–It’s been almost two years since the hit show P-Valley debuted on Starz and after the cast revealed news of the series’ return in a “top secret” Instagram announcement, fans were more than excited to soon tune in for more drama at The Pynk.
“I can only imagine how much you’ve missed this. I know I have,” says Autumn, who’s portrayed by Elarica Johnson, at the beginning of the trailer.
The sizzling 50-second reel shows off a “whole new Pynk,” highlighting the show’s cast — Nicco Annan, Shannon Thornton, Brandee Evans, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Tyler Lepley and others.
Images of the upcoming season were shared to the series’ official Instagram, along with caption, “Ya best keep your eyes open, cause we comin’ June 3.”
—Trevor Noah returned his The Daily Show with Trevor Noah studio in Manhattan on Monday for the first time in over two years.
According to Variety, Noah interacted with a vaccinated crowd who wore masks and celebrated the TV host’s return by asking him questions on any topic of their choosing.
“Oh man, I’ve missed you guys,” Noah said during his opening monologue. “And I’m so sorry that we were separated for two years. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have left that Tupperware open in Wuhan. My bad, guys. The important part is, we’re all here together again…”
During Monday’s show he spoke about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson‘s historic confirmation and Will Smith being banned from the Academy Awards.
The fest announced its lineup on Tuesday, which includes Megan Thee Stallion, Lauren Hill and D-Nice and will take place at the Pimlico Race Course on May 20.
Evgen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the U.S. assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to fight back.
Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday on Day 48:
Russia could use riot control agents to mask chemical weapons
A defense official said the U.S. cannot confirm whether Russia has used any chemical weapons in Mariupol or elsewhere in Ukraine, but the Defense Department has seen evidence Russia could consider disguising use of chemical weapons by making them look like more benign riot-control agents.
“In the past we’ve had indications that that could be one thing that the Russians look at, is the potential mixing of agents with the with the idea that they could disguise a more serious attack by using the vehicle and the techniques of riot control agents,” the official said.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby put out a similar statement Monday night addressing social media reports claiming Russia used a chemical weapon in Mariupol.
“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.”
Kirby, like the official on Tuesday, emphasized the U.S. cannot confirm the allegations.
On Tuesday, Kirby told reporters the U.S. is looking into the matter.
“We’re obviously taking it seriously and we’re monitoring it,” Kirby said. “We’re trying to do the best we can to figure out what, if anything, happened.”
Russian convoy creeping south
The Russian convoy approaching Izuim is still roughly 40 miles to the north of the key Ukrainian city, according to the official.
“We do assess that it’s moving, but not at breakneck speed,” the official said.
While the Pentagon doesn’t have a pristine view of what capabilities make up the convoy, it seems to be support-heavy.
“It includes some command and control elements, some enablers, and we think it’s also intended for resupply, perhaps an effort to amend their poor performance in logistics and sustainment in the north,” the official said.
Heavy fighting continues to the south of Izuim, with Russian forces about 12 miles from the city.
Mariupol stands
While Russian forces have devastated the coastal city of Mariupol with long-range strikes and have cut off essential supplies to the populace, Ukrainians continue to defend it.
“You’ve seen the devastation that Russian airstrikes have wrought on Mariupol in the city, but our assessment is that the Ukrainians are are still fighting for it,” Kirby said.
Mariupol is strategically important for both the Ukrainians and Russians.
“It’s obvious that the Russians want Mariupol because of its strategic location there at the south of that Donbas area and right on the Sea of Azov,” Kirby said. “It’s a major, important city… it would provide them unfettered and unhindered land access between the Donbas and Crimea.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has its own clear incentives to keep Mariupol.
“It also has great significance to the Ukrainian people because of what it represents to their economic life, because it is their city and it’s part of their country,” Kirby said. “They haven’t given up on it, and we’re not giving up on them, either.”
Military aid for Ukraine
The $800 million military aid package for Ukraine authorized by President Joe Biden last month has mostly been delivered, and will be completed in the coming days, according to the official.
“Yesterday, two U.S. flights arrived in the region with everything from small-arms ammunition, machine guns, body armor, grenades and other explosives,” the official said.
So far, the U.S. has sent 19 out of an expected 20 flights needed to deliver the $800 million package.
While U.S. officials have said Russia has not hit support shipments coming over the border, there is an effort more broadly to disrupt Ukrainian forces’ ability to resupply themselves.
“They certainly have shown an interest in trying to hit logistics and sustainment for the Ukrainians, and they have certainly tried to go after Ukrainian air defense as well,” the official said.
Better Call Saul lead and Nobody star Bob Odenkirk will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.
The comic, writer and star of AMC’s Breaking Bad and its spin-off will receive the 2,720th star on the same day Better Call Saul‘s sixth and final season begins on AMC.
For fans of both shows, some more good news if you ever want to visit: Odenkirk’s star, located at 1725 Vine Street, in front of the Aster Hotel, will be next to that of his friend and former Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston.
It was recently revealed that Cranston’s Walter White, as well as fellow Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, would make an appearance on the final season of Odenkirk’s prequel spin-off.
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden addressed the New York City subway system shooting that left at least 29 injured on Tuesday while he was in Iowa as federal authorities in Washington assist New York officials in an intense manhunt for the suspect.
“To start, I’d like to say a few words about the mass shooting in New York City subway this morning, you all read and heard about,” Biden began, before delivering remarks on easing gas prices. “Jill and I and my wife Jill and I are praying for those who are injured and all those touched by that trauma, and we’re grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians — civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers and try to shield them.”
“We’re going to continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities and as we learn more about the situation over the coming hours and days,” he said. “We’re not letting up on it until we find out, and we find the perpetrator,” he said.
Biden was briefed on the shooting earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted, before he departed for Iowa. Senior White House staff are also in contact with New York City Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell as the situation unfolds, she said, and Biden reiterated.
En route to Des Moines, Psaki told reporters on Air Force One that she spoke with Biden aboard the plane about the ongoing situation and said the president reiterated a commitment to provide assistance to local leaders on the ground as the investigation continues.
“Anything they need, anything they want. We are here to help them and provide that to them,” Psaki said.
She said Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have not yet had a phone call Tuesday.
The still at-large suspect — who police said was wearing a green vest and a hooded gray sweatshirt — is believed to have opened fire inside at least one subway station during morning rush hour traffic. There are at least three active crime scenes in Brooklyn. Authorities said at an earlier press conference that the lone gunman put on a gas mask, deployed a smoke canister, and when the subway car filled with smoke, opened fire inside the car and on the platform.
Among those injured, according to the FDNY, 10 were shot. Five people are in critical but stable condition.
The NYPD has put out a citywide alert for a UHAUL vehicle and shared a description of the suspect with federal authorities. The shooter’s motive remains unclear, police said.
Vice President Kamala Harris has received regular updates on the shooting, according to a White House official. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have also been briefed.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York tweeted that he is “closely monitoring” the unfolding situation in what he called “our beloved Brooklyn.”
“I’m grateful for the quick action of our first responders,” he said. “To everyone in New York: Stay safe.”
The shooting sparking panic across New York City comes as Adams has vowed to combat gun violence as mayor amid a recent surge in crime.
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, Alexander Mallin and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Health officials are warning Florida residents about a “large” outbreak of a potentially fatal bacterial illness known as meningococcal disease that’s primarily affecting gay and bisexual men.
So far this year, there have been 21 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease as of Monday, according to Florida Department of Health data. That’s higher than the state’s five-year average of cases of the disease.
“[Florida Department of Health] epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options,” the department said in a statement.
Most of the cases are in central Florida, and more than half are in people between the ages of 20 and 39, according to state health department data.
The “large, ongoing” outbreak is primarily among men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC recently issued an alert on the outbreak, urging gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men who live in Florida or who plan to travel to the state to get vaccinated against the disease. The outbreak is primarily among residents, though it has affected some people who have traveled to Florida, the CDC said.
There also have been cases of meningococcal disease reported among Florida college students in recent months, though “there is no evidence to suggest that the cases among college students are related to the larger outbreak,” the CDC said.
Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious disease that is primarily spread by close or direct contact, such as kissing. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, confusion and rash.
Meningococcal disease can commonly lead to two potentially fatal infections: meningitis — when the lining of the brain and spinal cord become infected — and bloodstream infection.
Those who contract the disease could suffer from hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, loss of limbs or nervous system problems.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against meningococcal disease,” the Florida Department of Health said.
Florida health officials are encouraging men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, immunocompromised individuals and college students to get vaccinated against the disease amid the outbreak. Anyone in those groups who more than five years ago received their MenACWY vaccine — one of two types of meningococcal vaccines available in the U.S. — is also encouraged to get vaccinated.
People planning to travel to Florida should get vaccinated at least two weeks before traveling, the CDC advised.
College students may choose to get a MenB vaccine, which is available for those between the ages of 16 and 23, to protect against meningococcal disease, the CDC said.
(NOTE LANGUAGE)Omari Hardwick flexed his abs, as well as his past and future TV projects and many other topics, as the cover star of L’Officiel’s Fashion Book.
The Power star chatted with the French magazine about his “exhilarating experience” on Army of the Dead, working on the upcoming film The Mother, and his time as a poet and musical artist.
“It was dope when I go back into music because when I was in South Central, back in the day living, $5, paying rent, trying to make ends meet, there were people that were saying, ‘Man, you should really pursue this music thing,'” he said. “They would try to call me a rapper, and I was like, ‘No, I’m a poet,” and I was real big on that.'”
On playing the character Ghost on the hit Starz show Power, Omari says he jumped at the opportunity to join the project after learning a Black woman, Courtney Kemp, was behind the creation.
“He [Hardwick’s manager] called back and he said, ‘It is a woman. It’s a Black woman.’ I said, ‘A Black woman created this show and I don’t know her?’ He said, ‘Yes, you want to meet with her?’ I said, ‘F****** absolutely.'”
The cover photo and many of the images that follow, show off Hardwick’s cut physique, one that he says wasn’t always easy to attain. And when asked what advice he’d give to his younger self, Hardwick said he’d tell himself to slow down, because “it takes a minute to really figure out.”
(NEW YORK) — Cases of several sexually transmitted diseases continued to increase during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new federal report.
Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday, the report found STD cases fell during the early months of 2020 but resurged later in the year.
Overall, 2.4 million STD cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020, a slight decrease from the 2.5 million cases reported in 2019.
However, the decreases observed in early 2020 may have been a result of significant reductions in screening and reporting associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC noted.
“Many jurisdictions reported critical effects on staffing and testing and treatment supplies, straining an already crumbling public health infrastructure,” the agency wrote in the report, meaning “COVID-19 significantly affected STD surveillance and prevention efforts.”
Specifically, cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and congenital syphilis were higher than levels seen in 2019 despite lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and school closures.
Cases of chlamydia — which represent about two-thirds of total STD cases — were lower in 2020.
“There were moments in 2020 when it felt like the world was standing still, but STDs weren’t,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a statement. “The unrelenting momentum of the STD epidemic continued even as STD prevention services were disrupted.”
In terms of specific diseases, the report found cases of gonorrhea were up 10% in 2020, from about 616,000 to more than 677,000. Additionally, cases of syphilis increased 7% from nearly 39,000 to more than 41,000.
Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100. This occurred in the broader context of what the CDC has called a “resurgence” in congenital syphilis with annual case counts skyrocketing 235% since 2016.
The CDC said these increases are particularly “worrisome” because congenital syphilis — which is easily preventable with screening and treatment — has serious risks including life-long physical and mental health risks for babies, miscarriage and stillbirth.
Because congenital syphilis occurs in communities of color at rates several times higher than among whites, officials fear the rises in the disease spreading from mother to child will perpetuate health disparities.
“This … highlights the nation’s failure to provide sufficient, quality sexual health care for everyone who needs it,” Dr. Leandro Mena, director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, said during a media telebriefing Tuesday.
On its face, the one silver lining of the report found chlamydia cases decreased 13%, to about 1.6 million from 1.8 million.
However, the CDC cautioned that, because the disease is typically asymptomatic, these decreases were more likely due to screening shortfalls than to drops in infections.
During the telebriefing, the agency elaborated on some of the causes of the shortcomings in screening.
Mermin said “STD program resources were heavily diverted to address COVID-19” — including shunting of contact tracing staff. Half of programs discontinued STD prevention field work during most of 2020.
Additionally, Mena said more than half of the programs reported shortages in testing and treatment supplies during the pandemic.
The report also addressed which groups saw the highest rates of STDs.
Half of all STDs reported in the U.S. in 2020 were among 15-to-24-year-olds.
STD rates were also higher across the board among certain racial and ethnic groups – including Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native – compared to white and Asian Americans.
Gay and bisexual men were also disproportionately affected — particularly by syphilis — than other groups.
Rates in certain regions also soared far above the national average. For example, in Mississippi, rates of chlamydia were 167% higher than the national average, and rates of gonorrhea were 224% higher.
Similar patterns were seen in other states throughout the South, including Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
If the country fails to “rebuild, innovate, and expand” STD prevention resources in the coming years, Mermin said he expects STD rates will continue to rise.
“STDs are not patiently waiting for the pandemic to end, and neither can we,” the agency wrote in its report.
Sam Asghari is no doubt excited to become a first-time dad with fiancée Britney Spears.
“This should have happened three years ago, to be honest with you,” Asghari told BBC Persian prior to Britney’s pregnancy announcement. “When you’re in a relationship with someone that you’re truly in love with, you want to recreate.”
Being a father, he added, is “something that I want to do.”
Sam and Britney have been together since 2016, when they met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video. The 28-year-old actor proposed to Britney, 40, in September.
Britney previously spoke out about wanting to start a family, and told the court during a hearing last June that her conservatorship prevented her from doing so. She claimed her father and then-conservator, Jamie Spears, barred her from having more children, and that she was given an IUD against her will. The conservatorship was terminated in November.
Sam said he was heartened by how the world reacted to the news Britney was free to make her own decisions again. “It was phenomenal to see how everybody was so supportive and the whole world was engaged in it, in a sense,” he told the BBC.
Britney announced her pregnancy on Monday and, shortly after the big reveal, Sam took to Instagram to speak about fatherhood. Sharing a photos of two lions and a cub — a likely reference to the “lioness” nickname he’s given Britney — he captioned it, “Marriage and kids are a natural part of a strong relationship filled with love and respect.”
“Fatherhood is something i have always looked forward to and i don’t take lightly. It is the most important job i will ever do,” he closed.
Gilbert Gottfried, actor and stand-up comedian, has died after a “long illness,” his family confirmed on his social media accounts. He was 67.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness,” the statement began. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.”
A statement provided to ABC News by his longtime friend and publicist, Glenn Schwartz, says Gottfried “passed away at 2:35pm ET on April 12, 2022 from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.“
Known for his gravelly-voiced, near shouting on-stage delivery — as well as for his unflinching ability to “go there,” tackling material that few other comedians would — Gottfried began his stand-up career in the late 1970s in New York City. He also stole scenes in movies like Beverly Hills Cop 2, and later, he found fame with a younger generation as the voice of Iago the parrot in the Disney 1992 animated film Aladdin.
Gottfried was also known for voicing the duck in the long-running Aflac commercials, until he was fired for making a joke at the expense of the victims of the Japanese tsunami in 2011.
In the statement from Schwartz, Gilbert’s friend and podcast co-host Frank Santopadre said of Gottfried, “Gilbert’s brand of humor was brash, shocking and frequently offensive, but the man behind the jokes was anything but. Those who loved and him were fortunate enough to share his orbit knew a person who was sweet, sensitive, surprisingly shy and filled with a childlike sense of playfulness and wonder.”
Santopadre added, “He’ll be dearly missed by family, friends, fans and comedy lovers the world over. To quote Gilbert himself, ‘Too soon!'”
Social media was quick to start tributes to the comedian, with one of the first to comment being Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander, who tweeted, “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family.
As a woman who’s busy managing an empire, Dolly wakes up at 3 a.m. each morning to begin her hectic work day. But, it turns out, it’s a family tradition, as her father, Robert Lee Parton, was also up before the crack of dawn as a farmer and sharecropper.
“I don’t need a whole lot of sleep. I go to bed pretty early, but even if I’ve been up late — it’s just kind of like a little clock inside of me that says ‘it’s 3 o’clock!'” Dolly shares with Insider. ”I do some of my best work there, but I get enough sleep. I don’t require as much sleep as a lot of other people do, that’s kind of a Parton family trait. I’m like my daddy. He was always up early, even if he had to go to bed late.”
Dolly recently released a novel, Run, Rose, Run, and an accompanying album of original songs. She’s set to star in a movie based on the book that she and co-author James Patterson will produce with Reese Witherspoon.
