About Din Time: Lizzo appears in Wednesday’s new episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

About Din Time: Lizzo appears in Wednesday’s new episode of ‘The Mandalorian’
About Din Time: Lizzo appears in Wednesday’s new episode of ‘The Mandalorian’
Grogu and Din Djarin in Lucasfilm’s ‘THE MANDALORIAN,’ season three, exclusively on Disney+/©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM

 The new episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+ features some very recognizable faces from our planet, playing in that galaxy far, far away. 

A trip to uncharted planet Plazir-15 to meet up with her former Mandalorian allies leads Katee Sackhoff‘s Bo-Katan Kyrze and Pedro Pascal‘s Din Djarin to a meeting with the leaders of “the only remaining direct democracy in the Outer Rim.”

Those leaders — The Duchess and Captain Bombardier — are played, respectively, by Lizzo and Jack Black, who are revealed wearing finery at a lavish dinner party attended by various alien species. 

Lizzo’s Duchess explains she was part of the planet’s royal family, and they now act as the leaders of the democracy with Black’s character, a former Imperial tasked with rebuilding the planet.

The pair met and fell in love in the interim, she explains. “We are both royals and elected leaders,” he says proudly.

Before hiring Din and Bo-Katan to deal with a problem of rogue droids, Lizzo is seen babying Baby Yoda, aka Grogu, excitedly feeding him by hand after catching the hungry child, who flips into her lap.

For the fangirl who once dressed up as Grogu for Halloween, it was a full-circle moment. 

The episode also features another familiar face in Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd, playing Commissioner Helgait, who oversees the increasingly troublesome droids on which the pampered society relies. 

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jethro Tull releases “Hammer on Hammer,” the third single from new album ‘RökFlöte’

Jethro Tull releases “Hammer on Hammer,” the third single from new album ‘RökFlöte’
Jethro Tull releases “Hammer on Hammer,” the third single from new album ‘RökFlöte’
Inside Out Records

Jethro Tull’s new album, RökFlöte, is set to drop later this month, and they are sharing yet another new track with fans.

The band just released the new song “Hammer On Hammer,” which was inspired by the Norse god Thor. The accompanying video features images of Thor battling his mortal enemy, the sea serpent Jormungand, along with images of current wars and future destruction.

This is the third track Jethro Tull has released from the album, following “Ginnungagap” and “The Navigator.”

RökFlöte, the follow-up to 2022’s The Zealot Gene, is set to drop April 21. The album is being released in a variety of formats, including two limited deluxe editions featuring bonus material, an in-depth interview with Ian Anderson and more. All formats are now available for preorder.

And RökFlöte will be celebrated on April 17 with a special premiere in Dolby Atmos immersive audio. The event will take place at Dolby Studios in London, and Anderson will be in attendance, along with Bruce Soord, who mixed the spatial audio version of the album.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tornado live updates: At least 5 dead in Missouri as storms tear across US

Tornado live updates: At least 5 dead in Missouri as storms tear across US
Tornado live updates: At least 5 dead in Missouri as storms tear across US
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Communities across the United States — from small towns to big cities — were on alert for tornadoes on Wednesday, as a major storm system sweeps through areas still reeling from devastating twisters.

There were an unspecified number of injuries and fatalities confirmed in Missouri’s Bollinger County after a tornado hit the Glenallen area, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

At least nine other tornadoes had already been reported across Iowa and Illinois, including a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” that touched down near Canton, Illinois, on Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

On Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The cities of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Detroit were included in the watch areas, where forecasters said conditions will be favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. People were warned to seek shelter.

As the storm continues to move east, severe weather is in the forecast for a vast area — from western Texas to western New York. Cities in the bull’s-eye for damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes on Wednesday include Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, according to the latest forecast.

The forecast comes just days after a powerful storm system unleashed violent tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across the country, killing at least 32 people and leaving thousands without power.

The National Weather Service has confirmed at least 81 tornadoes touched down in 14 states on March 31 and April 1. It was the largest single tornado outbreak to hit the U.S. in a year, since the one that spawned 140 twisters in southeastern states — from Texas to Maryland — on April 12-13, 2020.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Apr 05, 1:30 PM EDT
At least 5 confirmed dead in Bollinger County, Missouri

At least five people have died in Bollinger County, according to local Sheriff Casey Graham.

“Several of our communities in Bollinger County, specifically the Grassy and Glenallen areas, were hit with what appears to be a significant tornado early this morning,” Graham said in statement posted on Facebook.

Images show that the village of Glenallen sustained heavy damage. It sits just 4 miles from Marble Hill, the county seat.

Search and rescue efforts remain ongoing, Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri Highway Patrol, told ABC News on Wednesday morning.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Apr 05, 11:01 AM EDT
Tornado watch issued for Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for several regions under threat of severe storms on Wednesday.

Included in the advisory are central and southern Indiana, north-central Kentucky and southwest Ohio. The formation of tornadoes could be “likely” in cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville, according to the NWS.

The threats include “widespread” damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, the advisory states.

The tornado watch is in effect until 5 p.m. ET.

Apr 05, 10:54 AM EDT
Multiple fatalities reported in Missouri’s Bollinger County

An unspecified number of injuries and fatalities have been confirmed in Missouri’s Bollinger County after a tornado hit the Glenallen area, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

At least nine other tornadoes had already been reported across Iowa and Illinois, including a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” that touched down near Canton, Illinois, on Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced he will visit hard-hit Bollinger County.

Parson will “assess damage and learn what resources will be needed during recovery” in the rural county in the state’s southeast, he said in a tweet.

“We appreciate the work of our first responders and the many neighbors who reached out to help their neighbors, and our prayers are with the loved ones of those who were killed in the storms,” the governor said.

Apr 05, 10:54 AM EDT
Parts of 8 states on alert for tornadoes

Parts of eight states — Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio — are on alert for tornadoes Wednesday as a major storm sweeps through areas already reeling from devastating twisters.

As the storm continues to move east, severe weather is in the forecast for a vast area from western Texas to western New York.

The forecast comes just days after a powerful storm system unleashed violent tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across the country, killing at least 32 people and leaving thousands without power.

The National Weather Service confirmed at least 81 tornadoes touched down in 14 states on March 31 and April 1. It was the largest single tornado outbreak to hit the U.S. in a year, since the one that spawned 140 twisters in southeastern states — from Texas to Maryland — on April 12-13, 2020.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rival Sons pull off a heist in new “Bird in the Hand”

Rival Sons pull off a heist in new “Bird in the Hand”
Rival Sons pull off a heist in new “Bird in the Hand”
Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records

Rival Sons have premiered the video for “Bird in the Hand,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, DARKFIGHTER.

The clip follows the “Do Your Worst” outfit after they’ve successfully pulled off a heist. However, the celebrating at the safe house soon stops when, as is often the case in these situations, one of them betrays the others.

You can watch the “Bird in the Hand” video streaming now on YouTube.

DARKFIGHTER, the follow-up to 2019’s Feral Roots, drops June 2. Another companion record, LIGHTBRINGER, is due out later this year.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston’ debuts at #2 on ‘Billboard’’s Top Gospel Albums chart

‘I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston’ debuts at #2 on ‘Billboard’’s Top Gospel Albums chart
‘I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston’ debuts at #2 on ‘Billboard’’s Top Gospel Albums chart
Gaither Music Group/Arista/Legacy Recordings

Whitney Houston‘s posthumous gospel record has made it onto Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chartI Go to the RockThe Gospel Music of Whitney Houston has debuted in the #2 position after earning 4,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 30, according to Luminate. The album is her second to hit the Gospel chart following The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack, which arrived at #1 in December 1996 and dominated for 26 weeks.

I Go to the Rock features studio recordings and live performances that showcase Whitney’s love of gospel music. It includes six newly released tracks, including “He Can Use Me,” “I Found a Wonderful Way,” “Testimony,” “This Day,” “He/Believe” and a live rendition of Simon & Garfunkel‘s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Stevie Nicks cancels three shows; postpones Texas show with Billy Joel to next year

Stevie Nicks cancels three shows; postpones Texas show with Billy Joel to next year
Stevie Nicks cancels three shows; postpones Texas show with Billy Joel to next year
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks’ tour continues to be affected by illness. After postponing several shows due to COVID-19 within the band, the singer has now canceled some of those dates and postponed another. 

Citing “ongoing illness within the band,” Stevie has canceled three shows: her Oklahoma City concert, which was originally postponed to April 11; her New Orleans concert, which had been postponed to April 15; and her April 5 concert in Birmingham, Alabama.

Meanwhile, Stevie’s concert with Billy Joel at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, that was supposed to take place Saturday, April 8, has now been postponed, although fans will have to hold on to their tickets for quite a while. The new show is now going to happen March 9, 2024. 

Fans will get refunds for all the canceled shows. Tickets for the Texas show will be honored on the new date.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Morgan Evans dropping a new EP, ‘Life Upside Down’

Morgan Evans dropping a new EP, ‘Life Upside Down’
Morgan Evans dropping a new EP, ‘Life Upside Down’
Warner Music Nashville

Get a glimpse of Morgan Evans‘ heart with his forthcoming EP, Life Upside Down.

Arriving on April 21, the five-song set will feature “On My Own Again” and Morgan’s current single, “Over For You,” both of which are out now.

“I called the EP ‘Life Upside Down’ because this collection of music could only have come from this time, when my life felt exactly that,” Morgan shares in a statement. “To me, these five tracks journey through unexpected heartbreak, self-rediscovery, new beginnings and a new found gratitude for the present moment.”

Morgan recently released a cinematic music video for the autobiographical “On My Own Again.”

“8 shows, 7 countries, 3 bicycles, 2 goats & 1 camel. For a song documenting a poignant moment in my life, I thought it’d be appropriate to make a video the same way,” says Morgan. “I invited the guys behind the ‘Over For You’ music video and the docuseries on the road in Morocco, Europe, Ireland and the UK for one of the adventures of my life so far.”

On the tour front, Morgan’s currently opening for Brett Young on his 5 Tour 3 2 1 and will join Billy Currington on select dates later this year.

Life Upside Down is available for presave now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gov’t Mule releasing new album, ‘Peace…Like A River,’ in June

Gov’t Mule releasing new album, ‘Peace…Like A River,’ in June
Gov’t Mule releasing new album, ‘Peace…Like A River,’ in June
Fantasy Records

Gov’t Mule is ready to share some new music this summer. The band just announced they’ll drop their 12th studio album, Peace…Like A River, on June 16.

Peace…Like A River is very ambitious from a musical arrangement standpoint in the way that a lot of the songs take twists and turns that is not common in today’s pop music world,” guitarist Warren Haynes shares. “At the same time, it’s very much a song record and covers a lot of ground, stylistically speaking. Song for song maybe my favorite one.” 

The band has shared the first single from the record, “Dreaming Out Loud,” featuring Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster. It incorporates inspirational quotes from leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert and John Kennedy, and the late civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

In addition to Neville and Foster, the 12-track record features guest appearances by ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, actor Billy Bob Thornton and Celisse.

Peace…Like A River is available for preorder now. A special deluxe edition, coming out only on CD, will feature a special EP, Time Of The Signs, with four new, unreleased tracks and an alternate version of the album track “The River Only Flows One Way,” featuring Haynes on lead vocals.

Here’s the track list for Peace…Like A River:

“Same As It Ever Was”
“Shake Our Way Out” (ft. Billy F. Gibbons)
“Made My Peace”
“Peace I Need”
“Your Only Friend”
“Dreaming Out Loud” (ft. Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster)
“Head Full Of Thunder”
“The River Only Flows One Way” (ft. Billy Bob Thornton)
“After The Storm”
“Just Across The River” (ft. Celisse)
“Long Time Coming”
“Gone Too Long”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, The Last of Us top nominations for 2023 MTV Movie and TV Awards

Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, The Last of Us top nominations for 2023 MTV Movie and TV Awards
Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, The Last of Us top nominations for 2023 MTV Movie and TV Awards
MTV

On Wednesday, MTV announced the nominations for the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and Top Gun: Maverick topped the competition with six.

On the TV side, Stranger Things and The Last of Us matched that, tying with six nominations apiece.

On the unscripted side, there was a four-way tie with two each for Jersey Shore Family Vacation, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules.

Fans can vote for their faves between now and April 16 at 6 p.m. ET at vote.mtv.com.

The show will air live on May 7 from Barker Hangar in Los Angeles starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Here are the nominations:

BEST MOVIE
Avatar: The Way of Water
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Nope
Scream VI
Smile
Top Gun: Maverick

BEST SHOW
Stranger Things
The Last of Us
The White Lotus
Wednesday
Wolf Pack
Yellowstone
Yellowjackets

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Austin Butler – Elvis
Florence Pugh – Don’t Worry Darling
KeKe Palmer – Nope
Michael B. Jordan – Creed III
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Aubrey Plaza – The White Lotus
Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
Riley Keough – Daisy Jones & The Six
Sadie Sink – Stranger Things
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building

BEST HERO
Diego Luna – Andor
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
Paul Rudd – Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Pedro Pascal – The Last Of Us
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick

BEST VILLAIN
Elizabeth Olsen — Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Harry Styles – Don’t Worry Darling
Jamie Campbell Bower — Stranger Things
M3GAN – M3GAN
The Bear — Cocaine Bear

BEST KISS
Anna Torv + Philip Prajoux – The Last Of Us
Harry Styles + David Dawson – My Policeman
Madison Bailey + Rudy Pankow – Outer Banks
Riley Keough + Sam Claflin – Daisy Jones & The Six
Selena Gomez + Cara Delevingne – Only Murders in the Building

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Adam Sandler – Murder Mystery 2
Dylan O’Brien – Not Okay
Jennifer Coolidge – Shotgun Wedding
Keke Palmer – Nope
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Bad Bunny – Bullet Train
Bella Ramsey – The Last Of Us
Emma D’Arcy – House of the Dragon
Joseph Quinn – Stranger Things
Rachel Sennott – Bodies Bodies Bodies

BEST FIGHT
Brad Pitt (Ladybug) vs. Bad Bunny (The Wolf) – Bullet Train
Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) vs. Ghostface – Scream VI
Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) vs. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) – Stranger Things
Keanu Reeves (John Wick) vs. Everyone – John Wick 4
Escape from Narkina 5 – Andor

MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Cocaine Bear
Justin Long – Barbarian
Rachel Sennott – Bodies Bodies Bodies
Sosie Bacon – Smile

BEST DUO
Camila Mendes + Maya Hawke – Do Revenge
Jenna Ortega + Thing – Wednesday
Pedro Pascal + Bella Ramsey – The Last Of Us
Simona Tabasco + Beatrice Grannò – The White Lotus
Tom Cruise + Miles Teller – Top Gun: Maverick

BEST KICK-ASS CAST
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outer Banks
Stranger Things
Teen Wolf: The Movie

BEST DOCU-REALITY SERIES
Jersey Shore Family Vacation
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition
The Kardashians
Vanderpump Rules

BEST COMPETITION SERIES
All-Star Shore
Big Brother
RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars
The Challenge: USA
The Traitors

BEST HOST
Drew Barrymore – The Drew Barrymore Show
Joel Madden – Ink Master
Nick Cannon – The Masked Singer
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Kelly Clarkson – The Kelly Clarkson Show

BEST REALITY ON-SCREEN TEAM
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Pauly D (MVP) – Jersey Shore Family Vacation
Tori Deal and Devin Walker – The Challenge: Ride or Dies
RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, LaLa Kent – Vanderpump Rules
Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Police body camera video shows fatal shooting of DC teen

Police body camera video shows fatal shooting of DC teen
Police body camera video shows fatal shooting of DC teen
Body camera footage shows a vehicle that crashed into a house after an officer shot the driver, in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2023. — United States Park Police

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Park Police released video on Tuesday showing the moment one of its officers shot and killed a teenager last month in Washington, D.C.

The incident occurred on the morning of March 18. An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department was responding to a call at approximately 8:51 a.m. ET about a suspicious vehicle parked at 34th Street and Baker Street NE. Upon arrival, the officer found the car with the engine running and the driver — identified as 17-year-old D.C. resident Dalaneo Martin — apparently asleep inside, according to separate press releases from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police.

After determining the vehicle was stolen, the officer called for backup. Additional Metropolitan Police Department officers as well as two U.S. Park Police officers arrived on scene to assist, police said.

Footage from the officers’ body cameras, released by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police, show them attempting to remove Martin from the car at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET. The videos show an officer cutting plastic that was in place of the right backseat window and unlocking the door. The two U.S. Park Police officers then enter the vehicle from the backseat doors and grab Martin by his hands while shouting, “Police! Don’t move!”

Martin awakes and a brief struggle ensues, the video shows. Martin drives the car away with one of the U.S. Park Police officers inside while the other falls out onto the street, the videos show. Body camera footage from the officer still in the backseat shows Martin pulling his hands away and placing them on the steering wheel while continuing to drive. The officer shouts at him from the backseat to “stop” while Martin yells back, “Get off of me!”

“Stop, man, just let me out,” the officer says in the video while pulling out his firearm. “Let me go!”

Martin keeps driving, the footage shows.

With his gun drawn, the officer then shouts: “Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot!”

About a second later, the officer is seen in the video firing his weapon multiple times, with the bullets appearing to strike Martin in the back. The vehicle then crashes into a house on 36th Street NE.

Another video shows both U.S. Park Police officers rendering aid to Martin, who is seen lying on the grass next to the car after the crash.

Medics arrived and pronounced Martin dead at the scene, according to police.

No one inside the home was injured from the crash. A handgun was recovered from inside the vehicle, police said.

The two U.S. Park Police officers involved in the incident were taken to a local hospital for treatment. The one who fell out of the car did not sustain any life-threatening injuries, officials said. Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the Metropolitan Police Department conducts an investigation into the incident, according to police.

A Maryland-based law firm representing Martin’s family has called for “a full investigation.”

“Dalaneo Martin was just 17 years old when he was brutally murdered at the hands of a Park Police Officer, leaving a five-month old child without a father,” the law firm said in a statement to D.C. ABC affiliate WJLA. “We are calling for a full investigation of the officers involved in this shooting. These officers need to be held accountable for taking another black child from our community.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.