We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a significant development from the courtroom, Kenneth Ellis Wetherington, aged 60, will serve 14 months in federal prison upon conviction for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. This major announcement came from John P. Heekin, the United States Attorney for Florida’s Northern District.
U.S. Attorney Heekin emphasized the importance of this sentencing, stating, “Removing weapons from the grasp of notorious criminals, such as this repeat offender, is vital for community safety. My office remains committed to zealously pursuing prosecutions of this nature, ensuring our citizens enjoy the protection and peace they rightly deserve.”
Initial Arrest Details
The arrest unfolded around 10:15 p.m. on November 21, 2025, when officers from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at a scene on NW 9th Terrace responding to a gunfire report. Eyewitnesses recounted that shots were discharged from a parking lot adjacent to 102 NW 9th Terrace, with one observer noting that Wetherington engaged in a heated dispute with an unidentified male before ultimately discharging a pistol.
Officers made contact with Wetherington at his apartment in the building where the shots were reported, and a witness said Wetherington had admitted that he had a gun during the argument and had fired several shots. Three .40 S&W Federal shell casings were reportedly found in the parking lot.
A search warrant for Wetherington’s apartment was obtained, and officers reportedly found a handgun loaded with six .40 S&W Federal rounds that matched the shell casings recovered outside.
An additional loaded magazine for the handgun was also reportedly found, along with a broken shotgun, 28 rounds of .40 S&W Federal ammunition, and 26 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. Wetherington is not permitted to have any firearms or ammunition because he has eleven felony convictions, including a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“This sentence is a reminder that there are consequences for violating the law,” said Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to hold those who illegally possess firearms accountable and help keep our community safe.”
The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
PEEKSKILL, New York — Doreen Hodge found herself at a discount supermarket on an unplanned errand Monday afternoon. Although it wasn’t her original intention, the Peekskill, New York resident felt the trip to a budget-friendly store was necessary amidst today’s soaring grocery prices.
“The cost of groceries has shot up everywhere,” Hodge shared with ABC News. “I just came to this store on the off chance that what I wanted might be cheaper here.”
Food prices have become a focal point in the 2024 presidential race, and they continue to be a pivotal issue as the midterm elections draw near.
Reflecting back two years, then-President Donald Trump, in his campaign for a second term, stood in front of his country club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Flanked by tables loaded with recognizable food brands—from cereal to deli meats, milk, eggs, baby formula, and bread—Trump took the opportunity to criticize then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris for the escalating costs of everyday goods.
Elizabeth Martínez pushes a shopping cart through a grocery store aisle on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Cleveland, Texas.Sandy Guatibonza/La Esquina TX via AP
“Young people are suffering greatly due to the actions taken by this administration. Grocery prices have skyrocketed,” Trump declared during that address.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that grocery prices nationwide rose 2.7% over the year ending in July, the most recent month on record, which amounts to triple the year-over-year grocery inflation at the time of Trump’s 2024 address in Bedminster.
Food prices remain top of mind for many Americans. An Associated Press-NORC poll released in early August found that two-thirds of adults disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
That same poll found that 41% of Americans said they were concerned about being able to afford groceries over the next few months, up from 24% in April. Nearly half of Americans said the cost of groceries was a major source of stress.
Shopper frustration is more complicated than a glance at the latest inflation data, however, since many people react to an accumulated change in prices on store shelves, David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, told ABC News.
Over a five-year stretch since a pandemic-induced bout of acute inflation, grocery prices have increased more than 20%, most of which took place between 2021 and 2022, a period when Biden occupied the White House, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.
Outrage among consumers stems in part from the impact of those long-term price increases, in addition to a rekindling of grocery inflation since Trump took office, according to Ortega.
“The reality is the price level today is significantly higher than it was pre-COVID,” he said.
“We were able to make a lot of progress in bringing that rate of inflation for food down, but what we’ve seen in the past couple of years is food inflation has started to pick up again,” Ortega added.
And shoppers are noticing.
“We’re spending a lot of money but leaving with smaller bags,” shopper Aaron Thevenin told ABC News while leaving a grocery store in West Haverstraw, New York.
“You spend like almost double what you were planning to spend,” Lori Tetro of Cortlandt Manor, New York, said.
Peekskill, West Haverstraw and Cortlandt Manor all sit within New York’s 17th Congressional District, an area covering multiple suburbs north of New York City that is split relatively evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
Control of Congress could come down to districts like the 17th, which is currently represented by Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. He has co-introduced a number of bipartisan grocery-related bills during his time in Congress, including the Lower Grocery Prices Act in 2025 and the No Rigged Grocery Prices Act in May.
Cait Conley, the Democratic candidate who is taking on Lawler in the 17th District, is pointing to rising supermarket bills as one of the reasons why voters should consider flipping the seat.
“You’re watching families have to make tradeoffs between filling up the grocery cart and the gas tank,” Conley told ABC News.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said Monday that Trump is “laser focused on bringing down the cost for everybody” and that he hopes that a coalition of nations working together to help resolve the war in Iran will lower grocery prices.
The White House, in a statement to ABC News on Thursday, said that the president has “implemented policies that have brought prices of key essentials ranging from prescription drugs to eggs to auto insurance down in historic ways.”
“The Administration remains focused on delivering more relief for American families, and as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz normalizes, energy prices — and thus overall inflation — will continue cooling again,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in the statement.
The Trump administration issued a statement in early August noting that “private sector companies are responding to President Trump’s call by delivering tangible price reductions on everyday goods and services — putting money back in the pockets of American workers and families.”
To Americans like Hodge, high grocery prices are continuing to shape their everyday shopping decisions.
“It’s terrible, but you do what you have to do,” Hodge said. “We all have to eat.”
Nigerian singer Seyi Vibez recently took down social media posts about renowned celebrity chef Hilda Baci. This action came after Baci’s legal team issued a formal request demanding their removal.
Known off-stage as Afolabi Oluwaseyi Balogun, Seyi Vibez originally shared these controversial posts on August 14, 2026. The comments quickly attracted attention, igniting discussions across various social media platforms.
In response to the legal notice from Baci’s representatives, Vibez opted to delete the posts, effectively putting an end to the digital discourse that had been brewing since their publication.
Nigerian singer Seyi Vibez has removed social media posts he made about celebrity chef Hilda Baci after her legal representatives issued a formal demand letter.
The singer, whose real name is Afolabi Oluwaseyi Balogun, had taken to social media on August 14, 2026, with two posts concerning Hilda Baci, sparking reactions among social media users.
In one of the posts, Seyi Vibez wrote: “Na Hilda Baci BBL all una catalogue money dey go All of una Dey craze and una mama.” He later made another post referencing the chef’s food.
The singer’s remarks came amid an ongoing dispute involving his former record label boss, Dapper, which had generated discussions within the Nigerian entertainment industry.
However, the situation took a legal turn on August 15, when Lagos-based law firm Olaniwun Ajayi LP issued a demand letter to Seyi Vibez on behalf of Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci.
In the letter, the law firm accused the singer’s posts of containing defamatory and malicious content and referenced possible breaches of provisions of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
Among the demands made by Hilda Baci’s legal team was the immediate removal of the posts from Seyi Vibez’s social media accounts.
The singer was also asked to issue a public apology and retract the statements across his social media platforms. His legal representatives further demanded that he urge his followers to refrain from harassing or targeting Hilda Baci.
The letter reportedly gave Seyi Vibez three days to provide a written undertaking confirming compliance with the demands.
The legal team warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated period could lead to further legal action without additional notice.
Following the development, Seyi Vibez has since taken down the posts relating to Hilda Baci, drawing fresh attention to the dispute online.
See post below:
As I see the letter laugh won kill me
— SWAGUU (@seyi_vibez) August 19, 2026
Read some comments below:
@michael._u observed:”He know say if he no comot am he for pay wetin no good. He reason the settings well. 😄”
@juliet_ifediba added:”Good cos wetin bring Hilda baci for una record label matter”
@olu_beccah wrote:”Take ham play first 😂”
@prettypreshy4 commented:”You can’t talk down on a lady who pushed herself hard to this level”
@mojotalkss said:”Good 👍🏿👍🏿 They are trying to water down Hilda’s hard work”
China is exploring the potential of turning the Arctic’s icy expanse into a strategic trade corridor, initiating a regular seasonal container service to Europe via Russia’s northern routes. This venture underscores the strengthening commercial and military ties between Beijing and Moscow at a time when the region’s strategic importance is rising in U.S. security considerations.
Though the operation is relatively modest, with only about eight voyages scheduled for this season, the implications are substantial. According to China analyst Gordon Chang, the significance extends far beyond the current volume of containers being shipped.
Chang elaborated in an interview, “China’s strategic interests in the Arctic are growing for multiple reasons. As Arctic ice recedes, the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s coast is becoming operationally feasible for some months during summer.”
Navigating along this route, Russian vessels traverse the Arctic waters, linking the shipping lanes of Europe and Asia along Russia’s northern shoreline.(East2West news)
On August 15, the Sea Legend Shipping’s Dubai Tower set sail from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port en route to Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route. The voyage to Felixstowe, England, is expected to take approximately 20 days, as reported by China Daily on August 17.
The move comes as a new U.S. congressional commission staff report warns that Russia’s increasing isolation and dependence on Beijing are giving China greater leverage — including greater access to the Arctic.
Chang warned that Washington needs a stronger physical presence in response. “We need to be in the Arctic, and President Trump has authorized more icebreakers,” he told News Media. “We are woefully short in that department.”
A banner reading “Warmly Congratulate the first annual voyage of the China-Europe Arctic Container Route at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in 2026,” is displayed on a container at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Ningbo, China, on Aug. 15, 2026. (CN-STR/AFP via Getty Images)
A White House official told News Media on background, “The Arctic is a critical region for U.S. national security and the economy. As an Arctic nation, the United States will pursue its security and economic interests and ensure safety, stability, and prosperity in the face of growing competition from China and Russia.”
A fact sheet released Aug. 20 by staff of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic isolation from the West have “compelled Russia to accept a greater Chinese presence in the Arctic,” a region Moscow has traditionally regarded as central to its sovereignty and national security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast at the Kremlin in Moscow, March 21, 2023.(Pavel Byrkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
The report said Chinese state-owned enterprises now hold a combined 20% stake in the U.S.- and EU-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, while China and Russia are developing year-round commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route. The two countries have also established a joint venture to manufacture ice-class container vessels, with the first ship planned to enter service in 2027.
The Pentagon’s 2024 Arctic Strategy similarly said changing climate conditions are increasing accessibility in the region while China seeks greater influence and access there. The strategy identified Beijing’s proposed “Polar Silk Road” as a vehicle for infrastructure and natural-resource investments in the Arctic and warned that growing cooperation between China and Russia could “‘alter the Arctic’s stability and threat picture.’”
For China-Europe commerce, the Northern Sea Route offers a radically different path from the traditional westbound journey through the Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea and Suez Canal.
“This of course avoids some choke points, like the Strait of Malacca, the Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar,” Chang said. “So this is important for China.”
The new USCC report argues that China is increasingly benefiting from an asymmetric relationship in which Moscow needs Beijing more than Beijing needs Moscow. It says China has become indispensable to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, giving Beijing growing leverage to obtain discounted energy and greater access to Russian military technology while avoiding the obligations of a formal alliance.
Energy is a major part of that imbalance. According to the report, China accounts for roughly half of Russia’s crude oil exports, while Russian crude represents only about one-fifth of China’s oil imports. The report says China has purchased approximately $372 billion in Russian fossil fuels since the invasion of Ukraine.
The nuclear icebreaker Yakutia entes the Gulf of Finland for sea trials in St. Petersburg. With the capability to break through ice up to three meters thick, it plays a critical role in Russia’s Arctic strategy.(Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Moscow is now making increasingly aggressive use of the same Arctic passage to move oil east.
Reuters reported Aug. 11 that Russia had sent seven crude shipments totaling roughly 6 million barrels toward Asia through the Northern Sea Route so far this season, nearly half the amount transported during the entire 2025 season. China is the principal destination for those shipments, according to Reuters.
The growing Arctic activity comes as Washington has become increasingly concerned about Chinese and Russian cooperation close to Alaska.
Chang pointed to the Bering Strait — separating Russia from Alaska — as a strategic vulnerability even on the Arctic route.
The Russian Aframax tanker Ligovsky Prospect navigates waters along Russia’s Northern Sea Route.(Marinetraffic/east2west)
“There is one choke point though, which is of interest,” he said. “You have to go between Russia on the west and our 49th state on the east. And that gives the U.S. some leverage over here.”
The military relationship is also expanding. The new USCC fact sheet says China and Russia had participated in at least 119 combined military exercises as of April 2026, while their joint naval operations in July included submarine, anti-submarine and drone activity. It also noted that Chinese bombers entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone for the first time during a joint China-Russia bomber patrol in 2024.
For Chang, the issue extends beyond whether the Northern Sea Route itself ever becomes a competitor to Suez.
“There are some U.S. national security strategists who say, ‘Oh, the Arctic is a distraction. There are more important places in the world,’” Chang said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with their delegations, hold talks at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Oct. 18, 2023.(Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via Reuters)
“But even more important, regardless of what one thinks of the importance of the Arctic, the Chinese and the Russians are pressing us in the Arctic,” he added. “So we’ve got no choice to respond. Whether we think the Arctic is strategic or not, the Chinese and Russians are there in force. We have to be there too.”
News Media has reached out to the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington and the White House for comment.
The Australian government expressed “outrage” over Israel’s recent decision not to initiate criminal proceedings in the case of slain Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom. This decision marks a significant downturn in diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Tensions between Australia and Israel have been on the rise for nearly three years. While Australia initially supported Israel following the October 7 attacks, recent developments have led to a shift. The Australian government has imposed sanctions on certain Israeli officials and officially recognized a Palestinian state.
Addressing the current state of Australian-Israeli relations, Wong acknowledged the partnership is enduring a “difficult time.”
She said the federal government only became aware of the decision moments before it was publicly announced, and it was “especially insulting” to Frankcom’s family that it came on World Humanitarian Day, a point echoed by Zomi’s brother Mal in a statement.
The Greens called for the Israeli ambassador, Hillel Newman, who was summoned by the government for an explanation on Thursday, to be expelled.
Opposition defence spokesperson James Paterson said the news was “incredibly concerning”, but he needed to receive a full briefing before making further comment.
Frankcom and her colleagues were travelling in a marked aid convoy in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, when they were hit by three Israeli drone strikes on 1 April 2024.
The Israeli military initially said the convoy had been mistaken for a group of Hamas fighters before later acknowledging the vehicles had been misidentified and there had been serious failures in the decision-making leading to the attack.
A low point in relations
Australia and Israel have historically enjoyed warm relations, with Australia supporting Israel at international forums such as the United Nations.
The Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade states in a current country briefing on its website that “Australia and Israel share a close relationship with significant people-to-people links and broad commercial engagement.”
There have been previous periods of tension, most notably in 2010, when then-prime minister Kevin Rudd expelled an Israeli diplomat after Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad was accused of ‘misusing’ Australian passports for agents involved in the assassination of a senior Hamas operative in Dubai.
But Ian Parmeter, a research scholar in Middle Eastern affairs at the Australian National University and a former diplomat, said Israel’s response to the Hamas October 7 attacks had seen the relationship sink to new depths.
“I think at this stage you can judge it to be the worst that it’s been,” he told SBS News.
“With the terrible pictures that we were seeing on the television screens of Palestinian civilians being killed by Israeli bombs, there was a substantial deterioration in the Australian public’s attitude towards Israel, and the Australian government started to reflect that.”
Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its 7 October 2023 attack, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza, with 73,000 people killed in the territory, according to the Gaza health ministry.
A tentative ceasefire was reached in October last year, but both sides have accused each other of breaching it. More than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since it came into effect.
How did we get here?
Parmeter said Australia’s position had progressively hardened as the war continued.
According to a study by the US-based Pew Research Center study published in June, 79 per cent of Australians held an unfavourable view of Israel, up five percentage points from a year earlier.
As Israel’s military operations in Gaza expanded, the federal government increasingly emphasised the protection of civilians, allowing humanitarian access and the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
In December 2023, Australia voted at the United Nations in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, a move criticised by Israel and a shift from Australia’s previous decision to abstain.
Throughout 2024, Australia increasingly backed calls for a ceasefire, Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution.
Frankcom’s killing in April 2024 became another major point of tension, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for “full accountability” from Israel.
By July, Australia, Canada and New Zealand had issued a joint statement describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and saying Israel needed to listen to international concerns about civilian protection.
In September 2024, Wong addressed the United Nations General Assembly about the deteriorating situation in Gaza, including the deaths of more than 11,000 children and the risk of food insecurity for two million people.
“Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas,” she said.
“All lives have equal value.”
In June 2025, Australia announced, also in a joint statement with four other nations, financial sanctions and travel bans against Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally criticised Albanese, describing him as a “weak politician” who had “betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews”.
“This was pretty strong stuff,” Parmeter said.
“I’ve not seen that sort of personal abuse come from the leader of a nominally friendly country towards an Australian leader in my time over the past 50 years.”
Albanese did not directly respond to the criticism, but Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Netanyahu had “lashed out” at countries which had shown support for Palestinian statehood.
“Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,” he said.
The relationship was further strained after the Bondi Beach shooting, in which gunmen killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah event in an alleged terrorist attack last December.
Netanyahu accused Albanese of pouring “fuel on the antisemitism fire” by recognising a Palestinian state and failing to act against antisemitism.
“You took no action. You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” he said at the time.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia in February was seen by some analysts as an opportunity to reset relations but was met with widespread protests, underscoring the depth of public opposition to Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
The tensions between the two countries returned to the fore on Thursday following Wong’s comments.
The federal government has so far stopped short of expelling the Israeli ambassador or other diplomats, but it could take further steps to pressure Israel, including imposing additional sanctions or reducing the level of diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
“We’ll have to see if any of them are taken,” Parmeter said.
How does Israel see Australia?
Dr Ran Porat, from the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University and a research affiliate at the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, told SBS News that from Israel’s perspective, Australia was “walking away from its support of Israel” and abandoning shared values around combating extremism.
“Over the last five years, and especially after October 7, we’ve seen a shift from the Australian government distancing itself from at least the current Israeli government in a series of decisions that started with the cancellation of the recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”
Despite the deterioration in relations, Porat said strong ties remained between Israel and Australia, with much of the current tension stemming from the relationship between the two governments.
Israel is due to hold elections in October, with Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition trailing in the polls, raising the prospect of a reset in relations if a new government is elected.
“I’m hopeful that the countries can go back to the strong ties between themselves, because the platform for that exists,” Porat said.
Parmeter noted that relations between Israel and Australia remained strong at the community level, with the Australian Jewish community playing a key role.
“There always is the opportunity for basically restoring a good sense of relationship between countries, and that well may happen,” he said.
“In diplomacy you never say never.”
Whatever happens after Israel’s next election, the Frankcom case is likely to remain a sore point in the relationship.
On Thursday afternoon, Wong said the Australian government did not have confidence in the IDF’s internal investigations, which had left “many unanswered questions”.
“We will consult with Zomi Frankcom’s family before we announce further steps,” she said.
Wong also called on Israel to apologise to Frankcom’s family.
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, expressed sorrow over Frankcom’s death on Thursday but stopped short of an apology, saying it could have “legal ramifications”.
This weekend promises a thrill-packed lineup with exciting new releases hitting various streaming platforms. Netflix thrills viewers with fresh episodes of the fan-favorite series Outer Banks, marking its season finale. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien takes audiences on a global adventure through his engaging HBO Max series, Conan O’Brien Must Go. Over on Hulu, one of the year’s standout films, The Christophers, is now available for streaming, captivating audiences with its intriguing narrative.
If you’re overwhelmed by the influx of choices and unsure of what to stream, Decider is your dependable guide to the must-see releases and their respective streaming homes this weekend.
New Movies & Shows To Stream This Weekend: Outer Banks, Conan O’Brien Must Go, The Christophers + More
This week, Netflix bids farewell to the Pogues as Outer Banks returns for its fifth and concluding season. HBO Max welcomes back the entertaining journey of Conan O’Brien Must Go, the travel series we all adore. Additionally, Hulu offers a cinematic treat with Steven Soderbergh’s exceptional drama The Christophers, starring renowned actors Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen, whose performances anchor the captivating storyline.
New on Netflix August 20: Outer Banks (Season 5)
This week marks a poignant conclusion as Outer Banks unveils its fifth and final season. The story resumes with the Pogues reeling from the tragic loss of JJ, portrayed by Rudy Pankow, who was shockingly killed by his father in Morocco during the climax of the previous season. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, they embark on a perilous mission to retrieve a stolen artifact believed to possess the power to resurrect the deceased. Fans can dive into all ten episodes of this gripping finale, available since Thursday.
In Conan O’Brien Must Go, the comedian and talk show host brings his absurd, irreverent humor on a trip around the world. Each episode focuses on O’Brien as he visits a new country, in this season, they’re the Netherlands, the Philippines, Morocco and India, and showing up, sometimes iunnanounced, on the doorstep of his fans. A new episode will arrive every Friday for the next four weeks.
The Christophers is the latest film from director Steven Soderbergh, and it’s one of two great films starring Michaela Coel that are now streaming this week, and both happen to share similar themes. In The Christophers, which just came out on Hulu, Coel stars as an art restorer who is hired by the children of a famous artist, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) to complete (er, forge) a series of Sklar’s works called The Christophers, as the artist himself refuses to finish them. The chemistry between Coel and McKellen is electric as they verbally spar, first as adversaries and then eventually as equals with mutual respect for each other. Coel shares a similar contentious artistic connection with Anne Hathaway in Mother Mary, which also arrives this week to HBO Max. Double feature time!
Full List of New Movies and Shows on Streaming This Weekend:
The options above only scratch the surface, so you know that this weekend’s full lineup will have amazing options for what to watch this weekend! For the full breakdown of the best movies and shows to stream now, or if you’re still undecided on what to stream this weekend, then check out the complete list below:
New on Netflix – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
Blood Sacrifice (SE) *NETFLIX SERIES
Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten (TH) *NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Outer Banks: Season 5 *NETFLIX SERIES
S&X (JP) *NETFLIX SERIES
Released Friday, August 21
Facing El Chapo (MX) *NETFLIX FILM
Released Sunday, August 23
Talamasca: The Secret Order: Season 1
New on Prime Video – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: The Wolf in Winter (2026) *Prime Video Original Movie
WNBA on Prime (2026) *Prime Video Live Sports
Yankees on Prime (2026) *Prime Video Live Sports
Released Friday, August 21
Back to the 90s (2026) *Prime Video Original Movie
Good Fortune (2025)
NWSL on Prime (2026) *Prime Video Live Sports
Released Saturday, August 22
WNBA on Prime (2026) *Prime Video Live Sports
New on Hulu – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
Biography: WWE Legends: Complete Seasons 1,2 and 4
Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers In America: Complete Season 1
LION: Complete Season 1 (National Geographic)
Released Saturday, August 22
9/11: Reunited: Complete Season 1 (National Geographic)
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Elevation (2024)
My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?: Complete Seasons 3-4
MythBusters: Complete Seasons 6-7
The Christophers (2025)
Released Sunday, August 23
Beast Mode (2020)
New on HBO Max – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
ER: Caught On Camera, Season 1 (TLC)
Expedition X, Season 12 (Discovery)
Released Friday, August 21
Conan O’Brien Must Go, Season 3 (HBO Original)
Mother Mary (A24)
Released August 22
Abbott Elementary, Season 5
New on Disney+ – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
Hulu Throwbacks Podcast – New Episode | High School Musical
Banana Ball – Coconuts vs. Bananas (ESPN2) – 8 pm ET
Flex X Cop (Season 2) – New Episode
LEGO Disney Princess: Magical Mayhem – Premiere – All Episodes Streaming
Released Saturday, August 22
9/11 Reunited – Premiere – All Episodes Streaming
Banana Ball – Coconuts vs. Bananas (ESPN2) – 8 pm ET
Big City Greens (Season 5) – Five-Episode Premiere
Flex X Cop (Season 2) – New Episode
Locker Diaries: Descendants: Shorts (Season 1) – New Episodes
New on Apple TV – Full List
Released Friday, August 21
The Dynasty: UCONN Huskies
Stillwater (Season 5)
New on Starz – Full List
Released Friday, August 21
Fightland: Season 1 – Episode 4
New on Paramount+ with Showtime – Full List
Released Saturday, August 22
The Harvest*
The Run For A Million** (CBS Special)
Released Sunday, August 23
The Cured*
New on Peacock – Full List
Released Thursday, August 20
The Valley, Season 3 – Reunion Part 3 (Bravo)
We Are Pat
Released Friday, August 21
She Dances
The 355*
What Else Is Streaming New This August?
What you see above is just a portion of the new movies and shows you can watch this month if you’ve got more than one streaming service subscription. We update our guides to the new releases on the most popular streaming platforms every month, so you can stay on top of the freshest titles to watch. Here are full lists, schedules, and reviews for everything streaming:
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
Dubbed the “freedom flight” reversal by many, the surprising decision by Harry and Meghan to make their way back to Britain signals another complex phase for the British monarchy.
While the official statements sweetly note that the King is naturally pleased to have the opportunity for more private family time with the Sussexes, behind closed doors, there’s undoubtedly a mix of steely apprehension and diplomatic smiles within royal circles.
Repairing familial bonds from across the Atlantic is one thing, but managing the dynamics when the entire Sussex family appears unexpectedly with a cheerful “howdy Grandpa!” in their home turf, especially given the current fragility of family ties, is an entirely different challenge.
The news, strategically released by Team Sussex to select sympathetic journalists worldwide, has ignited countless discussions, with a surge of online criticism aimed at King Charles. Some accuse him of enabling his younger son’s return at the expense of his rightful successor.
Public opinion is divided, with some viewing him as feeble and easily influenced, while intriguingly, others see him as covertly collaborating with the Sussexes.
It has sparked distasteful speculation about King Charles’s health and whether Harry has taken a decision to ‘shore up’ his position before it is too late.
For the record, although gruelling at times, doctors have been delighted at the progress of his cancer treatment, which has been drastically scaled back and is currently being administered on a precautionary basis.
Sources have scoffed at renewed claims that the King’s right-hand man, Sir Clive Alderton, is leaving as private secretary to the King and Queen because of his opposition to any reunion – calling it ‘another mad conspiracy theory’.
Indeed, I can reveal that Sir Clive was actually integral to last month’s meeting between Harry and his father, despite being the victim of so much of the prince’s ire in recent years.
The bombshell decision by Harry and Meghan to move back to Britain heralds another supremely tricky moment for the British monarchy, writes Rebecca English
There has been a deafening silence from the Prince and Princess of Wales
The news has sparked distasteful speculation about King Charles’s health and whether Harry has taken a decision to ‘shore up’ his position before it is too late
And yet it seems quite remarkable, does it not, that Harry brought his family to meet with his father for the first time in four years at Highgrove in early July and never thought even to mention that this plan was even on his radar?
But that, my sources insist, is the truth of it. Not once was the issue raised or discussed, they say. And the move has now been presented to the sovereign as a fait accompli.
It seems even stranger if what another source has told me is true: that Meghan privately visited two potential schools in the Cotswolds region for Archie and Lilibet during their visit here – and they had already earmarked a potential home belonging to a celebrity (for the record, I have not been able to independently verify either of these claims).
So while Harry has made no secret of his desire to spend more time in the UK moving forwards, it’s fair to say that this week’s news that a wholesale return to his country of birth will happen within days – a place which, not so long ago, he was arguing was too dangerous to bring his family to at all – has come as a huge shock to the wider royal household.
Reactions range from the amused (downright hilarity at the claim that Harry and Meghan have just proved their ‘half in/ half out’ model of monarchy can work… ‘surely their return is proof that it hasn’t!’), to the fearful.
Sources have scoffed at renewed claims that the King’s right-hand man, Sir Clive Alderton, is leaving as private secretary because of his opposition to any reunion
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the Sussexes’ announcement, and there was an equally deafening silence from Kensington Palace.
Indeed, sources have long made clear the Waleses have no interest in engaging with anything Harry and Meghan do or say.
Meanwhile, there is a concern that back in the UK and in such close proximity to working members of the Royal Family, every move by the Sussexes will be dissected for the slightest hint of a return to official roles and provide a constant distraction to the real working royals’ public labours.
For the avoidance of doubt, sources insist, the couple will not be undertaking any royal duties. The King, they say, is absolutely adamant on this.
His only interest is protecting and prioritising what’s right for the monarchy and, particularly, what is right for his relationship with the Prince of Wales, says a friend.
The Waleses are working royals and future monarchs. Harry and Meghan are not. And William’s feelings must and will be respected, I am told.
Needless to say, the Prince of Wales – currently holidaying with his family and the King at Balmoral – has no desire whatsoever to reconcile will his brother, as it stands. And few can blame him.
Other family members have long memories when it comes to Harry’s behaviour, particularly the disrespect they feel he showed to the late Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, in their latter years. And they may well be reluctant to play happy families again.
There are others in royal circles with personal experience of dealing with the Sussexes who say they just can’t shake the feeling ‘there is more to this than we know’. ‘There always is with them,’ one sighed.
There is also concern among some over the couple setting up some sort of ‘rival court’ to Buckingham and Kensington Palaces.
Since quitting royal duties, Harry, in particular, has become increasingly strident in his public announcements, even attacking US President Donald Trump just days before the monarch’s high-profile State Visit to the US earlier this year.
It is one thing for him to do this from the other side of the Atlantic when he has an arm’s-length relationship with his father, but quite another to take such pot shots from the bosom of the family again, with the potential for damaging diplomatic fall-out.
Yet the Palace believes people will understand that while Charles is a king and a sovereign, he is also a father and a grandfather, and it is possible for him to clearly delineate between the two.
A friend insists: ‘The King welcomes the opportunity to see more of his family but beyond that, his stance could not be more clear [when it comes to their public roles]. Nothing has changed.’
The difficulty, however, is that many fear – and would firmly object to – their closer proximity to the monarchy being used either as a backdoor entry by the Sussexes to public life, or as a way of burnishing their commercial credentials.
It is a tightrope the King and senior officials have no choice now but to tread.
In a fiery exchange this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a strong stance against CNN. The controversy erupted after the network attempted to undermine the figures presented in his new cooking series, which Kennedy claims are fundamentally flawed.
The Real Food Show, a venture by RFK aimed at teaching families how to prepare nutritious meals for less than $5 a serving, has drawn both praise and scrutiny. CNN, for reasons unclear, chose to question this positive initiative. They dispatched a reporter to purchase ingredients for one of the highlighted dishes, the Wild Alaskan Salmon Cakes, to put Kennedy’s claims to the test.
In a segment on “Erin Burnett OutFront,” reporter Tom Foreman recreated the dish from the show. He argued that the cost was not as feasible as Kennedy and his collaborating chef had indicated, creating a point of contention.
The broadcast featured a graphic that queried, “What does it really cost?” as Foreman expressed skepticism about the show’s “dubious claims.” The atmosphere was charged, adding a layer of drama to the report.
Foreman meticulously calculated the expenses of the recipe ingredients, pointing out a perceived inconsistency. He noted that Kennedy priced an individual egg rather than basing it on the full price of a dozen, suggesting a potential “trick” to lower the appearance of the cost.
Seriously. When calculating the cost of the meal, he claims that using only the cost of the one solitary egg in the recipe is some sort of arithmetic wizardry.
CNN remakes one of the “affordable” meals from RFK Jr.’s new cooking show. It should cost under $5 per serving, but what’s the real price point? @tomforemancnn reports. pic.twitter.com/7kvmaqa5cL
— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) August 20, 2026
It’s hard to believe Foreman and CNN put out this segment. How dumb do they think their viewers are? Do they honestly think they go to the grocery store and are beside themselves that they can’t just purchase one egg, or buy just a sliver of an onion?
Okay, well maybe there’s a chance. Their viewers certainly buy into some other stories CNN puts out, like Russia collusion and the vaccine prevents the spread of COVID. So, there’s that.
The crime here, aside from that goofy shirt Foreman is wearing, is that he’s presenting this as some wild conspiracy. Apparently, when Tom goes to a restaurant and orders a hamburger, he fully expects the place to charge for the bulk package of ground beef they bought, along with the entire package of rolls, a whole head of lettuce, an entire jar of mayo, etc.
RFK pointed out the logistics behind actual meal pricing in a social media jab at the show’s namesake.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome has so debilitated [Erin Burnett] that she has abandoned both common sense and basic arithmetic,” he wrote on X. “CNN wants us to incorporate the full package price of every ingredient, regardless of what is used in the recipe.”
“If you put a squirt of ketchup on your burger, would you be surprised if the restaurant charged you for the whole bottle?”
I sure would. Tom, in his pastel pinstriped shirt, not so much.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has so debilitated @ErinBurnett that she has abandoned both common sense and basic arithmetic.
CNN wants us to incorporate the full package price of every ingredient, regardless of what is used in the recipe.
If you put a squirt of ketchup on your… https://t.co/0vUy9yoJdC
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 21, 2026
Embedded tweet continues:
… burger, would you be surprised if the restaurant charged you for the whole bottle?
The Real Food Show uses standard recipe costing: we count what the recipe actually uses. The rest stays in your kitchen for the next meal—and the meals after that.
Our goal is simple: help Americans reclaim their kitchens, cook healthy food without breaking the bank, and stock their pantries with high-quality ingredients they can use again and again. That’s how we Make America Healthy Again.
What a concept. You put the bottle of avocado mayo back in the refrigerator and use it for other foods. Or, you use it strictly for that same recipe and make yourself about 38 Wild Alaskan Salmon Cakes.
Which, as a connoisseur of foods that are terrible for you, sounds awful. Though I’m certain my colleague Ward Clark would disagree.
It might be a step above RFK’s strict regimen of red meat and fermented vegetables, which Sec. of State Marco Rubio hilariously described as a “crazy diet” forcing him to lug around coolers full of “sauerkraut and meat.”
🤣 LMAO! Marco Rubio just dropped this hilarious response to Sec. RFK Jr.’s diet
Q: Have you adopted RFK’s diet of red meat and fermented vegetables?
RUBIO: “No! This is a CRAZY diet. This is a diet that consists of eating sauerkraut and meat. Now you understand like this is… pic.twitter.com/qgaMNjsIhu
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 11, 2026
I’m going with the President on this one. Give me McDonald’s and a Diet Coke every day of the week. Unlike CNN, I won’t, and most people probably wouldn’t, try to rain on the parade of someone trying to eat a little healthier.
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On Thursday, Liberia marked a significant diplomatic collaboration with the United States, welcoming the country’s inaugural deportation flight loaded with foreign nationals. This initiative is part of a broader agreement, allowing up to 1,200 individuals to be relocated to Liberia over the coming year.
Initially, Liberia anticipated receiving 20 deportees. However, the majority of those on the plane were nationals hailing from Latin American countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia, according to a statement from Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah to Reuters.
These individuals were deported to Liberia as a protective measure. Many were previously deemed at risk of facing torture or other forms of abuse if returned to their homelands, according to Liberian authorities. The nation, known for its tradition of offering refuge to the displaced, views the agreement as an extension of its humanitarian mission.
Migrants arriving in Liberia will have the liberty to leave the country if they wish or pursue formal asylum. They will also be offered assistance from the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations refugee agency, as reported by Reuters.
The first wave of 20 deportees was scheduled to touch down on Thursday, marking the start of this international cooperation. (REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon)
According to Reuters, the plane departed from Louisiana and stopped in Senegal before landing in Monrovia at 12:45 p.m. local time.
In a statement Tuesday, Liberia highlighted its history of accepting people “seeking refuge from political and other crises” and said it will not repatriate anyone until legal proceedings are complete.
“The Government of the Republic of Liberia agrees not to return any person transferred to Liberia by the Government of the United States of America to their home country or country of former habitual residence until a final decision has been made regarding any pending protection claims,” officials said.
“The Government wants to emphasize that those being brought to Liberia are not criminals and are not being prosecuted in any manner under United States or Liberian law. They are being received as guests of the Republic of Liberia,” officials said.
DHS TOUTS MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DEPARTURES AS BORDER CROSSINGS DROP 94% UNDER TRUMP
A plane carrying deportees from the United States arrives at Roberts International Airport, Harbel, near Monrovia, Liberia, August 20, 2026.(REUTERS/Carielle Doe)
Liberia said it is not demanding compensation under the deal but will receive “support to help manage the program and strengthen its migration system more broadly.”
Reuters said the U.S. awarded Liberia $5 million this year for “migration management activities.”
Liberia’s agreement to accept up to 1,200 deportees makes it one of the largest such deals on the African continent.
Security guards stand outside a building near Roberts International Airport as deportees from the United States arrive, in Harbel, near Monrovia, Liberia, August 20, 2026.(REUTERS/Carielle Doe)
The U.S. also reached agreements with several other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone, Reuters said.
A historic townhouse in the West Village, venerable at 189 years old, continues to captivate visitors with its storied past. This charming home has played host to an illustrious array of residents including the composer of “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, and the celebrity duo Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner. It even served as the backdrop for a notorious mob-run poker incident.
Now, the celebrated red-brick Georgian residence at 80 Washington Place embarks on a new journey as the venue for this year’s prestigious Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Recognized since 1973 as a leading event in high-end design circles, the showcase has raised over $33 million for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, echoing its influence in both philanthropy and upscale interior design.
This historic property is being reimagined by an elite group of 22 designers, including Carrier and Company, Peter Dunham, TORREY, Marmol Radziner, Ten Plus Three, and Nicole Fisher Interiors. Together, they are transforming it into a dazzling modern masterpiece, a creative sanctuary that will be open to the public for a month beginning on September 16.
Nazira Handal, director of special events and corporate partnerships at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, expressed her excitement for the project. “When we saw 80 Washington Place, we were immediately struck by its immense potential,” she said. “This beautiful historic townhouse is full of character with its six levels, terraces, a wellness floor, and a rooftop overlooking Washington Square Park. Our designers were thrilled to take on the challenge of reimagining such a diverse and interesting array of spaces.”
The townhouse was recently listed on the market for a striking $21 million, though it was withdrawn from listings in June, keeping its next chapter eagerly anticipated.
It’s slated to go back on the market once the showcase ends, listing broker Melissa Olson, of Douglas Elliman, told Gimme Shelter.
“It’s currently a construction site, filled with designers running around and lots of plywood. But it’s going to be amazing,” Olson said, adding that when the home returns to market, it will be at a new, still-to-be-determined price.
While the exact designs are currently under wraps, they will include upgrades to the kitchen and bathrooms, she said.
“Some of the top designers in the world are making it amazing. It benefits everyone, including Kips Bay,” Olson said.
The current owners purchased the six-story spread for $17 million in cash in 2024 after it had lingered on and off the market for 12 years. It originally asked $31.5 million back in 2012.
The owners, who wish to remain anonymous, then listed the home for $22.5 million a few weeks after the poker bust last year — and around eight months after they bought it.
“They didn’t buy it as an investment, but their plans changed,” Olson said.
The six-bedroom home is around 8,700 square feet, and comes with six baths and three powder rooms. It also features four landscaped terraces totaling 1,566 square feet.
Reimagined after an architectural restoration, the home is now a mix of historic brick, original stone, glass, steel and wood.
The townhouse’s past lives “make for great cocktail conversation,” Olson said.
The home’s glossy present is far from its reality just a few years ago, when neighbors were calling 311, and the ritzy residence was the site of multiple mob-linked assaults, according to an unsealed 2025 federal indictment and related court filings.
From 2021 to 2023, the townhouse was allegedly the site of rigged poker games backed by the Gambino and Genovese crime families, with the Bonanno family sharing in the proceeds after the game merged with one of its operations in 2023. The games were fronted by NBA stars and coach Chauncey Billups to lure victims, according to the accusations that broke last year.
Two assaults happened at the home, according to federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. In November 2022, Bonanno associates allegedly assaulted a gambler over an unpaid debt — and around a year later, two mobsters armed with a gun and a baton allegedly stormed the home and assaulted the game’s organizer.
The home’s history includes ownership in 1919 by the American composer and band leader John Philip Sousa. It later became a boarding house, where one of its tenants was the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Willa Cather. In 2021, Scott was renting the townhouse while Jenner, then pregnant with their second child, was mainly residing in LA with their daughter Stormi — although she was spotted staying at the townhouse with Scott during the time he rented it. The now-former couple had no involvement in the alleged poker scandal.
History aside, details inside the six-floor townhouse include a skylight that floods all floors with light — down to the basement media lounge.
A garden floor features a foyer that opens to a chef’s kitchen, along with a double-height great room with a gas fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading to a garden made for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining.
Two guest suites take up the third floor, while the entire fourth floor is devoted to a primary bedroom with a fireplace, a private terrace, a spa-like bath and a walk-in dressing room.
The fifth floor is for wellness, including a home gym, a glass-enclosed sauna and a terrace.
The crown jewel is the roof deck, with a grill, a bar, a dining area, a lounge — and views from Washington from Square Park to One World Trade Center and the downtown city skyline.
