Nickelback got in on the April Fools’ Day fun with fake album news.
In a social media post, the Canadian rockers announced they’d be putting out a new record called San Quentin, featuring 15 versions of their single “San Quentin.”
Sample track names include “San Quentin (Live from Someone’s iPhone),” “San Quentin (And It’s the Same But There Are Three More Guitar Solos So It’s Not)” and “San Quentin (Taylor’s Version) (10 Minute Version).”
Also on the track list is a song called “The Betrayal (Act II)” — a reference to Nickelback previously releasing songs called “The Betrayal (Act I)” and “The Betrayal (Act III).”
The real “San Quentin” appears on Nickelback’s latest album, 2022’s Get Rollin’.
As for actual new Nickelback music, the band put out a single called “Bones for the Crows” in March. They also appear in a new commercial with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for Cheetos, which definitely sounds like an April Fools’ Day joke but is in fact very real.
The Beaches at GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on September 03, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
The Beaches will be honored with the Global Force Award at the 2026 Billboard Women in Music gala, taking place April 29 in Los Angeles.
The award recognizes the “Blame Brett” outfit, which hails from Canada, for their international success.
“The Beaches represent exactly the kind of Canadian talent that resonates far beyond our borders,” says Billboard Canada and Billboard UK President Mo Ghoneim. “At Billboard Canada, our role is not only to spotlight artists at home, but to help create meaningful pathways onto the global stage. Celebrating them at Billboard Women in Music in the U.S. reflects both their undeniable impact and the growing influence of Canadian artists worldwide.”
Other 2026 Billboard Women in Music honorees include Tate McRae, Teyana Taylor and Kehlani.
The Beaches are coming off winning two awards at the 2026 JUNOs, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys.
In this Aug. 8, 2020, file photo, an offshore petroleum drilling rig is shown in the Gulf of Mexico. (UIG via Getty Images, FILE)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal committee, comprised of senior Trump administration officials, voted unanimously to grant an exemption under the Endangered Species Act for oil and gas operations in the Gulf, citing national security concerns.
Environmental groups criticized the decision, warning that it could significantly jeopardize the conservation of dozens of threatened and endangered species in the region, including whales, sea turtles, whooping cranes and manatees.
The Endangered Species Committee convened Tuesday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a national security finding that triggered the exemption process.
Under the Endangered Species Act, the Endangered Species Committee can grant rare exemptions when a federal action is of national or regional significance and the benefits of proceeding clearly outweigh the benefits of alternatives that would conserve the species. Economic, security and other public-interest factors can be considered alongside conservation mandates, though exemptions are rarely used.
“At the request of the Department of War, the Endangered Species Committee convened today to consider a national security exemption under the Endangered Species Act with respect to oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement to ABC News.
“The Committee voted in favor of the national security exemption, acknowledging the critical risks involved in restricting oil and gas activities in the Gulf of America, and also recognizing that the action encompassed protective measures for endangered species.”
Officials emphasized that sustained oil and gas production in the region is essential to U.S. national security and economic stability, and cautioned that critical energy operations should not be jeopardized by the threat of disruptive litigation.
The committee, created in 1978, is very rarely convened due to the strict, narrow standards for its implementation. It has not met in more than 30 years, and this is the first time a national security justification has been used to convene the committee.
The Endangered Species Committee, composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was fully present and voted unanimously in favor of granting the exemption.
“This meeting made clear that energy streams in the Gulf of America must not be disrupted or held hostage by ongoing litigation,” said Secretary Burgum. “Energy production in the Gulf of America is indispensable to our nation’s strength, safeguarding our energy independence and preventing reliance on foreign adversaries. Robust development in the Gulf keeps our economy resilient, stabilizes costs for American families and secures the U.S. as a global leader for decades to come.”
On March 13, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth notified Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, chair of the Endangered Species Committee, that a national security exemption under Section 7(j) of the Endangered Species Act, was necessary, prompting Secretary Burgum to publish a notice of the meeting in the Federal Register.
The meeting began with the defense secretary addressing the committee, stressing the importance of a steady, affordable domestic energy supply, which is currently under threat. He thanked the committee members for convening to discuss what he called “a matter of urgent national security.”
“This is not just about gas prices. It’s about our ability to power our military and protect our nation. That vital energy supply right now is under threat,” Hegseth said. “In January, well before Operation Epic Fury, the Department of the Interior notified the Department of War about ongoing Endangered Species Act litigation that threatened to halt oil and gas production in the Gulf of America.”
According to Hegseth, the litigation seeks to stop Gulf oil and gas activities rather than allow them to proceed alongside responsible endangered species protections.
“These legal battles waste critical government resources and make it impossible for energy companies to plan and invest in new projects. When development in the Gulf is chilled, we are prevented from producing the energy we need as a country and as a department,” Hegseth added. “The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s busiest oil route and recent hostile action by the Iranian terror regime highlights yet again why robust domestic oil production is a national security imperative.”
However, environmental groups argue this is not what the authors of this landmark law intended.
The Center for Biological Diversity sued Secretary Burgum on March 18, attempting to block the committee meeting, saying the government missed legal requirements, including filing deadlines, providing ample public notice, and having an administrative law judge preside. Following the committee’s decision, the group announced it will amend its existing lawsuit to challenge the defense secretary’s national security determination and the exemption.
“Americans overwhelmingly oppose sacrificing endangered whales and other marine life so the fossil fuel industry can get richer. This has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with Trump and his lackeys kowtowing to Big Oil,” Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
Environmental groups are particularly concerned about the Rice’s whale, which, according to NOAA, is one of the rarest and most endangered whales in the world and is found only in the Gulf.
NOAA Fisheries, which manages protections for marine species under the Endangered Species Act, listed the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale as endangered in 2019 and, in 2021, updated its name to Rice’s whale to reflect the newly accepted scientific taxonomy and nomenclature of the species.
According to the Marine Mammal Commission, the most recent population estimates show there are only 51 Rice’s whales remaining.
The Rice’s whale’s small population, limited range and low genetic diversity make it highly vulnerable to threats such as vessel strikes and oil spills. NOAA says the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill exposed about 48 percent of its habitat in the eastern Gulf, likely causing a population decline of up to 22 percent and leaving lasting impacts on reproduction and growth.
The committee’s decision will not have any immediate effect, and lawsuits challenging the action could delay its implementation further. It could be several years before any future additional oil production tied to the decision is realized.
“The action could make it easier for applications to be granted for further oil and gas exploration and development in the Gulf; but it takes several years between the filing of an application and the production of the first barrel of oil,” said Michael Gerrard, a professor at Columbia Law School and the faculty director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. ”No court has ordered oil and gas production to be shut down in the Gulf, and such an order seems very unlikely.”
Jethro Tull Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition (Rhino/Warner Music)
Jethro Tull is set to release a new box set highlighting their 15th studio album, Under Wraps.
Jethro Tull Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition is a five-CD + Blu-ray set that will feature a newly remixed version of the album, along with a newly remixed version of frontman Ian Anderson’s 1983 solo release, Walk Into Light.
While they are two separate albums, both represent a change in direction for Anderson, as they relied more on technology, including synthesizers and drum machines. The remixes, by musician Bruce Soord, include both the original drum sounds and 2026 traditional drum recordings.
The set also includes unreleased recordings from 1983, as well as a CD of a live show captured in 1984 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London for BBC Radio 1. In addition, the set includes a Blu-ray with stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the albums, plus promotional videos.
Jethro Tull Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition will be released May 15 and is available for preorder now.
Dayton Webber is seen in this undated booking photo. (Charles County Sheriff’s Office)
(LA PLATA, Md.) — An attorney for a quadruple amputee cornhole champion who has been charged with murder says the Maryland man acted in self-defense when he shot and killed his friend last month.
Dayton James Webber, 27, is accused of fatally shooting the victim during an argument in Webber’s vehicle on March 22 in La Plata, Maryland, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim — 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, who was sitting in the front seat of the car — was found dead in a yard in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, according to the sheriff’s office.
Webber was later located in a hospital in Virginia and taken into custody, authorities said. He has been charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as assault and firearm charges. He has not yet entered a plea.
Following Webber’s extradition from Virginia, a judge ordered him held without bond during a hearing in Charles County on Wednesday. Prosecutors argued he was a danger to society and a flight risk, according to WJLA, the ABC affiliate for the Washington, D.C., area.
Two people who were in the back seat of the vehicle witnessed the deadly shooting, the sheriff’s office said. Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell said Wednesday that, according to the witnesses, a friend of Wells’ allegedly stole a weapon from Webber, and Webber was upset the two were still friends and shot Wells in anger, WJLA reported.
Defense attorney Andrew Jezic claimed that Webber acted in self-defense.
“He was 100% justified in defending his life from an immediate lethal threat,” Jezic told reporters outside the courthouse on Wednesday. “Dayton was terrified of being killed. Dayton knew that he had to shoot or be killed.”
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 6.
The two witnesses reported the shooting shortly before 10:30 p.m. on March 22, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Webber allegedly asked them for their help in disposing of the body, but they refused, got out of the car, left the scene and ultimately flagged down officers with the La Plata Police Department, authorities said.
Nearly two hours later, the victim’s body was found in a yard in Charlotte Hall, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
An officer with the Albemarle County Police Department subsequently located Webber’s vehicle at a gas station in Charlottesville, Virginia, authorities said. The suspect was then found at a nearby hospital seeking treatment for an unspecified medical issue and taken into custody, authorities said.
Webber is a notable professional cornhole player who was profiled by ESPN in 2023. He was crowned the best cornhole player in Maryland in 2020 and competed in the American Cornhole League World Championships the following year, according to ESPN.
Webber called cornhole his “calling” in the ESPN feature. He became a quadruple amputee after contracting a bacterial infection that led to sepsis at 10 months old, according to ESPN.
(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Wednesday the Republican-controlled Congress “in the coming days” will fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through both the appropriations process and reconciliation process.
“In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited,” the top Republicans said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Ashley Cooke’s music video for her new track, “xs,” finds the singer on the beach as it’s getting dark. You can check out the clip on YouTube.
The Band Perry has signed with Borchetta Entertainment Group’s management division, which is owned by Scott Borchetta, who helped build the band’s career on Big Machine.
“Farm Truck,” the new single from Love and Theft, is set to arrive May 15. The duo of Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson hit #1 with “Angel Eyes” in 2011.
Brandy recently added author to her resume, as she released her memoir, Phrases. Speaking to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, she spoke about why she chose to open up about her life.
“To give my younger self a voice. To give my inner child a process to heal from the things that I went through with all of the scrutiny and pressures on my life growing up as a child star,” she says. “It was a … difficult time and I wanted to bring light to the stories that shaped me.”
Part of Brandy’s life story includes recently being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as the Boy is Mine tour with Monica.
“I hadn’t been onstage in such a long time. I hadn’t been in connection with my fans the way I should,” Brandy says, noting that the love and support from fans “reignited my whole life.”
With that renewed energy, she adds that she’s going to continue making music and is even open to a reboot of Moesha.
Whether through the book, music or television, Brandy wants her fans to know one thing.
“I’m a pure person, and I love what I do,” she says. “I’m so blessed to be able to do music and create at a high level and I’m just excited for my future.”
Flea at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Ser Baffo)
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has shared his thoughts on the new documentary The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel.
The Netflix film focuses on the early days of the Peppers, specifically the artistic vision of original guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died in 1988.
“I’m so grateful [the doc] exists, and that more people will know how much [Slovak] meant and continues to mean to us as a friend and bandmate,” Flea writes on his Instagram Story. “It is a beautifully made film and filled my heart up right to the top, not without a good dose of lifelong melancholy.”
Both Flea and RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis were interviewed for the film, though when it was first announced they clarified their involvement in the project, saying they “had nothing to with it creatively.”
Flea, meanwhile, released his debut solo album, Honora, on Friday.
“The young kids would call this a teaser,” he wrote in a social media post about — well, it’s hard to tell.
The post’s visual is a video of TR eating marshmallows straight from the bag, as an instrumental groove plays.
If you glance at the comments, a potential theory starts to emerge. DJ/producer Marshmello weighed in, simply leaving three pairs of eyes to indicate he’s watching.
A collab with Thomas Rhett seems even more likely when you consider Marshmello already has considerable country cred, having done “One Thing Right” and “Miles on It” with Kane Brown and “Holy Water” with Jelly Roll.
Both of the Kane/Marshmello tunes made it all the way to #1.
