CBS News
Swiftie couple recreates Taylor Swift album covers
Two married Swifties embarked on a mission to recreate all of Taylor Swift‘s album covers after the singer announced her new record “The Tortured Poets Department” at the Grammys in February.
Charlie Bird — the “major Swiftie” of the two, according to husband Ryan Clifford — had the idea after Swift made the surprise announcement while accepting the Grammy for best pop vocal album.
The project is a continuation of what the couple had done for Halloween last year — dressing up as Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce. Charlie shaved his head and Ryan had painstakingly recreated the red “Reputation” costume Swift wore during her Eras Tour in four days’ time — with sequins galore.
They documented the project for their YouTube page and when they posted the final results on social media, their followers loved it.
@mrcharliebird/@itsryanclifford via Instagram
“And they loved seeing Ryan as Taylor Swift,” Charlie told CBS News, to which Ryan replied with a laugh: “They love watching me make a fool of myself.”
In 11 posts on their Instagram accounts, the couple is spanning all 16 years of her career. From her debut album “Taylor Swift,” released in 2006, to her newest release, the two spend a few days prepping for each shoot — piecing each outfit together from new clothes or from what they already own and creating backdrops or scouting nearby places to recreate the looks.
Otherwise, it’s just them, a ring light and an iPhone, Charlie said. It takes six to eight hours a day, he said, to complete one album cover.
“She’s been through a lot of different looks and hairstyles,” Charlie said. “Every day, we’re trying our best to recreate that in a way that, like, authentically makes him look more like Taylor Swift.”
“We’re just lucky that I’ve got long, curly hair, which makes it versatile,” Ryan responded as his husband laughed.
The husbands say that Swift’s popularity is due to her lyrics that are, in a word, relatable. Charlie, a clinical therapist, said he has clients who use her songs to help them describe what they’re feeling.
“That’s just a perfect example of how she has grown to mean so much to so many people, because she’s kind of taught us — as a generation — how to connect with the feels,” Charlie said.
And Ryan, a digital marketer, wholeheartedly agreed — adding it is also aspirational.
“She’s just got this amazing mind that comes up with these lyrics,” he said. “But at the end of the day, she’s just a girl, you know? And we all feel like, ‘Oh, she’s a girl. She’s going through it.'”
The couple attended two concerts last year during the Eras Tour. Charlie told CBS News it was like a journey through his own adolescence. “1989,” he said, is the perfect pop album.
“I love strutting around to ‘Style,'” he said, not to discount her other music. “There’s something about the ‘Reputation’ set that is just… powerful.”
What would Charlie do if he ever met Swift? Other than freak out, of course, Ryan joked with his husband.
“Hopefully, I would have the composure to be composed,” Charlie responded with a laugh. “It really has truly been amazing to watch her grow and take on challenges and become more resilient through them.”
“I’m grateful that she has been willing to share that creative gift and it’s inspired me to be more creative and more in touch with myself as well.”
The two were excited to recreate the newest album, with Charlie noting it’s likely the funniest for Ryan to do.
“There’s going to be a lot of giggling — at my expense,” Ryan said with a laugh.
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CBS News
$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.
CBS News
Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf; forecast to strengthen into hurricane headed toward Florida
Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida with possible impacts to its western coast, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are expected to be at 40 mph with higher gusts and Milton is currently moving north-northeast, NHC said in an advisory.
Milton is forecast to undergo a period of rapid intensification before it makes landfall as a Category 2 hurricane across Florida’s west coast, CBS News Miami reported.
The forecast comes a little more than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and causing immense destruction. President Biden on Thursday took an aerial tour of Florida’s Big Bend where Helene struck as a Category 4 storm. Hundreds of people are still missing and Mr. Biden said the work to rebuild will cost “billions of dollars” as communities suffer still without power, running water and passable roads.
NOAA
Milton is forecast to move across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night then across the south-central Gulf on Monday and Tuesday before reaching Florida’s west coast by the middle of the week, NHC said. Heavy rain is possible in the region starting Sunday into Monday, CBS Miami reported, and more rain and heavy winds will most likely arrive on Wednesday. Hurricane and storm surge watches will most likely be required for portions of Florida starting Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Along with the heavy rainfall, the hurricane center said to expect risks of flooding.
Residents in the area should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place, the National Hurricane Center said, follow the advice of local officials and check back for forecast updates.
