Texas

Gallery Launch Gallery Shutterstock Premier UPDATE 6:05 AM PT -- 5/25 -- The Texas Department of Public Safety is now saying at least 19 children and 2 teachers are dead after a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. UPDATE 4:19 PM PT -- Texas Senator Roland Gutierrez just confirmed to CNN that 18 children and 3 adults were killed in the shooting. The Senator says the shooter's grandmother is still alive but in critical condition. UPDATE 3:25 PM PT -- Senator Chris Murphy just begged his colleagues on both sides of the political aisle to come together and figure out a way to help reduce the number of mass shootings in the country. UPDATE MSNBC UPDATE Murphy pleaded they find some sort of common ground to come up with a solution for stricter gun control, saying no parent should have to worry about sending their kid to school. UPDATE 1:50 PM PT -- Gov. Abbott says the shooter was an … [Read more...] about At Least 19 Children, 2 Adults Dead After Texas Elementary School Shooting

A few days before the official start of CMA Fest in Nashville, Luke Combs is already running at full speed. He’s set to perform at Nissan Stadium over the weekend, but today he’s making up for the last two years or so of pandemic delays and cancellations with a giant celebration for a run of nine Number One songs that he co-wrote — from 2018’s “Beautiful Crazy” to the most recent, “Doin’ This.” Combs and a small army of collaborators have gathered at the Nashville headquarters of performing-rights organization BMI to mark the occasion with a concert in the parking lot. “Hell, yeah. Hell, yeah,” Combs says twice, raising a glass of some potent brown liquid as BMI exec Clay Bradley rattles off statistic after statistic about these hit songs. Combs is in good spirits and makes the rounds in the room — never holding court, just sticking to smaller group conversations. Outside in the June heat, the BMI building has taken on a fortress-like appearance. Temporary fencing … [Read more...] about Luke Combs Is Country Music’s Biggest Star. He’s Also Its Biggest Champion

Phoebe Bridgers admitted In a new interview she was surprised by the massive reaction to her revelation that she had an abortion while on tour. The musician, speaking to The Guardian to promote her appearance at Glastonbury this weekend, said she didn’t give it much thought before she posted about her experience at Planned Parenthood on social media, adding that it was not an emotional decision. Bridgers said that she is bothered by “people with good intentions saying: ‘Don’t say it was easy for you to make that decision – it was clearly really emotional.'” She explained, “And I wasn’t fucking emotional at all. Hormonally crazy! But I don’t think you should assign ‘it tore me up’ to me. No! I don’t think about it as a baby, of course not.” The musician was inspired to share her abortion story following Politico ‘s leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion to overturn Roe vs. Wade last month. In an Instagram story, she said, “I had an abortion in October of last … [Read more...] about Phoebe Bridgers on Her Abortion: ‘I Wasn’t Fucking Emotional at All’

Roe v. Wade is dead. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled 6-3 that states can restrict or outright ban abortion at any point during a pregnancy, overturning the 1973 decision that enshrined abortion protections in federal law, along with a subsequent decision that affirmed those protections in 1991. “ Roe and [ Planned Parenthood v. ] Casey must be overruled,” Justice Samuel Alito, wrote in a draft opinion leaked last month, declared. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that concerned the constitutionality of a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi, represents a massive victory for conservatives who have sought for decades to reverse the court’s 1973 decision — and a cataclysmic event for anyone who believes in bodily autonomy. Public polling indicates the latter outnumber the former, nearly 2 to 1. Twenty-six states … [Read more...] about Roe v. Wade Is Officially Dead

The Burger King employee celebrating 27 years on the job says he felt let down by a mediocre goodie bag from his company, and yet ... he's still expressing incredible gratitude. Ya might wanna grab some tissues. We spoke to 54-year-old Kevin Ford -- who works as a cook/cashier at the BK in the Las Vegas airport -- about how his employer chose to mark his anniversary. While the video of him showing off the bag contents went viral, Kevin doesn't want anyone thinking he's ungrateful ... he just found the reward a little lackluster. TMZ.com He tells us HMS Host, the company from which Burger King hires, sent him what felt like stuff they had lying around the office. Kevin's been around long enough to know that pre-COVID, employees would get checks for their anniversaries with the company. That being said, Kevin told us he's just thankful to have a job in these difficult times, and doesn't want to throw shade at his company. The good news is … [Read more...] about Viral Burger King Employee Hoped for More Than Goodie Bag After 27 Years

TMZ Composite David Spade seems moved by the Burger King employee who got a mediocre goodie bag in recognition of 27 years without missing work ... giving him money and making him laugh. Kevin Ford , who went viral this week after showing off his company gifts , tells TMZ ... his daughter let him know someone named David Spade donated $5,000 to his GoFundMe , but he wasn't sure it was the comedian himself, until he checked his Instagram inbox. David slid in Kevin's direct messages ... telling him to keep it up after 27 years on the job without a break, and even cracking a joke about waiting a few more years before finally taking a day off. Kevin tells us he's a huge fan of David's, so to get a donation plus some fun back and forth with Spade is surreal. GoFundMe With David's $5k donation, Kevin's GoFundMe has now raised over $30,000 ... with the money going to help him visit his daughters and grandkids in Texas. … [Read more...] about David Spade Donates Thousands to Viral Burger King Employee

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court stripped American women of their right to reproductive autonomy . In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday determined that states can restrict or outright ban abortion at any point during a pregnancy. The decision overturned Roe v. Wade , a 1973 case that established a constitutional right to abortion services. In a concurring opinion, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas indicated that the Supreme Court should reconsider previous rulings that established the right to contraception, same-sex marriage, and protections for same-sex relationships. In a solo concurring opinion, Thomas says the court should reconsider rulings that protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage. pic.twitter.com/zcQNko6NVR — Matt Ford (@fordm) June 24, 2022 “We should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergfell,” Thomas wrote. … [Read more...] about Same-Sex Marriage and Contraception Should Be Next on Chopping Block: Clarence Thomas

It was the last Real Time before a five-week break, and luckily for Bill Maher , he had one last show to discuss the hottest topic of the moment, the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. As much as the country was trying today to make sense of how the new order will affect life in these United States, so Maher and his guests struggled to understand the how and why of it. Maher began by referencing another recent Supeme Court ruling on carrying guns. “Welcome to right wing America, where if you want to end a young life, you have to shoot them,” he said, ruefully. We are now in a very different America, Maher noted. It’s one where if you ask a drug dealer if they are holding, “It’s about the Morning After pill.” The scariest part of this, Maher said, was the portion of Justice Clarence Thomas’s opinion that indicated the Roe v. Wade ruling may have broader applications to other state’s rights issues like gay marriage and birth control. “Everything but interracial … [Read more...] about Bill Maher’s ‘Real Time’ Looks For The Center Harbor In A Sea Of Outrage Over Roe V. Wade