1gridMAGAZINE
Creative and colorful hats steal the show at the Royal Ascot horse races in England, in photos
ASCOT, Britain | Extravagant, elaborate and sometimes gravity-defying hats take center stage each summer at Royal Ascot, the five-day horse racing festival held at Ascot Racecourse in southern England, a venue founded by Queen Anne in 1711. Read more A person is in custody in a Chicago cross burning investigation, police say
Chef dads describe their dream meals for Father’s Day
Father’s Day is just around the bend, and there are decisions to be made. Some dads want to eat out, some want to eat in. Some want a big old meat-and-potatoes meal, some dream of a sushi omakase extravaganza. But what do the dads who cook and feed people for a living want? The dad […]
Sean Penn to direct Warner Bros. movie about a police officer at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot
NEW YORK | Sean Penn will direct a movie about a police officer who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, Warner Bros. announced Tuesday. Following his Oscar-winning performance in “One Battle After Another,” Penn will direct the as-yet untitled film from his own script. Bradley Cooper is in talks to star, though […]
Meet Merlin the duck, a Mexico City streetside regular turned World Cup mascot
MEXICO CITY | Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, but a duck stole the show. As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a 2-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot. Images of Merlin […]
Five ways to avoid tax penalties in 2026
As a certified public accountant, the most common question I hear in the spring is, “How much do I actually have to pay the IRS right now?” In a perfect world, the IRS wants 90% of your total tax liability paid “ratably” (equally) throughout the year. The problem? Most successful people don’t have perfectly predictable […]
A month-old pony moves to a 4th-floor apartment in Croatia. Neighbors don’t mind
ROVINJ, Croatia | A month-old pony named Mile is the newest resident of an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj. Mile has moved in temporarily to his owners’ fourth-floor flat because his mother rejected him at birth. He also needs round-the-clock care after undergoing an operation for a life-threatening infection in […]
‘Obsession’ is a sensation. Everyone, including Curry Barker, is trying to figure out what it means
NEW YORK | Days before “Obsession” opened in theaters, its 26-year-old director, Curry Barker, made a bet with his manager and agent. They said if the movie opened above $20 million, they would all get tattoos. “Obsession” fell just short. It debuted with $17 million. They were still thrilled. Barker made the horror film with […]
From YouTube to Hollywood: Digital creators are remaking the movie business
NEW YORK | Some of the most promising young filmmakers in the movie business are arriving in Hollywood already experts at entertaining audiences and going viral. The twin sensations of “Obsession” and “Backrooms” — both by 20-something YouTubers-turned-filmmakers — has put a new spotlight on an increasingly well-trod path to the director’s chair. Hollywood executives […]
Luke’s ‘Empire’ light saber, ‘Wizard of Oz’ witch hat and Lebowski rugs going up for auction
LOS ANGELES | A light saber with Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from “The Empire Strikes Back” that is expected to sell for seven figures headlines an upcoming auction of valuables from movies, music and other corners of pop culture. The Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction presented by Heritage Auctions announced Tuesday and held July 13-17 […]
A new Ishiguro novel heads to 1930s England, with spies, music and wit
NEW YORK | Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro’s next novel is set in a time and place familiar to fans of his classic “The Remains of the Day”: England in the 1930s. Alfred A. Knopf announced Tuesday that “Miss Lambert Steps Aboard Danger” will be published March 9. The novel is built around an encounter between […]