IJR News

Brad Pitt Drinks Moderately After Seven-Year Sobriety

Brad Pitt reveals he is no longer sober after seven years and can have a few glasses of wine but cannot drink in large quantities, describing his current stance as more restrained following his split from Angelina Jolie. He also discusses past suicidal thoughts tied to ‘family stuff’ and the emotional pain from his divorce and children's situation, shared in Esquire interviews.

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt

21m

Media

TikTok closes Nashville office, cuts 250 jobs

TikTok USDS Joint Venture is permanently closing its Nashville office on Oct. 5, laying off about 250 workers mainly in content moderation as part of a broader operational consolidation following a 2024 ownership overhaul. The company says the move is to streamline operations and better align teams for long-term growth, with moderation duties redirected to other hubs and automation playing a larger role.

5h

Florida to Test eVTOLs at SunTrax with FAA

Florida will actively test electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and autonomous vehicles this year at SunTrax in Auburndale, following the facility’s expansion to include two vertiports as part of the state’s push into advanced air mobility and connected transportation. Officials say the program could ease congestion along corridors like Tampa to Orlando, enable new cargo and emergency-use applications, and begin broader eVTOL testing across Central Florida with plans to extend testing through 2026 and beyond.

Ron DeSantis

7h

Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies place Caleb Kilian on 15-day IL

Phillies right-hander Caleb Kilian was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left oblique, sidelining him after he joined Philadelphia at the trade deadline. The club recalled Chase Shugart to take his spot, as Kilian’s absence adds to a tired bullpen following the late-de July additions.

Caleb Kilian Chase Shugart

8h

Football

Three Virginia Cavaliers Named to Bruce Feldman’s 2026 Freaks List

Virginia football’s 2025 ACC Championship appearance featured a late, overtime-defining finish against Duke, while early 2026 projections emphasize Middlebrook at running back and Gibson in the receiving corps. The program also earned spots on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for three Cavaliers and welcomed back Holmes and Moore to preseason activities following a strong 2025 season.

10h

Aces rest Wilson, Gray, Young ahead of New York Liberty game in back-to-back

The Las Vegas Aces rested A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young for Sunday’s game against the New York Liberty on the second half of a brutal back-to-back, citing player health after extensive cross-country travel. Coach Becky Hammon emphasized health and safety amid a lengthy road trip and a late arrival in New York following a Minnesota game.

A'ja Wilson Chelsea Gray

11h

Reporting

Mamdani Issues Statement Following Response To Grocery Store Announcement

You may have seen the recent controversy over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration’s suggestion that residents might need some kind of “library card-esque” identification to shop at the city’s proposed government-supported grocery stores. That idea was quickly walked back, but the concern did not come out of nowhere. Mamdani’s defenders have […]

6d

Emma Roberts, Cody John Reported Married in Idaho

Emma Roberts and Cody John are marrying this weekend in Idaho at a private estate in an intimate ceremony with close family and friends, following years of a measured relationship that began in 2022 and includes their shared son Rhodes, born in 2020, and a 2024 engagement kept under wraps. The couple has maintained a low public profile throughout their romance.

Emma Roberts Julia Roberts

Jul 27, 2026

Space

Starship 13: Water Recovery, Artemis Ties

SpaceX has delayed the Starship 13th flight multiple times, most recently setting a July 24 target after weather disruption and earlier engine-start failures following a July 16 abort, with the May S39 test having ended in an explosion. The postponements come amid heightened investor and public scrutiny after SpaceX’s IPO, as the company pushes to validate Starship’s performance for future Mars missions and, in some reports, to test upgraded Starlink satellites.

SpaceX Earth

Jul 27, 2026

DOJ Withdraws Subpoenas in NYT Air Force One Probe

The DOJ subpoenas NYT journalists over coverage of President Trump's Qatari-donated Air Force One have sparked a high-stakes clash over press freedom, with the Times arguing First Amendment protections while the government defends its leak investigations. Following court proceedings, several subpoenas have been withdrawn and the Times remains in court against the administration's use of subpoenas to compel testimony and access reporters' sources.

Donald J. Trump Arun Subramanian

Jul 26, 2026

Powell Five Die in Scioto River Rescue

Five people died in Powell, Ohio after a group attempted to rescue a struggling swimmer in the Scioto River, with a frightened child alerting authorities and two women then three men found dead; two children under 10 were placed in the care of family services. The incident unfolded Sunday with others jumping in to help as the group faced rising dangers, and authorities confirmed the sequence of recoveries over the following days.

Jul 25, 2026

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt Seeks Jolie Surname Change

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Vivienne has filed to legally drop Pitt from her surname, with a November 2 hearing set, following siblings Zahara and Maddox who are also pursuing name changes and Shiloh who has already become Jolie. The moves reflect a broader trend among Jolie-Pitt children to distance themselves from Pitt’s name, often after publishing required public notices and completing court steps in California.

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt

Jul 25, 2026

Hockey

Panthers Sign Akira Schmid to Two-Year Deal

The Florida Panthers signed goaltender Akira Schmid to a two-year, $4 million contract, avoided arbitration, and added him as a depth option behind Jacob Markstrom after acquiring him from the Vegas Golden Knights. The move comes following the departure of Sergei Bobrovsky, bolstering the Panthers’ goaltending tandem for the 2027-28 season amid Schmid’s growing playoff pedigree and 2.59 GAA/0.893 save percentage with Vegas last season.

Akira Schmid Jacob Markström

Jul 25, 2026

Music

Victoria Monét Unveils Frequency of Love, Reach Out

Victoria Monét announced her sophomore album Frequency of Love for October 2 release, releasing the lead single Reach Out produced by Kaytranada and D’Mile with a Dave Meyers-directed video featuring Sean Bankhead, as she continues promoting the project on tour with Bruno Mars. The album, following Jaguar II, is teased as a 22-track collection while Monét’s recent single Let Me topped the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart, underscoring a rising era for the artist.

Victoria Monét

Jul 25, 2026

Social Media

France Bans Under-15 Social Media, Phones in Schools

France is pushing a bill to ban children under 15 from major social networks and mobile phone use in high schools, aiming for a September start though it must clear EU compatibility requirements and parliamentary votes. Lawmakers are negotiating between a universal ban and a blacklist approach, with President Macron backing the measure and enforcement hinging on an officially maintained list of banned platforms and age-verification rules, following an Australian precedent.

Emmanuel Macron