Alaina Castillo Getting Out the Vote as Part of Spotify’s “Play Your Part” Non-Partisan Initiative

Alaina Castillo is playing her part in getting out the vote…

There are less than two months before the U.S. presidential election on November 3, and Spotify has unveiled a non-partisan initiative, featuring the participation of the Latina singer, that’ll leverage the wide reach of the streaming platform to encourage voter turnout.

Alaina Castillo

Entitled “Play Your Part” and available on the “Home” section of Spotify’s official mobile app, the initiative is designed to provide resources, information and encouragement for users residing in the U.S.

The multi-faceted initiative, which kicked off on Wednesday, includes Spotify Voter’s Booth, a hub providing resources and information so users can register and make a plan to vote; new artist and influencer-curated playlists to keep users entertained during the voting process; special curated episodes about civic engagement from podcasts including Famous Fates: Movers & Shakers and Dope Labs; and video and audio voting reminders in several of Spotify’s flagship playlists.

Play Your Part includes a concerted effort to encourage young users to vote via partnerships with artists and influencers including Castillo, Conan Gray, King Princess, Chloe x Halle and more. From today, first-time voters on Spotify will receive messages from “fellow first timers” encouraging them to register.

Additionally, co-curated playlists from Seventeen Magazine and the music-focused voter registration organization HeadCount will be added to Spotify to encourage users to participate.

The Spotify-owned podcast company Anchor will also be launching an “election takeover” of its Sponsorships tool that will give podcasters the opportunity to donate their ad space to the voting nonprofits HeadCount, BallotReady and Democracy Works.

Earlier this year, Castillo was one of the artists featured as part of Spotify’s RADAR initiative, a global development program for emerging artists around the world. RADAR allows Spotify to deepen its commitment to young talent at all stages and strengthen their connections to their audiences.

Serna Joins Cast of Alexander Payne’s Satire “Downsizing”

Pepe Serna is downsizing…

The 71-year-old Mexican American veteran character actor and artist has joined the cast of Alexander Payne’s satire Downsizing, joining Matt DamonKristen WiigChristoph Waltz and Hong Chau, according to Variety.

Pepe Serna

The Paramount film, currently shooting in Toronto, centers on an Omaha man who joins the throngs of people undergoing a new process that reduces humans to a tiny fraction of their size. Then they move to one of the many communities of small people that are sprouting up around the world.

“It’s the smallest part I’ve ever had, four inches to be exact,” Serna said.

Payne is co-writing the script with Jim Taylor. The duo won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Sideways and collaborated on the scripts for Citizen Ruth, Election, Jurassic Park III, About Schmidt and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.

Serna is also one of the new members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, announced on Wednesday.

His career dates back nearly 50 years with credits including Scarface, American Me, Car Wash, The Black Dahlia and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.

Giffords’ Hero Elected to Tucson-Area School Board

He’s the former intern for U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) who rushed to the congresswoman’s side after she was shot in the head outside a Tucson supermarket. And, now Daniel Hernández Jr. is now an elected member of a Tucson-area school board.

The 21-year-old hero—who propped up Gifford’s head in a move credited with helping save her life—was elected to a vacant seat on the Sunnyside Unified School District governing board. Hernández received 61.8 percent of the vote.

“Our entire team is very proud of Daniel,” Jessica Schultz, Giffords’ campaign political director told the Los Angeles Times. “His commitment to southern Arizona was evident through his work in our office.”

The University of Arizona political science major can add this feat to his list of accomplishments, including  attending the State of the Union address, meeting President Obama and throwing out the first pitch at Major League Baseball’s All-Star game.

During the shooting in January that left six people dead and severely injured Giffords, Hernández ran to her side, was the first person to attend to her, and tried to stop her bleeding—possibly saving her life. His quick thinking made him a national hero, a title Hernandez didn’t think he deserved. But President Obama disagreed.

“We’ve decided you are a hero because you ran through the chaos to minister to your boss and tended to her wounds and helped keep her alive,” Obama said during a memorial service in Tucson.

Image courtesy of Photo by David Becker/Getty Images.