A woman who starred in Broadways The Lion King as a child was killed in a stabbing over the weekend, New Jersey officials said.
Edison police officers were called to a home on Sunday morning over re… [+1491 chars]

The family of Imani Dia Smith, 26, who starred in "The Lion King" on Broadway as a child, said she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend.

NBC News

Woman who starred in 'Lion King' on Broadway as a child is killed in stabbing, officials say - NBC News

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details about the finale of “Heated Rivalry” Season 1, now streaming on HBO Max.
“Heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie knew early on he wanted to be an actor.
He… [+6988 chars]

Connor Storie talks about the "Heated Rivalry" finale, Ilya Rozanov being the first to say "I love you" and more.

Variety

Connor Storrie on Heated Rivalry Finale, Ilya Rozanov's I Love You - Variety

PHOENIX (AZFamily) A beloved contestant from the long-running CBS reality show Big Brother has died, her family says.
Mickey Lee passed away at age 35 on Christmas day, according to a post on her In… [+908 chars]

Mickey Lee passed away at age 35 on Christmas day, according to a post on her social media account.

AZFamily

‘Big Brother 27′ houseguest Mickey Lee dead at 35, family says - AZ Family

[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from Stranger Things season five, Volume 2.]
Sadie Sink is readying to say goodbye to her Max in Stranger Things, but viewers don’t have to worry — there’s much m… [+13139 chars]

As Netflix's meghit series comes to an end, Sink is filled with all the emotions as she closes this chapter with her character Max. She's also ecstatic about what's next.

Hollywood Reporter

For ‘Stranger Things’ Star Sadie Sink, It’s Not Goodbye — It’s See You Later - The Hollywood Reporter

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese penned an essay in The New York Times on Thursday remembering his late friends Rob and Michele Reiner. 
"Rob Reiner was my friend, and so was Michele. From now on… [+2526 chars]

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese penned an essay in The New York Times on Thursday remembering his late friends Rob and Michele Reiner.

Martin Scorsese remembers Rob Reiner, calls his murder 'an obscenity' - NBC News

The King's Christmas Broadcast was the most-watched TV programme in the UK on Christmas Day, overnight data has shown.
Nearly 7m tuned in on the BBC, ITV, Sky News and GB News to watch King Charles … [+2251 chars]

Nearly 7m people tuned in on the BBC, ITV, Sky News and GB News to watch King Charles deliver his annual broadcast.

BBC News

The King's message tops Christmas Day TV ratings - BBC

When a place you’ve come to know and love building memories over food and drink as time goes by closes for good, the sadness is real.
Restaurants come and restaurants go, as we all know, but the bel… [+6435 chars]

This year’s crop of local restaurant losses includes beloved classics, sad surprises and a number of treasured bars — critic Bethany Jean Clement pays tribute.

The Seattle Times

From SeaTac to Lake City Way, these 21 restaurant closures hurt the most - The Seattle Times

Heres whats coming to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and other streaming services in January.
Estranged spouses (Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal) investigating the… [+5149 chars]

Here's what's coming to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and other streaming services in January.

What to watch in January on Netflix, HBO Max and other streaming services - The Seattle Times

A24/Getty Images/Ringer illustration
In the beginning of Marty Supreme, our protagonist, Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), is a shoe salesman working at his uncles shop. A woman (Odessa A'zion) ente… [+10594 chars]

Timothée Chalamet’s gripping new movie is earning rave reviews and plenty of Oscar buzz. But how’s the pong?

The Ringer

A Ping-Pong-Specific Review of ‘Marty Supreme’ - The Ringer

One of the most iconic rock bands of all time once said The Show Must Go On, but that was more than 30 years ago.
Queen is done with touring, according to Anita Dobson, the longtime wife of guitaris… [+2257 chars]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers completed their last tour in 2024.

syracuse.com

Iconic rock band done with touring: ‘We are all getting old’ - Syracuse.com

The midlife crisis remains a rich vein for novelists, even as its sufferers skew ever older.
In Ben Markovits' 12th novel,The Rest of Our Lives -- which was a finalist for this year's Booker Prize -… [+4628 chars]

America's literary highways may be plenty crowded with middle-aged runaways fleeing lives that increasingly feel like a bad fit. But Ben Markovits adds a moving tale to the collection.

'The Rest of Our Lives' takes readers on a midlife crisis road trip - NPR

Last year, the coastal enclave of Elk in Mendocino County was lauded as Americas Best Small Food and Wine Town by Travel + Leisure magazine, which, among other things, highlighted Harbor House Inns t… [+13041 chars]

Point Arena, population 831, has a thriving food scene, which includes a Japanese izakaya from a chef with a Michelin resume.

SFGate

Calif. chefs are flocking to this foggy seaside town north of SF - SFGATE

Mysteries and thrillers are enjoyable no matter the season, but there's something extra satisfying about curling up in the winter with a warm drink and an all-engrossing read. The 13 (spooked already… [+8642 chars]

Mysteries and thrillers are enjoyable no matter the season, but there's something extra satisfying about curling up in the winter with a warm drink and an all-engrossing read. Here's what we suggest.

Hunker down with these 13 mysteries and thrillers from 2025 - NPR

DEAR ABBY: My son died of cancer at 33. It was heartbreaking. My daughter-in-law, Belinda, had grown distant before his death, and although they had a son through artificial insemination, I have almo… [+3129 chars]

Selfish aunt wants brother, sister-in-law to take her to appointments

Suntimes.com

Dear Abby: Loss of son has grown even harder to bear - Chicago Sun-Times

As Mick Jagger famously sang, you cant always get what you want. That applies to travel too no matter how meticulously planned a trip, you cant avoid bad weather, natural disasters, worker strikes an… [+6313 chars]

From Paris museums to Disney rides and bookstores, CNN rounds up cultural sites closed or closing in 2026 — and where travelers can go instead.

The places you can’t visit in 2026 - CNN

When Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose divorced last year it was not pretty.
There were accusations of abuse from both sides and more, and it appears things have not gotten much better because Firerose i… [+2292 chars]

PennLive

Country music legend’s ex-wife shares new abuse claim: ‘God sees everything’ - PennLive.com

A new year means a new parade of classic characters and works entering the public domain.
Under U.S. law, the copyright on thousands of creations from 1930 including films, books, musical compositio… [+6051 chars]

The original Betty Boop, the first four Nancy Drew books and Greta Garbo's first talkie are among the many works from 1930 that will be free to use, share and remake starting on Jan. 1.

The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew - NPR

Food and Drink
What goes up must eventually come down, and that certainly proved true in Charlottes white hot restaurant scene in 2025. As more than 200 new food and drink spots opened or announced … [+5978 chars]

From Bar‑B‑Q King to JJ’s Red Hots and beloved patios, Charlotte saw more than 60 closures in 2025. Read which neighborhood restaurants and markets left the biggest void.

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