Culture

Millions crash Netflix logging on for rumored Stranger Things episode

Movieweb reports that millions of Stranger Things fans overwhelmed Netflix by logging in en masse after an online conspiracy claimed a secret episode would appear at 8 P.M. ET on January 7. Theories circulating under the #conformitygate tag argued the New Year's Eve finale was a false

Politics

Renee Nicole Good, 37, mourned after fatal shooting by federal agent in Minneapolis

Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by a federal agent on Wednesday in Minneapolis and was being mourned as a cherished member of the community. Mourners placed flowers at a makeshift memorial near the site of the shooting. State Representative Leigh Finke of St. Paul paid tribute, saying

Culture

Bug cancels two Broadway performances due to illness in company

People reports the Carrie Coon-led Broadway revival of Tracy Letts’s Bug canceled two performances at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 7 due to an illness in the company; details were not immediately disclosed. A representative said Act 2 of the day’s matinee and the evening

World

Protests and strikes spread across Iran as judiciary threatens crackdown

On Jan. 7, 2026, strikes and protests spread to several major Iranian cities, and the head of the judiciary warned that crackdowns would be intensified and protesters prosecuted. Merchants and business owners closed bazaars in Tabriz, Isfahan, Mashhad and Kerman to protest the dire economy and plunging currency, and shops

Tech

Asus updates ZenBook A14 with Snapdragon X2 Elite and long battery life

At CES 2026, Asus unveiled updates to the ZenBook A14 lineup, adding a 16‑inch option and a new 14‑inch model (UX3407NA) powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor. The Snapdragon X2 Elite configuration uses an 18‑core CPU with 12 Prime cores and six Performance cores, and includes

Crypto

Investors struggle to file crypto taxes as CARF expands global reporting

Beincrypto reports that digital asset users are increasingly raising concerns about filing crypto taxes as on-chain activity and multi-chain trading volumes grow. The IRS treats digital assets as property, so gains are taxable when assets are sold, swapped, or spent and income taxes apply to staking, airdrops and similar receipts;

Culture

Friction-maxxing: choosing inconvenience to build character

A piece in The Cut by Kathryn Jezer-Morton introduces the term "friction-maxxing" and argues for avoiding modern conveniences such as ChatGPT, location sharing and Uber Eats in order to regain satisfaction and personal resilience. The article frames friction-maxxing as doing hard things that ultimately make you a better

Culture

Collider: No secret Stranger Things episode appeared on January 7

Collider reports that a weeklong fan theory claiming Netflix had hidden a secret bonus Stranger Things episode scheduled to drop on January 7 proved false: nothing new appeared and the published finale remains unchanged. The theory, dubbed "#ConformityGate," held that a concealed epilogue would recontextualize elements such as

Culture

Dawn French and Mark Heap lead BBC One sitcom Can You Keep a Secret?

Dawn French and Mark Heap star in a new sitcom, Can You Keep a Secret?, which airs at 9.30pm on BBC One. The series is created and written by Simon Mayhew-Archer (producer of This Country and Such Brave Girls) and directed by Simon Hynd (Ghosts, Motherland). Recently widowed Debbie

World

Authorities use force as protests spread in Kurdish regions of Iran

Demonstrations over economic conditions broke out across Kurdish cities in western Iran on Wednesday and were met with force by authorities, witnesses and rights groups said, even as Kurdish parties and exiled opposition figures called for a general strike. Protesters said security forces fired teargas, pellet guns and what demonstrators

Sports

Ben Chilwell sends emotional farewell as Liam Rosenior is named Chelsea head coach

Goal reports Ben Chilwell has sent an emotional farewell to Liam Rosenior as his ex-Strasbourg boss prepares to take charge at Chilwell's former club Chelsea. Rosenior has been named as the Blues' new head coach following Enzo Maresca's acrimonious exit, and Chilwell posted on his

Culture

No Season 5 Episode 9: Netflix to air behind-the-scenes episode on January 12

Movieweb reports that Netflix has confirmed there will be no ninth "secret" episode of Stranger Things Season 5 and instead will air a behind-the-scenes episode on January 12 that revisits the final season. The teaser released early Wednesday highlighted many of Netflix's big 2026 shows and

Tech

Ford to debut AI assistant in app in early 2026, bring in‑car integration in 2027

Ford announced at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show that it is developing an AI assistant that will arrive first in its smartphone app and expand into vehicles in 2027, and it also teased a next-generation BlueCruise driver assistance system. The company said the digital assistant is hosted by Google Cloud

Culture

Arthur Cohn, Swiss Film Producer and Six-Time Oscar Winner, Dies at 98

Arthur Cohn, a Swiss film producer who won six Academy Awards, died on Dec. 12 in Jerusalem. He was 98. His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by his son Emanuel, an actor. Mr. Cohn produced a range of films that earned Oscars, including the Italian drama The Garden of

Culture

Bedsure heated blanket named most comfortable in tests, now $60 at Wayfair

People reports that, after evaluating seven electric blankets over 72 hours, testers named the Bedsure Heated Blanket the most comfortable and found it marked down 67 percent at Wayfair to $60. Testers highlighted six heat settings, an easy-to-use controller, automatic shut-off and a machine-washable design. With a fleece top and

Crypto

Yat Siu predicts CLARITY Act will trigger mass corporate tokenization in 2026

Beincrypto reports Yat Siu, co‑founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, predicts the CLARITY Act will pass in 2026 and trigger widespread corporate tokenization across the United States. Siu says regulatory clarity—building on the GENIUS Act for stablecoins and aiming to set jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and

Tech

Roborock demonstrates two‑legged Saros Rover robot vacuum at CES

Roborock demonstrated the Saros Rover, a two‑legged robot vacuum, at CES and confirmed the device is a real product currently in development. The Saros Rover uses a ‘‘wheel‑leg’’ architecture: its main wheels sit at the ends of foldable legs so it can extend them and lift its body

Culture

15 TV Shows Deemed the Most Unwatchable, Ranked

Collider has compiled a ranked list of 15 TV series it calls the most unwatchable shows of all time, aiming to spare viewers from enduring rough series. The roundup cites common flaws such as lazy writing, over-the-top performances and questionable plots, and offers specific examples. It criticizes The Secret Diary

Tech

TheraGun Prime discounted to $249.99 on Amazon, matching lowest recorded price

As of Jan. 7, the TheraGun Prime massage gun is on sale at Amazon for $249.99, down from the list price of $329.99 — a $80 (24%) discount that matches the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. The sixth-generation TheraGun Prime is described as the brand&

Culture

Guardian critic ranks Harlan Coben TV adaptations from bad to worst

A Guardian critic has watched and rated every Harlan Coben television adaptation, finding they are broadly poor despite the novelist’s commercial success. The piece notes Coben is a No 1 New York Times bestseller who has written 35 novels and has had 11 adaptations (eight of them English language)

Sports

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid: Super Cup semi kick-off time and broadcast

According to Goal, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid meet at King Abdullah Sports City in the Spanish Super Cup for a place in the final against either Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao. The match kicks off on 8 Jan 2026 at 14:00 EST and 19:00 GMT. Atletico are unbeaten

World

NSW police shoot and kill 49-year-old after six-hour siege on Central Coast

A 49-year-old man was shot and killed by police on the New South Wales Central Coast after a welfare check at a home in Springfield turned into a protracted standoff, police said. Officers attended the property just after 3.30pm accompanied by a mental health clinician and attempted to speak

Culture

Super 8: Spielberg-produced 2011 sci‑fi that echoes Stranger Things

Movieweb says it's time to revisit the 2011 film Super 8, a Steven Spielberg-produced, J.J. Abrams-directed sci‑fi adventure thriller about a group of late‑1970s kids who witness a mysterious train derailment while filming their own Super 8 zombie movie. The film, which stars Joel Courtney,

World

U.S. seizes two tankers and outlines plan to sell seized Venezuelan oil

The United States on Wednesday seized two oil tankers, including a Russian-flagged vessel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a plan to sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil and control how the proceeds are distributed. U.S. forces said they boarded the Russian-flagged ship, known until recently as

World

U.S. seizes two oil tankers tied to 'ghost fleet' in Caribbean

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, the United States seized two oil tankers in the Caribbean, one that had evaded U.S. forces for weeks and another carrying up to two million barrels of Venezuelan crude, according to companies that track global oil shipments. Companies Kpler and TankerTrackers.com said both