What are the Nebraska Blackshirts? Explaining Huskers' defense nickname

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. What are the Nebraska Blackshirts? Explaining Huskers' defense nickname Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORKNovember 1, 2025 at 7:06 AM 0 This weekend, the normally redclad confines of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium will be covered in black. The Cornhuskers' game against USC on Saturday, Nov. 1 is a designated "blackout" game, with coach Matt Rhule's team set to wear black jerseys on a field with black end zones and in front of tens of thousands of fans decked out in black clothing.

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change.

What are the Nebraska Blackshirts? Explaining Huskers' defense nickname

Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORKNovember 1, 2025 at 7:06 AM

0

This weekend, the normally red-clad confines of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium will be covered in black.

The Cornhuskers' game against USC on Saturday, Nov. 1 is a designated "blackout" game, with coach Matt Rhule's team set to wear black jerseys on a field with black end zones and in front of tens of thousands of fans decked out in black clothing.

Blackouts are nothing particularly new in college or professional sports, with the concept gaining popularity in the 2000s, even for teams that don't have black as one of their primary colors.

REQUIRED READING: When college football season of coaching buyouts can't get worse, Nebraska steps up

For Nebraska, the hue has a different and cherished meaning.

The "Blackshirts," a reference to the Huskers' defense, is a central part of the Nebraska football lore, something that helped the Huskers win five national championships and become one of the most storied programs in college football history.

Here's a closer look at the history of the Blackshirts:

Nebraska Blackshirts

Under coaches Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, Nebraska football became a powerhouse, a program that regularly competed for championships.

From 1970 through 1997, the Huskers won five national titles and 16 conference championships while racking up 17 seasons with at least 10 wins and competing in bowls that are now a part of the New Year's Six lineup 24 times.

One of the many forces behind that decorated run was a ferocious defense. It was a unit that not only kept opponents out of the end zone and off the scoreboard, but one that had a mythology develop around it.

After the 1963 season, the NCAA ended the one-platoon system, meaning that teams had unlimited substitutions and were able to create dedicated offensive, defensive and special teams units. Though Devaney played most of his starters on both offense and defense in Nebraska's 1964 season opener, a 56-0 victory against South Dakota, he announced in the days leading up to a Sept. 26 game at Minnesota that he would be using separate offensive and defensive units.

The move presented an organizational challenge, with the coaches needing a way to distinguish between offensive and defensive players during practice that week. As the story goes, Huskers assistant Mike Corgan went to a local sporting goods store to look for pullovers for players to wear in practice. The frugal Corgan noticed an abundance of black jerseys, which he purchased for the Nebraska defense.

"I told Mike the only reason they had black ones was because they didn't sell," Nebraska defensive line coach George Kelly once said.

Defensive players weren't guaranteed to wear a black pullover. According to Kelly, Huskers defenders had previously worn gray pullovers, but when the switch to offensive and defensive units was made, black pullovers were given only to starters, something that was used as a motivational tactic.

The idea of the "Black Shirt" quickly caught on in the local media, with newspapers in Lincoln and Omaha making reference to the shirts in stories. It didn't hurt that those Nebraska defenses in the early days of the black pullovers were particularly stout. In that fateful 1964 season, the Huskers had the nation's No. 2 total defense. Three years later, in 1967, they were No. 1.

Even as coaches and players changed, the "Blackshirt" moniker (which eventually became a single word) persisted.

Facets of it were altered. Players' numbers and names were added to the jerseys. They were no longer handed out before practice and collected afterward. During Osborne's legendary 25-year run as coach, members of the top defensive unit during preseason training camp would receive Blackshirts the week before the team's first game.

Over time, Blackshirts described not only the Nebraska starters, but the Huskers' entire defense — and even came to define the entire program itself.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are the Nebraska Blackshirts? Huskers' defense nickname explained

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

Read More

---

Source: Sports

Published: November 01, 2025 at 12:27PM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/02/2025 12:46:00 AM

What are the Nebraska Blackshirts? Explaining Huskers' defense nickname

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. What are the ...

Read More

BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport recall chaos after RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 self-elimina...

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes AS3 legends to spill on the most shocking moment in All Stars herstory, Shangela's hilarious method acting, a neverbeforeseen 10minute cut of Davenport's Bitchelor performance, and what went down in that final jury deliberation. BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport recall chaos after RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 selfelimination EW's BINGE podcast welcomes AS3 legends to spill on the most shocking moment in All Stars herstory, Shangela's hilarious method acting, a neverbeforeseen 10minute cut of Davenport's Bitchelor performance, and what went down in that final jury...

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes AS3 legends to spill on the most shocking moment in All Stars herstory, Shangela's hilarious method acting, a never-before-seen 10-minute cut of Davenport's Bitchelor performance, and what went down in that final jury deliberation.

BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport recall chaos after RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 self-elimination

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes AS3 legends to spill on the most shocking moment in All Stars herstory, Shangela's hilarious method acting, a never-before-seen 10-minute cut of Davenport's Bitchelor performance, and what went down in that final jury deliberation.

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

July 14, 2021 2:57 p.m. ET

BenDeLaCreme eliminated herself from* RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3* because that's what? The gag of the season. Bedtime BD herself joins the latest episode of *EW's BINGE* podcast alongside fellow *AS3* legend Kennedy Davenport to discuss the aftermath of the most shocking exit in the show's herstory.

In the episode (listen above), DeLa reveals that the "meandering path" to the decision she made to eliminate herself from the competition wasn't something she'd planned from the beginning of the competition, but rather a seemingly cosmic alignment of queen energy. For starters, she got the Wite-Out she used to write her name on one of the lipsticks from her *AS3* cast mate Thorgy Thor, and the concept to write someone else's name over an existing stick sprung from a running joke she started with eventual season winner Trixie Mattel that would've involved writing "RuPaul" or "Michelle Visage" on the tube as a prank.

"There was this moment where I was like, ok, I've really established myself, people do see me as a frontrunner, I've broken some records, if I decide I'm not going to play by these rules, no one is going to be able to say that she gave up because she couldn't do it," DeLa remembers, while Davenport confirms that other moments organically "just led up" to the big, unplanned reveal. "It was kind of this perfect thing where, in this moment, I kind of was fed up with the conflict generating with that moment with Morgan [McMichaels], I saw that I'd actually already done what I needed to do, and these little moments clicked into place.... it felt like fate."

She says she was shocked that production didn't stop her from making the choice, and she's thankful they allowed it to play out as she wished. Still, she's unsure if she would've pulled the stunt the next time she won a lip-sync if she'd lost the duel against BeBe Zahara Benet.

"Who knows? Probably not. It was a thing that was relevant to the moment. Maybe I would've, but I don't dwell on pasts that don't exist," she finishes.

Davenport insists it was a "real moment" for her, too: "I was boo-hoo crying over there, honey," she says. "You know when it's your time to go home and that was really my time to go home. Had she not went home, I do believe I probably would've gone home that episode!"

Kennedy Davenport and BenDeLaCreme discuss shocking moments in EW's BINGE podcast 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3' recap. World of Wonder/ Paramount +

Other topics covered on this episode include:

- Shangela's hilarious method acting to get into character as Mariah Carey for the musical challenge

- Davenport's mini oral history on her iconic RuDemption chicken look that she insists is not a chicken (and which RuGirl purchased the piece after her original season)

- A call to "Release *The Bitchelor* Cut," as BenDeLaCreme and Davenport say there are 10-minute versions of their hilarious performances in the challenge (plus: they reveal what they did in those extra moments, too)

- Davenport pays tribute to her late friend and *RuPaul's Drag Race* icon Chi Chi DeVayne

- The circumstances surrounding the infamous Thorgy Thor note Trixie Mattel had in her station

- BenDeLaCreme discusses coming back to the show after self-eliminating for the finale deliberation (and shares tea on how the group might've felt voting for Davenport and Mattel versus Shangela)

- Davenport reveals that, after a period of tension, she and Mattel have had lovely conversations about repairing their relationship after an intense season

Tune in again next week as EW's BINGE welcomes Naomi Smalls, Monique Heart, and Manila Luzon for a full *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4* recap. Listen to BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport discuss *All Stars 3* above.

***Subscribe to* EW's BINGE* podcast for full recaps of *RuPaul's Drag Race*, including our new season diving into all five *All Stars *seasons, featuring exclusive interviews with Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, Shea Couleé, Alaska, Detox, BenDeLaCreme, Kennedy Davenport, and more*. *And be sure to catch up on our *BINGE* recaps of *RuPaul's Drag Race* seasons 1-13 with Symone, Jaida Essence Hall, Trixie Mattel, Katya, Peppermint, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, and more******!***

**Related content: **

- Alaska and Detox spill *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2* tea on the moment that almost saved Alyssa Edwards

- Jujubee and Alexis Mateo reveal who else almost quit *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 1*

- Yara Sofia was breast in show on *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 6* — and we love it

- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW EW"

Read More

---

Source: EW

Published: November 01, 2025 at 12:19PM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/02/2025 12:46:00 AM

BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport recall chaos after RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 self-elimina...

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes AS3 legends to spill on the most shocking moment in All Stars herstory, Shangela's hilari...

Read More

EW's BINGE welcomes Shea Couleé, Jujubee, and Blair St. Clair to kiki about the secrets of AS5, including what happened after the infamous &34;campaign&34; allegations and who Jujubee vowed not to vote for. RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5 queens spill untold tea on that 'campaign' against Shea EW's BINGE welcomes Shea Couleé, Jujubee, and Blair St. Clair to kiki about the secrets of AS5, including what happened after the infamous &34;campaign&34; allegations and who Jujubee vowed not to vote for. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiauthorphotoba4923fec03a4027868306485696ef41.

EW's BINGE welcomes Shea Couleé, Jujubee, and Blair St. Clair to kiki about the secrets of AS5, including what happened after the infamous "campaign" allegations and who Jujubee vowed not to vote for.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5 queens spill untold tea on that 'campaign' against Shea

EW's BINGE welcomes Shea Couleé, Jujubee, and Blair St. Clair to kiki about the secrets of AS5, including what happened after the infamous "campaign" allegations and who Jujubee vowed not to vote for.

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

on July 28, 2021 12:08 p.m. ET

Warring sisters, a "pig in a wig," and clashing kingdoms crumbling after an alleged "campaign" against a rising queen of the world: *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5* had all the makings of a juicy medieval epic, and season icons Jujubee, Blair St. Clair, and crowned queen Shea Couleé join the latest episode of *EW's BINGE *podcast (listen below) to reveal what really went down behind *AS5*'s gaggiest moments.

While many accepted Couleé's path to the crown as written in the gay stars, others seemingly tried their damndest to stir the post for great television; among *AS5*'s many herstory-making moments was perhaps the biggest *Drag Race* shock since Naomi Smalls eliminated Manila Luzon the year prior, when India Ferrah — up for elimination for the fourth straight week — revealed in a one-on-one deliberation that she'd previously heard returning legend Alexis Mateo "campaigning" to oust Couleé from the competition. It rocked the *Drag Race* fandom and Couleé herself, and while Jujubee and St. Clair still don't have clarification on what actually went down (no one feels Ferrah *or* Mateo is outright lying; it's likely a matter of misunderstanding or misinterpreting facts, they say), the latter reveals that there might've been a bit more orchestration happening among the dolls than we saw.

"I do have some insider tea," St. Clair reveals. "I don't really know how much of it's true, but I do know that [the eliminated queens] kind of like called each other, like, 'Hey, this is what was said, this is what's going on,' they got their story straight, so that when they all came to [shoot] the finale, no one was like shell-shocked, like, 'I had no idea you said that, I can't believe it.' So, everyone was on the same page within whatever side was true."

She continues: "I don't know what was true. I think that maybe both sides were somewhat true. I think maybe whoever was talking, I think it was misunderstood, probably. That's my guess. It doesn't make sense that there's this big conflict where there's no found-out true side."

Jujubee speculates that it could've been as simple as Mateo saying, "Oh, you voted for Shea, right?" as a sarcastic question, but the truth is still out there lingering between the minds of those involved.

EW's BINGE podcast welcomes Jujubee, Shea Couleé, and Blair St. Clair for a 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5' recap. World of Wonder

"There were some awkward silences, when the silences were there. I don't think any of us really thought that that was going to happen. I didn't know about it, and I'm still very confused about it," Jujubee explains. "I think it did cause Alexis to question a lot of things, and I think she handled it very well."

Later, Couleé joins the podcast for a solo interview to also address the topic, including why she chose to take the information that Ferrah told her in their one-on-one deliberation to the group for a debate.

"I contemplated saving her. Her plan almost worked. I was so worked up in my emotions, because I was already doubting Alexis. In that moment, it felt that Alexis wasn't really giving me a straight answer. I was really leaning towards picking Alexis' lipstick. I had my hands on it, ready to do it," Couleé reveals. "But, I remembered what I told myself in the beginning of the competition: My strategy would be based on the performance, and, at that time, India had the lowest performance. Though I was like, girl, thanks for the information, I'll take it from here. Unfortunately, it was still [her] time to go."

The reigning All Star adds that she has no negative feelings about her *AS5* competitors, and that she'd "never ever want to aim any hate or vitriol towards any of my sisters" and encourages people "to keep their negative opinions to themselves" because she doesn't hold anything against anyone involved in the drama.

"There was this weird moment where there was like this resolve, where India apologized to Alexis about the allegation, because, basically the way that our conversation had concluded was that [the incident unfolded] post-the lipstick votes being made. It left us to believe that India was more so rearranging the circumstances and chain of events to make it seem like it was a much more sinister plot."

Though Ferrah was eliminated shortly after her big reveal, she maintained in her exit interview with EW at the time that the events unfolded as she remembered them.

"It's absolutely the truth. I will live that truth until the day I die," she previously told EW. "On the side of the stage, Mayhem and Alexis — it was mainly Alexis. Mayhem didn't say much other than that she voted for Shea as well — came to me on the side of the stage and said 'So, did you vote her out? Are we getting rid of her?' I was like, 'What, who?' And she said Shea, and I said 'Shea doesn't deserve to go home, she's competition. Why would I send her home?,'" Ferrah explained. "It was a weird moment. Sitting in *Untucked* and hearing Alexis talk to Shea, telling her she was her family, I couldn't do it anymore. I knew I was going home, but I wasn't going to leave with another dark cloud over me. I wanted Shea to hear my truth and know who she was playing against."

Other highlights from our *AS5* recap episode include:

- St. Clair admits that there were clear — if unspoken — strategies and alliances among the girls

- Jujubee reveals the sweet reason she had no intention of ever voting for Derrick Barry to leave (which explains her pulling Mayhem Miller's lipstick!)

- Jujubee settles it: She absolutely did not throw her challenge-winning lip-sync to avoid voting (mama would never pass up coin!) and gives an update on her friendship with Miz Cracker

- How Jujubee purred her legendary Eartha Kitt *Snatch Game* *of Love* performance into existence

- St. Clair and Jujubee discuss Mateo's state of mind before and after Ferrah's "campaign" allegations

- St. Clair reveals a gaggy moment where she says the queens huddled off-camera to get their stories straight about the controversial moment

- St. Clair addresses other drag queens critiquing the queens on digital recap shows and her infamous notebook-assisted stand-up comedy routine

- Couleé reveals her true thoughts on Ross Mathews' "crafty" critique

- A mini oral history on the creation of Flavor Flav as one of the best *Snatch Game* characters of all time — and who tried to stop her from doing it

- Couleé reflects on her friendship with the incredible Sasha Velour and the pain the season 9 finale lip-sync caused going forward

- We get unexpectedly hilarious tea on which queens had a secret hot tub party with Krispy Kreme donuts and a *very* curious old man at the production hotel

***Subscribe to* EW's BINGE* podcast for full recaps of *RuPaul's Drag Race*, including our new season diving into all five *All Stars *seasons, featuring exclusive interviews with Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, Shea Couleé, Alaska, Detox, BenDeLaCreme, Kennedy Davenport, and more*. *And be sure to catch up on our *BINGE* recaps of *RuPaul's Drag Race* seasons 1-13 with Symone, Jaida Essence Hall, Trixie Mattel, Katya, Peppermint, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, and more******!***

**Related content: **

- Naomi Smalls and Monique Heart dish on THAT shocking *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4* thrilla for Manila

- BenDeLaCreme and Kennedy Davenport recall chaos after *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3* self-elimination

- Alaska and Detox spill *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2* tea on the moment that almost saved Alyssa Edwards

- Jujubee and Alexis Mateo reveal who else almost quit *RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 1*

- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW EW"

Read More

---

Source: EW

Published: November 01, 2025 at 12:19PM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/02/2025 12:46:00 AM

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 5 queens spill untold tea on that 'campaign' against Shea

EW's BINGE welcomes Shea Couleé, Jujubee, and Blair St. Clair to kiki about the secrets of AS5, including what happened a...

Read More

There was one particular Damon moment that backfired on the writers. Vampire Diaries creators talk season 1's Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast' There was one particular Damon moment that backfired on the writers. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 4, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET Every story needs a good villain.

There was one particular Damon moment that backfired on the writers.

Vampire Diaries creators talk season 1's Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast'

There was one particular Damon moment that backfired on the writers.

By Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 4, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

Every story needs a good villain. And for the beginning of *The Vampire Diaries*, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) was that villain, the big bad brother who followed Stefan (Paul Wesley) home to Mystic Falls to make his life — or eternity — miserable. (And then there was Damon's whole plan to free the series' next villain from a tomb that she wasn't actually in, but we'll get to that.)

In the early days of the series, *Vampire Diaries* co-creators Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec worked to discover Damon's voice, finding inspiration from within. "It's just that inner voice that is so snarky, all the things you wanna say out loud but you can't," Williamson says during episode 1 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*.

The result was an arrogant (and glib) Salvatore who delivered a handful of enigmatic one-liners in season 1, including Plec's personal favorite: Standing on a roof, Damon refuses to tell Stefan his evil master plan. When asked what he's up to, he responds, "That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot." And it turns out, that line was Plec and Williamson's way of answering a network note... or 10.

"For the first three or four episodes, any time anyone read a script at the network they were like, 'Yes, but what's Damon's drive? What does Damon want?' And we were like, 'Oh my God, he just wants to be an a--hole,'" Plec says with a laugh.

So, the writers worked it into the script, with Stefan serving as the voice of the network, constantly asking the same question: What does Damon want? Until, finally, Damon tells him that it's "for me to know and you to dot dot dot." (Get it?)

But as season 1 continued, fans started to fall for Damon's evil ways a bit too much, so much so that Williamson and Plec felt the need to reset some things at the start of season 2. "We can't have a lovable villain," says Williamson. "That's great and that's a fan-favorite character, but that doesn't bring you real storytelling and real stakes."

Plec adds, "We had this magnificent villain who could do no wrong in the eyes of the audience and we thought, 'Let's give him something really wrong that is unforgivable so we can buy ourselves another year of Damon as the villain and Stefan as the hero.'" With that in mind, they had Damon snap Jeremy's (Steven R. McQueen) neck at the end of the season 2 premiere. But the fan response was not what Plec and Williamson had intended.

"They [were like], 'Poor Damon, poor Damon, he's so misunderstood! He just loves Elena so much,'" Plec recalls. "We were aghast. We were like, 'What have we wrought? We have basically accidentally created the poster couple for toxic masculinity.' The women loved him and we couldn't understand it at all. That was a moment."

Thankfully, Damon wasn't the show's only villain by that point. As Williamson puts it, "Every time one of the villains turned nice, we brought in a new one." And that's just what happened at the end of season 1, when, in one of the series' biggest twists, Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev) shows up, kisses Damon, and then waltzes into Elena's house and removes Uncle John's (David Anders) fingers.

Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce on 'The Vampire Diaries.'. The CW

"That set the standard for *Vampire Diaries*," Plec says of the season 1 finale twist. "That finale set the standard of: We always have to fight to get to as close to this amazing awesome twist and cliffhanger ending as we possibly can. We can never let our audience down with a finale. We put so much pressure on ourselves for eight years to make sure that we never failed a finale. There were some that were better than others, but we took our finales seriously."

And to think, it wasn't always the plan for Dobrev to play both characters. "It didn't occur to us originally that Nina should play Elena and Katherine," Plec says of what would become the Petrova doppelgangers. "In the books, they called it a striking resemblance. I remember Italia Ricci, who had tested for Elena early on, comes up to us at Comic-Con after the show gets picked up she's like, 'I am putting myself in front of you to say I would like to play Katherine Pierce.'"

But by that point, Dobrev's photo had already been used for the 1864 snapshot of the curly-haired doppelganger, and a few episodes later, she'd take on both roles and nothing in Mystic Falls would ever be the same.

Listen to the full podcast episode below and stream all eight seasons of *The Vampire Diaries *on Netflix.

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews, and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

- We drank three rounds with *Vampire Diaries *stars Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder

- Today will be different: An oral history of* The Vampire Diaries* pilot

- Best. of the Decade: *The Vampire Diaries* delivered a perfect love triangle in its third season

- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW EW"

Read More

---

Source: EW

Published: November 01, 2025 at 12:19PM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/02/2025 12:46:00 AM

Vampire Diaries creators talk season 1's Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast'

There was one particular Damon moment that backfired on the writers. Vampire Diaries creators talk season 1's Kather...

Read More

Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' o...

Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Julie Plec discuss season 2 on EW's Binge podcast. Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' on screen Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Julie Plec discuss season 2 on EW's Binge podcast. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 6, 2021 9:00 a.m.

Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Julie Plec discuss season 2 on EW's Binge podcast.

Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' on screen

Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Julie Plec discuss season 2 on EW's Binge podcast.

By Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 6, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

Katherine Pierce's season 1 arrival in Mystic Falls changed everything for *The Vampire Diaries*… and for actress Nina Dobrev. Suddenly, Dobrev went from playing Katherine occasionally in flashbacks to pulling full-time double duty on the series as present-day Katherine and, of course, Elena.

"The first episode was just a couple flashbacks, and then they introduced her more and more, so I got to figure her out over the first season, and then season 2, once she was back and in the flesh and she was in a lot more of the episodes, it was crazy schedule-wise shooting both of the roles," Dobrev says in episode 2 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*.

But Katherine's arrival didn't just make things crazy behind the scenes. Within the world of the show, the doppelgänger instantly created chaos, particularly for Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena. Katherine's goal was simple: She wanted the happy couple to split.

Stefan and Elena tried to fool her at first, but when that didn't work, Jenna (Sara Canning) ended up in the hospital, and Stefan and Elena were forced to realize that Katherine always gets her way. The result was one of the series' most devastating breakup scenes, which Wesley still remembers vividly.

Paul Wesley on 'The Vampire Diaries'. The CW

"I remember doing at least four [takes] that were, like, pretty good," Wesley says on the podcast. "I also was dealing with a couple things in my personal life, so I didn't really want to go to dark places because I was trying to keep my head above water in real life, frankly. And so [director John] Behring kept pushing me. Maybe he sensed I was going through something and so he really wanted that on screen, and I remember just getting a little bit angry at him, even though it was his job. I would do the same as a director. When you're creating film or television, the whole point of it is to be honest and pure."

Ultimately, Wesley says he went to his "personal place" and channeled real-life emotion for the heartbreaking scene. "That crying, that whole breakup was [me] dealing with my own stuff, essentially, on screen. And then I remember after we shot it I was a little relieved, but then also a little bit angry that I had to deal with that and then I had to go home and deal with that," Wesley says. "But at the end of the day, it's on screen, it works so great for the scene, and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

For more on season 2 — and how the show has found a second life in quarantine — listen to the full *Binge* episode below. You can stream all eight seasons of *The Vampire Diaries *on Netflix.

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews, and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

- *Vampire Diaries* creators talk season 1 Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast'

- We drank three rounds with *Vampire Diaries *stars Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder

- Today will be different: An oral history of* The Vampire Diaries* pilot

- EW's Binge Podcast Episodes

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW EW"

Read More

---

Source: EW

Published: November 01, 2025 at 12:19PM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/02/2025 12:46:00 AM

Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' o...

Wesley , Nina Dobrev, and Julie Plec discuss season 2 on EW's Binge podcast. Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley on Ste...

Read More

McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies

McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies Mike Snider, USA TODAY October 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM 0 McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies The most recent business feeling the penny pinch? McDonald's. With the U.S. Mint having made its last pennies two months ago, some stores and retailers including Kroger, Home Depot and Kwik Shop have begun to run short of pennies. Now, the penny shortage has hit McDonald's. Some McDonald's locations in certain parts of the U.S.

- - McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies

Mike Snider, USA TODAY October 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM

0

McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies

The most recent business feeling the penny pinch? McDonald's.

With the U.S. Mint having made its last pennies two months ago, some stores and retailers including Kroger, Home Depot and Kwik Shop have begun to run short of pennies. Now, the penny shortage has hit McDonald's.

Some McDonald's locations in certain parts of the U.S. have run short of pennies and have begun rounding cash transactions up or down to the nearest five cents when customers don't have exact change, the company told USA Today.

"Following the discontinuation of pennies nationwide, some McDonald's locations may not be able to provide exact change," McDonald's said in a statement. "We have a team actively working on long-term solutions to keep things simple and fair for customers. This is an issue affecting all retailers across the country, and we will continue to work with the federal government to obtain guidance on this matter going forward."

Money matters: With grocery prices rising, here's how shoppers are saving money

McDonald's is running short of pennies. So, how are cash payments being handled?

When a customer pays cash and doesn't have exact change, the purchase total is rounded down by as much as two cents or up by as much two cents. So, if your lunch meal cost $12.06, for example, and you didn't have exact change and the restaurant didn't have pennies, you'd be charged $12.05. If your meal was $9.39, the total would be round up to $9.40.

The rounding only affects cash payments – the majority of McDonald's transactions in the U.S made by credit card or other cashless payments made in the McDonald's app, for instance.

Restaurants may ask customers to use exact change or cashless payment options, the company said.

This rounding practice isn't new and has been used in other countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand where low-denomination coins have been eliminated. Some have round up while others have round down, according to Money.com.

Why is there a shortage of pennies?

Technically, the U.S. is not short of pennies; about 250 billion pennies are in circulation. But there have been "localized supply issues," according to the American Banking Association.

The end of the penny came after President Donald Trump told the Treasury Department in February to stop making the coins, which cost more than 3 cents to produce. (They cost 3.69 cents to make, according to the U.S. Mint.)

With the U.S. Mint having made its final pennies, some shortages are happening because roughly one-third of the about 165 Federal Reserve coin terminal facilities – where coins are distributed and deposited – have stopped penny transactions, the ABA said. The "supply issues" are likely in parts of the country where those terminals have stopped circulating pennies, the organization said.

This story has been with new information.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: McDonald's hit by penny shortage, rounds cash transactions to a nickel

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Money"

Read More

---

Source: Money

Published: November 01, 2025 at 09:18AM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/01/2025 09:46:00 PM

McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies

McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies Mike Snider, USA TODAY October 31, 20...

Read More

Drugmakers must face skincare drug price-fixing lawsuit, US judge rules

Drugmakers must face skincare drug pricefixing lawsuit, US judge rules By Jonathan StempelOctober 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM 0 U.S. flag and Judge gavel are seen in this illustration taken, August 6, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) A federal judge on Friday said 36 drugmakers and executives must face nearly all claims in an antitrust lawsuit brought by most U.S. states, accusing them of conspiring to fix prices of 80 generic drugs.

- - Drugmakers must face skincare drug price-fixing lawsuit, US judge rules

By Jonathan StempelOctober 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM

0

U.S. flag and Judge gavel are seen in this illustration taken, August 6, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A federal judge on Friday said 36 drugmakers and executives must face nearly all claims in an antitrust lawsuit brought by most U.S. states, accusing them of conspiring to fix prices of 80 generic drugs.

Chief Judge Michael Shea of the federal district court in Connecticut rejected claims that 45 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories waited an unreasonably long time to pursue federal antitrust claims, and missed formal deadlines to file similar claims under state laws.

Led by Connecticut, the states accused drugmakers including Pfizer, Perrigo and Sandoz of conspiring to raise prices, limit competition and allocate customers for drugs, primarily for skin ailments, between 2009 and 2016.

In a 130-page decision, Shea said the defendants failed to show that the states "lacked diligence" in pursuing their case, citing evidence that the defendants pursued "affirmative acts" to conceal their alleged collusion.

"A reasonable juror could find that the defendants' 'blaming supply,' making uncompetitively high bids, and falsely citing production costs for increased prices were aimed at concealing their alleged conspiracy," the Hartford-based judge wrote.

Lawyers for Pfizer, Perrigo and Sandoz did not immediately respond to requests for comment after market hours. A spokeswoman for Connecticut Attorney General William Tong did not immediately respond to a similar request.

Brand names of some products in the case included the acne medication Differin, anti-fungal medicine Lotrimin AF Cream, and Ritalin for attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The case is Connecticut et al v. Sandoz Inc et al, U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, No. 20-00802.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Money"

Read More

---

Source: Money

Published: November 01, 2025 at 09:18AM on Source: JAST MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byJastin

in

11/01/2025 09:46:00 PM

Drugmakers must face skincare drug price-fixing lawsuit, US judge rules

Drugmakers must face skincare drug pricefixing lawsuit, US judge rules By Jonathan StempelOctober 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM 0...

Read More