Protests have taken place around the world calling for action to avert environmental catastrophe.
From London to Sydney, here's a look at some of the millions of people joining the global youth climate strike.
People shared some of their favorite signs on Twitter as well:
The Trump administration sees this as an opportunity—White House budget chief Russell Vought issued a memo outlining how the the administration plans to use a government shutdown to implement long-term cuts in federal spending and staffing. Trump himself told reporters "we [can] get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things."
And even though Republicans control all three branches of government, Trump has made it very clear he blames Democrats for the shutdown, ordering leaders at several federal agencies to send emails to their workers saying just that.
Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration received emails, news outlets confirmed.
The emails, titled "Potential Lapse in Funding," say that Trump "opposes a government shutdown" but "Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands."
They add:
"If Congressional Democrats maintain their current posture and refuse to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded before midnight on September 30, 2025, federal appropriated funding will lapse." ...
"The agency has contingency plans in place for executing an orderly shutdown of activities that would be affected by any lapse in appropriations forced by Congressional Democrats. Further information about those plans will be distributed should a lapse occur.
You can see it below.
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While it’s standard for government agencies to prepare employees for the possibility of a shutdown, it is unusual for agency leaders to single out one party or another in official communications, since federal employees are restricted from engaging in political activity.
Many have condemned the move.
Ethics watchdog groups say these emails and similar banners on the webpages of federal agencies blaming Democrats for the shutdown are a “blatant violation” of the Hatch Act.
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen quickly filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, arguing the banner was “highly partisan” and intended to “idolize the Trump administration … without attributing any blame for the lack of compromise causing the shutdown.”
The Hatch Act, first enacted in 1939, restricts certain political activities by federal employees and those working with federally funded programs. According to the Office of Special Counsel, its core purpose is to ensure that federal programs are run in a nonpartisan manner.
The pair opened up about their relationship with E! News, viewing each other as good friends and Irwin noting that Carson was like a second big sister to him, like Bindi Irwin, rather than possible girlfriend material.
But in an effort to keep Irwin's head in the game throughout the competition, Carson had taken on the task of addressing all of his DMs for possible partners so he could focus on learning the dance moves and not on finding "the one."
Carson quipped:
"Now listen. I am in charge of your love life until the finale. I'm in charge of it."
Irwin joked back:
"Witney's like, 'Focus up, brother!'"
Carson continued:
"Listen, we've got to focus up. But you can still send them [the DMs], because I love reading them. And I love getting to know you personally, but I don't know if I'm going to relay it to Robert quite yet. I'm going to have to save a bank of them and then present them to you at the very, very end."
But it seemed that the dancing pro may have bitten off a bigger task than she could chew.
Carson has since made jokes about the number of DMs that she's seen, either simply reaching out to Robert, complimenting their routines, or insinuating wanting something more.
Though Irwin was proving to be a strong and talented partner as well as friend, the greatest headache for her was the volume of messages she'd received and how she was receiving them.
Carson even went so far as to post on her Instagram Stories, pointing out that fielding the messages was a bit much.
"Girls, I love ya, thank you for the applications through somehow my email and flooding the dms."
"If I could line you all up with Robert I would because you're all 10/10 perfect cuties."
"We are currently dancing our lives away so we are unable to respond."
"Robert for bachelor?!"
"Idk this is too stressful for me to handle lol."
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Carson was clearly joking about the matter, however, as she and Irwin posted a satirical video the very next day.
Both looking cool, Carson prepared to check Irwin's DMs, slowly swiping her finger up the screen as she scrolled through the messages and Irwin shook his head in exasperation.
You can watch the video here:
Fans cracked jokes about what the DMs could contain.
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Between people finding him attractive, his work on DWTS, and his legacy as an Irwin, fans are undeniably seeing Irwin as a catch right now—and are doing all they can to reach out. Luckily, the dance duo is having fun with it!
Defending the move, Bob Sabouni, Head of Stan Lee Legacy Programs for Kartoon Studios and a former Marvel executive, said in a statement:
“We’ll never put words in his mouth that aren’t in line with things he spoke about in his lifetime. Fortunately, with decades of footage capturing his thoughts on so many subjects, we can build a voice that stays true, not always word for word, but always faithful in spirit, context, and intent.”
Translation: trust us, we’re not about to have Zombie Stan Lee plug Avengers: Doomsday… at least not yet.
And for decades, Lee was the king of conventions, co-creating iconic characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Daredevil, while becoming the most recognizable face of comic book culture. Now, nearly seven years after his death, he’s back—sort of.
And Marvel fans? Let’s just say they’re not giving this one a “true believer” stamp of approval.
The hologram was built by Proto Hologram (best known for the creepy promotional The Conjuring mall mirror) and Hyperreal, a firm specializing in avatars so realistic you forget you’re supposed to question them. Legally, Kartoon Studios acquired exclusive rights to Lee’s name and likeness from his own company, POW! Entertainment.
But the deal isn’t exactly squeaky clean: shortly before his death, Lee attempted to sue POW! executives for trying to “fraudulently steal” his identity, even seeking more than $1 billion in damages.
As the suit noted:
“Lee did not even grant an exclusive license to his identity, image, name and likeness to the Walt Disney Company in a multibillion dollar deal, let alone give his name and likeness away for free to a company in China.”
And I thought Thanos was evil.
Because nothing says “tribute” like a price tag, fans had to cough up between $15 and $20 just to enter the 1,500-square-foot “Stan Lee Experience” booth—plus extra for a photo or a three-minute chat with the AI.
Inside, the hologram greeted fans with lines like:
“It’s great to be back at conventions like this, surrounded by fellow Marvel fans and enthusiasts.”
Which is sweet, until you remember… he’s literally not back.
TikTok user @melmadog posted her meet and greet with the AI Lee hologram below:
Imagine explaining to your kids that you met Spider-Man’s creator… but only the beta version.
Another user @such.polina posted their experience:
Of course, this isn’t the first time a celebrity has been digitally puppeteered past the grave. James Earl Jones granted Disney permission to keep his Darth Vader voice alive via AI, which now pops up in Obi-Wan Kenobi and even in Fortnite, where you can squad up with a chatty Sith Lord.
Organizers even teased that Lee’s hologram could “surprise” fans at random panels—less like a tribute, more like a jump scare.
Perfect timing for Halloween.
Social media erupted with reactions ranging from mild amusement to “this is gross,” “incredibly disrespectful,” and “f**king weird.” As one Reddit user bluntly stated: “Even in death, they won’t let the guy rest. It’s all pretty dystopian.”
You can scroll through more reactions here:
And if you think this is just a Comic Con gimmick, think again, girlfriend. AI holograms are increasingly appearing everywhere, from concerts to museums. CNN’s Jim Acosta even interviewed the hologram of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver to highlight gun violence—proving this technology is already blurring the line between memorial and marketing.
Oh, and the pay for these AI holograms? It’s far from comic book change. Industry analysts estimate that companies specializing in holograms and digital likeness rights are already making millions of dollars a year, with licensing deals, convention booths, and concert revivals expected to push the market into the billions.
For developers, the dead aren’t just remembered—they’re monetized.
So no matter how you feel about seeing the dead “return” in AI form—celebrity meet-and-greet or a dystopian séance—it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing more of them down the line.
According to Billboard, Ne-Yo was midway through his 2007 hit “Because of You” when a spectator in a white T-shirt danced up the stairs, turned to face the crowd, and spread his arms wide. Wearing a black cowboy hat, sequined blazer, and leather pants, Ne-Yo looked startled for a split second—then shoved the fan in the face and neck area as security rushed in.
The Grammy winner kept singing throughout, lowering his mic just long enough to move the intruder aside.
Security quickly detained the trespasser, while Ne-Yo never missed a beat.
After the show, the “So Sick” singer took to Instagram to issue a warning:
“This is what you DON’T do. I’m a gentleman but I WILL slap the sh*t out of a person disrespecting my stage. And then keep the party going. Don’t try me. All love, til it’s not.”
No word yet on whether the stage crasher faced charges.
Ne-Yo added:
“Had he ran up with love I woulda let him rock for a minute… idiot. Don’t be this guy.”
A publicist for Ne-Yo declined to comment further.
The incident occurred amid a surge of stage crashes and concert chaos this year. A fan joined Katy Perry mid-performance during “Hot N’ Cold,” and Ava Max was slapped by a concertgoer who slipped past security. Bebe Rexha was left with a black eye after being hit in the face with a phone, while Drake’s tour has been disrupted by everything from bras to books flying at him.
You can watch the incident below:
Ne-Yo’s shove also follows weeks of headlines about his personal life. On Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon 3 stream, the three-time Grammy winner revealed he is romantically involved with four women—Cristina, Arielle Hill, Moneii, and Brionna Williams—whom he describes as his “wives,” though not legally married.
The singer proclaimed:
“My love life is phenomenal. I’m in a great space. I am currently in a polyamorous relationship. I have four beautiful ladies that move with me on the regular. They’re actually here.”
And yes—he even bragged about all of them sharing one oversized Alaskan King bed, which is… a choice. Fun fact: sheets for that monster of a mattress can run you up to $300 on Amazon.
The singer said the decision came after his 2022 divorce from Crystal Renay:
“I’m 45 years old. At this point in my life, everything I do is about what’s best for me, what’s best for my kids, what’s best for my tribe. That’s it.”
Looks like Ne-Yo’s tour isn’t the only thing with multiple stops—his love life comes with a full lineup too. And when it came to the stage-crashing drama, social media had no shortage of opinions:
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Ne-Yo returned to the stage at the Blue Note Jazz Festival Japan 2025, performing alongside Norah Jones, Tower of Power, and Daichi Miura. He’ll head back to Las Vegas on Oct. 11 before shows in Sri Lanka and Singapore later this year.
Beyond music, Ne-Yo is also expanding into acting and business. He’s set to portray Mr. Albatross in the upcoming film The Pact, play a team owner in the 2025 TV series Global Gaming League, and continue managing boxer Paul Bamba while making appearances in the Starz drama BMF.
