'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's finale win: 'This was needed'New Foto - 'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's finale win: 'This was needed'

Bramaya'shappily ever afteron"Love Island"wasn't just a personal victory. It was a win forel amor. Amaya Espinaland Bryan Arenales, fan-favorite contestants on the latest season of Peacock's hit dating competition series, werecrowned the winners of Season 7during the reality show's finale on Sunday, July 13. Alongside their bragging rights as island victors, the two will split a $100,000 prize. Following a season plagued byracism controversies, including theabrupt exitof frontrunnerCierra Ortega, Espinal and Arenales' win earned praise from fans on social media for its positive media representation of the Latino community. Some online users shared their excitement over Espinal and Arenales reportedly being the first Latino couple to win the show (Espinal is of Dominican descent, while Arenalespurportedly has Puerto Rican and Guatemalan roots). USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for "Love Island" for comment. Others highlighted the cultural significance of a Latino couple winning "Love Island" amid the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. In June, several demonstrationserupted across Los Angelesin response to a series of immigration raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which were part of a larger directive fromPresident Trumpto target immigrants living in the United States without legal status. "Two Latinos winning Love Island in a time when innocent hardworking immigrants are being raided, deported, and demonized?"@swagrmanwrote on Threads. "Yeah. This was needed🙌" 'Love Island USA' 2025 finale:Amaya and Bryan crowned Season 7 winners After Espinal and Arenales were named the Season 7 winners, X user@vietbaddieplayfully marked the occasion by sharing a clip of Puerto Rican entertainerJennifer Lopezgiving a shout-out to the Latino community during an awards show acceptance speech. "Amaya Papaya and Bryan, the first Latino couple to win Love Island ever and in Trump's America," @vietbaddie wrote. "LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!!" amaya papaya and bryan the first latino couple to win love island ever and in trump's america. LETS GOOOOO!!!!!!#loveislandusapic.twitter.com/zL9dYmubQK — dai (@vietbaddie)July 14, 2025 "I can sleep peacefully tonight knowing my Amaya Papaya and Bryan won Love Island USA and are the first Latino couple to win the show and a white man DID NOT,"@tolIerateitwrote on X. In response to the finale news, X user@tabbyfaransshared a GIF that read: "Smiling through it all: Can't believe this my life." "Bramaya Love Island USA's s7 winners!!!!!!" @tabbyfarans added. "This is literally a reward for living in Trump's America." BRAMAYA LOVE ISLAND USA'S S7 WINNERS!!!!!! THIS IS LITERALLY A REWARD FOR LIVING IN TRUMP'S AMERICApic.twitter.com/b6GpHdRPS9 — tabogen faranoa minnienoa tabbyfaran truther (@tabbyfarans)July 14, 2025 "Amaya and Bryan winning was always on the bingo card,"@uknwuluvme_xoxogossipgirlwrote on Threads. "Our first Latino couple making it on Love Island. Thank you for representing Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and New York. Congratulations 🎉🍾" During her tenure on "Love Island," Espinal, a New York City native,emphasized the importance of her Dominican cultureas the daughter of immigrants. "Both of my parents were actually born in the Dominican Republic, and I'm the first generation to be born here," Espinal previously said on the show. "I'm heavy, heavy on culture." 'Love Island USA' Season 7 reunion:Find out date, time, hosts Although Espinal's love story with Arenales is in its early stages, the cardiac nurse also shared how her Latino heritage would inform her family life. "Even when I have my kids, let's say my husband isn't Dominican, they're still going to know Spanish," Espinal added. "They're still going to know the culture." Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's win

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's finale win: 'This was needed'

'Love Island' fans celebrate Latino couple Amaya and Bryan's finale win: 'This was needed' Bramaya'shappily ever aft...
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A Donald Trump-inspired Cantonese opera gives a fresh twist on the traditional art formNew Foto - A Donald Trump-inspired Cantonese opera gives a fresh twist on the traditional art form

Sporting his signature blue suit and red tie, the figure of US President Donald Trump steps into the spotlight on a Hong Kong stage, sparring with a man dressed as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The two quarrel over the Ukrainian leader's outfit before trading jabs in the air with Trump firing a water gun at the Ukrainian president. The exchange is just one scene in an absurdist show, "Trump, The Twins President," thatparodies recent political eventsin a modern twist on traditional Cantonese opera, a Chinese art form dating back hundreds of years. The group behind the production originally debuted its first Trump-themed show in 2019 about the president's first term, but it has since had several iterations. Its latest reprise features not only the heated exchange with Zelensky, but also Trump'sassassination attemptin Pennsylvania last summer and references to a lot of his headline-making moves. It alludes to Trump his attacks on Harvard and his turbulent relationship with tech billionaire Elon Musk. Performed to sold-out crowds, the three-and-a-half hour show begins with a dream by Trump's daughter, Ivanka, in which her father has a fictional twin brother living in China named Chuan Pu, a transliteration in Mandarin Chinese of the name "Trump." Chuan makes his way to the United States, where Trump is campaigning for reelection. When Trump is abducted by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be him to keep the nation together amid a trade war with China. Cantonese opera composer Edward Li Kui-Ming, who wrote the show, says he chose the president because of his influence internationally. "[It] is a comedy reflecting how people are being influenced by President Donald Trump. He is really [influential]. And that makes me want to do…a drama related to him," Li, a fengshui master by trade, told CNN from backstage. UNESCO recognizes Cantonese opera as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity." With a history dating back to five centuries ago, the performing art is known for its distinctive make-up, traditional costumes and classic storylines. It was an indispensable form of entertainment between the 1950s and '60s, but in recent decades, Cantonese opera has struggled to lure younger audiences. Li and his crew are on a mission to change that, using the Trump presidency to make it more relevant for younger viewers. "I have to use a new hero or new people, put it into the old drama and make it special and make it new," Li said, explaining why he picked the 47th US president. The show also uses contemporary elements. For example, veteran actor Loong Koon-tin transforms into Trump by donning a blond wig and eyebrows, a technique more akin to modern theater. Traditional makeup routines typically require actors to paint their faces red and white and spend time dressing in elaborate costumes and flashy headpieces. Loong said he worked hard on getting Trump's facial expressions and gestures right. "Every time I submerge myself in the role. I am the Donald Trump," he told CNN. Other characters like former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon, as well as China's Mao Zedong and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, all have a part to play at various junctures of this fictional timeline Drawing a line between acceptable humor and offensiveness was tricky, Li said, adding that he tried to present a balanced view so that everyone could relate to the show. "I'm not trying to do anything to arouse any political items," he said. "My starting point is love and peace. I think everybody will love love and peace." Throughout the performance, audience members – many of whom were young – erupt in laughter and applause. Adiva Zeng, 16, said she was interested in seeing the show because of its depiction of recent geopolitical events in a China-centric context. "It has Ukraine and has the US, and then they are combining with the Chinese culture to show us what is happening right now. So it kind of catches my eye," said Zeng. Li said he would love to take the show to Broadway or elsewhere, though logistics and financing have proven to be a huge hurdle so far. He said he believed both Trump and Zelensky would appreciate his work given their connection to the showbiz before entering politics. Trump previously hosted reality show "The Apprentice," while Zelensky was a comedian, actor and writer before taking office, starring in romantic comedies and playing a high school teacher who becomes president in the Ukrainian political satire series, "Servant of the People." "Drama is life. Life is drama. And even…politics is drama," Li said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

A Donald Trump-inspired Cantonese opera gives a fresh twist on the traditional art form

A Donald Trump-inspired Cantonese opera gives a fresh twist on the traditional art form Sporting his signature blue suit and red tie, the fi...
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Argument over 'valid buisiness purpose' for NIL collectives threatens college sports settlementNew Foto - Argument over 'valid buisiness purpose' for NIL collectives threatens college sports settlement

Less than two weeks after terms of a multibillion-dollar college sports settlement went into effect, friction erupted over the definition of a "valid business purpose" that collectives making name, image likeness payments to players are supposed to have. The new College Sports Commissionsent a letter to athletic directorslast week saying it was rejecting deals in which players were receiving money from collectives that were created solely to pay them and don't provide goods or services to the general public for profit. A lead attorney for the players responded by saying those instructions went against settlement terms and asking the CSC to rescind the guidance. "This process is undermined when the CSC goes off the reservation and issues directions to the schools that are not consistent with the Settlement Agreement terms," attorney Jeffrey Kessler wrote to NCAA outside counsel Rakesh Kilaru in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. Yahoo Sports first reported details of the letter, in which Kessler threatens to take the issue to a judge assigned with resolving disputes involved in the settlement. Kessler told AP his firm was not commenting on the contents of the letter, and Kilaru did not immediately respond to AP's request for a comment. Yahoo quoted a CSC spokesman as saying the parties are working to resolve differences and that "the guidance issued by the College Sports Commission ... is entirely consistent with the House settlement and the rules that have been agreed upon with class counsel." When NIL payments became allowed in 2021, boosters formed so-called "collectives" that were closely tied to universities to work out contracts with the players, who still weren't allowed to be paid directly by the schools. Terms of the House settlement allow schools to make the payments now, but keep the idea of outside payments from collectives, which have to be approved by the CSC if they are worth $600 or more. The CSC, in its letter last week, explained that if a collective reaches a deal, for instance, for an athlete to appear on behalf of the collective, which charges an admission fee, that collective does not have a "valid business purpose" because the purpose of the event is to raise money to pay athletes, not to provide goods or services available to the general public for profit. Another example of a disallowed deal was one an athlete makes to sell merchandise to raise money to pay that player because, the CSC guidance said, the purpose of "selling merchandise is to raise money to pay that student-athlete and potentially other student-athletes at a particular school or schools, which is not a valid business purpose." Kessler's letter notes that the "valid business purpose" rule was designed to ensure athletes were not simply being paid to play, and did not prohibit NIL collectives from paying athletes for the type of deals described above. To prevent those payments "would be to create a new prohibition on payments by a NIL collective that is not provided for or contemplated by the Settlement Agreement, causing injury to the class members who should be free to receive those payments," Kessler wrote. ___ AP college sports:https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

Argument over 'valid buisiness purpose' for NIL collectives threatens college sports settlement

Argument over 'valid buisiness purpose' for NIL collectives threatens college sports settlement Less than two weeks after terms of a...
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Pacers' Johnny Furphy throws down dunk of the Summer League in wild poster over Noa EssengueNew Foto - Pacers' Johnny Furphy throws down dunk of the Summer League in wild poster over Noa Essengue

The NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas is just getting started, but Johnny Furphy has already laid claim to what should easily go down as the dunk of the event. Furphy, after weaving his way up the court in the second quarter of the Indiana Pacers' matchup with the Bulls, cocked back and threw down a wild one-handed slam over Chicago rookie Noa Essengue on Monday afternoon at Cox Pavillion in Las Vegas. JOHNNY FURPHY WITH THE DUNK OF THE SUMMER LEAGUE 😱(via@NBATV)pic.twitter.com/xQu9USfA8Z — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)July 14, 2025 The replay and photos that came out of it were somehow even better. WHEW, THIS REPLAY 🔥https://t.co/IPISNBa8k3pic.twitter.com/h1ffoqhHld — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter)July 14, 2025 😵pic.twitter.com/FUsjz1yC1j — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers)July 14, 2025 Essengue was taken by the Bulls took out of France with the No. 12 overall pick in the draft earlier this summer. He didn't stand a chance on the play. Furphy is fresh off his rookie season in the league last season with the Pacers, who he helped reach the NBA Finals. After being selected with the No. 35 overall pick out of Kansas in the 2024 NBA Draft, Furphy averaged just shy of eight minutes per game last season for the Pacers. He averaged 14.3 points in the 10 games he played with their G League affiliate, too. Furphy had 11 points at halftime on Monday night. He finished with 15 points and shot 5-of-9 from the field in the Pacers' 114-105 loss to the Bulls. Essengue finished with 21 points for Chicago. While there is plenty of time left for someone to go after the "Dunk of the Summer League" title, Furphy has set the bar incredibly high. That poster, which Essengue somehow already found himself on the wrong side of, is going to be very hard to beat.

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

Pacers' Johnny Furphy throws down dunk of the Summer League in wild poster over Noa Essengue

Pacers' Johnny Furphy throws down dunk of the Summer League in wild poster over Noa Essengue The NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas is...
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Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen during Atlanta tour stop, police report saysNew Foto - Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen during Atlanta tour stop, police report says

Atlanta police are investigating after an unidentified suspect stoleBeyoncé's unreleased music, plans for show footage, and past and future set list, according to a police report. Beyoncé, who is in Atlanta for her"Cowboy Carter" tourstop, kicked off her first show in the city 48 hours after her choreographer and one of her dancers say several sensitive items were stolen from their rental car. According to the police report obtained by USA TODAY, Christopher Grant and Diandre Blue told Atlanta police they parked their black rental Jeep Wagoneer in a parking deck around 8:09 p.m. When they returned, they discovered the trunk window had been damaged and someone had stolen two of their suitcases. "Mr. Grant also advised he was carrying some personal sensitive information for musician Beyoncé," an officer noted in the police report. "He advised he was her choreographer and Mr. Diandre Blue was a dancer for her and that her hard drives for her upcoming show in Atlanta were stolen also. The hard drives contained water marked music, some un-released music, footage plans for the show and past and future set lists," he added. Grant and Blue also reported clothes, designer sunglasses, laptops and a pair of AirPods Max headphones were taken from the vehiclein the July 8 incident. USA TODAY has reached out to Beyoncé's rep for comment. Police are following up on multiple leads, and the investigation is ongoing. Her first of four shows at atMercedes-Benz Stadiumin Atlanta on July 10 on herCowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. She took the stage again July 11, and July 13. The "Cowboy Carter" creator is scheduled to perform a final Atlanta show Monday, July 14. Beyoncéfirstdebuted her "Cowboy Carter" tourat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with a39-song set list. Her shows have been filled with family,fashionand different music genres. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, onInstagram,TikTokandXas @cachemcclay. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean:Beyonce unreleased music stolen during Atlanta tour stop, police say

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen during Atlanta tour stop, police report says

Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen during Atlanta tour stop, police report says Atlanta police are investigating after an unidentified su...
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Prince Harry and King Charles' Aides Took a 'Good First Step': 'There's Optimism,' Insider Says (Exclusive)New Foto - Prince Harry and King Charles' Aides Took a 'Good First Step': 'There's Optimism,' Insider Says (Exclusive)

Theprivate meetingbetween two ofPrince Harry's top aides and a senior member ofKing Charles' team may mark the first step in a long-overdue thaw between the estranged father and son. That's the view of insiders, who see the quiet gathering as a crucial "first step" in what could be a long road toward reconciliation between Harry, 40, and Charles, 76 — whoseyears-long rift has left communication between them all but nonexistent. On July 9,Meredith Maines, the Duke of Sussex's chief of staff and communications director, and Liam Maguire, the Sussexes' U.K. spokesperson, were photographed meeting with Tobyn Andreae, King Charles' communications secretary.The Mail on Sundaywas first to report the discreet sit-down. The informal conversation — which took place at the Royal Over-Seas League, a private members' club just a short walk from Charles' London residence, Clarence House — included what appeared to be a gift bottle of wine brought by Andreae. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty And, PEOPLE understands, there was plenty to discuss. "It was a good first step," says an insider. "It is always better to be talking." Maines was in London for official business tied to her role as Chief Communications Officer to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Her visit included scheduled meetings with U.K.-based members of the Sussex communications team, media contacts, stakeholders and senior figures connected to Harry's charitable work. The sit-down marked the first time either Maines or Maguire had met Andreae. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Some close to the palace have downplayed the long-term significance of the meeting, framing it as a routine professional exchange between senior communications staff who simply need to know and understand one another. Still, the reality remains: this kind of dialogue hasn't taken place in the recent past — and now, lines of communication appear to be reopening. "It's a positive step," the insider adds. "There's optimism that it can be taken forward." Jeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool/Getty It's also not known whether Harry and Charles have spoken recently — or whether the July 9 meeting signals the start of something more meaningful. Ultimately, any real success from the talks at the London private members' club will be measured by whether Harry and Charles themselves — not just their teams — can begin to repair their fractured relationship. Related:Why Prince Harry's Invictus Games Could Reunite Him with King Charles (Exclusive) In May, Harry reaffirmed his hope for healing,telling the BBC that the door to "reconciliation" remains openfrom his side. "I would love reconciliation with my family," he said. "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore." His comments came shortly after he lost a key legal battle over his request for official security for himself and his family — a decision he has partly blamed on his father. (The palace has consistently maintained that King Charles does not have control over that process.) Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Getty The rift between Harry and the royal family first erupted in 2020, when he andMeghan Marklestepped back from their official roles and began a new life in California. Since then, tensions have only intensified — fueled by high-profile interviews, their Netflix docuseries, and Harry's best-selling memoir,Spare. Read the original article onPeople

byLiam Oneel
in
July 14, 2025

Prince Harry and King Charles' Aides Took a 'Good First Step': 'There's Optimism,' Insider Says (Exclusive)

Prince Harry and King Charles' Aides Took a 'Good First Step': 'There's Optimism,' Insider Says (Exclusive) Thepriva...
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