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.
Congratulations are in order for Wolfgang Van Halen and his longtime girlfriend, Andraia Allsop, who are now engaged.
The Mammoth WVH frontman and son of Eddie Van Halen revealed the news Wednesday in an Instagram post featuring a new photo of him and his new fiancée alongside the caption, “She said yes!!”
Many members of the rock community commented on Wolf’s post celebrating the news, including Heart‘s Nancy Wilson and Halestorm‘s Joe Hottinger. Wolf’s mom, actor Valerie Bertinelli, also replied with “So happy!!!” and many crying and heart emojis.
Wolf brought Allsop and Bertinelli with him when he attended the Grammys in April. In an Instagram post reflecting on the experience, he wrote, “I got to have a wonderful night with the two most important women in my world.”
(UVALDE, Texas) — There were several missed opportunities to stop the massacre at Robb Elementary School before it started, a new assessment of the law enforcement response to the Uvalde shooting released Wednesday said, while also providing some new details.
A Uvalde police officer was at the scene where the suspect, Salvador Ramos, had crashed his car. The officer had a rifle and sighted to shoot the gunman but paused to seek permission.
“The UPD officer did not hear a response and turned to get confirmation from his supervisor. When he turned back to address the suspect, the suspect had already entered the west hall exterior door at 11:33:00,” according to the assessment from Texas State University’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training.
“In this instance, the UPD officer would have heard gunshots and/or reports of gunshots and observed an individual approaching the school building armed with a rifle,” said the assessment. “A reasonable officer would conclude in this case, based upon the totality of the circumstances, that use of deadly force was warranted.”
Thirty-two seconds after he entered the school, Ramos entered classroom 111, according to the assessment.
“Immediately, children’s screams could be heard along with numerous gunshots in the classrooms. The rate of fire was initially very rapid then slowed, lasting only a few seconds,” the assessment said.
Five seconds later, the suspect exited the classroom, stepped into the hallway and then reentered room 111.
“The suspect then re-enters what appears to be classroom 111 and continues to fire what is estimated to be over 100 rounds by 11:36:04 (according to audio analysis). During the shooting the sounds of children screaming, and crying, could be heard,” the assessment said.
Twenty-one people, including 19 children, were killed in the attack.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Bring Me the Horizon has premiered a new single called “sTraNgeRs.”
The track, which the English rockers dedicate to “everyone who’s been to hell and back,” is available now via digital outlets. Its accompanying video, which sports some pretty gnarly body horror, is streaming now on YouTube.
“sTraNgeRs” follows BMTH’s 2021 single “DiE4u.” Both tracks will presumably be included in the upcoming second entry in Horizon’s Post Human series, following 2020’s Post Human: Survival Horror.
Meanwhile, Bring Me the Horizon has released a number of collaborations lately, including with Machine Gun Kelly, Tom Morello, Sigrid and Ed Sheeran.
DJ Khaled has been known to denounce “they” — a general group of haters and critics who seemingly expressed doubt about his talents and success. Now, he’s dedicating a project that will do the same — while crediting God for all he’s accomplished.
On Wednesday, the producer revealed the title for his upcoming album, which will officially be called God Did.
Alongside a montage of personal moments and BTS clips from the album-making process, he wrote, “I made this album for all the believers and non believers. They didn’t believe in us…do you?”
Fans of Khaled may be familiar with the name of his upcoming album, as the producer has used the phrase on several occasions, including on the intro to Fivio Foreign’s “B.I.B.L.E. Talk.”
“They wanna put chains and handcuffs on us/So we made sure we got baguette chains and baguette bracelets,” he says on the track. “They ain’t believe in us, God did.”
As of now, the release date for God Did has not been disclosed, but DJ Khaled promises it’s “coming soon.” He’s also teased potential collaborations with the likes of Drake, Future and Lil Baby, who have all been captured with him in the studio.
God Did will serve as the follow-up to KHALED KHALED, which dropped in April of last year.
