Entertainment

The Dow surged 426 points to a record close Friday, and all three major indexes posted weekly gains, as investors took comfort from data pointing to robust economic activity in the world’s biggest economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 44,296.51, up 1%, a day after soaring more than 450 points. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, while the … Read more

Ellen DeGeneres’ UK expat life includes a bold new look. She’s a brunette, now. This week, news broke that Ellen DeGeneres has fled the US with wife Portia de Rossi. The two are settling down in rural England, where they recently purchased property. Now, she’s been spotted — and appears on video — sporting brown … Read more

Then-President Trump and Vladimir Putin of Russia walk together at a 2019 G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) After 20 years and $2.3 trillion spent, after more than 100,000 American and Afghan lives lost, one would think our war in Afghanistan would be more of a reference point today. Yet, outside … Read more

Robinhood Chief Legal Officer Dan Gallagher, reportedly a top contender to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission under President-elect Donald Trump, said Friday he is not interested in returning to a government position. Gallagher was appointed to the agency by former president Barack Obama and served as an SEC commissioner from 2011 to 2015. “It … Read more

General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), left, and Lucius (Paul Mescal) in “Gladiator II.” (Aidan Monaghan / Paramount Pictures) Like its predecessor, “Gladiator II” is inspired by history. That doesn’t mean it’s bound by actual historical facts, however. Now in theaters, Ridley Scott’s follow-up to his 2000 epic “Gladiator” follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Russell … Read more

Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” released Nov. 22. (Dave Free) Everyone suspected a new Kendrick Lamar album was coming soon — between a Super Bowl halftime show slot next year and a haul of Grammy nominations for “Not Like Us,” the time was as ripe as could be. Yet fans woke up Friday to the startling release … Read more

Animals ride rising waters in a boat in the animated movie “Flow.” (Festival de Cannes) Animal welfare becomes the responsibility of the animals themselves in the gorgeous, hypnotic Latvian animated feature “Flow,” in which a solitary cat encounters a catastrophic flood and, along with a dog, a bird, a capybara and a lemur, learns about … Read more

Comedian Jim Gaffigan at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times) Jim Gaffigan is experiencing a major glow-up lately. He’s looking slim, trim and well-styled in a hip suit and glasses on a recent morning in a posh room at the Peninsula hotel. His vibe is a lot different from the hefty, … Read more

Oh, my pod. Apple partisans who ponied up for a pair of the pricey new AirPods Max are calling the headphones a “nightmare” — blaming stubborn Bluetooth connectivity issues and short-lived functionality for their frustration. “I love Apple but the AirPods Max are the worst things I’ve ever purchased,” lamented one fan online, while another … Read more

movie review BLITZ Running time: 120 minutes. Rated PG-13 (thematic elements including some racism, violence, some strong language, brief sexuality and smoking). On AppleTV+. There is an undeniably old-fashioned quality to Steve McQueen’s World War II drama “Blitz” on AppleTV+ — a rather unexpected one for the director of “12 Years A Slave” and “Shame.” … Read more