Names and faces
■ President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have tapped Jon Batiste as the musical performer for their first official state dinner, the first lady’s press secretary, Vanessa Valdivia, told The Washington Post. “An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste’s music inspires and brings people together. We’re thrilled to have him perform at the White House for the first state dinner of the Biden-Harris Administration,” Valdivia told The Post. Former President Donald Trump’s first state dinner was also with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The previous president, however, perennially faced problems getting musical acts to perform for his events. Batiste, 36, is halfway to an EGOT — the term for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award — a coveted title that only 17 other people have won. Batiste will be the first New Orleans act to play the White House since former President George W. Bush had the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play in 2005. Batiste also has a connection to cancer, a disease that has affected the Bidens deeply and their administration is working to eradicate. The musician’s wife Suleika Jaouad, is in her second bout with leukemia. Jaouad, 33, is the author of the cancer memoir “Between Two Kingdoms.”
■ Adidas is investigating claims of inappropriate behavior made against Ye , the rapper and designer formerly named Kanye West. The German athletic apparel brand initiated the probe after reviewing an anonymous letter detailing his alleged misconduct. “It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true,” Adidas said in a statement to NBC News. “We take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations.” The announcement comes after Rolling Stone detailed the allegations. Among the claims are that Ye showed nude photos of ex-wife Kim Kardashian to employees at his Yeezy brand and senior leaders at the company turned a “blind eye” to Ye’s behavior. Adidas in October ended its collaboration with Ye, who came under fire for a series of antisemitic comments. Adidas faced backlash for allegedly dragging its feet in severing ties with Ye.