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The U.S. Department of Education announced that it was firing nearly half of its workforce, preparing for a move by President Donald Trump to shut it down entirely.
On Tuesday (March 11), the U.S. Department of Education announced that it was firing 1,315 of its employees, thoroughly impacting the agency responsible for tracking student achievement and managing federal loans for college, in addition to enforcing civil rights in scholastic institutions. It is a significant move toward the goal of shutting down the agency completely (coinciding with another express goal of the conservative group behind Project 2025), although President Donald Trump cannot do that without the approval of Congress.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department.”
In addition to those fired, 63 probationary employees were let go last month and 572 employees accepted buyout packages with 300 receiving severance packages worth $25,000. Security guards were seen locking the doors of the Department Of Education’s Washington, D.C., headquarters at the end of the day, as the building would be closed on Wednesday (March 12). The Department of Education will also close regional offices for its Office of Civil Rights in New York City, San Francisco, Dallas and Boston.
McMahon had expressed that other federal departments would be responsible for the handling of areas under the Department of Education—for example, student loans would be handled by the Treasury Department, while civil rights cases (including the backlog of cases related to collegiate protesters under the Biden administration) would be referred to the Department of Justice and cases involving disabled students would be under the purview of the Health and Human Services Department.
“What is clear from the past weeks of mass firings, chaos, and unchecked unprofessionalism is that this regime has no respect for the thousands of workers who have dedicated their careers to serve their fellow Americans,” American Federation of Government Employees Local 252 president Sheria Smith said in a statement about the firings. “We will not stand idly by while this regime pulls the wool over the eyes of the American people.” Other education professionals and advocates noted that the move would increase the costs of higher education.
Awards season might be over, but a number of A-list stars are ready to keep the celebrations going on Saturday at the 2025 Truth Awards. On Thursday (March 13), the show’s organizers Better Brothers Los Angeles and The DIVA Foundation announced the official slate of performers and presenters for the annual awards ceremony celebrating Black LGBTQ+ […]
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Do the Hot Boys need to put more respect on Birdman’s name? The group walked off the stage while he was in the middle of a speech.
As per HipHopDX, the Cash Money Records roster is now on the road celebrating their much anticipated reunion. During the conclusion of their most recent concert, Birdman decided to impart some of his New Orleans wisdom to the crowd in attendance. It seems Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, Turk and Mannie Fresh couldn’t care less about what he had to say, as the crew could be clearly seen walking off while Stunna was still speaking. To add insult to injury, Lil Wayne could be heard saying “aight, aight” seemingly being dismissive of what Birdman was saying.
This is not the first time Birdman has gone viral during the Cash Money Records reunion tour. Last month, he was spotted falling sleep while performing with the crew. After standing there motionless for several seconds, B.G. nudged him and eventually snapped out of his haze. Many have speculated the incident wasn’t caused by drowsiness but rather side effects from codeine abuse. Birdman has yet to comment on either incident.
You can see the footage from his speech below.
Women artists etched some of the most vaunted records ever on Billboard’s charts over the first quarter of the 21st century, sparking their status among the 100 Top Women Artists of the 21st Century, based on performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
Among their honors, Taylor Swift claimed the entire top 14 titles on the Hot 100 last May the week that her album The Tortured Poets Department launched atop the Billboard 200, marking the most Hot 100 hits from No. 1 on down in a single week. The set also became her 14th Billboard 200 No. 1, the most among women and tying for the most among soloists in the chart’s history.
In 2019, Mariah Carey became the first artist to top the Hot 100 in four distinct decades, dating to the 1990s, thanks to the enduring appeal of her seasonal chestnut “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Plus, Adele’s 21 ruled the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks in 2011-12, the longest No. 1 run ever for an album by a woman, and Katy Perry notched five Hot 100 No. 1s from 2010’s Teenage Dream, making the set the first by a woman to land that many leading songs.
Essentially, over the first quarter of the 21st century on Billboard’s charts, girls ran the world.
Ahead of 2025’s Women in Music celebration, to be held Saturday, March 29, at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, Billboard has ranked the top-performing artists, albums and songs of the first 25 years of the century since 2000. Below, we’re counting down all 100 Top Women Artists of the 21st Century (including soloists, all-women groups and groups with prominent women’s vocals), to be revealed — 20 per day — on March 13, 14, 17, 18 and 19.
Plus, check out Top Artists of the 21st Century, Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century and Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century charts, as well as all coverage of Billboard’s 21st Century charts here.
Billboard’s Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums and Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Artists category, including the Top Women Artists of the 21st Century recap, ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on the Billboard 200 or Hot 100 in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Artists chart.)
No. 100, Danity Kane
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Ayo Edebiri ripped Elon Musk for inciting death threats against her over a false rumor on social media.
Add award-winning actress Ayo Edebiri to the list of people who despise tech billionaire Elon Musk. In her Instagram Stories, Edebiri shared how Musk shared a false news report that led to her being heavily harassed on X, formerly Twitter, receiving a barrage of racial hatred.
Edebiri shared a post, writing: “Just remembering when I got some of the most insane death threats and racial slurs of my life (idk if it’s the #1 moment, but for sure top 3) for a fake reboot of a movie I had never even heard of because of this man,” Edebiri wrote on the story. “LMAO. So not only is he double Sieg Heil-ing fascist, he’s an idiot but anyway.” It accompanied a post that Musk made on X, quoting an account called Unlimited L’s, which falsely claimed that she was replacing Johnny Depp in a new installation of The Pirates of The Caribbean film series. Musk quoted it with a pithy remark, writing “Disney sucks.”
In a previous story, Edebiri was responding to comedian Bill Burr’s roasting of the SpaceX founder during an appearance on NPR’s Fresh Air by sharing a clip with a bullseye emoji. Burr stated that Musk was “evidently a Nazi,” referring to the gestures he made during an inaugural event for President Donald Trump. “I just refuse to believe it was an accidental two-time Sieg Heil. And he does it at a presidential inauguration!” Burr exclaimed before going on to call the Tesla co-founder an “idiot” with “dyed hair plugs and a laminated face,” further labeling him as someone “who makes a bad car and has an obsolete social media platform.” He then asked a question to the audience: “Why are we so afraid of this guy who can’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag?”
As far as the Pirates of the Caribbean series is concerned, the full future is uncertain – but producer Jerry Bruckheimer did confirm that there is a reboot from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales writer Jeff Nathanson in progress. Bruckheimer also expressed his desire for Depp to return, which is in doubt for now after the actor’s legal troubles including a libel trial against Amber Heard in 2022. Edebiri’s next film is the A24 horror film Opus, which also stars John Malkovich and premieres March 14.
We still don’t know who will join Liam and Noel Gallagher on stage for Oasis‘ eagerly anticipated 2025 reunion tour. But even if you weren’t able to score tickets to the siblings’ upcoming first live shows since their acrimonious break-up in 2009, you will definitely be able to re-live it thanks to a just-announced live film chronicling the get-back nobody thought would ever happen.
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The band announced on Thursday morning (March 13) that a film documenting the Oasis Live ’25 tour will be created and produced by BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated writer/producer/director Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Spencer, Dirty Pretty Things) and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (Meet Me in the Bathroom, Shut Up and Play the Hits).
No release date has been announced yet — and no further details were revealed about the content of the film — for the project that will be distributed by Sony Music Vision.
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Fans are starved for any information about the tour, including who will be performing alongside singer Liam and guitarist/occasional vocalist and songwriter Noel, though a report from the NME that purported to have the inside scoop on the rest of the band earlier this week was quickly rubbished by Liam.
After the British music mag claimed to have the line-up thanks to “sources working closely with the band and tour,” Liam slapped back in a post in which he demanded, “NME tell me who your source pots are that keep giving you info about OASIS and I’ll give you an exclusive interview about up n coming OASIS tour. You can have it all but how much do you want it.”
A short time later, he added, “It’s not the lineup reveal I’m bothered about I’ll reveal that to you in a minute I’m more bothered about the line where it says a source close to the band and tour that really causes me a great deal of concern.” Forever cheeky, Liam then confirmed who would be on stage with him and his brother, claiming it would be ““Tony Mc drums Alan white bass guitar Zak lead guitar Chris Sharrock keys.”
Fans in the know quickly surmised he was just kidding, since all four men served as drummers in the band at some point. “That’s a BANGING line up,” Liam joked.
Oasis have announced 40 dates so far for the Live ’25 tour, which will kick off on July 4 with the first of two shows at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, criss-crossing the U.K. before landing in Toronto on August 24 for a run of North American stadium dates, then moving on to Mexico City, South Korean, Japan, Australia and South America.
Avant Gardner revealed the new look for the Brooklyn Mirage today, releasing new renderings for the marquee dance venue that doubles as the inner courtyard for the 80,000-sq.-ft. live music compound in East Williamsburg. Closed in November to begin renovations, CEO Josh Wyatt says the new Brooklyn Mirage will keep its open sky outdoor aesthetic while expanding its dance floor from a 4,500-person capacity to 6,250 when it reopens May 1.
Wyatt, who has two decades of experience in nightlife, including management at the members-only social club NeueHouse, describes the bold new look of Brooklyn Mirage as “operatic grandeur” created as an “open air sanctuary” where “world-class artists and audiences unite” across a multilayered tapestry of light, sound and kinetic energy. Created by Avant Gardner’s in-house design and production team, in partnership with design studios Hard Feelings and Studio Greenbank, Brooklyn Mirage’s dance floor, elevated seating tiers and artist end stage all connect in a horseshoe-style configuration.
“It’s a huge dance floor, really, the largest in New York City,” Wyatt tells Billboard “And then when you’re looking at the overall structure, it’s three stories high and reveals itself as you traverse the structure through different sight lines and experiences. That’s something that the Mirage has always excelled at; providing these different moments from different perspectives within the venue.”
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The massive structure, which climbs up to 65 feet and its highest point, is built almost entirely from pre-manufactured and CNC-cut timber, making it one of the largest timber structures in the U.S. The 30k resolution wraparound LED wall features the first fully kinetic shutter system in live music, curtaining the length of the venue and giving artists full control over the venue’s comprehensive performance features. Brooklyn Mirage’s sound system is powered by L-Acoustics and includes more than 100 loud speakers and subwoofers strategically configuered for maximum sound balance and acoustic coverage. Brooklyn Mirage’s 90-foot stage is designed to accomodate modern touring shows, whether it be a global headliner DJ or a ten-piece rock group, with more than 20,000 tons of rigging capacity and seamless load-in and load-out.
Wyatt said his team has also made key upgrades to safety with new perimeter lighting, clear venue signage, and well lit and monitored rideshare drop-off zones. His team also invested in upgrading cell service at the venue to improve guest navigation and connectivity. Wyatt said the renovations were done with sustainability in mind, noting the facilities extensive use of pre-fabricated timber.
“Wood is a heck of a lot easier to engineer than other materials,” Wyatt said. “We have a commitment to sustainability and adaptive reuse and wanted to upcycle the wood components here. We felt that it would be a lot more friendly and like lower carbon footprint to be able to build it with predominantly with wood. Obviously, there are some steel elements but for building quickly and building efficiently, wood is more effective for engineering and for sustainability.”
More than 100 shows are confirmed to follow Brooklyn Mirages May 1 & 2 reopening with Sara Landry and upcoming shows from Cityfox (May 3), Cloonee (May 10), Empire of the Sun (May 21), two nights of Chainsmokers (May 22 & 23) and two nights of Excision (May 24-25).
For tickets and the latest event updates, visit Avant-Gardner.com.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono were never shy about sharing their love story with the cameras. The late Beatle and his wife/Plastic Ono Band co-leader are center stage in the first trailer for One to One: John & Yoko, an upcoming documentary from Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald that tells the story of a life-changing, fast-moving 18-month period in the couple’s lives in the early 1970s.
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The two-minute clip opens with audio of Lennon calling someone named Howard, in which the woman on the other end begins to spell out the singer’s name only to realize who she’s talking to. “You’re a member of the Beatles?” she asks. “That’s right, yeah,” Lennon answers nonchalantly. From there, the footage explodes into a collage of images of bombs falling in the Vietnam war and the couple preparing for a charity show as Lennon says, “good morning, folks. Have you had your breakfast yet,” accompanied by, yes, footage of the pop icon having his bowl of morning cereal.
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We see a flip-book of footage of John and Yoko leaning into their new lives in the city, shopping for clothes and goofing around with friends as Yoko says, “the Flower Generation is over, but we can start all over again, right?,” which leads into a famous image of the couple from behind throwing up raised fists as the Statue of Liberty hovers on the horizon.
The movie is a chronicle of the couple’s new life in New York post-Beatles in 1972, following them as they move into an apartment in Greenwich Village and prepare for their One to One Concerts, a two-show all-star charity event for children with special needs that they threw at Madison Square Garden in August 1972. It was the only full-length performance by Lennon in the wake of the Fab Four’s split two years earlier and in addition to the Plastic Ono Band it featured sets by Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Black, among others.
Asked by a reporter at the time why they were doing the free shows, Lennon said, “to change the apathy that the youth have.” The couple’s only child, musician Sean Ono Lennon — seen in clips as a toddler — produced and remixed the concert audio for the movie, with the trailer ending with footage of Lennon , wearing his signature tinted round eyeglasses, performing his signature hit “Imagine” at the concerts.
The film also features newly transferred and restored footage from that era along with previously unseen and unheard items from the couple’s personal archives, including phone calls and home movies recorded and filmed by Lennon and Ono during the 18 months the couple lived in a cramped Greenwich Village apartment in the early 1970s.
“How would you like to be remembered?” a reporter asks Lennon at one point. “Just as two lovers,” he responds. The movie will be released exclusively in IMAX on April 11 and in wider release on April 18 and then stream later this year on Max.
Watch the One to One trailer below.
Nikki Glaser got the ultimate vote of confidence on Thursday (March 13) when the comedian was announced to return as host for the Golden Globes next year, 10 months ahead of the 2026 ceremony. The comedian made her hosting debut at the awards show in January, leading the CBS broadcast to 10.1 million viewers and […]
Love is hard, and messy and confusing. That’s the take-away from Haim‘s first new album-tied single in nearly five years. The sister trio dropped their new single, “Relationships,” on Wednesday (March 12), along with a sleek Camille Summers-Valli-directed video in which singer/guitarist Danielle Haim keeps falling in, and out, of love with Queer actor Drew Starkey.
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“Relationships, oh/ What’s all this talk about relationships?/ It feels like everyone’s caught up in it/ Oh, just you wait, you must be new to this,” she sings over the song’s snappy drums and subdued keyboards as she packs, and unpacks, her boxes while moving out, unsure if it’s over or worth another chance.
With time moving backwards and forwards, Danielle can’t figure out how to handle the vicissitudes of love, lamenting, “Why do I have a guilty conscience?/ I’ve always been averse to conflict/ But you really f–ked with my confidence,” as she goes from comfortably lounging with her love to questioning why she’s even trying.
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There are good times, with the couple dancing cheek-to-cheek at a club, their hands all over each other, dressing and undressing each other at home over the soothing jazz pop arrangement produced by Rostam Batmanglij and singer Danielle.
“Relationships” is the first taste of new music from the group’s upcoming follow-up to their Grammy nominated Women in Music Pt. III, which was released in 2020 and reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
The sister band, which also features drummer Alana and bassist Este, began teasing the song earlier this month in a series of posts in which they were pictured walking in a parking lot, soaking in the sun and smiling, a tribute to a viral meme featuring Nicole Kidman depicted the same way in snaps believed to have been taken after the actress finalized her divorce from Tom Cruise in the early 2000s; Kidman has since debunked the theory about the snap, saying it was from a movie.
At press time no additional information was available on Haim’s upcoming fourth studio album. Back in 2023 the group recorded “Home” for the Barbie the Album soundtrack collection.
Watch the “Relationships” video below.