Paul Simon performs onstage during The Nearness Of You Benefit Concert at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on January 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Simon is set to receive an honorary doctorate from Juilliard.
According to a press release, the honorary doctorates are handed out to “distinguished artists whose work has shaped and expanded the fields of opera, music, dance, film and theater.”
This year’s other honorary doctorate recipients include ballerina Misty Copeland, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and actor Oscar Isaac.
“Each of this year’s remarkable honorary doctorate recipients has left an indelible mark on their field,” said Juilliard President Damian Woetzel. “As we celebrate Juilliard’s class of 2026, we acknowledge these artists who stand as shining examples of extraordinary achievement and impact on the world.”
The honorary doctorates will be handed out at the school’s 121st commencement on May 22. This year’s recipients will be celebrated with performances from Juilliard students.
Simon is currently on the European leg of his A Quiet Celebration tour and will begin a three-night stand in Amsterdam on Wednesday. He brings the tour back to North America June 4 in Palo Alto, California.
A complete list of dates can be found at PaulSimon.com.
Josh Hutcherson attends HBO’s ‘I Love LA’ FYC Panel at Pacific Design Center on April 19, 2026, in West Hollywood, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images for HBO)
Josh Hutcherson is opening up about the Taylor Swift fans who went after him on social media.
Back in December 2025, Hutcherson appeared in an I-D interview with his I Love LA costar Jordan Firstman, in which he said, “I’m not a Swiftie. Very much not. No shade, all respect, but definitely not.”
Firstman then said, “A little tiny shade. She can handle a little bit of shade.”
Fans of Swift took to Hutcherson’s social media after the interview was released, with many of them pointing out that the actor attended The Eras Tour. In an interview with British GQ published on Monday, Hutcherson spoke about the response from Swift’s fans.
“I got some heat because I did a photo shoot with Jordan, and Jordan asked me something about being a [Taylor Swift fan], and I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m definitely not a Swiftie,'” Hutcherson said. “All of a sudden it garnered this, ‘F*** him! He’s a monster! Destroy him! He’s short! He hates her because he’s short!’”
Hutcherson, who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, said the whole ordeal made him want a more private lifestyle.
“I think [Taylor] is great. Her music is not my kind of music,” Hutcherson said. “That is why I don’t want to be online … I don’t need that energy.”
The actor admitted his current overexposure has made him anxious.
“Being thrust out again in the world and online in such a big way, doing a bunch of press and being on TikTok, all those things made me feel very exposed. I started to get a lot of anxiety about it,” Hutcherson said, noting he has still has insecurities. “[They] haven’t gone away. I think I’ve learned how to cope and accept that these are my genetics. This is what I have.”
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (ABC/Randy Holmes)
Any time a musician suffers an injury that makes them unable to stand onstage, the go-to joke has been to suggest that they contact Dave Grohl to borrow his throne, which the Foo Fighters frontman famously had built so he could continue touring after breaking his leg in 2015. For bluegrass artist Billy Strings, though, that suggestion was very real.
Strings says that Grohl offered to send him the throne after he broke his leg attempting a skateboard trick during a recent show in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“I had every intention of carrying on with the tour and Dave Grohling it,” Strings writes in a Facebook post. “He even texted me and offered me the throne!”
Even still, Strings has decided to stay off the road for a bit and “let this thing heal.” He’s postponed the remainder of his April dates to August.
Grohl has previously lent his throne to Axl Rose and Matthew Ramsey of the country band Old Dominion.
Meanwhile, someone in Grohl’s own band could’ve used the throne recently: Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear, who injured his foot in January in what the band called a “bizarre gardening accident.” Instead, Smear simply opted to drop off a run of shows and was temporarily replaced by guitarist Jason Falkner.
Harry Styles has released an in-studio performance of three songs from his album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, recorded at a German studio called Funkhaus. Harry is wearing a shirt with the German words for “kiss” and “disco” written on the front and back, respectively, as he performs “Season 2 Weight Loss,” “Paint By Numbers” and “Coming Up Roses.”
Gracie Abrams has moved on from posting mysterious images on her Instagram to now posting mysterious music. In a video posted on Monday, Gracie looks at her phone while it plays a song that cuts off just before she starts singing. She previously posted a photo of a folder with a sticker of a witch on it and the number 3, followed by the same folder with more stickers, including the letters “DFH.” “Can someone call in the Swifties to decipher the hidden messages I’m afraid we are not smart enough,” commented one fan.
Joe Jonas has gone Instagram-official with his girlfriend, Tatiana Gabriela. In a series of photos taken during a trip to Puerto Rico, the couple can be seen together in a black-and-white photo booth image. Joe also sent fans to his YouTube travelogue video, which heavily features Tatiana.
BTS is taking over Sin City. The group plays Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on May 23, 24, 27 and 28; the group is also staging a takeover called THE CITY LAS VEGAS May 20 to May 31. It features themed hotel experiences, after-party events and marquees illuminated with welcome messages.
Madonna performs during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 17, 2026 in Indio, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
Looks like someone wanted to dress themselves up — not in Madonna’s love, but in her clothes.
The Queen of Pop wrote on her Instagram Story Monday that she was “still flying high” after her “full circle moment” at Coachella, which saw her return to the festival for the first time in 20 years to join Sabrina Carpenter onstage. However, she wrote, “I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing- my costume that was pulled from my personal archives – jacket, corset, dress and all other garments.”
“These aren’t just clothes, they are part of my history,” she said. “Other archival items from the same era went missing as well. I’m hoping and praying that some kind soul, will find these items and reach out to my team at: Infomaverick2026@gmail.com.”
Madonna says she’s offering a reward for the “safe return” of the pieces, and thanks fans “with all My Heart.”
During her performance, Madonna made a point of saying that she was wearing the same jacket, corset and boots that she originally wore at Coachella in 2006.
(NEW YORK) — Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down, with the company announcing on Monday that John Ternus will take his place as the head of the technology giant.
Cook will become the executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors, the company said. Ternus will officially become CEO on Sept. 1.
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said in a statement on Monday.
“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future,” Cook added.
Cook has served as Apple’s CEO since 2011.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Table indicating the escape route in the case of tsunamis. (Getty stock photo)
(TOKYO) — A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday off Japan’s northeastern coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings and advisories along parts of the coast that were later downgraded to advisories and then cancelled.
“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km of the earthquake epicenter,” USGS said after the quake was detected.
The Japan Meteorological Agency initially said tsunami warnings were in place for some of the coast along the Pacific, along with lesser advisories and forecasts farther away from the quake’s center.
“Residents in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to higher ground or evacuation buildings and other higher, safer locations,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
The tsunami waves that were expected to have been the highest struck the coast within hours, with the largest one registering about 80 cm, or about 2.5 feet, but officials said they had not ruled out further waves. Official warnings were still in place, although the U.S. weather officials said in an update that, based on available data, “the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.”
Preliminary U.S. data pinpointed the quake about 100 km, or about 62 miles, off the eastern coast of Miyako, USGS said. Light rumbling could be felt as far away as Tokyo. A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck nearby about 40 minutes afterward, according to USGS data.
The Japanese agency held a press conference on Monday, during which it identified the quake as having been a 7.5 magnitude one. The depth was 10 km, or about 6.2 miles. It occurred at 4:53 p.m. local time, the agency said.
A tsunami warning was issued under twenty seconds after the initial earthquake, an official said. Officials warned people to stay on the alert for about week, as an equal or lesser than quake may occur. The risk was especially elevated for the next two or three days, officials said.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said a “destructive” Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected “and there is no threat to Hawaii.”
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
Stock Market Wall Street (Matteo Colombo/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Stocks closed slightly lower and oil prices rose on Monday as tensions mounted in the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on the ceasefire between the U.S and Iran a day before it’s set to expire.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked down 4 points, or 0.01%, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 0.2%.
U.S. Marines seized an Iran-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, according to CENTOM, just a day after two Indian ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
A potential second round of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran remained in doubt on Monday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Iran has not yet made any decision regarding additional talks.
West Texas Intermediate futures, the benchmark index for U.S. oil prices, climbed more than 5% on Monday, registering at about $88 a barrel. U.S. oil prices stand about 35% higher than before the war.
The escalating tensions appeared to undo a brief thaw on Friday, when a senior Iranian official declared the strait “completely open” for tanker traffic. Within minutes, President Donald Trump celebrated the announcement as a major breakthrough.
The glimmer of relief for the critical waterway sent stock prices soaring and oil prices plummeting on Friday.
Markets have swung dramatically over the weeks following the start of the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, as investors weathered a historic global oil shock and digested mixed signals from Trump.
Stocks have moved higher on a largely consistent basis in April, however, in response to an apparent willingness on the part of both sides to end fighting and negotiate a temporary truce.
The U.S. continues to mount a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, exerting pressure on Tehran by choking off a key source of revenue.
Last week, the commander of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of Iran’s armed forces said the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is a “violation of the ceasefire,” in a statement published by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
The war prompted Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of the global supply of oil and natural gas.
The disruption amounted to the “most severe oil supply shock in history,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report last week. Oil and gasoline prices soared, prompting some economists to warn of a possible recession.
The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, April 20, 2026. House Republicans will send their first funding bills for the next fiscal year to the floor this week, while the Senate GOP plots a blueprint for patching up missing money for the current one. (Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The bipartisan House Ethics Committee on Monday released a rare statement encouraging anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer to contact them, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights or the Office of Employee Advocacy.
“There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting,” the committee said in a lengthy statement.
“The greatest hurdle the Committee faces in evaluating allegations of sexual misconduct is in convincing the most vulnerable witnesses to share their stories,” the statement read. “Accordingly, the Committee’s practice has been to release only the information that is necessary to hold Members accountable for misconduct and address public reporting that impacts the integrity of the House.”
The statement comes after allegations of sexual misconduct led to the resignations of California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales last week.
Gonzales and Swalwell were about to face efforts by their colleagues to have them expelled from the House. The House Ethics Committee had announced investigations into both men, which ended when they resigned.
Gonzales dropped his reelection bid earlier this year after admitting to a relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide. Gonzales said he “made a mistake” and “had a lapse in judgement.”
Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California amid the accusations against him, including allegations of sexual assault, which he’s denied. Swalwell’s attorney, Sara Azari, last week said the allegations are “false.”
The committee said that since 2017, it has initiated investigations in 20 matters involving sexual misconduct by a lawmaker.
“The Committee has also investigated several Members for their handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by their senior staff,” the statement read.
In its history, the committee has conducted 28 sexual misconduct investigations. Several members who were being investigated resigned and even some were cleared.
The panel noted that it does not handle sexual harassment lawsuits or have “any involvement in settlements of such claims.”
“The Committee has taken the position that conduct that falls short of legal definitions of sexual harassment or assault under federal or state statutes can still be a violation of the Code of Official Conduct, which imposes a higher standard on Members of the House,” the statement read. “The Committee has also consistently publicly announced its investigations into publicly reported allegations of sexual misconduct and has announced any findings in those matters.”
Vincent Mason’s new track, “Don’t Ask Me,” is out now. The ACM new male artist of the year nominee currently has a top-20 hit with his debut single, “Wish You Well.”
The Bellamy Brothers are celebrating five decades of hits like “Let Your Love Flow” with their new song and video, “50 Years On.”
You can check out ACM new female artist of the year nominee Dasha’s performance of “She’s So Gone” from The Kelly Clarkson Show on YouTube. It’s from Disney’s new Main Street Country EP.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Walt Disney Records.
