Denny’s has long built its identity on endless coffee refills, late-night pancake runs and the assurance that breakfast can be ordered at any hour. Lately, however, the iconic diner chain has been associated with a far less appealing trend: a growing list of restaurant closures.

The national diner brand has been reducing its restaurant count, with hundreds of locations identified for potential shutdowns as some franchise operators struggle to remain financially viable.

Still, as loyal customers question whether their local spot for a Grand Slam may disappear, Denny’s is moving ahead with plans to reverse its fortunes.

The proposed turnaround includes updated restaurant designs, new site openings, menu revisions and a reshaped leadership team.

Those efforts arrive amid another setback in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where one franchise operator suddenly closed all five of its Denny’s restaurants on September 3.

M15 Inc., which operated restaurants in Burnsville, North Branch, Maplewood and Roseville, Minnesota, and Hudson, Wisconsin, told employees it had taken on “substantial amounts of money” in borrowing during the past year.

According to the company, declining sales, limited cash flow and lender pressure left it unable to cover payroll or purchase food and other restaurant supplies.

The franchisee also said it intended to seek Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, a move that left workers with little warning and sent customers looking elsewhere for their hash browns.

Denny’s corporate office said it was saddened by the closures and was urgently working with franchisees to explore reopening as many of the restaurants as possible under new ownership, although there were no guarantees.

The situation has prompted an outpouring of frustration online, with some Reddit users criticizing poor service and management at individual restaurants.

One commenter described the Burnsville location as ‘really poorly managed,’ while another recalled an awful experience at the West St Paul branch.

Others focused on the workers, calling the sudden shutdown an ‘appalling’ way to treat employees who had little or no notice.

There was also plenty of nostalgia, with former customers remembering late-night breakfasts, family traditions and favorite Denny’s meals.

The chain’s troubles are not entirely new, however, as Denny’s announced in October 2024 that it planned to close 150 restaurants by the end of 2025.

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In November 2025, the company announced that it would be acquired by TriArtisan Capital Advisors, Treville Capital Group and Yadav Enterprises in a deal valued at approximately $620 million.

The transaction was completed on January 16, taking Denny’s private.

The new owners have extensive experience in the restaurant industry, with TriArtisan linked to brands including PF Chang’s and TGI Fridays, while Yadav operates hundreds of restaurants and other food businesses.

They have since unveiled Project Grand Slam, a 24-month strategy designed to modernize restaurants, improve operations, develop the menu and strengthen Denny’s digital and catering businesses.

Christopher Bode, the company’s former chief operating officer, was appointed chief executive in April.

Under the revival plan, Denny’s expects to renovate as many as 350 restaurants and open up to 20 new locations in 2026, followed by another 20 in 2027.

The chain has already introduced its Triple Play Combo meals, starting at $9.99, including a Diner QP burger made with 50 percent more beef than a standard quarter-pound patty.

A revamped menu is expected to reach around 40 restaurants between late October and mid-November, with a wider rollout planned for April 2027.

Denny’s is also expanding its catering operation through ezCater, with nearly 700 locations already offering the service and close to 1,000 expected to do so by the end of September 2026.

Founded in Lakewood, California, in 1953 by Harold Butler and Richard Jezak as a donut and coffee shop, Denny’s has evolved into one of America’s best-known all-day diner brands. 

Its most famous creation is the Grand Slam, launched in 1977 and featuring a hearty combination of eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and pancakes piled onto one plate. 

Despite the closures, the company still has more than 1,300 restaurants, including international locations, and analysts at Placer.ai have described the business as ‘in transition, not decline.’

That assessment rests partly on Denny’s loyal customer base, which could prove crucial as the chain attempts to turn its familiar combination of pancakes, burgers and bottomless coffee into a recipe for a second act.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is suing the Trump administration over its proposed expansion of federal power to deny visa and green card applications based on an applicant’s use of public benefits.

The lawsuit, filed alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James, challenges the administration’s planned expansion of the “public charge” rule. The policy allows the federal government to reject visa applications if officials determine an applicant is likely to rely on public assistance. Under the proposed change, set to take effect Sept. 18, more types of benefits would be considered in those decisions.

“If you are a citizen, or an individual seeking humanitarian relief like asylum, these changes will not affect you,” Mamdani said during a Monday press conference. “The new public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law, it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear to isolate immigrant New Yorkers.”

“Make no mistake, this is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to,” he continued.

Mamdani said the rule could prompt as many as 4 million people to drop their health coverage because they fear using benefits could jeopardize their immigration applications.

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According to Mamdani, several major cities and counties are joining New York in the legal challenge, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County and King County.

James is also pursuing a separate case against the public charge rule. She is leading a coalition of 21 additional states and the District of Columbia in asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to block the Trump administration’s policy.

“Hardworking families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported,” James said in a statement.

“This rule preys on that fear and counts on families forfeiting the food assistance, health care coverage, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled. My office fought this exact policy once before and won, and we are leading the nation to ensure the Trump administration cannot inflict this harm on families again,” she added.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Bruce Davis, a Charles Manson follower convicted in connection with two killings in 1969, has died at age 83, according to officials.

A spokeswoman for the Solano County Coroner’s Office confirmed Davis’ death to News Media but provided no further information. TMZ reported that Davis was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where he had been serving his prison sentence.

Davis received a life sentence in 1972 for his role in the murders of Donald “Shorty” Shea, a 35-year-old Hollywood stuntman, and Gary Hinman, a 34-year-old musician who was friends with several members of the Manson Family.

He was not identified as the direct killer in either case. Davis also was never accused of participating in the home-invasion murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others.

This is a developing story.

In one of her latest Instagram photo dumps — a format she has been sharing with increasing frequency — Ivanka Trump looks back on her summer.

One image shows Ivanka in a tiny polka-dot dress, resting her head affectionately on husband Jared Kushner’s shoulder.

Other snapshots feature Ivanka, long-limbed in a swimsuit, sitting in what appears to be a puddle at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, while a toned, shirtless Jared steps out of a plunge pool.

There is also an intellectual touch: a photograph of University of Oxford physicist David Deutsch’s book, The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform The World. Deutsch is widely known as the “father of quantum computing.”

Another picture captures Ivanka’s tanned knees in front of a fire pit. Her children — Arabella, 15, Joseph, 12, and Theodore, 10 — also appear, alongside the somewhat unexpected addition of a cactus garden.

The posts project an almost paradisiacal existence, prompting speculation about whether the first daughter, who turns 45 in October, is trying a little too hard to show she is having a wonderful time. The questions come nearly six years after she left her White House role and amid unconfirmed reports that she is “bored.”

Meanwhile, she and Jared are facing criticism in Albania, where plans for a luxury resort have prompted protests known as the “flamingo revolution.” Democrats in Congress have also continued to scrutinize Kushner over his Middle East business dealings.

But a friend of Ivanka’s says that interpretation misses the point. Something more meaningful is unfolding, they say — perhaps not a midlife crisis, but a midlife reassessment.

America watched Ivanka grow up from her parents’ tabloid divorce when she was nine, through being a teen model, to fame in the TV boardroom on Celebrity Apprentice and a string of glittering parties and famous friendships.

Now, as she approaches her 45th birthday next month, she is at a different stage in her life, one where she wants to maximize time with family.

In 2022, her mother Ivana died suddenly aged 73, and it has led her to reflect on the importance of similarly being there for her own children, the eldest of whom will be college-age in a few years.

Hence all the memory-making vacations jam-packed with activities like horse riding and surfing.

That, too, seems to be the reason for the widely noticed Instagram photo dumps, plus a flood of paparazzi pictures.

In Costa Rica, Ivanka, 44, was snapped surfing, with TMZ approvingly noting how she was ‘even throwing up a shaka at one point.’ It concluded that ‘Yes, surfing’s good for the soul.’

There were more glamorous pictures to come from Costa Rica, including of Ivanka on horseback on a beach with Arabella.

It all sparked whispers that Ivanka might be trying to up her public profile as part of a PR strategy, or could she perhaps even be contemplating a return to Washington? Not so, a friend tells the Daily Mail.

‘The key to understanding Ivanka’s Instagram is that she’s not posting photos in real time,’ the friend said. ‘Ivanka’s far more private and she’s just posting a periodic photo dump.’

The posts typically appear either before or after a trip, protecting her location.

If there is a message being sent, it appears to be one to her critics – that she has chosen a different life than politics and is enjoying it, thank you very much.

After her father’s first administration she was said to have concluded that politics is ‘vicious and toxic’ and, when he announced he was running again in 2024, she opted out.

The break from politics appears complete. Ivanka even steers away from watching the news on television. And, it seems, there are no regrets.

‘I think it’s very hard to leave Washington DC with all the power and responsibilities,’ says a friend. ‘But when you’re on the other side of it, you see how beautiful life can be as well.

‘She just wants to be there for her family. I think that’s very admirable.’

A representative for the Kushner family declined to comment to the Daily Mail. 

While her father famously pursued the ‘art of the deal,’ Ivanka is said to be using her time to explore the ‘art of living.’

An extensive summer reading list, including books on history, philosophy and personal growth, offers the clearest window into where that is taking her.

After rereading Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck’s tale of Depression-era migrants, she wrote on Instagram: ‘Beneath its simplicity lies a profound meditation on loneliness, friendship and the fragility of human dreams.

‘It lingers because it asks difficult questions about compassion, power and what it means to be responsible for one another in a world that is often indifferent.’

Ivanka also reveals on Instagram that, each night before bed, she dips into A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living, about the work of the late mythologist.

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Campbell’s most famous aphorism was ‘follow your bliss,’ which is based on a Sanskrit concept.

He said that it means ‘the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living,’ and urged readers to find meaning and purpose.

Also on Ivanka’s list was The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch, the University of Oxford physicist described as the ‘father of quantum computing.’

The popular science book details how the Enlightenment set off a chain of knowledge creation and explores theories of the multiverse.

She also liked Power vs. Force, a tome by David R Hawkins, the late psychiatrist, which explores human behavior, consciousness and ethics.

There was also James A Michener’s mammoth 1,136-page historical fiction novel Hawaii, and two other historical fiction novels by Kristin Hannah – The Four Winds about the Great Depression, and Winter Garden about the Siege of Leningrad – along with Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River, a thriller set in 18th Century Maine.

Kushner, 45, has presumably had less time for reading novels.

While he has no formal position in the administration, he remains an informal adviser and peace envoy for his father-in-law, working on the Iran, Ukraine and Gaza crises.

Last week, he and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff met for three hours with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, followed by a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Earlier this year, Kushner’s job meant he was not with the family on Father’s Day.

‘Jared couldn’t be with us,’ Ivanka wrote on Instagram. ‘But his absence was one born of purpose. And we felt his presence all the same.’

In Congress, Democrats on the House judiciary committee are currently pursuing Kushner to submit documents related to his double role advising the President on foreign policy while also running a private equity business that deals with foreign governments.

Kushner met recently with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries as the White House explores ways to work across the aisle if Democrats take control of the House in the November midterms.

‘Jared is pursuing his passion, which is specifically about Israel, the Jewish people, and peace in the Middle East,’ a friend of Ivanka said.

‘It’s a job he really enjoyed in his first term that he gets to continue and he still gets to go home to his family in Miami.

‘Having a family that sustains you and having a job you can pop into – a job that you really want to do – and go back to a normal life is really important.’

However, the backlash against his adviser role is as nothing compared to the one that has greeted the plan to transform an Albanian island into a lavish resort.

Kushner’s Affinity Partners investment firm was given the green light to develop resorts on Sazan Island and the nearby Zvernec Peninsula, an untouched coastal wetland home to flamingos, seals and nesting sea turtles. Those protesting the development carried pink signs and inflatable birds.

‘It’s the only island we have. The authorities are just giving it away to the highest bidder,’ leading Albanian ecologist Joni Vorpsi told the Daily Mail recently.

The situation was inflamed after Ivanka gave a podcast interview in which she described how they found the island by swimming to it off a friend’s boat, and wanted to ‘transform it, but with a lot of restraint and care because the land is so beautiful.’

In the Albanian capital Tirana, thousands have taken to the streets chanting ‘Albania belongs to Albania.’

Last Tuesday, the 101st day of the demonstrations, police blocked protesters from reaching parliament as they pelted officers in riot gear with eggs and tomatoes.

Cars transporting lawmakers were confronted by the crowds and were hit with plastic water bottles.

Ivanka, some say, has been stung by the backlash but appears to have decided not to address it. Perhaps, if her years in the White House taught her anything, it’s to have a thick skin. 

Not so, one familiar with her tells the Daily Mail: ‘She’s not stung by the criticism, it’s just the opposite. She’s invigorated and can’t wait to unveil the plans.

‘She recognizes that doing great things can be met with challenges, but you know people haven’t even seen the plan yet.’ 

As she plans for her late 40s, she and her family seem set to remain living in Miami where, after the 2020 election, they set up home in a $24 million waterfront pile on Indian Creek Island, known as the ‘Billionaire Bunker,’ with neighbors including Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Tom Brady.

There, Ivanka has talked about being on her ‘own schedule’ and thrown herself into exercise, including yoga, Pilates and jiu-jitsu, and she works out four days a week.

She has co-founded a business that reduces food waste, starts most of her days with a swim in the ocean, along with meditation, makes breakfast for the family, drinks creatine fruit shakes and walks her dogs Simba, Winter and Aspen.

According to one well placed source: ‘She’s had a very active summer, working on Planet Harvest and her investing portfolio.’ 

Certainly, the venomous world of politics is firmly in the rearview mirror. Who wouldn’t be happy? Then again, who wouldn’t be wondering – just a little bit – what now?

The Raiders’ five sacks grabbed the headlines in Sunday’s defensive showing, while their two takeaways helped seal the result against the Dolphins.

Still, the biggest reason for optimism was the way all 11 defenders seemed to operate with a unified understanding.

Players were in the right spots, aware of where their support was coming from and ready to cover for one another. When one phase of the defense needed a little more time to complete a play, another stepped in and provided it.

It had been a while since the Raiders defense looked so connected. In too many previous outings, the group had resembled a collection of individuals rather than a defense playing toward one common goal.

Last season offered perhaps the clearest illustration of that problem.

Head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham appeared unable to bring their ideas into sync, while the roster’s makeup further exposed the issues. The personnel never quite meshed, the plan lacked a consistent identity and the breakdowns were felt throughout the defense.

Now, the Raiders seem to be operating with a more defined leadership structure. Offensive-minded head coach Klint Kubiak has established his expectations for the defense, then handed Rob Leonard — the team’s defensive line coach for the past four seasons — the responsibility of shaping that vision on the field. Kubiak sets the direction; Leonard has the power to execute it.

Las Vegas’ 27-13 season-opening win over Miami provided an early sign that Leonard’s approach has taken hold. The Raiders contained the run, created consistent quarterback pressure and played with the kind of collective purpose that allowed their talent to show.

“I love the way our defense played, how they swarmed, how they turned the ball over, how they responded to sudden change,” Kubiak said. “Very proud of them.”

Kwity Paye, added in free agency to boost the Raiders’ edge rush, recognized the direct link between the group’s preparation and its performance.

“I feel like the prep going into the week was amazing,” Paye said.

He credited Leonard and defensive assistants Travis Smith, Steve Ferentz and Kenyon Jackson for getting the front ready.

“We had five sacks tonight. I feel like that’s a testament to their hard work every single day,” Paye said. “Those indy drills kill, but it all paid off today.”

That is a meaningful endorsement for Leonard, whose task goes beyond drawing up ways to attack an offense. He has to get players with different backgrounds and experience levels to understand how their responsibilities fit together. But he is also the tone setter.

Sunday offered evidence of that understanding. As far as embodying the demeanor of their coach, let’s just say the aggressive, attacking style the Raiders played with perfectly reflected their high-energy coach.

Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby had company.

The veteran defensive end remains the centerpiece, the player whose relentless pursuit and ability to wreck a possession give Leonard a foundation most defensive coordinators would gladly accept.

The challenge has been surrounding him with enough help to make opponents pay for the attention he commands.

Paye supplied a sack and a tackle for loss, providing the kind of complementary disruption the Raiders envisioned when they signed him.

“We all played well off each other,” said Crosby.

The benefits of lining up alongside Crosby were apparent, too.

“I got more one-on-ones today, for sure,” Paye said.

That is how this is supposed to work.

When an offense commits extra resources to Crosby, an opportunity opens elsewhere. The Raiders need someone capable of winning that matchup and making the protection decision costly.

Paye helped deliver.

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But some of the most encouraging assistance came from farther away from the line of scrimmage.

At least two of the Raiders’ five sacks were coverage sacks, with defenders taking away the initial answers long enough for the rush to arrive.

Those plays say something about the entire defense. The secondary has to maintain coverage as the play stretches out. The rush has to keep working, trusting that another second of effort can produce a sack.

Sunday, that trust was rewarded.

Rookie defensive back Treydan Stukes understood how much the relationship helped him.

“Oh my gosh, it’s a game changer for us,” Stukes said. “Rushing coverage always is working together, and to have those guys up front that are such relentless pass rushers, we can’t make our plays without them doing that.”

The cooperation works both ways. Coverage can buy the rush another beat. Pressure can force a quarterback to make a decision before he wants to.

For a defense leaning on young defensive backs, that partnership is essential.

Stukes contributed an interception, turning his opportunity into one of the Raiders’ two takeaways.

His thought process as the ball approached was simple.

“Don’t drop it. That’s the first thought,” Stukes said. “Our coaches are always preaching, ‘Make the plays that come to you. When you’re in position and you got a chance to make a big play, go make it.’”

There is value in that clarity. Players who understand their responsibilities can react decisively and trust the work that put them in position.

The Raiders showed similar coordination against the run, handling assignments and getting defenders to the ball. That helped keep Miami from controlling the game on the ground and created opportunities to pressure the quarterback.

Nakobe Dean delivered a consequential third-quarter sack before a missed field goal preserved the Raiders’ 27-13 lead. Later, Jeremy Chinn forced the fumble Quay Walker recovered to help finish the game.

Different players, handling different jobs, making contributions when the Raiders needed them.

“When everybody’s working together, it makes everybody’s individual job easier,” said Dean. “Somebody always has a hard hat on a specific down on the defense, but when everybody’s doing their 1-11, then it makes the defense easier overall.”

That is how a defense begins to become dependable.

It also reflects work that started long before the Dolphins arrived.

“This is probably the hardest offseason I had with a team,” Paye said.

The payoff was a defense that looked prepared to play together, with newcomers contributing alongside its established star.

There were coverage mistakes, and better offenses will test whether Sunday’s coordination holds up against more difficult questions. Leonard has corrections to make. His young defenders have plenty left to learn.

Stukes recognized both the progress and the remaining work.

“I think there’s plenty of stuff to build on, plenty of stuff to correct, but I think overall the mentality and the style of play is there, and we’re excited to keep building on it.”

The Raiders have heard optimistic assessments of fresh starts before. Sustaining this one will require more than an encouraging opener.

But five sacks and two takeaways gave Leonard something concrete to build on.

So did the way his players helped one another produce them.