We finally have our first look at the upcoming movie Amsterdam, which stars Taylor Swift.
The first trailer dropped Wednesday. According to the trade, the “original romantic crime epic” is set in the 30s and that centers on three characters played by Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie who “find themselves at the center of one of the most secret plots in American history.”
The group forges a bond to protect one another as they get swept up in a conspiracy where they are falsely accused of murdering an important individual. As the trailer promises, you find out how they “altered the course of American history.”
While Taylor isn’t shown much in the first Amsterdam trailer, we do get a brief glimpse of her. The Grammy winner is seen toward the end of the two-minute clip, in which her richly dressed character is looking distraught.
This marks her first big-screen role following 2019’s critically panned movie musical, CATS.
Amsterdam, also starring Robert De Niro, Mike Myers, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Rami Malek and Zoe Saldaña, arrives exclusively in theaters on November 4.
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 06, 10:02 am
Blinken to urge G20 to press Russia on grain deliveries
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to appeal to G20 countries to put pressure on Russia to make it support the U.N. initiative on unblocking the sea lanes for Ukraine and allow grain exports, according to local media reports.
“G20 countries should hold Russia accountable and insist that it supports ongoing U.N. efforts to reopen the sea lanes for grain delivery,” said Ramin Toloui, assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs.
Toloui referred to a U.N. campaign aiming to expedite Ukrainian and Russian exports of harvest and fertilizer to global markets.
Around 22 million tons of grain remain blocked in Ukrainian ports due to the threat of Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.
Ukraine is in active negotiations with Turkey and the U.N. to solve the grain export stalemate, Zelenskyy added.
Blinken is also expected to once again warn China against backing Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
“[The upcoming G20 summit] will be another opportunity … to convey our expectations about what we would expect China to do and not to do in the context of Ukraine,” the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, said.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Yuriy Zaliznyak, Max Uzol and Nataliia Kushnir
Jul 06, 8:42 am
Russia aims to seize territory far beyond the Donbas, Putin’s ally suggests
Russia’s main objective in its invasion of Ukraine is still regime change in Kyiv and the dismantling of Ukrainian sovereignty, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev suggested in a speech on Tuesday.
Patrushev said the Russian “military operation” in Ukraine will continue until Russia achieves its goals of protecting civilians from “genocide,” “denazifying” and demilitarizing Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Russian official added that Ukraine must remain permanently neutral between Russia and NATO. Petrushev’s remarks nearly mirrored the goals Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at the onset of the war to justify the military invasion.
Patrushev, a close Putin ally, repeated the Russian President’s stated ambitions despite Russia’s military setbacks in Ukraine and previous hints at a reduction in war aims following those defeats, the ISW pointed out.
Patrushev’s explicit restatement of Putin’s initial objectives “strongly indicates” that Russia does not consider its recent territorial gains in the Luhansk region to be sufficient, the ISW experts said.
Russia “has significant territorial aspirations beyond the Donbas” and “is preparing for a protracted war with the intention of taking much larger portions of Ukraine,” the observers added.
Patrushev’s comments dampened hopes for a “compromise ceasefire or even peace based on limited additional Russian territorial gains,” the experts concluded.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Yuriy Zaliznyak, Max Uzol and Nataliia Kushnir
Jul 06, 6:06 am
Eastern town in Donetsk could become next ‘key’ battleground
The town of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast will likely become the next “key” battleground in Russia’s push to seize the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Wednesday in an intelligence update.
“Russian forces from the Eastern and Western Groups of Forces are likely now around 16 km north from the town of Sloviansk,” the ministry said. “With the town also under threat from the Central and Southern Groups of Forces, there is a realistic possibility that the battle for Sloviansk will be the next key contest in the struggle for the Donbas.”
In the meantime, Russian forces likely continue to consolidate control over the town of Lysychansk and the wider Luhansk Oblast, about 45 miles east of Sloviansk.
“To the north, it has committed most of the remaining available units from the Eastern and Western Groups of Forces to the Izium axis,” the ministry added. “Over the last week, Russian forces have likely advanced up to another 5 km down the E40 main road from Izium, in the face of extremely determined Ukrainian resistance.”
Jul 05, 8:43 am
NATO completes negotiations with Sweden and Finland
NATO announced on Monday it has concluded negotiations with Sweden and Finland on their accession to the organization.
“Finland and Sweden have completed accession negotiations at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, as agreed last week by the leaders of the countries at the summit in Madrid,” a NATO press release said.
“Both countries have officially confirmed their desire and ability to fulfill their political, legal and military obligations as NATO members,” the NATO press service added.
The countries will sign their accession protocols on Tuesday. All member countries will then have to ratify the documents according to their national laws.
Finland and Sweden jointly submitted applications to join NATO on May 18, ending decades of neutrality in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Yuriy Zaliznyak, Max Uzol and Nataliia Kushnir
(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — The 21-year-old man accused of opening fire at a suburban Chicago Fourth of July parade, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others, plotted another attack in Madison, Wisconsin, after the first shooting, authorities said Wednesday.
After fleeing the scene of the parade, Robert “Bobby” Crimo III “was driving around, saw a celebration in Madison,” and “contemplated another attack,” with “60 rounds on his body at that point,” authorities said at a news conference Wednesday.
But he “had not done enough planning” and decided not to do it, authorities said.
Crimo is charged with seven counts of first-degree murder in the wake of Monday morning’s mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. More charges are expected, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
Crimo, who appeared in court via Zoom for his first appearance Wednesday, showed no emotion as a prosecutor outlined the attack and read the victims’ names.
Prosecutors said that Crimo confessed to Monday morning’s parade massacre.
Crimo is accused of taking his legally purchased high-powered rifle and opening fire on paradegoers from a roof of a business.
A witness reported seeing an individual with a gun on a building rooftop “scanning the ground with a gun,” Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Dillon said.
On the rooftop, police discovered three empty 30-round magazines and 83 spent shell casings, prosecutors said.
Crimo told police he wore women’s clothing during the shooting and used makeup to hide his facial tattoos and blend in with the crowd, prosecutors said. Crimo was apprehended at at traffic stop in Lake Forrest, Illinois, Monday evening. A second weapon, also purchased legally by Crimo, was found in the car, police said.
Crimo was ordered held without bond. He is set to return to court for a preliminary hearing on July 28.
He did not enter a plea during the appearance and was appointed a public defender.
When the gunfire began at Monday’s parade, revelers fled in panic, leaving behind empty strollers, overturned chairs and half-eaten sandwiches.
“Bodies were horribly, horribly, horribly injured from, you know, guns and bullets that were made for war — not for parades,” witness Dr. David Baum said of some of the victims.
“The paramedics went quickly and assessed the damages — saw bodies that were blown apart and put a blanket over them quickly. And then went on to try and help other people,” Baum told ABC News. “These are injuries that nobody should have to see.”
Authorities believe the massacre had been planned for weeks.
No motive is known, police said. When asked by reporters if the gunman targeted anyone specifically, police said the “shooting appears to be completely random.”
A self-described “people-pleaser” who doesn’t like to upset his fans, Luke Combs found himself in uncertain territory in 2021 when he released “The Great Divide” — a duet with bluegrass artist Billy Strings — and faced some backlash over the song.
Americana artist Margo Price, for example, pointed out that though Luke said he didn’t want to be political, a photo with him showed a Confederate flag decal on his guitar. Luke subsequently apologized for his past use of the flag, saying that he didn’t understand its harmful implications as a young person growing up in North Carolina.
“The Great Divide” speaks to the cavernous understanding gap between Americans on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but Luke says that the backlash to the song’s release underscores its point.
“Everything is so contentious and heated, and that’s always been super frustrating to me,” he said in an interview with The Independent. “I think what makes our country great is people’s ability to have their own opinions and have the ability to disagree.”
Without a bridge of understanding, though, he says it’s near-impossible for people to find common ground.
“Right now, everyone is just so hot about everything,” he adds. “And that adds to the tension that was going on.”
If you’re thinking of knocking the metal cred of any new Metallica fan who just discovered “Master of Puppets” through Stranger Things, maybe think again.
In the comments of a TikTok video celebrating the ’80s thrash classic’s inclusion in the season four finale of the Netflix sci-fi series, Metallica declares, “FYI — EVERYONE is welcome in the Metallica Family.”
“Whether you’ve been a fan for 40 hours or 40 years, we all share a bond through music,” the metal legends add.
The post also notes that everyone who may now be a longtime Metallica fan was once a new Metallica fan.
“All of you started at ground zero at one point in time,” Metallica writes.
Many others in the comments applauded Metallica’s stance, with one writing, “Protecting the newcomers from the gatekeepers. A new generation of Metallica fans [has] been born.”
“Master of Puppets” soundtracks a significant scene in the Stranger Things 4 finale involving the Dungeons and Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn. In a statement following the episode’s premiere, Metallica wrote that they felt “beyond psyched” about the song’s inclusion.
“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away,” the band said.
Meanwhile, bassist Robert Trujillorevealed that his son, Tye, provided guitar tracks for the “Master of Puppets” performance.
(NEW YORK) — A stance on transgender athletes made by one of the world’s most important athletic federations has sent ripples throughout the rest of the sports world and some fear it may bring even wider changes to come.
The governing body of international competitive swimming announced a policy that will only allow athletes who’ve transitioned before the age of 12 to take part in any of the elite international swimming competitions.
The decision made by FINA pointed to what the organization says is a “performance gap” that emerges between biological males and females during puberty.
“Without eligibility standards based on biological sex or sex-linked traits, we are very unlikely to see biological females in finals, on podiums, or in championship positions,” read the statement in part.
The policy also includes a proposal for a new open competition category, which athletes “would be able to compete without regard to their sex, their legal gender or their gender identity.”
FINA cited coming to the decision after consulting with scientists and policy makers, but the policy still sent shockwaves throughout the world of swimming and beyond. USA Wrestling and the International Rugby League have already followed suit and announced similar policies and other governing bodies are likely to follow suit.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, and World Athletics, the international governing body that covers track and field events, also announced a review of their transgender athlete policy.
Transgender athlete Schuyler Bailar said the FINA policy is “extreme.”
“It’s the most extreme policy that I’ve read to date. I think it builds upon the discrimination that we’re seeing specifically on trans people,” said Bailar, who was the first openly transgender swimmer in NCAA Division 1 competition and the first trans man to compete in any NCAA Division 1 sport, to ABC News.
The decision could impact athletes like Lia Thomas, whose record-breaking season in the women’s swim category set off a firestorm of international controversy. Thomas, who was recruited to the University of Pennsylvania men’s swim team and competed with them for three seasons, began transitioning in 2019 and joined the women’s team for the 2021 to 2022 season.
Earlier this year, Thomas made history as the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA Division 1 National championship. That season, she set Ivy league records and rose significantly in the women’s rankings versus her performance in the men’s field.
In her only television interview, Thomas spoke to ABC News in May.
“Trans women competing in women’s sports does not threaten women’s sports as a whole,” said Thomas. “Trans women are a very small minority of all athletes and we haven’t seen any massive wave of trans women dominating.”
At the time, Thomas told ABC News that her goal was to swim at the Olympic Trials. But now, the new policy change prohibits Thomas from achieving those dreams.
In a statement to ABC News, Thomas said, “The new FINA release is deeply upsetting. It is discriminatory and will only serve to harm all women.”
Former Southern Illinois University swimmer Natalie Fahey was one of the first openly trans women to compete in the NCAA. Unlike Thomas, Fahey didn’t break any records and her races were far less controversial.
“After I transitioned, I was solidly middle ground. I didn’t come in and break any records,” said Fahey. “I only competed at a conference, but certainly just the fact that I’m not as good as Lia is, weighs into that.”
Fahey added that being able to swim as a woman was crucial to her.
Three-time Olympic Gold-medalist Nancy Hogshead-Makar is the founder of Champion Women, a non-profit organization that advocates for gender equality in sports for women and girls. She said she advocates for the open competition category.
“Trans women are women, but there are a few places where biology really matters and women’s sports is one of them,” she said.
But Bailar argues that the policy will have a lasting impact on trans youth that expands beyond sports.
“Most people play sports for fun, to learn cooperation, to have a team, to have peer mentorship,” said Bailar. “This [policy] polices all women because you have to know which girls are trans in order to exclude them. And when you do that, you enforce the policing of all women’s bodies.”
One lucky Post Malone fan got the opportunity of a lifetime when the “Circles” rapper noticed the sign he was waving around during a concert.
The Grammy nominee shared a TikTok video from his concert in Stockholm, Sweden, which captured the moment when he noticed a fan holding up a massive sign that read, “Can I play STAY for you?” Post was down for the impromptu collab and waved the man up on stage.
He hooked the fan, who’s named Alfred, up with a guitar and asked him to play a few chords to see if he was legit.
“Sounds good to me,” the singer remarked while puffing on a cigarette. He then happily dove into his 2018 track but not before adding, “I f***ing love you, Alfred.”
“This lovely gentleman wanted to come on stage during my show and play guitar,” Posty captioned the clip and added of his fans, “I f***ing love you guys.”
Alfred has since commented on the video and told the “Sunflower” singer, “Thank you for the best night of my life [praying hands emoji] love u bro.”
Post is gearing up for his first tour in two years, which will support his new album, Twelve Carat Toothache. His tour kicks off on September 10 in Omaha, Nebraska and wraps November 15 in Los Angeles, California.
General ticket sales are available to purchase on Live Nation.
(WASHINGTON) — Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone has reached a deal with the Jan. 6 committee to testify in a transcribed interview Friday, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The deal comes after the committee issued a subpoena to Cipollone last week after talks to have him testify publicly were not successful.
Cipollone was one of the few aides with former President Donald Trump the day of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and has significant insight into events before, leading up to and after that day.
The committee has frequently referenced Cipollone during public hearings, saying he was one of the advisers around Trump constantly telling the former president he was concerned that his actions could put him in legal jeopardy.
Cipollone was not expected to fight the subpoena, as discussions between he and the committee investigators was cordial.
Following the subpoena last week, a lawyer familiar with Cipollone’s deliberations told ABC News, “Of course a subpoena was necessary before the former White House counsel could even consider transcribed testimony before the committee. Pat Cipollone has previously provided an informal interview at the committee’s request. Now that a subpoena has been issued, it’ll be evaluated as to matters of privilege that might be appropriate.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Even a stay in the hospital isn’t enough to keep Travis Barker away from the music.
People obtained a photo of the Blink-182 drummer leaving his Calabasas, California recording studio Tuesday, exactly one week after he was first admitted to the hospital with what he called “severe life-threatening pancreatitis.”
Also on Tuesday, Barker tweeted, “7 days in the hospital,” seemingly suggesting that he’d been discharged. He added, “Grateful for so much.”
Meanwhile, Barker’s also been getting back to business on his Instagram, posting Stories teasing upcoming collaborations with blackbear and renforshort.
A special presentation of a concert that Queen + Adam Lambert played during the current European leg of their Rhapsody Tour will premiere July 24 via the Kiswe global streaming platform.
The event, dubbed Rhapsody over London, features Queen and Lambert performing in early June during their 10-show run at London’s O2 arena. The 28-song, two-and-a-half-hour concert was documented with 26 cameras and a crew of film technicians over 100 strong.
The presentation, which only will be available until July 31, will also include a live Q&A with Lambert and Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor speaking backstage before the next-to-last show of their European trek in Tampere, Finland.
Four ticket packages are available, and fans who purchase tickets will have the chance to submit questions that the band members may answer live during the Q&A. Questions must be submitted via video by July 19.
All packages include the O2 concert, the July 24 Q&A and a pre-show pass to watch the 2019 documentary The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story. The Show Must Go On will only be available for viewing on July 22 and July 23.
Some packages will also offer a video-on-demand bundle that will give viewers access to the world premiere of the Queen + Adam Lambert concert film Summersonic – Live in Japan, the band’s 2020 concert flick Live Around the World, a 2020 livestreamed Q&A event that featured Lambert, May and Taylor and promoted Live Around the World, and a feature called Meet the Press that compiles highlights from the group’s various press conferences over the last 10 years.
