Month: February 2024

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Buckingham Palace announces King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer

King Charles III on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6^ 2023 in London^ England

Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement on Monday, February 5 that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer. The 75-year-old Charles recently underwent a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate last month.

A statement from the Palace posted to social media read as follows: “During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. * His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual. * The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible * His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

The palace did not offer further details on the type of cancer that King Charles was diagnosed with, nor did they share what stage the cancer is. The King was last seen publicly attending church on Sunday with Queen Camilla at St. Mary Magdalene Church near Sandringham, marking the monarch’s first outing since leaving the hospital on Jan. 29 following a three-day stay after his prostate procedure. King Charles returned to London from Sandringham on Monday to commence treatment as an out-patient.

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Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ returning to theaters including IMAX

science fiction spy film from Christopher Nolan TENET display at the cinema to promote the movie

Director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. will theatrically re-release his 2020 sci-fi film “Tenet.”  The film, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki, follows an ex-CIA agent who is tasked with investigating mysterious, time-traveling objects linked to an attack from the future to the present.

Tenet will return to movie theaters on 70mm Imax, Imax, digital and 70mm film screens for one week only, starting Feb. 23. The screenings, held across the U.S. and in select international markets, will be accompanied by exclusive footage of “Dune: Part Two,” which debuts on March 1.

Nolan said in a statement, “Seeing the way audiences responded to our large format presentations of ‘Oppenheimer,’ I’m thrilled that Warner Bros. is giving audiences a chance to see ‘Tenet’ the way it was intended to be seen, on the largest Imax and large format film screens, and I’m honored to have our movie warm up the film projectors for Denis [Villenueve]’s jaw-dropping ‘Dune: Part Two.’”

‘Dune: Part Two’ director Denis Villeneuve added: “As an audience member, I have always valued Chris’s forward thinking when it comes to shooting on film and especially in large formats. As directors, we are completely in sync; on ‘Dune,’ we shot several sequences for Imax, and I simply loved it, so for ‘Dune: Part Two,’ we pushed it to 100% of the movie. Working with the Imax format was the only way to capture the experience of Arrakis, Giedi Prime and the Imperium for audiences. That is why I am just as eager to see ‘Tenet’ again, but now in 70mm Imax, the way they filmed it, to fully appreciate his vision for this incredible film.”

Tickets for “Tenet” are on sale now. You can watch the re-release trailer: here.

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2024 Grammy Awards: See the full list of winners

Grammy awards 2024 logo displayed on hand holding mobile screen. isolated on color background.

The 66th Annual Grammy Awards was held in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena, hosted by Trevor Noah and airing on CBS and Paramount+.

Taylor Swift made history winning ‘Album of the Year’ and her 14th Grammy Award overall for with her LP, Midnights. The win makes Swift the first artist in Grammys history to win the ‘Album of the Year’  award four times. Swift also won the Best Pop Vocal Album award, and announced during her acceptance speech that she would be releasing her next album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19. Swift later posted a preview of the album cover to her socials. In a surprise appearance, Celine Dion presented Swift her ‘Album of the Year’ Grammy. In 2022, Dion revealed she was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which causes spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing.  Dion told the crowd: “When I say I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”

‘Record of the Year’ was awarded to Miley Cyrus for Flowers, who also earned the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for the song –  marking Cyrus’ first Grammy award wins.  The award for ‘Best R&B Song’ went to SZA for Snooze, who also earned Grammy awards for ‘Best Pop Duo/Group Performance’ with Phoebe Bridgers for “Ghost in the Machine,” and ‘Best Progressive R&B Album’ for SOS.  Meanwhile, Billie Eilish took home the Grammy for ‘Song of the Year’ for What Was I Made For from the Barbie film soundtrack; the song also earned Eilish the Grammy for ‘Best Song Written For Visual Media.’

‘Best Country Solo Performance’ went to Chris Stapleton for White Horse, which also earned him the award for Best Country Song; and Lainey Wilson took the Grammy for ‘Best Country Album’ with her LP, Bell Bottom Country. In the rock categories, Paramore took home two Grammy Awards – ‘Best Rock Album’ for This Is Why, and ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’ for the title track.

Killer Mike won the Grammy for ‘Best Rap Performance’ for Scientists & Engineers, featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane. Killer Mike also won the Grammy for ‘Best Rap Album’ for Michael, while Lil Durk and J. Cole won ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ for All My Life.

Billy Joel took the stage to perform “Turn the Lights Back On,” his first new song in 17 years, while Joni Mitchell earned a standing ovation for her performance of her 1966 song “Both Sides Now;” earlier in the evening Mitchell won the Best Folk Album award for ‘Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live).’  And Luke Combs’ delivered his rendition of “Fast Car”, joined by Tracy Chapman. In 1989 the song won Chapman best female pop vocal performance. Finally, ‘The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award’ was presented to Jay Z.

For the full list of Grammy winners, head here.

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Second major storm to hit California with potential for life-threatening flash flooding

A high Los Angeles River rushes under Sepulveda Boulevard during flash flooding. August 20^2023

The National Weather Service said that the powerful atmospheric river that arrived on Sunday in California will bring with it very heavy rain and potentially life-threatening flash flooding as well as mountain snow. The impact of the storm can threatened property and travel for days.

The new weather forecast comes shortly after a storm and a low-end atmospheric river affected the state from Wednesday to Thursday. Rain will continue through Tuesday with a high threat of excessive rainfall and flooding, with the National Weather Service saying that the heaviest rain has shifted to Los Angeles County and will last longest over the region as the system arrives. High rainfall totals are anticipated, including 4″-8″ for LA County, 8″-14″ for the mountains and foothills, with a 20-percent chance of thunderstorms and the threat of widespread flooding.

Mayor Karen Bass during a news briefing: “Angelenos, my pledge to you is to keep you informed and to make sure the city is operating in an all-hands-on-deck manner to keep Angelenos safe. Storms can change quickly, but let me be clear: this storm is a serious weather event. This has the potential to be a historic storm, severe winds, thunderstorms, and even brief tornadoes.”

The NWS has issued a winter storm warning for Ventura County and northward, as well as for the mountains of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Running Springs, and Wrightwood. Los Angeles County is under a gale warning, which means sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 34 knots (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph).

Evacuation warnings and orders have been issued for five counties, including for Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says US intends further strikes on Iran-backed groups

U.S White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during news briefing^ amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. Kyiv^ Ukraine^ November 04^ 2022

After hitting Tehran-aligned factions in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the last two days, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the United States intends to launch further strikes at Iran-backed groups in the Middle East. The United States and Britain attacked 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, one day after the U.S. military hit Tehran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.

Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press” program on Sunday: “We intend to take additional strikes, and additional action, to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed.”  Sullivan declined to say whether the United States might attack sites inside Iran, something the U.S. military has been very careful to avoid.  Speaking to CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’, he said Friday’s strikes were “the beginning, not the end, of our response, and there will be more steps – some seen, some perhaps unseen. I would not describe it as some open-ended military campaign.”

The strikes are the latest blows in a conflict that has spread into the Middle East since Oct. 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed Israel from the Gaza Strip. Iran has so far avoided any direct role in the conflict, and The Pentagon has said it does not want war with Iran, nor does it believe Tehran wants war either.

The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the strikes “will not pass without a response and consequences”, while another Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, indicated the group would not be deterred, saying Yemen’s decision to support Gaza would not be affected by any attack.

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NBC orders new comedy pilot starring Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire backstage at ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 18 Live Show Red Carpet on September 20^ 2023 in Pasadena^ CA

Fresh off her gig as coach on NBC’s The Voice, it was announced that Reba McEntire will star in an untitled comedy at the network.

The series will reunite McEntire with former ‘Reba’ showrunner Kevin Abbott, who will also serve as writer of the new project. In addition to his five-year run as the showrunner on Reba (which aired on the WB/CW), Abbott’s credits also include Last Man Standing, Roseanne, The Golden Girls. He also worked with McEntire on her former ABC half-hour series, Malibu Country.

The new series revolves around Reba, who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had. The new comedy is NBC’s first pilot order of the 2024 season, which was impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Many networks pushed new series that were developed for the 2023-24 season to the 2024-25 cycle.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologizes for handling of hospitalization, cancer diagnosis

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaking at Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference^ Washington DC. Dec 06 2023

Speaking on Thursday during his first press conference at the Pentagon since he was hospitalized at the beginning of January, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologized for not properly handling and communicating his cancer diagnosis and treatment to President Joe Biden, Pentagon staff and the general public. Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in mid-January after more than two weeks of hospitalization due to complications following a minimally invasive procedure on Dec. 22 to cure his prostate cancer. The defense secretary said that he’s still recovering from the complications he experienced, such as leg pain, and is undergoing physical therapy to help improve it. He also acknowledged that he’s using a golf cart to move around the Pentagon.

Austin apologized for not being more transparent about his medical issues and provided more detail on his prostate cancer diagnosis. Said Austin: “I want to be crystal clear. We did not handle this right. And I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”

The defense secretary made it clear that during his hospitalization there were “no gaps in authority, and no risk to the department’s command and control”. Summarizing what he went through since receiving his cancer diagnosis in December, Austin said that he was “offering all of this as an explanation and not an excuse … The news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, especially in the Black community. It was a gut punch.”  He said his first instinct was to keep the matter private, but added that “I’ve learned from this experience that taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect. The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties, even temporarily. So a wider circle should have been notified, especially the president.” 

Austin said he was offering this information as an explanation, not as an excuse, adding: “I can tell you I’ve apologized directly to President Biden, and I’ve told him that I’m deeply sorry for not letting him know immediately that I received a heavy diagnosis and was getting treatment. And he has responded with a grace and warm heart that anyone who knows President Biden would expect. And I’m grateful for his full confidence in me.”

Austin said he fully supports the ongoing internal review in the Department of Defense, and an inspector general review, adding that the Pentagon has already instituted new procedures to ensure no future lapses in notification. In the future if the deputy secretary needs to assume the duties of his office, she and several White House offices will be immediately notified, including the White House Situation Room.

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Pres. Biden sanctions extremist West Bank Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians

President Joe Biden speaks in Washington^ DC US - Mar 13^ 2023

On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order targeting extremist WestBank Israeli settlers in the West Bank for their actions against Palestinians in the occupied territory, imposing financial sanctions and visa bans in an initial round against four individuals.

In a White House statement, Biden said the violence has forced the displacement of people and villages and has destroyed property: “[the violence] has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel and the broader Middle East region. These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity and freedom.”  Biden added that the actions of extremist settlers undermine Israel’s security because of its potential to destabilize the region while threatening U.S. personnel and interests: “for these reasons, these actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

The order authorizes sanctions against those involved in acts of violence in the West Bank, as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize Palestinian property. The penalties block them from using the U.S. financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them. The State Department identified the four individuals hit with sanctions as Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in the past..

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Biden’s executive order allows the Treasury to level financial sanctions against those participating in violence against peaceful civilians in the West Bank: “today’s actions seek to promote peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

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Adam Sandler to receive the ‘People’s Icon Award’ at 2024 People’s Choice Awards

Adam Sandler attends the Uncut Gems premiere during 57th New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center Alice Tully Hall. October 3^ 2019

NBC, E! and Peacock announced that Adam Sandler will receive the ‘People’s Icon Award’ at 2024 People’s Choice Awards, honoring his decades-long comedy career and iconic film roles. Sandler joins 2024 People’s Choice Awards honoree Lenny Kravitz, who will be accepting the ‘Music Icon Award’ during this year’s ceremony.

NBCUniversal Entertainment’s Executive Vice President for Live Events and Specials Jen Neal said in a statement: “Adam Sandler has been a fixture in the industry for decades, entertaining us since he got his start on Saturday Night Live more than 30 years ago. From Billy Madison to Mr. Deeds, his unforgettable characters have endured the test of time and left their mark on audiences for generations. We’re excited to honor him with this year’s People’s Icon Award.”

Sandler’s films over the past three decades have grossed over $3 billion worldwide, including hit such as Grown Ups, Big Daddy, The Longest Yard, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, Murder Mystery, Uncut Gems and Hotel Transylvania.  Sandler has won nine People’s Choice Awards, six MTV Movie Awards and 12 Kids Choice Awards. In addition, he’s been nominated for two Critics Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award, five Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards for his comedy albums.

Hosted by Simu Liu, the 2024 People’s Choice Awards will air live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC, Peacock and E!.

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Lenny Kravitz to receive the Music Icon Award at 2024 People’s Choice Awards

Lenny Kravitz attends CFDA Fashion Awards 2022 at Cipriani South Street on November 7^ 2022

NBC, E! and Peacock announced that Lenny Kravitz will receive the Music Icon Award at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards ceremony, taking place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Feb. 18. Kravitz will also take the stage to perform a medley of his biggest hits during the ceremony.

NBCUniversal Entertainment’s Executive Vice President for Live Events and Specials Jen Neal said in a statement: “With 11 studio albums across a decades-long career, Lenny Kravitz has cemented himself as a global rock superstar. Whether he’s writing and performing his own hit songs or working behind the scenes writing for other industry greats, Lenny’s musical gift is truly unmatched. We’re thrilled to honor him as this year’s Music Icon and look forward to seeing what he brings to the stage.”

Kravitz, 59,mknown for his mix of rock, soul and funk influences, has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide over the last 30 years, earning four Grammy Awards. Kravitz also performed and produced “Road to Freedom” for the Netflix film Rustin, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination for ‘Best Original Song – Motion Picture’ and a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Song. His latest album Blue Electric Light will be released on May 24.

Hosted by Simu Liu, the 2024 People’s Choice Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC, Peacock and E!.

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