Oscars push back nominations announcement amid California wildfires
The Oscar nominations are being pushed back almost a week from their original date amid the ongoing California wildfires. Nominations will now be announced on Jan. 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday. With fires still active in the Los Angeles area, the film academy also extended the nominations voting period for its members through Jan. 17. The organization will also cancel its annual nominees luncheon. The 97th Oscars will still happen on March 2, at the Dolby Theatre, with a live television broadcast on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET and a live stream on Hulu.
Beyoncé donates $2.5 million to fire relief and Meghan delays show launch due to the disaster
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Weaker winds and intense firefighting efforts over the weekend boosted containment of fires burning in and around Los Angeles, but the effects of the blazes on the entertainment world continue. Several projects and awards shows have been delayed, with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announcing Sunday she would not launch a Netflix lifestyles program until March. Entertainment organizations continue to donate to fire relief, with the Screen Actors Guild pledging $1 million to help its members affected by the blazes. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and 24 people have died as a result of the fires. More are reported missing and officials expect that number to increase.
Country star Carrie Underwood will perform at Trump's inauguration
NEW YORK (AP) -- Country music star Carrie Underwood will perform "America the Beautiful" at Donald Trump's inauguration next week. Other performers at the inaugural will include two of the president-elect's musical favorites: country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio. Underwood launched her career on "American Idol." She is scheduled to perform shortly before Trump takes the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20. That's according to a copy of the program provided to The Associated Press on Monday.
A.J. Brown's sideline read skyrockets to No. 1 hottest seller on Amazon
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown could launch a book club of his own after a little sideline reading skyrocketed self-help author Jim Murphy overnight to the hottest seller on Amazon. The Eagles wide receiver passed on the playbook and checked out an inspirational title -- Brown casually ignored the action in Philadelphia's playoff game and flipped through the pages of Murphy's book, "Inner Excellence." The little-known book by the mental skills coach was listed No. 1 on Amazon's best sellers list as of Monday morning. It jumped to the top spot after previously being ranked 523,497th. It had yet to crack the top 100 for sales in 2025, however.
Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, famed for provocative Benetton campaigns, dies at 82
MILAN (AP) -- Oliviero Toscani, the photographer behind Benetton's provocative ad campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s who later broke with the Italian knitwear brand under controversy, has died at age 82. His family announced the death Monday. Toscani previously said he had a rare disease. He had said he would like to be remembered "not for any one photo but for my whole work, for the commitment." Some of his images depicted a priest embracing a nun, a newborn baby with its umbilical cord and a black woman breastfeeding a white baby as part of Benetton's advocacy for diversity and religious tolerance.
Back to work: Rachel Maddow returning to MSNBC five nights a week for early Trump days
Rachel Maddow is returning to her nightly perch at MSNBC for the first few months of the second Trump administration. She cut back to Monday nights on the cable network in 2022, concentrating on other projects like podcasts. Yet even with the more limited hours, she remains the left-leaning network's signature personality and most popular host. Starting inauguration day, Maddow's prime-time show will air five nights a week, through the end April. She'll displace Alex Wagner four nights a week, and MSNBC is sending Wagner to report across the country. MSNBC's ratings sank sharply after Trump's election, but the network is hoping many of those viewers return to watch a new administration.
Fox News names Will Cain to replace Neil Cavuto in weekday afternoon lineup
NEW YORK (AP) -- As is customary, Fox News Channel is appointing from within to fill a vacancy in its weekday lineup created by last month's departure of Neil Cavuto. Will Cain, a co-host of the "Fox & Friends" weekend talk show, will take over the 4 p.m. Eastern hour starting next Tuesday. Cain's show will be more general interest news, after Cavuto's more business-focused program. Cain, who hosts a weekday podcast for Fox on news and sports, will continue doing that. He plans to bring some of the podcast style to the daily television show, likely meaning longer interviews. Cain worked at ESPN, CNN and the Blaze before joining Fox in 2020.
3 finalists announced for $20,000 Story Prize for outstanding short fiction
NEW YORK (AP) -- The authors of stories set everywhere from Australia to Central America are nominees for a $20,000 prize for short fiction. The Story Prize, established in 2004, has honored books by Edwidge Danticat, George Saunders and Elizabeth Strout among others. This year's finalists are Fiona McFarlane's "Highway Thirteen," which centers on an Australian serial killer; Ruben Reyes Jr.'s "There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven," stories about Central American migration to the U.S.; and Jessi Jezewska Stevens' "Ghost Pains," skewed narratives as told from a witness stand, a troubled visit to Tuscany or a decidedly awful party.
'Den of Thieves 2' opens at No. 1 as 'Better Man' flops
NEW YORK (AP) -- On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, Lionsgate's "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million. Sunday's studio estimates came as much of Hollywood's attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles. Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period. This weekend's lull was slightly exacerbated by the closures of about 10 theaters in Los Angeles, the country's top box-office market. The Robbie Williams biopic "Better Man," in which the British pop star is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee, flopped with $1.1 million in ticket sales. The lion's share of box office business went to holiday holdovers including "Mufasa: The Lion King," "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," "Nosferatu" and "Moana 2."
Book Review: 'Open Socrates' shows why philosophy isn't a spectator sport
"Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life" is a look at how the ancient Greek philosopher's approach can be applied to the thorniest topics today. The Associated Press' Andrew DeMillo writes that the book by Agnes Callard offers a roadmap for using the ancient Greek philosopher for approaching knotty discussion on topics such as love, politics and death. Callard makes the case for why engagement and even arguments are a required part of philosophy. DeMillo writes that the book's most valuable chapters show how Socrates' thinking can be applied to today's divided politics.