(WASHINGTON) — Masks will continue to be required on planes, trains and buses for at least another month, the Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday. The agency said the federal mask mandate for transportation would be extended through April 18.
During the extension, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will work with government agencies to “help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor,” according to a TSA press release.
Airlines for America (A4A), the group that lobbies on behalf of all major U.S. airlines, said in a statement that its members would support the extension, but it urged the Biden administration to find a path forward for lifting mask and testing requirements.
This is the shortest extension of the travel mask mandate since it was first enacted under President Biden. Previously, the extensions had lasted for 90 days.
A coalition of Republican Senators called on the president to end federal Covid-19 travel restrictions Thursday. The group, led by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said, “It is time for the federal government to recognize this reality, follow the science, and reduce or eliminate these restrictions immediately.”
Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days in county jail on Thursday for fabricating a 2019 hate crime attack on himself.
Smollett was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago, fined $25,000 and must serve 30 months of felony probation.
As Cook County Judge James Linn was imposing a sentence, Smollett screamed out, “I am not suicidal. I am innocent.”
The judge ordered Smollett to be taken to jail immediately.
Smollett, 39, appeared Thursday afternoon in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago to hear his fate after a jury convicted him in December on five of six felony counts of disorderly conduct stemming from him filing a false police report and lying to police, who spent more than $130,000 investigating his allegations.
Prior to the sentencing, Linn denied Smollett’s motion for a new trial following a lengthy hearing.
“We’ve talked about this for two years,” Linn said. “I do believe that at the end of the day, Mr. Smollett received a fair trial.”
Russian forces move within 9 miles of Kyiv’s city center: Pentagon Ukraine update
Matt Seyler, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Thursday:
Russians approaching Kyiv
The Russian forces closest to the heart of Kyiv are coming from the northwest, in the area of the Hostomel Airport. Since Wednesday, these troops fought their way three miles closer, bringing them within roughly nine miles of the city center, according to the official. The airport is only about five miles as the bird flies from the outer city limits.
Two parallel lines of advance from the northeast are also making progress on their push to the capital, the closest of these troops now about 25 miles from the center of Kyiv.
Some Russian troops from one of those lines, emanating from above the town of Sumy, seem to have turned around, heading back northeast. The official said the reason for the about-face is unclear.
Russian bombardment continues
Russian forces have now fired more than 775 missiles against Ukraine, the official said. This is up from an estimate of 710 on Wednesday.
No Patriots to Ukraine
The official said there is no talk at the Pentagon of sending Patriot systems to Ukraine, as they would require U.S. troops on the ground to operate them.
“It’s not a system that the Ukrainians are familiar with. And as we have made very clear, there will be no U.S. troops fighting in Ukraine,” the official said.
Other air-defense options for Ukraine
Security assistance continues to flow into Ukraine, even in the last 24 hours, according to the official.
While the U.S. is sending its own anti-armor and anti-aircraft weapons, it is also working with other countries to send items the U.S. doesn’t have in its arsenal but could be used effectively by Ukrainian troops.
When asked, the official said this includes air-defense systems that are “more sophisticated” than the shoulder-fired Stinger missiles being sent by the U.S. So, while the Pentagon has rejected the idea of sending Patriot missile batteries, it could be helping facilitate the transfer or replenishment of similar systems that Ukrainians are trained on.
Ukraine making little use of its fighter jets
The official repeated the Pentagon’s rejection of a Polish proposal to pass its fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine by using the U.S. as an intermediary.
“We do not support a proposal whereby jets would be transferred to our custody, then to be brought into Ukraine,” the official said.
The Defense Department views sending aircraft to be an inferior form of support for Ukraine, despite Ukrainian officials’ requests.
“They are not flying their fixed-wing aircraft very much on a daily basis. We’re not making a judgment here, it’s just a fact. What they are using very effectively to slow the Russian advance, particularly in the north, are their own surface-to-air missile systems and MANPADS, as well as … anti-armor munitions,” the official said.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz rolled up to the Capitol rotunda on Thursday in a honking semi-truck, the lead vehicle of a convoy that for the past five days has encircled the D.C. Beltway in protest of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Texas senator, fully vaccinated, rode in “People’s Convoy” co-organizer Mike Landis’s truck from Hagerstown, Maryland, before stepping out for a press conference in support of the truckers — many of whom traveled from California in late February.
Cruz thanked the truckers while standing alongside Landis and another co-organizer, Brian Brase.
The “People’s Convoy” met with Cruz and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion at the Capitol and later with Republican members of the House Transportation Committee.
The truckers said they would continue their protest until they had sat down with more members of Congress and had their demands met. Those demands include rolling back the national state of emergency designation as well as any existing vaccine mandates. The truckers are also calling for congressional hearings on the origins of the pandemic along with an investigation into state and federal COVID responses.
Across the country, however, most COVID restrictions have already been lifted. Some states, like Florida, have maintained lax COVID mandates throughout the pandemic.
If Republicans gain control of Congress next year, Cruz, who has flirted with the idea of a 2024 run as the GOP presidential nominee, said he’d work for legislation to support the truckers’ demands.
The senator took a swipe at Democrats and some Republican colleagues in the Senate over failed votes to end COVID restrictions like mandates for active-duty military, federal civilian employees, federal contractors and private-sector mandates through OSHA.
“I’m fighting to vote on it again… This shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” Cruz said. “This should be ‘leave me the hell alone.'”
Cruz used the press conference to touch on a number of hot-button conservative issues, including mandating voter ID.
“It is insane that you have the left and corporate media that tell you it’s wrong to ask for an ID to vote. That voter ID is a horrible, racist idea, which is nonsense. But at the same time, they demand, ‘show me your papers to lunch.’ That’s idiotic. That’s none of their damn business.”
A crowd member yelled at Cruz during the event, “You should run for president,” to which the senator responded: “Thank you.”
So how does Kelly Clarkson feel about her divorce? According to a source, People reports, “Kelly is obviously happy to have the divorce finalized.” The source adds, “The kids have always been her main priority through everything. She truly is able to begin the next chapter of her life with her kids, and she’s also busier than ever with her career. She’s in a great place.” The Grammy winner and her ex, Brandon Blackstock, were married for seven years.
Kristin Chenoweth wept when she found out Ariana Grande would be playing Glinda in the upcoming Wicked movie. “I love her so much; I’ve known her since she was 10,” Kristin, who originated the role on Broadway, told Today. “I think that crown and wand are going to the exact correct person. And I think she’s gonna nail it… I did cry when she got it.”
Kesha is celebrating her recent 35th birthday with brand-new merchandise. She launched the Kesha Birthday Collection online store, which features new clothes, hoodies, sweatpants and socks with new prints. “In honor of my birth and to all my Pisces season emotional open hearted ocean rainbow babies, happy birthday! To all of you with all the zodiac signs, this merch was designed by me to encourage opening that third eye,” Kesha said in a statement.
Doja Cat had an interesting way of promoting her new partnership with Taco Bell, for which she previously starred in a Super Bowl commercial. She shared a video on TikTok begging fans to forgive her for her upcoming Taco Bell “jingle” — a word she “banned” because she hates the word so much. “They want me to rap about Mexican pizza,” she explained. “Just know, it’s contractual. I know it’s bad.” Then, with fake enthusiasm, she dropped her jingle, in which she jokes the Mexican pizza “ain’t even Mexican food.”
As part of its coverage of Disney+’s upcoming series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Entertainment Weeklyreleased an extended interview with Ewan McGregor, who portrays the titular hero.
McGregor explained that he’d first returned to the Star Wars universe a couple of years ago, and after he’d agreed to the show, he was asked to do so-called “chemistry reads” with potential co-stars, which were held on the set of The Mandalorian.
He was given “generic Jedi robes” to wear for the test shoot, but they had the desired effect. “I was walking out…and I was aware, suddenly of the crew…looking at me coming in [wearing] Obi-Wan’s costume, and I could feel that sort of excitement running through,” McGregor said, smiling. “It was exciting.”
McGregor said the best part was reuniting with his prequels co-star Hayden Christensen, who reprises his role as Kenobi’s fallen student and battle brother Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.
“It was sort of spine-tingling,” the Emmy-winning actor enthused. “It was just amazing to see Hayden, full stop. I’m so close with him. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, but we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. And…once Hayden was on board…we met [during the lockdown] in Santa Monica in a park…and we had this long catch-up.”
McGregor noted, “I love him so much, and we have this special bond of making those two…films together…And to be with him on set again…it was just odd.”
Ewan added, “I look over at him…as Anakin…and it was…like the period of time between [the prequels] and now didn’t exist. It was so peculiar!”
Sure, you can’t see Adele in Las Vegas yet, but you can see her perform on your TV later this month.
An Audience with Adele, a concert she taped last year at the London Palladium, will air March 20 on NBC at 9 p.m. ET/PT. You can catch it streaming the next day on Peacock.
The show was Adele’s first in London since 2017, and the star-studded audience included Emma Thompson, Idris Elba, Emma Watson, Boy George, Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Graham Norton, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, Doctor Who/Broadchurch star David Tennant and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In addition to performing songs from her latest album, 30, Adele also performed some of her past hits, answered questions posed by celebrities and, in a tearful moment, was reunited with her old English teacher.
This special follows Adele’s CBS concert special last year, which also featured a sit-down with Oprah Winfrey.
You’ve probably heard about “the metaverse” — a virtual reality online environment in which you can interact with things almost as if they were real. And one of those things you can interact with is Harry Connick Jr., who will teach you how to play the piano.
The singer, songwriter and actor has launched a “socially-immersive experience” called The Neutral Ground, described as a metaverse “community” where people can “connect, engage and interact around some of [Harry’s] passions, including music, food, and family.”
The first experience in The Neutral Ground is called Piano Party, and it’s an online course designed for all ages and abilities. Season one of Piano Party launches March 29, and features nine on-demand lessons, two live interactive sessions with Harry, and access to “an exclusive, private learning community.” Those who sign up can get priority access to The Neutral Ground. The experience costs $70, which is a lot cheaper than having a piano teacher come to your house every week.
“The Neutral Ground is a place for all of us to hang out and have a good time. Music, food, shows, hangouts… it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” Harry says in a statement. “I can’t wait to go on this adventure with everyone. There’s still a lot to figure out in this new world, and I’m excited about all of the possibilities.”
Stevie Wonder and Elton John released a music video on Thursday for their 2021 collaboration, “Finish Line.”
Taken from Elton John’s album The Lockdown Sessions, the heartwarming visualfeatures a montage of video footage and images through the decades depicting pivotal moments of life, including the pandemic. Images of the two musicians, both of the present and the past, are sprinkled throughout the video, showcasing the long-running friendship and companionship they share.
The new video marks the latest for the legendary duo and arrives over 35 years since featured together on the hit charity song, “That’s What Friends Are For.”
Alicia Keys says she remembers the moment she realized her single, “Girl on Fire,” would be more than just a hit song.
“I called my husband (Swizz Beatz) and I said, ‘Babe, I think something special is happening right now,'” she said in an interview with USA Today.
In honor of the track’s 10-year anniversary, the 15-time Grammy-winning musician released the Girl on Fire graphic novel. The book’s purpose is to continue the story first presented in the 2012 song. Keys said, “You definitely get to imagine who this girl on fire is.”
Congratulations are in order for grown-ish star Yara Shahidi, who took to her Instagram to post the exciting new that she recently submitted her undergraduate degree thesis.
The actress has been studying at Harvard University and after completing the 136 pages of writing, she commemorated the event by flexing her stats in the middle of a snowy street.
The social media age is famous for making mundane life moments the stuff of posts — nobody took pictures of their lunch back in the day, after all. But Amanda Bynes is apparently making up for lost time on her new Instagram account while apparently feeling out the finer points of posting.
A day after Tuesday’s first message, in which she rapid-fired an introduction and news she’s got a court date over terminating her conservatorship, Bynes posted throughout the day Wednesday.
Among the things she detailed were evidence she’s removing the heart she’d had tattooed on her left cheek, and proof she just had her hair dyed, to eliminate the ombré tips she just had. In both cases, she stared at the camera wordlessly and blinked, adding only brief captions.
Another post was a shot of both her sneaker-clad feet, and according to the caption, those of the 35-year-old Easy A star’s 29-year-old fiancé, Paul Michael — the first person she followed on the ‘Gram.
Michael appeared in another video, via a TV monitor, recorded as he seemingly filmed an internal-use commercial for a medical facility. “BTS commercial for San Miguel Urgent Care,” Bynes chronicled.
Amanda changing her appearance to something more conservative could be an attempt to get ready for her March 22 day in court regarding her current condition, a key step to dissolving the conservatorship over her affairs.
Bynes’ mother, Lynn, was put in charge of Amanda’s affairs following a 2013 incident in which Bynes reportedly started a small fire in a neighbor’s driveway, after which Bynes was placed on a temporary psychiatric hold. The conservatorship was reinstated in 2014, the same year the actress revealed she’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
