The Kid LAROI is ready to heat up the 2021 MTV VMAs.
The Australian rapper is making his Video Music Awards debut, teaming up with Justin Bieber for a performance of their hit song, “Stay.” Kid’s also up for three of the night’s awards: Best New Artist and Push Performance of the Year for previous hit, “Without You,” while “Stay” is vying for Song of Summer.
Also joining the lineup is Jack Harlow, who is making his main stage debut alongside Lil Nas X for the first live performance of “Industry Baby,” while Latin rapper Ozuna will deliver “La Funka” and hit producer and songwriter Tainy joins forces with Shawn Mendes for “Summer Of Love.”
Last week, MTV announced that Lorde would no longer be performing at the VMAs “due to a change in production elements.”
Olivia Rodrigo, Camila Cabello and host Doja Cat are among the many other all-star performers who will take the stage when the MTV VMAs air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
(WASHINGTON) — Expanded pandemic unemployment benefits, put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, expired on Monday.
Impacting approximately 12 million Americans, the benefits had been in place for more than a year, providing an additional $300 per week in unemployment insurance as well as expanded benefits for gig workers and people who have been unemployed long term.
The White House said Friday there was no plan to reevaluate the end date of these benefits.
“As you know that was temporary, the emergency unemployment benefits,” Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“It’s important to take a step back to look at the national landscape here,” Jean-Pierre added. “In about half of all states, 24 governors have already made the decision to eliminate pandemic unemployment benefits, in the remaining 26 states, unemployment levels vary wildly from 3 to 7%.”
She also reiterated Biden’s calls for states that want to extend those benefits to use funding from the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.
Last week, new data from the Department of Labor showed a steep decline in the number of jobs added in August. Employers added just 235,000 jobs last month, down from the approximately 1 million jobs added in both June and July. These numbers come as the spread of the more contagious delta variant has appeared to slow the pace of economic recovery.
As Taylor Swift‘s battle to regain control of her old masters rages on, she took a moment to congratulate Anita Baker, who’s emerged victorious in her own legal battle.
Baker reclaimed her masters over the weekend after a nasty years-long war with her record label, which culminated in her telling fans to stop streaming her music.
Taking to Twitter, the “Sweet Love” singer shared a cozy photo of her first five albums — The Songstress, Rapture,Giving You the Best That I Got, Compositions and Rhythm of Love — placed by a warm fire.
“All My Children Are Coming Home, Catalog,” Baker tweeted. “Impossible Things Happen… Every. Single. Day. Gratefully.” She also gave fans her blessing to stream her music now that she owns her masters.
Details of how she bested her record label are currently under wraps, but that hasn’t stopped the congratulatory remarks from pouring in — including well wishes from Taylor.
“What a beautiful moment, CONGRATULATIONS ANITA!!,” she exclaimed on Saturday, and included several applause and crying and smiling emojis.
The 63-year-old singer was touched by Swift’s words and wrote back, “Thank You, for Your *Fire & Support!! It Inspires us all, to move Mountains.”
Taylor’s music catalogue was sold to Scooter Braun in 2019 when the mega producer acquired her old label, Big Machine Records. A year later, it was revealed that Shamrock Capital purchased her masters from Braun for a cushy price of $300 million.
While she works on acquiring the master of every single track from her 2006 debut album to 2017’s Reputation, Taylor is currently re-recording her old hits. She’s so far released her version of Fearless and will release Red (Taylor’s Version) on November 19.
Halsey performed a hat trick on Monday when her album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power claimed the number one spot on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart — her third consecutive chart-topper.
Prior to her latest effort, she previously wore the crown after releasing 2020’s Manic and 2017’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
Some 70,500 physical copies of Halsey’s latest effort flew off the shelves, making it the best-selling album of the week and eclipsing Kanye West‘s Donda, which debuted at number two after selling 37,000 copies. However, it should be noted that Ye’s album is only being sold digitally at this time.
Further breaking down the album’s sale numbers, Halsey sold an impressive 25,300 If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power copies on vinyl and 27,200 on CD. Digital sales were comprised of 18,000 units.
It should be noted that the “Graveyard” singer also tops Billboard‘s Vinyl Albums chart this week, thanks to her robust sales numbers.
And while Halsey can boast about having this week’s best-selling album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power did not bow atop the Billboard 200, debuting instead at number two, behind Donda.
Streaming is where Halsey was unable to catch up with Ye. Her studio effort clocked 34.76 million on-demand streams, compared to Donda‘s historical 357.39 million listens.
Ha;sey’s Manic also peaked at number two when it was released last year, and also was bested by a surprise release when Eminemdropped Music to Be Murdered By with zero warning.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
Kanye West is 10 for 10 now that his latest album, Donda, bowed atop the Billboard200.
Donda, Ye’s 10th studio effort, is the biggest release of 2021 after moving a jaw-dropping 309,000 units in its first week. The previous record holder was Olivia Rodrigo‘s SOUR, with 295,000 units. Ye’s album also was streamed 357.39 million times, the largest number of any album this year, and sold 37,000 physical copies.
With the “Stronger” rapper celebrating his 10th number one, he’s now among an elite class of only seven artists who’ve accomplished the feat, tied with Elvis Presley and Eminem, both of whom have 10 number-one albums. Ahead of him are Barbra Streisand and Bruce Springsteen, with 11, Jay-Z with 14, and The Beatles, who have 19 chart-toppers.
Ye’s current rival, Drake, stands to tie with him should Certified Lover Boy bow atop the chart next week.
Also, Kanye ties with Eminem for having 10 consecutive number-one albums. Only the pair’s debut efforts, The College Dropout and The Slim Shady collection, missed the milestone after both peaked at #2 in 2004 and 1999, respectively.
Donda, which boasts 27 tracks, was released late last month after numerous delays. The album is named after Ye’s late mother, Donda West, who died in 2007.
Hugh and his father in 2003 — Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Hugh Jackman is mourning the loss of his father, Christopher.
Christopher Jackman “peacefully passed away” on Australia’s Father’s Day, which was Sept. 5, the Greatest Showman star wrote on Instagram.
Christopher Jackman was 84 years old, according to reports.
“Whilst there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love,” Hugh Jackman wrote. “My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary. He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God.”
Hugh Jackman is the youngest of five, and his family moved to Australia from England before he was born. He was mostly raised by his father, as his mother returned to England when he was a boy. Although the actor says the arrangement was difficult at times, he once told Good Housekeeping that he “always felt love from both my parents.”
The “Les Misérables” star also told the magazine that his father espoused the importance of responsibility and humility, among other virtues. “When I was 5, my father used to sit me down and explain that from my dollar a week, I should set aside 10% for church, 20% for entertainment, and 10% for savings,” Jackman recalled.
“He is a deeply thoughtful man whose religion is in his deeds way more than anything else. It’s not talked about that much,” Jackman said. “He set a great, great example.”
The actor’s tribute to his father garnered many responses from friends and fans alike, with actor Ryan Reynolds commenting, “I was lucky to have met him.”
Kelsea Ballerini‘s current single, “Half of My Hometown,” a duet with Kenny Chesney, is currently in the Top 30, and quickly climbing the charts. The song was written by Kelsea, along with Jimmy Robbins, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Nicolle Galyon, while they were all on a writing retreat in Florida.
“Kelsea rented a house, and we all flew down there to just hangout for a couple of days and write songs,” Jimmy recalls to CMT. “This was one of those songs that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else. We went to dinner the night before, and somebody just said it. The line came out. Wine was involved in dinner, which was helpful, and with the whole trip, really.”
The next day, while they were relaxing, the song quickly came out.
“We were actually sitting in the pool,” Jimmy says. “Nicolle got video of it; we were sitting in the pool and I’m playing guitar. We wrote the whole song in the pool.”
Once the writers started working on “Half of My Hometown,” it didn’t take long to have a finished product.
“I think probably within an hour the song was written, and then an hour later we had the demo,” Jimmy shares.
“Half of My Hometown” is on Kelsea’s eponymous 2020 album.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the latest entry in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, topped the Labor Day weekend box office — and expectations — posting an estimated $90 million over the four-day weekend.
The film’s three-day total, an estimated $75.5 million, bested the record previously set by 2007’s Halloween, which got off to a $30.6 million start.
Shang-Chi, the first Marvel film to feature an Asian superhero as the protagonist, is also the second-highest-grossing film of the pandemic era, behind Black Widow’s $80.3 million back in July. Unlike Black Widow, however, Shang-Chi was released exclusively in theaters and should have more staying power than the Scarlett Johansson-led film, which simultaneously rolled out on the Disney+ streaming service.
Shang-Chi — starring Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Tony Leung — grabbed an estimated $56.2 million overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $146.2 million.
The horror thriller Candyman slipped from first to second place in its sophomore frame, delivering an estimated $10.5 million over the three-day weekend and $13 million through Monday.
Disney/20th Century’s sci-fi comedy Free Guy finished Monday with an estimated $11.2 million, including $8.7 million from Friday-Sunday, bringing ticket sales to $94.3 million in the U.S. and $81.8 million worldwide.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Paramount’s PAW Patrol tied in fourth place, each nabbing an estimated $4 million over the three-day weekend and $5.2 million through Monday.
Jungle Cruise crossed the $100 million plateau at the U.S. box office, with its tally currently resting at $106.8 million.
Marvel and 20th Century Studios are owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 649,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 62% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 07, 7:05 am
3rd person dies in Japan after receiving contaminated Moderna vaccine
A third person has died in Japan after receiving a dose from one of three batches of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that have since been recalled due to contamination, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The 49-year-old man died on Aug. 12, one day after getting his second shot of the two-dose vaccine. His only known health issue was an allergy to buckwheat, the Japanese health ministry said in a statement Monday.
Two other men, aged 30 and 38, also died in August within days of getting their second Moderna shot. In all three cases, the men received doses from a batch manufactured in the same production line as another lot from which some unused vials were reported to contain foreign substances at multiple inoculation sites in Japan.
The deaths remain under investigation, and the Japanese health ministry said it has yet to establish any casual relationship with the vaccine.
The contaminated lot and two adjacent batches were suspended from use by the Japanese health ministry last month, pending an investigation. Moderna and its Japanese distribution partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. ultimately recalled the three lots, containing about 1.63 million doses, after an investigation confirmed the foreign matter to be high-grade stainless steel from manufacturing equipment.
The Japanese health ministry said that, based on the companies’ analysis, it is unlikely the stainless steel contaminants pose any additional health risk.
Moderna and Takeda have yet to release statements on the third fatality, but the companies have previously said there is currently no evidence that the other two deaths were caused by the vaccine.
(NEW YORK) — Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — Twenty years after 9/11, the trial of the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is set to resume once again after a series of delays, including the coronavirus pandemic.
Mohammed will be joined by four co-defendants in pretrial proceedings as a new judge presides over the military commission nearly 20 years after 2,977 people were killed at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The moment is primed to create headlines as the legal process resumes not only days before the 20th anniversary of the attacks, but also less than two weeks after the U.S. military completed its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
It is also fraught with a sense of justice delayed for years, charged battles over whether civilian or military authorities should try the cases and of course, the fight over the infamous Guantanamo Bay complex itself, where a number of those swept up in the war on terror were held indefinitely.
Also at issue is how much the public will learn and when. With concerns about classified information, images and transcripts from the courtroom, while in public view, will be tightly controlled and the proceedings could be halted for national security reasons. After this pretrial phase Sept. 7-17, another pretrial continuation is set for Nov. 1-19.
There could be additional pretrial phases added after that, at the discretion of the judge. After that, the military commission will go through a process that could last two months to select military officers to serve as panel members. The trial itself could begin as soon as next April, although a date is not yet definite. Mohammed and his codefendants face capital charges that could carry the death penalty if convicted.
Approximately 15 reporters received a tour Sunday afternoon of the Expeditionary Legal Complex (ELC) at Camp Justice, where the hearings will take place.
Here’s what we learned about the courtroom and proceedings, and how we got to this point:
A nearly decade-long detention
The defendants in this case were arraigned in 2012, but have yet to truly see their day in court because of a numerous delays in the pretrial process.
One of the key issues to be decided before the trial can begin is what evidence will be admissible. The defendants were held in secret prisons abroad, called CIA black sites, before they were transferred to the Guantanamo facility. There, they were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, which many human rights organizations and the defense teams argue are tantamount to torture.
Accounts obtained after the prisoners came to Guantanamo are also in question. Defense lawyers contend that their clients were already conditioned to give their interrogators the answers they wanted to hear.
The court itself has also undergone many changes during the duration of the trial. Established by former President George W. Bush in 2001, the Guantanamo military commission was revised via Congressional act in 2006 and later amended through the legislative branch again in 2009. Former President Obama attempted to transfer detainees to the U.S., but was effectively blocked by Congress.
Critics have argued the military court is unconstitutional and unjust because the accused are denied the right to due process and a speedy trial.
The courtroom
There is a sound-proof gallery where 53 reporters and family members of 9/11 victims and survivors of the terrorist attacks can watch the proceedings through sound-proof glass. A blue curtain separates family members of victims or 9/11 survivors from the press, if they wish to pull it closed for privacy. The proceedings can also be observed by members of the public at Fort Meade, Maryland via closed-circuit TV.
If classified material is raised during the trial, the judge or trial judiciary staff, such as a court information security officer, or CISO, could stop the closed-circuit feed — cutting off the presentation before any classified information is revealed publicly. The prosecution could also preemptively invoke national security to disrupt the defense’s argument even before any classified information is actually revealed.
The courtroom — built specifically for the trial of the 9/11 defendants, cost $12 million to construct in 2008 and is basically a renovated warehouse. Despite rhetoric by the Obama and Biden administrations promising to “close GITMO” — that discussion is really only about ending the detainee program, and the Naval Station, which has been under U.S. control through a lease with the Cuban government since 1903 is not in jeopardy of closing.
After visiting the gallery, reporters were taken into the large courtroom — approximately 100 feet by 100 feet — if not a little bigger.
The defendants have not been in the courtroom since early 2020 – just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In addition to Mohammed, four other defendants charged in the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be in the courtroom: Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ammar al-Baluchi (also known as Abd al Aziz Ali) and Mustafa al Hawsawi.
The defendants will sit at five tables alongside their defense teams and interpreters — with Mohammed in the front — and his alleged co-conspirators seated from front-to-back in the order listed on the indictment and above.
Col. Matthew McCall will preside, becoming the fourth judge to sit on the bench during the pretrial proceedings. McCall was initially selected to oversee the trial last year, but withdrawn after prosecutors objected, citing his lack of experience. He was reinstated after completing two years as a military judge, meeting the minimum requirement for the war court.
At the base of each seat for the defendants are chains anchored into the carpet that could potentially be hooked to shackles if the judge determines a defendant must be restrained, although Wendy Kelly — chief of operations at the Office of Military Commissions Guantanamo Bay — did not believe this would be needed. There is also a hospital bed positioned in the back of the courtroom for a defendant in another trial.
A sixth table was built in the courtroom for a prospective sixth 9/11 defendant, although it will likely be unoccupied since the defendant was not indicted.
Timetable and priority on classified information
Protecting classified intelligence is a priority during the hearings. Information about events, location and timing could appear to be innocuous but combine to present a classified narrative. Kelly said the defendants have frequently sought to delay the proceedings by revealing classified information and details that they are privy to themselves.
The military commission is expected to have an open session all day Tuesday and a closed session on Wednesday, when none of the defendants will be permitted in the courtroom as the judge, defense and prosecution have a classified session. On Thursday, the court is expected to have an open session for a half day, and then another closed session on Friday. The pretrial proceedings are set to resume the following Monday and potentially carry on through Sept. 17.
What happens next is largely up to the discretion of the judge. He is expected to hold additional pretrial hearings later this year, but jury selection will not begin until 2022 at the earliest.
No video or audio from the courtroom will be released publicly, although an unofficial courtroom transcript will be posted approximately one day later, depending on the length of the proceedings and any potential security review for classification. There will be a sketch artist, who will be present in the soundproof gallery to draw images of the defendants in the courtroom. Kelly said that steps will be taken in the gallery to observe social distancing — with all attendees required to wear face masks. The judge must still determine whether to socially distance the defendants and their defense teams or ask them to wear masks.
Four out of five of the 9/11 defendants accepted an offer to receive vaccinations against COVID-19, and some personnel on the base have tested positive for the disease.
Approximately 10 remote-controlled video cameras are mounted on the walls and ceilings of the courtroom and Kelly assured ABC News that there are no hidden cameras in the courtroom.
To the far right of the courtroom is a box for the panel members — who serve as a jury and will be comprised of 12 military officers, with four alternates (although six may ultimately be chosen).
The pool of prospective jurors is comprised of hundreds of officers from all branches of the service. They are not expected to be sequestered during the trial, but may be asked by the judge not to read or view media reports on the trial, or the conduct interviews with the media. Kelly predicted it could take up to two months to vet and select prospective jurors.
Along the right side of the courtroom are several tables for the prosecution, which is also comprised of U.S. citizens — some civilian and some military. There is a podium in the middle of the courtroom that has a laptop computer and microphone. The podium swivels 360 degrees, so any speaker may turn to address the panel of military officers serving as the jury, for example.
There will be five 9/11 victim family members or survivors of the terrorist attacks — and each may bring one guest to accompany them in the gallery, as well as VFM (Victim Family Member) escorts. No recordings are allowed — so military security is present to ensure that nobody breaks the rules imposed by the military commission.
The detainees
After viewing the courtroom, journalists were taken outside to view holding cells where the defendants will be detained during any recesses in the proceedings, as well as immediately before the day’s proceedings commence. Reporters were permitted to peer into the cells but were prohibited from fully entering for security reasons.
Kelly said that detainees, who are held at the Joint Task Force miles from the courtroom, will be awoken about 5 a.m. each day, and then taken to the holding cells about 6:30 a.m. There are five cells, numbered ELC14 through ELC18. Inside each is a mounted bed with a foam cushion resting on a mattress. There are no sheets, after several detainees died by suicide years ago.
The cells also have a toilet and a Qibla pointer — an arrow that points toward Islam’s holiest site — the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Monitors provide a closed-circuit feed to the defendants in each cell, if they decide not to remain in the courtroom or are removed for some reason.
There is also a larger holding cell nearby that can accommodate meetings with more members of the defense team. Between the larger holding cell and the five cells is another small building with a shower. There was also a make-shift shower positioned between cells ELC14 and ELC15. This was built on the site in case any of the defendants have to stay overnight at the ELC, and then later a more modern shower facility with additional privacy was added.
A thick black netting is designed to prevent anyone from the outside to see movements within. There was a long corridor leading from the detention cells to the courtroom, which the defendants will have to traverse in order to enter the courtroom.
Another building within the ELC is ready for any evidence introduced or entered into the record at the hearings — complete with digital servers. Nearly all of the evidence is digitally presented, although Kelly said there will also be physical evidence presented from the sites of the terrorist attacks. That physical evidence is possessed by the FBI in a locker across a courtyard in the ELC.
