In case you missed it, rising act Jackson Dean made his Grand Ole Opry debut Tuesday night. There will be plenty of opportunities to see him live this summer, as he’s joining Lee Brice on tour.
“Achy Breaky” is now three decades old: Billy Ray Cyrus’ controversial, much-buzzed-about megahit “Achy Breaky Heart” turned 30 years old this week.
For the second year running, the Grand Ole Opry is partnering with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to mount a post-race music event in downtown Nashville. The 90-minute performance will take place on August 7; the lineup is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Moments after a Virginia jury handed Johnny Depp an overwhelming victory in his defamation suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, both sides weighed in.
Depp wasn’t present in the courtroom Wednesday, due to “previously scheduled work commitments” overseas, but his reps tell ABC News he watched the end of the headline-grabbing trial from the U.K.
To Instagram, Depp posted the following statement:
“Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people, who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye,” the actor began.
“False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me.”
He continued, “It had already traveled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career.”
Depp added, “… six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”
“My decision to pursue this case knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would have to be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought,” he maintained.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all of those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
For her part, Heard, who was in the courtroom Wednesday, said she was “heartbroken” by the jury’s decision.
“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” she said in a statement to ABC News. “… the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.”
The Aquaman star added, “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”
The jury unanimously agreed that Heard’s allegations in the Washington Post op-ed, which were at the center of the case, were false and intentionally defamed Depp. He sued for $50 million, claiming the article hurt his career.
The jury awarded him $10 million and $5 million in punitive damages, but Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the latter to $350,000, the maximum allowed by Virginia law.
Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million, claiming statements made by Depp’s former attorney Adam Waldman defamed her. However, the jury rejected all but one of her counterclaims, awarding her $2 million in compensatory damages and nothing for punitive damages.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A first-in-the-nation task force in California created to examine slavery and its impact on the Black community released an almost 500-page report on the ongoing harms caused by slavery, political disenfranchisement, segregation and other racist and discriminatory practices.
The report tackles how the impact of systemic racism continues to impact Black Californians to this day.
“Government actions intertwined with private action and segregated America, leading to environmental harms, unequal educational and health outcomes, and over-policing of Black neighborhoods in California and across the nation,” the report states.
It adds, “Government actions and failures over 400 years have created a wealth gap that persists between Black and white Americans at all levels of income, regardless of education or family status.”
The task force, established through a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020, sought to offer recommendations for how to remedy that impact – including through monetary compensation, mental, emotional and other types of rehabilitation and other forms of restitution for Black Californians.
“Without accountability, there is no justice. For too long, our nation has ignored the harms that have been — and continue to be — inflicted on African Americans in California and across the country,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement Wednesday.
He added, “California was not a passive actor in perpetuating these harms. We must double down on our efforts to address discrimination in our state and nation and take a hard look at our own history, including at the California Department of Justice.”
The report says federal, state and local government actions have been used to oppress Black people.
California entered the Union in 1850 as a free state. However, up to 1,500 enslaved African Americans lived in California by 1852, according to the report.
The early state government supported slavery and enforced a harsh fugitive slave law, it says.
The report shows that California did not ratify the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment until 1959 and 1962, respectively.
The task force’s researchers found that state agencies were also responsible for demolishing Black neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal and park construction. They say these policies led to the closure of hundreds of businesses, displaced thousands of households and damaged the lives of nearly 20,000 people in San Francisco alone.
The report also says that several cities in the state wouldn’t hire Black workers until the 1940s, while certain public sectors continued to avoid hiring Black workers into the 1970s.
“Today, by some measures, California’s two major industries, Hollywood and Silicon Valley, disproportionately employ fewer African Americans,” the report says.
The report offers several ways in which Black people continue to be disadvantaged.
For example, California remains the sixth most segregated state in the country for Black students. Schools mostly attended by white and Asian children receive more funding and resources than those with predominantly Black and Latino children, according to the report.
In 2021, the life expectancy of an average Black Californian was 75.1 years, six years shorter than the state average. Nearly 40% of California’s homeless population is Black, though the Black population in the state is only 6%, the report states.
These are only a few examples of the ways that racial discrimination has continued to impact Black Californians – from their health to their financial stability, according to the report.
Reparations for these many forms of oppression can be delivered in different ways, it says.
In March, the task force said it would limit reparations to people who could trace their lineage to free and enslaved Black people living in the U.S. during the 19th century.
The decision quickly received criticism by opponents who say the pool of recipients should be widened, considering that enslaved people may not have kept quality records, or that names may have changed since the 19th century.
Dr. Amos C. Brown, the task force’s vice chair, said in a statement Wednesday it was “a privilege” to serve on a task force with “the moral obligation” to right the wrongs perpetuated against the African American community.
“Other groups that have suffered exclusion, oppression, and downright destruction of human existence have received reparations, and we should have no less,” Brown said.
The task force will now consider several different avenues of remedying the damaging effects of racism.
The report says this includes ending “legal slavery” by removing discriminatory language that still remains in California law, paying incarcerated people fairly, eliminating discrimination in policing and developing policies that eliminate the emotional, financial and medical toll that systemic racism has had on Black people.
The task force could weigh policies concerning education, the environment, cultural institutions, voting and more.
An upcoming final report will include the task force’s official recommendation, but a date has not been set for its release.
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images, FILE
(WASHINGTON) — Ramping up the protection of land within the next decade could make a significant dent in biodiversity and climate change efforts that would get countries closer to their conservation goals, according to new research.
If countries succeed in protecting 30% of global land area by 2030, it could benefit about 1,000 vertebrate species whose habitats currently lack any form of protection, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Advances.
About half of the species that would benefit from expanding protected areas worldwide are classified as critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened, the scientists said.
What is being dubbed by scientists as the “30 by 30” target could also spare about 11 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year in avoided carbon emissions or carbon sequestration, the paper states.
Researchers from Princeton University and the National University of Singapore compared models that maximize different aspects of conservation. They considered only natural areas and excluding croplands and urban areas, and found that additional benefits could result for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and nutrient-regulation if protected area coverage were increased to 30% of the terrestrial area within 238 countries worldwide.
Yiwen Zeng, an ecologist at Princeton University’s Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment and author of the study, described 2030 as the “midway point” to “50 by 50,” or the goal to protect half of the Earth by 2050.
“The general idea is that we can actually protect over 1,000 species, on average, if we commit to this,” he told ABC News. “It can mean a huge part of our climate reductions and sequestration needed to prevent climate change.”
In addition, expanding protections to land globally could “greatly” increase the land’s ability to regulate water quality and mitigate nutrient pollution, according to the study.
“Since only about 16% of global land area is currently protected, achieving this target will require most countries to rapidly expand their network of protected areas,” the study states.
The researchers used a model called “scenario analysis,” where they would compare protecting land that contained mostly rock and ice to protecting areas filled with trees and species.
What they found is that “if you can prioritize the maximum number of species, you could save a paradise,” Zeng said.
However, the researchers found the “30 by 30” goals may require including habitats owned and managed by indigenous communities, local governments or private entities, or mobilizing payments for ecosystem services, the research suggests.
More than 50 countries, including the U.S., China. Japan and Germany, have pledged to protect 30% of Earth’s land and oceans by 2030. The United Nations Biodiversity Conference, COP15, will take place in Kunming, China, on Oct. 1.
(NEW YORK) — Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced Wednesday she is stepping down from her position with the company. She had held the role since 2008.
“Sitting by Mark’s side for these 14 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Sandberg wrote in a post on Facebook announcing the decision.
She and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will work to transition her responsibilities over the summer and officially hand off the role in the fall. She will continue to serve on the board of directors.
Javier Olivan, Meta’s vice president of central products, will take over the COO role.
Sandberg, a former Google executive who helped optimize that company’s ad business, joined Facebook when the social media platform still lacked a “like” button.
She led a dramatic increase in Facebook’s revenue by revamping its advertising business, turning the operation into an industry powerhouse that helped small and large businesses target users through data collected by the platform.
In 2007, the year before Sandberg arrived, the company’s revenue barely exceeded $150 million. Last year, the company brought in about $117 billion.
Meta has faced public scrutiny and legal challenges over its business operations.
In December 2020, the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta over allegedly sustaining a monopoly through anticompetitive practices. In January, a federal judge allowed the lawsuit to proceed past a procedural hurdle.
A separate lawsuit, filed by state attorneys general in December as well, accuses Facebook of colluding with Google to dominate the online advertising business.
Facebook has challenged the allegations in both lawsuits.
“The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days,” Sandberg wrote. “To say it hasn’t always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe.”
Sandberg is also the chair of the board of directors at the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, which she established in 2013. The organization focuses its work on empowering women in the workplace as well as helping individuals and communities build resilience.
In the announcement on Wednesday, Sandberg said she plans to devote more time to the foundation.
“I am not entirely sure what the future will bring – I have learned no one ever is,” she wrote. “But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women.”
ABC News’ Mary Kathryn Burke contributed to this report.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — A grand jury in Erie County, New York, has returned an indictment against alleged Tops supermarket shooter Payton Gendron.
The specific charges contained in the indictment will not be made public until after arraignment, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, however, a law enforcement source told ABC News it’s a 25-count indictment.
Gendron, 18, had previously been indicted on a first-degree murder charge that accused him of killing 10 Black people inside the supermarket on a Saturday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and was held without bail.
In addition to the 10 deaths, three others were injured in the attack.
Gendron drove several hours from his home in Conklin, New York, specifically to target the predominantly Black community in what law enforcement has called a racially motivated attack.
The FBI is also conducting an investigation, which the Department of Justice said could lead to federal hate crime and terrorism charges.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Depp outside the courthouse last month — Cliff Owen/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images
Jurors in Johnny Depp‘s defamation trial have awarded him a major legal victory against Amber Heard, agreeing she defamed Depp with a controversial 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December of 2018.
After a third day of deliberations, Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, though Judge Penney Azcarate clarified Virginia law caps the latter at $350,000.
Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for $50 million, claiming the article obliquely — and falsely — accused him of abuse, which in turn devastated the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s career.
Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp, claiming Depp’s former attorney defamed her in response to the article. However, the jury did not agree to most of her claims, awarding her just $2 million in compensatory damages — but no punitive damages.
The decision from the five men and two women in the jury was handed down in the Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse where the civil trial has grabbed headlines for weeks, as the two stars lobbed accusations of abuse against each other.
The couple met while filming 2011’s The Rum Diary and were married from 2015 to 2017.
Canadian actor and country singer-songwriter Alexander Ludwig, who starred in Vikings and Hunger Games, is opening up about a personal family struggle.
Earlier this month, he and his wife, Lauren, talked about their difficult journey to becoming parents, sharing that they recently suffered their third miscarriage. Alexander reposted his wife’s statement, in which she explains that she wanted to share because “we all need to start talking about the truth more.” She also describes how her experience has taught her that “if more of us talked about these things, maybe we would feel less alone and at fault.”
In his repost, Alexander praised his wife’s strength and told her that “your resilience through this just is one more of the countless reasons I love you.”
The Ludwig family’s story struck a chord with many of their followers who have been through similar challenges, including Jason Aldean, who jumped into the comments to offer his support.
“Britt and I went through a similar situation. Things will happen when it’s time,” Jason wrote, also offering his condolences. “U guys are gonna be great parents and can’t wait to meet that kid who will no doubt be a blessing. Y’all hang in there buddy. Thinking about y’all.”
Jason and his wife, Brittany Aldean, have been open about their own fertility struggles due to Brittany’s endometriosis. They are now parents to two children together, Memphis and Navy, who were both conceived through in vitro fertilization.
In music news, Alexander is gearing up for the release of his first full-length album, Highway 99, this August.
Kane Brown says that one of his favorite activities as a father to two young girls, Kingsley and Kodi, revolves around fashion — serving as their personal stylists.
“That’s one of my favorite things to do is shop for Kingsley and get her cool outfits,” Kane dishes to Entertainment Tonight. He shares 2-year-old Kingsley and 5-month-old Kodi with his wife, Katelyn.
Speaking of fashion, Kane admits that he stepped outside of his normal wardrobe in his newly released “Like I Love Country Music” video, wearing an outfit designed by Valentino that includes a pair of black leather pants, belt buckle and cowboy hat.
“It’s a really strong look, but very different for me,” he describes of the getup. “When it came to my wardrobe, I just let my stylist dress me up, and she has a blast doing it, so she usually does a pretty good job. This is just the way out of my comfort zone.”
Later this year, Kane will jet off on his international Drunk or Dreaming Tour, which takes him across New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Europe for 23 shows beginning in September.
Years before she shot to fame with the success of songs like “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” and “Black Like Me,” Mickey Guyton got her start with her 2015 debut single “Better Than You Left Me.”
Now, Mickey’s revisiting her powerful breakup anthem with a new acoustic version, which she shared on her social channels. Mickey performs the song accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, celebrating a song that’s still got emotional power all these years later.
“The song that started it all for me,” Mickey wrote in the caption of her post.
When it was first released, “Better Than You Left Me” cracked the Top 40 on the country radio chart, peaking in the mid-30s.
Mickey’s platform grew dramatically in 2020 as she began releasing songs that reflected her experience as a Black woman in the country genre and the world. Her long-awaited full-length debut, Remember Her Name, came out in 2021. The track list includes a rerecorded version of “Better Than You Left Me.”
