Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Riley Green make up the first round of artists confirmed to perform at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 2026, the show returns to its longtime home in Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena. It’ll also be back in its traditional time slot on May 17, when it streams live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET.
Lainey will deliver the world premiere performance of her new track, “Can’t Sit Still,” while Riley’s set to do his current hit, “Change My Mind.”
Tickets for the ACM Awards and its accompanying events are on sale now. Look for more performers to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz attend the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ at TCL Chinese Theatre on Dec. 16, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
The full cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been revealed.
Ben Schwartz, who has voiced Sonic in all three of the Paramount Pictures franchise’s previous films, made the official casting announcement in an Instagram post on Thursday celebrating exactly one year until the release of the film.
Schwartz first confirmed that Jim Carrey will return as the evil Dr. Robotnik, before noting that franchise staples James Marsden and Tika Sumpter will also return as Tom and Maddie Wachowski.
“One year to go til Sonic 4. Jim is back and look who else is coming to play,” Schwartz captioned his post.
Newly announced to join the cast are Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry and Nick Offerman. The latter previously starred with Schwartz in the beloved sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Also returning are Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Knuckles, Shadow and Tails. Lee Majdoub will also be back as Agent Stone.
Kristen Bell was previously announced to join the franchise as the voice of Amy Rose.
While a plot for the fourth film has yet to be unveiled, it will be directed by Jeff Fowler, who also helmed the previous three films in the franchise. It is scheduled for release on March 19, 2027.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth provides updates on military operations in Iran during a press briefing at the Pentagon on March 19, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon will be asking Congress for more money to cover the Iran war, saying he wants to ensure current and future costs are covered “above and beyond.”
A senior administration official confirmed that a $200 billion request was sent from the Pentagon to the White House on Wednesday. The Washington Post first reported the request.
It was not clear whether the White House had formally submitted the request to Congress as of Thursday morning or what kind of reception it would have among lawmakers, who remain deeply divided on President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
The conflict began Feb. 28 after negotiations on its nuclear and ballistic missile program failed, and the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes. In its third week, the U.S. says it’s destroyed more than 7,800 military targets, 120 Iranian ships and 11 submarines.
Pentagon officials told a group of senators in a closed-door briefing earlier this month that the war in Iran cost at least $11.3 billion in its first six days.
When asked about the $200 billion request, Hegseth didn’t confirm the total, saying that the number “could move.”
“As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move. Obviously it takes, it takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said in a news conference Thursday morning. “So we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is — everything’s refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond.”
Wartime supplementals are used to ensure the military remains ready to handle other potential conflicts and to replenish stockpiles spent on the ongoing mission.
Asked about the $200 billion request on Thursday, Trump said “we’re asking for a lot of reasons beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran.”
“So we’re in very good shape, but we want to be in the best shape. The best shape we’ve ever been in,” Trump said.
House leadership has not received a formal defense supplemental request from the Trump administration, according to a source familiar with the details.
Asked about the amount, Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress has a commitment to “adequately fund defense.”
“I’m sure it’s not a random number, so we’ll look at that,” Johnson said Thursday morning. “But obviously it’s a dangerous time in the world, and we have to adequately fund defense, and we have a commitment to do that.”
As of Wednesday night, several Senate appropriators, including Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, said they had not yet seen the request.
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations committee, said she had not seen the funding request, and would need details to be provided.
“We have not seen that request, and I will tell you that this administration needs to tell Congress definitely what they’re doing and how long this is going to take. There is no goal here, and we’re not going to write them a blank check,” Murray said.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who is on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, told reporters on Thursday morning that to her knowledge the Pentagon has not made a request to Congress.
“What we have is a number that we have heard the White House presented to the Pentagon. So far as I know it has not been presented to us in Congress. So it needs to not only be presented, the amount, but also the rationale behind it,” Murkowski said.
The money that has so far been spent to fund operations in Iran comes out of Pentagon funds already allocated by Congress. Congress has not yet approved any additional funding for the war with Iran.
The funding request also indicates plans for a longer war — after Trump has previously said the war would last four to five weeks. The president has also brushed off that timeline, saying “whatever it takes.”
ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
The Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery, Alabama, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Andi Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) — The former Alabama Supreme Court justice who wrote the controversial ruling that temporarily halted in vitro fertilization services two years ago is running for state attorney general — and a group of conservative IVF parents is banding together to try to stop him.
Jay Mitchell wrote the majority opinion in a ruling that classified frozen embryos as people, prompting three of the state’s largest IVF treatment providers to halt care out of fear of wrongful death lawsuits when handling embryos.
“Unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Mitchell wrote in the majority ruling in 2024.
The decision led to widespread public outcry and an effort at the Alabama statehouse to pass a bill protecting IVF treatments. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill shortly after the legislature passed it.
In the aftermath of the ruling, a group of parents who relied on in vitro fertilization to build their families created “Alabama Families for IVF,” a conservative grassroots coalition. The group is now airing ads against Mitchell in the state, voiced by Annie Hensler, who became a mother through IVF, though they have not yet endorsed a specific candidate.
“The attorney general’s office is a very powerful position, and we cannot have someone in that position that has this kind of judgment,” Katelanne Fadalla, an IVF parent who chairs the group, told ABC News.
Alabama’s attorney general would be responsible for enforcing state laws, including those related to reproductive health.
“We cannot risk having someone in office with this much influence over Alabama legislation who has already demonstrated that they cannot think through the consequences of the words that they write,” she added.
In a statement to ABC, Mitchell said, “I support IVF. My opinion protected IVF families and upheld Alabama law, but woke liberals and my political opponents continue to push lies about this case because they know I will fearlessly advance President Trump’s agenda as Alabama’s next Attorney General.”
Fadalla said she was preparing for her first consultation about IVF when news of the ruling broke in 2024.
“It was absolutely devastating,” she said.
“The opinion that came out of the Supreme Court from Jay Mitchell was not only extremely disruptive, but it was devastating to families across the state of Alabama during a time when all we are trying to do is grow our families,” Fadalla said.
In an ad airing across the state, the group accuses Mitchell of going against President Donald Trump, who declared his support for IVF after the 2024 ruling and called on the state legislature “to act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF in Alabama.”
“We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder — you know that. That includes — and you saw this was a big deal over the last few days — that includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America,” Trump said during the 2024 presidential campaign shortly after the ruling.
Mitchell has defended his record, describing himself as a “rock-solid conservative and warrior for the Trump agenda.”
“Jay shares the incredible commitment Alabamians have to faith, family and freedom, and his legal record proves that he is ready and willing to defend those values in court,” his campaign states on its website.
Three candidates are running in the Republican primary for Alabama attorney general, which will take place on May 19.
Black Veil Brides have announced a new album called Vindicate.
The band’s seventh studio effort, and first since 2021’s The Phantom Tomorrow, is due out May 8.
“This record is rooted in the feelings of revenge and vindication,” says frontman Andy Biersack in a statement. “These are emotions that can either push us forward or hold us back. There’s a duality to them. They can fuel growth, drive ambition, and help us rise above what’s tried to break us, but they can also become destructive if we let them consume us.”
The Vindicate title track is out now alongside a NSFW video, which you can watch on YouTube.
Vindicate also includes the previously released songs “Certainty,” “Bleeders” and “Hallelujah.”
Black Veil Brides will launch a U.S. tour in April. From Ashes to New will also be on the bill.
Here’s the Vindicate track list: “Invocation to the Muse” “Vindicate” “Certainty” “Bleeders” “Hallelujah” “Cut” “Alive” “Purgatory” “Revenger” “Sorrow” “Grace” “Ave Maria” “Woe & Pain” “Eschaton”
Yacht Rock Detroit 2026 (Courtesy Yacht Rock Detroit)
Get ready to sail the seas of smooth at the 2026 installment of the Yacht Rock Detroit Festival.
The two-day event is set for July 17-18 at Detroit’s Roostertail on the banks of the Detroit River. In addition to music, it’ll feature themed cocktails, a yacht rock costume contest, VIP lounges, nautical-themed photo ops, DJs and more.
The lineup includes Three Dog Night, Ambrosia and Pablo Cruise, as well as members of some popular yacht rock groups: Peter Beckett of “Baby Come Back” act Player; Elliott Lurie, the voice of Looking Glass’ “Brandy”; John Ford Coley of England Dan & John Ford Coley fame; and Water Egan, known for his hit “Magnet and Steel.”
The bill also includes Yacht Rock Revue, the popular band that performs the biggest yacht rock hits of the ’70s and early ’80s, as well as original songs.
Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in the upcoming film ‘Michael.’ (Lionsgate)
Jaafar Jackson opens up about his experience portraying the King of Pop in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
“I knew how challenging this would be to take on playing Michael Jackson, and it was not easy. Definitely wasn’t,” he says in Becoming Michael, a featurette released by Universal Pictures UK.
“I love challenges and I wanted to prove to myself, my family and the filmmakers that I, I can do this,” he says, noting he rehearsed “for hours and hours upon hours until one single move was right” and at times danced “until my feet would bleed or them go numb.”
“There’s so many times I would wake up sore [and] be like, ‘Should I go rehearse? Should I just take a break and let the body relax?’ Then the other part of me would be like, ‘No what would Michael do?'” he recalls.
When it was go time and he was in full costume, Jaafar says, “I had a couple moments to myself just saying like, ‘Wow. I’m really here. There’s no going back. It’s time to go out there and put on the best show ever.'”
Becoming Michael, now available on YouTube, also features behind-the-scenes moments of Jaafar on set practicing the choreography and includes interviews with Michael director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King.
Michael will give fans a front-row seat to the King of Pop’s life and career. Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo also star.
Early Access screenings in IMAX and Dolby will take place April 22; tickets are available on advance ticket sites. The film will then premiere April 24 in theaters nationwide, with tickets going on sale March 26.
Artwork for Paul McCartney’s ‘Words + Music’ episode, ‘The Man on the Run (courtesy of Audible)
Paul McCartney is the latest artist to take part in Audible’s Words + Music series.
The latest episode, The Man on The Run, expands on the recent McCartney documentary Man on the Run, which covers his post-Beatles career, including the formation of Wings. The Audible episode is centered around interviews between McCartney and the film’s director, Morgan Neville. It also features musical performances.
“I don’t normally spend a lot of time looking back but I was flattered when Morgan said he was interested in this period,” says McCartney. “The first bit of Wings was quite hard work and not very rewarding, but eventually we got some songs under our belts that were hits.”
He adds, “Morgan got me to think about stuff I hadn’t thought about for a long time. He was asking all the right questions and I was happy to be transported back.”
In a clip posted on Instagram, McCartney talks about rekindling his relationship with John Lennon following the breakup of The Beatles, noting they started talking again after Lennon welcomed son Sean Lennon, with the conversations centered around every day things like kids and even baking bread.
“The things that we had in common were just ordinary, little domestic things,” McCartney says. “So, somehow that was peaceful. It was nice that we had that in common. And we weren’t fighting anymore.”
The three-hour The Man on the Run installment is available now. The Man on the Run documentary is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Previous installments of the Words + Music series featured such artists as James Taylor, Elvis Costello, Eddie Vedder, Alanis Morissette and Sting.
Liam Conejo Ramos, as he is detained, January 20, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Columbia Heights Public Schools)
(MINNEAPOLIS) — An immigration judge has denied Liam Conejo Ramos and his family’s asylum claim, their attorney confirmed.
The 5-year-old boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were detained on Jan. 20 by immigration agents in Minneapolis and held in a Texas detention facility. A judge ordered them to be released and they flew back to Minnesota on Feb. 1.
Attorney Danielle Molliver told ABC News on Thursday the family was unable to present any evidence in the case before the government filed a motion to terminate the case which a judge granted. Molliver said she has filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals.
“We understand that this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a positive outcome,” a spokesperson for Columbia Heights Public School District said earlier in confirming the asylum claim denial. “The detention in January of Liam and his father shed light on the harm caused by Operation Metro Surge, during which many children and families have been detained.”
The boy and his father were detained in January shortly after arriving home from the child’s preschool, school officials had said.
Both were taken to a federal detention facility in Dilley, Texas. They had a pending asylum case but no order of deportation.
The five-year-old’s father told ABC News last month that he wants to remain in the United States with his family, saying they fled Ecuador out of fear.
“I asked for asylum to be here for my family, for my children,” Conejo Arias said. “I’m here because I’m scared of returning to my country.”
In a statement after a judge ordered them to be released, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “The facts in this case have NOT changed: ICE did NOT target or arrest a child.”
“On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration,” McLaughlin said. “As agents approached, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot — abandoning his child.”
McLaughlin said ICE officers remained with Liam while other officers apprehended his father. Officers, according to McLaughlin, attempted to place Liam with his “alleged mother” who was inside the house, but she allegedly refused to accept custody of the child.
McLaughlin said Conejo Arias told officers he wanted his son to remain with him.
The DHS account differs from what the Conejo Arias, his family’s attorney and schools officials said occurred.
Conejo Arias said when he was detained, he was walking a few feet ahead of his son, trying to alert people who “would come out who could help” them.
“I love my son too much. I would never abandon him,” Conejo Arias said.
Officials from Liam’s school said another adult living in the home was outside begging the agents to allow them to take care of the child, but the request was denied.
Stock image of gavel. (Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images)
(HONOLULU) — Opening statements are expected to begin Thursday in the trial of a doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a Hawaii hiking trail last year.
Gerhardt Konig has been charged with second-degree attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
The trial is set to get underway at 9 a.m. local time in Honolulu.
The anesthesiologist is accused of beating his wife, Arielle Konig, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu on March 24, 2025.
He allegedly pushed her and hit her in the head with a rock approximately 10 times while grabbing the back of her head and smashing her face into the ground, according to the probable cause statement for his arrest. He also allegedly attempted to use two syringes on her, according to the document.
Arielle Konig suffered injuries, including large lacerations to her face and head and was hospitalized in serious condition following the alleged attack, according to the probable cause document.
Gerhardt Konig has been in jail since his arrest. A judge denied his motion to dismiss the indictment last month.
Arielle Konig’s attorney has previously told reporters that she intends to testify during the trial. She filed for divorce in May 2025, online court records show.
In a petition for a restraining order filed shortly after the arrest, she said Gerhardt Konig had previously accused her of having an affair, “which led to extreme jealousy on his part” and led him to try to “control and monitor all of my communications.”
Konig worked as an anesthesiologist on Maui. Following his arrest, Maui Health said his medical staff privileges at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been suspended pending investigation.
