(CHARLESTON, W.Va.) — Abortions in West Virginia can — at least temporarily — resume after a judge struck down a pre-Roe ban Monday.
Following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last month, the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia said in a statement on Facebook it would not be performing the procedure “until further notice” due to fear of prosecution under an 1882 law on the books.
The law made performing abortions, including administering drugs for medication abortions, a felony punishable by three to 10 years in prison.
However, Kanawha County Circuit Judge Tera Salango issued a preliminary injunction against the ban, meaning the state’s only clinic can perform the procedure again.
The Women’s Health Center told ABC News it is already booking abortion patients for appointments next week.
“The impacts of abortion being pushed out of reach for the last month have been devastating,” Katie Quiñonez, executive director of the clinic, said in a statement. “[The] decision is a sigh of relief and means we can once again serve the people who reach out to us for abortion services.”
“Make no mistake: Essential health care shouldn’t depend on the whims of a court or politicians, it should be based on compassion and what’s best for one’s life and future,” Quiñonez said.
In the lawsuit, attorneys for the clinic argued the statute should be considered void because it has not been enforced in several years and because newer laws have been passed that supersede the old law, such as a 2015 law allowing abortions up until 20 weeks gestation.
“What this decision did is, at least temporarily, provide some clarity around conflicting laws we had,” Loree Stark, legal director of the ACLU of West Virginia, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the clinic along with other firms, told ABC News. “It’s clear, at least for the moment, that … people seeking abortion care now have some access to it.”
She added, “This gives people some hope. To bring this before a judge and for the judge to really examine all the information in front of her and to choose to enjoin the law should hopefully give people hope.”
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey called the decision a “dark day” and vowed his office will appeal the ruling to the state’s Supreme Court of Appeals.
“As a strong pro-life advocate, I am committed to protecting unborn babies to the fullest extent possible under the law, and I will not rest until this injunction is lifted,” he said in a statement sent to ABC News. “The current law on the books calls for the protection of life.”
As temperatures in her hometown of London soar to 104 degrees, Adele has escaped the heat by decamping to Italy.
The British paper The Daily Mailhas photos of the singer, some friends and her boyfriend, Rich Paul, on a boat in Sardinia Tuesday. The paper gleefully detailed how much it believes Adele’s ensemble and purse cost — as though a multimillionaire pop star wouldn’t be wearing designer clothes and carrying a status bag.
And Adele has earned the break, having recently put on two critically acclaimed shows at London’s Hyde Park. She wrote on Instagram, “See you really soon” — as opposed to the five years she made fans wait since the last time she sang in her hometown.
British tabloids have reported that the success of those two shows has now given Adele the drive to reschedule her Las Vegas residency for this December and that she plans to announce the details shortly — but it’s the British tabloids, so take that report with a grain of salt.
More pop stars recently spotted on Italian islands include Katy Perry, who was in Capri over the weekend filming a new commercial for Dolce & Gabbana, and Mariah Carey, who’s in Capri now, splashing around in the water while wearing a black sequined gown. Because she’s Mariah, obviously.
The agreement, which was struck by the band’s core co-founding members — singer Jim Kerr and guitarist/keyboardist Charlie Burchill — encompasses the publishing rights to over 240 songs, as well as the neighboring rights and royalties to the group’s entire catalog of recorded music.
Simple Minds already had a long relationship with BMG, which previously served as administrator of the band’s music publishing and released the group’s latest studio album, 2018’s Walk Between Worlds. Simple Minds’ recently announced next album, Direction of the Heart, also will be issued by the label on October 21.
Among the noteworthy songs that are part of the publishing deal are “Love Song,” “Promised You a Miracle,” “Glittering Prize,” “Waterfront,” “Someone Somewhere in Summertime” and “Alive and Kicking.” The group’s biggest U.S. hit, the chart-topping “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was written by an outside songwriter, Keith Forsey, and therefore doesn’t fall under the publishing agreement, although recorded and neighboring rights royalties generated by the track will be collected by BMG.
“There are few bands who can claim to have changed music, but over a period of 45 years Simple Minds have done precisely that,” says BMG executive Alistair Norbury. “We are thrilled that BMG is now the musical home of Simple Minds, past, present and future.”
Adds Kerr, “We are very pleased to have struck this deal. It feels like the right time for us and our families. We look forward to working with everyone at BMG.”
Simple Minds recently returned to the road for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The band is currently in the middle of a lengthy European tour.
Eddie Murphy is sticking with Amazon Studios, which released his sequel Coming 2 America, for a new holiday movie project.
The star will headline and produce Candy Cane Lane, a project directed byOscar- and Emmy-nominated Django Unchained and Boomerang producer Reginald Hudlin, ABC Audio has confirmed. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer‘s company Imagine is also getting a credit.
The film was written by Kelly Younger, whose Muppets Haunted Mansion debuted last year on Disney+. Candy Cane Lane was reportedly based on the writer’s own holiday experiences, but other plot details are under wraps.
“As we know first hand with our hit Coming 2 America, Eddie is someone who brings global audiences together, and we can’t wait to make it happen again,” said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke in a statement.
“We look forward to seeing the multi-talented Reggie Hudlin take the helm in bringing this future holiday classic to life!”
Shooting gets underway in Los Angeles this winter, the streaming service says.
The Academy of Country Music announced today that the 2023 ACM Awards will take on May 11 at Ford Center in Frisco, TX, just outside of Dallas.
It will stream on Amazon Prime for the second year in a row, making the ACMs the first major awards show to be live-streamed globally.
The ACMs typically take place in Las Vegas but were moved to Nashville for the 2020 and 2021 installments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards show returned to Sin City in 2022 and was held at Allegiant Stadium.
The Ford Center is home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys; This marks the first time an awards show will be hosted at the venue. The ACM Awards were previously held in Texas in 2015 — during the 50th annual event at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
“The Academy is proud to extend our relationship with Amazon to once again deliver the ACM Awards live to a global audience on Prime Video,” Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside says in a statement. “The March 2022 show was a defining moment for the ACM and a huge step forward for country music, allowing audiences around the world to see their favorite artists perform live and be recognized for their excellence. We can’t wait to take the show to a new level for fans with an exciting new venue and integrated partnership with the Dallas Cowboys.”
As fans wait for the ACMs, the 15th annual ACM Honors will take place August 24 in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Carly Pearce will host; Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert and Shania Twain are among the honorees.
The upcoming Toronto International Film Festival will play host to the world premiere of Viola Davis‘ new historical epic, The Woman King.
According to Sony Pictures, “The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen.”
Emmy and Oscar winner Davis plays General Nanisca, who has to train new recruits to prevent a colonizing army from destroying the kingdom.
John Boyega and No Time to Die‘s Lashana Lynch also star in the film.
For those not attending the festival, which runs September 8-18, The Woman King hits theaters September 16.
Sesame Place issued an apology after Kelly Rowland and others spoke out against the treatment of two Black girls, who were ignored by a costumed character in the theme park.
In a viral video at a parade, the girls reached out to greet the character, who waved a hand in a “no” gesture after high-fiving multiple people.
Their mother wrote, “The kids wanted to stop to see the characters. THIS DISGUSTING person blatantly told our kids NO then proceeded to hug the little white girl next to us! Then when I went to complain about it, they looking at me like I’m crazy. I asked the lady who the character was and I wanted to see a supervisor and she told me SHE DIDNT KNOW!! I will never step foot in @sesameplace ever again!”
Over 10,000 comments slammed the character’s behavior. Rowland reposted the clip in her Instagram Stories writing, “Had that been me… that whole parade would have been in flames.”
In response, Sesame Place posted an apology on Instagram.
“Our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms,” the statement began. “That is what Sesame Place is all about and we do not tolerate any behaviors in our parks that are contrary to that commitment. We also are, and have always been, committed to making sure every family and every child has the best possible experience at our parks and we are incredibly disappointed when that does not happen. Regarding the incident yesterday, the costumes our performers wear sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels and sometimes our performers miss hug requests from guests.”
Taraji P. Henson commented, “This is blatant racism,” and City Girls’ Yung Miami added, “RACIST!” The Black girls’ mother deemed the apology “disrespectful and distasteful.”
(PHILADELPHIA) — Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that runs Sesame Street, said it will “conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage families and guests” at Sesame Place after a video of a potential racial bias incident went viral online.
“As a global nonprofit educational organization with a mission to help children grow smarter, stronger and kinder, Sesame Workshop has always stood for respect, inclusion and belonging and is committed to providing the highest quality engaging experiences for all children and families,” the organization said in a statement.
In a video posted on Twitter, two young Black girls at Sesame Place Philadelphia waved excitedly and held out their arms as a performer dressed in a Rosita costume approached.
Rosita high-fives parkgoers as she walks down the line, before appearing to shake her head at and wave off the two girls as she walks away from them.
“#BabyPaige & her cute lil friends went to @SesamePlace this weekend to celebrate Paige’s 4th birthday & this is how #SesamePlace treated these beautiful Black children,” the tweet, posted by the apparent aunt of the girl celebrating her birthday, read.
“While we hate to speculate and consider ‘race’ as the motivating factor, which would explain the performer’s actions, such actions both before and after the young girls reached out only leads us to one conclusion,” said attorney B’Ivory LaMarr, who is representing the family.
He continued, “Although Sesame Place purports to stand for inclusivity and equality, this was not demonstrated this past Saturday. We are currently investigating this incident and will exercise every legal remedy possible to further protect this family.”
Outrage ensued online, as more footage of similar incidents with park characters were posted online in response to the viral video. Calls to boycott Sesame Place are growing on social media.
Sesame Place Philadelphia released a statement on the incident, saying, “We know that it’s not OK. We are taking actions to do better. We are committed to making this right.”
The park said it will conduct training for employees to deliver an “inclusive, equitable and entertaining” experience for parkgoers.
Sesame Place is a licensed park partner of Sesame Workshop.
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin and Kendall Ross contributed to this report.
Queen‘s 1981 Greatest Hits compilation has long been the best-selling album in U.K. history, and now, the collection has reached a new milestone in the band’s home country.
According to the Official Charts Company, Greatest Hits has become the first album ever to reach the seven-million mark in sales in the U.K. The record-breaking sales figure includes physical sales, downloads and streams.
The album has amassed a whopping 1.26 billion total streams in the U.K. with “Bohemian Rhapsody” being the most-streamed track, notching over 240 million. Greatest Hits also has spent more than 1,000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart, making Queen the first British artists ever to achieve this feat.
In celebration of the sales milestone, Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor recorded a video thanking fans.
“We’re here to bring you the joyous news that Queen’s Greatest Hits album has sold 7 million copies, which nobody has ever done before,” says May in the clip that’s been posted on OfficialCharts.com. “No album has done this before in history. Thank you, we appreciate it.”
Adds Taylor, “The British public in their infinitely great taste have made this the biggest-selling album in history. Thank you very much; we’re humbled and honored. We salute you!”
In other Queen news, today is May’s 75th birthday. He has continued to lead the band alongside Taylor since the 1991 death of frontman Freddie Mercury and is responsible for many of the group’s major hits. May wrote six songs on Greatest Hits, including “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Save Me,” “Now I’m Here,” “Flash” and “We Will Rock You.”
Queen and singer Adam Lambert currently are on tour in Europe. The band’s next show takes place Wednesday, July 20 in Stockholm, Sweden.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday that codifies a 2020 law dealing with Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.
Drawing on the 2020 Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, the new executive order will reinforce the U.S. government’s efforts to support families of Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage overseas, according to the White House.
The order will authorize the federal government to impose financial sanctions on those who are involved — directly or indirectly — in wrongful detaining Americans abroad, the White House said. Moreover, government agencies will be directed to improve engagement with those Americans’ families, including sharing intelligence information about their loved ones and the government’s efforts to free them. The order will also charge experts across agencies with developing “options and strategies to deter future hostage-takings,” the White House said.
A senior Biden administration official told reporters that new sanctions will not be announced on Tuesday.
In addition to the executive order, Biden will introduce a new “risk indicator” — “the ‘D’ indicator” — to the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisories for particular countries to alert Americans of the risk of wrongful detention by a foreign government, according to the White House.
Starting Tuesday, the first countries to receive this additional risk indicator will be China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela, another senior administration official told reporters. The “D” indicator joins the existing “K” indicator that covers the risk of kidnapping and hostage-taking by non-state actors, as well as a range of other existing risk indicators.
China’s “D” risk designation may spark ire in Beijing, where Chinese officials have largely tried to avoid the subject of wrongful detentions and where Western sanctions are a constant trigger.
Experts estimate that roughly 200 Americans are arbitrarily jailed in China, and that even more are subject to unlawful “exit bans,” barring them from leaving the country. Some advocates have pushed for the Biden administration to take a more vocal approach to secure their freedom, rather than the standard behind-the-scenes diplomacy. But the State Department has recently tried a similar strategy — updating their official advisory to American and instructing them to reconsider travel plans to China due to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”
Syria, with which the United States does not currently have formal diplomatic relations, will be notably excluded from the “D” risk designation on Tuesday. U.S. officials believe that while the Syrian government may not be currently holding American journalist Austin Tice in its custody, it could have valuable information on his whereabouts and perhaps those of other missing Americans. Tice, 40, was abducted in Syria nearly 10 years ago.
The White House recently held a telephone call for the relatives of detained Americans to share information with them about these new announcements. Some of them are in Washington, D.C., this week for the unveiling of a public mural depicting their loved ones, according to Jonathan Franks, a spokesperson for many of the families.
The mural in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood will depict the faces of 18 American hostages and wrongful detainees, according to Franks, who represents a group called the Bring Our Families Home Campaign. Among those featured will be American basketball star Brittney Griner, 31, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, 52, both of whom remain detained in Russia, as well as U.S. permanent resident Paul Rusesabagina, 68, who inspired the acclaimed 2004 film “Hotel Rwanda” and was sentenced last September to 25 years in Rwandan prison over terrorism charges.
Franks accused U.S. officials of ignoring these relatives’ requests to meet with Biden, and said the phone call the White House held with the relatives was a “one-way conversation with families.” He said the Biden administration was rolling out these new steps in order to “pre-manage the press attention from many hostage families being in D.C. this week to unveil their mural,” saying the White House was “taking executive action to direct itself to follow existing law.”
A spokesperson for the White House told ABC News that it had invited the families to learn about the new announcements before they were announced publicly.
“As part of our regular communication with families of those who are held hostage or wrongfully detained, we invited them to hear about new policy efforts we are launching to help bring their loved ones home,” the spokesperson said. “We wanted to share information with the families first before we announce them publicly, which the families deserve.”
The spokesperson added that the Biden administration would “continue to be in regular touch with these families through the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, and the president’s national security team as we do everything we can to support them during these difficult times.”
Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, told ABC News the executive order was “a good next step and shows a long-term commitment by the Biden administration, both in the amount of time it must have taken to craft the framework … and the focus on continued deterrence.”
He said the White House holding the call with families in advance of the public announcement “was exactly what families had been asking for: communication in advance of new announcements that would impact our families.”
According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are actually 64 publicly known cases of Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world.
