What to know about the first week of a trial in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The trial of the man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder has begun. Jurors heard this week about the night the rap giant was shot in Las Vegas after a brawl involving Duane “Keffe D” Davis's nephew. Davis allegedly procured the gun used in the shooting. His lawyers dispute this, claiming his past statements were exaggerated. Witnesses, including police and former gang members, have provided testimony, though some were uncooperative. Davis admitted to his involvement in past interviews that were played in court. He claims his family's safety is at risk because of the prosecution. The trial is expected to last about a month.
Fall books: Fiction takes the spotlight in bookstores during the midterm season
NEW YORK (AP) — Election news will likely fill the headlines this fall, but among book buyers fiction will likely have top billing. Authors with new novels range from romantasy favorites Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros to such Pulitzer winners as Barbara Kingsolver and Hernan Diaz. In nonfiction, expect to hear as much about the Biden administration as about the Trump White House. Former President Joe Biden will have a memoir out, “Promise Me, America.” Other Biden-related books include former Middle East envoy Brett McGurk’s “Brink” and Akbar Shahid Ahmed's “Crossing the Red Line.”
Prince Harry and 6 others must pay initial $13 million over failed invasion of privacy case
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and six others, including Elton John, have been ordered to pay 9.5 million pounds to the publisher of Britain’s Daily Mail. This follows their failed invasion of privacy case. Justice Matthew Nicklin announced the payment is due by Aug. 28. The group lost a High Court case in London last month, which alleged illegal phone hacking. The publisher denied the claims. The judgment comes as Harry and his family plan to move back to the U.K. Harry’s legal battles have strained his relationships with his family and the media.
5 books to read this fall, from Marlon James to Joe Biden
NEW YORK (AP) — Notable new books for the fall season range from Emma Cline's novel about a dying man's final journey to former President Joe Biden's White House memoir. Other books include fiction from Marlon James and Yiyun Li and a biography of the late Roy Cohn co-authored by Pulitzer winner Kai Bird. Cline's “Switzy” and James' “The Disappearers” were both longlisted for the Booker Prize. Li's “Music Against the Night” is her first book since the Pulitzer-winning “Things in Nature Merely Grow.'
Movie Review: Gen Z gets a moody, existential horror in ‘It Ends’
Four young 20-something friends find themselves trapped on an endless road to nowhere in the existential horror “It Ends.” The film is the directorial debut of Alexander Ullom, who also wrote the screenplay. In her review for The Associated Press, film writer Lindsey Bahr writes that “It’s a neat concept that wears a little thin after a while, but it’s a movie that shows promise not only in Ullom’s ability to create a sustained, ominous mood, but in his eye for casting a group of talented and essentially unknown actors.” “It Ends” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday. The film is rated R.
A question looms over Harry's return to the UK. Can he rebuild his relationship with Prince William?
LONDON (AP) — The royal family’s long-running American soap opera is returning to Britain. The question is whether it will blossom into a happy reunion or descend into anger, division and chaos. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, plan to return to the United Kingdom from California in a matter of weeks. They have already enrolled their children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, in British schools so they can start the autumn term on time with their classmates. News of the surprise decision, which broke late Wednesday in stories published by the Telegraph and Sun newspapers, has sparked widespread discussion about where the couple will live, who will pay for their security and whether they will return to royal duties one day.
China investigates comedian after he altered a revolutionary song lyric onstage
One of China’s best-known comedians is under investigation after changing lyrics of a revolutionary song during a performance. Guo Degang, a prominent xiangsheng performer, is being investigated by authorities in Wuhan. Several of his shows have been canceled, including one in Xi’an on Friday. The cancellations highlight China’s stricter controls on entertainment, where performers face unclear and shifting “red lines.” Guo altered a lyric from a song popularized by a 1950s film, which may have violated regulations. Despite prior approval for his performance, the lyric change was not authorized. This incident follows other recent controversies involving comedians in China.
Prosecutors to retry Yung Filly on 3 rape charges in Australia
PERTH, Australia (AP) — British social media celebrity and rapper Yung Filly will be retried on three charges that allege he raped a fan in Australia following a music performance two years ago. The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, learned on Friday that prosecutors intend to try him for a second time on the charges. Barrientos underwent a trial for the same alleged attack last month in a Perth court. A jury found him not guilty of three of six charges of rape in a Perth hotel room in September 2024. The jury could not reach majority verdicts on the remaining three rape charges.
Jurors hear 'Keffe D' say his nephew fired fatal shots at Tupac Shakur in 1996 drive-by shooting
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jurors heard Duane “Keffe D” Davis tell detectives in 2008 that his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur. Davis' interview was played in a Las Vegas courtroom Thursday at a trial over the 1996 killing in Las Vegas. Davis is accused of orchestrating the drive-by shooting of the 25-year-old hip-hop superstar. The interview is essential evidence in the state’s case against the 63-year-old Davis. Prosecutors told jurors in opening statements that they would lean heavily on Davis’ own admissions in interviews with police and on podcasts, as well as the 2019 memoir he co-wrote, “Compton Street Legend.” Davis has pleaded not guilty.
Pulitzers and American Library Association launch 'Pulitzer on the Road' touring exhibit
NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Kingsolver, Percival Everett and Daniel Kraus are among the authors participating in a touring exhibition organized by the Pulitzers and the American Library Association. "Pulitzer on the Road: Prize — Winning Works that Inform, Empower & Inspire" launches in October at the Chicago and Dallas public libraries. It continues through May 2028, visiting 20 cities in all. The exhibit highlights over a century of Pulitzer winners, including groundbreaking news, photographs, poems, plays and fiction. The tour aims to bring Pulitzer-winning journalism and storytelling to communities, fostering curiosity and civic engagement.
