| 1. BEYONCE AND JAY-Z DEDICATE GLAAD AWARD TO RELATIVES: Beyoncé and Jay-Z accepted the Glaad's Vanguard Award at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards, which took place Thursday at the Beverly Hilton. In a five-minute speech, the singer and rapper honored their gay relatives—Beyoncé's late uncle and Jay-Z's mother—while advocating for love and acceptance. The Hollywood Reporter: "It's also important to point out what happened before they planted any shoes on stage. Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z seemed pleasantly shocked and humbled to see a quartet of unannounced presenters take turns detailing their advocacy, humanity, and friendship. There was Emmy-winning multi-hyphenate Lena Waithe, transgender writer and producer Janet Mock, HIV activist Morris Singletary, and Bey's longtime stylist Ty Hunter. ... Beyoncé then revealed something personal—that her gay uncle Johnny passed away after a battle with HIV. She previously mentioned him during a CFDA speech, detailing how he created Destiny's Child tour ensembles by hand. 'I want to dedicate this award to my uncle Johnny—the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever met who helped raise me and my sister. He lived his truth. He was brave and unapologetic during a time when this country wasn’t as accepting,' she said, fighting back tears." 2. PALMS CASINO HOPES TO RECLAIM GLORY DAYS WITH $690 MILLION REVAMP: The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas is hoping to reclaim its early 2000s glory days when it reveals its $690 million property overhaul. The 1,365-room resort will have its grand opening weekend April 4-7 featuring headliners Cardi B, Alicia Keys, and Travis Scott. Ahead of the opening, the property has unveiled a new campaign, billing itself as the “New Vegas.” CNN: “Popularity spiked in 2002, when one of the suites also served as the backdrop for the twelfth season of MTV's breakout reality show, The Real World. Recent renovations have taken many of these one-of-a-kind accommodations to new levels. The boldest suite of them all: It's the two-story, 9,000-square-foot Empathy Suite, designed by British artist Damien Hirst in collaboration with Bentel & Bentel. This spectacular space includes two bedrooms, a private massage room, a fitness area, ample living space, heaps of original artwork, and one of those cantilevered tubs. The price tag to stay there: $200,000 per weekend. … No resort in modern-day Vegas is complete without a standout party scene, and Kaos, the new dayclub/nightclub at Palms, is unique for a variety of reasons. For starters, the two-level, 73,000-square-foot dayclub has plenty of places to swim and splash—two main pools (including one with a giant sculpture from Hirst) and 16 private cabana pools. There's also a seasonal dome that allows the pools to be open year-round, and a retractable glass wall that separates the dayclub from the rest of the venue.” 3. DISNEY PARKS BAN SMOKING: Disney parks in Florida and California will become smoke free beginning May 1. According to a post on the Disney Parks blog, visitors who want to smoke will have to at designated locations outside of the security area. The New York Times: "The new policy, which does not apply to Disney parks in France, China, and Japan, was greeted with widespread praise. ... Smoking has already been restricted in most sections of the parks, and designated smoking areas inside the properties have been dwindling. Guests can be charged between $250 and $500 in cleaning costs if they smoke inside the company’s hotel rooms, on patios, or on balconies. The latest move comes ahead of the public opening of Star Wars attractions that are expected to draw throngs of tourists. At Disneyland in California, the 14-acre Star Wars construction site swallowed up the last remaining smoking area, according to the news site Theme Park Insider." | 