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  • Woman wins two $50,000 lottery prizes almost exactly one year apart

    Woman wins two $50,000 lottery prizes almost exactly one year apart

    Odd News // 3 weeks ago

    Woman wins two $50,000 lottery prizes almost exactly one year apart

    March 5 (UPI) — A Maryland woman scored a $50,000 top prize from a Bonus Match 5 lottery drawing almost exactly one year after winning the same amount.

  • Mitski Takes Fans to School, Literally, With Hollywood High Auditorium Concerts

    Mitski Takes Fans to School, Literally, With Hollywood High Auditorium Concerts

    It’s only the start of April, but Mitski has already taken the crown for the most unique residency of 2026, as the indie singer-songwriter kicked off a five-night stand in the auditorium at Hollywood High this week.

    “When I first got here, I slightly regretted having this out of a high school because I was immediately triggered,” Mitski joked before a sold-out crowd of 1,900 fans sitting on thin, old foldout wooden chairs in the school’s auditorium for the first show Monday evening. “As soon as I set foot on campus, my brain immediately did this thing and clocked all the exits and places I can hide. Oh no one’s laughing. That’s cool, I guess no one else had a terrible time in high school.”

    Maybe it was just a bit too relatable.

    It’s hard not to chuckle a bit at the sheer novelty of seeing one of the most lauded performers of a generation play her only Los Angeles shows of the year on the same stage that will host a high school production of Into The Woods next month. But to be fair, this isn’t your typical high school.

    Hollywood High has served as a shooting location for several films and TV shows in the past, including The Optimist, Nancy Drew, Made, and Penn & Teller: Bullshit. Among its famous alumni and former students are Carol Burnett, Sarah Jessica Parker, Judy Garland and Cher. Mitski isn’t the first artist to have played at the famed high school either; Elvis Costello played in the auditorium back in 1978, and he released a live album of that performance in 2010. Morrissey played much more recently, back in 2013, in a performance documented in the concert film Morrissey: 25 Live.

    That history was what drew Mitski here in the first place. She was looking for more intimate, unconventional shows for this tour. For her New York shows, Mitski played at The Shed, an arts center more synonymous with theater than with music.

    “I want to get back to the feeling I had playing DIY shows, punk shows,” the singer told NPR’s World Cafe last month. “And I was just trying to channel that.”

    With that mandate in mind, her team started planning the L.A shows last year in the ramp up to her latest album Nothing’s About to Happen To Me. Wilson Zheng, Mitski’s booking agent at High Road Touring, tells THR that her manager Dalton Sim had brought up Hollywood High, recalling the Morrissey and Costello shows. Hollywood High was the only school they had in mind, Zheng says, with other potential venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

    The school quickly became the top choice. Along with the history, its auditorium is also far more equipped for a concert than one may expect. It can seat a couple thousand people, has an expansive ceiling, and a stage that can easily fit a full band. The cafeteria below served as Mitski’s pop-up “Tansy House,” where fans could take pictures and buy merchandise.

    “It’s really hard to find a unique spot in Los Angeles,” Zheng says. “There’s a lot of different high-level artists looking for spaces. The concept of playing at a high school itself isn’t brand new, but it’s been a really long time since we’ve seen anyone really do it… It’s a fantastic little theater there. It’s maybe not as embellished as the old Ace Hotel, but it’s a great listening experience for the fans.”

    And so, Mitski’s team left it to concert promoter Goldenvoice to coordinate, getting in touch with Hollywood High School principal Samual Dovlatian. After a couple months of discussions, Zheng says, the school was on board. Getting the go-ahead for this sort of show seems even more improbable today than in decades past given all the security guardrails at schools now. In this case, the shows were only possible because Hollywood High School and the rest of LAUSD is on spring break this week, leaving the premises vacant. From the beginning, Zheng says, they targeted this week knowing it was the only time they can pull it off.

    Mitski’s own reputation may have contributed as well, as a rowdier, more chaotic artist and audience probably wouldn’t have gotten the green light. “Mitski’s fan base is so sweet and understanding,” Zheng says. “That probably helped too. These aren’t shows where they’re going to mess up the school in any way. These are polite, easy-going folks.”

    To give back a bit, Mitski also decided to earmark $2 of every ticket sale to In the Band, an L.A.-based after school music program.

    The logistics of the shows weren’t too complicated after getting a go-ahead. The biggest issue was that the auditorium seats weren’t originally numbered, but Goldenvoice labeled them. Beyond that, Mitski brought her own PA, and looking to be good tenants for the week, they cleaned before the shows and plan on cleaning again at the end of the week.

    Mitski waisted little time in her set when her residency finally started Monday, going 35 minutes before she even addressed the crowd as she plowed through tracks including “In a Lake,” “I Bet on Losing Dogs,” “Where’s My Phone” and “Heaven.”

    That distinct old California school room vibe and smell benefited the DIY aesthetic Mitski was going after, though after a few songs, it was easy to forget where the show was taking place after getting entranced into the concert itself. The visuals were strong, between the projections behind her and the haze of the fog machines that drenched the stage. The only other time the school locale seemed to be acknowledged other than from Mitski’s first remarks was during her performance of “Two Slow Dancers,” which had the audience cheering as she sang the opening lyrics “does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?”

    The few thousand fans who managed to snag tickets for the show weren’t the only winners here. Mitski’s team gave some tickets to Hollywood High for students and staff as well. As LAist reported this week, the school established an attendance contest, where students who showed up every day for two weeks could try for a pair of tickets. 168 students entered, and those students’ attendance had risen from 89 percent to 96 percent. 46 students were given tickets overall, per the news outlet.

    Then of course, there was the school’s rental fee for the shows overall. Zheng declined to give specifics on how much they paid to rent the auditorium, but as Mitski announced during her show, Principal Dovlatian decided that’s going back for the students too, for their graduation.

    “All the caps and gowns and everything, that’s paid for by the rental fee,” she said, shouting out Dovlatian while introducing the rest of her band as well as the crowd cheered. “I wish I could take credit for that but I can’t. That’s Principal D, so thank you.”

    Mitski wraps up her residency on Saturday. Then, school’s back in session.

  • ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Voice Actor Eugene Mirman Suffers Serious Injuries Following Car Crash

    ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Voice Actor Eugene Mirman Suffers Serious Injuries Following Car Crash

    Bob’s Burgers star Eugene Mirman is facing “serious injuries” following a Tuesday car crash in New Hampshire.

    On Tuesday, a 2026 Lucid Gravity crashed into the Bedford Toll Plaza, with Mirman later being identified as the vehicle’s driver, per a press release from New Hampshire police. The accident was described as a single-vehicle crash.

    A veteran State Trooper assigned to Governor Kelly Ayotte’s security detail responded to the crash, and noticed that the car was on fire with a passenger still inside. Mirman was pulled from the vehicle while it was burning through a window, as Governor Ayotte and other witnesses as the scene assisted the Trooper.

    Mirman, 51, was taken to a nearby hospital with “serious injuries.” The press release indicates that no charges have been filed at this time, though all aspects of the crash are under investigation.

    “Certainly, their actions were heroic in what they did,” Colonel Mark B. Hall said in a statement. “Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it.”

    Governor Ayotte took to X on Tuesday after the crash, writing, “I want to thank the Trooper on my security detail and the bystanders who stepped up to help at the scene of the crash for their brave lifesaving efforts today. Joe and I are praying for the full recovery of the driver who was injured today.”

    The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Mirman’s reps, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

    Mirman joined the cast of Bob’s Burgers in the show’s inaugural season, where he voices Gene Belcher. He has appeared in all 16 installments of the animated Fox series.

    His additional credits include Confess, Fletch (2022), Teenage Euthanasia (2023), Apple & Onion (2016-2021) and Delocated (2009-2012). Mirman has also lent his voice acting talents to The Bob’s Burgers Movie in 2022, and a 2018 episode of The Simpsons.

    Mirman is also a stand-up comedian. His latest special, entitled Here Comes The Whimsy, dropped on Veeps on Feb. 5, which he celebrated on his Instagram.

  • US removes sanctions on Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez

    US removes sanctions on Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez

    US has exerted growing influence over the Venezuelan government after abducting former President Nicolas Maduro.

    Published On 1 Apr 2026

    The United States has lifted sanctions against Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez, following its abduction and imprisonment of her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro.

    The US Department of the Treasury website was updated on Wednesday to show that Rodriguez had been removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List.

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    The move was seen as yet another sign of tightening relations between Rodriguez and US President Donald Trump, who has sought to exert control over Venezuela’s politics since Maduro’s removal.

    Rodriguez hailed Wednesday’s decision with a post calling for more sanctions against Venezuelan entities and individuals to be nixed.

    “President Trump’s decision is a significant step in the right direction to normalize and strengthen relations between our countries,” she wrote.

    “We trust that this progress and determination will ultimately lead to the lifting of the additional active sanctions on our country.”

    Rodriguez had been sanctioned under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since 2018, during Trump’s first term in office. The sanctions froze any assets she may have held in the US and prohibited any US-based entity from doing business with her.

    In a news release at the time, the US accused Rodriguez of being among a group of government leaders that were “involved in the destruction of democracy in Venezuela” and were “enriching themselves at the expense of the Venezuelan people”.

    At the time of the sanctions, Rodriguez had recently been appointed as vice president, a role she served in until January 3, when a US military operation abducted Maduro.

    Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was also captured in the raid, currently await trial in the US on drug-trafficking and weapons possession charges.

    Legal experts have widely condemned the US attack as illegal under international law, and Rodriguez herself has called for Maduro and Flores to be returned to Venezuela.

    But since being sworn in as Maduro’s replacement, Rodriguez has taken a largely conciliatory approach to US-Venezuela relations.

    Rodriguez has taken steps to open the country to greater outside investment, including by signing into law in January a piece of legislation designed to open Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to private investment.

    A similar bill, to attract outside investment to the mining sector, received an initial vote in March.

    But critics have questioned the circumstances under which these reforms have progressed. Trump has pledged to “run” Venezuela, and after Maduro’s abduction, he warned that a second wave of military action could follow if Rodriguez did not comply with his demands.

    “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump told The Atlantic magazine in an article published on January 4.

    For her part, Rodriguez has struck a careful balance between sparse criticism of Maduro’s abduction and improving ties with the US.

    The US Department of State said that the country’s embassy in Caracas had officially resumed operations on Monday after a seven-year closure.

    International organisations such as the United Nations have said that human rights violations have persisted in the South American country, despite the change in president.

    Trump has held up Venezuela as a model for the regime change he would like to see in Iran and Cuba, but critics note that he has kept its government largely intact, despite the ouster of Maduro himself.

    Venezuela’s government has long faced accusations of violently suppressing its political dissent through arbitrary arrest, torture and extrajudicial killing.

  • Agencies Must Create Clear Prediction Market Rules to Avoid FTX-Style ‘Implosions’: CFTC Chair

    Agencies Must Create Clear Prediction Market Rules to Avoid FTX-Style ‘Implosions’: CFTC Chair

    In brief

    • CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is concerned that driving prediction markets offshore into unregulated space could cause FTX-style “implosions.”
    • Prediction markets are facing scrutiny over insider trading on their platforms.
    • Selig warned against states “regulating by litigation and enforcement actions.”

    If regulators fail to set up clear policies and rules around prediction markets, there could be another FTX-like implosion, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig.

    “The failure of agencies to actually regulate, to do their job and set policy, is such a disservice to the builders and innovators and everyday Americans who want to access these products,” Selig said in an interview with Dastan President and Co-Founder Farokh Sarmad.

    The CFTC, which claims complete jurisdiction over prediction markets and derivatives contracts, wants to make sure that’s not the case moving forward.

    “We saw FTX and we saw all these implosions of crypto firms, I’m concerned we’ll see the same with prediction markets if we keep pushing it offshore into the unregulated space,” he said.

    “We’ve got to make sure these exchanges come and register here in the United States and that our rules are set up to facilitate fair markets, markets that have investor protections, customer protections, and have real guardrails and rules,” Selig added.

    Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have exploded in popularity over the last year, moving from niche homes to political markets to massive platforms facilitating event contracts for nearly anything you could imagine—sports, weather, geopolitical issues, and more.

    (Disclaimer: Decrypt’s parent company, Dastan, operates Myriad, a prediction market).

    The surge in volumes, which now stretches above $20 billion monthly, has led to rapidly rising valuations as well, with Kalshi reportedly doubling its valuation earlier this month when it raised $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation.

    Prediction markets under the microscope

    Those surging values have not come without scrutiny. Kalshi and Polymarket have recently faced accusations of insider trading on their platforms, as public officials like California Governor Gavin Newsom allege that individuals close to the Trump administration have profited from insider knowledge using prediction markets.

    More specific examples have led to a fine and suspension against a video editor for MrBeast, who profited from inside information related to the YouTube personality’s videos. In February, two Israelis were arrested and charged with misusing classified information, having allegedly used military secrets to profit on Polymarket.

    Recently, both offered new policies and procedures to try and address the insider trading concerns.

    The platforms are also running into issues in the courts, where states are now pushing back on their offerings. For example, Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes filed 20 criminal charges against Kalshi, alleging the site is running an “illegal gambling operation.” 

    Earlier this month, Nevada earned a victory in court over the platform, landing a temporary restraining order that banned it from offering its event contracts in the state. Other states, like Massachusetts, may not be far behind from doing the same.

    Selig, who has previously condemned the behavior from states, didn’t expect it.

    “I am surprised about it,” he told Sarmad about the state’s lawsuits against prediction markets, adding that, “I think the jurisdiction of the agency is very clear.”

    The jurisdiction and regulation of prediction markets, as well as crypto and artificial intelligence and their relationship to derivative markets, is something that Selig said the agency is committed to getting right.

    States “regulating by litigation”

    “We’ve got to get the policy right, and we’re committed to working with every stakeholder who wants to work with us,” he said. “What we don’t want is states and others suing our registrants to assert their authority in the same way that the last administration did with crypto, where they’re regulating by litigation and enforcement actions.”

    “We’d like to work together to get the policy right,” he added.

    To do so, his agency has recently put out an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to invite public comments and feedback about the rules necessary to properly regulate prediction markets.

    Last week, the CFTC launched an Innovation Task Force to help create a clear regulatory framework for AI, crypto, and prediction markets as well, indicating it would coordinate with other federal agencies like the SEC and its Crypto Task Force on initiatives.

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  • Franklin Templeton to Buy CoinFund Spinoff, Build Out Crypto Investment Offering

    Franklin Templeton to Buy CoinFund Spinoff, Build Out Crypto Investment Offering

    In brief

    • Franklin Templeton is acquiring 250 Digital, a CoinFund spinoff, as it builds out its own crypto wing, Franklin Crypto.
    • The firm is bringing the 250 Digital team on board as well as its crypto investment strategies, which it will invest in as part of the deal.
    • It is using BENJI tokens, its on-chain money market fund, as payment considerations in the deal.

    Global asset manager Franklin Templeton announced Wednesday it is forming a crypto unit—Frankling Crypto—following its acquisition of 250 Digital, a crypto investment firm and spinoff from CoinFund.

    The acquisition, expected to close during Q2, brings the 250 Digital team and all its crypto strategies to Franklin Templeton, which will invest in those strategies as part of the deal. 

    “Crypto’s institutional moment has arrived, and Franklin Crypto will help our global clients navigate this complex and rapidly evolving asset class by delivering the expertise, knowledge and digital asset products that meet their sophisticated investment needs,” Head of Franklin Crypto Christopher Perkins said in a statement.

    Perkins, who will join the firm and serve as the division leader of Franklin Crypto, previously led 250 Digital alongside Seth Ginns, who will come on board and serve as the Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Crypto.

    “This is an exciting addition for Franklin Templeton, and we’re pleased to welcome Chris, Seth and the 250 Digital team to our firm,” Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson in a statement.

    “Together, their investment talent and differentiated strategies strengthen our capabilities in digital assets and position us among a small group of global asset managers with a dedicated, institutional-grade crypto investment management team, enhancing our ability to serve clients worldwide,” she added. 

    While financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed, the firm noted that BENJI tokens—those representing its on-chain money market fund—will be used as payment considerations, “marking an important and innovative step toward conducting M&A transactions on chain.”

    The firm first debuted the tokenized fund in 2021, before expanding its access to Ethereum in 2024. Since that time, it has also expanded to other popular blockchain networks like Solana, and Ethereum scaling networks like Base and Arbitrum. 

    Its latest crypto initiative comes just one week after it announced a deal with Ondo Finance to launch tokenized versions of five of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 

    A representative for Franklin Templeton did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

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  • ‘Dimension 20: On a Bus’ Dragon Master Katie Marovitch on Surprise Season 2 Drop, Future Episodes: ‘I Plan on Annoying Sam and Brennan Enough’

    ‘Dimension 20: On a Bus’ Dragon Master Katie Marovitch on Surprise Season 2 Drop, Future Episodes: ‘I Plan on Annoying Sam and Brennan Enough’

    SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 2, now streaming on Dropout.

    Comedy streaming service Dropout committed to the bit hard this April Fools’ Day with the launch of a “second season” of “Dimension 20: On a Bus.”

    Released in a surprise drop Wednesday, the one-episode Season 2 serves as the follow-up to a viral short video released last year alongside an episode of Dropout’s “Game Changer,” which featured a pitch for a season of “Dimension 20” with “Dragon Master” Katie Marovitch leading players (and “D&D” experts) Jasmine Bhullar (Little Army Man), Aabria Iyengar (Blue M&M), Matthew Mercer (Lint) and Brennan Lee Mulligan (Hat) as they embark on a journey on a bus going from North Hollywood to Los Angeles’ LAX airport.

    Tabletop RPG newcomer Marovitch says she, “Dimension 20” creator and star Mulligan and Dropout CEO and “Game Changer” host Sam Reich did not expect the video to draw more than 6 million views. But once it did, conversations quickly began about doing a full-length episode of “On a Bus.”

    “It was pretty early on we were talking about it, shortly after the original two-minute-and-30-second-long Season 1 premiered,” Marovitch told Variety. “We didn’t know it was going to be such a big thing. It’s been very exciting, seeing everyone at conventions dressed as me in my outfits. I don’t think we were anticipating that. So it sort of made sense to do another thing pretty soon after it actually premiered.”

    Though not originally planned as an ongoing series, “Dimension 20: On a Bus” shot its second season in January with its original cast and their characters (with the exception of Iyengar’s original Blue M&M, “because Aabria kept eating Blue M&M,” Marovitch) resuming gameplay under Marovitch’s rules.

    What began as a joke (and is now the highest-rated episode of “Dimension 20” on IMDb) remains a joke throughout most of Season 2, but Marovitch says she wanted to pay homage to the art of “D&D” while DM-ing for the group of hardcore players.

    “There’s a fine line between making fun of something and then honoring it, because I actually, obviously respect [this],” Marovitch said. “They’re all incredible, and they’re so much better at this than I could ever be. So I definitely don’t want to offend anyone while I’m doing it, I just want it to be fun.”

    Marovitch “cannot stress how little” she knew about “D&D” going into the original “Dimension 20: On a Bus,” but says she put a lot of effort into Season 2 plans.

    “I actually did prepare a lot. I put a lot of time into thinking of the bits and like, oh, is this crossing a line? Is this going to be offensive to Brennan and the other people at the table, or is this something that’s just fun for everyone?” Marovitch said. “Also, I’m very Type A, so for me, not reading about ‘D&D’ and knowing everything about it before going in was really hard for me. But Brennan, when I talked to him beforehand, he was kind of like, the less you know about it, truthfully, is the better. Like, it’s funnier to have you going in as just an idiot. But my impulse is definitely like, oh, I should prepare in order to actually know what I’m supposed to be doing, and then sort of subvert that. But no this time, we really were like, prepare your bits. And I did prepare my bits a lot, but I really tried hard not to go further than that.”

    Read more from Variety‘s interview with “Dimension 20: On a Bus” star Marovitch about Season 2 and plans for additional episodes below.

    At what point in prep for “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 2 did you decide additional kinds of die might be helpful here? Or that you should include more than one rule in the game mechanics?

    The first season, the two-minute-and-30-second-long season, I went in knowing, literally, I had no idea what I was going to say for the die system. And the six, the “perfect six,” just came to me, and then we went with that. But for this one, since it was obviously a much longer season, I thought maybe that wouldn’t be quite enough. So you will notice that there is a different system this time. It’s far more complicated. A TI-83 is involved. It might be hard for the viewers to follow it. Maybe I’m going to write something up, some sort of instruction manual, maybe my own book. I just want people to know that there’s other systems that can be used, besides the perfect six.

    At the end of Season 1, had you left yourself room for where you would want go to plotwise if the story continued beyond just that bit?

    Not at all. I cannot stress how little I knew going in for Season 1. Truly, I had no idea what I was going to say. The only thing that I came in with was that there was going to be a bus. And then for Season 2, obviously, I put a lot of time into the pitch, genuinely. Through talking to Brennan, he was really like, no, try not to think too much about the plot, because that actually makes it harder. If the DM knows exactly what they want to do, and then obviously you’re working with other players, it’s all dependent on what they say. So for me, Season 1, I cannot stress enough how little thought went into it. I had to rewatch the season multiple times. I was like, what did I even say? I have no idea what I did.

    This was shot in January. How long did it take to film?

    It was one day, and it actually started late, and some people were already on set in the morning. So it was a long day that started sort of late, and it was nice. I got to bring my baby to set and it’s fun being a new parent and trying to work in pumping and breastfeeding and all that. But it was a blast.

    You use a lot of props from previous seasons of “Dimension 20” in this episode. Did Brennan give you full access to the prop room, or suggest certain pieces to use?

    The team behind this was truly incredible. Obviously, I know nothing about “D&D,” but they really helped pull together all the props from various seasons that they thought could work. And it was really a collaboration for the bits, where people who knew a lot more than I did would bring something up. Like the Critical Role Vecna — which, obviously I would have no idea, I would not be able to come up with that bit, because I’ve never seen it. So that was definitely someone else coming up with that. It was really a collaboration. And definitely the best bits are from other people who are way more knowledgeable than I am.

    During the episode, you disclose that you were approached by Critical Role to take over as a “replacement” for an unnamed person on that show. Are those talks still ongoing?

    I like to believe they’re ongoing. And yeah, I’m kind of choosing to believe that that will happen. Whether or not that was true, remains to be seen. But for me, I’m choosing to believe that those talks are ongoing.

    You also told Brennan that you were given a much larger budget than the average season of “Dimension 20” gets from Dropout. How much more would you say?

    I think they said I got, like, triple the budget? And obviously, I mean, you saw it — yes, we used it. We used the money. The Cheeto budget alone, I think I had $5,000. And we did go through it all, obviously.

    These new additions — the “Mr. Questions” badge, the Cheetos-filled dice tray — do you see these being incorporated into standard gameplay on Brennan’s future seasons of “Dimension 20”?

    I like to believe that they will be sort of not just for “D20,” I like to believe that they’re going to be sort of just what everyone does across all of “D&D” in general. I like to believe that’s just going to be a part of gameplay from now on. And that’s sort of the reality I’m choosing to live in.

    At the end of the episode, you quote one of Brennan’s iconic lengthy monologues from “Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy.” Why did you pick that particular speech for this moment in “On a Bus”?

    It was so weird, because I didn’t even know that that was from that. Like, I just started sort of talking from the heart and then the people behind the scenes shot me over that thing, and I was like, oh, my God. We’re, again, me and Brennan are so in sync. We come up with the exact same monologs, word for word, like, all the time, and it’s just another example of that. So, yeah, for me, no, I’d never seen it. And no, I certainly wasn’t stealing it. It was independent, yeah, for sure.

    Was this a one-time expansion of the bit or will there be more? Is there a “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 3 in the works?

    Yeah, I plan on annoying Sam and Brennan enough where they sort of do whatever they can possibly do to shut me up. So I can promise you, we’re doing a Season 3. Although [the Dropout PR monitoring this interview] is going to say, “No, Katie has no right to promise things like that. Please don’t put that in the article. Katie has no authority.” But I’m telling you, Jenny, I promise there’s going to be a Season 3, there’s going to be Season 4, there’s going to be a Season 5.

    All on a bus? Or are you thinking that “Dimension 20: On a Bus” could then be a franchise itself with further spinoffs?

    I love that question. I’m seeing “Dimension 20: In an Uber.” Not to blow your mind, but I could see it in a Waymo. We’re in 2026, here. We got to start thinking big. I could definitely see it in a spaceship. You know, let’s go to space. I think there’s so much. It’s such a rich world and I’m so ready to just keep exploring. “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 10 might be in space, for sure, or underwater, haven’t decided.

    Well, in Season 2 you already go on a plane, so it’s accelerating quickly. While shooting the episode, did you pre-plan to have each of the cast members come into the DM chair to take over at different points or did that just happen?

    No, I had no idea I was gonna be doing that. I did it with Matt, just as a bit. That was my first one. And then I thought, well, hold on, this is a way for the story to actually advance much better than how I could do it, so maybe this is a good idea and I should keep doing it. I don’t think all of their turns, like the full length, obviously, didn’t make it in. But truly, the best parts of the episode are when I’m not in the driver’s seat.

    Did you take what they said and learn from it and use it throughout the rest?

    Yes. And actually, I think you can see on my face when I had sort of a light bulb moment every time where they said something so much smarter than anything that I could ever have come up with. And I thought, oh, yeah, we have to do that. We have to keep pursuing whatever that was. You can see, truly, whenever I’m not in the chair, I’m just like a little kid, just like giddy with excitement that someone else is saying something far smarter than what I could say.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.

  • ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Credits Scene: [SPOILER] Revealed, Plus All the ‘Smash Bros.’ and ‘Mario’ Cameos

    ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Credits Scene: [SPOILER] Revealed, Plus All the ‘Smash Bros.’ and ‘Mario’ Cameos

    SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” now playing in theaters.

    Just like its predecessor, “The Super Mario Galaxy” movie is packed with characters, enemies and power-ups from the entire history of “Mario” video games — but this time there are nods to several other Nintendo titles.

    The first major crossover came with the reveal that Glen Powell would be voicing “Star Fox” pilot Fox McCloud in the sequel. Fox, who’s also one of the original characters from the “Super Smash Bros.” fighting series alongside Mario, plays a surprisingly substantial role for a non-“Mario” character. He meets Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi while they’re stranded in space and surrounded by tons of unfamiliar characters. He offers to fly them in his Arwing spaceship and joins the battle against Bowser and Bowser Jr. — he even gets his own backstory flashback.

    In the first post-credits scene, Fox and one of the Toads fly to a deserted prison where Bowser (now in his Dry Bowser form after being burnt by lava) and Bowser Jr. sit defeated. The “Star Fox” music plays over the quick scene, and many fans are hoping this leads to a “Star Fox” movie or even a “Super Smash Bros.” crossover.

    Characters from all over the Nintendo universe and beyond (like Sonic and Pac-Man) come together to battle in the “Super Smash Bros.” games, and now many characters have been introduced in the “Mario” movies. Mario, Fox, Luigi, Yoshi and Donkey Kong have been on every “Super Smash Bros.” roster, and characters like Peach, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Rosalina and Diddy Kong joined later on. There were also cameos from R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch and Captain Olimar’s Pikmin in “Super Mario Galaxy,” totaling 13 references to “Smash Bros.” characters — plus one more in the final post-credits scene.

    Peach’s royal counterpart Princess Daisy pops up in the final scene of the movie, introducing one of the “Mario” series’ most popular characters. Earlier in “Super Mario Galaxy,” Luigi referenced wanting a princess of his own after Mario and Peach grow close, and it appears he’ll get his wish if a third movie is made. Daisy is often portrayed as Luigi’s love interest, and she appears in many of the “Mario” video games and as an alternate version of Peach in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

    Check out all of the video game cameos from “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” below.

  • Exercising Harder, Not Just Longer, May Lower Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk

    Exercising Harder, Not Just Longer, May Lower Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk

    Female jumping up to catch a large ball in a gym settingShare on Pinterest
    Research suggests that how hard you work out may be just as important as how long you work out. Image Credit: The Good Brigade/Getty Images
    • A few minutes of harder exercise each day may dramatically lower your risk of major diseases.
    • New research suggests exercise intensity, not just total minutes, plays a critical role in prevention.
    • Adding short bursts of vigorous activity to your day could be a simple, efficient way to improve long-term health outcomes.

    Exercise intensity, not just volume, is essential to reduce the risk of serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, according to a new study.

    Physical activity guidelines tend to focus on how much, or total volume, people should exercise each week. For the average adult, that recommendation is about 150 minutes. Those recommendations emphasize duration but offer less guidance on how hard people should exercise.

    But a new study published on Sunday in the European Heart Journal found that people who get even small amounts of vigorous exercise each day may be less likely to develop eight major diseases.

    “In our study, even a small proportion of vigorous activity—just over 4% of total activity, which may translate to only a few minutes per day—was associated with meaningful health benefits,” Minxue Shen, PhD, a professor at Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China, and co-author of the research, told Healthline.

    Vigorous doesn’t mean extreme, but it should be enough to mean that you are breathing hard and can’t speak more than a few words at a time. Shen told Healthline that even everyday activities like carrying heavy groceries or climbing stairs quickly can be intense enough to count.

    For some diseases, both volume and intensity were important, but for others, like immune-related conditions, the benefit relied almost entirely on intensity.

    Although the study is observational, meaning it doesn’t establish a causal link between exercise intensity and specific health conditions, the results align with other research suggesting that there’s more to physical activity than just volume.

    The researchers used data from the UK Biobank, which includes de-identified health data for half a million adults living in the United Kingdom.

    For their analysis, they focused on two groups:

    • about 96,000 participants who had their physical activity objectively measured using wrist-worn fitness trackers
    • a much larger group of about 375,000 participants who self-reported their physical activity

    The fitness trackers continuously logged movement over a 7-day period, allowing researchers to estimate not only how much people moved but also how intense their activity was.

    Participants were on average 56 to 62 years old, and just over half were women. Researchers calculated each person’s total physical activity and the proportion that qualified as “vigorous” exercise, defined as higher-intensity movement such as running. Participants were followed for about 9 years in the device-measured group and over 14 years in the self-reported group.

    During that period, researchers tracked whether they developed any of eight major chronic conditions:

    Across both datasets, people who did a higher proportion of vigorous exercise had consistently lower risks of developing major diseases, even when their total amount of exercise was the same.

    “This study moves beyond the simple question of ‘How much exercise?’ and really examines how the intensity of that exercise matters,” said Denice Ichinoe, DO, an assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ichinoe wasn’t involved in the research.

    “In other words,” she adds, “moving more is essential, but how hard you move can further influence long-term health outcomes.”

    The relationship followed a dose–response pattern, meaning the more vigorous the exercise, the greater the benefit. However, the risk reduction plateaued once vigorous activity accounted for about 4% to 5% of total activity, suggesting there’s no need to go overboard with strenuous activity.

    In the group using fitness trackers, those who got more than 4% of their activity from vigorous exercise had substantially lower risk than those who did none. For example, they had about a 31% lower risk of major cardiovascular events, a 60% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and a 63% lower risk of dementia.

    That pattern held across a wide range of conditions.

    Higher-intensity activity was linked to roughly 60% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, 63% lower risk of dementia, and 46% lower risk of death. Importantly, these benefits were evident even at relatively low levels of vigorous activity.

    The researchers also found that some diseases reacted differently to exercise.

    “We observed that different diseases showed different patterns—some were mainly influenced by intensity, while others were associated with both intensity and total activity,” Shen said.

    Reduction in risk for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and dementia was driven almost entirely by exercise intensity. Meanwhile, for metabolic conditions like diabetes, both intensity and total activity mattered.

    Starting slowly, especially if you don’t regularly engage in intense exercise, is essential, according to Ichinoe.

    “The best exercise plan is one that is sustainable, progressive, and individualized,” she said.

    To this end, Ichinoe recommends a few simple steps to getting started:

    • First, aim for a regular routine of moderate-intensity exercise on most days.
    • Build on your success by adding 1-2 sessions of more vigorous activity per week.
    • Choose activities you enjoy. This is key for long-term adherence.
    • If you’re not sure about exercise intensity, use the “talk test”: moderate activity allows for conversation, but vigorous activity means you can only speak a few words at a time.

    Ichinoe points out that while vigorous exercise, especially short bouts, is probably ok for most people, there are some individuals who should approach it cautiously.

    Older adults who are not regularly active, especially those with balance issues, should consult with their doctor before starting a new fitness regimen. Individuals with known cardiovascular disease, diabetes, joint limitations, or unexplained chest pain or shortness of breath should also consult with their physician.

    Even if you don’t regularly exercise, there are simple ways to add a bit of vigorous exercise to your day.

    “Walk faster for a few minutes, take the stairs quickly, or do a brief uphill walk,” Shen said. “Even just 15 to 20 minutes total spread across the week—a few minutes at a time—can provide meaningful health benefits.”

  • What is NASA’s Artemis II moon mission, and when will it launch?

    What is NASA’s Artemis II moon mission, and when will it launch?

    The countdown is under way at Kennedy Space Center for the liftoff of Artemis II, which will send four astronauts around the moon and back in the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.

    After a mission management team meeting on Monday, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said Artemis II is ready for launch on Wednesday.

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    The weather is now the only potential constraint. The forecast indicates an 80 percent chance of favourable conditions with the primary concerns being cloud coverage and the potential for high winds, NASA noted.

    When will Artemis II launch?

    At 6:24pm (22:24 GMT) on Wednesday, a two-hour window will open for the Artemis II mission to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

    The launch window will remain open until April 6 for two hours each day after sunset. The mission can launch only when the moon, orbital paths, weather and Earth’s rotation line up safely.

    Artemis II has faced two major delays that pushed it from its original early 2026 launch window.

    In early February, the first attempt was scrubbed after a liquid hydrogen leak was detected during a practice countdown.

    A second launch attempt in early March was cancelled when engineers discovered a helium flow issue in the rocket’s upper stage.

    Interactive_Artemis2_March30_2026_REVISED-03-1774958269

    How to watch the launch

    NASA will livestream the launch on YouTube , which has shown Artemis II from its rollout at the vehicle assembly building to Launch Pad 39.

    What is NASA’s Artemis programme?

    The Artemis programme is NASA’s multidecade mission to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972, establish a long-term base there and eventually enable future human missions to Mars.

    The programme is currently divided into five missions: Artemis I, II, III, IV and V.

    Artemis I was the inaugural uncrewed test flight, which launched on November 16, 2022, and lasted 25 days. It successfully placed the Orion spacecraft into Earth’s orbit and provided crucial data for Artemis II.

    People look at NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, on Pad 39B ahead of the Artemis II mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., March 29, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
    NASA’s next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, on Pad 39B before the Artemis II mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on March 29, 2026 [Brendan McDermid/Reuters]

    What is Artemis II?

    Artemis II is the first human mission of the Artemis programme. While Artemis I was an uncrewed test mission that carried only mannequins and sensors, Artemis II will mark the first time since 1972 that astronauts will travel beyond low Earth orbit.

    Will Artemis II land on the moon?

    No. The four-person crew will not land on the moon but rather perform a lunar flyby, looping around the moon’s far side before returning to Earth.

    What is the goal of the Artemis programme?

    At its core, Artemis II is a systems validation mission. NASA will use the flight to test the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems, navigation, communication links and overall performance in deep space with a crew on board – conditions that cannot be fully replicated on Earth.

    If successful, Artemis II will pave the way for Artemis III, a crewed low Earth orbit mission; then Artemis IV, which aims to land astronauts on the moon; and future missions that could establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth.

    Here’s how the 10-day Artemis II journey is planned:

    Interactive_Artemis2_March30_2026-MISSION_MOON
    (Al Jazeera)

    How is Artemis different from Apollo?

    In Greek mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon. The name symbolises the programme’s connection to the original Apollo lunar missions, which took place from 1961 to 1972.

    The most notable of the Apollo missions was Apollo 11 when on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.

    The last mission was Apollo 17 when Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972, becoming the last people to walk on the moon.

    Launch of final lunar landing mission in NASA''s Apollo program
    The Apollo 17 mission is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on December 7, 1972 [Handout/NASA]

    Who are the Artemis II astronauts?

    The mission will carry four astronauts:

    • Reid Wiseman, 50, commander: The NASA veteran and former International Space Station commander is leading the Artemis II mission. A test pilot-turned-astronaut, he has leadership and deep spaceflight experience.
    • Victor Glover, 49, pilot: The US Navy aviator is the first Black astronaut assigned to a lunar mission and flew on SpaceX Crew-1.
    • Christina Koch, 47, mission specialist: The record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days is a veteran of multiple spacewalks and has scientific and deep-space mission expertise.
    • Jeremy Hansen, 50, mission specialist: The first Canadian set to travel to the moon is a former fighter pilot and represents international collaboration in deep space exploration.
    INTERACTIVE - Who is on board Artemis II-1774960222
    (Al Jazeera)

    What will the Artemis crew do during the mission?

    During the flight, the four astronauts will evaluate the spacecraft, test their own responses to radiation and onboard fires, and perform a suit pressurisation test.

    They will also carry out medical and scientific experiments and make detailed observations of the lunar surface during the flyby.

    Why is NASA going back to the moon?

    The mission reflects broader long-term goals. NASA plans to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon, particularly near the lunar south pole, where water in the form of ice is believed to exist.

    This is seen as a stepping stone towards future human missions to Mars. At the same time, Artemis is unfolding within a wider geopolitical context as the United States seeks to maintain leadership in space exploration amid growing competition, particularly from China.

    When are the next Artemis missions?

    Artemis III – 2027

    NASA recently overhauled the mission profile of Artemis III. The mission, scheduled for next year, will no longer land on the moon but rather send a crew into low Earth orbit, where it will test integrated operations between the Orion spacecraft and one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin.

    Artemis IV – early 2028

    The mission is to be the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17. NASA plans to send its crew into lunar orbit and two of its astronauts to the lunar south pole.

    Artemis V – late 2028

    With this mission, NASA plans a second crewed lunar landing and the start of a lunar base.