Harry Styles transformed New York’s UBS Arena at Belmont Park into Harry’s House Friday night, taking the stage for a special One Night Only in New York concert to celebrate his album’s release.
During the sold-out show, Harry joyously performed Harry’s House in its entirety for the first time ever — “the way it was intended to be played – from start to finish,” he told the crowd.
And even though the album was released just that day, fans in the audience sang along to every word. “But how?” an incredulous Harry asked at one point.
Standouts were the poignant “Matilda,” already being hailed as one of the best tracks on the album, as well as the more upbeat tracks “Daylight,” “Daydreaming” and “Satellite.” In between songs, Harry thanked fans for changing his life and shouted out some of his collaborators on the album, who were also in the audience.
After performing Harry’s House from start to finish, Harry sang some of his prior hits, including “Adore You,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Sign of the Times” and even the One Direction track “What Makes You Beautiful.”
He came back to the stage a final time for an encore of his current hit, “As It Was,” after which he bid farewell to the crowd, telling them, “It’s been the best night of my life.”
One Night Only in New York was also livestreamed on Apple Music and will be available for encore viewings on May 22 at 12:00p ET / 9:00a PT / 6:00p CET and on May 26 at 4pm BST / 5pm SGT / 7pm AEST.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — In the early months of the pandemic, security experts sounded the alarm over the possible escalation of online radicalization and terrorist violence as people isolated and spent more time on social media.
An internal Department of Homeland Security memo in early 2020 cautioned that the new pandemic lifestyle could “increase the vulnerability of some citizens to mobilize to violence.” The U.N. warned in a November 2020 report of cases involving “malicious” use of social media for fomenting extremist beliefs.
The suspect behind an attack on Saturday at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York – which left 10 dead, all of whom were Black, and three others wounded – appears to have posted writing that epitomizes these fears. In a 180-page document, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, allegedly shared a litany of bigoted views and conspiracy theories. One theory he espoused — “replacement theory” — argues that Democrats are trying to bring about a demographic shift to consolidate power.
Gendron has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
The tragedy highlights the threat posed by online radicalization, several experts told ABC, pointing to a toxic blend of circumstances brought about by the pandemic: widespread social isolation, heightened social media use and the spread of conspiracy theories. Further, the prevalence of extremism on the internet has exposed the shortcomings of social media platforms to police content, experts said.
The last two calendar years are the highest on record for domestic terror plots and attacks going back to at least 1994, the first year for which the Center for Strategic and International Studies collected such data, the Washington D.C.-based think tank said in a recent report.
The notion of radicalization can prove difficult to pin down because definitions vary, Deana Rohlinger, a professor at Florida State University who studies media and social movements, told ABC News. She defined the term as a process of interacting with individuals, groups, or pieces of content that engender pure or extremist views.
She defines extremist views as those which are “fundamentally opposed to the status quo.” In the U.S., that would include opposition to the democratic welfare state or tolerance of diverse ideas, she said. A key component of the definition includes a consideration of or willingness to commit violence in advancing one’s viewpoint, she added.
Ciaran O’Connor, an analyst at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue who tracks internet disinformation and extremism, told ABC News that the alleged shooter “exhibits so many of the signs of people who have become engaged in conspiracies and extremist spaces over the last two years,” citing reports of what the alleged shooter said in a 180-page document.
O’Connor and Rohlinger cited evidence that suggests an uptick in online radicalization during the pandemic. However, one expert questioned whether a rise in online radicalization has taken place.
Megan Squire, a professor of computer science at Elon University who focuses on far-right extremism online, said that research on the trend is “mixed,” noting her own work, which found a decline in traffic to some far-right websites during the pandemic that belies the supposed rise in such content elsewhere online.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a staunch defender of free speech, criticizes the term “radicalization,” arguing that the theory that extremist beliefs lead to violence is “unscientific” and ends up limiting constitutionally protected views.
As coronavirus cases and deaths mounted in the early days of the pandemic, the scientific community could not definitively explain the origins of the disease or how to stop its spread.
“It was a very complex period with no clear answer, no clear solutions,” O’Connor said. “A lot of extremists were very successful offering solutions and someone to blame — they found a lot of people.”
Marooned indoors, millions sought information and community on social media, Rohlinger said.
“Everyone’s world became even smaller and less connected in the ways humans crave,” she said.
“We don’t always find the best communities in which to get engaged,” she added.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories emerged in posts across major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Membership in Facebook groups devoted to the conspiracy theory QAnon increased by 120% in March 2020, and engagement rates in such groups increased by 91% that month, a study from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found.
Facebook announced a ban on QAnon pages in October 2020. The company pointed ABC News to a blog post that said, as of September 2021, the company had removed about 3,900 pages, 11,300 groups, 640 events, 50,300 Facebook profiles and 32,500 Instagram accounts for violating its policy against QAnon.
The company also removed about 4,000 Pages, 20,600 groups, 190 events, 54,900 Facebook profiles and 8,300 Instagram accounts related to militarized social movements, the blog post said.
Extremist views also circulated on lesser-known sites like 4chan, an anonymous imageboard site known for the appearance of hateful content. Gendron wrote that he visited 4chan during the pandemic. 4chan did not respond to a request for comment.
Discord, another social media site used by the alleged shooter in Buffalo, grew in popularity during the pandemic. The site is popular with teenagers and has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families. Hate and violence have no place on Discord. We are doing everything we can to assist law enforcement in the investigation,” a spokesperson for Discord told ABC News.
A study by researchers at Northwestern University, released in September 2020, found that individuals who received their news from social media were more likely to believe in misinformation about coronavirus conspiracies and risk factors.
Squire challenged the default acceptance of the claim made by Gendron that exposure to extremist ideas on 4chan radicalized him. “Because that was a prevailing narrative in the media [at the time], it may be he was just repeating that or following that logic placed in front of him,” she said.
Online radicalization amid the pandemic has also drawn strength from the “mainstreaming” of extremist views among prominent politicians and public figures, Rohlinger told ABC News.
When questioned by reporters Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to directly denounce replacement theory, which several members of his party have been accused of promoting.
Asked if the eventual receding of the pandemic could lessen the threat of online radicalization, O’Connor said a reduction of time spent on the internet could have a “positive impact” on limiting exposure to extremist ideas.
“A lot of seeds may have been planted for people,” he cautioned. “It’s hard to dissuade people once they’ve been exposed.”
(NEW YORK) — The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, urged two Arizona lawmakers to help reverse President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory in the state, according to emails reviewed by ABC News — suggesting that the conservative activist played a larger role in pushing to overturn the election than was previously publicly known.
Thomas, whose political activism following the 2020 election has faced growing scrutiny given her proximity to the Supreme Court, emailed Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Arizona State Rep. Shawnna Bolick in the days following the election in November, asking them to “fight back against fraud” and “do your Constitutional duty!” according to records.
The emails were obtained by ABC News on Friday through a records request to the Arizona House of Representatives. Their contents were first reported by The Washington Post.
“Please stand strong in the face of political and media pressure,” Thomas wrote in separate emails to the two GOP lawmakers on Nov. 9, 2020. “Please reflect on the awesome authority granted to you by our constitution. And then please take action to ensure that a clean slate of electors is chosen for our state.”
In another pair of emails to Bowers and Bolick, sent days later on Nov. 13, Thomas wrote, “As state lawmakers, you have the Constitutional power and authority to protect the integrity of our elections — and we need you to exercise that power now!”
“Never before in our nation’s history have our elections been so threatened by fraud and unconstitutional procedures,” Thomas added, according to the emails.
Bolick, according to records reviewed by ABC News, replied to Thomas on Nov. 10, 2020, saying, “I hope you and Clarence are doing great!” and providing instructions on how to file a complaint for those who “experience voter fraud.”
Bolick on Friday took to Twitter to fire back at news coverage of Thomas’ emails.
“The dishonest media wants to distract attention from election fraud & our efforts to secure elections,” she wrote. “Let’s cut through the conjecture & put this to bed. Here is the public records request from Washington Post & my emails, which show me responding as I would to any constituent.”
The emails reviewed by ABC News do not show any response from Bowers.
Reached by ABC News Friday, a spokesperson for Bowers, Andrew Wilder, said in a statement, “The emails appear to have been among the hundreds of thousands of messages sent to the Speaker’s office during that period. Speaker Bowers did not see, much less read, the vast majority of those messages, including the form email sent by Mrs. Thomas.”
Although a self-described Trump supporter, Bowers said following the election that he had seen no evidence of voter fraud. For his actions to protect election integrity in Arizona, Bowers this Sunday will receive the 2022 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, presented by the Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation, alongside four other recipients that include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Neither Thomas nor her attorney responded to a request for comment from ABC News.
A star-studded and diverse roster of artists has contributed to a new album paying homage to the music of Eric Clapton.
The aptly titled A Tribute to Eric Clapton will be released on June 17 and can be preordered now on CD, as a limited-edition gold-vinyl LP and via digital formats. The album features renditions of a dozen of the guitar legend’s best-known songs, including tunes from his solo career and from his old bands The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos.
Among the artists featured on the various tracks are Cheap Trick‘s Rick Nielsen, former Paul Revere and the Raiders frontman Mark Lindsay, ex-Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle, original E Street Band keyboardist David Sancious, Arthur Brown, longtime Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, one-time Thin Lizzy guitarist Snowy White, Great White‘s Jack Russell, former Rainbow singer Graham Bonnet, and Molly Hatchet.
In advance of the album, a cover of Clapton’s 1977 hit “Lay Down Sally” featuring veteran country star Sammy Kershaw and acclaimed session guitarist Albert Lee has been released via digital platforms.
Here’s the full track list for A Tribute to Eric Clapton:
“Cocaine” — Kirk Fletcher & Brian Auger
“Lay Down Sally” — Sammy Kershaw & Albert Lee
“I Feel Free” — Arthur Brown, James Williamson & Rat Scabies
“Sunshine of Your Love” — dUg Pinnick & Eric Gales
“Let It Rain” — Jack Russell & Sonny Landreth
“Wonderful Tonight” — Oli Brown
“Layla” — Molly Hatchet
“I Shot the Sheriff” — Pat Travers, David Sancious & Artimus Pyle
“For Your Love” — Mark Lindsay & Rick Nielsen
“Tears in Heaven” — Ana Popovic
“White Room” — Graham Bonnet & Snowy White
“Can’t Find My Way Home” — Shirley King & Martin Barre
The new album Carry Me Home, featuring an archival live recording of late Band singer/drummer Levon Helm and gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples performing together with their respective solo groups, was released Friday, May 20, on CD and digital formats.
The album was recorded in the summer of 2011 at one of the popular Midnight Ramble events held at Helm’s barn and studio in Woodstock, New York.
The concert featured performances of various vintage gospel, soul, folk and blues tunes, along with renditions of Bob Dylan‘s “You Got to Serve Somebody” and The Band’s “The Weight.” Mavis famously sang the latter tune with her family group The Staple Singers and The Band in the classic 1978 concert film The Last Waltz.
The Woodstock show marked the last time that Mavis performed with Helm, who died of cancer at age 71 in April 2012.
Coinciding with Carry Me Home‘s release, a video capturing Mavis singing an impromptu version of the traditional gospel song “This May Be The Last Time” at Helm’s house with him and members of his band has been posted at the ANTI- Records label’s YouTube channel.
Mavis, who spent several days with Helm in Woodstock before the show, notes, “It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other. He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.”
To celebrate Carry Me Home‘s release, Mavis and Helm’s daughter, Amy Helm, will perform at a concert Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, and on Saturday at the Levon-inspired Dirt Farmer Festival in Accord, New York.
A vinyl version of Carry Me Home will be released on June 17.
Here’s the album’s full track list:
“This Is My Country”
“Trouble in My Mind”
“Farther Along”
“Hand Writing on the Wall”
“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”
“Move Along Train”
“This May Be the Last Time”
“When I Go Away”
“Wide River to Cross”
“You Got to Move”
“You Got to Serve Somebody”
“The Weight”
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge in Louisiana on Friday ordered the Biden administration to continue implementing pandemic-related restrictions at the border that effectively close humanitarian relief options for asylum seekers.
The restrictions were slated to end on Monday.
The restrictions were first implemented under the Trump administration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which issued an order that derives its authority from a decades-old public health law known as Title 42.
The ruling today grants the GOP-led states’ motion for a preliminary injunction against the Title 42 rollback. The injunction is expected to remain in place until the case concludes, the government fixes its approach or until the government gets a more favorable decision on appeal if one is made.
The decision by Judge Robert R. Summerhays, a Trump appointee, comes as the Biden administration’s homeland security apparatus remains strained by a historic level of unauthorized migration in the southwest.
Immigration authorities arrested and stopped migrants 234,088 times along the southwest border last month, the highest monthly total in the reams of publicly available Customs and Border Protection data. That number includes a 183% increase in the number of inadmissible migrants trying to get through U.S. land ports since March.
During April, DHS says they removed 96,908 migrants under the Title 42 authority and 15,171 migrants under Title 8, which was the primary deportation authority before the pandemic.
It’s unclear what impact the use of Title 42 has on overall migration, despite claims from Republicans in Congress that it works as a successful deterrent.
Suspected unlawful entries at the border have come at a record pace over the past two years that the Title 42 order has been in effect. Meanwhile, the number of repeat border crossing attempts is up nearly fourfold since the first year the Title 42 was implemented.
One explanation behind the increase in repeated unlawful entries is the lack of long-term consequences for those processed and immediately expelled from the U.S. Under normal immigration processing, an order of removal comes with specific restrictions on re-entry and prosecutable consequences for those who try again.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held meetings with top immigration officials at the border this week as he oversees preparations the department is taking in case the level of migration elevates further. At a press conference to discuss the trip he noted the Justice Department will decide whether to appeal the Louisiana court’s decision.
Mayorkas this week outlined the Department’s plan for the border transition away from Title 42 which involves surging homeland security resources, improving processing capacity and efficiency, ramping up consequences for increased border crossings, cracking down harder on transnational criminal smuggling networks and strengthening alliances across Central and South America.
“We have a multi-pronged approach to a very dynamic situation,” Mayorkas said. “We are addressing it across the Department of Homeland Security, across the federal government with our state and local partners, and with our partners and allies south of our border.”
Mayorkas said authorities will be increasing criminal prosecutions along the southwest border to apply the sort of consequences that Title 42 does not allow, including multi-year bans on re-entry for unauthorized migrants.
ZZ Top has released an updated live version of their enduring 1981 song “Tube Snake Boogie” as an advance digital track from their upcoming album, Raw, which is due out on July 22.
As previously reported, Raw was recorded in conjunction with the famed blues-rock trio’s 2019 documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas and is being released as a tribute to longtime bassist Dusty Hill, who died in July 2021 at age 72.
For the movie, ZZ Top’s classic lineup of Hill, singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard played an intimate set of songs from their back catalog at historic Gruene Hall, known as “the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas,” which was filmed and recorded. That “raw” performance serves as the basis for the new album.
“Tube Snake Boogie” originally appeared on ZZ Top’s 1981 studio album El Loco and reached #4 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It has gone on to become a classic-rock radio staple.
Hill described “Tube Snake Boogie” as the ultimate “party song,” while Gibbons credited Beard’s drumming as the tune’s driving force, noting, “It really revolves around Frank’s opening, which is kind of surf-meets-jungle.”
You can check out a video of ZZ Top performing “Tube Snake Boogie” at Gruene Hall at the band’s YouTube channel.
Raw, which was produced by Gibbons, can be preordered now and will be available as a 180-gram vinyl LP, on CD and via digital formats.
Prior to the album’s release, ZZ Top will kick off a lengthy U.S. trek, dubbed the Raw Whisky Tour, on May 27 in San Diego.
Here’s the full track list of Raw:
“Brown Sugar”
“Just Got Paid”
“Heard It on the X”
“La Grange”
“Tush”
“Thunderbird”
“I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
“Legs”
“Gimme All Your Lovin'”
“Blue Jean Blues”
“Certified Blues”
“Tube Snake Boogie”
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. officials are still working out details for the first flight to import baby formula, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday, as parents continue to struggle to find supply amid the nationwide shortage.
The White House announced “Operation Fly Formula” on Thursday as an effort to transport baby formula from abroad that meets U.S. health and safety standards. The first shipment — said to be the equivalent of up to 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles — will come from Nestlé S.A. in Zurich, Switzerland and arrive in Plainfield, Indiana.
“I don’t have a specific update for you in terms of exactly what carrier it’s going to be and exactly what time and date but obviously this isn’t classified information and as soon as we have it properly sourced and all the details worked out, we’ll get that to you,” Kirby said during a press briefing.
Kirby added he doesn’t think it’s “going to be very long” before the flight is actually in the air. “We’re talking days at most,” he said.
The mission will likely use chartered commercial aircraft arranged by U.S. Transportation Command, but military “gray tail” planes could also be used if it is deemed to be the most efficient solution.
Nestlé told ABC News the first shipment will include 132 pallets of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior, as well as 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA — all of which are hypoallergenic formulas for children with cow’s milk protein allergies, one of the most common food allergies in babies.
The administration has been under intense scrutiny for its response to the crisis, which had been building for months.
In another effort to diffuse the situation, President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to prioritize ingredients needed for formula production. The 1950 law — first used to build up arms supplies following North Korea’s invasion of South Korea — compels suppliers to provide needed raw materials to formula manufacturers ahead of other customers ordering those goods.
But administration officials on Thursday struggled to say exactly how the Defense Production Act will help in this scenario, sidestepping questions on what raw ingredients formula companies need that they’ve said they’re not able to get.
The out-of-stock percentages have worsened for formula products, according to the data racking firm Datasembly. For the week ending May 15, nearly 45% of products were unavailable in stores across the U.S.
Coronavirus-related supply chain issues plagued the industry but a recall and plant closure from Abbott — one of the nation’s top manufacturers — exacerbated the shortage.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf was grilled by lawmakers during a hearing Thursday on the agency’s handling of Abbott. Inspection reports and a whistleblower document suggest the FDA became aware of potential problems at the Abbott plant last fall.
Califf told lawmakers the Abbott plant is on track to reopen within two weeks. Once the facility is reopened, the company has said it would take an additional six to eight weeks before product is back on the shelves.
“We know many parents and caregivers are feeling frustrated,” Califf said. “This crisis has shown us the impact of having a single manufacturer cease production for a brief period, and unless we strengthen the resilience of our supply chain, we could be one natural disaster or quality mishap or cyber attack from being here again.”
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Sarah Jessica Parker celebrated 25 years of marriage with fellow actor Matthew Broderick Thursday with a sweet Instagram post.
The Sex and the City alum, 57, shared a black and white photo of the two embracing, as well as a picture of their wedding invitation, dated May 19, 1997.
“Evening Attire. Silver baby. 25 years. And counting. X, your wife,” she wrote in the caption.
The post garnered love from celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, Molly Shannon, Amy Sedaris and Ali Wentworth, who commented, “Oh that is BIG!!! Happy Anniversary! Sending so much love!”
Parker’s best friend and Bravo host Andy Cohen commented on the image, as well.
“What a couple,” Cohen wrote.
Parker’s And Just Like That… and Sex and the City co-star Kristin Davis also chimed in, writing, “Happy Anniversary to you two unique people who have made beautiful union.”
Parker and Broderick, 60, are currently starring together on Broadway in the play Plaza Suite, which follows three couples — all played by Parker and Broderick — confronting a series of comedic obstacles inside New York City’s famed Plaza Hotel.
The couple share three children together: 19-year-old son James and 12-year-old twin daughters Marion and Tabitha.
(NEW YORK) — Another child in the U.S. has died in connection with the mysterious cases of severe hepatitis that have been occurring among children around the country and the globe, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Friday.
Investigators learned of the additional death on Thursday, Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases for the CDC, told reporters during a phone briefing.
Officials had previously reported that the deaths of five other children were under investigation in connection to the disease.
“Unfortunately, the illness in many of these patients is severe … and the extent of the injury to the liver can be quite extensive. And so, this is clearly a severe disease that we’re taking very carefully for that reason, and the proportion of these, despite treatment, do unfortunately die,” said Dr. Umesh Parashar, chief of the viral gastroenteritis branch at the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases.
As reported earlier this week, the CDC is now investigating at least 180 cases of severe hepatitis with unknown cause among children across 36 states and territories — an increase from the 109 cases that were reported earlier this month. Fifteen of the 180 children who are connected to the investigation in the U.S. have required a transplant, officials said Friday. At this time, there is no epidemiological link between the cases.
The “vast majority” of these cases are retrospective, as far back as October 2021, officials said, while only 7% of cases have been over the past two weeks.
“I know we’re all eager for information, especially regarding what’s causing these illnesses in young children. We continue to work with clinicians and our state and local public health partners to gather more detailed data, but I want to caution that it does take time to assess the evidence,” Butler explained.
“This is an evolving situation and an ongoing investigation, but it’s important to note that severe hepatitis and children remain rare,” Butler said.
Investigators continue to work to identify whether the outbreak represents a true increase in the number of severe hepatitis cases in children, or whether an existing pattern has now been uncovered, thanks to improvement in detection of these cases.
“While rare, children do sometimes get serious hepatitis, and it’s not uncommon … for the cause to be unknown,” Butler added.
There is no evidence to suggest, so far, he said, that the word “spike” is appropriate to describe the current emergence of cases.
“The question of whether or not this is something that has been ongoing for even longer, and we’re just recognizing that now I think is a very reasonable one. So, I think ultimately, really all we can say for sure at this point in time is we’re not seeing a dramatic increase in the number of cases,” Butler said
The “leading hypothesis” remains adenovirus, with evidence “accumulating” that it may have a role, though that exact role continues to be investigated. Also, under consideration is whether a prior infection of COVID-19 is playing a role, as well as the impact of mitigation measures, as many children have not been exposed to viruses in recent years due to quarantines, and thus, there may be a “catch-up” factor, Butler added.
There are numerous other lines of investigation into whether there could be a further connection with COVID-19, or other co-factors, officials reported.
Butler reiterated that any connection to COVID-19 vaccines seems “really unlikely to be playing a direct role,” particularly given that most of these children are too young to receive the vaccine.
The CDC continues to encourage parents to be on the lookout for the symptoms of hepatitis, such as vomiting, dark urine, light colored stool and yellowing of the skin, and to contact their child’s pediatrician if they are at all concerned.
