Taylor Swift becomes most-awarded artist in MTV VMAs history, dedicates top prize to Dolly Parton

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift made history and Nirvana was awarded the 2026 Video Vanguard Award at the starry MTV Video Music Awards. Swift received the inaugural Artist Director Honors, making her the most-awarded artist in VMA history. She was previously tied with Beyoncé for most wins. She also took home the top prize of video of the year and dedicated the award to Dolly Parton. Madonna opened the show and was joined by her recent collaborators Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx. LISA won the first award for best pop. Snoop Dogg is hosting the event. The show is being broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

'Avengers: Endgame' retakes box office crown; Robert Pattinson drives sales for 'Primetime'

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven years after becoming the second-highest grossing film ever, “Avengers: Endgame” returned to the No. 1 spot at the box office in a victory lap for Marvel and an appetizer for the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday.” The rerelease grossed $26 million over the weekend and another $60 million overseas. The Walt Disney Co. rerun, billed as “Endgame: Encore,” came out on top on an especially crowded weekend in theaters. Second place went to Zach Cregger’s reboot of “Resident Evil.” In a close race for third place, The Brad Pitt-led “Heart of the Beast” came out just ahead of “Primetime” with an estimated $20 million. But the $19.1 million opening for the much lower budgeted “Primetime,” starring Robert Pattinson, was more impressive.

Trump administration begins airing 2024 Trump campaign ad in latest taxpayer-funded messaging

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is using taxpayer funds to air a television advertisement from Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign in the latest in a series of ads promoting the president ahead of the midterms that the White House maintains are “public service announcements.” The newest video, virtually identical to one that aired in 2024, shows Trump walking down a hallway as his voice can be heard warning of a “final battle” against “globalists” and “warmongers.” The video ends with Trump staring straight into the camera lens with a message: “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” The 2024 iteration of the ad from the Trump campaign urged viewers to "Join President Trump’s Fight for America." Spending on the latest ad already topped about $319,000, according to AdImpact.

UN speakers' go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking Heads

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Presidents, premiers, monarchs and cabinet ministers have plenty to say at their annual gathering at the U.N. General Assembly. Still, sometimes they borrow a few words, quoting from a range of sources. Speakers this week touched on homeland sayings, ancient texts, figures of moral authority and more. One even slipped in a bit of Talking Heads. We're talking the new wave band, not TV pundits. From Iraq to Finland, Greece to Barbados, the quotes show that leaders — even the most eloquent ones — draw from the canon that came before.

Kennedy Center put off planned repairs despite known structural issues, former employees allege

Some former Kennedy Center employees are accusing officials at the performing arts venue of long knowing about structural issues they recently cited as new problems. The anonymous whistleblowers allege in a letter to Congress that top Kennedy Center official Matt Floca halted a funded plan to address roofing issues in April. Floca denies that and says recent investigations revealed new hazards at the building. The center closed temporarily in September as officials cited safety risks from structural deterioration. A judge has ordered a status report by Friday on the temporary closure.

Jennifer Lopez brings diva wattage as Dolce & Gabbana refreshes its Sicilian inheritance

MILAN (AP) — Jennifer Lopez has brought her diva wattage to Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring Summer 2027 runway show. She sat front-row in a dark velvet suit, complete with a matching cap and equestrian boots. The collection updates the house's Sicilian codes, treating them as a trousseau passed from grandmother to granddaughter. Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana aim to attract younger customers by mixing glammed-up denim with gardening boots while preserving signature black dresses and animal prints.

CNN says it was left off Air Force One for Trump's Saturday trip to a college football game

CNN says it has been left off Air Force One for President Donald Trump’s Saturday trip to a college football game. It is the latest media restriction imposed by the administration in an ongoing dispute with First Amendment implications. CNN reported Saturday that it had been scheduled to travel with the president. According to White House guidance, CNN was replaced by the conservative Real America’s Voice News. The news came Friday night just after journalists from CNN and two other outlets that Trump banned last week from the White House grounds returned to the executive complex. Trump traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a game between Tennessee and Texas.