DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

I regret to inform you that Bono, the aging Irish pop star and front man for the band U2, is at it again, lecturing us poors as he always does. This time, it's about supposedly fascist efforts by the Trump administration to arrest and deport illegal immigrant criminals.

This week, the band, which hasn't produced a relevant song since the invention of the iPod, released the single "American Obituary," meant to be a searing protest anthem against PresidentDonald Trump, but actually a ditty just as flaccid as all of Bono's mailed-in outrage-of-the-day efforts.

Take this profound line:

"Renee Good born to die free

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American mother of three

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Seventh day January

A bullet for еach child, you see"

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Did it happen near a tree? Did she know how to ski? And does Dr. Seuss know that Bono is raiding his notebooks?

This prancing clown has taken an incredibly fraught and complicated situationin Minneapolis, where a federal agent shot and killed Good, and made it seem like murder. However, Bono doesn't bother to mention that Good was hitting the officer with her car when she was shot.

Not exactly a minor detail.

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No, instead of anything remotely resembling the truth, Bono is stoking anger in America at the behest of the billionaires who sign his checks, produce his musak, and hate Trump with the power of a thousand SpaceX launches.

Honestly, it has been enough. For 40 years Bono has parroted everylefty billionaire's cause, been wrong about most of them, flown around on private jets while complaining about carbon emissions and just generally been annoying.

At every Clinton Global Initiative Gala, there's Bono. Every conference on global warming, every scam "feed the children" campaign run by the UN that mostly enriches African warlords, yep, there's Bono.

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It is not a stretch to say that Bono's primary job and role in the universe for decades now has been to be the poster child of global liberalism, with all the smarmy smugness that comes with it.

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He's sure as hell not a contemporary musical artist in any meaningful sense of the word. People attend his shows to hear songs from the 1980s, not new releases.

Remember when Apple forced everyone to own the latest U2 album by having it automatically download on devices?

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That happened because nobody actually wanted the latest U2 album. If people wanted it, they would not have given it to us, they'd have made us buy it.

This tells us something very important about the incentive structures that exist for our celebrities, and perhaps, why so many of them, the vast majority, in fact, regularly spout off lefty talking points.

Compare the treatment of Bono to his Brit pop star contemporary Morrissey, whoseupcoming album "Make-up Is A Lie"took years for any record label to release, even with extremely high demand, because it confronts Islamic terrorism and defends Western values.

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Morrissey has famously never bent the knee to the record industry when told what to say or when to shut up. Bono lives on that knee, lives off of that knee, and is likely too set in his ways to ever stand up again.

What message does this send to every musical performer, actor or filmmaker in the world? It says, "Push theprogressive Soros agendaor else." You can be rich and famous or you can challenge the left's holy truths, not both.

Bono is now trying to airlift in as Gen Z's Bob Dylan, to be the toast of the campus protests and an important and significant musical artist again. But it's just so obvious that he is going through the motions with fake moral outrage and a new cheesy ballad.

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In the name of love, I am imploring Bono to just finally shut the hell up. We can all make our political judgments with or without you, and honestly, after decades of your puerile pontifications, the latter would be preferable.

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The protest music of the 1960s was important because it was organic. It was of a piece with the sounds of that culture itself. Bono's neoliberal rehashing bears no resemblance to the fiery anger, the Palestinian flags, and the Black Bloc Antifa crews of 2026anti-government agitation.

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His song is nothing but a puff piece.

For whatever reason, for 40 years, Bono has been made the pope of pop culture, its moral arbiter and yardstick. He has always been terrible at it, and it is time for his tepid rule to end.

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Original article source:DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

byNito

in

February 21, 2026

DAVID MARCUS: Memo to Bono: Please shut up and go away

I regret to inform you that Bono, the aging Irish pop star and front man for the band U2, is at it again, lecturing us p...

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Stars descend on the BAFTA film awards, with 'One Battle' and 'Sinners' leading the race

LONDON (AP) — TO MOVE AT 0500GMT SUNDAY

Politically charged thriller"One Battle After Another"and blues-steeped epic"Sinners"lead the race for Sunday'sBritish Academy Film Awardsas the two movies jostle for awards-season supremacy.

Oddsmakers suggest Shakespearean family tragedy"Hamnet"could beat them to best picture if British film industry voters respond to the emotionally rich story, earthy English setting and intense performances of Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's historical novel.

"One Battle" has 14 nominations, including best picture and acting nods for five of its cast. "Sinners" is just behind with 13, while "Hamnet" and the ping-pong odyssey"Marty Supreme"each have 11 nominations.

Guillermo del Toro's reimagining of"Frankenstein"and Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value"each got eight nominations.

The British prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood'sAcademy Awards, held this year on March 15. In the Oscar nominations, "Sinners" leads the race witha record 16 nominations, followed by "One Battle After Another" with 13.

Stars including Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke are expected on the red carpet outside London's Royal Festival Hall before a black-tie ceremony hosted by Scottish actorAlan Cumming.

Cumming, who hosts the U.S. version of reality show "The Traitors," pledged to strike a "balance between celebration and mischief."

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The BAFTA best film nominees are "One Battle After Another," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "Sinners" and "Sentimental Value." The BAFTAs also have a distinctly British accent, with a separate category for best British film. Its 10 nominees include "The Ballad of Wallis Island," "Pillion," "I Swear" and "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy."

Directing contenders are Paul Thomas Anderson for "One Battle," Josh Safdie for "Marty Supreme," Ryan Coogler for "Sinners," Yorgos Lanthimos for dystopian tragicomedy"Bugonia,"Joachim Trier for "Sentimental Value" and Zhao for "Hamnet." Zhao will be the first female director to win two BAFTAs if she takes the prize. She won the directing award in 2021 for "Nomadland."

Best leading actor nominees are bookies' favorite Timothée Chalamet for "Marty Supreme," Leonardo DiCaprio for "One Battle After Another," Ethan Hawke for Broadway biopic "Blue Moon," Michael B. Jordan for "Sinners," Jesse Plemons for "Bugonia" and Robert Aramayo for playing a man with Tourette's syndrome in biographical drama "I Swear."

The leading actress category includes the strongly favored Jessie Buckley for her performance as Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, in "Hamnet." She's up against Rose Byrne for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," Kate Hudson for "Song Sung Blue," Chase Infiniti for "One Battle After Another," Renate Reinsve for "Sentimental Value" and Emma Stone for "Bugonia."

"One Battle" actors Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn are all nominated for supporting performances.

The Associated Press was recognized in the best documentary category with a nomination for Mstyslav Chernov's harrowing Ukraine war portrait"2000 Meters to Andriivka," co-produced by the AP and Frontline PBS.

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8,500 members of the U.K. academy of industry professionals. Contenders for the Rising Star award – the only prize decided by public vote and a reliable picker of future A-listers – are Infiniti, Aramayo, "Sinners" star Miles Caton and British actors Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.

Donna Langley, the U.K.-born chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, will be awarded the British Academy's highest honor, the BAFTA fellowship.

The ceremony airs on BBC in the United Kingdom starting at 1900GMT (2 p.m. EST) and on E! in the U.S. at 2000EST.

byNito

in

February 21, 2026

Stars descend on the BAFTA film awards, with 'One Battle' and 'Sinners' leading the race

LONDON (AP) — TO MOVE AT 0500GMT SUNDAY Politically charged thriller"One Battle After Another"and ...

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Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

Music superstar Willie Colón, who helped define the salsa genre in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday, Feb. 21, his family confirmed on social media. He was 75.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colon. He passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by his loving family," a statement shared on hisFacebook pagereads.

"While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever," the statement reads. "Our family is deeply grateful for your prayers and support during this time of mourning. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate our grief."

Throughout his career, the New York-born musician was nominated for 10 Grammy Awards and received a lifetime achievement award at the Latin Grammys in 2004.

He collaborated with music icons, including Héctor Lavoe and Celia Cruz. Alongside Rubén Blades, he recorded the 1978 album "Siembra," the best-selling salsa album of all time.

Born in the South Bronx of New York City in 1950 and raised in a Puerto Rican household, Colón took to music at an early age, learning to play the trumpet and trombone. By the time he was a teenager, he landed a record deal with Fania Records and released his debut album, "El Malo," in 1967 before turning 18.

Aside from music, he was a proud activist who was appointed a representative advisor to former New York City MayorMike Bloombergand a liaison to the New York City Latin Media & Entertainment Commission in 2003, a role he served for over a decade.

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Colón was also a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, as well as the ASCAP national board, becoming the first person of color to join.

He also made time for acting with roles in films like 1982's "Vigilante," 1983's "The Last Fight" and 1994's "It Could Happen to You." On television, he guest-starred as a drug dealer in a 1987 episode of "Miami Vice" and played himself on a 1992 episode of "The Cosby Show."

"From those roots grew a profound devotion to culture, heritage, and truth. He did not simply represent his community; he amplified it," Craft Recordings said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "Beyond music, Willie was a voice for his community — an activist and a public servant. He understood that rhythm could move people, but also hearts—and that songs could spark change."

With over 40 albums, he captivated listeners with his portrayal of the Puerto Rican experience.

Last year, he appeared in the music video forBad Bunny's "Nuevayol," off the Super Bowl headliner's Grammy-winning album "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS."

(This story was updated to add a video and resolve a typo.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

byNito

in

February 21, 2026

Willie Colón, salsa music pioneer and political activist, dies at 75

Music superstar Willie Colón, who helped define the salsa genre in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday, Feb. 21, hi...

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