Yerin Ha as Sophie and Luke Thompson as Benedict on a ‘Bridgerton’ season 4 poster. (Netflix)
Make haste, dearest gentle reader, to watch the teaser trailer for part 2 of Bridgerton season 4.
Netflix has shared a new trailer teasing the second half of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek’s (Yerin Ha) love story.
Readers of Julia Quinn‘s Bridgerton books will surely revel over seeing a pivotal bathing scene recreated in the 45-second teaser. The dialogue-free clip finds Benedict and Sophie staring at each other across a bathtub filled with warm, steaming water. A fireplace crackles in the room as the pair embrace, kiss and seemingly prepare to bathe together.
“Allow yourself to sink back in,” the video’s caption reads.
This fairy-tale fourth season of Bridgerton premiered its first part on Jan. 29. It found Benedict refusing to settle down, before meeting a mysterious woman at a masquerade ball. That woman turned out to be Sophie, a resourceful maid who now works at Bridgerton house after fate brings her back into Benedict’s life.
“Will Benedict’s inability to see these women as one in the same derail the undeniable spark between him and Sophie? And can love truly conquer anything — even a cross-class connection forbidden by society?” the season’s official synopsis reads.
Also starring in season 4 are Jonathan Bailey, Victor Alli, Masali Baduza, Nicola Coughlan, Hannah Dodd, Daniel Francis, Ruth Gemmell, Claudia Jessie, Luke Newton, Golda Rosheuvel, Simone Ashley, IsabellaWei, Michelle Mao and Katie Leung.
25 Years of ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ (Grand Ole Opry/Lost Highway)
The Grand Ole Opry will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack with a special show on Feb. 28.
Many of the original artists will appear on the historic stage, along with others, including: Alaskan SunnysideSisters, Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Chris Thomas King, Colin Linden, Dan Tyminski, Del McCoury Band, Emmylou Harris, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Jerry Douglas, Molly Tuttle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sarah Jarosz, The Fairfield Four, The Whites and Tim Blake Nelson.
The music from the 2000 film from brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, starring George Clooney, renewed interest in roots music, went eight-times Platinum, and won CMA and ACM album of the year.
Tickets are on sale now, with a commemorative Hatch Show Print also set to be on sale in The Opry Shop the night of the show.
Paul Simon is bringing his A Quiet Celebration Tour back to the U.S.
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a new set of North American tour dates that kick off June 4 in Palo Alto, California, and wrap with two shows at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, July 17 and 18.
The trek includes shows in Forest Hills, New York, near where Simon grew up in Queens, as well as stops at such iconic venues as the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, and Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.
The tour, which Simon launched in April 2025, opens with him playing his 2023 album Seven Psalms in its entirety, followed by a set featuring a collection of greatest hits and deep cuts from his catalog.
Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday.
But before the U.S. dates, Simon will bring the A Quiet Celebration Tour to Europe, with a trek kicking off Aug. 9 in Prague. A complete list of dates can be found at PaulSimon.com.
Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally, September 9, 2025 in Round Rock, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — With just one month until the high-stakes primary election in the Texas U.S. Senate race, Democrats are butting heads, with Democratic State Rep. James Talarico pushing back on allegations that he made controversial remarks about the race of his former opponent.
Talarico on Monday responded to a video from former Rep. Colin Allred, who is running for Texas’ 33rd Congressional District, that Talarico made comments critical of Allred on the basis of race.
On Sunday, a TikTok creator alleged that Talarico, in a private conversation, said that Allred was a “mediocre Black man” and that he would would rather run against Allred than Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whom he allegedly called a “formidable and intelligent Black woman.” The TikTok creator, who had previously supported Talarico, posted that the conversation happened after a town hall in Plano, Texas, in January.
Talarico’s campaign told ABC News that the individual was never a member of the campaign team. Talarico has not denied the conversation took place, but has said it was taken out of context.
Talarico, who is white, is running against Crockett in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Allred had previously announced a Senate bid, but dropped out of the race to run for the House again, saying Crockett’s entering of the race contributed to his decision.
In a video posted on X Monday afternoon, Allred endorsed Crockett and criticized Talarico for his alleged comments.
Allred claimed that Talarico “had the temerity and the audacity to say to a Black woman that he had signed up to run against a ‘mediocre Black man,’ meaning me, and not a ‘formidable, intelligent Black woman,’ meaning Jasmine Crockett.”
Talarico pushed back on the claims, arguing that the allegations are “a mischaracterization of a private conversation.”
“In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race,” Talarico said in a statement posted to X by his spokesperson.
Talarico added that he “understand[s]” how his criticism could be perceived incorrectly “given this country’s painful legacy of racism,” but emphasized his deep “respect” for Allred.
Crockett reacted to the news, thanking Allred for his endorsement and praising him for being “an even-tempered and measured person who doesn’t engage in pettiness” — though she notably did not criticize her opponent or mention him by name.
“It’s unfortunate that at the start of Black History Month, this is what we’re facing. In former Congressman Colin Allred’s video, he drew a line in the sand. He made it clear that he did not take allegations of an attack on him as simply another day in the neighborhood,” Crockett’s spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.
Earlier Monday, Talarico appeared on ABC’s “The View” and emphasized his “deep love and respect” for Crockett, saying that he will “1,000 percent” support and assist her if she were to become the Democratic nominee over him. The Democratic nominee would face off in November with incumbent Republican John Cornyn or one of his primary challengers, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
While the allegations against Talarico were not discussed during his appearance on “The View,” he elaborated on his Senate campaign, calling for the overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and celebrating recent Democratic wins in Texas.
Reacting to the news of Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old asylum seeker who was released from a Texas detention center on Sunday, Talarico slammed the current tactics being deployed by ICE before demanding an overhaul and reorganization of the agency.
“It’s time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that is actually going to focus on public safety,” he said on “The View.”
Though Talarico has stopped short of explicitly calling for the abolition of ICE, he has repeatedly expressed a desire to reallocate funding while also maintaining border security.
Over the weekend, Democrats delivered an upset victory in the Texas Senate District 9, where Democrat Taylor Rehmet defeated President Donald Trump-endorsed GOP candidate, Leigh Wambsganss, and flipped the reliably red seat.
When asked about what he would do to win over the voters that Rehmet had flipped, Talarico emphasized that he is “not writing off any voter” or “any community.”
“I’m extending an open hand instead of a closed fist, and in my experience, if you extend that open hand, you’ll be surprised by who takes it,” Talarico said.
U.S. Capitol Building (Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Republican-led House on Tuesday voted to pass the government funding package to end the partial shutdown.
The measure, which received some bipartisan support, passed with a vote 217-214. It now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.
The measure provides funding for the Pentagon, Education, Treasury, Labor and State departments through the end of the fiscal year. The bill also includes a two-week short-term measure to keep Department of Homeland Security funded through the end of next week.
Earlier — after some drama and delay — the House passed a key procedural hurdle that set up the later vote, with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky as the only no vote along with all Democrats. The vote was held open for about 45 minutes as several Republicans held out on casting their votes.
Republican leaders ultimately worked the holdouts to secure enough votes to advance the package.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faces an incredibly tight margin, could only afford to lose one Republican vote with all members present and voting.
Johnson earlier Tuesday told reporters that he was confident the package, passed in the Senate after an 11th-hour deal between Senate Democrats and the White House, will pass.
“This may be hard for some of y’all to believe, but I never doubted this,” Johnson said at his weekly news conference Tuesday morning.
The agreement separated a Department of Homeland Security funding bill from five others funding other agencies for the rest of the fiscal year, and grants two weeks of extended DHS funding to negotiate Democratic demands for restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid its immigration enforcement operation, including requiring agents to wear body cameras turned on and to not wear masks.
The funding fight over DHS erupted in the aftermath of the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, who was killed in a shooting involving federal law enforcement in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Johnson over the weekend that Democrats would not help Republicans expedite the funding package.
Meanwhile, hard-line Republicans also threatened to hold the package up in hopes of attaching an unrelated bill that would require a proof of citizenship in federal elections known as the SAVE Act. Though some hard-liners, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Tim Burchett, had backed down on their demands.
Trump said Monday that he has spoken to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle and expressed confidence in a resolution coming soon.
High U.S. temperatures through the week (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — As a deep freeze continued Tuesday from the Northeast to the Southeast, Southern California and other parts of the West are expected to see another day of balmy weather.
Some areas in the West are poised to break daily high temperature records. Burbank, California, is expected to hit 87 on Tuesday and Long Beach could hit 89.
Other parts of the West, including San Diego, Portland, Oregon, and Great Falls, Montana, could also surpass daily record-high temperature records on Tuesday.
On Monday, several cities in the West set new daily high temperature records, including Escondido, California, which hit 92 degrees, and Phoenix, Arizona, which saw temperatures climb to 85.
The warm weather in the West is expected to continue on Wednesday. While not expected to see a record-breaking daily temperature, Los Angeles is forecast to reach 89 degrees.
Wind advisories are in place for parts of Southern California, especially along the mountain ranges from southeast Los Angeles down to the Mexico border. San Bernardino, Riverside, Corona and Anaheim are expected to see gusts up to 45 mph and isolated gusts of up to 55 mph from 4 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday through noon on Thursday.
The warm weather in the West will slowly spread through the middle of the country next week.
Meanwhile, some areas of Florida will get a break from the cold before cooler temperatures return on Thursday and Friday. Orlando is forecast to top 70 on Wednesday.
Much of Florida remained under a freeze warning on Tuesday morning. A cold weather advisory was also in place for Miami.
On Monday, several cities throughout the Southeast set daily low temperature records, including Gainesville, Florida, which recorded a low of 22; Fayetteville, Arkansas, which saw the temperature plummet to 12; and Greensboro, North Carolina, which got down to 3.
Freezing temperatures are expected to continue in other parts of the East and Northeast this week as another cold blast is expected on Wednesday, Thursday and into the weekend.
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne at Ozzfest 2007 press conference at the Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles, California on February 6, 2007. Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
All aboard … for the return of Ozzfest?
After Sharon Osbourne said that she was looking into bringing back her late husband Ozzy Osbourne‘s namesake festival, the official Ozzfest Instagram published a post reading, “Will Ozzfest return in 2027??”
The post is accompanied by an image that similarly teases, “Ozzfest could return — 2027?”
In an interview with Billboard published Jan. 28, Sharon, who founded Ozzfest in 1996, said, “I’ve been talking to Live Nation about bringing [Ozzfest] back recently. It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people.”
In its heyday in the ’90s and 2000s, Ozzfest was a staple of the hard rock and metal scene, helping propel the careers of bands including Linkin Park, Slipknot and Deftones.
The last Ozzfest was held on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Los Angeles. It marked Ozzy’s final full-length live performance before the 2025 Back to the Beginning concert, during which he played a solo set and with the reunited Black Sabbath. Ozzy died just over two weeks later on July 22.
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office released this image of a man in connection with a homicide, Feb. 2, 2026, in rural Momence near the Illinois/Indiana border. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office)
(MOMENCE, Ill.) — Investigators are searching for a man believed to be behind the fatal shooting of a rural bar owner in Momence, Illinois.
Courtney Drysdale, 30, was pronounced dead at a bar near the Illinois-Indiana state line on Monday shortly before noon, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators have released photos of the suspect and his vehicle that were captured by security footage at the bar.
Deputies responded to a report of a possible dead individual and classified the incident as a homicide based on evidence gathered during a preliminary examination on Monday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Drysdale was preparing to open the bar just before 11 a.m. when a suspect entered the bar and brandished a firearm, demanding money from the cash register, Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said at a press conference Tuesday.
Despite Drysdale’s cooperation, the suspect allegedly shot her twice “execution style,” Downey said.
Before fleeing the scene, the suspect attempted to remove what he believed was a digital recording device from a wall, but investigators were able to recover video evidence, Downey said.
No one else was in the bar at the time of the killing, Downey said.
The suspect was seen leaving the scene with a firearm and is believed to be armed and dangerous, according to Downey. The suspect was last seen traveling east toward Indiana in a white Ford or BMW sedan, with a sunroof and “distinctive dark rims,” Downey said.
Investigators are reviewing footage from the bar to determine if the suspect had previously been to the bar, according to Downey.
A $5,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help positively identify the person or vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. Anyone who sees the suspect is asked to keep their distance and contact authorities.
Anyone who has information related to the murder is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at (815) 932-7463.
“Courtney was deeply loved not only by her family and her young daughter, but also by the many patrons and friends whose lives she touched,” Downey said.
“We are fully committed to bringing the person responsible to justice,” Downey said.
Van Halen is celebrating the 40th anniversary of 5150, their first album featuring new frontman Sammy Hagar.
On March 27, just three days after the album’s actual 40th anniversary, the band will release an expanded edition of the album as a three-CD/LP/Blu-ray set.
The set features a remastered version of the 1986 release, as well as bonus 7-inch single edits and extended 12-inch tracks. There’s also a CD featuring unreleased live recordings from Van Halen’s Aug. 27, 1986, concert at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut.
The Blu-ray features the band’s 1986 concert video Live Without A Net, recorded during the same New Haven show, upgraded to HD for the first time. There are also promotional videos for singles “Dreams” and “Why Can’t This Be Love.”
As a preview of the set, the live New Haven performance of the track “Summer Nights” has just been released to digital outlets.
Van Halen will also reissue 5150 in two-LP and three-CD formats, which include the remastered album, along with single edits and live recordings.
Following the departure of original frontman David Lee Roth, Van Halen regrouped and recruitedHagar as their new frontman. Released March 24, 1986, 5150, named after guitarist Eddie Van Halen‘s home studio, is a reference to the California law that allows a mentally disturbed person to be placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
The album went on to become the band’s first #1 album and contained three pop hits: “Dreams,” “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “Love Walks In.”
