Trailblazing Novelist and Playwright Dies at 77

Bonnie Greer, the award-winning author of Hanging by Her Teeth and Obama Music and the play Munda Negra, has died at 77. The Chicago-born commentator, who became an influential figure in British culture, died Tuesday evening following a short illness, her family said. “Her intelligence, courage and distinctive voice made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life,” her husband, David Hutchins, said in a statement Wednesday to The Guardian. “To me, she was my partner, confidante and inspiration, and I feel profoundly privileged to have shared my life with her.” No further details were provided about her illness. As a cultural critic and feminist, she became a prominent voice in Britain after moving from the U.S. to London in 1986. Greer was a regular panelist on Newsnight Review and Question Time, a chancellor of Kingston University, and a board member of the Royal Opera House, the British Museum, and the London Film School. She was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to the arts in 2010. Her husband, however, said Wednesday that “those closest to Bonnie will remember her warmth, humor, generosity and extraordinary ability to bring people together.”

Having a “crashout” or experiencing the “Sunday scaries”? Ever fallen for a “rickroll”? Merriam-Webster is keeping up with the ever-evolving English language by adding 1,400 new words and definitions to its site. The dictionary’s latest “glow-up” is intended to “reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” the dictionary publisher said in a statement on Tuesday. New entries include “California sober”—in which a person abstains from drugs and alcohol while continuing to use cannabis—and “cake pop.” Other new words, such as “looksmaxxing”—a social media subculture focused on using often-controversial methods to increase physical attractiveness—and “parasocial” —referring to a one-sided emotional connection with someone one doesn’t know personally—are inspired by the internet. Many tech- and AI-related terms also made it into the dictionary, including “vibe coding,” “compute” as a noun, “meme coin” and “AGI,” referring to a hypothetical type of AI with human-like intelligence.

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Ben Saunders, the winner of the first-ever edition of The Voice, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in a lake in the Netherlands. The 43-year-old had been missing since morning. Police say they have ruled out foul play but no cause of death has been announced, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS. The singer’s brother, Dean Saunders, announced the news in a tribute on social media. London-born Saunders was raised in Hoorn, a town 32 miles north of Amsterdam. In 2011, he won the first season of The Voice of Holland, which later launched a global franchise of televised singing competitions. That same year, Saunders’ debut album, “You Thought You Knew Me By Now,” reached number one in the Netherlands. Saunders also ran a tattoo shop in the Dutch city of Arnhem, where he lived, but his body was found at Rijkerswoerdse Plassen about 8 miles south. The Sun reports that Saunders is survived by his fiancée, Janita Engels, and his three children.

Lena Dunham has become a mom at 40, welcoming her first child with her husband, Luis Felber. The Girls creator, actress and author, and Felber, also 40, welcomed a daughter via surrogate, Dunham revealed in a Vogue essay. The couple married in September 2021. Dunham had previously spoken candidly about taking a different path to motherhood after undergoing a hysterectomy because of intense pain from endometriosis. During an April appearance on Today with Jenna and Sheinelle, Dunham recalled grieving after the surgery. “Some people don’t dream about being mothers, but I had, and it was a big part of my identity that I was going to do it someday in that way,” she said. But Dunham said meeting others who built families in different ways gave her a new perspective. “Whatever way it happens, I will feel so grateful,” she said. In July 2025, Dunham told The Times that she and Felber were “in the process of expanding our family in new ways.”

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NBC anchor Johnathon O’Halloran, 28, shared on Monday that Tuesday would be his last time tuning in to the morning news on NBC-affiliated WJAC-TV’s 6News covering Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. “It’s bittersweet to say that tomorrow, Tuesday, will be my final day at WJAC. Over the last two years and some months, I’ve been honored to sit at the desk for a station with such a rich history and to get to know so many wonderful people across this ten-county community,” wrote the anchor, who started at the station in June 2024. “To everyone at home, thank you for trusting me to be a part of your day and to keep you informed about the stories that matter most.” The Emmy Award-winning journalist hinted at what’s next, writing: “I’m excited for what’s next, but for now, I hope you’ll join me one more time Tuesday morning on 6 News at Sunrise.” Viewers of the west-central Pennsylvania local station shared kind words on social media for O’Halloran. The U.S. Sun reported one posted: “I’m so proud of you, my friend!” Another said: “Wow! Excited for you!” A third wrote: “Congrats!!!!”

A magazine borrowed from a New Hampshire library in 1894 has finally made its way home—132 years after it was due back. Concord Public Library staff were stunned when 84-year-old John Hanson arrived with a remarkably well-preserved copy of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine from September 1894. Hanson said he inherited the magazine during a house move in 1966 and decided to return it after discovering the library was offering a fine amnesty. Had the full 48,220-day overdue period been charged, the bill could theoretically have reached $12,055. “Yeah, when I saw that, I said to myself: ‘Boy, this would be a good time to bring it back’,” Hanson told the Concord Monitor. The original borrower remains a mystery. The magazine, which featured writing by figures including Mark Twain and Henry James, was stamped with a warning that it “may be kept for one week”. Library archivist Jennifer Needham said Hanson told her: “I have a book to return, and I bet you haven’t seen anything like this.”

New Order star Gillian Gilbert has revealed that she is “living with cancer” and undergoing treatment. The 65-year-old keyboardist shared her diagnosis after comments from her husband and bandmate, Stephen Morris, sparked confusion over which member of the couple was ill. Morris, 68, had told Rolling Stone that he had a “health problem” that was “pretty serious.” “I really don’t want to dwell on what this illness is, but it’s pretty serious,” he said. “It’s not something that someone’s going to come up with a cure for.” But after concerned fans believed the New Order drummer was seriously ill, Gilbert set the record straight. “Thankfully, he is well. It is in fact me, who like many other people, is living with cancer,” she said. Gilbert asked for privacy as she continued treatment. Gilbert will not take part in New Order’s upcoming reunion tour, and Morris will also sit it out. The band said the pair would not be “touring for the foreseeable future” for personal health reasons and would miss a November Primavera performance in Chile. Gilbert joined New Order shortly after its formation in the 1980s. She and Morris married in 1994 and share two daughters, Tilly and Grace.

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Annie Dillard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose vivid explorations of nature made her one of America’s most celebrated literary voices, has died at 81, according to The New York Times. Dillard was just 28 when Pilgrim at Tinker Creek was published in 1974. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction the following year and transformed her into a major figure in American letters. The attention that followed was not always welcome. Dillard was inundated with requests for interviews, speeches, and television appearances, while some media outlets focused as much on her appearance as her writing. She was mocked in some circles as “Cheesecake at Tinker Creek.” She responded by retreating from the spotlight, eventually moving to Washington state. Dillard went on to publish essays, poetry, novels, journalism, and a memoir, as well as The Writing Life, a bestselling meditation on the demands of putting words on a page. Her final book, The Maytrees, appeared in 2007. Dillard was last photographed publicly in 2014, when President Barack Obama presented her with the National Humanities Medal.

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A woman had to be flown to hospital after a shark sank its teeth into her right ankle while she was out on a dolphin-spotting excursion. The 37-year-old, who has not been named publicly but is understood to be Australian, was with a group about three miles out from the Bahamian island of North Bimini when the attack took place around 5.30 p.m. local time on Monday. She suffered what has been described as “serious injuries.” She was immediately taken to a community clinic on the coast and then to a hospital on the main island of New Providence for further treatment. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said it is investigating the incident to establish what kind of shark may have attacked the woman. The island nation’s waters are home to roughly 40 different species, including bull sharks, hammerheads, and oceanic whitetips. Caribbean reef sharks are generally the most common and can reach lengths of 9 feet and weigh around 155 pounds.

Emergency services treated a 17-year-old girl for injuries after a black bear tore in through her window while she was sleeping. The girl attempted to hide under the blankets at her home in Monte Vista, southwest Colorado, but the animal was still able to pierce through and hit her on the stomach. The incident took place just two days after another bear attacked a woman through the walls of her tent at a nearby campsite. Local wildlife authorities said she was treated for puncture wounds after the animal bit her on the arm. It makes for 10 bear attacks in the state so far this year. Officials describe that number as unprecedented. They say a drought across the state has driven it up by reducing available food supplies for the animals, which generally rely on 20,000 calories as they prepare to hibernate in the winter.