American songwriter, actor, librettist and creator of Hamilton and In the Heights
Glen Hansard has died after a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the outskirts of Dublin, in the early hours of 29 July 2026. His management has confirmed the 56-year-olds death. Hansard has won an Academy Award for "Falling Slowly," fronted The Frames and acted in The Commitments and Once.
Valeria Luiselli’s fourth novel, Beginning Middle End, follows a narrator touring Europe with her daughter as she seeks a narrative arc. The book unfolds across Sicily, Germany and the Netherlands, with episodic chapters and mythic elements, meeting resistance to a conventional plot. Critics note its fragmented structure while recognizing its probing look at memory, storytelling and family.
DOJ lawyers warn the Kennedy Center may face teardown if the Trump-backed renovations do not proceed; multiple lawsuits, board actions, and court orders shape the struggle over naming and future use. The issue centers on whether the center can be renamed and how renovations will unfold amid political pressure.
Apple Studios’ biopic Tenzing has opened theaters and debuts on Apple TV+. The film foregrounds Tenzing Norgay’s life, recasting Everest history away from a Hillary-centric narrative, while Sherpa voices and climate-change impacts in the Himalayas frame its release.