Morgan Freeman, celebrated for his Oscar-winning performances, has surprised fans by branching into the music scene with a fresh venture.

At 89, the iconic actor, who viewers may currently watch in Taylor Sheridan’s “Lioness,” has both narrated and produced a blues album. This new offering is called “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.”

The album became accessible for purchase on Decca Records’ site starting Friday, August 7, and will be available for streaming and digital consumption on August 14.

Featuring a rich 12-song lineup that journeys through a century of blues history, the release includes celebrated musicians like Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, and Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, alongside the renowned Chineke! Orchestra.

Freeman shared with the Daily Mail that his connection to the blues music dates back to his childhood, recalling, “The blues has been part of my life since I first heard it on my grandmother’s porch in Mississippi.”

‘This album is my way of honoring that music and the stories it carries.’

‘I heard the blues for the first time on my grandmother’s porch in the Mississippi Delta, and it has never left me,’ Freeman also said in a press release, per Rolling Stone. 

‘Having Taj Mahal kick off this album with a cover of Son House’s classic Death Letter Blues strikes the perfect tone for the introduction of this album.’

The cover Death Letter Blues from the new album was released on Juneteenth, and the actor expressed it ‘is not just symbolic – it is the truth of where this music comes from and who made it. I hope people listen and remember.’ 

The song was first released in 1965 and recorded by Delta blues musician Son House.

Other tracks on the LP include Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground and Cadillac Assembly Line.

A three-date tour in support of the album also kicked off on August 7 with a show in Houston. 

Additional stops include a performance in Memphis on September 26 as well as a concert in Gulfport, Mississippi on October 17. 

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Freeman for comment. 

‘The blues. It’s come from the most basic, visceral expression of humanity,’ Freeman said during an interview with CBS Mornings. ‘It comes from a field holler.

‘African Americans, those people whose closer connected to the origins in Africa, they have their own way of working and it’s a rhythm thing.’ 

Freeman also pursues his passion for blues music as a co-owner of the blues club Ground Zero in Mississippi. 

‘I was raised primarily in Mississippi with a few excursions outside, but the best of my growing up was spent in Mississippi in the Delta – Greenwood, Mississippi, to be exact,’ he said last year at his Chautauqua Lecture Series, per the Chautauqua Daily.

‘My association with the blues is really not an association at all,’ the Million Dollar Baby star explained at the time. 

‘It’s just there in the air. You start hearing it at a very young age, because there are a lot of guys going around plucking on guitars and singing sad songs.’

He added, ‘The blues has this beginning with African Americans because working in the fields, they had a work holler, as it were.’

Along with the new album release, Freeman has been featured on other songs in the past. 

The actor previously appeared on the song Bombs Away by B.o.B. in 2012, and was a narrator on Metro Boomin and 21 Savage’s 2020 album titled Savage Mode II. 

Freeman has been keeping busy on the screen as well. 

He recently reprised his role of Edwin Mullins in the Paramount+ series Lioness. The third season recently premiered on August 2. 

The spy thriller was created by Taylor Sheridan and the cast also includes Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldana as well as Michael Kelly. 

Freeman recently opened about starring on the show and applauded Sheridan’s writing.

The actor expressed to The New York Times earlier this month that his writing ‘has to do more with the human experience, what people are actually going through, emotionally, in a lot of cases.’ 

Elsewhere during his conversation with the outlet, the star opened up about choosing which projects he takes on. 

‘If somebody offers you a job, it’s very nice if they’re offering you also an exciting script, but in reality, two or three things come into play.’ 

He continued, ‘What are they going to pay you? If they’re going to pay you enough, then you overlook some of the glitches in the script that happen to be there.

‘Sometimes you can mention things that are in the script that don’t quite work out for you and by and large, that gets worked out.’ 

Freeman is also known for his roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.  

Israel has firmly rejected a 15-point proposal for Gaza presented by the Board of Peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israeli forces will remain in the enclave until Hamas completely relinquishes its weapons.

“Israel stands firmly against the 15-point Gaza document introduced by the Board of Peace,” Netanyahu stated during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. “The Israel Defense Forces will not proceed with any withdrawal until Hamas is thoroughly disarmed.”

Ongoing dialogues between Israel and the United States focus on the disarmament of Hamas, with Netanyahu emphasizing that any forthcoming agreement must ensure the complete dismantling of the group’s arsenal.

“Disarmament must be authentic, not just superficial,” Netanyahu remarked, underscoring the need for tangible action.

“When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons,” he added.

Hamas remains committed to a Gaza roadmap agreed with mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace in Cairo 10 days ago, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters.

Hamas expects mediators and the United States to “press Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap,” he added.

Trump had teased a disarmament of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza as a landmark step toward peace, but there remained skeptics, including Israel’s Netanyahu, whose Sunday comments put him at odds with the latest Board of Peace proposal as the Trump administration seeks to move forward with a broader plan for Gaza following the ceasefire reached last year.

Trump said last month that there had been a breakthrough in efforts to advance the peace process and that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. Hamas controlled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, while the future disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces remain central issues in negotiations over the territory.

Netanyahu made clear Sunday that Israel would resist provisions in U.S.-backed proposals that his government considers unacceptable.

He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank.

“As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said. “Neither ‘Fatahstan’ nor ‘Hamastan.’”

The Israeli leader’s rejection of the 15-point proposal underscores the hurdles facing efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting settlement, particularly over the sequence of Hamas’ disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal.

Netanyahu indicated Israel would continue working with Washington but said the government would hold firm on its security demands, particularly its insistence that Hamas be fully stripped of its weapons before Israeli troops leave their positions in Gaza.

Netanyahu also used his remarks Sunday to address Israeli operations elsewhere in the region, saying the military had recently acted “forcefully” in Lebanon and carried out what he described as “very important activity.”

On Iran, Netanyahu said Tehran has refrained from striking Israel because “it knows what a powerful blow we will deal it if it does,” while praising Trump and the U.S.-Israel alliance over efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“I greatly appreciate President Trump,” Netanyahu said.” He is the greatest of our friends in the White House. I greatly appreciate the historical partnership with the U.S. against Iran’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.

“And I wish to emphasize once again: With or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Because the existence of our precious country, the country of all of us, the existence of Israel, is not up for negotiation.”

California families are facing a hefty price tag as they gear up for the back-to-school season, with parents spending close to $175 on basic school supplies this year. This increase adds pressure to many already tight household budgets.

According to research from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation reported by Times of San Diego, the cost of a standard set of 21 essential classroom items has jumped to $173.45, marking a 7.7% rise compared to last year’s prices.

Some school supplies have experienced even higher price hikes. Notebooks have soared by around 23%, while the cost of loose-leaf paper has risen 20%, and index cards are up by 22.2%.

Lunch boxes have seen nearly a 27% increase. Meanwhile, parents find themselves paying roughly 8% more for essentials like dry-erase markers and glue sticks.

Additionally, the prices of other staples, including No. 2 pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and binders, have climbed between 5% and 7%, contributing to the overall cost burden on families.

The increases can become especially painful for households buying supplies for multiple children while also contending with high rents, rising utility bills and increasing costs for everyday necessities. They are being driven by a combination of higher manufacturing costs, inflation and spiking prices for imported goods, where many of these items are made.

“Everything goes up but the paycheck,” Mark Davis, a San Diego father of five, told NBC 7.

“I have to pay for gas, rent, bills, and food [for all of us]. It’s a struggle day-to-day, but you gotta get up and make it,” he said.

Davis was among families who sought assistance at a back-to-school event in Encanto Saturday ahead of the San Diego Unified School District’s return to classes Monday.

The event was organized by California state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, who told the outlet: “I know the cuts that are coming as a result of some of the legislation, and it’s important for people to know where they can go if certain things are no longer accessible for them,”

Food costs are another concern for struggling households in San Diego County, where officials estimate more than 93,000 people will lose their CalFresh benefits this year.

The county has funded a Safety Net Bridge program that includes food assistance, with families receiving groceries at a distribution in Chula Vista Saturday.

For father-of-four Jose Miranda, whose family relies on multiple sources of assistance, making ends meet requires both him and his wife to work.

“Just making minimum wage both [me and my wife] gotta work. We find different resources by calling 2-1-1, and sometimes we gotta find activities like this,” Miranda told the outlet.

The county plans additional food distributions and funding to help residents access health care services through the fall.

Many Southern California and major urban districts, including LAUSD and ABC Unified, are scheduled to begin classes Monday, August 12.

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In a dramatic turn of events, a ferocious wildfire described as exploding “like a bomb” has compelled tens of thousands of Canadians to flee their homes.

As the Bald Range fire wreaked havoc, aircraft were called in to rescue dozens of residents, while countless others faced gridlocked roads in a desperate bid to outrun the inferno.

Since it ignited on Friday, the blaze has scorched an area spanning at least 53 square miles across British Columbia.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire has doubled in size, now threatening the communities of Summerland, Peachland, and additional regions within the province.

In response to the escalating crisis, Premier David Eby declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the province grappled with over 100 wildfires blazing across the area.

He described the Bald Range blaze as ‘like a bomb going off in the Summerland region’ which tore across 2,000 acres in roughly an hour.

The fire created its own weather system sparking lightning strikes and sending flames up to 200 feet high.

Officials said the blaze began around 5.30pm on Friday but have yet to determine its cause.

All 12,000 residents of Summerland and another 8,000 people in and around Peachland were ordered to evacuate. The communities are about 250 miles east of Vancouver. 

Eby’s office said there had been ‘significant structure loss’ but said officials had not assessed the damage because the area remained an active fire zone.

‘Conditions are extremely dangerous and changing minute by minute,’ Eby said. ‘The fires are moving incredibly quickly.’

The premier added that some residents had become trapped as the fire grew and that search-and-rescue crews continued searching for others who may have been caught in its path.

BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said more than 50 people were rescued by 18 aircraft.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also said they were investigating a possible wildfire-related death near Summerland but were unable to confirm a fatality because of the dangerous conditions.

The BC Wildfire Service said on Sunday morning that the blaze was showing signs of possibly rank six behavior which is the highest level a fire can reach.

Erick Thompson, an emergency official with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, had been providing updates on the fire from an emergency operations center before he was forced to evacuate his own family.

The devastating fire comes weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke that choked US cities in July.

‘We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their forests and brush,’ the president wrote on Truth Social.

The US is being ‘invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous and totally unacceptable,’ Trump added.

Fires that have been blazing in Canada’s Ontario province have caused massive plumes of smoke to blanket much of the eastern United States.

Those plumes reached major US cities, including Washington, DC, and New York City, on Thursday evening.

Trump has repeatedly sought to put pressure on Canada through tariffs during his second term.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the BC Wildfire Service, the RCMP, the BC Ministry of Forests, and Premier David Eby’s office for comment. 

Israel has bolstered its naval capabilities with the recent arrival of its cutting-edge submarine, the most sophisticated and costly vessel it has acquired from Germany. This strategic addition comes as regional tensions continue to rise, as per reported sources.

The introduction of the INS Drakon is poised to dramatically enhance Israel’s naval warfare and intelligence-gathering potential under the sea, according to a report by The Algemeiner. Initially slated for delivery by 2025, the advanced warship’s arrival ahead of schedule marks a significant strategic step for the nation’s defense forces.

During its christening ceremony in Kiel in 2024, a statement highlighted that the INS Drakon belongs to the Dolphin AIP class and is outfitted with cutting-edge technologies. These innovations greatly extend the Israeli Defense Forces’ operational reach across multiple theaters of conflict.

Constructed by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the Israeli Navy, the submarine plays a crucial role in fortifying a sea-based defense strategy. In the current geopolitical climate involving the conflict with Iran, defense experts underscore its importance for deterrence and retaliatory measures.

Dr. Ehud Eilam, a renowned Israeli national security specialist and former defense ministry researcher, stressed to News Media the critical nature of sustaining a relentless underwater presence for Israel’s continued security and autonomy.

“Some of them would have to be at sea, on high alert, around the clock, if Iran suddenly attacked Israel in such a way that would cripple the IDF, including its strategic capabilities,” Eilam said.

“In such a drastic scenario, Israel’s submarine/s that would be at sea could respond,” he added.

“Israel’s other submarines might be in Haifa harbor at the time. They might be attacked and unable to operate. This demonstrates how important it is to always have submarines at sea.”

TKMS reportedly handed over the INS Drakon—the sixth Dolphin-class vessel and third modified Dolphin II-class submarine in Israel’s fleet—at its shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in late July.

Measuring more than 70 meters (230 feet) in length with a displacement exceeding 2,000 tons, the vessel is reported to be the largest submarine constructed in Germany since World War II, carrying an estimated price tag of $634 million, according to The Algemeiner.

According to Israeli outlet Ynet , Israel’s Dolphin-class fleet also provides the nation with a critical sea-based second-strike capability in its defense program.

“Everything is going according to plan with the new program for Israel,” TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard told Ynet Global.

“That also applies to the handover of the last boat of the previous series, including the homecoming in Israel,” he said of the expansive submarine program.

The INS Drakon’s arrival comes as Israel projects increasing military power across distant operational theaters, Eilam said.

“Israel has been acquiring submarines for several purposes. One of them is for deterrence and retribution, such as if Iran manages to develop nuclear weapons,” Eilam said before adding that “Israel has to be ready.”

While submarines on active deployment carry out intelligence and reconnaissance missions across the Mediterranean Sea, their primary objective remains readiness for “doomsday scenarios,” Eilam noted.

“Israel’s new submarine is bigger than others, which suggests Israel wants to have more options, such as increasing the range of the submarine’s missiles so they can reach every target in Iran, even if the Israeli submarine is in the Mediterranean Sea,” Eilam said.

“That way the submarine does not have to get closer to Iran, which requires crossing the Suez Canal, and this could be very risky, if not impossible in some situations,” he added. “The other alternative is to bypass all of Africa, which would take a long time.”

The new submarine was named INS Drakon (Dragon) — a mythical sea creature symbolizing strength, uniqueness and power — was chosen because it contains the Hebrew letters ד׳, ק׳, ר׳ (Dakar), thus commemorating the legacy of the submarine INS Dakar and its crew, the Ministry of Defense said.

News Media has reached out to the Israeli Navy, the Ministry of Defense, TKMS and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.