NEW YORK (AP) — “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” stayed on top at the box office, collecting $35.8 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. That total was good enough for the best second-weekend gross of any film during the pandemic, edging out the previous Marvel movie, “Black …
Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber top star-packed MTV VMAs
Lil Nas X won video of the year at Sundays MTV VMAs on a night that Justin Bieber triumphantly returned to the stage as a performer and as winner of the artist of the year. “I do not take this for granted,” Lil Nas X said while accepting the night’s final award for the music …
Sioux Falls caps medical marijuana retail licenses at five
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Sioux Falls City Council has capped the number of retail stores that can sell medical marijuana at five. The council on Tuesday night signed off on a proposal coming [Read More…]
School mask mandate draws a crowd in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The issue of wearing masks at school to protect against COVID-19 drew a standing-room-only, boisterous crowd to a Rapid City school board meeting. It was a scene that has similarly [Read More…]
Sanford donating $350 million toward virtual care center
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota-based Sanford Health said Wednesday it is giving $350 million to a clinical initiative that aims to create a virtual care center to treat people in rural and underserved [Read More…]
Sudoku maker Maki Kaji, who saw life’s joy in puzzles, dies
TOKYO (AP) — Maki Kaji, the creator of the popular numbers puzzle Sudoku whose life’s work was spreading the joy of puzzles, has died, his Japanese company said Tuesday. He was 69 and had bile duct cancer. Known as the “Godfather of Sudoku,” Kaji created the puzzle to be easy for children and others who …
R. Kelly due back in court for opening of sex abuse trial
NEW YORK (AP) — R&B star R. Kelly will be back in a criminal court on Wednesday, this time for opening statements in his long-anticipated federal trial arising from years of allegations that he sexually abused women and girls while pursuing fame and fortune. More than a decade has passed since Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography …
‘Free Guy’ gives box office a lift, opening with $28.4M
NEW YORK (AP) — “Free Guy,” an action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a videogame, opened better than expected over the weekend, collecting an estimated $28.4 million in ticket sales despite a marketplace challenged by COVID-19. After a few weeks of declining audiences and underwhelming debuts amid the delta variant surge, “Free Guy” …
Britney Spears’ dad will exit conservatorship, but not yet
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears’ father said in a court filing Thursday that he is planning to step down from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years, but his departure is not imminent. James Spears filed legal documents saying that while there are no grounds for his removal, he …
Justin Bieber leads nominees for 2021 MTV Video Music Awards
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber leads this year’s list of nominees at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, followed closely by Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and first-time nominee Olivia Rodrigo. Bieber has seven nods, including video of the year and best direction for “POPSTAR,” artist …