All posts tagged: Plays

Spotify Now Plays Personal Podcasts Generated by Your AI Agent

Spotify Now Plays Personal Podcasts Generated by Your AI Agent

Published by skeptic

Spotify has launched a new feature that lets users save AI-generated audio briefings called Personal Podcasts directly to their Spotify library. It uses a new command-line tool for desktop that works with AI coding agents like OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude Code. After you install the Save to Spotify CLI from GitHub and sign into your Spotify account, you can prompt the agent to generate a custom audio piece, like a daily news digest, a study guide pulled from class notes, or a weekly itinerary. Once generated, it appears alongside your music and regular podcasts in Your Library. Here’s how Spotify frames it. From the company’s newsroom post: People are already starting to use their agents to create personal audio that guides their day: from summaries of class notes before an exam to briefings of what’s on their calendar. And they’re asking for a way to listen to it on Spotify, where they already listen to everything else. Now, we’re making it possible to save and play Personal Podcasts on Spotify. Your agent can generate …

Germany’s Pistorius plays down US troop cut, shifts focus to Europe’s defense push – POLITICO

Germany’s Pistorius plays down US troop cut, shifts focus to Europe’s defense push – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened a drawdown in U.S. troops amid a public row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran. The Pentagon’s announcement would still leave around 33,000 U.S. troops in Germany, reversing a buildup that began under President Joe Biden. A European Commission spokesperson told POLITICO the U.S. military footprint in Europe was a “significant contribution to NATO deterrence and defense” and formed the “foundation of collective defense for 23 EU Member States who are also Allies” in NATO. The spokesperson added that EU countries were meeting their NATO commitments by increasing military spending at “an unprecedented pace.” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal in response to “conditions on the ground” after reviewing U.S. troop buildup in Europe. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to 12 months,” Parnell said. Reacting to the Pentagon’s announcement, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk deplored the “disastrous trend” in Europe-U.S. relations. “The greatest threat …

When Trump plays favorites with faith, we all pay the price

When Trump plays favorites with faith, we all pay the price

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Most people have seen President Donald Trump’s AI-generated image of himself as Jesus. What they may not know is that on Easter Sunday, Brooke Rollins, the secretary of agriculture, sent an email to each of her nearly 100,000 agency employees, characterizing our country as a Christian nation. The Easter-themed email declared “He is Risen indeed!” and described the resurrection as the “foundation of our faith.” Rollins shattered even the pretense of separation of church and state, violating one of the most important of our constitutional protections and one of the central foundations of our nation and governance. Through her words, she created division among USDA staff, who have expressed shock and dismay at this blatant display of proselytizing. These efforts to shatter the walls between church and state aren’t any sort of secret: They’re being done right out in the open. In just a few weeks, seemingly the entire Trump administration will join what appears to be a government-sanctioned faith rally, which of course is populated almost entirely by conservative Christians. If there …

Laurie Metcalf defends her choice to work on controversial producer Scott Rudin’s Broadway plays

Laurie Metcalf defends her choice to work on controversial producer Scott Rudin’s Broadway plays

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Laurie Metcalf has addressed her decision to work with Broadway producer Scott Rudin on two of his latest projects. Rudin, 67 — who faced explosive allegations in 2021 of abusive, violent and bullying behavior toward employees — is attempting a career comeback, serving as a producer on Broadway’s currently running Death of a Salesman revival and last fall’s Little Bear Ridge Road, which concluded its limited run in December 2025. Metcalf, 70, starred in both productions. The acclaimed actor has been a longtime collaborator of Rudin’s. Defending her decision to resume their working relationship in a new profile for The New Yorker, Metcalf turned to Rudin’s March 2025 interview with The New York Times, saying: “He talked about his therapy, he apologized, he owned what he said, he reflected on it. “He was in the process of rehabilitation. So I just …

Von der Leyen plays down deregulation clash with German conservatives – POLITICO

Von der Leyen plays down deregulation clash with German conservatives – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Alongside German conservative leaders in Berlin Monday, however, von der Leyen sought to present a united front with her conservative ideological counterparts in Germany, saying the Commission’s goals on deregulation aligned with theirs. “We are deeply committed to this issue,” von der Leyen said. “This is also evident in the document before us, which incorporates many of our considerations,” she said of the German strategy paper. “We are determined to bring about change so that in Europe and in the member states we can more quickly and effectively create an environment where companies can grow and develop the global competitiveness they need,” von der Leyen added. Two key EU files up for discussion are the Commission’s Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) — which would define a “Made in EU” preference in green public procurement — and the AI Act — both of which Berlin has actively tried to water down. Jens Spahn, one of the leaders of Germany’s conservative parliamentary group, sought to depict a united front with the EU executive, saying the lawmakers “are also grateful that …

Sam Reid Plays Bloodsucking Rock Star

Sam Reid Plays Bloodsucking Rock Star

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sam Reid plays the camp vampire rock star Lestat de Lioncourt looking to set the record straight after being alive and undead for 265 years in the official trailer for AMC’s The Vampire Lestat drama that dropped on Wednesday. The Interview With The Vampire series, based on the late Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books, has been retitled for the third season, as Reid’s character looks to reclaim his centuries-old story as an immortal, yet turbulent rock star. “It’s my era. I’m a rock star now,” a strutting de Lioncourt says at one point in the stylized and fast-paced teaser trailer, with one camera angle revealing the celebrity touring performer’s boots have the word “Hate” on one sole and “Me” on the other. But, as he attempts to set the record straight with a “rewrite” of the Vampire Chronicles, de Lioncourt’s life begins to spin out of control as he is haunted by the muses from his rebellious past. “I’m immortal… I’ve been a monster. This is my reckoning,” Reid’s character cries out as AMC reveals …

The idolator-in-chief plays savior while the pope chooses prophecy

The idolator-in-chief plays savior while the pope chooses prophecy

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — On Sunday night (April 12), President Donald Trump posted a lengthy broadside on Truth Social against Pope Leo XIV that started with “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” Trump then doubled down, telling reporters: “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person.” Many of us had no idea that the pontiff was WEAK [sic] on crime. I have visited Vatican City, and I have not had to keep my eye on my wallet or passport.  This is not the first time that the president has gone at it with a Christian leader. Recall Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde preaching after Trump’s inauguration at Washington National Cathedral, imploring him to show the Christian quality of mercy. He complained about her, too.  (Not to be left out, many rabbis crave an insult from Trump. It looks good on a resume.) And then, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself — wearing a white robe, laying his right hand on a man who appeared sick or dying, …

Mitski Plays Residency At Hollywood High School Auditorium

Mitski Plays Residency At Hollywood High School Auditorium

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s only the start of April, but Mitski has already taken the crown for the most unique residency of 2026, as the indie singer-songwriter kicked off a five-night stand in the auditorium at Hollywood High this week. “When I first got here, I slightly regretted having this out of a high school because I was immediately triggered,” Mitski joked before a sold-out crowd of 1,900 fans sitting on thin, old foldout wooden chairs in the school’s auditorium for the first show Monday evening. “As soon as I set foot on campus, my brain immediately did this thing and clocked all the exits and places I can hide. Oh no one’s laughing. That’s cool, I guess no one else had a terrible time in high school.” Maybe it was just a bit too relatable. It’s hard not to chuckle a bit at the sheer novelty of seeing one of the most lauded performers of a generation play her only Los Angeles shows of the year on the same stage that will host a high school production …

Enrique Iglesias plays with newborn 4th child in must-see home video with Anna Kournikova

Enrique Iglesias plays with newborn 4th child in must-see home video with Anna Kournikova

Published by Daniella Wilson

Enrique Iglesias is loving being a dad once again. The singer welcomed his fourth child, a baby boy named Romeo, on December 17, 2025 with his longtime partner Anna Kournikova. While the couple, who have been together since 2001 and also share children Lucy, Nicolas and Mary, usually keep their family out of the limelight, they recently have shared a few downright adorable snippets of life with a new baby in the house. In a video shared on Instagram, which you can watch above, the “Hero” singer, 50, could be seen playing with baby Romeo in their backyard, and shared in his caption that he was “directed by Lucy and Mary.” © InstagramEnrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova’s four kids Anna, 44, left a slew of heart emojis in the comments section of the video, while others left responses like: “So, he’s not walking, but he has super powers!!! Iglesias genetics,” as well as: “Disclaimer: No babies were hurt in the making of this video,” plus: “Soo sweet! Such a cute video, thanks for sharing!” Speaking …

Paul McCartney Plays Rare Theater Concert at Fonda in Los Angeles

Paul McCartney Plays Rare Theater Concert at Fonda in Los Angeles

Published by Daniella Wilson

“Cool little place, this, isn’t it?” Paul McCartney exclaimed as he looked off into the rafters, then to the sold-out crowd of 1,200 ecstatic fans at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood Friday night, minutes after he and his band had launched the night with Beatles classic “Help.” As McCartney suggests, this is a different locale than he’d usually play, far more intimate than the usual arena or stadium gig one of the world’s most legendary artists would normally take on when they hit the road. And coming just a day after the singer dropped a new single and announced his first album in five years this week, it was impossible for it not to feel celebratory. Friday was the first of two Fonda underplays McCartney plays this weekend, with show two coming Saturday night. It’s a rare opportunity for a select few fans — plenty of others were outside trying in earnest to score a last-second ticket — but shows like these haven’t been unheard of over the past year; he played three shows at …