George, the oldest child of Kate and Prince William’s three children, was in the spotlight recently when he joined his parents at London’s Wembley Stadium to watch England compete in the UEFA European Championship.
He watched England win in an earlier round but then saw the team lose to Italy in the finals earlier this month.
George will celebrate his birthday privately with his family, which also includes his younger sister, 6-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 3-year-old Prince Louis.
It has become a family tradition for Prince William and Duchess Kate to share new photos to mark the birthdays of each of their children.
(LAS VEGAS) — Alarmed by the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Las Vegas, elected officials approved a new indoor public space mask mandate for all county employees, but it excludes tourists and has no bearing on casinos or public schools.
The Clark County Commission unanimously adopted the motion Tuesday night following a raucous emergency hearing, in which the majority of speakers opposed a recommendation from the Southern Nevada Health District to require all members of the public to wear masks in all public settings.
Under the new rule, all Clark County employees, regardless of their vaccination status, will be required to wear masks in public spaces of county buildings, but not in their enclosed offices or cubicles.
Dr. Cort Lohff, chief medical officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, told the commission that COVID-19 infections in the community have tripled since early June, driven largely by the delta variant.
Las Vegas casinos and other businesses were allowed to fully open in early June after months of being closed or operating under severely limited capacity.
The county’s COVID test-positivity rate is at 13.8% and data from state health officials showed that 889 new COVID cases were reported in Clark County on Tuesday alone.
On Friday, the health district issued a recommendation to require all members of the public to wear masks in public settings “regardless of their vaccination status.”
Health officials said that roughly 42% of the population in Clark County is fully vaccinated. The U.S. population overall currently stands at 48.8% fully vaccinated.
“Out biggest pockets of unvaccinated are younger folks, 12 and older who are eligible for the vaccine. We are also seeing low rates among African American folks,” said Lohff, adding that the health district has launched an outreach program that includes a social media campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated.
“The most important thing is to increase our vaccination rates in our community because we know that the vaccines are very safe and despite what you heard, very effective,” Lohff said.
Commissioners said they could not issue a full mask mandate on the public because they have no jurisdiction over casinos and other private buildings in the city of Las Vegas.
“This has nothing to do with the school district,” said Marilyn Kirkpatricks, chairperson of the Clark County Commission. “The school district rules fall under the state Board of Education and the Clark County School District.”
Commissioner Jim Gibson, who proposed the limited mask mandate, said, “We have to do something.”
“We can’t afford to allow hospitals to become more worse in terms of their crowding and we cannot afford to have this economy suffer in the slightest,” Gibson said. “We have already been through a shutdown and a startup. We cannot afford to have major conventions choose to go elsewhere.”
The mask mandate will is scheduled to go into effect at midnight Thursday and will stay in place until at least Aug. 17 when the commission meets again.
Clark County is the most populous county in Nevada with about 2.3 million residents and includes the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson.
Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, applauded the mask mandate the commission passed.
“I support the Clark County Commission for using their local authority to issue this mitigation measure amid significant community transmission in Southern Nevada and as we continue our joint effort to increase access and confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines,” Sisolak said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Some business owners, such as Ben Cucio, who owns a watch design and repair company, told the commission he fears that a total public mask mandate will eventually be imposed if the county’s COVID-19 crisis continues to worsen.
“People are not going to make any money and they’re not going to make any semblance of a reality having to face another shutdown,” Cucio said.
Todd Koren, CEO of Absolute Exhibits, a company that builds exhibits for trade shows and conventions, said he supports the commission for taking action.
“I think it’s a great first step. We have to prove to our tourists that Las Vegas is a safe place to come and visit,” Koren told Las Vegas ABC affiliate KTNV. “Exhibitors who are thinking about coming to a trade show just want to know that it’s safe and that we’re taking the right measures.”
Among those names who will be honored “for lifetime artistic achievements” will be singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, and opera baritone Justino Diaz, when the awards show gets underway on December 5 in Washington D.C.
“This year’s Honorees represent the unifying power of the Arts and surely remind us of that which binds us together as human beings,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. “These artists are equal parts genius, inspiration, and entertainment.”
Chairman David M. Rubenstein said Gordy, “brought the quintessential soulfulness of Detroit into every home in America, elevating the Motown sound to become a national treasure.”
He said Michaels, “created the most enduring ‘must-see television’ with Saturday Night Live,” which is “a show that is both mirror and muse for life in America.”
Rubenstein called Midler, “an artistic tour de force and America’s Divine Miss M…entertaining millions with her wondrous voice and trademark comedic wit,” and described Mitchell as, “one of the most influential singer-songwriters and cultural figures in 20th-century popular music.”
The 44th annual honors in December will likely be broadcast by CBS in 2022.
Offset opened up about his first date with his wife, Cardi B, on Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The Migos rapper said he wanted to impress the “Up” artist with a one-of-a-kind date experience.
“My first date I went big. I wanted to do something that was not normally done,” Offset shared with guest host Anthony Anderson. “I wanted to have fun and not be so serious and enjoy the time, so I took her to the Super Bowl.”
Offset noted it was the 2017 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots. The Atlanta native recalled his team doing well until the second half of the game when Patriots quarterback TomBrady took over.
“I lost $10,000 that night,” Offset said before smiling. “But you know what I won? My wife.”
Anderson went on to ask about the expensive gifts he exchanges with Cardi on holidays, birthdays, etc. He mentioned the Lamborghini truck Offset gifted Cardi for her 26th birthday, the $300 thousand Rolls Royce Cullinan Cardi purchased Offset last October, and a $150,000 diamond necklace gifted to their daughter, Kulture, on her third birthday.
Cardi B and Offset married in 2017 and are expecting their second child. When asked if he plans to get Cardi an expensive “push gift,” Offset responded, “I feel like the gift is the beautiful child. I’m [going to] get her a gift, though. I got to.”
After reports that their marriage was on the rocks, it’s official: Superstar music manager Scooter Braun has filed for divorce from his wife, Yael Cohen.
Scooter guides the careers of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and The Kid LAROI, among others, and is also the co-CEO of HYBE America, a branch of the company that’s home to K-pop supergroup BTS. However, he’s perhaps best known for his very public feud with Taylor Swift, who’s accused him of bullying her and preventing her from owning her master recordings.
The legal papers, obtained by ABC News, cite “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, and also reveal that the couple has a pre-nup in place.
Braun and Cohen, the founder of the charity F– Cancer, married in July 2014 and have three children: sons Jagger, 6, and Levi, 4, and 2½-year-old daughter Hart. He’s requested joint custody.
Earlier this month, Scooter posted a tribute to Yael on Instagram, writing, “If just for the kids you have given me everything. But thanks to you I have grown, I have been pushed to be the best version of myself and to continue growing and learning. That all happened because you came in to
After getting married earlier this month, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are as smitten as ever. Fans recently got a first-hand account of the wedded bliss from Gwen, who said in an interview with the Tell Me About It podcast that the couple was enjoying “total honeymoon vibes right now.”
“It was literally one of the greatest moments of my life, obviously,” the pop superstar explained. “It was beyond what I thought it was gonna be.”
Over the course of their relationship, many have jokingly wondered what the pair see in each other: Between Gwen’s high-fashion sophistication and Blake’s dressed-down, rural sensibilities, they don’t seem to have a whole lot in common off the bat. Their odd couple status was even the subject of a hilarious T Mobile Super Bowl ad earlier this year.
But in all seriousness, Gwen explains, it’s Blake’s authenticity that made her fall in love. She also thinks that’s why he’s such a big success, both in music and as a coach on The Voice.
“The successful people are the genuine people, because that man is the same guy you see, no matter who he’s with, what he’s doing,” Gwen reflects. “I look at him sleeping, and he’s the same guy.”
She adds, “He’s very real and consistent and genuine. It’s what is so attractive and why people love him so much.”
Blake and Gwen tied the knot on July 3 in a ceremony on Blake’s Oklahoma ranch.
Demi Lovato has debuted the new trailer for their upcoming Roku Channel talk show, The Demi Lovato Show.
In the clip, we see Demi interviewing a rotating group of guests from diverse backgrounds, including actress Lucy Hale, actress and activist Jameela Jamil, trans YouTube star Nikita Dragun, rapper YG and two of Demi’s closest friends, Sirah and Matthew Scott Montgomery.
The topics range from sex positivity to police brutality to gender identity. We also see Demi’s friends discussing how they felt when they learned of Demi’s near-fatal overdose. The singer tearfully apologizes to them.
The 10-minute episodes of the talk show begin streaming on Roku Channel July 30.
Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler and Motown founder Berry Gordy are among the notables from the arts and entertainment world who will be saluted at the 44th edition of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors gala. The star-studded ceremony will be held December 5 at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.
This year’s other Kennedy Center honorees are Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and Puerto Rican opera singer Justino Díaz.
The awards are presented annually by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to people who have made lasting contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
A TV special documenting this year’s event will be broadcast during the 2021-2022 television season on CBS, and will be streamed live and on demand on Paramount+.
“I’m grateful to the Kennedy Center for bestowing this honor on my work and I look forward to being a part of this prestigious celebration of the arts,” Mitchell says in a statement. “I wish my mother and father were alive to see this. It’s a long way from Saskatoon [Canada].”
Midler gushes, “I am profoundly touched by this honor, in fact, I am stunned and grateful beyond words. For many years I have watched this broadcast celebrating the best talent in the performing arts that America has to offer, and I truly never imagined that I would find myself among these swans.”
Gordy declares in his own statement, “The Arts not only give voice to the voiceless, but connect us, transform us, and soothe our souls. The Kennedy Center Honors epitomizes the recognition and value of both the Arts, and the Artist. I am thrilled to become a part of this prestigious American legacy.”
(TARRANT, Al.) — An Alabama city council member is facing calls to resign after he used a racist slur while pointing toward a Black colleague during a meeting Monday night.
John “Tommy” Bryant stood up and pointed at Black council member Veronica Freeman and said, “Do we have a house N-word in here? Would she please stand up?” during the council meeting.
Video of the meeting was shared on the Tarrant, Alabama, Facebook page. The clip shows audience members at the council meeting audibly gasping in response to his use of the slur.
Freeman was later seen sobbing with her head in her hands before stepping out.
Bryant said that his use of the slur was to reflect something Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton, who is Black, allegedly said during an earlier private meeting.
“He doesn’t need to use that term in front of everybody, and I thought the city ought to know the kind of terminology the mayor uses, and I didn’t want him to get away with it. So that’s the reason I made that comment,” Bryant said in a Tuesday interview with local news station WVTM-TV.
“He said it in a derogatory manner, I said it so people would know what the mayor said,” Bryant added. “The mayor was being derogatory toward Veronica Freeman when he said that.”
When asked if he was racist, Bryant said, “It’s according to what your definition of the word racist is. What a lot of the public’s definition is, I might be a racist. But according to what the true definition of a racist is, absolutely not.”
Bryant and Freeman did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Newton, who was sworn in as mayor in November, did not respond to ABC News’ request but told Alabama Local News on Tuesday, “The video speaks for itself.”
Newton denied ever using the racial slur in reference to Freeman on Wednesday, telling ALN, “They are trying to expose me for saying something I did not say. All of that was a political stunt that they did not do very well.”
Alabama Democrats demanded Bryant resign after the outburst, saying in a statement, “He is racist and unfit to serve.”
“Alabama still has a long way to go when it comes to race, but cozying up to the KKK and using the N-word should make you unfit to serve. These racists belong in the history books with Bull Connor and George Wallace, not on the taxpayer’s payroll,” the statement added.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said Bryant’s behavior “is completely unacceptable in any setting,” but didn’t mention if he believed he should resign.
“The Alabama Republican Party is deeply troubled by the racially charged outburst and disrespect shown by Councilman Tommy Bryant. Such language is completely unacceptable in any setting, and even more concerning coming from an elected official,” Wahl said to ALN.
(WASHINGTON) — Senate Democrats on Wednesday lost a key test vote to allow a bipartisan infrastructure deal to advance — after Republicans involved in the talks say they needed more time to finalize details before helping Democrats meet the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to start debate on the bill.
While Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s effort failed — handing him and President Joe Biden at least a temporary political loss on a top priority — the White House earlier Wednesday the president was “extremely supportive” of Schumer’s strategy aimed at jump starting negotiations on the measure that would spend $1.2 trillion on “traditional infrastructure.”
The partisan defeat, by a vote of 49 to 51, belied the comity behind the scenes as a bipartisan group of 11 senators works feverishly behind the scenes to finalize the terms of their package to fund major public works projects, from bridges and highways to public transit and broadband.
“This vote is not a deadline to have every final detail worked out. It is not an attempt to jam anyone,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning.
“According to the negotiators, spurred on by this vote this afternoon –- they are close to finalizing their product,” he argued. “Even Republicans have agreed that the deadline has moved them forward more quickly. We all want the same thing here – to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill. But in order to finish the bill, we first need to start.”
Key Republican negotiators in the bipartisan group of senators who have been trying to work out the deal say they believe they can finalize it by Monday.
“We are making tremendous progress, and I hope that the majority leader will reconsider and just delay the vote until Monday. That’s not a big ask of him,” GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told reporters Monday morning.
The group huddled over Mexican food and wine behind closed doors for over two hours late Tuesday night, but left without squaring all of their differences on how to pay for package.
Schumer, the Republicans say, is well-aware of their position that waiting until next week to hold a vote would heighten the chances of success.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters Wednesday afternoon that 10 Republicans have signed a letter to Schumer indicating that they are prepared to support taking up the bill on Monday.
He said it was his understanding that “Leader Schumer wanted to understand if there were ten Republicans in favor of getting on the bill, and we’ve indicated, Yeah, there are ten. Probably more.”
Negotiators said Tuesday that there are about six remaining issues with the bipartisan bill, the thorniest of which is how to structure spending on public transit systems.
At the same time, the senior lawmaker expects the legislation to be finalized by Monday, and that includes the nonpartisan analyses by various agencies breaking down all of the financing options, how much revenue would be produced, and a final price tag.
Republicans, in particular, will be looking to show that the $579 billion in new spending is fully paid for.
If the vote seems certain to fail, Schumer could switch his vote to the losing side at the last minute, enabling him as majority leader, under Senate rules, to call up the vote again for reconsideration.
The Wednesday vote is to start debate on a shell bill because there is no final bill from the negotiators. It would serve as a placeholder should negotiators strike a final deal.
The measure is separate from a much larger bill Biden and Democrats are pushing that would spend $3.5 trillion on so-called “human infrastructure” such as child care.
Democrats plan to push that through the Senate with no Republican votes, using a budget tool called “reconciliation.”
