After a year of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke Bryan couldn’t be more excited to have fans back in the audience at the 2021 CMA Awards.
Through his career as an entertainer, Luke knows the power of a live audience. That’s why he’s thrilled that the 2021 show will welcome back a live crowd, with COVID-19 protocols in place.
“To be back in the room with country music fans in there watching the ‘oohs,’ the ‘aahs,’ the excitement, the anticipation, the screams, the cameras going off, the flashes. That’s what we get hypnotized by as singers and songwriters and performers,” he shares. “So having the fans back will certainly elevate the energy of the show because nobody does that better than the country music fan.”
The country superstar will step into the role of host for the first time at the 55th annual ceremony, where he’s also set to perform and is nominated for Musical Event of the Year as a collaborator on Jordan Davis‘ “Buy Dirt.” The show airs this Wednesday, November 10, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Megan Thee Stallion was honored Monday as one of Glamour‘s Women of the Year, and as she accepted the award, she thanked her late mother for paving the way for her success.
“A lot of people don’t know that my mom Holly was a rapper. She called herself Holly-wood, and she commanded every room she walked in because her presence was just larger than life,” the 26-year-old honoree said, according to Teen Vogue. “She was fearless and proud, and fought through the struggle to be heard and respected. She had no advantages, she seeked no shortcuts, and every bit of my core values and determination come from her. She passed away in March of 2019, but I feel her around me every day.”
The Houston MC received her award from hip hop trailblazers Salt-N-Pepa.
“She’s a Grammy award-winning rapper, a Popeye’s franchise owner — I love that! — and as of this fall, a college graduate with a bachelor’s of science in health administration from Texas Southern.” Pepa said. “Even while she was dealing with recent loss and trauma, she continues to spread a message of positivity and empowerment for women: young women like my daughter Egypt. Young girls, thicc girls, always taking the time to look and listen, to educate and give back in so many different ways.”
As the “Hot Girl Summer” artist embraced the special moment at the Rainbow Room in New York City, surrounded by other powerful females, she offered words of inspiration.
“There’s nothing women can’t achieve when we recognize that — that there can be more than one female scientist, scholar, actress, poet or, rapper,” she commented. “There’s room at the table for all of us, and when there isn’t, we need to make room.”
Ryan Reynolds is not only thrilled to be a #GirlDad — he is admittedly very thankful that he and wife Blake Lively haven’t produced a son.
Speaking to Access, the Free Guy star opened up about being the father of three daughters and asserted, “I would not have it any other way.”
Reynolds doesn’t mind that he’s the only man in the household, declaring, “When we had our youngest, I was quietly terrified it was gonna be a boy” because he and Lively “didn’t know” what they were having.
“I didn’t know anything but girls. I grew up with boys and I was constantly being thrown through walls when there was a perfectly good door five feet away,” Reynolds deadpanned.
The actor went on about the bond he formed with his Red Notice co-stars Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson, who are also the parents of three daughters. “Dwayne and Galand I, we talk a lot about that, and there is a sort of shared experience there that I think is… worth noting,” said Reynolds. “We love, love having our girls.”
He added that his and Gadot’s daughters were in “school pods” together while filming, which took place during the pandemic. He said it was “great” that their kids were able to go to school together during that time.
When asked if he would be interested in having a son, the actor shrugged, “No. We’re all right.”
(GLASGOW, Scotland) — Leaders from nearly every country in the world have converged upon Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference that experts are touting as the most important environmental summit in history.
The conference, delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was designed as the check-in for the progress countries are making after entering the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, a value that would be disastrous to exceed, according to climate scientists. More ambitious efforts aim to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Not one country is going into COP26 on track to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, according to experts. They will need to work together to find collective solutions that will drastically cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
“We need to move from commitments into action,” Jim Harmon, chairman of the World Resources Institute, told ABC News. “The path to a better future is still possible, but time is running out.”
All eyes will be on the biggest emitters: China, the U.S. and India. While China is responsible for about 26% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, more than all other developed countries combined, the cumulative emissions from the U.S. over the past century are likely twice that of China’s, David Sandalow, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, told ABC News.
Latest Headlines:
-‘Already to take on the challenge,’ Pelosi says
-Obama addresses COP26, endorses Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ bill
-American agriculture is ready to tackle climate change, agriculture secretary says
-End of coal in sight, UN says
-US needs to ‘get in the game’ on clean energy transitions, energy secretary say
-Dozens of countries promise to phase out coal
-New climate targets announced for sports worldwide
-‘America showed up,’ Biden says of time at summit
-Biden, world leaders push to conserve global forests
-‘It’ll take trillions,’ Jeff Bezos says of his $10 billion climate pledge
-US submits long-term strategy to UN
-Biden apologizes for Trump administration pulling out of the Paris Agreement
Here’s how the conference is developing. All times Eastern.
Nov 09, 1:39 pm
America ‘ready to take on the challenge,’ Pelosi says
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi focused on the domestic political success of the Build Back Better plan and its investment in climate change while speaking to reporters at COP26, continuing the message that America is back on the international climate stage.
“We come here equipped, ready to take on the challenge to meet the moment,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi said she still plans to pass the reconciliation bill the week of Nov. 15 and backed up remarks made by former President Barack Obama on Monday — that both he and President Biden could take more aggressive action on climate change if it wasn’t for near Republican control on Capitol Hill.
“Let me just say that when President Obama was president and we had majority in the first term … we did pass in the House a very strong climate bill,” she said.
“Sixty votes in the Senate is an obstacle that is very hard to overcome and is another subject for another day.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also declared that “America is back” but was more critical, saying that leaders will need to “actually deliver.”
“We’re here to say that we’re not just back, we’re different … and we are more open, I think, to questioning prior assumptions about what is politically possible and that is what is exciting about this time,” she said.
ABC News’ Stephanie Ebbs
Nov 08, 5:23 pm
Obama addresses COP26, endorses Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ bill
During his speech at Monday’s COP26 events, former President Barack Obama shined a spotlight on the upcoming midterm elections and called upon young Americans to consider climate when deciding how to vote.
“Saving the planet isn’t a partisan issue,” Obama said, frustrated over the divided government.
Obama endorsed President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” bill and drew a comparison to when “one of our two major parties” made climate change a partisan issue back during his tenure.
On climate change, Obama harkened back to the Paris Agreement, saying, “We have not done nearly enough to address the crisis.”
He called for countries to push for ambitious action and acknowledged that while older generations have failed the young, they “can’t afford hopelessness.”
Addressing the youth participating in protests outside COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, the former president encouraged them to get more involved to deal with their anxiety over climate change.
“Protests are necessary to raise awareness. Hashtag campaigns can spread awareness,” Obama said. “But to build the broad-based coalitions necessary for bold action, we have to persuade people who either currently don’t agree with us or are indifferent to the issue.”
Nov 05, 1:23 pm
Greta Thunberg leads youth activist march
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, 18, was among thousands of young people demonstrating outside of COP26.
Thunberg spoke at the Fridays for Future march, the group she founded in 2018, criticizing politicians and labeling the conference as a “failure.”
“It should be obvious that we cannot solve a crisis with the same methods that got us into it in the first place,” Thunberg said.
Many of the demonstrators who spoke to ABC News said they attended the rally to see Thunberg speak.
Some demonstrators said they did not trust their leaders to create real change but were encouraged to see how many other young people were fighting for climate action.
Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate, 24, also spoke at the protest, where she said Africa was experiencing some of the harshest effects from climate change.
Nakate said she envisions a future when “the world is green again.”
ABC News’ Maggie Rulli
Nov 05, 11:00 am
Despite positive momentum, ‘job is not done,’ John Kerry says
The sense of urgency at COP26 is at an all-time high but it’s too soon to declare victory, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, said on Friday.
“Let me emphasize as strongly as I can: Job not done,” Kerry told reporters at a news conference. “Job not done the day this ends.”
The summit is “just the beginning” of a decade-long race to drastically cut emissions, Kerry said.
Countries cannot leave the conference and continue on as “business as usual,” he noted, adding, “I hope that will continue and translate into a goodwill that brings out a very strong decision at the end of next week.”
Using real-time motion-capture technology, Justin will perform a full show as a digital avatar, singing songs off his album, Justice. Fans will get the chance to interact with the show, appearing on stage alongside Justin’s avatar as well as influencing his performance and environments as the show goes on.
“I am a big believer in Wave and love the platform as a new way for me to engage with my fans,” says Justin, who’s an investor in the platform. “I’m excited to be using this technology to bring people together and connect with fans from all over the world. I can’t wait for them to check out this interactive performance.”
You can sign up on Wave.watch and experience the event for free on November 18 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. It will be rebroadcast on November 20 and 21 for fans worldwide on Wave.watch and YouTube in their respective time zones.
(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — A “suspected serial killer” has been taken into custody with the semi-automatic pistol he allegedly used in multiple slayings within weeks in the St. Louis area and in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the FBI.
In September there were six shootings from the same handgun (according to the shell casings) in St. Louis County and in St. Louis City, in which four people were killed, Richard Quinn, special agent in charge of the FBI’s St. Louis Division, said at a news conference Monday.
The St. Louis city and county crimes were within two weeks, according to a probable cause affidavit.
On Sept. 12 a victim was waiting at a bus stop when he was shot from behind without warning, the affidavit said.
The next day, a victim was fatally shot in the head and arm, according to the affidavit.
On Sept. 16, one victim was shot in the face and survived, while another victim was shot in the head and killed, the affidavit said.
The final deadly shootings were on Sept. 18 and Sept. 26, the affidavit said.
Witnesses and a victim provided a description highlighting “some unique physical characteristics” of the suspect, Quinn said, but then law enforcement ran up against “a little bit of a wall.”
Quinn credited police in Kansas City, Kansas, for sharing the identity of a suspect in two fatal shootings — 25-year-old Perez Reed — with St. Louis city police. The FBI was then able to compare the information and link the cases, Quinn said.
On Oct. 28, Reed, who lives in St. Louis, took an Amtrak train from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri, according to the affidavit. That night, surveillance video showed a victim holding an apartment building door open for Reed, and video showed the two going into the victim’s apartment together, according to the affidavit. That victim was found dead on Nov. 1, the affidavit said.
On Oct. 29, Reed was spotted on surveillance video entering the same apartment building, according to the affidavit. Reed also gave his driver’s license to security staff at the building, the affidavit said. A second victim was found dead in her apartment on Nov. 2, shot in the head and upper back, the affidavit said.
The FBI called Reed a “suspected serial killer.”
Reed was arrested on Friday while on a train from Kansas City, Missouri, to St. Louis. He was taken into custody without incident when he got off the train in Independence, Missouri, the FBI said.
Reed had a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with him when he was arrested, the FBI said, adding that the weapon matched the shell cases in St. Louis and St. Louis County. The handgun also matched casings at the scenes in Kansas City, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said.
The victims don’t appear to be connected, investigators said, calling the shootings “random acts.”
Reed was apprehended by an FBI task force and is being held in federal detention, Bell said. He was charged federally with interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony.
Reed told investigators after his arrest that he found the gun in Jennings, Missouri, and took it to Kansas with him, the affidavit said. Reed admitted to knowing one of the victims but he denied hurting anyone, the affidavit said.
Reed made an initial court appearance on Monday. He waived a detention hearing and a preliminary exam has been set for Nov. 22.
Reed was charged in St. Louis County with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of assault and three counts of armed criminal action, Bell said, adding that he faces more charges in other jurisdictions.
Reed hasn’t entered a plea.
Reed’s attorney told ABC News via email Tuesday, “I am waiting on both the federal and state prosecutors to turn over all the evidence/police reports they have so that I can start preparing Mr. Reed’s legal defense.”
(NEW YORK) — The family of Robert Durst’s first wife, Kathleen, is thanking prosecutors for charging the real estate heir for her murder, but is questioning why it took nearly 40 years.
“It is important to ask why it took so long to get to this point,” Kathleen Durst’s brother, James McCormack, said at a news conference Tuesday. “My family and I have serious questions and we deserve answers.”
Kathleen Durst, 29, disappeared on Jan. 31, 1982 in South Salem, New York. Her body has never been found.
A grand jury indicted Robert Durst on a second-degree murder charge last week.
Westchester County prosecutors charged Robert Durst with his wife’s murder last month, shortly after he was sentenced to life in prison for the 2000 murder of his friend Susan Berman. Robert Durst allegedly killed Berman because he feared she would disclose details of Kathleen Durst’s death, according to investigators said.
McCormack questioned whether prosecutors protected the Durst family, whether police conducted a proper investigation and why Durst was allowed to stand trial in Los Angeles for Berman’s slaying before standing trial for Kathleen Durst’s murder.
Robert Abrams, attorney for Kathleen Durst’s family, took aim at the Durst family.
“All they cared about was money. They didn’t care about Kathie,” Abrams said, promising to present evidence next month against people the family believes participated in a “cover-up” of Kathleen Durst’s murder.
Abrams took particular aim at former Westchester District Attorney Judge Jeanine Pirro, who he claimed held a “clandestine, private meeting” with Robert Durst’s brother, Douglas Durst, after which she allegedly told her staff to stand down. Abrams called on prosecutors to investigate whether Douglas Durst’s $400,000 political donation to former New York Gov. George Pataki, whom Abrams described as Pirro’s mentor, was a quid pro quo.
“As much as we appreciate what [Westchester County] District Attorney [Miriam] Rocah has done by indicting Robert Durst for Kathie’s murder … what she did is what her job requires her to do,” Abrams said. “Kudos to her because that was not done for the past 40 years.”
Gabby Barrett is bringing her fashion A-game to the 2021 CMA Awards.
As she gets red-carpet ready for the show that’s been deemed “Country Music’s Biggest Night,” Gabby reveals that she will be donning two special outfits throughout the night, citing fashion as another way for her to express herself in country music.
“My carpet outfit and my performance outfit are both custom pieces, which I’m very excited about. I work very close with my stylist and whoever the designer is on specific looks and bringing fresh and new looks to the country music world. I’m very excited about it,” the “I Hope” hitmaker explains, hinting, “I can’t tell you too much because you got to look out for it, but they’ll be really cool.”
Gabby is nominated Female Vocalist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “The Good Ones.”
Viewers will get to see the unique pieces when Gabby appears at the CMA Awards, airing live from Nashville Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
The bitter feud between Kanye West and Drake may finally come to an end.
After years of beefing, Ye extended an olive branch to Drizzy Monday night, inviting him to perform with him at an event on December 7 in Los Angeles. West offered the invitation during a social media video posted by Rap-A-Lot CEO J Prince.
“I’m making this video to address the ongoing back and forth between myself and Drake. Both me and Drake have taken shots at each other, and it’s time to put it to rest,” Yeezy said. “I’m asking Drake on December 7 to join me on stage as a special guest to share the two biggest albums of the year, live in Los Angeles, with the ultimate purpose being to free Larry Hoover. I believe this event will not only bring awareness to our cause, but prove to people everywhere how much more we can accomplish when we lay our pride to the side and come together.”
Hoover, a co-founder of Chicago’s Gangster Disciples gang, is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence in Colorado. Kanye mentions him on the Donda album.
After working together for years, the Kanye/Drake beef was ignited in 2018 when Pusha T accused the Champagne Papi of using a ghostwriter in the song “Infrared,” which West produced. The feud continued since then, and this year, Drake disses Kanye on Trippie Redd‘s track, “Betrayal, “with the lyrics, “All these fools I’m beefin’ that I barely know / Forty-five, forty-four (burned out) let it go / ‘Ye ain’t changin’ s*** for me, it’s set in stone.”
Kanye responded by posting, and then deleting, Drake’s home address on Instagram.
I met with @kanyewest night in Htown at the Rothko Chapel. It wasn’t in my plans to meet him there but I must say I’m glad I didn’t allow a worship place for God to detour our meeting. pic.twitter.com/GM9FIN80Uj
Lance Bass has often said that Britney Spears is like a little sister to him — but as it turns out, she’s literally a distant relative.
The genealogy company Ancestry.com sponsors a YouTube series called 2 Lies & a Leaf, and on Monday’s episode, Lance got the shocking news that he and Britney are sixth cousins once removed.
On the episode, Lance and his husband, Michael Turchin, were asked to guess which one of three famous musicians is part of Lance’s family tree: Faith Hill, Elvis Presley or Britney Spears. Lance says he wants it to be Britney, but he felt there was “no way,” so he guessed Elvis. Michael guessed Britney, and he was right.
“That is so crazy, though, because I feel like she’s my little sister, and this whole time, she’s been my little cousin!” Lance exclaimed. “And it makes sense ’cause we were born an hour from each other. This is so cool!”
Lance was born in Laurel, Mississippi, while Britney was born in McComb, Mississippi.
“I mean, this means so much to me!” Lance continued. “I mean, she is like family to me, so the fact that we’re, like, blood-related is amazing.” Lance even claims that when they were very young, he always thought there was a family resemblance.
In other “Lance Bass’ relatives” news, he and Michael are already teaching their newborn twins about Daddy Lance’s musical legacy. Lance posted a pic of little Alexander and Violet wearing “We’re *NSYNC” onesies, with the caption “They’re tearin’ up my heart.”
