Robert Downey Jr. will appear in a small-screen project for the first time since his short stint on Saturday Night Live, playing multiple characters in an HBO series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Sympathizer.
Viet Thanh Nguyen‘s book centers on a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist double agent during the final days of the Vietnam War and afterward, after he settles in the United States.
Deadline, which broke the news, says legendary Oldboy director Park Chan-wook will direct the series. The project will be produced by Team Downey, the company that the Marvel movie veteran runs with his wife, producer Susan Downey.
According to the trade, Downey Jr. will play several characters, including an American congressman, a CIA agent and a Hollywood director. In a statement, Downey said, “Adapting Mr. Nguyen’s important and masterful work requires a visionary team. With…Park at the helm, I expect this to be a creative producing adventure for Susan, me and Team Downey, and a stimulating process for myself in playing these complex supporting roles.”
The series will reportedly feature a predominantly Southeast Asian cast.
(WASHINGTON) — Roughly a dozen Texas Democrats who fled their state to come to Washington met Thursday in a Capitol Hill basement with the Senate Democrat who holds the key vote in Congress on voting rights legislation, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin.
But apparently, the subject of Manchin making an exception to the Senate’s filibuster rule for voting rights never came up.
Emerging from the hour-long meeting, Manchin told reporters, “It was a very good meeting. It was a very informative meeting, and basically, we’ve all come to a total agreement that what we want is basically to protect voting rights. That’s it. A voting rights bill with guardrails. That’s all.”
The centrist Democratic senator, who has refused to support an exception to the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes to move forward on most legislation in the 50-50 Senate, said that hot topic pushed by many voting rights activists wasn’t even discussed.
“A filibuster doesn’t need to (happen),” Manchin insisted after the meeting, claiming, “There shouldn’t be a Democrat or a Republican that wouldn’t or couldn’t or shouldn’t vote for something that truly just only deals with voting and the rights of voters.”
Later, the Texas Democrats confirmed to reporters that the filibuster indeed wasn’t mentioned, saying that was by design.
“I think enough people have discussed the filibuster with Joe Manchin. That’s the elephant sitting in the room. Everybody knows what the deal is,” said state Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso, the now-former speaker pro tempore of the Texas House after Republicans voted to strip him of that title.
The meeting comes a day after President Joe Biden made an impassioned speech calling Republican efforts to restrict voting rights an “assault on democracy” but didn’t mention Manchin or the Senate filibuster rule.
Manchin said he is working on legislation, but it is not clear if that would be a new effort, or if it would be the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, designed to restore and modernize the 1960s era- process of “pre-clearance” by the Justice Department that protected minority populations from discriminatory laws in states with a history of discrimination.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a section of the federal Voting Rights Act that voided that pre-clearance process as outdated.
And Texas Democrats said they are “100%” confident that what Manchin is trying to do will protect what they want to accomplish.
“We were encouraged by his comments and I think we know what his path is and it’s to focus on something a lot more narrower than S.1 and to focus on something that specifically addresses voting rights and pre-clearance,” said state Sen. Carol Alvarado, referencing the sweeping election reform bill — calling for expanded mail-in and absentee voting, requiring automatic voter registration, and major campaign finance and ethics reforms — that the Senate voted down last month.
But whether there is sufficient bipartisan support for narrower legislation is also unclear, though Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski has said she will help rally her conference to back the effort.
Getting legislation through the Senate at this time would be extraordinarily difficult with infrastructure and budget bills expected to consume months of floor time starting next week.
ABC News’ Alisa Wiersama contributed to this report.
Metallica is continuing to roll out content connected to “The Unforgiven” this week in the run-up to the release of the upcoming 30th anniversary box set celebrating the band’s 1991 self-titled album, also known as The Black Album.
Available to watch online now is a live performance of the song recorded at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on August 27, 1992. What makes the performance stand out is that it took place a few weeks after frontman James Hetfield‘s infamous onstage pyrotechnic accident in Montreal, during which he suffered second- and third-degree burns on his hand and arm.
As a result, the Las Cruces show featured guitar tech John Marshall playing rhythm guitar, while Hetfield simply stands and sings, with both of his arms and his left hand swathed in bandages.
The video is included on the Wherever I May Roam DVD, which is part of the deluxe Black Album box set, due out September 10. The 1991 album’s official 30th anniversary takes place on August 12. In addition to the box set, the iconic album is being celebrated with a 53-track tribute compilation dubbed The Metallica Blacklist.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A major children’s hospital in Tennessee is the latest to announce a requirement that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, which comes at a time when workplace mandates have sparked showdowns and lawsuits.
In a memo to staff sent Wednesday afternoon, employees of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and its fundraising offshoot ALSAC, were informed of the requirement and given a Sept. 9 deadline to get vaccinated.
“By September 10, employees who have refused vaccination or do not have an approved medical or religious exemption will be put on an unpaid administrative leave for two weeks,” wrote Dr. James R. Downing, president and CEO of the Memphis hospital.
“During this time, they have the opportunity to begin the vaccination process,” he added. “Those who fail to start the vaccination process will be terminated at the end of the two-week period.”
Downing noted the rapid spread of the delta variant, which he said is now responsible for some two-thirds of all COVID-19 cases in Memphis and Shelby County. He also expressed concern over the recent uptick in cases in the area and the potential of a corresponding surge in hospitalizations.
“Hundreds of millions of people around the world have safely received the COVID-19 vaccine,” Downing wrote. “The benefits far outweigh the risks.”
In statement to ABC News, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital said the decision to mandate vaccines was reached “after much research, analysis and discussion.”
“It is the right thing to keep our campus safe,” the hospital added. “Our duty to our patients frames everything we do. This is the logical next step to ensure we stay one step ahead of the virus.”
The statement added that ALSAC and the hospital share a campus and thereby are jointly implementing the policy.
St. Jude has more than 3,600 employees, according to its website. The Memphis Business Journal reported that ALSAC had some 1,240 local employees.
The hospital is the latest in a slew of employers — from school districts to airliners — that have announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates as workplaces begin to reopen.
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission said employers can legally require COVID-19 vaccinations to re-enter a physical workplace, as long as they follow requirements to find alternative arrangements for employees unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons or because they have religious objections.
Still, many employers have faced legal challenges and pushback from workers who refuse the shot.
More than 175 staffers at the Houston Methodist hospital were temporarily suspended without pay last month after not complying with a mandate, and a lawsuit was filed against the hospital. A Texas judge sided with the hospital, tossing out a lawsuit filed by 117 employees who were against getting the shot. Lawsuits over workplace vaccine requirements also have been leveled against a school district in California and a sheriff’s office in North Carolina.
Some 53% of the people 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Tennessee, and 47.2% are fully vaccinated, according to data released Friday.
Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 67.8% of the population over 18 has received at least one dose, and 59.1% are fully vaccinated. The public health agency has stated COVID-19 vaccines are “safe and effective,” as lawmakers and more implore more Americans to get vaccinated.
“Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines since they were authorized for emergency use by FDA,” the CDC said. “These vaccines have undergone and will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.”
ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Marlene Lenthang contributed to this report.
Yung Bleu has revealed the track list and release date for his debut album, Moon Boy, dropping next week.
According to Bleu’s social mediapages, the star-studded album features H.E.R, Kehlani, JohnLegend, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Gunna and Davido, while Moneybagg Yo and Kodak Black join Bleu on the track “Angels Never Cry.”
Moon Boy will also featureBleu’s singles “You’re Mines Still” with Drake, “Way More Close” with Big Sean, and “Baddest,” with Chris Brown and 2 Chainz.
After sharing the track list, fans on Twitter began asking the Alabama artist about a particular song featuring Wale and ChloeBailey that didn’t make the album.
“@YungBleu, you really didn’t put the song with Chloe and Wale on your album? Oh nah… that’s sick!” the fan wrote. Bleu responded, tweeting, “Columbia [Records] aka my old label ain’t wanna clear it.”
Yung Bleu was previously signed to Columbia Records through Boosie‘s independent label, Badazz Music Syndicate. Bleu later secured a management deal with Meek Mill‘s Dream Chasers.
It’s been just over three years since Dan + Shay put out their career-defining, self-titled 2018 album, and they’ve been hard at work on a follow-up. Earlier this month, they tweeted, “Just finished our best album yet.”
And while it’s not clear whether or not they’re ready to share more details, Dan + Shay have indicated they’ve got an announcement in the works. The group started teasing something on their social media this week, telling fans to be on the lookout for news coming tonight at 6 p.m. CT.
They’ve told fans when to expect their announcement, but Dan + Shay have kept pretty tight-lipped about what that announcement might be. A teaser video shows an epic but vague montage of clips and images. We see a silhouetted figure who looks an awful lot like Shay Mooney riding a bicycle, flowers floating on water, and both band mates relaxing by a pool.
A follow-up teaser clip builds on the aesthetics of the first video but is equally mysterious. A group of people ride bikes through the desert, as a collection of diverse families gather to watch.
“Good things are coming,” Dan + Shay cryptically captioned their second post.
To learn for sure what Dan + Shay are up to, tune into their socials tonight at 6 p.m. CT. In the meantime, the duo has released three non-album singles since their last album dropped. Two of those, “I Should Probably Go to Bed” and their Justin Bieber duet “10,000 Hours,” were back-to-back chart-topping hits.
Normani and Cardi B are taking a walk on the “Wild Side” together.
After fans speculated new Normani music was coming soon, the two have officially confirmed that their new collab, called “Wild Side,” is dropping this Friday.
Both artists unveiled the cover art for the single, featuring them lounging naked with long flowing hair strategically covering their bodies. Shortly after, Cardi and Normani became trending Twitter topics worldwide.
“The world is ready for Normani supremacy !!!!” Cardi tweeted.
Normani also hinted at the music video, tweeting at Cardi, “okay sooooo I just watched the video again. sis what the actual [expletive].”
To which Cardi responded, “Ommmmgggg I’m nervous!!!!! But then again I’m not YOU DID THAT!!!!!!! I hope and you better be proud of yourself!!”
(WASHINGTON) — As the first round of monthly child tax credits hit Americans’ bank accounts Thursday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris took a victory lap at the White House, speaking about the “historic day” for American families and emphasizing the sea change the payments could represent for millions of American children living in poverty.
“Today, for families all over our country, for children all over our country, help is here,” Harris said, before introducing the president. “This has never happened before. And America, yes, it is a big deal.”
Biden and Harris marked the rollout of checks and direct deposits from the child tax credit with a White House event featuring Americans set to benefit. Both leaders nodded to those families in their remarks.
“This has the potential to reduce child poverty in the same way that the Social Security reduced poverty for the elderly,” Biden said.
With the policy, families making less than $150,000 a year and single parents making less than $112,500 are now eligible for a credit of up to $3,600 per child. Payments will be going out to 39 million households, according to the IRS.
Biden frequently touted the payments as a “middle-class tax cut,” saying it’s geared toward “the folks who are struggling, or just looking for a little bit, as my dad would say, a little bit of breathing room.”
“Ninety-seven percent of the children receiving this credit come from working families, and the other 3% include kids being raised by retired grandparents or by someone with a serious disability,” he said.
Those families who qualify for the credit, which was expanded as part of Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, will receive monthly payments without taking any further action. Initial eligibility will be based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns, the IRS has said.
“I think this will be one of the things that the Vice President and I will be most proud of when our terms are up,” Biden added.
The president also took the chance from the bully pulpit to put pressure on Congress to extend the tax cut — since it’s set to expire in after a year.
“These tax cut payments are arriving automatically. But it didn’t happen automatically,” Biden said.
Through Democrats’ $3.5 trillion human infrastructure plan, the tax credit could get an extension. Biden argued the case, speaking directly to lawmakers.
“We shouldn’t let taxes go up on working families. We shouldn’t let child poverty continue to stain the conscience or drag down our economy. And so, I say to my colleagues in Congress: this tax cut for working families is something we should extend, not end next year,” he continued. “So I say to my colleagues in Congress. This tax cut for working families is something we should extend not end next year. And I say to all of you watching. Make sure your family, friends and community know about this tax cut.”
The latest expansion under Biden increased the child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,000 for children over 6, and to $3,600 for children under 6.
While Biden laid out the mechanics of the payments in his remarks, he did not give a plan to reach families whose income is so low that they don’t usually pay taxes. The Treasury Department has estimated that automatic payments will go out to 88% of childrens’ families nationwide, but that leaves about 7.8 million children whose families would have to sign up to receive the payments. He urged families to visit Childtaxcredit.gov, but questions remain about the administration’s overall outreach effort.
Biden closed his remarks by highlighting some of his achievements in office, linking the “groundbreaking effort” of the child tax credit to the “wartime effort” to get Americans vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We’re proving that democracy can deliver for people and deliver in a timely way — saving lives, improving lives, helping fuel record-setting recovery, giving working families a fighting chance again,” he said.
This week, the Academy of Country Music is sharing details about its 14th annual ACM Honors ceremony, which will take place on August 25 and be hosted by two-time ACM Award winner Carly Pearce.
Each year, the ACM Honors celebrates special honorees and winners from the ACM Awards. This year’s show will focus on both the awards show that took place in 2021 and last year’s event, since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the ACM Honors from taking place in person in 2020.
Additionally, the first round of performers for the show have been announced. Lady A, Hardy, Chris Janson and Ashley McBryde are just a few of the acts who’ll take the stage. Other performers include Lauren Alaina, Devin Dawson, Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack and RaeLynn.
The ACM previously announced a list of Special Award recipients who will be honored in August. Those include Loretta Lynn, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Lady A and others.
More special guests and performers will be announced in the weeks ahead. The ACM Honors will return to its usual venue home, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. VIP and general admission tickets are available now, and you can also watch the event via livestream on the Circle Network’s social channels.
(AUSTIN) — While the focus in Texas politics is on state legislators and a stalled special session, the speculation over Matthew McConaughey’s possible run for governor of Texas continues to garner steady interest.
The Academy Award-winning actor has teased the idea of a potential 2022 gubernatorial run for months but more recently called it “an honest consideration.”
“What an awesome privilege, an awesome responsibility, awesome position of sacrifice and service,” McConaughey said about the potential run while featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in May. “It’s something I’m trying to look in the eye and give honest consideration.”
In March, he told GMA3’s T.J. Holmes simply that it’s a “consideration.”
“It’s consideration until it’s anything else. I’m weighing my options again about what is my role going forward,” he said.
The buzz around McConaughey’s entrance into politics comes as his state of Texas was thrust into the spotlight this week over Republican-backed efforts to revise the state’s election and voting laws, causing a large group of state Democratic Representatives to flee the state in an effort to block the bill by breaking quorum.
But even if McConaughey were to run, questions remain about the type of politician he might be. According to reporting by ABC Austin affiliate KVUE, the actor has only voted twice in Texas since 2012 — in the 2018 and 2020 general elections, as indictated by state voting records — and there is no record of him making campaign donations at the state or national level. He has also declined to say whether he would run as a Democrat or a Republican, the affiliate reported.
Although he lacks political experience, McConaughey has taught film production at his alma mater, the University of Texas, Austin, since 2015. During the pandemic, he created a tutorial on how to make a DIY face-mask. And when a deadly ice storm tore through Texas, McConaughey hosted a virtual benefit, enlisting help from his Hollywood friends to raise millions through his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation.
McConaughey wouldn’t be the first person to make the transition from the world of entertainment to politics. Former President Donald Trump and Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ran successful bids, but star status, while helpful, doesn’t ensure victory. Olympic Gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner is seeking to use her celebrity status to oust California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election but has failed to gain momentum. In 2018, Soap opera star Antonio Sabato Jr. was unsuccessful in his bid for a California congressional seat as was Cynthia Nixon when she tried to unseat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Still, politicians have been closely looking out for McConaughey’s next move. The incumbent, Gov. Greg Abbott, said during an appearance on Fox News last week that he’s not dismissing McConaughey as a competitor. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is also taking McConaughey’s potential bid seriously, saying on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show last month that “a good-looking, charming, affable movie star can be a really formidable candidate on the ballot.”
“And I hope that doesn’t happen, but you know what? He’s going to have to make his own decision whether he’s going to run or not,” Cruz said.
The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election will take place on Nov. 8, 2022, with Abbott seeking reelection for a third term.
While it is unclear whether McConaughey will jump into the race, he would need to file a candidate declaration of intent by Dec. 13.
