Olivia Newton-John dies at age 73

Singer, songwriter, actress and activist Olivia Newton-John died Monday morning at age 73. Her family wrote in a statement shared on social media: “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time. Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org).” Newton-John was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in the ’90s; and was in remission for more than 20 years before it returned in 2013. In 2018, she revealed that the disease returned and metastasized to her spine.

Newton-John’s musical breakthrough came in 1973 with the country  hit “Let Me Be There.” The next year, the singer released one of her signature songs. “I Honestly Love You,” which won Grammys for record of the year and best female pop vocal performance in 1974. Newton-John rose to international fame in 1978, playing Sandy alongside John Travolta’s Danny Zuko in the big-screen adaptation of the musical “Grease.” The two became one of the most beloved couples on film, performing the duets “You’re the One That I Want” and “Summer Nights” together.  Travolta posted a tribute to her on Instagram, writing: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!  Your Danny, your John!”

In 1980, Newton-John teamed with the legendary Gene Kelly for the roller-skating fantasy “Xanadu,” and became a music-video pioneer with her single “Physical” which spent 10 weeks at the top of the charts and won the 1982 Grammy for video of the year. Newton-John sold more than 100 million albums and continued to work until the recurrence of her cancer forced her postpone her 2017 tour.

Newton-John and her ex-husband, actor Matt Lattanzi, welcomed their daughter Chloe in 1986 She later helped establish the “Healthy Child, Healthy World” organization after the daughter of Newton-John’s friend died of a rare form of cancer. During her battle with breast cancer, Newton-John worked to raise awareness for the disease and established the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center in her hometown of Melbourne in 2012. In 2020, she launched the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to fund research for treatments and therapies to cure cancer.

Newton-John is survived by her husband John Easterling, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, sister Sarah Newton-John, brother Toby Newton-John and her many nieces and nephews.

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More human remains are discovered as waters recede due to drought at Lake Mead

The National Park Service said that more human remains were recovered from the receding waters of Lake Mead for the fifth time this year.

The National Park Service said in a statement that rangers received an emergency call reporting the discovery of human skeletal remains at Swim Beach in the Leake Mead National Recreation Area at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday: “Park rangers responded and set a perimeter to recover the remains with support from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s dive team.” The Clark County Medical Examiner was contacted to determine a cause of death and an investigation is ongoing.

At least four other sets of human remains have been found this year as Lake Mead experiences historically low water levels. The drop in water levels has been cited as a reason for the discovery of a 50-gallon barrel containing the body of a man police believe was the victim of a murder in the mid-1970s or early 1980s. Last August, the federal government declared a water shortage in the Colorado River Basin for the first time, stating that the water level in Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the United States by volume, had fallen to 1,067 feet above sea level and was at 35% capacity.

In July, a set of human remains was found in Swim Lake and the body 22-year-old Lily Kristine Hatcher was found near the Boulder Islands where she went missing on June 30.

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Police search for 2 suspects after 9 are injured in downtown Cincinnati mass shooting

Police are still searching for two suspects after nine people were injured in a mass shooting near downtown Cincinnati early Sunday morning. Eight men and one woman ranging in ages from 23-47 were hospitalized; all nine had been released from University of Cincinnati Medical Center as of 10:30 a.m.

Cincinnati Police Lt. Col. Mike John said that the shooting took place following an altercation between two groups of people shortly before 2 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful’s bar in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine district, estimating that 15-20 shots were fired in the shooting.

According to Lt. Col. John, as the shooter was actively firing, Officer Joe Shook – who has been with the Cincinnati Police Department since 2016 –  fired a shot. It was unknown whether the bullet struck the shooter, adding that the shooter fled. At a second news conference on Sunday, John said that more shots were fired after the shooter fled, leading police to believe there were at least two shooters.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said the shooting was “unacceptable” while praising officers for their response:  “The gun violence we are seeing is not the gun violence of the past that was concentrated around the drug trad. We need community support, the citizens of Cincinnati to realize this is a devastating trend and to work with us to resolve the differences without gunfire.”

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Joohyung Kim wins PGA Wyndham Championship to earn spot in FedExCup Playoffs

20-year-old Joohyung Kim won the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, earning him a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs.

The South Korean Kim posted a 9-under 61 to take the five-shot win in the season-finale event at Sedgefield Country Club. The victory was the first for Kim on the PGA Tour, giving him an instant Tour membership and securing his spot in the postseason.  He is now the second-youngest winner since World War II, and will enter the FedExCup standings at No. 34 – bumping Matt Wallace just outside of the cutoff to play in next week’s FedEx St. Jude Invitational.   Said Kim: “It was a hard day. I didn’t know golf was this stressful before.”

Kim has made just nine appearances on Tour so far this season, but has six international wins to his name; he finished in seventh at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last month, and took home a career-best third-place finish at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Sungjae Im and John Huh finished in a tie for second at 15-under on the week, and Ben Griffin finished alone in fourth at 14-under par.

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Cleveland Browns decline trade request from running back Kareem Hunt amid his ‘hold in’ during training camp

All-Pro running back Kareem Hunt is “holding in” by not participating in team drills during training camp, admit his request that the team either pay him or trade him. Hunt held out of team drills on Friday and Saturday as a way to let Cleveland know he was unhappy with his contract. However according to reports, the Browns have privately denied his request for a trade.

Hunt set to be a free agent after the 2022 season, but the Browns can fine him if he continues to hold out from participating in team drills. The 27-year-old Hunt is in the final year of a two-year, $13.25 million extension and will earn a base salary of $1.35 million in 2022 with a $1.5 million roster bonus. He also has a per-game roster bonus of $200,000 each, which could bring the total amount he earns this season to $3.4 million.

Hunt has yet to perform as he did during his 2017 rookie season with the Chiefs, when he rushed for a league-leading 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns. He has spent the last three seasons with Cleveland, highlighted by an 841-yard, six-touchdown season in 2020. After signing the extension the following offseason, Hunt battled injuries last year, playing in just eight games all season.

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Brett Eldredge to play first-ever Ryman residency with 3 holiday shows

Brett Eldredge is making his comeback as “Mr. Christmas” as he spreads holiday cheer with an upcoming series of shows at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Eldredge’s team announced the performances on Twitter:  “Brett will be playing three shows in Nashville to kick off Christmas this year! Catch him at The Ryman Auditorium November 25-27. Members of The Locals fan club will have first access to presale tickets starting tomorrow, 8/2. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, 8/5!”

The Ryman Auditorium also announced the return of Eldredge’s Glow Live Tour – “BREAKING! @bretteldredge‘s Glow Live Tour is back and bigger than ever! This year, catch Brett at the Ryman for THREE nights, November 25-27, for his first ever #RymanResidency!”

For tickes, head to www. ryman.com.

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Take a look at Reba McEntire in the Season 3 trailer of ‘Big Sky’

ABC has shared the first trailer for Season 3 of ‘Big Sky,’ with new cast member Reba McEntire narrating the 30-second spot. McEntire says in the clip: “Welcome to Montana, a place where the horizon never ends, full of friendly folk just trying to do right. But in the untamed wilderness, you never know what’s going to be coming around the bend. One thing’s for certain, once you set foot in this place, you may never want to go home again… and you might not.”

Season 3 focuses on a new mystery, with McEntire starring as Sunny Barnes, whose backcountry trip does not go as planned. Private detective Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury), undersheriff Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick), and Sheriff Beau Arlen (Jensen Ackles) team up to solve a mystery linked to Barnes’ travelers.

Created by David E. Kelley, ‘Big Sky’ is based on C.J. Box’s ‘The Highway’ novels. The first season saw Dewell, Hoyt, and Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe) team up to find two sisters kidnapped by a truck driver. In Season 2, Hoyt rejoins the county sheriff’s office and investigates local drug dealers and a cartel. The third season will include a cast of mostly new characters, played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, J. Anthony Pena, Henry Ian Cusick, Luke Mitchell, Seth Gabel, Anirudh Pisharody, and Madalyn Horcher.

Check out the trailer for Season 3 of ‘Big Sky’ – here.

WATCH: Reba McEntire Shares First-Look Of Her ‘Big Sky: Deadly Trails’ Character In New Trailer

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‘Days of Our Lives’ moving to Peacock after nearly six decades on NBC

NBC announced its long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives will be moving to its digital-owned platform Peackock after airing the show for nearly six decades. Currently, Peacock already streams past episodes from the Emmy-winning drama series and previously aired its spinoffs, including Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem and Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas film.

Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming said in a statement: “This programming shift benefits both Peacock and NBC and is reflective of our broader strategy to utilize our portfolio to maximize reach and strengthen engagement with viewers. With a large percentage of the ‘Days of Our Lives’ audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers.”

Starting Sept. 12, Days of our Lives time slot will be filled with the launch of ‘NBC News Daily’. The new hour-long show will be anchored by NBC’s Kate Snow, Aaron Gilchrist, Vicky Nguyen, and Morgan Radford, providing the viewers with “signature world-class reporting and breaking news coverage in a first-of-its kind.” The program will also be streamed simultaneously on NBC News NOW and Peacock.

Days of Our Lives first launched on NBC in 1965; the series celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2020 and was renewed for seasons 57 and 58 on NBC in 2021. The move leaves only three soap operas to remain on broadcast TV, including The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC.

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HBO Max’s Selena Gomez cooking show ‘Selena + Chef’ to return for Season 4 premiering Aug. 18

Selena Gomez’s cooking show Selena + Chef has been renewed for a fourth season on HBO Max. The 10 episode season of the unscripted series will premiere on August 18th with three episodes, followed by three more on August 25th – and the final four on September 1st, exclusively on HBO Max. Selena + Chef premiered in August 2020, inspired by Gomez spending more time in the kitchen during the pandemic.

In season four, Gomez heads to the beach with her friends and family, where Selena will continue to learn the joys of cooking with all-star chefs in a beautiful Malibu beach house. Season 4 featured chefs include Adrienne Cheatham, Devonn Francis, Gordon Ramsay, Kristen Kish, Ludo Lefebvre, Matty Matheson, Nick DiGiovanni, Paola Velez, Priya Krishna and Rachael Ray.   As in the first three seasons, each chef will highlight a different charity. To date, the series has raised $400,000 for 26 nonprofit organizations.

You can view the Season 4 trailer –  here.

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1 dead, 11 sickened in Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Napa County, California

A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in California’s Napa County has caused one death and nearly a dozen hospitalizations since mid-July.  Public health officials have found one possible source of the bacteria that causes the illness, with high levels of Legionella bacteria being found in a water sample taken from a cooling tower at Embassy Suites Napa Valley. However, none of those who were sickened had visited or stayed at the hotel.

According to a Napa County statement: “The cooling tower has since been taken offline, which mitigates any ongoing risk to public health.”  Dr. Karen Relucio, the county’s health officer, said in the statement that county and state public health investigators have been working with hotel staff to “remediate the source of exposure, but we must continue to investigate other cooling towers and water sources in the outbreak area, as it is common to find more than one source.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacteria that grows in warm water. People can get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in water vapor containing the bacteria. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Outbreaks are commonly associated with buildings or structures that have complex water systems, like hotels and resorts, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and cruise ships. The most likely sources of infection include water used for showering, hot tubs, decorative fountains, and cooling towers.” The disease isn’t contagious, and can be treated with antibiotics, but can be dangerous for some people, such as those with pre-existing conditions. Symptoms include muscle aches, fever and chills.

A dozen Napa County residents have been hospitalized with the disease since July 11. Three remain hospitalized and one person died; the county said that person was over the age of 50 and had “risk factors for severe disease.”

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