(NEW YORK) — Pro golfer Max Homa added his name to those supporting Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the women’s all-around competition at the Olympics.
The 30-year-old Genesis Invitational winner took to Twitter on Wednesday to tell people to “cool it with the judgement and anger” because “we’re all battling something internally.”
Homa later told ABC Audio what went through his mind when he first heard Biles would not be competing in the Olympic event that she was predicted to win.
“I think that the moment it dropped, I knew it was going to be crazy, but at the same time, I knew that there’s got to be something big going on in her head if she doesn’t want to compete,” he declared. “So if she said she couldn’t do it, there’s a big reason [why].”
“I don’t think it’s up to all of us to judge… Basically, she knows there’s going to be a lot of people not happy with that,” he continued. “I don’t think that you need to start calling her a quitter and getting angry with her and saying that she’s letting people down because nobody around her has said that!”
“Not everybody can feel cool, calm and collected at all times… even people like Simone Biles who is amazing at what she does,” Homa explained. “I think people forget that she wants to compete and she wants to get gold medals and she wants to win and she wants to be with her team.”
Saying Biles is “doing what’s right” for her, Homa said that a reliable way athletes recharge is by “listening to their friends and family” who have their best interest at heart — not to the “random people on TV” telling them otherwise.
Twenty-five years after its release, no album is as well-qualified to represent the L.B.C. as Sublime‘s self-titled swan song.
The third and final record from trio — featuring frontman Bradley Nowell, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh — celebrates its silver anniversary today.
Leading up to Sublime‘s release, the band was already primed to hit it big. They’d amassed a dedicated local following in their hometown of Long Beach, California, and after dropping two albums, 1992’s 40oz. to Freedom and 1994’s Robbin’ the Hood, they signed with MCA Records to record their major label debut.
Tragedy then struck when Nowell died in May 1996 of a heroin overdose while Sublime was on tour. He was 28. Wilson and Gaugh disbanded Sublime, but still decided to release the album they’d completed. The self-titled record dropped July 30, 1996, just two months after Nowell’s passing.
Sublime became a major success, and is now considered one of the most defining albums of the ’90s. It’s been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA, and spawned hit singles in “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and “What I Got.”
Another single, the George Gershwin-sampling “Doin’ Time,” received a second life when Lana Del Rey covered it in 2019. Her version hit number one on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart.
Following Sublime‘s release, Wilson and Gaugh continued to play together in different projects before reforming Sublime in 2009 with new lead singer Rome Ramirez. Due to legal reasons, they changed their name to Sublime with Rome.
Gaugh has since left Sublime with Rome, although Wilson remains in the band. The group has released three albums, the most recent of which being 2019’s Blessings.
Just as Journey starts playing live again for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the band has announced that Deen Castronovo, who was the group’s drummer from 1998 to 2015, has rejoined its lineup as a second drummer alongside Narada Michael Walden.
On Wednesday, Journey guitarist Neal Schon and Castronovo hinted at Deen’s return in a series of Twitter posts promoting the band’s Chicago concerts this week, on Thursday at the Aragon Ballroom and Saturday at the Lollapalooza festival.
Schon’s post featured the Twitter tags of the Aragon Ballroom and most of Journey’s current members, plus Marco Mendoza — who will be filling in on bass for Randy Jackson this week — and Deen.
Also, Castronovo tweeted on Wednesday a message that reads, “It’s ON!! STOKED to be playing with my brothers in Journey this weekend!! Let’s DO THIS!,” along with the hashtags #deencastronovo, #teamdeeno, #lollapalooza, #aragonballroom, #journeyband and #journeyfamily. The post also featured photos apparently taken at the group’s rehearsals for the concerts.
Then, on Thursday, Schon chatted with fans via a Facebook thread and was asked if Castronovo was back as an official member of Journey, to which he replied, “Yes.” He also noted that both Deen and Narada will be playing drums, adding, “JOURNEY AS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD US BEFORE!!!!”
Castronovo was fired from Journey in 2015 after he was arrested on domestic violence charges involving his then-girlfriend, to whom he’s now married.
In 2019, Castronovo took part in Schon’s short-lived Journey Through Time project, which celebrated Journey’s early music and also featured founding Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie and, interestingly, Mendoza.
Walden, Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined Journey in 2020 after drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory were fired from the band.
The second episode of Ted Lasso season two is out today, and Apple revealed earlier this week that last week’s premiere was the most watched of anything so far on Apple TV+’s impressive roster.
Hannah Waddingham who plays Lasso’s boss, tells ABC Audio why the news had her breathing a sigh of relief.
“I’ve never been so invested in something ever, of hoping that people who fell in love with it before will still be in love with it,” she says. “It’s crazy.”
The fish-out-of-water comedy, which stars Jason Sudeikis as an incredibly chipper college football coach who’s hired to lead a mediocre English Premier League team, was recently nominated for 20 Emmy Awards. Waddington, reacting to the Emmy nods, explained why she thinks people are so obsessed with the show.
“I think everyone loves that it shows everyone… warts and all and the fact that everybody just wants to have hope and love in their lives and to find people that will think well of them,” says the 47-year-old British actress. “And even if somebody is having a bit of a s*** time, people will put their arm around you and go, you’re being a s***, but here’s how we’re going to get out of it.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 612,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.1 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 57.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC on Tuesday, citing new science on the transmissibility of the delta variant, changed its mask guidance to now recommend everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission — vaccinated or not — wear a face covering in public, indoor settings.
Here’s how the news is developing Friday. All times Eastern:
Jul 30, 5:29 am
New Yorkers getting 1st dose to receive $100 incentive
Starting Friday, New Yorkers who receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at any city-run site will get a $100 incentive.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement during a press briefing Wednesday.
“We will say thank you. We’ll say we’re really glad that you got vaccinated for yourself, for your family, for your community,” de Blasio said. “And here’s $100 to thank you for doing the right thing and to encourage people.”
The mayor said that New Yorkers getting vaccinated will not only get the cash, they’ll also be able to do “everything else that’s wonderful in this city, including the amazing concerts coming up. You can’t go to those concerts unless you’re vaccinated.”
Jul 30, 4:53 am
Japan to extend coronavirus state of emergency covering 3 of Tokyo’s neighboring prefectures
Japan’s government will put in place a coronavirus state of emergency covering three of Tokyo’s neighboring prefectures and Osaka on Monday, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Tokyo and Okinawa’s declarations will remain in place.
The news comes as case numbers in Japan continue to rise amid the Olympics.
As of Friday, there are 3,300 new positive cases in Tokyo, according to the Tokyo government’s COVID-19 information website. Of those 3,300 cases, 88 are severe and two have turned fatal.
Jul 30, 4:22 am
New CDC brief says vaccines may be less effective against delta variant
An internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brief published by the Washington Post Thursday reveals more details about why the delta variant is different to and more concerning than other strains of the coronavirus.
The CDC said the main differences between the delta variant and previous strains is that delta is highly contagious and likely more severe. Plus, breakthrough infections caused by delta may be as transmissible as unvaccinated cases.
“This is an incredibly, incredibly contagious version of virus, it’s almost like a whole different virus,” Dr. Ashish Jha said. “And CDC is estimating that it is probably also more deadly.”
Vaccines prevent more than 90% of severe diseases, but may be less effective at preventing infection or transmission of the delta variant, the CDC said. Therefore, there could be more breakthrough infections and more community spread despite people’s vaccination status.
“Current vaccines continue to provide strong protection against severe illness and death, but the delta variant is likely responsible for increased numbers of breakthrough infections — breakthroughs that could be as infectious as unvaccinated cases,” Dr. John Brownstein, an ABC News contributor, said. “This internal document highlights the challenge we all now face in combating the most transmissible variant of COVID so far.”
Jul 30, 3:38 am
Number of positive cases at Tokyo Olympics reaches 225
There are now 225 positive COVID-19 cases at the Tokyo Olympics, according to a tally kept by Olympics organizers.
That is an increase of 27 cases since Thursday.
Of those cases, three of them are athletes. Two were in the Olympic Village at the time of their positive case, and one was not.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 14, NY Yankees 0
Kansas City 5, Chi White Sox 0
Detroit 6, Baltimore 2
Toronto 13, Boston 1
Oakland 4, LA Angels 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 3, Philadelphia 1
Atlanta 6, NY Mets 3
Cincinnati 7, Chi Cubs 4
Philadelphia 11, Washington 8
San Francisco 5, LA Dodgers 0
Milwaukee 12, Pittsburgh 0
San Diego 3, Colorado 0
(EUGENE, Ore) — Drew and Kayla Gottfried were heartbroken after they were told that their wedding video had been erased after they tied the knot in 2007.
In a fortunate twist this past spring, Drew Gottfried received a call from their church saying that an old VHS tape had been found in the basement. Astonishingly, it was their wedding video.
For two months, Gottfried kept the secret until July 27, the couple’s 14th anniversary.
On that night, the couple went out to dinner and a movie at a local theater in downtown Eugene, Oregon, where Gottfried surprised his wife with a private viewing of the recovered video.
Kayla Gottfried’s emotional response was caught on camera and has since been viewed 6.1 million times on TikTok.
“How do you have video of this?” Kayla Gottfried said when she was surprised with the video. She told “World News Tonight” that she was happy to have that memory back.
“Break out those old family videos and relive those special moment with your loved ones often,” she said.
Although he’s also happy to have the video back, Gottfried shared a message that the present is just as important as the past.
“Enjoy your life, the moment you’re in, with your families. Whatever they are — birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, get-togethers,” said Gottfried. “Just enjoy your time with your family. Be present and be there.”
Get ready to hear Metallica as you’ve never heard them before.
Last fall, it was revealed that the metal legends had recorded an orchestral version of their song “Nothing Else Matters” for the upcoming Disney movie Jungle Cruise. Now, with the pandemic-delayed film set to finally be released this Friday, we’ve gotten our first preview of what Disney Metallica sounds like.
Brief snippets of the track can be heard in a new Jungle Cruise teaser, which Metallica tweeted Thursday. According to the band, you’ll hear “Nothing Else Matters” not once, but twice in the film.
“It was an honor to work with renowned, legendary [composer] James Newton Howard as we reimagined the song by performing his arrangement and creating a rendition we like to think is fit for an excursion through the Amazon,” Metallica says.
You’ll be able to hear the recording in full when the Jungle Cruise soundtrack drops tomorrow alongside the film, which will screen in theaters and on Disney+ via Premier Access.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
Planning to watch @JungleCruise in theaters or on Disney+ Premier Access tomorrow? Keep an ear out for a totally new and different version of “Nothing Else Matters,” appearing twice in the film! Check out this sneak peek. #JungleCruisepic.twitter.com/APbKEk7d1h
When your shoes clash with your wine…ugh, so embarrassing, right? Well, Jon Bon Jovi is here to save you from that fashion faux pas.
As Wine Spectator reports, Hampton Water rosé, the acclaimed wine created by the New Jersey rocker and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, is teaming with the Italian sportswear brand Superga to create Hampton Water-branded shoes. According to Jesse, he first encountered the Superga team at a wine event; they “hit it off,” he says, and that led to the idea for the footwear.
The limited-edition “Superga x Hampton Water 2750 Cotu Classic 2021” is a canvas sneaker with a hand-painted Hampton Water logo. It also has the words “Hampton Water” stitched across the heels and comes with two colors of dip-dyed shoelaces — one in “rosé pink,” of course, and the other in “Mediterranean blue.”
Two hundred pairs are now available for pre-order, via Superga’s website for $99. The official release date is August 30, which means you won’t be able to spend Summer 2021 sipping Hampton Water in your Hampton Water sneakers. But there’s always 2022, and maybe Bon Jovi will be back on the road by then.
Previously, Hampton Water teamed with the high-end candy brand Sugarfina to sell a line of branded rosé-flavored gummies.
(NEW YORK) — The SEC has officially offered the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma invitations to join the conference starting on July 1, 2025
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey gave the news to the presidents of both schools during a video conference.
“Today’s unanimous vote is both a testament to the SEC’s longstanding spirit of unity and mutual cooperation, as well as a recognition of the outstanding legacies of academic and athletic excellence established by the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas,” said Commissioner Sankey in a statement. “I greatly appreciate the collective efforts of our Presidents and Chancellors in considering and acting upon each school’s membership interest.”
The announcement comes after the conference voted in favor of extending invitations. At least three-fourth of the 14 schools in the conference needed to approve of the move.
On Monday, the two schools issued a joint statement saying that they notified the Big 12 that the schools will not renew their grant of media rights in 2025.
“Providing notice to the Big 12 at this point is important in advance of the expiration of the conference’s current media rights agreement,” the statement said. “The universities intend to honor their existing grant of rights agreements. However, both universities will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape as they consider how best to position their athletics programs for the future.”
The following day, the schools sent a letter to Sankey asking for invitations to the conference.
