Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Williams Jr. is mourning the loss of his wife of over three decades, Mary Jane Thomas.
Thomas died unexpectedly earlier this week in Jupiter, Florida. TMZ reported the news, saying that a spokesperson for the Jupiter police department indicated that they responded to a call from the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Thomas was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Also per TMZ, early indications suggest that Thomas’ death may have been the result of a complication, such as a blood clot, following a medical procedure.
People also confirmed the news of Thomas’ death with the couple’s son, country artist Sam Williams.
“My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn’t befriend,” Sam says in a statement. “Her spirit was gentle and giving. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time!”
Thomas’ death comes in the wake of a difficult couple of years for the family. In 2020, Hank Jr. and his wife mourned the loss of their daughter, 27-year-old Katherine Williams-Dunning, after she was killed in a car crash.
Hank Jr. met Thomas, a former model for suntan lotion brand Hawaiian Tropic, in 1985. They married in July 1990. Katherine and Sam are their only children together, though Hank Jr. has three other children from previous marriages.
The couple’s last public appearance together was in 2021, when Hank Jr. was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration is gradually moving forward with new changes that would increase the speed at which the U.S. government evaluates requests for asylum – a frequent plea from migrants at the border — according to two government officials.
The new rule would allow asylum officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to fully adjudicate the merits of an asylum case after the agency screens the applicant for potentially having well-founded fear of persecution or specific harm if removed to their home country.
“The current system for handling asylum claims at our borders has long needed repair,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement Thursday. “Through this rule, we are building a more functional and sensible asylum system to ensure that individuals who are eligible will receive protection more swiftly, while those who are not eligible will be rapidly removed. We will process claims for asylum or other humanitarian protection in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring due process.”
Currently, asylum cases for those in expedited removal proceedings are handled by immigration judges under the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review. For cases that are still heard by a judge, USCIS will deliver the defendant’s filed record at the beginning of the case including, interview transcripts with screeners and the prior USCIS decision.
Cases are expected to be completed within 90 days, barring potential extension requests. Today, asylum cases can take months or often years to complete. The result leaves U.S. federal immigration court with a total case backlog in excess of 1 million, according to researchers at Syracuse University.
News of the policy shift was met with mixed reviews from immigrant advocacy organizations as concerns remain over access to legal counsel under the new expedited time frame.
“While we appreciate that the Biden administration made a number of positive changes to the regulation in response to the comments, we are gravely concerned about the timeframes proposed in the regulation,” attorney and American Immigration Counsel policy analyst Aaron Reichlin-Melnick said Thursday. “Studies have consistently showed that one of the most important factors in determining whether a person can win asylum is whether they are able to obtain a lawyer. Because these timelines will make it more difficult to obtain an attorney, the rule as written would gravely increase the risk of an unjust denial of asylum.”
Other groups have praised the move as a positive step toward administrative immigration reform since it was first announced last year.
“As it moves to make much-needed changes to the asylum process, the administration should continue working with advocates and other stakeholders to ensure a fully functional, fair, and secure asylum system for all those seeking protection,” head of the National Immigration Forum Ali Noorani said in August.
Melanie Nezer, a spokesperson for the refugee aid organization HIAS, said the announcement “is a major change and very welcome news, although we remain concerned about the longstanding use of expedited removal.”
Under the new process, if an asylum officer denies a case, the person in question can make an appeal to a judge and again to the Board of Immigration Appeals. The expedited removal and apprehension process largely remains unchanged, officials said.
The officials Wednesday could not say how broadly they plan to execute the policy, which is expected to begin some time at the end of May or beginning of June, only that it would be a careful, gradual implementation.
ABC News’ Benjamin Gittleson contributed to this report.
(KINGSTON, Jamaica) — Prince William delivered a speech Wednesday in Jamaica expressing his “profound sorrow” over the history of slavery, as he and his wife, Duchess Kate, have faced protests on their Caribbean tour.
“I want to express my profound sorrow. Slavery was abhorrent. And it should never have happened,” William said at a state dinner hosted by Jamaica’s governor general and attended by local dignitaries and senior politicians.
“While the pain runs deep, Jamaica continues to forge its future with determination, courage and fortitude,” William said in his remarks. “I strongly agree with my father, the prince of Wales, who said in Barbados last year that the appalling atrocity of slavery forever stains our history.”
“The strength and shared sense of purpose of the Jamaican people, represented in your flag and motto, celebrate an invincible spirit,” he continued. “It is this same spirit that spurred on the Windrush generation, who came to the United Kingdom to help rebuild after the Second World War. We are forever grateful for the immense contribution that this generation and their descendants have made to British life, which continues to enrich and improve our society.”
William’s speech came just hours after he and Kate met with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who told them that while he was “happy” to welcome them to Jamaica, the country is on its way to becoming a republic.
Jamaica becoming a republic would mean removing Queen Elizabeth, William’s grandmother, as its head of state.
As monarch, Queen Elizabeth is the head of the British Commonwealth, representing 54 nations, including Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, which William and Kate will visit next.
Another Caribbean country, Barbados, became a republic last year, no longer pledging allegiance to the queen.
William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are on a goodwill tour to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas to celebrate the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70 years on the throne.
The Cambridges were forced to cancel one of their first stops in Belize over the weekend when protests led by indigenous people broke out ahead of their arrival.
On Tuesday, the day of William and Kate’s arrival in Jamaica, dozens of protesters gathered in Kingston to protest the visit.
A group known as the Advocates Network, which describes itself as a “non-partisan alliance of individuals and organizations advocating for human rights and good governance,” also published an open letter protesting the royals’ visit, saying that British rule has “perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind.”
Robert Nesta Morgan, who holds the position as minister without portfolio within Jamaica’s government — a spokesperson for Jamaica’s government — told ABC News that there is consensus within the country, and agreement between the Jamaican government and opposition leadership that the country is “moving towards becoming a republic.”
“We already have political independence. We’re an independent country,” he said. “But there is a symbolism as to who is the head of state that many persons, including inside and outside of government, wish to change.”
Prime Minister Holness appointed Marlene Malahoo Forte, the country’s former attorney general, to be the minister of constitutional affairs, which took effect in January. Her new role, in part, oversees and advises the government as it seeks to transition to republic status.
Malahoo Forte told the Jamaica Observer in December that Holness gave her instructions for the constitution to be amended for the purposes of becoming a republic.
In addition to the calls for Jamaica to become a republic, activists have also been demanding slavery reparations in many of their demonstrations around William and Kate’s visit.
William did not mention reparations in his remarks on slavery Wednesday.
In July, Jamaica announced plans to ask Britain for compensation for the Atlantic slave trade in the former British colony, according to Reuters, noting the total amount could be “billions of pounds.”
Morgan told ABC News this week that people in Jamaica are looking for “recognition of the damage” done by slavery.
“The pursuit of reparations is not dependent on the acknowledgment of the oppressor that they have oppressed someone. It is based on the experience of those who are oppressed,” he said. “There are many persons in our society who have been fighting really hard for many decades for a recognition of not just the damage that slavery has done to our society, but also a recognition of the need to do repairing of that damage through reparations.”
William and Kate have so far not commented publicly on the controversy surrounding their visit.
While in Jamaica, the couple played soccer with locals and visited a teacher’s college to talk about early childhood development, a particular focus of Kate’s work.
They also visited with medical staff at a local hospital.
William and Kate will spend the next two full days in the Bahamas before returning to the U.K. on Sunday.
Miley Cyrus used her Twitter account to do a special performance for her fans in Paraguay, after the festival at which she was due to headline in that country was canceled due to inclement weather.
To make up for it, the “Midnight Sky” singer took to Twitter to film herself singing her song “Stay,” from her album Can’t Be Tamed, while soaking in an ultra bubble-filled bath.
“I wish I could’ve STAYed & performed for all of my fans in Paraguay. Please STAY safe. I love you,” Miley wrote, and included a black heart emoji. “Also if you can’t tell I’m a little sick, I think just super exhausted from the stress of yesterday! Got a few days to recover before BRAZIL.”
In a hoarse voice, Miley continued, “This song is for all my fans in Paraguay, who I missed out on seeing due to the festival being canceled because of weather, a terrifying plane experience and y’all made ‘Stay’ number one for me — so this is for you.”
She finished her performance by blowing a kiss to the camera and remarked, “Love you, thank you for your support, thank you for all of your best wishes, stay safe everyone.”
As previously reported, Miley’s plane ran into bad weather as it was flying into the Paraguayan capital of Asunción on Tuesday and had to make an emergency landing. Then she found out that her headlining set at the Asunciónico Festival had been canceled due to severe storms and flooding.
Sixteen-time Grammy winner Paul Simon is the latest artist whose music will be celebrated at a Grammy tribute concert that will air on CBS later this year.
The concert, called Homeward Bound: A GRAMMY Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon, takes place April 6 at the Hollywood Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, and will feature Simon’s songs performed by artists from the worlds of rock, pop, country, reggae and more, underscoring the many musical genres he’s explored during his 50-year-plus solo career.
Dave Matthews, country stars Little Big Town and Brad Paisley, vocal group Take 6, New Orleans legends Irma Thomas and Trombone Shorty, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, Americana artist Rhiannon Giddens, reggae superstar Shaggy and world music star Angélique Kidjo will all be performing Simon tunes, with additional performers and guests to be announced later. Paul himself will also make a special appearance.
Tickets for the tribute concert go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.
The concert is the latest installment of the ongoing “Grammy Salute” series of star-studded concerts that have focused on the music of Elton John, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Prince, Whitney Houston and others.
Metallica has announced the release of seven concert films on the Coda Collection, a music-themed channel on Amazon Prime Video.
The series kicks off today with the premiere of 1998’s Cunning Stunts, which was filmed during a 1997 show in Fort Worth, Texas, and 2009’s Orgullo, Pasión, y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México, which captures three concerts in Mexico City.
The next two weeks will see the debut of newly edited and remixed broadcasts of Metallica’s two 40th anniversary concerts, which took place last December in San Francisco. Night one will air March 31, followed by night two on April 7.
Those will be followed by the 1992 doc A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica premiering April 21, and then 2009 concert films Quebec Magnetic and Français Pour Une Nuit on May 19 and June 9, respectively.
Metallica announced a partnership with the Coda Collection last year, which is set to include a “full slate of concert films, documentaries, and additional content.”
Ukrainians Anatoli Boreiko, 64, and his wife, 59-year-old Natalia, recently arrived in New Jersey to stay with their daughter and son-in-law, Luda Boreiko and Yeugeniy Pakkel. – (WPVI)
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Thursday will announce that the U.S. will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, according to a senior administration official.
“To meet this commitment, we are considering the full range of legal pathways to the United States and that includes U.S. refugee admissions program, parole and immigrant and non-immigrant visas,” the official told reporters.
The official also said the commitment to take in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees was not tied to any particular time frame.
The official reiterated that the administration still believed the majority of refugees would prefer to stay in neighboring countries or elsewhere in the European Union.
Eastern European cities and countries have become overwhelmed with refugees. A senior administration official told ABC News last week that the U.S. refugee program “is not an emergency response program, so our goal would be to provide humanitarian assistance to keep people safe where they are for now.”
The process for refugees to stay in the U.S. is complex. Vetting it required as well as a referral from a United Nations agency. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration is “looking at steps that we can take in the near term.”
The White House did not announce specifics on how it will process these refugees. Administration officials said specifics will be announced “in the coming weeks.”
The refugee resettlement process can also take years. In February, the U.S. admitted 427 Ukrainian refugees out of 2,133 refugees in total, according to Department of State data.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 3.6 million refugees have fled the country, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency. The majority of the refugees have fled to nearby countries, with more than 2 million people crossing into Poland.
U.S. embassies and consulates in the region are processing emergency visa applications but are overwhelmed.
“We are not able to process the volume of the people who are thinking about that as an option,” a senior administration official said last week.
According to U.S. law, immigrant visas only apply to immediate family — meaning spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents. Family not in that category can submit a petition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve their case.
Biden on Thursday will announce more than $1 billion in new funding for humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war. “This funding will be additional to money that we have already provided and will provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies and other forms of assistance,” a senior administration official told reporters. The U.S. will also provide $11 billion over the next five years to address food security threats and malnutrition across the world. This will be done through the Feed the Future initiative.
ABC News’ Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.
The Italian news service ANSA is reporting Alec Baldwin is in Rome, working on his first movie projects since his involvement with last October’s fatal shooting on the set of his Western, Rust.
Baldwin is reportedly working on a pair of Italian Christmas-themed movies: the live-action/animated Kid Santa and Billie’s Magic World, for prolific lower-budget producers Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi. The pair have made many straight-to-streaming films with Hollywood talent, including Johnny Depp and John Travolta.
Alec, still awaiting the findings of a criminal investigation into the shooting death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, will reportedly share the screen with his brother Billy, according to ANSA.
Deadline clarifies that the brothers Baldwin will appear in the live-action segments of the movies.
“Prince: The Immersive Experience” will debut on June 9 – two days after the late musician’s birthday – at the Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago.
The interactive experience, presented by Superfly and in partnership with The Prince Estate, will take visitors on a journey through Prince’s life, offering 10 multidimensional spaces to witness the singer’s creative evolution and original sound.
“It is an absolute honor to partner with The Prince Estate to create an experience that celebrates Prince’s legendary music and the inspirational way that he lived his life,” Superfly Co-founder Kerry Black said in a statement. “I know I will forever be changed by working on this project and hope fans will bring a little Prince inspiration home with them, too.”
One of the spaces will allow fans to “step inside the Purple Rain album cove,r” where they can mix a hit directly out of Prince’s coveted Paisley Park Studio A and boogie down to an audiovisual dance party with an accompanying lighting design. The exhibit will also feature photography, historic instruments and wardrobe pieces and much more.
Though Superfly is known for creating entertainment-based experiences like “TheFriends Experience”and “The Office Experience,” Black says the latest project is “next level,” according to Rolling Stone.
Tickets for “Prince: The Immersive Experience” go on sale Thursday, March 31, exclusively at PrinceTheExperience.com.
The On the Blue Cruise, the seagoing music festival hosted by Moody Blues singer/guitarist Justin Hayward will return next year for its first voyage since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The 2023 edition of the event will set sail January 28 in Miami and will Harvest Caye, Belize, and Costa Maya, Mexico, before wrapping up on February 2.
In addition to Hayward, the cruise’s initial lineup also includes The Zombies, Dave Mason, Alan Parsons, Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas, Little River Band, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Orleans, Firefall, The Babys, Renaissance, Pat Travers Band and more.
Hayward’s shows will feature the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee playing Moody Blues classic and deep cuts, as well as songs from his solo career. He also will take part in an intimate Q&A event.
Besides the various performances, which will be presented on multiple stages, the cruise will feature a variety of curated activities, including photo opportunities with some of the performers, themed nights, a dance party, a “Painting with Rock Stars” event, and much more.
Attractions and amenities on the cruise ship include pools, hot tubs, a casino, a fitness center and a disco/night club.
The general public will be able to book cabins on the cruise starting today at 2 p.m. ET, with prices beginning at $1,299 per person. Visit OntheBlueCruise.com for full details.
Next year’s On the Blue Cruise will be the first since 2019.
Meanwhile, Hayward recently joined the lineup of the 2022 Cruise to the Edge, which will take place May 2-May 7. Immediately following that cruise, Justin will launch a U.S. solo tour that’s scheduled to run from a May 10 show in Birmingham, Alabama, through a June 3 concert in Denver. He’s also lined up a U.K. trek in September.
