Christina Milian has a few reasons to flash that million-dollar smile.
The two-time Grammy nominee “loves” Christmas and loves getting into the holiday spirit, particularly now that she’s a mom to three kids: her new baby son, Kenna, his 1-year-old brother, Isaiah, and their nearly 11-year-old sister, Violet Madison.
“All these different stages in their life kind of make it even more exciting for me as a mom to do things that my parents did for us as kids,” Christina tells ABC Audio. “You know, making the cookies or…tracking the footsteps of Santa’s footsteps from the chimney to the door…”
She explains with a big laugh, “If you don’t have a fireplace, sometimes you just do it from the door to the tree!”
With the recent 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album, and a number of acting roles under her belt, Christina says she wants to give music another go. She recently recorded a song for her STARZ show Step Up, and is looking at going further. “I feel like this is a good age to try one more time,” she explains. “And if it’s not, than I’ll just chill out. Maybe I’ll make a Christmas album,” she says with a laugh. “Maybe next year, I’ll get back in the lab.”
Milian has another reason to smile: She’s collaborating with Crest and Oral-B for an initiative to bring dental care to millions of underserved people in this country.
“[So] many children, especially Black and Hispanic children, do not have the access to oral care or products that they deserve,” she explained, telling ABC Audio that her mother, a Cuban immigrant, suffered needlessly for years because of a lack of access to adequate oral care early in her life.
Armie Hammer has checked out of a Florida treatment facility where he spent most the of year following allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct.
On Sunday, Hammer’s lawyer told E! Online, “I can confirm that Mr. Hammer has left the treatment facility and is doing great.” An exact exit date was not confirmed.
The news comes after reports that the Call Me By Your Name actor entered rehab on May 31 seeking treatment for drug, alcohol, and sex issues — just months after he was embroiled in controversy after two women came forward lodging serious accusations against him.
In January, his ex-girlfriend, Paige Lorenze, released unverified DMs that allegedly came from Hammer and claimed the actor harbored fantasies involving cannibalism. In addition, the 22-year-old alleged Hammer was “obsessed” with the idea of “taking a piece of me…and consuming it.”
The second woman, a 24-year-old who goes by the name Effie, claimed she thought the the Golden Globe nominee was going to kill her after he allegedly “violently” raped her on April 24, 2017.
Hammer was subsequently dropped from multiple projects following the accusations.
Anna Barclay for Glastonbury Festival via Getty Images
Prepare for the fabric of reality to change when HAIM opens for Red Hot Chili Peppers next summer.
Speaking with ABC Audio, Alana Haim reveals that she’s a “huge” fan of the “Under the Bridge” rockers. What she’s most looking forward to, though, is seeing her older sister and HAIM bassist Este Haim meet RHCP bass extraordinaire Flea for the first time.
“I feel like the Earth is gonna open up and, like, flames of basses are just gonna fall through the sky,” Alana says.
“I don’t think the world will ever be the same when Este meets Flea,” she continues. “I’m gonna hire a camera crew just so I can get the first reaction. I feel like they’re both just gonna, like, do bass solos at each other for 45 minutes.”
In addition to the RHCP shows, which take place July 23 in Denver and July 27 in San Diego, HAIM will be embarking on their own headlining tour next year. The outing will mark the trio’s first full tour behind their 2020 album Women in Music Pt. III, which Alana calls their “favorite.”
“I mean, that album was made to be toured,” Alana says. “Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we couldn’t tour. But finally I can say we are touring next year, which is really exciting.”
“I’m just ready to get back on the road, I miss it so much,” she adds. “I’m dying to play.”
The “Blood//Water” rocker is set to open for Imagine Dragons on the band’s 2022 U.S. tour. He’ll join the “Radioactive” outfit from February 6 in Miami to February 23 in St. Louis.
“IMAGINE GRANNY ARENA TOUR 2022 LET’S DO THIS,” grandson tweeted in all caps in announcing the news.
Following grandson’s opening stint, ID’s U.S. tour will continue from February 25 in Milwaukee, to March 14 in Phoenix. They’ll be supporting their new album Mercury — Act 1, which includes the singles “Follow You” and “Wrecked.”
A revised and updated version of the authorized 1992 Queen biography Queen: As It Began, which told the story of the legendary British rock band through the 1991 death of frontman Freddie Mercury, will be published on March 24, 2022.
Queen: As It Began (Revised and Updated Edition) features new contributions from Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, including exclusive interviews with the two band mates, and adds to the story of the group through 1996.
The updated version of the book features a new foreword penned by May, as well as many additional photographs.
Queen: As It Began was co-written by respected Queen expert Jim Jenkins and Jacky Smith, who has run the group’s official international fan club for 40 years.
The book offers an in-depth look at the band’s history, including the childhoods and early musical endeavors of its four members — Mercury, May, Taylor and bassist John Deacon — the band’s late 1960s origins as a group called Smile that initially featured May and Taylor, the emergence of Queen after the additions of Mercury and Deacon, the group’s path to global superstardom, Freddie’s tragic death at age 45 from AIDS, and its aftermath.
“A source of much pleasure to anyone who has an interest in the inside story of the making of that unusual phenomenon known as Queen,” May says of the book.
You can pre-order the updated version of Queen: As It Began now at the band’s official online store.
Founded in 1969, Genesis has fans that range from those who discovered them in their early Peter Gabriel prog-rock years, to those who came onboard in their ’80s pop era. Since Genesis’ current The Last Domino? tour will reportedly be their last, it’s been crafted to please all segments of the band’s fandom.
The band’s Friday show at the shiny new UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. saw Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks — ably assisted by longtime tour guitarist/bassist Daryl Stuermer, two backup singers and Collins’ 20-year-old son Nic on drums — take fans through every era of their career in a masterful display of musicianship, accompanied by stunning visuals and lights.
Collins, who for medical reasons has been performing seated, still played the part of the ringmaster, introducing songs, cracking jokes and encouraging audience participation. His insistence on calling Elmont, N.Y. “Elwood” became a running joke. While some songs were slowed down to accommodate him, his voice seemed to get stronger as the night progressed.
Faced with the daunting task of handling his dad’s complex and strenuous drum parts, Nic Collins passed with flying colors, earning wild, sustained cheers and applause from the crowd.
Fans of Genesis’ pop era cheered for the hits, from their sole U.S. number one — “Invisible Touch” — to “That’s All,” “Follow You, Follow Me,” “Throwing It All Away” and early ’90s singles like “No Son of Mine.” 1986’s “Land of Confusion” is, sadly, still timely, and album cuts like “Mama,” “Home by the Sea” and “Domino” still rock.
Meanwhile, instrumental showcases like “Duke’s End,” “The Cinema Show” and “Firth of Fifth,” snippets of fan favorites like “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” and full performances of deep cuts like “Duchess” and “Afterglow” were warmly received by old-school fans.
If this truly is Genesis’ final go-round, The Last Domino? did its best to keep all the customers satisfied.
Megan Thee Stallion is getting hotter by one degree. The Grammy-winning artist received a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Texas Southern University on Saturday.
“Megan Pete, a.k.a. Megan Thee Stallion, is one of 843 graduates who will celebrate their accomplishments achieved at Texas Southern University,” the university announced in a statement.
Ahead of the big day, the hitmaker took to social media to share her excitement and inspire her fans.
“I want y’all to remember that you can do whatever you wanna do and be whoever you wanna be, cause look at me,” she wrote.
The Houston native started her college journey at Prairie View A&M University, another historically Black college or university in Texas. Pete is rooted in a rich legacy of HBCU alumni following in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother, aunt and uncle, who all attended PVAMU. She later transferred to Texas Southern, where she crossed the stage this weekend.
Despite fame, she vowed to finish college not only for herself but for the influences in her family –- her grandmother and late mother, Holly Thomas.
The rapper has been a strong advocate for higher education, awarding several college scholarships to students over the last two years and proving to be an inspiration for millions of her fans.
Crossing the stage, she joins a prestigious roster of HBCU alumni who are activists and entertainers, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Strahan and Stephen A. Smith.
Megan Thee Stallion plans to open an assisted living facility in Houston, which she has said will provide more opportunities for graduates and economically support her home city.
(NEW YORK) — At least 22 reported tornadoes ripped across six states overnight, devastating communities and killing dozens of people, including over 70 in Kentucky, during what is typically a quieter time in the United States for the storms.
Tornadoes can happen any time of year, though the greatest threat is typically in spring and summer, according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, with the peak season on the earlier side for more southern states. So far this year, the days that reported the highest number of tornadoes were in March, May and July, a National Weather Service tally shows.
That’s what makes the latest activity so rare, experts say.
“Something like this is an unusual event for the month of December. It’s typically our quietest month for tornadoes, especially in Kentucky,” ABC News meteorologist Rob Marciano told “Good Morning America” on Saturday.
It’s unclear if climate change could play a role in the activity, he said.
“There’s no evidence that climate change has any impact on the strength of severe storms or tornadoes,” he said. “That said, to get a tornado this strength and magnitude or length — in December — is incredibly rare.”
An average of 24 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. during the month of December from 1991 to 2010, according to data from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. Last year, there were 30 preliminary tornado reports in December.
At least 22 tornadoes alone were reported Friday night through Saturday morning in Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. A powerful supercell thunderstorm traveled more than 200 miles, from Arkansas to Kentucky, and likely spawned several massive tornadoes.
Kentucky is combing through the wreckage of likely the deadliest tornado system in state history, with at least four tornadoes reported in western Kentucky.
Among the at least 70 people killed in western Kentucky, dozens were at a candle factory in Mayfield, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
“This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,” Beshear said during a press briefing Saturday. “And for those that have seen it, what it’s done here in Graves County and elsewhere, it is indescribable. The level of devastation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
At least two people also were killed in southern Illinois, when an Amazon distribution warehouse in Edwardsville was ravaged by a tornado, officials said.
In Arkansas, two people were reported dead from a tornado, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The deadliest tornado in Kentucky history was March 27, 1890, when 76 people died, according to the National Weather Service. Beshear said he anticipates the current death toll will exceed 100.
In more recent memory, Kentucky’s only recorded F5 tornado killed more than 30 people on April 4, 1974.
One of Kentucky’s most violent storms to have occurred later in the year was a multiple-vortex tornado that destroyed over 150 buildings in Hopkins County on Nov. 15, 2005, according to NWS. No fatalities were reported.
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy and Dan Peck contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Since the first case of the new Omicron variant was detected last month, early anecdotal reports indicate people infected seem to be experiencing mild illness — leading some scientists to wonder if this version of the virus could be less dangerous than prior variants.
But scientists have cautioned it’s too soon to know for sure.
It “looks less severe in really early data,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton in an interview from CDC headquarters in Atlanta. “We’re certainly following and very interested in disease severity.”
Omicron was dubbed a “variant of concern” due to its many mutations. As a result, scientists are scrambling to determine if these changes lead to increased transmissibility or weakened response from vaccines. The World Health Organization said several studies are underway and that more information will emerge in the following days to weeks. Preliminary studies show that the Pfizer vaccine may be less effective against the Omicron variant, but, again, more research is needed.
Early clinical data from researchers in South Africa hint that the virus may cause less severe COVID-19 infections. The South African Medical Research Council has reported that very few hospitalized patients with the Omicron variant have required supplemental oxygen or were admitted to an ICU.
Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and professor with the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, said that preliminary results are “very encouraging.”
The U.S reported its first Omicron case on Dec. 1 in California. Many subsequent cases in the U.S. have happened among younger, healthier and vaccinated people who already are less likely to become very sick from COVID-19. But there are still too few people with Omicron to draw meaningful conclusions about whether the variant itself causes a more mild illness, experts told ABC News.
With an increase in the number of cases, Brownstein said scientists “will be able to characterize the [variant] better.” This information will aid public health officials in establishing better guidelines and preventative measures.
If it turns out Omicron is more transmissible but less severe than other variants, some experts said that could bode well overall — perhaps signaling the virus will still circulate among people but become less life-threatening.
“I think Omicron may represent the first step in adaptation that you want to see, which is that it’s more contagious and less virulent,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease pediatrician.
Even with all eyes on the Omicron variant, experts are reminding the public that the Delta variant remains the predominant circulating strain in the United States, where it’s still responsible for more than 99% of cases. Among best practices for avoiding all variants, officials continue to recommend vaccinations, obtaining booster shots as soon as eligible and following mask-wearing guidelines.
Bernadette Baker M.D., a family medicine resident physician with Emory School of Medicine, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit. Sony Salzman is the unit’s coordinating producer.
(NEW YORK) — On Sunday, Eric Zemmour, a former journalist and far-right political pundit with tough views on immigration had his first campaign rally as candidate for the French presidential election. Zemmour announced the creation of his own political party, “Reconquête,” or “Reconquest,” which had already garnered 20,000 supporters in two days, according to French media outlet, BFMTV.
During his televised speech,violence broke out between Zemmour’s supporters and protesters from the organization SOS Racism. Sixty-two people were arrested according to French paper Le Parisien, including some members of SOS racism. Zemmour was also attacked by a protester in the crowd, The Associated Press reported.
Zemmour, who presents himself as a right-wing political outsider, has been referred to by some as the “French Trump,” with a political playbook full of controversial comments and attacks on the press. “For months our meetings have bothered journalists, annoyed politicians and driven mad the left,” he said at Sunday’s meeting.
The candidate exists outside traditional political parties, and uses rhetoric that even Marine Le Pen and the National Rally — the far-right party in France, formerly called the National Front — stay away from.
Zemmour has been fined for hate speech. In 2011, he was fined 10,000 euros for claiming on TV that “most drug dealers are black and Arab,” and in 2018 he was ordered to pay 3,000 euros for stigmatizing comments about a Muslim “invasion” of France, The Telegraph and other outlets reported.
“He is the only one in France to use the theory of “great replacement … even Marine Le Pen does not use that term,” said Jean Yves Camus, a political scientist and director of the Observatory for Political Radicalism, adding: “for Zemmour, the French population has been changed, and French people are now a minority on their own land.”
The theory of great replacement is an idea among France’s political far-right that French people will become minorities in their country after being replaced by immigrants.
If elected, Zemmour has said he wants to deport all immigrants convicted of crimes and incarcerated in French prisons back to their countries of origin, and take away social benefits for foreigners and immigrants who do not yet have French nationality. He also has espoused making immigrants prove they know the French language and are ready to assimilate to French culture.
Similarly to Trump, Zemmour is seen as someone who appeals to a part of the French population that is anxious about the future. “He is speaking to a French society that is particularly anxious, the most pessimistic nation in Europe … but this country is not doing so bad,” Camus said.
Zemmour’s economic plan is considered more liberal than Le Pen’s say experts who spoke with ABC News, and focuses more on the free market and the simplification of French bureaucracy, something that the experts say is appealing to upper-class voters.
But the comparison to Trump is an imperfect one, because of Zemmour’s long-standing ingratiation with the French elite. “Zemmour has the elites, Le Pen has the people,” said Nicolas Lebourg, a historian and specialist of far-right movements.
For Camus, the fact that Zemmour was a journalist for a mainstream newspaper, Le Figaro, and has been seen on television by voters for the past few decades puts him at an advantage from Marine Le Pen who cannot get out of the shadow of her father, Jean Marie Le Pen and the National Front’s extremist history.
“[Zemmour] was seen as someone on the right, resolutely conservative on the questions of identity and immigration, but he does not have a far-right history like Marine Le Pen,” says Camus.
Zemmour’s tough stand on immigration include his plans, if elected, he says to reduce the amount of immigrants and asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country each year, and would only admit those willing to “assimilate,” although he is not clear on how he would measure assimilation. A recent report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that France’s population is composed of only 13% immigrants, less than its neighbors such as Germany.
Zemmour has also suggested reviving an 1803 law which was abolished in 1993 requiring parents to only give their children historically and traditionally French names.
Meanwhile, Zemmour has presented himself as a model for successful integration. “I am a Jewish man from Algeria who grew up in the Paris banlieue, and whose family heritage and readings transformed into a French man of land and ancestors,” he wrote in his latest book, “France Has Not Said its Last Word.”
A strong critic of the American “melting pot” approach to immigration, Zemmour often uses America as an anti-model. “[Zemmour] … thinks everything wrong in France is an import of everything that is wrong in America,” says Lebourg.
At an October 2020 rally in Versailles, Zemmour described “woke” culture as a plot to make “white, heterosexual, Catholic” men feel “so full of guilt” that they willingly abandon their “culture and civilization.”
