Wyclef Jean is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his 1997 debut solo album, The Carnival, by performing a concert over the holiday weekend that will be livestreamed.
The three-time Grammy winner’s show on Sunday, July 3, will be streamed live on the Amazon Music channel, on Twitch and on the Amazon Music app at 9 pm ETfrom the Toulouse Theatre in New Orleans.
“When I created The Carnival album my idea was to show, through my music, a world without borders,” TheFugees member said in a statement. “25 years later, please join me and let’s celebrate the culture!”
The Carnival included the Platinum single “Gone till November” and featured Fugees members Lauryn Hill and Pras, as well as The Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. Jean promises that there will be surprise performances from “some amazing guests.”
The Kid LAROI’s mother, Sloane Howard, is being investigated for credit card fraud. Authorities accuse her of using a man’s credit card to obtain cosmetic services costing over 800 Australian dollars ($545).
Daily Mailreports the incident happened in 2018, when Howard somehow obtained the credit card information and spent AU$849 at a laser clinic. She turned herself in to police when LAROI’s tour brought her back to Australia in late May.
Authorities also implicated a man who lived close to Howard at the time and said he used the stolen credit card to purchase over AU$9,200 in clothing, plumbing tools, digital accessories and accommodation. He has been found guilty and was sentenced to serve 18 months under a community correction order.
It is not known at the time how these two are linked.
LAROI has been open about the struggles his mother faced when he was a child, noting his parents divorced in 2007, and his mother raised him and his younger brother, Austin, in public housing. When honoring her on Mother’s Day in 2020, LAROI called Howard “the strongest woman I know.”
“I’ve seen you literally put your own life on the line to make sure I always had the best, even in the worst,” he added.
Howard has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and a hearing has been set for July 11.
Actor Aramis Knight made his debut in Wednesday’s fourth episode of Disney+’s Ms. Marvel, and his team up with the show’s title character, played by Iman Vellani, was an instant hit with fans.
Knight plays Kareem, a masked vigilante crime fighter and one of the mysterious group of Pakistan-based heroes known as the Red Daggers.
A visit to her grandmother’s native Karachi to study the origins of her powers led Vellani’s Kamala Khan to be tracked — and later defended — by the group.
Knight tells ABC Audio he was sure he was auditioning for the character — who goes by the Red Dagger in the comics — when he heard about it, in spite of Marvel’s famous secrecy.
“When I heard … they were looking for Southeast Asian actors and that it was a Marvel show. Didn’t take much research to figure out that it was Ms. Marvel,” he smiles.
“And then I started reading the comics and found Kareem. And I was like, ‘Oh, this must be who I’m auditioning for. I mean, come on! Like, I look just like the guy!’ And I just had a feeling from then on.”
We wanted to know if Knight was ready to see cosplayers playing him. “YESSS!” he says.
“I’m trying to go to Comic-Con this year [in July], trying to take a picture with every person who dresses up as Red Dagger.”
He adds, “I’m really hoping we get some Halloween costumes. A couple of my friends have already promised me that they’re going to be ‘me’ for Halloween …”
The actor of Pakistani descent says, “Overall … I’m just excited to … represent for our culture, to be able to be a superhero, to be able to do what I love and to be a part of a company like Marvel. It’s just, it’s amazing!”
(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters Friday that the upcoming launch of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s new three-digit number, 988, on July 16, “will work, if the states are committed to it.”
The new number, which advocates envision as the mental health equivalent to 911, Becerra said, “Won’t work well, if they’re not [committed].”
The Lifeline has been in operation using a 10-digit number since 2005. In the years since, the service has received more than 20 million calls from people experiencing mental distress.
With the launch of the new number, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a division of HHS) expects a dramatic increase in the call volume for the Lifeline over the first year of 988’s implementation.
The Lifeline has been underfunded and understaffed since its establishment. Despite an influx of federal funding from the Biden administration, states across the nation are still struggling to develop the infrastructure required to ensure all calls are answered.
As the launch of the new number approaches, Becerra says, “Failure is not an option.”
The hope for the new number, Becerra says, is, “If you are willing to turn to someone in your moment of crisis, 988 will be there. 988 won’t be a busy signal and 988 won’t put you on hold.”
“You will get help,” he said. “That is the goal. That is the aspiration. And it doesn’t happen overnight.”
The Lifeline network consists of more than 200 call centers nationwide, which are funded largely at the state level. When Congress first designated 988 as the new Lifeline number in 2020, it gave states the authority to levy cell phone fees, similar to those in place for 911, to fund the service.
Only four states have implemented such taxes as of June 29, according to an analysis of state legislation around 988 from the National Academy for State Health Policy. Several other states have allocated general appropriations funding to assist with the launch of the new number.
Due to inconsistencies in funding at the state level, response rates also vary across state lines — a problem SAMHSA and HHS say they have been working to address ahead of the new number’s launch.
“There’s no reason, no excuse that a person in one state can get a good response and a person in another state gets a busy signal,” Becerra said.
The federal government previously allocated $105 million in funding to assist states and territories in preparing for the launch of the new number. An additional $177 million went toward funding the national backup centers that field calls unable to be answered at the local level.
Congress also recently authorized an additional $150 million for the Lifeline during Fiscal Year 2022 as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — a legislative package focused on combating gun violence.
“President Biden has made it very clear” that mental health services are a “top priority,” Becerra said, but added it is incumbent on states to stand this system up long-term.
Asked by ABC News about efforts to increase workforce capacity to meet the expected jump in call volume and a timeline for a consistent answer rate across state lines, Becerra said, “We went in big early to make it work.”
“We need the states,” he continued. “We are essentially helping the states learn to crawl, walk and run.”
Dr. John Palmieri, acting director of 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis at SAMHSA, added, “States are in different places on this.”
SAMHSA has set “aspirational targets,” Palmieri said, of a 90% in-state response rate by 2023, “understanding that it’s going to take time to get there.”
While the national backup centers can take calls that local centers can’t answer, advocates say a local response is ideal as it allows callers to be given follow-up resources near them after a mental health crisis.
“It’s really important for us that when you call, you get someone who is near you,” Becerra said.
In an effort to encourage states to bolster their own funding and workforce commitments for the Lifeline, HHS and SAMHSA have been sending letters to governors for the last few months with their call answer rates.
“We wanted to make sure they knew what they were doing,” Becerra said, adding, “No governor is unaware of where their state stands.”
Long term, he said, “I hope [988] does become the place that people can go to be rescued.”
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library/Getty Images/Stock
(NEW YORK) — One person in Illinois died after being infected with listeria, in a new outbreak that has infected a total of 23 people across 10 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The CDC said all but one of those infected were hospitalized.
Listeria is an illness that typically affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. It is rare for people in other groups to get the illness. Listeria is treated with antibiotics.
Symptoms vary based on the person and the part of the body affected. A rare version can cause fever and diarrhea.
Listeria outbreaks are typically traced back to one source, such as contaminated food products. The CDC said it is too soon to know the source of the outbreak, but said that most of the people who got sick lived in or traveled to Florida about a month before their illness. It is not clear if that is a coincidence, the CDC said.
For people who suffer a severe illness called invasive listeriosis, where the bacteria has spread beyond the gut, symptoms vary based on whether they are pregnant or not. Pregnant women usually experience fever and flu-like symptoms including fatigue and muscle aches. For others, symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, fever and muscle aches.
Symptoms of severe illness usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria, but could also start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.
It is usually a mild illness for pregnant women, but it can cause severe illness in fetuses and newborn babies. Infections during pregnancy can lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or life-threatening infection in the newborn.
Five pregnant women became sick during the recent outbreak, one of which resulted in the loss of the fetus.
People ages 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems could develop severe infections in the bloodstream, possibly causing sepsis, or in the brain. Other parts of the body could also be affected, including bones, joints and sites in the chest and abdomen.
The CDC said anyone suffering listeria symptoms should call their local health department and report the case.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Ruth Strauss Foundation
A new music center is open in Suffolk, England, thanks to Ed Sheeran‘s generosity.
BBC reports the “Bad Habits” singer raffled off one of his guitars, and the funds were enough to help open the SRH Music Ark at a primary school in his hometown. The guitar helped raise £52,765, which is roughly $63,000, for the charity auction.
The Grammy winner had the acoustic guitar specially designed for the fundraiser and worked with Northern Ireland instrument maker George Lowden. Ed had an equals sign etched into the piece’s fretboard inlays in honor of his new album =. Ed then promised to sign the guitar for whoever won it at the raffle.
A local hospital worker named Kellie Myers took home the guitar and said her two teenage sons, 14-year-old Harry and 13-year-old Jacob are thrilled to bits — especially since the “Shivers” singer wrote on it, “Henry + Jacob! Play this guitar!”
The center will now open at Sir Robert Hitcham’s Primary School in Framlingham; the school’s students are thankful for Ed’s good deed. The elementary schoolers say their new center is a “beautiful place.”
One youngster told BBC, “It’s such a privilege to have our own music space for our school and there’s many thanks for Ed Sheeran and all his team.”
Head teacher Helen Picton adds the center was made in mind for each and every student. “We have a music pod that is open to all to our neurodivergent children, we have a disabled toilet so we can have disabled facilities for the children,” she explained. “Music is the heart of our school and to actually have this wonderful resource here is a very emotional thing.”
A new official biography about late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, authorized by the band and Watts’ family, is scheduled to be published on October 11.
Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Life, the Times and the Rolling Stones includes forewords written by Stones co-founders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as well as an introductory section penned by the band’s early manager and producer, Andrew Loog Oldham.
The book was written by Paul Sexton, a veteran British writer and broadcaster who has covered The Rolling Stones for more than 30 years. Charlie’s Good Tonight features interviews with Jagger, Richards and longtime Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, as well as with various friends, family members and musical collaborators.
The book will offer an intimate look at famously private Watts, who died of cancer at age 80 last August.
“Our dear friend Charlie Watts was not just a fantastic drummer but a wonderful person,” The Rolling Stones say in a statement shared by RollingStone.com. “He was funny and generous and a man of great taste and we miss him terribly. It’s great that his family have authorized this official biography by Paul Sexton, who’s been writing and broadcasting about Charlie and the band for many years.”
Adds Sexton, “One of Charlie’s good friends said to me that he was a very easy man to love. Having had the pleasure of his company on so many occasions over the course of more than a quarter of a century, that’s a sentiment I echo wholeheartedly. To be able, with the help and encouragement of those who knew him best, to draw on my time with this unique man and his fellow Rolling Stones to write his authorized biography, is a thrill and an honor.”
(ALLEN, Ky.) — A 49-year-old man is in custody after he allegedly gunned down two police officers and wounded several others in a mass shooting at his Kentucky home.
The shooting unfolded in Floyd County at about 6:44 p.m. local time Thursday, Kentucky State Police said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called it a “barricade situation.”
According to an arrest report, Lance Storz, who was armed with a rifle, fired multiple rounds at police officers around his home, killing two officers and a police K9.
Five other officers and an emergency management director were injured, the arrest report said.
The slain officers were identified by the sheriff’s office as Deputy William Petry and City Police Captain Ralph Frasure.
“Floyd County and our brave first responders suffered a tragic loss last night,” the governor tweeted Friday. “I want to ask all of Kentucky to join me in praying for this community. This is a tough morning for our commonwealth.”
Storz is in custody on multiple charges including murder of a police officer and attempted murder of a police officer. He entered a plea of not guilty and is being held on $10 million bond. Storz returns to court on July 11.
ABC News’ Jason Volack contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — New York lawmakers introduced legislation Friday that would ban the concealed carry of guns in a “sensitive location,” including Times Square and all mass public transportation, according to a draft of the bill.
The bill comes after a Supreme Court ruling overturned a state law that limited who could get concealed carry permits to people who had “proper cause.”
Sensitive places where guns cannot be carried include the subway, trains, buses and ferries, as well as government buildings, houses of worship, schools, libraries, public playgrounds, public parks, zoos, homeless shelters and polling places, according to the legislation.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced lawmakers’ intent to establish “sensitive places” legislation on Wednesday. The legislation was introduced in the state Senate during a special session called by Hochul that began Thursday.
The bill also seeks to ban the carry of guns on all private property by default, unless the owner of the property has signage permitting guns or has otherwise expressed consent to guns being permitted.
The law makes exceptions for law enforcement, peace officers, active duty military personnel and security, who would be allowed to carry guns in sensitive places. Those engaging in lawful hunting are also allowed to carry guns in sensitive locations.
The law would make carrying guns in the banned areas a felony offense.
A state-wide license and record database created and maintained by police will be checked on a monthly basis to determine continued accuracy and whether a person is no longer a valid license holder. The records are to be checked against records for criminal convictions, criminal indictments, mental health, extreme risk protection orders and orders of protections.
Another database would be created and maintained by police for ammunition sales.
Gun and ammunition sellers and dealers will also have to keep a record of all their transactions involving guns and ammunition.
The bill will also add a vehicle requirement to existing safe storage laws, requiring gun owners to lock up their guns in an appropriate safe storage depository out of sight from outside the vehicle and remove ammunition from the gun. Otherwise, gun owners would not be allowed to leave their firearm out of their immediate possession or in a car.
Hochul, in introducing the legislation on Wednesday, said this measure is meant to cut down on gun thefts from cars.
Currently, New York law requires gun owners to get safe storage for their guns, keeping them locked up, if they have children at home aged 16 or younger. The new legislation lifts that age requirement to 18 years old.
“Time to dust off the Aloha shirt!” That was the word from star and producer Jay Hernandez as he celebrated the news NBC has picked up his recently canceled CBS reboot of Magnum P.I.
In a move similar to NBC’s rescuing Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Deadline reports the network sealed the deal Thursday night to rescue the show in a two-season, 20-episode deal.
Hernandez told fans, “It was a bit circuitous but we did it! Your love & support helped get us over the finish line, thank you & thanks to @nbc for stepping up!”
Other cast members were also feeling the love, including Perdita Weeks, who plays Juliette Higgins, the gender-swapped version of the late John Hillerman‘s character in the Tom Selleck-led original.
Posting a smiling image of herself, Weeks cheered on Instagram, “Off to the see the Ohana,” using the Hawaiian word for “family.”
Co-star and former Happy Endings star Zachary Knightonadded, “This one is for the FANS. You guys are AMAZING!”
The reboot of Magnum performed well for CBS in its Friday night slot for four seasons.
