Charli XCX attends ‘The Moment’ UK Premiere at Picturehouse Central on February 17, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
Charli XCX wants to give fans a preview of her new album.
The singer announced a series of listening events for Music, Fashion, Film that will take place in independent cinemas across the world from July 9 to July 11.
“i wanna play you my album,” Charli captioned the announcement.
The U.S. events will hit New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Santa Cruz, Phoenix, Seattle and Denver. You can RSVP on Charli’s website by clicking on the different cities.
Music, Fashion, Film — featuring the songs “SS26” and “Rock Music” — comes out July 24. A tour in support of the album kicks off Sept. 11 in Philadelphia and wraps Oct. 23 in Las Vegas.
Queen Latifah attends The 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 07, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
Queen Latifah is showing love to DJ Premier and Nas after they gave her her flowers — both literally and figuratively. After being mentioned on their song “Bouquet (To the Ladies),” she revealed she came home to a bouquet of flowers from the duo.
“Look what I came home to last night. Was not expecting this beautiful bouquet of flowers from Nas and Preem,” she said in an Instagram post, showing off the arrangement alongside a physical copy of the song.
She then read the note that accompanied the present: “To the queens of the microphone, the story of this culture can’t be told without your voice in it.”
“It’s one thing for me to say it, but for Nas and Preem to say it, that’s a whole different thing,” Queen said. “Thank you so much.”
She added in the caption, “Thank you to my Brothers @nas, and @djpremier, for this beautiful surprise. The love, the thought, and the message behind it mean more than you know.”
“Congratulations on ‘Bouquet (To the Ladies),'” she continued. “Thank you for celebrating the women whose voices helped shape this culture. I’m honored to be among them.”
“Bouquet (To the Ladies)” appeared on Nas and DJ Premier’s 2025 Light-Years album and pays tribute to women in hip-hop, including legends Missy Elliott, Monie Love, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Roxanne Shanté.
Queen is set to get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November.
U2 on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live! ‘2017/Photo creedit: ABC/Randy Holmes
There’s more new music on the way from U2.
The Irish rockers announced they’re dropping a new single, “Street of Dreams,” on Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET. They also shared a snippet of the song, along with a clip of the accompanying music video.
U2 shot the video for “Street of Dreams” in Mexico City in June. They shared a clip of the shoot on Instagram and wrote in the caption that they “Hopped a bus in Mexico City, destination: Street of Dreams.” They also included what is likely a lyric from the song, “‘Justice an obsession, love is a procession down the street of dreams.'”
At the time of the video shoot, a press release announced that the song will appear on U2’s yet-to-be announced album, which is expected to be released later this year.
U2’s next album will be their first album of new material since 2017’s Songs of Experience. They did release two EPs with new material — Days of Ash and Easter Lily — in February and April, respectively.
A photo of Diane Guerrero (Netflix.) | KJ Apa attends the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on May 26, 2025, in Paris, France. (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) | A photo of Colin Woodell. (Chelsea Lauren)
The latest adaptation of one of Harlan Coben’s works is headed to TV screens.
Netflix has announced that Colin Woodell will star in the upcoming drama Myron Bolitar. The show will be based on writer Coben’s longest-running series, which spans 12 books.
Riverdale‘s KJ Apa and Orange is the New Black actress Diane Guerrero will also star in the upcoming series.
“After an injury ends his NBA dreams, Myron Bolitar reinvents himself as a sports agent — using charm, smarts, and a ruthless partner to navigate the high-stakes and dirty world of sports, where saving his clients often means risking himself,” according to the show’s official logline.
Woodell’s Myron Bolitar is described as “a former college basketball star whose NBA career came to an abrupt end,” according to Netflix. “Myron reinvented himself as a sports agent. He built his agency — MB Sports — on an unwavering belief in overlooked athletes, with the same heart and fierce competitive drive he once brought to the court.”
Apa is set to play Win Lockwood, a character who is “born into extraordinary privilege.” He “walked away from the family business to build something of his own alongside his closest friend, Myron. Unflappable, endlessly resourceful, and fiercely loyal, he’s the one Myron turns to when clients find themselves in trouble,” according to the streamer.
Guerrero will portray Esperanza Diaz, “a former professional wrestler turned Myron’s indispensable right hand at MB Sports. Armed with endless grit and razor-sharp wit, Esperanza is the backbone of the agency and the steady force keeping both Myron and clients in check,” according to Netflix.
Emmy winner David E. Kelley and Kyle Long are set to co-showrun, write and executive produce the series. House of the Dragon‘s Greg Yaitanes will direct multiple episodes of the show.
My Chemical Romance’s show in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday featured an unconventional setlist choice.
The concert featured the live debut of the song “Ambulance,” a track off My Chem’s Conventional Weapons compilation.
Conventional Weapons consisted of 10 tracks released in pairs in 2012 and 2013. The set marked the final official MCR release prior to the band’s breakup in March 2013.
My Chemical Romance is currently touring Europe while celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2006 album, The Black Parade. The trek will come to U.S. stadiums starting in August.
MCR is also releasing a deluxe reissue of their 2010 album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys on Friday.
A Smithsonian Institution sign is seen on the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall on March 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The White House released a scathing 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian Institution of engaging in “extreme political activism” and presenting “a radical view of American history.”
The report, which was published on Saturday, July 4, particularly took aim at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH), accusing its leadership of adopting “an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”
The report accuses the museum of “anti-White activism,” “illegal alien activism,” and “transgender activism.” It also includes many photos of materials the White House has identified as problematic.
Asked about the report, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian, which oversees 21 museums, galleries and the national zoo, told ABC News that the institution remains committed to impartial learning.
“For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so,” the spokesperson said on Sunday.
In his most recent public comments, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired Sunday morning that the institution is “in pursuit of the promise of America.”
The report, which was published by the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, comes amid an ongoing White House review of the Smithsonian as well as a separate internal review launched by the Smithsonian into its own exhibits and processes. Asked about the status of the internal review, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian did not comment.
The White House review was launched in response to President Donald Trump’s March 27, 2025 executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
The executive order directed Vice President J.D. Vance, in consultation with the president’s advisers on domestic policy, “to remove improper ideology” from Smithsonian institutions, arguing that materials that cast America in a “negative light” have no place in federal cultural institutions.
“The serious concerns raised in this report are not about a few exhibits or a few controversial labels,” the report says. “As it stands today, it would benefit most Americans, especially parents bringing their children for a tour, if the Smithsonian’s flagship history museum had a label at every entrance that reads: ‘Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.'”
What’s in the report?
The report includes dozens of examples of exhibits and materials in exhibits that the White House has determined to be examples of “radical activism.”
For instance, the report highlights an exhibit titled “Many Voices, One Nation,” and claims that its contents attempt “to instill within visitors its belief that migration and immigration, including the granting of citizenship to illegal aliens, is a defining modern-day civil rights and human liberty issue.”
The report also takes issue with displays about transgender people, including an exhibit titled “Girlhood” that profiled transgender media personality and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Jazz Jennings.
“One of the clearest examples of NMAH’s radical ideology is its refusal to correctly identify or define what a woman is,” the report states — reinforcing language from Trump’s January 2025 executive order, which outlined that this administration’s policy would be to “recognize two sexes, male and female” based on biology.
Overall, the report takes issue with materials addressing “white supremacy,” “racism” and the country’s history of “slavery,” “conquest” and “exclusion.”
The report claims that the museum fails to substantially represent the founders of the United States and that the exhibits cast America as “a problematic country irredeemably conceived, founded by deeply flawed men, and still operating today as an instrument of systemic racism and oppression.”
Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, previously told ABC News that the White House is seeking to create “a narrowly sanitized version of the American past” at federal cultural institutions “that fits comfortably” into Trump’s executive order.
The American Historical Association (AHC), which represents 10,000 historians across various educational and cultural institutions in the U.S., has publicly defended the Smithsonian and urged the White House to “respect and value the expertise of the historians, curators, and other museum professionals who conduct the review and revision of historical content according to the professional standards of our discipline.”
ABC News reached out to AHA for further comment.
What comes next?
The report does not specify action points related to correcting the so-called “activism,” but does reference the fact that the Smithsonian Institution is largely funded by the federal government and U.S. taxpayers.
“That means the public has a right to expect that it will operate as a faithful steward of the Nation’s historic and cultural heritage, not as a vehicle for ideological campaigns,” the report says.
According to the Smithsonian Institution, which oversees 21 museums and galleries and the national zoo, it currently receives more than $1 billion in federal funding — about 62% of its funding — and the remainder of the funds come from “trust funds or non-federal funds, including contributions from private sources” and revenues from Smithsonian enterprises.
Bunch has been leading the Smithsonian since 2019 but the institution is overseen by a 17-member governing body, known as the Board of Regents. Bunch, who met with Trump at the White House on Aug. 28, 2025, repeatedly affirmed the Smithsonian’s “independence” from political influence.
Referencing his conversations with Trump in a Sept. 3, 2025 letter to the institution’s employees, Bunch underscored the independence of the Smithsonian, saying it was “paramount.” He also told employees that the institution remains committed to telling the “American story” and “will always be, a place that welcomes all Americans and the world.”
Ringo Starr on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’/(Disney/Randy Holmes)
Ringo Starr is heading back out on the road this fall.
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who turns 86 on Tuesday, has announced dates for a new tour. Ringo will be joined by his All-Starr Band, made up of Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette and Buck Johnson.
The tour kicks off Sept. 24 in Easton, Pennsylvania, and wraps Oct. 7 in Albany, New York. It includes an Oct. 1 show at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, the same venue where The Beatles headlined two nights in August 1964.
“We just finished a spring tour which ended at the Greek. It was all so great – the audiences were so loving, and I just love playing with this band,” Ringo said in a statement, referring to his June show in Los Angeles. “I’m really looking forward to these fall shows. See you in September.”
Tickets go on sale Friday.
Ringo will once again be celebrating his birthday Tuesday with his Peace & Love celebration, asking fans to spread “Peace and Love” at noon wherever they are. Ringo will celebrate with a gathering of friends, family and fans in Los Angeles. Folks at home can watch the festivities, which will be streamed live on his social media platforms.
A logo sits outside the Microsoft pavilion during the second day of the Mobile World Congress 2015 at the Fira Gran Via complex on March 3, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Microsoft said on Monday it will lay off 4,800 employees and that the job cuts would be especially pronounced in its Xbox department.
The layoffs will affect 2.1% of Microsoft’s global workforce, Amy Coleman, executive vice president and chief people officer, said in a public memo to employees.
Coleman attributed the layoffs in part to a shakeup in the tech sector wrought by artificial intelligence. None of the terminated roles will be replaced by AI, Coleman noted. At the same time, she acknowledged: “AI is changing how work gets done.”
“Our business is changing because the world around it is changing. The way technology is built, deployed, and used is transforming faster than at any point in my time here,” Coleman said.
In a separate statement, Microsoft said a large share of the job cuts would impact its Xbox department, which oversees the company’s popular video game console.
In all, Xbox would slash 1,600 jobs as part of the layoffs announced on Monday, as well as an additional 1,600 cuts through the end of fiscal year 2027, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in a public memo to employees.
“We are beginning the most significant restructure in XBOX history,” Sharma said, adding, “Our business today is not healthy.”
Sharma pointed to weaker-than-expected performance for Xbox’s subscription service, Game Pass, which charges a monthly fee for access to a collection of games. The company faced stiff competition in its efforts to increase output of new games, Sharma added.
“We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios,” Sharma said.
Xbox will not cancel any of its first-party, publicly announced games or projects as part of the new plans, Sharma said.
Shares of Microsoft fell about 1% in early trading on Monday.
Lionel Richie on ‘American Idol’ ((Disney/Eric McCandless)
Lionel Richie is thanking fans for their messages of support following the recent onstage health scare that caused him to leave a show in St. Paul, Minnesota, early, and cancel two subsequent concerts.
“Thank you for every message, every kind word, and for all your love,” Lionel wrote on Instagram. “I’m doing well, and I’m grateful for all of you.”
Richie fell ill onstage during the opening night of the Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in St. Paul. He left the stage after telling the audience he was feeling dizzy, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire subsequently postponed shows in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, returning to the stage on June 30 in Pittsburgh.
The tour hits Boston on Wednesday. A complete list of dates can be found at LionelRichie.com.
George Clooney attends the 51st Chaplin Award Gala honoring George Clooney at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on April 27, 2026, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for FLC)
George Clooney is getting the Golden Lion.
The actor is set to be honored at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The board of directors of La Biennale made the decision to honor Clooney, as recommended by the artistic director of the festival, Alberto Barbera.
“I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it,” Clooney said in a statement.
Barbera called Clooney a triple threat in his own statement, complimenting his work as an actor, director and producer.
“George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film. An early career launched without shortcuts, with small roles in TV series and B movies until his major success as the star of the series ER, formed an actor who is able to inhabit the screen with disarming spontaneity,” Barbera said. “He is endowed with the gift of making his characters seem not only credible but desirable, approachable, and human, thanks to his undeniable charm. But Clooney’s charisma is constructed on his credibility, not on his image, because his seductive side has never been merely aesthetic.”
The festival’s artistic director continued, saying Clooney is “a perfect combination of the star glamour of days gone by, remarkable professionalism, and modern sensitivity, the actor has crossed the genres with rare versatility.”
The 2026 Venice International Film Festival will take place from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12.
