Grey’s Anatomy is renewed for Season 20 at ABC

ABC has renewed the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy for Season 20. The network also announced that executive producer Meg Marinis will take the reins as showrunner next season, replacing the departing Krista Vernoff.  The Season 20 renewal now extends Grey’s Anatomy’s record as the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history (Grey’s premiered on ABC back in 2005).   The show currently ranks as ABC’s top entertainment series in the key adults 18-49 demographic.

Marinis has been an executive producer on Grey’s since Season 15, having started as a writer’s production assistant on the show back in Season 3, working her way up to staff writer and then to EP, writing a total of 35 episodes. She’ll take over for Vernoff, who announced her departure from Grey’s and Station 19 back in January. Vernoff said in a statement: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to be entrusted to run Grey’s Anatomy for the past six years and Station 19 for the last four. The passion of the dedicated fandoms and the impact that these shows have on hearts and minds cannot be overstated. The amount of talent in these two extraordinary casts and these two brilliant writers’ rooms is beyond measure — and these crews work magic week after week.”

Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo is no longer a full-time cast member; however, she’s slated to return as Meredith Grey periodically, including for May’s season finale, set to air Thursday, May 18.  The current cast includes new faces introduced at the start of Season 19 to play the new class of first-year surgical residents; and other regulars including Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Kim Raver as Teddy Altman, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Chris Carmack as Link Lincoln and Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt.

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Grand jury in Trump probe concludes on Monday with no vote

The Manhattan grand jury concluded its proceedings in former President Trump’s case on Monday afternoon with no vote. The grand jury had reconvened Monday in New York City after its proceedings related to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Trump were canceled twice last week.

Bragg has been investigating the $130,000 hush-money payment that then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. That payment was made in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 through his own company and was later reimbursed by Trump’s company, which logged the payments as “legal expenses.” Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing with regard to the payments made to Daniels, and he has repeatedly said the payments were “not a campaign violation” but rather a “simple private transaction.”

The grand jury heard from one witness, David Pecker, who served as president of National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. and had previously testified before the grand jury as part of this case. The grand jury is set to reconvene Wednesday.

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3 students and 3 adults dead, suspect killed in Nashville school shooting

Three adults and three children are confirmed dead following a mass shooting Monday morning at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville. The 28-year-old female suspect was killed in an altercation with police.

Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Metro Nashville Police Department, said during a press conference that three adults and three students were killed in the shooting at The Covenant School.  The female shooter had entered the school through a side entrance armed with at least two “assault-type rifles” and a handgun and moved from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots. The suspect was fatally shot by two of five-member police team around 10:27 a.m. in a second floor lobby.  Police said that the shooter was a former student of the school.

The Covenant School was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church and has students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Enrollment fluctuates between 195 and 210 with 33 teaching faculty members. On a normal day, the school has about 200 students and 40 staff members on campus.  Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said the investigation remains ongoing: “While I cannot comment on the ongoing nature of the investigation, I’m really impressed with the work that’s being done by law enforcement. This is the ultimate crime when school children and caregivers are the victims of senseless gun violence.”

The school shooting is believed to be the fifth in the Nashville area since 2011, and first since 2018. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., tweeted: “Chuck and I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state and local officials and we stand ready to assist. Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.”

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Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson requests trade

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson tweeted on Monday that he requested a trade earlier this off-season. Jackson wrote in a series of tweets titled as a “letter” to his fans: “I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show toward me. All of you are amazing and I appreciate y’all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me  Let me personally answer your questions in regards to my future plans. As of March 2, I requested a trade from the Ravens organization.” Jackson said the Ravens have “not been interested in meeting my value,” adding, “you all are great, but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I. No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I’ll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore flock nation and the entire state of Maryland. You’ll see me again.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who spoke to reporters at the annual NFL owners meeting Sunday in Phoenix, said he didn’t see Jackson’s tweets, but he anticipates he will be the Ravens starting quarterback in 202. When asked if he thinks Jackson will stay with the Ravens, Harbaugh said:  “I do. You gotta plan for all the contingencies for sure, but I’m pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson is a great player. He came back in great shape last year and was fired up to play. That’s the Lamar I’m looking forward to seeing. I can’t wait to getting back on the grass and go to work. I’m confident that’s going to happen.”

Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this month that the Ravens would continue to negotiate with Jackson for a long-term contract, and have until July 17 to agree to terms of a deal. The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson in mid-March, which allowed Jackson to negotiate with other teams. However, the Ravens retain the right to match another team’s offer, and will receive two first-round draft picks if they decide not to match an offer. If Jackson decides to play in 2023 under the terms of the franchise tag, he would make an average of the Top 5 salaried quarterbacks from 2022 — $32.4 million.

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Rodney Terry agrees to 5-year, $15.3M deal as Texas head coach

The Texas Longhorns and head coach Rodney Terry agreed on Monday to a five-year deal worth $15.3 million.  The news comes mere hours after a report from ESPN indicated that Terry and the Horns were finalizing the deal, which will keep Terry in Austin through the 2028 season.  A press conference is expected to take place to announce the hiring this week.

Terry is coming off a successful run as the interim head coach with the Longhorns; his season came to an abrupt end after falling 88-81 to the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday night in the Elite Eight. Since taking over as the acting head coach in the wake of the suspension and subsequent firing of Chris Beard, Terry led the Longhorns to a a 22-7 record.  Terry then followed that up with a Big 12 Tournament championship win over Kansas taking the Horns to their first Elite Eight since the 2007-2008 season.

Terry was previously an assistant coach for the program under Rick Barnes before he was the head coach at Fresno State from 2011-12 through 2017-18 and UTEP from 2018-19 through 2020-21. Texas brought him back as associate head coach under Chris Beard and then gave him the interim head coaching position when it fired Beard in January.

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Lukas Nelson and Lainey Wilson release the duet ‘More Than Friends’

Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson has teamed up with Lainey Wilson on the new duet “More Than Friends,” written by Nelson. “More Than Friends” arrives ahead of Nelson’s upcoming album, Sticks and Stones, due out on July 14.  To pre-order, head here.

Said Lukas in a press release: “When I wrote ‘More Than Friends,’ I had always envisioned it as a duet. I am a big fan of Lainey, and she was at the top of my list of artists I wanted to sing with me on this track. When we sent her the song, I was thrilled to hear back that she loved it and wanted to do it.”

Wilson adds: “‘More Than Friends’ is a modern-day take on the musical, kindred spirits of icons like Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. I’m so honored to be able to work with someone as talented as Lukas. His artistry and storytelling within music is unlike any other.”

Check out the video for “More Than Friends” – here.

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The Band Perry announce their breakup

The Band Perry announced that they are breaking up, sharing in a statement they want to pursue “individual creative pursuits.”

The trio – comprised of siblings Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry — took to social media to share the news: “To our TBP friends and family. We wanted to let you know that the three of us have decided to take a creative break as a group and each focus on our individual creative pursuits … During this season we will continue to support each other as artists and family in all we do. Thank you for making our childhood dreams come true! Love you all.”

The Band Perry formed in 2005 after Kimberly began performing in a band as a teenager, and her brothers Reid and Neil served as road crew. After launching The Band Perry in 2005, three years later Garth Brooks’ manager Bob Doyle discovered the group and sent their recorded music to Scott Borchetta, who was the head of the newly-established Republic Nashville label at the time. The group later signed with Borchetta in August 2009 and soon after debuted their first single, “Hip To My Heart,” earning them their first Top 20 hit at Country radio.

BREAKING: The Band Perry Announces Split

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Take a look at Keri Russell in the Netflix series ‘The Diplomat’

Netflix shared a first-look photo of their upcoming new drama series The Diplomat, featuring Keri Russell.  The streaming service tweeted the photo with the caption: “Keri Russell stars in The Diplomat, a new series created by Debora Cahn (Homeland, The West Wing), premiering April 20. She plays a career diplomat who lands a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with seismic implications for her marriage and political future — “

Russell plays Kate Wyler, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Wyler must handle international crises and build alliances while also navigating her rocky marriage to her husband and fellow diplomat, Hal (Rufus Sewell).

The Diplomat is created and executive produced by Debora Cahn (writer and producer of ‘Homeland’, ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.). Cahn said in a statement: “‘The Diplomat’ is a show about the transcendence and torture of long-term relationships. It’s hard to keep a relationship going, be it a marriage or a military alliance. We change, the world changes, and yet we want these relationships to go on forever … It’s a show about a bunch of good people doing their best to keep their global and personal partnerships intact without killing each other. In the world of diplomacy, you’re dealing with a lot of rule-bound, protocol-driven behavior, but underneath all that, these are people who sweat, and spill coffee on their clothes, and forget the name of the person they’re talking to. All of that is always bubbling under the grandeur and majesty of working with heads of state.”

The Diplomat premieres April 20 on Netflix.

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Producer Steven Spielberg bringing ‘Smash’ musical to Broadway

A stage musical adaptation of the NBC series “Smash” is heading to Broadway, expected to debut during the 2024-2025 season.  The new stage musical will be based on the NBC series of the same name, which aired for two seasons from 2012-2013.

Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, who produced the original TV series, will serve as lead producers on the musical. Theater veteran Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) is directing the production, with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Some Like It Hot,” Hairspray,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), who wrote “Let Me Be Your Star” and dozens of more songs for the television show, many of which will be used in the musical. Additional new material will be added to the Broadway production; additional details, including the cast, have yet to be announced.

Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Christian Borle starred in “Smash,” which was created by Theresa Rebeck.  The stage version (like the TV version) will follow the process of mounting the musical “Bombshell,” about the life of Marilyn Monroe; however, producers say the Broadway adaptation will “depart liberally from the series.”

‘Smash’ Musical Heading To Broadway With Steven Spielberg, Neil Meron & Robert Greenblatt Producing

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Seven confirmed dead after fatal explosion at chocolate factory in Pennsylvania

Authorities in West Reading, PA confirmed on Sunday night that the remains of two more victims of the chocolate factory explosion in Pennsylvania were discovered, bringing the death toll from the explosion on Friday at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate factory to seven. West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben said at an evening news conference that this closes search operations at the R.M. Palmer Company, as no other people connected to the location were missing.

Identities of the dead were unavailable. West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag said Sunday that the White House reached out on Saturday: “They’ve offered condolences, asked us that if we need anything, to please reach out. So we are getting calls from numerous sources and we’re grateful for all of them. We’re grateful the resources that they’re offering. Right now we’re just kind of trying to get our feet on the ground and figure out where we can put them and how we can delegate them.”

A facility spokesperson said 10 people who survived with injuries were taken to Reading Hospital in the West Reading borough, an area of Berks County about 63 miles northwest ofaPhiladelphia. Two were transferred to other facilities, two were in good or fair condition at Reading Hospital, and the others were treated or checked out and released.

R.M. Palmer Company employs 850 people today, according to the company’s website. In a statement, the company expressed anguish, said it has lost “close friends and colleagues …Everyone at RM Palmer is devastated by the tragic events at one of our West Reading facilities and we are focused on supporting our employees and their families.”

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