While Pamela Anderson had nothing to do with Pam & Tommy, the Hulu series about her life’s biggest scandal — and reportedly found it painful it was even made at all — the actress is ready to speak her truth in her own project for a streaming service.
In a note handwritten on Netflix letterhead that’s literally signed with a kiss, Anderson announced that an authorized documentary about her life is being made by the streamer.
“My life,” the message begins. “A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to/ I can only surprise you/ Not a victim, but a survivor/ And alive to tell the real story.”
Netflix described the project as “the definitive documentary about pop culture icon Pamela Anderson,” revealing that it’s been in the making for several years, and “will feature exclusive access to Pamela Anderson as well as never before seen archive footage and personal journals.”
Directed by The Keepers and Ask Dr. Ruth filmmaker Ryan White, the film is being produced by actor Brandon Thomas Lee, Anderson’s eldest son with ex Tommy Lee.
Netflix teases that the film is “[a]n intimate portrait embedded in the life of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.”
(NEW YORK) — Hours after President Joe Biden’s inaugural State of the Union speech Tuesday night, restaurant and bar industry leaders called on the administration for action.
Chefs, restaurant owners and leaders of the Independent Restaurant Coalition spoke to media Wednesday in tandem with a new letter signed by over 100,000 restaurant employees urging the president and congress to add much-needed money to the bipartisan-backed Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
“I felt a little disappointed that it wasn’t addressed that our need is as dire as it is. The opportunity has not been lost, but that window is closing very quickly,” IRC board member, San Francisco-based chef, and co-owner of Che Fico, David Nayfeld said. “The president could have had an opportunity to recognize us in that moment, but it’s not too late. He can recognize it through action. I don’t care if we were in a speech, I care that the program gets refilled and that his actions speak to his values.”
The urgency of the IRC’s message comes nine days out from the March 11 expiration date for the Continuing Resolution, commonly referred to as the spending bill to add money to the RRF.
“The state of the union is not strong when neighborhood restaurants and bars are ready to close permanently,” Erika Polmar, executive director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, said.
After nearly a year since the RRF became law, it has failed to support roughly two-thirds of eligible businesses that applied for the program, leaving out nearly 200,000 independent bars and restaurants with four out of five of those businesses in danger of closing permanently, threatening the nearly 11 million employees it supports.
— Independent Restaurant Coalition (@IndpRestaurants) March 2, 2022
IRC co-founder Tom Colicchio reiterated thanks for early support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer along with others who came together in Washington, D.C., to include $28.6 billion for the industry as part of the American Rescue Plan, but said it’s not even close to enough.
“As great as that was that really only took care of about a third of the restaurant applicants — and he knew at the time that that money wasn’t enough — he actually called it a downpayment for our industry,” Colicchio, the Crafted Hospitality owner and restaurateur said. “It’s almost a year later since he made that declaration and there are almost 20,000 restaurants in New York City alone that have applied for grants and still have not received a dime.”
Like many, Colicchio’s own restaurants in New York City have been at the epicenter of multiple COVID-19 surges that prompt tighter restrictions, closures and smaller crowds, which has directly impacted business.
“I owe at least a million dollars in back rent. So all the business coming back is not going to do that. At a certain point I’m gonna have to make a decision if I can’t pay my landlord, I’ll have to declare bankruptcy and close cause there’s no way we can find that in the current business we have now. Eventually landlords are going to run out of patience and restaurant owners will be closing their doors in droves,” he said.
Nayfeld said as the third year of the pandemic nears, it has become “impossible for most restaurants to withstand the compounding debt, rising costs, revenue-decimating local restrictions, and COVID-19 surges without dedicated help from Congress.”
“Replenishing RRF is the only way independent restaurants and bars can recover from the past two years of economic trauma that we’ve endured and the aftershock we’ll continue to experience,” he said. “To take that little bit of money to reopen a business, buy back inventory, get a little momentum for six to seven weeks, then shutdown again, that loss of momentum is so detrimental to the business — Omicron was something for a lot of restaurants was the arrow through our bodies that’s gonna make us limp along and die from later.”
He continued: “If I could make a plea to Speaker Pelosi, my elected official, I would ask that she drive down the streets of downtown San Francisco and see the boarded up cafes, restaurants and bars that won’t come back without assistance — Even the owners of the ones that look busy, I promise you they would say that they’re stressed, their bank accounts are dwindling, in debt to their eyeballs and they don’t see a solution.”
President Biden addressed the economy and inflation on Tuesday night, but Colicchio said while problematic for the restaurant ecosystem, it’s not the primary pain point for the tens of thousands of independent owners and operators seeking relief from the last two years.
“Prices of food are going to go up — that’s why the restaurants that didn’t receive grant money are at a competitive disadvantage,” he said. “The roughly $40 billion we’re asking for will cover the grants for all the restaurants that have applied and I don’t believe that that’s going to be inflationary. A lot of that money is not gonna go out and be spent, it’s going to pay bills that are already there.”
Inflation paired with increasing fuel prices will inevitably impact the local, independent restaurant supply chains and Colicchio said that “upscale restaurants have pricing elasticity” to stay nimble. But without support from government grants, he said, “all the small neighborhood restaurants that don’t have that — are going to get really hurt and those are the restaurants that we’re really fighting for. Those mom and pops and neighborhood restaurants cant raise prices by 15%, the clientele won’t absorb that. Another reason why we need to complete this funding. We’re not asking for anything additional from our original position, we’re just asking for government to finish their job.”
At least 90,000 restaurants and bars have closed since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the IRC. Unemployment rate for leisure and hospitality is still 8.2%, about double the economy-wide rate, as restaurant and bar employment is still down 984,700 below its pre-pandemic levels.
Polmar explained, as detailed in a January IRC report, that “neighborhood restaurants and bars are deeper in debt and exhausted every possible option. Our industry is organizing for the second time in five weeks because the only hope we have is for our elected officials to hear our pleas and ensure every single restaurant and bar has the relief they need to survive the pandemic.
(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday joined Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, in a visit to a Ukrainian church in Washington, expressing vocal admiration for the Ukrainian people.
Blinken called Markarova “our new star,” in the wake of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night where he called attention to the ambassador who was seated next to first lady Jill Biden.
“It’s in the most difficult moments that our faith is tested,” Blinken said to the audience, including Ukrainian faith leaders and activists, at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family.
He also said this is a moment for faith in democracy, peace, and “in the conviction that good will prevail over evil.”
Blinken said Russian President Vladimir Putin made a “horrific, terrible mistake,” in his aggression against Ukraine.
“We stand with them, we stand with you, and we will prevail in this struggle,” Blinken said of the Ukrainian people. He praised the Ukrainians who he said have been inspiring the world with resilience, strength and faith.
The Ukrainian people are “insisting on their freedom, insisting on their independence, insisting on their right to go forward as a sovereign, independent country,” he said.
Inside the church, Blinken lit a candle and spoke with a group of Ukrainian leaders, including Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Ukrainian American activist Ulana Mazurkevich.
The meeting united leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which separated in 2018.
“We’re like one family,” said the pastor, Fr. Robert Hitchens, “In family, there are disagreements over things. But, when it comes down to matters of life and death, we pull together, we work together, we pray together and we set aside any differences.”
He said Blinken’s visit honored Ukrainians in the U.S. and overseas.
“They’re not forgotten,” Hitchens said about those in Ukraine. “The government of the United States and their sisters and brothers, fellow Ukrainians, and all peoples of goodwill, and this nation are standing with them.”
Like many other members of the church, Hitchens said his great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S., but kept their Catholic faith strong.
Hitchens said his biggest fear is the threat of extinction for Ukraine, and that the church will be forced underground under Russia’s rule.
“In my heart of hearts, I know somehow Ukraine will survive and its people will still survive,” said Hitchens. “But not before there’s a whole lot of senseless hurt.”
Tuesday, March 1, was Justin Bieber‘s 28th birthday and on Wednesday, he used his Instagram Stories to share some of the nice shout-outs he received from his celebrity pals.
Justin’s “Intentions” duet partner Quavo of rap trio Migoswrote, “Love this guy, always keep it 100, never switched up! Real Day 1 [Partner] HBD my boy!”
The Kid LAROI, who teamed with Justin for the smash number-one hit “STAY,” wrote, “Happy Birthday to a living legend. Thank u for changing my life. Words can’t describe how grateful I am for you. Love you dawg.”
Diddywrote, “Happy birthday, King!” while Big Seanwrote, “Happy birthday, JB.” Actor Evan Mock of HBO Max’s Gossip Girlwrote, “HBD J Fever,” and DJ Khaled, who teamed with Justin for two big hit songs, wrote, “Happy b day, love brother.”
Kanye “Ye” West simply posted a picture of himself smiling at a photo of Justin in a ball pit.
One of Justin’s friends posted a photo of Justin posing with Martha Stewart, of all people, who was one of the celebs who took part in his 2015 Comedy Central Roast. The friend got the picture from Stewart’s own Instagram: She posted a photo of herself with Justin after running into him at the restaurant where he was celebrating his birthday.
“Looking skinny yet fit and happy with a very attractive bunch of friends @justinbieber was at sushi park restaurant celebrating his 28th birthday!” the lifestyle guru wrote. “Happy birthday !!”
And of course, Justin’s mother, Pattie Mallette, and his wife, Hailey Bieber, also posted heartfelt wishes to Justin. Pattie wrote, “You are a delight and a true joy in my life. So grateful you were born! This world would NOT be the same without you.” Aww.
(WASHINGTON) — Opening statements got underway Wednesday in the case of a Texas man charged with participating in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol and later threatening his family members if they reported him to law enforcement.
Guy Reffitt, 49, a self-proclaimed member of the far-right anti-government “Three Percenter” militia group, is the first alleged participant in the Jan. 6 insurrection to bring his case to trial. He faces five felony charges that carry maximum sentences of between five and 20 years each.
“The evidence in this case will show that the defendant attacked the Capitol on the afternoon of January 6 precisely because Congress was meeting in a joint session,” assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler told the court. “At that time, he planned to light a match that would start the fire. He wanted to stop Congress from doing its job.”
“The defendant was the tip of this mob’s spear,” Nestler said.
Reffitt’s case presents a major test for the Justice Department, as the result could impact hundreds of other alleged rioters who are weighing whether to similarly take their cases to trial or enter into plea deals with the government.
Nestler said in his opening statement that the government plans to play audio recorded prior to the attack of Reffitt talking about what he planned to do to lawmakers upon storming the Capitol.
“We’re taking the Capitol before the day is over, ripping them out by their f***ing hair, every f***ing one of them,” Reffitt says in one of the audio clips. “I just want to see Pelosi’s head hitting every f****ing stair on the way out, and Mitch McConnell too … I’m packing heat and I’m going to get more heat and I am going to that building and I am dragging them out.”
In his brief opening statement, Reffitt’s attorney, William Welch III, said there was no evidence showing Reffitt assaulted anyone and that Reffitt’s statements to his family and others amounted to little more than hyperbole.
“Guy does brag, he exaggerates, and he rants — he uses a lot of hyperbole and that upsets people,” Welch said. “The evidence will show that this case was a rush to judgment.”
“Guy Reffitt did not enter the Capitol,” Welch said. “He did not break anything, he did not take anything.”
Following two days of jury selection and one-on-one question-and-answer sessions with more than four dozen Washington, D.C., residents, 12 jurors and four alternates were selected for the trial, including nine men and seven women. Their backgrounds range from a NASA employee and a natural-gas industry lobbyist to an analyst with the Pentagon and a wood crafter who works with the federal agency that maintains the Capitol complex.
Judge Dabney Friedrich acknowledged that “virtually every juror” would have some view of the assault on the Capitol, but said the goal of the jury selection was to find residents who could legitimately separate their personal feelings about the attack from the question of Reffitt’s guilt or innocence.
In a recent filing, prosecutors said they expect to call 13 witnesses in Reffitt’s trial, including representatives from Capitol Police, the FBI and the Secret Service, as well as a counsel to the Secretary of the Senate, Reffitt’s son and daughter, and a fellow member of the Three-Percenter militia who traveled with Reffitt to D.C. and has been granted immunity for his testimony.
Reffitt spoke to ABC News from jail in December, saying, “This has been disastrous for me and my family, especially for my girls, my son — actually, all of my family.”
He also said he believes he’ll be exonerated at trial.
“It’s not that hard to prove that I didn’t do anything,” Reffitt said. “It should be pretty easy.”
After nearly 14 months of evidence-gathering, more than 750 people have been arrested on federal charges connected to the riot, and investigators say they are continuing to seek hundreds more who are suspected of participating in the violence that occurred that day.
Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo have announced a new show with their covers side project, The Wedding Band.
The concert takes place May 27 in Napa, California, and is an official after-show of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival, which Metallica is headlining.
Along with Hammett and Trujillo, The Wedding Band features a rotating lineup, including Queens of the Stone Age drummer Jon Theodore, Bad Wolves guitarist Doc Coyle and Ugly Kid Joe vocalist Whitfield Crane. The group’s sporadic live shows consist entirely of covers.
Lionel Richie will be receiving the Library of Congress’ prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song next week, and now we know who’ll be honoring the singer at an all-star tribute concert that’s part of the event.
The March 9 show in Washington, D.C. will feature performances from Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Andra Day, Yolanda Adams, Miguel, country star Chris Stapleton and Lionel’s fellow American Idol judge, country superstar Luke Bryan.
Anthony Anderson will host the concert, and Lionel himself will perform. It’ll air on PBS on May 17 at 9 p.m. ET, as well as on PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
The Gershwin Prize honors a “living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding.” Past recipients include Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Smokey Robinson and Paul Simon.
This is yet another accolade for Lionel, who’s already won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards, and is nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(NEW YORK) — As Ukrainians flee across Europe amid the onslaught of attacks from Russia in Ukraine, non-white refugees have faced discrimination from extremist groups patrolling the border, reporters and residents in the area told ABC News.
On March 1, dozens of self-identified right-wing nationalists marauded through the city center of Przemysl, Poland, and harassed refugees who looked to be people of color, the witnesses said. Many non-white refugees have arrived in the city while they evacuate Ukraine.
As this humanitarian crisis goes on, many fear extremism will continue to cause trouble for refugees of color trying to escape the war.
More than 836,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Russian forces invaded the eastern European country on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
At least 453,000 of those refugees have escaped to Poland as of March 2, UNHCR said.
Near the Przemysl train station on Tuesday, where thousands of refugees are passing through, anyone who looked to be African or Arab were being targeted by the extremists in the attack, witnesses reported.
Julian Würzer, a reporter for the German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost who is stationed in Poland, told ABC News that extremists aggressively shouted at refugees to get out of the country and allegedly assaulted them.
Online videos seen by ABC News show police in riot gear diffusing the incident, which Würzer said went on for about 20 minutes before police arrived.
There have been no reports of injuries.
Local authorities did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment on the incidents.
These extremists are a minority in the country, however. There has been an overwhelming effort by local citizens to help those fleeing across the Polish-Ukrainian border. ABC News reporters on the ground say that volunteers across the region have been offering to house, feed, and clothe the many refugees.
At the border, witnesses tell ABC News that extremists have reportedly been accepting Ukrainians but vowing to “defend” Poland against an influx of non-Christians. These extremists are believed by some to be backed by Russia.
Poland’s government has aligned itself in recent years with right-wing ideals and has been criticized for anti-refugee sentiment. Last year, Poland refused to let thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the country after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forcibly drove them out of his country.
Commissioner Filippo Grandi of the UNCHR has confirmed that there have been instances of discrimination in the admission of certain refugees from Ukraine. Some third-country nationals have reported being stuck or being rejected from passage in their attempts to flee, he said.
Grandi said that state policies are not causing instances of discrimination, and that “there should be absolutely no discrimination between Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians, Europeans and non-Europeans.”
“Everybody is fleeing from the same risks,” Grandi said at a March 1 press conference. “We will continue to intervene, as we have done several times to try to ensure that everybody is received in the same manner.”
ABC News’ Tomek Rolski and Christopher Donato contributed to this report.
Rapper J. Cole took to his Twitter to announce the second annual Dreamville Festival and revealed some of the artists, including Lil Baby and Lil Wayne, who will join next month in the star-studded lineup. For the first time, the festival will be held over the course of two days, instead of one.
From the new school’s Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Ari Lennox and Kehlani, to the old school’s Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Ja Rule and Ashanti– the event is sure to bring all the action to Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park.
“Went crazy on the lineup Dreamville Fest 2 days this year. April 2nd and 3rd. See you in NC,” J. Cole said in the announcement tweet.
The “Dreamville” rapper is set to headline Sunday’s show along with T.I., Rico Nasty, Wale and others. Lil Baby will head up Saturday’s show alongside Fivio Foreign, EarthGang and more.
“The second annual Dreamville Festival will once again provide a thoughtfully-curated, multi-stage music event from J. Cole, who himself was raised in nearby Fayetteville, North Carolina,” a statement from the festival’s official website read. “The festival offers an opportunity for J. Cole to give back to his home state that has helped shape the artist he has become with a one-of-a-kind celebration of local culture, food and art that also features a curated selection of music performers blending together some of today’s biggest national acts with exciting up-and-comers.”
Tickets are available to purchase on the festival website. As of Wednesday afternoon, the “JV” and “Varsity” VIP packages were already sold out.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — A 52-year-old JetBlue pilot was pulled off a plane in Buffalo, New York, after blowing a blood alcohol content over the legal limit for pilots, according to Helen Tederous, public affairs director for the Niagra Frontier Transportation Authority.
Pilots face strict blood alcohol restrictions, with .04 considered illegal.
According to NFTA, a Transportation Security Administration officer noticed the pilot was acting drunk, and authorities removed him from the cockpit.
NFTA Airport Police took the man, who is from Orlando, Florida, into custody, and notified federal authorities, according to Tederous. He was released to JetBlue security and may face federal charges.
