Entertainment in brief

Morgan Freeman to receive SAG Life Achievement Award

LOS ANGELES — Morgan Freeman will receive the SAG Life Achievement Award at next year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony.

The actors union announced Tuesday that Freeman will accept its highest honor on Jan. 21, 2018.

The 80-year-old Freeman has already received lifetime achievement prizes from the American Film Institute and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, among many other acting accolades. He has been nominated five times for an Academy Award and won for his performance in 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby.”

George, Amal Clooney donate $1M to fight hate groups

LOS ANGELES — George and Amal Clooney are donating $1 million to fight hate groups.

The couple announced Tuesday that their Clooney Foundation for Justice is supporting the Southern Poverty Law Center with a $1 million grant to combat hate groups in the United States.

George Clooney says in a statement Tuesday that they wanted to add their voices and financial assistance to the fight for equality.

Clooney said, “There are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center monitors the activities of more than 1,600 extremist groups in the U.S. and has used litigation to win judgments against white supremacist organizations.

Billy Joel dons Star of David jacket during NYC show encore

NEW YORK — Billy Joel wore a bright yellow Star of David on his black suit during an encore at Madison Square Garden.

Monday’s performance by “The Piano Man” came more than a week after a rally by neo-Nazis and other groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, ended in deadly violence against counterprotesters.

When asked about Joel’s attire, his spokeswoman on Tuesday quoted Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Joel joined with Patti Smith on stage in taking a swipe at President Donald Trump’s administration. Photos of fired officials appeared on screen as Smith sang her hit, “Goodbye to You.”