*Podcasts Archives

Leslie Jones, Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) announced the nominations for the 72nd annual Emmy Awards yesterday morning. Jimmy Kimmel will host the live show September 20th on ABC.

Netflix grabbed a record 160 nominations, including nods for shows like Ozark, The Crown, Unbelievable, The Kominsky Method and Dead to Me. HBO’s Watchmen received 26 nominations, and Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel picked up 20 nominations. (Variety)

Check Emmys.com for a full list of nominations.

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Johnny Depp’s libel case in the U.K. came to a close on Tuesday after three weeks of dramatic testimony.

Depp sued over an article in the Sun that called him a “wife-beater” during his short-lived marriage to Amber Heard.

In her closing submission, the attorney for News Group Newspapers, owner of the Sun, said, “There is no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife.”

In his closing submission, the actor’s lawyer called Heard a “compulsive liar” and said, “At its very core, we say it demonstrates that she is the abuser, not Mr. Depp. He is no wife-beater.”

Outside the court on Tuesday, Heard said that it was “incredibly painful to relive the break-up” of her relationship and the “most traumatic and intimate details” of her life with Johnny. She added, “I stand by my testimony and I now place my faith in British justice.”

A ruling isn’t expected for several weeks.

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Kim Kardashian lasted one day in Wyoming with Kanye West.

The mogul reunited with her hubby at their ranch on Monday, but by Tuesday morning she was back in Los Angeles. TMZ says Kim flew back “solo” following a “very difficult visit” that included her getting emotional and crying in a car with Kanye.

Kanye’s still at the ranch.

Kim and Kanye reunited Monday for the first time since his wild campaign rally in South Carolina last week and a few Twitter rants.

William Shakespeare wrote King Lear and two more dramatic plays during a London plague. Sir Isaac Newton developed his theory of gravity while forced to work from home. Taylor Swift wrote, recorded and released a 16-track album during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rest of us mere mortals probably just procrastinated.

A productivity consultant says unrealistic expectations were crushed by reality and led some people to unnecessarily suffer. Marla Cummins added, (quote) “It’s really important to place boundaries and give yourself a deadline.”

She recommends journaling to help organize your goals. Put them down on paper so they’re not sitting around in your mind. Cummins says, (quote) “Write down your thoughts to get out of your own head. You don’t want to stay in your head, it’s a really busy place.” (The Washington Post)

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If you gained a few extra pounds during the pandemic, you’ve got company. The Quarantine 15 became a reality for many of us.

Starting two months ago, alterations picked up for clothing tailors. They say people arrived needing more room around the waistline. One New York City tailor, Porfirio Arias, declared with triggering words, (quote) “Everybody got fat! It’s not only in New York. It’s all over the world that people got fat.”

The shutdown created couch potatoes nationwide. Working from home meant the refrigerator was always within easy reach. Even if you wanted to attend an exercise class, the fitness centers were closed. (The New York Times) Our friends at South Shore Health & Racquet Club suggest getting out to go for a walk, a run, or take a socially-distanced outdoor class to help keep your body moving.

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Stop denying yourself … A new study from the University of Zurich and Radboud University in the Netherlands has found that allowing yourself small indulgences leads to a happier life overall. Researchers found that the long-held belief that self-control will lead to a happier, more successful life is not necessarily true – and that allowing yourself some short-term pleasurable activities can lead to increased happiness and well-being. “It’s time for a rethink,” said researcher Katharina Bernecker from the University of Zurich. “Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism, or short-term pleasure.”  In other words, if you want the cookie, eat the cookie.

Lady Gaga tells Paper magazine that her new “Chromatica” album is about living in the moment. “I’ve been obsessed with the future for so long, going, ‘What’s next?’ And then I turned back and looked at my life. I unpacked all the things I’ve learned that have helped me and that have hurt me, and that taught me infinitely more. Now, the past informs my work. It’s like I was blocked because I was so obsessed with what was next, what was coming, what does it mean to go forward, that I didn’t realize I was already in the future. And where we are, where we stand in the present, is powerful.”

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Bugle 24 says Camila Cabello is covering Beyonce’s ”Single Ladies” for the new Cinderella movie.

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If you’ve ever wondered why artist The Weeknd is missing the E at the end of his name, he says the reason is because of copyright issues. “I hated my name at the start of my career, so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the ‘e’ because there was already a Canadian band named The Weekend.”

Kim Kardashian jetted off to Wyoming on Monday to visit her husband Kanye West. This is the first time the two have been together since his wild campaign rally in South Carolina a week ago, and the first place they hit up was Wendy’s.

This comes a few days after Kanye publicly apologized to Kim for oversharing. Kanye had revealed that he initially wanted her to get an abortion when Kim was pregnant with their first child and he had said the two of them have been thinking about divorce.

TMZ says Kim and the family have been “desperately trying to get Kanye to get treatment for a serious, bipolar episode,” but he was “unwilling to listen to her…and the Kardashians were at a loss on how to help.”

Meanwhile, Kanye managed to submit signatures before the Monday deadline in Missouri to get on the presidential ballot. It’s still to be determined whether he made the cut.

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show is the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accusations of a toxic work environment, Variety reports.

According to sources, employees were notified last week that a third party firm will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set.

This comes amid reports of racism and intimidation behind the scenes of the long-running talk show. In April, Variety reported that the production crew was outraged when they were told to expect reduced compensation in the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.

These allegations came after Ellen herself came under fire for not being as kind behind the cameras as she is on the air.

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Johnny Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife beater.” So the tabloid’s lawyer closed out their defense by calling the actor a woman hater.

On Monday, Sasha Wass said in her closing arguments that evidence brought forth in the case showed that a “deep misogyny … lay at the root of Mr. Depp’s anger, and the anger he felt against Miss Heard, which translated into violence when he felt threatened by her.”

Wass claimed that Depp manufactured a “misogynistic persona of [Heard] as the stereotype of a nagging woman” by accusing her of being an unfaithful gold-digger.

Heard claims that Depp had “threatened to kill” her and that she had felt like a hostage during their relationship. He denies being violent toward his ex.

In the wake of the era of COVID-19, you’ve probably blown out your last birthday candles.

Not a prediction of an imminent death, but rather, a prediction that unsanitary traditions will fall by the wayside.

Blowing out candles is equivalent to spitting all over cake. Birthday candles will likely be canceled. A medical study showed that “blowing out the candles over the icing surface resulted in 1400 percent more bacteria.”

A historian said that Americans have blown out birthday candles for a little more than 100 years. “Candles on cakes evolved from extravagance to a celebration for regular people. The original idea was that when you blew out the candle the smoke would carry your wish up to the gods.” (The Washington Post)

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More proof that we’re going to be working from home for a while … Google just announced that they are allowing their employees to work remotely till June of next year. (Business Insider)

Speaking of working from home … Seems people have really gotten used to the flexibility. A new survey of people who are employed or currently looking for work found that 78% of respondents said schedule flexibility in their job has become an “absolute necessity.”

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Did COVID kill Thanksgiving Day shopping? … Whether you were a fan of those pre-Black Friday sales or not, looks like people will be staying home on Thanksgiving this year. Walmart, Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods have all announced that, due to concerns over coronavirus, their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day this year. (24/7 Wall Street)

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And, Elon Musk is working on a chip that will let you stream music directly into your brain. One of his other companies, Neuralink, has been developing technology that repairs broken connections in the brain. And, this technology might just lead to the ability to beam music right in there. (Digital Trends)

Katy Perry tried to turn a negative into a positive for her fans Monday, — she softened the blow of her album delay by taking a pie in the face.

She has pushed back the release of Smile from August 14th to August 28th. She wrote on Instagram, “Welp. I hate to throw this bad news at you like a pie in the face… But if there’s anything 2020 taught me, it’s to not get too attached to plans and be malleable.”

To make up for it, Katy promised a series of #SmileSundays, where she’s going to go on Instagram Live to talk about all things relating to the album. She mentioned new merch, and said “I’ll play some snippets… Maybe we’ll go live together… We’ll def have a good chat!”

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Did concert-goers get “closer” than they should’ve at The Chainsmokers outdoor Safe and Sound benefit drive-in concert in Southampton, New York on Saturday? That’s what New York State officials are now asking.

The short video of the crowd retweeted by Governor Andrew Cuomo was initially posted by the CEO of The Chainsmokers’ record label. It certainly appears to show that what was touted as an ultra-safety-conscious, in-car-only event was anything but. It reveals mostly mask-less fans partying at close quarters in front of the stage with no concern for social distancing. According to the label boss, the concert drew 3,000 people in 600 cars.

The event, which included Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman as one of the opening acts,  raised money for No Kid Hungry, Children’s Medical Fund of New York and Southampton Fresh Air Home. A Chainsmokers handout promoted similar shows coming up in other cities, including Miami, L.A., Nashville, Chicago and Atlanta.

The governor’s office says they are opening an investigation. In addition the state’s health commissioner sent a letter to Supervisor Schneiderman expressing his distress at what he has heard about the concert and asking how it had come to be. He wrote, “I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat.”

As you may have heard, beloved television host Regis Philbin passed away Saturday at the age of 88. His former morning show companion, Kathie Lee Gifford, had this to say about his passing: “There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift. We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly—a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day. I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh. It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace. I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.” Regis, a 1953 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, will be buried soon in South Bend at the cemetery on the campus.

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Kanye West has apologized to wife Kim Kardashian after claiming she tried to lock him up.

On Saturday, the rapper and presidential candidate wrote, “I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me. To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”

After apologizing, Kanye went to the hospital for anxiety. A source tells TMZ that he got “uncomfortable” because “there were lots of people inside” his Wyoming ranch.

Kim responded to the claims by asking the public to respect their family’s privacy as Kanye deals with his bipolar diagnosis.

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By the way, TMZ says Kanye West is trying to keep his Presidential campaign alive by spending $30,000 to get on the ballot in Illinois. His campaign team is trying to collect 2,500 signatures. They are paying each potential voter $10 to $12 for signing the ballot, which I didn’t know was actually legal, but it is Illinois

Doctors in South America, South Africa and New Zealand claim the flu has disappeared. Right now, it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The flu should to be raging through communities of people, but hospitals are saying otherwise. A doctor sounded amazed, (quote) “We keep checking for the other viruses, but all we’re seeing is COVID. We were surprised by the decline in the other viruses like influenza. We never dreamed it would practically disappear.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Doctors credit the dramatic drop and near lack of Flu cases to the immense precautionary measures people are taking to combat COVID, including copious amounts of handwashing, mask-wearing, and social distancing.

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Is there an amount of time it takes to get over someone? Seems according to science, there is. But it depends on your age. A study of undergraduate students who had gone through a breakup in the last 6 months found that it took 71% of participants 11 weeks to “get over it.” Another study of divorced adult over the age of 50 found that it took an average of 17 months and 26 days after the divorce was finalized to get over the split. (Your Tango)

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Over the weekend, you may have heard that Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88. He passed away from a heart attack at his home in New York on Saturday. Regis had triple bypass heart surgery in 2007. The popular television host was also a graduate of the University of Notre Dame back in 1953. University officials in South Bend yesterday confirmed that he will be buried in the cemetery on campus and a funeral will be held in the basilica on campus as well.

When Billboard releases next week’s album chart, Taylor Swift’s Folklore will easily be top-ranked.

Republic Records indicated that Swifties bought more than 1.3 million copies of Folklore on Friday. It streamed 35 million times at Apple Music. Spotify reported the album was streamed in the first 24 hours more than 80 million times.

That’s more than any other female artist. The previous record was held by Ariana Grande for thank u, next with 70 million streams in 24 hours. Ari surpassed Taylor’s record for Lover with 55 million first-day streams. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Ed Sheeran tells the Irish Mirror that he did not know he was going to be a pop star until high school. “I wasn’t really that into music as a kid. I went to high school and picked up a guitar. And then suddenly I started making friends, getting girlfriends, playing in bands and having fun. It made me feel good and I decided I wanted to do it as a job. I did wedding bands for a while, and that paid the rent. I just wanted to play music as a job. It snowballed and I started aiming for things and working harder.”

In her fourth day on the stand in Johnny Depp‘s libel suit, Amber Heard said the actor is a “remarkable man” when he’s “clean and sober” but the “other side of him was a monster.”

Amber said she had been “so in love” with Johnny and had “always held out hope” that he would get sober.

The British court also heard text messages to her mother in 2013 when Amber described Johnny as “violent and crazy” and said, “I’m heartbroken that this is who I love.”

And according to written testimony, Amber’s sister “begged” the actress not to marry Johnny. Her younger sibling also said she saw him punch her “really hard” during an argument.

Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater” in an old article.

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Taylor Swift has been quiet during lockdown, but she’s also been busy — working on an album that she dropped Thursday night.

Tay confirmed the release of Folklore, saying “Most of the things I had planned this summer didn’t end up happening, but there is something I hadn’t planned on that DID happen. And that thing is my 8th studio album, Folklore.”

The 16-song album contains collaborations with some guys Taylor calls her “musical heroes” — Jack Antonoff, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner, the frontman of alt-rockers The National.

A video for “Cardigan” will also arrived Thursday night.

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Disney has indefinitely postponed the release of Mulan and pushed back the release of new installments in the Avatar and Star Wars franchises. The Avatar sequel will now debut in 2022 instead of 2021, while the first installment in an untitled Star Wars series has moved from 2022 to 2023. (NBC News)

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If you’re feeling nestalgic, Mark-Paul Gosselaar will watch and dissect the first season of Saved by the Bell in a new weekly podcast Zack to the Future. (Variety) Mark-Paul played the main character, Zach Morris.

When did you discover the music that “defines” you? A new study from the University of Westminster and City University of London found that the music you listen to and enjoy between the ages of 10 and 30 typically defines the kind of music you listen to and enjoy for the rest of your life. (The Ladders)

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A recent study says one-third of men said they have never done this basic household chore … can you guess what it is? According to a study of men and women in the U.S., Australia, and the UK, 32% of men said they have NEVER changed the bed sheets. And the study found that men in the U.S. were the worst offenders. The study also revealed that 53% of men admitted they have done a chore badly on purpose … you know, so they wouldn’t be asked to do it again. 66% of the women surveyed said they do the majority of — or all – the household chores. (The Ladders)

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Well, Baseball did it. They actually started their 2020 season yesterday with a couple of games, albeit there was quite a thunderstorm in the middle of the Nationals-Yankee game. It felt like a weird omen for the rest of the season. Sports fans are hoping the games continue, but one anonymous player isn’t so hopeful, predicting that players will ruin the season by hanging out with female guests with the virus, which could lead to teammates and coaches getting it as well, and once a majority of a team has it, the whole season will likely shut down. In fact, during Tuesday testing, a member of the Washington Nationals received news just hours before the game last night, two days later, that he tested posted. The player spent the days prior to Thursday with teammates.

Mariah Carey just finished writing a new memoir and it seems like Eminem‘s sweating over it.

US Weekly reports that Marshall is worried that Mimi may have slandered him and spilled the tea on their past relationship. While he’s usually thick-skinned and expects the hate to some degree, an unnamed source claims he’s panicked that she’ll say he was bad in bed or a selfish lover, two of his biggest insecurities that she’s apparently well aware of.

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I guess this is sort of a music movie. Right? The new Bill & Ted Face the Music film will skip the classic theatrical route and debut on premium VOD and in any cinemas willing to play the threequel on September 1st. Orion Pictures confirmed the move Thursday. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are set to reprise their roles as Theodore “Ted” Logan and William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq. The picture was originally set to open in theaters on August 21st.

In her third day on the stand in Johnny Depp‘s libel suit, Amber Heard dropped a few more bombshells.

The actress told a British court that Depp threw about 30 bottles at her “like grenades” during what she called a “three-day hostage situation.” She says they “were in an argument about whether he was going to drink the liquor.”

Amber claimed that Johnny assaulted her more than a dozen times during their relationship, which ended in divorce in 2017.

She also said Depp “ripped my shirt and threw me across the room” during Thanksgiving in 2015, and that he head-butted her the night before she appeared on James Corden’s The Late Late Show in 2015.

Depp is suing The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater” in an old article.

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Kim Kardashian West is speaking out about what her husband has been going through. She posted a statement to Instagram Stories acknowledging Kanye West’s recent struggles with mental health.

The short version: She says Yeezy lives with bi-polar disorder, which can be “incredibly complicated and painful to understand.” She says she’s never spoken up before because she wanted to respect her family’s right to privacy. Kim understands that he’s subject to criticism as a public figure but asks for compassion and empathy.

She notes that because he’s not a minor, she is “powerless” to control him. This seemingly confirms his tweeted-and-deleted posts about how she sent two doctors on a plane to try and place a 51-50 hold on him.

She says, “Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions… Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas.”

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Congratulations to Demi Lovato, who is engaged to marry actor Max Ehrich.

He proposed Wednesday evening following a romantic dinner. Max got down on one knee at a Malibu beach and popped the question. A friend told People magazine that Max bought the diamond after dating just two months and then waited to pop the question while the ring was being designed. (E! News)

If you’re not out doing any winery tours lately, you can still have a little gourmet moment at home with wine and cheese. CheezIt has developed boxed wine and cracker combo packs, and apparently its been going on since before the pandemic. I can’t believe I missed it! This year, it’s a box of rosé alongside CheezIt White Cheddar crackers. The limited-edition wine and cracker combo-pack, which goes on sale today for $29.99, holds a three-liter box of House Wine Rosé and about 20 servings of Cheez-It White Cheddar crackers. You can get your combo-pack at OriginalHouseWine.com. (USA Today)

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The Journal Times says the Illinois State Police recently arrested a Des Plaines, Illinois man for driving 100 mph on I-94. An officer chased down Tomasz J. Ruszkowski after he saw him swerve and nearly hit other cars and concrete barriers. Tomaz said he was blind and was driving because God was guiding him and showing him the way. Officers found drugs in Tomaz’s car before charging him with recklessly endangering safety, resisting an officer, disorderly conduct and possession.

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And, in case you are a sports fan, today’s a big day. Major League Baseball kicks off tonight at 7 as the World Series Champion Washington Nationals take on the Yankees, and later tonight the Dodgers will take on the rival San Francisco Giants. The Detroit Tigers will play tomorrow. You can bet those games will be allllllll over TV and radio.

Congratulations to Demi Lovato, who is engaged to marry actor Max Ehrich.

He proposed Wednesday evening following a romantic dinner. Max got down on one knee at a beach in Malibu and popped the question. A friend told People magazine that Max bought the diamond after dating just two months. Then waited to propose while jewelry designer Peter Marco competed the costume engagement ring. (People)

Demi shared an adorable photo at Instagram and wrote “My birth dad always called me his ‘little partner.’ Something that might’ve sounded strange without his southern cowboy-like accent. To me it made perfect sense. And today, that word makes perfect sense. I’m officially going to be someone else’s partner.”

Demi expressed her excitement to “start a family and life” with Max Ehrich. (E! News)

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On her 28th birthday, Selena Gomez was the one to deliver gifts. She created one of the largest corporate funds supporting mental health.

She announced that her Rare Beauty brand will earmark $100 million for mental health services. The fund will be financed from one-percent of Rare Beauty sales. This the Rare Impact Fund will target under-served communities.

She wrote at Instagram on Wednesday, “We want to give back to our community and further support people who needed access to mental health services, which have had a profound impact on my life.”

Selena has shared her many diagnoses, which include bi-polar disorder, anxiety, depression and the auto-immune disease Lupus. (The Hollywood Reporter)

In her second day on the stand, Amber Heard admitted to punching Johnny Depp to stop him from pushing her sister down the stairs.

Amber told the British court that at the time she had remembered a “rumor” he had done the same to Kate Moss. The actress said that this “information” was “fresh in my mind” during the alleged 2015 incident, and she reacted “in a flash” to protect her sibling.

This came during her second day on the stand in her ex-husband’s libel suit against The Sun newspaper over a 2018 article that described him as a “wife beater.”

Amber also claimed that Johnny had punched her “for years,” and “for years I had never even hit him.” She added, “I never so much as landed a blow and I will never forget this incident… It was the first time after all these years (I hit him).”

Johnny denies ever hitting Amber.

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Alex Trebek says he plans to keep on hosting Jeopardy as long as his health will allow him, and when he starts taping the show again in a few weeks, the set will have some very noticeable changes.

Social distancing is a top priority on the show, so the new set will allow for more space between the contestants. Trebek told Good Morning America, “We’ve redesigned our set to separate the contestants and myself a little bit more from them. So we’re taking all kinds of precautions. Our testing procedure now is done online.” He adds that he will tape five shows a day, two days a week and without a studio audience. “If it’s too much for me, we can always cut back a little bit, maybe do four a day.”

Trebek, who turns 80 today, released his memoir, The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, yesterday.

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The Daily Star says Kanye West is hiding out in a bunker at his home in Wyoming. A source tells the newspaper,  “There’s an underground bunker, a panic room originally built for the family to go to in an emergency, stocked up with food. Kanye’s surrounded himself with a small group of people he trusts, and he doesn’t trust Kim or her family.”

A source tells The Sun newspaper that Kim and Kanye are fighting. “Since lockdown they’ve had daily bust-ups over literally everything. Mainly about the kids, their future, and the different directions they’re going in. They’ve barely had a functioning marriage for the last year and Kim has been finding living with him too difficult. He’s very demanding and always obsessed with one of his schemes — she’s exhausted.”