Author: Olivia Carter

Just under three months from the start of the 2025 college football season, several Power Four contenders have added key pieces through the transfer portal in hopes of upgrading their rosters. While many of the big-name signings have drawn plenty of attention coming out of spring camp, not every impactful addition is a household name, yet. Some of the most valuable pickups are lesser-known players identified by sharp personnel staffs and developed by coaches expecting them to contribute immediately this fall. None of the players listed below crack 247Sports’ top 25 transfer rankings — and most fall well outside the…

The proceeds from the David Lynch Collection auction could buy quite a few cherry pies: Julien’s auction Wednesday with Turner Classic Movies raised $4.25 million total for the iconic filmmaker’s estate. Nearly 450 items were included in the auction, including pieces from the “Twin Peaks” TV show and films like “Mulholland Drive,” “Eraserhead” and “Dune.” Lynch’s director’s chair, which made a stop at Variety’s office Monday on its way to the action, fetched $91,000. The live auction attracted hundreds of collectors and fans online and at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel. “Julien’s and TCM were privileged to represent this landmark…

It was in the Beersheba, about a thousand kilometers and 2,500 years from Babylon, that Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Thursday that the time had come for the Jews to repay their ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and bring liberation to Iran.The Israeli prime minister had just made a tour of Beersheba’s Soroka hospital which a few hours earlier had sustained a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile on one of its buildings. It was for that reason the scene of an escape which was already being dubbed miraculous by Israel’s leaders.The hospital’s director had only just ordered the…

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a long-term contract extension that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, sources told ESPN on Thursday.The deal is believed to be worth eight figures annually, sources said.Udoka’s extension comes after he guided Houston to its first top-two seed in the West in seven years. In Udoka’s second season, the team went 52-30 and made its first playoff appearance since 2019-20, getting knocked out in the first round by the Golden State Warriors in seven games.Rockets ownership, Tilman and Patrick Fertitta, and general manager Rafael Stone hired Udoka in…

Honorable MentionEvery OLED we’ve tested is a great TV, and older models are often on sale so they’re well worth considering before you hit the buy button. Here’s where we list favorites not on our top list.Sony A95L: Sony’s 2023 flagship A95L isn’t as bright as the latest crop of top-tier OLEDs, but it’s still a dazzler with fantastic colors, excellent contrast, and thrilling picture processing that’s nearly as eye-popping as the latest Bravia 8 II. The best part is you can often get this TV on sale for well below its replacement, making it a great choice for those…

The trend forecasters are predicting a prep revival. The all-American look, born of mid-century country clubs and popularized by 1980s movies, seems to be in the air again. A 17-year-old I know sets out each weekend to shop for vintage polo shirts, and Luca Guadagnino is filming a new version of the Bret Easton Ellis novel, American Psycho. That about synthesizes it.If prep does make a comeback on the runways in the coming weeks, it wouldn’t surprise Thom Browne. “I’m always in that world because I love the timelessness of it and the ease,” he says. “I like the idea…

The men provided financial assistance to al-Shabab fighters who attacked the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi, killing 21 people.A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for aiding al-Shabab fighters who were behind a deadly attack in Nairobi that left 21 people dead in 2019. On Thursday, Judge Diana Kavedza Mochache ruled that Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali played a critical role by helping two of the attackers escape from a refugee camp using fake identity cards. The pair also provided financial assistance to the group. “Without financiers, facilitators and sympathisers, terrorists cannot actualise their…

Whether it’s serving as a weekend escape or an afternoon rooftop retreat, NYC’s best hotel pools offer a moment of calm and cool, no matter how buzzy the location it resides. At these outdoor oases, a mix of solitude and conviviality awaits. Head to 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge for a rooftop pool that feels like a secret garden above Dumbo, complete with craft cocktails and an ultra-stylish crowd. At The Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back, surf-adjacent vibe meets plush loungers, frozen drinks, and a salty breeze that makes a weekend stay feel like a true beach vacation.Our editors have combed the…

Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo.Dado Ruvic | ReutersGoogle is using its expansive library of YouTube videos to train its artificial intelligence models, including Gemini and the Veo 3 video and audio generator, CNBC has learned.The tech company is turning to its catalog of 20 billion YouTube videos to train these new-age AI tools, according to a person who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Google confirmed to CNBC that it relies on its vault of YouTube videos to train its AI models, but the…

Children in England face prolonged “lost learning” caused by extreme heat and flooding at school, according to research on the potential impact of the climate crisis on education.School leaders and teachers said the scenarios published by the Department for Education made for grim reading and urged ministers to move quickly to improve school resilience.Under one scenario, by 2050 rising heat levels will cause the equivalent of more than eight days of lost learning as classrooms become too hot for effective teaching, unless adaptations such as improved ventilation are made.The research also found that more than one in three secondary schools…