TV News LIES

Screen siren Brigitte Bardot, whose portrayals of free-spirited ingenues made her an international sex symbol and the pride of France, and who turned her back on movie stardom in 1973 to become an animal rights activist, has died, according to French media and The Associated Press.

She was 91.

Bruno Jacquelin, of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals, told The Associated Press that she died at her home in southern France. He did not provide a cause of death, and said no arrangements have yet been made for funeral or memorial services. She had been hospitalized last month after a period of ill health.

Leading tributes, French President Emmanuel Macron said Bardot “embodied a life of freedom” and lived a “French existence.” Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally party, which Bardot publicly supported in her later years, referred to her as a “passionate patriot” who represented “an entire era of French history.”

Her death comes two months after she underwent what her staff, described in a statement to AFP as “minor surgery” for an unspecified ailment in October.

More...

The "ball" is dropping twice to ring in 2026.

Days ahead of the iconic Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in New York City, America250 announced a "post-midnight moment" to mark America's 250th anniversary.

Shortly after the ball makes its 60-second descent to signal the start of the new year, the ball will be relit with an America250 design above the illuminated "2026" numerals and be dropped again at approximately 12:04 a.m. ET.

America250 will build "anticipation" for the moment with a series of features over the course of the evening, including a reveal of the America250 Ball Design atop One Times Square during “The Star-Spangled Banner" beginning at 6:04 p.m. ET.

According to America250, the nonpartisan entity charged with organizing the celebration, the moment will also mark the start of a partnership that will include another Times Square Ball Drop on July 4.

More...

A new year means a new parade of classic characters and works entering the public domain.

Under U.S. law, the copyright on thousands of creations from 1930 — including films, books, musical compositions and more — will expire at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, meaning they will be free to use, share and adapt after nearly a century.

"I think this is my favorite crop of works yet, which is saying a lot," says Jennifer Jenkins, the director of Duke University Law School's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, who has compiled an annual list of public domain entrants for over a decade.

This year's treasure trove features famous faces like the original Betty Boop — whose iconic hoop earrings originally took the form of floppy dog ears — and the initial version of Disney's Pluto, who first went by the name Rover.

"That's not only exciting in itself, but it's really an opportunity to look back at the history of these two incredible animation studios, Fleischer and Disney, and how their styles are imprinted in the DNA of today's cartoons," Jenkins says. "That's just a fun rabbit hole."

More...

Rob and Michele Reiner's children are breaking their silence following the couple's killing.

The acclaimed "Princess Bride" director and his producer wife were found dead in their Southern California home on Sunday, Dec. 14. On Tuesday, prosecutors filed criminal charges against their son, Nick Reiner, who is accused of "fatally stabbing" his parents.

"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," Jake and Romy Reiner said in a statement to TMZ and People released Wednesday. "The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Rob, Michele, Romy and Jake Reiner for comment.

Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced during a Tuesday press conference. The 32-year-old screenwriter also faces a special allegation that he used a dangerous and deadly weapon, namely a knife, in the killing of his parents.

More...

Authorities said on Dec. 16 that they launched a homicide investigation after a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot at his home.

Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old theoretical physicist and fusion scientist from Portugal, was found with "apparent gunshot wounds" at his house in Brookline, Massachusetts, on the night of Dec. 15, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. He was transported to an area hospital and was pronounced dead on Dec. 16.

Massachusetts State Police and the Brookline Police Department responded to the scene after receiving a report of a man shot at his home on Gibbs Street, the district attorney's office said in a statement. Brookline is a wealthy suburb of Boston.

Brookline Police Chief Jennifer Paster stated that the investigation is active and ongoing, adding that patrol vehicles, officers, and unmarked units remained at the scene. No suspects had been taken into custody as of Dec. 16.

More...