CHICAGO (AP) — Defense lawyers at R. Kelly’s child pornography trial in Chicago sought Wednesday to portray a key government witness as a liar and extortionist, contending the man first approached the R&B star in 2001 and demanded that Kelly pay $1 million or he’d go public with video that could put Kelly in serious legal peril.
"Breaking,” Abi Damaris Corbin’s lean and heartfelt first feature, is a lackluster bank-robbery thriller with noble intentions enlivened by an impassioned performance by John Boyega and an elegiac final appearance by the late Michael K.
As Arden Cho moved into the final stages of auditioning for the new Netflix series “Partner Track,” she had an especially good feeling about the job after a Zoom meeting with producers.
“I believe it was a more than an hour and a half producer session, which is quite on the long side.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York's highest court has agreed to hear an appeal from Harvey Weinstein over his 2020 rape conviction.
A spokesman for the Court of Appeals said Wednesday that oral arguments would likely be held sometime next year, after the decision to hear the case was granted Aug.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jerry Allison, an architect of rock drumming who played and co-wrote songs with childhood friend Buddy Holly and whose future wife inspired the classic “Peggy Sue,” has died.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ani DiFranco has some life thoughts to share — for kids.
Rise x Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, announced Wednesday that the Grammy winning singer-songwriter's debut picture book “The Knowing” is coming out March 7, 2023.
NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, a New Wave treasure trove sat in a converted barn. For fans of the band Blondie, it was the equivalent of the Ark of the Covenant tucked away in a rickety storage space.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Serena Williams and Meghan recount challenges they've experienced as working mothers on the Duchess of Sussex's first podcast, including stories of having to work soon after scary incidents involving their children.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 10 million people saw the premiere of “House of the Dragon” on Sunday night, making the “Game of Thrones” spinoff HBO's most-watched series premiere in the network's history.
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer and Trey Mancini added a two-run shot to back up another quality start by Framber Valdez, and the Houston Astros held on for a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff's shoes carried the message “Play for Peace” as she joined Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek and other tennis stars in a pre-U.S. Open exhibition event Wednesday night that helped generate more than $1 million for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s widow was awarded $16 million as part of a $31 million jury verdict Wednesday against Los Angeles County for deputies and firefighters sharing grisly photos of the NBA star, his 13-year-old daughter and other victims killed in a 2020 helicopter crash.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whether it was in the huddle during the early days of the AFL or behind the microphone as the NFL grew into the behemoth it is today, Len Dawson carried himself with an unmistakable swagger and self-assurance that earned him the well-worn nickname “Lenny the Cool.”
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. cherishes his class time with Reggie Wayne.
Pittman knows few players are fortunate enough to learn the art of route-running from someone whose career numbers — 1,070 receptions, 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns — rank among the league's best.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A new lawsuit has exposed a deep rift between two of Paul Newman's daughters and the late actor's charitable foundation funded by profits from the Newman's Own line of food and drink products.
ATLANTA (AP) — Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are bringing their own version of team golf to the PGA Tour.
A day after Woods and McIlroy announced a new media venture called TMRW Sports, they unveiled a project Wednesday that involves 18 players competing in a series of matches featuring technology as much as shot-making.
CHICAGO (AP) — A former merchandizing agent for R. Kelly testified Tuesday that the singer offered him $1 million to find a VHS tape featuring Kelly as prosecutors sought to persuade jurors that Kelly was desperate to recover the missing recording, knowing it could land him in legal peril if it fell into the hands of law enforcement.
DENVER (AP) — A law firm that helped defend Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite convicted of helping the financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, is suing her, her brother and husband, saying it was never paid for more than $878,000 for its work.
BOSTON (AP) — Mario Batali has agreed to settle two Massachusetts lawsuits that accused the celebrity chef of sexual assault, attorneys for the women said on Wednesday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Anne Heche will be laid to rest at a storied Los Angeles cemetery alongside many Hollywood luminaries, her family said Tuesday.
Reaction to the death of Hall of Fame quarterback and broadcaster Len Dawson:
"With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson.
NEW YORK (AP) — Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday because she is pregnant, announcing the news via social media by joking that “two against one just isn’t a fair competition” and posting a string of emojis that included a baby bottle.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Producers Guild of America has elected Hollywood veterans Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line as its new presidents, the organization said Tuesday.
Allain, a longtime producer behind films like “Dear White People,” “Hustle & Flow” and “Beyond the Lights,” is the first woman of color to assume the role in the organization’s history.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Finland’s prime minister apologized after the publication of a photo that showed two women kissing and posing topless at the official summer residence of the country's leader.
SYDNEY (AP) — Fox Corp. chief executive Lachlan Murdoch is suing Australian news website Crikey in a Sydney court for defamation over an opinion piece about last year’s storming of the U.S. Capitol.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A small town in the Mississippi Delta that has ties to the civil rights movement will soon be home to the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
Project planners hope to finish building the facility in the town of Marks in two or three years, Velma Wilson, director of economic tourism and development for Quitman County, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
LONDON (AP) — England midfielder Jill Scott announced her retirement from soccer on Tuesday, the second member of the Euro 2022-winning team to do so in two days.
The 35-year-old Scott’s decision comes after Ellen White, the team's record scorer, said Monday she was retiring.
DENVER (AP) — Nathaniel Hackett's first training camp in Denver was notable for its paucity of hard hits, at least until a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Chase Young will miss the Washington Commanders’ first four games of the season after landing on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
The team put Young and backup center Tyler Larsen on the list Tuesday, also releasing receiver Kelvin Harmon and offensive tackle Rashod Hill and placing linebacker Nathan Gerry on injured reserve.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards will now feature gender neutral film and television acting categories and raise its budget cap to $30 million, the organization said Tuesday.
“We’re thrilled to join the other festivals and award shows that are already moving to celebrate great acting without reference to gender,” Josh Welsh, Film Independent's president, said in a statement.
The National Women's Soccer League title game will be aired nationally in prime time for the first time in the 10-year-old league’s history.
The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Oct.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Tennis star Nick Kyrgios didn’t appear in an Australian court on Tuesday and had his case of common assault adjourned until Oct. 4.
The 27-year-old Kyrgios, who was not required to attend the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court, was represented by his lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith.
Edward Buckles, Jr. was 13 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and completely upended his life. Buckles and his family moved from New Orleans to Lafayette, Louisiana for several months while their hometown began to recover from the catastrophic storm.
“Perish” by LaToya Watkins (Tiny Reparations Books)
When a family’s matriarch is on her deathbed, they all gather back to Jerusalem, Texas, the hometown where their unresolved trauma began crashing through the generations.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Gary Gaines, coach of the Texas high school football team made famous in the book and movie “Friday Night Lights,” has died. He was 73.
Gaines' family said in a statement the former coach died Monday in Lubbock after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
CHICAGO (AP) — A mother whose daughter prosecutors say R. Kelly sexually abused starting when she was 14 told jurors Monday at the singer’s federal trial that she lied to a state grand jury 20 years ago, in part because she and her husband felt threatened by Kelly and feared for their lives if they told the truth.
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Rapper Fetty Wap pleaded guilty Monday to a conspiracy drug charge that carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence, admitting that he participated in a massive drug trafficking racket that moved drugs from the West Coast to Long Island.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Are you ready for some football? Fine, but the return of the NFL is why the 2022 Emmy Awards have been drop-kicked from their usual Sunday berth to Monday.
“Fox Creek” by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
Retired sheriff and part time private detective Cork O’Connor is working the grill in his Aurora, Minnesota, restaurant when a stranger wanders in looking for help finding his wife, Delores, who has run off to have an affair with a Native American named Henry Meloux.