All posts tagged: battle

‘Our life has been a battle’

‘Our life has been a battle’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Netflix’s new miniseries The Witness revisits a harrowing true crime story in the UK from the ’90s.  On 15 July, 1992, Rachel Nickell was murdered by Robert Napper while out walking the family dog on Wimbledon Common with her two-year-old son Alex, who was the sole witness to the crime. The recently released three-part television drama, which has climbed to number one, is a dramatisation of the tragic real-life events and emotional aftermath that Rachel’s widower André Hanscombe and their son experienced.  After initially going cold, the case was reopened in 2002, and Robert, who has paranoid schizophrenia and Asperger syndrome, was charged with Rachel’s murder on 28 November 2007. Thirty-four years on, André and Alex, who is now an adult, have been interviewed alongside family members as part of a new documentary, The Murder of Rachel Nickell, which dropped on Netflix at the same time as the series.  Read on to see where André and Alex are now.  Where is André Hanscombe now?  © Courtesy of NetflixAndre Hanscombe in The Murder of Rachel Nickell …

The Secret History of ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’

The Secret History of ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’

Published by Sam Flores

We tend to think we have one national anthem, but to me, we have always seemed to have two. The first is the official one, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The second is “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The two are different on every level. Only one of them provokes us to ponder our identity as a nation. When we sing the first, we sometimes forget that we’re actually asking a question, and not a very important one. “O say can you see,” “The Star-Spangled Banner” begins, in search of an affirmation about the flag: It was there in the evening, when we saluted it; it was there through the night, when we saw it in the flashes of battle; is it still there now, as the day breaks? Explore the July 2026 Issue Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. View More The second brooks no doubt. When we sing it, we don’t ask a question. We testify. “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,” …

First Came Congress. Now a National Redistricting Battle May Turn to Statehouses and City Councils

First Came Congress. Now a National Redistricting Battle May Turn to Statehouses and City Councils

Published by Sam Flores

After a blitz of congressional redistricting ahead of the midterm elections, a national battle for partisan control is about to enter a new phase that could affect representation on everything from tax rates to social safety net programs, teacher salaries, housing regulations and local road repairs. Georgia’s Republican-led Legislature will convene June 17 for a special session focused on redistricting for the 2028 elections. The agenda includes new voting districts not only for Congress, but also for the state House and Senate — and potentially even the state’s utility regulatory commission. It will mark the first time since a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened minority voting protections that a state legislature will attempt to redraw its own districts. Mississippi Republicans and New York Democrats also could undertake legislative redistricting before their 2027 and 2028 elections, respectively. Ir remains to be seen, though, how many legislatures will follow, and whether the outburst of mid-decade redistricting will extend down to county commissions, city councils and school boards that make myriad decisions affecting people’s lives. The impact …

Disney’s Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul Opens Up About MS Battle

Disney’s Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul Opens Up About MS Battle

Published by Daniella Wilson

After spending most of her career behind the scenes, Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul took center stage at the Race to Erase MS Gala on Friday night. Bulochnikov-Paul, who serves as executive vp of communications at Disney Entertainment Television, was honored with the Medal of Hope at the event, in recognition of her battle with multiple sclerosis. Upon receiving her award from MS advocate and Center Without Walls founder Nancy Davis, the exec admitted, “When Nancy first asked me to do this, I hesitated — not because I didn’t want to, but because I was afraid. Will people look at me differently? Is this bad for my career? Will my kids worry about me?” But, she continued, “I knew that being here tonight was important, and I decided I wasn’t going to let MS define me. I’ve spent my entire career in communication, I know how to own a narrative, and I sure as hell was going to own mine.” Bulochnikov-Paul noted how she’s been introduced to a beautiful community since she was diagnosed, and particularly pointed to her …

Inside the Battle of the Gullet

Inside the Battle of the Gullet

Published by Daniella Wilson

Just before the cast and creators of HBO’s House of the Dragon sat down for a highly-anticipated Friday night panel at SXSW London, a teaser reel played, crowing about the many ways the third season, premiering on June 21, will be bigger and badder than anything that’s come before it. And while numbers like “15,000 stunt crowds” and “3,500 props” and “25 tons of propane” were plenty impressive, the one that stood out, flashing across an image of a giant warship exploding in a ball of fire, was “23 stunt performers ignited in one take — a new world record!”  Soon, series showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal declared, “These sequences, I will confidently say, are unlike anything that’s ever been done on television before.”  Book readers know immediately that he’s referring to The Battle of the Gullet, an epic and gruesomely bloody clash that takes place across land and sea and is the defining centerpiece of Targaryen civil war in House of the Dragon that predates the events of The Game of Thrones by about …

Rumer Willis’s ex-boyfriend accuses her of exploiting their 3-year-old daughter amid custody battle

Rumer Willis’s ex-boyfriend accuses her of exploiting their 3-year-old daughter amid custody battle

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Rumer Willis’s ex-boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas has accused her of exploiting their three-year-old daughter, Louetta, in the latest update to their bitter custody battle. After Thomas and Willis, the daughter of actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, broke up following the birth of their only daughter in 2023, the custody battle over Louetta began in July 2025 when Thomas requested joint legal and physical custody of the girl along with visitation rights. Willis, 37, and Moore filed legal documents in Los Angeles last month opposing Thomas’ request for a child custody order, with Willis seeking full physical custody and accusing Thomas of “incessant domestic abuse.” Now, Thomas has denied all claims of his alleged abuse and instead pointed the finger back at Willis in …

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 Runners battle pass: All skins revealed

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 Runners battle pass: All skins revealed

Published by Daniella Wilson

The next Fortnite season is almost here, and after the Shattered live event, we’ll finally be able to unlock the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 battle pass, but Epic Games has revealed all the skins ahead of time. Sprites are back in a big way, and there’s even a new mech skin for them, which makes them feel a little more useful. Of course, it could all be for nought, as a UK government ban could potentially impact Fortnite in a big way. Whilst you wait for the Chapter 7 Season 3 battle pass, you can pass the time by making use of our Fortnite Steal the Brainrot codes. Read on to see what’s included in the Chapter 7 Season 3 Runners battle pass! Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 battle pass: All skins revealed And dog. Epic Games As you can see in the above image, there are eight new skins as part of the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 Runners battle pass. From left to right, these are: Heatwave PJ Cluster Dylan The Guardian John …

Kathy Bates reveals her shocking 45lbs weight loss after lifelong battle with diabetes

Kathy Bates reveals her shocking 45lbs weight loss after lifelong battle with diabetes

Published by Daniella Wilson

Kathy Bates, 77, looked ageless on the carpet at a Matlock For Your Consideration Event in Los Angeles following her 45lbs weight loss .  The academy-award winning actress stepped out looking effortlessly chic in a sharp, tailored black suit, layered over a white shirt and complimentary matching trainers.  The dandy-inspired look balanced professionalism and comfort, mirroring her commanding onscreen presence as Madeline “Matty” Matlock on CBS’s 2024 reboot.  The beloved legal drama has been introduced to a new generation of viewers in recent years, starring Kathy as a brilliant attorney who rejoins a prestigious law firm, using tactics to win cases while hiding a hidden agenda.  © WireImageKathy Bates looks incredible The timeless carpet look cements the actress’ status as one of TV’s most respected leading ladies, although she is the first to admit battles with her weight haven’t made things easy. Kathy revealed in a sit-down interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, she was diagnosed with diabetes type II, “six or seven years ago”, after finding out it was a hereditary issue. © Getty …

Where the House redistricting battle stands heading into 2026 midterms

Where the House redistricting battle stands heading into 2026 midterms

Published by Sam Flores

It’s been a long six weeks for Democrats in the redistricting wars. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. By the end of April, the party had drawn enough Democratic-leaning seats to turn the back-and-forth over new congressional maps for the midterms that President Donald Trump had started a year earlier into roughly a wash. Then the courts acted: The U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the door to Republican-led states in the South to eliminating majority-Black districts held by Democrats. A week later, the Virginia Supreme Court blocked the state from implementing a new map favoring Democrats that voters had approved in a special election. Now, with the general election five months away, the 2026 redistricting dust is beginning to settle. In total, 10 states have implemented new congressional boundaries over the past year, with Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee most recently taking action following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling. Litigation is still ongoing in several states, but under the new maps, Republicans are …

Fire dozers outfitted with NASA-made sensors help battle blazes

Fire dozers outfitted with NASA-made sensors help battle blazes

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. Dangerous, frontline firefighting jobs may get a bit safer thanks to new heat-sensing sensors designed by NASA. The sensors are made from commonly available household materials, and attach to the bulldozers firefighters use to clear vegetation and brush in a fire’s immediate path, triggering an alarm when temperatures reach extremely dangerous levels. Knowing when a fire is hot might sound obvious, but many new so-called fire dozers are being outfitted with enclosures to protect their operators from the flames. That’s a welcome change, but it also reduces the operator’s ability to gauge the surrounding heat. These new sensors help solve that problem, protecting the driver and helping prevent the dozers from sustaining too much damage. Inside a Fire Dozer The sensor setup is …