The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office released this image of a man in connection with a homicide, Feb. 2, 2026, in rural Momence near the Illinois/Indiana border. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office)
(KANKAKEE COUNTY, Ill.) — A man has been arrested in the death of a bar owner who was fatally shot Monday morning near the Illinois-Indiana state border.
Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday in Indiana as he was exiting his residence, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office.
Burkes is now being held in Indiana and is awaiting extradition to Illinois, where he will face charges, authorities said.
Burkes is accused of killing Courtney Drysdale, 30, while she was preparing to open the bar just before 11 a.m., when a suspect entered the bar, brandished a firearm and demanded money from the cash register, according to the sheriff’s office.
Despite Drysdale’s cooperation, the suspect allegedly shot her twice “execution style,” Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said at a press conference Tuesday.
Before fleeing, the suspect attempted to remove what he believed was a digital recording device from a wall, but investigators were able to recover video evidence, Downey said.
“This type of violent behavior has no place in our society, and I am extremely appreciative of the overwhelming support we received from the public, the media as well as our partners in the criminal justice system near and far,” Downey said in a statement after the arrest.
“I want to praise, not only the extraordinary efforts of the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office, the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force, the FBI, the US Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Hammond Police Department on this quick and peaceful apprehension, but I want to commend the community-at-large for coming together and providing quantities of tips and information that ultimately led to this swift arrest,” said Downey.
Selena Gomez attends the 2025 Academy Awards (Disney/Scott Kirkland)
A slew of female pop stars are releasing exclusive vinyl for this year’s Record Store Day, which takes place April 18 across independent record stores nationwide.
Selena Gomez has collected fan-favorite tracks on an EP called Droplets, pressed on clear glitter vinyl. It includes the songs “Wolves,” “Bad Liar” and “Stained.”
Grammy best new artist winner Olivia Dean is putting out a 7-inch vinyl with live performances of “Man I Need” and a cover of Ravyn Lenae’s “Love Me Not,” from BBC 1’s Live Lounge.
Tate McRae is releasing her song “Hung Up On You” on 7-inch neon violet vinyl, with a 2020 live version of “One Day” on the flip side.
Charli XCX is dropping “party 4 u” as a 7-inch single pressed on ultra-clear vinyl.
KATSEYE is releasing a 12-inch vinyl pink and red splatter version of tour arrangements and a cappella versions of their songs “Gabriela” and “Touch.”
Demi Lovato is putting out a 7-inch vinyl version of “Frequency” on buttermilk vinyl, with a remix on the flip side.
Hilary Duff is releasing (Mine), an LP pressed on silver vinyl that features newly rerecorded versions of her greatest hits.
Carly Rae Jepsen is putting out a 7-inch baby blue vinyl version of “Disco Darling,” an unreleased track that fans have been begging for since it leaked online.
The soundtrack to the NBC special Wicked: One Wonderful Night (Live) is coming out as a two-LP set on splatter color vinyl. It features Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and their Wicked cast members, backed by a 37-piece orchestra.
And finally, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is being released on special effect vinyl with original cover art, a fold-out poster, sticker sheet and three snapshot cards.
Megan Thee Stallion in ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ (Courtesy of NBCUniversal)
You may know her as Megan Thee Stallion, but in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, she stars as Denise, a recently divorced mom who engages in playful, flirtatious behavior with Daniel Radcliffe‘s Arthur Tobin.
A trailer shows Denise — seemingly dressed in a postal worker’s uniform — locking eyes with Arther while sipping on a drink.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins officially premieres Feb. 23 at 8 p.m ET on NBC, with Tracy Morgan in the title role. His character, a disgraced former football star named Reggie Dinkins, is attempting a comeback with a rebrand. He asks for Arthur’s help, but he can’t move forward without confronting ghosts from his past.
Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way and Jalyn Hall also star in the series.
Cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Record Store Day release ‘Live From Asbury Park 2024’ (Legacy Recordings)
Record Store Day has unveiled its list of exclusive releases for its 2026 celebration, taking place in independent record stores on April 18.
Among this year’s releases:
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band‘striumphant 2024 return to Asbury Park, New Jersey, at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival will be released as Live From Asbury Park 2024, afive-LP or three-CD set, featuring more than three hours of music.
Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts have contributed The Live Album, a double album on clear vinyl, that comes with a lyric poster.
Joni Mitchell’s 1972 album For The Roses is being released with the original artwork Joni had submitted for the record. It was vetoed by music exec David Geffen because he didn’t like the images of roses coming out of a horse’s behind.
Def Leppard’s sixth studio album, 1996’s Slang, will be released on two-LP pink vinyl, featuring B-sides and rarities personally curated by frontman Joe Elliott.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have contributed July 16, 1978 – Paradise Theater, Boston, MA, a previously bootlegged concert, getting its first official release on pink and green translucent splatter color vinyl.
The Who is releasing the 1966 album A Quick One on two-LP colored vinyl. It will include the original album along with an LP of B-sides, alternate versions and instrumentals.
Robert Plant and his band Saving Grace have recorded a new four-song EP, Saving Grace: All that GlitterswithSuzi Dian.
RSD 2026 will also feature releases from David Bowie, The Cars, Jerry Garcia, Bryan Adams, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Brian Wilson, Stewart Copeland, Foreigner, Peter Gabriel, Grateful Dead, Rod Stewart, John Lennon, George Harrison and Steely Dan.
For the full list of releases and all participating stores, visit RecordStoreDay.com.
National Guard soldiers respond to a shooting near the White House on November 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. At least two National Guardsmen have been shot blocks from the White House. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, where one was killed and another severely wounded, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, was arraigned on nine charges, including first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm.
Lakanwal appeared in court on Wednesday in a wheelchair, seemingly still recovering from the injuries prosecutors say he sustained in the incident.
The Justice Department’s push for the death penalty remains incomplete, with prosecutors telling Judge Amit Mehta that none of the current charges allow them to seek capital punishment. Prosecutors said in court they are reviewing potential additional charges that could make the case death penalty-eligible. Lakanwal is due back in court in early March.
“We will do everything in our power to seek the death penalty against that monster who should not have been in our country,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in November.
While the District of Columbia abolished the death penalty decades ago, prosecutors can still seek capital punishment in federal court, where Lakanwal’s case is being handled, under limited circumstances. It remains unclear what additional charges the Justice Department is pursuing — officials with the department did not return a request for comment.
Lakanwal was one of thousands of Afghans evacuated to the United States after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 and his application for asylum was approved in 2025 under the Trump administration.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries on Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe suffered a gunshot wound to the head and remains in recovery.
Court documents say Lakanwal shot Beckstrom and Wolfe in the back of the head with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. A National Guard major returned fire, and another Guard officer subdued Lakanwal. Wolfe is still recovering and will have cranioplasty, or skull reconstruction surgery, in March, according to Melody Wolfe, his mother.
In Afghanistan, Lakanwal was affiliated with a so-called Zero Unit, working closely with the CIA and special operations, ABC News reported in December. He was considered a trusted member of the unit, which carried out U.S. counterterrorism missions, officials with direct knowledge explained.
Investigators believe Lakanwal was under financial strain after his work permit expired and may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, sources told ABC News. Investigators are also examining whether the recent death of an Afghan commander Lakanwal had worked with and might have admired may have worsened his mental and emotional state, according to sources.
The two guard members were a part of President Donald Trump’s surge of troops into Washington, D.C., for law enforcement. After the shooting, the president deployed an additional 500 guard members into D.C., where some 2,600 are currently deployed performing civic duties like cleaning garbage off the street and patrolling the city’s tourist spots and Metro rail stations.
The guard deployment will last through 2026, two officials told ABC News in January.
Brent Faiyaz attends the Dior Homme Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2026, in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurore Marechal/Getty Images)
Brent Faiyaz is gearing up to release the follow-up to 2022’s Wasteland. The singer announced his next project, Icon, is set to drop on Feb. 13.
Brent revealed the news with a trailer highlighting the everyday lives of people in the DMV, and also unveiled the artwork — a closeup photo of his face with his eyes closed and thumb resting on his nose. Alongside both the trailer and artwork Brent wrote the word “icon” in 17 different languages, including English.
Icon will feature 10 new tracks from Brent, with Raphael Saadiq serving as executive producer. The project is being mastered by Mike Dean, whose credits include Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Travis Scott‘s Astroworld. It’s now available for preorder.
It looks as though 2026 will be the year we get new albums by not one, not two, but three members of One Direction.
Following the drop of Louis Tomlinson‘s How Did I Get Here? and Harry Styles‘ impending March release, Kiss All the Time. Disco,Occasionally., ZAYN has announced that he’s putting out an album in April. KONNAKOL, named after the South Indian art of vocal percussion, arrives April 17. The first single, “Die For Me,” will be released on Feb. 6.
ZAYN says in a statement, “KONNAKOL in its definition is the act of creating percussive sounds with one’s voice but what it means to me lies somewhere much deeper. It is a sound that holds the reverberation of a time before words existed.”
“I have always drawn on my heritage for inspiration since I first started making my own music,” he continues. “This album is a development of that understanding, knowing more now than ever, who I am, where I come from and where I intend to go.”
KONNAKOL is the follow-up to ZAYN’s 2024 album, Room Under the Stairs, and his 2025 single, “Eyes Closed,” a duet with BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo. He recently concluded a Las Vegas residency.
As for the fourth member of 1D, Niall Horan has a new song with Myles Smith dropping on Friday called “Drive Safe.”
Ahead of the Grammys, W magazine rounded up a bunch of acclaimed actors to give their takes on Sabrina Carpenter‘s nominated single, “Manchild,” and now Sabrina is reacting to it.
In the video, George Clooney, Emma Stone, Jodi Foster, Greta Lee, Amanda Seyfried, Alexander Skarsgård, Kate Hudson, Duane Johnson, Elle Fanning, Tessa Thompson, Rose Byrne, Sydney Sweeney and more are given the lyrics to the song and asked to either sing or recite them.
While George and Jodie simply speak the lyrics —Jodie because she admits she doesn’t know the song — others attempt to sing. Some have great success hitting the high note in the chorus, like Elle, Tessa and Amanda. Alexander and Duane, not so much.
Mia Goth was the most enthusiastic, though. She said, “I saw Sabrina Carpenter and I am obsessed. I felt like I was 6 years old again. … Ever since, I’m just in love.”
Sabrina reposted the video on her Instagram Story and wrote, “I’m floored and dazzled.”
In other Sabrina news, she appears in The Muppet Show special, which is now streaming on Disney+ and airing Wednesday night on ABC. Speaking to E!,Miss Piggy scoffed at the idea that she was “intimidated” by the pop star.
“If anything, I think you should ask Sabrina if she was intimidated by moi,” said Piggy. “Well, actually, don’t ask her that, though. Just take my word for it. She was very intimidated.”
In the actual show, Sabrina told Piggy, “You’re my idol. I’ve basically modeled my whole look and style after you.” Piggy responded, “Oh trust me, my attorneys and I have taken notice and we willbe in touch.”
The track is a reworking of the 2005 Dropkick song “Citizen C.I.A.” in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in response to the federal immigration agents shooting and killing U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January.
“As Americans are being executed in the street, we feel it is our duty to raise consciousness, and be one of the voices speaking against this nightmare,” the Murphys say. “‘CITIZEN I.C.E.’ is FOR THE PEOPLE. Stand strong against tyranny. Use it however you want.”
“Citizen I.C.E.” will be included on the Dropkick Murphys EP New England Forever, which will be available during the band’s U.S. tour, kicking off Feb. 9 in Portland, Maine. The EP will be released digitally on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater performing live at Sweden Rock Festival on June 05, 2025 in Norje, Sweden. (Anne-Marie Forker/Redferns)
Dream Theater‘s Mike Portnoy is not playing drums in Rush, and that’s just fine with him.
The “Tom Sawyer” rockers shocked the music world in 2025 by announcing they were reuniting for a tour in 2026, marking Rush’s first live shows since the death of legendary drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson will be joined by drummer Anika Nilles in place of Peart.
Had Lee and Lifeson asked Portnoy to take the gig, he tells Metal Hammer, “If they hypothetically ever approached me with it, of course, I would have done it with the utmost respect and [honor].”
“But frankly, I’m kind of relieved they didn’t,” Portony continues. “First of all, filling Neil’s shoes is going to be impossible. If anybody ever thought Mike Mangini filling my shoes was tough, try filling Neil Peart’s shoes!”
Mangini, of course, played drums in Dream Theater after Portnoy left the band in 2010. Portnoy eventually reunited with Dream Theater in 2023, which also would’ve complicated him accepting a potential Rush offer.
“I came back home to Dream Theater, which is where I belong,” Portnoy says. “So if, hypothetically, if they had approached me with this reunion that they’re doing, it would have put me in an incredibly awkward position because of the timing of it all.”
Portnoy adds that he never volunteered himself to take Peart’s spot, noting that it’s “a sacred role that should only ever be filled if Geddy and Alex choose for it to be so.”
“Sure enough, here we are with them choosing to finally do so, which has been really incredible,” Portnoy says.
