Author: Rap Hooks

Leaders of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private agency that has steered federal funding to PBS, NPR and hundreds of public television and radio stations across the country, voted Monday to dissolve the organization that was created in 1967.

CPB had been winding down since Congress acted last summer to defund its operations at the encouragement of President Donald Trump. Its board of directors chose Monday to shutter CPB completely instead of keeping it in existence as a shell.

“CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks,” said Patricia Harrison, the organization’s president and CEO.

Many Republicans have long accused public broadcasting, particularly its news programming, of being biased toward liberals but it wasn’t until the second Trump administration — with full GOP control of Congress — that those criticisms were turned into action.

Ruby Calvert, head of CPB’s board of directors, said the federal defunding of public media has been devastating.

“Even at this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children’s education, our history, culture and democracy to do so,” Calvert said.

CPB said it was financially supporting the American Archive of Public Broadcasting in its effort to preserve historic content, and is working with the University of Maryland to maintain its own records.

This story was originally published by The Associated Press.

Ariana Grande made her first public appearance of 2026 at the Critics Choice Awards, where she gave fans more than just her award nomination and her stunning dress to discuss.

The Wicked: For Good star, nominated for best supporting actress at Sunday’s (Jan. 4) ceremony at Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., spoke about her upcoming Eternal Sunshine Tour that’s set to launch in June. It’s her first tour in six years.

“I’ve been working on the set list for months now,” she revealed to Live From E! on the carpet, which she graced in a pale pink gown with an elegant cape effect and silver floral embellishments — a custom Alberta Ferretti design. “It’s in a good place, but we’ll never know until we get into the rehearsals — which are starting very soon — and we put things on their feet if it’ll make sense or not.”

Grande’s sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour marks the star’s first concert trek since her Sweetener World Tour, which wrapped in 2019.

As for what fans can expect to hear at the new show, Grande’s lips are sealed: “I want to let it be a surprise.”

She added, “I am grateful to work, and I’m excited for the tour.”

To complement her romantic Alberta Ferretti gown, the singer/actress wore Christian Louboutin heels (a custom Cassie Lace Up design) and debuted a hair color refresh at the Critics Choice Awards, opting for an auburn shade of locks styled in a loosely curled updo with sideswept bangs.

Wicked: For Good, the second installment of the hit Wicked movie franchise in which Grande stars as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, was nominated in seven categories at the awards ceremony — including best picture and Grande’s nod for best supporting actress.

The film is also up for the best costume design, which designer Paul Tazewell spoke of on the carpet on Sunday. Grande and Erivo’s iconic Wicked wardrobes get archived by Universal, he told Live From E!, where “they’re held very carefully, thermostatically controlled.”

The first look at Zach Bryan and Samantha Leonard’s wedding ceremony is here. The bride posted a series of wedding photos from the couple’s New Year’s Eve nuptials on Instagram on Saturday (Jan. 3) — featuring images of their ornate venue and Samantha’s custom-made lace dress.

“forever xx,” Samantha captioned the photo set, which includes a classic portrait of newlyweds Zach and Samantha.

The ceremony appears to have taken place at Basílica de Santa María del Coro in San Sebastián, Spain, a baroque Roman Catholic church that dates back to 1774.

The bride wore a one-of-a-kind, handmade dress by Cavanagh Baker “crafted with over 30 yards of French Chantilly lace and 600 lace-covered buttons” for the wedding ceremony, the New York City-based design team says.

Bryan — whose upcoming album With Heaven on Top is expected later this week (Jan. 9), and who will head out on tour in support of the release in March — confirmed the two had tied the knot on Thursday (Jan. 1), soon after a post-ceremony video of the pair taking off down a cobblestone road in a “just married” convertible started circulating online.

“Tougher than the rest,” he wrote on Instagram, where he posted a snapshot of himself with his new bride in his arms. His caption referenced Bruce Springsteen’s 1987 Tunnel of Love track “Tougher Than the Rest,” which has Springsteen singing, “Well ’round here, baby/ I’ve learned you get what you can get/ So if you’re rough enough for love/ Honey, I’m tougher than the rest.”

Bryan and Leonard made their relationship public when they appeared in pictures together on social media during summer 2025. They’ve otherwise remained private about their relationship.

The marriage is Bryan’s second; he was briefly wed to Rose Madden from 2020 to 2021.

A previous relationship with Brianna LaPaglia made headlines in the aftermath of their 2024 split, when LaPaglia accused the musician of emotional abuse.

The country singer-songwriter’s last full-length studio album, 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene, reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and his most recent tour was the third-highest grossing country tour of 2025.

See Bryan and Leonard’s wedding photos on Instagram.

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Kicking off 2026 strong, we’ve got the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, making a big splash out of the gate as the first award ceremony of the new year.

Honoring both TV shows and movies, the event will take place on Jan. 4, 2026, and will be available to watch live via the E! Network from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. PT. If you miss the live event, do not fret. You can stream the event the next day via Peacock.

Comedian and actress Chelsea Handler will be hosting the star-studded occasion at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and a slew of notable nominees will be in attendance, including Ariana Grande, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Wagner Moura, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone, Benicio del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Adam Sandler, Elle Fanning and Stellan Skarsgård, among others. Sinners leads the Critics Choice Awards film contenders with an impressive 17 nominations, nearly matching the record of 18 that Barbie achieved two years ago. Adolescence leads this year’s television nominees with six nominations, including a nod for Best Limited Series. Four new categories have been added to this year’s show, including Best Variety Series, Best Stunt Design, Best Casting and Ensemble and Best Sound.

If you’re looking to tune into the award ceremony on TV, we’ve got you covered. We’ll be showing you how to watch the show live for free. Keep reading to find out more.

How to Watch the 2026 Critics Choice Awards for Free

As mentioned, the 2026 Critics Choice Awards will take place on Jan. 4, 2026 and will be available to watch live via the E! Network from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. PT.

If you’re looking to watch the award show through E!, consider DIRECTV. The network is available on DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT package. This package is currently on sale for $49.99 a month, down from $89.99 a month. This package is for those looking to tap into a slew of entertainment-based channels. If you’re unsure about committing to a new subscription, you can simply try the service out for free for five days, which will give you plenty of time to watch the award ceremony before canceling.

With a subscription, users will gain access to live TV, local networks such as NBC, ABC and PBS, and you can also watch various entertainment networks, including AMC, Bravo, E!, FX, FXX, Freeform, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Paramount Network. That’s more than 90-plus channels that you can tap into with the touch of a button.

Another option for our readers is a Hulu + Live TV subscription, given that E! is included in the live TV channel lineup. The service’s live package includes major networks, along with MTV, like ABC, NBC, and Fox for all your live TV viewing needs. A subscription to the service (with ads) will cost approximately $82.99 per month, while the plan without ads goes for $95.99 per month.

This subscription gives you access to the titles in Hulu’s library, along with live TV programs 24/7. This is one of the pricier plans on our list. However, the bundle is well worth the price, thanks to the added Hulu titles, which include music-themed shows and movies like American Idol, The Voice, The Masked Singer, The Beatles: 8 Days a Week, Amy Winehouse: A Final Goodbye, Billie, Madonna and the Breakfast Club, Bad Rap, 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez and more.

If you don’t have the time to catch the award show live, you can stream the show the next day, Jan. 5, via Peacock. The Peacock Premium Plus plan is $16.99 per month, while the ad-supported plan is only $10.99 per month.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

The playoffs are almost here and the NFL is ending the regular season with a must-see AFC North thriller between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Starting at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday (Jan. 4), the former MVP Lamar Jackson will go head-to-head against another former MVP Aaron Rodgers to decide the AFC North division title and a top placement in the playoffs. Streaming exclusively on Peacock, here’s how you can tune into the playoff action at home.

While the Ravens are favored, history proves that the Steelers have plenty of success against Lamar. The boys in black and yellow upset Baltimore earlier this season with a close victory on the road but the big question is: can they beat the former MVP twice? While Lamar has been banged up this season with injuries, there’s still no counting out the Ravens, especially with running back Derrick Henry in the backfield.

Order some wings, get your terrible towel’s ready, and watch this must-see NFL matchup this weekend. Keep reading for details on how to watch and stream from anywhere.

How to Watch the Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Game Online

The Steelers will host the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburg on Sunday. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Peacock. Want to watch live? Subscribe to the streaming service now and score a free 30-day trial. After the trial, you’ll pay $8.99 per month.

The simplest way to get instant access to the NFL game is through the channel’s official streaming platform, Peacock. While there is no free trial for new users, the platform offers cheap plans starting at just $10.99 per month, or you can get an annual plan for $109.99 per year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10).

Hulu + Live TV

For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including NBC). The streaming platform starts at $89.99 per month.

And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which gives you everything within the Hulu library, in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.

Sling TV

Sling TV offers the Blue package, which comes with NBC, USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW, Bravo and others. Blue is one of the most affordable options and comes with more than 40 channels and can be streamed on up to three device at a time. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.

Jesy Nelson is giving a heartbreaking update on her twin daughters.

On Sunday (Jan. 4), the former Little Mix member shared a video on social media with a health update about her 8-month-old girls, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe. In the clip, the 34-year-old singer revealed that they have been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.

“We were told that they’re probably never going to be able to walk,” Nelson says in the Instagram video, breaking down in tears. “They probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled. And so the best thing we can do right now is to get them treatment, and then just hope for the best.”

She continued, “Thankfully, the girls have had their treatment, which you know, I’m so grateful for because if they don’t have it, they will die.”

Nelson said she feels like “she’s had to become like a nurse” for the twins since their diagnosis, having to put them on breathing machines and handle “lots of stuff that no other mother should have to do.”

JoJo Siwa showed her support in the comments, writing, “Sending lots of love and prayers,” with two red heart emojis.

SMA is an inherited neuromuscular disorder that causes certain muscles to weaken and waste away, according to the Cleveland Clinic. SMA Type 1 accounts for roughly 60% of cases, with symptoms typically appearing in the first six months of life. While there is no cure, certain therapies and medications can help manage symptoms.

Jesy Nelson and her fiancé, Zion Foster, welcomed the identical twins on May 15, 2025. The girls were born prematurely at 31 weeks after Nelson experienced complications from carrying monochorionic/diamniotic twins, who share a placenta but have separate amniotic sacs.

Nelson said that she made the video to help other parents who may notice similar symptoms in their child.

“I just think that I can raise as much awareness about this as possible, and the signs, then, you know, something good has to come out of this,” she said, noting symptoms such as the inability to hold themselves up without support, a “frog-like” leg position, and rapid tummy breathing.

“If anyone is watching this video and they think they see these signs in their child, then please, please take your child to the doctor, to the hospital, because time is of the essence, and your child will need treatment. And the quicker you get this, the better their life will be.”

Watch Nelson’s full update on Instagram below.