‘Gargoyle of the Garden State’ album artwork. (earMUSIC)
Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan has released a new song called “Memory,” a song off his upcoming debut solo album, Gargoyle of the Garden State.
“The track leans into a more introspective mood, balancing strong melodies with direct, heartfelt lyrics,” a press release says. “It reveals a new side of the album and sparks anticipation for what’s still to come.”
Gargoyle of the Garden State, which also includes the previously released songs “At War with Myself” and “Anything but You,” drops June 12. It features guests including Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt and Bolan’s Skid Row bandmates Scotti Hill, Dave “Snake” Sabo and Rob Hammersmith.
Skid Row, meanwhile, has been looking for a new singer since announcing a worldwide audition process to fill the gig in February.
Megan Thee Stallion is getting ready to launch a second line from her Hot Girl Summer swimwear brand. She’ll debut her new collection on May 28 at Paraiso Miami Swim Week, featuring pieces for men, women and pets. The show kicks off at 10 p.m. ET.
Mgk and Wiz Khalifa have followed up their “girl next door” collaboration with the release of “Everything Tatted.” Ty Dolla $ign makes an appearance in the music video, as do Bam Margera, skater Boo Johnson and a group of others showing off their body art. The video is available on YouTube. Mgk and Wiz’s Blog Era Boyz mixtape drops Friday. The two are currently on mgk’s Lost Americana Tour, which began May 15.
Kerry Washington will be honored at the 2026 Gotham TV Awards with the Spotlight Tribute, which recognizes her career in Hollywood. “The Gotham is honored to recognize Kerry with the Spotlight Tribute in celebration of an artist whose work, both in front of and behind the camera, continues to leave a profound mark on the industry and the culture,” says Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute, in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The Gotham Awards will take place in November.
JID believes he was snubbed by the BET Awards. He wrote — and later deleted — posts after the nominations were announcec expressing his disappointment. “I hate BET,” he wrote, according to screenshots posted on XXL’s Instagram. “5 Grammy nominations O @BET nominations/acknowledgment nothing.. n***** remix the same people every years at the BET Awards.” Cardi B, meanwhile, has six nominations at the show, which takes place June 28.
‘The Best & the Rest of New Order’ album artwork. (Warner Music)
New Order has announced a new career-spanning compilation titled The Best & the Rest of New Order.
The record is due July 17 and combines the band’s 1994 The Best of New Order collection, which includes songs such as “Blue Monday” and “Bizarre Love Triangle,” and its 1995 companion remix album, The Rest of New Order.
The Best & the Rest of New Order includes remastered audio and will be available as a four-CD deluxe set, which features bonus unreleased mixes, and a standard two-CD package. Standalone editions of The Best and The Rest will also be released on vinyl.
New Order will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of its 2026 class along with their predecessor, Joy Division. Former bassist Peter Hook, who parted ways with New Order under acrimonious circumstances in 2007, has announced plans to attend the induction ceremony on Nov. 14, though the rest of the band hasn’t made any comment regarding their potential attendance.
(GERMANY) — The American doctor who contracted Ebola and was transferred to Germany is starting to feel better and is able to eat, according to his colleague.
Dr. Peter Stafford is currently hospitalized in Berlin’s Charite University Hospital after testing positive for the disease due to his work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
His colleague, Matt Allison — the executive director of Serge, the Christian missionary group Stafford works for — told ABC News that the doctor has been receiving monoclonal antibodies during his hospitalization.
Allison said it appears Stafford’s condition has improved since landing in Germany and that he has been able to text his colleagues.
“He needed assistance to walk. He was very weak. He was discouraged … he was talking about just being almost unable to think,” Allison said. “I mean [it] was the combination of the isolation, the uncertainty, feeling really sick. It was a lot to carry. And so I’m so glad that he’s responding quickly to us.”
Allison went on, “He feels good. He’s eating. You know, one of the symptoms of Ebola is nausea and gastrointestinal issues, and so we’re so grateful that he’s able to eat now and we’re really encouraged by where he’s at right now.”
Stafford, a 39-year-old board-certified general surgeon with a specialization in burn care, tested positive for Ebola after caring for patients in Bunia, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, before an outbreak was identified.
His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, 38, and Dr. Peter LaRochelle, 46, a fellow missionary doctor, were potentially exposed to Ebola through their work at hospitals in the DRC, Serge said.
Peter Stafford’s family will join him in Germany while LaRochelle is on his way to Prague.
“The complex, coordinated efforts of many government agencies and international health authorities resulted in Peter Stafford’s safe transport and the protection of those involved in his transfer,” Dr. Scott Myhre, Serge area director for East and Central Africa, said in a press release on Wednesday. “Serge leadership extends their deepest gratitude to all involved in Peter’s care and is praying for all involved in the fight to end this ebolavirus outbreak for the good of the people of the DRC.”
The Ebola outbreak in the eastern DRC had caused 139 suspected deaths with nearly 600 suspected cases as of Wednesday, according to the latest update from World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” Tedros said during a press briefing in Geneva.
Anais Legand, the WHO’s technical officer for viral hemorrhagic fevers, said on Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak may have started a couple of months ago and that investigations are ongoing.
“Our priority is really to cut the transmission chain by implementing contact tracing, isolating and caring for all suspects and confirmed cases,” she said
The WHO convened an emergency committee on Tuesday night, following Tedros’ declaration of a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday — one level below a pandemic in the United Nations agency’s alert system.
It was the first time a WHO chief had declared such an emergency before convening the emergency committee. After the meeting, the committee agreed that the outbreak did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, which was applied to the global COVID-19 outbreak.
The outbreak was first detected in the DRC’s northeastern province of Ituri, with cases officially confirmed by the health ministry on May 15. It marked the 17th outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the DRC, which is Africa’s second-largest country and its fourth-most populous nation.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics and which requires different diagnostics than other variants. Case fatality rates for previous Bundibugyo outbreaks have ranged from 30% to 50%, according to the WHO.
Tedros said cases of Ebola have been reported in several urban areas of the eastern DRC amid the ongoing outbreak, including the major cities of Goma and Bunia, and that at least two cases and one death have been recorded in neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Cases have also been reported among health workers, according to Tedros.
At least 51 cases have so far been confirmed in the ongoing outbreak.
The WHO chief warned that significant population movement in the region, which includes a high-traffic mining area, along with insecurity and intensified conflict in recent months increase the risk of further spread. The risks are high at the national and regional levels, but remain low globally, according to Tedros.
Dr. Satish K. Pillai, incident manager for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ebola response, confirmed at a CDC press conference on Tuesday that genetic testing from this outbreak shows it is similar to the “genetic fingerprints” from outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, meaning there are diagnostic tools available that can detect this strain of Ebola.
Pillai said on Monday that the agency had activated its Emergency Operations Center through its country offices in the DRC and in Uganda, and is deploying technical experts that have been requested from Atlanta headquarters.
The CDC said Monday that it is preparing to restrict entry for travelers arriving from parts of central Africa where an Ebola outbreak has been declared, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
The risk to the U.S. general public remains low, Pillai said.
ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss contributed to this report.
Charles Berry, 66, was arrested in connection with a 1986 homicide in Virginia Beach, Virginia, according to the Newington Police Department in Connecticut. (Newington Police Department via Meta)
(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) — Four decades after a young woman was raped and murdered, a man has been linked to the crime through DNA and is under arrest, according to Virginia Beach, Virginia, police.
“It’s incredibly scary for the community to think that someone who would rape and brutally murder someone 40 years ago was out in society,” Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said at a news conference on Wednesday.
On May 15, 1986, the body of 22-year-old Roberta Walls was discovered in a field behind an elementary school, police said.
Walls “was a loving daughter, a big sister, a friend to those who knew her and someone that could be counted on in her circle of friends,” Virginia Beach Police Deputy Chief Jeffery Wilkerson said.
Her murder was investigated for decades, police said.
In 2001, a male DNA profile was developed and it was entered into the national DNA databank, but there was no match, police Capt. Michele Wyatt said.
“During the course of the investigation, the DNA of more than 30 males was compared with the offender’s DNA, and all were eliminated,” Wyatt said.
In 2023, the Virginia Beach Police Department received grant funding that allowed investigators to pursue forensic genealogy leads, Wyatt said.
Police went on to identify a “possible suspect who had strong ties to the area during the relevant time period,” Wyatt said, and a “direct DNA comparison ultimately identified Charles Berry as the source of the DNA profile.”
Investigators discovered that Berry was in the U.S. Navy during the time of the murder and was stationed in the Virginia Beach area, Wyatt said.
It appears Berry did not know Walls before the murder, police said, adding that Berry had never been on the police’s radar.
Berry, 66, of Newington, Connecticut, was arrested on Monday, the Newington Police Department said. He’s charged with rape and capital murder in the commission of a rape, the chief said.
“This breakthrough stands as a powerful testament to the relentless persistence of our detectives, who refused to let Roberta be forgotten,” the Virginia Beach Police Department said in a statement. “We hope this closure brings a measure of peace to the Walls family and sends a clear message: no matter how much time passes, we will never stop searching for the truth.”
Berry is in custody in Connecticut and it is not clear if he has an attorney, according to court records.
In this Dec. 3, 2019, file photo, Jack Avery of Why Don’t We performs onstage during 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2019 at Dickies Arena in Dallas, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images for iHeartMedia, FILE)
(LOS ANGELES) — A social media influencer is accused of plotting to kill a pop singer in an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy that prosecutors say stemmed from a “bitter custody dispute” over their daughter.
The influencer, 24-year-old Gabriela Gonzalez, allegedly conspired with her father and then-boyfriend to hire a hitman to kill Jack Avery, the father of her 7-year-old daughter, several years ago, prosecutors in Los Angeles County said in a press release this week.
Avery, 26, is a former member of the boy band Why Don’t We, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a press release.
Sometime between 2020 and 2021, Gabriela Gonzalez allegedly sought the help of her boyfriend at the time, 26-year-old Kai Cordrey, to hire someone on the dark web to kill Avery, prosecutors said.
She allegedly repeatedly told one witness that she wanted Avery dead and discussed hiring a hitman and that the “intended killing was discussed as occurring in Los Angeles and being made to look like a car accident,” the warrant for her father’s arrest stated.
Her father, 59-year-old Francisco Gonzalez, was “deeply involved in the custody conflict” and was the alleged source of the funds for the murder-for-hire plot, according to his arrest warrant.
Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 back in April 2021 “as front money to use in locating, hiring and paying someone to kill Avery,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday.
Two months later, Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey another $4,000 “after the alleged hit man asked for the additional funds,” the office said.
“Several days later, Cordrey allegedly requested that Avery be killed within a couple of days,” prosecutors said.
Cordrey spoke to an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman about the alleged murder-for-hire plot in September 2021, during which he allegedly said Avery was the target and “discussed payment and proof of death,” prosecutors said.
“In a subsequent conversation, Cordrey allegedly told the purported hitman that Gabriela Gonzalez wanted the murder to happen and Francisco Gonzalez could pay for the expense,” prosecutors said.
Gabriela Gonzalez, her father and Cordrey have been charged with one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder.
Gabriela Gonzalez was arrested on Monday and is being held on no bail, online jail records show. She was arraigned on Tuesday. Attorney information was not immediately available.
Her father was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles County. Court records show he is being represented by a public defender. ABC News has reached out to the public defender’s office for comment.
It is unclear if Cordrey is in custody at this time.
If convicted as charged, all three face 25 years to life in state prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the FBI began the “lengthy investigation” before the case was turned over to his office.
“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder,” Hochman said in a statement. “Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.”
Gabrielle Gonzalez has nearly 1 million followers between her Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Her father has a law practice in Seminole County. His firm had no comment on his charges.
ABC News has reached out to Avery for comment.
In an interview on “The Zach Sang Show” last year, Avery said two FBI agents showed up at his residence and that “someone hired someone to kill me.” He did not publicly identify any suspects.
He said he was “traumatized.”
“I stayed in my house for like a month straight. I didn’t leave,” Avery said during the interview. “I was so scared. I was looking out my window every night.”
Embers swirl as the wind-driven Bain fire burns up to the exterior fences at the Western Riverside Animal Shelter, May 19, 2026, in Jurupa Valley, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(CALIFORNIA) — Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California on Wednesday, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.
As of Wednesday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The Sandy Fire
The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The wildfire had grown to 1,698 acres by Wednesday morning and was 15% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
While winds were moderate overnight, Andrew Dowd, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson, said that the winds were expected to pick up on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re anticipating right now seeing northeasterly winds in the morning and then early afternoon, from what I have got so far, shifting to the west,” Dowd said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “But we’ll continue to monitor the weather and kind of use that as our guide for where we put our resources and our priorities.”
The Bain Fire
In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.
The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.
Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,375 acres and was 25% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday morning.
While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.
The Verona Fire
As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.
The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 500 acres on Wednesday morning and was 5% contained, Cal Fire reported.
Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.
Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire
The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.
While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.
The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.
The wildfire at last word was 26% contained after growing to nearly 17,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The Tusil Fire
The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to 1,000 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.
“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.
At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.
One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.
ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.
Olivia Rodrigo has released a sneak peek of her video for “the cure,” her new single arriving Thursday night at 9 p.m. PT. The clip shows a group of nurses walking down a hospital hallway and through doors marked “OR” in old-fashioned style uniforms and white heels. Inside is a room with a set of shelves displaying multi-colored bottles.
Lola Young has announced that she will release a new song on May 22 called “From Down Here.” A video clip on Instagram shows her slowly sinking under water as an instrumental snippet of the song plays.
Post Malone may have canceled a few of the U.S. dates on his Big A** Stadium Tour Part 2 tour, but he’s just announced additional shows in Australia and New Zealand. Billed as The BIG A** World Tour, the dates begin in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 9 and will visit Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland before wrapping up Oct. 21. Don Toliver will be Posty’s special guest on these dates. Tickets go on sale May 28.
Kesha has released a video for “Origami!,” described as a “sexcapade anthem.” In it, she goes into a confessional and speaks to the priest in Italian, revealing she’s been celibate for eight months, but she’s still having dreams. When the priest asks what she sees in her dreams, the camera cuts to her dancing suggestively alongside a group of men and women while singing about all the ways and places she wants to, um, do it. Kesha launches her Freedom Tour on May 23.
Chase Infiniti in ‘The Testaments.’ (Steve Wilkie/Disney)
The Testaments is getting a second season.
Ahead of its season 1 finale, slated to air next week, Hulu announced that the hit series, starring Ann Dowd, Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Rowan Blanchard and more, will continue.
Infiniti, who plays Agnes in the series, took to her Instagram Story following the announcement, writing, “Season 2 babyyyyy.”
She added, “Thank you for all the love on our show.”
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel of the same name, The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale and focuses on a group of teens who have grown up in the fictional dystopian society of Gilead as they navigate Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives.
Elisabeth Moss, who portrayed June Osborne in The Handmaid’s Tale, reprises her Emmy Award-winning role as a guest on The Testaments and serves as an executive producer on the show.
Also starring in the series are Mattea Conforti, Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya and Kira Guloien.
Since it premiered in April, viewership for the show has grown week over week, garnering more than 45 million hours streamed globally on Hulu and Disney+ to date, according to a press release from Hulu.
The season 1 finale of The Testaments will arrive Wednesday, May 27, on Hulu.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News, Disney+ and Hulu.
Michael Jackson’s biopic is killing it at the box office, but a part of his story that isn’t shown in the film will be told via a Netflix docuseries in June.
Michael Jackson: The Verdict is a three-part series that delves into the late King of Pop’s 2003 arrest on child molestation charges, his 2004 arraignment and indictment, and his subsequent 2005 trial. It was a media circus that ended on June 13, 2005, with the superstar being acquitted on all 10 counts.
The docuseries features interviews with jurors, eyewitnesses, members of the media who were in the courtroom, and Michael’s accusers and defenders. It tells the story from the perspectives of both the prosecution and the defense.
In a statement, director Nick Green and executive producer Fiona Stourton say, “It has been 20 years since the trial of Michael Jackson in which he was found not guilty. Yet, to this day, controversy still rages.”
“No cameras were allowed in court, and so the public’s view of the facts at the time were filtered by commentators and presented piecemeal,” they continue. “It was time to take a forensic look at the trial as a whole.”
“Anyone interested in the Michael Jackson story should feel this documentary gives them a window into what was largely a closed event and a chance to feel closer to what happened.”
