Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' breaks record, sells 2.7 million copies in U.S. on first day
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s the life of a saleswoman. Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” sold 2.7 million copies in traditional album sales in its first day in the U.S. according to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company. That includes physical and digital formats. That’s impressive for several reasons. Swift has broken her record for most first week sales in one day. “The Life of a Showgirl” has also become the second-largest sales week for any album in the modern era, since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. That was also accomplished in just one day. The album was released Friday.
Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to support public TV stations after federal funding cuts
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thirty paintings by Bob Ross are set to be auctioned to support public television stations. The Bonhams auction is to begin Nov. 11 in Los Angeles with three of the paintings. Other auctions will follow. All profits will help public TV stations with licensing fees for popular programs that include “The Best of Joy of Painting” and “America's Test Kitchen.” Bob Ross Inc. president Joan Kowalski says the auction will continue Ross' legacy of supporting public television. Ross, who died in 1995, was in production with “The Joy of Painting” for 11 years. He enjoyed a resurgence of popularity during the COVID lockdowns. The auctions come as Congress has cut $1.1 billion in public broadcasting funding.
National Book Award finalists announced: Alameddine, Majumdar, Li and Russell are among the nominees
NEW YORK (AP) — Fiction by Rabih Alameddine, Megha Majumdar, and Karen Russell, along with a memoir by Yiyun Li, are among this year's National Book Award finalists. On Tuesday, the National Book Foundation announced five nominees in each of five categories. Winners will be revealed on Nov. 19 in Manhattan. Honorary awards will go to George Saunders and Roxane Gay. Majumdar's novel “A Guardian and a Thief” is a fiction finalist. Li's memoir “Things in Nature Merely Grow” is a nonfiction finalist. Other categories include poetry, translated literature and young people's literature. Each winner receives $10,000.
Three fashion trends rule spring: big shoulders, real skin and dress-up with a day job
PARIS (AP) — Paris Fashion Week has wrapped up, showcasing bold trends that are set to influence global fashion. Designers focused on broad shoulders, empowering silhouettes, and skin-baring styles that emphasize personal expression. The event highlighted a return to tailored looks, with jackets that command attention and sheer designs that convey strength. Celebrities like Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian added star power to the shows, turning them into major events. Fashion also embraced practicality, with dressy styles designed for everyday wear. Black dominated the color palette, accented by bright highlights. Paris Fashion Week proved that bold and useful can go hand in hand.
Bari Weiss is the new editor-in-chief of CBS News after Paramount buys her website
NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount is buying the successful news commentary website The Free Press and installed its founder, Bari Weiss, as editor-in-chief of CBS News. The move, while anticipated, is a bold one for David Ellison, new corporate leader of Paramount and CBS. Weiss will report directly to Ellison and be responsible for shaping editorial priorities and driving innovation at CBS News. Ellison said he believes the majority of the country wants news that is balanced and fact-based, and he wants CBS to be their home. Some at CBS News have expressed worry that the move will be seen as friendly to President Donald Trump.
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Rush announce reunion tour five years after the death of drummer Neil Peart
NEW YORK (AP) — Five years after their influential drummer Neil Peart died of glioblastoma, the Canadian band Rush have announced a reunion tour Monday. Rush co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson revealed a 12-date, seven city tour is scheduled for summer 2026. It will kick off in June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. That's where the band played their final show in 2015. The reunion tour will end in Cleveland and they’ll also hit Mexico City; Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; New York and Toronto. Taking Peart’s place is award-winning German composer and producer Anika Nilles. She has previously toured with Jeff Beck.
Showmanship returns at Chanel as designer Blazy debuts under a sky of planets
PARIS (AP) — Chanel has made a dramatic return to showmanship at Paris Fashion Week. New designer Matthieu Blazy opened the season with a cosmic-themed runway, featuring a solar system suspended above. Celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Jeff Bezos watched from the front row. The show ended with a standing ovation. Founded in 1910, Chanel has a legacy of reshaping women's fashion. Blazy's debut was a test of how this historic brand can remain modern. The collection featured an androgynous pantsuit, nodding to Chanel's origins. Accessories included bold hats and metallic bags, blending tradition with fresh creativity.
Jilly Cooper, British author of bestselling risqué novels, including 'Rivals,' dies at 88
LONDON (AP) — British author Jilly Cooper, known for her bestselling novels, including “Rivals” and “Riders,” has died. She was 88. The author died on Sunday after a fall, a statement from her agency Curtis Brown said. Her agent, Felicity Blunt, praised Cooper for defining culture, writing and conversation for over 50 years. Cooper was best known for her books in “The Rutshire Chronicles,” which portrayed the sex lives and excesses of the well-off, horse-riding set in 1980s England. Her books sold millions of copies in the United Kingdom alone, with “Rivals” adapted as a hit Disney+ TV series last year.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers want him sent to a New Jersey federal prison that offers drug treatment
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyers want the hip-hop mogul sent to a low-security federal prison in New Jersey to serve his four-year, two-month prison sentence. They told a judge Monday that the facility’s drug treatment program will help him stay clean. Combs’ lawyers wrote a letter urging the judge presiding over his case, Arun Subramanian, to “strongly recommend” that the federal Bureau of Prisons place Combs at FCI Fort Dix, a massive prison located on the grounds of the joint military base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Associated Press disputes Trump's false characterization of its legal fight over access
The Associated Press is objecting to Donald Trump’s characterization of its ongoing legal dispute over access after the president incorrectly characterized the case in a public forum. It's a situation that goes back to the news service’s decision last winter not to follow an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Trump was speaking on an aircraft carrier while marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. He said that “we got sued by The Associated Press and they lost.” The president said the “liberal” AP “got thrown out of court” and that “they’re almost not allowed to cover me anymore.” In fact, the AP won its case against Trump, but the president earned a delay in getting the ruling enforced before an appeal ends.
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