Ariana Grande attends Moët & Chandon At The 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 11, 2026 in Los Angeles.(Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Moët & Chandon)
After spending years portraying Glinda in the Wicked films, Ariana Grande will get to show off her comedic chops in the upcoming movie Focker-In-Law — and Ben Stiller says he’s glad she’s shaking the franchise up.
“It was great to have her energy coming into this franchise that has been around a long time, and we hadn’t done for a very long time,” Stiller tells Entertainment Weekly. “She’s incredibly professional, and watching her on SNL, she knows comedy, and she was just a joy to work with.”
“I had a blast working with her, and I think what she brought to the movie is just a very, very new sensibility that also felt very much like it worked within the tone of the movie,” he added.
In the film, Ariana plays the partner of Henry, the adult son of Stiller’s Greg Focker. According to the actor, Ariana’s character has a “fun relationship” with Robert De Niro‘s character, Jack Byrnes, Greg Focker’s intimidating father-in-law.
“Watching him and her together — I can’t really give away too much, but the connection between them in the film is pretty fun,” he noted. “And it plays into the dynamic of Greg Focker always kind of being stuck on the outside.”
Stiller also has high praise for Benson Boone, his co-star in a new Super Bowl commercial for Instacart. Even though Benson has never acted before, Stiller said, “He just has this incredible ability to put himself out there.”
“What I was most excited about is that this guy’s really an actor, and it was cool to see that, ‘Oh, he could do this if he wanted to do it,'” Stiller added.
Jason Derulo, ‘The Last Dance (Part 1)’ (Gary Corr)
Following the release of The Last Dance (Part 1), Jason Derulo has dropped a new video for one of its songs, “Sexy For Me.” He says the clip — along with his new tour, which kicks off Thursday — will give fans a look at his “next chapter.”
Of the clip, which features Jason and a group of scantily clad women, he tells ABC Audio, “There’s a ton of dance in it. My fans love when I’m really, really dancing in videos. And it’s been a while since I’ve danced quite like this. … This is some next-level dancing and vibes.”
As for the tour, which is currently limited to the U.K. and Europe, he says, “What’s interesting is you’ll see the new version of me on tour” — even if he doesn’t make its way to North America.
“I feel like with social media, you’re able to see somebody’s show without even going,” he laughs. “So I think people will get a glimpse of what is to come.”
He adds that the video also offers a peek at his new era.
“While the audio feels nostalgic, the look and feel of the [tour] performance and music video” is “of the next chapter,” he notes.
That “next chapter” means he’s closing the book on what’s come before, but looking back, Jason says he has plenty to be proud of.
“I think it’s incredible to be part of people’s lives when people are coming to me and saying, ‘Marry Me’ is the song that I used to propose to my wife, or ‘Ridin’ Solo’ helped me through a breakup or ‘Savage Love’ got me through the pandemic, or ‘Swalla’ [and] ‘Talk Dirty’ are my club anthems,” he told ABC Audio.
“Being a part of people’s lives, I think is pretty crazy.”
Rush drummer Neil Peart performs at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 10, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rock trio are touring in support of the album, “Snakes & Arrows.” (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are doing what they can to help make a Neil Peart memorial in St. Catherines, Ontario, finally happen.
The St. Catherine Standardreports that Lee and Lifeson plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from Rush’s upcoming Fifty Something tour to the St. Catharines memorial, which will help the city where Peart grew up meet the $1 million goal it has targeted for the Peart tribute.
The plan is to commemorate the Rush drummer with a bronze sculpture installation in Lakeside Park. It will feature two Peart statues, connected by a pathway, one of him in his younger years and one of him in his later years.
The Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force was established in April 2020 to move the project forward, with the plan to raise all funds through donations. After a soft fundraising launch in 2021, the official fundraising campaign began in September 2024. It has so far raised $208,000 for the project.
According to the paper, Rush’s contributions will come from sales of VIP experiences to their shows.
Peart died Jan. 7, 2020, at 67 after a battle with brain cancer.
Rush’s Fifty Something tour, featuring Anika Nilles behind the drum kit, kicks off June 7 in Los Angeles and wraps Dec. 17 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It will be their first tour in 10 years and the first tour since Peart’s death.
A complete list of dates can be found at Rush.com.
Yerin Ha as Sophie and Luke Thompson as Benedict in ‘Bridgerton’ season 4. (Liam Daniel/Netflix)
A certain second son is swept off his feet by a mystery woman at a masquerade ball in Bridgerton season 4.
The first part of the fourth season of Bridgerton has made its way to Netflix. It finds Benedict Bridgerton (LukeThompson) taking center stage as he falls for the resourceful housemaid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).
Thompson told Good Morning America that Benedict has probably been running away from love for a long time.
“He’s someone who’s lost his dad very young and watched his mum mourn his dad. So, you can see why a loving relationship might look like something pretty terrifying to him,” Thompson said. “Because it’s sort of facing … the reality of life and death square in the face.”
Benedict is known for being something of a “rake” at the beginning of season 4. As the Bohemian second-born son, he has been loathe to settle down. But, “like any good coping mechanism,” Thompson said, being noncommittal has started to get old.
Still, the innocent nature of Benedict and Sophie’s coupling, Thompson said, makes for quite a surprising love story.
“He’s a character that, the way it’s written, has constantly got a lot of surprises,” Thompson said. “The innocence of this story, certainly the beginning, is not necessarily [what] I thought Benedict’s love story would look like. But, amazing. Because it really does make sense of his character.”
The first part of Bridgerton season 4 is available to watch now. Part two drops on Feb. 26.
Three Days Grace‘s 2012 album, Transit of Venus, is coming to vinyl for the first time.
The record will make its wax debut on March 20. You can preorder your copy now.
Transit of Venus marked the fourth Three Days Grace album and spawned the singles “Chalk Outline,” “The High Road” and “Misery Loves My Company.” It also marked the last 3DG record prior to the departure of frontman Adam Gontier in 2013.
Three Days Grace then released three albums with new vocalist Matt Walst before Gontier rejoined in 2024, forming a two-singer lineup. Their first album featuring both Walst and Gontier, Alienation, was released in 2025.
Three Days Grace will launch a U.S. tour in support of Alienation in February.
‘Everything Glows’ album artwork. (Columbia Records)
Cannons have announced a new album called Everything Glows.
The fifth studio effort from the “Fire for You” outfit is due out March 27. It includes the previously released single “All I Need”; a second track, titled “Starlight,” drops Friday.
“Everything Glows is the most vulnerable album we’ve made,” says frontwoman Michelle Joy. “It came from taking a step back and really reflecting, both as a band and as individuals, instead of just pushing forward. That space became transformative for us, a kind of rebirth.”
Everything Glows is the follow-up to 2023’s Heartbeat Highway, which spawned the single “Loving You.”
Cannons will launch a U.S. tour in March alongside Bob Moses.
Here’s the Everything Glows track list: “All I Need” “Starlight” “Carousel” “I Get Weak” “These Nights” “Shine” “Light as a Feather” “Fool for You” “Good Luck Charm” “Photographs” “Take Me to Tokyo”
Alex Pretti is confronted by federal agents prior to being fatally shot in Minneapolis, Jan. 24, 2026. (Obtained by ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told ABC News that officials are “evaluating” why Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis “may not have been following” protocol in the events that led to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The comments appear to be a shift from Miller, who hours after the shooting, called Pretti, an ICU nurse for the Department of Veteran Affairs, a “domestic terrorist” and “a would-be assassin” without providing evidence. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti’s conduct “the definition of domestic terrorism” — also without evidence — which sparked backlash.
Miller’s comments come as the Trump administration grapples with the fallout of Pretti’s shooting — as well as the death of Renee Good, a mother of three, who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 7.
“The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground,” Miller said in a statement.
“Additionally, the White House provided clear guidance to DHS that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors. We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller told ABC News.
The administration has sought to create some distance from Miller and Noem’s earlier characterization of the shooting.
Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, walked back the comments that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist.”
“I don’t think anybody thinks that they were comparing what happened on Saturday to the legal definition of domestic terrorism,” Blanche said on Fox News.
Asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce if the president agreed with the characterization of Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt distanced the president from those comments.
“Look, as I’ve said, I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way,” Leavitt said during the White House press briefing on Monday. “However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts in the investigation lead itself.”
DHS did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, speaks during a town hall event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. A man was apprehended during a town hall event with Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar after spraying unknown substance, according the to Associated Press.(Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The FBI is now leading the investigation after a man charged the podium where Rep. Ilhan Omar was giving remarks during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday, police said.
The man appeared to squirt a liquid at her and was then tackled to the ground by a security guard after a brief struggle.
The man, identified as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault, Minneapolis police said.
The department said its officers were at the town hall for the event and observed a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid onto the congresswoman.
Preliminary reports indicate the liquid was non-toxic, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a press event Wednesday.
Moriarty said her office is reviewing its charging options, and that she has heard that the federal government “might charge the man as well.”
The Minneapolis Police Department said Wednesday that the FBI is now leading the investigation and that it had no further public information.
The incident sparked cries of alarm from those in attendance. The congresswoman did not appear to be injured.
“I’m going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue,” Omar said, using a profanity.
“We will continue,” she said. “These f—— a——- are not going to get away with it!”
The disturbance comes amid tensions in Minneapolis between local officials and the Trump administration over the immigration crackdown in the city that has seen two U.S. citizens killed in shootings involving federal agents.
Shortly before the man charged the podium, Omar called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Afterward, she told reporters that she won’t be intimidated.
“You know, I’ve survived more, and I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think that they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.’Omar has been the target of attacks from President Donald Trump for years. More recently, his attacks have come alongside escalated rhetoric describing the Somali community in Minnesota, the largest in the nation.
In the past several weeks, Trump has called Omar a “fake sleazebag,” and called for her to be thrown out of the U.S.
In a phone interview Tuesday evening with ABC News’ Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott, Trump said he hadn’t seen video of the incident and without providing evidence accused Omar of staging the attack.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
In a post on X regarding Tuesday’s incident, Omar said: “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
In a statement, U.S. Capitol Police said: “Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress — an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice.” The department said it is “working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”
Capitol Police said threats against members of Congress increased for the third year in a row. The department said it investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors and communications directed against members of Congress, their families and their staff last year — compared to 9,474 in 2024.
: Neil Young performs onstage at Light Up the Blues 7 Concert Celebrating Autism Speaks’ 20th Anniversary at The Greek Theatre on April 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Neil Young continues to be outspoken about companies who he says support President Donald Trump and his policies.
In his latest post on his Neil Young Archives website, the rocker rails against Verizon and Apple, writing that he’s upset he may have to get rid of his phone because it’s from Verizon.
“I can’t use a Verizon phone,” he writes. “Verizon is a supporter of Trump, with big $. What can I do? I’m checking with our office to see if I can get a T-Mobile flip phone. T-Mobile is not a supporter of the Trump fascist regime.”
He adds, “I am trying to not support the companies that support the regime with huge donations, just to cover their own a*****, while people are being shot in the streets of America, not just Minnesota, America!”
Young’s also rethinking the fact that he uses an Apple computer, though his manager told him he could keep it since it’s already paid for.
“I have to stop and re-assess,” he writes. “No more upgrades! That feeds Apple, Apple supports ‘The Regime.’ That money is going to Apple now. Tim Cook, the CEO, falling over backwards to support the regime!”
“I have to re-asses everything I am doing,” he concludes. “I will sue Apple if my computer doesn’t work without the new costly upgrade. What about Warner Brothers?”
In the post, Young notes there’s a list of companies supporting Trump on his Archives editorial page, along with numbers to contact the CEOs of the companies.
Young’s latest post follows his recent announcement that he’s making his Neil Young Archives site available for free to people in Greenland. He also encouraged his fans not to use Amazon, calling Jeff Bezos “a billionaire backer of the president.”
Scott Bessent, US treasury secretary, speaks during the Trump Accounts Launch Summit in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. The US Treasury Department is bringing together senior administration officials, everyday Americans, and key stakeholders to highlight the upcoming launch of Trump Accounts. Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — As the cost of many basic goods, including groceries, continues to rise, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang, he understands the hardships facing millions of people, but argued that the Biden administration is responsible for the rising costs.
“Look, Americans should be worried about affordability. The Biden administration destroyed affordability,” he told ABC News on Wednesday, contending inflation under the Biden administration was the worst in 49 years.
Bessent did not provide more details about how the previous administration was responsible for rising costs, but claimed that the Trump administration was “getting inflation under control.”
Yet prices for goods are seeing mixed results, according to Consumer Price Index data.
For example, gas prices have decreased over the last year, while coffee prices have risen by nearly 20% and ground beef prices have risen by 15.5% during the same period, CPI data showed.
When pressed on those statistics, Bessent said people need to see costs in a broader context.
“When you step on the scale, you don’t look at the composite number of how much you weigh and say, ‘Well, my arm weighs this. My head weighs this.’ So I believe that we are quickly going to meet the [Federal Reserve’s] target of 2% inflation,” he said.
Bessent on the Fed
When it came to the Fed, Bessent stressed that President Donald Trump “has great reverence” for the body and respects the central bank but added, “independence does not mean no accountability.”
“I think it’s very important for the Fed to be both independent but accountable,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department announced a probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, alleging he misled Congress about costs over the renovation of Federal Reserve buildings.
Powell said in a statement that the probe is part of the administration’s push to lower interest rates.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” he said in a video message on Jan. 11.
A bipartisan group of senators and former Fed chairs slammed the Justice Department for the probe.
Bessent allegedly warned Trump that the investigation “made a mess” and could be bad for financial markets, according to a report by Axios. When asked about those alleged concerns, the treasury secretary told ABC News he has “repeatedly called for the Fed to do its own investigation.”
Trump accounts
Bessent was slated to appear with the president on Wednesday to discuss his “Trump Accounts” plan for families.
Under Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation, starting this July, the federal government will deposit $1,000 for every baby born between 2025 and 2028. Families can contribute up to $5,000 annually. Employers can contribute up to $2,500 per year per employee.
Michael Dell and his wife announced late last year they are donating $6.25 billion to seed savings accounts for up to 25 million American children — depositing $250 for every child age 10 and under, who lives in a zip code where the median income is below $150,000.
Bessent told ABC News that 600,000 families have already gone online to open accounts. He said he expects states to make contributions, in addition to new contributions from companies and philanthropists.
“So there will be government contribution. We believe that many states will make contributions,” he said.
“Employers are going to contribute, philanthropists are going to contribute, companies are going to contribute,” Bessent added.
JP Morgan and Bank of America announced Wednesday that they will match employees’ “Trump Accounts” by $1,000.
Venezuela
Bessent said “things are moving very quickly” when it comes to oil companies committing to invest in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil sector.
He didn’t provide the dollar amount that’s been committed, but said they’re seeing “great demand.”
Shortly after the U.S. removed the Venezuelan president from power on Jan. 3, Trump said that he expects at least $100 billion in investments from major companies.
But during a roundtable Trump held earlier this month with oil executives, several CEOs expressed reservations.
-ABC News’ Taylor Dunn contributed to this report.
