Category Archives: Entertainment News

PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts

PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts

NEW YORK (AP) — A month after Congress voted to strip public media of public money, PBS and NPR stations are working to cope — and survive. More than 500 radio and television stations are affected, and while some have issues in common, most have problems and strategies unique to their own area. For example, the PBS station in Spokane, Washington, has turned to viewers for emergency donations, but a significant part of their membership is from Canada, and many are already angry with the U.S. because of President Donald Trump’s drive to make the country the 51st state. Many stations are heartened by the way viewers are responding, and different ideas to save money are emerging.… Continue Reading

Star Trek plans packed lineup for the franchise’s 60th anniversary, with Lego sets and YouTube show

Star Trek plans packed lineup for the franchise’s 60th anniversary, with Lego sets and YouTube show

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not many franchises have fueled society’s timeless fascination with the boundless possibilities of a utopian future like “Star Trek.” Come next year, the sprawling franchise will add more shows, Lego sets and even a Rose Parade Float in a yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary. The franchise announced a hefty lineup of “fan-centric” celebrations on its 59th anniversary Monday, in anticipation of their six-decade run coming this time next year, with more to be announced at a later date. The sci-fi franchise began with the TV show created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966 and has since sprawled into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon.… Continue Reading

Mahjong nights draw young crowds to San Francisco bars and restaurants

Mahjong nights draw young crowds to San Francisco bars and restaurants

San Francisco (AP) — Ryan Lee has turned his love of mahjong into a thriving social scene in San Francisco. After getting hooked on the classic Chinese tile game two years ago, he started hosting mahjong nights in his apartment. These gatherings grew into the YLL Mahjong Club, which now hosts bimonthly events with up to 200 guests. The club attracts a diverse crowd with its nightclub atmosphere, live DJs and custom cocktails. Mahjong is gaining popularity as people desire more opportunities to socialize offline. Eventbrite reports a 179% increase in U.S. mahjong events from 2023 to 2024. Lee plans to expand the club to other U.S. cities.… Continue Reading

OpenAI and Meta say they’re fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress

OpenAI and Meta say they’re fixing AI chatbots to better respond to teens in distress

OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers showing signs of distress. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, plans to introduce new controls for parents to link their accounts to their teen’s account. Parents can choose which features to disable and receive notifications if their teen is in distress. The company says ChatGPT will redirect distressing conversations to more capable AI models. An attorney for parents who sued OpenAI for the wrongful death of their teenager criticized the changes as insufficient. Meta also says it is blocking its chatbots from discussing self-harm and suicide with teens, directing them to expert resources.… Continue Reading

Graham Greene, a trailblazing Indigenous actor best known for ‘Dances with Wolves’, dies at 73

Graham Greene, a trailblazing Indigenous actor best known for ‘Dances with Wolves’, dies at 73

NEW YORK (AP) — Graham Greene, a trailblazing Indigenous actor whose long and successful career on the big and small screen included an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in “Dances with Wolves,” has died. He was 73. Greene died Monday in Stratford, Ontario, after a long battle with an unspecified illness. Greene was born in June 1952 in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. He became an actor in the 1970s, beginning with the 1979 Canadian drama series “The Great Detective” and the 1983 film “Running Brave.” He is best known for his role as Kicking Bird in the 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” The performance earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 1991.… Continue Reading

A $1.4B Powerball jackpot is up for grabs after 40 drawings without a winner

A $1.4B Powerball jackpot is up for grabs after 40 drawings without a winner

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An estimated $1.4 billion lottery jackpot will be up for grabs after dozens of drawings without a big winner. The massive Powerball prize is the sixth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. It’s the result of 40 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all of the game’s six numbers. The 41st drawing on Wednesday night will be just one fewer than the record set last year. All of that losing stems from Powerball’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million. The $1.4 billion jackpot is for a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. The game’s cash option would pay out an estimated $634.3 million.… Continue Reading

Trump is cutting 500-plus jobs at Voice of America and its parent agency despite legal challenges

Trump is cutting 500-plus jobs at Voice of America and its parent agency despite legal challenges

WASHINGTON (AP) — The agency that oversees Voice of America and other government-funded international broadcasters says it’s eliminating jobs for more than 500 employees. That word came late Friday and could ratchet up a monthslong legal challenge over the news outlets’ fate. A federal judge on Thursday had blocked the administration from removing Michael Abramowitz as VOA director. And the same judge earlier in the week had ruled that the Trump administration had failed to show how it was complying with his orders to restore VOA operations.… Continue Reading

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

It’s a love story and, baby, she said yes: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged. The superstar singer and football player revealed the news in a five-photo joint post on Instagram on Tuesday. It’s the fairytale culmination of a courtship that for two years has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world. It’s unclear when and where the two got engaged. The announcement comes not long after Swift’s appearance on “New Heights.” That’s the podcast hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother Jason Kelce.… Continue Reading

‘Sopranos’ star Jerry Adler, Broadway backstage vet turned late-in-life actor, dies at 96

‘Sopranos’ star Jerry Adler, Broadway backstage vet turned late-in-life actor, dies at 96

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Jerry Adler has died at 96. Adler started his career behind the scenes in theater and worked on more than 50 Broadway productions. He later transitioned to acting in his 60s, gaining fame for roles on “The Sopranos” and “The Good Wife.” A New York funeral home confirmed he died Saturday. Adler’s acting career spanned over 30 years, with appearances in shows like “Rescue Me” and “Mad About You.” He also returned to Broadway, onstage this time. He hailed from an entertainment family. His father worked in the theater industry and his cousin was famed acting teacher Stella Adler.… Continue Reading

Don’t fret: Air guitar world title returns home to Finland after 25 years

Don’t fret: Air guitar world title returns home to Finland after 25 years

OULU, Finland (AP) — Finnish air guitarist Aapo “The Angus” Rautio has plucked victory from thin air, grabbing the world championship title for his homeland for the first time since 2000. This year’s Air Guitar World Championships reached the climax with a final on Friday evening on a square in the western city of Oulu. The three-day event held in Finland brings together competitors from 13 countries. Contestants are judged on the performance of two songs in two separate rounds, each lasting 60 seconds, with the singers pretending to play an imaginary guitar. Props and costumes are allowed, but backup bands and real instruments are off-limits.… Continue Reading

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