José Andrés Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Joe Biden

José Andrés has earned a presidential honor…

The 55-year-old Spanish chef, restaurateur and philanthropist is among the 19 individuals who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden.

Jose Andres, Joe Biden, Presidential Medal of FreedomDuring a special ceremony on Saturday, Andrés was recognized for his work with the World Central Kitchen, the organization he founded that the White House says “has revolutionized the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world.”

Biden praised Andrés’ unwavering commitment to nourishing communities affected by disasters.

“You answered the call to serve and led others to do the same thing,” President Biden said, addressing the award recipients during the ceremony. “You leave an incredible mark on our country, of insight and influence that can be felt around the globe—in major cities and remote areas alike—binding us closer as people and showing us what’s possible as a nation.”

In 2010, Andrés traveled to Haiti after a devastating earthquake, determined to help. While cooking with displaced families, he learned to prepare black beans the Haitian way—mashed and sieved into a creamy sauce. For José, it wasn’t just about providing food but about listening, learning, and cooking alongside locals. This approach to food aid became the foundation of WCK. Since then, we have served more than 450 million meals to people impacted by crises worldwide.

“José nourishes not only bodies but hearts, in his humanitarian endeavors. His impact on the world will resonate for generations”, WCK CEO Erin Gore said. “This honor reflects his extraordinary global contributions and the deep humanity that defines him. He inspires us all.”

WCK teams are currently on the ground in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Spain, Mayotte and North Carolina supporting families affected by conflict and natural disaster.

Biden also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Lionel Messi, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

The White House cited the 37-year-old Argentine professional soccer star, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, for his philanthropic efforts, including the Leo Messi Foundation and his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador as part of the basis for the award.

Per USA Today, Messi was “deeply honored” by the award and hoped to have a chance to meet Biden in the near future.

Other recipients of the medal included U2 front man Bono, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, actor Michael J. Fox, software programmer and activist Tim Gill, primatologist Jane Goodall, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, science educator Bill Nye, investment firm owner David M. Rubenstein, philanthropist George Soros, director George Stevens Jr., actor Denzel Washington and fashion editor Anna Wintour.

Former Secretary of Defense Ashton Baldwin Carter, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, former attorney general Robert Francis Kennedy and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development George W. Romney were all honored with the award posthumously.

The Late Jerry Garcia & His Grateful Dead Band Mates Named MusiCares’ 2025 Persons of the Year

The late Jerry Garcia is getting a special posthumous honor…

The half-Spanish American singer/songwriter/guitarist and his Grateful Dead band mates have been named as the 2025 Persons of the Year by MusiCares, with the band’s original members due to be feted at the organization’s annual gala concert and dinner on January 31, two days prior to the Grammys.

Jerry GarciaThe honor will effectively kick off what may turn out to be a yearlong celebration of the 60th anniversary of the group’s founding. As always, the fundraiser for this charitable arm of the Recording Academy will culminate in a series of all-star performances covering the honoree’s catalog.

The evening will take place in its usual location in a vast ballroom at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

In the 33-year history of MusiCares events, this marks only the third time that a superstar group has been selected for the honor instead of an individual. The previous bands chosen were Fleetwood Mac in 2018 and Aerosmith in 2020.

It’s the first time that someone no longer among the living will be officially celebrated as part of the tribute. Garcia, who died in 1995 at the age of 53, will get his posthumous due during the evening, along with the four living Dead members from the original lineup — Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir.

Grateful Dead, Jerry GarciaThe four musicians have played in spinoff groups since Garcia’s passing, with Weir and Hart continuing to be active as mainstays of Dead & Company.

That outfit officially retired from touring after a 2023 outing, but went on to play a ravenously well-received residency at Sphere in Las Vegas from May through August of this year.

Fans are hoping for a return engagement or some other live commemoration in the coming year to help mark the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead.

Don Was, who just served as musical director of last week’s Robbie Robertson tribute at the Kia Forum, will take up MD duties again for this event. Returning as producers are Lewis & Clark, a live event broadcast outfit made up of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark.

Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement that the Dead’s legacy “transcends music, having built a community of fans and collaborators that embody the spirit of connection and support, something that is deeply aligned with MusiCares’ mission.

The band’s passion for the arts and philanthropy, along with their enduring commitment to social causes, has made a lasting impact that goes beyond the stage. It is a privilege to celebrate their contributions to both music and humanity.”

The Dead will be following in the footsteps of MusiCares’ 2024 honoree, Jon Bon Jovi, and a three-decade-long list of previous recipients that includes Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Bono, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Billy Joel, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Paul Simon.

Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh and Weir collectively issued a statement that said in part, “We are deeply honored to be recognized as MusiCares Persons of the Year. This honor is truly a testament to the legacy of the music, which has always been bigger than us — it’s about the connection between us, the crew, and all those who’ve been on this long strange trip. It’s not just about what we create, but about making sure the people behind it, behind us every night, the ones who quietly make it all happen, get the support they need to keep going, no matter what life throws at them. We’re grateful to stand with MusiCares and hope everyone continues to support this vital mission to ensure music thrives in perpetuity.”

MusiCares cited the group’s charitable efforts as one reason for their selection, noting how “Garcia’s involvement with the Rex Foundation, Hart’s work in music therapy and brain health, Weir’s advocacy for addressing climate change and combating poverty, Kreutzmann’s ocean conservation efforts, and Lesh’s Unbroken Chain Foundation underscore the band’s commitment to making a difference beyond the stage.”

MusiCares’ mission is to offer musicians in need a network of preventive, emergency and recovery programs.

Louis Vuitton Revives Its Core Values Campaign with Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal is embracing legend-making journeys…

Louis Vuitton has revived its Core Values campaign with the 37-year-old Spanish professional tennis player and his longtime tennis rival and friend Roger Federer.

Rafael Nadal & Roger FedererThe campaign, shot by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, features the former ATP World No. 1 players, a rare off-the-court pairing, ascending to the summit of Italy’s Dolomites mountain range. The imagery fits the campaign’s tagline: “There are Journeys that turn into Legends.”

The newly released campaign features Federer and Nadal 3,000 meters high, standing tall on the mountain peak. In the imagery, Federer sports a Monogram Christopher backpack while Nadal is pictured with the Monogram Eclipse version.

For the campaign, Nadal and Federer are not competitors but instead companions for one another on the journey up the mountain — a visual metaphor for their careers which have been “marked by deep mutual respect and friendship,” according to the luxury brand.

“I know how many important icons have been part of this campaign, so for me personally, being part of it is something that I am very proud of, especially sharing it with Roger,” Nadal said in a release.

“He has been my biggest rival and now a close friend today,” Nadal continued. Federer shared similar sentiments.

“It’s a unique opportunity to be working on this campaign with Rafa,” Federer said in a release. “How we could be such rivals and then at the end of our careers be beside each other doing this campaign has been very cool. And where we are here today, I think it also embodies everything: at the peak of the mountains. For us it is something meaningful and special.”

Federer officially retired from tennis in 2022. Meanwhile, Nadal recently said that his own retirement is likely close.

Louis Vuitton originally launched the Core Values campaign in 2007 and has featured a slew of stars including Angelina Jolie, Bono, Sean Connery, Steffi Graf, Keith Richards, Muhammad Ali, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Sally Ride, Buzz Aldrid and more.

The luxury fashion house aims for every Core Values campaign, and every Louis Vuitton design, to echo a trio of values: a journey beyond the physical, a commitment to excellence and a transmission of dreams.

The Core Values campaign will be released on Louis Vuitton’s social media channels and in print insertions on May 18.

Bobby Cannavale Joins Voice Cast of Illumination/Universal Pictures’ Animated Film “Sing 2”

Bobby Cannavale is getting musical…

The 50-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor has joined the voice cast of Sing 2, the Illumination/Universal Pictures sequel to the 2016 animated hit.

Bobby Cannavale

Cannavale is among a roster of cast newcomers that includes U2 lead singer Bono, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

Reprising stars include Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johannsson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll.

The film will be ready for theatrical holiday release a year from now.

Sing 2 transcends the animation genre, immersing audiences in a fully realized world populated by complex characters, each with bold aspirations and relatable challenges,” said Illumination founder/CEO Chris Meledandri. “We are thrilled that the Sing franchise attracts such exceptional talent, and we are delighted to announce this extraordinary cast. The film is a musical celebration of the unrelenting pursuit of one’s dreams, no matter how large the challenges that stand in your way. At its core this movie speaks to the power of optimism and belief.”

In Sing 2, Buster Moon (McConaughey) and his cast of underdogs push their talents beyond their local theater, hoping for a shot to perform at the most prestigious venue in the entertainment capital of the world: The Crystal Tower Theater. To do that, though, they’ll first have to impress the powerful and egotistical entertainment mogul—and likely gangster—wolf Jimmy Crystal (Cannavale) and prove that they are worthy of his stage. Crystal will let them perform, on condition Buster convince the world’s most reclusive rock legend, lion Clay Calloway (Bono) out of self-imposed seclusion after the death of his wife and persuade him to perform in the show.

Williams plays Alfonso, an elephant ice-cream-truck owner who becomes the first crush of shy elephant Meena (Kelly). Halsey voices Jimmy Crystal’s teenage daughter, Porsche;  Wright plays a streetwise feline dancer who helps earnest gorilla Johnny (Egerton) regain his confidence while learning his choreography; Andre plays a self-important yak; and Peretti voices Jimmy Crystal’s haughty canine assistant and talent scout. Witherspoon returns as harried mother pig, Rosita; Johansson reprises as rocker porcupine Ash and Kroll returns as the pig artiste, Gunter.

The film is written and directed by Garth Jennings.

Penelope Cruz Receives Donostia Award at San Sebastian Film Festival

Penelope Cruzis being heralded in her home country…

The 45-year-old Oscar-winning Spanish actress has received San Sebastian Film Festival‘s biggest honor, the Donostia Award.

Penelope Cruz

Cruz was given the prize — which had been announced in May — over the weekend during a gala ceremony in a surprise presentation by her close friend, U2lead singerBono, who praised Cruz for her film roles and her off-screen concern for humanity.

“Penélope’s life on the screen fascinates me because it is a family drama,” he said. “Artists like us, like me, get lost in our own selves. Penelope gets lost in others. That’s why we get lost in her.” 

Upon accepting the award, Cruz spoke out against domestic violence against women in Spain and around the world.

“So far this year, 44 women have been murdered by gender-based violence in our country, and since 2003 more than a thousand. How many women are being murdered around the world?”, she asked. “I hope that when a woman finds the superhuman strength she needs to tell what she is going through in such a situation, she will be heard at first and not when it is too late.”

Cruz dedicated the award to her parents, her children and husband, fellow actor Javier Bardem, and three directors she has worked with: Pedro AlmodóvarBigas Lunaand Fernando Trueba.

Cruz is the youngest actress to receive the Donostia prize, three of which are awarded each year.

Greek director Costa-Gavrasand Canadian actor Donald Sutherlandwere named winners of the honor earlier in the week at the festival in the northern Spanish seaside resort town. Cruz won the best actress Oscar in 2008 for her role in Woody Allen‘s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, becoming the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award.

Swizz Beatz to Attend Harvard Business School

Swizz Beatz is headed to the Ivy League

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican hip-hop artist and record producer, born Kasseem Dean, has been accepted to Harvard Business School’s nine-week Owner/President Management Extension Program, the same one attended by AntonioL.A.Reid at the request of Clive Davis.

Swizz Beatz

Beatz, the husband of Alicia Keys,made the announcement by posting his acceptance email on his Instagram account earlier this week.

“This might be one of the happiest days of my life,” he posted on his social media account. “From BX to Harvard.”

Beatz has produced hit singles for the likes of Nas, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Bono. He’s also a fashion and shoe designer, art collector and tireless brand promoter who spent the 2010-11 academic year as the first “producer-in-residence” at New York University‘s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

The HBS program awards those who pass the curriculum a certification for the course, which is aimed at CEOs and heads of companies. The price tag is $33,000 per credit, with Beatz taking three credits for a cool 100 grand, beginning next month. He’ll live in Harvard housing.

“Admission is a selective process based on professional achievement and organizational responsibility. We look for professionals who have demonstrated business talent and leadership potential,” according to the school’s official site.

The program focuses on navigating the global economy, maximizing financial resources, aligning strategies and sales and other business skills.

Keys and son Egypt will join him in the dorm on weekends, according to Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman, who interviewed Swizz on the carpet at the The Amazing Spider-Man 2 premiere. His wife performed her soundtrack song with Kendrick Lamar at the post-premiere party.

Swizz, who never went to college, started his music career directly after graduating high school.

Saldaña Commemorates World AIDS Day with Special Video

This World AIDS Day, Zoë Saldaña is asking her fans to take part in the war against AIDS…

The 34-year-old half-Puerto Rican & half-Dominican American actress was among the artists/celebrities around the world who recorded videos with a plea for fans to do their part to combat AIDS.

Zoe Saldana

The videos were released earlier this week by ONE, a global-anti-poverty organization co-founded by U2‘s frontman Bono, to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1.

In her homemade video, Saldaña says, “It is very important that we unite and try to make a difference… whether through education or action.”

She goes on to add, “It is imperative that us as a human race come together to aid those in need and those family and children and women and men who are being affected today by this disease.”

Among other artists, who recorded similar videos, were Kellan Lutz, Anne Vyalitsyna and DJ Tiesto.

The campaign is open to all people around the world. They are free to share their personal opinions of what inspire them to join the fight through videos. Viewers are also given chances to sign a petition to support the life-saving programs to fight against AIDS.

Anahi Named Ambassador of Peace…

Mexican actress and singer Anahi is making history… She’s the first Latin American artist to join the Non Violence Foundation, an organization founded by Yoko Ono.

The 28-year-old former member of Latin Grammy-nominated pop group RBD made the announcement via her Twitter account. She’ll serve as an “ambassador of peace” for the organization, which promotes peace and non-violence throughout the world.

“It’s very important to me to be a part of this great cause,” wrote Anahi on her Twitter account. “Thank you for @NVPMexico and @yokoono for inviting me.”

Anahi joins a roster of high-profile musicians and artists involved with the organization including former Beatles members Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney, as well as U2 frontman Bono

Along with spreading the message of love and peace in Mexico, Brazil and throughout the world, Anahi has designed a non-violence sculpture as part of the group’s “Pistols for Peace” traveling exhibition, which opened in Guadalajara, Mexico today.

Click here to learn more about the project and join the organization’s “Imagine One Billion Faces For Peace” campaign.

Alba Drops the F-Bomb… for a Good Cause!

Break out the bar of soap! Jessica Alba has been caught on camera dropping the F-bomb…

Don’t worry though, it’s all for a good cause!

The Mexican-American actress appears in a new PSA created by the anti-poverty advocacy group ONE.

Titled “The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity,” the minute-long clip aims to bring attention to the devastating famine occurring in Somalia. Other celebrities appearing in the PSA include George Clooney, Bono, Rob Lowe, Joe Jonas and Colin Farrell.

The Horn of Africa, the peninsula in East Africa that’s home to Ethiopia and Somalia is currently experiencing the worst drought in more than 60 years and it’s threatening the lives of more than 12 million people.

“More than 30,000 children have died in just three months. Mothers are forced to decide who to feed and who to let die. In 2011? That’s obscene,” says U2 lead singer Bono. “There are things that can be done, and if we really believe the life of a child in East Africa is worth the same as the lives of our own children, we have to act.”

The PSA is calling for the African governments provide the $650 million needed for assistance, and to fulfill their commitment to invest $22 billion in agriculture for African governments.

Click here to show your support by signing ONE’s petition.