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What to stream: Jelly Roll, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ Cate Blanchett and Charli XCX remixes

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Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline co-starring in “Disclaimer,” a psychological thriller from writer-director Alfonso Cuarón, and Jelly Roll releasing “Beautifully Broken,” a follow-up to his breakout album “Whitsitt Chapel,” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical feature debut “Dìdi,” Hulu’s first Spanish-language series “La Máquina” and Charli XCX’s deluxe, remixed, double-album version of her culture-shifting album “Brat.”

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM OCT. 7-13

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was No. 1 at the box office as recently as two weeks ago, but now Tim Burton’s popular sequel will be available, for a price. You can buy it digitally for $25 on Prime Video, Apple TV and other video-on-demand platforms. In it, the Deetz family returns to Winter River after a family tragedy. There, Lydia (Winona Ryder), still haunted by Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), is forced into another afterlife odyssey when her teenage daughter (Jenna Ortega) discovers a portal. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a joyously rendered sequel that sometimes makes sense, and sometimes doesn’t, but just keeps rollicking.”

— Sue Kim’s documentary “The Last of the Sea Women,” streaming Friday on Apple TV+, captures the lives and livelihood of the Haenyeo, the community of South Korean fisherwoman who for generations have free dived for seafood off the coast of Korea’s Jeju Island. Threats abound for the Haenyeo, who are mostly in their 60s and 70s. Thy ply their trade in a warming ocean contaminated by sea garbage and the Fukushima nuclear accident.

— One of the indie highlights of the summer, Sean Wang’s “Dìdi,” is now streaming on Peacock. Wang’s semi-autobiographical feature debut, a coming of age story set in the Bay Area in 2008, is about a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American boy (Izaac Wang) struggling with where he fits in. That includes with his family (Joan Chen plays his mother) and fellow skater kids whom he begins making videos with. The film, funny and tender, is a breakthrough for the emerging filmmaker Wang, whose short “Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó, ” was Oscar nominated earlier this year.

AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM OCT. 7-13

Brat summer came and went, but the hedonistic ideologies behind Charli XCX’s feel-good album endure. She’s released “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat,” a deluxe, remixed, double-album version of her culture-shifting album “Brat,” this time featuring A-listers like Billie Eilish, Lorde, her tour mate Troye Sivan, her forever-hero Robyn, and more. Just don’t confuse this one with her other Brat re-release, “Brat and It’s the Same but There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not.”

— He’s the not-so-new name on everyone’s lips: Jelly Roll will release a follow-up to his breakout album, 2023’s “Whitsitt Chapel” on Friday. Little is known about the 22-track “Beautifully Broken” beyond its previously released tracks “I Am Not Okay,” “Get By,” “Liar” and “Winning Streak” — the latter of which he debuted during the premiere of Saturday Night Live’s 50th season, joined by a choir. That one was inspired by an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and the album will no doubt center on the kind of stories he’s become known for: Soulful country-rock on adversity, addiction, pain, suffering, and ultimately, chasing safety.

— A decade removed from “Shower,” the viral, bubblegum pop song that launched her career, and Mexican American singer Becky G has found her in lane in Spanish-language, hybrid-genre releases, crossing language barriers and cultural borders. “Encuentros,” out Friday, is her latest — a follow-up to 2023’s “Esquinas” — and continuation of her work in regional Mexicana styles made all her own, from the single “Mercedes,” which features corrido star Oscar Maydon’s deep tenor, and beyond.

— Also Friday, Duran Duran will release “Danse Macabre – De Luxe,” a deluxe reissue of their celebrated 2023 LP of the same name – a mix of covers and gothic originals. Surprises abound, even for the most dedicated Duran Duran fan: Like in their cover of ELO’s “Evil Woman,” or on the song “New Moon (Dark Phase),” a reimagination of “New Moon On a Monday,” featuring former member Andy Taylor.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM OCT. 7-13

— Friends and frequent collaborators Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal team up on Hulu’s first Spanish-language series called “La Máquina.” Bernal plays an aging boxer named Esteban Osuna. His longtime manager (Luna) secures him one last fight to go out a champ but there are major obstacles. The boxer has taken a lot of hits to the head over the years and his mind seems to be slipping and a criminal organization wants him to throw the fight or else. Eiza González also stars as Osuna’s ex-wife, a reporter investigating fixed boxing matches in Mexico. “La Máquina” debuted Wednesday.

— The first spinoff of the 2023 Prime Video spy series “Citadel,” which starred Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, debuted Thursday on the streamer. “Citadel: Diana” stars Matilda De Angelis takes place in Italy. An India-based version called “Citadel: Honey Bunny” stars Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and premieres in November.

— Netflix’s favorite sun-drenched, treasure-hunting teens of North Carolina, known as the Pogues, are back for more adventures in “Outer Banks.” Season four, premiered Thursday, is divided into two parts. The show stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline.

Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline co-star in “Disclaimer,” a psychological thriller, on Apple TV+ from writer, director Alfonso Cuarón that premiered at last month’s Venice Film Festival. Blanchett plays a respected documentarian who recognizes she’s the inspiration for a character in a new novel that threatens to expose her secrets. The limited-series also features Kodi Smit McPhee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jung Ho-yeon and Lesley Manville and premieres Friday.

Alicia Rancilio

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

— Atlus/Sega’s absorbing Persona series has grown over the years from a cult hit to a genuine blockbuster, but it’s been seven years since the last chapter. Meanwhile, several of its creators have branched off to form their own Studio Zero, and they’re about to launch their debut title, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Instead of Persona’s Tokyo-set teen drama, Metaphor presents a power struggle in a pseudo-medieval kingdom. The combat, however, evokes Persona’s zippy blend of turn-based and real-time action, and when you aren’t fighting you’ll need to spend time building relationships with the locals. If you’ve been craving a chance to explore a new world for dozens of hours, this one is now open on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S and PC.

Lou Kesten

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Port of Buffalo CBP Officers Discover Shipments of Psilocybin Chocolate

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BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Buffalo have discovered multiple commercial shipments containing psilocybin throughout the previous 30 days at the Peace Bridge warehouse.

CBP officers working in the Peace Bridge cargo facility discovered multiple shipments manifested as “chocolate and other food preparations”. Upon further inspection of these shipments, it was discovered that the chocolate bricks contained psilocybin, a schedule 1 controlled substance. The suspected narcotics were field tested by CBP officers, verifying that they indeed tested positive for the properties of psilocybin.

A total of 15 seizures of psilocybin chocolate shipments, with a weight of more than 20 pounds were intercepted throughout the past 30 days, including approximately seven pounds seized on October 9.

“Utilizing their training and experience, our CBP officers continue to intercept narcotic shipments,” said Area Port Director Gaetano Cordone. “All of our CBP employees work tirelessly each and every day to protect our country and communities from unregulated drugs that can become fatal to consumers.”

The smuggling attempt remains under CBP investigation.

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo and @DFOBuffalo

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Prime Monday Night Hockey job a homecoming for Canadian broadcaster Adnan Virk

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Broadcaster Adnan Virk’s passion for sports blossomed as a youngster when he lived above a convenience store his family owned in the small Kingston-area town of Morven, Ont.

He made a habit of watching the sportscast on CTV’s “Canada AM” before running downstairs to the newspaper rack to devour the Toronto Star’s sports section. As a teenager, Virk was passionate about trading cards — soaking up all the info they provided — and even set up his own little retail area in the shop.

“You’d walk in and you had videocassettes, you had groceries and there was this little thing called the Card Corner,” he said. “That was my spot. It was pretty funny.”

His love of sports only grew through his teenage years, setting him on a path that has led to a 20-plus year career with a variety of networks across North America. Based in New Jersey, the MLB Network studio host is adding duties with Amazon that will see him return north of the border to co-anchor Prime Monday Night hockey coverage this season.

“It definitely feels like a really cool homecoming,” Virk said from Newark in a recent interview.

Starting Thanksgiving Day with a Pittsburgh-Montreal game at Bell Centre, Prime Video will stream all national regular-season Monday night NHL games in English for Prime members in Canada. Virk will be on-site at games to serve as co-anchor with Andi Petrillo, analyst Blake Bolden and a mix of contributors.

“I think we’re going to be very unique in our presentation,” Virk said. “I think it’s something that hockey fans will love.”

Long before every statistic imaginable was just a click away, Virk fed his insatiable sports appetite any way he could. Football, basketball, hockey and baseball were at the forefront.

“The cards were a big part of it,” he said. “I remember reading cards and checking the stats. Now today, you’ve got Wikipedia and Google. Back then, you learned from the back of a baseball card.

“No one does that now but that was a really sacred thing for me at that time.”

A Toronto native, Virk returned to the Ontario capital to study at Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan) University. He spent time as a producer at TSN and hosted a show about Indian movies on Omni Television.

“He stood out as a super funny, charismatic guy and really hard-working,” said Hockey Night in Canada studio host David Amber, who worked with Virk at TSN. “You really had a sense that he was going to leave a pretty strong imprint in the industry.”

Virk’s big break came after a floor director at Omni noticed his fervour for sports. He suggested Virk contact his cousin, Anthony Cicione, now president of 27/8 Media Inc., and Anthem Sports and Entertainment, who was managing programming and production at The Score.

At the time, the budding Canadian sports network was different than domestic powers TSN and Sportsnet. The Score offered unique segments, a double-line ticker, and live availabilities mixed in with highlight packs and shows.

Cicione recalled watching Virk’s on-air work at Omni and loving his energy.

“When we hired him, we thought he was a great talent and he’s proven that to be true to this day,” Cicione said via direct message. “(He) has delivered everywhere he has gone. He can do it all with his own style.”

Virk eventually worked his way into the anchor’s chair and spent seven years at The Score, which was later purchased by Rogers Communications and rebranded as Sportsnet 360.

The Score served as a launching point for Virk and other broadcasters like Elliotte Friedman, Sid Seixeiro, Martine Gaillard and Cabral (Cabbie) Richards to name a few.

“One of the least surprising things I’ve ever seen in my career is Adnan’s career,” said Seixeiro, now a co-host on Citytv’s “Breakfast Television” in Toronto. “How he feels about sports comes out in every broadcast.”

Virk is perhaps best known for his work at ESPN. He was a studio host for Baseball Tonight, SportsCenter and Outside the Lines before being let go in 2019.

Reports said he was fired for divulging network information to a sports media writer.

“It was an amazing ride,” Virk said. “The departure was certainly unfortunate. The way I view it now, almost five years later since I got let go, is that the final 72 hours does not define the almost nine years that I was there. So was it unfortunate? Absolutely. I don’t believe that I deserved to be terminated. I disagreed with their decision.

“But it doesn’t impact the rest of my feelings toward the company. Quite frankly, I have very warm feelings toward ESPN.”

Six weeks later, Virk took a job at DAZN and he started working for the MLB Network later that year. He also makes occasional appearances on the NHL Network.

For his new hockey gig, he’ll fly out on Sunday, work the Monday game and return home early Tuesday morning.

Juggling multiple opportunities has always been part of the fun for Virk, who credits his parents for his strong work ethic. His folks now live just north of Toronto, one of five Canadian NHL markets on his schedule this season.

“I’ll get five Sunday dinners with my parents,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on X.

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Former public safety minister Bill Blair expected to face questions about spy warrant

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OTTAWA – Former public safety minister Bill Blair is expected to face questions at a federal inquiry today about why it took much longer than usual to sign off on a spy service warrant in 2021.

A commission of inquiry into foreign interference has heard that it took 54 days for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warrant application to be approved by Blair.

The average turnaround time for such applications is four to 10 days.

Michelle Tessier, CSIS deputy director of operations during the period, has told the inquiry there was frustration with the delay.

Blair, now defence minister, has already told the inquiry behind closed doors he first became aware of the warrant application on the date he recalls signing it.

In testimony at the inquiry this week, Zita Astravas, Blair’s chief of staff in 2021, denied suggestions she worked to stall approval of the warrant.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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