Halyna Hutchins, a well-admired cinematographer who was blazing a new path for women in her field, was killed Thursday in a tragic accident on the set of the film Rust in New Mexico.
Alec Baldwin fired the shot from the prop gun that left Hutchins dead and the film’s director, Joel Souza, injured. A source tells ABC News that Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, spoke with Baldwin, who has been very supportive. Meanwhile, colleagues rushed to social media to mourn the 42-year-old artist.
“I think she was going to be a very famous, very successful DP,” director Adam Egypt Mortimer, who worked with Hutchins on the 2020 film, Archenemy, told the Los Angeles Times. “She was showing people what she could do.”
Hutchins was remembered by colleagues for breaking barriers for women in Hollywood’s male-dominated cinematography sector. Fellow cinematographer Elle Schneider paid tribute to Hutchins on Twitter Friday, remembering her as a “friend and rockstar cinematographer.”
“Women cinematographers have historically been kept from genre film, and it seems especially cruel that one of the rising stars who was able to break through had her life cut short on the kind of project we’ve been fighting for,” Schneider wrote.
Joe Manganiello, who also worked with Hutchins on Archenemy, called the DP “an absolutely incredible talent and a great person.”
“…She was the kind of cinematographer that you wanted to see succeed because you wanted to see what she could pull off next,” he recalled.
Hutchins was born in Ukraine and grew up on a “Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines,” according to a biography on her website, which also says she began her career as an investigative journalist on documentary productions before moving to Los Angeles.
Sick and devastated to hear that my friend and rockstar cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set today in New Mexico. I don’t have words to describe this tragedy. I want answers. I want her family to somehow find peace among this horrific, horrific loss. pic.twitter.com/ElAQNMuQvR
(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration is again playing cleanup after President Joe Biden said the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an invasion by mainland China — despite decades of policy that leaves that an open question.
His comment prompted a stern warning from the People’s Republic of China, which considers the self-governing island a breakaway province, especially since Biden has made it twice now in the last couple of months.
That’s led to speculation that Biden may be pushing the boundaries of “strategic ambiguity,” the longstanding U.S. policy that leaves unanswered whether and how the U.S. would intervene in a conflict across the Taiwan Strait. In recent months, as China has escalated its incursions into Taiwan’s air defense zone and ramped up its rhetoric about reunion, some China hawks in Washington have called for an end to the policy.
But the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon all said Friday there was no change in U.S. policy despite Biden’s answer during a CNN town hall.
“There has been no shift,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. “The president was not announcing any change in our policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy. There is no change in our policy.”
Speaking at NATO headquarters, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. would continue to provide Taiwan “the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself.” But he dismissed questions about a Chinese attack as a “hypothetical.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price went the further, telling reporters, “We have been nothing but clear when it comes to where we stand.”
But Biden has been anything but clear. In August, the president told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos that the U.S. had a commitment to act “if in fact anyone were to invade or take action against NATO,” Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. While that’s true of the first three — all treaty allies of the United States — it isn’t of Taiwan.
Instead, since a 1979 agreement, the U.S. has recognized the People’s Republic of China, including Taiwan, as the sole legal government of China — what’s known as the ‘One China’ policy. But under that agreement, the U.S. has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan’s government, which is defined by a 1979 law that then-senator Biden voted for. The law commits the U.S. “to assist Taiwan in maintaining its defensive capability,” to oppose any one-sided changes in the status quo and to support a peaceful resolution to their differences, according to the State Department.
But Biden contradicted that again on Thursday, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he would have the U.S. military come to Taiwan’s defense.
“If China attacked?” Cooper followed up — and Biden responded, “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.”
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry issued its own warning about its “determination and ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“We urge the U.S. to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués, be cautious in its words and deeds on the Taiwan issue, and refrain from sending any false signals to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces — or it will seriously damage to Sino-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said Wang Wenbin during a briefing Friday.
Some China hawks in the U.S. have been urging the administration to end “strategic ambiguity” and clearly commit to Taiwan’s defense, arguing China’s increasing pressure on the island is a signal it is preparing to retake it by force and that a clear U.S. commitment would deter that.
But Biden’s own pick for U.S. ambassador to China disagreed, just one day prior to the president’s comments. During his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, retired career ambassador Nick Burns called for strengthening the U.S. military position in the region and selling weapons to Taiwan to make it a “tough nut to crack.”
When asked about ending “strategic ambiguity,” however, Burns said, “My own view, and this is also the view … more importantly of the Biden administration, is that the smartest and effective way for us to help deter aggressive actions by [China] across the Taiwan Strait will be to stay with a policy that’s been in place.”
It’s not the first time an American president has had to walk back comments about Taiwan’s defense. In 2001, shortly after he took office, George W. Bush told ABC News’s Charlie Gibson he would also come to Taiwan’s defense.
“With the full force of the American military?” asked Gibson. Bush responded: “Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself.”
Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, blasted Bush in an editorial, writing, “In this case, his inattention to detail has damaged U.S. credibility with our allies and sown confusion throughout the Pacific Rim.”
“Words matter, in diplomacy and in law,” Biden added.
ABC News’s Karson Yiu contributed to this report from Hong Kong and Ben Gittleson from the White House.
(NEW YORK) — A coalition of Amazon warehouse workers in the New York City area has announced plans to file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board next week.
The group, which calls themselves the Amazon Labor Union, are being led by a former fulfillment center employee of the e-commerce giant, Chris Smalls. He became the face of the labor movement at Amazon when he was fired under contentious circumstances at the beginning of the pandemic after organizing a demonstration over working conditions amid the health crisis.
The move comes some six months after a high-profile union bid by Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, who sought to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The unionization efforts garnered support from lawmakers and even President Joe Biden. Ultimately, however, the election resulted in the Alabama workers overwhelmingly voting not to form a union — though the RWDSU has accused Amazon of union-busting techniques — Amazon denies this — and has filed objections over the election with the NLRB.
“We’re completely independent, worker-led through and through, grassroots,” Smalls said of the New York-based group, adding that they felt there were “missed opportunities” with the failed effort in Alabama.
“We’re just trying to navigate our way — we think we know the ins-and-outs of the company better than a third party or an established union,” Smalls said in describing why they’re seeking to create an independent union. He said he’d worked at Amazon for almost five years before his termination and that his fellow lead-organizers have similar experiences.
Smalls said organizers are seeking to obtain better job security, pay and working conditions through collective bargaining.
“Amazon has a high turnover rate — they hire and fire all the time,” he said. “We want to protect workers with their job.”
“We also want a decent living wage,” he added. “I know Amazon’s going to claim that they pay better than competitors, but with the cost of living in the New York state area, it’s still not sustainable.”
He said Amazon can afford to pay workers better, pointing to the wealth of founder Jeff Bezos, who was only recently unseated by Elon Musk as the richest man in the world, per Bloomberg’s real-time data on billionaires.
Smalls said they have more than 2,000 workers who have signed union cards, and they plan to deliver these to the NLRB’s office on Monday to file for the union election for four facilities in Staten Island. There are approximately 7,000 workers at the facilities, according to Smalls, and organizers need signatures from at least 30% of the workers. He said they’re confident they’ll secure the remaining portion before Monday.
A statement from the newly formed coalition of workers said that they built trust among colleagues through months of organizing efforts that included hosting barbecues, handing out food and cold water and holding rallies.
“This is truly a remarkable historical moment for all Amazon workers all over the country,” the Amazon Labor Union stated. “Workers under the banner of the ALU have already broken barriers, and we will continue to do so. We’re not getting complacent, and we now need the support of the communities more than ever as our fight is just getting started.”
The move comes amid a spate of strikes and new employee activism in the workplace as the pandemic wanes in the U.S.
“The timing is, like, perfect, everybody’s been paying attention to the strikes, especially Amazon workers as well,” Smalls said. “So it’s kind of like we all stand in solidarity, even though we’re in different industries.”
“I think what we’re doing here is historical, and I think the Amazon workers are happy to be a part of it,” he added.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, told ABC News in a statement Friday that they don’t feel unions “are the best answer for our employees.”
“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have,” Nantel said. “Every day we empower people to find ways to improve their jobs, and when they do that we want to make those changes — quickly. That type of continuous improvement is harder to do quickly and nimbly with unions in the middle.”
As Megan Thee Stallion celebrates her first anniversary with boyfriend Pardison Fontaine this week, the Hot Girl Summer announced she’s releasing new tracks.
The “Savage” rapper is dropping a new collection of music titled Something for Thee Hotties: From Thee Archives, on October 29.
“My gift to my hotties,” Megan commented Thursday on Instagram. “Freestyles y’all been asking for plus a few unreleased songs from my archives to hold y’all over for the rest of the year.” In the photo, the three-time Grammy winner is ready for Halloween in a red leather devil costume, complete with horns and a tail, as well as the album’s release date tattooed on her backside.
As previously reported, Pardi’s anniversary present was an iced-out chain that bears Megan’s name underneath a fire emoji.
He captioned their celebration video, “VYBE RECAP !! I don’t know who bought all the iPhone 13s but baby was mad as hell I couldn’t find her one. Thank you @luxe_vvsjewelers for helping me get out the dog house and putting the icing on the cake for the special day.”
Alice in Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell has shared another preview off his upcoming solo album, Brighten.
The latest cut is titled “Siren Song,” and you can download it now via digital outlets. It’s the third track to be released from Brighten, following the lead single “Atone” and the title track.
Brighten, which marks Cantrell’s first full-length solo offering in nearly 20 years, arrives in full on October 29. The album features Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses on bass.
Cantrell will launch a U.S. tour in support of Brighten in March 2022.
(NEW YORK) — Soviet-born businessman Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, was found guilty Friday of making unlawful campaign donations totaling more than $350,000 to two pro-Trump super PACs and a GOP congressman in 2018, acting as a straw donor for a wealthy Russian who wanted to enter the burgeoning marijuana market in the United States.
Co-defendant Andrey Kukushkin was also convicted in the case, which was tried in a Manhattan federal court.
The illegal donations overlapped with Giuliani’s quest in Ukraine to unearth information that could damage then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, an effort in which Parnas allegedly positioned himself as a middleman.
“In order to gain influence with American politicians and candidates, they illegally funneled foreign money into the 2018 midterm elections with an eye toward making huge profits in the cannabis business,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said of Parnas and Kukushkin. “Campaign finance laws are designed to protect the integrity of our free and fair elections — unencumbered by foreign interests or influence — and safeguarding those laws is essential to preserving the freedoms that Americans hold sacred.”
As he left court, Parnas was heard saying “I’m upset, but i want to get back to my wife and my kids. We put up an incredible fight.”
Parnas was also convicted of using a shell company, as well as money belonging to his associate Igor Fruman, to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into Republican and pro-Trump political action committees. Fruman previously pleaded guilty in that case.
The defense portrayed Parnas as “in over his head” but not someone who willfully violated any laws.
Parnas was arrested two years ago at Dulles Airport holding a one-way ticket to Vienna. He now faces up to 45 years in prison.
(LONDON) — A suspected poacher found dead in a South African national park is believed to have been killed by an elephant, park officials said.
Rangers in Kruger National Park discovered the body on Thursday after following tracks in the Stolznek section of the giant game reserve, a spokesperson for the park said in a statement on Twitter.
“Initial investigations suspect that the deceased was killed by an elephant and left behind by his accomplices,” the statement said.
The identity of the deceased individual was not released.
The Rangers did not find any animals killed in the immediate area, the spokesperson said.
Park officials took the opportunity to warn that it is “dangerous to hunt illegally” in the park.
“Criminals stand to lose their lives and freedom,” the statement said.
Kruger National Park is South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary, encompassing nearly 5 million acres. The game reserve is also one of the hardest-hit regions in the country for rhino poaching. The park’s rhino population has decreased by 60% since 2013. In the first half of 2020, 166 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with 88 in Kruger National Park.
There are 3,529 white rhinos and 268 black rhinos left in Kruger National Park, according to South African National Parks.
To help combat rhino poaching, in recent months Kruger National Park has deployed more patrols in addition to using dogs and detection technologies to track suspects.
Between July and September, there was a nearly 30% increase in the number of poachers arrested in the park compared with the same period last year, according to South African National Parks.
(NEW YORK) — As global supply chain issues continue to escalate, wedding dress delays could spoil the special days for many brides-to-be.
Many couples held off on weddings and rescheduled due to the pandemic, but now some brides are faced with their wedding gowns or bridal party dresses being delayed as well.
Upscale bridal shop L’Fay Bridal is advising brides to prepare for increased lead times for gowns ordered through their company.
“Gowns used to take about six to eight months to arrive, without rush fees,” L’Fay Bridal NYC shop manager McKenzie Custin told “GMA.” “Now brides can expect to wait a full nine to 10 months.”
Rush fees have also become more prevalent for brides looking to receive their gowns in less than eight months, she said.
Custin said brides should also include time for at least a monthlong alteration process when confirming their wedding dates. For example, if the wedding is planned eight months out, that only leaves seven months for a dress to actually arrive.
“The ideal timeline is nine to 10 months for your gown to arrive and one and a half to two months for alterations,” she added. “Brides should be ordering their gowns a full year or a little over year in advance to avoid any stress, worry or rush fees.”
It’s estimated that there will be 2.5 million weddings in 2022, the most the U.S. has had since 1984, according to The Wedding Report.
Coupled with global supply chain issues, several retailers don’t foresee wedding dress delays slowing down anytime soon.
“The increased timeline is unfortunately here to stay with the sudden boom,” said Custin. “Many designers are operating understaffed due to COVID-19 — this means that rush fees are required more often and the minimum turn around time for a gown has increased.”
In addition to wedding gowns, supply chain disruptions have also effected the arrival of bridesmaid dresses.
New York City-based pediatric nurse practitioner Allyson Tauber, who is scheduled to get married on March 12, 2022, found her wedding dress rather quickly. Once ordered, it arrived in six months as promised and now she is awaiting to begin alterations within the next few months.
But she hasn’t had the same luck when it comes to her bridesmaid dresses. She allowed them to pick their dresses from Bella Bridesmaids, and had all participants submit orders ahead of time.
However, in September, she received an email titled “Urgent Production Change for Dressy Fabrics.” “I was told that effective immediately, a few fabrics are majorly delayed due to COVID,” Tauber told “GMA.” “As it turns out, all of the dresses I had chosen were in the affected fabrics.”
Tauber was given the option to have everyone come in for a fitting and order their dresses within eight days and they would arrive the week before the wedding or they could change fabrics, colors or designers to accommodate what was available.
“I have finally decided to move forward with a third option — to cancel my order from Bella Bridesmaid and find my bridesmaid dresses elsewhere,” she said.
Tauber said she’s switched to Anthropologie’s bridal service instead.
“Anthropologie’s BHLDN has been amazing to work with,” she said. “I am very excited to have found a place where my bridesmaids can order dresses to try on at home and return them if they want to try another style or size.”
“GMA” has reached out to Bella Bridesmaids for comment.
While a great deal of the bridal industry has been impacted by ongoing global chain supplies, some stores, such as New York City’s Kleinfeld Bridal, said it has not been intensely affected.
“We are truly not seeing any issues or hearing of any,” said a Kleinfeld spokesperson. “The Kleinfeld merchandising and production teams are in daily constant contact with each of our designers and have not had any delivery issues nor do we foresee this effecting our brides.”
MORE: Supply chain questions answered, plus tips and solutions for smart shopping
The brand also highlighted that the store always has sample dresses available to buy straight off the rack.
Mass bridal retailers, such as David’s Bridal, have also reported seeing a 45% increase for in-store purchases versus online likely due to condensed planning and supply chain issues. The company owns its own supply chain, and carries over 300,000 gowns in stock and ready to go in a variety of styles.
With continual major delays globally, experts also suggest shopping through small businesses that carry products made in America.
Ed Sheeran‘s new album = (Equals) isn’t coming out until October 29, but on Thursday afternoon, you can get an early listen to the project on Apple Music.
Ed and Apple Music’s Zane Lowe are teaming up for a “First Listen” global live stream event starting at 3:30pm ET on Thursday. Ed will play new songs from the album and talk about what went into creating them, as well an answer questions from fans. It’ll be available at Music.Apple.com.
= (Equals) is Ed’s first album since his record-breaking release ÷ (Divide), which came out in 2017. His +–=÷x (Mathematics) tour starts in April of 2022, though no North American dates have been released yet.
Brett Eldredge’s latest foyer into the festive world of holiday music arrives today, as he releases his 11-track project, Mr. Christmas.
Over the years, Brett has become known as one of the country genre’s best Christmas crooners, combining his warm baritone vocals with a jazzy, big band-inspired musical backdrop. Altogether, he’s got all the right ingredients to create an instant classic holiday album.
Brett first brought the magic of the season to his fans with his 2016 holiday project, Glow. In the years since, he’s borrowed the name of that project for his annual Christmas tour. Now, he’ll add to his growing cache of Christmas music with a new batch of tracks.
“I really think some of the last of the magic left in this world is in Christmas music,” the singer says. “There’s a lot of joy in this record — even more than the first in some ways — and I wanted to tip a hat to where I started…but also take it to the soulful side of my music.”
Most of all, Brett hopes the new record will offer listeners some festive fun after what has been, for many, a difficult couple of years.
“The world is the world, and life comes at you like it does, but I hope you find some joy in this music,” he says. “I hope it softens life a little bit and puts a smile on someone’s face when they need it. If it does, I’ve done my job.”
