Names and faces
■ Oprah Winfrey keeps updated with the coronavirus news, but she has often focused her attention more on the positive “acts of courage and valor” while being on lockdown during the pandemic. During the Call to Unite, a 24-hour livestream global relief event, the media mogul said Friday evening that she wants people to digest daily information wisely. She was among 200 participants, including President Bill Clinton and actress Julia Roberts, to take part in the star-studded event. The event was initiated to help inspire people to endure and overcome the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. “I have a small diet and managed how I took in the news,” Winfrey said Friday evening from her home, where she has been self-quarantining with three others for nearly 50 days. She said she hopes the event can help the world become better. “If you leave it on all the time — as I know some people do — you will be consumed by the agitation, the hysteria, the confusion and constant angst that has been put into your phone, home and into your spirit,” she continued. “I have chosen to focus on so many acts of courage and valor, determination and people not giving up.” Each participant answered calls in their own way, whether through performing songs, sharing stories or offering prayers. Winfrey spoke with event organizer Tim Shriver and then Bishop T.D. Jakes, who prayed with her.
■ Singer Adam Lambert and the band Queen have a message for workers on the front line of the covid-19 fight: “You Are the Champions.” Brian May, Roger Taylor and Lambert recently gathered virtually to record a new version of the Queen classic “We Are the Champions.” “You Are the Champions” was released early Friday on all streaming and download services, with proceeds going to the World Health Organization’s covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. “I thought, this is a great way to use the legacy that we have to do some good in the world,” May said. “You know, we don’t really need to make money anymore. We don’t need to be any more famous. We need to use what we have in the best possible way.” Lambert, who joined the track from his Los Angeles home, said he thinks the song really hits a positive note that everyone is in this together. “There’s a sense of unity that’s happening around the world, even though it’s, you know, in a negative, scary time,” Lambert said.