LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan back out of Philadelphia July Fourth festival in solidarity with local union
'There's absolutely no way that I could perform, cross a picket line and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage,' he said Thursday in a video posted on X.
He made the announcement the night before the Wawa Welcome America Festival, Philadelphia's annual July Fourth celebration. LL Cool J was set to headline the festival along with Grammy-winning singer Jazmine Sullivan.
He continued by saying he hoped 'the city can make a deal' and that he plans to be in Philadelphia 'in case it works out.'
The union, District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, began its strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning after no new agreement for a higher-paying contract was reached. Union members are responsible for essential public services, such as 911 dispatch and sanitation.
The union responded to LL Cool J on social media, saying it was encouraging to see him use his influence 'to champion causes that matter to everyday people.'
'LL Cool J's decision to stand in solidarity with the labor movement by choosing not to cross a picket line is a powerful testament to his respect for workers' rights,' the union said in a statement.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said she was aware of LL Cool J's decision to not perform and she had 'spoke personally' with him.
'I respect his decision, and understand his desire to see the city unified. He is always welcome in Philadelphia,' she said in a statement.
Hours before she was set to perform, Sullivan also announced she was backing out of the festival in solidarity with the union.
'Today I choose to not perform at the Wawa Welcome America concert and stand with Philly's DC33 until the city and union find a way to bring fair living wages to our working class,' Sullivan wrote on Instagram.
Parker confirmed that Sullivan had also decided not to perform, saying, 'I respect Jazmine's decision, and understand her desire to see our City unified,' adding: 'Jazmine, your hometown loves you!'
Greg Boulware, the union president, said he was 'profoundly humbled' by Sullivan's decision to back out of her performance.
'It's truly refreshing to witness a celebrity of her stature and a native Philadelphian recognizing and valuing the tireless dedication of municipal workers,' he said in a statement.
Wawa Welcome America is one of the nation's largest July Fourth celebrations. A representative for the festival did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On July 1 — after the city of Philadelphia was granted three injunctions — a judge ordered some union members to return to work. In response, the union encouraged affected members to 'comply with this directive immediately to avoid any legal consequences.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump kisses Melania at July 4th party
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were caught kissing from the Truman Balcony on Friday ahead of Washington, D.C.'s grand Fourth of July fireworks display. The first couple kissed and hugged as supporters down below 'awww'-ed the scene. Trump hosted military families on the South Lawn for the occasion, marking the holiday with a picnic. Earlier in the night, he delivered a speech from the balcony before signing his 'Big Beautiful Bill' into law, as Congress made good on a promise to pass the mega piece of legislation before the Trump-imposed July 4 deadline. There were also a trio of military flyovers, including B-2 bombers, the stealth jets used in recent military action over Iran. The Trumps had slipped into the West Wing but returned to watch the annual fireworks display over the National Mall. The DJ played patriotic tunes — but also a number of eyebrow-raising pop songs from artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, who vocally supported Trump's Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. Perry's song "Firework" was played. Other tracks included HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan and Defying Gravity, sung by Cynthia Erivo in Wicked — both popular LGBTQ artists. A number of country hits were also in the mix. Audience members shouted 'four more years' and 'eight more years.' Trump is three and a half years into his second term and is Constitutionally ineligible to run again — despite some Republicans backing an amendment to allow it, citing his unique situation of serving two non-consecutive terms. His walk-on song, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," was played multiple times during the event. As the fireworks ended, YMCA played — Trump's traditional walk-off tune. He did his trademark dance and even got Melania to briefly join in, though neither performed the YMCA letter moves. The crowd included Cabinet members and Trump officials such as Joint Chiefs Chair Dan 'Razin' Caine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was photographed holding up the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' after Trump's signing. Wiles was seen in conversation with Katie Miller, wife of top adviser Stephen Miller, who worked for VP Mike Pence in the previous administration and has been working with Elon Musk in this one. After weeks of tension over the bill, Musk is now threatening to start a political party and support Republicans like Rep. Thomas Massie. Trump and Melania departed for their Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort after the celebration, with the president pumping his fist as they boarded Air Force One.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Hot diggity dog: Joey Chestnut regains title in New York hotdog eating contest
Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut reclaimed his title at the annual Nathan's Fourth of July hotdog eating contest on Friday, cementing his status as the undisputed all-time champion of hotdog consumption. A rerun of Jaws was the blockbuster attraction in Coney Island this Fourth of July holiday, but not the classic Steven Spielberg movie enjoying a new lease of life on the 50th anniversary of its release. The jaws here belong to Chestnut, a leviathan in the world of competitive eating that has grown as a sporting spectacle to the point where it is a regular fixture on ESPN. Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his record of 76 wieners and buns set in 2021. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for Chestnut at the internationally televised competition. In the women's division, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, besting a dozen competitors. Last year, she ate a record 51 links. Enthusiasts of the annual Nathan's Fourth of July hotdog eating contest will recall that Chestnut, whose nickname is Jaws, was controversially booted from the 2024 iteration of the event he had dominated for the best part of two decades for signing a deal to promote a rival brand of plant-based wieners. It was, as the event's impresario, George Shea, declared at the time with trademark grandeur, the equivalent of Michael Jordan telling Nike – purveyors of his lucrative Air Jordan line of sneakers – that he wanted to rep for Adidas too. This year, to the relief of many, Jaws returned to the fold after serving a year's suspension. On Friday, the world record holder, with 83 dogs and buns scoffed in a single 10-minute period in an unrelated Netflix special in September 2024, was the star attraction once again in pursuit of his 17th Mustard Belt. 'I'm thrilled to be returning,' Chestnut, 41, said in a post on X before the competition. 'This event means the world to me. It's a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.' Referring to the controversy that caused his exclusion, he was circumspect. 'While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hotdogs. To be clear: Nathan's is the only hotdog company I've ever worked with,' he wrote. The straw-hatted Shea, mastermind of an event that draws tens of thousands to New York every year, and a television audience estimated to have grown to 2 million since the first contest in 1972, welcomed the return of the king. 'Last year we got as big a crowd as ever, more media than ever, and we had a fantastic contest that was actually more competitive because Joey has been so dominant,' he told the Guardian. 'That said, there's definitely more excitement now he's back. We and everybody, fans included, are very excited and looking forward to the Fourth, and his entrance into the arena will be triumphant and explosive.' Shea, whose colourful and bombastic introductions of the competitors are as much a part of the spectacle as the mouth-stuffing element that follows, said he had been working for weeks on how he will proclaim Chestnut's homecoming. 'It's not his nickname that makes him who he is, it's his performance that has defined him, and I believe that's been very significantly elevated by the introductions that I do of him as a larger-than-life figure,' said Shea, a New York-based public relations executive who says working the Fourth of July event is his 'annual treat to myself'. 'I try to create a mix that includes straight and grand introductions that describe what these people are doing on the eating circuit, with a mix of funny, absurd and poetic, and then epic when you get to Joey.' Shea admitted it would be hard to top his 2015 introduction, a fire and brimstone speech that somewhat melodramatically hailed Chestnut as an almost otherworldly being: 'A comet blazes to herald his arrival, and his victory shall be transcribed into every language known to history, including Klingon,' he pronounced. 'The bratwurst, and pierogi, and Hooters chicken wing eating champion of the world, eight-time Nathan's Famous hotdog eating champion of the world, the No 1 eater in the world, I give you America itself, Joey Chestnut.' The expectation for Friday, at least in betting circles, was that Chestnut would come storming back to recapture his crown from last year's winner, Patrick 'Deep Dish' Bertoletti, and a strong field of Major League Eating characters, perhaps even by topping his own event record, set in 2021, of 76 hotdogs. But the real winner, Shea said, was the sport of competitive eating itself. 'We've been talking, there was a lot of back-and-forth, and people had different perspectives, different opinions, different everything, but everybody wanted this to happen. We stayed at it, and we finally came together,' he said. 'What happened was unfortunate, it was disappointing not to have Joey there, but in the big picture it further elevated the contest, and you know, we're very conscious of that all the time.'
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Meghan Markle re-wears her blue Ralph Lauren shirt - just days after Kate Middleton wore the same style for her hospital visit
Meghan Markle re-wore one of her favourite shirts as she posted a video to celebrate the Fourth of July last night - just days after the Princess of Wales was seen in a similar design. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, donned the blouse in a clip posted to her As Ever Instagram page showcasing a charcuterie board she had put together, including various fruits, cheeses, and crackers, as well as her sold-out $14 raspberry spread. Meghan had originally worn the blue candy stripe Ralph Lauren shirt to attend Wimbledon in 2018 with Kate, then Duchess of Cambridge, to watch the Ladies' Singles Finals - marking their first 'double date' since Meghan married Harry and became a royal. At the time, the £446 Adrien blue-striped shirt sold out in less than 24 hours, as did Kate's spotted dress from Jenny Packham. The bold striped design is clearly a style that has remained popular with both women, as Meghan also wore the brown version of the shirt in October 2023, when she ran into TV host Jen Su, and stopped for a chat and a selfie with the journalist in LA. It was a garment choice Kate appeared to mirror during her hospital visit to Colchester on Wednesday, with the royal mother-of-three donning a similarly striped brown shirt from Ralph Lauren. Kate, who helped plant roses in a garden during her visit, added a Blazé Milano beige blazer, which retails at around £1,000, to her stunning look. And last night, Meghan once again opted for a very similar look as she celebrated July 4 at home in Montecito. The mother-of-two looked summer-chic in the oversized, blue-and-white striped button down as she filmed from what appeared to be her own kitchen. While she assembled the board, the Duchess, 43, carefully started off by arranging fruits like raspberries and cherries, then added some star-shaped cheese and blueberries, along with some crackers and slices of sourdough bread. To finish things off, she took a brand-new container of her raspberry spread, which went on sale as part of the first As Ever drop in April, and scooped it into a small dish. 'Happy 4th of July!' the caption of the video read. Meghan also posted a similar clip to her personal Instagram page just minutes later, @meghan, where she showed followers an aerial view of her assembling the festive platter. During her visit to Colchester Hospital on Wednesday, the Princess of Wales spoke of the pressure of putting on a 'brave face' through cancer treatment and recovery, where 'everybody expects you to be better - but that's not the case at all'. Kate, who is continuing a slow and measured return to public life while in remission from cancer, said there was an expectation that patients 'crack on, get back to normal'. But, she said, the 'very scary, very daunting experience' did not end with the conclusion of treatment, with patients needing to take time to find their 'new normal'. Both Meghan's Ralph Lauren striped shirt and Kate's spotted Jenny Packham dress were quick to sell out She also revealed that she had tried acupuncture - a traditional Chinese medicine in which practitioners insert thin needles into specific parts of the body to promote healing and relieve pain - as part of her own recovery process. The deeply personal words from the Princess came as she met fellow patients at a cancer wellbeing centre at Colchester Hospital, helping to plant roses in a garden designed to help visitors find peace. The Princess, who in January announced she was in remission from a undisclosed form of cancer, recently cancelled an appearance at Royal Ascot, with aides stressing that she had always made clear her return to public life would be staggered. Describing a cancer diagnosis as 'life changing' and the treatment and recovery a 'rollercoaster', the Princess spoke of the importance of a holistic 'mind, body and spirit' approach. She repeatedly emphasised the importance of patients and their families being able to find support through their illness, saying it was too often difficult to reach. She added the Auree Bali birthstone necklace, with a gem marking her birth month of January. The royal added tailored brown trousers and a black belt - while giving a more casual effect with rolled up sleeves and white Veja Esplar leather trainers - and adding her engagement ring and Cartier watch. Speaking to patients and volunteers inside the centre, she said: 'There is a whole phase when you finish your treatment, everybody expects you to be better - go! But that's not the case at all.' She said: 'You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like 'I can crack on, get back to normal' but actually the phase afterwards is really difficult. 'You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to. 'And actually someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment I think is really valuable.' She added: 'You have to find your new normal and that takes time.' The centre provides therapy, community groups and holistic treatments, including reflexology. The princess, speaking to therapist Amanda Green during a walkabout in heavy rain afterwards, disclosed that she had not yet tried reflexology but had undergone acupuncture as part of her own health journey. The visit offered the princess's most personal and extensive insight into her own experience to date, seeing her reference her own ill health several times while offering empathy to other patients and families. 'It's life-changing for anyone,' she said. 'Through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well. 'And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time [of diagnosis], appreciate how much impact it is going to have. 'You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times. 'And to have a place like this to have the support network, through creativity and singing or gardening whatever it might be is so valuable and it's great this community has it. 'It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.' Speaking to patients, including those whose cancer has returned and one who had lost his husband to cancer, Catherine asked how the centre had helped them. 'That first-time diagnosis is a very scary journey,' she said, referring to the benefits of having an on-site hospital support network where many volunteers have had cancer themselves and survived. Many newly diagnosed patients at Colchester Hospital now visit the centre immediately for counselling and advice. 'To feel a sense of hope and positivity [from speaking to people who have already been through it] is such a positive thing in what is otherwise a very scary and daunting experience,' the princess said. She added, 'Science has told us that the mind, body and spirit experience is so important,' asking if the clinical team at the hospital had given any feedback about how the wellness centre had affected patients. After around an hour at the centre, she moved into the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital where she helped plant roses named after her. Getting her hands dirty and asking if she could do a bit more work, the princess dug alongside television garden designer Adam Frost and told him she was feeling 'good' and was pleased to be able to work outside. In the pouring rain, as the engagement overran by about half an hour, she told hospital staff and patients who had waited outside to see her: 'I'm just washing my hands - I'll be back.' She then undertook a walkabout, posing for selfies and group photographs in between asking people about their day. Kensington Palace said she was there to 'celebrate the incredible healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time in nature plays in bringing us joy and supporting our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing'. Her visit coincides with the donation of 50 'Catherine's Rose' plants, named for The Princess by the RHS with funds from sales going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to Colchester Hospital. Kate even had the opportunity to plant the 'Catherine Rose' herself, alongside staff who volunteer in the garden. The coral-pink floribunda has a rich perfume with hints of Turkish Delight and mango, the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) said in its announcement in May. Now, 500 'Catherine's Rose' plants will be donated to wellbeing and community gardens across the UK this summer, including Maggie's gardens for people affected by cancer, East Anglia's Children's Hospices and Horatio's Gardens for those living with spinal injuries.
