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Dan + Shay are among the acts performing at 'Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy'

• No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAAhead of this year’s presidential election, Dan + Shay are lending their voices to an upcoming CBS special, Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy.

Per Billboard, the superstar duo is representing the country format in a star-studded, all-genre line-up that also includes Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, rapper Offset and more. Alicia is also hosting the show, alongside Kerry Washington and America Ferrera.

Other artists, actors and entertainers taking the stage include Jennifer Lopez, Coldplay, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amy Schumer, Colbie Smulders, Leonardo DiCaprio, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilmer Valderrama, Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman, Tan France and more.

The nonpartisan special airs on October 29 at 9PM ET, with the aim of encouraging viewers to get out and vote in the upcoming election.

In addition to airing on TV, Every Vote Counts will stream on a number of other platforms, including YouTube, TIDAL, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Music and the Apple TV app.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

First trailer drops for Disney's 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Walt Disney Animation Studios(LOS ANGELES) — The debut trailer for Disney’s animated Raya and the Last Dragon follows lone warrior Raya on her journey to find the last dragon.   

The clip follows Raya on a quest with her armadillo sidekick, Tuk Tuk, as they venture into a mythical underground lair where she finds the coveted dragon gem and faces off against a mysterious character who tries to stop her from obtaining it. 

“My whole life, I trained to become a guardian of the dragon gem, but this world has changed, and its people are divided. Now to restore peace, I must find the last dragon,” the character declares, against a backdrop of action sequences. 

The film is set in the fictional land of Kumandra, 500 years after an evil force threatened the land and forced the dragons, who lived peacefully with humans, to sacrifice themselves in order to salvage humanity.  Now, young warrior Raya must find the last dragon to unify the people of Kumandra, learning about the values of teamwork and trust along her journey. 

Kelly Marie Tran, known for her breakout role as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is the voice behind Raya, while comedian and Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina voices Sisu, the last dragon. 

Raya and the Last Dragon is set to debut in theaters on March 12, 2021. 

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sara Evans, Dolly Parton team with more cross-genre stars for “PINK,” supporting the fight to end breast cancer

• No Comments • Country Music News

Brighter Day RecordsSara Evans and Dolly Parton are among the artists lending their voices to “PINK,” a new collaboration that  benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a non-profit working to end breast cancer.

The star-studded, cross-genre single also features appearances from Jordin Sparks, Monica and Rita Wilson, the latter of whom is a breast cancer survivor. Sara, who has long been passionate about raising funds and awareness for this cause, says that the new song is even more special because it represents women coming together in solidarity for a common cause.

“There is something magical that happens when women band together to have a positive impact on the world for our sisters and our daughters,” the singer notes.

“PINK”’s lyrics offer support for those battling the disease, looking forward toward a better day when nobody has to face breast cancer. It’s a powerful message for nearly any listener: One in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease during her lifetime, meaning that nearly everyone will be touched by cancer at some point, either personally or through someone they love.

Each year, breast cancer kills over 42,000 women and men in the U.S. To learn more or make a donation, visit the Susan G. Komen website.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jennifer Garner reveals her mother is the reason why she's so down to earth

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Getty Images for Twentieth Century Fox(LOS ANGELES) — Jennifer Garner may be one of the most down-to-earth actresses in Hollywood, but fans might not realize that the reason why the 48-year-old Golden Globe winner is so grounded is because of her mother.

Garner, during her recent appearance on the Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan show, explained how her mother, Patricia Ann Garner, shaped and molded her values.

“My mom grew up really poor in Locust Grover, Oklahoma, on a farm. I think my mom was so poor, it’s just unbelievable that she managed to leave,” the 13 Going on 30 actress explained. “When I moved to New York after college, my mom said, ‘Jennifer, no matter what you do, it will never be as big of a deal as it was for me to leave that farm.'”

The actress added that her mother is very proud of her background, telling Corrigan, “She said, ‘I’m never ashamed of growing up poor. Rather, I am amazed by the grace and dignity that my parents had throughout my childhood.'”

Garner revealed that her mother saved up all the money she made while babysitting for a family that lived down the street, earning a dollar a day, and developed an passion for traveling after flipping through their collection of Life magazines — where she singled out all the interesting places she wanted to visit.

The Alias alum explained that her mother left the farm after securing a job as a Girl Scout counselor and boarded a bus to Maine. 

Her mother then obtained her graduate degree after starting a family and began teaching remedial reading at West Virginia State.

“Now she has been to 50 states and to seven continents,” Garner smiled, glad she was able to help her mother achieve her traveling dreams.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. have an issue with Chris Pratt being dubbed the worst Chris in Hollywood

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — There are a lot of Chrises in Hollywood, like Chris Evans or Chris Pine, and the debate continues over which one is actually the best.  On the flipside, when it came to naming the worst Chris, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt drew the short end of the stick.

The debate reignited over the weekend when filmmaker Amy Berg asked her fans on Twitter to name the worst Chris in Hollywood and Pratt seemingly won by a landslide.  Some followers explained they disliked him because of his religious and political affiliations, which didn’t sit well with a few of the actor’s famous costars.

Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr., who starred alongside Pratt in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame not only slammed the poll but shamed fans for participating in such a negative conversation.

“You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is,” Ruffalo tweeted on Tuesday. “I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life. He is just not overtly political as a rule.”

The Thor: Ragnarok star then reminded fans that they should be focusing on the upcoming election instead, calling the discourse a “distraction.”

Downey Jr. took to Instagram also on Tuesday to defend his costar’s honor and rebuked, “What a world… The ‘sinless’ are casting stones at my brother, Chris Pratt… A real Christian who lives by principle, has never demonstrated anything but positivity and gratitude.”

The Iron Man star then challenged Pratt’s haters, “If you take issue with Chris,,, I’ve got a novel idea. Delete your social media accounts, sit with your OWN defects of character, work on THEM, then celebrate your humanness.”

Pratt has yet to respond to the ongoing debate. 

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.