In celebration of his 29th birthday on Thursday, Nick Jonas decided to give his fans a gift.
The singer and his tequila company Villa One are giving away a signed, custom Gibson Villa One guitar.
“Being on the road and performing with my brothers again has been amazing,” Nick tells People. “I have been feeling really grateful, so for my birthday, I wanted to do something special for my fans and give them the chance to win an item that represents a couple of things that bring me joy — music and tequila.”
In order to enter, follow Villa One on Instagram and click the link in their bio. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 21.
Meanwhile, the Jonas Brothers are set to release their new song, “Who’s in Your Head,” on Friday.
Post Malone‘s Posty Fest is back this year and has expanded to two days with a lineup including Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Roddy Ricch, Tyga and Jack Harlow.
The bill, which Malone revealed Thursday on Instagram, is set to feature over 20 acts performing October 30-31 at AT&T Stadium in Post’s hometown of Arlington, Texas.
The “Rockstar” rapper says that in addition to music, the festival will also offer carnival games, rides, monster trucks, karaoke, giveaways, and much more
Last year, the annual event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Pharrell Williams, Meek Mill, Jaden Smith, Doja Cat, Rae Sremmurd and Saint Jhn were among the artists who performed.
Tickets for Posty Fest 2021 are now on sale on Seatgeek.com.
Shawn Mendes is doing his part to fight climate change.
He’s announced that his Shawn Mendes Foundation, in partnership with Future Coalition, will be making a grant to support the Youth Climate Finance Alliance, which helps compensate and provide training for youth climate activists.
Shawn also plans to participate in actions led by the Youth Climate Finance Alliance, including attending virtual training sessions to better his understanding of climate finance.
“I’m excited to join in the climate movement alongside powerful youth climate organizers,” Shawn says in a statement. “Compensating young people for the climate activism work they are doing through the training is so important. We can’t wait to save our planet tomorrow, we need to defend it today and there is no better group leading change than young people.”
For car collectors and movie fans, there are few automobiles as iconic as James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5, and now you can own it — well, at least in coffee table book form.
Hero Collector Books has announced that on September 28 they’ll release James Bond’s DB5, the official, in-depth history of 007’s most famous whip, in a photo-packed 280-page book that was authorized by James Bond movie producers EON Productions.
The book’s release is timed to celebrate the October 8 premiere of the 25th James Bond film No Time To Die, Daniel Craig‘s final turn as 007, which features the DB5 prominently.
The car has appeared in eight 007 movies to date, starting with 1964’s Goldfinger, and although the super-spy has driven other gadget-packed cars over the years, the producers always return to the Aston, which they did for Craig’s first outing in the tuxedo, in 2006’s Casino Royale.
Craig provides a forward for the new book, which details virtually every inch of the vehicle, photographed in exquisite detail from bumper to bumper — and ejector seat to machine guns.
James Bond movie producer Michael G. Wilson and Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman also penned forwards for the book.
Reichman notes, “There are no other cars that enjoy such an exciting connection to such a beloved character and I hope this book demonstrates that among all the technical and marketing data that underpins car production, an indelible truth remains: great cars are wonders to behold, blending creativity with one crucial factor: fun.”
He adds, “Bond definitely enjoys the DB5. I hope you enjoy it too.”
Netflix has set a November 24 release date for True Story, an upcoming limited series loosely based on the life of Kevin Hart.
The seven-episode drama follows Hart as Kid, a world famous comedian whose life suddenly hangs in the balance after “a lost evening with his wayward older brother” threatens to destroy everything he’s built. Wesley Snipes, who has been tapped to play Hart’s older brother, will star alongside Tawny Newsome, Will Catlett, Paul Adelstein, Theo Rossi, Ash Santos, John Ales, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lauren London, and Billy Zane. True Story officially marks Hart’s dramatic series debut.
In other news, Deadline has learned that Giancarlo Esposito has been added to the cast of Jigsaw, an upcoming Netflix series based on the “largest heist ever attempted.” It centers on the true-story of when $70 billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy. Esposito joins Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, Tati Gabrielle, Peter Mark Kendall, Rosaline Elbay, Jai Courtney and Niousha Noor, who were previously announced. Production on Jigsaw has already begun at Netflix Studios in Brooklyn.
Finally, ZoeSaldaña is getting animated for her next big project. Netflix has announced that Saldaña will play Princess Maya in the upcoming series Maya and the Three. The nine-chapter series follows Maya, a rebellious warrior princess who learns on her fifteenth birthday that she must “forfeit her life” to the god of war or the world will suffer the consequences. To save those that she loves, Maya “embarks on a quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy” that promises to “defeat the gods and save humankind.” The series also stars Gabriel Iglesias, Alfred Molina, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, and Wyclef Jean among others. A release date for Maya and the Three has yet to be announced.
After announcing earlier this week that her third album, Blue Water Road, will be released in the winter, Kehlani has dropped the first single, “Altar.”
With a video set in an isolated country villa, Kehlani is joined by another female as she sings of romance.
“If I set a flame and I call your name/I’ll fix you a plate, we can go to dinner/We can share a meal your way/And I’ll play you the songs that you used to play,” the two-time Grammy nominee sings.
“Understanding grief and death has been a journey,” Kehlani commented in an emotional post on Instagram. “I’ve gained a lot of angels in my life but the last year has showed me that even after people have passed on, if I choose to, I can have an even closer relationship.”
“I thank my angels, my guides, all those who walk with me for allowing me to see them, feel them, hear them in full,” she continued. “I honor you in all i do. This is my offering. Enjoy. I love you.”
Blue Water Road will be the follow-up to Kehlani’s second album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in May 2020.
(LONDON) — The anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has launched giant billboards across the U.K. with slogans questioning the British monarchy.
“Secretive. Divisive. Undemocratic. Abolish the monarchy,” read some, while others have pictures of Prince Andrew, captioned: “Wanted: a democratic alternative to the monarchy,” and “No one is above the law,” referring to the lawsuit filed against the prince in New York.
Virginia Giuffre is suing the prince for alleged sexual assault and Wednesday the U.K.’s High Court confirmed that it will assist Giuffre’s lawyers in serving the prince his papers.
Prince Andrew has long denied Giuffre’s allegations which first surfaced in 2014, telling the BBC in a 2019 interview “I’ve said consistently and frequently that we never had any sort of sexual contact.”
“The lawyers acting for Ms. Giuffre have now provided further information to the High Court, and the High Court has accepted the request for service under the Hague Service Convention,” a representative for the High Court told ABC News in a statement.
The scandal surrounding Prince Andrew’s court case and other recent unrest in royal circles have boosted the anti-monarchist group, according to ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson.
“To put ads up like this isn’t a cheap exercise and it shows that Prince Andrew’s scandal, the disquiet caused by Meghan and Harry and the cash-for-honours controversy involving Prince Charles means that the anti-monarchist groups are gaining traction in this country as well as financial backing,” said Jobson.
The cash-for-honors controversy which Jobson refers to emerged this month after two British papers, The Sunday Times and The Mail uncovered evidence they claim shows a close aide of Prince Charles’ agreed to arrange an honor and faster access to British citizenship for a Saudi businessman after he donated generously to the prince’s charities.
Prince Charles denies any involvement in this matter. Clarence House released a statement saying: “The Prince of Wales has no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities and fully supports the investigation now under way by The Prince’s Foundation.”
“I don’t think it’s a danger to the monarchy but this is a sign that this is damaging their public image. After all, the monarchy is an unelected institution that requires public support for its very existence,” Jobson added.
“These billboards are expensive so Republic’s backers have had to put their hands in their pocket,” Jobson said.
Republic has set up a crowdfunding page which has so far made £25,000 (approximately $34,000 USD) to pay for the billboards which are now posted throughout the U.K. including in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and other cities.
The group says its launching this campaign in advance of Charles’ accession to the throne. “With polls showing young people wanting an elected head of state, the succession of King Charles will be a major turning point in the monarchy’s history and in the growth of Britain’s republican movement,” Graham Smith, Republic’s chief executive, is quoted as saying on the group’s website.
“We have been campaigning for the abolition of the monarchy for a long time but now we are at a crossroads. As the Queen’s reign draws to an end, it is time to demand a say in who should be our head of state,” Smith added.
“The royals are on a collision course with British values. The 2020s should be the decade when we finally get to decide who we have as our elected head of state,” Smith’s statement also reads.
The monarchy remains popular in the U.K., however. A recent Ipsos poll taken after the March interview involving Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, showed 41% of British people polled said that Britain’s future would be worse with the monarchy abolished. Thirty-one percent said its abolishment would make no difference, and only 19% said ending the monarchy would be better for Britain’s future.
The poll also showed that Queen Elizabeth remains the most popular royal with 40% choosing the queen as one of their favorite members of the royal family. Prince Charles ranked at 11% favorability, and Prince Andrew, at 2%.
“The Queen regularly tops the polls as the most popular member of the family” Jobson said, “and at this moment of transition between her and Charles obviously the anti-monarchy groups are trying to exploit the Prince of Wales’ comparative unpopularity and the uncertainty that the end of her reign will bring.”
(WASHINGTON) — Following months of negotiations, House Democrats advanced critical legislation late Wednesday that will help President Joe Biden deliver on a massive $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package filled with social and progressive priorities.
Thirteen House committees spent countless hours over the week marking up legislation to meet a self-imposed Sep. 15 deadline. The bill language passed by the committees will now be drafted into a final bill that is expected to be married with the Senate’s version of the bill in the coming weeks.
The negotiations this week were not without drama, as Democrats are dealing with growing disagreements on policy between progressives and moderates in the House, as well as skeptical holdouts Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who have concerns with overall spending.
Manchin has previously called for a “strategic pause” in moving forward with the reconciliation bill and has repeatedly said he does not support passing another multi-trillion dollar spending bill.
Biden on Wednesday held separate meetings with both Manchin and Sinema as a form of personal outreach.
“The president certainly believes there’ll be ongoing discussions,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday. “Not that there’s necessarily going to be a conclusion out of those today, but that was the primary focus and purpose of these meetings.”
The final bill will include significant new investments in health care, child care, higher education, workforce training, and paid family and medical leave which would include 12 weeks paid family and medical leave for most working Americans.
It will also include plans to permanently close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare by offering seniors access to hearing, dental and vision benefits; extend several tax credits; strengthen the Affordable Care Act, invest in maternal health, and provide additional investments in public health. It would also make major changes to immigration, climate, and tax laws.
Democrats intend to off-set the costs of the package by raising taxes on wealthy Americans, profitable corporations and investors.
The House Ways and Means Committee released a plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 26.5% for businesses earning more than $5 million in income. The corporate rate would be lowered to 18% for small businesses earning less than $400,000; all other businesses would continue to pay the current rate of 21%.
The legislation would also raise the top income tax rate to 39.6% from 37% for married couples who report taxable income of more than $450,000 and for individuals who report more than $400,000. The proposal also includes a 3% surcharge on individual income above 5% and increases the top tax rate for capital gains – the proceeds from selling an asset – to 25%, up from 20%.
It’s not clear how much revenue the tax increases could generate and whether they would fully offset the $3.5 trillion spending bill.
“I want to thank all thirteen committees given instructions in this process for reporting recommendations within their jurisdictions for the Build Back Better Act. I also want to express my gratitude and admiration for the hardworking committee staff who sacrificed sleep and, in many cases, time with their families this summer in order to make sure that this critical legislation reflects Democrats’ focus on helping Americans access opportunity and achieve real economic security. We will continue our work on this legislation in the coming days, as we take action to deliver on President Biden’s plan to Build Back Better,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a statement late Wednesday.
House committee chairs are expected to brief Democrats on their portions of the spending bill on Friday. The House is set to return from a six-week recess on Monday.
“This package, coupled with the bipartisan infrastructure plan, represents our firm belief that it’s not just the roads that get you to work that require funding, basic supports like child care and paid leave are also essential features of society worthy of investment. As the broader negotiations continue, I must emphasize that now is not the time to settle for less. The American people are looking to us as members of the Democratic Party to push ourselves and set the highest possible standards for what’s possible. Twelve weeks of universal paid family and medical leave, guaranteed access to child care, strong proposals to combat climate change, and responsibly funding our priorities are just some of the measures that must remain in this package and become law,” said House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal in a statement.
But serious issues remain.
A trio of moderate House Democrats came out against the drug pricing plan in Democrats’ sprawling agenda as it made its way through the House.
Reps. Kathleen Rice, Scott Peters, and Kurt Schrader on Wednesday opposed language in the House Energy and Commerce Committee that would give the federal government a greater role in negotiating drug prices. Another key House panel endorsed the drug pricing plan later Wednesday evening, but leadership may not yet have the votes to pass it as part of a larger bill.
It’s another bump in the road for leadership that underscores the challenge facing the Biden White House and the Democrats’ narrow majority.
“Polling consistently shows immense bipartisan support for Democrats’ drug price negotiation legislation, including overwhelming majorities of Republicans and independents who are fed up with Big Pharma charging Americans so much more than they charge for the same medicines overseas. Delivering lower drug costs is a top priority of the American people and will remain a cornerstone of the Build Back Better Act as work continues between the House, Senate and White House on the final bill,” Henry Connolly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement to ABC News.
Northeastern lawmakers are also hoping the final package repeals a cap on deductions for state and local taxes – SALT – imposed by Republicans in 2017. Rep. Tom Souzzi, D-NY, has made clear that without SALT, he’s a “no” on the overall reconciliation package.
“I have been consistent for six months: ‘No SALT, no deal’,” Suozzi said in a statement.
House Democrats have said they will pursue “meaningful” change to the $10,000 limit on the federal deduction for state and local taxes. However, repealing the cap on the write-off may primarily benefit wealthy households, opponents have said.
The measure has been a sticking point in negotiations among lawmakers in high tax states.
While Democrats don’t need GOP support to pass their $3.5 trillion spending bill, due to the reconciliation process which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority, they have to get votes from every Democratic senator and nearly every House member.
House Democrats plan to tweak their bill in the coming days ahead, but they are under a tight deadline to get agreement with the Senate so that a bill can clear both chambers. Their goal is to finish their work before Sept. 27 – when Pelosi has promised she will allow the House to begin considering a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Pelosi has long vowed to hold on to that bipartisan bill until the much larger, $3.5 trillion “human” infrastructure bill filled with Democratic priorities is passed first.
ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
(MOAB, Utah) — Police in Utah have released body camera images of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who went missing during a cross-country road trip, and her boyfriend during an incident Aug. 12.
The photos show Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, talking to an officer after her 2012 Ford Transit had been pulled over by Moab police.
Another image shows Petito, who appears to be crying, sitting in the back of a police vehicle.
On Aug. 12, police in Moab responded to an “incident” involving the couple, but “insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges,” Moab Police Department Chief Bret Edge said in a statement Tuesday night.
Officers responded to a report of a domestic problem after a witness said the couple, involved in an altercation at the Arches National Park, drove off in a white van, according to a police report.
When officers located a van and pulled it over for a traffic stop, the couple admitted to arguing and that Petito had slapped Laundrie, according to the report. The couple also stated to police that Laundrie did not hit Petito.
Petito told police she suffers from severe anxiety and other medical conditions, which were redacted from the police report, and that the couple’s argument had been building for days. Police labeled the incident as a “mental/emotional break” rather than a domestic assault, according to the report.
Police also are “actively looking” into a connection between Petito’s disappearance and a double homicide of two women that occurred in Grand County, Utah, on Aug. 13, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Investigators searching for Petito have expressed frustration that Petito’s boyfriend has not shed any light on her possible whereabouts.
In June, Petito and Laundrie left on a trip from the Florida home they shared with Laundrie’s parents in Petito’s van, North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison told reporters in a news conference Thursday afternoon. They intended to drive west, visiting state and national parks along the way, Garrison said.
“Two people went on a trip. One person returned,” he said. “And that person that returned isn’t providing us any information.”
Petito’s family said she maintained regular contact with them throughout the journey, and she and Laundrie documented their travels on Instagram and YouTube. Posts show them at the Mystic Hot Springs in Utah on July 26 and on a large rock structure at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah, on Aug. 12, the same day police in Moab, Utah, responded to the incident involving an altercation between the couple.
Communication from Petito “abruptly stopped” toward the end of August, Garrison said, adding that investigators have not yet pieced together a complete timeline of Petito and Laundrie’s travels.
Petito was last seen leaving a hotel in Utah with Laundrie on Aug. 24. The next day, she spoke to her mother, Nichole Schmidt, informing her that their next stops would be Grand Teton and Yellowstone, Schmidt told ABC News earlier this week.
“She sounded good and excited to continue her trip and excited to start her YouTube channel,” Schmidt said in tears. “She seemed OK.”
Schmidt received two text messages from Petito’s phone since Aug. 25, but there were no photos or details from the trip, so it is unclear whether Petito actually sent those texts, Schmidt said.
Laundrie returned to Florida with Petito’s van on Sept. 1, police said. Petito’s family reported her missing on Saturday after they hadn’t heard from her in more than two weeks.
Laundrie, named a person of interest in the case on Wednesday, has not made himself available to speak with investigators, despite numerous pleas from the police department and Petito’s parents, authorities said.
The latest statement from the attorney representing the Laundrie family, Steven P. Bertolino, said he’s advised Laundrie not to speak with authorities.
“Many people are wondering why Mr. Laundrie would not make a statement or speak with law enforcement in the face of Ms. Petito’s absence,” the statement read. “In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this, and the warning that ‘any statement will be used against you’ is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito’s disappearance. As such, on the advice of counsel, Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on this matter.”
The statement continued: “I have been informed that the North Port, Florida, police have named Brian Laundrie as a ‘person of interest’ in this matter. This formality has not really changed the circumstances of Mr. Laundrie being the focus and attention of law enforcement and Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel.”
While police are still treating Petito’s disappearance as a missing persons case, Garrison acknowledged that investigators have grown weary of Laundrie’s refusal to speak to them, even if he is “exercising his constitutional rights” to remain silent.
“We share that frustration with the world,” Garrison added.
During the press conference, Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, made an emotional plea to Laundrie, his family and the public to help find his daughter.
“I’m asking for help from everyone here,” he said. “I’m asking for help from everyone at home. I’m asking for help from the parents of Brian.
“There is nothing else that matters to me now. This girl right here. This is what matters.”
ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Bonnie Mclean contributed to this report.
Blake Shelton is opening another one of his Ole Red venues in Music City, this time at the Nashville International Airport. Blake announced the good news in a video posted on social media.
“Guaranteed, some of you people are going to be missing your flights,” Blake joked.
Blake, who owns all of the Ole Red locations in conjunction with Ryman Hospitality Properties, is eager to bring Ole Red food and drinks to those traveling in and out of Nashville.
“Folks from around the world come to Nashville lookin’ to have a good time and hear some of the best live music around, and now you can make it double with the Nashville airport venue!” says the singer. “I’m excited to give visitors the best fun, food and music like only Ole Red can provide while they wait for their flight.”
Blake will return next week for Season 21 of The Voice. The season will premiere on Monday, September 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
