(NEW YORK) — Things may have looked a little different but the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards still delivered a star-studded event with performances from the some of the hottest artists.
To get things started, Hustlers star and host of the awards ceremony Keke Palmer opened the show and dedicated it to Chadwick Boseman, who died after a private four-year battle with colon cancer: “We dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just on screen, but in everything he did. His impact lives forever.”
From there, The Weeknd delivered the first performance of the VMA’s from over 1000 feet above New York City with his hit song “Blinding Lights.” He later went on to win two Moonmen, but found it difficult to celebrate his wins and deciding to opt against an acceptance speech, he simply said, “Thank you” and demanded justice for Jacob Black and Breonna Taylor.
Other performances for the night included Miley Cyrus, Maluma, BTS, Dojo Cat, CNCO and DaBaby. The most notable, and perhaps the best of the night, came from Lady Gaga, who was also joined by Ariana Grande for their award-winning collaboration “Rain On Me.”
Gaga not only delivered a show-stopping act, she dominated the night by snagging five VMAs, including the first ever Tricon Award — an award which honored the singer’s work in music, fashion, acting and activism. And, in true Gaga form, she accepted each of her awards in an outlandish, yet iconic look with a face mask to match.
Taylor Swift also made history as the first solo female artist to win the MTV VMA for Best Director Award for her music video “The Man.”
The show closed out with a performance from the Black Eyed Peas.
Capitol NashvilleFor Keith Urban, performing onstage hasn’t just been a way to make a living, it’s been a way of life.
So not being able to play in front of live audiences because of the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard for the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year.
“I made a record, so I didn’t go crazy,” he laughs. “I’ve always played, since I joined this sort of singing group when I was seven and performed at the shopping centers, you know, on school holidays at the mall, and joined a band at twelve and then quit school at fifteen and was playing five nights a week. I’ve always, always played on stages.”
Even during the off-season, Keith’s made a habit of popping up in small clubs to soak up the vibe and flex his musical muscles. Now, he says the hardest parts are the unknowns.
“It’s a very strange feeling,” he tells ABC Audio on the phone from his native Australia, “not only having not been on a stage in a long time, but truly not knowing when we’re gonna get to get back on one again, or how it’s gonna be, where it’s gonna be.”
“So I just dived into the studio,” he continues, “which is, you know, in a lot of ways my other stage.”
You can sample the fruits of of Keith’s labors on September 18, when The Speed of Now Part 1 comes out, featuring his current hit, “God Whispered Your Name,” as well as his Eric Church collaboration, “We Were.”
That’s just a couple days after Keith hosts the first all-virtual ACM Awards, live from Nashville, on CBS.
Hennepin County Jail BY: BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC NEWS
(MINNEAPOLIS) — A defense attorney for the fired Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in connection with the death of George Floyd is asking a judge to drop all charges, arguing the 46-year-old man’s death was allegedly from a drug overdose and not caused by the officer planting his knee in the back of Floyd’s neck.
Defense attorney Eric J. Nelson filed the motion in Hennepin County, Minnesota, District Court on Friday, claiming prosecutors have failed to show probable cause for charging Derek Chauvin with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nelson contends Chauvin acted on his training from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) in the use of a “Maximal Restraint Technique” and did so out of concern that Floyd might harm himself or the officers struggling to arrest him.
The Minneapolis Police Department policy on “Maximal Restraint Technique” says it “shall only be used in situations where handcuffed subjects are combative and still pose a threat to themselves, officers or others, or could cause significant damage to property if not properly restrained.”
Nelson also included Minneapolis Police Department training materials on the proper use of the “Maximal Restraint Technique,” in which photos show demonstrations of officers simulating putting their knee on a handcuffed subject’s neck. Nelson argued the training material appeared to contradict a statement made shortly after the incident by Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo that he had not seen “anything that says you place your knee on someone’s neck when they’re facedown, handcuffed.”
“Thus, any risk created by Mr. Chauvin’s conduct lies largely with those who train MPD officers and those who approve such training,” Nelson wrote in the motion filed on Friday.
Nelson also cited the autopsy conducted on Floyd that found fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system, a combination of drugs Nelson says is known as a speedball. He noted that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s post-mortem report showed Floyd had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, hypertension and sickle cell trait. Floyd also purportedly told the officers that he had contracted COVID-19 and was still positive for the virus at the time of his death, a claim confirmed by his autopsy.
“Put simply, Mr. Floyd could not breathe because he had ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl and, possibly, a speedball. Combined with sickle cell trait, his pre-existing heart conditions, Mr. Floyd’s use of fentanyl and methamphetamine most likely killed him,” Nelson argued. “Adding fentanyl and methamphetamine to Mr. Floyd’s existing health issues was tantamount to lighting a fuse on a bomb.”
Nelson added a footnote quoting Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker saying, “If [Mr. Floyd] were found dead at home alone and no other apparent causes, this could be acceptable to call an OD.”
A Sept. 11 court hearing before Judge Peter Cahill has been scheduled on the motion filed by Nelson.
The attorney for Floyd’s family, Benjamin Crump, did not respond to an ABC News request for comment on the motions. Previously, Crump stated regarding the drugs in Floyd’s system, “The cause of death was that he was starving for air. It was lack of oxygen. And so everything else is a red herring to try to throw us off.”
An independent autopsy ordered by Floyd’s family found his death was a “homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain.”
A viral cellphone video of Floyd’s fatal arrest on May 25 showed Chauvin with his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and prone on the ground next to a police patrol vehicle. Two other officers, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, are seen in the footage helping Chauvin restrain Floyd, whom they initially confronted when they responded to a 911 complaint that Floyd had allegedly used a phony $20 bill to purchase cigarettes at the Cup Foods store in Minneapolis.
The footage of Floyd’s arrest showed him repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” and calling out for his dead mother before his body went listless. Floyd was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Floyd’s death sparked nationwide outcry and massive protests across the U.S. and around the world against racial injustice. The episode, the latest in a string of police killings of unarmed Black people in the United States, has become a rallying cry against police brutality and part of a call to defund law enforcement agencies.
Lane, Kueng and Officer Tou Thao, who arrived at the scene with Chauvin when back-up was requested, have all been terminated from the Minneapolis Police Department and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of Floyd.
Lane, Kueng, and Thao have not yet entered pleas — in court documents, attorneys for Thao and Kueng said their clients intend to plead not guilty to the charges.
Attorneys for Lane, Kueng and Thao have also asked that charges against them be dropped. Cahill has yet to render a decision on those motions.
Prosecutors in the case filed a notice on Friday saying they intend to seek an “upward sentencing departure” from state judicial guidelines if the defendants are found guilty at trial, tentatively scheduled for March 2021.
“Mr. Floyd was treated with particular cruelty,” prosecutors wrote in their notice. “Despite Mr. Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe and was going to die, as well as the pleas of eyewitnesses to get off Mr. Floyd and help him, Defendant and his co-defendants continued to restrain Mr. Floyd.”
But Nelson argued in court papers that Chauvin and the other officers were trying to protect Floyd, who he alleged was acting erratically and resisting arrest, from injuring himself by “falling and hitting his head on the sidewalk, being struck by an oncoming vehicle, or in his struggles, injuring himself against the squad car.”
“Mr. Chauvin demonstrated a concern for Mr. Floyd’s well-being — not an intent to inflict harm,” Nelson wrote in the motion.
He said Chauvin was “clearly being cautious about the amount of pressure he used to restrain Mr. Floyd” and pointed out that in the video Floyd was able to raise his head several times while he was prone on the ground.
“If Mr. Chauvin’s knee had been on the structure of Mr. Floyd’s neck, he would not have been able to lift his head,” Nelson wrote.
He also claimed that as the officers were restraining Floyd they requested a “code 3” response from emergency medical services requiring an ambulance to responding to the scene to use lights and sirens, and that the officers together decided against the using a hobble restraint device on Floyd “which would have significantly delayed the transfer of Mr. Floyd into the ambulance and also have required an MPD sergeant to respond to the scene.”
Nelson again cited the autopsy report that found no bruising or evidence of trauma on the back of Floyd’s neck, his neck muscles or his back.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Floyd’s death a homicide, finding he perished as the result of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.”
Floyd’s death has been roundly condemned by law enforcement, politicians and protesters nationwide and has been held up as an exhibit of excessive use of force by police.
Just days after the incident, President Donald Trump expressed the “nation’s deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathies to the family of George Floyd.”
“Terrible, terrible thing that happened,” Trump said on May 29, adding that he had asked the U.S. Department of Justice to expedite a federal investigation into the death. “We all saw what we saw and it’s very hard to even conceive of anything other than what we did see. It should never happen. It should never be allowed to happen, a thing like that. But we’re determined that justice be served.”
(NEW YORK) — A player set to compete in the U.S. Open tennis championship has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been forced to withdraw from the tournament, the USTA announced on Sunday.
The player, who was not identified by tournament organizers, is asymptomatic, US Open officials said in a statement. The player has been advised that they must isolate for at least 10 days and contact tracing has been initiated to determine if anyone must quarantine for 14 days, the USTA said.
The 2020 U.S. Open is set to be the first major sporting championship in the U.S. since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tournament organizers have been taking precautions to mitigate any possible spread of the novel coronavirus.
Earlier this month, the USTA released their health and safety plan for the tournament. Players and members of the highest tiered bubble, including the players’ teams, tournament officials and medical personnel, will be tested twice and following 2 negative results, they will be tested every 4 days. Members of the tightest bubble will receive access to the National Tennis Center following the first negative test. Lower tiered people allowed onto the tennis facility will include broadcasters and support staff.
“Our protocol for that task was a little different than the other leagues with all the global players and participation, we have players coming from around 60 different countries in the world,” USTA CEO Mike Dowse told ABC News.
He added that moving Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Championship to the U.S. Open facilities in Flushing, Queens, helped create a 30-day bubble for players.
Over a dozen players pulled out of the tournament ahead of play including Simona Halep, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world.
At the time of her withdrawal, Halep tweeted, “After weighing up all the factors involved and with the exceptional circumstances in which we are living, I have decided that I will not travel to New York to play the US Open. I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision.”
The defending women’s champion Bianca Andreescu also withdrew from the tournament. Andreescu, who hasn’t played on tour since October in part because of injury, said the COVID-19 outbreak prevented her from properly preparing for competition.
Rafael Nadal also announced earlier this month that he would not seek to defend his title at the U.S. Open because of concerns surrounding COVID-19.
“The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don’t have control of it, Nadal wrote in an Instagram post on Aug. 4. “We know that the reduced tennis calendar is barbaric this year after 4 months stopped with no play… This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel.”
Despite the change in play, a number of top echelon players will be taking the court including Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Coco Gauff and Sloane Stevens.
Williams will be looking to add a seventh U.S. Open title to her portfolio and tie Margaret Court’s 24 wins for the most grand slam titles ever by a woman.
“It’s like I’ll never be satisfied until I retire,” she said on Saturday.
Arthur Ashe Stadium, the game’s biggest stage and the U.S. Open’s center court, will be a lot quieter than in years past. With the help of technology from IBM Watson, production teams will be able to make the empty stadium feel like the nearly 24,000 seats are full again.
IBM says it will use AI Highlights technology to recreate crowd sounds gleaned from hundreds of hours of video footage captured during last years’ tournament. That technology will be featured in the ESPN broadcast of the tournament.
“This year, we made a massive pivot to use Watson AI — underpinned by the cloud — to bring fans closer to the action since they can’t be in Flushing in person,” said Noah Syken, IBM vice president of sports & entertainment partnerships.
For some players, the quiet facilities will be a throwback to the start of their tennis careers.
“I have more matches under my belt with no fans than I do with fans, so … I think, to be honest, it will just take me back to when I first started on tour,” American tennis star Coco Gauff said.
It will be a far cry from what 15-year-old Robin Montgomery could have dreamed about ahead of becoming the youngest player ever to make her debut in the main draw.
“I’m really excited to play against these top players,” she told “Good Morning America,” adding, “I just want to take this moment and enjoy everything about it because it’s such a great opportunity. And then of course, I want to win.”
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the USTA transformed parts of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center into an nearly 500 bed overflow hospital ward to help alleviate the strain on Queens’ hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital.
At the start of evening sessions, the USTA will be unveiling a series of conversations called “Champions to Champions,” which will honor front-line workers through the pandemic. Tennis champions like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King will talk to health care workers to recognize their work in the fight against COVID-19.
Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesBY: MORGAN WINSOR, ABC NEWS
(PORTLAND) — One person was shot and killed in downtown Portland on Saturday night, as protests in Oregon’s largest city entered their fourth month.
Portland police officers located the individual with a gunshot wound to the chest, after hearing gunfire in the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street at 8:46 p.m. local time. Medics responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene, according to a press release from the Portland Police Department.
A homicide investigation is underway. No suspect information is being released at this time, police said.
Anyone who was a witness, has video or has information about the incident is urged to contact the Portland Police Department.
“It is still early in this investigation, and I ask everyone to give the detectives time to do their important work before drawing conclusions about what took place,” Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said in a statement early Sunday. “If anyone can provide information about this case, I ask them to please reach out to our detectives. This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible.”
The deadly shooting occurred as dueling demonstrations took place throughout downtown Portland. A car rally in support of President Donald Trump had gathered earlier that evening and held a massive procession that was ultimately met by counterprotesters supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Portland ABC affiliate reported seeing clashes between the two groups on the streets.
Investigators have not said whether the shooting was connected to the demonstrations or clashes.
According to a separate press release from the Portland Police Department, there were “hundreds of vehicles” that participated in Saturday’s rally and a “significant number” drove into downtown as part of the procession. People in the cars “periodically exchanged words” with pedestrians and, at times, fights broke out. There were also some minor collisions, police said.
“Portland Police responded to scenes of fights, disturbances and collisions throughout downtown and made some arrests,” police said in a statement early Sunday.
The caravan of vehicles left the downtown area by about 8:30 p.m. local time, according to police. Over the next two hours, groups of people moved through downtown streets and there was “sporadic fighting and vandalism,” police said. The crowds slowly began to dissipate around midnight.
Police arrested 10 people overnight, mostly for disorderly conduct.
Black Lives Matter protests erupted in Portland and other cities across the United States following the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck as three other officers watched. The protesters are calling for an end to police brutality and racial injustice.
In a speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Trump invoked Portland as a “Democrat-run” city plagued by “rioting, looting, arson, and violence.”
Trump took to Twitter early Sunday to comment on the latest violence in Portland, calling the city’s mayor “incompetent” and “a fool.” While retweeting a video that purportedly shows Trump supporters in their cars firing paintballs and pepper spray at counterprotesters on the street, the president remarked that the “big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected.”
“The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer,” he tweeted. “Bring in the National Guard!”
Courtesy of MTV
