Jeopardy! Productions(LOS ANGELES) — When Jeopardy! all-time champ and consulting producer Ken Jennings’ run as temporary host ofthe quiz showwraps up, there’s an all-star line-up ready to fill his shoes.
Jeopardy! Productions has announced that journalist Katie Couric will take a turn behind the podium, as will The Big Bang Theory vet and real-life neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and 60 Minutes mainstay Bill Whitaker.
A donation will be made to the charity of each host’s choice in exchange for their participation.
Before the just-announced guests succeed Jennings, Jeopardy! Productions announced that the show’s longtime executive producer, Mike Richards, will step in front of the camera as host for two weeks’ worth of the pre-recorded shows.
In a statement, Richards said, “Alex was a legend, revered by all of us. I want to thank our guest hosts, who will not only help all of us celebrate his great legacy, but also bring their own touch to the show.”
Jennings was the first person to fill in for Alex Trebek, who died last year of pancreatic cancer, and will host six weeks’ worth of shows. A permanent successor for Trebek has yet to be announced.
Tristan CusickMitchell Tenpenny traverses the Arizona terrain in the video for “Bucket List.”
The free-spirited clip sees the Nashville native overlooking the Grand Canyon, riding horses and four-wheeling in the desert. He then coasts along scenic Lake Powell and sings off all the goals he’s committing to including loving more, dreaming deeper and finding peace during his time on earth, with stunning Monument Valley off in the distance.
“Bucket List” is inspired by Mitchell’s late father’s advice about living life to the fullest.
“That’s what my dad always taught me and my brother growing up, that life is short, so you just always have to go for it,” the singer tells People. “I have noticed that when someone gives you that courage to go for it, that’s when you have the best chance of success.”
GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty ImagesBy ALEXANDRA SVOKOS, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was charged for his alleged involvement in the attack on the Capitol last week.
The swimmer was charged with obstructing law enforcement engaged in official duties, unlawfully entering Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
It was first speculated that Keller was involved in the riot when people began identifying a man who looked like him in a video taken by Townhall reporter Julio Rosas. The video shows a tall man seemingly wearing a U.S. Olympic Team jacket, and former teammates and coaches identified him as Keller, SwimSwam and The New York Times reported.
In the video, which was cited in the complaint against Keller, Capitol Police tussle with rioters in the Rotunda, and Keller was pushed back with the crowd by police shields.
The complaint, referencing the Townhall video, notes that “Colorado state records and publicly available information list [Keller’s] height at 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and [the person in the video] appears to be one of the tallest individuals in the video depicting individuals in the Rotunda.”
Keller had been employed by Colorado real estate firm Hoff & Leigh, but, the firm said in a statement, he resigned this Tuesday.
“Effective immediately, Klete Keller is no longer with Hoff & Leigh. Keller, an independent contractor, resigned from the company today,” the company said. “Hoff & Leigh supports the right of free speech and lawful protest but we cannot condone actions that violate the rule of law. We pride ourselves on our deeply held core values of family, loyalty, community and stewardship. We continue to stand by these values.”
In response to the reports of Keller’s participation in the siege, USA Swimming said in a statement, “We respect private individuals’ and groups’ rights to peacefully protest but in no way condone the actions taken by those at the Capitol last week.”
Before the charge was made against Keller, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland sent a letter to Team USA athletes condemning the “rioters” at the Capitol.
“At home, and around the world, Team USA athletes are held to a very high standard as they represent our country on the field of play and off,” Hirshland wrote. “What happened in Washington, D.C., was a case where that standard was clearly not met. The people involved attacked the very fabric of the democracy we all proudly represent and, in turn, also let our community down. I urge everyone associated with Team USA to continue to celebrate our diversity of background and beliefs, stand together against hatred and divisiveness, and use our influence to create positive change in our community.”
Keller, 38, won medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He was on the U.S. relay team along with Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay.
ABCCarrie Underwood is making a generous donation to a young fan who stepped up to help a local children’s hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Hayley Orlinsky, a seven-year-old from Chicago, heard that the children’s hospital where she was hospitalized as an infant was running out of PPE at the start of the pandemic last March, she felt compelled to help by making friendship bracelets to sell and raise money for the hospital.
Her initial goal was $200, but she has since raised more than $27,000 in 10 months, her mother Lori calling her efforts “the ultimate act of kindness.”
Carrie agrees, and surprised the mother-daughter duo via Zoom while appearing on The Drew Barrymore Showthis week.
“You’re a perfect example, it doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are, whatever it is that you’re into, you took your love of making bracelets and you used it to make the world a better place,” the superstar gushed, applauding her young fan who was moved to tears.
After host Drew Barrymore revealed she was donating $5,000 to Hayley’s effort, Carrie announced that she and Bodyarmor, the sports drink company she’s recently partnered with, are making a matching donation, bringing the total to $10,000.
“That’s going to help the hospital and going to help with vaccinations. We are so thankful,” Lori replied.
ABC(LOS ANGELES) — TV and film production in Los Angeles has been shut down for the most part, because of the latest COVID-19 surge. But some shows are getting back to work, like The Conners, who went back to set Tuesday.
Executive producer and star Sara Gilbert tells ABC Audio they’re being really careful.
“I would say we feel safe, but not too safe because we want to stay really vigilant and try to keep everybody healthy,” the 45-year-old actress explains. “It wouldn’t be good for me to feel too safe because then I wouldn’t be protecting everybody.”
“We’re all taking a lot of care, as much care as we can,” she adds.
The Connors, which is a continuation spin-off of the dramedy Roseanne, is currently filming the tail end of its third season and Gilbert shares that there’s “a lot of protocols” and “a lot of testing” taking place to make sure that, if a crew member contracted the novel coronavirus, it doesn’t spread.
Still, that didn’t make the decision to return to set any easier.
“It’s been a lot of discussions, discussion with experts,” she says. “It’s been a lot of testing to see where cast and crew is at and how people are doing. And, you know, we wear bracelets to monitor how close people get to each other. Just sort of a lot of things like that that we are hopeful that we can do it safely.”
Even with all these safety measures in place, Gilbert is not naive to the fact that things could change at a moment’s notice.
“We’re staying in the moment and seeing what happens,” she admits. “I can say we’re going to work… but if something changes… then we won’t be.”
Jeopardy! Productions(LOS ANGELES) — When Jeopardy! all-time champ and consulting producer Ken Jennings’ run as temporary host of the quiz show wraps up, there’s an all-star line-up ready to fill his shoes. 
