(NEW YORK) — A Texas inmate serving life for murder managed to break free from his shackles, overpower a bus driver and escape from custody, officials said.
Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was on a transport bus en route from Gatesville to Huntsville for a medical appointment when he escaped in Leon County on Thursday, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.
Two officers were on the bus: one at the front as well as one in the back who was armed with a shotgun, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Robert Hurst told reporters.
Lopez “was somehow able to get out of his shackles and get into the driver’s compartment of the bus,” Hurst said.
Lopez “was able to overpower the driver. There was a struggle … the bus went off the roadway,” Hurst said.
The officer driving the bus was stabbed in the hand and suffered a non-life-threatening injury, he added.
Lopez then jumped off the bus and fled, Hurst said.
Lopez is serving a life sentence for a capital murder in Hidalgo County and an attempted capital murder in Webb County, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.
“We do not know if he has obtained any kind of a weapon,” Hurst said. “Last we saw him he did not appear to have a weapon in his possession, but who knows what he might’ve been able to get.”
Centerville School District schools are closed on Friday as the search continues.
Leon County is about 130 miles south of Dallas. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office urged local residents to lock their homes and cars. Anyone who sees Lopez is asked to call 911 and not approach him.
Pop superstar Lizzo released her new single, “About Damn Time,” recently, and a dance to the song quickly went viral on TikTok.
The “About Damn Time” dance is so ubiquitous that its reach extends all the way to Oklahoma, where Blake Shelton got his hands on it and posted his own version on TikTok — well, sort of.
“Did I do this right???” Blake wrote in the caption, along with video of him gamely attempting to dance along to the music. The country superstar abandoned the viral “About Damn Time” dance moves in favor of some windmill-esque arm movements, before running to the camera in a panic to shut the video off.
Hey, at least he was having fun: Blake smiled gamely throughout the clip, landing his video an “A” for effort, even if the execution was less than flawless.
Perhaps he should be asking his wife, pop superstar Gwen Stefani, for some pointers. Gwen’s active on TikTok and has jumped on several popular trends, including at least one clip that pokes fun at Blake himself.
It’s curtains for the musical adaptation of Robin Williams‘ 1993 hit movie comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire.
The production that opened December 9, 2021, was plagued by COVID-1 delays, and also hurt by Broadway’s post-pandemic restrictions. It will close May 29.
“Even though New York City is getting stronger every day and ticket sales are slowly improving, theatre-going tourists and, especially for our show, family audiences have not returned as soon as we anticipated,” explains producer Kevin McCollum in Playbill. “Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to run the show without those sales, especially when capitalizing with Broadway economics on three separate occasions.”
The production recently earned a Tony nomination for lead Rob McClure, who played Williams’ role as a divorced dad who pretends to be a British nanny just to see his kids.
For his part, McClure had no regrets. He posted on Twitter, “When I was a kid… I would practice for 4 months, 7 hours a day, for a show that we knew we would get to perform 3 times. 3. Those 3 performances were heaven.”
He added, “I have 18 performance left of Mrs. Doubtfire. That’s 6 heavens. That kid demands I treat them as such. See you there.”
The producers say the musical will start a U.K. run in fall 2022, then reportedly return to the U.S. for a 2023 tour.
Five Finger Death Punch has announced the details of the band’s upcoming album, AfterLife.
The ninth studio effort from the Las Vegas metallers will arrive August 19. It includes the previously released title track, as well as a new cut titled “IOU,” which just dropped Friday via digital outlets.
“AfterLife was hands down my favorite record to make,” says guitarist Zoltan Bathory.
“When we started this record, there was an excitement of impending musical adventures, we knew we could step away as far as we wanted to, there was a freedom of truly ‘anything goes,'” he explains. “This resulted in an album that is way more diverse than our previous ones, while it feels more unified, because there is a framework of overarching stories in [frontman] Ivan [Moody‘s] lyrics and interconnecting musical motifs between songs.”
The same day AfterLife arrives, FFDP will launch a U.S. headlining tour in Portland, Oregon. Megadeth, The Hu and Fire from the Gods will also be on the bill.
Here’s the AfterLife track list:
“Welcome to the Circus”
“AfterLife”
“Times Like These”
“Roll Dem Bones”
“Pick Up Behind You”
“Judgment Day”
“IOU”
“Thanks for Asking”
“Blood and Tar”
“All I Know”
“Gold Gutter”
“The End”
Måneskin has premiered a new song called “Supermodel.”
“We wrote ‘Supermodel’ after spending the best few months in LA,” the Italian rockers share. “At times we were surprised yet intrigued to find how people cared so much about the idea of ‘celebrity’ and status, obsessing over their looks and connections.”
The “Beggin'” outfit adds, “We started to imagine an enigmatic ‘Supermodel’ character. She is really cool, fun and social, yet in reality she is troubled, hiding sadness and addiction. In a way you love her, because she knows how to have a good time, but you also want to avoid her, because she might get you into trouble.”
“Supermodel,” which is available now via digital outlets, is the first new Måneskin tune to be released since last fall’s “MAMMAMIA.” They band also premiered a new track called “We’re Gonna Dance on Gasoline” during their debut at Coachella last month.
This Saturday, Måneskin will give “Supermodel” its live premiere during the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest final, which, of course, they won last year.
Måneskin will launch their first-ever North American headlining tour in October.
TMB/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Brittney Griner’s pre-trial detention in Russia was extended by one month on Friday as the United States works to secure the WNBA star’s freedom.
The extension comes one week after the U.S. State Department reclassified Griner as being “wrongfully detained” in Russia.
“The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is among the highest priorities of the U.S government. The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner,” a department spokesperson told ABC News last week. “With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner’s release.”
With this classification, the U.S. will now be more involved in negotiating for her freedom.
“Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said in a statement last week.
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.
Griner met with a U.S. official from the consular officer in Russia on March 24 amid a push from the U.S. to gain access to the WNBA star.
A State Department spokesperson told ABC News the U.S. is “deeply concerned about our lack of consistent consular access to these U.S. citizens in recent months.”
“While the Government of Russia has allowed consular access in this instance, we continue to insist that they allow regular, timely consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention. We take our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens seriously, and we will continue to press for fair and transparent treatment for all U.S. citizens when they are subject to legal processes overseas,” the spokesperson said.
Calls to free Griner escalated following the release of Marine veteran Trevor Reed last month, who was freed from Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange.
Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained on Feb. 17. Some officials are concerned that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.
The WNBA honored Griner with a floor decal bearing her initials and jersey number (42) on the sideline of all 12 WNBA teams as the 2022 season kicked off last Friday.
“As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement on Tuesday. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”
Rita Ora and 13-time Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren have collaborated a new song called “Finish Line” for a four-part ESPN docuseries called 37 Words that’s coming in June. It’s part of the Fifty/50 initiative, marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX. By prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, the federal law drastically increased the number of female student athletes in the U.S. But as Diane explains, the song isn’t just about that.
“It’s an important time for women to feel empowered and really know who you are and what your rights are,” Diane says of “Finish Line,” which she wrote and Rita sings. Rita tells ABC Audio that the significance of “Finish Line” is “way bigger than us.”
In it, she sings, “We’re taking it to the limit, ’til we win it/ ‘Til we look behind at the finish line, to the limit/’Til resistance is gone, we’ll keep pushing on.”
“It’s something that obviously applies to this, but it applies to life, it applies to whatever you’re going through,” Diane says of “Finish Line.” “And to me, the key is…making it fit specifically and at the same time being universal…That’s why these songs become anthems…Because you can make it be about your life. You can hear the song and go, ‘I’m gonna get up today and I’m just…gonna change the world!'”
37 Words chronicles the battle for equal rights in education and athletics. Rita says, “You’ll see the journey of not just this specific song…but I think, as well, it shines a light on the journeys of these women.”
A sneak preview of the song’s video will debut Sunday on American Idol.
Savage on the ‘Wonder Years’ set — ABC/Eliza Morse
(NOTE LANGUAGE)Following his termination as executive producer and director of ABC’s hit Wonder Years reboot, Fred Savage is reportedly doing “a lot of self-reflection.”
That’s according to a source who told Page Six he’s “committed to reflecting on any wrongdoing.”
Savage was fired from the show after what the network called an investigation into “allegations of inappropriate conduct” by the actor. The allegations were not sexual in nature, the publication confirmed.
Savage “knows he can be an a**hole at times,” the source explained, noting, “There are some unresolved issues that Fred wants to deal with.”
“Fred has really taken this issue very seriously and is doing a lot of self-reflection about how he could and should have handled different circumstances better,” the source says.
The former child star has logged serious time behind the camera in the years following the original Wonder Years, directing shows like Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the recently wrapped black-ish.
Page Six reports Savage is getting “overwhelming support” from friends and his former Wonder Years colleagues, as well as his wife, Jennifer Lynn Stone.
The new Wonder Years focuses on a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama during the 1960s and follows preteen Dean Williams, played by Elisha “EJ” Williams.
(NEW YORK) — The past few years have seen a growing mental health crisis, prompting an increasing number of Americans to seek help through confidential telephone support lines.
But no two support lines are exactly the same. Crisis lines are intended for those undergoing an urgent mental health crisis and in imminent danger, like someone considering suicide. Helplines are designed for non-urgent needs, such as those seeking support and resources for depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Experts said knowing the right one to call can help get you the specific help you need faster.
Everyone in the U.S. should feel empowered to call 911 if they experience distress, crisis or suicidal ideation, experts said. But for those experiencing suicidal thoughts, another option is 1-800-273-8255 [TALK], the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a crisis line that consists of a network of more than 200 crisis centers. In July, 988 will replace the 10-digit number as the new 24/7 Lifeline number.
“We are trained to de-escalate a situation,” Mary Givelber, executive director of Caring Contact, a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline located in New Jersey, told ABC News.
She said that “we listen, we do not fix,” and volunteers “encourage them to take charge of where they are in that moment.”
However, if someone is in imminent danger, crisis lines can sometimes activate emergency services that send a mobile crisis unit or ambulance, but experts said this is rare.
“When police and ambulances show up and fire trucks often come out and the lights are on, this becomes a very traumatic experience for that individual,” Givelber said. “So we are trained to try and find the safest, least intrusive way of keeping somebody, we call it, ‘safe for now.’”
Additional resources are available for people who need help but are not experiencing an immediate crisis, such as suicidal thoughts.
Helplines offer information on where to find local mental health resources. One option is the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine (1-800-950-6264), where volunteers are on standby to connect people to mental health services.
“The crisis call counselors can address the immediate crisis, but we want an individual to get well and stay well,” Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for NAMI, told ABC News. “And so it’s those local call centers that can connect an individual to resources and services in their communities.”
The resources offered vary by location.
“There are some call centers that have the capacity to make same-day or next-day appointments with community mental health providers or refer them to services within the community,” Wesolowski said.
There are also helplines that focus on the needs of specific populations like the new National Maternal Mental Health Hotline launched this week by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. It’s available by calling or texting 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS.
Then there are warm lines, a service growing in availability, which is a middle ground between crisis lines and helplines. People can call in to discuss non-urgent matters and are offered emotional support.
“The warm line is actually a phone line where they have volunteers, peer support volunteers, who will just talk to people. There’s no urgency around the conversation. They just get to listen reflectively and help people process and offer emotional support,” Dawn Brown, the national director of NAMI HelpLine Services, told ABC News.
Many call centers are staffed by volunteer peer-support specialists, “that means someone with a mental health condition and they’re now long into their recovery, or the family member supporting a loved one who’s in recovery,” said Brown.” Others are staffed by paid employees. Volunteers and employees undergo weeks of standardized training and quality assurance measures are in place.
What happens if you call the ‘wrong’ line?
In some states like New York and Georgia, one number serves not only as a crisis line, but also a helpline and warm line. But in locations where they are distinct, efforts will be made to direct you to the correct service.
For example, Brown explains at the NAMI HelpLine they “do a suicide risk assessment and if the person is deemed to be at imminent risk, we attempt what we call a warm transfer where we will keep the caller on the line and connect with the Lifeline to hand the person off to a crisis worker.”
But not all calls are transferred. If someone calls a crisis line and is specifically looking for resources, they may only be referred to a helpline.
Calling the appropriate line could help ease the burden on crisis centers. On average, 15% of calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline don’t go through because of extended wait times, resulting in callers dropping the call.
According to Wesolowski, more federal funding is needed to increase staffing, “upgrade technology, data collection, developing training, and operating those back-up centers.”
“Time and time again, what we hear is thank you for listening to me. Thank you for hearing my story,” Givelber said.
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, seven days a week.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact NAMI HelpLine from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET Monday to Friday at 1-800-950-NAMI [6264] or info@nami.org.
Adjoa Smalls-Mantey, M.D., D.Phil., is a psychiatrist, trained in immunology, and a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.
(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show Friday in her first public appearance since March.
The 96-year-old queen, dressed casually in a sweater and collared shirt, appeared in good spirts as she watched the competition from her car before making her way to her seat in the stands, next to her son, Prince Edward.
From the stands, the queen got to watch her granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, Edwards’ daughter, lead a parade through the arena in the saddle of the carriage that belonged to her late husband, Prince Philip.
Queen Elizabeth’s last public appearance was in late March at a Service of Thanksgiving for Philip, who died last year at the age of 99.
While the queen has continued to maintain a busy schedule of virtual meetings, phone calls and private engagements, her public appearances have become increasingly rare.
She did not attend the opening of Parliament this week, marking the first time in 60 years and only the third time in her 70-year reign that she has not attended.
Queen Elizabeth’s heirs, Prince Charles and Prince William, and Charles’s wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, attended in her absence.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said the queen was not able to attend because she “continues to experience episodic mobility problems.”
Over the past year, Queen Elizabeth has battled COVID-19 and was hospitalized overnight for what the palace described as “preliminary investigations.”
The Royal Windsor Horse Show is an event the queen has attended every year since its inception in 1943. It takes place just a short drive from Windsor Castle, where the queen spends much of her time.
When the queen turned 96 last month, the Royal Windsor Horse Show released a new photo to mark her birthday.
The photo, taken in March on the grounds of Windsor Castle, shows the queen posing alongside two of her ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale.
