Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has launched his new podcast, This Little Light.
The series finds Flea interviewing “musical guests from all genres to discuss the teachers who guided them, the influences that inspired them, and how the lessons they learned as young musicians have shaped their creativity, resilience, and careers.”
The first two episodes, which feature conversations with FINNEAS and frequent Peppers producer Rick Rubin, are out now. Future guests include Patti Smith, bass virtuoso Thundercat, country artist Margo Price, and musician and actor Cynthia Erivo.
Meanwhile, Flea and RHCP are back on the road supporting their two 2022 albums, Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen. The outing continues Saturday in Las Vegas.
It’s going to be a “House Party” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Sam Hunt has been added to the list of performers for Breland‘s upcoming Breland & Friends concert on April 4.
“Thought I was done? Nahhhh, my buddy @SamHuntMusic always comes through,” Breland tweeted. “BRELAND & Friends is gonna be wild!! Grab those tickets for both the show and the livestream and we’ll see ya there.”
Sam joins the lineup of star-studded performers, which includes Breland, Alana Springsteen, Ashley Cooke, Danielle Bradbery, Gary Levox, Ingrid Andress, Nate Smith, Temecula Road, Tenille Townes and Tyler Hubbard.
Proceeds from the event will go to support Nashville’s Oasis Center and its mission to help local at-risk youth.
To purchase in-person tickets to Breland & Friends, visit AXS’ website. Fans across the world can also watch this one-night-only event by getting livestream tickets on Mandolin.
Def Leppard has shared a new director’s cut video for their reimagined version of the 1987 track “Animal.” It will be featured on their upcoming album, Drastic Symphonies, which has the rockers reimagining their classic tracks with the help of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The video features footage of the orchestra recording the tune, along with clips of the band’s live performance and some snippets from the original 1987 video. Many of these clips are superimposed over atmospheric footage of a rundown castle, a group of naked mannequins — some with instruments, and more.
Drastic Symphonies is set to drop on May 19 on CD, two-LP black vinyl, limited two-LP colored vinyl, limited two-LP picture disc, CD/Blu-ray (Atmos) and digitally. It is available for preorder now.
boygenius‘ the record will be accompanied by the film.
Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker have announced a visual accompaniment to their upcoming full-length debut. the film is directed by Kristen Stewart and premieres on YouTube Thursday at midnight ET.
the record, the follow-up to 2018’s self-titled boygenius EP, will be released Friday.
boygenius will launch a U.S. tour April 12 with a pre-Coachella show in Pomona, California.
Reeves and Stahelski on location — Lionsgate/Murray Close
John Wick hasn’t fought zombies on screen — yet — but Keanu Reeves did on the set of John Wick: Chapter 4.
The franchise’s director, Chad Stahelski, is a former stuntman — Keanu’s own Matrix stunt double, in fact — and in staffing the film’s fight scenes, he pulled an old trick out of his hat that has served him well in the franchise: He kept resurrecting dudes Wick had already “killed.”
This apparently led to a cheeky wrap gift from Reeves.
An article in the New York Times details the climactic staircase fight near the end of the latest installment and reports Keanu had T-shirts made up for the stunt team, including a personalized body count for how many times each performer had been “killed” during the film.
“Some had more than 20 deaths,” the article notes.
In the supplemental material for a previous installment in the franchise, Stahelski reveals Wick stuntmen sometimes grow out their hair and beards before a shoot, so that after they’ve been killed on camera, they can get a trim between scenes and be recycled as different dudes for Baba Yaga to dispatch.
The Times article dives deep into Wick’s arduous climb up the 222 steps outside France’s Sacré-Coeur Basilica, with fight coordinator Jeremy Marinas saying sarcastically of Stahelski, “You want 100 guys falling down the stairs and you want me to make every reaction and fall different. Of course you do.”
The director says the team was more than game: “You never saw three stunt guys smile faster when we saw those stairs.”
(WASHINGTON) — Russia’s detention of an American journalist is sparking sharp condemnation from the Biden administration and Capitol Hill.
Evan Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal was detained in Ekaterinburg, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Thursday. The intelligence agency has accused Gershkovich of spying and collecting “state secrets.” The Kremlin took a sharper tone, saying Gershkovich was caught “red-handed.”
Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty.
The American faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His case is marked “top secret.”
“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The White House said Thursday it was in contact with the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich’s family, and that the State Department has been in touch with the Russian government and is working to secure consular access to Gershkovich.
“The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Both Blinken and Jean-Pierre reiterated guidance that Americans not travel to Russia.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation, White House spokesperson John Kirby said.
Gershkovich covers Russia and Ukraine for the WSJ. The newspaper “vehemently denies” the spying allegations brought against their reporter and is seeking his immediate release.
The U.S. has previously negotiated to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. Last year, WNBA star Britney Griner was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia following a monthslong saga after her detention on drug charges.
But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov downplayed any suggestion of an exchange, saying it’s too early for such talks.
“I wouldn’t raise a question on this now, because you yourself understand that some exchanges that took place in the past took place for people who were already serving sentences,” Ryabkov told reporters.
Gershkovich’s arrest comes amid the worsening relationship between Russia and the United States.
Asked if there were any indication that this was retaliation by Russia, Kirby said he couldn’t say as an investigation is ongoing.
“We do not know right now,” he said. “We are still trying to gain as much information and context as we can. It’s early hours, so I can assure you we’re all working as hard as we can, but we don’t know any more than what I’ve been able to share with you in my opening statements.”
When asked Thursday if he was concerned the reporter’s detention was an escalation on Russia’s part, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yes.
“Putin plays all these little games with bluffing and brinkmanship and this is another,” Schumer said in a press conference. “To have an innocent journalist held hostage for that is really despicable. I am urging the administration to do everything they can to get him free.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, R-Md., responded to Gershkovich’s detention by stating a free press is “absolutely essential.”
“The Russian people need to know the truth, which is why they want to arrest reporters who tell people — they would not be for this carnage that Putin and his dictatorship has affected and the tragedy and war crimes that are being committed,” Hoyer told reporters.
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell, Joseph Simonetti and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
(SEATTLE) — Seattle will provide paid sick and safe leave for most gig workers under a new law, becoming the first U.S. city to guarantee such benefits on a permanent basis for app-based employees.
Workers who perform tasks for companies like Instacart, Postmates and DoorDash will accrue a day of paid sick leave for every 30 days they do work in Seattle. While on leave, workers will receive pay based on their average daily compensation.
The law permanently enshrines a temporary measure that mandated paid sick and safe leave for some food delivery workers in Seattle during the pandemic, when many customers stuck at home came to depend on delivery services. That measure was set to expire on May 1.
“A healthy workforce leads to a healthy community, and no one should have to choose between taking a sick day to care for themselves — or their families — and making rent,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement.
“Gig workers stepped up to serve our city during the pandemic and are an essential part of our workforce and economy, and this important legislation ensures the rights of our app-based workers remain protected,” Harrell added.
The new law expands the type of workers covered from food delivery employees to those working for a slew of apps covering a range of “on-demand” tasks. Gig workers who set their own pay will not be covered.
App-based drivers for Uber and Lyft are already guaranteed paid sick days under state law, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.
Workers protected by the law will be allowed to take time off to care for their own health or that of a loved one, go to a doctor’s appointment or pick up a child in the event of a school closure, among other activities, the mayor’s office said.
The legislation marks the latest advance for gig workers as some city, state and federal officials push for some app-based workers to either be classified as employees or receive benefits akin to those that companies must offer part-time or full-time staff.
In a statement, Instacart said it is open to collaboration with lawmakers on enhanced worker protections but that the new law could lead to higher prices for its customers.
“Instacart is committed to providing shoppers what they need to earn on their terms, and we continue to make shopper health and safety a top priority,” the company said. “Instacart is willing to work with any policymaker that prioritizes the health and safety of shoppers who choose to earn income through our platform.”
“However, at a time of high inflation and tightening household budgets, it is critical that policymakers also take into account the rising financial burden their misguided policy proposals could have on their constituents,” the company added.
In 2022, the Biden administration proposed a rule change that would make it easier for gig workers to be classified as employees, giving them access to minimum wage protections and other benefits.
Meanwhile, over the past five years, legislators in nine states have proposed laws that would guarantee portable benefits for gig workers that would travel with them from one app-based company to the next, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
At the outset of 2020, California implemented a measure called Assembly Bill 5, which eased the standards used for classifying gig workers as full-time employees, affecting at least one million workers.
Months later, a state referendum approved by California voters excluded Uber and Lyft workers from the new standards, returning them to the category of independent contractors.
In Seattle, gig worker advocates celebrated the new legislation guaranteeing paid sick and safe days.
“The gig economy is booming thanks to workers,” Danielle Alvarado, the executive director of the nonprofit Working Washington, said in a statement.
“We are proud that Seattle has recognized the importance of making sure gig workers can stay home when they are sick or need to take care of a loved one,” Alvarado added. “When gig workers are protected, we all are.”
(ATLANTA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will travel to Cobb County, Georgia, on Thursday to visit a popular gun store as part of his ongoing book tour ahead of what is expected to be a presidential campaign announcement this summer.
The previously scheduled trip happens to come days after a shooter killed six people at a private school in Nashville, Tennessee, which Georgia Democrats noted in criticizing DeSantis, who is seen as a rising Republican star after easily winning reelection in November.
The governor is continuing a tour pegged to his new memoir and promoting what he calls Florida’s “blueprint” for the rest of the country, believing it can serve as a model for governing and politics nationwide.
The gun store in suburban Atlanta, Adventure Outdoors, has been a campaign stop for other Republicans, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Herschel Walker, who unsuccessfully sought to unseat Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock last year.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and three other local lawmakers went to Adventure Outdoors earlier this week to criticize what the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reportedly called a routine, random inspection. Greene claimed it was “unusual and unnecessary.”
Democrats in Georgia have called out DeSantis for holding an event at the gun store in the wake of the Nashville shooting and have said he should cancel the event.
“Holding a campaign event at a gun store days after another horrific school shooting where innocent children were murdered should be beyond the pale, but Ron DeSantis seems to not care,” Rep. Nikema Williams, the Democrats’ state chair, said in a statement on Tuesday. “DeSantis is showing Georgians exactly where his priorities lie as he advocates for an extreme MAGA agenda that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns in Florida and puts the gun lobby ahead of our children’s lives. DeSantis should cancel this event immediately.”
A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his visit.
He has called the Nashville shooting “senseless” and directed flags flown at half-staff in Florida in light of President Joe Biden’s declaration ordering the same.
DeSantis’ stop in Georgia adds to the list of his appearances in battleground and early nominating states ahead of his widely expected announcement that he’ll run for president in 2024.
In April, he’s scheduled to go to Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
After his trip to Georgia, DeSantis was initially set to travel to Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday, where he would meet with Gov. Bill Lee. However, that event has now been postponed, according to Eventbrite, where it was being advertised.
In Florida, lawmakers are taking up new gun-related legislation: Republicans are working to pass a law allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit with exceptions such as on school property.
The final vote on the bill is set to happen as early as Thursday and will almost certainly pass, given Republicans have a supermajority in the state Legislature. The proposal would then head to DeSantis’ desk.
It would make Florida the 26th state in the country with a permitless carry law.
Darius took to Instagram recently to announce that his new song “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” is dropping on Friday, March 31.
“Hey, I’m passing the phone to somebody who’s got a new song coming out this Friday,” Darius said, before revealing, “It’s me! My new song ‘Fires Don’t Start Themselves’ coming out March 31st. Presave now! Right now.”
Darius’ last song to be released was “Lift Me Up,” which dropped last month. His latest album, When Was The Last Time, arrived in 2017.
A framed photo shows Linda Clary and her late son, John Umberger. — ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Prosecutors have obtained indictments in the case of two men who took tainted drugs at gay night clubs in New York City and then were assaulted, multiple sources familiar with the case told ABC News.
Last year’s deaths of John Umberger and Julio Ramirez were deemed homicides earlier this month and prosecutors obtained indictments last week from a grand jury last week for six people believed to be connected to the cases, sources said.
Police are now looking for the men allegedly involved in the deaths, with plans to charge at least two of them with second degree murder. Other charges would include robbery, identity theft, grand larceny and conspiracy, according to ABC News’ sources.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office declined to comment. Indictments will remain sealed until the defendants are arrested and appear in court.
At least 43 incidents of drugging have been linked to robberies in and around Manhattan clubs dating back to September 2021. Seven of the drugging incidents resulted in fatal overdoses, including the cases of Umberger and Ramirez. Although the patterns first gained public attention after the April and June deaths connected to gay bars in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the patterns involve a mix of both straight and gay bars, and of both heterosexual and LGBTQ people.
Multiple suspects are still being sought in the two patterns of drugging that officials have established, which appear to be unrelated.
The patterns involve loosely knit robbery crews and no one person is believed involved in all incidents, according to police sources.
Police linked 17 drug-aided robberies between Sept. 19, 2021 and Aug. 28, 2022 to the method used against Umberger and Ramirez. In those cases, drunk victims were offered tainted narcotics or marijuana at a bar. Once the drugs took effect, they were robbed of their cellphones and large amounts of money were transferred from the victims’ bank accounts.
Another 26 robberies between March 18, 2022 and Dec. 8, 2022 are linked to a similar but separate pattern, sources say. This pattern involves a more violent method, with suspects offering tainted drugs to victims in clubs before stealing money, jewelry and cellphones for money transfers.
Some of the robberies in that pattern have been perpetrated through brute force outside or near clubs for jewelry and cash.
Ramirez, 25, was found dead in the back of a taxi and his bank accounts were drained after a night out at Ritz Bar and Lounge in April 2022.
Umberger, 33, was found dead inside an apartment where he had been staying after arriving in New York for business in June 2022.
The 2022 deaths of the two men were ruled homicides after they were given drugs tainted with fentanyl.
Officials are also looking for the perpetrators behind the death of fashion designer Kathryn Marie Gallagher, who was discovered dead in her Lower East Side home last July. Her death was ruled a homicide last week and is connected to one of the drugging patterns seen by authorities.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Friday ruled her death a homicide from the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl and ethanol.
Two other fatal drugging victims include 29-year old-Nurbu Shera, who was found in front of an East Village building in March 2022, and 26-year-old Ardijan Berisha, who was found in front of a Lower East Side building in July 2022.
