If you think you know the Tiger King story, think again! The new Peacock series, Joe vs. Carole, aims to give you a broader understanding of the feud between Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel and Carole Baskin.
John Cameron Mitchell plays the exotic animal aficionado, and he tells ABC Audio people are going to see something they didn’t expect.
“You’re going to see real people dealing with real situations. Bizarre ones. But you might find yourself able to identify and say, ‘wow, that could have been me,'” he explains.
Adds Mitchell, “You got to see these as real, well-rounded people who are survivors, who are admirable in one way because they’ve created their own world, but…really horrible…because the paranoia and the hostility doesn’t stop on both sides.”
“They both could have stopped that war,” he continues. “And it kind of destroyed them both.”
The 58-year-old actor reveals he wasn’t exactly a fan of the original Netflix series because it felt like watching “freaks on the side of the road.”
“[It] felt like Real Housewives, and I don’t like those shows because I want to care for somebody,” he says.
And if you’re wondering how they get those tigers to act in the show, well, they didn’t — and they’re not tigers. Mitchell says they used Great Danes as stand-ins for the wild cats and the rest was done with CGI, adding the dogs were cooperative — most of the time.
“They’re very docile. Didn’t always follow instructions. But one, when I’m doing my gubernatorial election speech, every take came right up where it was supposed to, so I could pet it,” he shares.
(WASHINGTON) — The House on Wednesday approved measures to ban Russian energy products, provide billions in assistance to Ukraine and fund the government through the fall — but only after Democratic infighting forced party leaders to remove more than $15 billion in COVID aid from the package.
With the federal government set to run out of funding as soon as Friday, the $1.5 trillion package will avert a shutdown through September, while also adding billions in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. The House also passed a four-day stopgap measure to give the Senate time to approve the larger package.
The bill, which includes $13.6 billion in humanitarian and defense aid to Ukraine, received bipartisan support and passed 361-69. The House approved the non-defense portion of the package 260-171, with one member voting present. Later, the House approved a proposal to ban Russian oil and energy imports in a 414-17 vote.
The new aid to Ukraine, billions more than initially requested by the Biden administration, is evenly split between humanitarian and military aid, includes millions to help feed and resettle displaced Ukrainians and nearly $2 billion in potential economic relief for Ukraine and neighboring countries.
Of the $6.5 billion in emergency defense assistance, the package directs $3.5 billion to help arm Ukrainians and allied forces in the region with U.S. military stocks, and another $3 billion to support the deployment of additional U.S. troops and materials to Europe.
In a setback for the Biden administration’s COVID strategy, House Democrats were forced to scrap $15 billion in COVID-19 funding for therapeutics and research in the spending package after an internal revolt from members who objected to repurposing unspent relief Congress had previously approved for states to use at their discretion.
Pelosi, who called the removal of COVID-19 funds “heartbreaking,” told reporters the change was necessary in order for the package to clear the Senate, where a 50-50 split forces Democrats to rely on the votes of at least 10 Republicans.
“We’re in a legislative process. We have a deadline. We’re keeping government open,” she said. “We had a lively negotiation.”
“Some of the members are disappointed,” Pelosi continued. “‘I didn’t get what I wanted in the bill’ — you’re telling Noah about the flood.”
Pelosi, however, said the House would take up a standalone COVID funding bill Wednesday with a plan for the bill to be debated and voted on next week.
Separately, the chamber also approved a measure to ban the import of Russian oil and energy products one day after President Joe Biden signed an executive order to the same effect.
The bill would also direct the administration to consider taking steps to suspend Russia from the World Trade Organization and expand on language in the Magnitsky Act — a sanctions law approved by Congress in 2012 — to allow the Biden administration to impose additional sanctions on Russian officials and individuals linked to the war in Ukraine.
Democratic leaders made changes to that legislation — initially crafted with Republicans in both chambers — after the White House raised concerns that it would make it harder for Biden to ease sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin deescalated in Ukraine.
Another provision to suspend trade relations with Russia and Belarus was adjusted at the White House’s request, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Wednesday.
“It was taken out because the president rightfully wants to talk to our allies about that action, which I think was appropriate,” he said.
Democrats were expected to pass the measures earlier than expected Wednesday night, allowing them to salvage their caucus retreat in Philadelphia that was initially slated to begin Wednesday afternoon.
Biden will address the caucus in Philadelphia on Friday.
(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.”
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, don’t appear to have advanced closer to the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 10, 5:49 am
At least four killed by airstrikes in Kharkiv overnight, authorities say
Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, was hit with several powerful airstrikes overnight that killed at least four people, local authorities said Thursday.
Russian bombardment have destroyed 280 civilian buildings in Kharkiv, including schools and kindergartens, since Russia began invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to the regional interior ministry department in Kharkiv.
Kharkiv has come under heavy attacks as Russian forces try to seize the city.
Mar 10, 4:56 am
Russia says operation to ‘liberate’ Mariupol ongoing
The Russian military alleged Thursday that its forces have managed to capture more of the outer neighborhoods of Mariupol, in southeastern Ukraine, saying the operation to “liberate” the strategic port city is ongoing.
The claim came a day after a Russian airstrike destroyed a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, where heavy fighting has been taking place in recent days.
Local authorities in the besieged city have accused Russian forces of waging a “medieval siege” against them.
Mar 10, 4:14 am
Foreign ministers from Russia and Ukraine meet in Turkey
The top diplomats from Russia and Ukraine are meeting now in Antalya, Turkey.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in the southern Turkish resort on Thursday morning ahead of the meeting — the highest level talks between their two countries since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Both officials first met separately with their Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, upon arrival. Cavusoglu is expected to attend their talks.
Lavrov and Kuleba are expected to talk for about 90 minutes. They will hold separate press conferences afterwards.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Boston 115, Charlotte 101
Chicago 114, Detroit 108
Phoenix 111, Miami 90
Milwaukee 124, Atlanta 115
Minnesota 132, Oklahoma City 102
Orlando 108, New Orleans 102
Houston 139, LA Lakers 130 (OT)
Toronto 119, San Antonio 104
New York 107, Dallas 77
Utah 123, Portland 85
Denver 106, Sacramento 100
LA Clippers 115, Washington 109
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Edmonton 4 Washington 3 (OT)
Vancouver 5, Montreal 3
The world is about to be a more dangerous place – thanks to Daylight Saving Time! Most of us will make the switch on Sunday the 13th, moving our clocks ahead an hour. But the effects of that change go WAY beyond getting a bit more daylight in the evening. It has a big impact on health and safety! Here are a few facts you should know:
The change is hardest on night owls. Because daylight lasts longer – they may stay up even LATER because their sleep hormone, melatonin, won’t start kicking in until later. And because the sun will rise later, they’ll have a harder time waking up in the dark.
In general, losing an hour of sleep is a lot harder on everyone than gaining an hour in the Fall. It makes people more restless at night and can disrupt sleep patterns for a week, leaving people groggy and more prone to accidents. In fact, car crashes the week after the time change go up 6 percent.
There’s also a spike in heart attacks the first week after we “spring forward.” It’s because we’re sleep deprived and that messes with our immune system, making us more vulnerable. In fact, in Kazakhstan, they abolished Daylight Saving Time because it was a health hazard!
So, why is it so difficult to adjust to a one-hour time change? Because when you get up before the sun, your brain doesn’t get its cue to stop making the sleep hormone melatonin, and you end up feeling groggy all day. But you can make the adjustment a little easier. Try this: On Saturday the 9th of March, go to bed 30 minutes early. And get up 30 minutes earlier on Sunday and go outside. Even if it’s cloudy or rainy, your body will re-set its internal clock. It’ll make the transition to Monday much easier, when you need to get up an hour earlier.
When Daylight Saving Time rolls around, does the time change affect your dog? Yes! It can cause stress and anxiety in some dogs. Animal behavior experts say that dogs are creatures of habit. And they’ve got an incredibly accurate internal clock. So, once they know that, say, breakfast is at 7 a.m., they’ll be whining for their food every day at 7 – whether you’re trying to sleep in or not. Dogs are pretty good at syncing their schedules with their human family, but sometimes they need a little help – especially for sudden shifts, like time changes.
Our clocks move forward on Sunday, March 13th. And that means, your dog will suddenly be expecting their meals, walks, and other regular activities an hour later. So, a few days before the time change, start pushing their schedule back 15 minutes every couple of days, until you reach the correct new time. And know this: Dog behavior specialists say that when we get a new puppy, we should vary their scheduled activities half an hour one-way or the other. That way, they’ll be used to living an unpredictable life. And won’t be so stressed and anxious when things change.
(MARIUPOL, Ukraine) — A children’s hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, was destroyed Wednesday in what Ukrainian officials said was a targeted attack by Russian airstrikes, as the deputy mayor warned the hard-hit city is on the “brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video on social media Wednesday that he said showed the heavily damaged children’s hospital and maternity ward in the southeastern Ukrainian port city.
“Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital,” he said, calling on the international community again to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror?”
Pavlo Kirilenko, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, claimed in a post on Facebook that a Russian aircraft deliberately targeted the 600-bed hospital.
“City center maternity hospital, hospital, children’s ward and therapy — all destroyed during a Russian aviation flight to Mariupol,” he said. “The Russians! You have not only crossed the border of unacceptable relations between states and peoples. You have crossed the line of humanity.”
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed during a daily briefing Wednesday that Ukraine had put firing positions inside the children’s hospital in Mariupol, though there is currently no evidence to support that allegation. The comment, however, appears to be an implicit acknowledgment that Russia deliberately targeted the hospital, as Kirilenko had claimed.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said she was “horrified” by the reported attack on the hospital.
“We do not yet know the number of casualties but fear the worst,” she said in a statement. “This attack, if confirmed, underscores the horrific toll this war is exacting on Ukraine’s children and families. In less than two weeks, at least 37 children have been killed and 50 injured, while more than 1 million children have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries.”
The besieged city, which sits on the Sea of Azov, has been without power or water amid steady Russian bombardments.
In a video conference Wednesday, Mariupol deputy mayor Serhiy Orlov said the city is on the “brink of a humanitarian catastrophe” and that “‘Russia is trying to wipe Mariupol from the face of the earth.”
Orlov reported that 1,207 have died in the city because of shelling and aerial attacks — and that half of those killed were ethnic Russians. Among the casualties was a child who died from dehydration, according to Zelenskyy.
The city has been burying its dead in a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol as its endures heavy shelling.
New satellite imagery collected by commercial satellite company Maxar Technologies on Wednesday morning, before the reported shelling of the hospital, showed extensive damage to civilian infrastructure in and around the city, including residential homes, high-rise apartment buildings, grocery stores and shopping centers.
Orlov accused Russia of indiscriminately bombarding the city because its forces were unable to break through its defenses, but he said that Mariupol would not surrender. He also called on the international community to impose a no-fly zone, an escalation that the White House and NATO allies have opposed.
“The Russian army cannot break our defenses and win on the ground, and this is why they are just bombing us relentlessly to break our spirit,” he said. “Our spirit is strong but we need help. To the outside world we say: Help us save our city! Close the skies! Impose a no-fly zone!”‘
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
To kick things off, the company will debut its Blissfeel shoes, which have an upper panel that supports movement and underfoot foam cushioning technology. The shoe will be available in 10 spring-ready shades.
Lululemon will also introduce three other shoes, including Chargefeel for cross-training; Restfeel, a slide-style shoe for post-workout; and Strongfeel, which is an all-around training shoe.
“Footwear is the natural next step for us to expand and apply our long history of innovation in fit, feel and performance, and it represents an exciting moment for our brand,” Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said in a statement. “We are entering the footwear category the same way we built our apparel business — with products designed to solve unmet needs, made for women first.”
Lululemon’s chief product officer Sun Choe also shared in a statement that the brand started with women’s shoes first as a result of noticing that they are often designed for men and later adapted for women. “That didn’t sit well with us,” said Choe.
She continued, “Innovating for women is in lululemon’s DNA — now we’re bringing that same expertise to footwear, and women were part of this journey every step of the way.”
While the brand is initially launching for women, there are plans to create a men’s footwear collection in 2023.
Heart frontwoman Ann Wilson has released a second advance single from her forthcoming solo album, Fierce Bliss — a hard-rocking cover of the 1987 Eurythmics hit “Missionary Man.”
Wilson’s version is available now via digital formats. The track features guest guitar from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and additional vocals from a gospel choir, The Rev. Nathan Young Singers.
As previously reported, Fierce Bliss, which you can pre-order now, will be released on April 29. The 11-track collection was recorded at various sessions in Nashville, Seattle, Connecticut and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album features mostly new originals co-written by Wilson, while also including covers of Queen‘s “Love of My Life,” Robin Trower‘s “Bridge of Sighs” and the aforementioned “Missionary Man.”
“Love of My Life” features guest vocals by country star and current Eagles touring member Vince Gill.
Wilson recorded two tracks — “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” — with Gov’t Mule, the group led by former Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist Warren Haynes, who also co-wrote the tunes with Ann. Accompanying her on most tracks is a group of session musicians who now serve as her solo touring band, The Amazing Dawgs.
The first track issued from the record was an original tune titled “Greed.”
Wilson will kick off a series of tour dates with The Amazing Dawgs in support of Fierce Bliss with a May 4 concert in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has launched a “flyaway sweepstakes” offering a fan and a guest the chance to win a trip to Napa, California, to attend Ann’s May 5 concert at the Uptown Theater. The winner and guest also will receive round-trip airfare to the event and a two-night stay at a local hotel.
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the Russian invasion and Ukraine’s efforts to resist.
Here are highlights of what defense officials told reporters on Wednesday:
Pentagon against rejects sending fighter jets to Ukraine
On Tuesday evening, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby dismissed a surprise offer from Poland to send all of its MiG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. air base in Germany “and place them at the disposal” of the U.S. government.
“The prospect of fighter jets ‘at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America’ departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” Kirby said in a statement, adding that “we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.”
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Polish counterpart about the MiG-29 offer, thanking him for Poland’s willingness to help Ukraine, but rejecting the notion of using the U.S. as an intermediary for any aircraft transfer.
“He stressed that we do not support the transfer of additional fighter aircraft to the Ukrainian air force at this time, and therefore have no desire to see them in our custody either,” Kirby said during a press conference at the Pentagon.
Kirby characterized the idea as high risk, low reward — the risk being possible escalation by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The intelligence community has assessed the transfer of MiG-29s to Ukraine may be mistaken as escalatory and could result in significant Russian reaction that might increase the prospects of military escalation with NATO,” he said.
In addition to that risk, the U.S. believes other forms of military support are more effective.
“We believe the best way to support Ukrainian defense is by providing them the weapons and the systems that they need most to defeat Russian aggression,” Kirby said. “In particular, anti-armor and air defense.”
The U.S. has sent hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military aid into Ukraine, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons such as the Javelin and Stinger systems.
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Russian anti-air capability now spans much of Ukrainian airspace, which also makes aircraft less viable in the fight against the invaders.
Kirby added that the Ukrainian air force still has several squadrons of “fully mission-capable” aircraft of its own.
“We assess that adding aircraft to the Ukrainian inventory is not likely to significantly change the effectiveness of Ukrainian Air Force relative to Russian capabilities.
While the U.S. has rejected the idea for now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has continued to call for more aircraft.
“This is about people’s lives. We ask again: make the decision faster. Don’t throw the responsibility — send us the jets,” Zelenskyy said in a Wednesday speech.
And the skies above Ukraine are not yet dominated by Russia.
On Wednesday morning, the U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted an intelligence update saying “Ukrainian air defenses appear to have enjoyed considerable success against Russia’s modern combat aircraft, probably preventing them from achieving any degree of control of the air.”
“Although Russian air capabilities are significant, their effectiveness has been limited due to Ukrainian … air-defense systems, surface-to-air missiles, and MANPADS,” Kirby said.
Patriot batteries arrive in Poland
Late on Tuesday evening, U.S. European Command confirmed that two Patriot anti-missile systems already in Europe would be moved to Poland. By Wednesday they had arrived, according to the senior U.S. defense official.
“We’re not going to talk about where they are, I’m not going to talk about their operational status, but they are in Poland and they are manned,” the official said.
The Patriot systems are capable of detecting and intercepting incoming ballistic missiles.
Russian missiles and ‘dumb’ munitions
Russia has now fired more than 710 missiles against Ukraine, with about half launched from within Ukraine using mobile platforms, according to the official.
The U.S. has also seen indications Russia is using “dumb” munitions. meaning ordinance that is not precision-guided. The official said it is not clear if these imprecise weapons are being used as part of the original Russian plan or due to problems with their guided missile targeting process.
“What we see manifested is increasing damage to civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties,” the official said.
Russian combat power
Russia has about 90% of its invading combat power still intact, the official said. On Tuesday, the estimate was 95%, but the official emphasized that these numbers are rough estimates, so it doesn’t necessarily mean 5% of Russian forces were taken out of the fight overnight.
No sign Putin preparing reserve forces
The U.S. still sees no indications Putin is trying to gather any more troops in addition to the more than 150,000 originally designated for the invasion, the official said.
Russia’s ground effort
Since Tuesday, Russians have further closed in on Kharkiv, gaining about 12 miles ground.
“It’s still heavy, heavy fighting there,” the official said. “We don’t assess that they’ve taken the city by any means.”
The U.S. has not seen any significant Russian movement toward Kyiv or Chernihiv in the last 24 hours, and there is still no sign of an an immanent amphibious assault on Odessa. Ukrainians have mounted a strong resistance in Mariupol, but Russians continue to surround and bombard the city.
