Here's everything that's been happening in the world of Pop Culture this past week... in case you missed it! Feel free to comment on any of the stories and info shared here, add any news bits that you caught going on that may have been missed, or at least show us some love if you read the post but have nothing to comment on by clicking on that little heart icon at the bottom of the post... 

GENERAL POP CULTURE NEWS:

- Former gang leader DUANE “KEFF D” DAVIS was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of late rapper TUPAC SHAKUR in 1996. Davis was convicted of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon on August 31^st for his part in masterminding Shakur’s demise.

- NAMES, HASHTAGS, MEMES, AND TRENDS FROM THIS PAST WEEK –

KELLY CLARKSON toy shop feud; SHANE GILLIS’ “SNL” monologue backlash; SELMA BLAIR plane incident

AWARDS UPDATE -

- The Actor Awards: Actor AL PACINO will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Awards ceremony, set to take place in Los Angeles on February 28, 2027.

GOVERNMENT 101 -

- US: The Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether the five major networks violated antitrust laws when they suspended participation in the White House tv press pool in protest of President DONALD TRUMP’s ban on CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House (CNN was also specifically removed from the tv pool – CNN, CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, and Fox News rotate “pool duty” which provides technical, video, and reporting coverage of the president with feeds then distributed to other networks and news organizations and is done primarily due to space limitations). After CNN was blocked by Trump, the other members of the tv pool decided to refrain from their rotation turn as well for about four days in protest (the protest coincided with the White House visit of Chinese President XI JINPING) which resulted in less video coverage of the events that occurred during the visit. A federal judge imposed a temporary restraining order to force the White House to renew access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico but the Trump administration has been reluctant to allow their reporters to have access again; the judge is expected to rule soon an whether to grant a preliminary injunction in the matter which would prevent the White House from denying access on a longer term though it is unclear how such an order would be enforced. Meanwhile, a federal judge prohibited the Trump Administration from banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House grounds, granting the three news outlets a preliminary injunction to ensure access for the foreseeable future. 

- US: A federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to stop running taxpayer-funded ads promoting the president for at least 14 days. The temporary restraining order prohibits Trump officials from using funding appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security for the ads, which resemble campaign messaging, and requires the administration to cancel the rest of a $20 million purchase of ad time. The Trump administration argued the ads were public service announcements and were in line with PSAs previous presidents produced – previous presidents have released PSAs to promote programs like the Affordable Care Act and vaccine programs; the Trump ads have primarily served to promote the president and one in particular was almost identical to a 2024 Trump campaign ad. DHS stated the ads were not planned to air past Sunday anyway.

- US: President DONALD TRUMP nixed previously announced plans to livestream the planned execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter NIDAL MALIK HASAN, reversing a previous announcement made by the Pentagon. While Trump believed streaming the execution “might have been a strong deterrent” to others considering committing a similar crime, the announcement received condemnation from both sides of the aisle, with even supporters largely acknowledging they would rather not watch Hasan, who is a quadriplegic, be put to death and many fearing the footage would be used for recruitment propaganda videos for terrorist groups and make the US look no better than countries that sponsor such terrorism. Trump noted that “He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad” on December 3^rd and that immediate family members of his victims may attend in person if they choose, as is allowed with any execution in the US, but it will no longer be broadcast to the public.

ON BROADWAY/ THE WEST END -

- Actor SACHA BARON COHEN will star in the QUENTIN TARANTINO-penned play “The Popinjay Cavalier” on the West End next spring.

- Actors TATIANA MASLANY, TONY SHALHOUB, and JOHN TURTURRO will star in the Broadway revival of EUGENE IONESCO’s absurdist classic play “Rhinoceros” next spring. The play, which was last staged on Broadway in 1961, will begin previews at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre on April 7. 2027, with an official opening set for April 25^th for a limited run that will come to a close on June 13^th. Roundabout’s previously announced spring entry, a revival of “The Full Monty”, has been postponed due to cast availability; it will be rescheduled at a later date.

THE BOOK NOOK -

- Irish author SALLY ROONEY’s publisher has pulled her books from UK shelves following the country’s decision to label a pro-Palestine group the writer is reportedly affiliated with as a terrorist organization. Rooney, the author of such novels as “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends”, shared that she and her publisher, Faber & Faber, agreed they “can no longer supply” her work in the UK because it could “constitute a serious criminal offense” due to her support of Palestine Action, which was banned in the UK after being classified as a terrorist organization last year (the US has also labeled the group a terrorist organization though it is not clear whether Rooney’s publisher will also pull her books from the US).

MOVIE NEWS:

- Universal Pictures announced the next installment in its “The Mummy” franchise has been titled “The Mummy: Book of the Dead”. The film, which will see original stars BRENDAN FRASER and RACHEL WEISZ reprise their respective roles, is set for an October 15, 2027 release.

TV NEWS:

- ABC announced it will air an episode of drama series “High Potential” after Super Bowl LXI, which will take place on February 14, 2027. The episode and the Super Bowl itself will both also be available to watch on Disney+.

- HBO has ordered a limited series revival of former comedy series “Girls”. The five-episode reprise will see series creator LENA DUNHAM return as Hannah; costars ALLISON WILLIAMS, JEMIMA KIRKE, ZOSIA MAMET, and ANDREW RANNELLS will also return for the limited series (actor ADAM DRIVER, who played Dunham’s boyfriend Adam on the series, is not expected to return). Production on the limited series will begin next year, 15 years after the original’s premiere and 10 years after its finale. No word on when the limited series revival will premiere. 

- Hulu has ordered a reboot of sci-fi drama series “The X-Files” to series. Filmmaker RYAN COOGLER developed the reboot and has reportedly written and directed the pilot episode; he will serve as an executive producer on the series. Actors DANIELLE DEADWYLER and HIMESH PATEL will star in the reboot as “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena”. No word on when the series is expected to premiere.

- HGTV announced a new competition series called “Big Bargain Holiday Showdown”. The series will follow “two teams of friends, family, and neighbors who will battle to prove who has the most holiday spirit without blowing their shoestring budget”. The teams, who will be assisted by experts, will have “just 48 hours and $500 each to transform one room in their home into a stunning winter themed wonderland using ingenious design hacks, custom projects, and smart spending,” and the winning team will score “bragging rights, a cash prize, and a surprise from Santa,” per the show’s synopsis. “Big Bargain Holiday Showdown”, which will be hosted by former Olympic skater turned tv host and reality star TARA LIPINSKI, will debut on HGTV on November 10^th at 9pm/8pm CT and will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max.

- CBS is set to air annual baking competition “The Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic”, marking the first time the annual event has been televised on a broadcast network since 2014. The American tradition, hosted by actress/tv host DREW BARRYMORE, puts home bakers through five rounds of baking challenges that put their technical skills and imagination to the test; the winner will take home a $25,000 cash prize and a Kitchen Aid equipment package. “The Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic” will air live on CBS on November 23rd at 8pm ET/PT. It will also be available to stream on Paramount+.

- TV RENEWALS* AND PICKUPS/EXTENSIONS** -

* “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed”, Apple TV, renewed for season 2

MUSIC NEWS:

- YouTube Music announced it “is rolling out labels to make it easier to see when a song was created primarily using generative AI,” citing “using a generative model to create the composition and vocals” as an example. The company noted that “when you listen to a track on YouTube Music where AI played a significant role, you’ll see a label directly on the player page. Tapping the label opens a simple menu that shares more information.” YouTube stated it will use a combination of its own tech and info from its “music partners” to ID such tracks with a goal to offer users “clarity when it comes to the music they listen to.” Spotify initiated an AI tag earlier this year though theirs is at the discretion of the music label or artist; Apple Music reportedly is also getting an AI label though it isn’t clear whether they will make theirs voluntary like Spotify or use their own tech to identify AI generated songs. 

- New wave rock band BLONDIE announced plans to release their first album of new music in nine years. “High Noon”, the band’s 12^th studio album, will feature the final recording with the band’s original drummer CLEM BURKE, who passed away last year at the age of 70 following a battle with cancer. “High Noon” will be released on February 26, 2027.

- LAST WEEK’S NEW #1 SINGLES AROUND THE WORLD –

Canada: “Choosin’ Texas” by ELLA LANGLEY

Germany: “Dai Dai (FIFA World Cup Official Song)” by SHAKIRA x BURNA BOY

Greece: “BACK” by DIFF

Ireland: “Stop the Wedding” by ASHE

Japan: “KO1KEYZ” by KO1KEYZ

Malaysia: “Great Expectation” by SIENNA SPIRO

New Zealand: “Man I Need” by OLIVIA DEAN

Singapore: “Nicole Kidman” by ADELA

- LAST WEEK’S NEW #1 ALBUMS AROUND THE WORLD –

Canada: “Habibti” by DRAKE

Ireland: “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love” by OLIVIA RODRIGO

Italy: “Tutto E Possibile” by GEOLIER

UK: “Songs from the Wedding Cake” by BLOSSOMS