The cast for Bachelor in Paradise season 7 has been revealed.
After skipping the 2020 season due to the pandemic, the popular Bachelor spin-off — which features fan favorites from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette returning for another shot at love — is finally back, with 19 contestants ready to find romance at a beachside Mexican resort.
This season, the only two contestants to have previously competed on Bachelor in Paradise are Joe Amabile from Becca Kufrin‘s season of The Bachelorette, and Tahzjuan Hawkins from Colton Underwood‘s season of The Bachelor.
Fresh off competing for Katie Thurston‘s heart on the current Bachelorette season is Karl Smith. The rest of this season’s contestants all appeared in Bachelor or Bachelorette seasons featuring Peter Weber, Clare Crawley, Tayshia Adams or Matt James.
In addition to a new cast, ABC News previously confirmed that a series of celebrities would be taking over hosting duties on Bachelor in Paradise in the wake of longtime host Chris Harrison‘s departure from the franchise. They include NSYNC singer Lance Bass, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess, rapper Lil Jon and comedian David Spade.
Bachelor in Paradise season 7 premieres Monday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Here are the contestants:
Abigail Heringer of The Bachelor 25 (Matt’s season)
Brendan Morais of The Bachelorette 16 (Clare and Tayshia’s season)
Deandra Kanu of The Bachelor 24 (Peter’s season)
Ivan Hall of The Bachelorette 16 (Clare and Tayshia)
Jessenia Cruz of The Bachelor 25 (Matt)
Joe Amabile of The Bachelorette 14 (Becca’s season)
Karl Smith of The Bachelorette 17 (Katie’s season)
Kelsey Weir of The Bachelor 24 (Peter)
Kenny Braasch of The Bachelorette 16 (Clare and Tayshia)
Mari Pepin-Solis of The Bachelor 25 (Matt)
Maurissa Gunn of The Bachelor 24 (Peter)
Natasha Parker of The Bachelor 24 (Peter)
Noah Erb of The Bachelorette 16 (Tayshia)
Serena Chew of The Bachelor 25 (Matt)
Serena Pitt of The Bachelor 25 (Matt)
Tahzjuan Hawkins of The Bachelor 23 (Colton’s season)
Tammy Ly of The Bachelor 24 (Peter)
Victoria Larson of The Bachelor 25 (Matt)
Victoria Paul of The Bachelor 24 (Peter)
Many are concerned about Wale after he shared that he was “extremely sick” on his Instagram Story Wednesday.
According to HotNewHipHop, the “Angles” rapper told his four million followers that he will be taking a social media hiatus to focus on his health and well being.
“I am out of commission. I been extremely sick since Saturday. I’ve missed many calls and texts,” Wale wrote. “Thank you to everybody who called wit[h] genuine concern. I ain’t sure how long I’ll be down but this…aint slight. Soon as I can come back strong, I’ll be back strong. As for now management will run my socials. Much love, see yall soon – Wale.”
Wale didn’t provide any details on his illness, but we wish him a speedy recovery so he can get back to sharing new music from his upcoming album, Folarin 2.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday the drawdown of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will be completed by Aug. 31, as instability and violence ratchet up in the region.
“Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart,” he said.
“We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build. And it’s the right and the responsibility of Afghan people, alone, to decide their future and how they want to run their country,” the president continued.
Biden said it was time to end the nation’s longest war, noting “2,448 Americans killed, 20,722 more wounded and untold thousands coming home with unseen trauma to their mental health,” adding, “I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome.”
Asked if a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is now inevitable, Biden said it isn’t because “the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped, as well-equipped as any army in the world, and an air force, against something like 75,000 Taliban.”
Prior to delivering the speech, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received a briefing on the drawdown from their national security team.
The White House has stood firm in defense of Biden’s decision to pull out, citing internal analysis concluding that a military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan is unlikely.
But the Taliban are continuing to gain ground, with an aggressive summer offensive through northern provinces in recent weeks that has seized control of dozens of districts.
Biden administration officials have also defended the military withdrawal by saying that U.S. intelligence indicated the threat to U.S. forces from Taliban militants would have significantly increased throughout summer.
“When he announced our drawdown, he made clear that the Taliban would have been shooting at U.S. troops again after May 1. And the withdrawal deadline negotiated by the previous administration kind of set that timeline,” Psaki said July 2, adding that an administration review of options to advance U.S. interests in Afghanistan “did not sugarcoat what the likely outcomes would be” with continued engagement in the region.
The withdrawal, which Biden had said would wrap up by Sept. 11, unfolded ahead of schedule. Bagram Air Base, the main hub of military operations in Afghanistan for the past two decades, was handed over to Afghan forces July 2. In a statement on Monday, U.S. Central Command indicated the withdrawal was about 90% complete. A small force of about 650 will remain in Afghanistan after the withdrawal to protect the U.S. Embassy and, for now, the Kabul airport.
“Our presence is small, both materially and physically,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.
But since U.S. troops began pulling out of Afghanistan, security has rapidly deteriorated. Taliban militants have swept through dozens of districts, seizing control and either slaughtering Afghan troops or winning their surrender. Hundreds of Afghan forces also fled across the northern Afghan border into Tajikstan when faced with the growing Taliban threat, although they are now expected to return to the country. Some have already been flown back into Afghanistan.
Amid the recent clashes, the Biden administration is still emphasizing a negotiated settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Those talks, hosted in Doha, Qatar, have been all but dead since they began last September and reached an agenda in November.
The two sides met again Wednesday in Tehran and agreed that “war is not the solution to Afghanistan’s problems,” according to the Taliban spokesperson in Doha.
In those districts retaken by the Taliban last month, militants have evicted families and looted and torched their homes, according to Human Rights Watch, allegedly in retaliation for working with the Afghan government.
There is also concern for the safety of thousands of translators, drivers and other Afghans who assisted U.S. forces and diplomats during the war and are now targets of Taliban militants. In his remarks Thursday, Biden spoke directly to that population to assure them of U.S. support.
“Starting this month…we’re going to begin relocation flights for Afghanistan SIV applicants and their families who choose to leave. We have a point-person in the White House and at the State Department-led task force coordinating all these efforts,” Biden said.
“Our message to those women and men is clear: There is a home for you in the United States, if you so choose, and we will stand with you just as you stood with us,” he added.
While the Biden administration has confirmed it is working to move some of the affected Afghans out of the country to safe locations to await special immigrant visas that would allow them to move to the U.S., the administration has not specified how many will be moved, how quickly or where.
A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News on Friday that the group may be moved to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan — three of Afghanistan’s northern neighbors in Central Asia — but stressed the planning was still early and no decisions had been made. A second U.S. official confirmed Thursday the list also includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Biden hosted his Afghan counterpart, President Ashraf Ghani, and High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah at the White House June 25.
Sitting down with the pair of Afghan leaders, Biden shared an optimistic message.
“The partnership between Afghanistan and the United States is not ending. It’s going to be sustained. And, you know, our troops may be leaving, but support for Afghanistan is not ending, in terms of support and maintenance of their — helping maintain their military, as well as economic and political support,” Biden said.
But Biden grew visibly agitated Friday when reporters peppered him with questions about the future of Afghanistan.
“Look, we were in that war for 20 years, 20 years. And I think — I met with the Afghan government here in the White House, in the Oval. I think they have the capacity to be able to sustain the government. There are going to have to be, down the road, more negotiations, I suspect,” Biden said. “But I am — I am concerned that they deal with the internal issues that they have to be able to generate the kind of support they need nationwide to maintain the government.”
Prior to the Fourth of July weekend, Biden groused about continued questions on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
“I want to talk about happy things, man,” Biden said.
(CHICAGO) — A 28-year-old man accused of shooting three law enforcement officers on Chicago’s South Side has been arrested.
Eugene McLaurin, a Chicago resident, has been federally charged with one count of using a dangerous and deadly weapon to assault an ATF agent, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, in connection with the shooting, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
McLaurin was expected to appear in court later on Thursday.
Two ATF Chicago agents and one Chicago Police Department officer were shot Wednesday morning on the heels of a violent holiday weekend where shootings in the city reached triple digits.
The officers were driving in the Morgan Park neighborhood, near an on-ramp to Interstate 57, just before 6 a.m. when they were fired upon by another vehicle, Chicago Police Superintendent David O’Neal Brown told reporters Wednesday morning. The officers were undercover and in an unmarked car.
The officers were participating in a federal investigation when they noticed that a white Chevrolet Malibu was following them, according to the Justice Department. After the officer took note of the license plate, the driver in the Malibu pulled alongside the vehicle, rolled the windows down and opened fire, officials said.
The Malibu was later found parked on a street in Chicago, and McLaurin was taken into custody later on Wednesday, according to the justice department. The investigation into the shooting continues.
The officers’ injuries were not life-threatening. One of the ATF agents was struck in the hand, the other was hit on the side of the torso and the police officer was grazed in the back of the head, Brown said. They were taken to Christ Medical Center and were last reported in stable condition, said Tom Ahern, deputy director of the police department’s news affairs and communications,
One of the ATF agents is female, while the other two officers are male, and all three are senior officers, he added.
Brown declined to provide details on the case the officers were working to avoid compromising the investigation.
The attack marks brings the tally of officers shot in Chicago this year to 36, Brown said. The shooting comes after a deadly Fourth of July weekend in the city, when 100 people were shot, 18 of whom died, including a 15-year-old boy, ABC Chicago station WLS reported. Two Chicago Police officers and five children 13 and younger were among the injured.
Brown said Tuesday that Chicago officers were “performing at the highest level” and are “risking everything to protect the people of Chicago.”
“They are doing their part, and no one would do what these officers are doing right now,” Brown said. “This is a very challenging time to be in law enforcement right now. They are rising to the challenge, doing all they can. The work they do is extremely dangerous.”
Speaking from outside the hospital, Chicago Alderman Matt O’Shea urged President Joe Biden to come to Chicago and offer additional assistance to the city, saying that 100,000 armed gang members who “have absolutely no fear, no respect for life” are wreaking havoc on the city. Residents are scared to let their children play outside, he said.
“Our communities are under siege,” he said. “Our police officers are under siege. They’re outmanned and they’re outgunned.”
Biden was met by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot upon landing in Chicago Wednesday afternoon. During the greeting, Biden expressed his personal support for the law enforcement officers that were injured and reiterated his commitment to working with the city in the fight against gun violence, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Biden was scheduled to visit Crystal Lake, a city about 45 miles northwest of Chicago, Wednesday afternoon.
ABC News’ Cheryl Gendron, Rachel Katz and Alex Perez contributed to this report.
Friendship truly never ends: The Spice Girls have taken to social media to celebrate today’s 25th anniversary of “Wannabe.”
“25 years! Can you believe it?!,” Mel C, aka Sporty Spicewrote. “With the help of our amazing fans this song catapulted us on our incredible journey, so much love and thanks to you guys today, the wonderful [‘Wannabe’ co-writers] Matt [Rowe] and Biff [Stannard], and my darling Spice Girls.”
She added, “So many memories! Happy Birthday Wannabe! Can’t wait until we Zig a zig ahh again!!!”
Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, posted two images of the group and one of a gold ring. She wrote, “25 years of ‘Wannabe.’ Wow. The song that changed the lives of five girls from Britain. The first picture was taken in my back garden…we were all listening to the radio together that day we went to number 3 in the charts!!”
Ginger continued, “The black and white picture was from our first ever photoshoot! And…I bought a gold ring for each of the girls when we first got together, as a symbol of our friendship. It’s a special bond that continues to stand the test of time. I’m so proud of everything we have achieved together, girls.”
Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, wrote, “Zigazigahhhhhh!!! Feeling very emotional, what an amazing 25 years it has been. Thanks to our wonderful fans for making 5 girls’ dreams come true, loving the songs that we wrote, copying our dance routines and embracing our individuality!”
Even Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, who sat out the group’s sold-out 2019 stadium tour, posted a message, writing, “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since Wannabe was released…the song that changed everything!”
Lil Baby is making a name for himself in the music industry, which brings criticism from others about his music.
On Thursday, the 26-year-old My Turn rapper caught wind of a video clip from influencer Logan Paul criticizing his music last year during an episode of his podcast, Impaulsive.
“Lil Baby, he’ll pop up on my Spotify…I’m scrolling through, and I…can’t get away from Lil Baby songs,” Paul said during a discussion about the saturation of hip-hop artists.. “I’m all for new artists but this one in particular I have no idea what he’s saying. I have none. And it all sounds the same, his tone is the same. It’s all the same. I give him a year.”
Paul’s comments lit a fire under the Grammy-nominated rapper to simply make more millions from his music. Baby responded by tweeting, “Logan who?” before adding, “More like give em a year to have 100ms.”
Hootie & the Blowfish are here to help you stoke your ’90s nostalgia and get a tan at the same time.
The group is hosting HootieFest: The Big Splash, a “destination concert vacation event” that will take place at Moon Palace Cancún, Mexico from January 26-29. The four-day event will include three headlining performances from Hootie on the beach, as well as daytime entertainment and nightly concerts by Barenaked Ladies, Toad the West Sprocket, Spin Doctors, Better than Ezra, Sister Hazel, Blues Traveler, and Toadies.
Pool parties, tequila and beer tastings, beach games and yoga sessions are also part of the entertainment at the event, which is sort of like being on one of those music cruises, except you stay in one place.
“We were blown away by the response from fans during our last tour,” Hootie singer Darius Rucker says in a statement, referring to their 2019 Group Therapy tour. “It was so special to be back on stage together and to know that people still love the music as much as we do. What better way to keep that celebration going than in Mexico!?”
Packages including accommodations, concert access, transportation and more go on sale Thursday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET A 24-hour pre-sale starts Wednesday a 1 p.m. ET. For more information, visit Hootiefest.com.
(NEW YORK) — A coalition of 36 states and the District of Columbia are suing Google, alleging the tech giant illegally wields monopoly power over its app store.
The suit, filed late Wednesday in California federal court, is the latest in a spate of bipartisan attacks on Big Tech’s dominance from lawmaker and regulators. It is the fourth antitrust suit filed against Google by government agencies in the past year.
The latest lawsuit specifically takes aim at Google’s Play Store app store. In a complaint that is nearly 150 pages, the state attorneys general argue that “Google has taken steps to close the ecosystem from competition and insert itself as the middleman between app developers and consumers.”
“Unbeknownst to most consumers who own a mobile device running Android, every time they purchase an app from the Google Play Store, or purchase digital content or subscriptions within an app, up to 30% of the money they pay goes to Google,” the complaint said. Moreover, the complaint states that to collect and maintain this commission, “Google has employed anticompetitive tactics to diminish and disincentivize competition in Android app distribution.”
Many of the arguments in the court documents echo similar sentiments expressed by “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, which has repeatedly taken aim at Apple and Google for their app store commissions. A federal judge’s decision regarding Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple is expected to be announced soon.
Wilson White, Google’s senior director of public policy, called the latest lawsuit “meritless” in a company blog post.
“We built Android to create more choices in mobile technology. Today, anyone, including our competitors, can customize and build devices with the Android operating system — for free,” White wrote. “We also built an app store, Google Play, that helps people download apps on their devices. If you don’t find the app you’re looking for in Google Play, you can choose to download the app from a rival app store or directly from a developer’s website.”
“So it’s strange that a group of state attorneys general chose to file a lawsuit attacking a system that provides more openness and choice than others,” White added.
White argues that the lawsuit’s allegations that consumers and developers have no option other than to use Google Play is “not correct,” noting that device makers and carriers can preload competing app stores alongside Google Play on their devices and that most Android devices ship with two or more app stores preloaded.
Moreover, White stated that developers have earned over $80 billion through the Google Play app store and nearly two million American jobs have been created through the “Android app economy.”
“We understand that scrutiny is appropriate, and we’re committed to engaging with regulators,” he added. “But Android and Google Play provide openness and choice that other platforms simply don’t. This lawsuit isn’t about helping the little guy or protecting consumers. It’s about boosting a handful of major app developers who want the benefits of Google Play without paying for it.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been taking aim at the dominance of America’s tech companies in recent years as their size and influence rises. Last month, an outspoken critic of Big Tech’s dominance, Lina Khan, was sworn in as the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission, leaving many to speculate if a new crackdown on the industry could be imminent.
Lil’ Mo tapped T-Pain and rapper and radio personality Fatman Scoop for assistance on her new single, “Shining Star.”
T-Pain adds his signature Auto-Tune to the upbeat track and mentions buying a special woman a Hermès Birkin bag. Fatman Scoop keeps the energy going with ad-libs, while Lil’ Mo lyrically describes herself as a woman who lives unapologetically.
“She glows, she glitter, she shine / She sexy, she gorgeous, she fine / She loyal she don’t break no bonds/ Pretty girls like her hard to find,” Mo sings on the bridge.
According to Lil’ Mo’s Instagram, her son, Justin, lent background vocals to “Shining Star,” which she calls a “summer anthem.” “Ladies this GLOW is contagious. Come shine,” Mo concludes the post.
Lil’ Mo also shared a video clip of her appearance on N.O.R.E‘s Drink Champs podcast. She discusses the high and lows of her career, including meeting Missy Elliot and signing to Elektra Records, which released her 2001 debut album, Based on a True Story.
“Cuz Missy can really sing,” Mo says in a clip, shared on Instagram. “She was just like, ‘yo, I’m bout to go on tour. You trying to go?’ and I was like yea. I quit beauty school literally right on the spot. I was like I ain’t going back. I told them I was gone be famous anyway.”
Lil’ Mo’s episode of Drink Champs airs tonight at 10 p.m. EST on Revolt TV.
Kane Brown joins a star-studded list of presenters as part of the upcoming 2021 ESPYS Presented by Capital One, the awards show that celebrates the best in sports.
Kane’s the sole presenter from the country genre, but he’s not the only musician: Rapper DaBaby will also hand out an award. Other celebrity presenters include actor Taye Diggs, YouTube star Dude Perfect, actor/comedian Tracy Morgan, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and many more.
The 2021 ESPYS, which will be hosted by actor/producer Anthony Mackie, is set to air on ABC on July 10. The show will take place in New York City.
Kane’s passion for sports has been well documented over the years. Specifically, when it launches in October, his 2021 Blessed & Free Tour will highlight his love of basketball. The tour route includes stops at all 29 NBA arenas, making Kane the first-ever country star to hit each one on a headlining tour.
