Mari Under the Volcano, a new documentary about the state-of-the-art recording studio that late Beatles producer George Martin built on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, was released today via digital, streaming and video-on-demand platforms.
AIR Studios Montserrat opened in 1979 and was used by some of the world’s biggest music stars until the island was devastated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Then, in 1995, a volcanic eruption made most of Montserrat uninhabitable.
The film features new interviews with many artists who recorded at the facility, including The Police‘s three members, Dire Straits‘ Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett and Duran Duran‘s Nick Rhodes.
Police guitarist Andy Summers, whose band recorded 1981’s Ghost in the Machine and 1983’s Synchronicity on Montserrat, tells ABC Audio that he considers Under the Volcano “an ode to…Martin.”
“[H]e had this vision to go and build this place on…this very funky island,” Summers says. “That kind of interested me, how he first went there and fell in love with it.”
Andy also notes that The Police felt like they’d really made it when they got to work on Montserrat, noting that it was “the ultimate rock star dream to go to the Caribbean” to record.
Summers recalls an incident during the Synchronicity sessions where the notoriously contentious band members decided to ask Sir George if he’d produce them to help resolve conflicts they were having.
Summers says he visited Martin at his home across the island, and, over a spot of tea, George told him, “I think you’re gonna sort this out. I don’t think I need to come over there.”
Andy says that after Martin’s “calming” words, the band “went through the rest of the album without a hitch.”
Season two of Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem is coming to a close, but not before things get a little crazy. Sheryl Lee Ralph, who reprises her role as President Kelly Wade in the show’s final two episodes, tells ABC Audio that she just couldn’t help but return to the series.
“First of all, I love playing the President of the United States — the 45th president of the Unites States in an alternative world,” she says enthusiastically. “A world where the feminine power is strong and reigning all across the country.”
“How do you say ‘no’ to something like that?” she asks rhetorically. “And, I’m a woman of color! I love it.”
Thanking screenwriter Eliot Laurence for “choosing her for this role,” Ralph adds that the timing of receiving it was interesting because at the time she was “working hard” for now-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ralph explains that her role as the POTUS in Motherland: Fort Salem continues to intertwine with her real life, even today, as she’s currently running to become the SAG-AFTRA LA Local Vice President.
“So, it’s like ‘wow,’ President Kelly Wade has an incredible impact on my life,” she expresses.
As for what’s next for her character in the show, Ralph reminds fans that General Alder used a puppet spell on President Kelly Wade, before teasing “you never know what happens in a mind meld” and “you never know how things will end up.”
“Sometimes the most powerful person never lets you know what their power is, never — until it bites you in the behind and you have to find out for yourself,” she says. “I have a funny feeling it’s going to get deep and it’s gonna get crazy!” (ABC AUDIO 1-ON-1)
Watch Motherland: Fort Salem Tuesdays on Freeform at 10pm and the next day on Hulu.
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s president fled the country over the weekend and the Taliban seized control of the presidential palace there, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.
As the crisis intensifies, with images from Kabul showing Afghans storming the airport tarmac and climbing onto military planes after the U.S. assumed control of the airport, President Joe Biden cut his time at Camp David short and headed back to the White House to address the nation Monday afternoon.
The Pentagon said that 6,000 U.S. troops would soon be in the country’s capital as the military races to evacuate diplomats and civilians from an increasingly chaotic Kabul. Despite criticism, the Biden administration is sticking by its decision to withdraw troops from the country by Aug. 31, ending America’s longest war.
Here are some key developments. All times Eastern:
Aug 17, 6:39 am
US ambassador to Afghanistan says he has not fled
Ross Wilson, acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said he is still in Kabul despite media reports that he had fled as the country descended into chaos.
Wilson took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to address the “false reports,” saying he remains in Afghanistan’s capital “working hard to help [thousands] of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans.”
“Our commitment to the Afghan people endures,” Wilson tweeted.
Aug 17, 6:23 am
Taliban declares ‘amnesty,’ urges women to join government
The Taliban on Tuesday declared an “amnesty” for all in Afghanistan and encouraged women to join their government.
“The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims,” Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said on Afghan state television, using the group’s phrase “Islamic Emirate” to refer to the country of Afghanistan. “They should be in the government structure according to Shariah law.”
“The structure of government is not fully clear,” he added, “but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership, and all sides should join.”
There are fears that the militants will seek revenge on those who worked for the toppled Afghan government or foreign nations, such as the United States. There are also concerns for the future of girls and women under the Taliban’s government, which stripped them of nearly all their rights when it previously ruled Afghanistan.
Aug 17, 5:41 am
Former Afghan interpreters for US speak out: ‘It’s a nightmare’
Some former Afghan interpreters for the U.S. government are speaking out while they watch in fear from afar as the Taliban seizes control of their country.
Ismail Khan, a former interpreter for American troops in Afghanistan who worked with the U.S. Army as a translator from 2006 to 2012, described the situation as chaotic and dire.
“It’s a nightmare,” Khan told San Francisco ABC station KGO in an interview on Monday. “We never thought it would come to this.”
Khan, who is now the special immigrant visa ambassador for Seattle-based nationwide nonprofit No One Left Behind, said that any Afghans who have worked for or helped the U.S. government are at risk of being killed by the Taliban — and it’s not just interpreters.
“Cooks, cleaners, there are security guards, there are mechanics, there are laundry guys,” he explained. “There are a lot of people that worked with U.S. forces, and not only their lives but their family’s lives are also in danger.”
“People are going to die,” he added. “They (the Taliban) are going door-to-door to slaughter those who raised their hand and wanted to help.”
Khan believes there are more than 60,000 Afghans who need to be evacuated “right now,” but the Biden administration has only approved visas for a few thousand.
“They’re begging for help,” he said. “We should stand up and do something about it. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Another former interpreter, Muhammad, who withheld his last name for fear of retribution, said his wife and five children are still in Kabul. Muhammad worked as an interpreter for the U.S. embassy there until moving to Philadelphia in 2019. He and his family returned to Afghanistan’s capital this summer to visit relatives.
Muhammad went back to the United States last week while his family stayed behind, after receiving assurances from his contacts at the U.S. embassy that his wife and children would be safely evacuated. Now, they can’t get out.
“I cannot live without my family,” Muhammad told Philadelphia ABC station WPVI in an interview on Monday. “They are concerned, they are scared, but they have no option.”
Aug 16, 10:53 pm
Former President Bush calls on America to help Afghan refugees
Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush released a statement late Monday night calling on America and its allies to aid the people of Afghanistan as the Taliban has taken over the country.
They said the Biden administration has the authority to help now.
“The Afghans now at the greatest risk are the same ones who have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation. President Biden has promised to evacuate these Afghans, along with American citizens and our allies,” they said in a statement. “The United States government has the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay. Our most stalwart allies, along with private NGOs, are ready to help.”
Despite the sudden collapse of the Afghan government, the Bush’s said they remain hopeful for the country and its people.
“In times like these, it can be hard to remain optimistic. Laura and I will steadfastly remain so. Like our country, Afghanistan is also made up of resilient, vibrant people,” their statement said. “Nearly 65 percent of the population is under twenty-five years old. The choices they will make for opportunity, education, and liberty will also determine Afghanistan’s future.”
Aug 16, 8:11 pm
Details about C-17 flight mobbed by thousands at Kabul airport
In a dramatic video, hundreds of Afghan civilians surrounded a U.S. C-17 military transport aircraft as it taxied on the runway at Kabul’s airport.
A U.S. defense official said these were not special visa applicants, but people who had breached the runway from the civilian side of the airport.
According to the official, the C-17 had landed with cargo and as the landing crew attempted to unload, it was rushed by hundreds of Afghan civilians. The aircrew decided it was not safe to unload and began taxiing to fly away to safety.
Researchers from Lehigh and Northwestern Universities say, being in the heat makes people crankier, less cooperative, and less likely to help others.
In one experiment, researchers looked at the behavior of sales people in stores during a summer heatwave. And the data showed that on really hot days, in stores with no air conditioning, sales staff were 59%less likely to ask customers if they needed help, make suggestions, volunteer assistance, or even listen to the customers!
In another experiment, students attended a class in either an air-conditioned room, or one with no AC, on a stiflingly-hot summer day. After the class, students were asked to stay and complete an optional 100-question survey to help underprivileged children. Well, the students in the room with AC answered most of the survey questions. Students in the room with no AC? They only answered 6 questions out of 100 before bailing.
The researchers say, people are less helpful when the weather is uncomfortably hot. And these findings carry over into the workplace. And if companies want the best from their employees, they should keep them cool and comfortable.
What’s the formula for true happiness? That’s what researchers from Deakin University in Australia wanted to know. So, they surveyed more than 60,000 people over 15 years, and found there are three core elements that comprise, what they call, the “golden triangle” of happiness.
First: We need positive relationships. Harvard research found the happiest people tend to have the most quality relationships. And we don’t necessarily need romantic relationships to be happy. Instead, researchers say what matters is that the people around us are positive, empathetic and supportive.
Next, we need financial security for happiness. However, this report says the actual amount we make isn’t what matters… it’s whether or not we feel in CONTROL of our money. For example: If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, barely paying the bills, you probably won’t feel happy – even if you make a million dollars! Because stressing about money triggers a survival instinct.
The final happiness element is having a sense of purpose. Psychologist Dr. Patrick Hill says finding a direction for our life creates happiness, no matter how old we are when we discover what gives our life meaning. Having a reason to get out of bed every day also helps lower stress and makes us more resilient.
So, to recap: If you have positive relationships, financial security, and a sense of purpose, congratulations: You’ve found the golden triangle of happiness!
If you were about to face a stressful situation, with whom would you rather spend time beforehand: Your dog or your best friend? Well, in studies, people who hung out with their pet before a tackling a big task had a lower stress response than those who hung out with a human friend… Or even their family.
That’s according to research from psychology professor Robert Matchock from Penn State University. And any pet you love can have the same effect – from hamsters to parakeets. That’s because we worry about what another human will think of us. And no matter who it is, we have emotional baggage tied to them. Whereas with a pet, the love is unconditional and nonjudgmental.
Plus, we get a rush of positive brain chemicals when we hang out with a pet or look in their eyes. It makes people breathe more slowly, feel less tense, and feel less pain. And the best part is – it’s reciprocal. According to the journal Science, when your dog looks in your eyes, they get a dose of feel-good brain chemicals, too. And veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker says that loop of feel-good hormones is equivalent to being hugged by your mother, while eating chocolate, after winning money on a scratch-off lotto ticket.
(NEW YORK) — Federal officials have declared a shortage in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country that serves tens of millions of residents in the West and northern Mexico, amid a historic decades long “mega-drought” in the region.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced the first-ever water shortage for the lower Colorado River basin on Monday, which will prompt a reduction in water releases to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in 2022 to make sure there is enough water in the reservoir to keep generating power and provide water for essential uses.
Lake Mead will be under a Tier 1 shortage, meaning that starting next year, Arizona will receive about 18% less water from the Colorado River than in a typical year. Nevada’s water allowance will be reduced by about 7%, and Mexico’s by about 5%, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. States, local agencies, tribes and water users will negotiate which users see the most reductions.
In Arizona, for example, farmers will bear the brunt of the reductions, while cities and one tribe will see small reductions under the state’s drought contingency plan, though some have also made voluntary efforts to reduce water use.
The impacts of the water cuts to Central Arizona farmers will be serious and representatives from the irrigation districts anticipate as much as 30% of the farmland in Pinal County could be left unplanted next year, Kevin Moran, senior director of the Colorado River Program for the Environmental Defense Fund, told ABC News.
He said that it will be crucial for states and water users to continue to work together to adapt and conserve as much of the watersheds out west as possible to prepare for worsening conditions in the future.
“I think it’s a wake up call for everyone that we need to start planning for the river that scientists tell us we’re probably going to have not the one we remember or might wish for,” he said.
The reservoir hit its lowest water levels in history this summer, the bureau announced in June. The Colorado River system currently has only 40% of the amount of water it can store, down from 49% last year.
The lowering water levels in several reservoirs in the West have been exacerbated by severe drought, meaning less snowpack to feed into rivers, streams and lakes in areas surrounding the mountains. And what little runoff there is from snow in the spring is immediately sopped up by the arid soil before it can reach important bodies of water.
After 22 years of drought conditions, the water levels at the Hoover and Glen Canyon Dam reservoirs hit the lowest water levels since they were filled, Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo told reporters in a press briefing Monday.
“We are seeing the effects of climate change in the Colorado River Basin through extended drought, extreme temperatures, expansive wildfires, and in some places flooding and landslides, and now is the time to take action to respond to them,” Trujillo said.
The Bureau of Reclamation, states, tribes, and water users have been planning for drought conditions to become more severe and created contingency plans on who would have their water allowance reduced first. In addition to helping farmers and other water users voluntarily reduce water use.
Levels of Lake Mead are projected to hit a level that could require additional cuts in July 2023. State officials said they will have to make difficult decisions to adapt to more limited water resources going into the future and that states will need to work together to come up with innovative solutions, according to the new analysis released by the Bureau of Reclamation.
“Today’s Colorado River hydrology is not the same hydrology this basin knew a century ago. Every community, every sector, every industry that uses Colorado River water must do more to conserve and protect this critical water resource upon which 40 million Americans depend,” said John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, called the declaration and projections a “serious turn of events” but not a crisis, saying the state and stakeholders can make changes to limit water usage into the future.
“The challenge before us, to help protect the lake further and to protect 1020 elevation will be daunting, but we can and will address these issues, and be successful together in partnership,” he said.
But the conditions have worsened faster than expected, prompting the shortage declaration this year and possibly more reductions and actions in the future if drought conditions continue.
“The announcement today is a recognition that the hydrology that was planned for years ago but we hoped we would never see, is here,” said Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Camille Touton.
Moran said the shortage declaration shows the river is “ground zero” for climate change in the US.
“We’re seeing the impact of climate change and the interconnected crises of drought, wildfires and extreme heat, and we need to adapt on an accelerated basis to those impacts,” he told ABC News.
Moran added that he thinks the world is at a point of “accelerated climate change” that is forcing them to “grapple with the health of the hydrologic system and what it can actually sustain.”
“We’re having to face that in ways we have, we have been able to avoid, at least in significant ways until now,” he added.
But Moran said the Bureau of Reclamation and water users were able to come together to plan for this water shortage, adding that “failure is not an option” going forward.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
A collection of artwork created by late Cars frontman Ric Ocasek will go on display starting September 1 exclusively at all nine Wentworth Galleries, which are located in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Ocasek’s pieces also will be available for purchase.
“Art is a way to release tension and to organize my thoughts,” the singer, guitarist and songwriter once explained. “It’s something I do while pondering an outcome. The drawings start with a shape and explode from there.”
Ric’s art was partly influenced and inspired by late pop-art legend Andy Warhol, who directed the music video for The Cars’ 1984 hit “Hello Again.”
Discussing Warhol’s work, Ocasek said that “his stuff I loved not only because it looked amazing, but it was different than everyone else’s and had an idea behind it.”
You can check out examples of Ric’s paintings and drawings at WentworthGallery.com.
“When I saw Ric’s art for the first time, I was struck with the emotion it captured,” notes Wentworth Gallery president Christian O’Mahony. “You can sense a part of Ric in the art. It really gives a snapshot into the mind of an artistic genius. I am honored to showcase and sell his art in my galleries.”
Ocasek died of natural causes on September 15, 2019. He was 75.
Here’s the full list of Wentworth Gallery locations:
Florida
Boca Raton — Town Center Mall, 6000 Glades Rd.
Fort Lauderdale — 819 E. Las Olas Blvd.
Hollywood — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5804 Seminole Way
Georgia
Atlanta — Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Rd. NE
Lee Daniels‘ latest TV series, The Ms. Pat Show, premiered August 12 on BET+, and the Empire creator says he is proud after years of struggling to make the sitcom happen.
“Years before, we tried to find the right writer, right visionary for it, trying fight studios and networks that wanted to do it, but were afraid to do it because it was too black and was too real,” Daniels said during a TV Critics Association panel Tuesday, according to Deadline. “We have never seen a voice like this on television…it was worth the fight — years of fighting.”
The Oscar-nominated director adds that he did not lose faith in the show after it was dropped in 2016 by Fox, and dropped by Hulu in 2019.
The Ms. Pat Show is based on the life of series star Patricia Williams, who overcame her criminal past to become a successful comedian. She portrays a married mother of four living in her real-life hometown of Plainfield, Indiana, in a suburban white neighborhood.
“I’m just proud to be out front and a different type of mom where I don’t have to be chopping up vegetables,” Williams said during the TCA event. “I’m a convicted felon and you get to see a side of a mom Hollywood doesn’t really want you to see, other than on Cops.”
Many of today’s top artists have been open about the fact that they’re dealing with anxiety, depression or the pressure from social media. Iggy Azalea is now suggesting a solution: That artists’ record labels should provide them with mental health resources.
“I REALLY WISH record labels would all agree to make it mandatory to hire at least ONE psychologist per label,” the Australian rapper tweeted on Monday. “Almost EVERY artist in recent times has expressed struggling with the level of hate & pressure. Sports teams do it for their athletes, why not music labels?”
“Also yes it may seem like ‘But there’s so many labels!’ There’s actually only about 4 guys running the entire music business,” Iggy explained. “So it would be pretty easy to hold them accountable and make them implement a change across their businesses.”
She specifically mentioned the head of Universal Music Group, Lucian Grainge, and the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Rob Stringer, as two of those “guys” who could make that change.
“Between these two guys that’s literally like 85% coverage across the labels. See what I’m saying?” Iggy went on to write. “It’s not hard to actually do this. Why won’t they do it?”
“A weekly mental health check in being normalized would take away the fear factor of having to approach often older people in power positions for help which can feel like exposing a weakness,” Iggy explained. She added, “trust me, I lived it.”
When a fan suggested that even if offered, artists wouldn’t use the resource, Iggy disagreed.
“As an artist who knows a lot of artists and has had this conversation in studios a million times, I can confidently say If they had built in access it would be utilized,” she declared.
I REALLY WISH record labels would all agree to make it mandatory to hire at least ONE
psychologist per label.
Almost EVERY artist in recent times has expressed struggling with the level of hate & pressure.
Sports teams do it for their athletes, why not music labels?
