Is Nick Cannon trying to get back together with Mariah Carey?
On Valentine’s Day, the singer/TV personality dropped what’s being described as an “ode” to his famous ex — a track called “Alone,” which samples Mariah’s 1990 ballad, “Love Takes Time.”
Nick sings about having “nothing but love” for his ex but he knows it’s “a little too late,” so he’s keeping his distance.
“As much as I want you back/ It’s probably better where you at/’Cause I’m still running the streets/I’m still all in the sheets/Having babies, models and singers and actresses saying they pregnant by me,” Nick sings. “Have to pay $10,000 a week, I take care of my peeps/Now you don’t worry when I creep/You got a man next to you when you sleep.”
Nick and Mariah were married from 2008 to 2014 and share 10-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan. As he references in the lyrics, Nick has gone on to father children with various different women. He recently announced he’s expecting his eighth child, with model Bre Tiesi.
“Alone” will be featured on Nick’s new mixtape, Raw N B The Explicit Tape, coming February 18.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is warning that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region.
As many as 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders and U.S. officials have urged all Americans to leave Ukraine as well as neighboring Belarus and part of Moldvoa.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the nation was shuttering its embassy in Kyiv and “temporarily” relocating the small group of diplomats left in Ukraine to the western city of Lviv, citing the “rapid acceleration in the buildup of Russian forces.”
But Ukrainian officials have said they do not see signs of a Russian attack as soon as Wednesday — the date reportedly given to NATO allies — and called for a day of unity instead.
Russia has demanded the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance and pull back troops from Eastern European member states, while denying it has plans to invade Ukraine.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 15, 12:41 pm
Biden to speak on Russia, Ukraine from White House
President Joe Biden will provide a status update to the nation on Russia and Ukraine at 3:30 p.m. from the East Room, the White House said.
Biden “will reiterate that the United States remains open to high-level diplomacy in close coordination with our Allies, building on the multiple diplomatic off-ramps we and our Allies and partners have offered Russia in recent months,” it said.
The addition to Biden’s schedule comes amid international questioning and skepticism as to whether Russia is actually pulling back troops Tuesday from Ukraine’s border as the Kremlin says it is doing.
Feb 15, 11:52 am
Ukraine says defense ministry, banks hit with cyberattack
Ukraine’s national cybersecurity agency said Tuesday a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack has targeted the website of the country’s Ministry of Defense and armed forces, as well as two of its largest state banks.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the agency said that the internet banking of the two banks, Privat bank and Oshchadbank were under attack but that some services were still functioning.
The agency said for now there are no risks to citizens’ money.
The Ministry of Defense and Ukraine’s Armed Forces’ public-facing websites are not currently accessible. The extent of the attack is not yet clear.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 15, 11:28 am
Blinken talks with Russian counterpart
In a signal that the door to diplomacy could remain open, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke again Tuesday morning, according to a senior State Department official.
The two had already spoken on Saturday and agreed to connect again in the coming days, the official said, as the two governments have delivered mixed messages on the extent of Russia’s military presence and intent on Ukraine’s border.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a White House official, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has departed Washington for Brussels for NATO meetings.
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan and Sarah Kolinovsky
Feb 15, 11:28 am
Blinken talks with Russian counterpart
In a signal that the door to diplomacy could remain open, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke again Tuesday morning, according to a senior State Department official.
The two had already spoken on Saturday and agreed to connect again in the coming days, the official said, as the two governments have delivered mixed messages on the extent of Russia’s military presence and intent on Ukraine’s border.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a White House official, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has departed Washington for Brussels for NATO meetings.
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan and Sarah Kolinovsky
Feb 15, 11:08 am
Putin comments on ‘partial withdrawal’ of Russian troops
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on what he called Russia’s “partial withdrawal” of troops near Ukraine on Tuesday, one day after Pentagon officials said Russia had sent even more troops to the border region over the last 24 to 48 hours.
Putin delivered mixed messages at a press conference in Moscow, suggesting he does not consider the crisis to be resolved as Russia’s key demand that Ukraine is barred from joining NATO has not been met. But he also said there were items in the U.S. responses “to discuss,” specifically noting Russia is ready to talk about the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which the Trump administration withdrew from, among other “military confidence-building measures.”
“We want to resolve this question right now. In the nearest future, in the course of the negotiating process, with peaceful means,” Putin said.
Asked about some Russian troops pulling back on Tuesday, Putin hinted there could still be room for escalation but added, “we will strive to agree on the issues which have been put forward by us using the diplomatic path.”
“How will Russia act next? According to plan!” he said.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 15, 10:23 am
Putin reacts to Russian parliament vote to recognize Donbas
Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated Tuesday that he will not immediately recognize two Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
Putin said he believes the idea has the support of the majority of Russians but that he thinks Russia should continue to try to resolve the conflict with Ukraine through the Minsk peace agreements.
The Minsk accords signed in 2014 and 2015 were aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian army and the Russian-backed separatists forces in an area of southeastern Ukraine known as the Donbas. But Putin’s recognition of the regions would amount to Russia formally withdrawing from the agreement.
Putin’s comments suggest that while he doesn’t intend to immediately move to recognize the regions, he might keep the action as a threat hanging over negotiations with Ukraine and the West. He painted the parliament vote as the expression of lawmakers rather than something directed by the Kremlin.
“We must do everything to resolve the problems in Donbas but, as before, starting from the possibilities from the Minsk agreement that have not been realized to their end,” Putin said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the leader of one of the regions welcomed the Russian parliament vote but fell short of calling on Putin to take the step.
“We thank the deputies of the State Duma for the results of today’s vote,” Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said in a statement Tuesday. “With that, we will treat with respect and understanding any decision taken by the top leadership of the Russian Federation.”
Pushilin called the initiative “timely,” given what he claimed was the threat from Ukraine, which he alleged was massing troops near the regions and showed Kyiv has no intention of fulfilling the Minsk agreements or resolving the conflict peacefully.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 15, 9:19 am
US assessing Russia’s claim of withdrawing some troops
The United States is assessing Russia’s claim that it is withdrawing some troops from Ukraine’s borders, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said Tuesday.
During a press briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Smith cast some doubt on the claim after Russia made similar statements in late December.
“All I can say is we’ll have to verify that and take a look,” Smith told reporters. “We want to make sure we understand what they’re talking about when they say de-escalation, and we want to verify that that is in fact what’s happening. So stand by, we’ll obviously take a look at that.”
When asked again whether some Russian forces were in fact pulling back, Smith reiterated: “I can’t say yes or no. I can’t say really anything about it at this moment because this is something that we’ll have to look at closely and verify in the days ahead.”
NATO’s defense ministers, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will meet Wednesday to discuss deployments within the military alliance and a “variety of contingencies,” according to Smith, who noted that NATO “will continue to determine whether or not additional enhancements might be necessary.”
While any Russian troop withdrawals could be a sign of de-escalation, the law passed Tuesday in Russia’s parliament calling on President Vladimir Putin to recognize Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent would be a “new shift in the escalation,” Smith said, adding that the U.S. and NATO “would monitor that very closely” and determine its response.
“If they proceed with this, then I think it’s a clear violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty, and it’s also a violation of the Minsk agreement,” she told reporters, “and so that would obviously be a new shift in the escalation.”
As the U.S. and NATO await Russia’s written proposals on issues like arms control and military exercises, Smith again called on Russia to engage meaningfully in talks.
“Look, we can spend the rest of the year going back and forth exchanging letters,” she said, “but really what’s important is the best way to proceed would be for us to sit down at the table again.”
Until then, Smith said they do not know what Putin will decide.
“We do not understand fundamentally — none of us do — what is inside President Putin’s head,” she added, “and so we cannot make any guess about where all of this is headed.”
Feb 15, 8:32 am
NATO: No sign yet of Russian de-escalation
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the military alliance has “not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine.”
“So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels. “But we will continue to monitor and to follow closely what Russia is doing, and the signs coming from Moscow about a willingness to continue to engage in diplomatic efforts — that gives some reason for cautious optimism. But we will, of course, follow very closely what’s happening on the ground and whether this is reflected in some real de-escalation of the Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine.”
Feb 15, 8:20 am
US warns of Russian cyberattack alongside Ukraine invasion
Top cybersecurity officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have warned of potential attacks on American cyber infrastructure in concert with a physical invasion of Ukraine, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source told ABC News that the warning came Monday on a call with state and local officials — but it’s not new. On Friday, the Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) explicitly warned of Russian cyberattacks and made a veiled mention of the ongoing geopolitical climate.
“The Russian government has used cyber as a key component of their force projection over the last decade, including previously in Ukraine in the 2015 timeframe,” the CISA said in an online post. “The Russian government understands that disabling or destroying critical infrastructure—including power and communications—can augment pressure on a country’s government, military and population and accelerate their acceding to Russian objectives.”
U.S. officials have said a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen “at any time” and that they believe Ukraine could also be a target of an offensive cyberattack. Ukraine has already been the target of what some Ukrainian officials believed was a Russian cyberattack earlier this year, when suspected Russian hackers defaced Ukrainian government websites.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been warning in bulletins as early as January that there could be a cyberattack tied to a possible Russian invasion.
Feb 15, 7:02 am
Russia’s parliament asks Putin to recognize breakaway regions in Ukraine
Russia’s parliament voted for a law on Tuesday that calls on President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-controlled breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.
The measure is a formal appeal to Putin to recognize the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, in an area of southeastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, where Russian-backed separatists forces have been battling the Ukrainian army since 2014.
Such recognition would open a path for Russia to formally annex the two regions as it did the Crimean Peninsula almost eight years ago. It’s now up to Putin to decide whether to go through with it.
Two bills were initially put forward for a vote in Russia’s parliament — one by the Communist Party and the other by Putin’s ruling United Russia. The first would have the request sent to the president immediately, while the second would have sought consultations with the foreign ministry and other government agencies before appealing directly to Putin. Ultimately, parliament voted for the first bill.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office called the vote an “escalatory action.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry has warned that it will consider Russia recognizing the separatist regions as a withdrawal from the Minsk peace agreement reached in 2015, which was supposed to end the conflict in Donbas that broke out a year earlier.
Feb 15, 5:41 am
Ukraine reacts to Russia announcing withdrawal: ‘We’ll believe it when we see it’
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba reacted to Russia’s announcement Tuesday that it is withdrawing some troops from the border, saying his country will “believe it when we see it.”
“There are constantly various statements coming from the Russian Federation, so we have a rule: we’ll believe it when we see it,” Kuleba said during a televised briefing Tuesday. “When we see the withdrawal, we’ll believe in de-escalation.”
Feb 15, 5:25 am
Russia says some troops will return to base
Some Russian troops positioned near the border with Ukraine will begin returning to their bases Tuesday after completing “exercises,” according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The units set to return are from Russia’s Southern and Western Military Districts, the defense ministry said Tuesday. But there are troops from other military districts massed on the border. Still, if some troops do pull back, it would potentially be a key signal that the crisis with Ukraine will not escalate.
Russian state media then released video purportedly showing tank troops loading up in neighboring Belarus to return home as well as tanks in southwestern Russia moving back. A spokesperson for Russia’s Southern Military District told state media Tuesday that some personnel have begun leaving Crimea for their permanent bases following the completion of drills.
In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and established two federal subjects there, the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol. But the international community still recognizes the territories as being part of Ukraine.
Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the military exercises would end “in the near future.” There are still drills being conducted in neighboring Belarus as well as the Black Sea that are due to end Feb. 20.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on her official Facebook page on Tuesday that Feb. 15 “will go down in history as the day the Western propoganda war failed.”
“Disgraced and destroyed without a single shot fired,” Zakharova added.
Feb 15, 4:29 am
White House warns invasion could start ‘at any time’
While the United States believes a path of diplomacy remains “open” to Russia, a White House official warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine “could begin at any time.”
Answering a question from ABC News’ Cecilia Vega during a press briefing Monday, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. government is so far seeing “more and more” Russian troops arrive on the border with Ukraine.
“In the past 10 days or so, when you look at what is happening at the border of Ukraine, there, we are seeing more than 100,000 troops there and it’s just been an every day more and more troops,” Jean-Pierre said.
“So we are certainly open to having conversations and seeing a de-escalation,” she added. “That door is open for diplomacy and this is up to President Putin. He has to make that decision. It is his decision to make on which direction he wants to take this.”
Jean-Pierre noted that “it remains unclear which path Russia will choose to take.”
When asked about the imminency of the situation, she said: “We are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time.”
“I’m not going to comment on the intelligence information,” she added, “except to say that it could begin this week.”
Reba McEntire is breaking the chain in an upcoming DVD and CD collection.
Next month, Reba will release a CD and DVD combo titled My Chains Are Gone, in which she presents gospel classics. The DVD features a live recording of Reba’s debut solo headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium in 2017, where she performed a series of hymns including “How Great Thou Art,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” along with original songs “Back to God” and “God and My Girlfriends.”
Fans will also get to see the country legend perform with her peers, teaming up with Trisha Yearwood and Kelly Clarkson on “Softly and Tenderly,” while gospel group The Isaacs sing “In the Garden/Wonderful Peace” and “It Is Well with My Soul.”
The My Chains Are Gone CD adds a duet with Lauren Daigle on an acoustic rendition of “Back to God.”
Both the DVD and CD will be released on March 25, with a special broadcast of performances from the DVD airing on UPtv the same night at 8 p.m. ET.
Fresh from his appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick Lamar is taking a deep dive into his 2015 album on a new podcast.
Starting Wednesday, season two of the Big Hit Show podcast, produced by the Obamas‘ Higher Ground Productions, will spotlight K-Dot’s acclaimed album To Pimp a Butterfly, the follow-up to his 2012 debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The description reads, “The best rapper alive tries to figure out what to do next, channeling the pressures of fame and the pain of a generation into a career-defining masterwork.”
In the trailer, we hear the “Alright” rapper saying of the album, “Y’know, in hip hop, we have this thing, ‘the sophomore jinx.’ I took it upon myself to do something that inspires me.”
He explains, “It was me explaining my experiences and what emotions it brought up from that experience, and tell them like, ‘Yo, it’s something bigger than Compton, and where we from’”
To Pimp a Butterfly ended up on numerous year-end best-of 2015 lists, and received seven Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year.
The Dropkick Murphys singer Al Barr won’t be joining the band for their upcoming tour due to his mother Ingrid‘s health.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Celtic punks shared that Ingrid has recently suffered a series of strokes, and has been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.
“Dropkick Murphys have always been about FAMILY,” the statement reads. “And in the spirit of FAMILY FIRST, Al has had to make the very difficult decision to stay home for the rest of the year to care for his Mom.”
The affected dates include the Murphys’ upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off February 21 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and concludes with a multi-night hometown run in Boston to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Barr will also miss the group’s summer European tour, which launches in June.
“We appreciate your compassion for Al’s family,” the band says. “We know as part of our family you will understand and support us in dealing with these difficult times.”
For the shows, Dropkick co-singer Ken Casey will be handling lead vocal duties, with assists from special guests.
Megan Thee Stallion has marked her 27th birthday by officially launching her new charity foundation.
According to People, the Grammy winner unveiled the Pete and Thomas Foundation — named in honor of her her parents, Pete Jr. and Holly Thomas. The foundation is focused on four key initiatives that are near and dear to the rapper’s heart — education, health and wellness, as well as housing.
“Launching the Pete and Thomas Foundation is easily one of the most significant endeavors that I’ll ever be part of in my career,” Megan said. “My family raised me to help others and give back, so I’m incredibly proud to be in a position to accomplish that goal. I have a responsibility to use my platform to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who may not have access to resources and support services.”
The foundation will assist struggling schools by providing scholarships to students and donating necessary supplies and resources. The nonprofit will also advocate for housing needs for the nation’s most vulnerable, such as senior citizens and single mothers, and also focus on supporting cancer care, food insecurity and mental health initiatives.
According to a press release, Megan also surprised three deserving people with financial assistance on her birthday — a cancer survivor, a student and a senior citizen.
This is the latest development in Megan’s philanthropic work. In December, she committed to opening an assisted living facility in Houston that will hire recent college graduates so they may gain the experience needed to succeed in the competitive job market.
“I’m still going to open up these assisted living facilities and I definitely want to hire new college graduates… I want to create a place where you can get experience,” she told Rolling Stone then.
Stevie Nicks is among the artists who will headline the inaugural Sound on Sound festival, taking place September 24-25 at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The other headliners for the event are Dave Matthews and The Lumineers. Matthews will be performing as a duo with his frequent collaborator, Tim Reynolds.
The bill, which features more than 20 acts in all, also includes Ziggy Marley, Spin Doctors, Gary Clark Jr., Brandi Carlile, Jenny Lewis and The National.
Sound on Sound is being put on by Founders Entertainment, the same company behind New York City’s annual Governors Ball Music Festival. For the full lineup and ticket info, visit SoundonSoundCT.com.
Nicks also is confirmed to perform at three other U.S. festivals this year — on May 7 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; on June 19 at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee; and in early September at the JAS Aspen Snowmass event in Snowmass, Colorado.
The spring outing, dubbed the Black Thunder tour, will kick off April 16 in San Diego, a day after the Mongolian rockers play Coachella. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 18, at 10 a.m. local time.
During the Black Thunder tour, The Hu plans to play a few songs off the group’s forthcoming sophomore album, due out later this year. The currently untitled record will follow The Hu’s 2019 debut, The Gereg.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheHuOfficial.com.
Third time’s a charm for Jimmie Allen, as he tops the chart with his latest single, “Freedom Was a Highway.”
Jimmie and his duet partner, Brad Paisley, have claimed the #1 spot on country radio this week, making for Jimmie’s third consecutive #1 single and Brad’s 25th overall. In Jimmie’s catalogue, it follows his debut single, “Best Shot” and its follow up, “Make Me Want To,” off his debut album, Mercury Lane.
“Yo @bradpaisley this song was a fun one. I appreciate you doing this song with me and giving it that BP Swag. Thank you to country radio for supporting this song,” Jimmie writes on Instagram, thanking members of his team, band and crew. “To all the people that have requested this song, bought and streamed it thank you!!!!”
“Honored to ride shotgun with you @jimmieallen. I’ll be the Sally Fields to your Burt Reynolds anytime,” shares Brad alongside a photo of he and Jimmie posing with a bottle of Brad’s American Highway bourbon brand.
“Freedom Was a Highway” first appeared on Jimmie’s 2020 EP, Bettie James, and later on Bettie James Gold Edition.
Jack Antonoff has found yet another collaborator: Zoë Kravitz.
The actor and musician tells ELLE that she’s been working on her debut solo album with the Bleachers frontman, who’s also produced records with Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey.
“It feels vulnerable, and it’s a little scary,” Kravitz says of the album. “But making music makes me happy.”
Those who watched the Kravitz-starring series High Fidelity may recall that Antonoff made a cameo appearance as himself during an episode.
Kravitz previously released two albums with her band Lolawolf. In addition to working on new tunes, she’ll be starring as Catwoman in the upcoming movie The Batman alongside Robert Pattinson, who’ll be playing a Kurt Cobain-inspired version of the Caped Crusader. The film premieres in theaters March 4.
