Cocaine, abuse, 'full meltdown' – Chevy Chase doc revelations

Far from a "Christmas Vacation," CNN'sChevy Chasedocumentary doesn't shy away from the actor's marred legacy.

"Chevy's a very smart guy," says Marina Zenovich, director of "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" (premiering New Year's Day, 8 ET/PT). "This wasn't going to be a hagiography. So of course I'm going to dig into those things."

Featuring interviews with Chase's family – his wife of 43 years, Jayni, their three daughters, and Chase's brothers – as well as his costars, includingDan Aykroyd, Beverly D'Angelo,Goldie HawnandMartin Short− the film revisits Chase's early days of living in a cockroach-filled apartment on Lexington Avenue in New York City and bowing out as the drummer of the band that would become Steely Dan.

In the documentary, the actor also revealshow hurt he waswhen he wasn't included in a sketch forFebruary's 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live" (he was a member of the show's inaugural cast) and the impact ofheart failure, which has affected his memory. The film also addresses his shadow side, which struggled with a reliance on cocaine and alcohol and had a "full meltdown" on set.

Chevy Chase's abusive stepfather, 'out of control' mom

Chase's parents divorced when he was around 4. His mother, Cathalene, remarried to a man named John Cederquist. He "had a flash anger," Chase's half-brother, also named John Cederquist, says, "and he could lash out with a single blow and no talk before or after. He did not take to anything that he perceived as insolence. Chevy was insolent."

Chase, now 82, remembers being slapped at breakfast by his stepfather; he says his mother was also abusive. In the documentary, Chase says he was raised by "an out-of-control woman, who I look back on, and I say I feel sorry for her. She had her own issues. Bad ones."

Wife Jayni says in the film: "The first time we stayed together, the first time I went to wake him up, he shuddered. And he explained, 'Well, my mother would wake me up slapping me,' from the time he was a little guy."

"Our mother was a bag of cats," Chase's brother John says, "certainly on the schizoid spectrum."

Chevy Chase is looking back on a lifetime of laughs in a new documentary about his distinguished comedy career.

The comedian, 82, was part of the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and after leaving the show starred in a string of hit comedies throughout the 1980s, including "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."

With the documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" set to premiere on CNN, scroll through for a look back at Chase's career, starting with Chase with his "Saturday Night Live" costars in 1975.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase was known for his recurring "Weekend Update" anchor role on "Saturday Night Live."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> One of Chevy Chase's iconic roles was as Clark Griswold in the 1985 film "National Lampoon's Vacation" alongside Beverly D'Angelo as his wife Ellen, Anthony Michael Hall as his son Rusty and Dana Barron as his daughter Audrey.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase in the 1989 film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase starred in the 1997 film "Vegas Vacation."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase appeared in the 2000 film "Snow Day."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase, seen here with Gillian Jacobs, starred on the NBC sitcom "Community."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase appeared in the 2010 comedy film "Hot Tub Time Machine."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase returned as Clark Griswold in the 2015 film "Vacation" with Beverly D'angelo. Ed Helms starred as Rusty Griswold with Christina Applegate as Rusty's wife Debbie Griswold, along with Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins as their kids.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chevy Chase poses for a portrait during the People's Choice Awards 2010 held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Jan. 6, 2010, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

From 'Caddyshack' to 'National Lampoon,' see Chevy Chase's memorable roles

Chevy Chase is looking back on a lifetime of laughs in a new documentary about his distinguished comedy career.The comedian, 82, was part of the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975 and after leaving the show starred in a string of hit comedies throughout the 1980s, including "Caddyshack" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."With the documentary "I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not" set to premiere on CNN, scroll through for a look back at Chase's career, starting with Chase with his "Saturday Night Live" costars in 1975.

Chevy Chase enters rehab for cocaine addiction

Others at "Saturday Night Live" took drugs to keep up with the demands of a live weekly sketch show, but "the person that they worried about the most was Chevy," says James Andrew Miller, coauthor of "Live From New York." "He was doing a lot of drugs."

Producer Alan Greisman recalls a vacation to Hawaii in 1981 when Chase "had somebody ship him many ounces of coke in a special shaving cream can, which you could twist in a certain way and get to the coke."

Chase's brother, Ned, also recalls cocaine being a table centerpiece at a dinner in LA. "In the center of the table, there was, like, a lazy Susan" with a pyramid on it, Ned says. "That pyramid was cocaine."

The comedian's cocaine use became unavoidable in 1986 when a doctor informed Jayni of her husband's addiction. So they held an intervention. "He said, 'I know I need to stop, and I know I need help,'" Jayni remembers.

That year, Chase was admitted to the Betty Ford treatment center in Rancho Mirage, California,telling the public it was for a dependency on painkillers. "But after a week, he called me and begged me to come pick him up," Jayni says.

Chevy Chase denies Terry Sweeney's account of 'SNL' hosting

When Chase returned to host "SNL" in 1985, he clashed with the show's first openly gay cast member,Terry Sweeney. Jon Lovitz recalled in the book "Live From New York" that Chase asked Sweeney to lick his testicles.

"I think Chevy was just being Chevy," "SNL" creatorLorne Michaelssays. "We would say terrible things because that's what would make us laugh."

Sweeney, who declined to be interviewed for the documentary, described Chase as "a monster" in the "SNL" oral history "Live From New York." He "insulted everybody," Sweeney said, and suggested a sketch in which Sweeney contracted AIDS and is weighed weekly.

Hearing the joke in the documentary makes Chase laugh uncomfortably. "That's the worst," he assesses before expressing his hope that Sweeney is dead, "because I don't want you talking to him about this."

When a member of the crew suggests a reading from "Live From New York," Chase replies: "Oh, this is great, thanks. This will make my day."

Sweeney wrote in the book that Chase was asked to apologize and was "really furious" about that. "None of that's true," Chase insists. "I would remember that … that I was angry, that I had to apologize to him. … My memory is that he's lying, is my memory. He's not telling the truth."

Sweeney, inan online conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, doubled down on his loathing of Chase. "It all reflects rightly horribly on him!"Sweeney told the outlet. Sweeney also doesn't allow Chase's childhood abuse to excuse his behavior.

"Boohoo … poor screwed up kid … so THAT's why he's so rotten!!!!!!!" Sweeney told the outlet. USA TODAY reached out to reps for Sweeney and Chase for comment.

Chevy Chase's 'meltdown' on the set of 'Community'

Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed episodes of "Community" (2009–2015), noticed "a little bit of negativity around Chevy and rest of the cast." Chandrasekhar says that to minimize Chase's time on set with costarsAlison Brie,Yvette Nicole Brown,Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, series creator Dan Harmon broke Chase's character's legs in Season 2 to isolate him.

Jayni says Chase was viewed as "the old fart" on the show and noticed him drinking heavily.

"He was not an alcoholic all those years, but alcoholism is a whole different level," she says. "It really takes over, and that was hard for him to stop."

Chase had concerns about his character, Pierce Hawthorne.

"They were writing his character more and more bigoted," Chase's daughter Caley says, "and he was getting upset about it."

"Harmon writes this, a blackface hand-puppet routine," Chandrasekhar says, referencing an episode in Season 4 filmed in 2012 that he directed. "The character is a little tone deaf on this thing. Now had it been Chevy in his heyday he would've been totally fine. He said something to Yvette. I know that there was a history between those two around race, and she got up and stormed out of there. Chevy storms off."

At the time,The Hollywood Reporter, citing an unidentified source, said Chase used a racial slur "while venting his ongoing frustration with his character … when questioning the dialogue in a scene" with Brown and Glover, who are Black. "The slur was not directed at them," the source says.

Chandrasekhar says in the documentary that Brown refused to resume filming unless Chase apologized.

"He comes back on the set, and he goes, 'Hey man, I didn't say anything,'" Chandrasekhar says. "And I'm like: 'No, I know. I know.' He goes, 'You know me and Richard Pryor, I used to call Richard Pryor the N-word. He used to call me The Honkey, and we loved each other.' And I'm like, 'I know, man. I love that bit.'"

When Chandrasekhar asked for an apology, he says Chase replied, "For what?"

According to The Hollywood Reporter's 2012 report, Chase "apologized immediately."

Chandrasekhar says that after the incident made news, Chase "comes storming onto the set, and he goes, 'Who f----- me over?… My career is ruined. I'm ruined!'"

"It's a full meltdown," Chandrasekhar adds. "'F--- all of you!'"

Pierce's death was revealed in Season 5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chevy Chase documentary reveals 'pyramid' of cocaine, 'full meltdown'

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January 01, 2026

Cocaine, abuse, 'full meltdown' – Chevy Chase doc revelations

Far from a "Christmas Vacation," CNN'sChevy Chasedocumentary doesn't shy away from the actor's marr...

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Japan's emperor and his family greet New Year well-wishers

TOKYO (AP) — Japan'sEmperor Naruhitoand his family waved to a crowd of flag-waving New Year's well-wishers gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.

Standing with his wife Masako and the rest of the royal family, he wished a happy new year to people lined up below the palace balcony, some shouting, "banzai" — Japanese for "long live."

The annual New Year's appearance by the emperor and his familydraws huge crowds to the palace's usually cloistered grounds in central Tokyo.

People stand in long lines, weathering the cold, for each of the five appearances during the day, as the imperial family remains relatively popular.

The emperor does not have political power but holds symbolic significance for Japan. He and his family are longtime advocates for peace, although World War II was fought in the name of Naruhito's grandfather Hirohito.

In a statement released in advance, Naruhito noted that last year marked80 years since the end of that war. He stressed the importance of the message of peace, given that war and strife continued in parts of the world.

"I deeply feel it's important to continue with efforts among people for dialogue, trying to deepen mutual understanding, so we can build a world of peace," he said in the statement.

In both the statement and comments Friday, he spoke about recent natural disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rainfall and snow, and forest fires.

In 2024, the annual appearance was canceled because of a New Year's Dayquake in the Noto Peninsula, a coastal area in central Japan, which killed hundreds of people. In 2021 and 2022, it got canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Princess Aiko, the imperial couple's only child, appeared with her parents at this year's greeting, as did other relatives. She is at the center of anational debateabout rules allowing only men to inherit to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The presence of Naruhito's nephew, Hisahito, also drew attention, as he now takes part in adult imperial events and is a possible heir to the throne. He is second in line after his father, the emperor's brother.

Akihito, Naruhito's father and emperor emeritus who abdicated in 2019, was also there with his wife Michiko, the emperor's mother.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threadshttps://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

January 01, 2026

Japan's emperor and his family greet New Year well-wishers

TOKYO (AP) — Japan'sEmperor Naruhitoand his family waved to a crowd of flag-waving New Year's well-wishers gather...

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“The Office ”star recalls getting bitten by a monkey on set with Sarah Jessica Parker

Eric McCandless/Disney; Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

Key Points

• Melora Hardin is recounting a harrowing encounter with an animal actor while on the set of a '90s procedural starring Sarah Jessica Parker.

• The Office star tells EW that during the filming of an episode of Equal Justice, she "had to deal with a monkey, and the monkey bit me."

• "It didn't make me bleed, but it definitely cut my skin," she reflects, able to look back on it now with perspective. "I'm fine. You know? We put a Band-Aid on it, and then we did it again."
  

Whoever said acting was an easy gig?

After appearing in over 100 films and TV series since the time she was 6 years old,Melora Hardinhas lived to tell the truth — good and ugly — about show business.

In a recent, career-spanning interview withEntertainment Weekly, theOffice,Monk, and27 Dressesstar recalled one of her more harrowing experiences with a costar — but not one she could reason with like Steve Carell or Tony Shalhoub.

"I had actually done something withSarah Jessica Parker, where I also had to deal with a monkey, and the monkey bit me on that one," Hardin shares. Reflecting on her many memorable on-set experiences with animals, from leading the Saturday morning kids showThunderwith a horse to her infamous encounter with Marcel the capuchin onFriends, Hardin remains as ardent an animal lover as ever. But the close call with Parker on the short-lived ABC seriesEqual Justicerattled the actress.

Craig Blankenhorn /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty

"It didn't make me bleed, but it definitely cut my skin," she says. "It could have been worse, but those monkeys, it was the same kind of monkey [as onFriends]. Those monkeys are just so high strung. They're just really hyper kind of animals. They're really highly anxious."

Hardin says that working with the worrisome Marcel was just as tricky. The only difference was that theFriendsexperience didn't result in injury. "It was a similar thing. He just was jumping around in the scene and he just decided to bite me.

Equal Justicewas a legal procedural that aired on ABC from 1990 to 1991. Parker played the fresh-faced law school graduate Jo Ann Harris, who must prove herself as a junior member of a competitive staff of prosecutors at a district attorney's office. Hardin guest-starred as Doris on a season 2 episode in which Jo Ann teams up with Jane Kaczmarek's Linda Bauer to crack a case against a pregnant addict.

By that time, Hardin had just secured a star turn in the lead role of CBS' series adaptation ofDirty Dancing, while Parker was already an established A-lister with roles in films likeFootlooseand series likeSquare Pegs. Half a decade later, they'd both land their next big breaks, with Hardin appearing in the Clint Eastwood thrillerAbsolute Powerand Parker headliningSex and the City.

Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.Hardin can now shrug when looking back on theEqual Justicedebacle. "I love animals, and I'm okay with them. I mean, if today that happened to an actress, I don't know, would they sue? Oh, God!" she jokes. Ultimately, theEqual Justicescene turned out as planned. "I'm fine. You know? We put a Band-Aid on it, and then we did it again.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

January 01, 2026

“The Office ”star recalls getting bitten by a monkey on set with Sarah Jessica Parker

Eric McCandless/Disney; Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Key Points Melora Hardin is recounting a harrowing encounter with an animal actor while...

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Venezuela has detained several Americans as tensions with US rise

Venezuelan security forces have detained at least five Americans in recent months as the US has built a pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN.

The circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some could have been involved in drug smuggling, the official said. US officials are still collecting information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and at the time of their detention, the official added.

Trump administration officials believe that the Maduro regime is detaining the Americans to build leverage against the US, the official said, as the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader — including the US strikes on drug boats, a CIA strike on Venezuelan port facility and recent oil blockade — has intensified in recent months.

The tactic mirrors that of Russia, Venezuela's longtime ally, which has detained numerous Americans on Russian soil in recent years to use as leverage in Moscow's tense relations with the US.

The New York Times was first to report on the recently detained Americans.

The State Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Trump administration officials have resisted saying that they are actively seeking regime change in Venezuela but have accused Maduro of being illegitimate and a narco-trafficker. The administration has been increasing pressure on Maduro, including the "blockade" of sanctioned oil vessels and other financial tactics.

In December the State Department announced two sets of sanctions against Maduro's family members, targeting three of Maduro's nephews, his sister-in-law and other relatives.

Also in December, the US conducted its first strike on a land target in Venezuela, hitting a port facility in a CIA drone strike, CNN reported.

"It is clear that the current status quo with the current Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a December press conference when asked about comments from the White House chief of staff that Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."

Venezuela holds hundreds of people as political prisoners,accordingto human rights activists, some of whom were detained in the aftermath of a 2024 election in which Maduro claimed victory but thatindependent observerssaid was undemocratic.

Dozens of people were released from a Venezuelan prison on Thursday, Venezuelan rights groups said.

None of them are American, according to Alfredo Romero, the head of rights group Foro Penal.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

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January 01, 2026

Venezuela has detained several Americans as tensions with US rise

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Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the34-year-old democratic socialist's promises to address affordability.

On a freezing New Year's Day, theDemocratic mayor took his ceremonial oath of officeon the steps of City Hall, with thousands of people lining several Manhattan blocks and a slate of celebrities championing him with Millennial cultural touchstones. Mamdani acknowledged people, includingthose outside the five boroughs, want to see how a leftist will manage a municipal government.

The former state assemblyman from Queens vowed to govern the in same as manner as he was elected: as anunapologetic democratic socialist.

Here are five takeaways on his inauguration.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City

Mamdani's faith on full display

Mamdani's Muslim faith was front and center during his inauguration.

He took the oath of office at midnight byswearing in on a pair of Qurans, Islam's holiest book, and then again during his public inauguration ceremony.

Imam Khalid Latif, joined by representatives of multiple faiths, offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not the wealthy or the powerful.

Mamdani is the first Muslim mayorof the nation's largest city. He is an outspoken proponent of Palestinian rights and critic of Israel. His election sparked concern among many conservatives and Israel supporters. Some political adversaries have sought to link him to Islamist terrorists. Mamdani has previously said he had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office.

Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007.

"Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."

He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."

Democratic socialists take power

Nearly a decade ago, democratic socialism was an obscure term, unknown to most Americans.

A few lawmakers have since brought it to the forefront, including Mamdani.

Before administering Mamdani's oath of office,U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, a fellow democratic socialist and a Brooklyn native, said Mamdani's agenda on addressing affordability is not radical.

But Sanders said supporters needed to keep pushing for his policies such as free buses, universal childcare and even city-run grocery stores. Sanders' trademark message, to have wealthy and large corporations pay more in taxes, was met by chants of "tax the rich."

"The billionaire class in this city and country have got to understand that in America they cannot have it all," Sanders said. "That America, our great country, must belong to all of us, not just a few. And that lesson begins today in New York City."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, another democratic socialist, opened the inauguration with an introduction. Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani look to Sanders as a source of inspiration for progressive politics.

Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Mamdani's campaign platform focused on addressing affordability through free universal childcare, affordable rent and "clean and dignified" public transit for New Yorkers.

"We have chosen that over the distractions of bigotry and the barbarism of extreme income inequality," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have chosen this path because we know that it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. And that, if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere."

In his speech, Mamdani said he was elected as a democratic socialist and will govern as a democratic socialist. On stage, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Eric Adams, two moderate Democrats, sat by listening.

Time to govern, acknowledging the world is watching

Mamdani acknowledged the world was watching what ademocratic socialist can do in office. National Republicans including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have usedMamdani as a boogeyman, but his inauguration address didn't reference them or Congress. Instead, he focused on New Yorkers and their city.

His campaign promised to ease the cost of living, a message that has expanded far beyond New York and has transformed Democratic politics. But now, he said his administration has to implement his platform.

"They want to know if the left can govern," Mamdani said. "They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again."

Mamdani said New York City will make an example for the world. "The work, my friends, has only just begun," he said.

Mamdani is thoroughly Millennial

Mamdani, like a not-insignificant number of Millennial men, had a past rap career, under themonikers Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom, complete with a SoundCloud.

His inauguration music, from a wide array of genres, highlighted his generation.

Broadway actor Javier Muñoz, who starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" and "Hamilton," delivered the national anthem. New York-based disc jockey DJ mOma served as master of musical ceremony playing welcome music ahead of the inauguration and during a seven block-long street party.

His set included an international selection includingJennifer Lopez's2001 song "Play" to "Thari Mummy Ne Chawe Pawno Delhi Walo" by Bharatraj Masinia, a singer from India's Rajasthan region. Mamdani, whose parents were born in India, is the first New York mayor of South Asian descent.

Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder got multiple plays in the set. Jay-Z tracks included "Beware of the Boys" a remix of the 1998 song from the British-Indian recording artist Panjabi MC, itself a remix of an original song is performed by Indian bhangra singer Labh Janjua, and, of course, "Empire State of Mind," his duet with Alicia Keys. Also in the playlist: "As" and "Another Star," from Wonder's 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life."

Popular hits fromBad Bunny("NUEVAYoL") mixed with the seventies pop track "Dancing Queen" from ABBA. Walkup music continued during the swearing-in with snippets heard of "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from Talking Heads.

Now a national political figure, Mamdani also represents a change in Democratic politics that have skewed heavily old and gray.

Mamdani inspires supporters in freezing cold

Temperatures in Manhattan, even with sun peering between buildings,hovered in the 20s. But that didn't stop thousands of Mamdani supporters from standing in city streets, or celebrities honoring the new mayor.

The celebration at times felt more like a concert than a political celebration.

Mandy Patinkin, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor whocelebrated Hanukkah with Mamdani, had a musical performance with public school students. Grammy-award winning singerLucy Dacusperformed a political song often associated with the labor movement at Mamdani's inauguration ceremony.

Dacus, a solo artist and a member of supergroup Boygenius, performed "Bread and Roses," a song from the early 20th century that was derived from a poem and political slogan during the women's suffrage movement and labor protests that called for fair wages and better working conditions.

The "Night Shift" singer, 30, who is originally from Richmond, Virginia, has been outspoken about abortion rights, LGBTQ+ issues, including denouncing anti-drag legislation in Tennessee, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Assembling in front of City Hall, celebrants bopped to music from Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee andBollywood performers, along with the classic "New York, New York" song popularized by Frank Sinatra. The songs blasting from the stairs of City Hall were a love letter to the city itself, signifying New York's diversity and multiculturalism as well as Mamdani's South Asian background.

But even amid the dancing and singing along, the audience was moved to tears by several speakers, each describing their vision of a new New York.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inauguration takeaways

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

January 01, 2026

Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make goo...

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Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States tocombat drug trafficking, the South American country's President Nicolás Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used by cartels.

Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began witha massive military deployment to the Caribbean Seain August.

"What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force," Maduro said, later adding thatit is time for both nations to "start talking seriously, with data in hand."

"The U.S. government knows, because we've told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we're ready," he said. "If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it."

Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.

The interview was taped onNew Year's Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims.

President Donald Trump hasjustified the attacksas a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an"armed conflict" with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behinda drone strike last weekat a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration'spressure campaignon Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.

Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could "talk about it in a few days."

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

January 01, 2026

Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States tocombat drug trafficking,...

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Scott Wolf Calls 2025 the 'Hardest Year of My Life' After Dropping Restraining Order Against Estranged Wife Kelley Wolf

JC Olivera/Variety via Getty; Michael Loccisano/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Scott Wolf reflected on "the hardest year of my life" as he looked back on 2025

• The actor shared a series of photos, including an image of a dumpster fire, as he reflected on a year that included months of legal and personal drama that began in June, when he filed for divorce from his wife of 21 years, Kelley Wolf

• "The hardest year brought the most love," he wrote in his "grateful" post

Scott Wolfis staying grateful despite the ups and downs of the past year.

The 57-year-old actor shared a roundup post of photos from the last 12 months toInstagramon Thursday, Jan. 1. He began the slideshow, however, with a picture of a literal dumpster fire.

"2025 Recap. Grateful for the hardest year of my life," Scott wrote. "The curriculum was brutal for those I love most. There was suffering, learning, growing, loving, laughing, crying. Mostly learning and growing."

He continued, "In other words, life. I think we passed. I love my people more than ever. I love people more than ever. I love my work more than ever. So the hardest year brought the most love. Life indeed. Wishing you all a 2026 full of love. ❤️."

While Scott included a few photos from work on his Fox medical seriesDoc, his post almost entirely focused on his family.

Scott filed for divorce from his estranged wife,Kelley Wolf, on June 9, 2025, after 21 years of marriage. The couple share three children: sons Jackson, 16, and Miller, 13, and daughter Lucy, 11.

Days later, Kelley was placed onan involuntary "5150" psychiatric holdat a Utah hospital due to a friend's concern for her mental health. At that time, Scott filedhis first restraining orderagainst the formerReal Worldstar, which he woulddrop the following month.

Scott Wolf/Instagram

In August, Kelley was arrested after alleged online harassment and doxxing of friends and family members, including a post exposing Scott's personal phone number and communication with her children. She was charged withthree misdemeanors: one count of electronic communications harassment and two counts of electronic disclosure of personal identifying information.

Following that incident, a protective order was issued against Kelley, which stated that she could nothave any direct or indirect contact with Scott or the children. Less than a week later, she wascharged with another misdemeanor for violating that order.

Kelley told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement at the time that she was "utterly shocked [for] the unabating aggressive use of a legal system and possibly more."

"[It] has become almost intolerable to my physical body, my family's health and well-being period," she continued. "I'm unclear as to how these things are allowed to be processed. I have been compliant with everything legal, I have said nothing disparaging about anyone at any time. I'd like to also state for anyone who doesn't seem to understand — that divorce can take time. Anyone who continues to put pressure on a mother when all she's doing is fighting for her children is somebody who needs to check themselves."

In late September, Kelley was again admitted to a Utah mental health hospital after allegedly making threats toward herself and Scott. Sources told PEOPLE at the time that she underwent an interview and mental health examination on Sept. 26, leading a judge to issue a court-ordered minimum 60-day involuntary psychiatric hold

"She is currently being held against her will as she was deemed a danger to herself and others," a source told PEOPLE. " Right now, [it's important] to stabilize her mood with medication. But she is okay."

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

While Kelley wasunable to continue divorce proceedingsduring her treatment, it seemed tensions between her and her ex had thawed by Oct. 3, which marked her 49th birthday.

Scott acknowledged the day onInstagramwith an older photo of Kelley smiling. "Happy birthday to you 🎂❤️‍🩹," he wrote.

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Two months later, a Utah court granted Scott's request todismiss the amended temporary protective order against Kelley.The case was then dismissed, and any protective orders issued have been declared null and void.

Kelley, her lawyers and a rep for Scott have not responded to subsequent requests for comment from PEOPLE.

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

January 01, 2026

Scott Wolf Calls 2025 the 'Hardest Year of My Life' After Dropping Restraining Order Against Estranged Wife Kelley Wolf

JC Olivera/Variety via Getty; Michael Loccisano/Getty NEED TO KNOW Scott Wolf reflected on "the hardest year of my life" as he ...

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