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  • Where to Watch ‘Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro’ Live Online

    Where to Watch ‘Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro’ Live Online

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

    Ahead of fall’s Dancing With the Stars season 35 premiere, a new spinoff is joining the franchise to determine who will become a pro dancer on the flagship series. Hosted by fan-favorite season 34 winner Robert Irwin, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro premieres on Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. PT/ET on ABC, which is available on any streaming service that carries said network, namely DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Fubo (with a one-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV.

    Unlike Dancing With the Stars, the spinoff competition does not stream live on Disney+, however it will be available to watch on a one-day delay (every Tuesday) on Disney+/Hulu.

    At a Glance: How to Watch Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro

    Where to Watch Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro: Air Date, Time

    The spinoff competition series will be broadcast Mondays on ABC, at 8 p.m. PT/ET, starting with the July 13 premiere.

    Where to Stream Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Online

    Since The Next Pro airs on ABC, it will also be available to watch live on any streaming service that carries the network, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Fubo (with a one-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV. Episodes will be available to stream the following day on Disney+/Hulu. More on each option — and their new subscriber discounts — below.

    Five-day free trial; packages from $19.99 per month

    ABC is included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier. Plus, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for its streaming service, meaning new subscribers can tune in at no cost for a limited time.

    Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $19.99 per month), at directv.com.

    Fubo

    One-day free trial; packages from $64.99 per month ($54.99 for first month)

    ABC is available to stream with a subscription to Fubo, which offers a one-day free trial for new subscribers. After the trial, plans start at $54.99 for the first month and $64.99 monthly thereafter.

    Plans from $4.99 per day or $19.99 per month

    ABC is included in Sling’s Blue Plan, from $45.99 per month, and Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, from $60.99 per month. That said, local channel availability depends on your TV market. Visit Sling.com to check station availability and package options, starting as low as $4.99 per day or $19.99 per month.

    Three-day free trial; packages from $89.99 per month

    Watch ABC for free with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV. Subscriptions come bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, and start at $89.99 per month.

    Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Host, Judges, Cast

    Season 34 DWTS winner Robert Irwin will serve as host, while mother-son duo Shirley and Mark Ballas will be on the weekly judging panel. Rotating guest judges — who will double as weekly mentors — will take the panel’s third slot. This season’s guest judges include Derek Hough, Witney Carson, Jenna Johnson, Britt Stewart, Daniella Karagach, Brandon Armstrong and Kym Johnson-Herjavec.

    Twelve contestants will compete on The Next Pro. These professional dancers include Benjamin Castro, Allen Genkin, Selena Hamilton, Natalie Jolley, Erik Linder, Nina Mayster, Jake Monreal, Briar Nolet, AJ Pritchard, Tristen Sanders, Stephani Sosa and Adele Zaikman. Sosa is sister to current pro Ezra and was a troupe member on season 33.

  • Movie Theaters’ Group Backs Lawsuit to Block Paramount Merger With Warner Bros.

    Movie Theaters’ Group Backs Lawsuit to Block Paramount Merger With Warner Bros.

    Cinema United and other organizations that have opposed Paramount’s attempted mega-merger with Warner Bros. Discovery applauded the move by 12 state attorneys general on Monday to sue to block the $111 billion deal.

    Cinema United, the trade organization that advocates on behalf of movie theaters across the country and internationally, took a victory lap on the challenge to a deal it vociferously opposed, arguing that small businesses across the country would suffer. “The ramifications of further movie studio consolidation will be significant and lasting, not just in Hollywood, but on Main Streets across this nation where local movie theaters serve as cultural and financial cornerstones for communities of all sizes,” president and CEO Michael O’Leary said in a statement.

    Cinema United has long opposed a mega-merger of another major Hollywood entity with Warner Bros., claiming that such a transaction would concentrate too much power in the hands of a single distributor. The group is not only concerned about bargaining power, but about the diversity and number of films that would be released each year were two major distributors to merge. (Paramount Skydance CEO Ellison has promised to release at least 30 films theatrically a year across Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which he says will operate as studios independently, if the merger is consummated.)

    Cinema United’s take is especially salient given that, in their lawsuit, the state regulators argued that the theatrical market, in particular, would be harmed by a reduction in owners of wide-release, high-grossing films. They claimed that the mega-deal would raise prices for consumers, reduce the amount of projects in theaters and throttle the diversity and quality of entertainment.

    Along with California, attorneys general for Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington joined the suit filed in California federal court on Monday.

    Equally vocal on the alleged evils of corporate consolidation in the entertainment industry has been the Writers Guild of America, the union representing film and television writers across the country. The union said on Monday that it had “engaged with the offices of many State Attorneys General” to argue against the merger for some time.

    “This is one of the worst proposed mergers we’ve seen. We’ve been very clear from day one that combining Warner Bros. Discovery with Paramount threatens our members and this industry, and must be blocked,” Writers Guild of America West president Michele Mulroney said in a statement.

    Added her counterpart from the Writers Guild of America East, Tom Fontana, “The proposed Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery would create an alarming amount of consolidation and contraction and cause irreparable harm to our members. People will lose their jobs, their income, their homes. The damage this deal would do to America’s entertainment and news industries would be an absolute, unmitigated disaster.”

    Ahead of Monday’s announcement, the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit devoted to antitrust policy, had helped organize a series of town halls for industry workers opposed to the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal. Unsurprisingly, a moderator for these town halls, American Economic Liberties Project senior advisor Alvaro Bedoya, cheered on the legal challenges.

    “The rich guys who run Paramount can say what they want, but the people who actually work for them know that this will kill jobs and screw over the small businesses that are the lifeblood of this industry. I hope the states win and win fast, because these people need it,” the former FTC commissioner said in a statement.

    In response to Monday’s lawsuit, Paramount alleged that the lawsuit would help shield tech giants like Apple and Amazon as well as the dominant streaming company, Netflix, from competition and that a blocked transaction would result in consequences for entertainment workers and consumers.

    But the merger’s opponents aren’t convinced. New York mayor Zohran Mamdani got in the action on Monday, posting on the social platform X that he was “proud” that New York is one of the states participating in the suit. He added, “New York’s workers helped build this industry. They should not be sacrificed for the sake of further corporate consolidation.”

  • Save Over $400 on This Swift ASUS OLED Gaming Monitor

    Save Over $400 on This Swift ASUS OLED Gaming Monitor

    As a gamer, you know that the weapons in your inventory aren’t the only ways to win the boss fight. The hardware you’re playing on, and namely, the screen you’re staring at, can mean the difference between a glorious victory and a disheartening defeat. And don’t get me started on the advantage it gives other players IRL over you if you have a less-than-standard setup.

    Gaming monitors are one of the best ways to level up your gameplay, especially if the hardware you have on deck is holding back your potential. But the nicer ones don’t come cheap, which is why we keep a close eye on gaming monitor sales so you don’t have to go digging. Take the ASUS ROG Swift, for example—Amazon has this premium monitor for 31% off right now, slashing over $400 off the $1,299.99 list price. That’s a lot of savings for both your wallet and your health bar!

    ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch OLED Gaming Monitor (PG32UCDMR)

    4K, 3840×2160, QD-OLED, 240Hz, 0.03ms, G-SYNC Compatible, 99% DCI-P3, USB-C


    $899.00
    at Amazon

    $1,299.99
    Save $400.99


    Get Deal

    Gamers are looking for one major thing above all in their monitors: speed, ultra-smooth speed. The ROG Swift has that one in the bag with its lightning-fast 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms response time on its 4K 2160p screen. That combo practically obliterates motion blur and ghosting and is near instant, which is essential for players looking for even a hair of an advantage over the competition. 

    The 32-inch QD-OLED display is gorgeous, showing off 99% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum on the 16:9 aspect ratio, which is much wider than the standard sRGB range. Overall, the screen can display more than a billion colors, which is extra effective if you also do some photo editing or creative content on the monitor. It also has the VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification, which requires pixels to fully shut off to achieve the truest blacks and eliminate screen glow for deeper contrast. And because OLED screens have a higher burn-in risk, ASUS built in OLED Care Pro, which works with a Neo Proximity Sensor that switches the monitor to a black screen when it senses the user stepping away. To double down on protection, the unit comes with a three-year warranty, including ARR (ASUS Rapid Replacement) and burn-in coverage. 

    Connectivity-wise, the ROG Swift includes a DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C port with 90W power delivery, which is pretty speedy for a monitor. But like I said, speed is the name of the game for a serious player’s monitor, and connectivity is no exception. And for over $400 off, that speed comes at a premium—on and off-screen. 

    Recommended by Our Editors

    But if you’re looking for something different, browse our experts’ list of the best gaming monitors for 2026. 

    More Deals on Gaming Monitors

    *Deals are selected by our commerce team

    About Our Expert

  • Humanitas Prizes Reveal Nominations; ‘My So-Called Life’ Creator Winnie Holzman to Be Honored and Ashley Nicole Black Will Host (EXCLUSIVE)

    Humanitas Prizes Reveal Nominations; ‘My So-Called Life’ Creator Winnie Holzman to Be Honored and Ashley Nicole Black Will Host (EXCLUSIVE)

    “My So-Called Life” creator and “Wicked” writer Winnie Holzman has been tapped to receive Humanitas‘s Kieser Award, while writer/comedian Ashley Nicole Black has been named host of this year’s Humanitas Prizes Award Show & Toast, the org announced Monday.

    Also on Monday, Humanitas announced the nominees for this year’s ten Humanitas Prizes, and revealed that Starz is back as the awards show’s key sponsor.

    The ceremony, which will also announce the 2026 New Voices Fellows, College Screenwriting Awards and Starz #TakeTheLead Award, will take place at Avalon Hollywood on Sept. 9.

    The Humanitas Prize honors “film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Prizes are presented at an annual event where winners receive a trophy and a cash prize.” Here are this year’s nominees:

    Drama Teleplay

    “Chicago Med” (“The Book of Charles”): Allen MacDonald

    “Grey’s Anatomy” (“Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”): Jess Righthand

    “Paradise” (“Graceland”): Dan Fogelman, Eric Wen

    “The Testaments” (“Stadium”): Gianna Sobol

    Comedy Teleplay
    “Abbott Elementary” (“Goofgirl”): Justin Tan

    “Long Story Short” (“Yoshi’s Bar Mitzvah”): Raphael Bob-Waksberg

    “Resident Alien” (“The End is Here”): Chris Sheridan

    “Shrinking” (“My Bad”): Brian Gallivan

    Limited Series Teleplay
    “Beef” (“Oh, The Comfort, The Inexpressible Comfort”): Lee Sung Jin, Madeleine Pron

    “DTF St. Louis” (“No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way from Across the Street”): Steven Conrad

    “Hal & Harper” (“Are You Watching?”): Cooper Raiff

    “Washington Black” (“The Flying Man & the Musician”): Selwyn Hinds

    Children’s Teleplay
    “E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web” (“Part 3”): Levi Abrino

    “My Brother the Minotaur” (“Lunacy and Lorcan”): Mark B. Hodkinson

    “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” (“The Shade of It All”): Tiffany Thomas

    “Tab Time” (“When We Lose Someone”): Sean Presant

    Drama Feature
    “All That’s Left of You”: Cherien Dabis

    “Preparation for the Next Life”: Martyna Majok

    “Song Sung Blue”: Craig Brewer

    “Train Dreams”: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

    Comedy Feature
    “A Nice Indian Boy”: Eric Randall

    “Rental Family”: Hikari, Stephen Blahut

    “The Invite”: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones

    “The Baltimorons”: Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner

    Family Feature
    “Elio”: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones, Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi

    “Grow”: Nick Güthe, Christos N. Gage, Ruth Fletcher Gage

    “Hoppers”: Jesse Andrews, Daniel Chong

    “KPop Demon Hunters”: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan

    Short Film
    “Beyond Unstoppable”: Valerie Alexander

    “Double Happiness”: Shari Albert, Laura LeeLun

    “The Birthday Gif”t: Stephanie Alison Walker, Paula Pizzi

    “Vital”: Amir Zargara, Gabe Berry

    Documentary (Feature)
    “Come See Me in the Good Light”: Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen

    “The Tale of Silyan”: Tamara Kotevska

    “Life After”: Reid Davenport, Colleen Cassingham

    “Shuffle”: Benjamin Flaherty

    Documentary (Docuseries, Single Episode)
    “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (“Part Two”): Susan Lacy, Jessica Levin

    “Katrina: Come Hell and High Water” (“Shelter of Last Resort”): Samantha Knowles

    “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” (“Part Two”): Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Joe Beshenkovsky

    “Rise of the 49ers” (“We Built This City”): Ryan Kelly, Nick Mascolo

    In the case of Holzman, the Kieser Award “honors those who have dedicated their substantial talent, work, and resources to creating transformative stories that celebrate our common humanity.” Past winners include Greg Berlanti, Marta Kauffman, John Sacret Young, John Ridley, Jason Katims, Fay Kanin and Bill Moyers.

    Besides “My So-Called Life” and “Wicked,” Holzman’s other credits include “Thirtysomething,” “Once and Again” and “Huge.” As an actor, she’s been seen in “Jerry Maguire,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Comeback” and “A Man on the Inside.” Most recently, she co-wrote both screenplays for the movie adaptations of “Wicked.”

    “Winnie has consistently explored the complexities of the human condition with compassion, intelligence, and emotional honesty. Winnie’s work has made generations grappling with coming of age and identity feel seen,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke. “We admire her steadfast commitment to mentoring and nurturing writers, as we saw up close when she twice served as a mentor in our New Voices Fellowship program. We are honored to be recognizing her with our top honor, the Kieser Award, this September.”

    As for the Starz #TakeTheLead Award, the honor is meant to “amplify narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.”

    “Starz’s generosity has had a profound impact on Humanitas’ work over the last four years, most notably by providing support to our New Voices Fellowship,” Franke said. “In 2026, we’re thrilled to offer the #TakeTheLead Award once again. We’ll share more application details via our website in the coming weeks and more programming details at The Humanitas Prizes event this fall.”

    Also, winners of the 2026 New Voices Fellowship, David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Award and Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Award will be revealed at The Humanitas Prizes Awards Show & Toast.

    “The New Voices Fellowship is a six-month mentorship program while the College Screenwriting Awards carry with them professional engagements and significant cash prizes. Lists of semifinalists for the New Voices Fellowship and for the College Screenwriting Awards are available on the organization’s website.”

    In addition to being the culminating event of the annual awards program, The Humanitas Prizes Awards Show & Toast raises financial support for the New Voices Fellowship, College Screenwriting Awards and a programs including the Industry 101 event series and The Writers Room program for high school students.

    As for Black, the writer/comedian has worked on “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” where she also recurs. Her other credits include “Bad Monkey” and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”

  • After Three-Hour Delay, Jay-Z Caps Yankee Stadium Run With Rihanna, Beyoncé, Usher and More

    After Three-Hour Delay, Jay-Z Caps Yankee Stadium Run With Rihanna, Beyoncé, Usher and More

    By now it’s well-known that Jay-Z‘s third and eagerly anticipated “Extra Innings” show at Yankee Stadium was delayed by roughly three hours due to a security breach at the gates that led to thousands of people being trapped outside as they were slowly admitted by security. The show didn’t begin until after midnight ET Monday morning and ended with celebratory fireworks around 2:45 a.m.

    But the enthusiasm from the packed crowd hadn’t dampened by the time Jay-Z finally took the stage, as the audience went wild for surprise guest performances from Rihanna — who made a rare concert appearence — as well as from Beyoncé, Jeezy, Clipse and more.

    Most of the audience stayed through the show, and concertgoers commuting home on the subway could be heard musing about how it was the best show of Jay-Z’s three-night run, excitedly recounting how they saw Rihanna and Beyoncé.

    Until the show suddenly kicked off around 12:21 a.m. ET, it wasn’t clear if the concert would even happen. The stadium was mostly filled by the expected 9:30 p.m. start time, with fans donning merch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s seminal album Reasonable Doubt. At 9:45 p.m., a voice over the loudspeaker thanked people for their patience and said they were still trying to get everyone in safely.

    Over the next two hours, though, patient but frustrated fans received few updates apart from consistent messaging from security officials that they wanted to wait for everyone who had purchased a ticket to get in. Chatting with concertgoers, security officials mentioned people rushing the gate and how people were now being let in slowly. The crowd inside remained calm, though, sticking around and mostly staying in their seats when they weren’t taking advantage of the delay to visit the concession stands and the restrooms.

    Still, there were scattered expressions of frustration and confusion among concertgoers (“This is crazy,” one fan said, likely voicing the thoughts of many people in the audience.) And there were some brief boos amid a “Hova” chant before 11 p.m. A rumor began spreading that Kanye “Ye” West, Jay-Z’s former close collaborator from whom he’s since become estranged, would be appearing, after Jay had been performing some of their Watch the Throne collabs (not to mention earlier work that West had produced) on the previous two nights.

    Still, as the clock creeped closer to midnight, and fans also heard that supposedly Jay-Z had to end the show by midnight, confusion reigned with many people suspecting the concert might get canceled.

    Around 11:45 p.m. there was another update, saying they were still trying to get people inside safely and that safety was the most important thing to organizers and Jay. Then, at 12:21 a.m., the lights went down and the video of Beyoncé cutting Jay-Z’s hair that kicked on Friday night’s show appeared on the video screens onstage. It was happening!

    Jay-Z quickly took the stage leading a hyped up crowd through “Brooklyn’s Finest.” After the high-energy kickoff, he took a few minutes to apologize for and explain the delay, saying in part that he didn’t want people to get “trampled,” noting safety concerns behind the delay as organizers had to deal with crowd control given that there were “10,000 people outside.”

    Still he promised “I got some shit for you,” suggesting the show would be worth the wait.

    And Hova delivered. While fans were originally speculating if West would show, there was an appearance from an arguably more elusive performer and close Jay-Z collaborator, Rihanna, performing live for the first time in more than two years, and more than 10 years after her Anti world tour in 2016. When she walked out from backstage on “Run This Town,” another West collab, the crowd went wild.

    She then delivered a solo version of “Bitch Better Have My Money” and left the stage, later being led out of the stadium, through the audience, around 1:45 a.m.

    Before Rihanna, fans got their first performance of “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” in the three-night run and guest appearances from Teyana Taylor, performing the Mary J. Blige portion of “Can’t Knock the Hustle” that Beyoncé delivered during night one; Jermaine Dupri on “Money Ain’t a Thang,” with the crowd enthusiastically rapping the opening lines from the Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life track before Dupri took the stage); Jeezy; The-Dream; and Usher.

    Usher onstage with Jay-Z early Monday morning.

    Courtesy of Roc Nation

    The extensive, decades-spanning setlist (45 songs!) featured a mix of hits and deeper cuts including tracks from Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, albums celebrated on the previous two evenings, as well as more of The Black Album than he’d performed on those previous outings.

    During “99 Problems,” another first at the Yankee Stadium shows, enthusiastically received by the sleep-deprived crowd, helicopter-captured video from inside the stadium broadcast on the screen behind Jay-Z showed that the audience was still packed.

    Jay-Z also welcomed Swizz Beatz, with the two performing a cover of the late DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” with enthusiastic backing from the audience, as the kick-off to a string of tracks that ended with the more recent hit “On to the Next One.” Pharrell Williams returned for a multi-song set, including their collab “Frontin’,” in an echo of Saturday night’s performance. Jay and Pharrell also brought out the Clipse, to loud cheers, for “Grindin’.”

    When Jay-Z asked the audience around 2 a.m. if they were ready to go home, the crowd responded with a resounding “no.”

    The encore kicked off with another appearance from Queen Bey, who came out during night one and returned with Lebanese dance group the Mayyas. Sporting a summery Yankee fan look after her pinstripe attire Friday night, she performed “Drunk in Love.”

    The married couple shared a kiss onstage before Beyoncé again expressed her support for the audience. “I love you all so much,” she said. “I appreciate your loyalty to this man right here.”

    Thenm after what had been the closing tracks on the previous nights, “Ni**as in Paris” into “Big Pimpin’,” Hov kept the show going with “Empire State of Mind,” along with guest appearances from Fat Joe and Jadakiss on “New York,” and then “Lucifer” and “Encore.”

    The three-night stand was capped by celebratory fireworks, which could be seen shooting off from Yankee Stadium at 2:45 a.m. Monday morning.

    On “Izzo,” Jay altered one of the lyrics to address the fact that the show hadn’t begun on time, and he quipped multiple times throughout the show that they’d go until 5 a.m. But near the end of the more-than-two-hour concert he just found himself musing, “It’s been a night. We’re just enjoying the night. It’s one of those legendary nights.”

  • ‘Growing Pains’ Star Ashley Johnson Was Nearly Abducted on Set When a Kidnapper Grabbed Her After Episode Taping: ‘I Was Clueless’ and ‘Very Upset’

    ‘Growing Pains’ Star Ashley Johnson Was Nearly Abducted on Set When a Kidnapper Grabbed Her After Episode Taping: ‘I Was Clueless’ and ‘Very Upset’

    “The Last of Us” voice actor Ashley Johnson got her start in Hollywood as a child actor, playing the role of Chrissy Seaver on the final two seasons of ABC‘s sitcom “Growing Pains” from 1990 to 1992. On a recent episode of her “Weird Kids” podcast, Johnson revealed she was once nearly abducted by a fan after a live taping of the show (via People).

    “It was in the first year I was on, and we had only done a couple of film nights,” Johnson said. “So, I hadn’t done that many yet and at that time, all of the cast sort of had trailers and they were like old camper trailers. They’re not like the fancy trailers that they are now. They were great. We would exit our trailers before the shoot and the audience that would be walking in, you would walk by the audience before you would walk into the studio.”

    Johnson said the studio was not equipped with metal detectors and other security measures that are now common practice in Hollywood. The studio audience would only be “within five feet” of the actors when they were entering the set, for example.

    “Somebody had written in and said that, ‘I am coming to set and I am going to bring a gun and I am going to murder some of the cast,’” Johnson continued. “So, I’m walking with my mom and then I just remember some guy hops out of the line and he grabs me and grabs me up and starts booking it. And all I remember is like, there was security that somehow got on him after some time.”

    Security apprehended the fan and Johnson remembered “flying around in the air” during the struggle to set her free. The would-be kidnapper had a gun on him, the actor recalled.

    “I was clueless as to what was happening, but I was very upset and they were talking to me about it after. And they were like, ‘Are you okay?’ And I just said, ‘I just think I’m gonna be in trouble,’” Johnson said. “Because I think I was such a polite kid at the time. I think he was running with me and running away. I was like, ‘Who are you, sir? What is your name? I was very pleased to meet you.’ But he was packing. They got him. This was the thing. He was high on something. It wasn’t meth, but it was something — like, he was so strong.”

    Johnson made her television debut on “Growing Pains” and continued on the small screen with roles on short-lived series such as “Phenom” and “Maybe This Time.” She pivoted to voice acting at a young age with a role on the “Jumanji” animated series, which included 40 episodes, and she’d continue with this work throughout her career. She is the voice of Ellise in “The Last of Us” video game franchise, which won her two BAFTA Games Awards.

    Following “Growing Pains,” Johnson reprised her role of Chrissy Seaver in the 2000 movie “The Growing Pains Movie” and the 2004 follow-up “Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers.”

  • New Hampshire Follows Bitcoin Reserve With ‘Blockchain Basic Laws’ Signing

    New Hampshire Follows Bitcoin Reserve With ‘Blockchain Basic Laws’ Signing

    In brief

    • New Hampshire’s governor signed the Blockchain Basics Law, introducing new protections for blockchain innovation and crypto users in the state.
    • Last year, the state became the first in the nation to introduce a strategic Bitcoin reserve, allowing for up to 5% of public funds to be invested in the leading crypto asset.
    • However, its executive council recently rejected the allowance of the first Bitcoin-backed municipal bond.

    New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte helped make the state into one of the crypto-friendliest in the nation when she signed HB 639 into law last week. 

    Known as the The Blockchain Basic Laws act, the bill provides protections for cryptocurrency innovation and use in the state while also allowing for the creation of a special blockchain dispute docket in the superior court. 

    “With Governor Ayotte’s signature on HB 639, New Hampshire has once again demonstrated that it intends to lead the nation in blockchain innovation,” said New Hampshire Representative Keith Ammon, the bill’s primary sponsor, in a statement. 

    “The Blockchain Basic Laws protect one of the most fundamental rights in the digital economy—the right of individuals to control their own digital assets through self-custody,” he added. “They also provide clear legal protections for blockchain developers, miners, validators, entrepreneurs, and businesses building the next generation of financial technology.”

    The state’s latest blockchain legislation follows its passing of a strategic Bitcoin reserve last year. The bill, signed by Ayotte in May 2025, allows the state’s treasurer to invest up to 5% of its public funds in the leading crypto asset, alongside precious metals like gold and silver. 

    Ammon, who played a key role in that bill’s passage, told Decrypt at the time it was “one little way our state could hedge against inflation in the future.”

    “Today, with the signing of HB 639, we have taken another major step by enacting one of the most comprehensive blockchain rights laws in the country,” he said in a statement. “Entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and innovators across America should know that New Hampshire is open for blockchain business.”

    Despite its advances, the state’s executive council last week blocked a proposal that would have allowed the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority to facilitate a Bitcoin-backed municipal bond.

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  • David Zaslav Files to Sell $59 Million More in Warner Bros. Discovery Stock

    David Zaslav Files to Sell $59 Million More in Warner Bros. Discovery Stock

    As Paramount Skydance’s deal to take over Warner Bros. Discovery is still pending, WBD CEO David Zaslav is continuing to cash out his stock in the company he is set to depart in the coming months.

    Zaslav filed to sell about 2.18 million shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock, valued at $59.47 million, according to an SEC filing Monday. That comes after Zaslav filed to sell $114 million worth of WBD stock in March.

    Once Paramount Skydance’s megadeal to buy WBD closes, Zaslav is poised to walk away with a golden parachute package that Warner Bros. Discovery this spring had pegged as being worth more than half a billion dollars. With the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount, Zaslav will have a net worth that has been estimated to be more than $1 billion.

    Zaslav has been among the highest-compensation CEOs in the media biz. In 2025, his pay package totaled $165 million, including $3 million base salary, $22.6 million in stock, a $25.7 million cash bonus and stock options valued at $109.6 million, according to a company SEC filing. In purely symbolic moves, WBD shareholders voted against Zaslav’s exit pay package and his 2025 compensation.

    In late 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery had clinched a deal with Netflix to buy Warner Bros.’s streaming and studios businesses. But Netflix backed out of the bidding in February after Paramount upped its takeout offer for all of WBD in a deal worth $111 billion. Paramount has said it expects to close the WBD deal in the third quarter of 2026.

    Separately Monday, a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general sued to block the David Ellison-led Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on antitrust grounds. Paramount says it will “vigorously defend the transaction” and claimed that the states’ lawsuit will “shield those dominant streaming platforms like Netflix and technology companies from much-needed competition.”

    The Paramount-WBD deal is still pending regulatory approval in the U.K., where officials have said they are likely to intervene. According to Paramount, the Warner Bros. mergers has been cleared by regulators in 24 jurisdictions, including by the U.S. Justice Department, which did not impose any requirements for divestitures or other concessions on the part of Paramount Skydance.

  • Bitcoin braces for Waller warning as US inflation test looms

    Bitcoin braces for Waller warning as US inflation test looms

    Bitcoin has entered a high-risk week as fresh inflation data and renewed Federal Reserve rate concerns have intensified pressure on crypto markets.

    According to Reuters, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller warned that the U.S. central bank could consider raising interest rates if inflation continues to remain above its 2% target, placing investors on alert before this week’s key economic releases.

    His comments come as traders prepare for the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) report due on July 14, followed by the Producer Price Index (PPI) data on July 15.

    Bitcoin has already reacted to rising macro uncertainty. The cryptocurrency slipped below $62,000 after climbing to around $64,500 earlier, with escalating tensions between the United States and Iran adding another layer of risk to global financial markets.

    Higher geopolitical uncertainty has combined with growing expectations of tighter monetary policy to weaken demand for risk assets.

    Inflation data could shape Fed expectations

    Wall Street economists expect the June CPI report to show monthly inflation easing to 0.2% from 0.5% in May. Annual inflation is projected to slow to 3.8% from 4.2%, offering investors another measure of whether price pressures are cooling.

    The inflation figures are likely to influence expectations for future Federal Reserve policy. If consumer prices rise faster than forecast, markets could strengthen their bets that policymakers may keep interest rates higher for longer or even consider another increase.

    Attention will then turn to the June PPI report, which measures inflation at the wholesale level. Together, the two reports are expected to provide a clearer picture of inflation trends across the U.S. economy and could influence trading across equities, bonds and digital assets.

    Following Waller’s remarks, the CME FedWatch Tool showed that the probability of a September Federal Reserve rate hike climbed to 51.3%. Higher borrowing costs typically reduce appetite for speculative investments, making cryptocurrencies particularly sensitive to changes in monetary policy expectations.

    Source: FedWatch

    Recent Federal Reserve communications have already pointed to persistent inflation risks. Minutes from the central bank’s latest policy meeting noted that several officials remain concerned about inflationary pressures, including those linked to rising artificial intelligence investment and stronger-than-expected economic activity, keeping markets cautious ahead of this week’s data releases.

    Crypto legislation adds another market catalyst

    While inflation remains the primary focus, investors are also monitoring developments in Washington as lawmakers prepare for another important week for the CLARITY Act, one of the most closely watched crypto market structure bills.

    U.S. President Donald Trump recently urged the Senate to pass the legislation in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11. The bill is expected to receive renewed attention this week as lawmakers continue discussions over its final form.

    The legislation seeks to establish a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States. Market participants have been watching the proposal closely because it could determine how cryptocurrencies are regulated by federal agencies and influence future institutional participation in the sector.

    With inflation reports, Federal Reserve policy expectations, geopolitical tensions, and crypto legislation all converging within days, investors are preparing for another volatile trading week.

    Softer-than-expected inflation could ease pressure on risk assets, while stronger readings may reinforce expectations for tighter monetary policy and keep cryptocurrencies under pressure.