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Brendan Fraser fought back tears on Sunday night as he accepted the award for Best Actor at the Critics' Choice Awards. Fraser won for his performance as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. The role was widely regarded as a triumphant comeback for Fraser. The room responded with a standing ovation for Fraser, and the camera cut to Henry Winkler and Sheryl Lee Ralph showing their support as Fraser left the stage.

<p>Brendan Fraser fought back tears on Sunday night as he accepted the award for Best Actor at the Critics Choice Awards. Fraser won for his performance as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. The role was widely regarded as a triumphant comeback for Fraser. The room responded with a standing ovation for Fraser, and the camera cut to Henry Winkler and Sheryl Lee Ralph showing their support as Fraser left the stage. </p>

Brendan Fraser Just Delivered This Powerful Speech at the Critics' Choice Awards

The Library of Congress has named 25 new additions to the National Film Registry, and two actors are getting double the recognition.

Bing Crosby, the velvet-voiced star of Hollywood’s golden age, saw White Christmas (1954) and High Society (1956) inducted. Meanwhile, Denzel Washington’s performances in Glory (1989) and Philadelphia (1993) also earned a place on the prestigious list. All four titles are now part of what the Library calls “the country's most culturally significant films.”

Created in 1988, the registry aims to spotlight films that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” and serves as a cornerstone of American film preservation. The registry accepts 25 films each year, typically announcing the picks in December. This time, the list for 2025 was released in early 2026, with no explanation for the delay.

Among this year's selections are a record number of silent films—six in total—many of them newly discovered or restored. The earliest is The Tramp and the Dog (1896), an early example of comedic “pants humor” and likely the first commercial film made in Chicago. Another standout is The Oath of the Sword (1914), the earliest known Asian American film, which tells the story of a Japanese student in California longing for his love back home.

The registry also included The Maid of McMillan (1916), believed to be the first student-made film in the United States, and Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926), a prohibition-era melodrama with an all-Black cast. It's one of only two surviving films from the Colored Players Film Corporation, a pioneering Black-led production company based in Philadelphia.

On the documentary side, four titles were added, including Brooklyn Bridge (1981), Ken Burns’ first major film. It shares the spotlight with Say Amen, Somebody (1982), a powerful portrait of gospel music, and two more recent entries, The Hours (2002) and Frida (2002).

For movie lovers of the Gen X era, the additions read like a greatest hits list. Clueless (1995), Before Sunrise (1995), The Karate Kid (1984), and The Big Chill (1983) all made the cut. Ralph Macchio, who played the underdog Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid, called the news a major honor.

"I'm amazingly proud," Macchio told the Library of Congress. "The National Film Registry and film preservation are so important because it keeps the integrity of cinema alive for multiple generations."

Also included is The Thing (1982), John Carpenter’s cult horror classic that was critically panned at release but later hailed as a genre-defining film.

More contemporary titles include The Truman Show (1998), the prescient satire on reality TV and surveillance culture starring Jim Carrey, and The Incredibles (2004), Pixar’s beloved animated take on a dysfunctional superhero family.

Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) rounds out the list. The film, set in a fictional Alpine resort during the 1930s, was inspired in part by Anderson’s time spent researching at the Library of Congress.

“When we were first starting to try to figure out, how do we tell this story… the architecture and the landscapes… they don't exist anymore,” Anderson said in a statement. He explained that his team scoured the library’s massive “photocrom” collection—early colorized photographs—for visual references. “Much of what is in our film comes directly—with our little twist on it—from that collection, from the library, the Library of Congress.”

Here’s the full list of films added to the National Film Registry for 2025, in chronological order:

• The Tramp and the Dog (1896)
• The Oath of the Sword (1914)
• The Maid of McMillan (1916)
• The Lady (1925)
• Sparrows (1926)
• Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926)
• White Christmas (1954)
• High Society (1956)
• Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
• Say Amen, Somebody (1982)
• The Thing (1982)
• The Big Chill (1983)
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• Glory (1989)
• Philadelphia (1993)
• Before Sunrise (1995)
• Clueless (1995)
• The Truman Show (1998)
• Frida (2002)
• The Hours (2002)
• The Incredibles (2004)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The registry now contains 875 films, and each new addition helps preserve the evolving story of American cinema.

Philadelphia, The Karate Kid, and More Added To The National Film Registry

BBC News

A UK man is back on his feet just days after undergoing pioneering robotic surgery to remove a cancerous tumour and rebuild his oesophagus — a procedure he describes as “incredible” and “life or death.”

Nick Samiotis, 54, says the 12-hour operation at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) spared him weeks in hospital and a long recovery. Instead of the large scars and extended downtime that come with traditional open surgery, he walked his dog just nine days later.

“I feel quite amazing… as soon as I’ve finished here, I’m off to take the dog for a walk,” he said.

Samiotis, who designs props for computer games, was diagnosed with advanced oesophageal cancer in August after struggling to swallow and walk long distances with his border collie. He also experienced anaemia and persistent heartburn.

After chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, he underwent a robotic-assisted oesophagectomy — the removal of part or all of the food pipe. His surgeon, Nicholas Penney, operated using one of the hospital’s four Da Vinci surgical robots.

Penney explained that the robotic system allows for greater precision and less trauma to the body. “The movements we make are miniaturised and we can move the instruments like our hands… it’s all very stable,” he said. “We are seeing them leaving hospital quicker and getting back home and to normal life much sooner.”

According to Penney, the robotic approach is more precise and results in fewer complications. “Patients are in a lot less pain,” he said. “We’re seeing fewer pneumonia cases because the damage to the chest and ribs is far less, so people can breathe better after surgery.”

Samiotis was left with 15 small keyhole scars instead of a large incision. “It’s a lot less trauma to the body so your recovery period is much reduced,” he said. “Otherwise, you’d end up with this huge scar down the side… it takes a lot longer to recover.”

While the small scars “don’t look pretty,” he added, “they’re far easier to recover from than lots of big incisions, and they just seal them up with medical-grade superglue.”

NNUH has become the largest provider of multi-specialty robotic surgery at a single site in the East of England, doubling its number of Da Vinci robots from two to four. Two of the new machines were funded by £2.8 million in donations to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity, which is now raising money for a fifth robot that could also be used in paediatric procedures.

Penney said that prior to the expansion, around 25% of all oesophagectomies at the hospital were performed robotically. “We hope that will rise to all appropriate cases by the end of the year,” he said.

Nick Hernon, associate clinical director at NNUH, said robotic-assisted surgery is “fast becoming the future of surgical practice” and that the hospital hopes to strengthen its training partnerships with the University of East Anglia.

NHS England has projected that 9 in 10 keyhole surgeries will be robot-assisted within the next decade. That’s a significant jump from current levels, which stand at roughly 1 in 5.

Samiotis is now facing additional chemotherapy and a strict post-surgery diet. His stomach is smaller, so he’ll transition from liquids to soft foods.

Still, he’s grateful. “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to eat — and the cancer would have spread,” he said. “My family are massively relieved I’ve come through the operation and I’m standing 10 days later. You wouldn’t know I’d had an operation unless you were there.”

His daughter Tabitha, 19, said she was nervous at first about robotic surgery but ultimately found comfort in how far the technology had come. “Three years ago this surgery wouldn’t even have happened,” she recalled a nurse saying. “But in the end, you just have to trust the professionals. The surgical team were remarkable people… you’ve got to be positive, he’s a fighter.”

Looking back, Samiotis said he’d tell his past self not to worry. “The important thing is I’m hopefully cancer-free,” he said.

“I Feel Amazing”: Norfolk Man Walks Dog Days After Robotic Cancer Surgery

USA Today

LeBron James’ return to Cleveland on Wednesday night was more than just another road game — it was a homecoming filled with reflection, family, and raw emotion.

During a timeout in the Cavaliers’ 129-99 blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the team honored James with a tribute video at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. As the highlights played — including his legendary 25-point scoring run against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 playoffs — cameras caught James on the bench wiping away tears.

“Obviously, with the moment they put up there with the Detroit game and looking up in the rafters and seeing our championship banner, it was a lot of reflecting for sure,” James said afterward.

The video underscored James’ historic legacy in Cleveland, from his debut as the No. 1 overall pick in 2003 to leading the Cavaliers to their first and only NBA title in 2016. He called the emotional reaction a result of “being present.”

James’ performance on the court was quiet by his standards — 11 points, five assists, three rebounds, and six turnovers in 27 minutes, shooting just 3-for-10 from the field — but the night was meaningful in other ways.

One major highlight: his mother, Gloria James, was in attendance to watch both her son and grandson take the floor together.

“My mom got to watch her son and her grandson play in the NBA at the same time,” James said.

Bronny James, who joined the Lakers this season, finished with eight points in eight minutes, going 3-for-3 from the field and nailing both of his three-point attempts. He capped off the game with a late highlight dunk that brought the crowd — and his father — to their feet.

James did not offer any updates on his future plans, but the night was a reminder of everything he's accomplished — and how much he still means to the city that watched him grow up.

LeBron James Gets Emotional During Return to Cleveland as Cavs Honor Him With Tribute

A playful man in Morgantown, West Virginia, took advantage of the weekend’s freezing conditions to slide down his icy driveway on his belly.

Before filming the stunt, Luke Nesler tells the camera that it might be his only opportunity to ever slide down his driveway like “a penguin.”

After capturing the attention of his neighbor, he ascends the mild incline and begins the slide.

Posting the video to Instagram, Nesler said he “had to seize the moment”.

Man Takes Advantage of Icy Driveway to 'Slide Like a Penguin'

In a small kitchen in Niverville, Manitoba, an old-world bread-making method that nearly disappeared is making a quiet comeback — and it started with a love story.

Chris Holbrow and Maria Syroezhko launched Forgotten Flavours in 2022, after Syroezhko revived a baking technique passed down from her great-grandmother in eastern Europe. The method, which predates modern sourdough, gave Holbrow something he hadn’t had in years: bread he could actually eat without pain.

Holbrow had long struggled with chronic digestive issues. Traditional breads didn’t sit right. But once Syroezhko started experimenting with her great-grandmother’s techniques — through trial, error, and what she describes as “a thousand fails” — something changed.

“I just rediscovered it,” she said. “Step by step, remembering and researching… we got where we are now.”

That rediscovery turned into a full-fledged business. Today, Forgotten Flavours operates out of two locations — one in Niverville and one in Winnipeg — and has developed a loyal customer base drawn to its long-fermented, wild-yeast breads made from fresh-milled, local grains.

Unlike sourdough, where bakers maintain a living starter, Holbrow and Syroezhko make their wild yeast fresh for every batch. The fermentation process for each loaf takes 48 hours, and from start to finish, every piece of bread takes three to four days to make.

“Working with wild yeast is different each day,” Syroezhko said. “Every day, you're solving your puzzle. It's not always the same.”

The yeast is cultivated from ingredients like fruit, vegetables, dairy, or grains. Syroezhko compares it to farming — invisible, but alive.

Food scientist Maneka Malalgoda, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, says the method’s long fermentation time is one key factor that can make bread easier to digest.

“It impacts the flavour development, textural properties — it’s part of the puzzle,” Malalgoda said. She added that the use of local grains and the way they’re milled also plays a big role.

What’s less common, she noted, is the use of wild yeast in commercial baking, since it’s harder to control. But for Forgotten Flavours, that unpredictability is part of the process — and the appeal.

Holbrow, who left a corporate job in Winnipeg to help run the bakery full time, said they made the leap after hearing stories from customers who, like him, had trouble with conventional bread.

“It’s a high-quality product that tastes good,” Holbrow said. “But our bodies are telling us that whatever we’re eating is not working for us.”

He believes this old method — one that requires bakers to start fresh each time, rather than rely on a permanent sourdough starter — may have once been more common than people realize. But over time, it was replaced by quicker, more convenient alternatives.

“I suspect we have always found the route of least resistance,” Holbrow said.

Now, the couple are proving there’s a different path — one that takes longer, demands more, but might offer something better.

“Bread is something that has always been known to bring people together,” Holbrow said. “We need more togetherness. The whole philosophy of breaking bread with one another is a very, very important thing.”

For Holbrow and Syroezhko, Forgotten Flavours is more than a bakery. It’s a way of life — and a way to reconnect with food, community, and each other.

A Manitoba Bakery Revived a Forgotten Bread Technique — and It’s Changing Lives

People

Jacob Elordi isn’t showing up to the Oscars with a glam date or entourage — he’s bringing his mom.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, Jan. 27, the 28-year-old Frankenstein star revealed he’ll be taking his mother as his date to the 2026 Academy Awards, fulfilling a promise he made over a decade ago.

“I’m going to take mom,” Elordi said. “I promised her when I was 15 that I would take her, so I have to honor that.”

Elordi is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. It’s a role that has put him in the Oscar spotlight — and given him a chance to reflect on the people who believed in him early on.

His mother, he said, has “fully believed in me the whole time” and was actually the first person to tell him he’d been nominated. Elordi admitted he was too nervous to sit and wait for the announcement himself.

“I went to bed, and I was asleep comfortably,” he said. “And then I heard my mom’s phone ring at like 5 a.m., and then her little feet coming up the stairs. Her face sort of told me that I’ve been nominated. It was so beautiful.”

His dad got in on the celebration too — from the other side of the world. “He actually knew they were announcing the nominations, and he put a bottle of champagne on ice, and he stayed up til about midnight in Australia, and he called me, and we popped it together on the phone.”

For Elordi, the Oscar nomination is more than just career recognition — it’s the realization of a childhood dream, fueled by his admiration for fellow Australian Heath Ledger.

“You’re supposed to say, you know, that it doesn’t mean anything and art is subjective and all these things,” he told Kimmel. “But it really was a dream of mine. Particularly because of Heath Ledger. He kind of showed me that it was possible.”

In a full-circle moment, Elordi noted that his nomination came exactly 18 years to the day after Ledger’s passing.

“I’d like to take this to say thank you to Heath Ledger and for that inspiration,” Elordi said. “It really, really means the world to me.”

With his mom at his side and a long-held promise fulfilled, Elordi will walk into Oscar night not just as a nominee — but as a son who kept his word.

This Actor Is Taking His Mom to the Oscars — A Promise 13 Years in the Making

ESPN

Stephen Curry just added another title to his already stacked résumé: Sundance award-winning director.

The two-time NBA MVP, best known for changing the game of basketball with his three-point shot, took home the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival for The Baddest Speechwriter of All, a short film he co-directed with Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot.

“Stephen and I are jumping for joy [him a lot higher than I] with this extraordinary recognition,” Proudfoot said, according to Deadline.

The film, produced by Proudfoot’s Breakwater Studios, Curry’s Unanimous Media, and other partners, tells the story of Clarence B. Jones — a lawyer, adviser, and key speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Through Jones’ own words, the film offers an intimate look at the man behind some of the most powerful rhetoric in civil rights history.

Jones, now in his 90s, helped draft Dr. King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech and played a central role in shaping the messaging of the Civil Rights Movement. The short film captures his personal reflections and legacy in his own voice.

“On a personal note, to share creative duties with Stephen, one of the greatest living athletes and just [a] truly good man, has given me an opportunity to grow as a filmmaker,” Proudfoot said, adding that the collaboration opened a door to a story he might not have otherwise explored.

Curry and Proudfoot previously teamed up on The Queen of Basketball, a 2022 Oscar-winning short documentary about Lusia Harris — the trailblazing athlete who scored the first basket in Olympic women’s basketball history and was the first woman officially drafted by an NBA team. Curry and Shaquille O’Neal served as executive producers; Proudfoot directed.

With The Baddest Speechwriter of All, Curry’s impact now extends from the hardwood to the festival circuit, spotlighting a vital but often overlooked figure from the civil rights era — and reminding audiences that history’s greatest moments are often shaped behind the scenes.

NBA Superstar Stephen Curry Wins Sundance Award for Short Film Honoring MLK Speechwriter

GoodGoodGood

In downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, a new burger shop just opened with a big personality and an even bigger mission. Outside, a T. rex clutches a burger in its claws under the name “Zeke Smash.” Inside, owner Kyle Nelson is serving up more than fast food — he’s serving a cause.

Zeke Smash is named after Zeke, the six-year-old son of Nelson’s best friends. At just three months old, Zeke was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer that produces abnormal white blood cells. His diagnosis came in early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“They went through COVID, and they had a newborn who was sick,” Nelson said. “They were navigating chemotherapy, navigating ER trips.”

Even with strong health insurance, the bills piled up. Nelson watched as his friends endured an exhausting cycle of treatment, fear, and debt.

“It’s treatment, it’s off treatment, it’s okay, they’re sick; are they sick from the disease or is it just a cold?” he said. “Is this fever going to potentially kill them?”

The experience left him angry — not just at the disease, but at the financial toll childhood cancer takes on families.

“You never hear about the potentially lifelong crippling medical debt that these families are going into to give their child a chance to survive,” Nelson said.

So he decided to do something about it — with burgers.

Nelson and his brother had already been talking about opening a fast, high-quality smash burger spot. As the idea took shape, the name Zeke Smash came naturally. So did the mission.

“We can build out a charitable aspect of the business, building the restaurant around this idea of giving back to the community and highlighting a community that honestly doesn’t get enough support,” he said.

Zeke Smash officially opened in late October 2025 in Wilmington’s Cargo District. The menu features burgers, sandwiches, fried cheese curds, hot dogs, cheesecakes, and more. But 5% of all profits go straight to children’s cancer charities, including the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Nelson also has big plans for the months ahead: a major head-shaving fundraiser this spring, in support of St. Baldrick’s, and a “family of the month” program to spotlight local families navigating childhood cancer. The restaurant will use its social media channels to promote their stories and fundraisers.

And yes — Zeke has tried the burger named after him.

“It’s a thumbs up,” Nelson said with a laugh. “He really enjoys the food; he’s a fan. And I don’t think it’s just because I’m Uncle Kyle.”

Zeke Smash is located at 619 S 17th St, Wilmington, NC 28401. Nelson encourages anyone looking to help to support St. Baldrick’s directly, nominate a child for recognition, or start a fundraiser of their own.

“I can make great food that people will enjoy,” he said. “And I can use this platform to bring awareness and highlight an issue that isn’t really talked about a whole lot. And possibly do some good, too.”

This Smash Burger Joint in North Carolina Is Serving Up Cheeseburgers — and Fighting Childhood Cancer

ABC News

With a satellite antenna bobbing behind her, a loggerhead sea turtle named Pyari slowly crawled across the sand and slipped back into the Atlantic Ocean, drawing cheers from a bundled-up crowd watching from the shore.

The release marked the end of a long recovery and the start of a new chapter for Pyari, who lost most of her left forelimb in a likely shark attack.

“It’s definitely always very gratifying to see these animals go back into their ocean home,” said Dr. Heather Barron, chief science officer and veterinarian at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. “And I think it’s particularly gratifying when you can track them on satellite, and see exactly where they’re going and what they’re doing.”

Pyari, whose name means “lovely” or “beloved” in Hindi, arrived at the center in November from the nearby Inwater Research Group with deep injuries to her shell, neck and both front flippers. Veterinarians amputated most of her left forelimb to save her life.

She spent months in a rehabilitation tank kept at about 27°C (80°F) to match the ocean’s warmer temperatures. While the air at Juno Beach was a brisk 4 to 9°C (40s°F) during her release, the ocean remained steady at a comfortable 25°C (77°F), making conditions suitable for her return.

Beachgoers snapped photos and watched as Pyari trundled down the sand toward the surf, her satellite tag’s long antenna trailing behind her.

The $10,000 tracker she now carries will give scientists rare insights into how well amputee turtles fare after returning to the wild — something researchers still know very little about.

Barron says Pyari is one of three turtles with amputations that the center is currently tracking.

“Every little bit of information helps us to understand the behavior and the success of these animals,” she said.

Anyone interested can follow Pyari’s journey — and those of the other turtles — on the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s website.

Three-Legged Loggerhead Turtle Returns to the Ocean After Shark Attack and Months of Rehab

When a brutal winter storm swept through Tulsa, Oklahoma, dropping temperatures to dangerous lows, most people stayed indoors, bracing for the cold. Ryan Duval did the opposite.

As wind chills dipped to minus 20 degrees Celsius, Duval climbed into his decades-old fire truck and started driving through the city. His mission: to find people without shelter and help them survive the storm.

"I just saw a need for getting people out of the cold," he said. "The negative 20 temperatures really hit me hard. Someone staying outside, I wouldn't be able to survive it."

Duval bought the 40-year-old truck years ago at a government auction. It hadn’t seen much use — until now.

He drove through neighborhoods and underpasses, scanning for anyone exposed to the freezing air. When he saw someone in need, he stopped. Some just needed a hot drink or something to eat. Others needed a safe ride to a warming shelter. One by one, people climbed into the truck, finding warmth and safety inside its worn cabin.

By the end of the weekend, Duval’s fire truck had become a mobile sanctuary — a beacon for anyone braving the storm alone.

But for Duval, it wasn’t about the recognition.

"It’s just giving back to a community like everybody should do," he said. "If I can do it, anybody can do it."

While the storm raged outside, his fire truck offered something rare: warmth, dignity, and proof that one person can make a difference.

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