In this Aug. 31, 2022, file photo, rapper Christopher “Kid” Reid performs during the premiere of ‘Boombox! A Vegas Residency on Shuffle’ at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Fan Rebellion)
Christopher “Kid” Reid, half of the hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play, is revealing he underwent a heart transplant, speaking about his health condition for the first time on Good Morning America.
The rapper, who first gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s alongside collaborator Christopher “Play” Martin, spoke with GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan in a segment airing Thursday, sharing he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after an emergency room visit last July.
Reid said initially, he began experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, which he said he attributed to getting older.
“I think sometimes you kinda just chalk it up to, you know, ‘I’m gettin’ older,’ you know, ‘The road is harsh,'” he said.
Eventually, when his symptoms intensified last summer, Reid said he visited an emergency room, where he received his diagnosis.
Reid said he was first given medication to treat the condition, but at a three-week follow-up appointment, his cardiologist grew concerned.
“He came in very swollen again, and that is a little unusual in somebody who’s been started on treatment, for the swelling to come back that quickly,” Erika Jones, Reid’s cardiologist, told GMA.
That evening, instead of flying across the country for a performance as Reid had planned, Jones urged him to stay put and ran additional bloodwork.
“The blood work confirmed my suspicion. It showed that his heart was failing, and it was starting to affect his other organs,” Jones said.
Reid said he received a call a few hours after his appointment, urging him to go to the emergency room, where he was rushed to the ICU.
Reid was told by doctors that a heart transplant would be his only option, and he was placed on a transplant waitlist.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Laura Dichiacchio, one of Reid’s doctors, told GMA that Reid was placed on the transplant waiting list because it was “a kind of life or death situation.”
Dichiacchio described Reid as “warm” and “incredibly calm.”
Reid said eight days after being placed on the transplant waitlist, he received a call with the welcome news that he would get a new heart the following evening. Reid said he arrived for the surgery, and seven hours later, he had a new heart.
Reid said he plans to cherish his second chance at life, saying, “This thing is … a beautiful life. It’s great. And, you know, I wanna be around for it.”
He added that he hoped to inspire others, particularly people of color, to put their health first and seek medical attention when things don’t feel right.
“A lot of times, we don’t go because we don’t want the bad news, or we too busy just hustlin’, trying to make it from day to day,” he said. “And we … feel like we don’t got time, or we’ll get over it. Well, you might not.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S., about 6.7 million adults aged 20 or older have heart failure, a condition that happens “when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs in your body.”
The CDC cites hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease as common risk factors for the disease.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, heart failure is a serious condition that requires medical care. Treatment can include heart-healthy lifestyle changes, such as lower sodium intake, regular physical activity, and limited alcohol consumption, as well as medication, devices such as a pacemaker, and heart surgery or transplant.
Bilmuri performs during 2025 Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Erika Goldring/WireImage)
Bilmuri, the project of former Attack Attack! guitarist Johnny Franck, has announced a new album called KINDA HARD.
The record is due out April 10. It includes the previously released singles”HARD2TELL” and “MORE THAN HATE,” which charted on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking.
A third cut, called “TWICE,” will premiere on Friday.
Bilmuri will launch a U.S. tour in support of KINDA HARD in April.
Paul Simon announced his retirement from touring after more than 60 years in music.
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said time away from his family and the death of his longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini played a role in his decision.
Simon didn’t give up the road without one more run. In May of the same year, he launched Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour, a four-month trek that took him to North America and Europe, and wrapped in his home borough of Queens, New York.
While the show marked the end of Simon’s final tour, he said he wasn’t quitting the stage and suggested he could perform live again. He did just that in August 2019, when he headlined San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival.
Simon’s retirement didn’t last long. In April 2025, he launched the A Quiet Celebration Tour, in which he performed his 2023 album, Seven Psalms, as well newly arranged versions of tracks from his vast catalog of hits. He just announced a new North American leg of the tour, kicking off June 4 in Palo Alto, California.
KATSEYE appears on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ (Todd Owyoung/NBC)
After performing on the Grammys, KATSEYE will have an even bigger audience on Sunday when they appear in a State Farm Super Bowl ad.
The “Gabriela” group appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Kimmel Wednesday, where they talked about how excited they are to be part of the ad for the insurance company, raving, “We love Jake from State Farm.” And sure enough, Jake himself was in the audience and asked the group to describe the ad.
In response, the girls showed off the dance seen in the online teaser, set to Bon Jovi‘s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The song is performed in the ad by Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key. The commercial will be the first ad to air after kickoff.
During the show, KATSEYE also confirmed they’ll be releasing new music this year. Asked to describe the upcoming material in one word, the members offered: “colorful,” “hot,” “energetic,” “fun” and “fierce.”
Since KATSEYE didn’t perform on the show, the musical entertainment came from Nick Jonas, who delivered a stripped-down piano and drums version of “Gut Punch,” accompanied by a dancer twirling to the music.
‘Peaches!’ album artwork. (Easy Eye Sound/Warner Records)
After teasing a new single, The Black Keys have announced a whole new album.
The 14th studio effort from the “Lonely Boy” outfit is called Peaches! and will arrive May 1. It’s the follow-up to 2025’s No Rain, No Flowers.
The aforementioned teased single, “You Got to Lose,” is out now alongside a video, which you can watch streaming on YouTube.
“We weren’t making a record. We were just jamming, like this is for us,” frontman Dan Auerbach says of Peaches! “Really primal, in a moment when all the nerves were raw, just kinda screaming.”
Auerbach adds that Peaches! was made as his late father was battling esophageal cancer.
“We were going through a lot, trying to lift our spirits,” Auerbach says. “I think my dad getting sick made me not give a f*** and just wanna scream for a bit.”
You can catch The Black Keys live at the upcoming New Orleans Jazz Fest and Minnesota Yacht Club festival.
Here’s the Peaches! track list: “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire” “Stop Arguing Over Me” “Who’s Been Foolin’ You” “It’s a Dream” “Tomorrow Night” “You Got to Lose” “Tell Me You Love Me” “She Does It Right” “Fireman Ring the Bell” “Nobody But You Baby”
Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe perform at GIANTS Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Don Arnold/WireImage)
Mötley Crüe will be celebrating America’s birthday up north in Canada.
The “Home Sweet Home” rockers will headline Winnipeg’s Rockin’ Thunder concert series on July 4. The bill will also include Three Days Grace, Halestorm and Canadian musician JJ Wilde.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. CT. For all ticket info, visit Motley.com.
Mötley will return to the U.S. later in July to launch the Return of Carnival of Sins tour celebrating the band’s 45th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of their 2005-06 Carnival of Sins tour.
Workers clear damaged pipework at the Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant following Russian air strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Trilateral talks between American, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators concluded in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, with Moscow and Kyiv exchanging hundreds of prisoners of war and the U.S. and Russia agreeing to “reestablish high level military-to-military dialogue.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Kyiv expected an exchange of prisoners of war with Russia “in the near future,” following the first round of talks in Abu Dhabi.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, posted to X on Thursday morning with more details of the exchange, which he said would involve 314 prisoners and would be the first such exchange for five months.
“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive,” Witkoff wrote. “While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
United States European Command later released a statement saying that, following the talks in the UAE, U.S. and Russian negotiators had also agreed “to reestablish high level military-to-military dialogue,” which has been suspended since late 2021.
“Maintaining dialogue between militaries is an important factor in global stability and peace, which can only be achieved through strength, and provides a means for increased transparency and de-escalation,” EUCOM said. “This channel will provide a consistent military-to-military contact as the parties continue to work towards a lasting peace.”
The prisoner of war exchange took place soon after the conclusion of Thursday’s meetings. Zelenskyy posted a video of the returning Ukrainian soldiers. “Today’s exchange came after a long pause, and it is critical that we were able to make it happen,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.
Kyrylo Budanov, formerly the head of Ukrainian military intelligence and now serving as the head of Zelenskyy’s presidential office, confirmed in a post to X that 157 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been returned to Ukraine. Of those freed, 139 had been held since 2022, Budanov said.
The Russian troops involved were released into Belarus — which has provided extensive support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. They were expected to travel to medical facilities in Russia for treatment and rehabilitation, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Zelenskyy’s office told ABC News that Thursday’s talks in Abu Dhabi had ended by around 4 p.m. local time — 7 a.m. ET.
The Ukrainian delegation included Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Budanov, and and Andrii Hnatov, the chief of the General Staff.
The Russian team included Kiril Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Igor Kostyukov, the head of the GRU military intelligence service.
The U.S. delegation was led by presidential peace envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Umerov said in a post to Telegram that Wednesday’s “work was substantive and productive, with a focus on specific steps and practical solutions.”
Dmitriev — who has been a leading figure in Moscow’s direct negotiations with the Trump administration through Witkoff — told reporters after Wednesday’s talks that there “is certainly progress, and good, positive movement forward,” as quoted by Russia’s state-run Tass news agency.
Dmitriev also criticized what he said were “warmongers from Europe, from Britain,” who he alleged “are constantly trying to hinder this process.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged patience when speaking with reporters. “For the first time in a very long time we have technical military teams from both Ukraine and Russia meeting in a forum that we’ll also be involved with,” Rubio said in a video posted to the State Department’s X page.
“Progress is probably not going to be known, even via leaks, until we really have a breakthrough. Our goal is to remain committed,” Rubio added.
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Kyiv is focused on a clear and lasting end to the war. “Russia must be ready for this. And partners must also be ready to ensure it in real terms with their real guarantees — security guarantees — and their real pressure on the aggressor,” he said in an evening address.
“It must be felt now — people in Ukraine must feel that the situation is genuinely moving toward peace, toward an end to the war, and not toward a scenario in which the Russians exploit everything to their advantage and continue their strikes,” he added
“There must be no rewards for the aggressor — if any reward is given to the aggressor, Russia will, over time, break any agreement,” Zelenskyy said.
Both Moscow and Kyiv described the first round of trilateral talks last month as constructive.
Among the key areas of divergence are the fate of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, which Russia has partially occupied and from which Moscow is demanding a full Ukrainian military withdrawal.
Also under discussion is control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, which was occupied by Moscow’s forces since March 2022.
So too are post-war Western security guarantees for Ukraine, without which Kyiv says Moscow will be able to launch a new round of aggression in the future.
Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine continued to exchange long-range missiles and drone attacks overnight into Thursday morning.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched two missiles and 183 drones into the country overnight, of which 156 drones were shot down or suppressed. The missiles and 22 drones impacted across 16 locations, the air force said.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) reported drone impacts in several districts of Kyiv. City Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least two people were injured. The SES also said attacks were recorded in the northeastern border city of Sumy and the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 95 Ukrainian drones overnight.
At least one person was injured in Russia’s southeastern Rostov, local Gov. Yuri Slyusar said in a post to Telegram.
Ukraine’s General Staff said in a statement that its forces struck targets on Russian-controlled territory including a training site in occupied Zaporizhzhia, a logistics hub in occupied Donetsk and an electronic warfare facility in Russia’s western Bryansk region.
Meanwhile, both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers reported that unauthorized Starlink satellite communications terminals in use by Russian forces had been disrupted or disconnected, following a public appeal by Kyiv to Starlink producer SpaceX and its owner Elon Musk.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram that Kyiv has been working with SpaceX to verify Starlink terminals in use by Ukrainian forces, allowing them to remain operational.
Starlink terminals have been widely used by both sides during the ongoing conflict to enhance battlefield connectivity. Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of using Starlink’s network to guide attack drones in strikes deep inside Ukraine, including on civilian targets.
ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko, Kevin Shalvey, Somayeh Malekian and Othon Leyva contributed to this report.
Taylor Swift, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ cover image (Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot)
It’s been rumored for months, but now it’s true: Taylor Swift is releasing a video for “Opalite,” one of the most popular songs on her album The Life of a Showgirl.
According to the Taylor Nation Instagram account, “Opalite” will be the next official single from the album, and the video will be released on Spotify Premium and Apple Music on Friday at 8 a.m. ET.
Taylor is also releasing a 7-inch vinyl of “Opalite,” which is available at her online store until Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ET or while supplies last. It’ll ship on or around Feb. 9. The vinyl features the regular version of the song and an acoustic version on the flip side.
According to Billboard, following the premieres on Friday, the video will hit YouTube on Sunday.
“Opalite” is the second official single from The Life of a Showgirl, following the #1 hit “The Fate of Ophelia.”
Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Today show host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings made an emotional plea for the return of their mother, who remains missing days after police believe she was abducted from her home in Arizona.
“Everyone is looking for you, Mommy, everywhere,” Savannah Guthrie said in a video message posted on Wednesday alongside her sister and brother. “We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again.”
Savannah Guthrie made an urgent plea for her mother’s return, citing the 84-year-old’s fragile health.
“Our mom is our heart and our home,” Savannah said. “She is 84 years old, her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer.”
No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case, the sheriff’s department said on Wednesday.
The sheriff’s department said it is reviewing possible ransom notes as part of the investigation. ABC Tucson affiliate KGUN said it received one of the letters, which it forwarded to law enforcement. Officials say they are investigating if any of these letters are legitimate.
Addressing reports of a ransom letter, Savannah Guthrie said Wednesday, “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home near Tucson on Saturday night, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Investigators do not believe Nancy Guthrie left her home willingly and said it appears she was abducted in her sleep early Sunday morning, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told ABC News.
Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing on Sunday around noon local time, authorities said.
The FBI is sending additional agents and experts to Pima County, Arizona, to help reinforce efforts on the ground and to aid local investigators in the case, sources told ABC News on Wednesday.
Pedro Pascal saves the day. The actor has joined Todd Haynes‘ upcoming film De Noche. Pascal joins the cast of the movie in the role that Joaquin Phoenix exited last year. The love story will also star Danny Ramirez as Pascal’s detective character’s younger lover. Pascal took to Instagram to share the news of his casting. “De nada. #DeNoche #ToddHaynes,” Pascal captioned a photo carousel filled with stills from other Haynes films …
Joshua Jackson is set to star in a new series on HBO Max. Deadline reports that the actor will lead the cast of How To Survive Without Me alongside Ray Romano. The drama pilot follows what happens when a family’s matriarch passes away …
Chiwetel Ejiofor has joined director Mike Flanagan‘s upcoming The Exorcist film adaptation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ejiofor joins Scarlett Johansson, Jacobi Jupe and Diane Lane in the new movie, which is promised to be a “fresh and bold” take on the classic material …
