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.
(OXFORD, Mich.) — Parents and students called for greater safety measures and transparency at the Michigan high school where four students were fatally shot in a mass shooting last year.
Nearly five months after the massacre at Oxford High School, a group of concerned parents and students said that those who attend the suburban Detroit school still do not feel safe.
“Our children tell us they do not feel safe at school,” Lori Bourgeau, a parent of an Oxford student, said Thursday during a press briefing organized by the group Change 4 Oxford. “They don’t feel safe using the restroom, they don’t feel safe eating in the lunchroom.”
The group is calling for an immediate independent expert review of Oxford’s student safety procedures, with an updated school safety plan based on the review implemented prior to the start of the 2022-2023 school year. It is also calling for greater transparency into the school’s safety plan and to include students and teachers in the process.
Those who spoke during the emotional event said they have felt like their questions and concerns have not been addressed by the school.
“Just let the students talk,” Jeff Jones, the parent of two students at Oxford Community Schools, said during the briefing. “Ask the students what they need. Ask the students what would make them feel safe.”
His son, Oxford junior Griffen Jones, charged that new safety measures including clear backpacks and checking IDs at the school’s entrance “have done almost nothing.” He spoke about what it’s been like to be in school in the wake of the deadly shooting.
“Every day I pray that whatever conversation I have with my friends or anyone else isn’t my last with them or my last conversation ever,” he said. “Every day I pray that I won’t die on the high school floor because of the lack of caring they have shown towards me and my friends, the whole student body and teachers.”
“I hate waking up certain days because of the anxiety and stress and lack of safety and the thought gets to me sometimes in class and I can’t focus,” he said. “I don’t care about school half the time because most of the time I’m concerned for my safety, my teachers’ safety and my friends.”
Speakers were critical of school officials’ decision last year to decline Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s offer to lead an independent review. Nessel will be speaking with the community on Monday, the group said.
Parents also questioned the district’s decision not to go on lockdown after the high school received several threats on Friday.
In response to the group’s demands and concerns, Superintendent Ken Weaver said in a statement that the “physical safety and emotional well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority.”
“We value all parent and student input and continue to work with our students and parents through these difficult times,” he said.
Following the shooting, Weaver said the district has engaged with the community through meetings, phone calls, town halls, forums and surveys.
“Input from our students, staff and families has helped shape and drive our successful return to school plan and our school safety plans,” he said. “We have also consulted with mental health experts, security experts and local law enforcement in developing our plans.”
Four students were killed in the shooting on Nov. 30, 2021. Seven people, including a teacher, were also injured.
Prosecutors allege that the gunman emerged from a bathroom with a gun and started shooting in a hallway. The suspect, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, allegedly opened fire on students and staff just hours after meeting with school counselors over disturbing drawings depicting a gun, prosecutors said.
A lawsuit alleges that the district failed to heed warning signs before the shooting, which the district has denied.
In the weeks following the shooting, the district announced a zero-tolerance policy toward threats, and that students would be removed from the school until a mental health evaluation could be completed. The district’s board of education also approved a resolution to initiate a third-party review of what happened before, during and after the shooting.
The district held a safety meeting with local first responders and government agencies to review safety procedures and protocols in February. Officials reported that student feedback on the clear backpacks “has been positive,” and that they are considering continuing using them next school year.
Officials also said they plan to create parent forums “to provide an avenue to share concerns and ideas.”
In a letter to the school community on the district’s response to Friday’s threats, Weaver said they did not want to “put students and staff through any unnecessary psychological trauma by going into a lockdown when it is not warranted.”
“I understand the importance to share as much information as possible with our school community during this time of healing,” he said.
Crumbley, who was charged as an adult, faces 24 counts, including four first-degree murder counts. Last month, his lawyer told the court that a psychiatric evaluation of the teenager has been completed and a written report of the results is expected to be available in 45 days. He plans to plead insanity, according to court filings.
Crumbley has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for April 21.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter after allegedly neglecting or failing to notice warning signs about their son in the months before the shooting. They also allegedly bought their son a 9-mm Sig Sauer pistol as a present just days before he allegedly used it in the shooting.
The Crumbleys have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are due back in court on April 19 for a pretrial hearing.
ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — A second group of asylum seekers arrived in Washington, D.C., Thursday on a charter bus after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to transport migrants from Texas to D.C.
This comes just one day after the first bus of undocumented migrants from Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, was transported to the nation’s capital.
Abbott said the order is a direct response to President Joe Biden’s plans to end Title 42 expulsions on May 23. The controversial policy, which the Trump administration implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, restricts migrants from coming into the country under the auspices of a public health emergency.
“Leaders in Congress have no idea about the chaos they have caused by the open border policies and they refuse to come down and see firsthand and talk to the people who are really they’re just dropping bombs of illegal immigrants from countries across the entire globe, leaving those local communities to have to grapple with it,” Abbott told reporters on Wednesday.
The Texas governor added, “there will be more that will be arriving whether by bus or plane so that Washington is going to have to respond and deal with the same challenges that we’re doing.”
Chris Magnus, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPD) commissioner, expressed concerns over Abbott leading the operation without “adequate coordination with the federal government.”
“As individuals await the outcome of their immigration proceedings, they are legally obligated to report in for the next steps in their immigration process and permitted to travel elsewhere. CBP’s close partnerships with other government and non-governmental stakeholders are essential to this effort, and to ensuring fairness, order, and humanity in the process.” Magnus said in a statement. “Governor Abbott is taking actions to move migrants without adequately coordinating with the federal government and local border communities. CBP has always worked closely with and supported border communities in Texas, many of which CBP personnel call home.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s press secretary Susana Castillo told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday, “Our Administration continues to work with NGOs [Non-Government Organizations] who are providing resources to the arriving individuals and families. Our partners were able to triage the first bus, which included individuals hoping to settle outside of the region.
Immigration advocacy groups and faith leaders held a joint press conference in front of Washington, D.C.,’s Union Station to welcome asylum seekers who arrived in Washington D.C. on Thursday.
Organizers from Welcome with Dignity, Carecen, and CASA, told reporters they plan to help asylum seekers as they connect with their family members in the United States, as well as, provide legal services if needed.
“Our community is ready to receive any immigrants that the governor of Texas wants to send here. We are an open city. We are a welcoming city. We will continue to be that. We have the support of the local government,” Abel Nunez, the executive director of Carecen, a Central American refugee nonprofit, said.
“I invite the governor of Texas, if he wants to continue to send immigrants to this region, to coordinate with us so that we can ensure that we can provide the best service and we can meet all their legal obligations, ” Nunez said.
During the presser, immigration advocates also called out Biden for the delays in passing immigration reform. Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, said federal legislation is the only long-term solution to address the ongoing crisis.
“I want to send a very clear message to the Biden administration: It is time to pass immigration reform. I remember when he was running for president, he promised that if he controlled the White House and Congress, they were going to pass immigration reform. We are still demanding that. That is the only real solution to this crisis that we are facing,” Torres said.
(NEW YORK) — With inflation at a 40-year high and food costs continuing to rise, it’s time to take stock of how we approach cooking to make the most of our money in each meal.
What’s the issue
Labor and supply shortages from the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to add a strain on wallets when it comes to price increases on food. Whether it’s picking something up for lunch or cooking at home, both index categories have seen steady rises in pricing that has been passed onto consumers.
In March, the overall increase in the food index was one of the three largest contributors to inflation, according to the latest Labor Department report.
The food at home index, which includes groceries, saw a 1.5% jump in the last month. Plus, fresh produce climbed another 1.5% this month after an already 2.3% increase in February for fruits and vegetables. Since the same time period last year, the food at home index has jumped 10% annually, also marking the biggest increase since 1981.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), monthly grocery budgets depend on three factors: The number of people in the household; age and gender of each person; and monthly household budget. The average cost of groceries for U.S. households was $4,942 annually or close to $12 per month, based on 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As people continue to cook more at home amid the pandemic, the demand for ingredients and cost-effective meals has also skyrocketed.
How to curb costs
Leslie Ghize, a consumer strategist expert and executive vice president at business development firm Doneger TOBE, explained to GMA that inflation influences can be broken up into three main categories: “Indicators of sentiment, behavioral changes in consumers and business responses,” she said.
For example, the rise of cost on groceries and food has been a catalyst for content creators on TikTok to share smart home cooking hacks.
“TikTok has become a destination for money saving tips and tricks. While thrifting proliferates on FashionTok, food influencers offer penny-pinching ideas like recipes that only require a few ingredients and techniques to help produce last longer,” Ghize explained. “Think: storing mushrooms in a paper bag and keeping lettuce in a glass jar.”
Recipe for successful at-home meals that stretch your dollar
Savyy home cooks and food creators, cookbook authors, grocery experts and more will curate recipes and food launchpads to iterate on an array of money-saving meals with GMA Food.
Highlighting one main ingredient that is cost effective — like a bulk pack of chicken thighs — is the perfect opportunity for recipes that use cooked chicken thighs in three variations to ultimately deliver multiple meals with different flavors and techniques. Like this recipe from cookbook author Ali Slagle that feeds four people with chicken thighs and uses other smart money-conscious ingredients like frozen peas.
Additionally, if the cost of a particular ingredient category, such as pork or beef, is on the rise, expect to find a recipe that instead embraces seasonal produce items that are abundant and more cost-efficient paired with pantry staples like grains and beans.
From buying the right foods in bulk and using an ingredient in its entirety — stems to leaves — to purposely cooking more of one dish in batches that can be transformed into a different next day lunch or dinner, these money-saving meals will make the most of any budget.
