Kehlani has been tapped to headline the Super Saturday Concert at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four. The free concert takes place April 4 in Hance Park, Arizona, in celebration of March Madness and the Women’s Final Four tournament. “Headlining the Super Saturday Concert presented by AT&T during the Women’s Final Four is such an honor,” Kehlani said in a statement, according to Billboard. “The dedication and spirit surrounding this weekend are incredible, and I’m looking forward to celebrating alongside the athletes and fans through music.”
It seems the deluxe edition of ASAP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb will soon be on its way. The account for his AWGE creative collective wrote on X, “EVERYONE DONE DROPPING NOW?” A subsequent post added, “ROLLOUT #2 LOADING.”
If you’re wondering why Jeremih is no longer on the Boys 4 Life tour with B2K and Bow Wow, it’s because he’s dealing with some health issues. “Due to a serious medical condition, Jeremih will be unable to participate in the upcoming B2K tour scheduled to begin in March. He has been dealing with a health issue, and his condition continues to be closely monitored by his doctor,” a post on his Instagram reads. B5 has been added to the tour.
Bobby Brown says New Edition’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination “feels incredible.” “Just knowing that our prayers are being answered and everything is going in the direction that we had hoped for, and we wished upon, and we worked hard for … it’s a great thing,” he tells The Boston Globe.
This Is Lorelei ‘Box for Buddy, Box for Star (Super Deluxe)’ album artwork. (Double Double Whammy)
Hayley Williams’ Power Snatch project has released a collaboration with This Is Lorelei, the solo moniker of Nate Amos from the band Water from Your Eyes.
The track is called “Perfect Hand” and is a reworking of the song of the same name from the 2024 This Is Lorelei album, Box for Buddy, Box for Star.
The updated recording will appear on the upcoming super deluxe edition of Box for Buddy, Box for Star, due out April 17.
Williams officially launched Power Snatch in January, though online sleuths uncovered an Instagram profile relating to the project dating back to summer 2025. Along with Williams, Power Snatch features songwriter/producer Daniel James, who worked with the Paramore frontwoman on her 2025 solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.
The Williams/Amos connection will continue when Water from Your Eyes opens for her upcoming debut solo tour, launching March 27 in Atlanta.
Ingrid Andress is launching a stripped-down tour to introduce fans to her new music.
The Low-Key Sessions tour starts May 8 in Newport, Kentucky, and wraps up May 15 in Minneapolis. The six-city tour will feature Ingrid debuting music she plans to release in the future. Tickets go on sale March 13; visit IngridAndress.com for all the details.
“New music is on the way, and before the world hears it, I want to share these songs — and the stories behind them — in a way that feels truly up close and personal,” Ingrid says in a statement. “The Low-Key Sessions will be just me, my piano and a guitar player in an intimate setting.”
“I can’t wait to get back out there and share what I’ve been working on with the people who’ve always meant the most — my fans.”
One of Ingrid’s new songs, “Now I Know,” is out now. She’s currently working on the follow-up to 2022’s Good Person, which featured the #1 Sam Hunt duet, “Wishful Drinking.”
Her debut, 2020’s Lady Like, launched her first #1, “More Hearts Than Mine,” and earned her a best new artist Grammy nomination.
Michael Stipe attends HBO’s “Rooster” New York Premiere on March 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe was the surprise guest at Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy’s Brooklyn concert Saturday. The duo is on tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s fourth studio album, Lifes Rich Pageant.
Stipe joined them for two songs, Pageant’s “These Days” and the Man on the Moon track “The Great Beyond.” Fan-shot footage of the performances are posted on R.E.M.’s Instagram account.
While Stipe’s appearance wasn’t announced prior to the show, fans may not have been all that surprised he showed up. Stipe joined the pair at their Brooklyn show in March 2025, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction, and performed the Reckoning track “Pretty Persuasion.”
Stipe and his R.E.M. bandmates Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry also joined Shannon and Narducy when the Fables tour hit R.E.M.’s hometown of Athens, Georgia, in February of that same year.
Shannon and Narducy’s Lifes Rich Pageant tour hits Pittsburgh on Monday.
In other Michael Stipe news … The rocker and producer Andrew Watt has contributed the theme song Steve Carrell’s new HBO series, The Rooster. The song, “I Played The Fool,” features blink-182’s Travis Barker on drums and ex Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and piano.
A man is arrested after throwing a hand-made smoke grenade at a protest near Gracie Mansion, on March 7, 2026, in New York. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Two improvised explosive devices brought to a counterprotest outside Gracie Mansion in New York City are being investigated as “an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism,” and the two suspects arrested in connection with the incident are facing federal terrorism charges, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday.
The devices contained the volatile substance TATP and were made to “injure, maim or worse,” Tisch said of Saturday’s incident.
“These were not hoax devices or smoke bombs. They were improvised explosive devices,” Tisch said during a news conference outside Gracie Mansion with New York City Mayor Zohran Mandami, the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Tisch said a third suspected IED was found in the car of the two suspects parked on the East Side of Manhattan, prompting an immediate evacuation of homes in the area. She said the device did not test positive for explosives.
All of the devices are being sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for additional testing, Tisch said.
Two Pennsylvania men who are in custody in connection with the devices will be charged with federal crimes, Tisch said. The complaint has not yet been unsealed.
The suspects were identified as Emir Balat of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Ibrahim Kayumi of Newton, Pennsylvania, Tisch said.
“They’re suspected of coming here to commit an act of terrorism,” Mamdani said. “Anyone who comes to NYC to bring violence to our streets will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The explosives were deployed at an anti-Muslim protest outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence, that was organized by far-right, anti-immigrant provocateur Jack Lang, officials said. The event was called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.”
Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox performs onstage during the 68th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at Peacock Theater on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Before Metallica takes the stage at Sphere in October, Courtney LaPlante tested how the high-tech Las Vegas venue handles heavy metal.
The Spiritbox frontwoman made an appearance during DJ and producer Illenium’s ongoing Sphere residency. She joined him onstage for a rendition of their 2022 collaboration, “Shivering.”
You can watch footage of the joint performance now via Illenium’s Instagram.
Illenium’s residency supports his latest album, ODYSSEY, which includes a feature from Bring Me the Horizon.
This isn’t the first time LaPlante has joined a cross-genre collaborator for a surprise live performance. She previously joined rapper Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella 2025 to debut their track, “TYG,” live.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Stocks tumbled in early trading on Monday as oil prices soared above $100 per barrel in response to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 720 points, or 1.5%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 1.2%.
Indexes fell worldwide on Monday as the spike in oil prices rippled through global markets. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index plunged 5.2%, while pan-European STOXX 600 index slipped 1.7%.
Oil prices soared as traders feared a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global oil supply.
U.S. crude oil prices topped $100 per barrel on Monday, marking a staggering 54% increase since late last month.
Oil prices climbed as high as nearly $120 per barrel overnight, but retreated after the Financial Times reported Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers would meet to discuss a possible coordinated release from their respective strategic petroleum reserves.
The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. soared to $3.47 on Monday from $2.99 a week earlier, AAA said.
In a social media post on Sunday night, President Donald Trump downplayed the rise in oil prices.
“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” Trump said.
Soon after the war with Iran began on Feb. 28, U.S.-Israeli forces killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg in ‘Sentimental Value.’ (Kasper Tuxen Andersen)
The 98th annual Oscars are less than a week away. Many of the stars of Sentimental Value are nominated at Sunday’s ceremony, including Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who plays Agnes Borg in Joachim Trier’s Norwegian film.
Lilleaas, who is nominated for best supporting actress, told ABC Audio “just being in a movie that so many people get to see and enjoy” is what is most special about recognition like this. So is connecting with people about the film during its press tour.
“I think that’s what I’m gonna be taking with me through life,” Lilleaas said. “Getting to meet people after they’ve seen it and hear their thoughts and hear how they’re reacting based on their own lives.”
She continued, “People share a lot of personal stuff, and I appreciate it, because when do you ever get to hear those stories and how similar we are across culture? It’s like, we all have family in one way or another and they seem to work in more or less the same way, despite where we live.”
ABC Audio spoke to Lilleaas before she was Oscar-nominated. She said she was centering the film’s impact and focusing less on what it means to get awarded for her work.
“These awards, it’s something that I’ve seen from afar and it’s never been part of how I work or how I live or what I think is ever attainable or is ever a focus even,” Lilleaas said. “So it’s kind of absurd and a little bit outside of the body. It’s something that’s just somebody’s talking about and that I’m trying not to think about so much.”
The Oscars will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will air live on ABC and will also stream live on Hulu.
: Funeral ceremony is held for people, who lost their lives following the attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran, Iran on March 9, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as “an operational trigger” for “sleeper assets” outside the country, according to a federal government alert sent to law enforcement agencies.
The alert, reviewed by ABC News, cites “preliminary signals analysis” of a transmission “likely of Iranian origin” that was relayed across multiple countries shortly after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Feb. 28.
The intercepted transmission was encoded and appeared to be destined for “clandestine recipients” who possess the encryption key, the kind of message intended to impart instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without the use of the internet or cellular networks.
It’s possible the transmissions could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country,” the alert said.
“While the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness,” the alert said.
While the alert is careful to say there is “no operational threat tied to a specific location,” it does instruct law enforcement agencies to increase their monitoring of suspicious radio-frequency activity.
If the contents of the alert prove true, it would confirm the fears expressed by law enforcement officials after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran that sleeper cells deployed around the West could be used for retaliation.
Senator Andy Kim, during a news conference ahead of the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., is aiming to tackle the nation’s literacy crisis with a new bill focused on increasing children’s access to books.
Kim will introduce his “Open Books, Open Doors Act” on Monday, urging the Department of Education to authorize $100 million in annual grants to states and local communities to combat illiteracy and what he calls the country’s “book deserts,” which is an area that doesn’t have reliable access to books.
“Reading is a powerful tool that every child in America should have,” Kim said in a statement to ABC News. “We know literacy and reading unlocks life-long success in school and out, but right now millions of kids across our country are living in book deserts.”
He told ABC News in an exclusive interview that he feels it’s his responsibility to pass legislation that helps more kids develop their reading skills.
“This is not meant to be a messaging bill,” Kim said, adding, “This is not just meant to put the idea on the table, like, I want to get this done.”
“I want us to be able to immediately be able to benefit the kids in this country as they grow up,” he said.
His legislation aims to ensure every child is positioned for long-term success in school and in life. Kim noted that illiteracy is dire, not only for children, but also for adults. When adults have difficulty reading, it hurts the economy and American families, he said.
If passed, Kim’s bill would use the federal education department grant program to support states’ efforts to combat reading rates while prioritizing the locations that struggle most with access to books and “high quality” reading materials.
Actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton, who for two decades helped young students get excited about literature as the host of PBS’ “Reading Rainbow,” endorsed Kim’s push to provide children with equitable access to books.
“We must ensure that books are easy to find and free to borrow in every neighborhood — because when a child can read, they possess the power to write their own future,” Burton told ABC News in a statement.
The reading crisis is widespread. Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” found about a third of fourth graders are unable to read above the basic level. Access to books and a decrease in students who read for enjoyment are major factors contributing to the country’s sliding reading scores, according to the legislation and education experts.
Education Department skeptics and government officials, however, believe the agency has too much spending power already — without achievement results.
After a vocal minority of House Democrats and education advocates decried public school funding for lagging national test scores, Education Secretary Linda McMahon noted that continuing to spend federal dollars on the literacy issue was the wrong solution.
“Instead of solutions to confront our nation’s literacy crisis, they [Congressional Democrats] defended the status quo,” McMahon wrote in a recent post on X.
“The solution: return education to the states and empower local leaders to focus on the basics,” she added.
The future of Kim’s legislation could ultimately rest with McMahon, who has been tasked with putting herself out of a job by shuttering the department. Kim, who sits on the Senate’s education committee, has been critical of McMahon since she was tapped to lead the agency.
Kim said he has “deep disagreements” with moves made under her leadership that he alleged harm kids and their opportunities in life.
The Department of Education has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
On the heels of Read Across America week, the bill supports science of reading programs — the phonics-based reading approach — and early screening and intervention for reading disabilities. The legislation also establishes a federal clearinghouse that would identify evidence-based “book access” strategies to help advance literacy in local communities.
More than 20 education organizations support Kim’s bill, from the American Library Association to Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that encourages families to read aloud together and provides books to millions of households nationwide.
Reach Out and Read CEO Lynette Fraga told ABC News having early access to books at home not only fuels literacy outcomes but also helps students thrive in life.
“If we think about early childhood we think about return on investment,” Fraga said. “We know that if we invest in the earliest years through things like access, through things like meaningful programs and child centered practices and systems, the return on investment is huge.”
Kim suggested that books “open doors” for millions of children. His bill currently has no co-sponsors — and its fate is unclear at this time — but he’s optimistic about support for this issue across party lines.
“I hope that all of us can get on the same page about increasing literacy in America and can see the value of that,” Kim said. “We are stronger as a society if we have a more literate society. I think everyone can recognize that.”
