In this photo illustration, collectible Pokémon cards are viewed in a store on January 23, 2026 in Pasadena, California. A surge in value for Pokémon cards in recent years has triggered a string of robberies in Southern California, along with New York, Texas, and Massachusetts in recent months. (Photo Illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(CALIFORNIA) — A California card store became the latest target in a string of Pokémon trading card thefts after suspects burglarized a location and made off with the collectibles in minutes.
Masked suspects were caught on surveillance cameras leaping over display cases at The Card Lab in Brentwood on Saturday night and stealing $15,000 worth of Pokémon cards in under 40 seconds, police said.
The suspects drove off in a Nissan Altima and are still on the loose, according to police.
Ronnie Hackett, The Card Lab’s owner who opened the store two months ago, told ABC affiliate KGO that the manager was on another level of the store when the theft went down.
“My first thought was ‘I hope that my employee was OK,’ and I was relieved to see that she was,” he told the station.
The store was closed for a few days to get additional security measures in place.
The Brentwood theft took place days after a similar threat went down on the other side of the country.
Masked thieves burglarized Big Pack Hobby Shop in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, on Thursday, smashing through a glass door and stealing $40,000 to $50,000 worth of cards and merchandise, according to police.
The burglary happened in under two minutes and was caught on camera, authorities said.
“This was like a dream of mine opening the card store, we just celebrated our three-year anniversary yesterday actually, this is a passion of mine, as much as it sucks and it could happen again, I’m just going to keep going because this is what I love,” Pablo Rancier, the store’s owner, told WABC.
Jay-Z was in attendance at the New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs matchup at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Before the game, he was seen interacting with his fans and signing autographs.
Speaking of Jay, he is one of the artists featured on an upcoming album from Rakim, Kurupt and Masta Killa. In a post shared by the project’s executive producer, M80, the track list reveals he’s on track #6 with Eminem, with whom he previously collaborated on the 2001 track “Renegade.” Daz Dillinger, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Snoop Dogg are also set to appear on the project.
Chlöe is teaming with Timbaland for a joint project. The pair shared an Instagram post featuring them posing for the camera in matching leather jackets decorated with the album title, Resurrection, and their initials. Resurrection is due out June 19.
Drake was recently spotted in Turks and Caicos filming a video with a special appearance from Stunna Sandy, who appears on the track “Outside Tweaking” from Drake’s album MAID OF HONOUR. Sandy also serves as the cover model for Drake’s HABIBTI. Meanwhile, Drake’s Iceman single “Janice STFU” is #3 on the Hot 100 and spends a third week leading the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.
The collaboration Ludacris previously confirmed with GloRilla has an official release date. Their song, “REAL HUSTLA,” is due out on Friday.
Blxst has unveiled the track list for his upcoming album, Labor of Love. The 13-track project includes guest appearances from Sasha Keable and Cheyenne Wright. The follow-up to 2024’s I’ll Always Come Find You also arrives on Friday.
Forget about the house tour: Sienna Spiro is giving fans the My House Tour.
That’s the name of the British singer’s upcoming North American headlining tour, which will start Oct. 13 in Nashville and is set to wrap up Nov. 10 in Los Angeles. Presales start June 16 at 10 a.m. local time; tickets go on sale to the general public June 18 at 10 a.m. local time on Sienna’s website.
The tour comes in support of Sienna’s new album, Visitor, which is out July 3. The “Die on This Hill” singer says in a statement, “I truly can’t wait for this tour. This is the biggest I’ve ever done and we’re going to perform in places I’ve never been before! I’m so excited to see you all and sing the songs from Visitor with you.”
Sienna is using Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange in North America: Tickets purchased will be nontransferable and can only be sold on Ticketmaster’s site at face value. Even in states that prevent resale restrictions, like New York and Illinois, Ticketmaster will still keep the resale prices at face value.
Prior to her tour, Sienna will be playing a run of festival shows starting Aug. 1 with Lollapalooza in Chicago. She’ll also appear at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island; Outside Lands in San Francisco; All Things Go in both New York and Maryland; and Austin City Limits in Texas.
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards attend The Rolling Stones Album Launch Event at The Weylin on May 05, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
The Rolling Stones have announced another FIFA collaboration in celebration of the upcoming World Cup.
After previously announcing a series of World Cup-inspired limited-edition vinyl variants of their upcoming album Foreign Tongues, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have announced a new World Cup-inspired merch line.
According to a post on Instagram, the official FIFA World Cup 2026 x The Rolling Stones collaboration “explores the cultures, memories, and connections that transcend borders and bring people together.”
The merch line includes jerseys and T-shirts, with designs inspired by the World Cup host countries — the U.S., Mexico and Canada. There are also jerseys inspired by competing countries, various other T-shirts, hats, soccer shorts, sweatpants, sweatshirts and a quarter zip fleece.
Fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) sails near a U.S sail drone explorer in the Gulf of Aqaba, during the International Maritime Exercise/Cutlass Express. Sgt. Deandre Dawkins/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command)
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. military officials said Tuesday that an unmanned drone boat rescued two crew members aboard a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter that crashed in the waters nears the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump said Iranians shot down.
U.S. officials are describing the rescue as the first time that an unmanned surface drone has been used to successfully rescue crew members at sea.
The AH-64 helicopter crashed at 7:33 p.m. EDT on Monday, leaving the pilots in the waters off Oman, according to U.S. Central Command.
“The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition,” according to a CENTCOM statement.
The Navy surface drone — described by a U.S. official as looking like a speedboat — located the two Apache crew members, who were then able to board the vessel, which transported them to another location on that water where they were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport, according to a U.S. official.
“The surface drone that assisted in last night’s rescue of the Apache crew off the coast of Oman was a U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59. The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
Trump said Tuesday afternoon that the military informed him Iran was to blame for the helicopter crash, vowing that the U.S. must “respond to this attack.”
ABC News has reached out to the White House on whether the weekslong shaky ceasefire with Iran is now over.
What is Task Force 59?
Task Force 59 operates a variety of autonomous surface drones in the waters of the Middle East, as well as aerial drones. The task force, established in 2021, uses its unmanned drones to provide quick reconnaissance capabilities and integrate artificial intelligence to share with crewed warships operating in the region, according to the Navy.
With not enough manned vessels to maintain a constant awareness of what is going on in the Middle East’s waters, the drones enhance the 5th Fleet’s capabilities to detect smuggling and Iranian malign activity, Navy officials said.
“For pennies on the dollar we can put unmanned platforms out there, we can couple it with artificial intelligence … and then, I think critically important, we can use our manned ships much more efficiently, much more effectively,” then-5th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters in October 2022 following a regional exercise to highlight the task force’s capabilities. Cooper is now serving as the commander of U.S. Central Command.
The cost for the boat drone used to rescue the Apache crew is estimateed to be about $1.2 million per drone, according to a report from Sacra, a market research firm. That cost is extraordinarily cheap relative to traditional, manned military vessels.
Artificial intelligence is used to analyze patterns of behavior detected by the sensors aboard the drones, which is then shared with commanders and ships operating in the region.
In addition to the Corsair used in the operation, Task Force 59 uses other notable unmanned surface drones including the T-38 Devil Ray and the Sail Drone.
The Devil Ray is a high-speed autonomously operated unmanned surface vessel that is mainly used to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to its manufacturer.
In one exercise in 2024, it successfully fired live munitions at a training target.
The Sail Drone looks just like its name implies, it is an autonomous water platform topped by a sail that provides power through wind and solar energy, according to its manufacturer.
A network of Sail Drones can provide a clearer at-sea situational awareness in hostile environments, according to its manufacturer.
Jeffrey Epstein is seen in a photo released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice. (New York State Sex Offender Registry)
(NEW YORK) — Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime executive secretary Lesley Groff told the House Oversight Committee Tuesday that the convicted sex offender was a “master manipulator” and that she was unaware of his crimes, according to multiple sources familiar with her closed-door testimony.
Groff is appearing as part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators, which to date has included interviews with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Epstein’s longtime personal assistant Sarah Kellen, and a prison guard who was on duty the night Epstein died in his jail cell.
Groff, who worked for Epstein in New York for more than 18 years, was once described by her boss as an “extension of my brain.”
Among her job requirements were scheduling Epstein’s frequent meetings with celebrities, scientists and politicians, booking Epstein’s daily massage appointments when he was in New York, and arranging travel for women linked to Epstein. She was one of four women listed as potential co-conspirators in Epstein’s controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2007.
According to federal prosecutors, “numerous victims [of Epstein] had indicated that she was responsible for scheduling massages during which they were sexually abused.”
Groff told lawmakers Tuesday that she never had a romantic or sexual relationship with Epstein and said the message appointments she scheduled for Epstein with young women and girls were with massage therapists, source said. Groff could not recall scheduling massages for anyone other than Epstein and former Goldman Sachs chief counsel Kathy Ruemmler at a spa, and said the masseuses were both male and female, sources said. She testified that she would receive the names of the massage therapists from Epstein, and that he instructed her to schedule the massages.
Sources said Groff told lawmakers that she scheduled most of the massages for Epstein’s New York residence. Groff testified that she never witnessed or knew of any sexual abuse.
Groff testified that she never met a single massage therapist in person and believes that Epstein — or Bella Klein, a one-time Epstein associate — would pay them with “petty cash,” sources said. Groff told lawmakers that she would occasionally send cash via couriers, said sources.
Groff testified that when Epstein was arrested in 2006, he told Groff that he was blackmailed, sources said. She told lawmakers that she did not know she was tied to the 2008 non-prosecution agreement as a listed co-conspirator, which she described that as a “scarlet letter” she wears to this day, according to sources.
Groff said Epstein told her again after the 2008 plea deal that he was blackmailed. Groff said she resigned in 2019 when Epstein was arrested again, sources said.
She described to lawmakers that her relationship with Epstein was strictly business, sources said. Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell told Groff that she should not associate with their friends or colleagues, and insisted their business was none of her business, sources added.
She told lawmakers that Epstein had a lot of people in his circle, and she did not find it odd that he had a “large” massage list for individuals across the world, sources said.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said on his way in Tuesday morning that he believed Groff has “information that is very valuable to our investigation.”
“Hopefully, we’ll learn more today,” Comer said.
The chairman reiterated that the committee is conducting “the most thorough investigation ever of Epstein.”
“We’re bringing in the most important people in the whole Epstein criminal enterprise that are still alive, and hopefully we’ll get the truth to the American people. If there’s an opportunity for accountability, we sure want to see that happen,” he said.
Groff did not speak to reporters upon her arrival.
Last September at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol, Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda specifically called out Groff, alleging that Groff had called her so many times to go to Epstein’s place for a massage that she dropped out of high school before the ninth grade.
Lacerda — who was one of the key witnesses that led to Epstein’s 2019 indictment for child sex trafficking — told ABC News in an interview this week that Groff was the conduit to Epstein.
“Anything that had to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Lacerda told ABC News in an interview, “had to go through Lesley Groff.”
Michael Bachner, a lawyer for Groff, declined comment in advance of her appearance on Capitol Hill. He previously told ABC News that Groff “never knowingly booked travel for anyone under the age of 18, and had no knowledge of the alleged illegal activity whatsoever.”
“Ms. Groff, a parent herself, is incredibly shocked and deeply upset about the alleged wrongdoings of Mr. Epstein,” Bachner said.
After Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, federal prosecutors included Groff in a list of potential co-conspirators and sent her a subpoena. Bachner informed the government, just four days after Epstein’s arrest, that his client “would invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against compelled self-incrimination” if called to appear before a grand jury.
Groff, now 59, eventually interviewed with the investigators two years later, telling prosecutors that “making massage appointments was just another appointment she had to make” for Epstein, and said that scheduling massages was “around 1%” of her job.
Groff, who was hired by Epstein in 2001, told the FBI she was immediately struck by Epstein’s lifestyle and the company he kept, describing it as “pretty incredible to see all the people Epstein dealt with in politics, television, et cetera.”
“Groff felt, ‘Wow,'” according to an FBI account of her interview.
Groff was initially paid a salary of $60,000 a year, but saw it doubled to $120,000 by Epstein four years later, DOJ records show.
The New York Times reported in 2005 that Epstein bought Groff a new Mercedes and paid for a nanny to ensure she would keep working for him.
“There is no way that I could lose Lesley to motherhood,” Epstein said of Groff, according to the newspaper’s account.
Banking records included in the DOJ’s Epstein files indicate that Groff also received three payments of $100,000 and one for $110,000 from Epstein companies between 2016 and 2018, though the records do not indicate the reasons for the payments.
Bachner told the government that Groff stayed with Epstein after his first arrest in Florida in 2006 because she believed him when he said that “someone was trying to blackmail him.”
When he was again arrested in 2019, she resigned, her lawyer told prosecutors.
“She felt betrayed and disgusted once the indictment came out,” Bachner wrote.
According to documents released by the Justice Department in response to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, one victim — who was a minor at the time of her alleged abuse — told the FBI that she felt Groff “knew that the massage appointments were sexual” and “felt it was pretty obvious Lesley knew what was going on,” according to the DOJ records.
Banking records included in the DOJ’s Epstein files indicate that Groff also received three payments of $100,000 and one for $110,000 from Epstein companies between 2016 and 2018, though the records do not indicate the reasons for the payments.
Bachner told the government that Groff stayed with Epstein after his first arrest in Florida in 2006 because she believed him when he said that “someone was trying to blackmail him.”
When he was again arrested in 2019, she resigned, her lawyer told prosecutors.
“She felt betrayed and disgusted once the indictment came out,” Bachner wrote.
According to documents released by the Justice Department in response to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, one victim — who was a minor at the time of her alleged abuse — told the FBI that she felt Groff “knew that the massage appointments were sexual” and “felt it was pretty obvious Lesley knew what was going on,” according to the DOJ records.
Federal prosecutors in 2021 informed Groff that she would not be charged, according to a statement from her attorneys.
“After a more than two-year investigation by the Department of Justice into Jeffrey Epstein’s conduct, which included lengthy interviews of witnesses and a thorough review of relevant communications, we have been informed that no criminal charges will be brought against Lesley Groff,” the statement said.
Lacerda said she hopes the congressional investigators press Groff for answers.
“I just think that she should be honest about it so that we can have some accountability here,” she said.
Nicholas Galitzine attends the 2024 Met Gala celebrating ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Aliah Anderson/Getty Images)
Nicholas Galitzine is striking a pose for his next film project.
The Masters of the Universe star is set to play supermodel-turned-doomsday cult member Hoyt Richards in a new Gus Van Sant film.
Galitzine confirmed the news on his Instagram Story Tuesday, writing, “Maaaassively excited for this btw.”
Plot details on the film have yet to be released.
Richards, now 64, was recently the subject of the three-part HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult. The docuseries explored how Richard became mixed up in a doomsday cult called Eternal Values, which targeted young male models.
Galitzine currently stars as He-Man in Masters of the Universe. Next up, he’ll reprise his role from Red, White & Royal Blue in its sequel, Red, White & Royal Wedding.
Madonna & Stuart Price perform at TSX Stage in Times Square on June 4, 2026 in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
As the Italian cosmetics brand KIKO Milano moves into the American market, it’s tapped one of the world’s most famous Italian-Americans as the face of its new campaign.
Madonna is now a brand ambassador for KIKO, and stars in a new campaign, “The KIKO Show.” According to Hypebae, it features The Queen of Pop wearing outfits from her 2006 Confessions Tour wardrobe, mixed with archival Yves Saint-Laurent looks.
Monday night in New York City, Madonna’s involvement with the brand was celebrated at a party that also marked KIKO’s arrival at select Macy’s stores.
KIKO chief brand officer Drew Elliott tells WWD, “KIKO Milano is a powerhouse brand, and it deserves a powerhouse face. Madonna is that person: she has Italian roots; she’s known for reinvention, for boldly being exactly who she is — and, many times, using makeup to do that. She is the KIKO girl.”
WWD reports that the campaign will also feature an exclusive remix of Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s duet “Bring Your Love.”
Robert Plant performs on stage during A Nashville Evening with Robert Plant and the Saving Grace Band on March 25, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Ed Rode/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Robert Plant and his band Saving Grace, with singer Suzi Dian, are hitting the road on a new U.S. tour this fall.
The Led Zeppelin frontman has announced dates for the Up The Sharp End tour, with stops in the Midwest and West Coast.
The tour, with special guest Rosie Flores, kicks off Sept. 18 in St. Louis, Missouri, and hits such cities as Colorado Springs, Colorado; Santa Fe, New Mexico; San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California; and Minneapolis. It wraps Oct. 15 in Chicago.
A ticket presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday.
