High School Musical alum Ashley Tisdale and husband Christopher French have welcomed their first child, daughter Jupiter Iris French. Tisdale announced the news on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white photo holding her newborn’s hand, writing that Jupiter has “arrived earth side.”
Tisdale revealed she was pregnant back in September, and later shared the sex of the baby on the way a month later. “I cried I was so happy,” she wrote on Instagram at the time of finding out she would soon have a daughter. Tisdale and French were married in 2014.
Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson, will be released on Disney+ and in theaters on July 9 after being slated to debut exclusively in theaters on May 7. The streaming service tweeted: “Black Widow in theaters July 9 and on #DisneyPlus with Premier Access. Additional fees required.” Black Widow co-stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour and O-T Fagbenle. It takes place after the events of the 2016 blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War.
Another film getting a dual-platform release will be Cruella, the live-action 101 Dalmations prequel, starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. It will premiere May 28 in theaters, and will also be available on the streaming service.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, most films have been rescheduled, moved from theaters to streaming services or gotten hybrid releases in both theaters and online. Theaters in Canada and the United States have recently began reopening as people are getting vaccinated and resuming social activities.
Taylor Swift announced Wednesday that she’ll be releasing the first new “Fearless” single ‘from the vault’ at midnight Thursday, titled “You All Over Me.” Country singer Maren Morris, who joined Swift onstage in Dallas in October 2018 during her “Reputation” tour, will provide background vocals.
Swift tweeted: “One thing I’ve been loving about these From The Vault songs is that they’ve never been heard, so I can experiment, play, and even include some of my favorite artists.”
Swift announced last month that she had completely rerecorded “Fearless,” complete with six never-before-heard songs, during her ongoing battle with former manager Scooter Braun over her masters. Braun sold Swift’s master recordings to a private equity firm which allowed him to profit from album sales, music videos and artwork for the six albums, from her self-titled 2006 debut to the 2017 “Reputation.”
On Tuesday, President Biden announced that he would extend the special enrollment period for people to purchase Affordable Care Act health plans by three months, until Aug. 15, as part of his administration’s effort to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands had signed up for Obamacare during the special enrollment period that Biden ordered from Feb. 15 to May 15. The second extension will help new and current enrollees take advantage of the enhanced subsidies in the Covid-19 relief package that was signed into law this month.
The federal ACA insurance marketplace typically is open for only a limited annual enrollment period, usually six weeks at the end of the year. Buying a plan outside that period is generally allowed only after a major change in life circumstances, such as the birth of a child or the loss of a job.
The Covid-19 relief package raises subsidies for most people who have coverage through the ACA’s marketplaces. The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that Biden’s American Rescue Plan will, on average, decrease the premiums by $50 a person per month and $85 a policy per month. The additional assistance will be available starting April 1 to people enrolling in coverage through HealthCare.gov.
On Tuesday, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy debuted his 10-year plan to cut costs at the U.S. Postal Service. The 58-page plan includes raising prices, slowing some first-class mail service, and reducing office hours. The plan lowers the service standard for first-class mail from three days or less to five days or less, shifting from air to surface transportation.
DeJoy and Ron Bloom, U.S. Postal Service board of governors chair, said in a letter noted in the plan that unless the proposed changes are made the post office stands to lose $160 billion over the next decade. The plan also offers some areas of expansion, including recruitment and retention, new offerings designed to expand use of the mail by small businesses in communities, expanded seven-day delivery outreach, and $40 billion allocated for investment. According to a statement, the $40 billion investment will go toward “workforce, new vehicles, improved Post Offices, technology improvements, and infrastructure upgrades.”
Thomas Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song,” has earned him his 17th No. 1 hit on top of Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart and Hot Country Songs Chart this week.
“What’s Your Country Song” celebrates those radio hits that made an impact, the songs that serve as soundtracks to the moments you’ll never forget. “What’s Your Country Song” is the latest release from Rhett’s upcoming double album, with Country Again: Side A, set to drop on April 30. He’s also shared two more songs off the upcoming album with “Growing Up” and “Want It Again.”
Carrie Underwood will hold a virtual concert event on Easter Sunday, performing her upcoming new gospel album, My Savior, which is due out this Friday. The Grammy-winning artist announced the virtual concert performance entitled My Savior: Live From The Ryman will bestreamed from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Underwood will perform the gospel hymns she grew up singing for the special event, which will stream live globally on her official Facebook page at 11 a.m. CT on April 4. The concert will also feature special appearances by gospel great CeCe Winans, who duets with Underwood on “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” and NEEDTOBREATHE frontman Bear Rinehart, who sings with Underwood on “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.” The event will remain exclusive on Facebook for 48 hours, and will benefit Save the Children, a nonprofit that works in over 100 countries to ensure that children grow up healthy, educated and safe.
Former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel is engaged to boyfriend Paul Bernon, coming just after she finalized her contentious divorce from ex-husband Jason Hoppy. Hoppy and Frankel, both 50, wed in 2010 and separated in December 2012, with Frankel filing for divorce a month later. They reached a financial settlement in July 2016, however, remained at odds over custody of their 10-year-old daughter Bryn for years.
Frankel started dating Bernon, a film producer and real estate developer, in 2018. The two recently sparked engagement rumors when Frankel was spotted wearing a massive diamond ring over the weekend in Florida.
Chelsea Handler revealed she sustained multiple injuries after a recent skiing trip. Handler took to her Instagram Story to reveal: “I have a torn meniscus, two broken toes, I think, one is definitely broken. One might just be in a bad mood. And my arm broke a tree so…But I can ski down almost anything now.” While detailing the injuries, Handler remained in good spirits.
Handler later took to Twitter to note that she did not have a single skiing accident and that she was merely recapping injuries she’s sustained over time while working to improve herself as a skier: “I keep falling like this I mean you’re supposed to teach me,” she said in one video that sees her legs stuck in a pile of snow after a wipeout. “I skied into one tree today, and ski patrol was skiing with me….I mean it’s just ridiculous. I get no respect form the mountain.”
Back in February, Handler said that she had decided to move to Canada for the winter on a temporary visa after following mandatory quarantine rules due to the coronavirus, and while there has hired a private instructor to help improve her skiing.
Two North Carolina vacationing in South Florida during this year’s spring break season have been charged with drugging and raping a woman who later died. Evoire Collier, 21, and Dorian Taylor, 24, both of Greensboro, N.C., were arrested Sunday after using the victim’s credit cards at a Miami Beach liquor store, authorities said. Charges against the men could be upgraded to manslaughter or murder if it is determined the woman died as a result of an overdose.
According to a police report, Collier and Taylor were charged in Miami Beach, Fla. with stealing credit cards belonging to the victim, identified as 24-year-old woman visiting from Pennsylvania. Police said Collier admitted he and Taylor had sex with the woman in a room at the Albion Hotel after she had been administered “a green pill” believed to be a powerful painkiller. She was later found dead on the room’s bed, the report said.
On Sunday, Miami officials extended the Thursday-through-Sunday 8 p.m. curfew to April 12 — the official end of the spring break season. Miami Beach Interim City Manager Raul Aguila said more than 1,000 arrests have been made since February, including 350 on felony charges, and more than 80 firearms seized.
