TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne is opening up about the impact of publicly coming out as gay, saying that his life has changed in “a lot of ways.”
“I didn’t realize what a sense of purpose it would bring to my life to be here. I didn’t realize how much it would resonate with some people,” TJ toldCBS Sunday Morning, appearing alongside brother John Osborne.
After host Gayle King shared a tweet from a mother citing the duo as a role model for her teen son, who has depression and anxiety and recently came out to her, the singer admits he didn’t initially consider how being open about his sexuality would relate to parents of queer youth “and how that would really help them to be able to help their relationship. That was something that never dawned on me,” he expressed.
TJ also met a fan at a recent show who shared a heartfelt message with him. “I want to thank you for making a safe space for people like me to come the show,” the fan told him.
“And I thought ‘to me, that is worth more than anything,'” said TJ.
Brothers Osborne continue on their We’re Not for Everyone Tour through November 20.
Today, August 24, marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Rolling Stones‘ classic 1981 album Tattoo You.
Tattoo You spent nine consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 in the fall of ’81, holding the top spot on the chart longer than any other Stones album.
Tattoo You featured three singles that reached the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20 — “Start Me Up,” “Waiting on a Friend” and “Hang Fire,” which peaked at #2, #13 and #20, respectively.
Respected music journalist and author Alan Light tells ABC Audio that many people consider Tattoo You to be “the last great Rolling Stones album,” while noting that it’s “such a funny and odd project” in the band’s history.
What made Tattoo You unusual was that it was put together from unfinished outtakes that The Rolling Stones had recorded during various sessions throughout the 1970s and that the band revisited to complete for the album.
Because of this, ex-Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who left the group in late 1974, actually appears on two of the record’s tracks.
Tattoo You also features contributions from a variety of guest musicians, including keyboardists Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart and Billy Preston, founding Santana percussionist Michael Carabello, The Who‘s Pete Townshend and legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins.
Townshend sang backing vocals on the song “Slave,” while Rollins delivered a memorable solo on “Waiting on a Friend,” and also played on “Slave” and “Neighbors.”
To date, Tattoo You has sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. As announced last week, The Rolling Stones will release a 40th anniversary reissue of the album on October 22. The reissue’s deluxe versions will feature nine previously unreleased tracks from that period to which the band has added new vocals and guitar.
Here’s Tattoo You‘s original track list:
“Start Me Up”
“Hang Fire”
“Slave”
“Little T&A”
“Black Limousine”
“Neighbours”
“Worried About You”
“Tops”
“Heaven”
“No Use in Crying”
“Waiting on a Friend”
Lauren Daigle‘s latest single, “Hold On to Me,” is doing well, but it remains to be seen if it can match the record-breaking success of “You Say.” Lauren says she doesn’t expect a repeat — and that’s O.K.
“You Say,” released three years ago last month, topped numerous Billboard charts, including Adult Top 40, Adult Contemporary and Hot Christian Songs. On the latter, it stayed at number one for an astonishing 129 weeks. In fact, it was the first song to spend 100 or more weeks on anyBillboard chart, ever.
“That was a one and done, probably,” Laure laughs. “I mean, unless there’s other plans out there, I have no idea if that will ever happen again. That’s why you have to revel in the moment when it happens.”
“Being present is so…rich because moments will pass you by and you’ll realize, ‘OK, I missed out on the joy of what that moment had. And now I’m longing for that moment in a different season,'” she cautions. “And it just doesn’t work out.”
Lauren, who’ll kick off a world tour on September 24, says for her, that’s the only way to approach any sort of overwhelming achievement.
“Being present and really reveling in, like, the ‘Wow, I can’t believe that happened,’ because it may never happen again,” she says. “But hopefully, fingers crossed, you wish for the best!”
After sending social media into a frenzy when she went platinum blonde, Billie Eilish has changed her hair yet again.
The singer unveiled a brand new chop Monday on her Instagram Story. She’s now rocking a shaggy blonde bob.
Billie posted some old photos of her mom sporting a similar hairstyle, captioning one of the pics, “Like my mama.” She also posted a short video clip of her tousling the new ‘do, writing, “I love it.”
Of course, fans were instantly obsessed.
“Billie Eilish cut off her hair like she cut off her exes,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote, “BILLIE EILISH WITH THIS MARILYN MONROE STYLE HAIR FOR THE MET GALA????????????? GOODBYE.”
Yet another added, “that one women who breaks the internet just by cutting her hair: BILLIE EILISH.”
This week, Billie’s album Happier than Ever topped the Billboard 200 chart for the third week. She leads an all-female top three on the chart, along with Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo, marking the first time that’s happened in over 10 years.
(ALBANY, N.Y.) — Former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as New York’s first female governor at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
“Honored to be officially sworn in as New York’s 57th Governor,” Hochul tweeted from her new official governor account. The website for the governor of New York was also updated shortly after midnight.
Hochul was sworn in by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore, in a private ceremony at the state capitol in Albany. A public swearing-in ceremony will be held for Hochul at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Red Room of the state capitol building, though she wasted no time in announcing the first two appointments of her administration, picking Karen Persichilli Keogh, a former senior aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton, as secretary to the governor and Elizabeth Fine, executive vice president and general counsel of Empire State Development (New York’s economic development agency), as counsel to the governor.
“I’m excited about this,” Hochul said last week during a visit to New York City’s Queens borough. “I’m excited about this opportunity. I’m very prepared for this.”
In a blistering farewell address to constituents on Monday, now former Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted the state attorney general’s five-month investigation that found he sexually harassed multiple women, calling it a “political firecracker” that triggered an “unfair and unjust” rush to judgment against him.
The 63-year-old Cuomo later submitted his resignation in a letter Monday to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie, effective at 12 a.m., Aug. 24. “I hereby tender my resignation for the office of Governor of the State of New York,” Cuomo wrote. “It has been my pleasure to serve with you both.”
But in an address, Cuomo used the opportunity to slam the allegations against him and tout his accomplishments as governor.
“Let me say now that when government politicizes allegations and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system and that doesn’t serve women and it doesn’t serve men or society,” Cuomo said. “I understand that there are moments of intense political pressure and media frenzy that cause a rush to judgment, but that is not right. It’s not fair or sustainable. Facts still matter.”
Cuomo, who has insisted he did not touch anyone inappropriately, announced his resignation on Aug. 13, ten days after State Attorney General Letitia James made public the results of an investigation she alleged found the governor sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former state employees, and had retaliated against one of his accusers.
“A firecracker can start a stampede, but at one point everyone looks around and says, ‘Why are we running?'” The truth is ultimately always revealed,” Cuomo said. “The attorney general’s report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic and it worked. There was a political and media stampede but the truth will (come) out in time. Of that I am confident.”
Cuomo also sought to establish a legacy beyond the allegations that drove him from office, saying, “No governor in the nation has passed more progressive measures than I have.” He listed his accomplishments, including a refurbished LaGuardia Airport, a new Penn Station transportation terminal in New York City and marriage equality as cornerstones to what he called a “new paradigm of government that actually works.”
He offered advice for the pandemic that made him a national figure for the empathy and seriousness he showed during his daily press briefings on the crisis. And he reminded listeners that under his leadership, “We faced up to the facts and we made the tough but necessary decisions.”
Cuomo acknowledged that Hochul would become governor and said, “I believe she will step up to the challenge.”
But he returned to the scandal that has led to his dramatic downfall.
“Now there are moments in life that test our character, that asks us are we the person we believe we are or are we the person we try to be at our best. You know me, I am a fighter and my instinct is to fight this because it is unfair and unjust in my mind,” Cuomo said.
“But you also know that I love New York and I serve you,” he said. “That is the oath that I took. And in this moment, I believe the right thing is that my service comes first. Prolonging this situation could only cause governmental paralysis and that is just not an option for you and not an option for the state, especially now.”
He began his last day on the job Monday with his top aid releasing a statement on his behalf, saying Cuomo “has no interest in running for office again.”
Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, issued a statement on Cuomo’s immediate plans when he leaves the job he claimed a decade ago, one once held by his late father, Mario Cuomo.
DeRosa said that Cuomo has spent nearly 25 years in public service, from being secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration in the 1990s to getting elected state attorney general in 2006 and serving as governor since 2010.
“And the way he does it, it’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said DeRosa, whose resignation on Aug. 8 as the most powerful unelected bureaucrat in state government will also take effect Monday night. “He looks forward to spending time with his family and has a lot of fishing to catch up on. He is exploring a number of options, but has no interest in running for office again.”
Over the weekend, Cuomo sought to show he was in control until the end as he presided over briefings on Tropical Storm Henri. He requested his emergency management team remain in place and said Hochul had been briefed despite her absence from the news conferences.
Attempting to keep reporters “on topic,” Cuomo asked that questions be limited to the storm.
“We’re dealing with an emergency, and New Yorkers want to hear about an emergency,” Cuomo said.
The first question he took was whether he still planned to resign on Monday.
“And, yes, my final day is [Monday],” Cuomo said.
Unlike Cuomo, who honed his political instincts at the hip of his father, Hochul’s political career began on a town council in Western New York. She briefly served in Congress and has been lieutenant governor for seven years.
Among Hochul’s first tasks will be appointing a new lieutenant governor, and she has said it would be someone from a New York City borough. She has signaled there would be “turnover” from the Cuomo administration, particularly among those in the Executive Chamber that were named in the state attorney general’s report as enabling Cuomo’s alleged harassment.
“I’m looking forward at the right time to introducing the members of my administration,” Hochul said.
Another priority is the pandemic and repopulating the depleted ranks of the state’s health department.
Hochul said the state has the authority to mandate masks in schools statewide and has said she believes “we will need mask mandates for children to go back to school … and that will have to be universal, it will be statewide.”
Here’s a simple strategy for having a happier marriage: Say “thank you” more often… and whenever your partner does something nice for you, tell them you noticed and appreciate it.
In other words: Raise your game when it comes to expressing GRATITUDE. Because according to a study in the journal Personal Relationships, the more you show gratitude in your marriage, the happier and more valued your partner will feel. And even if you and your partner argue regularly, your gratitude may be the one factor that SAVES your relationship!
I know it sounds simplistic… but the psychologists who led the study say it makes a lot of sense. Because one of the top reasons couples break up is they get into what’s called a “negative conflict pattern” – where one partner makes a demand, and the other gets defensive or withdraws in some way… say, by silently holding on to resentment.
But researchers say, when partners feel valued by each other, they’re significantly more likely to stay committed to the relationship, even if they argue regularly. Because gratitude counteracts the effects of negative communication.
And the study found that feeling appreciated directly influences how you feel about your marriage, how committed you are to it, and your belief that it will last.
Studies show that a clean home equals a clear mind…
Because clutter stresses us out. But there are certain types of cleaning that work better depending which headspace you’re in.
For example: If you’re feeling annoyed, do a deep clean. Like scour your tub or power-wash your patio. According to Melissa Maker who wrote “Clean My Space,” intensely cleaning something – then seeing the dramatic result – can bring you back to a neutral mindset. It releases endorphins, putting you on a more even keel.
Next, if you’re feeling anxious: Organize. Maker says, messiness over-stimulates the brain. And when you’re anxious, your brain is already over-stimulated. So organizing not only puts your stuff in order – it can put your thoughts in order, too. And to make sure organizing doesn’t overwhelm you, know that it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
The final way to clean to change your mindset: If you’re feeling lost and without direction or purpose: Purge. Happiness researcher Gretchen Rubin says creating physical space is transformative. You can’t move forward if there’s nowhere to go, right? So clearing things out and purging creates open space. That lightens your mental load and allows you to start fresh.
The last time you struggled to fall asleep, or stay asleep, what was the reason?
That’s what a new OnePoll survey of 2,000 adults wanted to know. And I don’t think it will surprise anyone to hear that ANXIETY was far and away the most common factor ruining most people’s sleep this past year! But the type of anxiety we’re experiencing is somewhat new:
Researchers say that for the first time, so-called “next day anxiety” is the top reason people can’t fall asleep these days. That refers to being uncertain about what tomorrow may bring. According to this survey, nearly half of us experience “next day anxiety” intensely enough to trigger regular insomnia.
That’s why it’s so important to relax your body and mind before trying to sleep. And it’s more than just keeping the bedroom a dark, quiet and cool.
For example, to reduce anxiety before bed, try deep breathing or meditation – which reduces your heart rate.
Also, smell lavender. It’s active ingredient calms the nervous system when inhaled.
And make a to-do list for the next day. That will help offload your worries onto a piece of paper so your mind can switch off.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 628,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 60.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 4:40 pm
Honolulu suspending large gatherings due to dramatic uptick in cases
All large gatherings in Honolulu will be suspended due to a dramatic uptick in cases, Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Monday.
Health care workers are “pushed beyond their limits,” the mayor said.
The ban begins Aug. 25 and will last for four weeks.
Aug 23, 3:39 pm
5 Southern states have ICUs over 90% full
Five states have intensive care units over 90% full: Alabama (100%), Florida (92.82%), Georgia (92.95%), Mississippi (93.81%) and Texas (91.27%), according to federal data.
The South also leads the country with the highest case rates. Louisiana and Mississippi have the highest case rates, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina, according to federal data.
More than 95.6% of counties are either reporting high (89.32%) or substantial (6.24%) community transmission, federal data shows. Just 4.41% of counties are reporting moderate or low transmission.
Aug 23, 2:10 pm
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock called Monday’s announcement a “pivotal moment” made possible by a “rigorous and thorough review” done in record time.
“Working around the clock, FDA staff were able to complete the evaluation of this biologics license application in just over three months,” she said. “This is an unprecedented timeline given the volume of review and the meticulous manner in which it was done, but we want to underscore that our efforts to move as quickly as possible have in no way sacrifice scientific standards for the integrity of our process.”
President Joe Biden said Monday, “If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’ve said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of the FDA — it has now happened.
Aug 23, 2:07 pm
More than 180,000 new cases reported among kids last week
More than 180,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported among kids last week, reaching levels of the previous winter surge of 2020-2021, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
More than 4.59 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Last week, children represented 22.4% of all reported cases.
Severe illness due to COVID-19 remains “uncommon” among children, the two organizations wrote in the report. In nearly two dozen states, 0.2%-1.9% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization.
AAP and CHA, however, warned that there is an urgent need to collect more data on the long-term consequences of the pandemic on children, “including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects.”
Aug 23, 11:12 am
Pentagon preparing to make Pfizer vaccine mandatory
The Pentagon will move forward with making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory now that it has been fully approved by the FDA, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Aug. 9 that he would seek authorization to mandate the vaccine for the military unless the FDA approved it before Sept. 15.
“Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the department is prepared to issue updated guidance, requiring all service members to be vaccinated,” Kirby said at a briefing. “A timeline for vaccination completion will be provided in the coming days.”
Aug 23, 10:50 am
NYC school staff must get vaccine
All of New York City’s nearly 150,000 public school employees must receive at least one vaccine dose by Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Monday. The new vaccination policy will not allow weekly testing as an option.
At least 63% of New York City’s Department of Education employees are already vaccinated, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said.
The previous requirement allowed for weekly testing of the unvaccinated, with unpaid suspensions for workers who didn’t comply.
New York City’s school year starts on Sept. 13.
Aug 23, 9:46 am
FDA grants full approval for Pfizer vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval.
The full approval indicates that Pfizer has shown enough effectiveness and safety data to meet the stringent Biologics License Application requirements, which includes at least six months of safety data from a majority of the volunteers in a large, final stage clinical trial.
Pfizer’s full approval will pave the way for further vaccine mandates in both the public and private sector. Some businesses and state leaders have held off thus far, signaling they’d wait for full approval before imposing tighter requirements.
Federal, state and local health officials have also expressed optimism that full approval will help dissolve some of the lingering hesitancy around taking a shot that until now has been only authorized for emergency use.
Aug 23, 7:48 am
Rev. Jesse Jackson ‘responding’ to COVID treatment
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is in the hospital with COVID-19, is responding positively to treatment, his son told ABC Chicago station WLS.
The 79-year-old, who has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated for COVID-19 in January, WLS reported.
His wife, Jacqueline, 77, is also in the hospital with COVID-19 and is resting comfortably, their son, Jonathan Jackson, said.
“She is having some oxygen but is able to function and breathe on her own without a respirator,” he told WLS.
Aug 23, 4:43 am
Over 880,000 Moderna vaccine doses donated by US arrive in Kenya
More than 880,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived in Kenya on Monday morning.
The 880,460 doses were given to the East African nation by the U.S. government via the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX, according to a press release from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which is leading vaccine procurement and delivery efforts on behalf of COVAX. It is the first of two shipments, totaling 1.76 million donate doses.
The donation marks the first time that Kenya has received the Moderna vaccine, widening the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the country’s ongoing rollout of its national immunization campaign. All Kenyans over the age of 18 are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Kenya aims to vaccinate 10 million of its 53 million people by the end of the year.
So far, Kenya has reported more than 229,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including at least 4,497 deaths, according to the latest data from the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen VAX LIVE
Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Alice Cooper and Dave Matthews are among artists hosting new episodes of Audible’s ongoing Words + Music series, an audio program described as a combination of music and storytelling.
Vedder’s installment, titled I Am Mine, is set to premiere October 21, and will find the grunge rocker “reflecting on a life at the intersection of art, sensitivity, masculinity, and ascendant pop/rock-super stardom that defined an age.”
Cooper will be giving a rare inside look at the real person behind his iconic shock rock persona in Who I Really Am: The Diary of a Hollywood Vampire, debuting October 7. Meanwhile, Matthews’ currently untitled episode, which has a to-be-announced release date, will find him on an “expedition filled with moments of personal insight, and global impact, scored by new renditions of the music that made him a defining voice in global, popular music.”
Other artists taking part in Words + Music include Against Me!‘s Laura Jane Grace, Elvis Costello and Sharon Van Etten. Previous episodes have been hosted by Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong, St. Vincent, Tom Morello and Patti Smith.
