YouTuber box office boom: ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ draw Gen Z to theaters
An indie horror with internet origins has beaten the legacy franchise Star Wars at the box office this weekend. According to studio estimates on Sunday, “Backrooms” made an astonishing $81.4 million in its first weekend in theaters. It easily topped the box office over “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” which fell sharply in its second weekend, earning $25 million to take third place. Second place went to another indie horror, “Obsession,” which has continued its unprecedented run, making more money in its third weekend than it did in its first.
Dressing visitors in ancient China's imperial splendor is booming in Beijing
BEIJING (AP) — Studios near the Forbidden City in Beijing are transforming visitors into empresses from ancient China as young people explore a revival of traditional culture. People dress in richly embroidered robes and adorn themselves with jade and pearl pendants. They then pose for photos and videos to share on social media. The trend for historical Chinese costume has grown steadily since 2019. Costume styling and photo shoots are now must-do activities at Beijing’s historical sites. The Forbidden City was once home to Ming and Qing emperors. The Qing collapsed in 1912, ending more than two millennia of imperial rule.
United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis is diverted because of an unruly passenger
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis was diverted to Wisconsin on Friday night after reports of an unruly passenger. An airline said United flight 2005 from Chicago to Minneapolis landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin, to address a security concern with an unruly passenger. The Boeing 737-900 had 147 passengers and six crew aboard. No injuries were reported, according to the airline. The flight continued its journey and landed in Minneapolis early Saturday morning.
AI helped a musician with Parkinson’s finish his new album when he could no longer play guitar
LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is helping a London-based singer-songwriter continue writing and recording music after Parkinson’s disease largely took away his ability to play guitar. Samuel Smith relied on AI-powered song generators to create the demos for one track on his new album, “The Art of Letting Go.” He says the apps allowed him to convey his vision to the session musicians who recorded the song after his guitar skills deteriorated. AI music generators like Suno and and Udio use models trained on large datasets of recorded music and audio. The technology has divided the music industry and produced copyright infringement lawsuits. Smith gets it. He also thinks his experience demonstrates AI's potential to expand creative access.
A trip to the United Arab Emirates' darkest spot reveals a rare view of the Milky Way
AL QUAA DESERT, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The gleaming skyscrapers and brights lights of the United Arab Emirates draw the eyes of all who travel here. Then landscape is sign of this Arabian Peninsula nation’s rapid, oil-fueled development over the past decades into a major hub for commerce and tourism. But something lost has been a clear vision of the night sky across nearly all of the country's inhabited land. A group of volunteers from the Dubai Astronomy Group has been helping people in the Emirates reconnect with the sight of stars and the Milky Way by taking them to Al Quaa Desert, one of the darkest spots in the country.
Dead humpback whale brought to shore in Denmark with autopsy set next week
ANHOLT, Denmark (AP) — The carcass of a humpback whale has been dragged onto a Danish beach after two weeks of the body languishing in shallow waters. The whale had gained the nicknames “Timmy” and “Hope” as German media outlets sent push alerts and updated live blogs with the status of its health since it was first spotted off the German coast on March 3. It was dragged Saturday onto a beach of the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. The carcass will be examined next week.
3 climbers who fell near treacherous pass on Alaska’s Mount McKinley are dead; 1 rescued
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Latvian mountaineering group says three climbers on Alaska’s Mount McKinley who fell near a treacherous pass on North America’s tallest peak have died. A fourth climber has been rescued. The group said Friday that the four were members of a Latvian mountaineering expedition. The National Park Service says the climbers were traversing a route known for its exposed sections when they fell earlier this week. Denali National Park and Preserve rangers had to wait for the weather to clear before attempting to reach the climbers, who were in a group of seven on the mountain. The fall happened near Denali Pass, which is about 18,200 feet. McKinley stands at about 20,310 feet.
Atlanta police investigate whether their officer had sex with federal judge in the judge's chambers
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta police have launched an investigation to determine if a high-ranking officer found to have had sex with a federal judge in the courthouse is from their department. The judge, part of the 11th Judicial Circuit, received a private reprimand for having sex in chambers during business hours and later lying about it. The investigation followed a complaint from a law clerk. The judge initially denied the allegations but later admitted to them. Despite the misconduct, the judge received a private reprimand, prompting criticism about accountability for judges. The judge agreed to write apology letters and refrain from certain roles.
When Sue Tilley met Lucian Freud, it changed her life. Now a painting of her could fetch $47 million
LONDON (AP) — Sue Tilley was working in an unemployment office when she met artist Lucian Freud. His paintings of her in the 1990s are now famous, and very valuable. “Sleeping by the Lion Carpet,” considered one of Freud’s masterpieces, is up for sale at Sotheby’s on June 24. It has a presale estimate of between $33 million and $47 million. Tilley hasn’t received any money from the portraits but doesn’t regret it. She says the experience changed her life. Freud, known for his fleshy nudes, painted Tilley in four monumental portraits. One sold for $33.6 million in 2008 and another for $56 million in 2015.
Conan O’Brien speaks at Harvard commencement as Trump tightens pressure on the school
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard graduates heard from comedian and television host Conan O’Brien at their commencement. The appearance Thursday of O'Brien, a Harvard alum, came during one of the most fraught periods in the Ivy League school's recent history, as it faces mounting legal and financial pressure from President Donald Trump. The administration sued Harvard in March, accusing its leadership of failing to address antisemitism on campus and creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid. That came months after a judge sided with Harvard in another lawsuit and ordered the administration to reverse billions of dollars in cuts.
