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Every once in a while, the perfect story comes along. One that involves a little mystery, a little intrigue, a little surprise and a whole lot of wholesome joy.

Cue Murphy, the rescued elderly bald eagle who adopted a rock and unexpectedly showed the world what a great father he would be. The fact that he built a nest for a rock (subsequently dubbed “RockBaby”) and protected it like a real egg would be enough for us to say, “Awww.” But when a storm blew down a nearby eagle nest and a surviving chick needed a foster dad, Murphy got to prove that his rock-focused paternal instincts could, indeed, translate into genuine fatherhood.

Of course, Murphy getting a real baby isn’t the only story that delighted us recently. This is Upworthy, after all. From furry friends that made our hearts melt to humans who restored our faith in humanity, here are 10 things that made us smile this week. We hope they make you smile, too.

1. Murphy, the bald eagle who adopted a rock as an egg, gets a real foster baby

When 31-year-old Murphy built a nest for a rock and began fiercely protecting his “RockBaby,” the staff at World Bird Sanctuary began sharing his story. Now he’s a real foster dad with an eaglet of his own, and people are totally invested in their relationship. Read the full story of how Murphy got a real baby here.

2. Not only does she hit a line drive, but watch how she runs to first in style

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It’s the grown-up’s “Again…” that really puts the cherry on top. This is apparently not her first cartwheel on the way to first base, and we are here for it.

3. Sandy Hook survivor was given a surprise law school scholarship by his favorite New York Ranger

u201cIsaiah: Youu2019re our inspiration. nnWe canu2019t wait to see you right back here after Troubs watches you graduate law school.u201d

— New York Rangers (@New York Rangers)
1681441346

When a sports hero turns out to be a real hero. Isaiah Márquez-Greene was 8 when the Sandy Hook School shooting happened, and his 6-year-old sister was one of the 20 children killed. He thought he was just getting a jersey from Rangers team captain Jacob Trouba, but he got so much more. Read the full story here.

4. Snoopy is a real dog, her name is Bayley and people can’t get enough of her.

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Seriously, all she needs is a red dog house and a little yellow bird friend. Uncanny. Read more about Bayley here.

5. Stray dog chooses a young girl to be her human and the love is mutual

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Magic. Perfect name for a perfectly delightful doggo.

6. Young uncle finds out his nephew is named after him and his reaction is so pure

You just know Baby Brooks is going to have the best uncle adventures. Read the full story here.

7. Kelly Clarkson had a touching exchange with Henry Winkler, who offered encouragement to her daughter with dyslexia

Start at minute 2:30 to see their conversation about dyslexia. Winkler has long been an advocate for people with dyslexia and has even written an entire children’s book series featuring a dyslexic character. “How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are,” is such a simple but encouraging bit of wisdom from someone who knows. Read the full story here.

8. Here’s to the wonderfulness of random, anonymous strangers

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Sometimes people are just the best.

9. Doggo steps right into his outfit and absolute cuteness ensues

u201cA smile for your timeline.. ud83dude0au201d

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1681675848

That wink at the end. What a charmer.

10. Let’s roll into the weekend with the energy of this marathoner on a dance break

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A post shared by Upworthy (@upworthy)

Imagine running 11 miles and still having the energy to dance. Three cheers for endorphins. That’s how it’s done.

Hope these little gems brought you some joy! Come back next week for another smile-worthy roundup, and if you’d like to get posts like this delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.

Netflix’s biggest surprise hit The Night Agent keeps outdoing itself. While the series has been gaining traction on the streamer for the last month, Nielsen finally released its first-week numbers, and they are equally as impressive. Almost as impressive as a lonely night agent taking down the government. Almost!

Nielsen reported that the Netflix series was watched for 2.6 billion minutes (!!!) in its first four days of availability (March 20-26th). This makes the show the 38th most-watched streaming title in a weekly measurement since 2020, according to Nielsen. By Netflix’s own measurement, the series is already the streamer’s sixth most popular English languest series of all time, and there is no sign of stopping. Look out, Bridgerton.

Shadow and Bone clocked in at No. 2 with 1 billion minutes watched in its first full week, followed by the little engine that could South Park, which just wrapped up its 26th season, seemingly on the road to outdo The Simpsons by simply never ending.

The Night Agent stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, a young FBI agent who is thrown into the world of wide-scale political conspiracies while working in the White House. The series, based on the novel of the same name, has already secured a second season, which is currently being written, according to creator Shawn Ryan.

What’s different with The Night Agent and, say, Stranger Things is the obvious difference in target demographic. The series drew in an older crowd, with 60% of viewers over age 50. This must be where all of the Yellowstone fans are hiding out until Kevin Costner chooses to return to set, if at all.

(Via Variety)

Netflix’s biggest surprise hit The Night Agent keeps outdoing itself. While the series has been gaining traction on the streamer for the last month, Nielsen finally released its first-week numbers, and they are equally as impressive. Almost as impressive as a lonely night agent taking down the government. Almost!

Nielsen reported that the Netflix series was watched for 2.6 billion minutes (!!!) in its first four days of availability (March 20-26th). This makes the show the 38th most-watched streaming title in a weekly measurement since 2020, according to Nielsen. By Netflix’s own measurement, the series is already the streamer’s sixth most popular English languest series of all time, and there is no sign of stopping. Look out, Bridgerton.

Shadow and Bone clocked in at No. 2 with 1 billion minutes watched in its first full week, followed by the little engine that could South Park, which just wrapped up its 26th season, seemingly on the road to outdo The Simpsons by simply never ending.

The Night Agent stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, a young FBI agent who is thrown into the world of wide-scale political conspiracies while working in the White House. The series, based on the novel of the same name, has already secured a second season, which is currently being written, according to creator Shawn Ryan.

What’s different with The Night Agent and, say, Stranger Things is the obvious difference in target demographic. The series drew in an older crowd, with 60% of viewers over age 50. This must be where all of the Yellowstone fans are hiding out until Kevin Costner chooses to return to set, if at all.

(Via Variety)

Talking to Will Anderson is pretty funny if you’ve ever watched him play football. Anderson, the former Alabama star who was a consensus All-American edge rusher each of the last two seasons, is kind, funny, and constantly has a smile on his face. Of course, there’s a lot for him to be happy about right now, as he is almost certainly going to go in the top-5 of the 2023 NFL Draft when it rolls around next week.

The reason he is going so high is because the jovial nature that comes through in interviews goes away the nanosecond he steps on the football field. Anderson is perhaps the most tenacious player that Nick Saban has produced in his pro factory in Tuscaloosa in some time, as evidenced by his 58.5 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks in three years. Whenever Alabama has needed someone on its defense to come up with a big play over the last few years, Anderson has been able to consistently find another gear. It’s made him into a big-time NFL prospect, the sort of defensive game-changer that every team covets as part of a rebuild.

Before the Draft rolls around, Uproxx caught up with Anderson as part of his partnership with Courtyard by Marriott that will give him a chance to interact with fans the day before the Draft. Beyond that, we discussed his competitive drive, going up against Bryce Young in practice every day, and much more.

What do you got going on with Courtyard?

Yeah, so, Courtyard by Marriott, the official hotel of the NFL, Courtyard is hosting a VIP fan zone at the NFL Draft with 32 fans, with tickets handed out by me in downtown Kansas City at 4 p.m. And I’ll be down there, and there’s gonna be a good turnout, hopefully a lot of fans come out, get to meet some fans, and have a good time. So, that’s what we got going on.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, has it hit you that you’re one week away from finally being an NFL player? Or do you think that’s not coming until you’re on stage shaking Commissioner Goodell’s hand?

Honestly, I really don’t think it gonna be ’til next week. I mean, now I know that time is getting closer, but it still hasn’t hit me just yet. Like, it hasn’t hit me at all, for real.

Let’s say you’re talking to an NFL team, and they want to know the case for why they should draft Will Anderson. What is the case that you make for yourself?

Yeah, so I’m just saying, like, I’m a very versatile player, I can play in both schemes, 3-4 or 4-3. I’m also a high character guy that will get his job done. And I’d be a good person, on and off the field, and I bring others along with me. And I think that’s what separates me from a lot of people, I can connect with guys but I can also go out there and lead by example, do my job, work hard, have a good work ethic, and really just be an all-around athlete, all-around player, for real. And I think that’s one of the biggest things about me, just my relentless mindset, my relentless motor that I have and what I bring to the game.

I’m talking to you right now and I see you’re such a nice guy. And then I watched your tape, and you’re nasty out on the field. Where does that competitive drive, mindset, spirit come from?

It has been instilled in me, kind of my whole life. My dad, my coaches, just being at Alabama, and for me, I’ve always said nothing needs to get you motivated to go out there and play the sport that you love. And I love football so much. When I get out there, it’s go time. I’m saying it’s time to flip that switch, go out there and attack and go do your job, fly around and jump up and down with your teammates, and hit people. And that’s what I’m all about. That’s how much I love the game. That’s how I get myself ready to go out there and do what I need to do.

And I watch your film and you’ve got your hand in the dirt, you’re standing up, you’re rushing off the edge and you’re blowing by a tackle. You’re blowing up a guard and getting a running back for a loss. Have you always been someone comfortable doing everything? Or do you feel like there’s an area where your game has really grown since getting to college?

Yeah, most definitely. As soon as I got to Alabama, they were using me everywhere. My freshman year, I was playing a 4-I, my freshman year, it was kind of just a mix of everything. It was just sprinkling me around, here and there. As I kept going, that’s when they started stationing me in certain games, you’re facing certain things there. And for me, I always looked at it as creating value for myself. Playing on the edge is always great, and I love to do that, that’s kind of like what my baby is, that’s where I’d be more comfortable, not really the 4-I. But playing on the edge is where I feel like … I want to keep improving my game, but that’s my strong point in my game.

What’s more important as a pass rusher, is it being bigger, faster, stronger, and having the best technique? Or is it having that drive and that fire where you’re not letting anyone stop you from getting to a quarterback, no matter what they try to do?

As a pass rusher, as far as size, some of the guys in the NFL are 6’2, 6’1, it’s really just about that mindset that you have. And yes, technique plays a big part, especially at the next level. So, technique really does have a lot to play in it. But being a pass rusher, I think I just have a relentless mindset to get to the quarterback and it’s really all about your first bit, your first step sets up everything. So, you have that mindset, and a good game plan, and some good technique behind that, you’re gonna be really special, really good.

You have plenty of great games from your time in Tuscaloosa. But if you want people to watch a specific game to see the very best of Will Anderson, what would you tell them to watch?

They can really turn on any game. You know what I’m saying? Each game, I’ve always — besides two, but we’re not gonna talk about that [laughs] — but you can really watch any game. I feel like as an edge guy, as a defensive end, any of those things, there’s so much more that people, I feel, some people don’t see. It’s just not about going out there and getting a sack. When you really hone in on the tape, and really watch, playing the run, using hands, shedding blocks, all that good stuff, getting to the ball. I think I do all those things really well and showed that in every game that I played in.

I always love asking dudes about teammates in the Draft, and if I did that with you for every Alabama guy in the Draft, we’d be here for an hour. But I want to ask about Bryce. What was it like in practice where it’s an offense led by the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, and the defense led by the best dude in the country at getting to a quarterback in you?

Yeah, it was very competitive, very competitive. We couldn’t hit Bryce in practice, so that’s really why he talks smack all the time. We would literally get to him and sack him, and since we couldn’t touch him, he’d be like, “That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack!” And it’d have us so hot. And I think that just drove the competitive practices, but it was always fun. Both of us did a really good job as a leader on both sides of the ball, the guys responded really well to us. I think they just see how hard we worked and how much it meant to us. We were all bought into it, we just want to go out there and have fun.

I spoke to Bryce last year, and in talking to you now, I see that same professionalism, that same dedication to putting in the work to be great. How did he make you a better football player? And how did you make him a better football player?

Honestly, our minds are so similar. We share so much of the same thing. It really was just us feeding off of each other, because he was a big competitor, I was a big competitor. Preparation meant a lot to him, preparation means a lot to me. The love that we have for the game, it was just kind of easy to be teammates. I wouldn’t say both of us were already polished, but once we had to become a leadership group, and once we became so close, we were just, bro, we’re just alike. You help me, I help you, because we already know how it’s going to be.

My final two questions. First one, who are your favorite edge guys to watch in the NFL right now and why do you pick them?

I like Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and Nick Bosa. All of those are speed-to-power guys that know how to work off speed-to-power, bull rush, swipe, all the little things. Stuff like that, inside moves. So that’s really why I watch them and try to emulate my game.

And then my last question, I know your nickname is The Terminator. And I read something in 2021 where you said you’ve never seen the movie. It’s been two years, have you seen The Terminator yet?

[laughs] I still haven’t seen it yet!

Well, next time you get down to Tuscaloosa, I’m sure Coach Saban would love to take three hours out of his day and sit down and watch it with you. Because I know if there’s one thing that guy loves to do, and it’s not focus on football 24/7.

[laughs] Yeah, he probably won’t do that, though.

Talking to Will Anderson is pretty funny if you’ve ever watched him play football. Anderson, the former Alabama star who was a consensus All-American edge rusher each of the last two seasons, is kind, funny, and constantly has a smile on his face. Of course, there’s a lot for him to be happy about right now, as he is almost certainly going to go in the top-5 of the 2023 NFL Draft when it rolls around next week.

The reason he is going so high is because the jovial nature that comes through in interviews goes away the nanosecond he steps on the football field. Anderson is perhaps the most tenacious player that Nick Saban has produced in his pro factory in Tuscaloosa in some time, as evidenced by his 58.5 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks in three years. Whenever Alabama has needed someone on its defense to come up with a big play over the last few years, Anderson has been able to consistently find another gear. It’s made him into a big-time NFL prospect, the sort of defensive game-changer that every team covets as part of a rebuild.

Before the Draft rolls around, Uproxx caught up with Anderson as part of his partnership with Courtyard by Marriott that will give him a chance to interact with fans the day before the Draft. Beyond that, we discussed his competitive drive, going up against Bryce Young in practice every day, and much more.

What do you got going on with Courtyard?

Yeah, so, Courtyard by Marriott, the official hotel of the NFL, Courtyard is hosting a VIP fan zone at the NFL Draft with 32 fans, with tickets handed out by me in downtown Kansas City at 4 p.m. And I’ll be down there, and there’s gonna be a good turnout, hopefully a lot of fans come out, get to meet some fans, and have a good time. So, that’s what we got going on.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, has it hit you that you’re one week away from finally being an NFL player? Or do you think that’s not coming until you’re on stage shaking Commissioner Goodell’s hand?

Honestly, I really don’t think it gonna be ’til next week. I mean, now I know that time is getting closer, but it still hasn’t hit me just yet. Like, it hasn’t hit me at all, for real.

Let’s say you’re talking to an NFL team, and they want to know the case for why they should draft Will Anderson. What is the case that you make for yourself?

Yeah, so I’m just saying, like, I’m a very versatile player, I can play in both schemes, 3-4 or 4-3. I’m also a high character guy that will get his job done. And I’d be a good person, on and off the field, and I bring others along with me. And I think that’s what separates me from a lot of people, I can connect with guys but I can also go out there and lead by example, do my job, work hard, have a good work ethic, and really just be an all-around athlete, all-around player, for real. And I think that’s one of the biggest things about me, just my relentless mindset, my relentless motor that I have and what I bring to the game.

I’m talking to you right now and I see you’re such a nice guy. And then I watched your tape, and you’re nasty out on the field. Where does that competitive drive, mindset, spirit come from?

It has been instilled in me, kind of my whole life. My dad, my coaches, just being at Alabama, and for me, I’ve always said nothing needs to get you motivated to go out there and play the sport that you love. And I love football so much. When I get out there, it’s go time. I’m saying it’s time to flip that switch, go out there and attack and go do your job, fly around and jump up and down with your teammates, and hit people. And that’s what I’m all about. That’s how much I love the game. That’s how I get myself ready to go out there and do what I need to do.

And I watch your film and you’ve got your hand in the dirt, you’re standing up, you’re rushing off the edge and you’re blowing by a tackle. You’re blowing up a guard and getting a running back for a loss. Have you always been someone comfortable doing everything? Or do you feel like there’s an area where your game has really grown since getting to college?

Yeah, most definitely. As soon as I got to Alabama, they were using me everywhere. My freshman year, I was playing a 4-I, my freshman year, it was kind of just a mix of everything. It was just sprinkling me around, here and there. As I kept going, that’s when they started stationing me in certain games, you’re facing certain things there. And for me, I always looked at it as creating value for myself. Playing on the edge is always great, and I love to do that, that’s kind of like what my baby is, that’s where I’d be more comfortable, not really the 4-I. But playing on the edge is where I feel like … I want to keep improving my game, but that’s my strong point in my game.

What’s more important as a pass rusher, is it being bigger, faster, stronger, and having the best technique? Or is it having that drive and that fire where you’re not letting anyone stop you from getting to a quarterback, no matter what they try to do?

As a pass rusher, as far as size, some of the guys in the NFL are 6’2, 6’1, it’s really just about that mindset that you have. And yes, technique plays a big part, especially at the next level. So, technique really does have a lot to play in it. But being a pass rusher, I think I just have a relentless mindset to get to the quarterback and it’s really all about your first bit, your first step sets up everything. So, you have that mindset, and a good game plan, and some good technique behind that, you’re gonna be really special, really good.

You have plenty of great games from your time in Tuscaloosa. But if you want people to watch a specific game to see the very best of Will Anderson, what would you tell them to watch?

They can really turn on any game. You know what I’m saying? Each game, I’ve always — besides two, but we’re not gonna talk about that [laughs] — but you can really watch any game. I feel like as an edge guy, as a defensive end, any of those things, there’s so much more that people, I feel, some people don’t see. It’s just not about going out there and getting a sack. When you really hone in on the tape, and really watch, playing the run, using hands, shedding blocks, all that good stuff, getting to the ball. I think I do all those things really well and showed that in every game that I played in.

I always love asking dudes about teammates in the Draft, and if I did that with you for every Alabama guy in the Draft, we’d be here for an hour. But I want to ask about Bryce. What was it like in practice where it’s an offense led by the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, and the defense led by the best dude in the country at getting to a quarterback in you?

Yeah, it was very competitive, very competitive. We couldn’t hit Bryce in practice, so that’s really why he talks smack all the time. We would literally get to him and sack him, and since we couldn’t touch him, he’d be like, “That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack!” And it’d have us so hot. And I think that just drove the competitive practices, but it was always fun. Both of us did a really good job as a leader on both sides of the ball, the guys responded really well to us. I think they just see how hard we worked and how much it meant to us. We were all bought into it, we just want to go out there and have fun.

I spoke to Bryce last year, and in talking to you now, I see that same professionalism, that same dedication to putting in the work to be great. How did he make you a better football player? And how did you make him a better football player?

Honestly, our minds are so similar. We share so much of the same thing. It really was just us feeding off of each other, because he was a big competitor, I was a big competitor. Preparation meant a lot to him, preparation means a lot to me. The love that we have for the game, it was just kind of easy to be teammates. I wouldn’t say both of us were already polished, but once we had to become a leadership group, and once we became so close, we were just, bro, we’re just alike. You help me, I help you, because we already know how it’s going to be.

My final two questions. First one, who are your favorite edge guys to watch in the NFL right now and why do you pick them?

I like Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and Nick Bosa. All of those are speed-to-power guys that know how to work off speed-to-power, bull rush, swipe, all the little things. Stuff like that, inside moves. So that’s really why I watch them and try to emulate my game.

And then my last question, I know your nickname is The Terminator. And I read something in 2021 where you said you’ve never seen the movie. It’s been two years, have you seen The Terminator yet?

[laughs] I still haven’t seen it yet!

Well, next time you get down to Tuscaloosa, I’m sure Coach Saban would love to take three hours out of his day and sit down and watch it with you. Because I know if there’s one thing that guy loves to do, and it’s not focus on football 24/7.

[laughs] Yeah, he probably won’t do that, though.

British singer RAYE is only a couple of months removed from the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, but is already dropping new music. Her latest release is a remix of “Flip A Switch” from the album, this time with Coi Leray contributing a verse.

The track is about cutting off a disinterested partner, as in: “Flip a switch on a prick, then I / Come alive in the nighttime.” RAYE is through with this noncommital jerk, so she hits the club to dance her cares away. She’s also willing to sic her gangster girlfriends on him, warning, “Got bitches, if they see you in the street, you’re gettin’ slapped.”

On the remix, Coi jumps in to reinforce the anti-f*ckboy energy, turning up the threats while sticking to the theme of “flipping the switch”: “Diamonds look like Cape Cod / We attach the switch if they come and try to take ours.” Illegal weapons modifications aside, Coi makes the perfect partner on RAYE’s boundary-setting, bad boy-blocking anthem.

Coi Leray set a boundary of her own upon hearing Latto’s new single “Put It On Da Floor.” In the song, Latto boasts that she’s “Smokin’ on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray.” Coi seemed to take it personally, responding via Twitter, “Latto bye. Here you go taking about my body. Please do not come on here and talk about nobody BODY.”

Of course, considering her emphasis on reiterating the term “body” over and over again, along with the fact that she’s currently promoting an upcoming single titled “Body,” it could just be that she’s using the moment to feed her promotion cycle. After all, beef before a new release is a time-honored tradition.

Listen to the “Flip A Switch.” remix above.

Eighteen months after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the Rust set, prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against the film’s lead (as well as producer), Alec Baldwin. This has been a long and winding saga involving Alec’s continued insistence that he never fired the gun despite an investigation to the contrary. At this time, however, Baldwin is off the hook for involuntary manslaughter, due to prosecutors becoming aware of “new facts” that will receive “further investigation and forensic analysis.”

As well, charges do get dropped if prosecutors don’t have enough evidence for a solid case, so there could be technicalities involved, some of which the general public is not aware. No matter the cause, though, Lauren Boebert made sure to air her disgust over this outcome, which she suggests is proof that “[l]iberal privilege is real.”

Quickly, those who responded to Boebert came at her from a few places. That includes Kyle Rittenhouse’s “not guilty” verdict after he did pull the trigger (and claimed self-defense) on the gun that killed Kenosha protesters in 2020. As well, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson has lauded Rittenhouse as “bright, decent, sincere, dutiful, and hard-working.” So a few sarcastic replies surfaced towards Boebert.

People also wonder why Boebert is arguably glossing over her own arrest record and that of her husband, Jayson, who exposed himself in a bowling alley.

Boebert and her husband seem to be doing just fine despite their former legal troubles and more recent allegations that Jayson Boebert tried “to fight with everyone” during a neighborhood conflict.

Some also brought up the report about how Boebert’s eldest teen son, Tyler, skipped a court mandatory date related to a September 2022 car accident, which resulted in misdemeanor charges. Tyler had accepted a plea deal that reduced his charges for the accident that put a friend in the hospital. There’s been no further news about the allegedly skipped court date (for which a Boebert source claimed that she wasn’t aware of), and people are scratching their heads in light of Boebert’s comments on “liberal privilege.”

Meanwhile, Boebert might be concerned about her return rival, Adam Frisch, going in hard on fundraising after barely losing to her in 2022. Overall, she’s not having the best week.

HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) was a producer for Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, including on the title track, earning her a few nominations at the 2023 Grammys. She didn’t win any this year, but that’s OK: She already has five Grammys.

Wilson also has an Oscar for “Fight For You,” written for Judas And The Black Messiah, and she won at the Children’s And Family Emmys last year for her contributions to We The People, a Netflix animated series.

It appears she’s zeroing in on EGOT status.

According to Billboard, Wilson “has joined the production team of Here Lies Love.” The publication additionally noted, “If Here Lies Love were to win best musical at the 77th annual Tony Awards in June 2024, HER would become an EGOT. Not only that, but she would become, at 26, the youngest EGOT by more than a decade.”

In January, Variety reported that Here Lies Love will debut with preview performances beginning on June 17 and opening night on July 20 at the Broadway Theatre in New York and “will be produced in the fully immersive, mostly standing-room format,” which is how it was staged initially at the Public Theatre a decade ago as well as in London and Seattle.

Playbill sums Here Lies Love as “the immersive disco-pop musical based on the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos and the People Power Revolution of the Philippines” and will feature scoring from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.

Wilson provided a statement, as relayed by Billboard, “Filipinos are a global people. We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love.”

Wilson made history last December as the first Black and Filipina woman to portray Belle on-screen. She starred as the iconic Disney princess for ABC’s Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration television special.

As Ron DeSantis edges closer to entering the Republican presidential primary, the Florida governor’s people skills, or lack thereof, has become a recurring theme. This time around, fellow Republican David Trott has come forward with his impression of DeSantis after working next to him in Congress when Trott was still a Michigan representative. In a nutshell, Trott doesn’t think the Florida governor has the personality to compete in a national election.

“If you’re going to go into politics, kind of a fundamental skill that you should have is likability. I don’t think [he] has that,” Trott told Politico. “He’s just a very arrogant guy, very focused on Ron DeSantis.”

Trott pointed to Florida Republicans endorsing Trump over their own governor as further proof that DeSantis has likability issues:

“He wasn’t really liked when he was in Congress. And now it’s coming home to, you know, prove out as some of the Florida delegation endorsed Trump and and some of the donors, you know, think he’s kind of awkward in terms of how he interacts with them,” Trott said. “If his pre-presidential campaign was playing out differently, then I’d say, ‘Well, maybe he just didn’t like me.’ But I think there’s something more at work here.”

Trott then offered a blunt assessment of DeSantis’ problem: “I think he’s an asshole.”

Getting slammed by his own party is starting to become a recurring theme for DeSantis. After getting outsmarted by Disney in his ongoing feud with the entertainment giant, even Fox News is turning on the Florida governor after previously touting him as the best alternative to Trump. Unless the former president is severely kneecapped by his legal troubles, DeSantis’ chances in the Republican primary aren’t looking so hot right now.

(Via Politico)

Iron Man 2 is widely considered to be one of the worst movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also wasn’t much fun to make, with a rushed script, casting issues, and a rumored feud between stars Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow. The messy screenplay is real (sole credited screenwriter Justin Theroux was so stressed that “his back gave out, causing him to require bed rest”), but the actresses claim their alleged tiff was made up.

Johansson was a recent guest on The Goop Podcast hosted by Paltrow, who told her guest that people often ask her if it’s true that they didn’t get along. “Is that a rumor?” Johansson replied (via Variety). “You were so nice to me on that movie. I was so petrified. You were so nice to me! You could’ve been awful. I was so out of my comfort zone on that movie. I’d never done anything like that before. Plus, you had established such deep friendships.”

Paltrow was “so happy to have another woman around” while making Iron Man 2 (justice for Leslie Bibb in Iron Man). “You kept telling me that,” Johansson responded. “Then I experienced that later on. When I did Avengers, I was one of the few [women]… It was like a big sausage party.”

The pair also discussed their future in the MCU:

“I’m done,” Johansson said. “Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also coming back and playing a character again and again, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience.” When Johansson asked Paltrow if she was done with Marvel movies, Paltrow answered: “I think so. I mean, I didn’t die so they can always ask me.”

Paltrow wouldn’t remember if she’s in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, anyway.

You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via Variety)