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Access Hollywood faces layoffs after ‘E! News’ linear show cancellation NBCUniversal’s syndicated entertainment newsmagazine Access Hollywood is undergoing layoffs following the recent end of E! News. The exact number of employees affected has not been confirmed, but reports indicate that some long-time staff with 20+ years of experience were notified that today would be their last day. The cuts are tied to the conclusion of E! News, the long-running celebrity news show on E!, which wrapped up on Sept. 25. E! News, Access Hollywood, and the offshoot Access Daily all operated out of Terrace Studios near the Universal Studios lot in Universal City, California, sharing resources and technical staff. With the reduction from three shows to two, some roles—particularly among stage and technical crews—were eliminated in an effort to streamline operations. Most of those impacted had worked across multiple shows, though some focused primarily on Access Hollywood. Both Access Hollywood and Acces...

Magnolia co-founder Joanna Gaines unveils Barbie collaboration Magnolia co-founder and “Fixer Upper” star Joanna Gaines is joining Mattel’s celebrity Barbie collection with her own signature doll. Gaines revealed in a blog post that the doll will come with pink roller skates, turquoise earrings, and a white graphic t-shirt bearing “1978,” the year she was born. The collaboration also features a detailed 1970s-style townhouse designed by Gaines, inspired by mid-century elements she remembered from her childhood dollhouse. The set includes breezeblock exterior details, a pink-and-white color scheme, and dozens of removable stickers of potted plants, kitchen items, and home decor, allowing for creative customization. Pre-orders are now open on Target.com, with dolls arriving in stores in December, and an early in-person release at The Silos in Waco, Texas, during Silobration from Oct. 23-25. The collectible joins Mattel’s lineup of celebrity-inspired Barbies honoring notable figures from ...

Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump in foreign aid funding dispute The Supreme Court on Friday granted President Donald Trump’s emergency request to temporarily freeze billions in congressionally approved foreign aid. Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, issued the stay to give the full court time to review Trump’s appeal, halting the release of roughly $4 billion in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts that a lower court had ordered to be disbursed by Sept. 30. Trump has asserted broad authority over funding decisions, seeking to bypass congressional appropriations and judicial oversight. The White House criticized the lower court ruling, arguing it forced the executive branch to act against its own objectives. Nonprofits and private contractors sued after the administration paused USAID funds earlier this year, prompting layoffs and the closure of critical programs overseas. Advocacy groups warned that the funding freeze had caused severe h...

Meta launches teen accounts for Facebook and Messenger globally Meta is expanding its dedicated teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger to users worldwide, adding parental controls and other protections designed for younger users. The move follows the company’s rollout of teen accounts on Instagram, where it says “hundreds of millions” of teens already use these specialized accounts across its platforms. The teen accounts, which became available earlier this year in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia, are now mandatory for all teens. Users aged 13–15 must obtain parental permission to change certain safety settings. Meta employs AI to identify teens who may misrepresent their age. These accounts allow parents to monitor screen time, see who their children are messaging, and enforce more restrictive privacy and safety settings to limit contact with unknown adults. Additionally, Instagram is expanding its U.S. “school partnership program,” which lets middle and high schools quickl...

 Spotify to introduce AI music labels, spam filters, and updated policy changes Spotify announced Thursday a series of updates to its AI policy aimed at improving transparency around AI-generated music, reducing spam, and prohibiting unauthorized voice clones on its platform. The company will adopt the upcoming DDEX industry standard for labeling AI music in credits. Under this system, labels, distributors, and music partners submit standardized disclosures indicating whether AI was used for vocals, instrumentation, or post-production. Spotify says this approach allows for nuanced transparency rather than a strict “AI or not AI” classification. In addition, Spotify clarified that unauthorized AI-generated voice clones, deepfakes, or impersonations are banned and will be removed. To address rising spam from AI-assisted uploads, the platform plans to roll out a new music spam filter this fall. The filter will detect spam tactics, tag them, and prevent these tracks from being recommen...

 ‘Mockery of governance’ – Peter Obi on Adamawa LG chairmen’s wives’ trip to Turkey The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has faulted the trip of the wives of 21 local government chairmen in Adamawa State who were allegedly sponsored with public funds to Turkey under the guise of leadership training. In a post on his verified X handle on Friday, Obi described the development as a glaring case of waste and a mockery of the very essence of governance. “I have just read the disturbing report that the wives of 21 local government chairmen in Adamawa State were sponsored with public funds to travel to Turkey under the guise of leadership training. “Today, while our children at the basic education level, whose education is the responsibility of local governments, are out of school, and those in school lack classrooms and teachers. “Local government funds belong to the people, to the market woman, the farmer, the teacher, the pensioner, and ev...

 Tinubu can’t send INEC boss on terminal leave — Falana Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), on Friday said President Bola Tinubu lacks constitutional power to send the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on terminal leave. Falana asserted a viral report which emerged on Wednesday alleging that Tinubu had ordered the INEC boss to proceed on compulsory leave to avenge his alleged last-minute betrayal of the ruling All Progressives Congress. The unconfirmed reports claimed Yakubu was directed to suspend official duties ahead of the expiration of his tenure, a move said to have unsettled INEC’s schedule. The speculation reportedly gained traction after the commission cancelled its quarterly consultative meeting with political parties and a planned session with civil society organisations, which had been scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Yakubu was first appointed in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed in 202...