CNN got a sneak peek at one of the biggest and most expensive theme parks ever built
CNN's Natasha Chen, along with a gaggle of enthusiasts, got a pre-opening preview of the new Universal Epic Universe theme park. It combines Universal's library of movie content like, "How to Train Your Dragon" and the "Harry Potter" franchise, with cutting-edge ride and park technology.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steve Ray Ladson Wows Crowd (and Catches Mel B's Eye) With Original ‘Blackgrass Brothercana' Anthem ‘Back of My Truck'
Steve Ray Ladson appeared to have no nerves when he swaggered up to the mic on Tuesday night's (June 17) episode of America's Got Talent. The Hopkins, S.C. native with the big smile confidently told judge Howie Mandel that he's made a living 'all my life' making music, though he's only been at it professionally for 15 years. Cradling his banjo, the musician who has performed with the Blind Boys of Alabama and Robert Randolph and the Family Band said he came on the show to share his signature musical genre, which he calls 'Blackgrass Brothercana.' More from Billboard Young Singer Wins Over 'AGT' Judges With Ed Sheeran Cover Phoenix Mercury vs. Chicago Sky: How to Watch WNBA Stars Kahleah Copper & Angel Reese Face Off With Hulu + Live TV Here's Where to Buy 'How to Train Your Dragon' Book Series & Blu-ray Collection Online Joined by his backing band, Ladson unfurled his beat-heavy, country trap sound drawling, 'When I pull up on the scene/ It hit different/ Cuz ain't nobody whippin' how I'm whippin'/ We can leave the house, bring the dog and my guitar/ Fill up on some diesel, yeah we about to take it far/ I got my pole and the tackle box for the lake.' Hitting on a clutch of requisite country tropes: dogs, fishing, trucks and getting busy, Ladson caught the eyes (and ears) of judges Mel B and Sofia Vergara when he crooned about it all going down 'on the back of my truck' in a crowd-thrilling falsetto. The former Spice Girl grabbed Vergara's arm and shouted 'I love it! 'Cause you want to go in the back of his truck!' Ladson got a standing ovation and big props from the judging panel, with Vergara saying he was her favorite music act of the season so far. 'You guys were amazing, I loved it!' she enthused. Mel B spilled some tea about fellow panelist Vergara, revealing that 'she really loved the part in the back of my truck. She was very happy with you guys.' Vergara appeared to blush and explained, 'I liked the whole song, not only that part.' Ladson played along, cheekily asking, 'do you wanna ride?' Mel said she liked seeing things she's never seen before and Ladson definitely fit that bill for her. 'So slick, with swagger and lyrics like, 'I'm gonna [blank] in the back of my truck,'' she said. 'I loved it! Brilliant.' Mandel gushed that Ladson had a '100% hit song,' with Simon Cowell marveling that the band had only been together for a year. 'Everything was, like, on point. I love the song, I love you. I love the band,' Cowell said. 'This is when I love my job.' Needless to say, Ladson will be driving his truck to the next round after getting four big yes votes. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and streams on Peacock the next day. Watch Ladson's performance below. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021
WIRED
an hour ago
- WIRED
'Wall-E With a Gun': Midjourney Generates Videos of Disney Characters Amid Massive Copyright Lawsuit
Jun 20, 2025 4:28 PM A week after Disney and Universal filed a landmark lawsuit against Midjourney, the generative AI startup's new V1 video tool will make clips of Shrek, Deadpool, and other famous creations. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Midjourney's new AI-generated video tool will produce animated clips featuring copyrighted characters from Disney and Universal, WIRED has found—including video of the beloved Pixar character Wall-E holding a gun. It's been a busy month for Midjourney. This week, the generative AI startup released its sophisticated new video tool, V1, which lets users make short animated clips from images they generate or upload. The current version of Midjourney's AI video tool requires an image as a starting point; generating videos using text-only prompts is not supported. The release of V1 comes on the heels of a very different kind of announcement earlier in June: Hollywood behemoths Disney and Universal filed a blockbuster lawsuit against Midjourney, alleging that it violates copyright law by generating images with the studios' intellectual property. Midjourney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Disney and Universal reiterated statements made by its executives about the lawsuit, including Disney's legal head Horacio Gutierrez alleging that Midjourney's output amounts to 'piracy.' It appears that Midjourney may have attempted to put up some video-specific guardrails for V1. In our testing, it blocked animations from prompts based on Frozen's Elsa, Boss Baby, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse, although it would still generate images of these characters. When WIRED asked V1 to animate images of Elsa, an 'AI moderator' blocked the prompt from generating videos. 'Al Moderation is cautious with realistic videos, especially of people,' read the pop-up message. These limitations, which appear to be guardrails, are incomplete. WIRED testing shows that V1 will generate animated clips of a wide variety of Universal and Disney characters, including Homer Simpson, Shrek, Minions, Deadpool, Star Wars ' C-3PO, and Darth Vader. For example, when asked for an image of Minions eating a banana, Midjourney generated four outputs with recognizable versions of the cute, yellow characters. Then, when WIRED clicked the 'Animate' button on one of the outputs, Midjourney generated a follow-up video with the characters eating a banana—peel and all. Although Midjourney seems to have blocked some Disney and Universal-related prompts for videos, WIRED could sometimes circumvent the potential guardrails during tests by using spelling variations or repeating the prompt. Midjourney also lets users provide a prompt to inform the animation; using that feature, WIRED was able to to generate clips of copyrighted characters behaving in adult ways, like Wall-E brandishing a firearm and Yoda smoking a joint. The Disney and Universal lawsuit poses a major threat to Midjourney, which also faces additional legal challenges from visual artists who allege copyright infringement as well. Although it focused largely on providing examples from Midjourney's image-generation tools, the complaint alleges that video would 'only enhance Midjourney ability to distribute infringing copies, reproductions, and derivatives of Plaintiffs' Copyrighted Works.' The complaint includes dozens of alleged Midjourney images showing Universal and Disney characters. The set was initially produced as part of a report on Midjourney's so-called 'visual plagiarism problem' from AI critic and cognitive scientist Gary Marcus and visual artist Reid Southen. 'Reid and I pointed out this problem 18 months ago, and there's been very little progress and very little change,' says Marcus. 'We still have the same situation of unlicensed materials being used, and guardrails that work a little bit, but not very well. For all the talk about exponential progress in AI, what we're getting is better graphics, not a fundamental principle solution to this problem.'
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Rachael Ray says she's ‘truly shaken' after learning of Anne Burrell's unexpected death
Rachael Ray is paying tribute to her former co-host, Anne Burrell. The 56-year-old culinary star, best known for her Emmy-winning syndicated talk show 'Rachael Ray,' spent four seasons as Burrell's co-host on Food Network's hit show 'Worst Cooks In America.' Burrell, who hosted the show from 2010 to 2024, died on June 17, according to CNN. She was 55. 'The news about Anne has truly shaken us. John and I are heartbroken,' Ray wrote on behalf of her and her husband, John Cusimano, in a June 18 Instagram post. 'I can't quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon,' she continued alongside several photos of the former co-hosts. Ray made her debut on 'Worst Cooks In America' in 2015 for the first celebrity edition of the show. Burrell's team won that season, but Ray returned to the show for three straight seasons in 2016 and 2017 — and her team was crowned the winner in two of those seasons (9 and 10). The two friends split a 2-2 tie in the four seasons they competed against each other. 'Anne was a rockstar!' Ray said of Burrell. 'I came to know her well through multiple seasons of Worst Cooks on Food Network, and she became so much more than a colleague.' 'Despite being surrounded by incredible chefs, she never once made me feel self-conscious about not being one — she always treated me as one of the gang,' she added. Ray went on to remember all the 'incredible laughs' they shared and Burrell's 'great taste in music.' 'I'll never forget walking into our dressing rooms at Food Network studios early in the morning and hearing her blasting the song of the moment down the hall,' she wrote. 'She was a force in the kitchen, in any room, in every life she touched,' Ray continued. Elsewhere in her social media tribute, Ray reflected on one of her fondest memories with Burrell. 'Anne honored me by asking me to be her bridesmaid, something I'd only done once before for my sister,' Ray wrote of Burrell and her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021. 'She even cooked for me and my guests at my wedding anniversary in Italy,' Ray added of Burrell. Burrell's family confirmed the culinary star's death in a June 17 statement shared by People. 'Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world,' her family wrote. 'Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.' According to TMZ, Claxton 'found her unresponsive and lying on the floor of their shower' before calling 911. She was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after. 'Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,' her family added in the statement. Many of her Food Network colleagues and fellow culinary superstars took to social media to honor her legacy. One Food Network spokesperson praised Burrell for 'teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring,' according to Today. Fellow culinary star Robert Irvine took to X to describe her as 'generous and supportive.' 'Anne wasn't just a fiery chef. She was a radiant spirit who lit up every room she entered,' he wrote. 'From the very beginning on Worst Cooks in America, our friendly rivalry was fueled by mutual respect.' Another one of her 'Worst Cooks' rivals, Tyler Florence, reflected on his time spent with Burrell. 'No one was funnier. She was Mensa smart with razor wit and sincere kindness,' he said of Burrell in a June 17 Instagram post. 'She was recognized everywhere. The city loved her.' Burrell is survived by her husband, his son Javier, her mother (Marlene), sister (Jane) and brother (Ben).
