The Weeknd and Ariana Grande have jumped back in the studio for another collaboration.
Ariana teased the forthcoming new single by sharing a cryptic TikTok video of her singing in the studio. “Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set,” she wrote. “this certain exception had to be made.”
The singer previously said she was putting her music career on pause to focus on the upcoming Wicked movies, in which she stars as Glinda, as well as her R.E.M. Beauty brand.
Unfortunately, the video was silent, so fans were unable to hear what she was working on. But it was soon revealed who that “friend” of hers was.
Soon after, The Weeknd helped tease the song by sharing the “thank u, next” singer’s video to his Twitter with alternating star and moon emojis.
The two have yet to confirm the song’s title and when it drops.
Ariana previously teamed with The Weeknd for the 2014 track “Love Me Harder” and 2020’s “Off the Table.” She also jumped on a remix of his song “Save Your Tears.”
(NASHVILLE, TN) — Officials at Vanderbilt University are apologizing to students outraged that the university used ChatGPT to craft a consoling email after the mass shooting at Michigan State University.
Last Thursday, administrators at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development sent an email to students and staff that noted, in small print at the bottom, that the message was a “paraphrase from OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication.”
The email stressed the importance of “a safe and inclusive environment for all” and encouraged members of the college to “come together as a community,” and was written in clear, understandable prose.
However, unlike a statement the day prior by the university’s vice provost, which seemed to use more personal language than the Peabody message, the Peabody email lacked a list of campus resources students could access to help them process their emotions.
Laith Kayat, a senior whose sister attends Michigan State, called the use of ChatGPT “disgusting.”
“There is a sick and twisted irony to making a computer write your message about community and togetherness because you can’t be bothered to reflect on it yourself,” Kayat told the Vanderbilt Hustler, the school’s student paper, who first reported the Peabody College’s use of AI.
According to the newspaper, Nicole Joseph, Peabody’s associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion, sent a follow-up email apologizing.
“While we believe in the message and inclusivity expressed in the email, using ChatGPT to generate communications on behalf of our community in a time of sorrow and in response to a tragedy contradicts the values that characterize Peabody College,” Joseph wrote, according to the Hustler.
Joseph did not respond to ABC News about how much of the email was “paraphrased” by a human and how much reflected ChatGPT’s first draft.
Camilla Benbow, Dean of the Peabody College, said in a statement that she was unaware of the email before it was sent and said she is investigating what led up to its release.
“I offer my heartfelt apologies to all those who deserved better from us and did not receive it,” she said.
Joseph and Assistant Dean Hasina Mohyuddin will step back from their responsibilities with the EDI office as the university investigates, Benbow said in the statement.
A Vanderbilt spokeswoman directed ABC News to Benbow’s statement and did not answer questions about how often university representatives use ChatGPT in official communication.
Graham Nash has dropped a new single called “Right Now,” from his new album, simply titled Now. It’ll be out May 19 and is available to pre-order now.
This will be the legendary singer’s first new studio album since 2016’s This Path Tonight. Last year, he put out a live album that featured him performing his first two solo releases — Songs for Beginners and Wild Tales — in their entireties.
On Facebook, Nash saysNow is “the most personal album I’ve ever recorded.” He adds, “My life is a dream. I wake up in the morning and get on with my life. I check the news around the world, check in with my friends and write about stuff that I need to write about. Here’s to another chapter.”
Nash will kick off a tour April 12 in Phoenixville, PA. Called Sixty Years of Songs and Stories, it’ll celebrate Nash’s six-decade career, starting from his first single with The Hollies.
(VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) — Some students in Virginia are protesting a proposed transgender policy from the Virginia Department of Education.
At a Virginia Beach school board meeting last week, roughly 20 students spoke out about their personal experiences, as well as the experiences of their peers, and how they would be impacted by the new policy.
The policy would ban trans students from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity and would require parents to approve name or pronoun changes. Parents would also be “fully informed” by school personnel of a child’s well-being, including their “health, and social and psychological development,” according to the policy details.
The Virginia Department of Education said in a statement that these model policies, “support positive and safe learning environments for all students while respecting the rights and values of parents.”
Some critical of the policy accuse it of being discriminatory against transgender students and threatening their safety and well-being at school and at home, where their gender identity may not be known or accepted.
One nonbinary student named Joey, whose preferred pronouns are “they/them,” said they told their coming out story to the school board to help convince them to vote against the new policies.
“[Joey] isn’t the name I was born with or even started high school with but it’s who I am,” said Joey. “I realized that I’m extremely lucky because I had multiple friends, teachers and staff who showed me how easy it was to accept me as me.”
Joey said the new policies would ruin that safety for other transgender and nonbinary students.
“These new model policies would rip that safety and stability away from me along with hundreds of other students,” Joey said. “I know it’s really hard to understand, but I need you guys to understand the anxiety I feel every time I walk into class and see that there’s a substitute teacher, and I don’t know what name they’re gonna say.”
Another student named AJ applauded the old policies and denounced the new ones.
“I would have never fathomed being able to come out and speak in front of all of you without the support of teachers and peers within my school, as well as the support and safety that the 2021 policies have allowed me to have. The 2022 model policies however, send me and other gender diverse students a strong message of hate and rejection,” AJ said at the board hearing.
“So many people within my school have allowed me to realize that it is not only okay for me to be myself, but it is a cause for celebration,” AJ added.
Students also highlighted research that shows that transgender and nonbinary students are already more likely to face bullying, mental health issues and suicidal ideations due to discrimination based on their identities, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other studies.
Virginia Beach’s Deaprtment of Education said it is currently reviewing public comments on the policies before being finalized by the superintendent of public instruction.
Essence has announced the honorees of this year’s Black Women in Hollywood Awards, and among them are Emmy-award winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The event, which celebrates Black women who are making their marks and helping to define what it means to be a Black woman in Hollywood, will also honor Tara Duncan, the president of the Freeform and Onyx Collective; The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood and Wakanda Forever actress Dominique Thorne.
“For more than a decade and a half, Essence has championed the Black Women in Hollywood Awards to commemorate the Black women who are the story makers, storytellers, story-doers, and story-sharers that cultivate the entertainment ecosystem that the world cherishes and loves deeply,” says Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures, LLC. “We are privileged to have this sacred platform that illuminates the on-going accomplishments of Black women at our annual luncheon in its 16th year since inception. Whether the world acknowledges it or not, Black women are the CEOs of home, culture and community and because of that role, when you engage with her, you engage with the Black community as a whole.”
The Black Women in Hollywood Awards will take place March 9 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California.
(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — Standing around her kitchen sink, East Palestine, Ohio, resident Carolyn Brown told Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, EPA Administrator Michael Regan and other officials that it is the “uncertainty” that weighs on her, and her community, right now.
“There’s so much uncertainty about it. And that really gets to me emotionally,” Brown said. “My main concern is for the people that was closest to that accident, and a lot of them are younger than me and have children and — I just feel — it’s hard to see people going through things, you know, and the uncertainty of everything,” she said, her voice quavering slightly.
“You don’t know who to trust, that’s a big part of it, the uncertainty, you don’t know if you’re going to have to move,” she said. “We need to feel that we’re safe.”
It was 18 days ago that 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania derailed in East Palestine. Eleven of those cars contained hazardous materials, five of which contained vinyl chloride, a highly volatile colorless gas produced for commercial uses. Officials decided, in order to avoid a major explosion, to evacuate the area around the derailment and burn off the chemicals.
In the days since they were allowed to return, residents have complained of itchy eyes and skin and respiratory problems.
“We know this is a long road, and we will be here until the end,” Regan said Tuesday.
DeWine said the community would not be forgotten, even after the cameras were gone. He said that testing would continue and the health clinic, set to open Tuesday, would be there to address people’s concerns.
Brown’s house is connected to the municipal water supply, she said, and DeWine told her the testing had come back so far showing that water was “safe.”
“We just need to continue to test. We think things are alright. We know things are all right now. And we just need to make sure that in the future they’re all right as well,” he said.
“So, it’s safe to drink the water?” Brown asked. “Because I haven’t even brushed my teeth with it.”
The officials assured her that it was safe.
“Did someone want to drink the water?” Brown asked.
In a chorus, the officials said, absolutely. Brown poured glasses of water from her tap. The group clinked glasses and took a sip.
“We believe in science,” Regan said. “We don’t feel like we’re being your guinea pig, but we don’t mind proving to you that we believe the water is safe.”
The officials next visited the home of a former chemistry teacher, Andris Baputnis. They drank his tap water too.
An EPA official demonstrated the sensitivity of the air quality monitors they’re using.
“As you can see in your home right now, it fluctuates a little bit,” the official said. “It’ll pick up like, hairspray … like when I hold it close to my body, it’ll pick up my deodorant. … So, that’s how sensitive these things are and that’s what we’ve been using to screen the homes and we assume it’s worst case until we can prove otherwise.”
“If there’s anything we can do at EPA, please let us know,” Regan told Baputnis.
Duane Prokop/Getty Images for The Wellness Experience by Kroger
Jewel is taking her fight against mental health stigmas to the virtual world.
Peoplereports the singer co-founded Innerworld, which is a wellness center that will be based in the metaverse. She envisions a platform where people can visit as their anonymous, virtual avatars to access free resources and attend group therapy sessions in a space that’s designed to feel safe.
Jewel, who is the platform’s Chief Strategy Officer, explained why she wanted the platform to be free. “Accessibility is critical,” she said. “We cannot let happiness be elitist. It cannot be just for the wealthy who can afford a therapist.”
She continued, “Innerworld is a scalable solution that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering real, peer-to-peer support… When you log into Innerworld, you go into your own private living room, and then you enter a portal where there’s a community center around the fire pit, and there’s people from all over the world hanging out in a safe, supported environment.”
“You can say to the guide, ‘My pet just died. I’m really sad. What do you recommend?’ And then they can pull up a visual tool, like the grief cycle, and you can talk about it with the guide, or you can talk to other community members,” she added.
Innerworld can be accessed on Meta Quest, iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. It has reportedly assisted about 20,000 people in need of mental health support.
Jewel co-founded the site with Innerworld CEO Noah Robinson, and the service went online in 2022.
Jewel’s dedicated her platform to advocate for mental health. She founded the Inspiring Children’s Foundation 21 years ago, which offers mental health resources to at-risk youth in the Las Vegas area.
Megan Fox has shared her support for guitarist Sophie Lloyd after Lloyd became part of the breakup rumors between the Jennifer’s Body actor and Machine Gun Kelly.
Lloyd, who plays in Kelly’s live band, was accused of having an affair with the “Bloody Valentine” rocker after Fox initially deleted all of her Instagram photos with her fiancé earlier this month. As People reported, someone commented on Fox’s Instagram that Kelly “probably got with Sophie,” to which she replied, “Maybe I got with Sophie.”
In a comment on one of Lloyd’s recent Instagram posts, Fox wrote, “How me making a joke in order to absolve this girl of a hurtful accusation somehow turned into a confirmation of it — I will never understand.”
“Why are people so…so dumb,” Fox continued. “Sophie you are insanely talented. Welcome to Hollywood. Your first unwarranted PR disaster.”
Lloyd then responded, “The internet is so wild! Sending so much love @meganfox.”
LLoyd’s management team previously addressed the MGK rumors in a statement to People that read, “Sophie Lloyd is a professional, accomplished musician who has been needlessly dragged into the media based off of meritless accusations made by social media.”
Meanwhile, Fox’s comment is part of her return to Instagram after she deactivated her account amid the initial breakup rumors. Her page now includes just one post reading, “There has been no third party interference in this relationship of any kind.”
“That includes, but is not limited to…actual humans, DMs, AI bots or succubus demons,” the post continues. “While I do hate to rob you of running random baseless news stories that would have been much more accurately written by ChatGPT, you need to let this story die and leave all of these innocent people alone now.”
After launching Love Records last May, Diddy‘s announced the first EP that will be released under his label. Songs for Women by singer/songwriter Jozzy is set to drop on Friday.
“Jozzy is a very special and dynamic talent that only comes around once in a generation, so I’m excited to see how her music sets a new standard for R&B,” Diddy says in a statement. “Her skills as a writer and performer, matched with her style and energy has the potential to make her one of the greats and I’m proud to play a part in shaping the next chapter of her career.”
Jozzy’s made a name as a songwriter, earning credits on songs including DaniLeigh’s “Lil Bebe”, Metro Boomin & 21 Savage’s “Mr. Right Now,” Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” [Remix] and more. Her work on Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE and Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous was nominated at the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
Diddy brought Jozzy onstage to perform with him at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. He introduced her as the first artist under Love Records, noting, she’s “one of the most talented songwriters and artist” he’s ever worked with.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Succession Emmy winner Brian Cox certainly thinks Jeremy Strong,one of the scheming siblings on the HBO show, is “gifted” but says how he gets there is “f***ing annoying.”
In a feature in Town & Country, Cox was asked about comments he made last year to the New Yorker, in which he and other Succession co-stars called out Strong’s “intense” Method-like acting. Cox said at the time it’s a “particularly American disease, I think, this inability to separate yourself off while you’re doing the job.”
In the new interview, the Scottish actor was asked again about Strong’s process. “Oh, it’s f***ing annoying,” he said. “Don’t get me going on it.”
Cox continues, “He’s a very good actor. And the rest of the ensemble is all okay with this. But knowing a character and what the character does is only part of the skill set.”
The actor, who plays CEO Logan Roy, cites an example of Strong not letting his character go after a particularly intense scene. “He’s f***ing gifted. When you’ve got the gift, celebrate the gift. Go back to your trailer and have a hit of marijuana, you know?”
For the record, Strong, who plays Logan’s son Kendall Roy, is aware he ruffles feathers. He offered GQ of the Emmy-winning drama, “It is like a family in the sense that…you don’t always like the people that you love. I do always respect them.”
He added, “Everyone’s entitled to have their feelings. I also think Brian Cox, for example, he’s earned the right to say whatever the f*** he wants.”
Succession returns for season 4 Sunday, March 26, at 9 p.m. on HBO.
