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Theo Von Takes Break From Field of Dreams Game to Talk Road Trips, Staying Healthy And Loving Iowa

Theo Von is tearing through a bag of ballpark peanuts with shells scattered across the lap of his khaki cargo pants. At every inning changeover and break, he brushes them off to stand from his seat in section 106 of the Field of Dreams stadium in Dyersville, Iowa and accept every selfie request fielded across nine innings. And there were dozens and dozens.

Aside from Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber, who hit two home runs to help his team defeat the Minnesota Twins 7-1, the biggest star of last Thursday night was undoubtedly Von who made a surprise appearance to catch the MLB matchup amid a multi-state road trip he’s currently on with two pals. In every corner of the stadium — framed by meticulously arranged corn rows and blanketed by quotes from the 1989 film starring Kevin Costner — fans could be heard buzzing about Von’s presence or complimenting his wildly popular podcast, This Past Weekend, which regularly charts in Spotify’s top 10.

Von embraces the attention. “I love Iowa,” he says. “I’ve been pretty fortunate where people are pretty friendly most of the time. And I like meeting people.” He was eager to talk to fans, and while he rarely does interviews outside of his own podcast or those run by close friends, he made an exception and accepted a request to speak with The Hollywood Reporter that was seamlessly facilitated by a rep for Netflix, which streamed the high-profile MLB game and remains home to two Von stand-up specials, 2016’s No Offense and 2021’s Regular People.

With a parade of Phillies players in the batter’s box, Von kept one eye on the field while chatting with THR about why he was rooting for the Twins, his desire to get back onstage (and his dream venue in Iowa) and lessons learned from his first major Hollywood effort as a writer, producer and star of the feature film Busboys opposite David Spade.

Thanks for the time. I was surprised to see you here in the stands. What made you come out for the game?

My friends and I had planned to do a little bit of camper traveling around the country but we ended up only having about 10 days to do it. Part of the trip was to stop here in Iowa, and this [game] was one of the linchpins of our travel. So we got here, and we’re going to do some scuba diving in Lake Michigan and a few other things.

What do you think of the game so far?

This is good. I’ve been here before when it was just a regular field of dreams, I guess, maybe the field of lesser dreams. But this is great, man. I see some of the greats out here. You got Rollie Fingers out here, Andre Dawson, CC Sabathia, Andruw Jones, so many of the heroes I watched growing up. Seeing so many of the greats is wonderful, and people seem to be having a great time. And the game has had a lot of hits already.

That’s what people want out of a game like this, lots of offense and big plays.

Schwarber’s got two homers, dude.

Who are you rooting for?

I think I’m rooting for the Twins today. Yeah, I like Minnesota. They’ve had a tough go here and there. They got scammed by all those people from Somalia, and then their own government scammed them. So, yeah, I’m going to cheer for them. Plus, I got attacked in Philadelphia a couple years ago. Some guy hit me with a fucking car hubcap or whatever near Temple [University]. So, I’m not cheering for them right now.

They’ve got to do some work to get back in your good graces?

Yeah, at least send an apology email. If you get attacked in a city, the city should send you an apology email. What are we even doing?

Tell me about your history with the Field of Dreams movie. Did you watch it growing up?

Oh yeah, we watched it growing up, and I watched it on an airplane the other day because I knew we were coming here. I wanted to relight the candle a little bit. It’s a nice story about a father-son that really brings people together. I’ve run into some fathers and sons here at the ballpark today, so that’s been really cool and kind of heartwarming to see.

It’s pretty heartwarming to see you engage with all of your fans here, too. I kept turning around from my seat to see the lines forming with people who wanted to meet you and take a photo. You’ve said yes to everyone. What’s the experience like for you of coming to a game like this to deal with the crowds of people who want your attention?

I’ve been pretty fortunate where people are pretty friendly most of the time. And I like meeting people. I mean, one of the things that’s kind of important sometimes is to make sure my own attitude’s good before I leave home. If my attitude’s not good, then I shouldn’t take my attitude in a place where it can be easily affected. But I love Iowa. My mom went to college in Iowa.

Where?

She went to a small school, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, called Co-Lin. I just love it here, dude. I love coming here and getting to spend some time meeting people. I met a lot of good people, and sometimes you have a good conversation and you get to be a part of making someone’s day a little bit more chill or a little bit more interesting. You dap it up for a minute and say, “Hey.”

With the popularity of This Past Weekend, you must not really be able to go anywhere these days without a similar reaction?

Yeah, I meet a lot of people. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes there’s a part of life that I miss. You miss having the element of surprise sometimes. That’s not really what God has planned or whatever for right now. I’m sure there’ll be a time again where people don’t pay attention to me or whatever, and then I’ll wish it was the other way. So, I don’t wish it away right now. I think I long for a sense of … I don’t know. We all long for a sense of a little bit of Iowa. I think everybody wants a sense of how it feels to spend an afternoon in Iowa. Driving through the state the past two days, we’ve been driving past cornfields through the rain. We went fishing yesterday in some lakes. Everything’s been perfect. Honestly, I want to do a show in the Surf Ballroom [in Clear Lake, Iowa]. That’s one of my goals in the next few years.

You had a big year on the movie front by writing, producing and starring in the movie Busboys with David Spade. What does that signal about what you want to do in Hollywood, or what did you learn from that experience?

One thing I learned is that it’s hard to make a movie. It takes a lot of attention over a long period of time from writing to getting it done. I learned how to do it from top to bottom, thanks to David Spade helping me out. It was a good experience. I’m not just taking some time to think about what I want to do next. One thing I do know is that I want to be able to get back onstage. And then I want to focus on taking care of myself and getting myself to a healthier space to see whatever possibilities can come from that. I can be able to honor them and maybe complete them if it’s something I want to do.

What do you mean by healthier space and how do you do that?

Just making sure that I’m taking care of myself because it’s a lot of stress. Yeah, I feel good, but just sometimes it takes a mental toll. Sometimes I take on too much and do much touring with not enough breaks. You think you’re Superman sometimes but you find out you’re just a man.

You mentioned getting back on stage. I would imagine that a time like right now, being on the road and meeting people, is good for material. Just living life.

I think so. We drive around and just joke around. My friend got the fricking measles, dude. What a fricking loser dude. He has a disease from the 1800s or whatever. I’m definitely not borrowing his clothes anymore. But yeah, we’re just doing our best. There’ll be more to come. I hope that the best is yet to come.

August 17, 2026
CNN Has Prime-Time Anchors Locked In Ahead of Paramount Deal

Executives at Paramount Skydance have agreed to pay billions to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, but they may have to do a little more work if they want to put their own stamp on the programming at CNN.

CNN recently struck a new deal with Abby Phillip, anchor of the raucous 10 p.m. roundtable “NewsNight” that keeps al three of the anchors who host its primetime shows at the news giant for the foreseeable future, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Anderson Cooper, who anchors the 8 p.m. slot on CNN, renewed terms last year and it’s widely understood that Kaitlan Collins, who leads the “The Source” at 9 p.m. is working under a contract that has a few more years on left on it. Phillip is the last of the troika to renew alliances with the Warner Bros. Discovery news outlet.

A CNN spokesperson said the network does not comment on contracts with talent.

CNN was likely dealing with each anchor’s renewal as individual contracts opened, rather than deliberately planning a move to slow down a new owner’s plans.

Nonetheless, having contracts in place could mean that Paramount will have to do some additional maneuvering if it wants to rework CNN’s programming lineup or rearrange the anchors who fill it. To be sure, a network can easily move an anchor if it wants — CNN forced Don Lemon to move out of his late-night roost on the schedule in 2022 to an ill-conceived morning-show concept after Warner was put under the control of CEO David Zaslav — but the new contracts mean that the anchors have some guarantees about the money they are owed in case changes are made.

CNN staffers have been on edge as the Paramount deal moved closer to consummation. There is palpable concern that Paramount CEO David Ellison will assign oversight of CNN to Bari Weiss, a digital entrepreneur and opinion writer installed last year as editor in chief of CBS News. Her tenure at the news division has generated significant scrutiny and controversy, and has included the ouster of top producers and correspondents at the long-running newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” viewed for years as one of the jewels of the CBS lineup. There are growing fears within CNN that the Paramount acquisition would spur programming and talent changes that could be seen as being made to placate the Trump administration, rather than holding it to account. Inside CNN, there is a strong concern that Paramount’s executives “don’t know or don’t care” about managing the news giant for profit or for the future, according to one staffer.

All three anchors have taken on responsibilities beyond their evening-host duties. Cooper hosts the Sunday deep-dive program “The Whole Story” as well as “All There Is,” a podcast that examines grief. Collins anchors a primetime show while also working as the network’s chief White House correspondent. Phillip also hosts a Saturday-morning program, “Table for Five,” which, like “NewsNight,” is presented in a roundtable format. Phillip recently took up digital duties, hosting the new program “Confessions and Obsessions,” which focuses more on guests’ personal interests than their political leanings.

Signing Phillip to a new contract also means that CNN will likely rely heavily on the trio as the midterm elections approach. Elections can bring an injection of new viewership to news networks, as the drama around the race for federal office often lures people beyond CNN’s immediate crowd. CNN’s ad revenue is projected to increase about 4% to $510.4 million in 2026, according to Kagan, a market-research unit of S&P Global Intelligence, compared with $489.8 million in 2025.

August 17, 2026
Peacock Launches Test of Membership Rewards Program With Perks Including NBCU and Bravo Merch Discounts, Free Pizzas
NBCUniversal‘s Peacock launched a limited new membership program in a beta test with a variety of perks — aimed at keeping them from flying the coop as streaming subscribers, as well as driving incremental revenue from marketing pacts.

The test of Peacock’s membership program is available initially to a limited, “randomly selected” group of Peacock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers, according to NBCU. “Through a mix of NBCUniversal benefits, partner offers and exclusive experiences, the program will recognize and reward Peacock subscribers, deliver added value, and create deeper connections to the fandoms that power NBCUniversal,” the company said.

NBCU’s test of the Peacock rewards program follows similar efforts by other streamers, including Disney+ Perks, which offers customers an array of different promotional offers and discounts.

Launched in July 2020, the Peacock streaming service turned its first-ever quarterly profit for Q2 2026. Peacock paid subscribers totaled 48 million as of the end of June, with 2 million net additions during the period.

As Peacock continues to test and evolve the program, NBCU said, additional rewards are expected to be added over time, including Universal Parks perks and experiences, NBCU content previews and early access to NBCU live events.

On a recent episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, spoke about the Peacock membership program. “[W]e’re starting to evolve from thinking of this as streaming to entertainment, from subscription to membership,” he said. “Again, we’re always charting out what we see as the next white space. This is where we see, at least for NBCUniversal, the next wave of growth for streaming and the broader business as we’re continuing to build out where we see the big opportunity.”

During the beta test, Peacock’s membership program will group participants in three tiers based on their tenure as subscribers: Gold (3 months-1 year), Platinum (1-3 years) and Diamond (3+ years), with select rewards tailored to each tier.

At launch, members in the beta test will have access to the following rewards: 
An NBCU Shop 25% discount (for Shop at NBC Studios products)

A Bravo Shop discount (dependent on membership tier), with Gold members eligible for 15% off, Platinum members receiving 20% off and Diamond members receiving 25% off

A complimentary one-year Instacart+ membership (which auto-renews as a paid membership after 12 months); benefits include no grocery delivery fees on orders of at least $10, a subscription to New York Times Cooking at no additional cost (if activated by May 6, 2027) and free family sharing with up to three people

A Pizza Hut digital code that allows them to buy one menu-priced medium pizza and get a second medium pizza of equal or lesser value free (limited-time offer is unlocked after streaming three movies on Peacock)
August 17, 2026
Treasury Proposes Rules Defining Who Can Legally Sell Stablecoins in US
In brief

Treasury proposed rules defining when stablecoins are issued, offered, or sold in the US under the GENIUS Act.

Beginning January 18, 2027, issuers generally must obtain a federal or state license to issue payment stablecoins in the US.

Starting July 18, 2028, crypto platforms generally cannot sell stablecoins to US customers unless they come from an approved issuer.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury proposed rules Monday defining which stablecoins can be issued or sold in the United States under the GENIUS Act.

The proposal implements Section 3 of the GENIUS Act, signed into law last summer. According to the proposal, beginning January 18, 2027, stablecoin issuers generally must obtain a federal or state license. Platforms can also sell foreign-issued stablecoins, but only if the foreign issuer complies with U.S. legal orders and agreements between the U.S. and the country where it is regulated.

Myriad: Will the Clarity Act be signed into law in 2026? Click to make your prediction.

“President Trump and Congress delivered the GENIUS Act, establishing a landmark framework and clear rules of the road for payment stablecoins, and Treasury is moving quickly to implement that framework,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on X.

Starting July 18, 2028, broader restrictions would generally prevent crypto exchanges and other digital asset platforms from selling stablecoins to U.S. customers, “unless the payment stablecoin is issued by a permitted payment stablecoin issuer.”

Bessent said the regulations would provide businesses with regulatory certainty while helping “cement the role of the U.S. dollar,” and welcomed public input.

“Treasury welcomes input from stakeholders as we work to provide the regulatory certainty businesses need to innovate and grow in America, cement the role of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, and keep America the crypto capital of the world,” Bessent wrote.

Violations of these rules could include directly soliciting U.S. buyers, advertising a stablecoin as available to them, agreeing to sell after an unsolicited inquiry, or helping buyers bypass location restrictions such as IP checks.

Public comments on the proposal are due by October 19, 2026, 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

The news comes as federal agencies continue to write the rules for implementing the GENIUS Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July 2025 to establish a federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S.

In February, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed rules governing stablecoin issuance and oversight. The FDIC followed in April with proposed requirements for reserves, redemptions, capital, and risk management. That same month, the Treasury proposed anti-money laundering and sanctions rules requiring issuers to report suspicious activity and maintain the ability to block or freeze transactions.

Those proposed compliance rules have faced pushback from the crypto industry. In June, Paradigm and the Hyperliquid Policy Center warned that making issuers responsible for stablecoins after they enter secondary markets could drive them away from decentralized finance.

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August 17, 2026
Forecast from an Experienced Analyst on the Future of Bitcoin and Altcoin Prices: “Hang in There for Two More Months”

Benjamin Cowen, a well-known analyst in the cryptocurrency market, made striking assessments regarding Bitcoin and general market dynamics in his latest analysis video published on his YouTube channel.

Benjamin Cowen stated that Bitcoin is currently trading sideways and with low volume in the $62,000 to $63,000 range. Arguing that interest in the market has significantly decreased, the analyst pointed to a decline in social risk metrics and content viewership rates within the crypto world.

Cowen stated that the price is stuck between the 200-week moving average and the bear market resistance band, arguing that a downward breakout, similar to past cycles, is highly probable.

The analyst, also addressing the divergence between traditional stock markets and the crypto market, noted that the stagnation of Bitcoin despite US stock indices hitting new records has created unease among investors. He pointed out that this situation is not historically unusual, recalling a similar scenario during the 2014 and 2018 US midterm elections. According to Cowen, Bitcoin follows its own four-year cycle independently of stock markets.

Cowen stated that market volatility has fallen to historically low levels, with the 60-day volatility rate at 1.47%. Pointing out that sharp movements usually occur in the market after such periods of consolidation, the analyst said he expects a significant increase in volatility in the coming weeks. He added that a final downward wave could completely wipe out on-chain indicators, potentially marking the bottom of the market cycle.

Cowen, speaking optimistically about the future of the sector, believes we are currently in the 10th month of a bear market expected to last approximately 12 months. He suggests that a new bull market could begin after the approaching bottom of the cycle, arguing that the crypto industry should now focus on fundamentally maturing by leaving behind negatives such as the memecoin craze and security vulnerabilities, rather than simply attracting capital.

*This is not investment advice.

August 17, 2026
Connie Britton Praises Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Brilliance’ After ‘Nashville’ Co-Star’s Death: ‘I Love You Girl. Sleep Easy Now’

Connie Britton has “no words” following the death of her “Nashville” co-star Hayden Panettiere at 36 years old. The duo starred together on five seasons of the ABC country music drama from 2012 to 2016, with Panettiere headlining the series solo during its sixth and final season in 2018. Britton returned as a guest star during the final episodes.

“This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright,” Britton posted on social media alongside a slideshow of photos of Panettiere and herself over the years. “I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”

“Nashville,” created by “Thelma & Louise” Oscar winner Callie Khouri, premiered on ABC in October 2012 with Britton as Rayna Jaymes, a country music superstar, and Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, the rising country superstar who becomes Rayna’s rival. The actors earned critical acclaim for their performances. Britton picked up an Emmy nomination in 2013 for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, while Panettiere scored a Golden Globe nomination the following year for best supporting actress. Panettiere was also nominated for a Critics’ Choice TV Award in 2016.

Panettiere died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 36. Her death is currently under investigation, but there were “not any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” according to police. The cause of Panettiere’s death has not yet been confirmed, but People reported that on the dispatch audio, which the outlet obtained, officials could be heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest.” An official cause of death will be given following an autopsy.

“Nashville” was Panettiere’s second hit television series following the breakout run of NBC’s “Heroes,” which starred in for four seasons.

August 17, 2026
Solana’s Agave 4.2 activation target arrives with mainnet feature gates still pending

The Aug. 17 target date for starting Agave 4.2 mainnet feature activations arrived without a confirmed delivery update. Agave is Anza’s validator client for the Solana network.

Anza’s v4.2 release schedule still shows Aug. 17 as the tentative start date but left the delivery field blank. The empty field does not prove a delay or rule out a later update. It means the target date alone cannot establish that a feature gate is live.

Anza recommended Agave 4.2 for general mainnet adoption on Aug. 11. Its feature tracker separately continued to classify the first 4.2 slot-time gates as pending on mainnet, distinguishing software adoption from the staged protocol rollout.

Agave 4.2’s biggest changes remain staged

Anza’s Agave 4.2 feature-gate tracker, last updated Aug. 14, listed the gates for 350-millisecond and 300-millisecond slots as pending mainnet activation. The tracker recorded their testnet activation epochs as 1000 and 1002, respectively, and their devnet activation epochs as 1115 and 1118. It did not list a mainnet activation epoch for either gate.

The 250-millisecond gate was still pending on devnet after activating on testnet at epoch 1004, while the final 200-millisecond gate remained pending on testnet. Solana’s slot-time plan calls for four separate 50-millisecond reductions from the current 400-millisecond target, with the network able to pause if block skip rates rise.

In the Agave 4.2 rollout, rent follows a five-gate path. Solana plans to reduce lamports_per_byte, the constant behind the refundable balance required for onchain storage, from 6,960 to 696. The intermediate values are 6,333, 5,080, 2,575 and 1,322. The Solana Foundation’s rent overview said all five gates were inactive when accessed on Aug. 17, so the advertised 90% cut describes the completed sequence rather than the first step.

The available material also lacked a confirmed activation for the transaction change. Solana’s v1 transaction plan raises the maximum payload from 1,232 bytes to 4,096 bytes only for the new format. Legacy and v0 transaction limits remain unchanged.

Agave 4.2 includes code needed to test Alpenglow, but the consensus overhaul is not part of the 4.2 mainnet activation. The Solana Foundation’s release overview says Alpenglow is expected in Agave 4.3, targeted for October 2026.

For users and developers, the Aug. 17 date does not make the 90% rent cut, 4,096-byte transactions and 200-millisecond slots live as one package. A confirmed gate and its mainnet activation epoch would establish which part of the roadmap has actually moved into production.

August 17, 2026
FTX Bankruptcy Hearing Is Down to One Last Fight

August 17, 2026
Why did Trump scale back war games with South Korea?

U.S. president cites good relationship with Kim Jong Un

Annual military manoeuvres between South Korea and the United States are underway.

But just hours before they were due to start, the US president announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale back the exercises.

Donald Trump says they send an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea and its leader, with whom he has a ‘good relationship’.

The joint drills have been held for decades.

So, does Trump’s last-minute decision mean he’s seeking talks with Kim Jong Un?

Could dialogue end one of the world’s longest-running conflicts?

Presenter: Anna Burns-Francis

Guests:

In Bum Chun – Retired South Korean Lieutenant General and military and security analyst

Jenny Town – Senior Fellow and Director of 38 North programme at the Stimson Center

Rodger Baker — Geopolitical analyst at RANE, a global centre for geopolitical intelligence and analysis

Published On 17 Aug 2026

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August 17, 2026
A Handy-Dandy Deal: Slash 60% Off This Ecovacs Robot Vacuum & Mop Today

Now this is what I call a clean-up job! Walmart has the Ecovacs Deebot N30 Pro Omni robot vacuum and mop on sale for $279.99, down from its regular $699.99 list price. This gives you a massive 60% discount on a hands-free cleaning system featuring 10,000Pa suction, TruEdge adaptive edge mopping, ZeroTangle 2.0 technology, and an all-in-one Omni Station with 140-degree Fahrenheit hot water mop washing. This deal won’t last long.

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August 17, 2026