AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 11:57 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press

Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ has died in a fire

Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl,” has died in a house fire. She died Thursday. She was 66. The fire was in Woodbury, Minnesota, about 19 miles east of Minneapolis. It was not immediately clear how it started. During her more than three decades of recording, she released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues. Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend.

Movie Review: ‘Thunderbolts’ is Marvel, and Florence Pugh, in high gear

“Thunderbolts” is both a return to form for Marvel and something a little different for the superhero factory, writes Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. While there’s plenty of franchise building going on, “Thunderbolts” is a pleasantly stand-alone and refreshingly earthbound caper about a band of Marvel Cinematic Universe rejects teaming up. The movie borrows a little of the misfit irreverence of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Suicide Squad.” But director Jake Schreier’s film is leaner and less antic than those movies. And it serves as an IMAX-sized platform for the increasingly obvious movie-star talents of Florence Pugh.

‘Buena Vista Social Club,’ ‘Death Becomes Her’ and ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ lead Tony Award nominations

NEW YORK (AP) — Three Broadway shows — “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending” — each earned a leading 10 Tony Award nominations Thursday. Nominators spread out the joy and gave nods to George Clooney, Sarah Snook and Bob Odenkirk in their debuts. Audra McDonald, as expected, heard her name called for her turn as Rose in a hailed revival of “Gypsy.” A revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” earned Odenkirk a nod, but not for his co-stars Kieran Culkin or comedian Bill Burr. And, in a shock, an edgy “Othello” with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal that costs north of $900 for orchestra seat tickets, got not a single nomination.

Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election.

In final season, ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ embraces depravity even as it appeals to Christians

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The final season of “The Righteous Gemstones” is rife with the show’s trademark depravity. But Danny McBride has always hoped the HBO series would speak to people of faith. He says the series is instead meant to satirize hypocrites who hold positions of power within the church. The fourth and final season comes to a close on Sunday. But its cast and fans alike think the show is more relevant than ever. Their biggest challenge was keeping up with the outrageous stunts some megachurches pull. But the show also infused moments of tenderness and poignancy.

Movie Review: ‘Rust’ is a serviceable Western, haunted throughout by its tragic offscreen history

Many thought it would never hit a movie screen, but “Rust” is here. The story of a notorious outlaw surfacing to rescue his estranged grandson from the gallows, the film is a serviceable Western. But it is haunted in every frame, writes Associated Press critic Jocelyn Noveck in her review, by the offscreen tragedy that has come to define it — the accidental on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The movie starring Alec Baldwin may surprise some who expected it to be a uniformly shoddy affair; the evocative cinematography stands out. But one cannot forget the tragedy, even for a moment – especially with so much shooting going on. Opens Friday in theaters and on video on demand.

Summer Movies: 11 breakout actors to watch

Many of the big movies this summer might come from familiar places, whether they’re franchises, sequels or hybrid adaptations of beloved animated classics. But look closer and there are quite a few fresh faces making a splash with memorable characters new and old. There’s the Hawaii resident actors cast to play Lilo and Nani in “Lilo & Stitch,” the four actors playing Happy Gilmore’s goon sons in “Happy Gilmore 2,” a Sundance triple-threat, the new Karate Kid, a Broadway kid in his first big film role, a daughter of Hollywood putting her stamp on “How to Train Your Dragon” and Superman’s very good boy.

’60 Minutes’ report that prompted Trump lawsuit is nominated for an Emmy Award

Last fall’s “60 Minutes” story on Kamala Harris — the subject of a $20 billion lawsuit by President Donald Trump — was nominated for an Emmy Award for “outstanding edited interview.” Trump complained in his lawsuit that the interview was deceptively edited to benefit Harris, whom he later beat in the presidential election. CBS News says they did nothing wrong, but its parent company Paramount Global is reportedly negotiating a settlement with Trump to make the case go away. Trump complained about the interview again this week on social media, spreading his anger to The New York Times, which described his lawsuit as “baseless” in a story.

For Black men, fashion has been a tool of self-expression — and a way they’ve been judged

NEW YORK (AP) — Clothing as message. Fashion and style as tools, signifiers of culture and identity, whether intentional or assumed. There’s likely no group for whom that’s been more true than Black men, both in terms of what they wear and how what they wear has been perceived by others, sometimes at serious cost. It’s the subject of the upcoming exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” opens to the public May 10 and focuses on Black designers and menswear. Black style will be on display sooner, and prominently, at Monday’s Met Gala.

Actor Diego Boneta is trying something new with debut novel ‘The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Diego Boneta grew tired of Hollywood’s obsession with narcos storylines for Latinos, so he decided to shake things up by writing his own self-described “murder mystery, sexual thriller” set around a fictional business empire. Boneta is best known for portraying Latin pop icon Luis Miguel in Netflix’s 2018 biopic series and co-starring in “Rock of Ages.” Now, he is fighting against stereotypical Mexican portrayals by adding a new skill set to his multi-hyphenated list of abilities. On Thursday, the actor, producer and musician will be unveiling his debut novel “The Undoing of Alejandro Velasco.”