Eddie Vedder reissuing ‘Ukulele Songs’ solo album on vinyl

Eddie Vedder reissuing ‘Ukulele Songs’ solo album on vinyl
Eddie Vedder reissuing ‘Ukulele Songs’ solo album on vinyl
UMe/Republic Records

Eddie Vedder‘s Ukulele Songs is coming back to vinyl.

A reissue of the Pearl Jam frontman’s sophomore solo album will be released May 6, marking the first time the record’s been pressed to wax since its original release in 2011.

The collection will be available in Standard and Deluxe editions, both of which include all 16 songs from the original album. The Deluxe arrives in exclusive expanded packaging including a 16-page booklet and a lithograph.

Ukulele Songs, as the title suggests, found Vedder trading a guitar for Hawaii’s signature instrument to strum along to set of originals and covers. It was Vedder’s most recent full-length solo effort until this year’s Earthling, which was released this past February.

Vedder just wrapped up a solo tour in support of Earthing last month. He’ll return to the road with Pearl Jam for a European tour in June.

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Music notes: Camila Cabello, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Post Malone and Cardi B

Music notes: Camila Cabello, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Post Malone and Cardi B
Music notes: Camila Cabello, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Post Malone and Cardi B
Courtesy of Madame Tussauds Orlando

Camila Cabello teased her forthcoming album Familia on Friday by sharing some handwritten notes and photos fashioned in a scrapbook-style booklet. “Sneak peek of the FAMILIA journal,” she wrote on Instagram and shared snippets of some never-before-seen photos and notes. Familia is due out April 8.

Rihanna‘s Savage X Fenty lingerie line is valued at at least $3 billion, says Bloomberg.  Apparently, Rih is considering making an initial public offering (IPO) for her company, meaning fans could potentially buy stock in her Fenty franchise in the future. Her representatives declined to comment on the report.

Ariana Grande’s fans are saying “thank u” to Madame Tussauds for unveiling its new Ari wax figure that, shockingly, looks just like the Grammy winner — engagement ring, tattoos and all. This is the third revision of the statue, according to a press release. Fans can start checking it out at Florida’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Orlando.

Post Malone‘s sale of his Bugatti is going less than smoothly because it’s the center of a lawsuit. KUTV reports that a man agreed to buy the all-white 2019 Bugatti Chiron Coupe for $3.5 million, but his all-cash offer was bumped when a higher offer came in. The man claims he signed a sales contract prior to that other offer coming in, which he says fell through, so now he’s suing the car broker, who he claims is not returning his calls.

Cardi B lambasted her young fans who think it’s okay to disrespect their teachers. Sharing a video of middle schoolers throwing a chair at and hurting their teacher, which she called “disgusting,” she tweeted, “I went to school wit a lot of gangstas and no matter what they never put their hands on a teacher…Kids this is not respected, not cool, not funny, not tough, not gangsta.”

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Um, Is Cher OK? “YA KNOW…NO,” she tweets

Um, Is Cher OK? “YA KNOW…NO,” she tweets
Um, Is Cher OK? “YA KNOW…NO,” she tweets
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Cher has got a lot going on at the moment, but when she apologized to her fans for being absent from social media on Friday, it was her personal life that she blamed, not her work schedule.

“Sorry I’ve Been MIA. Been having Personal Problems,” the legendary star tweeted on Friday. When a fan inquired, “You okay, gal?” Cher replied, “YA KNOW…NO. WE ALL [CRY], BUT SOMETIMES, WE [CRY] A DIFFERENT KIND OF TEARS. TEARS THAT HURT. WE BECOME OVERWHELMED, REACH A LIMIT…THEN ARE FORCED 2 PUSH THAT LIMIT.”

She continued, “I’VE BEEN ALIVE SINCE THE YEAR DOT, & THESE YRS ARE THE WORST IVE EVER SEEN…ADD FAMILY TO THAT & ITS [A] RECIPE FOR DISASTER CAKE.”

When a fan shared that they, too, are depressed due to personal issues, Cher ran down a litany of things that are making all of us feel uneasy.  “MANY PPL R In DEEP DEPRESSION. 2 Yrs of Covid, Fear, Isolation, trump & Capital Insanity,” she wrote. “Ppl Not Going Back 2 Work, Inflation Because Of Supply Chains, Issues & PRICE GOUGING BY…OIL COMPANIES, LANDLORDS, ETC. THESE PPL ARE STARVING [THEIR] OWN PPL. THERE R SOME THINGS U CANT DO 4 [money].”

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Cher noted, “I’M BETTER 2DAY. SOMETIMES I REACH WHAT I THINK IS MY LIMIT, THEN REALIZE, [I’VE] GOT MILES MORE ‘LIMIT’ IN ME.”

She concluded, “SOMETIMES I GET ON WHAT I ‘THINK’ IS MY LAST NERVE, THEN FIND LOTS MORE ‘LAST NERVES’ TO GET ON. SOMETIMES I NEED 2 REGROUP, REBOOT GIVE ‘ME’ A TIME OUT, THEN SAY FK THIS. I WONT STOP.”

Lately, Cher has starred in a M.A.C. cosmetics campaign, and is working on a new album, as well as a biopic about her amazing life.

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Ryan Reynolds taps his ‘Free Guy’ and ‘The Adam Project’ director Shawn Levy for ‘Deadpool 3’

Ryan Reynolds taps his ‘Free Guy’ and ‘The Adam Project’ director Shawn Levy for ‘Deadpool 3’
Ryan Reynolds taps his ‘Free Guy’ and ‘The Adam Project’ director Shawn Levy for ‘Deadpool 3’
20th Century Studios/Walt Disney Studios

Good news, Deadpool fans: The long-anticipated third movie starring Ryan Reynolds‘ red-suited “merc with the mouth” has a director. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds, who also is a producer of the blockbuster Deadpool series, has tapped his friend and Free Guy and The Adam Project director Shawn Levy to call the shots for the in-development threequel.

Incidentally, the news comes the day The Adam Project debuted on Netflix.

Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are also back in the fold for the third go-round — the first to be co-produced by ABC News’ parent company Disney, following the company’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

Levy was also behind the camera for the hit Night at the Museum films, starring Ben Stiller, and is an executive producer and episode director on Netflix’s Stranger Things. Following multiple pandemic-related delays, his Free Guy became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2021, earning $331.5 million worldwide.

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Two dead, eight hospitalized after car plows into DC restaurant at lunchtime, police say

Two dead, eight hospitalized after car plows into DC restaurant at lunchtime, police say
Two dead, eight hospitalized after car plows into DC restaurant at lunchtime, police say
WJLA

(WASHINGTON) — At least two people are dead and eight others hospitalized after a car plowed into a Washington, D.C., restaurant during lunchtime Friday, authorities said.

D.C. Fire and EMS reported a “mass casualty incident” resulting in life-threatening injuries midday Friday in northwest D.C.

Ten victims were transported to a local hospital, where two women succumbed to their injuries, police said. The other eight victims were in stable to serious condition, police said.

All victims are believed to have been sitting in the outdoor dining area of the popular Greek restaurant Parthenon on the sunny D.C. day when the SUV careened off the road, authorities said.

The victims range in age from about 30 to 80, according to D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly.

“This is rare. … We haven’t had an incident like this in many years,” Donnelly told reporters during a press briefing Friday. “A car hitting a crowd of people is a very serious event. Obviously, which we see, it’s a tragedy that results in a lot of injuries — serious injuries — so that’s what we’re dealing with right now.”

The crash is believed to have been an accident, authorities said. The driver, described as an elderly man, was alone in the vehicle when he apparently lost control, D.C. Police Second District Cmdr. Duncan Bedlion said.

“There are no indications this was intentional in any form or fashion,” Bedlion told reporters.

The driver received treatment at the scene and is cooperating with authorities, Bedlion said.

No structural damage to the building has been found.

The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia is investigating.

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Sheryl Crow releasing soundtrack album to accompany her new documentary, ‘Sheryl,’ in May

Sheryl Crow releasing soundtrack album to accompany her new documentary, ‘Sheryl,’ in May
Sheryl Crow releasing soundtrack album to accompany her new documentary, ‘Sheryl,’ in May
UMe/Big Machine Records

Sheryl, a new documentary about Sheryl Crow, gets its world premiere tonight at the South by Southewest festival in Austin, Texas, and now comes word that a companion soundtrack album will be released on May 6, coinciding with the date that the movie will debut on Showtime.

Sheryl: Music from the Feature Documentary is a 35-track compilation that features the Grammy winner’s biggest hits, including “If It Makes You Happy,” “Soak Up the Sun,” “All I Wanna Do,” “Strong Enough,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road” and many others.

The album also is packed with deep tracks and three newly recorded songs, as well as collaborations with such famous artists as Stevie Nicks, Eric Clapton, Sting, Keith Richards and the late Johnny Cash.

Sheryl: Music from the Feature Documentary, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available digitally and as a two-CD set.

The Sheryl documentary premieres tonight at SXSW starting at 8 p.m. CT. According to a press release, the doc “[n]avigates Crow’s seminal yet hard-fought musical career battling sexism, depression, perfectionism, cancer, and the price of fame — before harnessing the power of her gift.”

Here’s the full list of songs on the soundtrack:

“If It Makes You Happy”
“Leaving Las Vegas”
“All I Wanna Do”
“What Can I Do for You”
“Run, Baby, Run”
“Hard to Make a Stand”
“Sweet Rosalyn”
“A Change Would Do You Good”
“Home”
“Love Is a Good Thing”
“Strong Enough”
“Can’t Cry Anymore”
“Everyday Is a Winding Road”
“Redemption Day”
“The Difficult Kind” (Live with Sarah McLachlan)
“I Shall Believe”
“Real Gone” (Live)
“My Favorite Mistake”
“Riverwide”
“Crash and Burn”
“Steve McQueen”
“Soak Up the Sun”
“Out of Our Heads”
“Detours”
“Be Myself”
“Prove You Wrong” (featuring Stevie Nicks & Maren Morris)
“Tell Me When It’s Over” (featuring Chris Stapleton)
“Beware of Darkness” (featuring Brandi Carlile, Eric Clapton, and Sting)
“The Worst” (featuring Keith Richards)
“Story of Everything” (featuring Gary Clark Jr., Chuck D, Andra Day)
“Everything Is Broken” (Live with Jason Isbell at The Ryman)
“Redemption Day” (with Johnny Cash)
“Forever”
“Still the Same”
“Live with Me”

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Michael Bublé reveals he will never place his career over his children’s needs

Michael Bublé reveals he will never place his career over his children’s needs
Michael Bublé reveals he will never place his career over his children’s needs
Don Arnold/WireImage

Michael Bublé is many things, but above all else, he admits he’s a bit of a “dramatic b****.”

Speaking to iNews, the “I’ll Never Not Love You” singer revealed he and wife Luisana Lopilato are polar opposites.  While she’s the calm, cool and collected one — he’s not.

“My wife would tell you that my life is high drama. I would tell you that I’m easy-going, but actually I’m a dramatic b****,” he confessed. “I love the drama. I think you’ve gotta love it to perform. It’s part of what makes me creative.” 

Michael said his drama fed into him being a workaholic. “I sometimes feel like a little gerbil going round and round who doesn’t know where it’s going,” he admitted, but says he has a much healthier work/life balance. After his eight-year-old son, Noah, was diagnosed with liver cancer and is now in remission, Michael said he’ll “work hard, but I will never allow it to take over my life again.”

“I’ll never shirk my responsibilities of being a dad. I just know it’ll end in tears,” said Michael. “I would rather look back and think, ‘If I had worked harder, I could have sold more records and had bigger grosses on the tour.’ I can accept that — but I can’t accept thinking, ‘If only I had been with my kids more.'”

Michael also says his kids inherited his flair for the dramatic, acting like they “were being dragged off to a camp of death and would never be seen again” after their maternal grandparents left to go back to Argentina after waiting out the pandemic at their house.

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Jussie Smollett’s attorneys file an appeal after sentencing in race crime hoax

Jussie Smollett’s attorneys file an appeal after sentencing in race crime hoax
Jussie Smollett’s attorneys file an appeal after sentencing in race crime hoax
Courtesy Cook County Sheriff’s Office

Not 24 hours after a Chicago judge sentenced Jussie Smollett to five months behind bars for staging a racially motivated attack on himself, attorneys for the disgraced former Empire star have filed an appeal. 

According to ABC affiliate WLS-TV, Smollett is now in protective custody at Cook County Jail, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office noted in a statement, clarifying that the actor is not being held in solitary confinement, contrary to some reports.

A statement from the Sherriff’s Office explains that confinement like Jussie’s is “routinely used for individuals ordered into protective custody who may potentially be at risk of harm due to the nature of their charges, their profession, or their noteworthy status.”

The message also notes, “Mr. Smollett is being housed in his own cell, which is monitored by security cameras in the cell and by an officer wearing a body worn camera who is stationed at the entrance of the cell to ensure that Mr. Smollett is under direct observation at all times.”

The statement adds regarding Smollett’s confinement, “During such times out of cell, other detainees will not be present in the common areas…The safety and security of all detained individuals, including Mr. Smollett, is the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priority.”

Before sentencing Thursday, Cook County Judge James Linn excoriated Smollett, calling him a “charlatan” who “denigrated” actual hate crime victims.

“You got on the witness stand. You didn’t have to…But you committed hour upon hour upon hour of pure perjury,” Linn said.

Smollett was led off in handcuffs, screaming, “I am not suicidal! I am innocent!”

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Health care providers for trans people debunk new Alabama legislation’s misinformation

Health care providers for trans people debunk new Alabama legislation’s misinformation
Health care providers for trans people debunk new Alabama legislation’s misinformation
Julie Bennett/Getty Images, FILE

(NEW YORK) — Health care providers that serve the transgender community in Alabama are struggling to make sense of a new bill moving quickly through the state legislature.

The Vulnerable Child Protection Act would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the state.

Pediatric endocrinologist Hussein Abdullatif, who provides gender-affirming care for trans youth, said the legislation leaves many questions: Will trans youth be able to continue seeing their physicians? Will they be able to receive their medications?

“I worry about my patients,” Abdullatif told ABC News. “They already are showing a great deal of anxiety related to what’s going to happen.”

Abdullatif says it is not only his transgender patients’ physical health but also their mental health that is of concern. He said he has seen firsthand the way discrimination and lack of care can affect his trans patients.

“I do know of a kid who already attempted three times suicide — not because of law, of course, because they haven’t passed it yet — but because of resistance by the mother of the child to the idea of being transgender,” he said.

The bill states that anyone who provides gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy or physical gender-affirming surgeries to anyone under 18, could be convicted of a felony and face up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt, called gender-affirming health care, “child abuse.”

“We don’t want parents to be abusing their children. We don’t want to make that an option, because that’s what it is, it’s child abuse. This is just to protect children,” Shelnutt said on Feb. 23 on the state Senate floor.

Yet experts say the notion of gender-affirmation as child abuse as well as language used in the legislation — for instance — the claim that people can experience “permanent sterility, that result from the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures” are forms of misinformation.

Debunking myths about transgender health care and gender-affirmation

The bill refers to “minors” and “surgical procedures” but in Alabama, gender-affirming surgeries aren’t allowed until a patient reaches the age of legal majority for medical decisions, which is 19.

“When lawmakers attempt to practice medicine with a life without a license, they realize quickly that there was a lot more they didn’t understand than what they thought they did,” said Morissa Ladinsky, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics.

The bill’s language also makes claims about mental health and gender affirmation which some experts say are false.

“Individuals who undergo cross-sex cosmetic surgical procedures have been found to suffer from elevated mortality rates higher than the general population. They experience significantly higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and psychiatric hospitalizations,” the legislation reads.

However, research from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention found higher rates of substance abuse, depression and suicidal ideation were linked to stigma, discrimination and victimization experienced by this population.

Research shows that people who have gender-affirming surgery had significantly lower odds of psychological distress, tobacco smoking, and suicidal ideation compared with trans people with no history of gender-affirming surgery.

As for hormone therapy and puberty blockers, physicians say gender-affirming care comes after long discussions between parents and their children, as well as between families and their physicians.

Puberty blockers provide an individual and their family time to determine if a child’s gender identity is long-lasting, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Trans youth may face stress and anxiety from puberty development, including breast or facial hair growth, that does not align with their gender identity. Puberty blockers can help offer relief from that stress, experts say.

If an adolescent child stops taking the treatment, puberty resumes.

“It’s harmless and it’s not something that locks you in a certain decision that you cannot leave,” Abdullatif said.

Hormone therapy, which induces male or female physical changes, also helps address the needs of transgender teens in affirming their identity.

The legislation also makes the claim that puberty blockers can cause infertility or other health risks.

According to Ladinsky, these potential side effects only present real risks after puberty and are not a risk to youth taking puberty blockers.

Gender-affirming youth care is supported by several national medical organizations such as the American Medical Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“The worry is that we will have an epidemic of suicide because of a bill that calls itself the [Vulnerable Child Protection Act],” said Abdullatif.

Bills seen by advocates as anti-trans have also been proposed in past Alabama legislatures, as well as in states including Idaho and Arkansas. Arkansas is currently facing lawsuits against its bill that was passed into law last year despite the governor’s veto, and bans gender-confirming treatments for transgender youth.

“This is a government overreach,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at the news conference in April 2021.. “You are starting to let lawmakers interfere with health care and set a standard for legislation overriding health care. The state should not presume to jump into every ethical health decision.”

Ladinsky says it keeps her up at night to think about the patients who are just now understanding their gender identities.

She said she worries youth will believe “my state has made the choice to erase me.”

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Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian go Instagram official in sweet new snaps

Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian go Instagram official in sweet new snaps
Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian go Instagram official in sweet new snaps
Said ZapatA/MEGA/GC Images

Well, it’s official…Instagram official: Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are an item. 

Kim’s socials sported new pictures of the pair, one with Pete standing in the foreground, selfie-style, and another with the couple on the floor, Kim cradling Pete’s head like a reality-show version of The Pieta.

Another photo is just of Kim, kneeling to show off the silver thigh-high boots she’s sporting in the other pics.

“Who’s car we gonna take?” Kim captioned the photo set, a reference to the Ben Affleck/Jeremy Renner movie The Town. She included a snapshot of stills from the movie to help people make the connection.

The 28-year-old Saturday Night Live cast member and the 41-year-old influencer and entrepreneur have been linked since October of last year, eight months after Kim filed for divorce from Kayne West.

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