Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacation

LOS ANGELES −Chelsea Handler,best known for skewering celebrities, gave a sincere tribute toRob and Michele Reiner,kicking off the2026 Critics Choice Awards.

Handler, 50, grew serious at the end of her monologue on Sunday, Jan. 4, to discuss the beloved director and his wife, who were slain in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. The couple's sonNick Reinerhas been charged with the double murder and is next expected in court on Jan. 7.

"Everyone in this room knows that the nicest guy in Hollywood was Rob Reiner," Handler told the crowd. "The minute you met him, he felt like an old friend. ... He would ask you a ton of questions, whether you were discussing politics, film or the latest beauty trends."

Critics Choice Awards:Jimmy Kimmel thanks 'Donald Jennifer Trump' for his win

The four-time host said that when she texted Reiner after a recent meal together, "The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally ..." director responded positively to the comic's light dinner conversation.

"He wrote, 'Thanks for explaining so much about plastic surgery, it was very edifying,' " Handler said, and added that the Reiners were "tireless" in their efforts for important causes.

"It all stemmed from one basic idea: decency," she said. "I think we can all agree that we definitely need more of that value."

Critics Choice red carpet:Jessica Biel shares rare comments about husband Justin Timberlake

Hollywood's biggest names got glam for the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4, in Santa Monica, California. See which stars hit the red carpet, starting with Ariana Grande.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Elle Fanning

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Adam Sandler and Jackie Sandler

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Host Chelsea Handler

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mia Goth

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michael Peña

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ramy Youssef

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mia Goth

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chloé Zhao

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Critics Choice Awards 2026 – See Ariana Grande, more red carpet stars

Hollywood's biggest names got glam for the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4, in Santa Monica, California. See which stars hit the red carpet, starting with Ariana Grande.

Chelsea Handler jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio's travel troubles

Handler wasn't all serious at the awards, taking aim at the celeb-filled room and"One Battle After Another" star Leonardo DiCaprio,who missedaccepting an award at the Palm Springs International Film Awardsa day earlier amid travel disruptions. The "Titanic" star was delayed leaving a tropical vacation with an entourage that included Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

"Leo's here, thank God," Handler said. "Leo almost couldn't make it tonight because he was trapped on a boat on St. Barts."

The show camera switched to a chagrined DiCaprio in the audience as Handler carried on.

"It was almost like the Titanic, but worse, because Jeff Bezos was there," said Handler.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, jokes about DiCaprio's hard travels

byCosmopolite

in

January 05, 2026

Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacation

LOS ANGELES −Chelsea Handler,best known for skewering celebrities, gave a sincere tribute toRob and Michele Reiner,kickin...

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Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after warning about following illegal orders

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over the lawmaker's participation in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders.

Hegseth said that the censure was "a necessary process step" to proceedings that could result in a demotion from Kelly's retired rank of captain in the U.S. Navy.

The move comes more than a month after Kelly participated in a video with five other Democratic lawmakers in which they called on troops to defy "illegal orders." President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" in a social media post days later.

In November, Kelly and the other lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy "illegal orders."

The 90-second video was first posted from Sen.Elissa Slotkin'sX account. In it, the six lawmakers — Slotkin, Kelly and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan — speak directly to U.S. service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are "under enormous stress and pressure right now."

Afterward, Trump accused them of sedition "punishable by DEATH," reposting messages from others about the video and amplifying it with his own words.

Kelly, along with some of the other Democrats in the initial video, have sent out fundraising messages based off the Republican president's reaction to their comments, efforts that have gone toward filling their own campaign coffers and further elevating their national-level profiles.

byCosmopolite

in

January 05, 2026

Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after warning about following illegal orders

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic...

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Maduro is taken to a US courthouse for his first appearance on drug trafficking charges

NEW YORK (AP) — Deposed Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Madurois set to make his first appearance Monday in an American courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justifycapturing him and bringing himto New York.

Maduro and his wife are expected to appear at noon before a judge for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick offa prolonged legal fightover whether he can be put on trial in the U.S.

The couple were transported under armed guard early Monday from the Brooklyn jail where they've been detained to a Manhattan courthouse.

The trip was swift. A motorcade carrying Maduro left jail around 7:15 a.m. and made its way to a nearby athletic field, where Maduro slowly made his way to a waiting helicopter. The chopper flew across New York harbor and landed at a Manhattan heliport, where Maduro, limping, was loaded into an armored vehicle.

A few minutes later, the law enforcement caravan was inside a garage at the courthouse complex, just around the corner from the one where Donald Trump was convicted in 2024 of falsifying business records.

As a criminal defendant in the U.S. legal system, Maduro will have the same rights as any other person accused of a crime — including the right to a trial by a jury of regular New Yorkers. But he'll also be nearly — but not quite — unique.

Maduro's lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.

Panamanian strongmanManuel Noriegaunsuccessfully tried the same defenseafter the U.S. captured him in a similar military invasion in 1990. But the U.S. doesn't recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate head of state — particularly after amuch-disputed 2024 reelection.

Venezuela's new interim president,Delcy Rodríguez, has demanded that the U.S. return Maduro, who long denied any involvement in drug trafficking — although late Sunday she also struck a more conciliatory tone in a social media post, inviting collaboration with President Trump and "respectful relations" with the U.S.

Before his capture, Maduro and his allies claimed U.S. hostility was motivated by lust for Venezuela's rich oil and mineral resources.

The U.S. seized Maduro and his wife in a military operation Saturday, capturing them in their home on a military base. Trump said the U.S. would "run" Venezuela temporarily, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that it would not govern the country day-to-day other than enforcing an existing "oil quarantine."

Trump suggested Sunday that he wants toextend American power furtherin the western hemisphere.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, he called Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, "a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long."

He called on Venezuela's Rodriguez to provide "total access" to her country, or else face consequences.

A 25-page indictmentmade public Saturday accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment ofthousands of tons of cocaineinto the U.S. They could face life in prison if convicted.

It was unclear as of Sunday whether Maduro had hired a U.S. lawyer yet.

He and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been under U.S. sanctions for years, making it illegal for any American to take money from them without first securing a license from the Treasury Department.

While the indictment against Maduro says Venezuelan officials worked directly with the Tren de Aragua gang,a U.S. intelligence assessmentpublished in April, drawing on input from the intelligence community's 18 agencies, found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government.

Maduro, his wife and his son — who remains free — are charged along with Venezuela's interior and justice minister, a former interior and justice minister and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, an alleged Tren de Aragua leader who has been criminally charged in another case and remains at large.

Among other things, the indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their drug trafficking operation. That included a local drug boss' killing in Caracas, the indictment said.

Maduro's wife is also accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between "a large-scale drug trafficker" and the director of Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Office, resulting in additional monthly bribes, with some of the money going to Maduro's wife, according to the indictment.

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kan. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One and Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed to this report.

byCosmopolite

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January 05, 2026

Maduro is taken to a US courthouse for his first appearance on drug trafficking charges

NEW YORK (AP) — Deposed Venezuelan PresidentNicolás Madurois set to make his first appearance Monday in an American court...

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Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank, dies at 96

LONDON (AP) — Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of teenage diaristAnne Frankand a tireless educator about the horrors ofthe Holocaust, has died. She was 96.

The Anne Frank Trust UK, of which Schloss was honorary president, said she died Saturday in London, where she lived.

Britain's King Charles III said he was "privileged and proud" to have known Schloss, who co-founded the charitable trust to help young people challenge prejudice.

"The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience through her tireless work for the Anne Frank Trust UK and for Holocaust education across the world," the king said.

Born Eva Geiringer in Vienna in 1929, Schloss fled with her family to Amsterdam after Nazi Germany annexed Austria. She became friends with another Jewish girl of the same age, Anne Frank, whose diary would become one of the most famous chronicles of the Holocaust.

Like the Franks, Eva's family spent two years in hiding to avoid capture after the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. They were eventually betrayed, arrested and sent to the Auschwitz death camp.

Schloss and her mother Fritzi survived until the camp was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945. Her father Erich and brother Heinz died in Auschwitz.

After the war, Eva moved to Britain, married German Jewish refugee Zvi Schloss and settled in London.

In 1953, her mother married Frank's father, Otto, the only member of his immediate family to survive. Anne Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 15, months before the end of the war.

Schloss did not speak publicly about her experiences for decades, later saying that wartime trauma had made her withdrawn and unable to connect with others.

"I was silent for years, first because I wasn't allowed to speak. Then I repressed it. I was angry with the world," she told The Associated Press in 2004.

But after she addressed the opening of an Anne Frank exhibition in London in 1986, Schloss made it her mission to educate younger generations about the Nazi genocide. Over the following decades she spoke in schools and prisons, at international conferences and told her story in books including "Eva's Story: A Survivor's Tale by the Stepsister of Anne Frank."

She kept campaigning into her 90s. In 2019, she traveled to Newport Beach, California to meet teenagers who were photographed making Nazi salutes at a high school party. The following year she was part of a campaign urging Facebook to remove Holocaust-denying material from the social networking site.

"We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as 'other,'" Schloss said in 2024. "We need to respect everybody's races and religions. We need to live together with our differences. The only way to achieve this is through education, and the younger we start the better."

Schloss' family remembered her as "a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace."

"We hope her legacy will continue to inspire through the books, films and resources she leaves behind," the family said in a statement.

Zvi Schloss died in 2016. Eva Schloss is survived by their three daughters, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

byCosmopolite

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January 05, 2026

Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank, dies at 96

LONDON (AP) — Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of teenage diaristAnne Frankand a tireless educator about th...

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NFL playoff field, wild-card weekend schedule: Full postseason matchups set as Steelers win AFC North

The regular season is officially behind us.

The Pittsburgh Steelersheld on to beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24after Baltimore missed a field goal on the game's final play. That gave the Steelers the AFC North crown and the final playoff spot.

The Seattle Seahawks have secured the top seed in the NFC, so they will get the week off. The Denver Broncos edged out the New England Patriots to do the same in the AFC.

Here's everything you need to know heading into the opening weekend of the playoffs.

NFC playoff field

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)2. Chicago Bears (11-6)3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)4. Carolina Panthers (8-9)5. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)

AFC playoff field

1. Denver Broncos (14-3)2. New England Patriots (14-3)3. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4)4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)5. Houston Texans (12-5)6. Buffalo Bills (12-5)7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)

STEELERS WILL TAKE PART IN WILD CARD WEEKEND AFTER A WILD ENDING TO THE SEASON 😱Which teams make it to the Divisional Round? 😈pic.twitter.com/FllUTvxqxY

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)January 5, 2026

NFL wild-card schedule

Saturday, Jan. 10

5. Los Angeles Rams vs. 4. Carolina PanthersTime: 4:30 p.m. ETLocation: Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, N.C.TV: Fox

7. Green Bay Packers vs. 2. Chicago BearsTime: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Soldier Field | ChicagoTV: Amazon Prime Video

Sunday, Jan. 11

6. Buffalo Bills vs. 3. Jacksonville JaguarsTime: 1 p.m. ETLocation: EverBank Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla.TV: CBS

6. San Francisco 49ers vs. 3. Philadelphia EaglesTime: 4:30 p.m. ETLocation: Lincoln Financial Field | PhiladelphiaTV: Fox

7. Los Angeles Chargers vs. 2. New England PatriotsTime: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.TV: NBC

Monday, Jan. 12

5. Houston Texans vs. 4. Pittsburgh SteelersTime: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Acrisure Stadium | PittsburghTV: ESPN/ABC

byCosmopolite

in

January 05, 2026

NFL playoff field, wild-card weekend schedule: Full postseason matchups set as Steelers win AFC North

The regular season is officially behind us. The Pittsburgh Steelersheld on to beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24aft...

Read More