50 Cent is having a major laugh thanks to good pal and Black Mafia Family star Snoop Dogg.
In an Instagram post to promote the latest episode of his new crime-drama BMF, 50 shared an image of Snoop in character as Pastor Swift.
“Let us all pray God, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I can not change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference,” 50 wrote in a message accompanying the pic. “BECAUSE @snoopdogg is not gonna stop smoking weed.”
50’s hilarious revelation comes after the rapper toldJimmy Kimmel last month that he couldn’t get Snoop to stop smoking marijuana on-set.
“He did his thing,” Fif said of Snoop’s portrayal as the pastor. “[But,] you can’t get him to stop smoking weed. I went to the trailer. I was like, ‘Can you chill? Can you chill?’ He was like, ‘Get outta here, man! No, it’s legal 50! It’s legal!”
Fif continued, “He was really conflicted with me asking him not to smoke weed. He was like, ‘Why you wanna mess up my day?'”
Fans can check out Snoop in BMF, which airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Starz.
Coldplay, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran are among the performers at the first-ever Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, which is being held in London on October 17.
The Earthshot Prize was created by Great Britain’s Prince William and The Royal Foundation to encourage scientists to develop the “most inspiring and innovative solutions” to the world’s biggest environmental challenges. There will be five winners announced, and each will get one million pounds — about $1.36 million U.S. — to scale and support their innovations.
Prince William will attend the ceremony with other participants including Sir David Attenborough, actors Emma Thompson, Emma Watson and David Oyelowo and Prince Williams’ wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
You can learn about all 15 finalists for the prize in the documentary The EarthShot Prize: Repairing Our Planet, which is now available on Discovery+ and will arrive on October 16 on the Discovery Channel. The awards ceremony will stream globally on Discovery’s Facebook page on October 17.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Pacific Gas & Electric warned tens of thousands of customers in California that their power may be shut off Monday to help prevent wildfires due to severe wind and drought conditions in the area.
The preemptive shutdowns, at the inconvenience of customers, come as the company is still reeling from fallout related to deadly blazes in 2018 and 2020 authorities say were sparked by trees hitting the power grid. They also come as climate change has exacerbated California’s wildfires, stoking conditions experts say have led to the larger and deadlier blazes seen in recent years.
The company sent shutoff warnings to nearly 25,000 customers spanning 22 counties — including Alameda, Fresno and Napa — in northern and central California on Sunday.
On Monday, PG&E updated on its website that shutoffs were required and its map of outages indicated power had been temporarily turned off in a slew of communities in the state’s Northern Sierra Foothills region, North Coast region and beyond.
“Since Friday, PG&E meteorologists have been tracking the weather system, which is expected to start Sunday night and bring wind gusts of up to 50 mph by Monday morning,” the company said in a statement Sunday. “PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, its Wildfire Safety Operations Center and its Emergency Operations Center continue to monitor conditions closely.”
Customers impacted were notified via text, email and automated phone calls beginning Saturday, the company said. More information on the latest status in specific neighborhoods can be found on PG&E’s website, along with tips for customers on how to prepare for the planned outages — such as unplugging appliances and using battery-powered flashlights.
Counties that would likely see the most customers impacted include Tehama (where 5,342 customers were sent warnings), Solano (4,561 customers) and Lake (4,008 customers). PG&E initially said it expects “minimal impact” to be felt by customers in the Bay Area and Central Valley.
The National Weather Service has warned of high winds in California due to a powerful storm in the west bringing a “critical fire weather” warning in central and northern California through Tuesday.
The so-called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which proactively turn off power in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines, come as California has been battling larger and deadlier blazes in recent years linked to climate change.
The preemptive power shutdowns also come as PG&E has been embroiled in controversy linked to the wildfires. Late last month, the company was charged with involuntary manslaughter and other counts related to the 2020 Zogg Fire, which was sparked by a tree contacting a PG&E electric line.
PG&E CEO Patti Poppe disputed the criminal charges in a statement shortly after they were announced, saying, “We’ve accepted CAL FIRE’s determination, reached earlier this year, that a tree contacted our electric line and started the Zogg Fire. We accept that conclusion. But we did not commit a crime.”
“This was a tragedy, four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them. They have dedicated their careers to it, criminalizing their judgment is not right,” Poppe added.
The latest legal action taken against the firm comes after the company pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a fire for its link to the ignition of the devastating 2018 Camp Fire.
In her statement, Poppe noted steps the firm is taking to prevent wildfires, saying it is investing more than $1.4 billion in 2021 alone in vegetation management, removing 300,000 trees and trimming a million more, working toward burying 10,000 miles of power lines and more.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Modest! Golf
Lewis Capaldi‘s smash hit “Before You Go” was named Song of the Year at the 2021 BMI London Awards, given out annually the music rights management and licensing company BMI.
“Before You Go,” which was the most-performed song in the U.S. in 2020 by a U.K. or European songwriter, spent 52 weeks on the Billboard chart and eventually became Lewis’ second U.S. top 10, after “Someone You Loved.” One of Lewis’ co-writers, Tom Barnes, said, “The song really resonated with people during the pandemic because many had to say goodbye to people without really saying goodbye.”
Also at the event, iconic songs that have been broadcast on TV and radio more than a million times were recognized. Elton John‘s “Bennie and the Jets” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” were honored for seven million performances each, while “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” was honored for six million performances.
Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” were also honored for six million performances, and a song he co-wrote — Justin Bieber‘s “Love Yourself” — was honored for four million performances. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police earned its composer Sting an honor for a whopping 16 million performances. Of all the songs that BMI administers the rights to, that’s the most-played song.
If you live in London, you might’ve caught a sneak peek of Coldplay‘s upcoming album, Music of the Spheres.
As flagged by the fan account @ColdplayXtra, a digital billboard recently popped up in the English capital, featuring lyrics from the unreleased Spheres song, “Biutyful.”
The song begins, “All I know is I love you/I hope that you get everything you want in this biutyful live.” We assume that “Biutyful” is pronounced like “beautiful,” but we’ll find out for sure when Music of the Spheres arrives this Friday, October 15.
Music of the Spheres includes the previously released lead single “Higher Power” and the hit BTS collaboration “My Universe.” The album also includes a song with pop star Selena Gomez, titled “Let Somebody Go.”
Lyrics to Coldplay’s track Biutyful, from new album Music of the Spheres, have appeared on a digital billboard in London at the @alienradiofm coordinates
Carlos Santana has released a fourth advance track from his upcoming studio album, Blessings and Miracles, a genre-blending song titled “Joy” that features the guitar legend collaborating with Grammy-winning country star Chris Stapleton.
“Joy,” which was co-written, produced and sung by Stapleton, combines elements of reggae, rock, country, blues and gospel music.
“I was very intrigued to work with Chris,” Carlos says. “We talked on the phone about the COVID situation and how there’s so much fear in the world, and I said, ‘We need to create music as a healing force. We must bring hope and courage and disinfect twisted minds infected with darkness.’ That gave him the ammunition to write such incredible words.”
He adds, “Somewhere I said, ‘flying on the wings of angels,’ so it’s a collaboration. And what an incredible song it is. The choir in it — it’s like the Staple Singers.”
“Joy” is available now via digital formats, and you also can check out a colorful, animated lyric video for the tune at Santana’s official YouTube channel. The clip brings images from the Blessings and Miracles cover art to life.
Blessings and Miracles, which you can pre-order now, will be released this Friday, October 15. As previously reported, the album features Carlos and his band teaming up with an eclectic variety of guest musicians. The three other tracks that already have been released from the record are a cover of the Procol Harum classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale” featuring Steve Winwood; the new Rob Thomas collaboration, “Move“; and “She’s Fire,” a song written by acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren that also features singer-rapper G-Eazy.
(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
More than 713,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 66% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 11, 12:41 pm
Daily death average nearly 8 times higher than in mid-July
Although daily deaths have declined by about 17% in the last four weeks, the U.S. is still reporting an average of 1,465 new deaths each day, according to federal data. Over the last four days alone, the U.S. reported another 7,500 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
The death average is nearly eight times higher than in mid-July when the national average had dropped to a near pandemic low of 192 daily deaths, according to federal data.
But hospitalization admissions have dropped by about 11.4% in the last week, according to federal data.
There are currently about 65,000 COVID-19 patients in U.S. hospitals, down from 104,000 patients in late August.
In the Mountain Region — Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming — hospital admissions are steadily trending up, federal data show. In the Northeast, hospital admissions are no longer trending down.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Oct 11, 12:13 pm
Boston Marathon returns with COVID protocols in place
The Boston Marathon returned with 18,000 runners on Monday following a two-year hiatus.
The field size was reduced by 36% this year while another 28,000 runners participated in the race virtually.
Runners were required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Although masks were not mandated for the 26.2-mile course, face coverings were enforced on participant transportation, as well as for volunteers who interacted with participants.
According to the Boston Marathon Association, 95% of all Boston Marathon volunteers were vaccinated and 100% of Boston Marathon medical volunteers were vaccinated.
Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Drake is giving some major Instagram love to his son Adonis, in celebration of his fourth birthday.
Over the weekend, Drake, who shares Adonis with ex Sophie Brussaux, took to Instagram to share photos from his son’s race-car-themed birthday party.
“TEACHA,” Drake captioned one photo that showed him smiling as he crouched down and posed next to his son. “MORE LIFE KID.”
In another post, which appeared to be taken at a photo booth, Drake holds his son, who stretches out into a Superman pose. Drake simply captions the image with a runner emoji.
The “One Dance” performer also posted footage on his Instagram Story of Adonis sharing some popcorn with someone in a Bugs Bunny costume from the film Space Jam: A New Legacy.
This isn’t the first time Drake showed his baby boy on Instagram. Last year, Drake shared a rare photo of Adonis, writing in part that he “love[s] and miss[es] [his] beautiful family and friends..”
Apple TV+’s critically-hailed sci-fi epic Foundation has been picked up for a second season by the streaming service, so cast members need to get their dancing shoes ready.
That’s because Lee Pace, who plays the series’ villain, Emperor Day, has a habit of starting dance-offs on set — even though one led to his Guardians of the Galaxy character’s defeat. And while he told ABC Audio he didn’t get a chance to repeat the activity on Foundation, he’s got his eyes on a certain co-star for season two.
“Jared Harris, I’m calling you out!” Pace said with a laugh about his Emmy-winning co-star. “Let’s see what moves you got!”
For her part, co-star Lou Llobell, who plays Gaal [Gail] Dornick, is ready. “I will take Lee on,” she joked. “I can’t promise anything, but, that would be a great experience.”
Llobell also praised her co-star, who at 6 foot 5 made a visually intimidating foil for the actress, who plays a genius mathematician from a backwater planet with knowledge that threatens the galactic empire, ruled by Pace’s Brother Day.
“Lee was great,” the actress enthuses. “I mean, he’s an amazing person off-camera as well, and we all get along like the whole cast got along so well, which I’m very grateful for.”
Llobell adds, “But…it was pretty intimidating to see. I mean, I’m five foot two and Lee’s like, six foot however. And so looking up at him and it was perfect for me in that moment, especially for me playing Gaal as well.”
Machine Gun Kelly has joined the pantheon of celebrities who were impersonated on Saturday Night Live.
This past weekend’s episode featured a sketch in which host Kim Kardashian West played her sister Kourtney as the judge in a court show called The People’s Kourt. In the middle of the skit, Kourtney introduces her “bailiff and best friends,” MGK and Megan Fox, played by SNL cast members Pete Davidson and Chloe Fineman.
“Wait, why are we best friends?” Fineman’s Fox asks. “Because our boyfriends have tattoos for necks,” Kim’s Kourtney replies.
Kourtney’s boyfriend, of course, is Blink-182‘s Travis Barker, who collaborated with Kelly on his 2020 album Tickets to My Downfall. Barker also shows up in the sketch, as played by Mikey Day.
In a tweet in reaction to the sketch, Kelly wrote, “I think it’s time for me to come on the show as Pete.”
While he waits for the call from SNL, Kelly has been working on his Tickets follow-up album, Born with Horns. In an interview with NBC’s Sunday Today, Kelly teased that Born with Horns, which will also be produced by Barker, is set to be “more guitar-heavy” than its predecessor.
“Every album is a juxtaposition of the last album,” Kelly explained. “So I went and studied Tickets, and I heard the bright sound that I had, and for this album I just turned the lights off.”
Kelly dropped the lead Born with Horns single, “Papercuts,” back in August. As for the rest of the record, Kelly hinted at a release date in the interview.
“I almost feel like the second you open your eyes and it’s 2022…you’ll have something to listen to,” he said.
