Ken Shepherd

Rita’s Italian Ice giveaway postponed due to coronavirus

Rita's Italian Ice announced Monday that it is postponing its annual first day of spring giveaway promotion "as a precautionary move" for the health of its customers. Locations themselves, however, remain open.

March 17, 2020

Baptist seminary acknowledges its founders owned slaves; no name changes planned

In a report released Wednesday detailing his institution's history of support for slavery and segregation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler said the school did not plan on renaming iconic campus buildings named in honor of its slaveholding founders. But a prominent evangelical black theologian and podcaster is now using the report's issuance as an occasion to call for the institution to provide "free tuition" for its black students.

December 13, 2018

Church of England issues guidance to clergy on affirming transgender parishioners: Report

The Church of England has issued pastoral guidance to its clergy on affirming the gender identity of its parishioners, the BBC reported Tuesday.

December 11, 2018

Harper Nielsen, Australian schoolgirl, sparks national-anthem controversy in Land Down Under

Australia is in the midst of its own roiling national anthem debate, but this one was sparked not by a professional athlete but a 9-year-old schoolgirl.

September 12, 2018

L.A. prosecutors won’t pursue rape charge against pop singer Nick Carter: Report

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter will not face criminal charges stemming from a rape allegation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

September 11, 2018

Second case of West Nile virus reported in Maryland

The Prince George's County Department of Health Wednesday announced that jurisdiction's first reported case of West Nile virus of 2018. That announcement follows a similar announcement on

August 1, 2018

Sally Field defends Samantha Bee: ‘C—ts are powerful, beautiful, nurturing and honest’

Shortly after comedian Samantha Bee issued an apology for having called Ivanka Trump a "feckless c--t," actress Sally Field took to Twitter to say the slur was inappropriate, but for an entirely different reason.

May 31, 2018

Kremlin-backed hackers targeting critical infrastructure, U.S., U.K. cybersecurity officials say

Hackers backed by the Russian government are engaged in an ongoing campaign of "malicious cyber activity" involving "compromised routers," the U.S. and British intelligence communities said in a joint statement released Monday.

April 16, 2018

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits Southern California: USGS

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded Thursday afternoon by the U.S. Geological Survey.

April 5, 2018

Massachusetts lawmaker: Rename ‘General Hooker’ entrance to state house; it’s offensive to women

A Massachusetts lawmaker is calling on her colleagues to change the name of an entrance to the state house named after Joseph Hooker, a Union general in the Civil War, saying the name is tied up with a slang term for prostitutes and is demeaning to women.

March 17, 2018

Royal wage gap: The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth actress paid less than Prince Philip actor

Producers for Netflix's hit original series "The Crown" -- centered on the life and reign of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II -- have admitted that the actress who portrayed the monarch in the show's first two seasons was paid less than the actor portraying the sovereign's consort.

March 13, 2018

Baltimore County school locked down, student arrested for gun possession: Reports

A student is in custody after a brief school lockdown when Baltimore County police responded Thursday to a tip regarding an armed person on the campus of Loch Raven High School in Towson.

February 15, 2018

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ renewed for a tenth season: Report

HBO has picked up "Curb Your Enthusiasm" for a tenth season, to begin filming in 2018.

December 14, 2017

Nelly beats rap as Seattle-area sex-assault case dropped by prosecutors: Report

Rap artist Nelly has beaten the rap in an October sexual assault case, as the alleged victim declined to cooperate with the investigation.

December 14, 2017

‘Superman’ and ‘Titanic’ make Library of Congress’ 2017 National Film Registry

On Thursday the Library of Congress announced the addition of the 1978 blockbuster "Superman," along with 24 other movies, to the National Film Registry.

December 14, 2017

Russians made no concerted effort to sway Brexit outcome, Facebook tells British government

An internal review by Facebook found virtually no effort by Russian firms to influence the outcome of the June 2016 Brexit referendum.

December 13, 2017

‘The Office’ to become rerun staple on Comedy Central

If you don't have Netflix and watch to binge on the American version of "The Office," Comedy Central has you covered. All nine seasons of the late NBC sitcom were scooped up by Comedy Central and will begin airing in January 2018.

December 13, 2017

George Clooney once gave suitcases full of cash to 14 different friends: Report

George Clooney reportedly can be really quite generous with a group of close friends he calls "The Boys." Suitcases full of cash friendly, in fact.

December 13, 2017

T-Mobile buys Layer3 TV, will launch service in 2018

Promising a "disruptive new TV service" to shake up the entertainment industry in 2018, T-Mobile CEO John Legere on Wednesday announced his company was buying out Layer3 TV, a streaming-video startup, CNBC reported.

December 13, 2017

Bill Finger, co-creator of Batman, honored with street renaming in New York City

Bill Finger, the lesser-known co-creator of the Batman comic-book character, now has a street named in his honor in New York City.

December 9, 2017