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(NEW YORK) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine has displaced thousands of people, many of whom are fleeing to nearby Poland and elsewhere. Now Airbnb.org — the non-profit wing of the popular home-sharing company — is stepping up to help.
Airbnb.org’s Open Homes Initiative got its “unofficial” start in 2012, and has since spread all over the world, Joe Gebbia, co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org tells ABC Audio.
“[W]hen Hurricane Sandy hit…the Eastern seaboard and displaced a lot of people, the next day we get an email from one of our hosts who says, ‘Dear Airbnb, how do I offer my five guest rooms, my Brooklyn loft for free to those displaced by the hurricane?'” Gebbia recalls. “At the time, we had no way to actually facilitate that.”
“But after a 48-hour engineering marathon [fueled by] Red Bull and pizzas,” Gebbia says, they reconfigured their site and “within about a day or so” had hundreds of rooms available.
“For the last 10 years, we’ve been active in well over 100 countries supporting people fleeing typhoons, wildfires, hurricanes, floods,” he says. “It’s been incredible to see how our host community has to date housed over 100,000 people already all over the world.”
As for Ukraine, Gebbia says, “[S]o many lives have been disrupted with these scenes unfolding of the violence happening there. And I think this will likely produce one of the largest humanitarian crises since likely since World War II.”
Gebbia says the non-profit has offered governments of neighboring countries to help house Ukrainian refugees in hosts’ homes, with the goal of housing up to 100,000 people fleeing Ukraine.
“We’re doing everything we can to use our infrastructure to help, but we need more hosts,” he says.
(WASHINGTON) — The push to support military veterans plagued with health issues caused by toxic exposure to burn pits got a significant boost during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday — his support coming just before the House was set to vote Thursday on a bill that would expedite health care and disability payments for millions of veterans.
“I’m calling on Congress: pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve,” Biden said, calling it part of “a sacred obligation to equip all those we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home.”
Biden lamented the dangers of the toxic smoke from burn pits, which have resulted in enduring health issues for military veterans stationed overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and Southwest Asia.
The open-air combustion of trash and other waste in burn pits is a common practice of military operations. Common materials incinerated in burn pits included human waste, paint, metal cans, food waste, unexploded ordnance, lubricant products, plastics, rubber, wood and even jet fuel.
Active-duty service members who have been exposed to these toxic chemicals are often plagued with life-threatening diseases and illness.
“And they come home, many of the world’s fittest and best-trained warriors in the world, never the same,” Biden told lawmakers. “Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.”
Biden poignantly recalled the memory of his late son, Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer in 2015.
“We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops,” Biden said. “But I’m committed to finding out everything we can.”
Approximately 82% of post-9/11 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan reported being exposed to burn pits and/or airborne toxic materials during their service, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonprofit organization.
About half of those exposed believe they have symptoms associated with the exposure, and another 41 percent are unsure if their symptoms are related.
“My eyes burned. It was hard to take a deep breath when I coughed and it made chest hurt and it made me cough,” Katie Purswell, a former veteran and director of health policy at the American Legion, said during a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
“I choked on the odor from the winds when they would pick up after a while. I started waking up with bloody noses. It was difficult and painful to breathe. After I got home, I had bronchitis for a year. I don’t think my runtime has ever recovered. I just can’t take a deep breath anymore,” she said, describing the symptoms she faced following prolonged exposure to toxic burn pits while stationed overseas.
Purswell was joined by former veterans, advocates, members of Congress, and comedian Jon Stewart at the Capitol Wednesday in support of a bill the House intends to pass Thursday.
Stewart and fellow advocate and 9/11 first responder John Feal have long lobbied Congress for veterans and first responder health care, often challenging lawmakers in emotional testimony — protesting what they believe is inadequate care for the nation’s veterans.
“Last night, they were seen,” Stewart said of the president’s national address. “The president of the United States saw their struggle.”
The group is calling on Congress to pass the bill, Honoring Our PACT Act, that aims to improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances.
The bill would specifically designate 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers as likely linked to toxic exposures related to military burn pits and airborne hazards exposure.
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs decides these exposure claims on a case-by-case basis, with the exception of those filed for asthma, rhinitis or sinusitis. The burden of proving one’s illness is related to a burn pit exposure falls on the veteran, leading to delays in health care.
“There is no other toxic exposure legislation in Congress like it in scope or soundness,” Rep. Mark Takano, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said Wednesday.
The California Democrat authored the legislation that has bipartisan support in the House.
“Without hesitation, our veterans raised their right hand to protect and defend this nation. And many are now sick as a result of that service. We made a pact with these individuals — a pact I’m afraid to say we have not yet honored,” Takano said.
Takano said his bill will address the full gamut of issues affecting toxic exposed-veterans, access to health care and benefits, while also reforming the VA’s “presumptive” decision-making process to provide health care to more than 3.5 million veterans who have been exposed.
The White House on Monday announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs is also making efforts to rework their policies — the VA proposed a rule that would recognize nine new respiratory illnesses as conditions that are presumed linked to a veterans’ military service, which would help fast track them for payouts and medical care.
Dennis McDonough, secretary of Veterans Affairs, alluded to the proposed changes during an interview with ABC News last month.
McDonough, acknowledging the “cumbersome” process veterans must go through to prove their illnesses are linked to exposure to burn pits, told ABC News that the department is working to establish the evidence to suggest even more illnesses are linked to burn pit exposure that he hopes the department will soon recognize.
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is undertaking its own effort to address the issue of toxic exposure for veterans as part of a three-step, bipartisan approach. But advocates, including Stewart and Feal, say the Senate’s effort doesn’t go as far in scope.
Some senators, however, are concerned that the House’s version of the bill is too pricey: the House bill calls for nearly $300 billion in spending over 10 years.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, standing next to Stewart and Feal during Wednesday’s press conference, defended the price tag.
“Don’t even talk to us about the price,” Pelosi said. “This is a cost of war that we should recognize … it’s going to be worth it. But it’s going to have a big price tag.”
“Because what we are looking at is the value of what this does for our country,” she said.
Sources familiar with the process told ABC News that members of the House and Senate will have to figure out their policy differences and take their respective bills to conference in the coming months to reach a final compromise.
The process could delay passage in the Senate for months to come before it would eventually reach Biden’s desk for his signature.
Stewart and Feal had a stark message for members of the Senate.
“Once this is done, make no mistake, then the battle shifts to the Senate. And as you know, they are excellent at killing things that are necessary. And we cannot allow it to happen,” Stewart said. “And you cannot allow this feeling of unity and hope and finally being seen to dissipate. We need all of your help to put the pressure on to make sure that the comprehensive needs that they have are passed.”
Feal warned Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that he plans to lobby him hard.
“Let Schumer know that we want a bill compatible to the honorable PACT Act. If he does not do that, then I will make his life miserable,” Feal said.
A spokesman to Schumer said in a statement to ABC News: “Leader Schumer believes strongly in this bill and will do everything he can to pass it.”
(NEW YORK) — It’s no secret that your waist size today might not have the same exact measurements tomorrow, and that’s one reason why one of Old Navy’s latest denim launches is getting a lot of attention.
The brand’s FitsYou jeans feature a unique technology: one pair can fit up to three sizes.
The innovative “one-size-fits-three” technology adjusts to your size by using a unique yarn and fabric construction that enables the jeans to grow with your body as your weight fluctuates.
Falling in line with Old Navy’s commitment to “BODEQUALITY” announced last year, the jeans feature 70% stretch, Lycra-free technology which allows the fabric to expand over your body without feeling compressive.
According to the brand, there’s also a “Never-Quit Shape Retention” feature that works to hold the shape of the jeans over a period of time.
Old Navy’s FitsYou denim styles are available in sizes 00 – 30 and in several different colors. Right now, the brand is offering an extra 30% off when you use code HURRY at checkout.
(LONDON) — Princess Diana was once one of the most photographed women in the world, but one image of the late royal has yet to be seen in public — until now.
In a new royal photography exhibition at Kensington Palace, a rare picture of the Princess of Wales taken by photographer David Bailey will be on display.
The black and white portrait, which was taken by Bailey in 1988, shows Diana reserved, stoic and looking away from the viewer. The portrait was one of several shots during a shoot commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. This particular photograph was kept by Bailey in his archive and has never been seen in public before.
In the press release for the exhibit, it notes that the princess personally chose Bailey to take the photo after being suggested several other established photographers for the commission.
The never-before-seen photo of Princess Diana will be featured alongside other photos of the royal family for the exhibit titled, “Life Through a Royal Lens,” which will explore the royal family’s relationship with the camera and offer a glimpse of them off-duty.
“Ever since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first embraced the revolutionary technology of photography, the medium has shaped how the world views the British monarchy,” Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said in a statement. “It has allowed the royal family to offer fascinating insights into their life and work, transforming the royal image and creating an unprecedented relationship between crown and subjects.”
(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 03, 6:08 am
Ukraine claims to have raised flag over town outside Kyiv
Ukraine claimed Thursday to have raised its flag over the town of Bucha, close to the Ukrainian capital where some of the most intense fighting has been taking place in recent days and where Russia’s push south on Kyiv appears to have stalled.
A video posted on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ ground troops purportedly shows soldiers hoisting the national flag outside Bucha’s town hall. The town is just a few miles north of the edge of Kyiv and about 15 miles from the center of the capital. Fighting is reported to be ongoing nearby and, in the video, an explosion can be heard in the distance as they raise the blue and yellow flag.
Mar 03, 5:34 am
Ukraine requests no-fly zone over Chernobyl
Ukraine is asking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to call on NATO to close access to the airspace over the country’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the surrounding exclusion zone.
The deserted exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, where the world’s worst nuclear accident took place in 1986, was seized by Russian forces last week.
A joint appeal to the IAEA was signed Wednesday by Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, Oleh Korikov, head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, and Petro Kotin, head of Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom.
“The fact of the seizure of the world-famous Chernobyl nuclear power plant has all the hallmarks of an act of nuclear terrorism committed against Chernobyl nuclear facilities and its personnel by Russian military units,” they said in the appeal.
Mar 03, 5:06 am
Russia claims to have hit another TV tower in Kyiv
Russia claimed Thursday that its forces have “disabled” another television tower in Ukraine’s capital.
Russian troops fired precision-guided weapons at a TV and radio center in the Lysa Hora region of Kyiv, according to Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
“A strike delivered by a long-range precision-guided weapon disabled a reserve TV and radio center in the Lysa Hora area in Kyiv which the Ukrainian Security Service has been using for psychological operations against Russia,” Konashenkov said at a press briefing Thursday. “There are no casualties and there is no damage done to residential buildings.”
There were reports of more explosions in Kyiv on Thursday morning, but Ukrainian officials have yet to confirm that a second TV tower was hit.
A Russian missile struck Kyiv’s main TV tower in the heart of the capital on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that Russia is aiming to cut off a large part of Ukraine from the internet and communications.
Mar 03, 4:37 am
Russia claims to have seized eastern Ukrainian city
Russia claimed Thursday that its forces have seized the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliya.
Russian troops worked together with Russia-backed separatist forces on the “successful offensive,” according to Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
“The city of Balakliya has been freed from nationalist battalions,” Konashenkov said at a press briefing Thursday.
Balakliya is about 55 miles southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where heavy shelling continued Thursday.
Mar 02, 11:25 pm
US condemns Kremlin’s ‘full assault’ on ‘truth’ in media
The U.S. State Department is condemning Moscow’s attack on the media, saying the Kremlin “is engaged in a full assault on media freedom and the truth, and Moscow’s efforts to mislead and suppress the truth of the brutal invasion are intensifying.”
“The people of Russia did not choose this war. Putin did,” Ned Price, State Department spokesman, said in a statement. “They have a right to know about the death, suffering and destruction being inflicted by their government on the people of Ukraine. The people of Russia also have a right to know about the human costs of this senseless war to their own soldiers.”
The statement comes 24 hours after the Russian government blocked the country’s only two major independent news broadcasters, Dozhd TV and Radio Ekho Moskvy, accusing them of spreading “false information” about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Ekho Moskvy has been respected for its even-handed treatment of breaking news since its founding 32 years ago, and, until yesterday, its broadcasts reached some 1.8 million daily listeners throughout Russia and beyond,” the State Department said in a statement Wednesday night. “Dozhd, which has been operating for more than a decade, is similarly known for high-quality reporting.”
Russian state channels, such as RT and Sputnik, are banned from using the word “war” or “invasion” in relation to Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin instead has referred to it as a “special military operation.”
The State Department said the Russian Parliament will consider a bill Friday to make “unofficial” reporting on the invasion punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
(NEW YORK) — Ahead of wedding season, Eloquii, a plus-size clothing brand, announced its new bridal collection for 2022.
Launching this summer, Eloquii said it is releasing wedding wardrobe pieces in sizes 14-28.
This is the first time the retailer is putting out a dedicated bridal-focused line, and attire for bachelorette parties to bridal showers are included, it said.
In a statement, Eloquii said that it was inspired to create a bridal category as a result of that category being one of the top requests from customers. The company reported in a statement that searches for “white dress” on the brand’s website were one of the top on-site searches in 2021.
There will be a curated assortment of over 50 styles and accessories for all types of wedding events, and prices for dresses starting at $89, the company said.
“Our thoughtfully designed Bridal by ELOQUII collection features exquisite dresses and looks to suit every bride’s taste at an accessible price point,” said Eloquii design director Yesenia Torres. “We were inspired by our customer’s love of elegance, so we incorporated fresh and airy hues, delicate patterns, and luxurious fabrics that make ethereal statements.”
Torres said that the goal of the collection is to provide the ultimate wedding wardrobe of fashion-forward silhouettes that are expertly crafted in design and fit.
It’s a story that captivated the world, and it’s now a limited series on Hulu, debuting today. The Dropout takes you behind the scenes of the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. Amanda Seyfried plays Holmes, and she tells ABC Audio it’s the role of a lifetime.
“I love playing people who are misunderstood,” Seyfried says. “I think all people in the public eye in some way or another are misunderstood because you can’t know everything about somebody.”
“I also think playing somebody who…is very, very public, but you know nothing about? Fascinating,” she adds.
And, that’s what The Dropout hopes to do — shed some light on the part of Holmes that people, as Seyfried says, know “nothing about.”
“We’re going to show you what might have been going on in this person’s head. Like, don’t we all want to know the motives?” the actress explains.
Holmes, who falsely claimed Theranos had developed technology that could use only a few drops of blood to conduct blood tests, attracting billions of dollars in capital, was convicted of criminal fraud in January and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and millions in fines and restitution.
Taking on the persona of Holmes was admittedly a bit tricky for Seyfried, who shares that it took “maybe a week into filming” before the entrepreneur’s deep, manufactured voice “became second nature.” Once she was able to conquer that, it unlocked a “whole other layer of character.”
“I mean, without that accent and the voice, and like the way she spoke, I don’t know who I would be playing,” Seyfried says.
Mary J. Blige, the nine-time Grammy Award winning R&B singer/songwriter who rose to fame in the early ‘90s, is showing no sign of slowing down.
On Wednesday, the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul” announced she’s teaming up with Lifetime to executive produce Real Love, a film inspired by her 1992 hit of the same name.
“I wrote ‘Real Love’ based on my real-life experiences and my fans connected to it in a deeply personal way,” Blige said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “It’s exciting to now use this song and my music to create a new story by way of film, continuing to build on a pillar of the foundation of my production company, Blue Butterfly. My passions for acting and music now include developing diverse stories with music as the backdrop.”
The Lifetime coming-of-age drama will follow a “determined” Kendra who goes off to college in upstate New York. Kendra tries hard to keep a professional relationship between her and film class partner Ben, but things don’t go as planned. “Despite disapproving parents, financial hardship, and competition for the top spot in class, Kendra and Ben find themselves falling hard for each other and ultimately learn the meaning of real love,” the press release detailed, according to EW.
Though widely recognized for her musical talents, Blige is no stranger to television. In addition to her popular role as Monet Tejada in Power, Blige produced the 2020 movie The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel for Lifetime.
“We are so thrilled to be able to partner with her again on this new opportunity to bring her music to life in the form of a movie that we know audiences will love,” Tanya Lopez, EVP of scripted content at Lifetime, said.
On March 8, Dolly Parton will celebrate her just-released novel, Run Rose Run, and its companion album of the same name.
But that’s not all. March 8 is International Women’s Day, and the country legend plans to celebrate the best way she knows how: With flowers. Dolly has curated three special floral arrangements for 1800Flowers.com.
Of course, roses are at the center of all three bouquets. Fans hoping to pick up some Dolly-themed items for the special woman in their life can choose between a simple bouquet of yellow roses — the singer’s favorite flower — a mix of yellow roses and lilies, or Dolly’s Roses of Many Colors bouquet, featuring flowers in pink, white, red and yellow.
“I remember as a little girl, running into the meadows behind our house so I could pick fresh flowers for my mama,” Dolly says. “I loved the smell and that they felt like a little ray of sunshine that I could share. To this day, I feel the same way. I’m partial to yellow roses, but I love all different kinds of flowers.”
Fans can place their orders through March 11. For the complete Dolly-style celebration of International Women’s Day, add her album and novel to your cart at checkout.
We haven’t heard from Taylor Swift in a minute, but at least Avril Lavigne has. On Instagram, the singer showed off a thoughtful gift she received from Taylor to congratulate her on the release of her new album Love Sux.
Taylor sent Avril a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, along with a note that reads, “Been dancing around my kitchen to your fabulous new album!! It’s AMAZING, like you.” She signed it, “Your forever fan, Taylor.” Avril posted a video of the flowers and the note, soundtracked to Taylor’s hit “Style.”
When Taylor was on her 1989 World Tour in 2015, she invited Avril to join her onstage in San Diego; the two performed Avril’s debut hit “Complicated.”
Love Sux features guest appearances and production from Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly and Avril’s boyfriend Mod Sun.
Avril will appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show today. Coincidentally, both singers became household names in 2002, but Avril had a bit of a head start: She released “Complicated” 20 years ago this week, while Kelly won American Idol in September of 2002.
