PARIS (AP) — When Anderson .Paak was tapped for an Olympic-themed song, the Grammy winner felt eager to record the track until he hit an unexpected hurdle: The normally free-flowing artist had to work within a tight framework.

Paak embraced the process, seeing it as an opportunity to flex a new creative muscle. It helped him while recording the upbeat joyous track “Hello World” with Gwen Stefani and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder.

“We hope to bring a taste of that celebratory spirit to the world that can stay with them,” Paak said on Thursday before he performed “Hello World” for the first time at a Paris restaurant. He later spun records under his other stage name, DJ Pee .Wee, for little more than an hour.

Tedder wrote and produced “Hello World,” which is being supported by the International Olympic Committee and Coca-Cola. The trick was to juggle both parties’ demands for the right message to “inspire athletes and fans” before unveiling it to the masses.

“Ryan already had a really good structure and foundation of where the song would go,” said Paak, an eight-time Grammy winner. In 2022, he and Bruno Mars performing as Silk Sonic, won Grammys in all four major categories, including song and record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.”

Paak has collaborated with some of music’s best, including Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and J. Cole.

“Sometimes when I get in the studio, I just go freeform or whatever comes out,” he said. “This had some parameters. But I think sometimes it can be really cool exercise for artists.”

Paak said the song is suitable for people from all walks of life. It can be streamed on all major music platforms.

“I thought it was fun to play something that has no cursing and my mom can enjoy,” he said. “People’s grandmas and little kids can throw it on. I thought the groove was great. It was something that already had a strong hook. … We just wanted to build something that people can sing in big arenas.”

Over the years, there have been other Olympic songs and anthems including Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time” in 1988; Celine Dion’s “The Power of the Dream” in 1996; Bjork’s “Oceania” in 2004 and Katy Perry’s “Rise” in 2016.

The IOC hopes “Hello World” can also bring people together. The intent of the song is to inspire greatness among athletes and fans in a global celebration of these Paris Olympics and future ones including the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

“Our collaboration on this song is yet another example of how we are embracing opportunities together to develop authentic and exciting initiatives that create value,” said Anne-Sophie Voumard, director of television and marketing services at the IOC.

Paak believes the song can serve as a motivational soundtrack with words that help uplift those during tough times.

“When I wake up, my mood changes. When I hear the right song, I get in a better mood,” he said. “Hopefully with this song, these athletes. … it’s kind of an anthem and mood music for them.”

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has announced the induction of US Army Lieutenant General Telita Crosland as an Honorary Member. The induction ceremony, held on August 10, 2024, marked the official welcome of several distinguished women into the sorority’s esteemed ranks.

Initially, on July 27, 2024, Zeta Phi Beta announced the induction of 15 prominent and distinguished women as part of the 2024 class of Honorary Members. However, the sorority has since expanded this class to include additional women who have shown outstanding dedication to civic engagement and the advancement of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood.

Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, a highly respected leader in military medicine, has made significant contributions to improving healthcare systems within the United States Army. Her innovative approaches have enhanced the quality and efficiency of medical services for service members, and her ascent to high-ranking positions within the Army Medical Command reflects her influence on policy and operational excellence. Notably, Crosland is the first Black woman to serve as the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), where her dedication to the health and well-being of military personnel has set a high standard for medical professionals nationwide.

According to the press release issued by the sorority, as an Honorary Member of Zeta Phi Beta, Crosland will support the sorority’s initiatives, including the Military Appreciation Program, Women Veterans Rock!, and Zeta Organizational Leadership (ZOL). Her involvement is expected to further the organization’s mission of service and community upliftment.

International First Vice President for Membership Gina Merritt-Epps, Esq. emphasized the significance of these inductions, stating, “Zeta continues to showcase our commitment to excellence and leadership with the induction of unique and trailblazing women through undergraduate chapters, graduate chapters, and honorary membership in Alpha Omega chapter.”

Crosland joins a distinguished group of women inducted in 2024, including Tatyana Ali, Patrice Banks, Jaspen Boothe, Brigadier General Felicia Brokaw, Caretha Coleman, Wanda Durant, Senator Andrea Hunley, Leela James, Maimah Karmo, Dr. Dawn Morton-Rias, Perri Shakes-Drayton, Ashley Sharpton, Dominique Sharpton, Angie Stone, Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker, Treiva Williams, and Representative Regina Young.

As part of this prestigious group, Lieutenant General Crosland’s expertise and leadership will undoubtedly enhance Zeta Phi Beta’s efforts to positively impact the communities it serves.

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Walt Disney Animation Studios electrified the D23 Expo audience with a first look at its upcoming sequel, “Moana 2.” The film, set to debut in theaters on November 27, 2024, promises a new chapter in the beloved story of the intrepid Polynesian navigator.

Stars Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson made a triumphant return to the franchise, reprising their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively. The duo captivated the crowd with a live performance of a new song from the film and introduced a thrilling new trailer.

Expanding the world of Moana, the sequel will introduce new characters voiced by Hualālai Chung, David Fane, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, joining returning cast members Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Scherzinger.

Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, “Moana 2” is a musical adventure featuring original songs by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. 

The film is written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, with Jennifer Lee, Jared Bush, and Dwayne Johnson serving as executive producers.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has announced the induction of Treiva Williams as an Honorary Member. The induction took place on August 10, 2024, as part of a ceremony welcoming several prominent women into the sorority’s distinguished ranks.

Initially, on July 27, 2024, Zeta Phi Beta announced the induction of 15 prominent and distinguished women as part of the 2024 class of Honorary Members. However, today the sorority announced the expansion of this class to include additional distinguished women who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to civic engagement and the advancement of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood.

Treiva Williams is an accomplished entrepreneur known for her innovative ventures and significant contributions to the business world. With a keen eye for identifying opportunities and a passion for creativity, Williams has established herself as a trailblazer in her industry. Beyond her business success, Williams is committed to philanthropy, actively supporting initiatives focused on economic empowerment, education, and community development.

As an Honorary Member, Williams will support Zeta Phi Beta through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Women Who Win, furthering the organization’s mission of service and community upliftment.

International First Vice President for Membership Gina Merritt-Epps, Esq. highlighted Zeta Phi Beta’s commitment to excellence, stating, “Zeta continues to showcase our commitment to excellence and leadership with the induction of unique and trailblazing women through undergraduate chapters, graduate chapters, and honorary membership in Alpha Omega chapter.”

Williams joins a distinguished group of women inducted in 2024, including Tatyana Ali, Patrice Banks, Jaspen Boothe, Brigadier General Felicia Brokaw, Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, Caretha Coleman, Wanda Durant, Senator Andrea Hunley, Leela James, Maimah Karmo, Dr. Dawn Morton-Rias, Perri Shakes-Drayton, Ashley Sharpton, Dominique Sharpton, Angie Stone, Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker, and Representative Regina Young.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon surrendered at a federal prison in Connecticut, he asked an unconventional U.S. Senate candidate from Minnesota to stand at his side.

Royce White, seeking the Republican nomination in next week’s primary to challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, put his arm around Bannon last month and praised him as “an American hero.”

White also counts among his friends conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and his past social media comments have been denounced as misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic and profane. His legal and financial problems include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending. As first reported by The Daily Beast, potentially illegal expenses included $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after he lost a race for Congress in 2022.

Yet White stunned Minnesota’s political world in May when, with Bannon’s backing, he captured the state Republican Party’s endorsement to take on Klobuchar. He still needs a primary win on Tuesday and is an overwhelming underdog against Klobuchar in November.

But his surprise success in a state that has a history of electing unconventional candidates — like wrestler Jesse Ventura as governor and comedian Al Franken as senator — has made the race anything but the sleepy affair it was expected to be.

His journey from basketball player whose NBA career was cut short by mental health issues to politics is a sign of the growing power of the populist wing of the GOP that Bannon helped build. White has been a frequent guest on Bannon’s “War Room.”

It also speaks to the current condition of the Republican Party in Minnesota. It’s a state that has long been reliably Democratic in presidential politics, though Trump has vowed to compete there this year. Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday further roils the state’s political landscape, and the GOP has yet to prove it is ready to be competitive in statewide races there. And yet Trump’s shadow looms over everything, sometimes in ways that amplify the voices of extremists who have embraced him, nudging those figures to the forefront.

“Please Call Me Crazy” is the name of White’s podcast. He’s also a prolific poster on social media, where he recently called himself “the new gold standard of American badass, smash-mouth, nationalist populism.”

His targets include the Federal Reserve, which he says is run by “Jewish elites,” as well as the national debt, the border, LGBTQ+ activists, the mainstream media and his critics. He argues that, as a Black man, he can help broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of color in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others who are disillusioned with establishment politics.

White drew little attention when he finished second in a GOP primary in 2022 for the nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. So he was as shocked as anyone, he acknowledged in an interview, when he won a first-ballot endorsement at the state party’s convention in May. He beat a more traditional Republican, U.S. Navy veteran Joe Fraser, who’s also running in the primary. White credits Bannon’s endorsement — and his own speech — for persuading delegates that he’d be the strongest advocate for the pro-Trump “America First MAGA” movement.

University of Minnesota political scientist Larry Jacobs said the endorsement of White was a “shocking example” of how easily the process can be manipulated when participation is low. The convention was poorly attended, and many delegates didn’t know much about Fraser and were swayed by White’s “energy and charisma.”

“Royce is clearly unprepared to be a U.S. senator and a candidate,” Jacobs said. “His record in the past is shameful and will be easy pickings for Amy Klobuchar.”

It was only after the endorsement by the Republican Party that White’s record got much scrutiny. The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in June alleging that White had used congressional campaign funds to illegally pay over $157,000 in personal expenses, saying he “appears to have misappropriated donors’ money to benefit himself.”

White denies any improper spending. In a filing last month, he reported he had reimbursed his campaign for “non-authorized expenses,” including the strip club visit. He tweeted that he loved the food there. He acknowledged that he owes child support.

As a basketball player, White led Hopkins High School to the 2009 state championship. A shoplifting arrest precipitated his exit from the University of Minnesota, but he starred at Iowa State and was picked by Houston in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft. He had an anxiety disorder that included a fear of flying, and he never played a game for the Rockets. His only NBA playing time was three minutes across three games with Sacramento in 2014. He now says he flies when he has to and that it won’t be a problem if he’s elected.

He got back into the game in the Big3, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Ice Cube. It was Big3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz who introduced White to Bannon.

White also became friends with Jones, the Infowars host who owes millions of dollars over false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. White said Jones himself has admitted some things he’s said were mistakes, but he’s still a fan.

“He has a lot of courage to say things that many people won’t say,” White said.

Klobuchar, with more than $6 million available in campaign cash, will have an enormous financial advantage over either Republican candidate.

Klobuchar spokesperson Ben Hill didn’t mention her challengers in touting the senator’s legislative accomplishments on forcing drug companies to negotiate prices for medicines and winning help for military veterans. “Senator Klobuchar is focused on her job in the Senate and delivering results for Minnesotans,” Hill said in an email.

Fraser said in an interview that White’s confrontational style and message won’t attract moderates and independents. He said he offers a more mainstream approach, stressing fiscal conservativism, a strong defense, world leadership and small government. White’s alliances trouble Fraser.

“Bannon is Bannon, but what I really think is an affront to decency is his support for Alex Jones,” Fraser said.

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Fraser is highlighting his 26 years in the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer. His service included a combat tour in Iraq. He and his wife, who’s also a Navy veteran, settled in Minnesota because of her family. He said their frustrations with the Biden administration “and its abysmal foreign policy and its ineffective national policy” drove him into politics.

Former Minnesota GOP deputy chair Michael Brodkorb said White’s endorsement shows that the process is broken, and part of the problem is Republicans like himself who no longer attend conventions.

“You will see an active coalition of Republicans for Amy Klobuchar who will be proudly and loudly supporting Amy Klobuchar if Royce White wins the primary,” Brodkorb predicted.

Roy Wood Jr. is returning to your TV screens.

CNN has tapped the comedian, who served as a “Daily Show” correspondent from 2015 to 2023, to host its comedy panel show “Have I Got News for You,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show is the cable news outlet’s version of the long-running BBC show, airing since 1990. 

CNN announced in May that it was developing a U.S. version of “Have I Got News for You,” which features “two teams of panelists answering questions about the week’s news,” per THR.  

Wood shared his excitement about the show in a statement, jokingly referring to the new gig as a “Black job” in reference to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s use of the term during his June debate with President Joe Biden.

“For far too long immigrants have been coming to America and taking Black jobs, kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States,” Wood said, according to THR. “It is an honor to be a part of such a hallowed British institution to help make sense of the American institutions of chaos, name calling, disinformation, reality television and the 8-hour news cycle.”

CNN’s version of “Have I Got News for You” will feature two team captains, who the network will announce closer to the show’s premiere date. On BBC’s version of the comedy quiz show, the panelists consist of comedians, entertainers and political figures, per THR.

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Wood, who has starred in three Comedy Central stand-up specials, recently started the viral hashtag #WhenITurnedBlack after Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris “happened to turn Black” a few years ago.

“We now know Kamala’s brave story,” the comedian wrote on July 31 alongside a video of Trump speaking about Harris at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. “When did the rest of you “turn” black? How old were you? Where were you when the blackness finally took over your body? Share your stories. This is a safe space. #WhenITurnedBlack.”

“Have I Got News for You” will premiere on Sept. 14 at 9 p.m. EST.

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Magic is in the air as Disney Channel unveiled a first look at the highly anticipated sequel series, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, during the premiere of Descendants: The Rise of Red. The sneak peek offered fans a glimpse behind the scenes, featuring the show’s lead cast and familiar faces.

Picking up where the beloved original left off, the series follows adult Justin Russo (David Henrie) as he navigates a seemingly ordinary life with his family. But when his sister Alex (guest star Selena Gomez) brings a young wizard-in-training, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), into their home, Justin is forced to rediscover his magical abilities. Balancing family, everyday life, and the protection of the Wizard World becomes his new normal.

Joining Henrie and Brown is a talented ensemble cast including Alkaio Thiele as Roman Russo, Max Matenko as Milo Russo, Taylor Cora as Winter, and Mimi Gianopulos as Giada Russo. Fans will also be delighted to see the return of David DeLuise as the iconic Jerry Russo.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is co-created and executive-produced by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, alongside executive producers Gary Marsh, Jonas Agin, Selena Gomez, and David Henrie. Andy Fickman serves as director and executive producer.

The series is set to premiere on Disney Channel and Disney+ later this year.

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