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  • Today in History: Jimmy Fallon makes his debut as host of NBC’s ‘Tonight Show’

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    Today is Tuesday, Feb. 17, the 48th day of 2026. There are 317 days left in the year.

    Today in history:

    On Feb. 17, 2014, Jimmy Fallon made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” taking over from Jay Leno.

    Also on this date:

    In 1801, the U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Jefferson president; Burr became vice president.

    In 1863, five appointees of the Public Welfare Society of Geneva announced the formation of an “International Committee for the Relief of Wounded Combatants,” which would later be renamed the International Committee of the Red Cross.

    In 1864, during the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sank in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley, in the first naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank.

    In 1897, the National Congress of Mothers, the forerunner of the National Parent Teacher Association, convened its first meeting in Washington with over 2,000 attendees.

    In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Wesberry v. Sanders, ruled that congressional districts within each state must be roughly equal in population.

    In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of 15 counts of first-degree murder.

    In 1995, Colin Ferguson was convicted of six counts of murder in the December 1993 Long Island Rail Road shootings; he was later sentenced to 315 years in prison.

    In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.

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    Associated Press

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  • Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show: Here’s some things to expect and what they mean

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    NEW YORK — There are stages, and then there is the Super Bowl halftime show.

    On Sunday, fresh off his historic win at the Grammys for his love letter to Puerto Rico, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Bad Bunny will once again surprise audiences with a performance that is gearing up to be a landmark moment for Latino culture.

    But what can you expect from his set?

    What can viewers expect from Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance?

    What we know

    Apple Music’s Zane Lowe mentioned that Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance is 13 minutes long during an interview with the superstar on Thursday. Historically, they run 12 to 15 minutes.

    In the same conversation, Bad Bunny offered few specifics about what viewers will see Sunday.

    “It’s going to be a huge party,” he said, playfully dodging questions about surprise guests and other details. “What people can expect from me … I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.”

    Beyond that: A minute-and-a-half long trailer for the halftime show posted last month set a jovial tone for his performance. In it, Bad Bunny approaches a Flamboyan tree — more on that below — and presses play on his single “Baile Inolvidable” (“Unforgettable Dance”).

    The song is modern salsa, performed with students from the Escuela Libre de Música San Juan. It is a featured single from “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” an album that marries folkloric tradition in local Borinquen genres like bomba, plena, salsa and música jíbara with contemporary styles like reggaeton, trap and pop.

    In the clip, Bad Bunny sways as he’s joined by different dancers across genders, races and ages: Those include a traditional salsa dancer in a red dress, a firefighter, a cowboy and a viejito wearing a pava (“viejito” is an affectionate term for an older man and a “pava” is a kind of straw hat). It’s representative of the superstar’s international appeal; he is currently the most-streamed artist globally on Spotify.

    Will Bad Bunny perform entirely in Spanish?

    All of Bad Bunny’s music is recorded in Spanish, so it seems like a safe bet. Were he to include English into his set, it would likely appear in a spoken interjection — or it would be featured in text.

    In October, Bad Bunny hosted “Saturday Night Live” and said a few sentences in Spanish during his opening monologue. When he concluded, he joked in English, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn,” a reference to the Super Bowl and his critics.

    On Thursday, he joked that fans didn’t actually need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set — but they should be prepared to dance.

    What symbols can we expect?

    There’s no way to know for sure, but here are a few educated guesses.

    Puerto Rican flags: In his song “La Mudanza,” Bad Bunny sings, “Aquí mataron gente por sacar la bandera / Por eso es que ahora yo la llevo donde quiera.” In English: “Here they killed people for showing the flag / That’s why I bring it everywhere I want now.” It appears to be a reference to Law 53 of 1948, better known as the Gag Law, a ruling by the Puerto Rican Legislative Assembly which attempted to suppress the independence movement on the island and criminalized displaying the Puerto Rican flag. It was repealed in 1952. It is also one of many reasons Puerto Ricans are known for waving their flag with pride for their island.

    It is almost certain the flag of Puerto Rico will appear in some form on the Super Bowl stage. But its colors are worth noting. If it is shown in red, white and blue, that is the current flag of Puerto Rico and has been since 1952. If there are flags that feature light blue, that is reflective of the Puerto Rican independence movement. A black and white version of the flag has become synonymous with Puerto Rican struggle and resiliency. And if there is a flag that more closely resembles the Dominican Republic’s flag, that is the flag of the Puerto Rican mountain town Lares. It was used in the Grito de Lares, the first short revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico in the 19th century.

    Puerto Rican expressions: There may be a few Puerto Rican expressions uttered on stage, beyond just those found in Bad Bunny’s music. That could be anything from “Wepa!” which is used in moments of excitement, not unlike exclaiming “Wow!.” It grew in popularity after the release of Alfonso Vélez’s 1974 salsa song “El Jolgorio (Wepa Wepa Wepa).” Or “Acho, PR es otra cosa,” a phrase that became a fan chant during Bad Bunny’s performance of “Voy a llevarte pa’ PR” during his residency. It translates to “Damn, PR is something else.”

    Casita: At Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico last summer, he performed across two stages. One was built to resemble a casita (“little house”), for the pari de marquesina, a house party. These structures are synonymous with Puerto Rico and the Caribbean at large.

    Pavas: A symbol that is likely familiar to Bad Bunny fans everywhere, a pava is a straw hat traditionally worn by jíbaros, or Puerto Rican rural farmers. It has become a symbol of pride for the island. The singer even wore a leather version of the hat on the red carpet at the 2025 Met Gala.

    Flamboyan tree: The second of the two stages at Bad Bunny’s residency focused on showcasing the island’s natural beauty with its flamboyan and plantain trees. The former are a common feature in Puerto Rican art for its flowers, most commonly seen in brilliant red, orange and yellow hues. The image of the tree evokes Puerto Rico almost as immediately as the sound of its national nocturnal residents, el coquí (a frog with a distinctive sing-song-y call heard only at night.)

    El Sapo Concho: Not to be mistaken with el coquí, el sapo concho is the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad that Bad Bunny has used an animated version of in his visuals for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”

    Traditional Puerto Rican instruments: Because much of Bad Bunny’s music pulls from bomba and plena, it is likely that a few of those traditional instruments will be on stage. Look out for a cuatro (a small, four-stringed guitar), güiro/güira (a percussive instrument made of a hollow gourd), palitos (also a percussive instrument resembling two long, wood sticks), cencerro (cow bell) and maracas. For the bomba songs, specifically, there may be a barriel (a barrel) and for plena, a pandereta (tambourine.)

    Will there be special guests during the halftime show?

    It is impossible to predict, but it would be surprising if Bad Bunny wasn’t joined by other performers — particularly other giants of Latin music, and probably, other Puerto Rican performers. The band Chuwi joined Benito for every night of his San Juan residency; it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them on stage for their collaboration, “Weltita.”

    Other potential guests, if the residency is a framework to follow, could include Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Young Miko, Wisin y Yandel, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Alfonso Vélez. But the list goes on and on.

    Will it be a political performance?

    That is in the eye of the beholder. But there is historical precedent for it at the Super Bowl. In 2020, the NFL asked Jennifer Lopez to cut a segment featuring children in cages during her halftime performance, a critique of U.S. immigration policies. She refused. (Bad Bunny was actually a guest performer during that halftime show, which was headlined by Lopez and Shakira.)

    Last year, Kendrick Lamar’s set was an artful confrontation of American history and racial dynamics through metaphor, as the actor Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, complained of a performance that was “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” and reminded Lamar to “play the game.”

    Bad Bunny has never steered clear of political messaging. He has criticized President Donald Trump on everything from his hurricane response in his native Puerto Rico to his treatment of immigrants. At the Grammys Sunday, he said “ICE out” while accepting his first televised award of the night. His latest tour skipped the continental U.S.; in an interview he said it was at least partially inspired by concerns that his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.

    Trump, a Republican, has said he doesn’t plan to attend this year’s game, unlike last year, and he has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.”

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    Maria Sherman

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  • An eventful first week in his job for CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil, maybe not as intended

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    No one can say Tony Dokoupil is slipping into his new job as “CBS Evening News” anchor unnoticed.

    In a week, he’s issued a veritable manifesto for how he intends to fulfill the role, cast subtle shade on saintly predecessor Walter Cronkite, had an unexpected debut dominated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and posted a cringeworthy video of people mispronouncing his name.

    If attention is currency in trying to revive a television institution fallen on hard times, Dokoupil has earned some. The jury is out on whether it’s the kind he needs.

    The 45-year-old Dokoupil, a “CBS Mornings” host since 2019, inherited the chair once occupied by Cronkite, Dan Rather, Katie Couric, Scott Pelley and Norah O’Donnell. He was supposed to have started Monday with a two-week tour around the country, but his first broadcast instead came Saturday after the U.S. military action in Venezuela.

    An estimated 27 million to 29 million people watched the “CBS Evening News” each night in Cronkite’s last full year as anchor in 1980, the most popular of the three broadcast evening newscasts. The show is now entrenched at No. 3. And with news habits far different now, its nightly audience of 4.04 million people last year was a little more than half of what David Muir gets at ABC.

    ‘The press missed the story’

    In video and printed messages posted last week, Dokoupil said he hoped to earn back the trust that many people have lost in legacy media institutions.

    “On too many stories, the press missed the story,” he said. “Because we’ve taken into account the perspective of advocates, and not the average American, or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.”

    He said his promise to viewers is that “you come first. Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you.”

    It was unclear where Dokoupil felt the analysis by “elites” led the country astray. He broadcast from Miami on Tuesday, beginning his nationwide tour a day late, and wasn’t available for comment, CBS said.

    He also posted five “simple values” that the broadcast will follow. Four are fairly innocuous — “we work for you,” “we report on the world as it is,” “we respect you” and “we respect tradition, but we also believe in the future.”

    The fifth might also seem simple: “We love America.” But it attracted plenty of online commentary, much from people suspicious that it reflected concern that Dokoupil’s boss, Free Press founder and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, was intent upon moving the news division’s focus more to the political right. The Daily Beast referred to Dokoupil as CBS’ “MAGA-coded anchor.”

    No apologies are necessary for loving America, wrote press critic Margaret Sullivan in her Substack column American Crisis — depending on how that’s defined.

    “Then again, I think we may have a different definition of how journalists can show their patriotism,” Sullivan said. “No American flag pins on lapels are necessary. No jingoistic headlines about illegal raids are welcome. And, please, no fawning interviews of people in powerful positions.”

    Should news really be a daily conversation?

    Half of Dokoupil’s premiere broadcast over the weekend was devoted to his interview with Hegseth, who stayed through two commercial breaks. That kind of time spent speaking with one person is itself unusual for a format designed to give a rundown on big stories, particularly on a busy day, and the anchor drew mixed reviews from critics who thought he could have pressed the defense secretary harder.

    CBS’ access to President Donald Trump’s administration was on display in Tuesday’s newscast from Miami, which included an interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The show also ended with a feature on Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    “For Rubio’s hometown fans, which are many around here in Miami, it is a sign of how Florida, once an American punchline, has become a leader on the world stage,” Dokoupil said at the end of the newscast. “Marco Rubio, we salute you. You’re the ultimate Florida man.”

    A Columbia University journalism professor, Bill Grueskin, doesn’t like Dokoupil’s statement that one way to think about his show is as a daily conversation about “where we are as a country and where we are going.”

    Grueskin wrote on X: “News is not a ‘daily conversation.’ News is news. If you want a daily conversation, go to your local coffee shop.”

    Dokoupil’s statements seem to echo a message Weiss sent when she was appointed to her job last fall: “On the one hand, an America-loathing far left. On the other, a history-erasing far right. These extremes do not represent the majority of the country, but they have increasing power in our politics, our culture and our media ecosystem.”

    Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, told The Associated Press he sees hopeful signs Dokoupil will hold politicians from both major parties accountable. His group has long contended CBS News is biased toward the left.

    Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White House press secretary, is more skeptical. He sees Dokoupil’s rollout as part of a marketing campaign meant to make people forget the newsman spent the last several years sitting next to Gayle King on the morning show set.

    “It’s an attempt to gaslight people into thinking that he wasn’t already a part of this institution,” said Spicer, who is debuting his own political news show, “The Huddle,” on streaming services this week.

    Dokoupil’s comment about Cronkite came when answering a viewer who wrote on Instagram that “I grew up on Cronkite. Too bad CBS has lost its Tiffany shine. But good luck to you anyway.”

    The new anchor answered: “I can promise you that we’ll be more accountable and more transparent than Cronkite or anyone else of that era.”

    The remark angered fans of the newsman once cited in opinion polls as “the most trusted man in America.”

    “I knew Walter Cronkite. I was his producer,” said Tom Bettag, a University of Maryland journalism professor and longtime news executive who worked with Cronkite during his final two years as anchor. “Walter Cronkite would have never said something so self-serving.”

    The second signal of Dokoupil’s reference to Cronkite

    Planned or not, Dokoupil had sent another signal. Cronkite was no hero to many conservatives with long memories who saw him as the preeminent symbol of a news establishment that leaned left.

    One other promotional video, in which CBS sent Dokoupil into New York’s Grand Central Terminal holding up a sign with his name and asking people to pronounce it (it’s do-KOO’-pil), only provided evidence that strikingly few people knew CBS News’ chief anchor. You can bet they would have recognized Cronkite on the highly unlikely chance he would have tried such a stunt.

    From his long perspective in TV news, Bettag urged patience.

    “I definitely think it’s way too early to make a judgment on how he’s going to be, and I wish him all the luck in the world,” he said. “CBS needs him to succeed. It was a lousy start and some missed opportunities, but that should not be the final judgment.”

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    Associated Press

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  • What to Stream: ‘The Fantastic Four,’ Tracy Morgan, Kim Kardashian

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    By The Associated Press

    The earnest superhero team-up tale “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and Tracy Morgan returning to TV with a new comedy called “Crutch” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

    Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: The upstairs-downstairs drama “Downton Abbey” bids farewell in a final movie, Kim Kardashian plays a divorce attorney in Hulu’s “All’s Fair” and Willie Nelson continues to demonstrate his prolific output with the release of yet another new album this year.

    New movies to stream

    — Guillermo del Toro realizes his long-held dream of a sumptuous Mary Shelley adaptation in “Frankenstein” (Friday Nov. 7 on Netflix). Del Toro’s film, starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as his monster, uses all the trappings of handmade movie craft to give Shelley’s classic an epic sweep. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote: “Everything about ‘Frankenstein’ is larger than life, from the runtime to the emotions on display.”

    — Matt Shakman’s endearingly earnest superhero team-up tale “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Wednesday on Disney+) helps alleviate a checkered-at-best history of big-screen adaptations of the classic Stan Lee-Jack Kirby comic. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn play Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Thing and the Human Torch, respectively. In 1964, they work to defend Earth from its imminent destruction by Galactus. In my review, I praised “First Steps” as “a spiffy ’60s-era romp, bathed in retrofuturism and bygone American optimism.”

    — “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” (Friday, Nov. 7 on Peacock) bids goodbye to the Crawleys 15 years after Julian Fellowes first debuted his upstairs-downstairs drama. The cast of the third and final film, directed by Simon Curtis, includes Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Paul Giamatti. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote that the film gives “loyal Downton fans what they want: a satisfying bit of closure and the sense that the future, though a bit scary, may look kindly on Downton Abbey.” Peacock is also streaming the two previous movies and all six seasons of “Downton Abbey.”

    — “The Materialists” (Friday, Nov. 7 on HBO Max), Celine Song’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated 2023 breakthrough “Past Lives,” stars Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans in a romantic triangle. The New York-set film adds a dose of economic reality to a romantic comedy plot in what was, for A24, a modest summer hit. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a smart rom-com that tries to be honest about life and still leaves us smiling.”

    — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

    New music to stream

    — The legendary Willie Nelson continues to demonstrate his prolific output with the release of yet another new album this year. “Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle,” out Friday, Nov. 7, is exactly what it sounds like: Nelson offering new interpretations of 11 classic songs written by Merle Haggard. And we mean classics: Check out Nelson’s latest take on “Okie From Muskogee,” “Mama Tried,” “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink” and more.

    — Where’s the future of the global music industry? All over, surely, but it would be more than just a little wise to look to Brazil. Not too dissimilar to how Anitta brought her country’s funk genre to an international mainstream through diverse collaborations and genre meddling, so too is Ludmilla. On Thursday, she will release a new album, “Fragmentos,” fresh off the heels of her sultry, bilingual collaboration with Grammy winner Victoria Monét, “Cam Girl.” It’s a combination of R&B, funk and then some.

    — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

    New series to stream

    — Tracy Morgan returns to TV with a new comedy called “Crutch.” Morgan plays a widowed empty-nester whose world is turned around when his adult children move home with his grandkids in tow. The Paramount+ series debuts Monday.

    — Kim Kardashian says she will soon learn whether she passed the bar exam to become a lawyer, but she plays a sought-after divorce attorney in “All’s Fair,” her new TV series for Hulu. Kardashian stars alongside Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, Naomi Watts and Teyana Taylor in the show about an all-female law firm. Ryan Murphy created the show with Kardashian in mind after she acted in “American Horror Story: Delicate.” It premieres Tuesday on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

    — The old saying about truth being stranger than fiction applies to Netflix’s new four-episode limited-series “Death by Lightning.” It’s a historical dramatization (with some comedy thrown in) about how James Garfield became the 20th president of the United States. He was shot four months later by a man named Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen), who was desperate for Garfield’s attention. Two months after that, Garfield died from complications of his injuries. It’s a wild story that also features Betty Gilpin, Nick Offerman, Bradley Whitford and Shea Whigham. The series premieres Thursday.

    — HBO offers up a new docuseries about the life of retired baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez. “Alex Vs. A-Rod” features intimate interviews with people who are related to and know Rodriguez, as well as the man himself. The three-part series premieres Thursday.

    — The next installment of “Wicked,” called “Wicked: For Good,” flies into theaters Nov. 21 and NBC has created a musical special to pump up the release. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead “Wicked: One Wonderful Night,” a concert event that premieres Thursday on NBC and streams on Peacock Friday, Nov. 7. Additional film cast members like Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater appear as well.

    — Alicia Rancilio

    New video games to play

    — It’s going to be a while until the next Legend of Zelda game, but if you’re craving some time with the princess, check out Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. In this spinoff, a prequel to 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda travels back in time to join forces with the Six Sages in a war against the invader Ganondorf. You can also drag another human into battle with split-screen or the GameShare feature on Nintendo’s new console. Like the previous collaborations between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, it’s more hack-and-slash action than exploration and discovery. It arrives Thursday on Switch 2.

    — Lou Kesten

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  • What to Stream: Brandi Carlile, ‘A House of Dynamite’ and more

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    By The Associated Press

    Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear fallout thriller “A House of Dynamite” and albums from Brandi Carlile and Demi Lovato are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

    Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Season 2 of “Nobody Wants This” sees things get more serious between Adam Brody’s rabbi and Kristen Bell’s agnostic podcast host, Ninja Gaiden 4 asks gamers to fight their way through cyber soldiers and other malevolent creatures, and director Ben Stiller pays tribute to his comedian parents with “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost.”

    New movies to stream

    — An old genre — the hypothetical nuclear fallout thriller — returns in Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite” (Friday, Oct. 24 on Netflix), a minute-by-minute White House drama in which a mystery missile is bearing down on Chicago. The film tells the 18-minute run-up to impact from three different perspectives, with an ensemble including Rebecca Ferguson, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos and Idris Elba, as the president. In my review, I wrote: “With riveting efficiency, Bigelow constructs a taut, real-time thriller that opens explosively but dissipates with each progressive iteration.”

    — In “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost,” director Ben Stiller pays tribute to his comedian parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, while reflecting on how their show business lives influenced those of his own family. The film, premiering Friday, Oct. 24 on Apple TV, is a distinctly family affair, that culls from the extensive archives of Meara and Stiller, who recorded as much in their private lives as they did in film and television.

    — Ron Howard’s “Eden” (Wednesday on Prime Video) is based on a true story about a group of disillusioned Europeans who in 1929 sought to create a utopia on an island in the Galápagos. It didn’t go so well. Howard’s film struggled mightily at the box office despite a starry cast including Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby and Sydney Sweeney. In her AP review, Itzel Luna wrote that the ensemble, “isn’t always enough to make up for the overambitious plot of a film that drags in the middle.”

    — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

    New music to stream

    — On Thursday, the contemporary R&B talent Miguel returns with his first full-length in nearly a decade. The bilingual “Caos” (the Spanish word for “Chaos”) is the long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s “War & Leisure,” and marks a conceptual pivot for the musician. “To rebuild, I had to destroy myself. That is the core confrontation of ‘Caos,’” Miguel said in a press statement. “Through my personal evolution, I learned that transformation is violent. ‘Caos’ is the sonic iteration of me bending that violence into something universally felt.”

    — Who is busier than Brandi Carlile? Just a few months ago, the musician known for melding folk, alt-country, rock and Americana partnered with the great Elton John for a charming collaborative album, “Who Believes In Angels?” Now, on Friday, she’s gearing up to release a new solo album, “Returning to Myself,” her first since 2021’s “In These Silent Days.” If you need any reconfirmation of her timeless talent, cue up “A War with Time,” written by Carlile and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator, Aaron Dessner of The National. And on piano/background vocals? That’s Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.

    — It’s a “BRAT” autumn for Demi Lovato, whose ninth studio album, “It’s Not That Deep,” embraces club-dance rhythms in addictive pop songs. That’s a noted departure from her last two records, 2022’s “Holy Fvck” and 2023’s “Revamped,” which leaned more traditionally rock ‘n’ roll. Both modes work for Lovato: give her space to belt with some edge, and she’ll fashion an earworm.

    — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

    New series to stream

    — As we get closer to Halloween, a number of new horror shows debut this month. Sam Claflin (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) stars in a new Prime Video mystery from bestselling author Harlan Coben. He plays a forensic psychiatrist who finds himself connecting the dots between a number of cold cases after his father’s death. “Harlan Coben’s Lazarus” debuts Wednesday.

    — The delightful TV romance between Adam Brody’s rabbi, Noah, and Kristen Bell’s agnostic podcast host named Joanne carries on Thursday in Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This.” Season 2 picks up shortly after the first season ended with the two characters attempting to blend their lives as they get more serious. Joanne is also still grappling with the idea of committing to Judaism because it’s a non-negotiable for Noah. In a world that seems to have just gotten more complex in the past year, investing in these two fictional characters’ relationship is a great distraction. Team Joah!

    — AMC continues to adapt and draw from the works of Anne Rice (known as the Immortal Universe), with “Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order.” Debuting Sunday, Oct. 26 on AMC+, it’s about a secret society that tracks immortals like witches, vampires and the like. “Talamasca” stars Nicholas Denton and Elizabeth McGovern and has cameos from “Interview with the Vampire” cast members, Eric Bogosian and Justin Kirk.

    — A prequel series to the “It” films called “It — Welcome to Derry” (thankfully not titled “Stephen King’s: It — Welcome to Derry” and therefore less of a tongue twister), arrives on HBO Max also on Sunday, Oct. 26. Set in 1962, Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo star as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, couple who moves to Derry, Maine, with their son and begin to recognize the town is pretty creepy. “It” fans will recognize the Hanlon name and its lore. Also, Bill Skarsgård reprises his Pennywise the Clown role from the films.

    — Alicia Rancilio

    New video games to play

    — Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 puts you in the cape of a bloodsucker named Phyre who has been asleep for a century and has somehow woken up in Seattle. But you are not alone — a “vampire detective” named Fabian has infected your blood and will update you on grunge, that “Twilight” nonsense and 21st century goth culture. That includes six competing vampire clans, some brutal, some sneaky and some just outright seductive. It’s all based on a popular tabletop role-playing game that has had difficulty translating to video games, but publisher Paradox Interactive has had some success with RPGs like Pillars of Eternity and Crusader Kings. Take a bite Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

    — If you don’t want to be a vampire for Halloween, why not try on Ninja Gaiden 4? In a near-future Tokyo, a prodigy named Yakumo must fight his way through cyber soldiers and other malevolent creatures as he tries to lift a curse from his neon-drenched city. He soon crosses paths with Ryu Hayabusa, the legendary hero of the previous Gaiden games. The latest chapter is a collaboration between two esteemed Japanese studios: Team Ninja, which has been handling this franchise for 20 years, and Platinum Games, best known for the loopy hack-and-slash favorite Bayonetta. The swords start swinging Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

    — Lou Kesten

    Originally Published:

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    Associated Press

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  • ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ is returning to air: Celebs, politicians and more react

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    On Monday, it was announced that less than a week after “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was indefinitely suspended by ABC, the network has agreed to bring the show back, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 23. Naturally, politicians and celebrities are hopping on social media (and even late night shows) to weigh in on the turn of events.

    “It’s always nice to start the show with some good news,” Stephen Colbert began his monologue on “The Late Show” Monday night.

    “Well, just a few hours before we taped this broadcast, we got word that our long national late night-mare is over, because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to air on ABC! Wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff. I’m so happy for them, plus, now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy this again,” he said, grabbing the Emmy award he nabbed this month. “Once more, I am the only martyr in late night, unless CBS—you want to announce anything?”

    Last week, Nexstar Media Group Inc. announced it was nixing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its ABC affiliate stations for the “foreseeable future” after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr implied the FCC would take regulatory action in response to Kimmel’s remarks in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.

    The suspension was met with mixed reviews. While some cheered the swift action against Kimmel, others showed up in large numbers to protest outside the studio where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is broadcast, as well as Disney Studios in Burbank and Disneyland in Anaheim. Others took to social media to announce they were boycotting ABC and canceling their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions. Many public figures voiced their support for Kimmel and his staff, with over 400 actors, musicians and directors signing an open letter with the ACLU calling out the decision to pull Kimmel’s show from the air as a violation of the First Amendment.

    After several days of meetings and negotiations with Disney executives, it was announced on Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return on Tuesday.

    “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” a statement from Disney read. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

    In response to the news that Kimmel will return to ABC, celebrities, politicians and more took to social media to share their thoughts.

    Many denounced the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, citing an imbalance in right versus left cancel culture.

    Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote, “Must be nice to be a leftist. ‘Cancellation’ lasts 5 nights and you’re right back under klieg lights. On the right you’re underground.” When the show had first been taken off the air, Kelly had commented on social media, “Just think for a minute about the amount of IRATE mail/viewer feedback they must have gotten to do this.”

    Actor Rob Schneider posted on X, “I just found out that ABC/Disney is ALSO Bringing back ROSEANNE BARR for HER tv show!! Just kidding! ABC/Disney would NEVER bring back a conservative?! . . . “

    And Ann Coulter also added her two cents, posting on X, “ABC execs prove they are NOT cowards by caving in 10 seconds to left-wing pressure.”

    On the flipside, Luke Skywalker himself (Mark Hamill) shared an image on BlueSky that Kimmel was back with the caption, “Meltdown on “Truth” Social in 5… 4… 3… 2…”

    Meltdown on “Truth” Social in 5… 4… 3… 2…

    — Mark Hamill (@markhamillofficial.bsky.social) 2025-09-22T19:55:31.606Z

    Comedian Ellen DeGeneres shared the headline from Deadline about Kimmel’s return, noting in her caption that she couldn’t wait to hear Kimmel’s monologue on Tuesday.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom quoted a post from Dylan Byers, a Senior Correspondent at Puck, who shared the news. Newsom added his response, “Thank you to everyone but @BrendanCarrFCC. This is a win for free speech everywhere.”

    Celebrities who’d appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” also weighed in.

    Actor John Stamos shared two images of himself appearing on Kimmel’s show on Instagram, including one when he appeared alongside comedian Don Rickles. “Comedy has always pushed boundaries, but I wonder how someone like Don would navigate the world today – where every word is weighed, replayed, and judged in real time,” wrote Stamos in the caption. “What I do know is that he made people laugh, and laughter is something we could all use a little more of right now.”

    Actor Patton Oswalt shared an image of the headline of Kimmel’s return as well as a video of him appearing on the show, riding a horse onto the stage with the caption “Hark! I bring good news!”

    Star of the ABC hit “Scandal,” Kerry Washington, posted on Threads, “Jimmy Kimmel LIVEs on!!! Grateful to everyone who spoke UP. Welcome back friend.”

    And Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also weighed in, posting, “This is about fighting for free speech and against these abuses by Donald Trump and Brendan Carr.”

    Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Charlie Kirk, shared on X, “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make. Nextstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.”

    As of Monday afternoon, Sinclair announced that when “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returns to ABC on Tuesday, they will not be airing it on their affiliate stations. Instead, the broadcaster will use the time slot to air local news. In their original press release on Sept. 17, they stated that the suspension was “not enough,” calling on Kimmel to “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.”

    The group had previously announced that they would be airing a Charlie Kirk memorial special in Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday, Sept. 19, but their ABC affiliates instead broadcast a rerun of ‘Celebrity Family Feud.’

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    Carolyn Burt

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  • ‘Severance,’ ‘Adolescence and ‘The Studio’ dominate at 77th Primetime Emmys

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    “Severance” put in overtime at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, nabbing trophies in major categories, including a historic one for Trammell Tillman

    Tillman on Sunday became the first Black actor to take home the award for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his fan-favorite turn as Mr. Milchek in the Apple TV thriller, which also earned Britt Lower, who stars as Helly R., a trophy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series

    The Adam-Scott lead workplace show had the most nominations, with 27 nods in total, including for Ben Stiller and Jessica Lee Gagné, both of them nominated in the Best Director category. They ultimately lost out, however, to Adam Randall, who won for “Slow Horses.”

    “The Pitt” was also a major frontrunner going into the night, earning Shawn Hatosy a win last week in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category and another on Sunday for Katherine LaNasa for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The medical drama stars Noah Wyle, who was last nominated in 1999 for “ER.” He was up for Outstanding Actor in a Drama alongside Scott for “Severance” as well as Sterling K. Brown for “Paradise,” Gary Oldman for “Slow Horses” and Pedro Pascal for “The Last of Us.”

    In the comedy category, Seth Rogen earned the first Emmy of the evening — and his first Emmy ever — for his star turn in “The Studio,” while seasoned winner Jean Smart took home her fourth trophy in the same category for leading HBO’s “Hacks.” It  marks her seventh Emmy win, her second for playing Deborah Vance, while her co-star, Hannah Einbinder, won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on the same show.

    Fellow repeat winner, John Oliver, won for Scripted Variety Series for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” The show also earned a writing award, as it has every year since 2016.

    Nate Bargatze played host for the night, vowing to avoid politics during the annual award show, despite the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Instead, he promised $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

    “I know how hard you guys have all worked to get here. I’m not trying to take anything away; 45 seconds, that’s what you got,” Bargatze said, warning that he will deduct funds should winners exceed the 45-second time limit. “And if you want to do more than that, do it on social media later. More people are going to see it there anyway.”

    Rogen, who also won for Directing “The Studio” alongside longtime collaborator, Evan Goldberg, added an extra $6,000 to the pot.

    “The Penguin,” a gritty Batman villain origin story starring Colin Farrell, scored a whopping 24 nominations. Cristin Milioti, who plays his rival, won her first Emmy in the Lead Actress in a Limited Series category. It was followed by the third season of HBO’s dark comedy, “White Lotus”  — which earned nominations for most of its ensemble cast, including Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Carrie Coon, Natasha Rothwell, Jason Isaac and Walter Goggins. It boasts 23 nominations.

    The night’s youngest nominee was Owen Cooper, who is just 15 years old. He won for his role on the Netflix series “Adolescence,” which also makes him the youngest performer to win the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series/Movie in decades. The Netflix show was up for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series as well.

    Rogen’s “The Studio,” meanwhile, was the front-runner in the Comedy category with 23 nods, including Outstanding Comedy Series. It was also nominated for best lead actress, supporting actor and supporting actress in a comedy series.

    “The Bear,” a recurring winner in recent years, earned a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as nods for its lead actor, Jeremy Allen White — who took home the trophy last year — and for Ayo Edebiri, who earned a lead actress nomination in addition to her first for best director.

    Originally Published:

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    Jessica Schladebeck

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