After decades in the entertainment industry, Angie Martinez says she wants “to do things that I’m truly passionate about … things that I want to leave on the table.” One of those projects is Iconic Records, a visual podcast series highlighting some of pop’s culture most iconic music albums.
The podcast’s debut season dives into Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G.’s final studio album, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Martinez tells Billboard the process was exciting because “some of the people we talked to weren’t the traditional people we see or hear from and who had different types of viewpoints on him.”
She interviewed 25 people over five days, with the interviews overlapping.
“Somebody would be walking out, somebody would be walking in and it would create this storytelling energy, even off camera,” Martinez says. “It was this community of people reminiscing about B.I.G. and the album, personal stories that I’d never heard before.”
Among the people she talked to were DJ Clark Kent, Lil Cease, Fat Joe, Pusha T, Rick Ross and Too $hort.
Iconic Records marks another podcast for Martinez, who also hosts In Real Life. She says she started IRL because she’s “had a lot of real-life lessons: success, trauma, heartbreak, disappointment” and just “felt compelled that this was something that I had to offer.”
IRL celebrates its first anniversary in August. It’s featured Lauren London, Mary. J Blige, Teyana Taylor and more.
Iconic Records will premiere April 29 on the WMX Hip-Hop channel on The Roku Channel at 8 p.m. ET.
Celebration 2023 Paisley Park will once again bring people together to honor the life, work and legacy of Prince, and his creative and cultural impact. Taking place June 8-11 in Chanhassen, Minnesota, the annual gathering will include celebrity panels, in-studio recording sessions, a new artist showcase, gospel brunch, opportunities to see and hear historical Prince performances and some live music.
Slated to take the stage are Sounds of Blackness, members of the NPG, DJ Rashida, Stokley and more, with special appearances from Chaka Khan, Chuck D and Doug E. Fresh. More artists and updates are to come.
The 2023 celebration marks the seventh year of “uplifting Prince’s legacy and carefully preserving his prolific artistic output and his creative sanctuary,” according to Paisley Park’s site. As the number seven was important to the artist, guests will have an opportunity to “take a deep dive into understanding the cultural significance of 7 and how it has been reflected throughout history.”
“We believe that Prince was the heart of what would become one of the most creative and talented communities in the world,” the site reads. “This year, we want to highlight how you, the fam, are continuing the legacy in numerous ways.”
The series adaptation of the Oscar-nominated 1987 Glenn Close/Michael Douglas thriller Fatal Attraction hits Paramount+ on Sunday, April 30, with a three-episode premiere.
The framework of the show is similar: Joshua Jackson plays Dan Gallagher, here a married district attorney who has an affair with a colleague, played by Lizzy Caplan.
Like the movie, Alex Forrest becomes obsessed with Dan, but that’s where some of the similarities stop, Caplan tells ABC Audio.
“That was sort of the point of reopening this book. It felt like while [Alex] is one of the ‘all-time greatest villains in cinematic history,’ there’s room to ask more questions about her mental health, and her upbringing and all of these decisions that she makes.”
She adds, “I think audiences have become more savvy … everything has an element of a character study now. And our show was always intended to be more of that, as opposed to, I think, the characters in the film.” She says, “Even though Glenn Close … did all of the nuanced, layered work … the film didn’t require it.”
Things are different for Dan, too, versus Douglas’ portrayal. For one thing, the series begins with him in prison for Alex’s death, with Dan insisting he didn’t kill her.
The movie sees Alex killed while invading Dan’s home, but he otherwise gets off scot-free for the affair.
Jackson laughed about that. “I mean, there is a part of me that when I was watching the movie, I was like, ‘You can’t play that guy anymore.’ Right? Like, I just, I was looking at it just like, ‘Wow, I would love to just do that one time where you … can’t make a wrong choice. Everybody supports you in everything that you do all of the time.’ It’s amazing.”
Steve Winwood is the latest performer ready to celebrate England’s new king. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has been added to King Charles’ The Coronation Concert, taking place Sunday, May 7, on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
“I was alive and just about remember the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I, together with millions and millions of other people all around the globe, am a lifelong monarchist,” Winwood shares. “So to be included in the Coronation celebrations of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla is for me a lifetime achievement for which I’m extremely humbled and honored.”
And Winwood will be getting some help with his performance. He’ll be joined by the Commonwealth virtual choir, made up of choirs and individuals from over 40 Commonwealth countries.
In addition to Winwood, The Coronation Concert will include performances by Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Paloma Faith, Nicole Scherzinger, Take That, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel and Freya Ridings.
Kenny Chesney brought his mom up on stage during a recent show in Greenville, South Carolina.
The superstar shared footage of the special moment on Instagram, which included two heartwarming on-stage photos of him, his mom and Kelsea Ballerini, who’s the opening act on his I Go Back 2023 Tour.
“A moment with mom last night in Greenville, South Carolina,” Kenny wrote in the caption. “Mom came on stage last night to sing with me and Kelsea Ballerini. Such a special moment. Also big thanks to Dabo Swinney and Lincoln Riley for coming to the show. ‘Boys of Fall’ felt good in your honor.”
Kenny is currently on his I Go Back 2023 Tour with Kelsea, with upcoming stops in Illinois, Michigan and South Dakota. The final show will be on May 27 in Orange Beach, Alabama.
The new Donna Summer documentary, Love To Love You, Donna Summer, premieres on HBO next month and folks are getting a new look at the film.
A trailer for the doc has just been released, featuring archival footage, interviews and pictures of the R&B superstar, as well as clips of her famous songs.
The film, directed by Roger Ross Williams and Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano, is described as an in-depth look at the singer, whose voice became “the defining soundtrack of an era.”
Love To Love You, Donna Summer debuts on May 20 at 8 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.
(NEW YORK) — The intersection of policing, race, and autism has the potential to result in tragic outcomes.
Black Americans are two to three times more likely to be killed by cops than white Americans, according to police data. Some of the hallmarks of autism – a developmental disability that millions of Americans have been diagnosed with – can further complicate interactions with police.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism can create challenges in social interactions, communication, and behavior.
“Many individuals with autism don’t respond immediately to commands. Many don’t necessarily understand even some of the complicated commands that may be given by law enforcement agencies. So that may be seen as a form of noncompliance,” autism advocate and ABC News contributor Areva Martin told “Nightline.”
In 2019, now 24-year-old Matthew Rushin caused a life-threatening multivehicle crash in Virginia Beach. His mother, Lavern Rushin, says her son’s echolalia – a coping mechanism some people with autism may use when struggling to find their own words – was misunderstood by police at the scene of the crash.
Lavern and Matthew Rushin say he was not suicidal and did not intentionally cause the car crash. Lavern Rushin said he was experiencing a focal seizure at the time of the crash, the result of traumatic brain injury sustained in a car accident two years earlier.
“You can’t fault somebody for having a medical episode. Just like you can’t fault someone for having a heart attack behind the wheel,” she said.
Matthew Rushin was arrested and initially charged with attempted murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to three felonies including malicious wounding and hit and run. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Believing her son’s sentence to be unfair, Lavern Rushin took to social media to share Matthew’s story. Her posts went viral, and in early 2021, then Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam granted Matthew a conditional pardon – freeing him after more than two years behind bars.
“I truly believe that the petitions and the posts [and] just everything was brought up because he’s a Black autistic young man that was wrongfully prosecuted,” Lavern Rushin said.
Matthew Rushin is still considered a felon and barred from driving and from contacting any of his victims or their families. He and his mother are now seeking a full pardon, saying that his felony conviction makes it harder for him to get a job.
The family of one of his victims, George Cusick, is strongly opposed to Matthew Rushin receiving a full pardon.
George Cusick, one of the victims in the crash, was so badly injured he’ll never walk, talk, or feed himself again, and needs 24-hour care, according to his family. Cusick’s family maintains that Matthew was suicidal when the crash took place.
“Matthew Rushin should not have been driving that night. He should never drive again. The parole restrictions must remain in place to protect him and the public,” Cusick’s wife Danna told “Nightline.”
The Virginia Beach Police Department said in a statement that their officers have been trained to identify and respond to people with autism, and expressed sympathy for “all who were impacted by the events of this tragic day.”
“My son is not a killer,” Lavern Rushin said.
Iyun and Sylvester Osagie’s autistic son, Osaze, also had a tragic encounter with police that turned out to be deadly. The 29-year-old was shot and killed by State College, Pennsylvania police in 2019 after a tense confrontation.
The violent nature of his death is a stark contrast to the gentle and deeply religious young man they loved.
“He was the peacemaker [with his siblings]. He was the one that would try to make sure that they don’t fight and they get along very well,” Sylvester Osagie said.
Osaze Osagie also had schizophrenia and at times his parents had asked the police for help.
“We actually thought they understood because they knew his situation,” Sylvester Osagie said.
As a young adult, Ozaze Osagie had been living in a residential program with his peers. He found comfort in the structure, like many people with autism.
“He liked a pattern of activities,” Sylvester Osagie said. “But when he was not in that structured environment, the level of discouragement and anxiety was overwhelming. And that’s when he got off his medication and his situation would just spiral.”
When he left the program to live in an apartment with a roommate, the change seemed to disrupt him. In March 2019, his father received worrying messages and texts including one that indicated there would be trouble with the police “in a little bit.”
Sylvester Osagie says he frantically searched for his son, then alerted police when he couldn’t find him. Osaze Osagie was not located that night.
The next morning, Sylvester Osagie says he drove to his son’s apartment only to find police and media swarming the building.
“Eventually, they told me that they confronted him, that he had a knife and they shot him,” Sylvester Osagie said.
Police say someone saw Osaze that morning at a nearby grocery store and alerted police. The closest on-duty officer was sent to Osaze Osagie’s apartment – an officer, the Osagies say, who did not know their son or his case.
When Osaze Osagie opened his apartment door, police say he was holding a knife in his hand and that after unsuccessfully trying to subdue him, they opened fire – killing him.
“A lot went wrong, just men with guns that show up to an autistic child’s apartment and give him a million instructions. It shouldn’t be this way,” said Iyun Osagie.
The district attorney declined to bring charges against the police officers, saying the shooting was justified.
The Osagies have now filed a lawsuit saying police did not respond appropriately to someone with a known disability having a crisis and that they used “excessive force.”
The borough of State College called the shooting ” a tragedy,” but stated,” that the police have “handled thousands of other mental health-related calls (including several with Osaze), with a number of these calls involving threats of violence and weapons, and none previously ended with a negative result and/or the need to deploy deadly force.”
Osaze’s mother says she believes the fact that her son was a young Black man played a role in his death.
“I made it very clear to them personally that if that had been their son at the other end of their gun, they wouldn’t kill him,” Iyun Osagie said.
Around 20% of autistic youth had been stopped and questioned by police and nearly 5% had been arrested by age 21, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
“Unfortunately, what we see in law enforcement is that most of societal issues are placed upon the officer in the street. Now all of a sudden he or she has to react immediately and be able to see something and make that pivot almost immediately,” said former NYPD and ABC News contributor Robert Boyce.
Sleepy Hollow, New York, Police Officer Wendy Yancy is working to find ways to improve outcomes between the autism community and police. It’s personal for her as she has a young son who is autistic.
She attended a training session for law enforcement on working with autistic individuals two years ago.
“This type of training should be given to police departments as a whole, not just a select few,” Yancy said.
Only eight states require law enforcement to receive training specifically related to autism, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Yancey is now implementing a new program she created for her department that allows families to voluntarily provide authorities with information about the needs of an autistic individual so first responders know what to do and not do in an emergency.
“For example, if it’s noise sensitivity, we would know because you would put it in here, that we have to tell officers to arrive with the sirens off, and then this way he’s not triggered or upset,” Yancy told a parent at a recent event.
Yancy said she hopes other police departments follow suit with similar programs.
“You need to sit with the people, talk to the people and show you truly care,” she said. “The only way they trust you is if they know you and they can’t know you from behind the window of a car.”‘
(WASHINGTON) — The super PAC supporting Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ expected 2024 presidential run is set to with a new TV ad targeting Trump voters — pitching the governor as a “winner” in four early voting states.
The seven-figure ad buy from the Never Back Down PAC, slated to start airing on Monday, will target local broadcasts in four states that kick off the Republican primary: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, according to the PAC.
The minute-long ad titled, “Winner,” shared first with ABC News, aims to showcase the governor’s winning record. The ad subtly depicts DeSantis as the successor to Trump, showing front-page headlines of the governor’s victories in 2018 and 2022 hanging in succession on a wall next to a headline of Trump’s 2016 win.
The ad also highlights DeSantis’ overwhelming win in 2022 by featuring the New York Post headline that declared him “DeFuture.”
In the ad’s closing moments, a man is shown putting a “DeSantis for President” bumper sticker over a faded “Trump 2016” one.
“We insist on the restoration of time-tested constitutional principles. So that government of by and for the people shall not perish from this earth. We the people are not destined for failure,” DeSantis says in the ad, which also features familiar attacks on the “woke mob,” declaring that “Florida is where woke goes to die.”
The new buy comes amid an ad blitz by Never Back Down. Starting with its first full national TV buy earlier this month titled “Anthem,” the PAC has been spending millions on an ad blitz aimed at first introducing the governor nationally and now pivoting to show Republican voters who previously supported Trump that they can now support DeSantis.
ABC News previously reported that Never Back Down raised over $30 million since March.
DeSantis has not yet formally announced a 2024 presidential campaign, but sources tell ABC News the Florida governor has plans in the works to launch an exploratory committee as early as mid-May.
DeSantis’ official announcement would come soon after, with the governor currently eyeing mid-June, the sources said.
“Governor Ron DeSantis is proven winner; he has never lost an election or a fight and if Republicans want to win the White House in 2024, Governor DeSantis is the best chance to do that. The future is now, and his name is Governor Ron DeSantis,” Never Back Down Communications Director Erin Perrine told ABC News.
The governor has long been seen as former President Donald Trump’s main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
ABC News previously reported that DeSantis has privately indicated to allies that he intends to launch a run for the White House.
The governor has suggested that any political decision would have to wait until after his state’s Legislature has adjourned this year, which will be in early May.
“This is going to be the most productive legislative session we have had across the board, and I think people are going to be really excited,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends” in February, during which he also touted his new book and accompanying tour. “As we get beyond that, then we can decide from there,” he said then.
(NEW YORK) — A new report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency projects the devastating health impact of climate change on children.
Effects include higher rates of respiratory disease, reduced academic achievement, higher rates of infections and risk of housing insecurity in coastal cities.
“Children have unique vulnerabilities,” Jeremy Martinich, chief of EPA’s Science and Impacts Branch and a co-author of the report, told ABC News. “This report is really intended to provide a new level of specificity about some of these risks.”
One major risk is extreme heat waves, which can have a negative impact on children’s health and education.
Children are more vulnerable to heat-related events such as lightheadedness, fainting, coma or even death in rare cases.
Based on data extrapolated from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Kids’ Inpatient Database , for each 1 degree Fahrenheit increase between May and September, the number of emergency department visits at U.S. children’s hospitals could increase by 113 visits per day.
“When exposed to higher temperatures, children have more difficulty concentrating and learning in the classroom,” Martinich said.
Studies show a 4% to 7% reduction in academic achievement associated with temperature increases of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. This reduction translates to decreased future income for graduating students, which could be as much as $18.3 billion.
While installing air conditioning in educational facilities can help, this may not be an option for economically disadvantaged schools.
Stable housing is also a critical factor in children’s health and development. Increasing frequency of flooding due to the rising sea levels places children in coastal cities at high risk for temporary or permanent displacement from their homes.
The EPA estimates that if we do not adapt to the increased flooding risk, 17.2 million children, or 23% of all children in the U.S, are at risk for housing displacement. Children are also at risk of drowning, disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder from flooding events.
“Under each different level of future rising sea level there’s a whole new population that has been exposed [to flooding] in some parts of the country,” said Martinich.
Playing outdoors is crucial for children’s mental and physical development, however, the effects of climate change will significantly limit their ability to be outside. Warm seasons are getting longer, which leads to increased duration and severity of pollen allergies. Prolonged exposure to pollen has been associated with higher rates of asthma, eczema, hay fever, and even ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Air quality has also sharply decreased due to rising pollution, increasing temperature and wildfires. Infants and children have developing lungs and are more sensitive to toxic exposures than adults. Chronic exposure to pollution is also linked with cardiovascular disease and poor lung function in adulthood. Babies born to mothers exposed to severe air pollution are at risk of being born early or with low birth weight, which can lead to lifelong challenges with growth and development.
The EPA report does not say parents should not let their kids go outside, according to Martinich.
“We’re trying to empower caregivers and parents to be more aware of the risks,” he said, “just like you tell your kids about being careful when crossing the street.”
Parents can monitor daily air quality reports on AirNow.gov, which can be important for kids with asthma. The CDC has tips and resources on preventing toxic exposures for kids.
Similar to the findings of the State of the Air report released last week by the American Lung Association, communities of color face a disproportionate risk of impact. For these communities, the EPA report confirmed much of what they already know.
“It’s alarming, but it’s not surprising,” Courtney Hanson, deputy director of People for Community Recovery, an environmental justice organization on the South Side of Chicago, told ABC News. “[People for Community Recovery] has been advocating and raising the alarm bells about these issues for decades.”
The EPA report represents a key step in political advocacy, according to Gabrielle Browning, director and co-founder of Mom’s Clean Air Force.
“We are really excited about this report because it is the culmination of messaging on the vulnerability of children to climate change,” Browning told ABC News. “For the first time really in history, we have a lot of opportunities to get some things across the finish line.”
Parents can get involved in several ways, experts say.
“[Future generations of children] are going to inherit the world that we’re giving them,” said Martinich. “Let’s give them a safer future. That’s what this report is trying to inform.”
Browning suggests signing a petition that will be delivered to Congress, or calling the local school board to discuss current plans for sustainability.
“Doing something means that you can look your children in the eyes in a decade and say, ‘Yeah I did what I could do. We really tried hard,'” Browning said.
Hanson emphasized community engagement. “Visit the frontline neighborhoods in the city,” she said. “Learning about what’s going on in your own backyard … tends to be very impactful.”
Nisarg Bakshi, D.O., is a pediatrics resident at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Cole Swindell has dropped Stereotype Broken, the expanded version of his 2022 album, Stereotype.
The 17-song collection includes the chart-topping “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” Cole’s current single “Drinkaby” and the brand new “Sad Ass Country Song,” which Cole co-wrote with Joel Hutsell, Josh Miller and Matt Dragstrem.
Of the track, Cole shares, “I have always been a fan of sad country songs, and that’s kind of how this song came to be. We were sitting around talking about wanting to write a sad ass country song and I said, ‘Why don’t we just call it “Sad Ass Country Song”?'”
“Being able to finish this project with a song written with one of my best friends and bandmate since day one – Joel Hutsell is extra special,” he adds. “Josh Miller and Matt Dragstrem are two of the best in town and I’m so proud to have them on it too. Thanks to Zach Crowell for making sure the production was perfect. This song is high on my list of favorites from ‘Stereotype Broken.'”
Cole will open for Thomas Rhett on his Home Team Tour 23 starting May 4, before headlining his Twelve Tour in October.
