Entertainment

Taylor Swift fans check out a new pop-up opening to celebrate Taylor Swift's upcoming album "The Tortured Poets Department," at the Grove in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is here. Is it poetry? This is what experts say

On Friday, Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” But just how poetic is it?

Students carrying signs protest a canceled commencement speech by its 2024 valedictorian who has publicly supported Palestinians on the campus of University of Southern California on Thursday, April 18, 2024. USC was citing security concerns, in a rare decision that was praised by several pro-Israel groups and lambasted by free speech advocates and the country's largest Muslim civil rights organization. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

USC cancels graduation keynote by filmmaker amid controversy over decision to drop student’s speech

Salman Rushdie poses for a portrait to promote his book "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder" on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Has Salman Rushdie changed after his stabbing? Well, he feels about 25, the author tells AP

FILE - Mandisa accepts the award for pop/contemporary album of the year at the Dove Awards Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died. She was 47. A representative for the singer told The Associated Press that the singer was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and ‘American Idol’ alum, dies at 47

The exterior of the Sphere is pictured on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Las Vegas. The band Phish started its four-night residency on Thursday. (AP Photo/Josh Cornfield)

Here’s how Phish is using the Sphere’s technology to give fans something completely different

Shelter celebrates Taylor Swift album release with kitten listening party

The Atlanta Humane Society celebrated Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, with a kitten listening party (AP Video: Sharon Johnson)

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Jodie Foster says she’s ‘happier than I’ve ever been’

Travolta celebrates ‘Pulp Fiction’ in LA

MOVIE REVIEWS

Should you watch ‘Sasquatch Sunset’ about a family of Bigfoots? Not yeti

In Alex Garland’s potent ‘Civil War,’ journalists are America’s last hope

Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ is a political allegory bathed in blood

Love wins in the triumphant ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’

Alice Rohrwacher’s tombaroli tale ‘La Chimera’ is pure magic

‘STEVE! (martin)’ looks at past, present in a lovely, intimate 2-part documentary

Bill Nighy, Michael Ward shine in Netflix’s Homeless World Cup crowd-pleaser

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ clears a low bar

Things get scary for Sydney Sweeney in a creepy Italian convent in ‘Immaculate’

Movies

This image released by The Avenue shows Kit Harington in a scene from the film "Blood for Dust." (The Avenue via AP)

Kit Harington leans into playing a bad guy in ‘Blood for Dust’

Books

This image released by St. Martin's Publishing Group shows "Nothing But the Bones" by Brian Panowich. (St. Martin's Publishing Group via AP)

Book Review: ‘Nothing But the Bones’ is a compelling noir novel at a breakneck pace

Music

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson, right, of the band Heart perform as Heart is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)

Rock trailblazer Heart reunites for a world tour and a new song

Television

In this image taken from video, bystanders react after witnessing a man who lit himself on fire was extinguished, Friday, April 19, 2024, in a park outside Manhattan criminal court in New York. Emergency crews rushed away a person on a stretcher after the fire was extinguished outside the courthouse where jury selection was taking place in former President Donald Trump's hush money criminal case. (AP Photo)

Live video of man who set himself on fire outside court proves challenging for news organizations

More news

In this image provided by the Met Opera, Jonathan Tetelman portrays Ruggero in Puccini's "La Rondine." Tetelman has transformed from nightclub DJ to international opera star. (Karen Almond/Met Opera via AP)

Jonathan Tetelman recalls his journey from a nightclub DJ to an international opera star

Jonathan Tetelman transformed from nightclub DJ to international opera star. He stopped singing in 2011 and mixed music for New York’s club kids at spots like Webster Hall and Pacha.

Firefighters extinguish a fire at Oregon's historic Timberline Lodge, which was featured in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film "The Shining," Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, in Government Camp, Ore. (Clackamas Fire Department via AP)

Firefighters douse a blaze at a historic Oregon hotel famously featured in ‘The Shining’

Firefighters doused a late-night fire at Oregon’s historic Timberline Lodge before it caused significant damage.

FILE - Actor Maulik Pancholy attends the premiere of "Trishna" during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 27, 2012 in New York. A Pennsylvania school board's cancellation of an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy was ill-advised and sends a hurtful message, especially to the LGBTQ+ community, education officials said in a letter Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

Pennsylvania board’s cancellation of gay actor’s school visit ill-advised, education leaders say

The superintendent and several other top officials of a Pennsylvania school district say their school board’s cancellation of a gay actor’s visit to a middle school was premature and ill-advised.

Top 20 Global Concert Tours from Pollstar

AP Global Top 20 Pollstar Week of 04/22/24

This cover image released by Republic Records show "The Tortured Poets Department" by Taylor Swift. (Republic Records via AP)

Swift surprises fans hours after the release of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ with 15 additional tracks

Could there be a Taylor Swift new album rollout without a few additional surprises? No. On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

The installation '"I piedi, insieme al cuore, portano la stanchezza e il peso della vita" ('The feet, together with the heart, carry the tiredness and weight of life') by Italian artist Maurizio Catalan is displayed on the facade of the church next to the women's prison at the Giudecca island during the 60th Biennale of Arts exhibition in Venice, Italy, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. A pair of nude feet dirty, wounded and vulnerable are painted on the façade of the Venice women's prison chapel, the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and part of the Vatican's pavilion at the Venice Biennale in an innovative collaboration between inmates and artists. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Maurizio Cattalan, Zoe Saldana join iconoclastic Vatican Biennale exhibition inside women’s prison

A pair of nude feet — dirty, wounded and vulnerable — are painted on the façade of the Venice women’s prison chapel.

FILE - Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. Todd and Julie Chrisley, who are in prison after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, are challenging aspects of their convictions and sentences in a federal appeals court.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Children of reality TV’s Chrisleys hope court hearing is step toward bringing convicted parents home

Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have appealed aspects of their convictions on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion.

FILE - Actor Maulik Pancholy attends the premiere of "Trishna" during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 27, 2012 in New York. A Pennsylvania school district has canceled an upcoming appearance by actor and children's book author Pancholy after district leaders cited concerns about what they described as his activism and “lifestyle.” Pancholy, who is gay, was scheduled to speak against bullying during a May 22, 2024, assembly at Mountain View Middle School in Cumberland County. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

Pennsylvania school district cancels actor’s speech over his activism and ‘lifestyle’

A Pennsylvania school district has canceled an upcoming appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy.

FILE - This aerial photo shows the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Oct. 23, 2021, used for the film "Rust." A New Mexico judge Monday, April 15, 2024, sentenced “Rust” movie armorer to 18 months in prison for fatal on-set shooting by Alec Baldwin. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

New attorney joins prosecution team against Alec Baldwin in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

An attorney has been added to the special prosecution team that is pursuing an involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie “Rust.”

FILE - SQM Lithium company operates near Peine, Chile, April 18, 2023. A statement from Indigenous representatives on Thursday, April 18, 2024, called on companies and governments to bring Indigenous peoples into the decision-making process for projects related to green energy transition. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

Growing demand for minerals sparks Indigenous outcry over ‘business as usual’ mining practices

Indigenous tribes from 35 countries are criticizing the lack of informed consent for mining on or near their lands.

FILE - GloRilla performs during the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The rap artist known as GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia, jail records show. GloRilla, whose real name is Gloria Woods, was charged Tuesday, April 16, 2024, with first-offense driving under the influence of alcohol; having an open container of alcohol; and failing to obey a traffic control device, according to Gwinnett County, Ga., Jail booking records. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Rap artist GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia

Jail records show the rap artist known as GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia.

FILE - Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, waves during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed his is now a U.S. resident. Four years after Harry and his American wife, Meghan, decamped to a villa on the Southern California coast, a travel company he controls filed paperwork informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States. (AP Photo/Nick Didlick, File)

Britain’s Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a US resident

Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.

FILE - This undated photo shows members of the Allman Brothers Band, from left, Dickey Betts, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, Gregg Allman and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, eating at the H&H Restaurant in downtown Macon, Ga. Guitar legend Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” died Thursday, April 18, 2024. He was 80. (The Macon Telegraph via AP, File)

Musicians pay tribute to Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts after death at 80

Fellow musicians are paying tribute to Allman Brothers guitarist, singer and songwriter Dickey Betts after his death at 80.

This Oct. 1, 2020 photo shows the exterior of the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. On Thursday, April 18, 2024, numerous executives from some of the largest gambling companies in America said Atlantic City will soon face threats not only from casinos expected to open in or near New York City, but also from a renewed push for a casino in the northern New Jersey Meadowlands, just outside New York. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

Not only New York casinos threaten Atlantic City. Developer predicts Meadowlands casino is coming

Atlantic City casinos are bracing for new threats from as many as three new casinos in or near New York City.

Julia Bullock, center, and castmates rehearse for the Metropolitan Opera's production of "El Nino," on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in New York. “El Nino” opens April 23. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

John Adams’ Nativity oratorio ‘El Nino’ gets colorful staging at the Met

Composer John Adams’ work is returning to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in a decade in a new staging of his Nativity oratorio “El Nino.”

Palestinian American poet Fady Joudah receives $100,000 prize

Fady Joudah, a Palestinian American poet who has said he writes for the future because “the present is demolished,” has received a $100,000 award from Poets & Writers.

Artist Jeffrey Gibson poses inside the US pavilion during the media open day at the 60th Biennale of Arts in Venice, Italy, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. A Mississippi Choctaw of Cherokee descent, Gibson is the first Native American to represent the United States solo at the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest contemporary art show. Gibson mixes Western modernism and Native American craft in his vibrantly hued paintings and sculptures. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Choctaw artist Jeffrey Gibson confronts history at US pavilion as its first solo Indigenous artist

Jeffrey Gibson’s takeover of the U.S. pavilion for this year’s Venice Biennale contemporary art show is a celebration of color, pattern and craft.

FILE - Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to The Associated Press on April 19, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. Pelosi has completed a book about her years in public life, from legislation she helped enact to such traumatizing moments as the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol and the assault at her San Francisco home that left her husband with a fractured skull. Simon & Schuster announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, that Pelosi's “The Art of Power” will be released Aug. 6. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Nancy Pelosi book, ‘The Art of Power,’ will reflect on her career in public life

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has completed a book about her years in public life. The memoir ranges from legislation she helped enact to such traumatizing moments as the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S.

Britain's Prince William is greeted as he arrives for a visit to Surplus to Supper, in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The Prince visited Surplus to Supper, a surplus food redistribution charity, to learn about its work bridging the gap between food waste and food poverty across Surrey and West London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, pool)

UK’s Prince William returns to public duties for first time since Kate’s cancer diagnosis

Prince William is returning to public duties for the first time since his wife’s cancer diagnosis. He will be bolstering the royal family’s ranks as health problems continue to sideline the Princess of Wales and King Charles III.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Alex Pettyfer, Alan Ritchson, Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Henry Golding in a scene from the film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare." (Daniel Smith/Lionsgate via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ amps up a true-tale WWII heist

The latest Guy Ritchie flick “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” has a spine of true story to it, even if it does all it can to amplify a long-declassified WWII tale with enough dead Nazis to make “Inglourious Basterds” blush.