Ludacris celebrated his 45th birthday Sunday, and on Monday, he had a present for his fans.
“Y’all been supporting me, so let me give y’all a gift,” the Fast & Furious star said in an Instagram video. His gift was dropping the trailer for the new season of his Karma’s World animated series, named after his 21-year-old daughter. Season 4 of the coming-of-age story of aspiring rapper Karma Grant premieres September 22 on Netflix.
The new season comes with a new collection of Karma’s Worlddolls from Mattel.
Ludacris says this is a very special birthday due to the success of his new film, End of the Road, co-starring Queen Latifah, which debuted Friday.
“Let me tell you why I’ve had the best birthday: because End of the Road on Netflix is #1,” he proudly declared. “Still #1 three days in a row.”
The “Stand Up” rapper ended his clip vowing to continue partying for his birthday.
“Virgo nation. We’re gonna keep celebrating the whole month of September!”
A new documentary is taking a look back at the Emmy-winning show M*A*S*H, ahead of the 50th anniversary of its debut on September 17, 1972.
M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Reelz and promises a never-before-seen look into the Korean War-set show, the 1983 finale of which drew a record 106 million viewers.
“I like to say it’s on the Mount Rushmore of TV syndication because there are very few shows … whose popularity spanned decades,” TV executive/unofficial M*A*S*H historian Dan Harrison tells ABC Audio.
He included I Love Lucy, Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Friends on that metaphorical mountain of “timeless” shows.
The documentary features exclusive interviews from cast members including Jamie Farr, who played Cpl. Max Klinger, and Mike Farrell, who played Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt, as well as some of the others who brought the 11-season-long show to life.
“The storylines stand up,” Farr tells ABC Audio. “And I think because of the writing and the acting and directing of the series, that’s what held everybody’s interest. And you don’t find it to be getting old [today].”
Lasting four times longer than the war in which it was set, M*A*S*H also boasteda roster ofguest stars including Ron Howard, Laurence Fishburne and Patrick Swayze. It also dealt with real-life issues from racism to homosexuals in the military, and broke the mold with innovative storytelling.
Harrison explains, “You watch a one-hour drama from the early ’70s, and it can feel very slow because you’re telling one story over that period. And, you know, you get to E.R. in the ’90s and it’s super fast-paced.”
He explains, “M*A*S*H almost always from the beginning started with three stories in an episode … So M*A*S*H, even though it’s a show that is 50 years old, doesn’t quite feel as old as other shows from that era.”
Two decades after he woke up in a car, Andrew McMahon woke up 40 years old. To celebrate the occasion, he got Something Corporate back together.
The long-defunct band, which has been on hiatus since 2011, reunited for a six-song set during McMahon’s 40th birthday concert, which was held last Friday in Anaheim, California.
“Truthfully, it’s rare that all of us can even get together, and the guys from Something Corporate are all individually successful in their own rights and other businesses,” McMahon tells Alternative Press of the reunion. “It felt like, ‘Here’s a chance where we don’t have to make it a show about that, but also have them play some songs with me and a chance for us to freak out together.'”
You can watch a recap video of the Something Corporate performance now via McMahon’s Instagram.
After Something Corporate first went on hiatus in the mid-2000s, McMahon launched his Jack’s Mannequin project. He now releases music under the solo moniker Andrew McMahon in theWilderness, which produced the single “Cecilia and the Satellite.”
The latest Wilderness release is the track “Stars,” which premiered in August.
Following last month’s announcement that Michelle Branch was splitting from her husband, Patrick Carney, of The Black Keys, Pitchfork reports that Branch and Carney have agreed to temporarily put their divorce on hold.
Pitchfork reports that according to court documents, the couple, who wed in 2019 and have two children, are going to suspend their divorce proceedings for at least six months. Furthermore, they plan to undergo counseling to “effectuate reconciliation,” and may even go back to “living together as husband and wife” while they attempt to repair their relationship.
Last month, Branch said she and Carney were breaking up after she accused him in a since-deleted tweet of cheating on her when she was home with their baby daughter, Willie. In the middle of her filing for divorce, Branch was arrested and booked for domestic assault after she slapped Carney. The case was soon dropped.
Branch’s new album, The Trouble with Fever, arrives on Friday. Because it was recorded during COVID lockdown, her only collaborator on the project was Carney.
The singer turned to Instagram to share photos from Nancy Miller‘s tattoo parlor in her home state of Arkansas. She can be seen lying on the table as Nancy draws an image on her thigh in purple ink. Ashley didn’t reveal what the tattoo is, telling fans she’ll show it off once it’s healed.
“It was time. Time to go see @nancymillertattoo again. It’d been far too long,” Ashley writes alongside the photos of herself, tour manager Chris and hair and makeup stylist Dayna all getting tatted. “Chris and Dayna also had things they needed to ink about. I’ll post my pieces when that thigh heals up. Always a pleasure having work done by Nancy…. She’s just the best.”
The “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” singer has several tattoos, including an eagle on her chest.
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Ukrainian engineers have made further progress in repairing vital power infrastructure in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it was informed Tuesday.
The engineers are providing the plant with renewed access to a third back-up power line. This means all three back-up power lines to the power plant have been restored, according to the IAEA.
But, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano still warned that safety at the plant remains precarious as it is under the control of Russian forces, but operated by a Ukrainian staff.
While there has been no shelling at or near Zaporizhzhya in recent days, it was still occurring in the wider area, Mariano said.
Zaporizhzhya’s four main external power lines are all down and it is not currently providing electricity to households, factories and others.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Sep 13, 2:21 PM EDT
300 settlements liberated in Kharkiv Oblast, deputy Ukrainian defense minister says
The Ukrainian Armed Forces said Tuesday that it liberated more than 300 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.
Ukrainian soldiers have de-occupied 3,800 square kilometers since Sept. 6, according to Deputy Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Malyar.
According to Malyar, the Russian forces deprived local residents of any communication. They allegedly told residents Ukraine no longer exists, that the country already had a different president, and that Ukraine will not come for them.
Roughly 150,000 people have been freed from Russian control in recent days, according to Malyar.
About 1.1 to 1.2 million people are still living in areas occupied by Russian forces. Of those people, 300,000 are in Donetsk, 500,000 are in Kherson, and 350,000 are in Zaporizhzhia oblast, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Sep 12, 5:37 PM EDT
More than 20 towns and villages freed in 24 hours, Ukrainian military says
Russian troops have been surrendering en masse — even escaping the Luhansk region in stolen cars and bicycles, with some replacing their uniforms with stolen civilian clothes, according to a spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence.
“They understand the hopelessness of their situation,” the spokesperson said.
More than 20 towns and villages have been freed in 24 hours as the Russian military and its local collaborators flee, the spokesperson said.
Russian troops are allegedly making attempts to contact Ukrainian officers in an effort to independently negotiate the surrender of their units, as long as they get assurance of being treated according to the Geneva Conventions, according to the Ukrainian military spokesperson.
So many have surrendered that the country is running out of space to accommodate Russian prisoners of war, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Monday.
-ABC News’ Tomek Rolski
Sep 12, 12:22 PM EDT
Protection zone ‘urgently needed’ to end shelling near nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has established a presence at the site of the nuclear power plant in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia due to continued shelling in the region, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement Monday.
The mission, intended to ensure nuclear safety and security and to allow inspectors to take vital safeguard activities, has made clear of the “urgent and imperative goal” to halt the bombing and establish a protection zone surrounding the power plant, which is the largest in Europe.
In addition to the protection zone, the IAEA has established a second safety pillar that states all safety and security systems should be fully functioning and operating “normally and unhindered.” During observations, the safety team observed military equipment and vehicles getting in the way of systems functioning optimally, Grossi said.
The third pillar of the safety plan states that operating staff must be able to perform their duties without undue pressure or duress — an issue that has been raised many times since the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia began in March, according to the statement.
The IAEA is also mandating the maintenance of constant off-site power supply so that the power plant does not lose crucial functionalities, including the cooling of reactors and spent fuel, as well as uninterrupted supply chains and transportation to and from the site, which will be “especially crucial” should backup generators be needed again.
Effective radiation monitoring systems — both on and off site — and emergency preparedness, as well as continued reliable communication with the regulator and others, were also safety pillars outlined in the plan.
“Despite the ongoing challenges of the war, we have continued to implement safeguards in Ukraine,” Grossi said.
BLACKPINK is gearing up for their forthcoming album, Born Pink, and to celebrate the K-pop sensations are hosting a Los Angeles pop-up experience running all weekend.
The “Ice Cream” singers have teamed up with Spotify “to create a special, first-of-its-kind experience” so fans can immerse themselves into Born Pink. Born Pink: The Pop Up Experience opens Friday, September 16, and runs through Sunday, September 18.
Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa all had direct input in crafting the celebration, which they are promoting as “a fan-focused event,” per the official press release.
The pop-up offers “an array of curated photo moments,” as well as the chance to purchase exclusive BLACKPINK merchandise. In addition, attendees will be able to access an exclusive Spotify x BLACKPINK giveaway.
The address of the pop-up will remain a secret until the day before it opens. The “Pink Venom” singers encourage fans to watch their social media accounts for clues and sneak peeks of their upcoming events.
They have also launched an official website teasing the pop-up experience.
Two hip-hop legends are collaborating, as Fat Joe will host a new TV show for Starz executive produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
SpringHill’s studio division, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, will also produce the pilot.
“We’re about to create the biggest and most culturally relevant series on television,” Joe said in a statement. “With Puff, LeBron, the incredible team at Starz and myself teaming up, you have a dream team that is guaranteed to produce TV gold.”
“Hosting a show has always been a dream of mine and I’m thankful for everyone who helped make it a reality,” the five-time Grammy nominee continued. “I promise you that we’re going to push the envelope, deliver compelling interviews and provide pure entertainment.”
“I’m excited to partner with Starz and bring these cultural giants together to create the No. 1 show on television,” Diddy added. “Fat Joe is a very authentic and respected voice in the culture that deserves a platform to bring these important conversations to a global audience on a major network.”
Joe served as a guest host for The Wendy Williams Show and will host the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards, airing October 4.
Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman tells the origin story of the band in his new memoir, None of This Rocks.
In an excerpt posted by Rolling Stone, Trohman recalls how he and bassist Pete Wentz had wanted to start a pop-punk band together in Chicago. In the midst of looking for a vocalist, Trohman ran into a “fair-skinned waif of a teen with thick glasses and enormous sideburns” by the name of Patrick Stump while looking through CDs at a Borders bookstore.
“We both liked to talk, that was evident,” Trohman recalls of the meeting. “We both liked to talk about music, too. And we both seemed to like each other. We also both liked to hear ourselves talk.”
Before recruiting Andy Hurley, Trohman, Wentz and Stump went through a revolving door of drummers. At the time, Trohman described himself as the “glue guy” in the band, who’d be “keeping us together, making us rehearse when no one wanted to, trying to push us forward when all felt hopeless, trying to make our terrible band good through sheer brute force.”
After Hurley joined, Fall Out Boy recorded their proper debut, 2003’s Take This to Your Grave. Its underground success eventually led Fall Out Boy to signing to a major label for 2005’s breakout effort, From Under the Cork Tree.
“As things began to grow out of the DIY and into the mainstream machine, my role in the band, as the person who kept us together and pushed us forward, was becoming obsolete,” Trohman writes.
Trohman describes his behavior during the Cork Tree era as “rough” and “even more foul” during the recording of 2007’s Infinity on High. As for what happens next, you can read None of This Rocks, which is out now.
Paul McCartney is speaking out in support of a campaign by PETA’s Indian branch to have an allegedly abused elephant sent to a rescue center.
PETA India claims that a captive female elephant known alternately as Jeymalyatha and Joymala has been beaten by its keepers in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They’ve shared viral videos from June 2002 and February that allegedly show the animal being abused.
McCartney has written a letter to India’s Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, asking him to immediately relocate Jeymalyatha to a suitable animal sanctuary.
“I have considered India a spiritual place ever since I travelled there in the 1960s. I was impressed by India’s cultural love for animals,” writes Sir Paul, a longtime vegetarian and PETA supporter. “I know India reveres elephants, its national heritage animal; but cruelty to animals happens everywhere, even in India.”
He continues, “What reflects on a country’s values is how that cruelty is addressed. That’s why I am confident that action will be taken to send sorely abused elephant Jeymalyatha (Joymala) to a suitable rescue centre where she can receive the specialized care she needs for her psychological wounds, and can live unchained and in the company of others of her kind.”
McCartney adds, “I trust you agree that Jeymalyatha has suffered more than enough and that she deserves to spend the rest of her time on this Earth away from her abusive trainers, rehabilitating, and with others of her kind.”
A variety of Indian celebrities are also supporting the PETA campaign, with many posting tweets using the hashtag #FreeElephantJeymalyatha.
Visit PETAIndia.com for more details about the story.
