Ariana Grande showed fans what she looks like without her signature makeup. Taking to Instagram, the singer quietly shared the makeup-free selfie to possibly tease something new from her r.e.m. beauty brand. The sweetest comment came from Ari’s mom, who wrote, “My beautiful daughter…. Inside and out!!!”
Ed Sheeran shared a behind-the-scenes look of his “The Joker and the Queen” music video on Tuesday, which features the children — now all grown up — who starred in Taylor Swift‘s 2013 “Everything Has Changed” music video. The sneak peek shows director Emil Nava welcoming Ava Ames and Jack Lewis on set and coaching them through the shoot until they wrap in the school gymnasium, as the cast applauds and cheers.
Eminem helped bring the house down at the Super Bowl halftime show, and Britney Spears is demanding more. “He should have had way more time … he was everything to me when I was younger,” she said on Instagram, adding that watching him perform made her feel “like I was 17 again.” She adds, “It’s honestly kinda scary how certain artists and music can do that.” Gwen Stefani agreed with Britney, commenting, “Feel u.”
(NEW YORK) — The leading global producer of avocados is temporarily banned from sending the sought after fruit from Mexico to the U.S.
Despite the demand for imported avocados, the U.S. government announced a ban “until further notice” after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Michoacán — the only state with U.S. market access — received a threatening message to an official cellphone, Mexico’s Agriculture Department Mexico’s Agriculture Department said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
“U.S. health authorities … made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacán, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote.
Michoacán has been the site of drug cartel turf battles where avocado growers have experienced extortion, the AP reported.
Despite challenges with the supply chain and harvest due to COVID-19, the Office of Agriculture Affairs for Mexico reported that production and exports from Michoacán were forecast to grow this year.
“Avocados are a significant agricultural product for Mexico, and one of the primary beneficiaries of the U.S.,” the department said in its annual report. “Mexico agricultural trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement (now United States- Mexico- Canada Agreement), with Mexican avocado trade values increasing over 455 percent since its implementation.”
The Office of Agriculture Affairs for Mexico did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Over the past few decades, domestic production of avocados has dropped more than 45%, according to the Avocado Institute of Mexico. The organization reported that avocado consumption in the U.S. skyrocketed from 1.5 pounds to 7.5 pounds from 1998 to 2017.
Paramount+ has ordered another season of its Yellowstone prequel series 1883, and announced that creator Taylor Sheridan has another period show about the Dutton clan up his sleeve called 1932.
While 1883 tells the tale of Yellowstone‘s Dutton family journeying west through the Great Plains to Montana, it hasn’t yet been announced what 1932 will see the family doing.
In a statement, Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios, said, “With the brilliant mind and gifted storytelling of Taylor Sheridan, we have created an entirely new world to explore with 1883 while expanding Yellowstone, and with 1932 we will open up a new chapter in this rapidly growing universe.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is warning that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
As many as 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders and U.S. officials have urged all Americans to leave Ukraine as well as neighboring Belarus and part of Moldvoa.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the nation was shuttering its embassy in Kyiv and “temporarily” relocating the small group of diplomats left in Ukraine to the western city of Lviv, citing the “rapid acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
But Ukrainian officials have said they do not see signs of a Russian attack as soon as Wednesday — the date reportedly given to NATO allies — and called for a day of unity instead.
Russia has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance and pull back troops from Eastern European member states, while denying it has plans to invade Ukraine.
Latest headlines:
-Biden addresses American public on importance of Ukraine
-Biden warns Putin of ‘self-inflicted wound’ if Russia invades Ukraine
-Biden says Russian troops remain in a ‘threatening position’
-US reiterates need to confirm any Russian de-escalation
-Biden won’t announce new policy in remarks: White House
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 15, 4:41 pm
Biden addresses American public on importance of Ukraine
President Joe Biden warned the American people that any conflict over Ukraine with Russia would not be “painless” at home either, particularly when it comes to energy prices, although he said his administration is taking active steps to try to prevent any disruption.
“To be clear, if Russia decides to invade, that would also have consequences here at home. But the American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost,” Biden said. “I will not pretend this will be painless. There could be impact on our energy prices, so we’re taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset raising prices,” he added.
The president went on to explain why he felt the situation justifies U.S. involvement, saying that “this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine.”
“It’s about standing for what we believe in, for the future that we want for our world, for liberty, for liberty, the right of countless countries to choose their own destiny. And the right of people to determine their own futures, or the principle that a country can’t change its neighbor’s borders by force,” Biden said. “If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we’ll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.”
Biden also reiterated his administration’s call for all Americans to depart Ukraine “now — before it’s too late to leave safely,” and speaking directly to the Russian people, said they were “not the enemy.”
“I do not believe you want a bloody destructive war and Ukraine, a country and people with whom you share deep ties of family, history and culture,” he said.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Sarah Kolinovsky
Feb 15, 3:55 pm
Biden warns Putin of ‘self-inflicted wound’ if Russia invades Ukraine
President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in remarks from the White House on Tuesday that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. is prepared to respond decisively and in unison with NATO allies.
“If Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice or a war without cause or a reason. I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth. Because the truth matters. Accountability matters,” Biden said, drawing a distinction between the circumstances now and seen in WWII.
Biden said if Russia invades in the days or weeks ahead, the human costs for Ukraine and strategic cost for Russia would be “immense” — and acknowledged Americans “would also have consequences here at home” if the energy market is hit.
“If Russia attacks Ukraine, it will be met with overwhelming international condemnation,” Biden said. “The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound. The United States and our allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanized.”
He added, “Defending democracy and liberty is never without cost.”
Feb 15, 3:40 pm
Biden says Russian troops remain in a ‘threatening position’
President Joe Biden delivered an update from the White House on the status of Ukraine’s border and said the U.S. has “not yet verified” that Russian troops have pulled back as the Kremlin has claimed.
“We have not yet verified that the Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts remain that they remain very much in a threatening position,” Biden said from the White House East Room.
Biden emphasized that the U.S. believes the best way forward is through diplomacy and de-escalation but placed the ball in Putin’s court.
“The United States is prepared, no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy — to be engaged in diplomacy with Russia. And our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole. And we are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility,” he said.
Feb 15, 2:16 pm
US reiterates need to confirm any Russian de-escalation
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that the U.S. “looks forward” to receiving Russia’s response to U.S. and NATO proposals “within the coming days,” according to his spokesperson Ned Price, with both sides noting again in readouts of their call Tuesday there is continued space for diplomatic talks.
Blinken “reiterated our ongoing concerns that Russia has the capacity to launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment and emphasized the need to see verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation,” Price said, in a nod to Russia’s claims that it has started pulling some troops back, even though U.S. officials say they haven’t verified that yet.
On the Russian side, Lavrov “stressed” to Blinken the “need to continue the joint work” on dialogue, including on “the set of issues raised by Russia with emphasis on the principle of indivisible security,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov and Blinken also discussed “future exchanges at various levels,” the Foreign Ministry added. The two are expected to speak again once that Russian response has been transmitted — and possibly meet in person.
Performers don’t get paid for appearing in the Super Bowl halftime show, but they usually benefit from increased sales and streaming in the days afterward. Billboard reports that all the stars of Sunday’s show — Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, special guest 50 Cent and even the late 2Pac, who obviously wasn’t there — experienced big sales bumps after the game.
Billboard reports that according to MRC Data, sales of the songs heard during the performance increased by an overall factor of 775% compared to the two days prior to the show. The top-selling song performed was Dr. Dre and Snoop’s “The Next Episode,” which opened the show. Sales of that song alone increased 994%.
The next best-selling songs were Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” Dr. Dre and Snoop’s “Still D.R.E.,” Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair” and 2Pac’s “California Love,” which was performed by Dre and Snoop during the show.
Even songs that were only heard in snippets during the show, like 2Pac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha,” Kendrick’s “M.A.A.D. City” and Dre’s “Forgot About Dre,” posted sales-percentage increases in the thousands, due to the fact that they had barely any sales at all before the game. And sales of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” increased by more than 2,100%.
Those were just sales numbers; Billboard hasn’t reported on the streaming increases yet.
Among the 103 million viewers who tuned in to the halftime show was Britney Spears, who took to Instagram to rave, “Wow !!!@Eminem last night at the Super Bowl…he should have had way more time…he was everything to me when I was younger and it was so weird in the first two seconds I saw him on stage last night I felt like I was 17 again !!!”
Coachella is dropping all COVID-19 restrictions ahead of this year’s festival.
A statement on the Coachella website reads, “In accordance with local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Coachella 2022.”
The update comes after organizers announced last October that Coachella 2022 would require attendees to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test. That was amended from the initial policy announced by Coachella organizer Goldenvoice and its parent company, AEG Presents, which required full vaccination for admittance.
While no COVID-19 protocols will be enforced at Coachella ’22, its website notes that the policy is subject to change, depending on “applicable public health conditions.” Additionally, the site now includes a “COVID-19 warning,” which cautions that the virus is an “extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death.”
“There is an inherent and elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place or place where people are present and there is no guarantee, express or implied, that those attending the festival will not be exposed to COVID-19,” the site reads.
Coachella ’22 takes place April 15-17 and April 22-24, and will be headlined by Billie Eilish, Ye and Harry Styles. The festival hasn’t been held since 2019 due to the pandemic.
The family of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has filed a wrongful death suit against Alec Baldwin in New Mexico on Tuesday.
“There are many people culpable, but Mr. Baldwin was the person holding the weapon,” Hutchins family attorney Brian Panish said at a press conference. “That but for him shooting it, she would not have died,” the attorney explained. “So clearly, he has a significant portion of liability.”
Using a computer animated simulation, the attorneys for Halyna Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, re-created how they say the October 21, 2021 incident transpired, during which Rust star and producer Baldwin fired a live round from a vintage-style Colt revolver, fatally striking Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
Baldwin insists the gun just “went off,” and that he was told the weapon was safe to handle.
The Hutchins family attorneys disagree with Baldwin’s repeated claims of innocence, asserting that the production violated or ignored 15 industry-standard safety practices, and that Baldwin himself was personally at fault.
Among the safety violations allegedly violated were that Baldwin didn’t first rehearse the scene with a rubber prop gun, and that he allegedly failed to keep his finger off the trigger of the gun he fired.
“Mr. Baldwin refused weapons training on how to perform a cross draw, the type of gun draw he was about to perform…,” the attorneys further alleged. “The first rule for safety with firearms and a production set required Mr. Baldwin to treat all firearms as if they were loaded.”
Further, the suit claims 23-year-old armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was “an inexperienced weapons master” who was “unqualified for the degree of skill required on the Rust set.” Rust was only second film on which she worked.
“No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set that should never happen,” added attorney Randi McGinn.
The legal team representing Hutchins’ family is seeing “substantial” damages from Baldwin.
A criminal investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
(NEW YORK) — A federal jury in New York on Tuesday has rejected former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s libel suit against the New York Times a day after a judge said he will dismiss the case no matter what verdict was reached.
The jury informed Judge Jed Rakoff that after a little over two days of deliberations it found The New York Times was not liable for defaming Palin.
The jury’s decision follows Rakoff’s announcement on Monday to attorneys in the case that he will set aside the verdict and dismiss the lawsuit because Palin had not met the high standard of showing The Times had acted with “actual malice” when it published an editorial that erroneously linked Palin’s political action committee to a mass shooting.
In explaining his decision, Rakoff said he believed it is inevitable that the case will be appealed and that such an action would benefit from knowing how the jury’s deliberations turned out.
As she left the courthouse on Monday, Palin said she was puzzled by the judge’s decision.
“This is a jury trial and we always appreciate the system,” Palin told news reporters. “So whatever happened in there usurps the system.”
In a statement published in The Times, the newspaper’s spokeswoman, Danielle Rhoades Ha, called Rakoff’s decision “a reaffirmation of a fundamental tenet of American law” protecting freedom of the press.
“Public figures should not be permitted to use libel suits to punish or intimidate news organizations that make, acknowledge and swiftly correct unintentional errors,” Ha said.
Palin’s legal team said it is considering whether file an appeal.
“We will evaluate our positions,” Palin’s attorney, Ken Turkel, said.
As she entered a car outside the lower Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, Palin was asked by reporters if she will appeal. She replied, “I hope so.”
Palin, 58, sued The Times in 2017, roughly nine years after she was tapped to be Sen. John McCain’s GOP vice presidential nominee, claiming the newspaper deliberately ruined her burgeoning career as a political commentator and consultant by publishing an erroneous editorial she said defamed her.
The editorial that prompted the lawsuit was published on the same day a gunman opened fire on GOP politicians practicing for a congressional charity baseball game in a Washington, D.C., suburb, injuring six, including Republican Rep. Steve Scalise.
Under the headline “America’s Lethal Politics,” The Times’ editorial board wrote on June 14, 2017, that prior to the 2011 Arizona mass shooting that killed six people and left then-Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords with a traumatic brain injury, Palin’s political action committee had fueled a violent atmosphere by circulating a map that put the electoral districts of Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized crosshairs.
Two days later, The Times published a correction saying the editorial had “incorrectly described” the map and “incorrectly stated that a link existed between political rhetoric and the 2011 shooting.”
During the trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Palin portrayed herself as the biblical David going up against the Philistine giant Goliath with just a slingshot. Palin, in her testimony, accused The Times of deliberately fabricating information to sully her reputation.
The Times’ former editorial page editor, James Bennet, testified that while he was responsible for the erroneous information in the editorial, it was an honest mistake and that he meant no harm.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Chevy Chase has one thing to say regarding what his former Community co-stars — and pretty much anybody — may think about him: “I don’t give a crap.”
That’s the word from the 78-year-old former Saturday Night Live and Caddyshack star, who has a long-held reputation for being difficult at best, and, some say, a racist at worst.
Interviewed by CBS This Morning, well-traveled tales of those Chase has tangled with on set came up, starting with Saturday Night Live.
“I felt pretty strongly that I was the funniest,” Chase said with a laugh of his former SNL co-stars. A bold statement, considering that cast included John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris and Bill Murray, the latter of whom who replaced him on SNL and with whom he once came to blows behind the scenes.
Chevy’s former cast mates on NBC’s Community had complained about him as well. Although he started on the series when it launched in 2009, he was asked to leave before season five began, following an argument on set during which he reportedly used a racial slur. Community‘s Donald Glover complained about Chase in a 2018 New Yorker piece, accusing him of trying to throw the eventual Atlanta star off with racially insensitive language and jokes between takes.
Additionally, in a recent chat with Sirius XM’s The Howard Stern Show, SNL‘s Pete Davidson called Chase “a f***ing d*****bag,” noting “I hate that guy.” Pete also called Chase “a genuinely bad, racist person,” adding, “I don’t like him.”
For his part, Chase seems unbothered by the criticism. He told CBS’ Jim Axelrod, “I don’t give a crap. I’m who I am, and I like who I am. And it’s a part of who I am that I don’t care.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Foo Fighters have gone metal. Well, sort of.
Dave Grohl and company have shared a new song called “March of the Insane,” released under the moniker Dream Widow for the band’s upcoming horror-comedy movie Studio 666.
The tune is credibly thrashy, and gives you a glimpse of what Foo Fighters might’ve sounded like if Grohl had grown up a Bay Area metalhead instead of in the Washington, D.C. punk scene.
You can listen to “March of the Insane” now via digital outlets.
