UConn proud of Big East's basketball pedigree even as football money upends college sports
Alabama and the rest of the football fans in the Southeastern Conference are about to find out what Big East basketball is all about.
Donovan Clingan, UConn power back into Final Four behind 30-0 run in 77-52 rout of Illinois
Defending national champion UConn powered its way back into the Final Four behind a 30-0 run led by Donovan Clingan, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Huskies crushed Illinois 77-52.
Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring at Groundhog Day festivities
Punxsutawney Phil has forecasted an early spring from the largest and best-known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States at an overcast Gobblerโs Knob in western Pennsylvania.
Think they've seen it all? Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover who wants more
Itโs been a wonderful year at the movies for cinephiles, but what do you get for the film lover who has seen everything already.
What it's like to get a Wes Anderson education, from 'Rushmore' to 'Asteroid City'
Much has been made of Wes Andersonโs often-recurring troupe of actors like Bill Murray, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson.
Will Smith dances with family after Oscar win, shocking slap
Will Smith danced with glee at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, waving his best actor Oscar in the air and rapping along to his own songs with wife Jada Pinkett Smith at his side.
New this week: 'Law & Order,' Madea and Tears for Fears
This weekโs new entertainment releases include a new album from Tears for Fears, that familiar โcha-CHUNGโ sound effect signals the return to TV of NBCโs โLaw & Orderโ and Tyler Perryโs gun-totting grandmother Madea in a fresh Netflix film.
![Despite hybrid release, 'Dune' draws well on the big screen](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/POIQ0r9tqssBbgx4yly9r8rG92c=/800x335/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BODZAZTEZ5AYXEWYVR5P4NYYEM.jpg)
Despite hybrid release, 'Dune' draws well on the big screen
Denis Villeneuveโs โDuneโ debuted with $40.1 million in ticket sales in its opening weekend in North America, drawing enough moviegoers to see the thundering sci-fi epic on the big screen despite it also being available in homes.
![New this week: 'The Starling,' Diddy and Billy Bob Thornton](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/oQyrWBgZwtoesdDOGjr_lMX8j3k=/800x590/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XJIXTDF3QBDL7CYQDM6MH3ZF6I.jpg)
New this week: 'The Starling,' Diddy and Billy Bob Thornton
This weekโs new entertainment releases include new albums from rapper Diddy and โStar Trekโ star William Shatner, as well as Melissa McCarthy playing a grief-stricken mother in the Netflix drama โThe Starling.โ.
!['Superman,โ 'Lethal Weaponโ director Richard Donner dies](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/4b76fImKfLbckD6s-RPUn03n5m0=/800x562/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KR4EMICXDVGDZJFQ3XWUT2KOJA.jpg)
'Superman,โ 'Lethal Weaponโ director Richard Donner dies
The filmmaker who turned Christopher Reeve into โSupermanโ and Mel Gibson and Danny Glover into cop buddies in โLethal Weaponโ has died, his family said Monday through a spokesperson.
![Santa Barbara Film Festival unveils its 2021 lineup](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/9uE0Z8DAjfdofMFGZq98M3jllpQ=/1600x1118/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U6BHAWT3CVHDTPQCD4Q7GI7WHU.jpg)
Santa Barbara Film Festival unveils its 2021 lineup
Bill Murray poses for a portrait at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival in Toronto on Sepy.9, 2012, left, and Carey Mulligan poses for a portrait during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 25, 2020. Murray will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award and Mulligan will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award during this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival. (Photos by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, left, and Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP)The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is always starry a celebration of up and coming filmmakers and Oscar hopefuls, but this year the programmers have also decided to make it more accessible. Virtuoso Award recipients include Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, Kinglsey Ben-Adir, Andra Day, Sidney Flanigan, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim and Zendaya. AdThe Santa Barbara International Film Festival regularly attracts more than 100,000 attendees annually.
![A sexy Alexa, Dan Levy's M&M habit: Super Bowl ads to watch](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/LPcBqGMfgk8kkeIK_v5b1kzBZOI=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LH7I6E37JJCADFXGZTEAFCISCM.jpg)
A sexy Alexa, Dan Levy's M&M habit: Super Bowl ads to watch
It might not have seemed likely early in the pandemic, but the 55th Super Bowl Sunday is upon us yet again. Amazon shows off a sexy new body for its Alexa assistant, Dan Levy apologizes for eating M&M's and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade makes a downpour of lemons a metaphor for 2020's troubles. AdInspiration4 โ Join Us "In what is surely a first in Super Bowl history, an ad for Inspiration4, a SpaceX supported all-civilian space mission touts a chance for viewers to join the mission. Dan Levy of โSchittโs Creekโ apologizes to the M&M anthropomorphic characters that are Super Bowl mainstays and says he promises not to โeat any more of their friends." And E-Trade, famous for the talking baby ads it ran in the Super Bowl from 2008 until they โretired" in 2014, is back in the big game with an undisclosed ad.
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Pebble Beach for pros only this year because of COVID spike
FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, file photo, Bill Murray tosses his putter into a bunker after missing a birdie putt on the 18th green of the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the celebrity challenge event of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament, in Pebble Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)The only stars at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year will be the players and the golf course. The 156-man field on Feb. 11-14 will be held only at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. The tournament will have a pro-am on Wednesday at Pebble Beach, as other PGA Tour events have done in recent months. Pebble Beach winners include Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and more recently Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and five-time winner Phil Mickelson.
!['First Cow,' 'Nomadland' top AP's best films of 2020](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/JqTWRaT2yg9_25hETpTFvj7HKrU=/1600x1021/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DJH2IMRNBFAXRNTFVBX5NYHIGY.jpg)
'First Cow,' 'Nomadland' top AP's best films of 2020
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Frances McDormand in a scene from the film "Nomadland" by Chloe Zhao. Here are our picks for the best movies of 2020:JAKE COYLE1. โDavid Byrneโs American Utopiaโ: Spike Leeโs fiction films make more noise but heโs quietly one of the best documentary filmmakers we have. He may have made the best film of the year in his short film โNew York, New York,โ a tribute to an undefeatable pandemic-stricken city. It's also, with a glorious rendering of Harlem, one of the best New York movies in years.
![A unique recipe for healing: Bill Murray and a biblical text](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/lkDBJhKNcmDQ1lVsbypVE1NJBzI=/1600x898/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WBKDXNCIRFG6NHEXSYSASHFPQQ.jpg)
A unique recipe for healing: Bill Murray and a biblical text
Murray is set to play Job in a biblical reading designed to spark meaningful conversations across spiritual and political divides. The cast also included Matthew Starr, mayor of the Knox County town of Mount Vernon, who will play Jobโs accuser. Knox County, a largely rural community of about 62,000 residents including a medium-size Amish population, lies about an hour east of the state capital, Columbus. An exception is Kenyon College, a small liberal arts school perched on a hill a few miles outside Mount Vernon. Theater of War held its first Job reading in Joplin, Missouri, a year after a tornado killed more than 160 people there in 2011.
![Event organizer drops BookExpo, annual publishing convention](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/pnYzR_GU6V-ukyW8pDrigfoSCi4=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ITL5W2OWHNG33LOXA5PCCFZBDQ.jpg)
Event organizer drops BookExpo, annual publishing convention
The annual publishing convention and trade show, a decades-old tradition, may be coming to an end. ReedPop, which has managed BookExpo for a quarter century, announced Tuesday that it was dropping the event, along with the fan-based BookCon. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)NEW YORK โ The annual publishing convention and trade show known as BookExpo, a decades-old tradition where guest speakers have ranged from Bill Clinton to Margaret Atwood, may be coming to an end. โAmong the many traditions we greatly missed this year was having an industry event that brings together booksellers, authors and publishers," he said. "ABA is exploring new ways to bring booksellers, publishers, and authors together in the future.
![Sunset falls on a historic season for the drive-in](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/lxD8ZhlHoKRMsITtoRBKHHKN5uQ=/1600x1019/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CTYLNOWSM5BPNMWIGUUZ7W3FQA.jpg)
Sunset falls on a historic season for the drive-in
After a historic season, winter is coming at the drive-in. Summer and early fall have seen the old drive-in transformed into a surprisingly elastic omnibus of pandemic-era gathering. โItโs cold,โ Wiggin said on a bitter, wet morning. โItโs definitely time we closed.โAfter a historic season, winter is coming at the drive-in. Even the campaign trail joined the trend, leading to the first ever presidential race that included a mini-referendum on the drive-in.
![Patriots place 3 more on COVID-IR but Broncos game still on](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/IgzDkcmy_dZtic3wCBe6EMZ4MQk=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EE22EUMFUNG2RKRQMZUSCECOHU.jpg)
Patriots place 3 more on COVID-IR but Broncos game still on
The Patriots went back to work Saturday, Oct. 17, one day after a fifth player on the team tested positive for COVID-19 and one day before their twice-postponed game against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had COVID-19 news of their own Saturday: Running backs coach Curtis Modkins has tested positive and wonโt make the trip to New England. Elsewhere, the Jacksonville Jaguars said that a practice-squad player tested positive. The Jaguars also placed defensive end Josh Mauro on the regular COVID-19 list. The Falcons had to shut their facility Thursday but reopened Friday after one nonplayer tested positive.
![Newton, Gilmore return, putting both on track to play](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/1XmEVcM5zxWfP71_gR6h-jItW7k=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HPL42F4HUBG4ZFV42YA7AMRVPQ.jpg)
Newton, Gilmore return, putting both on track to play
New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore plays during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020 in Foxborough, Mass. โ Patriots quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore returned to practice for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus, putting both players on track to be in the lineup when New England hosts Denver on Sunday. Newton, who missed New England's loss at Kansas City after his Oct. 2 positive test, was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. Gilmore was activated from the list Thursday, following his Oct. 7 positive test. Patriots coach Bill Belichick was noncommittal when asked Thursday about the likelihood of Newton and Gilmore being ready to play this weekend.
![Patriots rally around Belichick amid COVID-19 outbreak](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/iW7m3s2KINz5oK7_z4PDLDNuK0I=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TDG62FKEBNA6NHTMZTYDJH3SEM.jpg)
Patriots rally around Belichick amid COVID-19 outbreak
The New England Patriots have canceled practice amid reports that a third player has tested positive for the coronavirus. โ The New England Patriots activated quarterback Cam Newton from the NFL's COVID-19 reserve list on Wednesday. Three Patriots remain on the COVID-19 reserve list: cornerback Stephon Gilmore, defensive tackle Byron Cowart and practice squad DT Bill Murray. New England players say they have found an ally in coach Bill Belichick amid growing local criticism of the NFLโs handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. โBill has done a good job of (saying), โHey, this is forever kind of changing, itโs very fluid,โโ Patriots safety Devin McCourty said.
![Patriots all-virtual in prep for delayed game vs. Broncos](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/UgZSU33kHM3h_0vo7Xy3hh1uVlk=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QXAVY7Y2O5DMNNLLIZRBVMW36E.jpg)
Patriots all-virtual in prep for delayed game vs. Broncos
โ New England coach Bill Belichick says the team is continuing to prepare to play its against the Denver Broncos after the Patriots returned no new positive COVID-19 tests on Thursday. โThis is really more of a medical situation than a football situation,โ Belichick said during a conference call Thursday morning. โSo weโll work through the decisions and input from the people in the medical field, a combination of the Patriots and league. Gilmore didnโt test positive until Tuesday. If a player tests positive but shows no symptoms, he must either wait 10 days from the initial positive test, or can return after having two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart.
![Pats cancel practices after Gilmore tests positive for COVID](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/jd1M7iLIH4MBOLAjUkw6OrTe65c=/1600x1069/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EXIDNSLAUVBOTC6EMZWURTACH4.jpg)
Pats cancel practices after Gilmore tests positive for COVID
โ The New England Patriots canceled practices for Wednesday and Thursday after cornerback Stephon Gilmore became the third player on the team in five days to test positive for the coronavirus. In a statement posted on Twitter, Gilmore acknowledged his positive test for the virus, but said he remains asymptomatic and โwill take this as it comes.โThe Patriots put Gilmore on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. Patriots players had the day off Tuesday, meaning that Friday could be their only practice this week if the game proceeds as planned. Newton's positive test prompted the NFL to postpone New Englandโs game with the Chiefs by a day. If a player tests positive but is asymptomatic, he must either wait 10 days from the initial positive test, or can return after having two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart.
![Second City comedy theater for sale, 2nd time in 60 years](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/iz5SgLg2Zat6T2dFA4st2RSoAOo=/1510x3000/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4O6SWQUBVJBY7GCXLFURDDA5KM.jpg)
Second City comedy theater for sale, 2nd time in 60 years
CHICAGO โ Chicagoโs Second City comedy theater โ where performers including Bill Murray, Steve Carell and Jordan Peele honed their skills โ has been put up for sale. In a statement released Tuesday, co-owner Andrew Alexander said a sale presents the opportunity for Second City to succeed well into the future. Privately held throughout its 61-year history, Second City suspended all its shows and classes in early March until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Second City is co-owned by Alexander and DโArcy Stuart, although its president, Steve Johnston, also has a small equity share. The theater was sold once before in the years after Bernie Sahlins, Howard Alk and Paul Sills launched the comedy theater in 1959.
![Firefighters battling large blaze at Dallas-area factory](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/yhHdykUGMdfu9qLpykSGpeLnmlo=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PYIRNQH4ZNAHHLTBFEBCHFDR24.jpg)
Firefighters battling large blaze at Dallas-area factory
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas A large fire believed to be ignited by a falling power line burned Wednesday at a Dallas-area factory that makes trash bags and other plastics, authorities said. There were no reports of injuries from the massive blaze at the Poly-America complex in Grand Prairie, authorities said. This is going to be burning late into tomorrow, Grand Prairie Assistant Fire Chief Bill Murray said during a Wednesday morning press conference. These are rolls of plastic sheeting, huge rolls, and theyre stacked sometimes eight feet high. Poly-America is headquartered in Grand Prairie and specializes in products made from polyethylene, such as trash bags, drop cloths and plastic sheeting, according to the companys website.
![Nick Taylor takes lead on glorious day at Pebble Beach](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/nC-J7T7txeugK0gFKpydmuZsbJo=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/4FYDA6U4ZNDXHAOOB7QB5UFFJU.jpg)
Nick Taylor takes lead on glorious day at Pebble Beach
Actor Bill Murray hits a tee shot on the third hole of the Spyglass Hill Golf Course during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Pebble Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. โ Nick Taylor opened with an eagle, closed with two birdies and made a gorgeous day feel even better with an 8-under 63 at Monterey Peninsula that gave him the lead Thursday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The iconic scenery is at Pebble Beach, especially when the surf turns a turquoise hue under so much sunshine. โA nice start,โ Taylor said, referring to his 4-iron that set up eagle and the 63 that matched his low round on the tour. But we were very relaxed today, joked all day, and I felt like the mood was great.โHe led by two shots to par over Patrick Cantlay (Spyglass) and Chase Seiffert (Pebble Beach), who each had a 6-under 66. โBut I shot a 4-under par round and it's not going to hurt me.โThe hurt belonged to David Duval, whose scorecard contained a 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
![Bill Murray applied for job at P.F. Chang's in Atlanta airport](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/10/29/Bill%20Murray%20Oct%202019.jpg_22426416_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Bill Murray applied for job at P.F. Chang's in Atlanta airport
(CNN) - In the latest twist in the wonderful life of Bill Murray, we learn the beloved star wants to work at P.F. On the one job he'd like to do outside of acting, Murray revealed, "I did fill out an application at P.F. Chang's at the Atlanta airport, because I think that's one of the great places." I can come home and I have recorded 61 episodes of 'Family Feud,' because it's on all day long," Murray said. "It's on all day long and by law it has to be on all day long.