If you missed The Goo Goo Dolls‘ virtual spectacular, now’s your chance to own a physical copy.
The event, dubbed Grounded with The Goo Goo Dolls, took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when venues were shuttered to live events. So, the Grammy nominees got crafty and connected with fans via a virtual spectacular.
The “Iris” hitmakers performed their greatest hits using an Augmented Reality FanTracks Stage, which critics hailed for its use of groundbreaking technology — an LED Stage Set powered by the Unreal Engine, which major video game makers use. While Goo Goo Dolls weren’t the first band to do a virtual concert, they pioneered the first-ever virtual XR live concert.
The concert was livestreamed across the globe and allowed fans to virtually interact with the group via a live band chat feature.
Now, you can own your own copy of this performance with a 2-disc set, with the “Name” singers making available a 4K Blu-ray and Audio CD as well as a stand-alone DVD version of their concert. In addition, those wanting just an audio version are in luck — they will also separately release the digital soundtrack on all platforms.
Grounded with the Goo Goo Dolls can be pre-ordered now and will be released on May 20.
(WASHINGTON) — Attorney Kathryn Kolbert has spent a majority of her career thinking about the after-effects on reproductive rights if the Supreme Court was to overturn Roe v. Wade. She believes prohibiting abortions will force some women to turn to unsafe practices to terminate pregnancies that will put their lives in danger.
“Women are crafty,” said Kolbert. “I’m not advocating that they break the law, but the reality is, as in the days before Roe, the underground market will operate.”
Kolbert is best known as one of the lawyers who argued and helped win the landmark 1992 abortion case Planned Parenthood vs. Casey. Now, a leaked draft opinion for the Supreme Court appears to indicate that the court is poised to fully overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Kolbert told ABC News’ podcast Start Here that if the ruling is overturned, so-called “trigger laws” will immediately go into effect to ban or prohibit abortions across half the country.
“The reality is that women in those 25 or 26 states will not be able to obtain the reproductive health care that they need,” said Kolbert. “The bottom line: Women will have to travel hundreds of miles, sometimes thousands of miles, to obtain reproductive health care. That’s what they did in the 1970s.”
If women cannot afford to travel to obtain proper reproductive care, Kolbert said that some women will take dangerous measures, either through unsafe surgical abortions or medical abortions, that could result in serious consequences.
“They’ll figure it out and there’s all kinds of ways they can do that. Internet access from doctors around the world, getting drugs from their friends… traveling across the border, and picking up the drugs, all kinds of ways,” said Kolbert.
Kolbert said that, although medical abortions, which is the use of different medications to terminate a pregnancy, are safe under medical supervision, there are still always risks that women can bleed more than expected. For those who obtain the drugs illegally, they’ll often be deterred from seeking follow up medical care when they need it.
“[A woman in Texas] was prosecuted for self-managing her abortion. They dropped those charges eventually, but [she] was dragged into court,” said Kolbert. “[Authorities] found out because she went to a hospital, because she was bleeding and wanted appropriate health care.”
Kolbert said another risk is women receiving “bad drugs.”
“For the most part, [medication is] safe when you get the right drug, but there’s unscrupulous people out in the world and that’s a risk,” said Kolbert. “But the reality is, even with the risks of medication… [For some women] being forced by the government to carry your pregnancy to term is unthinkable and they will do, as they did in the days before Roe, just about anything to terminate a pregnancy.”
The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 13% of annual maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortions. The same study states that in developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions.
For now, abortions are legal while the final Supreme Court decision remains pending. Kolbert said that there are three things people can do to help: donate money to abortion rights causes, get political and build “a badass social justice movement” because “change has never happened until there has been a cry for change.”
“The young people in our country really need to demand that their rights, their liberties that they’ve enjoyed their entire lifetimes, be respected,” said Kolbert. “It is not appropriate to tell women that they can’t make decisions about their lives. It is not appropriate to tell women that their bodies do not belong to themselves. We need to stand up and say, ‘No way.’”
(WASHINGTON) — In her struggle for freedom from detention in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner now has another big name in her corner: former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson.
A spokesperson for the Richardson Center confirmed to ABC News that the international hostage negotiator was working on Griner’s case, adding that her family asked for his assistance.
Richardson, who has also previously served as congressman, energy secretary, and governor of New Mexico, has carried out diplomatic missions to bring back Americans from Cuba, Iraq and North Korea.
Recently, he was credited with playing a critical part in securing the release of Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who was held in a Russian prison for over two years.
While Richardson’s direct role in Griner’s case was first reported this week, he suggested at his involvement in an interview with ABC’s Linsey Davis following Reed’s release last week.
“The U.S. government is trying. On private efforts, we’re trying. I think this Trevor Reed initiative helps,” Richardson said on April 27. “Now the Russians are going to want something in return, and it’s very murky what has happened. But she deserves to come home.”
On Tuesday, Griner’s 75th day in Russian custody, the State Department said it would reclassify her case as a “wrongful detention,” signaling the U.S. would now play a more active role in negotiating for her release.
“We appreciate all of those who are very invested in this case, and Brittney Griner is fortunate to have a network who has supported her from Day One. We have worked very closely with that network,” said department spokesman Ned Price.
“We do often partner with various individuals and organizations on these cases,” Price added. “We welcome all of those efforts that are coordinated closely with us that might help to seek the safe release of any American who’s unjustly detained around the world.”
Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said in a statement on Tuesday “our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home.”
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was visiting Russia to play basketball off-season and was arrested in February at a Moscow area airport for allegedly having vape cartridges in her luggage that contained hashish oil — an illegal substance in Russia.
She is facing drug charges with up to 10 years in prison, according to Russian media reports, and her pre-trial detention was extended in March to May 19.
ABC News’ Courtney Condron contributed to this report.
Jon Pardi is debuting the music video for his song, “Last Night Lonely,” on Facebook.
In case you missed it, Brantley Gilbert announced a tour with Jelly Roll this week. Called the Son of the Dirty South Summer 2022 Tour, the run launches at the end of June, and tickets go on sale Friday.
Lauren Alaina is offering one hometown hero a chance to go to Nashville for CMA Fest. She’s lending her voice to a giveaway held by retail brand Maurices, for which Lauren’s a brand ambassador. The giveaway begins May 9 and runs through May 18 and spotlights educators, paramedics and more front-line workers.
(WASHINGTON) — After a year and a half at the podium, White House press secretary Jen Psaki is planning to leave the White House on May 13, and her current deputy, Karine Jean-Pierre, will be her replacement, President Joe Biden announced Thursday.
In a historic pick, Jean-Pierre will be the first Black, and first openly gay person to hold the position of White House press secretary.
“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people. Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration,” Biden said in a statement.
Almost one year ago to the day, Jean-Pierre anchored her first White House briefing, where ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked her about making history at the podium.
“It’s a real honor to be standing here today,” Jean-Pierre said. “I appreciate the historic nature, I really do, but I believe that being behind this podium, being in this room, being in this building, is not about one person. It’s about what we do on behalf of the American people.”
“Clearly the president believes that representation matters, and I appreciate him giving me this opportunity, and it’s another reason why I think we are all so proud that this is the most diverse administration in history,” she added.
Psaki has long said she would leave the White House press office sometime this year, and Biden thanked her for “raising the bar” during in her tenure.
“Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room. I want to say thank you to Jen for raising the bar, communicating directly and truthfully to the American people, and keeping her sense of humor while doing so. I thank Jen her service to the country, and wish her the very best as she moves forward,” Biden said in Thursday’s statement.
Psaki also offered kind words about her replacement as Jean-Pierre prepares to become the new face of the White House.
“She is passionate. She is smart and she has a moral core that makes her not just a great colleague, but an amazing Mom and human. Plus, she has a great sense of humor,” Psaki tweeted. “I can’t wait to see her shine as she brings her own style, brilliance and grace to the podium.”
Psaki didn’t comment on her plans, but if Psaki lands at NBC News next, as Axios has reported, it would follow a similar path to former Biden-Harris administration adviser Symone Sanders, who left last year to start a show on MSNBC.
As if she didn’t already have enough to do, Las Vegas headliner and American Idol judge Katy Perry has added something else to her plate. People reports that Katy is now the CEO and sole owner of her Katy Perry Collections footwear line, having bought it back from her original partner, Global Brands Group.
The shoe line is now relaunching with a spring/summer 2022 collection and Katy tells People that it’s “time to swing harder, bigger and better,” adding, “I’m excited to take it to the next level.”
The shoes in the new collection cost $39 to $129, or, as Katy puts it, “real personality for the price point.”
As for where she finds design inspiration, Katy tells People that in her travels, she “absorbs” everything she sees and “a product comes out of it. It’s either a song or a shoe.”
Being a footwear company CEO also fulfills one of Katy’s non-musical goals. “Everyone always asks me, ‘What would you be if you weren’t a pop star?’ and I’m always like, ‘Well, I would’ve worked in fashion in some capacity,'” she explains. “And I’m doing that now.”
The almost never-ending list of Beyoncé‘s awards and accolades has just gotten longer, since the Grammy-winning singer just received her first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Science announced the 2022 Daytime Emmy Award nominations on Thursday, revealing Beyoncé as a first-time nominee in the Original Song category for her contributions to the Facebook watch show Talks with Mama Tina, which hosted by her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson.
For the first time since 2012, there are Black nominees in both the Lead Performance Actor and Lead Performance Actress categories. Earning those two spots is The Young and the Restless actressMishael Morgan, and James Reynolds from Days of Our Lives.
Tamron Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Robin Roberts and Jada Pinkett Smith are four of the five stars nominated in the Outstanding Informative Talk Show category, making that category’s nominees 80% people of color.
Beginning in 1974, the Daytime Emmys have recognized outstanding achievement in television, honoring shows and programming in a variety of categories. The 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be presented Friday, June 24 and will air live on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.
Will Smith has been named on the list of guests for the new season of David Letterman‘s Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction — but he won’t be talking about his infamous slap.
ABC Audio has confirmed that the segment with Will was recorded in January — obviously, long before Smith’s infamous Oscars-night outburst.
Letterman’s other fourth-season interviews — with Ryan Reynolds, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Durant, Billie Eilish and Cardi B — were all filmed before March.
Season four of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction debuts on May 20.
Billie Eilish is set to appear on the upcoming fourth season of David Letterman‘s Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
The “bad guy” artist’s in-depth interview with the talk show legend will premiere May 20 along with five other episodes featuring guests Cardi B, Kevin Durant, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ryan Reynolds and Will Smith.
According to a press release, all of the conversations were filmed “prior to March 2022,” meaning they happened in a pre-Will-Smith-Oscars-slap world. It also means Eilish’s interview was conducted before she and FINNEAS won the Best Original Song Oscar for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”
(WASHINGTON) — The Senate will take a procedural vote to start debate on codifying abortion rights next week, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday.
Democrats have pledged to take swift action on the issue after a leaked draft opinion showed the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision legalizing abortion in the U.S. The draft is not the final ruling, though the court confirmed its authenticity.
“I intend to file cloture on this vital legislation on Monday which will set up a vote for Wednesday,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor.
Any effort to protect abortion access nationwide is likely to face an uphill battle in the 50-50 divided chamber, where Democrats don’t have the 60 votes needed to overcome an expected filibuster.
The party has already experienced this problem with the Women’s Health and Protection Act. The bill cleared the House of Representatives in September 2021, but in the Senate Schumer failed to get even the entire Democratic caucus on board when he tried to start debate on the bill back in February.
The legislation would codify Roe while also banning requirements some states have put into place related to abortion care, such as waiting periods and mandatory doctor’s visits before the procedure.
Republicans have taken issue with how broad the Women’s Health and Protection Act is, prompting Democrats to draft a modified version. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., changed some of the bill’s language but it still may not be enough to sway the GOP members.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told ABC News’ Trish Turner that she would vote “no” on the proposal.
“My goal is to codify what is essentially existing law,” Collins said. “That means Roe v. Wade, it means Casey v. Planned Parenthood, which established the undue burden test, and it means keeping the “conscience” protections which appear to be wiped out by the Democrats’ version. So, I’m not trying to go beyond current law or, but rather to codify those Supreme Court decisions.”
Collins is one of the Democratic Party’s best chances of gaining a Republican vote on any potential bill. She and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are the sole Senate Republicans who support abortion rights.
Collins and Murkowski have their own proposal to codify Roe. Their bill — dubbed the Reproductive Choice Act — would prohibit states from imposing an “undue burden” on the ability of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy pre-viability but also allows states to keep other restrictions in place.
Senate Democrats held a news conference on Thursday afternoon to discuss next week’s vote.
“This is a life or death moment and we need to fight,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told reporters.
Schumer said next week’s vote is intended to put on the record exactly where lawmakers stand on abortion rights.
“You will hear plenty from us,” Schumer said. “This is not just one vote and then this issue goes away. You will hear a lot from us through the next month all the way through November.”
