The Kid LAROI is the latest artist to head toward the Golden Arches for an all-new collaborative menu.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed something different in the latest McDonald’s Instagram advertisement, which shows the Australian singer playing an arcade game called LAROI’S WORLD. While not taking his eyes off the screen, the caption pops up “The Kid LAROI x McDonald’s.”
Then, as it appears the “Stay” singer loses the game and begins kicking the side of the machine, the date “26.5” flashes — meaning May 26.
Soon enough, McDonald’s Australia confirmed on Instagram that the forthcoming partnership launches next week.
Not much else is known about the collaboration, but it does appear it will only be available for those in the land Down Under. But, fans are holding out hope this partnership goes international.
Either way, the Grammy nominee joins fellow artists Mariah Carey, Saweetie, BTS, J Balvin and Travis Scott, who also launched self-inspired specialty menus.
These menus are usually packed with the artist’s favorite food and come with their own Mickey Dee’s-inspired merchandise sold alongside the menu options.
Neil Diamond‘s ABeautiful Noise is coming to Broadway.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical — a show based on the life of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, featuring all his famous songs — is currently rehearsing for a six-week engagement in Boston from June 21 through July 31. It’s just been announced that following the Boston stint, the show will be moving to the Great White Way this fall.
According to producers, the show chronicles Diamond’s journey, from his beginnings as a “poor Jewish kid from Brooklyn” to his rise to becoming “one of the most universally adored showmen of all time.” It’ll premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre, with preview performances starting November 2. The show’s official opening night will be Sunday, December 4.
Not coincidentally, 50 years ago, in the fall of 1972, Diamond did a series of concerts at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theater.
A Beautiful Noise was written by Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten, who wrote the movies Bohemian Rhapsody, Darkest Hour and The Theory of Everything. It’s directed by Michael Mayer, who also did Spring Awakening, American Idiot and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Of course, all the music is by Neil Diamond.
(WASHINGTON) — The House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday on abortion access as the nation awaits a final decision from the Supreme Court in a case that result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., kicked off the hearing with a warning that if the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion is in fact overturned — as was indicated in a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion — the impact will be “devastating.”
“Making decisions about when and how to start a family is essential to women’s lives,” Nadler said. “The right to decide whether to carry or terminate a pregnancy is central to life, liberty and equality. It is the very essence of what it means to have bodily autonomy, which is a prerequisite for freedom.”
Expert witnesses speaking at Wednesday’s hearing include Dr. Yashica Robinson, a board-certified OBGYN and board member with Physicians for Reproductive Health; Michele Bratcher Goodwin, a chancellor’s law professor at the University of California, Irvine; Catherine Glenn Foster, the president and CEO of the anti-abortion law firm Americans United for Life; and Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion rights nonprofit Avow Texas.
Goodwin told committee members that if the draft opinion holds, it would be an “incredibly unusual” moment in American democracy.
“The Supreme Court has never gone back to in fact revoke what has been freedoms that have been well-articulated and established in the Constitution and also by the Supreme Court,” she said.
The draft opinion, which is not the final ruling, was published by Politico on May 2 — and later confirmed by the court to be authentic. Politico later reported that the Feb. 10 draft was still the only one circulated among the group and that none of the conservative justices have changed their vote in the wake of the bombshell leak.
Protests have been a near-daily occurrence since the document became public, with demonstrations extending to the homes of Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. A nationwide day of protest was held on May 14 featuring hundreds of “Bans Off Our Bodies” events organized by abortion rights groups.
Security measures at the Supreme Court and for all nine justices have been increased since the demonstrations began.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ABC News reported, domestic violent extremists have invaded the national abortion debate “to incite violence amongst their supporters.” Targets of threats include the justices, members of Congress, public officials, clergy, health care providers and more.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, ranking chairman on the House Judiciary Committee, focused his opening statement Wednesday on accusing Democrats and activists of a trying to strong-arm the Supreme Court.
“You know why they’re trying to bully and intimidate the court?” Jordan asked. “You know why, because the evidence for overturning Roe is overwhelming.”
Legendary R&B singer Bobby Brown has often been in the limelight regarding his difficult life and career struggles. In a recent chat with People, the 53-year-old musician opened up about a traumatic secret he’s kept for many years: being molested by a priest as a young boy.
Speaking in the exclusive interview ahead of his new A&E documentary, Biography: Bobby Brown, premiering on May 30, the Boston native described the experience as one of the reasons he resorted to using drugs and alcohol.
“I was sent to a temporary custody by social services which was supposed to be a religious place but it wasn’t a very nice place to be for a child,” he told People. “One of the priests tried to molest me. He tried to touch my private parts … At that time, I was a young boy. I didn’t know what sexual boundaries were. I just knew I didn’t like being touched.” He added, “Some things are hard to forget.”
Before admitting that he tried to bury the memory, hoping to never relive the moment again, Brown said he fought back against the priest who inappropriately touched him and ran away from the facility. “I had tucked it down so deep into my soul that I didn’t think that I would talk about it again.”
The Grammy winner says music helped him to cope with the tumultuous issues he dealt with growing up. Now, after 20 years free from narcotics, he says talking about his journey and sharing his story helps.
“I could see where things went wrong for me,” he said. “[Talking about it] helped me get through a lot of other things that had been bothering me, especially that.”
Florence + the Machine has released a cover of The Stooges’ song “Search and Destroy.”
While Florence Welch‘s ethereal voice is certainly different from the howl of Iggy Pop, her band’s version of “Search and Destroy” stays true to the vibe of the original proto-punk classic thanks to a hard-strumming acoustic guitar and raucous drums.
“Iggy Pop was such a presence on this record,” Welch says, referring to the new Machine record Dance Fever. “From the tension of ‘King,’ to the baritone growl of ‘Restraint.’ So we wanted to pay homage to him.”
The “Search and Destroy” cover appears on the newly released deluxe version of Dance Fever, which is out today, May 18, via digital outlets. The expanded set also features acoustic versions of four Dance Fever songs, including the single “My Love.”
The original Dance Fever dropped last Friday. Florence + the Machine will launch a U.S. tour in support of the record in September.
(TOMS RIVER, N.J.) — One person is dead and another has been rescued after two siblings became trapped under sand while digging at a Jersey Shore beach Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Police and emergency medical services responded to a barrier island beach in Toms River, New Jersey, shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday “for reports of juveniles trapped in the sand as it collapsed around them while digging,” the Toms River Police Department said on Facebook.
First responders were able to rescue a 17-year-old girl, who was treated at the scene, but her brother, 18, died, police said.
The victim was identified by police as Levi Caverly of Maine.
The teen was visiting the region from out of town with his family, police said.
His father described Caverly as a “tech nut” who loved to program, played the drums in a young adult worship band and was involved in his church’s worship team.
“Levi was himself. He was odd. He was quirky. He was not real concerned with what others thought,” his father, Todd Caverly, said in a statement.
Police urged people not to respond to the area while the rescue was in progress.
Live footage from the scene Tuesday evening showed more than a dozen first responders near the shoreline. Emergency crews from several neighboring towns aided in the rescue effort.
Rescue workers were working to recover the body from the collapse, police said following the incident.
The Eagles will wind down the 2022 U.S. portion of their long-running Hotel California Tour with a recently announced May 28 concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and now additional tickets to the show have been made available.
The tickets, which are priced starting at $139, are on sale now at AXS.com, while a limited number of VIP packages also are available for purchase. The VIP packages include premium seats, special merchandise and more.
The Eagles launched their Hotel California Tour in 2019 with three sold-out concerts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
As previously reported, the Hotel California shows feature the current Eagles lineup performing the band’s classic 1976 album of the same name in its entirety, as well as other classics, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir.
Prior to the Las Vegas concert, the Eagles have three other U.S. shows scheduled — a May 19-20 engagement in Austin, Texas, and a May 25 performance in Salt Lake City.
The band also has a series of five European concerts scheduled in June.
Visit Eagles.com for complete tour and ticket information.
(MINNEAPOLIS) — Thomas Lane, one of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s killing, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, according to the Minnesota attorney general.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison said the plea agreement reached with Lane represents an “important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation.”
Lane, 38, had been scheduled to go to trial next month in state court along with his former Minneapolis police colleagues J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao.
All three defendants were convicted in February by a federal jury on charges of violating George Floyd’s civil rights by failing to intervene or provide medical aid as their senior officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on the back of the handcuffed 46-year-old Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes in the May 25, 2020, incident.
Chauvin was convicted in state court last year of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.
Chauvin also pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights and is awaiting sentencing after a judge accepted his plea earlier this month.
“Today, my thoughts are once again with the victims, George Floyd and his family,” Ellison said in a statement Wednesday announcing Lane’s plea. “Nothing will bring Floyd back. He should still be with us today.”
Ellison said he was “pleased” that Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death.
“While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice,” Ellison said.
There was no word on whether similar plea agreements are under consideration by Kueng and Thao, who are still scheduled to go on trial in state court on June 13.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Heifer International
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is following Pearl Jam‘s Matt Cameron in denouncing Rolling Stone‘s recent article about Taylor Hawkins.
The piece, which was published Monday evening, features interviews with both named and anonymous friends of the late Foo Fighters drummer, including Smith and Cameron.
The piece includes multiple sources claiming that Hawkins had expressed discomfort with the amount of touring he had to do as part of Foo Fighters leading up to his unexpected death this past March, with both Cameron and Smith quoted as saying Hawkins had a “heart-to-heart” conversation with Foo frontman Dave Grohl and the band’s management about his concerns.
Smith is also quoted talking about an alleged incident during which Hawkins “lost consciousnesses” while on a flight last December.
“That was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back,” one of Smith’s quotes reads. “After that, [Hawkins] had a real important heart-to-heart with Dave and the management. He said, ‘I can’t continue on this schedule, and so we’ve got to figure out something.'”
Both claims about the alleged conversation between Hawkins, Grohl and management and Hawkins losing consciousness aboard that flight were denied by a Foo Fighters rep.
On Tuesday afternoon, Cameron issued a statement claiming that his quotes were “taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended,” adding that he’s “truly sorry to have taken part in this interview.”
Smith then followed with his own statement Tuesday evening, reading, “The story [Rolling Stone] wrote was sensationalized and misleading.”
“Had I known I never would have agreed to participate,” Smith continued. “I apologize to his family and musical friends for any pain this may have caused. I miss Taylor every day.”
Now that Nick Jonas and his wife Priyanka Chopra have welcomed their baby girl, Malti, all three members of Jonas Brothers are fathers. So, who’s the favorite uncle in the family? Well, not someone you’d expect.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Nick revealed, “Franklin Jonas, the youngest…he’s 21 now, if you can believe that…but he’s the favorite uncle by far, of all the uncles.” By way of explanation, Nick added, “Well, he’s the closest in age to the kids”
Nick also said Malti, who spent 100 days in the ICU, is “home and doing amazing,” adding, “What a gift!” However, he joked that he’s the recipient of a lot of unwanted advice, noting, “It turns out everybody I know is a newborn care specialist! All these PhDs I didn’t know they had!”
The “Jealous” singer also revealed that he gave Priyanka a citrus tree for Mother’s Day, which he plans to plant using “how-to” videos from YouTube. In addition, Nick said he was looking forward to the JoBros’ upcoming Las Vegas Residency, scheduled for June 3-11 at Dolby Live at Park MGM Las Vegas.
“I can’t wait to go to Vegas and actually leave with my money in my pocket!” he laughed.
Finally, Nick promoted the upcoming NBC show Dancing with Myself, which features him judging amateur dancers along with Shakira and Liza Koshy. That premieres May 31 at 10 p.m. ET.
