We are learning more this week as the Trump administration is now reportedly being sued by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. This comes after President Donald Trump announced he would ban the media outlets from the White House. The lawsuit aims "to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes," the news outlets said. BrieAnna Frank, USA TODAY's First Amendment reporter, joins LiveNOW’s Andy Mac to learn more about the extent of the ban. In a joint statement from CNN, MS NOW and Politico obtained by Reuters, the news outlets wrote: "Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left…
Brian "Nashville" Neil Duckworth, a country music singer who performed alongside his siblings in the trio Taylor Made and shared stages with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, died Monday at his West Virginia home at age 56. Duckworth died on September 7, 2026, USA Today reported. His cause of death has not been released. He […] The post Brian Duckworth, country singer and Taylor Made band member, dead at 56 appeared first on American Almanac .
Brian "Nashville" Neil Duckworth, a country music singer who performed alongside his siblings in the trio Taylor Made and shared stages with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, died Monday at his West Virginia home at age 56. Duckworth died on September 7, 2026, USA Today reported . His cause of death has not been released. He leaves behind his wife of more than 15 years, Tina Scheuvront Duckworth, six children, four grandchildren, and five siblings. Duckworth earned the nickname "Nashville" because, as his obituary from Bartlett Funeral Home in West Virginia put it, he "never passed up an opportunity to share his voice." He formed Taylor Made roughly 15 years ago with his brother Greg Duckworth and sister Wendy Williams. The trio built…Open
Whoopi Goldberg used a commercial break during "The View" Season 30 premiere to tell the studio audience that "Sister Act 3" remains mired in development, and then told USA TODAY she still cannot understand why studios refuse to greenlight a franchise that earned nearly $140 million domestically. The update came during the Sept. 8, 2026, […] The post Whoopi Goldberg says 'Sister Act 3' is still stuck in Hollywood limbo despite decades of fan demand appeared first on American Almanac .
Whoopi Goldberg used a commercial break during "The View" Season 30 premiere to tell the studio audience that "Sister Act 3" remains mired in development, and then told USA TODAY she still cannot understand why studios refuse to greenlight a franchise that earned nearly $140 million domestically. The update came during the Sept. 8, 2026, taping, when Goldberg stepped away from the show's on-air topics to address the audience directly about the long-delayed sequel. She told the crowd that new writers had been brought on board and that the project's story had been pitched repeatedly to studio decision-makers, with little to show for it. Goldberg, who has co-hosted "The View" for 20 of its 30 seasons, framed the holdup as a case of…Open
Christopher Aaron Nicks, the younger brother of Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks, has died at 72 after quietly battling cancer for more than two years, a fight he kept hidden because he didn't want anyone to worry. His daughter, Nixi Parkinson Nicks, announced his death on Instagram on Friday, September 4, sharing a photo of […] The post Christopher Aaron Nicks, Stevie Nicks' only sibling, dead at 72 after private cancer fight appeared first on American Almanac .
Christopher Aaron Nicks, the younger brother of Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks, has died at 72 after quietly battling cancer for more than two years, a fight he kept hidden because he didn't want anyone to worry. His daughter, Nixi Parkinson Nicks, announced his death on Instagram on Friday, September 4, sharing a photo of herself holding her father's hand. USA TODAY reported that Christopher had waged a private battle with cancer spanning roughly two and a half years, a detail his daughter later confirmed in a separate Facebook post. Nixi Nicks' Instagram caption was brief and tender: "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning. I love you, daddy. Rest easy." On Facebook, she offered more. The post made clear that…Open
A death certificate reveals that former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings died of cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack, she was just 46 years old. Knowings, the New York City-born actress who spent three seasons on the children's sketch comedy hit "All That," was hospitalized on Aug. 7 after suffering an asthma attack. A relative […] The post Christy Knowings, beloved 'All That' cast member, died of cardiac arrest at 46 appeared first on American Almanac .
A death certificate reveals that former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings died of cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack, she was just 46 years old. Knowings, the New York City-born actress who spent three seasons on the children's sketch comedy hit "All That," was hospitalized on Aug. 7 after suffering an asthma attack. A relative told TMZ she was placed on life support. Four days later, on Aug. 11, she died. The death certificate, obtained by People on Sept. 2, listed cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Acute hypoxic respiratory failure, a condition in which the lungs cannot deliver enough oxygen to the blood, and status asthmaticus, a prolonged and severe asthma episode, were listed as contributing conditions. From…Open
Sony Pictures Television has suspended longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and begun recasting his role after allegations tied to an incident on a commercial flight, though Thornton's lawyer says law enforcement cleared him in minutes. The studio confirmed the move on September 1, 2026, issuing a brief statement that disclosed almost nothing about […] The post Jim Thornton suspended from 'Wheel of Fortune' over airline flight allegations appeared first on American Almanac .
Sony Pictures Television has suspended longtime "Wheel of Fortune" announcer Jim Thornton and begun recasting his role after allegations tied to an incident on a commercial flight, though Thornton's lawyer says law enforcement cleared him in minutes. The studio confirmed the move on September 1, 2026, issuing a brief statement that disclosed almost nothing about what Thornton allegedly did. USA TODAY reported that Sony called the investigation "thorough" but offered no timeline and no details about the nature of the complaint. The gap between what Sony has said publicly and what Thornton's own attorney has put on the record is worth examining. One side is treating this as serious enough to pull a 15-year fixture off the air. The other…Open
A growing number of Americans are turning to psychedelics, spiritual ceremonies, and other alternative treatments after losing faith in conventional medicine, a trend now backed by a nearly $200 billion global industry. Sly Young chose toad venom over antidepressants. She made that decision deliberately, fully aware of how it sounded. During the pandemic, her conventional […] The post Americans are abandoning conventional medicine for toad venom and mushrooms — and a $193 billion industry is cashing in appeared first on American Almanac .
A growing number of Americans are turning to psychedelics, spiritual ceremonies, and other alternative treatments after losing faith in conventional medicine, a trend now backed by a nearly $200 billion global industry. Sly Young chose toad venom over antidepressants. She made that decision deliberately, fully aware of how it sounded. During the pandemic, her conventional treatments for neurodivergence and chronic PTSD stopped working as well as they once had. So she went looking for something else, and found shamans, sacred ceremonies, and microdosed mushrooms supplied by a friend. Young's story, profiled by USA Today , is not an outlier. It sits inside a documented national shift away from mainstream Western medicine and toward a…Open
A volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free knitted breast prosthetics to mastectomy patients now operates in all 50 states and 76 countries, with a recent viral Instagram reel flooding the organization with new orders. Barbara Demorest founded Knitted Knockers in 2011 after her own mastectomy left her struggling with the standard options. Her doctor told her […] The post Knitted Knockers gives breast cancer survivors free handmade prosthetics — and demand is surging appeared first on American Almanac .
A volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free knitted breast prosthetics to mastectomy patients now operates in all 50 states and 76 countries, with a recent viral Instagram reel flooding the organization with new orders. Barbara Demorest founded Knitted Knockers in 2011 after her own mastectomy left her struggling with the standard options. Her doctor told her she couldn't place a traditional silicone prosthetic against her surgical scar for weeks. The silicone was heavy, hot, and uncomfortable. He mentioned that some people had started making a lightweight knitted version instead. A knitting friend from her church took the idea and ran with it. She made Demorest a pair and delivered them in a Victoria's Secret bag. Demorest tried them…Open
Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA […] The post Matthew McConaughey floats political ambitions after sit-down with Pope Leo XIV appeared first on American Almanac .
Actor Matthew McConaughey is once again hinting at a future in politics, this time after a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Italy that he says sharpened his thinking on faith, governance, and the moral stakes of artificial intelligence. McConaughey, who considered a run for Texas governor in 2021 but ultimately passed, told USA Today in an interview published August 15 that the papal visit earlier this month left him more interested than ever in building what he called a values-based framework for public life. He stopped short of announcing a candidacy for any office, but his language carried the unmistakable cadence of a man keeping the door wide open. The actor, who describes himself as politically centrist, told the outlet he…Open
CBS anchor Gayle King publicly called out Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother for using her first interview after the actress's death to assign blame, drawing a sharp contrast with the father who simply honored his daughter's memory. King addressed Lesley Vogel's comments during the Aug. 19 broadcast of "CBS Mornings," three days after Panettiere was found […] The post Gayle King rebukes Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother over post-death remarks appeared first on American Almanac .
CBS anchor Gayle King publicly called out Hayden Panettiere's estranged mother for using her first interview after the actress's death to assign blame, drawing a sharp contrast with the father who simply honored his daughter's memory. King addressed Lesley Vogel's comments during the Aug. 19 broadcast of "CBS Mornings," three days after Panettiere was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex. The 36-year-old actress, known for her roles in "Nashville," "Heroes," and "Remember The Titans," died on Aug. 16 . Her cause of death has not been released. Vogel, who managed Panettiere's career from infancy until the actress severed their professional relationship at age 19, gave a phone interview to NBC News on Aug.…Open
