| 1. ILHAN OMAR AND DEMOCRATIC DIVISIONS THE FOCUS OF AIPAC: The annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference (AIPAC) began Sunday in Washington, dicsussing the topics of divides in the Democratic party and Rep. Ilhan Omar's criticism of the pro-Israel lobby, which many deemed anti-Semitic. Many 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren, announced they were skipping this year's conference, while congressional leaders such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer are slated to speak. The Hill: "Omar has been on the defensive since she referenced AIPAC in a tweet last month that suggested U.S. lawmakers defending Israel were motivated by money. Freshman Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) apologized to his Jewish constituents during a district town hall last week for Omar's rhetoric, which he had already publicly condemned. ... The [2020 candidates'] announcements came the same week that liberal group MoveOn urged Democrats running for president to skip the annual AIPAC conference, while the left-leaning Jewish advocacy group J Street called for denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies and 'enabling of right-wing extremism.' AIPAC has contrasted with Democratic positions in the past, including the international accord to curb Iran's nuclear program, which Trump later abandoned. Some progressives view the group as being aligned with Trump and Netanyahu." 2. PHARRELL TO LAUNCH NEW FESTIVAL IN HIS HOMETOWN: Music producer and rapper Pharrell is bringing a new festival, Something in the Water, to his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Pharrell and his manager Ron Laffitte brought the idea of the SXSW-esque event to the Virginia Beach City Council last year, and a lineup was recently unveiled with headliners including Missy Elliott and Dave Matthews Band. Billboard: "Ultimately, Williams and Laffitte hope to create a Virginia Beach version of South by Southwest. The April 26-28 event, produced by Live Nation, will offer panels and activations for sports, arts, culture and health/wellness, plus a screening presented by director Ava Duvernay’s independent-film-distribution collaborative, Array. (Laffitte’s not fazed by the recent spate of festival cancellations, including San Francisco’s FYF and New York’s Panorama: “We didn’t stop to consider what the rest of the marketplace looked like.”) Laffitte credits Williams as 'the singular visionary and architect of the entire festival,' but notes that Live Nation V.P. touring Lesley Olenik was instrumental in making it happen within an accelerated time frame." 3. KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS TEASE NEW FILMS AND REFERENCE LORI LOUGHLIN: The 2019 Kids' Choice Awards took place in Los Angeles on Saturday, and was highlighted by previews of the upcoming films Aladdin and Dora and the Lost City of Gold. The ceremony also gave the award for Favorite Funny TV Show to Fuller House, after which the cast seemed to hint at drama surrounding actress Lori Loughlin, who is embroiled in a national college admissions scandal. The Hollywood Reporter: "As per KCA tradition, the night quickly turned into a slime fest, with Pratt, Smith, Sandler, Khaled, Josh Peck, and David Dobrik all ultimately covered in the green goo. As soon as the cameras cut, crewmembers rushed out to the celebrities, offering multiple towels and walking them safely offstage and to an area where they could, presumably, wash off. Dozens of backstage workers also appeared with mops as soon as the slime was sprayed, sometimes cleaning up just inches outside the camera's view. ... Loughlin's photo was not included in the cast photo shown onscreen (although castmembers John Stamos and Bob Saget were also not featured), and she was not in attendance to receive the prize. The cast did seem to reference her current troubles, though, as Candace Cameron-Bure spoke about the importance of family and how 'they stick together through the hard times, they support each other, they encourage one another, they pray for each other, and they stand by their side no matter how tough it gets.'" | 