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Cult Classic ‘Twogether’: The Love Story Everyone’s Obsessed With

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Twogether is a stunning love story that bursts out of the indie scene to capture your heart with its raw emotion and authenticity. Unlike your typical Hollywood romance, Twogether offers a gritty, real-world narrative featuring characters who think deeply and feel profoundly. This gem, crafted by writer-director Andrew Chiaramonte after nearly a decade of dedication, stars the incredible duo Nick Cassavetes and Brenda Bakke, who bring remarkable depth to their roles.

Cassavetes shines as John Madler, a passionate and unpredictable Venice-based painter. He’s the kind of guy who leverages his good looks and the enigmatic allure of being an artist to live life on his terms. At a gallery event supporting a Greenpeace-esque cause, he locks eyes with volunteer Allison McKenzie, played by Bakke. The chemistry is instant and electric, leading to a wild night in Vegas that ends with an unexpected marriage.

Determined to part ways like “mature, intelligent adults”—in Allison’s words—they plan a quick divorce. However, when Allison visits John’s Venice hideaway to finalize the papers, they find themselves in bed once again, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. They initially agree on an abortion but are ultimately unable to follow through, setting the stage for an intense journey of mutual discovery.

Chiaramonte masterfully propels the story forward with sharp montages and a keen sense of what to leave out, ensuring the film never drags. We join John and Allison as they navigate their evolving relationship, a strategy that draws us in completely.

Allison emerges as the film’s standout revelation. Behind her confident exterior lies a woman haunted by a painful past, the neglected daughter of a rigidly conservative Bel-Air family. As John falls for her, she moves in during her pregnancy, but his pride and fierce independence keep him from admitting his true feelings, even to himself.

At its core, Twogether is about the universal struggles of making choices, setting priorities, and the harsh realities of relationships. It highlights the challenges of responsibility, the pitfalls of immaturity and self-absorption, and the journey toward self-awareness and growth, regardless of age.

Chiaramonte elicits deeply honest performances from Cassavetes and Bakke, who expose their souls and bodies on screen. If there’s any justice in the world, Twogether will catapult their careers to new heights. The supporting cast is equally strong, with Damian London standing out as the tough-minded art gallery owner.

Twogether is a heartfelt indie film that wears its emotions proudly and has the potential to break into the mainstream.

Twogether Cast:
Nick Cassavetes: John Madler
Brenda Bakke: Allison McKenzie
Damian London: Mark Saffron
Jeremy Piven: Arnie

Twogether is currently being distributed by Freestyle Digital Media and available to watch for free or on-demand. Writer-director Andrew Chiaramonte. Producers Emett Alston, Chiaramonte. Co-producer Todd Fisher. Cinematographer Eugene Shlugleit. Editors Fisher, Chiaramonte. Costumes Jacqueline Johnson. Music Nigel Holton. Production designer Phil Brandes. Art director Phil Zarling. Sound Kip Gynn. Running time: 2 hours, 2 minutes.

July 15, 2024
“Young & Cursed” The Disturbing Horror Movie is A Cinematic Experience Set to Thrill Audiences in 2024

‘Young & Cursed’, a Chiaramonte Films, Inc. production, is a new horror movie / psychological thriller which is set to be released in early 2024.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2023 — Audiences are excited about this new cinematic experience as the talented team of Andrew Chiaramonte and Emmett Alston unites to present their gripping horror / psychological thriller film, “Young & Cursed,” scheduled for release in 2024.

Beneath the eerie canopy of an impending Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse, “Young & Cursed” unveils a harrowing tale that will grip the souls of horror enthusiasts. The narrative unravels around five young souls from diverse backgrounds, drawn unknowingly to a desolate and enigmatic cabin in the wilderness.

Maria (Jennifer Rosas), tormented by the ghostly specter that haunts her every waking moment, and Jason (Stevarion Allen), a gifted musician stalked by a nightmarish demonic version of himself, are drawn together by forces beyond their comprehension.

Trudy (Morgan Franz) harbors her own unspeakable terrors, besieged by a grotesque demon that mercilessly torments her during the dark hours. Tahoma (Reda Fassi-Fihri) finds himself pursued by a evil Skinwalker, while Donny (CJ Malone), a tech prodigy with a conflicted past, grapples with a demonic possession that has finally reached its terrifying zenith.

Their lives intertwine with that of Kyra (Madison Hubler), a spellbinding enigma residing within the cabin, who appears to be simultaneously oblivious and all-knowing. Within her, lurks one of the most sinister demons to ever haunt mankind, Lilith (Britt Crisp), a malevolent entity that has endured since time’s inception, serving a nefarious purpose that will send shivers down the viewer’s spine.

Leading the charge in this thrilling cinematic endeavor are the brilliant director and producer duo, Andrew Chiaramonte and Emmett Alston, who have combined their creative prowess and extensive experience to produce, “Young & Cursed”, a movie that will enthrall audiences worldwide.

When asked about the inspiration behind “Young & Cursed,” Chiaramonte and Alston cited their fascination with the enigmatic Blood Moon, a celestial phenomenon steeped in mystery and superstition. This rare lunar event offered the ideal canvas for weaving a narrative that seamlessly merges elements of horror, suspense, and psychological drama.

“Young & Cursed” boasts an ensemble cast of exceptional actors who bring their characters to life with unwavering incisive understanding and depth, immersing the audience further into the haunting world of the film.

More than just a run-of-the-mill thriller, “Young & Cursed” is a meticulously crafted masterpiece that plays with the audience’s emotions, ensuring they remain on the edge of their seats throughout. The film’s atmospheric cinematography by Gary Ahmed, and haunting score by composer Patrick O’Malley, in perfect harmony to create an immersive experience that indelibly impacts the viewers world.

Months prior to its release, “Young & Cursed” has already generated substantial buzz within the film industry and among eager movie fans. With its unique storyline, impeccable direction, and exceptional performances, the film is poised to become a breakout hit. “Young & Cursed” is an exciting cinematic venture that promises to be a standout addition to the horror thriller genre. With its talented creative team, bewitching plotline, and stellar cast, the film is primed to dominate the box office and capture the hearts of audiences worldwide.

For more information, please visit the official website of “Young & Cursed” at youngandcursed.com.

About Chiaramonte Films, Inc.

Chiaramonte Films, Inc. is a renowned film production company known for delivering captivating and groundbreaking cinematic experiences. With a commitment to pushing creative boundaries, Chiaramonte Films, Inc. has consistently delivered critically acclaimed films that leave a lasting impact on audiences worldwide. For more information, visit chiaramontefilms.com .

November 7, 2023
Beyond Sight Unseen: She Bought a Condo in Panama That Didn’t Exist

When Daniel Waters met Jodie Horton five years ago, one of the first things he told her was that he dreamed of buying property on a beach.

“Being able to wake up, look out the window, and see the sun melting into blue water feels like the ultimate décor,” said Mr. Waters, 49.

Dr. Horton, 52, is a gynecologist based in New Orleans. Mr. Waters is in the military. As they thought about where they might want to retire one day, they looked at beach towns in the United States, but couldn’t agree on a state they wanted to live in. Most of the homes they saw were too expensive anyway.

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The couple, who have three adult-aged children from previous relationships, were well traveled, having been to Colombia, Chile and Peru together.

“When I first met him, he was learning Spanish and he’s pretty immersed in Spanish culture,” Dr. Horton said. “He knows how to salsa and bachata, and so he was like, ‘OK, we should look in a Spanish-speaking country.’ But we weren’t really sure which one.”

Mexico and Costa Rica offered direct flights, but homes there were either too expensive or too far inland. “We always look at the cost of living,” Dr. Horton said. “And how easy is it to get back to America? We both have kids that are out of the house. I’ve always been a single mom. Like, my daughter — I want to make sure she’s OK.”

Finally, they zeroed in on Panama, which they knew was popular with American expatriates and conveniently uses the U.S. dollar. Best of all was the country’s Qualified Investor Program: Any real estate purchase over $300,000 allows a buyer to obtain permanent residency status.

“Panama had us at warm weather, beaches and affordable cost of living,” Mr. Waters said. “Add in vibrant culture, fewer natural disasters, and the chance to finally use the Spanish I sweated through in language school, and it felt like a smart life decision disguised as a tropical daydream.”

With up to about $650,000 to spend, the couple aimed for a two-bedroom or three-bedroom condo in a new waterfront development with hotel amenities, preferably in or around Panama City. After perusing some options, they realized they could get a good deal on a condo that hadn’t even been built yet. They started with online research — flights, locations, retirement possibilities — and made decisions based on brochures with digital renderings.

“We looked at properties that were either just built or were going to be finished in 2026 to 2029,” Dr. Horton said. “I also thought living in a hotel residence is luxury. Like when you stay in a hotel and say, ‘I could live here.’ Foreigners buy property unseen all the time. It’s not unusual, and if we don’t like it we can use it as an investment.”

.

This planned development was in Costa del Este, a vibrant coastal neighborhood in Panama City. A three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom unit with nearly 1,700 square feet came fully furnished with 10-foot ceilings, an open layout with a kitchen island, bedrooms on opposite ends, and a roughly 215-square-foot terrace. The 60-story development, which had ocean views but was not on the water, promised 75,000 square feet of common spaces and amenities, including restaurants, a sports club, green spaces and a cinema. Tocumen International Airport was less than an hour away. Prices started at $457,000, with an HOA fee of about $515 a month. Foreigners had to make a 30 percent down payment, with payment increments each year until the scheduled 2029 completion.

.

Empresas Bern/The Bouzy Group

A three-bedroom, three-bath, roughly 1,375-square-foot unit in this waterfront Westin development offered views of Panama City, which was about 20 miles north, and the ocean. The renderings showed a sleek unit with an open layout, tile floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Buyers would have the option to close off the third bedroom and add a kitchenette, allowing it to be rented out separately. They’d also have access to a rooftop restaurant, a cinema, two pools, a beach club, and Marriott membership. Construction was scheduled for completion in 2029. The quoted price was $668,000, with a monthly HOA fee of $525. Buyers pay 15 percent up front, 25 percent over the next two years, and 60 percent upon completion.

Empresas Bern/The Bouzy Group

Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

Alena Cerro

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January 29, 2026
4 policy trends that should be on college leaders’ radars in 2026

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While 2025 may be in the rearview mirror, the policy upheaval that defined the year is not. Higher education experts warn that more disruption lies ahead as the Trump administration continues efforts to reshape the sector, wielding tools ranging from civil rights investigations to regulatory changes.

College leaders should brace for more federal government pressure, including through novel avenues, such as accreditation. And they should also expect continued attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Below, we’re rounding up four big policy shifts we’ll be watching — and some expert predictions on how they’ll unfold — for the year ahead.

Accreditation steps into a limelight it’s not used to

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump called college accreditors a “secret weapon” in a war against a higher education system he painted as being rife with “Marxists maniacs,” an unfamiliar level of scrutiny for the field.

“It’s not just unusual for Trump, but unusual for any presidential campaign to have a whole speech dedicated to accreditation,” said Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education. “It’s generally kind of a quiet corner of policy.”

As president, Trump signed an executive order in April to reopen reviews of new accreditors at the U.S. Department of Education while blasting existing accreditors’ DEI standards. The order mandated that accreditors require institutions to use program data on student outcomes “without reference to race, ethnicity, or sex.”

At the same time, the order called for requiring “intellectual diversity” in faculty — a term left undefined in the order but often used as code on the right for hiring more conservatives.

The Education Department followed up with guidance aimed at easing the path for colleges seeking to switch accreditors and plans to reshape accreditation regulations this spring.

Beyond policymaking, the Trump administration has occasionally sought to pressure institutions through their accreditors.

In July, two federal agencies notified Harvard University’s accreditor that the Ivy League institution may no longer meet its accreditation standards.

That was based on the administration’s claims that Harvard was “deliberately indifferent” to the harassment of Jewish and Israeli students on its campus — claims that a federal judge has found failed to justify funding freezes the government deployed to pressure policy changes at Harvard.

The administration used a similar tactic with Columbia University’s accreditor, prior to inking a deal with the university to settle its Title VI investigations.

Some accreditors have made changes favored by the Trump administration. The WASC Senior College and University Commission, New England Commission of Higher Education and American Psychological Association have permanently or temporarily dropped DEI standards for institutions.

The stakes for institutional and academic independence are high. “They’ve been trying to force institutions to adopt policies and make choices that align with their viewpoints, and that’s a big problem,” Fansmith said. He added that the country has never used accreditors “as a tool for implementing the political views of the party in power.”

More practical questions hang in the air about the Trump administration’s plans, including its push to recognize new accreditors.

“Would they have the same standards applied to them as they would for other accreditors?” asked Nasser Paydar, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which lobbies for the sector. “That’s a big unknown.”

He noted that accreditors would welcome additional competition given the size of the higher ed field. “There’s room for it

Paydar also pointed to the administration’s emphasis on student and graduate outcomes.

“The department is indicating they want to make sure accreditors focus on student outcomes. It’s wonderful,” he said. But he also pointed to different student outcomes among different types of colleges and programs. The country needs teachers and social workers, for example, but they tend to earn less.

Specifics about how the administration plans to incorporate outcome standards into accreditation remains unknown. “We want to find out as to how they’re planning to do this because whatever that is is going to influence how universities behave and going forward,” Paydar said.

Expect more Title VI attacks

Title VI investigations have become a favorite tool of the second Trump administration to extract money and policy changes from universities. The law bars federally funded institutions from discriminating based on race, color or national origin.

The administration has used Title VI to pursue claims of antisemitism, many of them centered on allegations that the institutions did not respond forcefully enough to pro-Palestinian protests and complaints from Jewish students.

The government under Trump has also used Title VI in an aggressive campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Over the course of 2025, six colleges struck deals with the Trump administration — most of them involving payment to the government and a suite of policy changes to resolve Title VI investigations by one or, frequently, multiple federal agencies.

Facing a similar set of accusations, Harvard fought back and sued the administration. In September, a federal court ruled that the government’s freezing of $2.2 billion in research funding was unlawful and didn’t follow proper procedures.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that the evidence in the case did not “reflect that fighting antisemitism was Defendants’ true aim in acting against Harvard,” adding, “Even if it were, combatting antisemitism cannot be accomplished on the back of the First Amendment.”

Across the country, another federal judge penned an even more scathing rebuke to the administration in a case brought by a coalition of faculty groups and unions over the administration’s Title VI investigations into University of California institutions.

In issuing a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin concluded that the administration couldn’t withhold research funding over the investigation. She described the administration’s “playbook of initiating civil rights investigations of preeminent universities to justify cutting off federal funding,” with the aim of “forcing them to change their ideological tune.”

But the administration has continued inking deals with colleges even after court setbacks and hasn’t shown any sign of letting up on its aggressive tactics.

“They clearly seem to think that targeted investigations that freeze research funding is an effective tool, so it seems likely we’ll see more,” Fansmith said.

While he noted that the Education Department has gutted its Office for Civil Rights, reducing its capacity to conduct Title VI investigations, Fansmith said “they don’t seem to care all that much about doing thorough investigations that follow the law.”

“Their interest seems to be far more on generating headlines and scaring schools,” he added.

What’s next for federal research funding?

It would be an understatement to say that federal research funding was turbulent last year.

Together, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation canceled or suspended over 7,800 grants throughout 2025, according to a January analysis from Nature. Many of the affected grants focused on topics the Trump administration opposes, such as research related to DEI or vaccine hesitancy.

While federal judges ordered the Trump administration to restore canceled grants in some cases — and a handful of colleges have struck deals to regain access to their frozen federal research in others — roughly 2,600 grants have not been reinstated, according to Nature’s findings. Those grants represent $1.6 billion in unspent federal research funding.

Moreover, both NIH and NSF awarded about a quarter fewer grants in 2025 compared to their 10-year average, the publication found. And the Trump administration has also attempted — so far, unsuccessfully — to cap reimbursement for research overhead to 15%, a move that would threaten tens of millions of funding for many research universities.

Many well-heeled colleges have made dramatic moves to adjust to the new landscape. The University of Chicago, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan, Boston University, Harvard and others have said they will accept fewer Ph.D. students — or suspend entry into some programs altogether — amid the uncertain funding environment.

“When we look back on 2025, it was a year filled with a lot of uncertainty, whether that was in the form of spending freezes, canceling funds, canceling grants that were already approved,” said Travis York, director of the Center for STEMM Education & Workforce at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Yet there have been some positive signs for research funding early this year.

Congressional lawmakers have moved to reject the Trump administration’s proposal to make vast cuts to scientific research funding in fiscal 2026. They have advanced bipartisan bills that would instead provide $188.3 billion in total scientific research funding — 21.3% more than the administration requested.

Additionally, York said the Trump administration has begun clarifying its funding priorities. “We’re seeing greater clarity even within science research and education funding, where the current administration is really looking to invest,” York said.

That includes interest in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum research, York said, adding that he encourages researchers to look for those opportunities.

“It’s really, really important that researchers are putting forth proposals during these times of transition,” York said. “It’s really important that we’re still trying to utilize funds, think innovatively and think about how we bolster the scientific community with the resources that are available.

DOJ’s campaign against in-state tuition for undocumented students

Trump has prioritized ending in-state tuition rates for undocumented students in his second administration, signing an April executive order directing the head of the U.S. Department of Justice to target state laws that provide in-state tuition to noncitizens but not to out-of-state American citizens.

Just over a month later, the DOJ sued Texas, the first state in the country to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students.

The agency has since sued six other states over their policies granting certain undocumented students eligibility for in-state tuition: California, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Virginia. With at least a dozen other states offering undocumented students similar benefits, more lawsuits could be looming.

While each policy has different eligibility requirements for undocumented students to receive in-state tuition, DOJ leaders have argued in every lawsuit that the states are illegally offering them benefits that are not available to all U.S. citizens.

Reactions from states have varied widely but predictably — officials in Republican strongholds have sided with the Trump administration, while those from blue or purple states have promised to fight the Trump administration in court.

In Texas, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a joint motion with the Trump administration to end the policy, and a federal judge struck down the law only hours after the lawsuit was filed.

But the lawsuits in other states have been less clear cut.

Democratic officials in California, Illinois and Minnesota have defended their states’ laws and mounted legal counterattacks.

In Oklahoma and Kentucky, state officials filed joint motions with the DOJ to strike down their states’ policies. The federal judge in Oklahoma’s case signed off later the same month.

In Kentucky, however, the judge hasn’t approved the tentative agreement reached between the head of the state’s higher ed council and the DOJ.

Even so, law firm Steptoe & Johnson in October advised Kentucky colleges to prepare for the in-state tuition policy to be struck down. That would include advising impacted students and updating communications regarding financial aid.

The following month, U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove allowed a Kentucky student group, represented by Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a Latino civil rights nonprofit, to defend the state’s tuition policy.

MALDEF had sought to intervene in Texas’ case after the judge had already struck down the law. But the judge denied the group’s motion.

One of the most unusual cases thus far has been in Virginia, thanks to a change in state leadership.

The day after the DOJ sued Virginia, the state’s Attorney General Jason Miyares filed a joint motion siding with the agency, following a similar path as Paxton.

Miyares, a Republican, lost his reelection campaign in November and left office the week after filing the motion. State Democrats, including his incoming replacement Jay Jones, and student advocates rebuked Miyares’ attempt to revoke the six-year-old law.

Three days after Jones was sworn in as state attorney general, his office withdrew Miyares’ joint motion. It also withdrew the former attorney general’s opposition to third-party intervention in the case, easing the path for Virginia students to defend the state law.

Ben Unglesbee, Natalie Schwartz and Laura Spitalniak

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January 29, 2026
Bruce Springsteen Revives the Protest Song, Condemns ICE Violence in “Streets of Minneapolis”

If there’s a silver lining to our tumultuous times, it’s that musicians are reviving the protest song, a tradition that has withered since the end of the Vietnam War. Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son,” Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun”—these songs all took aim at the Johnson and Nixon administrations’ increasingly misguided war effort. But it was Neil Young who wrote the most damning protest song. When the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students at Kent State in 1970, Young disappeared for a few hours and returned with the haunting lyrics of “Ohio.”

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?

With his new song released this week, Bruce Springsteen picks up this thread. “Streets Of Minneapolis” documents the murder of civilians in Minnesota’s largest city. On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot Renee Good repeatedly in the head, leaving the mother of three dead. On January 24, two federal agents fired at least 10 shots at Alex Pretti, killing the ICU nurse instantly. Days later, the identity of these murderers remains hidden—something that news organizations oddly don’t seem troubled by, almost as if we’re quietly accepting that we’re living in a police state. When was the last time American agents could wear masks before killing civilians, and then hide behind a veil of anonymity after? Yeah, that’s normal.

On social media, Springsteen wrote: “I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.” You can read the lyrics below.

Through the winter’s ice and cold
Down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice
‘Neath an occupier’s boots
King Trump’s private army from the DHS
Guns belted to their coats
Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law
Or so their story goes
Against smoke and rubber bullets
By the dawn’s early light
Citizens stood for justice
Their voices ringing through the night
And there were bloody footprints
Where mercy should have stood
And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets
Alex Pretti and Renee Good

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We’ll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Trump’s federal thugs beat up on
His face and his chest
Then we heard the gunshots
And Alex Pretti lay in the snow, dead
Their claim was self defense, sir
Just don’t believe your eyes
It’s our blood and bones
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Now they say they’re here to uphold the law
But they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown my friend
You can be questioned or deported on sight

In chants of ICE out now
Our city’s heart and soul persists
Through broken glass and bloody tears
On the streets of Minneapolis

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

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January 29, 2026
Ariana Grande As Glinda On Set Of ‘Wicked’ #shorts

Ariana Grande As Glinda On Set Of ‘Wicked’ #shorts More from Entertainment Tonight: …

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January 29, 2026
Trump’s approval rating changes direction with urban voters

President Donald Trump is starting 2026 with a shift in an unlikely corner of the electorate: Americans living in the nation’s largest cities.

A new Fox News poll—conducted January 23-26 under the joint direction of Democratic pollster Beacon Research and Republican pollster Shaw & Company Research among 1,005 registered voters nationwide—found the president’s job approval rising modestly among urban residents, a group that has been one of his weakest since he returned to office.

Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside regular business hours.

Why It Matters

For a Republican president, movement inside the U.S.’s major cities is rare, and even small changes can have disproportionate political consequences.

Urban areas hold dense concentrations of voters, drive statewide outcomes and often shape national political sentiment long before it shows up in election results.

What To Know

Trump gained ground with urban voters in the late-January Fox News poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, as approval in cities rose to 40 percent from 34 percent in December, while disapproval fell to 60 percent from 66 percent, according to the Fox News survey’s cross-tabs and top lines.

Fox News’ end-of-year poll of 1,001 registered voters, conducted December 12-15 by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company, also had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Both polls selected respondents randomly from a national voter file. Interviews were completed through a mix of landlines, cellphones and online survey links texted to a subset of voters.

Although it is hardly friendly territory for the Republican president, this latest shift in how urban voters approve of how he is doing his job represents a meaningful movement.

A president who improves from 34 percent to about 40 percent in American cities does not suddenly become competitive in these largely Democratic strongholds, but he becomes harder to defeat statewide.

Urban softening can also bleed into adjacent suburbs, where political margins are often decisive.

This month-over-month shift among urban voters came as Trump’s overall approval held at 44 percent nationally in the same Fox News series, underscoring movement inside a key geographic subgroup even as the top line stayed flat.

Urban voters are one of the core subgroups tracked by Fox News in its national polling, which reports results by area—urban, suburban and rural—when subgroup sample sizes reach at least 100 respondents.

Because these area categories are weighted alongside age, race, education and region to reflect the registered voter population, shifts within urban areas can influence the overall approval picture.

In plain terms: Within a month, more city-dwelling registered voters told Fox News they approved of Trump’s job performance, and fewer said they disapproved.

Even with that improvement, however, most urban respondents still gave the president negative marks.

While Trump is still underwater by a wide margin, a six‑point increase inside such strongly Democratic territory signals that voter attitudes in the country’s biggest population centers may be shifting in tone, if not allegiance.

Urban voters matter because they anchor Democratic strength.

When they budge, even slightly, it often suggests that broader perceptions of presidential performance are settling in—especially among groups that have been highly resistant to Trump since his return to office.

What People Are Saying

Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson, said: “The president faces two difficult obstacles—the virtually unanimous and intractable opposition of Democrats and the stubbornness of high prices. Republican officeholders think the economic benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill will kick in later this year, which will be critical for GOP prospects in the midterm elections.”

White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Newsweek in December: “Over the past year, the Trump administration has delivered critical progress to turn the page on Joe Biden’s economic disaster: cooling inflation, rising real wages, private-sector job growth, and trillions in investments to make and hire in America. The Trump administration will continue to build on this progress in the new year to continue delivering economic relief for the American people.”

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 22: “Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense. … Something has to be done about Fraudulent Polling.”

He added: “Isn’t it sad what has happened to American Journalism, but I am going to do everything possible to keep this Polling SCAM from moving forward!”

What Happens Next

The question now is whether Trump can build on this movement, or whether it represents a temporary fluctuation within a group that historically has little affinity for him.

Because both Fox News surveys used identical methods and margins of error, the December‑to‑January comparison is significant. But subgroup margins are always higher, which means future polls must confirm whether Trump truly is gaining ground among city‑based voters or whether these numbers plateau.

Still, if the trend holds—even modestly—it could matter in tightly contested states where major metro areas dominate the vote count.

In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.

When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.

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January 29, 2026
Iran’s Foreign Minister to Visit Turkey for Talks on Tensions With US

ANKARA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas ‌Araqchi will visit Turkey on ‌Friday for talks with his counterpart Hakan Fidan on the recent developments in Iran and tensions with the United States, a Turkish Foreign ‍Ministry source said on Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make ⁠a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Trump has sent an “armada” to the Middle East and warned Tehran against killing anti-government protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.

Tehran, which brutally cracked ‌down on large protests this month and killed or arrested thousands, responded with a ‌threat to strike back ‍against the ⁠United States, Israel and those who support them.

Iranian officials blame the unrest, the biggest since the 1979 revolution, on Iran’s foes, Israel and the United States.

Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, has said it opposes any foreign intervention on its neighbour and urged Washington to resolve its issues with Iran “one by one”.

It has reached out to both sides, warning that destabilisation in Iran would exceed the region’s capacity to manage at this time.

The source said Fidan would tell Araqchi that Turkey closely followed developments in Iran, and that Iran’s security, peace, and stability were of “great importance” for Ankara.

Fidan will also repeat Turkey’s opposition to any military attack on Iran and warn that such a move will “create risks on a global scale”, the source said, adding that he would offer Turkey’s support in helping resolve tensions with Washington.

Fidan will “note that Turkey supports finding a solution on Iran’s nuclear programme as soon as possible, and that it stands ready to help on this issue if it is needed,” the source said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Michael Perry)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

Photos You Should See – January 2026

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January 29, 2026
New + Noteworthy: Little Greene’s Botanical Wallpapers Inspired by National Trust Gardens – Gardenista

Recently spotted, admired, and pinned: Little Greene’s new “In the Garden” wallpapers. The eight botanical designs that comprise the collection were all inspired by the landscapes, individual plants, and real-life plant obsessives championed by British conservation group National Trust.

“With ‘In the Garden,’ we wanted to celebrate the restorative power and timeless beauty of nature, bringing the serenity and optimism of the outdoors into our homes,” says Little Greene’s creative director, Ruth Mottershead. “All of the designs have been created from scratch, drawing inspiration and reinterpreting elements from National Trust gardens and landscapes. This collection allows us to honour and protect Britain’s remarkable design and horticultural heritage, while inviting people to create interiors that feel both restorative and inspiring.”

Two more reasons to consider this new collection: A portion of every sale goes to the National Trust to support their conservation work across 500 properties and 890 miles of coastline. And the wallpapers are printed on responsibly sourced paper and with eco-friendly pigments.

Below, a peek at some of our favorites from the collection.

Photography courtesy of Little Greene.

Above: “Rhododendron Walk”, shown in Hicks Blue, is inspired by the rhododendrons and azaleas that “have famously accompanied woodland and lakeside walks in the grounds of National Trust properties as far reaching as Cragside in Northumberland, Castle Drogo in Devon, Rowallane in Northern Ireland and Sheringham Park in Norfolk,” reads the website.

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January 29, 2026
We’re Denim Experts & These Are Our Go-To Denim Brands

By Brinley Sinclair Knopf Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 In Editorialist Photo: @emilywittmn Fashion We’re Denim Experts & These Are …

Continue reading “We’re Denim Experts & These Are Our Go-To Denim Brands”

The post We’re Denim Experts & These Are Our Go-To Denim Brands appeared first on Editorialist.

Brinley Sinclair Knopf

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January 29, 2026
Great Anchor Suma Nidhhi Agerwal Prabhas New Movie Trailer Teaser Glimpse LIVE Today Latest Update

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January 29, 2026
And This Week’s Green Flower Incursion is … | Cannabis Law Report

This month, continuing education students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville began online classes in cannabis education.

Students will learn about cultivation, compliance and safe usage of marijuana. The online programs — created in partnership with the California-based education firm, Green Flower — are centered “on closing the skills gap in a regulated and growing industry,” according to a news release.

But what does this certificate program mean in Wisconsin where marijuana is illegal? And how could it impact the state’s workforce?

More of the same at

UW-Platteville creates online cannabis courses to meet growing job market

Sean Hocking

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January 29, 2026
Tepco Unit to Sell 150 Billion Yen Worth of Kandenko Shares

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January 29, 2026
Heavy gunfire and blasts heard near airport in Niger’s capital

Sustained heavy gunfire and loud explosions have been heard in Niger near the international airport outside the capital, Niamey.

Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defence systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles in the early hours of Thursday.

The situation later calmed down, reports say, with an official reportedly saying the situation was now under control, without elaborating.

It is not clear what caused the blasts, or if there were any casualties. There has been no official statement from the military government.

The gunfire and blasts began shortly after midnight, according to residents of a neighbourhood near the Diori Hamani International Airport, the AFP news agency reports. They said calm returned after two hours.

The airport houses an air force base and is located about 10km (six miles) from the presidential palace.

Niger is led by Abdourahamane Tiani who seized power in a 2023 coup that ousted the country’s elected civilian president.

Like its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, the country has been fighting jihadist groups who have carried out deadly attacks across the region.

It is also a major producer of uranium.

A huge uranium shipment destined for export has been stuck at the airport amid unresolved legal and diplomatic complications with France after the military government nationalised the country’s uranium mines.

“The situation is under control. There is no need to worry,” the Anadolu news agency quoted a Foreign Affairs ministry official as saying, without elaborating.

The official told the agency they were trying to determine whether the gunfire was linked to the uranium shipment.

More about Niger from the BBC:

You may also be interested in:

[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

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January 29, 2026
Landon Barker Age and Public Journey of A New-Gen Artist

Being born in a famous family is generally an opportunity but it exposes a young life to spotlight that few people have ever had. The story of Lanland Barker is an example of both sides of that reality. Since he was young, the world of cameras, celebrity culture, and creativity was united in his world. His task over the years has been to establish an identity beyond being the son of somebody and more of the creative voice of his own.

His success story is not only made interesting by his lineage, but also by how easily his life has played as it is on a stage. The existence of Landon in pop culture is not a phenomenon of his childhood or even younger, as opposed to the case of artists who appear out of nowhere. This paper will cover his life, initial exposure to fame, changing interests, creative orientation, and how he is adapting to the adult entertainment arena.

A Childhood Framed by Cameras and Creativity

Landon was born in the city of Santa Monica, California which has always been linked with entertainment, art, and innovation. His parents were already famous people when he made his first steps. His father, Travis Barker, had established a worldwide following as a drummer who fused punk vibe and hip-hop appeal. His mother, Shanna Moakler, was an already established model and winner of a beauty pageant who also acted in the television.

At the time of the launch of Meet the Barkers in the middle of the 2000s MTV, Landon was a toddler. The series captured the real life activities within the Barker family and provided the audience with a relaxed insight into the real life activities of a celebrity family, their struggles and humorous aspects. In the case of Landon, it translated that his most formative memories were developed in a setting where cameras were regular and personal life was usually content in the public.

Reality shows do not separate the personal and the entertainment as in a scripted television. Living in the context of those things probably contributed to the way Landon learned to connect with attention, criticism and the opinion of other people. It also made him one of the creative adults whose productions were based on music, performance, and branding. His own creative ambitions would sprout in those surroundings.

Early Appearances and Unexpected Challenges

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

It is through Landon that we get his first appearance on TV when he was too small to talk. Most children at this age are unknown to people other than those who are within their family and friends, but he was already well known to the viewer. This pre-adolescent exposure meant familiarity with media culture way earlier than he was yet able to make a conscious choice of it.

The reality show of the family was re-run later after a tragic aviation crash that happened to his father. At the time of the incident, Landon was very young, but the incident was a turning point to the family and highlighted the fact that life in the limelight is unpredictable. Fear and relief and resilience moments were added to his personal history perhaps without him having a full comprehension of it at the moment.

Such experiences tend to make one view things in a particular way. Being exposed to both strength and weakness may help one mature, be empathetic and be mindful, unlike a normal upbringing. These instances must have had a role to play in helping Landon to perceive fame as not only glamorous in secluded situations but also glamorous in having a real human risk and responsibility.

Family Influence and a Blended Household

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

Landon has been brought up in a mixed family that comprised his elder half-sister Atiana and his younger sister Alabama. Both siblings had a slightly different perspective on the house, but they all had the one factor of growing in an established family.

Creative families that have an impact on their children may do so in more than just a supportive way. It may also refer to being exposed to studios, rehearsals, tours and talks about art. Children learn creative habits, discipline and expression of emotion without having to educate them.

To Landon, this setting provided them with a first-hand experience on how music is created, how performance relates to viewers, and how communal discourses are constituted around the artists. Although the career of his father perhaps opened the gates, it was also a challenge of creating a different identity as opposed to being under the shadow of another person.

Discovering a Personal Creative Direction

This interest turned into desire as Landon became an older boy. He was not just a familiar face in the reality television. Rather, he was less drawn to work and more towards music, and venturing into rap and contemporary digital culture as a way of making himself.

The change is indicative of how the children of notable personalities tend to go through. Curiosity is at one time or other something to be asked, something to be said: What do I want to say? and What do I want to be known by? In the case of Landon, social media sites were among the initial test markets. They gave him the opportunity to play with image, sound, and personality without the strict framework of the traditional entertainment.

Flexibility was provided through music, in particular, hip-hop-inspired expression. It enabled narrative, pathos, and individuality to co-exist. Although he had the advantage of being close to the industry, the process of making music still demanded a certain level of confidence, discipline and the ability to be judged not as a child celebrity, but as a new artist.

Social Media as a Stage and Studio

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

Social platforms in the contemporary entertainment industry are stage and studio. It is they in which identity is constructed in the medium, and at which feedback is received immediately. This dual role is echoed in Landon in his on-line presence. He posts pictures in his daily life as well as creative updates, which provide the followers not only with the sense of authenticity but with the sense of creativity.

In case of young artists, this environment can make development faster. It enables them to experiment with ideas and work in a more informal manner and reach out to audiences without the management intervening. Simultaneously, it also demands emotional strength. The speed at which comments, comparisons and rumors travel is even higher than traditional press ever was.

Landon is also capable of traversing this space, which shows that he is mindful of branding and self-presentation. He is not just a product of family connection but he works hard to develop an individual taste and sound. In the long run, this regularity will aid in changing the popular understanding of the image of a celebrity child to that of an emerging creative figure.

Relationships and Public Curiosity

The interest of the people in the life of Landon has not been limited to his work only but also to his intimate relationships. His relationships have been the focus of numerous conversations in the online community as is the case with many young personalities in the limelight. Although relationships are inherent in teenage years and young adulthood, the fame makes it all bigger into a story that is touching to strangers.

Drawing on previous dating experiences as a teenager and more recent high profile dating, these chapters show how personal accomplishments can turn into a work of publicity. This is a dynamic that demands emotional delimiting to which a number of individuals are not used to. It may be hard to negotiate love, separation, and maturity under scrutiny, particularly when the views are spread to everyone.

In the case of Landon, every relationship that was conducted in public appears to have strengthened the need to stay individual. Although visibility is enhanced by attention, long-term satisfaction relies on the process of creating something meaningful to headlines. His changing interest in creativity implies that he wants to be known because of what he creates, rather than by whom he dates.

Stepping Into Adulthood With a Public Past

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

Adulthood means something to anyone. It sometimes makes one think about the past experiences of childhood and choices to make about life. In the case of Landon, it had a record of adulthood. The fans are reminded of him as a toddler on TV, a teenager on the internet, and a young adult who tries his creative independence.

The term Landon Barker Age is often used as a search query as viewers are always inquisitive how fast time has gone and in what phase of his life he is presently. Numbers are not the only measure of that interest. It is a shared consciousness of observing a person on screens become an adult.

Adult hood provides Landon with an opportunity to rewrite his narrative. He is no longer presented as an element of a well-known family, but he can make an introduction based on projects, partners, and personal choice. The loss of inherited visibility and the attained prominence is the most important of all changes public people brought up in fame have to make.

Creative Growth and the Question of Identity

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

The question of identity is one of the most crucial elements of the journey that Landon undergoes. Who is he, when the cameras are turned off? What does he want to convey in his work? These are the questions most people pose in their thoughts. In his case, the responses slowly emerge as a part of the societal decisions.

Creative identity is not often definite. It develops with the experience. The fact that Landon is interested in rap and contemporary music at an early age can potentially result in new genres, collaborations, or experiments with art. The most important thing is the very process of exploration. It is an indication of an openness to develop instead of being, or stay, as a result of early exposure.

Cases of children of well-known personalities taking up a different career are usually anticipated by the observer. The direction of Landon is more subtle. Although he values the musical legacy that he has been brought up in, he also modifies it to the culture and digital beat of his generation.

The Impact of Legacy Without Being Limited by It

The access and expectation are provided by having a celebrated parent. The past may open the gateway, but also cast a shadow. In the case of Landon, the dilemma is that he needs to accept his influence without letting it take control of the perception.

Legacy is best when it acts as a point of reference as opposed to an endpoint. The difference between these two is that Landon has work and internet presence that imply that he is aware of this distinction. He never denies his origins, but he, on the other hand, does not enable his background to replace individual work.

Such a balance can determine his long-term course of action more than a particular project. Authenticity is a response to the audiences. They are able to know when one only uses a name as opposed to when he or she constructs content behind it.

Public Perception and Personal Reality

Instagram Profile: landonbarker

One aspect often overlooked in discussions about celebrity children is the gap between public perception and personal reality. The audience does not watch entire days but edited moments. They read headlines and not internal thoughts. To a person such as Landon whose life has been conducted as part of the show, being privative is a deliberate effort.

Personal reality encompasses uncertainty, experimentation and doubt. Popular opinion is usually demanding straightforward classification and step-by-step narration. It takes emotional intelligence to reconcile these two. It entails choosing what to disclose, what to secure, and how to develop without being identified by what people say about one.

This judgment will probably influence the way Landon will interact with fans, as well as the industry, as he enters adulthood. Sustainable creative lives are established on both the visibility and the inner stability.

Looking Forward: Possibility Over Prediction

One would be tempted to predict the way Landon is heading his career. But creative ways are seldom even tenor. Other artists also hone one and the same style over decades. Still others take other directions. It is safe to say that exposure, influence and early experimentation are some of the foundation of Landon.

The following chapters will not rely so much on history and will be more about decisions. Will he increase his engagement in music production? Like fashion, visual art or start-up? Advocate or tell a story on his platform? Both choices have the potential.

The most interesting feature of his journey is that it is not closed. Instead of being characterized by a show he used to watch as a child or a well-known name, he is at the place where choices, discipline, and inquisitiveness will compose the story.

Conclusion

Facts, including milestones and birthdates, can be the starting point of public curiosity. Searches on Landon Barker Age index that instinct to find somebody on a timeline. But numbers on their own are not the only explanation of growth. They fail to capture the role of experience in the creation of perspective, or of a child who, having previously watched television, turns into an adult in search of his personal sense.

The story of Landon Barker is an unfinished biography. It is a sequential story of a person who comes to know how to transform the early exposure into deliberate creativity. His life is a mixture of the challenges of contemporary fame, with reality television and social platforms, family heritage and new individuality, and so forth.

Most important now is not the manner in which the spotlight came at such an early age, but rather how he still reacts to it. Landon has a chance to get a little more distance between himself and inherited visibility and a little nearer to earned voice with every project, choice and expression.

FAQs

Who is Landon Barker known for being related to?

He is the son of musician Travis Barker and model and television personality Shanna Moakler.

Where was Landon Barker born?

He was born in Santa Monica, California.

How did Landon first become known to the public?

He appeared as a young child on a reality television series that followed his family’s daily life.

Is Landon Barker involved in music?

Yes. He has explored music and creative expression, including rap-influenced projects and digital content.

Does Landon have siblings?

He grew up with an older half-sister, Atiana, and a younger sister, Alabama.

Why do people often search for information about his age?

Many viewers remember seeing him as a toddler on television and are curious about how he has grown and what stage of life he is in now.

What makes Landon Barker’s journey unique?

His upbringing combined early public exposure, creative family influence, and modern social media culture, shaping a path that blends legacy with self-definition.

Is Landon focused only on entertainment?

While he is active in creative spaces, his future direction remains open and may expand into new artistic or entrepreneurial areas.

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January 29, 2026
Mitski Where’s My Phone

Perhaps if there’s any “persona” best suited for the times we live in, it’s a recluse who can only truly feel like her authentic (read: freaky) self inside her own home. And even then, probably only so long as there’s no smartphone or other such technology around secretly recording her every utterance, movement and maybe even thought. While Mitski is hardly the first musician to take on an “alter ego” for the purposes of threading together a narrative for a “concept album” (see/hear also: Marina and the Diamonds’ Electra Heart), she might just be the first to tap into one that feels so relevant to and reflective of the 2020s. A decade that, “incidentally,” began by forcing everyone to retreat into their homes (however humble they were) and, that’s right, become recluses. Though the term “self-quarantining” was supposed to sound so much more palatable.

With almost a full six years passing since pretty much everyone in the world was forced to reckon with Covid-19 in some way, Mitski essentially returns to the “self-quarantine”-core of the era, and throws more than a dash of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle (with “just a pinch” of Grey Gardens) into the visual language of the Noel Paul-directed video (Paul also directed Mitski’s 2023 video for “Bug Like an Angel”). And though some might assume a song called “Where’s My Phone?” would eventually, in some way, include the kind of phone that the twenty-first century thus far has become synonymous with—an iPhone—Mitski keeps it strictly old school. As such, she does her best to exude the “aesthetic” of a gothic novel like We Have Always Lived in the Castle (which is supposed be set in the late 1950s/early 1960s as opposed to somewhere in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, when the gothic novel was initially birthed and gained popularity). Capturing the sense of anxiety and self-imposed oppression that goes with this kind of visual landscape.

In the first scene, the disorientation and feeling of foreboding that Mitski seeks to inflict upon the viewer is created as the POV shot that Paul wields is one that comes up through the depths of a well before cutting to Mistki carrying a pail toward it and then abruptly tripping and falling as she does so. This, of course, being an allusion to the title of her forthcoming eighth album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me (with a cat illustration for its cover that also feels like a definite homage to the first edition cover of We Have Always Lived in the Castle). A title that feels as much like a sarcastic statement as it does an “I dare ya” to the universe to fuck with her. And, as most should know, the universe rarely passes up a chance to take on such a dare.

Despite her tripping snafu, Mitski is quick to pick herself up and get on with the business of collecting her water supply so that she can get the fuck back inside the house, ignoring the presence of a mailman standing outside her door trying to pass her some kind of clipboard to sign for a package…or just sign (begging the question of whether he’s a mailman, or some other type of “worker bee”). But to interact with him—let alone anyone—would be far too harrowing for Mitski the Recluse, who is quite literally given anxiety even by seeing her own reflection in the water she’s just “gathered.”

Within the first twenty seconds of the video, it’s also indicated that there’s an older matriarch in the house, and one who reaches for a wall-mounted “coffin phone,” as they were called in the nineteenth century. Soon, Mitski walks up the stairs to reveal another woman—a girl, really—in the house, clearly the “Merricat” of the narrative. And yet, it is the younger girl who appears to be the full-on recluse (with Mitski being the sister to go out and fetch her things) in this scenario, and one who is also naïve enough to fall for the boy outside who’s trying to court her. This being a clear nod to Charles from We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Except Charles was trying to court Merricat’s elder sister, Constance (and yes, he was also her cousin, adding to the gothicness of it all). In this sense, Mitski mixes and matches the characters for her own “repurposed” ends. Including taking on the protective, overly obsessed-with-her-sister vibe that was reserved for Merricat, but has now been transferred to the elder sister that Mitski is portraying—making her, in a way, half Merricat, half Constance.

In another instance, Mitski the Recluse is horrified when her younger sister gets the smallest of cuts on her finger, leading her urgently and frantically through the house, which suddenly feels like a hellish nightmare as random townspeople peer in and the milkman stands expectantly in the kitchen (on a related note, it’s his fault that Mitski’s sister got cut in the first place). The distorted, unsettling way in which these moments are shot and presented echo the style of Soundgarden’s signature video for 1994’s “Black Hole Sun.” Indeed, the sound that Mitski and her longtime producer, Patrick Hyland, create is one of a decided “alt rock-meets-grunge” flavor, particularly as the “Where’s My Phone?” comes to a close, rounded out for the last roughly one minute and ten seconds by this unsettling cacophony of sounds as Mitski chants, “Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba” (the sort of “chant” that would be at home during a scene from Bizarro World Gilmore Girls).

As the visceral anger and tension (musically speaking) of the song ramps up, so, too, does the action onscreen, with Mitski literally going for the jugular of the lecher that tried to lure her sister away from the house. The only problem is, in the blind rage of trying to exterminate him (and ostensibly succeeding), all the townspeople that had infiltrated their house (in a scene that also mimics a key climax of We Have Always Lived in the Castle) have managed to take Mitski’s sister out and toward the well. Leaving Mitski no time to stop them from shoving her right down it.

And so it is that two messages come to the fore: 1) jealousy can cause collateral damage in the form of death (a Shakespearean trope as well) and 2) maybe even when you’re home, living your life as a shut-in, you’re still not safe. For, though “Stay Home, Stay Safe” was the oft-touted mantra of 2020 and 2021, it doesn’t necessarily apply here. Regardless, Mitski is essentially bringing it back in 2026 to remind that, perhaps now more than ever, the fear of the outside world is entirely warranted. But it has nothing to do with a virus…though another novel one could still come to roost yet again, considering that humanity never seems to learn from its mistakes. But at least Mitski has proven that it can still learn from its literature.

Genna Rivieccio

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January 29, 2026
Tatarstan rises as key horse supplier for Kim Jong Un and military brass | NK News

Russia’s Tatarstan has emerged as the leading purebred horse supplier for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his generals, authorities announced, after a local breeding farm shipped multiple elite Orlov Trotters to the DPRK in recent years.

The Tatarstan Republic’s agriculture ministry said in June that Tatar Stud Farm No. 57 supplied more than 15 purebred Orlov Trotters to Kim and his cavalry regiment over the past seven years.

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January 29, 2026
Marco Terenghi Appointed Executive Chef of L’Assaggio at Castille Paris – Starhotels Collezione – Luxury Hospitality Magazine

Castille Paris – Starhotels Collezione announces the appointment of Marco Terenghi as Executive Chef of L’Assaggio, the hotel’s refined Italian restaurant. A young and highly talented chef, Terenghi brings a contemporary sensibility to Italy’s great culinary traditions, shaping a distinctive gastronomic experience defined by elegance and precision.

Located within the walls of Castille Paris, L’Assaggio offers an intimate and sophisticated setting where Italian cuisine is expressed in its most refined form. Since 2016, the restaurant’s menu has borne the prestigious signature of Ugo Alciati, Michelin-starred chef (1*) and the name behind the historic Guido Ristorante in Serralunga d’Alba, as well as internationally recognized Italian Truffle Ambassador.

For over a decade, L’Assaggio has stood as a Parisian representative of Italian gastronomic excellence, celebrating a culinary heritage recently recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Here, tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously, guided by a team deeply committed to hospitality and culinary rigor, offering guests a true sensory journey through Italy’s regional flavors.

Marco Terenghi’s professional path has been shaped by formative experiences in renowned Michelin-starred establishments, including Le Jardin de Berne, Villa Pignano, and notably alongside Ugo Alciati. These years allowed him to refine his technique and develop a deep understanding of both Italian and French culinary cultures.

After several years as Sous-Chef at L’Assaggio, Terenghi continued his career journey before returning today to the restaurant in his new role as Executive Chef.

His appointment reflects Castille Paris’ commitment to nurturing internal talent while ensuring continuity and excellence at the highest level. With a strong focus on seasonality and product integrity, Terenghi’s cuisine enhances exceptional ingredients while remaining firmly rooted in Italy’s culinary heritage.

The iconic Piedmontese recipes conceived by Ugo Alciati, including Vitello Tonnato and the legendary Agnolotti di Mamma Lidia, will continue to play a central role on the menu. True symbols of Piedmont’s culinary identity, these dishes will live on through Terenghi’s thoughtful and respectful interpretation. Alongside them, the menu will also feature some of the new Executive Chef’s signature creations, such as Linguine with lobster bisque, red shrimps, and sun-dried tomatoes, a refined expression of Mediterranean flavors.

Marco Terenghi’s appointment marks a new chapter in the culinary story of L’Assaggio. Thanks to his technical mastery, intimate knowledge of the restaurant and close collaboration with Ugo Alciati, he ensures a seamless dialogue between tradition and innovation, offering guests a renewed and contemporary Italian dining experience in the heart of Paris.

Laura

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January 29, 2026
Amazon is closing its futuristic Go and Fresh stores—showing logistics and tech aren’t enough to make old-school retail work | Fortune

As any local shop owner will tell you, running a brick-and-mortar business in the age of Amazon is an uphill battle. That’s a lesson that Amazon itself has just learned.

The e-commerce giant said on Tuesday that it was closing its “Fresh” grocery stores as well as its automated grab-and-go “Go” shops, adding to its list of failed brick-and-mortar experiments.

“While we’ve seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion,” Amazon explained in a post on its website.

The move came a day ahead of Amazon’s announcement on Wednesday of 16,000 corporate layoffs, including some related to the Go and Fresh closures. That was on top of 14,000 layoffs last year as part of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s campaign to rein in what he sees as creativity-stifling bureaucracy. The company is also shifting resources to building AI data centers.

Amazon’s 550-store Whole Foods chain, which it bought in 2017, will remain open with plans to expand. But the brand’s 58 Amazon Fresh stores, launched in 2020 as smaller grocery stores focused on the mass market, never found their niche. Amazon’s Go convenience stores, launched in 2018 and a major priority for founder Jeff Bezos, allow consumers to avoid checkout lines thanks to an array of cameras and sensors that tracked each item a shopper picked from a shelf and automatically charged the customer for it when it left the store. But the dazzling tech was not enough to camouflage how blah the merchandise was.

These failures had predecessors: In 2015, Amazon launched a small chain of bookstores that it closed a few years later. Other Amazon retail flops: Amazon 4-Star (a kitchen goods, toys and electronics store); electronics kiosks in shopping malls; and a short-lived Amazon clothing store chain called “Style” that it closed in 2023 after only two years.

As Amazon showed the many retailers it has disrupted over the years, standing out from the competition—whether on pricing, on service, or on merchandise—is essential, and on that front, Go and Fresh struggled.

These failures illustrate a weakness in Amazon’s retail concepts: In brick-and-mortar retail, logistical and operational excellence isn’t enough on its own. Crafting an appealing in-store experience requires merchandising and presentation prowess. “The blunt truth is that neither Fresh nor Go stores offered this,” Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData said.

But even if they didn’t survive, Amazon’s brick-and-mortar retail concepts arguably show a strength of Amazon’s company culture: A pragmatic approach of allowing failure but also of cutting losses and moving on with new lessons learned. Armed with the insights gleaned from Go and Fresh, Amazon is refining and expanding its new five-store, small format Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, which will serve as mini-convenience stores. It will also stock more produce and perishables in its same-day delivery warehouses and at more Whole Foods stores.

And these failures show why Amazon is ultimately successful at almost everything it does: The “Just Walk Out” cashier-less systems may not have been enough to save Amazon’s 14 Go stores, but its tech is now sold as a service to more than 360 third-party locations.

To describe the company’s indefatigable approach, Saunders referenced the catchphrase of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s killer robot in the 1984 sci-fi Terminator. “In our view,” he said, “in one way or another, Amazon’s physical grocery mantra is: We’ll be back.”

Phil Wahba

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January 29, 2026
Netflix Sets Chinese-Language Slate Featuring Likes Of Ethan Ruan, Kent Tsai and Wallace Huo

Netflix has ordered seven Chinese-language series that will roll out across this year, starring the likes of Ethan Ruan, Kent Tsai and Wallace Huo.

The streamer doesn’t operate in China but has leant in heavily in Taiwan and local-language fare. As such, it has given the greenlight to Miracles of the ER, Confessions, The Fixers, Bloody Smart, How to Survive Med School, Dogman and Pacify (working title).

“Chinese-language storytelling is singular in its vibrancy, emotional depth, and willingness to explore complex, darker human truths,” said said Maya Huang, Head of Chinese Language Content, Netflix. “We’re especially excited by stories that take creative risks and immerse audiences in extraordinary worlds and experiences. Our goal is to uplift local storytelling while partnering with Taiwan’s creative community to expand access to support, training and resources.”

Here’s a rundown of the new shows, which will sit alongside the likes of previously-announce series such as Million-Follower Detective, the Bossdom Digiinnovation Co. series that is led by Hong Kong action star Ekin Cheng, and fantasy adaptation Agent From Above, based on Taiwanese author Teensy’s novel series ‘The Oracle Comes.’

Miracles of the ER stars Wallace Huo, Cheryl Yang, Kent Tsai, Chan Tzu-hsuan and Payne Peng, with Li Zhi-qiang and Huang Jing-tzu directing and Huang Jing-tzu and Lin-Yun-shuan writing. Jade Lee is the producer. It launches in Q4 2026.

Story follows the Central University Hospital’s emergency medicine associate director Zhou Cheng-jun (Huo) who accepts an average-performing medical school graduate (Tsai) on to his team of elite peers. Together with attending physician Dr. He Ya-hua (Yang), the ER faces relentless medical crises, ethical dilemmas and internal power struggles.

Confessions reunites the creator and principal cast of box office hit The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon, marking writer-director Wong Ching-po’s first-ever local-language series. Starring Ethan Ruan, Gingle Wang, Chen Yi-wen and others, the psychological thriller traces how a violent crime in Taipei in 2004 binds three families across generations of buried resentment and moral reckoning.

Alyssa Chia, Vivian Sung, Hsuen Shih-ling, Chang Hsiao-chuan, Nikki H, Yeh Chuan-chen, Peggy Tseng, Liu Tzu-chuan, Fu Meng-po, Frederick Lee, Hsieh Chiung-hsuan, Ben Yuen, Sean Lin, Emerson Tsai, Tracy Chou, Chang Han, Cheng Chih-wei and Tang Chih-wei are also among the key cast. No launch date has been announced yet.

Youhug Media, Skyman Films, YP Production and Yellow People are the co-producers.

The Fixers stars Singapore’s Christopher Lee, Shou Lou, Regina Lei, Fu Meng-po, Tuo Tsung-hua and Chang Yung-cheng, and comes from director 96 Minutes Hung Tzu-hsuan. Cora Yim and Benjamin Lin are the executive producers. S11 Partners is the production house.

The fast-paced action-comedy series follows Lee as a down-on-his-luck gangster who stumbles into a covert network of operatives from the mysterious Qinghe Temple, which handles problems for the underworld and the establishment. He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.

Bloody Smart comes from director Hsieh Chun-yi, who also writes alongside Sakana and Yalan Cheng. Hsu Guo-lun is the producer. Miracle Production House is the producer. Key cast comprises Gigi Leung, Buffy Chen, Jerry Yu, Rin, Elly Hsu, Liu Hsiu-fu, Devin Pan and Edison Song.

Per the synopsis: “In a tightly regulated school town obsessed with elite ideals, a Bloodfruit Tree quietly takes root, bearing crimson fruit. By legend, the fruit is delivered by a boy in black, only to those who truly ‘need’ it. As the fruit awakens long-suppressed desires, sealed emotions begin to slip free, setting the town on a slow path toward an irreversible unraveling.”

How to Survive Med School is written and directed by Giddens Ko, and co-directed by Kai Ko – the lead actor in Agent from Above and a Golden Horse Best New Director nominee – and actress-turned-director Tsai Jia-yin.

The series follows a young man who it tricked into enrolling in Taiwan’s top medical school. He rebels and vows to transfer to an aeronautics program and reunite with his girlfriend, who shares his dream of becoming an astronaut. No cast revealed at this stage.

Finally, Pacify is from directors Derek Kwok and Anthony Yan, with Chang Ya-ting as producer and Kevin Tse as executive producer.

Here’s the synopsis: “A cynical part-time worker, Hsiao-yu, is thrust into the supernatural after her sister is possessed by an evil spirit. Seeking answers, she joins a secret exorcism group, Yuzhen Bathhouse, and teams up with Chen Chiang-liu, whose quantum synesthesia allows him to sense hidden forces beyond ordinary, and his mentor, Chen Huo.

“As Hsiao-yu learns to harness energy for exorcisms and discovers how consciousness can shape reality, the possession cases they investigate begin to converge, revealing a terrifying conspiracy. With time running out, the trio must uncover the truth before deadly forces claim even more lives.”

Like How to Survive Med School, Pacify has not revealed cast, but both have wrapped principle photography, with premiere dates following at a later date.

Netflix has poured significant resource into Taiwan since 2020, working on several local industry initiatives, including a writers’ room workshop with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency and a production training program with the Producers Association of Taiwan. A pact with Yiyi Pictures has seen six screenwriting interns participate in six months of development training.

The streamer spent several years attempting to establish its service in China, but gave up after hitting censorship bollards time and time again. Last year, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told a crowd at the World Economic Summit that “not one” episode of its content had cleared China’s censorship board.

Today, Chinese-language content chief Huang said: “As the industry evolves, our focus remains consistent: long-term commitment, creative excellence, and a platform where Chinese-language stories can flourish locally and reach audiences worldwide. Our ambition is to be the destination for Chinese-language entertainment, that takes audiences into unexpected worlds and bold adventures that go beyond the everyday.”

Jesse Whittock

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January 29, 2026
Finally Confirmation on Who Will Lead Bridgerton Season 5 & How [Spoiler]’s Storyline Changes Drastically From the Book

With the hype of Bridgerton Season 4 in full swing, many fans of the Netflix series are dying to know which Bridgerton will fall in love for Season 5.

The Netflix Bridgerton series was adapted by primetime TV royalty Shonda Rhimes and is based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling book series of the same name. The show is set in the competitive world of Regency London’s high society and centers on the Bridgerton family. We’ve already seen four Bridgerton love stories play out with Anthony, Daphne, Colin, and now Benedict.

Related: The Bridgerton Cast Looks Way Different In & Out of Their Costumes—Take a Look

Netflix confirmed that the series will continue with seasons 5 and 6, but with 8 Bridgerton siblings in total, and 4 more left to go, who’s in the running?

Who Is Bridgerton Season 5 about?

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell teased that Season 5 and 6 would be about Eloise and Francesca. At the Season 4 premiere of the show, Brownell wore two pocket squares with the initials E and F. “I would say both characters with the initials on my pocket squares will get seasons in 5 and 6,” the director told Deadline. However, she kept mum about who the next season could possibly be about.

“I know who is scheduled next,” she told Us Weekly. “It could always change, like [the order] has changed in the past.” The showrunner referred to when Benedict and Colin’s seasons were swapped.

The author continued: “My hope is that all the siblings will eventually take the lead because we love them [all]. That was kind of the whole point of the books is that you’ve got these eight separate stories, but they’re all connected.”

As to what to expect from the next season, executive Shonda Rhimes teased on Sirius XM in October 2025 that it’ll be “a really sexy season … But then again, I say that about season 4.”

“They’re just sexy in different ways,” she said. “And I think that’s what’s great.”

If you need a summary of the love stories of the two sisters, we’ve got you covered. In the fifth book in the series, To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise becomes pen pal with Sir Philip Crane and eventually falls in love with him. In the sixth book When He Was Wicked, Francesca Bridgerton ends up with not one, but two husbands: John Stirling and Michael Stirling. She marries John in Season 4 of the Netflix series. In the book, John suddenly died. Francesca found solace in his cousin Michael and the rest of the story explores their romance.

However, with the introduction of Michaela in place of Michael, Francesca will have a queer love route. “The reveal of Michaela versus Michael, from the books, is something that I’ve been pitching from season one of the show,” Brownell told Teen Vogue. “My approach to telling a queer story on Bridgerton has been to look to the books for thematic cues.”

She also confirmed that she got the blessing from author Julia Quinn for the change. “We talked about the fact that with almost any single book, there would be a side of the fandom that would be disheartened to see their favorite characters changed. I don’t think that there is any book that wouldn’t happen with, so for me, again, it came back to story, and it came back to character. Because Francesca’s book resonated [with me] in the way that it did, it felt like a natural adaptation.

Whether Francesca or Eloise, we’re eager to fall deeply in love with their stories like with the rest of the Bridgerton siblings!

Lea Veloso

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January 29, 2026
his Is The Most Expensive-Looking Denim Style for 2026

If there’s one denim style quietly signaling expensive in 2026, it’s medium-wash cropped jeans. While darker indigo and dramatic silhouettes still have their place, this particular cut-and-wash combination feels intentionally restrained in a way that reads polished, modern, and very fashion-editor-approved. The key is balance: the medium wash feels lived-in but not distressed, while the cropped length adds a subtle styling edge that feels thoughtful rather than trend-chasing.

What makes medium-wash cropped jeans look so elevated right now is how clean and precise they feel. Think straight or slightly relaxed legs, minimal fading, and hems that look finished rather than frayed. This isn’t about leaning into vintage gimmicks—it’s about denim that feels considered. The cropped length shows just enough ankle (or shoe) to create a sharp visual break, instantly making even the simplest outfit look styled. Paired with tailored outerwear, a sleek knit, or a crisp button-down, the result is effortless but undeniably expensive-looking.

In 2026, the luxury appeal of denim is less about extremes and more about subtle confidence, and medium-wash cropped jeans fit that brief perfectly. They’re the kind of piece that doesn’t scream trend, yet quietly elevates everything around it—from refined flats and loafers to pointed-toe boots and minimal heels. If your goal is to look polished without trying too hard, this is the denim silhouette that delivers every time.

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