The Head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NBA's strategy of resuming play will be "quite successful." Fauci spoke about the league's plan in an interview with The Stadium.

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“I actually have looked at that plan and it is really quite creative,” Fauci said. “What they are really trying to do, and I think they might very well be quite successful with it, is to create a situation where it is as safe as it possibly could be for the players by creating this bubble — essentially testing everybody, make sure that you start with a baseline of everybody being negative and trying to make sure there is no influx into that cohort of individuals and do a tournament-type play.”

“They really wanted to make sure that the safety of the players, and the people associated with the players, was paramount,” Fauci said.

The NBA is planning to return on July 30, with 22 teams competing in Orlando Florida. Games will take place entirely in the Wide World of Sports Complex.

“For the people who are thirsting for basketball, who love basketball, the way I do, it’s something that I think is a sound plan,” Fauci said.

These days, advertisers aren't in the market to play games with their brand's image. Should a client proceed to step onto the wrong side of history, many companies have reasoned that it's become safer to drop first and ask questions later. It's a reality that Fox News host Tucker Carlson has come to understand first-hand time and time again, in this instance following his recent crusade against Black Lives Matter.

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By now it's no secret that Carlson holds no love for the organization, nor the goals they seek to achieve. In recent episodes of his admittedly popular Fox News shows, Carlson has made disparaging comments against Black Lives Matter, going so far as to aim his sights on Sesame Streets -- focused political ire aimed at a gaggle of muppets.

Seeing as we're in the midst of what feels like a systemic revolution, thanks in large part to protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism, many companies have opted to offer their support to the movement. As Tucker Carlson has maintained a firm stance against BLM and everything they stand for, several of his advertisers have recently made the decision to cut ties with the Fox News Host. According to Deadline, Disney, T-Mobile, Papa Johns, Vari, and SmileDirectClub are five of the latest to walk away from FOX News. 

On the topic of Disney, the mega-corporation claimed that its ads were mistakenly run on FOX due to a third-party error. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert took to Twitter to maintain that his values did not align with the controversial host, and put it rather succinctly with a "bye bye Tucker Carlson!" Papa Johns issued a similar statement, writing " Placement of advertising is not intended to be an endorsement of any specific programming or commentary. We have decided to suspend all resources allocated against opinion-based programming."

As of now, Fox News has yet to comment on the mass exodus of advertisers. One has to wonder if Tucker Carlson has a stern talking to in his future. 

Beyoncé has officially become a vital part of the Disney family. It looks like the superstar’s stint as Nala in the 2019 live action remake of The Lion King, as well as helming the film’s official soundtrack, was not a one-time endeavour with the Mouse House. Although she has already been secured for the soundtrack of the upcoming sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, Beyoncé has become “a major player for Disney and is the perfect fit for their brand.” That’s why, according to The Sun‘s sources, Disney has offered Bey a £80million deal—approximately $100 million USD—for two more projects along with Black Panther 2.

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“As part of the deal,” the source revealed, “they are also trying to get her team to agree to have Beyoncé voicing some of the new documentaries coming to Disney Plus. After the success of having Meghan Markle voicing the film Elephant on the platform, they have projects coming up which align perfectly with Beyoncé’s brand.” While “negotiations are still ongoing,” the source confirms that “the final details that are being thrashed out now.”

Back in April, Bey participated in the ABC’s Disney Family Singalong where she sang “When You Wish Upon A Star” from the Disney film, Pinocchio. During her appearance, she noted that she is “very proud and honoured to be a part of the Disney family.”

We have been without NBA basketball for over two months now and it's been a pretty hard thing to deal with at this point. Honestly, we just want some real sports content in our lives and with the Coronavirus ravaging its way around the world, it has become extremely difficult to get what we truly want. Either way, the NBA has been coming up with some interesting ideas that continue to get leaked to the outside world, thanks to some helpful NBA stars.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, things are really starting to get interesting as the NBA has just entered early negotiations with Walt Disney. Essentially, they are exploring their options and are hoping to use the Disney ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex as a bubble city in late July. The complex is located in Orlando, Florida, and would be an optimal location to close out the season.

Mark Hamill says he is done with the Star Wars franchise, telling Entertainment Weekly he “can’t imagine” playing Luke Skywalker again.

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“Oh, I can’t imagine that, no. I had a beginning, middle, and end,” he explains. “Those films gave me far more than I ever expected when we started out so it’s never even occurred to me. My farewell was in Episode IX and it was bittersweet. I love all those people and I certainly have affection for George [Lucas] and the character he created. I’m full of gratitude for what it has given me and my career but I don’t want to be greedy. There are still so many more stories to tell and so many great actors to tell them, they don’t need me.”

Hamill also gives his take on the new Disney+ series, The Mandalorian: “I think they have a wonderful advantage on The Mandalorian in that it’s economical storytelling. They don’t have the burden of delivering a gigantic special effects extravaganza like the films had to do. It sort of gets back to the basics of George envisioning it as a western in space. It has that tone of a Sergio Leone Western. I’m very impressed with it and to me, a very smart move on their part because you can’t keep trying to top…It’s like the superhero movies that have to deliver these gargantuan epics. And with The Mandalorian, they can concentrate more on the characters and the storytelling. I think it’s excellent.”

Season 2 of The Mandalorian is expected to release on Disney+ in October 2020.

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Shanghai Disneyland reopened to the public on May 11, following the three-month closure for the coronavirus outbreak.

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“We hope that today’s reopening can serve as a beacon of light across the globe, providing hope and inspiration for everyone, and can demonstrate that we can overcome any challenge together,” Joe Schott, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, said at a ceremony.

The park opened at 30% capacity for the time being. Tickets for the day sold out soon after going on sale.

Company executives estimate Walt Disney Co lost over $1.4 billion in profits during the last several months, dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek released a statement last week announcing the losses: “While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an appreciable financial impact on a number of our businesses, we are confident in our ability to withstand this disruption and emerge from it in a strong position. Disney has repeatedly shown that it is exceptionally resilient, bolstered by the quality of our storytelling and the strong affinity consumers have for our brands, which is evident in the extraordinary response to Disney+ since its launch last November.”

As for the remaining parks, return dates for each are still up in the air.

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Disney’s losses from the coronavirus pandemic have now exceeded $1 billion, company executives confirmed, Tuesday.

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The majority of losses come from the closure of the company’s parks, but also their retail stores and TV operations.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek and Executive Chairman Bob Iger released a statement explaining the situation: “While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an appreciable financial impact on a number of our businesses, we are confident in our ability to withstand this disruption and emerge from it in a strong position,” Chapek said. “Disney has repeatedly shown that it is exceptionally resilient, bolstered by the quality of our storytelling and the strong affinity consumers have for our brands, which is evident in the extraordinary response to Disney+ since its launch last November.”

“While it’s too early to predict when we’ll be able to begin resuming all of our operations, we are evaluating a number of different scenarios to ensure a cautious, sensible and deliberate approach to the eventual reopening of our parks,” Chapek continued.

As for when the parks will reopen, Shanghai Disneyland is scheduled to reopen on May 11. Return dates for the remainder of the parks are still up in the air.

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Beyoncé was certainly welcomed with (socially distanced) open arms when she made a surprise appearance on the Disney Family Singalong on ABC to sing “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio. As a member of the Disney family herself, having voiced Nala in the 2019 live-action remake of the Lion King, Queen Bey decided to join the virtual event on Thursday, hosted by Ryan Seacrest in partnership with Feeding America. After saying hello to “all of the families across the world,” she made sure to acknowledge those risking their lives on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. “I’d like to dedicate this song to all of the health care workers who have been working tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe,” Bey said. “We greatly appreciate you.”

After finishing up her virtual performance, Bey added some closing remarks. “Please hold onto your families tight,” she told viewers. “Be safe, don’t give up. We’re going to get through this, I promise. God bless you.”

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The special also included appearances from artists like Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovatom Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, and more, whose performances were all broadcasted from their respective homes.

“The Rock” Dwayne Johnson continues his impressive run in blockbuster movie-stardom with the Emily Blunt assisted “Jungle Cruise“. The Disney film, inspired by the theme park attraction of the same name, follows the characters Frank Wolff (Johnson) and Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt) as they travel through the Amazon to find a tree with magical healing powers. 

Blunt’s character, Houghton, reminds Frank that the tree they are seeking has the power to heal all and that if it falls into the wrong hands it will “awaken great evil”. The Rock’s character, Frank, assures Houghton that he’s been searching for the tree longer than anybody, and reasons with her that she’s, “looking for something that can’t be found”. “You’ve never had the key”, she gently responds while motioning to her necklace. 

The trailer is packed with action and aggressive jungle creatures, however, Disney makes sure to include some comedic-relief as well. We are also introduced to an unnamed villain, who is played by Jesse Plemons. The villain does the most to prevent the heroes from getting to the all-healing tree before him, including launching a rocket at them from his submarine. Remember, they’re in a jungle. 

Announcements of Disney including a gay character in the film made headlines in late 2018, but the movie is only set to release on July 24th, 2020. Will you be checking it out?

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Marvel Studios has made the decision to indefinitely postpone production for all of its Disney Plus content due to the pandemic outbreak of the coronavirus. Movies such as Fast 9, Mission: Impossible 7, No Time To Die, and more have all halted their productions in the wake of COVID-19 costing their productions millions of dollars due to their suspensions. This past week alone, large events in North America including NCAA’s March Madness, Coachella, and the NBA season have been temporarily canceled as well. Now, with Marvel’s Disney Plus content including The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki have all suspended operation amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier was the first Marvel x Disney Plus venture to shut down production due to being shot in Eastern Europe where Italy is struggling immensely to contain the virus. The cancellation of the Captain America-themed television series comes after Disney postponed production on the Marvel live-action film, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings. 

Disney has also halted production on films like The Last Duel, The Little Mermaid, Home Alone, Nightmare Alley, Peter Pan & Wendy, and Shrunk. Last month, Marvel and Disney released a slew of trailers for all of their upcoming Disney Plus content during Super Bowl LIV. Unfortunately, fans of the comic book universe and films will have to wait a little while longer while health concerns have arisen. 

Hopefully, the COVID-19 passes and allows corporations, businesses, and our lives to continue to operate as usual within the coming months. Check out the Marvel x Disney+ mega trailer for The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki, in the video provided below.