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Dolly Parton's Secretive Burial Sparks Talk Among Fans

Dolly Parton's Secretive Burial Sparks Talk Among Fans

Dolly Parton’s cousin Richie Owens is remembering the late country icon in the wake of her heartbreaking death. “She wanted to keep it very quiet, and the word keeps getting brought up, ‘a funeral.’ I don’t believe that is really the case in the situation,” Owens said on the Thursday, September 3, broadcast of Today, referring to Parton’s intimate memorial service held last week. “It was a burial to be buried beside her husband, and she wanted it very small.” Parton died late last month at the age of 80 following a brief battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was laid to rest inside Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum beside her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025. “A few family members were there,” Owens said on Thursday. “Other people, I’m sure, would have liked to [have] been there, were either out doing other things and stuff. It was very quiet, very quickly done and not for any bad reasons whatsoever. It’s just what she wanted. She wanted to keep it very, very private.” According to Owens, the “Jolene” singer would have preferred that her loved ones pay their respects by donating to her Imagination Library nonprofit instead of an elaborate funeral. “She really cared about her charities,” he noted. “What you saw from Dolly is what she was in real life at home. [She was] personable, magical, just very giving. You got the same thing, she didn’t turn it on and off. Dolly was always Dolly. She had the greatest sense of humor.” As for Owens, he will forever hold his final interactions with his cousin close to his heart. “The last time I was physically with her, we had went back and forth helping find and locate a little guitar that she had from when she was a kid that my father had given her back in 1958,” he said. “We were able to locate that same guitar [model] … because the one she had got burned up in a fire back in the late ‘70s [or] early ‘80s.” Owens worked with the Martins guitar company, who made the original instrument, to present a similar model to Parton directly. When asked whether their interaction felt like a “goodbye moment,” Owens simply said no. “That lady was a workaholic. She was relentless,” he added. “After I gave her that guitar, she would call me up, like, ‘Hey, you can’t believe how many new songs I wrote on that guitar since you brought it over. I wrote four more songs this week.’ It was always reach-outs like that from her. But [she] was always magic; [it] just poured out of her.”

Sep 03, 2026
Tensions Flare as Holocaust Survivor’s Granddaughter Confronts NYC Mayor Over Antisemitism

Tensions Flare as Holocaust Survivor’s Granddaughter Confronts NYC Mayor Over Antisemitism

An American Israeli heckler accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of ignoring rising antisemitism in the city while he visited a Jewish store in Brooklyn on Wednesday.Stephanie Benshimol, a self-described “Boss Momma American Israeli Zionist” and the founder of United Zionists, berated Hizzoner for visiting Eichler’s, a Judaica store in Borough Park, before the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah next week. “Hey, it’s me, Stefanie Benshimol. You remember me? Remember last year when Trump freed the hostages?” she yelled at Mamdani while filming inside the shop. “It’s all because of you we have so much antisemitism.” Stephanie Benshimol confronts Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he visits Eichler’s Judaica store in Boro Park, Brooklyn, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. FNTVBenshimol, a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, shamed Mamdani for appearing in the neighborhood given the rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes across the city. “Shame on you for coming to Borough Park where my Bubbie came after the Holocaust!” she roared. “My Bubbie and Zaidy came to Borough Park! You have such chutzpah coming here! Shame on you!” Benshimol yelled, using the Yiddish words for grandmother and grandfather respectively. As the Zionist activist grew increasingly emphatic, staff shooed her out of the store, prompting her to call one of the workers a “kapo” — a term for a concentration camp prisoner forced by the Nazis to supervise fellow captives.“Are you a kapo? Are you supporting him? Do you support Israel? Do you support Israel? Do you?”Her vitriol then turned toward the Eichler’s store, whose owners she accused of wanting to “kiss ass to the hater of all Jewish people!”“Shame on you Eichler’s, shame on you for allowing Zohran Mamdani to come to the heart of the Jewish neighborhood in Borough Park,” Benshimol said. Mayor Zohran Mamdani visits Eichler’s Judaica store in Boro Park, Brooklyn, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Stephanie Benshimol confronted the mayor, accusing him of antisemitism, and was escorted out of the store. Mayor's Office“They want to kiss ass to the hater of all Jewish people!”Mamdani didn’t respond to Benshimol’s taunts. Hate crimes surged in the Big Apple under Mamdani this year — with more than half of incidents targeting Jewish New Yorkers, unsettling new crime statistics show.Hate crimes are up 9.4% citywide and more than half — 56.9% — were antisemitic attacks, despite Jewish people making up just 10% of New York City’s population, according to NYPD data released last month.

Sep 03, 2026
Dolly Parton's Secretive Burial Sparks Emotional Reactions

Dolly Parton's Secretive Burial Sparks Emotional Reactions

Dolly Parton’s cousin Richie Owens is remembering the late country icon in the wake of her heartbreaking death. “She wanted to keep it very quiet, and the word keeps getting brought up, ‘a funeral.’ I don’t believe that is really the case in the situation,” Owens said on the Thursday, September 3, broadcast of Today, referring to Parton’s intimate memorial service held last week. “It was a burial to be buried beside her husband, and she wanted it very small.” Parton died late last month at the age of 80 following a brief battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was laid to rest inside Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum beside her late husband, Carl Dean, who died in 2025. “A few family members were there,” Owens said on Thursday. “Other people, I’m sure, would have liked to [have] been there, were either out doing other things and stuff. It was very quiet, very quickly done and not for any bad reasons whatsoever. It’s just what she wanted. She wanted to keep it very, very private.” According to Owens, the “Jolene” singer would have preferred that her loved ones pay their respects by donating to her Imagination Library nonprofit instead of an elaborate funeral. “She really cared about her charities,” he noted. “What you saw from Dolly is what she was in real life at home. [She was] personable, magical, just very giving. You got the same thing, she didn’t turn it on and off. Dolly was always Dolly. She had the greatest sense of humor.” As for Owens, he will forever hold his final interactions with his cousin close to his heart. “The last time I was physically with her, we had went back and forth helping find and locate a little guitar that she had from when she was a kid that my father had given her back in 1958,” he said. “We were able to locate that same guitar [model] … because the one she had got burned up in a fire back in the late ‘70s [or] early ‘80s.” Owens worked with the Martins guitar company, who made the original instrument, to present a similar model to Parton directly. When asked whether their interaction felt like a “goodbye moment,” Owens simply said no. “That lady was a workaholic. She was relentless,” he added. “After I gave her that guitar, she would call me up, like, ‘Hey, you can’t believe how many new songs I wrote on that guitar since you brought it over. I wrote four more songs this week.’ It was always reach-outs like that from her. But [she] was always magic; [it] just poured out of her.”

Sep 03, 2026
T-Boz's Health Crisis: Why Fans Are Rallying Around Her Now

T-Boz's Health Crisis: Why Fans Are Rallying Around Her Now

TLC member Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins’ manager has offered an update on her health after she missed multiple tour dates with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue. “Tionne recently experienced a sickle cell crisis that required hospitalization, and she is currently recovering and regaining her strength,” TLC rep Christal Jordan told USA Today on Wednesday, September 2. “ T-Boz, 56, was absent from several TLC concert dates over the past week, leading to bandmate Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas performing the group’s songs solo. (The third original member of TLC, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, was killed in a car crash in April 2002.) A viral video shot during TLC’s show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, featured Chilli addressing T-Boz’s absence. “I'm going to ask each and every one of you to help me hold her down tonight,” an emotional Chilli, 55, says in the clip. TLC’s manager subsequently praised fans for their “overwhelming” support for T-Boz in light of her recent health problem. “Hearing audiences sing her parts, lift her up in prayer, and surround TLC with so much love has meant more than we can express,” Jordan said. “Sickle cell is a serious illness, so we ask everyone to please keep the prayers coming as Tionne continues to recover. We are immensely grateful for the love and support. T-Boz was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia as a child. Pet the Mayo Clinic, sickle cell anemia impacts the shape of red blood cells as they carry oxygen to the rest of the body. “When you have sickle cell, your red blood cells get stuck on their way around your veins, causing blockages and stopping the oxygen from getting to your vital organs,” the singer wrote in her 2017 memoir, A Sick Life. “Where there’s a lack of oxygen, you can go into a crisis, an attack of severe pain, sometimes located only in a certain spot and sometimes all over your body. Often, it’s hard to breathe or walk or even do something as basic as holding a pen. A crisis can happen without any warning. Just, bam! You’re in the hospital again.” Prior to this latest health scare, TLC cancelled a show at the New York State Fair in Syracuse in August 2024 around 30 minutes before it was supposed to begin. “Shortly after arriving in Syracuse, Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins experienced sudden and severe nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal cramps,” a statement from the group read. “She was immediately seen by a doctor and subsequently taken to the hospital for further evaluation.” T-Boz offered an update on her condition when doctors later diagnosed her with a “severe abdominal blockage.” “I’m on The Mend!!! This Was Just One Of Those Unexpected Things That I Had No Control Over,” she wrote via Instagram on August 24, 2024. “I Look Forward To Making It Up 2 You All … And Hopefully I’ll Get Out Of The Hospital Soon!!! As Soon As Tomorrow If All Goes Well!!! Thank You For Understanding… Blessings Always, T.” TLC’s It’s Iconic Tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue is currently set to wrap up on October 11, 2026, in Concord, California.

Sep 03, 2026
Jim Curtis Reveals Health Battle to Jennifer Aniston at Rare NYC Event

Jim Curtis Reveals Health Battle to Jennifer Aniston at Rare NYC Event

Jennifer Aniston and her boyfriend, Jim Curtis, gave fans a sweet glimpse of their romance during a rare event together in New York City. The pair appeared at The 92nd Street Y in New York City on Wednesday, September 2, to celebrate Curtis’ new book, The Book of Possibility, with Aniston, 57, interviewing her beau, 50, on stage. In one powerful moment, Curtis reflected on his health struggles in his 20s when doctors found lesions on his spinal cord that caused partial paralysis and chronic nerve damage. Curtis remembered that his whole body froze up in fear when he initially Googled his condition after being diagnosed. "I'm not saying here that if the doctor tells you to do something, you should get up and leave," he clarified. "What I'm saying is you don't have to live as the victim. You don't have to live in your suffering. It can become your power. As soon as you accept it and love it [you can move beyond it]." Curtis spoke about often facing questions from friends and even "people on the street" about why he walks with a limp. "I would say I got into a motorcycle accident. Why would I say that?" he said. "I was so shameful that I had a medical condition. [I thought] I was broken in some way. I thought the motorcycle accident was at least a little macho. It was this identity of the 'macho, strong man' ... it didn't come with the connotation and shame of, 'This can get worse.'" Curtis stressed that he was only able to "overcome" those insecurities when he learned the value of "self-acceptance and self-love." "It was a long journey in which I realized I could have done it quicker ... There are people who are just suffering because they don't know what the next step is or they need a little bit of inspiration," he said. "That was an easy choice for me." Aniston asked her beau what his advice would be if he were speaking to someone who was "stuck" in the "rat race of life." "I'm not a proponent for 'drop everything and leave,'" he responded. "That [acceptance] was 25 years in the making for me. There's a reality of life too. I always say we're a spirit having a human experience. We have to live the human experience." He continued, "You have rent to pay and medical bills to pay and kids to feed, all of your stuff. But I will say this: you don't have to let fear stop you from living your dream. You can manifest at any time by placing your focus on the outcomes that you want." Days earlier, Curtis shed light on their relationship while appearing on the Monday, August 31, episode of “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” and shared that the couple “do a lot of meditation” and talking. Curtis explained that there are “different tools” that are “really beneficial” at “different stages in your relationship,” adding, “Jen and I have been together a year and a half, so this tool isn't the first tool that we go to.” When host Jamie Kern Lima asked whether the “first tool” they utilize is meditation, he replied, “Yeah, meditation. Acceptance, understanding. Those kind of things. In a honeymoon phase, your tools don't have to be big sledgehammers.” Curtis and Aniston have been together since mid-2025, making their romance Instagram official later that year. “If this is a dream I don’t want to wake up ❤️,” he wrote alongside a series of photos. Months later, Curtis shared that the couple’s “origin story” began when they had mutual friends and started talking. “We found out that we had mutual friends, and we started to just chat,” he said on a January episode of the Today show. “And it took a long time. We chatted for a long time, and we became close.” Aniston has similarly gushed over her romance with Curtis. In her November 2025 interview with Elle, she explained that the pair formed a bond over their wellness interests and described Curtis as “quite extraordinary.” “Hypnotism is one of the many things that he does,” she said at the time, adding that Curtis is “very special, very normal and very kind.” Aniston and Curtis have since been spotted dining with several of her famous pals. Last month, the couple enjoyed an evening in Los Angeles with her former Friends costars Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow and longtime pal Jason Bateman. Aniston was previously married to Brad Pitt from 2000 to 2005 and Justin Theroux from 2015 to 2018.

Sep 03, 2026
How Rising Treasury Yields Could Impact Your Home and Auto Loans

How Rising Treasury Yields Could Impact Your Home and Auto Loans

The rapid run-up in Treasury yields could hit American consumers hard, raising borrowing costs across housing and auto loans and potentially hammering the stock market.Global bond markets have been selling off as investors fear a prolonged war with Iran could drive inflation even higher, possibly swaying the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates.Treasury yields are the annual interest rates that investors are paid for holding government debt, and they are inversely linked to prices. As traders dump government bonds, yields move higher.Rising Treasury yields could push mortgage rates higher. Rajesh – stock.adobe.comThe 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 4.798% Wednesday – hitting its highest level since November 2023.While the bond sell-off may sound like a Wall Street event, “it can quickly become a Main Street problem” said Mark White, wealth advisor at Mark White Wealth Advisors.“Overall, higher yields reward savers but penalize borrowers – and households preparing to buy a home, finance a car or carry revolving debt are likely to feel the impact most,” he told The Post on Wednesday.Mortgage rates, for example, are closely tied to the 10-year yield, which means an already-struggling market could find itself shutting out even more prospective buyers.Historically low inventory around the country has pushed asking prices out of reach for many, especially younger, first-time buyers. Four years of elevated borrowing costs have kept the market essentially frozen, since homeowners who clinched low interest rates are reluctant to move and give up a good deal.Auto loan rates could rise as a result of the bond sell-off. Yuri Bizgaimer – stock.adobe.comMortgage rates briefly dipped below 6% in February – but they quickly rebounded after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. As of last Friday, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.66%, according to Freddie Mac.Even a modest increase in mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars to homeowners’ monthly payments and reduce their spending power elsewhere, White noted.Higher rates also hurt the rental market, since developers will be discouraged from building – keeping supply insufficient to meet demand.The stock market could be hampered by the rise in Treasury yields. ZUMAPRESS.com“This will impact affordability for many hoped-for homebuyers and all other borrowers. Higher yields will trickle down to the greater economy and have a negative impact,” Melissa Cohn, regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage, told The Post.A slow housing market typically means Americans will buy less furniture and hire fewer people to work on new properties as they stay put, for example.Auto loans are more closely tied to the 5-year Treasury yield, which hit 4.55% Wednesday – its highest level since January 2025.Car shoppers have already been struggling to buy new vehicles, one of the categories hit hardest by President Trump’s tariffs and supply chain struggles during the pandemic. Vehicle insurance and maintenance costs have also been climbing.Drivers are also feeling pain at the pump, as national average gasoline prices remain stubbornly above $4 a gallon – far above the $2.98 average prior to the Iran war.Rising Treasury yields could also hamper the stock market, which has been going strong this year despite concerns around tariffs and the Middle East conflict.Higher yields offer investors a safer alternative to stocks – potentially putting pressure on stock prices. They also influence the corporate bonds that businesses use to borrow funds, making it more difficult for companies to fund the massive AI investments that have been driving stock market gains.“Growth stocks and highly valued companies tend to be especially sensitive,” White said. “The positive side is that savers and investors purchasing new bonds can earn significantly better income, although existing long-term bondholders may experience price declines.”In the meantime, traders are growing increasingly concerned that the Fed could hike interest rates for the first time since 2023, which would raise short-term borrowing costs – more directly impacting the rates on credit cards and home-equity lines of credit.Inflation has remained stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target, most recently hitting 3.4% in July. During his Jackson Hole, Wyo., speech last week, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said he does not see the central bank’s current policy as “restrictive” and that there may be “work to do” on inflation – signaling a bent toward raising rates.The odds of a quarter-point hike at the Fed’s Sept. 16 meeting were 64% as of Wednesday, according to CME FedWatch, which tracks futures prices.

Sep 03, 2026
Influencers Spark Outrage as They Disrupt US Open Match

Influencers Spark Outrage as They Disrupt US Open Match

Talk about cringe. While influencers have become as much a part of the U.S. Open experience as the $23 Honey Deuce, their presence has created a stir after chair umpire Kader Nouni had to admonish a group in a suite during Naomi Osaka’s match against Anastasia Zakharova at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.A viral video of the incident showed one woman using a bright ring light to capture content during the match. In a different post, a group of influencers in a luxury suite were seen recording a video, much to the dismay of a fan sitting below them. The instances have gotten quite a bit of attention as part of the discourse surrounding the annual Flushing Meadows tournament and the increasing focus beyond the world’s best tennis players competing on the court. A video shared on TikTok shows a woman using a large, bright light to capture content during Naomi Osaka’s match. TikTok/@katticuspfinchIn a statement to The Post, USTA spokesperson Brendan McIntyre described the “instances” as things that happen “infrequently.” “We want our fans and guests to have an incredible time when they attend the US Open, but we also need to ensure that does not interfere with the action and competition on the court,” McIntyre said. “These instances happen infrequently, and similar to when crowd noise reaches a certain level, our chair umpires have the ability to address the crowd when they occur.” The USTA has embraced the social media wave and the audience that content creators and influencers bring to the table.  @katticuspfinch Tennis etiquette is that you don’t even GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A POINT but now at @US Open apparently it’s ring lights and photo shoots everywhere in the MIDDLE OF A POINT. Listen, I love bringing new people to the open and I’m all for getting more people into tennis because it’s such a fun sport to watch but if you’re going to disrespect the players, you shouldn’t come to the match. And I LOVE content creators bringing tennis to everyone on social media but if you’re not going to be respectful of the game being played thats NOT OKAY. Yyou can see ring lights from all over the stadium and the umpire and players made it very clear that it’s a HUGE DISTRACTION and it’s now impacting the players ability to play the game we are all here to see. And apparently the us open and USTA are just fine with it because their staff is helping it happen. @influencersinthewild @Tennis Channel #nyccontentcreator #naomiosaka #usopen #tennistiktok #usopentennis ♬ original sound – There I Ruined It A video shared on TikTok shows a woman using a large, very bright light to capture content during Naomi Osaka’s match. TikTok/@katticuspfinchIn 2025, they issued 54 media credentials to content creators, marking the first time the Grand Slam tournament had done so. This year, the USTA has issued “close to 100,” USTA director of media operations Jeanmarie Daly told Front Office Sports. The players on the court have seemed to embrace their presence at the tournament as well — at least some, anyway. American star Jessica Pegula can “appreciate” influencers coming to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and “showcasing the U.S. Open experience,” she said after her second-round win over Sofia Kenin on Wednesday.Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts as she plays against Anastasia Zakharova of Russia in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center on Monday, August 31, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY PostHowever, the scenes from earlier in the week seemed to raise questions for her, too.“I do think that it’s tough when you see videos like that when they’re taking pictures and using the selfie lights,” Pegula said. “People are down there trying to perform, and it’s their career and their job. It seems like a bit disrespectful. I think it’s gotten a little maybe too much, it feels like, this year. I don’t know.“I think, again, I can appreciate one side of it, but I think when you have the other side literally interrupting matches, it gets a little tough.”The influencer influx hasn’t sat well with some tennis fans either, who have felt the U.S. Open attendees are there more for the vibes than the actual competition. A group of influencers in a suite collectively record a promotion during the US Open in a video shared on X. X/@michiganboy310“They don’t even care about tennis,” one person bemoaned to The Post last week. “They are all just getting drunk and being rowdy.”Caitlin Thompson, founder of tennis’ preeminent literary magazine, Racquet, recently told The Post that she didn’t “think anyone’s really there to watch tennis [anymore].”

Sep 03, 2026
Jordan Chiles' Bold Return: Why She's Eyeing the 2028 Olympics

Jordan Chiles' Bold Return: Why She's Eyeing the 2028 Olympics

After her experience at the 2024 Olympics was mired in controversy, Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles made a major announcement about her future at the Games: She’s ready to run it back.  “LA 2028… WHY NOT? ✨����,” she posted via Instagram on Wednesday, September 2.  Chiles, 25, revealed her plans to return to the Olympics with a video narrated by NBA icon Michael Jordan.  “Why again? Because the dream is still there,” Jordan, 63, said. “Why continue? Because there’s still more to give. Why now? Because not every chapter ends when people expect it to. Why her? Because she’s that girl.” The narration continued, “Some decisions don’t need permission. Just one more bet, on herself. So when the world asks why she’s back for a third time, the answer is simple.” “Why not?” Chiles herself then said.  The announcement video featured Chiles, singer Normani and model Winnie Harlow frollicking on a beach and congregating around a bonfire before the athlete revealed a custom “LA 2028” grill while definitively staking her claim on the Games in Los Angeles. “✨️A Special Thank you to Normani, Winnie and THE Michael Jordan,” Chiles added in her social media post.  Chiles is a two-time Olympic medalist — a team gold in Paris and a team silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — though she briefly thought she held a third.  During the floor exercise final at the 2024 Games, Chiles’ coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, submitted a successful inquiry that raised her score by half a point, good enough for third place and a bronze medal in the competition.  The Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the inquiry was made past the one-minute deadline. The CAS ruled the inquiry was made at one minute and four seconds, ultimately reverting to the competition’s original scores and placing Chiles in fifth place.  Earlier this year, however, Chiles scored a win when the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland partially overturned the CAS ruling.  “In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question, it considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final on 5 August 2024 to lead to a modification of the contested award in favor of the applicants,” a statement shared with USA Today read at the time. “The CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] could consider, in the light of this audio-visual sequence, that the verbal inquiry made on behalf of Jordan Chiles had been made before the expiry of the regulatory one-minute time limit.” Chiles filed the appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in September 2024. “We are delighted that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has righted a wrong and given Jordan the chance she deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” Chiles’ attorney Maurice Suh said in a statement. “As the court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal.”  Suh continued, “We also appreciate the Court’s recognition that ‘extraordinary time pressure’ and notification defects prevented Jordan from presenting this important evidence in August 2024. We appreciate that Jordan will receive a full and fair opportunity to defend her bronze medal.” Four out of the five members from Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team — Chiles, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey — have announced their plans to return for the Olympics in Los Angeles. Simone Biles, meanwhile, has not made a decision.  The 2028 Summer Olympics begin in July 2028.

Sep 02, 2026
Jordan Chiles Stuns Fans with Bold 2028 Olympics Comeback Announcement

Jordan Chiles Stuns Fans with Bold 2028 Olympics Comeback Announcement

After her experience at the 2024 Olympics was mired in controversy, Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles made a major announcement about her future at the Games: She’s ready to run it back.  “LA 2028… WHY NOT? ✨����,” she posted via Instagram on Wednesday, September 2.  Chiles, 25, revealed her plans to return to the Olympics with a video narrated by NBA icon Michael Jordan.  “Why again? Because the dream is still there,” Jordan, 63, said. “Why continue? Because there’s still more to give. Why now? Because not every chapter ends when people expect it to. Why her? Because she’s that girl.” The narration continued, “Some decisions don’t need permission. Just one more bet, on herself. So when the world asks why she’s back for a third time, the answer is simple.” “Why not?” Chiles herself then said.  The announcement video featured Chiles, singer Normani and model Winnie Harlow frollicking on a beach and congregating around a bonfire before the athlete revealed a custom “LA 2028” grill while definitively staking her claim on the Games in Los Angeles. “✨️A Special Thank you to Normani, Winnie and THE Michael Jordan,” Chiles added in her social media post.  Chiles is a two-time Olympic medalist — a team gold in Paris and a team silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — though she briefly thought she held a third.  During the floor exercise final at the 2024 Games, Chiles’ coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, submitted a successful inquiry that raised her score by half a point, good enough for third place and a bronze medal in the competition.  The Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the inquiry was made past the one-minute deadline. The CAS ruled the inquiry was made at one minute and four seconds, ultimately reverting to the competition’s original scores and placing Chiles in fifth place.  Earlier this year, however, Chiles scored a win when the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland partially overturned the CAS ruling.  “In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question, it considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final on 5 August 2024 to lead to a modification of the contested award in favor of the applicants,” a statement shared with USA Today read at the time. “The CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] could consider, in the light of this audio-visual sequence, that the verbal inquiry made on behalf of Jordan Chiles had been made before the expiry of the regulatory one-minute time limit.” Chiles filed the appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in September 2024. “We are delighted that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has righted a wrong and given Jordan the chance she deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” Chiles’ attorney Maurice Suh said in a statement. “As the court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal.”  Suh continued, “We also appreciate the Court’s recognition that ‘extraordinary time pressure’ and notification defects prevented Jordan from presenting this important evidence in August 2024. We appreciate that Jordan will receive a full and fair opportunity to defend her bronze medal.” Four out of the five members from Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team — Chiles, Suni Lee, Hezly Rivera and Jade Carey — have announced their plans to return for the Olympics in Los Angeles. Simone Biles, meanwhile, has not made a decision.  The 2028 Summer Olympics begin in July 2028.

Sep 02, 2026
Haitian College Student's Tragic Death Raises Questions About Immigration Policies

Haitian College Student's Tragic Death Raises Questions About Immigration Policies

A Haitian-born college student in Ohio died in what his family believes to be a suicide after he lost his temporary protected status protections amid the Trump administration’s termination of Haiti’s TPS designation.Pierre Damas Bel, 20, died on Monday as he walked into oncoming traffic after parking his vehicle on the right shoulder of Interstate 70, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol.“Bel succumbed to fatal injuries at the scene,” Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a statement, adding that the incident remains under investigation.Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Tuesday that Bel’s death is a “horrible, horrible tragedy.”“He graduated from high school here,” DeWine said. “He was well liked. He was in the junior ROTC. And, I’m told by those that knew him that he had great dreams about what he could do in this country and what he could contribute to this country.”“I think we have to ask ourselves: Is this really good? Is it what we want done to people like this being picked up and facing deportation? Do we want that being done in our name,” he added.Haitian student Pierre Damas Bel, 20, died by apparent suicide in Ohio after losing his TPS status and being forced to wear an ankle monitor. Facebook/Wittenberg University Men's SoccerBel’s father told The Haitian Times that his son was “distraught” after weeks of wearing an ankle monitor. He was among some Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio area who have been required by the Department of Homeland Security to wear ankle monitors, after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the administration to end Haiti’s TPS designation, potentially exposing roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals to removal.“In his last days, I did not recognize him as he was such an energetic kid who loves life, friends and family, and education,” Bel’s father, Pierre Ronal Bel, said in a statement read by Pastor Carl Ruby.Bel’s father said he was “treated like an animal” after receiving his ankle monitor, according to WSYX.Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaks during an event at Cleveland Cliffs Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Bloomberg via Getty ImagesHis father told The Washington Post that Bel left home before 8 a.m. on Monday and called shortly after to tell his father he was not feeling okay mentally.“I told him, ‘Come home so that we can talk?’ I had my youngest to take to school. I took him to school,” his father said.But later that morning, police showed up at his home to inform him his son had died.A month before his death, Bel spoke out about his experience wearing an ankle monitor.“I came to this country to pursue my education. I didn’t come here to commit a crime or hurt anyone,” he wrote on social media.Damas Bel, 20, died on Monday as he walked into oncoming traffic after parking his vehicle on the right shoulder of Interstate 70. YouTube/WKYC Channel 3“Yet now I’m walking through the streets of the United States with a GPS monitor on my leg, carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation that I never imagined I would experience,” he added. “I came here to study, to build my future and to live a better [life,] not to be treated like a criminal. So now, how am I supposed to play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”Springfield pastor Carl Ruby said on Monday that the family believes Bel took his own life as a result of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda that targeted TPS.“I’m sitting with a family right now whose son threw himself in front of semi truck today after being teased by fellow students at Wright State about his ankle monitor,” Ruby wrote on Facebook.“I wish President Trump could hear the mom’s wails. The family wants people to know that this was a suicide and they want people to know that President Trump, [White House deputy chief of staff] Stephen Miller, and [Homeland Security Secretary] Markwayne Mullin’s inhumane immigration policies made this happen,” the pastor continued.Many of the roughly 15,000 Haitian immigrants in Springfield have lived in the US for years, unable to return to their home country that has faced years of violence, turmoil and extreme poverty.In a statement to WBTN, ICE said it “does not comment on the cause of death while that investigation is pending, and we will not speculate about unverified claims regarding other individuals.”His family believes Damas Bel’s death was a suicide after he lost his temporary protected status protections amid the Trump administration’s termination of Haiti’s TPS designation. YouTube/WSYX ABC 6Bel graduated from high school in May and was set to begin his first semester at Wright State University after being unable to play college soccer at Wittenberg University because of his ankle monitor, the Wittenberg men’s soccer team said in a Facebook post.“He took 2 trips to Cincinnati and Westerville to plead to the officers to remove the bracelet since he’s a soccer player and he felt embarrassed and humiliated when he’s among his classmates at the University,” Bel’s father wrote on X. “Last Friday, August 28, 2026, he told me, ‘Dad I felt humiliated. Since they gave uniforms to all my classmates at JROTC their uniform, but except me because of the bracelet.'”Wright State University President Sue Edwards said the school is “heartbroken by this devastating loss.”“Pierre was an active honors student who was passionate about soccer and was already actively engaged in his classes and the campus community. The University mourns the death of Pierre and extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” Edwards said in a statement.

Sep 02, 2026
Liza Minnelli's Touching Journey: Grateful for Life at 80 Amid SUD Battle

Liza Minnelli's Touching Journey: Grateful for Life at 80 Amid SUD Battle

Liza Minnelli is opening up about being diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD). “Hey Kids, [I] am grateful to be alive and able to honor National Recovery Month,” Minnelli, 80, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, September 1. “Yes, even at 80, we can still be kids. I feel damn childlike on days that make me vulnerable to my disease … Substance Use Disorder.” The legendary performer added, “Thank God I have so much support. I’m helped by my darling sister [Lorna Luft], who saved my life, my dearest friend [Michael Feinstein], and the incredible Dr. Lawrence Piro. Without offering further details, Minnelli revealed that she started working with Dr. Richard LeBeau, the director of UCLA’s Psychology Clinic “to develop a program” utilizing all of the lessons she learned for “as many people as possible.” “This will be a companion to Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, which I am so grateful hit #1 on New York Times bestsellers’ lists, as well as many others here at home, and around the world,” she wrote. “Thank you, Babies. We’re bringing care to the people who need recovery, as well as guidance for those — like Michael and Lorna — who support us. Family, friends, husbands, wives, children, colleagues … must know how to help us, not enable us.” She added, “I’ve lost too many people I love. I know this: without sobriety, we will die. So keep an eye on this page, Kids. More will be shared soon, and I’m excited to start spreadin’ the news, and help as many people as we can. I love you.” Minnelli revealed in her Kids, Wait Till You Hear This memoir, published in March, that she is sober. “Growing up, I met a lot of people who popped too many pills, drank too much and played games with dangerous drugs. They eventually stumbled and fell,’” she wrote in a passage, which was later shared via Facebook last month. “I’d had a front-row seat to Mama’s demons, but I was convinced I was different. I was too smart for that.” Minnelli, one of the daughters of the late Judy Garland, further explained that she was never “a heavy drinker.”   “I just liked wine. If Valium calmed me down by day, why couldn’t a pill help me sleep at night?” she wrote at the time. “I used cocaine, but so did everybody else. Baby, I had it all under control. I was a survivor. ‘You’re too smart to ruin your life. Liza,’ I told myself. ‘You’re not that stupid.’ WRONG!!!” She concluded, “Sober at 80 is so much better. Am I still smoking? I’ll never tell.” If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Sep 02, 2026
Liza Minnelli's Heartfelt Message on Sobriety at 80 Sparks Conversations

Liza Minnelli's Heartfelt Message on Sobriety at 80 Sparks Conversations

Liza Minnelli is opening up about being diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD). “Hey Kids, [I] am grateful to be alive and able to honor National Recovery Month,” Minnelli, 80, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, September 1. “Yes, even at 80, we can still be kids. I feel damn childlike on days that make me vulnerable to my disease … Substance Use Disorder.” The legendary performer added, “Thank God I have so much support. I’m helped by my darling sister [Lorna Luft], who saved my life, my dearest friend [Michael Feinstein], and the incredible Dr. Lawrence Piro. Without offering further details, Minnelli revealed that she started working with Dr. Richard LeBeau, the director of UCLA’s Psychology Clinic “to develop a program” utilizing all of the lessons she learned for “as many people as possible.” “This will be a companion to Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, which I am so grateful hit #1 on New York Times bestsellers’ lists, as well as many others here at home, and around the world,” she wrote. “Thank you, Babies. We’re bringing care to the people who need recovery, as well as guidance for those — like Michael and Lorna — who support us. Family, friends, husbands, wives, children, colleagues … must know how to help us, not enable us.” She added, “I’ve lost too many people I love. I know this: without sobriety, we will die. So keep an eye on this page, Kids. More will be shared soon, and I’m excited to start spreadin’ the news, and help as many people as we can. I love you.” Minnelli revealed in her Kids, Wait Till You Hear This memoir, published in March, that she is sober. “Growing up, I met a lot of people who popped too many pills, drank too much and played games with dangerous drugs. They eventually stumbled and fell,’” she wrote in a passage, which was later shared via Facebook last month. “I’d had a front-row seat to Mama’s demons, but I was convinced I was different. I was too smart for that.” Minnelli, one of the daughters of the late Judy Garland, further explained that she was never “a heavy drinker.”   “I just liked wine. If Valium calmed me down by day, why couldn’t a pill help me sleep at night?” she wrote at the time. “I used cocaine, but so did everybody else. Baby, I had it all under control. I was a survivor. ‘You’re too smart to ruin your life. Liza,’ I told myself. ‘You’re not that stupid.’ WRONG!!!” She concluded, “Sober at 80 is so much better. Am I still smoking? I’ll never tell.” If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Sep 02, 2026