In what universe does Bruce Springsteen open for The Jonas Brothers? It happened Wednesday night in New York City at the annual Robin Hood Foundation benefit, Rolling Stone reports.
The Robin Hood Foundation has been fighting poverty in New York City for more than 30 years, and its annual gala always attracts the most “A” of A-List stars. In addition to JoBros and Bruce, Wednesday night’s roster included Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, SNL cast members, famous politicians, legendary sports stars, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
After Bruce opened the show with a solo acoustic set, Paul McCartney was presented with a special award as Alicia Keys sang the Beatles standard “Let It Be.” That was just the warmup, though: After dinner, The Jonas Brothers did an hour-long set on a concert-size stage.
“This crowd looks exactly like our usual shows,” Nick Jonas joked to the superstars, millionaires and billionaires in the room.
Rolling Stone then goes on to write, “It was an odd scene where the younger attendees were crammed to the front and screaming along to songs like ‘Cake by the Ocean,’ ‘Lovebug,’ ‘Jealous,’ and ‘Sucker,’ while the older ones hovered in the back while they sipped cocktails and eyed the exit doors.”
The publication also suggested that next time, JoBros should open for Bruce. All in all, though, the event raised a staggering $77.5 million for charity.
(NEW YORK) — First lady Dr. Jill Biden is speaking out about two causes close to her heart: access to community colleges and breast cancer awareness.
In a new interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, Biden, a professor of writing at Northern Virginia Community College, said she plans to continue to advocate to make community colleges more accessible to more Americans.
Tuition-free community college was included in President Joe Biden’s social-spending package, but it is now reportedly one of the latest big-ticket items to be dropped from the package.
When asked by Roberts what she would say to families who were hopeful about the prospect of free community college access, the first lady replied, “I would say we’re not giving up. We are not giving up. This is round one. This is year one. I’m going to keep going.”
Biden, the country’s sole first lady to hold a job outside the White House, said she is also committed to another cause important to her — making sure breast cancer screenings are accessible to all Americans.
During the coronavirus pandemic, many doctors saw a drop in cancer screenings due to limited non-essential, in-person visits and patients opting to put off routine examinations — including annual cancer screenings — to curb risky face-to-face interactions.
The number of screening and mammograms given to people in the U.S. fell by as much as 80 percent during the pandemic, according to research published in July in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Now, Biden is making it her mission to make sure people do not miss their screenings.
“We were afraid of the pandemic, afraid of the virus, but now I think that we’ve moved on a little bit and people are vaccinated,” Biden said. “We have to make sure that we have to get the message out.”
Urging people to get mammograms, Biden continued, “The next thing you have to do today is call your doc and get in there and get your screenings. If you go get that mammogram and they catch it early, you have a fighting chance.”
Why breast cancer research matters to the first lady
For Biden, who has been advocating for breast cancer research since the early 1990s, her fight for breast cancer prevention and awareness is personal.
“I had four friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, we lost one of those friends, and I was so upset. I thought, what can I do? There has to be something. I thought, I know education inside and out, and so let’s start to educate people.”
Biden started to spread the message about breast cancer awareness in schools.
“I went into all the schools in Delaware and we taught them about early detection and breast health and the importance of good habits,” said Biden, whose husband served as a Democratic senator from Delaware for several decades. “Not only that, then they went home and sort of spread the word. When your kids say it, you do it, you know?”
Detecting breast cancer early
Biden spoke to Roberts at the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center in New York City, where doctors have also seen a drop in the number of people getting mammograms.
“We screen about 41,000 patients getting mammograms every year, and with the pandemic here, that dropped to almost 31,000, and that’s disheartening,” Dr. Amanda Rivera, an attending radiation oncology physician at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, told “GMA.” “We really just want people to get their cancer detected early so that we have more treatment options.”
For 52-year-old Sandra Cruz, her hesitancy around the pandemic pushed back her annual mammogram. It wasn’t until this past April, after her doctor urged her to get screened, that she learned of her Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis.
Like Biden, Cruz — who does not need chemotherapy but will be starting radiation soon — is urging other women to get screened early.
“I was one of those women during the pandemic that had the fear of coming in, getting screened,” Cruz said. “I for one didn’t know what COVID was all about except for the fear of catching it, so I was one of those individuals that waited until things calmed down.”
Biden noted she took time within the first month of moving to the White House earlier this year to get a mammogram.
“As soon as we got into office, there I was, off and getting my mammogram,” she said. “There’s nothing more important than your health. Nothing.”
Improving access to screenings
As first lady, Biden said she is also working to make sure the federal government makes it a priority to provide access to mammograms to all women.
“It’s the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that we have access, that all communities have access,” Biden said. “Whether that’s urban, whether that’s rural, so that’s one of the things that we plan to do.”
Medical centers like Montefiore are also working to make sure their efforts to increase screenings reach all people, including those who face barriers when it comes to health care.
“We know that in communities of color, in communities where there’s less access to health care, we have barriers to overcome in terms of getting that population in for cancer screening,” Rivera said. “When you add a pandemic onto that, those disparities only grow further.”
Rivera said one of the ways Montefiore is reaching communities of color is through its clinical trials.
“As we learn through science, through research, we know that certain differences exist,” Rivera said. “Until we get more representation on those clinical trials, we’re not adequately assessing that patient population. So it’s very important to get more clinical trial enrollment from communities of color.”
According to federal guidelines, women ages 40 to 44 should have access to annual breast cancer screening with mammograms, while women ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
Starting at age 55, women should switch to mammograms every two years or continue annual screenings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures
Dune star Oscar Isaac is reflecting on the one role that he probably shouldn’t have passed on.
During a chat about his Adams Family 2 character Gomez Addams, Isaac reveals to ABC Audio that he was offered the opportunity to play Queen singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, but he turned it down.
“At the time I was like, ‘I don’t think anybody wants to see somebody pretend to be Freddie Mercury.’ And then, sure enough — everybody wanted to see someone do Freddie Mercury,” he laughs. “So that was one that came by.”
Thankfully, Isaac says he’s not beating himself up about it, noting that he doesn’t “wish” he would have taken it on.
“I think I could never have done what what Rami Malek did,” Isaac says of Malek’s Oscar winning portrayal of the Mercury. “I just think he was — obviously everyone thought so — he was great. But that was a funny one where it was just my thinking was so like, ‘You could just watch him on YouTube. Why would anybody want to watch somebody pretend to do him, you know?'”
However, when it came to his Addams Family 2 character of Gomez Addams, Isaac says it was a no-brainer for him to join.
“I was such a massive fan of Raúl Juliá,” he says of the late actor who played Gomez in two Addams Family films. “He’s been such an inspiration for me as an actor, as a Latin American actor. Just to see all the things that he was able to accomplish… So then, when it came time to give my crack at it, I definitely wanted to pay homage to that man and his work in it. And then also find my own way.”
Addams Family 2 is now in theaters. Dune hits theater on Friday.
(NEW YORK) — More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Latinas typically earn only 57 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men and must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months.
Latina Equal Pay Day — the day when Latina pay catches up to that of white, non-Hispanic men from the previous year — is being observed on Oct. 21.
In 2019, the median wealth of a Latino household was about $14,000, which represents only 9% of the median wealth of white households: $160,200, according to the National Bureau Of Economic Research. It’s a gap that can affect Latino families for generations.
As Latinas across the country fight for equal pay and equal opportunities, organizations like #WeAllGrow Latina, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and Vela are working to support, uplift and fund Latina workers on their path toward breaking glass ceilings.
“If I’m going to grow, if I’m going to understand how to do this, then I’m going to teach it and we’re all going to do this together,” said Ana Flores, the founder and CEO of the online networking community #WeAllGrow Latina. “Now we’re on 11 years later and we really have become a community.”
Systemic racial and gender-based discrimination is at the root of this pay gap, according to Patricia Mota, the CEO of Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement.
However, these groups are working hard to not only cultivate a strong Latinx network, but also provide professional development trainings, talent acquisition services and grants or fellowships to entrepreneurs, businesses and students. They also offer tools for mental health and self-care.
For example, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement hosts the Women’s Leadership Program, which has hosted about 3,000 Latinas over the years with leadership workshops. Within less than 12 months of completing the program, Mota said that 70% of the program’s alumni have reported an increase of pay or promotion at their place of employment.
#WeAllGrow has taken on many forms since its conception. What started as a tool for Latina bloggers has become a multimedia environment with forums, breakout sessions and chat rooms that brings the expansive community of Latinas from across the globe to one home base online.
To address Latina Equal Pay Day, #WeAllGrow and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement are teaming up with experts across many industries to provide seminars, panel discussions and conversations to host a cohort of future leaders on different skills to help them on their journey.
The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, #WeAllGrow and the Vela network, which is an up-and-coming Latinx professionals network for entrepreneurs, reach people of all ages — from students to early career workers to veteran professionals.
Creating a space for Latinas to talk openly about their experiences can give other Latinas the tools needed to fight against systems of discrimination, Vela founder Vanessa Nevarez said.
Nevarez has been inspired by those who have started similar efforts before her. She has never started her own business and neither has anyone in her family, so navigating this project has been a learning experience. She hopes that this network can be a tool for not only her members, but for herself as well.
Nevarez is just one example of how much the system of support and community has worked and will continue to work.
“[Vela] will extend into a hub, where we believe in community over competition,” Nevarez said. “We’re not a monolith … but we do have a commonality, which is that we care about our community and want our community to go forward.”
As glass ceilings continue to be smashed by Latinas across the globe, and as organizations fight to change the system that keeps Latinas at the bottom of the pay scale, these professionals offer some words of advice in the meantime.
Mota recommended doing your research when negotiating pay or a promotion — what others in your industry are being paid for the same work; what your colleagues make; and what opportunities are there for growth?
“It’s an employees market, a job-seeker market,” Mota said. “Right now is the opportunity to be able to leverage that and to really increase what you’re bringing in in terms of income — whether it’s in another industry or another opportunity.”
Vanessa Valentin, the director of marketing and communications at Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, recommended talking to others openly about income and pay since transparency helps make the process more equitable. She and Mota also recommended working on maintaining self-confidence, building connections and never settling with the first salary offer without a negotiation.
They also recommended building connections, your network and taking advantage of groups like theirs to ensure you have a Latinx force to support your goals and needs.
“It’s not your fault — this system has not been created for us — but we are here, showing up together, to make sure to change it and to make sure that the gatekeepers are listening to us,” Flores said.
Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Brothers Osborne and Jimmie Allen are among the first round of just-announced performers at the 2021 Country Music Association Awards.
Blake will share a live rendition of “Come Back As a Country Boy,” his brand-new single. The song will be included on the deluxe version of his Body Language album, which is set for release in December.
A couple of exciting collaborations are already on the books, too. Mickey Guyton will perform, bringing rising act Brittney Spencer and soul-jazz singer-songwriter Madeline Edwards to the stage with her. They’ll treat fans to a live version of a song off Mickey’s new album, Remember Her Name.
Also, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde will join forces for a performance of “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” which comes from the track list of Carly’s latest project, 29: Written in Stone.
More performers are expected to be announced in the weeks ahead. Luke Bryan is hosting the show solo this year.
The 2021 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
A-list artists Dua Lipa and Elton John are are throwing their weight behind the U.K.’s efforts to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
The “Cold Heart” duet partners, in conjunction with Tap Management, were selected to announce the search for who will represent Britain in the annual competition, which in the past two years has made global stars of “Arcade” singer Duncan Laurence and “Beggin'” rockers Måneskin.
Tap, which manages Dua, as well as Lana Del Rey and Elle Goulding, is taking over the selection of entries for the competition in an effort to have their country perform better in the contest. The U.K. hasn’t won in 25 years, and last year, its contestant came in dead last.
Sharing her excitement for the new gig, Dua raved, “I’m a proud Brit whilst also being a proud Kosovan. I’m happy to lend my manager to the cause. I’ll be cheering them on!,” according to The Sun.
Elton added, “There aren’t many televised events that are as big and global as Eurovision, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to remind the world yet again of the depth and diversity of our talent. I can’t wait to see what gems our friends at Tap Music will unearth.”
Arguably the most famous artists ever to have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest, which has been running since 1956, are Céline Dion, who competed and won for Switzerland in 1988, and ABBA, who won for Sweden in 1974 with “Waterloo.”
(NEW YORK) — Silenced by many major platforms, former President Donald Trump is launching his own social media app.
Trump Media and Technology Group and Digital World Acquisition Group, which is already listed on the Nasdaq, have entered into a merger to form a new company, chaired by the former president, according to a press release.
Trump says the group will form “a rival to the liberal media consortium.”
Its first step will be launching a new social media platform called TRUTH Social. A beta version will be available to invited guests in November, according to the release.
“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced,” Trump said in the statement.
According to the release, the company was formed using a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, which the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website says is a “popular vehicle for various transactions, including transitioning a company from a private company to a publicly traded company.” The SEC says these companies are often referred to as “blank check companies.”
Patrick F. Orlando, who according to the release is the chairman and CEO of the Digital World Acquisition Group that is merging with the former president’s new media company, is also CEO of Yunhong International, which itself is an international blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with headquarters in Wuhan, China, according to Bloomberg.
It’s currently unclear who else is behind the SPAC that is launching Trump’s new platform.
The former president and his advisers have hinted since he left office that he was considering creating a rival platform to Facebook and Twitter, after the social media giants suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Trump, who throughout his presidency used Twitter to attack his enemies and often break his own news, has been emailing out statements almost has frequently as he previously tweeted.
Trump’s announcement comes only months after his longtime aide Jason Miller launched his own social media company called GETTR in July. The former president quickly pushed back on rumors that he would be joining Miller’s platform shortly after it launched, writing in a statement, “I am not on any social media platform in any way, shape, or form, including Parler, GETTR, Gab, etc. When I decide to choose a platform, or build or complete my own, it will be announced. Thank you!”
(ATLANTA) — An independent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Thursday is set to discuss and vote on booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, along with the potential for people to mix and match their booster doses.
On Wednesday, the FDA authorized Moderna and J&J boosters for some, and allowed for mix and matching booster doses with a different vaccine.
The next step in the process is for the CDC panel to deliberate and ultimately vote on whether to recommend those boosters, and whether and how to mix and match them.
The panel’s vote is non-binding, and CDC is not required to follow the panel’s recommendations, though they generally do so.
Once the panel votes, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to make her own final signoff shortly after — typically within a day.
Boosting for eligible Moderna and J&J recipients would be able to start once Walensky gives the greenlight — potentially meaning those populations could begin receiving their boosters as soon as the end of this week.
The FDA has made clear there is no preferred booster vaccine for the mixed dosage, but the CDC panel is likely to discuss available data on what booster blend might offer the strongest immunity.
Dr. Peter Marks, a top FDA official, said allowing people to mix boosters makes sense, particularly when people might not remember what brand they initially received.
“Most people don’t know what brand flu vaccine they received. And although they’re somewhat more standardized, perhaps, this is something that is probably a good next step for us to be able to have the flexibility that people can get vaccinated easily,” he told reporters.
Under the new rules, if the CDC signs off, Moderna recipients would qualify for a booster shot of their choice if they are 65 or older — or younger with medical conditions or a high-risk job. The FDA and CDC had already cleared Pfizer recipients to get a third shot, and now they too can choose which brand booster they want. J&J recipients 18 and older would be eligible for a booster of their choice.
Director Nia DaCosta, who is set to helm The Marvels, the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, is no stranger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That said, she has her own thoughts on who’s to blame for Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War that wiped out half the universe.
Ever since Infinity War‘s release in 2018, fans have blamed Star-Lord’s inability to control his feelings, Thor’s overconfidence, and the decisions made by characters like Dr. Strange and Wanda Maximoff as the reasons Thanos succeeded. However, speaking to Inverse, DaCosta argues that Captain America’s decision to not sacrifice Vision places him squarely at fault for Thanos’ victory.
“Something I like to say a bit flippantly about Captain America is that the Snap is all his fault because he was trying to do his best, trying to do the right thing. There is a world in which he’s a villain because, at the end of the day, he should have just sacrificed Vision,” she says.
“[Captain America] chose one robot’s life, albeit a sentient one, over literally the entire universe,” she explains. “There’s a sort of anti-hero in that if you want to look at it through that lens. People would say I’m crazy for thinking that way, but there’s something connected to the journey of the anti-hero and the hero.”
Explaining the difference between the two, DaCosta says, “The hero’s pain is something that spurs them to martyr themselves,” she adds, “and an anti-hero’s pain is a thing that kind of starts their journey as opposed to ending it.”
The Marvels is slated to hit theaters on November 11, 2022.
Blake Lively defended her three young daughters’ privacy on Wednesday after an Instagram user shared photos a member of the paparazzi took of them.
The Gossip Girl alum did not mince words when shaming the Hollywood Star Kids Instagram account and insinuated that they had gone back on their word not to post such images.
“This is so disturbing,” Lively commented in the now-deleted post, but has since shared her remarks to her Instagram story. “I’ve personally shared with you that these men stalk and harass my children. And you are still posting. You said you would stop. You personally promised me.”
She continued, “This is not casual appreciation. This is YOU also exploiting very young children. Please. Delete. Please. Some parents are ok with this. We. Are. NOT.”
Lively, who is married to Free Guy‘s Ryan Reynolds, also shouted out those who unfollowed the account by expressing, “YOU make ALL the difference. Thank you for your integrity.”
In July, Lively detailed a “frightening” experience where a man would not stop “stalking” her children, as she put it, and kept taking photographs of them.
The actress said she would “calmly approach the photographer… in order to speak to him” but he would “run away. And jump out again at the next block.”
Lively issued a demand to media outlets, asking them to stop paying photographers to “hide and hunt children.” She also requested they run background checks on photographers and remarked, “Do you simply not care about the safety of children?”
She also called upon her followers to “stop following and block any publications or handles who publish kid’s pictures.” The actress suggested more outlets may cease sharing “photos of children obtained by men frightening and stalking them” if enough readers take a stand.
