(NEW YORK) — If you were trying to make a purchase on Amazon overnight, you may have run into some issues.
Several users went on Twitter to complain that they couldn’t get past the homepage after logging into their accounts or that they weren’t able to complete their purchases.
The website Downdetector, which tracks outages, says there were more than 38,000 reports of users having trouble with Amazon’s site after 11 p.m. ET Sunday.
On this date in 2014, “Somethin’ Bad” — a duet between two of country music’s biggest female artists — became a #1 hit. Neither singer was a stranger to the top spot on the chart, but the song was the first chart-topping duet between two female solo acts in two decades. Do you know who sang it? ANSWER: Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert.
E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt was honored by the American Federation of Teachers over the weekend and, during the emotional ceremony, praised teachers for being “on the frontlines against ignorance.”
According to a statement from AFT, Van Zandt, 70, was awarded the organization’s Making a Difference award for his support of teachers, inclusive of his “years of work promoting and appreciating the work of educators” through his philanthropy.
The guitarist appeared virtually at the federation’s TEACH summer educational issues conference on Saturday.
“This is an amazing award, coming from my favorite people — you,” Van Zandt began in his pre-recorded speech. “You, my friends, are the ones who make a difference every day. Teachers are on the frontlines against ignorance. Honestly, we have never needed you more.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also praised the arts-inclusive twist on the STEM acronym, now called STEAM to include arts education.
“There are no wrong answers in the arts,” said Van Zandt. “The arts provide a comfort zone, and that extends to other disciplines.”
He closed his speech by praising all educators, saying, “I can’t overstate my appreciation for all you do and for this award. I salute you. You are helping to create the next generation of engineers, scientists, doctors, nurses, artists, activists, writers and even musicians.”
In the statement, AFT president Randi Weingarten said they chose Van Zandt to receive the honor because he “passionately spreads the gospel of teachers’ tireless work and actively engages with teachers and students during regular classroom visits and through TeachRock.org, his free online music and arts curriculum.”
The statement adds, “He lends his name and notoriety to supporting educators, which is particularly special given everything they’ve done to support students in the last year.”
John Singleton wasn’t afraid to take a chance on new talent when he made his feature directorial debut Boyz n the Hood in 1991.As the seminal film celebrates its 30th anniversary, Singleton, who passed away in 2019 after suffering a stroke, told ABC Audio two years prior that looking at the success of the actors he helped “put on,” like Ice Cube, was always a source of pride for him as a director.
“It’s a pleasant surprise. I mean to see that people have had long careers and they’ve gone on to do other things,” Singleton said. “Ice Cube has transitioned from being an actor-producer to almost mini mogul — making a lot of things happen in different ways in film and television.”
Even though Boyz n the Hood also was Cube’s acting debut, the accomplished filmmaker — who, at 24, became the youngest person to receive a Best Director Oscar nomination thanks to the movie — says he takes no credit for the rapper’s success.
“I can’t take credit for any of that stuff — those of really talented people,” he says. “All they really needed was an opening in the business and they just ran with it.”
One of those “really talented people” is Tyrese Gibson, who starred in Singleton’s 2001 film Baby Boy. Gibson says he’s “grateful” that the director also saw something in him like he did Cube.
“John Singleton chased me for five years the way he did Ice Cube, the way he did a lot of people that made their acting debut in a film,” Tyrese says. “He was a visionary. He envisioned a lot for people that we may have not envisioned for ourselves.”
He continues, “There would not be a such thing as a Fast and Furious, Four Brothers, Waist Deep, Baby Boy, Transformers,” listing off his acting credits. “All of the movies that I’ve been able to do [would] be no such thing if John Singleton didn’t see something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Monday released a statement in solidarity with the thousands of Cubans who protested over the weekend about shortages and rising prices for food and medicine amid the coronavirus pandemic in what’s being called an unprecedented rejection of the nation’s government.
“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime,” Biden said in a statement.
“The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves,” he said.
Sunday’s protest was one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in Cuba in recent history and Biden has been called on to show support for the protests.
One of the first responses from the U.S. government came overnight from Julie Chung, the acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, who tweeted out support for the Cuban people’s right for peaceful assembly but condemned any violence — a sentiment echoed by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla threw cold water on the U.S. statements on Monday, saying the White House has “no political or moral authority to speak about Cuba.”
“His government has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to promote subversion in our country & implements a genocidal blockade, which is the main cause of economic scarcities,” he tweeted, referring directly to Sullivan’s statement.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a televised address earlier Monday, acknowledged public grievances relating to blackouts, food and medicine shortages, but defended the regime’s leadership and, instead, blamed many of the island’s problems on the U.S. embargo.
Díaz-Canel also accused the “imperialists” — a term commonly used to refer to the U.S. — of interfering by stoking tensions on social media, allegedly urging the public to go out onto the streets.
Along with experiencing an economic crisis, the country is dealing with another deadly surge of COVID-19.
Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez apparently went Dutch when it came to their honeymoon: The singer has posted a bunch of photos of a trip to Amsterdam and The Netherlands.
Ari captioned the photos with emojis of a snail and a waffle, both of which are apparently associated with Amsterdam. The images include videos of a swan and a ladybug, but what gives their location away is that the two are seen posing inside a set of giant wooden shoes. There’s also a beautiful picture of a windmill and a shot of one of Amsterdam’s famous canals.
The two seem to have taken a boat ride, visited a jazz club and traveled by train while they were there, based on the pictures and some videos on Ari’s Instagram story. It’s not clear when the honeymoon took place, but Ari is still wearing her signature ponytail. There have been reports recently that she’s switched that out for a bob, but that’s unconfirmed.
Ari and Dalton wed in an intimate ceremony in May after they began dating last year.
Foo Fighters have shared a live performance video for their cover of the Bee Gees song “You Should Be Dancing.”
The clip transports Dave Grohl and company, here referred to as the Dee Gees, back to a ’70s disco straight out of Saturday Night Fever as they funk their way through the song. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.
The Foos first premiered their “You Should Be Dancing” cover back in February during a BBC Radio 2 performance. It’ll also appear on their upcoming Bee Gees tribute compilation Hail Satin, which will be released in independent record stores for this Saturday’s Record Store Day event.
HailSatin follows Foo Fighters’ new album Medicine at Midnight, which was released earlier this year. It includes the singles “Shame Shame” and “Waiting on a War.”
Another summer means another summer music playlist from Barack Obama.
Over the weekend, the former president took to social media to share what he’s listening to these days. Like past playlists, the 2021 edition encompasses a range of genres, with songs from Jazmine Sullivan, Arooj Aftab, Wye Oak, Migos, Joni Mitchell, Chicago, Rihanna, JAY-Z, Erykah Badu, Brandi Carlile, George Harrison and many more.
Alongside the 38-track list, Obama wrote, “With so many folks getting together with family and friends, there’s a lot to celebrate this summer. Here’s a playlist of songs I’ve been listening to lately — it’s a mix of old and new, household names and emerging artists, and a whole lot in between.”
The former POTUS also shared his summer reading list, which includes 11 titles from authors David Diop, Eric Nguyen, Elizabeth Kolbert, Andy Weir, Katie Kitamura and others.
“Whether you’re camped out on the beach or curled up on the couch on a rainy day, there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a great book in the summer,” he shared. “While we were still in the White House, I began sharing my summer favorites — and over the years, it’s become a little tradition that I look forward to sharing with you all. So without further ado, here are some books I’ve read recently.”
Obama concluded, “Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.”
Former Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton chose an Independence Day-themed greeting to fans to celebrate her three years of independence from booze.
“It’s July when we celebrate our nation’s freedom,” the Emmy winner posted Sunday to Instagram while on a 3.5 mile hike. “Also celebrating three years of freedom from alcohol for me.”
The former star of The Middle pledged support to fans who might need a boost, too. “Message me if any of you are thinking about doing that, any of you are doing that now and need some encouragement or anything at all,” she said before closing with, “Have a great day.”
Heaton toldParade magazine last year that she decided to give up booze because she found herself partaking a bit too much. “I noticed that I was looking forward every night to cocktails. And if I happened to go to lunch, I might have a glass of wine or Prosecco,” she explained.
The 63-year-old actress told the publication, “I miss it terribly, but at the end of the day, I feel better.”
She also added, “There’s an actual statistic that women who were moderate drinkers in their 30s and 40s often become alcoholics in their 50s and 60s. I think it’s something about your children leaving the house and the things that used to anchor you are no longer there. You’re a little bit at sea, and so you reach for the bottle to dull the uncertainty. I sensed that a bit with myself.”
Heaton said then, “I’ve stopped, and my life has improved significantly. My kids are in their mid-20s and I’ll probably be in my 70s by the time I have grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them.”
Mickey Guyton has shared plans for a full-length studio album called Remember Her Name. The singer co-wrote 15 of her new project’s 16 tracks, and she says it’s a personal reflection of her journey through Nashville and country music stardom.
“Remember Her Name is a culmination of the last ten years of my life in Nashville,” Mickey says. “…All those years ago, I set out to create music that would make people feel self-empowered, loved and comfortable with being themselves and this album holds true to all of that. I hope everyone who listens finds something that connects and speaks to them.”
Mickey’s new album will include a number of songs already familiar to fans, including “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” and “Black Like Me” as well as “Rosé,” from her Bridges EP.
The project also includes Mickey’s version of Beyoncé’s 2008 hit, “If I Were a Boy,” a cover version the country singer first shared earlier in 2021. It’s also the only track on Remember Her Name that Mickey didn’t have a hand in writing.
According to CMT,Remember Her Name‘s title track was inspired by Breonna Taylor, the Louisville, Kentucky Black woman who was unintentionally shot and killed by police officers in her home in March 2020.
“When I was thinking about…Breonna Taylor, and seeing inaction regarding her murder, I thought, ‘I need to bring justice to her life,’” Mickey told CMT. “…The frustration that I’ve felt as an African-American has been a part of my process for a while. So the song, and album, are dedicated to Breonna Taylor and giving her the justice that she deserves.”
Remember Her Name is due out September 24. It’s available for pre-order now.
