Yum Brands announced on Tuesday that it is selling Pizza Hut to private equity firm LongRange Capital for $2.7 billion. The transaction would mark a significant shift for one of America’s most recognizable pizza chains and underscores growing consolidation across the restaurant industry as operators navigate slowing consumer demand and higher costs. Yum said last year it was evaluating strategic alternatives for Pizza Hut, including a potential sale, as the chain worked to reverse a prolonged sales slump.This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady following its monetary policy meeting this week amid the rise in inflation, while newly minted Chairman Kevin Warsh is set to hold his first post-meeting press conference. Inflation was already elevated before the Iran war jolted energy prices higher, which has in turn contributed to key inflation measures moving further away from the Fed’s 2% target. The consumer price index (CPI) rose to 4.2% in May, which was the highest level since April 2023.That inflationary trend has prompted the market to effectively rule out an interest rate cut at this week’s…

Few among us are immune to the sweaty palms, outfit angst, and the bittersweet mix of excitement and dread that accompanies a first date. If the thought of meeting a potential suitor for the first time makes your stomach do cartwheels, you’re not alone. A recent poll found that 89 percent of would-be lovers battle nerves before a first date. While 39 percent routinely turn to alcohol to ease their anxiety, experts say masturbation, yes, you read that correctly, is a far more effective strategy. “Think of the orgasm as an ‘upper’ and alcohol as a ‘downer’,” Dr. Mindy DeSeta,…

Travis Kelce and brother Jason Kelce delivered an entertaining live show for fans of their podcast, “New Heights.” The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 36, and the retired Philadelphia Eagles center, 38, hosted a live installment of their popular podcast at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, June 15. While Travis’ fiancée, Taylor Swift, didn’t make it in person to the event — she instead stayed back in New York City and was spotted arriving at Electric Lady Studios — the NFL star found a way to honor the pop star in his own special way. In the…

Wicked will host the 2nd annual Broadway Pride Block Party on Friday, June 26 from 12PM – 4PM in the breezeway of the Gershwin Theatre. Presented by Wicked and TodayTix, this block party will bring together Broadway fans, artists, and allies in an afternoon of music, giveaways, games, photo ops, and Pride-filled fun. The Pride Block Party will be hosted by Wicked’s Danny Quadrino and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’s Kevin McHale, and will include giveaways from TodayTix, the opportunity to win tickets to fan-favorite shows, and more. Participating shows include Wicked, & Juliet, Aladdin, The Book of…

Another grocery giant is following in Walmart’s footsteps, hitting shoppers where it hurts — their wallets. Walmart recently found another way to nickel-and-dime shoppers before they even get to the checkout, as back in December, the retail giant revealed it would add dynamic pricing to its store shelves. Also known as surge pricing, the controversial practice is where businesses constantly adjust prices on their products in real-time with the use of digital price tags. The changes are based on market conditions like demand, competitor pricing and inventory — or so they claim. Jammer Gene – stock.adobe.com When Walmart — the…

CALIMESA, Calif. () — A brush fire in Riverside County has grown to more than 2,000 acres and prompted evacuation orders Monday, authorities said.The Shore Fire was first reported at 3:23 p.m. in a sparsely populated area near Lake Shore Drive and San Timoteo Canyon Road in the Badlands, southwest of Calimesa, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Hemet Fire Department, Palm Springs Fire Department and Cal Fire-San Bernardino County were sent to the location, which is on the north side of the rugged expanse between Interstate 10 to…

Steven McBee Jr.’s romance with Allie Eklund was front and center during the season 3 premiere of The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys — which filmed months before their explosive split. During the Monday, June 15, premiere of the Bravo series, Steven, 33, flew his new “friend” Allie, 29, out to Missouri one day after his father, Steven “Steve” McBee Sr., was sentenced in his crop fraud case. (Steve, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud in November 2024 and was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $3 million in fines and…

The Book of Mormon has shared a recap of the sixth and final day of their Magical Mormon Mystery Week, featuring new footage of Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki M. James, Rory O’Malley, and more stepping back into their roles. Narrated by Gad, the video shows original cast members reprising their roles for surprise moments throughout the show, along with creators Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez. “Thank you for welcoming us back to Broadway and, remember, tomorrow is a latter day,” Gad ended the recap. The weeklong “Magical Mormon Mystery Week” ran from June 9 through June 14 at…

Frustrated home cooks are losing their minds over a viral kitchen hack that solves an annoying food-prep issue – the stubborn, clumped-up spices that refuse to leave the jar. If you’ve ever tried to shake a dash of garlic powder or paprika over a hot pan, only to end up banging the glass against your hand with zero success, you’ll relate to this. The hack is going viral on social media, and many people are realizing the solution has been staring them in the face the entire time, right on the bottom of the packaging. The handy method requires no…

A young humpback whale was freed from entanglement in fishing gear off the coast of Massachusetts on Sunday.The Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies said boaters spotted the “relatively small whale” struggling in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which encompasses 842 square miles between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The Marine Animal Entanglement Response team responded and found the whale with rope around the base of its tail that was essentially anchoring it in place.The center said rescuers only had a short amount of time to act with storms in the forecast on Sunday evening. They used a hook-shaped knife…

America’s Next Top Model star Jeana Turner is slamming Tyra Banks’ defamation lawsuit against Netflix following backlash from the streaming service’s recent Reality Check docuseries. “I feel like it’s a selfish, money-hungry thing,” Turner, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly in a Monday, June 15, statement. “It’s also extremely ironic of her to be suing them for defamation when that is what all of the girls who have been speaking out about America’s Next Top Model have been trying to point out is that we have been defamed, our lives were affected, our careers were affected — ultimately, it was defamation.”…

Rosie O’Donnell is returning to the New York City stage with her solo show, Common Knowledge. The show will premiere Off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre, with performances beginning on July 22. The production is currently scheduled to run through August 8. Tickets are currently on sale. The eleven-time Emmy and Tony Award winner’s new show will reflect on her move to her newly adopted hometown of Dublin, Ireland, the culture shift, family life, and the humbling and hilarious realization that maybe she doesn’t have it all figured out. Following its debut in Dublin, Sydney, and a celebrated run at…

DEAR ABBY: Three years ago, I found out that the man who raised me wasn’t my biological father. I suspected it for many years and asked my mother about it twice. She angrily denied it both times and said the man who raised me was definitely my dad. He passed away in 1989. I recently found out that he knew of my parentage all my life.  Through a cousin, I found my DNA profile. I reached out to my biological father in 2020. We met twice and have a cordial relationship. I sent him and his wife a Christmas card,…

EDWARDS AFB, Calif. () — A crew of eight people died after an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, located northeast of Lancaster, officials confirmed Monday. The Air Force Base said the crash happened during a “routine test mission.””An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after take-off at 11:20 a.m. (PDT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable. Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel. The crash is currently under investigation,”…