Entertainment Archives

Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. studio and streaming business for $72 billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix has struck a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to buy the legacy Hollywood giant’s studio and streaming business for $72 billion. The merger, announced Friday, would bring two of the industry’s biggest players in film and TV under one roof. Beyond its namesake television and motion picture division, Warner owns HBO Max and DC Studios. And Netflix has rose to dominance as a household name ubiquitous to on-demand content, while building of its own production arm to release popular titles like “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game.” The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion.… Continue Reading

CBS News hosting prime-time ‘town hall’ with Erika Kirk, widow of activist Charlie Kirk

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News says it will host a prime-time “town hall” event next week with Erika Kirk, widow of assassinated activist Charlie Kirk. She will be interviewed by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss for the event, scheduled to be telecast at 8 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 13. Kirk has taken over as head of the conservative group Turning Point USA, which was founded by her husband. She’ll be questioned by young evangelicals and religious and political leaders, as part of an invited CBS audience. Charlie Kirk was shot on Sept. 10 while speaking to a group of college students in Utah.… Continue Reading

Melania Trump reveals White House holiday decorations and her theme, ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump has decorated the White House for the holidays, and her theme is “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” The first lady’s decor also nods to next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and founding of the United States of America. In a change this year after the East Wing was torn down, the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room also honors Gold Star families that lost a member during active-duty military service. The East Room is decorated with patriotic colors and eagles and other national symbols to highlight the coming America250 celebration.… Continue Reading

MrBeast and the Rockefeller Foundation team up to spark youth philanthropy and fight child labor

NEW YORK (AP) — Beast Philanthropy, the charitable organization started by MrBeast founder Jimmy Donaldson, and the Rockefeller Foundation are announcing a strategic partnership. The idea is to pair Donaldson’s unique ability to capture youth attention spans with the foundation’s 112-year history of using its resources and technology to tackle global problems. The exact issues they plan to tackle together are still being hammered out and there is no shared grantmaking to announce yet. Dr. Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, says MrBeast can help them engage young people, inspire hope and communicate their work more accessibly. Donaldson hopes the Rockefeller Foundation can help him be more efficient and make “real, lasting change.”… Continue Reading

Cloudflare outage impacts thousands, disrupts transit systems, ChatGPT, X and more

A widely used Internet infrastructure company said that it has resolved an issue that led to outages impacting users of everything from ChatGPT and the online game, “League of Legends,” to the New Jersey Transit system early Tuesday. Around 10 a.m. ET, Cloudflare said it was “continuing to monitor for errors to ensure all services are back to normal.” Others platforms that experienced outages Tuesday included the social media site X, Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase, and the Moody’s credit ratings service. Moody’s website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudflare’s website for more information.… Continue Reading

A look at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025 inductees and how they were honored

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has inducted its 2025 class, celebrating influential musicians and figures. The ceremony took place Saturday at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, featuring tributes, speeches, and performances by artists like Soundgarden, Salt-N-Pepa, and Big Boi of Outkast. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after their first release. This year’s inductees include Outkast, Bad Company, Salt-N-Pepa, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, Warren Zevon, Thom Bell, The White Stripes, Carole Kaye, Nicky Hopkins, and Lenny Waronker.… Continue Reading

Farmers’ Almanac says it will cease publication after 208 years, citing financial challenges

A 208-year-old publication that farmers, gardeners and others keen to predict the weather have relied on for guidance will be publishing for the final time. Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month. The Maine-based publication was first printed in 1818. It’s distinct from the Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire. Both publications were among hundreds of almanacs that served a nation of farmers over two centuries ago. Most were regional publications and no longer exist.… Continue Reading

Slime, Battleship and Trivial Pursuit join the Toy Hall of Fame

The gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything slime was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit. The Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, honors toys that inspire creative play across generations. Battleship and Trivial Pursuit have each sold over 100 million copies. Slime has been sold commercially since 1976 but is also a popular DIY project. The National Toy Hall of Fame is located inside The Strong National Museum of Play.… Continue Reading

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Which stars are joining this year’s lineup?

NEW YORK (AP) — Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon and Kool & the Gang will feature in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The event will also spotlight “KPop Demon Hunters” with performances by the film’s singers and themed balloons. The parade kicks off on Nov. 27, featuring 32 balloons, 27 floats and 11 marching bands — all leading to Santa Claus. Broadway shows and the Radio City Rockettes will perform. Four new character balloons, including Buzz Lightyear and Mario, will debut. Spectators can expect performances from stars like Debbie Gibson and Shaggy, with marching bands from across the U.S. and Panama.… Continue Reading

Heidi Klum reveals her much-anticipated 2025 Halloween costume

NEW YORK (AP) — Heidi Klum has revealed her latest Halloween costume, donning green scales and squirming snakes to transform herself into Medusa. Klum says she loves the Greek myth in which a goddess turns a beautiful woman into a monster with serpents for hair, the sight of which turns living things around her to stone. Klum said she spent 10 hours getting into costume for her annual Halloween party. Klum’s husband dressed as a man turned to stone. The supermodel-turned-TV personality went viral in 2022 when she arrived at her party on the end of a fishing line, encased in a slithering worm costume.… Continue Reading