The Rolling Stones wrap up their 2022 SIXTY tour tonight with a concert at the Waldbühne theater in Berlin. In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson, guitarist Keith Richards reports that after the trek, he expects to continue working on Stones songs with Mick Jagger.
Richards told Wilkinson that he and Jagger had previously spent some time in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains together and collaborated on new material, noting, “I guess when this tour’s finished, [we’ll] give it a break for a bit, but then I imagine that we’ll pick up where we left off in Jamaica.”
He added, “There’s some good stuff there. It was fun.”
Reflecting on his writing sessions with Mick, Keith said, “We played it like hermits, we didn’t go out, we just worked, but we’ll pick up on that I guess a little later in the year.”
As for how The Stones might approach releasing their new music, Richards said, “I couldn’t say what form things are going to come out. I hope that we’ll have recorded some stuff by the end of the year. And then, I mean, what do we do, stream it? I don’t know. Anyway, I just make records and then we figure out how they come out, right? That’s what I do.”
The Stones’ SIXTY tour, which celebrates the band’s 60th birthday, kicked off June 1 in Madrid and has visited 14 European cities. One of the originally scheduled shows, a June 17 date in Bern, Switzerland, was canceled after Jagger tested positive for COVID-19 early in the trek.
In a personal and wide-ranging interview with Men’s Health, John Boyega denied a persistent rumor that he’ll be making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel The Marvels.
“That’s not in the vision for me now,” admits the actor.
He adds, “I want to do nuanced things. . . . I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas,” explaining his MCU reluctance, “…because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe.”
Aside from admiring Robert Downey Jr.‘s onscreen alter-ego, the feature also reveals Boyega’s looked up to Downey in other ways.
“I am very interested in people who go to dark spaces and are able to flip that,” he says, adding the star, who overcame addiction to become one of the world’s biggest movie stars, advised him about his career.
“You’re going to go through some turbulence. You’re going to try to find who you are within this. It might be rocky, but you’ll come out the end with a solid identity,” he continues, quoting the star.
Some of that turbulence included his turn in the Star Wars sequels, which began with racist trolling about him being a Black Stormtrooper and crescendoed when watching directors Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams marginalize his character Finn in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
Boyega is proud he was so outspoken about both. “I’m the one that brought this to the freaking forefront,” the actor says.
He insists Lucasfilm will now “make sure you’re well-supported and at least you [now] go through this franchise knowing that everybody is going to have [your] back. I’m glad I talked out everything at that time.”
Marvel and Lucasfilm are owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
(WASHINGTON) — The federal government took an initial step forward in its response to long COVID-19 Wednesday, releasing two reports that compile what federally-funded services are available to people already suffering from the condition, and what research efforts are still needed to better understand how to address it.
“These are initial reports. They’re a significant step, but they’re one step,” said Dr. Rachel Levine, the U.S. assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in an interview with ABC News.
“And the work begins tomorrow, as we work on the implementation of the recommendations to the report moving forward,” Levine said.
The reports stemmed from a presidential memorandum issued by President Joe Biden in April, which created an interagency task force on long COVID headed up by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Levine, who will now oversee a new office specifically focused on long COVID at the department.
The HHS Office of Long COVID Research and Practice “will be charged with the implementation” of both plans produced by HHS and updating both regularly — but doing so will hinge on funding for staff and operations in the next annual budget.
To start, it’s not yet clear how common long COVID is. Estimates of how many people experience long-term symptoms after a COVID-19 infection vary between 5% and 30% of people, while a recent large study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that age might be a factor.
One in five adults under 65 has a health condition related to a previous COVID infection, while one in four people over 65 does, the CDC study found. Women, too, might be disproportionately affected.
A lack of data on who these people are — from race and ethnicity to gender — also leaves gaps in how equitable the U.S. response is.
“While racial disparities in Long COVID are relatively unexplored, it is well understood that some racial and ethnic minority communities are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” the HHS report published Wednesday said.
Only 65% of over 61 million COVID cases reported by early 2022 included race and ethnicity data, according to the report.
Addressing who has long COVID and whether everyone is equitably getting both the treatment and the government-supported services to help them, like disability benefits, is a large focus of the report.
“We want the parent who lost their job to know that there is income and job assistance available. We want health care providers to know that technical guidelines and resources can help them do their job and that research is on-going to continue to improve their ability to treat and care for their patients. Simply put we want to assist the American public in addressing the longer-terms effects of COVID-19,” HHS spokesperson Tara Broido told ABC News.
There are 200 services for people with long COVID listed in the report, including technical guidelines for health care providers working with long COVID patients.
“We’re going to figure out what the gaps are and where we need additional resources,” Levine said.
And while there are already studies underway across the government, including at the National Institutes of Health, the CDC and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the HHS reports on long COVID call for faster research and implementation.
“The current lag in research being translated into practice is simply not acceptable in the current environment,” the report finds.
“We must aggressively innovate how we do research and accelerate the pace of research to meet the challenge of the moment. … We need to rethink how we disseminate research and translate findings into practical solutions more quickly.”
Levine called the two reports, and specifically the research plan, a “living document” that should serve as “guideposts for government action.”
“This is an initial step in a long term project. So I think it will help people, but then it’s going to inform how we move forward to help people over the long term,” Levine said.
(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — The man accused of carrying out a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on the Fourth of July pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.
The suspect, Robert Crimo III, is facing 117 charges for killing seven people and injuring more than 30 others.
Appearing in court Wednesday for his arraignment, Crimo sat handcuffed and masked in a Lake County Jail jumpsuit next to his three attorneys.
The 21-year-old is charged with 21 counts of first-degree murder (three counts for each victim) as well as 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm (for each person hit by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel).
Speaking after the arraignment, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Reinhart told reporters if the suspect is convicted of murdering any two people, he will face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Under Illinois law, any sentence on the charge of murder is served in full.
Reinhart said the suspect’s defense did not demand a trial at the Wednesday hearing.
Refusing to comment on evidence, charging decisions or the status of the investigation, Reinhart praised law enforcement, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and victim specialists who provided counseling for those impacted by the shooting.
Attorneys agreed to return on Nov. 1 for a case management conference.
Five of the victims killed in the shooting died at the scene, one died at a hospital the same day and the seventh victim succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on July 5, according to police.
The suspect allegedly fired more than 70 shots from a perch on top of a building overlooking the Chicago suburb’s July 4 parade route, according to police.
The suspect planned the shooting for several weeks, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Crimo was dressed in women’s clothing, apparently to blend in with the crowds as he made his escape, according to police. A semi-automatic rifle was found at the scene after it fell out of the suspect’s bag while leaving the area, according to police.
Investigators said they found a second rifle, purchased legally, in the car the suspect was driving when he was arrested several hours later. The suspect also legally purchased three other weapons, including two pistols, which investigators seized from his father’s home.
Two troubling encounters with police did not surface when background checks were run on Crimo, a part of his application for a gun license.
Police had checked in on the suspect in April 2019 after he attempted suicide, but his parents assured police he was getting help from mental health professionals. The second encounter came when police were called to his home in September 2019 after a family member claimed Crimo was threatening to “kill everyone,” according to police records.
At the time, the Highland Park Police Department determined that the shooter posed a “clear and present danger,” according to police records.
This was just months before he passed four background checks as part of his application for a firearm owner identification card, at the age of 19.
Because he was under 21 at the time, his father sponsored his application and state police said there was an “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the FOID application.”
State police said they had reviewed the suspect’s criminal history before approving his application and only found a January 2016 ordinance violation for being a minor in possession of tobacco.
(WASHINGTON) — Senators Susan Collins and Joe Manchin joined forces Wednesday to propose changes to a 19th century law that former President Donald Trump and his allies exploited to try to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Manchin, D-W.Va., and Collins, R-Maine, testified before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee about reforming the Electoral Count Act — a vaguely worded 1887 law that governs the counting of each state’s electoral votes for president.
The once obscure law became a focal point of Trump’s scheme to remain in power as he pressured Republican lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject votes for Joe Biden from certain states during the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.
Nearly 150 Republicans maintained objections to electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania, even after the violence that broke out at the U.S. Capitol.
“We were all there on Jan. 6,” Manchin said in his testimony. “That happened, that was for real. It was not a visit from friends back home. We have a duty and responsibility to make sure it never happens again.”
Collins and Manchin introduced legislation in late July aimed at modernizing the law after months of negotiation with a group of 16 senators. On Wednesday, they urged colleagues to pass what they said are sensible and desperately needed reforms during this Congress.
“In four out of the past six presidential elections, the Electoral Count Act’s process for counting electoral votes has been abused with frivolous objections being raised by members of both parties,” Collins told the committee. “But it took the violent breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 to really shine a spotlight on how urgent the need for reform was.”
The first bill — the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act — would raise the threshold for lawmakers to raise objections to state electors. Under current law, one House member and one senator are needed to raise an objection. In their proposal, one-fifth of the House and the Senate would be needed to object.
That measure would also clarify the role of the vice president as purely ministerial, after debate over whether Pence had the authority to unilaterally change, reject or halt the counting of electoral votes.
“It unambiguously clarifies that the vice president … is prohibited from interfering with electoral votes,” Manchin said.
The second bill would double the penalty under federal law for individuals who threaten or intimidate election officials, poll watchers, voters or candidates from one year to two years.
Earlier this summer, former election officials testified before the Jan. 6 committee on the threats they faced in the wake of the 2020 election.
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, a mother-daughter duo from Georgia, described how being the target of a Twitter post from Trump — in which he falsely alleged they were smuggling suitcases of ballots — upended their lives and careers.
Both women said they’re afraid to use their names, and Freeman was told by the FBI she had to leave her home for two months because of threats.
“I haven’t been anywhere at all,” she said. I’ve gained about 60 pounds. I just don’t do nothing anymore. I don’t want to go anywhere. All because of lies — for me doing my job, same thing I’ve been doing forever.”
The Senate Rules and Administration Committee on Wednesday also heard from a panel of experts on elections and governance studies on the proposed changes to the Electoral Count Act.
Bob Bauer, a scholar in residence at New York University School of Law, said legal scholars have long called for reform and that the bills offered by Manchin and Collins are a “vast improvement over existing law.”
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Rihanna welcomed her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky in May and, while the two have started to emerge in the public eye — don’t expect them to take their child with them.
A source tells Entertainment Tonightthat the new parents are focused on their newborn’s privacy. “They’re keeping things lowkey so they can enjoy their little family,” the insider spills. “Privacy has become increasingly important to the couple.”
The source adds, “When it was just the two of them, they’d go out all hours of the day and night and interact with fans. Now, with the baby, they’re a little more protective.”
This aligns with what the “Umbrella” singer said back in March, when she told ELLE she will be a “psycho” mom when it comes to keeping her kid safe. The singer vowed she will do more than “flip a table” if her child’s privacy is violated, promising, “You talk about my kids, it’s over.”
Neither Rihanna nor Rocky have publicly spoken about the baby’s gender or name. While reports say they welcomed a son, the two have yet to confirm that.
The insider also notes Rihanna is getting ready to transition back to work, adding, “She’s one of the hardest working people out there and she can definitely have it all.” The informant says that the Grammy winner will “be a hands-on mom and have an impressive career.”
King Princess paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins during a performance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Tuesday.
The “1950” artist played a rendition of the song “Let Us Die” alongside a drummer whose kit featured “Taylor” printed on the front. You can watch the “Let Us Die”Tonight Show performance streaming now on YouTube.
The studio version of “Let Us Die,” which appears on the new King Princess album Hold on Baby, features drums recorded by Hawkins before his unexpected death earlier this year.
King Princess, born Mikaela Straus, previously spoke about the collaboration during an interview with Apple Music 1, calling the experience “emotional” and “crazy.”
Following Hawkins’ passing in March, Straus reached out to Hawkins’ team, who gave their approval to release the song.
Hawkins, by the way, would often use his kit to pay tribute to his favorite artists, including writing “Charlie R.I.P.” on his bass drum following the death of The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.
Lainey Wilson will be back on the road this weekend after taking some time off due to a family emergency surrounding her father’s health.
“I just want you to know that I have seen the power of prayer start to work miracles,” the “Heart Like a Truck” singer told fans in a video update. “Every single prayer, every single heart has been felt by me and my family.”
When she first canceled shows, Lainey asked fans to pray for her family, subsequently posting a picture of herself with her father. In response, the “support and outreach has been unreal,” she goes on to say in her update.
Lainey’s dad is still in the ICU in Houston, so he’s got a long road to recovery ahead of him, but the singer says the best way she can honor him is by going back to doing what she does best.
“As much as I want to spend time, every minute of every hour, by my daddy’s side, and my family’s side, I know that he takes pride in hard work. So that’s what I’m gonna do,” she continues. “So I’ll be back out on the road this weekend, singing every note for him and making him proud.”
Lainey has a busy calendar ahead of her: She’s scheduled to perform with Jon Pardi through the fall and will pick up with Luke Combs’ Middle of Somewhere Tour in October.
If you’re a Stranger Things fan, you’ve probably just recovered from the show’s fourth season finale — but now, there’s some news that might have you hyperventilating all over again.
In a post on their official Twitter account, the writers for the Netflix phenomenon showed a photo of a white board, blank save for one critical element: A hand-drawn logo reading “Stranger Things 5.”
While revealing absolutely nothing else, the post has been “liked” nearly 700,000 times in less than 24 hours, as of this story.
The show’s fifth season will be its last, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have previously said. While that whiteboard may have been blank, the Duffer Bros. know how the story of Eleven and her pals will end: “We do feel good about the ending,” Matt Duffer told Collider.
“I’m insecure about a lot of things, but I feel like this ending feels good.”
Further, the pair told The Wrap that the wrap-up is emotional — at least according to the executives they briefed about it.
Ross explained, “I mean, it was hard. It’s the end of the story. I saw executives crying who I’ve never seen cry before and it was wild. And it’s not just to do with the story, just the fact that it’s like, ‘Oh my God, this thing that has defined so many of our lives, these Netflix people who has been with us from the beginning, seven years now,’ and it’s hard to imagine the journey coming to an end.”
Stranger Things is Netflix’s second-most popular show ever: Season four saw 1.4 billion hours viewed, bested only by Squid Game‘s 1.7 billion.
After opening for Halestorm, The Warning will be going home with one more instrument than they started with.
The rising rock trio — which is made up of sisters Dany, Pau and Ale — has been supporting the “I Miss the Misery” outfit on their summer tour. During Tuesday’s show in Irving, Texas, Lzzy Hale made a surprise appearance during The Warning’s set to give Dany a brand new guitar.
In an Instagram post, Dany shared a video of the moment when Hale surprised her with the hard-rocking gift alongside the caption, “I cannot even begin to explain what this means to me.”
“You are my biggest inspiration and I can’t believe I get to share this tour and these moments with you,” Dany added of Lzzy.
Hale then responded in the post’s comments, writing, “Darling, I cannot even tell you how long I’ve been waiting for someone to ignite me with passion and inspiration on the guitar. You have done that for me.”
The “Freak Like Me” singer also shared that the gift was part of her way to “pay it forward” after ex-Shinedown guitarist Jasin Todd had done the same thing for her back in 2005.
“You and your sisters are going to take over the world,” Hale wrote to Dany. “Rock is in very good hands.”
“Don’t let anyone take your crow or try to make you into anything you’re not,” she continued. “Keep your eyes up and your heart ablaze. You are a bright light in such a dark and crazy world.”
The Warning’s summer tour with Halestorm concludes August 12 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The bill also includes The Pretty Reckless and Lilith Czar on select dates.
You can also catch The Warning open for Halestorm on their fall tour, beginning in September.
