Detox Your Morning: Are Your Soaps and Toothpastes Sabotaging Your Health?

In a world where your morning routine kicks off with a symphony of ‘antibacterial’ everything—from soaps to toothpastes and the ever-popular mouthwashes—there’s an unsettling reality lurking beneath the fragrant suds. Recent research throws a glaring spotlight on these everyday items, revealing they might do more than just keep you fresh. They could be sabotaging your immune system too.

Imagine starting your day, not just squeaky clean but having inadvertently waged war on the microscopic allies that inhabit your body’s ecosystem. Welcome to the world of biocides, potent chemicals embedded in your favorite toiletries and dental products, poised to cleanse away more than just bacteria. A bill set to be debated in Westminster aims to tackle this chemical conundrum, as the Mirror highlights, advocating for stricter regulations on these omnipresent compounds.

Natalie Bennett, the front spokesperson for this regulatory push, paints a vivid picture of a typical morning routine peppered with these agents—chlorhexidine in your mouthwash, benzalkonium chloride in your body wash, and triclosan in your hand sanitizers—each working diligently to decimate both beneficial and harmful bacteria alike. This indiscriminate microbial massacre can lead to a cascade of health issues, from elevated blood pressure to the emergence of resistant superbugs.

Peer Natalie Bennett articulates, “Before you go to breakfast, you have subjected your microbiome… to a barrage of biocides, in other words poisons.” Our bodies, transformed into battlegrounds, with our microbiome—this bustling metropolis of beneficial bacteria—caught in the crossfire. It’s a little like using a flamethrower to kill a fly, effective in the short term but quite destructive in the long haul.

In a similar vein, Love Is Blind star Kwame Appiah’s recent health revelation serves as a stark reminder of how seemingly benign symptoms can escalate into significant health concerns. Appiah’s diagnosis of ulcerative colitis underscores the critical importance of early intervention when dealing with persistent symptoms. His message is not just a cautionary tale but a call to be vigilant—knowledge is power when it comes to our health.

As Medicare embarks on its ambitious journey to negotiate lower drug prices under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are at the forefront of these negotiations. This landmark move seeks not just to ease the financial burdens on millions of seniors but to dismantle the economic barriers that keep essential treatments out of reach.

The list of drugs entering this second phase of negotiation is a veritable who’s who of big-ticket items, with a combined market presence strong enough to account for a staggering 14% of Medicare’s Part D prescription costs. The hope? To ease access, lower costs, and ultimately, to ensure that life-saving medications are not luxuries but accessible essentials.

The pharmaceutical industry, however, eyes these negotiations with skepticism, viewing them as a potential threat to its revenue streams and innovation. Yet, despite the anticipated legal pushback, there’s no denying the potential these negotiations have to transform the landscape of drug pricing in the U.S.

It’s a juncture where health, economics, and regulation intersect, raising questions about the future of healthcare access and affordability. While these shifts may or may not spell immediate change, they undeniably mark the start of a reformation—not just in the medicine cabinet or by the sink, but in the larger narrative of public health.

From Biocides in Your Shower to Price Wars in Pharma: Are We Balancing Health and Innovation or Playing a Risky Game?

In a world where personal grooming has escalated to a full-fledged ritual, who would have thought the sudsy lather of your morning shower could be harboring more than just cleanliness? Yet, a rising tide of research is shaking the foundations of our hygiene-centric lives, pointing fingers at the pervasive biocides laced into mundane items like your soap, shampoo, and dental care products.

Triclosan, chlorhexidine, benzalkonium chloride—these aren’t just tongue twisters—they are potent biocides. These chemicals, once heralded as the champions of sanitary living, may instead be wreaking havoc on the delicate balance of your microbiome. Our bodies, hosts to trillions of microorganisms, rely on this rich microbial symphony to keep us healthy. Disrupt it, and you might be sending an invitation to the very pathogens you wish to protect against.

Setting our sights across the Atlantic, a bold move is underway. A bill proposed in the UK is calling for a gate to come down on these chemicals—at least in non-medical, over-the-counter products. The presence of biocides, critics suggest, is akin to allowing someone to redecorate your house with a wrecking ball and calling it a renovation. Each swipe of antibacterial lotion or gargle with chlorhexidine-laden mouthwash isn’t just cutting down the nasties; it’s a scorched-earth policy on microbes, good and bad.

“The benefits of biocides are at best speculative,” says Professor Andrew Seaton, with an air of exasperation. Well, outside of hospital corridors, at least. And let’s be honest, while the idea of a germ-free life sounds as appealing as a spa day, the unintended consequences of such a lifestyle choice are becoming harder to ignore.

Meanwhile, over on the pharmaceutical frontier, the Biden administration is deploying its own form of negotiation—this time with drug prices. Medicare, armed with a new legal mandate, is preparing to haggle over the prices of 25 top-tier medications, an audacious move poised to save billions for taxpayers. Novo Nordisk’s popular Ozempic and Wegovy lead the charge, striking at the heart of exorbitant medication costs that have long plagued seniors on fixed incomes.

This isn’t just about numbers on paper; it’s about access. The administration is setting the stage for negotiations that could cut costs significantly for a U.S. population grappling with chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and cancer. However, pharmaceutical giants are not taking this sitting down—lawsuits already pepper the horizon, challenging the very legality of these negotiations.

Stephen Ubl, representing the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, warns of the potential impacts on innovation—a classic David versus Goliath narrative where the Goliath claims to be the guardian of progress. Yet, as the AARP’s Nancy LeaMond points out, waiting any longer to address drug prices isn’t an option for those who have already been making the tough choice to skip meals or cut pills in half to afford their prescriptions.

The stage is set, with ripple effects of these negotiations set to unfold in subsequent years. As more medications join the negotiating table, the potential for massive savings looms large on the horizon. And yet, the change leaves us pondering: In a bid for efficiencies and economies, how will our systems ensure that the balance of innovation and accessibility tips in favor of those who need it most?

As these stories unravel, they force us to ask—are we truly doing what’s best for our health, or are we just caught in the froth of a market-driven tide? The answers may just be the catalysts we need to redefine our approaches to well-being and age-old health practices.

Navigating Health’s Murky Waters: From Alcohol Myths to Bathroom Battles and Policy Precipices

The murky waters of health research have been stirred once more—this time by new revelations regarding the dangers lurking in our everyday life choices and products. While heavy drinking has been incontrovertibly detrimental, prompting a collective nod of agreement even from ardent enthusiasts, the debate around moderate alcohol consumption continues to clink glasses with confusion. Health experts have long theorized links between alcohol intake and an array of cancers, with names like mouth, throat, and liver rolling off the tongue like a grim, morbid lullaby. Yet, as we delve deeper, the data on moderate consumption reveals itself to be as inconsistent as a barfly’s tally of drinks consumed.

Observational studies, many of which draw data from diverse cultures and populations, often leave researchers clutching at straws. The reliance on self-reporting leads to a tapestry woven with inaccuracies. After all, who hasn’t taken a liberty or two with their drink count at the end of a convivial gathering? The elephant in the room, however, is the non-drinking groups used for comparisons. A mélange of lifelong abstainers and past drinkers now sober due to health issues, these cohorts add a problematic depth to the analysis—like comparing a marathon runner’s stamina to someone recovering from a severe bout of flu.

And just when we thought it was safe to turn the page, another issue surfaces. Enter the forces of industry influence, a wave that has been washing over research findings with persistent regularity. The National Institutes of Health’s $100 million trial, intended to explore moderate drinking’s health effects, was unceremoniously halted after whispers of financial backing from the alcohol industry grew too loud to ignore. Such entanglements raise eyebrows—and questions—about the integrity of findings, particularly those hinting at alcohol’s supposed benefits.

Meanwhile, in a parallel realm of personal care products, a new storm brews. The common bathroom shelves—once thought of as sanctuaries of cleanliness—now stand accused. Scientists raise alarms about soaps, shampoos, and dental products that, rather than safeguarding our health, possibly compromise our immune systems through the very chemicals meant to protect us. These biocides, efficient germ killers, may also indiscriminately decimate the microbiome—our army of beneficial microorganisms—leaving behind a void for malevolent invaders. “Outside of healthcare, the benefits of biocides are at best speculative, but harms are potentially significant,” remarked Professor Andrew Seaton, highlighting what may be the greatest irony of personal hygiene.

Natalie Bennett, a former Green party leader, shapes this concern into legislative action, championing a bill that seeks to stem the tide of biocidal misuse. While the bill is far from becoming law, it underscores a demand for accountability—a reflection that echoes Dr. Paul-Enguerrand Fady’s warning of a ‘Wild West’ regulation landscape. Amid the debate, industry voices argue against outright bans, championing consumer choice and natural product incentives instead.

Meanwhile, in the hallowed corridors of policy-making, another drama unfurls. The Biden administration’s Medicare price negotiations spotlight a contentious intersection of healthcare costs and pharmaceutical power. With drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy leading the charge, this initiative seeks to alleviate the financial burden on seniors—potentially a landmark victory for affordable care. Yet, it faces formidable opposition. Critiques emerge from pharmaceutical investors and advocacy groups, who view the Inflation Reduction Act’s provisions as coercive. The threat of punitive taxation for companies opting out of negotiation, yet wanting to remain within the Medicare fold, adds an extra layer of contention.

In a climate where healthcare announcements are rolling out like a newsreel, the narrative finds itself at a precipice—caught between change and opposition, reform and tradition. As one administration exits and another strides in with ambitions to reverse or revise, the landscape of healthcare hangs in delicate balance. The outcomes of these struggles may very well define how we navigate the often-turbulent waters of health, both individually and collectively, in the years to come.

Unraveling the Threads of Life: The Fight Against Genetic Time Bombs, Hidden Health Battles, and Bold Public Health Moves

As the dawn of a new year brings with it resolutions and reflections, science and health stories have taken center stage—each narrative shedding light on the complexities and challenges of human resilience. In labs and clinics, from sobering diagnoses to groundbreaking discoveries, tales unfold of battles fought within the body and mind, each urging us to confront our mortality with courage and determination.

In a landmark study, researchers at eminent institutions like the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have finally unveiled a piece of the Huntington’s disease puzzle—an enigmatic condition that stealthily resides in one’s genetic makeup, only to reveal its devastating hand decades later. The study delves into the intricate dance of DNA, where the harmless CAG repeats in a specific gene slowly expand, eventually reaching a deadly crescendo. “The conundrum in our field has been: Why do you have a genetic disorder that manifests later in life if the gene is present at conception?” mused Dr. Mark Mehler, emphasizing the monumental implications of these findings.

This discovery opens a door to potential strategies aimed at halting these insidious DNA expansions, offering a glimmer of hope in delaying, or maybe even preventing, the inevitable onset of Huntington’s for the 41,000 affected Americans. Yet, as researchers embark on this promising path, they caution that the road is long, with no guarantees—urging perseverance and innovation in the quest for a cure.

In stark contrast to the clinical and genetic conversations, personal stories of health battles resonate deeply. Kwame Appiah, a familiar face from the reality show “Love Is Blind,” recently shared a sobering update with his fans. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis—a relentless inflammatory bowel disease—Appiah’s journey from dismissing innocuous symptoms to confronting a full-blown health crisis serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of health. “Small things can lead to big problems if we ignore them,” Appiah warns, advocating vigilance and awareness in managing one’s well-being.

Meanwhile, in the public health domain, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages has ignited passionate discussions. Alcohol, a pervasive and socially accepted substance, is under scrutiny for its undeniable link to cancer—a link that Edith Langford knows all too well, having witnessed alcohol-related cancers ravage her own family. Langford lauds Murthy’s audacious stance as a necessary step towards breaking the silence surrounding alcohol’s darker truths. “Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that suppresses the central nervous system,” she states, urging a collective awakening to its potential harm.

Murthy’s endeavor, though likely hindered by powerful industry forces, aims to foster mindful consumption and awareness—a noble pursuit that resonates with those whose lives are marred by alcohol’s destructive wake.

As these stories unfold, they collectively echo a crucial message: Knowledge can empower, awareness can protect, and each step, however small, can be pivotal in mitigating the adversities our bodies and minds may face. Be it through scientific breakthroughs, personal testimonials, or public health advocacy, the narrative is clear—our health journeys are intertwined with our choices, vigilance, and the relentless pursuit of understanding.

Navigating Health and Hope: The Biden Administration’s Bold Step in Drug Price Reforms and Huntington’s Breakthroughs Illuminate a Path Forward

In the bustling corridors of Washington power—where political machinations often eclipse the tangible concerns of everyday citizens—a significant stride has been taken towards alleviating the financial burden of critical medications for older Americans. The Biden administration has announced the inclusion of popular weight loss and diabetes medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, in Medicare’s price negotiations, marking a pivotal moment in healthcare policy. This initiative is set against the backdrop of a historical reluctance by Medicare to engage in price negotiations—a hesitation now challenged by new legislative avenues that aim to thrust the government into the role of negotiator.

With the baton soon to be passed to the Trump administration, the price negotiations for these 15 newly added drugs will be a litmus test of bipartisan commitment to curbing prescription costs. These include, besides Ozempic and Wegovy, Trelegy Ellipta for asthma and Otezla for psoriatic arthritis, along with several cancer treatment drugs. Should negotiations unfold successfully, it promises billions in savings for taxpayers—a fiscal boon much desired in these times of economic uncertainty.

As U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra noted, “Some folks have to skip a dose in their prescription so they can make a prescription last longer.” This stark reality underscores the pressing necessity for such reforms. These drugs alone represent a third of Medicare’s prescription expenditure—a testament to their cost. Yet the issue is not without its complexities. Current legislation prevents Medicare from covering anti-obesity treatments, thus limiting access for enrollees needing these drugs for weight loss.

The fruits of these negotiations—a direct result of a law passed by a Democratic majority and signed by President Joe Biden—are expected to materialize by 2026. The law’s intent is to create a negotiation precedent for the most financially burdensome prescriptions, a prospect faced with resistance from pharmaceutical companies. Even as legal battles loom, there’s a clear message from advocacy groups like the AARP, which states, “For too long, big drug companies have padded their profits by setting outrageous prices at the expense of American lives.”

It’s a narrative of hope and skepticism. The potential $6 billion in savings for taxpayers and $1.5 billion for Medicare enrollees is significant, yet the efficacy of these negotiations in actually lowering the price landscape remains to be seen. And as with any policy hinged on political goodwill, the future of prescription affordability may ride the unpredictable waves of election cycles and administrative priorities.

Meanwhile, in the realm of medical science, researchers have taken a giant leap in understanding Huntington’s disease—a hereditary disorder characterized by the gradual breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. The breakthrough discovery by scientists from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has illuminated the enigmatic nature of how the genetic mutation associated with Huntington’s remains benign for decades before suddenly wreaking havoc through toxic protein production.

Dr. Mark Mehler from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine hails the research as a “landmark” study, addressing long-standing conundrums of the disorder’s delayed onset. It’s a scientific voyage that charts the silent accumulation of CAG repeats in DNA, lying dormant until the mutation crosses a detrimental threshold. The findings could potentially shift the trajectory of therapeutic strategies—from targeting protein levels to intervening in the genetic expansion process.

The ripples of these discoveries extend beyond academic circles and into the lives of thousands afflicted by this incurable disease. While experimental drugs have faltered in trials, the new path illuminated by these findings offers hope for future breakthroughs.

In another corner of health discussions, as thinning hair becomes an increasingly common concern, experts encourage a shift from topical remedies to dietary introspection. The foods we consume—rich in biotin, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and other vital nutrients—play a critical role in hair vitality. Registered dietitian Kim Yawitz emphasizes, “More and more men are embracing an inside-out approach to grooming and self-care, and that includes eating more foods that are reported to help with hair growth.”

While genetics, lifestyle, and age certainly cast long shadows over hair health, a nutrient-rich diet can provide a much-needed counterbalance. Foods like fatty fish, almonds, eggs, and bell peppers are not only linked to hair growth but also offer myriad health benefits, making them worthy additions to any dietary regimen.

These revelations across the health spectrum, from policy-driven price negotiations to scientific advancements and dietary insights, highlight the intersection where everyday lives meet the broader tapestry of societal and scientific progress. Each step, whether in negotiating drug prices or unraveling genetic mysteries, nudges us closer to a future where health equity and understanding are more than mere aspirations.

Joe Goldberg Prepares for a Gory Goodbye in ‘You’ Final Season Trailer

Hello Joe, and goodbye You. Netflix has released an official release date teaser for You Season 5, which marks the glorious and gory end of Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) reign of terror across the world. Badgley returns one last time as the world’s dreamiest mass murderer, with Joe returning to New York City in a full circle move for the first time since the first season of the show, but it looks like he won’t be getting that happy ending that he so desperately craves. The final season will also star Charlotte Richie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews, all of whom are absolutely certain to be involved in more depraved nonsense from the man nobody can refuse.

Along with the trailer, we have the official logline and a release date set for April.

“In the epic fifth and final season, Joe Goldberg returns to New York to enjoy his happily ever after… until his perfect life is threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.”

What Happened in ‘You’ Season 4?

When we last joined the drama, we saw Joe relocate to tea and crumpet land, in jolly old England as he made the City of London his new funhouse, while he decided he was a college professor. Sure. Unsurprisingly, though, he proceeded to wreak chaos on the lives of everybody he came into contact with, from his neighbors to his students and everyone in between. But there was a shocker in store as Joe also managed to find his most cunning partner to date, billionaire Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie). Joe told all of his darkest secrets to Kate, yet she decided to stay by his side and even helped him hide some of his more unsubtle crimes from the past, which had given Joe more encouragement to continue his dark and depraved ways.

Now, tied to someone in high society and with his own identity restored, Joe is heading back stateside and to the Big Apple with renewed vigor, but the question remains, who will he go after? And there’s still the question of Marienne, one of the few survivors of Joe’s crimes, and whether she will be able to find the evidence needed to bring him down once and for all.

You will return to Netflix on April 24, 2025. Check out the trailer above, as well as a new poster below, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates. In the meantime, you can catch up on You Seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix now.

You TV-MA DramaCrime

A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.

Release Date September 9, 2018 Finale Year November 30, 2023 Cast Elizabeth Lail , Michaela McManus , Ambyr Childers , Victoria Pedretti , Luca Padovan , Scott Speedman , Travis Van Winkle , Penn Badgley , Jenna Ortega , Shay Mitchell Seasons 4 Cinematographer W. Mott Hupfel, David Lanzenber, Cort Fey, Seamus Tierney Story By Caroline Kepnes Writers Greg Berlanti , Sera Gamble , Caroline Kepnes Network Lifetime Streaming Service(s) Netflix Showrunner Sera Gamble , Greg Berlanti Expand

Watch on Netflix

David Lynch, “Twin Peaks” Creator and “Mulholland Drive” Director, Dies at 78: ‘There’s a Big Hole in the World’

David Lynch, “Twin Peaks” Creator and “Mulholland Drive” Director, Dies at 78: ‘There’s a Big Hole in the World’

Victoria Edel

January 16, 2025 at 7:28 PM

David Lynch has died at the age of 78, his family announced on Thursday, Jan. 16.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time,” read a message on Facebook. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ “

“It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way,” they added.

Lynch was best known for creating the 1990 TV series Twin Peaks. The show spawned a 1992 feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and a 2017 revival season. A four-time Oscar nominee, he also directed films including The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. He was known for his distinctive style that became described as “Lynchian.”

Lynch was born in Missoula, Mont., in 1946 and grew up in Spokane, Wash., and Boise, Idaho. His father was a forest research scientist, and Lynch spent much of his childhood outside, exploring. Those same mysterious Pacific Northwest woods would eventually inspire Twin Peaks.

When he was a teenager, the family moved to Alexandria, Va. He had “a kind of happy persona” there, he told PEOPLE in 1990, but soon learned “all the thrilling things happened just after school or between classes. It added up to some sort of pitiful joke — so constricting it would drive you nuts. It inspired me to try to break rules. Behind it all, I was getting it together to be a painter.”

Lynch went to Philadelphia to study art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and there he began experimenting with film and animation. “I loved Philadelphia,” he said in 1990. “The most corrupt, fear-ridden city I’ve ever seen. It’s one of my major film influences.”

In 1975, he released The Grandmother, a 35-minute blent of live-action and animation about a lonely boy whose dead grandmother comes back to life. It earned him a spot in the American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies in L.A. He spent the next five years working on his feature debut, 1977’s Eraserhead. To support himself, he held a series of odd jobs, including a paper route.

“$9.80 a night was not a thrilling rate, so I was pretty depressed,” he said in 1990. “But I worked it to where I was shooting the route in one hour, almost to the second — a totally efficient hour. You learn to fold, bag and drive at the same time.”

“I got an awful lot of pressure to abandon Eraserhead and do something worthwhile,” he added. “I just couldn’t. It was frustrating, but also beautiful.” Eraserhead had a small opening, but gained interest as a midnight movie and ultimately became a cult favorite. One fan was Mel Brooks, who hired Lynch to create a film about Joseph Merrick. That movie, 1980’s The Elephant Man was a hit and garnered eight Oscar nominations, including best director and best adapted screenplay for Lynch.

Next he directed an adaptation of Dune, released in 1984. It received mostly negative reviews upon it release, though it went on to be a cult favorite. “It was a heartache for me. It was a failure, and I didn’t have final cut,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2020. “I’ve told this story a billion times. It’s not the film I wanted to make. I like certain parts of it very much — but it was a total failure for me.”

He released Blue Velvet, starring Isabella Rossellini, in 1986. The erotic thriller was criticized by some for being too violent, but he received a second Oscar nomination for best director. “When people first meet David, they expect him to be neurotic and crazy and sick, but he’s not,” Rossellini, who was romantically involved with Lynch at the time, told PEOPLE in 1990. “It’s just that he looks at life in a different way.” He said of his creative inclinations, “I’m in love with ideas, and I’m out there trying to catch them.”

His next major film was 1990’s Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, who had also appeared in Blue Velvet. She told PEOPLE in 1990, “David’s greatest gift is that he sees making a movie like a trip to Disneyland.” Lynch described Wild at Heart as a “violent comedy, a love story in a twisted world.” He explained, “Wild at Heart goes to extremes — it’s not a film for everybody. But as shocking as some things in it are, they’re based on the truth of human nature, and there’s a lot of humor and love wrapped up in that.”

Twin Peaks also premiered that same year. “Working at this speed is unusually intense, but I really like it,” the director told PEOPLE. “It gets kind of crazy.” The mystery TV series reunited him with Dune and Blue Velvet star Kyle MacLachlan.

Set in the titular, fictional Washington town, Twin Peaks explored the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), though the surreal series came to mean so much more to fans. Not that Lynch was forthcoming about any of the ideas he intentionally incorporated into his work. “I never talk about themes,” he said in 1990. “No way. A film should stand on its own. People talk way too much about a film up front, and that diminishes it.”

MacLachlan praised Lynch as “a sound, mood and rhythm director. David hasn’t forgotten the images, fears and desires you have when you’re 10 or 18 or 25. They’re so pure, these images, that they have a lot of impact.”

“I like things that go into hidden, mysterious places, places I want to explore that are very disturbing,” Lynch said. “In that disturbing thing, there is sometimes tremendous poetry and truth.” The combination of violence, surrealism, mysticism and blue-collar life would come to define the “Lynchian” aesthetic.

Twin Peaks aired for two seasons on ABC. It was an instant success when it premiered; PEOPLE included Laura Palmer on it annual list of most interesting people at the end of 1990. But the second season was derailed when ABC executive Bob Iger made Lynch reveal in the premiere who had killed Palmer, a mystery the director had wanted to save for the end of the series. Ratings declined, Lynch was unhappy, and the show was canceled.

In 1992, Lynch visited the story again in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. And he returned for a third season of the series, which aired on Showtime, in 2017. “I called all the regulars — or most everyone — and I had a chat,” Lynch told Deadline in 2018 about bringing the cast back together. “These people are like family, so it was so beautiful calling them and talking to them again and getting together like for a family reunion.” He guessed that 99 percent of the surviving cast was happy to return. Dern also joined the show for the third season.

Lynch felt season three was more comparable in quality to the first than the second, which he did not like. He received nine Emmy nominations for his work on Twin Peaks.

Lynch directed four more films: 1997’s Lost Highway, 1999’s The Straight Story, 2001’s Mulholland Drive and 2006’s Inland Empire. He received his third Oscar nomination for best director (and fourth overall) for helming Mulholland Drive, which followed an aspiring actress in Los Angeles played by Naomi Watts. It was originally conceived as a TV show.

“It was a closed-ended pilot, and then the ideas came to make it into a feature,” he told Interview in 2012. “I was meditating, and all these ideas just flowed in, in one meditation — all the ideas to finish that into a feature.” In 2019, Lynch received an honorary Oscar for his contributions to film.

Lynch never gave up his early love of painting and continued to create visual art throughout his life. In 1994, he published Images, a book that featured painting, photographs and images from his films. He was also involved in several music projects, including working on the scores of several of his films.

In 2006, he published a book, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, about transcendental meditation, and in 2018, he published Room to Dream, which was a hybrid of memoir and biography. He directed music videos for artists like Moby, Nine Inch Nails and Donovan, as well as many commercials. He also portrayed director John Ford in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans.

Lynch was married to first wife Peggy from 1967 to 1974. They shared daughter Jennifer, who also became a director. Jennifer told PEOPLE in 1990, “He was not your normal dad, but he’s been the best dad he could be, and we’ve had a blast.”

From 1977 to 1987, he was married to Mary Fisk. They shared son Austin. From 2006 to 2007, he was married to Mary Sweeney, with whom he shared son Riley. In 2009, he married Emily Stofle, who appeared in Inland Empire and the third season of Twin Peaks. They shared daughter Lula Boginia. Stofle filed for divorce in 2023.

Looking back on his one-of-a-kind career, Lynch was mostly content. “Well, I’m sort of proud of everything except Dune,” he said in a 2020 YouTube video. “I’ve liked so much working in different mediums. It’s not a thing about pride, it’s more like the enjoyment of the doing, enjoyment of the work.”

He added, “I’ve just enjoyed working in all these different mediums, and I feel, again, really lucky to have been able to enjoy those things and be able to live.”

Read the original article on People

Aaliyah is now a new Barbie doll on what would have been her 46th…

Aaliyah has joined the hallowed halls of legendary singers immortalized in Barbie form by doll maker Mattel.

The collectible Barbie, which celebrates her enduring influence on music, fashion and pop culture, became available for pre-order Thursday on what would have been the late star’s 46th birthday.

In a testament to her enduring legacy, the Aaliyah Barbie sold out online in just 30 minutes, according to The Detroit Free Press. Re-sellers have already listed the doll — which retails for $55 — for upwards of $100 on eBay.

The Barbie will presumably be restocked on Mattel’s and Target’s websites (as well as in Target stores) by the time it officially goes on sale on Jan. 26.

Aaliyah — born Aaliyah Dana Haughton — died in 2001 at the age of 22 after a tragic plane crash in the Bahamas. Known for her groundbreaking contributions to R&B, hip-hop and pop music, Aaliyah is remembered not only for her powerful voice but also for her distinctive fashion sense that blended street style with elegance.

Drawing inspiration from the ensemble she wore in her “One in a Million” music video, Aaliyah’s Barbie wears a sleek leather jacket, cargo pants and accessories to reflect the late icon’s cool, laid-back style.

Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton, collaborated with Mattel to ensure the doll embodied the singer’s vibe.

“I can vividly remember my sister playing with her favorite Barbie dolls for hours when we were kids. She would make them sing, dance, and perform little concerts,” Haughton said in a statement.

“It’s clear to me now that she was imagining dreams that would eventually become reality when she embarked on a career in entertainment at just fifteen years old.”

“Inspiring confidence, belief in yourself and embracing who you truly are is the essence of Barbie,” he added. “My sister would be ecstatic to see her legacy celebrated this way.”

Aaliyah broke onto the music scene in 1994 at just 15 years old with her single “Back & Forth,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She went on to have a No. 1 hit in 2000 with her hit “Try Again” and won three American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and five Grammy nominations over the course of her short career.

Aaliyah’s Barbie is the latest entry in Mattel’s Music Collector Series, which also includes dolls of music icons such as Gloria Estefan, Tina Turner, Elton John, and Stevie Nicks.

“We hope the Aaliyah Barbie serves as a powerful reminder to her loyal fans and Barbie collectors everywhere that, like Aaliyah, they can unlock their limitless potential and achieve anything they set their minds to,” Senior Vice President of Barbie and Head of Dolls at Mattel Krista Berger said in a statement.

Missy Elliott honored her late friend on Thursday and weighed in on Mattel’s decision to make Aaliyah a Barbie.

“Babygirl the IMPACT that you have left in the years you spent here with the world is UNDENIABLE. Leaving generations to know your name ‘AALIYAH’,” she wrote on Instagram “They continue to learn of your UNIQUE Music ORIGINAL Style & GLOWING personality. You will NEVER be 4Gotten.”

Tagging Rashad, Elliott added, “Much love to you your sis would be proud.”

Wendy Williams Says She Is Not Cognitively Impaired, Wants Out of her Guardianship

On a phone call with The Breakfast Club, the former daytime talk show host — who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and progressive aphasia in 2023 — said she feels like she is “in prison” in her care facility.

Wendy Williams is speaking out against her guardianship. The former daytime talk show host and radio personality has been under a guardianship since 2022, as her care team alleges that Williams’s health has been in decline after she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and progressive aphasia. But during a recent call to the popular radio show The Breakfast Club, hosted by DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Jess Hilarious, Williams said that she is mentally sound.

“Do I seem that way, goddamn it?” Williams asked the hosts.

“I am not cognitively impaired, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like I’m in prison,” said Williams, speaking about the New York City care facility where she has been living. “I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s…. There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.” The 60-year-old said that she has to take seven daily pills at the care facility, and that she has “no idea” what they contain. “It’s to the point where, uh, ‘Excuse me, doctor, can you tell me what this pill is for?’” she said.

On the call, Williams was aided by her niece, Alex, who affirmed Williams’s assessment of the situation. Per Alex, the room where Williams lives at her facility is bare and drab: “She’s looking out one window at buildings across the street,” she said. “That’s her life.” Alex alleged Williams can make outgoing calls but loved ones outside of the facility can’t call her, and Williams said she has spent her past three birthdays on her own. “This is what is called emotional abuse,” said Williams.

Williams hosted the popular and juicy daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show from 2008 to 2022. She stepped down from hosting due to medical issues stemming from lymphedema and Graves’ disease. Replacement hosts including Sherri Shepherd were brought in after Williams’s departure, but the show was soon canceled, airing its final episode in June 2022. In 2023, Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, and her diagnosis was shared with the public in February of 2024.

In 2022, a four-part Lifetime documentary called Where Is Wendy Williams? began filming Williams’s allegedly declining health — including multiple scenes in which the formerly sharp and irreverent talk show host appears to be erratic and out of sorts. Williams’s court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, subsequently sued Lifetime’s parent company, A&E Television Networks, Lifetime Entertainment Services, and others to block the documentary’s release, alleging that Williams, who served as executive producer on the docuseries, could not legally consent to filming due to her condition. Months later, A&E and Lifetime countersued Morrissey, alleging that Morrissey wanted to bury the doc after she realized that it would critique her role as Williams’s guardian.

On the call, Williams told The Breakfast Club that she and Morrissey watched Where Is Wendy Williams? together when it aired, taking notes on the program. “She was the one who wanted to do that, you understand what I’m saying?” Williams said. “What do I think about being abused? Look, this system is broken, this system that I’m in. This system has falsified a lot.” During their conversation, she referred to Morrissey as “that person that you talk about who is holding me hostage.”

Ultimately, Williams said that she wishes to end her guardianship and move to Miami to be closer to her family, particularly her father. “I am exhausted thinking about, What if I can’t see my dad for his birthday? At 94, the day after that is not promised,” she said on The Breakfast Club, audibly holding back tears. “My life is, like, fucked up.”

Although she spent most of the call discussing her own trials and tribulations, in true Williams fashion she also gave her two cents about Diddy and his looming trial for alleged sex crimes. (Diddy has denied the allegations against him.) “Diddy will go to prison for life, people,” Williams said. “You don’t know things that I knew about Diddy back in the day. And you know what? It’s about time. Diddy done.”

Alex added that in the limited times she’s been able to see Williams, her aunt has seemed well and not incapacitated. “That’s why we say she’s in a luxury prison, because she is being held and she is being punished for whatever reason that other people are coming up with as to why she has to be kept in this position,” said Alex. She added that anyone who wants to support Williams can use the hashtag #FreeWendy, sign her change.org petition or donate to her GoFundMe.

Bob Uecker, announcer who was comic bard of baseball, dies at 90

He had a mediocre career as a baseball player, but found fame as a comic actor and Hall of Fame broadcaster.

Bob Uecker, who transformed his futility as a baseball player into a successful second career as a baseball broadcaster, humorist and comic actor in television, film and commercials, died Jan. 16 at 90.

The Milwaukee Brewers, for whom he was a longtime radio announcer, announced the death but did not provide further details.

Before he was known for two enduring catchphrases — “I must be in the front row!” from a Miller Lite commercial and “Just a bit outside” from the movie “Major League” — Mr. Uecker spent six years in the major leagues as a backup catcher and first-string clubhouse comedian. Among a long list of baseball jokers, he is widely considered the funniest.

Referring to his lowly career batting average of .200, Mr. Uecker said he was so hopeless at the plate that his manager would “send me up there without a bat and tell me to try for a walk.”

In a best-selling 1982 autobiography, “Catcher in the Wry” (written with Mickey Herskowitz), Mr. Uecker described the secret of his success, such as it was: “Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues. But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat.”

He played for the Milwaukee Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. He never appeared in more than 80 games a season, but he did share a moment of glory as a member of the World Series-winning Cardinals in 1964.

“People don’t know this, but I helped the Cardinals win the pennant,” he later said. “I came down with hepatitis. The trainer injected me with it.”

In reality, Mr. Uecker was considered a valuable clubhouse presence, with his lighthearted banter and his humorous running monologues in the bullpen. Before the first game of the 1964 World Series, he picked up a sousaphone left on the field by a musician and used it to shag flyballs.

If he was the definition of major league mediocrity, he found unlikely success against one of the game’s best pitchers, Sandy Koufax, once hitting a home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hall of Fame left-hander. (It was one of only 14 home runs Mr. Uecker had in the majors.)

During his final season in 1967, he was the personal catcher of Atlanta Braves knuckleball pitcher Phil Niekro. That year, Mr. Uecker led the National League in passed balls (pitches he should have caught but missed) — “and I did that without playing every game,” he boasted.

He described his method of catching the fluttering, unpredictable knuckleball: “Wait until it stopped rolling and then pick it up.”

In fact, Niekro credited his Hall of Fame success to his catcher, writing in his autobiography that Mr. Uecker “ingrained in my mind that I shouldn’t be afraid to throw the knuckler. What happened to it after it left my hand was not my responsibility, but instead his.”

After his playing career, Mr. Uecker dabbled in broadcasting for the Braves and spoke at banquets, where he began to reshape his baseball experiences into a comedy act, with himself as the butt of the joke. Al Hirt, a popular trumpeter of the era, heard him at a nightclub in 1969 and recommended him to his agent. Mr. Uecker soon made the first of more than 100 appearances on the “Tonight” show, with host Johnny Carson dubbing him “Mr. Baseball.”

Back in the big leagues

In 1970, Milwaukee acquired a new baseball team, the Brewers, after an expansion franchise moved from Seattle. The owner, businessman Bud Selig, hired Mr. Uecker as a scout.

“Worst scout I ever had,” Selig, who later became commissioner of baseball, told the New York Times in 2010. When Mr. Uecker turned in a scouting report on a potential player, it “was smeared with gravy and mashed potatoes.”

Mr. Uecker moved to the team’s radio booth as an analyst in 1971 and, during the next season, he began to do play-by-play announcing. He would remain the voice of the Brewers for more than 50 years. During much of that time, he was also on the field before the games, throwing batting practice to the players.

In the broadcast booth, he relied on his inside knowledge of the sport as he described the action. He had a clear, distinctive voice and developed a well-known home run call: “Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!” He seldom resorted to comedy, except when the Brewers were far behind.

From 1976 to 1982, Mr. Uecker was part of ABC’s “Monday Night Baseball” broadcasting team, often jousting good-naturedly with Howard Cosell, known for his large vocabulary and sometimes pompous manner. Once, when Cosell used the word “truculent,” he asked Mr. Uecker if he knew what it meant.

“Sure, I do,” Mr. Uecker replied. “If you had a truck, and I borrowed it, that would be a truck-you-lent.”

In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Uecker was among many retired athletes who appeared in Miller Lite commercials. He cultivated the persona of the lovable loser, unperturbed by snubs and insults.

“You know, one of the best things about being an ex-big-leaguer is getting freebies to the game,” he says in one commercial, pulling a ticket from his pocket. “Call the front office, and bingo!”

An usher approaches, saying, “You’re in the wrong seat, buddy, come on.”

Mr. Uecker confidently says, “I must be in the front row!”

In the commercial’s final scene, he is sitting by himself at the top of the stadium, ever ebullient as he declares to no one, “Good seats, hey, buddy?”

The commercials led to an acting career, including an appearance as guest host of “Saturday Night Live.” From 1985 to 1990, Mr. Uecker starred in the ABC sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” as a sportswriter who hires a prissy English butler to manage his household.

Mr. Uecker also played Harry Doyle, a whiskey-drinking broadcaster in the 1989 baseball comedy “Major League.” When a pitcher, played by Charlie Sheen, throws a wild pitch that bounces off the backstop, Mr. Uecker — in an improvised line — says, “Ju-u-u-u-st a bit outside.”

The film became a cult classic, and generations of fans and players repeated the line, imitating Mr. Uecker’s cheery inflection. While appearing in two “Major League” sequels, he continued to announce for the Brewers and helped cover the World Series with Bob Costas for NBC in the 1990s.

Mr. Uecker often joked about being overlooked year after year by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“It finally got to the point,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “where I had to say, ‘Hey, I don’t need it.’ I can bronze my own glove and hang it on a nail in my garage.”

But in 2003, Mr. Uecker gained a permanent place in Cooperstown, when he received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting. His acceptance speech was a variation on his well-polished comedy act.

“All the television stuff, the movies, the sitcoms, the commercials, that’s all fun,” he said that year. “All I wanted to do is come back to Milwaukee every spring to do baseball.”

Two statues in Milwaukee

Robert George Uecker was born Jan. 26, 1934, in Milwaukee. His father, who had played soccer in his native Switzerland, was an auto mechanic. His mother was a homemaker.

He later joked about his childhood as the child of immigrants, adapting to American ways. When his father bought a football, “we tried to pass it and throw it and kick it,” Mr. Uecker said in his Hall of Fame speech, “and we couldn’t do it, and it was very discouraging for him and for me. We almost quit. And finally … a neighbor came over and put some air in it. And what a difference.”

After high school, Mr. Uecker joined the Army, playing on baseball teams at bases in Missouri and Northern Virginia. He signed a minor league contract in 1956 with the Milwaukee Braves, his then-hometown team, for a $3,000 bonus.

He spent six years in the minor leagues — once hitting .332 with 21 home runs for a Class C team in Idaho — before getting called up to the major league club in 1962. His teammates included Hall of Famers Niekro, Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn of the Braves and, in St. Louis, Bob Gibson and Lou Brock.

In addition to his baseball broadcasting and acting, Mr. Uecker occasionally announced major professional wrestling matches and was named to the WWE Hall of Fame.

His first two marriages ended in divorce. Two children from his first marriage, Steven Uecker and Leann Uecker Ziemer, died in 2012 and 2022, respectively. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

Mr. Uecker had numerous health scares through the years, including heart surgery and cancer, and he stopped traveling to Brewers road games in his 80s. Still, he remained steadfastly behind the radio microphone in Milwaukee as he approached his 90th birthday.

There are two statues of Mr. Uecker at Milwaukee’s baseball stadium. One in front of the stadium, where he shares pride of place with Hall of Fame players. The other is high in the upper deck, behind obstructing pillars — the “Uecker seats” that could not be farther from the front row.

“Everything I’ve done,” Mr. Uecker once said, “no matter how weird or ignorant it seems, people like it.”