The Cleveland Guardians — known since 1915 as the Cleveland Indians — are getting a major Hollywood star to throw out the first pitch of the season tonight.
Tom Hanks, who famously played a wartime baseball team manager in 1992’s A League of Their Own, will do the honors at Cleveland’s Progressive Stadium, when the Guardians take the field in their home opener against the San Francisco Giants.
The two-time Oscar winner has professional roots in Cleveland, having once played the Great Lakes Theater Festival as an up-and-coming actor in the late seventies.
Last year, Hanks narrated a video to debut the team’s rebranding. “It has always been ‘Cleveland’ that was the best part of our name,” he intoned.
In a statement earlier this month, Hanks enthused, “I’ve had Guardians fever since 1977 when I caught my first game in Section 19 of Cleveland’s Lakefront Municipal Stadium. I’m honored to return to Cleveland and Progressive Field for the first home game of the Cleveland Guardians era.”
Hanks will be tossing to Larry Doby Jr., the son of the man who became the first Black player in the American League 75 years ago, months after Jackie Robinson first broke the color barrier in professional baseball.
(NEW YORK) — For years, Maria Sylvia ignored a straight, brown streak that had appeared on her right thumbnail.
The 25-year-old shared what it looked like in a TikTok video last month and wrote, “me: having this for 10 years, thinking it was a cool streak on my nail.”
In the next frame, she continued, “it’s cancer.”
Sylvia told Good Morning America totally asymptomatic, meaning that you feel no pain,” dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe told GMA. “You don’t want a lesion to become painful, start to bleed, or start to create any kind of deformity of the nail. That usually means that we’re catching it too late.”
In a follow-up video, Sylvia said she had seen doctors in the past and one had suggested her nail discoloration could be a mole.
Sylvia encouraged others who may be concerned to go see a doctor. “You really have to be your advocate here and say, ‘No, no, I’d really like to get a biopsy just to be sure,'” she told GMA.
Following her diagnosis, Sylvia said in another TikTok video that she found out the melanoma had not appeared to spread. She has since underwent surgery and a skin graft.
Since opening up on TikTok, Sylvia has heard from others who said her warning video has been eye-opening and helpful.
“I saw this TikTok a couple weeks ago and really thought nothing of it until I saw my mom’s toe and was really concerned. She got an appointment, and long story short, you saved my mom’s life. Thank you,” posted one TikTok user.
Bowe also encourages anyone who wears nail polish to remove it at least once a month and inspect the nails for any abnormalities like pigmentation or discoloration.
Miley Cyrus‘ parents may be on the road to divorce, but Miley herself seems happy with her new love. E! Online has photos of Miley kissing musician Maxx Morandopassionately on a street in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Morando, who’s the drummer for the band Liily, and Miley were first seen together in November at a Gucci fashion show. He also attended Miley’s New Year’s Eve NBC special in Miami. Morando is evidently also a cartoonist: In September, Miley called him “one of my favorite emerging artists” in the pages of Vogue.
E! Online reports that the two took a trip to Cabo San Lucas in February. A source told E! in January, “They are both artistic and creative, so they bond over being musicians.”
Meanwhile, Miley’s mother Tish Cyrus filed divorce paperwork on April 6 to split with her husband of 29 years, Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. The two had filed for divorce in 2010 and 2013, but subsequently dropped both cases.
After giving birth to her second child – a baby boy – in September, Cardi B is finally ready to share him with the world.
The rapper and her husband Offset each shared some adorable pictures of the little guy on Thursday and revealed his name: Wave Set Cephus.
Cardi tweeted it was Offset who came up with the unique name. “When Set suggested Wave, I was sold! THAT HAD TO BE HIS NAME!” she wrote.
Cardi gave birth on September 4, 2021, revealing the news on social media a couple of days later. Cardi and Offset are also parents to three-year-old daughter, Kulture, and Offset has three children from previous relationships.
This week, Cardi returned to social media after deactivating her Instagram and Twitter earlier this month. She has some new music out today — she’s featured on the new Kay Flock track “Shake It,” along with Dougie B and Bory3000.
24 veteran Elisha Cuthbert plays a mom who loses her teen daughter to the mysteries of the basement of a supernatural old Irish mansion in the new thriller The Cellar.
Based on writer-director Brendan Muldowney‘s award-winning short The Ten Steps, the film hits theaters and starts streaming on the Shudder app today.
Cuthbert’s character handles marketing for social media influencer teenagers, but as the film begins, it’s apparent that she’s disconnected from her own daughter, Ellie.
“[My character lives] sort of this distracted lifestyle that we’re all so used to now, and…sort of losing sight of your children sometimes,” Elisha explains. “And so when you see my character…and her daughter at the start of the film…it’s a sort of very tumultuous relationship…which makes…losing her even more difficult.”
The film was shot in an actual creepy mansion in Roscommon, Ireland. “It ended up becoming another character in the film,” the actress notes.
“Being at the same location really felt like it had its own presence in the film. That is undeniable,” she teases.
Speaking of scary, ABC Audio wanted to know what Elisha thought about her former co-star Paul Dano, from 2004’s The Girl Next Door, and his freaking out fans and critics in The Batman.
“To see him play the Riddler, I mean, his career has just been so stellar, and yeah, he’s a brilliant actor,” Elisha says.
She adds, “And even when we were doing The Girl Next Door, I mean, he was so charming and so fun to work with. All those guys were. That movie was such a great experience…and it’s one of those sort of cult things now. But yeah, love Paul!”
(PARIS) — Three years after flames engulfed Notre Dame, investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the devastating fire at Paris’ most famous cathedral.
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the Notre Dame Cathedral on Friday to mark the third anniversary of the blaze, which tore through the roof and toppled the iconic spire as the world watched in horror on April 15, 2019.
“This visit will be an opportunity for the Head of State to take stock of the progress of the construction site,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement Thursday.
The initial phase to secure and safeguard what was left of the 12th century French Gothic landmark ended last summer, with the restoration work finally kicking off over the winter.
The safety, cleaning and reconstruction efforts are a vast national enterprise for France, with 90 state-sponsored contracts already issued to companies to help clean, consolidate and rebuild Notre Dame. In total, 130 such contracts will be issued, according to the public body established to oversee the restoration work.
After months of debate over the future of the famed medieval cathedral, the plans were approved by a national commission and “include the identical restoration of the oak wood frame and the roofing of the large attic as well as the restoration of the spire of Viollet-le-Duc,” the Public Establishment for the Conservation and Restoration of Notre Dame said in a statement Thursday.
French authorities are now in a race to meet the 2024 deadline set by Macron, in time for the Summer Olympics in Paris. On Wednesday, crews extracted the first hard stones to be used in the reconstruction of the arches of Notre Dame’s collapsed vaults.
However, the crews are working under sometimes difficult conditions due to the fragility of the building and amid interruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as strict safety rules over the presence of lead on site.
There have been several surprises, too. France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) has been carrying out excavations inside Notre Dame since Feb. 2 and, last month, its workers discovered a mysterious lead sarcophagus buried beneath the cathedral.
“An endoscopic camera made it possible to identify the presence of plant remains under the head of the deceased, perhaps hair, textiles, as well as dry organic matter,” INRAP said in a press release in March. “Its dating and its identification remain to be carried out but it is probably about an important character, appearing perhaps in the register of the burials of the diocese.”
The next phase of reconstruction is set to begin soon, with stonemasons, restorers of mural paintings and sculptures, master glassmakers and artistic ironworkers starting work on Notre Dame’s fire-ravaged interior.
The epic restoration efforts aren’t just taking place in Paris, but rather across France. A thousand oaks trees are being cut in 45 sawmills across the country for the restitution of Notre Dame’s spire and transept.
Netflix has scooped up the rights to the action comedy The Man from Toronto, starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson. The Sony Pictures film, which also stars Kaley Cuoco and Ellen Barkin, has Harrelson’s titular master assassin mistaken for Hart in an Airbnb mix-up. Deadline reports that the film was supposed to hit theaters on August 12, but will now debut on the streaming service later this year…
Who is Michael Davies? That’s the answer to the question, “Who will be the next executive producer of Jeopardy!?” Davies posted a message Thursday to confirm he’s taking the place of Mike Richards, whose short stint as host last year was derailed by controversial blog posts he’d made. “I am both honored and humbled by the faith the studio and the staff have put in me,” Davies said in part, and he thanked “everyone in the Jeopardy! community for your phenomenal support.” Davies is a veteran of unscripted shows, including Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live…
Oscar winner Susan Sarandon has joined the cast of the Warner Bros. DC Comics adaptation Blue Beetle. According to The Wrap, Sarandon will play Victoria Kord, a villainous new character developed for the movie; the publication noted that Sharon Stone was once in talks for the part. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña will star as Jamie Reyes, aka the hero Blue Beetle. He’ll be the first lead Latino actor in a DC property when the film comes out in August of 2023…
(NEW YORK) — Frank James, the man accused of opening fire on a subway train in Brooklyn, visited multiple Manhattan neighborhoods, including a stop at the famous Katz’s Delicatessen, as the NYPD scoured the city for him, according to police sources.
James, 62, was arrested in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, more than 24 hours after 10 people were shot on a crowded N subway as the train pulled into Brooklyn’s 36th Street Station. Twenty-nine people were wounded overall in the chaos.
Police recovered James’ phone, credit card and MetroCard at the scene of the shooting, but he had a second phone and second MetroCard which police are now using to track his movements after he eluded capture at the scene of the crime, police sources told ABC News.
After the mass shooting during Tuesday morning’s rush hour, James switched subway trains, from the N to the R, and got off the train at the 25th Street Station around 8:35 a.m., sources said. He then took the B67 bus to Park Slope, where he bought a new mask and entered the 7th Avenue subway station at 9:18 a.m.
James made it into Manhattan and, sometime Tuesday night, checked into the Chelsea International Hostel on West 20th Street, sources said.
He emerged sometime Wednesday morning and began wandering the streets of Lower Manhattan, hiding in plain sight, sources said.
Multiple sightings began at around 10:30 a.m., when he was spotted sitting outside Dimes, a restaurant in Chinatown, sources said. Witnesses took pictures of him sitting, apparently using a Link NYC hub to charge his phone, and posted to social media, tagging police, sources said.
A few hours later, James was spotted getting lunch at Katz’s on the Lower East Side, sources said.
Just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, James called Crime Stoppers on himself, saying he was in the East Village at a McDonald’s at East 6th Street and First Avenue, according to sources. James reportedly said: “I think you’re looking for me. I’m seeing my picture all over the news and I’ll be around this McDonald’s.”
By the time police arrived, James had already left the McDonald’s. But a good Samaritan spotted James nearby on St. Mark’s Place and First Avenue and flagged down police, sources said.
James was arrested on a federal charge of committing a terrorist act on a mass transportation vehicle. James made his first court appearance Thursday and didn’t enter a plea. He was ordered held without bail.
James’ defense attorney Mia Eisner-Grynberg called the shooting a tragedy but pointed out that initial information can often be wrong. She also lauded James for turning himself in.
In a court filing, federal prosecutors called the shooting calculated and “entirely premeditated.” They noted James wore a hard hat and construction worker-style jacket as a disguise and then shed them after the gunfire to avoid recognition.
Prosecutors suggested James had the means to carry out more attacks, noting that he had ammunition and other gun-related items in a Philadelphia storage unit.
“The defendant, terrifyingly, opened fire on passengers on a crowded subway train, interrupting their morning commute in a way this city hasn’t seen in more than 20 years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Winik said in court Thursday. “The defendant’s attack was premeditated; it was carefully planned; and it caused terror among the victims and our entire city.”
(NEW YORK) — Seventy-five years ago, Jackie Robinson debuted as a first baseman with the Brooklyn Dodgers while donning jersey No. 42. Stepping out of the dark dugout into the stadium’s bright lights, the 28-year-old rookie played in front of a crowd toppling more than 26,000 fans at Ebbets Field.
Today, fans and franchises around the league are still remembering his immeasurable contributions to America’s pastime after shattering racial barriers in the sport of baseball.
Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred Jr. said Robinson, the first Black baseball player in major league history, “took the field under incredibly challenging circumstances and unimaginable pressure.” Through his courage, character, skill and values, Manfred said in a statement to ABC News he believes “he brought well-needed change to our game and advanced the Civil Rights Movement in our country.”
“Our family is thrilled to see the many wonderful tributes to Jack’s historic moment 75 years ago,” Rachel Robinson, founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and 99-year-old widow of the beloved barrier-breaking professional baseball player, told ABC News in a statement.
Her husband died on Oct. 24, 1972, almost half a century ago.
David Robinson, 69, who sits on the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s board of directors, reflected on growing up as the youngest child in the family, in an interview with ESPN’s Jackie to Me, a 10-episode documentary series, which is a part of the season-long Jackie 75 special project to commemorate the historic diamond anniversary.
“Being a father was important to him. And so, every opportunity he got, he would take his children by the hand or the shoulder and try to show them life,” Robinson said in a statement to ABC News, recalling memories from the March on Washington in August 1963, “with his arm around me, leading me in front of that march to say — without words, ‘This son, is part of your inheritance.’”
Manfred said it’s a top priority to honor the National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and “recognize the impact Rachel has made through the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and continue to keep Jackie’s memory and values alive for today’s generation of players and fans.”
In 1997, the league retired his iconic jersey number. And the MLB acknowledges April 15 of each year as Jackie Robinson Day, dating back to 2004.
The annual event is the only time when Robinson’s number is worn by on-field personnel. It’s a popular way for teams to pay homage to the trailblazing athlete, a tradition that started in 2009.
But, for the first time, major league players, coaches, managers and umpires will wear No. 42 in Dodger blue on Jackie Robinson Day.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — California will not require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for at least another school year, health officials announced Thursday.
The earliest the requirement would go into effect is now July 1, 2023, pending full approval by the Food and Drug Administration of a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 16 years old.
State officials had initially said the mandate could be implemented as late as July 2022, depending on FDA full approval.
The state is delaying implementation of the mandate for the 2022-2023 school year “to ensure sufficient time for successful implementation of new vaccine requirements,” the state health department said.
“[The California Department of Public Health] strongly encourages all eligible Californians, including children, to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in a statement. “We continue to ensure that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic is driven by the best science and data available.”
California became the first state in the country to move forward on mandating COVID-19 vaccines for school children in October, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state will require the vaccine for all school children ages 12-17 once the FDA grants full approval. The mandate allow exemptions for medical reasons, personal beliefs and religious beliefs.
Since then, one other state — Louisiana — has announced a vaccine mandate for school children, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. The mandate, slated to go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year, would only apply to those who are eligible for a fully approved vaccine and includes an opt-out for parents.
Schools and universities around the country have also instituted vaccine requirements, including the Los Angeles public school district. Enforcement of its mandate requiring students ages 12 and up to be fully vaccinated was postponed from January to the fall to allow more time for compliance.
The FDA has granted full approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 16 and up, and for Moderna’s vaccine for those ages 18 and up.
Pfizer has requested to expand its approval to include those ages 12 to 15.
When the requirement was announced in October, 63.5% of Californa residents aged 12-17 had received at least one dose.
“For 12 to 17, we’re not where we need to be. And so we hope this encourages folks to get vaccinated,” Newsom said at the time.
Currently, 74.2% of residents aged 12-17 have gotten at least one dose.
ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
