The late Frank Zappa‘s entire song publishing and recording catalog, his film archives and the full contents of his expansive storage facility, known as The Vault, have been acquired by Universal Music Group from the Zappa Trust, the family company overseen by Frank’s four children.
In addition, the agreement, which also includes Zappa’s name and likeness, will see UMG’s catalog and music-publishing companies — Universal Music Enterprises, known as UMe, and Universal Music Publishing Group — continue its ongoing partnership with the Zappa Trust, which began 10 years ago when Frank’s late wife, Gail, was overseeing the trust.
“UMG have more than proven their passion for Frank’s art and so the entire Zappa family — Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva — is thrilled to pass the baton to the new forever stewards for all things Frank Zappa,” the Zappa Trust says in a joint statement. “Old and new fans will get more of what they want — more Frank Zappa music for years to come …[W]e know that his music and legacy will be in the best possible hands for generations to come.”
Adds UMe President and CEO Bruce Resnikoff, “We will continue to develop innovative ways to celebrate [Frank’s] vast and influential catalog for both longtime fans and those just discovering his genius … Frank Zappa was constantly creating and recording and he left behind a treasure trove of extraordinary still-unreleased music and video in his Vault that will help us usher in the next era of Frank Zappa fans.”
During his lifetime, Zappa obsessively documented his recording sessions, live performances and jams on audio and video formats. UMG is planning to pore through his archives to create many new releases in the coming years.
(NEW YORK) — New York City’s COVID-19 test positivity rate is skyrocketing, indicating that a sixth wave of the virus could be around the corner.
As of June 26 — the latest date for which data is available — the test positivity rate hit 10.05%, according to the city’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.
It marks the first time the rate has surpassed 10% since Jan. 22, when the omicron wave was still hammering the Big Apple.
Experts previously suggested the true test positivity rate could even be higher due to the number of people testing positive with at-home rapid tests and not reporting their results to health officials.
This reflects trends also being seen on the national level, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
As of June 26, the seven-day average for the COVID test positivity rate in the United States was 15.65%, the highest figure recorded since Feb. 3.
Additionally, COVID-19 cases are also on the rise, with the seven-day average sitting at 3,216, city data shows — a 9% percent increase from the 2,946 average recorded two weeks ago.
However, hospitalizations are continuing to fall while deaths remain flat.
The majority of COVID-19 cases continue to be among the unvaccinated. As of June 11, the case rate among the unvaccinated was 1,046.04 per 100,000, data from the New York health department shows.
Comparatively, the rate among those who are vaccinated and boosted was four times lower at 259.4 cases per 100,000, while the rate among those vaccinated but not boosted even lower at 156.4 per 100,000.
Earlier this week, Dr. Jay Varma, an infectious diseases physician and former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s senior advisor for public health, tweeted this is likely the beginning of a wave caused by BA.5, an omicron subvariant.
“BA.5 was [around] 17% of cases two weeks ago so [it’s] likely much higher now,” he tweeted. “Experience from other countries means there will be another big increase in NYC COVID-19 infections, including among those who have had omicron in [the] past few months.”
Varma added, “Unclear from lab data [and] elsewhere how much this will increase hospitalizations & deaths. At a minimum, I can be confident predicting that BA.5 will lead to more days when people are out of work, kids home from school/camp and more people suffering from long COVID.”
Across the U.S., BA.5 makes up 36.6% of all COVID-19 cases, CDC data shows, which is more than double the prevalence from two weeks prior. Combined with another subvariant, BA.4, they make up more than half of all cases.
Meanwhile, BA.1 — the original omicron variant — accounts for no cases, according to the data.
“BA.4 and BA.5 have come out of nowhere the last two weeks.” Dr. Roy Gulick, chief of the division of infectious diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, told ABC News. “They are more transmissible than the other recent variants we’ve seen, they’re less susceptible to antibodies both from previous infection or from vaccination — but they don’t seem to cause more severe disease.”
In response, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced Thursday the agency is asking COVID-19 vaccine developers, including Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, to develop a booster shot that can target the subvariants.
“As we move into the fall and winter, it is critical that we have safe and effective vaccine boosters that can provide protection against circulating and emerging variants to prevent the most severe consequences of COVID-19,” Marks said in a statement.
In light of the rise of cases, Gulick recommends people still keep following known mitigation measures that work including avoiding large crowds and wearing a mask if crowds are unavoidable.
At the Apple TV+ show’s premiere in Los Angeles Wednesday night, the cast and other creatives behind the forthcoming series Black Bird paid tribute to their fallen co-star Ray Liotta.
The acclaimed actor passed away unexpectedly May 26 at the age of 67.
“He’s a magnificent actor and a magnificent person. He was a great guy,” Greg Kinnear tells Variety.
He continued, “Listen, I would say he was great no matter what — I mean, he could’ve read the phone book in this thing and I would say he’s great — but I genuinely think he’s extraordinary in this in a way that is going to knock people out.”
Dennis Lehane, the writer and executive producer of Black Bird, noted, “He meant everything to us.”
He adds, “I wrote the part for him, it was my dream to work with him. He was as good as advertised. He raised all boats, and he never gave the same take twice.”
Calling Liotta the “complete, consummate professional,” Lehane noted, “And then when he died, it was tough because our last conversation three weeks earlier had been about what we were gonna do next.”
He tells the trade, “We just hope that at least the legacy lives on through this performance.”
Variety noted that Paul Walter Hauser, who plays suspected serial killer Larry Hall in the fact-based series, wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Liotta’s Field of Dreams character “Shoeless” Joe Jackson on it.
In the film, Liotta plays the cop dad of Kingsman series lead Taron Egerton‘s clean-cut Jimmy Keene, who is facing a 10-year stint in prison.
Liotta’s daughter Karsen and fiancée Jacy Nittolo also walked the red carpet to commemorate one of his last roles.
(NEW YORK) — The CEO of Delta Air Lines apologized to customers who were impacted by widespread delays and cancellations in a letter on Thursday.
“If you’ve encountered delays and cancellations recently, I apologize,” Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian said in the letter.
Delta and other major airlines continue to struggle with the strong demand for air travel, forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights in the last several weeks. While airlines have blamed weather and air traffic control for the delays, airlines are also severely understaffed.
Bastian announced Thursday that corporate employees will be sent to two especially hard-hit airports — Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport — to help check baggage and check in travelers. Bastian said the company is making logistical changes to prevent additional delays and cancellations.
“Crews are being scheduled with more buffer room to help us absorb and adjust when factors like summer thunderstorms disrupt the operation,” Bastian said. “And as always, we’re issuing travel waivers ahead of inclement weather, enabling you to easily rebook travel if needed without worry.”
In the letter, Bastian said that Delta has added more than 15,000 new employees since the start of 2021. American, United and Delta are all hiring roughly 200 pilots per month.
The letter also comes as off-duty Delta pilots are picketing at major Delta hubs across the country during ongoing union contract negotiations.
“The environment we’re navigating today is unlike anything we’ve ever faced, but Delta is no stranger to challenging times, and our commitment to you is as strong as ever,” Bastian said. “We won’t stop until we’ve made things right, and we’ll never stop improving for you.”
Airlines expect the highest number of passengers since the start of the pandemic during the July 4 weekend. Delta is forecasting more than 3 million travelers alone.
Delta preemptively slashed hundreds of flights from its schedule between July 1 to Aug. 7 due to staffing concerns. United Airlines has cut 50 daily flights out of Newark starting on July 1.
Lawmakers, including Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), called on airlines to “prioritize their passengers and address flight schedule issues” in a letter sent to major domestic airlines on Wednesday.
“If an airline cancels a flight for any reason, the airline must promptly provide passengers refunds, as required by the law,” they said. “As the July 4th holiday approaches, the reliability of the air travel system should not be up in the air.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline executives last week and pressed them on their ability to reliably operate their July 4 holiday flight schedules, a source familiar with the meeting told ABC News. Buttigieg also asked them to improve customer experience.
ABC News’ Amanda Maile contributed to this report.
(EAST LONDON, South Africa) — Tear gas or pepper spray was used on patrons at a popular nightclub in South Africa when more than a dozen teenagers mysteriously died there, an eyewitness told ABC News.
Sibongile Mtsewu, 22, said he was ordering drinks at the crowded Enyobeni Tavern near the South African city of East London over the weekend, when suddenly the doors were closed and some type of chemical agent was released into the air.
“There was no way out,” Mtsewu, who lives nearby, told ABC News in a telephone interview Thursday. “There was no chance to breathe.”
Mtsewu said he passed out after inhaling the substance. He recalled being surrounded by bodies when his brother woke him up some time later.
“The tear gas suffocated many people,” he told ABC News. “That’s why people died.”
Mtsewu said one of his legs was injured and he has pains in his body from the incident.
The South African Police Service has declined to comment on possible causes of deaths, citing the ongoing probe.
Officers were called to the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, a suburb on the edge of East London in Eastern Cape province, on Sunday morning at around 4 a.m. local time, according to police. Upon arrival, they discovered 17 teens dead inside the club. Four more died when they were hospitalized or being transported to hospitals. The youngest victim was 13, police said.
The incident remains under investigation. The circumstances surrounding the tragedy were unclear, and the causes of deaths have yet to be established. No arrests have been made, according to police.
“We do not want to make any speculation at this stage as our investigations are continuing,” Brig. Tembinkosi Kinana, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service, told ABC News on Sunday.
As of Thursday, all 21 victims had been identified and the autopsies were completed, but toxicology reports were still pending, according to Siyanda Manana, a spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Health. A mass funeral will be held next week.
The South African Police Service’s commissioner for Eastern Cape province, Lt. Gen. Nomthetheleli Mene, released a statement on Wednesday expressing concern “about circulating rumours and media reports speculating on the cause of death.”
“As indicated earlier, at an appropriate time and when an official report has been made available by the experts, the family and members of the public will be informed by the relevant authority,” Mene said. “We urge people to refrain from making risky assumptions which do not assist our investigations.”
The TV series inspired by The Best Man franchise will premiere just in time for Christmas.
The Best Man: Final Chapters will premiere December 22 on Peacock, Entertainment Tonight reports.
All the of the two movies, The Best Man in 1999 and The Best Man Holiday in 2013, have returned. Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard, Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall and Melissa De Sousa have been shooting in several locations, including the Dominican Republic. Nicole Ari Parker, from Empire, has also joined the all-star cast.
The director of the films, Malcolm D. Lee, is also back and has added another famed director for the series, Robert Townsend, whose credits include The Five Heartbeats and Hollywood Shuffle.
On Wednesday, Lee posted an Instagram video from Rockefeller Center in New York City as his crew prepared to shoot a scene.
According to Peacock, The Best Man: Final Chapters “will catch up with the leading characters Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as relationships evolve and past grievances resurface in the unpredictable stages of midlife crisis meets midlife renaissance.”
(ENCINAL, Texas) — Four people were killed and three others are in critical condition Thursday following a car crash involving an alleged migrant smuggling operation in Texas, police said.
The incident took place on Interstate 35 in Encinal, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“The driver suspected of human smuggling evaded law enforcement and crashed into a commercial vehicle,” the Texas DPS tweeted.
Encinal is located about 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The incident comes three days after 53 migrants being smuggled into the U.S. were found dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio.
Lil Nas X shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes video of how he filmed “Late To Da Party.” The video shows Lil Nas X fawning over how handsome he is, joking how smart he looks while wearing glasses. The video includes its fair share of bad editing and shows how they filmed the bizarre music video into the early morning hours.
Britney Spears raved about some beaded toilet paper earrings on Instagram and now the designer is singing Britney’s praises. Licia Young, who sells those earrings for $44 a pop, told Page Six she received a massive spike in sales. “I’ve received enough publicity to make it worth making them,” she raved.
Justin Bieber attended church for the first time since being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which paralyzed a part of his face. Page Sixreports he and wife Hailey Bieber were spotted attending Wednesday night service. Hope he feels better soon!
Halsey teamed with Coca-Cola for a new music video for their song “So Good,” which you can watch by scanning a Coke bottle. Halsey announced on Instagram that they “concepted and created” the new clip with the beverage giant, which shows them painting away while enjoying a soda.
Adele teased her Friday night all-female concert at Hyde park. “Who’s ready for tomorrow!?” she asked on Instagram, and shared a series of snaps of her wearing no makeup and sitting cross-legged on a chair while belting out a song.
See the dress Olivia Rodrigo wore to the Grammy Awards at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Billboardreports it updated their “On the Red Carpet” display and now includes Olivia’s red carpet dress, as well as Silk Sonic‘s suits and Billie Eilish‘s outfit!
Get ready, DNCE drops their new song “Got Me Good” on July 8!
Get ready, DNCE has an all new song coming out next week! They’ll drop “Got Me Good” on July 8.
Adele is teasing her Friday night all-female concert at Hyde park. “Who’s ready for tomorrow!?” she asked on Instagram and shared some behind-the-scenes looks at her getting ready for the upcoming event. Several shots show a makeup-free Adele sitting cross-legged on a chair and belting out a song.
Justin Bieber attended church for the first time since being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which paralyzed a part of his face. Page Six reports he and wife Hailey Bieber were spotted attending Wednesday night service. Hopefully this means he’s feeling better!
See the dress Olivia Rodrigo wore to the Grammy Awards at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Billboardreports it updated their “On the Red Carpet” display and now includes Olivia’s red carpet dress, as well as Silk Sonic‘s suits and Gloria Estefan‘s dress!
It’s good to be famous! Michael Bublé revealed on TikTok he’s best buddies with Aktar Islam, the owner of the upscale Opheem restaurant in Birmingham, England. Islam shut his restaurant down so Michael, who’s on tour, could enjoy a private dinner there. “If you think it’s an ad, it’s not. Here’s my bill,” Michael insisted while holding up a receipt. “I paid and it was worth every penny!”
Meghan Trainor reminded fans who she married — Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara. She took to TikTok to upgrade his title from “Spy Kid” to “Spy Husband.” As she declares she will always be #TeamJuni, the name of Daryl’s character in the franchise, her husband comedically pulls a few spy-like poses and fighting moves.
The 10th anniversary edition of the Allman Brothers Band-founded Peach Music Festival got underway Thursday.
The four-day event, which runs through Sunday, July 3, is taking place at its usual location, Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It will include headlining sets from The Black Crowes and Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s solo band.
More than 50 artists will be performing at this year’s festival, with the bill also including founding Allman Brothers Band drummer Jaimoe, Jason Bonham‘s Led Zeppelin Evening, reggae legends The Wailers and Steel Pulse, G. Love & The Juice and Duane Betts — son of original Allman Brothers singer/guitarist Dickey Betts.
Jaimoe will be playing with a collective dubbed Jaimoe & Friends, while The Wailers will perform the late Bob Marley‘s classic hits compilation Legend in its entirety. In addition, a group called Trouble No More will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers’ 1972 album Eat a Peach. Trouble No More’s lead singer is Lamar Williams Jr., whose late father played bass with the Allman Brothers from 1972 to 1976.
With the festival scheduled just before July 4, the bash will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display Sunday.
Meanwhile, nugs.net will be streaming select performances from the festival on all four days, and subscribers to the service will be able to watch for free.
The June 30 livestream lineup includes the Trouble No More set; the July 1 bill will feature Steel Pulse; the July 2 lineup includes Jaimoe & Friends and Trey Anastasio Band; and the July 3 livestream will offer Duane Betts, The Wailers and G. Love & The Juice.
