As world leaders gather in Davos, President Trump escalates pressure on allies with new tariff threats, renewed talk of acquiring Greenland, and plans for a sweeping new “Board of Peace” that could reshape global diplomacy. Three people die in six weeks at the country’s largest immigration detention center in El Paso, raising urgent questions about medical care, oversight, and the role of private contractors. And Indiana completes one of the most improbable turnarounds in college football history, capping a perfect season with a national championship win over Miami.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Alfredo Carbajal, Russell Lewis, Mohamad ElBardicy, Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction (01:58) Trump’s World Stage (05:51) El Paso Detention Deaths (09:17) Indiana College Football Champions
As many as 10 million visitors will head to 11 U.S. cities this summer, helping to turn the FIFA World Cup 2026™ into the largest sporting event in history.
While U.S. host cities like Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco are world-famous, lesser-known U.S. cities are primed to host soccer fans. In Kansas City, Missouri, for instance, Café Corazón owner Dulcinea Herrera says that people underestimate the Midwestern city of 500,000 (in a larger metro area of 2 million). Herrera and other local business owners are preparing for 650,000 visitors for FIFA World Cup 2026™.
In addition to coffee, an American staple, Café Corazón serves yerba mate, a tea popular with South American soccer stars, including Lionel Messi, who will lead Argentina in an early round match scheduled for Kansas City. One of Herrera’s three locations is in the downtown area where officials plan a massive viewing party near the stadium.
White House World Cup Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani calls it “a tremendous privilege” to host the FIFA World Cup 2026™ during the year the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, and says the federal government is working with host cities to ensure a safe and welcoming tournament.
“Hosting the world during this historic year … gives us a chance to show the very best of America — our hospitality and our innovation — while also showcasing the America spirit of which we’re so proud of,” Giuliani said.
Here is an introduction to the 11 U.S. cities that will host international soccer fans:
Atlanta
Famous for peaches, pecans and Southern hospitality, the Georgia state capital is a cultural and economic hub of the South. It boasts the country’s busiest airport and was home to famed Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Atlanta is home to numerous industries, including aerospace and financial technologies, as well as soft drink giant Coca-Cola. The city has several professional sports teams and has hosted three Super Bowls, as well as the 1996 summer Olympics.
Boston
The birthplace of the American Revolution, the city of Boston will be fully in celebration mode for the 250th anniversary when the fans arrive. International visitors who are in the city during the July 4th Independence Day celebrations can experience the Boston Pops , a fireworks show over the Charles River set to live music from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Foundation are building soccer fields around Boston to turn the excitement of the city’s seven matches into lasting participation in the sport. Boston previously hosted three FIFA championships: the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 1999 and 2003.
Dallas
Dallas, Texas – September 17, 2024: Bronze sculpture of a trail boss on his horse and longhorn cows in Pioneer Plaza in Dallas, TX
With its frequent rodeos, Dallas offers an up-close look at America’s cowboy culture. Pioneer Plaza in downtown honors this Western tradition. Even the name of the city’s pro football team, the Dallas Cowboys, references this distinct Western culture.
Dallas will host a tournament-leading nine World Cup matches. The country’s fifth-largest media market, Dallas hosted the International Broadcast Center during the 1994 matches, and its massive convention center will again serve as the tournament’s media hub
Houston
Home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston has commanded America’s space exploration through landmark achievements, including the first moon landing on July 20, 1969.
With major oil and natural gas resources, Houston is a center of the U.S. energy industry. Local companies are teaming up to support soccer’s growth in the city. This “bayou city” offers visitors cuisine ranging from barbecue and seafood to Mexican-influenced “Tex-Mex.” Houston is also bidding to be a host city for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2031.
Kansas City
J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, by Henri-Leon Greber in Kansas City Missouri
The Midwestern city called Kansas City straddles parts of two U.S. states — Kansas and Missouri — and is known as the “City of Fountains,” as it has more in use than any other U.S. city. Its famed Power & Light District boasts eight blocks of restaurants where visitors can sample the region’s famous barbecue.
Kansas City’s strong sports culture includes the National Football League’s Chiefs — winners of two of the last three Super Bowls. And the Kansas City Current is the world’s only women’s professional soccer team that plays in a stadium designed especially for women’s soccer. The team draws sellout crowds.
While Hollywood gives Los Angeles its reputation as movie capital of the world, a mild climate and famous beaches offer visitors a lot more. Tourists can sample music and cuisine influenced by LA’s large Latin American and Asian American populations. The arresting desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park is a two-hour drive away.
LA has proven a draw for global soccer stars, as David Beckham of the United Kingdom and Son Heung-min of the Republic of Korea have played for the LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, respectively.
Los Angeles is gearing up to host the Summer Olympics in 2028, after previously hosting the Olympics in 1932 and 1984.
Miami
Travel destination and tourism infrastructure in southern USA. South Beach sandy surface with tourists relaxing on hot Florida sun. Miami Beach city with high luxury hotels and condos.
Miami’s Bayfront Park Fan Festival will offer musical performances and stunning ocean views in addition to soccer matches. With its thriving Latin American communities, Miami has long boasted a devoted soccer fan base. The city’s enthusiasm grew even greater when Argentina’s Lionel Messi began playing for the city’s professional club, Inter Miami, in 2023.
Fans looking for adventure can drive an hour to Everglades National Park, a vast wetland wilderness that is home to alligators and flamingos.
New York/New Jersey
Manhattan, New York City/New York-07/22/2019 photo from Central Park in New York
New York — famous for skyscrapers, Broadway theater and the lights of Times Square — will host the FIFA World Cup 2026™ finals at a stadium in neighboring New Jersey. In addition to bustling sidewalks along rows of restaurants serving every imaginable type of international cuisine, New York offers museums, libraries, walks in Central Park and the iconic Statue of Liberty, a testament to America’s friendship with France.
Having served as an early U.S. capital, Philadelphia is where America’s founding documents were written and is home to the Liberty Bell, which draws 2 million visitors annually. It is the city with the closest ties to the nation’s founding and, appropriately, will host a FIFA World Cup 2026™ match on July 4, the day the United States was founded 250 years earlier.
Known as the “city of brotherly love,” Philadelphia has a passionate fan base that has turned out 26,000 interested volunteers who want to help support the city’s six planned matches.
Known for the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is a city of steep hills, scaled by streetcars and packed with colorful row houses. It’s the northern hub of California’s Silicon Valley, a center of technological innovation. Between matches, fans can visit nearby Napa Valley wineries or check out the stunning vistas of Yosemite National Park.
After hosting American football’s 2026 Super Bowl in February, San Francisco will be ready will to host six FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches.
Seattle
Seattle, Washington, USA downtown skyline at twilight with Mt. Rainier.
Known for a drizzly climate, a pedestrian-friendly downtown and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, Seattle will offer international visitors the chance to sample seafood at Pike’s Place Market and take in a view of the entire city from the Space Needle. Seattle’s pioneering companies include airplane manufacturer Boeing, software developer Microsoft, and Starbucks, which operates in 85 countries.
The city, where the U.S. National Team will make an early-round appearance, plans nine “fan zones” for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, each offering big screens, food and live entertainment.
While 2025 certainly had some great TV shows, it also had a lion’s share of terrible series.
If we’re gonna talk about the best of 2025, then we naturally have to talk about the worst. Not every show is gonna be a hit, not every season 1 is an Emmy nominee. Many of them simply head to the trash — and some trash even gets a second season.
Watch With Us is rounding up the very bottom of our TV watches this year, from an ill-fated Suits spinoff to a goofy political thriller starring Robert De Niro.
We’ve picked and ranked the five worst shows that 2025 had to offer.
If The Pitt was the best medical drama of 2025, then Pulse may have been the worst. The show follows a group of surgical and emergency residents at Maguire Hospital, a trauma center in Miami, as they all vie for the same thing: the position of Emergency Medicine Chief Resident. The residents navigate their personal and professional lives as they handle various medical crises while dealing with the fallout of a massive scandal at their place of work.
Pulse ultimately failed to charm both reviewers and audiences, and it was justifiably canceled shortly after its disappointing debut. Critics ultimately found that Pulse went all-in on tired tropes without doing enough to set it apart from the other hospital dramas like Breathless or even the 86th season of Grey’s Anatomy. If it’s just another medical procedural show, then why not watch something that actually elevates itself like The Pitt? Despite some good acting, poor plotting, annoying characters and a questionable depiction of sexual harassment made this show is one to skip.
4. ‘Zero Day’ — Netflix
Robert De Niro stars as George Mullen, a former United States president who is brought out of retirement by his successor to handle a very special assignment. Mullen has been assigned as head of a group investigating a massive, global cyberterrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. You see a new prestige series starring an acting tour de force like De Niro and you think, “How could it go wrong?”
Well, when it comes to Zero Day, it can go very wrong. The political thriller executive produced by Noah Oppenheim (A House of Dynamite) ends up a totally forgettable experience — a mealy-mouthed commentary on hot-button issues that fails to deliver anything of substance. Even the additional star power of Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons andConnie Brittoncan’t help poor screenwriting and middling tension.
3. ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ — Netflix
This is not the first time that Ryan Murphy‘s name will grace this list since the highly prolific showrunner committed multiple crimes against television this year. But perhaps the less offensive to the tastes was Monster: The Ed Gein Story, although it’s really a “lesser of two evils” situation. The third installment of the Monster anthology series follows the life of notorious serial killer Ed Gein while examining his influence on pop culture and true crime.
Critics somehow managed to find more value in Monster: The Ed Gein Story than this list’s next inclusion, All’s Fair, which sports an impressive 6 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Monster’s 22 percent. The main high point of the show is the ensemble cast’s across-the-board great performances and some stellar production design as well. However, most found Monster to be a repulsive contortion of Gein’s persona while failing to meaningfully comment on pop culture — the only thing Monster: The Ed GeinStory does is indulge in the very thing it wishes to admonish.
2. ‘All’s Fair’ — Hulu
The only reason All’s Fair isn’t number one on this list is that while the show was universally panned by critics, it received enough hate-watches from audiences to justify its continued existence — but just barely. It’s one of those Emily in Paris situations, where the car crash on the side of the road makes drivers wanna crane their necks and get a good look, even though they shouldn’t. It’s the same situation with All’s Fair, Murphy’s legal drama about an all-female law firm in Los Angeles that managed to clinch a series renewal.
A show that receives the moniker from numerous critics as being “one of the worst shows ever made” is unfortunately going to get a lot of people to watch out of curiosity for how exactly a show could be that bad. In the end, All’s Fair isn’t even a “so bad it’s good” situation because the show is too boring, too shallow and poorly written, to be entertainingly awful, all while helmed by an absolutely forgettable performance from Kim Kardashian.
1. ‘Suits LA’ — Peacock
The television “Flop of the Year” award goes to Suits LA, a remarkably ill-conceived spinoff of Suits predicated on the fact that people enjoyed checking out Suits when it was added to Netflix. But trying to exploit the streaming success of an older show doesn’t mean that a creatively uninspired spinoff is going to generate the same success. The creators behind Suits LA seemed not to understand what made Suits so good to begin with, and instead of trying something new and interesting, they just create the same thing a second time — but worse.
Suits LA simply tries to transpose the narrative of Suits onto a different setting, but without any of the writing, acting or editing that made the original a great, breezy and bingeable watch. Plus, the show already had a failed spinoff with Pearson back in 2019, which was cancelled after one season and starred one of Suits’ most compelling characters. If a show with an original character couldn’t work, why did they think they could capture magic with an all-new cast playing poorly-written characters? If All’s Fair at least has hate-watch intrigue, Suits LA absolutely has nothing to justify watching it.
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
A$AP Mob co-founder A$AP Bari was involved in an all-out, no-holds-barred, royal rumble last night … and authorities are still trying to find out what caused the clash!!! A rep for the Miami Beach PD tells TMZ Hip Hop … cops received a call…
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Singer Ray J comes from a family filled with musicians and performers, including his father and his sister, Brandy.
Ray J released his debut single “Let It Go” in 1997, but his family’s history in the music industry dates back to at least the 1970s, when his father Willie Norwood joined The Composers. His mother, Sonja, has worked as the manager for both Ray J and Brandy since they began their own music careers.
Ray J has created his own family with estranged wife Princess Love, who he married in 2016. The pair welcomed daughter Melody in 2018 and son Epik in 2020. In May 2020, the pair announced they were separating, and have since rescinded and then re-filed for divorce three more times. They are currently still married.
In November 2025, the “One Wish” singer was arrested after he allegedly pulled a gun on his estranged wife during an argument on Thanksgiving Day.
Video footage from the livestream allegedly showed Ray J saying, “Y’all wanna drive drunk? Y’all wanna drive drunk? Drive drunk. Drive drunk, Princess,” before Love interjects, “Ray, you just pointed a gun–.”
“Drive drunk, princess. Go ahead,” Ray J also appeared to say. “You wanna take my kids? You and your drunk cousin? Cuz y’all drunk at the alcoholics? Take my kids then, go ahead. Who’s gonna drive? Tony, he’s been drinking too.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Ray J’s relationships with his family, including Love and their two children.
Willie Norwood
Willie NorwoodParas Griffin/Getty Images for BMI
Ray J’s father Willie is a singer, coach and teacher. As shared via Kovocals, Willie joined the singing group The Composers in the 1970s. The band made the decision to move to Hollywood after opening for Chaka Khan & Rufus, and Willie lived there with his family until he and wife Sonja decided to move back to Mississippi.
Willie took the family back to California to serve as a minister of music and become a music coach. He put together Brandy’s first tour and released his own album, Bout It, in 2001.
Willie also appeared on Brandy and Ray J’s reality series, Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. The series aired on VH1 for two seasons, from April 2010 to February 2011.
Sonja B. Norwood
Sonja NorwoodJonathan Leibson/Getty Images for WE tv
Sonja has worked as Brandy and Ray J’s manager throughout their music careers, and is also the CEO of the family’s management company, Norwood & Norwood. As shared on her website, Sonja cut her career at H&R block short to focus on her children’s musical pursuits. This allowed her to help Brandy and Ray J navigate music contracts, Brandy’s foray into music and beauty deals and running the Norwood Kids Foundation.
“Being Black, a woman, a mom, and coming into this industry in the `90s was not easy,” she says on her site. “When I’m teaching, it’s important for people to understand the practices of the entertainment industry. I appreciate all of the good and bad attitudes, the no’s and yes challenges and deceptions that came my way. They have made me the business person I am today. I have earned my way – fearless, confident, and passionate about who I am and how I can change things. I want up-and-coming mom managers and females especially to know that if they are willing to put in the work to not only master their craft but also to wholly understand who they are as a person, establish boundaries and keep God first – they can accomplish anything.”
Brandy Norwood
Brandy NorwoodDerek White/Getty Images
Brandy is Ray J’s older sister, known to audiences around the world as a singer and actress. She rose to fame after securing a role on the ABC series Thea, which aired from September 1983 to February 1984, but her breakthrough moment came with the release of her first self-titled album in September 1984.
Brandy led the cast of Moesha in 1996, and the series became a hit soon after its debut. Her acting career spawned several more roles, including in the 1997 movie Cinderella.
The release of her follow-up album Never Say Never in 1998 introduced Brandy to wider audiences after the single “The Boy is Mine” hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Brandy has continued to act and sing in the years that followed.
Sy’Rai Smith
Sy’Rai SmithBryan Bedder/Getty Images for Lifetime
Sy’Rai is the daughter of Brandy and producer Robert Smith. She made her debut as a singer on her mom’s 2020 record B7 and released her own song, “On My Own” in 2023. She is also the host of the “I Shouldn’t Have Said That” podcast.
Princess Love
Princess LoveUnique Nicole/Getty Images
Ray J and Princess Love married in August 2016, and have since welcomed two children together. The pair’s relationship has been tumultuous, and they have filed for divorce several times (in May 2020, September 2020, October 2021 and most recently in February 2024).
“After much reflection, discussion, and counseling, we have come to the difficult realization that our paths have diverged, and it is in the best interest of both of us to part ways,” Love wrote in a since-deleted post shared via Instagram in February 2024. “We want to reassure you that this decision was made thoughtfully and with mutual respect and consideration for each other’s well-being. While our relationship as spouses may be coming to an end, we remain committed to co-parenting our children and maintaining a positive and supportive family dynamic.”
Princess was a cast member on seasons 3 through 6 of Love & Hip Hop: Miami (the series aired from 2014 to 2019) and frequently documents her cooking on Instagram.
Ray J Familyesse Grant/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Ray J and Love welcomed their first child together on May 23, 2018. Soon after her birth, Ray J shared a video of himself with Melody with OK! Magazine, telling the outlet that he and Love were considering a move to London with their daughter.
“I’m here with the love of my life,” he said in the video. “I love you. I’ll always be there for you. You’ll never have to want for nothing, baby.”
He added of the potential move, “I like the people, the opportunities, and the values are a little different. I’ve been in Hollywood so long, I know what it comes with, I want my daughter to have a peaceful, happy life. I want to be consistent in being there for the baby. We’d love to move in the next year and a half.”
Epik Ray Norwood
Love and Ray J’s son Epik joined the family on December 30, 2019.
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
That includes ABC and ESPN. But the good news is that the vast majority of the NFL’s weekly games are broadcast on network television.
Even if you can’t get ABC through YouTube TV, you can still stream the channel for free.
Now, we’ll tell you where you can watch all of Sunday’s football games without YouTube TV. The only games you may have to pay for are on the NFL+ streaming service or ESPN.
It depends on how dedicated you are to the NFL. This is the way to stream the NFL Network, which usually broadcasts at least one live game per week. It also has ad-free highlights and access to NFL Films’ library of documentaries. Standard access is $6.99, while NFL+ Premium is $14.99 and includes access to NFL Red Zone.
Yes. ESPN is still the juggernaut of cable and streaming sports channels, and it’s included on most of the primary live TV options outside of YouTube TV.
Where Can I Watch ESPN for Free?
For hardcore sports fans, fuboTV may be your best option. It has a free trial that lets you access multiple sports channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ACC Network, as well as a complimentary subscription to ESPN Unlimited and a handful of fubo-only sports channels.
Having said that, fuboTV has a very high monthly subscription fee: $84.99. But if you keep the service beyond your free trial, you’ll get the first month of your subscription for $54.99 before the price reverts to its normal rate.
Sling TV is a more affordable option than fuboTV, but ESPN is not included in the standard $46 monthly tier. To get ESPN, ESPN2, and other related channels, you’ll need to upgrade to Sling Orange for an additional $4.99 a month. That’s still cheaper than fuboTV, but not by much.
One thing we can guarantee is that ESPN won’t be pulled from Hulu any time soon, since both are owned by Disney. Hulu offers a live TV subscription for $89.99, which is far from cheap. But it includes ESPN and a subscription to Disney+. New subscribers can get a temporary discounted rate of $64.99 per month, but that will only extend through the first three months of your term.
Of course you can. In fact, that’s almost always your best option if you’re watching games at home. You can still stream the games when you’re out of the house. But for pure comfort, this is the way to go.
