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.
Chad Smith is one proud papa today: His daughter earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on Sunday night’s American Idol.
Under the name Ava Maybee, the 20-year-old daughter of the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer sang Stevie Wonder‘s classic “Lately,” and impressed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Richie compared Ava’s alto voice to that of Cher, and Perry said it was a “cool sound.” Bryan said he felt that Ava was an “artist,” adding, “I’m interested to hear and see more of what you’ve got goin’ on.”
Richie then said he was going to “go against” the singer’s family, joking, “You’re not going to be a ‘maybe,’ you’re going to be a ‘for sure.'” Perry and Bryan dubbed her “Ava Yes,” and told her she was going to Hollywood. Perry also complimented Ava’s outfit, which mixed florals with leopard print.
Ava’s birth name is Ava Maybee Cardoso Smith.
American Idol‘s Hollywood Week starts tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
The Chili Peppers will release their new album, Unlimited Love, on April 1.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden appeared to want to both ways when he fielded a barrage of questions Monday asking him to clarify his remarks that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
He stood by his words “expressing moral outrage” but also clarified that the U.S. is not supporting regime change in Russia.
In a rare move for the White House, Biden — who made the apparently unscripted comment in Poland on Saturday — took questions from reporters Monday afternoon at an event unveiling his latest budget proposal, which includes $6.9 billion to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression.
The first question to Biden was: “Do you believe what you said, that Putin can’t remain in power, or do you now regret saying that? Because your government has been trying to walk that back, did your words complicate matters?”
Pres. Biden says he was not “articulating a policy change” when he said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
“Number one, I’m not walking anything back. The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing and the acts of this man just — brutality, half the children in Ukraine. I had just come from being with those families, and so — but I want to make it clear, I wasn’t then nor am I now articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it,” Biden said.
Biden went on to say that he does not think the comment complicates the diplomacy of this moment.
“The fact is that we’re in a situation where it complicates the situation at the moment is the escalatory efforts of Putin to continue to engage in carnage. The kind of behavior that makes the whole world say, ‘My God, what is this man doing?’ That’s what complicates things a great deal and — but I don’t think it complicates it all,” Biden added.
“I was expressing my outrage. He shouldn’t remain in power. Just like, you know, bad people shouldn’t continue to do bad things. But it doesn’t mean we have a fundamental policy to do anything to take Putin down in any way,” Biden said.
Pressed by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce if he’s confident Putin doesn’t see his words as escalatory, Biden said, “I don’t care what he thinks.”
“Given his behavior, people should understand that he is going to do what he thinks he should do, period. He’s not affected by anybody else including, unfortunately, his own advisers. This is a guy who goes to the beat of his own drummer. And the idea that he is going to do something outrageous because I called him for what he was and what he’s doing, I think is just not rational,” Biden said.
He told Bruce that another meeting with Putin, “depends on what he wants to talk about.”
Asked why he made the comment closing out his four-day alliance-building trip that was not in his prepared remarks, Biden said he was “talking directly to the Russian people.”
Pressed further, Biden repeated he was “expressing the moral outrage I felt toward this man” and “wasn’t articulating a policy change.”
“The last part of the speech was talking to the Russian people, telling them what we thought. I was communicating this to not only the Russian people but the whole world. This is — this is just stating a simple fact that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. And the way to deal with it is to strengthen and put — keep NATO completely united and help Ukraine where we can.”
Biden told reporters Sunday evening he was not calling for Putin’s removal from office, after the White House and some Democrats scrambled to explain the president was not endorsing regime change in Russia as a policy goal.
“The president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said after the speech.
“I think the president, the White House made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. “As you’ve heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it’s up to the people of the country in question. It’s up to the Russian people.”
Putin’s allies, meanwhile, have appeared to take the comment as escalatory rhetoric, and the fallout could undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war.
“That’s not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians,” said Kremlin spokesperson Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Biden also called Putin a “butcher” over the weekend, prompting some world leaders to distance themselves from the rhetoric, with France’s Emmanuel Macron saying, “I wouldn’t use this type of wording.”
The dustup comes as recent polls have shown growing frustration with Biden’s handling of Ukraine, even while most Americans favor specific steps the president has taken. According to recent ABC News/Ipsos data, 70% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of gas prices, for instance, though even more respondents — 77% — support his proposal to ban Russian oil, even if it means paying more at the pump.
Biden has stepped up his rhetoric in recent weeks as the fighting in Ukraine has worsened. At least twice in the last month, he has called the Russian president a “war criminal,” adding he thinks Putin “will meet the legal definition.” The State Department announced last week Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine but did not specially name Putin.
The house where Trisha Yearwood films Trisha’s Southern Kitchen is sentimental for many reasons, one of which is that it’s where she used to cook for husband Garth Brooks, before they were married.
While giving a tour of the set, Trisha reveals that she actually owned the house in Nashville before it was used for her show on the Food Network, and says that the coolest person she’s ever cooked for in the home was none other than the country legend. In fact, it was in that kitchen where she first started to fall in love with her future husband.
“I actually cooked for Garth in this kitchen long before there was a TV show,” she explains, recalling how she made a fettuccine Alfredo dish so rich that he “almost fell asleep in the plate.”
“But I think that was the beginning of me knowing that ‘I’m going to marry this guy,'” she reveals.
Other secrets Trisha gives away includes that one of her favorite items in the kitchen is the Gwendolyn cake platters, designed from sketches created by her late mother, Gwen, who was also a baker and master cake decorator.
Among the items you’ll always find in the fridge are milk, eggs and coffee creamer. Items you’ll never see? Sardines or wasabi.
