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Rebels celebrate near the Damascene Sword Monument after taking over Damascus (Image: EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD) HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM SWEEPS DAMASCUS Russian state media has reported that ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Moscow having fled as rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into the capital Damascus this weekend. The BBC says Russian media reports, citing sources in the Kremlin, have claimed Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Russia. Russia’s foreign ministry said earlier on Sunday Assad had resigned as president and left Syria, The New York Times reports, adding that his departure “after rebels opposed to his rule swept through the country in a lightning offensive was an earthshaking moment in the history of Syria ... it marked a dramatic breakthrough for rebel factions in Syria that have been trying to unseat him for more than a decade, much of which was marked by a devastating civil war”. The secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres , is quoted congratulating the Syrian people, saying: “After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future.” The paper adds, however, that there is uncertainty over who will lead Syria next with fears of a power vacuum. The BBC reports rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani addressed crowds at Umayyad Mosque on Sunday and accused Assad’s regime of imprisoning “thousands of its own citizens unjustly and without any crime”. “Today, we are rewarded with this victory. This victory is for all Syrians,” he is quoted as saying. The Associated Press recalls how Assad’s fall has brought to a dramatic close his struggle to hold onto control “as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers”. The newswire flags the war, during which Assad received support from allies such as Iran and Russia, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. The BBC’s Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab reported earlier on Sunday that the presidential palace in Damascus had been almost completely emptied by people storming the building. Her eyewitness account is worth flagging: “Members of rebel group the HTS have arrived to control the situation — they have said this is not acceptable. “I’ve lived in Syria for 10 years and have never been into this street. I can see people rushing into this place in revenge and also with lots of happiness that they’ve managed to break in. “The scenes are very chaotic inside. There has been looting in other government buildings but this is a different situation. People are going in, posing for pictures while taking what they can. They are taking revenge for years of oppression and poverty because of Assad and his father.” She also said it was the first time she had crossed into the country “without fear of detention, without fear of arrest”. Her video report is here . MELBOURNE SYNAGOGUE FIRE In domestic news, federal and state counter-terrorism units are set to meet later today to discuss the investigation into the arson attack at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne on Friday. The AAP reports Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Victorian and federal police would also discuss whether or not it could be classified as a terrorism incident. Speaking to reporters in Perth on Sunday, Albanese said: “If you want my personal view, quite clearly, terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community. And the atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community, and therefore, from my personal perspective, certainly fulfil that definition of terrorism.” The newswire said police confirmed they are also investigating reports of a bullet found on a footpath near the synagogue on Saturday. The ABC flags Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said yesterday the chief commissioner told her there had been “progress” in the investigation. Police are yet to make any arrests. The broadcaster also said more than 1,000 members of the Jewish community gathered at a vigil near the Adass Israel synagogue on Sunday. Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein is quoted by AAP as saying: “We’ll come back bigger and better. The building will be a beautiful jewel in the crown once again. There’ll be a huge rebuilding campaign, which we’re running at the moment.” The newswire also flags cabinet Minister Murray Watt accusing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of politicising the incident. The workplace relations minister rejected the Coalition leader’s claims the prime minister had not done enough to address antisemitism and that the government had made Australia less safe for Jewish people, AAP said. Guardian Australia flags Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked the attack on Friday to Australia’s support for a UN resolution calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Dutton has been making headlines for numerous reasons over the weekend with the Nine papers and many others flagging the CSIRO has declared nuclear power is around 50% more expensive than renewables. With Dutton apparently set to finally reveal his nuclear costings this week, The Sydney Morning Herald says “the report found the lowest cost projections for nuclear power would only match the highest projections for renewable energy, a major challenge to Dutton’s claim that nuclear is needed to cut electricity bills.” That conclusion came “even after the science organisation changed its modelling to accommodate criticism from the Peter Dutton -led Coalition that it had unfairly favoured wind and solar energy sources”, the paper said. Elsewhere, the ABC flags Dutton has said the Coalition will not set a target for net migration before the next election. The opposition leader refused to recommit to the target he previously set of 160,000 a year, telling Sky News on Sunday: “We’ll have a look at the economic settings when we come to government.” The Saturday Paper reports the New Zealand-founded advertising agency Topham Guerin, best known for its involvement with Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson’s election victories in 2019, has been hired to work on Dutton’s campaign. Finally, the latest Newspoll for The Australian continues the trend it has shown over the last few weeks and months, namely that voters aren’t that impressed with Albanese and Dutton’s popularity is growing. The paper declares: “Voters consider Anthony Albanese the weakest prime minister in decades, with Peter Dutton widening his lead as the stronger and more decisive leader, despite a two-party contest that has the Coalition and Labor back to a neck-and-neck race to the election.” The Australian says Dutton currently has the highest score for an opposition leader since Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull more than 10 years ago. The Sydney Morning Herald also has a survey which reports 56% of voters have rejected Albanese’s new slogan “We have your back”. The paper says 59% of voters believe they are worse off than when Labor came to power and only 13% feel better off. “Voters have slashed their core support for federal Labor to a new low of 27% amid a deepening dispute over the cost of living, backing the Coalition to deliver more help to households over the next three years,” the paper declares. ON A LIGHTER NOTE... Someone spent US$28 million (A$44 million) on a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz on Saturday. The BBC reports the slippers sold for significantly more than their expected sale price of US$3 million (A$4.7 million) and Heritage Auctions reckons they are now the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction. The broadcaster says while Garland wore several pairs of the shoes during filming, only four pairs are known to have survived. This particular pair was stolen in 2005 while being loaned to the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota. Professional thief Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to stealing them in 2023, at which point he was in his 70s and was sentenced to time served. Say What? Good man, this one. Donald Trump The US President-elect had four words to sum up the British heir to the throne, Prince William . The pair caught up during the ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris at the weekend. CRIKEY RECAP Who was Australia’s biggest shitstirrer in 2024? Help Crikey figure it out CAM WILSON Who is the biggest shitstirrer of the year? (Image: Private Media) There’s the Power List, the Top 100 Innovators, the Rich List, 30 under 30. The list(s) go on. Each one is more sycophantic than the last. For people unfamiliar with what it’s like to run a news outlet in 2024, we’ll let you in on a secret: these lists mostly exist to convince the elites who have shrinking reasons to deal with the mainstream media to please, please, please give us access through obsequious flattery. In return, the Fourth Estate is reduced to doing PR for the people it is supposed to hold to account. It publishes fawning hagiographies that bear even less resemblance to reality than the glossy, edited images from the photoshoots that accompany them. Us? Crikey does not respect money or status. There is only one thing — a value, an essence, a vibe — that we value here at Crikey HQ. The highest, most noble honour that we can bestow on anyone is considering them a shitstirrer. Shitstirrer has a handful of slightly different definitions. Crikey ’s version is someone who is a nuisance to powerful people. But it has a few other elements, too. Vote now for Crikey’s prestigious Arsehat of the Year CHARLIE LEWIS What a year! We’re as tired as you dear reader, but using our last gasp of energy to list some of the people who might be responsible for that beaten-down feeling 2024 has left us with. Direct your disappointment! Vote now in Crikey’s prestigious Arsehat of the Year award and remember you can add your own nomination if none of these options float your boat. Who was your Person of the Year? It is time to vote! CHARLIE LEWIS As 2024 drifts to a close and we reflect on its many disappointments and outrages, it’s equally important to remember figures who offered, sometimes imperfectly, a genuine alternative to the general sense of degradation in public life. READ ALL ABOUT IT Ukrainian war dead reaches 43,000, Zelenskyy says in rare update (BBC) Trump calls for immediate Ukraine ceasefire (Reuters) Rough sleeping surges as homelessness crisis worsens (Australian Associated Press) NYPD releases two new photos of suspect in Brian Thompson killing (The Guardian ) Barry Keoghan deactivates Instagram account due to ‘lies’ and ‘disgusting commentary’ about his family: ‘Too many lines being crossed’ (Variety) For Taylor Swift, it’s the end of the ‘Eras’ ( The New York Times ) ($) THE COMMENTARIAT The ABC has lost its curiosity. Joe Rogan can help Kim Williams recover it — Parnell Palme McGuinness ( The Sydney Morning Herald ): The worst sin of the ABC is, therefore, not that it is biased. It is that it has become so dull it is no longer worth tuning into. Chairman Kim Williams is focused on the need for objectivity, but emphasising journalistic dispassion is only part of the solution. With the exception of a small number of programs, most relegated to minor time slots and barely promoted, the ABC has become incurious. Topics covered by the ABC’s flagship shows have been narrowing and perspectives on the remaining topics are predictable. Politicians deliver their talking points. A narrow range of experts delivers a narrow range of perspectives (somehow the ethnic and gender diversity emphasised by the ABC never seems to equate to a wider range of ideas). Advocates call for more government funding. The presenters sigh sympathetically. I sigh in frustration. The formula is tiresome. Australians, including this long-time loyal listener and viewer, switch off. Bland and fake: Why the electorate has given up listening to politicians — Annika Smethurst ( The Age ): This is not a dig at Allan. It’s part of a broader problem, where politicians have become trained not to say anything controversial, qualifying every point and sticking to the safety of engineered answers to the point the electorate has given up listening. This trend has coincided with a demonisation of political imagination. Where candidates and ministers are selected for being a “safe pair of hands” rather than inspiring or interesting. For Labor, this has resulted in a generation of politicians who have never spent any substantive time in blue-collar jobs but rather worked in offices for the right law firms, trade unions or ministers. The Liberals are no longer dominated by small-business owners and working professionals but by former political staffers who dutifully serve time working for MPs in between stints at a suitable think tank or lobby group. None of this should disqualify a candidate from being elected — it can be a great training ground — but nor should it be the only measure.
Coleen Rooney almost quit I'm A Celeb after a few days due to campmate worriesANOKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor”, the “Company”) (NYSE: VSTO) today announced that its stockholders voted to approve the sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”) (the “CSG Transaction”) at its special meeting of stockholders held earlier today. Vista Outdoor and CSG have received all regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement for the CSG Transaction and intend to close the CSG Transaction on November 27, 2024. Under the terms of the CSG Transaction, Vista Outdoor stockholders will receive $25.75 in cash and one share of Revelyst common stock for each share of Vista Outdoor common stock they hold. “We are thrilled to have received overwhelming support from our stockholders for the compelling transaction with CSG,” said Michael Callahan, Chairman of the Vista Outdoor Board of Directors. “The CSG transaction maximizes value for our stockholders, while also providing an ideal home for our leading ammunition brands and significant opportunities for our employees.” Based on the vote count from the special meeting of stockholders, approximately 97.89% of votes cast were in favor of the CSG Transaction, representing approximately 82.57% of all outstanding shares. The final voting results will be reported in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the closing of the CSG Transaction, Revelyst will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “GEAR”. Subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC (“SVP”) will subsequently acquire Revelyst in an all-cash transaction based on an enterprise value of $1.125 billion (the “SVP Transaction”), subject to a net cash adjustment. At the closing of the SVP Transaction, Revelyst stockholders will receive an estimated $19.25 in cash per share of Revelyst common stock 1. The SVP Transaction is on track to close by January 2025. No separate approval of the SVP Transaction by Vista Outdoor stockholders is required. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to Vista Outdoor and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is acting as legal adviser to Vista Outdoor. Moelis & Company LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor. About Vista Outdoor Inc. Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements made and information contained in this press release, excluding historical information, are “forward-looking statements,” including those that discuss, among other things: Vista Outdoor Inc.’s (“Vista Outdoor”, “we”, “us” or “our”) plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; projections with respect to future revenues, income, earnings per share or other financial measures for Vista Outdoor; and the assumptions that underlie these matters. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “aim,” “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. To the extent that any such information is forward-looking, it is intended to fit within the safe harbor for forward-looking information provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations described in such forward-looking statements, including the following: risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Inc., CSG Elevate II Inc., CSG Elevate III Inc. and CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP a.s. (the “CSG Transaction”) and risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Olibre LLC and Cabin Ridge, Inc. (the “SVP Transaction”) including (i) the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals), (ii) the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals may be made, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction, including in circumstances which would require Vista Outdoor or Revelyst, as applicable, to pay a termination fee, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction on our ability to attract, motivate or retain key executives and employees, our ability to maintain relationships with our customers, vendors, service providers and others with whom we do business, or our operating results and business generally, (v) risks related to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction diverting management’s attention from our ongoing business operations, (vi) that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not achieve some or all of any anticipated benefits with respect to either business segment and that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be completed in accordance with our expected plans or anticipated timelines, or at all, and (vii) that the consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction cannot be determined until the consummation of the SVP Transaction as it is subject to certain adjustments related to the net cash of Revelyst as of the closing of the SVP Transaction and the management team’s current estimate of the consideration may be higher or lower than the actual consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction due to the actual cash flows prior to the closing of the SVP Transaction or other factors; impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, the operations of our customers and suppliers and general economic conditions; supplier capacity constraints, production or shipping disruptions or quality or price issues affecting our operating costs; the supply, availability and costs of raw materials and components; increases in commodity, energy, and production costs; seasonality and weather conditions; our ability to complete acquisitions, realize expected benefits from acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses; reductions in or unexpected changes in or our inability to accurately forecast demand for ammunition, accessories, or other outdoor sports and recreation products; disruption in the service or significant increase in the cost of our primary delivery and shipping services for our products and components or a significant disruption at shipping ports; risks associated with diversification into new international and commercial markets, including regulatory compliance; our ability to take advantage of growth opportunities in international and commercial markets; our ability to obtain and maintain licenses to third-party technology; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; disruptions caused by catastrophic events; risks associated with our sales to significant retail customers, including unexpected cancellations, delays, and other changes to purchase orders; our competitive environment; our ability to adapt our products to changes in technology, the marketplace and customer preferences, including our ability to respond to shifting preferences of the end consumer from brick and mortar retail to online retail; our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation; our association with the firearms industry, others’ use of social media to disseminate negative commentary about us, our products, and boycotts; the outcome of contingencies, including with respect to litigation and other proceedings relating to intellectual property, product liability, warranty liability, personal injury, and environmental remediation; our ability to comply with extensive federal, state and international laws, rules and regulations; changes in laws, rules and regulations relating to our business, such as federal and state ammunition regulations; risks associated with cybersecurity and other industrial and physical security threats; interest rate risk; changes in the current tariff structures; changes in tax rules or pronouncements; capital market volatility and the availability of financing; our debt covenants may limit our ability to complete acquisitions, incur debt, make investments, sell assets, merge or complete other significant transactions; foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; general economic and business conditions in the United States and our markets outside the United States, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia, the conflict in the Gaza strip, the COVID-19 pandemic or another pandemic, conditions affecting employment levels, consumer confidence and spending, conditions in the retail environment, and other economic conditions affecting demand for our products and the financial health of our customers. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements we make, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. A more detailed description of risk factors that may affect our operating results can be found in Part 1, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2024, and in the filings we make with the SEC from time to time. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. 1 Based on management estimates, including an assumption the SVP Transaction closes on December 31, 2024. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en/ CONTACT: Investor: Tyler Lindwall Phone: 612-704-0147 Email:investor.relations@vistaoutdoor.comMedia: Eric Smith Phone: 720-772-0877 Email:media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com KEYWORD: MINNESOTA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL OTHER CONSUMER CONSUMER OTHER RETAIL MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Vista Outdoor Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en
People in urban communities of the Bay Area are likely already used to the screech of tires that can signal the presence of a nearby “sideshow” or street takeover . Although this aspect of car culture is native to Northern California, police are cracking down on them due to the dangers and inconveniences posed. Q: What is a sideshow? Sideshows are informal, and often illegal, car shows where drivers perform tricks in front of a crowd, often taking place in vacant parking lots or even in wide street intersections. Some sideshows have happened in high-profile locations like the Bay Bridge . According to San Jose Deputy Police Chief Brandon Sanchez, the term “sideshow” was a spin-off of “high-siding,” when a person sits on the passenger side window of a car while someone else was driving. The term evolved as high-siding became a spectator sport into sideshows. Q: What happens at a sideshow? Oakland native and Northeastern University professor Mario Hernandez said that sideshows were based in a masculine, muscle car culture around classics like Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Chargers. Although some people showed off their cars by washing them before an event, sideshows also attracted drivers with older, junkier cars, he said. There was a DIY aspect to the culture, with people hooking up amps and wires through their car. “It’s an extension of yourself in a lot of ways, because it’s like you put time and energy and money into it,” Hernandez said. Sideshows commonly include racing and driving donuts with the doors open. An infamous and dangerous trick is ghost-riding, which is when someone exits a car while it is in drive and stands or dances in the street alongside the moving vehicle. Hernandez said another common sight is people sticking out of the sunroof as someone else drives. Sideshows in the Bay Area have taken place at all times of the day and night, sometimes running into the early hours of the morning. Q: Why are sideshows illegal? Although young people participating and watching sideshows in the past kept their activities to abandoned or unused areas, like parking lots, University of Redlands professor Jennifer Tilton said local businesses and city leaders complained about tire tracks in the street and the noise in the late evening and early morning hours caused by drivers, large crowds and loud music, leading to police cracking down. Aside from the danger posed by the stunts performed by drivers, Sanchez said violence has been increasing around sideshows. He gave examples of stolen vehicles, assaults and people in the crowd carrying guns and shooting them off into the air. He also pointed to looting and vandalism of storefronts near intersections where sideshows occur. While the crackdowns pushed some events into neighborhoods and smaller street intersections, other sideshows moved to large arteries, like Stevens Creek Boulevard and Winchester Boulevard, which interrupted the flow of traffic. When police came to bust drivers, the resulting car chase became a part of the thrill and added to the danger. Additionally, because sideshows would attract large crowds, Sanchez said it can take “almost a small army” to break up the activity, which puts a strain on the police’s resources when they are needed elsewhere. Q: What is Bay Area law enforcement doing about sideshows? For as long as sideshows have existed, expression and enforcement has been a cat-and-mouse game between promoters and police. People driving in sideshows can be charged with a misdemeanor offense such as reckless driving, and face a number of penalties, including fines, jail time, vehicle impoundment or driver’s license suspension. In some California cities, including San Jose and Oakland, watching a sideshow could be punishable with fines , jail time, probation or community service. Since the early 2000s, Oakland has passed a series of laws criminalizing sideshows, enabling police to seize involved cars and ticketing people for watching them. The Oakland Department of Transportation introduced a pilot program in 2021 intended to curb sideshow activity: One part included building curb extensions and traffic islands to reduce the number of intersections where a sideshow could take place, and another focused on modifying street surfaces with different materials, like steel plates, to deter sideshow activities in a low-cost way. In San Jose, Sanchez said the police use a variety of strategies to find and break up sideshows and their organizers, leading to a “nice downward tick” in sideshow activity in the South Bay city. They monitor social media to find out when and where a sideshow might occur and schedule more officers on duty, if possible. They also also use license plate reader cameras and other intelligence to identify promoters, spectators and the cars they drive. Because sideshows can quickly move from intersection to intersection, Sanchez said they also share information with other Bay Area jurisdictions to identify drivers and vehicles. “What we’ve tried to do in San Jose is try to bring some awareness to sideshows, the violence that actually comes with it,” Sanchez said. Q: How did sideshows first start? Sideshows first started coming onto the scene around the late 1980s and early 1990s, said Tilton. One of the most notable places where sideshows took place was the Eastmont Mall parking lot, she said. Formerly a car factory in the early 20th century, the location provided jobs for working class people. But as East Oakland integrated in the late 1960s, the predominantly white community in the area moved out to the suburbs, taking their businesses and their capital with them. The mall — built in the early 1980s to serve a burgeoning population of mostly Black middle class residents — was on the decline by the end of the decade, leaving young people without a major recreational outlet. Tilton said the young people in East Oakland, specifically young Black people, at the time told her that there was “nothing to do in East Oakland” and there were “no spaces in which they were welcome.” So, sideshows were born out of their boredom and lack of public space where they could come together. And in the early days, it was seen as a positive thing young people could do with their time as an alternative to getting involved in the drug market.Prosecutor moves to drop federal cases against Trump
Rothschild is making waves once again: Former playboy gets tough in takeover tussle By ANNE ASHWORTH and MARK SHAPLAND Updated: 09:01 AEDT, 10 December 2024 e-mail View comments The Rothschild family history is littered with drama and feuding to rival Succession, the black-comedy television series about a fictional billionaire business dynasty. The fifth baron, better known in the City as Nat Rothschild, is to some an aristo playboy with a racy business past, and an even more colourful love life. His haunts have included Mayfair clubs, the Mediterranean playgrounds of the mega-rich and Waddesdon, the glorious Berkshire country house built in the Victorian age by his forebears. He upset his parents in the mid-1990s when he eloped with socialite Annabelle Neilson and embarked on a short-lived marriage. Nor did Nat invite his late father Jacob, who died earlier this year, to his wedding in 2016 to former glamour model Loretta Basey. To his City fans, however, he is a clever and talented corporate chief who is bringing back the golden age of dealmaking to the UK. Businessman: Nat Rothschild is the chairman of Volex which is currently embroiled in a battle for control of TT Electronics, a £206m components manufacturer His business dealings centre around electronic cables maker Volex that is listed on the junior Alternative Investment Market (AIM), with a value of £665million. Volex is embroiled in a battle for control of TT Electronics, a £206million components manufacturer. The question on everyone’s lips in the City is whether Nat, his father’s only son, can live up to the legacy of the revered financier and philanthropist. So far, TT Electronics has given Nat the cold-shoulder. Despite having troubles of its own – the company issued a profits warning in September – it has rebuffed two offers from Volex in recent weeks, the second of which was worth about £249million. Rothschild, 53, remains undeterred. He is now following a line of attack straight out of the playbook familiar to anyone who has watched HBO’s Succession. The Rothschilds’ banking empire was founded in Frankfurt in the 18th century. During the Victorian age, they became the richest people in the world. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Boost for City after Canal+ given green light to list in... Co-founder of UK engineering giant Renishaw Sir David... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account As audaciously as his ancestors, Nat is now appealing directly to TT Electronics shareholders, declaring that the company’s bosses have brought about ‘a share price erosion of over 65 per cent prior to Volex’s interest being made public’. The fight is on, and it seems that Rothschild, who is said to have inherited his father’s steely determination, is more than ready for the fray. His robust stance is drawing attention to the takeover tussle. During Rothschild’s nine-year tenure Volex’s share price has soared by 500 per cent. But there is also a new fascination with his career, family and other relationships. Once, he was regarded as the figure who could unite the warring Rothschild clan. But he became so profoundly estranged from his father that he did not attend the patriarch’s memorial service held at Waddesdon. The Rothschild Foundation manages this magnificent property on behalf of the National Trust. Following Jacob’s death in 2024, his daughter Hannah, Nat’s elder sister, took on the role as chairman. She is also on the board of RIT Capital Partners, the investment trust that manages a chunk of the family’s wealth. Both posts would seem have belonged naturally to Nat, which means that there is a sense of ‘what if’ about his life. There is no hint of such a sentiment in the face that he presents to the world. In his profile on X, he writes that he is ‘interested in public affairs, underdogs, farming, the countryside, and happily married to Loretta’. Basey, an ex-girlfriend of actor Steve Coogan, is famous for having appeared on Page Three of The Sun. First wife Annabelle Neilson, the muse to the designer Alexander McQueen, died in 2018. Father: Lord Jacob Rothschild was not invited to his son's wedding to former glamour model Loretta Basey Rothschild supports Chelsea and is accomplished on the ski slopes, which isn’t surprising since he lives in Switzerland in the elite resort of Klosters. His proclaimed marital bliss is a far cry from his period of fame in the Noughties when his business dealings were as fast as his courtships with women. He was often at the centre of controversy. His first venture into the Indonesian energy market backfired spectacularly. Rothschild co-founded the Bumi group in 2010 with Indonesia’s powerful Bakrie family. An acrimonious boardroom bust-up followed and Bumi fell apart in 2012 amid financial irregularities, scandal and recriminations. But the rumpus that surrounded this incident was far less than the other episode that splashed the Rothschild names across the press. At Colet Court, the prep school for St Paul’s school, Rothschild became friends with former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. While at Oxford, the pair were pictured together in their morning coats and other regalia of the infamous Bullingdon Club. The friendship, however, unravelled in October 2008 when Nat threw a party on the Greek island of Corfu. Guests included Peter Mandelson, then a secretary of state, and Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, with whom Rothschild had links based on plans for developments in Montenegro. Also at the bash was Osborne, shadow chancellor at the time. Later, Rothschild would incorrectly allege that Osborne tried to solicit a donation from Deripaska for the Conservative Party. Until recently, Rothschild’s X profile picture was that of a venerable old man by the 18th century British painter Joseph Wright. The connection is unclear – Rothschild, perhaps, likes to keep people guessing. One thing is certain, however. Following his return to the public stage, he is a mogul to watch. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. 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The utopian dream of solar-powered motoring might not be so distant, as Mercedes-Benz recently opened the doors to some of its most forward-thinking engineering laboratories – and it turns out photovoltaic surfaces are very much on the agenda. During a number of workshops in its home city of Stuttgart, Germany, Mercedes-Benz lifted the lid on how it has been working on a new kind of solar surface that could generate enough electricity for folks in sunnier climates to cover their daily commuting requirements. According to the German marque, the ‘solar modules’ measure just five micrometers in thickness – significantly thinner than a human hair – and weigh just 50 grams per square meter. They can be applied to almost any substrate, with applications of future vehicles likely coming in the form of a "wafer-thin layer of paste" that will cover most of the body work. Mercedes-Benz has past experience with solar panels and the impact they can have on the electric range of EVs, as the company’s record-breaking (the rolling lab that drove more than 620 miles on a single charge) used a small solar panel on the roof that added around 30km (18 miles) of additional range during one of its long distance record attempts. But the breakthrough in photovoltaic surface treatments means much more of a vehicle could be covered, equating to a much greater increase in additional EV mileage. No giant solar panels needed Taking a fairly standard mid-sized SUV like the marque's EQS as an example, Mercedes engineers claim the 11 square meter surface area and the 20% solar efficiencies of the technology would be enough to generate around 7,400-miles of motoring per year in somewhere sunny, like Los Angeles. Nanoparticle-based paint would also allow 94% of the sun's energy to pass through to the solar coating, meaning future EVs won't necessarily have to look like giant solar panels. Studying the daily driving habits of EV owners in Stuttgart, Germany, those close to the project found they cover an average of 52 kilometers (around 32 miles) a day. Around 62% of this distance would be covered using solar energy, the company says, despite the often poor weather conditions. Again, if you live somewhere with plenty of excess sunshine, the 'always-on' nature of a photovoltaic surface means the vehicle could effectively be charging, even when parked. As a result, LA owners could cover 100% of their driving distance on average by solar energy. Any surplus achieved could be fed directly into the home network via bidirectional charging, in theory. Braking down inefficiencies Alongside pondering the state of future cities and speeding up AI decisions with neuromorphic computing, Mercedes-Benz also touched on the fact that it is also working on an EV braking system that removes the need for standard discs, drums and pads. Effectively ridding the world of harmful particles emitted in the form of brake dust, Mercedes’ innovation is integrated into the electric drive unit at the front or rear axle, negating the need for in-wheel brakes. Not only would this be subject to minimal wear and take up less space, it would also mean the company could look at much lighter wheel and tyre combinations, reducing the overall mass of an EV, as well as exploring fully-enclosed rims for optimized aerodynamics, as openings for brake cooling would no longer be required. Plus, the company's research into electrical inverter systems could see the integration of micro-converters directly at battery-cell level, which would allow for greater control over individual cells. It is complicated stuff, but it would result in more efficient battery performance, increased the longevity of battery pack lifespans and greater freedom when it comes to packaging – allowing engineers to use varying cell designs throughout the vehicle. All of these advancements are still a long way from making production, but it is good to see Mercedes-Benz busy exploring innovations that offer its future customers real-world value.A court challenge over a Stormont vote on extending post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland has been dismissed, and the Assembly debate will go ahead as planned on Tuesday. Ruling on Monday after an emergency hearing at Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency”, and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”. However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn. Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review. However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday, after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly. Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland. The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. After the ruling, Mr Bryson told the court he intended to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Any hearing was not expected to come later on Monday. In applying for leave, the activist’s argument was founded on three key grounds. The first was the assertion that Mr Benn failed to make sufficient efforts to ensure Stormont’s leaders undertook a public consultation exercise in Northern Ireland before the consent vote. The second was that the Secretary of State allegedly failed to demonstrate he had paid special regard to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory in triggering the vote. The third ground centred on law changes introduced by the previous UK government earlier this year, as part of its Safeguarding the Union deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. He claimed that if the amendments achieved their purpose, namely, to safeguard Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, then it would be unlawful to renew and extend post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the trading arrangements for Northern Ireland are lawful. The appellants in the case argued that legislation passed at Westminster to give effect to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement conflicted with the 1800 Acts of Union that formed the United Kingdom, particularly article six of that statute guaranteeing unfettered trade within the UK. The Supreme Court found that while article six of the Acts of Union has been “modified” by the arrangements, that was done with the express will of a sovereign parliament, and so therefore was lawful. Mr Bryson contended that amendments made to the Withdrawal Agreement earlier this year, as part of the Safeguarding the Union measures proposed by the Government to convince the DUP to return to powersharing, purport to reassert and reinforce Northern Ireland’s constitutional status in light of the Supreme Court judgment. He told the court that it was “quite clear” there was “inconsistency” between the different legal provisions. “That inconsistency has to be resolved – there is an arguable case,” he told the judge. However, Dr Tony McGleenan KC, representing the Government, described Mr Bryson’s argument as “hopeless” and “not even arguable”. He said all three limbs of the case had “no prospect of success and serve no utility”. He added: “This is a political argument masquerading as a point of constitutional law and the court should see that for what it is.” After rising to consider the arguments, Justice McAlinden delivered his ruling shortly after 7pm. The judge dismissed the application on the first ground around the lack consultation, noting that such an exercise was not a “mandatory” obligation on Mr Benn. On the second ground, he said there were “very clear” indications that the Secretary of State had paid special regard to the customs territory issues. On the final ground, Justice McAlinden found there was no inconsistency with the recent legislative amendments and the position stated in the Supreme Court judgment. “I don’t think any such inconsistency exists,” he said. He said the amendments were simply a “restatement” of the position as set out by the Supreme Court judgment, and only served to confirm that replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with the Windsor Framework had not changed the constitutional fact that Article Six of the Acts of Union had been lawfully “modified” by post-Brexit trading arrangements. “It does no more than that,” he said. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Advocates of the arrangements say they help insulate the region from negative economic consequences of Brexit. A dispute over the so-called Irish Sea border led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022, when the DUP withdrew then-first minister Paul Givan from the coalition executive. The impasse lasted two years and ended in January when the Government published its Safeguarding the Union measures. Under the terms of the framework, a Stormont vote must be held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland, before they expire. The vote must take place before December 17. Based on the numbers in the Assembly, MLAs are expected to back the continuation of the measures for another four years, even though unionists are likely to oppose the move. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has already made clear his party will be voting against continuing the operation of the Windsor Framework. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion does not require cross-community support to pass. If it is voted through with a simple majority, the arrangements are extended for four years. In that event, the Government is obliged to hold an independent review of how the framework is working. If it wins cross-community support, which is a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists, then it is extended for eight years. The chances of it securing such cross-community backing are highly unlikely.
NoneChristmas is all about the children, and local retailers are offering gifts for musicians, gamers, skaters, and those interested in media like movies or records, along with the traditional toys. Jeff Jones, owner of Zomac School of Music, said music stores have a number of gifts for young musicians in the area “Starting out with a beginner guitar, ukulele, or keyboard are all good options,” Jones said. “Lessons are also great. We have a lot of kids who start lessons this time of year.” When it comes to fostering consistent practice, Jones said lessons are essential. “Kids can strum along, and play a lot in the first few days, but without direction from lessons, the instruments may wind up in the back of the closet,” he said. Jones said drums are another instrument option for kids, and that family members might consider purchasing a new cymbal or drumsticks for percussionists who already have drum kits. For pianists who already have keyboards, Jones recommends purchasing blank sheet music or music books, so students can learn their favorite songs. Jones said it is important for people to shop locally because the sales tax collected goes toward schools and roads here. “If you want to have local businesses to shop at, you have to support local businesses,” Jones said. James Hess, store manager of Game X Change, said shopping here boosts the local economy more than anything else, and that people tend to get better service from businesses operated by people they know. “You’re going to have a lot better experiences,” Hess said. “I’ve had customers tell me that this is the only place they will go to for their gaming stuff because they know we will take care of them.” At Game X Change, Hess said, the most popular items people shop for during the holidays are gaming consoles. Right now, the most in demand is the Nintendo Switch. Hess said the Xbox One and the Play Station 4 are also popular choices. According to Hess, “anything and everything” in the store make good gifts. He also offered general holiday shopping advice. “Anyplace you go where they’ve got discounts is a good option for Christmas shopping,” Hess said. In addition to gaming consoles, customers can find video games, movies, CDs, vinyl records, and collectible items. Hess said the store has bins of gently used toys that family members can purchase for minimal amounts. “Who wants to pay $50 for a piece of plastic their kid is going to break?” Hess said. Wyley Henson, owner of Avenue Skateshop, said the store offers everything a beginner or avid skateboarder may need, including boards, shoes, apparel, stickers, wheels, and grip tape. Henson said the shop is also expanding to offer scooters soon. Longboards have been particularly popular in recent years, according to Henson. “This holiday season is make it or break it for a lot of local businesses,” Henson said. He said many businesses rely on fourth-quarter sales during the holiday season, which is why it is important to shop locally. He said when businesses have increased revenue, they can offer more options in their stores. According to Henson, local businesses also support the community. Avenue Skateshop hosts events at the local skatepark, and Henson tries to mentor young men in the community whenever he can. “It is important to shop local, it feeds my family and my kids,” Henson said. “It helps my kids have a good Christmas, too; $10 here can make a big difference for local businesses.” What’s next The final in this four-part series will focus on stocking stuffers, in next Tuesday’s edition. The first article was about women’s gifts and last week’s article featured gifts for men.
Key risk trends for Directors and Officers in 2025: insolvencies, geopolitical tension and “AI washing”: AllianzIowa turns to former walk-on QB to start against MarylandThe Giants were a no-show against the Bucs after releasing quarterback Daniel Jones
Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, listed as questionable due to a shoulder issue, is expected to play Monday night against the visiting Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network reported. McConkey missed practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday and Saturday. Star linebacker Khalil Mack, who was questionable because of a groin injury and was a limited participant, also is expected to play, according to the report. The Chargers (7-3) made several moves Monday ahead of the game against the Ravens (7-4), placing tight end Hayden Hurst (hip) on injured reserve, activating cornerback Deane Leonard (hamstring) off IR, signing cornerback Eli Apple from the practice to the active squad, and elevating linebacker Caleb Murphy and safety Tony Jefferson for game day. McConkey, 23, has started nine of 10 games and has 43 receptions on 63 targets for 615 yards and four touchdowns. The Chargers drafted the 6-foot, 185-pound McConkey in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Mack, 33, is a three-time first-team All-Pro, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has started the nine games he has played and has 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season. For his career, Mack has 617 tackles, 106 sacks, 141 tackles for loss, 178 quarterback hits, three interceptions -- two returned for touchdowns -- 32 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries in 160 games (159 starts). He has played for the Raiders (2014-17), Chicago Bears (2018-21) and Chargers. Hurst, 31, has started two of seven games in his first season with the Chargers. He has seven receptions on 12 targets for 65 yards. A first-round pick (25th overall) by Baltimore in the 2018 NFL Draft out of South Carolina, Hurst has 202 receptions for 1,967 yards and 15 TDs in 86 games (41 starts) for the Ravens (2018-19), Atlanta Falcons (2020-21), Cincinnati Bengals (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Chargers. Apple, 29, has two tackles in three games this season, his first with the Chargers. The 10th overall selection in the 2016 draft, Apple has 383 career tackles and six interceptions in 101 games (82 starts) for the New York Giants (2016-18), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Panthers (2020), Bengals (2021-22), Miami Dolphins (2023) and Chargers. Leonard, who turned 25 last Tuesday, has four tackles in four games this season. His 21-day practice window on IR opened Wednesday. --Field Level Media
One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.
For business owners, a laptop is more than a device. It's an investment, and like any investment, there are ways to reduce risk before you go all in. MacBooks are a common choice for a reason. They're reliable, long-lasting, and powerful. However, the primary drawback is the high initial cost. There's a way around that, though. This refurbished MacBook Air has a significantly reduced price, but it's still in near-mint condition, so you get the benefit of the Apple functionality and the benefit of the reduced price, just $229.97 (reg. $999). Hardware specifications With its impressive 12-hour battery life, this MacBook Air makes sure you stay productive throughout your workday, from early morning meetings to evening project deadlines, without worrying about recharging. Wi-Fi connectivity keeps you connected wherever you are, whether you're working remotely, in a café, or on a business trip. The 128GB SSD offers fast data access and enough storage for essential documents, presentations, and software. The large hard drive also helps you avoid an over-reliance on cloud storage. All your files are always available. Avoid the lag of traditional hard drives and enjoy a smoother, faster work experience. The lightweight design and sleek silver finish make this MacBook Air an ideal companion for business owners who need a functional, portable, and professional-looking laptop. This model was originally manufactured in 2017, so some of the hardware does reflect that. As such, it may not be equipped for demanding software for video editing or 3D design. However, if you need a lightweight machine to stay connected anywhere, this is a good fit. January 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get a MacBook Air on sale for $229.97. Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Silver (Refurbished) - $229.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.Nikki Glaser Tour: Where to Find Tickets to Alive and Unwell Tour, Including Sold Out Dates
Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead. It's Not Too Late To Play Fantasy Hockey Create or join a fantasy hockey league on ESPN. New leagues start fresh weekly! Sign up today >> First, a quick fantasy-relevant note about the trade sending Jacob Trouba to Anaheim: The fallout worth discussing about Trouba himself is minimal, considering he's already overwhelmingly rostered in ESPN Fantasy competition. Sure, the former 50-point player is going to see a bump in production with the Ducks (six assists in 24 games with the Rangers), but you either have him on your fantasy team or you don't. I'm more interested in who pairs with the new Duck defender, in light of Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek's post-trade comments: "He plays a more stay-at-home style and with our left side, we have a lot of offensive defensemen. I think they're going to complement each other really well. We haven't really decided who he's going to play with yet. That's a work in progress to see the chemistry, but I feel very confident that whoever we put with him is going to be very good." Young Jackson LaCombe is one such candidate. The second-year skater is already displaying a penchant for pitching in offensively. Tremendously available in ESPN Fantasy leagues, LaCombe is worth monitoring if he indeed ends up partnered with Trouba. Others who stand to benefit from this fresh presence include netminders Lukas Dostal and John Gibson . Trouba is an effective defender and penalty killer. The Ducks' Penalty kill, ninth-worse in the league, will improve. Then there's the veteran blueliner's physical, and often menacing, on-ice presence altogether. At his most imposing, Trouba has the wherewithal to help create a little more space for some scoring forwards out there. Like Troy Terry and, when healthy again, Trevor Zegras . The ex-Ranger is going to play significant minutes. His impact on others will be tangible. Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch on ESPN+ Forwards Teuvo Teravainen , F, Chicago Blackhawks (31.1%): Moving back to the top line with Connor Bedard under new (interim) coach Anders Sorensen, the winger skated nearly 17 minutes and pitched in a power-play assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Winnipeg. If anyone, other than Bedard, stands to benefit from the latest "new coach bump" in Chicago, Teravainen appears a realistic contender. Matvei Michkov , F, Philadelphia Flyers (64.0%): Since taking a seat in the press box for two games, the leading Calder candidate has seven goals and eight assists in 13 games. Proving to be the real deal, Michkov should be rostered in all but the very shallowest of ESPN Fantasy leagues. Fantasy hockey essentials • Free agent pickups: Who to add • Weekly trends: Power play, goalie picks • Projections | Goalie depth chart • Rankings | Player rater • High production with few minutes • It's not too late, sign up today! Rickard Rakell , F, Pittsburgh Penguins (44.4%): The Penguins forward is proving himself rather useful as a fantasy performer these days, pitching in four goals -- including a tally with the extra skater -- and two assists in six games. Skating on a top line and power play with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust , the winger is one reason the Penguins have won five of their past six. Pius Suter , F, Vancouver Canucks (4.8%): First, scope out whether Jake DeBrusk is available in your league; the former Bruin is scoring up a storm at present. If unavailable, check on Conor Garland , who's served as a pleasant fantasy surprise since the start of this campaign. Also already rostered? Then turn to Garland's current center. Logging almost 20 minutes/game, Suter has five goals and three assists in his past seven contests. Alex Laferriere , F, Los Angeles Kings (48.6%): Skating with Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala , Laferriere is zoned right in with three goals and three helpers in six games. With 12 goals and nine assists already, the Sophomore is well on pace for a breakout 60-plus-point season. See also: Nick Schmaltz , F, Utah Hockey Club (48.2%) Jake Neighbours , F, St. Louis Blues (11.1%) Josh Norris , F, Ottawa Senators (59.4%) Defensemen Aaron Ekblad , D, Florida Panthers (39.3%): Since Nov. 16, the former fantasy darling has scored one goal, seven assists, rifled 27 shots on net, and blocked another 18. That all works out to a tidy average of 2.2 fantasy points/outing. Not too shabby. Editor's Picks Fantasy hockey trade advice: Right time to move these three defensemen 6d Sean Allen December schedule hacks: Why you should add Rangers and Ducks to your roster 4d Victoria Matiash Lane Hutson , D, Montreal Canadiens (39.1%): The young Montreal defender has at least one assist in each of his most recent six games, including a pair with the extra skater. He also shoots on net and blocks shots often enough. Partnered with Mike Matheson , Hutson enjoyed almost 24 minutes of ice-time the other night against the Capitals. See also: Marcus Pettersson , D, Pittsburgh Penguins (11.5%) Jared Spurgeon , D, Minnesota Wild (14.2%) Goaltenders Darcy Kuemper , G, Los Angeles Kings (7.5%): The Kings' netminder was superb in his first game back from injury, denying all but one shot against a very good Wild team Saturday. Look for Kuemper to share the net with David Rittich - who himself has played well against everyone except the Sharks this past month - in the foreseeable future. Considering how well L.A. is performing altogether, both goalies merit rostering in deeper ESPN Fantasy leagues. Scott Wedgewood , G, Colorado Avalanche (6.1%): The veteran netminder recorded his first shutout for the Avs, stopping all 25 shots in a decisive 4-0 win over the Devils on Sunday. Before losing to Carolina last week, he was also perfect in relief of Alexandar Georgiev in Buffalo, denying 22 shots in support of Colorado's dramatic comeback 5-4 victory. This keeps up, and we'll see more Wedgewood and less Georgiev in the Avalanche's crease, moving forward. Short-term streamers It's your league. Run it how you want. Choose your league size, customize the scoring and set the rules you want to create the fantasy hockey league you want to play in. Create your custom league for free! New York Rangers : Playing on two "off" nights when most of the league is idle, the Rangers face the Blackhawks, Sabres, Kings, and Blues this week. If you need fantasy help up front and have yet to secure Will Cuylle , now would be the time. A too-dormant-of-late Alexis Lafreniere is also showing signs of breaking out of his recent slump. On the blue line, K'Andre Miller is benefitting from more ice time now that Trouba is California-bound. Dylan Cozens , F, Buffalo Sabres (51.4%): Like the Rangers, the Sabres also compete when most of the league is off Monday and Wednesday, then again Saturday and Sunday. After a quieter stretch in mid-November, Cozens appears back in a rather productive groove. Matthew Knies , F, Toronto Maple Leafs (41.7%): The Maple Leafs play the Devils, Ducks, Red Wings, and Sabres this week. Skating in Toronto's top-six and on the No. 1 power play, Knies appeals with a great deal of present-week potential. Forward Max Pacioretty also might be worth streaming in deeper fantasy leagues - as long as he sticks on a unit with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner . Dylan Holloway , F, St. Louis Blues (57.7%): The Blues forward is sizzling at present, with five goals and four assists in his past six contests. St. Louis faces Vancouver, San Jose, Dallas, and the Rangers this busy week.
Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in “Baby Driver,” died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM. The teen sustained blunt force trauma in the fall on Dec. 19 and was admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where he died from his injuries on Dec. 21, the Jefferson County Coroner’s office told CNN affiliate WVTM . “His 16 years on this earth were far too short, but he accomplished so much and significantly impacted everyone he met,” reads a post on his Instagram account . Hudson Meek attends the "A Different Man" premiere during the Deauville American Film Festival in Deauville, France, on September 9. The teen actor had various acting and voice over credits, most notably playing a younger version of Ansel Elgort’s character Baby in 2017 movie “Baby Driver.” Meek also voiced the lead in “Badanamu Stories” — a children’s show that examines themes relevant to preschoolers, according to IMDb . He also appeared in shows including NBC’s “Found” and The CW’s “Legacies,” as well as the recently released thriller “The School Duel.” Meek’s obituary described the teenager as a “reflective and thoughtful” avid traveler and fan of the outdoors. “He loved snow-skiing and could easily navigate the hardest trails that no one else in the family would dare attempt,” the obituary read. “One of his favorite places to be was at the lake, tubing and wakeboarding.” The Vestavia Hills Police Department is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Meek’s death, WTVM reported. CNN has reached out to Vestavia Hills police for more information on the incident. Glynis Johns, a Tony Award-winning stage and screen star who played the mother opposite Julie Andrews in the classic movie “Mary Poppins” and introduced the world to the bittersweet standard-to-be “Send in the Clowns” by Stephen Sondheim, died, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023. She was 100. Adan Canto, the Mexican singer and actor best known for his roles in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Agent Game” as well as the TV series “The Cleaning Lady,” “Narcos,” and “Designated Survivor,” died Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, after a private battle with appendiceal cancer. He was 42. Bud Harrelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. He was 79. The Mets said that Harrelson died at a hospice house in East Northport, New York after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. He was 46. Jack Burke Jr., the oldest living Masters champion who staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Houston. He was 100. Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “The Leader of the Pack,” died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 75. Norman Jewison, a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, died “peacefully” Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. He was 97. Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. He was 91. Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They've Done to My Song Ma.” Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actress who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. She was 91. Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing-off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. He was 76. Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer's charity, Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. He was 75. Actor Ian Lavender, who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army,” died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 77. Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith, whose pro-American anthems were both beloved and criticized, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62. Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” and “The Rubberband Man,” died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, of natural causes, according to a statement from his spokeswoman. He was 85. Bob Edwards, right, the news anchor many Americans woke up to as founding host of National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 20243. He was 76. He's shown here with sports announcer Red Barber. Don Gullett, a former major league pitcher and coach who played for four consecutive World Series champions in the 1970s, died Feb. 14. He was 73. He finished his playing career with a 109-50 record playing for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. Lefty Driesell, the coach whose folksy drawl belied a fiery on-court demeanor that put Maryland on the college basketball map and enabled him to rebuild several struggling programs, died Feb. 17, 2024, at age 92. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Despite the effort of Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley (43), Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards hauls in a touchdown pass during NFL football's Super Bowl 12 in New Orleans on Jan 15, 1978. Richards died Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 73. Richards' nephew Lance Richards confirmed his death in a post on his Facebook page. Comedian Richard Lewis attends an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 2012. Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” died Feb. 27, 2024. He was 76. He died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham. Former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov attends a session of the Federation Council, Russian parliament's upper house, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Ryzhkov, former Soviet prime minister who presided over failed efforts to shore up the crumbling economy in the final years before the collapse of the USSR, died Feb. 28, 2024, at age 94. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. Akira Toriyama is pictured in 1982. Toriyama, the creator of one of Japan's best-selling “Dragon Ball” and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, died March 1, 2024. He was 68. Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, died March 1, 2024, at 102. Andy Russell, the standout linebacker who was an integral part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ evolution from perennial losers to champions, died Feb. 29, 2024. He was 82. Russell won two Super Bowls during a 12-year NFL career between 1963-76 that was briefly interrupted by a stint in the military. Russell played in 168 consecutive games and spent 10 years as a team captain. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. Russell remained active in the Pittsburgh community after retiring, writing several books and launching the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation. Pittsburgh Pirates' Ed Ott slides across home late out of reach of Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series at Baltimore, Oct. 11, 1979. Ott, a former major league catcher and coach who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. He batted .259 with 33 homers and 195 RBIs in 567 major league games. Ott and Steve Nicosia were the main catchers when the Pirates won it all in 1979. In a photo supplied by ESPN, Chris Mortensen appears on the set of Sunday NFL Countdown at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn., on Sept. 22, 2019. Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. Mortensen announced in 2016 that he he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Mortensen announced his retirement after the NFL draft last year so that he could “focus on my health, family and faith.” Singer Steve Lawrence, left, and his wife Eydie Gorme arrive at a black-tie gala called honoring Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas on May 30, 1998. Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at age 88. Gorme died on Aug. 10, 2013. Martin Luther King III, right, the son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., walks with his daughter Yolanda, and Naomi Barber King, left, the wife of Rev. King's brother, A.D., through an exhibition devoted to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, in Atlanta. Civil rights activist Naomi Barber King died Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Atlanta, according to family members. She was 92. A Texas man who spent decades using an iron lung after contracting polio as a child died March 11, 2024, at the age of 78. Paul Alexander's longtime friend Daniel Spinks says Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital. Spinks called his friend one of the "bright stars of the world.” Friends of Alexander, who graduated from law school and had a career as an attorney, say he was a man who had a great joy for life. Alexander was a child when he began using an iron lung, a cylinder that encased his body as the air pressure in the chamber forced air in and out of his lungs. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford stands near the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during training Aug. 23, 1965, in the Gulf of Mexico. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died March 18, 2024, at 93. New York Rangers' Chris Simon celebrates his second-period goal against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was 52. Simon died March 18, 2024, according to a spokesperson for the NHL Players' Association. M. Emmet Walsh arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, March 1, 2014, in Santa Monica, Calif. Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner,” died March 19, 2024, at age 88, his manager said Wednesday. "Babar" author Laurent de Brunhoff, who revived his father's popular picture book series about an elephant-king, has died at 98 after being in hospice care for two weeks. De Brunhoff was a Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. He died March 22, 2024, at his home in Key West, Florida. Just 12 years old when his father, Jean de Brunhoff, died of tuberculosis, Laurent drew upon his own gifts as a painter and storyteller and as an adult released dozens of books about the elephant who reigns over Celesteville, among them "Babar at the Circus" and "Babar's Yoga for Elephants." Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of 94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been ill for several years, died March 23, 2024. Angelos was owner of an Orioles team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death came as his son, John, was in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final years. Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, left, and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, wave to supporters Oct. 25, 2000, at a campaign rally in Jackson, Tenn. Lieberman died March 27, 2024. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore's ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years. Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” died March 28, 2024. He was 87. Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward, toward his Academy Award for “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He also was a star on Broadway, replacing Billy Daniels in “Golden Boy” with Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964 and recently played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.” Former cast members of SCTV, from left, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999, in Aspen, Colo. Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” died Monday, April 1, 2024 at age 82. John Sinclair talks at the John Sinclair Foundation Café and Coffeeshop, Dec. 26, 2018, in Detroit. Sinclair, a poet, music producer and counterculture figure whose lengthy prison sentence after a series of small-time pot busts inspired a John Lennon song and a star-studded 1971 concert to free him, has died at age 82. Sinclair died Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at Detroit Receiving Hospital of congestive heart failure following an illness, his publicist Matt Lee said. Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, right, tips his cap to fans as majority owner John Henry holds the 2013 World Series championship trophy during a parade in celebration of the baseball team's win, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Boston. Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included three major league baseball franchises and one in the NFL, confirmed his death on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Playwright Christopher Durang appears on stage with producers to accept the award for best play for "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on June 9, 2013 in New York. Also on stage are actors, background from left, Shalita Grant, Kristine Nielsen and Billy Magnussen. Durang died Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at his home in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, of complications from logopenic primary progressive aphasia. He was 75. In this Oct. 16, 1969 file photo, New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote, right, embraces pitcher Jerry Koosman as Ed Charles, left, joins the celebration after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the Game 5 to win the baseball World Series at New York's Shea Stadium. Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 81. In this July 8, 2003 photo, Lori, left, and George Schappell, conjoined twins, are photographed in their Reading, Pa., apartment. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. The University of Edinburgh says Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of a sub-atomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson, died April 8, 2024, at 94. Higgs predicted the existence of the particle in 1964. But it would be almost 50 years before the its existence could be confirmed at a particle collider in Switzerland called the Large Hadron Collider. Higgs’ work helps scientists understand of the most fundamental riddles of the universe: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago. Higgs won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work, alongside Francois Englert of Belgium. A retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War died April 8, 2024, at age 97. A funeral home says that Ralph Puckett Jr. died Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia. President Joe Biden presented Puckett with the Medal of Honor in 2021, more than seven decades after Puckett was seriously wounded leading an outnumbered company of Army Rangers in battle. Puckett refused a medical discharge and served as an Army officer for another 20 years before retiring in 1971. Puckett received the U.S. military's highest honor from President Joe Biden on May 21, 2021, following a policy change that lifted a requirement for medals to be given within five years of a valorous act. O.J. Simpson, left, grimaces June 15, 1995, in a Los Angeles courtroom as he famously tries on one of the leather gloves prosecutors say he wore the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered. Simpson, t he decorated football star who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but wound up in prison years later in an unrelated case, died April 10, 2024. He was 76. His family made an announcement Thursday in a statement on Simpson's X account. Simpson said last year that he was battling prostate cancer. Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the 1994 knife slayings of Brown Simpson and Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable. Simpson's nine-year prison stint in Nevada was for the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers. Francis Coppola and wife, Eleanor, pose July 16, 1991, in Los Angeles. Eleanor Coppola, who documented the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic films, including the infamously tortured production of “Apocalypse Now,” and who raised a family of filmmakers, has died. She was 87. Coppola died April 12, 2024, at home in Rutherford, California, her family announced in a statement. Eleanor, who grew in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut, the Roger Corman-produced 1963 horror film “Dementia 13.” Their first-born, Gian-Carlo, quickly became a regular presence in his father’s films, as did their subsequent children, Roman, and Sofia. After acting in their father’s films and growing up on sets, all would go into the movies. Robert MacNeil, seen in February 1978, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died April 12, 2024, at age 93. Artist Faith Ringgold poses for a portrait in front of a painted self-portrait during a press preview of her exhibition, "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, June 19, 2013. Ringgold, an award-winning author and artist who broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling, died Friday, April 12, 2024, at her home in Englewood, N.J. She was 93. Alabama coach Bear Bryant, left, talks with his former star quarterback Steve Sloan, right, after practice in Miami for the Orange Bowl game New Years' night against Nebraska, Dec. 29, 1968. Former college coach and administrator Sloan, who played quarterback and served as athletic director at Alabama. has passed away. He was 79. Sloan died Sunday, April 14, 2024, after three months of memory care at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, according to an obituary from former Alabama sports information director Wayne Atcheson. Oakland A's pitcher Ken Holtzman poses for a photo in March 1975. Holtzman, who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and helped the Oakland Athletics win three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, died April 14, 2024. He finished with a career record of 174-150 over 15 season with four teams and was the winningest Jewish pitcher in baseball history. Carl Erskine, center, pictured with teammate Duke Snider, left, and manager Charley Dressen in 1952, after beating the Yankees 6-5 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Oct. 5, 1952. Erskine, who pitched two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series, has died. Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major league career with the Dodgers. He helped them win five National League pennants from 1948-59. Erskine won Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, beating the Yankees 3-2. He appeared in five World Series, with the Dodgers beating the Yankees in 1955 for their only championship in Brooklyn. Erksine died April 16 in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana, according to a hospital official. He was 97. St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog lets umpire John Shulock, right, know how he feels about Shulock's call on the tag attempt on Kansas City Royals Jim Sundberg by Cardinals catcher Tom Nieto, second from left, in the second inning of Game 5 of the 1985 World Series in St. Louis. Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. Herzog, affectionately nicknamed “The White Rat,” was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling an overall record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985. Under Herzog, the Cardinals won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987 and won the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. He died April 15, 2024, and was 92. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., gestures as he answers questions regarding the ongoing security hearing on Capitol Hill, June 18, 2002, in Washington. Graham, who chaired the Intelligence Committee following the 2001 terrorist attacks and opposed the Iraq invasion, died April 16, 2024. He was 87. His family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham. Graham served three terms in the Senate and two terms as Florida's governor. He made an unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the Iraq invasion. But that bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003, and he was never able to gain enough traction with voters to catch up. He didn’t seek re-election in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez. Guitar legend and Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts died April 18, 2024, at age 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote the band's biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Manager David Spero told The Associated Press that Betts died early Thursday at his home in Osprey, Florida. He says Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre: Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans’ music, which combined blues, country, R&B and jazz with ’60s rock. Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album “Overcomer,” died April 18, 2024. She was 47. Mandisa gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006. In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album. She spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith. David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator who was one of the state’s most beloved and active political figures, died April 20, 2024, at the age of 89. His son, former two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, says the Democrat died Saturday of natural causes in Little Rock surrounded by family. David Pryor was considered one of the Democratic party’s giants in Arkansas and remained active in public life after he left office, including serving on the University of Arkansas’s Board of Trustees. Roman Gabriel was known for his big size and big arm. He was the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL. And he still holds the Los Angeles Rams record for touchdown passes. Gabriel died April 20, 2024, at age 83. His son posted the news on social media. He says Gabriel died at home of natural causes. Gabriel starred at North Carolina State and was the No. 2 pick by the Rams in the 1962 draft. The Oakland Raider of the rival AFL made him the No. 1 pick. Gabriel signed with the Rams and later played with the Philadelphia Eagles. Andrew Davis, an acclaimed British conductor who was music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and orchestras on three continents, died April 20, 2024. He was 80. Davis died Saturday at Rusk Institute in Chicago from leukemia. That is according to his manager, Jonathan Brill of Opus 3 Artists. Davis had been managing the disease for 1 1/2 to 2 years but it became acute shortly after his 80th birthday on Feb. 2. Davis was music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1975-88, Britain’s Glyndebourne Festival from 1988-2000, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2000, then was music director of the Lyric Opera from 2000-21. Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages, died April 21, 2024. Anderson was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. Anderson, who was tortured and chained to a wall, wrote about his experiences in the best-selling memoir, “Den of Lions.” After returning to the United States in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches, taught journalism and, at various times, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant. He also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home. It was not to be. Gladden, one of the dwindling number of veterans who took part in the landings that kicked off the campaign to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis during World War II, died April 24, his family said. He was 100. With fewer and fewer veterans taking part each year, the ceremony may be one of the last big events marking the assault that began on June 6, 1944. Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser,” “Forty Miles of Bad Road" and “Cannonball” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, died April 30 at age 86. With his raucous rhythms, and backing hollers and hand claps, Eddy sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and mastered a distinctive sound based on the premise that a guitar’s bass strings sounded better on tape than the high ones. Author Paul Auster has died at age 77. Auster was a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1." Auster’s death on April 30 was confirmed by his literary representatives. Auster completed more than 30 books, translated into dozens of languages. He never achieved major commercial success in the U.S., but he was widely admired overseas for his cosmopolitan worldview and erudite and introspective style. Auster’s novels were a mix of history, politics, genre experiments, existential quests and self-conscious references to writers and writing. Co-pilots Dick Rutan, right, and Jeana Yeager, no relationship to test pilot Chuck Yeager, pose for a photo after a test flight over the Mojave Desert, Dec. 19, 1985. Rutan, a decorated Vietnam War pilot, who along with copilot Yeager completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling, died late Friday, May 3, 2024. He was 85. Music producer Steve Albini, seen in his Chicago studio in 2014, produced albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey. Albini died at 61. Brian Fox, an engineer at Albini’s studio, Electrical Audio, says Albini died after a heart attack May 7. In addition to his work on canonized rock albums such as Nirvana‘s “In Utero,” the Pixies’ breakthrough “Surfer Rosa,” and PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me,” Albini was the frontman of the underground bands Big Black and Shellac. He dismissed the term “producer” and requested he be credited with “Recorded by Steve Albini." San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame football player Jimmy Johnson, left, is honored by owner Jed York before a 2011 game between against the St. Louis Rams in San Francisco. Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson, a three-time All-Pro and member of the All-Decade Team of the 1970s, has died. He was 86. Johnson's family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died May 8. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He played his entire 16-year pro career with San Francisco. He played in 213 games, more than any other 49ers player at the time of his retirement. San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs fires a throw to first from his knees but is unable to get Los Angeles Dodgers' D. J. Houlton at first during the third inning of a baseball game June 22, 2005, in San Diego. Burroughs, a two-time Little League World Series champion who won an Olympic gold medal and went on to a major league career that was interrupted by substance abuse, has died. He was 43. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s online records said Burroughs died Thursday, May 9, 2024, with the cause of death deferred. Producer Roger Corman poses in his Los Angeles office, May 8, 2013. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. A.J. Smith, a longtime NFL executive who was the winningest general manager in Chargers history, has died. He was 75. His son, Atlanta assistant general manager Kyle Smith, announced in a statement released by the Falcons that his father died May 12. Kyle Smith said his father had been battling prostate cancer for seven years. The Chargers won five division titles during Smith’s 10 seasons as GM. The franchise’s 98 wins, including the playoffs, were the sixth most in the league from 2003-12. Saxophone player David Sanborn performs during his concert at the Stravinski hall at the "Colours of Music night" during the 34th Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland on July 10, 2000. Sanborn, the Grammy-winning saxophonist who played lively solos on such hits as David Bowie's “Young Americans” and James Taylor's “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and enjoyed his own highly successful recording career as a leading performer of contemporary jazz, died Sunday, May 12, 2024, at age 78. Nobel laureate Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers was 92. Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Munro was little known beyond Canada until her late 30s but became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro died May 13 at home in Port Hope, Ontario. Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” died May 16. He was 92. For two decades Coleman labored in movies and TV shows as a talented but largely unnoticed performer. That changed abruptly in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of the hamlet of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satirical soap opera. He won a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small screen legal drama “Sworn to Silence.” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi listens to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not in photo, during a joint news conference following their meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 24, 2024. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash site, state media reported Monday, May 20, 2024. Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center known as Mr. Raider for his durability through a litany of injuries, died May 19. He was 86. The cause of death was not immediately known. Otto joined the Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and was a fixture on the team for the next 15 years. He never missed a game because of injuries and competed in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career. His right leg was amputated in 2007. Ivan F. Boesky, the flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals on Wall Street, has died at the age of 87. A representative at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, owned by his daughter, confirmed his death. The son of a Detroit delicatessen owner, Boesky was once considered one of the richest and most influential risk-takers on Wall Street. He had parlayed $700,000 from his late mother-in-law’s estate into a fortune estimated at more than $200 million. Once implicated in insider trading, Boesky cooperated with a brash young U.S. attorney named Rudolph Giuliani, uncovering a scandal that blemished some of the most respected U.S. investment brokerages. Boesky died May 20. Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek poses with the Oscar for best original score for his work on "Finding Neverland" during the 77th Academy Awards, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles. Polish composer Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the movie “Finding Neverland,” has died on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at age 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation. Train bassist and founding member Charlie Colin has died at 58. Colin’s sister confirmed the musician's death Wednesday to The Associated Press. Variety reported Colin slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels. Train formed in San Francisco in the early ’90s. Colin played on Train's first three records, 1998’s self-titled album, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and 2003’s “My Private Nation.” The track “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned two Grammys. Colin left the band in 2003. He also worked with the Newport Beach Film Festival. Colin died May 22. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar nominee whose most famous works skewered America’s food industry and who notably ate only at McDonald’s for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died of cancer. He was 53. Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking film “Super Size Me,” and returned in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” — a sober look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America. Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music. Spurlock died May 23. Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95. Sherman, along with his late brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs together, including songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday due to age-related illness. The brothers won two Academy Awards for Walt Disney’s 1964 smash “Mary Poppins.” Robert Sherman died May 25 in London in 2012. Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton laughs during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy died May 25 at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes." A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year. Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 12-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, died June 2. He was 52. The Cowboys say Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. Allen was named an All-Pro six consecutive years from 1996-2001 and was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013. He said few words but let his blocking do the talking. Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds and had the speed to chase down opposing running backs. Bob Hope and Janis Paige hug during the annual Christmas show in Saigon, Vietnam, Dec. 25, 1964. Paige, a popular actor in Hollywood and in Broadway musicals and comedies who danced with Fred Astaire, toured with Bob Hope and continued to perform into her 80s, died Sunday, June 2, 2024, of natural causes at her Los Angeles home, longtime friend Stuart Lampert said Monday, June 3. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, died June 4 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said. Jones was 90. At the time of his death, Jones was the oldest living winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Rufus Parnell Jones was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1933 but moved to Torrance as a young child and never left. It was there that he became “Parnelli” because his given name of Rufus was too well known for him to compete without locals knowing that he wasn’t old enough to race. Boston Celtics' John Havlicek (17) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Chet Walker (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball playoff game April 14, 1968, in Boston. Walker, a seven-time All-Star forward who helped Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers win the 1967 NBA title, died June 8. He was 84. The National Basketball Players Association confirmed Walker's death, according to NBA.com . The 76ers, Chicago Bulls and National Basketball Retired Players Association also extended their condolences on social media on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
The UFC is getting closer to a several-week break as the promotion typically takes time off toward the end of the year. But UFC Dana White is still booking matchups to keep fans salivating over the holidays. The latest news shows that White recently announced that bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili will make his first title defense against undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov during UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome. It will be a good night to celebrate the talent that Russian fighters bring to the map. The main event will feature a battle between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. With Dvalishvili, there was some intrigue surrounding who his first title defense would be against. Nurmagomedov was the logical choice, as he is still undefeated. However, there was a groundswell for Sean O’Malley to get an immediate rematch. So what changed in the matchmakers’ minds? Merab Said to Make the Fight Quickly Dvalishvili likes to make funny social media videos online, poking fun at potential future opponents. Looking at MMA news sites reveals that Dvalishvili was questioned recently about whether Nurmagomedov had the right amount of experience to challenge for a championship fight . Nurmagomedov continued to nag Merab for a title shot. Eventually, Dvashvili heard enough from Nurmagomedov. It almost caught White off-guard when Dvalishvili came into the office and decided to try and speed up the process. “Merab came into the office late, told us that he is tired of listening to Umar disrespect him, and he wanted to make this fight happen as soon as possible,” White said. “We called Umar. He was sleeping in Dagestan, and he said, ‘Hell yes, anywhere, anytime.’” Dvalishvili, who started his career with a 7-4 record, has worked his way into becoming one of the most unlikely UFC champions. Dvalishvili won his 11th consecutive fight when he beat O’Malley by decision last September at the UFC Noche event. During Dvalishvili’s winning streak, he picked up impressive wins over Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and O’Malley. Moraes was a former bantamweight champion in the World Series of Fighting and challenged for the UFC crown. All of the rest of the aforementioned wins came over fighters who were champions in the UFC. Umar Made a Quick Rise up the Ranks Nurmagomedov had little chance but to be a good grappler . Umar is the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the older brother of Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Umar took a different path to the UFC than his relatives. His first stop on the North American stage was a one-fight appearance with the PFL in 2019. When Nurmagomedov made his way into the UFC, he was able to rack up a number of wins quickly. Umar debuted with a submission win over Sergey Morozov in January 2021. He hasn’t been the most active fighter. Umar only fought once in 2023, a first-round knockout of Raoni Barcelos that was his most impressive performance in the promotion, and twice this year. During Umar’s last fight, he took on former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen. Umar wowed the MMA community by outstriking Sandhagen, who is excellent on his feet. The best MMA news site thought that Sandhagen would be better in the striking exchanges, but the fight didn’t play out that way. Champion Will Likely be an Underdog Dvalishvili is a cardio machine who typically breaks opponents with his high-volume wrestling. That won’t be an advantage for him against Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov will have the capability to keep up with Dvalishvili on the mats. While Dvalishvili is excellent at taking down opponents, he isn’t great at keeping his opponents down on the ground. Dvalishvili only has one career win by submission, and that was in 2017. If Dvalishvili isn’t able to strike consistently with Nurmagomedov, it could be a long fight for the native of the Republic of Georgia. Dvalishvili was able to win the belt partially because he was paired with O’Malley, who is on the record as not liking wrestling and prefers to strike. It will be interesting to see how Dvalisvhili tries to change his strategy in order to have a good fight with an opponent who should be able to counter a lot of his strengths in the octagon. Main Card for UFC 311 is Filling In Nicely There will be a lot of fans in Los Angeles for UFC 311 that will have plenty of variety in the types of fights they can watch. Former light heavyweight champions Jiří Procházka and Jamahil Hill will finally meet to settle their differences. Procházka and Hill were set to fight a few years back for the championship. However, Procházka suffered an injury in training and wasn’t able to compete. It started a wild cycle in the light heavyweight division. Eventually, Alex Pereira came up from middleweight to give the division its own boogeyman. Procházka and Hill have both lost to Pereira twice. They are hoping to earn another shot at the champ. Here’s at some of the other announced fights for the card: Lightweight, Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano Middleweight, Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder Light heavyweight, Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov Bantamweight, Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos Heavyweight, Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac Middleweight, Zachary Reese vs. Sedrigues Dumas Lightweight, Grant Dawson vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira Women’s bantamweight, Karol Rosa vs. Ailin Perez Bantamweight, Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov Bantamweight, Ricky Turcios vs. Bernardo Sopaj Flyweight, Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.
NEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga is guaranteed $5 million in his one-year contract from the New York Yankees as he returns from Tommy John surgery and could earn up to $10.5 million over two seasons. Loáisiga gets a $500,000 signing bonus and a $4.5 million salary next season as part of the agreement announced Saturday. New York has a $5 million team option for 2026 with no buyout. Loáisiga could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses in 2026: $100,000 apiece for 50 innings and each additional five through 70. Pitching coach Matt Blake said last week the 30-year-old right-hander could return in late April or May from Tommy John surgery last May 1. “I imagine him being one of the high-leverage guys,” Blake said. “Obviously, we got to take some time to get him right, make sure we don’t rush him into competition.” Loáisiga had a $2.5 million salary this year in his final season of arbitration eligibility and became a free agent. He made three relief appearances during the first seven days of the season, then went on the injured list because of a strained right flexor muscle, then had Tommy John surgery with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Loáisiga was limited to 17 games in 2023 by right elbow inflammation that sidelined him from the Yankees between April 5 and Aug. 8. He is 19-11 with a 3.44 ERA in 11 starts and 152 relief appearances over seven seasons, striking out 207 and walking 72 in 219 2/3 innings. Loáisiga averaged 97.8 mph with his sinker in 2023. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB