Bonnie Raitt on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ June 14, 2022. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
Bonnie Raitt has penned a tribute to Stephen Colbert, who is signing off The Late Show Thursday night.
“As we’re forced to say goodbye to one of our most brilliant, hilarious and beloved shows, @colbertlateshow, I want to thank Stephen and his incredible team for the eleven years of astonishing gifts they’ve given us all,” she wrote on Instagram next to a photo of one of her appearances. “How insane that the number one show in that time slot is being booted off the air because some in power can’t take a joke or alternative points of view.”
“Here’s hoping that after a wee, well-deserved break, you’ll find a way to once again illuminate and delight us in an exciting new chapter,” she added. “We need you more than ever.”
Raitt then thanked Colbert for “your kindness in having us on your show,” and for “showcasing the incredible talents” of his bandleaders Jon Batiste and Louis Cato. She noted, “What an honor for us all.”
The post concluded, “God bless and til next time, here’s to us all still speaking our truths to power.”
CBS announced the The Late Show‘s cancellation in July 2025, noting it was a financial decision.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a ‘Rose Garden Club’ dinner for National Police Week in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Republicans are punting on plans to advance a $70 billion immigration bill, retreating after meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to address concerns about the administration’s anti-weaponization fund.
The move pushes the process until at least after their weeklong Memorial Day recess after the House and Senate were sent home Thursday afternoon.
Earlier, Senate Republicans were poised to try to rein in two of President Donald Trump’s controversial spending wishes: $1 billion for the East Wing expansion and nearly $1.8 billion for an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” two people familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.
Blanche canceled pre-scheduled travel to go up to Capitol Hill to attempt to quell the growing Republican outrage over the “anti-weaponization fund,” which would be used to compensate allies who say they have suffered injustices at the hand of the Biden administration. But Blanche’s meeting seems to have completely backfired.
There was yelling in the room, multiple sources told ABC News, with some senators — even some vocal Trump supporters — telling Blanche they believed they’d lose the Senate majority over the fund.
Blanche even tried to placate Republican senators by releasing a fact sheet earlier Thursday that stated they themselves can apply to receive money from the fund.
Republicans are looking at ways to use the bill to impose guardrails on Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund.
On Wednesday afternoon, some Republicans told reporters that the $1 billion for White House security — including funding for the ballroom — would likely be removed from the bill because there was a lack of GOP support.
Because the text of the new bill hasn’t been made public, it’s not yet clear exactly what restrictions Republicans may try to impose on the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the core of the settlement between the Department of Justice and Trump to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
The taxpayer-funded pool of money will be administered by a five-person commission appointed by the acting attorney general with little oversight aside from the president, who could remove members.
Senators were working on potential provisions to address their concerns on the fund, but by Thursday afternoon, those discussions still appeared to be very far apart.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins said “no,” Blanche did not change her mind about the weaponization fund.
Republican Sen. John Hoeven said the “consensus building process” on the matter is “going to require more work.”
“We just don’t have the right configuration where we know we have 50 votes,” he said.
Republicans could try to embed guardrails for the fund in the actual bill, or they could instead try to offer an amendment addressing the fund once the bill is on the Senate floor.
However, if Republicans don’t do something, it is widely expected that Democrats will certainly try to.
Senate Republicans are aiming to muscle the $70 billion immigration enforcement package through using a budget tool called reconciliation, which will allow them to pass the bill with a simple majority of votes in the Senate instead of the usual 60 votes that it takes to approve most legislative matters.
But before the bill can pass, there will be a voting marathon known as a vote-a-rama, during which lawmakers are able to offer unlimited amendments to the bill.
Democrats are powerless to block this package from passing if Republicans stick together, but Democrats could put forward a number of amendments that force Republicans to take politically tricky votes.
If Republicans do not come up with a clear way to address the “anti-weaponization” fund in their underlying bill or in an amendment that is popular with Republicans who oppose the fund, Democratic-led amendments that look to restrict the fund could very well get the necessary GOP support to pass on the Senate floor.
Some Senate Republicans who Trump has publicly scorned in recent weeks have become the fund’s most outspoken critics, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary race in Louisiana after Trump endorsed his opponent.
Cassidy spoke out on Wednesday night, bashing the fund.
“People are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas, not about putting together a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent or accountability. This is adding to our national debt. If there needs to be a settlement, the administration should bring it to Congress to decide,” Cassidy wrote in a post on X.
Regardless of what Republicans do, Democrats are expected to use the vote-a-rama to force a number of votes that they hope will pin down Republicans on the fund.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal told ABC News on Wednesday that he intends to force votes on amendments to “stop this illegal abhorrent slush fund” during the vote-a-rama.
With enough GOP support, Democrats could have a real chance of putting restraints on — or even eliminating — this fund as part of the massive package. Depending on how Democrats craft their amendments surrounding the IRS fund, it could take as few as four Republican supporters to pass some of them.
What happened to the ballroom funding?
The $1 billion that was intended for White House security, including the security aspects of Trump’s ballroom, is being scrapped by Republicans, according to some GOP lawmakers. The Republican lawmakers are saying there isn’t enough support in their conference to move forward with the funding.
The Senate’s rule keeper said over the weekend that $1 billion could not be included in the bill under the Senate rules. Even though some Republicans initially said they’d redraft the measure, a number of GOP senators came out forcefully against the $1 billion allocation and threatened to tank the entire bill if it was not removed.
Democrats were expected to call up a number of amendment votes to try to strip the ballroom funding out of the bill. Those amendments only would have needed the support of four Republicans and likely would have passed.
Cover of ‘Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story’ (Da Capo publishing)
A new biography on legendary guitarist Jeff Beck is set for release this summer.
Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story is described as the “first biography to fully capture the life, music, and mystery of this singular artist.”
The book was written by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill, who also wrote Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. It’s compiled from over 30 hours of Beck interviews, as well as contributions from the guitarist’s friends and collaborators, including Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, actor Johnny Depp and music exec Clive Davis.
“This is the book Jeff deserves,” says Depp. “It’s honest, thoughtful, and true.”
Blow by Blow will be released July 14, and it will be celebrated with what’s described as an “all-star tribute concert” July 16 at The Cutting Room in New York City. It will also feature an interview and book signing with the authors.
The authors will also take part in a book signing and Q&A at Book Soup in Los Angeles on July 23.
Beck came to prominence in the ’60s as a member of The Yardbirds, with future guitar legends Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. He later went on to have a successful solo career, fronting his own Jeff Beck Group.
Beck was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: in 1992 as a member of The Yardbirds and again in 2009 for his solo work.
Beck passed away Jan. 10, 2023, from bacterial meningitis. He was 78.
Christina Aguilera appears on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (Disney/Randy Holmes)
Christina Aguilera was raised near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she’ll be spending this Fourth of July performing with a bunch of other Pennsylvania artists.
Christina is headlining the One Philly: Unity Concert For America, taking place July 4 at Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Hosted by Wanda Sykes, the concert will also feature Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jill Scott, The Roots and Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge.
Seal — who is not from Pennsylvania — is also on the bill for the show, which is free and open to the public. Of course, fireworks will be included. One Philly will be the largest free concert in the U.S. this year, according to organizers.
Canaan Smith’s new song, “Throw’n Darts,” drops Friday, June 5, ahead of his Sunday, June 7, appearance on the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage at CMA Fest.
Maren Morris will do a “real-time, interactive live concert” you can watch exclusively at AMC theaters on Saturday, June 20. You can buy tickets and find out more online.
You can bid on a guitar signed by Luke Bryan as part of the superstar’s partnership with Sweet Relief, which helps members of the music industry struggling with mental health challenges.
Fat Mike of NOFX performs at Riot Fest 2024 at Douglass Park on September 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
NOFX has announced the accompanying soundtrack to the band’s career-spanning documentary, 40 Years of F*****’ Up.
The album will be released on Aug. 28. It includes an original score composed by frontman Fat Mike, along with 15 songs from throughout NOFX’s career, such as a live recording of the track “Linoleum.”
You’ll also find two new songs, “40 Years of F*****’ Up” and “We Did It Our Way,” the former of which is out now.
The 40 Years… documentary premiered in March at the South by Southwest festival and will be screening throughout North America throughout the year.
Hey, Olivia Rodrigo’s album SOUR — you’re celebrating your five-year anniversary today? Well, “good 4 u.”
SOURarrived May 21, 2021. There was already a huge demand for it, thanks to the success of the first single, “drivers license,” which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2021. The second single, “good 4 u,” debuted at #1 a few days after the album was released, making SOUR the first debut album ever to produce two songs that entered the Hot 100 at #1.
SOUR broke streaming records in its first week and entered the Billboard album chart at #1, on its way to becoming one of the bestselling albums of 2021. Two other singles from the album, “deja vu” and “traitor,” were top-10 hits.
When Spotify marked its 20th anniversary in April with a list of its most-streamed albums of all time on the platform, SOUR was #4, behind albums by Bad Bunny, The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran.
The success of SOUR led to Olivia receiving seven Grammy nominations, including nods in all “big four” categories: single, album and song of the year and best new artist. She ended up winning best new artist, best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance.
Earlier in 2026, Olivia marked the fifth anniversary of “drivers license” by releasing a cover of the song by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. At the time, she said she was planning several “reimagined” cover versions of songs from the album. Nothing else has appeared so far.
Olivia will release her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, on June 12.
Ozzy Osbourne visits the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 portrait studio on April 25, 2011 in New York City. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Ozzy Osbourne may have left this mortal coil, but his family is hoping to keep his presence alive in the digital world.
The late Black Sabbath frontman’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, and son Jack Osbourne spoke about working on creating an interactive “Digital Ozzy” during a talk at the 2026 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.
The avatar, which will be created in collaboration with the company Hyperreal, will represent “the digital DNA of Ozzy Osbourne, voice, image [and] movement,” Jack said.
“It’s kind of scary how it’s really very accurate,” Jack said. “He will exist digitally as himself for as long as we have computers. Technology has come such a long way to where it’s almost drag and drop. You could shoot a template for a commercial … literally prompt what you want Digital Ozzy to do in that commercial and you just drop it in. It’s that simple now.”
“You can ask Ozzy anything, and he will answer you in his own voice – and the answers will be what Ozzy would have said,” Sharon adds. “We’re going to take it all around the world. People can talk to him and he will talk back.”
Ozzy died in July 2025 at age 76, just over two weeks after performing for the final time at the Back to the Beginning concert.
‘Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World)’ poster (HBO)
HBO has announced the airdate for Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary about R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World) is set to debut June 7 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
HBO has also dropped the trailer for the film, soundtracked by the band’s iconic tunes “September” and “Let’s Groove Tonight.” It features lots of archival footage of the band, as well as interview bites from President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Lionel Richie and others.
According to the film’s description, the doc traces the band’s “genesis through late founding member Maurice White, chronicling their evolution, highs and lows, and relevance from the 1970s into the present day while exploring the deep philosophical and spiritual meaning behind their message and music.”
The film includes interviews with current Earth, Wind & Fire band members Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson, as well as contributions from former members, Stevie Wonder, H.E.R. and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World) will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 3 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, followed by a live performance by Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots.
Signage outside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, US, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — This year’s Atlantic hurricane season will see below-average tropical activity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The decreased storm activity is driven by El Nino, which is forecast to emerge soon and persist through the season, the agency announced on Thursday.
Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and continues through Nov. 30.
There is currently a 55% chance that this year’s season will be below average, according to NOAA, with eight to 14 named storms, tropical storms and stronger expected for the season.
Three to six hurricanes could occur, of which one to three could major storms with Category 3 intensity or stronger, NOAA said.
NOAA’s hurricane outlooks predict overall seasonal activity, though levels of activity can vary throughout the six-month season. It does not predict how many storms will make landfall or specific locations where landfalls might occur.
An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to NOAA.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season brought 13 named storms, just below the long-term seasonal average
While there were no landfalling hurricanes in the United States last year for the first time in a decade, the season still proved to be consequential, producing three Category 5 hurricanes, including Melissa, which devastated Jamaica.
Factors affecting this year’s hurricane forecast
The impact of El Nino on this year’s Atlantic and Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons will largely depend on how quickly it develops and how strong it gets. Even so, El Nino is only one of several important variables that influence tropical activity.
El Nino conditions often suppress activity during the Atlantic hurricane season by producing unfavorable atmospheric winds. In the Eastern Pacific, the opposite occurs, with favorable conditions supporting above-average hurricane season activity.
“El Nino increases convection (thunderstorms) across the eastern and central Pacific, which causes downstream wind shear over the Atlantic from strong upper-level winds,” Andy Hazelton, an associate scientist at the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, told ABC News.
Vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is often a primary factor in below-average hurricane season activity. Strong vertical wind shear can tear a developing tropical system apart or even prevent it from forming, NOAA says.
“The rising motion over the Pacific also leads to increased subsidence (sinking air) over the Atlantic, which suppresses thunderstorms and tropical cyclone development,” Hazelton said.
Other factors, such as sea surface temperatures, play an important role in tropical cyclone development and strength. Unseasonably warm ocean waters can partially offset the effects of unfavorable atmospheric winds, according to forecasters.
“Although El Nino’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” said NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.”
The climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is Sept. 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October, on average, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Historically, about two-thirds of Atlantic hurricane season activity occurs between Aug. 20 and Oct. 10, the National Hurricane Center said.
Storm names for 2026
A tropical cyclone is assigned a name once it reaches tropical storm strength, which is when maximum sustained winds reach at least 39 mph. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when maximum sustained winds are 74 mph or higher.
Hurricanes with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or higher are classified as major hurricanes of Category 3 to Category 5.
The World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee oversees the six tropical cyclone name lists, which repeat every six years. This year’s list was last used in 2020. The first named storm of the season will be called Arthur, followed by Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
Eastern Pacific outlook
By contrast, El Nino will likely increase tropical activity in the eastern Pacific.
NOAA is predicting above-average tropical activity for the 2026 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, with a 70% likelihood.
The agency has predicted 15 to 22 named storms, with nine to 14 of those storms forecast to reach hurricane strength. Between five and nine major hurricanes could impact the eastern Pacific basin, NOAA said.
An active eastern Pacific could put Hawaii at an increased risk of tropical systems this year, while also increasing the likelihood of indirect impacts to the southwestern United States, such as sending more rain to the region.
Less active seasons can still bring devastating storms
High-impact, devastating storms can still occur during seasons with near to below-average tropical activity.
In 1992, the Atlantic hurricane season was well below average, with only six named storms. However, the only U.S. landfalling hurricane of the season, Andrew, also became the nation’s most expensive natural disaster on record at the time.
In 2018, Hurricanes Florence and Michael brought catastrophic impacts to portions of the southeastern United States, while the overall season featured near-average activity, with 15 named storms.
In 2022, Hurricane Ian brought catastrophic impacts to parts of Florida, becoming the state’s costliest hurricane on record during a season that also featured near-average activity, with 14 named storms.
What’s new in forecasting this year
The National Hurricane Center announced several updates to its forecast products for the upcoming season.
For example, the forecast cone, representing a storm’s probably track, is going to be about 4% to 8% smaller in the Atlantic basin, and roughly 3% to 8% smaller in the Pacific, compared to the 2025 cone, conveying less uncertainty with the forecasts.
The National Hurricane Center has also launched a mobile-friendly version of its website, hurricanes.gov, which provides tropical forecasts and alerts.
And for the first time, drone data will be incorporated into NOAA’s hurricane forecast model, providing a new tool to help forecasters better predict storm intensity.
The agency partnered with Black Swift Technologies to develop a fleet of small, uncrewed aircraft built to withstand data collection in extreme weather conditions.
The data will be integrated into NOAA’s hurricane forecast model during the 2026 hurricane season. NOAA researchers found that incorporating the drone data into NOAA’s Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS) can improve intensity forecast accuracy by 10%.
