Andy Grammer‘s latest single “Damn It Feels Good to Be Me” is a song that he wrote, he says, as a reminder to “follow the beat of my own drum.” But he also believes it’s a song with a message that everyone can relate to and benefit from.
“It’s just a big, bombastic track about [how] it just feels good to be at a place where I know who I am,” Andy tells ABC Audio. He says it takes the concept of his 2019 album Naive one step further.
“The whole idea of Naive is like, ‘I’m in on the joke and I don’t care,'” he explains. “But that’s still a little bit defensive. And ‘Damn It Feels Good to Be Me’ is like, ‘This is what I am,’ like, with a smile on. And I think a lot of people are gonna wrap their story around it.”
Andy compares “Damn It Feels Good to Be Me” to his previous hit “Don’t Give Up on Me.” That track was written from personal experience, but it was then adopted by fans as an anthem for whatever personal situation they happened to be struggling with.
“You’re trying to find a mixture of something that’s broad and specific enough so it really hits and people can use it,” Andy explains. “I love songs that people can use. And I think that ‘Damn It Feels Good to Be Me’ is gonna be a song that helps people connect with themselves.”
“Damn It’s Good to Be Me” is the first official single from Andy’s forthcoming album, which is due out in early 2022. He’ll perform his other recent song, “Lease on Life,” tonight on ABC’s The Bachelorette.
Luke Bryan feels a deep sense of responsibility and pride in hosting the CMA Awards for the first time, viewing himself as a stalwart of country music.
“To be a representative of the music that I love, to be someone to carry on a tradition and to be the the host and to conduct this show with elegance, class, humor, reverence,” he remarks of his approach to the gig. “To really make the show an example of country music and to represent the show to the best of my ability to the people watching at home is a big task and it’s something that I’m so honored to have the chance to do.”
Reflecting on some of his CMA highlights, Luke points to his rowdy performance of his hit “Country Girl, Shake It for Me” at the 2011 CMA Awards and taking home the night’s biggest honor, Entertainer of the Year, at the 2014 and 2015 ceremonies as personal milestones that validated all of his hard work over the years.
“When I look back on my experiences, when I did ‘Country Girl, Shake It for Me’ for the first time on the CMAs, I was about to literally have a full-on panic attack. I was so nervous about it,” he recalls. “Winning the Entertainer of the Year was the highlight of my musical achievements. To have won that really put a peace in my heart for everything, why I moved to Nashville, why I moved away from my family, why I gambled on so much. To win that award put my mind and my heart at peace.”
Luke hosts and performs at the CMA Awards live in Nashville on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in 2010; Kevin Kane/WireImage
As Graham Nash prepares for the November 16 release of his new photo book A Life in Focus, which offers a career-spanning look at his photography, the 79-year-old folk-rock legend also has some interesting music projects on the horizon.
Nash tells ABC Audio that one project reunites him with his childhood friend and Hollies co-founder Allan Clarke.
“I’m actually working on an album with Allan Clarke, my friend since I was six years old,” he reveals. “We’ve been remotely recording. We’ve got eight tracks, and it’ll be a really fun album.”
Clarke, who was The Hollies’ lead singer, retired from the group in 1999, partly due to vocal-cord issues, but he returned to the music in 2019 with a new solo album, Resurgence.
“[Allan’s] singing…really, really well,” Nash says. “He’s a very underrated singer. He’s one of the most underrated lead singers in a pop band ever…He’s got a great voice, and it’s back.”
Meanwhile, Graham also reports that he’s continuing to work on a follow-up to his most recent solo album, 2016’s This Path Tonight.
Nash already had reported that he had seven songs left over from writing sessions for This Path Tonight that he plans to include on his next album, and now he tells ABC Audio that he’s continued to write during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has recorded five tracks remotely with his touring musicians.
As Graham explains, he records acoustic guitar and vocal tracks, which he sends to Shane Fontayne, who adds guitar and bass. The recordings are then sent to drummer Toby Caldwell and then Toby’s brother, keyboardist Todd Caldwell. After Todd records keys, he sends all the tracks back to Nash for mixing.
Graham says the process is “an interesting sonic journey.”
The Dancing with the Stars competitors pushed themselves to new extremes on Monday night because, in order to make it to next week’s semifinals, they had to survive a dance off and a double-elimination.
Unfortunately, the journey came to an end for Olivia Jade and country singer Jimmie Allen. Jade was automatically eliminated for earning the lowest combined score of the night while Allen was sent to the bottom two alongside The Office actress Melora Hardin. The judges voted unanimously to save Hardin.
Monday night celebrated icon Janet Jackson, who amped up the pressure by tuning in from London to watch everyone dance to her music.
One of the competitors feeling the most pressure was The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, who wanted to impress the judges with her jazz routine to Jackson’s “Miss You Much.” Kloots, who has prior dance experience, confessed to feeling frustrated that the judges have been so hard on her and hoped to turn her luck around.
Her dance partner, Alan Bersten, argued the judges “see something special with her” and that’s why they’ve been so unforgiving. That said, he pushed Amanda even harder during rehearsals so she could meet those high expectations. His tactic paid off because they not only collected their first perfect score of the season, they also won the dance off against Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby and earned two extra bonus points.
Also feeling the pressure was Olympian Suni Lee, who opened up about the bullying she’s received since joining DWTS. “I always see a lot of mean comments about me not being able to dance and I need to go home,” she shared. “I feel like they’re right. I let them get to me.”
She managed to shake off haters and also collected a perfect score for her samba to Jackson’s “All For You.” The gold medalist also triumphed in the dance off and added two bonus points to her score.
Dancing with the Stars returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Here are the current standings:
Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 42/40
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 42/40
Melora Hardin, The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 42/40 JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 41/40
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 38/40 Iman Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 35/40
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
New York 103, Philadelphia 96
Chicago 118, Brooklyn 95
Dallas 108, New Orleans 92
Memphis 125, Minnesota 118 (OT)
Denver 113, Miami 96
Golden State 127, Atlanta 113
Phoenix 109, Sacramento 104
LA Lakers 126, Charlotte 123
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Washington 5, Buffalo 3
NY Rangers 4, Florida 3
Los Angeles 5, Toronto 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 29, Chicago 27
(WARSAW, Poland) — An extraordinary standoff is taking place on the border between Poland and Belarus, after Belarusian authorities escorted hundreds of migrants up to it, in a dramatic escalation of what European countries have called a campaign by Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, to use migrants as “weapons.”
Videos published by Belarusian media and Poland’s defense ministry on Monday showed a long column of people, mostly from the Middle East, being marched by Belarusian guards in camouflage along a highway that leads up the Polish border region of Podlaskie.
The line, estimated to be made up of more than 1,000 people, was blocked by Polish border guards standing behind barbed wire fences. Videos posted later showed chaotic clashes, with some migrants trying to break down fences, while dozens of Polish police barred their path and Belarusian guards stood behind blocking their retreat. There were reports Polish border police used tear gas to push back the crowd, and in some videos, the sounds of gunshots could be heard.
As night fell, video from a helicopter released by Poland’s interior ministry showed dozens of tents set up near the border close to the village of Kuznica.
Poland’s government on Monday vowed not to let the migrants cross and accused Lukashenko of seeking a confrontation and calling it a “hybrid attack.”
“There are large groups of migrants in the area of our border, which are fully controlled by the Belarusian security services and army,” Poland’s government said in a statement Monday. “By creating an artificial migration route and cynically exploiting migrants, Lukashenka is trying to destabilize Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and to force the European Union to lift the sanctions imposed on the Minsk regime.”
The standoff escalates a crisis that has been worsening for months. Lukashenko is accused of luring in thousands of migrants since late spring and pushing them over the border into Poland and Lithuania as retaliation for the European Union’s support for Belarus’ pro-democracy movement that came close to toppling him with mass protests last year.
Poland and Lithuania have taken tough steps to block people from crossing, but Belarus refuses to allow them to return; the result has been that hundreds of people, including families with young children, have become trapped in the forests along the border, stranded without food or shelter for weeks. Temperatures are close to freezing and at least eight people have already died since September.
When ABC News reporters visited the border last month, they encountered three Yemeni asylum seekers who had been trapped in the forest for two weeks, pushed back and forth between Polish and Belarusian border guards.
One of the men, Rami Olaqi, told ABC News that Belarusian guards had robbed and beaten them before shoving them back toward Poland.
“They don’t care,” he said. “It will be better for them if we die, you know?”
It’s just a way “for the Belarusian state to intimidate Europe. And using the refugees as a bullet in their war,” Olaqi said.
Polish border guards have been pushing people back across the border, even when they have sought asylum, people who have tried to cross and local activists have said. Most experts consider such pushbacks illegal under international law.
Poland’s government spokesman. Piotr Muller. on Monday said Poland estimates there are around 3,000-4,000 migrants currently near the border, and that there are up to 10,000 in Belarus right now hoping to cross into Poland.
Lithuania’s Interior ministry on Monday said it had asked the government to consider declaring a state of emergency at the border in view of the situation with Poland.
The flows of migrants began when Belarus eased visa restrictions for dozens of countries, including many in the Middle East. Once in the country, migrants told ABC News Belarusian border guards often lead them to crossing points and cut holes in border fences to let them through.
Lukashenko himself in public speeches has repeatedly threatened to let more migrants through. Belarus’ authorities Monday accused Poland of being to blame for the crisis and claimed Belarus was prioritizing the migrants’ safety.
“The Belarusian side is taking the necessary measures to ensure the smooth functioning of the channels of international communication, as well as the safety of people moving along the highway,” Belarus’ State Border Committee wrote in a statement on its Facebook page.
There were calls on Monday for the European Union to respond. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, on Monday said the European Union should approve further sanctions against Lukashenko’s government.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also issued a statement saying it is concerned by the escalation at the border and it “stands ready to further assist our allies and maintain safety and security in the region.”
“The Lukashenka regime’s use of migrants as a hybrid tactic is unacceptable,” the alliance of which Poland and Lithunia are members said.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 755,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 68.3% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Latest headlines:
-US sees slight uptick in pediatric cases after weeks of declines
-US reopens borders to vaccinated travelers
-Global COVID-19 cases top 250 million in under 2 years
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Nov 08, 7:07 pm
Pfizer to request OK for boosters to all adults: Source
Pfizer is likely to seek authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine booster shot for people 18 and older as soon as this week, a government official with knowledge of the situation told ABC News.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the Pfizer booster shot for certain groups of patients six months after their second dose.
Those eligible patients include seniors, adults with certain medical conditions and adults who work in environments that put them at greater risk for exposure to COVID-19.
Despite a looming threat that thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers could be terminated over the federal government’s vaccine mandate, Thanksgiving flights won’t be affected, a person with knowledge of the agency’s plans told ABC News.
Federal workers have until Nov. 22 to get vaccinated or face termination. After the deadline, TSA employees who are not fully vaccinated will get called to have a discussion with supervisors and be counseled and educated on getting vaccinated, the source said.
If workers do not get vaccinated following the first meeting, they will receive a warning, according to the source. Following the warning, workers will be subject to termination, the source said.
Three weeks ago, the TSA said 40% of its workforce was unvaccinated. The agency hasn’t provided updated numbers.
ABC News’ Mina Kaji and Amanda Maile
Nov 08, 4:43 pm
Jill Biden visits children’s vaccination clinic
First lady Jill Biden and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy visited a children’s vaccination clinic Monday at Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean, Virginia, to promote pediatric vaccinations.
“The vaccine is the best way to protect your children against COVID-19,” Biden said. “It’s been thoroughly reviewed and rigorously tested, it’s safe, it’s free, and it’s available for every child in this country, 5 and up.”
Franklin Sherman Elementary was the first school to administer the polio vaccine in 1954.
Sixth-grader Everett Munson, who introduced Biden, said, “I’m excited to be vaccinated because now I’ll be able to visit my cousins and grandfather. … I’m looking forward to going places without worrying that I could get COVID and give it to my family, friends or teachers.”
Munson also pitched an idea inspired by the school’s history.
“Maybe we should even take an idea from the polio vaccine at Franklin Sherman: Everyone should get ice cream after their shots,” Munson said.
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Nov 08, 4:17 pm
US sees slight uptick in pediatric cases after weeks of declines
The U.S. saw 107,000 pediatric cases last week, an uptick following eight consecutive weeks of declines, according to a weekly report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
But this is still much lower than the pandemic peak — 252,000 child cases within one week – which was recorded in early September.
Last week, children accounted for 24% of the cases. Children make up 22.2% of the U.S. population.
Approximately 45.8% of adolescents ages 12 to 17 have been fully vaccinated.
Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, the two organizations wrote in the report. However, AAP and CHA continue to warn that there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”
(NEW YORK) — Several lawsuits have been filed so far against several parties connected to the deadly stage surge during Astroworld Festival at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, which left at least eight concertgoers dead and many more injured.
Astroworld is a music festival founded by rapper Travis Scott and held annually in Houston. This year was the third Astroworld event, which hosted popular rappers and singers including SZA, Bad Bunny, Chief Keef and Tame Impala.
According to Houston Police and witness accounts, a wave of tens of thousands of people surged toward the stage when Scott — and later, rapper Drake — appeared. Concert attendees say they were pushed into one another from all sides, and as the crowd pressed its way forward, some began to fall, pass out and get trampled by others in the audience.
“You’re not moving yourself — it’s more of the crowd moving you, so you don’t have control of your body at that point,” said concertgoer Fatima Muñoz, who shared her experience with ABC News’ daily news podcast “Start Here.” “So when people start falling and losing their balance, it kind of becomes like a domino effect.”
“Somebody next to me started falling, and he kind of took me down with him. And that’s when I had fell right on the floor, and that’s when everybody started tumbling down, and I tried so hard to get up,” Muñoz said. “There’s just too much people like on me, like, they legit dog-pile on me. I was on the floor. Nobody helped. I tried screaming for my life. I tried screaming for help. Nobody helped nobody.”
Muñoz said she bit someone’s leg to bring attention to her laying on the floor and then two attendees helped her up and out of the crowd.
“If those two guys didn’t help me, I mean, I really could have been one of those people for sure,” she said.
The lawsuits, along with some witness accounts, allege that Scott continued to perform despite the presence of emergency vehicles in the audience.
Houston police say the investigation is active and in its early stages.
Lawsuits stack up against concert producers, venue
Live Nation Entertainment and ScoreMore Holdings, two concert production and entertainment companies that organized and produced the event, are being sued, as well as performers Scott and Drake. NRG Park’s venue management and operation agency, the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, is also included as a defendant in the lawsuits.
The family of 21-year-old Axel Acosta, one of the people who died in the crowd surge, say they plan on joining a lawsuit as part of 35 total plaintiffs in a case to be filed against the aforementioned organizers by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee also cited a 2015 disorderly conduct charge against Scott at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, which he pleaded guilty to when he urged attendees to ignore security, ABC7 Chicago reported at the time.
“Certainly neither Travis Scott nor his handlers, entourage managers, agents, hangers on promoters, organizers or sponsors cared enough about Axel to make even minimal effort to keep him and the others at the concert safe,” Buzbee said in a press conference with the family Monday.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is also representing a 21-year-old attendee who helped lift people up from the floor amid the chaos in another lawsuit that accuses the event’s organizers and Scott of negligence in providing medical equipment, crowd control, safety precautions, adequate hiring and training of staff.
“We are hearing horrific accounts of the terror and helplessness people experienced — the horror of a crushing crowd and the awful trauma of watching people die while trying unsuccessfully to save them,” Crump said in a statement to ABC News. “We will be pursuing justice for all our clients who were harmed in this tragic and preventable event.”
Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry also filed a lawsuit against Scott and Drake, as well as Live Nation and NRG Stadium, on behalf of one of the surviving victims following Friday night’s tragedy.
Henry said he believes a message needs to be sent to “performers, venues and event organizers that a lackadaisical approach to event preparation and attendees safety is no longer acceptable.”
“Live musical performances are meant to inspire catharsis, not tragedy,” Henry said in a statement sent to ABC News. “Many of these concertgoers were looking forward to this event for months, and they deserved a safe environment in which to have fun and enjoy the evening. Instead, their night was one of fear, injury and death.”
Kherkher Garcia, LLP has also filed a lawsuit against event organizers and Scott on behalf of an attendee who the firm said “suffered serious bodily injuries when the uncontrolled crowd at the concert knocked him to the ground and trampled him.”
“He and those who promoted and supported this concert must take responsibility for their heinous actions,” Kherkher Garcia, LLP said in a statement to ABC News. “We intend to hold them fully accountable by showing that this behavior will not be tolerated in our great city.”
Scott and organizers react
Following the concert, Scott released a statement on the tragedy on Twitter, saying, “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld festival.”
Scott announced he will cover the funeral costs and further aid to individuals affected by the tragedy and will refund all of the Astroworld concertgoers and ticket holders. He has also said he is cooperating with investigators.
Drake has yet to comment on the lawsuits or what happened at Astroworld that night.
In a statement to ABC News, Live Nation said it was working with law enforcement to get answers.
“We continue to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that both the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve, and we will address all legal matters at the appropriate time,” Live Nation said.
On Instagram, Scott’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, who attended the concert, defended Scott.
“I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show and in no world would have continued filming or performing,” Jenner wrote in her post.
Legal analysts, including civil litigation attorney Danielle Cohen Higgins and ABC News’ Dan Abrams, say there are many questions that need to be answered about what exactly happened at the festival.
Higgins said event organizers are going to have to answer for the safety precautions, crowd control procedures and other policies that play a big role in event planning.
“If Live Nation created an environment where they reasonably should have anticipated that a surge was possible — that’s a problem for Live Nation. They are the experts in creating this environment,” Higgins said in an interview with ABC News.
NRG Park representatives declined ABC News’ request for comment.
Higgins and Abrams also pointed out that in 2019, three people were also hospitalized at Astroworld after being trampled when thousands of people rushed to get into the event.
Following that 2019 incident, Houston police tweeted: “We are successfully working together to support Houston’s biggest music festival @astroworldfest at @nrgpark and collaborating closely with the festival to ensure the public safety of everyone attending the event. We look forward to a memorable night.”
Abrams, when asked on Good Morning America about what stands out to him the most about this tragedy, said any of Scott’s actions and comments at the concert could affect these cases.
“There’s going to be social media videos of every moment of that show,” Abrams said. “Every single second will have been documented, so we’ll know exactly what he said and when he said it.”
KISS‘ Paul Stanley is mourning the death of his father, William Eisen, who has passed away at 101 years old.
“My dad William Eisen has left this earth after 101 years & 7 months,” Stanley tweeted Sunday alongside a photo of him and his dad.
“His thirst for knowledge never [waned],” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer added. “He could speak on virtually any subject. His pride in my accomplishments was heartwarming as was seeing his love of my family. He said he’d always be with me and he will.”
Stanley, 69, and KISS are currently off the road after playing the KISS Kruise earlier this month. Their planned Las Vegas residency, which was scheduled to kick off in December, was recently canceled.
My dad William Eisen has left this earth after 101 years & 7 months. His thirst for knowledge never wained. He could speak on virtually any subject. His pride in my accomplishments was heartwarming as was seeing his love of my family. He said he’d always be with me and he will. pic.twitter.com/uKWHP9Okax
(NEW YORK) — Uber and Lyft are boasting record profits as both companies say they are aggressively recruiting drivers to fill a void created by the pandemic.
Since the pandemic, rideshare costs have exploded across the country. Uber and Lyft — the two largest rideshare companies in the United States that are responsible for 90% of the market — say many drivers left the platform early in the pandemic due to concerns about the risk of contracting COVID-19. Others shifted to food delivery, which some considered a safer alternative because there’s less human contact.
Those driver shortages have led to surging costs per ride and increased wait times, the companies said.
But despite those challenges, both Uber and Lyft recently recorded their best financial performances as the companies report a new increase in drivers — and riders.
Lyft CEO Logan Green said the company’s revenue increased 73% compared with the same time period in 2020, while Uber’s revenue increased 67%.
While many office workers continue to work from home, others who are returning to the office and previously used public transit have shifted to ridesharing to limit contact with others.
Lyft reported an increase of 2 million more riders during the third quarter, and Uber CFO Nelson Chai said as of October, Uber has recovered about 85% of its pre-pandemic business.
On airport rides, Uber has recovered 67% of its business, Chai said. Air travel, which was decimated by the pandemic, has started to return, as the third quarter of 2021 saw the most daily passengers since 2019. The demand for rides also has increased among those venturing out for dining and entertainment.
Along with that rising demand, Lyft reported a 45% increase in drivers compared with the same period last year, while Uber said it has increased its drivers by 65% since January. Both Uber and Lyft have created driver incentive programs to attract and retain drivers.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Thursday that the company is bouncing back faster than other transportation providers in spite of increased costs for consumers using rideshare services.
“We have come back from the pandemic faster than almost any other mode of transportation despite higher pricing,” Khosrowshahi said during a quarterly earnings call. “Now, we don’t necessarily want that to be a permanent fixture, but I do think with the increased cost of labor, and frankly inflation and the increased cost of everything, I do think that prices are going to be up on a year on year basis, and as a marketplace we get a take of that.”
While the companies both previously had said they expected ride costs to drop by the end of the year, the price increases are holding steady. Rakuten Intelligence, a company that collects and analyzes e-commerce data, said in a study of credit card receipts that costs were up 40% compared with pre-pandemic costs.
Both Uber and Lyft posted record third quarter profits, which started July 1 and ended Sept. 30. On Nov. 2, Lyft posted an adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) profit of $67.3 million. In the previous quarter, April 1 through June 30, Lyft posted an adjusted EBITDA of $23.8 million, its first profit. Uber recorded its first adjusted EBITDA profit of $8 million, up from a second-quarter loss of $507 million.
Both Uber and Lyft project increased profits in the fourth quarter.
Customers are still adjusting to the price increases and wait times. In San Francisco, Mary Ann Jones, who runs a nonprofit social services agency less than a half mile from Uber’s headquarters, told ABC News her rideshare expenses have increased dramatically.
“I’m paying significantly more to get where I need to go,” said Jones, who is walking when possible rather than hailing rides. “The surges are ridiculous.”
Jones said she’s had to pay as much as $40 to travel two miles.
Despite returning business and driver increases, drivers say the funds are not trickling down to them.
The rideshare companies, however, say driver earnings are approaching peak levels.
“Driver earnings remain near all time highs due to increased utilization,” Khosrowshahi said during the Nov. 4 earnings call.
