Alert for active shooter at Villanova University later revealed to be a hoax

The active shooter situation that saw dozens of law enforcement officials responding to an alert from Villanova University was later deemed a hoax, according to officials.

Police responded after Villanova University issued a warning for an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus on Thursday. The school told students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall. The campus is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Philadelphia’s Center City.

According a post by the Radnor Township Police Department on its Facebook page, all nearby residents and students were asked to shelter in place, with those on campus asked to move to a secure location and to lock or barricade doors, the university posted on its website. The Radnor Police Department later shared on social media that no victims had yet been reported.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro later said local and federal law enforcement are on site responding to the reports of an active shooter, posting on X: “Avoid the area and follow the direction of local authorities. We will share additional information as it becomes available.”

In a letter to students and families, Peter M. Donohue, president of Villanova University, said the incident was a hoax, writing in part: “Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School. Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax—there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus. While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community I would like to thank everyone involved in securing the safety of our community, especially our Villanova Public Safety … department and the first responders from Radnor Police and other local police departments. I would also like to thank our Orientation Counselors and all of the Villanova staff in attendance at the Orientation Mass, who responded calmly and compassionately to a very frightening and unnerving situation … Amid my thanks, I would like to apologize to our first-year students and their families. This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”

Editorial credit: Amy Lutz / Shutterstock.com

Appeals court throws out $500M civil fraud judgment against Trump

A New York appeals court threw out the $500M judgment against President Donald Trump stemming from NY Attorney General Letitia James’ business fraud case against Trump and his business. Trump, 78, was found to have fraudulently inflated his net worth by billions of dollars over a decade to obtain better loan and insurance terms. James said she would ask the state’s highest court to overturn the revocation of the fine.

The Appellate Division, First Department, overturned the $464 million judgment in a 323-page decision which included three separate opinions. All agreed the fine against Trump, which had grown to $515 million including interest, was “excessive.”

The First Judicial Department of the Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court upheld the fraud ruling, but eliminating the penalty means Trump can move the case to the highest state court, giving him another chance to fight the guilty verdict. The appeals court said the penalty, “which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the state of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

The main opinion by Judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton read: “While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.” Moulton added: “While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half-billion-dollar award to the state.”

The five-judge panel kept in place a ban on Trump and his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, from running a company in New York for several years; as well as an order for an outside monitor to oversee and file reports on the Trump Organization’s business dealings for three years.

Trump lauded the ruling on Truth Social, writing: “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case! I greatly respect the fact that the court had the courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful decision that was hurting business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including interest and penalties, was over $550 million dollars. It was a political witch hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.”

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward facing domestic violence civil lawsuit

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward is facing a civil lawsuit from the woman he allegedly assaulted in June, according to reports from multiple outlets, ESPN. Ward, 34, had previously been arrested in June on a felony domestic violence charge stemming from allegations made by the same woman.

The suit, filed Wednesday in Harris County (Texas) District Court by the plaintiff, alleges that she was “violently assaulted multiple times, both sexually and physically” by Ward, whom she also accuses of drug use, emotional abuse, financial manipulation and death threats.” She is reportedly seeking $20 million in damages.

The lawsuit describes a June 12 incident in which Ward allegedly forced his way into the woman’s residence, slapped and choked her, and threatened her with sexual assault, while their 3-year-old child was present.  Court documents also reference earlier incidents: Ward is accused of another assault in April, and the woman claims she witnessed Ward snorting a white powder from a bathroom counter before allegedly forcing her onto a mattress and engaging sexually assaulting her in January 2025  The filing further asserts that Ward has violated his bond conditions multiple times since his June arrest, including being taken into custody again for drinking alcohol in violation of the agreement.

Ward’s attorney, Stephen Jackson, said: “Our main focus right now is the grand jury, that is set for first week of September, to try to convince the grand jury that Jimmie should not be indicted. We’re going to take this one step at a time. We’re going to focus on the criminal allegations to try to get those dismissed, and then we’ll focus on the civil suit.”

Ward is currently sidelined with a foot injury and is listed on Houston’s Physically Unable to Perform list. His criminal case is scheduled to go before a grand jury on August 31. Texans general manager, Nick Caserio said the team would “kind of let the legal process take care of itself” when he was asked about the matter on the first day of training camp.

Editorial credit: jjaf / Shutterstock.com

Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders to join Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel in Browns’ preseason finale

The Cleveland Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders was cleared to play in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Rams   Sanders missed the Browns’ second preseason game after suffering an oblique injury.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Thursday that Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and  Sanders are all set to play:  “We’ll play our starters in this game, depends on how the game flow goes, but between 20 to 25 plays. There will be some guys that get out of there a little bit sooner than others. But it’s really an individualized plan for each guy. But you will see the starters out there.” 

Stefanski said Flacco will play first, Gabriel will play second, and Sanders will play third: “[Sanders is] feeling better and better, so barring any setback, if he comes in not feeling good tomorrow — which I don’t anticipate — he would play on Saturday.”

When he was asked if there was anything that he needed to prove during Saturday’s game, Sanders said: “I’m playing for fun, playing for happiness. I’m playing for fans, the family, for everybody, for this organization that drafted me. So it’s a lot that I’m playing for.” When he was asked about the “No. 2” role behind Flacco, Sanders added: “Honestly, bro, I really don’t look into that. I don’t care. Whenever it’s time for me to get out there and play, I’m gonna play. Whenever it’s time for the lights to come on, I’m gonna do my thing. I’m not concerned about when it is.”

Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns in the preseason opener. Gabriel was 13-of-18 for 143 yards with an interception last weekend against Philadelphia.

Fellow quarterback Kenny Pickett won’t play on Saturday as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Stefanski noted Tyler Huntley is unlikely to play, given that there’s only so many snaps.

Editorial credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com

Margo Price shares video for “Don’t Wake Me Up” from new album

Margo Price has teases her forthcoming album, Hard Headed Woman with the new track “Don’t Wake Me Up,” a duet with folk singer Jesse Welles.  Don’t Wake Me Up follows Price’s lead single “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down.”

Price said in a press statement: “This song began as a poem a few years ago and was initially inspired by poet Frank Stanford. My husband and co-writer, Jeremy Ivey, found the idea I had scribbled from my abandoned notebook, and we resurrected it with a melody. The whole thing came together in ten minutes in one of those lightning bolt moments where you’re tapped into something bigger than yourself. I wanted to remind people of all the places and ways that we are still allowed to dream even when the outside world seems like a nightmare. Jesse Welles is one of my favorite new songwriters and a rare prolific artist who really has something to say. I met him at Farm Aid and I became a big fan of his lyrics as well as his voice. I’m so grateful he could join me to sing on this song.””

The video for Don’t Wake Me Up, directed by Hannah Gray Hall, pays homage to Bob Dylan’s legendary “Subterranean Homesick Blues” clip. Take a look – HERE.

Hard Headed Woman, Price’s follow-up to 2023’s Strays and Strays II, will drop on August 29; preorder: HERE.

Price is also set to kick off her Wild at Heart Tour on October 23 in St. Louis, Missouri. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton team up on ‘A Song To Sing

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton have teamed up on the duet “A Song To Sing,” written together with Jesse Frasure and Jenee Fleenor and produced by Grammy-winner Dave Cobb.

The song marks Lambert and Stapleton’s first duet collaboration; however, Lambert did serve as co-writer on Stapleton’s track “What Am I Gonna Do,” off his 2023 album, Higher. 

Lambert shares of the new song: “Chris understands this emotion from the inside out, because he and Morgane have both lived it. To have someone so soulful and willing to go into the heart of the feelings, to share the pull of the road and creative life – and what that means when you love someone with every bit of your being is next level. When we finished it, we both knew we wanted to release it, to share it with everyone.”

Take a listen to ‘A Song To Sing’ via lyric video – HERE.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Millie Bobby Brown and husband Jake Bongiovi welcome baby girl via adoption

Millie Bobby Brown and her husband Jake Bongiovi announced on social media they have welcomed their first baby together via adoption.

Brown 21, and Bongiovi, 23, wrote in a joint Instagram post on Thursday: “This summer we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy. And then there were 3. Love, Millie and Jake Bongiovi”

The couple began dating in 2021, and were married in May 2024. A larger celebration followed in Tuscany, Italy in Sept. 2024, officiated by Brown’s “Stranger Things” co-star Matthew Modine.

Brown spoke earlier this year about wanting to start a family with her husband, sharing during an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast in March: “Jake knows how important it is to me. Of course, I want to focus on really establishing myself as an actor and as a producer, but I also find it’s so important to start a family for me, personally. It’s a huge thing. Jake was like, ‘We cannot do that until we get married,’ so that was his thing, and my thing was, I really want a family. I really want a big family. I’m one of four. He’s one of four. So it is definitely in our future.But, for me, I don’t see having your own child, you know, as really any different as in adopting.”

Brown added that her parents had their first child when they were 21 and 19, respectively, and she’s always wanted to follow suit: “It’s been my thing since before I met Jake. Since I was a baby, I told my mom, like, baby dolls. I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.”

Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

Sabrina Carpenter, Busta Rhymes, Alex Warren among performers for 2025 MTV VMAs

MTV has announced a first round of performers and honorees for the MTV Music Video Awards.

Alex Warren, Busta Rhymes, J Balvin ft. DJ Snake, Ricky Martin, Sabrina Carpenter and Sombr will take the stage at the awards show in September.

Rhymes will also be honored with the first-ever MTV VMA ‘Rock the Bells Visionary Award‘, while Martin will receive the first-ever ‘Latin Icon Award.’

LL Cool J hosts the 2025 MTV VMAs, airing live coast-to-coast from New York’s UBS Arena Sunday, September 7th at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on the CBS Television Network, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Nominees for the VMAs were announced earlier this month, with Lady Gaga leading with 12. Bruno Mars received 11 nods, while Kendrick Lamar is up for 10 awards, and Blackpink’s Rose and Sabrina Carpenter each earned eight nominations.

Additionally, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd have seven nods each, while Billie Eilish had six, Charli XCX earnng five, and Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae each nominated four times.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Federal judge denies DOJ’s request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

The ruling Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government’s request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women.

According to Berman’s ruling, no victims testified before the Epstein grand jury.Berman said the decision to reject the request was based on the fact that the sealed grand jury materials contain a limited amount of information compared to what the DOJ has in its investigation files, writing that “the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts pales in comparison to the Epstein investigation information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.”  In addition, Berman stated that the only witness was an FBI agent “who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.” The agent testified over two days, on June 18 and July 2, 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled.

The committee subpoenaed the Justice Department recently for all files related to Epstein — who committed suicide in his jail cell in 2019; and Maxwell, who sat down for a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche weeks ago. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., announced on Monday that the Justice Department will begin turning over the documents on Friday, and that congressional lawmakers are set to receive the first set of Epstein files within the coming days.

Editorial credit: Mehaniq / Shutterstock.com

Target CEO stepping down after 11 years, as sales continue to decline amid DEI cuts backlash

Target CEO Brian Cornell, who has served as the company’s chief executive for more than a decade, will leave his role at the beginning of 2026, according to CNN. Cornell will officially be succeeded on February 1, 2026, by Michael Fiddelke — the Minneapolis-based retailer’s current chief operating officer who began his career at Target as an intern two decades ago.

Cornell said the board considered both internal and external candidates before selecting Fiddelke, calling him “the right leader to guide Target back to growth.” Cornell said in a statement on Wednesday: “With the board’s unanimous decision to appoint Michael Fiddelke as Target’s next CEO, I want to express my full confidence in his leadership and focus on driving improved results and sustainable growth. Michael brings a deep understanding of our business and a genuine commitment to accelerating our progress,” adding that he  will be staying on as executive chairman.

The transition comes at a turbulent time for Target, who has been losing ground to rivals like Walmart, Amazon, and Costco; and sales growth has weakened since the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped consumer habits. The retailer’s difficulties mirror broader challenges across the retail sector, as more shoppers gravitate toward online marketplaces and discount chains. Target, which operates 1,980 stores across the country, reported a 21% decline in net income for the quarter ending August 2, according to the Associated Press. Comparable sales have either fallen or remained flat in eight of the past ten quarters, underscoring ongoing struggles. Analysts point to value-driven competitors such as Walmart and TJ Maxx as additional pressure points on Target’s performance.

Cornell acknowledged a “challenging retail environment,” but he touted “encouraging signs of recovery, including improved traffic and sales trends.  As we enter the critical back-to-school and holiday seasons, our team remains focused on consistent execution and building momentum as we look ahead to the new year.”

Adding to the challenges, Target has faced consumer pushback this year after scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The move drew criticism from multiple quarters, including Anne and Lucy Dayton, daughters of one of Target’s original co-founders, who called the decision “a betrayal.”

Editorial credit: Walter Cicchetti / Shutterstock.com