Abby Huntsman reacts to Meghan Markle's motherhood stress as a royal: 'No matter where you come from you’re still a mom'
After Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle spoke about the struggles she faces as a new mom living in the spotlight over the weekend, "The View" co-host Abby Huntsman opened up about her own stress as a working mother of three.
The duchess said "it's hard" to raise her and Prince Harry's son Archie amid intense media attention, specifically from the British tabloids, in an interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby for the documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey."
"Any woman, especially when they are pregnant, you're really vulnerable," Markle told Bradby. "You add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed... Also thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I'm OK."
"It's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," she added.
When Bradby asked if it would "be fair to say" that she's "not really OK. As in, it's really been a struggle," Markle replied simply: "Yes."
Huntsman is a mother to Isabel Grace, who turns 2 years old in November, and twins Ruby Kate and William Jeffrey, both of whom are 4 months old. On Monday, she expressed strong support for Markle.
"The problem is everyone assumes [that] they know looking from afar, and no matter where you come from, you're still a mom. You still have the same anxieties," Huntsman said, adding that she became "emotional" watching Markle speak out. "I thought, good for her because it was such a raw moment. She's right. No one ever asks a mom, 'Are you OK? How are you doing?' Everyone wants to know how cute the kids are and all that."
Matching Markle's candidness, Huntsman spoke about an emotional breakdown she had on Sunday evening.
"I had a moment yesterday where I closed my bedroom door and just wept," she said. "I mean, in all honesty, this is what moms go through."
"I called my mom and I said, 'Mom, I can't do this anymore. I can't do it,'" Huntsman said before showing a photo of herself having a temper tantrum as a toddler.
Huntsman explained that her mother, Mary Kaye Huntsman, sent the photo to her on Sunday. She said her mother told her that it was taken when she was the same age as her daughter Isabel.
Huntsman said her mother called her a "strong-willed child" when she sent the photo and said that she "will get through this."
"Now that I've had a kid, I appreciate my own parents so much," Huntsman said. "I respect what they did and I don't think you do until you know the job. I got my hands full."
Before Huntsman gave birth to her and husband Jeff Livingston's twins on June 5, she worked until May and spent the last weeks of her pregnancy on bed rest. She returned to co-host "The View" on Sept. 3 and debuted her twins to the world. She said that while reflecting on her bed rest on Labor Day, she realized that "dads and moms, that's by far the hardest job."
The duchess of Sussex married the prince in May 2018. She gave birth to Archie, their first child, one year later in May 2019, and kept the details of their son's birth private. In October, the royal couple decided to take legal action against a British tabloid for what they allege was an invasion of privacy.
Prince Harry delivered a powerful statement in the announcement of the legal move, describing Markle as "one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences."
"Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself," the prince said. "I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."
- ABC News
Duchess of Sussex calls 1st year of marriage difficult
The Duchess of Sussex says her first year of marriage to Britain's Prince Harry has been difficult because of the pressure from Britain's tabloid press.
The former Meghan Markle told ITV in an interview broadcast Sunday that her British friends warned her not to marry the prince because of the intense media scrutiny that would follow in his country. But the U.S. television star said she "naively" dismissed the warnings, because as an American she didn't understand how the British press worked.
"I never thought this would be easy but I thought it would be fair. And that is the part that is hard to reconcile," she said. "But (I) just take each day as it comes."
The royal couple revealed their struggles with the media during the ITV documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," which followed them on a recent tour of Southern Africa. Both said they had struggled with the spotlight, particularly because they say much of what is printed is untrue.
The pressure was aggravated by the fact that the duchess was a newlywed, then pregnant and then a new mother.
"Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable. And so that was made really challenging, and then when you have a newborn, you know?" she said, adding that it was a struggle.
Later she added: "I would say thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes."
The 35-year-old Harry did acknowledge there have been some differences between him and his older brother, 37-year-old Prince William, although he said most of what has been printed about a rift between the two has been "created out of nothing."
"Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that it's under, inevitably stuff happens," he said. "But, look, we're brothers. We'll always be brothers. We're certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, as I know he'll always be there for me."
Harry has lashed out at the British media in the past for its treatment of Meghan, accusing the media of hounding her the way it did his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash while trying to elude paparazzi. Harry insisted he didn't want such history repeated.
During the trip to Africa, Harry walked through the same minefield in Angola that his mother visited just before her death as she publicized efforts to clear thousands of mines left behind by the country's 27-year civil war.
He told ITV that one of the most difficult parts of being constantly in the public eye is that every click of a shutter and flash from a camera is "the worst reminder" that his mother's life ended so young, at only 36.
B
ut he added, "I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum."
At the close of their African tour, Harry and Meghan each brought separate legal actions against the media.
The duchess earlier this month sued the Mail on Sunday tabloid, claiming it illegally published a letter she wrote to her father. Harry sued over the alleged illegal interception of voicemail messages by journalists from the Sun, the News of the World and the Daily Mirror newspapers.
Harry, who has joined his brother in promoting a more open discussion of mental health issues throughout society, described his own mental health struggles as being a matter of "constant management."
"Part of this job, and part of any job, like everybody, is putting on a brave face and turning a cheek to a lot of the stuff," he said. "But again, for me and again for my wife, of course, there is a lot of stuff that hurts, especially when the majority of it is untrue."
- ABC News
Actress Felicity Huffman seen in prison uniform, green jumpsuit and white hat
Felicity Huffman was seen wearing a green jumpsuit and white hat while her husband and daughter visited for family day amid her federal prison sentence.
The actress, 56, reported to a Northern California prison last Tuesday for a 14-day sentence after she pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the massive "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal.
A video showed Huffman walking in a parking lot outside as she passed by security guards to meet her husband, actor William H. Macy, and her daughter, Sophia Grace Macy.
Former federal prosecutor Tony Brass told ABC News that the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, about 25 miles southeast of Oakland, where Huffman is located, "is almost a camp."
"Minimum security prisoners enjoy the luxury of being minimum security prisoners," he said.
Huffman is allowed to work on a pre-approved hobby craft such as crochet, origami or scrap booking.
Her meals include Bran Flakes for breakfast, breaded fish sandwiches for lunch and Salisbury steak for dinner.
Huffman -- who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the 2005 film "Transamerica" -- pleaded guilty on May 13 and acknowledged she paid $15,000 to arrange for a college entrance exam proctor to correct her daughter Sophia's SAT answers and for her daughter to be allowed more time to take the test.
On March 13, a federal indictment was unsealed with charges for 50 people, including Huffman and more than 30 other wealthy parents, in the largest college cheating scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.
Huffman is one of 51 people entangled in the college admissions scandal. Fifteen other parents facing charges have maintained their innocence.
Also indicted was actress Lori Loughlin -- best known as Aunt Becky on the sitcom "Full House" -- and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who are fighting charges that they paid $500,000 to get their two daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, into USC as recruits for the university's crew team despite the fact they'd never participated in the sport.
- ABC News
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Notre Dame Cathedral's famed rose windows, organ spared: Church official
As towering flames shot through the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral, some witnesses thought the Gothic structure that has stood for 850 years was doomed.
But after firefighters battled for nine hours to put out the blaze, officials said Tuesday that despite the extensive damage that will take years to repair, many of the historic building's iconic features were left intact.
Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, who was at the cathedral when the fire broke out about 6:20 p.m. local time on Monday, said the three rose-stained glass windows survived the inferno.
The large round windows that date back to 1250 were "not blemished," Chauvet told reporters.
Chauvet said the cathedral's famous 18th-century organ that boasts 8,000 pipes was also left unscathed.
"The organ, too, thank God, did not get water and is intact," Chauvet said.
Andrew Finot, head of communications for Notre Dame Cathedral, said about 80% of the artifacts in the sanctuary were saved, including the Crown of Thorns purportedly placed on Jesus Christ's head during his crucifixion, and the Tunic from Saint Louis worn by the 13th-century King Louis IX. He said a team raced to the cathedral when the fire broke out and removed many of the relics.
Photos released Tuesday showed the altar in the main sanctuary was left intact and a gold crucifix that hangs at the rear of the pulpit appeared unscathed.
But the cathedral's huge roof, which was mostly supported by ancient wooden beams from a medieval forest, was a total loss. Charred wooden beams fell through the arched ceiling and landed in front of the altar.
"There is no more roof," Chauvet said.
During the fire, a spire that stood atop the center of the cathedral broke apart and toppled over.
Chauvet said a rooster that sat atop a cross on the spire was found slightly blemished.
"We found the rooster," Chauvet said.
Chauvet said he was at the cathedral Monday afternoon when a passerby directed his attention to the first signs of smoke.
"I went immediately to the rectory and they had already called the firefighters," Chauvet said. "We have guards that three times a day check in on the framework to make sure it doesn’t burn.
He said when the first alarm sounded, the guards went to check the wooden framework, but it was too late.
"It was too late because the fire had started underneath. There was nothing to do," he said. "Framework from the 13th century I could tell you it burns fast."
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region that encompasses Paris, said on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday that it is a "miracle" that the walls of the cathedral are still standing. She said firefighters fought the blaze through the night, saving the main sanctuary and the cathedral's historic bell towers.
Chauvet said his faith has been bolstered by the outpouring of support and sympathy from around the world.
"This is horrible, it’s painful, it’s sad," Chauvet said. "But Easter is coming up, it gives hope. I pray a lot in front of the crowned virgin. When I went in I said, I hope she's still there, and she was. All alone."
Wendy Williams' estranged husband Kevin Hunter speaks out on divorce: 'I apologize to my wife'
Wendy Williams' estranged husband, Kevin Hunter, spoke out about her divorce filing and hinted that he wants to repair the damage he's done to their marriage — though he wouldn't specify exactly what that was.
“I am not proud of my recent actions and take full accountability and apologize to my wife, my family and her amazing fans,” Hunter said in a statement to People on Tuesday morning. “I am going through a time of self-reflection and am trying to right some wrongs.”
He continued, “28 years ago I met an amazing woman: Wendy Williams. At the time, I didn’t realize that she would not only become my wife, but would also change the face of entertainment and the world. I have dedicated most of our lives to the business empire that is Wendy Williams Hunter, a person that I truly love and respect unconditionally."
WENDY WILLIAMS REVEALS WHAT WENT ON DURING HER TV HIATUS
"No matter what the outcome is or what the future holds, we are still The Hunter Family and I will continue to work with and fully support my wife in this business and through any and all obstacles she may face living her new life of sobriety, while I also work on mine," he said. “I ask that you please give me and my family privacy as we heal. Thank you.”
Williams, 54, and Hunter, 46, married in November 1997. They share son Kevin Jr., 19.
WENDY WILLIAMS GETS CANDID ABOUT PAST DRUG USE
Hunter was reported to have fathered a child with a mistress last month, and sources claimed that the stress from the pregnancy news sent Williams into a downward spiral and triggered her drug relapse.
It wouldn't be Hunter's first alleged infidelity. Cheating rumors have plagued the couple for nearly 20 years, and in her 2001 memoir "Wendy's Got the Heat," Williams claimed that she caught Hunter cheating on her just after their son's birth. Before filing for divorce, she consistently denied any marital discord.
Hunter's apology may be too little, too late, however. The talk show host has been living in a sober house and announced Monday that she'd be leaving the facility shortly to start a new life as a single woman.
"In just a few days, you know," she said, "it'll be Wendy on her own."
Scholarship Application Process 2019
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture, Social and Library Services, as part of the changes made to the National Scholarship Policy of July 2018, following the adoption of the skills Audit in February 2018, saw the inclusion of new priority areas of study into the existing scholarship application, having been revised for the 2019 academic year.
Below is a list of the broad areas of study that were identified from the survey conducted within TCIG and some of the private sector entities and bases on the Skills Audit of additional priority areas for studies:
- Logistic Management and Communications
- Science & Technology
- Disaster Management and Social Sciences
- Business, Finance & Management
- Planning & Engineering
- Performing & Visual Arts
In addition to these new broad areas of studies, new programmes were identified under existing areas of priorities such as under education, health, law, technical/vocational.
The Ministry of Education would like to remind applicants that in order to permit the Education Advisory Committee to make an informed decision, all the required information as specified in the explanatory notes must accompany each application. For example, this application season the Ministry noticed a large number of applicants did not submit the following required information: -
- Turks and Caicos Islands National status cards
- Acceptance letters from institutions applied to
- Transcripts from last institution attended
Students who may not have been successful in receiving a scholarship this academic year are encouraged to reapply for academic year 2019/20 now, with the release of the NEW scholarship applications for 2019/20.
The Ministry of Education wishes to encourage all Turks and Caicos Islanders to further their education and enroll into Tertiary studies. As part of this mandate, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in recent years attained full membership to the University of the West Indies. This therefore enables Turks and Caicos Islanders who are not beneficiaries of a scholarship to be able to attend any of the University of the West Indies three campuses in Jamaica, Barbados or Trinidad & Tobago and pay a reduced tuition fee. The UWI Open Campus also provides an opportunity for students to pursue tertiary education while remaining in the country through online courses of study. For courses that are offered at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC), at any level, applicants will be referred to the TCICC.
PLEASE NOTE
Submission of all required information is due by April 30th 2019 FOR BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS. The ONLY exception to this rule will be for APPLICANTS not receiving the necessary information from their institution at the time of submission of their incomplete application by APRIL 30th 2019 which are as follows: -
- Acceptance Letter
- Transcripts
- Examination results
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ALL THE ABOVE REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR: -
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS – JUNE 30TH 2019
LOCAL APPLICANTS - AUGUST 16TH 2019
Explanatory_Note__for_Application_Form_2019.pdf
Revised_Scholarship_Application_Form_20181.pdf
Hotel & Tourism Taxation Ordinance Amendments
The Revenue Department within the Ministry of Finance would like to inform stakeholders and the general public of recent amendments to the Hotel and Tourism (Taxation) Ordinance 2019 (hereinafter “the Ordinance”).
The amended Ordinance includes the following provisions:
- A rate variation for all-inclusive hotels effectively reducing their tax rate to 7.2%. All existing all-inclusive hotels will be Grand-fathered in. Any new all-inclusives going forward are subject to the following qualifiers to apply the varied rate:
- < 300 guest rooms per single premises; and
- 3-year average tax remittance <$1,000,000 per single premises
- A period of Amnesty (April 1st to May 31st 2019) under the HTT Ordinance to waive penalties on taxes that fell due on or before March 31st 2019 subject to the following provisions:
- Taxes paid before March 31st or within the first 30 days of the Amnesty Period can benefit from a 100% waiver of penalties upon written request to the Revenue Department.
- Taxes paid after the first 30 days of amnesty, but paid within 45 days of the amnesty period, can benefit from a 50% waiver of penalties upon written request to the Revenue Department.
- Taxes paid after 45 days but within the remaining 15 days of the amnesty period can benefit from a 25% waiver of penalties upon written request.
- A provision to enter into an agreement for the remittance in payment of the outstanding taxes due and payable and the accrued penalties in full or in installments in writing to the Revenue Department with terms not exceeding April 30, 2021. All payments under the Amnesty provisions which resulted in a reduction of accrued penalties shall be paid by the end of April 2021.
- Amendments to the Penalty rate and structure which resulted in a 'one-off' penalty application at a rate of 20% and the introduction of an interest rate of 1.5% of the outstanding taxes that will be applied for each month the taxes remains outstanding.
- Validation of taxes collected in respect of guest less than 12 years of age since enactment of the Ordinance in 1985.
- The requirement to retain records has been changed to 7 years instead of 24 months.
Stakeholders and other interested parties are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Amended Ordinance from the Attorney General Chambers and review these and other amendments. All queries can be sent to the Revenue Department in Grand Turk & Providenciales or the District Commissioner’s Offices in the family Islands.
Predictions for 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season
With less than two months away from the start of the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the DDME has increased it's proactive preparedness activities throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. Over seven critical training workshops have been successfully completed across all islands to improve local capacity and resource mobilization to respond to the hazard threats and impacts.
The Director of the DDME Dr Virginia Clerveaux, continues to urge all residents and stakeholders to step up their personal level of preparedness from today. "It is never too early to prepare, and if you fail to prepare you are truly preparing to fail."
It's time to get ready and stay ready, because the Hurricane Season is approaching. The storm names for the 2019 upcoming season have been officially released by the Colorado State University’s hurricane research team. Additionally, scientists are predicting a total of thirteen named storms, fiveof those will become hurricanes and two will become major hurricanes, meaning they will beCategory 3 or stronger.
Visit the DDME's website and social media platforms to register and participate in our upcoming trainings on your respective islands. Step up your level of preparedness now. Get ready and stay ready.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle, dead at age 33
Nipsey Hussle, one of the most prolific and profound rappers of the past decade, was shot to death in Los Angeles Sunday, ABC News has confirmed. He was 33.
The LAPD told ABC News that they responded to a report of a shooting at 3:20 p.m. PT outside of the Marathon Clothing Company, which Hussle owned. Three men were shot and two were transported to the hospital, with one of them, reported by multiple sources as Hussle, later dying. The third victim refused transport. Police are searching for the shooting suspect, who fled the scene.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday night: "Our hearts are with the loved ones of Nipsey Hussle and everyone touched by this awful tragedy. L.A. is hurt deeply each time a young life is lost to senseless gun violence. My Crisis Response Team is assisting the families coping with shock and grief."
Hussle, born Ermias Davidson Asghedom, emerged from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s, and initially became known for independently releasing a handful of mixtapes: his Bullets Ain't Got No Name series, The Marathon Continues, and Crenshaw, the latter of which fellow rapper JAY Z purchased 100 copies of at $100 each in a show of support.
In 2017, Hussle signed a joint deal with Atlantic Records for the release of his “official” debut album, Victory Lap, which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys earlier this year.
Outside of his musical offerings, the Los Angeles native possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and was deeply involved in bettering his beloved Slauson neighborhood. In recent years, the rapper's Nipsey Hussle's Foundation financed the development of South Central L.A.’s Vector 90, a workspace focused on developing underrepresented entrepreneurs.
In addition, Hussle was also at the helm of a STEM initiative, Too Big to Fail, which aimed to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and the inner city as a center for Crenshaw youth to learn about design, coding and innovative tech.
Hussle was also active in re-purchasing local areas of his hometown as a means to further the growth of black-owned businesses. In 2017, he opened The Marathon Clothing smartstore in the same mini-mall complex where he once sold his critically-acclaimed mixtapes.
Hussle leaves behind two children, the most recent, son Kross Asghedom, born in 2016 with actress Lauren London, with whom Hussle was in a relationship. He also had a daughter, Emani, from a previous relationship.