‘Ketamine Queen’ accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry agrees to plead guilty
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman charged with selling Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him has agreed to plead guilty. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. The deal means the 42-year-old will avoid a trial that had been planned for September. Prosecutors cast Sangha as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the “Ketamine Queen.” According to court documents she sold Perry 25 vials of ketamine four days before his death from an overdose of the drug.
The story behind Devo’s ‘Whip It’ and their misunderstood legacy
NEW YORK (AP) — The new Netflix documentary “Devo” explores the Ohio-born art-rock band known for their quirky style and misunderstood message. The film debuts on Tuesday and features archival footage and interviews, including appearances by fans like David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Devo’s music, including hits like “Whip It,” was infused with powerful art and literary ideas, critiquing societal “devolution.” Co-founder Gerald Casale explains that the band was often trivialized, but their work was a multimedia approach to protest and commentary. Despite challenges, Devo’s influence endures, with a new tour planned alongside the B-52s.
Movie Review: Margaret Qualley shines in ‘Honey Don’t!’ as Philip Marlowe in red lipstick
Margaret Qualley plays a Bakersfield, California, private investigator in Ethan Coen’s “Honey Don’t.” Coen cowrote the film with Tricia Cooke. They say it is the second in their unofficial lesbian B-movie trilogy following “Drive Away Dolls.” The large ensemble in this blue-sky noir includes Chris Evans as a slimy local pastor and Charlie Day as a hapless cop. In her review for The Associated Press, AP film writer Lindsey Bahr writes that while this shaggy caper might not add up to anything significant, it is fun and immensely watchable thanks in large part to Qualley. Rated R, “Honey Don’t” is in theaters Friday.
Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin will make history at 2025 MTV VMAs. Here’s who is taking the stage
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rapper Busta Rhymes will receive the first ever MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award and Ricky Martin will be honored with the inaugural Latin Icon Award. The MTV Video Music Awards announced the additions Monday. The two artists have a long history with the VMAs, each having performed for the first time in the late 1990s. This year’s VMAs will air on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern and will run live from the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island. The show will be broadcast by CBS for the first time, and also simulcast on MTV and available for streaming on Paramount+.
Cable’s MSNBC will change its name later this year as part of corporate divorce from NBC
The television network MSNBC will change its name later this year as part of its corporate divorce from NBC. The new name will by My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW for short. MSNBC, which will also removed NBC’s peacock corporate logo from its insignia, has been building a separate news division from NBC News by hiring new reporters and executives in recent months. It has been known as MSNBC since its formation in 1996, as a partnership then between Microsoft and NBC. It runs second in cable news ratings to Fox News Channel with personalities like Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace and Ari Melber.
FTC sues ticket reseller, saying it illegally exceeded purchase limits for Taylor Swift, other shows
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit Monday against a ticket broker, alleging the company used illegal tactics to exceed purchasing limits for popular events and then resold tickets at significantly higher prices. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland, the FTC said Maryland-based ticket broker Key Investment Group has used thousands of fictitious Ticketmaster accounts and other methods to buy tickets for events, including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Key Investment Group said Monday it will vigorously defend itself against the FTC’s lawsuit, which it says threatens the entire secondary ticket market.
‘Weapons’ maintains top spot in second weekend, scaring off newcomer ‘Nobody 2’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Weapons” scared its way to the top during its debut last weekend and stayed there, beating out “Freakier Friday” for a second time and the newcomer action movie “Nobody 2.” Zach Cregger’s horror earned $25 million in 3,450 North American theaters, a 43% drop from its first weekend. The film benefited from strong audience reviews and social media trends to attract large crowds. Paul Dergarabedian is senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. He says this summer is unlikely to hit the $4 billion benchmark but has provided moviegoers a dynamic and diverse slate of movies.
Book Review: Writers craft stories set in the world created by Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’
You can’t help but hum the R.E.M. song when you pick up a copy of “The End of the World As We Know It,” but you might not exactly feel fine when you’re done reading it. These 34 short stories are set in the world created by Stephen King’s 1978 novel “The Stand,” writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill, and the one thing they have in common is a “true affection” for King’s opus about the gathering forces of good vs. evil after a superflu kills most of the world’s population. “The End of the World As We Know It” goes on sale Tuesday.
Terence Stamp, British actor who portrayed General Zod in early Superman films, dies at 87
LONDON (AP) — Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87. His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online. The London-born Stamp started his film career with 1962’s seafaring “Billy Budd,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination. Stamp’s six decades in the business were peppered with highlights, including his touching portrayal of the transsexual Bernadette in 1994’s “The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” Stamp also was widely praised for his lead in director Steven Soderbergh’s 1999 crime drama “The Limey.”
Book Review: A gang of hatchet-wielding women try to take over the meth business in rural Texas
In “The Hatchet Girls,” Joel R. Lansdale’s 14th darkly comic novel featuring Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, the two private eyes are hired to subdue a rampaging hog. It does not go well. After they manage to subdue the beast, they discover someone had been cooking meth and that the hog had sampled the merchandise. Eventually, they stumble on a gang of hatchet-wielding women bent on taking over the local meth business. Associated Press reviewer Bruce DeSilva says the novel is a bit of a letdown after last summer’s hilarious “Sugar on the Bones,” but that fans of the series may find it entertaining.
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