through the group’s songs, or Mamma Mia!, which uses ABBA‘s songs as part of an original story, Melissa tells ABC Audio that what she has in mind was inspired by something one of her musical heroes did.
“The first thing will be more like Springsteen on Broadway,” Melissa says, referring to the hugely successful run of shows Bruce Springsteen did on and off from 2017 to 2021. “It will be me. It’ll be my songs and my story.”
So, did Melissa just go to see Bruce and figure, “I can do that?” She laughs, “Exactly. I went, ‘I can do that, and I can do it my own way.'”
She explains, “I mean, he did a very specific thing and my story is certainly different. And the way that I would unfold it is going to be different too.”
Melissa has shows scheduled through September — including her destination festival Etheridge Island over Labor Day weekend — but the Broadway plan is looming.
“There might be something at the end of this year; we’ll see,” she teases.
Gina Rodriguez celebrated two things over the weekend — her birthday and her pregnancy!
On Saturday, the Jane the Virgin star celebrated her 38th birthday and announced that she’s expecting her first child with husband Joe LoCicero.
Taking to social media, Rodriguez shared a montage of loving moments between the couple with the last clip being a clip of the pair smiling as she held up a positive pregnancy test.
“This birthday hits different,” she captioned the post.
Rodriguez and LoCicero, who tied the knot in May 2019, were showered with congratulatory messages in the comments.
Brittany Snow wrote, “Yaaaaaay my love!! So much love for you THREE.”
Jordin Sparks also shared the excitement commenting, “OH MY GOSH!!!!!! Congratulations!”
