Tyler Perry gives TSA workers $250K in Visa cards after cash tip fails

After a kind gesture to airport employees in Georgia didn't go as planned,Tyler Perryfound a workaround.

The "A Madea Homecoming" director tried to hand cash to TSA employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 26, but was turned down due to federal rules, USA TODAY has learned. He later worked with the Transportation Security Administration to find another way to support them during theDepartment of Homeland Security shutdown.

And so the actor and filmmaker ended up donating $250,000 worth of Visa gift cards to TSA workers at the Atlanta airport on March 27.

The donation comes as theDepartment of Homeland Security shutdowncontinues with no end in sight, leaving more than 64,000 airport security workers working without pay.

PresidentDonald Trumpsigned an order on Friday declaring an "unprecedented emergency situation" to reroute federal funds to pay TSA staffers. The move will allow TSA employees to get their paychecks as early as March 30 instead of waiting for back pay after the shutdown ends.

Collectively, TSA officers, who are considered essential workers, have now missed nearly$1 billionin paychecks since the shutdown, prompting many work absences as they find alternative forms of financial support.

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Tyler Perry faces $77 million sexual assault lawsuit

On Dec. 25, Perry was sued for$77 millionby Mario Rodriguez, who accused the Hollywood director of making unwanted sexual advances after production of 2016's "Boo! A Madea Halloween."

In the lawsuit, Rodriguez alleged Perry invited the actor to his home to discuss future roles, only to sexually assault him. He also accused Perry of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In Perry's legal response filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 27, he "vehemently" denied Rodriguez's "frivolous" allegations and called thesexual assault lawsuitboth a "money grab" and an attempt to shake him down with "falsehoods."

"After being cast in a very minor role in a single Perry film a decade ago, [Rodriguez] repeatedly turned to Perry as his personal piggy bank," Perry's filing states. "When Plaintiff's repeated requests for more financial assistance were met with silence, angry at the loss of his golden goose, Plaintiff spun a false tale that the two had a nonconsensual relationship, twisting the true reason for the payments to ignite a media firestorm, all to fuel his final money grab and thrust him into the spotlight."

Perry's attorneys characterize Rodriguez's visits to the director's home from 2016 to 2019 as part of "a feigned friendship" in which "Rodriguez repeatedly preyed on Perry's generosity."

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tyler Perry gives TSA workers $250K in Visa cards after cash tip fails

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March 27, 2026

Tyler Perry gives TSA workers $250K in Visa cards after cash tip fails

After a kind gesture to airport employees in Georgia didn't go as planned,Tyler Perryfound a workaround. ...

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Netflix 'Kennedy' series reveals Michael Fassbender as patriarch Joe

Move over"Love Story,"which just dropped the final FX episode centered onthe romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette.

Next up, is the Netflix drama series "Kennedy," which revealed the eight-episode drama's first look withMichael Fassbenderas patriarchJoseph Kennedy Sron March 27.

"Kennedy" is still in production in London, with no release date set. But everyone's talking Kennedy family now, so bring on the origin story.

The series will reveal the "intimate lives, loves, rivalries and tragedies that shaped the most iconic dynasty in modern history, and helped create the world we live in today," according to Netflix's description.

Beginning in the 1930s, Season 1 of "Kennedy" charts the improbable ascent of Joe Sr. (Fassbender), wife Rose Kennedy (Laura Donnelly) and their nine children.

The soon-to-be-famous brood includes rebellious second son John "Jack" Kennedy (Joshuah Melnick), who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother, Joe Kennedy Jr. (Nick Robinson).

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Other family members include Rosemary (Lydia Peckham) Kick (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) and Eunice (Georgina Bitmead).

The series, executive produced by Sam Shaw, is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Fredrik Logevall's tome "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1965."

Who saw this tragedy coming on "NCIS"? Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), Timothy McGee (Sean Carroll) and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) react during the 500th "NCIS" episode on March 24. Spoilers ahead!

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oh good lord, it's Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) who seems to be OK after three gunshots to the chest. He was wearing his bulletproof vest. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) hold the head of their "NCIS" boss.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Turns out the mysterious man interviewing Vance in his office is actually the late Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, in young version (Adam Campbell). You see, Vance actually wasn't wearing a vest and died from the gunshots. Young Ducky came back to help Van's transition to death.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) and Ducky Mallard (David McCallum) on "NCIS" in 2014. McCallum died in 2023.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Vance (Rocky Carroll) with young Ducky (Adam Campbell). Vance goes into the light alone and hears his late wife calling for him.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly, left) with Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) in 2016.

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

Who died in 'NCIS' Ep. 500? CBS show's tragic love letter (Spoilers!)

Who saw this tragedy coming on "NCIS"? Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), Timothy McGee (Sean Carroll) and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) react during the 500th "NCIS" episode on March 24. Spoilers ahead!

"The story of the Kennedys is the closest we have to American mythology — somewhere between Shakespeare and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,'" Shaw told Netflix'sTudum.

To prove its epic scope, the series includes many of the luminaries in Joe Sr.'s orbit as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. This includes journalist Inga Arvad (Hera Hilmar), aviator Charles Lindbergh (Wyatt Russell), journalist Arthur Krock (Patrick Fischler), writer Clare Boothe Luce (Caitlin FitzGerald), British aristocrat Billy Cavendish (Louis Landau), British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Robin Soans), OG Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Albert Welling), U.S. State Department official Raymond Furness (Denis O'Hare), FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Eddie Marsan), and President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Toby Huss).

Imogen Poots stars as silent film star Gloria Swanson, who had a passionate affair with Joe Kennedy Sr.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Kennedy' series on Netflix reveals Michael Fassbender as Joe Kennedy

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March 27, 2026

Netflix 'Kennedy' series reveals Michael Fassbender as patriarch Joe

Move over"Love Story,"which just dropped the final FX episode centered onthe romance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and...

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‘How I Met Your Mother’ star Josh Radnor says ‘there’s no such thing as atheism’

Actor Josh Radnor offered a provocative take on atheism during a conversation about meaning and purpose on "The Office" star Rainn Wilson's "Soul Boom" podcast on Tuesday.

Radnor argued that even people who reject religion often still center their lives around something they "worship," whether that be technology, addiction, romance, or other pursuits.

Wilson spoke with the "How I Met Your Mother" star about creativity, fulfillment and the search for "truth and beauty and meaning" before Radnor connected that impulse to a broader spiritual hunger.

The actor said the urge to create was not just artistic, but part of the human instinct to center life around some source of meaning.

Chris Pratt Warns That Hollywood Fame And Success 'Will Kill You' Without Strong Faith Foundation

"I have this theory that there's no such thing as atheism," Radnor said. "I think that if you don't believe in a god or God, what is your obsession? What is the thing you worship?"

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He argued that in modern culture, people often replace religion with other objects of devotion.

"Tech is a god… any addiction you have is a god… pursuit of status, worship of nation," he added. "That's why in 12step it's like, well, let's get you away from that false god and let's get you in something more truthful so you can heal."

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Rainn Wilson Recounts Liberal Friends Having A 'Kind Of A Good Riddance' Response To Charlie Kirk's Killing

Wilson suggested thatdating and romancecan also become a kind of worship, pointing to modern ideas about soulmates and fulfillment, like those presented in "How I Met Your Mother."

Radnor agreed, saying modern people still seek spiritual meaning even if they no longer direct it toward "capital G" God.

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"We started worshiping 'other,'" he added. "You find all that now in your partner. Which has been pretty grievous for relationships."

The actors also discussed cancel culture, free speech, why fame isn't fulfilling and modern dating myths during the March 24 podcast.

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Original article source:'How I Met Your Mother' star Josh Radnor says 'there's no such thing as atheism'

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March 27, 2026

‘How I Met Your Mother’ star Josh Radnor says ‘there’s no such thing as atheism’

Actor Josh Radnor offered a provocative take on atheism during a conversation about meaning and purpose on "The Offi...

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A federal judge orders better attorney access at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz'

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A state-run immigration detention facility in the Florida Evergladesknown as "Alligator Alcatraz"must provide people detained there with better access to their attorneys, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell issued a preliminary injunction saying Alligator Alcatraz officials must provide access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored, unrecorded outgoing legal calls. They must also provide at least one operable telephone for every 25 people held in the facility. The order also outlined information that must be made available to the detained people and their attorneys in multiple languages.

Attorneys previously filedstatementswith a federal court in Fort Myers saying their clients were unable to call them using staff cellphones and the attorneys were unable to make unannounced visits to the facility.

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A state contractor testified in January that both options were available to detained people and their attorneysduring a hearingover whether people held at the facility were getting adequate access to their lawyers.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management, the state agency overseeing the detention center, didn't respond to an emailed inquiry Friday. TheEverglades facilitywas built last summer at a remote airstrip by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Florida also has built a second immigration detention center in north Florida.

The lawsuit from people formerly held at the Everglades facility claims that their First Amendment rights were violated. They say attorneys have to make an appointment to visit three days in advance, unlike at other immigration detention facilities where lawyers can just show up during visiting hours; that detained people often are transferred to other facilities before their attorneys' appointments to see them; and that scheduling delays have been so lengthy that detainees were unable to meet with attorneys before key deadlines.

State officials who are defendants in the lawsuit have denied restricting detained people's access to their attorneys and cited security and staffing reasons for any challenges. Federal officials who also are defendants denied that detainees' First Amendment rights were violated.

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March 27, 2026

A federal judge orders better attorney access at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz'

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A state-run immigration detention facility in the Florida Evergladesknown as "Alligator Alca...

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Planes grounded at D.C.-area airports after odor in control tower

Aviation authorities have issued a ground stop at Washington, D.C.-area airports after an unknown odor was detected at an air traffic control tower in Virginia,the second time in two weeksthat a detected smell brought flight operations to a halt.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday, March 27 issued ground stops at Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport, according to agency alerts.

Flightradar24, a flight ​tracking site, said inbound flights are holding ​or ⁠diverting. The airports have not had a departure since 6:40 p.m. EDT. The FAA said an update ⁠was expected ​around 8 p.m. EDT.

FlightAware said ​25% of flights at Baltimore and National were delayed and 11% ​at Dulles.

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It wasn't immediately clear from the alert system where the odor was first reported.

The ground stops comesamid ongoing issues at the nation's airportswhere travelers have been snarled by long lines amid a partial government shutdown.

On March 13, three Washington, D.C.-area airports eventually reopened after a shutdown prompted by an overheated circuit board that created a troublesome "strong odor," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced. The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced, Duffy said.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Planes grounded at D.C.-area airports after odor in control tower

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March 27, 2026

Planes grounded at D.C.-area airports after odor in control tower

Aviation authorities have issued a ground stop at Washington, D.C.-area airports after an unknown odor was detected at an...

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Using US ground troops against Iran could prove very costly, retired generals say

President Donald Trump is moving as many as 5,000 ground troops into the Middle East while pointedly declining to say whether they could ultimately be ordered into combat in Iran, a step retired generals and other experts told ABC News would significantly escalate the conflict and could carry steep risks of U.S. casualties.

Some 1,500 paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division are preparing to deploy, according to a U.S. official. At the same time, Marine units based in Japan are sailing toward the region, with additional Marines from California potentially following in the weeks ahead.

What to know about US ground troops headed to the Middle East

The retired generals and experts commented on the following scenarios:

Kharg Island

One key target is Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export hub, a relatively small, exposed landmass roughly a third the size of Manhattan that would leave U.S. forces vulnerable to strikes from the Iranian mainland.

"This is part of a longstanding plan, all of this has been looked at for many years," retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, told ABC News.

Seizing the island would deal a major blow to Tehran's economy, undercutting one of its most critical revenue streams and decapitating its key means of waging economic warfare.

The move would also align with the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the island through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply transits by ship. Iran has already effectively choked off maritime traffic through the strait, sending fuel prices skyrocketing.

"If I were in Vegas and I were betting, I would say it's most likely that we will see some kind of amphibious operation once the appropriate combat power has been marshaled in the area," retired Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson, a former director of intelligence for U.S. Central Command, said.

Seizing the territory would likely require a complex assault operation, retired top commanders and experts have explained. One option could involve paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division parachuting onto the island, a tactic that saw its heyday during World War II.

The division has not conducted a combat jump since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, but it frequently trains for it.

Marines could attempt an amphibious landing though that approach would leave forces exposed while crossing the strait. Helicopter insertions offer another pathway, but would carry their own vulnerabilities, particularly in contested airspace, the experts said.

"Taking the islands that are in the Strait of Hormuz are exactly the kind of mission that the Marine Corps was designed to do," Gibson said.

Likely meant to send message

Those Marine and Army units could supplement special operations forces. But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives.

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Keeping those troops supplied with food, water, ammunition, and other essentials would pose a significant logistical challenge. Absent those resources, any push onto the Iranian mainland would be exceptionally difficult and likely come with high casualties, and would likely demand a significantly larger force, the experts said.

"I think [they] would get swallowed up pretty quickly if they went into the mainland," said retired Gen. Joseph Votel, also a former head of U.S. Central Command, said.

He added that while the troop numbers may appear sizable, the new contingent is most likely intended to send a message of force to the regime to support U.S. diplomacy or to take a small island like Kharg.

"It looks like responsiveness," Votel said of the forces entering Central Command. "It looks like messaging."

Noting Kharg's distance from the Iranian mainland -- just 12 miles -- Votel said U.S. forces could risk drone or missile assaults.

"If [they're] not able to get into protected locations and or have their own defensive capabilities, or be able to provide kind of an envelope around them, then they could be very, very vulnerable to that kind of stuff," he said.

Nuclear infrastructure

Another potential target includes Iran's nuclear infrastructure, including the three sites struck by the U.S. last summer, to excavate highly enriched uranium and other materials for nuclear weapons trapped under rubble.

"It would be a very complex, high-risk operation," Christine Wormuth, president of Nuclear Threat Initiative, a global security nonprofit group, said.

Large US special ops force needed on ground to seize Iran's uranium, experts say

Many of those facilities sit hundreds of miles inland, posing steep logistical challenges that would require a large and enduring U.S. presence. Wormuth, who served as Army secretary during the Biden administration, said securing the sites could demand extensive engineering support -- including heavy construction equipment -- as well as a significant security force, potentially numbering in the hundreds of troops per location.

The Trump administration has claimed sweeping gains against Iran's military, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly touting the near-total destruction of Tehran's navy and air force and a sustained campaign to cripple its ability to rebuild key weapons systems.

But even as Pentagon leaders point to battlefield dominance, Iran has demonstrated an ability to strike back, with seven U.S. troops killed in Iranian attacks and more than 300 wounded so far. The administration has also not articulated its plans for the region once the war ends.

"I think the military performance has been very, very impressive, Votel said. "But I think we have to, we always have to be careful of conflating tactical successes with strategic policy success in terms of this."

ABC News' Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

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March 27, 2026

Using US ground troops against Iran could prove very costly, retired generals say

President Donald Trump is moving as many as 5,000 ground troops into the Middle East while pointedly declining to say ...

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Nelly Korda hits her stride and builds 2-shot lead in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — Nelly Korda was just as good in the tougher afternoon conditions Friday, posting a 7-under 65 for the lowest 36-hole score of her LPGA Tour career and building a two-shot lead at the halfway point of the Ford Championship.

Korda missed an opportunity late to stretch her lead a little more when she missed a 2-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th.

But this was not a day to complain on the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club. She followed a great opening round — something Lydia Ko failed to do — with a steady diet of birdie chances and a smooth, confident stroke with the putter.

"I have left a couple shots out there at the end," Korda said. "But I'm playing really solid golf, and when I do make a mistake, I try not go let it faze me too much."

She was at 16-under 128, two shots ahead of a familiar face. Hyo Joo Kim, the defending champion in Phoenix, won last week at the Founders Cup by holding off Korda in the final hour. Korda missed a short putt on the 17th hole Sunday that thwarted hopes of a second straight win to start the year.

Kim, who opened with a 61, overcame a mistakes early to post a 69. Saturday will be the fourth straight round for Korda and Kim to play in the same group.

"Just getting sick of each other now," Korda said with a laugh. "Yeah, she's playing such solid golf. At the end of the day that's something that motivates me to want to stay with her at that level. We're just going back and forth, so it's nice. At the end of the day we're competitors, but we are very friendly. I've always enjoyed playing with her. I'm always mesmerized by her putting."

Ko shot a 60 in morning conditions of the first round and doesn't feel as though she played that much differently — except the putts turned away at the last second or burned the edge. She made so many putts in her opening round, and only enough on Friday for a 71 that left her three shots behind along with Jenny Bae (65) and Minami Katsu (66).

The final hole summed up her day — a good drive, a good approach, and a 12-foot putt that good all the way until it peeled away to the right.

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"I just didn't really hole many putts today," Ko said. "It's obviously harder to get closer to the pins just playing in the afternoon and the greens being a little firmer. I think I struggled with a couple of the short ones. ... But that's golf, right? I can't control everything. Yesterday was I think more of the surprise I think just shooting a score like that."

She still found herself right in the mix and Ko figures everything will balance out.

"I feel like my game is trending in the right direction," she said.

Asterisk Talley, the 17-year-old amateur, had a 65 and was in the group six shots behind at 10 under. Talley will be going to the home of the Masters next week to compete in the Augusta National Women's Amateur, which she had a chance to win last year.

Scoring has been so good, particularly in the morning on smoother greens, that the cut came at 5-under 135. Among those missing out on the weekend were Women's British Open champion Miyu Yamashita of Japan and Lexi Thompson, making her first start of the season.

Korda won the season opener in Florida, which was cut short to 54 holes because of severe wind and cold. She skipped the Asia swing as she often does, and was runner-up to Kim last week at Sharon Heights in Northern California.

"I'm really happy where my game is at now," Korda said.

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byCosmopolite

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March 27, 2026

Nelly Korda hits her stride and builds 2-shot lead in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — Nelly Korda was just as good in the tougher afternoon conditions Friday, posting a 7-under 65 for the lowe...

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