Josh Brolin and Michael Mann pay tribute to Val Kilmer after his death at age 65
Actor Josh Brolin and director Michael Mann are among those honoring actor Val Kilmer after his death on Tuesday at age 65. Brolin, a friend of Kilmer, says on Instagram that the actor was "a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker.” Mann, who directed Kilmer in the film ‘Heat,’ says in a statement that he marveled at Kilmer's brilliant range and power as an actor. Author Don Winslow says on X that Kilmer was “a brilliant actor and a good man.” And actor Josh Gad thanked Kilmer for defining so many of the movies of his childhood.
Nintendo Direct to unveil Switch 2 details as release date, price have yet to be announced
NEW YORK (AP) — Nintendo is set to provide a closer look at its Switch 2 gaming console. The 60-minute Nintendo Direct presentation will be live-streamed at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday. A release date and price have yet to be announced, but Nintendo said earlier this year the console will hit the market in 2025. The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s latest hybrid console that can be played as a handheld device or connected to a screen and controller for a traditional home console experience. A January tease of the Switch 2 showcased a smooth, nearly all-black handheld console, shaped similarly to its predecessor.
With tears and tail wags, San Quentin inmates reunite with puppies they raised into service dogs
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) — There were big smiles, hugs, tears and lots of tail wagging inside San Quentin’s prison recently. All the emotions came together when two black Labradors reunited with the incarcerated men who raised them as puppies and helped them prepare to become service dogs. The reunion brought together two inmates with the 2-year-old dogs they helped train as puppies. They also met the dogs' disabled handlers. The encounter last week in San Quentin’s main courtyard brought Chase Benoit and Jared Hansen full circle after they helped launch the prison’s puppy training program in April 2023.
Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman joins long list of sports figures whose homes have been burglarized
MAPLE VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Former NFL player Richard Sherman is the latest sports figure whose home has been burglarized. The Super Bowl champion posted pictures and a video on social media asking if anyone recognized three armed intruders that broke into his house last weekend. Sherman was a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl defensive back from 2011 to 2021 with Seattle, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. He helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2014. The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent players.
Fire kills a New York cat sanctuary founder and more than 100 rescued felines
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say a fire burned down a Long Island cat shelter, killing its founder, who lived there, and more than 100 of the felines he rescued. The cause of Monday's fire at the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford is under investigation. The sanctuary's founder, 65-year-old Christopher Arsenault, was found inside the burned structure. The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says an estimated 150 cats are believed to have survived, as the shelter also had outdoor buildings. The SPCA and other animal rescue groups are working to arrange care for them.
Restaurant chain Hooters goes bust and files for bankruptcy protection
Hooters is going bust. The U.S. restaurant chain, known for chicken wings and its skimpy “Hooters Girls” wait-staff outfits, has filed for bankruptcy protection. HOA Restaurant Group filed the motion for Chapter 11 protection Monday. Under the bankruptcy plan, Hooters will sell its 100 company-owned U.S. restaurants to a group of Hooters franchisees. Hooters is the latest legacy chain to run into financial trouble amid high food and labor price, growing competition and changing customer tastes. Last year, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays both filed for bankruptcy, and the Tex-Mex chain On the Border filed for bankruptcy last month.
Athletics bat boy Stewart Thalblum takes down drone in left field
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — When a drone suddenly appeared near the left-field wall at Sutter Health Park, Athletics bat boy Stewart Thalblum decided to help thwart it. The drone tried to lift him off the grass but Thalblum used a bat and brought it down, careful not to cut himself with the spinning blades. Once the device had been corralled, Thalblum handed it off to a security guard. The drone appeared with Seth Brown batting for the Athletics in the seventh inning of the Chicago Cubs’ 18-3 rout and it delayed the game for a few minutes.
The Beatles biopics cast revealed: Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn and Harris Dickinson
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hollywood studio executives are making their case for theatergoing with a little help from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Sony Pictures kicked off the annual CinemaCon convention and trade show in Las Vegas on Monday. The entertainment studio announced its four upcoming biopics told from the perspective of each member of The Beatles. The studio confirmed and brought out the long-rumored leads for each film: Paul Mescal as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Starr and Harris Dickinson as Lennon. Director Sam Mendes said all four films will premiere April 2028.
Trump welcomes Kid Rock to White House for order targeting ticket scalpers
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump invited Kid Rock into the Oval Office and signed an executive order that he says will help curb ticket scalping and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live entertainment events are priced. The rap-rock star said Monday that concertgoers of all political stripes understand that the pricing is a “conundrum.” The order is designed to stop “price-gouging by middlemen” and directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to ensure that scalpers offering tickets at higher prices than their face value comply with all Internal Revenue Service rules.
After years of neglect, an Illinois village with ties to Abraham Lincoln is getting a refresh
PETERSBURG, Ill. (AP) — The village where Abraham Lincoln came of age is deteriorating. Lincoln lived in New Salem, Illinois, as a young man from 1831 to 1837. The federal government reconstructed the village in the 1930s. But long-neglected maintenance has led to major problems. The drive shaft in the gristmill has fallen out of the floor and the roof of the carding mill has a hole the size of a refrigerator. After agitation by Gina Gillmore-Wolter of the New Salem Lincoln League and action by local lawmakers, Gov. JB Pritzker's administration pledged this month to put up $8 million to restore the village, which annually draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. Advocates don't know how much work the contribution will cover.
