(LOS ANGELES) — Unprecedented restrictions have been ordered for millions of residents in Southern California as the megadrought in the region persists and continues to intensify.
About 6 million customers in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties under the Metropolitan Water District will be required to dramatically cut down outdoor water use. However, they are still encouraged to hand water their trees, Metropolitan Executive Officer Deven Upadhyay said during a news conference Wednesday.
The water district is requiring its member agencies in the State Water Project-dependent areas to restrict outdoor watering to just one day a week, or the equivalent.
The goal is to reduce overall water consumption by 35% in the face of the water shortage, Upadhyay said. If the restrictions do not get consumption down by 35%, even stricter rules could follow next year, he added.
The water district will be monitoring the daily water use and how much is being used, as well as how residents and businesses are responding to these emergency restrictions, Upadhyay said.
After Sept. 1, the water company may need to put more limits on how much water people can use, including banning all outdoor water usage, said Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil, adding that the company is aware it will “create a challenge for people.”
“Conservation should be a way of life for all of us,” he said, describing the new restrictions as unprecedented. “This is a wake-up call for everyone.”
The Metropolitan Water District uses water from the Colorado River as well as the State Water Project, which gets its water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The Colorado is now at the top of the country’s most endangered rivers list due to the megadrought.
Anyone who does not follow the water district’s new requirements will be fined $2,000 per acre foot and other penalties for water the facility will need to provide, Upadhyay said.
ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman and Flor Tolentino contributed to this report.
Chris Janson’s new album, All In, comes out on Friday, and the track list includes a couple of eye-catching collaborations.
One of those, a duet with Travis Tritt called “Things You Can’t Live Without,” is out already, along with a rollicking, performance-themed music video starring both singers as the house band entertaining a honky tonk full of country folks looking for a good time.
But things will get a little darker on the next collab, a not-yet-released and highly-anticipated team-up between Chris and one of his musical heroes, Eric Church.
Called “You, Me & the River,” the song was written solely by Eric — in fact, it’s the first time Chris has ever cut a song that he didn’t also co-write. Chris and Eric haven’t shared the full version of their song yet, but if the teaser Chris posted to socials this week is any indication, it’ll be a little bit dark and spooky.
The clip of the music video shows close-up black and white shots of Chris and Eric singing the lyrics “Hey buddy, hey buddy, ain’t that Mississippi muddy? / And this time of year, she takes what you give her.”
The camera then pans across Eric as he sits in the back seat of a car, his hands tied together. In the caption of his post, Chris said that the song has “a bada** and scary video to go along with it.”
Curious fans will get all the answers about the song on Friday when the album arrives, with the music video following at 10 a.m. CT. When it premieres, Chris will be on YouTube to chat with fans and field some questions.
A Walking Dead spin-off series centering on fan favorites Daryl and Carol — played by Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride — suffered a surprising setback, with McBride suddenly exiting the project.
It seems that the split was amicable, as AMC noted in a press release, “Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking DeadUniverse. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spinoff…which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year.”
The statement continued, “Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time,” adding, “We know fans will be disappointed by this news.”
There are still multiple spin-offs in the works from the apocalyptic show, including Isle of the Dead, a New York City-set project featuring Lauren Cohan‘s Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan‘s Negan, who canonically murdered Maggie’s husband Glenn.
We finally know more about Taylor Swift‘s role in David O. Russell‘s latest film.
Not much was known about the film — even its title — when it was first announced in June, but all that changed at CinemaCon this week. Varietyreports that Taylor will star in the film, titled Amsterdam, the first trailer for which debuted at the industry event. According to the trade, the “original romantic crime epic” is set in the 30s and that centers on three characters — played by Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington — who “find themselves at the center of one of the most secret plots in American history.”
The trailer shows a weeping Taylor, who mourns her father as Chris Rock tells her, “You have a dead white man in a box. It’s not even a coffin, it has no lid.” He continues as Taylor sobs, “You know who’s going to get in trouble? The Black men.”
Taylor is part of a huge star-studded cast also includes Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Anya Taylor-Joy, Mike Myers, Robert De Niro, Michael Shannon and Timothy Olyphant. This marks her first big-screen role following 2019’s critically panned movie musical, CATS.
Taylor also previously appeared in 2014’s The Giver, 2012’s The Lorax and 2010’s Valentine’s Day.
Randy Rand, founding bassist of the ’80s glam-metal band Autograph, has died, the group announced Tuesday in a Facebook message.
“It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts to announce the unexpected passing of our cherished friend and founding member of Autograph, Randy Rand,” the message reads. “At the time of death, Randy was surrounded by his beautiful and infinite love, Regina Rand and family.”
Autograph formed in 1983 and enjoyed its biggest success with its 1984 debut album, Sign In Please. The record featured the hit single “Turn Up the Radio,” which Rand co-wrote and which peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself reached #29 on the Billboard 200 chart, and went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 in the U.S.
The band broke up in 1989 but reunited in 2013. At the time of his death, Rand was the only original member still in the group. In January, the band announced that it had signed with the Frontiers label, and a new studio album is expected out soon.
The message announcing Rand’s passing also notes, “Although beyond devastated, we find some comfort and solace knowing the last couple of years have been some of his happiest as an artist and as a performer. Randy was the consummate optimist and was so excited to see the new direction, creativity and renewed energy with the band.”
The note continues, “Collectively in the last couple of years with this formation, we spent numerous hours that turned into something magical while creating an unbreakable bond few bands are fortunate enough to ever experience,” adding, [W]e will continue to honor Randy Rand, as he would want us to and honor our musical commitments and keep his legacy alive.”
Courtesy Trafalgar Releasing & Sony Music Entertainment
Following the news that a new documentary about George Michael, narrated by the late star himself, would be heading to movie theaters worldwide on June 22, we now have the first trailer for the project.
The movie, George Michael Freedom Uncut, focuses on the period after the release of his 1987 Faith album made George a massive superstar, through the time following the release of his 1990 follow up, Listen Without Prejudice: Vol 1. During that time, George fought for his artistic freedom and lived through the devastating deaths of both his mother and his first real love.
In the trailer, we hear George say, “I can’t really explain how overwhelming that kind of hysteria can be,” along with footage of him performing for stadiums full of screaming fans. He also expresses his desire to “leave songs that will mean something to other generations.”
There’s also footage of George’s musical collaborators and celebrity friends talking about him and his artistry, including the supermodel stars of his “Freedom 90!” video — Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista — as well as Elton John, Stevie Wonder, James Corden, Ricky Gervais, Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett and fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
At one point, Liam Gallagher of the British band Oasiscalls George a “modern-day Elvis.”
If you visit GeorgeMichaelFreedomUncut.com, you can find out which theaters will be showing the film near you, and you can buy tickets as well.
Migos rapper Quavois no stranger to the big screen and for his latest movie role, he’ll star in a new action thriller, called Takeover,about Atlanta’s fascinating car culture.
According to Deadline, Quavo will play main character Guy Miller, a recent prison parolee who’s working to rehabilitate his life when he gets wrapped back up into the city’s dangerous “takeover” car scene.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity, especially shooting in my hometown of Atlanta,” Quavo said, as reported by Deadline. “This film is an ideal opportunity to further delve into my craft, and I can’t wait to see how the action plays out in this animated environment.”
Speaking of “action,” the “MotorSport” rapper announced on Wednesday that his annual seven-on-seven celebrity football game will take place in Atlanta this Saturday, April 30. The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at the historic Pullman Yards, with the first of two celebrity games scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the last set to start at 9:00 p.m.
In a promo video shared to his Instagram, Quavo said, “It’s About That Time.. Huncho Day!” He’ll play alongside fellow musicians, entertainers and professional athletes, with all proceeds of the game collected in support of the Quavo Cares Foundation.
So far, former NFL players Johnny Manziel and Terrell Owens are expected to take the field, with more stars to be announced.
Tickets for Quavo’s “Huncho Day,” are available for purchase now.
(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday that bans the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates.
It’s the first ban of its kind in the U.S., according to LGBTQ legal advocacy group Lambda Legal. Several states have done the exact opposite in recent years, allowing citizens to use nonbinary gender markers on state documents.
States like Colorado, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Indiana and Hawaii have adopted the gender-inclusive policy. The federal government now also allows nonbinary gender markers on passports.
The bill follows a 2021 civil case against the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The agency was sued after it refused to allow a nonbinary option on a birth certificate. The department settled the lawsuit and allowed the use of the nonbinary option.
Despite the settlement, Stitt issued an executive order that would prohibit people from changing their gender on birth certificates. A federal lawsuit against the state from Lambda Legal is ongoing and seeks to allow transgender people to correct the gender marker on their Oklahoma birth certificates.
This ban on gender markers is the latest bill targeting the LGBTQ community that Stitt has signed into law.
Just a few weeks earlier, Stitt signed a bill banning transgender women and girls from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams in state public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
Across the country, similar Republican-led efforts have succeeded.
Tennessee signed a trans sports ban into law on Monday and the Kansas Senate voted on Tuesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a similar transgender athlete ban.
Other governors, including Republican governors in Utah and Indiana, have vetoed such bills to protect LGBTQ youth from the social and emotional harms they say these bans can have on individuals.
LGBTQ advocacy groups have slammed legislative efforts.
“We should be increasing access to the things that can help protect this group of young people that already face increased risk for suicide. But a small group of anti-LGBTQ politicians is instead fighting to decrease it,” said Sam Ames, the director of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project.
Sara Bareilles is ready to jump into her next musical, playing the Baker’s Wife in an upcoming Into The Woods stage performance.
The “Brave” singer stars opposite of Neil Patrick Harris, who has been cast as the Baker, in the New York City Center Encores! production. The musical is set to run from May 4 through May 15.
In a rehearsal sneak peak, Sara tells Playbillthat rehearsals were grueling as the cast puts in a lot of hours to put forth the best version possible. “What we’re doing is hard,” she remarked.
“It is mad complicated,” Harris added, noting he was a big fan of the musical but had no idea just how many moving parts that go into bringing the stage production to life.
Playbill also shared footage of the full cast performing “Ever After” — which shows Sara dancing around in her prosthetic baby bump — and “Stay with Me.”
Sara of course is an old hand at Broadway musicals. She wrote and also starred in the musical Waitress, for which she earned both a Tony and Grammy nomination.
Tickets for Into the Woods, which runs for two weeks only, are on sale now on the venue’s website. Proof of vaccination and masks are mandatory.
(NEW YORK) — A college softball star from James Madison University has died at the age of 20, the university announced Tuesday. Her death marks the third of a female college athlete since March.
Lauren Bernett, a sophomore biology major from McDonald, Pennsylvania, was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday, just one day before her death was announced. Last year, she helped the school reach the Women’s College World Series.
Authorities said Wednesday they are classifying the death of Bernett as an “apparent suicide.”
In a statement, Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said his department is still conducting its investigation and is awaiting a report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia.
On March 2, Stanford University in Stanford, California, announced the death of 22-year-old Katie Meyer, the goalkeeper and captain of the women’s soccer team.
Her parents later shared that Meyer’s death was a suicide, telling NBC’s “Today” show they had “no red flags” about their daughter’s mental health. The Meyers acknowledged the pressure of college sports, however.
“There’s so much pressure I think on athletes, right, especially at that high level balancing academics and a high competitive environment,” Gina Meyer said on the program. “And there is anxiety and there is stress to be perfect, to be the best, to be number one.”
Earlier this month, Sarah Shulze, a cross-country athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died by suicide, according to a statement from her parents and sisters.
“Sarah took her own life. Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment,” the family wrote on Shulze’s website. “Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken while holding on tightly to all that Sarah was.”
The family described Shulze as a “power for good in the world” who advocated for social causes and women’s rights and was a member of the Student Athlete Council at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
On college campuses in the United States, around 30% of women and 25% of men who are student-athletes report having anxiety, according to data shared by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Among athletes with known mental health conditions, only 10% seek care from a mental health professional, according to the ACSM.
The NCAA found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes continued to experience “heightened” mental health concerns with students reporting stress due to academic concerns, lack of access to their sport, financial worries and COVID-19 health concerns.
Professional athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have been public in recent years about the pressure, stress and burnout they’ve faced at the top of their sports, and those are struggles college athletes may feel too.
According to the ACSM, student-athletes face pressures from academics and competing, as well as other stressors like being away home home, traveling for games, feeling isolated from campus and other students due to their focus on sports and adapting to being in the public spotlight.
Cailin Bracken, a lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, gained national attention this month after writing an essay urging coaches, schools, parents and fellow players to pay attention to the mental health of student-athletes.
“Playing a sport in college, honestly, feels like playing fruit ninja with a butter knife,” Bracken wrote in an essay titled, “A Letter to College Sports.” “There are watermelons and cantaloupes being flung at you from all different directions, while you’re trying to defend yourself using one of those flimsy cafeteria knives that can’t even seem to spread room-temperature butter.”
“And beyond the chaos and overwhelm of it all, you’ve got coaches and parents and trainers and professors who expect you to come away from the experience unscathed, fruit salad in hand,” she added.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
