1. Eddie Murphy Stars In New Trailer of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’

After almost two decades, Oscar-nominated actor Eddie Murphy has returned to one of his most beloved roles in the new official trailer of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” In the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot reprise their roles from previous films in the franchise.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and Kevin Bacon also star in the film.

According to the film’s synopsis, Foley makes his way back to Beverly Hills after his daughter Jane (Paige) has her life threatened. She and Axel along with her ex-boyfriend (Gordon-Levitt)  and his old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood get caught up in all the action as they seek to uncover a conspiracy.

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” premieres on Netflix on July 3.

2. ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ Inducted Into the Grammy Hall of Fame

At the inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala,  the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum inducted Lauryn Hill's classic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill into the Grammy Hall of Fame on Tuesday (May 21). Hosted by CBS journalist Anthony Mason, Andra Day, The War and Treaty, William Bell, Elle King, and HANSON were among the performers who sang cover versions of songs from Lauryn Hill’s iconic album and sang covers from other artists who were enshrined on the organization's 50th anniversary.

Other honorees include De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction, Buena Vista Social Club’s  Buena Vista Social Club, “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, “Kiss An Angel Morning’” by Charley Pride, “Let’s Have a Party” Wanda Jackson, “Ory’s Creole Trombone” Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra, and “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers.

3. Venus Williams Gets Her Own Barbie Doll

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Barbie, Mattel is releasing nine new dolls in the image of some of the greatest female athletes, including tennis legend Venus Williams.

"Throughout my career, I've always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie's mission couldn't resonate more deeply with that ethos," tennis legend Venus Williams said in the same statement.

Other athletes honored are Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno, Australian soccer player Mary Fowler, French boxer Estelle Mossely, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Spanish paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez, and Polish track and field sprinter Ewa Swoboda. 

4. Viola Davis Receives Honorary Doctorate From the University of Rhode Island

EGOT-awarded actor Viola Davis gave a powerful address as the commencement speaker for the 2024 College of Arts and Sciences graduating class at the University of Rhode Island on Saturday, May 18.

She also received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the institution. 

"I stand here, and in each of you, I see the sacred, an ember. You know, that ember that when agitated, woken up becomes a glorious wild flame," she said in her speech. “And that flame is your story. It's your passion. It's your life force. That flame is you."

"You can either leave something for people, or you can leave something in people. And when you leave it in, you are planting embers, eternal flames,” she continued. And that is a boss move!" 

5. Stephen Curry Becomes Lead Investor in Nirvana Water Sciences Corp

As great as Stephen Curry is on the court, he has proven that he’s also an elite businessman. For his latest endeavor, the four-time NBA champion’s company has become the lead investor in Nirvana Super Waters, Seltzers, and their other wellness beverages.

In a statement, Curry shared his excitement about the partnership.

“I recently discovered the power of Nirvana Super and the incredible effects HMB has on my body reducing recovery time during the grind of my fifteenth NBA season. Adding Nirvana Super Waters into my wellness routine earlier this season helped me achieve my goal of making it through another grueling season," his statement read.

“From the overall recovery benefits, I couldn’t believe the positive effect it had on preparing me day in day out,” his statement continued. “I’m excited to join the Nirvana Super team and hope that my investment and this brand ambassador announcement is a testament to my belief in Nirvana Super and the benefits of HMB for athletes of all levels and wellness-minded consumers.”

6. Serena Williams To Star In Docuseries on ESPN+

Tennis icon Serena Williams will be the subject of the  ESPN series In the Arena: Serena Williams. 

According to the description of the docuseries, “In The Arena: Serena Williams will be an 8-part series that provides the most complete, intimate, and compelling account of her legendary career, featuring firsthand perspectives from Williams and key figures throughout her life.” 

“I can’t wait for you to see what I have been working on! The eight-part series “In The Arena: Serena Williams,” Williams said on Instagram.

The docuseries is set to premiere on July 10 on ESPN+.

7. Roy Wood Jr. To Host New NPR Podcast 'Road to Rickwood'

Standup comedian and baseball enthusiast Roy Wood, Jr. will host “Road to Rickwood”, NPR Network’s newest podcast. In partnership with MLB, the four-part series explores Birmingham’s role “in fights for freedom and equality by telling the story of Rickwood Field, America's oldest professional baseball stadium.” Also, the series examines the historic ballpark's connection to “the Negro Leagues, Civil Rights Movement and women's suffrage.”

“It’s an opportunity to tell a story about a place that’s still standing, that is as sacred now as it was back then. I hope people take away from this podcast some degree of understanding about places where racism took a pause for a game of baseball,” Wood said.

“Road to Rickwood” premieres on May 28.

8. Rapsody Announces ‘Please Don’t Cry’ 2024 Tour

After releasing her latest LP, Rapsody is heading out on the road to headline her ‘Please Don’t Cry” North American Tour.

The tour is slated for stops in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago, with dates in Europe and South Africa.

Rapsody took to Instagram to share the news.

“A trail of happy tears. Worldwide. I’m so excited to bring this album to you live in North America and Europe, (South Africa we’re working on dates so stay tuned). @nikobrim will also be joining us! I can’t wait to see you! Link in the bio for tickets, VIP packages, and more,” her post read

Tickets for the tour are currently available at Ticketmaster.

9. Angel Reese Joins Ownership Group of Women’s Professional Soccer Team

Angel Reese is showing her business acumen as an investor in a professional sports team

DC Power Football Club, a women's team based in the nation’s capital will begin play this summer in the United Soccer League Super League, announced the Chicago Sky rookie sensation as the first member of its ownership group.

“I've always wanted to impact sports, not just women's basketball. I've always said I wanted to have part ownership of something. Obviously, basketball is my main thing, but growing up in the DMV area, I've loved sports, always, so being able to be a part of the Power FC soccer (team) is going to be so cool,” Reese said in a statement. “

In August, Power FC is one of eight teams set to play in the USL Super League's first season. Eight more teams are slated to join the league the following year.

10. NFL To Expand Grants For Social Justice Initiatives

The NFL has announced plans to expand grants to organizations committed to social justice, as part of the NFL's Inspire Change initiative. 10 partner organizations will have their grants renewed because of their efforts at “creating measurable change across the four pillars of Inspire Change: education, economic advancement, community-police relations, and criminal justice reform.”

"Players Coalition is committed to collaborating with the NFL to address priority racial and social justice issues through the Inspire Change grants by supporting nonprofit and community-based organizations working on the frontlines directly impacting local communities," Trey Smith, Players Coalition Advocate said in a statement. "In partnership with the NFL, we use the power and influence of our platforms to uplift the work of our partners and advance aligned priorities to drive social change."

Atlanta PAD, Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services, Metropolitan Family Services, Alabama Appleseed, Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), CHOOSE 180, Peace For DC, The National Urban League (NUL), Per Scholas, and City Year were recipients of the grants.

11. Layshia Clarendon Featured in adidas 2024 Pride Collection

adidas has released its 2024 Pride collection featuring Layshia Clarendon. Co-created with Brazilian artist Pabllo Vittar also features other LGBTQIA+ athletes and allies such as Tom Daley, Stonewall FC London player Jo Kokkinopliti, and Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor. According to the description of the collection “the performance and lifestyle collection aims to inspire body confidence and greater proactive allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community under the rallying cry, “Love Unites”.

Clarendon took to Instagram to announce her role in the campaign.

“Remember when people told me being gay would be bad for my brand…MY. BRAND. IS. GAY. 🌈🦄✨Stoked for this years @adidas Pride Collection! Designed by the FABULOUS @pabllovittar 🫶🏽Love for Equality is Love for the Game,” their post read.

“Pride is very important to me, so I am deeply honored to create a collection with adidas to celebrate our community. My aim for the collection was to expand the lens we’re seen through – a color palette that embodies and celebrates the wide spectrum of identities across our community and the culture it influences,”  Vittar added.

The adidas x Pabllo Vittar collection is available on the adidas website, in stores, and on the adidas app