It seems like a lot of fans are willing to shell out big bucks to hear Kanye West‘s new album.
The rapper, now known as Ye, will release his new album Donda 2 on Tuesday on his own proprietary platform, using his own branded “Stem Player,” which costs $200. In a press release, Ye claims he’s sold more than $2 million worth of the players since February 17, when he announced the album news. He also claims that he turned down a $100 million deal with Apple Music to stream Donda 2 on the platform.
Ye plans to stage a “Donda 2 Performance Experience” on Tuesday at Miami, Florida’s LoanDepot Park. The experience will combine “music, art and fashion,” and also feature “additional special guests,” according to a press release.
Justin Bieber‘s show in Las Vegas tonight, part of his Justice World Tour, has been postponed due to positive COVID results “within the Justice tour family,” according to an announcement.
“Justin is, of course, hugely disappointed, but the health and safety of his crew and fans is always his number one priority,” the announcement continued. The show will now take place on Tuesday, June 28; tickets for the original show will be honored.
Reps for Justin confirmed to Variety that Justin himself has tested positive. It’s not clear how many other members of the party are affected.
“In these unprecedented times, we have to go through the motions and ensure that the safety of our crew is at the upmost importance,” the caption on the announcement read.
The Justice World Tour, featuring Jaden Smith and TEO, launched Friday in San Diego and is set to run through March of 2023, visiting 20 different countries in 13 months, including Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.
(NEW YORK) — Although tattooing has been around for centuries, the practice was mainly underground before becoming recognized as legitimate art in modern history.
Despite being a fairly mainstream industry now, discriminatory hiring practices and racial stigmas are among the challenges that Black tattoo artists say they face in the white-dominated field of tattoo artistry.
Even tattoo artists of color in New York City — considered the birthplace of modern tattooing following a nearly four-decade ban, according to The New York Historical Society, say the field needs more diversity.
Richard Parker, who owns a private tattoo studio, Think Before You Ink in Brooklyn, New York, said that being an artist brings “a struggle of its own” — but being a Black artist only adds another layer of obstacles.
“As a whole, we have been left far behind in an industry that has actually derived from our tribal heritage,” Parker told ABC News.
The lack of diversity can also affect customers due to many professionals’ inexperience with tattooing on Black and brown skin, something that “has left many darker-skinned clients struggling to find someone who can actually provide them with quality work,” Parker said.
For Black women working in the field, inclusion issues are deeper, as the industry is not only white-dominated, but it’s also inundated by men.
Jacci Gresham, who is considered America’s first Black female tattoo artist, is still working and living her dream at the age of 75. She has been running her business in New Orleans for over 50 years after first opening her own tattoo shop in the 1970s, making it one of the state’s oldest tattoo parlors.
“I had issues because of color… I had issues because of being a woman and just being trusted … they just weren’t used to women being in that field. Let alone Black women,” Gresham told ABC News.
Gresham is a native of Flint, Michigan, who grew up during an era when tattoos were not widely accepted. She said she used her artistic background to study architecture before pursuing her true passion of tattooing.
Today, she is living in Mississippi and regularly travels to her New Orleans studio, Aart Accent Tattoos & Body Piercings, after her home flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She said that although her business temporarily lost power and the roof was destroyed, she is grateful her shop was still left standing despite the deadly hurricane.
Gresham, who doesn’t have any biological children, said she hopes that among her biggest impact is being a trailblazer within the industry.
“My kids are the people I’ve trained to tattoo,” she said.
While there has been progress in recent years for Black women tattoo artists, Kandace Layne, owner of Magic Mirror tattoo studio in Atlanta, said the industry still has a long way to go to become more inclusive.
“It is hard for anyone to get an apprenticeship, but it’s even harder for Black women to find a place that will teach them and to find a place that will treat them with respect,” Layne told ABC News.
The 27-year-old said that one of her primary drives in taking the leap to open her own shop was after her struggle with finding opportunities elsewhere. Now, Layne runs a shop that prioritizes service for women/femmes, LGBTQA+; and Black, Indigenous and people of color
“I felt that creating my own space was the best way to get my needs met,” Layne said, adding that she worked at some locations that made her question her worth.
But there are those in the industry who are working to make the tattoo business more inclusive. Helios Tattoo Supply in New York is a manufacturing and supply company providing artists with items such as needles, machines, ink and after-care products.
Craig Petralia, Helios’ founder and CEO who is from Long Island, New York, has been working in the industry for over two decades. The father of two said he aims to provide a family atmosphere to support several artists, many of whom are people of color, and also the freedom to create without limitations.
“We are a group of people coming together to build something bigger than ourselves … our purpose is to give artists the tools to create their best artwork,” Petralia told ABC News.
Petralia’s company sponsors Ceaser Emanuel, a tattoo artist of color, and star of “Black Ink Crew” — a reality TV show which began by following New York-based tattoo artists and later expanded to other cities.
Parker has collaborated with Petralia for over five years. Petralia’s Helios is also a sponsor of Parker’s tattoo studio. Both say they are committed to diversifying the tattoo business and also bringing more art to more people. For instance, Parker, who is the father of a 5-year-old boy, says he has worked with several students across New York City over the last decade to create artwork in schools and help inspire students’ creativity.
From seeing his son create illustrations to subjecting him to the atmosphere of his tattoo shop, Parker said being a positive influence is one of his most important jobs.
“I’m just extremely happy and proud that I get to expose him to a life that’s more out of the box so he can create his own canvas,” Parker said.
Parker — who also is a former cast member of “Ink Master,” a tattoo artist competition TV show — said becoming an entrepreneur was the best way to open more doors.
He says he is also trying to implement change by joining other artists involved in “The Black Tattoo Experience,” which is a collective of artists creating opportunities and a space for minorities to build within the industry.
“More of us are coming together and trading secrets as a community to build each other up [and] us sticking together is what will further diversify the playing field,” Parker said.
(SAN ANTONIO, Texas) — Lina Sardar Khil’s family had held out hope that she would be found to celebrate her 4th birthday on Sunday, Feb. 20, at home, but two months after she went missing in San Antonio, Texas, there are still no answers.
“Her light is missing from her family and community. Our continuous prayer is that she will be back in the arms of those that love her,” Pamela Allen, who is representing the Khil family, told ABC News on Saturday.
Lina was last seen on Dec. 20, 2021 at a park on the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio between 4:30 p.m. and 5:10 p.m., according to police. The park is near the family’s home at the Villa Del Cabo apartment complex.
On Sunday afternoon, Lina’s family and the community prepare to gather near the family home to celebrate her birthday and pray for her safe return home.
She was out of sight from her mother for an unknown amount of time before the mother realized Lina was nowhere to be found, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
“At this time there are no updates on Lina’s case. The missing person case involving Lina Khil is still an active missing person investigation,” a spokesperson for SAPD told ABC News on Friday. “The San Antonio Police Department, in partnership with our federal partners have worked tirelessly on finding Lina.”
Lina’s family is part of an Afghan refugee community in San Antonio. They arrived in the United States in 2019 and speak Pashto.
Lina’s mother, Zarmeena Sardar Khil, is pregnant with her second child. She spoke with FOX 29 in San Antonio through a translator earlier this month.
“I am missing my child, I cannot forget her and it is affecting me a lot and my other child who is coming to this world,” she said.
“We all have the same pain, it doesn’t matter that I am from Afghanistan, I have a different culture, different religion. What we have in common is the pain of motherhood as a human, is the same as all people,” she added.
The Afghan community in the city, along with a group of nonprofits and organizations have rallied behind the family, joining search crews, fundraising and raising awareness about Lina’s case.
The Islamic Center of San Antonio announced Wednesday that it increased a $100,000 reward for any information on Lina to $120,000. Meanwhile, Crime Stoppers of San Antonio has offered $50,000 for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of involvement in Lina’s disappearance, bringing the latest total to $170,000.
The Eagles Flight Advocacy & Outreach organization, a San Antonio-based nonprofit, joined the search in early January, with about 150 people from the Afghan community showing up to help.
Allen, the CEO of the group, became the family’s spokesperson after meeting the Khils through her organization’s work. She told ABC News last month that the family believes Lina was abducted.
“We believe someone has her,” she said. “And so that this is what the family believes — that someone has their daughter and hopefully keeping her alive.”
Lina has brown eyes and straight, brown hair, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, red dress and black shoes, according to police.
Last month, Allen’s organization shared a newly surfaced photo taken by a family member of Lina the day she disappeared in hopes that details about Lina’s jewelry could assist the public in identifying her.
In the photo, which was obtained by ABC News, Lina appears to be wearing blue bangle bracelets on one wrist and gold-toned bangles on the other. She is also wearing small gold earrings and an article around her neck that Allen said is known as the Taweez, which is etched with verses from the Quran and is usually worn for protection.
Police are urging anyone with information regarding Lina or her whereabouts to come forward and contact the missing persons unit in San Antonio at 210-207-7660.
ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.
(NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.) — One police officer was killed and another was injured after a police helicopter crashed on Saturday into the water near Newport Beach in California.
The helicopter crashed at about 6:30 p.m. local time, as two officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department were responding to nearby Newport Beach, the department said.
“The helicopter crashed for reasons that we’re not certain of,” Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra told reporters late Saturday. “One of the officers, a 16-year veteran, was extricated and he went to a local hospital, or nearby hospital, where he is in critical condition, but he is doing okay. The other officer, a 14-year veteran, unfortunately and tragically passed away as a result of injuries sustained during the crash.”
Officials identified the officer killed as Nicholas Vella, 44. The second officer was not identified.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department major accident reconstruction team are investigating the incident.
“I don’t have details on what potentially caused the aircraft to become disabled,” Parra said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — A woman was killed and five others were injured on Saturday in a shooting at a park in Portland, Oregon, police said.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting near Normandale Park in northeast Portland at about 8 p.m. local time, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.
“When officers arrived they located a female victim who was deceased,” the department said. “Additional shooting victims, two men and three women, were transported to area hospitals and their status is unknown at this time.”
Police have not yet identified the victim.
Normandale Park sits near the intersection of Northeast 55th Avenue and Northeast Hassalo Street, in the city’s Rose City Park Neighborhood.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. ABC News’ Keith Harden contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday.
The Queen, 95, has been experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms,” the palace said. She’s expected to carry out “light duties” in the coming week.
“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” the palace said.
“I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter.
News of the monarch’s diagnosis comes after it was confirmed that her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, tested positive for COVID-19. Clarence House announced Prince Charles’s diagnosis on Feb. 10, and Camilla’s on Feb. 14.
This is the second time Prince Charles, 73, has tested positive for COVID-19, with his first diagnosis coming in March 2020, before he was vaccinated.
Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, held several virtual and in-person events this month, including an event in Sandringham on Feb. 5 to mark her 70 years on the throne.
The queen, who returned to Windsor Castle shortly after the reception, met with representatives from local community groups in the ballroom at Sandringham House to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee.
The Feb. 5 event was the queen’s first public, in-person event since October, when she was hospitalized for one night for what the palace described as “preliminary investigations.”
After being advised by her doctors to rest, Queen Elizabeth took on a more modified schedule. In November, she missed the annual Remembrance Sunday Service for the first time in her reign due to a sprained back.
The queen had already modified her schedule throughout the coronavirus pandemic, holding virtual audiences and participating in video calls instead of public events.
When her husband, Prince Philip, died at age 99 last April, the queen sat alone during the funeral service in St. George’s Chapel, following pandemic restrictions.
Both Queen Elizabeth and her late husband received their first COVID-19 vaccination shots in January 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed at the time.
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, confirmed in December that they had both received their booster shoots of the vaccine, according to the BBC.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A dangerous winter blast is making its way across the east coast, bringing areas of heavy snow, strong winds and ushering in bitter cold temperatures for the rest of the weekend.
Snow squall warnings have been issued from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts Saturday, alerting of heavy snow and low visibility as the snow sweeps through the region.
The squalls are expected to wrap up later Saturday evening.
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Wind advisories are in effect for most of the Northeast with gusts as high as 40- to 50-miles-per-hour. The winds will subside after midnight giving way to a cold start to Sunday.
Wind chills Sunday morning will be in the single digits from New York to Boston.
Wind chills Sunday morning will be in the single digits from New York City to Boston and it will feel like the low 20s from Washington D.C. to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Temperatures are expected to rise for the beginning of the week.
(PITTSBURGH) — Brian Flores, the former Miami Dolphins head coach who is suing the NFL over discrimination claims, has found a new job with a new team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Saturday that Flores will serve as their senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach next season.
“Brian’s resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement.
We have named Brian Flores as our senior defensive assistant/linebackers.
Flores’ attorneys, Douglas H. Wigdor, of Wigdor LLP, and John Elefterakis, of EEP Law, said in a statement on Saturday that his lawsuit against the league will continue.
“We congratulate Coach Flores on his new position with the Steelers and thank Coach Tomlin and the organization for giving him this great opportunity,” the statement said. “While Coach Flores is now focused on his new position, he will continue with his race discrimination class action so that real change can be made in the NFL.”
Flores’ suit contends the league has discriminated against Black coaches for head roles, and cited an experience where he said he was offered an interview for a head coach spot with the New York Giants.
The 40-year-old was fired by the Dolphins last month after back-to-back winning seasons and was interviewing with other teams.
Flores said he texted with his mentor, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, about the upcoming meeting.
Belichick allegedly sent texts congratulating Flores on getting hired by the Giants before the interview took place, according to screenshots of the texts that were included in the lawsuit.
Belichick later allegedly texted back indicating that he’d made a mistake and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was actually getting the job — three days before Flores’ interview, according to the screenshots.
The league has denied any wrongdoing and said in a statement that Flores’ claims were “without merit.”
Flores told ABC News that the league’s response was “slap in the face” because there is only one Black head coach in the NFL –the Steelers’ Tomlin– despite the fact Black players make up 70% of the league.
“There’s a little bit of a fantasy land that would leave them to feel like, you know, these things are without merit,” he told ABC News.
The NFL this week said it hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the first Black female attorney general, to help defend itself in the suit.
ABC News’ Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.
