EVART, Mich. — Alison Smith stared at the virtually empty dairy barn inside the Osceola County Fairgrounds, once bustling with teens and preteens preparing to show their prized animals but now eerily silent as an invisible virus once again interfered with a cherished summertime rite. Smith, a 16-year-old from the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area, had … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — Greg Kihn, a rock and roll musician best known for his ’80s hit songs “Jeopardy” and “The Breakup Song,” has died. He was 75. Kihn died of Alzheimer’s disease Tuesday, his management team said in a statement posted to Kihn’s website. Born July 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Kihn moved to the San … Read more
LOS ANGELES — The arrest of five people in the overdose death of Matthew Perry has revealed key details about the final days of the “Friends” star, most of them spent in the throes of an addiction to the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Perry would die at age 54 on Oct. 28 after telling his assistant … Read more
LOS ANGELES — Lawyers for The-Dream, a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, are seeking the dismissal of a woman’s lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault and other abuse. The producer, whose legal name is Terius Gesteelde-Diamant, was a writer and producer on huge hits including Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Justin Bieber’s … Read more
DETROIT — A Massachusetts pharmacist charged with murder in the deaths of 11 Michigan residents from a 2012 U.S. meningitis outbreak has agreed to plead no contest to involuntary manslaughter, according to an email sent to families and obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The deal with Glenn Chin calls for a 7 1/2-year prison … Read more
AUSTIN, Texas — Houston rapper BeatKing, whose booming voice and eccentric songs brought him fame in nightclubs and on social media, has died, his manager said Friday. He was 39. The rapper, whose name was Justin Riley, died Thursday after fainting during a recording session, Tasha Felder told The Associated Press. Felder, his manager, said … Read more
WASHINGTON — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed … Read more
LONDON — LONDON (AP) — Taylor Swift’s history-making Eras Tour made a triumphant return, accompanied by Ed Sheeran, in London Thursday night. He joined the headliner on stage at Wembley Stadium for the acoustic section, playing on two of their collaborations, “Everything Has Changed” and “Endgame,” before a burst of Sheeran’s hit “Thinking Out Loud.” … Read more
LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor’s assistant and two doctors. “These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada … Read more
LOS ANGELES — Nearly 10 months after the death of Matthew Perry, the long-simmering investigation into the ketamine that killed him came dramatically into public view with the announcement that five people had been charged with having roles in the overdose of the beloved “Friends” star. Here are key things to know about the case, … Read more