Bruce Springsteen performs during the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza on June 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Bruce Springsteen, and U2’s Bono and The Edge were among the performers at the grand opening of President Barack Obama’s Obama Presidential Center Thursday in Chicago.
Bono and The Edge followed a speech by former first lady Michelle Obama, performing “City of Blinding Lights,” joined by producer Jacknife Lee.
Bono started riffing toward the end of the song, singing about performing in front of “46, 42 and 43,” a reference to Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who were all in attendance for the opening. He then added “44 and family” for the Obamas, whose daughters, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama, were also there.
Bono ended the song by singing “Michelle ma belle,” the lyric from The Beatles song “Michelle.”
Springsteen hit the stage following Barack Obama’s speech, treating the crowd to his Wrecking Ball track “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
“Hi, I’m Bruce, and I’m so glad to be here this afternoon for President Obama and Michelle, Malia and Sasha, you know how I love you all,” Bruce said when he first walked out on the stage.
“‘Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continuously strive to improve this great nation of ours.’ That was from President Obama’s speech in Selma,” he continued. “President Obama and Michelle, you have exemplified that ideal with lives that have served us all with heart and commitment, love and compassion.” He then dedicated the song to the couple.
Springsteen later returned to join Stevie Wonder and the day’s other performers to wrap the ceremony with Wonder’s classic “Higher Ground.”
Other performers included Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, John Legend, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, The Roots and Tems.
Halle Bailey poses for a portrait during the 86th Annual Peabody Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 31, 2026, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Halle Bailey, Ludacris and CeeLo Green have lent their voices to the upcoming animated feature Groove Tails.
They joined a cast that also includes J.B. Smoove, Ansel Elgort, Alan Ritchson and Agnez Mo.
Based on a screenplay by Johnny Mack, and written and directed by Bob Logan, Groove Tails follows a young mouse who dreams of becoming an internationally famous dancer but lacks support from his father. That struggle leads him to a group of fellow misfits who, together, “discover their own unique rhythms while fighting to save the only place they’ve ever truly called home,” according to Variety.
“Groove Tails is a celebration of individuality, perseverance and the universal language of music,” Logan tells the outlet. “We’ve assembled an extraordinary cast that brings incredible energy, humor and heart to these characters. This is the kind of movie audiences of all ages can enjoy together.”
Groove Tails is currently in production and is expected to complete animation later this year.
Aicia Keys performs during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
The night the New York Knicks won the NBA Championship, Alicia Keys was onstage at the afterparty for the premiere of her new documentary and performed “Empire State of Mind” onstage. She gave an encore performance Thursday afternoon in New York City, at the end of the Knicks’ victory parade in lower Manhattan.
“This is our time! This is our time! We are champi-ONS!” she yelled to the cheering crowd as she stood on the stage with Knicks players in front of City Hall.
“Me and my son Egypt, we thought that we would do it like this,” she continued. Egypt stood at the piano and began to play Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” as Alicia sang the first verse of that classic tune.
“I’m in a New York State of Mind,” she finished, then yelled, “Let’s gooooo! OK!” as the drum beat of “Empire State of Mind” started up. “We here right now! This is our time right now! We’ve been waiting over 50 years for this moment and we never gonna stop!”
Alicia then sat at the piano and completed the song, as the players danced and sang behind her, along with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Jay-Z, who appeared on the original song, didn’t make an appearance.
“Congrats, New York City, I love you!” she said as she left the stage. On her Instagram Story, she posted video of herself hanging out backstage with Knicks Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
Toosii participates in the BET Experience Celebrity Basketball Game on June 29, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for BET)
Toosii’s time as a college football player has already come to an end. He had joined the Louisiana State University Tigers as a wide receiver but had to pull out due to NCAA violations.
Speaking on the In the Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu podcast Wednesday, LSU Tigers football head coach Lane Kiffin reflected on Toosii joining the team, noting he initially wondered if it was a stunt.
“I met with him. He’s awesome,” Kiffin said. “He is an awesome person, figured out life, going through a lot of stuff like a lot of us, in a really good spot, and he just wanted to try.”
When asked if Toosii was still on the team, Kiffin confirmed that he isn’t. “He just recently, like, after seeing it all and kinda like going through it, he was doing well. I think he just had to balance everything, and then there’s little limitations on what he can make and do,” Kiffin explained.
“I think he did, he signed with like one of the, I don’t know what they’re called, the gambling company thing where you do the commercials for him and stuff, and that shouldn’t work in the NCAA, you know,” he continued. “So he went back to his professional career.”
Despite Toosii’s departure, Kiffin maintained that he “really enjoyed being around him.”
“It wasn’t a stunt at all,” he said. “He really wanted to see if he could do it, and I like how he impacted some of our guys.”
The news arrives days after Toosii released his new single, “Yesterday.”
Sabrina Carpenter attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
A judge has granted Sabrina Carpenter a restraining order against a man who has repeatedly shown up at her home and who, in May, allegedly attempted to force his way in.
The order bars William Applegate, 31, from contacting the singer, her sister Sarah Carpenter and her sister’s significant other, George Smith, who both live with her, for five years. The order is set to expire June 17, 2031, according to documents obtained by ABC News.
According to the order, Applegate cannot “contact” Sabrina Carpenter, Sarah Carpenter or George Smith, and is prohibited from “disturbing their peace.” In addition, he must stay 100 yards away from them, their home, their workplace and their vehicles. If he doesn’t obey, he faces a possible fine of up to $1,000, a possible one-year jail sentence or both.
According to The Associated Press, Applegate appeared at the hearing on Wednesday in LA and said that he and Sabrina Carpenter were part of a classified military program that required them to “be together as soon as possible” for “national and global security.” He also stated that he’d be “more than willing” to stay away from Sabrina Carpenter if she told him herself. She was not present.
As previously reported, the “Espresso” artist, 27, filed a civil harassment restraining order on May 29 against Applegate. In her declaration, she alleged that he went to her Los Angeles home on May 23 “unannounced and uninvited” and “physically grabbed the lever of my front door and forcefully pushed it down, actively trying to force his way inside my home without any invitation, permission, or consent whatsoever.”
Detective Peter Doomanis, of the Los Angeles Police Department, wrote that Sabrina Carpenter was “in genuine fear for her personal safety” at the time of the incident. Applegate was released after his May 23 arrest, and returned to Sabrina Carpenter’s home on May 24 and May 25, according to the singer’s private security guards in court docs.
Hasan Brown, a private security guard for Sabrina Carpenter, wrote in a separate declaration that he had noticed Applegate’s vehicle parked in the vicinity of her home on multiple prior occasions beginning sometime after April 19 through at least May 25, “with the vehicle progressively parking in closer proximity” to the singer’s residence over time.
The Neighbourhood on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (Disney/Randy Holmes)
The Neighbourhood has premiered the video for “Planet,” a track off the band’s latest album, 2025’s (((((ultraSOUND))))).
The clip might trigger anyone with entomophobia, or the fear of insects, as it includes close-up shots of ants, cockroaches and a praying mantis.
If you can stomach that, you can watch the “Planet” video on YouTube.
(((((ultraSOUND))))) marked the fifth Neighbourhood album and their first in five years. A deluxe version, dubbed (((((ultraSOUND)))))+, dropped in February.
The Neighbourhood will launch a U.S. headlining tour in October.
Ozzy Osbourne performs during half-time of the 2022 NFL season opening game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)
A new statue of the late Ozzy Osbourne has been unveiled at the France’s Hellfest.
Sharon Osbourne has posted an Instagram video of the statue, which shows the Prince of Darkness stretching his arms forward with his palms up.
In the post’s caption, Sharon calls the statue “absolutely stunning.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be at Hellfest for the unveiling of Ozzy’s statue,” Sharon writes. “Unfortunately I had an unexpected trip to the hospital earlier in the week.”
Hellfest is also home to a statue of Ozzy’s longtime friend and collaborator, late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister.
Stock photo of a crocodile. (Diego Kondratzky/500px/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 3-year-old boy wound up in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo in eastern England, suffering serious injuries, according to police.
The “distressing incident” occurred Thursday afternoon at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a family-run farm and zoo located in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, police said.
The boy “ended up in the crocodile enclosure” and was taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition, Cambridgeshire police said.
A 30-year-old man who is an apparent stranger to the child has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident, police said.
“At this stage we are speaking to people who were at the zoo at the time of this distressing incident to understand more about the circumstances,” Det. Insp. Verity McCann said in a statement. “We do not believe the man arrested and the child are known to each other.”
The incident remains under investigation.
Huntingdon Member of Parliament Ben Obese-Jecty said his “thoughts are with the young victim and his family during a hugely traumatic and difficult time.”
“This is now a live criminal investigation and I would ask people to refrain from speculation online,” he said in a statement on social media.
Johnsons of Old Hurst said its tropical house, which is home to multiple species of crocodiles and other reptiles, will remain closed until further notice “out of respect to the family.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” Johnsons of Old Hurst said in a statement on social media Thursday.
Grateful Dead ‘Steal Your Face’ (Rhino Entertainment)
Grateful Dead has released another track off the upcoming 50th anniversary remaster of their Steal Your Face live album.
The latest is a performance of the song “Big River,” a cover of Johnny Cash’s 1958 tune. They previously released a performance of “Black Throated Wind.”
“I’ve never met a ‘Big River’ I didn’t like,” writes Dead archivist David Lemieux in the description of the release. “Widely considered to have hit its peak in 1974, the Grateful Dead picked a perfect version of ‘Big River’ to act as its definitive recorded rendition on Steal Your Face.”
Steal Your Face (50th Anniversary Remaster) is set to drop June 26, 50 years to the day of the album’s original release. It will be released as a two-LP set in The Dead’s official Pantone colors, Grateful Red and Stealie Blue; the vinyl will split the colors half and half, with the addition of some black splatter.
The album will also be available for streaming and digital download.
Originally released June 26, 1976, Steal Your Face captures performances from The Dead’s five-show run at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in October 1974. The tour was a farewell of sorts, as the band would go on an indefinite hiatus after the shows. The tour hiatus eventually ended in June 1976.
Students walk through the halls between classes at Rippowam Middle School on September 14, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. (John Moore/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Nayleen Escalante-Villatoro, a sixth grader at Brookland Middle School in Washington, D.C., has struggled significantly with attending school.
She said whenever there are family problems that force her mother to take off work, she has to step in.
“Me and my older sibling stay home to watch the little ones,” Nayleen told ABC News, adding, “It makes me feel stressed because I’m missing school and I’m not learning.”
This not only frustrates Nayleen, but it also impacts her studies: “I have to do a lot of makeup work after all the missing assignments that I haven’t done,” she added.
Kids like Nayleen face a multitude of challenges at school — when they’re there.
From the rigors of learning how to read and write to addressing mental health concerns and outside distractions, students juggle more than just their classroom workloads. A combination of these issues and other societal factors has fueled an attendance crisis that’s led to a spike in student chronic absenteeism — defined as missing at least 10% of the school year — in recent years, according to experts who spoke to ABC News.
While one in three students nationwide experienced chronic absenteeism during the 2021-2022 academic year, the rate is declining, from up to 30% to roughly 24% by the start of the past school year, according to estimates from the Return 2 Learn tracker reviewed by ABC News.
Government officials are also collecting data on K-12 chronic absenteeism but the Department of Education recently told ABC News it couldn’t yet provide it. Its National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) told ABC News in 2023 that chronic absenteeism increased from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, there’s been no silver bullet to the problem. Different states have taken their own approach, from going door-to-door to check on students to providing high-impact tutoring at school. Education and health experts also emphasize family engagement, community relationships, extracurricular activities and outdoor recreation are potential solutions for chronically absent students.
Hedy Chang, CEO of Attendance Works, a nonprofit focused on addressing absenteeism, said that when kids aren’t showing up to school, it’s an indication that engagement isn’t happening.
“When you treat it as a matter of engagement, that’s when we build the relationships with families, which make them trust schools and it builds a relationship so that we can actually find out what are the underlying causes of why kids aren’t showing up,” Chang told ABC News.
United Family Advocates Executive Director Joanna Lack is calling for more attention to those underlying causes. Lack worked on the issue for many years as the chief performance officer in Camden, New Jersey, and has since transitioned to the non-profit organization dedicated to keeping families safe and together.
“We’ve been looking at the wrong problem instead of opening up the hood and saying ‘What’s actually going on here?'” she said.
Home life among ‘constellation’ of issues
Student absenteeism is often correlated with household or child welfare problems that impact the student’s school life, according to UFA’s Lack.
“Chronic absenteeism is like the symptom that you experience, but it’s not the disease, and we’ve been treating it like it’s the disease,” Lack said.
The Department of Health and Human Services does not have a specific initiative targeting chronic absenteeism. However, Head Start and the Family Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement-Fatherhood (FORGE) program under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) both aim to improve outcomes in child welfare and enhance early childhood education, according to HHS officials.
Chang said there isn’t an urgent need for new federally funded programs or aid, just better use of ones that are available.
“I need existing programs to think about how they use chronic absence data to collaborate and work together to support kids and families and make sure the kids who need their resources, or the schools that need their resources, are getting it,” she said.
There’s a “constellation” of issues that contribute to increased absences, from child welfare involvement to unstable housing, but Lack noted that families are complex and kids don’t come in silos.
Activity makes a ‘huge difference’
Nayleen is one of the thousands of students across the country who participate in extracurricular activities through the SCORES program, which creates safe environments where young people can build connections with their communities, according to its website. She said DC SCORES — which provides soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs — has helped her return to class more regularly.
She explained that playing soccer with DC SCORES has empowered her and she looks forward to talking to her coach after attending school.
“It helps me because whenever I’m going through stuff he will understand me,” she said. “Sometimes he will help me. He will sit down and have a talk with me,” she said, adding, “Whenever I’m down, he will ask me if I’m OK.”
At the last month’s inaugural National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation, which combined outdoor recreation industry and health leaders to promote using recreation as a pillar of public health, experts told ABC News that recess makes a “huge difference” for holistic growth in adolescents.
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable President Jessica Turner emphasized that being outside is fundamental to student health.
“We’ve stepped back so far from incorporating the outdoors into our lives and to step back into it doesn’t take very much,” Turner told ABC News. “It’s not a heavy lift.”
Schools supporting parents and kids
Chang, of Attendance Works, said chronic absenteeism isn’t inevitable.
She stressed that schools are starting to adopt more effective family engagement strategies for those dealing with attendance issues.
Shavar Jeffries, CEO of the KIPP Foundation, which operates the largest public charter school network in the nation, has utilized some simple yet effective solutions to correct absenteeism.
Jeffries told ABC News that when a student doesn’t show up, they call the family “immediately.”
“‘Johnny, Mary, didn’t come to school today. We really need them because they are going to miss an opportunity to learn,'” he said, adding “Then, frankly, sometimes we also say: You got to figure it out.”
“Get your baby to school because they can’t learn to fulfill that potential if you’re not able to do that,” Jeffries added.
