Prince Harry attends first public engagement since royal family crisis talks - CNN

The Duke of Sussex will host the draw for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 at Buckingham Palace today.

It is the first time the prince has appeared on royal duty since he and his wife took the world by surprise when they announced they want to become financially independent and split their time between Britain and North America.

The midday draw will see Harry announce the games for the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments, as he meets with representatives from the 21 nations taking part in the contest -- which kicks off on October 23, 2021.

The Duke of Sussex has been Patron of the Rugby Football League since December 2016 when he inherited the role from the Queen.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The Duke of Sussex has always strongly believed in the role of sport to bring communities together and change people's lives.

"Rugby League World Cup 2021 is keen to ensure a real social impact from the three tournaments, focusing on communities across some of the most deprived areas in England."

Ahead of his appearance, The Duke of Sussex voiced his support for the launch of the Rugby League Mental Fitness Charter, which aims to provide training for players, match officials and volunteers to look after their mental health, the Rugby League said Thursday.

The Duke of Sussex said in a video that he was "proud" to support the Rugby League World Cup 2021 Mental Fitness Charter.

"This Charter will build on the brilliant work already happening in rugby league by committing to training and educating all those involved in the tournament, and the wider rugby league family, not only in how they can look after their own mental fitness but also support others to do the same," he added.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visited a women's center in Vancouver, Tuesday, making her first public appearance since she and her husband made the bombshell announcement.

She has spent recent days in Canada with baby Archie, while the royal family has attempted to deal with the ongoing crisis.

Harry attended crunch talks with the Queen and other members of the family on Monday.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Queen said the family would have preferred the couple to "remain full-time working members of the royal family," but that they "respect and understand" Harry and Meghan's "wish to live a more independent life."

On Wednesday, Harry used the sussexroyal Instagram account to announce that the German city of Düsseldorf will host the sixth Invictus Games in 2022.

The Invictus Games are a multi-sport event specifically held for wounded or disabled veterans to participate in.

Harry -- who spent a decade in the UK armed forces -- said in a message posted on Instagram: "I hope everyone in Germany is ready for what will be an incredible week of sport! I have no doubt that the German public will get right behind these Games and that every single competitor can expect a warm welcome and an amazing atmosphere."

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2020-01-16 11:51:35Z
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Wrestler Rocky Johnson, father of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, dies at 75 - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has died. He was 75.

WWE issued a statement on Johnson’s death tonight. Johnson and Tony Atlas became the first black world tag team champions in WWE history when they defeated The Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.

The statement didn’t provide details on the cause or location of Johnson’s death.

“A loss for every fan of WWE, Rocky Johnson was a barrier-breaking performer. Our thoughts are with his family at this time,” WWE executive and wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted.

>> Click here to see photos and videos remembering Rocky Johnson.

Johnson later helped train his son, who adopted the Rocky moniker from his father. Johnson came to his son’s aid after a match at WrestleMania in 1997. The Rock inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Former professional wrestler Brian Blair, another 1980s WWE star, was friends with Johnson for decades and they still went to church together in the Tampa, Florida area. Blair told The Associated Press today that Johnson had complained of an unspecified illness of late and had missed church that he attended with Blair and other former wrestlers. Blair said Johnson’s wife, Sheila, was distraught over her husband’s death.

“He was just under the weather, he thought he had the flu or something,” Blair said by phone. “I said, ‘You, need to get checked out, Rocky.’ He said he’d be OK. Then he missed this Sunday, a few days ago. When I talked to him again, he said he still wasn’t feeling good and he still missed church. He still didn’t get checked out. I talked to Sheila and she said he was just being stubborn. He died at home, today.”

Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles and started his wrestling career in the mid-1960s. He spent the bulk of his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and later joined the then-World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s. He formed a tag team with Atlas known as “Soul Patrol” and became of one the popular teams of the era. Johnson retired in the early 1990s, but helped introduce his son to officials at WWE.

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2020-01-16 07:01:40Z
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Doobie Brothers, NIN, T-Rex, Depeche Mode Inducted Into Rock Hall - Ultimate Classic Rock

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2020 will consist of the Doobie Brothers, T-Rex, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston and the Notorious B.I.G.

The Doobie Brothers, T-Rex, Houston and Notorious B.I.G. made the cut in their first years on the ballot, with the late rapper getting the nod in his first year of eligibility. Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode were both on the ballot on two previous occasions.

In addition, Jon Landau, a former music critic who became Bruce Springsteen's manager and co-producer, and Eagles manager Irving Azoff will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to non-performers who have contributed to the growth of rock 'n' roll.

This marks the first time that the winner of the fan vote -- the Dave Matthews Band -- will not be inducted. Of the five artists who comprised the latest fan ballot, only the Doobies, who finished third, will be inducted into the Rock Hall, with Matthews, Pat Benatar, Soundgarden and Judas Priest missing out this year.

The induction ceremony will take place at 8PM ET on May 2 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland. For the first time, HBO will broadcast the event live rather than edited and aired a few weeks later. The Hall will announce the performers, presenters and other guests in the weeks leading up to the event. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on SiriusXM's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Radio.

Tickets for the ceremony go on sale to the general public via Ticketmaster on Feb. 27 at 10AM ET, with a pre-sale for donors beginning Feb. 25.

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2020-01-15 13:05:00Z
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Thomas Markle Is Gearing Up to Testify Against Duchess Meghan in Court - Cosmopolitan

• Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle is set to testify against her in court.
• Meghan and Harry are taking legal action against The Daily Mail’s publisher, Associated Newspapers, for publishing a private letter she sent her dad.

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Because there isn't already enough royal drama in 2020, Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle is reportedly gearing up to testify against her in court. Truly, how did it come to this?!?!? According to Us Weekly, Thomas is set to offer evidence against Duchess Meghan in her and Prince Harry's legal battle against the publishers of the Mail on Sunday, who printed a private letter she sent her dad.

The Daily Mail reports that Meghan's estranged father is expected to be called as a key witness for the defense, which is honestly awful and the last thing Meghan needs right now. On top of that, apparently Thomas has already given lawyers private text messages between himself and Meghan, which were exchanged before her wedding. We won't be going into the texts here due to them being, uh, private, but....WTF, dude?!

FYI, Prince Harry released a letter announcing that he'd be taking legal action against Associated Newspapers (who publish The Mail on Sunday) back in October, saying:

"Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences—a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son. There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face—as so many of you can relate to—I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been."

Ugh, poor Meghan and Harry. Oh, and in case you forgot, on top of all freakin' this the couple are dealing with fallout from their decision to step back as senior royals. More on that over here.

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2020-01-15 11:30:00Z
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Meghan makes first public appearance since stepping back from royal family - CNN

The Duchess was pictured, smiling, alongside staff at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre on Tuesday.

"Look who we had tea with today!" the center wrote on its Facebook page. "The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community."

Meghan has been in Canada with the royal couple's baby, Archie, in recent days, while the royal family has attempted to deal with the crisis that followed the unheralded announcement that Meghan and Harry wanted to scale back their duties.

Tuesday's visit to the women's center is the first confirmation that Meghan is in Vancouver, as had been widely speculated.

Harry attended crunch talks with the Queen and other members of the family on Monday, but a source told CNN that Meghan did not dial into that meeting, which she had previously been expected to do.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Queen said the family would have preferred the couple to "remain full-time working members of the royal family," but that they "respect and understand" Harry and Meghan's "wish to live a more independent life."

The Queen has agreed to a "period of transition" while details of their new role are hammered out, the family announced. It is unclear when Meghan plans to return to the UK.

Meghan lived in Toronto while filming the TV series "Suits," in which she starred for seven years. The couple will spend time in both the UK and Canada during their transition period.

Meghan has visited several women's centers during her time as a royal and is the patron of Smart Works, a charity that helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women find work.

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2020-01-15 10:37:00Z
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‘Jeopardy! The Greatest Of All Time’ Crowns Champion - Deadline

SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about the Tuesday finale of Jeopardy! The Greatest Of All Time

ABC’s Jeopardy! The Greatest Of All Time tournament came to an end Tuesday, with Ken Jennings winning the title.

During a Final Jeopardy! category titled Shakespeare’s Tragedies at the end of Match 4, Jennings was the only contestant to answer correctly: “Who is Iago?” Despite not waging any money, Jennings was crowned the champion. (you can watch the video below).

Hosted by Alex Trebek, the television event brought together the three highest money winners in the long-running game show’s history: James Holzhauer, Jennings and Brad Rutter to compete in a series of matches and with a grand prize of $1 million dollars and the title of “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.” The two runners up each received $250,000.

The multi-consecutive night event on ABC premiered Jan. 7 and has been a ratings dynamo for ABC. In light of its success, the network is mulling a followup with Holzhauer, Jennings and Rutter.

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2020-01-15 06:41:00Z
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Ken Jennings wins ‘Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time’ - Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s official: Ken Jennings is the “Greatest of All Time” — at least when it comes to “Jeopardy!”

The victory comes 15 years after Jennings’ initial legendary run on the game show — a 74-game winning streak that totaled $2.52 million.

Now, Jennings is taking home $1 million and a big fancy trophy.

The “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” tournament began a week ago, and the prime-time event has drawn an average of 15 million viewers per episode, putting it on a level with the 2019 NBA finals and the 2019 World Series.

From the beginning, “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” has predominantly been a tight competition between Jennings and James Holzhauer, who holds the single-game record at $131,127.

That was also the case Tuesday night.

During the first game of the match (one match equals two regular “Jeopardy!” games), Jennings pulled a classic Holzhauer move, going “all in” and wagering all of his money on the Final Jeopardy question.

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, Ken Jennings won the “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” tournament, taking home the $1 million prize.

ABC

It paid off.

The clue: “This area of Greece, home to Pan, is synonymous with a rural paradise; it’s a setting for Virgil’s shepherd poems the ‘Eclogues.’”

Both Jennings and Holzhauer gave the correct response — “Arcadia” — but in a rare move, Holzhauer only wagered a portion of his money. He added $11,381 to his $22,800 total, bringing his Game 1 total to $34,181.

Jennings, who had the lead with $32,800, doubled that score — an aggressive bet that brought his Game 1 total to a staggering $65,600.

Now it was just a matter of maintaining the momentum.

For a while, it looked like Holzhauer was going to pull off a win — Jennings made smaller wagers this time around, and Holzhauer went all in, wagering his $20,200 on the following Daily Double: “This big landlocked African country was surprised to be added to the USA’s 2017 travel ban, but was removed from the list in 2018.”

In what has been a common play for all contestants throughout the tournament, Holzhauer seemed to be stumped on the answer, waiting until the very last second to blurt out the correct answer: “What is Chad?”

With that response, Holzhauer took a large lead with $40,000 and closed out the game with $44,000 to Jennings’ $23,000 and Brad Rutter’s $1,400.

It all came down to the Final Jeopardy round. And it was a category all three contestants were likely familiar with: Shakespeare tragedies.

“There’s stuff that’s disproportionately ‘Jeopardy!’” Jennings previously told the Deseret News in an interview where he gave tips about auditioning for the show. “Like they don’t ask about opera a lot, but way more than it comes up in real life, so learn the composers of 20 operas. The Shakespeare plays are another manageable list.”

Jennings knows his Shakespeare. The Final Jeopardy clue: “He has 272 speeches, the most of any non-title character in a Shakespeare tragedy.”

Jennings came up with the correct answer: the villainous Iago. In a surprising move, the BYU graduate played it safe and didn’t wager anything, keeping his Game 2 total at $23,000.

All eyes were on Holzhauer.

His answer? “Who is Horatio?”

His wager? All $44,000.

With Holzhauer down to zero, Jennings was officially the winner, with a two-game total of $88,600. Jennings walked over to shake host Alex Trebek’s hand before Holzhauer and Rutter lifted him up on their shoulders so he could hoist the trophy in the air.

Throughout the “Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time” tournament, all three contestants paid tribute to longtime host Alex Trebek.

ABC

Oh, and if you’re wondering about Rutter’s response to the Shakespeare clue, he used the moment to pay touching tribute to the longtime “Jeopardy!” host, the constant star of the show all three contestants have expressed gratitude to over the course of the tournament.

“You’re the best, Alex,” Rutter wrote.

In match 3 of the tournament, Holzhauer lovingly labeled Trebek the “Ghost” — the “Greatest Host of Syndicated TV.” Tuesday night, Jennings earned his own new label — the “Goat (Greatest of All Time)” of “Jeopardy!” winners — showing the world that he hasn’t lost a step since his incredible run on the show 15 years ago.

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2020-01-15 05:45:51Z
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