Ciara and her three children are special guests of the White House today to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for kids.
The Grammy winner and her three children – daughter Sienna Princess, 4, and sons Future Zahir, 7, and Win Harrison, 1 – will meet with first lady Dr. Jill Biden and pediatrician Dr. Hina Talib to discuss the importance of vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds, a White House official tells People.
“She has been eager to engage around vaccinations and particularly interested in promoting children vaccinations,” the White House official says about the “Level Up” singer.
Last month, the FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children in that age range.
“From the White House perspective, we are always looking for trusted messengers who we know from polling are the best people to convince people to get vaccinated,” the spokesperson continued. “That is no different for parents and their young children.”
While at the White House, Ciara will answer questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness for youth.
As previously reported, Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, are publishing a children’s picture book titled WHY NOT YOU? on March 1, 2022. Last month, they celebrated Ciara’s 36th birthday when Wilson rented the top two floors of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle observation tower and restaurant for an intimate dinner.
(WASHINGTON) — Jacob Chansley, the self-described “QAnon Shaman” who infamously marched through the U.S. Capitol with a spear and horned helmet during the Jan. 6 riot, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in prison for his role in the attack.
It matches the longest sentence handed down to any Jan. 6 participant, following the 41-month sentence handed down last week to Scott Fairlam, a former mixed martial arts fighter who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the riot.
“The defendant was among the first 30 rioters to penetrate the U.S. Capitol building,” prosecutors said of Chansley in their filing. “The defendant then stalked the hallowed halls of the building, riling up other members of the mob with his screaming obscenities about our nation’s lawmakers, and flouting the ‘opportunity’ to rid our government of those he has long considered to be traitors.”
Chansley — who wasn’t accused of assaulting law enforcement or destroying property — pleaded guilty on Sept. 3 to one felony count of unlawfully obstructing an official proceeding.
On Wednesday, prior to sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall played social media recordings of Chansley in the Senate chamber, chanting what sounded like a bizarre prayer and blowing a bullhorn.
“That is not peaceful,” Paschall said. “That is chilling.”
Chansley, addressing the court, said he was “a good man who broke the law” and implored Judge Royce Lamberth to “judge a tree by its roots” in considering his sentence. “I am in no way, shape, or form a violent criminal. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist,” he said. “I hope that you see my heart.”
“I was wrong for entering the Capitol. I have no excuse — no excuse whatsoever,” Chansley said. “In retrospect, I’d do everything differently on January 6 … I would try with all my heart and soul to stop people.”
“I think the hardest part about this is that I know that I’m to blame,” he added. “I hope that you see my remorse is genuine.”
Prosecutors called Chansley a key figure in the Capitol attack.
“The government cannot overstate the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct as one of the most prominent figures of the historic riot on the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” prosecutors said. “His consistent rhetoric before and after the event, and his apparent ability to carry out his intentions of violently removing the ‘traitors’ in our government, is clear from the evidence in this case. Only the valiant efforts of law enforcement kept those upon whom he set his sights out of his path.”
Multiple videos and images showed Chansley carrying his spear into the Senate chamber, where prosecutors say he led a group of rioters in a prayer on the dais and left a menacing note behind for then-Vice President Mike Pence.
“It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!” the note read.
According to a brief presented to a judge in January, “Chansley is a high-profile leader and the self-professed shaman of QAnon.” In September, Chansley’s attorney said his client had rejected the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Chansley’s attorney, Albert Watkins, had argued that his client suffers from significant mental health vulnerabilities and last week asked for a sentence “significantly below” the 51 months being sought by prosecutors.
“This case is about a remarkable, gentle, kind, smart, spiritual, non-violent young man who has spent his life trying to overcome significant but secreted vulnerabilities, hardships, and societal neglect to self-educate scholastically, self-educate spiritually, self-navigate societally, and self-conclude that he is accountable for his actions, seeks to be held accountable, and wishes nothing short of the Court recognizing same,” Watkins said.
“He seeks not to be seen as a political prisoner,” Watkins said of his client. “He seeks not to blame a former president for his actions. He seeks not to justify his actions with any explanation. He seeks solely to be held accountable.”
(NEW YORK) — A self-portrait by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was sold for almost $35 million, including fees, at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday.
This portrait, titled ‘Diego y yo’ (Diego and me), had been part of a private collection for almost 30 years.
Frida Kahlo was married to Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who previously held the record for the most expensive artwork from Latin America. Rivera’s ‘The Rivals,’ was sold for $9.76 million in a 2019 auction.
“People started unraveling the depth of Frida Kahlo’s art decades after her death,” Gannit Ankori, an art historian, curator and Kahlo expert, told ABC News.
During her lifetime, the Mexican artist was never able to make a living through her paintings, and only had two gallery shows while she was still alive, Ankori said.
The 1949 self-portrait — described by Sotheby’s as a “masterpiece” — depicts the artist gazing at the viewer, with a small portrait of Diego Rivera seen in her forehead as a “third eye.” ‘Diego y yo’ was painted during the same year as Kahlo’s then-husband Rivera started an alleged extramarital affair with actress Maria Felix.
“This painting is very similar and dissimilar to Frida Kahlo’s work during this decade,” Ankori said. It was not the only painting with Rivera seen on her forehead, but “the expression of such raw emotion and grief — seen in the loose swirling hair that almost strangles her and is uncontained by the picture frame, the facial features and the tears — are unique,” Ankori said.
The same painting was sold for the first time in 1990 at Sotheby’s for $1.43 million by a New York collector, the art broker said. Before that,’ Diego y yo’ was owned by a friend of the Mexican couple.
“You could call tonight’s result the ultimate revenge, but in fact, it is the ultimate validation of Kahlo’s extraordinary talent and global appeal,” Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby’s director for Latin American Art, said in a press release.
The buyer is Argentinian real estate businessman and collector Eduardo Costantini.
Costantini, 75, is also the founder of the MALBA, the Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires.
Think Taylor Swift has taken over the news? You’re not alone. The headlines have been seemingly nonstop since she released Red (Taylor’s Version). Here’s the three latest updates about what’s going on in Taylor’s world.
First up: Fans widely believe the song “All Too Well” is about Taylor’s old flame, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, especially after the singer added this new and somewhat telling lyric to the 10-minute version of the song: “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine/ And that made me want to die.” Well, Jake might have finally weighed in — though his rumored cat, Ms. Fluffle Stilt Skin. Ms. Fluffle has her own Instagram page, believed to be run by Jake but never confirmed, and referenced another Taylor song when telling her followers, “MEOUCH – y’all need to clam [sic] down and stop cyber bullying.” Shortly after that, someone in Jake’s camp told E! News the actor has “no interest” in the drama and is “living his life and focused on himself. He’s ignoring all of the noise.”
Next: If you want to recreate Taylor’s look from her “I Bet You Think About Me” music video, better kiss all your free time goodbye. Nicole + Felicia Couture created Taylor’s attention-grabbing white wedding dress and its red replica, which took “approximately 1,200 hours to complete,” reports Page Six. That’s 50 days. The dressmaker reveals there are 2,500 flowers on each gown and all the petals were handmade.
Lastly: Taylor is reportedly skipping Sunday’s American Music Awards. A source tells Hollywood Life Taylor’s “taking a break” from public appearances and instead, will let her recent SNL performance “speak for itself.” Taylor’s up for three big awards this year — artist of the year and favorite pop/rock female artist and album.
Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to her chat show, in a sit down that will air Thursday.
In a preview of their visit, Meghan expressed how she felt returning to the Los Angeles Warner Bros. lot on which The Ellen DeGeneres Show is shot, and how the former Suits star used to audition there “all the time.”
In fact, the Duchess joked about her old Ford Explorer that she used to drive while trying to make it as an actor — and how her busted driver’s-side door lock required she used to have to climb in through the trunk.
Clearly, the former Deal or No Deal suitcase model has come a long way. “The security guards here used to say, ‘Break a leg, I hope you get it!’ Markle recalled with a laugh. “So the drive in today was very different.”
Check your local listings for when The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs in your market.
(LOS ANGELES) — The iconic Staples Center in Los Angeles will change its name to the Crypto.com Arena this Christmas, marking the end of an era for the stadium and becoming perhaps the latest signpost of cryptocurrency’s push toward the mainstream.
The name change is “recognizing these technologies will be at the forefront of powering the future of culture, creativity and entertainment in Los Angeles,” stadium operators said in a statement Wednesday, as cryptocurrency trading has surged among individual investors throughout the pandemic.
The 20,000-seat venue has been called the Staples Center, after the office supply chain, since opening its doors in 1999.
The venue has gained national prominence after hosting major events such as the 2000 Democratic National Convention, 19 of the last 21 Grammy Awards shows and concerts from global superstars including Beyonce and Taylor Swift. It is also home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, as well as the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Details on how much Crypto.com, a Singapore-based crypto trading platform and non-fungible token marketplace, paid for its new namesake stadium in Los Angeles were not released. The deal was brokered by sports and live entertainment giant AEG Global Partnerships, which owns and operates the arena.
Starting on Christmas Day, when the Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets, the stadium will unveil its new logo and internal signage. All external signage will be replaced by June.
“Known as the Creative Capital of the World, the city of Los Angeles and the people who call it home have always been pioneers, pushing the boundaries and innovating as the undeniable global leaders of culture and entertainment,” Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek, said in a statement Wednesday. “We’re very excited about partnering with AEG and investing long term in this city, starting with Crypto.com Arena in the heart of downtown, and using our platform in new and creative ways so that cryptocurrency can power the future of world class sports, entertainment and technology for fans in LA and around the world.”
Crypto.com also recently added actor Matt Damon as a spokesperson as it seeks to ramp up brand recognition in the U.S.
“This partnership represents the fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform and the biggest sports and live entertainment company in the world converging to drive the future of sports and live entertainment,” said Todd Goldstein, the chief revenue officer at AEG. Goldstein added that it marks “an exciting new chapter in the history of our company and our respective industries.”
The name change echoes trends seen elsewhere in the U.S., as earlier this year Venmo and PayPal announced they would start letting users buy and sell crypto on their apps.
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist has announced his second solo album of the year. The Atlas Underground Flood, the follow-up to this past October’s The Atlas Underground Fire, will arrive December 3.
Just like its predecessor, which boasted features from Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Bring Me the Horizon, Phantogram and grandson, The Atlas Underground Flood includes a stacked guest-list, as well. Among the collaborators you’ll find on the album are Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett, Rush‘s Alex Lifeson, Nathaniel Rateliff, X Ambassadors, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James, and Manchester Orchestra.
“Fire and Flood are my London Calling,” Morello says. “Admiring The Clash at their apex moment, I sought to make a double album where artistic intent supersedes genre.”
“I aimed to forge a central curated vision to tie together a sonically fearless, wild, and wide-ranging musical ambition with a tremendous cast of collaborators,” he adds. “And of course, there are many guitar solos.”
Ahead of the album’s arrival, you can check out three new songs available now via digital outlets: “Hard Times,” featuring Rateliff, Jim Jones and Chipotle Joe; “Raising Hell,” featuring Ben Harper; and “Human,” featuring Barns Courtney.
In related news, Morello has signed an open letter protesting the use of Amazon’s palm scanning devices as a method for ticketless entry into the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. The letter argues that the technology, which was sold under the guise of convenience, is “an example of biometric data collection, and could turn Red Rocks into the site of ICE raids, police violence, and false arrests.”
Others who’ve signed include Kathleen Hanna, Anti-Flag, and various human rights organizations. For more info, visit AmazonDoesntRock.com.
Here’s The Atlas Underground Flood track list:
“A Radical in the Family” feat. San Holo
“Human” feat. Barns Courtney
“Hard Times” feat. Nathaniel Rateliff, Jim Jones, and Chipotle Joe
“You’ll Get Yours” feat. X Ambassadors
“I Have Seen the Way” feat. Alex Lifeson, Kirk Hammett, and Dr. Fresch
“The Lost Cause” feat. Manchester Orchestra
“The Maze” feat. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
“Ride At Dawn” feat. BreakCode
“Raising Hell” feat. Ben Harper
“The Bachelor” feat. IDLES
“Parallels” feat. Jim James
“Warrior Spirit” feat. Rodrigo y Gabriela
(“Hard Times” video contains uncensored profanity.)
Following the death of Chris Daughtry‘s daughter, Hannah, Daughtry has now postponed all the remaining dates on their current tour to next year.
A statement on the band’s Instagram says that the band’s Dearly Beloved tour will be “rescheduling the remainder of this year’s shows into early 2022.” It adds that fans should hold onto their tickets because the new dates will be announced “in the coming days.”
“Chris and his family appreciate all the love and support our fans have shown during this difficult time,” the statement concludes. “We thank you for your understanding and look forward to seeing you again on the road.”
As previously reported, Hannah, 25, was found dead in her Tennessee home. While TMZ claimed the death was being investigated as a homicide, the district attorney handling the case said, “This is a death investigation and any attempt to classify it as a homicide investigation at this time is premature and irresponsible.”
Hannah and her brother, Griffin, are the children of Chris Daughtry’s wife, Deanna, from a previous relationship, though he eventually adopted them. The couple, who married in 2000, also share 10-year-old twins Adalyn and Noah.
Venus and Serena Williams‘ true and powerful story about how they became tennis stars is about to hit the big screen. King Richard takes a deep dive into the major role their father, Richard Williams, played in their success.
Tony Goldwyn, who plays Paul Cohen aka the Williams sisters’ first tennis coach, was touched by their story and told ABC Audio, “It’s deeply inspiring about family and the power of family.”
The movie focuses on how Richard, played by Will Smith, labored to make his girls’ “dreams come true” and, while Goldwyn admits he knew the basics of the story, he didn’t know the details.
“I had no idea that Richard Williams had a vision and wrote, I think a 75 or 80 page manifesto before Venus and Serena were even born,” remarks the 61-year-old. “He literally envisioned this and wrote a plan and then implemented it in the most extraordinary way. You just couldn’t make this stuff up!”
Goldwyn also notes that, despite his ambition, Richard nor the girls’ mother, Oracene, were brutal taskmasters.
“It was something borne out of love and passion. And if the girls ever didn’t want to do it, they didn’t have to,” he explains. “Tennis became this metaphor for them, for building their character as human beings.”
The Scandal alum also salutes the parents for ensuring the sport didn’t “rob [Venus and Serena] of their childhood” nor allowing them to become spoiled by “the pressures of competitive tennis.”
Goldwyn also reserved some high praise for Smith, saying he was “super fun” to work with and made people “feel relaxed in his presence.”
Additionally, he teased, “In this movie, [Will] just brings his A-plus game.”
King Richardpremieres Friday in theaters and on HBO Max.
Following their James Bond theme song, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS‘ next film project will be a bit more family-friendly.
The sister-brother duo are writing new music for the upcoming Disney/Pixar film Turning Red. The movie tells the story of Mei, a 13-year-old girl who spontaneously transforms into a giant red panda whenever she feels strong emotions.
Mei is also obsessed with a fictional boy band called 4*Town, whose songs are written by Billie and FINNEAS. The movie features three new tracks composed by the pair, one of which, called “Nobody Like U,” can be heard briefly in the new Turning Red trailer.
“When we first started talking about Billie Eilish and FINNEAS — back before they’d won a billion Grammys — we could see then how they had their finger on the pulse,” says Turning Red producer Lindsey Collins. “We were big fans. We met with them and pitched this crazy idea of a boy band, asking if they’d be interested in writing and producing the songs. They were!”
