Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Is Rihanna‘s baby due in May? Some fans think so after noticing an interesting birth stone included in the “Umbrella” singer’s new bling.
People reports that A$AP Rocky purchased a sentimental but pricey charm bracelet for his girlfriend ahead of her 34th birthday. The bauble is adorned with 10 special charms that relate directly to their relationship, revealed luxury jewelry designer Annoushka Ducas.
“He was so sweet and he was very specific that the charms had to be in the order that he had arranged them,” said Ducas. “He wanted to know how each one worked, because all my charms move and open and do what you might expect and he was bowled over by that — I just think it’s the most romantic gift.”
The 18-karat gold bracelet is valued at $51,991. Among the 10 diamond-encrusted charms is an evil eye to ward of bad energy, a tulip to symbolize new life, an Alice in Wonderland-inspired mushroom, a love letter, and — what fans found the most telling — a “love locket” with an emerald in the middle.
Emerald is the birth stone for May, leading fans to believe that may be the month Rihanna is due. The Grammy winner previously told ELLEshe’s in her third trimester. We’ve got two months to wait to see whether the fan speculation is correct.
Caitlyn Jenner has a new gig: She’s been named a contributor for Fox News.
In a statement, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said of her new hire, “Caitlyn’s story is an inspiration to us all. She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience.”
For her part, Jenner added, “I am humbled by this unique opportunity to speak directly to…millions of viewers about a range of issues that are important to the American people.”
The former athlete turned trans activist, and California Republican gubernatorial hopeful has appeared on the network many times since transitioning in 2015, frequently commenting about the controversial issue of trans athletes dominating women’s sports.
Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist, makes her official debut Thursday evening on Hannity.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
As Trevor Noah is suiting up to host the upcoming Grammy Awards on Sunday night, he shared the songs that he’s been putting on repeat.
To hype music’s biggest night, Noah listed the songs that soundtrack his showers, workouts and more. “When I shower, I think the best song to listen to is ‘Peaches.’ Clean them, and then you gotta sing about it, you know what I mean?,” he cheekily revealed in reference to Justin Bieber‘s hit.
Noah revealed Silk Sonic is also a big part of his day, adding, “When I work out, I know this may be controversial, but I love ‘Leave the Door Open.’ You can control the moves as you do it. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.”
“When I’m celebrating anything, ‘Montero,’ definitely,” he said of Lil Nas X’s smash. The host of The Daily Show also said whenever he needs “to do an interpretive dance,” which he admits happens “maybe maximum twice a week,” he picks Brandi Carlisle‘s “Right on Time.”
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday, starting at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
“Industry Baby” rapper Jack Harlow is officially adding another awards show performance to his growing resume. He, alongside Ariana Grande‘s Don’t Look Up co-star Kid Cudi, have been tapped to entertain the audience at the upcoming Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.
Harlow will not only dazzle on the stage, he is also up to win Favorite Breakout Artist when the show airs on April 9. The 23-year-old artist is very excited about his upcoming gig, and said in a press release, “I grew up on Nickelodeon so to be nominated AND perform at the Kids’ Choice Awards is crazy. Here’s to hoping I get slimed!”
Harlow is also set to perform at the upcoming Grammy Awards alongside Lil Nas X on April 3, where he is also up for an award — Best Melodic Rap Performance for being a featured artist on “Industry Baby.”
With two high-octane performances set just six days apart — on top of rehearsing two acceptance speeches should he win — it appears it’ll be a busy week of prep work for the “Nail Tech” artist.
(NEW YORK) — As experts continue to warn of a growing youth mental health crisis, new data is shedding light on how severely high school students have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic.
Over one-third of high school students in the United States reported experiencing poor mental health during the pandemic, while nearly half of students, 44%, reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless in the past year, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Female high school students and those who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual reported greater levels of poor mental health, emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver and having attempted suicide than their counterparts, according to the CDC.
The data found the pandemic’s impact on parents’ jobs and mental health was also felt by students, with 55% reporting experiencing emotional abuse by a parent or other adult in the home and more than a quarter of students reporting that a parent lost a job during the pandemic.
“These data echo a cry for help,” Dr. Debra Houry, CDC acting principal deputy director, said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental wellbeing.”
The CDC’s new data, based on a survey of high school students done over six months last year, is the first nationwide survey of its kind. It builds on previous statistics showing a growing mental health crisis among young people.
“The nation’s youth we’re experiencing a growing mental health crisis for COVID-19, and it’s worsened during the pandemic,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said Thursday. “All children have been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic in some way but not all equally, and because of that, some of the youth experienced more serious effects [and] those effects can last for a long time.”
In the last months of 2021, the U.S. surgeon general described the pandemic’s impact on youth mental health as “devastating,” and organizations representing child psychiatrists, pediatricians and children’s hospitals declared a national emergency for youth mental health.
Previous CDC data also found an uptick in mental health-related emergency department visits for children early in the pandemic when compared to 2019, as well as a 50.6% increase in suspected suicide attempt emergency department visits among girls ages 12 to 17.
In response to the growing crisis, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has been on a listening tour with youth across the country this year.
“The pandemic’s been more challenging for some children,” Murthy told ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton in an interview for the ABC News primetime special “24 Months That Changed the World.” “If we want to address this, we’ve got to listen to kids.”
The latest data from the CDC did have a silver lining, finding that schools can be a great mental health resource for students in providing a sense of belonging and support, called “school connectedness.”
Students who felt connected to adults and peers at school were significantly less likely to report feelings of sadness or hopelessness and less likely to seriously consider or attempt suicide, according to the CDC.
The data though also found that less than half of students, 47%, reported feeling close to people at school during the pandemic. In the first weeks and months of the pandemic, many schools in the U.S. switched from in-person to remote learning, relying on tools like Zoom to stay connected with students.
“School connectedness is a key to addressing youth adversities at all times – especially during times of severe disruptions,” Dr. Kathleen A. Ethier, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said in a statement. “Students need our support now more than ever, whether by making sure that their schools are inclusive and safe or by providing opportunities to engage in their communities and be mentored by supportive adults.”
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden addressed the youth mental health crisis in his State of the Union address. At the same time, his administration announced a “national mental health strategy” that includes a proposal to expand early childhood and in-school mental health services.
In October, the U.S. Department of Education released resources to help schools support students’ mental health, social and emotional needs through the $122 billion in pandemic relief funding made available to state and local education leaders.
In August, the Biden administration also pledged $85 million in funding at the start of the 2021-22 school year for mental health awareness, treatment and training in schools.
Dr. Gabrielle A. Carlson, a psychiatrist and president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, told ABC News in November that she sees schools as being on “the front lines” of the mental health emergency among kids.
“We need better integrated care, and by integrated we mean you put mental health where the kids are,” she said. “And having access to mental health resources in schools is so important because there’s fewer of the access barriers in school.”
Last month, Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, announced a $15 million donation to the JED Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on mental health in schools.
The money, the largest single donation in JED’s history, will allow the foundation to scale its work to reach over 12 million students, the foundation’s CEO, John MacPhee, told ABC News.
The goal of the foundation’s efforts, according to MacPhee, is to make mental health awareness and support part of the culture of schools.
“Everyone in the school, everyone in the community, has a role to play to support the mental health and well-being of young people,” he said. “It’s a culture of caring where there is really no wrong door, so it is everyone’s responsibility to notice and support someone who might be struggling.”
ABC News’ senior national policy reporter Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.” Heavy shelling and missile attacks, many on civilian buildings, continue in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as other major cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 31, 12:34 pm
Ukraine resumes control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant
Russian troops are giving back control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to Ukraine, according to a letter from Russia’s nuclear power company, Rosatom.
The site had been under the control of Russian forces since the invasion began on Feb. 24.
The letter is dated March 31 and was signed by Ukraine’s nuclear regulator, Energoatom.
-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko
Mar 31, 12:15 pm
Ukraine resumes control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant
Russian troops are giving back control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to Ukraine, according to a letter from Russia’s nuclear power company, Rosatom.
The site had been under the control of Russian forces since the invasion began on Feb. 24.
The letter is dated March 31 and was signed by Ukraine’s nuclear regulator, Energoatom.
-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko
Mar 31, 11:18 am
Putin says gas exports will be stopped unless payment made in rubles
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree requiring payment in rubles for gas exports.
As of Friday, Putin said all buyers from “unfriendly” countries — including Germany, France and Poland — must open ruble accounts in Russian banks, and contracts with parties who refuse will be deemed null and void.
President Joe Biden will be releasing one million barrels of oil per day from the strategic petroleum reserve for the next six months, according to the White House.
“Because of Putin’s war of choice, less oil is getting to market, and the reduction in supply is raising prices at the pump for Americans. President Biden is committed to doing everything in his power to help American families who are paying more out of pocket,” the White House said in a statement Thursday.
Mar 31, 10:15 am
Red Cross says its warehouse in Mariupol was damaged
A warehouse belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was shelled in Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol.
A satellite image shows the damage to the building, which bears a large white sign with a red cross on the roof.
“We can confirm that an image being circulated online shows damage to the ICRC warehouse in Mariupol,” the ICRC said in a statement Wednesday. “We do not have a team on the ground there, so have no other information on potential casualties or the extent of the damage.”
The Geneva-based humanitarian organization said it had distributed all supplies from the Mariupol warehouse earlier in March, including medical supplies to hospitals and relief supplies to people living in shelters. No ICRC staff have been at the warehouse since March 15 and it was unclear how the building has been used since, according to the organization.
The ICRC noted the “massive humanitarian needs” in Mariupol, but said it has been “unable to bring in more supplies due to the intensity of the fighting and the absence of a functional agreement between the parties to allow for the safe passage of humanitarian assistance.”
“Under international humanitarian law, objects used for humanitarian relief operations must be respected and protected at all times,” the ICRC said. “We are concerned that even a building with a red cross on it can be seriously damaged. Civilian infrastructure, hospitals and medical personnel cannot be targeted.”
“But what we are most outraged by is the overall humanitarian situation in Mariupol and the relentless suffering inflicted on civilians living there,” the organization added. “People are trapped with no safe way out of the city, and they are running out of the very basics needed for their survival. This must change.”
Mar 31, 9:32 am
Russia ‘lied’ about withdrawing troops, NATO says
Russian troops “are not withdrawing” from parts of Ukraine as claimed, but rather are “repositioning,” according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who cited NATO “intelligence.”
“Russia has repeatedly lied about its intentions,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference Thursday. “Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas region [in eastern Ukraine].”
Meanwhile, pressure is being maintained on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other major cities, according to Stoltenberg.
“We can expect additional offensive actions bringing even more suffering,” he added.
Mar 31, 9:23 am
Videos show intense fighting in Mariupol
Videos circulating online show intense fighting taking place in Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol.
The footage, verified by ABC News, was taken by a Russian state media journalist who is embedded with the Russian military. The videos were posted online Thursday, though the exact date of filming was unknown. Based on the location of the fighting, ABC News assesses it is highly likely the videos were shot in the past couple of days.
One video shows a Russian tank firing multiple times on the streets of Mariupol. Another video shows the Russian journalist filming himself in Mariupol as tanks open fire and gunshots erupt all around him.
The strategic port city in southeastern Ukraine has been under heavy Russian bombardment for weeks and tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped there.
Mar 31, 8:15 am
‘Significant Russian shelling’ persists in Chernihiv, says UK
Despite Russia’s claims of curbing its military activity around Chernihiv, “significant Russian shelling and missile strikes have continued” in the besieged northern Ukrainian city, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Thursday in an intelligence update.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, “despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units,” according to the ministry.
“Heavy fighting will likely take place in the suburbs of the city in the coming days,” the ministry added.
Heavy fighting also continues in Ukraine’s southern port city of Mariupol, “a key objective of Russian forces,” according to the ministry.
“However Ukrainian forces remain in control of the center of the city,” the ministry said.
Mar 31, 7:46 am
Kremlin reacts to US saying Putin ‘felt misled’
The Russian government is “concerned” by recent statements from U.S. officials claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin “felt misled” by his advisers and the Russian military on the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference Thursday.
“We do not just regret this. This is a source of our concern,” Peskov told reporters, “because such an utter lack of understanding is the reason why erroneous, rash decisions are made with very bad consequences.”
“It looks like neither the [U.S.] Department of State nor the Pentagon know what is really happening in the Kremlin,” he added. “They simply do not understand what is going on in the Kremlin. They do not understand President Putin. They do not understand the decision-making mechanism. They do not understand our work style.”
Mar 31, 7:25 am
Russia announces cease-fire in besieged Mariupol
Russia has announced a localized cease-fire in Ukraine’s besieged southern port city of Mariupol on Thursday to allow civilians to be evacuated.
A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, via the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk, would be opened from 10 a.m. local time, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“For this humanitarian operation to succeed, we propose to carry it out with the direct participation of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement Wednesday night.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a later statement via Telegram that the Red Cross confirmed Russia had agreed to open a humanitarian corridor to Mauripol, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped with no electricity and dwindling supplies after weeks of Russian bombardment. A convoy of 45 evacuation buses was headed to the city to collect civilians, according to Vereshchuk.
A number of previous attempts to establish humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol have failed, with Russia and Ukraine trading accusations of breaking cease-fires and sabotaging evacuation efforts.
Mar 31, 6:21 am
At least 1,189 civilians killed, 1,901 injured in Ukraine: OHCHR
At least 1,189 civilians have been killed and 1,901 others have been injured in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
At least 108 children were among the dead and 142 among the injured, according to the OHCHR, which noted that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine had reported at least 145 children were killed and 222 injured as of Wednesday.
“We know the actual figures are likely far higher,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement Wednesday. “In many places of intensive hostilities, such as Mariupol and Volnovakha, it is very challenging to obtain a comprehensive picture.”
According to a press release from the OHCHR, most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missile and airstrikes.
The agency has also received “credible allegations that Russian armed forces have used cluster munitions in populated areas at least 24 times,” according to Bachelet, who noted that her office is “also investigating allegations that Ukrainian armed forces have used such weapons.”
“The persistent use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas is of immense concern,” she said. “Homes and administrative buildings, hospitals and schools, water stations and electricity systems have not been spared.”
According to Bachelet, at least one Ukrainian facility for bedridden patients and others with disabilities, mostly elderly people, came under fire while its residents were inside, with dozens of alleged casualties.
“My colleagues in Ukraine are working to establish the fate and whereabouts of survivors,” she added.
The OHCHR noted in its press release that “the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.” Those areas include Mariupol and Volnovakha in the Donetsk Oblast, Izium in the Kharkiv Oblast, Popasna in the Luhansk Oblast, and Trostianets in the Sumy Oblast, where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties. Casualty numbers from those locations are being further corroborated and thus are not included in the latest statistics, according to the agency.
Mar 31, 4:32 am
Putin ‘massively misjudged’ invasion of Ukraine, UK spy chief says
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently “massively misjudged” his invasion of Ukraine, a U.K. intelligence chief said Thursday.
“It’s clear he misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people. He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime, and he overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory,” Jeremy Fleming, head of the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), said during a speech in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
“We’ve seen Russian soldiers, short of weapons and morale, refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” he added.
While Fleming agreed with a recent assessment by U.S. intelligence that Putin’s advisers were believed to be too afraid to tell the truth, he said the “extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime.” He warned that Russia is searching for cyber targets and bringing in mercenaries to reinforce its stalled military campaign in Ukraine.
(WASHINGTON) — He still hasn’t found what he’s looking for: emergency COVID-19 relief funding to distribute more vaccines to underserved countries.
U2’s frontrunner Paul “Bono” Hewson visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he continued to lobby lawmakers to adopt a global plan to vaccinate 70% of the world’s population globally by September as additional COVID funding remains stalled. The ONE Campaign, an international anti-poverty organization co-founded by Bono, is behind the effort.
There are still 2.8 billion people around the world waiting to get their first COVID vaccine shot, according to a United Nations analysis.
While on the Hill, Bono also took time to thank Capitol Police officers for defending democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, telling them that they’re respected around the world for their bravery.
“I haven’t been back since Jan. 6, and you guys saved America as far as I’m concerned from so much awfulness on that day,” Bono told them in a video the Capitol Police posted on Twitter. “And I just want to say, people around the world really respect you.”
Bono was in Washington for a Thursday evening ceremony where he’ll be awarded the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding for his “commitment to seek justice by fighting to end extreme poverty, tackle global health crises, and spur economic development in the poorest parts of the planet.” Past recipients include former President Jimmy Carter and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
His visit also comes two weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi read a poem he wrote aloud at a St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon — which names Ukraine’s Volodymyr President Zelenskyy as a saint — amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
“I got this message this morning from Bono,” Pelosi said of the Ireland-born singer. “And they struggle for us to be free, from the psycho in this human family. Ireland’s sorrow and pain, is now the Ukraine, and Saint Patrick’s name now Zelenskyy,” she read, quoting Bono.
Bono was spotted by reporters leaving Pelosi’s office on Wednesday. He was on the Hill to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate about the need for supplemental COVID funding for the international vaccine response, according to the ONE campaign.
The global superstar is no stranger to the Capitol Rotunda.
He also made stops there while on tour in the nation’s capital in 2017 and 2018 to thank lawmakers on behalf of the ONE Campaign for various funding.
(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice is expanding its criminal probe into the events of Jan. 6 to include preparations for the rally that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the financing for the event, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Over the past two months, grand jury subpoenas have been sent to those who assisted in the organizing and planning of former President Donald Trump’s “Save America” rally on the Ellipse near the White House, the sources said.
The news of the expanding probe was first reported by the Washington Post.
The subpoenas to individuals with knowledge of the event are expansive, the sources said. Prosecutors are seeking multiple records and documents related to the rally, including text messages and emails, as well as potential communications with other individuals regarding the logistics of the event.
Officials with the Department of Justice declined to comment to ABC News.
The subpoenas are not indicative of wrongdoing, and one source said some subpoenas were sent with the clear indication that the request was for witness testimony and cooperation.
“In circumstances like those of Jan. 6, a full accounting does not suddenly materialize. To ensure that all those criminally responsible are held accountable, we must collect the evidence,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a speech on Jan. 5, one year after the Capitol attack.
“We follow the physical evidence. We follow the digital evidence. We follow the money. But most important, we follow the facts — not an agenda or an assumption. The facts tell us where to go next,” Garland said.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
It’s no surprise that Grammy-winner Rihanna is currently sporting one of the most fashionable pregnancies in music.
Since sharing the exciting news of her pregnancy with boyfriend A$AP Rocky in January, the superstar has constantly showed off her growing belly bump in some of the most fashionable looks.
In the latest edition of Rihanna’s preggo looks catalog, the “Umbrella” singer shared her show-stopping ensemble for Jay Z’s Oscar Gold Party. The all-black, couture Valentino dress featured a just-about fully sheer, long sleeve top and a long sparkly bottom. She paired it with a black strapless bandeau and a slick-back-behind-the-ears, long, straight hairdo.
Though it was suggested who her plus one was for the event, she confirmed on Instagram saying, “me and my date for Oscar Gold Party #bump22.”
Rih’s preggo fashion all started with the reveal. She and dad-to-be A$AP shocked the world when they dropped the news by way of a sweet, chic NY photo shoot. Draped in a gold jewel-encrusted cross, Rihanna’s toe-length pink jacket was left open just enough to show off the growing bump.
It’s clear Rihanna loves her all black and was again ready to show off the bump, along with some cleavage, when captured out and about back in February. In a March all-black look, she paired her leather thigh-high boots with a matching miniskirt and silver sparkly bra.
From fur with animal prints to blue cut-out bodysuits, Rihanna just keeps on bumpin’ around in style.
Demi Lovato may be getting ready to say goodbye to their pop music, but there is one exception — “Cool for the Summer,” which has a brand-new remix on the horizon.
The Grammy nominee casually told fans about the unexpected revival on Wednesday by simply dropping a link so fans can pre-save the upcoming song, which has since been renamed “Cool for the Summer (Sped Up Remix),” though a release date has yet to be announced.
Demi released “Cool for the Summer” in 2015 and the track has since gained new life on TikTok — most recently being mashed together with Ginuwine‘s “Pony.”
The news comes as Demi revealed a brand-new tattoo on their arm on Wednesday, which reads, “Choose Love.”
“Choose Love – always,” the singer explained. “I’m inspired by the work @chooselove and their partners are doing to support refugees around the world, including those fleeing Ukraine.”
The tattoo was done by Ukranian tattoo artist Gusak, with the singer remarking, “It was such an honor learning about your home country.”
Demi also announced they are partnering with Choose Love to help Ukrainians displaced from their home by the Russian invasion, writing, “Take action with @chooselove and enter for a chance to win time with me in the studio to hear new music.” Fans can enter now on Propeller.
