If fans attending Chris Rock‘s comedy shows lately are hoping to hear what the comedian might say about being slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars, they’re in for disappointment.
Those in attendance of his Friday show in Indio, California, were the latest group to be let down, after the 57-year-old entertainer told them right out of the gate that he wasn’t going to talk about the incident.
“I’m OK, I have a whole show and I’m not talking about that until I get paid,” Rock joked, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun. “Life is good. I got my hearing back,” he added.
While it’s unclear what kind of compensation Rock is seeking, he did decide not to press charges against Smith, who stormed the Oscar stage on March 27 and slapped Rock across the face, after the latter made a joke referencing the movie G.I. Jane and Jada Pinkett Smith‘s bald head. Oscar producer Will Packer told ABC News’ TJ Holmes later that LAPD officers told Rock during the Oscars, “This is battery,” and that he could move forward with pressing charges against Smith, but Rock was “dismissive” of those options and insisted that he was “fine.”
Rock’s first public appearance following the slap was at his sold-out show in Boston the Wednesday following the Oscars. Upon receiving a standing ovation and a warm welcome he told fans he wasn’t prepared to talk about the event and “still processing what went down.”
“I don’t have a bunch of s*** about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend,” he said then.
(NEW YORK) — A major spring storm hits the western U.S. Monday with snow, high winds and blizzard conditions.
The storm will move into the central U.S. on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing a multi-day severe weather outbreak to millions.
Another storm system in the mid-South will bring the first round of severe weather Monday night, before the more widespread severe weather moves in.
Residents located in areas from Texas to southern Illinois, including major cities like Dallas, Little Rock and Memphis, can expect to see damaging winds, scattered hail and a few tornadoes Monday. Little Rock has the highest chance for very large hail and a strong tornado or two.
By Tuesday night major cities such as Dallas, Kansas City and Des Moines can expect to see strong tornadoes and huge hail.
The highest threat for tornadoes on Tuesday will likely be areas north of Kansas City and across much of Iowa.
On Wednesday, a severe threat will move east, heading into the Great Lakes, Ohio, Tennessee Valleys and the Gulf Coast.
Major cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Nashville, Little Rock and Jackson will be in the bull’s-eye for strong tornadoes, huge hail and damaging winds.
Severe weather will extend all the way to the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans, through Wednesday night.
After a weekend of heat waves in the West, a new storm is expected to bring in heavy snow and strong winds. Some areas throughout the West could see more than 2 feet of snow and wind gusts up to 80 mph. In addition, blizzard warnings extend from Montana to the Dakotas this week.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney — Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Ryan Coogler has been tapped as the executive producer of Ironheart, the upcoming Marvel Studios series bound for Disney+, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As previously reported, the show will center on Riri Williams, a brilliant student who creates her own Iron Man suit in her MIT dorm.
Coogler’s involvement is a logical bit of synergy, as Dominique Thorne will reportedly make her debut as the character in his upcoming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which takes place after the death of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame.
Ironheart does not yet have an official premiere date, but could debut later this year. Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris set to hit theaters on July 8, 2022.
Marvel is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.
Marvel movie star Chris Pratt told his 36.5 million Instagram followers that he is “blown away” by his “little film that could,” the “incredible documentary” Alaskan Nets.
The documentary is set in the remote Alaskan island town of Metlakatla. For more than a century, two sacred traditions have defined the home of Alaska’s last remaining native reserve, producers tease: fishing and basketball.
The “proud” executive producer gushed that the film, about the Metlakatla Chiefs, the local high school’s home team, “is more than just a basketball movie,” adding, “[I]t’s a story of hope during tough times, and we all need stories like that.”
Pratt explained that there have been 1,100 schools across the U.S. and Canada participating in a Movie Night tour boosting the film. The events helped pad the bottom lines of the schools’ concession stands — many of which were forced to shut down during the pandemic — and those stands help fund the schools’ teams.
The actor also urged people to stream the “empowering, beautiful” story, which “brings people together and can inspire us to keep going.”
The movie was the Audience Choice Award winner at last year’s Santa Barbara film festival.
The Who will return to late-night TV when they make an appearance this Friday, April 15, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
The British rock legends will be performing in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Teen Cancer America charity, which Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend co-founded in 2012. The organization raises money to fund programs and create designated social and recreational areas in U.S. hospitals geared specifically toward adolescents and young adults with cancer.
In conjunction with the anniversary, Teen Cancer America has launched a campaign encouraging people to donate $10 to the cause to mark the milestone. Visit GiveButter.com/TCA10for10 if you’d like to contribute.
The Who’s Late Show appearance is scheduled to take place one week before the band kicks off its The Who Hits Back! 2022 North American tour with an April 22 concert in Hollywood, Florida. Check out the group’s full schedule at TheWho.com.
Lorde leads the lineup for the 2022 All Things Go Music Festival, taking place October 1 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
The bill also includes Bleachers — fronted by Lorde’s frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff — as well as Mitski, King Princess, Hippo Campus, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, among others.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 15, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit AllThingsGoFestival.com.
Lorde is currently on tour in support of her new album Solar Power. The outing continues Tuesday in Boston.
(NEW YORK) — As COVID-19 cases continue to tick up in the United States, the Northeast appears to be fueling the increase.
Four of the five states with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 are in the Northeast. In the 10 states with the highest seven-day rates, seven are Northeastern, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rhode Island currently has the highest seven-day case rate at 172.4 cases per 100,000 people. This is nearly three times higher than the national rate of 59.4 cases per 100,000 people.
As of Friday, the Ocean State has also seen its average daily number of cases increase 53% over a two-week period from 170 per day to 260 per day, CDC data shows.
Other Northeastern states seeing increases include Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Maine and Connecticut.
In particular, New York and New Jersey have seen their average daily cases increase by 64%, the CDC data shows.
Experts said one of the reasons for the rise in cases is the spread of BA.2, a subvariant of the original omicron variant that is more transmissible.
In the Northeast, BA.2 accounts for more than 84% of COVID-19 cases that have undergone genomic sequencing, more than any other region in the country, according to the CDC.
Dr. Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told ABC News that early evidence suggests people who were infected with the original omicron variant during the previous wave may now have some immunity against BA.2.
He suggested states that were able to have better control of cases earlier may currently be more vulnerable to infections.
“States that did a good job controlling infections with mandates, most in the Northeast and West, are more susceptible now with BA.2,” he said.
Mokdad compared Maine and Florida using data from the institute, which projects COVID-19 cases around the country.
“We estimate that 54% of people in Maine have been infected at least once as of April 4,” he said. “So, we estimate that 60% are immune. We estimate that 87% of people in Florida have been infected at least once as of April 4. We estimate that 80% are immune.”
Another reason Northeastern states may be seeing case increases is due to the lifting of mask and vaccine requirements, the experts said.
“Not only is BA.2 extraordinarily transmissible, but now, consistent with CDC guidelines, many people are going to crowded indoor events and outdoor events without wearing a mask and not social distancing,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, told ABC News. “In anticipation of summer … people are eager to see family and friends and engage in near-normal activities again.”
However, the experts warned the true number of cases could be even higher as some states shift their COVID-19 testing strategy.
In late February, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced that — starting March 7 — state-run testing sites would not accept asymptomatic patients unless they had been in close contact with a person who tested positive for the virus.
“Focusing testing efforts at Rhode Island’s state-run testing sites on people who are symptomatic and people who are close contacts will ensure that people who are positive and eligible for treatment can be quickly connected to treatment,” the department said in a news release.
Schaffner said he expects that the rise of cases in the Northeast will be followed in the next few weeks by increases in the Midwest, the South and the West.
“This is reminiscent of the very beginning of COVID here in the United States,” he said. “The Northeast led the rest of the country; they had the most infections for quite a period of time before the COVID virus spread to the rest of the county. So perhaps this is a little bit of history repeating itself.”
However, the doctors reiterated that unvaccinated people are at the highest risk of severe illness and death from BA.2 and stressed the importance of getting vaccinated and boosted.
Sitting at the top of the charts this week, “Drunk” is the first duet featuring two female artists to reach #1 at country radio since Reba McEntire and Linda Davis‘ Grammy-winning 1993 hit, “Does He Love You.”
“The fact that a duet by 2 women hasn’t been a number 1 in country music since 1993 is crazy to me. The fact that we got here today means even more because it’s bigger than us,” Miranda remarks on Instagram. “Thanks @reba and Linda for paving the way. Elle King I love you and your spirit.”
The singer also shared behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot of her and Elle dressed in their 80s wedding garb, mugging for the camera with a beer can in Elle’s hand and a bottle of liquor in Miranda’s.
“@elleking is one of my favorite artists and one of my favorite people to be around. I am proud to call her my friend and I’m so glad she asked me to do song this song with her,” the Texas native continues. “Thanks to everyone who played /streamed and sang along with us on Drunk. Now let’s get drunk and not wanna go home!”
“The life of this song has taught me so much, everything has its own time and path. And when in doubt, add @mirandalambert!!!” champions Elle. “I am so thankful to you Miranda, you are a shining light, and there’s no one I enjoy singing with more, than you.”
Miranda previously topped the charts in 2020 with her solo single, “Bluebird,” while Elle had a #1 duet in 2016 with Dierks Bentley on “Different for Girls.”
Dashboard Confessional has announced a U.S. summer tour with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.
The co-headlining outing, dubbed the Hello Gone Days tour, launches July 31 in Minneapolis, and concludes September 7 in Phoenix. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 15, at 10 a.m. local time, with various pre-sales throughout the week.
Dashboard just released a new album, All the Truth That I Can Tell, this past February. Last month, they wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Jimmy Eat World.
McMahon’s most recent Wilderness album is 2018’s Upside Down Flowers.
Honey, we’re more than good! Starting this July, Andy Grammer and Fitz & The Tantrums are going on tour together.
The “Handclap” singers and Andy unveiled their official, multi-date summer tour on Monday,which they dubbed The Wrong Party Tour. It kicks off on July 29 in Key West, Florida. From there, the group will co-headline a slate of shows across North America’s biggest cities, including Boston, New York, St. Paul and many others. The tour wraps August 27 in Los Angeles, California.
Said Andy of the upcoming event, “I am SOOO excited to announce that I’m going on tour this Summer with @fitzandthetantrums and @breland! You already KNOW it’s gonna be a blast.”
“We cannot wait to get our fans together with Andy’s fans this summer and get everybody dancing,” frontman Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “The wrong party tour is gonna go down in history as one hot sweaty mess not to be missed. Were you there?”
Ticket pre-sales begin Wednesday, April 13, at 10 a.m. local time and general admission sales begin Friday, April 15, at 10 a.m. local time on either artist’s officialwebsites.
