Quinta Brunson attends the 2026 Disney Upfront at Jacob Javits Center on May 12, 2026, in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Quinta Brunson is taking on the role of Betty Boop.
The actress, creator, writer and producer is developing and set to star in a film adaptation of the cartoon icon, ABC Audio has confirmed.
The upcoming movie is set to trace the origin and evolution of Betty Boop through the perspective of her creator, Max Fleischer. It will examine the relationship between art and the artist as Max Fleischer navigates the pressures of creating one of the world’s first animated icons, “especially when that icon begins to take on a life of its own,” according to the film’s official logline.
The movie will be Betty Boop’s first starring role in a theatrical film since the 1930s, when she came from Fleischer Studios’ Talkartoons series and was the only animated, independent female movie star of the era. Brunson will produce through her banner Fifth Chance Productions and has partnered with Mark Fleischer of Fleischer Studios for the project. Erin Wehrenberg is overseeing for Fifth Chance Productions.
“Betty Boop is one of our nation’s most beloved cartoon characters, yet somehow still remains pleasantly niche. She has had a quiet but undeniable impact on culture for nearly a century,” Brunson said. “After Erin and I met with Mark and learned more about his grandfather’s creation of Betty, I realized there was a much deeper story to tell. One that could be explored in a way that feels refreshing, subversive, and timeless, much like Betty herself.”
Mark Fleischer said when Brunson first approached him with her idea for the film, he “was breath-taken.”
“Quinta so embodies Betty’s love of life, intelligence, humor, sassiness and compassion that the relationship between her as Betty and Max burst into life at its mere mention,” Mark Fleischer said.
Crews repair a sinkhole at LaGuardia International Airport in Queens, New York, May 20, 2026. (WABC)
(NEW YORK) — A sinkhole has shut down one of the runways at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City, prompting cancellations and delays, according to officials.
Crews found the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, while conducting a daily morning inspection of the airport’s airfield, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The sinkhole was located near Runway 4/22, one of the airport’s two runways, according to the Port Authority.
Runway 4/22 was “immediately” shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are on site to make repairs, the Port Authority said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is slowing flights into LaGuardia “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22.”
“Travelers should expect delays and cancellations, particularly with forecast thunderstorms expected later today, and are strongly encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information,” the Port Authority said.
The airport is currently under a ground delay, with flights departing to LaGuardia delayed an average of 98 minutes.
According to FlightAware, there are currently 197 cancellations into and out of LGA, and 168 delays.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
‘Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul’ (Subtext/Rolling Stone Films)
The full trailer has now been released for the upcoming documentary Gregg Allman – The Music of My Soul, about the late Allman Brothers Band founder.
The trailer, set to the Allman Brothers Band classic “Midnight Rider,” features archival footage of Gregg and the band. It includes clips touching upon the relationship between Gregg Allman and his brother Duane Allman, as well as Gregg’s drug addiction problems.
The clip ends with archival audio of Gregg saying, “Never told this story, I might as well.”
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, from Grammy- and Golden Globe Award-winning filmmaker James Keach, is described as “a profound portrait of Gregg Allman, a luminous figure whose life and songs mirror his struggles and salvation,” told through archival recordings, interviews and live performances.
The film will premiere in New York on June 9, followed by a June 11 premiere in Macon, Georgia. It will also have one-week exclusive engagements in Los Angeles and New York, before playing in theaters nationwide on June 17. Tickets are on sale now.
FBI photograph of redacted documents and classified cover sheets recovered from a container stored in former U.S. president Donald Trump’s Florida estate that was included in a U.S. Department of Justice filing, Aug. 30, 2022. (U.S. Department Of Justice)
(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice on Wednesday charged a longtime federal prosecutor with attempting to steal a sealed report prepared by then-special counsel Jack Smith on President Donald Trump’s alleged retention of classified documents.
A grand jury indicted Carmen Mercedes Lineberger — a managing assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce, Florida — with four felony counts for allegedly attempting to steal the report, which has been sealed from public view for more than a year.
Prosecutors allege that Lineberger downloaded a copy of the sealed report onto her work computer and sent it to her personal email account in January of 2025.
According to the indictment, Lineberger renamed the report “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf” before attaching it to an email from her DOJ account to her personal Gmail account.
The report has remained secret since January 2025, when it was prepared by Smith in the final days before Trump’s inauguration to summarize Trump’s alleged crimes. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the report be kept secret after a push from Trump’s lawyers to seal the records, and the Department of Justice under the Trump administration has since fought to ensure the report is never released.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 40 counts of retaining classified information, obstruction of justice, and false statements after Smith alleged he not only kept a trove of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving office in 2021, but also actively impeded law enforcement from retrieving them. After months of litigation, Judge Cannon dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith was not properly appointed special counsel.
Earlier this year, Cannon issued an additional order permanently restricting the department from releasing the report. Two legal groups are in the midst of appealing her orders arguing disclosure of the report remains in the public’s interest.
It’s not immediately clear based on court papers unsealed Wednesday if prosecutors will argue that Lineberger intended to leak the contents of the report.
She made her initial appearance in federal court in West Palm Beach Wednesday and entered a not guilty plea to the indictment. An attorney listed as representing Lineberger declined to comment when reached by ABC News.
Former Cuban President Raul Castro speaks during the National Assembly at Convention Palace on April 19, 2018 in Havana, Cuba. (Photo by Alexandre Meneghini-Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department on Wednesday charged former Cuban President Raul Castro with murder over his alleged role in shooting down two planes that were carrying humanitarian aid in 1996, according to a newly unsealed court docket. The shootdown resulted in the deaths of three Americans.
The indictment marks a major escalation in the United States’ ongoing pressure campaign to achieve regime change of the island nation’s Communist-led government, though it’s not immediately clear whether the 94-year-old Castro will ultimately see the inside of a U.S. courtroom.
The indictment charges Castro with seven counts including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft and murder for each of the four passengers aboard the planes being flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a group that conducted rescue missions for Cuban exiles who sought to flee the country.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other senior officials are expected to speak about the charges later in Miami.
Blue October has premiered a new video for “18th Floor Balcony,” the closing track off the band’s 2006 album, Foiled.
The clip finds frontman Justin Furstenfeld as a crime scene investigator, serving as a possible metaphor for an investigation into a broken relationship. You can watch it streaming on YouTube.
The new video arrives ahead of a 20th anniversary vinyl reissue of Foiled, which is due out May 29.
Foiled also includes Blue October’s biggest hits, “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean.” The band will launch a 20th anniversary Foiled tour in October, during which they’ll play the album in its entirety.
James Lafferty visits the Empire State Building on May 13, 2026, in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
James Lafferty is open to competing on Dancing with the Stars. That is, under one condition.
The One Tree Hill star said in a recent TikTok that if his series Everyone Is Doing Great reaches the most-watched chart on Netflix, he will lace up his dancing shoes and compete on season 35 of the reality competition show.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this and I’m going to do it. Yeah, I’m going to do Dancing with the Stars. I’m down,” Lafferty said. “I have one condition: that Everyone Is Doing Great makes the top 10 TV shows on Netflix in the U.S.”
The actor told his fans, “How do we make that happen? We watch the show. We finish the show. We tell friends about the show. Most importantly, we hit the double thumbs-up on the show page on Netflix. I think if enough people do those things, or some of those things, we can make this happen.”
Everyone Is Doing Great is a comedy series Lafferty created with his One Tree Hill costar Stephen Colletti. Netflix acquired the global rights to the show in 2026 and released its first two seasons on May 11.
Dancing with the Stars pro Ezra Sosa shared his thoughts on the possible casting, commenting, “he’s hot im down.” Lafferty responded by saying Sosa is “very kind” and that he’s “not so bad yourself.”
While Lafferty is looking to get a third season of Everyone Is Doing Great, he says he’s also really interested in competing on DWTS.
“I want both things to happen because I am a terrible dancer and I’ve always wanted to fix that and I think Ezra can help me,” Lafferty said. “I think everybody wins here.”
Dancing with the Stars season 35 currently has three contestants confirmed: Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller and Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson.
Grateful Dead ‘Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (7/3/66)’ (Rhino Entertainment)
Grateful Dead are taking it back to their early career with their latest live release.
Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (7/3/66) will be released on July 3, on the 60th anniversary of the concert, which took place seven months after the band changed their name from the Warlocks. The performance was part of legendary promoter Bill Graham’s Independence Ball, with the band at the time made up of Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Bob Weir.
The concert features some of the earliest known recordings of songs like “Tastebud,” “You Don’t Have To Ask” and “Cardboard Cowboy,” which the band would stop playing by the end of that summer. It also includes “Cold Rain and Snow,” which would go on to be a Dead staple.
Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (7/3/66), which was previously available in 2015 as part of the 50th anniversary boxed set 30 Trips Around the Sun, will be released digitally and as a two-CD set. It will also be released as a three-LP set, its first time ever on vinyl, limited to 6,600 copies. The vinyl release is available exclusively at Dead.net.
The Colorado River, located two miles from the entrance of Arches National Park, is viewed on October 3, 2023 near Moab, Utah. (George Rose/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Colorado River basin and its two largest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — are facing potentially record-low water levels in the coming months due to a snow drought that impacted much of the West over the winter season, projections from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation show.
The 24-month study released by the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees water resource management, on Friday indicates that Lake Mead could reach a record-low level of 1,036 feet of elevation in 2026.
Lake elevations indicate how much water is inside a reservoir. The Bureau’s scenario analysis looks at the end of month elevations for both Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and they make a future projection based on the probable inflow.
The previous low at Lake Mead was recorded in 2022, when levels dropped to around 1,040 feet.
Lake Mead could again approach these critically low levels over the next several months and years, according to the Bureau. This would depend on both the climate conditions as well as the response to those conditions, Dave White, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State University, told ABC News.
Lake Powell is also projected to drop to a new record-low level in the coming months, surpassing the previous record of around 3,520 feet set in 2023. The amount of water flowing into the lake between April and July is forecast to be around 800,000 acre-feet, the lowest flow on record and only 13% of the average for that period, Cody Moser, senior hydrologist at the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center, said during a webinar on May 7.
Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the largest reservoirs in the U.S. Together, they store about 80% of the water supplies in the Colorado River system, Mark Squillace, professor of natural resources at the University of Colorado, told ABC News.
More than 40 million people rely on the river system for water, according to the Bureau.
Apart from actual water supplies, one of the biggest concerns for hydrologists is whether enough water remains in the reservoirs to operate hydropower systems. Another 2.5 million people are supplied by hydropower conducted in the Colorado River’s hydroelectric facilities, such as the Hoover and Glen Canyon dams.
The minimum surface elevation needed to generate power at the Hoover Dam is 1,050 feet, according to the Bureau. Anything below that is considered “inactive pool,” and a “dead pool” exists at 895 feet in elevation.
A “dead pool” is when water won’t flow to a dam and is too low to flow downstream.
Record low snowpack was followed by a heat wave in March that served as a “knockout punch” for lack of runoff leading to the reservoirs, Jon Meyer, assistant Utah state climatologist, told ABC News.
“We’ve been monitoring how the dismal thin snowpack melts travel down through the watersheds, and how much reservoir recharge and stream flow we can expect this year,” Meyer said. “It is just exceedingly underperformed a normal situation.”
But this isn’t a situation caused by one bad snow year, Arizona State University’s White said, adding that the Colorado River system is operating under an increasingly warmer, drier climate.
The West had been dealing with a decades-long megadrought before atmospheric rivers in the winters of 2023 and 2024 inundated the region with enough moisture to cause extreme flooding and alleviate drought conditions. This is further evidence of hydroclimate whiplash — the rapid shift between wet and dry conditions — that has resulted from anthropogenic climate change, the experts said.
“This is a multi-decade-old drought, and then on top of that multi-decade-old drought are the impacts of climate change, which predominantly translate into higher temperatures, more variable precipitation, and drier soils and higher [water] demand,” White said.
The most recent low reservoir levels occurred in 2022, in which Lake Mead’s water levels reached a record low of around 1,040 feet, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
After that year, reservoir levels rebounded slightly due to aggressive conservation measures, especially from the lower basin states — Arizona, California and Nevada, White said.
The Colorado River system is integral for supplying water, power and watering the agricultural feeds that sustain the rest of the country, Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute said.
But the river system is over-allocated, according to Fleishman. The water rights were established during a period of the 20th century in which levels were “unusually high,” she noted.
“The Colorado River is emblematic of what the entire West is seeing this year with limited water supply and ramifications for hydropower generation, for irrigation, for water quality,” Fleishman said.
The Bureau is anticipated to issue a record of decision with the operational guidelines for 2027 and 2028, as well as a framework for 2029 through 2036.
The lower basin states have submitted an allocation plan for consideration, but there is not yet a consensus plan among all of the states, including the upper basin states, according to White.
“I think it’s fair to say no one is happy with it,” he said.
If you can’t “Carry On” any longer without the new Kenny Chesney video, your suffering will end shortly.
“Hey, everybody. It’s Kenny. I am on the set of my brand new video, ‘Carry On,'” the superstar says in a new social media clip. “We’re down here in the Florida Keys. Can’t wait for you to hear the song, see the video. I’m excited about it and it’s coming out soon.”
In the short clip, Kenny’s at Schooner’s Wharf, the Key West bar mentioned in his latest hit.
The official “Carry On” music video premieres Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on YouTube.
