Nikki Haley announces 2024 White House bid

Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley announced Tuesday in a video that she will run for president in 2024, becoming the first major rival to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.

“The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose,” Haley, who is expected to deliver remarks Wednesday in Charleston at a campaign launch event, said in the video.

Haley served as US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. The former president, who announced his bid last year, recently appeared to bless her entrance into the race, telling reporters that she had called to tell him she was considering a campaign launch and that he had said, “You should do it.”

 Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, opened the video talking about how she felt “different” growing up in Bamberg, South Carolina.

“The railroad tracks divided the town by race. I was the proud daughter of Indian immigrants. Not Black, not White. I was different. But my mom would always say your job is not to focus on the differences but the similarities. And my parents reminded me and my siblings every day how blessed we were to live in America,” Haley said.

If successful in the primary, Haley would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the Republican Party for president.

A former president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she was first elected to the South Carolina House in 2004. Six years later, she became the first woman elected as governor of the state in 2010 and was the youngest governor in the nation when she took office in 2011. She resigned in the middle of her second term to become Trump’s ambassador to the UN – a role she served in until the end of 2018.

During her video announcement, Haley touted her record as a twice-elected governor of South Carolina and her leadership in the state after nine people were fatally shot at a historically Black church in Charleston in 2015. After the shooting, Haley called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the Statehouse.

She also leaned into her foreign policy experience in her announcement and referenced her time as UN ambassador, saying she has “seen evil.”

“Some look at our past as evidence that America’s founding principles are bad. They say the promise of freedom is just made up. Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Haley said. “I have seen evil. In China they commit genocide. In Iran they murder their own people for challenging the government. And when a woman tells you about watching soldiers throw her baby into a fire it puts things into perspective. Even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in America.”

Some people look at America and see vulnerability,” Haley said. “The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history. China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied, kicked around. You should know this about me: I don’t put up with bullies and when you kick back it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.”

Haley will likely face stiff competition in this lane from other potential GOP candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who are all said to be weighing 2024 runs and could also appeal to conservative Republicans looking to turn the page from Trump. Some Republican strategists say a big Republican primary field would be advantageous to Trump, who still enjoys significant support among the party base, and could splinter the vote, allowing the former president to walk away with the nomination.

Haley has often attempted to walk a fine line between allying with Trump and distancing herself enough to appeal to his more moderate critics. She left the Trump administration in 2018 on good terms with the then-president – a marked contrast from other former Trump officials who have publicly fallen out with their onetime boss.

Trump on Tuesday weighed in on Haley’s announcement, saying in a statement to CNN, “Even though Nikki Haley said, ‘I would never run against my President, he was a great President, the best President in my lifetime,’ I told her she should follow her heart and do what she wants to do. I wish her luck!”

Trump was inaccurately referencing a statement Haley made in April 2021 when she said she “would not run if President Trump ran,” a sentiment she later walked back as she called for a new generation of leadership.

While Trump said publicly Tuesday that he wished Haley luck, he has privately expressed annoyance that the woman he once tapped to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations would challenge him. But Trump has remained the most anxious about another challenger: DeSantis. In recent weeks, Trump has asked multiple advisers about creating a new disparaging nickname for his potential rival, privately suggesting that he target DeSantis’s weight instead of referring to him as “Ron Desanctimonious.”

As Trump has vented about Haley’s run, some advisers have reminded him how it could benefit him if he faces multiple Republican challenges in the race.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who was endorsed by Haley when Trump supported her Republican opponent, told CNN Tuesday she was also worried about the size of the primary field.

“I have concerns if there are too many people on the ballot by the time it gets to South Carolina that it lessens the chances of anyone else coming out in this thing,” Mace said.

Haley filed to run for president with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.

 

Pharrell Williams will be Louis Vuitton's next men's creative director

American musician, record producer and designer Pharrell Williams will succeed Virgil Abloh as Louis Vuitton's men's creative director, according to a statement issued by the French luxury fashion house on Tuesday.

The appointment is effective immediately and his first collection will debut in June during Men's Fashion Week in Paris.

"I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men's Creative Director," said Pietro Beccari, Louis Vuitton's chairman and CEO in a statement. "His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead Louis Vuitton towards a new and very exciting chapter."

The news comes a little over a year after Abloh's death in November 2021, age 41, following a private battle with cancer.

The visionary designer's unexpected passing sent shockwaves through the industry and beyond. As the first Black artistic director of Louis Vuitton, Abloh made history when he was appointed in 2018 and was widely credited for bringing a younger demographic to the storied fashion house with designs that brought a streetwear aesthetic to the luxury world.

News of Williams' appointment ends months of speculation over who would succeed Abloh.

While Williams, a 13-time Grammy winner, is better known for his music career, the 49-year-old has a robust set of fashion credentials, too. He co-founded streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club in 2003 with fashion designer Nigo and has collaborated with a slew of luxury brands including Tiffany & Co., Moncler and Adidas.

From a huge brown topper hat he wore to the 2014 Grammy Awards to his now-signature bejeweled Tiffany shades, Williams's daring personal style often makes headlines and he is no stranger to fashion's front row.

Much like Abloh, Williams' creativity is cross-disciplinary: At the beginning of 2022, he announced he was involved in an ambitious new hotel project, slated to open next year in the Bahamas, and during the pandemic he released a portable cutlery set to limit single-use plastic consumption when outdoor dining.

How Williams will apply his skillset to his new role at Louis Vuitton remains to be seen but a flurry of industry reactions to the news across social media suggest he'll have a packed house at his first show this summer.

 

How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

When director Peyton Reed started outlining plans for his third Ant-Man movie, he decided to go big — by going very, very, very small.

With 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, Reed carved out his own tiny, irreverent corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing Paul Rudd as ex-con-turned-hero Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as the brilliant businesswoman Hope Van Dyne. As their fellow Avengers faced off against towering gods and monsters, Scott and Hope found their own charming, small-scale groove, operating in what Reed calls the "margins of the MCU." (It's certainly the only superhero franchise where the hero gets fired from Baskin Robbins, and the climactic final battle occurs on a kids' train set.)

But with the third film, the trilogy-ender Quantumania, Reed decided he was tired of being Marvel's "palate cleanser." Instead, the director wanted to, ahem, up the ante.  The worst sin you can commit for any movie, especially for Marvel movies, is to repeat what's been done before," Reed explains, speaking to EW at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, one day after the film's premiere. "I wanted to make the third one as whacked-out and as insane as we could."

The result is the decidedly whacked-out and insane Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (out Friday). The film follows Scott and Hope as they're trapped in the Quantum Realm, the microscopic fantasy world that's been teased throughout the franchise. Together with Scott's now-adult daughter Cassie Lang (played by Freaky's Kathryn Newton) and Hope's parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), these tiny heroes have to find their way home, dodging otherworldly creatures and one particularly sinister villain. (More on him in a minute.)

Reed describes the film as a trippy odyssey, comparing it to Dorothy's journey through Oz or Frodo's trek through Middle-earth. "For me, I loved being able to paint on a bigger canvas and create this incredible world that didn't owe to any other part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe," the 58-year-old director explains.

"I heard Peyton say before we started, basically: 'I want to finally go big like those other Marvel pictures,'" Douglas, 78, adds. "I'm thinking, 'I don't know, man.' I thought he did a lot with the first and second ones with all these effects. But this was just spectacular."

The stakes have never been bigger — not just for Ant-Man but the wider Marvel universe, too. Quantumania is the first film in Phase 5, the terminology Marvel uses to categorize its ever-expanding library of movies and TV shows. (Quantumania, if you're wondering, is film No. 31.) If Phase 4 was about resetting and introducing new characters after the shakeup of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, Phase 5 is about looking forward.

Perhaps the biggest game-changer is how Quantumania officially introduces Kang the Conqueror, the notorious comic book baddie, played by Lovecraft Country's Jonathan Majors. A variant of Kang popped up in the season 1 finale of Loki on Disney+, and now an even more malevolent version is here to make trouble in the Quantum Realm. He'll also continue to cause mischief throughout the MCU, culminating with 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and 2026's Avengers: Secret Wars.

"For years, we've always had the inkling that Kang would be an amazing follow-up to Thanos," teases Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who spoke at length about Phase 5 exclusively with EW. "He's got that equal stature in the comics, but he's a completely different villain."

That's big pressure for Marvel's smallest heroes. Not only does Quantumania need to serve as a satisfying trilogy-ender for Ant-Man and Co., but it must also set up the next several years of storytelling, anchored by Majors' nefarious, time-traveling villain. If all goes well, it won't just be one small step for Ant-Man. It'll be one giant leap for the entire MCU.

Speaking to EW in early February, Rudd can't help but feel a little reflective. Even at the end of a long day of press after a late night celebrating the Quantumania world premiere, the 53-year-old actor is as cheery (and ageless) as ever. It's been nearly a decade since he was first cast as the fast-talking, light-fingered Scott, who trades a career as a petty thief for life as a hero. At the time, Rudd was best known for roles in comedy classics like Clueless, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Wet Hot American Summer. Now, he notes, he's forever associated with the Marvel pantheon — something he calls a "real honor" but also a bit of a "mind-bender."

"I didn't know when I started that we would be here, these many years later, talking about the third installment," Rudd says with a slight sense of amazement. "It's been a really cool ride."

 

How long is the Super Bowl national anthem? Here's what to expect from Chris Stapleton

The typical length of the national anthem at the Super Bowl is around 1-2 minutes. However, the exact length can vary depending on the singer's interpretation and style.

As for Chris Stapleton, he is a talented country singer and songwriter who is known for his powerful voice and soulful performances. So, you can expect a heartfelt and soulful rendition of the national anthem from him. It's not possible to say for sure how long his performance will be, but it's likely to be a memorable one regardless of the length.

How long is the Super Bowl national anthem?

That depends on who’s performing it.

Some singers drag it out. Some keep it tight. Some only make you wish they’d kept it tight.

My favorite national anthem is ridiculously long by any standard. Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock had eclipsed four minutes by the time the feedback faded and he didn’t flub a single lyric.

Whitney Houston's iconic performance at the Super Bowl in 1991 was just shy of two minutes.

Each version is different. But there is a typical range of times and we can almost guarantee that Chris Stapleton will not be doing a four-minute version when he opens the Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Feb. 12.

According to the Score, since 1990, four of the nine shortest national anthem performances were by country artists, including two clocking in under a minute, 40 seconds.

Rihanna dishes on Super Bowl halftime show:'If it flops or flies, my name has to stand by that'

How long is the average national anthem at the Super Bowl?

Last year, the L.A. Times reported that on average, the national anthem at the Super Bowl is a minute and 56 seconds. Other sources place it closer to 1:59.  

Mickey Guyton’s rendition at last year’s Super Bowl lasted one minute and 50 seconds.

Super Bowl 2023 halftime show:What to know about Rihanna's performance at Super Bowl 57

Who sang the shortest Super Bowl national anthem?

Billy Joel got through the anthem in a minute and a half before the 2007 Super Bowl. That’s nowhere near “The Longest Time.” And to be clear, I hate myself for typing that.

According to TheScore.com, the singer who came closest to that short time was Kelly Clarkson, whose version at the 2012 Super Bowl lasted a minute and 34 seconds.

The longest in the years since Joel would be Alicia Keys in 2013. Hers lasted two minutes and 35 seconds.

Ten versions since 2007 have come in at under 2 minutes: Guyton, Clarkson, Joel, Glendale’s own Jordin Sparks (1:54), Carrie Underwood (1:47), Christina Aguilera (1:53), Renee Fleming (1:54), Pink (1:53), Gladys Knight (1:49) and Demi Lovato (1:49).

Super Bowl 2023:Chris Stapleton to sing national anthem, Sheryl Lee Ralph to perform Black national anthem.

 

Instagram Drama Implies Troubling Developments With Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly

A  ll signs point to discord in the private lives of actress Megan Fox and musician Machine Gun Kelly. The two have been dating since mid-2020 and were engaged in January 2022.

The evidence of tumult is this: Fox has deleted all images of him off her Instagram, and, late Saturday/early Sunday, uploaded a carousel of images of herself in what most would consider a seductive outfit (though shot in a not-very-stylish public rest room.) The first shot is just her with some very “come hither” eyes, the second and third include an individual in gray sweats and a hoodie (the Daily Mail refers to him as “a male pal”), and the fourth slide is a video of a fire burning in some kind of trash receptacle, with an envelope framed in the center.

But wait, there’s more! As a caption, Fox wrote, “You can taste the dishonesty/ it’s all over your breath.” This is a lyric from Beyoncé’s song “Pray You Catch Me" from the 2016 album Lemonade, widely accepted to be commentary on her husband Jay-Z’s infidelity.

Lastly, Fox, who has 21 million followers, made some adjustments to the list of people she was following. The count currently stands at three—Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, and, a brand new addition according to the Fox-watchers in her comments—Eminem. This is notable because, in the words of TMZ, Em is “heavy into beef” with MGK! (Indeed, the two performers have exchanged ferocious “diss tracks” in the not-too-distant past.)  

Fox, 36, and Kelly, 32 (and whose given name is Colson Baker) were photographed holding hands on Friday night at Drake’s pre-Super Bowl party at Hangar 1 in Scottsdale, Arizona, a venue that claims to be the “first and only” spot for private jets to also host bar and bat mitzvahs. (They also have planes for sale.) The pics of the maybe-not-so-much-engaged-anymore couple show Fox in the same alluring dress that was later seen on Instagram.

Weirdly enough, earlier that same Friday, Kelly was performing at the preposterously named “Waste Management Phoenix Open” (a golf tournament that also includes rap-rockers?), and he was mildly electrocuted on stage. Even though this is a plot point from an episode of Poker Face, MGK is perfectly fine, but one can find images of him floating around of him looking like Vyvyan Basterd from The Young Ones.

 

Blake Lively Pokes Fun at Super Bowl Ads in New Betty Buzz Commercial

The commercial, which aired during the Puppy Bowl 2023, also features Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds

Blake Lively's latest Betty Buzz commercial may ring some bells.

The actress and founder of the bubbly mixer brand stars in an ad that spoofs vintage, "rough-and-tough" beer commercials. The spot, which first airs during the Puppy Bowl 2023, also features her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

Lively tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that the Puppy Bowl was the perfect opportunity to air the ad for her relatively new business, which she founded in 2021:

"As a 90s baby, The Super Bowl is less about football and more about commercials with beer and Clydesdales. We couldn't afford the Super Bowl …or the Clydesdales… but we could afford the beer …sort of, ginger beer. No, there's no alcohol. Just fresh delicious chunks of ginger in an electrically sparkling base. The point is, I'm running a start up here. See you at the Puppy Bowl…"While Reynolds isn't actually on screen in the commercial, he plays a "cowboy narrator," who gives a seductive play-by-play of how to enjoy Betty Buzz's ginger beer. In the clip above, he starts by whispering, "presenting Betty Buzz ginger beer."

While he describes the "bold flavor" in a drawl voice, bottles of the fizzy beverage glitter on the screen as white horses gallop in the background — a satire on classic beer commercials.

"The fresh ginger taste with just the right balance of spice," he adds.

Now with an even more intense whisper, he says, "Sip it, down it or enjoy it on its own — perfectly sized bubbles."

Lively now appears on screen, wearing a red flannel. Through the grainy screen, viewers can see her unpop the top with her mouth and pour it into a glass.

As Reynolds continues to lure viewers in with his description of the ginger beer's bubbles, Lively hilariously starts to chug the whole glass in one shot.

"Pair it with rum. Pair it with tequila. Pair it with whiskey. Pair it with anything – especially your mouth," Reynolds concludes the spot.

The commercial will air on Sunday on Animal Planet during the Puppy Bowl pregame show and during the Puppy Bowl on Discovery.

Lively's mixer company took three years to create before Betty Buzz was launched in September 2021. The five flavors — tonic water, sparkling grapefruit, Meyer lemon club soda, sparkling lemon lime and ginger beer — are available online and at select retailers including Whole Foods.

The beverages can either be mixed with liquor or sipped straight from the bottle, which Lively prefers as a non-drinker herself.

In November 2021, Lively spoke to PEOPLE about the support she received when launching the brand. "I've been very proud of [Betty Buzz] and it's been really cool and overwhelming to see people's responses to it," she said at the time. "It's been really neat to see all of the non-drinkers who have come out and said 'Thank you.'"

 Megan Fox removes traces of fiancé Machine Gun Kelly from Instagram: Hints at break up with a cryptic post

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly seemed to have called it quits.

On Saturday, February 11, Megan deleted all images and videos of Machine Gun Kelly and shared a cryptic post on "dishonesty."

According to Daily Mail, Megan, 36, posted a video on Instagram where she appeared to be burning a letter and a bag by throwing them in a bonfire.

Megan has also started following Eminem, one of the three people she is following including Harry Styles and Timothee Chalamet.

The actress also posted a strip of sultry pictures which also included a male friend and captioned the post, "You can taste the dishonesty/ it’s all over your breath."

The caption is actually lyrics from Beyoncé's 2016 track, Pray You Catch Me, about her husband Jay Z's own affair.

The couple was seen together mere hours before her shock post at Drake's Super Bowl party in Scottsdale, Arizona.