Live Nation Summer of Live admat (Courtesy of Live Nation)
Live Nation is once again giving fans a way to enjoy live music this summer without breaking the bank.
The concert promoter is set to launch what they’re calling the Summer of Live, offering $30 all-in concert tickets to over 4,000 shows.
The promotion includes tickets for artists like John Mellencamp, Rod Stewart, John Fogerty, Paul Simon, The Black Crowes, James Taylor, Chicago and Styx, Deep Purple, Sammy Hagar, Santana and The Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner, The Guess Who, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe and more.
The promotion runs from April 29 to May 5 at LiveNation.com/SummerofLive. After picking a show, there will be the option for tickets labeled “Summer of Live Promotion,” to add to your cart.
There’s also an option for early access for Live Nation All Access members starting Thursday, April 23, and T-Mobile members starting Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. local time.
The remnants of a fire smolders near a melted fence as a result of the Brantley Highway 82 wildfire on April 23, 2026 in Atkinson, Georgia. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
(BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga.) — At least 1,000 homes are being threatened by two major wildfires in Georgia that have burned more than 34,000 acres combined, according to officials.
Dry conditions from a persistent drought and gusty winds continue to fuel the wildfires in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere across the Southeast.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for 91 counties in South Georgia.
The two major wildfires burning in Southeast Georgia are the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County, and the Pinelands Road Fire in nearby Clinch County, officials said.
The Highway 82 fire, which started on Monday, had grown to nearly 5,000 acres and had destroyed at least 54 homes, County Manager Joey Carson said at a news conference on Wednesday. The fire was 15% contained on Wednesday evening, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Hundreds of homes are in danger of being burned in the Highway 82 Fire, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which sent assets and personnel to the area on Wednesday to assist in fighting the fire and helping the community recover.
The Pinelands Road Fire started over the weekend on mostly private forest land, officials said. It grew from about 9,000 acres on Wednesday morning to more than 29,600 acres by Wednesday night and was spreading toward Echols County, according to officials.
The fire was threatening 64 homes and 37 other structures in the area on Wednesday evening, but there were no reports of homes being destroyed, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission, which said that fire also was 10% contained by Wednesday evening.
FEMA said on Wednesday said that the two fires are threatening 1,000 homes. The agency sent assets and personnel to assist in battling fires and helping communities recover after the agency approved a Fire Management Assistance declaration.
“Obviously, this fire became a lot larger than we thought it would be on Monday. We’ve got resources that have come in from all over South Georgia and now from the state,” Carson said Wednesday, adding that he expected more resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to arrive later that day.
The fire, burning northwest of Brunswick, Georgia, “continues to exhibit unpredictable behavior,” according to a statement Wednesday night from the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office.
Chuck White, director of Emergency Management in neighboring Camden County, said at the news conference on Wednesday that some homeowners in the area “have lost everything.”
“I’ll be very honest with you and say it’s a miracle that we have not had any lives lost,” Carson said Wednesday afternoon, adding the blaze was among 90 wildfires that have ignited across the state since Saturday.
Schools in Brantley County canceled classes for the second day in a row on Thursday due to the fire threat and smoke, officials said.
“This decision has been made to ensure the safety of our students, families, and employees, and to allow our Brantley County families time and space to navigate the impacts of the fire,” the local school system said in a statement on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, students and staff at two schools in the Brantley County town of Waynesville were forced to evacuate during the school day, officials said.
The Georgia Forestry Commission also issued its first mandatory burn ban in state history on Wednesday. The ban on outdoor burning, which will remain in effect for at least 30 days, is for 91 counties in the lower half of the state due to worsening drought conditions and rising wildfire activity, the agency said.
Carson noted that firefighters nearly had the Brantley County fire under control on Tuesday until afternoon wind gusts escalated the fire danger.
“Within 30 minutes, the winds picked up pretty significantly, and it went from being almost in control to a major wildfire,” Cason said. “Yesterday morning, we had 700 acres burned. It burned over 4,000 acres in a matter of hours as soon as the wind picked up.”
Persistent dry conditions have led to one of the worst droughts on record for parts of Georgia, fueling wildfires in the state.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 48% of Brantley County is under what is called an Exceptional Drought – the highest level of drought it has experienced in more than 25 years.
Across Georgia, more than 69% of the state is under an Extreme Drought. At the start of the year, only 1% of the state was under an Extreme Drought or higher.
Georgia needs between 12 and 18 inches of rainfall to end its current drought, according to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.
In Florida, near the Georgia-Florida line, the Railroad Fire was burning in Clay and Putnam Counties, which are also under drought conditions. As of Wednesday morning, the Railroad Fire had grown to more than 4,000 acres and was more than 50% contained on Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Forest Service.
Across the Southeast – including Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South and North Carolina and Virginia – more than 97% of the region is under a moderate drought or higher.
Florida is experiencing its worst drought in 25 years, with at least 71% of the state under an extreme or exceptional drought, the two highest levels, the Florida Forest Service said.
Fire alerts issued from Texas to Montana and Minnesota
Meanwhile, pockets of fire weather continue to linger in parts of the Rockies and Great Plains on Wednesday.
More than a dozen states across the Rockies and Plains from Texas to Montana and Minnesota were under fire weather alerts on Wednesday due to hot, dry and windy conditions.
Relative humidity in parts of the Rockies and Plains on Wednesday was expected to fall to as low as 5%, and wind gusts up to 30 to 45 mph are also forecast, allowing any wildfires to rapidly start and spread.
The wildfire threat is expected to continue Thursday in the Rockies and Plains as wind gusts are forecast to reach 60 mph and relative humidity is expected to be down to the single digits.
David Zaslav, CEO & President, Warner Bros. Discovery at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 07, 2026 in Hollywood, California. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders on Thursday voted to approve the Paramount Skydance takeover bid, completing a major step toward the $111 billion media mega-deal.
The offer from Paramount encompasses the HBO Max streaming service, the Warner Bros. film production company, and cable channels such as CNN. Assets owned by Paramount include CBS, Paramount Pictures and Comedy Central, among others.
Shareholders cast ballots “overwhelmingly” in support of the Paramount takeover, Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
“Today’s stockholder approval is another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction that will deliver exceptional value to our stockholders. We will continue to work with Paramount to complete the remaining steps in this process that will create a leading, next-generation media and entertainment company,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in the statement.
Shares of Paramount fell nearly 5% in the minutes following the announcement on Thursday morning.
In December, Paramount launched a hostile takeover bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, just days after Netflix struck a deal to purchase a large part of the media giant.
The rival, multi-billion-dollar efforts to acquire streaming platform Warner Bros. Discovery threatened to upend the media industry and shape content viewed by hundreds of millions of people.
Paramount appeared to gain the upper hand in the bidding war in recent months. In February, the Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Paramount takeover.
Under the terms of the deal, shareholders will receive $31 per share, which amounts to a 147% premium, Warner Bros. Discovery said in March.
Duran Duran ‘Free to Love,’ featuring Nile Rodgers (Tape Modern)
Duran Duran has reteamed with Nile Rodgers for a brand new song.
The artists have just released the new song, “Free to Love,” described as an “uplifting, high-energy track built around a euphoric groove.”
“‘Free to Love’ is disco for the 2020s,” says Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon. “It’s up-beat and up-tempo; it’s about freedom; it’s about loving the modern world instead of hating it, and that is something we need right now. Be free! Be free to love!”
“True love is free and unconditional,” Rodgers, who co-wrote the song, adds. “My love for Duran Duran, and what our music together has always been about, is the love we share for our song’s deepest meanings. Whatever chaos is going on outside, inside the studio we’re free to love our peace.”
“Free to Love,” now available via digital outlets, is accompanied by a music video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
Duran Duran has a long history with Rodgers, starting with his 1984 remix of “The Reflex,” which became Duran Duran’s first #1 song.
“Every time we plug in and play with Nile, the electricity he generates could light up a whole city,” says Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes. “We share a common belief that music is a force for good and something that brings positive energy into the world.” He noted that the song “has a simple message, there is nothing more important than freedom and love. We certainly need a lot more of both in the world right now.”
The song’s release comes as Duran Duran is getting ready to headline the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on May 1. They’ll then head to Las Vegas for four nights at the Fontainebleau, May 2, 6, 8 and 9.
Los Angeles County District Attorney placard. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(LOS ANGELES) — A man is charged with murder for allegedly beating an 84-year-old man with dementia and setting him on fire, Los Angeles prosecutors said.
The victim, Bang Cho, had wandered away from a senior care home when he was attacked just before midnight on Sunday in downtown LA, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said.
The incident unfolded when Cho walked behind the suspect, Lavonta Wilder, and grabbed a bag Wilder was carrying, prosecutors said.
Wilder, a 40-year-old experiencing homelessness, allegedly “viciously” punched and kicked Cho, then lifted the elderly man over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground, and then set him on fire, prosecutors said.
Cho was taken to a hospital where he died the next day, prosecutors said.
Wilder is charged with murder and faces a special allegation of having a prior serious felony, prosecutors said. He’s due in court for an arraignment next month.
“The level of violence alleged here is brutal, callous and extreme,” LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
Cho “was disoriented and living with dementia, conditions that made him particularly vulnerable,” Hochman said. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family as they endure this unimaginable tragedy.”
Christopher Gillum is seen in this undated police handout. (Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office)
(DESTIN, Fla.) — A former police officer who allegedly was traveling to Louisiana to conduct a mass shooting at a large festival was arrested Wednesday night in a Florida hotel where investigators found a gun and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.
Christopher Gillum, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was wanted by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety “for terroristic threats” and was arrested at a hotel in Destin, Florida, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
“Authorities obtained information Gillum planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans to conduct a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop,” the sheriff’s office said.
When officers arrested Gillum, they recovered a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room, the sheriff’s office alleged.
Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.
Gillum was a Chapel Hill Police officer from 2004 until 2019, when he resigned, a spokesman for the town of Chapel Hill said in a statement.
“He returned as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving for another job by the end of that year,” Alex Carrasquillo, the town’s spokesman, said in a statement.
Gillum was being held in a Florida jail and awaiting extradition to Louisiana, the sheriff’s office said.
The Louisiana State Police did not say which festival the suspect was allegedly targeting, but said in a statement Thursday that “there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana.”
The state police will be conducting the ongoing investigation with the FBI, according to the department.
Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour on Dec. 6, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
April 23 marks the 20th anniversary of Spotify, and to celebrate the occasion, the digital service has released its most-streamed albums, artists and songs of all time.
The most-streamed artist of all time on Spotify is Taylor Swift, followed by, in descending order, Bad Bunny, Drake, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Eminem and Kanye West. Other artists who missed the top 10 but who made the top 20 include Bruno Mars, Coldplay and Rihanna.
When it comes to the most streamed songs all time, Taylor didn’t even make the top 20. “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is tops, followed by Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather.”
The Weeknd pops up again at #4 with “Starboy,” followed by Harry Styles’ “As It Was”; “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi; “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee; “One Dance” by Drake, Wizkid and Kyla; “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran;” and “STAY” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber.
The most-streamed album of all time is Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, followed by The Weeknd’s Starboy, the deluxe version of Ed Sheeran’s Divide,SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd’s After Hours, SOS by SZA, and Post Malone’s Hollywood Bleeding.
Taylor’s in at #8 with Lover, followed by AM by the British band Arctic Monkeys at #9 and Billie Eilish’s WHERE WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO? at #10.
Albums that ranked from #11 to #20 include Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars and Taylor’s Midnights.
The Rolling Stones released their 13th studio album, Black and Blue, which was their first following the departure of guitarist Mick Taylor.
His eventual replacement, Ronnie Wood, is featured on three songs on the album. The Stones used the recording sessions as auditions for Taylor’s replacement, with other guitarists like Jeff Beck, Robert A. Johnson and Wayne Perkins taking part.
The album went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, where it spent four weeks.
In November, ahead of the album’s 50th anniversary, The Stones reissued the album as a five-LP or four-CD super-deluxe box set, featuring an album of outtakes and jams, and a recording of a 1976 concert at Earls Court in London, which was part of a six-night residency at the venue.
Aspyn Ovard, Avery Woods, Bobbi Althoff, Saloma Andrea, McCall Dapron, Ashleigh Pease, Madison Bontempo and Chandler Higginson Brooks attend Hulu’s Get Real House event, April 22, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Maya Dehlin/Disney)
A Secret Lives of Mormon Wives show based in California, a new reality show from Khloe Kardashian and a new season of Project Runway were among the new projects announced Wednesday at Hulu’s second Get Real House event
The event, hosted by talk show host and actor Scott Evans, delivered a series of announcements about Hulu’s upcoming unscripted slate.
Here are some of the upcoming new shows coming to Hulu:
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County The show that originated in Utah will air a new installment this year featuring a group of young moms in Orange County, California.
The moms “collide in a community where beliefs are not just their religion; they are their identity. While some defend their way of life, fighting against modernity, others embrace change, becoming a platform to disrupt the status quo,” according to a show description.
The series, which does not yet have a release date, stars Aspyn Ovard, Bobbi Althoff, Avery Woods, Salomé Andrea, McCall DaPron, Chandler Higginson, Ashleigh Pease and Madison Bontempo.
Project Runway Model Heidi Klum will return for a new season of Project Runway in July.
Twenty-two designers will compete for a chance to take their fashion careers to the next level, according to a press release from Disney Entertainment Television Publicity.
The upcoming new season will feature a crossover with some of the Dancing with the Stars cast members, who will hit the Runway catwalk.
Project Runway will premiere on Hulu, Disney+ and Freeform on July 9.
The Girls from executive producer Khloé Kardashian Many may know Khloé Kardashian on The Kardashians, but the reality star and entrepreneur is stepping behind the camera for the new reality series The Girls.
As an executive producer, Kardashian is bringing a new show to Hulu about her “inner circle of real-life besties” as they raise children and run businesses and survive “brutally honest group chats.”
The Mob hosted by Parker Posey A new reality competition series The Mob will also be coming to Hulu, with Emmy-nominated actress Parker Posey as host.
The series will send a group of celebs to an Italian villa where they will “shake down, hustle and whack their way to win up to $250,000 in cash prizes,” a press release says.
“Every episode, they will tackle mob movie-inspired jobs to survive,” the press release adds. “But every mob family needs a don, and whoever they choose will have absolute power — deciding who makes money, who stays, and who ultimately gets whacked.”
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC, Hulu and Disney+.
Maura Higgins attends an event in West Hollywood, Calif., on March 13, 2026. / Ciara Miller attends a premiere on March 30, 2026, in New York. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Women In Film | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
We’re months away from stepping back into the Dancing with the Stars ballroom, but two cast members are already preparing their dance moves.
The Traitors star Maura Higgins and Summer House star Ciara Miller were announced Wednesday as the first two cast members to join the upcoming season of DWTS.
Higgins and Miller were revealed as part of the next season’s cast at Hulu’s second Get Real House event held in Beverly Hills, California.
Higgins rose to fame on the fifth season of the British reality show Love Island in 2019, where she was a finalist.
She went on to become a presenter for Love Island USA, Love Island Games and Love Island USA: Aftersun.
Most recently, Higgins starred on the fourth season of The Traitors, where she was a runner-up as a “faithful.”
Miller, a former travel nurse and model, joined the fifth season of the hit Bravo reality show Summer House in 2021.
Many fans have shown support for Miller amid the show’s current season, airing now, after her castmates Amanda Batula and West Wilson, whom Miller dated previously, confirmed their romantic relationship in a joint statement shared on their separate Instagram Stories.
While fans are awaiting to see how things will unfold between Miller, Batula, and Wilson at the Summer House season 10 reunion, Miller is turning her attention to DWTS.
Disney is the parent company of Hulu, ABC, ABC News and “Good Morning America.”
