After blowing up on TikTok, L.A. singer/songwriter Em Beihold‘s song “Numb Little Bug” is climbing the radio charts. Em wrote it because the pills she was taking for her anxiety made her feel numb. And while she’s thrilled that fans are telling her how much they relate to the song, she also thinks it’s kind of a sad commentary on our society.
“Well, it’s not a good thing…!” she laughs. “I’m getting all these messages and DMs and comments all saying, ‘Oh, this is exactly how I feel. I feel so seen,’ and that’s incredible and gratifying. But at the same time, I feel not good that so many people feel the same way!”
“I mean, I’ve always written as my own therapy and it’s just a cathartic process, and I feel better after, but it’s insane the response that it’s had,” Em tells ABC Audio of the song, in which she sings, “Do you ever get a little bit tired of life/like you’re not really happy, but you don’t want to die?”
“People with all different sorts of mental health issues or mothers with postpartum depression…they’re saying they relate to the lyrics as well,” she notes. “That’s just beyond me. I would never have imagined, but I’m so honored to have been able to do that for someone.”
“Everyone expects me to be the happiest ever because the song is blowing up and I’m so grateful,” she explains. “But…I have been numb, because I don’t know how to process it!”
“I think when I see people sing the lyrics back to me in a live show, maybe it’ll hit,” she continues. “But right now…it’s not computing at all!”
Normani, the 25-year-old R&B sensation who was once part of the group Fifth Harmony, is gearing up to drop a new single this Friday.
“FAIRRRRRRRRR is coming in FOUR DAYS !!!!!!!!!!!!,” the “Motivation” singer captioned an Instagram post with a photo of the single’s cover art and the pre-save link.
On Monday, a snippet of the new song was released on YouTube, with fans and celebrities alike going into a frenzy over the 30-second teaser.
Normani sings, “Is it fair that you moved on? / ‘Cause I swear that I haven’t / Is it right that you’ve grown? / And I’m still stuck in habits / ‘Cause I’m finding it strange / That you’re better than average / Hearts didn’t break down the middle / Tell me how did that happen?”
“Let’s GO!,” Cardi B said on Twitter, sharing the cover image. Another user deemed this week, “Normani week,” while sharing an animated image of a flying flag with Normani’s face.
“Fair” will be the first project to follow the singer’s wildly popular 2019 hit, “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B.
The singer is set to perform the track on Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Fallon‘s Tonight Show.
The trek, which features over 40 dates in all, gets underway June 3 with a show in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and is mapped out through a September 25 concert at the famed Red Rock Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The outing includes a four-show engagement at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on July 26, 27, 29 and 30.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m. local time. Presale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, March 15, at 10 a.m. local time. Visit JacksonBrowne.com for more information.
As previously announced, prior to the headlining trek, Browne will mount a joint Canadian tour with James Taylor that begins April 21 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and runs through a May 12 concert in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Browne will be accompanied by longtime touring band throughout the outing with Taylor and on his subsequent headlining tour.
Monday night’s episode of The Bachelor found Rachel and Gabby, dealing with the news of Susie‘s departure and Clayton‘s bombshell admission that he’d been intimate with both of them, and in love with all three women.
Devastated, Rachel and Gabby left the rose ceremony in tears, each wondering how that was possible and if they could move on in light of the news.
“He’s in love with all three of us?! And he’s heartbroken that Susie went home?” Gabby, addressing the camera said in disbelief.
“Ultimately, whoever I pick, I love the most,” Clayton told her afterwards, to which she angrily insisted, you “can’t measure” love.
Clayton then told Rachel that the love he felt for her was was not the love he felt for Gabby, explaining that they were “two different people,” and that he loved each of them “in different ways.”
When the rose ceremony recommenced, Rachel accepted Clayton’s rose, but Gabby didn’t, asking Clayton if he wanted to walk her out.
However, after an emotional conversation, Gabby had a change of heart and decided to stick around.
Each lady then met Clayton’s family and both were a hit, but just when things seemed to be back on track, Clayton had another stunning announcement, telling his parents that he missed Susie.
At that point, host Jessie Palmer interrupted the conversation with the news that Susie was still in Iceland.
“I didn’t realize she was still here,” said Clayton, adding that he wanted “just want one more shot with Susie. “That’s all I can ask for. I just want an answer.”
What happened next? We’ll find out when The Bachelor season 26 finale concludes, Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
(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, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of 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 15, 5:51 am
Residents protest in Russian-occupied cities: UK military
Residents of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk, cities occupied by Russian forces, have held “multiple” demonstrations protesting the occupation, the U.K. Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
Protests in Kherson came as Russia may be making plans for a “referendum” to legitimize the region as a Russian-backed “breakaway republic,” similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, the Ministry said.
“Further protests were reported in the city yesterday with Russian forces reportedly firing warning shots in an attempt to disperse peaceful protesters,” the Ministry said.
Russia is likely to “make further attempts to subvert Ukrainian democracy,” the update said.
“Russia has reportedly installed its own mayor in Melitopol following the alleged abduction of his predecessor on Friday 11 March,” the update said. “Subsequently, the Mayor of Dniprorudne has also reportedly been abducted by Russian forces.”
Mar 14, 9:56 pm
Latest talks with Russia went ‘pretty good,’ will continue tomorrow, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated the status of negotiations with Russia in his latest address Monday, saying the latest talks went “pretty good” and will continue tomorrow.
Zelenskyy also addressed Russian troops, telling them they would be treated “decently” should they surrender.
“On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance — chance to survive,” Zelenskyy said. “You surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently.”
Zelenskyy also thanked the producer at a Russian state news channel who appeared on camera behind an anchor and held up an anti-war sign. She was later arrested.
“I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth,” he said. “To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones. And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war.”
(NEW YORK) — Nearly three million refugees have fled Ukraine since war erupted on Feb. 24. Among them is Hassan Al-Khalaf, an 11-year-old boy from Zaporizhzhia, a southern Ukrainian city along the Dnipro River where Russia has taken control of a nuclear power plant.
Hassan is one of the estimated one million children who have made the dangerous journey out of the war-torn country.
“Reports from the border suggest that some children are arriving unaccompanied after being sent by family members who were unable to leave Ukraine but wanted their children to be safe from ground attack and aerial explosions,” the charity Save the Children said in a release. “Others have been separated from their families in the chaos of fleeing their homes. Many of the solo arrivals are under 14 and showing signs of psychological distress.”
The boy arrived in Slovakia by train and foot, traveling over 620 miles west. The 11-year-old brought with him only a plastic bag with his belongings, including his passport. A phone number was written on his hand.
Border guards in Slovakia and volunteers banded together to help Hassan during his harrowing trek, using the phone number to help reunite the boy with his older siblings including his brother, who has been studying in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.
Hassan’s mother, Pisecka Yulia Volodymyrivna, a widow, made the heartbreaking decision to send her 11-year-old out of Ukraine for his safety and stayed behind to care for her 84-year-old mother, who is unable to walk.
In a video statement, Volodymyrivna thanked the border guards and volunteers in Slovakia, saying in part, “Border guards met him, they guided him holding his hand. They helped him to cross the border and let him to the other side of Slovakia. Then Slovakian volunteers met him. They fed my child. They took him to Bratislava. I thank you very much for saving my son’s life.”
“I can’t leave my mother, who is 84 years old and who can’t walk on her own. That is why I put my son on a train to the Slovakia border where he was met by people with big hearts,” she continued. “There are people with big hearts in your small country. Please, save our children. Please protect our Ukrainian children.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Cleveland 120, LA Clippers 111 (OT)
Denver 114, Philadelphia 110
Atlanta 122, Portland 113
Charlotte 134, Oklahoma City 116
Minnesota 149, San Antonio 139
Golden State 126, Washington 112
Sacramento 112, Chicago 103
Milwaukee 117, Utah 111
Toronto 114, LA Lakers 103
(NEW YORK) — After a weekend of cold temperatures, snowstorms and heavy winds on the East Coast, a new storm is making its way to the South.
Southern states such as Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana should be on alert for severe thunderstorms where damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes will be possible. This storm will move across the South in the next few days with heavy rain causing a threat for more severe weather.
Meanwhile in the West, several storms will continue to move through the area with heavy rains ranging from Washington to Northern California. The San Francisco bay area may get much-needed rain Monday night into Tuesday morning.
In the Pacific Northwest, heavy snow is expected in parts of the Washington area and a few inches coming to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Ahead of the western storms, wildfires are being fueled by the wind and dry weather from Southern California to Texas.
More than 100 firefighters were battling a brush fire Sunday night from the air and the ground in the Hansen Dam Recreation Area, near Pacoima, California.. The fire escalated to “Major Emergency” status within the 10 p.m. hour.
Just after 11 p.m., crews appeared to get the upper hand with “a well coordinated air attack combined with a relentless ground-based offense with firefighting hand lines and hand tools,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Firefighters contained the Hansen Fire to four acres, according to officials. Crews will continue working the fire’s perimeter with hose lines, hand tools, and heavy equipment throughout the night to extinguish hot spots.
There are no structures threatened at this time, and no injuries have been reported. Officials said there are currently no evacuations.
(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 on Monday:
Fallout from deadly airstrike near Polish border
On Sunday, Russian long-range bombers launched “more than a couple dozen” cruise missiles at a western Ukrainian training facility near Yavoriv, about 10 miles from the Polish border. All of the missiles were launched from Russian airspace, damaging at least seven buildings, according to the official.
The attack left at least 35 dead and 134 wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.
Russia also hit two airfields in western Ukraine on Friday in the towns of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankovsk.
During a Monday press briefing at the Pentagon, press secretary John Kirby said the strikes in western Ukraine are part of a broadening Russian assault across Ukraine.
“I wouldn’t think that that we would consider this or the other strikes in western Ukraine as some sort of turning point,” Kirby said, but adding, “The Russians clearly are expanding some of their targets sets.”
“If Mr. Putin was trying to signal his displeasure about a strong, united NATO with this war of his then he’s failed, because he’s getting exactly what he says he doesn’t want — a strong, united NATO on his Western flank,” Kirby said.
While there were 150 Florida National Guardsmen training Ukrainians on part of the base as recently as February, all U.S. troops and contractors were pulled from the country before the beginning of the invasion.
The strike occurred after the Kremlin claimed arms shipments to Ukraine are “legitimate targets,” but the U.S. official said no security assistance sites were hit in this case.
Kirby confirmed the training center was not being used to funnel U.S. weapons to Ukrainian forces.
“I would just tell you that we have multiple routes to get security assistance into the hands of the Ukrainians,” Kirby said.
In total, Russia has now launched more than 900 missiles against Ukraine, according to the senior U.S. defense official. This estimate is up from 810 on Friday.
Reports of Russia seeking military supplies from China
“I would just say that we’re going to watch that very, very closely. And as others in the administration have said, if China does choose to materially support Russia in this war, there will likely be consequences for China,” the official said.
Cease-fire talks
“We want to see the violence stop,” the official said. “All I can do is tell you what we’re seeing on the ground, and what we’re seeing on the ground is a continued military effort to subdue these population centers and to do it now with ever more violence using more and more long-range fires, which are increasingly indiscriminate in terms of what they’re hitting.”
Russian advance mostly stalled
“Almost all of Russia’s advances remain stalled,” the official said.
Kyiv: The Russians closest to Kyiv are still near Hostomel Airport to the northwest, about 9 miles (15km) from city center. Some troops are moving in behind those advance forces, “but not at a great pace,” the official said.
The forces approaching from the east are still about 12-19 miles from the heart of Kyiv, according to the official. This was the same estimate given by the official on Friday.
“No real progress to speak to,” the official said of these forces.
They’re facing heavy resistance from the Ukrainians. The U.S. assesses the defenders still have control of Brovary, just east of the capital, where in videos published last week we saw a column of Russian tanks hit.
Kharkiv: Significant fighting continues over Kharkiv, with Russians relying more and more on long-range missile attacks.
The U.S. sees a new line of advance with 50 to 60 vehicles moving from the southwest of Kharkiv down toward the town of Izyum.
“The assessment is that they are trying to block off the Donbass area and to prevent the flow westward of any Ukrainian armed forces that would be in the in the eastern part of the country, prevent them from coming to the assistance of other Ukrainian defenders near Kyiv,” the official said.
Mariupol: The city remains isolated and under heavy bombardment, with Russian forces to the north and east. Ukrainians continue to fight back, the official said.
Mykolayiv: Russian forces remain roughly where they were Friday, about six to nine miles northeast of the city. Ukrainians continue to resist.
It is unclear what the Russian plan is for Mykolayiv.
“It could be a left turn to move on Odessa from the ground or it could be they go north up towards Kiev,” the official said.
Odessa: The Pentagon still sees no sign of any looming amphibious assault on Odessa, according to the official.
Ukrainians going after Russian supplies
“The Ukrainians, as we’ve said all along, they’ve been quite creative here. They’re not simply going after combat capability — tanks and armored vehicles and shooting down aircraft — although they’re doing all that. They are also deliberately trying to impede and prevent the Russians’ ability to sustain themselves,” the official said, citing the long Russian convoy as one example.
Good news, Tool fans: you may not have to wait 13 years to hear another album.
In an interview with Cleveland Scene, drummer Danny Carey says that the next Tool record “won’t take us this long,” referring to the protracted gap between 2019’s Fear Inoculum and its predecessor, 2006’s 10,000 Days.
“We even had some stuff left over from the last one that we’ll develop,” Carey says. “We have head starts on three or four new songs.”
While that does sound exciting, we’re taking Carey’s comments with several grains of salt, as there were multiple false starts amid the 13-year wait for Fear Inoculum. Still, it would probably be hard to take longer than 13 years for another new album, so might as well be optimistic.
Tool is currently on tour in support of Fear Inoculum; the outing continues Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri. Earlier this month, they released “Opiate2,” a “re-imagined and extended” version of the title track off their 1992 EP in honor of its 30th anniversary.
