Gruene is going green. Well, electrically speaking. Terry Fredrickson, a local entrepreneur, has purchased electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that will be installed and open to the public on Friday, Dec. 6. The solar charging unit will be located off Hunter Road in the rear parking lot behind where Gruene Market Days is held, Fredrickson said. They are designed to support two âLevel 2â chargers and are 100% green. Fredrickson got the idea back in September when he was driving his own electric vehicle around Dallas. âI found the BEAM Solar Charger to be located very close to where I was staying, and I really liked the concept because of my background in solar engineering,â he said. âI was always intrigued with solar energy and wrote a thesis my senior year of high school called, âHere Comes the Sun... Letâs Use It!â Thereafter, I went on to earn an engineering degree in solar and have always had an appreciation for the technology â especially photovoltaic because power is produced without pollution. The efficiency of the solar cells is way beyond my college days, now achieving nearly 25%, which is fantastic!â Fredrickson said he has already heard from locals about how excited they are for this project and he has even begun working on his next. âIâm currently working with another property owner and NBU to install a DC Fast Charger for those who need to expedite their replenishment. This will be a dual 120 kilowatt, thereby accommodating two vehicles simultaneously, again walking distance to downtown Gruene,â he said. He hopes that by having the charging stations near downtown Gruene, it will bring more visitors to the local businesses. âI hope that visitors to Gruene will take advantage of the convenience to our local accommodations, restaurants, venues and attractions while charging their vehicles. The solar component adds an extra dimension by going âgreen in Gruene,â he said. âIâm excited about having the first EV chargers in Gruene and meeting other enthusiasts as they visit our popular destination. Heck, maybe Elon will come enjoy Gruene sometime while charging his Tesla truck.âWhen Katja Vogt considers a Jaguar, she pictures a British-made car purring confidently along the Italian coastline â a vision of familiarity that conveys "that dreaming, longing feeling we all love." She's not sure what to think about Jaguar now after the 89-year-old company announced a radical rebranding that featured loud colors and androgynous people â but no cars. Jaguar, the company says, will now be JaGUar. It will produce only electric vehicles beginning in 2026. Bad attention is good attention, Jaguar execs would appear to believe. The car brand has prompted mockery online for posting a glitzy ad without a single car in it. Say goodbye to British racing green, Cotswold Blue and black. Its colors are henceforth electric pink, red and yellow, according to a video that sparked backlash online. Its mission statement: "Create exuberance. Live vivid. Delete ordinary. Break moulds." "Intrigued?" @Jaguar posted on social media. "Weird and unsettled" is more like it, Vogt wrote on Instagram. "Especially now, with the world feeling so dystopian," the Cyprus-based brand designer wrote, "a heritage brand like Jaguar should be conveying feelings of safety, stability, and maybe a hint of rebellion â the kind that shakes things up in a good way, not in a way that unsettles." Jaguar was one of several iconic companies that announced significant rebrandings in recent weeks, upending a series of commercial â and cultural â landmarks by which many modern human beings sort one another, carve out identities and recognize the world around them. Campbell's, the 155-year-old American icon that artist Andy Warhol immortalized in pop culture decades ago, is ready for a new, soupless name. Comcast's corporate reorganization means there will soon be two television networks with "NBC" in their name â CNBC and MSNBC â that will no longer have any corporate connection to NBC News, a U.S. legacy news outlet. CNBC One could even argue the United States itself is rebranding with the election of former President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Unlike Trump's first election in 2016, he won the popular vote in what many called a national referendum on American identity. Are we, then, the sum total of our consumer decisions â what we buy, where we travel and whom we elect? Certainly, it's a question for those privileged enough to be able to afford such choices. Volumes of research in the art and science of branding â from "brandr," an old Norse word for burning symbols into the hides of livestock â say those factors do contribute to the modern sense of identity. So rebranding, especially of heritage names, can be a deeply felt affront to consumers. "It can feel like the brand is turning its back on everything that it stood for â and therefore it feels like it's turning its back on us, the people who subscribe to that idea or ideology," said Ali Marmaduke, strategy director with the Amsterdam-based Brand Potential. He said cultural tension â polarization â is surging over politics, wars in Russia and the Mideast, the environment, public health and more, creating what Marmaduke said is known as a "polycrisis": the idea that there are several massive crises converging that feel scary and complex. Campbell's soups "People are understandably freaked out by that," he said. "So we are looking for something that will help us navigate this changing, threatening world that we face." Trump's "Make America Great Again" qualifies. So did President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" slogan. Campbell's soup itself â "Mmm Mmm Good" â isn't going anywhere, CEO Mark Clouse said. The company's new name, Campbell's Co., will reflect "the full breadth of our portfolio," which includes brands like Prego pasta sauce and Goldfish crackers. None of the recent activity around heritage brands sparked a backlash as ferocious as Jaguar's. The company stood as a pillar of tradition-loving British identity since World War II. The famous "leaper" cat Jaguar logo is pictured in 2019 at the Auto show in Paris, France. Jaguar said its approach to the rebrand was rooted in the philosophy of its founder, Sir William Lyons, to "copy nothing." What it's calling "the new Jaguar" will overhaul everything from the font of its name to the positioning of it's famous "leaper" cat. "Exuberant modernism" will "define all aspects of the new Jaguar world," according to the news release. The approach is thought to be aimed at selling fewer cars at a six-figure price point to a more diverse customer base. The reaction ranged from bewilderment to hostility. Memes sprouted up likening the video to the Teletubbies, a Benetton ad and â perhaps predictably â a bow to "woke" culture as the blowback intersected with politics. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Sempra Named Among Newsweek's 'Most Responsible Companies' Sempra Logo (PRNewsfoto/Sempra) Sempra Named Among Newsweek's 'Most Responsible Companies' Sempra Logo (PRNewsfoto/Sempra) SAN DIEGO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE) today announced it has been recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies" for 2025, earning this distinction for the sixth consecutive year. The annual list ranks companies based on their commitment to corporate responsibility in the areas of corporate governance and responsible social and environmental practices. Sempra has been included since the list's inception. "At Sempra, we believe our responsible business practices improve the value of our franchise. By strengthening governance and risk management and improving the safety and resiliency of our business operations, it allows us to better meet the needs and expectations of our customers, while also adding scale to our business," said Lisa Larroque Alexander , senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer for Sempra. "We will continue to approach global energy challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset, steadfast optimism and confidence in our vision of delivering energy with purpose." Newsweek's recognition of Sempra as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies" is based on publicly available key performance indicators derived from the company's Corporate Sustainability Report and an independent survey that asked U.S. citizens about their perception of Sempra's commitment to corporate social responsibility. Details of Sempra's approach to responsible stakeholder engagement and corporate governance can be found in the company's most recent Corporate Sustainability Report, which is available here . In addition to being recognized on Newsweek's America's Most Responsible Companies list, Sempra is included in the FTSE4Good Index and JUST 100 list, has been named one of TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies and one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies , and earned a perfect score on the CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability , among other accolades. About Sempra Sempra (NYSE: SRE ) is a leading North American energy infrastructure company focused on delivering energy to nearly 40 million consumers. As owner of one of the largest energy networks on the continent, Sempra is electrifying and improving the energy resilience of some of the world's most significant economic markets, including California , Texas , Mexico and global energy markets. The company is recognized as a leader in sustainable business practices and for its high-performance culture focused on safety and operational excellence, as demonstrated by Sempra's inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and in The Wall Street Journal's Best Managed Companies. More information about Sempra is available at sempra.com and on social media @Sempra . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sempra-named-among-newsweeks-most-responsible-companies-302324298.html SOURCE Sempra
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Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to JonBenet Ramseyâs killingECA Board concludes 2024 with focus on strategic priorities for 2025 and beyond
President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump's initial pick for attorney general, but he ultimately withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation he was embroiled in. Here's a look at Trump's choices: Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat. Rubio , 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His selection punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a âcon man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. Hegseth , 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channelâs âFox and Friends Weekendâ and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East. A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. Bessent , 62, is a former money manager for George Soros , a big Democratic donor, and an advocate for deficit reduction . He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would be the nationâs first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trumpâs campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. She unsuccessfully sought the partyâs 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him. Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. Bondi , 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trumpâs legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist , Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush-money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him. The Republican U.S. House member narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workersâ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employerâs rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the âProtecting the Right to Organizeâ or PRO Act that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workersâ rights. The act would also weaken âright-to-workâ laws in more than half the states. Lutnick heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trumpâs Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration. As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota âopen for business.â More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog. She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-electâs hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Ratcliffe , a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trumpâs first term. He led U.S. governmentâs spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Kennedy , 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Kennedy's nomination alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Rollins , 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration. She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term. Rollins previously was an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry , who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years , sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of âThe Bottom Lineâ on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, âFox and Friends Weekendâ co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate. Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. The North Dakota governor , 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to be Trumpâs vice presidential choice in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking â a key pillar of Trumpâs quest to achieve U.S. âenergy dominanceâ in the global market. He also has been one of the industryâs loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. Wright said the climate movement around the world is âcollapsing under its own weight.â The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul , would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trumpâs first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , âWe will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.â Trump often attacked the Biden administrationâs promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would âdrill, baby, drill,â referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trumpâs first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person heâs yet selected for his administration, with âhelping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Countryâs most distressed communities.â Greer is a partner at King & Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term. Wiles , 67, was a senior adviser to Trumpâs 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. She has a background in Florida politics , helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trumpâs defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary. Wilesâ hire was Trumpâs first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trumpâs trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trumpâs three presidential campaigns. Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida. A former Army Green Beret , he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025. Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trumpâs top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nationâs history. He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trumpâs âzero toleranceâ policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Vought, 48, held the position during Trumpâs first presidency. He the founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as ârenew a consensus of America as a nation under God.â Vought also was closely involved with Project 2025 , a conservative blueprint for Trumpâs second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trumpâs priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trumpâs first term. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trumpâs policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nationâs economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people living illegally in the U.S. Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of âTrumpâs longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trumpâs social media profile in the White House. Blair was political director for Trumpâs 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trumpâs economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trumpâs 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Leavitt , 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. McGinley was Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and they were golfing at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Kellogg , 80, is a highly decorated retired three-star general and one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an âAmerica Firstâ national security agenda for Trump's second term. He has long been Trumpâs top adviser on defense issues and served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence . Kellogg also was chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump and stepped in as an acting national security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned the post. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests. Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are Godâs chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Huckabee has rejected a Palestinian homeland in territory occupied by Israel. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary in Trump's first term. Stefanik, 40, is a U.S. representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders dating to his first impeachment trial. She was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, the third-highest position in House leadership, after then-Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after she publicly criticized Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanikâs questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. A former acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and tight end on the University of Iowa football team, Whitaker , 55, has a background in law enforcement but not in foreign policy. A fierce Trump localist, Whitaker, is also a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019 without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed for the role. That was when special counsel Robert Muellerâs investigation into Russian election interference was drawing to a close. Whitaker also faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. Oz , 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted âThe Dr. Oz Show,â a long-running daytime TV talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Ozâs bid for elected office. Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor on Fox News. Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldonâs opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nationâs most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative after cardiac arrest, state should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Bhattacharya , 56, is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. As head of the NIH, the leading medical research agency in the United States, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with Kennedy Jr. to direct U.S. medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives. Bhattacharya is professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were causing irreparable harm. Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gaetz, Trump had passed over more established lawyers whose names had been floated as possible contenders for the job. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced him on Nov. 13. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Jill Colvin, Matthew Daly, Edith M. Lederer, Adriana Gomez Licon, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.Intel gets $7.8B from US government to boost chip productionBrown wins 77-54 against Stony Brook
Kim Kardashian was accused by fans of editing her famous bum after they noticed a clue in a recent snap. The socialite, 44, has been filming for her role in Ryan Murphy's show All's Fair. She took to her Instagram Story in recent days to post a snap of herself rocking a skintight white outfit with red fishnet stockings and high heels. In the snap, Kim posed by a floor-length mirror, facing her back towards the camera and turning her head to pose. Her reflection could be seen in the mirror next to her and fans claimed her bum looked different in the mirror. One user screengrabbed the photo and shared it on the KUWTK Snark subreddit, with them writing: " Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Oops! She forgot to photoshop the mirror. Reality photobombed her photoshop ph**kery" READ MORE: I'm a Celebrity fans fear they've worked out who Maura's 'revenge' ex is READ MORE: ITV's I'm A Celebrity fans slam Dean McCullough over blatant dishonest comment They added: "The mirror doesn't lie." The comment section was filled with people who shared their extreme dislike for the star. One user wrote: "'Her a** is HUGE here and sheâs clearly photoshopped thinner, so imagine how big it must really be now...." Another said: "She is such a joke. Everybody grab your popcorn and tune in to see how this s**t show ends." All's Fair is the latest legal drama from Ryan Murphy. Kim previously worked with him on American Horror Story: Delicate. She returned to filming for the new series, which also stars Sarah Paulson, Glenn Close, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor and Naomi Watts. Details of the production are still under wraps but Kim and Sarah serve as executive producers on the upcoming series. Sarah, who is known for her impressive scream and starred in many Ryan Murphy productions, recently praised Kim's performance in an interview with Variety. âItâs wonderful. Sheâs incredibly present,â she said. "Sheâs fun, sheâs game, sheâs alive to the moment, sheâs great." Sarah also revealed she received a basket filled with Skim products on their first day of filming. The shapewear brand is co-founded by Kim. Sarah said: "Lots of Skims. Different Skims items. Itâs not just undergarments. It was robes and slippers and blankets.â Sarah also said reality star Kim is the person she 'wants to ask about all things having to do with fashion and beauty.' This year alone, Ryan released American Sports Story, Grotesquerie, Doctor Odyssey and Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Ryan is best known for Glee, Nip/Tuck, Ratched, American Crime Story and American Horror Story. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads . Join the Irish Mirrorâs breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you donât like our community, you can check out any time you like. If youâre curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .None
Overhauls of 'heritage brands' raise the question: How important are our products to our identities?
Donât say bye bye bye to your hopes for an *NSYNC reunion. While the boy bandâconsisting of Justin Timberlake , JC Chasez , Lance Bass , Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick âbriefly reunited in 2023, Chasez revealed there may in fact be more in store. âI will say this,â he told Keltie Knight , Becca Tobin and Jac Vanek on the Nov. 26 episode of the LadyGang podcast. âIâm not trying to gaslight, Iâm not trying to do any of that nonsense. But we are talking more than weâve ever talked about it.â But Chasez emphasized that a reunion for the groupâwho released their last studio album Celebrity over 20 years agoâis still ânot real right now.â And if it were to happen, the singerâwho re-teamed with the band in 2023 for âBetter Place,â off the Trolls Band Together soundtrackâwould want it to be organically. âYou go where inspiration is, right?â he continued. âLike, Iâm not one of those people that fakes it very well. Whenever Iâve tried to fake it, Iâve always felt s--tty about it, to be honest with you.â And if that creativity did lead to new music, Chasez, 48, said theyâd have to balance the fresh material with a healthy dose of the classics. âLook, everybody wants to go see the Rolling Stones ,â he said. âTheyâve been doing it forever, but you still want to hear âSatisfaction.â I want to give the people what they want, I do. Itâs a part of my nature, I guess. But I also canât lie to myself, so I have to be true to myself as well.â A post shared by LadyGang TM (@theladygang) In June, Fatone also weighed in on the possibility of hitting the road as a quintet again, noting how different their lives are now than in the early â00s. âBack in the day when we were younger, nobody was married, nobody had kids, but as we got older, we're married, we have kids,â he told E! News at the time. âBut the thing is, for me, do we want to do it? Everybody's older, everybody has different personalities now. How do we deal with that? I'm not saying that it's bad. It's just a matter of making it cohesive.â If itâs tearinâ up your heart to wait for an *NSYNC reunion, keep reading for some little-known facts about the iconic boy band. 1. After Chris Kirkpatrick , 23 at the time, was passed over for the Backstreet Boys âthe first instance of shady impresario Lou Pearlman capturing boy band lightning in a bottleâhe dusted himself off and told Pearlman he was still interested in being in a group. Pearlman agreed to put up the money if Kirkpatrick would do the work of actually finding other talented guys to join him, and so the sifting through demos and watching countless hours of tapes began. They eventually happened upon The All New- Mickey Mouse Club alum and aspiring singer Justin Timberlake , 14, who recommended fellow former Mouseketeer JC Chasez , 19. ("JC was the cool older guy, and Justin wanted to be just like him," co-star Christina Aguilera remembered fondly to Rolling Stone .) They continued the search in Orlando, and Kirkpatrick thought of Joey Fatone , 18, who he knew from his days performing at Universal Studiosâand who Chasez knew from his time living in Florida when he was working for Disney. But they still needed a deeper voice. Timberlake's vocal coach advised them to check out this kid from Mississippi, Lance Bass , who flew down to Florida on Oct. 1, 1995. Pearlman and Timberlake picked the appropriately named 16-year-old up at the airport in the former's black Rolls Royce. Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough , who knew Kirkpatrick way back when, gave himself a little pat on the back later on for all this serendipity, telling Pop Crush in 2015 that BSB asked Pearlman "to help [Chris] out in any way that he could and still fulfill his dream. He went back with Chris and formed a group and little by little that spun off to eventually be 'N Sync." 2. But wait, Lance wasn't the first fifth member of 'N Sync! That role was originally played by Jason Galasso , who had known Fatone from choir in their high school days and was dabbling in the singing-group arts when he got a page (1990s, FTW) out of nowhere from his old acquaintance. Coincidentally, he also knew Chasez because, as Galasso explained on The Digital Get Down podcast in 2019, he "used to kind of hang out with The Mickey Mouse Club " stars like Chase Hampton and Keri Russell . After they "locked in perfectly" on a rendition of Boyz II Men 's "End of the Road," that was it, he was in the as-yet unnamed group. "I remember I'm like, 'Dang, Justin's young!'" he recalled. "But then I heard him sing, I'm like 'Oh, it doesn't matter how old he is, he can sing his butt off." At the same time, however, the bass singer was also in a three-man group called Unreal, "so I'm still trying to decide, you know, what I want to do, what direction I want to go in as far as which group I want to go with," Galasso, who's in the mortgage loan business these days, recalled. "Because I remember, the first time Lou Pearlman brought over some music, he was thinking about the type of music that we would be doing, and I come from an R&B, hip-hop background. That's my love, my heart, my soul." So when Pearlman came over with "this European-style techno, I was just like, 'Hmm, okay.'" So, he went ahead and traveled with the other guys in Unreal to Atlanta to cut a demo, which he thought turned out great. Meanwhile, 'N Sync was starting to fashion a look and they were talking about putting a showcase together for Disney's Pleasure Island. They even took a field trip to Shaquille O'Neal 's house to check out his home studio in Orlando, but they had not yet recorded any music. And, more consequentially for Galasso, they hadn't yet signed any contracts. Pretty soon, both groups were trying to get him to sign. Galasso said he took the dueling contracts to a lawyer and, while the deal with the trio was pretty standard issue, Pearlman had himself written into the 'N Sync contract as a sixth member, and that contract was "thick as a phone book." He felt that the other members of 'N Sync were more gung-ho than he was about the dealâwhich was true, because they all proceeded to sign it, whether they truly understood what it entailed or not. So Galasso ultimately went with the group that wasn't 'N Sync. 3. Aside from Timberlake's mom complimenting that they sounded so "in sync," the group's nameâsometimes NSYNC, other times *NSYNC, but for our purposes, 'N Syncâincorporates the last letter of their first names: Justi n , Chri s , Joe y , Jaso n and J C . Oh, wait...The guys asked Lance if he wouldn't mind tweaking his name a bit to make the whole 'N Sync thing still work. And so, Lanceton was born. "They did call me Lanceton for a good year, just basically as a joke," Bass told EW.com in 2015. "I think it was Justin who first was like, 'Okay, Lanceton.' Then it kinda faded out once we got a deal and then came out. It didn't stick very long. It was either Lanceton or Landon." 4. After a couple of years in which their biggest following was in Germany, ahead-of-their time fans of the Max Martin -penned "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart" ("In Europe, we were on the cover of every magazine," Bass recalled), 'N Sync finally got its big break in the U.S. when the Backstreet Boys turned down a "Disney Channel in Concert" gig. Instead, NSYNC in Concert came out in 1998 andâthank you, cableâDisney Channel aired it over and over again. "The Disney Channel concert really changed our career," Bass told 20/20 . "It was incredible, and that one gig right there, to me, is what made us in America." 5. While they were all in Miami to play in their Challenge for the Children charity basketball game, the guys ordered room service to their hotel room not long before they were due at a press call. Fatone showed up at least 15 minutes late because, as it turned out, he had been waiting for a fresh burgerâbecause the one on his plate had a bite taken out of it! But it wasn't delivered that way, Bass recalled on the Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum podcast. Timberlake had totally taken a bite out of it to screw with his pal. "It was so funny. I've never seen Joey get so upset about something like that," Bass said. He "was probably tired or something," but "we make fun of him all the time for that outburst. All the time." 6. Fatone may have blown up over a partially eaten burger, but Bass admitted he wasn't always the picture of patience. He told Rosenbaum that he sometimes lost his cool when Kirkpatrick would take his resident funnyman persona too far during interviews. "Chris, you know, he's very animated," Bass said, "and he's funny and he's always cracking a joke. But when someone is always cracking the joke in every single interview, and you do like 20 a day and there's five guys, your days get long and long and long." "So, there have been many times I'm like, 'Shut up. Just answer the question so we can move on because we are so tired right now.' So, he would always make all our interviews at least double the time." 7. At one point they were too busy to even stop by a barbershop for haircuts (or bleach jobs), so, Bass said, "that's when I started just kind of getting this bleach and putting it in my hair and just putting my fingertips in it, and that's how the frosted tips were born." Now you know. 8. In 2000, to celebrate the diamond-selling status of their 1997 debut 'N Sync , meaning 10 million copies sold, their manager Johnny Wright (who had previously been the road manager for New Kids on the Block along with his wife Donna ) gifted the five with diamond-and-platinum pendants. "We are diamond," Timberlake announced, mostly facetiously, according to Rolling Stone . "Screw all of you. I'm done. Forget this boy-band thing." 9. The members of 'N Sync did get richâbut not right away, and not until they took matters into their own hands. As it turned out, Pearlman, who died in prison in 2016 while serving a 25-year sentence for money laundering and other crimes committed in the running of a Ponzi scheme, was seemingly screwing them and the Backstreet Boys (and O-Town for that matter) out of money. Talking to ABC News' 20/20 in 2019, Bass recalled Pearlman flying the members of 'N Sync and their families to Los Angeles in 1998 for a promised check-presentation party. The amount: $10,000 apiece. "I was in the biggest band in the world and selling millions of records...but I can't even afford my apartment in Orlando. I couldn't even get a car," said Bass, who tried to be polite but then ripped up his check when he got back to his hotel room. Added Kirkpatrick, "With all the success you would think that we were making hand-over-fist money and we were printing money and whatever, and it just wasn't the case." After realizing their contracts, like the members of BSB, treated Pearlman as a sixth member, meaning he got one-sixth of the group's profits as well as management fees, 'N Sync jumped ship for Jive Recordsâand were promptly sued by TransContinental Records and RCA parent BMG Entertainment, which had distributed their first album. It was a $150 million lawsuit, but Pearlman's big goal was to prevent them from continuing to use the name 'N Sync. They countersued for $25 million and settled for an undisclosed amount in 1999âand, most importantly perhaps, they retained the right to press on with their name intact. 10. No Strings Attached , their smash-hit sophomore album released in March 2000, was metaphorical AF. " No Strings Attached just became the theme," Kirkpatrick, who thought of the concept after "I've Got No Strings" from Disney's Pinocchio popped into his head, told 20/20 . "It became our battle cry of, 'We don't owe anybody anymore...we have no ties to anything but each other...and our fans." Chasez, who won a talent show in the seventh grade singing Richard Marx 's "Right Here Waiting" only to have Marx write and produce "I Promise You" for No Strings , told Rolling Stone , "This album is really in your face. Nothing is sang passively; everything is chopped and punched. You can definitely hear a Michael Jackson influence in the way the words chop offâthat's the way Michael delivers a line." Added Timberlake, "We're pissed off nowâthat's what it is. We're angry white boys who didn't get our props. No, I'm kiddingâI'm kidding." Moreover, they were musically homeless for most of the time they were making it, unhappy with TransContinental and not yet ensconced at Jive, whose artists included Timberlake's then-secret (albeit a poorly kept one) girlfriend Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. No Strings Attached sold 2.4 million copies in its first week out, including 1.1 million on day one. 11. A year later, Jackson was delivering on stage with themâ first at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, appearing just as 'N Sync was winding down its performance of "Pop" and sending the crowd into a frenzy even though he didn't singâand then for real all together days later on "Dancing Machine" at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration . The two-day concert event held at Madison Square Garden aired on CBS that November. In 2016, Bass revealed on The Meredith Vieira Show that Jackson didn't speak to him for a year after the MSG show because, when Jackson insisted that Bass and Fatone (who had a movie premiere to attend) stay until the end for a group rendition of "Heal the World," saying it was "for the children," Bass giggled, not realizing the King of Pop was perfectly serious. 12. Once they all had more money in the bank, naturally they started spending it. In March 2000, Timberlake bought a Mercedes jeep (his first big purchase) and a BMW M Roadster, and would add a Dodge Viper, an Audi TT, a Porsche 911 and a Cadillac Escalade to his collection by the following year. Fatone treated himself to a black Cadillac truck and homes and cars for his parents and siblings. Several of them purchased homes in Orlando, and Kirkpatrick bought a house for his mom, too. Bass got a house in Orlando, one in his home state of Mississippi, and one in the border area known as Floribama. "There's a white grand piano, a white couch and a tapestry of knights on horses, and I have this beautiful acrylic statue of a nude man and woman that my friend got me," Timberlake described the decor in his Orlando bachelor pad to Rolling Stone . "It's a beautiful piece: You shine a light on it and it shines right through. I've got a game room that we call the Jimmy Buffett room, because it's Orlando tropical, and I have a country kitchen to remind me of where I grew up. The bedroom is a whole safari motif, with a Japanese screen and a big sleigh bed." The following year, Chasez revealed he'd become a red wine aficionado, and had sprung for a $2,500 book of Helmut Newton photographs. 13. In 2000, just before No Strings Attached came out, Kirkpatrick was dating the girlfriend he'd had for about a year before 'N Sync became a global phenomenon. They weren't meant to be, as he married Karly Skladany in 2013 after three years together, with all of his former bandmates in attendance. Timberlake was still playing coy about whether he and Spears were actually dating ("Britney's a good friend of mine"), informing Rolling Stone , "If I do decide to have a personal relationship with someone, I think it's best to keep it thatâpersonal." Bass had previously dated Boy Meets World Star Danielle Fishel , even accompanying her to her high school prom. He'd choose to wait until 2006 to publicly come out as gay, and he's now been married to Michael Turchin since 2014. Fatone had been on and off with high school sweetheart Kelly Baldwin since 1993âbut they were decidedly back on when they welcomed daughter Briahna in March of 2001. They got married in 2004 and had second daughter Kloey Alexandra in 2010, but as of 2019 they were divorcing and Fatone was dating Izabel Araujo . Chasez, meanwhile, usually had girlfriends around (in 2001 he was dating Bobbie Thomas , who was inspired to start her own blog when she saw how the media treated Spears), but he has kept an impressively tight lid on his private life. 14. By 2000, Bass had started Freelance Management, hoping to develop country artists. Timberlake launched his eponymous foundation to benefit music and arts education in public schools. Chasez was producing music for girl group Wild Orchid and Kirkpatrick had started his own fashion and music production company called Fuman Skeeto. 15. Legions of screaming tween fans aside, they weren't trying to be extra adorable to appeal to as many kids (and their moms) as possible. "We don't try to make ourselves do cute, we just are who we are," Timberlake told Rolling Stone in 2000. "We're boys. We burp and fart, just like boys." 16. Kirkpatrick considered himself the stereotypical guy's guy among them, telling Rolling Stone in 2001, "I'm like a bunch of college guys got together and said, 'Let's make a dude, a crazy dude.' And they made me." The writer described Bass as a "supernice, humble, patient guy who's so pretty he almost looks like a girl, and who never, ever stops smiling." Chasez was said to be the one whose offstage personality was furthest from his onstage persona, "the one most likely to meander right past you so silently you wouldn't even notice him." Fatone was "a giant wild boy with a rambunctious electricity bubbling constantly beneath his skin, as if he's about to make a party break out anytime, anywhere." 17. During rehearsal in New Orleans in 2001, a platform shot up too early and Fatone's lower leg was caught between it and the stage, somehow not breaking the bone but exposing a lot of the interior of his leg. "There was a hole," Bass told Rolling Stone . "You could see the bone, you could see everything. So we applied pressure on it, and the fat was coming out, and it was not good. He can take pain good, but he was in pain. Oh, he screamed. It looked like a bullet went through his leg." Added Chasez, "He ended up going to the hospital and they cut a piece of his leg out and had to rinse the metal out because his leg was caught between two pieces of metal. I don't know how it didn't break. He's a tough kid." A few weeks later, Fatone, who had been using a cane to get around, was back on stage dancing. "He's in pain," Chasez observed. "But Joey's got great showmanship. He knows how to cover his steps 'cause he's been onstage longer than any of us." 18. When you think about it, 'N Sync had a relatively tame run. They're first to admit they had their fun, but they were not troublemakers, nor did trouble have a habit of "finding them." Bass liked a Jack and Coke, but would more likely volunteer to be the evening's designated driver. "If some twelve-year-old sees on the news that I got arrested for cocaine, that affects a lot of people," he told Rolling Stone . "I remember when I was ten and I caught my sister drinking. It was so devastating to me." He added, "I can have water and feel like I'm getting drunk." 19. Fame hadn't come overnight, but once it did, it was a whole new world. "You realize what hard work it is and that it's not glamorous," Bass told Rolling Stone . "It's like going to Disney World, going into the tunnels and seeing Cinderella smoking a cigarette. The whole magic is gone." Timberlake admitted, "It's been a little tough There's definitely been times when I was totally depressed. But, you know, my spirituality helped me through that. I just feel like there's two of me: the public-eye me and the guy-who-brushes-his-teeth-twice-a-day me. They're getting along all right now. Sometimes brush-his-teeth doesn't get enough attention, but it's worth it." "You don't want to say or do too much," acknowledged Fatone. "You know, it's like breaking the fans' hearts if there's something out there that they don't know about and might get upset about." 20. In case anyone was under the impression that 'N Sync was composed of five disparate parts who just got lucky, they'd be wrong. "We started out as best friends, and you know, I think it showsâit shows in everything we do," Kirkpatrick, sitting down on CNN's Larry King Live with the rest of the group, said in January 2001. "From when we're on stage, when we're clowning around, we do, like, so many shows that each show is so different because of the interaction amongst each other. And we'll goof around with each other." In response to King's observation that a lot of band members don't really get along behind the scenes, Timberlake added, "Well, the chemistry we have is unreal. I can't tell you, you know even with this tour last summer, I could just look at Chris and it could say 10 things at the same time, and he would know exactly what I meant just by looking at him, because we've been together...Even before everything took off, we were together, some of us working 9:00 to 5:00. But every day, singing, and you know, trying to get our act together." 21. The channeled their misgivings about living life in a fish bowl to varying effect with their third album, 2001's Celebrity . By then, Timberlake was openly dating Spears ("When we get together, that's just my girl, and I love her, and that's it. I don't think about what everybody's thinkin' about. She makes me happy. She's like salvation," he told Rolling Stone ; Bass added, "They're so perfect for each other, it's scary") and the group was making a reported $2.5 million a night on their PopOdyssey stadium tour. 22. In 2000, Timberlake told Rolling Stone , talking about the influx of boy bands onto the music scene, "I think the next couple of years will separate the boys from the men. What worries me is the oversaturation of the market." Well, the other boy bands wouldn't have to worry about it for long. 23. 'N Sync went on so-called "temporary hiatus" in 2002 after wrapping up their Celebrity Tour, mainly so Timberlake could focus on his solo career, and that turned out to be it. Though no one came right out and said it and the group never officially announced that they were disbanding. One Direction fans know the concept well. "After you do something for a certain amount of time, you get into a rhythm of it and then new things spark your curiosity; you need new brain food," Chasez, who had a solo hit that year with "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)," reflected to Huffington Post in 2019. "At that time, we just felt like we had exhausted every kind of idea for what we were doing and we just felt like, 'OK, let's do something different.' So, that's what we did." As for Bass, he said, "me and the guys were never on bad terms at al...The thing I was most disappointed in was not just Justin leaving the band. It's that our whole team, our record label, our management, everything like that, they all knew. They all knew it was over for three years before they told me. "So, for three years, I'm sitting there getting ready for a new album as everyone else knows we're moving on." 24. The guys from 'N Sync pretty much went their separate ways as they embarked on their solo aspirations and Timberlake became a superstar in their own right (though that's not why none of them went to JT's wedding in Italy when he married Jessica Biel in 2012), having released Justified in November 2002 and never really looking back. So could their reunion performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards have been more hyped?! It was short but sweet, and their moves were intact. 25. Reflecting on why he didn't come out while he was in 'N Sync, Bass said at the group's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction in 2018 that "at the time, I thought that I would never be able to tell anyone because not only was I terrified of the lasting rejectionâI was certain that that would happenâbut more than that I didn't want to jeopardize the careers of these guys up here, much less the hundreds of amazing people who worked tirelessly to bring 'N Sync to the world." Bass continued, "I thought if I had come out, 'N Sync would be over. So I kept my secret. And our wildest dreams were coming true and we were so incredibly thankfulâand I still am. But so many nights onstage, I'd see so many young, gay fans singing their hearts out and I wanted so badly to let you know, I was you. I just didn't have the strength then. But I do today and so let me say loud and proud to all my LGBT brothers and sisters, who embrace me and show me the way to be who I am, thank you so much." We can only imagine he's gained plenty of new fans since going public with his true self. And if he lost any, those people never deserved him in the first place.
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THE brother of murdered pageant queen JonBeneÌt Ramsey has voiced his frustration about why his young sister's killer was never found. The decades-long cold case of JonBeneÌt has reemerged in the spotlight following the release of a new Netflix docuseries that puts the December 1996 homicide under a new lens nearly 30 years later. Netflix's Cold Case: Who Killed JonBeneÌt Ramsey underscored the botched investigation by the Boulder Police Department and the extensive media coverage surrounding the case. Boulder police were widely criticized for mishandling the investigation from the start. Police failed to properly search the Ramsey family's three-story home upon arriving at the residence and did not treat it as a crime scene, allowing people to drift in and out. Potential evidence from the house was not promptly collected. Investigators reportedly sat on key pieces of evidence and speculated early that parents Patsy and John were involved in their daughter's murder. Patsy and John Ramsey were initially the prime suspects in the case but were ruled out when DNA evidence found under JonBeneÌt's fingernails on her clothing and underwear was linked to an unknown male. John Andrew Ramsey, the half-brother of JonBeneÌt, stressed that part of why his sister's killer has never been found is the lack of resources at the disposal of Boulder police. "I told the Daily Camera last week that Boulder Police are stretched too thin to find JonBeneÌt's killer. They can get help," John Andrew wrote in an X post. John Andrew also reposted an interview from NewsNation 's interview with investigator Michael Kane, who was the special prosecutor on JonBeneÌt's case. Kane highlighted how it's difficult to rule out anyone as possible suspects, including JonBeneÌt's parents, because of their actions to save face after the pageant queen's body was found. The prosecutor also said the rambling two-and-a-half-page ransom note was a fake used as a diversion. "There you go. This is why JonBeneÌt's killer has never been found," John Andrew wrote as he reposted the news interview. "Dare I say lack of imagination. Why the note? Who knows. Fantasy. Control. Superiority. Let's not try and understand but take it at face value. "And Patsy did handwriting samples with the non-dominant hand." The FBI 's field office in Denver issued a statement on Wednesday, saying they're willing to assist in the decade-old case before confirming Boulder police remains the lead investigators. "FBI Denver will continue to coordinate with state and local partners on the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation. Boulder Police remains the lead investigative agency," the federal agency said on X. The unsolved case unfolded in the early morning of December 26, 1996, when mom Patsy Ramsey let out a harrowing scream from the first floor of the family's home in Boulder, Colorado . Patsy had found a two-and-a-half-page handwritten ransom note on a staircase toward the back of the home. The note, addressed to John Ramsey, stated a group of individuals linked to a foreign faction had kidnapped their 6-year-old daughter and demanded $118,000 in exchange for the girl's safe return. "She was just screaming," John, 80, previously told The U.S. Sun. "She'd found this note on the stairway and then went and checked JonBeneÌt's room, and she wasn't there. "I read the note as quickly as I could, and Patsy was standing by the phone, so I told her to call the police." Several hours went by without any word from the supposed kidnappers or any sighting of JonBeneÌt. Eventually, John and a friend decided to search the home for clues, went down to the basement, and opened an unfinished wine cellar. There, he found the body of his daughter with a rope tied tightly around her neck. At the end of the rope was a broken paintbrush that investigators determined came from Patsy's art set. Evidence indicated that JonBeneÌt had been sexually assaulted and tortured. The coroner who performed JonBeneÌt's autopsy determined the little girl died from suffocation in conjunction with forcible trauma to her skull. JonBeneÌt had an 8.5-inch skull fracture and several markings on her neck and hands. In the 27 years since JonBeneÌt's body was found, a suspect has never been arrested, and it remains unclear why someone wrote the ransom note. The new Netflix docuseries aims at bringing JonBeneÌt's true killer to light after decades of theories swirling about the long list of suspects - including a pedophile who confessed to the crime. The docuseries included details about an eerie similar case where a sleeping child was assaulted at her home located streets away from the Ramsey residence in Boulder in September 1997. The suspect, who was never arrested, broke into the home while the girl's mother was sleeping and made his way to the young girl's bedroom when he attempted to attack the child. A series of glaring similarities led both John and the family of the second victim - who is being referred to under the pseudonym "Amy" - to believe the same perpetrator could have carried out both crimes. Before the incident involving his daughter, Amy's father was convinced her attacker targeted the 12-year-old at a local dance studio, Dance West, where JonBeneÌt also took lessons. He then believes his family was stalked over a period of several weeks, with the assailant waiting for the opportune moment to strike: when he was out of town for work. John Ramsey also believes his daughter's killer had been surveilling his family for a significant period before the murder. However, one name stuck out in the Netflix docuseries. John Mark Karr, who fled the US after being charged with child pornography, knew an eerie number of details about JonBeneÌt, her death, and claimed to have committed the murder. Karr has never been charged with the young pageant queen's death because his DNA did not match any DNA found at the Ramsey home. In the past, The U.S. Sun extensively reported how convicted pedophile Gary Oliva also confessed multiple times to killing JonBeneÌt in letters to a high school friend. Oliva was released from prison in January after serving less than eight years of a 10-year sentence for child pornography charges. He was arrested in June 2016 after he was caught uploading images depicting the sexual abuse of children to his personal Gmail account. When police searched his phone, they found over 695 images depicting child pornography. He also possessed 335 photos relating to JonBeneÌt, including her autopsy and images of shrines to her. Since his arrest, Oliva confessed to killing JonBeneÌt multiple times but has never been charged with her death. "I never loved anyone like I did JonBeneÌt, and yet I let her slip, and her head bashed in half, and I watched her die," Oliva wrote in one message to his high school friend, Michael Vail. Since his arrest, Oliva confessed to killing JonBeneÌt multiple times but has never been charged with her death. "I never loved anyone like I did JonBeneÌt, and yet I let her slip, and her head bashed in half, and I watched her die," Olivia wrote in one message to his high school friend, Michael Vail . "It was an accident. Please believe me. She was not like the other kids."Things are starting to look up for the Seattle Kraken. The Kraken won five of six games on their just-completed homestand to surpass hockey's version of .500 (10-9-1) and move within a point of the Western Conference's two wild-card playoff spots. Seattle will try to carry that momentum into Saturday's game against the host Los Angeles Kings, who have lost three of their past four games. The Kraken dropped four road games in a row -- a span in which they scored just four goals -- before returning home. "We were obviously losing those games, and I think your confidence, momentum and mindset starts to change a little bit," Kraken center Matty Beniers said. "So, I think being able to get home, we just kind of had a couple of days off. We were able to get some really good days of practice and make sure that our mindset and game was good and together. "And then we were able to get that first win ... and once that happens, you build confidence, and you build chemistry from there." The Kraken are coming off a 3-0 victory against visiting Nashville on Wednesday as Joey Daccord made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season. Brandon Montour (one goal, one assist) and Chandler Stephenson (three assists), Seattle's big offseason acquisitions, sparked the offense. Forward Jared McCann, the Kraken's leading scorer with nine goals and 21 points, scored three times during the homestand, including an overtime winner against Vegas. "The way things ended on the road trip, we felt like we'd let some games get away from us," McCann said. "Obviously, it wasn't good but coming home here we kind of turned the page and just tried to focus on the next game. "I mean, it's just more of a mental thing. You've got to get past that mental block. We didn't have our best (on the road), but you've got to just push that aside and worry about the next one. "That's kind of the way we had to look at it and it's worked out for us." The Kings lost 1-0 to visiting Buffalo on Wednesday despite 18 saves by David Rittich. It was the first time this season that Los Angeles was blanked. "There's nights that I'm really frustrated with how we played, and it's hard to be disappointed with the guys (Wednesday)," Kings coach Jim Hiller said. "They tried, it didn't go their way. Live with it and move on." The Kings came close to scoring several times, including a two-on-one rush late in the second period when Trevor Moore tried to pass to Phillip Danault instead of shooting. "Just one too many passes," Hiller said. "We thought Mooresy should have shot it. If the pass gets through and Phil taps it in the back door, we're saying, âWow, what an incredible goal.' So you can't take that decision-making off the players. They have to play hockey and choose what's right in the situation. "On a night like (Wednesday) where it was hard to find a goal, you don't want to pass too many up. Maybe that was one that we passed up." --Field Level Media
USC loses veteran WR Kyron Hudson to transfer portalYou are complex. You are playful, warm and friendly, but you are also intense and impulsive. You care. This is a slower paced year. Focus on your closest relationships and make sure you are with people who have your back. Take time to rejuvenate yourself. The stars show the kind of day youâll have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ Be patient with children and young people in the morning, because they might annoy you or test you in some way, especially by refusing to accept responsibility for something. Or perhaps their values differ from yours. Tonight: Welcome support. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ Minor disputes or spats with partners, spouses and close friends might occur this morning. This is natural if there is tension in the air. Fortunately, these people will help and support you later in the day. Tonight: Agreement. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ Squabbles about work, duties and possibly a pet might annoy you this morning. Nevertheless, after this happens, you will be productive in all your efforts because youâre willing to do whatever is necessary to make things work. In fact, it will all unfold with dignity and tradition. Tonight: Youâre organized. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ Difficulties with your kids or younger people who are present might be a challenge this morning. For some of you, this difficulty will be with a romantic partner. Fortunately, this is temporary. The rest of the day will be a delight in pageantry and tradition that all will welcome. Tonight: Socialize! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ In your zeal to make this day unfold according to your hopes and plans, you might be at odds with a parent or a family member this morning. Let this go. Move on. In fact, everyone will respect traditional ways of doing things and be willing to put their wishes second to the needs of the group. Tonight: Relax. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ You might feel irritated this morning because you have a lot on your plate. Unexpected guests or news from family members you havenât seen for a while might catch you off guard. Fortunately, you will rise to the task and keep things orderly and practical. Planning always pays off. Tonight: Conversations! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ Morning squabbles with a friend or a group, perhaps about money or possessions, might irritate you. Fortunately, whatever the problem is it will be resolved. Later in the day, you feel calm, in control and capable of running everything smoothly. Tonight: Everythingâs orderly. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ Someone might challenge you this morning, especially an authority figure who tries to get in your way. (Bad move.) Later in the day, things will flow smoothly, and you will take on chores and duties with grace and a willing acceptance of duty. Tonight: You win! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ Ignore worries and challenges with travel or controversial politics this morning. Everything will come together in one way or another. By the end of the day, with the sun in your sign and your strong sense of duty, you will be pleased with how this day unfolds. Tonight: Quiet times. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ Squabbles about shared values, shared costs and inheritances might be a challenge to your morning. However, there is no sign that reveres tradition more than you. Furthermore, you have unwavering family values. Tonight: Friendships. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ïżŒïżŒïżŒ Donât let morning squabbles with partners, friends, parents or bosses ruin your day. Itâs not going to happen. Au contraire! Today you will be respected because of the unflagging energy and support you are giving to everyone. You will spare no effort. Tonight: Youâre noticed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ïżŒïżŒïżŒïżŒ Steer clear of controversial subjects or travel problems this morning. You need to stay calm and clear today, which you will, because youâre willing to put your own comfort second so that everything comes off in a way that pleases everyone. Tonight: Explore! â King Features SyndicateWeâre embarking on silent economic revolution in Ogun, says Abiodun
Hearing loss and other complications are prevalent among U.S. military veterans. Audiologist Dr. Tom Tedeschi shares why it's such a big issue and how vets should properly care for their ears. Have you ever found yourself needing to constantly turn the volume up on your TV because it sounds like the actors onscreen are speaking in whispers, but then whenever action is onscreen, your TV feels deafening? It's not just you. This is one of the most common issues people have with their TV audio, but, fortunately, you can change a few settings on your TV to make the dialogue sound clearer. Read on for three easy fixes to help your TV audio sound better. GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS â SIGN UP FOR KURTâS NEWSLETTER â THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE 1. Check out your TV's audio settings A viewer adjusting TV audio settings with a remote control. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Most modern TVs feature preset audio settings that you can adjust on the fly to make things sound better, depending on whether you're gaming, watching a live concert or watching a slow-burn drama. Too much bass will often obscure spoken dialogue in TV shows and movies , and I suggest going through your TV's preset audio settings to see if you can make the audio clearer. Most TVs feature a movie, music and standard mode for TV audio. You can find your TV's audio presets by navigating to the settings from your remote and selecting "sound." Some TVs will also feature audio presets explicitly designed for dialogue. Check to see if you have a setting for "Dialogue," "News," "Speech" or even "Speech Boost" in your TV audio settings . Any three of these should help your TV dialogue come through more clearly. You might also want to consider disabling settings for surround sound or bass boost, as these can cover up the sound of dialogue by increasing the bass too much. Increasing the treble might be worth it if you have access to EQ settings on your TV and are struggling to hear TV dialogue. It's an easy fix that can improve audio quality without taking too much away from non-dialogue sound in a movie or TV show. HOW TO EASILY CONNECT HEADPHONES TO YOUR TV FOR GREAT SOUND 2. Adjust dynamic range compression A floor-standing speaker. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) Dynamic range compression, or "volume leveling," is useful for tailoring audio sound to personal needs. Volume leveling reduces the gulf between the loudest and quietest sounds onscreen, making it easier to hear and understand onscreen dialogue, especially in action movies, where the dialogue is often much quieter than the preceding action sequence. You'll find the settings for volume leveling or dynamic range compression in your TV audio settings, which, on most TVs, you can access directly from the remote. My TV features volume leveling, and I love to use it when I watch TV late at night at a low volume. It helps me to understand everything easily without having the speakers loud enough to wake anyone else up. It's also a great way to keep the audio level when commercials come on if you watch cable. BEST WAYS TO STREAM ANY CONTENT FROM YOUR PHONE TO A TV 3. Look into speakers or a soundbar A speaker. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE The default speakers built into TVs aren't the best. While a few high-level TVs come with a built-in soundbar, you'll still have the best experience with your own independent speakers or a soundbar. If you followed the two tips above but are still having trouble hearing movie or TV dialogue, it might be time to look into and invest in a set of speakers or, if you want a single unit, a soundbar. I prefer using a soundbar with a TV over speakers for a cleaner setup because they often come with built-in subwoofers that enhance the bass, making action scenes and music sound more immersive. Additionally, modern soundbars are sleek and can easily blend with your home decor. Many of them also support advanced audio technologies like Dolby Atmos, which provides a surround sound experience without the need for multiple speakers scattered around the room. TOP 10 SOUNDBARS TO ENHANCE YOUR TV AUDIO EXPERIENCE 4. Connecting headphones to your TV If you're having trouble hearing dialogue clearly while watching TV, connecting headphones can provide a private listening experience that enhances audio clarity. Hereâs how to easily connect both wired and wireless headphones to your TV: Wired headphones: Check for a 3.5mm jack: Most TVs, especially older models, have a headphone jack located on the back or side panel. If your TV has this port, simply plug in your wired headphones for instant audio. Using adapters: If your TV lacks a headphone jack but has RCA outputs (the red and white ports), you can use an RCA-to-3.5mm adapter to connect your headphones. Wireless headphones: Bluetooth connection: Many modern TVs support Bluetooth. To connect: Put your headphones in pairing mode (usually by holding down a button until a light blinks). Navigate to the TV's settings menu, find the Bluetooth option, and activate it. Select your headphones from the list of available devices to pair them. Bluetooth transmitter: If your TV doesnât have Bluetooth, consider using a Bluetooth transmitter. This device plugs into the TVâs audio output (like the headphone jack or RCA ports) and sends audio wirelessly to your Bluetooth headphones. Media streamers: If you use devices like Roku or Apple TV, they often support Bluetooth connections for headphones, allowing you to listen privately through those devices instead. By connecting headphones, you can enjoy clearer dialogue without disturbing others, making it easier to follow along with your favorite shows and movies. BEST NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES TO BOOST YOUR LISTENING Kurt's key takeaways If you find yourself straining to catch every word during your favorite shows, you're not alone. Many people struggle with audio clarity, but by implementing these simple fixes, you can significantly enhance your TV viewing experience. Whether it's adjusting your TV's audio settings, utilizing dynamic range compression, investing in better speakers or soundbars, or connecting headphones for a more personal listening experience, there are effective solutions at your fingertips. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Have you ever invested in external audio equipment, such as soundbars or speakers? If so, how has that changed your viewing experience? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover . Follow Kurt on his social channels: Facebook YouTube Instagram Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions: What is the best way to protect your Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android devices from getting hacked? What is the best way to stay private, secure and anonymous while browsing the web? How can I get rid of robocalls with apps and data removal services? How do I remove my private data from the internet? New from Kurt: Kurtâs Best New Holiday Deals Try CyberGuy's new games (crosswords, word searches, trivia and more!) Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurtâs free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Overhauls of 'heritage brands' raise the question: How important are our products to our identities?Maravai LifeSciences Appoints R. Andrew Eckert as Chairman of the Board of Directors
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