3

Apple TV+ today announced the renewal of its critically acclaimed drama series Silo for a second season. The series will return with new episodes on Friday, November 15, 2024. Additionally, the streaming service revealed that award-winning actor Steve Zahn will join the cast in a recurring role.

The announcement was made during a panel featuring series star and executive producer Rebecca Ferguson, co-star Common, creator and showrunner Graham Yost, and executive producer Hugh Howey. The event also included a surprise appearance by Zahn.

Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling Wool trilogy, Silo follows a community living in a subterranean world, protected from a toxic and deadly environment. When an engineer, Juliette (Ferguson), begins to uncover the truth about her loved one’s death, she embarks on a perilous journey to expose the dark secrets of their existence.

Season two will continue to explore the complex world of Silo, delving deeper into its mysteries and introducing new characters.

The ensemble cast for season two includes Ferguson, Common, Zahn, Tim Robbins, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McCrae, Remmie Milner, Clare Perkins, Billy Postlethwaite, Rick Gomez, Caitlin Zoz, Tanya Moodie, and Iain Glen.

The complete first season of Silo is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Silo is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios. The series is executive produced by Yost, Michael Dinner, Nina Jack, Joanna Thapa, Ferguson, Morten Tyldum, Howey, Fred Golan, Rémi Aubuchon, and AMC Studios.

Related

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, has announced the induction of renowned singer, songwriter, and actress Angie Stone as an Honorary Member of its Alpha Omega Chapter. The announcement was made during the sorority’s Grand Boule held in Indianapolis on July 27, 2024.

Stone, celebrated for her impactful contributions to the R&B and neo-soul music genres, has earned three Grammy nominations and two Soul Train Awards. Her music, which has captivated audiences for decades, has established her as a prominent figure in the industry.

Beyond her musical achievements, Stone is actively involved in the F.A.C.E Diabetes (Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered) program, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company. This initiative aims to educate African Americans about diabetes risk and management, reflecting Stone’s commitment to health and wellness.

The induction ceremony, part of the sorority’s international conference, welcomed 15 distinguished women into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. This moment underscores the sorority’s commitment to honoring individuals whose work aligns with its mission of service and community impact.

International First Vice President for Membership, Gina Merritt-Epps, emphasized the significance of the new Honorary Members in advancing the sorority’s goals. Dr. Stacie NC Grant, International President and CEO, highlighted the alignment of the 2024 Honorary Member Class with Zeta Phi Beta’s dedication to enhancing lives through comprehensive support.

As an Honorary Member, Stone will contribute to Zeta Phi Beta’s Elder Care initiatives and the Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-HOPE™) program. Her involvement will bolster the sorority’s efforts to support both elder care and community service, reflecting Zeta Phi Beta’s ongoing dedication to addressing critical social issues.

It still happens to Simone Biles. Even now, after two Olympics, six world championships, and a decade-plus in the spotlight.

The most decorated gymnast of all time and the face of the U.S. Olympic movement will be chatting with someone when her age comes up.

“They’re like ‘Oh my god, you’re so cute, you’re a kid’” Biles told The Associated Press with a somewhat exasperated laugh. “Like I want to say ’I’m grown. I’m an adult now. I’m 27 years old.’”

Yet the perception of Biles as a pony-tailed prodigy persists even as the demographics at the top of her sport shift.

Maybe it’s because all but one of the last 13 Olympic champions have been teenagers, including Biles when she triumphed in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago and U.S. teammate and good friend Sunisa Lee, who was 18 when she edged Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade in a taut final in Tokyo in 2021.

They’re both back on what they’ve labeled a “redemption tour.” When Biles and Lee step onto the floor at Bercy Arena on Sunday for Olympic qualifying, they’ll be joined by 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey (24) and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles (23) along with newcomer Hezly Rivera, at 16 by far the youngest member of the oldest team the Americans have ever sent to the Games.

Gone are the days when six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman was dubbed the team grandma in 2016 at all of 22, a moniker Biles jokingly admitted she now needs to apologize for using.

“Like I’m ancient now,” Biles said. “Forget grandma, we’re past that.”

A rapid evolution

Improved training, the easing of rules around name, image and likeness rights for college athletes, and the power of social media are allowing the top Americans to extend their careers.

Carey, Lee and Chiles have spent a significant portion of their time since Tokyo competing at the NCAA level, once thought of strictly as a way for former Olympians to gently ease into retirement.

Not so much anymore. Relaxed NIL rules meant Chiles, Lee and Carey could cash in on their Tokyo success without sacrificing their college eligibility. The frequency of NCAA meets and the emphasis on execution over difficulty let Chiles refine more basic skills while also getting invaluable competition experience without burning out.

“Like, now you can do college and you can go back to elite and go back and forth,” she said. “I think that is something that’s cool, and all because you can rest your body in a way.”

A new paradigm

Perhaps the biggest reason may be more fundamental and perhaps more impactful and lasting.

The climate and the culture around elite gymnastics are evolving. So are the power dynamics as the sport becomes more athlete-centric, moving away from a paradigm of authoritarian coach and talented-but-dutiful prodigy that defined success at the highest level for so long.

“People have stopped telling them that they can’t do it,” said Aimee Boorman, who coached Biles earlier in her career and is the co-founder of GIGA, a professional women’s gymnastics league that will launch in 2025. ”They’ve stopped telling them they’re washed up at 17 or 18. … The stigma of ‘little girls in pretty boxes’ is not a thing anymore.”

Biles has been asked repeatedly since she returned to the sport last summer why she’s doing this far closer to her 30th birthday than her 20th. She keeps coming back to some version of the same answer: “Because I can.”

“Nobody is forcing me to do it,” Biles said after U.S. Olympic trials. “I wake up every day and choose to grind in the gym and come out here and perform for myself.”

It’s the way that she grinds, however, that has changed. She uses her time more efficiently at the gym, partly out of choice to help a body that’s been at this for 20 years and partly because her crowded personal schedule demands it.

A worldwide trend

The reality is what Biles and company are doing in the U.S. has been increasingly commonplace internationally.

While Oksana Chusovitina remains an outlier — the 49-year-old Uzbek will miss her first Olympics since the 1988 Games but is still pointing toward 2028 in Los Angeles — there are plenty of women in their 20s and 30s who will try to join the Americans on the medal stand.

Andrade is 25 and the biggest threat to Biles’ claiming the all-around title. Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands turns 33 in September but remains one of the finest balance beam workers in the world. Ellie Black of Canada will be 29 in September. Paris marks her fourth Olympics, but in some ways she comes as good as ever.

Perhaps happier than ever too, a not unimportant part of the equation.

Black spends less time practicing on a given actual apparatus and more time focusing on “strength conditioning,” something she wouldn’t mind seeing adopted by younger athletes.

“I think it’s just finding that balance, making sure that we’re strong,” Black said. “We’re not overtraining. We’re not doing an insane amount of reps. We’re also not spending our whole complete lives in the gym.”

The other side

Laurent Landi, who has coached Biles alongside his wife Cecile since late 2017, believes there is another element at play too as gymnasts wrangle with how to best prepare for competition.

There was a sense in the U.S. in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal that the training pendulum swung from too strict to too loose. Biles told the AP in 2021 that it felt like “a horse out of the barn: you can’t get it back in.”

While Biles’ stance has softened of late, describing it more as a generational difference and that there is no one right way to succeed, Landi thinks one of the reasons the U.S. team is so veteran-heavy is because the next wave isn’t ready or willing to push themselves to the top. Though he allows the concern is American-specific.

“This is why you see the older generation, they are hanging in,” he said. “They realize that, ‘Oh yeah, if you want to (excel) you should do ‘This, this, this.’

“Is it going to be hard? Yes. Is it going to be hell? Yes,” he continued. “But you need to stick to it to (get) to a stage where, ‘OK, I can do it.’’ And those kids don’t even know anymore how to really push themselves to that limit.”

Recommended Stories

Landi stressed that no athlete wants to reach the point where it needs to get hard before it starts to get easy but believes “that’s part of sports, that’s part of life, too.”

How long can they go?

The end will come soon enough for Biles and everyone else. She’s keeping quiet for now on whether Paris will be her final competition. While the pull to dive fully into her next chapter with her husband Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens is real, she’s also aware that once the ride is over, there is no hopping back on.

It can be a difficult path to navigate, one Elisabeth Seitz is pondering as she spends her fourth trip to the Olympics as a TV commentator after narrowly missing making the five-woman German team.

Like Biles, Seitz is hit with questions back home that run along the lines of, as she put it, “you’re still a gymnast, get a real job.”

The thing is, the 30-year-old Seitz believes she’s in the best shape of her life after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon last fall. Her experience helped her recover from an injury in eight months. She knows what she can do, and what she can’t do.

Why would she want to walk away from something that still has a powerful hold on her before she wants to? Before she has to?

In that way, she sounds just like Biles and the rest of her peers helping redefine who can — and who can’t — do this for a living.

“I just love gymnastics,” she said. “I just love the sport. That’s why I’m still doing it.”

32

Pop star Halsey publicly supported Britney Spears following a false social media post alleging Spears intended to sue Halsey over her “Lucky” music video. The inaccurate claim, originating from Spears’ verified account, generated significant media attention before Spears clarified that the account had been compromised.

Britney Spears took to social media to debunk rumors, declaring, “Fake news!!! That was not me on my phone!!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it!!!” Her rapid response not only dismissed the unfounded legal speculation but also highlighted her admiration for the singer.

Halsey deeply admired Britney Spears, declaring, ‘I love Britney!!!! I always have and always will. You were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired. And you continue to inspire me every day.’ This mutual respect between the two artists has resonated with fans, who appreciate the show of solidarity and genuine affection.

Halsey’s new music video for “Lucky” ignited rumors of potential legal action from Britney Spears. Misunderstandings arose from the video’s content. Nevertheless, the public displays of support between the two artists have effectively dispelled any notion of animosity.

The exchange between the two pop icons has been met with enthusiasm from their respective fanbases, who appreciate the mutual support in an industry often characterized by competition. The incident underscores the influence of social media in shaping public perception and the necessity of critical thinking when consuming online content.

Related

PARIS (AP) — Flavor Flav stopped for hugs, handshakes and high-fives as he made his way around the Team USA House at the Paris Games on Thursday.

He never stopped smiling.

“This is quite an experience for me right now, you know, because the only time I’ve ever seen the Olympics was on TV,” Flav said. “You know what I’m saying? But I always wanted to see what it felt like being there. So now I got the opportunity to be here. It’s the best.”

Flav, a founding member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, is in Paris as part of his duties as the official hype man for USA Water Polo — a partnership that came together after he connected with U.S. captain Maggie Steffens on Instagram in May.

The 65-year-old Flav is embracing his new responsibilities with his usual brand of seemingly boundless enthusiasm.

“I’m so ready, man. … I’m so hype right now about this sport,” said Flav, wearing a custom USA Water Polo clock around his neck. “I wish I was playing it. I’m hyping myself up right now to ask them to let me on the team.”

The road to Flav’s Olympic debut began when Steffens posted on Instagram about her experiences with the U.S. women’s program, which has won an unprecedented three straight gold medals going into Paris.

Flav, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Public Enemy in 2013, prepped for his Paris experience by attending two women’s games, even joining the TV broadcast. He also jumped into the pool with the women’s team.

“I tried it. I got to try it to see what it feels like,” Flav told the AP. “And boy, I was in the water with the girls for like seven minutes. And I was treading water for seven minutes. And I’m not going to lie. But that was like the hardest seven minutes in my life.”

Recommended Stories

Flav said he “got lucky” and connected on two goals against Ashleigh Johnson — widely considered the best goaltender in the world — though he felt as if she might have let him score.

The significance of the moment was not lost on Johnson, the first black woman to play water polo for the U.S. Olympic team.

“We saw the video come out (on social media). … It was so cool to see it,” Johnson said. “But I read through the comments and I see people asking questions about water polo and people of color wanting to start playing. And that’s a different community than I’ve seen talk about our sport in the way they were talking about it than I have like this whole time I’ve been on this team.”

That is something Flav hopes to see more of as he continues to cheer on the U.S. teams.

“When it comes down to water polo … it’s not really about people of color. It’s about people that love to play it,” he said. “Water polo is for all races, all colors of people.”

24

The Walking Dead: Dead City dominated Comic-Con International’s Hall H, delivering a thrilling panel moderated by Chris Hardwick. Executive producer Eli Jorné, series stars and executive producers Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, alongside cast members Gaius Charles and Željko Ivanek, electrified the crowd with exclusive footage, casting announcements, and a deeper dive into the upcoming season.

The panel unveiled a new teaser that promises a darker, more intense chapter in Maggie and Negan’s journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Manhattan. The city, once a bustling metropolis, has transformed into a dangerous labyrinth filled with both the living dead and ruthless survivors.

Season two will introduce a fresh wave of characters, including Keir Gilchrist as Benjamin Pierce, Dascha Polanco as Major Lucia Narvaez, Jake Weary as Christos, and Pooya Mohseni as Roksana. These new additions are set to shake up the dynamic and add new layers of complexity to the already gripping storyline.

The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 new cast

As the war for control of Manhattan intensifies, Maggie and Negan find themselves on a collision course. Their paths will intertwine in unexpected ways, forcing them to confront their pasts and make difficult choices. The stakes have never been higher as they navigate a world filled with danger and uncertainty.

The Walking Dead: Dead City is set to return to AMC and AMC+ next year, promising fans an unforgettable and terrifying continuation of the beloved franchise.

Related