Sheeran, 33, posted a clip of the interaction Sept. 17 Instagram, explaining in his caption that he was filming a video on a boat when he spotted the woman running on a nearby sidewalk.

“Was filming a video on the canal today, played a request. If anyone knows the runner lemme know so we can have their POV video for the lols,” wrote Sheeran, who shared a shorter version of the clip on TikTok.

The video shows Sheeran holding a guitar and floating along a canal when he sees the woman running alongside his boat.

“Hi!” Sheeran says with a wave before asking the woman, “Any requests?”

After slowing down a bit, the runner responds, “Can you do ‘Tenerife Sea’?”

Just then, Sheeran begins playing a note-perfect version of his romantic 2014 ballad, prompting the woman to whip out her phone to record the special moment.

After he finishes, Sheeran cheerfully raises his thumb and tells his lone audience member, “Have a good rest of your run.”

The woman gives Sheeran a little wave and takes off again.

The runner, whose name is Nikki Atkins, later identified herself by posting her version of the footage in her Instagram stories, which has since vanished. Atkins also spoke to the BBC about how thrilling it was to be serenaded by the star.

Sheeran’s followers responded to his video to say they probably wouldn’t have been as calm as Atkins was had they been in her shoes.

“Love this! She was just so casual with her request,” one marveled while another wrote, “I think I’d pass out.”

“That kind of thing never happen to me bc I would jump in the water,” said a third fan.

Meanwhile, another fan was inspired by Sheeran’s video to take up jogging herself. “I think i need to start running. How lovely,” she joked.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• When breast cancer left a 38-year old woman weak and vulnerable, this 1 simple workout was a ‘transformative experience’
• I take at least 1 night off parenting every week. This experiment has saved my family
• 30 famous Hispanic Heritage Month quotes to share now and forever

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Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are spreading joy to their families.

Less than a month after the “Sorry” singer and Rhode Beauty founder welcomed their first child together, Jack Blues Bieber, Justin Bieber’s mom Pattie Mallette is sharing her honest feelings about being a grandparent.

The 49-year-old posted a clip of Molly Shannon‘s iconic “Saturday Night Live” character, licensed joyologist Helen Madden, to her Instagram Story Sept. 18, captioning the video, “How do you like being a Grandmother!”

In the clip, Molly’s character gives an emphatic, “I love it, I love it, I LOVE it! I love it! I love it! I love it, love it, love it, love it, love it! I love itttttttt! Every second of it, every second of it—I love it.”

Mallette also added, “First time Grandma’s be like!”

Justin’ Biebers mom has made no secret of how much she has been enjoying life with baby Jack, posting to Instagram shortly after his birth announcement, “Oh my heart. Welcome baby Jack!! I love you so much! Thank you Lord. What a miracle!”

She also Tweeted, “CONGRATULATIONS @justinbieber & Hailey. I LOVE YOU FOREVER BABY JACK!!”

Hailey Bieber’s dad Stephen Baldwin responded to the message, writing, “Amen. Congratulations to you and may God continue to bless our family.”

And as Mallette has shared before, she was also thrilled to watch her baby have his own baby.

“Happy Father’s Day Justin,” she wrote on Instagram in June. “You’ve always wanted to be a dad ever since I can remember. You have so much love to give. You’re gonna be the best daddy ever. You already are. LOVE YOU!!”

While Justin Bieber, 30, and Hailey Bieber, 27, have kept a low profile since welcoming Jack, the two have often been candid about their desires to raise a family together after tying the knot in 2018.

“I’d love to have myself a little tribe,” Justin Bieber said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020. “I am going to have as many as Hailey is wishing to push out—it’s her body and whatever she wants to do—I think she wants to have a few.”

Souther, who collaborated on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “James Dean,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight,” died Tuesday at his home in New Mexico, according to an announcement on his website.

He also worked with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more, and also found success as a solo artist. He was about to start a tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix, now canceled.

When he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, Souther was described as “a principal architect of the Southern California sound and a major influence on a generation of songwriters.” He was also at the heart of the social scene, his girlfriends including Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks, who in a 1982 interview with High Times magazine remembered him as “very, very, very male chauvinistic and very sweet and cute and wonderful but very Texas.”

Souther was born in Detroit and grew up in Amarillo, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, where he met fellow Michigan native Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles. The two began a longtime partnership, starting with a band called Longbranch Pennywhistle. Frey would credit Souther with introducing him to country music.

“Our first year together will always seem like yesterday to me,” Souther said in a statement after Frey died in 2016. “His amazing capacity for the big joke and that brilliant groove that lived inside him are with me, even now, in this loss and sorrow. … The music and the love are indestructible.”

Souther was so close to the Eagles, he even appeared on the back cover of their 1973 album, “Desperado,” with Souther and others reenacting the capture of the legendary Dalton Gang. He described his start with Frey at The Troubadaour, the popular West Hollywood music club, as “the best study in songwriting I can imagine.”

“So many great songwriters came through — Laura Nyro, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, Elton John, James Taylor, Tim Hardin, Carole King, Rick Nelson, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Waylon Jennings, Tim Buckley, Gordon Lightfoot, Taj Mahal and more,” he said in a statement on his website. “It seems impossible now to imagine that much music in a year and a half or so, but that was my life and the Troubadour was our university.

“It’s also where I met Linda Ronstadt and where Don Henley and Glenn Frey met to form this little country rock band called Eagles that would go on to make musical history,” Souther wrote.

On his own, Souther recorded his self-titled debut in 1972 before forming The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with former Byrds member Chris Hillman and Poco’s Richie Furay. A second solo effort in 1976, Black Rose, included a duet with Ronstadt, his one-time girlfriend, “If You Have Crying Eyes.” Other duets he had recorded with her include “Prisoner in Disguise,” “Sometimes You Can’t Win” and “Hearts Against the Wind,” the latter featured in the 1980 film “Urban Cowboy.”

His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely,” from the 1979 album of the same name.

Other songs he wrote include “Run Like a Thief,” for Bonnie Raitt, and “Faithless Love” and “White Rhythm and Blues” for Ronstadt. He collaborated and sang with James Taylor on “Her Town Too.”

Among other artists he worked with as a singer were Don Henley, Christopher Cross, Dan Fogelberg and Roy Orbison.

He appeared as an actor on television in “thirtysomething,” “Nashville” and “Purgatory” and in the films “Postcards from the Edge,” “My Girl 2,” and “Deadline.”

U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter said Wednesday that the government had proved “by clear and convincing evidence that there is no condition or set of conditions” that will ensure the safety of the community and that the hip-hop mogul won’t tamper with witnesses, as prosecutors suggested was a possibility.

Combs’ lawyers offered a $50 million bail package — using his mansion as collateral — in exchange for releasing him to home detention with GPS monitoring and strict limitations on who could visit him. The defense and prosecution were wrangling over the request at a hearing Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, a U.S. magistrate judge in Manhattan ordered Combs held without bail.

Sean "Diddy" Combs Sep 17

Guns & ammo, ‘Freak Off' supplies found in Diddy's Miami Beach mansion raid: Indictment

Sean "Diddy" Combs Sep 17

Why was Diddy arrested? Read the full indictment

Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty Tuesday after an indictment accused him of using his “power and prestige” to induce female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances dubbed “Freak Offs” that Combs arranged, participated in and often recorded. The events would sometimes last days, the indictment said.

The indictment alleges he coerced and abused women for years, with the help of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violent acts including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings to keep victims from speaking out.

Combs has been in federal custody since his arrest Monday night at a Manhattan hotel. On Wednesday, Combs blew kisses to his family and touched his heart as he walked into the courtroom, wearing the same shirt and sweatpants he had been wearing Tuesday.

Arguing to keep him locked up, prosecutor Emily Johnson told U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter that the once-celebrated rapper has a long history of intimidating both accusers and witnesses to his alleged abuse. She cited text messages from women who said Combs forced them into “Freak Offs” and then threatened to leak videos of them engaging in sex acts.

Johnson said Combs’ defense team was “minimizing and horrifically understating” Combs’ propensity for violence, taking issue with his lawyer’s portrayal of a 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel as a lovers’ quarrel. Security video of the event showed Combs hitting his then-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in a hotel hallway.

Johnson seized on a text message from a woman who said Combs dragged her down a hallway by her hair. According to Johnson, the woman told the rapper: “I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child.”

Combs is a “danger to the community and poses a serious risk to the integrity” of his case, Johnson argued. He also noted concern about Combs being a potential flight risk, though focused primarily on the risk for obstruction of justice.

Federal Magistrate Robyn F. Tarnofsky initially ruled that Combs was too dangerous to be freed. But Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, submitted a letter to Carter on Wednesday asking again for bail under conditions that would allow him to leave the Metropolitan Detention Center, the lockup on the Brooklyn waterfront where he was taken after his arraignment.

The jail, which has around 1,200 inmates, is the subject of frequent complaints from lawyers and some judges that it is overcrowded, violent and neglected.

Combs’ Florida house is on Star Island, a man-made dollop of land in Biscayne Bay, reachable only by a causeway or boat. It is among the most expensive places to live in the United States. Combs’ request echoes that of a long line of wealthy defendants who have offered to pay multimillion-dollar bails in exchange for home detention in luxurious surroundings.

If he were to be granted bail, Combs would have to stay in that house while awaiting trial, his lawyers offered. Visits would be restricted to family, property caretakers and friends who are not considered co-conspirators.

“I am feeling confident. We’re going to go get Mr. Combs out of jail,” Agnifilo said on his way into court Wednesday. He said Combs is “doing great, he’s focused and he’s ready for his hearing.”

Many of the accusations in the indictment parallel allegations contained in a November lawsuit filed by Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. The suit was settled the following day, but its allegations have followed Combs since.

The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Ventura did.

Without naming Ventura but clearly referring to her, Agnifilo argued at Tuesday’s arraignment that the entire criminal case is an outgrowth of one long-term, troubled-but-consensual relationship that faltered amid infidelity. The “Freak Offs,” he contended, were an expansion of that relationship, and not coercive.

Prosecutors portrayed the scope as larger. They said they had interviewed more than 50 victims and witnesses.

Like many aging hip-hop figures, Bad Boy Records founder Combs had established a gentler public image. The father of seven children was a respected international businessman, whose annual “White Party” in the Hamptons was once a must-have invitation for the jet-setting elite.

But prosecutors said he used the same companies, people and methods he used to build his business and cultural power to facilitate his crimes. They said they would prove it with financial and travel records, electronic communications and videos of the “Freak Offs.”

In March, authorities raided Combs’ luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami, seizing narcotics, videos and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to prosecutors. They said agents also seized firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers.

A conviction on every charge in the indictment would require a mandatory 15 years in prison with the possibility of a life sentence.

It will be Smart’s first time hosting and Jelly Roll’s first time performing on the show.

“SNL” on Wednesday announced the hosts and musical guests for its first five episodes of season 50, which premieres Sept. 28.

Comedian Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay as the musical guest.

Ariana Grande — who stars in the upcoming “Wicked” film adaption — will host Oct. 12, with Stevie Nicks performing.

“Beetlejuice” star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19, the last show before Halloween, and Billie Eilish will be that night’s musical guest.

“SNL” alum John Mulaney will return to the show as host on Nov. 2, with breakout sensation Chappell Roan as the music guest.

The landmark 50th season of the sketch comedy show, which premiered on NBC on Oct. 11, 1975, comes with several cast changes.

While cast members Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney and Chloe Troast announced their exits from the show in recent weeks, the show added three new featured cast members for its milestone season: Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim and Jane Wickline.

And former “SNL” cast member Maya Rudolph has confirmed she will revive her Vice President Kamala Harris impression this season ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Saturday Night Live Sep 12

The ‘Saturday Night Live' cast is here! Who's new, who's leaving and who's returning for ‘SNL' Season 50

Kamala Harris Jul 23

Calls for Maya Rudolph to reprise her Kamala Harris on ‘SNL' are flooding social media

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Tallulah Willis, 30, spoke with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on TODAY on Sept. 18 about the “Die Hard” star’s life with the neurodegenerative disease that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

“He’s doing stable, which in this situation is good, and is hard,” she said. “There’s painful days, but there’s so much love.”

Tallulah Willis previously called her dad’s condition “a really aggressive cognitive disease, a form of dementia that’s very rare,” on a November 2023 episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show.”

In a May 2023 article for Vogue, Tallulah Willis expanded on her feelings of watching her father’s struggles while lamenting what their relationship might have been as she got older.

“I’ve always recognized elements of his personality in me, and I just know that we’d be such good friends if only there were more time,” she wrote for Vogue.

Her father’s life with FTD has also taught the youngest daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore to cherish the moments she does still have with her dad.

“It’s really shown me to not take any moment for granted, and I really do think that we’d be best friends,” she said on TODAY. “I think he’s very proud of me. You have to be in the moment. You have to be present.”

Tallulah Willis has been open about her own health as well. She was recently commended for helping others by sharing in March that she was diagnosed with autism at 29 years old.

“It was very emotional,” she said on TODAY. “If I’m being honest, I really hated myself and I thought I was very broken. So to learn that the elements of myself that I thought were maladies or wrong or just too much for this world are actually OK, and they just require a little bit more tools. And it gave me more grace for myself.”

In addition to helping care for her father, speaking about her autism has also become a driving force in her life.

“I really just want to help people,” she said.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• I take at least 1 night off parenting every week. This experiment has saved my family
• When breast cancer left a 38-year old woman weak and vulnerable, this 1 simple workout was a ‘transformative experience’
• Experts say AI is the new social media — and parents are not prepared

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Around the world in 57 days.

A new moon is expected to be pulled into the Earth’s orbit by the end of September, but the rare phenomenon won’t last long.

The visiting moon is technically an asteroid known as 2024 PT5, and was initially spotted Aug. 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) initiative, which warns of asteroid impacts. Unlike the existing moon — which has orbited our planet for about 4 billion years — this new floating rock is only expected to orbit the Earth once, beginning its trip Sept. 29 before breaking off from its gravitational pull on Nov. 25.

Researchers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos explained the event in the journal “Research Notes of the AAS,” writing, “Earth can regularly capture asteroids from the Near-Earth object (NEO) population and pull them into orbit, making them mini-moons.”

Some have debated whether the asteroid even qualifies as a mini-moon due to its relatively small size — clocking in at 33 feet wide — as well as brief stay in Earth’s orbit.

“Every time an object with an orbit so earthlike is discovered, there is a chance that we are just recovering space debris,” Raúl told the New York Times, but confirmed that 2024 PT5 “is a natural object, no doubt about that.”

So how can you get a glimpse of the extraterrestrial event? Sadly for stargazers, 2024 PT5’s small frame will make it difficult to spot, but the space find is still intriguing as it’s one of the rare times Earth has collected additional temporary moons.

One such example occurred in 1981 and 2022, when another asteroid — known as 2022 NX1 — similarly took a short trip around the globe. In fact, the researchers noted in the journal that 2024 PT5 “follows a path that resembles that of 2022 NX1.”

The event will be hosted by Uncle Boobies Bookstore at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church located at 2800 W. Cheltenham Ave on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m.

Eve is expected to have a captivating discussion about the memoir, her life and her incomparable career.

Event organizers say all tickets to the event come with a signed copy of the new book.

In the book, Eve talks about everything from growing up in West Philadelphia and Germantown to becoming the successful superstar she is today.

For more information on the book event, visit unclebobbies.com/events.

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A Wheel of Fortune contestant was letters away from earning $1 million.

Vivian Tran, who competed on the game show’s Sept. 16 episode, lost the grand prize when she couldn’t complete the first word in a three-word puzzle during the bonus round.

“My heart is racing,” Ryan Seacrest—who took over as host following Pat Sajak’s retirement—said during the round. “This is a first for me. You’re playing for $1 million.”

When Vivian made her way to the bonus round after landing on the “One Million” wedge during the final round, the $100,000 prize was replaced with $1 million. To win the prize, she had to land on the million-dollar envelope, which she did, and solve the puzzle correctly.

As for what the puzzle was? The phrase “Offering Some Help.”

Unfortunately, she was missing four letters in the first word and ultimately lost the money.

Ryan pulled open the envelope to show she landed on the correct envelope as she folded over in disbelief. Although it was a disappointment, Vivian left with a $27,300 cash prize, a trip to Europe and high spirits.

“It turned out great,” she told Wheel of Fortune’s social correspondent Maggie Sajak after the show, “a little bit painful, but I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“He kind of brought me into a corner and he’s like, ‘Vivian, I don’t know if you want to see this,'” Vivian recalled of the moment she lost. “I knew the last two words but the first one, I just couldn’t get the syllables. It was 10 seconds, so by the time I got to the eighth seconds, I missed it.”

But she’s grateful to have had the opportunity. She added, “I’ll look back on it positively despite what happened.”

Season 42, which began Sept. 9, is the first without Pat after he stepped away from the series in June after more than four decades. Although it’s a bittersweet moment for longtime letter-turner Vanna White, she has high hopes for the American Idol host.

“He’s doing an incredible job,” Vanna told E! News in a joint interview with Ryan this month. “It’s not easy. He makes it look easy.”

And she sees this as a new chapter for the beloved game show.

“Pat decided to retire after 41 years and god bless him,” she said. “He was happy and they said Ryan’s gonna be the next one and I said, ‘Great.’ Because he’s so talented, he’s so professional, he’s so good at what he does. I’m so thankful.”

And for Ryan, the opportunity was a no-brainer.

“If Wheel of Fortune is offered to you, you just don’t say no,” he emphasized. “You’ll have bad karma for the rest of your TV life.”

From haunted houses to ghost tours to trick-or-treating events, our guide has a little something for everyone during this spooky season.

If you’re unsure where even to start, use the scare-o-meter below to choose your fright level.

Scare-o-meter: 🎃 Night-mare free | 👻 A bit creepy | 🦇 Full terror (Leave the kids at home)

Haunted Houses

Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary 🦇
📍 2027 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia

Halloween Nights at the famous Eastern State Penitentiary features five thrilling haunted houses, all within the walls of a real, abandoned 10-acre prison. If you are not interested in the haunted houses, the Penitentiary offers historical tours, themed bars and lounges, and live entertainment. Visit www.easternstate.org to purchase your tickets.

Fright Factory Philly 🦇
📍 2200 S. Swanson St., Philadelphia

Enter at your own risk… Fright Factory is an adult-themed haunted house that is so scary that it has been named one of the scariest haunted attractions in America. Inside a 120-year-old factory lies a basement of nightmares. But be warned, once you’re in, there is no telling if you will make it out. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit frightfactoryphilly.com.

Lincoln Mill Haunted House 🦇
📍 4100 Main St., Philadelphia

Featuring live scare actors, production-quality sets, animatronics, and special effects, the Lincoln Mill Haunted House is one you don’t want to miss. Rumor has it Viktor Kane, the former mill owner, still lurks in the shadows after he allegedly tormented and experimented on his workers. Check out lincolnmillhaunt.com for ticket information.

Pennhurst Asylum Haunted Attraction 🦇
📍250 Commonwealth Dr, Spring City, PA

You might not sleep for days after visiting Pennhurst Asylum. Located right outside of Philadelphia the former mental hospital will have four haunted attractions that are set to test the limits of your sanity. Purchase your tickets at pennhurstasylum.com.

Ghost Tours

Dark Philly Adult Night Tour 🦇
📍 Independence Visitor Center (1 N. Independence Mall, Philadelphia)

This tour is for “mature audiences” ONLY. The guided dark history tour will take you through the most famous locations throughout Center City, detailing the best-kept secrets that made the city and the nation what it is today. P.S. Don’t forget your camera to capture all the moments and even perhaps a ghost! To book your tour, visit grimphilly.com.

Philly Ghosts: Phantoms of Philadelphia Tour 👻
📍 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (217 W. Washington Square, Philadelphia)

Discover why the city is known as one of the most haunted places on the East Coast with Philadelphia Ghost Tours. And if you want to learn more about what lingers in Philadelphia’s show, you can book an extended tour for “extra haunted spots and spine-tingling stories.” Visit phillyghosts.com for more information.

Bloodletting and Burials at the Betsy Ross House 🦇
📍239 Arch St., Philadelphia

This is your chance to travel back to 1760 and learn about the city’s gruesome history. If you dare to take this tour, you will meet your guide at Betsy’s grave in the Betsy Ross House courtyard and uncover true tales about bloodletting, smallpox, yellow fever, and so much more. Then, you will head inside for a spooky, shadowy tour. Book your tickets here.

Theme park Halloween celebrations

Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest EXTREME 👻
📍1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson Township, NJ

If you are brave enough, check out Fright Fest Extreme at Six Flags Great Adventure on select nights this fall for a bone-chilling experience. Guests can expect rides in the dark, spooky scare zones, and haunted mazes. For more information and to purchase your tickets today, visit sixflags.com.

Dorney Park Halloween Haunt 👻
📍4000 Dorney Park Rd., Allentown, PA

You better brace yourself for a screaming good time at Dorney Park’s Halloween Haunt. When night falls, hundreds of creatures from the underworld are expected to take over the park. WARNING: Your worst nightmares may come true. Visit dorneypark.com for more information.

The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place 🎃
📍 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA

Have silly, not-too-spooky fun at the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular. Sesame Place will transform into a family-friendly Halloween haven featuring shows, trick-or-treating, and more. Guests are all also encouraged to wear a costume. For more information, visit sesameplace.com.

Philadelphia Sep 12

Popular Center City bars transform once again for spooky season

New Jersey Aug 1

Spirit Halloween opens flagship store in Egg Harbor Township ahead of spooky season

Family-Friendly Halloween Fun

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo 🎃
📍 3400 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Zoo’s annual Halloween extravaganza “Boo at the Zoo” encourages all to dress in your favorite costume, bring a bag and trick-or-treat through the park. You might even catch some animals munching on pumpkins and playing with Halloween-themed toys. For more information and to reserve your tickets, visit philadelphiazoo.org.

Franklin Fright at the Franklin Institute 🎃
📍222 N 20th St., Philadelphia

On select weekends in October, the Franklin Institute is celebrating spooky season with trick-or-treating through the museum, Halloween-inspired live science shows and so much more. This event is free with museum admission, visit fi.edu for more details.

Halloween celebration at The Please Touch Museum 🎃
📍 Memorial Hall (4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia)

The Please Touch Museum is set to host a day filled with spooky fun and surprises for kiddos to enjoy. The event features special performers, story times, and lots of Halloween-themed activities. Everyone is also encouraged to dress in their favorite costume. Reserve your tickets at pleasetouchmuseum.org.

Spooky Mini Golf at Franklin Square 🎃
📍200 N 6th St., Philadelphia

Franklin Square will transform its 18-hole mini golf course with fog, lights, and music for some spooky Halloween fun. To buy your tickets, visit historicphiladelphia.org/

Praised for their versatility and universal appeal, balloons made the list Wednesday of 12 finalists being considered for the honor later this year, alongside other first-time contenders including the trampoline and the party game Apples to Apples.

A panel of expert judges and the public will vote on which of the finalists will be inducted in November.

This year’s nominees also include the bestselling “Choose Your Own Adventure” gamebooks, which encourage readers to plot stories; Hess Toy Trucks, which have signaled the holiday season since 1964; remote-controlled vehicles and the stick horse.

Rounding out the list are the games Phase 10, Sequence and the Pokemon Trading Card Game, along with two perennial nominees, My Little Pony figures and Transformers action figures, both of which debuted in the 1980s.

“These 12 toys represent the wide range of play — from strategic to whimsical to physical — and present many playful matchups. The selection judges and public will have some tough decisions this year,” predicted Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator.

Fans can vote for their favorites from Sept. 18 to 25 at toyhalloffame.org. The three toys that receive the most public votes will make up a “Player’s Choice” ballot that will be tallied along with ballots from 22 historians and other experts.

Since 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame has recognized more than 80 toys for inspiring creative play across generations. They range from humble playthings like the stick, paper airplane and cardboard box to those that have influenced pop culture, like the Barbie doll and Dungeons & Dragons.

Last year’s inductees were baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Fisher-Price Corn Popper and Nerf foam toys. The National Toy Hall of Fame is inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

“Dancing With the Stars” kicked off its 33rd season on Sept. 17, with a whole new cast of celebs and returning pros dusting off their dance shoes.

Hosted by Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro, the new group of celebs have been preparing their routines and working one-on-one with their professional partners for a chance to win this year’s Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

With Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli also returning as judges, it was revealed at the beginning of the show that there would be no eliminations in this premiere episode.

There were a handful of impressive and surprising routines that got the judges excited including Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, who brought high energy to the stage, former basketball player Dwight Howard and actor Chandler Kinney.

Last year, actor Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy were crowned the Season 32 “DWTS” champions.

Here’s a recap of what went down on the Season 33 “DWTS” premiere.

What did each star dance to and what was their score?

• Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson: Cha-Cha to “Dancin’ in the Country” by Tyler Hubbard — Score: 21/30
• Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchencko: Tango to “Piece of Me” by Britney Spears — Score: 18/30
• Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten: Cha-Cha to “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain — Score: 18/30
• Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater: Salsa to “Motown Philly” by Boyz II Men — Score: 16/30
• Danny Amendola and Witney Carson: Tango to “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey — Score: 20/30
• Tori Spelling and Pasha Pashkov: Foxtrot to “Trustfall” by Pink — Score: 17/30
• Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber: Cha-Cha to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus — Score: 19/30
• Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong: Tango to “Hot to Go!” by Chappell Roan — Score: 23/30
• Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach: Salsa to “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan — Score: 22/30
• Eric Roberts and Britt Stewart: Cha-Cha to “Old Time Rock & Roll” by Bob Seger — Score: 15/30
• Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy: Cha-Cha to “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston — Score: 19/30
• Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold: Jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen — Score: 21/30
• Anna Delvey and Ezra Sosa: Cha-Cha to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter — Score: 18/30

Who was the first celebrity dancer to get eliminated?

No one was eliminated in the premiere episode of “DWTS.” Everyone was safe for the first week.

A double elimination will take place on the second episode, airing Sept. 24.

Who is at the top of the leaderboard?

“Z-O-M-B-I-E-S” and “Pretty Little Liars” actor Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong are leading the competition after the first night.

They received 23 points out of 30.

Which celebrities are at the bottom of the leaderboard?

Actor Eric Roberts, who is also Julia Roberts’ brother, and partner Britt Stewart received the lowest score of the night.

They received 15 points out of 30.

How to vote for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ contestants

Viewers can head to the “Dancing With the Stars” website to vote for their favorite couple.

People get up to 10 votes and can change and save their votes until the voting window closes during the live ET/CT simulcast, shortly after the final competitive dance.

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The so-called ‘fake heiress,’ who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the ballroom-worthy ankle monitor during the premiere of “Dancing With the Stars’” new season Tuesday night.

“It’s actually not a big issue at all. It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad,” she told The Associated Press after the premiere. She and dance pro Ezra Sosa performed a routine set to Sabrina Carpenter’s ”Espresso.”

“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa said of Sorokin’s bedazzled ankle monitor.

“I think it’s kind of funny how people like — it’s not like an ankle weight,” Sosa said. “It’s not like 20 pounds. It’s like literally less than a pound and it’s not a big deal.”

Sorokin acknowledged her debut didn’t go as planned.

“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”

Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.

“Hopefully people will give me, will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution,” she said.

Early reviews from fans were not positive, with the phrase “Anna Delvey’s Lackluster DWTS Debut” among those trending on the social media site X.

While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she got out, claiming she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany. The “Inventing Anna” inspiration was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation.

Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.

True to form, she won’t be playing favorites between her sons, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” revolves around a “fan of the year” contest for the team, while “Christmas on Call” features a die-hard Eagles fan who helps his love interest get to know Philadelphia, according to a release from the Hallmark Channel this week.

While Mama Kelce is no stranger to the camera, having appeared in Jason Kelce’s documentary and many a gameday photo, the two movies mark her acting debut. In “Holiday Touchdown,” she plays the manager of a barbecue restaurant. And while it’s unclear whether she’s playing a character or herself in “Christmas on Call,” her role is to ensure one of the leads “orders her Cheesesteak the authentic way – ‘whiz wit.’”

The cameo announcements follow Travis Kelce’s own forays into Hollywood — having hosted “Saturday Night Live” in early 2023, before his relationship with Taylor Swift sent his profile stratospheric, he’s now set to act in Ryan Murphy’s “Grotesquerie” and host “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” He also earned his first producer credit this year.

Jason Kelce, meanwhile, has joined ESPN as an analyst. He’ll also have a song in one of his mom’s movies: “Christmas on Call” will feature “Santa Drives an Astrovan,” by The Philly Specials — also known as Jason Kelce and Eagles players Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson — featuring Mt. Joy, the release said. It’s from an upcoming album from which proceeds will go to the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Kelce brothers also recently inked a blockbuster deal with Amazon’s Wondery for their popular “New Heights” podcast.

A Wheel of Fortune contestant was letters away from earning $1 million.

Vivian Tran, who competed on the game show’s Sept. 16 episode, lost the grand prize when she couldn’t complete the first word in a three-word puzzle during the bonus round.

“My heart is racing,” Ryan Seacrest—who took over as host following Pat Sajak’s retirement—said during the round. “This is a first for me. You’re playing for $1 million.”

When Vivian made her way to the bonus round after landing on the “One Million” wedge during the final round, the $100,000 prize was replaced with $1 million. To win the prize, she had to land on the million-dollar envelope, which she did, and solve the puzzle correctly.

As for what the puzzle was? The phrase “Offering Some Help.”

Unfortunately, she was missing four letters in the first word and ultimately lost the money.

Ryan pulled open the envelope to show she landed on the correct envelope as she folded over in disbelief. Although it was a disappointment, Vivian left with a $27,300 cash prize, a trip to Europe and high spirits.

“It turned out great,” she told Wheel of Fortune’s social correspondent Maggie Sajak after the show, “a little bit painful, but I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“He kind of brought me into a corner and he’s like, ‘Vivian, I don’t know if you want to see this,'” Vivian recalled of the moment she lost. “I knew the last two words but the first one, I just couldn’t get the syllables. It was 10 seconds, so by the time I got to the eighth seconds, I missed it.”

But she’s grateful to have had the opportunity. She added, “I’ll look back on it positively despite what happened.”

Season 42, which began Sept. 9, is the first without Pat after he stepped away from the series in June after more than four decades. Although it’s a bittersweet moment for longtime letter-turner Vanna White, she has high hopes for the American Idol host.

“He’s doing an incredible job,” Vanna told E! News in a joint interview with Ryan this month. “It’s not easy. He makes it look easy.”

And she sees this as a new chapter for the beloved game show.

“Pat decided to retire after 41 years and god bless him,” she said. “He was happy and they said Ryan’s gonna be the next one and I said, ‘Great.’ Because he’s so talented, he’s so professional, he’s so good at what he does. I’m so thankful.”

And for Ryan, the opportunity was a no-brainer.

“If Wheel of Fortune is offered to you, you just don’t say no,” he emphasized. “You’ll have bad karma for the rest of your TV life.”

On Sept. 18, burger lovers will celebrate National Cheeseburger Day, and many restaurants are firing up the grill and giving customers some juicy deals to bite into. Ready to join in on the celebration? Here are a plethora of discounts and freebies to choose from.

Dog Haus 

Dog Haus will run a buy one, get one free cheeseburger offer for rewards members on Sept. 18. The offer is available in the chain’s app.

Eddie Merlot’s

On Sept. 18, Eddie Merlot’s customers can order Eddie’s Prime Cheeseburger for $15 between 4 — 6:30 p.m. Pricing and participation can vary based on location.

Farm Burger

Grass-fed burger chain Farm Burger is running a build-your-own cheeseburger deal starting at $5 on National Cheeseburger Day.

Farmer Boys

Farmer Boys customers can order the chain’s Big Cheese cheeseburger for just $4 on National Cheeseburger Day between 2 p.m. and close at participating locations while supplies last. The offer can’t be combined with other deals, is limited to two burgers per customer and is available in restaurant or in the drive-thru.

Very Important Farmer (VIF) loyalty members can also get an extra surprise when they scan their receipt.

Friendly’s

Friendly’s Fan Club members can save $2 on cheeseburgers between Sept. 18 — 20.

Hat Creek

Hat Creek customers who order the Little Hat Burger in the chain’s app will score the menu item for just $2 on Sept. 18.

Instacart

Instacart customers can get $10 off their $20 purchase from the National Cheeseburger Day product collection, which features meat, cheese, buns, condiments and more. The offer is valid at select retailers via Instacart. 

Krystal

Krystal is currently running a limited-time offer for 12 cheese Krystals for just $15.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s customers who order in the chain’s app can enjoy a 50-cent double cheeseburger on Sept. 18.

Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks is offering the following deals in honor of National Cheeseburger Day:

• Perfect Burger Pack for $99.99
• Custom Burger Experience With Free Brioche Buns for $129.99
• Deluxe Burger Experience for $131.46
• Butcher’s Burger Assortment for $188.46

Red Robin

Between Sept. 17 — 19, Red Robin customers can get a Gourmet Cheeseburger, bottomless side and drink for just $10 (regularly $14.99 or more) while dining in at participating restaurants.

Sonic

For a limited time, Sonic customers can order a quarter pound double cheeseburger for just $1.99.

Smashburger

Smashburger customers can score $5 Classic Singles on National Cheeseburger Day in store, online and in the restaurant’s app using the code CLASSIC24. The offer includes Classic Singles, Classic Single Turkey Burgers and Classic Single Black Bean Burgers.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse

Between 3 — 6 p.m. on Sept. 18, Sullivan’s Steakhouse customers can order the restaurant’s signature beef burger sliders for just $10. Pricing and participation can vary by location.

Wahlburgers

Wahlburgers adult burgers will be 50% off on Sept. 18 at participating locations. The offer is valid in-store and online, and excludes doubles, triples, sandwiches and Smahlburgers. It’s limited to one per customer and can’t be combined with other offers.

Wayback Burgers

Wayback Burgers is running a buy one, get one free deal on its classic burgers on Sept. 18.

Wendy’s

Between Sept. 18 — 22, Wendy’s customers can get a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger for $0.1 with any purchase while placing an app order at participating restaurants.

Whataburger

On National Cheeseburger Day, Whataburger rewards members who place an app or online order for a patty melt, Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger or a Whataburger with cheese will be entered for the chance to win free Whataburger for a year. Winners will receive their prize in the form of 52 coupons, which can be redeemed at participating locations.

White Castle

White Castle is running a buy one cheese slider, get one free deal on National Cheeseburger Day. To score the deal, simply use the code SAYCHEESE in the restaurant’s app.

In addition, customers can buy a sack of 10 cheese sliders for $7.99 ($8.99 in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Arizona) through November 10.

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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Kate Middleton has a new cause for celebration.

One week after sharing that she had completed her chemotherapy treatments, the Princess of Wales has officially returned to her royal duties.

“She held a meeting at Windsor Castle with advisers working on her Early Years campaign,” royal reporter Richard Palmer shared to X, formerly Twitter, Sept. 17, “to give children a better start in the first five years of their lives.

Middleton ‘s dedication to childhood development has been one of her main focuses, especially after she launched The Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood in 2021.

The meeting was confirmed in the Court Circular — the official record of royal engagements — and is only the third time Middleton has been mentioned in the records since stepping away from public duties earlier this year due to her cancer diagnosis, according to ITV.

The 42-year-old announced that she had completed chemotherapy in a video shared to social media Sept. 10, in which she detailed that “the last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family.”

Middleton — who shares Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, with husband Prince William —added, “The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.”

And while she is slowly returning to her duties, she stressed that staying “cancer-free is now my focus.”

“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she explained. “I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”

Middleton also thanked the public for their support during her journey, saying that she and William “have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.”

“Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling,” she continued. “To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey — I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”

Following Middleton’s happy news, William shared his own update, telling residents of Llanelli, South Wales during a Sept. 10 visit, “It’s good news, but there is still a long way to go.”

It was the serious setting of a criminal trial over a cryptocurrency fraud when Judge P. Kevin Castel confronted the famous bearded comedian, identified in court only as “Juror 16,” with questions just as he did three dozen other potential jurors to determine who would be on a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates.

The prospective jurors had already survived a general round of questioning in which individuals are dismissed for hardship reasons, such as medical issues or jobs from which they cannot be spared. The trial is expected to last less than two weeks.

When Letterman, who stepped down from his show in 2015, made it to what could be the final round for admittance on the jury, the judge lobbed a softball: “Where do you live?”

“Hartford,” Letterman responded, proving that he couldn’t make it through a single word without delivering a joke.

“No, it’s a joke,” Letterman quickly let the judge know. Hartford is in Connecticut, which would have disqualified him from the jury because it is outside the area where jurors are drawn from.

“Nice try,” the judge responded, adding, “You figured you would forgo Queens,” another location outside the area covered by the Southern District of New York. Queens is located in the Eastern District of New York.

After Letterman revealed his true area of residence — Westchester County — the pair began a volley of questions and answers totaling nearly three dozen exchanges.

Along the way, the judge, lawyers and three dozen or so prospective jurors learned a lot that the world already knows about Letterman. He was born in Indianapolis, obtained a degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and has a 20-year-old son in college in Massachusetts.

Asked what he does for a living, Letterman said he was currently “working for a company called Netflix.”

“Spouse or significant other?” Castel asked.

“I’ve had both. Currently I just have the spouse,” Letterman responded.

Asked how he gets his news, Letterman gave a nod to the past, saying: “Every morning I used to pick up the paper off the front porch. Now, I turn on the computer and it’s an aggregation of news sources from all over the United States and around the world.”

Asked what he likes to watch besides any Netflix programs he’s involved with, Letterman said, “I like sports.”

“I’m happy football is here. I’m happy it’s this time in the baseball season. I like motor sports. I like pretty much what most Americans watch on TV,” he said.

The judge asked him if he’s an Indianapolis Colts football fan.

“Big Colts fan. 0 and 2, but still a fan,” he said, referring to the fact that the Colts have lost their first two games this season.

For hobbies, Letterman said he likes to fish, ski and be outdoors.

“Ever called as a juror?” the judge asked.

“Been called many times. Just couldn’t make it happen,” Letterman answered.

“You know, this may be the charm,” Castel said, aware that Letterman had a 50-50 chance to make it onto the panel.

“It would be a pleasure,” Letterman said.

In the end, shortly before the jury was sworn in, Letterman was ejected when a prosecutor exercised what is known as a “strike,” which allows lawyers on either side to release a certain number of potential jurors from the panel for any reason at all. It was the third of four strikes exercised by prosecutors. No reason was given.

Halle Berry isn’t always purrfect.

In fact, the “Catwoman” star shared that one of her top mom regrets involves bringing her and ex Gabriel Aubry‘s daughter Nahla, 16, to see her new horror film “Never Let Go” in which she plays momma. 

“My daughter went to the screening and I stupidly thought she could handle it,” Berry exclusively told E! News. “It was one of my dumb mom moments. She left crying!”

But not to worry, the “Gothika” actress — who shares son Maceo with ex Olivier Martinez — hasn’t seen any lasting damage from the mishap. 

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“She was like, ‘Mom, what made you think I wanted to see you like that?'” the actress recalled. “She’s 16 now. I thought she was old enough, but it was a dumb mom moment!” (For more with Halle, tune into E! News tonight Sept. 17 at 11 p.m.)

As for their mom’s movies that Nahla and Maceo do watch?

“They like ‘Catwoman,'” the 58-year-old told E!. “My son likes ‘Race the Sun.'”

But she admitted, “They haven’t seen very many of my films.”

And yet they’ve had quite the impact on her vast filmography, Berry revealing that motherhood has completely changed her acting career.  

“It’s everything,” she reflected on stage at CinemaCon 2024 in April after debuting the “Never Let Go” trailer. “The world of the film is very foreign to me, and it was foreign to these two young performers who played my sons.”

“But what draws me is being a mother,” she continued. “Since I became a mother 17 years ago, playing these kinds of roles has wildly excited me. ‘Cause I know what it’s like to be a mother, I would protect my children with my life. ‘What would you do to protect your children?’ I think this role really allowed me to take that to the limit.”

But she’s not letting motherhood define her, either.

“I’m still an artist,” she explained on Internet radio platform Audacy last month. “I’m still a woman. I still have aspirations outside of being a mother,” she said. “Before I was a mom, I was me, and I try to stay connected to that so that my life doesn’t turn into ‘I’m only a mom.'” 

“Never Let Go” is in theaters Sept. 20.

The Grammy-nominated band announced on social media that it will retire from touring in 2025 due to irreconcilable differences between singer Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall.

“So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025,” the band said in a statement posted Monday.

The band – which currently also includes guitarist Dave Amato, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Bryan Hitt – formed in 1967 and produced hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Can’t Stop Loving You.”

The group recently completed a summer tour with the band Train.

Hall underwent back surgery in November and had been replaced for recent performances by Matt Bissonette.

“Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now,” the band’s post read. “If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him. The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect. Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt has been around to keep the Wagon rolling through the summer tour.”

The post went on to say that both Hall and Cronin had no intention of leaving the band.

“Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin,” the band wrote.

In closing, the post read: “Neal, Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever.”

Hall made his own Facebook post shortly after.

“Never ever thought it would end like this and I’m heartbroken,” he wrote. “Please know Neal and I did everything in our power to try and keep the Wagon rolling.  I am so appreciative of ALL the amazing love & support.  You guys have been very vocal and clear in your wishes for me to return to the stage.  Trust me…that’s all I wanted too.  We all deserved a farewell tour.

“For the record, I wanted REO Speedwagon to continue to tour with the lineup of Kevin, myself, Dave, Bryan and Derek. Just as it was prior to my necessary, planned and successful back surgery.”

The band has 19 remaining concerts scheduled through Nov. 23, starting with a performance at Agua Caliente Casino in California on Sept. 27.

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On Sept. 17, Taco Bell and the team at National Day Calendar announced their joint decision to move National Taco Day from Oct. 4 to the first Tuesday in October … annually.

Before the shift, the holiday only fell on a Tuesday roughly once every five or six years, a representative from Taco Bell tells TODAY.com. And that seemed anything but festive.

Even fans on social media have complained about the clear oversight.

“To right this wrong, Taco Bell has worked tirelessly with the powers that be, in this case National Day Calendar, to move the National Taco Day recognition to fall solely on Tuesdays henceforth,” the chain said in a press release.

In honor of the occasion, the fast-food giant is dropping deals each Tuesday throughout October. Representatives from Taco Bell say fans can stay up to date on the drops by signing up for the chain’s rewards program and keeping a close eye on its social media pages.

According to journalist Gustavo Arellano, National Taco Day has a much richer history than just showing up one day among other deal- and discount-centric food holidays.

The columnist and author of “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America” traced the day back to San Antonio, Texas, in the 1960s. While the initial celebratory season was reportedly in early May, fans saw it shift into October in the late 2000s, the chain wrote in a press release.

This is just the latest update in Taco Bell’s crusade to spread the tastiness of Taco Tuesday.

On Oct. 24, 2023, the day-of-the-week phrase officially became free to use after the chain had worked to petition the reversal of trademarks held by two restaurants — the trademarks made its use a violation for participants across all 50 states.

“When we set out to free Taco Tuesday, we did it for all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos,” Taco Bell’s then-incoming CEO, Sean Tresvant, said in a press release at the time.

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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The new laws come as California legislators ramped up efforts this year to regulate the marquee industry that is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Americans but has had little to no oversight in the United States.

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The laws also reflect the priorities of the Democratic governor who’s walking a tightrope between protecting the public and workers against potential AI risks and nurturing the rapidly evolving homegrown industry.

“We continue to wade through uncharted territory when it comes to how AI and digital media is transforming the entertainment industry, but our North Star has always been to protect workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation ensures the industry can continue thriving while strengthening protections for workers and how their likeness can or cannot be used.”

Inspired by the Hollywood actors’ strike last year over low wages and concerns that studios would use AI technology to replace workers, a new California law will allow performers to back out of existing contracts if vague language might allow studios to freely use AI to digitally clone their voices and likeness. The law is set to take effect in 2025 and has the support of the California Labor Federation and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.

A big step forward for protecting workers in the evolving AI space!@SAGAFTRA President @FranDrescher joins Gov. @GavinNewsom to celebrate two new laws ensuring performers' legal rights when negotiating digital replicas & setting rules for recreating performers who've passed. pic.twitter.com/WyrqyJGvzB

— California Governor (@CAgovernor) September 17, 2024

Another law signed by Newsom, also supported by SAG-AFTRA, prevents dead performers from being digitally cloned for commercial purposes without the permission of their estates. Supporters said the law is crucial to curb the practice, citing the case of a media company that produced a fake, AI-generated hourlong comedy special to recreate the late comedian George Carlin’s style and material without his estate’s consent.

“It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else because the AI protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “They say as California goes, so goes the nation!”

California is among the first states in the nation to establish performer protection against AI. Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, led the country by enacting a law protecting musicians and artists in March.

Supporters of the new laws said they will help encourage responsible AI use without stifling innovation. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said the new laws are likely unenforceable and could lead to lengthy legal battles in the future.

The two new laws are among a slew of measures passed by lawmakers this year in an attempt to reign in the AI industry. Newsom signaled in July that he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation, including one that would establish first-in-the-nation safety measures for large AI models.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.

Coca-Cola just ordered another round in the booming canned cocktail market. It is going with another classic, launching a canned rum and coke in collaboration with Bacardi Limited.

The two brands on Tuesday announced plans to release the ready-to-drink cocktail in several international markets, starting with an initial launch in Mexico and select European markets in 2025. The company is also evaluating a U.S. launch of the drink for 2025, a spokesperson confirmed with CNBC.

The Coca-Cola Company‘s latest move reflects continued explosive growth in the canned cocktails market. Premixed cocktails were the fastest-growing spirit category in the U.S. in 2023, growing 26.7% to $2.8 billion in revenue, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.‘ annual economic report.

Spirit sales in the U.S. have remained at the top of the alcoholic market, beating out wine and beer for the second straight year in 2023, according to the Spirits Council report. Vodka brought in the most revenue out of all spirits with about $7.2 billion.

The new drink is not Coke’s first entry into the premixed cocktail market. The company joined with beer giant Molson Coors to debut Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in 2021, and joined with Brown-Forman‘s Jack Daniels whiskey to can another popular bar drink, Jack and Coke. Those cans hit the U.S. market in 2023. Later that same year, Coca-Cola brand Sprite partnered with Pernod Ricard‘s Absolut Vodka for two versions of a premixed cocktail, one with Sprite and the other with Sprite Zero Sugar.

“We are continuing to develop our portfolio as a total beverage company, including in the growing alcohol ready-to-drink market,” said James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola, in a press release.

The entire ready-to-drink alcohol market is showing heady signs for the future. Hard seltzers, which often contain malt-based alcohol, showed signs of falling off in 2022 as category-wide sales lagged, leading Boston Beer to throw away excess supply of its hard seltzer brand Truly. But the U.S. hard seltzer market grew from $13.2 billion to $18.97 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow steadily into 2030, according to Grand View Research.

A Wheel of Fortune contestant was letters away from earning $1 million.

Vivian Tran, who competed on the game show’s Sept. 16 episode, lost the grand prize when she couldn’t complete the first word in a three-word puzzle during the bonus round.

“My heart is racing,” Ryan Seacrest—who took over as host following Pat Sajak’s retirement—said during the round. “This is a first for me. You’re playing for $1 million.”

When Vivian made her way to the bonus round after landing on the “One Million” wedge during the final round, the $100,000 prize was replaced with $1 million. To win the prize, she had to land on the million-dollar envelope, which she did, and solve the puzzle correctly.

As for what the puzzle was? The phrase “Offering Some Help.”

Unfortunately, she was missing four letters in the first word and ultimately lost the money.

Ryan pulled open the envelope to show she landed on the correct envelope as she folded over in disbelief. Although it was a disappointment, Vivian left with a $27,300 cash prize, a trip to Europe and high spirits.

“It turned out great,” she told Wheel of Fortune’s social correspondent Maggie Sajak after the show, “a little bit painful, but I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“He kind of brought me into a corner and he’s like, ‘Vivian, I don’t know if you want to see this,'” Vivian recalled of the moment she lost. “I knew the last two words but the first one, I just couldn’t get the syllables. It was 10 seconds, so by the time I got to the eighth seconds, I missed it.”

But she’s grateful to have had the opportunity. She added, “I’ll look back on it positively despite what happened.”

Season 42, which began Sept. 9, is the first without Pat after he stepped away from the series in June after more than four decades. Although it’s a bittersweet moment for longtime letter-turner Vanna White, she has high hopes for the American Idol host.

“He’s doing an incredible job,” Vanna told E! News in a joint interview with Ryan this month. “It’s not easy. He makes it look easy.”

And she sees this as a new chapter for the beloved game show.

“Pat decided to retire after 41 years and god bless him,” she said. “He was happy and they said Ryan’s gonna be the next one and I said, ‘Great.’ Because he’s so talented, he’s so professional, he’s so good at what he does. I’m so thankful.”

And for Ryan, the opportunity was a no-brainer.

“If Wheel of Fortune is offered to you, you just don’t say no,” he emphasized. “You’ll have bad karma for the rest of your TV life.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday to federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. An indictment says the music mogul “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals.”

Combs was arrested late Monday in Manhattan, roughly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Read the indictment.

Over the past year, Combs has been sued by people who say he subjected them to physical or sexual abuse. He has denied many of those allegations, and his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse Tuesday morning that Combs, 54, would plead not guilty and that he would “fight like hell” to get his client released from custody.

Here is the latest:

Combs held without bail

After Combs pleaded not guilty to the three federal charges he faces, the judge denied him bail, ordering the entertainment star be sent to jail while awaiting trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky announced the decision Tuesday after hearing lengthy arguments from prosecutors and Combs’ lawyers. His attorneys proposed that he be released on a $50 million bond to home detention with electronic monitoring, but the judge sided with prosecutors who argued that Combs not only posed a safety risk to the community, but also that he was a flight risk because of his wealth.

Combs showed few expressions and little emotion during the plea hearing, appearing solemn in a black T-shirt, sweatpants and Air Jordan sneakers. At least three of his sons and eight family members were in the courtroom for the hearing.

Prosecutors argue in court that Combs should remain jailed

Federal prosecutors have asked that Combs be jailed without bail, while his attorneys have proposed he be released on a $50 million bond.

In court Tuesday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said the government is seeking Combs’ detention on “multiple bases,” including the severity of the charges against him and the potential punishment of life in prison. She argued that he is a flight risk and there is a risk of witness intimidation.

“Mr. Combs physically and sexually abused victims for decades,” Johnson said. “He used the vast resources of his company to facilitate his abuse and cover up his crimes. Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor.”

Combs enters a not guilty plea

Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Combs stood up to enter his plea in a New York courtroom Tuesday. His hands were not cuffed but he held them behind his back.

An indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges Combs presided over a sordid empire of sexual crimes, coercing and abusing women for years while using blackmail and shocking acts of violence to keep his victims in line.

Comb’s attorneys request Diddy’s release on $50M bond

A motion for bail from Combs’ attorneys proposes he be released on a $50 million bond secured by his home in Miami.

The motion filed Tuesday also proposes his detention at home with GPS monitoring, with his travel restricted to federal districts in south Florida and southern New York.

The motion says Combs will turn over his passport and that he is attempting to sell his private jet. It says he has remained in the country even though there were no restrictions on his travel, and that his attorneys have kept authorities updated on his location.

It adds that “conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn are not fit for pre-trial detention.”

Prosecutors describe Combs’ alleged violence, including kidnapping and arson

Prosecutors say Combs repeatedly engaged in violence towards his employees and others.

In a court filing Tuesday, prosecutors say Combs and an unidentified co-conspirator kidnapped someone at gunpoint a few days before Christmas in 2011 in order to facilitate a break-in at another person’s home. They say multiple witnesses, police reports and other records corroborate the incident.

The detention memo also says that two weeks later, Combs’ allies set fire to a vehicle by slicing open its convertible top and dropping a Molotov cocktail inside.

Prosecutors say police and fire department reports document the arson and that multiple witnesses heard Combs brag about his involvement.

Prosecutors say Combs is a flight risk

Prosecutors say Combs should be denied bail because he is a serious flight risk.

In a detention memo filed in court, prosecutors say Combs has “seemingly limitless resources” to flee, pointing out that his net worth is close to $1 billion, including over $1 million in personal cash on hand as of last December.

They said he has had a personal plane for international travel since 2019, along with multiple vehicles in multiple locations.

The letter says Combs “has the money, manpower, and tools” to flee without detection.

Prosecutors urge court to deny Combs bail

Prosecutors say the violence Combs exacted on his victims was so extreme that he should be denied bail.

In a detention letter written for the federal judge overseeing the music mogul’s case, prosecutors described how Combs would assault women, employees and others “by throwing objects at them, choking them, pushing them, kicking them, and slamming them against walls and on to the ground.”

The letter says the violence was sometimes spontaneous and sometimes premeditated, including “resorting to kidnapping and arson when the defendant’s power and control were threatened.”

Prosecutors say Combs’ “disposition to violence cannot be reasonably prevented through bail conditions.”

The letter also says Combs should be denied bail because he has already reached out to potential witnesses in the case and that further attempts at witness tampering are likely.

Prosecutor says Combs was enabled by staff in his alleged crimes

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says Combs did not act alone.

During a news conference Tuesday, Williams said Combs’ security and household staff, as well as operators high up in the music industry were complicit. Williams says they cleaned up damaged hotel rooms and “delivered large quantities of cash to Combs to pay for the commercial sex workers.”

Williams says the investigation is ongoing, and is urging “anyone with information about this case to come forward and to do it quickly.”

US Attorney says he wants Diddy detained ahead of trial

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office is bringing the case against Sean “Diddy” Combs, says the music mogul led a criminal organization that carried out kidnapping, forced labor and sex trafficking, among other crimes.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Williams said authorities will seek to have Combs detained while he awaits trial.

He spoke before a display board showing images of some of the items recovered in searches of Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March, including AR-15s and a drum magazine containing dozens of rounds of ammunition. He says agents also seized electronic devices that contain images and videos of sexual encounters.

Williams says: “Combs led and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that used the business empire he controlled to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and the obstruction of justice.”

Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has said he will fight to keep his client free. He says Combs is innocent and will plead not guilty.

Cassie Ventura declines to comment on Combs’ indictment

Comb’s former longtime girlfriend, whom he was seen attacking in a March 2016 security video, has declined to comment on the federal case against him.

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for the singer Cassie Ventura, said in a statement released before Combs was due to appear in court Tuesday that neither he nor his client have anything to say on the matter.

Wigdor says: “We appreciate your understanding and if that changes, we will certainly let you know.”

Ventura reached a settlement with Combs last November, one day after filing a lawsuit containing allegations of beatings and abuse by the music producer.

Combs’ Lawyer says Diddy is innocent

Outside the Manhattan courthouse early Tuesday, Combs’ lawyer, noted that his client came to New York City voluntarily because they knew the charges were coming.

Marc Agnifilo said: “Not a lot of defendants do that. He came to New York to, to basically engage the court system and start the case.”

Though the indictment was not unsealed at the time of his comments, Agnifilo said they know what the charges will be and that Combs is “innocent of these charges.” He vowed to “fight like hell” to get Combs released from federal custody.

Prosecutors say injuries of Combs’ victims sometimes took weeks to heal

The indictment alleges Combs hit, kicked and threw objects at victims, and sometimes dragged them by their hair, causing injuries that often took days or weeks to heal. It says Combs also threw people around, choked and shoved them.

Prosecutors say his employees and associates witnessed his violence and, rather than intervening, helped him cover it up, including by preventing victims from leaving, and locating and contacting victims who attempted to flee.

Authorities say Combs was the head of a criminal enterprise

The indictment describes Combs as the head of a criminal enterprise that engaged or attempted to engage in activities including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.

He’s accused of striking, punching and dragging women on numerous occasions, throwing objects and kicking them, and enlisting his personal assistants, security and household staff to help him hide it all.

The lawsuit was filed on Monday in Los Angeles federal court by Tempo Music Investments, which says it owns a portion of the copyright to Mars’ song after acquiring co-writer Philip Lawrence’s music catalog. Mars is not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack are also named, and Sony Music Publishing, Apple, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Live Nation and other companies are accused for distributing the song.

According to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News, “‘Flowers’ duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements of ‘When I Was Your Man,’ including the melodic pitch design and sequence of the verse, the connecting bass-line, certain bars of the chorus, certain theatrical music elements, lyric elements, and specific chord progressions.”

The lawsuit also states that “the opening vocal line from the chorus of ‘Flowers’ begins and ends on the same chords as the opening vocal line in the verse of ‘When I Was Your Man.’ ”

Among other accusations are a comparison of lyrics of the two songs, which the lawsuit suggests are “no coincidence.”

“It is undeniable based on the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man,’” the lawsuit states.

Tempo Music Investments is seeking damages to be determined at trial or “the maximum of $150,000 per infringement,” a number that could be astronomical due to record-breaking number of streams. Its also demanding that the listed defendants stop reproducing, distributing or publicly performing “Flowers.”

Representatives for Cyrus and Mars did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.

Released in 2023, “Flowers” was the breakout hit from Cyrus’ eighth studio album “Endless Summer.” It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent eight non-consecutive weeks leading the charts and 57 weeks atop the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song also broke a string of records on streaming services, including the Spotify record for reaching 1 billion streams faster than any other song in Spotify history. “Flowers” also holds the record for the most-streamed song in a single week.

Cyrus also won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards for “Flowers.”

Read the lawsuit here:

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🌭 The Philadelphia Flyers on Monday unveiled their 2024-25 promotional schedule for games at the Wells Fargo Center. Included among the theme nights and giveaways were two special nights dedicated to Dietz & Watson dollar hot dogs.

Flyers Dollar Dog Nights are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, against the Colorado Avalanche and Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, against the Florida Panthers.

$1 food includes more than just hot dogs this Flyers season

The cheap food fun doesn’t stop with those games as fans can buy $1 Super Pretzels 🥨 during the Thursday, March 27, 2025, games against the Montreal Canadiens and grab $1 Turkey Hill ice cream 🍨 during the Saturday, April 12, 2025, game against the New York Islanders.

What freebies can Flyers fans get?

One buck too much? How about free?

Giveaways during the 2024-25 season include home opener t-shirts on Sunday, Oct. 19, vs. Vancouver Canucks; Flyers fanny packs on Saturday, Oct. 26, vs. Minnesota Wild; a Coors Light giveaway on Thursday, March 13, vs. Tampa Bay Lightning; and a Flyers placemat on Saturday, March 15, vs. Carolina Hurricanes.

The highlight (or maybe it’s just nightmare fuel) of the giveaways has to be the Gritty night light giveaway for fans during the Saturday, Feb. 22, game against Edmonton.

Theme nights and community fun during 2024 Flyers season

Fans of Star Wars (Nov. 16), Halloween (Oct. 31) and Marvel (March 8) all have theme nights for them.

Community night include military appreciation on Monday, Nov. 11, Pride Night on Jan. 21 and the March 4 PAL game.

There are plenty of other promotions set for the 2024-25 Flyers season. Click here to get tickets to the game you don’t want to miss.

Ina Garten proved she is much more than a stereotype.

The “Barefoot Contessa” host revealed that she nearly divorced husband Jeffrey Garten during their decades-long marriage. And it all came down to the fact that she felt like she was playing the role of housewife.

“There were certain roles that we played, and I found them really annoying,” Ina told People Sept. 17. “I felt that if I just hit the pause button, I would get his attention.”

But the 76-year-old, who tied the knot with Jeffrey Garten in December 1968, shared insight into the role her business played in their relationship dynamic after buying her specialty food store in Westhampton Beach.

“When I bought ‘Barefoot Contessa,’ I shattered our traditional roles —­ took a baseball bat to them and left them in pieces,” she wrote in her memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens — releasing Oct. 1. “While I was still cooking, cleaning, shopping, managing at the store, I was doing it as a businesswoman, not a wife. My responsibilities made it impossible for me to even think about anything else. There was no expectation about who got home from work first and what they should do, because I never got home from work!”

“I thought about it a lot, and at my lowest point, I wondered if the only answer would be to get a divorce,” she continued. “I loved Jeffrey and didn’t want to shock — ­or hurt — ­him, so I’d start by suggesting we pause for a separation.”

And amid feeling like they were “caught between two worlds,” the Food Network star pushed to break the mold of a “traditional ‘man and wife’ relationship,” and insisted that they see a therapist.

“Jeffrey’s willingness to see the therapist was as significant as anything that might happen during their session,” she wrote. “He was that determined to convince me he was serious about making our marriage work.”

And luckily, the couple is stronger than ever as they prepare to reach 56 years of marriage this December.

“Six weeks passed. We talked, we listened, and more important, we heard each other when we aired our concerns,” she continued. “Moving forward, we could be equals who took care of each other. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but if we worked toward the same goal, we could change things together.”

As for where it all started, the two knew it was love at first sight after first laying eyes on each other in a college library. And that very same day, the Yale alum took her on their first date.

“After the date, Jeffrey said to his roommate, ‘Are you interested?’ ‘Oh no, I’ve known her since I was 5,'” Ina recalled in a 2018 episode of Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist. “So he asked if he could write to me. And he wrote me a letter…I remember running through the house — he sent me a photograph — and I remember saying, ‘Mom, mom, this guy’s adorable!'”

But despite Ina’s confession that she didn’t expect a second date, their love would prevail for years to come.

“I had no idea I needed fake ID to get into a bar when I was 16,” she admitted on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in November 2022. “So many years later, I said [to Jeffrey], ‘What did you think? Why would you want to take me out again?’ He said, ‘I thought you needed taking care of.’ Which is so sweet, and he was so right.”

The indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges Combs hit and abused women for over a decade and presided over an empire of sexual crimes as he “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals.”

The indictment details allegations dating to 2008 that he abused, threatened and coerced women for years “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.” He is accused of inducing female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, sometimes dayslong sexual performances dubbed “Freak Offs” in the indictment, which refers obliquely to an attack on his former girlfriend, the the R&B singer Cassie, that was captured on video.

Combs was arrested late Monday in Manhattan, roughly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and on Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island.

He appeared in court Tuesday afternoon, where a magistrate ordered him to be held without bail. The music mogul pleaded not guilty during the appearance.

“Not guilty,” Combs told a court, standing to speak after listening to the allegations with his uncuffed hands folded in his lap.

Prosecutors wanted him jailed. His attorneys proposed that he be released on a $50 million bond to home detention with electronic monitoring. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky sided with the government.

Combs, 54, took a long swig from a water bottle, then was led out of court without handcuffs. As he walked out, he turned toward family members in the audience.

“Mr. Combs is a fighter. He’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent,” his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said after court. As a start, he said he would appeal the bail decision.

Federal prosecutors called him dangerous.

“Mr. Combs physically and sexually abused victims for decades. He used the vast resources of his company to facilitate his abuse and cover up his crimes. Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told a court. She also said he had “extensive and exhaustive history of obstruction of justice,” including alleged bribery and witness intimidation.

Combs is accused in the indictment of striking, punching and dragging women on numerous occasions, throwing objects and kicking them — and enlisting his personal assistants, security and household staff to help hide it all.

The indictment describes Combs as the head of a criminal enterprise engaged in or attempting to engage in activities including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.

The “Freak Offs” were “elaborate and produced sex performances” that Combs “arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded,” the indictment said. It said he sometimes arranged to fly the women in and ensured their participation by procuring and providing drugs, controlling their careers, leveraging his financial support, and using intimidation and violence.

The events could last for days, and Combs and victims would often receive IV fluids to recover from the exertion and drug use, the indictment said.

During the searches of Combs’ homes in Miami Beach and Los Angeles this year, law enforcement seized narcotics and more than a thousand bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to the indictment.

Also found were firearms and ammunition, “including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers, as well as a drum magazine,” the indictment said.

“On more than one occasion, Combs himself carried or brandished firearms to intimidate and threaten others, including victims of and witnesses to his abuse,” the indictment said.

Combs’ lawyer said his client didn’t own the guns at his house, noting that he employs a security company.

As the threat of criminal charges loomed, Combs and his associates pressured witnesses and victims to stay silent, offering bribes and supplying false narratives of what happened, the indictment says.

In a court filing, prosecutors accused Combs and an unidentified co-conspirator of kidnapping someone at gunpoint a few days before Christmas in 2011 in order to facilitate a break-in at another person’s home. Two weeks later, they wrote, Combs set fire to someone’s vehicle by slicing open its convertible top and dropping in a Molotov cocktail.

All of this, prosecutors allege, was happening behind the facade of Combs’ global music, lifestyle and clothing empire.

Combs, 54, was recognized as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop before a flood of allegations that emerged over the past year turned him into an industry pariah.

In November, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit saying he had beaten and raped her for years. She accused Combs of coercing her, and others, into unwanted sex in drug-fueled settings.

The suit was settled in one day, but months later, CNN aired hotel security footage showing Combs punching and kicking Ventura and throwing her on a floor. After the video aired, Combs apologized, saying, “I was disgusted when I did it.”

The indictment refers to the attack, without naming Ventura, and says Combs tried to bribe a hotel security staffer to stay mum about it.

Combs and his attorneys denied similar allegations made by others in a string of lawsuits.

Agnifilo acknowledged Combs was “not a perfect person,” saying he’d used drugs and had been in “toxic relationships” but was getting treatment and therapy.

“The evidence in this case is extremely problematic,” the attorney told the court.

He maintained that the case stemmed from one long-term, consensual relationship that faltered amid infidelity. He didn’t name the woman, but the details matched those of Combs’ decade-long involvement with Cassie.

The “Freak Offs,” Agnifilo contended, were an expansion of that relationship, and not coercive.

“Is it sex trafficking? Not if everybody wants to be there,” Agnifilo said, arguing that authorities were intruding on his client’s private life.

Prosecutors, however, said in court papers that they had interviewed more than 50 victims and witnesses and expect the number to grow. They said they would use financial, travel and billing records, electronic data and communications and videos of the “Freak Offs” to prove their case.

Combs nodded his head at times as his lawyer spoke and occasionally leaned over to converse with them when they were not. The impresario watched other parts of the proceeding expressionlessly, looking straight ahead.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says Combs did not act alone.

During a news conference Tuesday, Williams said Combs’ security and household staff, as well as operators high up in the music industry were complicit. Williams says they cleaned up damaged hotel rooms and “delivered large quantities of cash to Combs to pay for the commercial sex workers.”

“A year ago, Sean Combs stood in Times Square and was handed a key to New York City. Today, he’s been indicted and will face justice,” Williams said.

Combs returned the key in June after Mayor Eric Adams requested it back.

Williams says the investigation is ongoing, and is urging “anyone with information about this case to come forward and to do it quickly.”

A conviction on every charge in the indictment would require a mandatory 15 years in prison with the possibility of a life sentence.

Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has gotten out of legal trouble before.

In 2001, he was acquitted of charges related to a Manhattan nightclub shooting two years earlier that injured three people. His then-protege, Shyne, was convicted of assault and other charges and served about eight years in prison.

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Victoria Szafarski currently has $10,000 in credit card debt. 

The New Yorker’s outstanding balance peaked at $25,000 last year before she took on a second job as a waitress for a few months. The extra cash Szafarski brought in helped her make headway in paying down the debt and increasing her savings.

“I felt very isolated, I felt embarrassed, I felt like a failure,” said Szafarski, 27. 

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Her next tactic to reduce the balance: participate in “No Spend September,” a social media trend that involves a full month of cutting non-essential purchases. The #nospendchallenge hashtag on TikTok has more than 18,300 posts as of Sept. 16.

“‘No Spend September’ is a great way to check back with yourself,” said Szafarski, who is chronicling her attempt with money diaries on TikTok.

Experts agree.

A no-spend period can bring “conscientiousness in spending,” said Stacy Francis, a certified financial planner and the president and CEO of Francis Financial in New York City.

Here’s more on what ‘No Spend September’ can mean for you.

‘We fritter money away every single day’

While you are still going to spend money on fixed essentials like a car payment or monthly rent, “No Spend September” is about being thoughtful in how you’re spending money, said Francis, who is a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council.

“For the vast majority of us, we fritter money away every single day, from a $6 latte to a $12 salad,” said Francis. “These are all things we can not do for a little bit of time.” 

While you could potentially have a no-spend month on your own, joining the September trend can help provide a sense of community and support, said Francis.

“There’s a lot of benefit from that. It’s inspirational,” she said.

When it comes to her own finances, Szafarski believes September can also be a “good time to reset” because it’s easy to spend money in the summer, she said.

But you may set yourself up for failure if you have a restrictive mindset.

“Depriving yourself for long periods of time can create a boomerang effect of spending,” Francis said.

To that point, here’s a guideline of how to benefit from No Spend September. 

How to benefit from a no-spend challenge

If you’re thinking about participating in the “No Spend September” trend or your own no-spend challenge, consider taking a “deep dive” into what you’re spending on by looking through your credit card bills and bank statements, Francis said. 

“Are there things you’re spending money on that you don’t really need or you’re not really using?” she said. 

Here are three other guidelines to consider if you plan to participate:

1. Start small

Different people can have different tolerances, said Francis. If a monthlong challenge feels daunting, “think about doing a ‘no-spend week’ and start with that,” she said. 

2. Set short- and long-term goals

Set yourself goals for that no-spend week or month, said Francis.

They can be key goals like paying down a credit card balance, saving a set amount in an emergency fund or boosting your retirement contribution, she said.

“But also think about your longer-term goals,” she said, and how you can adjust your spending in sustainable ways going forward. “It’s not realistic to have a ‘no spend’ month for the rest of your life.” 

3. Find ways to creatively avoid splurges

A no-spend challenge can help you identify your biggest discretionary expenses and find a creative way to still enjoy it without the splurge.

For instance, Szafarski had ingredients and groceries she knew were about to expire. Instead of going out to dinner with a friend in the city, she said to her: “Let’s make a meal, I have these vegetables. I don’t know what you have, but let’s come together and cook.”

“We’re not going out to dinner and spending a ton of money, but we’re still getting that sense of togetherness, that community,” Szafarski said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office accused Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, among other counts. Read the full indictment below.

His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said earlier Monday that they were “disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution,” calling the entertainment star “an imperfect person but is not criminal.”

The former music executive has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out the arrest in Manhattan on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told NBC New York. Combs was arrested in the lobby of a hotel, a representative told NBC News.

“To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” the statement from Agnifilo read. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Celebrity News Sep 11

Former Danity Kane member sues Sean Combs, alleging he groped and threatened her

Music & Musicians Aug 26

Diddy seeks to have producer's lawsuit tossed, says it's full of ‘blatant falsehoods'

Sean "Diddy" Combs Jul 3

Sean Combs is the subject of a federal criminal investigation

Chloe Melas of NBC News contributed to this report.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, a hip-hop kingmaker and three-time Grammy winner who was arrested in New York City on Monday, has been indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges, according to court papers unsealed in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. 

According to the indictment, Diddy “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”

He allegedly used his media empire as a criminal enterprise, “whose members and associates engaged in and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”

Combs engaged in a pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals, the indictment alleges. At times, he allegedly manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated sex performances with male commercial sex workers. He also allegedly made arrangements for women and commercial sex workers to fly to him.

“As alleged, Combs used force, threats of force, and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sexual performances with male commercial sex workers — some of whom he transported or caused to be transported over state lines,” Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said during a Tuesday press conference. “Combs allegedly planned and controlled the sexual performances which he called ‘freak offs’ and he often electronically recorded them. The ‘freak offs’ sometimes lasted days at a time, involved multiple commercial sex workers and often involved a variety of narcotics, such as ketamine, ecstasy and GHB, which Combs distributed to the victims to keep them obedient and compliant.”

Celebrity News Sep 11

Former Danity Kane member sues Sean Combs, alleging he groped and threatened her

Music & Musicians Aug 26

Diddy seeks to have producer's lawsuit tossed, says it's full of ‘blatant falsehoods'

Sean "Diddy" Combs Jul 3

Sean Combs is the subject of a federal criminal investigation

According to Williams, Combs would threaten and coerce his victims to participate in the “freak offs” and then “used the embarrassing and sensitive recordings he made of the ‘freak offs’ as collateral against the victims.”

Physical abuse also allegedly was rampant, with Williams saying when Diddy didn’t get his way “he was violent.”

“He subjected victims to physical, emotional and verbal abuse so that they would participate in the freak offs. Combs hit, kicked, threw objects at and dragged victims, at times by their hair,” Williams said, adding that the injuries sustained by the victims would last days and sometimes weeks to heal.

Outside court Tuesday, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said Combs’ team “knew this was coming” and that’s why Diddy was in New York, to surrender to authorities at a time agreeable to the U.S. attorney’s office. He says he anticipates a long legal battle, but he also anticipates a good outcome for Combs. Read the full indictment here.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out the arrest in Manhattan on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told NBC New York. Combs was arrested in the lobby of a hotel, a representative told NBC News.

In a statement released late Monday, Agnifilo said they were “disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution,” calling the entertainment star “an imperfect person but is not criminal.”

“To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” the statement from Agnifilo read. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Combs is expected to be arraigned in Lower Manhattan later Tuesday.

Spokespersons from Homeland Security Investigations declined to comment. Williams confirmed in a post on X Monday that “earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY.”

Combs, 54, has been under federal investigation since at least March 2024 when HSI executed search warrants at Combs’ properties. At the time of those searches, NBC News reported that three women and a man had been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan in relation to the aforementioned allegations against Combs.

Those search warrants had also been part of an investigation led by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

HSI officials seized phones from Combs in Miami before he was scheduled to depart for a trip to the Bahamas, according to three law enforcement sources familiar with the warrants. Combs was in the Miami area when federal authorities executed the searches, sources said.

In May, Combs apologized after a video, obtained by CNN, showed him beating his then girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

In a video apology posted to his Instagram, Combs admitted to the incident and said he took “full responsibility.”

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said. “I was f—ed up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses.”

Combs initially denied Ventura’s allegations of assault and sex trafficking which she described in a federal lawsuit filed in November. The two settled for an undisclosed amount the following day.

At the time of Combs’ admission of the assault, an attorney for Ventura, Meredith Firetog, said, “When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.”

Firetog added, “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation.”

Ventura’s representatives declined comment on his latest arrest.

The former music executive has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. The district attorney is seeking pre-trial detention for Combs and has filed a letter of intention indicating their reasons, although Williams did not provide details.

Although, the SDNY alleges that Combs used his media empire and workers as part of a criminal enterprise, it is unclear if anyone else will be charged as co-conspirators in connection to the investigation. However, the district attorney leading this case said it is possible given that the investigation continues.

“We are not done. This investigation is ongoing,” Williams said during the press conference Tuesday. “I encourage anyone with information about this case to come forward and to do it quickly. Anyone with information can call 1-877-4HSI-TIP.”

Chloe Melas of NBC News contributed to this report.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out the arrest in Manhattan on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told NBC New York. Combs was arrested in the lobby of a hotel, a representative told NBC News.

In a statement released late Monday night, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said they were “disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution,” calling the entertainment star “an imperfect person but is not criminal.”

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It was not immediately clear what charges Combs would face, but Agnifilo said that the charges were coming from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, indicating federal charges would be filed.

“To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” the statement from Agnifilo read. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Spokespersons from Homeland Security Investigations declined to comment. Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, confirmed in a post on X that “earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY.” Williams added that they expect to unseal the indictment Tuesday morning.

Williams is expected to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Combs is scheduled to appear in court in lower Manhattan on charges that appear to be in relation to allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms

Combs, 54, has been under federal investigation since at least March 2024 when HSI executed search warrants at Combs’ properties. At the time of those searches, NBC News reported that three women and a man had been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan in relation to the aforementioned allegations against Combs.

Those search warrants had also been part of an investigation led by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

HSI officials seized phones from Combs in Miami before he was scheduled to depart for a trip to the Bahamas, according to three law enforcement sources familiar with the warrants. Combs was in the Miami area when federal authorities executed the searches, sources said.

In May, Combs apologized after a video, obtained by CNN, showed him beating his then girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

In a video apology posted to his Instagram, Combs admitted to the incident and said he took “full responsibility.”

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said. “I was f—ed up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses.”

Combs initially denied Ventura’s allegations of assault and sex trafficking which she described in a federal lawsuit filed in November. The two settled for an undisclosed amount the following day.

At the time of Combs’ admission of the assault, an attorney for Ventura, Meredith Firetog, said, “When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.”

Firetog added, “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation.”

The former music executive has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

Chloe Melas of NBC News contributed to this report.

Mandy Moore has had enough.

The pregnant “This Is Us” star — who is expecting her third child with husband Taylor Goldsmith — spoke out on social media Sept. 16 after noticing a car had been following her.

“I’m literally about to give birth, like, any second, any day,” Moore prefaced in the Instagram Story video, “and for the last few days, there’s been someone who has followed me — or us — in their car, everywhere.”

The 40-year-old went on to explain that during a solo errands run, “I noticed this guy flip around and follow me, run red lights, run stop signs and do all that stuff, and I’m just like, ‘You’re doing way too much. I notice you. Ew.’”

Moore — who shares sons August “Gus” Harrison, 3, and Oscar “Ozzie” Bennett, 22 months, with Goldsmith — believes the person behind the wheel was a member of the paparazzi.

“I’m annoyed that that job still exists—like, hello, we have social media,” she argued. “Who cares about people taking other people’s pictures anymore? But also, what I get annoyed by is that they think I don’t see them!”

Still, the “Crush” singer made it clear she wasn’t looking for pity. “It’s not a ‘woe is me’ thing,” she explained. “It’s just an annoying part of the job that mostly does not exist for someone like me. I just have a real distaste for it.”

That’s not the only thing Moore has had to contend with during her pregnancy. In June, she revealed she was experiencing Melasma, a skin condition that causes light brown or blue-gray dots similar to freckles on the skin.

But that hasn’t stopped the “Tangled” voice actress from looking forward to her impending arrival. Back in May, she shared the news of her pregnancy — as well as the sex of the baby — with a sweet nod to her “This Is Us” family.

“The third in our own Big Three coming soon,” Moore wrote on Instagram post alongside a photo of her two boys, referencing the NBC drama’s “Big Three” Pearson siblings. “Can’t wait for these boys to have a baby sister.”

Content warning: This story discusses suicide.

The dance community is mourning one of its own.

“America’s Got Talent” alum Emily Gold — who competed alongside her Los Osos High School varsity dance team on season 19 of the show earlier this year — has died by suicide, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department confirmed to E! News. She was 17.

The dancer was found dead on Sept. 13 at around 11:52 p.m., when officers responded to a call of a pedestrian down in the lanes of a highway in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., according to a Sept. 14 press release from the California Highway Patrol.

At the time, authorities discovered an unidentified female who had been “struck by at least one vehicle” before succumbing to her injuries and being pronounced dead at the scene, per the release.

And while the female has since been identified as Gold by the coroner’s office, the California Highway Patrol noted that circumstances surrounding her death are still being investigated.

News of Gold’s passing comes one month after the teen and her Los Osos dance team were eliminated from season 19 of “America’s Got Talent” in the quarterfinal round.

And while the squad didn’t go home with a win, their final performance earned a standing ovation from the audience and massive praise from judge Simon Cowell.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” Cowell told Gold and her fellow dancers during the Aug. 13 episode of the reality competition series. “What I loved about this was first of all the energy. I think what I just saw is everything a great school should be doing, which is encouraging talent and friendship.”

For Gold — who admitted juggling school and dancing was a “tough balance” — success could be attributed to her drive to constantly better her craft.

“When I’m performing, I’m really thinking about all the corrections,” she told People in an Aug. 13 interview, “because we get corrections up until five minutes before we go on stage.”

She added, “So to really just think about all those so that we apply them is my biggest priority on stage.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

The FX series broke its own record for most wins by a comedy, garnering 11 wins across acting, writing and directing categories for its second season.

“Hacks,” however, won outstanding comedy series.

The show’s series of victories also re-stoked a debate from the series’ first Emmys run: Is “The Bear” a comedy at all?

The tense series unfolds in the kitchen of a Chicago sandwich shop-turned-gourmet restaurant. Characters grapple with all manner of hardship, ranging from childhood trauma to substance abuse. “Fishes,” which won best directing at the Emmys, was called chaotic; there are rankings of the show’s most stressful episodes.

In their opening monologue, hosts Dan and Eugene Levy poked fun at the debate of the night.

“Now, I love the show,” Eugene Levy said, introducing “The Bear.” “And I know some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy. But in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes.”

Online, viewers poked fun — and critiqued — the categorization.

Comedian Laraine Newman wrote, “Every time I think about The Bear being in the comedy category for the Emmys I can feel an ulcer developing.”

“The bear’ is committing voter fraud and stealing the election,” one tweet read. Another likened it to “category fraud.”

“The joke of the bear might be how the series is categorized as comedy series after all,” another wrote.

Viewers believed the categorization shut out other, truer comedies, like “Abbott Elementary” or “Only Murders in the Building.”

“Jeremy Allen White is an amazing actor in a great show… who hasn’t delivered one funny line in three seasons. The #Emmys are broken. Martin Short, Steve Martin & Larry David are three of the funniest humans ever. Comedy needs to be factored into Best Actor in a COMEDY Series,” one X user wrote.

Others defended the show. “Let’s not pretend this wasn’t one of the best TV episodes of the year,” an X user wrote about “Fishes,” which won Christopher Storer an Emmy for directing.

The cast also addressed the debate on the red carpet.

“Those are conversations for other people to have. Our conversation is in the work,” Ayo Edebiri said in a Variety interview.

“I think the show is really funny. Comedy, drama… Who cares, man?” Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for the second year in a row, said.

“I think it is an important conversation to have. But I think the show is funny and the work is good… so I’m not really interested in discourse that’s insulting to anyone, really,” she said.

FX has not clarified why “The Bear” was submitted as a comedy.

However, FX chairman John Landgraf addressed the debate in an interview with Variety, and essentially said he leaves the categorization up to the Academy.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m in my 60s, and I’ve been doing it my whole adult life. And I’ve never seen a better season of any television series, let alone a comedy, than ‘The Bear’ Season 2. Like, that’s as good a season of television as I’ve ever seen. And there are parts of that season that are very, very funny. We let the voters decide the answers to these questions,” he said.

This is hardly the first time a show that straddled comedy and drama has been submitted at the Emmys as a comedy. “Barry,” year after year, swept the Emmys’ comedy category and was an often violent show about an assassin working through PTSD.

In this evolving, genre-bending TV landscape, the Television Academy’s rules for what constitutes a drama and what constitutes a comedy have changed. In 2022, the Emmys eliminated program length determining whether a show was a comedy or a drama.

The debate will likely rage on. The third season of “The Bear” just premiered, and was as stressful and wrenching, meaning that next year’s Emmys will keep the controversy going.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Midnights become her afternoons.

After Taylor Swift cheered on her man Travis Kelce to a win as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 15, the “Anti-Hero” singer was ready to live it up in honor of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 29th birthday celebration.

In photos captured by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones’ wife Sheawna Weathersby and wide receiver Mecole Hardman’s fiancé Chariah Gordon, Swift had a blast, posing for photos with her fellow WAGs.

Clad in her oversized Chiefs’ shirtdress and thigh-high black boots, the Grammy winner wowed in her signature bold red lip as she posed on a wall with framed photos of both Kelce and her own Eras tour poster.

The trio also posed for some fun photobooth snaps as the photo strips read, “Happy Birthday Patrick, Twenty Nine, Straight Outta ’95.”

The quarterback’s wife Brittany Mahomes also shared footage from inside the bash, which included a giant red, black and white balloon display with “29” numbers, lots of throwback photos of the Super Bowl champ as a kid and a giant cookie cake.

Earlier in the day, Swift attended Kelce’s game alongside her mom Andrea Swift, who showed her support for the “New Heights” podcaster by wearing a red shirt with the pin “In my 87 era,” a nod to Kelce’s jersey number and the singer’s ongoing Eras tour.

It’s been a big week for Swift, who made history at the MTV VMAs on Sept. 11, when she broke multiple records after winning seven VMAs and tying with Beyonce for her record of most wins at the annual awards show.

During one of her wins, Swift gave Kelce a sweet shoutout onstage while accepting the award for Video of the Year for her “Fortnight” collab with Post Malone. She recalled making the video and consistently hearing, “someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it.”

She noted, “That one person was my boyfriend Travis.”

The “Love Story” singer added, “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”

Tito was the third of nine Jackson children, which includes global superstars Michael and sister Janet, part of a music-making family whose songs are still beloved today.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll said in a statement posted on Instagram late Sunday.

The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. The family group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.”

The Jackson 5 became one of the biggest names in music under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player who supported his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. As the family’s music careers took off, they relocated to California.

Born on Oct. 15, 1953, Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the least-heard member of the group as a background singer who played guitar. His brothers launched solo careers, including Michael, who became one of the world’s biggest performers known as The King of Pop.

Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009.

Speaking to The Associated Press in December 2009, Jackson said his younger brother’s death pulled the family closer together.

“I would say definitely it brought us a step closer to each other. To recognize that the love we have for each other when one of us is not here, what a great loss,” he said, adding he would personally never “be at peace with it.”

“There’s still moments when I just can’t believe it. So I think that’s never going to go away,” he said.

In 2014, Jackson said he and his brothers still felt Michael Jackson’s absence in their shows that continued with international tours.

“I don’t think we will ever get used to performing without him. He’s dearly missed,” he said, noting that his spirit “is with us when we are performing. It gives us a lot of positive energy and puts a lot of smiles on our faces.”

Days before his death, Jackson posted a message on his Facebook page from Munich, Germany, on Sept. 11, where he visited a memorial to Michael Jackson with his brothers.

“Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson. We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive,” he wrote.

Tito Jackson was the last of the nine Jackson siblings to release a solo project with his 2016 debut, “Tito Time.” He released a song in 2017, “One Way Street,” and told the AP in 2019 that he was working on a sophomore album.

Jackson said he purposely held back from pursuing a solo career, because he wanted to focus on raising his three sons: T.J., Taj and Taryll, who formed their own music group 3T. Jackson’s website offers a link to a single featuring 3T and Stevie Wonder titled, “Love One Another.”

Tito Jackson also is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and La Toya and their mother, Katherine. Their father died in 2018.

“Shogun” won the best drama series win, collecting a whopping 18 Emmys for its first season, just one of several historic wins.

Hiroyuki Sanada won best actor in a drama for “Shogun” on Sunday night at the Emmy Awards, and Anna Sawai won best actress as they became the first two Japanese actors to win Emmys.

Their wins gave the FX series momentum going into one of the night’s top awards, where “Shogun” won best drama series.

“The Bear” came back for seconds in a big way at the ceremony four times including best actor, best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a comedy, while British upstart “Baby Reindeer” won four of its own, including best limited series.

The star of FX’s “The Bear” Jeremy Allen White won best actor in a comedy for the second straight year, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach repeated as best supporting actor.

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A surprise came when Liza Colón-Zayas won best supporting actor over major competition.

“How could I have thought it would be possible to be in the presence of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett,” Colón-Zayas said as tears welled in her eyes as she accepted the award on the stage of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

She is the first Latina to win in the category.

“To all the Latinas who are looking at me,” she said, “keep believing and vote.”

Netflix’s darkly quirky “Baby Reindeer” won best actor and best writing for the show’s creator and star Richard Gadd and best supporting actress for Jessica Gunning, who plays his tormentor.

Accepting the best limited series award, Gadd urged the makers of television to take chances.

“The only constant across any success in television is good storytelling,” he said. “Good storytelling that speaks to our times. So take risks, push boundaries. Explore the uncomfortable. Dare to fail in order to achieve.”

“Baby Reindeer” is based on a one man-stage show in which Gadd describes being sexually abused along with other emotional struggles.

Accepting that award, he said, “no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better.”

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Gadd has.

Jodie Foster won her first Emmy to go with her two Oscars when she took best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”

The creator of “The Bear” was also a repeat winner. Christopher Storer took his second straight Emmy for directing, an award handed out by reunited “Happy Days” co-stars Ron Howard and Henry Winkler.

White said backstage that he was watching in the wings as Colón-Zayas won and “that was just the greatest.”

He also shouted out two acting wins the show had already scored at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, when Jamie Lee Curtis won best guest actress in a comedy for playing his mother, and Jon Bernthal won best guest actor for playing his big brother.

The father-son hosting duo of Eugene and Dan Levy in their monologue at the top of the show mocked the very dramatic “The Bear” being in the comedy category.

“In honor of ‘The Bear’ we will be making no jokes,” Eugene Levy said, to laughs.

Jean Smart won best actress in a comedy for “Hacks.” She has won for all three seasons of “Hacks,” and has six Emmys overall.

She beat nominees including Ayo Edebiri, who as co-star of “The Bear” moved from supporting actress, which she won in January in the strike-delayed Emmy Awards, to lead actress.

Elizabeth Debicki took best supporting actress in a drama for playing Princess Diana at the end of her life in the sixth and final season of the show.

“Playing this part, based on this unparalleled, incredible human being, has been my great privilege,” Debicki said. “It’s been a gift.”

Billy Crudup won best actor in a drama for “The Morning Show.”

Streep wasn’t the only Oscar winner trumped by a little-known name. Robert Downey Jr., the reigning best supporting actor winner for “Oppenheimer,” was considered the favorite to win best supporting actor in a limited series for “The Sympathizer,” but that award went to Lamorne Morris for “Fargo.”

“Robert Downey Jr. I have a poster of you in my house!” Morris said from the stage as he accepted his first Emmy.

Several awards were presented by themed teams from TV history, including sitcom dads George Lopez, Damon Wayans and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and TV moms Meredith Baxter, Connie Britton, and Susan Kelechi Watson.

“Friends” fans will always be there for Matthew Perry.

In fact, viewers of the 2024 Emmy Awards were quick to call out the fact that Perry — who died in October 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine — wasn’t included during the In Memoriam segment at the Sept. 15 award show.

“did I miss it or did the Emmy’s not show Matthew Perry????” one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another added, “How in the world did the Emmy’s not include Matthew Perry?!?!”

However, there was a reason that Perry did not appear: He was already honored at the 2023 Emmys ceremony, which was held in January after being pushed back from its normal September 2023 spot because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes.

During that show, the Emmys paid tribute to Perry in a touching way, playing “Friends'” iconic theme song “I’ll Be There For You” during the In Memoriam segment, which concluded with an image of Perry.

However, Perry’s Friends costars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — were not involved in the segment during the Jan. 15 award show.

As Emmys executive producer Jeannae Rouzan-Clay told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, “It’s still very fresh for them.”

Fellow executive producer Jesse Collins also noted that the team had discussed bringing the cast together “early on” in the planning process, but that looking at it from their perspective, “they’re mourning someone who was still very close to them.”

“I can’t speak for them,” Collins added, “but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon.”

Following Perry’s death, his costars have been candid about how much they miss the Emmy nominee, with Cox recently sharing that she still feels his presence in her life.

“He visits me a lot, if we believe in that,” she explained on “CBS Sunday Morning” in May. “I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that guide us. I sense Matthew’s around for sure.”

Cox also reflected on how meaningful it is to share such a close bond with her costars.

“I’m grateful that I had that opportunity to work with such wonderful people and to live the life that I have now,” she added. “That was my family. We went through everything. Those 10 years were everything.”

Jimmy Kimmel is once again on the receiving end of some award show backlash.

During the 2024 Emmys on Sept. 15, the comedian took the stage at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles immediately following the In Memoriam segment honoring the year’s fallen stars. However, his tribute to late friend and TV icon Bob Newhart — who died in July at the age of 94 — was met with mixed reviews on social media.

Kimmel kicked off his speech with, “And the Emmy for deceased industry professional we will miss most goes to…” before adding, “This is the time in the show when we remember the people who’ve we’ve lost over the last year, one I was very lucky to know, and that was Bob Newhart.”

“Those of you who knew Bob, who knew him personally, know he was exactly who you thought he would be,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host gushed. “He did not have range. He didn’t need to have range. Bob had what very few comedians have, especially today: A degree in accounting.”

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Kimmel went on to praise the late “Elf” star as “humble” and a “politely hilarious man” who was long under-recognized by the Academy.

“He had his first Emmy nomination in 1962 and didn’t win one until 2013 51 years later,” Kimmel noted, “which is a great lesson and that lesson is Jon Stewart, you should be ashamed of yourself. You said you were retiring.”

All jokes aside, Kimmel concluded, “Bob Newhart was one of our most loved and funniest people for more than 60 years and we will miss him for many years to come.”

After the appearance, some viewers called out Kimmel’s light-hearted monologue following the In Memoriam segment.

“Jimmy Kimmel literally just said the worst joke after a sad moment recognizing everyone in the industry who’ve unfortunately passed,” one X (formerly known as Twitter) user wrote while another posted, “Sorry. I just don’t find Jimmy Kimmel funny anymore… it wasn’t classy to make that joke or have him come out after such an emotional ‘In Memoriam’ [performance] by Jelly Roll like that.”

Meanwhile, another user commented, “Jimmy Kimmel remains not funny. Like that was cringy. Like what are you saying? Ugh, tacky.”

However, Newhart’s children were pleased by the honor. 

“We were all so touched by the Emmy tribute tonight. Dad would have been so honored,” read a tweet from his X account. “Thank you to @jimmykimmel and @TelevisionAcad.”

Alan Cumming is faithful to his Scottish roots.

At the 2024 Emmy Awards Sept. 15, the “Traitors” host walked the red carpet in a black kilt with a beige jacket, accented by a plaid shirt with wrap detail. If the Teddy Vonranson design looks familiar that’s because it’s similar to the plaid Dior bustier and cape combo Taylor Swift wore at the “2024 MTV Video Music Awards” Sept. 11. But, Cumming made it clear who did the trend first. (Click here to see all of this year’s red carpet stars.)

“The b—- stole my look,” he joked to People at the Peacock Theater. “In the next season there’s a look I have that’s very similar, but I think it’s hilarious that so many people said Taylor Swift looks like Alan Cumming, which is a sentence I never thought I would hear.”

The 59-year-old was already a winner when he arrived at the 76th annual award show, hosted by Eugene Levy and Dan Levy. His unforgettable turn on season two of the Peacock hit earned him the award for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program at the Creative Arts Emmys Sept. 7, ending RuPaul’s eight-year winning streak in the category. (Keep track of all of this year’s winners here).

As for what to expect from the murder-mystery competition’s highly-anticipated third season? “It’s brutal,” he exclusively told Live from E!: Emmys host Laverne Cox. “And what happens on this, I can’t really say, of course, but it’s a bloodbath, and then it gets really lovely.”

Involved in that bloodbath are “Vanderpump Rules‘” Tom Sandoval, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” Dolores Catania, “Summer House” star Ciara Miller, “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Dorinda Medley, “The Real Housewives of Potomac” alum Robyn Dixon and “The Real Housewives of Dubai” Chanel Ayan. Plus Britney Spears‘ ex Sam Ashgari, British royal Lord Ivar Mountbatten, “Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause, “Bob The Drag Queen” from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Big Brother” alum Britney Haynes and “The Biggest Loser’s Bob Harper.”

Stephen Nedoroscik left his Rubik’s Cube behind to make his Emmys debut.

The two-time Olympic medalist walked the red carpet at the 2024 “Emmy Awards,” accompanied by girlfriend Tess McCracken. The pommel horse specialist arrived at the Peacock Theater Sept. 15 wearing a dapper suit, bowtie and his iconic signature glasses. And by his side, Tess stunned in a strapless black gown, strappy heels and a matching clutch. (See every star on the red carpet here.)

In fact, McCracken has been by Nedoroscik’s side for many recent milestones, from his rise to fame as “the Pommel Horse guy,” to his “Dancing With The Stars” debut with partner Rylee Arnold.

“She’s already out there in L.A. with me,” Nedoroscik told E! News in September, following his DWTS cast announcement. “And we brought the kitty. We got the whole house set up, we’re comfy.”

Indeed, ever since meeting ahead of their freshman year at Penn State, their relationship has been gold.

“I think it’s really that we just get each other,” She told E! last month at the 2024 Paris Olympics, revealing that the key to their relationship is, “Being able to have the intellectual conversations, the gymnastics conversations — we very frequently end up having debates.”

As she explained, “Neither one of us gets worked up. We disagree, we go back and forth with our logic, we think about it. And that’s really great.”

As for how the 25-year-old and his girlfriend’s relationship has stood the test of time?

“We’re each other’s person,” McCracken summed it up. “We don’t get tired of each other. We don’t feel like we need like that break. I think that has really helped over the last eight years — just keep us solid. And it’s been a great time.”

This year’s top nominees included “Shogun,” with 25 nominations, followed by “The Bear,” with 23 nominations. Other shows with an impressive number of nominations include “The Crown” with 19 and “Hacks” with 16.

Many of the awards were already given out at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, with only the most prestigious awards, such as Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series, announced in primetime on Sunday.

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Despite the Emmys focusing only on television, several of Hollywood’s biggest stars were up for nominations, including Robert Downey, Jr. for his role in “The Sympathizer,” Lily Gladstone for her role in “Under the Bridge” and Meryl Streep for her role in “Only Murders in the Building.”

Here’s a full list of Sunday’s nominees and winners:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

WINNER: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Jon Hamm, Fargo

Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Andrew Scott, Ripley

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

WINNER: Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry

Juno Temple, Fargo

Sofía Vergara, Griselda

Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Dakota Fanning, Ripley

Lily Gladstone, Under The Bridge

WINNER: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Aja Naomi King, Lessons in Chemistry

Diane Lane, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Best Directing For A Comedy Series

WINNER: Christopher Storer, The Bear

Randall Einhorn, Abbott Elementary

Ramy Youssef, The Bear

Guy Ritchie, The Gentlemen

Lucia Aniello, Hacks

Mary Lou Belli, The Ms. Pat Show

Best Writing For A Limited Series Or TV Movies

WINNER: Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror

Noah Hawley, Fargo

Ron Nyswaner, Fellow Travelers

Steven Zaillian, Ripley

Issa López, True Detective: Night Country

Best Directing For A Drama

WINNER: Frederick E.O. Toye, Shо̄gun

Stephen Daldry, The Crown

Mimi Leder, The Morning Show

Hiro Murai, Mr. & Mrs. Smith “First Date”

Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers

John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country

Robert Downey Jr., The Sympathizer

WINNER: Lamorne Morris, Fargo

Tom Goodman-Hill, Baby Reindeer

Treat Williams, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series

WINNER: Baby Reindeer

Fargo

Lessons in Chemistry

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Outstanding Talk Series

WINNER: The Daily Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night With Seth Meyers

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

The Amazing Race

Top Chef

RuPaul’s Drag Race

WINNER: The Traitors

The Voice

Outstanding Drama Series

The Crown

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Fallout

WINNER: Shogun

The Gilded Age

Slow Horses

The Morning Show

3 Body Problem 

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Curb Your Enthusiasm

WINNER: Hacks

Only Murders In The Building

Palm Royale

Reservation Dogs

What We Do In The Shadows

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age

Greta Lee, The Morning Show

Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show

Lesley Manville, The Crown

WINNER: Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Karen Pittman, The Morning Show

Holland Taylor, The Morning Show

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Tadanobu Asano, Shogun

WINNER: Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Mark Duplass, The Morning Show

Jon Hamm, The Morning Show

Takehiro Hira, Shogun

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Jonathan Pryce, The Crown

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Carol Burnett, Palm Royale

WINNER: Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Lionel Boyce, The Bear

Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building

Paul W. Downs, Hacks

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary

WINNER: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Idris Elba, Hijack

WINNER: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun

Walton Goggins, Fallout

Dominic West, The Crown

Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

WINNER: Anna Sawai, Shogun

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age

Imelda Staunton, The Crown

Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Maya Rudolph, Loot

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Matt Berry, What We Do In The Shadows

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Steve Martin, Only Murders In The Building

Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building

WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tie, Reservation Dogs

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series

Saturday Night Live

WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

WINNER: Alex Edelman, Alex Edelman: Just For Us

Jacqueline Novak, Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees

John Early, John Early: Now More Than Ever

Mike Birbiglia, Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man And The Pool

The Oscars

Best Writing for a Comedy Series

WINNER: “Bulletproof” by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks

“Career Day” by Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

“Fishes” by Joanna Calo and Christopher Storer, The Bear

“Orlando” by Meredith Scardino and Sam Means, Girls5eva

“Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good” by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, The Other Two

“Pride Parade” by Jake Bender and Zach Dunn, What We Do in the Shadows

Fans will say Bravo when it comes to this update.

“The Traitors” host Alan Cumming, who has already secured an Emmy win for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program, teased what fans can expect when it comes to the thrilling show’s third season.

“It’s brutal,” Cumming exclusively told Laverne Cox on “Live From E!: Emmys.” “Big time brutal — and what I love about this is that some of the people, like the biggest set of stars in it, go out really quickly.”

As the host noted on the red carpet at the 2024 Emmys, “And what happens on this, I can’t really say, of course, but it’s a bloodbath, and then it gets really lovely.”

As for who is a part of this season’s lovely competition? This time around, the cast roundup includes “Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania, “Summer House” star Ciara Miller, “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Dorinda Medley, “The Real Housewives of Potomac” alum Robyn Dixon and “The Real Housewives of Dubai” star Chanel Ayan.

But that’s not all as Zac Efron‘s brother Dylan Efron, “Total Bellas” alum Nikki Garcia, Bachelor Nation stars Wells Adams, Gabby Windey and Danielle Reyes and “Survivor” alums Tony Vlachos, Jeremy Collins, “Boston” Rob Mariano and Carolyn Wiger are set to join as well.

And last but not least, rounding out the season three cast are Britney Spears‘ ex Sam Ashgari, British royal Lord Ivar Mountbatten, “Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause, Bob The Drag Queen from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Big Brother” alum Britney Haynes and “The Biggest Loser” star Bob Harper.

“Yes, David!”

In ultimate father-son fashion, 2024 Emmys hosts Dan Levy and Eugene Levy wowed on the red carpet at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles ahead of the annual award show on Sept. 15. (See more stars on the Emmys red carpet.)

The “Schitts Creek” stars looked chic as they coordinated their ensembles as cohosts of the television event.

True to form, Dan Levy, 41, pushed fashion boundaries in fitted black pants and a jacket with a white satin top that had a daring flared neckline.

Of course, Eugene Levy, 77, strutted his stuff in a double-breasted suit, pale blue tie, circular classes, and his signature eyebrows.

In addition to hosting the evening’s festivities, Eugene Levy was also nominated for his hosting role on his travel series, “The Reluctant Traveler.” “My Next Guest With David Letterman And John Mulaney” ultimately took home the prize at the Creative Arts Emmys the previous weekend.

The Levys are no strangers to the Emmys. In fact, they share eight of the trophies amongst themselves thanks, in part, to their hit family comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” which they created together. Triple threat Dan, who played David Rose on the show, won Emmys for starring, writing, and directing the hit series, which ran from 2015 to 2020, while Eugene Levy picked up wins of his own for playing patriarch Johnny Rose.

On a potential return to the beloved series, Dan Levy has previously expressed an openness to the idea, though there’s nothing currently in the works.

“I love the fact that people want more,” he told E! News of the series, which also starred Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy, in December 2023, “but it has to beat what we’ve done, and that’s a tough thing to do. So until the idea comes to me, who knows?”

He added, “But if it means people go back and watch the show from the beginning, not a bad thing.”

After Anthony Anderson hosted the show in 2023, Dan Levy and Eugene Levy have their work cut out for them. And if early previews of the show are any indication, they’re up for the challenge.

“We’re hosting the Emmys,” the “American Pie” star said in a promo clip. “And this year they’re going highbrow.”

To which Dan Levy corrected, “No, they said eyebrow. They want you to make jokes about your eyebrows, which you’re not doing.”

A Wheel of Fortune contestant was letters away from earning $1 million.

Vivian Tran, who competed on the game show’s Sept. 16 episode, lost the grand prize when she couldn’t complete the first word in a three-word puzzle during the bonus round.

“My heart is racing,” Ryan Seacrest—who took over as host following Pat Sajak’s retirement—said during the round. “This is a first for me. You’re playing for $1 million.”

When Vivian made her way to the bonus round after landing on the “One Million” wedge during the final round, the $100,000 prize was replaced with $1 million. To win the prize, she had to land on the million-dollar envelope, which she did, and solve the puzzle correctly.

As for what the puzzle was? The phrase “Offering Some Help.”

Unfortunately, she was missing four letters in the first word and ultimately lost the money.

Ryan pulled open the envelope to show she landed on the correct envelope as she folded over in disbelief. Although it was a disappointment, Vivian left with a $27,300 cash prize, a trip to Europe and high spirits.

“It turned out great,” she told Wheel of Fortune’s social correspondent Maggie Sajak after the show, “a little bit painful, but I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“He kind of brought me into a corner and he’s like, ‘Vivian, I don’t know if you want to see this,'” Vivian recalled of the moment she lost. “I knew the last two words but the first one, I just couldn’t get the syllables. It was 10 seconds, so by the time I got to the eighth seconds, I missed it.”

But she’s grateful to have had the opportunity. She added, “I’ll look back on it positively despite what happened.”

Season 42, which began Sept. 9, is the first without Pat after he stepped away from the series in June after more than four decades. Although it’s a bittersweet moment for longtime letter-turner Vanna White, she has high hopes for the American Idol host.

“He’s doing an incredible job,” Vanna told E! News in a joint interview with Ryan this month. “It’s not easy. He makes it look easy.”

And she sees this as a new chapter for the beloved game show.

“Pat decided to retire after 41 years and god bless him,” she said. “He was happy and they said Ryan’s gonna be the next one and I said, ‘Great.’ Because he’s so talented, he’s so professional, he’s so good at what he does. I’m so thankful.”

And for Ryan, the opportunity was a no-brainer.

“If Wheel of Fortune is offered to you, you just don’t say no,” he emphasized. “You’ll have bad karma for the rest of your TV life.”

Prince Harry got a royal surprise for a milestone birthday: Public well-wishes from his family.

His brother Prince William and father King Charles III shared identical tributes to him as he turned 40 Sept. 15, following three years of radio silence about him on social media amid a family rift.

A post on the Royal family’s Instagram read, “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” Prince William and wife Kate Middleton wrote on their Instagram Stories, “Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex.”

It marked their first birthday tribute to Prince Harry since 2021, when the family sent their well-wishes to him on X, formerly Twitter.

Happy Birthday Prince Harry! 🎈 pic.twitter.com/Lw1nR9wNDl

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2021

In their Instagram Stories message, Prince William and Middleton reshared the Royal family’s Instagram post that included a July 2018 photo of Prince Harry smiling during a visit to DogPatch Labs, a coworking space for technology startups in Dublin, Ireland.

The pic was taken two month after the duke married Meghan Markle. Less than two years later, the two announced their decision to step down as senior royals.

The couple’s 2020 exit from the monarchy and move to the United States spurred a rift between Prince Harry and the Royal family. Tensions continued to mount amid comments he and Markle made about his relatives in the press and the release of his controversial 2023 tell-all memoir Spare.

He blames the British tabloids and his family’s unwillingness to join him in his legal fight against many of them over their coverage of him and his wife as a major reason for the family rift.

Despite tensions with the Royal family, Harry and Meghan have occasionally returned to the United Kingdom for visits.

This past February, Prince Harry flew to London to visit his father after the King was diagnosed with cancer. Middleton shared weeks later that she has also been undergoing cancer treatment and announced earlier this month that she had completed her chemotherapy regimen.

In 2023, Prince Harry attended Charles’ 2023 coronation, although he sat away from Prince William and did not join the family on a Buckingham Palace balcony after the ceremony, opting instead to head to the airport. The previous year, he and Markle were both present at Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral in 2022, days after the duke’s 38th birthday.

Prince Harry recently shared his thoughts on turning 40.

“I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40,” He told BBC in a statement on Sept. 13. “Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world.”

The duke, who shares kids Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, with Markle, added that he plans on spending his actual birthday with his family before going on a celebratory trip with some friends.

“Becoming a father of two incredibly kind and funny kids has given me a fresh perspective on life, as well as sharpening my focus in all my work,” he added. “Being a dad is one of life’s greatest joys and has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place.”

Back in their traditional mid-September spot after a single strike-delayed edition in January, the Emmys will air live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The father and son duo of Eugene and Dan Levy, the winning stars of the 2020 Emmys with their show “Schitt’s Creek,” will host.

Here’s a look at how the evening could play out across the major categories.

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How to watch and stream the Emmys

The show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern and is being shown live on ABC, which is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.

The Emmys can be also streamed live through live TV streaming services that include ABC in their lineup, like Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV. For those without a live TV streaming service, the show will be streaming Monday on Hulu.

Who’s nominated for drama series at the Emmys

It may be impossible to slow the roll of “Shogun.”

With its 14 wins at the precursor Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, the FX series about lordly politicking in feudal Japan has already set a record for most Emmys for a single season of a series.

On Sunday night it can extend its record by six, and industry prognosticators are predicting it will get them all.

The show seized all the Emmy power in the top categories by shifting from the limited series to the drama category in May when it began developing more seasons. And it was in some ways Emmy royalty from the start. During the golden age of the miniseries, the original 1980 “Shogun,” based on James Clavell’s historical novel, won three including best limited series.

If it faces any competition at all for the best drama prize, it could come for the sixth and final season of “The Crown,” the only show among the nominees that has won before in a category recently dominated by the retired “Succession.”

Veteran screen star Hiroyuki Sanada, up for best actor, and Anna Sawai, up for best actress, are in position to become the first Japanese actors to win Emmys.

Sanada could face a challenge from Gary Oldman, who has been quietly creating one of his career defining roles on Apple TV+ as schlubby spy chief Jackson Lamb on “Slow Horses.”

Sawai’s competition comes from Emmy luminary Jennifer Aniston of “The Morning Show,” who has only won once before in 10 nominations. Imelda Staunton could win her first for playing Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown.”

The comedy landscape at the Emmys

This looks to be the year of FX, which is also in for a likely victory lap for “The Bear.”

“The Bear” took most of the big comedy Emmys home in January for its first season, and is expected to do the same Sunday for its second, which includes nominations for best comedy series, best actor for Jeremy Allen White and best supporting actor for Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Ayo Edebiri, reigning best supporting actress, moves to the lead actress category for a character who is essentially a co-lead on the culinary dramedy. That means she’ll be up against Jean Smart, a two-time winner in the category for “Hacks” who is back in the competition after a year off.

Meryl Streep, among several Academy Award winners among the night’s nominees, could win her fourth Emmy to go with her three Oscars. She’s up for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Only Murders in the Building.”

Limited series categories at the Emmys

Another multiple Oscar winner, Jodie Foster, could get her first Emmy for best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”

The HBO show that features Foster as a police chief investigating mysterious deaths in the darkness of a north Alaskan winter was the top nominee among limited or anthology series. Kali Reis could become the first Indigenous woman to win an Emmy in the supporting actress category.

A few months ago it looked as though the show would vie with “Fargo” for the top prizes, but Netflix’s darkly quirky “Baby Reindeer” surged on the eve of nominations and is now the popular pick for best limited series, best actor for creator and star Richard Gadd and best supporting actress for the woman who plays his tormentor, Jessica Gunning.

Gadd’s category also includes Andrew Scott for Netflix’s “Ripley,” and Jon Hamm, who has two shots at winning his second Emmy between his nomination here for “Fargo” and for supporting actor in a drama for “The Morning Show.”

After its monster opening, the Tim Burton sequel easily topped the domestic box office charts again with $51.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Down only 54% from a week earlier, the North American gross for the Warner Bros. release is already at $188 million. Internationally, it added $28.7 million, bringing its worldwide total to a staggering $264.3 million.

“To drop just 54% is really impressive and indicative of a pretty solid word of mouth,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “Audiences are enjoying the film.”

While its hold was strong, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” didn’t have much in the way of major new competition. Fresh offerings included the James McAvoy horror “ Speak No Evil,” a satirical documentary following right wing podcaster Matt Walsh; and a new Dave Bautista action pic, “The Killer’s Game.”

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Second place in weekend ticket sales went to “ Speak No Evil,” a remake of a 2022 Danish horror film about an unsuspecting family who decides to spend a weekend with new friends in the country. McAvoy stars in it, along with Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy. With positive reviews and a shrewd release date of Friday the 13th, the Blumhouse production released by Universal Pictures made an estimated $11.5 million from 3,375 locations.

“ Deadpool & Wolverine ” landed in third place in its eighth weekend with another $5.2 million. The Disney and Marvel blockbuster is now up to $621.5 million in North America and $1.3 billion globally.

The Daily Wire movie “Am I Racist?” placed fourth at the box office, with an estimated $4.7 million from only 1,517 theaters. Described as a mockumentary in the style of “Borat,” the movie has conservative columnist Walsh going undercover as a “DEI trainee.” Walsh had a similar gimmick, pretending to be a gender studies professor, in the 2022 movie “What is a Woman?” Both were directed by Justin Folk.

“Am I Racist?” cost a reported $3 million to make. To release it, the Daily Wire — the Ben Shapiro co-founded company — partnered with SDG Releasing, a distribution company founded by “God’s Not Dead” writers Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman, who promise the “lowest fees in the business.” Among the trailers playing before “Am I Racist?” is another film targeting conservative audiences: The upcoming Dinesh D’Souza movie “Vindicating Trump.”

Rounding out the top five was “ Reagan,” the Showbiz Direct release starring Dennis Quaid as the former president, which added another $3 million in its third weekend, bringing its total domestic total to $23.3 million.

“The Killer’s Game,” meanwhile, debuted in sixth place with $2.6 million. Bautista stars as a hit man with a terminal illness in the action comedy, which got dismal reviews. The faith-based “God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust” also managed to snag a top 10 spot with its $1.5 million launch.

In limited release, Amazon MGM Studios began its rollout of the Sundance breakout “ My Old Ass,” starring Maisy Stella, in seven theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, where it made a combined $171,242. The coming of age movie expands nationwide on Sept. 27.

Next weekend, theaters will get the Optimus Prime origin pic “Transformers One,” but it may be a quiet few weeks at the box office until “ Joker: Folie à Deux ” dances its way onto the big screen on Oct. 4.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” $51.6 million.

2. “Speak No Evil,” $11.5 million.

3. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $5.2 million.

4. “Am I Racist?” $4.8 million.

5. “Reagan,” $3 million.

6. “The Killer’s Game,” $2.6 million.

7. “Alien: Romulus,” $2.4 million.

8. “It Ends With Us,” $2 million.

9. “The Forge,” $2 million.

10. “God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust,” $1.5 million.