Justin Timberlake‘s wife Jessica Biel turned the big 4-0 on Thursday, and he posted a sweet birthday message for TheSinner star.
On Instagram, Justin posted a photo of himself and Jessica dressed up in wild outfits and captioned it, “MOOD: 40 AF.”
Then, on his Instagram story, Justin wrote, “”Whether it’s laid up on a couch, kicking my a** at the gym or, dressing up at ridiculous costume parties… you make it all look good. I love you and I celebrate you every day.”
On her own Instagram, Jessica posted pictures of her birthday festivities, including a shot of herself embracing her and Justin’s two sons, Silas and Phineas. There was also a shot of her birthday cake and cards, a picture of herself and Justin enjoying the cake, and a banner which read, “Happy Birthday Mommy Mom!!” signed by the boys.
“Thinking of birthdays past and remembering all the amazing ones Justin and I spent solo,” she wrote. “Now celebrating 40 with [cake] and [balloons] with my other two favorite guys on the planet. Love you family. Thanks for all the birthday love. 40 feels fresh y’all.”
Gabby Barrett was honored at the 2022 Billboard Women in Music ceremony earlier this week, where she also performed her hit single, “I Hope,” from the event stage.
Amid that tribute, Gabby’s still racking up milestones for her 2020 full-length studio debut, Goldmine. The album has officially received RIAA Platinum certification, and two of its single got mentions, too: “I Hope” went six-times Platinum and “The Good Ones” went two-times Platinum.
Gabby was surprised with the plaques on the red carpet ahead of the Billboard Women in Music event, where she also spoke about what she’s learned from being a mom to her baby girl, Baylah, who turned one year old in January.
The singer said she hopes that Baylah will “dream big” and “never be afraid,” explaining that motherhood has taught her even more gratitude for the sacrifices her parents made for her growing up.
“It takes a lot to be a parent. It takes a lot to be a mother trying to balance another job,” she reflected. “…I just appreciate my parents more for what they’ve done for me.”
While his dopey Chad character was tasked with colonizing Mars on a Saturday Night Live sketch last year, it seems Pete Davidson might actually be headed into space.
Unfortunately for Kanye West — the ex-husband of Pete’s current girlfriend Kim Kardashian — it won’t be a long-term trip.
Instead, the New York Post reports a hang with Pete and Kim, and Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez at the Amazon creator’s Los Angeles estate, might just have cemented Davidson’s seat on one of Bezos’ Blue Origin space flights.
“Pete is excited,” a source tells the publication. “They haven’t signed a contract yet, but it looks like it’s going to happen.”
The source adds, “He got on really well with Jeff when they met.”
As if you need yet another example of Davidson’s mysterious charm, consider Oscar winner Marisa Tomei‘s new comments to Rolling Stone. The Spider-Man series star claims she got stiffed on her check for playing Davidson’s mom in his well-received indie film The King of Staten Island, but she’s not holding a grudge. Far from it, actually.
“He’s just so f***ing real, and he’s unfiltered, but very sensitive,” Tomei gushed. “So he’s almost an irresistible combination. And he’s good-looking, even though I played… let’s just put the mom thing aside. Let’s, like, never mention that again,” she joked.
(NEW YORK) — Typically used for fun on social media, memes out of Ukraine are serious business amid Russia’s attack.
In fact, history and media experts who spoke with ABC News said the social media posts about Ukraine’s resistance against Russian forces are war tools.
Jennifer Grygiel, an associate professor of communications at Syracuse University who specializes in social media and memes, told ABC News that social media campaigns, undertaken by big governments or grassroots groups, are critical in gaining worldwide support.
“That’s how warfare is conducted in the information space. It’s about narratives and public belief,” Grygiel said.
As social media warfare heats up, Grygiel and other experts say the world needs to be on high alert and prevent spreading false information.
U.S. and European officials also say the Russian government began using social media videos in the last couple of months to plant false flag stories that bolster Putin’s claims that his invasion is legitimate.
In one video posted in February, Russian-backed separatists claimed they were ordering an “immediate evacuation” to Russia because of unrest in Ukraine. But metadata embedded in the video files showed they had been created two days earlier, according to Western intelligence officials.
V.S. Subrahmanian, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University’s Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and cybersecurity expert, told ABC News that these tactics aren’t new.
He said during World War II, Western and Nazi forces would airdrop leaflets onto the battlefield and in towns to promote their respective country and to intimidate the enemy.
“What’s happening today is these leaflets are now tweets, or Facebook posts or posts on TikTok and they are sowing the disinformation campaign long before any invasion tactics, ” Subrahmanian said.
The biggest difference in this tactic, according to Subrahmanian, is that years of Russian government disinformation campaigns have added up and the world is not taking the bait.
And it may have spurred Ukrainians to take back that online narrative.
Since the invasion began, there have been viral posts from social media users in the country that have highlighted the Ukrainians’ resolve. In addition to publishing photos and videos of resistance forces taking down Russian troops and tanks, social media users are also promoting the acts of civilians.
“The most important mission of any warfare is success on the ground,” Daniel Johnson, a Roy H. Park Fellow at UNC Hussman’s School of Journalism and former U.S. Army journalist told ABC News. “Russia is running into the issue where they are fighting battles that they thought it would be winning. So when they put out messages saying they’re winning, people around the world know it’s false.”
Johnson said the U.S. Army and other military units are tasked with putting out the social media from the front lines, but what makes the situation interesting in Ukraine is that the posts are coming from civilians voluntarily. This is their form of nationalistic pride and duty, he said.
“In previous wars, we’d have people help with giving supplies or letters. Now you have a video post,” he said.
Johnson said that the Ukrainian social media posts are keeping the Russian disinformation campaign at bay as Ukrainian victories posted online have been livestreamed and captured by multiple users from different angles.
“It’s hard to lie when I have 150 videos showing that you’re not in Kyiv and you’re not winning,” he said.
Some of the posts are getting more attention.
In one video, a group of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island in the Black Sea were seen responding to a Russian warship’s threats of a bombing by telling the ship’s crew to “go (expletive) yourself.” In another post, a Ukrainian woman is seen scolding a Russian soldier, telling him to “put sunflower seeds in your pocket so they grow when you die.”
The ongoing stories of the Ukrainian fighter pilot nicknamed “the Ghost of Kyiv,” have also been trending, for their reported successful airstrikes against Russian forces. Military experts haven’t been able to confirm if the “Ghost of Kyiv” is a real person.
Johnson said these figures, real or not, play an important role in boosting the resistance’s spirits and have done so in the past with examples like “Rosie the Riveter.”
“Legends have a morale power,” he said. “It’s what they represent more than anything.”
Grygiel said one of the most important effects of Ukrainian social media and memes is showing the world how devastating Russian attacks are on the populace and cities. For many people around the world, this is their first taste of the atrocities of war in real time, Grygiel said.
“There is something human about seeing who you’re about to harm,” they said.
Grygiel and the other experts said there will be a greater emphasis on media and Internet messaging campaigns during the current conflict and future international wars. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced this week that it had shut down accounts that spread misinformation about Ukraine.
Governments and social media companies need to go further and keep an eye on the content that they’re promoting Grygiel said.
“When it comes to propaganda and disinformation there is no limit,” Grygiel said.
Outlander is back for season six on Starz. The time travel romantic drama premieres its new season with a super-sized episode on Sunday.
It’s only fitting that the show — known for its strong female characters time-hopping from the 20th to the 18th century — is debuting right at the start of Women’s History Month. Sophie Skelton, who plays Brianna, the daughter of Jamie and Claire, says she finds the show’s portrayal of women empowering.
“I think having these strong women come from the future…Brianna and Claire are very much modern for the ’60s even, and then to throw them back in this time they just have this beautiful strength in them,” she tells ABC Audio. “It just shows that it’s really OK to be rooted in who you are and just stand up for what you believe in.”
Skelton adds that she loves how Outlander “turns gender stereotypes on its head” — and Richard Rankin, who plays Brianna’s husband Roger, is all for it.
“I don’t think [Roger had] ever seen a woman like that,” Rankin says of Brianna. “And I think he had a lot of admiration for that, a lot of love for that.”
In season six, the characters’ strength will be put to the test as they deal with past traumas and new threats — namely, the looming American Revolution, which threatens to upend the life Jamie and Claire have built at Fraser’s Ridge.
Outlander, starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT this Sunday on Starz.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr 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 04, 10:22 am
Putin says Russia will ‘cope’ with sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday addressed the sanctions imposed by the West, saying his country will “benefit” in the end.
“Of course it will cause damage to us as well,” Putin said during an appearance on a Russian news channel. “We will simply have to postpone some projects a little, acquire additional expertise, just as we did it in a whole range of other projects, including in aviation.”
“But in any case we will cope with these tasks before us and will even benefit from this situation in the end, because we will acquire additional expertise,” Putin said.
Putin also spoke about Ukraine: “We have absolutely no ill intentions with regard to our neighbors.”
He added, “I would advise them against escalating tensions and imposing any restrictions. We are honoring all our obligations, and we will continue to do so.”
Mar 04, 9:08 am
Over 1.2 million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR
More than 1.2 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Over 50% of the refugees from Ukraine are in neighboring Poland, UNHCR figures show.
UNHCR spokesperson Chris Melzer said the refugee flow from Ukraine into Poland appears to be slowing down, for now.
“The flow of people is lessening,” Melzer told ABC News on Friday. “The lines are much shorter.”
Melzer, who is currently at Budomierz on the Polish border, has been hearing reports of similar scenes at other crossings. But he cautioned that this doesn’t mean the situation is over.
“The process has been streamlined and less people seem to be coming,” he said. “Here, there are about two-hour waits for cars and pedestrians are passing through freely.”
-ABC News’ Zoe Magee
Mar 04, 8:33 am
Zelenskyy alleges Russia is planning to stage ‘fake rally’ in Kherson
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian forces of planning to stage “a fake rally in support of Russia” in the strategic port city of Kherson.
In a televised address Friday morning, Zelenskyy claimed that Russian troops were busing in “outsiders” from Moscow-annexed Crimea and “trying to recruit traitors from among the locals” to demand that Kherson be a Russian city.
“I appeal to the residents of Kherson: You can stop that, show them that Kherson is your city,” Zelenskyy said. “We will not let go of what is ours.”
“Show them our flags, sing our anthem, show your spirit, let them know that they can only stay in Kherson temporarily and would never be able to claim ownership of Kherson or any other city of our country,” he added.
Russian forces took control of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Wednesday night. The Ukrainian government said earlier Friday that Russian troops have taken over Kherson’s television tower and are broadcasting Russian channels, suggesting that Moscow may be planning to permanently occupy the city.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Mar 04, 8:17 am
Over 1.2 million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR
More than 1.2 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Over 50% of the refugees from Ukraine are in neighboring Poland, UNHCR figures show.
-ABC News’ Zoe Magee
Mar 04, 7:46 am
Russia has prepared puppet government for Kyiv: US official
Russia has selected and prepared a puppet government to install in Kyiv once its forces seize the Ukrainian capital, a senior U.S. administration official told ABC News.
U.S. intelligence believes Russian troops will ultimately crush Kyiv and decapitate its government, amid mounting evidence of indiscriminate shelling and a barrage against civilian targets across Ukraine, according to the official.
The official expressed concern that Ukraine lacks air power and what air force they had has been attacked, allowing Russia to mass its forces en route to Kyiv.
-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz
Mar 04, 7:32 am
Russian forces advancing on major Ukrainian city, local official warns
Russian forces are advancing on Mykolaiv, another key city in southern Ukraine, the regional governor warned Friday.
In a video message posted on social media, Mykolaiv Oblast Gov. Vitaliy Kim said Russian troops are moving on Mykolaiv city from two directions and that some have already entered the city limits but are not yet inside in significant numbers.
The city is preparing to defend itself, according to Kim.
“Don’t panic,” Kim said. “At the moment, the enemy is approaching from two directions but they’re not on our streets yet. We’re preparing the defenses, so women and children should get home now and the men join the defense lines.”
Kim said the Ukrainian military has a large amount of armour in Mykolaiv and urged residents “not to shoot at every vehicle,” since some could be Ukrainian.
“No need to shoot at everything that’s moving in the city. There’s a lot of our armor in the city,” he said. “{lease do not shoot inside the city, there’s no enemy here yet, but they are approaching.”
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Mar 04, 6:45 am
US embassy calls nuclear power plant shelling ‘a war crime’
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv took to Twitter on Friday to condemn Russia’s shelling of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
“It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant,” the embassy tweeted. “Putin’s shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further.”
Mar 04, 6:25 am
Blinken: ‘If conflict comes to us, we’re ready for it’
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday morning to discuss the response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During a press conference prior to the meeting at NATO headquarters, Blinken and Stoltenberg condemned Russia’s attacks on civilians in Ukraine and expressed concern over the reports of Russian shelling at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.
“This just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it, and the importance of Russia withdrawing all its troops and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts,” Stoltenberg told reporters. “We provide support to Ukraine. At the same time, NATO is not part of the conflict. NATO is a defensive alliance, we don’t seek war conflict with Russia.”
Blinken emphasized that NATO and the United States “seek no conflict.”
“But if conflict comes to us, we’re ready for it,” he added. “And we will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
Mar 04, 5:41 am
No radioactive material released at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: IAEA
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Friday that no radioactive material was released at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant amid shelling from Russian forces overnight.
The shelling sparked a fire in a training building at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar. The blaze has since been extinguished, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
Two security employees at the plant were injured during the incident, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“The safety systems at the six reactors were not effected,” Grossi said at a press conference in Vienna on Friday morning. “No radioactive material was released.”
“We are following the situation very, very closely,” he added.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Mar 04, 2:57 am
Fire at Ukraine’s largest nuclear facility extinguished as Russian forces take control
A fire at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar was extinguished Friday, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
The fire occurred in a training building at the site after shelling from Russian forces. There were no victims, the emergency service said.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe.
Meanwhile, Energodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov told reporters Friday morning that the city is now under the control of Russian forces and fighting near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant has stopped.
Ukraine’s national nuclear regulator has said that the plant’s employees are being permitted to work as normal, safety systems are currently functioning and there was no reported change in radiation levels at the site.
-ABC News’ Brian Hartman and Patrick Reevell
Mar 04, 2:12 am
UN nuclear watchdog warns of ‘severe danger if any reactors were hit’ at plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has appealed for a halt of the use of force at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant and warned of “severe danger if any reactors were hit.”
The United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a statement early Friday that it was informed by Ukraine that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, had been shelled overnight in the eastern city of Enerhodar. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi “immediately” spoke with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as well as the country’s national nuclear regulator and operator about the “serious situation.” Grossi is expected to hold a press conference later Friday.
According to IAEA, the Ukrainian regulatory authority said a fire at the site had not affected “essential” equipment and plant personnel were taking mitigatory actions, and that there was no reported change in radiation levels at the plant.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the blaze, which occurred in a training building after shelling from Russian forces, was extinguished Friday morning.
The IAEA said it is putting its Incident and Emergency Center (IEC) in “full response mode” due to the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The agency continues to closely monitor developments at the facility and remains in constant contact with Ukraine.
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. employers added 678,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, the latest figures released Friday by the Labor Department show, exceeding economists’ expectations.
Economists had expected to see employment grow by around 440,000 new positions.
The biggest increases in employment in February occurred in leisure and hospitality (179,000) followed by professional and business services (95,000) and health care (64,000), according to the Labor Department.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped slightly from 4.0% in January to 3.8% in February.
Demi Lovato is no longer starring in the upcoming NBC comedy series, Hungry.
According to Deadline, Demi had to leave the acting role due to “scheduling issues” but they’ll still serve as an executive producer on the project along with their manager, Scooter Braun.
Demi’s role is being recast. Deadline reports it’ll have to be done quickly so the pilot can remain on schedule.
Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food issues group and help each other along the way. It was set to be Demi’s first regular television role in over 10 years.
(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who attacked the Boston Marathon in 2013, in a decision announced Friday.
It was a 6-3 decision, with the opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas. Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.
“Dzhokhar Tsarnaev committed heinous crimes. The Sixth Amendment nonetheless guaranteed him a fair trial before an impartial jury. He received one. The judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is reversed,” Thomas wrote in the decision.
Breyer in the dissent said Tsarnaev should have been allowed to present evidence that his older brother Tamerlan had previously committed three brutal murders to bolster his case that he “radicalized him.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers have shared another preview of their hotly anticipated new album, Unlimited Love.
The latest cut is called “Poster Child,” and is available now via digital outlets. An accompanying animated video is streaming now via Facebook.
“Poster Child” is the second Unlimited Love track to be released, following lead single “Black Summer.” The album, which marks the return of both longtime guitarist John Frusciante and frequent Peppers producer Rick Rubin, arrives in full on April 1.
RHCP will launch a worldwide stadium tour in support of Unlimited Love in June. The U.S. leg begins in July.
