MINNEAPOLIS — Whatever you think of Minnesota’s reputation as a progressive state politically, you should be happy to note it deserves that distinction musically, too. Many of the best recordings born here in 2025 were sonically and/or lyrically bold. There was none of the manly bro-country or preprogrammed pop heard too often elsewhere; at ...Read more

“Big Brother” contestant Mickey Lee died on Christmas Day following a “series of cardiac arrests.” She was 35.

The event curator’s family on Friday morning announced her death, which occurred just three days after a GoFundMe was established to help offset expenses amid her “sudden health crisis.”

CBS did not immediately respond ...Read more

Homeless Nickelodeon alum Tylor Chase is on a 72-hour hold at a Southern California hospital after allegedly trashing the motel room his former “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” castmate Daniel Curtis Lee procured for him.

Chase, 36, is receiving “medical attention” at a hospital near Riverside before transfer to a ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Rising young talents and revered veterans helped take jazz to a multitude of exciting new destinations in 2025.

But the most notable debut album of the year, the aptly titled “New Dawn,” came from a musician who is very likely the world’s veteran living jazz artist. Saxophonist Marshall Allen, who turned 101 in May, is now ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Centennial celebrations, new breakthrough artists and notable anniversaries abounded in jazz in 2025. It was a year that saw America’s richest homegrown musical art form celebrated near — including at the second annual San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival and an array of concert halls and clubs here — and very far.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It takes a lot for sweet-tempered 28-year-old Nick Darnell to transform himself into Christmas' most sought-after sourpuss.

There's colored contacts and facial prosthetics, a protruding belly and at least an hour of makeup. But for the devout Christian and preternaturally cheerful young actor, the real metamorphosis is ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The holiday season is Hallmark's Super Bowl.

This year alone, Hallmark has 80 hours of original holiday-themed programming, including two unscripted series, two scripted series, a holiday special and 24 movies with titles such as "The Snow Must Go On" and "Christmas at the Catnip Cafe" that run from mid-October to Christmas.

...Read more

[This article contains spoilers from Season 5, Vol. 2 , of "Stranger Things."]

LOS ANGELES — What could be more gulp-inducing than trying to defeat a nightmarish vine-covered villain and wipe out an eerie and horror-filled alternate dimension? Maybe writing a satisfying conclusion to a mega-popular TV show built on that idea.

Ross and ...Read more

Dear readers, hi! Remember this?

Last year, alas, I was remiss —

My year-end poem took a break

But now it’s back, with rhymes to make!

It’s been my custom, at year’s close

To cast aside unmetered prose

And try to write, without a curse,

A year of movies, told in verse.

First off, let’s say there’ll surely be

An Oscar nod for...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Snow Tha Product has a lot to get off her chest this holiday season.

Trump-supporting Latinos, soulless anti-immigrant chumps and homophobic racists should steer clear of the 38-year-old rapper, who was not afraid to lambast right-wingers in her latest studio album, “Before I Crashout.”

She independently released the LP on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Hart is almost impossible to avoid.

The stand-up comic turned actor has spent the past decade as one of Hollywood’s most bankable and visible stars, headlining megahits like the “Jumanji” films alongside a steady output of comedies and animated features, while still selling out arena tours and releasing hit Netflix ...Read more

ATLANTA — Atlanta actress Charity Jordan was hankering for bigger roles, tired of auditioning for minor characters like the supportive best friend.

“I wanted to make a path to play the roles I wanted,” she said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I wanted to play a leading lady and a comedic role. I also wanted to ...Read more

Nickelodeon alum Tylor Chase, who is reportedly homeless, has been checked into a Southern California motel room, thanks to the help of his “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” co-star Daniel Curtis Lee.

Chase, 36, sparked concern from fans and fellow former child actors alike when a TikTok over the weekend showed him living on the ...Read more

Actor and comedian Pat Finn, who appeared in sitcoms like “The Middle,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends,” has died after a yearslong battle with cancer, his family said. He was 60 years old.

Finn was surrounded by loved ones when he died at his home in Los Angeles Tuesday morning, TMZ reported, citing family sources. They would not say from...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — She may be a Chiefs fan now, but Taylor Swift can’t just shake off ties to her home state.

In "The End of an Era," the six-part docuseries about the pop star’s monumental Eras Tour, small nods to Philadelphia can be found laced throughout.

The Disney+ series debuted on Dec. 12 and its final two episodes dropped Tuesday.

...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Christmastime is here, as Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson put it in the nostalgia-inducing song composed for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965.

The soundtrack to that TV holiday classic has been reissued this year, so it qualifies for inclusion on this playlist of the best holiday music of 2025. The 30 songs of holiday cheer...Read more

LOS ANGELES — If it began to sound a lot like Christmas earlier than usual this year, it wasn't your imagination.

Halloween wasn't even over before Spotify users began curating songs about mistletoe, snow and presents under the tree.

Holiday playlists created on Spotify in the U.S. jumped 60% in October over last year, the Swedish audio ...Read more

[This article contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Apple TV’s “Pluribus.”]

Fellow misanthropes, Season 1 of “Pluribus” is done. Now what do we do, other than lean into our usual harsh judgment and mistrust of others?

Our spirit series left us wondering who or what will put the final nail in humanity’s collective coffin: an ...Read more

Taylor Swift has donated $1 million to the American Heart Association following her father’s successful quintuple bypass earlier this year.

The organization announced Tuesday that the billionaire “Father Figure” singer, 36, is “supporting” their mission “with a personal $1 million contribution to advance ongoing scientific research,...Read more

Jack Black has promised that gaming fans will be "very pleased" with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Set among the stars, flick - which is a sequel to 2023 blockbuster The Super Mario Bros. Movie - follows Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad as they embark on an interstellar adventure beyond the Mushroom Kingdom.

Black is reprising his beloved role ...Read more