Lady Gagas Together at Home Raised $128 Million for Covid-19 Relief

Hello, and welcome to a new edition of The Monitor, WIRED’s entertainment news roundup. This time around we have a few more updates on how the coronavirus is impacting the culture landscape, from Netflix to Comic-Con International. Let's get started.

Last Saturday, if you weren’t watching the ill-fated Instagram “battle” between Babyface and Teddy Riley, then you were likely watching One World: Together at Home, the livestreamed virtual concert organized by the World Health Organization, Global Citizen, and Lady Gaga. (The show also aired on NBC, CBS, and ABC.) The show—which featured Lady Gaga along with Billie Eilish, Lizzo, the Rolling Stones, and Taylor Swift, among others—raised $127.9 million for WHO’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund as well as local and regional first responders, according to organizers. Ultimately, the funds will aid in Covid-19 treatment and vaccine development.

For the first time in five decades, there will be no Comic-Con International this year. Organizers announced on Friday that the event, which was set to be held in San Diego from July 23 to 26, will be canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus. People who purchased badges for this year’s events will receive instructions soon on how to get a refund or transfer their badges to 2021.

Looking for some free documentaries to watch? Netflix is here to help. The streaming giant, which has offered free documentaries to teachers for years, announced last week that it will make a chunk of its original feature documentaries free to stream on YouTube to help parents looking to educate their families at home. The list of movies includes 13th, Knock Down the House, and the Explained and Our Planet series. Netflix is also offering educational resources here, and will stream Q&As with some of the creators in the future.