Penn wants to ‘save lives’ with tests
After nearly a decade of helping communities in distress abroad, Sean Penn is joining the fight against the coronavirus much closer to home.
The Oscar winner’s disaster relief organization CORE has teamed up with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office and the city’s Fire Department to safely distribute free drive-thru COVID-19 test kits for those with qualifying symptoms. He along with his staff wearing hazard suits also are administering tests in his home city of Malibu.
Penn hopes the program can “save lives and alleviate depletion of resources” through the efforts of CORE, which stands for Community Organized Relief Effort.
The actor said he and his staff decided to “pull the trigger” very quickly to help run the test sites.
“We have an infrastructure in place to respond, and so we decided that we would if we could be value added,” Penn said in an interview this week. “It’s something that we can adapt to very quickly with the training of the Los Angeles Fire Department initially. And then we’re able to take all those firemen and put them back in to serve the people in the way that we need them to.”
Rihanna donates $2.1 million for domestic
violence victims: Singer Rihanna is joining forces with Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey to help victims of domestic violence living in Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the “Needed Me” artist’s Clara Lionel Foundation announced that the duo is co-funding a $4.2 million grant to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles “to address a surge in domestic violence” in the city amid the coronavirus crisis.
Citing an increase in domestic violence incidents since last month’s implementation of LA’s Safer at Home order, the foundation will aid the Mayor’s Fund in providing 10 weeks of support for victims in the form of shelter, meals and counseling for individuals and their children.
BTS announces free ‘online concert weekend’: K-pop sensation BTS is hosting a “special online streaming” party April 17 and 18 in the United States (April 18 and 19 on Korea Standard Time), more than a month after the group began canceling tour dates due to the coronavirus outbreak. The virtual BTS fest, dubbed Bang Bang Con, will feature a marathon of concert footage taped before the pandemic shut down live events.
The cyber-extravaganza begins at 10 p.m. Eastern April 17 and 18.
‘Saturday Night Live’ to air show, observe social
distancing: “Saturday Night Live” will be back on the air this weekend with a show that abides by social distancing rules.
The comedy sketch show will include a “Weekend Update” news segment and original content from “SNL” cast members, NBC said Thursday.
The material will be produced remotely, the network said, in compliance with efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The last original “Saturday Night Live” episode aired March 7.
April 11 birthdays: Actor Joel Grey is 88. Actor Peter Riegart is 73. Actor Bill Irwin is 70. Guitarist Nigel Pulsford is 59. Singer Steve Azar is 56. Actor Johnny Messner is 50. Actor Vicellous Shannon is 49. Actress Tricia Helfer is 46. Drummer Chris Gaylor is 41. Actress Kelli Garner is 36. Singer Joss Stone is 33.