The first half of the final season of Ozark debuted last Friday, sending fans on a wild ride.
One of the new characters we meet is Javi, or Javier Elizonndro, the nephew of drug kingpin Omar Navarro. He’s played by actor Alfonso Herrera, who tells ABC Audio that the reception for his character has been amazing.
“They are really, really in shock of what this character is capable to do, right?” he says. “And, also not just what he’s capable to do, but how he enjoys things in a very different way. You know, the way he enjoys life, the way he eats, drinks. He’s unpredictable.”
Fans aren’t the only ones enjoying Herrera’s addition. His friends and family were thrilled to learn he’d joined the critically acclaimed series, but now they keep bugging him for spoilers.
“I live in Mexico City, so many people here, they are huge fans of the show,” Herrera shares. Unfortunately for his close circle, he can’t spill any beans. “I already signed an NDA. If I tell you something, either the platform kills me or I’ll do what Javi knows best.”
Although the release date for the second half of Ozark‘s final season has yet to be announced, Herrera teases that the final seven episodes, which they’ve already filmed, are going to be very satisfying for fans.
“Believe me, if you think season four, part one was mind blowing, wait for season four part two,” he says. “It’s times twenty.”
Alicia Keys celebrated her 41st birthday Tuesday by announcing a new health and wellness partnership with the Athleta company.
“I was drawn to Athleta because we both want to encourage women to discover, accept and OWN their power,” the “Empire State of Mind” singer said in a statement.
“We’re all about the uniqueness of women, body positivity and creating a lifestyle that showcases our immeasurable power within,” she added. “It’s time to thrive – not just to survive – and my hope is that these offerings are another outlet for you to amplify your personal power, your possibility, and feel comfortable in your own skin.”
The 15-time Grammy winner will co-create different product offerings for the brand and will also join Athleta’s Power of She Fund grant program as a mentor and advisor. The program supports businesses and organizations that are committed to making well-being accessible, specifically for women of color.
In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Athleta x Alicia Keys fashion collection will be released, as part of the company’s platform, “Power of She.”
In addition to announcing her Athleta partnership, Keys posted an Instagram photo on Tuesday with a cake reading, “Happy Birthday Alicia!” In another shot, she is proudly strutting down a hallway carrying several balloons.
As she prepares to launch her Future Nostalgia tour, Dua Lipa reveals that the follow-up to that 2020 blockbuster album is well underway — and though she’s “experimenting,” she’s staying firmly in the “pop music” universe.
“I’ve done a big chunk of writing: It’s starting to take shape; I’ve got a lot of it recorded,” Dua says in the new issue of WSJ. Magazine. “It has a vision. It has a name, I think — for now.”
“It’s just been fun experimenting,” she adds. “I’m always going to make pop music, but it has its own unique sound, which is exciting and something that feels like a movement from Future Nostalgia. It’s still in baby form, so we’ll see as it progresses.”
But since Dua says juggling multiple projects is “ingrained” in her, she worked on the new music while also launching her new newsletter and podcast Service95and filming her debut feature film role in Matthew Vaughn‘s upcoming spy thriller Argylle. Vaughn tells the magazine that it was seeing Dua on an episode of The Graham Norton Show that convinced him to cast her.
“When I saw that interview, I thought, this girl’s got it,” Vaughn explains, and reveals that Dua’s character in the film plays a “pivotal role at a pivotal moment.” He also praises her as being “very attentive, inquisitive and focused.”
However, one thing Dua didn’t discuss in the cover story is her alleged breakup with her boyfriend Anwar Hadid.
“Something that I’ve realized over time is how little people actually know,” she says. “I’ve made peace with the fact that people can think what they want to think, but no one really, truly knows what’s happening behind closed doors.”
Few festival lineups have turned heads like Las Vegas’ When We Were Young has with headliners My Chemical Romance and Paramore, plus pretty much every other band you might’ve heard in a Hot Topic in 2006. But in between the exclamations of joy from scene kids of all ages were some nagging doubts that the bill was too good to be true.
That was the first thought of Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd, who tells ALT CTRL Radio on Apple Music 1 that he didn’t believe the When We Were Young lineup poster was “real” when he came across it.
“I thought it was one of those like meme things that pop on my Instagram,” Boyd shares. “It’s like, ‘This is my dream show from the early aughts.'”
“That’s kind of where my head went first, but if it’s real, I think it’s awesome,” he adds. “I think if that’s what people want to do, then that’s perfectly fine.”
Incubus is not on the lineup for When We Were Young, though as the frontman for a band that had their biggest hits in the early 2000s, Boyd is no stranger to aughts nostalgia. It’s a concept that Boyd says he “struggle[s] with a little bit,” but thinks is ultimately “unavoidable.”
“We have people that have been listening to the music that we’re making…a lot of them since they were teenagers, and now they’re parents,” Boyd says. “So they hear these songs, and it’s nostalgic for them.”
“I can’t completely poo poo it, or turn away from it, or avoid it, because that would be foolish,” he adds. “So I do a little dance with nostalgia.”
When We Were Young takes place October 22, 23 and 29.
Boyd, meanwhile, will release a new solo album, Echoes & Cocoons, on March 11.
Jordan Davis and Walker Hayes have a special connection thanks to Walker’s hit, “Fancy Like”: songwriter Josh Jenkins.
“One of the co-writers on ‘Fancy Like,’ Josh Jenkins, helped me write ‘Buy Dirt’ too, so I’m just over the moon for him,” Jordan praises.
For Jordan, writing “Buy Dirt,” his hit collaboration with Luke Bryan that is #1 at country radio this week, was a family affair, as he got to write the meaningful song with his own brother, Jacob Davis, alongside the brother duo of songwriters Josh and Matt Jenkins.
“The brother duo, we had a special day that day. Those are three of the best songwriters, in my opinion, in Nashville, and so we don’t get that song if I don’t have those guys with me. I can’t write a song like that by myself. I kind of just got out of their way on that one,” Jordan describes of the writing session.
While Josh is one of the masterminds behind “Fancy Like,” it was his brother Matt who pitched the idea for “Buy Dirt,” Jordan knowing instantly that this story needed to be told.
“Matt Jenkins came in and was like, ‘what if it’s something, ‘Buy Dirt,’ like what you do with the piece of dirt that you have? What you do with your house, what you do with the way you raise your kids, what you do with the way you spend your time?'” Jordan recalls. “And when he said that, we all were just like, ‘that’s what we’re writing today.'”
“Buy Dirt” marks Jordan’s fourth #1 single following “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” “Take It From Me” and “Singles You Up.”
In GAYLE‘s breakthrough hit “abcdefu,” she gives her boyfriend, all his friends and his entire family a big “F-You” and tells them they can all “F off”…but makes sure to make an exception for his dog. GAYLE says that was deliberate, because even though she’s so done with the guy, she really does miss his pooch.
“I love dogs in general, but I did love his dog. Like, his dog was the sweetest thing ever!” she tells ABC Audio. “But overall, in general, I’m a big fan of dogs!”
Continuing to gush about the pupper, GAYLE says, “I think she was a [Shiba Inu]. It was like the cutest little thing. It was so cute. I miss it soooo much.”
And what makes it worse, she says, is that because her ex and his family no longer live in the same state as she does — Tennessee — she’ll likely never see the dog again.
“That was just the weirdest thing about the breakup,” the 17-year-old singer laments. “It was long distance at the end. And so, because of that, like, once you break up with somebody who lives in a different state, like, the odds of you running into them are so low.”
“And I was just like, ‘I’m never going to see you [by] accident…I’m never gonna see your dog [by] accident’…It made me sad!” she explains.
GAYLE does have a dog of her own at home, though: When she was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she explained that when she tried to drag the dog out from under her mom’s bed, she tripped and broke her finger — and she turned the X-ray of her finger into the artwork for “abcdefu.”
The first half of the final season of Ozark debuted last Friday, sending fans on a wild ride.
One of the new characters we meet is Javi, or Javier Elizonndro, the nephew of drug kingpin Omar Navarro. He’s played by actor Alfonso Herrera, who tells ABC Audio that the reception for his character has been amazing.
“They are really, really in shock of what this character is capable to do, right?” he says. “And, also not just what he’s capable to do, but how he enjoys things in a very different way. You know, the way he enjoys life, the way he eats, drinks. He’s unpredictable.”
Fans aren’t the only ones enjoying Herrera’s addition. His friends and family were thrilled to learn he’d joined the critically acclaimed series, but now they keep bugging him for spoilers.
“I live in Mexico City, so many people here, they are huge fans of the show,” Herrera shares. Unfortunately for his close circle, he can’t spill any beans. “I already signed an NDA. If I tell you something, either the platform kills me or I’ll do what Javi knows best.”
Although the release date for second half of Ozark‘s final season has yet to be announced, Herrera teases that the final seven episodes, which they’ve already filmed, are going to be very satisfying for fans.
“Believe me, if you think season four, part one was mind blowing, wait for season four part two,” he says. “It’s times twenty.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Philadelphia 117, New Orleans 107
Toronto 125, Charlotte 113
Denver 110, Detroit 105
Boston 128, Sacramento 75
LA Clippers 116, Washington 115
LA Lakers 106, Brooklyn 96
San Antonio 134, Houston 104
Golden State 130, Dallas 92
Minnesota 109, Portland 107
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Pittsburgh 6, Arizona 3
Ottawa 5, Buffalo 0
Dallas 5, New Jersey 1
Carolina 4, Vegas 3 (OT)
NY Islanders 4, Philadelphia 3
Florida 5, Winnipeg 3
Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)
Nashville 4, Seattle 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Auburn 55, Missouri 54
Baylor 74, Kansas St. 49
Duke 71, Clemson 69
Illinois 56, Michigan St. 55
Kentucky 82, Mississippi St. 74
Villanova 67, DePaul 43
UConn 96, Georgetown 73
UCLA 75, Arizona 59
Wisconsin at Nebraska (Postponed)
Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(MELBOURNE, Australia) — After immense international backlash, Tennis Australia has reversed course on its ban of spectators donning T-shirts in support of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai at the Australian Open.
Peng, who was formerly ranked No. 1 globally in women’s doubles, has retreated from the public eye and social media after accusing a retired top Chinese Communist Party official of sexual assault last November. The saga has garnered international backlash over China’s handling of sexual assault claims, and attempts by Chinese state-run media to assuage international concern for Peng’s safety have only prompted further global skepticism about the case.
A Tennis Australia spokesperson confirmed the ban reversal to ABC News on Tuesday, saying the organization would take a “common sense approach” to enforcing its policy against political materials as long as there are no disruptions to the event. The apparent U-Turn came after videos on social media showed security and police confronting activists wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words: “Where is Peng Shuai.”
Tennis great Martina Navratilova blasted the initial ban, calling it “just pathetic” on Twitter. After hearing of the reversal, Navratilova lauded Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley and the tournament organizers for “doing the right thing here!”
Tiley confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that T-shirts supporting Peng will be permitted, but banners are still barred due to safety concerns.
“What we’ve said is that if anyone comes on site with an intent to disrupt and use the Australian Open as a platform for themselves and really disrupts the comfort and the safety of our fans, then they’re not welcome,” Tiley told the local newspaper. “However, if someone wants to wear a T-shirt and make a statement about Peng Shuai, that’s fine.”
Tiley continued: “But what’s not fine is if that someone brings in a big banner and it’s got big poles attached to it and it’s used as something [which is dangerous], it really takes away from the comfort and safety of the fans. We’ll stick to those terms and conditions.”
International tennis superstars including Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have lent their voices to the growing chorus of concerns for Peng, with both athletes sharing posts about the saga on Twitter using the hashtag #whereispengshuai.
Peng re-emerged at a public event in the run-up to the Beijing 2022 Olympics in mid-December, and the International Olympic Committee released a photo last month of her participating in a video call with IOC head Thomas Bach. Correspondence purportedly from Peng that backtracks her sexual assault claim have also been published by Chinese state-run media outlets.
Despite the purported evidence that she is safe, the global Women’s Tennis Association announced last month that it was suspending all WTA tournaments in China, including in Hong Kong.
“Chinese officials have been provided the opportunity to cease this censorship, verifiably prove that Peng is free and able to speak without interference or intimidation, and investigate the allegation of sexual assault in a full, fair and transparent manner,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a lengthy statement on Dec. 1 announcing the suspension. “Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation.”
Simon said the WTA has repeated its calls for a full and transparent investigation, without censorship, into Peng’s accusation. He also called on other international leaders to “speak out so justice can be done for Peng, and all women, no matter the financial ramifications.”
(WASHINGTON) — As the U.S. continues to warn that the threat of a Russian attack on Ukraine remains “imminent,” there is one dissenting voice that has grown stronger — Ukraine’s.
From President Volodymyr Zelenskyy down, the Ukrainian government has tried to urge calm, with senior officials making clear in recent days they don’t see the risks now as any more heightened than over the last eight years of Russian-stoked conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, for example, said the number of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders “are not enough for a full-scale invasion.” Instead, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is using the troop build-up “primarily to politically blackmail the West and pressure Ukraine,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“Russia’s tactical goal is provoke integral divisions in our society, sow fear and panic, to destabilize the internal situation,” she added.
Ukrainian concern that fear and panic could spread, sending Ukraine’s economy spiraling or creating political turmoil, has started to create divisions between the U.S. and Ukraine — despite efforts on both sides to make clear they stand united against any Russian aggression.
“All is under control. There are no reasons to panic,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address to his country Monday night — but the speech spent more time on COVID-19 than Russia.
Some of the steps the U.S. has taken in recent days, some in Kyiv fear, are playing into Moscow’s playbook — stoking fear and panic.
That includes the State Department’s decision to draw down the U.S. embassy, ordering diplomats’ families to evacuate and authorizing non-emergency staff to depart if they choose.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price called it a “prudent precaution,” but his Ukrainian counterpart, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko criticized it as “a premature one and an instance of excessive caution.”
“The Russian Federation is currently taking active efforts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. A large amount of misinformation, manipulation, and fakes are spreading in Ukrainian and international media in order to cause panic among Ukrainians and foreigners, intimidate business, and undermine the economic and financial stability of our state. In this situation, it is important to soberly assess the risks and stay calm,” Nikolenko added.
Just four countries have followed the U.S., to varying degrees — the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Germany.
“We cannot allow ourselves for that to happen – that our economy falls. If people cross into a state of panic, that is a dangerous situation for our country, and it will be far easier to then manipulate us, and that is Russia’s goal,” warned Aleksey Danilov, a top Ukrainian national security official.
Some economic damage is already apparent. Yields on Ukrainian sovereign Eurobonds in U.S. dollars suddenly shot up to 11-14% on Jan. 14 and have risen even higher since — losing Ukraine access to the international financial market, according to Anders Åslund, a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum.
“Ukraine’s emerging economic problems are entirely due to the shadow cast by the threat of a dramatic escalation in Russian military aggression,” Åslund wrote for the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.
The White House and State Department defended the administration’s decisions and rhetoric, denying that drawing down the embassy, putting 8,500 U.S. troops on alert, and warning of an “imminent” threat have escalated the situation.
“I will let others assess, but there are 100,000 troops — Russian troops — on the border of Ukraine and no clarity that the leader of Russia doesn’t intend to invade. That sounds pretty dangerous to me,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
But 100,000 is not enough for an invasion, according to Malyar and the top commander for Ukraine’s forces on the frontlines. Lt. Gen. Oleksander Pavlyuk told ABC News last week that Ukraine had assessed Russian had 127,000 troops in total, although the U.S. still says approximately 100,000. Either way, Ukraine’s own army is approximately 200,000 strong now, and many more Russian troops would be needed to invade a country the size of Texas.
The number of Russian troops is also “not increasing in the way that today many are representing,” Danilov, who serves as secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, told the BBC in an interview Tuesday. “Is it unpleasant for us? Yes, but for us, it’s not news. If for someone in the West that has become news, well, I’m sorry.”
Still, Psaki denied there was daylight between Washington and Kyiv, adding, “We are in constant contact with Ukrainians to reiterate our support, to convey updates on shipments of supplies, military equipment — something that’s been happening over the last several days.”
Nikolenko too highlighted that military cooperation, praising “its proactive diplomatic position and for strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including the provision of weapons and equipment.”
Asked about the differences, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine Kristina Kvien denied there were any. In an exclusive interview Tuesday where a shipment of U.S. Javelin anti-tank and other weapons was being unleaded, she told ABC News, “President Zelenskyy is taking the threat very seriously, and he is being careful to make preparations as needed.”
The Ukrainian people have “been living with Russian threats for a long time, so I would say that they are just a bit more ‘sang-froid’ as they say in French. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t take them seriously,” added Kvien, the embassy’s chargé d’affaires.
In Kyiv, there is calm, if at least more talk now about the threat of a Russian attack — whether across the border, in cyber space, or through continued efforts to destabilize Ukraine’s government and economy.
“This looks and feels different … It certainly has people a lot more alert, especially if you watch the news all the time,” said Reno Domenico, an American businessman who has lived in Ukraine for 15 years. But he said the cafes remain full, and people are out shopping because, “People don’t panic, and panic is a bad thing. You make bad decisions when you panic.”
After the U.S. Embassy urged Americans to consider departing immediately, Domenico said more people started talking about the possibility. While everyone should have a plan, he added, his is to stay put for now.
ABC News’s Patrick Reevell contributed to this report from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Desiree Adib from New York.
