What will win at a nailbiter Oscars? AP's film writers make their predictions
By the time the Oscars wind around after months of other award shows and constant handicapping, the prizes can feel almost predetermined. Not this year. Sunday's 97th Academy Awards has more potential drama than any recent year, with many possible outcomes in the top categories, including best picture, best actor and best actress. Associated Press Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr offer their predictions on this year's key races, with Coyle predicting "Anora" wins best picture and Bahr saying the top prize will likely go to "Conclave." Both agree Demi Moore will likely win best actress, but Coyle thinks Timothee Chalamet may win best actor, while Bahr thinks it'll go to Adrien Brody.
Want to be prescribed a new hospital drama? These TV doctors are ready to treat you
LONDON (AP) -- It's a case of physician, heal thyself in new hospital dramas at the moment as TV showcases a selection of hardworking but flawed medical staff. Noah Wyle returns to the genre after "ER" and struggles with mental health issues in "The Pitt." And both Morris Chestnut in "Watson" and Molly Parker in "Doc" are dealing with traumatic brain injuries while also trying to cure patients. All the while, Joshua Jackson is cruising in luxe style. Now there's also a new hospital series arriving Wednesday and set in Germany, where the staff of "Berlin ER" are self-medicating in unhelpful ways. They could all do with seeing a doctor.
Mindy Kaling and Kate Hudson take on pro basketball in 'Running Point'
Mindy Kaling's new Netflix series "Running Point" is set in the world of professional basketball in Los Angeles. The show premiering Thursday stars Kate Hudson as the new president of Los Angeles' hometown team. In this series, they're the Waves, not the Lakers, but the storyline will ring familiar to Lakers fans. Hudson's character often has to prove herself as qualified in a field dominated by men. The role is based on Lakers president Jeanie Buss, who is also an executive producer on the show. Kaling says Buss gave the writers carte blanche to be inspired by her real life.
British musicians release a silent album to protest plans to let AI use their work
LONDON (AP) -- A new album called "Is This What We Want?" features a stellar list of more than 1,000 musicians -- and the sound of silence. The album has contributions from artists including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens and Damon Albarn. The protest album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces and was released Tuesday to protest proposed British changes to artificial intelligence laws. The U.K. government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out. Critics fear that will make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and will undermine Britain's creative industries.
Missouri woman pleads guilty to federal charge in plot to sell Graceland
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to a federal charge accusing her of concocting a brazen plot to defraud Elvis Presley's family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale. Lisa Jeanine Findley pleaded guilty in front of a federal judge Tuesday to a charge of mail fraud related to the scheme. She previously pleaded not guilty to the two-count indictment, which also includes a count of aggravated identity theft that will now be dropped. Findley will be sentenced June 19. She was initially charged in August 2024.
Oscar performers include Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Lisa. Here's what to know about the show
After devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, the 97th Academy Awards are going forward. Performers were added to the bill Monday, including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Queen Latifah, Blackpink's Lisa, Doja Cat and RAYE. Presenters include Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, and last year's acting winners. Those include Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The 97th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Conan O'Brien is hosting for the first time. In another first, the Oscars will be streamed live on Hulu.
Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning 'Killing Me Softly' singer with an intimate style, dies at 88
NEW YORK (AP) -- Roberta Flack has died at 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianist was known for her intimate vocal and musical style on "Killing Me Softly With His Song," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and other hits. Her publicist says she died Monday, surrounded by her family. Flack became an overnight star in the early 1970s after Clint Eastwood used "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in his film "Play Misty for Me." Flack's other hits included "Feel Like Makin' Love" and a duet with former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway, "Where is the Love?"
Come 'Beyond the Gates' for the first Black-led soap opera -- the first new network soap in decades
NEW YORK (AP) -- The first thing viewers of "Beyond the Gates" see is a black Mercedes gliding past manicured lawns and stately estates. That car and the elegant woman behind the wheel is driving into TV history on Monday as CBS begins airing the first Black-led daytime soap opera and the first new network soap since "Passions" premiered in 1999. The show is centered around four generations of the Dupree family, from a grandfather who is a civil rights icon to grandchildren who are social influencers. Set in an affluent Maryland gated community, "Beyond the Gates" has drama, joy and heartbreak played by very attractive people with an upper-crust vibe.
Judge rejects immediately restoring AP's access to White House but urges government to reconsider
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal judge has refused to immediately order the White House to restore The Associated Press' access to presidential events, saying the news organization had not shown it had suffered irreparable harm in the matter. But he urged the government to reconsider its two-week-old ban. He said that case law "is uniformly unhelpful to the White House." U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden told attorneys for the Trump administration and the AP that the issue required more exploration before ruling. The AP filed a lawsuit Friday saying that its First Amendment rights were being violated. President Donald Trump said it was punishment for the agency's decision not to entirely follow his executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."
The FBI's new deputy director is a popular podcaster -- who has had plenty to say about the agency
NEW YORK (AP) -- As a popular right-wing podcaster, President Donald Trump's new deputy FBI director, Dan Bongino, has made many public comments about the agency he's about to help lead. A sampling of Bongino's podcast commentary from the past year reveals he's loyal to new FBI Director Kash Patel. It also offers a glimpse at some of the sweeping changes he wants to see, including firing FBI agents who participated in investigations into Trump and redirecting investigations away from domestic extremism. Bongino has criticized past and current FBI employees. The former New York police officer's podcasts also reveal a personal connection to the agency: He wanted to be an FBI agent when he was a kid.