Top Entertainment Headlines

Monday, August 10

Good afternoon Wypierdalaj,

Below are the latest entertainment news stories.

Ben Jones, who played the good ol’ boy mechanic in “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV series and parlayed his fame into a political career and two terms in the U.S. House, has died. He was 84.

Jones had a heart attack in his home Sunday in Washington, Virginia, as he was waiting to watch his beloved Atlanta Braves play baseball, his wife, Alma Viator, said on social media. Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton confirmed his death.

Jones’ fame came from his role as Cooter Davenport, the mechanic who got the Duke boys out of jams as they tried to do the right thing and fight the corrupt Boss Hogg in the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.

The case of rap icon Tupac Shakur’s killing has been unresolved for decades. Now, the man charged in his 1996 killing in Las Vegas is going to trial.

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, faces one charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang in Shakur’s death. Jury selection begins Monday, with the trial scheduled to last about a month.

The trial will bring to a head one of the biggest mysteries in the hip-hop world that gripped the public for decades. Shakur, who also went by the stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, is considered one of the most influential rappers of all time.

When actress Brooke Shields, 60, visited Studio 1A in May, Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones asked how she felt about her oldest daughter Rowan Henchy, 23, joining the cast of Peacock’s “Next Gen NYC” reality show.

“Oh, I was sick to my stomach!” Shields said at the time. She said that she reminded her daughter to be “the voice of reason” on the show.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continued its blistering pace in theaters, collecting $144.5 million domestically over its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” set a new high for the director.

The Sony-Marvel release has accrued $1.67 billion worldwide in just 10 days of release, putting it on a trajectory to be among the biggest blockbusters ever. Domestically, no movie has racked up a higher total faster. In U.S. and Canadian cinemas, “Brand New Day” has grossed $655.1 million thus far. Overseas, it’s already surpassed $1 billion.

It took only seven days for “Brand New Day” to become the highest grossing movie of the year, easily displacing “Toy Story 5” ($1.07 billion worldwide). No Sony film has ever cleared $100 million in its second weekend before. It came close to toppling the best sophomore frame on record: “The Force Awakens,” with $149.2 million in 2015.

Members of the popular girl group KATSEYE are lending support to their bandmate Sophia Laforteza as she prepares to take a break from the group to focus on her health.

The band issued a statement on Weverse, announcing that Laforteza will be “temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities” and noting that it’s “imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized.”

“Sophia has been receiving the utmost support, and following thorough consultations with medical professionals, it has been advised that she take dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery,” the statement read. “While Sophia herself is eager to perform alongside her members, the health, safety, and long-term well-being of our artists will always remain our highest priority.”

Traveling with babies and toddlers can be daunting for parents. Questions about air travel, what to pack and safety are often top of mind, especially on long-distance flights and international trips.

“Traveling with kids is a whole new world,” said Dr. Shannon Thompson, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, adding that it’s important to “enjoy your kiddo on your trip” as much as you can.

Here are some tips and tricks for parents to travel safely with young children — and have fun with them, too.