Photographer/Getty Images for Bravado International Group
Tupac Shakur’s estate brought his Powamekka Café to fruition in the wake of his death via pop-ups in Fresno, California, New York City and, most recently, Los Angeles. Thanks to a new partnership with LA’s Fixins Soul Kitchen, the restaurant will be extending its stay in the City of Angels for a few more days.
The pop-up started on June 16 and was initially scheduled to end June 30, but with the recent extension, the closing date has been pushed back to July 7.
Prior to his untimely death, Tupac, known to the world as a rapper and actor, had also envisioned himself as a restaurant owner. In a handwritten note found by his family, he expressed his hope that the cafe would be a destination for “divaz” and “playaz,” “a passionate paradise 4 people with power 2 play and parlay” and “the perfect hideout 4 those who wish 2 escape the world’z cold reality.”
(NEW YORK) — Amber Smith, the wife of country music star Granger Smith, is opening up about grief, living with loss and water safety three years after her son River died following a drowning accident.
In 2019, the Smith family were outside their home when River, who was 3 at the time, slipped through their home pool gate and went into the water. Even though he was pulled out of the pool shortly afterward, River had been deprived of oxygen for too long and later died.
Smith said in the years since, grief has been a “messy” yet “hopeful” journey for both her and her family.
“It’s looked like anger and severe sadness and frustration and confusion but it’s also looked like growing through it and seeing joy in my other children and seeing them thrive in school and bringing awareness to drowning prevention,” the mom of four told co-hosts Hayley Hubbard and Jessica Diamond on the Meaning Full Living podcast.
Even though their shared and individual grieving processes have been complicated and difficult experiences, Smith said she hasn’t shied away from speaking up about it and wants others who’ve lost children to know that they’re not alone and that grief doesn’t have to look any specific way.
“So many times, it was not pretty … sobbing tears, screaming in my car, punching my steering wheel, sitting by his bed, holding his blanket, crying until nothing else came out. That’s where I was and that’s what’s real and I think people don’t talk about that,” said Smith, who has continued to share snippets of her family life on social media since River’s death.
“I was just trying to show the realness of pain and grief and it’s not easy and it’s OK to feel those emotions … but you just can’t stay there, you can’t stay stuck in that place,” she added.
It’s a message Smith has been conscious about teaching her older children as well. Lincoln, now 8, and London, 10, both witnessed their younger brother’s accident.
“We had to be very honest from the very beginning,” Smith said. “The nurses said you have to be very honest. Kids are resilient and they’re going to know if you’re sugarcoating things so we just went home with that intention of being very honest … We said, ‘River was without oxygen for too long. They did everything that they could but Bubbie died.'”
Smith said she and her husband decided to put their children in play therapy to help them cope with their grief but they also made an effort to keep River’s memory alive, talking about him together as a family, keeping pictures of him displayed at home and not hiding their own grieving from their children.
“We just let them process their emotions and we have continually told them that whatever they’re feeling … it’s OK,” she said.
After River’s death, the Smith family welcomed another child, a son named Maverick. Smith said she knew early on that she wanted to make sure Maverick got formal water safety lessons.
One way Smith has been able to turn her family’s tragedy into meaningful purpose is to advocate for water safety, and she’s been spreading the word through her social media platforms.
Water safety tips
Smith shared multiple safe swimming tips on Instagram, many of which echo the advice of water safety organizations like the ZAC Foundation, which was founded in 2008 by Karen and Brian Cohn, whose son Zachary also died in a drowning accident in 2007.
Below are some water safety tips parents should know, from the ZAC Foundation:
Keep your eyes on your kids. If your child doesn’t know how to swim, be sure they’re at arm’s length any time they are in or around water.
Enroll children in swimming lessons.
Ensure there is four-sided fencing around backyard pools with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Be sure there are alarms on doors and windows leading out to the pool area.
Become your kids’ first line of defense and learn how to perform CPR.
Remove pool toys when not in use as children can be attracted to them.
Empty the water from inflatable pools and buckets when not in use.
Wear and have your children wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets in the water.
If kids are wearing life jackets and or “puddle jumpers” in the water, talk to them first about what it feels like to be in the water without a life jacket on.
Talk to children to make sure they don’t play in water areas without adult supervision. Make sure kids never go into the water without permission. Only swim where there are lifeguards supervising.
Check flag warnings for water conditions and avoid getting into the water if conditions are unsafe.
Create a water safety plan for you and your family, just like you would for a fire safety plan.
Keep a phone nearby in case someone needs to call 911.
(WASHINGTON) — Senate Democrats have reached agreement on a key portion of a revised domestic policy bill, once known as Build Back Better, which would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Democrats have worked for years to give Medicare this power, always falling short in the face of GOP opposition, but this time they hope to move it forward as part of a broader, as-yet-unfinished economic package, anxious to provide relief to voters buffeted to tackle sky-high inflation and a possible recession.
Since centrist Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia abruptly scuttled President Joe Biden’s signature domestic agenda proposal last December over fears of rising inflation — surprising the White House and his party by announcing his decision on Fox News — he has been working intensely behind the scenes with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on a smaller bill that would still advance under special rules that require a mere simple majority — or in this case just Democratic votes — for final passage, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking an expected tie.
“Senator Manchin has long advocated for proposals that would lower prescription drug costs for seniors and his support for this proposal has never been in question. He’s glad that all 50 democrats agree,” Manchin spokeswoman Samantha Runyon told ABC News of the deal, first reported by the Washington Post.
Republicans have kept up a united front against the legislation, branding it Democratic socialism and claiming the broader legislation — originally carrying a $2.2 trillion price tag but is expected to be dramatically reduced in the revised version — would only exacerbate inflation.
The broader economic bill still has a long way to go and is not expected to be finalized for weeks, according to two Democratic aides, but this deal announced Wednesday was submitted to the Senate’s rules-keeper, the parliamentarian, for her to begin the lengthy and detailed process of ensuring the measure fits within the strictures of the expedited process Democrats intend to employ, called “reconciliation,” according to a source familiar with the matter.
The move by Sen. Schumer “demonstrates major progress and shows leadership’s commitment to trying to move forward with a bill on the floor as early as next month,” the source told ABC News.
The current deal, according to a summary of the provisions obtained by ABC News, would allow Medicare to begin negotiating the cost of certain prescription drugs next year; for the first time cap Medicare recipients’ out of pocket costs at $2,000 annually while offering premium assistance to more low income seniors; and penalize drug manufacturers that raise the cost of drugs higher than inflation by requiring companies pay a rebate back to seniors for those higher prices.
All vaccines would be available for free to seniors under the plan.
Also for the first time, Democrats — wary of a GOP administration not implementing this policy — plan to close what they call the “rogue HHS secretary loophole.” The aim of the provision, according to the summary, would be to require the secretary “to negotiate the maximum number of drugs each year, to the extent that number of drugs qualify for negotiation.”
Democrats also intend to pressure drug companies to bring more generics to market. “The new negotiation framework aggressively negotiates lower and lower prices if a drug company continues to block generic competition,” the summary states.
The Medicare drug negotiation deal was lambasted Wednesday by the drug industry’s powerful lobbying arm that holds tremendous sway in Washington.
“The prescription drug bill released today went from bad to worse for patients. Democrats weakened protections for patient costs included in previous versions, while doubling down on sweeping government price-setting policies that will threaten patient access and future innovations. In fact, they are proposing to repeal a policy that would have directly lowered costs at the pharmacy for millions of seniors in favor of a new price-setting scheme. The bill also ignores the role of middlemen and insurers in determining patient out-of-pocket costs,” said Debra DeShong, PhRMA’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, in a statement, adding, “Patients deserve better.”
The two major remaining items expected to be in the broader economic package — energy and climate provisions, along with tax reforms — are still being negotiated by Schumer and Manchin.
The original $1.75 trillion legislation passed the House in November, but Manchin – expressing fears of rising inflation, abruptly bowed out of negotiations with President Biden and administration officials, shocking all concerned.
The centrist Democrat took to “Fox News Sunday” in December to announce his opposition.
Just days later, Biden, in an exclusive interview with ABC “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, said he still thought he could salvage his agenda.
“Well, look, I want to get as much as I can possibly get done, as much as we can possibly get done, and I still think we’ll be able to get a significant amount of what we need to get done, done,” Biden told Muir. “Particularly as the American people figure out what is in this legislation. It’s extremely consequential.”
Seven months later, Democrats have dramatically scaled back the original package which contained universal pre-kindergarten and significant funding for child care, paid family leave, education, health care and combating climate change.
The Medicare prescription drug negotiation component in that bill would have included up to 20 name-brand drugs by 2028. It is unclear if that would still be the case in the current deal.
Democrats involved in the matter dodged questions about timetables for passage of any final deal, cognizant of the fact that an intense focus on missed deadlines plagued the first iteration of the legislation.
But there is little doubt that the month-long August recess looms large with the focus afterward on funding the government by Oct. 1 and the crucial midterms that may very well alter the power structure in Congress. Democrats are also very wary of scaring off the mercurial Manchin with any pressure, despite knowing that a major economic package could potentially boost their political chances significantly.
(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — The parents of a young child were two of the victims in the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
Irina McCarthy, 35, and Kevin McCarthy, 37, were among the seven people killed during Monday’s massacre, Highland Park city manager Ghida Neukrich told ABC News. The couple leaves behind their 2-year-old son, Aiden McCarthy, who was separated from his parents during the shooting. The toddler was later reunited with his grandparents, according to Neukrich.
Dana and Gregory Ring, who survived the shooting, told ABC News how another parade-goer handed the little boy to them in the chaos after the rampage, with his parents nowhere in sight.
“Every time I tried to ask him what his name was, the response he gave to me was, ‘Mama, Dada come get me soon. Mommy’s car come to get me soon,'” Dana Ring recalled in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.”
Unsure of what to do, the Rings took Aiden to a nearby fire station.
“When we pulled in, the cops looked like they were getting ready for war,” Gregory Ring recounted during the interview. “I’ll never forget. I pulled up and I said, ‘This is not our kid. It’s not his blood, he’s OK. What should we do?'” And the cop said, ‘We can’t be babysitters now. Can you take care of him?’ We said, ‘Of course.'”
About two to three hours later, a detective who had the Rings’ telephone number contacted them about Aiden.
“He took the little boy to where families were being reunited and then he told me he was eventually reunited with his grandparents,” Gregory Ring said.
The suspected gunman — identified by authorities as 21-year-old Robert “Bobby” Crimo III — was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder on Tuesday.
Crimo allegedly fired more than 70 rounds from a high-powered rifle, similar to an AR-15, into the crowd at Monday’s parade, authorities said. At least 38 people were injured in the shooting.
Five victims died at the scene of the massacre on Monday, while one died at the hospital. A seventh victim died on Tuesday, authorities said.
If convicted, Crimo faces up to life in prison without parole.
One of the perks of being a global pop superstar — y’know, in addition to the money, the fame and the adulation — is that other stars will send you free stuff. Just ask Pink.
The singer just posted an Instagram video of herself opening up a package from none other than Gwen Stefani and revealing that it’s chock-full of items from Gwen’s new makeup line, GXVE.
“Uh, thank you beautiful woman that I love for my gorgeous presents!” sings Pink as she opens the box and admires the haul, which appears to include products for lips, eyes and cheeks. She then sings, “I cannot wait to try them and hopefully after I do, I look like you!”
In her post, Pink, who ironically is makeup-free, also models a red GXVE hoodie that was apparently part of the package.
Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE
(NEW YORK) — As the world scrambles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit future global warming, more attention has turned to one of the country’s oldest industries as one of the solutions – mining.
Today’s conversation around mining is about the minerals and metals that power almost all electronics, especially the critical batteries in our laptops, smartphones, and electric vehicles.
As the need for forms of energy that rely on batteries and electric vehicles grows, the world will need more and more materials like lithium to make enough batteries to keep up.
Reed Blakemore, deputy director of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, said the clean energy technology that helps fight climate change rely on a lot of minerals, metals, and other raw materials.
“What we like to typically say, is while we’re making this transition from an energy system that was based in hydrocarbons like oil and gas, that transition is actually moving towards a fairly mineral intensive future, one which is going to require significant amounts of cobalt, lithium, rare earth elements, nickel, copper, a whole range of different materials that’ll make our climate goals happen,” Blakemore told ABC News.
President Joe Biden has taken steps to increase mining and processing of these “critical minerals” in the United States and even invoked the Defense Production Act to make more resources available for the government to support these projects.
But some Native American tribes and conservation groups say harming the environment through more mining is a step backward in the fight against climate change, and could create irreversible harm to ecosystems that need to be protected.
As the country pushes to expand this type of mining in the U.S., here’s a breakdown of what you need to know to follow this debate.
What are critical minerals?
Critical minerals are 50 minerals that the federal government considers critical to the U.S. economy or national security, identified by the U.S. Geological Survey every year.
The materials on the list are needed to produce weapons for the military, clean energy technology to combat climate change, or other uses like semiconductor chips that could significantly disrupt the economy in the event of a shortage.
The list includes materials needed to produce the rechargeable batteries that power electronics and electric vehicles, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
Why is this important?
The United Nations’ climate panel and experts from around the world say reducing greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions as rapidly as possible is the best way to prevent more damaging impacts from rising temperatures due to climate change.
One of the biggest ways to reduce emissions is to transition to forms of energy that don’t burn fossil fuels like solar, wind, and hydropower. It also means trying to get Americans to switch to electric vehicles powered by that cleaner energy.
But those clean energy technologies require a lot of new infrastructure, including increasing production of electric vehicles and the systems to charge them, and the world doesn’t currently have enough of the raw materials to meet the growing demand.
Why are we talking about these minerals now?
Critical minerals have been in the spotlight as the impacts of climate change become more severe but supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have brought new attention to questions about the global supply chain of these minerals.
The war in Ukraine has also added to concern that the majority of mining and processing for these minerals are controlled by countries that have a tense relationship with the U.S., especially China.
Abigail Wulf, director of the center for critical minerals strategy at an energy security group called SAFE, said there are multiple concerns about where production of these minerals are concentrated right now, especially in supplies controlled by countries like Russia or China.
“We have to talk about responsible mining because we want to make sure that the clean energy transition is actually clean. And we also want to make sure that we’re not beholden on on unreliable nations that do not share our values, whether that is supporting label labor rights, democracy, cleaning up the environment, and all of the above,” Wulf told ABC News.
Wulf said supply chains are concentrated in areas where it is cheaper to produce these minerals with less oversight, but that concentration also raises concern about the relationship between countries like China and the U.S.
“From the national security perspective, we will be completely beholden on a nation that is openly hostile to democracy for achieving those [climate] goals, and everything that you’re seeing going on within the European Union and how they are not able to make decisions in their country’s best interests because of their overreliance on Russian oil and gas will be replayed 10 times over when it comes to our minerals-based economy,” she said.
What are the consequences of this type of mining?
Minerals like lithium or cobalt occur naturally in our world, either underground or in high concentrations in groundwater, and the process of extracting them not only disturbs that land but can create waste that contaminate the nearby environment, disrupt ecosystems and watersheds, and require large amounts of energy to run.
“At the end of the day mining is land disturbance,” Wulf said.
“You’re going to be either digging a big hole or digging underground to retrieve the mineral materials that you’re going to need to process into the materials to put into your electric vehicle.”
But Wulf added that the amount of land being mined is relatively small in most places and can be done in ways that minimize the impact on the surrounding environment.
“When people think about mining for clean energy they need to think in terms of scale. When environmentalists who are worried about the climate crisis and that’s going to affect 100% of the planet. But when you’re talking about Mining you know that land disturbance in Nevada, for instance, is only, you know, 0.3% of the land in Nevada, which is our biggest mining state in the United States,” she said.
“So you know, if you’re talking about 0.3% of land disturbance versus 100% of the earth being affected, both terrestrial and marine environments being affected, then I think that you know groups should just think of this in terms of scale.”
Conservation advocacy groups have raised concerns about the impact to animal or plant species that could face threats from nearby mining operations and in some cases petitioned to block proposed new mines.
Native American tribes have also said that proposed mines would permanently damage the land and sites that hold a sacred place in their culture. According to one analysis, 95% of critical mineral reserves in the US are within 35 miles of a tribal reservation.
Aaron Mintzes, senior policy counsel for the advocacy group Earthworks, told ABC News the laws that govern this kind of mining are woefully outdated, which will make it harder to ensure mines don’t cause permanent damage to cultural sites and the environment.
“We are facing an existential climate crisis and the solution to do that is to avoid emitting fossil fuels, moving away from fossil fuels. So as we transition from fossil fuels, we have to avoid repeating the mistakes of that fossil fuel industry by sourcing all of our materials irresponsibly,” Mintzes told ABC News.
“The way that we do that is through improving recycling, substitution, and sourcing materials through updated rules and regulations.”
The Biden administration created an interagency working group earlier this year to propose ways to update laws around hardrock mining, which includes many critical minerals. The group is expected to release recommendations later this year.
If you missed Adele‘s performance in Hyde Park, you might not have caught her small nod to Megan Thee Stallion when performing “Water Under The Bridge” — but Megan did!
Basically, Adele revived a year-old meme that mashed her song with the “Body” choreography Megan performed at the American Music Awards because they are perfectly in sync. The trend took off on TikTok, with people also busting the “Savage” rapper’s dance moves while listening to Adele.
So, when the powerhouse singer took over BST Hyde Park over the weekend, Adele joined in on the trend by pantomiming Meg’s moves when belting out “Water Under the Bridge.”
While fans were sent into a frenzy, no one was more delighted than Megan. The rapper shared the video to her Instagram Stories and declared, “Hot girl Adele.” She also included a heart eyes and crying laughing emojis.
The small exchange is igniting fans’ hopes that the two combine forces to recreate an even better version of the meme or come together to collaborate on an entirely new song.
Miki Sudo is the #1-ranked female competitive eater in the world, and she proved it again on July 4 by returning from maternity leave to capture her eighth Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Championship belt.
Downing 40 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes wasn’t her personal best, but she told ABC Audio she was just happy to be back in the action on July 4. “I wanted to do better, but I mean, it’s just good to just go out there and be back, and to be at Surf and Stillwell [in Coney Island].”
“You know, during [the] pandemic we didn’t have a crowd,” Miki said. “It was still televised, but yeah, it’s just, it’s so different not having that crowd screaming for you.”
Not only did she compete this year, but her husband, fellow eater Nick Wehry, was there; he placed third, matching her 40 dogs — and they brought along their baby, Max.
“It was an awesome experience, to be there with family and everything,” she adds.
This year’s contest was momentarily interrupted when an anti-meat protester wearing a Darth Vader mask jumped in front of eventual repeat champ Joey Chestnut. Barely breaking his winning pace, Joey put the guy in a headlock and the intruder was tackled by security.
“I was probably no more than 4 feet away from them and Nick was right next to Joey,” Miki recalls.
“So I’m cheering for Nick, but at that moment, I wanted to join the Chestnut camp for a brief second. I mean, obviously Joey had to do what he had to do because you don’t know what level of crazy you’re dealing with.”
She adds, “When somebody physically touches you and is acting erratic in Darth Vader mask. I mean, you don’t know if he has a weapon. I don’t fault Joey for a second.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
At a slim 5 feet, 4 inches tall, one wonders where she stores it all — among her other records, she’s also the world record ice cream eating champ, having scarfed down 16 1/2 pints in six minutes back in 2017.
Apart from the gluttonous nature of her sport, she says she stays in top shape. “I feel [I] fluctuate like everybody else. Like if you’re going to do like 12, 15 competitions a year you really need the other 350 days a year to be pretty disciplined … you know, eating well, exercising a lot. There’s no secret to it.”
As for her baby, he was born on the small side, she says, but “he caught up pretty quick.” Considering the 1-year-old’s genes, that’s not a surprise. “He’s got a good appetite,” she laughs.
Despite little Max’s lineage, however, Miki says, “I hope he doesn’t … try his hand at competitive eating. No bodybuilding. No competitive eating, you know, I’ve seen both … up way too [close]. You know, the good, the bad and the ugly.”
Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
(WASHINGTON) — White House communications director Kate Bedingfield plans to depart in late July, according to administration officials.
Bedingfield is a longtime top aide to President Joe Biden: She was his communications director when he served as vice president under Barack Obama and became his deputy campaign manager for communications during his winning bid for president in 2020.
She has been one of Biden’s most trusted advisers and played a major role during his third campaign, both behind and in front of the camera.
She started as White House communications director when Biden took office in January 2021 and has been a regular presence on TV and in the press advocating for or defending the administration.
White House aides say Bedingfield, who has also worked in corporate public relations, is leaving to spend more time with her husband and two young children, but she is expected to continue to support the administration from the outside.
“Without Kate Bedingfield’s talent and tenacity, Donald Trump might still be in the White House, the Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Law might still be unrealized goals, and Ketanji Brown Jackson might not be sitting on the Supreme Court,” Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, said in a statement.
“She has played a huge role in everything the President has achieved – from his second term as Vice President, through the campaign, and since coming to the White House,” Klain said. “Her strategic acumen, intense devotion to the President’s agenda, and fierce work on his behalf are unmatched. She will continue to remain a critical player in moving the Biden agenda forward from the outside.”
Bedingfield’s departure comes as the administration is struggling with a slew of challenges — from the economy and inflation to gun violence, abortion access in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturning and poor polling for the president, whose approval ratings have continued to decline.
Her exit also comes in the lead up to the November midterm elections and she follows other senior members of the administration out the door, including former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
When you’re firing up the grill this summer, Tim McGraw has a few tips and tricks for making the best ribs.
In partnership with ButcherBox, a company that delivers organic meat, the country star is sharing his favorite recipe for making ribs fresh on the grill. The brine he uses includes dark brown sugar, finely ground espresso beans, chipotle pepper powder, smoked paprika and salt and pepper.
When it comes time to cook, Tim will brown the ribs first then put them on the top rack of the grill where he’ll baste them on high heat, noting that they come out “just as tender” as if he were to cook them for several hours. “For me it works pretty good,” he says in video as he’s working the grill.
Turns out, ribs are a favorite at the McGraw household, especially amongst he and Faith Hill‘s three daughters, Gracie, Audrey and Maggie.
“My girls ask for ribs. I spend a lot of time on the grill with ribs because they love them,” he describes.
