As a record executive, Clive Davis was responsible for signing and/or nurturing the careers of some of music’s biggest stars, from Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart to Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. Now, he’s going to show off some great performances from those stars in a new docuseries premiering March 23 on Paramount+.
Clive Davis: Most Iconic Performances is a four-episode series that had its origin in the pre-Grammy virtual events Davis staged in 2021, when his famous Grammy party was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series includes full archival concert performances along with personalized introductions from Davis, and exclusive interviews with many of the featured artists. The fourth episode will include extended versions of those interviews.
Viewers will see concerts from Springsteen, Stewart, Aretha, Queen, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Prince, The Bee Gees, Ray Charles and many more, as well as interviews with Bruce, Rod, Paul, Barry Gibb, Mitchell, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Carole King and others.
“These interviews stand out among my proudest achievements,” Davis says in a statement. “They’ve received phenomenal response, presenting these all-time artists in a light never seen before. The performances are truly iconic indeed, jaw-dropping in every way.”
Muse is channeling Dune with a cryptic new teaser video.
The 35-second clip, which premiered Wednesday, shows a group of masked soldiers in a desert tearing down giant statues of the three Muse band members: Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme. In the background, you can hear a chorus chant the line, “The will of the people.”
No other context was given, but it seems safe to assume that Muse is teasing more new music to follow the single “Won’t Stand Down,” which dropped in January alongside a similarly sci-fi video.
Muse’s most recent album is 2018’s Simulation Theory.
As a record executive, Clive Davis was responsible for signing and nurturing the careers of some of music’s biggest stars, from Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. Now, he’s going to showoff some great performances from those stars in a new docuseries premiering March 23 on Paramount+.
Clive Davis: Most Iconic Performances is a four-episode series that had its origin in the pre-Grammy virtual events Davis staged in 2021 when his famous Grammy party was canceled due to COVID-19. It includes full archival concert performances along with personalized introductions from Davis, and exclusive interviews with the featured artists. A fourth episode will include extended versions of those interviews.
Viewers will see concerts from Tina Turner, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, The Bee Gees, Aretha Franklin, Queen and Prince, among others, as well as interviews with Bruce, Rod, Alicia, Barry Gibb, Oprah Winfrey, Paul, Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Joni and Carole King.
“These interviews stand out among my proudest achievements,” Davis says in a statement. “They’ve received phenomenal response, presenting these all-time artists in a light never seen before. The performances are truly iconic indeed, jaw-dropping in every way.”
(WASHINGTON) — The House Judiciary Committee wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland alerting him of potential “criminal conduct by Amazon and certain of its executives,” in a letter written by members of the committee and obtained by ABC News.
The judiciary committee, led by Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline, alleges Amazon lied to Congress over whether it used data it collected from third-party sellers.
“Throughout the course of the Committee’s investigation, Amazon attempted to cover up its lie by offering ever-shifting explanations of what it called its ‘Seller Data Protection Policy,'” the letter says. “Among other things, in written statements to the Committee, Amazon made a distinction between the “individual” seller data that Amazon supposedly protected and the “aggregated” seller data that its private-label business could use.”
Amazon also allegedly lied to Congress about manipulating consumers’ search results, according to the committee.
“After Amazon was caught in a lie and repeated misrepresentations, it stonewalled the Committee’s efforts to uncover the truth. The Committee gave Amazon a final opportunity to provide evidence either correcting the record or corroborating the representations it had made to the Committee under oath and in written statements,” the letter says. “Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity to provide clarity, however, Amazon offered conclusory denials of adverse facts. In a November 1, 2021 communication to the Committee, a senior Amazon official dismissed the reports as inaccurate, attributing them to ‘key misunderstandings and speculation.'”
The judiciary committee further accused Amazon of refusing to turn over any documents related to the investigation they claim to have run on the manipulation of consumer search results.
The bipartisan letter also claims Amazon obstructed a congressional investigation.
“Amazon and its executives appear to have been “acting with an improper purpose” “to influence, obstruct, or impede . . . the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry or investigation is being had,” the letter says. “Amazon has declined multiple opportunities to demonstrate with credible evidence that it made accurate and complete representations to the Committee during the Committee’s digital-markets investigation. The Committee’s findings and credible investigative reports suggest that Amazon’s representations were misleading and incomplete. And Amazon’s failure to correct or corroborate those representations suggests that Amazon and its executives have acted intentionally to improperly influence, obstruct, or impede the Committee’s investigation and inquiries.”
All of these reasons, the letter says, amount to enough substance for a Justice Department referral “to investigate whether Amazon or its executives obstructed Congress or violated other applicable federal laws.”
“There’s no factual basis for this, as demonstrated in the huge volume of information we’ve provided over several years of good faith cooperation with this investigation,” an Amazon spokesperson told ABC News.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the department has received the letter and will review it.
L-R — Morrison, Acoin — Alex Stead/Blue Ice Pictures/SYFY
Actress and singer Samantha Aucoin tells ABC Audio that she “never even stepped on a TV set” before being cast in SyFy’s new supernatural series Astrid & Lilly Save the World,but fans clearly think producers made the right choice.
When the titular high school outcasts have had enough of the figurative monsters they deal with in high school, Aucoin’s Astrid and her BFF Lilly, played by Jana Morrison, attempt to put a hex on them.
However, the pair’s tinkering with the occult opens a portal, loosing literal monsters on their small town. Together, the very unlikely heroes have to put the creatures in their place, and in doing so, gain a confidence they’ve never had.
Aucoin admits, “We would have loved to have this kind of show on when we were in high school, because, you know, getting to see yourself in this sort of lead or…as a hero or a heroine, I mean, that would have been amazing.”
She adds, “For me…I think for anyone…I think high school is such an impressionable time, and when you don’t see yourself represented in the media, you know, that can take a toll on your mental health. It can be like…’Am I not thin enough? Do I not look the right way?'”
Aucoin notes, “To see people…just embracing the show and embracing, you know, the way we look, and to realize that it’s OK to look the way you look, and…you should love that, and you should love yourself.”
Meanwhile, Samantha admits to having one selfish goal for the show: Seeing Astrid & Lilly cosplayers. “That would be absolutely incredible!” she declares.
Astrid & Lilly Save the World airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on SyFy.
Lawmakers in the State House voted in favor of bill HB 675, which makes it a felony to provide such care. Now the bill goes to the State Senate.
Anyone who provides or knowingly gives permission for a child or teen to receive hormone therapy or physical alterations to affirm their gender identity would be punished under this law and could face life in prison.
Gender affirmation is when transgender people make changes to their lives in accordance with their gender identity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That can be done through a change of clothing, hairstyles, mannerisms, names and pronouns.
Gender affirmation can also come in the form of hormone therapy or surgeries to alter one’s physical characteristics.
On the House floor, State Rep. Ilana Rubel told a story of her friend’s child who knew he was transgender from a young age. After he transitioned — publicly expressing oneself as another gender — Rubel said she saw him turn from a troubled youth to a successful college student.
“This is obviously not a step that a family takes lightly,” Rubel said. “This is a step that comes after literally thousands of hours of agonizing. There is no parent in the world who is just finding a way to force sex-change treatments on to their kids.”
She added, “They do this because they realize after endless excruciating probing that this is what their child needs.”
Rubel also noted that gender-affirming care is supported by medical organizations such as the American Medical Association, Idaho Medical Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and more.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bruce Skaug, said he does not support underage gender reassignment surgeries or therapies and claimed that “Europe is pulling back from this type of procedure now because they’ve seen negative effects and there’s no positive mental health effect for children,” though he did not cite specific research or examples.
“We need to stop sterilizing and mutilating children under the age of 18,” Skaug went on. “This is a mental illness that needs to be treated,” referring to trans identities.
He suggested that people rely on “old fashioned counseling, talk therapy” and “traditional psychology methods” to address trans identities and needs in youth.
Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel at Human Rights Campaign, said she is disappointed that “some politicians in Boise have decided to follow Texas and Alabama down the path of imposing felony criminal penalties upon doctors who are simply doing their jobs.”
She noted that a recent study found that gender-affirming care reduces the risk of moderate or severe depression by 60% and suicidality by 73%.
With spring inching ever closer, Home Town Takeover stars Ben and Erin Napier have some advice on what projects you should plan on starting soon.
“Spring cleaning is a thing for a reason!” Ben told ABC Audio, saying one of the first thing he does is fire up the pressure washer to give their home’s exterior a “deep clean.” He and Erin also say spring is when they “paint the front porch floor” if it needs a little freshening. That also includes other areas of their home, like the baseboards or door frame.
“That’s a that’s a way that you can freshen things up without really, really taking on a big project,” Ben suggested.
As for things one shouldn’t be doing at this time, Erin warned, “Don’t plant your flowers until after Easter! It doesn’t matter how warm it is, it can still freeze.”
The HGTV stars also caution those looking to get a jump start on home renovating projects — such as getting that long-overdue addition started — to “make sure you know what you’re getting into.”
On that note, Erin warned against doing everything on your own: “Hire professionals to do electrical and plumbing.”
The couple, who share two young daughters, wished they had professionals helping them with their year-round “ritual” — constantly cleaning their home.
“We’re in the season of life where we have a toddler and a baby,” Erin noted. “It’s spring cleaning for us every day. We actually used our Swiffer Wet Jet Wood this morning because breakfast got a little bit messy.”
She explained their daughters tried “feeding each other” but managed to feed the floorboards “smashed strawberries and bananas” instead.
Home Town Takeover airs on HGTV and is streaming on Discovery Plus.
(NEW YORK) — South Korea elected Yoon Suk-yeol, of the conservative People Power Party, as its 20th president on Wednesday. Yoon claimed victory in a tight race against Lee Jae-myung, of the ruling Democratic Party.
“I learned a lot while carrying out the campaign, what is needed to be a leader of a country, how to listen carefully to the people,” Yoon said in his victory speech. “This election process and competition are all for the people. Election is over now, and we need to be all one for the people and our Republic of Korea,” he said as supporters cheered and chanted “regime change”.
Results show a close race with 48.61% of ballots going to Yoon, and Lee garnering 47.78%.
About 77% of South Korea’s 44 million eligible voters cast ballots in this election, according to the country’s National Election Commission. Yoon will replace President Moon Jae-in.
Yoon jumped into politics last June after a 27-year career as a prosecutor. He achieved fame during his career for his aggressive prosecution of political players, including former President Park Geun-hye.
He is well-known for his quote at a parliamentary inquiry after prosecuting his own boss, then-Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, in 2013 — “I am not loyal to the person but loyal to the organization.”
Moon appointed Yoon as the prosecutor general in 2019 to lead a national political campaign to investigate corruption, but Yoon spent most of his term going after President Moon’s ruling party officials, ministers and presidential aides.
Yoon’s break with Moon intensified after indicting Moon’s then-closest aide and former justice minister, Cho Kuk, in 2019 on several charges including bribery and document fraud. That angered Moon’s supporters and Yoon eventually stepped down from position amid political pressure.
He was courted by the People Power Party last year to run for the presidency.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(HEALDSBURG, Calif.) — A group of grade-schoolers is inadvertently bringing joy, laughter and some wise words to thousands of strangers, all thanks to their Peptoc art project.
Peptoc is the brainchild of art teacher Jessica Martin and artist Asherah Weiss, who worked with the K-6 students at West Side Elementary School in Healdsburg, California. The children created vibrant flyers and posters filled with charming drawings and reassuring messages.
But it’s the second component of Peptoc – a free hotline – that has unexpectedly gone viral.
To experience Peptoc, simply dial 707-998-8410 and you’ll be greeted by several students who will give you multiple options to choose from:
“Please listen to the following options for encouraging messages. If you’re feeling mad, frustrated, or nervous, press 1. If you need words of encouragement and life advice, press 2. If you need a pep talk from kindergarteners, press 3. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press 4. If you would like to make a donation to support this project, please press 6. For encouragement in Spanish, press 5.”
The kids are full of suggestions: punch a pillow or go scream outside if you’re frustrated; indulge in ice cream if you’re sad or angry. They can be the cheerleader that’ll pull you right out of an afternoon slump: Try it again! Believe in yourself! It’s OK to be different!
Another favorite? “Estás triste, va compra donas!” (Spanish for “If you’re sad, go buy doughnuts!”)
“There’s a pretty clear reason why this is so popular. We’re in a very broken world right now and we need to hear this, from children especially,” Martin told “Good Morning America.”
The artist and educator, who has led the art program at West Side for the last four years, said it was powerful to hear the young students share their positivity despite setbacks like the pandemic and ongoing challenges like wildfires.
“It was really hard for me to hold it together when I was recording them,” Martin recalled. “The overwhelming sweetness of these kids … was crushing me but also, it broke my heart a little bit too, because a lot of these kids, what they were saying — they’re in first and second grade — what they were saying was very profound and it really spoke to their life experience.”
Weiss, also an alum of West Side, has been sharing the students’ creative work and posting the flyers around Healdsburg. “Someone thought I was putting up a lost dog poster or something like that and they’re like, ‘Oh, what did you lose?’ And then they realized what we were doing and they were very, very happy to see that outside their door,” the 34-year-old recalled.
Martin added that she has received messages from people from around the world after Peptoc went live on Feb. 26.
“I just heard back from a bunch of people from Argentina and it ranges from a whole cancer ward of patients getting chemotherapy, to a lady who just found out her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to a fellow high school teacher just saying how incredible the project was. It’s touched a lot of people, so we’re pretty proud of these kids,” Martin said.
“One little small, easy act of kindness can easily touch millions in just a few days,” she added.
Martin said she and the school are determined to maintain Peptoc “for months or years” and is raising funds online to keep it going indefinitely. She pointed out that another hotline, Callin’ Oates, which lets callers request any Hall & Oates song, has been going strong for the last decade.
“Within the first few days, we were getting 500 calls an hour and we had to find $800 a day with that volume,” Martin said. “I eventually was able to talk with the president (of hotline service Telzio) and she donated a million minutes to the project. We’re currently now getting 5,000 calls an hour. And that million minutes, I think, probably will last us through the end of next week.”
For Martin, the runaway success and response to Peptoc shows how necessary arts education is in schools.
“If this isn’t proof to fund arts, I don’t even know what to say,” she said.
As for the future of Peptoc, Martin is planning to work with students to record more advice, including additional Spanish messages. She and Weiss hope the students will continue to learn from the powerful project too.
“You don’t ever know how your work is going to be received,” Weiss said. “But just to take the courage to do something is what the message I want people to take from this.”
Added Martin: “I hope that the memory of this experience they’ll carry that with them through their life, that they won’t feel like they’re helpless in a dark world.”
On the same day Entertainment Weekly posted a first look at Obi-Wan Kenobi, Disney+ did one better and dropped the first trailer for the anticipated Star Wars spin off.
“The fight is done. We lost,” Ewan McGregor‘s exiled Jedi master admits in voiceover, as we see him for the first time in the flesh in the years after the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. At the end of that film, he promised to stay on Tatooine to watch over a young Luke Skywalker, and he’s shown doing just that — using binoculars to watch a young Luke Skywalker apparently already dreaming of being a pilot, as he’s shown wearing a helmet and mimicking working a ship’s controls.
“Stay hidden,” McGregor can be heard saying — either to Luke, or to himself.
Meanwhile, we see there’s great reason for them both to do so. Inquisitors have been dispatched all over the galaxy by Emperor Palpatine to hunt down the remaining Jedi, like Kenobi, who survived the Empire’s purge.
Rupert Friend, who plays the fearsome, pale-skinned Grand Inquisitor, tells his lieutenant, Moses Ingraham‘s Reva, “The key to hunting Jedi is patience. Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail. The Jedi Code is like an itch: He cannot help it.”
“Where is he?” he screams to an unseen character, with his fearsome spinning red lightsaber making his point.
As John Williams‘ unforgettable “Duel of the Fates” plays, we see Reva also slashing away with her Sith saber, as a legend reads, “Between darkness and defeat hope survives.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi debuts on Disney+ May 25, aka Star Wars Day.
