OAN's Pentagon reporter learns the limits of expressing her own opinion

Gabrielle Cuccia calls herself a “MAGA girl” who made no secret of her support for President Donald Trump, even as she got a job covering the Pentagon for the One America News Network. But when Cuccia wrote a Substack post criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for new restrictions imposed on the press, she found herself out of a job within a few days. OAN wouldn't discuss her abrupt exit. Cuccia said her bosses were made aware of her Substack post, but wouldn't say by who. Traditionally it is frowned upon even for legacy media reporters to express opinions about the people they cover, although media access is often an area of exception.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-aide says she was 'brainwashed' when she sent loving texts years after rape

NEW YORK (AP) — A former personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs who says he raped her has defended the loving text messages she sent him for years after her job ended in 2017, saying she was “brainwashed.” The testimony at the music mogul's sex trafficking and racketeering trial came Monday as a woman testifying under the pseudonym “Mia” spent a third day on the witness stand. The trial was entering its fourth week of witness testimony. The 55-year-old Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges. He has remained jailed without bail since his September arrest.

Marc Maron to end his 'WTF' podcast after 15 years of interviewing comics, actors, musicians, Obama

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comic and actor Marc Maron says he’s ending his popular and influential podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” after nearly 16 years. Maron said on the show released Monday that the final episode will drop in the fall. Maron says he and longtime producing partner Brendan McDonald are “burnt out” but “utterly satisfied with the work” they've done. Maron was a veteran standup comic who had dabbled in radio when he started the show in 2009. It stood out with its thoughtful, probing longform interviews of cultural figures and reached a peak when then-President Barack Obama visited Maron’s makeshift Los Angeles garage studio for an episode in 2015.

Renée Victor, the voice of no-nonsense Abuelita in 'Coco,' dies at 86

Renée Victor has died at 86. The actor voiced Abuelita in Disney’s animated hit “Coco” and played wisecracking Lupita on Showtime’s “Weeds.” Victor’s death on Friday was confirmed by a representative who said the actor had lymphoma for several years. Victor appeared in 22 episodes of “Weeds” between 2005 and 2012, among many other TV credits including “ER,” “Matlock” and “The Addams Family.” But she was perhaps best known for the sandal-throwing grandmother in “Coco.” The 2017 family-friendly movie explored death through the journey of a young boy in Mexico to the land of the dead.

'King of the Hill' voice actor Jonathan Joss fatally shot outside his Texas home

HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities say a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series “King of the Hill” was fatally shot near his Texas home. San Antonio police said Monday that Jonathan Joss was found about 7 p.m. the previous night on the street near his home after having been shot. He died at the scene. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, says in a statement the couple had been at Joss' home checking mail when a man yelled homophobic slurs at them before opening fire. The home had been damaged in a January fire. Police have arrested Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in the fatal shooting.

How Christopher Gattelli crafted Broadway's 'Death Becomes Her' and made it a Tonys powerhouse

NEW YORK (AP) — When he was first asked to lead the Broadway hit musical “Death Becomes Her,” director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli loved it, but refused to work on the big, splashy opening number. It was just too delicious. So Gattelli worked out everything else about how to put Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 comic cult classic onto a stage and only then turned to the brassy song, “For the Gaze,” a winking nod to gay men. What Gattelli crafted is an opening number for the ages: Mid-song costume changes, spangly jumpsuits, tuxedos, high-kicking Vegas showgirls, a body double doing somersaults and a Liza Minnelli cameo.

Book Review: Michael Luo tells the harrowing story of Chinese exclusion in America

Michael Luo’s “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America” comes at a time when politics and immigration have intertwined once again. Associated Press reviewer Sharon Lurye says understanding America’s efforts to keep Chinese laborers out, and the violence enacted against those who stayed in, is essential to understanding the evolution of America’s immigration system as we know it today. Time and time again, the treatment of this minority group served as a test of America’s ability to live up to its own ideals of equality. Luo’s book covers over a century of history, from the 1840’s to 1965.

Old Dominion's new album, 'Barbara,' won't lean on band's record-breaking laurels

NEW YORK (AP) — Old Dominion will release their new album, “Barbara,” on Aug. 22. The 13-track project includes the previously released “Me Most Nights” and “Making Good Time,” along with the four-on-the-floor “Talk Country” and the R&B-infused “What Doesn’t Kill a Memory.” Lead singer Matthew Ramsey says the band has worked on the album for the last two years, calling it their most eclectic album to date. They won their eighth consecutive group of the year award at last month's Academy of Country Music Awards, putting Old Dominion in the sole position of the record. The band is prepping for the “How Good Is That” world tour, which launches this month in South Carolina.

Pulp is back for 'More,' their first album in 24 years. Even the Britpop band is surprised

NEW YORK (AP) — The singular Britpop band Pulp has returned. On Friday, they will release their first new album in 24 years, the aptly titled “More.” Even the band is shocked there's new Pulp music in 2025, as they told The Associated Press in a rare interview. “More” is the band’s first full-length since bassist Steve Mackey died in 2023. His death was a catalyst for the new record. “It made me realize that you don’t have endless amounts of time to create things,” the charismatic frontman Jarvis Cocker told the AP.

Book Review: Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Atmosphere’ plays out amid the 1980s politics of NASA

Taylor Jenkins Reid, the author of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” is back with another love story, this time set during NASA's space shuttle era. “Atmosphere” is the story of Joan and Vanessa, who fall for each other during the crucible of astronaut training, but can’t go public with their love for fear of jeopardizing their chance to go to space. Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill writes: “Is there a popular fiction writer alive who conveys falling in love better than Taylor Jenkins Reid?” Some of the best moments are musings between Joan and Vanessa about the stars, God and their shared love of space. “Atmosphere” goes on sale Tuesday.