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California is getting ready for a potentially historic winter as a strengthening El Niño threatens to make this one of the state’s most significant winters in recent history. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Monday, Sept. 21, in anticipation of El Niño building through the winter and the potential for powerful storms, flooding and other dangerous weather-related issues across the state. With forecasters stating that the developing El Niño could become one of the strongest in history, government officials are giving Californians a reason to start preparing before the winter weather arrives.

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Forecasters warn that the strengthening 2026-27 El Niño could reach historic levels. Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency Monday allows state agencies to move more quickly to prepare roads and the state’s infrastructure, stage emergency supplies and help communities prepare for flooding, landslides, debris flows and coastal hazards. Federal forecasters currently give the developing El Niño a greater than 90% chance of becoming very strong and a 75% chance of reaching historic strength.

What Is El Niño? @abc7la

(9/21/26) Gov. #GavinNewsom on Monday declared a state of emergency for #California as a historic #ElNiño season takes shape. #breakingnews

♬ original sound – ABC7LA – ABC7LA

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that happens when unusually warm ocean water develops in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. That extra heat changes atmospheric circulation and can shift weather patterns around the world.

For California, which has been battered in recent years by flooding and fires, the likelihood of stronger storms and more rain this winter can mean an increased risk of heavy rain and flooding, mudslides and debris flows, coastal flooding and high surf, and increased snowfall in the Sierra Nevada.

The anticipation of El Niño does not guarantee future rain or winter storms for California. Each El Niño can be different, and the effects can vary from one El Niño event to another.

Newsom’s declaration is more a call to prepare than a message of imminent danger. In a state affected by the Palisades and Altadena fires in 2025 and regularly subject to mudslides and debris flows in coastal areas, Newsom is attempting to proactively help California residents get ahead of the storms and prepare for the potential of one of the biggest weather events in the state’s history.

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There is a strange problem at the center of Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil movie.

It is arguably the best Resident Evil movie of the series, which is based on the long-running video game franchise of the same name. It has the survival horror atmosphere, the grotesque creature designs and the escalating encounters that have always been part of the franchise. At times, it genuinely feels like watching somebody play a Resident Evil game.

But it doesn’t give Resident Evil fans much of what they expect from a Resident Evil movie.

Related: The 35 Best Zombie Movies of All Time

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Isn’t Interested in Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine Austin Abrams in “Resident Evil” (2026)

Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Releasing

Protagonists from the games, like Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine, aren’t leading this new story. There is no Claire Redfield. Cregger isn’t adapting a familiar chapter of the RE games. Instead, he’s created a new story around Bryan (Austin Abrams), an ordinary guy who finds himself caught up in something far beyond his abilities.

That may be exactly what makes the movie work.

Bryan works as a medical courier, and after agreeing to make one last delivery to Raccoon General Hospital, he accidentally hits an infected woman on a remote road, throwing him into the middle of a zombie outbreak.

Bryan doesn’t know how to shoot properly. He doesn’t have a lifetime of experience fighting monsters. When things start going wrong, he behaves like someone who has never encountered a zombie, mutant or giant nightmare creature before. In other words, he behaves like us.

That gives the movie an element of believability that isn’t always present in video-game adaptations. It also gives Cregger room to make the movie funny without turning the whole thing into a joke.

‘I’m Telling a Story That…Follows the Rules of the Games’

Cregger has talked about the movie as a love letter to the games, despite his lack of interest in telling Leon’s or any other fan-favorite character’s story.

“This is not breaking the rules of the games,” Cregger told Inverse in 2025. “I am the biggest worshiper of the games, so I’m telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games.”

The movie understands the basic pleasures of Resident Evil: exploring somewhere you shouldn’t, dealing with increasingly horrible creatures and using up your dwindling resources.

It also has some of the tonal DNA of the Evil Dead movies. Horror can suddenly give way to something absurd, and the movie is comfortable letting its characters be funny in the middle of all the chaos. Cregger has even said he had to remove some jokes after an early screening because the audience thought the film was too funny.

Related: These Are the 53 Bloody Best Vampire Movies of All Time—Ranked!

Is Resident Evil Nostalgia Getting in the Way of a Good Movie?

For longtime fans, there’s a little more going on here. If you’ve been playing Resident Evil for decades, the series probably isn’t just a collection of monsters and stories to you. It’s tied to particular memories.

Maybe you remember sitting in front of a PlayStation with the lights off, making your way through the Spencer Mansion and wondering what was waiting around the next corner. Perhaps Resident Evil 2 evokes the strongest memories: Leon’s first appearance, exploring the Raccoon City Police Department and the white-hot terror of being chased by Mr. X.

Then there are the previous movies. The Milla Jovovich films may not have been particularly faithful adaptations of the games, but they became part of Resident Evil history anyway. For better or worse, they established another version of what a Resident Evil movie could be. Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) then swung in the opposite direction, bringing recognizable characters, locations and story elements from the games to the screen. Despite all their flaws, the RE movies have grossed over $1.2 billion to date.

So fans have had years to develop very specific expectations. Cregger is basically asking them to let go of those expectations.

Some fans have complained that the new movie doesn’t have enough direct connections to the games, while others have been frustrated by its humor or its decision to leave iconic characters on the sidelines. Cregger himself has acknowledged that he underestimated just how strongly some fans wanted a movie centered on characters such as Leon, but he seems to have approached the project from a slightly different direction: Instead of adapting a video game, he made a horror movie that captured the feeling of playing one.

Related: These Upcoming Horror Movies Will Make You Jump Out of Your Seat—Plus, a Full Release Schedule

Video Game Adaptations Are No Longer an Experiment

Hollywood is done approaching video game adaptations as an untested concept. The Last of Us showed that a game could become prestige television, while franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and Five Nights at Freddy’s proved that game-based films could become huge mainstream hits. Cregger doesn’t have to convince anyone that Resident Evil can work on screen. He can make his version of Resident Evil.

The result is a movie that feels surprisingly faithful without being steeped in RE lore. The creatures feel right. The survival-horror structure feels right. Even the feeling of being completely unequipped to deal with what’s coming next feels right. But the story belongs to Cregger.

Fans may finally have a Resident Evil movie that understands why the games are fun, even if it doesn’t give them the version of Resident Evil they’ve spent years waiting to see. But there is something refreshing about a video game adaptation that doesn’t spend its entire runtime asking us to remember the games. It doesn’t need to recreate the iconic police department or put Leon in the driver’s seat just to establish its credentials. It can throw an ordinary person into a nightmare, give us some great monsters and let the story go somewhere unexpected.

The irony is that the movie may actually be more entertaining because Cregger isn’t trying to satisfy people’s nostalgia.

Related: We Ranked the 160 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’

By 1999, the music industry had spent two years telling Shania Twain what she was and wasn’t. Too pop. Too revealing. Not quite country. She’d known the risks since the start. When “Any Man of Mine” came out in 1995 — the first video where she went braless and bared her midriff — she called it “pretty ballsy” because she had everything to lose. Nashville hadn’t seen it before. She did it anyway. Come On Over had been out for 16 months by March 1999, and had already produced 7 country hits. Then she released the 8th. “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” wasn’t worried about any of that.

She and her husband, producer Mutt Lange, wrote it as a direct answer to every criticism she’d heard. Lange brought the rock production — driving guitar, a big beat, electric everything — that made it sound less like a country song and more like a statement. That same sound is why it still plays at bachelorette parties and packed stadiums 25 years later.

Twain knew exactly what she was doing with those lyrics, every one intentional. “I was standing up for myself through the song,” she told Vevo. “I wasn’t being apologetic for all the things I had been criticized for in my life — ‘You can’t do that, you can’t wear that, that’s too tight, that’s too short.’ This was my song that really said, ‘You know what I love about being a woman.'” She wasn’t trying to fit the format. She was telling the format it was wrong about her.

The video did the same thing visually. Paul Boyd filmed it in New York City in January 1999 as a direct reversal of Robert Palmer‘s “Addicted to Love.” Palmer had female models standing blank-faced behind him. Twain put herself in front and wore the suit jacket and top hat. The male models stood expressionless behind her. Every detail flipped on purpose. The video has been viewed hundreds of millions of times since. Every International Women’s Day for six straight years, daily views spiked by an average of 31%. A 1999 song is still the one making the same point in 2026.

Related: Kenny Rogers Recorded ‘Lucille’ in 1 Afternoon in 1976 After Nearly Passing on It for Being ‘Too Dark’

“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” hit No. 4 on Hot Country Songs and No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2000. It opens every major Twain concert. It’s the 8th single from a 16-month-old album, and it’s the one everybody names first.

The Album That Rewrote the Rules

Come On Over has sold over 40 million copies. It’s the best-selling country album in history. Actually, it’s the best-selling album ever released by a female artist in any genre. Taylor Swift has even said Twain inspired her country crossover. Carrie Underwood says Twain “paved the way” for women in country.

Sony Pictures is developing a biopic called Shania, with Twain producing. Her seventh album, Little Miss Twain, came out this past July. The 8th single from a 1999 album is still the first thing anyone mentions when they talk about her. The industry said she wasn’t country enough. She released 7 more singles anyway. Then, she released that one — she never toned it down.

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Taylor Frankie Paul is walking away from the show that made her famous.

The reality star announced on Instagram on Monday, Sept. 21, that she no longer wants to continue with Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and she did not go quietly. In a long caption, Paul thanked the networks that supported her and gave her the chance to come back, then said she was relieved to be out.

What She Said About Her Castmates

Paul accused most of the cast of turning on her and of mocking her children, calling it bullying that had gone on for months. “Laughing about my kids is disgusting,” wrote Paul, who has three children. She claimed some castmates had once pushed her to lead the way on pay negotiations and said she kept the same pay as everyone else out of fairness.

She argued that some of the other parents on the show have made mistakes that would earn them the same judgment she is getting. Still, she had kind words for the people behind the camera, writing that the production and crew were the ones who checked on her.

Paul admitted that, to a degree, what she is going through is the consequence of her own actions, but asked how much suffering and scrutiny would be enough.

A Rocky Year for Paul and the Show

It has been a turbulent year for Paul, whose season of The Bachelorette was canceled. Filming on Mormon Wives paused in March when her personal situation first made headlines, which is why Season 5 ran only five episodes. Then, less than a week ago, Variety reported that she was returning to film Season 6.

Earlier this month, Paul had allegedly failed multiple court-ordered drug tests, and a judge had reduced her parenting time as a result.

She is not the only one stepping back. Castmate Mikayla Matthews announced last week that she is leaving the show, and Mayci Neeley and Layla Taylor have hinted they could follow.

A representative for Paul did not immediately respond to Parade’s request for comment.

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Christina Applegate gave followers a rare, lighthearted glimpse of herself on Monday, September 21, sharing a new video after what seems to have been a rough patch in her ongoing health journey.

The Dead to Me star, 54, showed off freshly colored blonde hair in the Instagram clip while thanking hairstylist Dave Stanwell for lifting her spirits.

“Fresh hair color, new weird spot on my cheek haha thank you @davestanwell for brightening up my cloudy day. Love you and love to you all out there,” she wrote.

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Friends and fans quickly responded with an outpouring of affection.

What Did Fans Say About Christina Applegate’s New Video?

Henry Winkler left a simple but powerful message: “You are truly powerful.”

Saturday Night Live alum Cheri Oteri wrote, “Hey there gorgeous and thank you @davestanwell for making her smile.”

Comedian Craig Shoemaker added, “Keep the reset for your spirit. Happy to see you getting healthy. 🙌❤️. Btw. MyLaffApp will increase those smiles. 😊”

Another commenter wrote, “You look exactly the same as when you were on Married With Children. Amazing!”

Is Christina Applegate Back Home From the Hospital? Christina Applegate speaks onstage during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage

The video comes after the Friends star returned home following a nearly four-month hospitalization. TMZ reported August 3 that she had been discharged after entering a Los Angeles hospital in late March. A source told the outlet at the time that she was home and “doing well.” The reason for the hospitalization was not disclosed.

What Has Christina Applegate Said About Her Health?

The Emmy-winning star was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021 and has spoken candidly about living with severe symptoms. Applegate revealed her diagnosis in a candid X post. “Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a****** blocks it.”

Applegate has also been candid about how severe her MS symptoms can become.

People reported that on her MeSsy podcast in November 2024, she said, “I lay in bed screaming, like, the sharp pains, the ache, the squeezing,” adding that the condition has affected her hands so much that she sometimes struggles to hold her phone or open bottles.

During her hospital stay, Applegate reassured followers that she was focused on getting stronger.

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“Health issues are a constant for me, but I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day,” she wrote in April.

“I’m taking a moment to focus on my health, but I’ll be back with more to say soon enough.”

Travelers flying through Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday are facing major delays after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop amid an equipment outage affecting air traffic control operations.

The FAA ordered the ground stop for Newark around 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 21. The agency said it was pausing flights into Newark, Philadelphia International Airport, and Teterboro Airport because of problems with some radio frequencies at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON.

TRACON is responsible for guiding aircraft as they approach and depart airports in the region. The outage quickly created a ripple effect, with flights delayed and some aircraft diverted to other airports. By Monday afternoon, Newark was seeing average delays of more than two hours, according to Bloomberg.

The ground stop was extended several times throughout the day. As of 2:45 p.m. ET, restrictions affecting Newark were still in place with no immediate timetable for when normal operations would fully resume.

The disruption also spread beyond Newark. Ground stops were later issued at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, creating widespread delays across the region. Some flights were diverted, and more than 600 flights at Newark and Philadelphia had been delayed, according to FlightAware data cited by Reuters.

The FAA has not indicated that the outage was related to weather. Officials said the problem involved communications frequencies at the Philadelphia facility. Newark Airport advised travelers to check directly with their airlines for the latest information on individual flights.

The Newark disruption came on the same day the Department of Transportation announced a new air traffic control management tool designed to help prevent delays before they happen. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford unveiled the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART, on Monday. The system uses an AI-supported platform to analyze 200 data streams, including weather, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing, and make recommendations to help manage congestion. The FAA began using SMART in a limited capacity in the Washington, D.C., area Monday, with plans to expand it to other parts of the country.

Decades after her hit movie Save the Last Dance, which had hip-hop dancers and ballerinas combining choreo, Julia Stiles shared why she’s ready to return to her on-screen roots and show off her moves on the Dancing with the Stars ballroom floor.

“I love to dance, but ever since that movie, I’ve just been an at-home dancer,” she shared during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Monday. “I haven’t gone to a single dance class since that movie because I got really self-conscious about people watching me, and so part of my wanting to be on Dancing with the Stars was to find the joy and confidence in performing again.”

Stiles, 45, who is partnered with Ezra Sosa during the show’s Season 35, went on to explain that “timing” helped her say yes to join the show.

“It was just like something in me went, ‘I’m a little scared I’m going to say yes,'” the mom-of-three admitted, and also noted that she has “an amazing partner” in Sosa.

Related: Sarah Lawrence College Joins in Support for Julia Stiles on ‘DWTS’ After Juilliard’s ‘Shady’ Post

At last week’s premiere the two danced a Quickstep to Dolly Parton‘s “9 to 5” and scored an 18 out of 30 points from the judges — one of the higher marks of the night.

Still, Stiles acknowledged that while she may be known for her role in 2001’s Save the Last Dance, she thinks about public perception when it comes to her own skills.

“I’m not a professional dancer. I’m an actress who played pretend in a movie, pretending to be a ballerina, and I was always terrible at ballet,” she said. “I couldn’t go en pointe. Half the movie is doubled.”

However, she gave herself some credit and said, “The hip hop, I will proudly say, was me. Like all the club stuff was me.”

Stiles is gearing up to return to the ballroom this week in the second round of the competition, which will air on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Whenever a new season begins, it’s always a good idea to adjust your beauty routine to account for the change in weather. It may not seem obvious, but it’s a good idea to switch up your fragrance routine when the seasons shift.

Much like changing out your wardrobe or switching to new skincare products, breaking out a new fragrance each season can help you symbolically turn the page on the last season and usher in a new one.

With fall right around the corner, we consulted a few fragrance pros to share the four colognes men over 50 will get the most compliments on this fall.

Finding the right cologne is only one part of the equation, however. It’s also important to know how a fragrance interacts with men’s skin as they get older, so we asked the experts to explain how men’s skin chemistry changes as they age and what it means for fragrance selection.

While compiling a list of the best autumn fragrances for mature men, the pros weighed in on the warm, woody and spicy notes that perform best during autumn. They also offered up some tips for properly applying cologne so it can last all day without being overpowering.

Related: 17 Best Colognes for Your Man, According to Fragrance Experts

Top Fall Colognes for Men 50+

• Best Fall Cologne for Men Over 50 Overall: Byredo Future Memories Eau de Parfum
• Best Woody Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Ankermade The Stoic
• Best Spicy Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Dior Sauvage Elixir
• Best Subtle Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Versace L’Homme Eau de Toilette

How Men’s Skin Chemistry Changes as They Age and What It Means for Fragrance Selection

The texture and appearance of our skin change over time, and its chemistry does too.

“Men’s skin chemistry changes in midlife. With a decline in testosterone, skin can become drier,” Susan Ankersen, the co-founder and perfumer at Susan James Fragrances, tells Parade.

Darryl Do, a senior perfume and fragrance expert at Delbia Do Fragrances & Flavors, says drier skin loses some of its natural oils and elasticity.

“This can affect how a fragrance wears and how long it lasts on the skin,” he adds.

Why Warm, Woody and Spicy Notes Perform Best During Autumn

The best fragrance notes for men over 50 can vary by season. For instance, the cooler weather inevitably makes us crave scents that feel warmer and more comforting.

“Woody notes like sandalwood and cedar, along with amber, musk and warm spices have that richer, more enveloping quality that works beautifully in cooler weather. I especially like fragrances that pair creamy woods with spice because they give you that cozy fall feeling while still having enough depth and personality to feel sophisticated,” Do tells Parade.

Fragrances tend to project more in the summer and less in the winter, so certain fragrance notes perform better in certain seasons, like woody and spicy men’s colognes for fall.

“Richer notes such as woods, spices, gourmands and leathers unfold beautifully in the fall without becoming overwhelming as they might do in hot weather. On the other hand, bright citruses and aquatics are refreshing in the heat,” Ankersen says.

Related: This Is the Most Expensive Perfume in the World (and Its $32 Affordable Dupe), According to a Fragrance Expert

How to Properly Apply Cologne So It Lasts All Day (Without Being Overpowering)

Wondering how to apply cologne for longevity? It’s easier than you may think. But before we get into some tips, it helps to understand the way colognes work.

“The first thing to remember is that every fragrance performs differently. If you’re wearing something with a lighter scent profile, you may need a refresher spray after a few hours, while other colognes can last from morning into the evening or even linger into the next day,” Do says.

If you’re seeking a “longer lasting scent experience,” Ankersen suggests switching from cologne to eau de parfum.

Making sure your skin is moisturized is also key, so layering a cologne with a moisturizer is a good idea.

“Keeping the skin moisturized can help give fragrance something to hold onto and potentially improve its longevity,” Do says.

Lastly, Ankersen recommends thinking outside the box when it comes to applying cologne.

“In addition to pulse points, spray hair and clothing as they do not absorb fragrance,” she tells Parade.

Related: 9 Perfumes Women Over 40 Get the Most Compliments On, According to Fragrance Experts

4 Colognes Men Over 50 Will Get the Most Compliments On This Fall Best Fall Cologne for Men Over 50 Overall: Byredo Future Memories Eau de Parfum, $235

Bloomingdale's

Shop It at Bloomingdale's

“Byredo is a great choice for someone who wants something a little more distinctive. Future Memories has a modern, sophisticated quality that makes it especially appealing for a man who has already worn the classics and wants to experiment with something different. It also lends itself well to fall when you can start embracing fragrances with more depth, texture and personality,” Do says.

The fragrance combines a wide array of notes, including blackcurrant, white vanilla, musks, vanilla liquor accord, orange blossom and more.

Best Woody Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Ankermade The Stoic, $185

Ankermade

Shop It at Ankermade

If you’re looking for a “classic and rugged” fragrance, Ankersen suggests giving this one a try. The fragrance pro appreciates the “aromatic, dry tobacco woody vetiver” scent and says it’s one of the best fall colognes for men over 50.

Top notes include bergamot, rosemary, clary sage and lavender, while middle notes include tobacco, rosewood and cedarwood. The base notes feature leather, oakmoss, and aged Haitian and Indonesian vetiver.

Best Spicy Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Dior Sauvage Elixir, $199

Ulta

Shop It at Ulta

“Dior Sauvage is a safe bet because it combines woody and spicy notes in a way that feels masculine, polished and very wearable. Those woods and spices transition especially well into cooler fall weather, and for men over 50, it’s a great option if you want something sophisticated and recognizable without feeling overly complicated,” Do says.

While wearing the woody and spicy fragrance, you’ll notice a variety of notes, including rich warm spices, French lavender, patchouli, vetiver and amber wood.

Best Subtle Fall Cologne for Men Over 50: Versace L’Homme Eau de Toilette, $40

Fragrancenet

Shop It at Fragrancenet

Ankersen says Versace L’Homme Eau de Toilette is an “OG classic” that offers a “subtle, aromatic, musky amber scent.”

The fragrance includes a mix of woods, spices and citrus notes. Per Fragrantica, those notes include lemon, bergamot, basil, cinnamon, patchouli, sandalwood, cedar, leather, musk, amber, vanilla and more. 

Up Next:

Related: Why Women Over 50 Are Switching to Perfume Oils (and the 5 Best To Try)

Sources:

• Susan Ankersen is the co-founder and perfumer at Susan James Fragrances.
• Darryl Do is a senior perfume and fragrance expert at Delbia Do Fragrances & Flavors.

More than 30 years after their relationship ended, Frances Fisher is sharing rare insight into her famous ex, Clint Eastwood.

The Titanic actress opened up about Eastwood during an appearance on the Still Here Hollywood podcast. Fisher, 74, met the Hollywood legend while working on the 1988 movie Pink Cadillac. Their friendship later turned romantic, and they began dating in 1990.

Fisher and Eastwood welcomed their daughter, Francesca Eastwood, in 1993 before ending their relationship in 1995. Decades later, the former couple remain connected through their daughter and their two grandchildren.

“We’re grandparents. He’s very easygoing,” Fisher said of Eastwood. “I never saw him ever get rattled about anything.”

Fisher also reflected on what it was like working with Eastwood during their relationship. She appeared alongside him in the 1992 Western Unforgiven, which Eastwood also directed.

“The quiet on the set was remarkable,” Fisher recalled. “There was such a show of respect, and I think that he commands that. He’s very easygoing, very quiet, doesn’t move around much. And if he doesn’t want to answer a question, he’ll just look at you.”

Fisher said Eastwood also made it clear when he had made up his mind about something.

“He won’t do anything that he doesn’t want to do,” she said. “That’s very clear. He does it his way. And you either get on board, or you don’t.”

Eastwood has had several long-term relationships over the years. He was married to Maggie Johnson from 1953 to 1984 and later married Dina Ruiz in 1996. They divorced in 2014. He was also in a relationship with actress Sondra Locke from 1975 to 1989.

Eastwood later spent 10 years with Christina Sandera before she died in 2024, he announced in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Eastwood is the father of eight children: daughters Laurie, Kimber, Alison, Kathryn, Francesca and Morgan, and sons Kyle and Scott. His oldest child, Laurie, was born in 1954, while his youngest, Morgan, arrived in 1996.

Taylor Swift is about to pick up a very different kind of VMA honor.

CBS and MTV announced on Monday, Sept. 21, that Swift will receive the first-ever MTV VMA Artist Director Honors at the 2026 VMAs on Sunday, Sept. 27. The new award goes to a musician whose work behind the camera has “expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling,” according to E!.

Swift Behind the Camera

Swift has directed more than 14 of her own music videos since “The Man” in 2020. Her first try came a decade earlier, when she co-directed the video for her 2010 single “Mine” with Roman White.

Her track record in the director’s chair is hard to argue with. Three of her five Video of the Year wins came for videos she directed herself, and they came three years in a row: All Too Well: The Short Film in 2022, “Anti-Hero” in 2023 and “Fortnight” in 2024.

She has said she took over the director’s chair out of necessity. For “The Man,” she wanted a female director to bring her idea to life, and the ones she reached out to were booked, so she did it herself.

Her VMA Resume

Swift already has 30 VMAs, which ties her with Beyoncé for the most in the show’s history, and five of them are for Video of the Year. She is up for nine more trophies this year, including Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.” The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her first No. 1 to stay on top for double-digit weeks.

She was also at the center of one of the show’s most famous moments, when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs. Seventeen years later, she is getting an honor nobody has received before.

How to Watch

The 2026 MTV VMAs air live from Los Angeles on Sept. 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV and Paramount+.

In 1987, a 23-year-old Blair Underwood joined L.A. Law as attorney Jonathan Rollins, launching a run that would make him one of the most recognizable faces on television. Nearly 39 years later, Underwood looks like he may have misplaced the instructions for aging.

The 62-year-old actor was spotted outside ABC studios in New York City on Monday, Sept. 21, looking incredibly youthful in a mint-green suit paired with a black shirt, layered necklaces, sunglasses and black-and-white shoes.

‘Doc’ and ‘L.A. Law’ star Blair Underwood is seen at ABC studios on September 21, 2026 in New York City.

Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Underwood was at the studio for an appearance on Live With Kelly and Mark, where he was promoting season 3 of the FOX medical drama Doc, which premieres Sept. 22.

The actor first joined L.A. Law in 1987 and remained with the NBC legal drama through its final season in 1994. His performance as Rollins earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1991, and he went on to build a prolific television and film career that has included Set It Off, Deep Impact, Sex and the City, The New Adventures of Old Christine, In Treatment, Quantico and When They See Us.

His latest role has him back in familiar territory. Underwood plays Dr. Ben Grant on Doc, opposite Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Larsen. He explained on Live that their characters share a past that Amy no longer remembers after losing eight years of memories following a car accident.

Underwood also laughed about the fact that this isn’t his first time playing a doctor. He previously starred as Dr. Ben Turner on City of Angels, which was created by L.A. Law co-creator Steven Bochco.

“It’s almost, to myself, nobody else remembers it so much, but to myself, it’s like 30 years later playing this chief of surgery,” Underwood said.

But perhaps the funniest moment came when Underwood was asked about his dream role.

“I would love to play Marvin Gaye,” he revealed, before adding, “Before it’s too late. Before I age out.”

“You’re not going to age out, as clearly we saw,” Mark Consuelos responded.

Considering Underwood’s appearance outside the studio Monday, Consuelos may have a point.

Underwood also revealed that these days, home is far away from Hollywood. He and his wife Josie Hart live near Park City, Utah, where they’re raising bison on property roughly 8,000 feet above sea level. The actor called it one of his “happy places.”

Season 3 of Doc premieres Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 9 p.m. ET on FOX and streams the following day on Hulu.

Related: 1971 Classic Ranked No. 1 ‘Best Album of the 70s’

As country star and longtime American Idol judge Luke Bryan promotes the release of his ninth album, Signs, his publicity tour will include many high-profile media appearances, from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to Good Morning America. But one stop has caught many fans by surprise.

On Monday, September 21, a new episode of Usha Vance‘s Storytime with the Second Lady podcast dropped, featuring Bryan as her special guest, there to chitchat and read aloud from a children’s book. His selection? A Spidey and His Amazing Friends Golden Book called The Lost Web-Shooter.

Vance, who is married to Vice President J.D. Vance and welcomed their fourth baby in July, launched her YouTube and Spotify podcast in late March, reading stories aloud from children’s books and listening to her guests do the same. Those guests have included her husband as well as President Donald Trump, actress Cheryl Hines (who’s married to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, who’s been vocal about her support of the Trump administration.

Bryan is the first music star to appear on Usha’s series, with a clip released via social media on September 20 in which Vance tells him that her one-month-old baby, Alec, loves music and was “extra cranky” that morning. Vance started playing Bryan’s greatest hits album and baby Alec “passed right out,” she laughed.

After the One Margarita hitmaker read aloud, he and Vance talked about the theme of teamwork in the book, and Bryan shared how he has to work with a team to pull together a new album.

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It appears Bryan filmed his session with Vance on August 20, when he and his country music BFF, Jason Aldean, were filmed goofing off in the White House Briefing Room and seen talking with President Trump while in Washington D.C. for a concert. Bryan was wearing the same white button-down shirt, jeans and silver belt buckle then as he is seen wearing in the new podcast episode. Bryan was also at the White House two months earlier, in June, for the UFC fight Trump hosted on the front lawn.

Although comments are turned off on the YouTube video of Bryan’s appearance (as is the case with all of Vance’s Storytime with the Second Lady episodes), social media users were happy to weigh in on the country star’s appearance elsewhere.

Some were thrilled to see him, including one who wrote, “Luke is a true family man, so I can totally see him doing this 🩵” and another who gushed, “Luke is amazing musically and a great Patriot! Him and Jason Aldean @jasonaldean are the best! Oh, I can’t forget to give @brittanyaldean a shout out too!”

But others were clearly frustrated by Bryan’s appearance, dropping sarcastic quips on Instagram, from “Let me know when you have a guest read the Epstein files” to “Headline! Middle aged white male can read. Thank you for highlighting such talent! #readbannedbooks“

Some even vowed to stop supporting Bryan’s music, including one who wrote, “Welp I used to like Luke in the 2000’s, liked him less due to his recent music, now he’s completely done to me. Bye Luke 👋 #fdrump“

Bryan sparked controversy in 2022 when he handed out Ron DeSantis campaign hats with the Governor at a concert in Florida, later insisting it wasn’t a political endorsement but a show of support for Florida hurricane victims. His fellow American Idol judge Carrie Underwood also faced backlash in early 2025, when she sang at Trump’s inauguration.

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No area of my home is immune to my annual holiday decorating blitz. Every inch of spare space is adorned with red, green, silver, and gold the moment the calendar flips past Halloween. I also swap everyday items like rugs, blankets, and throw pillows with Christmas-themed versions, so my decor is as functional as it is festive. But it isn’t just linens I’m replacing — my kitchen gets a complete overhaul, and this year, I’m upgrading my usual spoon rest to a sleek stoneware piece that’ll have a permanent spot in my holiday decor for years to come.

The Le Creuset Stoneware Christmas Tree Spoon Rest is an heirloom-quality holiday kitchen accessory that’ll earn its keep in more ways than one. Shaped like a Christmas tree with beveled edges to contain drips as you whip up your favorite holiday dishes, this piece adds festive charm to your countertop and also works for serving small snacks during seasonal gatherings. It’s currently available for just $35 at both Nordstrom and Amazon, making it easy to snag for your own kitchen or slip into the stocking of your favorite home chef.

Le Creuset Stoneware Christmas Tree Spoon Rest, $35 at Nordstrom and Amazon

Courtesy of Nordstrom

Shop at Nordstrom Shop at Amazon

Measuring just under 6 inches long and 5.5 inches wide, this glazed stoneware spoon rest is just big enough to work as a petite platter. You could load it up with olives for a holiday party martini bar, add cubes of cheese for a grazing board, or set it on a side table with a pile of after-dinner mints for guests to grab.

When used as a spoon rest, the raised sides around the edges of the tree keep spoons, spatulas, and ladles from sliding off, protecting your counters from messes as you cook. It’d also look just as cute set out on your kitchen table or island to use as a festive catchall dish or propped up against your backsplash. 

It’s available in bright red cerise, deep red garnet, dark blue nuit, and shell pink at Nordstrom, so you can add a festive pop of color to your kitchen in whichever shade works best for your space. Amazon has the same four options plus a white version, though only the blue color is $35, with the others priced at $36 and limited stock currently available.

Raving about the value, quality, and functionality of this stoneware tree, one Amazon shopper said, “It was a great Christmas gift for a friend!” Other customers shared that this spoon rest is a “great product” and that “it’s perfect” for a holiday decor collection. 

Shop More Deals

Le Creuset Noel Collection Stoneware Cocotte, $60 at Nordstrom
Le Creuset Demi Kettle and Mug Set, $90 (was $137) at Nordstrom
Le Creuset Vancouver Set of 6 Stoneware Pinch Bowls, $30 at Nordstrom

Related: Le Creuset’s New Stoneware Christmas Tree Doubles as a Holiday Dessert Helper for Just $30

Make your kitchen decor merry and bright this holiday season with the Le Creuset Stoneware Christmas Tree Spoon Rest. Snag it now for just $35 at Nordstrom or Amazon.

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During a recent Kansas City Chiefs game against the Indianapolis Colts, Taylor Swift drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance and viewers watching at home. After her husband, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, scored a touchdown, Swift celebrated in her suite by pointing to her wedding ring and declaring, “That’s my husband!”

While Swift has become a regular at Chiefs games, the matchup offered spectators one of their clearest looks yet at her complete bridal ring stack. To better understand the design details, craftsmanship and market value of the pieces, jewelry expert Neil Dutta, managing director at Angelic Diamonds, provided a breakdown of both her gold wedding band and her engagement ring.

Related: Taylor Swift Just Had The Sweetest Reaction To Travis Kelce’s Touchdown

The Game-Day Reveal and Initial Observations

IN HER WIFE ERA! Taylor Swift had a MESSAGE after Travis Kelce’s touchdown. 💍👈

📺 Sunday Night Football: Colts at Chiefs on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/atJ1TYu6A7

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 21, 2026

In a clip shared by @NBCSports, Swift’s excitement during the Chiefs game quickly went viral, with fans zeroing in on the ring stack on her left hand. The public previously caught a glimpse of her wedding band during the Gloucestershire wedding of music recording and mixing engineers Laura Sisk and Oli Jacobs, where she paired the band alongside her engagement ring. However, the game marked the clearest visual confirmation of how the two rings fit together.

According to Neil Dutta, the overall presentation of the rings stands out for its design balance.

“The thing that immediately caught my attention was how Taylor has stacked the band with her engagement ring. It’s a classy choice that doesn’t outshine or overcomplicate the hand,” Dutta explained.

Beyond how the two rings interact, Dutta pointed out a subtle design connection to her husband’s jewelry choices. Kelce is frequently seen wearing a traditional gold band during major events.

“It also appears to match her husband’s gold band. Neither ring is designed to outshine the other, and there’s something quite lovely about them simply complementing one another,” Dutta added.

Breakdown of the V-Shaped Gold Wedding Band

While Swift’s engagement ring has generated extensive media coverage, her wedding band has been difficult to evaluate up close. The latest game-day footage provided expert evaluators the opportunity to examine the band’s structure and how it was tailored to sit alongside a large center gemstone.

Dutta noted that what might appear to be a straightforward yellow gold band actually features design elements specifically chosen to accommodate her engagement setting.

“Although Taylor’s wedding ring may initially look simple next to the sparkle of her engagement ring, there’s more to it on closer inspection. It appears to be a V-shaped yellow gold band set with a row of diamonds, with the shape allowing it to sit comfortably alongside her large diamond engagement ring,” Dutta stated.

In fine jewelry design, a contoured or V-shaped band is routinely used when pairing a wedding ring with a low-set bezel or a large center diamond. Without a contoured dip in the band, a standard straight wedding ring would collide with the bezel of the engagement ring, creating an awkward gap on the finger. By incorporating a V-shape, the band sits flush against the engagement setting without causing wear between the metals.

Determining the exact financial value of custom celebrity jewelry presents unique challenges, especially when using long-distance photos from a suite at the Chiefs game. However, based on visible features, Dutta offered an appraisal range for the gold band.

“It’s difficult to put an exact value on Taylor’s wedding band from the images we’ve seen so far, as the finer details simply aren’t clear enough. However, if the band is yellow gold and diamond-set as it appears to be, I’d estimate it could be worth anywhere in the region of $13,500 to $20,000, depending on the carat weight, quality and number of diamonds used,” Dutta explained.

Related: Taylor Swift’s Ex Joe Alwyn Sparks Romance Rumors With 2 Famous Women in the Span of Days

Examining the $1.6 Million Engagement Ring

KENA BETANCUR / Getty Images

To fully appreciate the pairing, take a closer look at the centerpiece of Swift’s stack: her engagement ring. Dutta values this primary ring at approximately $1.6 million, noting that its design choices set it apart from contemporary celebrity rings.

“Taylor’s engagement ring features an Old Mine Brilliant cut diamond set in yellow gold with a bezel mount. Based on the proportions of the centre stone, I would estimate it to be between 7 and 10 carats, giving the ring an approximate value of $1.6 million,” Dutta shared.

The choice of an Old Mine cut diamond represents a distinct departure from standard modern trends in celebrity engagement rings, which typically favor oval or round brilliant cuts set in platinum. Dutta highlighted why the historical cut and warm metal setting create such a distinct piece for Swift.

“While celebrity engagement rings often lean towards flawless modern diamonds in minimalist settings, this ring takes its inspiration from antique jewelry. The Old Mine cut has a softer, more romantic sparkle than a modern brilliant cut, while the yellow gold and bezel setting give it warmth and a distinctly vintage feel. Together, those design choices give the ring a softer, more timeless look that feels very much in keeping with Taylor’s style. It’s elegant without feeling overly showy, which is quite unusual for a celebrity engagement ring,” Dutta noted.

Related: Tom Cruise Dishes on Taylor Swift at Kansas City Chiefs Game

Understanding the Old Mine Cut and Bezel Setting

For readers unfamiliar with vintage gemstone cuts, the Old Mine Brilliant cut dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Unlike modern precision-cut diamonds, antique Old Mine cuts were shaped by hand with a squarish cushion shape, a higher crown, a small table and a visible culet at the bottom. This cut reflects light differently, producing soft flashes of light rather than intense rainbow dispersion.

Combining an antique Old Mine cut with a bezel setting—where a rim of yellow gold completely surrounds the edge of the diamond—provides structural security and a classic silhouette. Bezel settings protect the perimeter of large diamonds from chipping during daily activity.

By selecting a diamond-set V-shaped band estimated between $13,500 and $20,000 to accompany a $1.6 million antique-cut diamond, Swift’s collection demonstrates a balance of historical character, structural functionality and personalized style.

Related: ‘Mastermind’ Indeed! Taylor Swift’s Net Worth in 2026 and How She Achieved Billionaire Status

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The best part about fall is all the delicious flavors that come along with it. From cozy comfort foods to decadent baked treats and all the maple-cinnamon and pumpkin spice creations in between, there’s truly no shortage of ways to indulge as we look to the season ahead. 

This week, however, Sam’s Club is tapping into the charm of a beloved breakfast staple with a brand-new bakery find: French Toast Bagels. Available in store and online in a 6-count bag for just $3.82, they offer a rich, indulgent flavor that’s perfect for breakfast on the go, along with a chewy texture reminiscent of a classic New York-style bagel.

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French Toast Bagels, 6-Count, $3.82 at Sam’s Club @samsclubfavorites

🥯 NEW French Toast Bagels at Sam’s Club sound like such a good breakfast treat! They have that sweet French toast-inspired flavor that’s a combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet maple flavors! 😋 Add your favorite spread and breakfast is ready! 🙌🏻 ($3.82) #samsclub #samsclubfinds #bagels

♬ original sound – Sam’s Club Favorites Shop It!

Spotted in store by @samsclubfavorites and quickly shared online, Sam’s Club’s French Toast bagels come six to a bag for just under $4, with each one pre-sliced and ready to enjoy. Made fresh in-house daily, they combine the comforting flavors of French toast with the chewy texture of New York-style bagels, infused with maple and cinnamon so that each bite offers a sweet and satisfying experience sans the hassle of traditional French toast preparation.

A Potential Panera Dupe?

“They have that sweet French toast-inspired flavor that’s a combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet maple flavors,” @samsclubfavorites captioned their post. “These will make perfect breakfast sandwiches,” one fan responded, while another chimed in, “Omg I’ll have to get. Reminds me of Panera.”

Panera fans might remember the chain’s beloved French Toast Bagel, a sweet, chewy bagel infused with cinnamon and maple flavors that sadly disappeared from menus back in 2020. And while it might take a truly dedicated fan of the old Panera version to determine if this Sam’s Club offering holds a candle to it, it does give fans missing those flavors a chance to enjoy them once again in some shape or form. 

Related: The Discontinued ’90s Halloween Candies You Didn’t Realize Were Gone Forever

A Reliable Fall Favorite Worth Stashing in the Freezer

Made with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, these bagels are more than just a tasty treat worth stocking up in your freezer, they’re an excellent choice for hosting brunch or getting creative with family breakfast.

Use them to make a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with a drizzle of maple syrup, or slather some maple cream cheese and a dusting of powdered sugar for a sweet morning treat. You can even turn them into French toast bites for a creative finger food display, halve them to create breakfast sliders or some sort of dessert-style bagel bite concoction.

Sweet tooth activated? Check out these Discontinued ’90s Halloween Candies you might not have realized were gone forever.

Related: Costco’s New $8 Pantry Staple Brings Southern Comfort to Wholesome Family Dinners

A whopping four comedy documentaries are dropping on Netflix this October, including Who Is Martin Mull? Directed by the late Full House star Bob Saget and Emmy-nominated producer/director Neil Berkeley, the film follows Mull’s career from his early days as an artist and folk musician to his later sitcom years.

So, who is Martin Mull? The answer to this question is complex, and it may shock you. 

Even though fans may think of Mull as Garth Gimble from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Roseanne Connor’s (Roseanne Barr) boss, and later business partner Leon Carp from the hit ‘80s and ‘90s sitcom Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s Principal Willard Kraft, or Gene Parmesan from Arrested Development, his roots are on the canvas and in rock. That’s right, Mull started his showbiz career as a painter and a singer/songwriter, releasing a self-titled album on Capricorn Records in 1972. 

Along with notable small-screen roles, Mull was also known for his comedic timing and dry, deadpan style in movies such as Mr. Mom, Clue, Ski Patrol, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Jingle All the Way. But Mull didn’t always see himself as a famous actor. 

Born on August 18, 1943, in Chicago, Mull attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in painting before he started performing.

The new documentary is told in Mull’s own words, featuring interviews with the late Bob Saget. A who’s who of Hollywood stars also give their take on the performer, including legendary comedian Steve Martin, who shares, “Martin’s act was completely different from any other. It was bizarre, and I was intimidated.” 

While the new documentary focuses on Mull’s storied acting career, it also digs deeper into his years as a visual artist. Mull reveals, in a clip from the movie’s trailer, “In my heart, there was a great divide between that which I did to put a roof over our heads and my painting. And it’s been a battle trying to get that painter identity away from my being connected to show business…And I realized if you’re not putting your deepest innerest parts into your work, then you’re not doing your job.”

The multi-talented artist, singer, songwriter, and actor passed away at the age of 80 in 2024 following what his daughter, Maggie Mull, called a “valiant fight against a long illness.”

Who Is Martin Mull? premieres exclusively on Netflix on October 7. 

Eve Hewson, the stunning daughter of U2 legend Bono, just showed off her star power at London Fashion Week.

The Irish actress, 35, has snagged coveted acting roles in projects ranging from The Knick to Bad Sisters. She recently appeared in director Steven Spielberg‘s latest project, Disclosure Day, alongside Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo. While she may not be a dead ringer for her musician father, Hewson is a true beauty who’s likely to go far in Hollywood. During an appearance at the Burberry show during London Fashion Week at Chelsea College of Arts, the beauty sported a black lacy bra under an oversized tuxedo jacket. With deep red lips and reddish highlights in her hair, there was no doubt as to why she’s a rising star.

Ian West - PA Images / Getty Images

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What Has Eve Hewson Said About Being Bono’s Daughter?

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Hewson, whose real name is Memphis Eve Sunny Day Iris Hewson, has certainly come into her own as an actress in recent years. In a 2024 New York Times piece, Hewson opened up about growing up in the shadow of her father’s unparalleled success. Constantly questioning whether people wanted to be her friend because of her dad’s fame, she took solace in acting and found tremendous comfort in pretending to be somebody else. These days, she’s earned acclaim for roles on Bad Sisters and The Perfect Couple, and said it’s a nice change from worrying that people want to be her friend because she has a swimming pool, as she feared as a kid.

“When people come up to me and say, ‘You’re the crazy wife from that show on Netflix,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, you’re actually recognizing me and my work,’” she explained. “They probably have no idea of the connection or don’t even care. It’s a nice feeling.”

What’s Next for Eve Hewson?

Back in April, Deadline reported that Hewson is set to star opposite Channing Tatum in Isle of Man for Amazon MGM Studios. The film is about the Isle of Man TT, the world’s oldest continuously running motorsport event.  

“The TT represents the pinnacle of sporting endeavor and the relentless pursuit of glory,” the piece notes.

Related: Bono’s Daughter Eve Hewson, 34, Is an Absolute Red Carpet Stunner

For seven years, a London man quietly built a multimillion-dollar business selling vinyl records by some of the biggest artists in the world. There was just one problem: The records were fake.

Rehan Ahmed, 40, has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for operating what authorities described as the largest counterfeit vinyl operation ever uncovered in the U.K. Police found approximately 15,000 fake records when they raided his warehouse in 2024, including unauthorized releases attributed to Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Drake, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Beatles.

Ahmed ran the operation through businesses including Phoenix of Vinyl and Paragon Music, producing counterfeit records and selling them online through marketplaces including eBay and Discogs. According to The Guardian, the scheme operated between 2017 and 2024 and generated approximately £2.74 million, about $3.6 million, in sales.

He had been warned years earlier.

In 2017, Ahmed received a legal cease-and-desist order over his activities, but rather than shut down the operation, he continued pressing and selling unauthorized records. Investigators eventually targeted the business as part of a wider police effort to combat music counterfeiting.

When authorities entered the Phoenix of Vinyl warehouse in 2024, they discovered records covering 108 different artists, along with production equipment, paperwork and receipts. It could only be described as a chaotic operation in which records and documents were scattered throughout the facility and chemicals were improperly stored.

“We searched the premises and we seized a huge amount of records,” DC Daryl Fryatt, who ran point on the investigation, told The Guardian. “We found all the production equipment there. And clearly, the factory did the whole lot: made the vinyl, distributed it. Everything.”

Ahmed ultimately pleaded guilty to two copyright offenses and acquiring and using criminal property before receiving his prison sentence.

The scale of the operation comes as vinyl has experienced an extraordinary resurgence. U.K. recorded music revenue reached roughly £1.57 billion in 2025, creating a lucrative market not only for legitimate releases and collectible pressings, but also for counterfeiters hoping to capitalize on demand.

The case may be one of the country’s largest, but authorities say it isn’t an isolated problem. The British Phonographic Industry has worked with police on investigations that have resulted in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit music products.

“With music on physical formats enjoying a resurgence, the market in counterfeit records has unfortunately also been growing as criminals cash in at the expense of creators and fans,” Peter Ratcliffe, the director of content protection at BPI, said in a statement. “This doesn’t just impact the legal music economy and everyone that works and invests in it — it also affects every one of us as citizens who fall victim to other forms of criminality that it funds.”

For Ahmed, however, the seven-year run is over. A business that brought in millions selling fake versions of some of music’s most valuable records has now earned him more than three years behind bars.

Related: ’70s Legend, Who Left Tulane Behind to Join Iconic Rock Band, Turns 73

Maria Shriver, journalist, activist and founder of the non-profit organization The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, cares a lot about brain health, and it’s not just because she’s in her 70s and that’s the stage of life when she should. Shriver’s father, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 87 and lived with the disease until his death at 95. Now, Shriver isn’t just trying to avoid the disease herself—she’s working hard to educate others on both prevention and treatment options.

In honor of World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21), Shriver teamed up with Eli Lilly for their Brain Health Matters campaign, which encourages people to proactively manage their brain health and reduce their risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Related: Julianne Moore Shares the Simple Daily Habits She Swears by for Brain Health (Exclusive)

“Alzheimer’s changes in the brain begin roughly 20 years before someone becomes symptomatic. Understanding what’s too much for your brain—and how to manage it—is part of living a life that actually works for you,” Shriver tells Parade. “I was talking with a friend recently whose girlfriends had all come over, and they got into a conversation about their brain health and feeling completely overwhelmed. They brought up Lindsay Clancy and how underreported postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are, and how so many of them are just hanging on by a thread. That feeling of complete overwhelm—that’s in the brain.”

And that’s what this campaign is all about, explains Shriver. “It’s really about starting to think, ‘I’m overwhelmed—that’s in my brain. How does my body connect to that? What am I doing to feed my brain? Is it operating on overwhelm all the time, and how do I stop that? What practices can I build in to keep it healthy?'”

And on that note, there’s one thing Shriver wants everyone to think more about when it comes to brain health: Stress. Here’s why.

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Why Managing Stress Is So Important for Brain Health

Women make up nearly two-thirds of all people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And while Shriver emphasizes that we don’t fully understand why, she believes stress is a major driver. “Stress is a big driver of almost any health outcome, and the brain is no exception. Young women raise children—then add five or six years, and you’re often also caring for aging parents. You’re overwhelmed the whole time,” she tells Parade.

To get a better picture of why women are so much more likely to get Alzheimer’s, the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement at Cleveland Clinic is currently funding research into the menopause transition, estrogen, stress and overwhelm—”basically everything that could be happening across a woman’s life, from puberty through pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause and beyond,” Shriver says. “There are so many hormonal and health inflection points we’re studying. But here’s what we know now that we didn’t five or six years ago: lifestyle matters.”

Shriver emphasizes that your brain can’t constantly be operating in a state of overwhelm. If it is, there will be long-term consequences.

“The brain needs rest. The brain needs sleep. The brain needs to be properly nourished, and it needs to keep learning in a calm, effective way,” she says. “Women who make time to prioritize their brain health do better long term.”

Related: Want To Keep Your Brain Sharp? Try This One Unexpected Thing

What Shriver’s Daily Brain Health Routine Looks Like

Of course, Shriver practices what she preaches, and she puts a lot of effort into maintaining her brain health.

“I wake up and write before my feet even touch the ground. I pray—that settles me. I go downstairs, get coffee and meditate, usually 10–15 minutes, sometimes longer depending on the day. Exercise is non-negotiable,” she tells Parade.

She thinks about getting enough protein, too, as well as strength training.

“I think about strength training differently, as something that’s good for my brain specifically,” she explains. “I’ll also play memory games with my granddaughter, who’s decided she’s going to help ‘Mama G’ with her memory.”

She also goes to the dentist every three months, gets her hearing checked, stays on top of her blood sugar, stays socially engaged and makes sure to keep learning new things.

“I just learned mahjong,” she says. “I also try to make sure I’m not isolated, especially since I’m single; I organize dinners rather than let myself sit home alone. And I try to stay connected to a purpose larger than myself, which really helps me stay motivated to be healthy enough to do the work.”

Related: ‘I’m a Sleep Doctor—This Is the First Question I Ask When Someone Always Wakes up Tired’

What she’s really focused on now, which she says is new for her, is having more fun. “I’ve worked hard my whole life on pretty serious subjects, and I’m trying to bring more laughter and joy into my life and my work,” she says. “I’m trying to be less busy to be busy.”

What She Wants Anyone With an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis To Know

Aiming for prevention through lifestyle factors is crucial, but Shriver also wants people to know that there are things you can do once you get a diagnosis.

“There are medication options they should discuss with their doctor—there’s a blood test available now, too,” she says. “It’s an individual decision, made as a family or by the person themselves, and it depends on where they live and their neurologist’s guidance, but there are effective drugs available.”

Beyond medication, she says that even once you have a diagnosis, making positive lifestyle choices can help slow the progression.

“Exercise is very important, along with things like art classes and music, staying engaged, and staying in community as long as possible,” she says. “And not having shame about the diagnosis matters—as a society, the more people speak openly about having Alzheimer’s and ask to be treated like anyone else, the more that takes the pressure out of it.”

Up Next:

Sources:

• Maria Shriver, journalist, activist and founder of the non-profit organization The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement
• Women get Alzheimer’s more often than men: Five things the science tells us, Stanford Medicine.

Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford, died on Sunday, September 20 and his death is being investigated as a suspected overdose, TMZ reports.

A spokesperson for the Santa Monica Police Department told the outlet that the initial call came in at 9:35 AM on Sunday, with officers responding to an unresponsive individual at a rehab facility. Life-saving measures were performed, but he was pronounced dead at 9:45 AM.

“SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose,” a police statement said, per NBC News. “At this time, there is no indication of foul play.”

The family released a statement, asking for “privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”

Presley struggled with addiction, but a source told Page Six that his family never stopped supporting him.

“There was always concern around Presley,” the source said. “Cindy and Rande loved him tremendously, and they worried about him. They wanted him to be healthy and get to a good place.”

“They never stopped supporting him,” they added “No matter what he was going through, his family was there and wanted him to get the help he needed.”

He’s also been open about his struggles, speaking out on an episode of the “Studio 22” podcast in 2023.

“I’ve seen a lot of stuff, and I’ve learned a lot of things,” Presley said. “What I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for other people, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I made.”

“Having struggled with mental health, depression, and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,” he added. “That’s really what I want to do: help people, whether you’re depressed, you’re struggling with something that is having a negative effect on your body — it could be anything, and there’s no judgment.”