Reese Witherspoon releases new children’s book, ‘Busy Betty’
The Academy Award winner chats about the inspiration behind the book and why she chose to name the character after her mother.
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Good Morning AmericaAmid an 'epidemic' of loneliness for parents, these moms are trying to help
Johnna Castle was in the car struggling to get her two daughters -- now ages 9 and 11 -- to their afternoon activities when she said she felt an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. "I was struggling to get one kid to one place but my other kid had to be in a different place at the same time and I was figuring all of that out and just feeling overwhelmed," Castle told "Good Morning America." "They say, 'Have a tribe,' and you might have a tribe, but, really, you're alone in doing all of that and it just kind of felt like at that moment, I just wasn't happy. Castle, who is left as the solo parent when her husband travels for work, shared her feelings of loneliness in a video on TikTok that was published in Ocrober 2022, captioning the video, in part, "I love my kids more than anything else in this world but no one tells you or warns you about how lonely it is to be a mom."
- ABC News
Pentagon announces new $6 billion military aid package for Ukraine
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new $6 billion weapons purchases for Ukraine on Friday that he said is the biggest so far and will purchase new weapons systems for Ukraine, including additional Patriot missiles it needs to counter Russian missile barrages on its cities. "This is the largest security assistance package that we've committed to date," Austin said at a Pentagon news conference. "It will include critical interceptors for Ukraine's Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems, more counter-drone systems and support equipment, significant amounts of artillery ammunition, and air to ground munitions and maintenance and sustainment support," he added.
- ABC News
Student protesters denounce antisemitism amid criticism over pro-Palestinian encampments at college campuses
Student protesters critical of the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza have continued to face accusations of antisemitism, as politicians from across the ideological spectrum react to the widening demonstrations on college campuses. "At universities across the nation, our movement is united in valuing every human life," read a statement from Columbia University Apartheid Divest, one of the groups involved in the protests.
- ABC News
Facility seen polluting Malaysian river part of anti-pollution program promoted by US plastics industry
A plastics facility listed as a member of an environmental stewardship program created by American plastics industry groups appears to be regularly discharging plastics into the Malaysian river beside which it is located, according to an investigation by ABC News. "We used to see them discharge it every two days," Saravanan Kumar, whose family has been fishing along the river for generations, told ABC News. The facility manufactures plastic bags, among other products, sometimes from recycled content, and sits directly beside Malaysia's Langat River.
- ABC News
Month after announcement, RFK Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, remains in the shadows
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled California lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in late March, it seemed to trigger the start of a new and exciting phase of his long shot independent presidential bid: "Kennedy '24" signs suddenly made room for a second name, which water bottles and teddy bears sold on the campaign's website within minutes of the Oakland announcement showcased.
- ABC News
Severe weather, including tornado threat, expected to impact the Heartland
Twenty million Americans, from Texas to Iowa, are on alert Friday for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. The highest tornado threat exists from the Dallas region north to Des Moines, Iowa. The rest of the Plains -- including Tulsa, Oklahoma; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Dallas -- could see damaging winds, large hail and an isolated tornado.
- ABC News
Delta plane's emergency slide falls off during flight
An emergency slide fell off a Delta passenger jet shortly after takeoff Friday, forcing the pilots to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials said. The pilots of Delta Air Lines Flight 520 from New York to Los Angeles reported vibrations and a banging not long after takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Upon inspection, crews determined that an emergency slide from one of the Boeing 767's exits had separated from the aircraft, Delta said in a statement.
- ABC News
In Howard Stern interview, Biden says he's 'happy' to debate Trump
President Joe Biden said Friday he is "happy" to debate former President Donald Trump, though did not specify as to when. The comment was made during a one-on-one interview with radio host Howard Stern, who asked if the president had plans to debate his 2024 opponent. "I am somewhere," Biden responded, the first time he's indicated he will debate Trump this election cycle.
- Good Morning America
Mom shares why she sends her kid to preschool with stained clothes
An Indiana mom is reminding parents that sending young toddlers and children to preschool with stained but clean clothes doesn't have to be a dealbreaker or a sign of poor hygiene. Marla Branyan, a mom of two, shared her take in a now-viral TikTok video about the topic. "I had this lightbulb moment where I thought, 'If she's getting these stains at preschool, why can't I just send her back with the clothes clean, with the stain still there, if they didn't come out?' It was a really pivotal moment for me because I feel like it gave me a lot of freedom, and it reduced the stress," Branyan said.
- Good Morning America
Southwest Airlines CEO says airline may reevaluate open seating after financial loss
Earlier this week, after the Dallas-based carrier reported a $231 million net loss from the first quarter of 2024, CEO Bob Jordan commented on the "disappointing" results and said they are "evaluating options to enhance our Customer Experience" which he said includes "onboard seating." On a webcast recording of the earnings call, Jordan said, "It's been several years since we last studied this in-depth, and customer preference and expectations change over time." Jordan later spoke about the potentially massive shift to its open seating cabins as a means to drive up revenue, CNBC first reported.
- ABC News
Kim Kardashian joins Kamala Harris, pardon recipients to discuss criminal justice reform
Reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion on Thursday to discuss criminal justice reform and pardons recently issued by President Joe Biden. The conversation included four recent pardon recipients -- Jason Hernandez, Bobby Darrell Lowery, Jesse Mosley, and Beverly Holcy -- and came a day after Biden granted clemency to 16 people.
- ABC News
The US economy is cooling off. Why experts say there's no need to worry yet
The finding, released in a Commerce Department report this week, renewed a question that has lingered over the economy: Should Americans be worried about where it's headed? "GDP decelerated pretty significantly," Stephan Weiler, a professor of economics at Colorado State University and a former Fed research officer, told ABC News, but he acknowledged the limitations of the new finding. Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced in the economy, recorded 1.6% annual growth over the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department said this week.
- Good Morning America
King Charles III to return to public duties amid cancer treatment
King Charles III will return to public duties next week, a first since his cancer diagnosis was revealed publicly in February. Buckingham Palace announced Friday that Charles, 75, and his wife Queen Camilla will visit a cancer treatment center Tuesday, where they plan to meet with the center's patients and medical staff. The visit will be the first official public engagement Charles has held since earlier this year, when he was diagnosed with cancer following treatment for benign prostate enlargement.
- ABC News
Large fossil footprints point to discovery of new 'megaraptor' dinosaur: Study
Although the velociraptors of "Jurassic Park" fame are well known, they don't much resemble their historical counterparts. The movie velociraptors are portrayed as being 6 feet tall with scaly skin and incredibly fast, but real velociraptors were about as big as a medium-sized dog, measuring approximately 1.6 feet high and between 4.8 and 6.8 feet across, scientists say.
- ABC News
Democratic divisions over Israel aren't guaranteed to sink The Squad
Such critiques have put electoral pressure on Lee and other members of The Squad, an informal group of about nine progressive Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. With Lee's victory, three members have won renomination in solidly Democratic districts in March and April primaries, all but ensuring that they'll win reelection in November. The Squad's criticisms of Israel and its actions in Gaza in the wake of Hamas's October attack on Israel helped spur many of their challengers' campaigns back in the fall, and pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee could boost efforts to take down these progressive incumbents.
- ABC News
Here are all the gag order violations Trump is accused of making
As former President Donald Trump awaits a ruling on whether he will be held in contempt for violating his gag order, prosecutors on Thursday accused him of making four more violations. The limited gag order, which was issued by Judge Juan Merchan ahead of Trump's hush money trial, prohibits him from making public comments about jurors, lawyers, potential witnesses, court staff and their families. It allows Trump to continue making remarks about Merchan and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, but forbids him from speaking about their family members.
- Good Morning America
2 sets of twins born to moms with double uterus delivered at same hospital
An Alabama in hospital has helped deliver twins born in a "one in a million" pregnancy, for the second time. Shellie Pascoe, 29, gave birth in March to a healthy boy and girl, twins whom she carried in two uteruses. Pascoe told "Good Morning America" she learned while trying to become pregnant that she was born with uterine didelphys, or double uterus, a rare condition in which a woman is born with two uteruses and two cervixes.
- Good Morning America
Amazon Prime Day 2024 returns in July: Here's what to know
One of the biggest shopping events of the year, Amazon Prime Day, is making a return this July. "I'm thrilled to share that Prime Day will be back this July," Doug Herrington, Amazon CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, wrote in the caption of an Instagram post. "This will be Amazon's 10th Prime Day, and I'm excited for Prime members around the world to discover some of the best deals of the summer."
- ABC News
Final first responder convicted in Elijah McClain's death to be sentenced
Former paramedic Jeremy Cooper is set to be sentenced Friday after being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the final case connected to Elijah McClain's 2019 death. Prosecutors accused the Aurora, Colorado, paramedic and his co-defendant Peter Cichuniec of administering an excessive amount of ketamine to sedate the 23-year-old McClain after an encounter with police on August 24, 2019. According to department policy, administering ketamine to sedate a suspect is intended "to minimize time struggling."
- Good Morning America
What to know about Patrick Mahomes' wife Brittany and their 2 kids
Patrick Mahomes is a proud husband and father. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was supported by his wife Brittany Mahomes as they stepped out for the Time100 Gala on April 25 in New York City. In February, Mahomes celebrated with his wife and daughter and son Patrick "Bronze" Lavon Mahomes III as his team won their second straight Super Bowl title, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.