On April 8, expect your favorite artists’ socials to be flooded with messages calling for support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and the associated humanitarian crisis.
Among the artists participating in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media movement are Stevie Nicks, U2, Billy Joel, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Radiohead and many more.
Organized by Global Citizen, Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit on April 9.
More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.
Visit GlobalCitizen.org to learn how to participate yourself.
On April 8, expect your favorite artists’ socials to be flooded with messages calling for support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and the associated humanitarian crisis.
Among the artists participating in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media movement are Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, U2, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette, Chris Isaak, Celine Dion and many more.
Organized by Global Citizen, Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit on April 9.
More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.
Visit GlobalCitizen.org to learn how to participate yourself.
(WASHINGTON) — The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Dick Durbin, is calling on Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from Jan. 6-related cases following reports that Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas, had exchanged texts with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, urging him to attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results.
Durbin said Monday that the development “raises a serious question about conflict of interest for Justice Thomas.”
“To think that he would consider a case where his wife is frequently contacting the chief of staff for the president and giving advice on matters that are going to be ultimately litigated by the court,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “For the good of the court, I think he should recuse himself from those cases.”
Sources familiar with the text messages, which were obtained by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, confirmed their authenticity to ABC News. The content of the messages was first reported by The Washington Post and CBS News.
“Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!” Thomas wrote to Meadows on Nov. 10 after the election was officially called for Joe Biden. “You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.”
“Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs,” Meadows wrote. “Do not grow weary in well doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it.”
The Supreme Court then declined to block the Jan. 6 committee from obtaining Trump White House records in January over the objection of only one justice: Clarence Thomas.
Pressed as to whether the Senate Judiciary intends to take action on or investigate the matter, Durbin said the committee would have those discussions once they deal with the pending nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court.
“There’s plenty of time and plenty of reason for us to debate this in the future,” Durbin said. “But for the time being. I want to make sure this vacancy is filled with Judge Jackson.”
Durbin added there are “a lot of things for which we will discuss” after Jackson’s confirmation vote, but that he is “troubled to say the least by the disclosures about what Justice Thomas’s wife has been doing.”
President Biden, meanwhile, is attempting to stay out of the debate over whether Thomas should recuse himself, saying Monday at a White House event unveiling his budget that he would “leave that to two entities.”
“One, the January 6th committee and two the Justice Department. That’s their judgment, not mine to make,” Biden said.
The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is also debating whether or not to ask Ginni Thomas for her voluntary cooperation and is meeting on Monday evening to discuss whether to hold former Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress for their refusal to comply with subpoenas.
Sources say there are others on the panel who believe the committee should take the more aggressive step of attempting to compel her testimony via subpoena.
Pressed further on Monday to take his own position, the president was unwavering.
“I told you those things get into legal issues. That, in fact, I told you I would not tell the Justice Department what position to take or not take. And I’m not going to instruct the Congress either,” he said to reporters.
The messages — more than two dozen between Thomas and Meadows in November of 2020, and one from Jan. 10 — were among the thousands of pages of text messages, emails and documents Meadows voluntarily turned over to the committee last year, before he reversed course and decided not to cooperate with the inquiry.
Thomas did not respond to an earlier request for comment from ABC News. A spokesman for the committee declined to comment on the messages or their contents.
“There were some eyebrows raised when Justice Thomas was that lone vote,” said Kate Shaw, ABC News Supreme Court analyst and Cardozo Law professor. “But he did not explain himself, so we don’t actually know why he wished to take up the case.”
There are no explicit ethics guidelines that govern the activities of a justice’s spouse, experts say, but there are rules about justices avoiding conflicts of interest. Federal law requires that federal judges recuse themselves from cases whenever their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Benjamin Siegel, Devin Dwyer, Justin Gomez and Libby Cathey contributed to this report.
On April 8, expect your favorite artists’ socials to be flooded with messages calling for support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and the associated humanitarian crisis.
Among the artists participating in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media movement are Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Tame Impala, FINNEAS and many more.
Organized by Global Citizen, Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit on April 9.
More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.
On Instagram on Monday, Coi Leray announced that her debut album, Trendsetter, is dropping on April 8.
Revealing what seems to be the album cover, the “No More Parties” rapper said, “This will be one of the biggest female artist albums in the world and I put my life on it it’s not a race, it’s a Trendsetter Marathon.”
News of the albums comes at the same time that her latest single, “Blick Blick” featuring Nicki Minaj,charted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
New York Rapper Bobby Shmurda is finally free from his contract with Epic Records, after months of publicly expressing grief with his career progression as a member of the label.
“To all Shmurda fans aka the Shmurdas. I just sign my release papers also jus made ah milly today,” the rapper said in an Instagram story.
It was just last month that he took to social media, comparing his contract to his recent six-year jail sentence and claiming that the label didn’t want to release him from his contract.
“This is not a cry for help this is a message and understanding for my fans that they stopping my music and prolonging my career,” Shmurda said. “It’s been ah year now I still feel like I’m in prison…I need them to let me goooooooo!!! #FreeShmurda.”
Now a free agent, the rapper is ready to drop new music.
There was certainly a lot that transpired at last night’s Oscar Awards. One positive moment that shouldn’t be overlooked is the reunion of the cast of hit 1992 hit film White Men Can’t Jump.
In celebration of the movie’s 30th anniversary on Sunday, stars Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez reunited to present the award for Best Cinematography.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is launching a “formal review” of the confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars when Smith walked on stage and slapped Rock in the face.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law,” the Academy said in a statement Monday.
According to their standards of conduct, the Academy is “categorically opposed to any form of abuse.”
“If any member is found by the Academy to have violated these standards or to have compromised the integrity of the Academy by their actions — whether in a professional or non- professional setting — the Academy may take any disciplinary action permitted by the Academy’s Bylaws, up to and including suspension of membership or expulsion from membership,” the Academy states in the document.
The confrontation occurred when Rock, who was presenting the Oscar for best documentary at the 94th Academy Awards, made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in a sequel to the 1997 film G.I. Jane, seemingly in reference to her shaved head. Pinkett Smith has been open about having alopecia, an autoimmune disorder which results in hair loss.
Smith went on to win the Oscar for best actor for his role in King Richard, apologizing to the Academy and his fellow nominees in a tearful acceptance speech.
After the show, the Academy tweeted in part, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form.”
The Los Angeles Police Department told ABC News it was aware of the altercation, but no police report had been filed.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Capitol finally reopened its doors Monday after being closed for nearly two years due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
It will be a limited reopening that will involve member-led and staff-led tours of up to 15 people as well as school groups that have registered in advance, according to a statement from Maj. Gen. William Walker, the House sergeant-at-arms, and Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol’s attending physician.
Attestation of a daily negative health screening form is “recommended” for all visitors, as COVID-19 restrictions in Washington, D.C., and across the country are lifted.
“We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we work together to resume public tours of the Capitol for the American people in a way that protects the health and safety of visitors and institutional staff alike,” Walker and Monahan wrote in the statement.
Both officials said the choice to reestablish limited tours was coordinated with congressional leaders, the U.S. Capitol Police and the board that oversees that force, Capitol Visitor Services and the attending physician.
Reservations are required and must be made through a senator or representative’s office. The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center website still states that it is not accepting tour reservations.
This is the first phase of the planned reopening of the Capitol to visitors. The second phase is expected to commence at the end of May.
(WASHINGTON) — The committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is expected to ask the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, for her cooperation following revelations of messages obtained by congressional investigators in which she repeatedly urged then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to sources familiar with committee members’ deliberations.
While the committee was debating asking Thomas for her voluntary cooperation, there are others on the panel who believe the committee should take the more aggressive step of attempting to compel her testimony via subpoena, the sources say.
“Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!” Thomas wrote to Meadows on Nov. 10 after the election had been officially called for Joe Biden. “You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.”
Meadows, who did not respond to all of Thomas’ missives, texted in late November that Trump’s challenge of the election results was “a fight of good versus evil.”
The text messages were among the thousands of pages of text messages, emails and documents Meadows voluntarily turned over to the committee last year before he reversed course and decided not to cooperate with the inquiry. Sources familiar with the messages confirmed their authenticity to ABC News.
“Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs,” Meadows wrote in one text. “Do not grow weary in well doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it.”
“Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now … I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it,” Thomas replied.
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to resist.
Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday on Day 33:
Ukraine retakes town south of Sumy
The U.S. assesses that Ukrainian forces retook the town of Trostyanets, south of Sumy, in northeast Ukraine, from Russian forces.
“They continue to make progress in that regard,” said the official, who could not confirm reports of other areas having been retaken by the Ukrainians as was reported by Ukraine this weekend.
The official added that Russian forces remain around in a defensive posture, “and the Ukrainians are continuing to try to take back ground,” which they’ve seen in the south and north.
Last Friday, the official said Russian troops north of Kyiv had moved into defensive positions around the city and were putting a priority on operations in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
The official said Monday that Russian troops around Kyiv have stopped making advances towards the city, though they continue using long-range fires. Russian troops remain 15-20 miles north/northwest of the city and about 35 miles east. Russia has now fired more than 1,370 missiles into Ukraine.
“Static situation on the ground there, except for the fact that we continue to see Ukrainians defend the city and try to to push Russians back as well,” said the official.
The southern strategic city of Kherson remains “contested territory,” said the official. On Friday, the official said Kherson, which was seized by Russia early in the fighting, was no longer under full control of Russian forces.
Russia prioritizing the Donbas, but US not sure why
The official said Russian forces appear to have prioritized operations in eastern Ukraine. The official described Russian forces moving southeast from Izyum as making “incremental progress” towards Donbas.
“We’re not exactly sure what’s behind this reprioritization. All I can tell you is what we’re seeing,” said the official.
The U.S. believes it could be to attempt to cut off Ukrainian troops in the east from the rest of the country, to gain leverage for future peace talks or to refocus their strategic goals.
Heavy fighting and shelling continues in Mariupol
“The Ukrainians are slugging it out in Mariupol and they are keeping the Russians at bay there so far,” said the official.
Russian troops entered the southern port city after pounding with artillery and long-range missiles, apparently destroying entire sections of the city. “We continue to see Mariupol getting slammed by long-range fires,” the official said.
“We are certainly aware of reports that inside Mariupol the Ukrainians are not only fighting very, very hard, but that they are experiencing their own challenges because you’re surrounded,” the official added. “It is under incredible pressure by the Russians, but the Ukrainians continue to defend it.”
US troop extensions in eastern Europe?
A major decision of last week’s NATO leaders summit in Brussels was that the alliance would establish a long-term presence in eastern Europe as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes an additional 6,000 American ground forces moved into eastern Europe to reassure NATO countries that border Russia ahead of that invasion.
Now, there are questions about if they will remain there longer than what has been described by the Pentagon as a temporary deployment.
The official noted that when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered additional troops to Europe in recent months, “We made it clear at the time that they will be there for as long as we believe they were necessary to be there, and the secretary continues to believe that they’re necessary.”
The official characterized them as temporary deployments and said Austin is constantly discussing U.S. troop posture with Gen. Tod Wolters, the commander of U.S. European Command and the top commander of NATO forces, and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Those troops are still there and the secretary assesses that they need to stay there, and so I have no announcements or changes to that posture except for those six Growlers that we talked about this morning and as we as we can talk about, we certainly will,” said the official.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced that six U.S. Navy EA-18 Growler aircraft capable of jamming radars with electronic warfare equipment were being deployed to Germany to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank and to deter Russia.
“They are not being deployed to be used against Russian forces in Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stressed in making the announcement. “They are being deployed completely in keeping with our efforts to bolster NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities along that Eastern flank. They are not being sent because of some sort of acute threat that was perceived or some specific incident that happened.”
“This is in order to bolster readiness, enhance NATO’s collective defense posture and further increase air integration capabilities with our allied and partner nations,” Kirby said.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards
Alvina Anderson, Anthony Anderson‘s wife of 22 years, has filed for divorce, marking a second attempt to legally separate from the black-ish star.
According to court documents obtained by People, Alvina cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split, the date of which she listed as “TBD,” and is seeking spousal support as well as paid legal fees by Anthony.
She rescinded her initial 2015 filing and is said to have worked on fixing the relationship. She now asks that property acquired during the marriage be treated as “community” property but “All gifts and inheritance, all assets, earnings, accumulations, and debts acquired by [Alvina] prior to the date of marriage and after the date of separation” be treated as separate property, according to People.
Alvina and Anthony tied the knot in September 1999 and share children Nathan, 22, and Kyra, 26.
