Godfather of Harlem, the TV drama about 1960s Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson, is coming to an end after four seasons, Deadline reports. Instead of a fifth season, the series will wrap with a two-hour series finale. Production is set to begin July 10 in Brooklyn. “Playing Bumpy Johnson has been one of the greatest experiences of my career,” Forest Whitaker said in a statement. “This character, this story, and this ensemble have allowed me to explore the complexity of a man caught between ambition, loyalty, and survival.”
Remy Ma will join Rick Ross as a special guest when his Port of Miami tour hits New York. “NEW YORK… It’s only right. @remyma joins me for the #POM20 celebration. See you at the Beacon Theatre,” he wrote on Instagram. The show takes place on July 10.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed 50 Cent is one of his dream dinner party guests in an interview with Complex’s 360 with Jillian. He said he’d choose him so “we could have a conversation around tax policy.” Elsewhere in the interview, he joked that A$AP Rocky is no competition in a rap battle and that he has a soft spot for Cardi B, who he deems the queen of New York. The full interview is now on YouTube.
Wolf Alice has announced The Clearing: B Sides, a collection of three songs recorded during the sessions for the band’s latest album, 2025’s The Clearing.
“These are a few songs we made during The Clearing that didn’t make it on the final record, but are ones we love very much, including a cover with two of our fave singers Julia Cumming and Bria Salmena,” Wolf Alice says in a statement. “We’re happy to have found a home for them for you to hear. Enjoy.”
The tracks are called “Gospel Oak,” “Hammond Song” and “Hit the Sky.” “Gospel Oak” is out now, and the other two will premiere digitally in the coming weeks ahead of a vinyl release on Aug. 21.
The original The Clearing marked Wolf Alice’s fourth album, and spawned the singles “Bloom Baby Bloom” and “White Horses.”
Wolf Alice’s upcoming touring plans include playing Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees and All Things Go DC, and opening for select dates on Olivia Rodrigo’s U.S. tour.
Wolf Alice has announced The Clearing: B Sides, a collection of three songs recorded during the sessions for the band’s latest album, 2025’s The Clearing.
“These are a few songs we made during The Clearing that didn’t make it on the final record, but are ones we love very much, including a cover with two of our fave singers Julia Cumming and Bria Salmena,” Wolf Alice says in a statement. “We’re happy to have found a home for them for you to hear. Enjoy.”
The tracks are called “Gospel Oak,” “Hammond Song” and “Hit the Sky.” “Gospel Oak” is out now, and the other two will premiere digitally in the coming weeks ahead of a vinyl release on Aug. 21.
The original The Clearing marked Wolf Alice’s fourth album, and spawned the singles “Bloom Baby Bloom” and “White Horses.”
Wolf Alice’s upcoming touring plans include playing Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees and All Things Go DC, and opening for select dates on Olivia Rodrigo’s U.S. tour.
Nikki Sixx arrives at the premiere of Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’ at ArcLight Hollywood on March 18, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx marked his 25th sobriety anniversary on Thursday.
“It’s hard to wrap a lifetime of lessons into a few paragraphs, but one thing has never changed: sobriety gave me a life I never imagined was possible,” Sixx writes in an Instagram post. “It gave me my family. It taught me how to be present instead of just existing. It showed me what it means to be a husband, a father, a friend, and a bandmate—not perfectly, but honestly.”
Sixx detailed his drug use in his 2007 book, The Heroin Diaries, which was accompanied by the debut Sixx:A.M. album, The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack.
“If my story helps even one person believe there’s another way, then every scar has found a purpose,” Sixx now says. “Twenty-five years later, I don’t celebrate perfection. I celebrate progress. I celebrate love. I celebrate the people who walked beside me when I couldn’t walk alone.”
Nikki Sixx arrives at the premiere of Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’ at ArcLight Hollywood on March 18, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx marked his 25th sobriety anniversary on Thursday.
“It’s hard to wrap a lifetime of lessons into a few paragraphs, but one thing has never changed: sobriety gave me a life I never imagined was possible,” Sixx writes in an Instagram post. “It gave me my family. It taught me how to be present instead of just existing. It showed me what it means to be a husband, a father, a friend, and a bandmate—not perfectly, but honestly.”
Sixx detailed his drug use in his 2007 book, The Heroin Diaries, which was accompanied by the debut Sixx:A.M. album, The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack.
“If my story helps even one person believe there’s another way, then every scar has found a purpose,” Sixx now says. “Twenty-five years later, I don’t celebrate perfection. I celebrate progress. I celebrate love. I celebrate the people who walked beside me when I couldn’t walk alone.”
Dave Davies of The Kinks and artist Christian Furr (Christian Furr/RedHouse Originals/Gibson Garage London)
Ray Davies and Dave Davies, founding members of The Kinks, are the subject of a new art exhibition opening in London.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have teamed with artist Christian Furr — the youngest artist ever commissioned to paint the late Queen Elizabeth II — for the exhibit, The Kinks: Brothers. It’s made up of original paintings by Furr in which he reimagines a passport photobooth photograph the Davies took in 1968 in East Finchley, North London.
“It was a magic moment when we crammed into the photobooth all those years ago,” Dave says. “Christian Furr has done a wonderful job in developing the image into special artworks. We hope people love these as much as we do.”
“Over the years it’s been amazing to see creative people take our music and make something of their own. Christian Furr has done just that,” Ray says. “It’s great to be doing something new with Dave, and seeing these paintings and the original passport photobooth picture again brings back a lot of memories.”
The exhibition will run at the Gibson Garage London from July 24 to Sept. 6. Each painting will be signed by the rockers and the artist, with the paintings and limited-edition prints available for purchase at RedHouseOrignals.com.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a unicellular parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. (CDC)
(MICHIGAN) — A “large and growing” outbreak of a parasitic infection is spreading in Michigan, health officials warned this week.
As of Thursday, more than 300 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, have been confirmed, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told ABC News. Typically, the state only sees about 50 cases per year, according to MDHHS.
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We are working closely with our state and local partners to identify the source of this outbreak that is making so many people ill as quickly as possible,” Lynn Sutfin, public information officer for MDHHS, told ABC News.
The outbreak comes as the CDC reports 145 cases have been infected in 17 states, excluding Michigan, as of June 15, with at least 20 people hospitalized.
The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, state and local authorities are investigating several clusters of cyclosporiasis cases in multiple states.
Doctors told ABC News that cases usually start in May, so the Michigan outbreak occurred during the time or year when public health specialists typically would see a rise in cases. However, the number of cases in Michigan is particularly high, doctors said.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist and associate dean for regional campuses at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News that in years past, the U.S. used to see many cases cyclosporiasis acquired outside of the U.S, or from imported vegetables and fruits.
“But now we’re starting to have more domestic cases as well,” Chin-Hong said.
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC. The agency further said it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.
Some patients do not experience any symptoms but, for those who do, the most common symptom is “explosive watery diarrhea,” Dr. Zoe Weiss, director of clinical microbiology at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News.
Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting, Weiss said.
“Though in most cases this illness causes discomfort from cramping, bloating and watery diarrhea, we are concerned about individuals who may be immunocompromised due to cancer treatment or an organ transplant as the effects may be more severe,” Sutfin from MDHHS said.
Weiss said the infection is very unlikely to spread from person-to-person “because the parasite is passed in the stool, and then it requires days to weeks of formulation in the environment before it can become infectious.”
Chin-Hong said that oftentimes people dismiss watery diarrhea, but it is important to get a diagnosis to get treatment as soon as possible.
Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, taken for 10 days, according to the CDC.
Doctors told ABC News that people can prevent infection by thoroughly washing produce, cutting away bruised or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating pre-prepared or pre-cut produce.
“If you’re in an area that’s been affected and you have sudden ongoing watery diarrhea, you should definitely seek a physician and get treatment,” Weiss said.
RaeLynn and Rhett Akins have teamed up for a reimagining of The Oak Ridge Boys’ #1 from 1983, “American Made.” The new duet, retitled “We’re American Made,” drops Friday.
Maren Morris is set to perform live on the Today show plaza Friday on NBC.
You can check out Kip Moore’s new acoustic performance of “Josephine” from his new Reason to Believe album on YouTube now.
Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region’s oil and gas. (Elke Scholiers/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest level since May as negotiations between the United States and Iran ease financial markets.
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage stands at 6.43%, down from last week’s rate of 6.49%, Freddie Mac data on Thursday showed.
Still, mortgage rates register above their level before the war with Iran. Prior to the Middle East conflict in late February, a 30-year fixed mortgage clocked in at an average just below 6%.
“Rates did drop, which does provide some relief. But they’re still high,” Julia Fonseca, a professor at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told ABC News.
A decline in mortgage rates over recent weeks has come in response to a drop in oil prices and Treasury yields, some analysts told ABC News. The shift has partially reversed a trend that took hold after the Iran war broke out.
At that time, mortgage rates surged in response to a jump in U.S. Treasury yields, or the amount paid annually to a holder of government debt. The rise in bond yields is owed to fear of a renewed bout of inflation as oil prices climbed.
Since bonds pay a given investor a fixed amount each year, the specter of inflation risks higher consumer prices that would eat away at those annual payouts. In turn, bonds often become less attractive in response to economic turmoil. When demand falls, bond yields rise.
High bond yields make borrowing more expensive for average Americans, since 10-year Treasury rates influence the rates offered for a variety of loans, including mortgages.
Bond yields eased in recent weeks as negotiations unfolded between the U.S. and Iran, pushing down oil prices and softening inflation expectations, Ken Johnson, a real estate economist at the University of Mississippi, told ABC News. In turn, Johnson said, mortgage rates have fallen.
“The big driver has been the cooling of tensions in the Gulf,” Johnson told ABC News.
Despite the recent drop, mortgage rates remain higher than their pre-war level. Even more, mortgage rates stand well above their level as recently as 2022, when the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage came in below 5%.
Elevated mortgage rates have contributed to a phenomenon known as the “lock-in” effect.
Mortgage rates remain well above the rates enjoyed by most current homeowners, who may be reluctant to put their homes on the market and risk a much higher rate on their next mortgage.
“Rates are still pretty high relative to what they were a few years ago, but every drop in mortgage rates helps. This is not going to go all the way toward unlocking people. We might see this gradual unlocking as time goes by and as rates tick down,” Fonseca said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during an event with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on June 22, 2026, in Washington, DC. President Trump signed two orders on quantum computing. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed protesters chanting “Guard go home” outside a ceremony in Washington, D.C., honoring National Guard troops as their presence in the nation’s capital approaches the one-year mark and has nearly doubled in recent weeks to roughly 5,000 personnel.
“It’s the sound of ingrates,” Hegseth told a formation of some 250 National Guardsmen gathered at a park nestled in Washington D.C.’s northwest neighborhoods. “People who are so blinded by ideology they can’t see law and order and common sense in front of them. There’s nothing ideological about this group.”
Outside the park, dozens of protesters gathered in front of a security perimeter formed by National Guard troops and law enforcement, chanting through megaphones and blowing whistles while drums and a trombone added to the noise as they sought to drown out the speeches. The peaceful demonstration remained largely uneventful.
Speaking in front of the Meridian Hill Park fountain that was recently repaired by the Department of the Interior after years of being inoperative, Hegseth was joined by National Guard chief Gen. Steven Nordhaus, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, commander of the District of Columbia National Guard, and senior White House aide Stephen Miller, who has been an architect of the Trump administration’s National Guard mission in Washington D.C. Each praised the troops serving in Washington.
The deployment has largely focused on high-visibility patrols through downtown corridors and major tourist areas, far from the city’s high-crime areas, along with civic support missions, including trash collection. Troops are commonly armed with 9mm SIG Sauer M17 pistols or 5.56mm M4 rifles.
National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington since last August, with states maintaining a steady rotation of personnel into the city. The broad mission has placed military personnel on civilian streets in an unprecedented domestic role, though National Guard troops retain very limited legal authority.
The National Guard also maintains its constant rotation of units to missions in Africa, Europe and in the Middle East amid the war with Iran. Troops often serve in a part-time capacity, juggling their Guard duty with typical civilian careers.
The force has been drawn overwhelmingly from Republican-led states. The D.C. National Guard itself accounts for about 500 troops, roughly one-quarter of its force, serving on the mission.
South Carolina has deployed roughly 700 troops, Georgia nearly 800 and Mississippi about 500, according to National Guard figures. Other states with sizable contingents include West Virginia, Nebraska, Florida and Louisiana.
Democratic-led states and U.S. territories have begun sending troops to D.C. in recent weeks, but only for events tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration and an expected surge in tourism.
Earlier this week, Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned she would withdraw her state’s troops if they were assigned to President Donald Trump’s ongoing “Safe and Beautiful” mission rather than July 4th-related events.
In practice, however, drawing a distinction between holiday security operations and the Guard’s broader mission in Washington, D.C., may be difficult. Much of the ongoing mission is already concentrated around the National Mall and downtown transit stations, where tourists and local residents celebrating the holiday are expected to converge, one U.S. official explained. National Guard units from other states are frequently sent to Washington for major events such as presidential inaugurations.
Estimates have shown the Guard deployment is more expensive than using additional police officers or municipal workers.
An analysis from the Niskanen Center found the cost differential between troops and local law enforcement was roughly $607 per Guardsman per day compared to about $384 per day for a D.C. police officer.
The report also noted that the National Guard’s presence in D.C. has not reduced violent crime but has coincided with a decline in property crimes.
One estimate from the Congressional Budget Office found the National Guard’s D.C. footprint will cost at least $660 million this year, but it doesn’t account for the additional surge of troops for the summer.
A White House spokeswoman dismissed the Niskanen analysis and insisted the National Guard presence had driven down crime and improved quality of life in the District.
Two National Guard members from West Virginia were shot in the head while on patrol in November. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured and is still recovering, his family says.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, an Afghan national and suspected gunman, pleaded not guilty to the shootings. The Department of Justice said in June it is determining whether to seek the death penalty.
