COMMON

It was feast or famine at the Broadway box office as 2022 wound down, with eye-popping revenue for popular shows — including a staggering new Broadway record for “The Lion King” — not lifting all strugglers.

"We've got a public health problem coming at our door, these trends have been increasing for a long time now," said Alexis Kuerbis, an substance abuse expert.

"Micro-suites" inside this high-rise are as small as 97 square feet and don't have living rooms, but come with 27,000 square feet of shared amenities.

It comes after Boris Johnson held talks with his rival Rishi Sunak, amid speculation they could strike a deal.

Rapper and actor Common will make his Broadway debut this fall in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Between Riverside and Crazy.”.

EDINBURG — Actor and activist Common proved anything but ordinary last week in the first of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s distinguished speaker events of 2022. Almost immediately after taking the stage, he broke into verse, freestyling about his visit to the Rio Grande Valley. Common talked at length about his own success and the success of others, and although he wasn’t rapping anymore, he blended together anecdotes on passion and perseverance and philanthropy just as seamlessly. “Because we all have that greatness in us.”Based on the question and answer portion after the speech, Common isn’t opposed to helping UTRGV students find that greatness more directly. “You can send some beats,” Common chuckled, telling the man to get in touch via the university employee who organized the speech.

Of all the questions that can be asked to measure one’s physical strength, this one might be the most common: “How much can you bench?”

Tiffany Haddish and Common reportedly have gone their separate ways and have their busy schedules to blame. According to sources that spoke with People, the […]

This combination photo shows promotional art for Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, a documentary debuting Friday on Apple TV+, from left, The United States vs. Billie Holiday," premiering Friday on Hulu and Superman & Lois," a new series premiering Tuesday on The CW. (AppleTV+/Hulu/The CW via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. Ad— Based on Johann Hari’s 2015 book, “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” Lee Daniels' “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” chronicles the legendary jazz singer's addiction and activism. Andra Day, who's nominated for a Golden Globe, plays Holiday in the biopic, which premieres Friday on Hulu. ET at the Amazon Music Twitch channel and will feature music from the group’s new album, “Life Rolls On,” released on Feb. 12.

Jacob Blake, who is Black, was left paralyzed after being shot in the back on Aug. 23 by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, who is white. The Bucks — who share Fiserv Forum with Marquette about 40 miles north of Kenosha — sat out an August first-round playoff game to protest the shooting. “The Bucks organization remains firmly against excessive use of force by law enforcement,” the Bucks said. He went to high school in Madison, Wisconsin, and later played for Marquette. “We’ve got to continue to stay strong continue to believe in each other and continue to push for the greater change and the greater good,” James said.

For Democrats to win control of the Senate, Georgia’s Black communities, as well as the state's smaller Hispanic and Asian communities, likely need to vote in the Jan. 5 runoff election by history-making margins. An Associated Press VoteCast survey of Georgia voters in November found that 22% of white voters chose Warnock and 28% chose Ossoff, compared to the 90% of Black voters who chose Ossoff and 73% who chose Warnock. Democrats also have an opportunity to capture the 15% of Black voters who chose Matt Lieberman, another Democratic candidate who competed against Warnock in last month’s race. There are signs that turnout in Georgia could indeed be high in the runoffs. “Do you have a plan to vote in the runoff election?” another canvasser, Graco Hernandez Valenezuela, asked Tyrone Vereen, a 62-year-old Black retired police officer who answered the door.

LOS ANGELES – Mark Cuban, Anthony Anderson and Skylar Diggins-Smith will take part in a series of panel discussions on YouTube that are focused on racial justice. Common and Keke Palmer return as hosts of the forum, which will include sports figures, entertainers and activists. Diggins-Smith will appear on panel with reporter Jemele Hill and activist Harry Edwards about athletes’ impact on today’s political movement. “It is so important that we keep a dialogue about racial justice going beyond any particular moment,” Palmer said. “I want to encourage my peers to continue to have thoughtful and powerful conversations that will lead us to change.

— Trump paints an apocalyptic portrait of life under a Biden presidency— Trump Cabinet members fan out to states, blending politics and policy. ___HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:8:45 p.m.President Donald Trump has met with rap star Lil Wayne at his resort in Doral, Florida. The Trump campaign and the company didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The Minnesota Department of Health has linked 28 coronavirus cases to other recent Trump campaign events in the state. Mrs. Trump warmed up the large crowd outside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for President Donald Trump.

Twitter via CNN(CNN) - A high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave in California after he wore blackface to school on Halloween, according to the Milpitas Unified School District. A video posted on social media shows the teacher with his face painted black and dressed up in an apparent attempt to imitate the rapper Common. Milpitas High School Principal Francis Rojas and MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan said in a statement that the teacher, who has not been named, was suspended and now is under investigation for the "disparaging" act. Because the teacher has not been identified, CNN has been unable to reach out to him for comment. Chris Norwood, the MUSD school board president, called the teacher's actions "inappropriate, unprofessional and insensitive," according to an online statement.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Latest on Dave Chappelle receiving the Mark Twain prize for lifetime achievement in comedy (all times local):10 p.m.Musician John Legend paid tribute to Dave Chappelle's passion for music and determination to use his influence to spotlight different artists. At the height of his fame, Chappelle organized "Dave Chappelle's Block Party"_a movie built around an all-star concert featuring Legend, the Roots and a reunion of The Fugees. Chappelle was accepting his Mark Twain prize for lifetime achievement in American comedy at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. Hometown boy Dave Chappelle is crediting his formative years in Washington DC with helping home his comedic spirit and artistic bravery. Chappelle grew up outside Washington in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Washington's Duke Ellington High School for the performing arts.

WASHINGTON, DC – Dave Chappelle has built a career on pushing boundaries and challenging social conventions. Rapper and actor Common praised Dave Chappelle's bravery and sociological influence. Musician John Legend paid tribute to Chappelle's passion for music and determination to use his influence to spotlight different artists. At the height of his fame, Chappelle organized "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" — a movie built around an all-star concert featuring Legend, the Roots and a reunion of The Fugees. Chappelle spoke with reverence about the Mark Twain prize and the "art form" of stand-up comedy.

"I'm really trying to make a difference out there in politics and beyond," the 46-year-old rapper says

Common on Oscar nomination, ideal woman and Broadway dreams With two Grammys, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award nomination and a hip-hop career spanning more than two decades, Common is still making big plans. He credits his mother for inspiring the name, but as Gayle King reports, his talents proved to be anything but common.

Watch hip hop artist Common freestyle for "CBS This Morning" Common gives a shout-out to the show in this freestyle rendition. Watch "CBS This Morning" on Thursday for the full story