The forthcoming movie musical of The Color Purple has found its leading ladies.
American Idol season three winner Fantasia will play Celie and Orange Is the New Black alum Danielle Brooks will play Sofia, it was announced Thursday during ABC News’ Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising.
The parts were made famous by Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, respectively, in Steven Spielberg‘s 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name. Both actresses earned their first Oscar nominations for their work in the movie.
A musical version of the iconic work was staged on Broadway from 2005 to 2008, with Fantasia playing the role of Celie from 2007 to 2008 during the original Broadway run. Brooks earned a Tony nod for playing Sofia in the Broadway revival, which ran from 2015 to 2017.
Winfrey surprised a very emotional Brooks with a Zoom call to tell her she landed the role, saying, “I am here representing all things purple to tell you that you are our Sophia. I’m so happy to pass whatever baton from 35 — almost 40 — years ago to you. And I know you’re gonna kill it.”
“My heart is so full,” a teary Brooks said. “I’m going to make you so proud.”
“You already have,” Winfrey responded. “I wanted to be the one to tell you because you know I have such love for her, this character, everything she represents and everything she brought to my life. And what I’m hoping is that she does the same thing for you.”
Fantasia and Brooks join a star-studded The Color Purple cast including Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R. and Halle Bailey. The film, to be directed by Blitz Bazawule, begins production this spring and is slated for release in 2023.
(NEW YORK) — Thirty-three states from Texas to Maine are on alert Friday morning for snow, ice, bitter cold and flooding as a massive winter storm continues its push east.
With 5,210 flights canceled Thursday nationwide, including over 1,400 in Dallas, the day marked the highest number of weather-related cancellations since March 14, 2017.
Over 310,000 customers are without power Friday morning across Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky.
The monster storm brought more than 1 foot of snow from Missouri to western New York over the last 36 hours, bringing roads to a standstill.
Indianapolis recorded a record daily snowfall Thursday with 7.3 inches.
The storm brought 1.7 inches of snow to Dallas — more than the city usually sees in an entire year.
The storm even brought freezing rain down to Texas’ Gulf Coast. Police in Houston are urging drivers to stay off the roads due to ice, and Houston schools are closed Friday.
Texans are still feeling the freeze Friday morning with the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — hitting about 8 degrees in Dallas, 7 degrees in Austin and 1 degree in Lubbock.
On Friday morning, the heavy snow and ice are pummeling the inland Northeast from New York state to Maine. An additional 6 inches of snow is possible in New England.
As temperatures drop Friday morning, icy conditions will develop along the Interstate-95 corridor from New Jersey to New York City to Boston. And the temperatures will continue to plummet for the Northeast Friday night, so whatever rain or freezing rain falls will freeze on any untreated roads.
The storm moves out of the Northeast Friday night. But those in the Northeast will wake up to freezing temperatures Saturday, with the wind chill forecast to plunge to 4 degrees in Boston, 6 degrees in New York City and 12 degrees in Washington, D.C.
(BEIJING) — For the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, officials have established a series of rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This will mark the second Olympics since the pandemic began, which will be held between Feb. 3 and Feb. 20. The Paralympic Games will follow from March 4 to March 13.
China has enforced strict measures to limit the spread of the virus within its borders and there will be no loosening of these restrictions when it comes to the Olympics.
This means no spectators aside from a few local fans, a closed loop system, a rigorous testing program and stringent measures for those who test positive.
ABC News took a closer look at some of the rules that have been established for the Games.
Vaccinate or undergo quarantine
According to the Olympics playbook, all participants must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arriving in Beijing to avoid quarantine.
Only certain exceptions will be made if an athlete has a history of allergic reaction to a component of the vaccine or is using any immunosuppression medication.
Games officials also recommend that all participants receive a booster before traveling to China.
Anyone who is not vaccinated has to quarantine in Beijing for 21 days before being allowed in the closed loop system.
Regardless of vaccination status, all athletes and personnel must take two PCR tests at least 24 hours apart within 96 hours of their flight to China.
Closed loop system
Similar to Tokyo, Beijing has implemented a closed loop system in which athletes, coaches and their staff will undergo daily screening and testing.
Additionally, buses and trains designated for the Games will specifically move participants to the opening and closing ceremonies, training venues, competition venues, victory ceremonies and the Olympic Village, where most of the athletes are staying.
“This is to ensure there is no contact with the general public or anyone outside of the closed loop,” according to the playbook.
Minimizing physical interaction
The playbook also offers guidance for how athletes can minimize contact with each other while in the closed loop system.
Officials recommend athletes avoid hugs and handshakes and stay away from enclosed spaces or large crowds.
Individuals are also required to keep 2 meters (6 feet) from athletes, and athletes must keep 1 meter (3 feet) from each other.
Mask-wearing will be enforced at all times except “when training, competing, eating, drinking, sleeping, when alone, or during interviews, stand-ups and live presentations,” the playbook states.
Criteria for testing positive
Games officials said they are expecting more COVID-19 cases to emerge.
During a press conference last month, Dr. Brian McCloskey, chair of the Olympics medical expert panel, said the goal is “zero spread” not “zero cases.”
Because of this, Beijing has adjusted its rules regarding the threshold for when someone is considered to be positive with a figure known as the cycle threshold (CT) value.
After a sample is collected, it is isolated and undergoes multiple amplification cycles in an effort to detect viral RNA, or genetic material.
The CT value is the number of cycles needed before RNA is found, at which point the machine stops working. The higher the number, the less infectious a person is considered.
Previously, participants had to meet a CT value of 40 to be considered positive for COVID-19. Now they will have to meet a standard of 35.
What happens when participants test positive?
Any athletes who test positive will immediately be removed from the Games and the Olympic Village.
Symptomatic participants will be taken to a designated hospital while those who are asymptomatic will be in an isolation facility.
Sick individuals will not be allowed back into the closed loop system until all symptoms clear and they test negative twice in a row with two tests taken 24 hours apart.
Few spectators
There will be very few spectators in the stands to watch the athletes compete in the Games.
No fans from other countries are allowed to attend and only spectators who are selected will be allowed to watch the events in person.
“In order to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators, it has been decided that tickets should not be sold anymore but be part of an adapted program that will invite groups of spectators to be present on site during the Games,” according to an announcement released on Jan. 17.
Leaving China
All athletes and personnel will be transported to Beijing Capital International Airport using transportation services designated specifically for the Games.
Close contacts of anyone who has tested positive will be able to leave China as long as they test negative within the last 24 hours.
No more than 24 hours before leaving China, travelers will be required to fill out the online Customs Health Declaration form to show to airport officials and/or gate agents before boarding flights.
(BEIJING) — The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off in China’s capital this week with the opening ceremony on Friday, marking the official start of the Games.
While preliminary competitions have already begun in curling, ice hockey, luge and various skiing events, the opening ceremony is a chance for the host country to make a statement to the world with an unforgettable display and performance. The much-awaited spectacle is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing starting at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) and is being broadcast live on NBC.
The United States has imposed a diplomatic boycott of this year’s Beijing Olympics. While American athletes will still participate, President Joe Biden’s administration will not send an official delegation to the Games due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” in the northwestern Xinjiang region, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last December. The move was swiftly followed by Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Here are key moments from the opening ceremony. All times Eastern:
Feb 04, 9:49 am
Olympic cauldron is lit
The torch was passed from speedskater Zhao Weichang to short-track athlete Li Yan, before being passed to short-track athlete Yang Yang, track-and-field Olympian Su Bingtian and short-track athlete Zhou Yang.
It was then passed to two final 2022 Olympians: cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Nordic Combined athlete Jiawen Zhao.
The two lit the Olympic cauldron together to represent gender equality.
Dinigeer is from Xinjiang and is of the Uyghur minority. Chinese President Xi Jinping and the nation’s government have been accused of genocide and human rights violations against this population, prompting international protests and a U.S. diplomatic boycott.
Feb 04, 9:27 am
Xi declares Games open as performances continue
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing officially open, following remarks from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The declaration was followed by a display of fireworks overhead and skaters gliding across the stadium floor, revealing colorful images behind them.
Next, there was a rendition of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine.” Then another poignant, snowflake-filled performance where dozens of children joyfully sang in unison.
Feb 04, 9:22 am
Messages of peace and solidarity drive speeches
Beijing Communist Party Secretary and President of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee Cai Qi thanked and welcomed the athletes, offering words of peace and unity — a running theme throughout the opening ceremony.
“The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is to show the world how people boldly rise to challenges and forge ahead into the future that is being worked together to add a new chapter to building a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in turn thanked the Chinese people “wholeheartedly” for being “gracious hosts” and “welcoming us all so warmly” in his official speech in the opening ceremony.
He also extended gratitude to those on the front lines, including doctors and scientists, for their “outstanding efforts and solidarity” amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
He made no direct mention of the alleged Uyghur genocide and crimes against humanity in the country but did emphasize the importance of peace and unity.
“You will live peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic village,” Bach told athletes. “There will be no discrimination for any reason whatsoever.”
“In our fragile world with division, conflict and mistrust on the rise, we show the world, yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together,” he added, saying this is the mission of the Olympic games.
He then said: “I appeal to all political authorities across the world: Observe your commitment to this Olympic truce. Give peace a chance.”
Feb 04, 8:54 am
Dazzling display represents unity
Snowflakes representing all of the countries converged on the floor of the National Stadium, symbolizing the world coming together.
The imagery was inspired by the uniqueness of each individual snowflake, as well as a Chinese poem that describes a snowy canopy at the center of a gathering.
A stunning 3D display of the Northern Lights took over the arena, as dancers filled the stadium in the next portion of the creative performance.
Feb 04, 8:40 am
A ‘Parade of Nations’ enters the ‘Bird’s Nest’
After a short but colorful opening performance, some of the athletes from the participating Olympic teams marched into the “Bird’s Nest” for the hourlong “Parade of Nations” segment of the ceremony.
The parade has been part of the opening ceremonies at the Games since the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Traditionally, each team chooses just one flag-bearer for the parade. But starting last year at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, teams were encouraged to select both a male and female representative to carry their flag.
As with the opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, all athletes marching in this “Parade of Nations” wore face masks to protect against COVID-19.
Teams entered the “Bird’s Nest” in order by the number of strokes in the first character of their name in the Chinese writing system. However, the first team to enter is always Greece because that’s where the ancient Games originated in 776 B.C.
And as the host of the next Winter Olympics in 2026, Italy’s team was second-to-last to enter the stadium. The current host country, China, was last.
With Russia’s team name, flag and national anthem once again banned from the Games over allegations of a state-backed doping program, the country’s athletes marched into the stadium this year with the Olympic flag and under the name ROC, an acronym for Russian Olympic Committee.
It’s the third time that Russia has not been able to use its own name, flag or anthem at the Olympics. Last summer, Russian athletes competed as part of the ROC at the Tokyo Games. During the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Russia’s team was branded as OAR, an acronym for Olympic Athletes from Russia.
Team USA was 56th to enter the stadium, with the second-largest delegation in U.S. history.
Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and curler John Shuster were named Team USA’s flag-bearers. However, Meyers Taylors was unable to attend the opening ceremony because she tested positive for COVID-19. Speed skater Brittany Bowe marched in her place during the “Parade of Nations.”
Feb 04, 7:04 am
Opening ceremony kicks off
The opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has begun.
The event is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing. The 80,000-seat stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, will also hold the closing ceremony on Feb. 20. It was the same venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was the last time China hosted the Games.
Chinese authorities tightened travel restrictions for Beijing ahead of the Games, requiring all travelers to the city to take a nucleic acid test within 72 hours of entry as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Moreover, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee announced that no public tickets to the Games will be sold due to the “grave and complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators.” Instead, groups of spectators will be invited to the Games, and “the organizers expect that these spectators will strictly abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures before, during and after each event,” the committee said.
As promised, Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby dropped their new single, “Do We Have a Problem?”, at midnight Friday.
Not only did the duo drop the audio, they released a nearly 10-minute long music video that also stars actors Joseph Sikora and Cory Hardrict.
In the video, Nicki is some sort of operative who is working a case with Sikora as her partner. While interrogating a suspect, she’s solicited to complete a hit on a high-profile target, or else she will become the target.
After successfully performing the hit, Nicki and Lil Baby drive off, eventually making their way to Cuba as Nicki sings in the chorus, “I got a shooter and I got a driver / They want that heat, I’m the only provider.”
When a concerned Sikora finally catches up with her, it’s revealed that Nicki was playing both sides.
“Do we have a problem,” she asks Sikora as she holds a gun to his head.
As if a new single and video weren’t enough, Nicki also gave a glimpse into what’s presumably the next single, which has fans thirsting for her next album.
“WE NEED THAT NEXT SONG ASAPPPP!!!!!!!!” one user wrote on Twitter.
Another chimed in, “THIS ALBUM IS ABOUT TO BE SO [freaking] GOOD.”
“Do We Have a Problem?” is available to stream now.
Halle Berry has starred in a couple of action movies recently, including Bruised and John Wick: Chapter Three — Parabellum. Now there’s Moonfall, out today.
The 55-year-old actress tells ABC News she’s enjoying her action star status, especially with this film.
“I love the diversity of being able to play different kinds of roles and especially in this movie. This role was written for a man. Talk about diversity,” she says. “You know, I love that [director Roland Emmerich] had the forethought and the idea to diversify this role and make her a Black woman. That was pretty impressive.”
So what can we expect from Moonfall?
“Get ready. It’s a classic Roland Emmerich disaster film that’s surely going to entertain you,” notes Berry. “You’re going to see some special effects and things that, you know, you probably haven’t seen before.”
Moonfall may be an action-disaster flick, but Berry says there are “real conversations to be had” around its subject matter, which centers on the Moon being knocked from its orbit by an unknown force and put onto a collision course with Earth.
“You know, and there’s a debate, and we would have a healthy debate all the time on the set about all of these theories and what was true and what wasn’t true and what we all believed and things we had read. And you know, it’s never ending, actually,” says Berry.
Moonfall also stars Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Michael Peña, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu and Donald Sutherland.
It’s official: Red Hot Chili Peppers are giving fans another album, but first comes their new single, “Black Summer.”
After teasing the new track last week, the band released “Black Summer,” along with the music video, at midnight on Friday. In the same breath, they revealed that their new album, called Unlimited Love, would be out April 1.
Shortly after the news, RHCP said in a lengthy Instagram post, “Our only goal is to get lost in the music. We spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could.”
“We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album UNLIMITED LOVE, is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe,” the post continued. “This is our life’s mission.”
John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith and Flea signed off on the note by telling fans, “Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it.”
Unlimited Love will be RHCP’s first studio album since Frusciante rejoined the band in 2019. It’s currently available for pre-order. An exclusive colored vinyl of the album is available for pre-order as well.
Paramount has greenlit a sixth installment of the Scream franchise from the creative team behind the current film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film series debuted in 1996 and is written by Kevin Williamson, with the first four films being directed by Wes Craven. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette have starred in all six films, which have collectively grossed over $800 million. The new Scream — the first since Craven’s death in 2015 — has grossed $106.2 million worldwide over its first three weeks of release. Casting for the next chapter has yet to be announced…
Peacock dropped the first trailer for Joe vs. Carole, the limited series based on the Wondery podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King. The series, starring Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon, centers on Carole Baskin, “a big-cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe ‘Exotic’ Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit. She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and, when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy.” Joe vs. Carole also stars Kyle MacLachlan, Brian Van Holt, Sam Keeley, Nat Wolff, Marlo Kelly, William Fichtner, Dean Winters and David Wenham. All eight episodes will debut March 3 on Peacock…(Trailer contains uncensored profanity.)
Paramount has renewed Yellowstone for a fifth season, according to Variety. The modern-day Western stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, a fifth-generation rancher defending his sprawling Montana property from land developers while dealing with dysfunctional relationships with his four adult children. The series also stars Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Wes Bentley, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Forrie Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Finn Little and Ryan Birmingham, all of whom will return for season five, along with Jen Landon and Kathryn Kelly, who have been upped to series regulars…
(WASHINGTON) — A lawsuit filed Wednesday against the District of Columbia alleges its police department keeps a “watchlist” of critics and stalls or denies requests for public information from those on it.
Amy Phillips, a criminal defense lawyer and “outspoken critic” of the Metropolitan Police Department, filed the lawsuit after, she said, a former employee alerted her to the alleged existence of the watchlist and her presence on it. Phillips said in the lawsuit that she is on the alleged list because she requested information that embarrassed MPD and that she intends to continue.
The lawsuit claims the alleged list is a “constitutional violation” and discriminates against requestors of public information on the basis of the “content and viewpoint of prior or anticipated speech,” according to the court filing.
Phillips is requesting the court require the District to stop the use of any watchlist policy and establish a way to ensure continued compliance. She is also asking for attorney’s fees and damages of $1.
“This lawsuit is important because MPD is trying to silence critics of police at a crucial moment in American history where people like me are trying to hold them to account,” Charlie Gerstein, Phillips’ lawyer, said in an interview with ABC News.
If someone on the alleged list submits a request to MPD under the D.C. Freedom of Information Act, it is “set aside for special review by high-ranking officials, including the Chief of Police,” the lawsuit alleges.
People are allegedly put on this list after publicly criticizing the MPD or when requesting information that could be embarrassing to the MPD or its officers, according to the lawsuit.
“Once on the list, the requesters face hurdles that the general public avoids: They may be charged money for public information that others get for free, they may have their requests delayed, or they may have their requests denied outright,” the lawsuit alleges.
In the lawsuit, Phillips said her allegedly being on the list amounts to a violation of her First Amendment rights.
Inspector Vendette Parker, a former FOIA officer for MPD, reportedly alerted Phillips to the existence of the “unofficial, unwritten policy,” the lawsuit states. Parker was reportedly told on her first day of work that the watchlist was created in an effort to prevent then-Police Chief Peter Newsham from being “blindsided” by reporters with questions regarding records they received, the lawsuit says.
According to an estimate from Parker cited in the lawsuit, the “MPD delayed, denied or improperly altered approximately 20 requests pursuant to the watchlist policy” between 2017 and the end of 2019.
“[Parker] also said that she would flag for attention any request that came from a reporter. So that, we think, has to be a lot more, but at the moment we’re not sure,” Gerstein said. “We look forward to learning more in the process of litigating this case.”
Every week, Parker was required to notify Newsham and LeeAnn Turner, the chief operating officer of MPD, of requests that “may lead to criticism of the department, specifically those originating from news reporters or people known to be critical of the department, or those containing requests for information with the potential to embarrass the department,” according to the lawsuit.
Parker would then have a weekly meeting with Turner in which she was instructed how to process the requests, the lawsuit alleges.
“Proposed responsive documents were to be presented to Turner in hard-copy form because, Turner said, she did not want to generate more records that would be subject to disclosure,” the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, those on the alleged list — including reporters, advisory neighborhood commissioners and criminal defense lawyers — always at least experienced a delay in their requests “while the department prepares for any criticism that may result.”
According to former colleagues of Parker, the lawsuit alleges, current Chief of Police Robert Contee has not ended or suspended the policy.
Phillips said she filed at least eight requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act between 2018 and 2021, including requests for information about the MPD’s disciplinary reviews of officers, Newsham’s use of “zero-tolerance policing,” and “policies governing MPD’s specialized units, including the Gun Recovery Unit, Narcotics and Special Investigations Division, and Crime Suppression Teams.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters she hadn’t read the lawsuit and couldn’t directly comment on it, but said she is taking the accusation seriously, noting “all FOIA requests should be handled as expeditiously as possible.”
“I’m never going to try to stop anybody’s First Amendment right,” she added.
Hugh Carew, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department, told ABC News it hadn’t been formally served with the lawsuit but wouldn’t discuss specific allegations due to the pending litigation.
“We do acknowledge the serious nature of the claims. Transparency with our community partners is necessary to maintaining trust and agency accountability,” Carew said. “A thorough review of the assertions will be completed and appropriately acted upon.”
(CAIRO) — Rescuers intensified their efforts on Friday to recover a five-year-old boy trapped in a 32-meter-deep well in a Northern Moroccan province for almost three days in a relief operation that kept people in the Arab world on tenterhooks.
The boy, identified by Moroccan media as Rayan, reportedly fell through a narrow opening of the well while playing in the village of Ighran in Morocco’s Chefchaouen province on Tuesday evening.
A “Save Rayan” Arabic hashtag trended in several Arab countries, including in neighboring Algeria as well as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as thousands of users took to social media to offer their prayers.
Many likened his story to that of Prophet Yunis, commonly referred to as Jonah in the Bible, who was swallowed up by a whale for three days before the giant fish spat him out.
“Please God, protect him just like you protected Yunis in the belly of the whale,” read a caption on a widely shared drawing of a boy playing with toys while being trapped in a deep well.
Several Moroccan media outlets live-streamed the rescue operation to hundreds of thousands of users, leading to an outpouring of sympathy. A CCTV camera lowered into the well to track Rayan showed him alive on Thursday, albeit he appeared to be suffering from head injuries. Oxygen, food and water were also sent down.
“Still can’t sleep Till he is free fully I’m literally been depressed all day, I’m lying on my bed and I feel so exhausted imagine this little poor baby what he feels,” one Twitter user said.
Moroccan state news agency MAP said parallel digging carried out by bulldozers had reached a depth of 28 meters, reviving hopes that the rescue efforts can bear fruit soon. Horizontal drilling will start once a depth of 32 meters is reached, an informed source told MAP.
However, the source urged caution in fear of possible landslides. Footage showed parts of the soil collapsing during the digging work.
“The excavation work stopped from time to time, in order to take the necessary measures, as the rescue operation has reached a complex stage, and perform the necessary interventions to avoid a ground collapse,” the source told MAP.
