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Entertainment

Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to Additional 15 Years for Sexual Assault of ‘Project …

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It now seems almost certain that Harvey Weinstein will die in prison.

The disgraced Hollywood mogul was sentenced to an additional 15 years behind bars today, bringing another chapter of his sprawling #MeToo-era legal saga to a close.

Weinstein appeared in a Manhattan courtroom this morning to learn his fate after being convicted of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006.

Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court for the retrial of his rape case on May 7, 2026, in New York City.
Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court for the retrial of his rape case on May 7, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Weinstein, 74, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for first-degree criminal sexual act. The charge carried a maximum sentence of 25 years.

Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, gave a victim impact statement in court.

“He abused his position and power,” Haley said, according to NBC News, describing the impact the assault had on her life.

“It is a life sentence for me,” she added.

Weinstein has repeatedly denied sexually assaulting or raping anyone.

His latest sentence comes more than six years after he was first sentenced in New York.

That original conviction was overturned by New York’s highest court in 2024 after judges determined that testimony concerning allegations that were not part of the case had improperly influenced the trial.

Rather than ending his legal troubles, however, the reversal sent Weinstein back to court for another trial.

In 2025, a jury again found him guilty of sexually assaulting Haley. The same jury acquitted him of a separate sex-crime charge involving Kaja Sokola and failed to reach a verdict on a rape allegation made by Jessica Mann.

That unresolved charge eventually became the subject of yet another trial.

But in June, prosecutors dropped the rape charge after Mann said she could not endure testifying against Weinstein again. She had already taken the witness stand in three separate proceedings involving the allegation.

With that case dismissed, Weinstein’s sentencing on the Haley conviction could finally move forward.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to impose a 20-year sentence, while Weinstein’s attorney requested a significantly shorter term, arguing that Weinstein has already spent more than six years behind bars.

The 15-year sentence does not mean Weinstein’s legal troubles are over. He was also convicted in California of raping an Italian actor and is appealing that conviction. He is expected to serve a 16-year sentence in California after completing his New York punishment.

For Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers, the courtroom has now become a far more familiar setting than the red carpets where he once held considerable influence.

And more than a decade after the alleged assault that led to his latest conviction, the legal consequences are still unfolding.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.

Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to Additional 15 Years for Sexual Assault of ‘Project … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Sports Fox

The Protect College Sports Act And The Fight For Athlete Leverage

In Follow The Money, Ben Portnoy will bring you into a weekly deep dive into the business of college sports. It’s shaping up to be another busy week on Capitol Hill. The Protect College Sports Act is moving toward a final vote. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who helped author the bill, said on the Senate floor Tuesday that more than 35 amendments have been filed, while both sides work to address outstanding concerns. But for all the positivity around the act, and its future, not everyone is enthused it’s on the verge of passage in the Senate. Let’s get into it. While the past month has been spent on the positives of the bill in the broader mediascape (see Sen. Ted Cruz’s appearance on “College GameDay” earlier this month), I wanted to talk to a few folks that remain vehemently against the PCSA. The common voices there? Player organizations. “It’s taking away bargaining chips that the athletes otherwise have — leverage that the athletes have — to force these schools and conferences to the table and to actually negotiate with them and Congress is jumping in and negotiating on their behalf,” Athletes.org executive director Brandon Copeland told me. “College sports are not in shambles. Yes, there may be some programs that are feeling it. There may be some things that are disrupted and really out of the norm. “…. We’re watching a market work itself out, and the federal government is already jumping in, trying to save this thing. But when we look at it, the PCSA doesn’t actually solve the problems that the authors of the bill say that they are trying to solve.” The constant refrain I’ve heard from opponents of the PCSA is that it would legislate changes to the potential income of athletes, among other measures, functionally without their input. That much isn’t totally off base. The PCSA has largely been crafted through lobbying efforts from the Power Four conferences, the NCAA and other big names like Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell. Federal disclosures I examined this week show that between 2020 and 2026, the Power Four conferences spent almost $10.7 million combined lobbying the federal government. The SEC ($4 million) and ACC ($3.5 million) led the group in spending, followed by the Big Ten ($2.1 million) and Big 12 ($1.08 million). The NCAA, meanwhile, spent more than $6.3 million on varying lobbying efforts, per federal disclosures in that span — including paying more than $2 million to the high-powered firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. “This is a bill being made without athletes’ input, and it reads like that,” Jason Stahl, executive director of the College Football Players Association, told me. “It reads like all the restrictions laid out in the bill are almost exclusively put on athletes and not on coaches and administrators. There’s no restriction of their movement, no restriction on their salaries, but there are with players.” While Stahl and Copeland’s sentiments have been largely unaddressed more broadly, there may well be a fight in the Senate in the coming days to assuage some of their concerns. Semafor’s Burgess Everett reported on Tuesday that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a staunch opponent to the bill, is pushing an amendment allowing athlete collective bargaining — replacing language that was largely neutral about the idea of athlete employment. Collective bargaining has garnered more widespread support across the college sports ecosystem in recent months as leaders like Tennessee athletics director Danny White and Boise State athletics director Jeramiah Dickey have voiced their support. Athletes.org even released its own version of a CBA in December that included varying rules and regulations the industry has sought help with on Capitol Hill. The 35-page draft is a four-year proposal centered on football but also designed to be applicable to other sports. Collective bargaining in college sports, however, faces a multitude of challenges. For one, there is no central players union as exists in professional leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB, though groups like AO and the CFBPA are attempting to potentially operate as such. Federal law also requires those attempting to collectively bargain be deemed employees, which college athletes are not currently. “They say they’re doing this for the athletes and to protect athletes and (the PCSA is) not taking sides, but it is taking sides,” Copeland said. “It’s blaming athletes and blaming the financial issues in college sports … The protections that you ‘win’ for athletes in the PCSA, in my respectful opinion, are won in the first 45 minutes of a CBA negotiation.” Still, that the PCSA has progressed to this point is a monumental moment. The bill is on the verge of passage in the Senate. But as the final touches are being put on the bill before it might be passed off to the House — where it’s likely to face a steep climb — those representing player interests remain skeptical. “I do think that there’s less of an impetus to bring the stakeholders to the table if this bill passes,” Stahl said. “Particularly if you’re giving an antitrust exemption to the NCAA of all entities. It’s going to make it less likely to have that kind of pressure in place to bring them to the table.” The energy drink brand Celsius is getting deeper into the college sports game. The company announced a deal spread across seven schools — Air Force, Colorado, Louisville, Oregon, Texas, Vanderbilt and Washington — that will see it activate on campus during game days this fall. I know I spend more time on college campuses than most these days, but energy drinks are everywhere. Not shocked to see one of the trendier brands in the space expanding their footprint in the college sports space. OK, it wasn’t technically a quote, but the LSU-Ole Miss celebrations brought out some of the funniest corners of the internet over the last few days. Shout out to Ole Miss Chief of Staff William Kneip for this one that really made me laugh:​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Categories
Food

11 Name-Brand Copycats You Can Buy At Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree offers plenty of name-brand copycat snacks and quick-cook foods that are great to grab on the go, pack for the office, or enjoy after a long day.

​Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips

Categories
Entertainment

Mariah Thomas Pleads Guilty After ‘Accidentally’ Putting 1-Month-Old Baby in …

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28-year-old Missouri mother Mariah Thomas said that putting her 1-month-old newborn into the oven was an accident.

More than two years after that horrific tragedy, she has reached a plea deal.

In exchange for prosecutors dropping the most serious charge, she has pleaded guilty.

What really happened?

Mariah Thomas mugshot.
Kansas City, Missouri mom Mariah Thomas put her 1-month-old down for a nap in the oven, not the crib. (Photo Credit: Jackson County)

Mariah Thomas told relatives that putting her newborn in the oven was an accident

In February of 2024, emergency responders responded to a home near 41st Street and Forest Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.

The report was for a baby who wasn’t breathing.

Emergency crews tried desperately to save 1-month-old Za’riah Thomas. Tragically, the infant died at the scene.

According to court documents, the baby’s mother told family members that she was putting her baby down for a nap.

It was allegedly an accident that she placed her baby in the oven instead of safely into her crib. A family member later relayed this claim to detectives.

Za’riah was wearing a bodysuit over her diaper.

According to law enforcement personnel, elements of the baby’s clothing appeared to have melted into diaper.

In the living room, investigators also found a baby blanket that had multiple burn marks.

The 1-month-old also sustained visible burns.

Mariah Thomas initially declined to speak with detectives after being advised of her rights. She did provide a blood sample and agree to let them look through her phone.

She reached a deal, entered a guilty plea, and is going to prison

Initially, prosecutors only brought a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.

That is a serious charge — a Class A felony.

But some would argue that putting a newborn into an oven is a bit more serious than allowing a preschooler to spend time in a pool unsupervised, even if both cases resulted in death.

Prosecutors seemed to be of the same mind, later adding a charge of first-degree murder.

However, on Tuesday, September 22, Mariah Thomas and prosecutors reached a deal.

Under the terms of the deal, Thomas pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.

The court ordered her to serve 13 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. She received no probation, and will be credited with time served.

In exchange for her guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge.

Even with time served, Thomas is looking at spending more than a decade behind bars.

This absolute horror does not sound like a traditional infanticide, but without a full trial, the public has limited information about how this terrible tragedy unfolded.

At times like these, it’s good to remember that high-profile cases involving affluent defendants tend to get much more information to the public. Much of the Thomas case remains a mystery.

Mariah Thomas Pleads Guilty After ‘Accidentally’ Putting 1-Month-Old Baby in … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

Categories
Music

WATCH: Pam Tillis Invites Neal McCoy To Become A Member of the Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry will soon welcome a new member into its family. On Tuesday evening, Sept. 22, Neal McCoy was on-site at the historic venue to perform as part of the Grand Ole Opry’s Opry 100 Honors Charley Pride when Pam Tillis surprised him with the invitation to officially join the Opry.

The fact that the night honored Pride made the moment even more meaningful to McCoy given his longtime friendship and admiration for the Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry member.

Photo Courtesy of Neal McCoy
Photo Courtesy of Neal McCoy

During his time in the circle, McCoy delivered three of Pride’s songs and opened up about the impact the country legend had on his career. He explained that early in his career, he would spend his weekdays mowing lawns before traveling with Pride on the weekends and opening for the legend’s shows. Looking back on the experience, McCoy credits Pride with helping pave the way for his own career. He even paid tribute to the hit singer/songwriter’s music and legacy in 2013 with the release of Pride: A Tribute to Charley Pride.

“If there had never been a Charley Pride there would never have been a Neal McCoy,” he admitted.

Later in the evening, Tillis took to the stage for her own set before welcoming Rozene Pride, Charley’s wife, to join her and share a few memories of her late husband. Rozene then asked McCoy to accompany her onto the stage, thus setting up the ultimate surprise that followed in the moments after.

Pride stated, “Charley would be so happy with what you’re going to do next, Pam.” 

Tillis responded, “You know what I think he would say? ‘I think Neal McCoy needs to be an official member of the Grand Ole Opry.’”

McCoy showed a big smile as he realized what Tillis just said. He bent down to kiss Pride on the head, who was still clutching his arm tight, and gladly accepted the invitation as emotions flooded his face.  

“So on behalf of Rozene, Charley Pride, all of us here at the Grand Ole Opry, Neal, what do you say?” Tillis asked him.

A nearly speechless McCoy nodded and said, “Oh my gosh. What a great night. What a great night to be invited.”

Along with McCoy and Tillis, Grand Ole Opry’s Opry 100 Honors Charley Pride also featured performances by Opry members Darius Rucker and Pride’s son Dion Pride, Tony Jackson, The Malpass Brothers, and The War & Treaty. 

A portion of the proceeds from the Opry 100 Honors shows will benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which has spent more than six decades supporting members of the country music community facing medical expenses, emergencies and other financial hardships.

Neal McCoy will officially join the Opry family later this year on a date to be announced. Until then, he will remain busy on the road with a slew of tour dates scheduled through the remainder of the year.

The post WATCH: Pam Tillis Invites Neal McCoy To Become A Member of the Grand Ole Opry appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Categories
Music

Ella Langley Reacts as ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Makes History With 23-Week Run at No. 1: ‘It’s Changing My Life’

Ella Langley has racked plenty of major milestones throughout her career, but her latest one is certainly worth celebrating. The country superstar took to social media to share her reaction to seeing her fan-favorite tune “Choosin’ Texas” make history with an impressive 23-week run at the top of the charts.

Next month will mark one year since the release of the 6x Platinum song, which was co-written by Ella, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick & Joybeth Taylor, and produced by Ella, Miranda Lambert and Ben West. The track instantly captivated listeners with its catchy hook and clever storyline that finds the Alabama native realizing that the man she thought she had won over is actually choosing a Texas woman, and that his heart may have always belonged there.

Photo Courtesy of Ella Lanlgey
Photo Courtesy of Ella Lanlgey

The smash hit has easily become one of the biggest hits of the year. It scored No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts at the same time in February and has garnered more than 1.6 billion streams worldwide. This week, it makes history as the longest-running No. 1 single of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 with 23 weeks, thus surpassing major acts like Harry Styles, Morgan Wallen, and now former chart leader, Mariah Carey.

In a new Instagram video, Langley is all smiles as she reflects on just how big of an accomplishment this is for her career. She admitted it was hard to find the right words to truly sum up how she was feeling about the song’s massive success worldwide.

“What? I don’t know. Thank you so much. Thank you for loving this song, for listening to it. I feel like I just don’t even know what to say at this point. I mean, I’m running out of hyperboles to describe how I feel, so I will just let my dog in the background show you his excitement,” she said as her adorable pup Crue could be hard barking in the background.

She went on to express just how “life-changing” this song has been not only for her career, but for her co-writers and for her family.

“It is truly growing an atmosphere for something I’m going to be able to do the rest of my life. And today it doesn’t feel like a real thing. It feels fake and somebody’s going to come in and be like, ‘Ha ha, we’re kidding the whole time.’ It’s just kidding,” she joked. “But I’m going to go out and celebrate tonight and I’m really excited to just experience a moment like this in my life. I don’t know. I don’t know how else to say it. Just thank you so much. And yeah, ‘Choosin’ T..’ Wow, that’s the one,” Langley added in conclusion.

Beyond the US, “Choosin’ Texas” reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, making the first country artist in more than 20 years to land that slot. It also became the longest-running No. 1 in UK country radio history and the longest-running No. 1 single by a female artist in Canada and by a country artist in Australia, while Langley became the first solo female country artist to reach No. 1 on the Netherlands Airplay chart. 

Plus, the upbeat track has racked up two Academy of Country Music Awards, one American Music Award, and is currently nominated for three Country Music Association Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. The music video, which has amassed over 86 million views to date, has received both a CMA and VMA nomination.

Ella Langley is currently on the road for The Dandelion Tour and she is gearing up for what could be a major night at the 60th Annual CMA Awards as she is headed into the night the top nominee with nine nods.

The post Ella Langley Reacts as ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Makes History With 23-Week Run at No. 1: ‘It’s Changing My Life’ appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Categories
Entertainment

Hayden Panettiere Checked Into Rehab Just Weeks Before Death

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It’s been over a month since Hayden Panettiere passed away at the age of 36.

And now, newly released details are making the circumstances surrounding her final weeks even more devastating.

The actress died from an accidental overdose in August at the age of 36, and according to a coroner’s report obtained by The Associated Press, Hayden had been to rehab just weeks before her death.

Hayden Panettiere attends the world premiere of Paramount's "Scream VI" at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on March 06, 2023 in New York City.
Hayden Panettiere attends the world premiere of Paramount’s “Scream VI” at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on March 06, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

The report states that fentanyl, alprazolam, methocarbamol, and quetiapine were found in her system. Her death was ruled accidental, and authorities said there were no signs of trauma that contributed to her death.

Hayden had been staying in Greenville, South Carolina, where she was found unresponsive on August 16.

Her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were reportedly at the apartment.

According to the coroner’s report, Hayden had been seen getting ready that morning before the two men later discovered that she was unresponsive.

Narcan was administered before emergency responders arrived, but paramedics were ultimately unable to revive her.

The timing is especially tragic because Hayden had been remarkably open about her struggles with addiction.

The former Heroes and Nashville star discussed her history of alcohol and opioid addiction in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was released earlier this year. She had also previously spoken publicly about entering rehab and trying to overcome addiction.

“I was the one who put myself in the first treatment center. I was drowning,” Hayden said in a 2023 interview with Women’s Health.

And just months before her death, Hayden appeared to be focused on rebuilding her life and sharing what she had learned with others.

In a May interview with Gayle King, she said she wanted people to understand that they didn’t need to be afraid of telling their stories.

“I really wanted to share with the world that they don’t have to be afraid,” Hayden said. “That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect.”

Unfortunately, that hopeful chapter ended far too soon.

Hayden’s family has emphasized that the investigation into her death remains ongoing. Her publicist told the AP that “the investigation is still ongoing and the case is complex,” while Greenville police have confirmed that their investigation continues.

For someone who had spent years publicly documenting her journey toward recovery, the revelation that Hayden had sought treatment only weeks before her death is a particularly painful final detail.

She was trying to get better. And tragically, she never got the chance to finish that fight.

Hayden Panettiere Checked Into Rehab Just Weeks Before Death was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

Categories
Alaska News

Mixed signals for housing costs in Alaska

A sign seen on April 9, 2025, advertises rental availability at an apartment building in Anchorage's Turnagain neighborhood. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

A sign seen on April 9, 2025, advertises rental availability at an apartment building in Anchorage’s Turnagain neighborhood. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Apartment rents in Alaska rose 2.1% over the past year, the most modest increase in five years, according to analysis by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The statistics on rental costs are part of a package of articles about housing costs published in the September issue of Alaska Economic Trends, the monthly magazine of the department’s research section.

Rental statistics, based on prices recorded in March of this year, show some striking geographic differences.

The Wrangell-Petersburg area in Southeast Alaska had the cheapest rent of the 11 cities and areas analyzed, with a median monthly rate of $1,288 for a two-bedroom apartment. Bethel, a rural hub in Western Alaska, had the highest rents, with a median of $2,030 a month for a two-bedroom apartment.

Kodiak, Anchorage, the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Juneau were behind Bethel with monthly median rentals above $1,700.The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, just north of Anchorage, was on the low side for median rents, at $1,567 a month, but it had the biggest yearly increase, measured at 12.8%.

That reflects demographic characteristics in the bustling borough, where many residents are commuters who work in Anchorage, said Gunnar Schultz, a state labor economist and one of the authors of the housing-cost stories.

“Mat-Su obviously has been growing in contrast to most of the rest of the state,” he said. “So I think that that obviously puts upward pressure on price.” Proximity to Anchorage is another contributor because it means money is coming into the borough from the state’s largest city, he said.

The analysis is part of the department’s regular monitoring of housing costs. The rental comparisons covered much but not all of the state; the North Slope Borough and Bering Strait region, for example, were not included.

For homebuyers in Alaska, there are some economic headwinds, according to the economists’ analysis. Mortgage costs are much higher than they used to be, they said.

For a 30-year fixed rate mortgage on a $415,000 Alaska home — the median value — the monthly payment in 2025 was about $2,050. That is 84% higher than the estimated median monthly mortgage payment in 2019, the analysis said.

A big driver is the rise in home values, from an average of about $300,000 in 2019 to an average of $415,000 just six years later. Another factor is the increase in interest rates, from a median under 3% in 2020 to 6.5%in 2023, the analysis said.

But while home values and thus monthly mortgage costs increased, so did wages in Alaska.

The result of all those combined changes was that purchasing a home became marginally more affordable in 2025 than in the two years prior, according to the analysis.

Alaska’s Housing Affordability Index,  the number that represents how many people earning the average monthly are needed to make mortgage payments, dropped a bit in 2025 to 1.37. That is down from last year’s index of 1.39 and from the 2024 index of 1.4, which was the highest in recent years. But it is above the indexes measured in previous years; from 2019 to 2021, the index was below 1, indicating that a single person earning average Alaska wages had enough money to afford monthly mortgage payments.

Despite the slight improvement in the affordability index, buying a house remains a hefty burden in Alaska, Schultz said. “It’s still so much higher than it was during COVID and before,” he said.

A slight decline in interest rates last year was a contributing factor to the small improvement in housing affordability. However, interest rates are now heading up, the analysis pointed out.

Also affecting housing affordability is the availability of homes, and on that subject, there is positive news for would-be buyers, according to the economists’ analysis.

Housing construction in 2025 hit a 10-year high after years of increases that followed the big drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2,261 single-family and multifamily housing units were built last year, the analysis said. That compares to 1,747 in 2020 and 1,726 in 2021. Home construction has been steadily rising since those years, according to the data.

The Alaska Economic Trends articles did not compare housing costs in the state to those nationwide, but the U.S. Census Bureau has some U.S. statistics that provide some contest.

Nationally, home ownership costs remained flat from 2020 to 2024, while rents increased by $100 more a month to a median $1,413 during the period, according to the Census Bureau. The analysis considers areas around the nation with populations over 5,000, so most of Alaska’s rural communities are not included.

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Categories
Music

Garth Brooks’ Next Tour Date Announced – Tulsa!

Brooks will return to his home state of Oklahoma for the next stop on his arena tour. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

Categories
Music

Garth Brooks’ Next Tour Date Announced – Tulsa!

Brooks will return to his home state of Oklahoma for the next stop on his arena tour. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs