(SPOILERS) After two episodes of the new season dealt with Pedro Pascal‘s Din Djarin redeeming himself for the sin of taking off his helmet, the just-dropped third episode of The Mandalorian really opens things up.
The action returns to Coruscant, the capital city planet first seen in the Star Wars prequels and recently seen in Andor. After the fall of the Empire, it’s the home of the New Republic — and viewers learn it’s also the home of an amnesty program for former agents of the Empire.
Like Project Paperclip did in the U.S. after World War II, when former Nazis were drafted by our country to aid in the space race and military tech, some surprising faces resurface.
Omid Abtahi‘s cloning scientist Dr. Pershing, and Katy O’Brian‘s comms officer who formerly worked for Giancarlo Esposito‘s evil Moff Gideon, are back. We learn her name for the first time: Elia Kane. She plots — illegally — to help Pershing restart his research.
O’Brian, recently seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, told ABC Audio it was “wild” to join the Star Wars universe.
“My brother’s a big Star Wars fan, you know, and I wasn’t really that into it. So I guess I didn’t really understand how big of a deal that was. And then I started watching them again. I’m like, ‘OK, you know what? It’s actually pretty great.'”
She explains she was inducted into the fan costuming charity group the 501st Legion, adding, “They’re such a great, great group of people, and they’ve gotten me into a lot more charity work, which is what I want to do.”
She adds, “So it kind of feels like this really cool community. And then you also get to play this awesome character on screen.”
Karen Elson is supporting Meg White after someone on Twitter insulted the latter’s drumming.
If you’re a part of a certain corner of music Twitter, you’ve probably already seen the offending tweet. Writer Lachlan Markay declared, “The tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half decent drummer … I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having s***** percussion.”
Many fellow musicians, as well as music fans and journalists, defended White, including Elson, who, like Meg, used to be married to White Stripes frontman Jack White.
“Not only is Meg White a fantastic drummer, Jack also said the White Stripes would be nothing without her,” Elson tweeted. “To the journalist who dissed her, keep my ex husband’s ex wife name out of your f****** mouth. (Please and Thank You)”
The Roots drummer Questlove also chimed in, tweeting, “I try to leave ‘troll views’ alone but this right here is out of line af. Actually what is wrong [with] music is people choking the life out of music like an Instagram filter — trying to reach a high of music perfection that doesn’t even serve the song (or music).”
Markay, meanwhile, has deleted his original tweet and published a thread apologizing for his comments, adding that he actually “love[s]” The White Stripes, “percussion included.”
“To Meg White: I am sorry. Really,” Markay wrote. “And to women in the music business generally, who I think are disproportionately subject to this sort of s***, I am sorry to have fed that as well.”
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
Billy Crystal is taking fans back to 1989 with his recent social media post.
In a tweet posted on Tuesday for his 75th birthday, Crystal shared a photo of himself recreating a moment from his beloved film When Harry Met Sally.
In the photo, Crystal is seen crouching as he did in a classic still from the movie in which he co-starred with Meg Ryan, and wears a similar white cable knit sweater, jeans and sneakers as his character did.
“Thank you all,” Crystal wrote in the caption, as a reply to the birthday wishes he received.
When Harry Met Sally is celebrating its 34th anniversary this year.
Crystal played the titular character Harry in the movie to Ryan’s Sally. The romantic comedy, written by Nora Ephron, followed Harry and Sally’s story, from their first time meeting through several chance encounters in New York City — and eventually, their happily ever after.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens is back with new music. The 74-year-old is set to drop his seventeenth studio album, King of a Land, on June 16.
“Looking at the jagged journey of my music, beginning as I did in the 60s, I would say this new record is a mosaic,” Yusuf/Stevens shares. “A very clearly defined description of where I’ve been and who I am.”
The album features 12 new songs, including the just-released first single “Take the World Apart,” which is the record’s closing track. Stevens notes, “Sometimes you have to take something apart, to find the peace you’re looking for.”
“Train on a Hill”
“King of a Land”
“Pagan Run”
“He Is True”
“All Nights, All Days”
“Another Night in the Rain”
“Things”
“Son of Mary”
“Highness”
“The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls”
“How Good It Feels”
“Take the World Apart”
(NEW YORK) — Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery is reportedly headed to Detroit.
Citing a source, ESPN reports Montgomery, 25, has agreed on a three-year, $18 million deal with the Detroit Lions. The contract includes $11 million guaranteed.
Montgomery was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. Since then, he has totaled 3,609 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns in his four seasons with Chicago.
While fans have focused on what Miley Cyrus may or may not be saying about her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth on her new album, Endless Summer Vacation, the star is “the healthiest and happiest she’s been in a long time,” a source tells People.
According to the source, Miley’s had time to “process and heal” following her split with Hemsworth, during which, the source says, “Everyone was blaming her for the divorce and calling her this wild child, but that wasn’t fair.” Adds the source, “Their relationship and marriage was toxic, and she was heartbroken.”
And now, the source says the “Flowers” singer has arrived at a place where she’s finally ready to “tell her side of the story.”
“She’s not trying to bash Liam, but she feels like she has every right to own the narrative after everyone was picking her apart after the breakup,” explains the source.
Miley and Liam married in 2018 after dating on and off since 2009. They broke up less than a year later. Miley’s now moved on with drummer Max Morando, who produced two songs on the new album.
“[Max] has no interest in being a huge celebrity; he’s very low-key. Miley loves these qualities,” the source dishes. “Miley can be herself. They are supportive of each other’s careers. Miley is enjoying life and things are great.”
Lil Nas X is apologizing to the trans community for a recent photo he posted and how he handled the criticism.
Taking to Twitter Tuesday, March 14, the “Industry Baby” rapper wrote, “apologies to the trans community i def handled that situation with anger instead of considering why it was not cool. much love to you guys. sorry.”
The response comes after the 23-year-old faced some backlash for a since-deleted Instagram post. In the post, he shared a photo of influencer Glow Princess — who resembles a feminine Nas X — and captioned it “the surgery was a success.”
The “Old Town Road” singer initially responded defensively, according to screenshots. In one reply, he said, “I’m literally just saying she looks like me y’all cannot be f***** serious.” He also questioned whether one Twitter user was “dense” because they asked why he mentioned surgery.
“Baby, this apology ain’t it!” one user expressed. “You need to apologize too [sic] the trans community in material ways that include money, sharing your platform to raise a awareness and just keep it! This is fake as hell!”
The Grammy-nominated artist hit back, “girl eat my a**,” which sparked more backlash. However, Lil Nas seemed to have moved past the whole ordeal, tweeting hours later, “dang what movie should i go watch.”
(NEW YORK) — Social media users, online groups, and even celebrities like Martha Stewart, are touting CBD as a real aid for sleep, but some are beginning to wonder if the legal chemical found in marijuana really works.
Cannabidiol, known as CBD, is a compound found in marijuana but is not an intoxicant, meaning it does not cause a “high,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jessica Ater, a mother of two in Washington state, said she’s been struggling with sleep.
“I can’t sleep at night. Like that’s when my brain starts going crazy,” Ater told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “Nothing worked and, if it did work, not long term.”
After reading about CBD in an online mom’s group, Ater said she bought some CBD gummies at a dispensary that helped.
“My anxiety I mean I still have it at night, but it definitely helps shut my brain off so that I’m able to sleep,” said Ater.
However, Annie Guthrie, a college student who wanted to fall asleep earlier, said her experience with CBD chocolates didn’t work for her at all.
“I had the hardest time sleeping so I needed to try something that could help that,” Guthrie told GMA. “Nothing happened. It didn’t work. It didn’t work at all.”
Dr. Ryan Vandrey, one of the country’s preeminent scientific researchers on CBD, said CBD may have better results for people with anxiety or pain compared to those who have a hard time falling asleep.
“Someone who has insomnia might not benefit from it unless the insomnia is secondary to something else like anxiety, or pain condition,” Vandrey said to GMA.
The Food and Drug Administration has indicated that they want to create more regulations for CBD. So far they’ve only approved it for the treatment of some seizure disorders.
Vandrey said that studies that exist on CBD are small and some found that the chemical doesn’t always isolate from THC, the part of cannabis that makes you high.
“So we don’t have the large randomized controlled trials,” he said. “So we see a lot of promise but we still need more evidence.”
Don’t Worry Darling‘s Florence Pugh and Tick, Tick… Boom!‘s Andrew Garfield are in talks to star in the upcoming film We Live in Time, according to Variety. The film is described as a “funny, deeply moving and immersive love story.” Further details have not been revealed about the film, which is set to begin production later this year…
The series adaptation of A League of Their Own will end with a four-episode season two, according to Deadline. The show, based on Penny Marshall‘s beloved 1992 film, “takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the League and outside of it,” per the streamer. Season two stars Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Collindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant, Melanie Field, Nick Offerman, Rosie O’Donnell, Patrick J. Adams, Patrice Covington, Sadiah Ekulona, Lea Robinson, Andia Winslow, Rae Gray and Lil Frex…
A Million Little Things‘ Jason Ritter has joined the cast of CBS’ Matlock reboot, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The reworking of the original show, which starred the late Andy Griffith, features Kathy Bates as the titular septuagenarian lawyer who joins a prestigious firm and racks up courtroom wins. The cast also includes Skye P. Marshall, David Del Rio and Leah Lewis…
Vanessa Hudgens is set to reprise her role as weapons expert Kelly in Bad Boys 4, alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Deadline reports plot details are being kept under wraps but filming is expected to begin within the next few months. The third movie, Bad Boys for Life, made more than $426 million worldwide before COVID-19 forced theaters to shut down in 2020. The Bad Boys franchise has grossed a total of $840.7 million globally…
(NEW YORK) — The closures of two of the nation’s largest banks over the past week have put many consumers on edge.
Silicon Valley Bank, the nation’s 16th largest bank, struggled as the sharp rise in interest rates led to a decline in the value of the bank’s Treasuries and mortgage bonds. When the bank’s value dropped, its customers, who are mostly in the tech industry, pulled their money from the institution in a so-called bank run that forced Silicon Valley Bank to close for good.
Days later, New York-based Signature Bank, the 29th-largest bank in the U.S., was ordered to close.
After the banks’ closures, even people who didn’t have money invested in Silicon Valley Bank or Signature Bank were left wondering what it might mean for them and their money.
ABC News’ Good Morning America spoke with financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the “So Money” podcast, to break down what consumers need to know.
Are other banks still safe to keep money in?
Yes, according to Torabi.
“Silicon Valley Bank is making the news because it is an anomaly. It is an anomaly event in the financial world,” Torabi said. “It’s our human nature to see events like these and think this is what happens all of the time, or this is going to happen tomorrow at my bank, but it’s really important to put this in the perspective of history. Very few banks actually go completely out of business.”
The banks’ closings have prompted some people on social media to post about taking their money out of banks and storing it at home, which Torabi said would be one of the worst decisions to make at this moment.
“I can assure you that that is a not safe thing to do,” she said. “It is far worse to put your money at home, in a lockbox, under your mattress than at a bank in the United States.”
What do I need to ask my bank to make sure it is secure?
The one step Torabi says every person should take is to make sure their bank has a partnership with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, better known as the FDIC.
The FDIC is an independent government agency tasked with keeping the nation’s banking system running.
Consumers can go to the FDIC website to see if their bank is insured, or ask their bank directly.
Torabi said it’s more important than ever, given the number of tech-driven, digital banks on the market, to know who is behind the bank and whether or not they are FDIC-insured.
“There are more choices as consumers, so we have to do our due diligence,” she said. “It’s very important that you do your homework, your background check, on that bank.”
What does FDIC insurance do?
If a bank is FDIC-insured, its depositors are guaranteed protection of up to $250,000 in funds for each different type of account held.
In other words, if a customer has $200,000 in checking and savings accounts at an FDIC-insured bank and that bank goes under, the FDIC will step in and pay the customer $200,000 so they do not lose the money.
Torabi said the FDIC website is, again, a great resource for people to figure out how their accounts are insured and up to what limit. In some cases, for example, a couple that has both individual and joint accounts at one bank may be insured past the $250,000 limit.
In extreme, larger cases, as with Silicon Valley Bank, the FDIC will also step in to cover beyond the $250,000 limit.
The FDIC, the Treasury Department and the Fed have told depositors in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank that the FDIC would protect all of their funds, including those that exceed the $250,000 limit.
It is important to note that the FDIC does not insure risky investments like stocks, bonds or crypto.
Do I need to spread my money across multiple different banks?
Torabi said this time is a good reminder of the “importance of diversification” when it comes to our money.
“We should always be diversifying not only where we invest, but when it comes to saving, too,” Torabi said. “If you have more than $250,000 in a bank, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not protected, because we know FDIC limits work in different ways, but it’s important to check. It’s important to know.”
She continued, “Maybe what you do is you put some of that money at a different institution, or you take some of it and put it in a joint account.”
Will the fall of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank impact interest rates?
Over the last several months, Americans have been hit hard by both elevated inflation and aggressive interest rate hikes.
One interesting impact of the collapse of the two banks is that it could lead to slight relief for consumers.
While the Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates again next week to keep combating inflation, Wall Street analysts do not expect the hike to be as aggressive now because higher interest rates put even more pressure on banks, according to Rebecca Jarvis, ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent.
If my money wasn’t in the impacted banks, what should my biggest concern be?
According to Torabi, the economic concern she is most focused on at the moment is layoffs and making sure consumers are prepared for that worst-case scenario.
On Tuesday, for example, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta announced it was cutting 10,000 jobs and will cancel 5,000 open positions.
Torabi said she encourages people to start thinking now about what they would need financially if they were laid off, so they can prepare.
“Doing this sort of pre-emptive crisis management now can allow you to then see, when times are still good, where the holes are in your financial life and start to fill them,” she said, adding that people should keep their resumes and networking up-to-date and ask themselves questions like, “What if I got laid off today? What would I do? Do I know how to collect unemployment? Do I have enough in savings? What would I cut out of my budget?”
Torabi said that same kind of action-oriented thinking can also apply to looking at the fall of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
“As a consumer, as a depositor at a bank that didn’t have any relationship with SVB [Silicon Valley Bank], I think it’s not worth your time obsessing over this,” she said. “Just make sure to dot your i’s, cross your t’s, make sure your money is FDIC-insured and if you have questions, talk to your lender, talk to your bank. They would know better than anybody.”
![Miley Cyrus is “enjoying life,” “own[ing] the narrative” post-divorce, source tells ‘People’](https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2023-03-15/M_Miley_Cyrus_021323.jpg "Miley Cyrus is “enjoying life,” “own[ing] the narrative” post-divorce, source tells ‘People’")
