Def Leppard has debuted the official music video for their latest single, “Fire It Up,” a stadium-ready chant-along tune that appears on the band’s upcoming studio album Diamond Star Halos.
The clip features the band performing the song surrounded by video screens showing swirling abstract images, while graphics from the album’s cover art also appear sporadically throughout the visual.
You can watch the “Fire It Up” video now at Def Leppard’s official YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, with Diamond Star Halos set to be released this Friday, Def Leppard primed the release with an appearance Wednesday night on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The band premiered “Take What You Want,” a song from the new record, and then played their classic “Rock of Ages,” from the smash 1983 album Pyromania.
The band also performed two additional classic songs — “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” — that didn’t air on the Kimmel show, but were streamed on the program’s YouTube channel.
Diamond Star Halos, which can be preordered now, is Def Leppard’s first album of new, original tunes since 2015’s self-titled effort. It’s available as a deluxe package, on CD, as a two-LP set and digitally, among other configurations.
Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault against three men in the United Kingdom, the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Thursday.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said in a statement, “The CPS has authorized criminal charges against Kevin Spacey, 62, for four counts of sexual assault against three men.”
“He has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent,” the statement continued. “The charges follow a review of the evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.”
The statement added, “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr. Spacey are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”
Since 2017, multiple men in both the U.S. and U.K. have come forward with sexual harassment or assault allegations against the former House of Cards actor. Spacey has maintained his innocence.
(NEW YORK) — Nearly a decade since a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, cut the lives of 20 children and six adults short, American families, parents, caregivers, teachers, and school staffers are grappling with yet another mass shooting. This week, it happened at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and at least 19 children and two adults died in the aftermath.
It’s a subject Andrea Burns has talked about with her fourth grade classes for the last eight years at an elementary school in Kansas City, Kansas.
Burns stepped aside from teaching this year, but she recalls how she and other teachers at her former school would conduct intruder drills with students regularly. She told Good Morning America that she wouldn’t shy away from speaking about a topic such as a school shooting when it was appropriate and timely.
“I’m very up front with my students, even if they’re in fourth grade. I’m like, ‘This is real life and we have to talk about this,” Burns said. “‘I don’t want to scare you, not saying this is going to happen but we have to be prepared in case it ever does.”
“I would bring up this is what happened. This is what we would do if it were us. This is where we would hide. This is what I would do. This is what you guys would do. This is the direction we would go in. This is what you would hear,” Burns said.
The educator-turned-book buyer said she used picture books to guide conversations with students on difficult topics.
“So anytime it happens, honestly, that same conversation gets brought up every single time, unfortunately. But the reason why I’m bringing out these books is because when big topics like this happen, I 100% use literacy to help kids relate to it,” Burns said.
To help adults start or continue conversations with young children about the emotions surrounding a tragedy, Burns suggests using books as a key tool.
Here are her top six book picks as a starting point (especially suitable for kindergarteners through fifth graders):
On grief and sadness
“There Was a Hole” by Adam Lehrhaupt
“‘There Was a Hole’ is incredible because it doesn’t just cover grief. It covers sadness, when you have that emptiness in your heart, whether you’re upset about something, [or] you’re missing someone,” Burns said.
Published last month, Burns added: “It’s all about how there’s a hole in this girl’s heart and her friend teaches her how to patch up the hole. It’s very, very sweet and timely and beautiful.”
On breaking news and mixed emotions
“The Breaking News” by Sarah Lynne Reul
“‘The Breaking News’ is probably the most popular in [this] category, because it’s literally about you hear something on the news and how do you react?” Burns said.
“Catching Thoughts” by Bonnie Clark
“This one is about all your different unwelcome thoughts in your head,” according to Burns. “So whether you’re feeling anxious or you have just a bunch of different feelings, sadness, anxiety. It’s about a girl who has thoughts and simply cannot lose these unwanted thoughts and they’re all represented in these different balloons and she ends up letting go of the balloons. It’s very, very special.”
On worries
“Kids Can Cope: Put Your Worries Away” by Gill Hasson
“This one talks about worrying and anxiety. How do you feel when you’re worried? Getting help with your worries, so it’s really more of a good informational book for either teachers to share with kids or adults,” Burns said.
For finding the good in times of distress
“Most People” by Michael Leannah
“It’s about the people helping people. You always want to find the good people in the bad situations,” Burns said of the 2017 book, published by Tilbury House.
On school shootings specifically
“I’m Not Scared…I’m Prepared!” by Julia Cook
This picture book, published by National Center for Youth Issues, focuses on what happens when a “dangerous someone” enters a school.
When it comes to difficult subjects, Burns recommends that adults talk to children honestly and give them the opportunity to discuss them.
“I think a lot of people try to hide the bad news from kids, but in reality, we have social media these days. They’re going to see this on TikTok. They’re gonna see it on Instagram. They’re going to see it anywhere anyway, so they might as well hear it from a trusted adult first,” Burns said.
“I just think being truthful is the first thing and I know we want to protect our kids, but there’s a way to do it, where you could have those meaningful conversations because this is going to happen throughout life. This isn’t just a one-time deal.”
In the wake of Tuesday’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, many people have spoken out about gun control laws in America. The commentary from celebrities on social media comes less than two weeks after the Buffalo tragedy, when a gunman allegedly opened fired at the Tops supermarket, killing 10 Black people.
Among those who’ve expressed their grief is poet and activist AmandaGorman,who shared her thoughts in a series of tweets. “It takes a monster to kill children. But to watch monsters kill children again and again and do nothing isn’t just insanity—it’s inhumanity,” she said. “What might we be if only we tried. What might we become if only we’d listen. The truth is, one nation under guns.” Gorman’s series of tweets ended Wednesday night with an updated post about the “half a million dollars” raised for gun safety nonprofit Everytown.
Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunsontweeted, “every time this happens I watch the conversation move toward the why. Mental health, race, class, domestic dispute etc. I kind of can’t stand that because all it does is protect the only constant in each case: a gun.”
In response to fans’ request for a school shooting episode of Abbott, Brunson referenced a Wednesday press conference in which Texas politician Beto O’Rourke told Gov. Greg Abbott the shooting was “totally predictable when you choose not to do anything.”
“please use that energy to ask your elected official to get on Beto time and nothing less. I’m begging you,” Brunson said.
Gabrielle Union expressed her thoughts, saying, “Babies. We can’t get numb to this … How many of our babies need to be murdered for folks to be moved to action?”
Jon Batiste offered a brief statement, saying, “We need to make some changes now.”
BTS is going to help Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month go out with a bang.
On May 31, the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month, the group will join President Biden at the White House to talk about Asian inclusion and representation, and also discuss anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes, which have increased in recent years in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March of 2021, BTS issued a strongly worded statement condemning the recent wave of anti-Asian hate and violence in the U.S. “We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence,” the K-pop superstars wrote. “You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”
The group also detailed their own experiences as the victims of racism, writing, “We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason…these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.”
They added the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate.
President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May 2021, which provides law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes, and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to AA and NHPI communities.
The video features rare footage of CCR on tour in 1969 and ’70 both on and off the stage at various international locations.
As previously reported, the vinyl disc will feature live renditions of “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain” on the A side and B side, respectively, and will be available at participating record shops on June 18.
The version of “Travelin’ Band” was recorded on April 14, 1970, at London’s famed the Royal Albert Hall. The rendition of “Who’ll Stop the Rain” was recorded on January 31, 1970, at the Oakland Coliseum in California, and previously appeared on the CCR live album The Concert, which was released in 1980.
Only 9,000 copies of the vinyl single will be pressed. The packaging replicates the sleeve of the double-sided single Creedence Clearwater Revival released in January 1970 featuring the studio versions of “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” The tunes peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and both tracks also were included on CCR’s chart-topping 1970 studio album Cosmo’s Factory.
The “Travelin’ Band” video follows the recent announcement that a new CCR documentary and concert film called Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall is in production. The movie, which focuses on the band’s aforementioned April 1970 concert at the historic London venue, is narrated by Oscar-winning actor and Creedence fan Jeff Bridges, and directed by Grammy-winning filmmaker Bob Smeaton.
Add Justin Timberlake to the growing list of superstars who’ve sold their song catalogs, presumably for big bucks.
According to multiple reports, the company Hipgnosis Song Management has acquired 100% of Justin’s catalog of musical compositions, as well as his share of the money he gets when the songs he’s written are performed publicly. The worldwide rights to the songs were also included in the deal, though the current rights holder, Universal Music, has them until 2025.
Songs included in the deal include “Cry Me a River,” “SexyBack,” “What Goes Around…Comes Around,” “Mirrors,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” and “Suit & Tie.” The monetary terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In a statement, JT said that he was “excited” to be partnering with Hipgnosis and its CEO, Merck Mercuriadis, adding, “He values artists and their creative work and has always been a strong supporter of songwriters and storytelling. I look forward to entering this next chapter.”
Mercuriadis called Justin “one of the most influential artists of the last 20 years” and “one of the greatest songwriters of all time” and says his many hits “are among the most iconic of the period.”
Justin may have gotten the idea to do this from his good friend Timbaland, who sold his catalog to Hipgnosis in 2019. That means Hipgnosis already owns Tim’s share of the five Justin Timberlake albums he produced.
Among the songs Hipgnosis co-owns: “Umbrella,” “Single Ladies,” “Girls Like You,” “Uptown Funk,” “Shape of You,” “Despacito” and The Chainsmokers’ “Closer.” It also owns or co-owns catalogs of Jack Antonoff, Neil Young, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira, Bon Jovi‘s Richie Sambora, two members of Fleetwood Mac, and dozens more.
Jimmy Kimmeladdressed the Texas school shooting in an emotional monologue on his late night-show Wednesday.
Speaking to the camera without the studio audience present, Kimmel immediately choked up as he grieved for “the little boys and girls whose lives have been ended and whose families have been destroyed.”
“Our leaders on the right, the Americans in Congress and at Fox News and these other outlets warn us not to politicize this,” Kimmel said, adding, “they don’t want to speak about it, because they know what they’ve done. And they know what they haven’t done and they know that it’s indefensible. So they’d rather sweep this under the rug.”
Kimmel then pointed out most Americans – both Democrats and Republicans – support “common-sense gun laws” that keep guns “out of the hands of criminals and children.”
“This is not a time for moments of silence, this is a time to be loud and to stay loud and not stop until we fix this,” he said.
Jimmy choked up again as he stated there have been 27 school shootings so far this year – and it’s only May. “How does this make sense to anyone? These are our children!” Kimmel said.
“If you care about this – and we all do, doesn’t matter what party we vote for – we need to make sure that we do everything we can, that unless they do something drastic, let’s make sure that not one of these politicians ever holds office again,” he declared.
On Tuesday, 19 children and two adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas by an 18-year-old gunman, who also was killed.
Things are heating up between Brandy and Jack Harlow, most recently with the R&B artist putting her spin on the rapper’s latest hit, “First Class.”
On Wednesday, a freestyle of Brandy rapping over the song’s beat while simultaneously giving an overview of her legacy was released on SoundCloud. The piece comes after Harlow, ion an interview, couldn’t identify Brandy’s 1998 song “Angel of Mine” and didn’t know that she was Ray J‘s sister.
During the freestyle, Brandy introduces herself as “world-famous,” “one of the greatest” and a “living legend” before adding, “Did I mention my resume is amazing?”
“Over 20 years and I’m still a topic / A b**** is worth a million and I’m feeling philanthropic / Popular but now I’m poppin’ shit for those out of pocket,” she jabs at Jack.
Later in the almost two-minute-long rap, she references her show Queens getting cancelled and raps “but you can never cancel the queen,” then jokes about being “built tougher than my brother Ray J’s glasses.”
The freestyle is just the latest in the back and forth between the two artists. After the “Nail Tech” rapper’s interview, Brandy playfully tweeted, “I will murk this dude in rap at 43 on his own beats and then sing [h]is a** to sleep.”
“See, I can have a little fun too hehe…all love,” she wrote in a following tweet.
Jack may not have taken it as a joke, though, later posting an Instagram Story of the brother-sister duo along with Brandy’s part on Kanye West‘s “Bring Me Down” playing in the background.
(MEXICO CITY) — In the hours and days after the horrifying school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, foreign governments around the world expressed their condolences to the American people.
But in Mexico, officials added something different — outrage, anger and calls to action.
“The gun lobby has succeeded in selling weapons of war, of a military nature, with the potential to leave victims unrecognizable, to civilians knowing the damage they cause. This failure to foresee, to prevent the damage is negligence, and the gun firms must be held responsible,” said Alejandro Celorio Alcántara, the Mexican Foreign Ministry’s legal adviser, in a tweet.
That vocal criticism is part of a new, more assertive stance by Mexico’s government against American guns, which have flooded into Mexico by the hundreds of thousands and helped fuel waves of violence.
Last year, Mexico sued 10 gun manufacturers and distributors in U.S. court for billions of dollars in damages — an unprecedented lawsuit that accused these companies of all but aiding drug cartels’ acquisition of arms.
Mexico has also pressed the issue repeatedly with U.S. administrations, calling for more frequent U.S. inspections at the border and enhanced technology to conduct them.
“In recent years, the Mexican government has carried out more and better actions to advance an agenda of arms control in the U.S. than the U.S. government can or wants to,” Ximena Medellín Urquiaga, a professor of legal studies at Mexico’s Center for Research and Teaching in Economics, tweeted Wednesday.
The outrage over the Uvalde killings is also fueled by the close ties the city has to Mexico. Some 78% of Uvalde’s 15,000 residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 U.S. census, with the U.S.-Mexican border just 54 miles away.
“Just look at the last names” of the victims, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador told reporters Wednesday. “They are the children and grandchildren of Mexicans.”
Mexico’s top diplomat at its consulate in nearby Eagle Pass, Texas, was on the scene late Tuesday, offering consular assistance to any Mexican citizens potentially affected by the carnage. The Mexican Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it would wait for U.S. authorities to confirm whether any Mexican citizens were killed or injured in the shooting. Eight Mexican citizens were killed and seven injured in the 2019 shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart.
But while López Obrador declined to answer questions on U.S. gun laws Wednesday, several senior Mexican diplomats did not hold back, including in blaming the U.S. gun lobby for violence on the southern side of the border.
“The horror. This will continue to happen as long as weapons are readily available. Whether it’s the 1st economy in the world, the 15th or the 190th. Parents lose their children. We all lose. The only winner is the gun industry. Let’s hold them accountable,” Salvador Tinajero, the Foreign Ministry’s deputy legal adviser, tweeted Tuesday.
An estimated 200,000 guns are trafficked from the U.S. into Mexico each year, according to the Mexican government — a figure that the U.S. government called “the best estimate available,” according to a February 2021 U.S. government watchdog report.
In its lawsuit last August, Mexico alleged the number is now higher — between 500,000 and 873,000 guns per year.
Approximately 70% of the firearms recovered in Mexico from 2014 to 2018 came from the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Justice — although that number could also be even higher because those are only the firearms submitted for tracing by Mexico’s federal government, not including those recovered by Mexican states, according to that U.S. watchdog report.
Experts say that enormous southern flow of weapons is because access to guns is much easier in the U.S. In contrast, Mexico has strict laws that all but forbid guns from public. While firearms are not illegal to own and keep at home, heavy requirements for ownership usually mean months of paperwork — and guns can only be purchased from the country’s one gun store on a military base in Mexico City.
Despite those restrictions, Mexico suffers from some of the worst gun violence in the world. Between 2015 and 2021, more than 141,000 people were killed with a gun across the country — a rate of homicide by firearm that rose 109 percent, according to the “Mexico Peace Index 2022” report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a nonpartisan think tank.
Years of working with the U.S. government, including $54 million from the State Department between 2015 and 2019 to boost Mexican law enforcement’s counter gun trafficking, has not eased the problem.
Instead, in its lawsuit last August, the Mexican government took a page from U.S. gun safety groups by going after gun manufacturers like Smith & Wesson.
The companies “sell to any distributor or dealer that has a U.S. license to buy and sell the product, regardless of the buyer’s record of flouting the law and despite blazing red flags indicating that a gun dealer is conspiring with straw purchasers or others to traffic Defendants’ guns into Mexico. Defendants use this head-in-the-sand approach to deny responsibility while knowingly profiting from the criminal trade,” the lawsuit alleged.
The case has little chance at success because U.S. federal law largely protects gun manufacturers from being sued by victims of gun violence, and it’s unclear whether Mexico has standing to sue them in U.S. court.
In November, several manufacturers first moved to have the case dismissed, arguing in court again last month that any connection between their sales and the alleged damage is too far removed to make them responsible. Even more assertively, the National Rifle Association accused the Mexican government in February of “deflect[ing] criticism of their own failures by abusing the legal system to blame law-abiding gun manufacturers.”
But the political message of the lawsuit and another round of vocal Mexican criticism could have a more lasting effect, as the U.S. appears increasingly singular in its gun violence problem.
In remarks Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden noted he learned about the Uvalde massacre while flying back from his first trip to Asia, saying, “What struck me was these kinds of shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world.”
His spokesperson at the State Department went further, saying the shooting has “implications for our standing” in the world. It even potentially makes the U.S. a “source of confusion, a source of disbelief for our closest friends and allies — worse yet, an object of pity,” Ned Price said Wednesday.
But for Mexico, it’s the U.S. as a source of guns themselves that looms largest — a destabilizing neighbor, according to some officials.
“Mexico is standing up to the gun industry in courts. Their negligent and profit-driven practices are wrecking havoc in our communities,” Guillaume Michel, head of legal affairs at the Mexican embassy in Washington, tweeted Wednesday.
Whether repeated incidents of that havoc will lead to any legal changes — in court or Congress — remains to be seen.
